(Sheldon has faced his feelings and confessed them to Penny. What will she do now?)

My Dear Whack-a-doodle,

I have some errands to run this morning. I will be back at noon. Then you and I need to talk about last night. Now, don't go getting all twitchy on me. I'm not upset or angry or hurt. I do have one question that I need you to think about before I get home. What exactly do you want? A friendship? A platonic relationship? A true relationship with all the emotional and yes, physical stuff attached? I'll see you soon.

Penny

Sheldon read her note again, more carefully. She didn't appear upset. When he had woken up to find her gone he had panicked for a moment until he noticed the folded note on the bed beside him. Where could she have needed to go at 7am on a Sunday? Sheldon sat in his spot and thought about her letter. What did he want? Everything.

The door opened and Penny smiled. "Hello Dr. Wolowitz. I appreciate you letting me come over on your day off."

The therapist stepped back and invited her in. A plump little woman bustled around the corner and greeted Penny warmly. "Hello deary," she said in a lilting British accent. "How about a cuppa? I have some biscuits, too. Delightful little butterscotch ones."

Penny soon found herself comfortably seated in a wing-back chair, across from the couple, sipping tea and eating a cookie.

"Is Sheldon okay?" Dr. Wolowitz asked with concern.

Penny shook her head and gathered her thoughts. "I know you can't tell me about Sheldon's therapy, and I assure you I'm not asking for any details. I need to know if he's okay, emotionally."

Dr. Wolowitz looked at her carefully. "He has told you he loves you," he said confidently.

Penny nodded slowly. "Last night. He told me a lot of things. One of which was that in the beginning after the assault, he saw me as his savior. Is this, the way he says he feels now, because of that? I need to know."

"Oh deary, you love him very much, don't you?" Mrs. Wolowitz asked. Penny blushed and nodded.

"He no longer sees you as a hero, Miss Queen.," the therapist said calmly. "If anything, he sees you more clearly than he sees anyone else. Sheldon has a habit of pigeonholing people. He sticks them in a section of his life and that's where they stay. Except for you. You defy all his attempts at categorizing you as one thing or another. In his own words, you are his only point of chaos."

Penny frowned. "That doesn't sound like a good thing."

Dr. Wolowitz smiled. "Actually it's a very good thing. I'm sure you are aware that Sheldon has a habit of cutting out of his life anything or anyone who he cannot understand or deal with. Except you. He loves you. I believe that beyond a shadow of a doubt."

Penny sagged with relief. "Thank you," she whispered. Penny stood, suddenly anxious to return to the apartment.

Dr. Wolowitz took her hand in his. "I have developed a deep appreciation for Sheldon in the 8 months we have been meeting. He is a man of incredible depth. He just has a difficult time expressing it. Be patient with him, and you may just find what you have been searching for yourself."

Penny nodded with understanding. She had two more stops to make, then she could get home and speak with Sheldon.

Penny knocked a second time and waited impatiently. She was eager to get home. Finally the door opened and Leonard looked at her in shock. Behind him she could see Amy watching her warily.

"I won't take up much of your time," Penny said. "I need to get a few things out in the open. I was never in love with you, and you know that. But I did care for you. As a friend I loved you all. I would not be who I am today if not for meeting you guys. I would have ended up a failed actress who tucked her tail between her legs, went back to Omaha and married some weekend drunk or I'd have stayed and ended up like so many other wannabes, drinking herself stupid, or doing porn. The four of you made me better than I was. I am grateful for that. I owe you for that. So I'm going to give you a piece of advice, Leonard. You can be better than this. You can be better than her. Don't let anger or jealousy drag you down. Pull yourself up. Dust yourself off. Start again. Because despite everything that has happened, we all still care about you."

Penny turned around and started to walk away. Leonard called out to her. Penny turned and looked at him.

"You and Sheldon. You're together, aren't you?" he asked angrily.

Penny sighed sadly. "Does it matter?"

Leonard stepped back into the apartment and slammed the door. Penny shook her head and left the building.

Sheldon heard her footsteps and stood up nervously. Penny opened the door and glanced at him. She set her purse on the kitchen table and draped her coat over a chair. Then she turned to face him. She almost smiled at the concern in his eyes.

"Sheldon, have you thought about my question?" she asked.

Sheldon shrugged. "There isn't anything to think about, Penny. I already knew the answer to that. I want you. Completely. Mentally, emotionally and yes, physically."

Penny reached into her purse. She pulled out a handful of pamphlets and crossed the room to stand before him. "Then we should look these over."

Sheldon looked down in confusion. Hawaii, Paris, Caribbean Cruises, Disney World. He looked up at her with a questioning look.

"I'll let you plan the honeymoon, as long as I get to plan the wedding."

Sheldon gawked at her. "Penny, are you asking me to marry you?"

She nodded happily. "If you think I'm going to let you get away, you need tested again. Besides, what would your mom say if I let you have your way with me without a proposal?"

The pamphlets hit the floor as Sheldon snatched her up in his arms. This time when he kissed her, she met him halfway.

Penny curled up beside him and smiled. Okay, so it wasn't a mind blowing first time. They had stumbled back to his room and fallen on the bed. Sheldon had been shy and awkward, and she had to guide him, and talk him through it. Arms and legs had gotten tangled up, and it was over almost immediately. She tilted her head up and kissed his jaw. Strangely enough, it had been perfect. Sheldon blushed fiercely.

"I apologize. I hope you do not regret your decision after this." His voice was timid and mortified. Penny raised up on her elbow.

"Sheldon, my first time, I cried through the whole thing and it wasn't very pleasant. You have nothing to be upset or embarrassed about." He looked unconvinced. Penny moved up and kissed him passionately. "I have no doubt that just like everything else you do, you'll soon be an expert in this also. We'll just have to practice," she said smugly.

Sheldon's eyes closed tightly. "Penny, I never learned to drive well. What if I never excel at this also?"

Penny grinned and slid her hand down his stomach. His eyes popped back open as his body responded to her strokes. Penny laughed slyly.

"Sweetie, you tried to learn how to drive on a computer. This you'll learn with me. I'm a big ol' five, remember?"

Sheldon smiled shyly and pulled her back down for another kiss. "Penny, will you marry me?" he whispered against her lips.

Penny straddled his hips and grinned back at him. "You just have to be the one in control, don't you, sweetie?"

Sheldon groaned and gripped her hips. "Always, Penny. Always." Then he rolled them over and took charge.

Life together was never exactly easy. They still fought over his spot. She still ignored his rules (although number three was now missing from the list since dating was no longer an issue) and he still gave her strikes for breaking them. She still kicked his butt at Halo, and he still refused to eat French toast on oatmeal day. But no matter what had went on during the day, when the lights went out at night they were always wrapped in each other's arms. Best friends, spouses, competitors, comrades. They were a duo.

Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, and/or messaged me. I am grateful for all the support and that so many of you felt the same way I did as the story progressed. This story has meant a lot to me. I got a great deal of help describing Sheldon and Penny's reactions from a friend who dealt with this himself a few years ago.