Chapter 11 - Disbelief and Understanding

It was around 7 PM on a Friday night, so traffic was still bad around Pasadena, it took Leonard and Howard almost an hour to get to Cal Tech. Normally that would be bad, however this time it wasn't, because using his smart phone, Leonard researched the building that was being occupied by the terrorists and found out there were three, exactly the same 15 story buildings, in a row, with the terrorists occupying the last. While Leonard was doing this, Howard was remembering something about the buildings, something that was unique for them when they were built. That information led to more research and before their car came to a halt in the Cal Tech parking lot, Leonard and Howard had devised the beginning of a plan.

The girls hurried to catch the guys and by the time the girls got to the university, they could see the guys walking to the entrance of the building. Amy pulled close to the curb, while Penny jumped out of the car to run to the door, catching it before it completely closed and locked again, after the guys went in. She then slowly peaked inside to see the guys moving quickly down the hall, oblivious to the fact they were being followed. Penny went in, followed by Bernadette and hurried after them, Bernadette, with her short legs, following a little behind. They guys moved quickly through the university and Penny had to work keeping up with them, sometimes turning the wrong way, luckily she was faster than them so she would quickly correct and catch up. She didn't know a lot about the building, they were in, but she did know that they were not going to Leonard's lab or office, she had been there before and this was not the way.

Leonard and Howard went deeper and deeper into the building and Penny couldn't believe how large the building was, she was more than a little concerned when they disappeared into a basement corridor. A sudden thought of Alice going down the rabbit hole crossed her mind and she quickly dismissed it, not knowing how true that was going to be in the next few minutes. She was, however, really wondering what was going on, when suddenly they stopped at a set of double doors, unlocked them and then disappeared inside. No sooner than the door closed she could see the light escaping from the cracks in the door, giving the hallway a soft glow, and marking the room they were in. Penny went back a short distance and looked back to see Bernadette catching up, so she gave her a wave, then slowly proceeded to the doors. As Penny approached, the light from inside escaping through the cracks in the door frame, seemed so bright, and she heard the hum of electrical equipment from inside. Penny quickly checked to see that Bernadette saw where she was standing and understood what she was doing and after she did that, she opened the door.

Penny using her wildest imagination would have never dreamed up what she saw when she opened the door. It was like a portal from the real world into another world, a world like out of the guys comic books, the change was so unbelievable to her. She thought at first she was hallucinating and suddenly felt unsteady on her feet, grabbing the side of the door, the sight was too incredible for her mind to wrap itself around. Penny's eyes scanned the room from right to left, and even after taking it all in and realizing what she was seeing was real, she still was completely amazed, "Oh my God." she whispered to herself.

Penny then took a couple steps into the large room and stopped, trying to grasp what she was seeing, and understand the scene in front of her. There was a hum of electricity in the room, the smell of ozone, you could feel the energy and there was equipment everywhere. Howard was moving around a small structure supporting a large thing, the thing from the Cheesecake Factory, with a laptop in his hands and that was connected to wires that ran to the thing. The thing, that was really not the right term to describe it because now she understood what it was, the thing was actually a suit with a man in it. It was that man, that shook her to her very core, her knees felt weak, and she found it was hard to breathe, that man was Leonard. She couldn't take her eyes off him, he looked like a knight in armor, a warrior, she was in awe of him, sweet wonderful Leonard was her Hero. Even with this incredible scene, and the shock of everything she saw in the last few minutes, deep down in her soul, it somehow all made sense to her, it was Leonard. Tears formed in her eyes and her body actually trembled, a small smile slowly appearing on her face, Leonard had came for her, the thing that rescued her was Leonard, he was the man who saved her. Penny just stood there, frozen in place, the tears dripping down her face, staring at the man she loved more than any other person in the world.

Howard's peripheral vision picked her up and when he turned his head, he saw her. "Crap!"

