"Hello Again.. Hello…"

Another Musical interlude to get us through the wait for the taping report…

First thing you need to do, is load up Neil Diamond's Hello Again. Then read on! I hope you like it!

Sheldon sat quietly, not knowing if he should stare the screen that once showcased his girlfriend informing him that she needed to take a step back, or the ring he held in his hand signifying his commitment to her. She didn't even give him have chance to speak. She asked if he understood, and all he could was nod, but it was a lie. He didn't understand, he didn't need time to reevaluate their situation. He knew how he felt.

As the clocked ticked on the only question that was on his mind was "How long?" How long will she take? Minutes? He re-opened his lap top and stared back at the screen hoping it would light up again with her face. Nothing.

He wondered as he readied himself for bed, how much longer could she need? It had been over an hour, and still nothing. No word, no text no communication. Surely, she couldn't wait till the morning? It took Sheldon all of two minutes to decide he wanted to marry Amy Farrah Fowler. He asked himself what kind of future did he want, and in every scenario she was there. It was simple leap to marriage. She would see, when she finally calls him. Amy would see that he loves her.

Sheldon tossed in his bed, like a fish out of water. It was over 3 hours since he had heard her voice. That was long enough.

He reached on to this nightstand, and grabbed his phone. It was after 12:30 in the morning, but he just had to hear her voice. He had to know it was going to be okay.

He held his breath as the phone rang. After 5 rings, he heard:

"Hello… This is Amy Farrah Fowler. I'm not available now… please leave a message."

Sheldon swallowed the saliva in his mouth and quickly said, "Um… Hello..Amy. I just called to say hello. I… um couldn't sleep at all tonight. I just… I know its late. Good bye."

Sheldon turned off his phone and placed on the nightstand next to his glass of water he needed for his dry throat, the ring he that hadn't left his sight all night and box of Kleenex, just in case.

The next morning, Sheldon woke up at his usual time and quickly checked his messages. Nothing. Nothing from Leonard or when he would be home, and more importantly, nothing from Amy. Sheldon took care of his morning ablutions, but he rushed through his routine. At precisely 7:15, just like he had done for years, he called Amy. He had to hear her voice. It was impossible she would not answer, he reasoned. She had to have had the time to think she needed. Sheldon thought about them all night, ergo Amy must have done the same. By now, she would know what it was she wanted to re-evaluate.

Sheldon smiled as the phone rang, but as the number of unanswered rings grew, his smile faded. After six rings, he finally heard her voice.

"Hello… This is Amy Farrah Fowler. I'm not available now… please leave a message."

Sheldon pursed his lips to hold in his disappointment. He let out a huge sigh and said, "Hello.. again… hello. I just couldn't wait… for… anyway. I just wanted to say, hello."

Sheldon pushed the red button to hang up as his face melted to a frown. He had no idea how long she needed, but it couldn't be much longer. Maybe the day was what she needed. He went over to his computer and made sure all his emails were forwarded to his phone. He put alerts on his phone in case her number called and pop up reminders to check his Skype message every thirty minutes.

After he wasted most of the morning staring at his phone and refreshing his browser, he finally made another call. This time, to Leonard.

Leonard answered within 4 rings, but it was noisy on the other line, "Hey Sheldon. Look. Um. Penny and I are still in Vegas."

Sheldon looked around, "I gathered that from the evidence around me."

"What evidence?"

"Your absence and the lack of tooth paste smears on the mirror. When are you.."

Leonard could barely hear him from the loud screaming behind him from a middle age woman hitting the three 7's on a quarter machine. Leonard didn't want to remind her that she had been at the same machine for 3 hours and he had seen her put over 2500.00 dollars in the same machine. Leonard was too busy trying to keep Penny happy with free drinks, dance clubs and shopping trips. The wedding was delayed, it seemed, but for how long, Leonard had no idea.

"Sheldon I CAN"T HEAR YOU. LOOK I'M GOING TO BE IN VEGAS FOR A FEW MORE DAYS. CAN AMY TAKE YOU TO WORK TOMORROW?"

