Chapter 36 La Collecte de Paris

How should I disclaimer thee, let me count the ways . 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34. Or not I've actually wrote chapters 35 and 36 back to back so I didn't need any warm up tonight so it's after the fact but I'll try. Everything that isn't mine really does belong to them. A shout out to Bill Prady who tweeted in French that it was raining cats and dogs. I replied in French, assurez-vous que vous les nourrissez . (Make sure you feed them). Enjoy tonight's chapter

Private Contentions

Penny walked into their new suite it was lovely and opulent. She was actually fonder of the modern suite in Geneva but this one was certainly charming and romantic. The view from the balcony was very lovely with the Eiffel Tower framed by the trees. She wished she was there in the summer. Lisel was in her room with Leonard who was helping her to unpack and get settled.

Amy and Bernadette would be by in about another hour for some girl time. She was surprised when there was a knock at the door. She was walking back in but Leonard had beaten her there. He opened the door and seemed slightly shocked, "Priya how nice to see you, come in."

Penny walked over to say hi and of course keep her eye on Priya. Priya gave Leonard a hug and a peck on the cheek. Then walked over to Penny and exchanged a very light hug with her also. "I just wanted to say congratulations to you both. I know you will make each other happy. I would like to talk to you Leonard if I could about Rajesh."

Penny smiled her best fake smile, but it was a dazzler. "Actually I'm going to check on Lisel you guys go right ahead." Penny went to the bedroom but left the door open and found Lisel laying on the bed with a guide book for Paris. Penny took up the unpacking where Leonard had left off with her ears peeled for the conversation in the living room.

Leonard led Priya over to the couch. She was dressed in dark slacks and a bright white shirt that set her chocolate colored skin and dark hair off very well. She didn't show too many signs of age Leonard thought. She was a little rounder perhaps, five or ten pounds maybe. Leonard set on the chair next to the couch and smiled at her. "What's this about Raj?"

Priya gave Leonard a smile she always had a nice smile Leonard thought. Priya was very calm she always was, "What do know about Rajesh's life now Leonard?" Leonard cocked his head to one side, "Hardly anything really, I haven't talked to him or exchanged email with him in years. But the same is true of everyone really. I've been back in touch with Howard and Bernadette since I came back to the states. We really never talked about Raj. I've had some interaction with Sheldon over the years but that's really about it."

Priya crossed her legs and smiled again at Leonard, "Rajesh went back to India to marry. He did find a wife and they have three lovely children. He teaches at Mumbai University and helps Mommy run the businesses but he is deeply unhappy Leonard. He wants desperately to come back to Caltech with his family." Priya reached out and touched Leonard's knee, "He wants to come home." Leonard patted her hand thus removing it from his knee. He sat back and acted as if he were deep in thought, "He'll need to talk to me about it Priya and then do the official application for the visa and for his family. I can swing the academic portion of things and make sure we have a foreign professor spot open for him that will insure his visa is approved. You're a lawyer you can help him and his family get all the paper work filled out."

Priya reached over to touch his face but he caught her hand about half way gently and stood. She followed him to the door, "Tell Raj to come talk to me tomorrow Priya, I'll see you at dinner."

She gave Leonard another hug and a thank you as he shut the door. Leonard stood there for a few moments, waiting. Penny came into the room she had the wolfish smile on her face again. "I like how you caught her hand when she was going to touch your face. It might have got a little ugly if that had happened." Leonard was smiling now, Penny's face softened to the smile he liked. He walked over to her for a kiss she did put her hand on his cheek as she kissed him. Leonard held her for a few seconds looking into her eyes. "You know I'll never cheat on you darling." He didn't use darling very often, only when he really wanted to make a point.

Penny kissed him again, "We'll see in 8 months when I'm as big as a house and waddling what you say then."

Leonard pulled close and put his lips to her ear. "Then darling I'll massage your swollen feet, rub lotion on your tummy and tell you you're beautiful everyday will that help?"

The knock on the door actually startled Leonard. Wow Raj wasn't wasting any time was he. Leonard walked over to the door. He opened it to see Amy Farrah-Fowler-Cooper before him. "Amy come in, Penny it's Amy." Penny walked over smiling brightly, "What couldn't wait for another hour to see me?" Amy had on her most reserved look. "Though it would have been difficult to wait Bestie I'm really here to talk to Leonard about Sheldon." Penny looked very surprised, "Okay I'll just go in the other room with Lisel." Amy shook her head. "No that's alright you know Sheldon as well as anyone maybe you can help too."

Penny sat next to Amy on the couch while Leonard got back into the chair he had sat across from Priya in. Penny took Amy's hand in hers, "So what's up with Moonpie?" Before Amy could answer Leonard had answered for her. "He's broken Penny just like Henry Clark is broken, isn't that it Amy?" Amy shook her head, "He hasn't so much as written a formula on the white board in almost a year." Penny was shocked and looked at Leonard, "You knew?" Leonard had a sad look on his face. "No I didn't know for sure but I suspected something like this must be going on. Sheldon used to publish like clockwork every quarter. Even when he would just rehash some of his other work he published. He hasn't published in over a year."

