Resolution

by shvique

Sheldon frequently got on Jenny's nerves, and tried her patience. But as Jenny discovers, even a nerd has feelings. Has Jenny gone too far this time and broken Sheldon's heart?

10. Chapter 10--A Perfect Storm

Resolution

A MLAATR-Inspired Fanfic
By Shvique

When naked souls and raw, primal emotions collide like the elemental forces of nature, the results are seldom pretty… But in the process, Jenny learns a few things about Sheldon—and about herself—that she didn't know before.

Chapter 10—A Perfect Storm

Sheldon lay sprawled on his bed in the dwindling light of oncoming evening, staring at the ceiling in the foulest mood of his entire life, a by-now-familiar combination of lingering sadness, angry, bitter resentment, and weary, resigned disgust. It had been a rough day for him and he was about at the end of his rope. The last two weeks had been extremely difficult for him to begin with, and things seemed to grow worse for him with each passing day. That morning had been a relative breeze for him, what with Jenny being absent from school and all, but by lunchtime, things rapidly began to unravel for him, and continued to deteriorate all afternoon. He'd gained some particularly disturbing insights during his lunchtime reading, after which he'd just narrowly avoided running into Jenny numerous times throughout the remainder of the afternoon, avoiding what he was sure would be another unpleasant, possibly even violent scene between them. Every time he'd spotted her was like reopening an old wound wide and pouring salt into it. He'd even cut the last two classes of the day, just to avoid her and all the unhappy memories now associated with her. Even the experience of watching her from a distance from the doorway of Mezmer's, as she soared through the skies above Tremorton, was now a source of unutterable heartache to him. Heartache…and renewed resentment and anger.

He couldn't even bear to talk to Dr. Wakeman on the phone just now. He hated to simply hang up on her that way, just as he'd hated having to lie to her about Jenny's actions at the secret-agency compound; after all, he liked Dr. Wakeman, he had enormous respect and admiration for her, and it pained him to have to treat her so disrespectfully. But in his present mood, he just couldn't bear to talk to her about the incident at the compound and re-live the entire miserable experience all over again. He just couldn't. Especially not now, given his present feelings towards Dr. Wakeman's robotic creation…

Now that there was no longer any doubt in his mind as to the level of loathing and contempt that Jenny must hold for him—feelings that he was now beginning to reciprocate—Sheldon had now firmly decided that the only practical way to stay away from her altogether was to simply change schools. It was the only solution, really; it would be the best for everyone concerned. Transferring to another school would spare himself the continuing, agonizing, daily heartache of unrequited love, the constant pain of unceasing rejection and humiliation…and lately, a growing fear, and bitter, repressed anger as well. And, of course, it would also deprive Jenny of the opportunity to say or do anything humiliating or hurtful to him ever again.

And yet, despite his bitterness, and even with his mind made up on the matter, he nevertheless released a tiny sob at the thought of never seeing Jenny again…ever… Accompanying this was a last, lingering regret over the happiness that could have been theirs to enjoy…but was never, he now realized, ever meant to be…

But then he remembered how she had turned against him, her terrible, cruel betrayal and attack upon him, and his sadness immediately vanished, replaced by renewed outrage and anger, and his blood began to boil all over again…

I shouldn't shed any tears about never seeing the robot-girl anymore! He argued with himself. I oughta be glad, in fact! Yeah…! And I am glad, too! Now that I think about it, after the way she treated me, I'm glad I'll never see her again!

He shook his head. No…no… he reminded himself. Don't even bother thinking about her anymore. She's not worth it… Think only about the plan…stick to the plan…only the plan! But making that plan become a reality…the details of that still need to be worked out… But I will make it happen, no question about it! All I have to worry about from now on is keeping my GPA high and acing the SATs when the time comes. So I'll focus on that. After I transfer to Poly Tech and graduate, then from there I bet I can get into Roarke University… Or maybe even the Galt Institute of Technology… I know Roarke's got one of the best science and tech programs in the country…and Galt turns out more physicists and engineers every year than anyplace else I know of! They're both expensive, though…but if I can keep my grades high enough, then maybe I can get a scholarship or something, like the Reardon Prize maybe, or something like it… Either way, if I can do that, then I'm outta here! No question about it! Outta here and on to bigger and better things! I'll turn my back on this crummy little town and get away from the mean robot-girl, and I'll never look back! Ever!

He nodded his head in silent affirmation to himself. I'll be out of here and on my way to a whole new, better, happier life, he vowed. One without the mean robot-girl to make my life miserable and make me feel like a nothing and a nobody! Good-bye, Tremorton! Good-bye, mean robot-girl! Good-bye, childish beliefs in heroic ideals, and foolish notions of romance and love! Good-bye to all that junk! I'm done with it! I'm done with it all! Yeah…! It'll be a better life at Poly Tech…and beyond! One that'll be way better than this!

And, in addition to his plans for the future, there still remained that other matter, the very large, last remaining detail hidden away in the secret compartment of his garage/workshop… He then directed his thoughts to that matter, as it was one problem, at least, over which he still had some immediate degree of control.

It was also the last remaining painful reminder of his former, foolish devotion to her, and for that reason alone, he wanted to be rid of it once and for all. Then…and only then…could he at last move forward and get on with his life.

There's only one thing left to do, he thought. I've been putting it off for days now… Might as well get started soon… There's no real reason to keep it around any longer… It's only a stupid, childish relic from a time of stupid beliefs in childish nonsense anyway, and it's long outlived its purpose… I don't even know why I kept it this long. It never did me much good anyway… I sure don't need it anymore, and I haven't even used it in months…

Tomorrow morning, then, without fail…he decided with a nod of finality. Tomorrow…I start dismantling Silver Shell…

Just then, he heard a sharp whoosh just outside his bedroom-window. With a start, he immediately recognized it as the same sound he'd heard earlier that afternoon, when he was at Mezmer's; the same sound he'd come to know so well over the last couple of years; the sound that, in former, happier times, had once caused his ears to perk up in eager, excited anticipation, but which now caused his flesh to crawl in fear and dread.

Oh, no…! he thought with a shudder. Oh, no…! It can't be…! It can't be…!

Moments later, the doorbell rang downstairs, and he cringed.

Cautiously, he crept over to his window and slid the pane open. He picked up a small, pocket-sized mirror from his dresser and held it out over the edge of the windowsill, peering into the mirror to get a peek at whoever was at the front door down below. In the mirror's reflection, he saw a familiar gleaming blue and white figure standing at the doorstep.

Oh, no! he thought. It is her! Again! Here and now! Cripes, there's just no getting away from her, is there? She chased me all over school, she was waiting for me at my locker, she was looking for me all over town, she was after me at Mezmer's…and now…here she is again, right at my own front door! Brother, she just never gives up! What the heck more does she want from me?!

The doorbell rang again.

She probably wants to pulverize me and then give me the whole 'I don't want to see you anymore!' speech for good measure! he thought. I'll bet that's it, the whole 'Stay away and leave me alone, Sheldon!' speech… Well, for goodness' sake, I'm leaving her alone! I'm not coming within a million miles of her at school! Or anywhere else, for that matter! What more does she want? Or maybe she wants to give me static for hanging up on her mom! Yeah…! I bet that's it! She's going to smack me down for that! She'll smack me around and then get all up in my face and say, 'Don't you ever hang up on my Mom like that again!' or something like that, probably! A chill ran down his spine, as he imagined Jenny's words and actions.

Brother, she's got her nerve! he thought with a growing pique. Showing up right at my own front door, just to pound me for who knows what reason! Well, I'll show her! I'll just ignore her. I'll stay real quiet and pretend that no one's home. She'll get tired of waiting and go away.

He slumped down in a corner of his bedroom, his back resting against the wall, his knees raised to his chest. He knew he'd have to face Jenny eventually, probably on Monday morning, at school—if he was ever going back, that is. But there was no good reason to have to face her and deal with her here and now, at his own home, he thought.

"Hey, Sheldon," Jenny called from below. "Hey, Sheldon, come on. Answer the door. I know you're in there. I spotted you through your bedroom window when I flew over here." She paused. "Come on, open up. Please? I won't hurt you, I promise. I just wanna talk to you."

"Yeah? Well, for once, I don't want to talk to you!" He muttered quietly, surprised to hear his own voice speaking his thoughts aloud for the first time.

"Come on," Jenny continued. "Please? Don't be afraid. I just wanna talk to you, that's all. Just talk."

"Oh, go away, robot-girl…!" he whispered, dropping his head to his folded arms on his knees. "Just go away…!"

"Sheldon please…!" Jenny called out, plaintively. "Talk to me… Please…?"

Sheldon sighed when he realized that Jenny apparently wasn't going to take the hint. It's no use, he thought. There's just no getting away from her… She's just not going to leave me alone, no matter what! He sighed, resignedly, as he slowly, unsteadily rose to his feet. I suppose I'll have to face her sooner or later…and I'm tired of running away… And there's no place left to run to… Might as well just face her here and now, let her say or do whatever mean thing she wants to say or do to me and get it over with…!

He took a deep breath, trying his best to steady his rattled nerves, then stood up straight. He held his head high, turned and slowly marched out of his bedroom and down the stairs, his steps as slow and ponderous as though he were on his way to the gallows. Though he dreaded it, he was nevertheless ready to face Jenny and deal with whatever consequences awaited him.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and proceeded to the front door, where he opened it a tiny crack and peered outside to find Jenny standing there. He tried to 'read' her mood; it was usually pretty easy—surprisingly easy, in fact, considering she was a robot—but in this case, he couldn't quite tell what kind of mood she was in. She almost appeared to be smiling…faintly…almost pleasantly…but he couldn't be sure.

"Yes…?" he said in a quiet, timid voice.

Jenny peered through the narrow crack in the open door, trying to get a good look at him. Though it was difficult to see very well in the dim light of the hallway and the waning light of day, she could still see him well enough to make a fair assessment of his current emotional state.