Howard's outburst made Leonard look at him then over to where he was looking, his heart seemed to stop, it was Penny and she was crying. "Penny?"

Howard walked up to Penny, she seemed in a trance, staring at Leonard. "Penny! What are you doing here?"

Penny blinked her eyes and finally looked at Howard, "I followed Leonard, I was worried so I followed him."

"You can't be here." Howard looked at Leonard. "Leonard tell she can't be here!"

Leonard swallowed, "Penny, Howard is right, you need to leave, you need to leave the city fast, get at least 20 miles away before you slow down. And go Northwest, Penny. Go Penny, go now."

Penny was so confused, her mind was still going though sensory overload and the whole night had been so confusing to her, she had so many questions, she didn't know where to begin. She had for weeks wanted to thank the person who rescued them all from those killers and who had saved her life, but now everything was different. She had been in mortal danger and the man, who always professed his love for her, came to save her, he came to her and rescued her, somehow thank you seemed such a silly thing to say. "No Leonard, we need to talk. This is….." Penny voice cracked as she looked around in awe. "Leonard, we need to talk about this."

Leonard shook his head, "Penny, you don't understand, you need to go now. There is no time to talk. Please Penny go, before it is too late." Leonard then looked to Howard for help.

"What's too late?" Everyone now looked at the doorway at Bernadette.

"Oh double crap." Howard whispered.

Bernadette looked at scene in front of her, then at Howard and Leonard, 'What is going on?"

This situation seemed to spiraling out of control, both of the girls were now there, and Leonard, already stressed, couldn't take it any longer, time was running out and they didn't have it to waste, "YOU BOTH NEED TO GO!, Dammit, won't you two just listen once! There is a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles and it is going to go off, so get the hell out of here. I don't want you to die!"

Leonard was yelling at her, she started to cry, "What about you. Come with us, both of you."

"Nuclear warhead!" Bernadette looked at Howard with shock and anger.

"I can't Penny, you need to go now." Leonard's angry outburst was over and now he was just frustrated, he took a breath, then looked at Bernadette. "Howard will leave as soon as we are done here, Bernadette." Leonard gave Bernadette a look, that left no question in her mind, he was serious.

"Leonard what are you doing?" Penny felt she was loosing him, she was getting desperate.

"I need to try and stop them."

"NO LEONARD!" She couldn't believe what he was saying. "Let the authorities do that, you go with me."

"I can't Penny, they don't have the capacities this suit does, Howard has made it even more powerful, they need me."

Penny looked at Howard, who looked down and nodded, she hated him so much right now. She had to get Leonard to leave with her, she would do anything to get him to leave, "Leonard, I love you, and I will marry you, anytime, anyplace, this evening if you want, but you have to come with me now, we can't be together if you are dead."

Leonard smiled, she loved him, she had to survive, "Penny if you love me you will leave me now. I can't do this not knowing you are safe, I'll worry and I will fail. If you love me and want me to succeed, you have to go to safety now. Please Penny do this for me."

Penny just stared at him, she didn't want him to die, she really did love him, she didn't want to be without him. "Leonard…." she didn't know what to say.

Leonard smiled at her, the smile that was just for her, "Penny, I love you too, I will always love you. Please go now. Please do this for me."

Penny felt such a sense of defeat, it made her body go cold and slowly she nodded, looked at Howard, then ran to Leonard, stepping up on the little stool in front of him. She came nose to nose with him, she had tears in her eyes, "Please Leonard, Please, I love you and need you. Just come with me, so we can both be safe, Please."

Leonard didn't know were he got the emotional strength, but somewhere inside him he found in, "I can't Penny. I just can't. I have to try and do something, I have to."

"NO!" Penny kissed him, "NO, Please NO!" She kissed him again, tears were now freely flowing down her face.

"Penny, I can't. Please you have to go now. It is not safe for you here. Please do this for me. I need you to be safe, understand."

"No, Leonard, No." Penny had her arms wrapped around his neck holding on for dear life.

