So I thought I would take my first stab at a TBBT fanfic. Some of the events in this story are taken from personal experience so the emotions will likely be high when I write from Penny's POV. So here goes nothing and I don't own anything TBBT related and will deny anything in court. Here goes nothing.

SPOV

For years I have prided myself on my ability to separate the mundane existence of my fellow inhabitants from my overwhelming need to prove theories beyond the reach of any mere mortal. I do not, and I emphasize this, do not think of myself as a god or a higher being placed on earth to change the world one small day at a time. I like to make people believe that I think that way as it helps with my ability to separate.

However, I do know that my heightened intelligence alone, not counting my strange quirks that alienate people, would be enough to make me an outsider for the rest of my life. And that idea is fine with me. So much so that I was hesitant to even offer the second bedroom of my apartment out for rent. Who could I possibly find that would be able to handle the way I parade myself for others? I suppose that's why the tests were so ridiculous. However, Leonard blew past my expectations and turned out to be a suitable roommate and friend. He had his flaws- but compared to myself who am I to complain?

Life with Leonard as my roommate and our new acquaintances, Howard and Rajesh, was moving along nicely. They thought that my inane way of life was ridiculous but still found that they catered to it at every chance and I felt that they, given the right amount of effort, could become more than a nod in my head but a burned imprint of the people who could be accepting of a person regardless of how hard they try to push out the outside world. Leonard even made it through the safety drills without painting "die Sheldon die" on the wall in his room. I should give him more credit than I do, but never to his face. He already believes that his life's goal is to become more important than anyone around him.

I was happy with life as it was. Work was my drive and my quirks were my protection. I would never admit to anyone that I was not terrified of germs though I did believe that proper hygiene was important to keeping one's self in satisfactory health and that hand sanitizer was nothing to be ashamed of for keeping in one's pocket, messenger bag, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, nightstand, end table, or office. I would also never admit that through I find the male preoccupation with perusing sexually satisfying mates degrading and mind numbing; I have indeed felt the effects of a beautiful woman.

I will give you a moment to let that settle. Yes, I have a 'deal'.

There have been many women in my thirty years that have caught my eye. Some actresses, models, and glossy pin ups taped to my brothers ceiling never failed to cause a stirring in my stomach that would almost always travel downward to warm my legs and every area in between. In Germany, a twenty something student by the name of Ida kept invading my dreams and leaving my unfocused the next day. However, I was not old enough at that time to push these thoughts away or control them. I liked to believe I was at the time but now I know that it was the biggest lie I have ever told.

Realization hit when Leonard and I made the trek up four flights of stairs to see a neighbor moving in. Her name was Penny and she was stunning. She held herself in a way that spoke confidence but her eyes seemed to tell the story of skepticism and pain. We later learned the reason for this pain when Leonard, failing to realize that he cannot always be the center of the universe to a damsel in distress, volunteered us for the ridiculous task of returning said damsel's TV from her rugged ex. I still, to this day, do not understand why I followed Leonard on his voyage.

That night, after we sat, humiliated in our apartment, I sat down on my spot on the couch and noticed right away something was off. It was her. She had been in this spot, however brief it might have been, and why I didn't notice it before eludes me as well, but her aroma lingered in the soft pillow in my spot. It was a rich fragrance of cherry blossom and baby powder. I retired early that evening and spent a good three hours trying to push that scent from my mind as well as the image of her walking through our hallway in nothing but a towel. I knew then that I was in trouble. And Leonard had called 'dibs.' What a child.

So that was how it came to be that I would sit by and watch Leonard pine for this woman and fail to keep her interests while she inserted herself in our weekly routines without batting an eyelash. It was not at Leonard's request that she was welcomed so quickly. It was at my insistence with myself that I put up no fight to her presence that would push her away. I would keep her close, tempting the barriers I began building from that first night until now, four years later, to ensure that I would not be swayed by a beautiful person again. The scientific community could not stand the loss of my attention when the idea of proving String Theory was within a year's grasp at most.

