A/N: I think I just barely updated within J's expectation…oops, no, it has been more like 3-4 days! LOL …sorry it took me so long, but I kept having to make adjustments to this chapter. It wouldn't come out the way I had it in my head! But hopefully you all will like it and understand that this was where we were headed all along.

I can see that some of you were confused by Rachel's sudden presence and why Rick is foolin' around with Marky, and most importantly, what the hell Kurt is up to?! I think this chapter should clear all that up. :]

Enjoy! *Warning: graphic violence ahead*

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

Meemaw's voice was as clear and concise as the day he sat with her in her kitchen while she taught him the words to that song for the first time. Pop Pop had just passed and Sheldon, even at the age of 5, wondered how, how, could anyone smile and sing after someone like Pop Pop had just died? He wasn't cross with Meemaw, he just had the scientific curiosity: how could you live on when your insides hurt so bad?

"Things happen beyond our control every day, Sheldon," Meemaw had said suddenly and without warning, almost as if she were reading his mind. Her back was to Sheldon as he sat at the table dunking strawberries sliced in halves into a small bowl of sugar before popping them in his mouth. "The best chance any of us have is if we learn to accept what we cannot change and make the best of what we've got."

Sheldon shook his head quickly to move the bangs out of his face, his shaggy hair cut as troublesome as ever since his mother had missed his last hair appointment on account of Pop Pop dying the week before. "Sing that song again, Meemaw," he asked. His tiny heart thumped faster in his chest. He wanted to hear it, needed to hear it, so that it could solidify in his brain and he could conjure it whenever he felt sad and helpless, like he did then.

"Only if you sing it with me, Moonpie." Meemaw turned away from the sink and Sheldon was mildly terrified by the tears that were finally streaming down her face. He wiped his sticky fingers with the wet napkin near his bowl and got up from his chair. Taking two small steps towards her, he inhaled sharply before tentatively touching his head to his grandmother's stomach then completed the embrace by wrapping his wiry arms around her plump waist. They sang together.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray."

Although the memory of this day flooded his brain like sunlight pouring into an open window, Sheldon forced himself to remain conscious and focused on what was happening to him right now. Rick administered blow after blow against his temple, his jaw, his cheekbones. Through squinted, swollen eyes, Sheldon watched as Rick took a few steps back and saw his chest rise and fall under his shirt quickly. He noticed that the light bulb that was hanging above him was swinging from its loose chain, splaying light on the corners of the room. Directly behind Rick, Sheldon saw his satchel tossed carelessly on top of a weight bench. He took note that if he were to get free, it would only take three steps to get to his bag.

"I should untie you right here and now," the man seethed through gritted teeth. Sheldon could practically feel the rage coming off of him in waves. "This hardly seems fair."

"Let's do it then," Sheldon drawled. His bottom lip trembled as his thick tongue tasted blood at every crevice of his mouth. It hurt him, but after a moment, he finally got his mouth to stretch and it stung like hell as sweat and blood touched the cuts on the corners of his lips. He couldn't help himself. He was giving Rick that shit-eating Cooper boy grin.

And it earned him a blow to his stomach, then Rick caught his neck with a tight grip, causing his already obstructed airway to narrow even further. Little pools of black spotted his vision as his aggressor leered over him. "You finally ready to quit watching around the bonfire, Sheldon? You finally ready to fight me like a real man?"

He released his hold on his neck and Sheldon sputtered, coughing wildly. After drawing in a few staggering breaths, he nodded. "Untie me," he dared him. "We'll find out."

He tried very hard not to look at his satchel that was only steps away from him. If he had a chance to get out of this alive, he had to make it to his bag. The contents inside were meant for Marky, but desperate times called for desperate measures. He only hoped that when Kurt knocked him out, he didn't search his bag while he was unconscious. His thoughts were interrupted when Rick suddenly disappeared from view and he felt the rope around his legs become undone. Very shortly thereafter, the rope around his wrists were tugged, and he winced as they were ripped from his skin, his wrists screaming in pain. He needed the first aid kit if he hoped to escape infection.

