So I was watching the Las Vegas episode today with my sister and when Penny and Sheldon were walking up the stairs I saw these big blue bottles outside of someone's (Mrs. Gunderson's?) door, and they looked exactly like the bottles we use in my school to raise money for people in need…so…yeah. :D

This takes place sometime in season four.

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing. Nada.

"I'm just saying that with us being such loyal repeat customers, The Cheesecake Factory should want to keep their weekly revenue as constant as possible by catering to such recurring consumers."

"Sheldon, let it go," Leonard begged.

"No, I'm not going to let it go. For the past three years Penny has worked at the restaurant on Tuesdays. For the past three years we've gone to the restaurant on Tuesdays, so Penny can bring me my cheeseburger. Tonight we went to the Cheesecake Factory to discover that Tuesday is now Penny's day off. How can I possibly let it go?"

"You already yelled at everyone working there, what more can you possibly do?" Leonard dropped his soda can into the lobby's garbage.

"Hey guys."

"You, Miss!" Sheldon said, turning from his mailbox and pointing at the woman standing at the bottom of the stairs. "How could you? How could you possibly allow them to give you Tuesdays off?"

"It's just the next few weeks," Penny said. "Bernadette's got to babysit her niece the next three Tuesdays, so I switched with her so-"

"You did this on purpose?"

Penny held his gaze for a moment longer, impartiality on her face, before turning to Leonard and smiling. "Hi."

"Hi."

Sheldon's shoulders were slightly hunched as he stood to the right of the elevator. "Leonard," Penny said sweetly. "Can you ask your protocol droid to move so I can get to the mailbox?"

Sheldon's face twitched slightly, but he moved aside. "Thanks, C-3PO," she said. "Ooh, what's this?" She pulled a neon yellow paper out of her mailbox and turned it over. "Did you guys get one of these?"

"What is it?" Leonard asked.

"To tenants of blah blah blah…" Penny scanned the flyer. "Did you guys hear about the fire at the senior citizen's home?"

"What? No." Leonard came to stand beside her, leaning over to read the flyer. "Oh my God, that's awful. So they're having a fundraiser to help pay for it?"

"Yeah. Apparently two of the residents there used to live here."

"Oh yes," Sheldon said. "Mr. and Mrs. Richardson. They moved out a few weeks before Mrs. Grossinger moved in with that God-awful dog."

"Cool!" Penny said.

"In what universe is that dog 'cool'?"

"I think she means the building's fundraiser, Sheldon."

"Yeah," Penny said, reading from the flyer. "'Starting tomorrow there will be jars outside of each of your doors. Pennies are positive points; silver coins and paper money are negative points. Whoever has the most positive points at the end of the week is exempt from rent next month. Feel free to sabotage other tenants with your spare silver change'." Her jaw dropped and she grinned, looking at Leonard. "This is going to be fun!"

"Sheldon, do we have one of those flyers?"

Sheldon shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't gotten the mail yet."

Leonard sighed. "Can you get the mail?"

Sheldon sighed, turning and yanking open 4A's mailbox. "Yep." He drew out the mail. "We've got the flyer, though why I should participate in this nonsense is beyond me."

"Don't you want to help people?" Penny asked.

"Did anyone perish in this fire?"

"No, but-"

"I think unraveling the mysteries of the universe is more important than a competition designed to promote modern warfare between neighbors when the only good to come out of it is a new kitchen for elderly people that can always go to a coffeehouse for food and fresh air. To return to a more important topic, Penny, is there any possible way that you can work for an hour on these next three Tuesdays to bring me my cheeseburger?"

"Sheldon, leave her alone-"

"No no no," Penny said, putting a hand on Leonard's shoulder to silence him. She looked Sheldon in the eye. "If you guys beat me at the penny war, I'll babysit for Bernadette so I can work Tuesday."

"You're on!" Leonard said, grinning.

"Beat you?" Sheldon snorted. "If I wanted to, I could crush you single-handedly."

"Come on, Sheldon," Leonard said. "It could be fun. We've been challenged."

"Yeah, Sheldon. It'll be fun. Or perhaps more importantly…do you want me to bring you your cheeseburger?" Penny cocked her head and looked at the theoretical physicist. "Or shall I leave it to someone else?"

Sheldon paused for only a moment. "Fair enough. Prepare to babysit Bernadette's niece, because Leonard and I are not only going to beat you, but we are going to win this 'penny war' and be exempt from next month's rent." He turned and headed up the stairs.

"Well, it's a way to get him to contribute to the community," Leonard said as he and Penny started climbing the stairs. "You do realize that he's going to dump a lot of silver change into your jar, don't you?"

"Oh, I know," Penny said, smiling to herself.

"And you realize that you being there on Tuesdays will save me a lot of Sheldon-trouble, meaning you have created a major incentive for me to bomb your jar as well."

"I understand."

Leonard cocked his head, grinning. "Do you really think you can beat us in this penny war, considering all of…that?" He said it in a challenging tone.

Penny stopped on the stairs, looked at him, and tipped her head, smiling mischievously. "Leonard. Sweetie. I put the 'Penny' in penny war."