Chapter 8

Shamy's playlist:

A Great Big World: I Don't Wanna Love Somebody Else

Mika: Happy Ending.

watch?v=pxA26LGI2Mc (This is the version I listen to)

Passenger: Heart's on fire

Maroon 5: Sad

*Slowly puts down a plate of apology-cookies and Oreos*

*Whispers* "I'm so sorry."

*Slowly backs away*

I know, I know. I have left you waiting for way too long, my beloved readers! And for that I am immensely sorry. A lot is going on, I won't bore you with it all, but to put it short:

Finals, extreme writer's block, stress and simply wishing that I have 50 hours in a single day.

BUT I reward your patience with the longest chapter yet! That's a point in my favor, right? No?

*Cough*

Moving on. Above this ramble you will find a playlist. These songs are meant for you to hear and get those deep Shamy-feelings pouring out all over the place. Now, you can listen to them before you read, while you are reading, after you have read the chapter, or just ignore me and don't listen to them at all. Your call, dear reader. The order I have listed them in is my personal preference, it is in this order that I feel they fit this chapter best. That been said, do whatever you want! Stick it to the man, listen to them in the reverse order! Vive la revolution!

Now, as always: I own absolutely nothing other than a bleeding Shamy-heart.

I would like to thank Vamplover669 for helping me out with this chapter during many sleepless nights filled with mean writer's block: THANK YOU!

With no further ado: ENJOY!

Message sent

Amy kept starring at her screen, unable to do anything else. A huge lump had planted itself in her throat, and as her screen grew darker she had trouble even breathing. She imagined Sheldon getting the mail, imagined him opening it. She imagined him open the attached document; imagined him reading the headline, pictured his blue eyes skim over the document and settling at her signature. She shivered by the thought and quickly slammed her laptop shut. She swallowed hard and stood up taking a step away from her dining room table and laptop.

What had just happened? What had she done? She felt her heart pounding against her rib cage and she brought a hand to her forehead, suddenly feeling dizzy. She slowly made her way over to her couch taking a seat. Resting her head against the back of the couch she closed her eyes and took a few deep calming breathes. That only seemed to fuel the increasing feeling of panic that had settled in her stomach. It spread like wildfire to the rest of her body, causing her to finally jump of the couch. She began pacing around her apartment.

Calm down, she told herself. Perhaps he hasn't seen it yet. And so what? He was bound to see it eventually. If not now then perhaps in 5 minutes, half an hour, an hour; and if not tonight then he would definitely see it tomorrow. Unless… unless she called it off. What if she sent him another e-mail taking it all back? Yes, that could work. Her pacing speeded up. "I'll just tell him to ignore the mail, ask him to come over and then I'll just have to walk him through the whole apologizing-process. Perhaps I could talk to Kripke myself." She mumbled to herself. She suddenly realized that she was biting her nails, a bad habit she had left behind years ago, but now it seemed to have returned. She stopped her pacing and slowly brought her hand down to her side.

What was she doing? She couldn't take it back. She couldn't walk him through it, that was the whole point. And she certainly could never talk to that Kripke-person. She sighed heavily as she plumped back onto the couch with frustration, damning the fact that she had managed to trap herself in an extremely difficult and unpleasant situation, while feeling an enormous sadness due to the necessity of her actions. She sighed again, picking up her phone. Holding it in her hand she suddenly realized the irony of the situation; Sheldon was only a few brief touches on her phone away and yet she had never felt so distant from him in all the time they had known each other. Amy closed her eyes and felt tears burn behind her eyelids. "Damn it." She said under her breath, as she squeezed her eyes tighter together in an attempt keep the tears a bay. She was determined not to cry. The situation was complicated as it was, the last thing she needed was to turn into a big weeping mess. With a big breathe she rose from her couch and made her way to her bedroom with determined steps, phone still in hand. She hesitated and halted beside her dining table with her laptop on top. She stood staring for a while, her head confused and her heart heavy. She tore her eyes away and walked the last steps into her bedroom. Changing into her nightgown and removing her glasses she finally sunk into the welcoming feeling of her bed. She looked at her phone one last time before placing it close to her on the very edge of her night stand. Perhaps everything would be better tomorrow she tried to tell herself, but really not believing it. She kept staring at her phone until her eyelids felt as heavy as her heart and she slowly drifted into sleep.

Penny didn't know what to say or do. Finally Leonard turned around to face her, a look of deep concern on his face. He looked just as lost and helpless as she felt.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered, finally letting her hand fall down to her side. Leonard looked at the laptop and back at her.

"I honestly don't know. I can't even believe Amy did it." He whispered back. They both grew quiet as they looked towards the hall where Sheldon had disappeared only moments ago.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Penny asked, biting her lip. Leonard shrugged his shoulders before answering.

"No idea, I mean, if the past is any indicator then the answer is no. He adopted 25 cats last time he and Amy broke up, and he had only known her for some months at the time. I'm afraid to even think about what he's going to do this time. I don't think there are enough cats in Pasadena to fix this."

Penny let out a deep sigh, her eyes still fixated on the spot where Sheldon had disappeared. "That poor thing. And oh my god, Amy. She must be devastated."

Leonard and Penny looked at each other with a mutual understanding and with no further words spoken they slowly made their way towards Sheldon's bedroom.

Sheldon slammed the door behind him and quickly turned to lock it. He stayed like that for a while, one hand on the door knob and the other on the key, as he stared at the door with unseeing eyes. He could feel his heart racing away as his breathing quickly became fast and irregular. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. He was definitely having a panic attack. Sheldon closed his eyes and swallowed hard; the sight of that dreadful document on his laptop seemed to have etched itself into his eidetic memory, since it was all he could see behind his closed eyelids.

Termination of Relationship

Termination of Relationship

Termination of Relationship

Sheldon felt like a huge balloon had been blown up inside of his chest and breathing became even harder, causing him to feel alarmingly light headed. He finally let go of the door and quickly made his way over to the bed taking a seat. His breathing was now quick and shallow. He closed his eyes again and tried to remember everything he knew about panic attacks. He needed to breathe, to bring sufficient amounts of oxygen to his blood and his brain. And then he remembered. With a slow movement he placed his head between his knees and tried forcing himself to take deep breathes. It was hard to start with, his body seemed to refuse to cooperate with him, and every breathe became insufficient and painful. He knitted his brows at the pain, but knowing that he would most likely faint if he didn't get his breathing under control, he closed his eyes tightly together and tried once again. After a few tries he finally managed to take a couple of deep breathes, and his breathing became more regular, but the iron fist of panic still seemed to have a grip on his entire being, seeing that his chest still felt constricted and his heart was still beating at an alarming rate. After another few breathes Sheldon slowly sat up and looked straight ahead with wide eyes.

What had just happened? How was it even possible? She had sent him no explanation, no last words, no last attempt to make him fix the situation. Just that document; that ruthless and unforgiving document carrying an unmistakable message: She wanted to end the relationship.

"But Amy can't end the relationship, I'm her boyfriend." He heard himself mumble.

