Sheldon watched as Raj reached a bundle of mistletoe to his girlfriend Amy Farrah Fowler so that she could hang it toward the ceiling. He chuckled to himself at the ridiculous social tradition of two people being forced to kiss under the bobble of leaves. He walked over to his spot and pulled out his phone to check his e-mail but became distracted when he heard Stuart huffing in the chair beside him. Stuart sat there, eyes cast down with a sullen look upon his face. Sheldon almost thought about asking him if he was okay, but decided against it when he knew he would answer with vigorous detail. Suddenly Amy appeared at his side, sitting on the arm of the couch. She smiled at him and looked over at Stuart.

"Hey, if you're bored Raj and I need some help in the kitchen. Normally Bernadette would help us out but she and Howard are going to be late."

"Sure," he answered, beaming at Amy.

Sheldon flinched a little when he saw the happiness on Stuart's face when he received attention from Amy. With his eidetic memory, Sheldon couldn't really forget Stuart's interest in Amy some time ago. Before he could continue to sulk over the memory, Penny, his Nebraskan neighbor plopped down beside him with her own mistletoe in her hand. She quickly kissed him on the cheek and laughed when he scowled at her for it, his eyes never leaving the kitchen. Penny glanced over in the kitchen to Stuart tying an apron around Amy's waist and then she looked at Sheldon's hardened face.

"It bothers you doesn't it sweetie?" She asked, frowning.

"Of course not," he lied.

"Yes it does. I know it does. Don't lie to me, Sheldon."

"Penny, it would be illogical for me to be upset over something as simple as Stuart helping Amy tie her apron...even if it does involve him touching her waist."

"Do you know what I wonder, Sheldon?" She gave him a serious look.

"Well, Penny, how do you expect I answer that question since there are clearly a numerous amount of answers. I don't read minds...at least not yet anyways."

"I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't asked Amy to be your girlfriend. If you never interrupted that date. If you would have just let Stuart win," and with that she patted his shoulder and left to run and get something from her apartment.

He scoffed at the thought at first but then really started thinking about it. What if he hadn't acted on his jealously? Would they have eventually became boyfriend and girlfriend? Or would she be with Stuart right now? He imagined it clearly:

They were at the same Christmas Eve party, in present time. Sheldon still looked like Sheldon. Nothing had changed. Still in his spot, checking his e-mail. But then, something was different. There was a knock at the door. Everyone else was busy preparing for the evening so he went to answer it. On the other side was Amy, smiling at him and beside Amy was a smiling Stuart with his arm around her waist. They say, "hello Sheldon," in unison before entering the apartment and sitting on the two couch cushions that don't belong to Sheldon.

Sheldon reluctantly sat back in his spot and tried to busy himself with his phone while Amy and Stuart held hands and talked amongst themselves. Though it killed him to admit, Amy looked happy. But sometimes, he felt he could see some sadness in her eyes. Amy got up from the couch and came back holding a colorful box out to Sheldon.

"Amy, you really didn't have to get me anything."

"No, no. I know that you hate the social convention of gift giving, but when I saw this I knew I had to get it for you," she answered while handing him gift. Their hands touched briefly and he shivered at the contact. He found her touch to be surprisingly electric. But she jerked her hand away and frowned.

"I apologize, I know you dislike touching."

'If she only knew' he thought. "No worries, really."

He opened the package to reveal a tie with a large lightning bold symbol on it. She had gotten him a Flash dress tie. He smiled and ran his hand over it. He thought the socially acceptable thing to do was to hug her but he refrained. Instead he just looked at her eyes and gave a weak smile.

"Thanks so much Amy."

"It's a gift from both of us," Stuart chimed in, obviously uncomfortable with Sheldon's eye contact with Amy.

"Of course," Sheldon answered curtly.

Then, dream Raj asked dream Amy to come and help him hang the mistletoe, which she obliged him. As Raj helped her down from the step ladder Stuart rushed over and turned her around, kissing her firmly on the mouth. She seemed shocked but kissed him back. As they released they looked into each others eyes and smiled. It was all too much for Sheldon to bear.

"Kolinahr," he chanted, "Kolinahr, kolinahr, kolinahr, koli..."

"Sheldon?"

Snapping back into reality, Sheldon looked up at real Amy who was shaking her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Sheldon, are you alright? You kept rocking back and forth yelling kolinahr."

He scanned the room around him and smiled. "Yes, yes I'm quite alright."

They sat down to a lovely meal prepared by Raj and exchanged gifts. Instead of dream Amy's gift of a Flash tie, real Amy had gotten Sheldon a new Lego set that he had, had his eye on. Sheldon's gift to Amy was a silver necklace with a little silver brain charm on it. Not many people would find a brain necklace to be a romantic gift, but for Amy it was perfect.

Eventually all the friends left the apartment for the night. Raj, Bernie, and Howard left first. Second to leave was Leonard to help escort a very drunk Penny back to her apartment. Stuart left next, but not before pulling Amy into a goodbye hug that made Sheldon's pulse quicken and face tick. All that was left now was the Shamy.

"Well, Sheldon, I had a wonderful time tonight. It was a great party and I love my gift very much," her hands dropped to her necklace, "I believe it's time I head home but I can't help but feel something is bothering you."

"I also enjoyed our time together Amy and I plan to play with my gift after you leave, but I assure you I don't know what you mean." He down cast his eyes from hers.

"Penny told me you looked upset earlier when Stuart tied my apron for me and I could clearly see the strain on your face when Stuart hugged me. Sheldon, I assure you that I have no interest in Stuart."

"Maybe not. But he most assuredly has an interest in you."

"Sheldon, look at me."

He acted as if he didn't hear her. But after she demanded a second time he lifted his head.

"The only reason I agreed to date Stuart in the first place is that I thought that you had no interest of ever wanting to be more than just my friend. Not that Stuart isn't a great guy and all, I just know I would have never been happy being with him. I thought he may be my only chance. But then you came to that movie theatre and you asked me to be your girlfriend, Sheldon. I made a commitment to you in writing that I am your girlfriend and yours alone. Stuart is my friend, but that is all he will ever be. I promise you, you will never have anything to worry about, Sheldon."

She took his hand in hers and smiled warmly at him before quickly releasing it to get up from the couch. She started to walk toward the kitchen to get her purse so she could leave but a hand found hers as she reached the island. Sheldon pulled her behind the couch and under the mistletoe. She looked confused and he looked terrified, but he leaned down and firmly kissed her on the lips. It wasn't a long kiss but it was a powerful one.

Her eyes fluttered open, "Sheldon, not that I didn't enjoy the spontaneous kiss, why did you do it?"

He shrugged, "What is life without it's few whimsical moments...besides I wanted to prove to you that my speech in the bedroom earlier this year wasn't all talk. I am working on my intimacy issues, Amy, and you're a good girlfriend and I wanted you to know."

She brought her hand to her lips and smirked. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and kissed him lightly before walking out the door and wishing him goodnight.

As she walked out the door he smiled and thought about how shocked he was that he didn't find kissing Amy to be repellent, but rather enjoyable and comfortable. Not comfortable enough to go around doing it all the time, he wasn't a hippy, but comfortable enough to do it every now and again, at least until he was ready for any kind of further intimacy. But, that was all in the future.

"Now," said Sheldon to himself, "where did I put those Legos?"