A/N: First of all, it was TOTALLY not my intention to keep you guys waiting this long for an update! But the summer semester of school is winding down which of course means finals are here. :\ I'll try to update as often as I can-bear with me!

Secondly, are you guys tired of me thanking you from the bottom of my heart for your feedback, follows and favorites yet? Too bad. THANK YOU x INFINITY! :]

Lastly, I warned you guys this was gonna get ugly before it gets pretty. If you're not okay with violence, this story is no longer for you. In this chapter, we get to the bottom of why George Jr. is not welcome into Sheldon's life. It's a necessary story to tell in order to get the ball rolling!

Hope you all enjoy :]

When Sheldon woke up that morning, he was already in distress. He performed his morning vocal test (adequate), scrubbed himself raw in a cold stream of shower water (his morning erection wasn't atypical, he was after all a male with a functioning genitalia, but it offended him more than usual nonetheless as the side of the shaft rubbed against his inner thigh), and prepared a bowl of cereal to find that the amount of milk left in the carton was less than sufficient enough to satisfy his preferred shredded wheat to milk ratio (damn that milk thief and her vanilla scented skin). He didn't even bother to switch on the television to watch Dr. Who; nothing was going right for him in the half an hour he had been awake, so who's to say the TV wouldn't short as soon as he flipped it on?

Unable to handle any more disappointing situations that were out of his control, Sheldon tossed the cereal into the trashcan and flung the plastic bowl into the sink as he heard the spoon clang around the metal tub before coming to rest. He stalked over to his spot and flopped down onto the couch cushion, fuming. Figuring this would be a perfect time as any to confront his mother, he picked up the house phone and punched in the numbers to reach 6757 Perry Street in Galveston, Texas. The phone rang three times (Sheldon filled the silence between each ringby mentally saying Mother)before she picked up.

"Mother, it's Sheldon."

"Shelly-bean," Mary said in a pleasant voice. "The good Lord does answer prayers. I was just talking to Him about how nice it would be to speak to you today."

"Please don't talk to the 'Lord' about me, Mom," Sheldon said in a scathing tone. "And speaking of unsolicited conversations about my life, why did you tell Junior that he should stay with me this summer?"

"Now, Sheldon," Mary's tone was the exact scathing volume as her son's, but it held a hint of warning. "George is your blood and we do not turn away from our blood when we have the means to welcome them into our home."

"This is not our home, it is my home, and he is most certainly not welcome. I have told you on several occasions that I am not interested in what George Jr. has going on in his life and I refuse to…" Sheldon stopped himself before he finished his sentence. He was going to say that he refused to allow Junior to suck him back into the life he left behind years ago, but his mother was still in the dark about those years. He began to get anxious, rubbing his damp palms on his knees while he held the phone between his ear and shoulder. "I refuse to see him. Besides, Leonard and I have our roommate agreement that specifies in Section 2, paragraph 8, line 6 that house guests of one party are not permitted unless the other party has been notified at least 48 hours in advance."

"I don't like your tone, son," Mary said flatly. "And I don't care about any agreement that you may have made with your little friend. What did George ever do to you?"

A tiny explosion went off behind Sheldon's blue eyes. He very nearly saw stars as his mother's innocent question imploded within his brain and everything came rushing back. All the time Sheldon spent idolizing the façade his brother put on, forced him to do things that Sheldon could never undo, the danger that they had put their selves and others in…

He wished he could tell his mother of how very close she and Missy's lives had once been in danger without them even knowing it.

Suddenly he heard a familiar, bubbly ringtone coming from his laptop. He stared at the dim screen and remembered he had more than one important call to participate in that day. Sighing, he grabbed the phone by his ear in a tight grip. "Nothing. He never did anything to me. I've got to go, Mother. I'll talk to you soon."

"Sheldon, I am not through speaking with you." Her voice wavered as though she had something to say but couldn't find the words. "I…I know I'm not as smart as you darling. And ever since the day the doctors told us about the gift you possess in that beautiful, brilliant mind of yours, I always wished that there was a way that I could always understand you. But sometimes, I just can't. And in times like these," she shuddered a deep breath, "you're going to have to talk to me, puddin'." Sheldon squirmed uncomfortably in between listening to his mother get emotional and the continuous ringing of Amy's Skype call. "I know George ain't an easy person to get on with, but what is it that happened? You two used to be tight. You would follow him around like a little puppy when you came home to visit those first few years when you came back from Germany, don't you remember?"