When Sheldon was completely free, Rick stepped in front of him, his hulking frame blocking Sheldon's view of his bag. "Get up, you piece of shit. Fight me."

"Now, Rick," Sheldon wheezed, bringing his wrists to his lap as he struggled to catch his breath. "You're much stronger than me. I still don't see how this will be a fair fight." He squared his shoulders and braced even weight on both of his feet, keeping them flat on the floor and placed approximately a foot apart while he sat at the edge of his chair. Though Rick possessed strength, Sheldon had an eidetic memory.

Sheldon nodded and finally forced himself to turn away from the fire, the crowd, from Rachel, then followed Marky into the dark, where he belonged. "His right hook is quick but he doesn't protect himself. If Junior implements the combo for inside kicks after ducking a strike, he could break Rick's ribs within the first round."

"In all the training you've done with Marky lately, did he ever instruct you how to efficiently protect your left?" As the last word left his mouth, Sheldon surged forward, locked both of his fists together, bent his elbows and brought them down hard on the left side of Rick's unshielded flank to inflict impairment on his old injury, the one Junior had given him under Sheldon's direction 10 years ago. He felt the sharp impact of his elbows making contact with his ribs then heard the loud yelp of the larger man as he doubled over in pain. Sheldon quickly dodged Rick's right fist as it flew past his face, but he wasn't prepared to move so quickly after the beating he had taken on his head. The room spun as he lost his footing and fell down, landing hard on his shoulder. The pain made him howl, and he quickly felt the socket between his clavicle and shoulder to make sure nothing was dislocated. He wasn't on the ground for too long before he saw Rick limp over to him, holding his side. As quickly as he could, Sheldon stretched out his body and scrambled toward his satchel, kicking his legs as Rick stalked over to him.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" he spit out before he reached for Sheldon's shirt and tried to pull him off the ground. When he couldn't get Sheldon up, he released his grip on the shirt and reared his leg back, poised to kick him in the side. But the physicist assumed a fetal position and turned towards Rick's foot, catching the blow between his limbs instead of in his gut. He twisted his arms, catching the bigger man off-guard and pulled him to the ground. Then he flipped over and crawled the rest of the way to the weight bench and pulled his satchel to the ground. To his horror, all of the contents of the bag were gone, including his weapon he had brought when he thought he was going to face Marky alone. Sheldon's view was obscured as blood and sweat ran down his face. He looked around frantically and grabbed the first thing he saw: a flat, metal disc weight with '10 LBS' etched on the side. He grabbed it then tossed himself onto his back just in time to see Rick hurtling towards him.

Damnit, Sheldon, Penny thought to herself as she hit 'END' on her cell phone, then went to her recent calls list and pressed his name. It rang two times, again, before the automated voicemail box voice suggested she leave a message, again. She couldn't figure out why she kept trying to call him when it was obvious he wasn't going to answer. She sighed in frustration before stuffing her phone back into her pocket, then looked straight out through the windshield. "We're only about five miles away," she muttered, pointing a shaking finger to the right to signal which way Rachel should turn now. "Keep straight for awhile." They were enclosed in Rachel's tiny, rented sedan. The air was tense and thick, nearly suffocating Penny. It didn't help that her heart was pounding so hard that she could feel the vibration in her throat. She swallowed, trying to get a grip. She had to go into that gym with a clear head. But then what? What if Sheldon wasn't there and she came face-to-face with Marky herself? Or worse, what if Sheldon was there, and he was hurt? She couldn't bear to think of his handsome face, his lanky body, beaten and bloody like Junior was yesterday. She would die if anything happened to him. Before she could stop it, a sob escaped her mouth, and it bled into a hoarse wail.

"Hey," Rachel finally spoke as she steered the car to the right and increased her pressure on the gas pedal. "I need you to keep it together, Miss Thing."

"What if something's happened to him?" Penny hiccupped, terror rising up in her abdomen until it came out in gasps. "Fucking Sheldon, if anything happens to you…" she began rambling, and Rachel's face twisted into slight fear.

