Chapter 3: The Suspension Repercussions

Summary: In the aftermath of Sheldon and Amy's "relationship suspension", spirits are rattled in unexpected ways.

A/N: Took me a while to get this one out, but life has kept me rather busy lately. Sorry for the wait. I've been absolutely delighted by the all the lovely reviews I've received so far, so thank you all for taking the time to leave comments on my story!

Thanks to Lio, who's now officially been drowned… frowned… CROWNED! my beta, for making sure I don't post a whole load of nonsense. You are awesome.

I don't own TBBT or any of its characters. If I did, there probably would be no #Bolaro and the world would be a much sadder place.

Leonard Hofstadter knew a thing or two about heartache and breakups. Although the engagement ring on Penny's hand proved the current solidity of their relationship, the scars of their previous breakup still lingered, making him particularly sensitive to the relationship turmoil of others.

Regardless, even his experience and sensitive nature left him unequipped to deal with the scene he was currently witnessing at a cafeteria table of the physics department.

Choked sobs and hiccups shook his friend's body as fat tears dropped onto his untouched lunch, soaking the bread in the plate. Leonard slid another paper napkin across the table, exchanging a glance with Howard; partly worried, partly embarrassed by the attention they were attracting from the other members of staff eating their lunch at nearby tables.

"Look." Leonard took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to soothe his friend. "I know it's difficult to wrap your mind around this right now. But, you know what? I think it was the right choice. It's going to be ok."

The physicist sitting across the table blew his nose loudly into the napkin, causing Leonard to flinch back in his chair. "How can you be sure?!" he hiccupped.

Leonard sighed, leaning his elbows against the table and speaking in a soft voice. "I'm not. I can't be sure. But I just… I feel this might be for the best in the long run."

"And this is supposed to make me feel better? Empty promises that everything is going to be ok?!" The table shook with the force of palms slamming onto it, startling the people nearby.

"Oh for the love of God, will you get a hold of yourself! You're making a scene!" Howard hissed, looking around at the stares they were receiving. "And why are you so upset about this anyway?"

"You don't understand!" Big, sad eyes turned to stare right into Wolowitz's. "I started this! It was all my doing. And it was solid and reliable and certain for so many years and now… now it's gone!" He sobbed.

"Uh-oh. Guys, guys…" Leonard interrupted the conversation, looking over Howard's shoulder. "Shush. Here she comes."

The bespectacled man forced an unnaturally wide smile and raised a hand to wave at the approaching neurobiologist. "Hey, Amy!"

"Come on, put on a brave face." Howard whispered, elbowing his friend in the side. "You don't want her to see you like this."

Amy greeted the group with an uncertain nod as she eyed the scene. "Hi guys…"

She pulled out a chair and set her tray down in front of her, taking a seat next to Leonard. She exchanged a couple of concerned, questioning looks with Leonard and Howard, but the two just pursed their lips and shook their heads.

Tentatively, she leaned forward to peer at the downcast eyes of the man sitting across from her. "Are you ok?"

"YOU of all people? YOU are asking me that?!" Raj shot up from his seat like it just bit him. "NO, I'M NOT OK!" He grabbed his tray, and stormed out of the room, shouting over his shoulder. "Just leave me alone, all of you!"

A stunned silence filled the cafeteria. The three scientists left at the table stared, mouth agape, at the doorway Raj just disappeared into.

Amy shook a napkin onto her lap, still staring at the doorway. "What was that all about?" she asked, as the chatter in the room picked up again.

"I told him about…" Leonard glanced over at Howard, trailing off. "I told him about you and Sheldon." He answered, uneasily, unsure as to whether it was too soon to broach the subject with Amy.

The sentence stopped Amy cold, as if a switch controlling her movements had been suddenly turned off. "Oh." She looked down at the table.

The two men stared uncertainly at each other in the silence that followed, but Amy seemed to shake off whatever discomfort she felt fairly quickly, and she resumed her lunch preparations. "And that's why he's crying?"

"No." Howard replied, sardonically. "He is on his period."

Howard's lame attempt to a joke seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Amy just blinked at him, unresponsive.

Noticing her uncertainty, Leonard felt a pang of sympathy for her. "Let's just say he didn't take the news of your… breakup very well." The physicist delicately explained.

