38Hey yall! Here's the next installment for you. Hope you all like it.
I tried to keep Sheldon in character as bes I could.
But anyways, here you go lol
Disclaimer: Must we do this every time? All right, not mine...happy!
Sheldon's Question
"It's possible you know Leonard-" Sheldon started lightheartedly as they rounded the corner on the landing just below their floor, but was suddenly interrupted.
"What, that you could be Batman?" Leonard answered as he started up the stairs.
"I believe we already spoke of that Leonard and in fact decided that yes, I could be Batman. But no that wasn't what I was talking about."
"Then what?" Leonard asked with a heavy sigh.
Sheldon opened his mouth once more to begin his hypothesis but the sound of 4B's door being thrown open interrupted him yet again. Turning he saw Penny standing there her hands on her hips staring at them. Leonard stepped forward, smiling the nervous smile he always seemed to get when she was around, his chin tilting up a few degrees. Sheldon merely glanced at the woman before turning his eyes to the floor.
"Hey guys. Sheldon, could I talk to you?"
"You want to talk to Sheldon?" Leonard asked, vocalizing the surprise, which was clearly evident in Sheldon's eyes.
"Yeah, we have a few things to discuss."
"Oh," Leonard said his eyes looking between the stunned theoretical physicist and the blond waitress. "All right."
Sheldon moved robotically toward Penny's apartment. She'd abandoned her place at the door and wandered inside leaving the door open for him. He went over his daily socialization log in his mind, trying to figure out what might have caused this meeting since the last time they'd seen one another. It had been four days, eight hours, and seventeen minutes since the movie marathon and their awkward exchange in her apartment.
She'd seemed strange that evening. In place of her usually bubbly demeanor was a quiet and contemplative look, accompanied with very little verbal interaction between her and almost anyone in the group. Of course he said almost because she and Raj hadn't ever engaged in mutual verbal interaction, seeing as he would 'clam up' whenever she was within hearing distance of him. He'd been uncharacteristically curious about whatever it was that was bothering her that evening, and upon walking her to her door, like a proper gentleman should, he'd inquired about it.
"If I'm not overstepping any boundaries we've placed in our current friendship paradigm may I inquire as to the anomaly that has you so perplexed?"
"Say what?" she'd asked turning in front of her door to gaze up at him, her head tilted slightly to the side like that of a confused puppy.
Sheldon sighed. "What's wrong?"
"Oh." She'd giggled unnaturally. "Nothing."
"Penny, I do realize that I rarely seem to acknowledge when someone is expressing emotions, but that does not mean I don't notice anyway."
"Must you over explain everything?" Sheldon knew the tactic. She was the master of changing subjects.
"I can tell you have something on your mind. At the current time I do not know how to go about finding out what it might be. But if you give me a bit of time-"
"Why do you think there's something wrong with me?" She'd asked as she turned away to shove her key in her door.
"You were acting different when you answered the door earlier, and all night you've been quiet. You, Penny, are never quiet." He responded as if it were completely obvious.
"Well, nothings wrong, not really anyway. I fell asleep in the bath and had a dream. That's all." Sheldon was about to comment but she'd continued on. "Oh and I talked to your sister."
He'd tried to ask what they'd talked about but she'd told him she was tired and sufficiently ended the conversation by closing the door in his face. He knew then that whatever she and Missy talked about was what had her acting so strangely. Had his inquiry been the cause of the sudden need to discuss things with him? Was she preparing to lecture him on the importance of privacy as she'd done after his cleaning her apartment? After she'd calmed down of course.
He closed the door softly, turning to see her standing in the kitchen, a clear glass in her hand with clear liquid inside. At first he believed it was a glass of vodka or some other clear alcohol that she favoured, but when she slipped it under the tap to refill he realized it was merely water. He did notice however that her hand was shaking. Carefully he maneuvered his was around the sofa to stand on the other side of her kitchen's island. She gazed at him over the glass, her green eyes simply dazzling in the light.
"Penny, your hand is shaking." He pointed out.
"I know Sheldon."