She had to go, Leonard had to make her go, he couldn't do anything with her in danger. Her face was against his, her tears wetting his face, he was about to cry himself, he had to make her go. "Penny, I don't have much time, the longer you stay the less chance I have to survive, you not going is making it more dangerous for me." He hated to say that but it was true and she needed to leave.

Penny pulled her head back and looked at him with horror in her eyes, she was endangering him, 'Oh My GOD!' she thought. She didn't know what to do, she didn't want him to do this, but she couldn't change his mind and every second was putting him in more danger. 'Why is this happening to us?' her mind screamed. She looked into his eyes and realized she had lost, he was going to do this, and she was wasting his valuable time, making it harder for him. Penny slowly nodded, trying hard not begin sobbing, she whispered to him, "I love you Leonard Hofstadter, you are my Super Hero." and then she kissed him, it was the most passionate kiss Penny ever gave a man, it didn't come from her heart, it came from her soul. She didn't want it to end, but much too quickly he stopped her, she didn't even hear the servos in his arms as he slowly brought them up and put his ungloved hands around her waist.

"Penny, you need to go now." Then he gently lifted her off the stool and put her on the floor in front of him.

Penny just stared at him, she was paralyzed with fear for him and the incredible need for him to go with her to safety.

She just stood there in front of him, he had to get her moving, "Please Penny."

She didn't even know how she did it, maybe it was the pleading look in his eyes she couldn't say no to, but she finally stepped back and walked to the door where Bernadette still stood. The whole way she never took her eyes off of Leonard, trying to capture him in her mind forever, she really didn't know if she would ever see him again.

Bernadette went to Howard and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him, even though Leonard said he would follow, she couldn't help the uneasy feeling in her heart.

"Bernadette you need to go too, get Amy Sheldon and Raj and go at least to Oxnard, go there now and wait for us." Howard said to Bernadette, then looked at Leonard.

"Howie, you're coming, you are not staying." Tears were now falling down Bernadette's cheeks.

"As soon as Leonard is on his way, I will come."

Bernadette nodded and walked back to Penny and once both of them were through the door, Howard closed it and they heard the click of the lock. They walked down the hall, tears coming from their eyes, they knew in their hearts if they went away they would never see them again, and they both knew it would kill them inside, just like that bomb could kill them outside.

-TIN MAN-

Howard and Leonard now worked quickly getting the suit ready and worked out the rest of their plan, it had to simple, they didn't have much time. Howard checked the internet for any additional information he needed and Leonard ran some calculations on a tablet, with his ungloved hands, while they both also went through the suit checkout. They finally felt they were ready, as ready, as they could get in the short time they had.

Leonard took a deep breath, "Okay Howard, lets get this finished up, so I can get to it and you can leave too."

"Leonard…."

Leonard's anger flared again, the stress of what they were doing was making him a wreck, having to do all this plus having to argue with the people he loved, to make them safe. "Don't you give me shit too, Howard, You are not Penny, I'll hit you. You are going to leave as soon as you drop me off."

"Leonard, you don't have to do this, you can be with Penny and we can all go north."

Leonard's angry outburst drained away, almost as quickly as it flared, again. "I can't Howard. I haven't felt right since we first used this suit. I need to do this, I really do."

"But your chances are so slim, we don't even have much of a plan."

"Yeah, but we at least have a plan, we didn't have that the first time."

"Leonard, it is still suicide. You know that. Either the warhead is going to go off or the military is going to bomb the building, with you in it, if you get that far. You chances of doing anything useful are very slim to none."

Leonard nodded. "I thought about that and I know if it is to end, I'd rather it ended this way then in jail. I don't think I could live without Penny anymore, and I don't really want to try. Howard, I'll give it a good shot, and maybe I will succeed, but if I don't, I won't have any regrets, I really won't. Believe me my friend, it is better this way. "

Howard looked at him, then slowly nodded, "Okay, let me get your systems checks finished."