Amy abruptly broke eye contact and straightened her spine. Picking up her fork, she said firmly: "Sheldon and I are not… broken up." She faltered briefly and cleared the hoarseness out of her throat. "We have merely suspended our relationship status for an indefinite period." Her return to a robotic monotone gave Leonard an odd sense of deja-vu.

He nodded and pursed his lips, trying his best to hide a skeptical look. "Right. I forgot that's the legal definition."

Amy paused from taking a bite of her salad to shoot Leonard an irritated look. "Just think of it as the difference separation and divorce. If this were a marriage - which also involves a contract, by the way - Sheldon and I would be separated, not divorced. I know what you're thinking, Leonard, but this is not just a perfunctory distinction to mask our denial."

Howard coughed something that sounded distinctly like the word "denial" into a closed fist. He coughed again, peering up at the brunette across the table before gently patting his chest

"Well, I trust you guys know how to handle the situation…" Leonard stated.

"You do?" Howard asked, surprised.

Leonard made a funny face in response, arching his right eyebrow so hard Howard seemed to wince at the rebuke. "No." He mouthed back at him, shaking his head.

However, Amy was too busy using a fork to poke at her food and missed this exchange. Instead she looked up and beamed at Leonard, delighted by his support. "Thank you, Leonard."

"Besides…" she continued, now with a confident and cheerful tone in her voice. "Between my project here and the one back at UCLA, my workload is becoming rather heavy. So this will be a productive break from the social obligations of dating." She chomped on a tomato. "More time in the lab, less time sitting through tedious space movies."

If Leonard and Howard had any response regarding those tedious, juvenile space movies, they were drowned out by the sound of stomping feet and soft sobs storming back through the cafeteria as Raj launched himself at the frozen yogurt machine and starting to fill up cup after cup with the creamy dessert.

"I haven't seen him this upset since that couple from Twilight split up." Howard commented, looking over his shoulder at the upset astrophysicist now stuffing his face with cherries.

"Guess he really has a soft spot for pale-looking couples…" grinning widely at his own joke before he catching Amy bewildered stare. "Nevermind." He said, and with one last look at Howard, he sheepishly swallowed his grin, turning his attention back to his lunch.

"No sign of Sheldon, yet?" Penny plopped down on the couch next to her fiancé, linking her arm through his and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"No…" Leonard replied. His eyes, which were glued to the tv screen as he absent mindedly flipped through yet another channel, darted to the empty spot to his left. "He is really sticking to his vow of non-interference. The only times I see him are when he has to eat, use the bathroom or catch an episode of the shows he's watching. Which is actually rare right now, it being summer. Everything worth watching is still on hiatus."

"So you haven't spoken to him at all after he announced the… interruption… breakup… pause thingy…" She waved her hand in the air. "Whatever that is?"

"No. But I saw Amy at work today and she seems to be doing surprisingly well." He frowned. "Sometimes with these two I really start to question whether skin jobs are just a fictional creation…" He added, mumbling.

Penny nodded in agreement."Oh no, our Shamy prove humanoid robots are totally real," Penny cut in firmly and without hesitation. Then, she suddenly shot up straight on the couch beside him, eyes wide. "Wait, what just came out of my mouth? How do I know that?" She whispered to herself.

Leonard turned his head to face her. "What?"

"Nothing..." the blonde jumped up from her seat, heading towards the back of the apartment.

"Where are you going?" Leonard called after her.

"I'm going to check up on Sheldon."

"Wha... No, no, no!" He muted the television and dropped the remote on the coffee table, running after his girlfriend. "He's been fine and quiet and relatively normal… Well, for Sheldon. Why do you have to go poke the sleeping bear?!"

"Oh, come on, he just broke up with his girlfriend!" She exclaimed, taking long strides towards the bedrooms. "Someone has to make sure he's ok!"

"Pen… Ugh!" Leonard looked up at the ceiling and began counting under his breath, wincing as he heard the doorway to Sheldon's room open and the immediate cackle of arguing voices. He didn't even make it to ten before the sounds of stomping feet boomed down the hallway. The physicist pinched his nose and exhaled, as his girlfriend scurried back over to side. "There we go…"

"I gave you one instruction, Penny. One. And you can't even follow that." Sheldon stopped by the landing, hands on his hips, looking as menacing as Leonard had predicted. "How hard is it to understand that waltzing into my bedroom, without knocking, defies the whole concept of non-interference? Or, to use a technical definition you might be more familiar with, leaving me alone?"

