Sheldon woke with a start. He had such a vivid dream. His dreams were always vivid as his brain never shut off, even when he slept, but this dream was so real. He dreamt he was married to Amy but she betrayed him with another man and they broke up. Sheldon opened his eyes wider. Oh no, he thought. It…it was not a dream, he thought as he looked around his old room. It was real. He shut his eyes and rolled into the pillow moaning loudly.
He heard a knock at the door. "Sheldon, can I come in?" It was Leonard.
Sheldon sat up. "Come in" he said.
"Hey Buddy. How ya doin? Did you get some sleep?" Leonard asked.
"Yes, I must have drifted off sometime this morning although I am sure no REM sleep was achieved" Sheldon said dryly.
"So look, I'm just headed into the University this morning but I wanted to check on you first. Do you need anything before I go? Do you need me to stay here? I figured you weren't going in today." Leonard said softly.
"No, I am not" Sheldon said. "But you do not have to stay and babysit me. I am not child" he snipped. Oh, he thought with a start. A child. Amy and I will never have a child together someday. Our progeny. He did not think his heart could hurt anymore but the thought of losing not only his wife but his future child, his family, caused a heartache so strong he doubled over in pain.
"Sheldon?" Leonard said as he quickly approached the bed.
"I'm okay" Sheldon said as he straightened up again. "Really, I will be okay. You can go. I would like to stay here today though if that is alright."
"Sure, of course. Stay as long as you need" said Leonard but he was frowning with worry.
"Thank you" Sheldon said as he laid back down in the bed.
Leonard made his way to the door. "Call me if you need me, okay?" Leonard left closing the door behind him. He texted Penny to let her know Sheldon was staying and he was headed to work. She replied right away and said she was staying with Amy today. Leonard asked how Amy was doing.
"She is still sleeping but she's mess" Penny texted. "How's Sheldon?"
"He's awake but still in bed" Leonard texted. "He's a mess too."
"OMG. How are we going to get them through this?" she texted.
"Don't know" he texted back. "Love u though. Always."
"M 2" "Luv u" she sent back.
Leonard left the apartment still frowning with worry. Not just for his best friend but for everyone. If Amy and Sheldon don't work this out…no, he won't think about that. They have to work this out and he'll do everything he can to make sure they do.
Penny was working in the kitchen making tea. She made sure Amy was still asleep as she quietly crept back over to her own apartment. She had been thinking about what she was going to say to Sheldon. He was one of her most cherished friends and he was hurting (hence, the hot beverage for him in his time of need). But he was also overreacting as he was prone to do often when things did not go his way.
She had to admit though, this was more than just your typical Sheldon temper-tantrum. He had a legitimate right to be upset with Amy. She did keep a secret from him and he can't stand secrets. She remembered years ago when she simply asked him to keep her secret from Leonard that she hadn't graduated from community college. It almost drove him crazy. Well, crazier anyway, she smiled.
Amy being kissed by another man had to hurt. She understood that all too well. And if Sheldon noticed, like she did, how Amy was acting around this guy last night that must have hurt too. Amy never acts like that. Was it because she was supposed to be me in her costume? Penny wondered. Does she think that is how I act? All flirty, and doe-eyed towards a guy giggling at every little thing he says and…Oh! Penny thought. Of course, that's how she thinks you act because that is how you used to act. Still do, sometimes, Penny cringed.
Well, that explains a lot, thought Penny. Maybe Amy doesn't have feelings for this guy at all. She was just in character. For Pete's Sake! This thing has just been blown way out of proportion and she has to fix it, now!
Just as the tea finished steeping, she heard the toilet flush. Ah, so he was up, she thought. This is it.
Sheldon walked around the corner of the hallway. "Penny. I thought I heard someone in here. I thought it might be …" he did not finish his sentence but sat down on his spot on the couch.
"She's still sleeping" Penny said as she handed him some tea and sat down next to him. "I just came from there. I stayed with her last night."
"Thank you" Sheldon said. "For the hot beverage and for staying with her. You are a good friend" he said as he sipped his tea.
Sitting there Penny is reminded of the times she and Sheldon would spend sitting on the couch during breakfast time before he moved out. They would help each other expand their respective knowledge bases. Now she wished they would have spent time discussing more important subjects like love and trust and forgiveness instead of just random science facts or pop culture trivia.
