Priceless, Penny, G

[obsessivemuch.livejournal.com]

Title: Priceless
Author: obsessivemuch / Sarafu
Words: 1067
Fandom: The Big Bang Theory
Rating: G
Prompt: 130) There are only two kinds of people in the world that really count. One kind's wheat and the other kind's emeralds. -- Edna Ferber (1885-1968), Pulitzer-Prize-winning American author.
Summary: Memaw helps in a most unexpected way.

"And this is Penny . . . Penny," Leonard introduces with an awkward pause.

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Gable-Hauser. I've heard so much about you," Penny interjects smoothly, suppressing a pang of disappointment that Leonard still doesn't remember her last name.

"Certainly not from me," Sheldon sniffs. It's enough to break the tension coiling in Penny's gut, and she coughs to hide a smile.

Their boss looks at Sheldon distastefully. "I imagine not, Dr. Cooper. Dr. Hofstadter. Penny, it was a pleasure." Unfortunately, it lays bare the open wound. They all wear their titles and last names as badges of honor (except for Howard with his Master's degree), but she is only Penny to them, a wannabe actress with a waitressing job at The Cheesecake Factory and a tiny bit of community college. She doesn't even know why she came since she has no business at this departmental dinner for the guys and she doesn't have anything to add to the conversation.

She is uncharacteristically quiet at dinner, a fact Leonard finally remarks on during the dessert course. All eyes from his colleagues rest on her, but she freezes on the spot. Sheldon opens his mouth, and Penny prepares herself for a scathing comment about her lack of intelligence; instead, he brings up his current research, eliciting a sarcastic remark from Leslie Winkle. The warm feeling of gratitude is not usually one she associates with Sheldon, but it doesn't stop her from mouthing her thanks the next time Sheldon looks her way. He gives her a curious, confused glance before he turns his attention back to the point he is making.

She escapes after dessert and before coffee, kissing Leonard on the cheek and saying goodbye to the guys. She only makes it to the bottom stair of their landing before she sits down and thinks about the general state of her life. She wants to cry at her loser status; she's only 22 and yet she has nothing to show for it while being surrounded by super-successful scientists with letters after their names. She's never been so tempted to call her parents and give in on the grand acting experiment. Not much time passes and Sheldon shuffles up the stairs. He sticks his key in the door as he takes in her dejected appearance. "Did you try to put your car key in your front door again?"

"No," she says, wondering why Sheldon always shows up when she's at her worst. The floodgates open and Penny sobs all her troubles out to a bemused Sheldon, concluding, "And Leonard couldn't even remember my last name when he introduced me to your boss."

Sheldon snorts. "I wouldn't worry about it. He's not even a real scientist."

"Yeah, on a scale of 1 to 10, that's a negative 3 for helpfulness," Penny says, already regretting the conversation.

"Did you want help?" Sheldon asks obliviously. "Leonard is a lot better at that."

"Well, he's not here, is he?"

"No, he went with Wolowitz to Koothrappali's apartment to settle an argument about Professor X." After a beat, Sheldon's eyes light up with disappointment. "Oh, sarcasm. Darn, I thought I was getting the hang of it."

Penny sniffles, but something about Sheldon's eternal cluelessness cheers her up a little. "I rest my case. It looks like I'm stuck with you." She would never dare to say something like that to any of the other three, but she allows herself more liberties with Sheldon. In fact, sometimes she says outrageous things just to test her theory about his heart – not that she's really had any results to speak of.

He barely blinks at her statement. "There, there." The pat he offers should be comforting yet she finds it awkward and uncertain.

"Sheldon, just go. I'll work it out myself."

For once, Sheldon doesn't run away from her in gratitude. "Look, Penny," he says, ill at ease. "Memaw always totld me that there are only two kinds of people who count, one is wheat and the other is emeralds." Every word sounds like it is being pulled out of him with a torture device.

"So you think I'm grainy?" It's the most nonsensical thing she's ever heard him say including all the scientific gibberish he spouts. Her throat feels tights as she gazes at him.

He rolls his eyes and turns away, clearly done with the conversation. "If we're done, you may wait inside for Leonard with me. I believe I'll make tea."

His non-answer isn't enough for Penny who thinks she might explode from all the events of the night. "Would your Memaw see me as wheat?"

Sheldon scoffs at the question. "Memaw didn't actually coin the phrase," he informs her. "It was Edna Ferber, an American author who won a Pulitzer."

At her wit's end, Penny snaps, "Sheldon!"

He blinks at her irritation. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters."

Sheldon pushes his way through his front door, not bothering to hold it open for Penny. "No, it doesn't. One is necessary for survival and the other is beautiful, both are priceless. In fact, many cultures consider wheat . . ."

Whatever many cultures consider wheat to be is lost on Penny because Sheldon has given her something to think about. Surprisingly, she thinks Sheldon's words might have been a compliment underneath all the veiled contempt. She remembers the day that Sheldon fired Raj as his friend and kept her instead, shocking them all to the core. She sees Raj standing in a hallway, listening to her ramble about Sheldon's invasion of privacy and giving her the chance to see that she was being unfair. Even Howard has his moments. And then there's Leonard who has always supported her without prejudice. Honestly, whether or not the acting thing never goes anywhere, Penny can't imagine her life without the guys and whether she's their wheat or their emerald doesn't matter. She thinks she's made their lives better and she knows that they've made her life better in a lot of ways.

"Penny, one lump or two?" Sheldon asks, oblivious to her thoughts, but for the first time in hours, she grins at Sheldon with one of her luminous smiles.

"Why didn't you go with Leonard?" she asks, taking the tea from him. Sheldon rambles on further about Professor X and Penny knows she wouldn't trade her life in Los Angeles for anything.