"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."

-Carl Sagan

"You're not comfortable with flying, are you?" Penny said as she handed him a bottle of water. Sheldon's eyes were still closed shut, but the hands that were gripping the arm rest loosened its hold of it. He felt a soft tap on his shoulder and he forced himself to open his lids. He quickly nodded his head and accepted the water, downing half of the bottle quickly. "I read somewhere online that flying is actually safer than driving. You have nothing to be anxious about, sweetie. I used to fly in airplanes every summer since the first grade and not once was I involved in an accident."

Sheldon took a big chug of water once more, emptying the plastic bottle in less than two minutes. "I am not afraid of this plane crashing down. Being enclosed in a small tight for a long time makes me claustrophobic. There was this one occasion when my family and I flew to Florida for Disney World. It was the first time I had ever been on an aircraft, and the experience was horrible. I felt closed in and it caused a mild panic attack. I don't particularly enjoy sitting in cramped spaces like these."

"So, how are you feeling?" Penny asked as she leaned back on her seat.

He shrugged. "I'm fine, but afraid."

"Of flying?"

"My Meemaw," he said with a strained voice. "I can't imagine losing her, Penny. She understood me when no one else could. Meemaw supported me in everything that I deemed was right for me, and I adore that woman."

Sheldon looked up to her eyes. "What if she passes away before we could land in Texas? It would haunt me forever knowing that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye."

He lowered his glance, but a warm hand cupped his chin and tilted it up slightly to meet Penny's gaze. "Your Meemaw sounds like a strong woman. She may be fighting for her life, but she's not giving up. Don't lose hope, Sheldon. She'll be there when we get there."

Her hand dropped and Sheldon sighed. "Have you ever experienced this feeling before? Losing someone so important to you?"

"I have, and everyday there's that feeling hanging above my head. You can't control everything in this world and it sucks when they're gone forever," Penny responded with a small frown. "I try to push that thought away though. People enter your life and sometimes make a difference. There are those few people who leave without so much of a 'bye,' and there are those whose times are up. They might be gone, but at least we have the memory of them making us smile."

Sheldon held back a tear. He didn't want to think of his Meemaw dying as she truly was a fighter. "Thank you, Penny. Thank you for coming with me. I cannot imagine flying home all by myself under these circumstances."

She smiled. "You're welcome, sweetie. I'll be here whenever you need me."

The hospital was like a maze to Sheldon. A few may have sneezed and coughed at his direction, but all he could do was grimace then move on. He needed to get to his grandmother's room as soon as possible. Meemaw's Moonpie was finally home after so many months of not seeing each other, and he wanted to sit beside her, hold her hand, and tell her the new stories that he experienced during his absence. He would tell her all the scientific breakthroughs he's about to make and how much he missed baking snicker doodles with her in the kitchen. He imagined her sitting up and watching an old black and white movie as she knitted a pair of booties for her great-grandson. He pictured her lively and healthy, not sick and suffering.

They passed by the waiting area, and before heading down a different hallway, Sheldon could hear his name being called. His attention was caught by a man and woman standing up and approaching him in weary smiles. He realized that it was Missy and George once they got closer to him. Missy wrapped her arms around her twin's neck as she sobbed quietly through his shoulder. Sheldon felt her sadness, causing him to pull her closer and comfort his sister.

"Momma's in there with her," Missy said, pulling away and wiping her tears with a tissue. Sheldon noticed the wet stains on his t-shirt, but he couldn't care less about it. "Gran's stable but she's not awake. Doctors don't know when she'll be up."

Sheldon nodded before George moved towards him. "It's good to finally have you back in Texas after a long time. How you been?"

The two brothers weren't close growing up. Their father would prefer George over Sheldon, since Sheldon wasn't an all-star football that enjoyed sharing a glass of beer with him from time to time. They were distant, especially when George was always part of a plan to humiliate his little sibling. George had since regretted his actions. He knew how much Sheldon was already getting picked on, and his "funny act" was not doing him any good. Yet, now as adults, they haven't spoken often because either George was in the slammer or Sheldon was too busy doodling on his whiteboard.

"I'm doing great," Sheldon said, looking everywhere but at George. "Missy, George, this is Penny."

Penny gave a little wave as the tension lingered around the three. George was taller than Sheldon, and a bit more intimidating because of his muscular built and straight face. He shared the same blue eyes as his siblings, but he had a scruff of hair around his mouth and right below his nose. To his right was Sheldon's twin sister, Missy. She was taller than Penny, but both were towered over by the two Cooper men standing next to them.

Mary walked into the waiting room with a hopeful smile. Missy, George, and Sheldon sighed in relief and were longing for some good news. "Mom's awake," she announced simply, and the family locked into a big embrace. Penny awkwardly stood nearby, observing their reactions. She began to tear up as she saw them all smile for the first time since arriving at the hospital.

"But she would like to see her Moonpie first," Mary added, dabbing a tissue under her eye. "She promised to talk to all of you but she wants to see Shelly now."