She pointed with the glass to his chair, her way of telling him to sit. He obliged and watched as she rounded the island and took a seat on the couch. He shifted in the seat slightly to face her, and she seemed strangely nervous. She'd never been nervous around him, not since the first time they'd met, and even then it had only been momentary. This was an entirely new side to Penny that he wasn't familiar with. Usually she was bold and fiery, ready to fight him tooth and nail over anything, but today she seemed reserved. She almost seemed to be concentrating on something, her eyes glossy and unfocused.
"I wanted to talk to you about something, Sheldon."
"Well I know that Penny. You said that in the hall."
"I know Sheldon, but it's hard to begin. This is really one of the strangest conversations we're ever going to have."
"You can't be sure of that Penny. You can't see the future, you'd have to be a psychic-"
"Yeah, yeah, and psychics don't exist. I know, you said that once before." She said and Sheldon nodded as if solidifying his point. She just glared. "I wanted to talk to you about Missy. About this whole wedding thing."
He didn't speak but instead just nodded letting her know he was listening. She nibbled lightly on her lip, unsure of where to begin. Her hands rested on her knees, where they nervously twisted around one another. She was exhibiting all the signs of anxiety, but Sheldon couldn't comprehend why she'd be nervous. She looked at him and he could see the uncertainty in her eyes.
"Like I told you the other night, I talked to Missy. I called her to ask her about the entire situation and why she was doing it. She of course didn't tell me. Honestly you two are more alike than you'd like to believe."
Sheldon scoffed at this. Missy could never compare to him, not in intelligence. Of course she did have the social skills that he lacked, but that had never been a concern of his. He was perfectly happy with the four friendships he'd obtained. But then Sheldon remembered how devious his twin could be. She was just as crafty as he was brilliant. In a strange way it'd made him respect his sibling a little more to know that she could manipulate someone the likes of him so easily. Perhaps she wasn't completely useless. But could that be what Penny was alluding to? Did she know just how crafty Missy Cooper could be?
"She did tell me something that got me thinking though. She told me to wear something pretty, that there would be lots of pictures."
Sheldon froze.
"Now at first I thought she was inviting me, that I was going to get an invitation in the mail soon. I figured since you'd gotten yours that day that I would get mine a day or two after, but nothing ever came. I tried to call her back but she didn't answer."
"Well, I myself haven't been able to get a hold of her, not since I called two evenings ago to inform her that if she didn't change her stipulations that I would not be attending her wedding."
"You didn't!" Penny cried, a horrified expression on her face.
"I did. My mother however informed me that I would be coming and would be bringing someone because it was Missy's special day. Then she hung up, and no one's answered since. I don't understand how engaging in a marital ceremony suddenly entitles you to make demands of your kin."
"Sheldon you're just being difficult." She shook her head, sipping her glass of water before lifting her eyes to his. "But it got me thinking Sheldon."
"About what if I may ask?" he responded turning his eyes away.
"I think you already know." She said softly. "Your sister is demanding you bring a date. Then she tells me that I should wear something pretty for the pictures."
Sheldon didn't say anything. He didn't even lift his head to look at her. Instead he studied the uneven lengths of shoelace that hung from the bows of his tied shoes. The sound of the glass smacking the table startled him, making his body tense. He glanced up and away quickly, looking past her to the bookshelf where books were unordered and mismatched. She however was glaring at him.
"Sheldon! She's setting us up! Don't you get it!"
"Of course I do Penny. I came to that conclusion shortly after our conversation on the stairs the day I received the invitation."
She let out a frustrated cry. He looked at her only to see that she was leaning against the back cushions of her sofa, her eyes rubbing furiously at her eyes, her bright blond hair flared round her head like a crown. He straightened just a little, unsure if her rage was with him or his twin. He hoped for the latter.
"I can't believe you knew and didn't say anything!"
Damn.
"What would you have wanted me to say?" he asked.
"I don't know Sheldon. I don't know."
"Then why may I ask are you so angry?" he asked suddenly a little hurt.
"It's frustrating to be tricked into something like this."
"But you weren't tricked Penny. I never asked you to be my date. I wasn't planning to, that's why I called Missy to tell her I wouldn't be attending unless she changed her demands. I didn't think you'd want to go, therefore I was going to spare both yourself and I the embarrassment of asking."
"Oh Sheldon, I didn't-"
"Penny, there's no need to deny what we both know you were feeling."
