"A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success."

-Bo Bennett

"Want to get that?" Leonard asked after four consecutive knocks on the front door sounded as he was making tea.

Meanwhile, Sheldon was sitting in front of his desk and on his laptop. "Not particularly."

"Could you get that?" Leonard requested differently this time with a roll of his eyes.

"I suppose I could if I were asked," he answered, not diverting his attention away from the screen.

This is ridiculous, Leonard thought to himself as he crossed his arms. Why couldn't he do the simplest of things? "Would you please get that?"

Sheldon turned and nodded, heading towards the door afterwards. "Of course. Why do you have to make things so complicated?" Leonard shook his head and left the kitchen.

Sheldon strode across the room and placed his hand on the doorknob, twisting and pulling it open. It took him a moment to realize that the woman in front of him was Amy Farrah Fowler. He had not seen or heard from her for a long time, and truth be told, he never made the effort to do something about it. No words were exchanged, only Amy swinging her arms around Sheldon's waist and pulled him into a tight and uneasy hug. He compared the hug to being crushed by a boa constrictor, but didn't bother to mention it.

Once Amy pulled away from his stiff body, she entered the apartment and sat on the seat next to Sheldon's spot. Sheldon wanted to say something to her, yet he couldn't bring himself to do so. For the past few weeks, that spot was usually reserved for Penny during video game nights and eating with their group. Though she wasn't there with him right now, it felt unnatural for another woman to sit on that spot. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on the couch. Amy was grinning widely and caused Sheldon to feel strange. It was suspicious for her to reappear after a long period of time without contact.

"Sheldon, what happened on this very day?" Amy asked enthusiastically.

Sheldon raised his brows. "Be more specific. In whose life or in what part of the world?"

"Our lives, Sheldon!" She clarified with eagerness.

He glanced over to the calendar posted on the wall by his desk and saw that it was May 24. Sheldon gulped and looked down on the floor, fiddling with his hands that were resting on his lap. "This is the day when we first met. At the coffee shop after Raj and Howard threatened me with a dirty sock hidden in my apartment."

"Yes... and do you remember the exact word change we had on that day?"

Sheldon looked up to meet her with weary eyes. "We started by introducing ourselves to one another and I mentioned the reason why I was forced to meet up with you in person. You only came because you and your mother agreed that you will date at least once a year and I had made a similar promise but with attending church. You put all forms of physical contact, including coitus, off the table and that is when I bought you a beverage."

Amy seemed like she was about to burst into tears. She threw her arms around him once more and her tears of joy were absorbed through his favorite red Flash t-shirt. "You remember everything! I can't believe it!"

He gently pushed her away and offered a tissue from the Rubik's Cube tissue box beside him. After wiping them away, Amy opened her purse and retrieved a folder filled with papers. She held it out to Sheldon and he instantly knew what it was.

"The Relationship Agreement?"

Amy nodded. "Yes! I hereby invoke Section 6 Clause 23 of The Relationship Agreement. As you know, this section deals with reasons for termination of the Agreement. Clause 23 states..."

"That if we end our relationship, one may ask the other to continue it if the action was caused by impulsiveness or misunderstanding," Sheldon simplified.

She placed the documents down on the coffee table. "I do regret breaking up with you, Sheldon. I was blinded by my sadness and worries, and I was quick to make such a harsh uncalled-for action. It was a whole misunderstanding on my part."

Sheldon wasn't sure what to say. Amy had swung by his apartment to inform him that she was interested in resuming their relationship. A part of him wanted to agree with her and go back to the way things were. Homeostasis, he reasoned. She was needed in his life since it was a lot of work to accommodate her into it. Sheldon was depended on her taking him to work or anywhere else when Leonard can't and every Thursday night had become "date night" since three years ago. Although he didn't love Amy like how she wanted to be loved, he still appreciated her being in his life.

The other variable was Penny. He regained his memories and fortunately, did not lose the new ones he had experienced. Sheldon still had the same feelings he held for her and was waiting for her to feel the same way. He felt comfortable and safe around Penny. He felt the happiest with her. That was one change he was willing to keep.

He did understand her concern earlier. He was simply acting the same way he usually did prior to the accident and knew Penny wasn't use to it. Sheldon shook his head. He was conflicted. Change was never a good thing for him, but why does this seem different? Why does this change seem to be for the better? Sheldon wanted his usual life back, the one with Wednesday comic book nights and Thai food on Mondays. Yet, he wanted the one with the spontaneous Penny, the one woman in his life that he could not predict what she would do.

It was causing him too much anxiety. Too much was happening too fast, and for the first time, he didn't know how to control the situation. Penny said that she would wait for him, but Amy wanted him now. Amy had been in his life longer than Penny, and having a relationship with Amy was easy. Their relationship was governed by an agreement that he drew up, and agreements are what made things like these comfortable for him.

