Fic: The Crossroads Conundrum, Part 9
Title: The Crossroads Conundrum
Part 9: Penny
Author: she_burns1
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny, Leonard/Penny, Raj/Missy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,171
Summary: Future!fic! Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard all thought they knew exactly what they wanted, but with a big change on the way, all three begin to question themselves, and each of them is lead in a direction they had not anticipated.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The plot is all mine. No copyright infringement is intended.
Back to: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. - G.K. Chesterton
“So, you have no idea where he is?” Penny asked incredulously, as she shook Sheldon’s note in the direction of the three men.
“To be fair, we haven’t really started looking.” Howard said sheepishly.
Missy plucked the note from Penny’s fingers as she sat in Leonard’s chair and scanned over it, “Shelly always does love a good run away when things get complicated or don’t go his way. One time, when my parents got in a fight too loud for his record player to drown out, he ran all the way to MeeMaw’s house.”
Howard scoffed, “That couldn’t have been far-”
“It was two states over,” Missy deadpanned, “He was six.”
Howard’s eyes bugged a bit and Raj whispered in his ear. Howard did a double take as he looked from Missy to Raj and then back again, before hissing under his breath, “I’m not going to tell her that!”
Missy gave Raj an interested look, “Yeah, cutie pie, you got something you want to tell me, you tell me your little self. You can even whisper it in my ear if you want.”
Missy ducked a few long strands of hair behind her ear and angled it towards him. Raj, in return, ducked behind Howard as he turned several interesting shades. Amused, Missy let the hair fall back into place, shooting him a flirtatious grin.
Disgusted, Howard interrupted the moment, “I find it hard to believe that at only six Sheldon could…okay, and yes, again, just realized what I'm saying. But still, Sheldon doesn’t easily break out of his routine. I doubt he’s run away to another state.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Or do you not remember when he ran all the way to my Mama’s in Texas after that lil’ stunt you boneheads pulled on him after he got back from the Artic,” Missy said icily, “My brother may be a pain, but messing with his work…”
“And we apologized for that!” Leonard whined, “It was years ago!”
“My brother may be one helluva handful, but his work means everything to him, and messing with it,” Missy sighed, shaking her head, “How he’s ever gonna get rockets past the moon with you all around, lord only knows.”
Leonard raised an eyebrow, “Rockets past the moon?”
Missy frowned, “He is a rocket scientist, right?”
She began muttering to herself, “No, no, wasn’t that, was it? What did he tell me last time…toll booth ticket taker? No…maybe he’s a chemist? Biologist…?”
While Missy quietly contemplated what exactly her brother did do for a living, Howard spoke up, “Well, I doubt he’s gone that far this time. Besides, his mother didn’t seem all too happy that he showed up unannounced that first time. Though I still wonder why he ran to her of all people. If I was running away from home it would be to get away from my mother, not go towards her. In fact, if I had a choice of mothers to run to, I’d probably run to Raj’s.”
It was now Raj’s turn to look bug eyed and Howard shrugged, “Sorry, dude, your Mom’s hot.”
Words weren’t needed to express how Raj felt about this, as he started to lunge at Howard with clawed hands but he didn’t get very far as Leonard stepped between the two of them, voice tired, “Look, I’m sure Sheldon didn’t go to his Mom’s, but he obviously went somewhere. While running away isn’t a new trick for him, he still did it again and we still have to find him again. So? Where could he be?”
Howard shrugged, “Comic store?”
Raj had relaxed slightly and edged back towards Howard to whisper in his ear. Howard shrugged again, offering Raj’s suggestion, “CalTech?”
“I all ready called there. No one has seen him. And the comic store is closed for the weekend because Stuart has chicken pox.”
Howard looked surprised, “Chicken pox?”
Leonard waved an impatient hand, “He held a kiddie card game last week. Bunch of second graders crawling around. He told me he was more thankful that it was chicken pox over the lice he was sure the winner had.”
Howard shuddered, “Oh yeah, lice is bad. Did you know it can spread? Anywhere there’s hair. This one time-”
Leonard looked a cross between agitated and revolted as he said, “Howard, I told you, I’m pretty sure that was crabs and I am positive no one wants to hear that story.”
“Amen.” Missy said firmly.
Leonard looked apprehensively at Penny and he shuffled a little closer to her, “You’re not saying much.”
Penny shook her head, “I just can’t believe that he’s gone.”