Although there was a time, not so very long ago, when Sheldon would've broken out into a huge smile, accompanied by much blushing and nervous giggles, at such an unexpected visit from the object of his affections, his reaction now was altogether different. His manner was quiet and subdued, and his eyes were red and swollen, Jenny noted, clear evidence that he'd obviously been doing a lot of crying recently. And although she couldn't quite tell for sure in the low light, she thought she detected a faint scowl on his face. And from his trembling hands and his reluctance to open the door by more than a few inches, it was obvious that he was still more than a little frightened of her.

Cripes! She thought. He looks awful! But at least he's here, safe and sound, and in one piece, thank Jobs! And at least I got him to open the door to me! So that's a good start, anyway! So far, so good!

"Sheldon…?" she began, softly and hesitantly. "Are—are you all right?"

He nodded. "I'm fine." He said quietly, but with a faintly irritated edge to his voice.

"Um…I tried to talk to you earlier today at school…" she went on. "And again later on, after school…but I couldn't find you anywhere…" She hesitated, then continued. "Um—my mom and I were pretty worried about you. We tried calling you, but..." She hesitated again. "Anyway, we thought maybe something might've happened to you, or that you were sick or…something."

You were worried about me! Sheldon thought, bitterly. Ha! That's a good one! Yeah, right, I'm sure you were!

"Well, I'm fine," he said edgily, with a frown. "I'm not sick or anything, I'm all right. I'm fine. So there's nothing for you to worry about." He started to close the door again.

"Um…Sheldon…" Jenny held up a hand. "Wait. Please. I—I really want to talk to you some more."

But for his trembling, Sheldon didn't move. He remained frozen in position.

"Don't be afraid," Jenny said, trying her best to sound reassuring. "Please. I won't hurt you, I promise. I just want to talk to you. That's all. Just talk."

Still, he wouldn't budge.

"It'll only take a few minutes," Jenny went on, gently. "Please? It's important; very important."

Sheldon sighed and stepped back, opening the door wide. "All right," he said with a swallow, bracing himself for the worst, fully expecting to be pounded into mincemeat or vaporized with multiple laser blasts. "I'm listening."

Jenny looked into his eyes and saw in them the same frightened-yet-sad look that she'd seen in them the previous week, when he'd accidentally bumped into her in the hallway at school. It was a look, not of the formerly happy, cheerful and good-natured little friend that she had come to know so well over the years, but rather the look of one who had been terribly, grievously wronged by someone, but who had had been left without any recourse to address and correct that wrong; a look which conveyed the deepest and most profound sadness and disillusionment, alloyed with a high degree of both fear and anger.

Cripes, he looks so…so pathetic! Jenny thought with a shudder. Like a wounded, frightened little dog…! And—and I'm the one who did it to him! It's all because of me that he's like this now! Once again, she felt anew the same terrible pangs of guilt and self-loathing that had so plagued her the night before, and that had tormented her constantly, both consciously and unconsciously, for two solid weeks in a row.

And as she looked into those pitifully-sad, mournful, empty eyes, she felt her resolve weaken in one of the extremely-rare instances of her life. She, who had faced down entire Cluster armadas without even blinking, now found herself at a loss of courage when faced with her quirky little friend. Instead, she felt a barely-controlled urge to break into tears at the pitiful sight he now presented to her. She braced herself to make the most difficult apology she'd ever had to make in her entire life, but as she looked into those deep, sad eyes, she found it increasingly difficult to proceed with each passing nanosecond. Come on! She silently coaxed herself. Apologize! Tell him you're sorry! You know you want to! You've got to! So come on! Say it already! Tell him you're sorry! Ohhhhh, why is this so difficult? Why can't I get the words out? She tried…and tried, opening her mouth to speak…but the words just wouldn't come, and gradually, her courage began to wane, just as she'd feared it would when the crucial moment arrived.

Okay…! Okay…! she thought, desperately. Go to Plan B…!

After a seemingly endless awkward silence, accompanied by averted eyes and much shuffling of metallic feet, Jenny timidly reached out her damaged forearm to Sheldon. Immediately, he recoiled from it, as though it were a white-hot branding-iron.

"Um…Sheldon?" She asked in a soft, tiny voice, her head cocked to one side. "Would you…" she paused. "Would you please…fix me…?" Another pause. "Please…?"

Sheldon was so relieved when he heard the incongruous, wholly-unexpected request, he almost laughed. Naturally! He thought in bitterly amused disgust. That's all she wants! To be repaired! Again! Well, that figures! I should've known! That's all she ever wants from me! That's all I'm good for, right? To fix her dings & dents and nothing else! No wonder she was chasing me all over the place earlier! She only wanted her dumb stupid arm repaired, that's all! Well, fine then! I'll repair her! I'll repair her and get it over with and get her out of here! Then she'll be on her way and that'll be the last I'll see of her! 'Til the next time she wants a repair-job, that is! But by then, I'll be long gone and outta this crummy town!

After an interminable length of time, Sheldon tentatively reached out his still-trembling hands to Jenny's arm, taking it gently in his fingertips, as he closely examined the damaged area. He then shot her a quick, sharp, doubting look; a 'Do you really expect me to believe this?' kind of look, the same kind that Jenny had often seen from her creator numerous times in the past, whenever Jenny had tried to run a particularly absurd, far-fetched excuse past her for some minor misdeed or mistake.

Sheldon turned his attention back to the damaged arm. "Hmmm…looks like somebody really wacked it this time," he said in a quiet, controlled monotone. "With a claw-hammer, I'd say, by the looks of it. But…I don't think it's too serious. Not unless the servomotors or hydrolines or neuro-relays got really messed up or something." He paused. "If you'll step out to my workshop, I'll fix it." He released her arm and gingerly stepped past her, through the doorway and outside. Jenny followed him, closing the door behind her.

Neither one spoke a word during the short walk to the garage/workshop. As they stepped inside, Sheldon switched on the overhead lights, then motioned to a high stool in the corner. "Be seated." He said simply, with a motion of his hand. Jenny pulled up the stool and sat down, as Sheldon, his back to her, began retrieving the necessary tools from various bins, shelves and toolboxes. He then turned to face her again and went to work.

Even now! Jenny thought. Even now, after all that's happened between us, he's still willing to repair me…! Even though I fully expected him to slam the door in my face and tell me to go jump in the lake or something! In spite of everything, he's still willing to take care of me…! As she thought this, she suddenly felt even more guilty than ever. But, she thought, grasping hopefully at straws, On the other hand, maybe it's a good sign! Maybe it means he doesn't hate me as much as I thought he did!

She watched him in silent fascination, marveling at his level of technical expertise, as he patiently, methodically repaired the damaged portions of her arm. His hands, no longer trembling with fear and trepidation, now moved instead with skill, competence, and supreme self-confidence. Even after all this time, and all the numerous repair-jobs and modifications that he'd performed on her robotic body, Jenny still couldn't help but admire his remarkable skill, dexterity and ingenuity when it came to making and repairing things. It was strange, but she suddenly realized that she had never really paid much attention to his hands before, or even thought about them; yet now, they were a source of deep fascination to her, so much so that she couldn't seem to take her eyes off them. So entranced was she by the sight, that, for a moment, she forgot the real reason she was there in the first place.

She sometimes envied the sensitivity and dexterity of human hands anyway, the simple grace of their design, their supple flexibility, and the smooth, quiet fluidity of their movement. Her own stainless-steel hands were built for strength, durability and sheer raw power rather than dexterity, and of course, she had no tactile sense whatsoever. Consequently, the smallest manual tasks, those requiring minute dexterity and finesse, were often beyond her capabilities, and her own inadequacy with such tasks was sometimes a source of great frustration to her. She could lift entire buildings with ease, but she had great difficulty picking up a dime with her thumb and forefinger. She compensated with her numerous built-in gadgets, gizmos and attachments, of course; nevertheless, human hands, she was sure, were a marvel of nature to be envied and admired.

Sheldon's hands were especially gifted, she thought; so talented, so skilled, and so sensitive, like the hands of a surgeon. They moved with such easy, nimble grace as they performed their task, and with such gentleness, even tenderness as well; even—dare she think it?—even a kind of love. Yes, Jenny thought; it seemed to her that there was a kind of love in the work his hands performed now.

As for Sheldon, he maintained absolute silence as he worked, never uttering a word, never making a sound. He merely performed his task with quiet, almost machine-like efficiency and singleness of purpose, betraying no emotion whatsoever. Jenny likewise remained silent the entire time as well; silent, and absolutely motionless, not moving a single servomotor in her entire body. For once, she was glad that she didn't even have to breathe, as she didn't want to risk breaking his concentration with even the tiniest sound.

After a short while, the dented and warped metal segments of Jenny's arm were pulled out, straightened, realigned, buffed to a brand-new sheen, then carefully, skillfully flush-riveted back into position. When at last the repairs were all completed, Sheldon stepped back, turned his back to her, and proceeded to put his tools away. "Finished." He said, simply.

"Thanks," Jenny said, flexing her fingers and wrist, and rotating her hand and arm this way and that. It looked and felt as good as new.

But Sheldon remained silent, his back still turned to her, as he continued putting his tools away. And I hope you like it! He thought, bitterly. Because it's the last repair-job I'll ever do for you! But try as he might, he just couldn't quite bring himself to utter the words aloud.

Jenny stepped off the stool and onto her feet. She was just about to head for the door to exit, when at the last moment, she abruptly stopped herself, suddenly remembering the real reason she was there. This was her absolute last chance, she knew; it was now or never, no turning back. If she couldn't say what she had to say here and now, she never would…

So, with every last ounce of willpower she could muster, she turned to face Sheldon, clenched and then relaxed her metallic hands, and forced herself to speak the words that she'd kept buried deep within her, day and night, for two solid weeks:

"Um, Sheldon…" she began hesitantly, in a tiny voice, raising one finger timidly to her mouth.

"Yeah?" he replied, finally turning to face her, his expression grim.

