Chapter 46 - And Then There Were Three
It was 20 minutes later before Penny was quietly resting against Leonard's shoulder, her breathing becoming steady, an indication that she was ready to be talked to again. Leonard still needed her help, Sheldon was still a mess and he hoped she was now able to give him a hand. "Penny, can you give me some help with Sheldon?"
He felt her head nod on his shoulder and a quiet whispered 'Yes', which at this point was a good sign. "Okay, I need to go to him now and try to talk to him." he hoped she understood she needed to let go of him for him to do that.
Penny didn't want to let him go, ever again, she didn't care what happened to her as long as she was being held by Leonard. So it took all her remaining will to let go of him and move away from his embrace, it almost started her crying again. She looked at him as soon as she was face to face with him again, and only saw kindness in his eyes, making her just want to be held by him again, even though she knew she couldn't.
"Penny, I have to tell you something, so just listen closely. The reason Sheldon is so bad is that Amy died a couple hours ago, a car ran her over." Leonard then looked at her watching for her reaction and hoping she didn't end up like Sheldon, after hearing the news about her friend.
The first thing Penny thought was that Amy dying was because she killed Art, it was her punishment for what she did, her friend was taken. "I'm sorry Leonard." Penny croaked, tears now falling down her face again, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt Amy."
Leonard blinked as he tried to understand what she was saying before he realized she was blaming herself. "No Penny. Amy's death wasn't your fault. She was upset and did not watch where she was going, a car ran her over. You did nothing."
"I killed Amy."
Leonard's head shot around to look at Sheldon, it had been the first words he said in almost two hours. Leonard had to keep him talking, 'Stay Here' he whispered to Penny, then got up and went to sit by his friend. "Sheldon you didn't kill Amy either."
"I killed her Leonard, she is dead because of me."
"Sheldon I heard what happened. She died because she was upset about Leslie and the baby and did not think about what she was doing. But Sheldon, Leslie and the baby were not something you did, the other Sheldon did that, not you." Leonard tried desperately to get through to him.
"No Leonard, I killed her. I created this timeline by my actions and in this timeline, Amy dies. It is my fault." Sheldon said flatly.
Leonard just stared at him, how did he contradict that kind of thinking, he didn't try. Arguing with Sheldon would do no good, he needed to get him stable enough so he could help them all leave this timeline. "Sheldon we need to leave this timeline."
Sheldon nodded, "I know, I need to save Amy." Sheldon looked up at Leonard, "I have to save her Leonard."
Leonard shook his head, he didn't like where this was going, they couldn't back, they had to go forward, "You can't Sheldon, you can't go back. You've seen what happens when you go back, you can't do that. Think about it, you would have to go back to before Leslie got pregnant and make that Sheldon stop. He would find out about you and it would change everything that follows and you wouldn't have any control. You can't go back, it doesn't work."
Sheldon just stared at him. "I can't let Amy die….I can't…I can't." the last words almost a whisper, as his head went into his hands, tears again streaming down his cheeks.
"Sheldon we can't change anything, when you went to 1944 things were permanently changed. We need to go to the future and try and find a place." Leonard tried to reason with him. "Sheldon we need the power module."
Sheldon's head shot up, a wild look in his eye, "1944 is the answer, Leonard. We have to go back to 1944 and reset it."
"How Sheldon, we can't go back, even if we could fix it, we left at different times, we can not go back." Leonard tried to explain.
"I can." Sheldon said, his eyes wide.
"No you can't either, neither of us can." Leonard just wished he would understand.
"No not me, me, Leonard. The me that comes through to 1944, he can go back and reset things." Sheldon explained.
Leonard stared at him, his mind running the possible variations quickly, could that really happened, would it work? He thought about what would happen if the Sheldon that came to 1944, went back and didn't change anything and came to the same conclusion that Sheldon already seemed to know. "That could work, but we would have to convince you to go back." Then Leonard shook his head, again, "I don't know Sheldon, you are the most stubborn man I know. How would we convince you to go back?"