"Seriously, Penny, listen to me," she demanded, attempting to reel the woman in. "I've known Sheldon since he was 17 years-old. I've seen him at his worst. I don't know what kind of man he's been these last eight years since he's live in California, but men like Sheldon don't change. He's a survivor from way back, I promise you that."

Penny's gasps quieted and she turned her neck to look at Rachel through blurry eyes. "Why are you here?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "I got a call early this morning from the hospital. Junior requested my presence here in Pasadena, told me to catch the first flight out. He told me Sheldon might be in trouble." She paused for a moment and swallowed so hard, Penny could see her chin tremble. "And that Marky was the one causing all the trouble."

"Marky attacked Junior yesterday, right?"

"Not quite. Marky was never a better fighter than Junior. He had his thugs do it."

Penny's breath caught in her throat as she rubbed her eyes. Marky's thugs? She had an enraged thought that crossed her mind. If Kurt was one of these thugs…

"Junior might have even been able to defend himself and not walked out of there with his ass whooped so bad had he not been distracted." Again, Rachel paused, but this time she looked over and held eye contact with Penny for a split second. And in that short time, Penny saw sheer pain, loss. "It's my brother. He saw my brother there, and my brother is out for blood. Not just again Junior, but against Sheldon, too."

"Your brother?" Penny was heating up. She couldn't be sure if she wanted to know more or if she wanted to lean over the middle console and slap the shit out of Rachel. "What the hell is this?"

"It's complicated," Rachel croaked. "I just…you have to understand, I had no idea what Rick was up to. Rick is my brother…my family hasn't seen or spoken to him in almost eight months. I never would have thought that Rick would come up here and seek out Marky Robertson of all people. The man's evil, psychotic."

"What does he want with Sheldon?" Penny asked, her tone gritty and low. Rachel had about five seconds to explain what her presence here in California was really for. Right now, she didn't trust her and she sure as hell didn't trust Junior's judgment call to bring her here.

"Eight years ago, Sheldon scouted my brother. Marky set up the match between him and Junior. My brother and Sheldon's were the top fighters in their weight class. It was a high stakes fight. Because of Sheldon, Junior knew exactly how to beat Rick. But he didn't stop at just defeating him in the match." Penny noticed Rachel's voice had taken on a hint of bitterness. "He almost killed my brother. He crushed every rib on the left side of his body. He fractured his spine with a vicious take down. Rick was in a coma for two weeks before he came to. And he underwent eight surgeries to bring back feeling in all of his limbs and fingers and toes. It was a nightmare for him, for all of us. Our family went broke trying to pay his hospital bills. He couldn't find work for ages. He was completely broken, in every sense of the word. All because of…" She slowly looked at Penny again with a knowing look.

"Hey!" Penny shouted. "I hope you're not insinuating that this is Sheldon's fault! Your brother was a fighter; he knew the risks when he got into that ring with Junior!"

"It wasn't Sheldon's fault, not even Junior's," Rachel said quickly. As she steered the car, her features became hard, steely. "It was that son-of-a-bitch Marky's. They were pawns in his game, all three of them were. Which is why I can't understand why Rick is here, letting Marky train him now."

"Your brother is fighting again?"

"I assume so, since that's what Marky told Junior before his thugs dumped him out in the middle of the street. He said Marky told him that he had been training Rick for awhile, preparing him to see Sheldon."

"Oh, God," Penny cried as her breathing became erratic again.

"That's why I'm here," Rachel said softly. "I hopped on the first flight, non-stop, and was here within four hours. Came straight to the hospital to hear Junior out. We were both afraid Sheldon would go to the gym to seek revenge for what happened to Junior, but we didn't know for sure until you got there." Her face suddenly became red, Penny noticed. "You and Sheldon…Junior told me you guys have something special."

Penny remained silent for a few beats. "Sheldon is my best friend. I love him." She turned in her seat to face Rachel. Penny felt her eyes narrow and her voice lowered ominously. "I understand your brother has suffered. But if he hurts Sheldon in anyway, I'll kill him myself."

