Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 40th cycle. Now cycle 41!

INTRODUCING "CHEAT SHEET" - If you want to know ahead of time when a certain series will be updated next, just reassemble the link below and check out the list, save it, print it, bookmark it, whatever you need!
Go to: gleekathon [dot] tumblr [dot] com [slash] cheatsheet

** UPDATED WITH CYCLE 41 CHEAT SHEET ** Check it out to find out about shift days!

This is a shift day [see above]. There was another upload this morning: Broken Down and Out.

"The Troubletone Incursion"
(from Glee) Brittany, Santana, Mercedes, Sugar
(from TBBT) Penny, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Bernadette, and Amy

Glee/The Big Bang Theory Crossover
sequel to "The Visitor Complex"
(if you need info on either show, let me know!)

1. The Road Trip Decision

Lima, Ohio

They were going back, it had been decided. The Troubletones were reintegrating into New Directions, at least that was the case for Mercedes, Santana and Brittany. The others had the choice to join in as well, but except for Sugar there had been no takers. So that made four of them, and before long, there were whisperings… They had to do something, to commemorate this time that was not so much coming to an end as it was being put on pause… They would always be Troubletones.

"We could get matching tattoos," Brittany suggested as the four of them sat at the Lima Bean.

"You climb the walls when you need to get a shot, how are you going to get a tattoo?" Santana frowned.

"Get her drunk," Mercedes and Sugar spoke at once, and Brittany nodded in agreement, which made Santana laugh.

"No tattoos," she still declared.

"Matching cars?" Sugar shrugged.

"Okay, now we're on to something," Santana spun back to her, tempted.

"No cars," Mercedes declared and Santana frowned.

"Fine, then you come up with something," Santana gave the challenge. There was silence for about a minute, and then Sugar smacked the table and held her hands in the air, gathering their attention. She held them in suspense, smiling, then dropped it on them.

"Road trip!" she declared, and after a shared look from the other three the decision was made. "Yes?" Sugar sprang upright, giddy.

"Yes," the three spoke one by one.

"Okay, but where are we going? It's winter, I'm not spending hours and hours packed in a car with all of you," Mercedes stated. Finally, Brittany, Santana, and Mercedes turned to Sugar. After a moment unaware they were looking at her, Sugar saw them and understood.

"I can get the money for tickets from my father," she volunteered. They waited. "And hotel."

"Alright, so where are we going?" Santana put to the group. Again the question prompted a number of suggestions, growing more and more extravagant and impossible every time, although at that point it was clear this was only for fun. Once they dialled it back, they agreed maybe they were better off staying in the country.

"That might be best, actually," Sugar spoke innocently, which put questions in their heads, but they left it alone.

"New York?" Mercedes suggested.

"I still have Nationals remorse from that. Next?" Santana shook her head.

"Fine, then the opposite coast: California."

Brittany's head popped up at the word, as though lifted by a flurry of memories, of a week amongst new friends in Pasadena. She had to wonder, turning to her Troubletones…

"Pasadena," she spoke up. "I know some people there."

"That could work," Mercedes shrugged.

"Is that the guy with the banana bread?" Santana asked, like she could still smell it; Brittany had donated some of the loaves she'd received as a goodbye. Brittany nodded. "We're going to Pasadena," Santana declared.

X

One hour later – Pasadena, California

Penny had made her exit from the apartment across the hall from her own when it had become clear that the four of them – Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj – had completely forgotten she was there. The way their argument over Sheldon and Leonard's new figurine purchases were going, all she could see for that evening was four grown men flipping through comic books for hours until one of them proved they were right, and she did not have that kind of willpower.

When she'd reached her apartment though, she saw her answering machine blinking… an audition maybe? She clicked and waited for the message, moving to retrieve the bottle of wine she'd started the night before.

"Hi, Penny? It's Brittany, call back please?"

That was the extent of the message. Penny had stayed planted there for a moment, surprised. She hadn't seen the girl since her visit to her aunt, two floors down from her, a few months back. Still they had kept in touch, and she would gladly welcome a return. Now there was this cryptic little message… She didn't get so much surprised, she decided, more like confused. She didn't sound hurt or distressed… One way to find out. So she picked up the phone and called her.

"Hello?"

"Brittany, hey! It's Penny, you called?"

"Guys, quiet, it's her!" she heard Brittany's voice, semi-distant… only getting weirder. "Hi, Penny!"

"Hey…" she laughed. "I got your message, it was… well, not long. Said to call, so I called. What's up?" she asked, sitting on the couch. Maybe she shouldn't have left the wine so far away, but she didn't want to get up and now all she could do was glance at it.

"My friends and I are planning a trip, and one of them said California, so I thought we could come to Pasadena. We'd stay in a hotel, but it'd be cool if we could hang out…"

"A hotel?" Penny asked, smirking. "Your parents are putting you up this time?" she asked, figuring she would have stayed with her aunt again.

"No, Sugar's dad is."

"Wait, a sugar daddy?" She was glad the wine was far away now.

"What's a… Wait, what…" Brittany spoke after a beat. Brittany's voice grew distant again, and Penny could hear her relay what had been said. She could then make out another voice, possibly telling her to say it again. "My friend, her name's Sugar, her father is paying."

"Who the hell names their kid Sugar?" Penny mumbled to herself while she calmed down. "Okay, well that's good then, can't wait to see you and… your friends," she blinked, then started laughing. "I can't wait to see the look on Sheldon's face when he finds out…"

"Don't tell him, it'll be a surprise," Brittany told her. Penny nodded to herself.

"You got it, I…" She stopped, hearing the door across the hall open and shut, accompanied by yelling. "Hopefully things will have cooled off here by then… When are you coming?"

"We don't know yet, but I'll call back."

"Awesome, thanks for calling." After they'd hung up, Penny retrieved her bottle, still hearing the argument outside. She shook her head to herself, ignoring it. Now she had a secret to maintain… She laughed again… This was going to be good.

TO BE CONTINUED (TOMORROW)