Sheldon has a big opportunity in front of him. But it requires him to return to Pasadena. He and Penny have reached a fragile accord. What will this do to their burgeoning relationship?

Sheldon watched her hang up her robe and slip under the blanket. Penny turned to him and smiled wryly. "Sheldon, I can see you want to argue, but be honest, can you get this presentation ready from here?"

He exhaled noisily. "Penny, I am a genius. If anyone could do it, it would be me."

She shook her head with exasperation. "Sheldon, I'm going to be working all week. It's not like we will be seeing each other anyway. Go back. Deal with this as only you can. I'll still be here when you are finished."

He tucked her under his chin and hugged her close. "Go back with me," he whispered.

Penny slowly pulled back from him. "Give up my life here for your life there?"

Sheldon frowned. "Just for a couple of weeks, Penny. Until after the presentation." Penny rose up out of the bed and reached for her robe. Sheldon scrambled after her. "Penny?"

She wrapped her robe around her and turned to him. "No. I'm not going back with you Sheldon. I have spent too much time following some guy. Doing what they wanted. Giving up my wants for theirs. You say just for a couple of weeks. What will you ask me to give up next time? Or the time after that? I won't do it, Sheldon. I can't do it."

Sheldon shook his head. "Penny, why are you so determined to not trust me?" His temper was up, and he was having a hard time keeping his voice reasonable. "I dropped everything to come here and be with you. Can you not do the same for me?"

Penny shook her head. "It's not the same, Sheldon! For one thing, I didn't ask you to! For another, your job is still there, waiting on you to pick it back up!" Penny wrapped her arms around her waist. "This isn't about trust, Sheldon. This is about insanity."

He glared at her. "I am not insane. My mommy had me tested."

She smiled slightly. "Not you. Me. You told me once that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different to happen. I've done this before Sheldon. I spent years giving up one thing or another, thinking that if I just did it their way, I'd be happy and accepted. I can't do it anymore, Sheldon." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I just can't do it."

"Penny," Sheldon reached out for her but she stepped further away.

She shook her head. "Go back, Sheldon. I think we both need a few days to think about what is really important to us. To decide what we want from each other and from this relationship. I'm not sure we want the same things." He opened his mouth and she held up a hand. "I will come to you. I will be back on Saturday. I'll let you book me a flight to Pasadena. I'll get a hotel room for a night or two. I'll come see you and we'll talk. Please, Sheldon. I need this, and I think you do, too. We're moving slow physically, but emotionally, you have me on a roller coaster."

Penny stepped close to him and looked up into his worried eyes. "Sheldon, I'm confused, and feeling overwhelmed. I care about you. I care about this thing happening between us. And I'm scared it's going to end badly. Please?"

Sheldon wanted to argue. He was certain that he could convince her. But was it the right thing to do? If he pushed her to get his way, wouldn't that make him just like Leonard? But if he didn't argue his case, did he risk losing her? What was the right thing to do?

"Moon Pie?" They both turned to see Meemaw tying her robe around her waist. "Go home, baby. Penny is asking you for very little. She just needs to think. Is that really such a difficult thing to do for the woman you love? Give her a few days to think?"

Sheldon sighed and shook his head. "No, it isn't. And yes, it is." He wrapped his arms around Penny. "What if you decide you don't want me?" he asked softly.

Penny held his tight. "I do want you, Sheldon. I just don't know in what capacity." She bit her lower lip. "And you need to decide what you will do if I can't be the woman you want."

Sheldon tucked her head under his chin. "You already are the woman I want, Penny. I don't want you to change for me. I love you the way you are." He watched Meemaw slip back out of the room quietly. "Come back to bed, Penny. Let me at least hold you tonight, since I won't see you for a week." Penny nodded with relief.

Sheldon walked through the terminal and stopped in surprise. Howard, Bernadette, Raj, Lucy, Amy, and Zack were waving at him. He walked over to where they stood. Amy looked around with disappointment.

"Penny is not with you?" she asked sadly. Zack patted her on the shoulder.

"No, she is still in Galveston. She will fly in this weekend to visit," he said. He looked questioningly at Zack.

Amy blushed and smiled. "I am taking a page out of your book, Sheldon. You have that one person who makes you feel things no one else does. Zack has always had an effect on me. So, I screwed up my courage and called him last week. We have gone out twice now, and are entering a relationship."

Zack grinned happily. "She talks circles around me, but she's pretty cute when she uses those big words."

Sheldon shot Amy a meaningful look. "I can understand Penny going from Leonard to Zack. But from ME to Zack?"

Everyone snickered except Zack who was picking up one of Sheldon's bags, and not paying attention. Howard grabbed Sheldon's other bag and they walked out of the airport. Sheldon rode with Raj and Lucy (and he sat in the back with minimal fuss) while Bernadette, Amy and Zack rode with Howard. They ordered some pizzas and settled in to bring Sheldon up to date.

Howard handed out some drinks. "Well, first of all, Leonard has moved Alex in with him. And Barry Kripke is moving in next week to take over your room."

Raj sipped his wine. "Yes, they have become close since you left. And he's been telling anyone who will listen that you stabbed him in the back."

Bernadette couldn't wait any longer. "How is she, Sheldon?"

He smiled slightly. "She is….healing. She has stopped drinking. She had to. Penny has two ulcers. Meemaw told me it was really hard on her the first couple of weeks. Apparently Penny was drinking more than any of us suspected. But, like I said, she is healing. She is working for Carnival Cruises. She seems to enjoy it. She is well liked there. When she is not on board, she stays with Meemaw."

Amy leaned forward. "You said she was coming to visit. Is she not coming back permanently?"

Sheldon hesitated. "I do not know, Amy. We have entered into a relationship. She is apprehensive it may end badly, and has asked me to allow her time to think. I am trying to give her the time she needs, but it is not easy. I try to help her, but she resists."

Lucy, looking very uncomfortable surrounded by so many, spoke up. "Fear is not easy to overcome. Sometimes, we need a push to get past a hurdle, but sometimes, we need to do it for ourselves. Overcoming something by one's own power can help heal some of the pain and hurt inside." She blushed and looked down at her lap, self-consciously.

Sheldon looked at her approvingly. "Actually, that is very helpful, Lucy. Thank you." She blushed more fiercely, and smiled shyly.

A/N For those who have asked, no I haven't changed my mind about Amy. I still find the tv character deplorable, manipulative and sexually abusive. The Amy here is the Amy I would have loved to have seen on the show. One who was sweet, and honest, and likable. I make no apologies for the extremely OOC Amy here, because this is the one we should have gotten, not the horrible bitch we are stuck with. Poor Mayim. She does the best she can with the material she is given.