"I…I just wanted to say…" She lowered her head and stared at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

Sheldon regarded her in silence. Go on, he thought, his entire body tensing up, as he waited, expecting to hear the painful, yet inevitable words: The final end between them. Go on, say it! he thought. Say it! You know you want to! Now that I just fixed your stupid arm for you, and you don't need me anymore, now you're going to tell me you don't want to see me anymore, right? You don't want me near you, you want me to stay far away from you from now on! Well, okay! Fine! All right! Go ahead! Say it! I'm ready for it! I'm expecting it! So go on…! Get it over with! Say it, already!

"I—I just wanted to say," Jenny repeated, looking up to face him directly. "That…that I'm really, really sorry for—for the way I acted that day out at that secret-agent compound. I—I'm sorry I got angry at you, and—and chased you around with my laser cannons and everything. That—that was wrong of me. I shouldn't have acted like that."

She hesitated, then went on, quietly, her hands gently clasped together. "I—I shouldn't have gotten angry at you… Cripes, I should have been grateful to you, for all you did for me! I know you really came through for me in the end that day. You risked your life for me, you got me out of a really tight spot, you freed my sisters and all the other robots, too, and—and everything!" She paused, then lowered her head again. "I—I shouldn't have…gotten angry and—and attacked you and—hurt you, the way I did." She spoke softly, then looked up and into his eyes as she went on, "I feel terrible about it now…and I'm really, really sorry."

Sheldon blinked and his head jerked upward; he was utterly flabbergasted by her words. Had he heard her correctly? Jenny…was apologizing…? To him…? Well, this is a first! he thought. He was so stunned by the unexpected turn of events—it was literally the last thing he'd ever expected to hear from Jenny—that he couldn't think of anything to say in response. Jenny had never apologized to him before for anything. Ever! Not even after the time when she'd abandoned him in outer space for 90 years.

That harrowing memory came flooding back to him in a rush. Well, forget it! he thought, bitterly. I'm not falling for it! Who do you think you're fooling? I'm not stupid! 'Sorry'? You're not sorry! You're not sorry at all! You're not sorry, because you have no feelings!

Sheldon merely stared at her in ice-cold silence, betraying no emotion whatsoever. Then, after a seeming eternity, he simply turned away from her without a word and headed for the door.

Jenny held up a hand to stop him, and hastened to try again. "Sheldon, wait. Please…" she went on, more insistently. "I—I really mean it. I was wrong and I admit it. I shouldn't have flown off the handle at you that way and—and hurt you. I—I'm ashamed of myself for the way I acted." She paused and raised her hands in a gesture of abject surrender, and her voice became very quiet and subdued. "I—I know I was wrong. And I am sorry. And I know I should have apologized to you for it a long time ago, too... I don't know why I didn't…" She paused, then lowered her head. "I—I guess I was just being…stubborn… Stubborn and…stupid..." Her voice dropped to a near-whisper.

Sheldon froze in his tracks. Slowly, he turned and forced himself to look at Jenny. Something in the tone of her voice made him stop…and think. It was a tone he'd never heard from her before.

"But I really am sorry…" she went on, looking up at him directly. "Honest, I am…" She paused again; then, very quietly, "Will you…will you…forgive me?"

Another long silence followed. Sheldon lowered his head and, with a shudder, turned away from her, struggling to avoid breaking down completely. He swallowed hard, fighting back a lump in his throat, and said, very softly, "You know…you really did hurt me," tears now filling his eyes.

"Sheldon—"

"Deep down in here," he pointed to his chest. "…you really hurt me. And this wasn't the first time, either. There were other times, too. This was just the last straw…"

He sobbed, swallowed, then went on. "I always tried my best to be a good friend to you. I tried to be good to you, and kind to you, because I always thought of you as my best friend. No, more than just a friend. I thought of you as a real-life superheroine, someone I could look up to and respect and admire. Someone I could always count on and depend on and trust; someone who would never let us down. Someone who would never, ever turn against me. I saw in you all the noble, heroic qualities and virtues and ideals that I always wanted to believe in…"

He paused; then his tone grew hard and cold. "But instead…you turned out to be nothing but just another bully! Like the same kind I've been dealing with my whole life!"

Jenny's mouth dropped open and she reeled back, stunned. "What?!" She cried, aghast.

"In fact," Sheldon went on. "In a way, you're even worse than any of the bullies I've ever had to deal with in the past! Because at least they're not hypocrites! They don't pretend to be anything other than what they are!"

Her mouth still open in shock, Jenny blinked and sputtered in response, "Now—now, wait just a minute!" she exclaimed.

But Sheldon held up a hand, stopping her. "Let me finish," he said, speaking quietly but firmly. "And I don't care if you atomize me for saying this, either! I'm gonna say what I'm gonna say, regardless! Even if I have to get blasted into a million pieces for it, I'm going to have my say, no matter what!" Though choked with emotion, his voice gradually grew in intensity.

He swallowed again, then turned to face her directly and went on. "You used your—your powers against me!" He said. "To hurt me! Just like any other bully would! As if having those powers somehow gives you the right to—to just use them any way you please! Even just to hurt somebody, just 'cuz you feel like it!" he snorted with contempt. "That was mean, Jenny! Just plain mean and dirty! I never thought you would do anything like that! Ever! Not to me, not to anyone!" He paused and took a deep breath, his voice continuing to rise in volume and intensity, as the raw emotions poured out of him in a torrent. "I mean, how could you do such a thing?! How?!" he cried. "You had no right at all to do that to me! None! I mean, you can fly! I can't! You have dozens of built-in weapons! I have none! I couldn't defend myself in any way! I couldn't run! I couldn't hide! I couldn't get away!" His voice choked with emotion, then he went on. "You're literally a million times stronger than me…and yet you turned against me and—and attacked me! You…you…" he choked a second time and shook his head, as though to dispel the harrowing, nightmarish memory. "I just don't understand how you could do such a thing! To me! And after all the things I've done for you!" He sobbed, then dropped his voice. "I don't think you'd even do such a thing to the Crust Cousins, and you despise them! And yet…you did it to me…!"

Jenny recoiled with each word he hurled at her, as she felt anew the full weight of shame and guilt descend upon her with crushing force. "I know! I know!" she acknowledged. "Sheldon, I know I was wrong! And I'm sorry—"

But Sheldon didn't hear her. Now crying openly, tears streaming down his face, with all the memories of the experience still fresh in his mind, he couldn't stop himself. "I know you don't like me, but I thought…I thought we were at least supposed to be friends!" He sobbed, then went on. "But apparently, we're not! Because you sure never would have done such a thing to a real friend, someone you really care about! Never!" He hesitated, then dropped his tone low, as though the words he spoke next pained him to speak aloud. "And besides…I thought…I thought that robots aren't supposed to…do things like that! Robots aren't supposed to—" he swallowed, then went on. "—to hurt people!"

Jenny winced at the last statement. "I know!" she acknowledged the bitter reminder, not only of her violation of the First Law of Robotics, but also of her true, robotic nature. And the reminder that she was, when all was said and done, still separate and apart from "people." And hearing it now coming from Sheldon somehow made it all the more painful.

"And what about the 'Hero's Code'?" he went on. "Heroes aren't supposed to do things like that, either!" As a long time reader of comic books, Sheldon was, of course, fully versed in the "Hero's Code."

As was Jenny herself. All too well. Like the 3 Laws of Robotics, it had been drummed into her from the time she was first programmed and activated. "I know…!" she repeated weakly, painfully reminded of her violation of the code.

"But let's forget about the fact that you're a robot…and a hero…" Sheldon went on. "Or supposed to be a hero, anyway. How could you use your powers against me like that? Or against any friend, for that matter? I mean, suppose things were the other way around? If I had those powers and you didn't, I could never do a thing like that to you! Never! I just couldn't do it, for any reason, no matter what,no matter how angry I got! I just don't have such a thing in me! To...to deliberately…hurt you…! I just…I just couldn't do it…! " He sobbed and fell silent.

"I know, I know!" Jenny winced at his words. "Sheldon, I said I know I was wrong, and I'm sorry!"

But Sheldon shook his head. "It doesn't matter now," he said, quietly. "Whether you say you're sorry or not. It doesn't matter, because I don't believe in you anymore. You, the things you pretend to stand for and defend, 'heroism,' 'justice,' all that stuff. It's all a bunch of phony lies, and you know it. And I know it now, too."

"Now wait just a minute, Sheldon! That's not—"

"I mean… It wasn't just the laser-blasts that hurt." He went on, interrupting her. "It's only flesh. It heals. What really hurts is the fact that you turned against me!You betrayed me! And you betrayed everything I wanted to believe in about you, too! You were the one person in all the world I thought I could count on, the one person I thought I could trust! And I had just saved your life, for crying out loud!You even said so yourself at the time! Remember? And how'd you repay me for that? By attacking me! By flying after me and attacking me with your laser-cannons!" He momentarily choked at the bitter memory, then shook his head in cold, disgusted fury. "I'll never forgive you for that! Never!" He said in a low, growling tone. "Not for betraying me!"

Jenny's features hardened into a scowl. "I betrayed you?!" she challenged. "I betrayed you?! What about the way you betrayed me, by getting mixed up with that creepy agency in the first place?! And what about the way you betrayed me last year, when you snuck into my house and stole my plans? And you were then stupid enough to let them fall into Vexus' hands? What about that?!" She shook her head angrily. "Cripes, Sheldon, thanks to you, I could've been killed!"

"I know, I know!" Sheldon said, wincing. "I know I was wrong when I stole your plans! I know I was stupid and I screwed up! I screwed up big time! I admitted that at the time! And I said I was sorry! And I'm sorry now for getting mixed up with this creepy secret agency! But that's not the point! The point is, none of that excuses what you did to me! A robot must never attack a human, and a friend never, ever attacks a friend!"

The last sentence struck Jenny like a physical blow, leaving her momentarily stunned and speechless. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, and a heavy silence fell upon the pair. As hurtful as Sheldon's words were, and as angry as she herself still felt over his past transgressions, she nevertheless couldn't deny his point. Nor could she blame him for his well-justified anger towards her now.