Sheldon was in no mood to scream although his heart wanted to at the moment. He instead said calmly, "No…She cannot." He didn't want to tell Leonard all the details at higher decibels. He just wanted him home, or Amy to pick up the phone. He finally raised his voice, "HOW WILL I GET TO WORK?"

Leonard wanted to quickly get off the phone and get back to Penny who was heading toward the high roller section. "TAKE THE BUS! OR CALL WOLOWITZ."

"FINE! GOOD BYE!" Sheldon quickly got off the phone as the cacophony of coins dropping and bells of lost hopes rang in his ears. Leonard would be gone for a few days? Sheldon should love the solitude, but this weekend was last one he wanted to be alone.

He needed to understand what was going on. He knew he was in trouble for speaking about the TV show, but not enough for this. Not enough to step back from everything they built up together. All the work he had put in to make her happy seemed forgotten. Was she really that upset over The Flash? She said she had been patient with him, but he still couldn't see it.

The day dragged on, and Sheldon tried to keep himself busy. He even called Wolowitz who had been pre-warned about playing chauffeur for Sheldon.

Howard answered right away, "Hey pal. So your boy Friday pulled a runner and went off to get hitched, huh Sheldon?"

"Leonard is not my boy Friday! He is my boy every day! Except this week, it seems." Sheldon's voice carried off.

"Yes, well, why didn't you call Amy? Oh wait, hold on… OW!"

Sheldon heard muffled sounds and the shrill voice of Bernadette berating Howard, but he couldn't make out what she was saying over the dampening.

Finally, Howard got on the line, and his voice had changed. It was softer and had an unfamiliar kindness. "Hey buddy…. How you doing?"

Sheldon glowered into the phone. "Well, I am the same as I was 30 seconds ago, if you must know."

"Of course you are. Now, why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Bernadette is making. OW! Hold ON!" this time, Sheldon could hear Howard, "Well how the hell was I supposed to know she was coming over! You never told me! FINE! Good, go out, I'll get Sheldon. Oh shi… Sheldon?"

"Yes, Howard. I am still here… as I have been. Like I'm caught in a time loop provided by AT&T..."

Howard let out a forced laugh, "Sheldon my friend, you are a screech! Just so funny! I was just telling Bernadette how funny you are, especially in the last year! Your mood has been so much bett…OW! HOLD ON!" Howard mumbled to Bernadette, "What was wrong with that!? I know its because of her! Shh now! He can hear you." Howard got on the line with a deep voice, "So pal, how about that dinner?"

"That would be acceptable. I have Chinese from Chins. The tangerine chicken needs to be diced, not shredded and we need to stop off for the good Korean mustard and low sodium soy sauce. I'll text it to you, it will save time and the enviable order managing that you would do."

Sheldon heard Howard let out a large sigh, "Whatever you need. I'll be there in a few."

Sheldon's voice boomed through the phone, "NO! Howard, I need an exact time! I can be wondering, waiting for when you show up! It would be like I was trapped in Heisenberg's uncertainty principle! I would neither know when or where you would pick me up! I need an EXACT TIME HOWARD. HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE!" Sheldon's voice was quaking through the phone that crackled over Howard's speakers.

Bernadette grabbed Howard's phone, "Look you skinny little dictator… You will not speak to my.. .OW!"

More muffling sounds and then Howard got on the line again.

"No problem buddy, I will be there at 5:45. If I am late, I will text you, okay?"

"Okay… At least I know where I stand…. Oh… thank you."

"Sure pal, anything you need."

After Sheldon hung up with the Wolowitz' he checked his emails and Skype in case he missed a call, but there was nothing.

Sheldon thought a quick message wouldn't hurt. Just in case Amy was done with her thinking she had to do.

Again, he heard her message. This time he just said, "Hello again…" He didn't know what else to say, so he just ended the call with, "Hello."

After a harrowing visit to the market, the restaurant and the local deli for mustard, Howard and Sheldon were finally eating around his mother's dining room table, although Sheldon was just picking at his food.

Howard had to break the silence, somehow, "Look, Sheldon. I just wanted to let you, I heard about you and Amy, and I'm sorry."