“We’ll find him.” Leonard reassured her, his hand rubbing warmly at her back, “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll find him before the wedding.”
“The wedding?” Penny whispered, blinking, then, contritely, “Oh. Yes. The wedding.”
Leonard opened his mouth, about to ask her something when Missy sighed, “Well, ya’ll know what? I’m not worried. After all, my brother is a creature of habit. And, unlike those other times, you have the added benefit of having me around. Now, I may not have Shelly’s agenda tattooed in my brain like I did when we were growing up, but I know some things never change. There is no way on earth Shelly left without the following;”
She began to tick them off on her fingers, “Money, his cell phone, and his lil’ man purse. Now, the last one there ain’t no way of tracking save asking people, but the other two shouldn’t be a problem, ‘specially with you eggheads around. I’m sure one of you can hack into his account and track his bank card and the other can probably triangulate his phone or whatever. So?! Let’s get crackin’, chop, chop!”
Missy clapped her hands but Leonard just shook his head, “No go on the check card or the credit card or anything like that. The peanut butter brittle can is empty as is Green Lantern’s hollowed-out butt.”
Everyone shot Leonard a wiry look and his face colored slightly, “It’s where he kept his extra cash,” When no one said anything he rambled on, “Cash, cash, my point is, he took cash! So…no traceable cards.”
“But his phone-”
“You mean this phone?” Leonard asked as he pulled Sheldon’s cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it towards Missy, “First thing I did before calling CalTech. Found it in his bedroom on his dresser.”
Missy held the phone, her eyes downcast, looking at it as if she couldn’t possibly be holding it as she said softly, “Okay, I take it back…I am worried.”
“Good, join the club, we can make matching shirts,” Leonard muttered with defeat as he collapsed on Sheldon’s side of the couch. He sat there, swiveling about a little in the seat, “Huh, still feels warm.”
“Okay, well, waxing poetic isn’t going to bring him back, we need a plan,” Howard said, pacing, Raj at his heels, “If only we knew why he left…”
“Gee, I wonder why, don’t you, Penny?” Missy asked pointedly. Penny shot her a venomous look but Missy returned it and Penny’s faltered a little. After all, Missy was missing a brother and Penny was only missing…
What was she missing?
What was Sheldon to her now?
Penny felt heat flush through her as the memory of their lips connecting flashed through her mind. Such a short moment, barely seconds but it made her heart race. What would have happened if they had actually kissed?
Penny licked her lips, then nodded her head determinedly, “All right, plans, that’s where I come in. I’m taking charge, junior rodeo style.”
“Does that mean you’re going to tie me up?” Howard asked hopefully. Everyone shot him a baleful look and he had the decency to look a little ashamed, “Sorry. Just wanted to, you know, boost morale?”
“I’ll give you a boost,” Missy offered sweetly, jerking a thumb behind her, “Right out that ol’ window.”
“As much as I’d enjoy that, I’m afraid we need Howard up and walking,” Penny said with a tiny grin, “In particular, I need him and Raj to go visit the only people in this room past us that Sheldon has talked to and not completely alienated himself from. Or, more accurately, have not devised something akin to a restraining order against him.”
Raj whispered in Howard’s ear and Howard spoke, “Who exactly are you talking about?”
“Far as I know, there are only two other people that Sheldon has had any extra communication with: Leslie Winkle and…oh, you know…that guy,” Penny snapped her fingers as she tried to remember, “…tawks whike whise.”
“Barry Kripke?” Leonard offered.
Penny pointed at him, “That’s the one!”
“But why…?”
“Well, Sheldon went somewhere and I doubt he could have gotten very far on foot. He must have gotten a ride from someone. After all, they haven’t changed bus regulations to allow him to bungee cord himself down and can you see him in a cab?”
Everyone sort of smirked at that and then Leonard said forlornly, “Today’s Wednesday. New comic book day and creamy tomato soup day.”
Raj whispered once more in Howard’s ear and Howard whispered back, “Yeah, I’m understanding the ‘dearest Leonard’ more and more…”
Leonard scowled.
Penny cleared her throat, her voice strong, commanding, as she said, “So? What are you guys waiting for?”
“Well, it’s unlikely he went to Leslie,” Howard said cautiously, thumb tugging at his lower lip as he rubbed his chin, “She’s the last person he’d ask for help.”
“Then go see Kripke!”
Howard saluted her, “Yes, sir, General, sir!”