Temptation, now that is a heartless bitch. But I've proven myself to be stronger than I could have imagined and sleep does not evade me as she begins to work her way into my subconscious. Her bright smile and now welcoming eyes will flash for seconds at the most behind my closed lids and I will push her down. Bringing forth equations that would have made Howard quake to lull me to sleep. Yes, this would work just fine.

Until…

This particular Saturday afternoon was void of any excitement as they had been for month. The Saturday afternoon paintball sessions were canceled when my brothers in arms refused to show- feigning interest in their girlfriends. Well, I suppose the interest was genuine but I can't for the life of me allow myself to understand why. Because there she would be and that simply will not do. Leonard was with Priya, Howard, and Bernadette while Raj tried to bore me to death with how lonely and unimportant his life is. Leaving me no choice I forced him from my couch and out the door with the idea that he should bother someone else with his miserable problems.

Now, completely alone with my thoughts and a box set of Star Trek that needed to be watched again, I allowed myself to relax as the real Sheldon Cooper would do. Not the man who was hiding to avoid emotional connections but the man who wanted to just be. I collected a few snacks for myself- mostly fruits because regardless who Sheldon Cooper may want to be Sheldon Cooper will always be health conscious- and a bottle of water and placed it in front of my spot. I placed the DVDs in the player and readied them for my return. Satisfied that everything was in place I made my way into my bedroom and removed my layered shirts and mismatched pants. I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts from the back of my closet and a white t-shirt. A smug smile played at my lips at the idea of people seeing this side of me. It was not the norm and it would scare them to see me as anything other than crazy.

I padded my way back into the living room and shut off the lights and pressed play on the remote. The show started up and I kick my feet up next to my spot on the couch. Any passerby would think that I was just some nerdy bachelor, not the crazy 'whack-a-doodle' that my companions see. I was just about to doze off after the third episode reached its peak, my hand slipped under the band of my shorts, when someone burst through the door interrupting my singular world. Penny.

Her greeting caught in her throat at the sight of me uncharacteristically laid out on my couch dressed like a normal person would not some prepubescent kid. A small smile crept up her face and I remove my hand from shorts and force myself into a seated position. Busted.

"Sheldon… I didn't know you could look so… normal. You look like a normal guy." She whispered as she sat down next to me eying my attire with a glint of danger in her eyes.

"Well, as I understand it, people in a solitary environment are supposed to put their feet up, kick back, chillax, and all of that hokum. I thought I would see what the fuss was about." She giggles and notices that my face doesn't twitch. Another faux trait.

"So, you went out and bought clothes to make you look like K-fed minus the wife beater and visor and kicked back to enjoy Star Wars with your grapes? Sheldon, you rebel!" She laughs and pats my leg. My body tenses and I'm sure she believes it's because I am being touched. It's because she is touching me. I delicately take her fore finger between mine and my thumb and pick up her hand and remove it from my leg. I think even this motion shocks her.

"While I know you are using the incorrect name of the show to get under my skin and I acknowledge your efforts I have to remind you that I am not aware, nor do I care, about any person or groups of people, named 'K-fed' and I strongly encourage you to broaden your reading by putting down the entertainment magazines and picking up an actual book. Preferably not something inane like
'Twilight' or 'Hunger Games'. I have several Steven Hawking books that you might find interesting." I drifted back to my normal self in hopes of driving the attention away from me. Her stare blanks and she rolls her eyes at my attempt to insult her. Of course I would never mean to hurt her feelings and she is aware of this.

"Oh, please. You know I wont read 'Twilight'. I'm waiting until November when the next movie comes out!" She stated matter of factly. I gave her my 'oh dear lord' look as disappointment crept over my face.

"Well perhaps you and Raj can see it together. I understand that he is interested in all things menstrual."

