Missing scene from 'The Isolation Permutation'. It takes place after Leonard and Sheldon come home from taking a drunk Amy to her apartment. You really need to see the episode first for it to make sense.

A/N: Warning: This fic was written quickly, late at night, and has not been beta'd. I'm just trying to get back in the flow of writing BBT fic again so that I can get over my block and finish the sequel to "Progeny"

*knock, knock, knock*

"Penny!"

*knock, knock, knock*

"Penny!"

*knock, knock, knock*

"Penny!"'

Penny groaned and forced herself up off of the sofa.

"What is it Sheldon?" She asked, holding her stomach with one hand and opening the door with the other. She hadn't been able to eat anything since Amy had waved that brain in her face earlier.

Sheldon didn't say anything, just glared at her with a clenched jaw.

He looked at her with such intense anger that Penny actually had to suppress a shiver of fear.

"Sheldon, what is it?" She asked, in a small voice.

"Penny, I have something to discuss with you," he announced giving her one of his creepy smiles. His hands were clenched into fists at his side.

"Um, okay..."

"I'd rather not air our dirty laundry to the whole apartment, might I come inside?" His smile stretched wider and Penny was vividly reminded of something that Leonard had told her a while back. 'The guy is one lab accident away from becoming a super villain.'

Penny blinked and took a step back. What was wrong her? This was just Sheldon...

"Sure, come in."

He walked past her to the couch then turned to glare at her with his arms crossed.

Penny closed the door and took a breath before turning to face him.

"Okay, Sheldon. What's going on?"

"Oh, I'll tell you 'what's going on'. I told Leonard that since he invited you to lunch four years ago that it was up to him to get you line. His complete failure in this simple task means it falls to me. So, woman, get yourself in line!"

"Get myself in line? What the hell does that mean?" She asked him slowly with raised eyebrows.

"You have upset Amy Farrah Fowler with your careless excluding of her in yours and Bernadette's wedding apparel acquirement!" He said with a snarl.

Penny winced and deflated a little.

"I know Sheldon, and I did apologize to her today. But then she put that disgusting brain in my face, and I had to leave. You know, after emptying my stomach into her trash can..." she trailed off with a frown.

"Well, it didn't work. Leonard and I had to go pick her up from the liquor store parking lot and take her home as she was too drunk to drive herself."

Penny groaned and sank down on her sofa.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I'm just not sure how to fix this."

"You need to figure it out, Penny. I can't take much more of this!" He yelled then sat down beside her and buried his head in his hands.

"Well Sheldon, I guess... Sheldon? Are you crying?" She asked in shock.

"No," he croaked, though his shoulders shook with silent sobs.

Her hand stilled an inch away from patting his shoulder as she remembered that this was Sheldon she was dealing with.

"Sweetie, I don't understand. Is Amy mad at you?" She asked putting her hands in her lap.

He sniffed and lifted his head up so he could look at her.

"Of course she's not mad at me. I'm not the one hurt her feelings!"

"Then why are you so upset?"

He twitched and clenched his fists again.

"Because...she made me cuddle with her, Penny! Amy is my friend and, up until this current predicament with you and Bernadette, she was perfectly content with our intellectual relationship. But since you hurt her feelings, she is desiring physical intimacy and human contact!"

Sheldon put his head in his hands again and the dry, gasping sobs resumed.

She had her arm around him before she realized what she was doing. He just looked so pathetic that she couldn't help herself.

Penny froze in shock when he suddenly turned toward her and slipped his arms around her waist. His forehead came to rest on her collarbone and she could feel the movement of his lips on her chest as he began babbling about germs, smells, and how he just couldn't tolerate physical intimacy.

She rolled her eyes, but tightened her hold on him and relaxed back into the cushions. After a minute Sheldon calmed down and all was quiet in the apartment.

Penny let out a contented sigh. She hadn't had a nice cuddle since she and Leonard were dating. Sheldon, though tall, skinny, and a little too bony, seemed to fit perfectly against the curves of her body. It was a little odd, but very nice.

"Sheldon?"

"Hmm?" He sounded drowsy and contented himself.

"Did you ever think that maybe it's not the physical intimacy that bothers you so much as the person you are being physically intimate with?"

"Please, Penny. I can't even hug my mother for more than thirty seconds without having to take a shower."

She waited a minute, but he didn't seem to grasp his current position.

"Sweetie, you don't seem to have a problem cuddling with me," she pointed out, finally.

He froze for a second, and then slowly pulled away from her. His eyes were comically wide as he stared at her in surprise.

"Sheldon? You okay now?"

He didn't say anything.

"Um, do you want to use my shower?"

He shook his head.

"No, thank you. It seems that you were correct Penny. My problem with physical intimacy seems to be non-existent with you."

"It was good for me to, sweetie," she grinned at him.

He just stared at her appraisingly for a few minutes.

"I have a Death Star to finish," he announced and got to his feet.

"Sheldon?"

He stopped with his hand on the door knob and turned his head back to look at her.

"I'll get Bernadette and we'll go make it right with Amy. I promise."

Sheldon nodded and left.

"Where have you been?" Leonard asked when he walked through the door.

"Just getting my woman in line," Sheldon answered with his superior smirk.

He sat down in his spot to finish the Death Star while a puzzled Leonard continued to glance back and forth between him and the apartment door.

End