A/N: Couple things. 1) Sorry this took so long, school has been kicking my sorry little butt lately. 2) I am still working on my other story Crucible & Consolation, however, it's a pretty heavy story and even me, the angst queen, can only handle so much of it at a time. So, please bare with me.

Hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

From a young age, Amy knew she was different. She knew before all the bullies blatantly pointed it out. She didn't look, talk or act like the other kids, thus automatically opening her up to a childhood of ridicule.

By the time Junior High had rolled around, looking for friends had become more of a chore than a hobby for Amy. With all the kids being slightly older than she, and blossoming into their young teens, Amy found herself labeled as 'the school weirdo.' She often ate alone but used her loneliness as a time to busy herself with her education. Just another thing that the kids would ridicule her for.

Even though Amy had put more work into finding friends then she actually did learn, she had become desperate for friends. When the popular girls promised to hang out with her if she promised to they homework she would agree. If they invited her to a function to be the designated driver, she would attend. If they told her that plaids and stripes went together, she wore them the very next day. She was so desperate for any ounce of attention that anyone gave her that instead of standing up for herself she found that it was easier to just go along with it.

By the time college rolled around, she had wondered if all those kids were right. Was she unattractive? Was she going to be that one girl who dies a virgin? It only takes one person to say it, and the victim believes it for the rest of her life.

Her confidence took a hit every time someone made a snide remark. Eventually, during the middle of her postgrad, Amy hit rock bottom. The twenty plus years of bullying caught up with her. She needed them to stop. So, she put on a faux wall of confidence. A showy display that told people she was a confident young woman that could hold her own. However, she was still the shy, insecure girl genius that everyone from her past made fun of.

When she put on the mask of confidence, people began to respect her. Refusing to show people her true self, Amy started a new pattern. For years, she went through life, still with no friends, but at least she had her dignity. People in her field respected her, treated her like an equal, something no one had ever done for her before.

It wasn't until years later that Amy's pattern began to change once more. Meeting Sheldon was simultaneously a glorious and painful experience. Sheldon, the male equivalent of herself, had quite the social circle behind him. He had even managed to befriend the likes of Penny, a woman that Amy was completely enamored with. Yet, even though Sheldon, who would be much happier than she if he had no friends, had managed to find a group of people that would label themselves as 'friend.' And Amy felt something for the first time in years, a desperate need for a human companion.

Amy maintained her closed off front the day she met Penny. After all, she knew better than to just let any beautiful blonde see her vulnerable side. At least Penny hadn't asked her to do her homework.

Other than the first meeting and the occasional dinners at the Cheesecake Factory, the pair did not keep up with each other. However, ever since declaring Sheldon her "friend," the need for more human companions became stronger.

Amy made it a point to try and befriend Penny. After all, she did have qualities that Amy admired. She was fun, she didn't let anyone tell her what to do, she knew how to tip a cow (apparently). Amy didn't understand why she admired the last one. Well, no, that's a lie. Penny was like a superhero. They're popular but friendly and approachable. They have superhuman strength and can tip a building if they wanted to.

However, trying to become friends with Penny was like playing tennis against a wall. Every time Amy tried to advance their friendship, Penny fought her. Penny's resistance faltered a little during the Priya era, but still; she was a closed book.

Time progressed, Amy let down her defenses slightly, realizing that it would be the only way to obtain a genuine friendship with Penny. Her true personality was beginning to shine and, her confidence was building. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged in a social group, that there was finally a group of people she could call her friends. Bernadette wouldn't have asked her to be a bridesmaid if it wasn't the case.

Amy felt like a fool when the sunset in paradise. Bernadette and Penny going dress shopping were like shots at her already lowered defenses. So, in the first time since high school, Amy felt broken. Maybe Penny and Bernadette were pretending to like her. Perhaps she was just fooling herself.