"Sheldon, you know I am kidding. But I admire your attempt to change the subject. So what is this about?" She asked pointing to me. "I kinda like it." She smiled. I've heard people say that a genuine smile can reach a person's eyes. I've never understood that saying until now. The brightness spread to her cheeks, her eyes, her dimples that you rarely see visible.

"Penny, sometimes things are not what they seem to be. Sometimes even I like to pretend to be something I am not. And right now I wish to pretend to be a man with a love of Star Trek and the mind of a menial labor employee." I hoped voice sounded sincere.

"Is this like that time you bused tables at work? What problem are you trying to figure out that is stumping that beautiful mind of yours?" She stood up and walked over to the whiteboard that was bare of the normal daily work and filled with small exercise equations. To her it might as well have been Greek but she didn't look intimidated. She looked thrilled.

"There is nothing there that I haven't already figured out. I just wanted to relax my mind and body." Her head snapped around and she smiled wickedly at me. Oh dear. She strutted back over to me, her body illuminated by the glow of the TV and I felt the familiar warmth travel over my body as I watched the curves of her body swap with each step. 'Cool it Sheldon or all this work will be for nothing.'

She walked behind the couch and bent over to whisper in my ear.

"Sheldon, I have an idea for an experiment of my own. Would you be so kind as to assist me with it?"

"What are the parameters of this experiment?" I ask, forever the scientist.

"Well, I've got this friend who doesn't seem to know just how to unwind. Just when I give up hope for him I find that he is trying on his own to be normal. And I would like to see just how far this person would be willing to go to relax and unwind." She places her hands on my back and begins to paw at my trapezius muscle. Her fingers feel amazing as they start to work over the stress but before my mind can catch up with my body I have jumped off of the couch and away from her hands. Damn this adaptive lifestyle. I would have liked to stay in that moment a while longer.

"Penny, I would appreciate it if you keep your experiments on physical contact between you and your girl friends or..." I can't bring myself to say boyfriends. She is startled by my raised voice and I don't even realize that I was yelling.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I was just fascinated by this new side of you. I wanted to see what else I didn't know."

"How the hell is it that you see through me when others don't?" I demanded of her. My anger was boiling to the point of super nova and I begin to risk exposing myself to her yet again. All the deceptions I have pieced together could spill out at any moment. Her temptations are too much right now. Her eyes widen.

"Why are you yelling at me?" She whispers. She sounds feeble.

"Why are you avoiding my damn questions?" I counter. Suddenly my mother's Texan voice breaks through my anger and scolds me for my behavior as she would do when I yelled at Missy for ruining my experiments. "Shit." I curse. "Penny, I'm sorry. You're right there are things that people do not know about me and that is the way I would like to keep it. And I would like it if you kept your distance from me while I work through getting this back under control." I noticed a tear slip down her cheek and she nods.

"Of course." She walks to the door, her face flushed with embarrassment. She turns and considers me for a moment. "I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. Then you would know that no matter who you are you will always be my Sheldon." She whispered. Her words branded me. They burnt into my soul and down to my heart. I'm ashamed and I feel my throat tighten as the door closes behind her. I do not hear her door close so I assume she has left the building. I walk over and flip the lights back on and retreat back to my room to change back into my normal attire. I suddenly feel more exposed and slip back into my altered persona. The one that can make sense of my body's reaction to her hands and the way her words sent chills down my spine.

I return to the couch and turn off the TV to allow myself to think. I don't realize that hours have passed and there is a heavy storm coming down outside. Thunder clashes and I almost do not hear my phone chirp sounding a new text message. It is from Leonard.

Penny was in a car accident. I don't know her injuries but it sounds bad. I will let you know more when I find out. We're all here if you think you can manage.

My hand shakes as I run for the door and grab my keys. I've never actually been afraid of hospitals. Not really. I'll be there for her.

I hope you like this so far. I wanted to do something different. And trust me if you guys like this and want more I can promise you a tough and romantic road ahead.