A/N: Remember throughOUT the story, we are talking about time travel so a day for Sheldon does not mean a day for the gang or the other way around. The time Sheldon is in, is history for the gang, time that has long passed and the time the gang is in, is now the future for Sheldon, stuff that didn't happen yet.
Chapter 13 - Fear and Action
Sheldon took a walk that evening, really a reconnoiter, before it got dark and walked as close as he could to the aircraft parked on the ramp. He stood there just looking at each plane trying to see the plane he was looking for while trying to figure a way to go to them without getting in trouble. Sheldon didn't even hear the Wing Commander walk up behind him until the man spoke. "I come to look at them too when I get the time."
Sheldon almost jumped, turning quickly to look at the man. "Um, I'm not use to seeing so many aircraft in one place." he lamely said.
"I just wish they were all here every day, however, there are always some that don't return." The Wing Commander sadly commented.
It was then Sheldon got an idea, "Colonel I need to inspect the planes before they go on the next mission, then again when they return. It will give me a good idea of the wear and tear they are experiencing in combat and how we can support units like yours better."
The Wing Commander nodded, "Okay that make sense, I can't tell you exactly when the next mission is, but tomorrow would be a good time to inspect them, if that is okay with you."
Sheldon let a small smile form and nodded his heard, "That would be fine Colonel." Sheldon then forced himself to shake the mans hand, "I guess, I'll call it a night." with that done he turned and headed back to his room, a bigger smile now on his face, his plan now back on track.
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The next couple of days the gang had read all Sheldon's notes and figured out how his computer program worked, the one that controlled all the equipment and accomplished the generation of the energy conduit for time travel. They also knew when and were he went and had a good idea why, he planned on making sure Dr Raymond Lewis was never born. It was hard to believe Sheldon would actually plot the end of another human being, but the guys had to admit, Sheldon's well being seemed to deteriorate after he lost Amy. They had kept him in group activities and made sure they still had games night and such, but Sheldon never seemed as happy as when he was Amy, so they partially blamed themselves for Sheldon's actions.
The girls had not been taking the situation well, they had not been away from Howard and Leonard's side practically the whole time, both of them putting in for vacation time from their jobs. The strain was getting to them all, Penny especially since her hormones were already in flux from the pregnancy. It broke Leonard's heart when she would just break down sobbing uncontrollably, her understanding and thoughts about what was happening terrifying her, her fears for the baby and her need for Leonard to be there to help raise it, creating an intense sense of doom in her.
It was that concern for her, that was why Leonard was using his laptop in their bed while she slept next to him. After the first night, he could not leave her side at night, the fear he saw in her eyes, the night when she screamed for him, still haunting him. So after only sleeping a few hours, he was wide awake again, going over Sheldon's notes for probably the third time trying to find anything that would help. He was so engrossed in the computer screen he almost jumped when she spoke.
"Leonard how will it happen?" Penny's voice was low and flat, it sounded like a person who had a fatal disease and had accepted that they were going to die, again it broke his heart.
He thought he knew what she wanted to know, after the last few days she had asked similar questions, sort of trying to prepare herself for the worse. "A change in the timeline?"
Penny's eyes were wide open as she looked at him, "Yes."
"I wish, I really could tell you something definite, some fact on what was going to happen, but really no one knows exactly what it will be like." He said honestly.
"Leonard you are the smartest person I have ever known, tell me what you think." She softly responded.
Leonard, knew she knew Sheldon was smarter than him, but decided this was not the time to remind her, and just accepted her feelings about him. "I think it will not happen right away, there is some kind of delay that will happen before anything happens, there is even a little bit of proof it works that way."
"Did something happen?" Penny now sat up quickly to look at him.
"Well something actually didn't happen. Once we understood how Sheldon's equipment worked we discovered how he was coming back, it was an automatic return system. The computer waits a couple minutes after the outgoing item goes through time, then switches to search for something Sheldon referred to as a marker. The marker is a transmitter that the machine can detect and it brings the marker, and item associated with it, back. Since we are talking about time, there is no wait, it just looks for the marker signal anywhere in time. So anything going back in time, using a marker, should return a couple minutes after it left." Leonard explained.
