Your reviews keep me writing, thank you all for the kind words! Enjoy this chapter, I'm already working on the next one. :D

Nothing is mine except my mind and this wine! SPOILER WARNING: I took some events from S7 and tweaked them.

I know Leonard bought Penny a car, but I'm going to pretend that never happened. So she still has her old clunker in this story.

Penny woke up opening her eyes slightly only to close them tightly again.

Someone had pissed off the sun gods.

There was a pounding behind her eyes and she had to pee, but neither feeling was strong enough for her to make the effort to get out of bed. She just groaned and adjusted her position. Her foot made contact with something hard and she heard the unmistakable sound of glass hitting carpet and liquid sloshing.

She had fading memories of last night coming in and out of focus. Something about Asian fusion and Jupiter… then Sheldon apologizing for something….

Penny's memories flooded in again and she groaned as guilt accompanied them. What the hell had she been thinking?

"I am never drinking again," she told her empty bedroom. If walls could talk they'd surely say, uh huh, suuure.

Unable to ignore her bladder anymore she stumbled to the bathroom noticing she had managed to take off her pants and bra, but was still wearing yesterday's shirt. She took care of her body's demands then jumped in the shower and struggled to wash away the grimy feelings she had.

What was she going to do? Sheldon had thought he was out of line, but she was the one who owed him an apology. And Amy. Poor Amy whose entire existence seemed to revolve around Sheldon and the group. She couldn't imagine telling her and wondered if there was any possibility of hiding what had happened forever.

As if defying her the memory came in clearly causing her stomach to tighten. If she was honest she had always been curious about what it would be like, but giving in had sparked something she never expected. Alarmed by this Penny turned down the hot water, allowing the cold water to hit her skin and douse the feeling.

Emerging, she wrapped a towel around herself and tried to decide on a course of action. She found her phone buried in her comforter and discovered she had three missed calls. One from Amy and two from Leonard. The sinking guilt was back and she reconsidered never telling anyone, anything, ever.

She got dressed selecting a pair of jeans and a yellow tank top. Wandering to the kitchen she searched her fridge and chugged what was left of her orange juice, then grabbed a bottle of water and downed that too. She found a microwavable pot pie in the freezer and decided that would be her brunch. The clock on the microwave proclaimed it to be nearly 2 pm. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept this late.

As she waited for her 'meal' she looked around at her apartment. It was in disarray, as usual.

Like my life, she thought bitterly.

She had her lunch and began cleaning her kitchen, then her bedroom and had just gotten to picking up laundry by the time it hit 3.

A knock on her door filled her with dread, but everyone she knew had real jobs so she relaxed wondering who it could be. When she opened the door her gut plummeted.

"Oh, hi Leonard," She said trying to pretend nothing was wrong. "Why aren't you at work?"

"Hey, I took the rest of the day off, I wanted to talk to you," he looked happy but her anxiety got the best of her.

"About what?" she asked hiding behind her door slightly.

"Can I come in?"

"Why?"

"Um… because I'm your boyfriend. Is something wrong?"

Penny stood straighter opening the door, "No! Nothing's wrong come in," she said, probably too loudly and too quickly.

Leonard walked in eyeing her suspiciously before making his way to the center of her living room. She went to get a cup of the coffee she had brewes and he followed behind her. Right now his proximity was suffocating and she used the island to keep distance between them.

"So, what's up?" she asked. Like a Band-Aid, she told herself.

"Well, I have some exciting news," he told her and she relaxed somewhat. He didn't know. Good.

"Oh?"

"Well about a month ago, I was informed of a rather large project the university is conducting with our sister campus, MIT. I applied and it looks like I'm going to be one of the leading physicists on the project!"

"That's great!" Penny said genuinely happy for him.

"Yea, I knew you'd be excited, so it's a two year project and I'll have to move on campus so I took the liberty of making arrangements."

"Cool, so is it in like… Monterrey? Or …" Penny had heard the boys talk about the school but had no idea where it was. She knew it was far, but such a major change meant it couldn't be too far if Leonard had already made arrangements.

"Uhm…" Leonard hesitated. "It's in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Institute of Technology."

