ADJUSTED TIME

Chapter 1 - Devastation

Dr Leonard Hofstadter stared at the preliminary paper on the internet, Dr Raymond Lewis had solved String Theory, it was amazing and horrible at the same time. Leonard knew Dr Sheldon Cooper was working on his paper solving String Theory and had planned to release it in two weeks, this would devastate him. Leonard slowly got up from his desk, thinking, he needed to get Raj and Howard, Sheldon would be so upset and he really didn't think he would be able to handle Sheldon himself. What made things worse, Sheldon broke up with Amy almost five years before, to concentrate and finish his work, and Leonard knew it had been hard on him. Amy was now engaged to someone else and if Sheldon found out he gave her up for nothing, Leonard didn't know how he would react, because Leonard believed he really still loved her.

When Leonard walked into Howard's office and found Howard, Raj and Alex staring at Howard's laptop, he didn't have to know what they were looking, their frowns said it all. "I'm glad I found you all together."

"Oh Leonard, this is going to devastate him." Dr Alex Jensen was almost in tears.

Raj just shook his head, "Alex is right Leonard. He put his life on hold for this."

Dr Howard Wolowitz summed it up and echoed Leonard's thoughts, "Leonard what are we going to do?"

A lot had happened over the last six years, everyone advanced in their careers, Leonard was Dean of the Physics department, Alex had gotten her PHD, a research job at Cal Tech and this year tenure. Raj had tenure and had discovered an earth type planet in a distant solar system, he was a astrophysics star. Howard gained more confidence after going to space the second time, completed his PHD and was now assistant Dean of the Engineering department. Sheldon, put everything he had into solving string theory and did it, but now it seemed it was two weeks late. Sheldon paid the highest price to his career, Amy, and Leonard knew, Sheldon always wondered if he made the right choice, it was the only thing that Leonard ever knew the man to doubt, that he had made the right choice.

There was another thing very bad about the whole situation, Dr Lewis should have not beat Sheldon to this discovery. Lewis came to Cal Tech a couple of years ago, one summer, to work with Sheldon, he was behind Sheldon in research and the trip caught him up with Sheldon, if he hadn't picked Sheldon's mind, he would still be years behind him. Leonard knew it wasn't fair, Sheldon was cheated, but there was nothing that could be done now, and Leonard wondered, how do you help someone who just had their life's goal stolen from him.

"We have to check on him, I really don't know what to say, but we can't just leave him alone." Sheldon was still his friend, even though he hadn't lived with him since he married Penny, five years ago. Alex, Raj and Howard nodded to him, then got up to follow him out the door.

The four of them walked in dread to Sheldon's office, not knowing their friends state of mind or what to say, it weighed heavily on them all. However, they were not prepared for the sight they saw when they got to his open door, Amy was standing in the middle of the office, looking around like she was lost. Leonard looked around the office quickly, actually relieved that Sheldon wasn't there and that Amy was, but that relief turned to worry. "Um, Hi Amy, where is Sheldon?"

"Leonard…..Hi…I don't know." She looked at the four of them confusion and a worried look on her face.

Amy and Sheldon broke up right after Leonard's wedding, it was after a long talk they had about their future. Sheldon cared a great deal about Amy, he even loved her, but Sheldon's life was scheduled like his days, so solving String Theory and getting a Nobel Prize where something that was suppose to happen before he settled down with a family. They both agreed that was something that wasn't going to happen in the near future and that if wasn't fair for Amy to wait, the relationship agreement was terminated that week. They did stay friends and both would attend group get togethers, but there was no more date nights or personal time. Amy eventually agreeing to dating a nice PHD at her job, a couple of years after they separated, finally getting engaged and was now soon to be married.

"Have you read…." Leonard looked into Amy's eyes and he didn't finish his question, he could tell she knew.

"Yes, I came right over here to talk to him. Leonard this is horrible, he devoted a major part of his life to this and was going to publish, then it was all taken away from him." Amy had been holding the emotion in since she found out, but Leonard, Howard, Raj and Alex where her friends and she needed them, so she just started crying.

Leonard also had a little tear in his eye, he closed the distance between them, taking Amy into his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. Howard, Raj and Alex moved closer, trying to say things to help the moment, and Alex rubbed Amy's back as she put her head on Amy's shoulder, tears in her eyes too. They all stood in Sheldon's office a good ten minutes before they were in control enough to ask questions.

"So he wasn't here when you got here, you never saw him?"

Amy shook his head. "No, it looks like he was just here, but no he was gone when I got here."

"His laptop is gone, so is his messenger bag, do you think he went home?" Howard was now looking around the office for clues.

"He didn't lock the door though, he always locks the door, when he leaves." Alex had worked for Sheldon for over a year, so she knew a lot about him.

"He was probably upset and just grabbed his stuff and ran." Amy looked at Leonard, "I'm worried about him, what if he does something and hurts himself."

Raj had been playing with his phone and now looked at the group. "He doesn't answer his phone, it just rings until it goes to voicemail."

Amy looked at Raj, then back at Leonard, "Leonard what are we going to do, we have to find him and help him."