I don't own The Big Bang Theory, or the characters.

Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper Ph.D. is an extremely intelligent man. As a physicist he has a working knowledge of the universe and everything in it. His IQ has been calculated at 187. His friends say he is one lab accident away from being a super villain. They were wrong. He was one lab accident away from creating one. Or rather, he used to be.

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Once again President Seibert had forced Sheldon to take a vacation. By the second day he was bored. Amy wouldn't let him come to her lab after last year. Leonard wouldn't help him sneak into work. So, while digging through the closet for his spare bus pants he ran across the chemistry set Leonard had given Penny as a joke. He looked at it carefully. Maybe he would postpone his trip to the train store.

It wasn't really his fault, he tried to convince himself later. Penny had distracted him! She had come over around noon to check on him, something he deemed unnecessary. He had already dismissed the pedantic experiments suggested on the back of the box. He was designing his own experiments using the contents of the set and some of his own chemicals. She was asking questions and he never noticed that he had accidentally spilled a couple of drops from the beaker in his hand into the coffee cup she had set down. In fact it would be 8 weeks before he even considered that maybe the chemicals he made that day were responsible.

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The first incident was written off as an accident. Barry Kripke had played a joke on Sheldon, hacking his face book and sending every faculty member links to gay porn. The next day Sheldon hacked Kripke's university page and changed all his contact info so that the links redirected to businesses that specialized in transgender counseling. The third day found a very dead Kripke in Sheldon's office. It appeared that, while trying to fill Sheldon's office with Styrofoam packing, he had swallowed some and choked . No one suspected Sheldon of anything since he had been at a faculty meeting during the time of death.

The second time was also unsuspicious. Leonard, Raj, Sheldon and Penny were at the comic book store. Penny was talking with Stuart about another gift for her nephew's upcoming birthday once again. The guys were looking through the stacks when Captain Sweatpants snatched a comic at the same time as Sheldon. Sheldon argued strongly for his ownership but Captain Sweatpants just jerked it from him and hurried to purchase it. Three days later, he was found hanging from his ceiling fan. A note left on the table said he was depressed and this was the only way he had out. No one even considered foul play, but something nagged in the back of Sheldon's mind. Something about the way Penny had watched the guy leave the store that night.

The third time something unusual happened, Raj found himself slightly suspicious. The group was having Thai food and discussing which movie to watch when Howard told them how much he wished he could have been chosen for an upcoming project for NASA. Unfortunately there were two other guys more qualified than him who were in the running. Penny asked what made them more qualified. Leonard told him maybe things would work out. Raj noticed the smirk on Penny's face when no one else was looking, but quickly dismissed it.

By Friday, Howard found his name the frontrunner for the project. Seems the two other guys had been removed from the list. One was found in possession of top secret papers that indicated he was a spy for North Korea. He was dragged off the Guantanamo. The other was arrested after he was found laying in a pool of blood in a seedy motel next to a dead hooker. He couldn't explain why his system was full of heroin any more than he could explain the dead hooker. When Seibert stopped by their table at lunch time to tell Howard the spot was his, Raj remembered that smirk of Penny's. He quickly dismissed his worries as a fanciful delusion. Then more incidents made him reconsider.

Leslie Winkle publicly humiliated Leonard by posting a video of them having sex on-line. Two days later she found herself arrested for on-line fraud. Someone had stolen funds to the tune of half a million dollars from a investment firm and the trail ended with her personal computer. Half of the money was missing, but the other half was in her bank account.

A blind date who laughed at Raj's selective mutism woke up to find the word SLUT tattooed across her cheek. A blood test showed she had ingested several sleeping pills the night before.

When Leonard's mother visited and spent the weekend humiliating her son, she found herself accused of plagiarism when her newest book debuted that following month. She swore the passages she was accused of copying had not been part of her original manuscript, but she also couldn't explain how they had ended up in her files and in her newly published book.

Alicia in 5A disturbed the boys by playing loud music all weekend and then hd her meat headed boyfriend bully them when they complained. The next day, police received a tip she was running a sex for hire business in her apartment from an anonymous source. They raided her place and found all the evidence necessary to make an arrest.

