Sheldon and Penny have begun to rebuild the severed bonds between them. He loves her, and is doing his best to be supportive. She suspects she might be falling in love with him, and is doing her best to protect her fragile heart and mind.
Penny tried not to grimace too much as she fastened her seatbelt. Sheldon had borrowed a colleague's private plane, and the plush seats had little back support. Too soft by far. She didn't want to complain, though. Sheldon would just worry, and there was nothing he could do about it. She made up her mind, though, that when she returned from Finland, she was going to insist on a commercial flight. She couldn't deal with the back pain a second time.
She hadn't known whether the be surprised, annoyed, or humored by the fact that he had asked his lawyer to get her a passport, before he had even seen her at the hospital. She had been annoyed when she found out he had bought her several outfits and a new coat for the trip. She had been stunned when Bernadette showed up with them. Of course, being Sheldon, he had an answer for everything. When she complained about the amount he spent, he said it would cost more if she caught a cold from thin clothing. When she said he should have bought cheaper things, (lord, how was she going to pay him back for that cashmere cape from Harrod's?) he had said these would last her many years to come, and therefore were a good investment. In the end, she had given in, because it seemed to make him happy. (And she DID love the cape.)
Sheldon settled in the seat beside her and buckled up. She didn't wait for him to move. She just went ahead and slipped her hand into his, earning her a rare Sheldon smile. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Whack is sleeping sedately in the hold. Lean back and get some rest, Penny. We'll be in Finland in about 11 hours. Do you need anything?" he asked.
Penny shook her head. "No, but I'm not really tired, either. How about you talk to me? Tell me how you ended up in Finland."
Sheldon leaned his head back against the head rest. "Well, to be honest, it was because I knew someone there. Karissa Holden. We were colleagues when I was a visiting lecturer in Germany. She works for Tampere University. Through her, I acquired my current job. She also helped me find a nice place in Hyvinkaa. It's about an hour from work, but there are commuter trains that run every hour. It is home to the Finnish Railway Museum, also."
Penny burst out laughing and he grinned bashfully. "Some things never change," Penny teased.
Sheldon suppressed his grin and gave her as stern a look as possible. "Behave, Penny. Santa lives only 8 hours away, and if you aren't good, I won't take you to see him."
Penny's expression turned to confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Sheldon grinned finally. "In a town called Rovaniemi, is the official Santa's Village. Santa's Park is open for it's summer season right now. In three days there is the midsummer solstice. The Nightless Night, it is called. It is the one night a year when the sun does not fully set. I was hoping you might like to go see it. We can travel by train to the park, and take the trails through the forest once we are there."
Penny looked at him in amazement. "Sheldon, that sounds wonderful!" After a moment she paled and looked down. "Sheldon, I can't imagine it would be easy getting my chair across a forest path."
Sheldon placed a hand on her cheek and tilted her head back. He smiled softly. "No, but I was planning on traveling by carriage."
Penny smiled faintly. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?" she teased lightly.
Sheldon leaned over and brushed his lips across hers faintly. "Not everything. I still haven't figured out how to make you love me," he replied calmly. He watched a faint blush creep up her neck with a smile. "Now, lean back and get some rest."
After a couple of seconds Penny slowly nodded and reached to recline the seat. Sheldon drew a blanket over her and she closed her eyes. She bit the inside of her cheek hard to center herself. If only he knew just how dangerously close she was to that very thing. She was going to have to guard her heart much more carefully or else she was going to end up completely under his spell.
Sheldon turned off the overhead light and reclined his own seat. He turned slightly to watch her. He hadn't been lying. He had no idea how to win her heart, but he wasn't about to give up trying. Everything he was, everything he desired, was riding on having her by his side.
XXXXX
For once, he regretted that he lived on the first floor. There was no reason to carry Penny. He lead her down the hallway to his apartment and opened the door. He watched her look around the small apartment curiously. He glanced around trying to see it from her point of view. Three rooms, one of which was a bathroom, sparsely decorated with a few figures and collectables. One wall was floor to ceiling bookshelves filled with textbooks, trade paperbacks, and DVDs. A small sofa, a kitchen table that doubled as a desk and his one indulgence, his 52" TV and game consoles.
Penny maneuvered through to the bedroom carefully. He knew it was even more austere. A twin bed, a dresser, and a bedside table holding an alarm clock and a place to charge his phone and laptop. She rolled back out and looked at him with surprise. "Your home is kind of ….bare."
He shrugged sheepishly. "It is not my home. It is just a place to reside."
She watched him place their luggage in the bedroom. He put Whack's carrier on the floor by the bed and opened the door so that the dog could come out when he awoke. She moved to the sofa and locked her chair in place. She scooted forward and leaned over to place a hand on the sofa. She knew Sheldon was watching carefully, ready to spring forward and catch her if she fell. Well, for once her Nebraska hands were coming in handy. She braced one hand on the cushion and swung her hips onto the seat easily. A few tugs to the legs and she was seated as comfortably as possible. She blushed at the mix of pride and regret on his face. She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.
"How about some tea?" he asked, moving toward the kitchenette.