Penny took too big of a gulp and burned herself, spilling coffee over the floor.

"Massachusetts?! Jeeze, Leonard and you didn't think to tell me sooner!?"

"Well, no, but I hadn't said yes until this morning. After everything that you've been complaining about lately and what happened last night I thought it was time for a change."

"Wait, so because I've been complaining you were just gonna leave me and go live in Massachusetts?!"

"No, no, of course not, I was going to take you with me!" He was trying to placate her and he clearly thought this was the proper solution, but she was more confused and angry.

"Leonard, I have a career here! A life! I can't just up and leave."

"I understand that, but you sounded so miserable making that movie, I just thought –"

"Just because I was complaining, doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, this is just one step –"

"Yea, but after how many years?" Leonard asked.

Penny felt as though she'd been slapped in the face. She put her cup down and could only stare, tears threatening to surface.

"Look, I'm sorry, Penny, but it's okay, I've given it a lot of thought," He said. "I know it's important to you so I took the time to call the film's director. He said they were going to replace you with a guy in a gorilla suit anyway."

This news nearly made her sick. The director was going to fire her? A choked sob escaped her lips.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," Leonard came to hold her in his arms. She let the tears flow into his shoulder. "This is not at all how I wanted this to go."

Maybe he was right, there was nothing for her here. Years she had wasted struggling, working menial jobs trying to make something of herself. For what?

"Hey," he said pulling back to look at her. "I have something that will make this all better."

He dug around in his pocket as she looked for tissue to blow her nose. She found it and when she turned around he was holding something out to her. It took her a full second to realize what it was.

A ring.

"Will you marry me, Penny?"

Penny stared at the diamond there and she felt herself take a step back as though trying to distance herself from the item. There was no overwhelming happiness. She was devastated that she had lost her job, and she didn't feel at all like a princess in a fairy tale. She was hung-over, confused and miserable.

She could see Leonard getting impatient with her and she felt an odd sensation overtake her. There was something very different about him these days. Things she had confided to him were being used as ammo against her. She hadn't really acknowledged it, after all, hadn't she treated him poorly in the beginning? But the normal feeling of love and affection was absent here.

"I … I can't." She heard herself say.

His face fell, but he recovered, smiling awkwardly. "I understand. This isn't at all how I wanted it to happen either. Look, we'll take it slow. Once we're settled in at Boston-"

In that moment she realized her opinion didn't matter. She was his trophy. She was his reward for being "the good guy". An object, not to be taken seriously, but to be pretty and by his side.

Penny shook her head, tears slipping down her face. "I'm not going to Boston, Leonard."

He looked like an injured puppy and Penny felt horrible, she reached out trying to hold him, "I'm sorry but—"he pushed her hand away. Hard.

"You know what, fine, stay here. I'm done wasting my time." He stormed out slamming the door behind him. Penny broke out of her shock and tried to follow, grabbing her sweater and keys. As she searched for shoes a familiar scent pulled at her senses. It triggered something that made her stomach flutter and she realized it was her sweater. She stopped and looked at the item thoughts chasing one another in her head. It was the one she had been wearing last night, she pulled it up to her nose and inhaled. Soap. Sheldon.

She thought of what he'd say if he were in the room. He would be upset that Leonard was disrupting his life with this move and he would prepare her a hot beverage because she was upset. There was nothing as constant in the world as Sheldon Cooper.

Penny slipped on her flats and headed out the door, locking it behind her, but she didn't enter 4A. She hurried past and down the stairs. Her feet carried her down to the carport where she normally parked. Behind her car rested an old beach cruiser she had bought to exercise. Naturally, is was practically unused, but right now she could use the ride. She entered the combination on the lock and hopped on making her way down the streets to Cal Tech.

Sheldon had finally ventured out to the cafeteria to purchase a soup and salad. He decided it was his lack of food that was making him feel unpleasant, but after he finished his meal he still felt off. So he decided to distract himself instead with grading papers. After finishing that within a short time and feeling more upset he threw himself into his work. He was halfway through the second whiteboard when there was a knock on his door. He sighed and moved the center board to the middle of the room to clear a path to the door.