"Sheldon didn't return!" Penny was starting to understand.
Leonard nodded, "Because he has already changed something. His going back in time probably changed something just by his interaction with other people."
Penny just stared at him for a moment, then pushed herself close to him getting under his arm so he could hold her. "Leonard I love you, I have always loved you."
Leonard gave her a small smile, "I know you love me, I love you too."
"No Sweetie, I fell for you the first day I met you, it was just so sudden, I kept telling myself I was just crushing on you because I was rebounding from Kurt. The night of that first Halloween Party, I wasn't that drunk, I was there for you to take, if you wanted me, but you were too nice, I actually felt ashamed I wasn't as good as you. Even when I went out with Mike, I knew in my heart it was only temporary, it would never be serious, I bet you didn't even notice how quickly I got over my break up with guys then, did you?"
"No." Leonard just looked at her, trying to take in everything she was saying.
Penny gave him a small smile as she looked up into his eyes, "Because you had my heart, not them. It isn't hard to leave a guy when your heart belongs to someone else, remember how I always said 'The heart wants what the Heart wants."
Leonard nodded, "Yes."
"My heart always wanted you."
Leonard looked at her seriously, "Why Penny, why are you telling me this now?"
Penny smiled at him, a smile full of love, "I wanted you to know, no matter what happens, that you are always the one for me, since the day we met. I'm sorry it was a rough road and I was the main reason it was that way, but Honey, always know that I am incredibly happy with you and I love you with all my heart." Penny then moved her face to his and started kissing him.
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Bernadette was practically laying on Howard, it had been that way with her since the first night they found the machine, she would hold on to him every night. Bernadette was a very smart woman, however Howard knew she was really upset because her acting like this, holding him all night, like it would some how mean he would be still there in the morning, was something he knew she knew wasn't possible. Penny was the worse, she would start could start crying at any time, but now it was effecting Bernadette, she was getting emotional every time Penny did. At first she would try to comfort Penny, with Leonard, but now that had deteriorated to the point when Penny cried, Bernadette ran to Howard for comfort.
Howard, like Leonard was upset too, but at least they were trying to do something, which allowed them to keep sane. Knowing that your life could change, the life you loved, at any moment, and you wouldn't even know it, was enough to drive anyone insane if they thought about it too long. The slight movement of his wife made Howard look down at her, right into her open eyes and he immediately felt sorry for her, she needed her sleep.
"Howie." was all Bernadette could say as she crawled up him to bring her mouth to his and the kiss soon spiraled out of control like it had the last few nights, they slept together. Bernadette had become an animal, as she began to ravish her husband, her only goal for them to be lost in each other, her only desire was to put the thoughts about her future out of her mind long enough to keep her from going insane. She would do anything and everything to keep those thoughts from her mind for even just a little bit.
Howard just followed his wife's lead, he loved her so much, making love to her was easy, even when she was like this. Bernadette was beyond passionate and he knew what she wanted, she wanted to be loved to exhaustion, to a point where sleep could carry her away, it was her way of coping with everything in her mind. However, Bernadette's fatalistic actions were now concerning her husband, because since they had gotten married, they had used condoms for birth control, and lately Bernadette didn't see a reason to stop for one. She thought this was the end and Howard knew if he thought about it, like her, he would be swallowed in the abyss too, that Bernadette was in now with Penny.
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Raj had just arrived home was taking Cheryl home, it was all he could do to let her go. She knew nothing of the time machine and nothing of the possible effects, and Raj was not going to tell her a thing, not wanting to terrify her, because he was falling in love with her. This night had been especially bad, she had to work early, so had to leave, Raj just wanting to hold her and have her there that night, the urge to tell her anything to do that was hard for him to suppress. Cheryl even noticed his discomfort, apologizing to him and promising to stay during the weekend, but that did nothing to calm him tonight. So when he heard the knock on his door, his heart leaped as he quickly went to the door hoping his girlfriend had changed her mind.
