Sheldon is devastated that Penny is leaving. Penny is scared and confused but determined to figure out what she is capable of now.

She clung to her dad's neck as he settled her into the work truck and threw her bags into the back. Wyatt was silent as he hopped into the driver's side and started the truck up. She waited until they were on the interstate to speak. "Dad, I'm going to need to stop by Cal-Tech. I need to speak to Leonard."

Wyatt looked at his daughter with surprise. He had never known what drove the wedge between her and the boys, not even knowing there was a wedge until her accident, but he had quickly learned that she felt nothing but contempt for the boys she had once considered close friends. "Can I ask what about?"

Penny shrugged. "He has something I intend to get back."

Wyatt turned his attention back to the road. "Okay, slugger. Want me to go with you?"

She shook her head. "No. But there is something I need you to do for me." Penny carefully explained what she wanted him to do and Wyatt nodded. He couldn't help admiring the determination and drive in his daughter.

XXXXX

Leonard opened his office door and his eyes widened with shock. "Penny?" He quickly stepped back as she pushed herself forward. He glanced at Ramona who was hastily smoothing her hair back into place and blushed.

Penny paid no attention to the thin redhead. Instead she faced Leonard. "I want you to go to your boss and tell him the truth about the Arctic results."

Leonard's blush disappeared along with all the other color in his face. He swallowed and quickly moved Ramona toward the door. As soon as she was in the hall, he shut it firmly. He turned back to Penny and tried puppy eyes on the blonde he still dreamed about.

"Penny, that was a long time ago. And what happened, well, I'm not proud of it, but it wasn't our fault. We didn't make him send that email. He embarrassed himself by bragging. He hadn't even tested his results yet! He jumped the gun and when he got embarrassed, he ran away. We kept the original data." He pulled his desk chair over and sat down. He gave her his best innocent smile and picked up her hand in his. "We tried to bring him back, remember?"

"What I remember," Penny said steadily, "is that Sheldon took you, Howard and Raj with him on an important research project. He wanted you three there because he trusted you and wanted to include you in his life's work. You went hoping for glory. Not for the work, or to support your friend, but because you thought it would make you famous if he succeeded. You had lived with Sheldon for six years. You knew what he was like. But instead of supporting him, keeping him focused and being honest with him, you plotted to kill him, you faked his results, and you destroyed his confidence. You destroyed his reputation. You ended his career here, and you're only excuse is that he should have known better?"

Leonard flinched slightly, but he shook off the shame he felt. He just knew that this was his chance to get through to her. After all, she was his dream girl. Sure, the wheelchair was a bit of a deterrent, but she was still gorgeous. And once she was walking again, she would look fabulous on his arm!

"Penny, you don't know what it was like. He was crazy! He wasn't eating or sleeping, and all he did was work. Every time we turned around, he was hunched over that equipment, muttering to himself. We had to do it! The can opener was the only way to keep him out of our hair!"

Penny tugged her hand from his and wiped it on her pants leg. She looked at Leonard with disgust. "So, you were worried because he was working? Because he was focused on the very reason for the trip? Did you go into this thinking it was some sort of weird vacation, Leonard? He was there to prove M-theory! He wasn't there to keep you guys happy!" She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Are you going to come clean or not?"

Leonard looked at her carefully. As beautiful and sexy as she was, he wasn't about to endanger his career for the chance at getting into her bed. Besides, it wasn't really his fault! Sheldon was an ass. Always had been! He had actually been considering moving out when Penny had moved in. He could finally afford a place of his own. But then they met, and he had stayed. Leonard stood up and shook his head. "It's ancient history. I'm going to leave it that way."

Penny wheeled herself toward the door and opened it up. Leonard felt faint when he saw President Seibert and Professor Gabelhauser standing there with Penny's dad. Behind them, looking scared and a bit faint were Howard and Raj.

President Seibert held out his hand to Penny and smiled gently. "Ms. Queen, we owe you a debt for bringing this injustice to our attention. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me."

