A/N: D'awww. You guys and your reviews. You make my heart swell with joy! And if you've made it this far into my story, you might have realized by now that this is a Shenny-centric fic. If you're not happy about the extremes that these two main characters WILL continue to explore as they deal with an outrageous and non-canon situation (let's face it - the story writers for TBBT are not ever going to incorporate Sheldon's shady, street-fighting past into the show—that's just from my sick & twisted mind, lol), then maybe you should give up on this story because it might not be what you're into. :( I'd hate to see you go, though, so try to sit back and enjoy it. It's fan fiction, after all!

SRAM: Although I'm extremely pleased that my characters get your emotions so riled up, you sort of lost me when you got mad about Penny using Kurt :\ LOL. Hope you continue to enjoy my story anyhow.

To J: I wish I could message you after every amazing review that you have always left me since Chapter 1. XOXO! Thank you for not giving up on this story or me!

To all of my wonderful (old and new) reviewers, followers, and people who have favorited Dissolve—enjoy chapter 12! *Warning: This chapter contains some violence*

Penny dug her nails into her palms with a little more force than she had realized, because when she finally relaxed her fingers, tiny crescent-shaped red marks were stinging the sensitive skin of her hands. When she entered the gym full of at least 50 different people training in various areas and let her eyes adjust to the lack of bright sunlight, the first person her eyes zoned in on and recognized was Rob. About 20-feet in front of her, right in the center of a boxing ring, he was chatting with three men, one of them was Kurt, and he was using his hands animatedly, his inflection rising with each "fuckin'" and "shit" he used in his sentences. Penny hadn't paid much attention before, but now she noticed his thick, Southern accent was falling out of his mouth like he was chewing on something juicy. This had to be the guy; it had to be Marky.

His red hair was shorter now, a clean buzz cut shaved closed to his head, and the apparent receding hairline had to be the cause. He was still tall, but not as lofty as Kurt, and stocky. A man no one would want to trifle with if it came down to a bar fight, Penny guessed. And Rob's most telling feature: the rash of old acne scars adorning his cheeks. He looked winded as he spoke still, the two men and Kurt surrounding him listening intently and occasionally nodding their heads in reply.

"Excuse me," a young man dodged around Penny, trying to get through the exits that she was blocking.

"Sorry," she mumbled, finally getting her legs to work and moved out of his way. She was afraid she was drawing attention to herself, the wrong kind of attention, by standing timidly in the doorway of The Golden Glove. When the door slammed shut behind her, she jumped. She felt her back pocket for her cell phone to make sure it was still there, took a deep breath, and summoned the acting ability she had to drink in her surroundings and assimilate to the atmosphere. She visibly relaxed, and walked towards the boxing ring. When she reached the ropes, Kurt's back to her, she cleared her throat and called out to him. "Hey, hot stuff." Rob immediately stopped talking and peered over Kurt's shoulder down towards Penny. His face twisted into a bewildered expression, and he looked at Kurt expectantly. Penny felt her stinging palms begin to dampen.

"Huh?" Kurt turned and looked over his shoulder, following Rob's gaze until it fell on Penny. "Oh, hey!" He was dressed in black trunks and a white-ribbed tank top. He leaned over, placing his elbows on the ropes and stared down at Penny with a smug grin, adjusting the fingerless gloves on his hands. "I didn't think you'd show up."

"I always come when I say I will," Penny said, impressed by her own ability to flirt shamelessly with the dirt bag. "You're looking good."

"As are you." He raised an eyebrow and looked her over appreciatively. Then turning around, he told the three men behind him he'd be right back. As he climbed out of the ring, Penny felt rather than saw Rob's eyes on her the entire time. She willed her heart to quit beating so roughly against her ribcage, almost sure that everyone around her could hear it galloping inside of her chest. She tried to convince herself that she was just nervous under the circumstances and there was absolutely no way Rob, Marky, whatever his name was, could actually know the real reason why she was there.

