Here's the next chapter! Not entirely happy with it, but…I hate going so long between updates.

"Okay," said Gloria, swinging easily into the saddle of her own mount. "Let's head out. Everyone remembers how to steer?" The group nodded. "Then let's shove off."

"She sounds like my mother," Sheldon mumbled. "I am not going to enjoy this."

Penny turned to look at him. "Sheldon, it's not going to be that bad."

"It's not going to be that bad?"

"Here we go," Leonard mumbled.

Penny glanced up to make sure that Gloria wasn't hearing Sheldon rant. Luckily-or unluckily-Howard was walking his mount next to her, chatting a mile a minute. "Oh boy," she said, rolling her eyes.

"As long as he doesn't go into the translation of pumpernickel, we should be okay," Leonard joked.

"As I was saying," Sheldon said, "you, Penny, have made us spend a day traipsing around in the desert atop plotting ungulates with Howard Wolowitz, who will likely spend the entire time hitting on the woman on the white horse."

Penny perked up. This conversation could be fun after all. "Flea-bitten gray."

"And the inevitable rejection will only…what?"

"Flea-bitten gray," Penny said. "'White' horses are extremely rare, they only occur when the horse's skin is pink all over, with no darker coloring on the legs, ears and muzzle. All other horses that appear to be white are actually gray, and 'white' colored horses with tiny brown spots flecked all over their bodies are called flea-bitten grays. Didn't they teach you this in the panhandle?"

Leonard was smirking, Raj was biting his sleeve to keep from laughing, and while Gloria continued staring straight ahead, Howard turned around in the saddle, steadied himself, and nodded at Penny. "Burn," he said slowly, enunciating the word to show his appreciation for Penny rendering Sheldon temporarily speechless.

However, the theoretical physicist was never mute for long when his larynx was uninflamed. "That's northwest Texas," Sheldon said. "I'm from East Texas, and as I've told you before, I have a working knowledge of the important things in the universe. Topics discussed on your 'Radiohead' may include that of the flea-bitten gray, but the technical terms of equine coloring will not help me unravel the mysteries of the universe."

"Sheldon, sweetie," Penny said sweetly, "can you just try to enjoy yourself? I played Pictionary with you before, remember? And 20 questions?"

"You only did that because you made me watch that awful movie about the time-traveling mailbox."

"Okay, so think of it this way," she said. "I'm gonna regret this, but…I owe you one."

"Mistake," Howard said, turning around again.

"Will you make sure my chicken with broccoli is diced, not shredded?"

"Yes."

"Even though the menu description-"

"Yes!" she snapped.

"Everything okay back there?" Gloria called.

"We're good!" Penny said, smiling.

"Okay, we're going to be heading up a fairly steep hill here," she said.

"Oh really?" Sheldon said. "That's how we're getting past the mountain in our way?"

"Sheldon!"

Sheldon smiled. "That, Penny, was sarcasm."

She shook her head, smiling. "Yes, Sheldon, I know."

"Are you guys listening?" Gloria called back. There was about ten yards between her and Howard and the rest of the group. She leaned back and her mare halted. "When we get there, I want y'all to lean forward and loosen your reins so the horses can keep their momentum. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Got it."

"Got it."

"Got it."

Raj gave a thumbs up.

"Good." Gloria smiled. She turned to make sure Raj was okay, and then smiled at Penny. "You guys are a fun group."

Penny smiled. Those were her nerdy guys.