Author's note: The series continues with this season 7, episode 12. The series doesn't reset, but follows the show's story sequence.
*
With the holidays behind them, the four nerds began focusing on what was important, technology. They were gathered together having dinner, and Amy joined them. All four of them were actively scanning their phones; each individually ignoring one another.
Amy had a meal too, but was taking in their avoidance to intermingle, "This is nice, that we all get to eat together."
They all agreed, but continued scanning their phones.
She was getting upset, "Can we maybe put the phones down and have an actual conversation?"
Sheldon continued reading the info on his phone, "We can, but thanks to Steve Jobs, we don't have to."
Penny came bursting into the room, "Guys, you're never gonna believe this."
Leonard was still paying attention to his phone, but replied, "What happened?"
"I just got a part on a TV show!"
He finally perked up, "That's great!"
But Sheldon, Howard and Raj were still too busy to reply.
He turned to the other three, "Guys!"
Howard looked up, "Oh yeah"
Sheldon and Raj looked up, "Yay, Penny!"
Amy put her dinner down, "What's the show?"
"Ah, NCII, or, you know, NCSTD-, I don't know, it's....it's the one with all the letters and I'm gonna be on it!"
Leonard jumped up and hugged her, "That's amazing!"
She hugged him back, "Yeah!"
Howard chimed in, "What's the part?"
"I play a customer in a diner and I flirt with Mark Harmon."
Raj chuckled, "Ohh, Mark Harmon, he's a dreamboat."
Leonard turned back to her, "So it's just flirting?"
"Well, yeah, why?"
"No reason, I just think it's sexier when things are left to the imagination."
Amy turned to Sheldon and looked up at him, "He's wrong."
The next evening the guys are at the Cheesecake Factory having dinner and Penny was waiting on them. She hands Sheldon his iced tea, "Hey guys, don't forget, my episode's on TV tomorrow night."
Howard looked up at her, "We'll be there."
Raj added, "Can we bring anything?"
"Oh, that's so sweet, but I was gonna steal food from here. You know; my treat."
That evening they were all huddled around Leonard's TV to watch NCIS. Leonard squeezed Penny's arm, "I'm so proud of you"
"We haven't even gotten to my scene yet."
"I know, but you're going to be a TV star and you haven't left me yet. That takes guts."
Penny grabbed the remote and turned up the volume, "Guys, guys, this is it."
On the TV screen Tony's talking, "I guess it's just you and me, kid."
Gibbs replied, "What are you doing?"
The woman on the screen replied, "I'm trying to make peace."
Gibbs smiled at her, "We're good."
The woman replied, "Good."
Penny's face was solemn, "Are you kidding me?"
Leonard stared at her, "What's wrong?"
"Well, the diner scene. Where's my diner scene? No, there was supposed to be a big scene with me and Mark Harmon, but it's .....gone."
Bernadette asked her, "What happened?"
"They must've cut it"
Leonard looked up at her, "Oh, Penny, I'm.....I'm sorry."
She was devastated, "This doesn't make any sense. I mean, I......I thought I did a really good job, I...." She looked around and saw everyone staring at her, "Excuse me!" She got up and ran out of the apartment.
Later that evening she was in her apartment speaking to her father on the phone, "No, Dad, I don't think they cut me out of the show because I was too pretty. No, I don't need you to come out here and kick Mark Harmon's ass." Leonard silently entered her apartment and she was still on the phone, "Daddy, I gotta go, I love you, bye!"
Leonard closed the door, "How you doing?"
She groaned, "This is such a disaster. My parents had all my relatives over. They got one of those six-foot sandwiches, and got my brother a day pass out of rehab and now he's missing and the sandwich is missing, and......They're probably in Mexico by now; so humiliating!"
He sat down beside her, "You still got the part. That's a huge accomplishment."
"But this was supposed to be my break, okay? People were gonna see me in this show and it was gonna lead to bigger things. More auditions, more parts. Now none of that's gonna happen."
"Honey, you only had three lines. That wasn't gonna happen anyway."
She raised her head from her hands and stared at him with a look that could kill, she screamed out, "Unbelievable!"
