Strange and Charmed

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Home on the Range...

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Sheldon closes his eyes. Opens them. He knows that this will not make the...creature disappear. But he can hope that in that one instant of time when the universe is destroyed and recreated, that somehow it might see fit to take that...thing back into the void, reduce it to subatomic particles...

No.

The toy is still...looking at him. It is a biological impossibility. It is meant to represent an even-toed ungulate of the subfamily Bovinae. Except that it is grinning. And it has a little sweater.

He reaches out a long-fingered hand, closes it around the interloper upon his keyboard.

"Do you like him?" Penny's voice startles him.

"Penny, this item is neither useful nor aesthetically pleasing, I do not possibly see why..." Then he sees the name appliqued on the sweater.

His startled little snort of laughter, and her giggle.

***

Leonard pauses, stares at Sheldon's desk. The lanky figure remains intent on his screen.

"Sheldon, why have you got a toy bison on your desk?"

Sheldon rolls his eyes.

"That should be obvious, Leonard. Penny bought him for me, and I felt it incumbent upon me to show some consideration for her gift. Besides," (And Leonard is sure that he is hiding a smile,) "she named him Higgs. There may be hope for her yet."