Video game night ruined already, and with no one to play, Sheldon decided to finish the last race he had planned. He was setting up the game, but he was bothered by the iPad illuminating every time an email push notification came in. Amy was probably reading it on her laptop, but the notification came in here too. Why so many emails? He peeked at the iPad with curiosity. Fanfiction? All the emails had the same sender. Maybe it was spam?
He covered the iPad to avoid any distractions and started the game. In just ten minutes he was already done and switched off his Super Nintendo.
Finally. He couldn't lie to himself that this last race was not what he wanted to do, but his need for closure for the planned game night was strong in him. While he was playing though, he replayed all the odd behaviours of his friends and fiancée.
He looked for his laptop and opened it. He quickly searched for the Novikov self-consistency principle. He was familiar with that principle, and others as well. He quickly read the bases of it, but nothing answered his questions. Why Amy sent this to Raj? As much as he knew, Raj's work was not even related to time paradoxes. Yes, Novikov was a theoretical astrophysicist and cosmologist. But…. Amy's work was less related to that. It was just odd.
And what about the girls? Bernadette and Penny whispered something to Howard and Leonard. And then all changed. He was almost sure he heard some of Penny's words. He replayed with his eidetic memory all he caught. " Hey Babe, Amy read us… let's …". He was sure he heard Amy's name. Bernadette was too far away and there was more noise in the room, so even with his Vulcan hearing, he got nothing.
Then Raj. "The time traveler! You published!" were his exact words. You published. Sheldon repeated the words in his mind. Was Amy writing a paper about time traveling? She published something, she sent it to Raj, she read it to Penny and Bernadette… That was the only connection to all the facts he was able to match.
But why would Amy write a paper about time traveling? And more important, without telling or consult him about it? Maybe Raj helped her? Ridiculous. And since when Penny was interested in that?
He opened a new tab and consulted the Caltech paper archives. He didn't find any new one from Amy. But he was sure all was related to her, so he opened another tab and typed the words:
"Amy Farrah Fowler time traveling neurobiology." He clicked enter.
Google results showed instantly.
Did you meant "Amelia and the time traveling physicist". He read on the search engine.
He hesitated to click on that correction, but the other results were all old Amy's papers. He didn't see anything related. He clicked out of curiosity and the first result appeared before him:
"Amelia and the time traveling physicist." from a fanfiction website.
Fanfiction? Her emails on the iPad. Could that be it? He clicked the link and went to the website.
"Amelia and the time traveling physicist. Chapter 1. It was just past dawn on the prairie, and like every morning, Amelia prepared to do her chores. Except something about this morning felt different. Maybe it was the first whisper of winter in the air, or maybe it was the unconscious handsome man with porcelain skin and curious clothing she was about to discover lying in the field. A man who would open her mind to new possibilities and her body to new feelings."
Sheldon wrinkled his nose confused. What was that? He checked the summary. A story about Little House in the Prairie and a time traveling physicist? That confused him even more. Who was the author of that?
"EmeraldVixen" He read out loud. Mmmhh
He scrolled down and stumbled with the reader reviews. He read some of them.
"Wooohoo that was HOT. More please!" "Amazing! Keep going gurl!" "Amelia is sooo sweet! What will happen to Cooper?"
"Cooper?" Sheldon muttered surprised. He came back to the chapter and read some more paragraphs. So it was true that the characters were called Amelia and Cooper. Mmmmmhhhhhh
He came back to the reviews and checked the handlers. There was a lot of different people that commented every chapter of the story, but Sheldon quickly noticed some familiar names:
"QueenPenenlope: You go girl! We need more!"
"WoloWizard: Could you add some robots on the story? That was very HOT!"
"Penny? Howard?" Sheldon said out loud. He turned to see if Amy heard him, but there was no movement in the bedroom. He quickly browsed some more:
"HufflepuffAddicted: That was very sweet. Interesting that she understood all the technical machinery. You are amazing!"
"SpyBombMom: Yas yas yas more of this! She needs to get her sh*t together and tell him NOW!"
"Mmmm Leonard? Bernadette?" He whispered suspecting these were the handles for them. A new review popped out in front of him.
