Chapter 10 - Unexpected flight
Getting herself comfortable, Penny looked out of the planes window with a suddenly very heavy heart. The trip wasn't going as planned thanks to a certain someone but she couldn't for the life of her feel annoyed about that. Quite the opposite actually, she was sadder about their time together ending sooner than she thought it would.
A sudden commotion at the door brought her out of her thoughts. Turning and looking over her shoulder, she found Sheldon apologizing for bumping into an elderly lady whilst frantically looking around.
Their eyes met and she giggled when she thought that it was cliché. Sheldon seemed to be annoyed at her apparent amusement because he was scowling and making his way over to her.
''Wow, fancy seeing you so soon.'' Penny joked.
Sticking two long arms in her directions, Penny moved her gaze down to her bags and it hit her why he was suddenly on the plane.
''Oh, sweetie, I completely forgot! Thank you'' Penny said appreciatively, standing from her chair to take the bags.
''No matter, it seemed that I, too, forgot about your belongings when we parted ways.'' Sheldon smiled shyly before looking back over his shoulder at the door. It was closing. ''uh, ma'am, I need to get off this plane, you see I was just giving my friend here her bags-''
Sheldon was cut off by and over polite, ''I'm sorry sir but you need to find your seat, the plane is about to depart.''
Sheldon's stutter and panicked expression gave the women the opportunity to slip away, leaving a very stunned physicist behind.
''Am I stuck on this plane?'' He said to Penny, who looked unsure whether to laugh or sympathise. He glared at her. ''Your fault'' and childishly pouted as he slumped into his chair, that just so happened to be in front of Penny's.
Penny sniggered as she sat down into her chair with a mixture of emotions. She was going to be stuck on a plane with Sheldon and she felt happy, almost giddy, but also guilty because he didn't need or probably want to go to New York. She silently thought that maybe she didn't even want to go to New York anymore and seriously where did that thought come from.
They didn't speak whilst the plane took off, mostly because Sheldon was still pouting.
Penny, being who she was, couldn't just sit quietly as the most interesting man she had ever met was sitting in front her. With a childish grin, Penny gently kicked the back of Sheldon's chair and was thrilled with the stiffening of his back.
After a few excitingly tense seconds, she did it again, just a bit harder, a laughed behind her hand when he shot her a glare around the side of the chair.
However, she did not like his stupid face turning back around again with an annoyed huff. So, with renewed determination she toed of her shoe and poked his side with her socked foot and didn't hold back her laugh at his shocked gasp. However, she stopped laughing when her foot was snatched up by long fingers and proceeded to be tickled. Oh, the torture. Her surprised shriek attracted glares from some grouchy passengers.
Seemingly satisfied, Sheldon released his hold of her ticklish toes and smirked triumphantly over the chair, only to remember that he was mad at her and quickly glared at her for good measure.
Penny just smiled, never felt so amazing on a plane; she could feel the grin on her face.
She leaned forward and Sheldon tensed, must have heard the movement, preparing for the unexpected.
''I'm sorry. You should be heading back home and spending time with your family, not stuck on a plane with no spare clothes, heading for New York. Oh my god, I'm so sorry.'' Penny gushes, only just understanding his situation and clunks her head forward the rest of the way, onto the back of his chair.
Sheldon turns his head minutely and gives her side long look, as if suspicious of her sincerity. His stupid, wonderful, head sticking over the full height of the chair; Wacka-doodle, Penny thinks fondly when he smiles and nods his head, forgiving her.
''Well, I have always wanted to see New York…'' Sheldon drawls when she sends him an unsure look a moment later.
She smiles but keeps close and he doesn't mention it whilst he keeps his head turned to stare at her. He is the first one to break the silence with conversation for the journey.
Time seemed to fly unexpectedly fast, because before they knew it, the over head voice called over a 10 minute warning before they were landing.
It wasn't until they were walking out of the front doors of the airport, that they realised that they were going to have to say goodbye again. At that moment that they slowed to stop and looked at each other, Leonard just had to make his present on this world known.
''Penny?'' A voice hesitated next to an awaiting cab.
Penny, the one in question, turned and received a once over, that she has only just noticed that he does a lot, and smile that twitched up with just a hint of smugness. She paused, suddenly lost. Sheldon seemed to feel uncomfortable so, of course tried to find a solution.
Stepping up to Leonard, subconsciously blocking Penny from view, looked down at the shorter man and handed him Penny's main luggage bag.
Leonard gave him a weird look and only just now acknowledging his presence.
''Dr Cooper? What are you doing here?'' Leonard asked although there was a whiny quality in his voice that forced Sheldon to hide his wince.
''He had to save me again when I forgot my bags at the airport before the plane took off.'' Penny spoke up.
Leonard's eyes snapped back and forth between them before scoffing and shaking his head, as if to clear a preposterous thought from his head, before wrapping a hand round Penny's waist a kissing her firmly on the lips.
''And I really must be leaving now-''Sheldon said uncomfortably but was cut off by two voices.
''wait, you-'' Penny said at the same time that Leonard, in a more serious and louder voice, said ''Penny''.
The voice made her pause and slowly turn to face him. However, not before she caught the sight of Sheldon's unreadable expression that looked almost pained as he look at Leonard.
She gasped as she looked down to find Leonard on one knee, holding out a ring. ''Being away from you has been unbearable Penny, the last view days without waking up to has been an eye opener and I can't even think about not waking up to you one day. So, would you, maybe, marry me?'' he hesitated towards the end but overall seemed pleased with himself as he smiled up at Penny.
The very few people around watched with hushed, awes and the few whispers of, yes, say yes.
There was one less person in the small crowd and Penny didn't even notice the absence of her new crazy physicist as the word, ''Yes'' passed her lips.