"I will convince me." Sheldon looked at him, a deadly serious look on his face.
"It is too risky Sheldon, we could screw things up more." Leonard didn't know if the chance was worth it, but the though of fixing things, bringing his wife back and their baby was something he had trouble ignoring.
Sheldon's face hardened, "I will save Amy, Leonard. If you want the module, I will give it to you only if we go back to 1944. I will set the machine."
The thoughts of his wife and child haunted Leonard as he looked at Sheldon, then turned and looked at Penny, who was watching them. They needed to leave this timeline and if they could reset everything, things would go back to what they were, but at what risk he wondered. There was no way he could guarantee they would succeed, but there was a possibility they could reset everything, it was a huge gamble but was the prize worth it. He needed time to think, "Sheldon let me think about this."
Sheldon nodded, then quietly, "We need to do something quickly Leonard, you know that." he then put his head back in his hands as he sat motionless.
Leonard walked over to Penny and sat down next to her trying to think, whatever they did was going to affect her too. He turned his head towards her as soon as he felt her hand grasp his, her fingers weaving themselves with his. She gave him a little smile as he looked at her face, then she whispered to him. "Sheldon's right, you need to try and fix things."
"Penny think what you are saying, everything you remember now will be gone if we reset things, this timeline will cease to exist." he tried to explain.
"I think I understand. I will still be me physically but my memories will go back to what they were and should be, also I will have my life back. I will be your wife, be pregnant with our baby and I will be happy…..I want that Leonard. I want that a lot." She now looked directly into his eyes. "Leonard I have no life here anymore, especially without you. I want my old life, the life I am suppose to have. Don't you?"
Leonard couldn't lie to her, so he slowly nodded. "I do. But the risks are so high."
Penny nodded, "That is your department Sweetie, you need to decide if you and Sheldon can do it."
"Penny you're sure, I mean, are you really sure?" he needed her approval, he couldn't do this if she was not sure, the person she was now would cease to exist, just like the last 10 days would vanish for him, if they reset everything back.
Penny smiled and nodded, "I want this Leonard."
"Okay." Leonard then stood up and looked at Sheldon, "Okay Sheldon, We agree. Let's give it a try."
Sheldon nodded, "The module is in my office safe. The combination is your birthday."
"My birthday?" Leonard asked in disbelief.
Sheldon nodded, "Would you have ever guessed the combination was you birthday?"
Leonard had a beaten expression on his face as he slowly shook his head, "That was actually very smart." Sheldon just nodded.
xxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxx
It took Leonard a little over thirty minutes to get the module and about an hour after their decision, Penny, Leonard and Sheldon left Leonard's office. Leonard looked over at Jeannie, he would never see her again if everything worked and she had come through for him, she did what he asked her too do, she kept everyone away. Leonard walked over to her, as she stared at them all, bending down, "Thanks Jeannie." Leonard then kissed her on the cheek. Leonard, Penny and Sheldon then walked out of the office area, Jeannie just stilling there, wide eyed, her hand on her cheek where Leonard kissed her, she was in heaven.
They headed to the stairs and were going down to the basement a minute later, Leonard walking next to Penny, "You know why I did that, right?"
Penny smiled and nodded, "I know, I don't really hate her…Sorry, I guess I do, but I do know why you did it, Sweetie." Leonard smiled and nodded back.
They then quickly moved to the door of the room, Sheldon had the machine in, when suddenly, Leonard and Sheldon stopped and just looked at the door, Penny looking at both of them in confusion. "Did you remove the lock?" Leonard said looking at Sheldon.
"Didn't you?" Sheldon responded.
"What lock?" Penny asked.
Leonard looked at her, "Penny do you remember the lock we put on this door?"
Penny shook her head, a worried expression on her face. "No."
