CHAPTER 2
"I fail to see how this is my fault," Sheldon says as he, Raj, Howard, and Leonard exit the Cheesecake Factory. "I would think Penny is the one to blame since she failed to bring me my regular order."
"Considering that she left after taking our orders never to return after you snipped about the cleanliness of the napkins, I'd say you finally scared her off," Howard says.
Sheldon does not particularly like those implications.
"Couldn't you have just accepted the burger the nice gentleman brought you?" Leonard asks, his exasperation evident.
"You expect me to accept my usual from a stranger who has no knowledge of what my order is, who is to prepare it, how it is to be prepared, and on how clean of a plate to bring it at exactly what time? Considering not even Bernadette was working tonight, I saw no other option but to leave."
"Why do you think she left?" Raj asks while slipping into the backseat of Leonard's car.
"Maybe she got an emergency call? You know, family stuff?" Howard suggests.
"And leave without informing her boss of an emergency? Highly unlikely."
"How do you know she left without telling her boss?" Leonard asks, glancing at Sheldon while also glancing through his side mirrors to safely back out of his parking spot.
"Because I overheard the manager tell our new waiter to take over our table because 'Penny flaked.'" Sheldon leaves out the part where the manager called it the table with the "weird regulars".
"When did you hear that? The manager was halfway across the room the whole meal," Leonard says.
Sheldon sniffs. "I believe you refer to my enhanced ability to pick up sound waves as Vulcan Hearing."
"It still doesn't answer where Penny went," Raj points out.
"We'll ask her when she gets home," Howard says. "What do you say, pick up a few pizzas then marathon the original Star Wars Trilogy? Might as well make something of tonight."
There is general agreement as they make their way out of the parking lot. It's only Sheldon who notices Penny's car still in its spot in the back corner where the employees' vehicles are to be placed.
The boys enjoy their night in. After the majority of the pizza is eaten and Episodes IV and V are watched, everyone decides to call it a night since work still looms over them tomorrow (despite Sheldon's protests that they can't not watch the final Episode). He loses and ends up sulking towards bed. It's after he is in bed he realizes he never heard Penny's return.
The next day is Halo night. Sheldon is setting up the game when Leonard comes back in from retrieving Penny but with no Penny. After the general inquiries of if anyone has heard from her and all negative answers, they call Bernadette. A steady friend whom Penny communicates with regularly. She says she has not heard from Penny in three days. They call Amy. A relatively new acquaintance (brought upon by Howard and Raj's joking desire for him to "get some") who recently attached herself as Penny's "bestie". She has not heard from Penny since Saturday despite several attempts to reach out.
After Sheldon hangs up with Amy, a minute atom of dread nestles itself in the pit of his stomach. He remembers her car in the employee section.
Of course, he throws logic at the illogical dread. Penny is fine. Likely she is with her more worldly friends, the ones who enjoy obnoxious music and sweaty, unhealthy dancing. They whisked her away for a night in the town, as Penny once explained to him. It is not unusual for her to exclude herself from 4A's nightly rituals.
Yet he can't remember hearing her come home from work last night.
Halo night is significantly less of a challenge with her not present.
It's an Anything Can Happen Thursday when Leonard answers a call from Bernadette. Sheldon listens in from where he is perusing the newest shipment of comic books at Stuart's store. Leonard's brow wrinkles and his gaze lowers ever so much. Clearly recognizable signs of Leonard's confusion.
After answering, he goes around to the others and asks if anyone's heard from Penny. Again everyone answers in the negative, and suddenly the forgotten atom of dread revives itself in Sheldon's stomach. He manages to keep it quelled with logic until he, his friends, and one acquaintance are back in the apartment building knocking on 4B's door.
There is no answer.
Leonard fetches the emergency key and unlocks the door. Upon entering, Sheldon feels his shoulder's tense and an irrational sense of chill settle within him, feeding the dread atom. It is clear Penny has not been present in her apartment lately. Any dirty dishes in the sink are waterless and crusty. Her shower, which Sheldon knows she likes to frequent, is dry and cool. Her fridge has no new leftovers added to it.
Penny is gone. Sheldon comes to this conclusion firmly when Leonard calls the Cheesecake Factory because Penny was supposed to start her shift three hours ago (Sheldon should know, he memorized her schedule) only to hear she never showed and her car is still in the employee section of the parking lot, having never moved from two and a half days ago.
The dread in Sheldon's stomach attaches itself to another atom.
A/N: When inspiration strikes, who am I to deny it? Two chapters in one night. Enjoy!