I could just imagine the feeling that went trough Leonard, if he was a real person, to think you failed to save the love of your life and then find out she is alive and everything is going to be okay. Penny’s feelings for him risking his life have to be intense, too, so them both being on a rollercoaster of emotions over the last couple of days is a very true thing. Though them just going back to beginning and dating doesn’t really make sense, they have already made love and told each other they love each other, but them running out and getting married doesn’t make sense either since they need to take some time from the emotional high they are currently on. So they need to find a place somewhere in between, I think initially Penny will be living with Leonard to help take care of him the next week or two, so maybe after that she will decide to stay with him, to live with him and see if their feelings survive being around each other all the time. Kurt having nightmares is no surprise though the ones he is having are very disturbing and do hint he may need some help, hopefully Rachel can be that help, and if it turns into something more, it would not be disappointing if Kurt found a relationship with Rachel like Leonard and Penny have. I guess I’m now caught up on this story so like all your other readers I will be waiting for your next update.

I liked the beginning of this chapter where you gave us some idea of Kurt’s thoughts, killing someone is not like it is on video games and having to kill someone you know quite well is very disturbing. Kurt’s thoughts about his and Leonard’s friendship was quite touching too, Kurt has really been a significant character in this story. Penny’s feelings for Leonard have to be at a hightened state right now with her admitting she loved him and then him risking his life to save her so I expect her reactions about anything that happens to him to be quite extreme, just like her shock when realizing he woke up thinking she was dead. Her being in the room when he wakes up should solve his fear and also should start his first step towards recovery. They now just have to clean up the details of the case to move on, hopefully there will be no problems.

Cheryl definitely had some very serious physiological problems and it appears that Steve was that last straw that broke the camel’s back to send her over the edge. Leonard risking his life to save Penny is very in character for him, but not knowing the police were outside, he was obviously taking a huge risk of them both dying and using his heart instead of his head in the situation. Kurt being the one to end the situation was a big shock, to me, he was not the one I would have expected to decide the outcome. This chapter was really well written and very intense, well done.

Sheldon’s brain appears to be a huge asset in getting them to the place where Cheryl went, I guess he does fit the purpose of the Sherlock character in this story. It is a really good thing the police are taking this all just as seriously as Sheldon and Kurt are because it seems already that they maybe just got there in time or worst case maybe a little too late to save Leonard or Penny but soon enough to catch Cheryl. Two big cliffhangers back to back and then this chapter has really made this story quite exciting.

Wow, I would have expected Cheryl to make a run for it, after getting her warning in the last chapter, but her staying to kidnap Penny was a huge surprise. Penny should have taken a chance and tried to get away though because I’m thinking Cheryl has some serious mental issues and is completely unpredictable now that she is being cornered. Although the police have some very serious evidence against Cheryl, to lock her up, Cheryl now taking Penny really changes everything, and I expect Leonard is going to immediately become frantic when he hears what Cheryl has to say. Again, you have really upped the suspense and left us with a very huge cliffhanger.

Oh boy, Leonard and Penny may be in a little too deep in their relationship right now to be helping their case, especially if Leonard, I expect, starts using his heart instead of his head to help solve her case. Though that is a huge amount of evidence they have gotten against Cheryl this chapter, especially the information about the gloves, which seems to be pretty damning evidence against Cheryl. However, the store owner telling Cheryl what just happened with Kurt has definitely put her on alert and could give her the needed advantage to cover her tracks, before the guys prove her guilty conclusively. This is definitely a new twist in the story and I have to congratulate you on how you are keeping a good level of suspense in this story.

Kurt’s run in with Mrs. Wolowitz was funny, I expect he will be avoiding the Wolowitz house for the near future. Although, Howard’s apparent addiction to gambling could end up with him being roughed up in the future, maybe getting him some exposure and sympathy from Bernadette and even getting Kurt involved to help fix things, because Howard is a valuable asset to the detective agency. Anyway, with the credit card receipts, the guys have another clue to pursue, to either give them more insight to if Cheryl is their killer or exonerate her. The last paragraph of this chapter has me now wondering how much Leonard and Penny will be involved before this case is over, because I can’t help to think that Leonard would have a difficult time being impartial if he was in a relationship with Penny.

I guess my question about what role Kurt was going to play in this story is answered, a major role it appears with him now part of the detective agency. Actually Kurt does sort of compliment their team, with Sheldon handling the theory, Leonard the practical, the physical aspects of detective work, and Kurt now the muscle, they have a very well rounded team. Kurt and Leonard becoming good friends, over Penny no less, is a little difficult to put my head around but seems to work for this story. Cheryl is becoming a very interesting character, with this new background information, in this chapter, her teenage years could have left deep physiological scars in her which along with her apparent hatred of Penny gives her more of a motive to be the killer. Of course, there is still the chance she is a dead end, just like Wyatt, but the evidence is building against her, with now the telephone records showing she had repeated contact with the victim. Finally, Penny, just like Leonard, is making an emotional bond to him, her missing him appears to support that a beginning relationship between them is starting. A lot going on right now in this story and I wonder what will happen next.

