51

Penny took a deep breath as she was about to open the door to her apartment. She was prepared to find an angry, depressed fiancé demanding her support. She opened the door and was faced with a pile of closed cardboard boxes with more open ones spread throughout the apartment.

"Leonard?" she called.

Leonard came out of the bedroom wearing a big, pasted-on smile.

"What's going on?"

"We're moving."

"What?"

"I quit my job at the university. They weren't going to give me tenure so I quit."

"And you're moving?"

"We're moving. I spoke to my mother in New Jersey. After she finished yelling at me she said with her connections she can probably get me a temporary job teaching science in a local high school while I search for a more appropriate position at a university."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Now, here's the thing. The job probably won't pay me as much as we're used to so you'll probably need to work. But guess what, there's a new Cheesecake Factory opening up nearby so it'll be just like here. And everything about the wedding can stay on track."

"Leonard, I have a job."

"Yeah, you're going to have to quit."

"Excuse me."

"I'm not comfortable with you working for Sheldon. He's a big part of why I'm not working there any more and I expect you to support me in that. And idiots run that university. Sooner or later they'll do something that makes you want to quit, too."

"Leonard, you're not telling me everything. This had something to do with that Joyce Kim and the rocket fuel didn't it?"

"No, the FBI ended their investigation. They couldn't prove a thing but Gabelhauser doesn't like me. He never did. And he said he'll make sure I never get tenure."

"So what does Sheldon have to do with any of this?"

"I'm pretty sure Sheldon ran to Gabelhauser and told him a story about me screwing up his Arctic research."

"But you did screw up his Arctic research, Leonard."

"That was a long time ago, Penny. It doesn't matter. Nobody cares, just Sheldon."

"So you think that Sheldon made sure you'd never get tenure?"

"I do."

"I happen to know that he isn't the one that told Gabelhauser."

"Well if he didn't who did? It couldn't have been Howard or Raj. They're my friends."

"Yeah, well Howard and Raj are the ones who told Gabelhauser. And they were right to do it. It was a lousy thing to do. They should have said something a lot sooner. So should you."

"You weren't there, Penny. Sheldon was being ridiculous. It was unbearable."

"Gee, I'm starting to wonder why he even let you live with him after that."

"What are you saying, Penny? I expect you no, I demand you support me."

"Why?"

"Because we're in love and we're going to be married."

"And because of that I'm supposed to give up not just my job with Sheldon, which pays me more than I've ever made before in my life and has benefits, but I'm also supposed to walk away from the job with Wil Wheaton at SyFy that could really lead to a career that I've dreamed of doing something I'm good at. And I'm supposed to leave all my friends? I already did that once for you."

"And while you're doing all that what am I supposed to do, stay at home and keep house and take care of our kids?"

"What's wrong with that? It's what you expected me to do, isn't it?"

"It's what you're supposed to do, Penny. I went to university. I trained to be a physicist. I worked hard to get where I am. You were just in the right place at the right time."

"So you're smarter than me? You're more important than me. Anything you do is better than anything I do?"

"Well, yeah. But we love each other so it doesn't matter. I'm going to take care of you."

"Yeah, you taking care of me got me clinically depressed and was turning me into a drunk."

"Neither of those things is true, Penny. You're just seeing the wrong therapist. This kind of thing happens all the time. You should have asked me to help you find a good therapist, even though I don't think you need one at all. I think you're just a little confused. And you're not a drunk. So we both like a little wine at night. It's not a problem. And it helps us enjoy other stuff a little more."

"Leonard, why do you have such a problem with me doing things for myself?"

"Penny, you have to admit that your track record of doing things for yourself isn't very good. Until we got together you dated nothing but jerks. You kept working at The Cheesecake Factory for years and could barely support yourself. Then you even quit that and decided to make that stupid gorilla movie and you couldn't even make that work. You need me. You can't make it without me."

"Excuse me, but right now you're the one without a job and I'm doing pretty well."

"That's only a temporary situation. You'll screw it up. It's your pattern. But it doesn't matter because I've got everything figured out."

"Leonard, where are we supposed to live while you find yourself and I'm working at The Cheesecake Factory?"

