In the second season, Leonard began a relationship with a physician named Stephanie Barnett (Sara Rue). Leonard met Stephanie when Howard picked her up at a bar by telling her she could drive a car on Mars. He then got the Mars Rover stuck. While Sheldon and Raj stay to help him try to fix the problem, Howard asks Leonard to take Stephanie home, where they start making out in his car. The two start seeing each other in secret, while Howard calls her all the time leaving messages asking her to meet his family. Leonard finally goes to Howard's house to tell him what is happening, but right as he goes to say it, Stephanie calls Howard and tells him first. Howard is extremely upset at first, refusing to talk to either of them, until Stephanie says she had a friend for Howard. Although the relationship went well, even earning Sheldon's approval, Leonard felt uncomfortable with Stephanie moving in with him, and the relationship ended.