Chapter 11
They sat on the steps of City Hall. Beside him, Penny sang a tune he did not recognize, rummaging around his bag.
He had been adamant against this, stating that although many social conventions escaped him, he was certain that when one was not a figure of the law, looking through another person's belongings wasn't one. ("Social conventions, like time, don't exist here. So give it up." She argued.)
It wasn't until she threatened him with castration that he gave up his rights to his bag.
With nothing else to do, he grumbled to himself, staring out at the skyline of the city.
Sheldonopolis had remained, for the most part, devoid of inhabitants since Sheldon first woke up, and it mystified him, although he did notice subtle changes in their surroundings.
Penny had happily pointed out that it signified immeasurable improvement.
The buildings have become larger, and the colors much more vibrant. There's Shelmart…ooh, and I can see the bleachers from Sheldon Stadium…Indeed, he thought, Sheldonopolis is one fine city.
Various forms of flora were also present; many of the flowers that had bloomed glinted in the sunlight. He furrowed his brows.
Penny looked up, clutching the neatly folded piece of paper she had been searching for.
"What's wrong Sheldon?"
"Something about those flowers…" He stood and made his way down the steps.
When he got to one of the blooming trees, he reached up (without much effort, thanks to his height.) and plucked a tiny, orange flower from the closest branch. Sheldon looked down at what he held in his hand and he blinked.
It was a pennyblossom, its petals neatly dotted with tiny rhinestones and glitter. A fuzzy memory of sea shanties and a messy apartment flooded his senses. He could almost smell the hot glue.
"Well who would have thought…Out of all the flowers you could have picked, you got the first one I showed you."
Penny appeared by his side, and Sheldon dazedly looked at her. She stretched out a hand, and he placed the pennyblossom into her palm as he took his bag back. He corrected the strap across his chest as he watched her clip the flower onto her hair.
"What were you looking for, anyway?" He asked, his voice greatly subdued. "I did a thorough inventory of its contents before I left and I assure you there is absolutely nothing of use or value to you in it."
"No value to me, yes. But it has a value to you, even if you don't know it yet." She held up the folded paper she had extracted from his bag. Unfolding it, she read aloud:
"Hey Sheldon, I know it's probably too much to ask but I'll be working over-time tonight. Hope you could go to the store and grab me some hotdogs. For Spaghetti! Thanks! Penny. P.S…" She gave the note back to him, her head tilted slightly upwards.
"Do you know why I asked you to come over that day?" She asked. "It wasn't because I wanted to just have dinner with you…I had to talk to you about something."
He clucked softly at her. "Penny, as we have been neighbors and, to an extent, friends for years, I have learned that trying to keep you away is like trying to keep a Vulcan from engaging in pon farr. Denial of it means death." The corner of his mouth twitched into a little smile. "Dinner or not, you could have found a reasonable moment to speak to me."
She stood toe-to-toe with him now, looking up at him with large emerald eyes. Have they always been that green? A small feeling of yearning flickered inside of him when he examined the rest of her face, now dangerously close to his. Her lips, a coral pink, were slightly parted, and her hair, partially pinned back by the pennyblossom, fell in golden tendrils around it.
Impossible…I am a Homo Novus…I am above these feelings…
And yet, here he was, fighting the urge to cup her face in his hands; fighting the urge to kiss Penny.
The doors of City Hall suddenly flew open, and Penny and Sheldon, eyes wide, pulled back from each other, the spell they were both under now broken.
Two stumpy figures descended the steps as fast as their short legs could carry them. From where he was standing, Sheldon could make out they were wearing identical and preposterous white jumpsuits. He also couldn't help but notice that they both had mops of dark green hair.
"Sheldon! Sheldon is that really you?" One called out. Oh. The other remained silent, desperately trying to catch up to the first. When they finally reached the bottom of the steps, they fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
Penny gestured at Sheldon, who nodded, and they approached the tiny pair.
"Hello Wolowitz. Hello Koothrappali. Nice of you to join us on this fine day in Sheldonopolis." He smirked as he stood over them, hands behind his back.
Penny slipped the note back into Sheldon's bag before she rushed over to Raj's side. He and Howard had sauntered in, a tall stack of boxes in their arms. They had failed to notice the pull-away bed table.
"Raj! Howard? What's going on? What's with all the…boxes?" She watched Howard shift his eyes, hooking his thumbs onto the pockets of his skintight yellow jeans.
"Well…let's just say that we know what you've been up to Penny. We wanna help." Howard gave her a suave smile. She rounded on him, eyes squinting.
But instead of getting angry, she whispered a thank you to both of them.
They began unloading the contents, ignoring the bewildered stare of the nurse that had been standing by Sheldon's heart monitor.
"Really you guys? Oompa Loompas?" Penny asked dryly, earning herself an indignant look from Sheldon.
"That's Oompa Loompas of science, Penny." Sheldon corrected her. "If I recall, I had made a comment once while visiting the engineering department at the university describing them thusly." He chortled.
"Ok. So why is Raj an Oompa Loompa of science? I thought he worked with telescopes and star thingies."
Raj rapidly whispered into Howards ear. When Howard gave him a perplexed look, he urged him with minuscule hands.
"He says…he says it's because Sheldon always views us as an inseparable pair. So how he sees one of us, he sees the other." He said curtly.
Sheldon nodded. "Correct. Plus, Howard is the dominant of the two, so it's only fitting." He watched Howard roll his eyes. Behind him, Raj clapped delightedly and engaged in what looked to Sheldon as a frenzied dance.
"Anyway, Sheldon. We're glad we found you. Ever since the accident, there has been a very big problem."
Sheldon arched an eyebrow. "And you think I was not aware of this? Penny has already debriefed me on my…condition."
"Yes, but there's more to it. Notice how Sheldonopolis is deserted?" Howard gestured around him. Sheldon nodded slowly. It had disturbed him to no end.
"Yea, it's because there is a part of your mind that's dominated right now by that…that THING that's up there." He pointed up to the balcony at the highest floor of the building. "And only you can fix it."
Sheldon angled his head up. The curtains that hung from the windows were parted, but remained undisturbed. For some reason, he could not shake the feeling that whatever was in that office was watching them.
"I don't suppose I have a choice in this. Given the comatose conjunctures that I have taken part in…"
"Sheldon," Howard pressed. "If you don't do this, then you fail as Mayor of Sheldonopolis, and you'll never be able to return."
He's right. I AM the Mayor…
He suddenly felt empowered. He had been given a window of opportunity to brave something and restore peace. Why, I could be a hero!
Penny gave a small cough when Sheldon remained quiet.
"If you're thinking of going in there, you have to remember: anything is possible." She tapped his forehead gently. "What do you say Moon Pie? Shall we go up there and kick some monster butt?"
He didn't miss a beat, and struck a dramatic pose, arms akimbo and chest puffed out.
"Am I not Sheldor the Conqueror, mayor and founder of Sheldonopolis? Come! Let us slay this beast and return the city to its former glory!"
Raj gave a whoop and Howard grinned. Turning to Penny, he leered at her.
"You know, if this doesn't work out, you can always be a guide in my science factory."
Before she could administer a slap, Sheldon grasped her hand and ran up the steps leading into City Hall, with the Oompa Loompas of science trailing closely behind.
Watching from the window of the mayor's office, a dark figure chuckled.