Of course I remember. I remember everything, Sheldon thought pitifully. "Bye, Mother." He hung up the phone and placed it quietly on its base. He imagined his mom sadly placing the antique receiver back on its rotary cradle on her end of the line, then he rose from the couch and crossed the room to his desk. He moved his finger along the mouse pad until the monitor lit up and he clicked "Answer" on the Skype window. Amy's friendly face filled his screen immediately. "Hello, Amy."

"Hello, Sheldon." Her smile was wide and her cheeks were rosy. He also noticed something different about her; her hair was swept up into a messy bun. Not used to seeing the angular curve of her jaw line meet her long, elegant neck, he studied her with curious eyes while she made small talk. "How has your morning been so far?"

"Fine," Sheldon lied. Not a twitch could be found as his eyes remained focused on her face. "Why do you look flush? And your hair…it's different."

"Oh," Amy laughed, bringing a hand up to brush some of her bangs out of her eyes. "I just got done working out at the gym with some colleagues. I'm hoping to get some abs, or buns, of steel by the end of this lecture circuit."

"Ah," Sheldon said, nodding. "That also explains your unnerving perkiness. Endorphins."

"Indeed. Listen, Sheldon. I called you last night for our scheduled Skype meeting, but you never answered."

"I apologize," Sheldon said, his voice uncommitted. "I was not feeling very well and had to send our friends home early before going to sleep."

"Oh no." Amy's smile faded at once as she leaned in. "Is it the sweltering heat wave invading Pasadena right now? Or perhaps food poisoning? I'll have Penny stop by the drugstore for you if need be." At the sound of Penny's name, Sheldon's stomach soured. If his morning hadn't been bad enough already, remembering how rudely he treated his friend last night was just the icing on the cake. For a fleeting moment, Sheldon wondered if he could confide in his girlfriend. Amy Farrah Fowler was certainly a person who he had come to trust, as much as he trusted Leonard and Penny. She offered great advice the majority of the time (if only he had the present mind to ask for her opinion when she hadn't been drinking) and he thought maybe if he mentioned the arrival of his older brother, Amy would be able to offer some sort of guidance. But then that would call for having to explain everything about Junior to his girlfriend, and he felt himself fall back to square one. He suddenly felt extremely alone.

"Perhaps the heat," he lied again. It was scary how easy it was becoming. "Look, Amy. My vacation time at the university has accumulated to its fullest extent and I believe it might be a good time to take a week off of work." He watched Amy process his sentence. Even as it came out of his mouth, he didn't believe it.

"You're willingly taking time off? You definitely must not be feeling well." She chewed on her bottom lip and adjusted her glasses, pushing them further up her nose. "Sheldon, I'd offer to come home and take care of you, but I just got here. It would look fairly poor on my recognizance if I gave up this opportunity to…"

"No, no, Amy," Sheldon protested, holding up a weak hand and shaking his head. "It's truly not that serious."

"Well, okay. At least Penny will be there for you. I'll ask her to keep your fridge stocked with fluids. You're very lucky to have her so close by, Sheldon. Make sure you thank her." Sheldon offered a shrug. "Okay, well since it's Saturday and you have nowhere to be, I must insist that you hustle that cute behind of yours back to bed. Go on."

Sheldon grimaced. "Amy, please. I'm a grown man."

"Sure you are. All the toys hanging off the shelves I can see behind your shoulder support this theory unflinchingly."

"They're action figures, Amy. Surely all that working out hasn't turned you into a brainless jock already. I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye, Sheldon."

"Goodbye, Amy." Before Sheldon could close the top of his computer, he heard Amy protest.