When Kurt joined her on the ground, he embraced her in a tight, ill-fitting hug, reaching down to nonchalantly rest his open palm on her ass. She ignored it and looked up at him. "Did I miss your workout already?"

"Just stopped to take a break," he replied. "My trainer Rob was just telling us about some fights he got this weekend. Pretty underground stuff, roughnecks basically going ape shit on each other. Real Fight Club-ish."

"Oh, yeah?" Penny's tongue was suddenly fat and she bit it, hard. She winced and looked away, willing herself to relax. If Kurt noticed her reaction, he didn't make it known. "Are you into that kind of stuff?"

"Me? Nah." He nuzzled his face into Penny's neck and gave her a playful nip that made her flush, but not with shyness. It took all the willpower she could manage not to slightly raise her knee and slam it into Kurt's unprotected crotch. Clearly, he had one thing on his mind now since Penny had shown up at the gym to see him. But she wasn't anywhere near on the same page.

"Really? Why not?" She avoided Kurt's eyes, staring up and at his eyebrows instead.

"This face is too pretty to get all beat up, baby, you know that. I mean, look at Rob's."

"What's wrong with my face?"

Penny immediately froze, a statue in Kurt's arms, and lowered her gaze to his chest. She felt his hands release her as he turned around and faced his trainer. Reluctantly, she followed suit and finally met Rob's eyes as Kurt laughed and addressed him. "Where do I start?"

"Fuck you, man. Your mom doesn't seem to mind it one bit." Rob was obviously speaking to Kurt, but his eyes were trained on Penny's face the entire time. She gazed uneasily at him, hoping that the slight tremor in her hands would go unnoticed. He wore red trunks and a black T-shirt with the white and red letters sprawled across his chest and read AFFLICTION. "Who is this?" His eyes were a dark shade of brown, almost black, and they feasted hungrily on Penny's body. She suddenly wanted a bath. Even if Sheldon and Junior hadn't told her about what the man in front of her was capable of, just his wolfish features and intense demeanor were enough to set her skin crawling.

"This is my girl Penny," Kurt said proudly.

That's pretty hopeful, Penny thought, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She smiled, showing her teeth to Rob. He immediately returned the grin and held out his hand, which she took without pause. The moist, clammy feel of his fingers against her own sweaty hand felt uncomfortable and slick.

"I've met you before," Rob mused, his Southern pronunciation suddenly reminding her of Junior. He cocked his head to the side, which made his already swollen ears more prominent and stick out further. The ears were plump and lost definition of shape around the edges, just like one of Junior's ears.

"Yeah, ages ago when Penny still hadn't given it up yet, so I had brought her here to impress her," Kurt cracked with a tasteless guffaw. "A long, long time ago." He grinned down at her and she made no effort this time to hide her disgust.

"Why are you still hangin' around this loser when there are plenty of other eligible bachelors in this gym?" Rob gestured with his long arm, thick and muscular and sprawling with long veins. "You into fighters?"

Before Penny could answer, Kurt tightened his hold on her, and she noticed his easy-going grin start to falter. "Easy, bro."

Rob lifted both of his hands as if in surrender. She watched in awe as every diction, every movement that Rob performed reminded her more and more of Junior. It was unnerving. "Just being friendly. Bro." His smile was unfriendly before he turned to face Penny. "So, Penny, was it? You come to watch your boyfriend Kurt try and go a couple rounds today?"

It took her a few seconds but she realized that he and Kurt were now waiting for her to answer. "Oh, um. Yeah, I just came to watch."

"Who am I fighting?" Kurt asked, his voice not truly interested as he scanned the small crowd that had begun to form around the ring.

"How about me?," Rob suggested, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What?" Kurt's hold on Penny loosened immediately. "I thought you weren't staying?" The disbelief in his voice wasn't lost on Penny.

"Your friend came to watch you fight, today, Kurt. What's wrong? Scared of your old trainer?"