Rachel never met Penny's eyes, and instead stared straight ahead at the road. "Let's, uh…let's hope it doesn't have to come to that." She cleared her throat and Penny, satisfied, turned back around and faced forward, too. Finally, she saw the gleam in the distance of the giant golden lion in front of the gym. "We're here. Park around the back." The women found a spot quickly and before Rachel could shut off the engine, Penny reached for the car door and flung it open, climbing out of her seat. "Hold on," Rachel said. "Stay close to me."

"No offense, but I can take care of myself," Penny retorted, ignoring Rachel and headed across the parking lot.

Rachel ran to catch up before grabbing Penny's shoulder and whirled her around. "Not so fast, Barbie," she murmured as Penny shot her arm out to push Rachel off of her. She missed hitting her by a few inches as Rachel leaned back to avoid her hand, and they locked challenging glares. "I'm not trying to fight with you, Penny. We're both here for the same thing."

"The fuck we are," Penny growled. "I'm here for Sheldon. You're here to make sure your brother is – "

"I loved Sheldon, too!"

The women gaped at each other, silence brewing between them. Penny looked away first, uncomfortably eyeing the gravel beneath them.

"Look," Rachel said finally, sniffing loudly and placed her hands on her waist. "I'm here to make sure he's not hurt. He…there was a time when we were friends who meant a lot to each other. I love my brother, but don't think for a minute that I don't know he's wrong for wanting to hurt Sheldon."

Penny finally met Rachel's eye. She tried to push sudden thoughts of why Sheldon never mentioned this woman before to the back of her mind, and she found herself nodding. "Okay. Let's go." They turned to walk forward and when they reached the front door, Penny yanked on the handle. It was locked. "There's gotta be a back entrance somewhere," she said to Rachel, and went around to the side where they saw an alleyway and finally, a back door to the gym. Her heart was racing, but she couldn't stop going forward or even allow herself to pause and think things through. She looked at the loose doorknob and turned it then pulled the door open easily. She waved over Rachel and put a finger to her lips, signaling for the woman to quietly follow her. Closing the door behind them, Rachel and Penny silently treaded down the long, dark corridor.

"I have pepper spray," Rachel whispered in Penny's ear. "Stay close to me."

Penny nodded in agreement and strained her eyes to see in the dark. There were a series of doors on either side of the hallway, some closed and some were wide open. Both women stopped and carefully looked inside each open door to make sure there wasn't anyone in the room. She wondered if she should call Sheldon's name; what if he was trapped in one of the rooms with the closed doors? But before she could suggest this to Rachel, they heard a loud, inhuman yell of pain behind them.

"Over here," Penny urged quietly, waving Rachel over to follow her as she ran back to the closed door she thought the yell had come from. She pressed her ear to the metal door and heard scuffling.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" they heard someone scream from inside.

"Oh, my God," Rachel said, her face blanching. "That's Rick." She shot her hands forward, reaching for the door knob, but it was locked. They pressed their ears to the door again in time to hear two men grunt and a loud, sickening thud before something heavy hit the floor. The sounds sent rippled chills of fear down Penny's spine.

Without thinking, she raised her hands and starting pounding on the door with her open palms. "Sheldon! Let me in!"

"I know you're some little freak of nature, Shelly," George Cooper had once said, his breath reeking of beer and stale cigarettes as the two of them stood outside in the frosty air just inside the tree line of the woods. "And that's your mother's doing. But I'll be damned if I raise me a dickless little shit. Now pick that rifle up and shoot that damn deer. He's our dinner. And if you don't shoot him, you don't eat!" Sheldon whimpered as his eight year-old body trembled with grief. He didn't want to kill another animal. There was plenty of food in the house. He missed his Pop Pop.

Before he pulled the trigger, his father leaned over and spoke slowly in his ear one more time. "Son, be strong. You've got that thing in your crosshairs. One day, you might have to kill something or someone else to survive. In a situation where it's either you or them, it better goddamn well be them."

Sheldon closed his eyes and slightly aimed the rifle to the side before pulling the trigger, purposely missing the doe as it frolicked off into the woods. He flinched, waiting for the swat of his father's hand on the back of his head. Instead, he felt George Cooper hastily yank the rifle out of his small hands before he turned his back and walked off towards the house. "Pathetic," he muttered as Sheldon followed close behind.

