Chapter three

Big Ol'Five


It took three days of going through her life on autopilot for Penny to snap and decide she wasn't a big old five for nothing.

Sure this was different from actually making the first move on a guy but with Sheldon anything she did could be counted as a big five.

Everything from becoming his friend to being allowed to sit closer to him then when she first claimed her spot next to him seven years ago.

It happened in a blur at the time but after she had time to understand she knew it wasn't nothing as fast paced as that.

She had been flicking through channels without seeing what was going on until the familiar opening to Star Trek appeared and her fingers stilled.

By the time Kirk finished his opening line she was in tears.

By the time Spock finished with his science she was sobbing.

By the time credits were rolling she couldn't do anything but dry sob and clench her fist.

If Sheldon thought he could just cut them out of his life without a word he could think again. She didn't have the smarts like him and she didn't always understand their world but she understood her world and Sheldon Cooper was damn well apart of it.

She wasn't sure how she would track him down but she knew she was going to. By the time she was yelling at Leonard, Howard and Raj that they had to help she was sure the voice telling her that they had already tried sounded like Sheldon.

"But we have no idea where he went Penny" Leonard tried to reason no longer shocked at seeing Penny sit in Sheldon's spot and not fear his friend twitching at the sight.

"Then get one" Penny growled already to stand her ground. She missed fighting and using her no nonsense attitude in a verbal assault.

Sadly Leonard, Howard nor Raj were up to the challenge like Sheldon usually was and it gave Penny all the more reason to find him.

It was another thing to add to the 'Sheldon can think again if I have to live with out it' list.

"Texas" if it wasn't for the fact that Penny was receiving something akin to an answer that shocked her it would have been the fact that it was Raj who said it.

He ducked his eyes but didn't blush nor flee. He was stepping forward.

"Texas? He went to Texas" Penny demanded and was ready to shake Raj for more information if he dared to flee.

"I don't know. He just kept muttering about Texas and Missy and Lilly when I bumped into him but he acted like he didn't see me and just walked straight to his office" Raj expanded while Howard and Leonard stared at him in shock.

"Are you sure" Penny demanded as Raj frowned but nodded. Penny almost burst at the thought of finally knocking some sense into Sheldon and springing to her feet she raced to hug Raj who could only squeak.

When she released him and sprinted to the door she had a thought and turned to stare at Raj who looked like he might pass out.

"Raj are you drunk" Penny asked almost smirking when Raj shook his head but refused to look at her.

If she wasn't on a mission she would have beamed at him.

She was ready by the next day at nine fifty two am when Leonard gave the correct address of Sheldon's home town, his mother's house address and contact numbers.

She hugged him tightly for that because she knew he wouldn't do it in any other situation.

Getting Mother Cooper involved in their fights was something that flared up Leonard's survival instincts.

A train, two buses and two cabs (she had to get out after the first cab driver told her about hell and how she will end up there) she found herself standing there on the porch of the Cooper family home.

At least their second home after Penny discovered Missy and Sheldon's other sister had forced him to buy a Christmas gift with them.

The whole decision that she was a big ol' five and nothing would stop her going after what she wanted seemed now a little daunting.

Sheldon would lecture her and then would glare at her in the hopes of making her explode and glaring just as hard when she didn't.

But it was all worth it to know he was ok.

And it hit her… holy crap on a cracker hard.

Would she have done this if Leonard, Raj or Howard had just up and left one day.

Leonard probably.

Raj only if it was something big.

Howard no; because it would probably be her threatening to kill him and mean it.

She had travelled all this way on what Sheldon would call a 'whim' all because he might be having a break down.

Howard was right or half right; Sheldon was weird, socially awkward and condescending. He baulk at the thought of change and those twitches could grow so intense that Penny was sure he might collapse in spasm when she threatened to drink out of the carton of milk he refused her.

If anyone out of their group was going to have a break down it would be Sheldon.

That bothered her sure but it was the fact that he didn't even say anything to her or Leonard bothered her hell of a lot more.

Even when he ejected Raj from his social circle of approved friends he spoke to him. If Sheldon had given them up as his friends he would want them all to understand just why.

"Hello" a firm Texas drawl emitted somewhere belong Penny and she jerked back, blushing wildly at her lost time in her musing.

Still trying to stop her heart from beating so loudly in her ears she looked down to find a woman younger then her by at least four years sitting in a wheelchair.

Her dark glossy hair was tied back and her black dress didn't make her pale skin look deathly pale. If anything it made it look amazing.

It was the eyes that made Penny understand she was looking at another Cooper family member; they were the same shade and size as Sheldon's.

Penny was thankful when the woman wheeled herself forward because she didn't want to think about she knew the shade and size of Sheldon's eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear the door open and then you… well you scared me" Penny breathed as the woman nodded and smiled faintly as though it wasn't unusual for people to be scared by her.

"New tyres" the woman admitted waving a delicate hand towards her wheels making Penny smiled slightly before tucking her hair behind her ear.

"If you're here about Ma your a week late" the woman stated sadly and Penny felt a lump rise in her throat.

It hadn't struck her to think about Sheldon's family. If something happened she just assumed Sheldon would take the information in and analyse it.

"Actually I haven't come to see Mrs Cooper but how is she anyway" Penny questioned honestly hoping everything was ok because even though she only spoke to Mrs. Cooper during her fights with Sheldon she held a lot of respect for the woman.

It was the sniffle that made Penny freeze and her throat to constrict, unshed tears now formed in the woman's eyes and she darted them down.

"I take it you haven't heard" the woman admitted before she stole a deep but wavering breath and Penny was startled at the determination she saw there.

Just like Sheldon.

"My name is Cassy Cooper" Cassy offered as Penny smiled at her trying to be bright but the fear was rolling around her stomach.

"Sheldon's sister, he said he had another one besides Missy but he never told me your name" Penny bubbled knowing she should shut up but didn't have someone around to glare at her.

A half twitch came to Cassy's lips for a half a second and Penny wondered if Cassy wasn't Sheldon's real twin instead of Missy.

"Shelly has always been weird about me" Cassy informed before tilting her head back towards the wheel chair.

"He's always using big words and that big brain of his but the truth is Shelly has always been an over protective older brother when it comes to me" Cassy admitted as Penny softened at the thought of Sheldon trying to stand up to anyone.

"Speaking of Shelly is he here" Penny questioned as Cassy's face fell and sadness ebbed from her confirming something bad had happened.

"Right; you don't know. You must be one of Shelly's friends Ma always spoke about… I just thought he would have told you… but then again this has been hard…" Cassy stopped before taking another deep breath and pulling back into the house holding the door open for Penny.

"What happened" Penny questioned stepping forward ready to half scoop out the Cooper house hold.

"There was an accident" Cassy declared causing Penny to freeze half in half out of the doorway.

"Did" Penny could almost form the words that wanted to rush out but she knew she didn't have to ask anything more when Cassy lowered her eyes and didn't brush away the tear streaking down her cheek.

"Ma died during the accident and Missy hasn't woken up" Cassy muttered softly with tears dripping into her lap while Penny reeled from the new information.

It all fit into place.

Sheldon wasn't having a break down.

Sheldon had already been broken.