Sheldon was surrounded by dark smoke and began to cough. He opened his eyes to see what was causing the smoke and saw that his parallel universe generator on fire from a malfunction. His sight was short-lived as the smoke stung his eyes and forced him to close them. He walked in the opposite direction to try and get away from the smoke. He found a door and opened it quickly. He felt the cool air, took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. He recognised the other side of the door as the hallway outside Dave's office at Dave's university. Amy and Dave were running towards the room with a fire extinguisher.
"What happened in Dave's office?" Sheldon asked with a confused tone.
"I thought you had eidetic memory." Amy pointed out with an annoyed tone.
"I do." Sheldon said. "But I don't remember. I don't even remember getting the machine finished or testing it."
"Well the two of us helped and managed to construct it." Dave explained. "You just tried to go back to your universe and the machine malfunctioned. It took a lot of effort but we managed to pull you out of it before it exploded."
"Thank you." Sheldon said. "But what are we going to do now?"
"Not my problem." Amy said with attitude.
"What do you mean?" Sheldon asked.
"I help you and this thing nearly kills us." Amy explained. "I don't care anymore."
"But Amy…" Sheldon said with a lump in his throat. Suddenly a tear fell down his face. He wiped it with his shirt sleeve before Amy could see.
Amy gave devilish smile. "Well that is the end of that waste of time." She said. "I care for Dave. Dave is who I ACTUALLY love." Suddenly she turned to Dave and began to kiss him passionately.
Sheldon shuddered, turned and begun to walk quickly down the hallway away from this. He turned a corner and saw a familiar and horrifying image. Penny was on a bed in the middle of the hallway in fancy underwear.
"Sweetie." She said seductively with a wink. "Have coitus with me." She began to unclip the clip to take her bra off but Sheldon turned around so he couldn't see. As he turned around he saw Amy with a baseball bat.
"Where have you been? I am really angry at you!" she shouted. "You've missed several date nights and don't think travelling to a parallel universe is a proper excuse to get out of them!" She suddenly hit him over the head with the baseball bat at fall force and Sheldon felt himself falling to the ground.
#
When Sheldon woke up his eyes opened very quickly. He looked at his surroundings and saw he was still sleeping in Amy's house. He remembered finishing soldering all the necessary circuit boards and going to sleep very late. He turned over and saw on a clock that it was 7am. He got out of bed immediately because he knew he'd have to continue building the machine as soon as possible.
A comforting smell came to his nostrils which jogged his mind and made him feel calm and loved. Before meeting Amy, the only way, he could ever feel like this was when he smelt something similar to what his mother made, like when someone made Spaghetti with Mama Italia marinara spaghetti sauce.
He knew what the smell was. It was Amy's French toast and it smelt exactly like it did when she made it in his universe. He walked out of his room and towards the kitchen. He walked in and saw Amy making French toast and Dave eating some at a table.
"You're making breakfast." Sheldon said.
"I know." Amy said. "Do you want some?"
"Of course but I thought I was meant to be your servant for the foreseeable future." He reminded her.
"I forgot." Amy said. "But if it'll make you happy, you can do the dishes."
"That would make me very happy." Sheldon smiled. Amy grabbed a plate and put two pieces of French toast on it. "Thank you." Sheldon said before walking to the table and sitting down.
"I heard you coughing earlier." Amy sat down next to Sheldon with a plate of French toast for herself. "I checked on you and you were okay but I was wondering if anything is wrong."
"I had a nightmare." Sheldon told her.
"Was it the one where you go to a parallel universe and then wake up thinking it was just a dream even though it isn't." Amy guessed "And then you're disappointed when the dream is real."
Sheldon opened his eyes in surprise. "No." he shook his head. "For the first time since I've been here it was a different nightmare."
"What was it about?" Amy asked.
Sheldon began to explain how in the dream the machine malfunctioned and Amy refused to help him anymore. He purposefully skipped over the part where Amy and Dave were kissing and went instead to him finding Penny in her underwear and Amy hitting him with a bat.
"Wow." Dave said. "That sounds awful."
"Are you upset by this nightmare?" Amy asked.
"I don't think so although I'm a little rattled." Sheldon explained before taking a bite of the toast. "Anyways I've made an important decision about my device."
"What?"
"I think I have to work on it alone from now on." Sheldon told them.
"Why?" Dave asked in surprise. "I thought you needed help."