It is a good thing that Wyatt and Susan love Penny and want to see her cleared of murder because most people do take it personal when you have them on the suspect list for a murder. Wyatt’s getting over his resentment so quickly and then actually helping them just shows the strong honest character in the man. That help resulting in Cheryl being a suspect is a surprise though, I wonder if when our trio investigates her will she end up being a dead end or will she supply another clue to the true murderer.

That is a twist, could Penny’s father really have something to do with the murder, if he does, I would be really interested in why he would try to frame his own daughter for the crime. Kurt, it appears, is going to be a big part of this story, in a good way, that is really something different from other stories I have read, it actually makes me curious about what his role in all this story will finally end up being. That is quite the entourage going to Omaha at the end of this chapter, Sheldon, Leonard and Kurt sure are an odd group to be traveling together in The Big Bang Theory universe.

Sheldon now is back in the story, after pretty much being absent the last two chapters, I guess this is where the Sherlock Sheldon comes in. Leonard and Sheldon sure have a difficult case to solve and with all the evidence against Penny it even makes me wonder if she is using Leonard’s feelings towards her to get out of murder, because a lot of Leonard’s drive to prove her innocence seems to be because of his feelings towards her. So, I guess I’m expecting either Leonard or Sheldon to do some brilliant detective work and find the real killer or find out that Penny is playing them and is the killer. It will be interesting to find out who Sheldon is referring to in the last couple sentences of this chapter because that reference appears to point to someone he is specifically thinking about.

The chemistry between Leonard and Penny is strong in this story and Kurt finding a way for them to be alone, a second time now, is helping that chemistry take hold. Still a little surprised on how you are making Kurt a major character in this story and writing him as a nice guy which is the opposite of how most writers write him. The bar scene was extremely interesting, when a girl brings her boyfriend to a place to maybe see another guy it is pretty much over and she is thinking of moving on, Penny’s toughest and actions at the bar very much supporting that. Also, Penny and this Cheryl, you introduced this chapter, appear to have some bad blood between the two of them, and I’m wondering if this Cheryl is going to be a problem in the future because the confrontation between her and Penny didn’t seem resolved. However, that all may be moot after that cliffhanger you left at the end of the chapter, that infers that Penny may again need the services of Leonard and Sheldon’s detective agency.

Leonard having to do all the dirty work of being a detective does not surprise me, Sheldon was never one for any type of serious physical work or getting his hands dirty. Him getting caught and beaten up is also an occupational hazard of being a detective so though not desirable, it is not a huge surprise it happened. Kurt being a nice guy and saving Leonard from a more intensive beating, or even something worse, was a big surprise. Penny then coming into the picture at the end of the chapter was another surprise and her contempt for Kurt and concern for Leonard a very pleasant addition to that surprise. However, I was a little blown away at Kurt actually doing things to help Penny and Leonard get together, and not being jealous in any way, you really made a big character change in Kurt from the show.

I can see Sheldon wanting to be a detective after getting praise for solving the strawberry mystery, he is all about being admired so any career he can get that will lead to people admiring him is something he is going to be interested in. I’m sort of disappointed that Leonard gave up a career in science though to be Sheldon’s sidekick and minion, Sheldon treating him like an employee instead of a partner in this first chapter already. However, it appears that this new career for Leonard allowed him to meet Penny and he does seem to be smitten with Penny at first sight, like he was in the show, and Penny appears to feel an attraction to him, again like the show. Also, it is a good thing that Leonard has the street smarts enough to bring their first client’s case to a successful conclusion, something Sheldon appears not to have, so maybe that success will lead to more cases.

That was a good idea having Penny in the room for Leonard when he awoke because it was obvious that his first concern would be her wellbeing after all that happened. Penny’s reward for his bravery was perfect, too, but I agree with you about after going through something like they both did their love making was probably also aS much celebration of life as it was love. It is additionally good that they slow down this sudden uptake of their feelings for each other because they are both still recovering from a lot of emotions from nearly dying and they need to get back to normal. Hopefully after that though they will still feel the need to be together and take their relationship to the next level. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m rooting for Kurt now, that he finds some closure on the shooting from Rachel and maybe a future friendship that could become something more. Finally is there going to be an Amy for Sheldon?