A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews. I really appreciate them and they are a great encouragement for me. I hope you enjoy the second chapter of this story.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from The Big Bang Theory. I don't own any of the characters.

CHAPTER 2

Leonard was the first who awoke the next morning. Crap, we forgot to set the alarm. We have surely overslept. He grabbed his watch and breathed a sigh of relief, when he saw it was only half past six. The employee at the car rental company told them their new car would be available between seven and eight o'clock in the morning. Leonard leapt out of bed and woke up Howard and Raj, who slept together in one bed.

Howard sat up, yawned loudly and stretched himself. "Morning. What time is it?"

"It's six thirty," Leonard replied. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he started to get dressed. "I'll get us some coffee and bagels. There are sandwiches in the grocery bag from yesterday evening."

Fifteen minutes later they sat around the table in their motel room and ate breakfast. Raj took a sip of coffee. "We haven't talked about the sleeping arrangements yet. Where will Penny sleep?" He looked at Leonard. "I bet you'd like to share a room with her," he said winking.

"Of course she will have a room for herself," Leonard replied matter-of-factly.

Howard smirked. "Ah, that's even better. So we are undisturbed, when we do the dance with no pants. That's inevitable, when women are around me."

Leonard rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You are impossible. Do you really have just this one thing in your head?"

Howard grinned contentedly. "Hey, I'm just a man. A Wolowitz man. We are womanizers. It's in our blood."

Wordless, Leonard just shook his head again and continued to eat his sandwich.

When they finished breakfast, they all had their morning wash. Leonard was the last who came out of the bathroom. "OK, I'll call the car rental now." He grabbed his phone and dialed the number. It was a short conversation with an positive outcome. "Our new car is ready. Now I'll call Penny." Suddenly he became nervous. With shaky hands he dialed the number Penny wrote on the piece of paper the evening before. He heard the free line signal and waited in anticipation for Penny's sing-song voice.

Penny was still sleeping when her phone rang. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. It was twenty minutes past seven. She had set the alarm for seven o'clock, but obviously she missed hearing it. Bleary-eyed she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Good morning Penny, it's Leonard."

"Oh! Hi Leonard!" she yawned. "I'm sorry I sound terrible. I was still sleeping, 'cause I missed hearing the alarm. I set it for seven o'clock. I hope I don't jeopardize your plans."

"No! Don't worry. I just called the car rental a few minutes ago. They said our new car is ready for pickup." Leonard paused for a few seconds. "Umm...This is your last chance to bail out of this. Do you still want to join us on our road trip?" he asked tentatively, as he still had the apprehension that Penny could back down at the last minute.

"Are you kidding me?" came Penny's immediate answer. "I get ready in no time. Don't you dare to leave me here."

Leonard laughed. He was relieved. "Alrighty! We will pick up the car and then we'll come up to your place as fast as possible. I looked up your address on a map. We'll be with you around eight o'clock. Is that okay?"

"Of course. I'll wait for you at my place."

"Great! See you."

"Bye Leonard."

Penny hit the red button on her phone to end the call and leapt out of her bed. She went to the small kitchen area of her apartment and turned on the radio. It was tuned in to one of her favorite songs. "Woohoo!" Right off the bat she bagan to sing and dance. The prospect of this road trip made her really happy. Kurt was forgotten, she had only this trip in mind...and Leonard. Yes, she couldn't wait to see Leonard again. While she was still singing and dancing she made herself a cup of coffee and toasted a bagel. She looked at the little clock that stood next to her coffee machine. It was nearly half past seven. In thirty minutes I'll see Leonard again. This thought made her smile from ear to ear.

While Penny ate breakfast and got ready, Leonard, Howard and Raj checked out of the motel and went with their luggage to the car rental. Fifteen minutes later, after finishing all necessary paperwork, they were on their way to Penny's place to pick her up.

Leonard, Howard and Raj arrived at Penny's place nearly at eight o'clock sharp. Penny already waited for them. The weather reports forcasted warm and sunny weather in Iowa and Illinois with temperatures in the high 70's, so Penny opted for light summer clothing. She wore a pale blue shirt with purple floral patterns, blue denim shorts and low, brown padded boots. She stood with her luggage in front of her apartment building. Leonard who saw her first when he turned into Penny's street was dazzled by her appearance. Her long blond hair were open and waved gently in the light breeze of this mild and sunny September morning. She was truly a gorgeous beauty. As soon as Penny recognized Leonard behind the windshield of the car which was driving on the road towards her apartment building she waved joyfully.

Leonard stopped the car next to Penny and got out a few moments later. "Hi Penny," he said with his trademark shy smile.