Finally Raj called Howard and Leonard into his and Sheldon's office one morning. He then laid his suspicions before the others. At first they all scoff, until they too remembered some strange occurrences. The insulting waiter at the cheesecake factory who disappeared without trace. Wil Wheaton was hit by a bus. He swore he felt someone push him from the sidewalk but no one had seen anything. The morning after Howard, Raj and Leonard were kicked from a club because they weren't "cool" enough, it burned to the ground. Investigators suspected arson. There were more, so many more memories that on their own meant nothing but when piled together seemed to indicate only one thing. All that had happened had benefited the four guys. And the only common denominator was Penny.

She walked into 4A for Halo night and smirked when she saw the guys all sitting on the couch. They had set a chair directly in front of them as if it was an inquisition. She decided to see just how much her little geniuses knew.

"Hey guys!" She gave them her kilowatt smile. "Whatcha doing? No Halo tonight?"

"Penny, please have a seat. We have something to discuss with you," Sheldon said sternly.

She pouted prettily. "Ah, Moon Pie, have I earned another strike? What for this time?"

"Penny, we…uh, have some concerns about some recent events." Leonard fidgeted in his seat uncomfortably. "We, that is Raj and Sheldon were thinking you might be able to explain a few things."

She watched the flash of panic cross Raj's face. She deliberately kept her expression confused and a bit dumb. "Me? You want me to explain something you don't understand?" She narrowed her eyes like she had just been insulted. "Just because I don't have some sort of college degree doesn't mean I'm stupid, Leonard."

Sheldon leaned forward. "No. I think you are either very smart or very devious. There's been a lot of strange things going on lately. Deaths, arrests, even property damage. All evidence points to someone on a vendetta of sorts. A vendetta that benefits us four alone. So, are you or are you not disposing of problems that arise for us?"

Penny laughed loudly. She had known he would see through her play acting. "I knew you would come to that conclusion, Sheldon. Although, to be honest I kinda expected it 3 weeks ago. I was tested last month four times. I averaged an IQ of 203. How's it feel to no longer be the smartest person in the room, Sheldon?"

She smiled benignly. She waited until Sheldon was over his shock before speaking. "Okay, my lovelies, here's the deal. You have two options. You can continue with things the way they've been going or you can make a fuss. You should know the consequences of each action before you make your decision. Making a fuss will annoy me. Now, I find the notion of hurting you four a bit distasteful. Doesn't mean I can't or won't. Just that I'll feel bit sad. However, I've taken precautions against such a decision. See, all you have are suspicions. No evidence. And no real motivation except for 'she did it for us' which, let's face it, makes you four look deluded. But if you chose that route, I'll no longer feel obliged to take care of you."

She smiled sweetly at them. "Or you can ignore your suspicions and continue life as you know it. You will still be my favorite friends, and I'll still be your ditzy friend. You'll have fewer problems, more opportunities and less detractors. You'll also have the secure knowledge that if anyone ever tries to harm you, they will likely not live to regret it."

She watched them closely. Howard looked stunned. Raj looked worried. Leonard looked ill. Sheldon looked intrigued. She stood and walked over to the fridge for a bottle of water. "I should also inform you about potential mates. As long as any woman or man you are involved with makes you happy, they too will fall under my protection. I will not inflict any damage to them in the case of a break up unless they have harmed you. And before you ask, I will determine what constitutes harm. So don't ask. Family is up for grabs. I wouldn't hurt Missy, Meemaw, or Mrs. Cooper for anything. Mrs. Wolowitz is safe too. I don't know Raj's family and you already suspect my hand in Beverly's dilemma." Her grin put Sheldon's joker grin to shame.

"What are you getting out of this," Sheldon asked calmly.

Penny sat back down and winked at him. "Pleasure. Do you have any idea how much fun I am having? Some actions have been better than an orgasm." Penny suddenly looked sad and heartbroken. "Poor Dr. Winkle. Such a shame she didn't cover her trail better." She grinned again, making Sheldon shudder.

"Penny," Howard said in confusion. "You've killed people."

She leaned back in her chair with a soft smile. "Prove it."

Leonard stood suddenly and began pacing. "Penny, I don't know about this! You're doing illegal stuff. How can you ask us to condone that?!"

Slowly she stood, making sure she had their full attention. In the blink of an eye she dropped all pretense. She stripped away the mask she had worn for the last few months.

They all cringed back and gasped. Her eyes were black, her skin glowed. Her blond locks took on a reddish hue and floated around her face despite the lack of wind. After several minutes she drew back on her mask and cloaked her body again. She smiled serenely, and walked toward the door.