The muscles in Kurt's clenched jaw rippled as he quickly mulled it over. "Cool. Let's do it."

"Have a seat then, darlin'," Rob said to Penny as he motioned towards a group of metal folding chairs that were set up ringside.

"Thanks," Penny answered quietly. She looked at Kurt, who was watching her with a slightly annoyed grimace and she gave him a reassuring wink. "Go get 'em, baby." Then with two metaphorical hands, Penny literally had to push herself from the inside to take two small steps to Kurt and press her lips against his cheek. She meant to leave a chaste peck but the bigger man placed a possessive hand around her neck, pulling her to him as he laid a big kiss on her lips, wet and intrusive. He winked down at her and turned to meet Rob who was already climbing into the ring. Penny waited until Kurt wasn't looking anymore and roughly wiped the back of her hand against her lips until it hurt.

"Three rounds, five minutes, prison rules, bitch!" Rob barked out at the two men who were conversing with him and Kurt earlier and were now standing outside of the ring, looking up at him through the ropes. One man had a whistle around his neck and he spoke to the other man who held a clipboard and was currently ticking off a list with a pen. Rob then turned to look directly at Penny and gave her a cold smile, uninviting and yet interested. She suppressed a shiver and lowered herself to a seat, easing back into the cold metal chair. She watched Rob release his stare on her and do a couple of laps around the ring, stiffly banging himself on the chest with a closed fist, his hands donning the same type of fingerless gloves as Kurt, while mumbling to himself, no doubt getting pumped up.

She suddenly felt very worried for Kurt's well-being. Not that he didn't deserve a punch to the face every now and again, but Rob looked positively murderous. And by the look she saw on Kurt's face as he stood in the middle of the ring, his eyes downcast as he began to jog in place, she could sense a hint of worry in his features, too. Penny had been around enough egotistical men to understand Rob was clearly going to show off for her by kicking the ever-living shit out of Kurt. And suddenly she felt so bad, so completely and wholly bad for being there. A dread she could feel deep down inside. Sheldon was right for initially objecting to letting her come into this gym alone, even though she tried to convince him he was being silly for worrying so much, and now Penny was finally beginning to understand why.

As the man with the whistle asked Kurt and Rob if they were ready and explained that three claps of the wooden planks ringside signaled 10 seconds were left in the round, Penny fumbled with the phone in her back pocket and pretended to study the screen as if she were receiving an incoming text. She adjusted the settings earlier so that it wouldn't flash or make a sound when she snapped a picture, and she didn't have to use the 'zoom in' feature on her phone to get a clear image because she was close enough as she hit the capture button. She studied the picture and felt a small bead of cold sweat glide down her temple as the man with red hair and beady, dark eyes in the image stared straight at the lens, frozen in the portrait, then sent it to Sheldon.

"Sumbitch," Junior's thick Southern accent tumbled out of his lips as he gripped Sheldon's phone in his hands. He leaned all the way back in his seat and Sheldon turned to watch him as he studied the image. "It's really him. After all this time." His shoulders began to fall and rise at an accelerated rate, and Sheldon silently hoped that the car had childproof locks for the backseat.

"Yes. He looks a little worn around the edges, but it's him, alright." Sheldon chewed on his bottom lip and narrowed his eyes as thoughts filled his head to the brim, but the most incessant thought was of Penny's safety. In the picture, Marky was looking straight at her. And she wasn't far away from him. He wondered with a hint of panic if maybe he had caught her taking the pic, or if she was clever about it. Soon, he felt Junior tapping him on his shoulder with his iPhone. He took it from him and stared at the picture again.

"Looks like he's fighting that big fella, Kurt. I thought he was his trainer?"

"As did I." They were both silent for a moment as the realization settled around them like a passing dust storm. The bond between a trainer and a fighter was never broken, and they never sparred unless it was for training purposes. But Marky wasn't holding up a bean bag for Kurt to punch, and it dawned on Sheldon that perhaps they were about to engage in an actual bout. Then again, Marky had once been Junior's trainer, and that obviously did not turn out well. Apparently, Junior was thinking the same thing.

