Disclaimer:
I don't own The Big Bang Theory.
A/N:
This story will be an AU and OOC and will start in 2010. I got this idea during Memorial Day in my country and the fact that it's true to a lot of people in a lot of countries around the world.
This story did not happen to me.
The story will revolve around dealing with loss and how affect someone. If it's a trigger to anyone who decides to read this story, please do it carefully.
I am no expert on any subject or topic that may come up in this story. I'm using my creativity, I channel my own feelings from different experiences and I read a lot as I write about the topics I write about, but I am no expert and I do not have any certificate that says that I am, so please don't use my story as any formal thing.
I have no intention of offending anyone with my story.
Chapter 1:
Sheldon was coming out of his room after he half of the morning in his room and went straight to his desk and wore his windbreaker and put his wallet and his phone and put them in his pockets.
"Where are you going?" Leonard said from his desk and expected Sheldon to tell him he needs a ride.
"Out." Sheldon said without looking at Leonard and went to grab his keys and got out of the apartment.
"Will you – " Leonard started but before he finished the sentence, Sheldon was already out the door and went down the stairs.
"Come back for dinner?" Leonard asked behind the door and sighed heavily at Sheldon's peculiar behavior, but kept on working.
By now Leonard have learnt that at times it is better to let Sheldon be… well, Sheldon.
Leonard tried to get back to work, but something about Sheldon's behavior kept nudging him. He thought about the past week and he started to notice that Sheldon has been acting weirder than usual in the past week.
He tried to think of anything that he may have missed.
Maybe it's his birthday? Leonard thought. He still didn't know when that was.
Leonard tried to think about Sheldon's behavior a year ago around that time. it was really vague to him and he couldn't really remember how he was last year around this time, but he was still about worried about him.
Dinner time arrived and so did the rest of the group, but there was no sign of Sheldon.
"Where did he go?" Raj asked Leonard.
"I don't know. he didn't say. He only said he was going out when I asked him and left." Leonard said and looked at his phone to see if Sheldon answered his message, but he didn't.
"Who cares? We have a free night from Sheldon. Let's enjoy it." Howard took some more rice from his food.
"Howie!" Bernadette glanced at him and he looked at her confused.
"What? for one night we don't have to hear him complain about the food, our eating habits or that the rice is not in the correct shape." Howard shrugged and kept on eating.
The rest of the group just rolled their eyes at Howard's comment and kept eating. After a few moments Raj broke the silence all of a sudden.
"You said he was in a foul mood all week?" Raj asked Leonard again.
"Yes."
"And wasn't he like that around this time last year?" Raj tried again.
"I tried to remember but nothing came up. Why do you remember something?"
"Yes. I asked him if he wanted to go to a movie with me and he lectured me about how it is not the right time to go to the movies and that I should be ashamed of myself and that by now I should know better than go to the movies in that time of year, unlike people who goes to the movies and shopping." Raj shrugged.
"What did he mean by 'that time of year'?" Penny asked.
"I don't… wait… I think it was the week of Memorial Day…" Raj said and Leonard quickly grabbed his phone and looked at the calendar.
"Oh my god. Yes. tomorrow is Memorial Day." Leonard said with a heavy sigh.
"Did he lose someone in war or a military operation?" Bernadette asked.
"I don't think so… his dad passed away when he was 14 from due to some weight problems. His grandfather also passed away when he was 5, but I don't remember the cause. I do know that it wasn't in a military operation." Leonard tried to think of some connection from all the information he gathered.
"How about his brother? Or maybe someone was in a military operation?" Bernadette tried.
"Brother's alive and he never said anything about someone who was in the army." Leonard thought hard.
"I guess you could ask him…" Bernadette suggested and it was clear she still don't know Sheldon well enough, a thing that Howard pointed out.
"You're sweet…" Howard chuckle sarcastically.
"What?" Bernadette wondered.
"Sheldon doesn't like to talk about his feelings, let alone private stuff. We don't even know when his birthday is." Penny explained.
"So how come Leonard know all the things he mentioned." Bernadette insisted.
"Mostly anecdotes and things he mentioned from time to time, but he never had a deep conversation with any of us about his past." Raj said.
Just as Raj finished talking, they heard footsteps in going up stairs and then they heard Sheldon's keys in the door.
"Hey." Everyone said.
"Hello." Sheldon said back without looking at anyone and went straight to his desk and put his things on the chair at his desk.
"How was it… outside?" Howard asked Sheldon who glared at him for a moment and then grabbed phone from his desk.
"Fine." Sheldon answered shortly. He then went straight to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water and went to his room and stayed there for the rest of the evening.
Once everyone left, Leonard knocked gently on Sheldon's door.
"Buddy, are you okay?" Leonard asked gently, but Sheldon didn't reply.
After a few moments of silence Leonard decided to let Sheldon be.