"Wait…I miss you." Her eyebrows lifted in a hopeful manner. She waited while Sheldon felt the gears in his mind work. She had only been gone for two and a half days. How could she miss him? And was he supposed to feel the same way? He looked impatiently into his girlfriend's eyes while she sat an ocean way, waiting with bated breath for his response. He should reciprocate, he realized. They had been together for three years. But he felt a twist in his gut and he knew that between lying to Penny last night and his mother this morning, he couldn't take anymore untruths. So he looked down at the keyboard and lifted his hand to close the laptop.

"Have a pleasant day, Amy." He didn't want to see her face when he hung up.

Sixteen years earlier.

After Junior climbed out of the octagon, Sheldon ran up to meet him, Marky at his heels. He carefully navigated through the crowd that had surrounded Junior to congratulate him as he reached for his discarded t-shirt that was still on the floor of the barn where he had tossed it and pulled it over his head. Then he pushed past the crowd to meet Marky and Sheldon halfway. When he reached them, he asked him what he thought of the fight.

"That was the most fascinating display of merciless kickboxing that I have ever seen," Sheldon replied, his awed voice betraying his baby face that was still sickly pale with fright. "For a moment there, I was worried that I was going to vomit from the nerves I was experiencing."

Marky clapped his hand on Sheldon's back as the young boy winced at the contact. "I told you not to worry, kiddo."

Junior cocked his head to the side and grinned. "He's right, Shelly. I told you I'd be alright to drive us home tonight."

"Yes," Sheldon said as he reached into his jacket pocket for some hand sanitizer. "You did." He then proceeded to squeeze a substantial amount of sanitizer into his hand before offering his brother and Marky some. When they declined, he placed the bottle back into his pocket before rubbing his hands together generously, almost purring as the smell of sanitation invaded his nostrils.

Marky laughed as he watched the young boy then turned back to Junior. "So, you ready to go get paid?"

"Almost as ready as I am to get laid," Junior cracked, causing both of the men to erupt into laughter. They bumped fists as Sheldon rolled his eyes. "C'mon Shelly," Junior ordered him to follow as they headed towards the exit. He then lowered his voice as he murmured something to Marky that he thought Sheldon wouldn't be able to hear. "They waiting outside?"

"Saw them slink out soon as Hero's big ass hit the floor."

"Good," Junior said, his smile disappearing for a moment before he turned to look back at Sheldon who was studying him closely. "We're going to get paid for the fight. Why don't you hang back in here for five minutes tops. Watch the next event."

"I…" Sheldon was already shaking his head in protest when Junior stopped walking and turned to face him. "I don't want to watch another fight. I was under the impression that I only had to sit and endure your bout."

"Yeah, but remember what we talked about Sheldon?" Junior asked, his smile faltering a bit. "I need you to study these fighters, let me know what kind of hits they're throwing and moves they're making." He moved closer to Sheldon, placing a hand on his shoulder. "With that crazy memory of yours, you could help me book my next fight with the right guy." Sheldon bristled at the phrase 'crazy memory' as Junior continued. "This is where I need your help most, Sheldon. I make my money by knowing exactly what I'm getting into when I step onto the octagon. I don't agree to a fight unless I have the advantage."

"Your brother says you've got a thing for numbers," Marky suddenly interjected, causing both Cooper boys to break their stare into each other's eyes and glance at him. "This is all math. The point system is easy to learn, and if Junior makes a certain amount of points in a fight, he gets paid a pretty penny."

It was beginning to make sense to Sheldon. His brother brought him here to become an informant. He supposed that his ability to understand any concept, even the art of mixed-martial arts, gave him the advantage, as well as his ability to calculate numbers at an advanced rate and anticipate trends, sort of like counting cards. But it still felt wrong, unclean. Sheldon longed to pull out his hand sanitizer again when Junior shook his shoulder slightly to get his attention. He looked at his older brother and frowned. "You could get into trouble, Junior." He saw his smile completely disappear before adding, "We could get caught. I don't know who you're getting 'paid' by, but it is common sense that it's dangerous scheming people out of their money."

Marky let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Too smart for your own good, kiddo." Then he looked at Junior. "I'm gonna be outside." He nodded at Sheldon then left them alone in the barn as he slunk out the entrance, the door closing behind him. Inside, the focus of the crowd had returned back to the center ring where another pair of men were going toe-to-toe. Sheldon looked uncomfortably into the direction of the cheers while he felt Junior's eyes on him. He suddenly wanted to go home, the earlier excitement of Junior's victory long gone.