"We've gotta go in and watch. We'll stay hidden-"

"No!" Sheldon shouted, his voice high and shrill in the small space of Penny's car. "We agreed. Do not get out of this car."

Junior looked past Sheldon, through the windshield, and at the entrance of the gym with a fierce longing, looking as though he was about to jump out of his skin. "Then tell Penny to record him."

"Not today, Junior," Sheldon said firmly. "It's too risky. It looked like Marky was staring straight at Penny when she took this picture. If he catches on…"

"I don't give a shit, I want him."

"Excuse me." Sheldon unbuckled his seatbelt and turned completely around in his seat, facing Junior with two blazing eyes. "That's my friend in there. And if you want my help from here on out, you stay your ass in that seat. You may not give a shit, but I do." Sheldon's lips were trembling by the time he finished his short but effective warning to his brother. He rarely cursed, the product of a Christian home, but he was more than willing to do something even less Christian and break every bone in both of Junior's hands if he made another move for the door handle.

"Fuck," Junior spit out and turned to the left, looking out the window to suppress his rage. "Fine." Sheldon turned back around in his seat and faced the front, watching the gym doors intently. They were quiet for a long time as Sheldon concentrated on getting his blood pressure down again and Junior tried to control himself in the backseat. After another fifteen minutes and no more word from Penny, Sheldon's quick flash of anger bled into worry. He texted her, promising himself that if she didn't answer within a couple of minutes, he would release the beast in the backseat and both brothers would bum rush the establishment.

Penny. Are you alright in there?

As he waited for a reply, rather impatiently, Sheldon began to allow his mind to wander. If this were any other day, he would be at Caltech, perhaps having just returned from lunch with Wolowitz and Koothrappali and would be going over the rest of the day's events with his incorrigible assistant Alex, who undoubtedly was enjoying her weeklong vacation from Sheldon at the moment. He longed for the conformity of his office, the subtle squeaks of his markers scratching his brilliance against the worn whiteboard. He had initially requested a week vacation but found himself wondering if this situation would require more time. He was just as eager as Junior to finish this once and for all, to enact revenge and extinguish Marky's figurative light, but this situation would take more finesse. Junior was training every day and still as strong as a bull, quick and extremely agile even for being 37 years-old, but neither of them could know what they were in for until they saw Marky grapple and measure exactly where he was as a fighter these days. The phone buzzed in his hands and he started, so deeply lost in thought that he almost forgot where he was.

- Have Jr drive my car 2 Huntington Hospital & wait there til I txt U again.

"Lord," Sheldon whispered and before he realized what was he was doing, he was opening the car door, ignoring Junior's queries while his heart plummeted down into his intestines. His previous warning now null and void, Sheldon yelled at Junior to follow him. But as the brothers jumped out of the car, Sheldon saw the gym entrance doors fly open and he hissed at Junior to get low. Crouching behind the front wheels of Penny's car, Sheldon watched in confusion as the petite blonde came into view, half-dragging, half-walking her ex-boyfriend Kurt, who was bleeding profusely out of his mouth, out of The Golden Glove, then stop and catch Sheldon's eye. She furiously shook her head back and forth at him before talking in Kurt's ear, who weakly lifted his arm to point at a car to the left of the building.

"What the hell?" Junior suddenly asked right near Sheldon's ear. They both watched as Penny helped Kurt into the passenger seat of the car he had pointed to, slammed his door, and without another glance at Sheldon and Junior, climbed into the driver's seat. A second after the engine roared to life, Penny pealed out of the parking lot and was gone. "Sheldon, what is going on?"

"Get in the car and drive. I'll tell you where," Sheldon said, his voice shaking as his nerves rattled. He was teetering between relief that Penny was obviously unharmed, but also bursting with curiosity as to why Kurt was so badly injured.