"We'll live with my mother. And, oh yeah, you might have to do some things around the house to help out."

"Wait a second! I'm supposed to keep house for your mother. Like a maid?"

"It's only temporary until I get another university position. It won't take that long. I'm a good catch."

"No. You're not."

"What are you saying?"

"Give me a minute."

"I want to know what you mean."

"I SAID GIVE A MINUTE. ALRIGHT?"

"Fine, no need to yell."

Penny walked to the kitchen. She turned her back to Leonard, took a glass and poured herself a glass of water. She took a sip. Then she turned around.

"Leonard, my intention when I opened up that door a little while ago was to tell you I need a little space, that maybe us living together wasn't such a good idea yet."

"YOU WERE GOING TO THROW ME OUT?"

"Please let me finish, Leonard. I wasn't going to throw you out. I wasn't even going to break our engagement. I just wanted some space. You have this habit of using all the oxygen in the room, of assuming that everything has to be about you. Your career. Your lousy childhood. Your needs. "

"I'm sorry things aren't going well for you with work, Leonard. But you did those things to yourself and I can't fix them. I won't even try. Me being in your life isn't going to make those things better. I don't think I want that responsibility."

"Leonard, for years I've been what you wanted. From the moment you met me you got a picture of me in your head and you were willing to wait for me to become that picture. And when I lost everything but you I thought maybe I was ready to be that picture. And that's when I said I'd marry you."

"But Sheldon, he helped me to see what I wanted, what I needed. And he didn't do it for himself. He did it for me. And that scares you. And it should scare you because what you want is for you, not for me. I don't think I want to be the Penny that gives you smart and beautiful children anymore."

"So, there's something going on between you and Sheldon…I knew it." Leonard spat out.

"There is nothing going on between me and Sheldon. He's my friend and I love him for that. And he's helping me figure out what I really want."

"I thought you wanted me."

"Yeah, I thought that too. But the Leonard I wanted was a nice guy. A sweet nerdy guy who loved me."

"I'm that guy. I'm still that guy."

"Leonard, I'm not sure you were ever that guy. You may think you love me, but really what you want is to have me. And to show me off. And to use me to help build that family that you think you want. But you don't know a damn thing about any of that. I may not be an expert in love and I may have dated a bunch of jerks but I'm finally reaching the conclusion that you are just another jerk, a better educated, more entitled jerk. And I'm finally done with jerks."

"Here's your ring. And you can keep that piece-of-shit car you gave me. The job at SyFy is going to pay me enough to get a new one and there'll still be a bunch left over. And I'm going to pay you back every cent you ever gave me. I don't want you to have any claim on me."

"So you are throwing me out."

"No, you can stay here as long as you want. Just not with me. I'm going to stay somewhere else until you're gone. And leave my stuff alone. I'll still be living here after that."

"You're making a big mistake, Penny."

"Maybe I am. But that's what I do. Right, Leonard? I make mistakes. I'm just a stupid hick from Nebraska who just goes through life making bad decisions, fucking the wrong guys and generally screwing up. And you decided you were the only one who could fix me. Well, you know what? It's not your job anymore. Try fixing yourself because you are way more fucked up than I am. I never sabotaged my best friend's heart's desire and made believe it never happened. You did that. And you have to live with that. Sheldon or Howard or Raj or Gabelhauser didn't screw up your career. You did that all by yourself. I've lived across the hall from you for almost eight years. I've watched Sheldon and Raj and even Howard try to become better people and pretty much succeed at it. But you, you made me responsible for you being a better person. You decided that I had to be a part of your life to make you better. And you know what? It didn't happen. You are selfish and you are entitled and you don't care about anyone but yourself. I may make some mistakes in the future. Hell, I probably will. But you, Leonard, you are a walking, talking mistake and you refuse to see that. Goodbye. Leave your key across the hall when you finally leave."

And Penny walked out the door to Apartment 4B and went straight across the hall, determined to not let Leonard see her cry.

A/N: A late Friday (at least for me) gift, since I can't predict when my internet is going to crap out. BTW, I'd really love to top 600 reviews this weekend. After all, what better way to mark the end of Lenny Week than by showing Leonard the door.