Needless to say, Amy tried to pick up the pieces of her shell as quickly as possible, the only way she knew how, work. Social Amy shut down, and Doctor Amy took over. Able to find humor in her work, Amy knew it would be an excellent distraction to her current social life.

However, when Bernadette and Penny showed up at her lab, Amy felt an unsolicited need to be self-deprecating. She knew she was over the top, but it was as if she needed to convince herself that she was better off without friends.

"One of these things is not like the others; one of these things should die alone." She was the outlier.

"I can stop pretending that some beautiful girl and her cute-in-the-right-light friend want to hang out with me." Because why would girls like them want to hang out with girls like her.

"You're not the first girls I thought were friends with me who ended up shunning me." They weren't the first, they certainly will be the last.

"The sad little tumor no one wants to go dress shopping with." Tumors should be exterminated as quickly as possible.

Bernadette had tried to reason with Amy while Penny had her head in the trash can, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Eventually, the two blonds gave up, leaving her with an offer to girl's night. But as soon as the lab door closed, Amy felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Never in her school career did any of her "friends" try to make amends, Penny and Bernadette had. Amy had been so concentrated on the fact that she did not have a social life growing up that she basically threw away the first girls in her life that did not treat her like trash.

Amy had been so distraught after work that night that she drove herself to the first liquor store she could find. Ultimately, Sheldon and Leonard had to take her home, but at least the wine had numbed the pain. She did manage to find the prize of a hangover at the bottom of the bottle.

She had managed to trudge her way to work the next day despite a pounding headache, waves of nausea, and the gnawing guilt of throwing away perfectly viable friendships. All things that only be blamed on herself.

But what happened was Penny and Bernadette showed up once more to try and make amends. Amy was sure that she had squandered all hope of that ever happening.

Amy saw something different in Penny that day. Even though the clouded haze of a hangover, she could see a deep softness to Penny's eyes. Maybe she did genuinely want to make it up to her.

From that day forward there was a noticeable change in the dynamic of their relationship. Penny's attitude was calmer, more relaxed. She didn't lace every sentence with sarcasm. She seemed to genuinely enjoy Amy's company. It was as if Penny had made a resolve in herself to become her friend.

Amy tried to show her appreciation for her actions by making changes in herself. Instead of trying to push Penny into the corner and force their friendship, she relaxed a little and let nature work its natural course. She dulled down on the creepy comments regarding Penny's beauty, not completely ruling them out because… common'.

But the most important thing she did was she accepted herself. After all, no one else could, if she didn't. She let Penny and Sheldon, and everyone else in the group see who the real Amy Farrah Fowler was. The one who didn't just give one-word answers, or disregard social constructs. But embraced the love that came along with a social group, and the perks of calling someone a friend.

She stuck by Penny's side through thick and thin. They both saw each other through some pretty rough times. Like when Leonard went to the North Sea, or when Sheldon ran away on a train. When Penny was having doubts about her relationship, or when Sheldon and Amy broke up.

Amy had never been more thankful to have friends than in the moment she broke up with Sheldon. She had been worried the Penny would abandon her to be there for Sheldon. After all, she had a weird brother-sister relationship with him. But she hadn't. In fact, the whole ordeal only seemed to strengthen their bond.

They were also there for each other during the positive moments. Like when Penny and Leonard got engaged. Or when Sheldon finally popped the question.

With Penny, Amy never felt ashamed to tell what she was feeling. Their friendship was a two-way street; mutually they looked out for each other. Yes, they disagreed sometimes, but like true friends, they managed to settle their differences.

Now, as Penny helped Amy into her wedding dress, Amy thought back to when she first met the blonde beauty that was her best friend. She was so incredibly grateful the Penny let her be in her life, she tried to convey that the best she could in the hug they shared right before she walked down the aisle. But Penny beat her to it, quietly whispering to her:

"Congratulations, Bestie, I love you."

"I love you, too."

A/N: Thank you so much for reading:) (Sorry if it was trash)