"Shit!" Junior suddenly whispered hoarsely and yanked Sheldon by the collar before he could reopen the car door. "Get down!"

"Hey!" Sheldon was beginning to protest until Junior frantically pointed ahead at the entrance doors of the gym. Marky had stepped into the sunlight, his pale skin glistening with sweat and a gym bag hoisted over his shoulder as he left the gym with a couple of other guys who were patting him on the back as he threw his head back and laughed. As Sheldon laid flat on the gravel, his breathing sped up in fear that they had been spotted. But Junior, who had a better view from his crouched position against the truck parked next to them, let out a long breath and turned to face his brother before nodding. "Is he gone?" Sheldon asked timidly.

"Yeah. Doesn't look like he caught us. Where the hell did Penny go?"

"Huntington Hospital in downtown Pasadena," Sheldon said, his heart rate finally returning to normal as the sun bore down on the two men. "Let's go find out why."

It might not have been the whip-like effect of Rob's inside kick on Kurt's unprotected ribcage, or the lightning-fast uppercut to the soft space between Kurt's jaw and neck where his windpipe processed the inhale and exhale of oxygen, but somewhere between the two, Penny saw the faint look in Kurt's eyes that signaled he was done for.

After discreetly taking Rob's picture and placing her phone back into her pocket, Penny snuck a glance at the red-haired man to see if he had suspected her actions. All he did was grin at her, a cold, lifeless smile that threatened to unnerve her. Then the whistle was blown and not even 60 seconds into the fight, Kurt was bleeding buckets onto the ring's platform and Rob had barely broken a sweat. It was obvious to see why Kurt hardly considered himself an MMA fighter, only did it for kicks, and even more obvious was why Rob was the trainer. His moves were perfectly orchestrated on his loyal subject Kurt. Every strike and kick were like lyrics to Rob's favorite song and he was singing along word for word.

Watching Rob pummel a man as big as Kurt with hardly any effort caused a leak to spring in Penny as she suddenly thought of the power this monster had over her dear friend Sheldon over ten years ago. How obvious it suddenly all was that this dangerous man had threatened Sheldon's life, Missy's life, Mrs. Cooper's life, and how good he could have made on that threat. And all the sacrifices Sheldon had to make in order to survive and ensure his family did the same came to light, nearly bringing tears to Penny's eyes.

But as quickly as why what Junior and Sheldon were trying to do had begun to make sense, she saw Kurt fall to his knees after one direct punch to his nose. The crunch of Rob's knuckles connecting with the tip of Kurt's beak made Penny nauseated. Then she heard him emit a loud, almost inhuman cry of pain as Rob pivoted like a ballerina on the tip-toes of his left foot and whirled around his right to bring a crushing blow to the side of Kurt's head. Kurt's tongue lolled out of his mouth as he fell to the platform, face first, and didn't move. Penny wasn't thinking clearly as she jumped from her seat, surrounded by a few other bystanders who had done the same, and brought her hands to her face, gasping loudly as he remained motionless after falling to his stomach.

"That's the fight!" the man with the whistle around his neck waved his arms as he crouched protectively over Kurt to stop Rob from advancing on him again.

"That's how it's done!" Rob whooped excitedly and hopped out of the ring to greet his supporters.

Penny rushed up to the side of the ring, slamming her hands on the platform as tears filled her eyes. "Somebody help him!" she screamed, pointing frantically at Kurt who still had not moved. The man with the whistle and an older gentleman with a black leather bag tended to Kurt while Penny watched in horror. The older man pulled a few items out of his bag that looked like small vials of smelling salt, along with a tub of antiseptic and cotton balls. Penny suddenly felt so horrible, so low as she realized this was her fault. She nearly scrambled into the ring herself when she saw Kurt finally fidget, his legs twitching slightly before he let out a long, mournful groan.

"He doesn't look too good," a voice with an uninterested drawl said from behind Penny, causing her to yelp in surprise before turning slowly. "Someone shoulda warned him about steppin' into the ring with the big boys."

