Thank you so much bamadude, seraphina987, CananaBananalism and SRAM for the reviews! it's wonderful to know people are still interested lol. And yes, I agree it is a little strange for Sheldon to be keeping secrets, isn't it?

She loves to dance.

Ever since she was a child, she had known she wanted to be a professional dancer - her mother had worked hard to put her through lessons, make sure that she got to her classes and that she was well prepared. She had a natural talent, a beautiful flow about her, as her former instructor Jamie had put it, and Rita never got to tell her how that made her heart swell with joy. But it had been so obvious when her cheeks flushed and she sputtered, unable to look Jamie in the eyes at such praise.

Now, Rita is still self conscious in front of these people.

She had never shied away from a performance just a few short years ago, happy to perform and hear the applause, even though her cheeks burned and the sweat made her stocking stick uncomfortably to her legs.

These people, the class she had gotten to host, had been so patient when she hesitated, encouraging her and happy to accept her criticism when instructing, something Rita had never done before. But she had to admit, it gave her some sort of a confidence boost, and she was visibly happier, bubblier, friendlier, when she returned home and everyone else noticed as well because she actually came to the apartment on her own.

She had noted the confused and shocked looks on Raj and Howard's faces, Leonard was as friendly as ever, obviously being sure to act as if this wasn't a huge surprise - something she appreciated, something that kept that confidence up inside of her when she finally asked the question she came here to ask.

"Can I talk to Sheldon, alone?"

A moment of silence, everyone looking at Sheldon, and then back to Rita. "We don't care, but Sheldon?" Looking back to the man in question, who had gotten to his feet, had his hands lightly balled up at his sides. "You okay with that?" Leonard asked him.

He stared at Rita for a long moment, everyone waiting in tense silence, though Rita didn't notice that because she still had her confidence. She had thought about this the entire walk home, thought about using that feeling and the adrenaline it gave her to finally speak to him about the other night. She wanted to explain, she wanted to talk to him and hear what he had to say, why he had acted so out of character; she didn't know him that well, but she knew the way he was acting was very out of character.

She should have been paying more attention though.

"I am," Sheldon finally spoke, his hands still clenched at his sides as everyone got up and slowly shuffled out of the apartment, leaving him and little Rita alone. "What is it?"

Okay, that stings a little. "I just. . .I just wanted to know. . .what happened?" She hadn't looked away once, she hadn't even had the thought, but her palms were getting sweaty - another thing she didn't notice.

He stared at her in silence for a moment again, too long, but she didn't waver.

She had already made it this far.

He walked around the table, moving closer inch by inch, making her heart race and her fingertips twitch up and down. She kept that eye contact though, looking up at this man when he was feet from her, not coming any closer when she stepped back a foot, against the door. It sent a chill up her spine when she connected to that door, back arching and a thick lump in her throat - no, she wouldn't think that way again, it would cause the same situation all over again.

"I was trying something, and you ran away - like the coward I thought you were." She flinched at his words, but he did not change his tone or facial expression when noticing. "What? It's true."

"I was scared," her voice was small when she spoke.

"And that gives you the right to decide when to flee from me or not? You had no idea what I was going to do."

"But I just, I thought -" There goes the confidence, the kind that gets swept away so fast when confronted by intimidating men. And he was, to someone like her; tall and lean, someone that could overpower her so easily, someone that bit at her with his words and made her feel. . .

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already, Rita," his words were almost as painful as before. "You do not run away from me again, are we clear? Do not ever assume my intentions."

Rita just stared at him for a moment, nostrils flared as she tried to inhale but her throat was clogged, her chest tight and restrictive as she fought for air. He hadn't come near her just yet, he hadn't struck her or grabbed her, he had only spoke and his words struck her so deep - but she felt, deep inside of her, that he was right. She had assumed, but he had come at her so fast that night, she had been blinded by their dinner and she had left herself vulnerable, but she had assumed that he was going to harm her.

He hadn't left a mark on her that night, her fear had caused her to feel so bad that night.

Maybe. . .

"Okay," she whispered, straightening herself a little bit. "Okay, I'm sorry. . ."

When had he moved closer to her? He was towering over her, his face calm as always, no threat in his eyes - she didn't even shrink away this time. He was looking her right in the eyes, not twitching around, not going up and down her, it was like he was staring into her fucking soul. When he reached for her this time, she flinched, but she didn't run; he didn't hesitate at her reflex, her grabbed her, hard, by her wrist and his eyes were cold like that night - cold and amused at the way she panicked like a baby deer.