With his memory back, Sheldon was not as comfortable with physical contact as before. The fear of germs had returned and at that moment on the couch, Sheldon was demanding himself not to bolt to the showers. Amy knew his boundaries. Penny, although respectable of him, was unaware of all of his fears and idiosyncrasies. He had seen her apartment and was tempted to clean it as he thought about it right now. She was chaotic and messy. Shirts and underwear thrown across the floor and used cooking and eating utensils remained unwashed in the kitchen sink.

"Sheldon? Please answer me. Are you willing to restore it to the last point we both agree it worked?" Amy spoke.

He was silent. Sheldon didn't want to upset Amy. He didn't want to upset anyone, period. But there was still a possibility of Penny not wishing to pursue a relationship with him anymore. She was an independent woman with an almost successful career in acting that required her to work long hours, on and off set.

"Yes," the words slipped out of his mouth. Sheldon had never felt this confused about himself in his thirty-four years on Earth.

"Thank you, Sheldon," Amy said sweetly. "I have a fun getaway trip we can take to strengthen our relationship."

Amy excused herself to insert her flash drive into Sheldon's computer. His phone vibrated against the pocket of his pants, and he read the preview of the message.

Hey, genius!

He smiled at Penny's text and looked wearily at his girlfriend who he had just gotten back with.

Was it a mistake? Sheldon asked himself inside his head as Amy pulled up a power point presentation for him.

It was eight at night, and all Penny wanted to do the minute she got home from work was shower, change, and sleep. Tonight was one of the busiest nights at the restaurant, and she barely made any tips. All the customers in her area were either rude or flirtatious, and it soured her mood for the rest of her shift. She sent out a message to Sheldon during her break to see if he could lighten up her mood. Though their conversation was cut short due to Sheldon having a visitor, she was able to smile at least once. Before she had locked her phone, Sheldon sent her a text asking if she would like to hang out with him after work. Her first response was no, but she quickly changed it when she figured that it wouldn't hurt either of them to spend more time with each other. She needed to take time looking over her script and she figured that they wouldn't be able to hang out as often as they would like.

Here she was now, stirring a beverage for Sheldon as he watched Star Trek on her television. She has yet to discuss with Sheldon about her interest in- well, him. There was a small nagging voice in the back of her mind telling Penny to wait a bit longer. She wasn't sure why, but she couldn't wait. Penny wanted him to know as soon as possible and see how he'd react to it. With a smile, she walked over to the living room and stood in front of Sheldon.

"A train ride in Napa Valley? That sounds like fun," Penny said as she handed him a glass of Strawberry Quik.

Sheldon drank half of the glass before stopping. "This tastes delicious, Penny. What did you use?"

"The syrup," she answered, taking a seat right next to him.

His blue eyes shot up and twitched once. Sheldon was always used to the powdered drink rather than the syrup. The syrup tasted better, but he had been using the powder for a long time. Another change he liked, but unwilling to accept.

Penny cleared her throat. "So, who are you going with?"

"Amy," Sheldon uttered. Penny recalled that familiar name. He hadn't spoken much about her after she left his apartment in a fit of despair.

"Isn't she your ex-girlfriend?"

Sheldon nodded once and set the drink down. "Amy has proposed that we take a romantic getaway to Napa Valley on board a fully functioning vintage train. She believes that it will strengthen our strained relationship and provide relaxation after a long, strenuous week." he added, using air quotes on the words "romantic" and "getaway."

"So, this means that you two are back together?" Penny sadly asked with a quieter voice.

He could have sworn that he saw a tear beginning to form in the corner of her eye. "Correct."

Penny held her hands together and sighed. "That's great," she said, unable to avoid the catch in her throat. "Really, Sheldon. I'm happy... for you."

"Penny? Is your current disposition towards my plans caused by something else?"

Her mouth began to form a word, but couldn't continue it. Her heart ached and felt ten times heavier. "What do you mean?"

Sheldon shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Are you beginning to reciprocate the same feelings I have for you?"

It was now or never.

"Yes, Sheldon, I do. It seemed too quick for me at first, thinking about how we can't work and changing it to I want to try things. Sheldon, you mean the world to me. We may have not known each other for a long time unlike you and Amy, but I feel so close to you. Every time you're hurt, it makes me feel miserable knowing that I can't do anything to make it stop. I was afraid of losing you, and that would be my biggest regret if that ever happens. You've made me happy after being stressed out as hell. We're different, that's for sure. You're a genius, and I'm not. You're a college graduate, meanwhile I dropped out of school after a few months of trying. But I've read from one of those science-y books you left here that opposites attract. I want to be the one who's always there for you no matter what and will stand by you through everything," Penny explained. She held back the tears that stung her eyes. "But you've gotten your memory back, and there's not much I can do to change a mind like yours. You told me about change and how it affects you, and I get it. Yet, I feel like it won't work out anymore since..."