Penny was now face-to-face with Rob…Marky. She blinked a few times, willing the tears that coated her eyes to standby. She gave the man before her the most hateful expression she could muster, rage onset not only by her hurt ex-boyfriend lying in the ring behind her, but mostly for the knowledge of what this man had done to Sheldon, laid bare across her face. She wanted to tell him he would pay for this, she even wanted to suggest that he would soon meet his end for everything he had done. But instead, she shook her head from side to side, keeping her mouth closed. Sheldon has specifically warned her that under no circumstances was she allowed to "get all Nebraskan" on Rob's ass, even though that was the only thing she had on her mind at the moment.

Rob paid no mind to her menacing glare as he laughed and gave her a wink before parting. "Come back anytime, Penny. With or without your boyfriend." He said this meaningfully, and Penny nodded tightly while thinking, You haven't seen the last of me yet.

Sheldon and Junior waited in a parking structure adjacent to Huntington Hospital, awaiting Penny's next instructions. The physicist was distressed, wanting desperately to see Penny to know that she was alright, and the longing to know what happened to Kurt. Junior sat quietly, fidgeting with his hands as he stared straight ahead. Not a word had been said after Sheldon's directions navigating their way to the hospital until Junior finally spoke.

"Penny's 'check engine' light is on."

Sheldon sighed tiredly and uncharacteristically decided not to elaborate. He looked down miserably at his phone, willing Penny to call.

"It looks like Marky unleashed hell on poor Kurt's head," Junior chimed in again, not truly seeming as though he was speaking to Sheldon. "I bet he finished him off with that famous spinning back kick of his." He tapped the steering wheel, a staccato beat that irked Sheldon, then mumbled, "I woulda countered that with a trap on his leg, brought him down with a leg lock."

Sheldon nodded. He had taught that defensive move to Junior years ago, in fear that Marky would attempt his infamous spinning back kick on his brother one day. Suddenly, Sheldon's phone began to ring. He yanked it to his ear before the tune could finish and breathed a shaky greeting into the receiver. "Penny?"

"Sheldon," she croaked on the other end, causing his chest to tighten.

"Are you okay?" One of Sheldon's hands was on the door handle again as Junior watched him carefully, waiting for the word.

"I'm fine, Sheldon," Penny sniffed. "Kurt's hurt. Really bad."

"Do you want me to come in?"

"No, I'm leaving right now. I've already called his sister to come sit by him. He's got a concussion and both of his cheekbones are broken, and his ear drum burst. He has to stay for a few days."

"Okay," Sheldon gulped, gesturing with his hands to Junior to start driving out of the parking structure. "Me and Junior are gonna pick you up right now in front of the emergency room entrance."

"Alright, I'm standing here now." Neither of them hung up the phone, silently breathing on their respective ends as Junior merged into oncoming traffic to circle the busy area around the hospital. After a moment, Penny shuddered another breath into the phone. "Sheldon?"

"Yes, Penny?"

"Did Rob…I mean, did Marky…did he ever touch you? Hurt you?"

Sheldon bowed his head, his eyes studying his knees as a feeling akin to fury swirled around him from head to toe. Junior was right; Marky had unleashed hell on Kurt and Sheldon was spitting angry that Penny had been up front and center to see it. He would never forgive himself for the fear evident in her voice. "No, Penny. Marky never touched me."

"He would've been dead sixteen years ago if he had," Junior said gruffly as they pulled up in front of the hospital and idled the car long enough for Penny to hop in the backseat.

Sheldon finally lowered the phone into his lap, turning around to gaze at Penny's tear-streaked face. He bit his lower lip, wanting to ask her if she was okay, but he knew the answer. "I am so sorry," he said instead, watching her with heavy eyes as she sat quietly behind them.

Penny said nothing and only looked out the backseat window as Junior shifted her car into drive and drove them all back to Los Robles Avenue.

