Chapter 45 - Double the Grief

"This is Penny, I can't answer the phone right now, please leave a message at the 'beep'." the voice mail system said in Penny's sing/song voice. It made Leonard sigh as he started speaking after the 'beep'. "Penny, I'm sorry. I don't really know what else to say, I guess there is really nothing I can say that would make you feel better. It makes it just that much harder to ask this, but I need your help. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important, so please could you call me back." Leonard then hit end on the phone and sat there with his arm around Sheldon, just watching as the police took measurements and then directed the wrecker to take the car away.

The ringing had woke Penny up from her fatigued sleep, her eyes slowly opening as she found her face against the steering wheel of her car that was currently in her garage of her home. The memories of the night before came slowly back to her and she didn't really know how she somehow made it home after she left the beach last night. She did remember though that once she got back at her house she seemed helpless to leave her car, sitting there staring ahead through the windshield, for how long she didn't even know. She had just sat there, until she just woke up now, not even remembering even trying to sleep. Even now she still felt a little numb, not as much as last night, but it was still there and although she hadn't ate or drank anything since yesterday, she knew she didn't want to leave the car, so she just continued to sit there.

Her mind wandered back to last evening, the expression on Art's face after she shot him and how she didn't even know she did it until she saw the gun in her hand. Thinking about the beach made her shiver, she was ready to go and remembered her last thoughts, asking herself if it would hurt. The click of the gun and then nothing had been a shock to her, she just began to cry till she couldn't anymore, then somehow found her way home to her garage, just accepting she would sit in her car till she died. Then that damm phone rang, waking her up, when all she wanted to do was sleep forever.

Penny looked out the windshield again, the energy to move still didn't exist in her, so she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes hoping she could fall asleep again and never wake up. The phone again prevented that, the message waiting ping sounding like a gong, going off in the quiet car. She had to do something about the message or the alert would continue, so with arms hard to move, due to her depression, she pulled her phone from her purse and selected messages. It was only by luck she noticed that the message said from Sheldon before she hit delete, it froze her in place as her mind tried understand what in meant. Sheldon and Leonard had been working against each other all week and suddenly Penny thought of Leonard, thoughts of him being only thing that could make an impact to her muddied mind. She was just trying to understand what to do, when the phone rang in her hand, the picture of Sheldon with Amy coming up on the screen.

Penny instinctively hit accept as she brought it to her ear, "Hello?" her dry raspy voice got out.

"Penny, is something wrong?" Leonard thought she didn't sound right.

Penny couldn't explain anything to him, she really didn't understand everything herself yet. "Leonard are you okay?" the only thing she felt was worry for him.

Leonard decided to answer her question, "I'm fine, but something bad has happened to Sheldon." 'and Amy' he thought, but couldn't tell her over the phone, because Penny and her were friends. "Penny, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need your help with him. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important."

In Penny's current state, there was only one thing in the world that could make her move, and she was talking to him on the phone. "What do you need me to do?"

"Can you come down to the university, to the engineering building and help me with Sheldon?" If it had been a normal situation Penny would have asked him what was happening, but her mind was still in a numb state, the only thoughts being processed, 'Leonard needs me, I need to help him'. "Okay, I'll leave now."

Leonard couldn't help thinking something seemed a little wrong by the way she was responding, but he just thought it had to do with what happened that Friday night. He quickly dismissed this concern, she was going to help him and that was all that counted right now. "Penny, thanks, I really appreciate this."

Penny took a couple moments to understand what he was saying. "I will be there soon."

"Okay, thanks again." Leonard then hung up, staring at the phone for a couple moments, feeling bad he was asking for her help, when he was going to leave her.

Penny held the phone to her ear, it was obvious Leonard had hung up, it was probably the only reason she could say it, "I love you, Leonard." Penny then put the phone down and looked at her car, her mind trying to determine what to do next, it seemed her mind worked in slow motion anymore. It took a minute before Penny turned the key in the ignition, and a few more before she was on the road to Cal Tech. The thought of seeing Leonard again the only thing driving her on, the hope of being in his arms one more time before she died.

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Penny was actually surprised when she got to the parking lot, the police were everywhere and for a moment she thought they were there for her. The thought to run crossed her mind, when she was stopped and approached by an officer, but just as quickly passed as she had neither the energy or will to escape. "Miss this part of the lot is closed, so take a left and you will have to park over there." the officer then pointed to a place left of where she was going.

Penny just nodded, turning the car and then taking the first spot she saw in the area the police officer told her. She walked to the building, keeping clear of the area the police seemed to working in, then as she approached the building she saw Leonard standing near a bench looking around. He gave her a place to go, a place for her tired body to strive for as her eyes locked on him as she approached, not even seeing Sheldon bend over on the bench next to him, and he gave her a small wave as she approached. She was only a few feet from him when she stopped as shock ran through her body, the sight of blood covering him, reminding her of the blood on Art after he was shot. Penny gasped and put her hands to her face as tears came down her cheeks, her only thought that someone shot Leonard to punish her, her legs getting weak and her heart pounding so fast she was sure it would explode.

