The Game The Started the Change

Chapter 4: Stage 1: Noticing

"You can't go!" Leonard all but stomped his foot as he watched Penny pack.

"Excuse me?" Penny's head whipped to look at Leonard.

"You can't go!" Leonard repeated as if she was stupid or hadn't actually heard him.

"I heard you the first time! What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" Penny continued to put clothes in her suitcase.

"I am your boyfriend. And as such, I refuse to allow you to take a train with another guy!" He through his hands across his chest as if he won.

Penny just raised an eyebrow not too unlike Sheldon or Spock. Leonard continued to look smug.

A smirk started to form on Penny's face as she turned to grab more clothes. She made sure her face was stoic as she turned back around.

"So…" she drawled out. "You are worried Sheldon will hit on me, huh?" Penny looked up beneath her lashes to see his reaction.

His face turned to beat red as he stuttered his response. "O-of cor-course not!"

"Oh, so you're worried I will jump his bones? I see." Penny frowned.

"No! That's not what I said!" Leonard exclaimed loudly.

"But you said you didn't want me traveling with another man. I'm going with Sheldon, Leonard. Sheldon! What in the hell do you think will happen?" Penny paused her packing to cross her arms at him as his arms fell.

"Well...yes...but ugh! You can't go, okay? You are supposed to go with me!" Leonard yelled at her.

"I'm supposed to go with you…" Penny's head tilted sideways. "Okay. You can come with me. It's a three-day train ride, plus stops and transfers. We have one cabin with single beds, and once I get there I will be busy prepping my friend's place. She has left me to use it for us all to be there instead of the hotel if we want. I will also be cooking all the food for the after game party in celebration for her promotion to captain. If you want to come, you work." Penny laid it out for him.

"Yeah, like Sheldon is going to eat anything you cook, let alone help you set all that up," Leonard replied smugly.

"Actually it was his idea. I agreed with him. It would be easier and safer than in a strange hotel room. He won't have to fly and we can prepare everything he needs for the game." Penny went back to packing. She had moved from pants to shirts now.

"Oh, so this whole thing was Sheldon's idea." Leonard's smug look came back to his face. "You do realize he is trying to break us up, right?"

"Excuse me!?" Penny exploded as she threw her shirt onto the bed. "I invited you to come with me!"

"Yeah just now when you knew it was too late for me to ask for time off."

"I asked you the day after if you could go tomorrow. You said you couldn't leave till the day before! I also heard you turn to the other two telling them that you didn't want to be stuck with crazy longer than necessary! So don't pull this crap with me! You want me to be here so you can have sex in your room while Sheldon is gone!" Penny had had enough. She quickly finished her packing, just shoving everything in. Shirts, bras, socks, and undies

"Well of course I do! What guy wouldn't! I finally get my place to myself and I don't have to " notify" anyone ahead of time. I can be as loud as I want, and eat when I want. Can do whatever I want, within my place, as I want."

"Your place?" Penny asked disgustedly.

"Yes! Apartment 4A is my place! Sheldon just lives there! He took complete control over everything" Leonard said while pacing and kicking Penny's things on the floor.