Penny is making an impact on the lives of the Cooper twins.

Missy smoothed down the floral top she was wearing and bit her bottom lip. Sheldon wasn't thrilled she was going to be working with Bo. Apparently he wasn't too keen on the guy, but he wouldn't tell her why. She hadn't seen him since their trip to the coffee shop. She wished she could call Penny for some encouragement, which was strange all on it's own. Missy didn't rely on many people, and certainly not so quickly. Penny Queen had a way of making you trust her.

Missy sighed and headed to the back door of the bakery like Chris and Edith had instructed her to. She knocked softly and after a moment the door opened. A teenager with shockingly bright purple hair opened the door.

"Hey, chika. Are you Missy?"

Missy nodded and followed the girl inside. "Yes, and you must be Becca."

Purple curls bounced as she nodded. "Yep. I'm the apprentice. Do you bake?"

Missy shook her head. "No. I'm not much of a cook. I once scorched a pan making a hard boiled egg."

Becca giggled lightly. "Oh wow. Don't tell Bo that. He'll make it his personal mission to give you lessons, and he's a bitch to work for."

"Only when the person who is supposed to be learning turns out to be a spastic little troll doll who can't tell baking soda from baking powder."

Missy looked up into warm chocolate eyes and blushed slightly. "Hello," she said softly.

Bo nodded shyly. "Hello. Welcome to Little Bites of Heaven, Missy."

Missy smiled and looked around the kitchen. The entire room smelled like flour, cinnamon and honey. Several surfaces were covered with rising dough. Sheets of cookies and muffins were stacked on rolling racks.

Becca rolled her eyes and groaned. "Good grief! The sexual tension is already oppressive! I'll foot the bill for the motel down the street, as long as you both promise to never give me details!" She skipped away quickly, leaving Missy and Bo with dropped jaws and red faces.

After a moment, Bo looked away and cleared his throat. "Um, so… that was Becca. She's my help. Or rather, she was. I'm about to fire her, strangle her and shove her corpse into one of the ovens."

Missy burst out laughing and the tension eased up. "Well, she's going to take some getting used to, I guess."

Bo grinned and moved through the kitchen. "Come on through. I'll give you a tour of the place."

XTBBTX

Sheldon looked up from his laptop as Missy walked through the door. She was carrying a pastry box and the smell of apples and cinnamon wafted through the apartment. She smiled at him and set the box in the kitchen.

"How was your day?" Sheldon asked. He wasn't truly interested, but he knew she expected him to inquire.

Missy took a seat on the sofa and removed her shoes. "I think that by the end of the month, I'm going to be as big as a house. Bo makes the most wonderful cheesecake cookies. And snicker doodles. And brownies. And apple strudel."

Sheldon looked toward the kitchen hopefully. "Is that what I smell?"

Missy nodded and then smiled as Sheldon hurried to get some. He loved strudel and she couldn't resist bringing him some home. Especially since he was being so good about trying to take care of her. This was a side of Sheldon she had never dared believe existed, but had always wished for. She knew he was making a huge effort to be supportive and encouraging, even though he wasn't completely able to comprehend her state of mind. And that effort made her love her brother even more. Penny had worked miracles on him.

Sheldon grabbed a bowl and placed a portion of the strudel into it. He carried it to his armchair and ate while contemplating his recent research. He had read every pamphlet and paper in the folder Penny had given him. One of those had been a questionnaire designed to help determine his goals.

He had been sure he knew what his goals were until he filled out the questionnaire. He had been stunned by the results. His intention when he asked Penny to continue seeing him was to help him find a way to, if not alleviate his mysophobia, then to circumnavigate it. He wanted to be able to get through his days without cringing away from the people around him. He wanted to be able to go to the store without feeling like he had to douse himself in Purell.

After filling out the questionnaire and then looking at the results, he was stunned by what he read. He didn't just want to tolerate people, he had a real desire to connect with people. Sheldon was so surprised, he had taken the questionnaire a second and third time just to make sure it was accurate. It was.