His already tall stature towered over his friends even more than usual from his position on the step. "And you…" Sheldon pointed to his best friend. "You are engaged now and yet you are still unable to keep your woman in line? Seriously. You have a PhD and she is a two-time community college dropout. How hard can it be?"

"Ok, ok, ok! First of all!" Penny shouted. "First of all, nobody keeps me in line."

"Especially a straight line when she's had one too many…" Leonard chimed in.

"And, in any case…" Penny continued, shooting an annoyed glance at Leonard, who smirked and bit his lip. "It's not his fault, Sheldon. I was just worried about you." she added, her voice softer.

"I am telling you, Penny. I am fine." He replied with confidence.

"You are not fine, Sheldon! I haven't even seen you at all in four days!" Penny's voice rose again in frustration.

"I assure you. I am fine!" Sheldon huffed, his aggravation growing. "I just asked for peace, quiet, and privacy as I sort out some rather important matters regarding my life and career. A wish that you are apparently unwilling to respect."

"Ok, Sheldon, I am sorry but I have to give it to Penny here." Leonard interjected, in support of his girlfriend. "How can you be fine with this? Last time you guys broke up, you got twenty-five cats to keep you company!"

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "This situation is completely different. To use terms familiar to you laymen, Amy and I are separated…"

"Not divorced. I get it, I get it." Leonard interrupted him, raising his hands in surrender. "I have heard it all before!"

"Yes." Sheldon nodded. "And as you're planning to tie the knot yourself in the near future, you should familiarize yourself with these differences. God knows when Penny will decide to dump you again."

The couple groaned in unison.

"Look, Sheldon…" Penny brought her hands together against her chest. "I'm sorry. We respect your wishes. We are just worried about you guys."

"Good Lord, Penny, how many times do I have to repeat myself? There is nothing to worry about! I am in complete control of the situation."

Leonard and Penny exchanged a skeptical look, not unlike the many Leonard shared with Howard earlier in the day when subjected to similar reassurances from Amy, but they kept quiet.

Sheldon raised a finger at them, as if warning two small children. "I am now going to head back to my room and, once again, I ask you both not to interfere with my life sabbatical. If you are not amenable to respect my wishes for solitude, and should more incidents like this occur, then I will have to implement additional measures to ensure the protection of my rights." He tapped his chin, turning on his heels and began walking back towards his bedroom. Just before he turned the corner of the hallway, he spun back to his friends one last time. "Like a ban of all non-residents from this apartment." And with that announcement, he disappeared from view.

Leonard turned to Penny, his eyes wide in shock at Sheldon's last remark. "See what you have done?" He hissed.

Penny's head jerked back in disbelief and she pointed to her chest. "Me?!"

"Yes, you! Why do you always have to make things worse?!"

"How do I always make things worse?"

"Well, for starters, you were the one who decided it would be a good idea to let him get on that train, despite my objections! If he had stayed, maybe this entire, ridiculous situation would have never happened! But you thought it was for the best…" Leonard mocked her voice as he quoted her. "For the best? Running away to live like a hobo? In seven years, have you really learned nothing about how Sheldon functions?"

"Oh, don't you dare blaming it all on me! All I'm trying to do is be a good friend." Penny fumed. "I am the one who doesn't get how he ticks?!" She took two angry steps closer to Leonard and poked her index finger in the middle of his chest. "If you hadn't freaked him out by bringing up living arrangements TWO days into our engagement, then he would have never wanted to run away in the first place! But, no! Not Leonard Jump-The-Gun Hofstadter! You had to go ahead and rush into things, just like you always do!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Leonard cried, his voice defensive.

"Oh, gee, I don't know…" Penny put her hands on her hips and looked at the ceiling, pretending to be racking her brain for answers. "Proposing during sex after we had been dating for barely two months?! Or just assuming you could move into my apartment without even asking if that was ok with me? You always have to throw things at people before they're ready for it!"

