A/N: Like I said in my other story, the holidays have really left me little time to write, so I am sorry for the long time between chapters.
Chapter 47 - Waiting and Reflection
Everything happened quickly and Penny found herself experiencing something so amazing it was almost too extraordinary to actually be happening. She was in space, leaving the earth behind, and as her head rested on Leonard's shoulder, she watched, through wide eyes, as they approached a worm hole. Penny held tight to Leonard, not as terrified at what she saw as she would normally be, Leonard calming holding her making her feel safe. However, racing to the planet, on the other side of the wormhole, was unnerving, even holding on to a calm Leonard, Penny closing her eyes when things got so intense for her, and she couldn't stand it any longer. She began to relax more when they left the weird colored planet, in the energy conduit continuing on their trip, and found herself now keeping her eyes open to marvel at what she was seeing. Leonard's seemingly unconcerned attitude reassured her so on the return trip she just watched, her mind filled with wonderment, just like the two Physicists that were with her. She was both happy and disappointed when it all ended and they found themselves in a overgrown section of field, surrounded by a row of trees, on a balmy May day in 1944, England.
Penny let go of her tight grasp around Leonard, but still held his arm looking around and enjoying the sun on her face and feeling better about being back on Earth. She watched as Leonard and Sheldon also looked around, obviously checking out the place. "Is this the right place?" she asked.
Sheldon nodded, "It seems right."
Leonard nodded too. "Yeah it does, I think you got it right. The question now is when 'YOU' come through." he looked at Sheldon who just looked back and nodded.
"You don't think you are late?" Penny asked.
Leonard shook his head, "No, when we followed Sheldon originally, there was trampled grass from Sheldon coming through here, when we arrived. I don't see that now so I am sure we are early."
Sheldon nodded. "I agree."
The three of them walked over to a shady area under a tree and spread out a couple blankets they brought with them and sat down to wait. It was three hours later that found them still on the blanket, Leonard using the backpack as a pillow while he mindless stared, lost his thoughts, Penny asleep, her head on his chest and her arm around him. Sheldon sat with his legs folded under him just staring ahead, just like Leonard lost in his own thoughts.
"Sheldon what if he doesn't want to go back." Leonard finally asked the question that was probably on both their minds.
"Leonard, he will go back I promise you." Sheldon said with a conviction that ran a chill down Leonard.
"Sheldon, what are you planning to do?" Leonard was now worried.
"Just talk with him." he responded, lies now came easier to Sheldon.
"But what if that doesn't do any good?" Leonard was now more worried, especially when Sheldon said nothing.
"Sheldon." Leonard tried again.
"Leonard, he has to go back, to reset things, there is no option. He is going back." Sheldon again said with determination.
"What do you mean, no option." Leonard asked.
"He just has to go back, that is all I mean." Sheldon's tone made it evident he didn't want to talk about it any more.
"Okay." Leonard didn't know what to think, but he knew when Sheldon wasn't going to say anymore by the tone of his response.
Sheldon sat there quietly with his hand in his jacket pocket, on Penny's gun. He had grabbed it, when no one was looking, before they left Leonard's office. It was the same caliber as the World War II Smith and Wesson victory model he had brought with him and was taken away from him by Leonard's soldiers. They had taken his gun, but not his extra ammunition he had in his backpack, and now that ammunition was loaded in Penny's gun. Sheldon knew there was really no other option, if the Sheldon that came through refused to go back, Sheldon would make sure his body would, so time would be reset. He knew it would mean he would die too, but if that was what he had to do to save Amy, he was ready.
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As evening came, Sheldon, Leonard and Penny knew they would be spending the night in the field, it being much later than Sheldon had arrived before. They now took out all the blankets they had brought and began to settle in for the night, Penny curled up against Leonard, more for security of his presence than for heat. Sheldon sat by himself, leaning against a tree, his mind still too deep in thought to sleep.
Sheldon sat there thinking, he finally really understood what Spock had meant as he sacrificed himself to save the ship and crew when they tried to escape Khan's last attempt to kill them. He thought he knew how Spock was thinking and how there was only one logical option, that his life must be forfeited to make everything right. 'The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few….or the one', those words now struck him like they never had before, and Sheldon knew he would follow Spock if that was what needed to be done. Resetting time corrected his mistake and saved Amy, the needs of the many and the one, it actually made him relax to know what he needed to do, and comforted him, so he could close his eyes and rest.
Penny tried to get closer to Leonard, even though she knew it was physically impossible, she was already pressed against him as much as their bodies could stand. She had either been holding him, on him (like now) or touching him since she stepped on the pad with him and she couldn't help her need to do this with him. They didn't have much time and she couldn't let herself waste a moment of it, by not being with him and being in contact with him, she just couldn't. He was her life, the only thing is this world she wanted and she would follow him anywhere to be with him.
"Penny you are still awake. What's wrong." Leonard felt her movement, she had been doing it since they laid down and he knew she was awake.
"I'm sorry." she croaked out.
Leonard pulled her tighter, instead of discomfort she seemed to relish being held tight, even craved it, he noticed. "Penny, we are in 1944, nothing that happened in your timeline, has happened, Art's parents haven't even been conceived yet, you have nothing in this time to be concerned about. So Honey, don't worry, just relax, you are safe." he whispered to her.
"I know I am safe Sweetie, I am with you." Penny was quiet for a second then asked him something she had been thinking about. "Leonard you said in the machine room, that you and Sheldon were going back to fix things and that once you left either things would change or you would return to take me to the future, either way I wouldn't have to wait long." Penny got quiet again.
"You want to know why, I took you along." he said for her.
"Yes." she responded.
"Because when I saw you, I saw my wife, I saw the Penny I love and I realized my big mistake from the beginning." Leonard told her.
"What mistake?" she asked.
"I was stupid for leaving you behind. I will never leave you behind again." Leonard then gave her a kiss on her head.
Penny couldn't help but smile at his words. She couldn't think of more beautiful words, he would never leave her again, it was all she wanted. "I love you Leonard."
Leonard smiled, "I love you too." he then felt her steady shallow breathing, she was asleep.
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The next day after they woke and ate some of the supplies they brought, and while they ate, the question that was on all their minds finally was brought up. "Sheldon we could be early by over a week." Leonard finally addressed for all of them.
"I don't think so. We used the exact coordinates as before, so we should not have the normal error, I think we are much closer to his arrival time. Plus the cloud cover didn't look right yesterday, but today it looks better." Sheldon told him, he hoped he was right.
Sheldon had been right about the weather, it was a couple hours later when the wind suddenly picked up, then before their eyes there was a sudden increase of light that quickly dissipated revealing Sheldon Cooper. It surprised all three of them, but their surprise was insignificant compared to the shock on the face of the Sheldon Cooper that just arrived. This new Sheldon Cooper looked at all three of them in turn then surprised them all again, as he pulled out the revolver he had with him and pointed at them. "Don't move, I'm not afraid to use this."
Sheldon watched his previous self as he held Penny's gun in his pocket, trying to make a decision. He felt embarrassed that he would immediately threaten harm them when surprised, but deep inside understood he was probably scared to see people there from obviously another timeline. He knew he would conclude they were there to stop him, which was right, and knowing how desperate he was when he did this, his response seemed actually normal for the situation. However, the question he now asked himself was would this new Sheldon shoot, because if he would, Sheldon needed to end this now.