But she just did. But why? How did he misjudge that situation completely? He had been sure that Amy would talk to him in the end, certain that she wouldn't go through with that horrible promise of hers; the one she had uttered in anger and frustration. It was harsh, it was cruel. It was so… unlike Amy. She had always been there to explain these things for him, she had always been patient with him. Sheldon never thought he would see the day when Amy had no more patience towards him. It seemed unreal, out of order. It was so … unlike Amy. Sheldon closed his eyes again and immediately saw the document before his eyes.

Termination of Relationship.

He read every line over again, lines expressing the very rules and regulations he himself had placed in the relationship agreement. The document and its content was just as he had written it so long ago, every word; it was just as he had demanded it remained every time Amy tried to get rid of it, and she had yielded every time. "If that's how you want it." She had said with a tiny shrug of her shoulders and a sad frown. And it had remained like that, just as he liked it; anything for his comfort. Now Sheldon couldn't help but damning himself, he was the one who wanted a clear and easy way out in the unlikely event that he needed to end the relationship. A legal document, a signature, an easy end to it all. Simple, effective and comfortable. Just as he liked it.

The signature. He felt a lump in his throat as he saw Amy's signature on the bottom of the document on the dashed line with the unmistakable writing of her hand. He opened his eyes as he heard the sound of someone approaching his bedroom. Now they knew. He wanted them to know, he was simply unable to tell them. He wanted them to fix it. Leonard, Penny, his mother. Anyone. Because he was unable to see a solution. But as their footsteps got closer he felt panic arise again as he realized that he didn't want to talk to them. Any of them. Not now. The footsteps halted right outside his bedroom door. After another moment he heard Leonard clearing his throat.

"Sheldon? Are you all right in there, buddy?" Leonard said in a concerned voice. Sheldon opened his mouth to say something, but not a sound passed his lips. He closed it again.

"Sweetie, we just want to make sure you are all right. Is there anything we can do for you?" Penny's voice echoed the concern in Leonard's. Sheldon felt the lump in his throat grow. Their concern was indeed needed, but at the same time not wanted. He didn't know what to say. Could they make Amy take it back? Could they un-send that e-mail? Could they fix everything? He swallowed hard, he knew the unfortunate answer all too well.

"Sheldon, we are really worried about you. I mean, this can't be easy, it's never easy for anyone. Can you… just let us in?" Leonard voice was closer to the door this time and it was pleading. But Sheldon couldn't move. A part of him really wanted to let them in, to make them explain to him why this was happening. But another part wished to never see or talk to any of them ever again. He was torn, not knowing what to do or say.

"Sheldon, we are coming in." Leonard said in a more stern voice.

"NO!" Sheldon jelled frantically quickly making his away to the door, placing both hands on the door knob. He knew that the door was locked, but the mere thought of Leonard and Penny entering his bedroom was too much at this point. He kept his hands safely grabbed around the door knob, breathing heavily. He heard Leonard sigh on the other side.

"Sheldon, we can't help you if you don't talk to us.." Leonard began in a patient tone, but he was cut short by Penny.

"Sheldon, sweetie, just… We are not coming in there, okay? Calm down. We do want to help you, really, we do. But if you don't want to talk about it, then fine, we'll respect that. We'll be here when you come out, and if you need help or anything then all you have to do is ask. No pressure. It's up to you. Okay?" Her voice was soothing and it calmed him down. Sheldon felt his breathing become even and he swallowed hard. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Clearing his throat and taking a deep breathe he managed to say. "Okay."

"Okay." Penny said in a determined voice, and then…Nothing. Silence.

Sheldon waited for another moment, but everything was silent. He slowly took a step back and released the death grip he had been holding on the door knob. Nothing happened. They were gone. Sheldon let out a deep sigh, feeling relieved, slightly encouraged and yet very alone. He slumped his shoulders and walked towards his bed with slow steps. Taking a seat again he felt a wave of exhaustion role over him. He placed his head on the pillow and brought his legs up, feeling his eyelids getting heavy. He closed them and took a deep breathe. He couldn't make sense of anything anymore, and at that exact moment nothing really mattered anyway. He didn't want to talk to anyone, he didn't want to solve anything, he didn't want to do anything other than to lay on his bed and forget that this day ever happened. With another deep breathe he allowed sleep to take him over, his last incoherent subconscious thoughts drifting away to an apartment somewhere in Glendale.

Leonard and Penny slowly moved away from Sheldon's bedroom, making their way to the living room. None of them spoke, both had a concerned frown on their face and a tense silence filled the space between them. With a deep sigh Penny tossed herself in the arm chair and looked up at Leonard with sad eyes.

"He's not going to get over this too well, is he?" She asked in a small voice.

Leonard pressed his lips together and shook his head.

"I still can't believe it." She said with a slight frown.

"I know, me neither." Leonard said with a sigh. "Do you think she is serious?"

Penny looked over at Sheldon's laptop that was still open.

"I… Don't know. It seems pretty serious, I mean they have that formal and legal document and everything. Knowing those two they've probably made that document to end things easily." Penny said.

Leonard looked over at the laptop as well, not saying anything.

"I just… Don't get it. I doesn't seem like something Amy would do, you know? I always figured it would be Sheldon who would break things of if those two should ever split." Penny said.

Leonard looked back at Penny, nodding in approval of her words. He sighed deeply and turned his gaze towards Sheldon's bedroom. He slowly reached for his phone in his pocket and began dialing.

"Who are you calling?" Penny asked with a curious frown.

"Sheldon's mother, who else?" He said in an exhausted voice.

Penny jumped up from her seat, placing a very determined hand on top of Leonard's. "No." She said with great certainty, catching Leonard's eyes. He frowned at her in confusion.

"What do you mean, no?" He asked disbelieving. "Didn't you hear him? He almost passed out and we didn't even get into his room. She needs to come over and talk to him, make him feel better. I mean, no one else is going to be able to calm him down and fix this mess."

Penny sighed. "You and I can't interfere with his relationship with Amy, Leonard, and calling his mother is not going to help anything. Don't you think that Mrs. Cooper would have fixed things last time she was here if she wanted to?" She turned her head in the direction of the darkened hallway leading to Sheldon's bedroom.

"I know, Sheldon is really scared and confused right now, and as his best friend you want to help him, he's my friend to, but this is something he's going to have to figure out by himself. We just have to trust that he will come to us if he needs our help. Let's just give him some time."

Leonard looked down, not saying anything. "Do you really think so?" He asked, meeting her eyes. Penny nodded, a sad look on her face.

"Look, we would be doing Sheldon no favors if we called his mother." She said in a small voice. Leonard nodded and put away his phone. He rubbed his forehead before saying.

"So… What do we do?"

"I guess we'll just have to wait. He'll come out eventually." Penny said with a shrug of her shoulders. After a moment of silence she reached for her pocket and retrieved her phone.

"Who are you calling?" He asked with a frown.

"Amy of course." She answered with a whisper. Leonard nodded and shot a nervous look towards the hallway. Penny followed his eyes and realized his concern.

