"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

The moment the car turned down the street, Sheldon's eyes widened and became filled with glee. About a hundred yards away was the brand new paintball field that Sheldon had been anticipating to go once he had heard of its recent grand opening. The twenty-acre field featured a vast amount of land to roam around freely. There's a large pond in the middle of the arena, as well as enough trees and boulders to hide from the opposing teams. He compared it to the paintball field he usually went to before the accident, and knew that they were going to have one hell of a time here.

Once the car parked, Sheldon turned his head to the left and smiled at Penny. He reached behind him and gripped on his favorite paintball gun that rested in the backseat. They exited out of the vehicle at the same time with their guns slung across their body and a bag filled with their other equipment in hand. Approaching the front of the arena, Sheldon could see Raj, Stuart, and someone that seemed familiar to him. He reached out and touched Penny's shoulder, causing her to face him.

"Who is that?" Sheldon asked, pointing to the stranger standing beside his friends.

"That's Wil Wheaton. I visited Raj's place last week while he was hanging out with Wil. He mentioned how you guys used to be arch-enemies but two years ago, you've became good friends," Penny answered.

Wil Wheaton. Sheldon remembered the time when he and Leonard were at Stuart's comic book store browsing for a sword to start with for their fantasy sword collection. Wil had dropped by to pick up a comic book and invited the three men to a party at his house. At first, Sheldon was defiant and wanted Leonard to choose between him and Wil. He had loathed that man ever since the '95 Dixie Trek convention which Wil failed to make an appearance. When Sheldon found out that Brent Spiner was at the party, he ultimately decided to go for the sake of meeting him. There, Wil gave him his last original Wesley Crusher action figure.

"I remembered your story about the time you went to a convention when you were a kid to get one signed, and I didn't show up. Look at what I wrote," Wil said to Sheldon.

"'To Sheldon, sorry this took so long. Your friend, Wil Wheaton,'" Sheldon read out loud, seemingly touched by his offering.

"It's my last one. I want you to have it."

Sheldon paused for a brief moment, and gave Wil one of his rare hugs. "Look, everyone. Wil Wheaton is my friend!"

The memories of filming Fun with Flags episodes with him filled his head. Sheldon also remembered when Wil had helped him when he made the scientific blunder a few months ago. Those were all he could think of at the moment as he walked to his group with friends with Penny by his side.

"Happy birthday, Sheldon," Wil greeted as he shook his hand, feeling a slight twitch after contact. "No one told me about your accident since I was up in San Diego to film a small role. I'm glad you're doing great. It doesn't even look like you got hurt."

"Thank you, Wil," he responded.

Stuart and Raj stepped forward, dressed in their paintball uniforms and each held a gift bag which Sheldon assumed was for him.

"Happy birthday, buddy!" Raj said happily.

"You're thirty four and not living in a state of depression! That's quite an achievement," Stuart added, handing his gift to his friend.

Sheldon gladly accepted it and gave him a sad smile. He didn't like how Stuart was depressed for a long time and wished he had done something sooner. The guy was funny and interesting, and it bothered him when Stuart told him he had no real friends until he met them. "What are we waiting for? How do we divide up the teams? There are five of us and the only way we can have an even number per team is if we cut Raj in half."

Just as he finished his sentence, Sheldon heard someone clear their throat from behind him. Cautiously turning his head back, he was surprised to see Howard ready for the match. Howard walked to the closer towards the group. "Do you guys mind if I play as well? I overheard that you needed an extra player."

"Sheldon, is it okay?" Penny asked.

He nodded slowly and raised his paintball gun. "The teams are Penny, Wil, and I versus Howard, Stuart, and Raj. May the best team win."

They were so close to winning it.

Only Sheldon, Penny, and Stuart are the remaining players in the game.

Penny separated from her team momentarily, acting as bait while Sheldon hid behind a group of boulders that were a good amount of distance away from where she stood. Stuart was heading towards their way, and he was a good of a shot in paintball. Stuart and Howard were both equally strategic and stealthy, and Sheldon's team had a difficult time tracking their every movement. Raj was the first one eliminated, and then Wil. After half an hour of playing cat-and-mouse, Sheldon and Penny had separated Howard and Stuart by pushing each of them to a different side of the arena. Twenty minutes later, Howard was finally out of the game.

Her eyes caught Sheldon signaling her to move forward while he tried to sneak up behind Stuart. Once he was sure of it, Sheldon rose up from the ground, pulled down then released the trigger, and watched as Stuart fall back, surprised and defeated. Lowering his weapon down, he was rejoined by Penny, who took note of the smug look on his face.

