Penny X Sherman

Man, that's a deep-cut pairing. Honestly, I rarely see 'Muppets Most Wanted' fics crossing over with anything else. The search is basically its own weird little treasure hunt, but that's kind of the fun.

My first stop is always Archive of Our Own. Use the character tags for Penny Patterson and the Sherman, but you'll have to get creative with the fandom tag. Try filtering for 'The Muppets' or 'Muppets Most Wanted' fandom, then sort by kudos or comments. Sometimes people tag crossovers under both fandoms, but often it's just under the more dominant one. The Sherlock Holmes fandom tags might also yield something if someone wrote the Sherman as a proper detective 'verse story.

If AO3 is a bust, fanfiction.net might have older crossovers. The search function is a nightmare, though. You might have better luck on smaller, specific fandom forums if they still exist. Tumblr could be a source for links or prompts, but finding actual finished stories there is harder.

I actually found a short one last year where Penny and the Sherman team up to solve a mystery in the 'BBC Sherlock' universe. It was weirdly in-character for both. The author had them riffing off each other's obsessions perfectly.

A lot of fics I've read focus on the romance angle, which is great, but the friendship potential is honestly what I keep returning for. It's less about the will-they-won't-they and more about two people who fundamentally understand each other's weirdness when no one else does. I remember a fic where Sherman helped Penny build a radio from scratch, and the whole thing was just pages of them troubleshooting and joking around, no big declarations. That quiet competence and shared focus felt more intimate than a lot of kiss scenes I've read.

It also allows for a different kind of vulnerability. Penny can be fiercely independent, but with Sherman, she can admit when she's stuck or scared without it feeling like a weakness. Conversely, Sherman's idealism gets grounded by her pragmatism. Their friendship isn't a stepping stone to romance; it's the bedrock the whole thing is built on, which makes any eventual shift in feelings feel earned and real.

Honestly, it took me forever to find Penny x Sherman fics that aren't just about the initial crush or comedic bickering. The emotional growth arcs are surprisingly sparse. I'd point you toward a longfic called 'Static and Signal.' It's a post-series story where Sherman struggles with the reality of a civilian, non-hero life, and Penny has to navigate her feelings without her usual confidence. It's less about grand declarations and more about small, painful steps—like Sherman learning to accept help, or Penny realizing love isn't something you can 'win' like a mission. The character voices are spot-on, especially Penny's internal monologue when she's overthinking.

There's another one, 'Circuit Breaker,' that's darker but worth it. It deals with Penny coping with the trauma from the finale and Sherman's guilt over not being able to physically protect her. The growth is messy; they both say the wrong thing and have to rebuild. It doesn't have a neatly happy ending, but it feels earned. I remember tearing up when Sherman finally admits he's scared of her getting hurt because of him, not for him.

I'm so glad somebody else ships Penny and Sherman! Their dynamic has so much untapped potential for adventure, way more than just classroom scenes. Most fics lean into the 'awkward crush' angle, which is cute, but I get a bigger kick out of stories that throw them into a crisis together. One I keep rereading is 'Signal Lost' on AO3, where a school trip to the natural history museum goes sideways—think power outage, escaped exhibit specimens, the whole deal. It's them navigating dark halls, Sherman using his encyclopedic knowledge to identify threats, and Penny's practical, stubborn bravery keeping them moving.

It's not just about danger, though. The teamwork comes from them compensating for each other's weaknesses. Sherman overthinking a plan while Penny just grabs his hand and says 'Run now, think later.' That friction turning into a solid rhythm is the core of it for me. I've seen a few crossovers too, like a 'Stranger Things' AU where they're the party members stuck in the Upside Down, which hits that same note of relying on each other in a weird, hostile environment.

Honestly, the best adventure fics for them feel like a modern-day 'Goonies' but with more brainy banter.

Look, I'm gonna be real—most of the Penny x Sherman stuff I've seen leans way too hard on the obvious 'Sherman gets hurt, Penny nurses him back to health and they confess their feelings' trope. It's fine once, but it's everywhere. The more interesting angle, to me, is exploring the sheer logistical weirdness of their dynamic. He's a literal dog who became a boy. Does he still have instincts? Does he remember being a dog? I read one where Penny tried to teach him how to ride a bike and he kept trying to herd squirrels instead, and it was hilarious and weirdly sweet. That kind of character-based slice-of-life feels fresher than another adventure-gone-wrong plot.

Another plot I rarely see but crave is a role reversal. What if Penny is the one who needs protection or gets lost in some fantasy world, and Sherman has to step up not just as a brave fighter, but as someone who has to think and plan and communicate without just barking? It'd force him to grow beyond his simple 'good boy' persona, and Penny would have to learn to rely on him in a totally new way. The fics that dig into Sherman's personhood, rather than just making him a human in a dog-boy's body, are the ones that stick with me.

Man, I've been seeing a lot of fics for these two lately, and it's funny because the show itself kinda... didn't go there? But fans have latched onto their dynamic hard. The most obvious trope is the 'Opposites Attract' one, but it's more specific than that. It's usually the 'Logical Skeptic meets Whimsical Believer' setup. Penny, the fact-checker and researcher, constantly having her worldview challenged by Sherman's cryptid-hunting enthusiasm.

