OH MY WORD! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! I LOVE YOU ALL FOR READING THIS. WELL IT LOOKS LIKE I'M HAVING A RELATIVELY FREE WEEKEND SO I'M ABLE TO PUT THIS UP. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL MAKE UP FOR ANY SLOW POSTING IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. XXX

"I'm worried about him." Leonard whispered.

"I know. Me too."

"I think he thinks they're still together and she's just bendin yo his whims by canceling their romantic relationship. He still refers to it as if it is a thing."

"I think it's one of two things," Penny whispered conspiratively, "I clearly explained to him that it was over so either he is in denial that it has happened or he's acknowledged it and made peace with it because he doesn't realize just how accustomed he has grown to her affections."

They stood in the passage to the bedrooms nervously observing Sheldon as the three of them waited for the others to arrive.

"It's quite sad really," Penny continued, "He seemed to be making such good progress before and shortly after his trip."

"I - " Leonard was cut off by his phone beeping, "Oh no."

"What?"

"The others have just cancelled. Howard and Bernadette are taking a night off because apparently it is the first time in a long time that they're both up for...intimacy in a month and Raj is taking Emily on an impromptu date night. It's just going to be us and the ex-Shamy."

Penny took a sharp breath, "Oh crap."

They both looked up as three sharp raps sounded at the door. Before either of them could move, Sheldon was at the door and smiling down at his ex-girlfriend.

"Hello Amy." He breathed.

"Sheldon," She replied curtly, "I trust you've had a good day."

She phrased it as a statement and didn't give him a chance to answer before turning to the others.

"Leonard! Penny! Oh my gosh it's so good to see you again!" She'd instantly become her usual bubbly self for them.

Sheldon felt an odd bubbling sensation in his chest at the fact that she'd only been cold towards him.

"It hasn't even been twenty four hours Ames!" Penny laughed.

"But still! That's a long time." Amy giggled.

"Leonard did I hear you say the others had cancelled?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes."

"Good, let's eat."

Amy nodded and went to sit in Leonard's usual spot. Sheldon stopped what he was doing and just stared at her in awe.

"Amy, that's Leonard's spot."

"Oh sorry Leonard! Do you mind?"

Leonard coughed awkwardly and shook his head.

"You see Sheldon. Not a problem."

Sheldon's mouth dropped open in shock. "But this is your spot." He gestured beside him.

"Well tonight I feel like sitting here."

She said it calmly and matter of factly and as if she had not intended it to strike a chord but one look at her eyes and Penny knew that the whole situation had been calculated and manipulated to do as much damage to Sheldon as possible. It was clear that Amy no longer thirsted for Sheldon's affection, she thirsted for his pain. Penny found Leonard's eyes and shared a look with him that conveyed one thought as clearly as day. 'Oh. Crap.'

Sheldon was confused and distressed. Amy had acted coldly towards him the entire evening while maintaining a sense of amiable companionship with Leonard and Penny. He'd grown highly ruffled as his cravings for her absent body heat and affectionate chatter had consistently increased over the course of the evening but by far the most perturbing factor had been the worried glances he'd seen his best friend exchange with their neighbor at each of his and Amy's interactions.

"Well," Leonard said,"I'm beat. Come on Penny."

"Yes, I'd better be going too. Time has certainly crept up on us."

"Okay Ames we'll walk you to the stairs." Penny smiled, "goodnight Sheldon."

"Goodnight Penny, Leonard."

Sheldon nodded to them as he walked, with the trio, towards the hall.

"Amy, will you please SMS me when you arrive home so that I know you've made it or is that too much to ask given the status of our relationship."

Penny audibly gasped but Sheldon ignored her, his attention entirely focused on the woman in front of him.

Amy thought for a moment, "Yes."

"Good," Sheldon nodded, "Wait, which question- Amy?"

She'd already disappeared down the stairwell.

Sheldon shook his head and ran after her without a second thought.

"Sheldon-" Penny started and stepped towards the direction he'd taken but Leonard stopped her.

"Let him go. It's been too damn long since he did something spontaneous for her. Let's just go to bed."

"Okay, I just hope it ends better than her last spontaneous act."

Sheldon caught up with Amy in the lobby. He walked up behind her and grabbed her arm.

"Amy Farrah Fowler! It is rude to give non-answers and leave abruptly in the middle of a conversation!"

"The obligatory niceties had been exchanged, you asked me a question I answered it and left."

"That was not a real answer and you know it!" Sheldon had grown irate and was yelling at her.

"I am no longer obligated to give you real answers Sheldon! We are not a couple!"

Two could be angry. Amy felt like releasing the pent up emotions of the last four years on Sheldon right there in that hallway. He obviously sensed her anger because his features softened and he reached a tentative hand towards her.

"Amy, you're practically bristling with rage. What's happened to you? What's happening to us? We don't do things like this."

She slapped his arm away with a bitter laugh. "What's happened to me? To us? Ha! It's you Sheldon! You happened! You ruined us. You ruined me."

A wracking sob escaped her and she slumped forward. Sheldon rushed forward and caught her. He pulled her against him and rubbed her back as her body heaved with tears.

"Not to quote you Amy but what the hell?"

"It's you, you piece of shit! It's you! How could you kiss me like that and then tell me to leave? I know that wasn't just you trying to keep me satisfied! That was you trying to satiate your own feral lust! And you turned me away! After that!"

With every sentence she beat his chest with a fist but he did not flinch. He just held her to himself and rode out the tide of her anger. Once she had finished he sighed.

"So all of this is about a god forsaken kiss? Honestly Amy. That is really no reason to swear."

"Oh god! That's really what you care about right now? Not the fact that we're done for and you're the reason why. Not the fact that we're still going to be together everyday but we'll never be able to be together again. The fact that every memory of you is tainted by pent up resentment. No, the great Sheldon Cooper cares about the fact that I'm swearing! You clearly lied when you told me you loved me."

"That seems to be the common consensus around here. Amy I need you to know that just because I don't love you doesn't mean that I dont care about you or that I don't want you in my life-"

"No Sheldon." Amy said as she pushed herself away from him, "I can't love someone who doesn't love me back anymore. I am going to repeat what I said last night and I hope you will need my words this time around. I am reverting our relationship and interactions back to the state of origin. That means that we will be purely platonic and maintain controlled interactions void of any emotion."

"But-"

"No. Now goodnight Sheldon."

Amy turned and left and for the first time, possibly ever, Sheldon sat on the floor, without the thought of germs once crossing his mind, and cried in public.

I KNOW I KNOW. FAR TOO MUCH ANGST. I SINCERELY HOPE THIS ISN'T TOO POORLY WRITTEN AND IMPLORE YOU NOT TO GIVE UP ON ME YET. ALL THIS DISASTER AND DRAMA IS NECCESSARY AND WILL BE RESOLVED. HOPEFULLY...BAZINGA, IT WILL. AS ALWAYS I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AND IMPLORE YOU TO BE PATIENT IF I GROW SLOW IN UPDATING. THE UPDATES WILL COME!