Disclaimer: Big Bang Theory characters and likenesses owned by NBC and Chuck Lorre Productions.

Chapter 1

To: lhofstadter
From: queenpenelope
Dear Leonard,
I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore. I've left your spare key in your mailbox. Please tell everyone I'm sorry. Please don't try to contact me.
-Penny

Leonard stared at the computer screen dumbfounded. He wasn't sure what to do. Had Penny moved out of her apartment in the middle of the night? He laid his head on his desk and sighed. It was his fault she left. He didn't even notice that Sheldon had come home.

"Leonard, is there something wrong?"

"Sheldon," Leonard said as he lifted his head, "Penny's gone."

"Don't be absurd. The most likely scenario is that she's at the mall buying shoes she can't afford."

"No, Sheldon. I mean it, she's gone. She moved out last night."

"She's supposed to take me to the comic book store today." Sheldon stated and promptly went over to Penny's apartment.

Knock, knock, knock…

"Penny,"

Knock, knock, knock…

"Penny,"

Knock, knock, knock…

The door opened and a man stood there staring at Sheldon.

"Penny," Sheldon whispered as he looked around the short, stout man and saw that Penny's things were packed up.

"What do you want? The girl who lived here moved. I'm the moving guy."

"Obviously," Sheldon remarked, "May I inquire of her new address?"

"What?" the man asked looking confused.

"Oh, good Lord," Sheldon rolled his eyes in disbelief, "May I have her new address?"

"Look, buddy. I can't tell you that information."

Sheldon drew his lips into a thin line and quickly walked away from apartment 4B. When he got back across the hall, Leonard still had his head on his desk. Sheldon practically slammed the door as he walked in and startled Leonard.

"Leonard, will you drive me to the comic book store?" Sheldon inquired rather sharply.

"I have to do some work in the lab. That's why Penny was going to take you. Remember?"

"Then, who is going to take me to the comic book store? Why would she tell me she was going to take me and then move out?" He said clearly vexed as he sat in his spot and reached for the phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"I'm calling Raj. Someone has to take me to the comic book store."

Later that night…

"Dude, are you okay? You've barely said two words to me. You usually make me play a car game." Raj asked Sheldon.

"Stop speaking nonsense, Raj. I'm fine. I am not in the mood to make idle conversation."

"Just admit that you miss Penny. We all miss her."

"I don't miss Penny. I don't miss her barging into our apartment. I don't miss her stealing our milk. I don't miss her eating take out with us. I do not miss Penny!"

"Okay, dude. Clearly you don't miss her." Raj said as he parked the car near the comic book store.

Sheldon immediately got out of the car and waited while Raj put change in the parking meter. He watched as Raj put enough change in for 2 hours plus a few minutes for the walk to the store. It would be sufficient time to find a new comic book, as he always perused through every single one of them to make sure he did not miss one.

Raj and Sheldon were rifling through the comic books when Sheldon heard shuffled footsteps next to him. He did not have to look up to know who was standing there.

"Hello, Stuart." Sheldon said, seemingly annoyed that the comic book store owner was standing in his personal space.

"Sheldon... So, I heard that Penny moved out."

At the mention of her name, Sheldon tensed. Raj shook his head "no" trying to stop Stuart from saying anything else, but Stuart was clueless.

"It seems news travels expeditiously." Sheldon retorted.

"So, it's true? She left and didn't tell you guys where she was going." Stuart looked slightly amused.

"Yes, she moved out and did not leave a forwarding address," Sheldon peered over at Stuart as he answered, "Why do you care? She wasn't your friend."

Stuart appeared surprised by Sheldon's harsh remark and left him alone.

"Dude, what was that all about?" Raj interjected, "That was kind of mean. No, wait. That was really mean."

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Sheldon replied as he found a comic book he did not already own, "I was simply stating a fact. Penny was not friends with Stuart. At the very least, not the kind of friends I thought..."

Sheldon trailed off as he was about to say things he didn't want to say to Raj or any of their friends for that matter.

"What? You didn't finish your thought."

"It was nothing. I'm ready to go home now."