CHAPTER SIX

He was sitting in his spot, straight like a soldier, the lamp beside him casting a dim glow on the thin book in his hands. Every once in a while, his hand would raise from his knee, and a long thin finger would carefully flip the page. The place was silent other than this, and frankly Penny would have been bored to tears if she hadn't been reading a review in the local newspaper of a play which was comparing it's current lead actress rather unfavourably with the last one to play the role. Since Penny herself, was the last one to play the role, she was rather pleased, and kept reading the statements in question to herself in her head, trying them out in different voices, to see which had the most pleasing effect.

She had chosen the chair today, as she felt that should another 'minion' as Sheldon put it, decide to try his luck, it would be best to be facing the door. After they had finished their discussion on who had shot at whom and why they hadn't really been aiming at them, in rather loud voices, and then explained the shots to the landlady, Leonard had announced that she would need to find somewhere else to hide out for a few days, until the bottom of the matter was reached.

"I hope you're not suggesting she stay with US." Sheldon had protested. In vain, it turned out. Leonard was at this moment fetching the cot that was kept in the closet of their office for the nights when Sheldon didn't bother to stop working long enough to come home to sleep.

Sheldon was ignoring her. Her suggestion that it would give his mother even MORE to pray about had been met with a decisive shudder. Apparently if or when news reached Mrs. Mary Cooper that her only unwed son was shacking up with a female, and an actress at that, only the devil himself would be able to stop her from moving in until Penny was gone.

Sheldon had doubts that the devil, should he exist, and he wasn't saying he did, he made sure to point out, would have any effect on his mother at all.

Leonard had said that she really wasn't that bad, and if anything, the devil would distract her for a little while while she returned him to the path of righteousness, before continuing on to save her son.

There had been rare agreement when the two when Sheldon had nodded and said if anyone could save the devil it would be his mother.

All of which had left Penny feeling very jumpy, and resolving to attend church on Sunday. If there was a service after eleven am, which there probably wasn't, but the intention was there right?

She looked up from her musings suddenly. "So, um, watcha reading?"

Another page turned. "It's called a comic book."

"Oh. Who's the guy in the tights?"

"A new character. Superman. I'm not sure if he'll catch on. He's an alien."

"From Mars?"

"Krypton."

Penny looked at him blankly and decided to gloss over that bit. "So what does he do?"

"He saves the world, one criminal at a time."

"Oh, like you!" She smiled at him.

He didn't look up. "No. I'm a physicist. I catch criminals when they annoy me, or I get paid enough. This man is a journalist by the name of Clark Kent."

"I think I might have met him, he's a restaurant reviewer right?"

"That's Kent Clark."

"Oh."

There was silence for a few more minutes, before she tried again.

"So why's he wearing tights?"

Sheldon finally looked up. "I myself was baffled as to why any man would wear tights, but I have come to the conclusion that because he wears his costume under his daily clothing, so as to change in a moments notice, that it must be made of thin material. It must also be flexible enough to allow for his super feats, and I suspect aerodynamics were also taken into account, thus he wears tights."

"And red underwear."

He looked at her curiously. "Yes. I have yet to understand why he wears them on top of his tights."

"Oh that's easy." Penny shrugged, "It helps hold the tights up, otherwise they slide down and are SO uncomfortable." She rolled her eyes for emphases.

"Huh." He blinked. "Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Penny smiled.

There was a complicated knocking on the door and then Leonard came in, holding the folded cot against his side.

Sheldon frowned at him. "Why did you knock?"

"I didn't want to get shot."

"Why would you get shot?"

"Because you're supposed to be protecting Penny from intruders and shooting anyone who enters!" Leonard exclaimed heroically.

"But what if it was my mother!" Sheldon exclaimed in horror.

Penny nodded. He did have a point.

Leonard's shoulders drooped in defeat. "Fine, we'll just let them walk right in and shoot us."

"Don't be ridiculous." Sheldon sighed. "I'm sure they'd try to tie us up first ."

Leonard decided to change the subject, and turned to Penny. "So, what have you two been talking about?" He smiled at her, a little too brightly.

"Underwear." Sheldon replied instantly. "Apparently it helps to hold up tights, which explains why Superman wears them on the outside."

Penny tapped the arm of the sofa beside him to get his attention. "Do you think he wears another pair, underneath, as well?"

Wide eyed, Sheldon replied, "Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?"