"Hi Leonard," she replied with a smile as bright as the sun. Much to Leonard's surprise she hugged him enthusiastically, which was suspiciously observed by Howard and Raj from the back seat of the car.

"Wow, what a nice reception." Leonard took Penny's luggage and put it into the trunk. Then he went to the passenger door and opened it for Penny, so she could enter the car to take a seat.

"Thanks Leonard, you're a real gentlemen." Penny looked at Leonard and smiled at him, which inevitably resulted in a blush on Leonard's cheeks. But Leonard's shy respond to her smile had the same effect. She blushed as well.

"Umm...you're welcome," Leonard said and closed the passenger door.

When Penny had taken her seat in the car she turned around to greet Howard and Raj. "Hi Howard! Hi Raj!"

Raj just smiled sheepishly and waved at Penny. Howard bent forward. "Hi Penny! Your sheer presence in this car gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling, especially in the southern regions of my body."

Penny screwed up her face. "Eww, yuck! Conversation over!"

Raj giggled at Penny's reaction, which led to a glare from Howard. "At least I can talk to her," he said boastfully. Since Raj couldn't counter this, he sadly lowered his head.

Penny rolled her eyes, shook her head and turned to Leonard who just entered the car and sat down behind the wheel. She leant over and whispered in his ear. "Is he always so creepy?"

Leonard chuckled. "Yes!"

Penny put on the seatbelt and clapped her hands. "Let's go!"

Leonard and Howard joined in. "Let's go!"

With bright smiles on all of their faces Leonard started the engine and pulled away in direction of the Interstate 80. The plan was to drive the route from Omaha to Chicago in 8 hours, including a break and a change of driver at a rest area in Tiffin, Iowa. If everything would go according to plan, they could arrive in Chicago at 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

Over the next four hours on the Interstate from Omaha to Tiffin, there was not much talking. Leonard concentrated on driving, Penny listened to music via her iPod, and Howard and Raj were engrossed in playing games on their phones. Every now and then Penny asked Leonard where they were, smiling at each other and just enjoying the drive through the midwestern United States.

Just before they arrived in Tiffin around noon for their break and a change of driver, Penny looked over to Leonard. "This is really amazing so far. You know, I was out of Omaha before, but I was never out of Nebraska."

"Really?" Leonard asked surprised.

"Yeah," Penny explained. "All my relatives and friends live in Omaha or in places near Omaha and my parents never travelled around in the country let alone untertaking a journey abroad. It will be so exciting to see Chicago and New York. And then flying home. This will also be a first time for me. I never flew before."

In Tiffin, Iowa they had a break of thirty minutes. They ate something at the eastbound Tiffin rest area, where they also decided who would supersede Leonard as new driver for the route to Chicago. Raj, who took the opportunity to speak because Penny was at the women's restroom, volunteered. When Penny returned Leonard talked to her about the seating arrangements. "Umm...Raj is driving now. You can keep your seat if you want. In this case I would sit with Howard on the back seat."

Penny thought about it for a few seconds. "Well, I would like to sit next to you Leonard for now. No offense Raj, but somehow I'm already used to Leonard next to me." Raj gave her a sympathetic nod.

Leonard wanted to be sure. "I really don't want to force you to sit next to me. It has to be your free decision."

Penny insisted. "No, it's okay Leonard. I want to sit next to you." She turned to Howard and Raj with an apologetically look on her face. "Again. It's really nothing against you two."

Howard put Penny off. "Nah! We'll have enough time outside the car to get close. If you know what I mean." During the last part he tried to look seductively at Penny.

"Ugh! Okay, now I really don't want to sit next to you," Penny said in disgust. Then she looked at Raj. "Well, in your case. If you could only talk to me." Raj shrugged his shoulders and smiled awkwardly. They walked back to the car and continued their road trip.

During the next three and a half hours en route to Chicago it was very quiet inside the car. Howard slept in the passenger seat, while Penny and Leonard did the same on the back seat. There was not much traffic on the Interstate and no specific incidents, apart from some road works near Moline, Illinois at the interchange where the Interstate 80 crossed the Interstate 88. But it had no effect on their schedule.

Leonard woke up, as they drove into Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, because he felt a weight on his chest. While she slept, Penny's upper body slipped sideways and her head landed on Leonard's chest. He smelt the apple scent of her shampoo. It was beguiling. He savored the scent and the fact, that Penny more or less rested on him. After a few minutes Leonard carefully tried to push Penny back into her normal sitting position without waking her up. He failed in the attempt and Penny awoke. "Are we in Chicago yet?" Penny asked drowsily.

Leonard looked out of the window. "I don't know. Raj, where are...forget it." He bent forward and looked at the navigation device. "Aurora, Illinois. We are almost there."

