Sheldon's fund raiser was a success. He has just asked Penny to continue to treat him.

Penny's eyes widened. "You would like to continue therapy? May I ask why?"

Sheldon turned a deep red. He looked at his hands on his knees and tried to push away his embarrassment. "While reading the paperwork you gave me, I became …interested in one of your programs. Your Aversion program, to be exact." He took a deep breath. "I have mysophobia, and as such, I detest being in physical contact to people. Your synopsis of the program says you employ one-on-one counseling and group sessions to help the patient learn to deal with their phobias."

Penny nodded and stood. She walked over to her desk and pulled some papers from the file drawer. She handed them to Sheldon. "Yes, it's a difficult phobia to work through, because there are so many different causes, and no one type of treatment is a sure fired way to help. For some, it's as simple as attending group cuddle sessions until they are more comfortable. For some, it is much more difficult. I suspect you would be one of the latter ones. What I do involves weekly sessions. First and third week sessions are one-on-one counseling. This involves systematic desensitization. I will teach you relaxation techniques as a way of overcoming your aversion. Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and in some cases, massage or hypnosis. The other two weeks are group therapy for gradually introducing you to the things you have an aversion to in order to acclimate you to them."

Sheldon licked his lips nervously. "That sounds …" he slumped a bit, "absolutely horrible." He looked up at her tiredly. "But I would like to try."

Penny shook her head. "There is no 'try' with this therapy, Sheldon. You need to be completely devoted to it, or we are just wasting our time. You have to really want to overcome this."

Sheldon studied her for a moment, and then looked down at his hands. He flexed them and sighed. "I want to overcome this. I need to overcome this."

Penny sat back down. "Okay. Well, if you are sure you want to do this, we can begin in three weeks. I can see you on the 27th or the 30th. I have openings at 4 and at 6."

Sheldon frowned slightly. "Not until then?"

Penny nodded. "I am leaving in 4 days for a vacation. I will be gone 10 days. When I return I am having the office remodeled. I have new equipment to be installed and a new computer system. It will take me a few days to transfer my files over."

Sheldon nodded, disgruntled that she was going to be gone. "The 27th at 6 pm is acceptable," he said.

Penny made the appointment and grabbed a new folder and some pamphlets. She went over the paperwork with him, explaining everything in greater detail. Then she handed him the pamphlets and told him to go over them. They walked back to the hall, going out the door just as Missy stepped off the elevator. Sheldon looked at her curiously, and she blushed. Penny invited her in and said goodbye to Sheldon. He sat down on the chair and looked out the window. Three weeks. He would have to wait 21 days before he could begin sessions to hopefully allow him to stop panicking whenever he was in a group.

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Penny watched Missy wander around the room, looking at everything for several minutes. After a full five minutes, Penny stood and walked over to stand by Missy at the curio cabinet. "Is there a particular reason you are avoiding my eyes, Missy?"

Missy looked at her with surprise and then blushed a deep red. "Am I that obvious?"

Penny laughed lightly. "I'm trained to observe."

Missy walked over and laid down on the chaise lounge. "I spent the time Shelly was in here having coffee with Bo Turner." Missy's cheeks turned an even brighter red and she stared at her hands clasped over her stomach.

Penny kept her face neutral, hiding her smile as she resumed her seat. "You seem embarrassed by your admission."

Missy glanced at her and then sighed. "That's not me," she said softly. "I asked him out. I practically insisted." Missy sat up and looked at her fully. "He interested me immediately. And that scares me," she admitted.

Penny watched Missy for several seconds. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Missy, exactly why do you want to see me?"

Missy nervously jumped back to her feet and walked to the window. "I was abused," she said softly. She turned and looked at Penny, stark pain and fear in her eyes. "No one knows it. I never told anybody. I was living with someone and he got violent a couple of times. He was actually taking me to the hospital, saying he was sorry and it would never happen again when we got in a wreck. Everyone assumed my injuries were from the crash. He was killed, and I kept my mouth shut." A grim smile ghosted across her face. "I was glad he died," she whispered.

Penny sadly watched the young woman slip into her memories. Melissa Cooper had a lot of anger and fear inside her. How this woman had managed to hold it in for so long was a testament to her strength and spirit.

"I can still feel it sometimes. The way his fingers wrapped around my arms, the taste of my own blood in my mouth, even the way my chest hurt with each breath because my ribs were so sore." Missy's eyes focused on Penny slowly. "Lately Momma has been trying to fix me up with young men. She wants grandkids and she knows Shelly isn't likely to get married. Nor is Junior, that's our brother, likely to ever settle down. So, she's pinned her hopes on me. That's why I came to see Shelly. I needed to get away. I'm scared to put myself at risk again."

Penny watched the emotions that raced across the brunette's face. "I knew Shelly wouldn't turn me away, and he'll keep Momma at bay. He's good at that. None of us can finagle her off a course she is set on, but Shelly can divert her more easily than the rest of us."

Missy walked over and sat down beside Penny on the sofa. "When he told me how much you had helped him, and then you told me that you were abused, too, well..." She looked down at her lap and took a deep breath. "Do you think you could help me?"

Penny had met many victims over the years. She had seen just about every form abuse could take. She usually had an instinctive knowledge of what would best help a client. "Missy, I can help you. But I suspect you aren't going to like what I suggest."

Missy looked at her warily. "What do you mean?"