Tension cleared away before Sheldon began to laugh and reached his hand out for Stuart. "That was the most fun I've had since awhile. I'm glad we did this," he said, helping Stuart back up on his feet.

"I'm surprised that I've made it that far. Who would have thought that I'd survive longer than Howard and Raj?" Stuart chuckled as the trio walked back to the front.

They met with the others after their short walk. Howard approached Penny and Sheldon first, presenting them with a paintball trophy. "This is for the champions. Congratulations, guys."

Sheldon graciously accepted it with a smile. "Thank you, and thank you to Penny and Wil. Wil's experience with the activity and Penny's good aim along with her expertise in shooting had brought us to victory. Together, we are unstoppable."

"Thank you, sweetie," Penny said, reaching up to his face and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Howard, Raj, and Wil shared discreet looks with each other before Sheldon managed to speak.

"As I recall, my past birthdays hadn't been pleasant, but this year's will be unforgettable."

"I'm glad you're happy, buddy. You've earned it after recent events," Howard said.

Sheldon felt his stomach grumbled. "Well, I hope this isn't what you all have planned for today. I have a hankering for a cheeseburger and a glass of lemonade."

"The day isn't over yet, Sheldon. After three hours here and missing lunch, I'm guessing all of us here are starving. What restaurant do you have in mind?"

"The Cheesecake Factory?" Sheldon suggested.

The others nodded in agreement. "Then it's settled."

Sheldon requested to ride with Wil to The Cheesecake Factory to catch up with him. He remembered how he idolized Wil's character on Star Trek: Next Generation. He could relate to Wesley Crusher, a know-it-all boy genius with an eidetic memory just like him. In the car, they chatted about the first time they met which was back in 2009 during Stuart's Mystic Warlords of Ka'a tournament and how much they hated each other. Sheldon felt slightly embarrassed for holding onto a grudge for such a long time, but Wil forgave him for that.

They switched the topic of their conversation to their personal lives. Wil shared some of his stories with his wife and later asked Sheldon about Amy. At first, Sheldon stayed quiet. He felt uncomfortable with the subject but told Wil that they were broken up after the accident. Sheldon hadn't thought about Amy that much after she left his apartment. What more can he do? He barely knew her and she seemed to have no desire to get back together.

"How about Penny?" Sheldon's eyes diverted to Wil, who was driving the vehicle. "What's up between you guys?"

Sheldon leaned his head back and blushed. He still hasn't stopped thinking of the blonde woman who was his best friend at the moment. He felt silly about his little crush on her. The feelings he had for her were unfamiliar, and a part of him knew that he hasn't felt this way for a long time. The image of Penny smiling and how she treated him made him smile uncontrollably.

"Although we have known each other for a short amount of time, we are very close friends," Sheldon said, sighing as he mentioned the words "friends." In the back of his head, he wanted what they have to be something so much more. "Why do you ask?"

"I saw you two during the paintball match. You guys wouldn't leave each others' side. Before, during, and after the game," Wil answered as he followed Penny's car in front of him.

"What does that mean?"

Wil chuckled at Sheldon seeming to play dumb about it. "I'm not blind, Sheldon. Also, Penny and I talked one-on-one once. All she could ever talk about was either you or her acting career. Let me tell you something, she spoke more about you than the other."

Sheldon felt his heart beat slightly faster after knowing that Penny talks about him. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Raj and Stuart told me that you like her."

"I like her because she's my friend."

Wil shook his head. "Stop lying to me. You like-like her. You like her the same way how I like my wife. No need to hide it, Sheldon. I think you two will make a cute couple."

"Thank you," Sheldon managed to say.

"The question is have you told her how you feel?"

Sheldon gave a small frown. "Yes."

"And...?"

"Penny is not interested in being committed in a relationship right now. She recently ended things amicably with her partner of almost ten years and is now enjoying her life being independent and single," Sheldon answered, reminding himself of the truth.

A moment of silence passed by before Wil spoke once more. "You know she didn't say that she wasn't interested in you."

Sheldon quickly faced him. The "pretend" first date in addition to Wil's words gave him hope. He knew he has a chance with Penny. All he had to do was wait until she was fully ready. Their car stopped at the red light with Penny's car still in front of them. Sheldon saw the window of the driver's seat open and Penny's face peeking out of it. She gave the two a wave before returning to the wheel.

"Don't worry," Wil began, "I think she'll come around soon."

A/N:

I'll post the continuation of Sheldon's birthday in the upcoming days. Hopefully I could get into posting daily, but life likes to sneak up on me.