Reference to: 'The Comic Book Store Regeneration'; 'The Psychic Vortex'
xTBBTx
Diana1941: I'm sorry about Amy and Kripke. That was a real douchey thing to do.
So you don't think I'm overreacting?
Diana1941: Definitely not. If my ex- had done something like that I'd practically put out a hit on him.
Well, an assassin would ensure that their research wouldn't see the light.
I'm being sarcastic.
Diana1941: Nice to know. It'd be a shame if we met up at your trial.
So you do plan on meeting me at some point?
Diana1941: Why not?
When and where?
Diana1941: Let me get back to you on that.
This isn't an attempt at backing out is it? I've had people say they'd 'be right back' and then never return.
Diana1941: Of course not, Sheldon.
Diana1941: How about Saturday at a cafe?
How about The Tea Emporium?
Diana1941: Shall we say oneish?
One o'clock.
Diana1941: One it is.
I look forward to meeting you, Martha.
Diana1941: Me too. I just hope I don't disappoint you.
If you are who you've been online with me you most certainly will not.
Sheldon's phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID and frowned.
Amy's calling. I have to take this.
Diana1941: np. See you Saturday! :)
"Hello, Amy Farrah Fowler," Sheldon growled as he answered the call.
"Hello Sheldon," Amy replied evenly. "I feel we should discuss what has transpired between us."
"I thought you didn't want to talk to me again? I've given you space and in return you've stabbed me in the back."
"Sheldon, I didn't mean for you to find out this way."
Sheldon pished. "So when was I supposed to know? When Kripke published his findings?"
"See, this is why I hesitated telling you. I knew you'd think this was all about you," Amy sniffed.
"You used my research!" Sheldon roared.
"I read your research. And after conversing with Barry I can attest that his work was far superior so don't think that I 'stole your ideas'."
"At the very least you used my ideas as a stepping stone."
"There you go accusing me when you haven't even seen the research. And by the way what you had were suppositions," Amy amended evenly.
"Suppositions?!" Sheldon sputtered.
"We're digressing. The point of my call was to mend our friendship but I can see this task will be difficult given your penchant for not letting things go."
Sheldon's jaw dropped.
"I'm supposed to let this go?" he gasped.
"Sheldon, your inability to release this juvenile inclination to—"
"My whole life people have told me to 'get over it'. That my feelings don't matter," he said coldly. "Well they do matter. I matter." Amy made to speak. "You say that I can't acknowledge when someone's right. Well, Amy, I can see you were absolutely right when you told me that you didn't respect me and I can assure you as of right now the feeling is quite mutual!"
Sheldon hung up just as Howard came down the hall.
"Amy?" the engineer asked as he took in his friend's furious demeanor.
"She called me to discuss her collaboration with Kripke," Sheldon seethed even though he was trying his best to calm down. "She said I should 'get over it'."
"Bitch," Howard spat as he sat down on the couch.
"No, actually, I should thank her," Sheldon said stiffly as he rose from his computer chair. "She did get me over something—her."
"Wish it was that simple for me," Howard sighed.
"Let me get you a warm beverage," said Sheldon as he went to the kitchen.
"Sheldon, it's late and—"
"We're both upset. It's non-optional."
Howard smiled at his friend. Sheldon might be a pain in the ass but sometimes there was something soothing about following protocols.
xTBBTx
Leonard came out of Penny's washroom coughing. He went straight to the end table, took up his inhaler, and used it.
"Bad morning?" Penny called out from the kitchen.
"It's your body wash," Leonard wheezed.
Penny came to the door in her pink housecoat, her hair still damp from her shower.
"It's the same body wash I've always used."
"Can't be. I'd be dead by now."
"Leonard, it's the same." Here she smirked. "You really think Sheldon would let me use a new one without him putting up a fight?"
"You know, I don't like how we keep figuring Sheldon into our lives. He's not in our relationship. We are."
"I guess. Funny but when I first knew you guys I thought you were a package deal," Penny chuckled as she returned to the kitchen.
"I told you that Sheldon and I weren't together," Leonard said crisply as he followed.
"So you didn't like his kiss?" she teased as she poured herself a coffee.
"Of course not!"
"Take it easy, Leonard. He didn't mean anything bad by it." Penny poured the cream in her coffee and put it back into the refrigerator. "Sheldon's just finding himself."
"So that means he kisses everyone in sight and hangs out with Borg goddesses and has sex with Elizabeth?" Leonard growled as he took up the coffee pot but froze before he poured his cup. "Did he kiss you?"
"Oh God, here we go," she sighed as she went to the couch.
"So is that, 'Oh God' like ' what a horrible experience?' or is like 'Oh God, Sheldon's a stud muffin and I can't wait to do it again?'" Leonard pressed as he put the pot back in the machine.
"Well, it definitely didn't suck."
"Didn't suck. Great," he muttered.
"What's your problem? You know that Sheldon and I are just friends," Penny frowned.
"Yeah, like he was friends with Elizabeth and probably Tracy. Give him time and he'll be friendly with Alice and that Martha chick."
"Sounds like someone's jealous," Penny said before taking a sip of coffee.
"I'm not jealous," Leonard said, his cheeks flushing. "Just because Sheldon's with a bunch of beautiful women doesn't mean that I'm jealous." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It just means that he better keep his hands off my girl."
"Holy paranoia," Penny chuckled. "Leonard, you're making it sound like Sheldon's coming for—"
Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
Knock Knock Knock "Penny."
"I swear I did not plan that," Penny said.
Leonard crossed over to the door and opened it.