Penny and Sheldon trudged up the stairs after Junior dropped them off. He was about to call for a cab to take him to the gym where he said he needed to train and clear his head, but Penny offered him her car on the condition that he fill it with gas. Junior had been grateful after a moment's hesitation, and when the two were alone, Sheldon mentioned to Penny that he had been apprehensive because of her 'check engine' light.

"Men," she said dismissively and the two began their trek upstairs. When they finally reached the fourth floor, Sheldon nervously looked down at Penny before licking his lips and telling her goodbye. When he turned his back, Penny shot her hand out, grabbing onto his shoulder and spinning him around. "Don't, Sheldon."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, his face riddled with confusion. "I thought you would want to be alone."

"Why would you think that?"

"I'm not at all advanced in the psychoanalysis of human emotion, but judging from your physical and mental withdrawal in the car as well as your refusal to answer any of my brother's questions on the drive home, I figured as much."

Penny rolled her eyes after Sheldon's long explanation. "I don't want to be alone right now. I want to be with you."

Sheldon hesitated, his eyes shifting nervously just as Junior's had earlier when she offered him her car, but then nodded his head. "Very well." He unlocked apartment 4A and gestured for her to follow. "Come in."

"Thank you," Penny groaned, suddenly exhausted. The wait in the emergency room had been virtually non-existent after she uttered the words "head injury" to the nurses at the check-in desk. They took Kurt back into triage quickly, giving Penny the ability to make a phone call to Kurt's sister with his cell phone, then her call to Sheldon with her own. She asked the nurse who had initially seen Kurt if he would be okay on his own for awhile, to which the nurse had assured her he would be out of it with pain medication for the foreseeable future, so Penny didn't feel too bad for leaving so abruptly. She couldn't see Kurt, couldn't bear to watch his face swell up twice its size, and couldn't bear to explain to his sister what exactly had happened. She had mentioned "gym-training accident" to the nurses and left quickly thereafter.

Now as she sunk into the couch near Sheldon's spot but not on it, Penny felt a rush of relief come over her. She inhaled the air of the apartment and felt wrapped up in comfort as she watched Sheldon get to work on making tea without even asking her first if she wanted a cup. He was slightly hunched over, his mouth in a tight, firm line and his eyes barely blinked, except for the occasional twitch. "Sheldon?" she called to him. He set down the kettle on the stove and turned to face her. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay," he said frivolously, rolling his eyes. Penny watched him grip the sides of the kitchen table tightly, so tight that the skin of his knuckles threatened to split open over the bone. "I should be asking you the same."

"I'm okay now," she admitted truthfully. "Now that I'm here with you." When he didn't answer her, she sat up straight, leaning on her knees with her bent elbows. "Come sit by me, Sheldon."

"I'd rather stand."

Penny frowned, recognizing the cold shoulder of Dr. Sheldon Cooper when he turned it on her. "What are you doing?" she asked tiredly, unwilling to fight with him when all she wanted was for him to come sit by her and hold her hand.

"Penny, perhaps this was a bad idea." His eyes roamed over the floor at Penny's feet, the couch she sat upon, anywhere but her eyes.

"I told you, Sheldon, I'm okay. I was just shocked at the extent of Kurt's injuries-"

"No, Penny," he interrupted and finally glanced at her face, his eyebrows drawn in close together. "I mean all of this. You. Me. All of it."

Her heartbeat began to speed up as the realization of what Sheldon meant was registering in her mind. She suddenly began to think back to their reconciliation this morning; perhaps he was still angry about it, more hurt than he had let on. How could she have been so stupid over that damned Relationship Agreement? "Look, Sheldon, I said I was sorry about this morning. I'll never ask you about Amy again-"

"This isn't about Amy," Sheldon interrupted her again and this time his features were steely and unfriendly. "I just don't think it would be in anyone's best interest if we continued on like this."

