A/N: Chapter ten! Woohoo! Mind you, not the last, not as long as I still have ideas for this.


Penny bit her lip anxiously. Leonard hadn't denied his flirting with the slut Sheldon had hired. He hadn't said a word, just sat there beside her. Was he deciding who to continue a relationship with: her or the smart slut? Unable to bare the heavy silence any longer, she turned toward him, but said nothing. Leonard was frowning and looking at nothing, but Penny could tell his mind was going over what had happened that afternoon after he had run in to that skank.

It was at that instant that Penny remembered her thoughts after their first trip to the mall in search of a nice gift for her son. She had believed Leonard wouldn't even know if someone was hitting on him, and thinking about it rationally now, she had found that that was indeed very likely.

Leonard turned his head slowly in her direction. "Was that really flirting," he asked, sounding genuinely unsure.

Penny couldn't help the small smile, accompanied by something that was mix between a chuckle and a sob. The poor guy was so unaccustomed to the act of flirting, he really didn't seem to recognize it when it did happen. "Yes, Leonard, that was definitely flirting."

"Oh," he said, staring off into space again briefly. "I thought I was just being sociable by having a conversation. In my defense, it's not like girls hit on me frequently, so how was I supposed to know?"

Penny smiled a little wider, happy to find Leonard had not deliberately flirted back at this woman. "Maybe it happens more often than you think?"

He chuckled in response. "Right. Because girls are always like 'ooh, that guy owns two Star Trek uniforms and gets a lot of ear infections. I got to get me some of that.'"

Penny's smile turned into an angry frown. "Dammit, Leonard, will you stop putting yourself down like that!" Her anger dissipated at his surprised expression. "Sorry, but I don't like anyone putting down my boyfriend, not even you yourself."

Understanding replaced his confusion. "I'm sorry for doing that, but really, there aren't many women who've flirted with me."

Penny raised her eyebrows. "Leonard, did you realize I was flirting with you when we were at the mall? You know, the first time?"

"You were?"

Penny nodded, her smile returning. "Yep. And I'm pretty sure it has happened before with other women, but you just didn't pick up on it."

"Oh." He became silent for several seconds. "So, what do I do next time a woman comes up to me and starts a conversation? Should I just, you know, tell her I'm not interested?"

Penny bit on her lower lip again. While she would love it if Leonard would never talk to another woman ever, she knew that wasn't entirely fair. She talked to men during the days and, admittedly, had used her looks on multiple occasions to sway men's opinion in her favor. She shook her head. "No, that's okay. Flirting is kinda harmless, just make sure it's only flirting and nothing else!"


"Oh, hi Leonard."

Leonard looked up and smiled somewhat nervously. "Uh, hi, Alex." From the corner of his eye he could see Penny look up at the woman standing next to their table.

"Is it okay if Dr. Cooper and I join you for lunch? There doesn't seem to be any other table available."

From the corner of the other eye, Leonard saw his roommate approach. This was not good. His girlfriend didn't like Alex, and his roommate definitely hated his girlfriend. His brain seemed to have locked up, and no resolution to the current problem was forthcoming.

"Ms. Jensen, we do not consort with Dr. Hofstadter and his female companion."

Leonard saw Alex' confused gaze shift between Sheldon and himself. "But, you're roommates and friends, right?"

Sheldon nodded. "We are roommates, yes. Our friendship has been suspended pending a legal dispute, instigated by the woman he's having coitus with on a semi regular basis."

This time Alex looked between Penny and himself, and he couldn't mistake the look of disappointment on her face. He dared a brief glance toward Penny, not wanting to hurt her, but also uncomfortable not offering a seat when clearly all other tables were fully occupied. He saw annoyance on her features, but they seemed solely directed at Sheldon.

"Wait," she finally said, addressing Sheldon, "so, because you and I have a dispute regarding the roommate agreement, you've suspended your friendship with Leonard?" She turned to Leonard. "Why are you still going over to his apartment and take him to work? Clearly he doesn't see you as a friend anymore." Without waiting for a reply, she turned to Alex. "Have a seat," she said, gesturing to the seat right across from her.

"No, wait," Sheldon addressed his assistant as she placed her tray on the table. "I do not approve of us joining them."

"But, Dr. Cooper, we have to eat, and this can not be done without sitting. If we don't accept their offer, it will interfere with your schedule."

Leonard hid a grin, impressed by how quickly Alex had learned how to have some sort of control over Sheldon.

Sheldon seemed to ponder it for a few seconds. "I suppose we could treat this similar to joining any other table with two people we are unacquainted with." He sat down, addressing his assistant solely. "We would not participate in any conversation with the party already seated in that case, and neither will we now."

Leonard glanced at Penny, who looked in astonishment at Sheldon. When they finally locked eyes, Leonard just shrugged.


Penny stood outside of apartment 4A, for the first time unsure on whether to continue. She glanced behind her as the apartment door on the other side opened, smiling nervously at Frank and Miranda as they exited 4B, adding a quiet "hey."

Miranda gave her a quick hug. "What's going on? Is Sheldon still giving you trouble?"

Penny shrugged. "Yeah, but I can handle him. Leonard's mom is here for a visit."