"Or do you even consider me a friend?" Sheldon went on, quietly but pointedly. "You never really treated me like one. Never! I mean, you once told me, back when we first met, that you were willing to be 'just friends' with me. Okay, fine. I was willing to accept that and live with it. But the honest truth is, you never really wanted my friendship in the first place. Did you? And I'm not just talking about the fact that you never have time for me, or that you won't go on a date with me—"

"Sheldon," Jenny said, looking up. "Just because I don't want to date you doesn't mean—"

"I know, I know, " Sheldon interrupted her. "I understand. You're not interested in me that way. I get it. I'm not talking about…that." He couldn't hide the pain in his voice as he spoke. "I'm talking about just…being friendly to me. Treating me decently, like a friend; a real friend, and not just a…a pest that you have to put up with!"

"Sheldon!" Jenny protested. "I am friendly towards you!"

"No, you're not. Not really. The fact is, you never even tried! You never even made half the effort with me that you do with other people. Instead, a lot of the time, you mostly avoid me, like you're embarrassed to even be seen around me..."

"I don't…I don't do that," Jenny said, though a bit too weakly to sound convincing.

"Yes, you do. I mean, it's obvious what you really think of me. You don't hide your feelings as well as you think you do, you know. I've seen that sour look you get on your face whenever I show up. You think I don't notice, but I do! You never get that look around anyone else, except for maybe the Crust Cousins when they're giving you a hard time, or something like that."

"Now Sheldon, that's simply not true!" Jenny retorted. "I—I don't…avoid you…or give you sour looks!" She overemphasized her words, almost as though she were trying to convince herself more than Sheldon.

"Yes, Jenny; you do. Face it." Sheldon insisted. "Even on the rare occasion when you ever are friendly to me, you seem to do it only grudgingly, like it's some terrible, awful chore that you just can't get out of. Practically the only times you even bother pretending to be friendly to me is when you want my help with something, some small repair job or whatever! Like right now, for instance!" He glared sharply at her, and she averted her eyes. Suddenly, her plan of trying to get on Sheldon's good side by asking him to repair her arm for her didn't seem like such a hot idea after all.

Maybe Mom was right after all! She thought, belatedly. Maybe I should have brought over a plate of her cookies as a peace-offering instead, just like she said!

"You only use me when it's convenient for you, that's all," Sheldon went on. "You take me for granted or, at most, you just barely, grudgingly tolerate me, but it's rarely anything more than that."

Sheldon paused for a moment, then continued, his voice suddenly very soft. "But would it really have cost you anything to at least try? To at least make an effort? To at least try and be a little more friendly to me? The way you are to…to other people…?"

"Sheldon, Jenny replied, quietly. "I am friendly to you. But you must remember that I do have other responsibilities and duties, and when you interfere and get in the way when I'm trying to—"

"I know, I know," Sheldon interrupted. "Being a superhero doesn't leave you a whole lot of free time, and no time at all to—to waste on…on somebody like me. I get all that."

"Sheldon, I'm not saying that—"

"But you don't have to…deliberately exclude me from your life entirely…do you?" he went on. "I mean, it would've been nice if, once in a while—once in a while!—you could've maybe stopped by just to say, 'Hi, Sheldon, how ya doing?' Maybe spend even a little time with me or whatever, just for the heck of it, but you don't. You never even do that much."

"I do, too!" Jenny exclaimed. "I mean, yeah, maybe I spend more time with Brad and Tuck than I do with you, but that's mostly 'cuz I live right next door to them and I see them every day. But I do stop by here and spend time with you, too! What about the times I came over here to visit and do role-playing games with you? Did you suddenly forget about those or something?"

"No, I didn't forget about those. I really enjoyed those gaming sessions, and I thought you did, too. But see, that's what makes this all so confusing to me. It's like you're giving me mixed signals or something. I never know whether I'm coming or going with you. I mean, sometimes—sometimes—it's like you're almost starting to be friendly to me, but then, other times—most of the time!—you act just the opposite. Especially if other people are around. Then you tend to give me the cold shoulder, and act almost like you don't even know me—or that you don't even want to admit that you know me. Sometimes, you're even hostile to me. And that's usually when you avoid me."

"Sheldon, for the last time, I don't avoid you!" Jenny said, with growing irritation. "But if I do sometimes get tired of you, it's because you never know when to quit! You're always so darned clingy! You're always there, constantly, always following me around everywhere at school, staring at me, acting all weird and creepy and getting that glassy look in your eyes! A lot of the time you act like a total stalker! You never even give me a chance to breathe!"

"Um…you're a robot; you don't breathe."

Jenny rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation. "It's a figure of speech, mister funny man! I just mean that—"

"I know what you mean. You don't want me following you around all the time. I get that, all right? I'm not stupid. But what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to know if you're in the mood to be friendly or not? I mean, you never give me much of anything! No indication, nothing! I never know what kind of mood you're in on any given day. But I do know this much: Whenever you're doing something with your friends, some activity or other, you almost never include me along." He paused, and went on, in a softer tone. "But maybe if you did include me just a little bit more, once in a while, then maybe I wouldn't have been so…'clingy,' as you call it."

"Sheldon, I do include you in a lot of things I do! Like when we all helped Tuck make his movie. Remember? Or what about the time when Krakus made me fall apart with that hokey invention of his, and then scattered my pieces all over the world? Remember? And you and Brad and Tuck helped get me put back together again. Remember that? So you see, I do include you in stuff!"

"But that's just the point! Practically the only times you ever want me around is just to…use me, 'cuz you want my help, not because you really want my company!" he said. "But…I still went along with it anyway, and for the same reason I always did: to try and be a good friend to you, in the only way I knew how. And yeah, I know, I got carried away sometimes, and I know you didn't like it. But the point is, I did try! At least I did that much! And I've never made you feel left out and excluded, the way you do to me. Like that time on Cluster Prime and afterwards, remember?"

"What?!" Jenny cried, now utterly lost. "What's Cluster Prime got to do with any of this?"

"When you were on Cluster Prime, and your mom and I worked so hard to hotwire Vexus' ship to try and rescue you. Remember?"

"Sheldon, I told you before: I didn't need 'rescuing'! I can take care of myself, you know!"

"That's not the point! The point is, we didn't know where you were, what happened to you or what was being done to you! I mean, for all we knew, the Cluster might've been getting ready to drop you into a big smelting-vat and melt you down into a 600-pound doorstop or something! We didn't know what was going on! But we thought you were in trouble, and that's all we needed! So we both worked our tails off to try and rescue you. I mean, I wasn't even going to mention this, but the fact is, your mom didn't even want me to come along on the voyage, because it was so dangerous. She wanted me to stay behind on earth, where she thought I'd be safe. But I insisted on going with her, even to the point of arguing with her about it. And why? Because I thought you were in danger and I wanted to help!"

"Sheldon—"

"So we worked together," he went on. "And we risked our lives to go through that multi-lateral Cluster vortex to get there. And then, when we arrived…" His voice trailed off. "After all that hard work we did and after all the risks and dangers we went through to get there and find you…" His voice momentarily choked with emotion. "You—you didn't even say 'thanks'! For anything I did! Not for getting there and finding you, not for piloting the ship and taking you back home, not for destroying Smytus's ship once we got here, not for anything! Just like you never appreciate anything I do for you! You just take it all for granted! The same way you take me for granted! I mean, you—you could've at least appreciated the effort involved! You could've at least had the simple, common decency to say 'thank you,' but you didn't even do that!" He snorted with bitter contempt. "You didn't even acknowledge me! You didn't even—" he stopped himself. "You obviously weren't happy to see me there!"

"I was too!" Jenny retorted. "I was happy to see all of you there!"

He shook his head. "No. You were happy to see your mom and—and your friends, Brad and Tuck," he replied. "But not me! Not Sheldon! Not creepy, geeky, pain-in-the-neck Sheldon! Geez, you didn't even…" his voice broke. "You didn't even…" he couldn't go on.

Jenny recalled their reunion on Cluster Prime. It had been an intensely emotional time, after a bitter, exhausting struggle, in the midst of turmoil and a full-scale planetary revolution. She remembered her creator and Sheldon appearing from Queen Vexus' ship, and she remembered Brad and Tuck somehow suddenly materializing out of thin air moments later, and she remembered making the difficult decision to return to earth rather than remain on Cluster Prime, where she had managed to fit in better than she ever had on Earth, and where she had even made some new friends. But beyond that, she couldn't remember any details about the experience at all. Clearly, however, Sheldon apparently did.

"Sheldon, I do appreciate what you did," Jenny said in her defense. "I do appreciate it. Mom told me all about it, how you helped her with Vexus's ship and everything."

"Well, you sure didn't show any appreciation at the time."

"Well, what was I supposed to do?"

"Well, you could've said 'thank you,' at least!" he fumed. "You could've done that, at least! But you didn't! You didn't even—" Again, Sheldon's voice choked with emotion, and he couldn't continue. He turned away from her and shut his eyes tightly, wincing at the memory. He swallowed and pressed reluctantly ahead. "You—you didn't even give me a hug," he whispered, ashamed—embarrassed to speak out loud the most painful aspect of the memory for him. "You greeted everybody else with a great big hug…but—but not me! You deliberately left me out of it! Even later on, when Razinski awarded you a medal for heroism, you gathered up everybody else around you in another big group hug…" he sobbed and continued in a low, heavy tone. "But—but not me! You—you deliberately kept me out of it! Again!" His voice choked now with emotion, he muttered softly, "A lousy group hug…! With everybody else…and you couldn't even include me in that…!"

Jenny blinked; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "A hug?!" she asked, her eyebrows raised. "Is that what this is all about? A stupid hug you didn't get?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it sounds stupid and silly now," Sheldon waved a hand dismissively. "And I knew you wouldn't understand. Or care! I know you only care about yourself, and you only think of me as just an obnoxious, annoying creep and a pest. But I am a person, you know, and I do have feelings! And it really hurt, being left out that way. Because you always make me feel left out!"

