Hey everyone, I'm midway through exams so hopefully this chapter is good - I'm totally shattered and drained :/ thanks to everyone who reviewed + told me a bit about where they live, it's amazing XD enjoy and wish me luck! Also thanks to everybody who followed/favourited. You make my day every time 3 This chapter should mix things up a bit :P

Luckyhai5 XD

Sheldon was sat at his computer, staring determinedly at the screen, although he'd stopped paying attention to it a long time ago. He was reacting – a better way to phrase it would have been not reacting. Leonard was stood behind him, asking if he had heard.

Slowly, Sheldon dragged his neck up and down in a nod.

"Well, what do you think?" Asked Leonard, smiling.

Sheldon tried his best. He splashed on a large, falsified smile and turned, slowly, every movement controlled so that he didn't lose it. "What do I think? What do I think? Well, Leonard, I think that the coefficient of the radial anomaly wherein three t multiplied by pi is equal to one over the mass of 29y squared is the circumference of a spheroid volume 3.6 multiplied the weight of gravity on Mars is hokum, but we'll never know until we can actually work it out, will we?"

Leonard was giving him a strange look; Sheldon didn't think he could keep up the façade much longer.

"I'm late." He left in a hurry, not thinking about where he was going.

Leonard stood, staring at the door, totally confused and resigned.

Sighing, he shook his head and reached for his phone. It was heavy in his hand. Mentally prepared, he sent the text.

Penny was sat on the couch, pink toe dividers between her toes, painting her nails a shocking shade of blue. She was humming as she painted, although her mind wandered elsewhere. Her phone beeped.

Hey, Penny, wanna go out tonight? L xxxx

Her heart sank. She didn't want to, but maybe this would give her the opportunity to decide whether to keep seeing Leonard.

Sure xx

To her surprise, there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it.

Nobody. The corridor was empty, almost eerily silent. She stepped out and checked the stairs. Nobody there.

Weird.

Reluctantly, she made her way back inside and over to the closet, to pick out something to wear.

The red shoes called to her from a dark corner; she slipped them on and lay on her bed.

They fit well.

The restaurant was busy, full of couples and a few families, the low buzz of talking and occasional clattering of plates. The lighting was dim and romantic, the dark red carpet giving the place a really laid-back feel. The tables were round, with silvery tablecloths; it was a really fancy place. Old jazz music played quietly, the smell of baking hung in the air. The chairs were mahogany, with ornate detailing and comfortable cushions; the waiters were all in black and white tuxedos. They carried large, round, black trays, producing notepads with a theatrical flourish.

Two glasses of champagne sat on the table before her, sparkling expectantly.

Penny was paralysed.

She had frozen in shock and horror.

Everyone was staring.

Leonard was on one knee.

"Penny," He smiled, although she could see the thinly veiled insecurity bubbling in his eyes, "I love you. Will you marry me?"

She gasped, opening and closing her mouth, speechless.

"Uh…"

The red shoes felt tight, all of a sudden.

"Uh…"

She gripped her knees, shaking slightly, utterly shocked as if the world had fallen away around her. There was a sudden chill in the air; the pleasant hum of voices and jazz music ceased in her ears, muted by the inescapable, hopeful glinting of the diamond ring, which was all she could look at – looking at Leonard was too hard.
"Penny?"

Almost in a trance, she got up, knocking the chair over.

"I need to think about it, okay?"
With that, she ran out, leaving Leonard crumpled-looking, still knelt on the floor, holding a little black box.

A waiter approached him with the bill a few minutes later, and he trundled home.