Penny gave him a withering look and he rolled his eyes a little, “Look, we’ll go, we’ll go, just…you know, relax a little. I know brides get all strung out before the big day, but we still have some time,” he looked at Penny, voice sincere, “We’ll find him before then. Promise.”
Penny relaxed, but only marginally, as confusion flooded her. Seeing her and, again, almost preternaturally knowing what was going through her mind, Missy rose to her feet, “Come on, boys. I’ll go with you.”
Howard raised an eyebrow and swaggered over to her, “Oh really?”
Missy smiled smugly, as she tossed her long hair over one shoulder and walked over to Raj. She rested an arm on his shoulder and looked at him, “Yeah. Really.”
Raj’s knees were starting to wobble and he looked close to fainting, so she quickly looped his arm with hers and tugged him upright, “Here, cutie pie, let’s go talk to your friend.”
She started tugging Raj towards the door and regarded Howard over one shoulder, “You too, Romeo. Let’s leave the love birds to hold down the fort. I’m sure they’ve got a lot to talk about.”
This last part was said almost directly to Penny as the two women locked eyes. Penny swallowed thickly. Once the trio was gone, Penny felt numb. She didn’t look at Leonard as she wearily lowered herself into his chair. She saw Sheldon’s note out of the corner of her eye, resting where Missy had left it on the coffee table. She went to pick it up only to have her fingers brush Leonard’s.
“Oh, I’m sorry-”
“No, if you want to-”
“I was just-”
“You can-”
The fragmented sentences stumbled out of them and it really didn’t matter who said what. What mattered was how the moment felt. Penny’s eyes were hot, pricked with unshed tears and she had never known she could feel so miserable in all her life. Here she was, with the man she loved, the man she was going to marry, and she had never felt more alone.
She took the letter and read it again. Sheldon’s script was bizarrely elegant and her fingertips traced the words. Leonard. He had left Leonard a note. Nothing for her. Nothing. Even Howard had gotten something, but her…
What did you expect him to do? A voice hissed in her mind and she shook her head as if the words had been spoken aloud. She didn’t know. She didn’t know what she had expected him to do. After all, what could he do?
What could he say?
What could she say?
And this situation between them, it was not simply a matter between two people. She looked up and saw Leonard looking at her. She swallowed again.
This was a matter between three.
Part 9: Penny
Author: she_burns1
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny, Leonard/Penny, Raj/Missy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,171
Summary: Future!fic! Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard all thought they knew exactly what they wanted, but with a big change on the way, all three begin to question themselves, and each of them is lead in a direction they had not anticipated.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The plot is all mine. No copyright infringement is intended.
Back to: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8
The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. - G.K. Chesterton
“So, you have no idea where he is?” Penny asked incredulously, as she shook Sheldon’s note in the direction of the three men.
“To be fair, we haven’t really started looking.” Howard said sheepishly.
Missy plucked the note from Penny’s fingers as she sat in Leonard’s chair and scanned over it, “Shelly always does love a good run away when things get complicated or don’t go his way. One time, when my parents got in a fight too loud for his record player to drown out, he ran all the way to MeeMaw’s house.”
Howard scoffed, “That couldn’t have been far-”
“It was two states over,” Missy deadpanned, “He was six.”
Howard’s eyes bugged a bit and Raj whispered in his ear. Howard did a double take as he looked from Missy to Raj and then back again, before hissing under his breath, “I’m not going to tell her that!”
Missy gave Raj an interested look, “Yeah, cutie pie, you got something you want to tell me, you tell me your little self. You can even whisper it in my ear if you want.”
Missy ducked a few long strands of hair behind her ear and angled it towards him. Raj, in return, ducked behind Howard as he turned several interesting shades. Amused, Missy let the hair fall back into place, shooting him a flirtatious grin.
Disgusted, Howard interrupted the moment, “I find it hard to believe that at only six Sheldon could…okay, and yes, again, just realized what I'm saying. But still, Sheldon doesn’t easily break out of his routine. I doubt he’s run away to another state.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Or do you not remember when he ran all the way to my Mama’s in Texas after that lil’ stunt you boneheads pulled on him after he got back from the Artic,” Missy said icily, “My brother may be a pain, but messing with his work…”
“And we apologized for that!” Leonard whined, “It was years ago!”
“My brother may be one helluva handful, but his work means everything to him, and messing with it,” Missy sighed, shaking her head, “How he’s ever gonna get rockets past the moon with you all around, lord only knows.”