Penny shook his hand and moved into the hallway. "Thank you for taking the time to listen at the door. I know this is going to be a big problem for you, but I trust you'll handle the matter honestly."

Professor Gabelhauser nodded grimly. "Don't worry, Ms. Queen. We intend to deal with this matter now. Wolowitz, Koothrappali, inside!"

Penny looked up at her dad as the door to Leonard's office shut. "I'm ready to go to the apartment, now."

He took the handles of her chair and they headed toward the parking lot. "What was it Leonard had?"

She answered calmly. "Sheldon's reputation."

XXXXX

Penny smiled when they entered the comic shop. Stuart walked over with a grin and she pulled him down for a hug. "Miss me?" she laughed.

Stuart grinned his rare smile. "Of course." He looked around curiously. "Where are Whack and Sheldon?"

"Finland," she replied with a wry tilt of her mouth. "I figured that if I left Whack, Sheldon knew I'd be back. So, how's life?" she asked as she locked in the brakes and handed him her purse.

Wyatt bent and scooped her up and followed Stuart toward the stairs. "Well," the usually morose man said slyly, "I've started dating someone."

Penny grinned widely. "No way! Who?"

"Me."

Penny's jaw dropped as she looked at Bernadette coming out of Stuart's apartment. "Holy crap on a cracker! When did this happen?"

Stuart blushed and took Bernadette's hand in his before reaching forward and opening Penny's door. "Well, it's your fault, actually. We ended up spending so much time around each other while you were healing, and then the day after you left, I called her up to see if she had heard whether you and Sheldon got to Finland okay."

Bernadette smiled. "I asked him to come by for dinner so we could discuss it, and well,…."

Stuart blushed and looked down. "We ended up having breakfast together, too."

Penny laughed with delight as Wyatt sat her on the sofa. Joyce grinned at the couple from the kitchen. "I thought you two would be good together. Bernadette's bubbliness is the perfect balance to your seriousness." She walked over and settled in beside her daughter. Penny smiled happily and hugged her mom close.

Bernadette hurried over and sat beside Penny. "So? How was the trip? How's Sheldon? Will he be joining you soon? Where's that demon dog of yours? Did a reindeer eat him?"

Penny laughed until tears formed in her eyes. "Sit, Dad. You need to hear this too." Penny took a moment to calm herself and focus. "Okay, here's the deal. I love Sheldon. Whatever happened in the past, I love him now. So, I'm going to go see Dr. Reilly tomorrow. I'm going to resume the Hep C treatments. He said before that he thinks that with aggressive treatment, I can be Hep free in six months. I already owe a crap load of money, but luckily, the lawyer Dad hired has gotten the city to agree to a settlement. They are incurring all of the bills from my surgeries and treatments from the accident and giving me good chunk of money. It isn't enough to pay all my medical bills, but the hospital thinks I can apply for low income status and get a lot of the bill reduced or even deferred."

Penny paused and took a deep breath. "And then I'm going back to Finland. If Sheldon wants me, I'm going to stay with him. I don't know what kind of relationship we can have, with me being paralyzed, but I want to try. I want to be with him. No," she said with a shake of her head, "I need to be with him. Maybe in another universe, we are together and it's perfect, but in this one, it's not. But that's okay. Because he loves me, and I love him. We'll figure it out. I have to believe that."

Wyatt placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Penny looked at her mom worriedly. "I'll miss you, Mom. And Dad, too. But I can't let this chance go."

Joyce tucked Penny's hair behind her ears. "Sweetheart, your father and I love you. I know we weren't great parents, and I know we let you down growing up, but we never didn't love you. If this man makes you happy, makes you want to live again, then go for it. But you'll always have us. You know that right?"

Penny hugged her mom tight, tears slipping into their collars. "I love you and Dad, too, Mom."

Wyatt smiled at his wife and looked around. "Okay, so, who wants pizza? We can watch the football game on TV."