They arrived to the hospital by cab. The entire drive, Penny let tears fall silently, and for the quiet, Sheldon was grateful. He watched his hands tremble in his lap. He felt like he was unraveling.

He had the chance. He could've wrapped his fingers around Marky's thick neck and clamped down with all his might, never letting go even long after he saw the life leave his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the solution in a clear bottle that Kurt took from his bag. It was his secret weapon. A concoction he had created years ago when he was seeking ways for getting revenge on Kripke after humiliating him on NPR. But Leonard had talked him down, made him see reason. He saved the solution for another time. He had planned to use it to blind Marky permanently when he got the chance to squeeze the bottle directly into his eyes, thereby snuffing out any future prospects of Marky ever causing harm to anyone again by his own hand. Rolling down the window, Sheldon tossed the solution out and watched the bottle burst on the asphalt as they drove on.

He took a shaky breath and rolled the window back up. He had enough hatred in his heart, but profoundly, Sheldon knew he wasn't a killer. He did right by letting Rick and Kurt and the other men Marky had wronged have their way with him. He would surely be dead by now, and no one deserved a violent end more than that man.

The worst regret Sheldon had in all the time he spent spotting fights for Junior was hurting Rick and Rachel on his quest for victory. He closed his eyes tight as they burned. In a way, giving this chance to them set Sheldon free from his past sins. So why did he still feel like he was spinning out of control?

His eyes rolled downward, giving Penny a sideways glance. He could smell her skin, the sweet fragrance he craved. Her bare thigh was touching his pants, her arm was folded through his, bent at the elbow. She looked straight forward, out the windshield, and tears kept rolling down her face. He wanted to speak to her, say something that would put her at ease, but he was, for the first time in a long, at a loss for words. He put those tears in her eyes, him and this entire situation.

Where would they go from here? How could he ever be normal again for Penny? If he were ever normal before. Sheldon suddenly felt a wave of painful realization of the danger he put her in this past week. He told her he loved her last night, and he had never been more sure of anything. Sheldon wasn't an expert in situations like this, but did a man that loved a woman put her in high risk situations and expose her to the daunting world like he had done? He felt lower than low. His chest suddenly ached and he felt cold all over; perhaps Penny was better off with someone like Leonard. He was certain that his roommate would never cause her this much turmoil and fear.

The taxi finally slowed as it pulled in front of the hospital. Reading the meter on the dashboard, Sheldon yanked out some cash and handed it to the driver. Then he opened his door and climbed out, holding it open for Penny to follow.

"Let's get you checked out before we go see your brother," she said as the taxi drove away and they made their way inside. She reached up to touch his face but Sheldon winced and flinched away from her touch. He saw a flash of hurt pass over her face, but he ignored it.

"I need to see Junior," he protested, his legs picking up the pace as they entered the hospital lobby.

"Sheldon," Penny caught up with him, placing a hand on his forearm. "Please, your nose looks like it's broken."

"It is, but I'm fine. A nasal fracture can stand up to 10 hours of no treatment before surgery becomes an absolute necessity." Sheldon hated hospitals to begin with, the dangers of germs that lurked in every corner, staring at him, mocking him, but he truly wanted to see his brother. Plus, he didn't feel like being coddled by Penny at the moment because it would send him over the edge. He was very close to tears, and the ducts at the corner of his eyes burned, causing him to cry out as the tears prickled his swollen sinuses.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blocking his path. Her eyes and nose were red, and Sheldon found her, in this moment, painfully beautiful. But he stifled down his emotion and shrugged her off again. "Sheldon!" she demanded through gritted teeth. "Quit it. We're getting your face checked out and that's that."

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child," he snapped and took a step away from her. He was suddenly hit with a rush of déjà vu, of him in another lifetime, where he demanded from Rachel the same thing as they stood around a bonfire. Sheldon couldn't explain the sudden wave of emotions that were threatening to swallow him whole, but he just knew that he couldn't be around Penny when it happened.

"Why are you doing this?" her voice broke as she peered up at him with fresh tears that threatened to fall. She looked so small, so helpless.