Penny put her arm around Amy, "What happened?" Amy wasn't teary but acted very tired. "It happened just before Christmas the year before last. Sheldon was angry that he couldn't work over the holiday at the university. They were remodeling and were going to close his building for the week. It really threw him off his routine as usual. He was working at his desk at home and then he just stopped. I mean really stopped, he didn't speak, or move for three days. The doctor put him to bed and was getting ready to hospitalize him. I was just getting ready to fly his mother out and call you Leonard when he snapped out of it. He just looked up and smiled said he was hungry and got out of bed. It was like three days were three seconds. He was catatonic Leonard, his brains waves were at a very low level I checked. Since then his brain activity has pretty much been back to his old normal. But he hasn't even considered a physics problem even when I prompt him."

Leonard sat back and stared at the chandelier over the dining table. He looked over at Penny and Amy. Penny was holding onto Amy and looking at him. Her look was very much what was he going to do about it. He really didn't have a clue. "Amy have you asked him why he's not working on physics anymore?" Amy was teary eyed now as she pulled back from Penny and looked at Leonard. "He just said there is nothing left for him to figure out. He just spends time working on his model train and playing with Tyler. He still does all his other things, comic books, Sci-fi and the like. He just doesn't work Physics."

Leonard felt suddenly very sad and old. "What do you think we should do?" Amy sat up straight and looked at him. "I think he should come home to Caltech Leonard. Even if he's not working you would have a Nobel Laureate on the faculty. I'm hoping if perhaps he was there that he would find his way back." Leonard sagged into his chair and stared at the wall. It seems like everyone wants to come home today. He started to let his mind wander into the problem. Amy was right getting Sheldon on the faculty even if he didn't contribute would be easy enough.

He was really letting it out now letting his mind get around the problems and possible solutions. A hypothesis began to form he had two variables he could put together. Now he just needed a problem to be solved. Working a little bit backward but the problem was really two fold. How to help two of his oldest friends reconnect to the theoretical physics world? One needed to regain his life and passion, the other needed just to regain his sanity.

Leonard sat up and looked at the couch. Penny had a huge grin on her face, "I told you he'd got something. My genius soon to be husband." Leonard just smiled at her. He looked at Amy. "Have you ever heard of the Ecliptic Alignment of CMB Anisotropy?" Amy looked deep in thought then shook her head. "It's the prefect problem for an astrophysicist and theorist to work on together. I really need to talk to Raj but he'll go along. We need to appeal to Sheldon's competitive nature as well as his well-known ability to be condescending. That should do it, and were flying his mother to Cambridge to spend some time with him. I'll talk to her first."

Leonard reached over and patted Amy on the knee. "Caltech is going to do some Cosmology research. I just need to write the grant request. You should plan on being there in the fall Amy."

Amy looked over at Penny, "I think Leonard was just trying to comfort me when he touched my knee bestie, though he always has liked my legs." Penny just smiled the goofy smile and Leonard smirked and shook his head. Penny got up and offered Amy her hand, "Come on Amy it's time to meet Bernadette in the bar for some girl time." Penny started for the door, turned and gave Leonard some serious raised eyebrow leering. "See you in a while honey." The door closed behind them and Leonard got up to spend some time with Lisel.

Aperitif

Leonard lay with his head on Penny's still flat tummy. He kept thinking he should hear something but knew it was far too soon for that. Penny had gotten up after their love making and put on some soft baby blue and pink pajama bottoms and a pink camisole. Leonard had on just his boxers and sock. He sat back up and lay on his back so she could melt into his left arm and shoulder like always. Dinner had been enjoyed by all. They laughed and renewed old jokes and grudges for that matter. Raj could actually talk with women around even before he had a few drinks. Priya had seemed to have a good time as well. Though like the old days she was slightly more reserved than the rest. Howard and Bernadette had been the first to call it a night. The rest had left for their rooms shortly after. Everyone was supposed to go off on their own tomorrow for sightseeing then dinner at the hotel again.

Leonard ran his right hand up and down Penny's side from just beside her breast to her bottom. She giggled for moment, "Are you trying to start something again here Leonard." Leonard grinned at the ceiling. "Maybe, how was your girl time today?"

Penny shook her head, "Can you keep it all secret?" Leonard chuckled, "Of course I can, you've always been the one with the keeping secrets issue." Penny was silent like she wasn't going to tell him. Then she jumped in, "Okay so here's the scoop, Howard and Bernie are trying to get pregnant one more time. That's probably why they left a little early from dinner tonight. Amy and Sheldon have actually had sex, though apparently Sheldon has an issue achieving orgasm unless he does it himself, so both of their pregnancies have been by in vitro. They do have an agreement to do it at least once a week. She said that Sheldon always keeps his agreements."

Leonard leaned over and kissed her forehead and continued to run his hand down her side spending more time on her breast and bottom each stoke. "So what did you share about us or more specifically me?" Penny giggled a little, "Only the usual that you were great in bed and yes you were very wealthy. Oh I did mention I was hopelessly in love with you and Lisel for that matter."

Leonard rolled slightly on his left side and began to kiss her in earnest. His hands no longer sliding but firmly grasping her bottom as he pulled her to him.

Moving along nicely, I hoped it answered a lot of questions for both you and the characters. Can we fix Raj and Sheldon? All we can really do is to bring them back together and hope it helps.

Looking for your reviews and comments, this chapter will post pretty early on Monday considering it still Sunday when I wrote it.

Macy stay warm.