"Sheldon," Junior said, his voice suddenly tired. "Sit down and watch the fight, please. Look, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. I just thought…I don't know." He picked up his hand and laid it flat on the back of his own neck, rubbing it roughly. "I thought this was something we could do together when you come home for the holidays. I thought you enjoyed the fight tonight."

Sheldon's eyes softened as he saw his brother become vulnerable in front of his very eyes. "I enjoyed watching your victory. But I can't say I'm comfortable with all this under-the-table business." He licked his lips. "I just want to go home, Junior."

"I know. Just stay here while I go get paid. I'll come and get you in a few minutes, I promise." Before Sheldon could object again, Junior ducked out of the entrance, following Marky outside. Sheldon felt the cold gust of air flow in and slap his skin, causing him to shiver. He was frowning deeply as he trudged over to the bales of hay that were near the bar that was still manned by the blonde in tight jeans. She saw Sheldon's skinny frame flop down on the hay and fold in on itself.

"Hey, cutie. Want a shot?"

Sheldon's eyes went wide. "I hardly believe you're qualified to administer vaccinations."

The girl threw her head back and laughed, giving Sheldon a view of her long neck and bouncing cleavage. "I meant a few ounces of tequila in a tiny glass. Here." She demonstrated her definition of a 'shot' by pouring the same bottle of liquor Sheldon had saw her pour for herself earlier into a small glass about two inches tall. She slammed it down on the metal tub and pushed it over to Sheldon. "Try it."

"No thank you," Sheldon huffed. He was grumpy and wanted to go home. Not to his mother's house—to Germany.

"Come on," the girl insisted, her dark brown eyes going round as she pouted her lips. "Those blue eyes of yours are making me go weak in the knees. Loosen up a bit so I can get the nerve to talk to you."

Sheldon's mouth twisted in confusion. "You're talking to me right now." He watched the girl sigh, a resigned noise that many people he met made within 60 seconds of talking to him. "Plus, if you're the one feeling a shortage of confidence, social convention is that you be the one to drink alcohol, not me."

She shrugged her shoulders and threw back the shot, swaying a little bit as her hip caught the side of the metal tub and she steadied herself. "I'm Rachel."

"Sheldon," he answered, his voice clipped as he turned his attention to the fight.

"You really like watching these things?" Her quiet voice might have made anyone else ask her to repeat herself, but Sheldon heard her fine. He didn't turn to look at her as he replied.

"No."

"How old are you, Sheldon?"

"Seventeen." He was beginning to wonder where Junior was.

"I'm eighteen," Rachel informed him, a hiccup rounding out her sentence.

"You're not old enough to drink alcohol, let alone be intoxicated," Sheldon said.

"I'm a bad girl. Wanna spank me?"

"No, I'm afraid I do not," Sheldon sighed. He rose from the bale of hay and headed toward the entrance of the barn when he heard Rachel call out to him.

"The offer still stands if you change your mind!" He rolled his eyes and entered the cold night in search of his brother.

Present day.

He worked all day. He couldn't pretend for a moment that it distracted him, and the clock continued to hurtle forward at an alarming pace, but he worked. It centered him slightly as the equations on the board took flight and brought him along on their journey to unlocking the magnificent secrets of the universe. If he could plug in the equation here, he might find the answer. When that didn't work, he tried it again, and again, until it worked. The side of his fist was blackened by the marker and he suddenly stopped, noting that the apartment was growing dimmer. He capped his dry erase marker and walked tentatively to the window at the far west corner of the room. He stared out at the surrounding buildings and foot traffic below him.

Why hadn't Junior shown up by now? Or at least called him? Had Sheldon thought it all up in his mind, or was this all a dream? He had a brief flicker of hope; maybe he had dreamt it all. Junior wasn't coming. It was all in his head. But then the memory of the phone call with his mother had returned to him and he knew that this was reality. He checked his wrist watch; 7:45 PM. Almost exactly 24 hours since he last spoke to his brother. He began hoping something terrible had happened (short of him dying in a car crash) that would have kept Junior from entering Sheldon's life again. Maybe he was bluffing. Maybe he really didn't have Sheldon's address. It was almost too good to be true!

