Crazy Long Author's Note: Okay, new fandom and new WIP, I'm ready! I have a job as a home caregiver during the week and my employer loves all the court shows on CW50. During that time, I've seen previews for reruns of TBBT and since I've always had a passing interest in the show (any show with a skinny but still kinda hot genius character is an instant hit with me), I decided to tune in during a Sunday marathon.

And the first episode I saw was the one when Penny busted her shoulder and Sheldon was her adorkable hero. Yeah…that one. With the Soft Kitty as a round. Coupled with that awesomeness, I also have a thing for plausible Beauty and the Geek plot lines so I am now a die-hard Shenny shipper. In fact, you guys probably have noticed me trolling the archive and cyber stalking some wonderful authors in the fandom via favs and alerts and a review. But, now I want to play, too.

I am working in the confines of a post Arctic alternate universe with a very different set of characters. This veers canon off course after Season 2 (but will have some references from later Shenny moments in the show) and there will be no established Leonard/Penny-ness in this dojo. Leading to…

Fair Warning: At the end of the day, I have very little patience for Leonard Hofstadter. No grown man, especially one that's supposed to be a frickin' genius, should whine and manipulate as much as he does. Ever. Ice Queen Mommy issues be damned. Howard Wolowitz and Raj Koothrappali are cool, except for when they follow after Leonard blindly so the Trio's gonna be a little worse for wear. What they did with that blasted "prank" was lower than low and they deserved a lot more bad karma than they got, hence this fic. If this is well received, there will be more chapters and an upping in rating. Hope you guys enjoy.

Disclaimer: "Honestly, it's not mine!"

The Artic Expedition had changed everything.

Once the whole ugly story came out, it was hard for the three of them to be able to work with anyone else, even as an assistant. Leslie Winkle had put it frankly when she had fetched them from the airport that day…

"After what you all did to Dr. Dumbass, someone who was supposed to be your friend, no one around here trusts that you three won't take a can opener to their life's work. And I'll say it now, Hofstadter. If you or your minions even glance at any of my work wrong, you'll have to go back to the Artic just to find your glasses and your balls. That is if you still have a job after today…"

Gablehauser had wanted a meeting immediately, extreme jet lag and beards be damned. Leslie was to bring them straight to Caltech. Raj Koothrappali had let out a pained whimper at the announcement and Howard Wolowitz had looked like he was going to mess his emo pants. He had just nodded. After all, once he got in front of Gablehauser, who had dealt with Sheldon's…Sheldoness himself on numerous occasions, he'd understand. After all, it was better than homicide and it had been coming to that. Something had to give and not only would the false positive get them out of that hellhole, it would be a good lesson in humility for his friend. He had been a megalomaniac, a bullying tyrant, an arrogant neurotic, twitching ass. Gablehauser would understand and they'd walk out with just a little slap on the wrist, if even that. It would be okay…

It had been a bloodbath. Not only had Gablehauser had been there but a whole faculty committee: a very angry faculty. No amount of personal reasoning could override the deliberate and very public sabotage of a fellow scientist's work, a mortal sin on all professional and amateur levels. As evidence was presented, including the emails that Sheldon had sent to every corner of the Physics World, an icy chill had slowly worked its way to his gut.

It was far from a prank, it was absolute career suicide. His "brilliant" idea had not only put their careers on the chopping block but Raj's visa, too. After all, the only reason he had been able to stay away from India as long as he had was that Sheldon had taken him on as an assistant. Sheldon had handpicked them as his team, showing trust and faith in them in his own way. He could've picked anyone in the world to help him but no, he picked his best friend and valued acquaintances to aid his quest for String Theory glory…

And they had collectively shit on him. Then, they tried to play it off as nothing, as something righteous even. It wasn't nothing: it was everything. See, although they were useful in their own rights, Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper: B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D was not expendable to the Powers that Be. At the end of the day, he was a brilliant mind with much to offer the academic community, not to mention the revenue and accolades he brought to Caltech. To lose him due to mortification induced by "three small hateful little men", as a department head sneered was simply unacceptable. Remove the problems and it may serve as an incentive to get him back before he signs on with another institution or even with the government.

Simply put, they were doomed.

Leonard had been very close to vomiting as the final deliberation started but just before Gablehauser made his ruling, Penelope "Penny" Oaks had come in from the side entrance, a DVD in her hand and a visitor's badge on her purse. She had been in a white sundress and those gladiator sandals she was so obsessed with, setting off the tan of her creamy skin and the shimmer of her blonde locks. She was beautiful, the only warmth he had left up there and in front of the panel. She was here for him. She was on his side. They would get through this together…

Her emerald eyes had lit and held on him and his stomach roiled faster at the utter disgust within them. No. No, not that. Not Penny, too. Please don't let the Arctic have ruined his fated future with Penny too. It couldn't be that way. It wasn't fair! God, please no…

She had put the DVD in and a very solemn looking Sheldon, standing in Penny's freshly cleaned kitchen, came up on the auditorium screen. Although he looked clean and sober, he was dressed in layers of black and his normally bright blue eyes were dead and bloodshot from exhaustion…and tears, if his cheeks were any indication. He was even paler than before and his hands were shaking, even as he hugged his arms. Sheldon didn't look like an arrogant ass or even a mad genius. Sheldon looked…broken. Sheldon was broken!

What had they done? What had he done?

"…My fellow scientists, I have made this DVD to not only tender my resignation from your institution in person but as a heartfelt plea for leniency for Hofstadter, Wolowitz, and Koothrappali. Although their actions were undeniably unprofessional and cruel, I cannot gloss over the fact that my, as my mother refers to them, eccentricities played a large part in their decision to sabotage the Arctic Expedition's results. I know that this sort of behavior is typically grounds for immediate termination but they are…were my friends and I implore you all to look past your umbrage against them and see that although they are not on par with me, they have the potential to do well in their respective fields and help keep Caltech's standards high, as I am no longer able to do so. Rest assured, I have absolutely no plans of permanently shelving my quest for a Nobel Prize but...this retreat is necessary. Sadly necessary but necessary all the same. I thank you all for your time and any other inquiries you may have should be directed to Ms. Penelope Rosemary Oaks, the deliverer of this message and current manager of my affairs. Live…live long and prosper."

The raw Texas twang pain in Sheldon's monotone had sent Raj into quiet sobs, caused Howard to throw up in the nearby trash can, and his knees to finally give out. Even after everything, he had tossed them a lifeline. He had broken through his pain long enough to spare them…

Penny came over after the committee dispersed and he looked into cold green eyes as he shakily stood up. She jabbed a finger into his chest and started shaking with her own angry sobs.

"We were all wrong about him. He may be a Whack-a-doodle but he's a far better human being than any 'normal' person, including you. Sheldon's long gone. He moved out of 4A 3 weeks ago and took all his stuff with him. I don't know exactly where he is but I do know from emails that he's okay. Okay as he can be, anyway. He might come back, he might not but I totally agree with him. We're all definitely not friends anymore, Leonard. Never ever again." she declared through gritted teeth.

And out the door she went, leaving him with an intact career but a shattered heart.

He didn't deserve the former but he definitely deserved the latter…

...God, what had he done?