"SweetBrownCaramelLover: Finally read it! OMG that was beautiful, romantic, just perfect! And so sexy! You are the best! Can't wait for more!"
"Raj?" Sheldon had enough. He finally connected all the points. So, Amy was writing a fanfiction and everybody knew it. All except him. And for what he read. It was about them. Amelia and Cooper where clearly a version of Amy and him. What the hell Amy? He blasphemed in his mind.
He couldn't believe his eyes. Minutes passed, his mind in shock trying to process the discovery, and all tonight events. And the article to Raj was just a lie. Outrageous! She probably didn't want him to discover her story, yet he did. Why she kept it as a secret? Only to him! Sheldon's anger was growing and he only wanted to go there and ask her for some explanation. And give her one strike. Or more! What would be a correct punishment? Technically she lied to him, right? Oh, well… He shivered remembering the last time he punished her for that. Could he spank her for this? Don't think about that now!
He was about to stand up, when a thought came to him. When he suspected she was lying that time, when she was sick, he did a test to confirm her fake state. When he was sure about it, then he confronted her. Now, about her story, he didn't know enough to judge it. Were the characters really Amy and him or was it only a first impression? Did really his friends know about it? For what he saw today, he was almost sure - if not totally - but… Could a couple of paragraphs and some familiar usernames be the confirmation?
He surveilled his possibilities. He could talk to his friends and ask about the story, but he didn't want to give explanations. Not a good idea. Could he read a little more? Maybe if he did, he would have a better idea of what Amy published, and confirm his suspiciousness.
He turned to look at the bedroom door, Amy seemed to be quiet there, it was early, but maybe she fell asleep. Or maybe she was reading. He turned again to the laptop and checked the length of the story, and how many chapters were published. He was a fast reader. Calculating how many time it would take him to read the whole thing, he decided to go for it. I don't have to read it all, just a little to be certain of what is this about. He thought and frowned. Later he would decide what to do with… this. And with her. He was angry, he couldn't deny it.
He started reading again, from the beginning. He read about Amelia's character, a braided brunette farmer of the 1880's, whose life changed after she witnessed how a time machine crashed on her farm. Then, there was also Cooper's character, the time traveller. Tall, lanky, pale, highly intelligent - just like him - that got amazed by her smart wit, her curiosity, and her beauty.
Soon Sheldon got engaged with the plot. Surprisingly for him, the story was full of facts and accurate explanations of the theories of time traveling. He confirmed the similarities of Amelia and Cooper with Amy and him, but that made him be more interested in how the story developed.
After just as few chapters, Sheldon also confirmed Amy was good at writing. Not that he doubted that, Amy was superior to everyone from a lot of aspects. And an avid reader. She described accurately all the reader needed to know to set the scenario and the background of the characters. She also was very concise on the differences on the past and the future, that made how the characters interacted between them interesting in this story. Fascinating.
Due to Amy's love for romance novels, Sheldon expected something too sweet, too romantic, full of feelings. But he was surprised with a very interesting plot. As he advanced in the story, romantic hints and Amelia's struggles for her feelings came on the story. But all was balanced in a way that even Sheldon found it tolerable. Even necessary to understand the interactions between the main characters. He devoured the chapters one after another, surprised for the cliffhangers Amy was creating every time. Time traveling, science, physics, history, literature and love, Amy created an story around it and Sheldon was fascinated on her choice of words, on her explanations and how scientifically and historically accurate the story was.
Sheldon stopped at some parts, thinking about what he read. Cooper was really like him, somehow different, but he could recognize a big part of himself on it. Amy wrote Cooper as a mysterious character, but also curious about Amelia and, he thought, maybe sweeter than him. Amelia was one hundred percent Amy, Sheldon could see her all the time. But he found her more scared about her feelings, about Cooper, about telling him her thoughts, her desires, her fears. Of him being gone. Were Amelia's thoughts really Amy? Or just for the story?
Maybe…
He had a feeling, and checked the date when Amy first published the story. They were together as a couple, but in a point of the relationship he was content, but Amy, not long after, she broke up with him. It was after he was gone in a train for weeks too. His stomach ached at the thought.
