The Dual Celebration Opportunity - Chapter One

Sheldon is sat at Penny's desk wearing a gaming headset on his head, laptop open and to his right is a mouse mat and his precision gaming mouse. Meanwhile Leonard is sat at his desk with a similar set up. Groans, cries and instructions being shouting by and at each other can be heard as they become increasingly animated and vocal.

"Heal me Leonard, I need to be ready for this push to the point!" barked Sheldon.

"I'm on it, the rest of the team are also ready. Remember we have less than a minute remaining to capture this point" replied Leonard.

"We can do this, they are down a hero already!" shouted a confident and slightly cocky Sheldon.

More shouting and groans could be heard as Penny walked into the Kitchen area from the hallway that leads to the Bathroom and Bedroom areas of the apartment. She is carrying a magazine in her hand one of those weekly celebrity gossip magazines as she walks over to the fridge to get a drink. She gets her drink places it down on the table and sits down in one of the armchairs turning the pages of her magazine.

Sheldon closes his laptop, throws his headset down and storms over to his spot on the couch sitting down arms crossed and looking annoyed.

Leonard more calmly closes his laptop, makes his way to the fridge and gets a drink out for both himself and Sheldon and sits next to Sheldon on the couch.

After a few seconds of silence Sheldon spoke.

"I told you to keep healing me" said a cross Sheldon.

"I can't just heal you and nobody else" replied Leonard "There are four other players on our team as well."

"Anyway I told you not to play Winston, we needed a Reinhardt on that map" added Leonard.

Sheldon was about to counter his argument but then thought better of it. Leonard did have a point, maybe a different hero might have made the difference in that particular video game. Instead he just kept silent and took a sip of his water.

Penny finished flicking through her magazine and placed it on the table, she picked up her bottle of water and took a big sip from it.

"Sheldon remember to put my stuff back on my desk afterwards. I am happy for you to still use it for things like gaming as long as you put my things back" Penny said.

"I will, I haven't forgotten" he replied.

Penny clearly seeing her husband and her friend were down decided to switch conversation to something more to her interest than video games.

"So are you excited that Amy is back in a couple of days?" asked Penny with a smile on her face.

"Yes!" replied an excited Sheldon who suddenly perked up and sat up straight, the tone in his voice clearly more positive.

"It will be great to have Amy back home. We talk on Skype and of course I have been over to Princeton several times during the summer. But everyday life, the small things and just being around Amy I have missed" he added.

"Strangely I have missed her too" replied Penny. I can't believe I said that Penny thought to herself. But since Amy had moved in across the hall with Sheldon seeing her on a regular basis had brought them closer together as friends.

"So what do you have planned for her return buddy?" asked Leonard.

"He will have to make up for all those date nights they couldn't have when she was away" laughed Penny.

"Actually I do have something planned. Something a bit different" answered Sheldon.

"What do you mean different?" asked a curious Penny taking a sip of her water after asking the question.

"Well I was thinking of throwing a party for Amy" smiled Sheldon.

"What?!" shouted a surprised Penny almost spitting out and choking on her water. "You don't like parties, your own or going to others. For years you have moaned about that!"

"I know and I am still not entirely comfortable with them. But the Brunch that Amy and I threw turned out to be a success" replied Sheldon.

"What type of party are you thinking of throwing? A Welcome Home party?" asked a curious Leonard.

"Well, I was thinking of a dual celebration, a Welcome Home party but also to celebrate our Engagement among friends" he replied.

"That sounds like a great idea!" said an excited Penny.

"Who are you thinking of inviting?" asked Leonard.

"Well of course our friends, then there is Stuart and Bert. My mother can't come as she is at some bible study event run by her local church that weekend" Sheldon rolled his eyes as he said that. "I was going to invite Beverly but she is at a conference in Germany."

"She is at a conference in Germany?" asked Leonard. It always bugs Leonard that Sheldon appears to know more about her life than he does.

"I might need some help with getting things organised and ready in time" said Sheldon changing the subject and looking at both of his friends.

"Sure, happy to help buddy" smiled Leonard.

"I was thinking of maybe getting Raj involved with the food" said Sheldon.

"Good idea. He sounded pretty bored on the phone in his new place and would jump at this opportunity" replied Leonard.

"Sounds like a great idea Sheldon, anything you need us to help with just say" smiled Penny and Sheldon smiled back in response.

"Well it's time I get back to my apartment, I have a Skype call coming up with Amy" said Sheldon as he looked at his watch.

"Ok then, oh and say Hi to Amy from both of us" smiled Penny.

Sheldon then got up and left the apartment. Leonard moved over to his right on the couch slightly and Penny sat down next to him.

"I'm shocked that Sheldon wants to throw a party for Amy. Someone must have messed up his recent software update or something" laughed Leonard.

"He's missed her that's all, I think we all have. Let's make sure it's a success for him, if he needs help we give it" she replied with a serious look on her face and not laughing at his joke.

"Want to watch some TV?" he asked her.

"OK" she answered.

Leonard got up and went over to the TV picking up the remote and then sat back down next to his wife. He stretched his arm out and around her, in response she shuffled over closer into a cuddling like position as they watched the TV screen.