"Oh," Sheldon said, noting the angry look on Leonard's face but unsure as to its origin. "Good morning Leonard."
"What do you want, Sheldon?" Leonard snapped.
"I was hoping to speak with Penny."
"Speak away." Leonard moved aside but did not excuse himself from the room.
"It's private," Sheldon said as he stepped inside.
"We're all friends here."
"Leonard, you're being a douche," Penny warned.
"Fine. Go at it with my fiancée. I'm going to have a shower." He made for the washroom but stopped. "Oh wait, I forgot, it's mustard gas in there." His eyes narrowed at Sheldon. "Just how you like it, huh?"
Leonard stormed from the apartment and across the hall.
"Whacko," Penny said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh good, so it's not just me who thought that was weird," said Sheldon as he closed the door.
"So what's up, chum?"
"Well, this afternoon I'm meeting Martha, my pixel pal," he said as he sat tentatively on the couch.
"About time," Penny grinned before she sipped. "So you ready for this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Sheldon asked. "We've been corresponding for ten weeks. I enjoy our conversations. If anything I'm anticipating our meeting." His mouth twitched. "Are you suggesting I should be worried?"
"Of course not," said Penny amiably. "If your dating profile didn't scare her off I doubt you could."
"It's not a date. Martha is a girl, a friend, but not my 'girlfriend'. "
"Don't put the genie in the bottle already," Penny said with a smirk.
"Penny, unlike my other 'blind dates'—and in no way am I saying today's rendezvous is a date—I know a lot about Martha. Her comic book preferences. Her obsession with Highlander."
"So that makes her undateable?" Penny set her mug on her knee. "Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon. Honey, we've been friends for eight years and I've never seen you this interested in women before so I—"
"I see where this is going," he said slowly. "You're jealous that I'm meeting other women."
"Eyah-no. Look, you've seen Leonard and me come together, right? From friends to lovers to engaged."
"But unlike Leonard and you I actually have multiple things in common with Martha."
"So that should tell you something," Penny prompted.
"You're insane to marry Leonard?"
"Goodbye, Sheldon," Penny snorted as she took a big gulp of coffee.
"Wait, I haven't asked the favor yet. I need a ride."
"We barter," Penny said. "Let Leonard get ready for work at your place. He's driving me nuts and it's too small in here to hide even his homunculus body."
"Agreed," said Sheldon. He rose and went to the door before turning around. "Although if you wish to be less conspicuous get a plant box at least one point five times Leonard's size and start growing vegetables on your balcony."
Penny grinned at her neighbor as he left.
XXX
Sheldon checked his watch as he sat at the table in the Tea Emporium. It wasn't quite one o'clock but it was perilously close. He frowned. He had Penny drop him off twenty minutes early and if Martha didn't think punctuality was important then he didn't see how their friendship could progress. If he needed chaos he had Penny.
At one o'clock the door to the shop opened and a woman entered and immediately Sheldon's eidetic memory slapped him in the side of the head as he recalled purple plaid, auburn hair and Rock Band. He stood as she approached with a grin on her face.
"Hi Sheldon," she said.
"Hello Martha," he replied. "Shall we get a beverage?"
The pair went to the counter and procured their teas before returning to the table.
"Query," he said as he timed his tea bag. "Why didn't you say we'd already met at the university social? My dating profile had my picture so you knew it was me."
"Because I enjoyed our conversations," she said as she swished her tea bag by the string. "The last time we met in person things didn't go so well."
Sheldon looked up, surprised. "I beg to differ," he said seriously as he took out his tea bag. "I had fun playing Rock Band and discussing comic books and Flatland with you."
"I mean at the end where you made it obvious that you weren't interested in me," Martha said with a bit of a blush. "You know, with Abby and Raj out there making out and whatnot."
"That's not true. I let you sleep in my room. No one is—was—allowed to sleep in there but me."
"I see," Martha said. "So you were interested in me but not 'interested' in me."
"I don't follow."
In spite of the situation Martha smiled warmly.
"Never mind." She took out her tea bag. "I have to say that I was surprised to find you on the dating site. I was sure you'd be a supervillain locked away in his lab plotting world domination." She smirked. "Or at least have a girlfriend."
"Would that I did spend my years with Amy perfecting my sonic death ray instead," Sheldon sighed before sipping his tea. "It was Penny's suggestion that I 'get out there and meet people'."
"And it sounds like things are going well. You've met Tracy and her friends. Expanded your social network."
"I've reacquainted with you."
"Hear hear," Martha said as she toasted her mug before taking a sip.
Sheldon took in her smile as she swallowed her tea. Her hair was a little longer than when he'd last seen her and of course she was older but otherwise this was Martha. The woman who actually used the Humanities to entertain him.
"So, got your advanced tickets for Age of Ultron?" asked Martha.
"No spoilers," Sheldon warned.
"Absolutely," she agreed. "It's been brutal keeping away from them on the forums."
He really hadn't thought of Martha in five and a half years.
"Do you still play Rock Band?" he asked as she sipped her tea.
"Once in a blue moon. Why?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to come over and play? Howard's still at the apartment so all we'd have to do is recruit Raj for our fourth."
"Sure," Martha said with a smile. "We could have dinner first."
"I can make chicken. Or steak that tastes like chicken," Sheldon offered.
"I'll bring the wine."
"I don't drink." He thought. "But I do like Strawberry Quick."
"Liquid or powder?"
"Powder. It doesn't mix as well."
"So even your milk is difficult," Martha grinned. "Well, I can't say you aren't consistent."
"Besides hygiene, homeostasis is my strongest attribute," agreed Sheldon.