As he continued to try and convince himself that maybe Junior really would leave him be, Sheldon began to relax. He felt his posture straighten, an ache shooting up between his shoulder blades. Realizing he had been walking hunched over all day like he was waiting for the hammer to fall, he urged himself to breathe deeply and to do something normal, routine. It was Saturday night. There was laundry to be done. So he walked to his room, his steps a little lighter, and began to separate the clothes in his dirty hamper into their respective colors and textures. He couldn't help himself as a small smile lined his lips. Then his mind wandered to what Penny was doing right now. Even if she had come home, he wouldn't have heard her door slam because he had been engrossed with his work all day. But it was almost 8:15. Whenever Penny didn't have plans on Saturday night (being that she was in a relationship with Leonard, who was hardly a regular stud on the party scene, this was often), Penny would join Sheldon in the laundry room located on the first floor of their building for Laundry Night.

When the clothes were separated and ready for transport, he lifted the basket and left his apartment, taking four full strides with his long legs before he found himself in front of Penny's door. He hesitated for a moment, listening for any movement in her apartment, and when he heard none he began to knock. After he received no answer, he fretted for a moment. She couldn't still be ignoring him, could she? Penny didn't stay mad at Sheldon for long. Not since the old days when they didn't get along very well. She has come a long way, though, he thought to himself as he began to knock again. After he muttered the last "Penny", he realized she probably was still at work. Shrugging, he turned around and headed down the four flights of stairs, thoughts of Penny intensifying with every step he descended. He thought about how his gaze lingered on her breasts last night and he felt himself blush deeply. Perhaps she was angry at him because of that, too. Although, if his superb memory served him well (and it always did), she hadn't given him any indication that she had been put off by his surveying. In fact, judging by her dilated pupils and quickening of her breath, she had not minded one bit.

As Sheldon rounded the corner to walk down the last flight of stairs, he automatically looked to the right at the entrance of the building. The glass door was shut and beyond that he caught a flash of a familiar mane of wild, blonde curls. He smiled again; his friend was home. He slowed down, taking his time as saw that she was standing in a frigid stance, her legs slightly parted and her hip jutting out to the side. Her shoulders were pointed outward due to her arms were tightly crossed in front of her. His smile disappeared as he watched the man whom she was speaking to raise his hand and give Sheldon a wave through the door.

Some things really are too good to be true.

"I'll get that for you, ma'am," a low, silky voice drawled from behind her.

Penny knew she was being rude, but she allowed her stare to loiter. It wasn't everyday she saw a hulking, tattoo-ed version of Dr. Sheldon Cooper staring back at her with eyes as eager as her own. She was momentarily sidetracked by the subtle scar illuminated on his skin by the lights outside. It was a mysterious zig-zag that reached the spot where his cheek and ear met, and came down until it disappeared into his beard. But it did nothing to hinder his familiar, boyish good looks. "You're George Jr."

"Don't you hate it when your reputation precedes you?" he asked, his voice teasing. "Then you can't get a chance to defend yourself." They were both silent for a moment while Penny's mouth hung open. Just when she thought he was gracefully avoiding her question, he dipped his head and his smile widened. "George Cooper Jr, in the flesh. What's your name, honey?"

Penny's mouth snapped shut. She abruptly thought of the younger Cooper boy upstairs who was undoubtedly going out of his mind while he awaited his brother's arrival. Suddenly speaking to George Jr. felt like a slight towards her friendship with Sheldon. He obviously wasn't welcome in this apartment, and probably not even this town. And though Penny still felt a little sore at the physicist for acting like a flat-out asshole, she felt herself stiffen at the sound of George Jr. calling her 'honey', inexplicably reminded of the angst that flashed in Sheldon's eyes last night when he let one minor detail slip about his brother.

"This isn't like tolerating the juvenile antics of a black sheep in the family, Penny. There's a little more to it than that."