Is this how Amy felt? Like she couldn't tell me her desires, her fears? Was she afraid of me leaving her? And Cooper… This is how she saw me? Or... how she wanted me to be?
Sheldon shook his head and tried to get rid of that thought. How things changed after that period. They were together again, better than ever. They were about to get married now! Even if she wrote this, it didn't mean she was feeling that way.
Sheldon turned to the bedroom door one more time, it was still quiet inside. Focusing again on the laptop, he wondered if he had enough information to go to speak to Amy. But he was curious about how the story would turn out. Cooper seemed to be trapped in the past due a damage of his time machine. In Sheldon's opinion, Amy was able to describe a very plausible tech failure in a machine traveling through time and space. It was clear she did a very extensive research. That explains her knowledge about the principle and other time traveling theories. Sheldon was able to pinpoint several ones just with Cooper's actions and explanations.
He needed to know how Cooper would repair the machine. Why Amy never liked Doctor Who? He mumbled to himself while he continued reading.
Engaged again with the plot, he was surprised with certain scenes that made him gulp. It was clear that the tension between Amelia and Cooper was building up. A certain scene made him shiver:
"Cooper released a sigh as he surrendered to the feeling of the warm water in the tube. A bath, finally! He needed it as air in his lungs. He was so grateful to Amelia for all the work she put to prepare that for him. Since he arrived, even with the misunderstandings they had - she was so stubborn! - she was very kind with him. As he relaxed, his thoughts wandered on the recent events, specially on that young lady who puzzled him so much. He didn't notice Amelia approaching him, nor how she kneeled down behind him. He slightly jumped when she put her hand on his shoulder, startled by her touch. A feeling passed through him, like electricity, down to his spine. He immediately relaxed again, feeling her small - but strong - hands caressing his back with a cloth, in circles, cleaning his pale skin.
Amelia was not sure if her actions were welcomed. It was an spur of the moment, as she needed to feel those muscles that taunted her on the field that afternoon when he helped with her farm chores. After warming the water for him, she didn't know what to do. She never had a man, a real man, there in her cabin, about to take a bath, in front of her. She felt so shy and turned to give him privacy when he was disrobing of that funny clothes he used. He didn't seem to mind that she was there, but even if she wanted to watch him, that didn't seem appropriate for a lady. When Amelia was sure he was already sitting in the tub, she turned to him. She hoped her gasp was unnoticed. His skin was so pale, but his muscular back, shoulders and neck got her attention. Strong but fragile, Amelia was fascinated.
As she first rubbed the cloth on his skin, she felt his muscles tensed for a moment, and his gaze on her. She didn't dare to look at his eyes, being afraid of what she would find. Disapproval? Shame? Was it better to stop? But then she felt the tension fading and his muscles relaxed at her touch. She was sure she heard a little breath escaping his mouth. Was that a sigh of relief? Of approval? She looked at him then, and his eyes trapped her, for the second time that day. He had the most beautiful shade of blue, she noticed now that he was so near. An intense and indescribable moment passed between them. What was he thinking?
Then, a little smile spread on his lips, and she could see the appreciation for her actions.
'Is the water warm enough?' She timidly asked.
It took him some seconds to answer.
'Given the fact that you took the time to build a wood fire, draw the water from the well and heat it, it would be rude to complain. But since you asked, it's a little nippy'. Cooper said. She really put a lot of work for him to have a proper bath, he didn't want to be rude, but he hated to lie."
Sheldon had to stop for a moment. Why a simple scene affected him so much? It was… sensual, and Sheldon could feel on his skin her touches as he read. He remembered how he bathed her when she was sick. What would happen if the roles were reversed, and he was the sick one? Would she bath him like this? He shivered at the thought.
As he continued reading he started to sweat. Amelia continued caressing Cooper's skin in a way, that Sheldon could swear than the room felt warmer just for that actions. When the bath was over, Amelia handed Cooper a dry towel, but again, Sheldon was surprised with something he didn't expect. Amelia drying Cooper's body, slowly and gently.
"'So, tell me, Cooper, are the ways of physical love different in the future?' Amelia shyly asked, with her eyes full of curiosity and wonder."