Sheldon remembered he had hidden her wallet and reached into his pocket to pull out some of his money. He stuffed the bills into Penny's hand and looked away. "Please, Penny. Just go home." He swallowed and conjured all the strength he could muster to spit out his next sentence. "This is a family matter, and your presence here is unwarranted." His pivoted on his heel and turned his back on her as he made his way to the elevators. His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his ears as he pushed the 'UP' button. He allowed himself to look over his shoulder as the elevator descended.

He was pained to see that for the first time, Penny had not followed him.

Howard and Raj dumped the contents on their trays in the trash can and left the cafeteria.

"I know it's only been about a week but I already miss Leonard," Raj admitted as they headed down the halls of Caltech to head back to his office. "I wonder when we'll hear from him."

"Well, the reception out there will be close to non-existent," Howard said. "I doubt we'll hear any word at all, you know, unless the ship wrecks or he goes overboard."

"Dude!" Raj cried out. "Don't say stuff like that. Happy thoughts."

"Relax, I'm only kidding." Howard rolled his eyes as Raj shook his head. They turned the corner and headed down the hallway of the physics department. "I wonder what Sheldon's doing with all his time off."

"I kind of miss him, too."

"Please," Howard muttered. "Dr. Looney Tunes taking a vacation has felt like I'm on one, too." He looked up as they advanced down the hall and caught sight of a figure standing straight ahead. "Look, someone's waiting outside of Sheldon's office." He squinted as they came closer.

"Is that…" Raj began.

"Amy?" Howard finished. The figure turned at the sound of her name and relief sprawled across her face when she saw the two familiar men come into view.

"Howard, Raj!" She exhaled deeply. Her hair was tangled, her skin was pale, and her eyes were saggy with exhaustion. "Where's Sheldon?"

"He's not here. What are you doing back?" Howard asked.

"Not here? He's still not back at work?" Amy looked as though she was about to deflate. Her chin trembled. "He's not at the apartment either. I just came from there."

"Amy, when did you get in?" Raj asked.

"About an hour ago. I don't know if Bernadette has kept you in the loop, Howard, but Sheldon and Penny have refused to return any of my calls or messages. I have not heard from either of them in almost a week. After Sheldon told me he was sick, I was worried."

"Amy, that's like a 14 hour flight just to check in on Sheldon. If anything bad had happened, we would've called you," Howard assured her.

"Have you even talked to him?" Amy demanded. The two men fidgeted uncomfortably and shook their heads. "It's not like him to not return my calls. Of all of Sheldon's vexes, an unanswered phone is one that bothers him most." When the two men stared at her with blank faces, she added, "I know my boyfriend. And I'm really worried. Do you have any idea where he can be?"

"No," Raj answered guiltily. He turned to look at Howard. "Maybe it was a bad idea to leave him alone when he asked us to…"

"What?" Amy asked, taking a step closer to them. "He asked you to leave him alone?"

"Well, he took a vacation from the university for a week, and he asked that we not go by his apartment since he would be extremely busy," Howard supplied.

"A vacation? You mean it wasn't sick leave?"

"He wasn't sick when we saw him."

Raj looked uncomfortable. "Now I'm worried, too."

Amy shoved past them and began to walk down the hall towards the exit. "I have to go back to the apartment. I'll wait there all night if I have to," she called over her shoulder.

Howard shook his head as they watched her turn the corner and disappear. He wondered what the hell Sheldon and Penny had gotten into and if it had anything to do with the fact that nobody was watching them. He suddenly felt very guilty, too.

Bernadette removed her latex gloves and left the lab, grateful that another successful inspection had come and gone and her team was allowed to take the rest of the day off. She was eager to leave work early so she could surprise Howard with a fancy dinner. She entered her office, slipped out of her lab coat, and opened the top drawer of her desk to pull out her cell phone. She checked the screen for any missed calls or texts and saw none. A random thought of her friend Penny entered her mind; even after her visit a few nights ago where she promised to call her, Bernadette had yet to hear from her. Perhaps another visit to the apartment was in order. She didn't relish having to make the trip before she went home to Howie, but something about the way Penny looked when Bernadette found her in Sheldon's apartment struck her as odd. Coupled with the fact that Amy had been distraught that Sheldon hadn't answered her calls, Bernadette was officially suspicious. It was also a burden of secrecy she had been hiding from her husband, so she figured it would be better if she talked to Penny sooner than later before she spilled the beans.

