Thank you for all the follows/favs/reviews! Here's a short chapter, lets see if we can get to 150 (we're so close!).

This chapter may contain Doctor Who spoilers, but only for people who have never watched it.

Shenny goodness! This one is sweet, the next one is spicy.

I own nothing, enjoy.

For the second time in as many days Penny woke up loathing the sun. It shone in her eyes and as she waited for the pounding to stop she tried to recall last night.

Amy had spent the night on her couch. All of Penny's clothes were still on, so that was a good sign. Maybe her friend had made coffee. It was still quiet, so probably not. Penny got up and went to the bathroom then showered to clear her head. She threw on faded blue jeans with an old white tank top and tied back her hair. When she was done it was still quiet. The time read 11am.

Entering her living room she found the blankets Amy had used folded up on the couch a small post it on top.

I didn't sleep very well. Had to tell Sheldon. Coffee's on the warmer. –Amy

Penny's heart raced as she reread the message. Forgoing shoes, she grabbed her keys and raced across to 4A. She pressed her ear against the door. Silence. She tried knocking. Nothing. Her last resort was using her keys, rudeness be damned.

She opened the door and met Sheldon's startled gaze. He sat in his spot a folded piece of paper in his hands. His eyes were red rimmed and he looked drained. She crossed to his side closing the door behind her. She didn't say a word as she sank into the cushion next to him resting her head on his shoulder wrapping an arm around his shoulder. She feared he'd pull away, tell her off, she was waiting for it because that meant everything was the same.

Instead he reached up and held the hand draped on his left shoulder. Both of them were very aware that somehow, everything had changed and the only thing they had left was each other.

'Senselessness Saturday' had begun.

"Do you want to talk, sweetie?" Penny asked softly. He could feel her voice vibrate against him, that's how close she was. He registered her question, but felt disinclined to answer it. Instead, he picked up the Xbox controller and began to search.

"Have you ever watched Dr. Who, Penny?"

"No, well, Leonard didn't care for it much."

"Of course not, he obviously lacks sense. We'll start at the beginning then, well more accurately the beginning of the 2005 series."

"Are you sure you don't want to – "she started, but he cut her off.

"It's Saturday, Penny. Every Saturday, I watch Dr. Who." He turned to her hoping to convey the importance, but he'd somehow forgotten how close they were. Her hand slid down his back as they lingered face-to-face for what seemed like ages in Sheldon's mind.

"Okay," she finally said, a tenor in her voice. She sat back against the couch moving her hands onto her lap.

He told himself that he was relieved, but bereaved seemed more accurate. As the beginning scene with Rose going about her daily life before she'd met The Doctor he was suddenly reminded of Penny and their similarities.

Rose always had been his favorite.

At around 10:30pm Penny was searching the cupboards for tea bags. They had binged watched the first season of Doctor Who taking breaks to order food and after that last episode, she was upset. She had even shed a tear for the 9th Doctor until Sheldon told her not to worry, he came back.

"I don't understand how he could just die like that and then be replaced!" Penny argued.

"I felt the same way, but I assure you David Tennant does an incredible job of fleshing out the Doctor's character. He was so good in fact, that I consider him my favorite."

"I don't know he looks kind of dorky. That Eccelston guy was good looking." She like the rugged look.

"Penny, you haven't even been properly introduced, there are many more seasons after this."

She finally found the mint tea that Sheldon usually chose. She found that taking care of him and falling into a pattern was helping her stay distracted and she didn't mind doing for him what he would be doing for her. A part of her felt incredibly vulnerable though. A little voice kept telling her, you don't belong here.

She silenced it with a rebuttal immediately knowing there was nowhere else she had belonged more in her life. She stared blankly at the kettle waiting for the water to heat up. She could remember a time just like this months ago when even though Leonard was gone, this was still her refuge. Sheldon had not once stopped being her friend and she refused to let him down. She turned to face him and was surprised to find him staring at her with a curious look on his face.

It was the same look he gave his whiteboard. Penny leaned back against the stove trying to act nonchalant, but feeling strange at being studied by those sharp blue eyes.

"Tea's almost ready," she said trying to fill the silence.

