A/N: So this is the last chapter following is the epilogue. please enjoy.

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Daylight began to break; Sheldon blinked his eyes to adjust to the light. He looked around him, bodies were everywhere. It was such a gruesome sight. In the distance he saw the lifeboats floating. They've made it. Just over the horizon was a ship. The silent ocean erupted in cheers. Waving the ship over to them. Sheldon realized that it will take a couple of hours for the crew to load all the survivors so he didn't want to waste his already very little energy.

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Under Amelia's command the women rowed towards where the flares were coming from. In the daylight they could see the ship; it would arrive too them within the hour. With them being so close they would be the first ones to board. "I wouldn't have made it through tonight if it weren't for you Amelia. You are such a good friend to me." Penny hugged Amelia.

The Carpathia while small compared to Titanic was the most beautiful thing that anyone could dream of at this moment. The life boats were brought to the side of the ship. With Millie in her arms Penny climbed into a make shift swing so she could get pulled up.

This was repeated over and over. Penny was ushered into the dining hall where warm soup and blankets were being handed out. She wrapped Millie up who still clung to Penny. Penny was so sick of waiting to find out what had happened to everyone.

XXXX

Bernadette was pulled up to safety. She waited for Howard before going to the dining hall. She had to stand on a chair to see over people, and even then it barely helped. She looked and looked almost gave up hope when she spotted her. "Penny!" she called.

Climbing down and running towards the back corner "Penny". Penny looked up at the sound of her name. "Bernadette?"

She looked again and saw her sister "Bernadette!" She rose to her feet and wrapped her free arm around her sister. "I'm so glad you're alright" Bernadette cried. "I'm glad you're alright! Oh Bernadette I'm so afraid. I don't know what has happened to Sheldon or to Millie's parents. If it weren't for Amelia Farrah Fowler I'm not sure I would be talking to you now" Penny sobbed.

Bernadette pulled her into another hug. "They are still loading people aboard. Once it is done we are going to find everyone."

"Do you know if Leonard made it?" Penny asked?

"No our boat was one of the first to get lowered." Bernadette took a seat next to Penny, who retold her night's experiences.

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Sheldon and the others on the collapsible were finally helped into a lifeboat. By now it was filled to the max. It was touch and go as they carefully made their way to the Carpathia. Sheldon climbed aboard and the ordeal of the night caught up with him he fainted on the deck. He awoke in the infirmary which was full of other injured passengers. He looked down a few beds and saw Leonard who was still unconscious.

He went to sit up but his head was pounding. A nurse came over "here eat something it will make you feel better. What is your name son?"

"Sheldon Lee Cooper" he said through mouthfuls. Aware that it was rude but the warmth of the soup made him feel so much better. Once he was finished he asked if he could leave "I need to find my family".

The nurse checked his vitals once more before giving him the okay. His ribs were bandaged luckily only bruised and not broken. He had to find Penny and he didn't want to be near Leonard when he awoke.

He asked everyone have you seen Penelope Lloyd. No one had an answer. He went to the first class dining hall since she was with Amelia this is where they would have been led. He got to the door and was stopped "no one of your kind will be in there."

"You have to let me in I have family in there."

"You're not getting in." the man said.

"Sheldon?" a small voice cried.

He turned to the sound "Millie?" he saw Millie leap out of Penny's arms and come running towards him.

"Millie! Penny!" he pulled them both in fighting through the pain it caused him.

"Sheldon you're alive! Oh Sheldon I was so afraid." Penny kept kissing him. Never wanting to let him go. "Have you seen Tom and Peg?" she asked quietly into his ear.

He shook his head "Come we are going to find them." He led the way where they were keeping the third class passengers. He found a man with a clipboard "excuse me, I need to know if a Tom and Peg Ryan aboard."

The man looked down at his list "sorry they aren't onboard, I just went through everyone. We are going to do it again this evening just to make sure everyone is really accounted for though." The man excused himself.

Sheldon hung his head as he turned to Penny, who knew that the news wasn't good. Millie looked up at Penny "Penny when do I get to see mama?" Penny pulled Millie close. "Soon they are just trying to get us all organized. Let's go play with Amelia."

Amelia and Millie were playing cards; Sheldon and Penny took this opportunity to walk outside and talk. "Oh Sheldon! She's an orphan!" Penny cried into Sheldon's shirt. "I know" he said.

"What are we going to do? We can't let her go to one of those orphanages." Penny said through her sobs.

"I know" Sheldon said again. His brain working overtime. He was about to say something when he got pulled away violently from Penny.

He looked to see who the perpetrator was and it was Leonard. "How dare you get what I deserve? You're a nobody. You are trying to steal my life." Leonard was ill his night in the freezing water had really done him harm. He had escaped his hospital bed to find the person who he hated most. "It should've been you in the freezing water not me! If I can't have this life then neither can you" Leonard pulled a gun out of his pocket. He had swiped it from a crew member on his way here. In one swift motion he shot Sheldon right in the chest.

