5 years later
Sheldon looked around his apartment and mentally arranged his collectibles and sparse furniture, until a knock on the door drew his attention. He opened it up to find three men in the hallway. "May I help you?"
The short one with glasses smiled in a friendly way. "Hello. I'm Leonard Hofstadter. I live in 5B upstairs. These guys are Rajesh Koothrappali and Howard Wolowitz. They live across from me in 5A. We work at Cal-Tech, also. We thought we would welcome you to the building and the university all at once."
He nodded to each man. "I am Doctor Sheldon Cooper." He glanced at the floor above. "None of you line dance or hold jump rope tournaments, do you?" They all looked confused and shook their head. Sheldon sighed with relief. "Good. I often work at home and I detest noisy neighbors."
"Um, we're on our way to grab some dinner. Do you want to join us?" Raj asked.
"Not particularly," Sheldon said. "However, I am hungry, so I will. Where will we be dining?"
"We could get Thai food," Howard suggested.
Raj groaned. "Aww! I want Mexican."
Leonard rolled his eyes. "How about the Cheesecake Factory?"
Howard snorted. "You just want to see Penny." Sheldon tensed slightly. That name always made him do that.
Leonard blushed. "Penny is one of our neighbors. She lives in 2C with her boyfriend, Charlie."
"BIG boyfriend," Howard clarified. "The guy is almost a mountain. About 6'5", 280 lbs. and enough ink to start his own printing press."
Sheldon frowned. "He stores ink in the apartment?"
Raj shook his head. "No. He has tattoos all over. Dragons, skeletons, a big Viking ship on his back. In the summer, when he shaves his head, there's a black and white Joker face on the back of his skull."
The four men made their way down the stairs. Sheldon noticed Leonard looking at 2C as they descended. "It would seem to me to be imprudent to chase after a woman dating such a man."
"Someday she'll realize those guys are all wrong for her," he said confidently. "Our kids will be smart and beautiful."
Just then the door to 2C opened and the largest man Sheldon had ever seen before stepped out. The guy nodded to them and continued on down the stairs. Sheldon looked back at Leonard. "Not to mention, imaginary."
The hostess seated them and handed out menus. Sheldon was looking over the selections when Leonard fidgeted excitedly. "She's here!"
Sheldon looked up, mildly curious as to the type of woman who would date the very large formidable looking man from the apartment. He looked up into jade green eyes.
He couldn't breath. He couldn't look away. He felt that closed off part of himself crack open. All the old memories rushed forth and flood his mind.
She was four feet away when she looked up and met his eyes.
She froze. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest. Her palms grew damp. She took a deep breath and approached the table.
"Hi, guys. What can I get you to drink?"
Leonard smiled widely. "Hello, Penny. We have a new neighbor. This is Sheldon."
Penny nodded briefly. "Hello Sheldon."
"Hello, Penny. You look well. The years have not changed you much." He watched her closely. Her hair was straight, and hung halfway down her back. She had filled out to her potential, becoming very curvy. Even the mustard yellow of her sweater vest wasn't enough to detract from her beauty.
She looked down at her order pad. "Thank you, Sheldon. You look much the same, also." She tried to ignore the lean frame, the intense eyes, and the sinewy forearms. "So, about those drinks?"
Howard looked over at Sheldon. "You two know each other?"
"Yes."
"No."
Sheldon looked stunned by her negative response. Penny sighed. "We used to. A very long time ago." She looked Sheldon in the eye. "But not anymore." Penny backed up a step. "How about I just bring everyone some lemonade. It's fresh today and really good."
Sheldon watched her hurry away. The guys looked at him. "How do you know Penny?" Leonard asked with a slight edge to his voice.
Sheldon pulled out his wallet and reached inside. He pulled out a picture and passed it around. It was the one from the first time she visited him and they went to the fair. "We met when I went to college. Her dad was the ground's keeper and we became friends. She was 8 and I was 10 ½. I used to stay with her and her dad during the school semesters. We even visited each other during the summers. We were best friends."
Raj and Howard were watching him. Leonard was staring at the picture. "What happened?" Howard asked.
Sheldon plucked the picture from Leonard's hands and looked at it before putting it back. "I went to Germany. When I came back, we had both changed some. Things were different. We had a bit of a falling out. Then I went back to Germany to finish my second doctorate. The last I heard, she was living in New York."