Just as she picked up her purse and shut down her work laptop, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she called, hoping it wasn't a last minute request for her stay at work longer.

"Oh, good, this is the right office."

Bernadette's neck snapped up as she gaped at none other than Penny who was standing in her open doorway. "Penny! What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Bernadette," the blonde greeted her with a sniff as she stood awkwardly on the threshold. "I…I didn't know where else to go." She stepped closer, giving Bernadette a view of her tear-stained face and red blotches all over her skin.

"Oh, Penny!" The shorter blonde hurried over to her friend and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Sit down, tell me what's wrong." She led her to the chairs in front of her desk and they sat down next to each other as Penny began to cry softly into her hands.

"I've been lying to you, Bernadette," she said after a moment.

"About what?"

"About everything."

"If you're in trouble Penny, you have to tell me. How can I help?" When she didn't answer, Bernadette tried again. "Does this have to do with Sheldon?"

Penny's eyes flitted to Bernadette's quickly before she broke down again. She folded in half, her elbows bracing against her knees as sobs racked her body. Bernadette rubbed circles on her back with her hand, not knowing what else to do. She had begun to panic and was about to speak again when Penny murmured, "I love him. I love Sheldon."

Bernadette felt her heart come to a complete stop. Before she could ask her to clarify, Penny straightened her frame and started from the beginning.

Junior pressed the morphine button on his controller and waited impatiently for the medicine to course through his veins. The muscles in his abdomen were strained. He felt as though his ribs had been used as a punching bag. Like an alarm was ringing in his insides, the pain was unrelenting and thorough. Finally, his tongue began to tingle and his skin suddenly felt hot; the morphine had arrived. Just as he let his eyes flutter closed, he heard the door to his room creak open and the swish of his privacy curtain. One of his eyes had the strength to open wide enough to see the tall, blurry outline of someone standing at the foot of his bed. He felt tears well up and he closed his eye again, squeezing his lids shut until a tear escaped and rolled down his cheek. He groaned, unable to move his mouth any more due to how sore it was from him talking all morning to Rachel.

"Shh," Sheldon whispered as he came closer. "It's me."

Junior groaned again and weakly lifted his hand, feeling around for Sheldon's. His little brother captured his fingers with his own and Junior began to weep. When he calmed down a moment later, he forced both of his eyes open so that he could see Sheldon for himself. Relief swept through him as he saw his blue eyes peer down at him, but the relief was quickly replaced by fury as Junior saw the dark bruising on either side of his nose, the dried blood that had caked the sides of his lips, the dark red welts on his neck.

"Uhck!" Junior crowed. I'm going to fucking kill Kurt, he vowed to himself. "Are you 'kay?"

"Don't talk, Junior. You'll only aggravate your fractured jaw more. And yes, I'm alright."

"Kurt…"

"It's over, Junior. Kurt told me everything."

"'Arky."

"It's over," Sheldon repeated. Junior watched as Sheldon nodded slowly, meaningfully. "He's done."

Relief arrived again as Junior understood what Sheldon was saying. They were quiet for awhile, the air conditioning in the room humming loudly to fill the silence. "'Enny?"

Sheldon's face twisted into a grimace. Then he choked out a cry of pain. His hand let go of Junior's and shot up to his face, cradling it gently. "She's home. I sent her back to the apartment."

"You need a doctor," Junior said through gritted teeth, straining to speak clearly against the wires in his jaw. As Sheldon began to protest, he yanked on his remote and pressed the nurse button. "Yes. Doctor, then talk." A few minutes later, a nurse entered the room and her eyes immediately went to Sheldon's face. "He needs a doctor," Junior said to the older woman in scrubs who quickly went to Sheldon's side.