He stared at her, waiting for her to finish the sentence.

"Never mind," Penny turned her head away from Sheldon and bit her bottom lip to stop crying. She had waited too long. Two weeks wasn't exactly long, but it was to her. Only at the wrong time did she start to feel the same way about Sheldon, only for him to run back to Amy. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"After all you've said to me the day we went to Carney's, why did you lose feelings for me all of the sudden?"

Sheldon avoided talking about his feelings the best he could. He thought that he was above all of that since he was a self-proclaimed Homo Novus. Physical and emotional intimacy was something he didn't consider a priority in his life, and science became the most important thing to him ever since. Yet, he was still a man. He did have urges and feelings, but he managed to keep them buried for such a long time. However, at this second, he was willing to express himself to her. "Change, Penny. I told you about it earlier. Amy has made herself a person I depend on because she had altered my routines and schedules. If I take her out of my life, there would be another uncomfortable shift and I do not want to experience that. Penny, I still uphold my feelings towards you, but with Amy, I am used to her presence as my girlfriend."

"Are you saying that if you break up with Amy and date me, everything will change and that would be a bad thing?"

"No! The change would be uncomfortable for me."

"So, me dating you would be uncomfortable?"

He was in trouble now. "Amy and I signed an agreement four years ago that helped our relationship. We have every scenario laid down in it as well as a few rules. If you are willing to sign one-"

"I'm not signing an agreement. It makes a relationship sound like some kind of court law or whatever!"

"It's the only way that I could feel secure in a relationship."

Penny was on the verge of crying hard. Sheldon picked Amy over her because he was so used to Amy being around him that her being gone would change his way of life. She never realized how a disruption to his usual ways would impact him greatly. Here was a man that planned out every single detail of his life so carefully and meticulously that he couldn't afford any alterations to it.

She looked back to Sheldon, who was staring down at his lap. She wanted him to be happy, that was her main goal. That was the one thing she promised to do, either as lovers or friends. It could tear her in two, finally feeling this way only to be shut down. She thought about that day when he poured himself out to her and how she rejected him. It was almost like that now but with him rejecting her.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out, causing Sheldon to have his attention caught. "I don't understand all these things about you that are new to me."

"I wish everything was easier. I am a complicated man, Penny."

"Sheldon, I might not get over this soon but I would like for us to spend more time together. You know, so I could get to know the you from before the accident. You said you reverted back to the person you were, and I'd appreciate it if I get to know that kind of person."

"I'd like that very much," Sheldon replied with a slight smile.

Penny returned the same expression. "When are you leaving for the train ride?"

"In five weeks," he answered.

"Okay," she half-heartedly said. It was going to hurt her to see him with another woman for three days in a confined space, but she was willing to endure that in order to keep him in her life.

He walked out of her apartment soon after making plans with Penny on Thursday. Sheldon invited her for pizza at his apartment with the rest of the group. Well, his usual group as in Howard, Raj, Leonard, Amy, and Bernadette. Stuart and Wil were not making an appearance for that night since he yearned for a regular meal with only six people in attendance. With Penny, it would be seven, but since she had wanted to know all of him, he invited her to eat with them.

She waved goodbye as Leonard picked him up from her apartment. Penny felt heartbroken, and mused that Sheldon had felt the same way to when she rejected him. The kisses and hand-holding that she wanted to experience with Sheldon would come from Amy instead, and she couldn't help but be envious about it. He wanted to settle back into his old life, the one before he had been knocked unconscious and met Penny because of that.

It wasn't a goodbye. She still had feelings for him, and he still had his for her, only his are being suppressed and buried in order to keep things the way they are supposed to be. Penny was the type of woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wants. She wanted Sheldon, and now she can't have him. It was stressing her out way too much. Two days ago, Penny decided that she was willing to be with him. A day ago, she planned on telling him, only for Sheldon to be hit in the head for standing up to her. Tonight, they were to stay as friends until the foreseeable future.

No matter how hard she tried that night, Penny could not stop thinking about Sheldon. He had made her feel this way and she had to lessen it to not get hurt.

Was this karma as a result of turning him down?

A/N:

I probably used "feel" or "feelings" at least ten times in this chapter and repeated things twice. Oh well. This was also a hard chapter to write. I know what I want to say but it's getting harder and harder to put it into words. If any of you need some clarifications, go ahead ask!

Before you chase me with pitchforks and torches (directing this to certain people), I think you should wait until the next chapter. It'll explain Sheldon's reasons better. Hopefully, that will change your mind about forming an angry mob and rounding me up in a corner.

I'm still team Shenny by the way and I have no means of ending this story as a Shamy. Nope. I swear on everything.

Anyways, see ya later.