Rita swallowed thickly, pulling a little, but he grounded her with his grip, moving even closer, against the door, the muscles in the right side of his jaw jumping as he clenched. "Sheldon. . ." she whispered, shrinking down lower. "Sheldon please let me go. . ."

He squeezed harder, and she flexed her fingers, wanting to cry, but she bit her tongue just in case. He let her go eventually, in minutes that seemed to stretch on for hours in her head, but he didn't back away. He was still so close, but her heart was slowing, it was returning to a normal pace and his eyes had softened a little.

"I need to speak to Penny," he told her, backing away slightly.

Rita blinked a few times, her bad eye sore and pulsing deep in her skin. "O-Okay," she whispered, her eyes finally flitting around the room, trying to look anywhere but at him for the moment, while she caught her breath. "She should be home soon. . ." Rita hesitated. "Would you like to come wait for her?"

Sitting alone with him was strange, especially after what had happened in the apartment, but Rita tried to rationalize that it was not nearly as terrifying as it was in the stairs, and no where near as horrible as what she had already been through. Sheldon waited in the living room while she checked her eye, cleaning beneath the bandage and noticing how red the skin was around the scar that was sure to be.

Rita wanted to sob.

She wanted to break down on the floor of the bathroom and cry until she couldn't breathe because of the sight, but she couldn't because Sheldon was waiting for her and they were both waiting on Penny.

When Rita reached the end of the hallway, she lingered there, staring at his back while he picked up and prodded this weird little clay statue Penny had on her shelf behind the television. Rita smiled a little when he shook his head, turning the statue around in his hands and whispering to himself about how ridiculous the things Penny bought were. When she cleared her throat, Sheldon turned around and smiled, nodding before he returned his attention to the statue.

"She has odd tastes, doesn't she?" Rita crossed her arms over her chest as she stopped beside the couch, still watching him; how could this odd man make her feel so calm and so terrified at the same time?

"Penny does not spend her money correctly, she is careless with it." Sheldon set the statue down and looked to the door. "She's home."

Rita arched an eyebrow, jumping when she heard the key enter the lock; she had thought he was psychic all of the sudden, he had just heard her coming up the steps. Penny opened the door, looking positively drained from work as she toed off her shoes, not even noticing Sheldon apparently.

"Let me tell you, I should actually get paid for not knocking people out on the regular," Penny grumbled as she started to walk towards the hallway - well, more like shuffle.

"Uh, Penny," Rita spoke up, stopping Penny. "Company?"

Penny looked back, now realizing Sheldon was there, and her eyes narrowed a little; Rita had not informed her she had forgiven Sheldon for the other night. "What is he doing here?" She turned around, no longer slouched from exhaustion but straight and at attention.

"There is something I believe you should know, related to Rita's incident the other night," Sheldon said, stepping closer, looking kind of hurt by Penny's tone; Rita almost felt bad, hearing from Leonard and Penny herself how close Sheldon had gotten to Penny.

"What, you were the one that pushed her into the table? Did you scare her into passing out?" Penny was angry and defensive.

Sheldon sighed, looking to Rita for a moment, then back to Penny. "I did nothing, but I feel you should know someone came by the apartment after Rita was taken to the hospital."

"If it was an ex, you know what to tell them."

"I refuse to use that kind of language, and you know that." He sighed. "He was no friend to either of you, the super has no nephew and I remember all of the men you brought home. He was a stranger. . .and I did not feel right about him." Sheldon's eyes stayed on Rita this time, intense and warning.

The longer he stared, the more he ignored Penny's when she tried to get his attention, ask him questions, Rita slowly felt her stomach dropping. Sheldon nodded softly and Rita shook her head, her hand covering her mouth and the other searching for the arm rest of the couch for her to sink into. Penny noticed Rita's sudden distress and immediately honed in on her, asking what was wrong and fluttering her hands all around her.

"Rita, come on, speak please," Penny begged, sweat forming on her brow.

Rita swallowed heavily, still looking at Sheldon, floundering for words in her panic. Sheldon spoke for her. "It was him, was it not? It was the man that assaulted you?"

Penny's entire body hitched up, rage making her hands shake when Rita nodded. "He was here. . ." she whispered, shaking her head softly. "I knew it was really him, I knew he was out and I knew he found me. . ."