AU
Penny is a cop and Sheldon is trouble
For CRed1988
Penny wasn't really sure why she hadn't just quit. This job was not for her.
She had dreamed of making it out of Nebraska, she didn't want to follow her parents plans for her. Marry a cop and pop kids that will be cops down the line. She'd been preparing to drop out of the police academy and run to California with Kurt when her dad had the heart attack.
She knows that the heart attack is not her fault, but it still made her stay. Kurt left and she had never heard back from him. Penny graduated and became a cop and 2 years later here she was, a police officer in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, Nebraska.
Penny's dad was not the sheriff, he was just another grunt, just like her big brother, just like Penny. When he had his heart attack she stayed and joined the force because she knew that her parents would need all the help they could get. Tommy was helping of course, but Maggie was a stay at home mom and she could only help by going to see their mom and dad, maybe cook something.
But Penny still dreamed of doing more. Here she was at 22, driving alone patrolling farms because in their little town there was no crime, she didn't need a patrol partner. She always liked acting, maybe she could go in secret and audition for CSI?. Her cell phone interrupts further dreaming. Checks the ID and it's Wallace, their dispatcher, this could only mean one thing. 'Sheldon'
"Hey Wally."
"Hey Pen."
"Sheldon again?"
"Yeah, I didn't want to use the radio for this."
"Thank you Wally. Where's he at?"
"The Johnson Farm called, he's sitting on their fence. They know he don't bother no one, but the weather is turning up and they're scared he's gonna get heatstroke. A farmhand went out to talk to him but got no response."
"Got it. I'll be there in 15. Thanks again Wally."
"No problem Pen, I like Sheldon, he's always helping them kids in the library."
"Yeah…I like Sheldon too."
Penny hangs up and starts driving towards the Johnson Farm. Sheldon sometimes got so lost in his own head that folk worried about him, Penny heard them whisper about him.
Sheldon had arrived at their little slice of paradise 6 months ago. He rented a room for a month, and then started going to the farms just to watch the fields. So far it seemed like Corn was his favorite entertainment, that's how Penny got acquainted with him.
Some poor farmer came to check on his crops and was half scared to death by the tall man in the Batman tee. He had called the cops and Penny was the lucky one to get cleanup duty.
He looked like a lost boy and it tugged at Penny's heartstrings. He wasn't there to cause trouble, she knew. So Penny sat next to him to watch the corn and asked him if he was okay. She didn't expect it to work but he had turned those soulful blue eyes on her and told her.
Sheldon was apparently a big deal scientist from California. He had gotten lucky and gotten money for an Arctic expedition, but then his friends stabbed him in the back. They messed with his experiment and Sheldon was publicly humiliated.
He couldn't stay there so he went back home to Texas. Except, his momma got tired of him moping around and told him he needed to git. And Sheldon took off, he's been drifting everywhere ever since. But he says that looking at the corn makes him think of Physics, he talks about string thingies and how the corn is going to give him an answer.
Penny is about ready to call the hospital because he's not making any damn sense.
Sheldon is carrying these notebooks that are filled to the brim with formulas that she can't make sense of, but he's looking so proud of himself and for the first time since they started talking he smiles, a smile that makes him look 10 and that gives her a glimpse of the man that existed before the betrayal.
Penny drives him to his motel room and says goodbye.
She sees him the next day. The librarian had requested help, a strange man had commandeer a whiteboard and was giving a class to the town's children about math. Penny got there and saw it was Sheldon.
She waited for his class to end. Her nephew was 7 and hated math, but here he was asking Sheldon when the next class was going to be.
"He makes math fun Aunt Penny." And that's all she needs to hear. Mickey needs to do better, she doesn't want him to be a cop like Tommy. Penny talks to the librarian and manages to convince her to let Sheldon give those classes. She'll come and watch to make sure nothing bad happens. She says that she's doing this because of Mickey but she's not really sure herself.
She had run his name last night after getting him back to his room and sure enough, Dr. Sheldon Cooper PhD was a big time scientist from California. Though the Caltech website said he was currently in a 'sabbatical'. According to Sheldon his career was ruined, Penny thinks that Sheldon has a flair for the dramatic.
She starts joining his classes and at some point she takes him out to lunch after. Sheldon is actually a twin, has a sister, his mom is religious, he likes comic books and star trek.
Penny memorizes his order, Barbecue Bacon Cheeseburger with the barbecue sauce, bacon and cheese served on the side. Penny makes sure his order is right every time.
There's something about Sheldon that keeps Penny coming back. He's arrogant, a perfectionist, talks down to people and yet…she can see him. The Sheldon Cooper that is easily hurt, that loves his Meemaw, the one that is lonely.
A month goes by and his time at the motel is up. Penny offers him the spare bedroom in her apartment. Sheldon takes it.
Her apartment has never been so clean before.
Penny makes sure that he learns about Junior Rodeo though, no matter how good his intentions are, it's never a good idea to organize her underwear drawer by color.
And despite wanting to strangle the Wackadoodle from time to time Penny finds herself having fun. It's good to live with someone and that there are no expectations. Sheldon is not a perv, he's not ogling her and barring that one instance with him organizing her panties Sheldon has never been inappropriate.
Six months pass like that before she knows it.
Sheldon has become one of them, he teaches classes in the library and sometimes he'll go and watch the corn for hours. But he also cooks for Penny, has dinner with her parents, helps Penny practice the how-to acting videos she watches on YouTube. And it's nice.
They're having breakfast when Penny's cell interrupts them, it's Wallace. And Penny is confused, she can see Sheldon sitting in front of her so it can't be about him.
"Hey Wally."
"Hey Pen."
"…I'm guessing you're not calling just to catch up."
"Ah, no…the thing is, we got a missing person report reach here, and…"
"And?"
"Well, it's for Sheldon. His family is looking for him."
"Ah, got it, thanks Wally. I'll tell Sheldon."
"No worries, take care Pen."
Penny glares at Sheldon. "You didn't call your mother like you promised."
She can see the twitching start "It might have slipped my mind."
"Uh hu, right." Gives him her phone. "Call her. Now."
He's grumbling but starts dialing, puts it on speaker and goes back to his cereal. 'Wackadoodle'
"Hello?" The voice is young, can't be Sheldon's mom.
"Hello Missy."
"Shelly Oh. My. God.!" The relief in her voice is very real and it makes Penny's eyes sting. "MOMMA!, SHELLY'S ON THE PHONE" There's some horrible thundering on the other end and then a teary voice.
"Snickerdoodle?" The hope is unbearable. Penny is going to kick Sheldon for making his mom worry so much.
"Yes mother, it's me." Yes, definitely kicking his ass.
"Oh thank the lord!, Where are you Shelly? Are you okay? Are you eating well? Do you need money? Do you need us to go get you?"
"No mom. I am doing well. I am currently in Nebraska and thanks to Penny I am doing perfectly fine."
"Penny?" Uh oh.
"Uh, hi, yes. That's me. I'm a police officer and found Sheldon 6 months ago or so and I've been keeping an eye on him ever since."
"…" A thud is heard.
"Hello?"
"Hey, hi, sorry, momma just passed out." Missy is back on the line. She sounds unconcerned, like this is just something that happens. Sheldon is also looking pretty damn calm.
"Uhhhhh is she okay?"
"She'll be fine." Wackadoodles, the lot of them. "Now, what I need to know is where in Nebraska are you Shelly."
And that's how Penny finds herself organizing a visit from Sheldon's family.
Maybe it'll be okay…Who is she kidding?.