With this memory in his mind and his own life on the line, Sheldon raised the weight above him in time for Rick to see it, then swung it hard against his head. The big man immediately keeled over and crumpled to the cement floor. His feet twitched slightly before he let out a soft moan of agony. Sheldon was silently grateful that he stopped Rick, but was wary of him all the same. He didn't want to hurt him; he was only trying to defend himself. Anger bubbled up in Sheldon as he tried to climb to his feet, his head pounding and the room spinning all the while. This was all Marky's doing, again.

Rick let out a wheezing cough, and blood spurted from his nose. Sheldon felt his heart stop. He had just knocked him out for a few seconds thankfully, and he was still alive.

He had done this. Marky didn't swing the weight at Rick's skull. Sheldon did. The reality of the situation he found himself in, the danger he had put Penny in, it all came crashing down on him like rubble from the ceiling of a condemned building.

This world is dangerous.

All the careful calculations in every step he took, every eidetic memory he harbored, and every routine behavior he ever partook in that once comforted him meant shit now. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't a changed man.

Or maybe this was who he had always been? His father's son.

His education, his noted reputation as a child prodigy, his advanced work in the field of physics…what was the point? What weight did his accomplishments acquire if at the end of the day, he was no longer in control of himself?

"Sheldon!"

He clenched and unclenched his fists as the pounding on the metal door rattled his nerves. That voice!

"P…Penny?" His stomach rolled with a wave of nausea. She was here, she had found a way to get to him. He took a step towards the door but then stopped. He turned around and looked at Rick on the floor. Penny would see what Sheldon had done, and it would terrify her. He glanced at the metal door and then he looked longingly away. He didn't want to be here. But, as he tried to explain to her before, some bonds are impossible to dissolve. His past had absorbed him. Now it was beckoning him, and he was doomed to follow.

"Sheldon, goddamnit, let's go! Open this door!"

The second voice threw him for a loop. He suddenly felt his body sway as nostalgia mixed with incomprehension overcame him. That couldn't be…Rachel?

Taking a deep breath, Sheldon walked slowly over to the door, every inch of his body sensitive with pain and soreness. He unlocked the knob and pulled the door open. He was met with the familiar scent of vanilla oil and was slammed with a shock of pain as Penny flung her body towards him, her hands reaching up and grabbing the collar of his shirt to bring him down closer to her. He tried to protest, horrified at the thought of his blood getting on her, but as she pushed her moist lips to his stinging ones, he melted into her touch. Before he knew it, she pulled away and had begun to appraise him.

"Oh, my God, Sheldon! Sweetie, are you okay?"

He nodded and winced down at her, emotion overcoming him like it never had before. He wanted to laugh, cry, and yell all at once. "How did you get here?" His voice was hoarse from being choked earlier.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Penny sobbed, shaking her head and yanking his collar harder.

Sheldon was about to repeat his question but the answer instead came before him as Rachel stepped into the room slowly. She looked exactly the same, yet sadly aged and distressed. He felt like he was looking at a ghost. "What…how?"

"Sheldon," Rachel began then stopped abruptly as her eyes lowered to the ground. "Rick, no!" Her voice was shrill and high, causing Sheldon to wince again and step out of the way, wrapping his arms around Penny protectively as Rachel flew past them and went immediately to her knees next to her brother. "Rick!" She was borderline hysterical.

"Sheldon," Penny gasped, following Rachel with her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Sheldon whispered, feeling tears well up in his swollen eyes. He looked at Penny and shook his head sadly, relishing the feel of her in his bloodied hands.

"Sweetie, listen to me." She let go of his shirt and very lightly placed her hands on either side of his face. "You did what you had to do to survive. Sheldon, let's go. Let's get you to the hospital."

"Rick?" Rachel cried over the groaning of her brother.

"Rachel?" he croaked, causing Sheldon to whirl around and stare at the prone man. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Rick," his sister sobbed, touching his face. "I can ask you the same thing." She pushed the hair out of his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Sheldon beat my head in with a fucking weight, no I'm not okay." The man struggled to sit up, and Rachel pulled his arm to help him upright.

