:Even If They Never Saw Each Other In Person Again:

He sighed softly as he listened to Amy try to coax her way into the bathroom. The sniffles drifting from under the door tore at his heart. Leonard slumped by the window, his arms crossed over his chest defensively. Bernadette and Howard sat on the couch, looking awkward and worried. Raj was in the hallway, arguing with his sister.

Suddenly Priya shoved Raj aside and stormed back into the apartment. "Leonard! This is ridiculous! We need to discuss this now! I am pregnant. You are the father. We need to discuss what we are going to do."

Leonard flinched and turned even paler. He looked around the room nervously before looking down at the floor.

Bernadette jumped to her feet. "Don't you have any decency?" she snarled angrily.

Priya blushed slightly. "Look, I am sorry your friend is upset, but I have my own problems…"

"You caused Penny's problems!" Raj yelled. "You knew Leonard was dating Penny! You slept with him anyway!"

"Stop it!"

Everyone looked over as Penny stepped into the hallway. Her eyes were red and swollen. She flinched away when Amy tried to hug her, moving swiftly into the kitchen to stand by Sheldon. He watched her worriedly as she placed herself between him and the counter. He was surprised when she reached out and twisted her pinkie finger around his.

"Please don't fight," she said softly. "It's not going to solve anything."

"Penny," Leonard stepped forward and she flinched. Sheldon adjusted their hands until he could thread his fingers through hers, their palms pressed together.

She held up her other hand to stop Leonard's words. "Don't. There's nothing you can say that will change anything."

"I love you," he mumbled helplessly.

"And yet you slept with her," Penny said stiffly. "You love me, but you cheated on me. Priya tells you she is pregnant and you haven't spoken a single word to her yet." Penny looked over at the Indian woman with a mixture of pity and anger. "Good luck. I have a feeling you're going to need it."

Priya looked at Penny with disdain. "What does that mean?"

"It means Leonard is a lying, cheating bastard, and those are his better qualities." Penny looked Priya up and down. "Then again, maybe you two were made for one another."

Sheldon flinched when Penny pulled away from him. He couldn't help but be proud, though, as she swept around the counter and walked swiftly out of the apartment, her head held high.

Three days later Sheldon opened his office door to find Penny in the hallway. He quickly stepped back and let her in. None of them had seen or heard from her since 'the Big Reveal', as Howard called it.

He shut the door and took a seat in the chair beside her. He tried to think of something to say that was unlikely to cause her to become weepy.

"It's okay," she said gently. Penny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm moving," she said bluntly.

Sheldon shook his head immediately, a protest springing to his lips.

"I have to," she said quickly. "I cannot stay here and watch Priya and Leonard. I'm a failure here, Sheldon. I need to start over, while I still have the energy and drive to do so."

"Penny, you are not a failure!" he said quickly.

Penny gave a short, sharp laugh. "You can't lie," she admonished, pointing out the twitch above his left eye. "Sweetie, I know you hate change, but if I stay here, I'm going to end up dead inside."

Sheldon was silent for several seconds. "Where will you go?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged slightly. "I have a few friends in New York. They've offered to put me up until I can find a place of my own. I have a cousin who manages a small theater. She says I can work for her until I find other work."

They were both quiet for a couple more minutes.

"I will miss you," he said softly.

Penny smiled and reached out to cup his cheek. "I'll miss you, too," she replied tenderly. "More than you know."

Penny stood and he followed suit. They walked to the door in silence. Sheldon reached out and opened the door with only a slight pause. Penny placed a hand on his chest for a brief second before leaving the office. He watched her walk down the corridor with a heavy heart. She stopped just before turning the corner and looked back at him. Then she was gone.

They had a weekly phone call while he was doing laundry. On the first Monday of every month they would skype while he was at work. It always surprised him that she was willing to get up at 6 am just to see him on her laptop.

When she told him about the job, he was almost as excited as she was. When the others found out about her movie, he did not tell them he had already seen it. He had taken a 'vacation' and flown out to attend the premiere as her guest. To say he was amazed would diminish her performance. She was breathtaking as the best friend to Emma Stone's impoverished gentlewoman struggling to overcome the restrictions and expectations of Victorian London.

He bought a copy the moment it came out on Blu-ray. Actually he owned two copies. A day later a copy arrived by courier, with the inscription "To my favorite beautiful mind. You have always been and are forever my greatest friend and inspiration. Love, Penny."

She was realizing her potential. He missed her a great deal, but the knowledge of how happy she finally was made it easier to bear. She was his best friend. Even if they never saw each other in person again.