Chapter 6 - Recaps, Road Trips and Comic Con

"So I said yeah sure I'd love to go to an art exhibit with you, but then when we came back Sheldon breezed in jawing about Batman and long story short I woke up alone. Awkward." Penny wailed to Joey, while Joey was pinning something. "So here is my second chance to see if dating someone a little less meatheady will work. You know? Only then I find out later from Sheldon that Leonard, who is totally dating Stephanie, tried to coach Stuart into messing up. I really wanna nail him the next time I see him, except whatever he said to Stuart didn't really work, we had a nice time. Well up until I said someone else's name while we were kissing."

Joey nearly choked on the pins, she quickly retrieved them and screeched, "No! Whose name?"

Penny couldn't quite meet her eyes and she mumbled, "Sheldon."

"Oh really. I wasn't aware that you guys had a thing?" Joey said confused, "I thought you dated the other one, uh Lenny?"

"Oh god no, not really, we had dinner once, when he said it was going to be all of us and only he showed, then we went on one date and it just didn't work out." Penny explained, "I don't have any idea why I said Sheldon's name. I mean I thought he was cute when we first met, but he drives me insane, with his weird rules and his spot. He strung my underwear up on a flipping phone line once because I touched his food and messed up his laundry night."

"So he's seen your undies?" Joey smirked, waggling her eyebrows excitedly.

"Like that was the first time." Penny shrugged, "He broke in my apartment once to clean it, because apparently it was driving him crazy."

"Hold up, hold up," Joey's face registers extreme concern, "He broke in?!"

"Oh well he had the key, so more like he snuck in while I was asleep, but yeah, super creepy right?" Penny explained. "But I forgave him forever ago. He doesn't really get social situations well."

Joey had relaxed, clearly if she was willing to give him a key to her place she wasn't too too worried about him being in her place.

Penny continued, "Like at Christmas, only he calls it Saturnalia," she rolled her eyes, "He was practically offended that I got him a gift. Going on about having to reciprocate properly and stuff. Then when he saw what I got him, he gave me like a dozen bath baskets and then said it wasn't enough and he hugged me. Like for real. It was wild. He doesn't do hugging or touching in general, germs you know." She wrinkled her nose.

"Oh yeah? What did you get him?" Joey asked, wildly interested.

"Oh some guy from Star Wars or Trek or whatever was in the restaurant and I heard someone ask him for an autograph and I realised he was Spork or whatever, Sheldon loves that guy, so I got him to sign his napkin. Sheldon nearly had kittens. He was all, 'DNA! and eggs and stuff.' I was like 'uh no. No eggs on offer yo!'" Penny laughed, it really was a great day.

Joey was nodding thoughtfully. "That's a pretty great gift. DNA notwithstanding." She giggled, "What the heck was he doing with a dozen bath baskets though?"

Penny smirked, "I got it out of Howard later. Sheldon got all of the guys to take him to the mall and since he didn't know what I got him or how much it cost or how much it showed our friendship level," she rolled her eyes again here, "he just decided to get a little bit of everything and then once he saw what I got him, he could bring out whatever fit and return the rest. But then he gave it all to me and said it wasn't enough. So hugging was clearly the answer."

Joey snickered, "Clearly. So in other news," Joey continued, "wanna join me on a road trip to Vegas? It's my niece's birthday but we can go out too. Get your mind off Stuart, Leonard and Sheldon. Plus snuggles with my new nephew!"

"Oh no way, that sounds pretty cool." Penny squealed, delighted with both the idea of a trip to Vegas and baby snuggles. "I gotta do something, I'm going crazy without the boys already and they just left."

"Oh please Penny, you gotta be careful about getting too wrapped up in them being gone. I let myself get so wrapped up in missing my best friend that I convinced myself that I was in love with him. I mean I did love him, no doubt, but I wasn't in love with him. But I missed him so much. We spent all of our time together in high school and then his family took me in when my dad died."

Joey teared up a bit, but continued on, "So when he left and I suddenly was all by myself in a new town, new school and everything. Then when he finally came back over the summer I just threw myself at him. Well who could resist that? It made everyone so happy and then we were married, but before we even really had time to be a married couple he was deployed and I was alone again. It took me a long time to realise that we both had just been lonely and that getting married wasn't our best plan, but it was so far down the road that it didn't matter anymore, cause we were married. Shoot we didn't live together properly as a married couple for like two years and then we did and we were getting the hang of being married and he went and killed himself screwing around in his car." She stopped, blinking back tears, "Man that sentence sure got away from me. I think I said the word 'and' like six times!"

Penny just stared at her, gob smacked. She had to blink back some tears of her own. "Well you sure do know how to put things into perspective. So Vegas. Let's do it. I'm in. Wait can we see Thunder From Down Under?!" She smirked naughtily.

Joey smiled back at her. "Dang straight we can."

"And that's how I ended up with his thong. I swear I have the worst luck with guys." Penny finished.

Joey was laughing fit to bust, near tears, "Oh stop, I'm trying to drive!"

Penny smirked at her, "Trying being the correct word, the speed limit is 75mph now and you're still doing 60mph. Pick up the pace girl, I've got to work tomorrow and I need my sleep!"