A few minutes past four in the afternoon, they arrived their destination. A hotel four miles south of downtown Chicago near the Lake Michigan shoreline, where they wanted to stay for two nights. It wasn't the best hotel ever, but more than okay for the price they had to pay. They checked in and brought their luggage to their rooms. One room for Leonard, Howard and Raj and another one for Penny. Each room was equipped with two double beds and some nice amenities. After they had settled down, they all met to eat something at the hotel café. Afterwards they drove to downtown Chicago to get some first impressions of the city. Penny soaked everything up like a sponge and took an enormous quantity of pictures. She was impressed by the all the skyscrapers. They had a few skyscrapers in Omaha too, but the density and the amount of these highrise buildings in Chicago was amazing. The next day she wanted to visit the Art Institute of Chicago, the second-largest art museum in the US, after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Penny hoped the others would accompany her, but secretly she hoped only Leonard would go with her.

They returned to the hotel around 9 p.m. Penny wanted to treat the guys to a few drinks at a bar to let the day fade away. They found a nice and cozy bar near the hotel. They went inside and sat at a table for four persons. "What do you guys wanna drink?" she asked them. They all opted for a beer, which was served a few minutes later by a very friendly waitress. They started to engage in small talk and telling jokes. It was Penny who particularly had a lot to tell and turned out to be a really funny and bubbly person. Leonard was fascinated by her personality and could listen to her anecdotes four hours. Her growing up on a farm and being a popular girl in high school provided a lot of really hilarious, and sometimes hard to believe stories.

Suddenly Raj spoke up. "Penny, your stories are fabulous. You should be a stand-up comedian."

Penny was astonished. "Umm...are you talking to me?"

Raj looked at Penny with a puzzled expression on his face. "Is there another Penny here?"

Leonard and Howard looked at each other and were baffled, while Raj continued to talk to Penny. "You really should be on a stage and tell jokes. And you know what? I could be your partner. Together we would be the new comedy duo 'Koothrapenny'. We would take the world by storm. You know, I'm an astrophysicist in the Physics Department at Caltech, and that's great. But is this my real destiny? Ever since I was a little boy my father wanted me to be a gynaecologist like him. How can I be a gynaecologist, I can barely look a woman in the eye. No, I was born to be an entertainer, or a party planner. Wait, I could be both. But my parents would never allow this. They always want to control and determine every aspect of my life. But these times are over now. I'm not going to let my parents control me any longer. No way!"

Penny was taken aback by Raj's flood of words. "Okay, Raj. I think that's the beer talking."

Raj ignored her. "It's about time to tell my parents that I'm not dancing after their pipe anymore. I bet they are also the reason I cannot talk to women." Whiningly he took another sip of his beer.

Leonard wanted to draw Raj's attention to the fact, that he was talking to a woman in this very moment. "Umm...Raj..."

Howard interrupted Leonard. "No, no. Let's see how long it takes him."

Penny looked at Raj. "Umm...Raj. You say you can't talk to women but you've been talking to me."

Raj was suddenly overcome by the realization that he indeed talked to a woman. "You're right. I'm talking to you. Hello Penny! How are you?"

Penny smiled. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"I can talk to women," Raj said louder than it was appropriate, which caused some attendants in the bar to turn their heads in the direction of the talkative astrophysicist.

"Yeah, when you have a booze," Howard scoffed.

"Whatever!" Raj replied. "We have to celebrate this."

Raj ordered a new round of beer for all. In the first flush of excitement Raj wanted to treat the whole bar to a drink, but the others could stop him from doing this with reference to the negative effects it would have on their travel budget. While it was the second and last beer for Leonard and Penny who wisely switched to soft drinks and water, Howard and Raj continued to toss down one beer after another. Around 11 p.m. Leonard and Penny could convince the two drunkards to leave the bar and call it a night. Howard and Raj were drunk as a skunk and extremely wobbly on their legs. Leonard and Penny had to support them, otherwise they would have tumbled the whole time. Somehow they managed to get back to the hotel. Leonard pushed Howard and Raj into their room, where both fell face downward on one of the beds. Penny wished Leonard a good night and went to her room, which was right next to the guy's room.

Leonard went into his room and closed the door. He had to chuckle, when he saw Howard and Raj moaning on their bed. The sight of his two dead drunk friends on a bed was too funny. He pulled out his phone from a pocket of his hoodie and took a picture. The flashlight of the phone camera prompted Howard and Raj to moan even more. "Boy, tomorrow you two will have the hangover of the century," Leonard laughed and took a few more pictures.

Suddenly Raj rolled down from the bed and crawled on all fours to the bathroom. Moments later the sounds of vomiting could be heard. "I think I have to puke too," Howard babbled and rolled down from the bed as well. Exactly like Raj he crawled on all fours to the bathroom to join him in a barfing fest. Since the toilet was occupied Howard had to make do with the sink.