Sheldon drew in a long breath through his nose, and said categorically, "Nothing to be sorry over. Amy just needs a little time to work things out. She probably wants to figure out how much she misses me, and this is a test. That is all. Just a little while longer and she will call. I think maybe tonight, at the latest, tomorrow. You'll see."

Howard took a drink of soda and watched Sheldon's face liquefy like he lost all muscle function or the will to use them. Amy had told Bernadette about the "step back." While Howard was watching Sheldon melt, Bernadette was gluing pieces of Amy together with band-aid of platitudes like, it will get better, and he's not a terrible guy… sometimes…She was over at Amy's tonight armed with two bottles of wine and Costco size box of Klennex. Howard wished she left a case behind for him, and Sheldon. It was going to be a long night.

"Sheldon, she needs to think, sure." He had never seen it before, the dismantling of Sheldon Cooper, although before, he dreamed of this day seeing his smug face be taken down with so few words. Now, however, Howard had nothing but sympathy. Sheldon didn't understand any of what was going on, and it was up to Howard to spell it out for him.

"Look, Shelly.."

"Shelly?" Sheldon looked like he was slapped.

"Okay… Sheldon… Anyway, Amy will need a lot more time. She is rethinking a whole five years with you. That will take a lot longer than a few days."

Sheldon looked up at Howard, and asked meekly, "How long… do you think?"

"I'd give her a week at least, maybe two."

"A week? We talk every day!"

"I know, pal, but she need to figure something out."

"Like what?"

Howard shrugged his shoulders, "Who knows what a woman wants. Probably that you think of her... something like that."

Sheldon grew defensive, "I do think about her! I haven't stopped for 25.7 hours!"

Howard took a large sigh. "Sheldon, she needs to think about what you think of her. Let her do it. If you push, you could have her make the wrong decision."

Sheldon swallowed and asked with fear rattling in his voice, "Like… um… taking back our date nights, or something?"

"No buddy, like taking back ALL of them." Howard could see his words were cutting Sheldon. He looked as wounded as an animal, and just as confused to the cause. Howard quickly added, "Just give her time, I'm sure she will come around. Don't pester her."

"I haven't been. I just left a message, though." Sheldon poked around his rice, but he pushed the container aside.

Howard shook his head, "What did you say, you didn't tell her that she was foolish for needing this were you?"

"No, I wanted to, but I don't even understand it enough to qualify it as such. I just said… Hello."

"That's it?" Howard was shocked he didn't go on a diatribe of how Amy was

"Yeah. I just wanted to see if she would want to hear my voice. Like I do hers…"

"She will. You'll see. Now how about some more soy sauce, okay pal?" Howard was lousy at making Sheldon feel better, but he tried. He had a new appreciation of what Leonard goes though on a daily basis. Sheldon and Howard finished their meal, played a few rounds of Halo, then Howard took him home to the empty apartment promising to pick him up at precisely 8:05 AM.

Sheldon got ready for bed, and willed away the urge to call Amy. It was more difficult than he imagined, but he did it while checking his phone every hour. The next morning, Howard picked him up as promised. Sheldon spent the whole car ride glued to his phone, as he was all day in the office. Amy had called in to work, so there was no chance to see her.

He just had to call her once, just to check in before lunch:

"Hello again, Hello. Just called to say hello. I am here alone at work, and you're there at home, but it would be nice to have lunch with you. When you aren't here, its unsettling. I just wanted to hear you say... Hello."

Around 5 PM, Howard took Sheldon home after a day of unproductivity; he was ready to settle in with a large portion of Thai food. After he got home, he lost his appetite and threw it away.

That night, before bed, he calculated all the possible time frames Amy's could take for this break and the numbers were daunting as they were made up. There was no way, no matter how much he calculated, that Sheldon could figure out the female mind processing time frames with accuracy. He did what he wanted to do all afternoon, instead. He called Amy.

Once again, no answer, but he was able to hear her voice at least. He left the message, "Hello.. again. Amy. I just called to let you know… I think about you every night." Sheldon looked around the apartment, and then added, "When I'm here alone again, and you're there at home alone, thinking about us. So am I. So I guess, I just wanted to say…Hello."

The next day was a repeat of the day before. Sheldon checked his phone in the morning, but only left one message for Amy.