"NO!" Penny screamed. Sheldon collapsed Penny fell with him.

The aftershock of the gun going off made Leonard's heart go out. He collapsed as well on the floor.

"Help me!" Penny cried. She pressed her hands to Sheldon's chest. "Stay with me Sheldon! You have to stay with me. I need you." She cried. She thought the worst was over and yet here was the worst. "Help!"

Crew swarmed over to them. "Sheldon you're going to be alright. We're going to go home and you'll be a physicist and win the noble prize. Come on Sheldon." Penny begged him to keep fighting.

Even if he wanted to he had no fight left in him. "Penny I love you. You're going to make a great mother for Millie." He pulled her in for once last kiss as he took his last breath. "NO!" Penny threw herself on top of him. She only moved when the crew forced her to stand so they could take Sheldon and Leonard's bodies.

An elderly woman who is a passenger on the Carpathia lightly touches Penny's shoulder and leads Penny to her room so Penny can clean herself off before she goes and gets Millie. "You can't have your daughter see you covered in blood. I'm sorry for your loss."

Penny still in shock only nods appreciation and agreement.

Penny still red in the face from crying goes back to the first class dining hall. She sees Amelia and Millie still playing. "Millie lets go. We're going to go see if we can find mama and papa." Amelia rose and hugged Penny and penny whispered "he's gone." She couldn't cry in front of Millie she had to be strong especially what she need to tell her.

Amelia hugged Penny tighter. "Please tell Bernadette not to look for me and that I love her dearly." Amelia agreed and watched as the bravest young woman she knew left her life forever.

XXX

Penny led Millie to a small bench in the third class waiting area. "Millie I have something very hard to tell you. And it breaks my heart to have to say it but; Millie mama and papa didn't make it. I checked with the man and the ship's hospital and they aren't here. I'm so sorry."

Millie took it all in "You mean I won't see mama anymore?"

Penny bit her lip to keep back the tears "nope" she quivered. Millie lunged into Penny's arms and sobbed and sobbed. "I'm so sorry" Penny kept repeating. She pulled Millie to look at her "now I know I am not your real mama, but I love you and I would like to be your adoptive mama. Would that be okay?" Millie nodded "I love you Penny."

"I love you too." She wasn't sure if she should mention Sheldon now but when would there be a better time. "Also umm remember how Sheldon had hurt himself and he had those bandages?" Penny's voice cracked as she held in her own sadness.

Millie nodded. "Well his injuries were so bad that he fell and well he is in heaven with mama and papa now." there was no need to tell a 5-year-old the truth. "You're mama, papa and Sheldon were all heroes and now they are angels." Penny pulled Millie close.

That night and for the rest of the time it took to get to New York Millie and Penny stayed in the elderly woman's room who had an extra bed.

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Despite Pennys wishes Bernadette did try to see who Penny was staying with but she couldn't seem to find her. Amelia had explained to her that Penny needed to be alone, if and when the time was right she would go find her.

"How can she not want me to be with her. I am her sister" Bernadette argued to Howard and Amelia.

"I can only say what she said. However my guess it that she just wants to forget the past and create a good future for young Millie." Amelia explained.

"Do you know what happened Howie?" Bernadette asked. The facts of the death of Sheldon were unclear. "No I tried to find out but everything is being hushed. All I know is that Leonard is dead as well. But no one will tell me if they are related. Sheldon has no record. It is a mystery that will die with Penny. "

"I just wish she wouldn't hide herself from me" Bernadette whispered.

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On the last day on board Bernadette, not sure where to look, went to the third class deck one of the crewmen stopped her "I don't think anyone you know is down here miss."

Bernadette just smiled and fibbed "I'm looking for my maid."

"Good luck miss" he said.

Bernadette looked around trying to find the familiar blonde hair. then she spotted someone. "Penny?" she rushed over and turned the women around to see that it wasn't who she thought it was. "I'm sorry."

Taking one last look around gave up and went back to be with Howard.

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Penny stood on the second class deck with Millie at her side watching as the Statue of Liberty came into view. Neither had said very much in the last 3 days. Millie turned to Penny "Penny what are we going to do when we get to New York?"

Penny had thought about this she didn't have a lot of money only the $20 that Amelia had given her. She was well aware on how much that was and didn't want to accept it. Amelia insisted "Dear you are such a good friend to me and have been through so much please take this." Penny scooped Millie up "we are going to go to Texas. Sheldon's family is there and we will rebuild our lives. We are a team." Penny kissed Millie's head.

A man cleared his throat "I need your names miss. We are doing a last count of survivors."

Penny and Millie shared a glance "Penny Cooper and my daughter Millie Cooper."