Sheldon stood and walked slowly across the room. As he closed the distance she felt her pulse race and she got a chill. In this crazy alternate universe they were caught in, she couldn't predict anything. It scared the hell out of her.

"You're making me a hot beverage," Sheldon said not looking away from her like she wished he would.

"It's customary to offer a person a hot beverage when they're upset," she replied matter-of-factly.

Penny saw a small smile form and then disappear quickly. She wanted so badly to bring it back, but having been dumped plenty of times she knew it took time. Then it hit her. He hadn't gone through this… this was quite possibly his first breakup.

"Sheldon, do you want to talk about what happened?" She asked again.

"No."

"It might help."

"Are you familiar with what 'no' means? Here's a hint: it means no." He sat at the island and looked surly.

His tone made her cringe. Yea, of course it wouldn't be that easy. He wasn't usually this standoffish, difficult and aggravating, yes, but this was a different man.

The kettle went off and she turned to pour the hot water into a cup and steep the tea bag. She turned to hand him his mug and was startled to find he was gone. She took the mugs and walked to his bedroom. Sure enough he was in there lying on his side facing away from her. She remembered the artic and how that had affected him. She thought back to how angry with Leonard she had been. Penny kicked herself again for letting such a selfish person back into her life. She took the cups and set them down, careful to use a coaster. She'd never hear the end of it otherwise.

"Penny –" Sheldon started, but she cut him off.

"Yea, yea, no one is supposed to be in your room," she recited sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I have long given up the idea that you're going to follow that rule. I've gotten used to your manifestation everywhere else, I might as well acknowledge that you go where you want. You're like a cat."

"Yea," she said smiling.

"I hate cats."

Penny glared at him. "Well, fine if you want to be pouty and mean, I'll leave you alone."

She stood to go, frustrated and offended, but he sat up and grabbed her hand. "No, Penny, please… Stay, I'm sorry."

Did he just apologize? The look he gave her was so out of character, so strange for him that it pulled on her. She sat back down and was surprised when he just laid back still holding her hand.

Penny knew she was never going to have another opportunity to be this close to him. She decided that if the world was going to be chaotic and weird then she was going to embrace it. After all, maybe this was all just a crazy dream. She lifted his arm and turned her back to him, laying on the pillow next to him pinning his arm around her.

Her heart pounded with anxiety at the risk she was taking. There was every likelihood that he would snap back to reality and kick her out for daring to enter his bubble. She waited. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi …

His scent invaded her senses.

Four Mississippi, five Mississippi …

He shifted slightly apparently getting comfortable.

Six Mississippi, seven Mississippi, eight Mississippi, nine …

She was too tired to count to ten. She just stopped counting and let sleep envelop her.

Sheldon had never had a woman in his bed, but he was not a stranger to what happened in these situations. He had trysts when he was a teenager, but nothing that could compare to the thrills science could bring him. He got to travel, being praised for his hard work, being praised for his mind. Anything physical was temporary, the young women eventually getting tired of playing second fiddle to his love of science. Years later, the same problem arising again.

Until…

Everything in his life was carefully planned and predictable. It was a safe solution so that he could continue to unravel the mysteries of the universe without distraction. He could not stop his life's work for some fling.

Then this woman had somehow burst into his carefully built system like a supernova, emitting energy and light that couldn't be ignored, no matter how hard he tried. She pulled him in changing his routines, taunting him with her blatant unruliness.

As Sheldon pondered all this, he heard her breathing regulate and he realized she was asleep. Of course, her entire life was chaotic, unplanned and full of angst. Everything that had happened in the last two days was just one more wave in the explosion that was Penny's life.

Her warmth started to relax him and though he told himself he needed to continue his schedule, his body protested. He had expended too much energy. His eyelids grew heavy and he burrowed into his pillow. He was still wearing his jeans and t-shirts, not at all the pajamas he was used to. Regardless, he was pretty damn comfortable.

Sheldon dozed off, one arm draping over Penny in his sleep. He didn't even stir when she turned around, resting her head on his chest.

I'm working on one more chapter of set up, then we'll get some M Shenny. ; )