"Hello."

Leonard was still in Vegas with Penny for the next three days, but when he finally returned, he found Sheldon was a wreck. He was hunched in his spot, with his hand cemented to his phone. Take out boxes were piled up in the trash. Leonard did a quick check for cats, but so far nothing. Sheldon had tried to stay off the phone, but he called Amy every night.

"Hello again… Amy… Hello." He always hung up before he could say anything else.

Leonard tried to cheer up Sheldon, but without a word from Amy in over 5 days, Sheldon was in no mood to hear anything other than the sound of her voice. Sometimes, he would just call her number to hear the message, but he couldn't even bring himself to say hello.

At one point over the weekend, Leonard finally broke through to him, "Sheldon, Amy is taking this time to rethink your relationship, you should do the same!"

Sheldon didn't even look at Leonard when he spoke, just to the desk holding the ring, "Leonard, I am happy with our relationship. I don't need any time to know I love her and I want to be with her. I just need this break over and done with so I can ask her…" Sheldon's voice trailed off.

"Ask her what?"

"Something, she is not ready for, obviously." Sheldon looked down at Leonard's ring finger housing a new gold band, and Leonard finally knew.

"Sheldon, if you want to marry Amy…"

Sheldon finally looked up at him with wide eyes pleading for information, "Yes…"

"Then you need to think why this break occurred and start with that. And try this for once. Just once, think it might be your fault. Start with that premise and then rethink the last time you spoke."

Sheldon sat in his spot for hours thinking, and rethinking over what Leonard said. It was novel idea. Sheldon was not often wrong, but it could have been possible. After hours of reevaluation of their relationship, Sheldon had figured a few things out.

Sheldon went back to his room and closed the door. He readied himself for bed, but not before he called Amy.

'Hello Amy… Hello again.. I know its late, but I couldn't wait. I have to say, I think about you every night. I know you don't believe that based on what I said on our anniversary, but I do" Sheldon took a large breath and continued. He was nervous to speak so long on the message, fearing he would be in trouble, but he had to tell her.

"Amy.. I know that lately it's been crazy between us. I think…Maybe I'm to blame. But tonight, I finally put my heart above my head and thought about you. I thought back to our whole time together. I know that we've been through it all and you love me just the same. Even when I was terrible to you, or dismissive. I hope that is still the case… so tonight I just wanted to say… I just needed to hear you voice and to say hello."

Sheldon waited three more days before he tried to call Amy. He didn't go to work, but the outcome would have been the same. He was unable to concentrate on anything. Finally after three days, he left one more message:

"Hello again… hello… I just wanted to say, this break has been hard on me, I cannot deny it. But if it's good for you, then I will give you all the time you require. I need you, Amy, but its good to need you so. Its good to feel how I do when I am around you. I miss you every night, but its good to love you like I do. Its been enough to just to hear your voice and when I hear you say…" Sheldon took a deep breath and finally said, "Hello."

Sheldon hung up the phone and placed it on his desk. For the first time in a week, the phone left his hand. He sat on his spot and closed his eyes for a moment. He tried to remember all the times she spoke to him, like a favorite video he played on repeat every night. After about 20 minutes, a sound he had not heard in week echoed through the apartment: Amy's ring tone.

Sheldon leaped off the couch and over the coffee table. He reached the phone in less than two rings but needed one more ring to catch his breath.

He answered his phone with shaky hand, "Hello?"

The woman on the other line said only one word, but it was all he needed to feel whole again, "Hello."

"Hello Again"

Hello again, hello
Just called to say hello
I couldn't sleep at all tonight
And I know it's late
But I couldn't wait

Hello, my friend, hello
Just called to let you know
I think about you ev'ry night
When I'm here alone
And you're there at home, hello

Maybe it's been crazy
And maybe I'm to blame
But I put my heart above my head
We've been through it all
And you loved me just the same
And when you're not there
I just need to hear

Hello, my friend, hello
It's good to need you so
It's good to love you like I do
And to feel this way
When I hear you say, hello

Hello, my friend, hello
Just called to let you know
I think about you ev'ry night
And I know it's late
But I couldn't wait
Hello