With one final poke at Leonard's chest, Penny turned around and made her way to the front door.

"Where are you going now?!" Leonard called after her.

"I'm going to call Amy. And check up on her!" The blonde spun around, eyes still blazing with anger, and yelled: "Because I'm a good friend!"

The front door slammed shut, leaving Leonard staring at it, stunned, only to swing open again two seconds later.

"Oh, and before you ask... Yes, we are still dating!" Penny slammed the door shut one last time, closing it so hard the long claw sword nearly rattled off the wall.

Leonard reached out with one arm, grabbed the orange pillow from the armchair and muffled a scream into it.

It was early afternoon, and the corridors of the Physics department were still empty as its usual residents lingered over their lunches down in the cafeteria. Leonard raised a hand up to the brown doorframe, knocking softly but firmly. "Sheldon?" He called out.

"Come in!"

Leonard barely had the time to swing the door open before his roommate shoved a large whiteboard under each of his arms. "What are you doing?" He wobbled slightly, thrown off balance. "I thought you said you were just collecting some notes, not dismantling your office."

"I am." Sheldon confirmed, waving a couple of notebooks in the air before placing them inside a small cardboard box. "I just thought I could use a couple more whiteboards at home. Oh, and this!"

"A horse riding helmet?" Leonard frowned. "Why do you have a horse riding helmet in your office? Wait. Why do you have a horse riding helmet, full stop?"

"If I'm feeling sleepy, I don't want to risk dozing off and fall out of my chair without suitable head protection." He tossed the helmet in the box too and grabbed his bag, joining Leonard in the corridor. "Would you mind taking the boards with you in the car when you leave? They're too large for the bus."

"Yeah… sure." The shorter physicist readjusted the load under his arms, while Sheldon locked the door to his office. "But I actually dropped by to see if you wanted to grab lunch, since you're here..."

Sheldon smiled, but politely declined. "No, thanks. I'll eat at home. I have a lot to do."

He started making his way down the hallway, roommate in tow.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us in the cafeteria?" Leonard insisted. "Check out the new additions to the menu? Fill out a suggestion form or two? You haven't been here in over two months, there are so many new things for you to complain to the staff about."

"That would be fun, but no, thanks. I just want to go back home and resume my cogitation."

"But you haven't seen the guys in weeks. Don't you think it would do you good to take…" Leonard stopped dead in his tracks as something caught his eye further down the corridor. Fumbling to put both whiteboards under his left arm, he grabbed Sheldon with the other and suddenly began pulling him in the opposite direction. "To take the other bus route! Boy, the traffic at this time of day!"

Sheldon looked down at him, confused. "What traffic? It's lunchtime."

"Actually, you know what, I'll drive you home! The parking lot is this way, let's go!" He gave Sheldon's arm another tug, but the other man was too heavy for him to budge.

"Will you stop, manhandling me, Leonard?" Sheldon shouted, trying to free his arm. "What has gotten into you?!"

At the same time, similar yelling by a familiar voice resonated from the opposite end of the corridor.

"What's with all the grabbing? Why do you suddenly want to eat outside?"

The two roommates turned to the source of the commotion to see Amy, Howard and Raj approaching them. Amy was vigorously trying to shake off the two men, each holding one of her arms like she was a suspect in custody.

The moment Sheldon and Amy noticed each other's presence, Raj, Howard and Leonard all let out a sigh of defeat, simultaneously releasing the pair from their grips.

Sheldon swallowed hard, avoiding eye contact with everyone, while Amy looked down at her wrists, occupying herself with the task of readjusting the cuffs of her blouse. An awkward silence stretched over the group; panicked looks darting between Leonard and Howard, Raj and Leonard, Howard and Raj and then back again.

After squirming for a few moments, Howard decided to attempt conversation - anything to put an end to the discomfort of the situation. "Hi Sheldon…"

"Hello, Howard." Sheldon addressed him formally. "Rajesh."

Raj nodded in response. "Hey, Sheldon."

"Hi, Leonard." Howard continued with his greetings.

"Howard. Hi Amy."

"Hello, Leonard."

"Hey, Raj."

"Hey, Leonard."

After another long stretch of silence, Howard tried to dissipate the tension once again. "Isn't this nice!" He clapped his hands together. "We all know each other's name!"

