Sequel to: Observation

Sheldon's family come visit him.

Sheldon's mom and sister were interesting to say the least. Oh, they were lovely, but they were…intense. Yeah, that sounds like the right word.

Penny had taken her own car to go and pick them up from the Motel. Sheldon had wanted her to go pick them up in the patrol car, but he had that little smirk on his face that meant he was pulling a prank. Penny put a stop to that.

She had been surprised at how natural Sheldon was able to hug his mother, this was the guy that took 2 months to stop flinching at Penny touching his arm and here he was giving a hug like it was the most natural thing. That's it, pursing her lips Penny made a decision, she was going to get Sheldon used to hugging her.

When Sheldon told her he had a twin, she had imagined Sheldon but with lady bits. The statuesque gorgeous brunette had been a little surprising. The same way the Hulk is a little bit green. 'You gotta stop letting Sheldon influence you.' The hug Sheldon gave his twin was just as natural.

And that was when things got weird.

"Oh Penny, thank you very much for taking care of our little Shelly." 'Ma'am, your son is almost thirty and taller than some professional basketball players.' Mrs. Copper couldn't stop thanking her enough. "You even took the time to pick us up. Let us buy you dinner as thanks."

"Oh no, don't worry. It was my pleasure."

"No, no, I insist." Mrs. Cooper really did, she didn't look like the kind of person that was used to hearing no.

"Well, okay. Let me go change to something less farm-y." Penny walked to her room and closed the door. She quickly changed out of her flannel and mom jeans into a cute blouse and skinny jeans with open-toe flats. Basic, but very cute.

Coming out of her room reveals a frozen in place Mrs, Cooper and a smirking Missy. 'Oh no.'

"So Shelly, you told me that you live here right?" Missy really was enjoying this.

"Yes, that is correct." Sheldon was examining one of the notebooks that Missy had brought from his room back in Texas.

"Huh," Missy knew how to act, she even slapped her knee. "Then where does Penny live?"

"Here of course."

*THUD*

Sheldon and Missy simply looked at their mother on the floor, Missy holding back laughter but Sheldon didn't even look concerned. And Penny was still in her doorway, she might not be a genius like Sheldon but she knew when she was being played. Marching up to Sheldon she poked him in the chest and glared up at him. "You didn't tell your mother."

Missy was finally helping Mrs. Cooper off from the floor.

"Tell her what?" Sheldon was rubbing his chest dramatically.

"That you were living with me, Sheldon!"

"Oh." Honest confusion on his face. "Was I supposed to?"

'Don't kill him Penny, that's what he wants.' Sheldon had done wonders to make Penny a more patient and understanding person. "Yes Sheldon, you were supposed to."

Penny moved to help Missy but Mrs. Cooper seemed to have recovered. Missy was still trying not to laugh.

"Are you okay Mrs. Cooper?"

"Wha' Oh, yeah, yeah darlin'. Don't you worry about me. Also seeing how things are, I think it's best you start calling me Mary."

"Call you Mary?" And Mrs. Cooper's heavy look makes Penny get it immediately. "Oh! Oh. Nonononononono, we're not like that. Me and Sheldon, no. We're just roommates!"

"We are only roommates?" Penny and the Cooper women turn to gape at Sheldon. Missy is no longer laughing. "I thought we were friends."

And Penny hears her sudden intake of breath echoed twice besides her. Sheldon was really trying to kill her.

"Oh Snickerdoodle." Mrs. Cooper sounded resigned.

"Snickerdoodle?" Penny hadn't commented on it before but it was such a unique nickname.

"That's nothing, our Meemaw calls Shelly 'Moonpie', because he's nummy-nummy and she could just eat him up." The mirth was back in Missy's voice and Sheldon threw her a glare which only seemed to amuse her even more.

"Moonpie huh?"

"Penny. No one but Meemaw may call me Moonpie."

"Right. Whatever you say Moonpie. Let's go get dinner."

Dinner goes great. And she means that, Missy tells them the story on how she was worried about Sheldon but he had just disappeared so she went to Pasadena to try and figure out what happened. Sheldon's eyes crinkle with anger and pain and Penny holds his hand under the table.

Missy keeps going, she meets Sheldon's roommate and his friends and they just confess to messing with his experiment. No shame, no guilt, nothing. Missy records the whole thing because even if she doesn't fully understand what happened, she knows that something is wrong in this picture.