"Come on, dear. Let's go get you checked out. How did you get these injuries?" she asked as she herded Sheldon out of the room.

"I…got into a fight," he answered, and Junior narrowed his eyes as his brother looked back over his shoulder at him and gave him a lopsided smile that could have easily been an exact replica of his own. "You should see the other guy."

An hour later, Sheldon was prescribed with some pain medication and his nose had been realigned without surgery then packed with gauze. Luckily, he had no other breaks around his body, regardless of the beating he had taken, and he soon found himself by Junior's bed side again. He waited until his older brother had woken up from a morphine-induced nap then watched him be fed liquids before they were finally alone. He relayed the entire story for Junior, sparing no detail, and watched as his brother relaxed visibly, for now they both knew that the nightmare was finally over after sixteen years. Sheldon then listened as Junior apologized over and over again for plotting with Kurt behind his back, but did it because he hadn't wanted to involve him or Penny any further.

"Is 'enny okay?" he asked after a long silence.

"She is unharmed," Sheldon said, his head down. He tried to quickly change the subject. "Should I call mom or Missy? We can say you were hit by a car. You resemble the survivor of an assault by automobile."

"Sure, then she'll see your face and 'reak my jaw again."

Sheldon smiled ruefully and nodded in agreement. Mary Cooper would not be called today. "Very well."

"Sheldon," Junior commanded his attention and when their eyes met, he continued. "'Enny?"

"I told you. She's back home," Sheldon insisted. "Where she belongs."

"No," Junior said. "Here. She 'elongs here."

"I can't do this with Penny anymore," Sheldon said softly as he looked down at his hands in his lap. "I'm not…she deserves stability and I'm in no position to give that to her. I don't even know who I am anymore." He stood up and took a few steps towards the window. The sun was brightly shining over the palm trees that lined the property of the hospital. "This morning, I wasn't Dr. Sheldon Cooper, physicist. This morning, I dissolved into the very life I have been trying to put behind me. I was the cold shell of a person that was created for your benefit. For Marky's. And Penny came after me. She could've been killed." He leaned forward until his forehead rested against the window. "I can't live with that. Whenever I see her face, it will remind me of what I've put her through." He bit his lower lip. "Leonard can give her what she deserves. He can make her happy." Even as he said it, he knew it was a lie. He had watched Penny be unhappy for a long time with Leonard. The passion she had shown Sheldon in the last week had never surfaced before then. His roommate never brought that out of her. But still, she would be safe. That's what Sheldon felt mattered most.

If life could return back to normal, if they could all fall back into routine, maybe these feelings churning deep down inside of him would be squelched. He would leave her alone and go back to work and lose himself in science, the one thing that remained constant.

He loved Penny enough to let her go. No matter how much pain it caused him in the process.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a scratching noise. Sheldon turned around and his eyes widened as he saw Junior sitting upright in bed, scribbling down a message with a pencil on a notepad that was moments ago sitting on the food tray beside him. He waited quietly for a few minutes as Junior finished writing, ripped the paper off of the pad, and thrust it in Sheldon's direction. His face was creased in irritation as Sheldon took the paper and read it aloud.

"After 16 years, I have been racking my brain wondering how I could ever do right by you again. Now I know. Your fancy degrees mean nothing. If you let Penny go, you are a dumb ass." He paused, noted the way Junior underlined dumb ass, then shot him a dirty look before continuing. "I ruined your past but I will not let you ruin your future. You are not a cold shell of a person. You deserve to be happy with her." Sheldon finished reading and set the paper down back on the food tray.

"I will heal," Junior spoke slowly. "Just some …b-broken bones." He drew in a sharp breath, working hard to make his lips form around the letters and pronounce each word clearly. "If you let her go, you will never heal."

Sheldon crumpled into his chair and gingerly held his head in his hands. It hurt like hell to cry, but soon the tears poured out, dampening the gauze plastered on his nose as they poured over his bruises. "Everything will change," he murmured.