"You or I must have already changed something. It doesn't exist anymore and she doesn't have that memory." Sheldon stated, looking at Leonard.
"But we remember." Leonard looked at Sheldon with confusion.
Sheldon nodded, "It might be because we are time travelers, we aren't from this timeline, so we became a difficult anomaly for this timeline to deal with. It is a theory, the best I have for now."
Leonard nodded, "I hope nothing important has changed." as he padded the power module in the messenger bag on his shoulder. Sheldon just nodded.
xxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxxTIMExxxx
It took over three hours for them to plug the module in, start the system, charge the capacitors, calibrate the equipment and insert the coordinates for the jump in time. Now that Sheldon had a plan to save Amy, he seemed a different person from just a few hours before, a man obsessed with completing his work so he could make Amy live again. He worked like a mad man, quickly completing all the preparations, with Leonard's help, and soon it became time for them to jump, Leonard filling a backpack with water and food from the supplies in the room, left by the previous Sheldon and Leonard. They also changed back into the clothes they came there in, Sheldon in the old uniform and Leonard in the modern one. They were now ready, so Sheldon began setting up the jump sequence and preparing the jump countdown, then turning to his friend. "Leonard it is ready."
Leonard walked up to Penny, the Penny standing in front of him would be a different person when he saw her again, this ones memories wouldn't exist anymore once they left, if they succeeded, and it was hard to accept that for him. He got close to her, holding her arms, his face mere inches from her and started to talk to her softly. "Penny you know what is going to happen now don't you?"
Penny just nodded. "You will leave and time will change for me, but I won't remember anything." she sniffled, "I still want this Leonard, I want that life you described. It is just scary you know." she gave him a sad smile as a couple tears slid down her cheeks.
Leonard's heart hurt just looking at her, so he gave her a soft kiss, noticing her eyes close as their lips met. If they had escaped to the future he was going to take her with him, but now they planned a reset, it really didn't make a difference, her world would end once they made the reset, there was no danger for her anymore. He really felt bad leaving her, but for her, she wouldn't be alone very long if they were successful, time should change for her immediately after they left. He just felt like he was killing her, even if she was really not suppose to have these memories, taking them away seemed to be killing her. He would loose his memories, of the last 10 days a little later, again if they were successful, so he knew what she was feeling right now too. Once he pulled away he touched her face, pushing a stray hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry, Penny." she just nodded, staring into his eyes.
"Leonard, we are ready, I'm starting the 60 second countdown, now." Sheldon hit the enter on the computer and moved to the pad.
Leonard quickly kissed her again, then went to the pad to join Sheldon, they had less than 50 seconds left now. However, Leonard couldn't help but stare at Penny, she looked so loss and scared it tore at his heart, and it made him remember his pregnant wife and how she looked when he left her. It was destroying his soul, he just couldn't do it to her again, leaving her once was hard enough, leaving her again, impossible. "Sheldon, when we reset, we will loose our memories for the last 10 days and she will loose her memories of her life for the last 10 years, and some of her early memories, right."
"Yes I think so, that is what should happen. She will return to the Penny who is your wife." Sheldon looked at Leonard, "Why?"
"Does it really matter what timeline she is in when it happens. We will be in the wrong timeline when it happens to us, shouldn't it not matter for her either?" Leonard looked at Sheldon.
Sheldon thought for a couple seconds as the jump timer counted down. "It shouldn't, I think."
Leonard nodded then turned to look at Penny again, extending his hand, "Penny come on."
Penny's eyes went wide but she didn't hesitate a second, as she stepped on the pad and went immediately into Leonard's arms. She held him tight, her head on his shoulder, she was just where she wanted to be, she didn't care what happened now, as long as she was with Leonard, she was happy. Leonard held her tight, his arms around her waist, as Sheldon stared ahead, the timer starting its 10 second countdown, 9.…8.….7.…. The energy field was generated at zero and a moment later they were gone, three time travelers heading back to 1944.