"Hey guys, have you seen Sheldon?"

Leonard entered the apartment in which Raj and Howard had already let themselves into.

"He left work early, which is completely unheard of and he's not answering his cell, Twitter or Facebook."

Howard and Raj exchanged a glance and let out a laugh.

"Okay, so what's the joke?"

Raj giggled into his beer and Howard turned to face Leonard, his mouth twitching back into a smile.

"Okay, so...don't stress but Sheldon has had a bit of a freak out."

Leonard helped himself to a beer from the pack that Howard had brought and flopped himself down in his chair.

"So, what's new? Sheldon has a freak out about four times a day."

"Yeah, you have not seen a freak out like this one before, dude" Raj spluttered.

"Oh, man, what did you do?" Leonard was well used to the guys winding up Sheldon. Hell, he sometimes joined in and even occasionally started it. Sheldon could be too easy and too irritating to resist sometimes. Today however, Leonard had had a particularly difficult day at work, missed his dinner and spent half-an-hour after work looking for Sheldon to give him his usual lift home, only to be told that Sheldon had taken the rest of the day off. He was not in the mood for having to deal with one of Sheldon's 'freak-outs', which would inevitably become his problem to solve.

"We told him that Stuart has been forced to close the comic store."

"Stuart's been forced to close the comic book store?!" Leonard sat up straighter.

"Dude, you're as gullible as Sheldon!" Raj's laughter was getting more out of control by the second.

"Oh no." Leonard shut his eyes. "So Sheldon thinks the comic book store is closing?"

"Not only that" Howard's grin had become broader. "We told him that the council are thinking of opening up a strip joint to replace it... so Sheldon has gone down to County Hall to fight his case. He has a speech prepared and everything!"

Raj collapsed into hysterical laughter and Howard joined him.

Leonard wordlessly rose himself from the chair and reached for his car keys.

"Hey, what's your problem? I thought we were getting a takeaway?" Howard followed Leonard to the door.

Leonard turned round. "You know what guys? Sometimes we just go too far with Sheldon."

"Too far? How is this too far?" Howard looked bemused and slightly hurt by Leonard's outburst.

"Guys...he's a human being"

"Well, I think that's up for debate" Howard mumbled.

"Hearing that somewhere that means so much to him is closing..."

"Somewhere that means so much to him? Dude, he needs to get his priorities sorted." Raj replied.

"You just don't get it." Leonard actually looked angry. "The comic store may just be a shop to us, somewhere we enjoy going. If we heard it was closing we'd be upset, right?"

"Sure...but we wouldn't freak out like Sheldon"

"No! We wouldn't." Leonard's voice became softer. "He feels things differently to us, guys. For us it's a comic book store. To Sheldon it's part of his routine, tonight is New Comic Book Night-and his routine is his life. "

"...but that's so lame" Howard interjected.

"To us! Not to him! I have to live with the guy, do you not think he drives me beyond crazy with his rules, lists, routines? The freaking Friendship Agreement? I'm not a saint, I flip out at him but at the end of the day... he's my best friend. I don't want to hurt him."

With that, he left the two men in a confused silence before shutting the door firmly behind him.

Leonard found Sheldon on the steps of County Hall, a piece of paper in his hands, shivering slightly. Leonard sighed, thankful that Sheldon had left his coat in the car on the way to work that morning. Parking the car and reaching over for Sheldon's coat. He saw Sheldon glance up at the car and then back down at the floor.

"Hey buddy."

Sheldon didn't reply. Leonard sighed and sat down next to Sheldon on the step. He passed Sheldon his coat. Sheldon took it but didn't put it on.

"Sheldon, it's freezing."

There was a brief silence.

"Did you know?"

"Know what, Sheldon?"

"Know that Wolowitz and Koothrappali were planning on humiliating me."

Leonard moved slightly closer to Sheldon. "I swear Sheldon, I didn't. If I did I would have stopped them."

Sheldon nodded. "I hoped you'd say that. After all Starsky would never trick Hutch. Samwise Gamgee would never hurt Frodo. Robin would never defy Batm..."

"Okay, Sheldon. I get it. Put your coat on."

"Thank you."

"Anyway, why am I always the side kick to your hero?"

"Oh, I think that's grossly unfair, Leonard."

"Well, thank you."

"Starsky and Hutch weren't each others side-kicks. They had equal billing. Starsky AND Hutch. If anything, you would be Huggy Bear."

Leonard sighed but decided it was best to leave the conversation alone. "Why are you sitting out here Sheldon?" He shifted slightly to warm himself "It's freezing."

Sheldon flung the coat over his shoulders and sighed dramatically. "I was thrown out."

"Thrown out? Oh no, Sheldon...I don't have to get a lawyer again do I?"

"No. They completely over-reacted."

"They over reacted? What did you do?"

"Well, with the false facts presented to me earlier in the day, I wrote a stirring and forceful speech to change the moronic, over-paid local councillors mind."

"Did you use the words moronic and over-paid in your speech?" Leonard asked exasperatingly.

"Yes. To get their attention."

"Did it work?"

"Clearly."

Leonard sighed and looked at his friend. Sheldon played with the corners of his speech.

"I'm sorry buddy."

"I should have realised they were tricking me."

"They just got you where it hurt, Sheldon. You knee-jerked."

"I did. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For being me."

Leonard's stomach lurched slightly. He put a hand on Sheldon's shoulder.

"Don't apologise for that, Sheldon."

Sheldon flinched slightly at Leonard's hand but didn't insist that he remove it.

"Raj and Howard didn't mean it." Leonard said after a moment "They like you a lot, buddy. We all do. They just went too far. They can be idiots sometimes...but it doesn't mean they actually wanted to hurt you."

Leonard thought he saw Sheldon nod slightly.

"So, how about we get back? Chinese night?"

After a minute, Sheldon shrugged nonchalantly.

"Absolutely. You're right, Leonard. I shouldn't be apologising. I'm a remarkable human being. You're lucky to have me for a friend."

Leonard rolled his eyes, "And welcome back, Sheldon."

"Still..." Sheldon rose himself off the step. "You should take comfort that it takes somebody who is at least slightly remarkable to be friends with me."

Leonard smiled slightly and started walking towards the car, "Thank you, Sheldon."

"For what?"

"That's the closest I'm ever going to get to a compliment from you."

"So, as my friend..." Sheldon stood up and stumbled slightly to the passenger, "I hereby anoint you as co inventor of the Revenge Plot on Howard and Raj."

"Oh, Sheldon...no!"

"Don't make me get out the Friendship Agreement..."