A/N: This is it, guys. The last chapter. Hopefully I've wrapped it up well enough, and that the epilogue is the best cry of them all. It's been fun and thanks for stickin around!

Penny and Sheldon lay together among the red asphodel and daisies, her head resting on his shoulder.

"You're almost to your normal, sunny complexion, Penny," Sheldon whispered, pulling her closer.

"And you're fading before my eyes," Penny muttered through her tears. "Only your Flash logo has color anymore."

Penny was getting better while Sheldon was only getting worse. It was beyond obvious at this point.

"Sheldon. I don't want to wake up if you're not -" her words were cut off by Sheldon's lips on hers.

"Don't say that," Sheldon said, sounding more corporeal than he had since they first awoke in this plane of existence. "If I don't wake up I want you to promise me you will. Every day. Wake up, go to auditions, go to work. Live your life, Penny. For me, if not for yourself. Promise me."

Penny stared into his cerulean eyes and saw everything she'd wished to see in a lover's eyes. She couldn't refuse him.

"I promise, Sheldon." They sealed it with a kiss.

Penny could feel a tugging in her heart and tears pooled in her eyes once more.

"I'm waking up," Penny said with a little distress. Her next words were hurried. "I love you, Sheldon. You fight, ok? Fight. You wake up." She could feel the pull on her heart, urging her to wake.

"I love you, too, Penny," Sheldon smiled. "But I won't wake up."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Penny woke with a gasp. Judging by the darkness it was the middle of the night. Her injuries had healed while she slept, it seemed.

Sheldon wasn't so fortunate. His head and chest were still bruised and he slept with a tube down his throat, obviously to help him breathe. The car had hit his side, so he got the worst of it. His heartbeat was thready at best, obviously helped by the machines.

Penny pulled all the wires and tubes off of her and stumbled out of her bed, causing a lot of noise that hurt her head. Her legs were weak from weeks of disuse, but she made it over to him and climbed up next to him.

"Sheldon, sweetie, wake up," she croaked. Her voice was dead. She kissed him softly and heard his heart rate increase a few bps, but it quickly steadied due to the machine. It was clear that only the machines were keeping him alive now.

"No," she whispered, tears flowing freely. She burrowed her face into his neck and sobbed.

A passing nurse noticed the movement and came in to check on her. As Penny suspected, Sheldon's brain had stopped functioning after her kiss. The nurse wrote a few notes on his chart and left them alone for the night.

Penny lay next to him with her head on his shoulder and sang Soft Kitty, tears soaking into the shoulder of his gown.

In the morning the doctor called Missy and Amy, since Leonard had already left for the ship. Everyone rushed over as soon as they could. They embraced Penny, relieved that she was awake and fine, if weak. Missy made the decision to wait til Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw arrived to take Sheldon off of life support. They wanted to say their goodbyes.

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Leonard had been on the ship for a month when he got a satellite call informing him of his girlfriend's recovery and his roomate's deterioration. He agreed with Missy's decision to have the rest of his familiy there and wished he could be there as well. He spoke briefly with Penny, promising to be home as soon as possible and that she could stay in his room if she wanted.