Oh boy. Sheldon blinked a couple of times, unable to tear his gaze from the story. He blushed as he continued reading. Cooper teased Amelia with his answer. It was something like he would say? He was not sure. The conversation was quickly becoming more intimate. Amelia trembling as she was enchanted by Cooper's voice.
"Cooper stopped her hand from drying him, and with that gesture, he pulled her slightly to him. His naked body almost touching her. On that moment, Amelia didn't know if her dress could protect her from the heat emanating from his body, that seemed to burn in her soul. His grasp was not aggressive, it was gentle. She could just go if she wanted, but she was under the spell of his eyes, again. He lowered his head. Amelia's heart throbbing in excitement, holding her breath as she didn't know what he would do. Was he about to kiss her?
He paused in front of her lips, and turned to her side.
'A good scientist experiments.' Cooper whispered in her ear. 'Maybe you need to find it by yourself.' His lips didn't touch her, but he was so near than she could swear she felt how he added 'you curious vixen' at the end of his sentence. She didn't hear it, but she could feel it on her skin, together with his hot breath on her neck. Suddenly, the sensation was gone, and he turned to grab his clothes."
"Sheldon what are you doing? Are you coming to sleep?" Amy suddenly entered the main room.
Sheldon jumped from his seat, wide eyes, blushing and clumsily tried to close his laptop as fast as he could.
"Sheldon! Are you ok?" Amy tilted her head, not understanding his weird reaction. "Did I scare you?" She frowned but she didn't stop her way to the kitchen, she was thirsty and went to the fridge to get a bottle of cold water.
Sheldon's breath was ragged, he felt his face was burning. He was so engrossed with the story that he didn't notice Amy in the room. He was ashamed, of her catching him reading her story, or for the scene he was reading. He couldn't be sure.
As Amy was bending to grab her water from the fridge, her back to him, Sheldon tried to calm himself, and with his best poker face - thanks to Meemaw! - he turned to her and tried to sound normal while answering:
"Oh no, you didn't scare me. But I was… reading… a paper!" His eyes twitched but Amy couldn't see it. She was drinking from her bottle. "It's really interesting for my… theory. Just found it, and I couldn't wait to read it." That last part was not entirely a lie, so now that Amy was looking at him, he could talk more like himself.
"Oh, ok." Amy said "I will leave you to it then." And she started walking to the bedroom again. "I will be... reading in bed." She lowered her gaze. The fact was that she spent all the time answering reviews and even working on the next chapter after the success of the new update. She was afraid Sheldon would ask her about the 'article' for raj, so she wanted to be alone for a while. It was productive, and she had more ideas for the new chapter thanks to the talk she had with the girls. If Sheldon was busy with some paper, she would use the time to continue writing.
"Thanks." Sheldon managed to say. He wanted to ask her a lot of things. But now he just wanted her to leave, as he was still having problems hiding his distress of Amy walking into him reading….this. Not that Amelia and Cooper were having explicit sex there, but he felt like a teenager being found reading dirty magazines. He half smiled and Amy did the same, and with that she was gone.
Sheldon closed his eyes and released a long breath he didn't know he was holding. That was close! He relaxed and blushed again remembering the story. Seriously, what was wrong with him. He was a grown man, why two fictional characters in a 1880's cabin affected so much? Game of Thrones had more explicit scenes than two people whispering - even if Cooper was naked - but he didn't feel any emotion watching it like he was feeling now reading Amy's story.
Good Lord Vixen!
Then, he wondered if Amelia and Cooper…. Would they be intimate? His eyes widened at the realization. How much of their intimacy Amy used in the story? The story their friends and a bunch of virtual strangers read! He clenched his teeth thinking about that. Calm down Cooper! He put his palm on his face, now he would think about the story every time that he referred to himself as Cooper. Damn! He silently cursed.
Could Amy share their intimate moments in there? Was he jumping to conclusions about what Amy may or may not include from their intimacy on the story? Schrödinger's cat all over again!
There was only a way to know. Sheldon turned to look at the bedroom door again, and when he was sure it was still quiet, he grabbed his laptop and resumed his reading.