Folding her arms and squaring her shoulders at George Jr. as he let the door close behind her, Penny felt like a bouncer at a club. She found herself utterly devoted to maintaining Sheldon's peace of mind, even if she didn't know what she was actually protecting him from. "My name's not Honey, that's for sure."

"It should be," George Jr. countered, his smile never faltering. "So, you gonna keep standing guard outside of Sheldon's house made of bricks or are you gonna let the big, bad wolf in?" Penny imagined that George Jr. was the type to huff and puff to try and blow this place down.

"Sheldon's not here," she lied in a flat voice. "He's working late."

"Oh, Nameless," he addressed her as she frowned deeper at him. "We both know it's Saturday night, the university is closed, and I have it on good authority," he pulled his cell phone out from his back pocket and held it up, "that Sheldon's on vacation." The smirk on George Jr.'s face never wavered, and Penny would never admit aloud that it gave her a chill. He certainly was a wolf dressed in dark jeans and a black polo tee. She noted the brown leather duffle bag hanging off of his shoulder. He was unseemingly deterred by her lame attempt at lying about his brother's whereabouts, but Penny tried again anyway.

"He's really there. I have to go pick him up actually." She tightened the grip of her crossed arms, bringing them closer into her chest as George Jr. humored her, amusement dancing across his face. "I was just stopping here after work to change, because after I go get him, we're going to a have dinner at a friend's house. Hope you're hotel isn't too far away for you to have come all the way over here for nothing. I'll tell Sheldon you stopped by."

"Or I could tell him myself," George Jr. chuckled as he raised an open palm and waved at something over her shoulder. She closed her eyes and hissed a curse. Penny didn't have to turn around to know that behind her and inside the doors of the apartment building was Sheldon taking the last step to the first floor and holding a basket full of dirty clothes.

Saturday night at 8:15pm on the dot. Of course-it was laundry night.

George Jr. winked at her before moving around to reach for the door again and pulling it open for her. "After you, Nameless." She rolled her eyes and walked in front of him, coming face to face with Sheldon. She tried to communicate with her eyes that she had did everything she could to keep his brother away (short of kneeing him in the balls). Sheldon didn't look at her at all as he watched his brother follow her inside. She wanted to touch him, to wave her arms, to scream for him to run away while she created a diversion, but instead she just remained silent as she watched the brothers interact for the first time. George Jr. parked himself between Penny and Sheldon. "Little brother."

"Junior." Sheldon's voice was strained and Penny could see his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed once, twice and three times before he finally croaked out another word. "You're here."

"I promised you I was comin'," the older man grinned, his arms crossed. Penny thought it was peculiar that he hadn't reached in for a hug or a hand shake, but then she realized this man was related to Sheldon Cooper. He probably knew that contact was not in the cards. She went back to studying Sheldon carefully, waiting for him to give her any indication that he may be in trouble. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it might dent her rib cage.

"Penny," Sheldon finally addressed her, causing her to widen her eyes in surprise. "I trust that you are…well?" His face was ashen but his eyes were focused directly on hers. For some reason, she felt like he was asking her if she was okay, unharmed. Apparently the thought of Penny alone with his brother had shaken him. She licked her lips and nodded, then spoke before George Jr. could turn around and see her nervous face. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired from work. I saw your brother as I was walking inside."

"So she does have a name!" George chortled as he turned back to face Penny. "Cute." He whirled around again to Sheldon. "She was goin' on about how you two were gonna go have dinner at a friend's house tonight? Thought you were at work. It woulda been too bad had she driven all the way to the school to go get you for nothing." Penny scowled and looked at Sheldon who kept his eyes on her.

"Oh," he said, finally moving his gaze to his brother. "Would you like to come upstairs, Junior?"

"Sure," George Jr. agreed then once again faced Penny. "You coming, Penny? I'd love to get to know the sweet girl who's so very protective of my brother. You know, come to think of it, my mom and Missy have talked about you before. Oh, they sure do like you."

"Yes, Penny," Sheldon swallowed hard as he turned to face the stairs. "You're welcome to join us."

