A/N: Time to Kick off July with the second phase of Lull. Any and all flashbacks will be noted as such. Enjoy.


8: Rio and Love

August 5, 2016

2:55 P.M. AMC Regal Lowes

The Police and news media began to encircle the theater surrounding it on all sides. With words being floated around like biological attack and a second Orlando. But as Amy stood outside by the Suicide Squad display her mind was wondering out of the 4 of them why she was spared.

"They all had seizures except me. It didn't look like we were exposed to anything or shot at."

Her phone went off as she had shut it off after sending the text to Penny before the movie started. Now as she got it going, time caught up and her inbox was flooded.

"54 Texts, 39 Calls and 14 Emails….Half from….Bernadette?"

In mere seconds Amy touched the contact and Bernadette's number quickly came up. Dial tone continued for a good 45 seconds more.

"Come on Bernie…"

Amy began to whimper at the thought of not being able to connect with anyone, when she heard that familiar high pitched voice.

"Amy, are you Ok?"

"Bernie, yeah I'm fine, what about you?"

"Well, Howie and Leonard both collapsed and I'm at the hospital with them now, someone here said there was an attack at the theater?"

"No, it wasn't an attack, Sheldon, Penny and Raj each had a seizure and collapsed….I'm being interviewed by nearly 20 media outlets…including The Onion."

Amy's words sent Bernadette into a tailspin. It wasn't just her husband who was affected, it was nearly their entire circle. Bernie picked up the phone in near shock.

"Have you contacted Mary or Alfred?"

"I know Mary sent a text before Sheldon went into spasm, I can try again…"

"Do, so I'll send you the address…"

As Amy hung up the other texts suddenly came into focus. Her Mom, Claire and Emily asking about Raj and a few from Stuart. Suddenly out of nowhere Amy heard a familiar voice.

"Amy…"

Amy turned and noticed the bike pull up realizing who she needed to hear from right now.

"Stuart…"

He immediately raced into her awaiting arms. At this point she needed someone to hug and didn't care it was Stuart.

"How did you know…"

"It's trending on twitter, I popped over as soon as someone in the shop mentioned the descriptions of the victims matching the guys."

Amy now looked at the awaiting media wanting to interview her and sighed in defeat. "You want to watch me get pounded on…"

"Actually let me take care of this…"

A mere 3 minutes later he came back and led Amy away from the crowd and began the process of walking her back to her car. Now Amy seemed confused and flustered.

"What did you tell them?"

"To leave you alone and that you'll answer questions on Monday at the Comic Center?"

"You're using me for business?"

"Well I figured you just needed some time to grieve plus we have to get all of their relatives here as well." As the two got into Amy's car and drove off Stuarts words made her realize what she had forgotten to do.

"Oh Crap Mary…"

As she suddenly remembered the text from Sheldon's mom before he lost his life, she dreaded having to make the most difficult phone call of her life. The button to call her back was touched and she waited while preparing to make the most difficult announcement of her life. But within 3 minutes of dial tone they finally connected.

"Hello Mary, I got some…" Before she could go on the panicked voice of her boyfriend's mother wrecked the tension she already had.

"Amy, I just got out of the doctor's office, Alfred noticed I wasn't feeling well during mass on Wednesday night and suggested it. So I was just in there and he discovered that I haven't been going through my usual cycles as Shelly puts it."

The look on Amy's face went into complete shock as she pieced two and two together.

"Mary are you…"

"6 ½ weeks… I wanted to call Shelly but he and I have been barley talking since Alfred and I got together. I was hoping when we came to town for Bernadette's shower we could announce it."

"Mary I got some bad news and you probably should get Alfred and make the flight here quickly."

Amy pulled over and Stuart plugged his ears while offering to take over driving as Amy privately told Mary what happened. 40 minutes later, as the two got out of the car the voice of Mary could be heard sobbing and trying to confirm travel arrangements. As the two headed in the hospital Amy was trying to keep as calm as possible.

"Mary, we'll talk when you get here…see you then…."

Amy hung up while Stuart spotted Bernadette and her dad awaiting them in the lobby. The sad look on their faces met and they both ran and hugged each other tight forcing Stuart to engage in small talk with Bernadette's dad.

"Hey sir…Nice to see you again…."

"Didn't you live with Bernie and Howard for nearly a year?"

"No that was Howard's Mom, Bernadette and Howard moved in after they got the house from the lawyer I just stayed until I could get back on my feet fully."

Mike sighed and looked at his daughter and Amy still locked in a clam's grip of a hug wondering how long that would go on for. Stuart tried to switch subjects since he had only heard about what happened at the theater and not at his former residence.

"How's she doing?"

"Well she's trying to hold it together, the baby isn't helping things."

Mike and Stuart began to walk away to the elevator letting them have their moment.


9:15 P.M. Bernadette's House

"…Estados Unidos da América…United States of America…"

As Bernadette, Amy, Stuart, and Mike looked on watching the US contingent enter Maracana, They could hear what the 5 missing members of the group would be thinking of things as they unfolded during the ceremony.

"At least Zika's held off…."

The camera cut to Gabby Douglas and others smiling and aware of the moment they were in. While Stuart simply sighed.

"This doesn't feel right…"

Amy and Bernadette nodded in agreement.

"Should we just turn this off," Mike's tension broke the mood a little bit but they digressed at the thought knowing where all of their minds were already at.

"Let's worry about their stuff after we get the tests back tomorrow." Amy mentioned. "I think if they were awake they'd be watching this with is wondering what we thought of it."

Bernadette hugged the 3 in support and they sat back down watching things play out.


A/N: Stay Tuned for Chapter 9: Showers and Babies. As Always. Subscribe for More.