"Okay," she said, as she picked up a magazine on the coffee table. She was surprised to find it was a fashion magazine. At least, she assumed it was, from all the models inside. She flipped through it casually, unable to read of word of the print. "Since when do you follow fashion?" she teased.
Sheldon looked over with confusion. He spotted the magazine and shrugged. "Karissa must have left it here."
As soon as the tea was ready, he sat down beside her and flipped on the TV. Penny laughed when she saw the start menu for Iron Man. Sheldon sat sideways and slid his leg behind her. He pulled her over to him and helped her lift her legs onto the sofa. Soon she was curled up against his chest and they were quietly watching the movie.
Sheldon watched her drift off as Pepper Potts helped Tony change his arc reactor. He glanced around the tiny apartment with a smile. Suddenly, it did feel a little more homey. He laid his chin on the top of her head and smiled. She was home, and it was as simple as that.
XXXXX
Sheldon and Penny were having breakfast when there was a knock on the door. He rose to answer it, and Penny looked over the stylish blond curiously. Long white-gold hair, big blue eyes made to appear larger with the artful application of make-up, an almost indecent amount of cleavage shown off by a scarlet blouse, and a short black skirt to show off toned and tanned legs. Penny's mouth almost drooled over the Jimmy Choo heels.
"Sheldon, darling! Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? I'd have made you dinner!" she smiled warmly.
Sheldon stepped back to let her in. "Good morning, Karissa. Come in. I want you to meet Penny." He moved over to stand beside her chair and smiled. "Penny, this is my colleague, Karissa Holden. Karissa, this is Penny Queen."
Penny held out her hand. "Hello," she said in a friendly tone.
Karissa looked at her hand for a moment before gingerly shaking it for a half second. She turned to Sheldon immediately, ignoring Penny. She took a step closer, only inches separating her and Sheldon. "Well, I came over as soon as I heard you were back. Since we didn't get together last night, how about I make you dinner tonight and we can catch up. I've missed our talks," she said, the invitation just shy of blatant.
Sheldon shook his head. "Thank you, but we just arrived last night, and I want to show Penny some of the sights. I thought I would take her to the pub for dinner. There is a live band tonight, if I am not mistaken."
Karissa's smile faltered for a heartbeat, but she recovered just as quickly. "Oh! That does sound wonderful! What time shall we leave?"
Penny's temper was starting to rise. This woman couldn't be more obvious if she stripped naked and did the Cha-Cha! She glanced at Sheldon and realized he was completely clueless. He was frowning slightly and shaking his head.
"Actually, I only reserved a table for two," he explained. "I had not anticipated any one else joining us."
Karissa laughed lightly. "Sheldon, darling, you know how much I enjoy going to our pub together."
Penny didn't miss the subtle emphasis on "our". She could see the confusion in Sheldon's expression that indicated he hadn't missed it either, and it brought out her protective side.
A low whine rose from the bedroom. "Excuse me," Sheldon murmured and he hurried away. As soon as he was through the bedroom door Karissa turned to Penny.
"Let's get one thing straight right now," she said in a warning tone. "I am not about to let you waltz back into Sheldon's life. It has taken me 2 years to get him past the way you people almost destroyed him. So, take the tours, see the sights, then get yourself back to America." Karissa leaned down slightly. "Or I'll shove your ass on a plane myself."
Penny studied the woman carefully. She was no fool, despite her lack of higher education. Something was off about this. The woman's words implied one thing, but her expression said another. Slowly Penny began to piece it together. "You love him, don't you?" she asked as calmly as possible.
Karissa gave one tight nod. "Of course I do."
Penny studied her more. "Are you in love with him?"
Karissa's expression tightened and she nodded again.
Suddenly, Penny smiled warmly at the woman. "Liar," she chided. "You want to protect him, help him, and keep him from harm. Like a sister, almost. I can see it in your eyes. You want me to think you two are together in some way. Scare me off." Penny sighed and waved her hand to Sheldon's unoccupied seat. "Well, it won't work. I know Sheldon too well. No way are you two together."
"And what makes you think that?" the other woman asked haughtily.
Penny shrugged. "Sheldon loves me. He would never tell me he loves me if he was involved with you. He's not a cheater. Never has been. The man is hopelessly honest."
Karissa's expression crumbled and she looked toward the bedroom door sadly. She sank into the empty chair. "Please! Sheldon is one of my dearest friends! I can't watch him go through that again. Don't hurt him!" she begged softly.
Penny clenched her hands together tightly. "Sheldon is the best friend I have ever had. I would never do anything to hurt him. When he left.." she tried to will away the tears trying to form. "It broke my heart for him to leave," she whispered. "I don't know what is happening here. In all honesty, it scares me how much he means to me. I'm worried that if it ends badly again, I may never recover from it."
Karissa looked at her with hope. "You love him?"
Penny sighed. "Yes. I just don't know if it is the love of a friend, or if it is something more."
Sheldon leaned his head back against the door, Whack bouncing around, wanting out. He felt like he was so close to his ultimate dream. A life with Penny in his arms was so tantalizingly close. But he still couldn't quite touch it. It was just millimeters out of his reach. He desperately wanted to close that gap.