"I'll take it outside." She whispered, quickly making her way to the apartment door. The phone rang for the third time in her ear as she slowly closed the door behind her as silently as possible. After another three rings she ended the call, a nervous feeling arising. She dialed again.

"Come on, Amy. Pick up." She mumbled to herself as the phone kept ringing but she got no answer. She dialed a third time, now nervously pacing around the hall. Still no answer. Penny stopped her pacing and brought her phone down from her ear with an exhausted sigh. It was no use, she wasn't going to answer. With heavy steps she reentered the apartment to find Leonard standing by the refrigerator.

"So, what did she say? Is she okay?" He whispered, quickly making his way over to her. "Nothing. She didn't answer." Penny answered with a sigh. Leonard furrowed his brows and shook his head ever so slightly.

"Let's just go to bed. They clearly won't talk to us tonight." Penny said in a tired voice, making her way to the door. Leonard followed her and gave her a kiss before watching her walk across the hall to her own apartment. After turning off the lights with a sigh, Leonard made his way through the darkened and silent apartment to his bedroom.

Amy tossed and turned in her bed. She pressed her eyes tightly together, refusing to open them. After receiving three calls from Penny, she had awoken several times during the night, seemingly unable to get more than a couple of hours sleep at a time. But now sleep was eluding her completely. With an annoyed sigh she tossed the covers off and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She rubbed her stiff neck as her eyes wandered and landed on her phone. She picked it up. The bright light from her screen blinded her for a moment. She squinted her eyes in the dark room and wrinkled her nose trying to see clearly. Her phone was still alerting her of three missed calls. Amy had almost fallen out of bed when her phone had awoken her the first time. She almost dropped her phone on the floor in her eager to answer it, sure that it was Sheldon calling. Her excitement was short lived as she took a closer look at the phone, realizing that it was Penny calling. For a brief second she had considered answering the call, but she decided not to. As much as she wished to talk to Penny, to share her thoughts and perhaps receive some advice, she couldn't make herself pick up the phone. Maybe she wasn't ready. Maybe she didn't want to hear Penny's caring voice. Maybe she just wanted to feel miserable for a while. She had sighed heavily as the call ended.

She placed the phone back on the nightstand and putting on her glasses, she stood up. She made her way to the kitchen with cautious steps, trying to find her balance in her sleep deprived state. Opening her refrigerator she stood starring into the soft yellow light that illuminated her face. The gentle and monotone hum from the fridge sounded familiar and soothing, and Amy just stood there allowing her mind to wander as her eyes browsed the cold shelves. Her eyes fell on a familiar bottle with an unmistakable chocolaty content. Without thinking she reached out and grabbed the bottle of Yoohoo. She starred at it in her hand as she slowly closed the refrigerator. She turned and absent mindedly took a glass from her cabin. She watched the sugary liquid slowly filling the glass. She closed the bottle with a small sigh. She stood like that for a moment, the only sound to be heard was the muffled hum from the refrigerator. Amy took the glass and slowly brought it up to her lips. She took a sip, relishing the cold feeling of the liquid traveling down her dry throat and the familiar taste of chocolate milk. Bringing the glass back down, a faint smile appeared on her face. This was one of Sheldon's favorite beverages, right up there alongside Strawberry Quik. He was right, she thought to herself, the name literally beckons. She took another sip as she remembered that night so long ago.

Had it really been three years? Sure didn't feel like it. But what a night it had been. She didn't remember much, but she did remember the distinctive smell of talc as Sheldon had spun her around on the dance floor, the sound of the music, the smell of cigarette smoke mixed with the sweet smell of Yoohoo and the word "Fascinating." But what really had stuck in her memory was waking up the next morning on her bathroom floor with a soft towel folded neatly under her head like a pillow. She had starred at that towel for a good 5 minutes, her mind groggy and her mouth dry. It was not so much the towel as the sentiment behind it that startled her. A token of concern and care. She had finally gotten up, her head now throbbing with a hung-over headache and made her way to her kitchen. Everything was in place, an empty cup in the sink. She poured herself a cup of water, drinking it eagerly as questions emerged in her mind. Questions she needed answers to. She quickly made her way to her laptop, opening it and opening Skype. She was about to call Sheldon, when she finally became very aware of her attire. Looking down at herself, still dressed in the same disheveled clothes from yesterday, she decided to change before calling him.

Amy slowly shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. She took another sip and sighed, her smile fainting and her heart feeling heavy again. With a last gulp she finished the drink and placed the empty glass in the sink. She stood like that for a moment, starring into the darkness of her apartment, not knowing what to do. It was useless to try and go back to bed, she knew she was doomed to go without sleep even though nothing sounded more relieving than sleeping; forgetting. With heavy steps she made her way to the couch. She sat down and reaching for the remote she turned the television on. She flipped through the channels, not staying at a channel for more than a second or two. After a few moments she brought her feet up under her, making herself more comfortable. She suddenly stopped her flipping through the channels as a movie caught her attention. She knew the title very well. "A Beautiful Mind", the very same movie she had watched with Sheldon only a few days ago. Amy felt a twitch of pain in her heart at the memory of that wonderful night and she couldn't help but look at the seat next to her where he had been sitting not so long ago. She sighed heavily and placed the remote back on the coffee table, leaning further back into the couch. She watched as Russel Crowe portrayed the brilliant and yet tormented John Nash, remembering the story as it went along. She finally felt her eyelids grow heavier as he stood there on the podium, receiving his Nobel Prize and to the sound of the movie's touching and yet historically incorrect speech she finally surrendered to sleep.

Sheldon woke up abruptly, sitting straight up in his bed. He was breathing heavily his heart was pounding away. He looked around in the darkness, trying to determine what had caused this interruption of his sleep, but his room was silent and undisturbed. He took a few breathes, calming himself down. There was nothing there, he was alone. He turned his head to check the time on the watch on his nightstand. 3:14 AM. The numbers shined red in the otherwise darkened room. Looking down at himself, Sheldon now realized that he was still wearing the clothes he had worn the day before instead of his pajamas. With a frown he slowly got out of bed and made his way to his closet. Sleep had all but left him now and yet his mind ordered him to maintain a basic level of order and put on the designated sleep attire for the night. He opened the closet and retrieved his pajamas. He walked back to his bed and changed his clothes with accustomed movements, folding them neatly and placing them on his bed, his mind still working to find out why he had awoken so abruptly. When he finished changing he just stood there, his thoughts far away. Had he been dreaming? He tried to remember, but nothing came up. Perhaps not.

Sheldon took a seat on the edge of his bed, hands clutching his sheets and his eyes looking straight ahead. He sighed heavily; he knew exactly why he had woken up in the middle of night. Why he was feeling miserable. Of course he did. He cast his eyes down, starring at the almost invisible floor beneath his feet. The only light came from the street lights outside his window. At the memory of the earlier events, the document, her signature, Sheldon felt his already heavy heart drop even further. The nagging feeling was still ever present in his chest, making him feel more sad and more lost than ever. What was he to do? A deep sigh left his mouth and he clutched the sheets tighter. He turned his head and looked at his phone just lying there in complete silence. He picked it up and starred at the screen in the darkness. She was probably sleeping at this time. It didn't matter anyway, because he knew that he wouldn't be able to call her. It was no use.

