He was downstairs in his lab, as he was so often now. The faint sounds of ringing metals and cries of ire had become white noise during the night time. I don't think he ever slept. He couldn't. If he slept, that meant he would be giving up, if only for a few hours.

And Doctor Horrible did not give up. Or so I thought.

Maybe he didn't. Maybe there was some plan he had made that required it, that he knew would work. Maybe it was the only way he saw he could make it back to her. Maybe.

I laid awake in bed, aware of the soaking sheets that had been dry just an hour before. No matter what I did I couldn't sleep. I had tried counting sheep, money, the seconds between metal clanks from the floor below, nothing seemed to be working for me that night. Instead I lay, tossing, trying to find that one comfortable spot with no avail. Suddenly things were silent.

I sat up, realizing that this couldn't be right. He never stopped working. But soon there was the quiet creak of the basement door and footsteps, growing louder as I traced them in my mind to the bedside. A warm gloved hand fell on my shoulder, moving back and forth in gentle motions.

"Moist, buddy. Wake up. I need to talk to you."

"I'm already awake, Doc. What's up?" I relaxed onto my elbow, looking at the bright white coat, illuminated in the darkness.

"I… I just, I don't know. I've been trying to get this to work, but it's not . I can't think of a way to get her back, Moist. I just can't. I've tried everything, I haven't slept in days, I'm starting to smell like you and nothing is working. I mean, there's one thing but I don't know…"

"Dude, you're Doctor Horrible. Who has a PHD in Horribleness?"

"…Me…."

"And who is in the league? Who sits at bad horse's right hoof?"

"…Me again..."

"You can do it, dude. Just do whatever you gotta do. You'll get Penny back, you know it. I mean what is death anyway? Something that the status quo says you can't come back from and…"

"The status quo is definitely not quo."

"Exactly!" I patted him on the shoulder, smiling reassurance to him. "You'll do it buddy. I know you will. Don't let me down." I heard the rustle of clothing and a bare hand ran down my face, resting between my neck and shoulder. It was freezing against my warm skin, relaxing and familiar.

"I love you man, you know that?"

"Of course, Billy. I love you too." I placed my hand over his, fingers curling slightly over the cold white marble.

"I'll do you proud, buddy. I will."

"You go get her back, you hear?" His neon white teeth appeared, and for the first time I could see that he was cracking a smile. It wasn't just a smile, it was a full-blown grin, pulling his cheeks back to his ears. It was so rare that he smiled nowadays, I could sense the real Billy in the room, warming it up.

"I will. Thanks." He removed his hand from my neck and left, forgetting his glove on my bedside. I laid back down and closed my eyes, as awake as ever. The door creaked shut to his lab, complete silence following once again. With a sigh I rolled over, settling into my pillow as something broke the silence. A single gunshot, a thud, and then nothing.

For the first time in months I could hear the clock ticking in the kitchen, the crickets chirping in the grass outside my window, could see the stars just above my bedroom ceiling. Peace had taken over the house once again, and I was finally able to drift off to sleep.