"Goddamn right I'm joining you," Penny muttered. There wasn't anything in the world that would make her leave Sheldon alone with this man. She had never seen Sheldon so listless, withdrawn. It was like the moment he saw his brother, his soul fled from his body, and an empty shell of Sheldon was now automatically going through the motions for him while he hid somewhere safe. It pulled at her heart strings. She dutifully brought up the rear as the two men walked ahead of her, her eyes on George Jr.'s back the entire trek upstairs. When they finally reached apartment 4A, she continued to watch the older man while he tossed his duffle bag on the floor and it slid behind the couch. She turned and looked at Sheldon as he placed his laundry basket on his desk chair and walked directly to the kitchen, clutching the table and the counter for support. She hurried to his side. "Sheldon," she demanded, tugging on the tail of his shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Sheldon, you have any beer?" George Jr. called from the couch. At least he wasn't sitting in Sheldon's spot.

"Sheldon?" Penny repeated his name. "You're scaring me."

Sheldon finally snapped out of his catatonic state and glanced down at Penny, giving her a full view of his hypnotizing blue eyes. Very slowly, color returned to his cheeks as he looked her over, his neck bent to give her his full attention. "Don't be scared, Penny. Everything's alright."

She was suddenly very aware of how close they were standing next to each other again, but she forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course." He gave her a tight, forced smile. "Penny. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes," she answered a little too eagerly. She gasped as one of Sheldon's hands was suddenly holding her elbow, anchoring himself to her. His fingers were damp with sweat, but she never wanted the warm sensation of his long fingers on her skin to stop.

"No matter what you hear tonight," he began, licking his lips and stealing a glance at his brother who had found the remote and was flipping through the channels. "No matter what you see, can you try not to think differently of me?"

Sheldon Cooper did not care what people thought of him on principle. Well, certainly not what people who weren't regarded scientists or Nobel Prize winners thought of him. The request chilled Penny to her core. She could only nod, barely comprehending. "I won't think differently of you, Sheldon."

"Thank you." He released his hold on her before turning to George Jr. and addressing him with novel Sheldon Cooper formality. "Junior, as my guest it is my job to offer you a beverage. However, before I do, I think it is far more important to establish the parameters of your visit." He stepped out of the kitchen and into the living area, stopping right next to the TV. "How long will you be staying? What is the purpose of your visit? And the most essential: how can I get you to leave me alone for good?"

George Jr. smiled up at his brother from where he sat on the couch, a knowing, feral grin that sent a tingle up Penny's spine.

Crap-on-a-cracker, what is this guy's deal?

Sixteen years earlier.

Though the air was cold, Sheldon welcomed the clean breeze into his lungs as he inhaled deeply. He would have to burn his clothes, which was a shame. They smelled of stale cigarettes and farm animals, and he would never get the stench off no matter how many times he soaked them in detergent. He heard a coyote howl in the distance and he became agitated when he didn't see Junior anywhere. He took off on foot, heading east to circle the barn in search of his brother. Soon the flood lights at the front of the barn no longer lit his path and he relied on the moonlight in the clear sky to shine down on the earth, assisting Sheldon so that he didn't step in any 'cow pies' or fire ant hills. He alternated between looking down and looking around for Junior. When he did a full circle around the barn, he felt a cold feeling of dread soak his insides. His brother wouldn't have left him alone with these heathens, would he?

Sheldon suddenly took off in a sprint as he headed towards the field where his mother's station wagon had been parked. He didn't stop until he reached the first row of cars and heard a group of men talking. He slowed down and walked quietly between two parked pick-up trucks, edging closer to the voices. A small wave of relief came over him as he heard his brother's voice. It sounded angry, insistent, and Sheldon paused to listen while he stayed hidden behind a large Ford F-350 truck bed. Peering around the tailgate, he saw four men, including Junior and Marky, standing in a semi-circle. Their faces were illuminated by the enormous full moon.

"You said four gee's," Marky said in a high, almost taunting voice, to one of the men beside him. "You said you would come prepared tonight."

"I said I'd pay if he fought him the whole first round," a young blonde man dressed in light blue jeans and a pink sweater vest with a white shirt underneath argued with Marky. "That wasn't a fucking fight, man."

