I apologize for not uploading in a little while. Turned out I had to work again this week though my boss didn't confirm it with me. But luckily I had a snow day today which means I can catch up! I might try to write a little more this weekend and half of next week as well. But I will be going away on a retreat the other half of next week. I will try to write more soon. I'm leaving this in a bit of a cliffhanger until probably this weekend.

Anyways please leave positive reviews and enjoy!

Two days went by fast and it was now Monday night which Leonard and Penny both dreaded because they have to bring Amy back to her mother the next day.

After the kids were put to bed, Leonard tiredly sighs and came into the living room finding Penny at the kitchen island washing the dishes.

"We have got to do something with Amy," Leonard said, "I can't send her back there. I really can't."

"Did you schedule the court date?" Penny asked her husband finishing the last dish before coming over to him.

"I did. But we have to wait a week. I cannot leave Amy with another Margret White. She's insane!"

"I know," Penny said trying to have Leonard calm down.

He went to sit on the couch. "Maybe tomorrow, we can convince her mother again."

And Penny went to sit next to him. "Honey, we'll try. It'll be ok."

"I just can't put Amy in any more danger and she's already more traumatized than she is," Leonard says.

"It's sweet that you love and care for her very much," she says kissing him on the cheek and resting her head on his shoulder.

Leonard nodded and then he hears a familiar ringtone that came from his iPhone that's sitting on the coffee table. He takes it and then answers, "Hello?… Oh hi…" He listens over the phone. "Ok…. Ok good…." He suddenly frowns. "What?….. Wait what?….. Oh…. Oh…. Ok…. Ok… Thanks for everything… Alright. Goodnight." He hangs up and leaned back on the couch staring in space in shock.

Penny then asked concerned, "Leonard? Who was that?"

"It was Dr. Gordon… He got the results…"

"Oh. Is Sheldon crazy?"

He replied shaking his head. "No. No he's not…"

"But you look concerned about something."

"Yeah I am." Leonard then said taking a deep breath, "Penny, he is not crazy but he is considered special needs."

"What?"

"Turns out that Sheldon has very high functioning autism and OCD."

Penny looked confused. "I've heard of it before…"

"I know what it it. My mother is a psychiatrist," Leonard said looking at her and explains. "Penny, autism is a developmental disorder that has difficulty with communication, social awkwardness and behavior. There's more actually, there's poor eye contact, couldn't recognize nonverbal cues, doesn't understand very simple questions, develops routines or rituals, hating changes in those things and sensitivity to food, sound, touch…" He trailed off realized he just described his former roommate.

She then said, "Honey, you just described Sheldon."

Leonard replied shaking his head, "Yeah… I don't believe this."

"Hey, maybe the Doctor is wrong about it. Could be something else."

"No Penny, I mean that all these years, it's been right in front of me and I never knew it. I knew something was wrong with him since the beginning." He leaned forward and buried his head on hands very upset. "What am I supposed to tell him?"

"Just walk him through it and keep telling him that he's special," Penny suggests.

Leonard shook his head no. "Either way, he'll be in denial. We shouldn't have done this."

"Are you upset?" Penny asked.

"I'm more than upset. I'm angry!" He stands up and paces around. "I'm angry that we should have never done it! I'm angry that I never knew! I thought he was crazy but he wasn't! I just can't believe it! You know what? It's not the same anymore! It never is!"

"What are you talking about!?" Penny asked confused at what her husband is saying.

"I WANT SHELDON BACK!" He nearly exploded and now it's silent in the room. His wife then finally understands what he's saying and now feels bad. All this time, he misses his best friend no matter how quirky and insufferable he is. But now it's not the same.

Leonard calms down continuing, "I want our Sheldon back. I miss him. I miss Amy- I miss the both of them! I really wish that they're across the hall right now working on their Super Asymmetry project."

"Awww, I know you do," Penny said standing up from the couch and going over to hug him and he he hugs back starting to calm down. "I miss them too."

"If we figured out the problem a while ago rather than keeping them that way, none of this would've happened," he said sounding upset.

Penny then said very concerned, "Please don't tell me your backing out of the adoption thing are you? You already brought me into it and you can't pull me out. I'm already on the board."

Leonard replied shaking his head. "I don't know… I don't know. I love Sheldon and Amy right now. I just miss their older selves. I wish that I could've asked Sheldon about his disability if I found out before, and I could've comforted Amy about her childhood."

Penny went to wrap her arms around him again.

"Now Amy with go back to her mother and Sheldon will be upset with me."

"We're just gonna have to face this together. I know that Sheldon and Amy aren't here anymore. But we are going to adopt them. Ok?" She kisses him again and he nodded. "Yeah…"

She then asked, "Why don't we go to bed?"

He nodded and wrapped an arm around his wife heading to their bedroom.

Unfortunately, Sheldon and Amy heard everything. They stood by the door in their room listening in on the conversation. Both looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes and then they both hugged each other tightly as they softly cry for reasons, Amy doesn't want to go back to her mother and Sheldon couldn't believe that he has special needs. It was just too much for the both of them.

"I don't want to leave you! You are my only friend, your my brother," Amy whispers sniffling and Sheldon sniffles hugging her tightly. "Don't leave. I need you! You understand me! Your the best sister I have ever had!"

The next morning, Penny woke up in Leonard's arms and looked up his relaxed face. She hated to wake him. But they got to bring Amy to her mother or she'll call the authorities and force her away from them.

She kissed his cheek which made him stir and open his eyes.

"Mm, hey babe," Leonard greets sounding rough from sleep. He nuzzles into his wife.

"Hey… We gotta get up," Penny said. "I'm gonna use the bathroom and then wake the kids. Think you can make breakfast?"

He nodded now remembering today is when they're going to bring Amy back to her home. After Penny went down the hall, he went to the kitchen to get bowls and the cereal box. He poured the cereal into the bowls and then put the box back. But as he was getting the milk, Penny ran into the living shouting, "LEONARD!" She looks frantic.

"What?"

"The kids are gone!"