Miranda gave a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, you better feel prepared before stepping in there and meet the bitch from hell."

Penny almost laughed at the statement, but already having heard a few things about Beverly Hofstadter from Miranda and Leonard, she knew the description was completely warranted. "Yeah, I've been waiting here for a few minutes," she admitted. "I better do it now, before I lose my nerve completely."

Miranda nodded. "Yeah. Hey, you got my number right? Just text me, or even call me, later if you need to vent."

Penny smiled and nodded. "Thanks, I might take you up on your offer." She sighed. "Well, here goes nothing," she said, knocking on the door.

Miranda squeezed Penny's hand. "Good luck," she said, before turning toward the stairs to follow Frank.

Penny faced the door again just in time for it to open up to reveal a less than welcoming Sheldon. "Dr. Cooper," she greeted the tall physicist, figuring the formal addressing of him might soften him a little bit. He simply gave a nod and gestured her inside wordlessly, leaving Penny uncertain whether her tactic had affected him in any way. She entered, immediately seeing Leonard in his chair, looking angry and hurt, though his demeanor improved immediately when he saw her.

Penny was careful not to show too much affection toward Leonard, even though everything she wanted to do was simply hold him close and comfort him. Instead she just smiled at him, said a soft "hey," before turning toward the woman sitting on the couch next to Sheldon, who had returned to his spot. "You must be Leonard's mother."

"Oh, I don't know if I must be, but yes."

"Uh, I'm Penny. I'm..."

"...the dreadful woman who Leonard is having regular, often loud, intercourse with," Sheldon interjected. "Not to mention being the instigator of the current legal dispute I find myself in, with regards to the roommate agreement."

Penny didn't have time to glare at Sheldon, as she found herself being studied by Leonard's mother. Penny offered her hand, "uh, nice to meet you."

The woman looked at the hand with disgust. "Oh, you're a handshaker. Interesting." Despite the woman's obvious dislike of handshaking, she shook it anyway, adding, "Dr. Beverly Hofstadter."

Penny was completely dismissed as Leonard's mother turned to Sheldon. "If you like, I could ask my son to take a look at your legal situation."

Penny's eyes widened in shock and disbelieve at the woman's audacity to side with Sheldon, instead of her own son. Deciding not to let herself get dragged into discussing a legal matter without an attorney, she simply turned toward the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from Leonard's part of the fridge, resisting the temptation to take one from Sheldon's.

Turning back toward the living room she wondered where to sit. She desperately wanted to sit right next to Leonard so they could comfort each other with little touches. Unfortunately, the only two spots available were on the couch next to Beverly, an option that she rejected immediately, or to grab Leonard's desk chair, which would seem odd. Then she grinned slightly and moved towards the chair Leonard currently occupied and slid into the seat right next to him. He shifted slightly to give her a little more room, obviously thankful for her choice.

Penny sat in silence, simply listening to the conversation, which primarily was taking place between Beverly and Sheldon. It was astonishing to see how much these two were alike: both analytical and clinical, and largely unaccustomed or baffled by most normal, but in their eyes unnecessary, social interactions. Over the course of half an hour Penny got a much clearer look into what Leonard's childhood must have been like, which seemed like a nightmare to her. True, her childhood hadn't been exactly perfect, but compared to what she was learning about Leonard's, she really had nothing to complain about.

Despite her growing need to defend Leonard, she remained mostly silent, only offering him support through light squeezes of his hand, and a discreet rubbing of his arm, leg or back. She was certain if she would say something, it would make things even more uncomfortable for Leonard.


Leonard tightened his arms around Penny as she pulled him into a hug, just outside of the hotel his mother was staying at. Her visit had become a little more bearable once Penny had sat herself down next to him in the armchair, but it had still drained him. He had lost count of the number of times he wished the day would just be over with.

"I know it's wrong to say, but your mom's a real cold hearted bitch," Penny said softly into his ear, not releasing him.

Leonard smiled slightly at her statement, agreeing with her assessment, yet uncomfortable to vocalize the feeling. Instead he let himself enjoy the feeling of love and comfort Penny was awarding him, her gentle caresses of his back. Slowly the caresses shifted from comforting to arousing, at least that's how he felt. He hoped Penny wouldn't notice how the hug and caresses were affecting him, afraid it would end the experience.

Penny gave a soft giggle. "Someone's feeling better."

His smile widened a little as she pressed her lower body into his. Now he really hoped she would stay like that for a while, or it would be very embarrassing should anyone see them.

"You've never been to my place of work, have you?"

Leonard frowned slightly, surprised by the sudden change of topic. "Uh, no, I haven't."

"It's only a few minutes from here," Penny continued, still holding him. "There's nobody there right now, but I have the key and the security access code."

Leonard's frown deepened. "Well, if nobody's there, maybe it'd be best if I come visit you sometime during business hours." He felt disappointed when Penny moved slightly backwards, though she thankfully didn't let go.

"Think it through, sweetie."

Leonard was very confused, not quite understanding why Penny would want to show him the abandoned office she worked at. Was she ashamed of him and didn't want her coworkers to see who her boyfriend was? His eyes widened when her hand gently moved over his crotch. "Oh!" He smiled widely, suddenly understanding what Penny's intentions were.