"Oh, come on. That's not what I meant."
She stood up and walked away, "Then what did you mean?"
"I don't---You know, words don't always have to mean things."
"I think you meant that you don't believe in me."
He replied quickly, "Nope, Uh-huh! I might not know what I meant, but I know that I didn't mean that. Not this guy. Oh, no way!"
She came over and stood beside him, "I want you, right now, to give me your 100 percent honest opinion. Do you think I have what it takes to really make it as an actress?"
He replied really fast, "Yes!"
"So you think I'll be on TV and in movies and win awards."
"Honestly?"
She nodded, "Yes, honestly."
He looked up and replied softly, "I don't."
She was pissed, "How could you say that?"
"I don't know---I got all confused when you said "honestly. Look, do I think that you are talented and that you are beautiful? Of course I do. But isn't Los Angeles full of actresses who are just as talented, just as beautiful?" She gave him a dirty look, "We'll come back to that."
She held up her hand, "No, please, don't stop, go on! Tell me how I'm gonna be a waitress for the rest of my life."
"That is not what I said. Look, I think you're really good. I truly do. But this is an incredibly hard thing that you're shooting for. I mean, the odds on anyone becoming a successful actor are like a million to one."
She rolled her eyes and replied quietly, "Wow, thank you." She hurried off to her bedroom leaving him alone in her kitchen.
The next evening Penny was sitting on her sofa watching TV and finishing off her second bottle of wine. She was talking to the TV, "You didn't get your part cut. " She changed the channel, "And you didn't get your part cut." She changed the channel again, "Yep, bunch of old guys rocking out in a band, all with erectile dysfunction; you didn't get your part cut!"
There was a knock on her door and Leonard entered, "Hey, can we talk?"
"We can, but the part of Penny might get cut."
He closed the door, "That was pretty crappy of me. What you're trying to do is hard, but people do make it, and I really do believe you could be one of them."
She quietly replied, "Thank you."
He wasn't getting anywhere so he gave her a hug and left her alone. He went back to his apartment and got on his phone and called a florist, "How much for a hundred long-stemmed, red roses?" He listened, "Really? How much for three?"
All of a sudden his door opened and Penny came in with another glass of wine in her hand. She peaked in, "Hey."
He was talking on the phone, "Yeah, I'll call you back." He hung up and stood up.
She closed the door behind her, "Look, I know you were just trying to help. Anyway.....I was just upset with myself. I wasn't mad at you. I just feel like everything is falling apart."
He hurried over to her, "Come on, it's okay."
She turned away from him, "No, it's not okay. Look at me, okay? I took a temp job as a waitress forever ago, and I'm still doing it. I can't quit, because guess what? I can't do anything else. And I finally get my big break, and it goes away! I'm such a mess."
Leonard knew she already had too much to drink, "No, you're not."
She turned and looked at him, "Really 'cause this morning at Starbucks, a pair of old underwear fell out of my pant leg! And it wasn't the only one in there"
He tried to temper things, "Okay, listen to me, this is just a minor setback."
"No, it's not, okay? I've been out here for, like, ten years! I've nothing to show for it!"
He stepped beside her and in a low voice he replied, "Well, you have me."
She suddenly realized what he was saying and she nodded, "You're right." She planted her hand on his shoulder, "I do have you." She smiled at him, "Mmmm, let's get married."
He was shocked and wasn't sure what she said, "What?"
She put her glass on his coffee table, knelt down before him and grabbing his hands, she looked up at him. She giggled and smiled up at him, a little woozy, "Whoo! Leonard Hofstadter....... will you marry me?"
He stared down at her, knowing she was drunk, but didn't know what to say, he replied, "Ummm......"
She glared up at him, "Did you seriously just say, ""Um"?
He grabbed her hands, she was still on her knees, "Look, you know I love you, but you're....you're drunk and sad and feeling lost----"
She cut him off and rose to her feet, "Okay, so you don't want to marry me?!" She threw her hands up, totally pissed off.
"That is not what I said."
She spat out, "No, forget it! I take it back! Offer's off the table!" She raced for the door, "I'm gonna go,"