Leonard watched him put the wallet away. "So you two never dated, or anything?"
Sheldon shook his head. He watched the kitchen door open and Penny come back through. "Never," he said softly.
He smoothed down his Flash shirt and took a deep breath.
Knock, knock, knock "Penny?"
Knock, knock, knock "Penny?"
Knock, knock, knock "Penny?"
He could hear someone moving inside and he cleared his throat. The door opened and the greeting died on his tongue. At 6'2", Sheldon rarely had to look up at anyone. He looked up and gulped silently.
Charlie hid his smile. He was used to strange looks from people. He had spiked hair, several piercing, even more tattoos and was built like a cinder block. Those things individually was enough to give the average person pause. Combined together, most skedaddled pretty quickly. "Can I help you?" he asked when this one seemed to gather his courage.
"My name is Sheldon Cooper. I would like to speak with Penny, please."
Charlie leaned against the door frame. He knew the name. He knew the history. Normally, when some guy showed up he would send them packing. A bit of gruffness, and a thinly veiled threat was all it took. He hesitated this time, though. "She's out at the moment. She landed a job for Comic-con next month and has a fitting for the costume she has to wear. Want to leave a message?"
Sheldon shook his head. "I will try to speak with her another time."
The guy shrugged and started to close the door. He paused. "Hey, Cooper. She does her laundry on Saturday nights. She's usually the only one there."
Sheldon nodded. "Thank you."
Slowly he made his way back to the fourth floor, deep in thought. He walked inside and picked up his phone. He dialed and walked to the fridge for a bottle of water.
"Hello, Meemaw. Did you know Penny lives in Pasadena, now?"
Penny leaned against the washer and opened her magazine. A noise at the door drew her attention.
"Hello," Sheldon said softly as he walked into the room.
"Hi."
He set his basket on the table and began separating his loads. He glanced at her, but she was looking through the magazine again. He had tried to catch her several times in the last three days, but she was out a lot. "How are you?" he asked.
"Fine."
Sheldon placed his clothes in the machines and started them. He turned and looked at her. She was wearing little pink shorts and a soft blue camisole. He could see the glint of a small hoop in her navel. Her toes were painted bright pink. She looked so soft and feminine. She was no longer the tomboy he remembered.
"It's good to see you again."
"Don't." Penny closed her magazine and looked over at him. "It's been 5 years, Sheldon. You can't just walk back into my life and act like it was only yesterday." Her machine buzzed and she turned to remove the wet clothes. "Things are different now, Sheldon. We aren't friends anymore. So don't act like we are." She threw the clothes into a dryer and started it.
"I want to be friends again," he said gently.
Penny looked down. She wrapped her arms around her waist and headed for the door. "We don't always get what we want." She didn't look back, no matter how badly she wanted to.
40 minutes later there was a knock on her door. Penny opened it up and found her basket on the floor, her clothes neatly folded. On top was a note.
Penny,
You know I do not believe in fate, chance or coincidence. The odds of finding ourselves living in the same building, in the same city after 5 years are too great to ignore. All I ask is that you give it a chance. We were best friends once. Doesn't that deserve a second chance?
Sheldon
Penny stumbled out of her bed and toward the kitchen. She could smell coffee, so she let the smell guide her in the right direction. She had stayed up way too late. She wondered if Charlie was awake. It was hard to tell sometimes. Half the time he put on a pot and went back to bed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Damn Sheldon. Why did he have to show back up now? She had spent most of last night looking through her old scrapbooks and re-reading old letters. The phone rang and she picked it up.
"Hello?" she yawned.
"Penny, dear? It's Mary."
Penny was suddenly wide awake. "Hello, Mrs. Cooper. I guess I know why you are calling."
Mary clucked. "Since when do you call me Mrs. Cooper?"
Penny sat down at the kitchen table. "Sorry. Hello, Momma Mary," she said softly.
Mary chuckled. "I was hoping to hear from you. Shelly called Meemaw a few days ago and told us you two had run into each other." Penny sighed, knowing what was coming. "Sweetheart, 5 years is a long time. What happened back then, well, it wasn't smart, but it wasn't as bad as you think, either. Don't you think it's time you stopped punishing yourself?"