Sheldon scooped up the last bite of the flaky, rich strudel and sighed internally. He suspected his newly discovered desire to be close to others, was due to his interest in Penny. He hadn't even realized he was interested in Penny until he was no longer able to see her. After spending three evenings a week in her company for several weeks, spending 2 weeks without any contact had resulted in inadequate REM sleep and a distinct lessening of his patience.

There was something about her that captivated him. Sure, she was beautiful, but he had met beautiful women before. He lived in California, after all. She was friendly, but he knew many friendly women. And to be honest, he had no interest in becoming friends with them. She was successful, but once again, he knew many successful people. No, there was something about her, something he didn't understand or recognize, that compelled his mind to return to thoughts of her on a alarmingly frequent basis.

Only 5 more days until he had his appointment. Maybe continued exposure to Penny would alleviate his desire to spend time with her. He had learned early in life that the more he got to know someone, the less he liked having them around.

XTBBTX

Sheldon sat on the chair, waiting impatiently. He had arrived early for his session, but was disappointed to find there was already someone inside. The elevator doors opened and Koothrappali stepped out with a woman. She was tall and slender, and looked like a model. Sheldon turned away, having no interest in conversation.

"That's one of the guys I mentioned," Raj laughed. "Pathetic."

The woman smirked and sauntered over. Sheldon twitched at her close proximity. "Hey there, baby. You know, you're kind of cute." She leaned over, giving him a direct view down her scant top. "I wouldn't charge you," she offered huskily.

The door opened and Penny stepped outside with Howard and Leonard. She looked at the woman with a raised eyebrow. Sheldon stood quickly and moved around the stranger to stand by Howard. Penny sighed and turned to her neighbor.

"Rajesh, one of your bimbos is off her leash again. Don't make me call the pound," she said calmly.

Koothrappali narrowed his eyes and grabbed the woman's hand to draw her back toward his door. "At least she doesn't charge for it!'

Penny rolled her eyes and turned to Howard and Leonard. "Okay, guys. Now, don't forget, group meeting on Tuesday next week. Howard, you're bringing your mom, and Leonard…"

"I know," Leonard said with a pout. "I'll call Mother this evening. I don't know why you think this time will be any different than before," he muttered.

Penny smiled and patted his shoulder. "Later, guys. Come on in, Sheldon."

His neighbors headed off down the hall, their hands entwined, as he stepped into the apartment. Sheldon was stunned by the new décor. He had actually become inured to the previous hideous colors. The balloons were gone, and had been replaced with floor to ceiling Plexiglas over a cream colored paint. Leaning against the wall were two paintball guns. The chalk board was still in place, but the other two walls were repainted. One was the color of sand and the other was mocha. Hanging from the ceiling near the sand wall was a punching bag.

The carpet was gone, replaced by oak flooring. Most of the furniture was gone, too. Her desk was near the chalk board, as were the file cabinets. There was the small love seat, a chair, and a couple of thick mats near the window. He looked over at Penny as she rearranged the chair for him. She laughed at his expression of bemusement.

"Yes, quite a change, I know," she said, taking a seat on the sofa. "But, as my patients grow and their needs change, so does the décor."

Sheldon glanced at the paintball guns and punching bag warily. "How do they help your patients?"

Penny nodded to the guns. "Those are for working out frustrations. Some therapists recommend punching pillows, or using foam bats. I subscribe to the theory that man's innate aggressive tendencies require something a bit more …volatile. There is something quite satisfying about pelting Plexiglas with paintballs. It's visceral."

Sheldon looked skeptical and she laughed lightly again. "It's not for everyone, I agree. However, you'd be amazed at how much stress can be relieved by doing something active like paintball or boxing."

"Why does your neighbor dislike you so much?" he asked curiously.

Penny shrugged casually. "Koothrappali and my ex were good friends. He and Doug grew up together. He blames me for Doug being in jail."

Sheldon decided the conversation had taken an uncomfortable turn so he reached into his messenger bag and handed Penny the paperwork he had completed. He watched her carefully as she looked it over. She didn't seem surprised at all by the quiz's conclusions.

She placed the papers beside her and looked at him serenely. "Are you prepared to fully commit to this?"

He clasped his hands in his lap and took a deep breath. "Yes," he said softly.

Penny smiled, momentarily dazing him. "Then let's get started, Sheldon. Please remove your jacket."