"I'll give you 24 hours to decide. I promise, no repercussions as long as you don't pose a threat." She dropped the smile quickly. "But there are also no second chances. I'm only offering you one chance to chose freely."

Sheldon spoke up as she turned the door knob. "What if we go along with you for now, but change our mind later?"

Penny regarded him closely. He was the only one she was really concerned about. She had only extended her protection to the others out of habit. "Like I said, I don't want to hurt any of you. But I will if it comes down to a choice between me or you. As long as your actions don't endanger me, I would leave you be. But you would never be trusted again." Penny pulled the door open and walked out.

"Holy Shiva's ghost, dudes. Did you see the way she morphed?!"

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm not about to cross evil Penny." Howard shuddered as he remembered her grin when she said she got pleasure from the things she had done. There had been absolutely no remorse in her.

"She's not evil!" Leonard said quickly. "She is just confused. I have to make her see that. I'll talk to her. We'll figure out what is wrong and fix it!"

"Leonard, she is not a damsel in distress." Sheldon stood and waked over to her chair. He picked up the water bottle she had left behind and quickly sealed it for testing later. "You continue to try and be her white knight, but fail to see she is not in want of saving."

"Sheldon, she killed someone! She isn't herself! She needs m.. our help!" Leonard had a quick fantasy of him discovering what has wrong and fixing it for her. She would be so grateful.

"No," Raj said slowly. "She likes it. She likes being a super villain. She's been playing with us for months now, waiting to see how long it took for us to realize what she was."

Howard looked at them all. "So what are we going to do?"

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Penny stepped into her shower and considered her options. They were all in 4A, waiting on her. Howard, Raj and Leonard were going to say yes. So was Sheldon but he didn't mean it. He was thinking of saving her, despite his words to Leonard. She had smelled it in the air long before she reached the forth floor. Surrender mixed with determination. They were either too scared or too docile to go against her. All except him. She knew it. He would play the game, but he had no intention of knuckling under. She almost laughed. He just might be her nemesis. She purred at the thought.

Ever since the accident, she had changed. Not just her physical appearance which was easily hidden, but her mind and emotions. She was smarter now. Even smarter than most. But it was her emotions she relished on the whole. She didn't feel the need for compliments anymore. She didn't find her self worth from having some meathead drool over her. She was powerful and she liked it. She felt no remorse, no conflicted conscience.

She dressed in her ordinary shorts and tank top. She had always thought that if comic book villains had dressed more casually, no one would have acted suspicious around them. Masks and capes were what got you caught. No one would suspect a buxom Nebraska chick in hello kitty shorts to be plotting world domination.

Sheldon stared at his computer with dismay. He recognized the chemical compound in Penny's saliva. He had created it himself. His mind flashed back to that day. This was his fault. No, it was her fault for distracting him! Sheldon sighed softly. No. It was his fault for being distracted by Penny. She would be there soon to hear their answers. He knew he should say no. But he wouldn't. He had to stay close to her in order for him to find a cure for this.

He snapped his laptop shut as he heard her turn the doorknob. She looked like she did every other day. It was almost impossible to see the change in her. Then she grinned. Raj squeaked and Howard looked like he might pass out. Leonard shuffled in place and then tried his puppy eyes on her.

"Penny," he said soothingly, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. I'll always be our friend."

Penny ignored him as she continued to grin at Sheldon. Slowly she walked forward, almost as if stalking him. He was shocked to feel his body respond. She truly is magnificent, he thought quickly. She stopped inches away from him. She raked her eyes down him as if she knew how fast his pulse was speeding, how warm he felt under her gaze. His eyes went wide as his penis twitched slightly. Something seemed to click in place between them.

It wiped the grin from her face and she sank down to rest on the heels of her feet in front of him. Her eyes turned soft. Almost regretful.

"I was going to play you along. I can feel your intentions. But actually looking at you now, I can't do that. See, I don't want to go back. The old Penny was weak. She was two drinks away from being an alcoholic like her mom. She had no self worth. I'm a different creature, Sheldon." She reached up and laid her hand on his cheek.

"Did you know she loved you? That's why she dated Leonard. She didn't feel she deserved someone as good as you, so she took the consolation prize." She ignored the gasps from the others. "She saw you as a savior, a knight."