Leonard was grossed out. "Wow! I don't need this the whole night." He grabbed the toiletries bag from his suitcase and went over to Penny's room.

Penny just came out of the bathroom and had put on a blue robe, when she heard a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole and saw it was Leonard. She immediately opened the door. "Hi Leonard! Still up?"

"Hi Penny! Can I stay in your room tonight?" Leonard asked. "Raj and Howard are really, really drunk and right now they puke their guts out. Not a pretty sight."

"Of course, come in," Penny answered with an inviting gesture, smiling at him.

Leonard entered the room and looked a little bit embarrassed. "I hope I haven't disturbed you. It seems you just wanted to go to bed."

"Yeah, but don't worry about it. I'm not really tired and I don't have to go to work tomorrow," she winked. Penny went to the nightstand between the two beds in her room and took the remote that lay there to turn off the TV, which was still on. "We could talk a little. Please have a seat. Do you want something to drink?"

"A water please." Leonard sat down on the chair that stood in front of the table at one side of the room. "What do you wanna talk about?"

Penny gave Leonard a small water bottle and sat down opposite of him on the one bed, that was close to the door. "Well, you could tell me a little bit about you. I still don't know what you do for a living."

"Umm...I am an experimental physicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. Most of my research is with high-powered lasers."

"Cool! That sounds very interesting."

Penny's pretty short robe revealed her shapely legs which made it hard for Leonard to stay focused. This lovely sight was quite distracting, so he didn't pay attention to Penny's words for a moment. Also her wonderful green sparkling eyes began to mesmerize him again as he looked up at her once he realized he had stared at her legs. He cleared his throat. "Umm...pardon? What did you say?"

Penny had to chuckle. She couldn't do otherwise but to notice that Leonard was staring at her legs. It was too cute. "I said, your work with lasers sounds very interesting."

"Oh...Oh yes, it is." Leonard began to tell Penny more about his work, and the work of Howard and Raj. He also told her how he came to Pasadena a few years ago. Then he told her about his education in Princeton and he also told her about his peculiar roommate Sheldon.

Penny chuckled. "This Sheldon seems to be a real wackadoodle."

Leonard agreed. "Yes, he is."

"And you're a real doctor?" Penny asked.

"Yes, I'm a Ph.D."

"Wow, that's really impressive."

"Enough from me. Now tell me about you," Leonard requested.

"There's not much to tell. Two years ago I dropped out of college. I studied art and history, but somehow I couldn't keep pace with performance requirements, so I failed at some courses. Another strong interest that I have is acting. I was in drama club in high school and in college. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of moving to L.A. and becoming a professional actress. But at one point I gave up this dream and thought it would be more realistic to go to college and get a degree." Suddenly Penny's mood changed and she looked down to the floor. "But I failed at both. Neither have I followed my dream and moved to L.A. nor could I finish college. I'm a failure."

"No Penny, don't say this." Leonard objected. "I only met you yesterday, but I can already say for sure you're certainly not a failure. Don't ever think that. You're funny, you're kind and you have such an engaging personality." Penny looked up at him while he spoke. Tears began to form in her eyes. Leonard continued to speak, looking straight into Penny's eyes. "Please don't give up your dreams. You can go back to college and you can still pursue your dream of acting. You're young, all doors are still open to you."

"That's so nice to say." Penny wiped off the tears. "Thank you for believing in me, although you know me just for such a short time. People like you are few and far between. Other than my parents or my siblings, no one ever encouraged me to do something or believed in me."

"Not even your ex-boyfriend?" Leonard asked unbelieving.

"No, not even him. Not in four years," Penny sighed. "But let's not talk about him. I want to forget this jerk."

"Of course", Leonard said. "I'm so glad you are here with us on this trip."

"Yes, me too. I wanna thank you for taking me along on your trip. I'm so lucky I met you and your friends. You dragged me out of my misery in Omaha and gave me this great opportunity to leave my sorrows behind for a while. I can't thank you enough Leonard. Really!" She got up from the bed, hugged him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're a great guy Leonard. I like you. I already consider you a really good friend."

Leonard savored this moment. Penny considered him a friend, although they knew each other just for a short while. He felt that this conversation was the beginning of something really special between him and Penny. And Penny felt the same. But she also felt something else. Something she never felt in this intensity before. She had butterflies in her stomach, when she saw Leonard and when she was near him.

Both said good night to each other for the second time this evening and went to bed. Leonard into the one that was close to the door and Penny to the other one that was close to the bathroom. As they both drifted off to sleep they thought of the days that lay before them and they thought about the feelings they had developed for each other.

To be continued...