"And you have helped. I appreciate how you've helped me financially and soldering all my circuits." Sheldon said "But I don't want you two to get hurt."
"Is this about the dream?" Amy asked. "Don't let that stop us from helping you."
"I love helping the smartest man alive!" Dave supported.
"This isn't just about the dream. I've been distracted by you and Penny and need time to work." Sheldon explained. "Back in my previous universe I got this done by finding solitude in the university's basement. I think I need to do the same."
"We don't have a basement." Dave added.
"It is the solitude part that is important, Dave." Amy informed. "Are you sure about this? We'd love to help you in anyway possible."
Sheldon thought for a second. "I think working in solitude is for the best. The most tedious part was the soldering and we've finished that."
Amy nodded. "Okay. If that is the decision you are making, then we will leave you alone."
"I still need you to take me places though. I still can't drive." Sheldon said.
"Ok." Amy nodded.
Sheldon kept eating the French toast and the taste was refreshing.
"This is delicious. Is this the same recipe your mother gave you?" Sheldon asked.
Amy looked shocked but then laughed. "Yes, yes it is." Amy said "I am always surprised when you say something like that."
#
Penny walked into the Cheesecake Factory and Leonard was already sitting at one of the tables. She took a deep breath and walked up to him.
"Good morning gorgeous." Leonard gave a wide smile.
"Hello." Penny said with disdain.
"Remember when you used to work here." Leonard reminisced "You worked here to pay off your college debts."
"Of course I do." Penny said "Worst job ever. But I got through it."
"Because of all the tips Howard and I used to give you for being sexy." Leonard laughed.
"Seriously? I was crept out by that." Penny said.
"Well you look just as sexy now." Leonard winked. Penny sighed. Yes, that was a compliment but was it really appropriate considering their history? This was going to be a long breakfast. A waitress came over and took their order. They both ordered pancakes.
"I'm going to get this over with." Penny said whilst leaning closer to Leonard.
"Are you going to kiss me?" Leonard puckered his lips.
"Ew. Disgusting." Penny said. "I just need a selfie with you to post on Facebook."
Penny quickly took a photo before leaning back. She posted the photo on Facebook in hopes that Sheldon would see it. The waitress came back to their table and gave them their pancakes. They sat in silence for the next few minutes and ate.
"These pancakes taste exactly the same as when you worked here." Leonard said.
"I believe the cook that worked here when I did still does." Penny told him "She is one of those people who comes to Los Angeles for an acting career but end up working in a menial career their whole lives."
"That would be terrible." Leonard shook his head.
"There are no universes where that would ever happen to me." Penny giggled
"Yes because if you did pursue an acting you'd book every job." Leonard complimented "You are too sexy to turn down."
Penny couldn't help blush at that comment but then got her mind straight.
"Don't flatter me Leonard." She grumbled.
"I saw your face turn red." Leonard said.
"Whatever." Penny looked down and put some pancake into her mouth.
"In all seriousness though." Leonard began. "Why did you want a selfie with me?"
"I am not telling you." Penny said before eating more of her pancake.
Leonard shrugged. "I am going to assume it is because of Dr. Whackadoodle. I knew he'd drive you crazy one day and you'd run to me for…"
"Leonard please…" Penny interrupted. "I am just here for breakfast and a selfie. I don't need you to analyse my life."
"Well I'm just happy you chose me as your selfie friend." Leonard gave a big smile.
Penny sighed and kept eating. She began calculating how quick she could eat the pancakes.
#
Sheldon walked into Amy and Dave's office followed by the two of them carrying large boxes. They put them down and took tired breaths.
Sheldon smiled. "Okay. I think I can continue to work in this space." He turned to Amy and Dave. "Thank you for carrying the boxes. Now please leave so I can work."
"Are you sure you want us to not help you?" Amy asked with concern.
"I know your concerned for me but I don't need distraction from you or the smart version of Penny." Sheldon explained. "So, leave."
"Fine." Amy nodded.
"Good luck Sheldon." Dave said. "I know you can do it. I'm a bit disappointed that I don't get to work with you anymore. Is there any chance you can reconsider? I can pay you if you want…"
"Dave!" Amy reprimanded "We are already paying him!"
"Oh." Dave said "I guess that means this a goodbye. I will miss you."
Amy gave an awkward smile and the two left the room.