"Okay… well, I'm right in the next room if you need me." Leonard said and left for his nightly routine and then turned into bed.
Once Leonard was in his room, Sheldon got out and did his own routine for the night and turned in as well.
That night was one of the toughest nights Sheldon had in many years. The last time he had such a rough night was 8 years ago; that was the last time he had actual trouble sleeping after what happened.
It's been 10 years since then and for Sheldon, the first two years were the toughest, and after that it seems like the dreams morphed into sweet yet sad memories, and at the same time Sheldon started to accept the situation that was forced on him and it showed in his sleeping patterns and in his dreams. He came to terms with what happened, but he wasn't the same.
Sheldon had some tough nights, but eventually he could sleep somewhat okay, but that night was an exception.
He tossed and turned in bed and for the one time he was able to sleep he came back to the horrible day when his whole life turned upside down and he couldn't sleep.
It was 3:30 am when he opened the drawer in his bedside table and took out and old framed photo and caressed it softly.
"I miss you." Sheldon whispered as he looked at the picture and felt the tears falling down his face.
Eventually Sheldon fall asleep hugging the picture as if his life depends on it.
It was 7:00 am when Leonard knocked on Sheldon's door. He wasn't used to Sheldon being asleep at this time of day. Not even when it's a day off.
"Sheldon, are you alright?" Leonard asked, but didn't get an answer.
He was getting more and more worried about his friend and opened the door to Sheldon's room and saw his friend sleeping soundly. At a second glance Leonard noticed that Sheldon was hugging a picture frame.
That's odd. Leonard thought, but before he had any time to do something else – being it getting out of the room or waking Sheldon up – Sheldon stirred and woke up by himself.
"What are you doing here?" Sheldon berated Leonard.
"I… I was worried about you… I saw that you didn't wake up so I came to check on you. Is everything alright? You are worrying me." Leonard said, a little scared of Sheldon's reaction.
"I'm fine. you should have knocked." Sheldon said as he tightened his grip on the picture frame and sat in his bed.
"I did. you didn't answer. Sheldon, are you sire you're okay?" Leonard tried once again.
"Why are pressing this? I told you I'm fine." Sheldon huffed, but a single tear escaped from his eyes.
"Because this past week you've been more isolated than ever, you barely hang out with us…" Leonard said quietly.
"Look… I appreciate the concern, but everything is fine. it's just some personal stuff. It will pass." Sheldon tried to calm his friend down without getting into specifics.
"Okay. but I'm right here if you want to talk." Leonard said and left Sheldon alone.
Sheldon sat in his bed, looking at the picture in his hand.
"What do you think? should I talk to him?" He asked the person in the picture, but the person only smiled back at him. the same smile he missed so much, but Sheldon played the conversation between them anyway.
"Yeah. He is a good person. I hope it won't drag out more teasing from them." Sheldon said and sighed.
"I guess it's time." Sheldon said and got out of bed with the picture frame, the picture facing his chest.
"Leonard, can we talk?" Sheldon asked his friend who was watching a show.
"Of course. Is this about what's bothering you?" Leonard asked.
"Yes."
"Does it have to do with the picture you're holding?"
Sheldon only nodded.
In that moment Penny entered the apartment.
"Hey. What are you guys doing?" Penny asked as she went to grab a drink.
Sheldon looked at Leonard with pleading eyes and Leonard immediately took matters to his own hands.
"We are actually working on something. Do you mind coming back later?" Leonard asked with a smile.
"Okay." Penny said once she saw how Sheldon looked. She could tell that whatever is going on there, it has nothing to do with work and has everything to do with whatever it is that makes Sheldon upset.
Once Penny left the apartment, Leonard went to lock the door and sat back in the white chair.
"Are you okay?" He asked Sheldon who was holding the picture even tighter.
"Yes. Thank you."
There was a tense silence that eventually Sheldon broke.
"Leonard you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone what I am about to tell you. Especially not to Penny." Sheldon looked at Leonard with fire in his eyes, something that Leonard never saw from him.
"I promise." Leonard said, trying to convey Sheldon that he could trust him.
Sheldon took a deep breath and lowered the picture frame and showed the person in the picture to Leonard.
There was a young woman there, not over 18. She had green-blue eyes and a long light brown hair, with round face.
"She's pretty. Is that your sister when she was younger?" Leonard asked, even though he doubted that Sheldon would keep a picture of his sister so close to him, let alone sleep with it.
"She wishes." Sheldon said bitterly.
"No. This… is… Elizabeth Kremer."
Silence.
Leonard looked at Sheldon more confused than ever before.
"She…" Sheldon faltered.
"She was my girlfriend."
A/N:
Hey everyone. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story. I wanted to say thank you for keeping up with my stories and for not giving up on me.
I did not forget about the rest of my stories, but I really needed to write this story, at least the beginning of it down, and I hope you will enjoy it and I would love to read your thoughts.