For Prospero Hibiki, who gave me the line "Is that a fish in your ear, or are you just...".

"Penny?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I lay the blame for my predicament at your feet. This entire day could have been avoided if you had simply minded your own business."

"How is this my fault?!"

"You encouraged me to try new things!"

"All I said was that you can't learn to swim on-line! How was I to know you would go off on some harebrained scheme to prove me wrong…you know what, actually I should have predicted that. You're the most stubborn, annoying man I've ever met! You always have to be right!"

"Well, I did it, didn't I? I was swimming just fine until you interfered!"

"A wave took you under, Sheldon! You almost drowned!"

*huff* "I was holding my breath!"

*snort* "You were sinking like a rock."

"I am a genius, Penny! I was on the verge of figuring out the appropriate rate of propulsion to return myself to the beach."

"And in the meantime, you were out of air, turning blue, and sinking to the bottom of the ocean!"

The door opened and a man in a white coat walked in. "Hello, Dr. Cooper. Is that a fish in your ear, or are you just…" He gulped as the two occupants glared at him viciously. He cleared his throat and walked over to the exam table. He turned on the overhead light and adjusted it to shine on Sheldon fully. "Okay, Dr. Cooper, please turn your head to the left and we'll extract the object from your ear canal."

Sheldon turned and reached out. Penny immediately slipped her hand into his and knelt down so they were at eye level. She gave him a steady smile and he relaxed a little. She reached up with her free hand and cupped his cheek.

Sheldon relaxed a bit more, his gaze trapped in hers. He found himself sinking deeper and deeper into those hazel pools. She had a talent for that. For drawing him out of himself and into her. Whenever he was feeling lost or unsettled, she was always able to make things better.

She ran her thumb across his cheekbone lightly. She could see him relaxing, bit by bit. It made her very happy that Sheldon showed so much trust in her. He was special to her. Her best friend, her nemesis, her beautiful mind.

"Okay," the doctor said, jolting them both out of their thoughts. "All done." Sheldon and Penny looked over at the tiny little fish that lay in the dish beside the exam table.

Penny held out a hand and pulled Sheldon into a sitting position. "You know, this kinda reminds me of that movie you made me watch. The one with Sam Rockwell?"

Sheldon slowly smiled. "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Arthur Dent had a Babblefish placed in his ear by Ford Prefect."

Penny and Sheldon walked out of the exam room and headed to the reception desk. Sheldon signed a few papers and then followed Penny out to the car. "Penny?"

She looked up at him as she unlocked the car. "Yeah?"

"You earned a strike for the fish in my ear."

Leonard tilted his head in confusion as his roommate entered the apartment. "Sheldon? Why do you have a fish drawn on your face in lipstick?"

"Shut up, Leonard!"