Next day she brings it to Sheldon's boss. Everyone ignores Sheldon's complaint of 'He's not my boss.'

And Missy's hunch was right. They request the recording and they tell her that they will handle everything but that she should contact Sheldon to let him know he was welcome with open arms. Sheldon is still holding her hand and Penny feels him squeeze, she's not sure if it's distress or happiness.

Missy while in Pasadena had been staying in Sheldon's room and that day Leonard had come home drunk, he, Howard and Raj had just been fired and their names were blacklisted. Raj would have to go back to India. Howard yelled at Leonard to never talk to him again, and Leonard didn't know what to do. He passed out in the middle of the living room. The next day he made plans to go back to New Jersey.

None of them seemed to connect it back to Missy.

"And that's when we started searching for you Shelly. If you don't go back to your apartment soon then you will lose it. None of Leonard's things are there, he even took the couch. He did pay for that month so at best you have 2 weeks before you have to go back."

Sheldon nodded and Penny could see that he was conflicted. She had heard all about the betrayal, but these people were also his friends.

Sheldon remained quiet for the rest of dinner and it wasn't until they were back in the apartment, his mom and sister safely back at the Motel, that Sheldon spoke.

"Penny. Would you like to go back with me to Pasadena?"

"Haha, very funny Moonpie." Penny was pouring herself a glass of water but turned to look at him when she didn't hear his breathy little laugh or the 'Bazinga'.

"It's not a joke." No tics on his face.

"Wait…for real?" Penny was floored, and a little angry.

"Yes. I like being roommates with you."

"Sheldon! You're asking me to uproot my life to go with you!" She slammed her glass on the counter. Sheldon could be clueless but this one took the cake.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Penny. Forgive me for being frank but you hate your life here. In the last 6 months you have stated several times your wish to run away to California so you can try living your dream of acting. Your father has recovered fully and returned to active duty. The debt you incurred to support your parents has been paid in full."

Penny wasn't sure what to say, that was true, all of it. But her parents wer-

"And since I met you, you have expressed at least once daily your wish to 'leave this place'." Damn, photographic memory was not fair.

"Sheldon, I don't kn-"

"Penny. You were there for me when I felt that I had lost everything. You and the people of this town showed me more understanding and kindness than I ever experienced in Pasadena. I wanted to stop thinking about Physics but I couldn't, and it was only because you accepted me and my weirdne-" No "Your quirks." They were working on not using negative language towards themselves.

Sheldon smiled at her "I apologize. I meant, my quirks. It was only because of that I was able to continue working, I believe that I have found the beginnings of a new research that can prove String Theory. I am confident, but I will need access to the labs and resources that only Caltech can provide."

He really had come a long way from the broken man she found in a corn field all those months ago. She much preferred this confident Sheldon.

"That's great Honey. But where do I fit in there?"

"Penny! I thought it was obvious. I want you to also reach your dreams."

Tears pricked her eyes, Penny knew that it wasn't a good thing for a cop to cry so easily.

But Penny didn't want to be a cop.

"Honey. I…" She was getting choked up. Could it really be this easy? "I need to think about it Honey."

The next day Sheldon is out with his family and Penny decides to stop by her parents house. Her dad is sitting out on the porch relaxing as much as an old cop can.

Penny doesn't even greet him, she jumps right into it. She tells him how she doesn't want to be a cop, it's killing her. She never stopped wanting to become an actress and now there was a chance, a real chance. She didn't want to look back and regret not taking this opportunity.

Penny wouldn't be alone.

Her dad did not say a word, he listened intently, at her words, her watery voice. He didn't frown or scowled as she expected, he just listened. Once she was done she could feel her words hang heavily between them. Penny didn't want to fight, but she would.

"Good luck Slugger. I love you."

Penny cried and jumped into his arms, it's sad that she can't remember the last time he actually held her like this. She goes inside and tells her mother but her response is less impactful…until she mentions Sheldon.

"You'll do great Sweetie." Penny is already moving to hug her but stops at her next words. "Just make sure you and Sheldon use protection, with the luck in our family you'll get pregnant as soon as you land a big role."

"MOM!" God, her mom never believed that Sheldon was just a friend.

Sheldon is happy but of course, he doesn't know how to express it like a normal human being. "I knew that you would see reason."

And this is how Penny finds herself with only one week to pack up her life and drive to California.

This is the most freedom she has felt in years.