A silence followed, as Jenny slowly absorbed Sheldon's words. Clearly, she began to realize, the roots of his ill feelings and resentment went back a lot farther than the incident at the secret-agent compound, and went much, much deeper.

"Sheldon," Jenny replied quietly, choosing her words carefully. "I know you have feelings. But I have feelings, too. And it hurt my feelings when I realized that you joined that agency to spy on me! And I also felt hurt when you stole my plans last year! Sneaking into my home—my home! Violating my privacy! And stealing something that was very personal and private to me: My plans!" She shook her head. "Now, that's something that I never thought you would do! I never thought you would stoop so low as to do a thing like that! Never! You not only violated my privacy when you did that, but you also violated my trust in you!"

"Jenny, I know I was wrong and stupid for doing that. I admitted that at the time. And I said I was sorry for it, didn't I? And that was even before you pulverized me for it! And—speaking of which— you more than paid me back for that! I mean, that was a heck of a smackdown you gave me! I had to wear that stupid neck-brace for over a month!"

Jenny winced and dropped her eyes, frowning. It was a bitter memory for the both of them.

"Even so, I still helped you defeat Vexus that time, didn't I?" Sheldon pointed out.

"Yes!" Jenny admitted, grudgingly. "And I'm sorry about your neck, too! But still, the point is, you hurt me in the first place, by invading my privacy and betraying my trust in you! Or what about the time you tried to buy me from my mom? That hurt me, too! You made me feel like—like I was property!"

"Jenny, that was a joke!" Sheldon cried. "Just a dumb joke! I admit it was a lousy, rotten, stupid joke, and I'm sorry you felt hurt by it, but that's all it was! Just a dumb, stupid joke that didn't come out right! I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Well then, I guess that's something I just don't have a sense of humor about…" Jenny muttered in response.

Sheldon hung his head, and Jenny looked away. Neither one looked at the other or spoke a word for several moments. Another long silence followed before Sheldon spoke again, in a low tone that Jenny had never heard him use before.

"Jenny…I know you don't like me," he said, quietly. "I've known it for a long time. But until recently, I never realized that you hate me."

Jenny stared at Sheldon, stunned. She couldn't believe her own audio-sensors. Sheldon…thought that she hated him…? It was the exact opposite of her own fears only a short while ago.

"Sheldon…" She said gently, still stunned by his words, trying to absorb them while searching for an adequate response. "I—I don't hate you…and I never said I did."

"You didn't have to say it. It's obvious from the way you treat me! It's obvious from the sour looks you give me! From the things I've heard you say about me behind my back! From the fact that you deliberately exclude me and freeze me out from the things you do, like you did on Cluster Prime!" He paused, and continued in a low, growling tone. "And it's obvious from the way you're sometimes downright cruel to me! Like that day out at that compound!"

Jenny's mouth dropped open. "I am not cruel!" she protested. "Sheldon, I know I have my faults, and I know I'm not perfect! I know I make mistakes—"

"Mistakes?!" Sheldon cried, interrupting her. "Is that what you call it?! A mistake?!" He shook his head in disgust. "Jenny, there are mistakes and there are mistakes! But what you did to me out at that compound that day was just plain cruel! Mean and cruel!"

Jenny cringed. "Listen, Sheldon, I know that was wrong of me, and I said I'm sorry for it. I know I sometimes lose my temper, and I admit it's sometimes hard for me to keep my powers under control. And even when I do get angry at you, it's usually because you did something really stupid and you're really asking for it! But I am not cruel!"

"No? Well, what do you call blasting away at somebody with laser-cannons? An act of kindness?!" Sheldon challenged her. "Jenny, there was no excuse for that! None! No matter how 'really stupid' you think I might've been!"

"But Sheldon, I told you I was sorry about—"

"Or what about the time you abandoned me in outer space for 90 years?" he argued, cutting her off. "What about that?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Oh, here we go again!" she sighed. "Sheldon, we've been through this before! I already told you, I didn't know you were aboard that space-ship! If I had known, I certainly wouldn't have left you there! I'd have gone after you! But from where we were here on Earth, it was only one day that had passed, and—"

"Yeah! One whole day had gone by and you didn't even notice I was missing! You cared so little about me, you never even noticed! If Brad, or Tuck, or your mom, or anyone else you really cared about had ever gone missing for even five minutes, I bet you'd have noticed it immediately! And you'd have moved heaven and earth to find them again! But because it was only me…you never even noticed! Or cared!"

Jenny's mouth dropped open, aghast, and she found herself momentarily at a loss for words. "Sheldon," she said, struggling to maintain an even tone. "For your information, I just spent all afternoon today on a wild goose chase, looking all over town for you, just so that I could apologize to you! And, believe me, I looked everywhere! I still don't know where the heck you were all this time, but I looked! So don't tell me I don't care! And when you went missing on that space-ship, believe me, I would have noticed it eventually!"

"Yeah, eventually, you might have!" he exclaimed. "Maybe! Like maybe a month or two later! Or whenever you wanted me to make a repair on you that you couldn't ask your mom to do! That's probably the only time you'd have noticed I was missing! When you wanted me to fix something for you!"

Jenny winced, recalling again the questionable method by which she began this entire discussion. No doubt about it now! She thought. I definitely should have brought over a plate of Mom's cookies instead!

"And who put me aboard that space-ship in the first place?" Sheldon went on, his volume rising. "You did, that's who! You paid so little attention to what you were doing, you cared so little about me, that when you scooped up all those aliens and dumped them onto that space-ship, you never even noticed that you scooped me up along with them!"

"Sheldon, I didn't do that on purpose!" Jenny cried. "I told you before, that was a mistake!"

"Ah," Sheldon said. "Of course! Another mistake! Right… Sure… You simply mistook me for a small, candy-colored, jelly-bean-shaped alien from another planet! Right. Sure. It's an easy mistake to make. Happens all the time. Could happen to anybody, right? I mean, come on! How come that kind of thing somehow always manages to happen to me whenever I'm around you?!"

Jenny winced, and averted her eyes.

"For all I know, maybe you did it on purpose!" Sheldon said.

"Oh, come on, now!" Jenny protested. "You know I'd never do anything like that on purpose!"

"Do I?" Sheldon challenged her. "I'm not so sure… Oh, maybe you might not have done it on a conscious level…but maybe unconsciously… I really can't help but wonder if maybe you were, on some level or other, unconsciously trying to get rid of me!"

Jenny started to open her mouth to respond, then slowly closed it again. She shuddered as the formerly-unthinkable possibility occurred to her, and for the first time, she began to entertain serious doubts as to her true motivations behind her actions at the time. Could it be…? She now wondered. Is he right? Was I subconsciously trying to get rid of him…? It—it can't be! Can it…?

She shuddered again just thinking about the possibility. Could it be…? She asked herself, her self-confidence now beginning to falter. Was I really trying to…to get rid of him…? Without even realizing it…? How will I ever really know for sure…?

"And what about afterwards?" Sheldon went on. "After I got back to Earth, and you had reverted me back to a baby…what did you do? You just handed me right back over to those pirates! The same bunch I was trying to get away from! You—you just left me with them! Abandoned me! Without any thought or care or concern! With—with no one to look after me, no one to take care of me, or—or anything!" He shook his head at the traumatic memory, as though he still couldn't quite believe it had happened to him. "I mean, what were you thinking?! How could you do such a thing? To anyone?! If that isn't deliberately cruel, then what is?!"

"Sheldon, I already told you a thousand times! It was the only way I could think of to revert you back to your right age at the right time!"

"I don't buy that!" Sheldon countered. "You could have tried something else! You could have easily fought off all those pirates single-handed if you wanted, and then either you or your mom could've come up some idea, and tried some other way to bring me back to my right age!"

"Sheldon, I couldn't! There was no other way! Please believe me!"

"No? Well then, let me ask you this: If it had been someone other than me in that situation, if it had been Brad or Tuck…or your mom…or anyone else you really care about, would you have done the same thing? Or would you have found some other way?"

Jenny opened her mouth, about to respond, then closed it again and fell silent; she had no answer.

"Well? Would you?" Sheldon challenged her. "Or forget about your mom or your friends," he said, emphasizing the last word. "Suppose it was…oh, let's say Don Prima, or that new guy, Sebastian. Or Travis. Or Shane. Or some other guy you like. Would you have done the same thing to one of them?"

Jenny lowered her head and remained silent; it was obvious what her answer would have been.

"I didn't think so," said Sheldon. "I don't even think you'd do that to the Crust Cousins, either! But—again—you did it to me!" He paused for a breath, then went on. "And even when I finally got back to earth again for the last time, and told you how hurt and angry I was about what you did to me, you still didn't care! You didn't even say you were sorry! No, you acted like it was all just a big joke! A joke!" He fumed, clenching his fists in barely-controlled fury.

Jenny winced. "Sheldon, I'm sorry if it looked that way to you. I didn't mean—"

"You laughed at my pain," he went on. "On top of everything else…you laughed at my pain."

"Sheldon," Jenny said, softly. "Listen to me. Please. I'm telling you now, I wasn't trying to be cruel. I really wasn't. I did what I did because I was trying to correct my mistake, and I honestly couldn't think of any other way to solve the problem and deal with the situation. And that's the truth." She half-shrugged, half-raised her hands in a feeble gesture of surrender. "What else could I have done?"

Now it was Sheldon's turn to be struck silent, staring at her, as though the answer to her rhetorical question should have been obvious. "What else could you have done?" he echoed, quietly. "You're kidding me, right?" He paused again, waiting for a response that was not forthcoming. "Well then, think about this," he said. "After you had reverted me back to an infant, why didn't you just take me back through the wormhole a second time at a high enough speed to age me rapidly, until I had reached the age of 17? Why didn't you do that?"

Jenny blinked and stared blankly at him. "What—what are you talking about?"