#
Penny and Leonard talked for longer than expected. They caught up on their lives since they stopped talking and Leonard gradually made less and less creepy remarks throughout the conversation. To Penny it was almost like he was forcing himself to make those remarks because of hatred. At the end of their meal together Leonard and Penny paid and walked out of the Cheesecake Factory.
"This was nicer than I thought it would be." Penny said honestly.
"Well I was nicer than I thought I was going to be." Leonard said back.
"I know. Every interaction we've had since Sheldon and I began being romantic has been with such hate." Penny explained "It was nice to talk to you properly again."
"I agree." Leonard concurred "We should have done this earlier."
"Well I wasn't the stubborn one who hated on Sheldon." Penny reminded.
"Well I wasn't the one who wouldn't hang out with me until I made up with Sheldon." Leonard rebutted.
"Well we should just agree we both were acting rashly." Penny suggested. "Do you think we could make a truce?"
"What kind of truce do you propose?" Leonard asked curiously.
"Well firstly you can stop insulting me, Sheldon and Howard and Raj all the time and taking away our work equipment." Penny suggested.
"I can try to do that." Leonard said. "But you can't flaunt you relationship with Sheldon in front of me. Sometimes I can't help getting jealous." Leonard looked to the ground in embarrassment.
"I will try to do that." Penny said. "And given Sheldon's current state of mind that shouldn't be too hard." Penny held out her hand and he two shook hands for the truce.
The two said a mutual goodbye and walked towards their cars. Penny thought about how odd this interaction was. The date has started off awkward but as they talked they found the friendship that they had before she stared dating Sheldon. Was she beginning to like Leonard again? She shook her in disbelief. Leonard had tormented her and Sheldon for being in love for too long and him being nice for once couldn't rectify that. But they did now have a spoken truce, so maybe she could be less harsh on the guy.
Penny looked down at her phone and saw that Sheldon had not liked or commented on the photo with Leonard. Had he seen it? Was he jealous? Penny hoped it would at least spark some interest in her again.
#
It was 8pm on Sunday when Amy came to pick Sheldon up at Dave's lab. Sheldon had nearly fell asleep at 7:30pm whilst trying to work so he texted Amy to pick him up. When she arrived she knocked on the door and he opened it. He nodded his head and she walked in.
"Dave had a prior engagement so it is just me." Amy told him. "How was your work today?"
"I think I did very well." Sheldon said with a smile. "I used some of the circuit boards we soldered yesterday to construct parts of my machine."
"How much did you build?" Amy ask.
"I'd say I am about half-way done." Sheldon told her. Amy's eyes opened wide with shock.
"Half way done!" she exclaimed. "That is hard to believe!"
"Look over here then." Sheldon walked over to a lab desk where there was a plastic box with machine parts connected inside. Amy recognised certain parts from the plans that Sheldon showed her.
"I am very impressed Sheldon." She congratulated. "Good job."
"I know." Sheldon said happily. "Soon enough I'll be finished and I can be with my Amy again."
"You still have to figure out how to get back to your universe because going into the parallel universe generator could just get you stuck in another universe." Amy reminded. She noticed Sheldon looking away.
Suddenly Sheldon began crying and he couldn't stop. Thoughts of his universe's Amy came to his mind and how much she did to make him happy. He felt a very odd emotion that he tried to place.
"It'll all be okay." Amy gave Sheldon a comforting hug. "You'll find a way."
"I love Amy." He said in between each tear. "My Amy of course. It is the only logical explanation for why I feel this way. I never found much use for the L-word before. But coming to this universe and not being with her and having the possibility of not being with her again has made me realise this." Sheldon didn't reject the hug Amy gave him as it felt comforting.
"I understand Sheldon." Amy said. She took a deep breath. "We should go and put you to sleep. You need to have a clear head to get back to Amy. I mean 'your Amy' and not me."
"Of course." Sheldon nodded, Amy and Sheldon grabbed the supply boxes and the two walked out of the office, locked the door and towards the parking lot.
Thank you for reading. Sorry for the large gap in time between this chapter and the last I posted but I had exams and then huge writers block over the course of my holidays. I got this chapter written but I've struggled writing any other stories which saddens me because I love to write. Sorry if this story seems to be going slow but I've purposefully allowed Sheldon to speed up the manufacturing of the machine to help with this and next chapter should quicken the pace. Some stuff in this chapter seems like filler but I hope it wasn't too bad. If you'd like to leave feedback please review, favourite or follow. Thank you all once again for reading and for your patience.
Clint Cooper