Alex looked at him when the door opened, she didn't know he would be home or even if he was alone, but she had to try. Leonard had Penny and Howard had Bernadette, Raj was the only true friend she had left. She couldn't sleep that night, the fear overwhelming her, and the thought of being alone all night drove her to Raj's door. "I'm sorry to bother you….."
Raj could see her puffy red eyes, it was obvious she was crying and pajama pants sticking from underneath her long coat along, with no makeup, made him know she just come from bed. She also looked so small and vulnerable standing outside his door, so Raj did the only thing a gentleman could do. "You are not bothering me, come in Alex." He barely closed the door and turned back to her, when he saw the tears drip down her face and her body tremble, seeing her like that broke his heart, making him instinctively walk towards her, opening his arms.
Alex rushed to him, it was all she wanted, someone to comfort her, she had been so alone, and with this fear, it was eating her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder, as the tears now came out unencumbered and the sobs racked her body. She didn't want to be alone, she knew she wouldn't be able to leave his place now, she would do anything for his company that night, anything.
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Amy laid in bed, it was hard for her to sleep soundly and she kept waking up like now. She would have taken another walk outside, however, in the middle of the night that was not safe, plus she didn't know this neighborhood she was in now. The bed she was in was in Penny's guest room, her friend insisting that she now stay in their house with them. Amy didn't know if it was because Penny was worried about her or she thought if they weren't together one morning one would disappear. However, no matter which reason, she knew that Penny loved her and it made her smile she had such good friends in her life, especially now.
Amy was now ready, she come to peace with everything, and she almost welcomed the change that was to come. She knew her life wouldn't be the same without Sheldon and she sort of knew he would try to protect her, so she was ready for this new timeline, because the thought of being with him now trumped her fear of the future. It was that thought which let her sleep that night, that thought that she would soon see her 'Sweet Baboo' again.
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The next morning, Leonard, Penny and Amy got ready and went early to the university, meeting Bernadette and Howard who were already there. Raj and Alex had slept soundly that night, Alex wrapped in Raj's arms, so after they woke, and he got ready, they went to her place for her to dress and joined the others in Leonard's office a little later. There wasn't much more to do, they had the information and they had the time and place, it was now what they were going to do with it.
Howard and Leonard knew Sheldon had to be stopped, no matter what Sheldon's intentions were, he was too close to an important date in world history and a mistake, with its ramifications, could change the world as they knew it. However, there was one thing that bothered Leonard, he knew Sheldon had a registered handgun, a family heirloom, and when they searched his room, it wasn't there. Leonard now wondered about Sheldon's state of mind, and knowing he was armed, made Leonard realize that him or Howard were maybe not the people who should bringing Sheldon back.
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It was the second last day, tomorrow was the mission, and Sheldon was still walking up to each parked airplane, during this long tedious day, since he had to inspect each airplane he walked to. He had convinced the Captain, who escorted him, to go in each plane and get the information off the planes identification plate while he inspected the plane. It was officially suppose to be to identify the particular plane and its condition, but in reality it was to allow Sheldon to be alone with the plane for a few minutes, unseen. This had gone on all day and now that it was past supper he only had 10 planes left, he just knew one had to be 'Happy Jack'.
It was the third last plane and Sheldon sighed in relief, looking at the Captain and nodding as the man went to the boarding ladder, to go inside the airplane and get the data off the identification plate. Sheldon then looked around, happy to see no one else near by, the enlisted men still keeping away from the officers as they had done all day. Sheldon walked up to the first engine nacelle, then pulled the first small bomb from his pocket, carefully pulling the protective strip off the adhesive and promptly dropping it. It fell sticking to the tarmac, and Sheldon actually swore, as he pulled it up, quickly sticking it in the radial engine nacelle next to one of the cylinders, happy the adhesive would take a hour to cure. He was much more careful with the other three, as she pulled their strips and quickly placing them in the nacelle, each one near a cylinder of each engine. He then put the protective strips in his pocket and walked to the boarding ladder before the Captain came down, the smile on his face barely suppressed. He had did it, there was no stopping his plan now.