"Sheldon" she began.
"Please Penny" he interrupted her. "I do not want to talk about it."
"Well I'm sorry sweetie but you know you have to talk about it" she said.
"Disagree" he said.
"Look Sheldon, I get. I really do. Remember when I found out about Leonard kissing that girl from work? I know you remember" she said.
"Of course, I remember" he huffed.
"Well, then I understand how you are feeling. Please talk to me" she pleaded.
Sheldon put his tea down and looked at his friend.
"Penny. You know trusting people does not come easily to me. But there are a few people in my life that I trust implicitly. You and Leonard, my mother and Mee-Maw and most of all, Amy. I trusted Amy with my life. And she betrayed me. How can I ever trust her again?" he asked. "And if I cannot trust her, I cannot stay married to her" he choked out putting his face in his hands.
Penny was on the verge of tears. She had rarely seen Sheldon so vulnerable before.
"Sweetie. I am so sorry. I understand it hurts and you don't think you can trust Amy again. But you can. I promise. You love her like I love Leonard. I was able to forgive him and move on and you can forgive Amy for this. Actually Leonard's situation was much worse. He made-out with someone, not like what happened with Amy. She didn't kiss him back Sheldon" Penny said.
"But she kept it from me!" he shouted looking back at her.
"And Leonard kept his secret from me" Penny said calmly.
"No, it's not the same. He told you about it. He admitted his mistake. He did it before…before…before you married him" he finally said. "He told you so you could have all of the relevant data and make an informed decision about getting married."
"So?" Penny said.
"So Amy did not tell me about it on her own. I had to pry it out of her. Badger her into telling me. Why was that? And why keep it a secret in the first place? Why wait until after we are married to tell me."
"Wait, are you saying that if Amy had told you about this kiss last summer when it happened, you wouldn't have married her?" Penny asked shocked.
Sheldon looked away. "I do not know. It is possible. I think", he paused, "I think she might have some kind of romantic feelings for the man who kissed her. If that is the case, then we should not have gotten married" he said sadly.
"Why do you think she has feelings for him?" she asked. "Did she say that?" Did he notice how Amy was acting at the costume party last night or did she tell him something she did not share with her, Penny wondered.
"No. She did not say that. But she was acting all lovey-dovey around him last night. Like he was just the greatest thing ever" Sheldon sighed.
Ah, thought Penny. So he did notice. She shouldn't have been surprised. Although Sheldon was oblivious to how most people acted around him, this was Amy they were talking about.
"Sheldon. Honestly, I think Amy was just acting that way because of me" she said.
"I do not understand" he said.
"Sorry. Let me explain. I mean she was trying to act like me. She was in character for her costume." Penny looked down. "I guess she was trying to be all flirty like that because she thinks that is how I act around men. I guess that can be how I act around men."
Sheldon considered this for a moment. He recalled Amy's behavior from the party last night. An easy feat with his eidetic memory. She had been acting "flirty" as Penny said. Like a social butterfly, he recalled.
"I suppose your hypothesis may be correct" he said to Penny. "Her behavior may have more to do with her costume than her actual feelings. But I still did not like it!" he finished.
"Okay then" she said. "You don't know that she has any feelings for this guy."
"Correct" he said. "However, I do know that she kept the fact he kissed her a secret from me all this time."
"I know" Penny said. "And I am sorry about that but she may have been afraid to tell you. That you would overreact…"
"I do not overreact" he yelled and rose from the couch. "That is the most ridiculous statement that has ever been uttered in the history of mankind" he spat.
"Really?" said Penny sarcastically.
Sheldon just sat back down. "Okay, okay. I see what you mean."
"Look, please go talk to her. Listen to what she has to say. Please Sheldon. Don't throw away everything you have because of this. Amy loves you and I know you love her" Penny pleaded.
Sheldon was quiet for a moment. "I'll think about it" he said picking up his tea and rising towards the hallway. "If you don't mind, I'm going to finish this in the bedroom."
Wow. Sheldon was going to drink in his bedroom? He really was more upset than she'd ever seen him Penny thought as she headed back over to Amy's to try and get some rest.