It was then that Leonard grabbed her arms, him closing the few feet between them after seeing the terror in her eyes. "Penny, what's wrong?" it scared him because she was trembling, "Penny this isn't our blood, we are not hurt." He then guided her to the bench and sat her down.

Leonard now had two people to deal with, Sheldon who was almost catatonic and Penny who was freaked out right now. He also noticed a couple people had stopped and were looking at all three of them at the bench. He was now worried, if people kept looking at them, maybe the police would come back, he needed to get Sheldon out of there. Leonard looked at Penny, at least she was moving and she did talk to him when he called her, so he immediately sat back down next to her.

Leonard put his hand on her back, rubbing it a little, "Penny you know I'm not hurt right?" Penny turned to look at him, nodding slowly.

"Good. I need you help, can you do that for me, Honey?" Penny continued to look at him, slowly nodding again, the tears now seeming to have stopped.

"Okay, I'm going to the other side of Sheldon and get him up. I need to do that on this side, then we need get him to my office. Can you help me, Honey?" Leonard looked at her as she slowly nodded again.

Though Leonard could see something was bothering her, by the mechanical way she was acting, Penny did help get Sheldon up and with the both them prodding him along they were able to get Sheldon moving. It was a slow process, Sheldon barely able to put one foot in front of the other, but at least they were making progress. However, it was a long process, a 5 minute walk taking 20 minutes, with Sheldon barely moving the whole way, the two of them barely able to keep him moving. It was with relief they finally made the Physics Building, and with some help with the doors by a graduate student, they entered his department office area.

Jeannie look with surprise as Leonard and Penny brought Sheldon into the office area, just they two of them supporting Sheldon was strange, but Leonard and Sheldon covered in dried blood made everything seem surreal.

Leonard looked at her and nodded to Penny to stop before they got Sheldon through his personal office door. "Jeannie, we are going to be in the office for a while, you understand why, don't you?" Jeannie had told him about the accident, so she just nodded, she recognized Dr Cooper. "We must not be disturbed, understand, no one Jeannie. Lie if you have to, but we need time with Dr Cooper. Can you do that for me?"

Jeannie thought the world of Leonard and she felt sorry for Dr Cooper. "Yes Dr Hofstadter, no one will get in or bother you, I promise."

Leonard nodded and smiled, then nodded to Penny as they brought Sheldon into the office, closing the door behind them. They then placed Sheldon in one of the conference table chairs, slowly letting the weight of his body be transferred to the chair from their shoulders. Then Leonard sat next to him as Penny took a seat, several chairs away, just staring at them both. Leonard quickly noticed she was retreating back into herself, like she did on the bench after she first saw them.

Leonard still had clothes in his office and his office had a private bathroom, so he quickly pulled off his shirt and pants and threw them in the corner, thinking that at least would make Penny feel better. He then opened his private bathroom door, wetting a washcloth and washing any blood he still had on him off before he put on the fresh clothes. No sooner than he was done he cleaned and re-wet the washcloth and headed to Sheldon, stripping off his shirt and cleaning him before putting one of his clean T-shirts back on him. It was disconcerting that Sheldon didn't respond to being cleaned or touched by Leonard, and it worried Leonard that they may have actually lost him.

He looked at Sheldon for a few more seconds then turned to Penny, something was wrong with her too, but at least she was responding to him. He decided to find out what was wrong with her first, so he walked over to her, noticing her looking up at him as he approached. Leonard then just knelt in front of Penny, "Penny what is wrong, did something happen?"

Penny slowly nodded, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. "I killed him, Leonard."

Leonard blinked a couple times, not really thinking he heard her right. "Say that again."

"I killed him." Penny almost whispered.

Leonard was stunned, "Penny, you killed someone?" Penny just nodded, "Who?"

"Art." she whispered.

"Arthur Langston?" Leonard looked at her as she nodded again. Leonard didn't know what to say, the next word coming out of his mouth without him even thinking, "How?"

It happened so fast Leonard was stunned, Penny put her hand in her jacket pocket and pulled out the gun, handing it to Leonard. He had asked her and she gave him his answer, now he just stared at the gun in his hands. In his original timeline, Penny, as a police officer, went shooting regularly and she always took Leonard with her. She joked it was to make him very familiar with guns, so he didn't shoot his toe off, but in actuality shooting became a hobby they both enjoyed and did together. So Leonard looked at the gun and knew exactly what it was, a old 5-shot model 36 Smith and Wesson Chief's special, and he opened the cylinder dumping the five empty cases into his hand. Leonard sighed and looked back at her, "Penny this isn't good."

Penny just nodded, more tears coming down her face. "I know, I didn't want to do it. He yelled at me and cursed us, but I couldn't do it, then he pushed me and…..and…..I killed him Leonard." Penny now started sobbing.

Leonard took her into his arms as she cried on his shoulder, he now knew why she was broken and it tore at his heart. He also knew he couldn't leave her there, she was going to have to go with them, wherever in time they decided to go. He looked over at Sheldon, as he held Penny, his old friend was broken too, he just sat in the chair they put him in, staring at the floor. He needed to get through to Sheldon and get the power module, because if there was one thing Leonard was certain of now, they needed to leave this timeline and they needed to leave that day.