"There you go!"


Penny collapsed to lay half on top of Leonard, on her office desk, a smile on her lips. "So, that's my office."

Leonard chuckled. "It has a good, sturdy desk."

Penny grinned, looking into his eyes. "Yeah, I guess we'll have to test the rest of the furniture in here sometime soon." Her eyes went wide when there was the clearing of a throat and a soft knock on the frame of the partially open door.

"Uh, Penny," Sheila's voice came from outside. "Just letting you know you're no longer alone in the building. I'll be in my office for probably an hour."

Penny stared at the door, it's orientation preventing her from seeing out into the hallway but able to hear hastily retreating footsteps. She turned back to Leonard, who was red with embarrassment, and started to giggle. "We should probably get dressed and say 'hi' to her."

"Uh, why? I'm not sure I want to face her after this embarrassing situation."

She kissed him. "Leonard, there's nothing embarrassing about this. Besides, it's not like she's seen anything, at most she's heard us climax. Well, she heard me, probably." At his dubious look she smiled. "Trust me, sweetie, it's okay." It took a few moments before she could see Leonard reluctantly agree and she got down from her desk. She handed Leonard his boxers, pants and shirt, which were all laying more or less on top of her own clothes.

First putting on her shirt and shorts, she then stuffed her bra and panties in her bag, giving a sly shrug at Leonard's surprised look. "Maybe we'll have an encore later."

He chuckled as he pulled on his pants. "I can't believe you're already thinking about sex with me again."

Penny frowned slightly. "Why wouldn't I? You always make me crave for more."

"I do?"

Penny nodded, and closed the physical distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You certainly do. If Sheila wasn't in the building, I'd been working on your little buddy for the next round, instead of getting dressed."

"Oh." He seemed to ponder her answer then shrugged. "I guess I'm not as unskilled at it as I thought."

Penny crashed her mouth against his, kissing him ferociously. "You're the most skilled lover I've ever had. You're gentle, caring, loving, everything a woman wants or needs. And I hate that your previous lovers made you feel insecure about yourself." She kissed him again, with less force, but just as passionate. She smiled softly. "Then again, I'm so glad they did, otherwise I would've never been able to be with you."


Leonard smiled nervously, fidgeting with his hands, after he shook Sheila's. Despite Penny's assurance earlier, he was very uncomfortable and not a little embarrassed at being caught in the act.

"So," the raven-haired woman said once everybody was seated at her desk, her eyes on Leonard. "You're the young man who's making our Penny really happy."

"Uh," Leonard glanced at Penny, who sat back in the chair beside him, obviously completely at ease. "I guess?" Did he make her happy? She seemed happy, but she had seemed happy the first time they met, so he could hardly take responsibility for it.

"Believe me, honey, you do," Sheila said with a small nod. "We've all noticed a change in Penny even before your roommate informed our courier what was going on between the two of you."

"He called me a dreadful woman, Leonard," Penny interjected. "Can you believe that?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, you're definitely not a dreadful woman. Sheldon's probably afraid you'll take me away from him, so to him, you are that."

Penny sighed. "Leonard, I'm not trying to force you guys to give up your friendship, though Sheldon was clear the other day that you and he were no longer friends."

Leonard glanced down briefly. "I really am his only friend, you know," he said, quietly, staring unseeingly ahead of him. "He needs me. He maybe an adult in appearance, but inside he's still very much a child, at least emotionally and socially." He turned to Penny as her hand came to rest on his, squeezing gently.

"Would it make you feel better if we didn't pursue this," Penny asked.

"No way!" Leonard shook his head adamantly. "If we did that, we'd never hear the end of it, not too mention he'd add even more stricter clauses, which I'd be forced to agree with. But at the same time I don't really want to make things even more difficult between him and I." He sighed and sat back in the chair. "I just don't know what the right way to go is."

"Perhaps," Sheila said, an amused smile on her lips, "we can handle this in a different way. Leonard, am I correct in my assessment of Dr. Cooper as being most comfortable with strict rules and a rigid schedule?"

Leonard nodded. "Yeah."

Sheila nodded, thinking. "What if we draw up a new contract, one that is more balanced in who it favors?"

Leonard shrugged, glancing at Penny, who seemed equally dubious. "Wouldn't we simply perpetuate his control over me?"

Sheila shook her head. "No, we'd draw it up in such a way he'd become less and less reliant on you, but we explicitly specify the time frame in which this will become minimal. To ensure he'd be more willing to agree, we might need to set a relatively long period over which he'd be getting gradually less assistance from you, but at the same time he'll learn to cope with his own life."

"What about their friendship," Penny asked. "Sheldon made it abundantly clear he'd suspended their friendship because of all of this."

Sheila shrugged. "There is not much we can do about that, aside from drawing up some kind of friendship agreement." After a few seconds, she chuckled. "Just kidding, no one in their right minds would do something like that. I mean, what's next? A relationship agreement?"


A/N2: I really debated about having a warning about the disturbance in the force in the first author's note, but then thought "what's the fun in that?"