I've also noticed a huge number of 'Mutual Pining' or 'They Were Roommates' AUs. Maybe because they already live in that weird apartment/bunker situation? Writers love putting them in scenarios where they're forced to share a bed during a storm on a road trip, or one of them gets hurt and needs patching up. The caretaking trope is strong with this ship. It feels like a very cozy, comfort-ship for a lot of people, less about explosive drama and more about two lonely people finding a home in each other's weirdness.

Looking specifically for Penny x Sherman, you’ll have to dig into fandom-specific spots more than the big general archives. AO3 obviously has the most by volume, but the tagging is kinda messy—sometimes they’re under 'The Amazing World of Gumball', sometimes 'Gumball & Penny', and Sherman only shows up in a fraction of those. The real concentrated stuff I’ve found is on dedicated fan forums from like 2015-2018, before the show ended. There was this one now-defunct forum called CartoonFic that had a whole sub-forum for Gumball pairings, and the Penny/Sherman stories there were weirdly intense, almost like character studies? Mostly lost to link rot now though.

If you’re after sheer quantity, AO3’s your best bet—filter by the 'Penny Fitzgerald' and 'Sherman' character tags, then sort by kudos. But honestly, the best ones aren’t always the most popular. I remember a writer named 'LaserPointer' did a series of missing-scene fics set after 'The Copycats' that nailed their awkward, sweet dynamic. Haven’t seen them post in years.

the way they built the tension through misheard orders and shared umbrella moments was ridiculously good. That story led me to a whole network of writers on Archive of Our Own who tag their work meticulously.

Honestly, your best move is to go to AO3 and use the relationship filter 'Penny/Sheepy'. Sort by kudos or comments to find the community favorites. But don't stop there—some of the most interesting stuff is in the 'unrevealed' collections or tagged as 'inspired by' other fics. I found a fantastic cyberpunk crossover that way, where they were both rogue netrunners. The comment sections there are gold for finding more, because readers will often drop links like 'if you liked this, try...'.

When I tell people about how Mr. Peabody and Sherman first became family, I usually break it into two quick parts: the origin of their father-son bond, and Sherman's later friendship with Penny. In the classic 'Peabody's Improbable History' shorts the adoption is kind of taken for granted—the genius dog, Mr. Peabody, has an adopted human son, Sherman, and their dynamic is already established. The original cartoons don't linger on the paperwork; it's built into the set-up.

The modern take in the movie 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman' leans into the parenting angle more, showing that Peabody raised Sherman from a very young age and taught him everything from manners to how to use the WABAC machine. Sherman meeting Penny happens at school: she’s a classmate who at first doesn’t quite get him, but their relationship grows from rivalry to real friendship. I love how both versions play with found-family themes—Peabody choosing Sherman as his son, and Sherman finding peers like Penny who help him grow. It’s sweet, a little goofy, and very human (or very dog-and-human).

I'd never thought a cartoon about a genius dog and his boy could make me tear up on a Saturday morning, but the way Mr. Peabody and Sherman became family is just one of those quietly perfect things. In the older 'Peabody's Improbable History' shorts (and the spirit that carried into the movie 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'), Peabody isn't just a guardian — he's a mentor, a scientist, and a gentle parental figure who adopts Sherman. Their friendship grows out of everyday life: shared routines, curiosity-driven experiments, breakfast conversations that are equal parts lesson and nonsense, and the kind of trust that forms when someone watches you sleep and still believes in your dreams. Adoption here isn't a one-line plot device; it's the foundation for dozens of small moments that add up to real affection. You can practically feel the couch-sitting, homework-helping, and late-night stargazing that builds their bond.

Sherman and Penny's friendship has a different rhythm. Penny starts out as a classmate who’s caught between teasing and intrigue — the kind of kid who’s popular enough to push people away without realizing the hurt she causes. In the movie, their relationship shifts because Sherman keeps being Sherman: earnest, awkward, and brave in ways that don't require coolness. He doesn’t try to be someone else to win her over; instead, he’s authentic, and that honesty chips away at Penny’s defenses. What really cements their connection is shared experience — specifically, the chaotic, ridiculous, world-bending misadventures you only get from time travel. Facing strange historical figures, getting into trouble, and then helping each other out in sticky situations creates a rapid trust that ordinary school friendships rarely get to test. She learns that Sherman is loyal and kind, and he learns how to stand up for himself a bit more. That mutual growth turns teasing into respect, and respect into a warm, funny friendship.

From my point of view — the kid who paused the scene twenty times to freeze-frame the WABAC machine or to check if Peabody’s goggles were real — both friendships are about acceptance. Mr. Peabody teaches Sherman to love knowledge and himself; Sherman teaches Mr. Peabody to loosen up and enjoy childhood. Penny brings out Sherman's social courage and shows that friendships can grow from messy starts. The charm is in the small, imperfect beats: an awkward apology, an impressive quick fix to a time travel screw-up, a shared laugh after a historical misunderstanding. Those tiny, human moments are what make their relationships feel lived-in and genuine, and they still make me smile whenever I rewatch those scenes.