"Change is good."

"Change is terrifying," Sheldon disagreed, shaking his head from side to side. "I told her I loved her, Junior."

"Did you mean it?"

"With every fiber of my being."

"Then go tell her again. I'll be here when you get back."

Sheldon stood slowly. Every step he took closer to the door, closer to Penny, his heart hurt a little less. This is what he had been trying to avoid his whole life. Feelings. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought it was possible to succumb and perish to heartache. He gave his brother one last look before he turned around and left.

Maybe he didn't know who he was anymore, maybe his framework was crumbling. But even Sheldon understood that sometimes you have to tear all the walls down so you can rebuild.

Penny didn't know if telling Bernadette was the right thing to do. But she felt the weight lift off of her shoulders as soon as she did. Bernadette remained quiet most of the time, and at one point had even shown disappointment in Penny for betraying Leonard and Amy, but when Penny told her about the dangerous events of that morning, Bernadette had been appropriately concerned and supportive.

"Although I don't agree with what you and Sheldon have done, Penny, I can't say that I'm surprised," she had finally said when Penny was done talking.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There's always been an energy between you and Sheldon that bordered on romantic, I guess. To be honest, watching you two fight kind of looked like some feisty foreplay to me."

"I swear to you, Bernadette. Sheldon and I never planned on this happening. This is as shocking to me as it is to you. But it's real. I love him."

"Oh, Penny," Bernadette said softly as she twiddled her thumbs in her lap. "What are you going to do?"

"He turned me away at the hospital. I don't know what to do…I know he's pushing me away because he's afraid, but Bernadette, I can't turn back now. I can't go home and wait for Leonard to get back then jump into his arms, pretending that none of this ever happened."

"You have a long road ahead of you, Penny. When Amy and Leonard find out…this is going to change all of us."

"I know," Penny cried. "I hate that I'm doing this to you all, but I just had no one else to talk to. I'm sorry."

"I'm always here for you, Penny. I'm just glad you are okay and Sheldon is okay, too, especially after what happened this morning. I promise I won't say anything to Howard until this is all figured out." Penny nodded appreciatively as Bernadette continued. "Let's get you home and tomorrow I'll come over and we'll talk about this some more." The two women got up and left the office. Penny was grateful as Bernadette drove her home where she planned to down an entire bottle of wine and pass out. She felt as though she hadn't slept in days. But somehow, deep down, she knew that without Sheldon by her side, she wouldn't sleep a wink. As they drove, Penny almost asked Bernadette to turn around and take her back to the hospital, but Sheldon's words rang in her mind. This is a family matter, and your presence here is unwarranted. She decided to be strong and give him some space. When they pulled up to the apartment, Bernadette offered to walk her up to her place.

"No, it's okay," Penny assured her. "Thank you for taking me home. And again, I'm so sorry for unloading all of this on you."

"Don't be sorry, I'm your friend. That's why I'm here. And please, Penny, don't go involving yourself in anymore dangerous behavior. No matter what happens with you and Sheldon and where you two go from here, it would be nothing compared to if either of you were hurt. That would be the worst thing that could happen."

"Thanks, Bernie. I'll call you tomorrow." Penny leaned in and hugged her friend tight, gave her a weak smile, then climbed out of the car. She walked inside and trudged up the stairs slowly. By the second floor, Penny was crying again. She suddenly hated that she had ever agreed to going out with Leonard. She hated that she ever suggested Sheldon take his relationship with Amy to the next level by going out on a date. She hated herself more than she ever had in her life. She always made everything so complicated. Was hurting her friends worth being with Sheldon?

She shook her head as if to rid herself of the doubt. It was out of her hands now. Her feelings for Sheldon were bare and would never go away. She was so lost in thought by the time she reached the fourth floor, she almost walked right past the unexpected guest who was pacing in front of apartment 4A. "Oh, my God. Amy."

