A/N Sorry for posting late. no excuse is a good excuse so I won't regale you with reasons why. Suffice it to say that I do apologize and sincerely hope that is enough. As always I don't own the characters. :)

The Hiatus Exhortation Part 3 : The Kripke Aberration

It was extremely difficult for Amy to stay away from Sheldon knowing how much he missed her. She wrestled everyday with the idea of showing up at his door. There were a few instances where she did, but she never knocked. She wanted him to come to her. It sounded so juvenile and prideful, but she had kowtowed long enough to Sheldon Cooper. Their relationship had been subject to his rule too long. It was time she got more of what she wanted, and what she wanted was Sheldon to break his own contract, to cross the lines he had drawn himself, to give up a little just to get to her. She wanted to feel important, and desirable. She wanted to be pursued, and fawned over. She wanted to be an all consuming force in his universe the way he was in hers.

She kept her distance, but she knew every move he made. Penny and Bernadette informed her of every detail of Sheldon's time without her. What he said. What he did. Where he went. When he seemed sad. When he was irritable. How often he spoke of her. It was hard to hear sometimes, but good to know. At least he wasn't collecting cats.

By day 15 she had begun getting used to the loneliness and her sadness had plateaued into a dull manageable ache. She went about her normal routine moving by rote and accomplishing very little, but she went about it anyway. One day melded into the next creating an indistinct globule of time, that she was haphazardly slogging through. She had taken time away from Sheldon to think, but most of her energy was wasted on hope. As she performed what ever perfunctory task the lab presented her with, the majority of her mind was focused on one omnipresent non sequitur. Is today the day? Is today the day he can't take it anymore and comes crashing through the lab door. Is today the day he scoops her up in his arms crushing her lips in a madly passionate kiss muttering about what a fool he's been all these years as he runs his fingers through her hair. It was horrible. She knew better than anyone, that hope was a heavy burden, made worse by time and disappointment. You'd think, by now, she would have learned to control the insatiable yearning within her to feel like the leading lady of some sickeningly sweet Hollywood romance. Every glance toward the door, every trill of excitement at the sound of her ring tone made her a little bit angrier. She was angry at herself for thinking it possible he would ever do such things. She was angry at him for doing nothing. That's the way her time passed, until day 30.

/

This hiatus was torture. Sheldon was quickly turning into a train wreck. He found it hard to eat. His sleep cycle was fluctuating. He even had to amend his bathroom schedule and fiber intake. No one would know to look at him, but he was coming apart at the seams. Every passing day felt longer than the previous one. Every activity he had shared with Amy, lost any joy it once held for him. He couldn't go to movies, or museums. He couldn't bear the slightest hint of harp music. He didn't even care to drink tea anymore. The memory of her was consuming him.

He tried to keep his distance, as he said he would, but it was all becoming too much. On day 15 he began taking the long way to his 2:45 appointment, just so he could glance down the hallway toward her lab. He would cross his fingers as he neared the corridor, hoping he would bump into her. On day 23 he discovered he could see Amy eating her lunch on a bench near the quad if he walked across the street to the parking structure between noon and one. On day 28 he stood outside Penny's door for two hours listening to the sounds of clinking glasses and clucking hens, just to hear Amy's voice. Leonard had taken to calling him a stalker, but promised not to tell Penny, as long as he didn't get any cats.

On day 30, everything changed. He was eating his lunch in the commissary as usual. The others were making jokes about his new found passed time of bird watching, which he did everyday for the last half hour of lunch. They knew he was really looking for Amy, but he would not admit it to them even if they already knew. His feelings for Amy were deep and personal and they didn't deserve his confirmation of their suspicions.

"Coopuh." The unmistakable sound of Barry Kripke pulled Sheldon from his musings. "I've noticed youh guhfwiend eating a wot of wunches awone watewy. Twouble in pawadise?"

" I don't see how the state of our relationship is any business of yours." Sheldon found his colleague's prying to be an annoyance of the highest order. He found it difficult to share information about his relationship with people he considered friends. He certainly was not going to share that information with the likes of Barry Kripke.

"I was just wonduhwing if she needed a weauh man to step in and pick up the swack." Barry's voice took on a suggestive undertone that Sheldon didn't understand.

"What slack?" Sheldon was confused. Why did people feel the need to speak in indecipherable code. He wished, for once the people around him would just state things plainly.

"He's talking about having sex with Amy." Leonard's voice was a cautious whisper that seemed to silence the world. A flash of anger seized Sheldon's jaw, locking his teeth together so forcefully that it caused his molars to ache. His fingernails bit into the soft flesh of his palms, and his peripheral vision went dark. She was not for him. He had no right to talk about Amy that way. No one did. A fleeting image of decking Kripke flashed into Sheldon's mind, and for a few brief seconds he considered it. It was not generally in his nature to fight. Sure, he had the occasional tussle with George and Missy and even Leonard, but none of those had been serious altercations. No, his weapon was his mind, and he needed to wield it. Unfortunately, he had just lost his weapon somewhere, in a bog of catecholamines and adrenaline.

"You might wanna run." Wolowitz sounded so far away. It was hard to believe he was sitting directly across the table.

Barry's hands came up in defensive gesture of acquiescence, as he began to back away. "Sowy Coopuh. I didn't mean to offend you. Next time I'uhw just ask Amy, diwectwy… Maybe I should just do that now." Barry smirked as he turned to leave the cafeteria, and Sheldon's mind did the unthinkable. It stopped.