He looked up, and suddenly his room felt too small, to narrow; he needed to get out. He felt trapped. Trapped, sad, alone and miserable. With the phone still in his hand, he stood up, put on his morning robe and made his way to his bedroom door. Taking a deep breath he opened the door and walked down the hall towards the living room. Standing on the gap between the hall and the living room he starred into the dark, unsure of what to do next. A small part of him had hoped that Leonard would still be awake, yet he knew the odds weren't in his favor. With a sigh he made his way to the couch and took a seat, welcoming the familiarity and safety his spot brought him. For a short moment he considered turning on the lights but decided that he didn't mind the darkness for now.

He looked down at his phone again and with a sense of determination he turned it on. He deliberately looked away as the bright light shone up at him. He waited another moment, allowing his eyes to get used to the sudden source of light in the otherwise pitch dark room before looking at the screen. Still nothing, not surprising. He logged into his e-mail; perhaps she had sent another e-mail. Sheldon knew he shouldn't be getting his hopes high, but maybe she would just make sure that he had indeed received the e-mail? As a precaution of course.

Logging in

Nothing. No new e-mails. He tried to refresh his account, knowing that it was no use. He sighed, a feeling of disappointment rolling over him quickly followed by the unnerving sensation of intense fear. Was this the feeling of loss? Of heart break? He was not sure, all he knew was that the state he was in was one of the worst he had ever experienced and in no way desirable. In fact he would do anything to get rid of that feeling; he would do anything to talk to Amy again. He swallowed hard, still starring at his phone. His fingers began moving on their own accord, exiting his e-mail account and quickly dialing her number. His thumb hovered over the "Dial" button of his screen, unable to press it, to call her. Come on, he encouraged himself. All it takes is the push of a button. But he couldn't do it; sure that he wasn't able to make a coherent sentence, that his voice would fail him in the unlikely event that she would pick up the phone. He re-opened his e-mail account, creating a new mail. Perhaps a written message would be easier. No such luck. He just sat there, fingers hovering over the screen, not able to write a single word.

Amy

He began, but a sudden sharp pain penetrated his chest at the sight of her name, causing him to close his phone. After another moment her placed it on the coffee table in front of him and leaned back against his cushion tentatively clasping his hands in his lap, eyes staring at the phone with great intensity. A deep sigh made its way from his chest and escaped his lips as he sat there alone in the dark.

With a grunt and a sigh, Amy slowly woke up from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes beneath her askew glasses as she slowly sat up, slightly disorientated. She looked around and realized that she had slept on the couch for the remainder of the night, never returning to her bed. She winched at a sharp pain in her neck as she turned her head to one side. She instinctually brought a hand up and rubbed the sore spot. Her neck felt stiff and the pain radiated all the way down to her shoulders and she could feel the beginning of a head ache emerging. Perfect, she thought. Just perfect. With a loud huff she slumped back into the couch and closed her eyes. Even though she had managed to get some sleep, she felt like she hadn't rested in over 48 hours. She felt drained, tired and incredibly glum. Another second went by, and Amy found herself hit by waves of panic regarding her actions the night before.

She had terminated the relationship. She had actually signed the Termination Formula and sent it to Sheldon. And she had still heard nothing from him. Amy sat up straight, now truly panicking. She knew the rules of the Relationship Agreement, and so far she had followed them and so had Sheldon. But thinking back on her actions, she now found herself wishing that this time, he wouldn't. That just this one time Sheldon would find a way to break the rules, because if he followed them… If he did what the agreement specified… She felt her breath catch in her throat at the thought. Then it would be final, there would be no turning back. And it was her fault, this whole situation was her fault. If she hadn't been so quick to send that document, then they might have been able to talk things over. But she absolutely had to send it. The more she thought about her actions, the less sense they made to her. She should have called him, sent him an e-mail, texted him. Anything. But she hadn't. She had kept her promise and she had sent the document, keeping up her part of the deal.

She knew that Sheldon had done absolutely nothing to remedy the situation; that his insistence on waiving his stubbornness and pride once again stood in the way of him remedying himself and she kept telling herself that he only had himself to blame for receiving that dreadful termination formula, but yet Amy kept feeling that she hadn't done enough. That she hadn't tried hard enough.

Well neither had he. Had either one of them really?

She sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes, her head ache now becoming a reality. With an utterly confused and blurry mind and a heart as heavy as a tombstone she slowly rose from her seat and made her way to the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of water she stared unseeing into her apartment as golden rays of morning sun fell in from her window illuminating everything in an almost halo-like glow. She finished drinking, completely lost in thoughts. The high pitch sound of her alarm jerked her right back to reality and she hurried her way to her bed room with annoyed steps. The irritating noise sounded sharply in her ears and made her head ache feel ten times worse; an urge to smash the alarm clock against the wall presented itself in her mind.

"Shut up!" She yelled as she slammed her hand down at the off-button, silencing the alarm clock immediately. She was now breathing heavily, her eyes never leaving the alarm clock. A frustrated noise left her lips as she slumped down at her bed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, trying to compose herself. She couldn't sort out her thoughts and her head ache was getting worse by the minute. As her breathing slowed down she opened her eyes and looked at the clock.

8.30 AM.

She was late for work. Very late indeed. The mere thought of having to get dressed, get ready, leave and go work in her laboratory all day made her feel utterly exhausted. Perhaps she should just call in sick today. She normally never did such a thing unless she was indeed sick, but after all, heartbroken, alone and confused is a kind of sick, isn't it? Amy's eyes wandered from the alarm clock and down to the floor, resting at her phone laying upside down. It must have fallen down when she turned off her alarm clock so violently. A feeling of curiosity and intense nervousness overtook her and she slowly picked it up and turned it around. Amy felt as if a stone like object had manifested itself in her stomach as she turned her phone on. Still absolutely nothing. Sheldon had not uttered a word to her since receiving the termination formula. Had he even seen it? What if he hadn't? How could she be sure? Or what if he had seen it and now refused to talk to her? What if he was so mad that he refused to talk to her? Or what if he was freaking out so badly that he was rendered completely speechless? She swallowed. The thought of Sheldon freaking out alone did not sit well with her. She sighed and turned the phone back off. She had to get out. She had to go to work, to occupy herself. If she stayed at home she would surely go mad before the day was over. She dragged herself to the bathroom, taking a quick shower. After putting on some clothes she quickly packed her papers and laptop and headed out the door.