"Rick," she said quietly. "What are you doing here with Marky?"

"Get out of my way," he growled, now rising unsteadily to his feet. His eyes were unfocused, his pupils dilated, and he lurched forward with his hand out, walking towards Sheldon. "I'm going to kill you."

"Rick!" Rachel screamed, running ahead of him and planting herself in between the two men. Sheldon had pulled Penny behind him and held her there as she peered out at the scene from around his arm. "Stop this! Sheldon didn't do this to you!"

"The hell he didn't!" Rick yelled, his nose still running with blood. "He ruined my life!"

"It was Marky," Rachel protested, placing her hands on Rick's chest to try and push him back. "Listen to me, goddamnit! This was all Marky's fault! And you fell right into his trap again!"

"Marky was the only one who knew Junior's weaknesses. That's why I came out here. And if we got to Junior, we could get to Sheldon."

"He played you, Rick," Sheldon called out. "He played all of us. I am truly sorry for everything I did to you." Rachel turned around slightly and caught his eye, a tear slipping from hers. "I'm sorry to both of you. I can't change the past, I wish that I could." His back slouched slightly, and he felt Penny hold him upright as he felt fainter and fainter.

"What the hell happened in here?"

All four pairs of eyes flitted to the open door as Kurt stepped in, his face incredulous as he surveyed Sheldon's battered face.

"You!" Penny suddenly shrieked as she stared at Kurt. "What did you do?!"

"Penny, what the hell are you doing here?" Kurt groaned, his hands flying to his head. He rubbed his cropped hair and yanked on it in frustration.

Penny started towards him with her arms rising to pummel him with her fists, but Sheldon yanked her back to him with the little strength he could gather. His curiosity was aflame and his rage was brewing again. "Kurt, where's Marky? Did you take him to my brother?"

Rachel and Rick remained silent as they watched the exchange.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back, Sheldon," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I didn't mean to let this asshole beat up on you like that." He pointed at Rick and Rachel narrowed her eyes at him.

"Who the hell is this?" she asked angrily.

"Also," Kurt ignored her. "I'm sorry for socking you earlier. It was the only way for the plan to get carried out."

"What in the fuck is happening here?" Penny asked loudly.

"Come with me," her ex-boyfriend beckoned the group. "I've got something to show Sheldon."

Penny was trembling as she held onto Sheldon, one arm wrapped around his waist while he draped one of his own arms over her shoulders. She helped him walk at a slow pace as they followed Kurt out of the small room where Sheldon had been fighting with Rick and down the hallway towards the back exit. Her mind was pounding, the questions firing away faster than she could process. First and foremost, she wanted to get Sheldon out of there and to a doctor. She could care less about Rachel and her monster brother who obviously had unleashed hell on Sheldon's poor face. But there was urgency in Kurt's voice and they were all overcome with so many questions that they could only be answered by following Kurt.

"What does he mean that he socked you?" Penny whispered up at Sheldon.

"When I tried to come in through the backdoor, he was there. He opened it and punched me in the face. The next thing I know, I woke up tied to a chair and Marky and Rick were in the room with me. Marky left and told me Kurt was going to take him to Junior's hospital room."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that I didn't," Kurt chimed in, speaking over his shoulder at Sheldon. "It wasn't part of the plan."

"What plan?" Penny asked.

"This." Kurt stopped at the top of a staircase that led down into what she assumed was the basement. "Penny, stay out here."

"Like hell!" she replied, protectively standing in front of Sheldon now. Her blood was burning, coursing through her veins with the pump of adrenaline and nerves. She could fly at Kurt's face and snap his neck right now if she wanted to, that's how powerful and enraged she felt.

"Sheldon, I really don't think she should come…"

"Sheldon, I'm not going anywhere," Penny promised him, looking up at his injured face. It would take the wrath of God to separate them both now, and the defeated look Sheldon gave her let her know that he understood.

"She comes with me," he said gruffly.