He watched her tuck away that soft look. Her hand slid behind his neck and she leaned in close. He could feel her breath against his lips. Suddenly she stood and stepped back. She was distant and inflexible now.

"I will readily admit that I want you. There are few things I'd like more than stripping you naked and fucking your brains out. But that would only complicate our future relationship. She was right. You are a savior, a knight. Just not mine. I don't want to be saved. You're going to have to kill me, you know. I have no intention of going down without a fight." She turned and walked towards the door. She didn't even spare a glance at the others. She opened it and looked over her shoulder at Sheldon one last time.

"Be sure, Sheldon. Don't come for me unless you are fully committed. Because I won't hesitate. I will kill you. I'll grieve for you after, but that won't stop me from snapping your neck." And just like that, she was gone.

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It wasn't easy to keep track of her. She was smart and covered her tracks well. A robbery here, a jewel theft there. She was obviously keeping track of them, too. Raj received notice he was in danger of being deported because his visa was expiring. A week later he received paperwork from the government that he was now a dual citizen, something he had never even applied for knowing he would not be eligible. He knew it was her, taking care of 'her boys' once again. Sometimes it would be months before he saw any sign of her. But he planned. He worked on reversing the chemicals. As a back up, he also worked on finding a way to suppress the chemicals.

After her announcement, life in 4A became difficult. Leonard was angry and jealous. He hadn't taken the news that Penny loved Sheldon well. He blamed Sheldon, saying that she wouldn't have ever loved Sheldon if he didn't monopolize so much of her time. Howard had taken Leonard's side. Raj was more pragmatic, surprisingly. He still came by every now and then to see how he was. He even helped try to keep track of her.

Sheldon moved into her apartment when she disappeared. She hadn't taken much with her. A few clothes, her shoes, and the framed photo of the two of them from Disneyland. That last item gave him hope. It kept him going when he was frustrated at reaching yet another dead end.

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He bolted up in bed. "DANGER! DANGER!" He looked around the room carefully. Something had woken him. The bedroom was dark, but there was a faint light from the living room because the door was ajar. He got up cautiously and peeked around the door. Slowly, he opened it fully and walked inside. She was sitting at the island munching on a bear claw. There was a fresh pot of tea on the stove.

"Hello, Sheldon," she said gently. "Come join me. I promise I'm only here to talk." He walked over and sat across from her. She poured him some tea and added a teaspoon of honey, just like he liked it. Then she slid over a plate with a large cinnamon roll, his favorite. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she smiled softly.

"It's safe, Moon Pie. I've never lied to you. And I'm not about to start now."

The words were automatic. "Penny, only Meemaw is allowed to call me Moon Pie."

She laughed then, head thrown back, shoulders shaking. His eyes softened as he watched her. He had missed her. After a moment she calmed and looked back over at him. Her eyes were wistful and a bit sad.

"So," she began, "making any headway?"

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the series of white boards around the room. She nodded.

"Yes, I've read them. Looks like you're getting close to a cure. That's not what I mean though. Are you making any headway in accepting what you will have to do?"

Sheldon sighed softly. "Penny, I am close to finding a way to cure you. I will cure you."

She shook her head, her eyes growing icy. "No, Sheldon. You won't. This is life or death. No in-between. You need to accept that. Otherwise I'll roll right over you."

Sheldon stood quickly and flung his hand toward the boards. "No! There is a cure! Things can be like they were!"

In the blink of an eye, Penny was in front of him. "I don't want it. I don't want your next cure! You are living in a fantasy world, Sheldon! There is no happily ever after here! There is no white knight riding to the rescue here! There is me and there is you. Only one of us makes it out alive! I don't want you half-assing this! Do. Not. Waste. My. Time."

He didn't stop to think. For the first time in a long time, he just reacted. He grabbed her arms and pulled her close. Their lips fused together. She was fire in his arms. She melted against him and he growled deep in his throat. He slid an arm under her knees and carried her to the bedroom.

When the sun came up, she was gone. He sat on the edge of the bed and held her torn shirt in his hands. He could still smell her vanilla and honeysuckle scent. He noticed his green lantern shirt was gone. There were scratches down his back, a bite imprint on his shoulder. He remembered placing one on her shoulder in exactly the same place. Slowly he showered and dressed. He walked out into the living room. He was shocked to see Raj standing there in front of one board. Raj turned wide eyes to him.