-TIN MAN-

Penny and Bernadette had ran out the door of the university and to the car Amy was in, as soon as they left the guys, they knew they didn't have much time.

"Amy something really bad is happening, you need to get Sheldon, Raj and Howard's mother and go north west, at least as far as Oxnard." Bernadette instructed her.

"What is happening?" Amy was really confused.

"Amy those terrorists in LA have a nuclear bomb." Bernadette and Penny watched Amy turn as white as a sheet.

"What about you guys?"

"We will go with Leonard and Howard. We'll be right behind you by a few minutes. You need to go and get everyone."

"Okay, I'll get them, see you later." Amy started the car and drove off, glad for once her mother and family lived so far away from her.

Penny looked at Bernadette, "I'm not leaving."

"You don't think I am either, do you?"

Penny smiled, "We have to follow them somehow." She now realized she didn't have a plan.

Bernadette smiled and reached into her purse, taking out car keys and waving them in front of Penny, "The car Howard drove over here is my car." Penny nodded and the girls then ran to Howard's parking spot. They would end up waiting for almost an hour before they saw the large van truck leave the back of the building, with Howard in the drivers seat. Both girls sitting quietly, lost in their own thoughts, the whole time while they waited.

While Penny waited she was still trying to sort out what she had experienced in the last couple of hours, it was so surreal to her. The amazing things Leonard had shown her in the lab, and Howard's space work, made it easier for her to grasp that they had made this thing. Both of them were so incredibly smart, when she really thought of it, she couldn't imagine anyone but guys like them building it. Leonard had amazed her before, but now she was just blown away, she knew she would never be able to be with someone else without comparing them to Leonard, and that was the thing, she knew no man would ever measure up to Leonard, in her mind, ever again.

She thought back to all her time with Leonard, he was amazing, she always sort of knew that, but now there was absolutely no doubt in her mind. She had never met anyone like him and she knew she would never meet the likes of him ever again. She now couldn't stop thinking about how Leonard came for her to save her, it had all happened so fast, he never hesitated when she was in danger, and he killed a man to save her. Penny promised herself, she was not going to let him go, she wanted him forever, she needed him, she couldn't see her life anymore without him. Then an extreme sense of sadness enveloped her, if she had only knew it was Leonard, she could have spent the last three weeks in his arms, now she may never get that chance again. Penny felt like a fool, she shook her head in disbelief as she sat there, remembering when she would go after big muscle bound 'bad boys', when in reality the genius across the hall was probably the biggest 'bad ass' man she ever was going to meet, in her life, he made every guy she dated before look so small, even Kurt. Tears fell down her face as she wished it wasn't true, she wished Leonard wasn't so brave, and instead was with her right now driving to safety, she felt so ashamed of ever considering that he might not be the man she wanted, she knew now he was the one.

Bernadette sat there thinking too, she was a little angry, why was Howard in danger again, why was this happening again. She never told him exactly how badly she didn't want him to go to space, she was terrified the whole time he was there. Now he was doing it again, only this time he was getting into even more danger, and all she could do was watch. She thought she was marrying this weak little nerd, but did she get a surprise, he turned out to be some kind of adventurer almost like the Indiana Jones character the guys were so enamored with. Her Howie was more of a man than any other man she had ever dated or known, and she couldn't help but feel both admiration and anger towards him. But most of all she just wanted him, she wanted to hold him and him to be safe, she knew her life would never be the same without him and she would never love anyone as much of him. A couple tears fell down her cheeks and she kept thinking over and over again, in her mind, 'Howie please come back to me'.

Penny sat there staring out the window trying to hide her tears from Bernadette and to remember the feeling of Leonard's arms around her, his smell and the way his hair felt in her fingers, when Bernadette broke her from her trance. "There they go, I'll follow. I just knew Howie was going to go with him." Bernadette and Penny then pulled out and began pursuing the van, with their men in it, into the night.