Sheldon absentmindedly fumbled the fabric of his robe with his hands, his mouth slightly open and his eyes fixated on his phone on the coffee table. After looking at it for so long it no longer felt like he was looking at it; his eyes were wide, but he was really not seeing anything. The only sound to be heard was the rhythmic flow of his own breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. His mind was working on overdrive, but his thoughts were so abundant, his feelings so intense and unfamiliar, that he found himself unable to deduce a single coherent sentence from the turmoil inside his head. It was like static noise; consistent, noisy, confusing and without the slightest logical purpose. One thing remained the same, though. That undefinable pain in the middle of his chest, that seemed determined never to desist. A small sound from his phone brought Sheldon back to reality instantly. He sat up more straight and swallowed hard, feeling his hands get clammy and his heart beating fast. He stopped breathing for a short second as the screen of his phone lit up, but recognizing the alert on his phone to be a reminder that his battery had now reached an alarming low level he slumped his shoulders in disappointment, letting out the breath he was holding. He leaned back into his spot with a deep sigh and for the first time that night he looked up and took his surroundings in.

He had been so deeply and utterly lost in thoughts that he hadn't noticed the way the flimsy rays of early sunlight slowly but steadily had illuminated his living room. He sat for a while just relishing the warm feeling of a single stripe of sun falling on his hand and the complete silence of his apartment in the morning. Sheldon swallowed, realizing how dry his mouth was. He should help himself to a glass of water, he thought. But he didn't move. He finally managed to move his eyes to away from his hand, taking a look at his watch. It was almost time for Leonard to wake up.

Just as he finished thinking that thought, Leonard emerged from his bedroom dressed in his red robe with white tennis socks on his feet. He rubbed his eyes and yawned loudly as he stepped into the living room. Bringing his hands down from his eyes, Leonard let out a surprised sound as he now realized that Sheldon was sitting on his spot. He furrowed his brows and swallowed, trying to calm himself from that unpleasant shock this early in the morning. After eyeing Sheldon for another moment he pulled himself together.

"Good morning?" Leonard said hesitantly. Sheldon looked at him and blinked a couple of times before answering.

"Good morning."

Leonard kept looking at Sheldon, not knowing what to make of anything. He opened his mouth, but found it impossible to say anything, so he shut it closed again. His frown deepened as he slowly made his way to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Sheldon followed Leonard with his eyes as he now stood with his back turned to him. A part of him felt relieved that Leonard was now awake and present, but another part felt slightly irritated that he had interrupted his silent thinking. He simultaneously felt like asking for Leonard's advice and asking him to move out and leave Sheldon alone. He quickly averted his eyes back to his phone as Leonard turned around, mug in hand and made his way to the arm chair next to Sheldon. He took a seat and looked at Sheldon, but didn't say anything, he simply took a small sip of his coffee. Sheldon kept his eyes fixated on his phone, waiting for Leonard to say anything. Leonard eyed him for another moment before saying something.

"You okay?" He asked with a frown.

"I'm fine." Sheldon said almost immediately, still not meeting Leonard's eyes.

"Come on, Sheldon…" Leonard offered, but was cut short by Sheldon.

"I said, I'm fine." He insisted.

Leonard sighed and placed his mug on the table.

"Sheldon…" He began in an exasperated tone of voice. "You need to come to terms with this situation. Amy sent you that termination formula yesterday and of course that makes you sad and confused, but you are making it impossible for anyone to help you. I can't help you, Penny can't help you, no one can help you before you face the facts; before you realize what is going on here." Leonard paused for a short second. "Sheldon, you might be losing Amy."

Sheldon finally looked at Leonard at that last remark. He met Leonard's concerned look with wide eyes. His words were rather harsh and they hit Sheldon like a railroad train, but deep down he knew he was right. He knew that he might be losing Amy, but he could never have imagined how hard it would feel to hear those words uttered out loud. Leonard held his gaze for another brief moment.

"So I ask you again: Are you all right?" Leonard asked with determination.

Sheldon swallowed hard and looked down at his hands, feeling a lump in his throat. He sighed heavily and slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, buddy…" Leonard said in a sincere tone of voice. Silence fell over the two physicists as neither one of them spoke for a while. Finally Leonard sighed and said.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

Sheldon kept his eyes on his hands, taking a minute before answering.

"Barely. After a rather restless night, I woke up at around 3 AM." He said in a small voice. Leonard frowned and shook his head ever so slightly, pondering over how to approach his distressed roommate.

"Sheldon…" He began hesitantly. "Have you thought about what to do next? I mean, you must have been thinking of a way to remedy the situation, right?"

Sheldon sighed, eyes still fixated on his hands. What to do next? How to remedy the situation? He had absolutely no idea. Not the slightest. He slowly shrugged his shoulders in defeat.

"I… I don't know." He said in a very small voice, finally looking up and meeting Leonard's eyes.

"What do you think I should do?" He asked, quietly and with pleading eyes.

Leonard eyed him for a minute. He had never seen Sheldon this hopeless. Normally when he met difficult obstacles in his life, Sheldon would go completely crazy, emerging himself in all sorts of activities in order to keep his mind of his unsolvable issues. When things became too much for him to handle he would retreat into his own little universe, distancing himself from the rest of the world. By experimenting with luminous fish. By learning how to loom. By adopting 25 cats. But Leonard had never witnessed him this lost for both words and actions. He had never known Sheldon to lay down in defeat, but it would seem that this current situation had him down at his knees. He wanted nothing more than to help him, but how?

"I don't know what to tell you. Have you considered talking to Amy?" He finally said.

Sheldon held Leonard's gaze for another short moment before looking back down at his hands.

"I can't talk to Amy." He said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Why not?" Leonard asked.

Sheldon sighed before answering.

"Her latest actions have made it abundantly clear that she does not wish to talk to me."

"Oh come on, I'm sure she wants to talk to you, to. Why don't you call her?" Leonard said, trying to make him feel better, but Sheldon just shook his head.

"She made it very clear that I would have to apologies to her in person. I can't call her." Sheldon explained. "Besides… She just terminated the relationship. It would make no difference, even if I did apologize. I crossed the deadline. It's too late." He continued.

"But why don't you just do it, Sheldon? Why don't you just come clean to Kripke and go apologize to Amy?" Leonard asked, now sitting on the edge of his seat. There was still hope. There had to be.

Sheldon shook his head again, this time more vigorously and the well-known expression of pride appeared on his face as he met Leonard's gaze with a dark look in his blue eyes.

"Because I have done nothing wrong! Any lie I told Kripke, who is my coworker, had nothing to do with Amy. Furthermore, I refuse to humiliate myself in front of a lesser minded creature like Kripke, I simply refuse to give him that satisfaction! How is that so hard to understand?" He said, his voice now growing angry. Leonard sighed, he had to make him understand the contradictory argument he was displaying.

"But Sheldon, your lie did involve Amy and therefore..." Leonard began but was cut short.

"But it doesn't matter, because it never happened!" Sheldon exclaimed, now breathing heavily also on the edge of his seat.

Leonard furrowed his brows and held out his hands in a defensive manner.

"Alright, okay, calm down, Sheldon. I'm sorry, just trying to help you." He said, trying to calm his best friend down.