Leonard raised an eyebrow, “Rockets past the moon?”
Missy frowned, “He is a rocket scientist, right?”
She began muttering to herself, “No, no, wasn’t that, was it? What did he tell me last time…toll booth ticket taker? No…maybe he’s a chemist? Biologist…?”
While Missy quietly contemplated what exactly her brother did do for a living, Howard spoke up, “Well, I doubt he’s gone that far this time. Besides, his mother didn’t seem all too happy that he showed up unannounced that first time. Though I still wonder why he ran to her of all people. If I was running away from home it would be to get away from my mother, not go towards her. In fact, if I had a choice of mothers to run to, I’d probably run to Raj’s.”
It was now Raj’s turn to look bug eyed and Howard shrugged, “Sorry, dude, your Mom’s hot.”
Words weren’t needed to express how Raj felt about this, as he started to lunge at Howard with clawed hands but he didn’t get very far as Leonard stepped between the two of them, voice tired, “Look, I’m sure Sheldon didn’t go to his Mom’s, but he obviously went somewhere. While running away isn’t a new trick for him, he still did it again and we still have to find him again. So? Where could he be?”
Howard shrugged, “Comic store?”
Raj had relaxed slightly and edged back towards Howard to whisper in his ear. Howard shrugged again, offering Raj’s suggestion, “CalTech?”
“I all ready called there. No one has seen him. And the comic store is closed for the weekend because Stuart has chicken pox.”
Howard looked surprised, “Chicken pox?”
Leonard waved an impatient hand, “He held a kiddie card game last week. Bunch of second graders crawling around. He told me he was more thankful that it was chicken pox over the lice he was sure the winner had.”
Howard shuddered, “Oh yeah, lice is bad. Did you know it can spread? Anywhere there’s hair. This one time-”
Leonard looked a cross between agitated and revolted as he said, “Howard, I told you, I’m pretty sure that was crabs and I am positive no one wants to hear that story.”
“Amen.” Missy said firmly.
Leonard looked apprehensively at Penny and he shuffled a little closer to her, “You’re not saying much.”
Penny shook her head, “I just can’t believe that he’s gone.”
“We’ll find him.” Leonard reassured her, his hand rubbing warmly at her back, “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll find him before the wedding.”
“The wedding?” Penny whispered, blinking, then, contritely, “Oh. Yes. The wedding.”
Leonard opened his mouth, about to ask her something when Missy sighed, “Well, ya’ll know what? I’m not worried. After all, my brother is a creature of habit. And, unlike those other times, you have the added benefit of having me around. Now, I may not have Shelly’s agenda tattooed in my brain like I did when we were growing up, but I know some things never change. There is no way on earth Shelly left without the following;”
She began to tick them off on her fingers, “Money, his cell phone, and his lil’ man purse. Now, the last one there ain’t no way of tracking save asking people, but the other two shouldn’t be a problem, ‘specially with you eggheads around. I’m sure one of you can hack into his account and track his bank card and the other can probably triangulate his phone or whatever. So?! Let’s get crackin’, chop, chop!”
Missy clapped her hands but Leonard just shook his head, “No go on the check card or the credit card or anything like that. The peanut butter brittle can is empty as is Green Lantern’s hollowed-out butt.”
Everyone shot Leonard a wiry look and his face colored slightly, “It’s where he kept his extra cash,” When no one said anything he rambled on, “Cash, cash, my point is, he took cash! So…no traceable cards.”
“But his phone-”
“You mean this phone?” Leonard asked as he pulled Sheldon’s cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it towards Missy, “First thing I did before calling CalTech. Found it in his bedroom on his dresser.”
Missy held the phone, her eyes downcast, looking at it as if she couldn’t possibly be holding it as she said softly, “Okay, I take it back…I am worried.”
“Good, join the club, we can make matching shirts,” Leonard muttered with defeat as he collapsed on Sheldon’s side of the couch. He sat there, swiveling about a little in the seat, “Huh, still feels warm.”
“Okay, well, waxing poetic isn’t going to bring him back, we need a plan,” Howard said, pacing, Raj at his heels, “If only we knew why he left…”
“Gee, I wonder why, don’t you, Penny?” Missy asked pointedly. Penny shot her a venomous look but Missy returned it and Penny’s faltered a little. After all, Missy was missing a brother and Penny was only missing…
What was she missing?
What was Sheldon to her now?