"Like you did the first time I got back to earth as an old man. Remember? The first thing you tried was, you took me through that wormhole, under the theory that it would revert me backward in age. Only when you actually tried it, you and your mom discovered that, instead of reverting me in age, it was aging me more rapidly! Right? So if you had simply taken me through the wormhole a second time, when I was an infant, then you could have aged me seventeen years in just a few minutes, and brought me back to my right age that way! You certainly could've done that, instead of handing me back over to those pirates!" He glared sharply at her. "The question is…why didn't you…?"

Jenny's eyes opened wide as she at last grasped the meaning of Sheldon's explanation. She shuddered as she now realized for the first time the full magnitude of her error in judgment. Slowly, she closed her eyes, shutting them tightly, and buried her face in her hands, as the full implications and consequences of her actions at last became clear to her. "Oh…my…Jobs…! Oh…my…Jobs…!" she softly moaned. "You're right…! You're right…! I did screw up! I did! I could've done that! I could've…! I just didn't…think of it…! I just didn't…think…"

"I guess you didn't." Sheldon said, quietly.

Jenny fell silent, trembling as she contemplated the monumental wrong she had done to Sheldon. As hard as it was to admit and to face, he was right: She had used extremely poor judgment on that occasion. She had treated him badly and unfairly; she had been thoughtless, careless, and she had ruined his life, just as he'd said at the time. And, from his point of view, it probably did seem as though she had singled him out and had been deliberately cruel to him. She saw that now. She could no longer deny it.

"Sheldon…I am so…so…sorry…" she said in a small, quiet, utterly defeated voice. "I…I didn't mean… I didn't mean…" She softly repeated as she slowly shook her head, her face still covered by her hands in shame.

"I don't know why you treat me this way," Sheldon said. "I don't deserve it… You don't treat other people that way… You certainly don't treat your friends that way… But you treat me this way, almost like I'm your enemy…and I never understood why…" His voice became low and soft, full of emotion. "I know you only think of me as a pest and a creep and a nuisance… I've even heard you call me a 'stalker' and—and other things. But I'm not a 'stalker.' I'm really not. I admit my social skills aren't the greatest, and I know I'm a long ways away from being the handsomest guy in the world. And sure, I make dumb, klutzy mistakes, and I know I embarrass you and everything. But I've never done you any real harm. At least…not on purpose! I know I've done stupid things, but I've never deliberately hurt you. Ever. All I ever wanted, all I ever tried to be, was your friend…" His voice was now just barely audible. "Just plain, simple friendship. Even though I admit I wanted more…I was willing to accept simple friendship and be satisfied with it…" He paused. "And yet…you couldn't even give me that much."

He paused, swallowed, then went on. "I know I act stupid sometimes, and I know I sometimes get jealous and act like an obnoxious jerk and everything. But none of the stupid stuff I've ever done was out of meanness or spite. Or cruelty." He put an emphasis on the word that cut through Jenny like a high-powered industrial laser-beam. "My only motive was…was…" he couldn't bring himself to utter the word. "My only crime, if you want to call it that, was to…care about you." He finished, lowering his head, his eyes closed.

Jenny remained silent for a long time before she spoke. "Sheldon," she said, quietly. "I don't know what else to say…" She paused. "Despite what you think, I'm not cruel. I do care, or I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have spent all afternoon looking all over town for you if I didn't care! I do care! But I can only say 'I'm sorry' so many times. I can even say it to you in a hundred and forty-three different languages, if you'd like. I'm sorry for getting angry at you and chasing you and shooting my laser-cannons at you and everything. That was wrong of me; I admit it. I told you I feel terrible about it now, and I mean it! I mean it from the bottom of my cold-fusion reactor! I'd give anything in the world to undo what I did, believe me, I would! I'm sorry I attacked you and hurt you, and I'm sorry about that other time too, when I accidentally marooned you in outer space. And I'm sorry I turned you over to those space pirates afterwards, too. I admit it was a careless, thoughtless, ultra-incredibly-stupid thing for me to do, and believe me I'm sorry about it. I would undo that if I could, too! What more can I say? What more can I do?"

Sheldon remained silent, still avoiding her eyes. Long moments passed, neither one uttering a word.

Finally, with a slow, sad shake of her head, Jenny continued. "But…I just wish…I really wish…" she said, quietly. "That you could give me an explanation…just one good reason for how and why you could get mixed up with such an organization—any organization—that could plot to destroy robots. That's the part I still don't understand. I mean…I—I thought you liked robots!" She hesitated, her vocoder momentarily choked with emotion, then she continued. "And yet…you knew about this plan they had to destroy us! You knew about it…! And yet, you never said a word about it! Not a word!" She paused, then went on. "You claim to be my friend…and yet…you took part in this thing, this plot to destroy robots…! Robots like—like me!" Her vocoder choked up a second time. "How in the world could you—you, of all people!—ever get mixed up in such a terrible thing…? Explain that to me…"

"Jenny, I swear to you, I give you my word: I didn't know what those guys were really planning! They never told me! I didn't find out until the very last minute, and when I did, I came straight to your house to warn you! And I took you to their compound, so that we could try to stop them! But until then, I had no idea what they were really up to! I swear it!"

"Well, what did you think they were up to?"

"Well, they told me in the beginning that their purpose was simply to conduct surveillance, to determine if robots could be trusted. Even then, they said they felt you were already 90% trustworthy, and they only wanted me to provide that extra 10% assurance. Well of course, I knew that'd be a cinch, since I already believed you were 100% trustworthy. So I went along with it, thinking that if I turned in a favorable report on you, then maybe I could convince them that you and all the other robots were 100% trustworthy, too. So you see? I wasn't working against you; I was working for you, on your behalf, on behalf of all robots!"

"But you lied to me!" Jenny retorted, her voice still heavy with emotion. "All those weeks! You kept secrets from me! You were part of that thing…and you never said a word about it to me! Not a word!"

"Jenny, I was sworn to secrecy. I was given a very strict warning to keep my identity as an agent a secret. 'Non-disclosure,' they called it. But even so, I still tried to talk to you about what was going on!"

"When?" Jenny challenged. "When did you try to talk to me about any of this?"

"When you were in Mogg's library, talking to him about the missing robots. And I was hiding in the bookcase. Remember? I tried to talk to you, and you just blew me off, just like you always do! You said to me, 'I don't have time for this! This is robot business, and none of your business!' Remember? Or a few weeks before that, when you were on the athletic-field at school, talking to the scoreboard, when you first began to suspect something wrong was going on. I tried to talk to you then, and you said, 'Sheldon, don't interrupt! I'm very busy right now with superhero robot business! You wouldn't understand!' Remember?"

"Yes, I remember; but what's it got to do with this?"

"It has everything to do with this! You claim I never said a word to you about all this, but I did! I tried to talk to you, but you didn't want to listen! You kept blowing me off and brushing me aside, like I was nothing! Nothing but a nuisance to be brushed aside."

"Well, that's because you're always pestering me all the time—"

"The point is, I did try to tell you about this!" Sheldon countered. "But as usual, you didn't want to listen! No, instead, you treated me like I was some kind of low-grade moron that you didn't have time for! And then, after you refused to listen to me when I tried to talk to you, you then turned around and got angry at me, and claim I never said a word?! Well, what the heck was I supposed to do? Tell me!"

Jenny looked away; she had no answer.

"And even when I finally did have a chance to tell you the whole story, about my joining the agency and everything, even then, you still didn't give me much of a chance to fully explain! No, the words were barely out of my mouth before you blew your top and started blasting away at me with your laser cannons!"

Jenny winced, at the reminder of her infuriated, out-of-control behavior that day.

"But if you had only listened to me in the first place, instead of brushing me aside and ignoring me," he went on. "Or if you'd said something to me weeks earlier, about your suspicions and concerns, when you first suspected something wrong was going on, then maybe I could've helped you. If I could have done that, then maybe I never would've even joined that agency in the first place!"

"Sheldon, I didn't—and I don't—need your help! I told you that before! At least a million times! I'm fully capable of taking care of myself!" But even as she said this, Jenny knew it wasn't entirely true; she couldn't help but recall the numerous times that Sheldon had come to her aid and assisted her, and had even saved her life on more than one occasion. Including this one.

"I still could've tried!" Sheldon protested. "And if I knew what was going on about the robots, then maybe I could have acted sooner to foul up the agency's plans or something. Or I maybe could've helped you in some other way. But you didn't even give me a chance! Couldn't you at least have given me a chance?"

Jenny was silent for a moment, before she responded, quietly. "Sheldon…the truth is, given your track-record, I honestly didn't think you could be trusted. And from the way things turned out, it looks like I was right!"

Sheldon's mouth dropped open in astonishment, and for several long moments, he merely stared at Jenny. "How can you say that?" he said at last. "After I got you out of that tight spot out at the compound? When you were surrounded by all those agents and outgunned by at least a hundred to one? And what about all the other times I've helped you in the past? All the other things I've done for you over the years? Like the way I helped you last Christmas, for example, when that Sweeney kid took over your mind and made you spoil all the holidays for everyone. What about that?" He paused. "Everybody else in town turned against you, but I didn't. I still believed in you, didn't I? And I helped you set everything right again, didn't I?"

Jenny couldn't answer and looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Well, didn't I?" He repeated, in a stronger tone. "If that didn't prove I could be trusted, then what would?" He paused. "'Didn't think I could be trusted!'" he muttered in disgust, shaking his head. "Jenny, I would have done anything for you! Anything at all! And you know it!"

Jenny was struck silent by both the passion and truth of Sheldon's statement, so much so that it took her a moment to recover and respond. "Well," she said at last, carefully avoiding the issue. "Whether or not I chose to confide in you, it still doesn't explain how or why you got mixed up with that agency in the first place. I mean, what were you thinking?"

Sheldon fell silent and remained so for a long time before he replied. "Jenny," he began quietly. "Try to understand things from my point of view. All my life, it's been the same. All my life, I never felt like I was wanted. Ever! By anyone! No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, nobody ever wanted me. All my life, I've been excluded and left out. Unwanted, unwelcome and treated like a nobody." He paused, took a deep breath, then continued.