Sheldon took a deep breath and sunk back into his seat. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice failed him. He shut his mouth closed again and took another deep breath before slowly nodding his head. Leonard let him cool down for another few moments, considering his next move. This was proving much harder than expected, since Sheldon clearly refused to face the truth.

"Well… Uhm… Uh oh! What about the Relationship Agreement?" Leonard asked in a hopeful tone of voice.

Sheldon furrowed his brows in confusion of the sudden turn in the conversation.

"What about it?" He asked confused.

"What does it say about a situation like this?"

Sheldon sighed before answering.

"The Relationship Agreement clearly specifies that in the event that either party wishes to end the relationship, they are to do so by sending a signed Termination Formula. The receiving party then has no more than 72 hours to sign the formula as well in which case the relationship is legally terminated, and the relationship then goes back to what it was before the installment of the Relationship Agreement." He explained.

Leonard pondered for a moment before speaking.

"So you have 72 hours to sign that formula and then you and Amy go back to being… what?.. That boy/friend/girl/friend-thing you had going on before?" He asked with furrowed brows.

Sheldon nodded affirmatively and Leonard pondered for another moment.

"And what happens if you don't sign the formula?" He asked, trying to understand Sheldon's dilemma. Sheldon's eyes grew darker, and he pressed his lips tightly together.

"In the event that either party refuses to sign the Termination Formula within the granted 72 hours, then the relationship will automatically be terminated, and all connections between the two parties will be severed." He said in a more low voice.

"So… If you do sign the formula, you end your relationship with Amy, and you go back to being just friends. If you don't sign the formula you still end your relationship with Amy but you end up never speaking to each other again?" Leonard asked with raised brows, surprised that anyone would do that to themselves.

Sheldon sighed and pressing his lips more tightly together he nodded a small nod.

Leonard eyed him for a moment. On the one hand he felt like pointing out the obvious: that Sheldon's endless rules and regulations finally had come back to bite him; that what had clearly been an attempt to protect himself and enabling himself to get a quick out in case he wanted to end his relationship with Amy had now backfired. But seeing Sheldon this frustrated and in need of help made Leonard decide that perhaps it was enough tough-love for one morning. He took a deep breath; this situation was truly a b-word.

"Well, you still have 72 hours, Sheldon. I am sure you are able to remedy the situation before that." He said in a soothing voice, all though he didn't feel convinced. Sheldon clearly shared his doubt as he shot Leonard a defeated look before returning his gaze to his hands now fumbling with his pajamas, as silence filled the space between them once again.

Just then a knock sounded on the door, causing both Sheldon and Leonard to raise their heads. Leonard had a very clear idea of who it was. He looked at Sheldon as a thought hit him.

"Sheldon, that's probably Penny. Do you want this to stay between the two of us, or can she know?" He asked tentatively.

Sheldon met his gaze, but did not answer.

"I just know that she wants to help you, and perhaps this will come in handy. But if you don't want her to know, then I promise not to say a word." Leonard explained.

Sheldon looked at him for another short moment. Leonard's loyalty and care really did surprise him sometimes, and on this very occasion it calmed him down a little.

"No. Penny can know. You have my permission to tell her." Sheldon said in a calm tone of voice. Leonard nodded and got up to answer the door.

"Good morning." Penny said as she saw her boyfriend standing in the doorway in his adorable red morning robe.

"Good morning." Leonard answered with a small smile. Penny gave him a quick kiss before entering the apartment.

"Good morning, sweetie." She said with a smile as she saw Sheldon sitting on his spot, before making her way to the kitchen, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Penny." Sheldon said with a small sigh, before getting up from his seat. He made his way to the hallway and then turned around.

"Leonard, will you please inform Dr. Siebert that I will not be coming to work today?" He said looking at his feet.

Leonard furrowed his brows at him as Penny asked the question he was thinking.

"Wait, Sheldon, you are not going to work today?"

Sheldon looked up from his feet and met their confused looks.

"No." He simply answered before turning around and making his way to his bedroom.

Penny turned to Leonard, her brows near her hairline.

"That bad, huh?" She asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

Leonard kept his eyes at the hallway as he nodded.

"Ugh, I just hate seeing him like this." Penny whispered, making her way next to Leonard.

"I know, me to. I tried to talk to him." Leonard answered, meeting her eyes. Penny was biting her lip in a nervous manner; he could tell she was dying to know.

"It's okay, Sheldon told me that I could tell you."

Penny looked at him in surprise.

"Really? He said that?"

Leonard nodded.

"Yes, I think he really trusts you." He said.

Penny smiled a warm smile, looking towards Sheldon's bedroom not knowing what to say. After a moment she returned her attention to Leonard.

"So, what did he say?"

After explaining her everything that had transpired that morning, Penny sad by the kitchen counter lost in thoughts.

"Why do they have to make things so complicated for themselves? I mean, this is a lose-lose situation. No matter what, they are both going to get hurt, and the brilliant mind of Sheldon Cooper is just too proud to realize his mistake!" She said, still trying to whisper in order to avoid Sheldon's Vulcan hearing.

"I know, you should have seen him when I suggested that he should just come clean to Kripke; he just exploded. I'm really worried about him, though. This is not like Sheldon at all. Instead of going all crazy and learning how to play the ukulele or something like that he is just all… Quiet and pensive. I have never seen him like that before." Leonard answered, a look of concern on his face.

Penny sighed and nodded her head.

"And you still think I shouldn't call his mother?" Leonard asked in a more worried tone of voice. He had no idea what else to do.

"Yes." Penny said in a stern voice. "Calling his mother now will not solve anything. She would force Sheldon to apologize, without realizing his mistake, and that would just make the whole situation worse."

Leonard knew she was right, but he had no clue as to how to move on from this point.

"So what now?" He asked in defeat.

"Now you go in and get ready for work, Siebert is probably going to behead somebody if you both don't show up for work. And I will call my agent and cancel my meetings today." Penny said, getting up from her seat and placing her mug in the sink. Leonard furrowed his brows and looked at her.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I can't leave Sheldon like this. He's too proud to ask for help, but right now he needs to know that we are here for him." Penny said, sighing. "Besides, it's about time I have a talk with Amy."

"I thought she wanted to be left alone?" Leonard asked, also placing his mug in the sink.

"She did, but I know that she needs to talk to someone at this point."

Leonard just looked at her in complete confusion. Penny shook her head and ushered him towards the bathroom.

"It's a girl thing, just go get ready for work."

After going back to her own apartment to shower and make a few phone calls, Penny found herself back in apartment 4A. There was still no sign of Sheldon. She hesitated another moment before pulling herself together and making her way to his bedroom. She cleared her throat and bringing her fist up she knocked slightly on the door. After a few moments of receiving no answer she slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door. There he was, laying on his bed on his side, hugging a pillow in deep sleep. Penny watched him for a moment before slowly closing the door again. This was her shot. Making her way back to the living room she pulled out her phone and dialed.

"Hey Bernadette, it's me. Listen, can you take a long lunch today? Great, pick up some food and meet me at Amy's lab in an hour. It's time for the three menstruateers to meet up." She face palmed herself. Where the hell did that come from?