"Momma Mary, I appreciate the advice," she said as Charlie came into the room. "And you're right. 5 years IS a long time. I'm different. He probably is, too. I'm sure we've both moved on."
Mary sighed gently. "Just think about it. That's all I ask."
Penny handed Charlie a cup of coffee as he sat down. "Okay," she relented. "I'll consider it."
"Thank you, Penny. Call your father. He hasn't heard from you in a month."
Penny agreed and hung up.
"So," Charlie said after a few sips. "Sheldon Cooper, huh? What are you going to do?"
Penny ran a hand through her hair. "Change my name, dye my hair and move to New Zealand?"
Charlie chuckled and patted her shoulder. " Speaking of hair, don't forget you have an appointment with the salon in two hours."
Penny nodded. "I know. I'm just about to get ready. I work this evening."
Charlie nodded. "I do, too. See you tonight."
Penny hurried to get dressed and head out. She stepped into the hallway just as the guys came down the stairwell.
Leonard smiled widely. "Hello, Penny. You look lovely." Penny smiled noncommittally. Howard and Raj waved and she nodded. Sheldon looked at her like he wanted to say something, but was afraid to. She thought about what Mary had said.
"Paintball?" she asked. The guys nodded. "Sheldon, I have a few errands to run, but I should be done by noon. There's a bistro just down the street. Would you like to join me for lunch?"
Sheldon nodded quickly. "That would be agreeable."
"I'll see you then." Penny walked down the stairs quickly, wondering if she was getting in over her head.
Leonard glared at the empty stairwell for a moment before stomping on down. Sheldon, Howard and Raj followed more slowly.
Howard leaned close to Sheldon. "I hope you know how to duck. Leonard is a good shot."
Sheldon watched her cross the restaurant gracefully. She was wearing her Cheesecake Factory uniform, but it was her hair that caught everyone's attention. It was pure white. She sat down and a waiter came over. He handed Sheldon a menu and smiled at Penny.
"You look lovely, Penny. Would you like you're usual?" he asked in a overly friendly voice. Sheldon immediately disliked him. Did the waiter not see him sitting here with Penny? He was hitting on her when she was obviously with someone.
Penny nodded. "Yes, please. No dessert though. I have to be at work in an hour."
The man nodded and reluctantly turned to Sheldon. "And you, sir?"
Sheldon handed him the menu. "Turkey club, mayo, cheese and tomato on the side, with iced tea." He waited until the guy had left before speaking again. "Thank you for inviting me, Penny."
She nodded. "Your mom called me this morning. She pointed out that 5 years is a long time and maybe we should try to be friends again. So, here we are."
Sheldon leaned forward. "Penny, about that day…"
"No." She shook her head. "I don't want to discuss that. Not now, not ever. If you want to do this, we do it fresh. I don't want to talk about 5 years ago."
Sheldon wanted to argue with her. They needed to talk about this. But he was also afraid that if he pushed it would prevent her from ever being in his life, or he in hers. "How do we do that?" he asked softly.
Penny sighed and looked up at him. "Like this. Hello. I'm Penny. Welcome to Pasadena. What do you like to do for fun?"
Sheldon took a steadying breath. "Hello, Penny. It's nice to meet you. I collect comic books and video games. I also enjoy paintball. I am a theoretical physicist. Will you join me for a movie, sometime? As a friend?"
Penny nodded. "I'll think about it. It might be fun. Do you bowl?"
Sheldon relaxed a bit. "Yes. But I haven't been in a couple of years."
"We have a weekly game, my friends and I. You would be welcome to join us on Tuesday."
Sheldon watched her eyes. She was sincere. She was trying very hard to start over. He relaxed some more. "Thank you, Penny. I would love to." He scrambled for something to say. "So, white is an unusual color for hair on a young woman."
Penny smiled slightly. "I have to shoot some promotional spots for a convention next month. I am voicing Lady Death for ADV Films and they have a booth at the convention."
Their meals arrived and they chatted a bit about Pasadena, Cal-Tech and the Cheesecake Factory. Much too soon Penny stood and placed some money on the table. "I have to go to work now, Sheldon. It was pleasant talking with you."
Sheldon nodded. "I will see you on Tuesday, then." He watched her walk out. He wasn't completely happy with how things were going, but at least they were talking.