Disheveled, out of breath and with smeared mascara Penny stood before him. Having spent the last few hours picturing scenarios of her getting ready to travel far away he tried to piece together what possible events could have led her here.

"Can I come in?" Penny's voice sounded raspy.

"Um, yes," he said moving out of the way so she could enter. Once she was inside he closed the door and tried to collect his thoughts and what a proper recourse was.

For a moment they just stood there staring at one another. He could not remember a time in his life where words had failed him. Or failed Penny for that matter. The silence was deafening.

Sheldon noted the redness of her eyes and the streaks, which meant tears and the fact that she was here and not with Leonard meant they were of the unhappy variety and not joy.

"Penny, I'm not sure you should be here."

He saw her expression shift as though she were going to cry again. He realized his phrasing was probably to blame. It usually was.

"I am ill equipped to offer you a hot beverage," he added.

It certainly worked better than he expected, she smiled closing her eyes and letting out what sounded like a breath of relief.

"I'll take water instead if you have it," she said wrapping her arms around herself and taking one of the chairs in front of his desk. He went to the small mini-fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. Taking the chair opposite her he handed her the drink which she opened and nearly finished in one gulp.

"Thanks," she said. "I rode my bike here."

"I was unaware you still had that bike. I never see you use it."

"Yea, well, I used it today."

"Penny, why are you here? Leonard said he was going to propose, I thought -"

"Thought what? That just because I'm a failing, now unemployed actress with no money or hope that I would just up and move to Massachusetts so I could be a trophy wife and have smart, short, lactose intolerant babies?! Because that's all I'm good for! You know what, that's the last thing I want and I just – I just – "

She sounded like she was going to hyperventilate, but instead she burst into tears. Watching her was painful. He moved the chair he was in next to hers and put his arm around her clumsily. The chairs didn't allow for close contact so it was the best he could do. He was ill equipped to deal with the emotional outbursts of women. The small contact seemed to work as she leaned into him, crying into the sleeves of her sweater while he softly rubbed her back. There was only one other thing he could think of to do so he sang soft kitty.

Penny knew crying onto Sheldon's shirt wasn't an option. He wasn't the comforting type, so she used her own sleeves to catch her tears. When she heard him begin to sing her sobs subsided and she wiped her eyes, looking up at him. Penny couldn't believe that after all these years what would comfort her most was a children's song. It seemed so ridiculous that this was now what was considered safe to her. Years ago this same man had given her a creepy smile and pat on the back

"Thank you, Sheldon. Y'know, a few years ago you would have kept me at arm's length and awkwardly patted my shoulder."

"Well, you have been around a long time. I suppose I've assimilated to your presence."

She smiled softly, "Have I become homeostasis?"

"You don't become homeostasis you achieve homeostasis, really Penny. Use context clues," he lectured.

She laughed,"I can't believe you're yelling at me when I'm sad."

"I'm not yelling, my decibel level is normal, and if you're so sad why are you laughing?"

"Because you're funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny, I am attempting to reconcile your vocabulary."

"Well, I'm not in the right state to be reconciled at the moment."

He was going to correct her, but her look seemed to make him think better of it.

Sheldon still had his arm around her and she didn't want to mention it. That same smell that brought her here, of soap and male, was calming and something else that she didn't want to name. Something confusing and scary.

What is wrong with me? She thought to herself. A week ago she was worried about being a good girlfriend for Leonard and now she was sitting here, single, being comforted by the most physically inept person she knew.

Not COMPLETELY physically inept, her libido piped up.

She straightened in her chair and Sheldon pulled away slightly. She'd nearly forgotten all about last night. His warmth brought back the memory vividly. He was so close and she just wanted something simple and pure, just for comfort.

His gaze changed and she saw in the light coming through the window that his pupils changed slightly making his eyes look darker.

A knock on the door made him move away and with good timing, because a moment later Amy walked in.

She took in their demeanor and her look changed from shocked, to confused to concerned.

"Oh my God, Penny what happened."