"Skip that last part, I don't what the hell is going on with me. Can you just bring the lunch, I really think Amy needs us right now. Okay, great. See you then! Bye."

She hung up the phone and made her way over to Leonard's desk. Retrieving a pen and paper she scribbled down a quick message, letting Sheldon know that she would be back shortly. She left it on the one place she knew he would look: his spot. With that settled she made her way back to her apartment, grabbing her purse and jacket before descending the four flats of stairs.

She met Bernadette outside the university, and quickly filled her in on the recent events.

"I'm only telling you this because Amy needs us. You can not, and I repeat, can not tell anyone, okay?" Penny said sending Bernadette a stern look. Bernadette swallowed before nodding her head.

"Okay, let's do this." Penny said with determination, and with that they made their way to Amy's lab. They found her looking into a microscope, her hair a bit frisky and pulled back into a pony tail. Penny knocked a few times at the open door, causing Amy to look up at them in surprise.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked as she got up from her seat, making her way over to them as she removed her gloves.

"We came to surprise you with lunch, Ames." Penny said with a smile, while Bernadette nodded her head, lunch still in her hands.

"You need your menstruateers!" Penny continued, causing Bernadette's smile to fade as Amy cocked her head to one side. Penny cleared her throat and looked down at her shoes.

"I think what Penny's trying to say is that we came to have a little lunch with you so that we can talk about… Well, everything. You need to lay it off on someone." Bernadette said after a few moments of awkward silence, shooting Amy a smile.

"Yes, that!" Penny exclaimed pointing at Bernadette.

Amy shot them a faint smile.

"You really didn't have to do that." She said, throwing away her gloves.

"Yes we absolutely do." Penny said in a determined voice as she began making room on Amy's table. Bernadette put down their lunch and found three chairs, and before long the three women were seated and beginning their meal. Both Penny and Bernadette wanted Amy to talk, but it would seem that she was taking her time, as she slowly poked her salad not saying a word. Another few moments of silence went by before Amy finally spoke.

"So, Penny, how is the auditioning going?" She asked in a light tone of voice.

Penny and Bernadette shared saying looks before turning to face Amy more directly.

"It's going fine, but you know that's not why we are here, Ames." Penny said, trying to catch her eyes. Amy swallowed and kept poking at her food.

"You are not doing well at all, are you?" Penny asked in a low voice. Amy sighed and put her fork down and looking down at her hands she shook her head ever so slightly.

"Oh Amy." Bernadette cooed as she rubbed Amy's arm in a soothing manner.

"I just don't know what to do." Amy said, her voice shaking.

Now both Penny and Bernadette were rubbing her back and arms in a calming manner.

"It's okay, sweetie." Penny said in a soothing voice. "Let it out."

Amy quickly removed a stray tear with her hand and took a few deep breathes.

"It's completely all right to feel helpless in a situation like this." Bernadette said, still rubbing Amy's arm. "You just have to remember that you did everything you could."

Amy sighed and looked at Bernadette.

"You really think so?" She asked with uncertainty.

"Of course!" Bernadette insisted. "You don't?"

Amy inhaled slowly and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know… Lately I've just been thinking that somehow I should have done some more. That sending that termination formula was a mistake." She said.

Penny sighed and caught Amy's eyes.

"Sweetie, tell me. What could you possibly have done other than what you did?"

Amy shrugged her shoulders again.

"Called him. E-mailed him. Anything other than sending an actual Termination Formula." Amy said in a defeated voice.

"Don't say that." Bernadette said in a determined voice.

"Look, we all love Sheldon, but he really crossed a line this time. He has to learn to take responsibility for his actions, and treating you and hurting you like that is just not okay. He has to understand that, but he never will if you don't put your foot down." Penny added, causing Bernadette to nod in agreement. Amy kept quiet for a couple of moments, pressing her lips tightly together.

"I know." She said with a deep sigh. "It's just hard. I really don't want to end the relationship, it was just to make him understand that I really mean it this time." Amy's voice was now revealing intense nervousness, as she looked from Penny to Bernadette.

"Of course." Bernadette said, rubbing Amy's arm again, sending Penny a nervous look; after all she knew more about Sheldon's state of mind at this point. As if Amy had read Bernadette's thoughts she took a deep sigh and looked at her hands before speaking in a low voice.

"How is he?"

Penny looked at Bernadette and bit her lip. She had only told Bernadette the essentials, she hadn't mentioned any of the things she had heard from Sheldon and Leonard. On one hand she really wanted to set Amy's mind at ease, she hated to see her this sad. But on the other hand she felt loyalty towards Sheldon and his feelings. It was truly a difficult situation to be in. Penny sighed and took Amy's hand.

"Sweetie, how do you think he is doing?" She asked in a small voice.

Amy met her eyes with an understanding look.

"That bad?" She said in a concerned voice.

Penny nodded and squeezed her hand.

"But he has to go through this, I guess. I mean if that is what it takes for him to realize his mistake and set the record straight." Penny said exhaling slowly.

Amy returned her look to her hand, nodding her hand slightly. Bernadette and Penny exchanged worried looks as Amy let out a quiet sob. Penny quickly put her arms around her as Bernadette rubbed her arm once again.

"Oh sweetie, I hate to see you two like this." Penny said in a shaky voice. "You just have to hang in there, Sheldon will come around, I know he will. He just has to."

Amy didn't say a word.

"You haven't given up on him, have you?" Bernadette asked in a cautious voice. Another moment of silence went by.

"No." Amy finally said in a low yet very determined voice. Penny squeezed her arms tighter around her.

"Good, and don't you dare do it. I know it sounds completely useless, but you really have to give yourself a break, Ames. Hopefully everything will be solved within the next 3 days." She said in a light tone of voice, trying to lift Amy's spirit. Amy responded by taking a deep breath, nodding her head and shooting her a faint smile.

"Wait, 3 days?" Bernadette asked in confusion.

"Relationship Agreement." Amy and Penny answered in unison both turning to face her.

"Oh." Bernadette said with an understanding nod.

After another moment Penny slowly retracted her arms from Amy shooting her a concerned look.

"You feeling better?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

Amy sighed and shot her faint smile.

"Yes, I believe I am. Thank you." Amy answered, giving both Penny and Bernadette a warm look.

Bernadette checked her watch and said.

"I really have to go, I don't think I can justify stretching my lunch any longer."

Penny nodded and picked up her purse. The two blondes then took turns hugging Amy before making their way to the door.

"You hang in there, Ames! After all, your boyfriend is a genius!" Penny exclaimed just before walking out the door followed by the tiny Bernadette who shook her head at her taller friend's remark.

Amy shook her head and went back to work, a faint smile on her lips, but her heart still heavy as ever.

Penny made it up the last steps before standing in front of apartment 4A. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door, preparing herself for whatever mood Sheldon was in. After a short moment he opened the door and eyed her with a cautious look.

"Hello, Penny." He finally said, stepping aside and allowing her access to his apartment.