"Hold the fuck on!" It was Penny's turn to interrupt as she leapt from the couch, pulling up the waist of her jeans as she stalked over to Sheldon in the kitchen. He backed up slowly, careful to avoid the stove as he pressed his back against the counter. "I'm in this, too, Sheldon, okay? After what I saw today? After what I went through? This guy Rob, Marky, whatever! He is a monster!" She felt her eyes begin to tear up again, silently cursing herself for being a female whose tear ducts burst like dams every time she showed emotion. "I can't just leave you in this now by yourself! So stop trying to get rid of me."

"That is precisely why I want to get rid of you!" Sheldon engaged in raising his voice and took a step towards a shocked silent Penny. "Do you know what I felt today? I felt like a knife was slowly cutting me from the inside out when you sent me the text to meet you at the hospital because I thought it was you that had been hurt. I felt as though my life was being pulled out from under me like a rug! I can't lose you, Penny. I can't ever feel that way again!"

Hearing Sheldon yell wasn't a new thing for Penny. She had done many things in the six years of knowing him that warranted his temper to flare and tongue lashings had been accordingly administered. But the voice he carried now, it was textured with fear, palpable with emotion, bordering madness. His eyes were open wide, boring down on her in accusation with a hint of craving. She evoked something from him that neither she nor Sheldon could have known he had inside of him. And Penny suddenly realized that he was evoking the same emotion from her.

Their eyes remained locked on one another, and quickly, as if silently agreeing that the two of them could not be without the other, their lips abruptly made a beeline for each other, hands flying and tongues pushing until there was not any space between their bodies. Sheldon's hands went straight for their favorite spots: one to palm the exposed skin on her hip and the other to entwine itself in her hair. She groaned as their tongues wrestled for power, the taste of her tears mixed with his lips causing every nerve in Penny's body to shriek with pleasure. She pulled him down by his shoulders, bringing their chests together, then wrapped her arms around his neck, never wanting to feel anything but the sensation of him all around her.

It took a lifetime, yet not long enough, for Sheldon to break the kiss, surfacing like a drowning man coming up for air. He had Penny pinned between his body and the kitchen table, which wasn't very comfortable for her back, but she didn't dare push him away or move. She waited a few seconds for Sheldon to speak, concentrating on how tight he held her, their breath mixing together between them, his obvious desire for her pressing unabashed between her hips. "I am so sorry," he said for the second time that day.

"It's okay to feel many things in this moment," Penny purred, looking into Sheldon's blue eyes as he watched her carefully. "But sorry is not one of them." She leaned forward and pulled down on Sheldon's neck to bring his lips to hers again, and he fought her touch after a moment, rearing back to finish his point.

"Penny, I am so sorry. For putting you in that gym, in that situation. I am sorry that Kurt sustained those horrific injuries. I know you feel as though I prepared you for Marky's ruthless behavior, but there aren't enough words to conjure that would fully detail his destruction." By now, their breathing had evened and Sheldon's erection had disappeared, but their bodies were still very much touching. Neither of them had removed their embrace on each other.

"Sheldon, I don't blame you. You couldn't have predicted what would happen to Kurt."

"I could have taken a lucky guess," he said snidely, mostly towards himself.

"I was afraid, yes. And I feel truly sorry for Kurt, but he didn't have to agree to fight Marky. His own stupid pride put him in that situation. But what hurts me the most is knowing that you and Junior will keep pursuing him. I'm scared to death that what I saw in that gym will happen to Junior, or worse—to you." Penny let another tear roll down her cheek before Sheldon's finger met it halfway, wiping it away carefully with a lingering swipe of his thumb. She continued in a whisper. "Promise me, Sheldon, that if it comes down to facing Marky yourself, you will walk away." She closed her eyelids, letting Sheldon's breath wash over her face for a few seconds as he stayed silent. They fluttered open, meeting his shockingly bright blue eyes as she frowned. "Promise me, Sheldon."

"I promise," he answered in his own whisper, barely finishing his swear before eagerly covering Penny's mouth again with his own.