Sheldon stood and moved to his desk chair. Penny tried not to look as guilty as she felt. Once again she forgot all about the fact that Sheldon was off limits for more than one reason.

Amy seemed not to notice as she took the chair Sheldon had occupied, moving closer so that their knees touched.

"Did you and Leonard have another fight?" Amy asked

"Yes, and – well, I suppose it's over now. He's moving to Boston," she told her friend. Amy looked concerned and Penny told herself she really didn't deserve it.

Amy watched as Penny began to cry again, her sobs much more quiet now, but no less heart pulling. She rubbed her friend's shoulder looking to Sheldon for his reaction. His eyes darted between the two women, naturally out of his element.

When she'd had walked in and saw them embracing she had imagined the worst, but now as she heard Penny's grief she was glad Sheldon had been there for the girl.

"Why is Leonard moving to Boston?" Amy asked no one in particular.

Sheldon answered. "He is accepting a job in Massachusetts. The Jenkins Project."

Amy smirked, "The one you turned down months ago?"

"The very same. The projects at MIT are typically menial and frivolous. I expect this is no different, but I suppose that's more up Leonard's alley anyway."

"Agreed. Anyone who can't appreciate Penny's vivaciousness is clearly a subpar individual."

Penny wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Amy. I … I think."

"I think I'm missing some details though," Amy said. "What led to your relationships sudden - but inevitable - demise?"

"My relationships …? Oh, why we broke up. Well, for starters he quit my job for me so I could move to Boston, then he decided that to make everything better he would just propose!"

"I thought you wanted to marry him, isn't that why you proposed?"

"Yea, but then I dunno…" she seemed to drift far off staring at something beyond Amy. "Something changed."

"Forgive me, but I believe the problem isn't that something changed. I think the issue is that nothing did. Leonard is the same person he's always been and what didn't work out before was never fixed."

"I agree with Amy," Sheldon said. This surprised both of them and they looked at him. Even he seemed taken aback. "Well, I do," he affirmed unapologetically.

"Let's get out of here," Amy said to Penny. "You can pick up Bernadette and we'll meet back at your apartment."

"I brought my bike, can I ride with you?"

"Sure, Sheldon, what are your plans?"

He stood from his desk and began gathering paperwork. "I need to address the issue of my current living situation being totally reconfigured. It may take months to reach a new contract with another individual."

Amy considered offering Sheldon the option to stay with her, but faltered. She recalled the paperwork tucked away into her purse. She could not offer him a place to stay if she was planning on terminating their relationship. She had planned to tell Sheldon everything, but it seemed that her timing was very poor. Instead she remained silent.

"I don't feel like seeing Leonard," Penny said.

Amy turned her attention to the blonde, normally so composed, but at the moment looking tired and defeated.

"I will head into the building first and make sure the coast is clear," Sheldon offered.

"Thank you, Sheldon. For everything."

He looked momentarily uncomfortable before nodding and heading out the door. Amy watched the two, falling back as they led the way to the parking lot.

"Will my bike be okay over the weekend?" Penny asked Sheldon.

"Yes, since I highly doubt anyone would want a bright pink beach cruiser. The student's here are well off enough that they don't resort to petty theft."

"What if they do it for the thrill?" she teased.

"Well, then I'm sure there are much better looking bikes than yours."

Penny stuck her tongue out at the physicist, but Amy was glad to see the blonde smiling.

They fell into a rhythm and she noted that though Sheldon was a stranger to most emotions, he had attempted to comfort Penny earlier. Whether either of them knew it, they had a paradigm all their own. Amy felt a brief stab of jealousy. It was something that was foreign, but she knew this was one of the main reasons behind her need to terminate their relationship.

A buzz in her pocket drew her attention to her phone.

I saw this and thought of you. The text message from Dr. Kumal read. There was link to a photo. It was a necklace that had the chemical bond for oxytocin. As a bioinformatics professional she knew that he was well aware that oxytocin was produced in physically satisfying situations. And it made him think of her?

She tucked her phone away unable to recall what she had been thinking about before.

Aww, I really like Amy, so I promise she's going to be happy. As for Shenny lovers, the next chapter will be very confusing for them but happy for us. ; )