"Hi, sweetie." Penny answered with a smile, stepping inside. She tried to figure out his state of mind as she watched him making his way over to his spot and taking a seat. He was still wearing his pajamas, even though it was past noon, and his hair was slightly messy. This was very unusual for Sheldon, she knew that, but she decided not to mention it for now. After all, his clothing and hair really didn't matter at this point. She slowly took a seat on the other side of the couch, eyeing him, wondering how to approach him. It was always hard to tell with Sheldon, but the current situation made it even more difficult to access his response.

"So… How was your nap? Did you get some rest?" She asked in a light tone of voice, trying to get the conversation going. Sheldon looked at her, but something in his eyes made her feel like he wasn't seeing her at all. After a moment of silence he seemed to snap out of his trance as he nodded his head a bit and said.

"Yes, thank you, my nap was satisfactory."

Penny had no idea what to make of his blank facial expression. She cleared her throat.

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you something to eat?" She said trying to keep her tone of voice as light as possible. Sheldon shook his head.

"No." He just said, turning his head and looking at the coffee table. Penny followed his look and noticed his phone on the table right in front of him. There was no doubt about it, Sheldon was clearly feeling miserable.

"Sheldon…" She began, unsure of what to say, what to do. He didn't turn to look at her, instead he kept his eyes fixated on the phone in front of him.

"Is there… Is there anything I can do?" Penny asked in a low voice.

Sheldon swallowed, but didn't say a thing. After a short moment he shook his head.

"Then talk to me, Sheldon. I hate to see you this miserable. I know you would feel better if you would just talk to someone." She said, turning to face him more directly, scooting a bit closer. Her movement made Sheldon look at her.

"I don't believe there is anything to talk about." He said in a low voice.

"Come on, just tell me what is on your mind. You're making me nervous. I want to help you, Sheldon." Penny pleaded, but Sheldon just shook his head.

"Please?" She asked in one last attempt to make him talk. Sheldon sighed heavily and looked back at the phone.

"I appreciate your concern, Penny, but there is nothing you can do." He said in a defeated tone of voice before slowly standing up. Taking the phone in his hand he turned around and made his way to the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Penny asked, also standing up.

Sheldon turned to face her.

"My room." He said, his voice plain and his face unreadable, before turning back around, walking towards his room.

Penny watched him disappear around the corner and heard the quiet sound of his door closing before falling back into the couch with a sigh. It was hopeless.

After a short while she got up and made her way to her own apartment, deciding that Sheldon probably needed some space for now.

After a couple of hours, Leonard texted her, telling her that he would be home soon; he had called everyone from the group to let them know that the traditional dinner get together was cancelled this evening. It would just be too awkward with a sad Sheldon and a missing Amy.

Penny heard Leonard ascend the stairs from her apartment and hour later and went to wait for him on the stair well.

As he reached the last step, Penny kissed him and hugged him tight. Leonard was caring their dinner in one hand, but he wrapped the other one around her with a frown; she seemed very upset.

"Is everything all right?" He asked as Penny stepped back and allowed him to walk over to the apartment door.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"They are both miserable and sad, but I have no idea how to fix this." She said in a low voice, as Leonard placed his hand on the door knob. Before opening the door he turned to look at her.

"I don't think we can fix this one." He said with a sad smile before turning the door knob and walking in to the apartment, followed by Penny.

He placed the food on the coffee table and looked around.

"Where's Sheldon?" He whispered.

"Probably still in his room. He's been like this the whole day." Penny whispered back.

Leonard looked towards the hallway and sighed before slowly unpacking their dinner. When everything was set he called for Sheldon.

"Sheldon, dinner's ready."

After a moment or two Sheldon emerged from the hallway, dressed in his green lantern t-shirt and plaid pants.

"Hey buddy, how was your day?" Leonard asked, eyeing Sheldon. He didn't answer, but simply walked over to the coffee table and picked up his food. Standing back up he looked at Leonard.

"As one could expect." Was Sheldon's only answer before he turned around and made his way back to his room. Penny walked a few steps in his direction, but was stopped by Leonard's hand in front of her.

"Don't." He said in a low voice. "Knowing Sheldon, the fact that he is even talking to us at this point is really a good sign. Trust me. I think we should just leave him alone, he knows we're here, he'll come out if he wants to."

Dinner passed by silently with both Penny and Leonard lost in thoughts. They were only interrupted by Sheldon making his way to the kitchen and helping himself to a bottle of water after a couple of hours.

"Sheldon, we are going to watch a movie. Do you want to join us?" Leonard asked hopefully as Sheldon closed the refrigerator, but Sheldon didn't answer, making his way back to the hallway. Standing on the ledge, he paused and turned around.

"Thank you, but it's almost my bedtime. Goodnight." He said courtly before turning around and making his way to his bedroom. Leonard turned and looked at Penny with a confused look on his face. She reciprocated his concerned frown, before they both took a seat on the couch and beginning the movie.

Neither one of them really paid any attention to what they were watching, and they both took turns looking in the direction of the hallway, hoping that Sheldon would emerge any minute.

Half way through the movie, Penny's phone suddenly started buzzing. Picking it up, she saw it was Amy and quickly answered.

"Hey Ames, what's up?" She asked in a low voice.

Penny furrowed her brows, something about Amy's voice made her nervous. Her voice was muffled and hoarse, as if she had been crying.

"No, not at all." She answered. "Amy, is everything all right?"

Leonard eyed Penny who looked back at him with a concerned look on her face. He quickly silenced the movie and turned to face her, a worried frown appearing on his face. Penny's eyes suddenly widened at something Amy was telling her, and she brought her hand up to her head.

"Oh my god, Amy, that's terrible. I'm so sorry." Penny said in a soothing voice. Leonard caught her eyes and tried to understand the situation but Penny just waved him off, trying to hear what Amy was saying.

"I'm coming over right now, it'll only be a minute." Penny said with determination, standing up. Leonard stood up as well, trying his best to deduct anything from the phone call.

Penny furrowed her brows and bit her lip.

"Are you sure? I really don't like leaving you alone after something like this." She said in a concerned voice. Another moment went by before Penny sighed and said.

"Okay, if that's what you want, sweetie. But if you need anything you just call me, okay? Promise? All right… I'm really sorry, Ames… Okay. Take care. Goodnight."

Penny ended the call and looked at Leonard who was practically bursting with curiosity, but before he could say anything another voice cut through.

"What happened to Amy?"

Both Leonard and Penny turned to face the source of the question. Much to their surprise they saw Sheldon standing on the ledge between the hallway and the living room, a look of concern and fear on his face.

Deep breathes, my little cute lumps of wool.

Was that another cliff hanger? I'm being really mean to you, aren't I? Well, I love cliff hangers. Sorry! Sue me.

You know the drill: I live for your reviews! They are like the first sip of water after walking through a dessert! (Was that too much? No.)

So please! Leave a review, tell me what you think, I am dying to know!

Now I am off to write the next chapter! *Moonwalks out*

Live long and ship hard!