Penny felt heat flush through her as the memory of their lips connecting flashed through her mind. Such a short moment, barely seconds but it made her heart race. What would have happened if they had actually kissed?
Penny licked her lips, then nodded her head determinedly, “All right, plans, that’s where I come in. I’m taking charge, junior rodeo style.”
“Does that mean you’re going to tie me up?” Howard asked hopefully. Everyone shot him a baleful look and he had the decency to look a little ashamed, “Sorry. Just wanted to, you know, boost morale?”
“I’ll give you a boost,” Missy offered sweetly, jerking a thumb behind her, “Right out that ol’ window.”
“As much as I’d enjoy that, I’m afraid we need Howard up and walking,” Penny said with a tiny grin, “In particular, I need him and Raj to go visit the only people in this room past us that Sheldon has talked to and not completely alienated himself from. Or, more accurately, have not devised something akin to a restraining order against him.”
Raj whispered in Howard’s ear and Howard spoke, “Who exactly are you talking about?”
“Far as I know, there are only two other people that Sheldon has had any extra communication with: Leslie Winkle and…oh, you know…that guy,” Penny snapped her fingers as she tried to remember, “…tawks whike whise.”
“Barry Kripke?” Leonard offered.
Penny pointed at him, “That’s the one!”
“But why…?”
“Well, Sheldon went somewhere and I doubt he could have gotten very far on foot. He must have gotten a ride from someone. After all, they haven’t changed bus regulations to allow him to bungee cord himself down and can you see him in a cab?”
Everyone sort of smirked at that and then Leonard said forlornly, “Today’s Wednesday. New comic book day and creamy tomato soup day.”
Raj whispered once more in Howard’s ear and Howard whispered back, “Yeah, I’m understanding the ‘dearest Leonard’ more and more…”
Leonard scowled.
Penny cleared her throat, her voice strong, commanding, as she said, “So? What are you guys waiting for?”
“Well, it’s unlikely he went to Leslie,” Howard said cautiously, thumb tugging at his lower lip as he rubbed his chin, “She’s the last person he’d ask for help.”
“Then go see Kripke!”
Howard saluted her, “Yes, sir, General, sir!”
Penny gave him a withering look and he rolled his eyes a little, “Look, we’ll go, we’ll go, just…you know, relax a little. I know brides get all strung out before the big day, but we still have some time,” he looked at Penny, voice sincere, “We’ll find him before then. Promise.”
Penny relaxed, but only marginally, as confusion flooded her. Seeing her and, again, almost preternaturally knowing what was going through her mind, Missy rose to her feet, “Come on, boys. I’ll go with you.”
Howard raised an eyebrow and swaggered over to her, “Oh really?”
Missy smiled smugly, as she tossed her long hair over one shoulder and walked over to Raj. She rested an arm on his shoulder and looked at him, “Yeah. Really.”
Raj’s knees were starting to wobble and he looked close to fainting, so she quickly looped his arm with hers and tugged him upright, “Here, cutie pie, let’s go talk to your friend.”
She started tugging Raj towards the door and regarded Howard over one shoulder, “You too, Romeo. Let’s leave the love birds to hold down the fort. I’m sure they’ve got a lot to talk about.”
This last part was said almost directly to Penny as the two women locked eyes. Penny swallowed thickly. Once the trio was gone, Penny felt numb. She didn’t look at Leonard as she wearily lowered herself into his chair. She saw Sheldon’s note out of the corner of her eye, resting where Missy had left it on the coffee table. She went to pick it up only to have her fingers brush Leonard’s.
“Oh, I’m sorry-”
“No, if you want to-”
“I was just-”
“You can-”
The fragmented sentences stumbled out of them and it really didn’t matter who said what. What mattered was how the moment felt. Penny’s eyes were hot, pricked with unshed tears and she had never known she could feel so miserable in all her life. Here she was, with the man she loved, the man she was going to marry, and she had never felt more alone.
She took the letter and read it again. Sheldon’s script was bizarrely elegant and her fingertips traced the words. Leonard. He had left Leonard a note. Nothing for her. Nothing. Even Howard had gotten something, but her…
What did you expect him to do? A voice hissed in her mind and she shook her head as if the words had been spoken aloud. She didn’t know. She didn’t know what she had expected him to do. After all, what could he do?
What could he say?
What could she say?
And this situation between them, it was not simply a matter between two people. She looked up and saw Leonard looking at her. She swallowed again.
This was a matter between three.