"Whatever." Kurt shrugged and began walking down the steps before pausing and turning around. "Wait, what are you doing with Sheldon? Weren't you going out with that shrimp Lenny?"

"Kurt, go!" Penny yelled, pushing him forward down the steps. They continued walking again until Kurt opened the door to the basement and pushed through, letting the four of them follow him in.

She didn't know what she had been expecting. But if the queen of England had been in that basement waiting for them in her underwear, it would have been less surprising than what really lied ahead of them.

"Oh, my God…" Penny breathed as she felt Sheldon stiffen by her side. There in front of them, lying on the ground and writhing in pain while surrounded by three other guys standing over him, was a very injured and bloody Marky.

"Kurt…" Sheldon stepped forward while Penny brought two hands to her mouth, covering it in shock.

"What the hell is going on here?" Rachel's voice from behind Penny suddenly asked. She watched as the two siblings walked forward slowly, joining Sheldon who was next to Kurt. "Marky?"

"Things got a little out of hand yesterday," Kurt began, crossing his muscular arms over his chest as he walked towards the center of the room where Marky lied on a mat. "Your brother," he pointed at Sheldon, whose mouth was agape in an almost comical way, "came to visit me at the hospital yesterday afternoon. We came to an understanding; I told him when this sorry motherfucker would be back here to train and that he would be alone. Then together, we would kill Rob...or as I've come to learn, Marky. My only job was to convince these guys here," he pointed at the silent men who were standing over Marky, watching him with intensity, "to get on board. I knew it wouldn't be difficult. You see, we're all tired of his shit. He's always been a fucking asshole, and I never liked him. And when he fought me dirty the other day, put me in the hospital, well, that was the last straw." Kurt's eyebrows furrowed together as everyone listened to his speech. Even Marky was listening, his teeth gritted as he held his sides. His face was a bright red that very closely matched his hair color. Kurt continued. "The only thing that went wrong is Junior got here too fast. I barely had enough time to get discharged from the hospital let alone get all the way across town here. So by the time I arrived, these guys had already put a beat down on poor Junior before I could talk to them." He paused and looked at Sheldon. "For that I'm truly sorry, Sheldon. That wasn't supposed to happen."

"I don't understand," Sheldon said, his eyes never leaving Marky, his voice shaky. "This was all planned?"

"Well, if Junior hadn't gone rogue and waited for me to talk to my boys, this would have been handled yesterday. Instead, he got himself fucked up, too. I finally got free from here to go see him in the hospital, where he told me I needed to be on the lookout for you, Sheldon. Then he told me why. He told me everything. He even told me about Rick," he motioned with his neck to the Rick, "and we came up with a new plan. If you came Sheldon, the plan was to get you away from Marky and get this bastard alone. We didn't know what you had planned, and Junior didn't want you to do anything you would regret or anything that would get you killed. So my job was to get Marky away from you, because he belongs to me." He suddenly stopped, turned around, and gave a swift kick to Marky's face, causing the man on the ground to howl. Penny jumped from the sheer astonishment of watching Kurt inflict pain so hatefully on someone else. She had never seen him so murderous. But a part of her knew that Marky had it coming all along.

"I didn't plan on leaving you alone with Rick for so long," Kurt continued, walking off the mat and towards Sheldon. "So I'm sorry about that. But I came back for you. Your brother promised me that he and I could finish Marky together. But since he's not here, I figured I'd leave it up to you. What do you want to do with Marky?"

Penny's heart thudded in her chest. She watched Sheldon mull over Kurt's explanation.

"Where are the contents from my satchel?" he asked.

"Oh, Marky told me to search you when I dragged you in from the alley. I put your stuff over here." He pointed at a table pushed up against the wall, and Penny watched as Sheldon walked over to the contents and picked up one item. It was a bottle filled with clear solution. She was about to ask him what it was but he just stuffed the bottle and the other items into his pocket. He didn't say a word to anybody, but instead he walked over to the mat until he stood right in front of Marky who was bleeding profusely from the mouth.

"For sixteen years, I've dreamt of killing you," Sheldon said softly, almost inaudible. But Penny heard the fervor in his voice.