/

Amy sat on her usual bench eating her turkey on wheat. Sheldon hated eating outside, so she made a point to do it everyday at lunch. It was an affirmation of empowerment, a chance to reflect on all the things she liked to do but didn't because of Sheldon. Or, maybe, it was that she didn't like sitting in her lab waiting for him to come around. She liked the first idea better. It made her sound strong. The second was probably the most true, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Amy." Barry Kripke seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Mind if I sit?" he said gesturing toward the empty section of bench next to her.

"Not at all." Amy replied moving as far to one side as she could. Despite his lisp, and Sheldon's dislike of him, Amy had recently discovered Barry was quite a delightful conversationalist. He was smart and cheerful and didn't think her research was less important than his. Beyond that he was normal, and sadly she found normal to be endearing. Barry sat down, closer to her than she had expected , and leaned back stretching his arm out across the back rest directly behind her shoulders. His movements were fluid and he showed no signs of nervousness or discomfort, but she stiffened. She wasn't used to a man being so at ease with her. She glanced over apprehensively. Barry was smiling at her with a hint of what she thought might be compassion.

" I huhd about you and Coopuh, how long were you together?" Barry's voice was as calm as his demeanor, and his face showed signs of actual interest.

" Five years." Her voice was more quiet than she expected.

" Five Yeuhs." Barry blew out a long loud breath. " That's a wong time to spend with someone, especiawy Coopuh."

" He's not as difficult as everyone thinks." Amy was suddenly defensive. Everyone was always so quick to point out how flawed Sheldon was.

" Then why'd you bweak up?" Barry's words cut to the core. Sheldon was difficult, so much so that she had finally started to give up on him.

" We didn't break up. We're just taking some time apart." She knew the difference was nil to most people, but she and Sheldon had a contract stating that difference clearly.

"Wight." Barry nodded a knowing smile painting his otherwise sympathetic features. " I just wanted to wet you know, that if you ever need to tawk owuh just don't want to be awone I'm hewuh fuh you." He grabbed a retractable Sharpie from his pocket, then he grabbed her hand. A jolt of electricity shot up Amy's arm and into her chest, followed by a fluttering excitement and an immediate wave of guilt.

Barry drew his name and phone number into her palm, each long fluid stroke of the marker sending flares of sensation through her skin and stabs of remorse through her gut. When he finished, he leaned down and blew a slow cool breathe across the ink. Then, he closed her fingers around his information and looked deep into her eyes while lightly rubbing his thumb up and down her middle and forefinger, his gaze occasionally flickering to her lips. She could feel the involuntary "whoo" rising up in her throat. He stopped just in time for her to hold it back. Then he gave her a smile and a nod and was gone.

Amy opened her hand and stared down at what he had written. It was his name and his number and the words anywhere, anytime. The whoo escaped her as she read it. What the hell just happened.

/

Sheldon sat at the bottom of the stair case leading to his apartment. He was still reeling from his mental shutdown at lunch. It had only taken a moment for his brain to boot back up, but that one brief second of blankness was the only time in his life his mind had ever been empty. It had frightened him, and by the time he had gotten enough of his wits about him to do something, Kripke was gone. Worst of all he had gotten to the parking structure just in time to see Barry holding Amy's hand and staring into her eyes. This was not good. He had to do something, fast, but the hiatus contract had his hands tied. So here he sat waiting as patiently as possible for Penny to return from shopping.

The buildings door swung open and Penny entered carrying a large paper bag full groceries. Sheldon Stood immediately to greet her.

"53 messages Sheldon!" She exclaimed angrily as soon as she laid eyes on him.

"And not one reply from you, seems a bit rude, does it not." He replied tilting his head toward her in a gesture that always made his remarks seem more pointed.

Penny rolled her eyes and walked passed him with an exasperated sigh. He followed her up the stairs.

"Did you bother to read any of those messages?" Sheldon inquired as they climbed.

"I've already talked to Leonard and Amy. I know this Barry guy picked on you and then hit on her."

"He did not just hit on Amy. He plans to seduce her." Sheldon stopped on the second floor landing causing Penny to turn around. He made no attempt to hide the pain and desperation on his face. Her feature's softened when she saw him.

"Sweetie, if your that afraid of losing her, do something." Her voice was soothing but sharp. She turned and continued up the stairs. Again, he followed.

"I intend to do something, but I need you to contact Amy."

" Why do I have to contact Amy?"

" Because the hiatus contract stipulates that I can not initiate any contact with her for another 15 days. You're her best friend so a call from you makes the most logical sense. Plus, you live across the hall from me which will make it seem more plausible when we bump into each other due to your impromptu girls night you forgot to tell me about. " He explained as they crossed the third floor landing and headed up to their floor.

"Right, and when is this impromptu girls night?" Her question sounded more annoyed than inquisitive.

"Tonight." He replied

"Of course." she said stretching out the of. "Sweetie, you realize she needs more from you than she's getting." She stopped on the landing and gave him a look he couldn't quite decipher.

"Yes" His voice was hushed and full of humility.

"Are you gonna be able to give that to her?" Her question was harsh and honest and she asked it with such earnestness that Sheldon had no choice but to give his response extra thought. He stood silent for a moment considering all the implications.

" I'm not the same man I was five years ago. I've said and done things I never thought possible, and lately I've re-imagined my whole existence. I know that waiting for me has been frustrating and exhausting, but I've proven myself willing to change for her, and I can't imagine that willingness will ever go away." His word were deliberate, heartfelt, and true Sheldon raised his eyes to Penny's face to find her awestruck.

"Hold this." she said her voice cracking as she shoved her grocery bag into Sheldon's arms, and reached into her pocket. "I'll get my phone."

A/N The next chapter should be the last. I'll try to get it out in a more timely fashion. Also, reviews are my sustenance, so feed me. :)