"You didn't say shit about how long you wanted the round to go," Junior spoke up. Sheldon held his breath as his brother took a step towards the blonde kid. The other man next to Marky, a short guy with a stocky frame, took a step back from the confrontation.

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Marky asked Junior, slapping his arm with the back of his hand. "This guy saying he's not gonna pay us?"

"I'm not saying you're not getting paid," the blonde kid's voice suddenly wasn't so tough as he watched his friend continue to step away. "I just don't think it's fair for me to give you a full four grand when the fight didn't even last 6 seconds."

"We told you we'd win it in one round," Marky barked, his cool, laid-back demeanor from earlier dissipating before Sheldon's very eyes. "Now give us the fucking money." He lurched forward, grabbing the kid by the collar of his shirts. "Don't make me take it from you." Suddenly, the blonde kid's stocky friend stopped moving as he watched Marky shake his friend roughly. Junior squared up, watching closely.

"Abel, now!" the blonde kid screamed at his friend. Sheldon watched what happened next unfold in an abnormal slow motion, like the men in front of him were moving in molasses. The kid named Abel whirled around and made a run for it, hopping over the hood of a car and disappearing from view. Sheldon fell to the ground slowly and waited on hands and knees to see what would happen next.

"Get that fucking kid!" Marky screamed at Junior, who had taken off towards the parked cars where Abel had ran to. Marky snarled at the kid who was still in his grip. "Fucking college kids think you can come home to make some bets and not pay the piper when it's all said and done? Huh?" While he berated the blonde kid, who struggled to get free, Sheldon's eyes scoured the parked cars for Junior to emerge. When he finally did, he came running full speed at Marky.

"Marky, move!" Junior's yell rang out, ricocheting off the metal of the cars as Sheldon averted his eyes back to Marky. He saw Abel appear next to him, but now he was swinging a wooden bat. The whistle of the bat slicing through the air just inches away from Marky's face echoed through the night. Sheldon watched Marky let go of the blonde kid and throw himself to the ground for cover while Junior ran at Abel and tackled him like a linebacker. The scuffle didn't last long as Junior quickly grappled Abel flat to the floor and Marky stood up and grabbed the blonde kid off the dirt as he scrambled to get away. Holding him by the collar again, Marky spit in his face then head-butted him.

"Fucking piece of shit!" Marky yelled as the blonde kid crumpled to the ground and didn't move. Then he turned around and picked up the bat from the grass, holding it expertly in his hands and stalked over to where Junior was pinning Abel to the ground. "Let him up," Marky ordered.

"You're gonna get it now," Junior's strained voice teased Abel as he pulled him up from the dirt and pushed him at Marky. "On your knees, you little shit."

Abel fell down, raising his hands up as if he was surrendering. "I only did what he told me to do," he insisted in a panicked voice as Marky and Junior loomed over him. He pointed at the unconscious kid beside them.

"You think that's gonna save you now?" Marky asked before he turned around and gave a practice swing into the air next to Abel. The man watched him carefully, his arms still up near his head. "You think you were just gonna beat the shit out of me and my boy George?"

"I'm sorry, man," Abel pleaded, shaking his head. "I'm sorry."

"Me, too," Marky mumbled before reeling his arms back, holding his position. "Move, Junior. This is gonna get messy." Junior laughed, a sharp bark of glee as he moved away. Sheldon thought the sound of his laugh was terrifying, his brother who had been so warm and kind to him tonight, laughing at the inevitable demise of the man named Abel kneeling for mercy before him and his deranged friend wielding a bat.

Then Marky brought the bat down hard and fast, aiming straight for Abel's head. The connecting of the bat to Abel's skull was as loud as the crack of a whip, and it was a sound Sheldon would never be able to get away from. Not in his deepest sleep, not on his best day. Then Sheldon ran, the echoes of screaming following him the whole way as he moved deeper into the field, away from the cars and the barn and into the moonlight. When he finally slowed down, he realized the screams were coming from his own body and he was alone. Lost and disoriented, he folded over and lost his footing, already vomiting into the tall grass before he fell onto his hands and knees, clutching the earth between his fingers.