"You did it?!" He looked back at the board in awe. "You found out how to reverse it!"

Sheldon frowned and hurried over. He looked at the chemical compound scrawled across the board. She had finished it. How long had she known how to cure herself? Why would she hand him the very cure she claimed she didn't want?

"I love you."

She had whispered it to him last night. He had been looking down at her, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. Her voice had been so low he almost didn't hear the words.

He looked at the compound she had scrawled across the bottom. It would work. Sheldon quickly wrote a list of supplies he would need. As soon as Raj left to get them, he set about preparing.

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She was standing in front of the windows when she heard the door open. She watched him move to the center of the room in the reflection. She turned around and smiled. It had been a week since her visit. He had dressed for the occasion, wearing the suit she had helped him pick out for the awards banquet. She looked down at herself. Jeans, and his t-shirt. She smiled.

"I feel a bit under-dressed. Should I change?"

Sheldon smiled softly. "That is why I'm here."

She dropped the smile and moved a few steps closer. "Are you prepared for the consequences, Sheldon?"

He looked at her with a plea in his gaze. "Penny, this wasn't supposed to happen. This isn't how things are meant to be. You know this. You left me the cure. Please." He pulled a small vial of red liquid from his pocket and shook it gently. Then he held out his hand. "Come back home with me."

She walked over to him and placed a hand on his jaw. He started down into her emerald eyes. "You don't know what you are asking."

He leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Please," he whispered.

Penny plucked the vial from him and walked back to the windows. She held it up to the light and he held his breath. She turned back to face him and plucked out the stopper. Without a word she tossed the contents into her mouth. In seconds, Sheldon had her in his arms again. She laid her head against his chest and sighed softly.

"I knew you would not try to kill me," she whispered. "I knew you would seek out a cure, no matter what. Sheldon Cooper, savior, always does the honorable thing."

He smiled into her hair and ran a hand up and down her back.

Slowly she pulled away from him. Her smile turned sour. "That's why I had to take matters into my own hands."

Sheldon felt a fissure of fear run down his back. "Penny, what are you saying?"

"I knew you would be suspicious of the formula. So I made sure it was absolutely correct. You know that it had to be measured exactly. Too little and it wouldn't work. Too much and it would be deadly." Sheldon gasped as he realized what she had done.

"No," he whispered.

Penny smiled and pulled a second vial from her own pocket. He could see the faint red traces in the bottom that were a match to the one she held in her other hand.

"Why?" His voice was strained, confused. His mind scrambled to make sense of it all.

"Penny died a long time ago," she whispered. "You need to know, there was never a chance to save her. You have to stop blaming yourself, Sheldon." Penny's eyes went wide as a spasm shook her body. Sheldon ran over, catching her before she fell. She convulsed for a moment more, and then stilled.

He didn't notice the tears sliding down his cheeks as he looked in her blank eyes. It was hours later before he finally moved. He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom off to the side. Gently he laid her down and closed her eyes. He stood to leave and noticed a small box on a table near the door. His name was scrawled across the top. Sheldon picked it up and walked away.

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She was only small blurb in the obituaries at first. Then information began to come to light. Within weeks she was a media sensation. When she died she had over $50 million in the bank, and several multi-million dollar pieces of property around the world. No one could believe a waitress from Omaha could have amassed as large of a fortune as she had. The police tried to trace the money, but she had been ruthless in covering her tracks. Eventually, a year later, the investigators had to release her assets when they couldn't prove any criminal activity. Conspiracy theories sprung up everywhere. She had left a will. 50% of her money was divided among her parents and siblings. 15% was donated to the physics department at Cal-Tech. She left 20% to Sheldon. She left the remaining 15% to Raj, Howard and Leonard. Her property was to be sold and the proceeds used to start a grant for aspiring actors and actresses.

It was 3 years before he looked in the box. On top was the picture. Underneath that were some stocks no one had known about. One million dollars worth. She had put them in his name. Under those was a journal. He traced over the words on the cover carefully.

For Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D.

Inside he found formulas, equations, jumbled notes. He skimmed over them, realized many were the same formulas he had worked on to find her cure. Near the back he found the letter.