Sheldon glanced between Penny and his mother, wondering if he should take his friend along. "It's fine, sweetie. I'll be fine out here."

"Are you sure?" Sheldon asked.

She gave him a nod. "Yes. Just go speak with your grandmother, okay?"

Penny watched him smile once more before disappearing down the corridor along with his mother. She slumped down on one of the uncomfortable chairs and closed her eyes. She was exhausted since it was about two in the morning back in Pasadena. Her eyes had never felt heavier and she could snooze in the waiting area at any given moment. She shook her head to keep herself awake as Missy lowered herself on the seat right beside her.

"So, how do you know Shelly? Missy wondered as Penny tried to get the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uh, didn't Mary tell you?" Penny replied, knowing that Sheldon's mother mentioned it her daughter before flying out to the west.

Missy faced her. "You're the one who saw my brother in an alleyway?"

"Yeah, that was me."

"I'd give you a hug right now but I feel all sweaty and gross since I've been here for like ten hours straight. I haven't slept or eaten. My baby is probably wondering where his mommy is while my husband's still figuring out how to change a diaper even after three months. But let me tell you this; thank you for what you've done. You helped him get back on his feet after the accident and I could never thank you enough. I love that weird crazy rocket scientist I call my brother. I can't imagine what would happen if he died out there in the streets alone."

Penny couldn't help but give Missy a pat on top of her hand. "I'm happy that I've met him. He made my life a bit more exciting ever since."

Miss gave her a look. "Now, Momma told me the minute she got back home that Shelly's got a little crush on you."

"He never said anything like that back then," Penny told her.

"But Momma's got instincts. She knows when one of her kids has these special feelings for someone else. She said the same thing when she met my husband. We were friends after graduating college. It was five years ago when Momma finally met him and she told us that we were good for each other. At first, I thought she went bonkers. He was my friend, nothing more and nothing less. I would never ruin a friendship that way. Then months after that, I decided to give it a try and three years later, I found myself with a sparkly engagement ring on my left hand. Now I have a child with him. Even after all those doubts, I don't regret anything. He's the best thing that has ever happened and I fall in love with him even more as time passes."

Penny stared at her. It sounded too similar to her situation before. "Well, you're half-right."

"How am I half-right?"

She sighed. "Sheldon likes me as more than a friend. He told me and I turned him down. A while after that, I realized I also had the same feelings and when I decided to tell him, it was too late. He remembered everything and he told me that he wanted to get his old life back before the accident."

"Ah yes, his good friend homeostasis or whatever the hell he calls it. Did you tell him though?"

Penny nodded. "I did, but he doesn't want me anymore. He thinks being with me would mean another change in his life and he clearly doesn't want that. I still want to be in life though."

"Damn Shelly always has to be stubborn, huh? Is he back with this Amy chick?"

"Yeah, even after she left him after getting discharged from the hospital. She promised she would never leave his side and all of a sudden, she ended things because she felt that the progress they had made was all for nothing. She came running back to him when the memories appeared again and now they're scheduled to go on a train ride to Napa Valley in hopes of repairing their relationship."

"Are you going to give up on him?" Missy asked. Penny answered her with silence and Missy smirked. "Between you and me, I never liked that Shelly was with that woman. She sorta gave us a bad impression, but since Sheldon seemed to like her and made him happy, we let them do whatever the hell they want. Shelly and I talk every once in a while, and he'd complain about how much Amy wants to get things moving in their relationship. When he was being pressurized into having sex, he started to withdraw away from all sorts of communication. He eventually returned back to his old self after Amy told him it was fine and she didn't want it anymore. The girl lied, and constantly bugged him about having some physical action to their dull relationship. Shelly became different soon after that. He was a bit more sullen, but that's just how I saw it. He seemed miserable with her and when I told him to break up with her since I was worried of how he was, Shelly explained homeostasis to me for about fifteen minutes. Long story short, he wants her in her life because it would change the group and the way he lives."

She took in the new information and felt bad for Sheldon. He wasn't ready, yet his girlfriend was pushing him into doing something he did not want to do. "I don't want to give up on him. He makes me so happy that it hurts when I see him in pain, physically and emotionally," Penny leaned backwards on her chair, resting her head against the wall. "But Amy got to him first, and he wants her. I'll keep my distance away from them."

"Momma told me about how comfortable Shelly was touching you," Missy added. "That surprised the hell out of me. The other thing that surprised me is that you came all the way over here for him."

"Sheldon was a mess when I found him. He was sobbing uncontrollably," Penny recalled.

Missy smiled. "I think Shelly still likes you. He never shows that many emotions to someone else. He says it makes him look weak, or how I hear it, more human. He cares about you and you care about him. He'll realize in that big thick head of his that he's doing something wrong here. It'll happen soon, Penny. Wait for things to fall into their places."

A/N:

Missy is on board the Shenny ship as well!

Next chapter will be a conversation between Meemaw and Sheldon :)

Thanks for all the reviews! They keep me going!