"Now you're jumping to conclusions again."
"What?" Sheldon looked at her suddenly perplexed. "What do you mean again. I don't recall having jumped to conclusions at any other time in our short conversation."
"You jumped to conclusions by trying to back out of it, and now you're doing it again assuming I'm embarrassed."
"But it's fairly obvious-"
"Yeah that I'm frustrated that your sister is forcing this on you, not because I'd be embarrassed to go with you. Sheldon, I'd be happy to go with you, I'm just unhappy that it took your sister forcing you to ask me to get you to do it at-" she stopped, her mouth still open, a word on the tip of her tongue waiting to be spoken. She closed her mouth her eyes still wide from what she'd said. "I mean I'm just mad your sister is forcing it."
Sheldon wasn't, for the first time in his life, sure what to say. There was a long pause as he processed and reprocessed all of what she'd said. There was much to take away from it, but the one most important thing he seemed to pick from the long monologue she'd delivered was that she'd be happy to go with him.
"So you will accompany me then?"
"What?"
"You spoke of being happy to go with me. Did you mean it?"
"Well yeah, I mean, yes. I meant it."
"Then Penny, will you be my date to my sisters wedding?" he asked formally, unsure of himself as he sat there staring into her brilliant green eyes.
"Yes Sheldon. I'll go with you."
Later that evening, Sheldon was seated in his computer chair researching the top three suggested hotels in the area of his hometown, and cross checking them by health codes and regularity of inspections. His nimble fingers flew over the keys as he researched, all the while the corners of his mouth turned up in the slightest hint of a smile. Leonard was in the kitchen fixing a snack and kept glancing at him much to his annoyance, however the smile still wouldn't vanish.
"You're in an awfully good mood. What'd you and Penny talk about?" he asked as he vacated the kitchen in favour of his favourite chair.
"We discussed my sister's upcoming wedding."
"Oh really? Why? Asking advice on possible attire?"
"No. Quite the contrary actually, we spoke more on her attire."
Leonard nearly choked on his snack.
"Her attire? As in Penny's?"
"Yes, who else would I be talking about, honestly Leonard, to think you received a PhD." Sheldon shook his head sighing heavily.
"But why would you be talking about her attire?"
"Well according to Penny, its traditional for a couple to coincide with one another when wearing formal attire." Sheldon mentioned over his shoulder.
"You mean, Penny's going with you, as your…date?"
"Yes. All variables point to that."
"And she agreed to this?" the shock was prevalent in Leonard's voice.
"Obviously Leonard."
"Forgive me but you must see how shocking this is."
"On the contrary again I don't see what's so, shocking as you put it, about our attending a wedding together." Sheldon turned to face Leonard. "She's going because my sister demanded that I bring a female acquaintance, then informed Penny that it would be her who would be asked. Seeing as it was Missy's intent, we agreed to go, for it's not wise to go against the wishes of a bride to be, or so I've been informed."
"So you're sister is making you go together?"
"Well, I believe that is one way of looking at it yes."
Leonard continued to badger Sheldon with questions that he effectively dodged. Eventually he dropped the entire subject, still glancing at the lanky genius in shock every so often. Sheldon knew it was only a matter of time before Leonard launched into another set of inquiries so instead of waiting around for them, he wandered to his room to ready himself for bed. It was as he lay staring at his ceiling, his blankets wrapped securely around him in that mummy-like position that he slept in, that he began to rerun his conversation with Penny through his mind.
'I'm just unhappy that it took your sister forcing you to ask me to get you to do it…'
What had she meant by that? Was his hypothesis about Penny's hidden feelings for him correct? Was she really frustrated at the fact that he hadn't wanted to ask her on his own without the threat of his testicles being mishandled? It would verify his point, but for some reason it wasn't enough. He might be misinterpreting it. He'd mailed back the invitation, the 'plus one' box having already been check upon arrival. But below in very precise handwriting he'd sent a message for his sister.
'I've asked Penny, as I'm sure you wanted. She's just as upset with you as I myself am, despite your so-called 'good intentions'. But there is something I must inquire about, but that is a conversation we will have upon my arrival, and alone. Sincerely yours, Sheldon Cooper, PhD.'
Coming soon, wedding preperations!
Starry