Penny looked at her steadily. "It's not me you need to be talking to. A stranger isn't going to help you. You have a very strong personality. You don't like feeling weak or exposed. Talking to me might make you feel a bit better eventually, but it won't help you overcome this."

"Then how can you help me?" she asked with confusion.

Penny reached out and took Missy's hand in hers. "I can mediate, but it's not me you need. You came to Pasadena to seek help from one person. Sheldon. He's the one you need to help you through this."

Missy's eyes went wide and she shook her head. "No! I can't tell Shelly! He would never understand!"

Penny quirked an eyebrow at her. "Really? The man who spent his entire childhood bullied, picked on, and treated abusively would not understand? The man who has spent his early life with pain and fear would not be able to comprehend your pain?"

Missy burst into tears and hung her head. "How can I tell him?" she sobbed. "He'll know I let it happen."

Penny hugged Missy close for several minutes and waited for her to regain some of her composure. Once Missy's sobs turned to sniffles, she sent her into the bathroom to repair her makeup. Penny walked to the door and opened it up. Sheldon looked up from his magazine and smiled.

"Sheldon, I need you to come in, please."

He frowned and walked inside. He looked around and noticed the bathroom door ajar, but he didn't see his sister. Penny gestured to his chair and he sat down. "Is Missy okay?" he asked cautiously.

Penny sighed and crossed one leg over the other. "Sheldon, Missy needs to speak to you. I want you to listen only. Please do not interrupt, or react if you can help it. She needs you to be calm, open and accepting. If you can do this, you will be helping your sister immensely. Can you do this? Can you listen to her tell you something she feels ashamed of and be supportive?"

Sheldon felt an immediate, and unexpected, concern for Missy. Whatever had happened, it was bad. He slowly nodded his head and watched Penny stand and retrieve his sister. Missy approached and sat down on the sofa across from him. He noticed that Penny stood a few feet away, quiet and unobtrusive, yet somehow he felt as if she was offering him strength and encouragement. He searched his sisters face, afraid of what she was about to say, but positive he needed to know it.

Missy twisted the handkerchief Penny had given her in her hands. She looked at her knees and took a deep breath. "Shelly, I have to tell you something, and I don't know how. So, I guess I'll just blurt it out. Sam used to beat me up. A lot. And I never said anything because I was too scared." She looked up into her brothers face and searched his eyes. She was afraid to see censure or disgust. Instead he looked at her steadily, encouraging her to go on. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and she began at the beginning.

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By the time Missy was finished, they were both exhausted. Sheldon looked up from where he sat beside his sister, her head on his chest as she quietly cried. He met Penny's eyes and saw approval in her expression. He felt as if he had been on a roller coaster. His sister was in so much turmoil, and had been for years. How had they not known this? How had she hid this from him for so long?

Sheldon rubbed her back, doing his best to not pull away. When Missy had pulled him over beside her and clung to him, it had been a near thing. Penny has silently slipped a rubber ball into his other hand and mimed squeezing it. Astonishingly, it helped. He still wanted some space, but at least the ball distracted him enough to keep him from jumping up and rushing for the Purell.

After a couple of more moments Missy sniffled one last time and pulled away from him. She gave him a watery smile and tried to smooth the wrinkles on his shirt. "Sorry, Shelly. I know how much you hate being touched."

He looked at his sister solemnly. "You mean more to me than a few germs or wrinkles, Missy. You know that."

She laughed and hugged him tight for a moment. She looked over at Penny and smiled. "You were right."

Penny leaned forward slightly. "This isn't the end, Missy. It's only the beginning of your healing. You have a long road ahead of you. It won't be easy. If anything, it's going to get worse before it gets better. You've bottled this up for a very long time. You need to rebuild your self esteem and self worth. If you want, I can recommend some wonderful programs that will help you do just that. The therapy I provide is not what you need. You and I can talk until we're blue in the face. That won't help you in the long run. You need to rediscover your value as a woman, and as a human."

Missy pulled her hair back from her face and nodded. "You haven't steered me or Shelly wrong yet, so what do you suggest?"

"You said you were visiting Sheldon. Would you like me to find you programs here in Pasadena for now, or ones in Galveston for when you return?"

Missy looked at Sheldon apprehensively. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stick around for a while. I could find a job here to pay my way."

Sheldon bit back his initial response about needed his privacy. This was his sister and she needed him. "You may stay as long as you like," he said calmly.

Penny stood and walked over to her desk. She flipped through an address book and paused. "Missy, maybe I can help you with that. Do you have car insurance and a good driving record?"

Missy frowned curiously and nodded. "I've never had even a parking ticket."

Penny smiled. "I have a friend who runs a large bakery. He pays $10.50 an hour. Mostly you would work in the shop, dealing with customers, but every Saturday there are large orders that he needs delivered to the homeless shelter on Union and the women's shelter on Lake Avenue. He includes an extra $25 for gas to the driver. Are you interested?" Penny smiled and cleared her throat. "I should probably mention that the head baker is a client of mine. You've met, I believe. His name is Bo Turner."

Missy's eyes widened and she blushed lightly. "Bo is the guy I will be working for?"

Penny shook her head. "No. He's their best baker. You would be working for my friend Chris. He and his wife have owned the bakery for about 5 years. So, are you interested? If you are, I'll call them now."

Missy nibbled on her bottom lip and then nodded. "Call them, please."