Thank you everyone for all your reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! Now were going to dive into Leonard's relationship with Lily, and find out a little bit more of what happened eight years ago. Enjoy!

"Yes! In your face!"

"I have got to tell your dad to stop practicing 3D chess with you!"

"Or maybe you're just a sore loser Uncle Leonard!"

Leonard stuck his tongue out and went over to the kitchen.

"Where's Aunt Penny," Lily asked.

"She's…visiting Mom for her birthday. I'm guessing she's with your dad."

Leonard suddenly got very nervous. He didn't want this to turn into an uncomfortable Q&A with his niece, so he decided to change the subject.

"Want some ice cream?"

"Yes! Dad never lets me have ice cream on Thursdays! He thinks if I get an ice cream headache, he'd have to call 911."

They laughed as Leonard took some sorbet and prepared Lily her ice cream.

"Uncle Leonard, can I ask you something?"

"Sure kiddo. Ask away."

"What was Dad like when it first happened?"

Leonard froze. He knew exactly what Lily was talking about. He feared the day that Lily would ask him this question. Maybe he could just sugar coat the situation, but Lily Cooper got her observational skills from her mother. She could tell if Leonard was telling the truth. He then took a deep breath. He knew what he was going to do.

"Lily he was…devastated. The first couple of days he didn't come out of his room. He didn't eat or anything. He was on this downward spiral and we…"

Leonard stopped. He couldn't finish that sentence. Lily was only thirteen! She couldn't handle the rest of that sentence. He just had to think of a believable ending. We…worried about him? Yes that was a good one.

"You didn't think he was going to make it did you?"

Leonard stared into his niece's eyes. She may have only been thirteen, but she was so mature for her age. It was as if she had read Leonard's mind and was telling him that it was ok to tell him the truth. It was times like these that Leonard looked at Lily, and all she saw was Amy. He sat next to his niece, took her hands, and looked in her eyes. He saw Sheldon's eyes. Those eyes transported him back to that day. The day he'll never forget for the rest of his life.

Sheldon, Leonard, Penny, and the rest of the gang sat in the waiting room silent as they waited for the doctor. Lily, who had just turned five a week ago, was drawing on a piece of paper the nurse had given her. Sheldon was sitting staring at the wall as Leonard and Penny sat on both sides of him holding his hands.

"It'll been fine Sheldon," Leonard whispered. "The doctor said after this everything will go back to normal."

"I don't know Leonard. I just have a bad feeling about this."

"Sheldon, don't worry. We're all here for you, Amy, and Lily," Penny said.

"I know. It's probably just me being…me."

Penny and Leonard laughed as Howard, Bernadette, Raj, and Emily came up behind Sheldon in comfort.

"Penny's right Sheldon," Raj said. "No matter what, we'll always be here for you."

"Yeah buddy. I mean without you, we wouldn't all be here right now," Howard added.

"You created this family Sheldon. And family never leaves anyone behind," Emily said.

"We love you Sheldon for who you are…quirks and all," Bernadette concluded.

They all laughed when the doctor came through.

"Sheldon Cooper?"

"That's me," Sheldon raised his hand.

The doctor slowly made her way towards the group with an expressionless face.

"Dr. Cooper, I'm…I'm so sorry…"

"No! NO! You're lying! YOU'RE LYING!"

"Dr. Cooper we tried everything, it was just too strong."

Sheldon ran out of the waiting room as the group charged after them. They stopped dead when they saw him in the hallway in the corner hugging his knees. Leonard and Penny slowly made their way toward him with tears streaming down their faces.

"Sh-Sheldon," Penny stammered.

Sheldon looked up at them pale and eyes red with tears streaming.

"Sheldon, I…"

Leonard just didn't know what to say so he did the only thing he could do. He fell to the floor with Sheldon and gave him a loving hug. With that, the two best friends cried in each other's arms. Penny silently hugged her two best friends as she started hysterically crying.

The group just cried their hearts as they witnessed the heartbreaking scene in front of them. They were all a family, but the three of them were always their own little family from day one. Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.

"Where's Daddy?"

The group turned to see Lily Cooper looking up at them with a drawing in her hand. Howard kneeled down to Lily's head.

"Lily Bee…Da-Daddy, Uncle Le-Leonard, and Aun-Aunt Penny are a little…sad right now, so how about you come with me back to the waiting room, and we'll w-wait for Daddy…ok?"

"But I want to show him something I drew. It'll make him feel better. He'll feel so good, so good, SO GOOD!"

Howard looked down at the floor trying to hide his tears from the five year old. He taught Lily all the lyrics to Sweet Caroline when she was three, much to her mother's delight. Watching Lily sing he and Amy's song was too much for him to handle. He nodded as Lily pranced over to her dad. The gang was overcome with so much emotion as they watched the innocent five year old that they followed her. They knelt down comforting the three.

"Daddy, I made this for you!"

Sheldon looked up and looked into the beautiful blue eyes of his daughter.

"Thank you Lil." Sheldon took his daughter in his arms. "I love you so much."

"Dr. Cooper?" Sheldon looked up to see the doctor. "Would you like me to watch Lily?"

Sheldon nodded. As Lily and the doctor left the group alone, Sheldon looked down at his daughter's drawing. It was a very detailed drawing of him, Lily, and Amy. At that, Sheldon, for the first time in years, started hysterically crying. The gang also let down their walls as the six of them hugged Sheldon as they held each other as if their lives depended on it.

"No we didn't. We didn't think any of us were going to make it. Your mom was…very special to all of us."

Leonard and Lily sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Leonard hadn't thought of that day in years, and looking at Lily brought all those emotions back. And again, as if she could read his mind, Lily opened her arms to Leonard. Leonard smiled and kissed his niece on the head as he hugged her with all his heart.

"Want me to watch you lose again on Mario Kart?"

"You're on!"

Sheldon opened the door to see Lily and Leonard in an intense game of Mario Kart. Of course, Lily was winning.

"You're going down, Lily Vanilli!"

"In your dreams Uncle Leonard!"

Leonard heard Sheldon at the door and turned around.

"Oh hey Sheldon. I didn't hear you come in."

"YES!"

"Hey not fair! I wasn't looking!"

"Exactly!"

"Alright Nintendo queen," Sheldon said. "Go get ready for bed and I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Ok Daddy. Did you give Mom my flowers?"

"Of course I did. She loved them."

Lily smiled and headed to her bedroom.

"How are ya buddy?"

"Pretty good. I liked the roses."

"Yeah, Penny and I remembered that those are…her favorites."

The two looked at their feet in silence.

"Thanks for watching her."

"Hey no problem. We had a…really good time."

Leonard was about to go when he saw Sheldon take a deep breath.

"Sheldon…"

Sheldon turned around. Leonard went over to his best friend and hugged him just like he hugged his niece only an hour ago.

"You're doing a good job, Dad."

For the first time today, Sheldon genuinely smiled.

"Thanks Leonard…for everything."

"Anything for you, buddy. And by the way, stop practicing 3D chess with her."

Thank you everyone for all of the reviews! Next chapter is the long anticipated Sheldon and Lily conversation!