"It's not like that for you," he went on. "You're always needed, by everyone. You're always the one everybody turns to in times of need, to rescue them, to save them from danger. And I know that's sometimes hard for you to live with, but try to imagine what it's like to never be wanted, by anyone, ever. To be avoided by everyone, but especially by the one person I admired more than anyone else in the whole world."

It took Jenny a moment to realize that Sheldon was referring to her in the last part, and when she did, she felt flattered that, in spite of all, Sheldon could still think of her as a person, whom he admired, rather than just a robot. She was about to say something in response when Sheldon continued.

"Well, that's what it was like for me," he said. "Then along comes this agency that, for whatever reason, wanted me. I mean, really wanted me! Valued me! Valued and appreciated my talents, and believed in me! For the first time in my life, I felt good about myself! Like I was somebody! I felt like I was needed, that I had some value, that my life wasn't completely…worthless…" He couldn't go on.

"Oh, Sheldon…" Jenny said softly. "I—I didn't…know… I didn't realize…" For the very first time, she began to understand just how difficult Sheldon's life must have been, and how truly lonely he must have felt. She could certainly understand and relate to that herself.

"Anyway," he went on. "So when they asked me to join them, and said how much they wanted me, I just couldn't say 'no.'" He paused. "I mean…" he smiled bitterly, the first time he had smiled during their entire conversation. "I don't know, but I imagine it's maybe a little bit like how you felt on Cluster Prime, when you decided to return to Earth. Remember? You said it was because you knew you were needed back here on Earth. And it's true! You are needed here! Well, for the first time in my life, I finally felt like I was needed!" He swallowed, then went on, his voice suddenly quiet, but heavy with emotion. "And yet…in spite of that, I was still willing to throw it all away, just as soon as I found out you were in danger."

Jenny was struck by at the reminder that, once again, Sheldon had risked his life to save hers. In fact, she suddenly realized with a start, that if it hadn't been for his swift, courageous action that day, they probably wouldn't even be having this conversation right now...

"Sheldon, I…I…" she began, but couldn't continue.

"Anyway," Sheldon went on. "That's how I felt. For the first time in my life, I felt…wanted…valued…appreciated. I felt like I was somebody, no longer treated like an outcast, a nobody." He paused, with a slight shrug. "I would've thought that you, of all people, ought to be able to appreciate that, at least. Because—admit it—in spite of all the things you do for people, all your acts of heroism, all the times you've saved people's lives—and even saved the entire world!—you're still treated like an outcast by people a lot of the time. Isn't that true? So I would've thought that, for that reason alone, since you know what it feels like to be…left out…that maybe you might be…different from the other girls of Tremorton High. I thought that…you might have more sympathy for another outcast than, say, the Crust Cousins or Pteresa or the rest of the…'popular' girls ever would; that you might have more…compassion, and understanding. Or, at the very least, that you wouldn't be snobby and judgmental, the way they are!" He paused, with a tiny, feeble shrug. "I just thought that you were somehow…better than that... But I was wrong! Turns out you're no different from the other girls of Tremorton! You're just like all the rest!"

Jenny winced; the contemptuous tone of his words struck her like a physical blow. It was ironic: All her life, she'd wanted to be "just like all the rest" of the girls, and ordinarily she would have been flattered by such a statement. But in this case, in this context, she knew full well that it was not intended as a compliment.

Sheldon went on. "Or have you forgotten what it feels like to be excluded and treated like an outcast, just because of how you look? Don't you remember? Remember your first day at Tremorton High, when no one wanted to be friends with you? Just because of—of what you are, the way you look? Something you have absolutely no control over? Remember how awkward and out-of-place you felt? Remember the way everybody treated you, the way they either froze you out and ignored you, or else they laughed at you and made fun of you? Remember? Then tell me: How did that make you feel, that first day…?"

Jenny lowered her head and her shoulders sagged. "Like a scary, freaky-looking robot…and a loser..." She replied, quietly.

"Then you also remember how it hurt inside…right…? That feeling of being left out…and unwanted by everyone…? Remember…?"

Jenny didn't answer; but it was obvious she remembered. All too well. Silently, she nodded.

"Well…that's what it's like for me most of the time,"he went on. "And you remember—you told me this yourself—you remember how difficult it was those first few weeks, after your mom first let you leave the house, and you started school and everything. All you wanted was to make friends and be popular. But nobody other than Brad and Tuck wanted to be your friends. Remember how it felt? How lonely it was? Remember how you would have done just about anything to be popular?"

"I remember," she said, quietly.

"Well…that's kind of how I felt…and why I was so willing to join that agency," he said. "I was willing to do just about anything to try and fit in, to find a place for myself, and be valued and appreciated by others for my talents. Even if it meant joining that creepy agency!" He paused, then went on, quietly. "It's not really all that different from you wanting to do just about anything in order to be popular…is it…?"

No…no, I suppose not…! Jenny privately acknowledged, though she remained silent.

"But then I met you. You remember that day, I'm sure. And I liked you right away! And I immediately wanted to be your friend." He paused. "Okay, okay; I admit it: I wanted us to be more than friends." He smiled for a fleeting moment. "I admit that. Because, unlike the others, I never thought of you as 'freaky' or 'scary' or anything like that. To me, you were beautiful! I thought you were an amazing, wonderful, remarkably unique girl! One of a kind! That's why I used to stare at you and follow you around everywhere! I just couldn't believe that such an amazing, beautiful, wonderful girl could actually be in our boring, pokey, stupid little school, and I just couldn't help myself!"

He hesitated for a moment, then went on, his voice much softer and more subdued, almost as though he were about to confide a closely-guarded secret. "And—and I didn't even mind the fact that you're way more powerful and stronger than me, either. I guess most guys would've felt threatened by that, but…I didn't." He shrugged. "It never bothered me at all. At least…it never did before. Not 'til now. Because, up until now, it never occurred to me that you would ever use that power against me, to hurt me!"

Jenny cringed and hung her head, and Sheldon stopped short, as though he regretted reopening the wound.

"Anyway…" he went on. "What I'm trying to say is, from the moment I first saw you, I wanted so badly to be your friend. And I tried so hard to be a good friend to you, too; in every way I could think of. For days! Weeks! Months, even! I tried everything I could think of to be a good friend to you. I tried making nice gifts for you, things that I thought you'd appreciate. I did favors for you whenever you asked, I helped you with…you know…" he hesitated, then went on, a faint blush appearing on his pale cheeks. "With…repairs and stuff...on your body…whenever you needed them."

He shrugged. "I didn't mind doing them…" he went on. "In fact, I was happy to do them. I would have done anything for you, if it meant having you pay even a little attention to me…" He paused, swallowed, then continued. "Though it would've been nice if, just once in a while—once in a while—you could have shown me some appreciation for it… But…you never did…" he swallowed again, with a slight frown, then went on. "Anyhow…I did those repairs and stuff…'cuz I wanted you to like me! I did all that and more. I tried everything I could think of to make you like me, or at least appreciate me… I even tried making you jealous! And we both know how that worked out!"

Jenny cringed; it was a painful memory for the both of them. On that occasion, as on this, she had gotten angry at Sheldon before giving him a chance to explain, only to regret it later on, after she'd learned the true facts of the matter.

"But nothing worked." Sheldon concluded. "You just decided, right from the beginning, practically from the moment you first laid eyes on me, that you weren't going to like me, no matter what. And so, you never even gave me a chance. Not even one fair chance! And I don't get that, because…well, I mean, you pretend to stand for justice and fairness and all that stuff...and yet you never treated me fairly! Never! You never even gave me anything like a fair chance! If you'd even met me half-way, that would've been something, but you never even did that. You never even gave me that much consideration or respect. Instead, you took one look and judged me before you even knew me. You turned your back on me, just like everybody else does; just like everybody else turned their back on you."

Jenny winced as she realized with a start that Sheldon was right once again. From the very beginning, she had tended to reject him, just as others had rejected her.

"Now, tell me," Sheldon continued. "And be honest. How would it make you feel if others treated you the exact same way you treated me? If other people judged you before they knew you? Rejected you, and turned their backs on you, the way you did to me?"

Jenny shut her eyes tightly, squeezing back tears that she felt were coming. Again, she couldn't answer; the truth was too painful.

"Or how would it make you feel if your friends, Brad and Tuck, were…oh, I don't know…playing a game or something, let's say." he went on. "And you really wanted to join them and play, too. Only instead of inviting you to join them, they coldly brushed you aside and said, 'Don't bother us, Jenny! We're very busy right now with human business! You wouldn't understand! It's none of your business anyway!' Now tell me: How would it make you feel if they ever said anything like that to you?"

Jenny shuddered; though she couldn't imagine her friends ever treating her in such a cold and brusque manner, she nevertheless could easily imagine how hurt she would feel if they ever did. She remained silent, but the tears rolling down her cheeks gave Sheldon all the answer he needed.

"And remember how it felt when the Crust Cousins made fun of you and called you names?" he continued, softly. "Remember how it hurt inside when they called you things like 'Frankenstein' and 'bucket of bolts'? Things like that?"

Jenny cringed at the painfully-vivid memory, and silently nodded.

"Well…that's how I felt when you called me 'crazy loser stalker geek' and—and other things I've heard you call me…" He said, quietly. "Only in my case, it hurt more, 'cuz I had to hear it, not from somebody I hated, but from somebody I really, really liked and admired; somebody I really, truly cared about."

Jenny lowered her head in shame at the memory and wiped her eyes. That was so long ago that she'd spoken those words, she'd hoped that Sheldon would have forgotten about them by now. But, clearly, he hadn't. As she herself knew all too well, one could never entirely forget such hurtful words; not ever.

"I guess that's the hardest thing of all for me to understand," Sheldon said, evenly. "And it's also the most ironic. I mean, here you are, you don't like being excluded or discriminated against for being a robot…and yet, from the very beginning, that's exactly how you treated me, for being…well…for being what I am." He shrugged. "I can't change what I am, any more than you can change from being a robot." He paused, then continued in the same quiet voice, but now intense, and heavy with meaning. "I'd have thought that you, of all people, would know better than to judge people based on appearances and first impressions… That you, of all people, would…look at the person on the inside, rather than judge by how they look on the outside… Especially after your experience with the drama-club a few weeks ago! I'd have thought you'd have learned something from that! But…I guess I was wrong."