"So why ain't you?" Marky asked, coughing up blood and spitting it at Sheldon's shoes. "Pussy. You and your fucking brother. I'll tell you what, Shelly. You better hope you kill me, because if you don't, I'm coming after you, Junior, then I'm gonna head back down to Texas and get a taste of that sweet ass on your sister before I snap her neck and strangle your mother in her sleep."

His words stung Penny and she paused, waiting for the moment for Sheldon to attack. She didn't want to see him lose control, but she would have understood. He had warned her from the beginning that none of them would escape this situation unscathed. She stood completely still, bracing herself for the moment when he went berserk and snuffed Marky's life out. Instead, he turned and faced Penny. She thought he was going to speak to her but then he pointed a finger to someone beside her.

"Rick," Sheldon said gravely, beckoning him over.

All eyes in the room shifted over to the limping man that followed Sheldon's command and walked over towards him. Rick stepped on the mat and the three men that were looming over Marky moved out of the way, joining Kurt on the side to spectate.

"Rick," Sheldon repeated, shuffling towards him. "I want you to understand that while I take full responsibility for my actions in your previous injuries, it was for no ill will towards you. My brother and I have always regretted our actions, and though that may mean nothing to you now, we only did it because of this man." He pointed a shaky finger at Marky, who was glowering up at him. "I can't change the past, but I came here today with the hope that I can rectify it. And now I know how. If you want him, he's all yours." He waited for a moment, evenly meeting Rick's stare with his own eyes. Finally, Rick nodded. Sheldon returned the nod and then looked over at Kurt. "Kurt, he belongs to Rick now. I don't want what happens here to leave this room. You will never speak a word of this to anybody, and you will never, ever, let any harm or repercussions come to Penny. As far as anyone is concerned, she was never here."

"Got it, chief," Kurt said solemnly, sneaking a quick glance at Penny. "Tell Junior I said I'm sorry I couldn't get to you on time. He told me if anything happened to you, he'd kill me himself."

"I'm fine," Sheldon said, a small tremor passing over his chin. "I'll take care of Junior." With that, Sheldon limped over to Penny, his fatigue showing on his face. He put a protective arm around her and she eased into his touch, anticipation flooding her body. She was ready to flee with Sheldon in her arms and never look back. She would never think again about what Marky had coming to him. She would only be grateful for Kurt's help, no matter how unforeseen it was, and focus on getting Sheldon better, as well as Junior. The couple turned to leave before Sheldon stopped in his tracks and met eyes with Rachel. "I can't believe you're really here," he said softly, his gaze fond as he appraised his old friend. Penny swallowed down her emotion and released her hold on him, allowing him to freely go to Rachel.

"I couldn't stand by and let this happen," she replied, tears accumulating at the brim of her eyes. "I am so sorry about what Rick did to you, Sheldon. We had no idea where he was or who he was with."

"I deserved this," Sheldon said, causing Penny to wilt with anguish.

"No," Rachel insisted as she took a step closer to him. "You never deserved any of this. You are destined for great things, Sheldon Lee. And now maybe you can finally move on."

"I never thanked you, Rachel," he whispered. "For being the first friend I ever had."

"You were my first friend, too," she laughed, a tear falling down. "You take care of yourself, Sheldon. I imagine this will be the last time we see each other." She looked over his shoulder at her brother. "You deserve to finally break free from us all." Penny watched as Rachel finally snuck a glance at her. "You take care of your girlfriend, too. Can't imagine anyone who could ever love you as much as she does." Her voice broke at the end of her sentence and she placed her hand flat on Sheldon's chest. He closed his eyes for a moment at her touch, and then she drew her hand back and gave him a weak smile before walking around him to join her brother on the mat.

Without another word, Sheldon grabbed Penny's hand and pulled her through the metal door, slamming it behind them as they fled just as the crowd of people gathered around Marky brought him to his very brutal end.

A/N pt 2: The danger may be over, but the drama isn't. Stay tuned for the last two chapters of Dissolve! Thank you again so much for all of your support, encouragement, and patience. It's been a wild ride. ;]