Dear Sheldon,If you are reading this, then you did exactly what I expected you to do. You saved me. I'm 86.3% sure I'm going to have to trick you into doing it, though. You analyzed the water bottle I left behind. You figured out what the catalyst was. You know about the increased intelligence, the repressed and/or regressed emotions. You may even suspect that I can now sense emotions, even over a great distance. But what you don't know, are the side effects. The blinding migraines. The insomnia. The damage to my lungs, kidneys and liver. I'm dying. Very quickly, as a matter of fact.

I know you and Raj have remained friends, and have discussed your confusion as to why I don't seem to be following the typical super villain agenda of world domination. (Tell Howard thanks for never taking down that microphone behind the fridge.) The truth is, I thought about it. Until I realized what was happening to me. That was the day I sabotaged Beverly Hoffstadler's book. So I ran my own experiments and tests. I collected data and drew my conclusions. Even if you reversed the effects of the chemicals, the damage to my body was done. There's no saving me from that. So I changed my agenda. I am gathering as many resources as I can. Don't fret. It's all coming from criminals. I'm stealing from drug dealers, crooked politicians, and what's left of the old school mob bosses. Well, except for those Jimmy Cho prototype shoes. I just couldn't resist them.

There have only ever been a handful of people who truly meant anything to me. At the top of that list is you. Above all others, my parents, my sister, anyone, there is you. I know money and property mean little to you. But I want to make sure you never want for anything in life. I will rest easier knowing you are independent and do not ever have to rely on anyone you do not want to. Being truly independent, you will only have to let in the people you want in your life. You can take care of your family in a way they deserve. You can do the research YOU want, not what the people over you want. Yes, I know about all the times they made you abandon your theories to work on something the college deemed profitable.

Please don't regret what happened. I wanted it to go this way. In my mind I can imagine it. You and me. Just us. You'll give me the cure because you care about me. You won't want to hurt me. I no longer think I could hurt you. I'll take it, because that's the plan.

Everything ends with you. Your arms I find joy in last. Your kiss I submit to last. Your body I last feel inside mine. Your face the last one I look upon. There is nothing more exquisite to my mind and heart than that. If I must die, then I want it to be by your hand. Because in the end, you are the only one who ever made me happy. The only man I truly loved. The only one who can release me from the excruciating pain my body experiences every second of every day.

You are my savior. My knight. Do not regret my death. Do not regret your role in it. I needed you and you were there for me. I will love you forever.

Penelope

Sheldon closed the journal and hugged it close to his chest. He looked out the window of his office and watched his mom and Meemaw planting flowers at the base of the cherry blossom tree he planted two years ago. No one except Raj and himself knew that Penny rested beneath it. They had stolen her urn from her parents house, replacing it with an exact replica. As long as no one tested them, they would never know the ashes were from a burned tree.

He had purchased this estate in northern Texas and moved his family into it. There were two separate wings, everyone had their own suite of rooms. Raj had asked to come too. He had built his own small house on the grounds. They rarely heard from Leonard and Howard. They were still researchers at Cal-Tech as far as he knew. He had married Amy. It was a marriage of convenience. She wanted children, he wanted someone he could pretend was her.

He picked up the framed photo from his desk and traced his thumb over her face. He had never told anyone what had happened that day. Raj had only asked once, the day her obituary appeared. He had broken down and cried in front of his Indian friend. Raj never asked again.

He had flung himself into his research. His work had flourished under his need to drown out his memories. In 2 weeks time he would fly to Stockholm with Raj and his family. They were to receive a Nobel prize for their dual contributions to physics. He knew Raj was surprised he had shared credit with him, but he was sure it was something Penny would have been proud of him for. He loved her. Had probably loved her for years before he realized it.

He replaced the stocks and the journal. He opened his safe and placed them inside. He felt a great weight slid from his shoulders. He knew the moment she died that she had manipulated him into poisoning her. He had hated her for that for many months. But that had faded as the grief had taken over. Now he knew it had been a hopeless situation from the beginning. It didn't dispel his grief, but it made it easier to deal with. She had loved him. She had needed him and he hadn't let her down. He had been there for her when she needed him most. He took the photo upstairs and placed it on his bedside table. "I understand," he whispered softly. "I love you, too."

He made his way down stairs and out to the garden. He walked over and surprised his mom but hugging her close. He regretted never telling Penny he loved her. He looked at the flourishing cherry blossom tree. He thought about the theory he once told Penny about multiple universes. He hoped that in at least some of them he was smart enough to realize how much she meant to him before he missed his opportunity with her.