His words stung; all the more because Jenny knew they were true.

"Sheldon," she said in a barely-audible voice, looking up at him. "I—I'm sorry about those things I called you… I didn't mean them… But—but be fair! That was a long time ago when I said that."

"True," he acknowledged. "But then, your opinion of me hasn't really changed all that much since then…has it…?"

"Sheldon," she said, awkwardly avoiding the question. "The problem's not just because of how you look. It's the way you sometimes act around me that's the problem."

Sheldon paused thoughtfully before he replied, "And can you honestly say that you never got carried away with your emotions? Like if you got really angry, for example?" He paused, with a faint but meaningful scowl. "Or that you never acted inappropriately around others? Especially if, for example, you were near some good-looking guy that you really, really liked, and felt attracted to? Can you honestly say you never acted awkwardly in a situation like that? And said or did the wrong thing at just the wrong time? And then felt embarrassed about it?"

Jenny was again struck silent by his words, recalling the numerous times when she'd been reduced to girlish squeals and giggles of delight when in the close proximity of an attractive boy that she liked; occasions in which she'd nearly blown a fuse in her overheated excitement. Long moments passed before she finally responded, softly, "No," with a slow, defeated shake of her head.

"And can you honestly say that you've never been jealous?" Sheldon went on. "Of anyone? And that you never…lost your head, and…acted in ways that you later regretted?"

Jenny winced as she heard the words. "You're…you're talking about my fight with Melody…aren't you…?" she said in a small, subdued voice, barely able to meet his eyes.

Sheldon nodded.

"How—how did you know about that?" she asked, still unable to look at him directly.

"Oh Jenny, come on," he replied, gently. "It's no secret. The whole town saw it. It even made the 10:00 news that night. Everybody knows about it."

She blushed a bright blue in embarrassment. She looked up at Sheldon imploringly, wanting desperately to say something in her defense…but no words would come to her aid. Jenny, in one of the rare times of her life, was literally speechless; at a complete loss for words.

In the silence that followed, she pondered and reflected upon all that Sheldon had said to her in the course of their long and intense discussion over the evening. She had never before heard Sheldon speak this way about anything, speaking so strongly, so passionately, with such eloquence, clarity and conviction, about all the deeply-held personal feelings that he'd obviously kept bottled up inside of him for so long. She'd had no idea that he had such depth of feeling within him; but then, she sadly reflected, she'd never really taken the time to really listen to him all that much before, either. And, she had to admit, many of the points and observations he'd made and the conclusions he'd drawn were valid, however painful they might be for her to face.

She also now realized, for the very first time, the full extent to which Sheldon's feelings had been hurt by her actions and treatment of him, and not just from this latest incident at the secret-agent compound, either, but by many other things from the past as well. And that the cumulative effects of his hurt feelings had been simmering and building up inside him for a long, long time; almost the entire time they'd known each other.

"But…it doesn't matter now," Sheldon spoke up at last, his voice now firm and decisive. "Because now I understand how it is. It took me a while, but I finally get it now. I don't have to have a building fall on my head. You have other things to do, a lot of responsibilities; not only your duties as a superhero, but…other things, too. You're finally becoming more popular at school, you have some more friends now—and not just Brad and Tuck, either. You're more involved in school activities. You're finally being recognized and respected as a valuable member of the community. You have your own interests, your own activities, your own friends to hang out with, your own…life to live. It's a good life, it's fulfilling for you, you're happy with it, and that's…that's all fine and good for you." He shrugged. "But…unfortunately, it's a life that…you obviously don't want me to be a part of…in any way. You want me out of your life…completely…" He paused, then continued, quietly. "Because, the truth is…you don't like me…you never did…and I now know that you never will. You—you don't think of me as a friend; not a real friend, or you wouldn't have treated me the way you did." He paused, swallowed, then slowly nodded his head, as though finally accepting and resigning himself to a painful reality. "I see that now… I understand… I get it…"

Jenny started to respond, but Sheldon stopped her with a raised hand, and he went on, his tone acquiring a hard, bitter edge:

"But you know what? After the way you treated me, after the things you've done to me…I—I don't even want to be part of your life anymore anyway." He paused, took a deep breath and pressed on. "I just don't care anymore. And I don't… I don't…" His voice now breaking, he dropped his eyes, unable to look at her directly. Then, with a slow, sad shake of his head, he continued, speaking haltingly, wincing with each word, as though they caused him physical pain to speak aloud:

"I don't want to be friends with you anymore, either..."

Jenny's mouth dropped open at the words that she'd never, ever heard from anyone before in her entire life, and which she'd never expected to hear from Sheldon. The words struck her with the force of a concussion-grenade fired to her midsection at close range, exploding deep within her, shattering her insides and leaving her reeling in shock from the impact; so stunned was she that she momentarily found herself unable to move or even speak.

"At one time I did..." Sheldon went on, quietly. "But not anymore. Because now, I know better! Now, I know what you're really like! And the truth is, you're just not the nice person I thought you were. And I know I'll never be able to trust you again, either…" he paused. "And I think that's what hurts me most of all: the fact that I now know that I can never, ever trust you again." He paused and shut his eyes tightly, tears rolling down his cheeks.

He wiped his eyes, then went on, speaking in a low, quiet tone, almost as though he were speaking to himself rather than to Jenny. "I suppose I was a fool for ever thinking I could be friends with you in the first place. I suppose I should have known better… Believe me, I'll never make that mistake again." He shuddered with one final sob, then said, softly, haltingly, his eyes tightly shut. "Still…it is a shame that, with all your—your powers, and all your capabilities, Dr. Wakeman apparently forgot to also program you for kindness..." he half-whispered. "Yeah…it's a real shame…"

He paused, swallowed hard, then finished. "So…you can just…hang out…with your friends…and do…whatever you want…and I won't…" He swallowed hard, and turned away, unable to even face her. "I won't bother you anymore." He now spoke so softly, he could barely be heard at all. "I won't come anywhere near you, I won't try to talk to you, I'll just…stay out of your way, stay far away from you from now on, and just…leave you alone… Which is all you ever wanted from me, right from the start…"

In the stunned silence that followed, Jenny's first reaction was, predictably, one of hurt, angry rejection, and she once again felt her temper rising. Her immediate impulse was to simply leave in a huff, to turn right around, walk straight out the door and never look back. Okay, fine! she thought, in a growing pique. I tried! I tried my best to apologize! Nobody can say I didn't try! I made my best effort, but he wouldn't accept it! So, all right! Fine! I can just walk away from him right now, and finally be rid of him once and for all! And I'll never again have to deal with him constantly getting in the way, making a pest of himself and embarrassing me in front of others or anything else! All I have to do is say, 'Okay, Sheldon, if that's the way you want it, then fine! I'm outta here!' And turn around and walk out. And that'd be that! That'd be the end of it! It would be so easy! Then I'd never have to see him or deal with him ever again!

And for one brief nanosecond, Jenny seriously considered it, and almost started to turn to leave… And in the past, that would have been Jenny's typical reaction.

Only now…something held her back. Something deep inside her stopper her, held her hurt anger in check, and she found herself unable to leave. And in the space of another passing nanosecond, she began to think…and to reconsider.

But do I really want that? She wondered. Do I really want Sheldon out of my life completely? Forever? At one time, I thought I did; but now…I'm not so sure. Yes, he can be annoying sometimes, and he does sometimes get on my nerves and get in the way… But…on the other hand…he's really not such a bad guy… His heart's in the right place most of the time… And he does do a lot of really nice things for me, too; a lot of kind, thoughtful things…

Almost out of reflex, she looked down at her arm, at the formerly smashed and misshapen metal plates and segments that had been lovingly restored to mint-condition only a short while ago by Sheldon's skilled hands; she lightly stoked the area with her fingertips in silent admiration of his skills, talent and obvious devotion.

And in spite what he says now, she thought, I just know that, deep down inside, he really does care about me, in his own nerdy, geeky way… Sure, he's hurt and angry at me now; and who can blame him? I certainly can't… 'Cuz he does have a point: I hate to admit it, but I haven't always treated him fairly…or given him a fair chance… So yeah, sure, he is hurt and angry now… But even so, I can't believe that he doesn't still have some feelings for me…somewhere inside…

She looked at him now, at the small, pitiful figure standing opposite her with his head bowed, trembling with suppressed emotion, his heart obviously breaking, yet fighting valiantly not to show it.

And can I just turn my back on him and walk away from him now? Jenny asked herself. When he's obviously still hurting inside…? Can I do that…? Can I really…abandon him…? Now…?

But he always was kind of a nuisance, though! she argued with herself. And do I really want a nuisance like him for a friend? Hanging around me constantly? Do I really need friends that badly? And with a nerdy friend like him hanging around me all the time, I suppose I can just kiss my chances of school popularity good-bye!

Plus, he did say some hurtful things to me just now… Terribly hurtful things…

…but… she reminded herself just as quickly. That doesn't necessarily mean they're not true…

So Jenny was faced with a choice; the toughest choice she'd ever had to face in her entire life, much more difficult than she'd ever imagined it could be:

To walk away from Sheldon and be finished with him once and for all? And in so doing, abandon a true friend, whose value she'd only just recently come to fully appreciate?

Or to stay…and try one last time to make up with him?

Silently, carefully, she weighed her options, reflecting upon all that happened between them over the years, all that she had thought and felt and experienced throughout that long, difficult and challenging day, and all that had been said between them in the course of that long and emotionally charged discussion. And, finally, she asked herself exactly how she really felt about Sheldon, and just what he really, truly meant to her…

She pondered all of these thoughts and feelings, weighed all the factors and considerations very carefully, and within the passing of another nanosecond, she knew exactly what she had to do…

---

End Chapter 10