"Hello, Amy…"

The words seemed like hot rocks dropped softly into a boiling teapot and at Sheldon's verbal acknowledgment of Amy's presence, Raj grabbed Howard's wrist in a tight grip, stifling a whimper. The three men held their breath, waiting for Amy's response.

"Hello, Sheldon."

Nobody spoke again for several long moments, the only sound that of the ventilation system buzzing overhead, which seemed to be growing louder and louder by the second. Howard scanned the uncomfortable group, before looking down at the empty space that separated their trio from Leonard and Sheldon. "Oh, look… a tumbleweed."

Raj looked down at the floor too. "Whe… Ow!" He looked up in shock, rubbing the back of his head where Howard had just slapped him.

"Are you… " Amy cleared her voice. "Are you going for lunch?" She asked, eyes darting between the others nervously before they seemed unable to help fixating on Sheldon.

"Umm…" Leonard looked up at his roommate from the corner of his eye.

"N-No. No I'm not." Sheldon replied hesitantly. His palms started to feel damp against the cardboard, and he tightened his hold to avoid dropping the box. "Despite Leonard's coercion, I am heading home. I am still observing my… sabbatical vow."

The two just stood in silence for a moment, unable to sustain eye contact for more than a few milliseconds at a time, and yet unable to keep flicking her glances back at each other. Amy finally nodded. "I trust it is going well?"

"Satisfactorily so far, but I still have a lot to work out." Sheldon replied, some of his natural confidence seeping back into his voice. He tilted his chin at her. "I trust yours is also?"

"It is." Amy smiled for the first time. "I'm keeping rather busy. My latest paper is nearly ready for submission to Nature."

"Excellent."

"If it's accepted it will be the fourth in a row." She added with a hint of excitement. "I just hope they will select better reviewers this time. I have better things to do than explaining the ABC to incompetent buffoons like the third reviewer they sent my last article to."

Sheldon let out one of his breathy laughs. "Oh, those comments were funny."

"They were." Amy chuckled too. "If they are anywhere near as amusing this time, I shall forward them to you."

"Please, do."

They smiled at each other for a second longer, then Amy turned to Howard and Raj, who were staring at the exchange with their mouths open. "So… are we eating outside or inside?"

"In-Inside…" Howard replied, still glancing between her and Sheldon.

"Ok. Shall we?" She motioned towards the corridor to their right and set off briskly, without waiting on a reply.

"Gentlemen." Sheldon nodded at his remaining friends and he resumed his walk past Howard and Raj, straight ahead towards the exit.

The trio stood staring after him, unmoving and silent.

"That was weird." Raj commented. "They just broke up. No tears?"

"Slaps or other forms of physical violence?" Howard added.

"Angry accusations?" Raj continued.

"Threats to share on Facebook the dozens of naked photos of yourself that you sent them and tag all your friends and family in them?"

Leonard and Raj turned to Howard, looking disconcerted, but engineer just shrugged. "Oh, like you've never done that after the second date!" He scoffed, heading off towards the cafeteria.

"Are you sure they are broken up?" Raj asked Leonard, as they began following Howard.

Leonard frowned. "I think so… I still don't fully understand the mating habits of their species."

Howard cleared his throat and mimicked an over exaggerated TV presenter voice. "On the next episode of Animal Odd Couples: The marriage rituals of the Shamys."

Raj sighed in relief. "Man, it's a good thing I already have their wedding party planned out, then. I would hate all of that effort spent designing her wedding dress to go to waste."

Leonard knit his brow in confusion. "You planned out their wedding?"

"Yes." Raj replied with a proud smile. "And yours too."

"Ours?" Leonard gawked at him. "We don't even have a date yet!"

"Oh, I know you don't." Raj turned to Leonard with a smug grin, as he slid through the cafeteria doors. "But I do."

A/N: I'm becoming more and more aware of the fact that this will be a rather long story. Just when I think I'm going to jump into the action, I realize that there are a lot of nuisances and details I want to set up and explore first, and before I know it they have taken up whole chapters. I hope the set up is worth it and still entertaining though. I don't think the plans I have for this story would resonate effectively without taking the time to set it all up.

I'll try to update faster next time, but don't hate me if I don't!

*jingle*