Chapter Two

Raj looked around the apartment; the conversation had stopped as he had walked in the door, so whatever Sheldon, Leonard and Penny had been talking about had concerned him.

He knew something was going on, but he could not ask as long as Penny was in the room.

If Howard had been here, he could have whispered his question in his ear.

Sheldon, however, had been quite vocal on the subject of Raj's moist breath in his ear. He could not ask Penny, and things were still a little funny with Leonard, since his night with Penny.

Penny could see Raj was uncomfortable, "Look guys I'm going home to…do something. Sheldon let me know if I need time off work." Walking past Leonard she put her tongue out at him; she'd tried blowing up his head before, and it never worked.

As the door closed behind Penny Raj blurted out. "What's going on? And why is here Leonard? Does he want his old room back?" Leonard seemed a little taken aback by the outburst. Sheldon answered. "Three good questions, Raj. No nothing is going on. Leonard came by with the mail, and yes, he is after his old room back." As he finished speaking, Sheldon smiled at his new and former roommates.

Leonard found Sheldon smiling very unnerving.

Sheldon looked at both of his friends; he was trying to come to grips with social interaction, but as Penny had jokingly once said, 'Sheldon, socially, you're like a blind man in a minefield'. As he looked at his friends, he could see it was going to end in an argument. Sheldon hated arguments.

"Raj, it would seem I've won some kind of holiday," Sheldon said, he turned to look at Leonard.

"But who to take with me?" He stood, before moving to one of the many whiteboards dotted around the apartment, almost to himself he said, "I just need to do the math."

Raj started to laugh, as he looked from the scowl on Leonard's face, to the look of pure innocence on Sheldon's, "Dude, you're getting so good at this sarcasm thing." Sheldon turned and nodded to Raj.

"However, I'm still left with the dilemma of whom to take with me on vacation." Leonard was about to speak, but Raj cut him off, "You should so take Penny with you."

Leonard stood up and walked toward the kitchen area. He stopped and turned to; look straight at Raj.

"Ok, why Penny and not me?"

Now it was Raj's turn to stand up and walk to the kitchen. He took a can of soda out of the fridge. Looking at Leonard; he stopped himself from smiling this time, not wanting to antagonize him too much.

"Let's put it like this, if you were going on vacation, who would you take?"

Leonard shrugged, "Ok, I would take Pen…. I'd take my girlfriend." He had only just realized what he was saying in front of Raj, "We're talking about Sheldon here. His idea of fun time is running a new compression program on his computer, for God's sake."

"Leonard, you're unbelievable. We only put my sister on the plane this morning, and you're running after another woman already."

Leonard seemed to realize he had to be careful; he still wanted to keep Priya as his girlfriend, granted a long distance one. He took his glasses off, rubbing his forehead, "Look Raj, he only needs someone to make sure no one touches his food and keeps out of his way."

Raj turned away shaking his head, before sitting down on the couch, "Come on Leonard, he's still your friend."

Leonard went back to sit in his old chair, the concerned look on his face now changing to one of anger, "Yeah Raj, and you know all about friends."

Sheldon sat passively in his spot, while this exchange had gone on. However his demeanour had changed from one of concerned friend, to downright angry.

"LEONARD!" Raj and Leonard both turned to stare at him in shock- Sheldon never raised his voice.

Penny burst through the door, "What's going on? I heard someone yell."

Sheldon turned to look at Penny, "It's alright; Leonard's leaving.

Leonard took his glasses off, rubbing his hand over his eyes.

"Look Sheldon, I'm sorry for what I said. It's just not a good time for me right now, what with Priya leaving. You have to know I never meant the things I said, right?"

Penny looked at the three men, trying to work out by their expressions what had just happened, she heard, Sheldon sigh, as he looked at his former roommate. "Leonard, we both know you meant every word."

Penny stared at Sheldon she had seen him angry before, usually with her. This was different. His face was angry, but there was something else.

It seemed Sheldon's eyes reflected his mood going from the softest shade of blue, to how they looked now, dark and steely.

She shook herself, realizing someone was talking to her. It was Sheldon. "Sorry. What?"

Sheldon was a little indignant at being ignored, "I said would you care to accompany me on holiday?"

Penny squealed with delight; she moved to hug him before remembering where she was. There would be time for that later.

Leonard slumped back in his chair.

"Ok, I kind of asked for that, but, look, Sheldon, maybe we can still work something out? I so need a vacation. I just don't want to go on my own."

Penny was now sitting in her spot; an idea was forming in her head, "Leonard, why not come with us? There must be spare rooms at the hotel. Sheldon, go on line and look"

Sheldon turned to look at her, his eye brows rose almost into his hair line.

"Excuse me…. Penny?"

Penny matched his stare, her head cocked slightly to one side; this combined with her killer smile; which few men were immune to, "Please, Sheldon."

"Oh, all right, but I fail to see why he can't look himself."

Penny was still smiling as she looked at Raj, "So how about you? Any plans this summer?"

Raj grinned and started typing on his phone.

Sheldon was distracted from his on-line hotel search, by an e-mail alert, "Oh look an e-mail from Raj- it says 'I would love to go but I need to ask the man I work with."

Sheldon looked over from his lap-top, "Raj, I'm sure that'll not be a problem…wait a minute, you work with me!" Sheldon looked at the smiles on his friends faces,

"Oh I see humour, and you work for me."