"I haven't had that much fun in Vegas ever. Most locals don't bother with most of the touristy stuff so I've never gone out like that."Joey laughed, "We usually just hang out at Evies and chill with the kids, or go swimming. They do alright, but going out with three, now four kids, is still expensive."

"I miss babies. Is that weird." Penny asked, with a wistful look. "I mean I don't feel like a pressing need to settle down and have kids or anything, but I do miss being around babies and kids. Back in Nebraska I had cousins and my little nephew, who is 13 now, I mean really where does the time go. I can remember being a little girl and seeing him for the first time. I think he was the first newborn I ever held. I'm sure I held some of my cousins when they were little but not that little."

"Oh I don't have any cousins of my own, but I gained a metric ton when I started hanging with Will." Joey joked. "And my niblings of course."

Penny's eyebrows were encroaching upon her hairline, "Niblings?"

Joey smiled widely, "Oh it's like how siblings refers to all of one's brothers and/or sisters, niblings refers to one's nieces and/or nephews. I ran across it once somewhere and I loved the word."

"Ok," Penny nodded, "that would be a lot easier than say 'my nieces and nephews. Which your niblings are adorable and so sweet, by the way."

"Oh good, cause Zachs birthday is next month and you can join me again!" Joey told her before turning up the radio

They continued chatting and alternately singing along with the mp3 player all the way home.

Penny ran into Joey who was climbing the stairs tiredly, "How was the flight?"

Joey scowled, "Dude I hate flying so hard. I'd rather drive anywhere! Ok, maybe not like Hawaii or Europe, 'cause water and all, but still ugh! I got stuck with a gropey guy on one side and a smelly one on the other side. I reiterate, I hate flying."

Penny nodded, "I recall you mentioned that, so how was the graduation?"

"Oh Sam was great, she was valedictorian. I swear she's the smartest of all of Wills siblings. All of the schools she applied for want her. The Marines too." Joey said, less than impressed. "But she told them off, politely of course, but still. She want's to be a doctor and help people."

Penny smiled, "That's great. You didn't miss anything here. Boys are still gone. Work is lame and I'm bored."

Joey grinned, "Yeah well I'm exhausted and you're gonna have to go be bored somewhere else."

Penny snorted, "What exactly do I look like I'm doing, silly."

Joey, looks little harder at Penny, taking in the short dress, high heels and makeup. "Oh I see. Well have fun. Call me if you need a ride, no matter how tired I am, I'm always available as a designated driver!"

"I'm never letting you near peppermint schnapps ever again!" Joey told Penny as they stopped, again, on the way home from Vegas. Penny threw up behind a bush and groaned in response. "Seriously girl, you are a goofy drunk too. I don't think that guy dressed up like Winnie the Pooh will ever recover. Bet he never pinches a chicks bottom again!" Joey laughed, remembering the look on his face when Penny pulled off his mask and told him in no uncertain terms just where he could take his, 'Hey baby, nice rack' and pinchy fingers, right before she kneed him in the groin.

"Remind me again why I'm in public dressed like this?" Penny eeped, as some guys walking by stared at her. "I really think I could have made a go as Uhura." She pleaded.

Joey turned around and glared at her, "You are only saying that because she is Spock's love interest and you've got a crush on your very own Spock like guy." She waggled her eyebrows at her, "besides I think you make a great Susan."

"But it's a kids movie! Surely no one will know who I am." Penny whined, right as a gaggle of guys approached her asking to take her picture.

"Susan, can we take a picture!" Then she had to pose with each of them, then they wanted to do a shot from below her so it looked like she really was giant.

"I really like the skate/cars, they're a great touch," one guy told her.

Joey just smirked at her. "Told ya. Sweetie I'm good, and I know what works."

"Easy for you to say, you aren't dressed like a giant cartoon character." Penny snarked back good naturedly. She was actually having more fun than she thought. They had a friendly guard to keep overzealous people away, but he hadn't been needed so far, Penny was keeping her fingers crossed, she's heard some tales from Joey and some of the other booth girls she's met the last few days. She was actually really glad she was Susan, since Susan's costume consisted of a white wig and black jumpsuit. Uhura's costume would have been a much more form fitted, short, red dress. And wasn't the red ones the ones who always died in the show? All the other main characters had blue or that hideous yellow color shirts. Wait did that mean they were gonna kill her off later?

She let her thoughts wander as she watched all the people in and out of costume wander by. Some of the costumes left very very little to the imagination and she could see how stupid guys who didn't have any dang sense might think that was an invitation. She had also seen some really hot guys too. She winked and smiled at them, especially when they came round to get a picture. And holy cow, that lady is also doing Susan! "Hey Joey, look," she pointed across the room. "Tell me that she's not dressed as Susan too? That's the one she wears in the space ship right, with the shiny bits?"

Joey laughed and went off to talk to the other Susan, later bringing her over so they could get a double Susan pic. She was talking costume making with Joey and they exchanged email addresses. She wondered what the boys were doing, but the thought was quickly chased away when a gaggle of teens dressed in some kind of school girl costumes swarmed over her.