Sheldon saw Bernadette's car pulling away as soon as his cab stopped in front of his building. He paid the driver and jumped out, curiosity burning him. What was she doing here? Was Penny alright? Fear threatened to paralyze him so he forced his legs to hurry into the apartment lobby then took the steps two at a time. If something had happened to Penny and the last words Sheldon had ever uttered to her was a demand that she go away, he didn't know how he could live on. As he reached the third floor landing, his ears perked up as a pair of familiar voices caught his attention. He slowly turned the corner and walked the rest of the way up to the fourth floor and his jaw nearly unhinged. Before him was Penny who was safe and sound…and conversing with a distraught looking Amy Farrah Fowler.

"Amy?" he asked, his voice high and shrill.

"Sheldon!" she whirled around at the sound of her name. She rushed him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her body to his. Her familiar smell of dandruff shampoo and fabric softener invaded his nostrils. He kept his arms straight at his sides as he looked over Amy's head and watched Penny as she slowly walked backward towards her apartment. When she reached the door, she leaned back against it, returning his intense stare. She looked as though she had lost a very long, drawn-out war.

"Amy," Sheldon repeated himself, his eyes never leaving Penny. "What are you doing here?"

"I was so worried about you, Sheldon," Amy's voice was muffled as she pressed her face into his chest. "You told me you were sick but then you hadn't answered any of my calls, and I just had to come see for myself if you were alright." She released her embrace around him and held him at arm's length, studying his face intently. "Penny just told me you were robbed on the way to work one day, that's why you took an extended vacation and your cell phone was stolen, which is why you hadn't returned any of my calls. I am so sorry that this happened to you, honey."

Sheldon had been trying to process the blatant lies Penny had obviously told Amy to cover him, but he visibly recoiled from Amy when the word honey left her lips. She had never used an affectionate moniker for him before, and he detested it. He watched as Amy looked hurt from his moving away from her, but it quickly passed.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Sheldon. I am so sorry that happened to you. I wish you had found some way to tell me though."

"You shouldn't have come back," Sheldon heard himself say. He looked down at Amy as her eyebrows furrowed. "You came back for nothing. I'm alright."

"Come on, Sheldon," she said as she placed a hand on his forearm. "Unlock the door so we can go inside and make some tea." She turned around and threw a grateful glance in Penny's direction. "Thank you for taking care of him, Penny. I'll take it from here."

Sheldon's eyes flitted to Penny who nodded in response, smoothed her hair behind her ear, and smiled weakly at Sheldon. "I'll be here if you two need anything." She swallowed hard and finally turned away to unlock her door and slipped inside, disappearing from Sheldon's view. He almost protested aloud and had to keep his arm from reaching out to her. His gaze remained fixed on Penny's closed door for a few moments before he felt Amy poke his arm.

"Unlock the door, Sheldon," she urged him. "Let me in."

Her words rattled in his brain as his eyes went back and forth from Amy to Penny's door and back to his girlfriend.

Penny closed the door and pressed her back to the cold frame. She slid all the way down until her butt hit the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. Seeing Amy had felt like an electric shock of guilt. She had hopped a plane and flew home just to be here for Sheldon. It meant that she was in the air while Penny rolled around in bed with Sheldon the night before. The realization of what she had done felt like taking a bullet. She concocted a story on her toes that would explain Sheldon's injuries, but didn't expect him to appear as quickly as he did. She wasn't prepared to see his face. And she definitely wasn't prepared for the aching in her chest when she saw Amy embrace him tightly.

She finally understood the consequences of their behavior. The moment Sheldon touched Penny's lips with his, someone was always going to get hurt. Penny laughed out loud without humor as she realized she had pulled the short stick.

Amy was home and Sheldon would have her because it was the right thing to do. And Leonard would come home in four months and Penny would have him because it was the right thing to do. She knew this now.

As she sat on the floor, she heard the sound of Sheldon's door closing and began to contemplate what life would be like without him. She jumped as the door suddenly rattled beneath her back at the sound of a familiar pounding.

Knock, knock, knock. "Penny?"

A/N pt 2: Stay tuned for the conclusion! FYI: We have not seen the last of Junior. Not by a long shot. ;]