The next chapters were a silent dance of Amelia and Cooper's feelings. All mixed with the time machine plot. He surprised himself thinking that Cooper was being cold with Amelia, when she seemed to be searching for him, unsure of how to act after the bath moment they shared. Amy wrote a very puzzled Amelia, who devoured Cooper's explanations about the future with passion. And Cooper seemed to be happy with her hunger for knowledge, sharing all he could with her. Is that what I would do if I was Cooper, right? But at the same time, he was distant with her, ignoring her requests for some specific - and maybe more personal - information. He also denied her help on his failed attempts to repair the machine.
One of the nights, a very distressed Cooper, frustrated about the fact he couldn't find a way to resolve the problem with the machine, was rude to Amelia. She was trying to calm him down, to help his distress. They fought, and the conversation became more agitated. Amelia was hurt by his words and ran out of the cabin, maybe to the barn, Cooper was too angry to care then. He was selfish, he was detached of any emotion or empathy.
He was him.
It was true that Sheldon understood the struggle of a brilliant man trapped by his own experiment, a success turned into a failure. If he couldn't return, how could he show the world that he was the first time traveller? But then, there was Amelia. Sheldon felt a stab on his chest, this was too familiar to him. Not the scene per se, but the fight they had the day he left to jump on a train. He felt lost, and a failure, like Cooper was feeling here.
Sheldon lost the track of time as he kept reading. Cooper, after some time alone, resigned with his future stuck in the past, finally realized Amelia's absence. Go to get her! Sheldon's inner thoughts surprised him.
And he did. Sheldon was relieved as Cooper found her in the barn. She was in no danger, but exhausted from crying. She was a mess, emotionally hurt, dirty and lying on the floor as her legs couldn't stand her body anymore.
"'Amelia!' Cooper went to grab her and helped her to stand up. She avoided his eyes, and wiggled trying to escape from his arms, the arms she longed to be hold in her dreams, but not anymore.
'Leave me alone!' She tried to shout, but her voice after crying for that long faded into a weak whisper. She tried to push him with her fists, but the strength abandoned her long ago.
'Amelia please, look at me.' Cooper couldn't see her like this, and his guilt grew as he knew he was the reason of her distress. How has he been so stupid? Yes, stupid! He, the most brilliant man in the modern world, a stupid fool.
'No!' Amelia kept fighting his grip.
'But, let me explain! I-' Cooper insisted.
'Nooo! Leave me. You… You...You don't...' Amelia cried again. She didn't know how she still had tears to cry.
'Amelia, I -'
'Please...' She closed her eyes, exhausted.
His grip softened, and when she thought he was leaving her, he felt his hands on her face and in no time, his lips were on hers."
Sheldon blushed for the second time this night. Amelia and Cooper sexual tension finally crashed and the kiss escalated very quickly in a passionate make out. Hands timidly at first, but then everywhere, telling by touches what they couldn't tell by words. Sheldon turned to the bedroom again, more afraid to be caught again by Amy, but it was still quiet.
How could a couple making out in a dirty barn on a 1880's farm make his body feel like burning? Sheldon shook his head trying to compose himself again. Trying not to think too much about his own body, he continued reading. Was that it? Would they succumb on the carnal desires they seemed to have? Would it be like his first time with Amy? Was he still angry with her? He will have to decide later, now his need for closure was even bigger than his possible anger.
That night Cooper and Amelia didn't cross any line, they didn't exchange more words either, just passion between them and a proper sleep, together, but just to feel each other's embrace. Dressed, conservative even the quite explicit exchange of kisses and touches. All seemed to indicate that Cooper was resigned about trying to repair the machine, but next morning he was gone again to try. Their interactions were calmer, but a lot of secret emotions were still bottled between them. Tension growing and releasing as the chapters passed by. Other blush moments came, Sheldon even had to get a cold water for himself as he read more passionate encounters. The intimacy seemed to grow each time, more than Sheldon was used to read. And he never did that with her! But surprisingly again, he was even more engrossed with the story as the plot seemed to have a resolution soon.
He checked the chapters, he only had 2 left to read.
Amelia was a key part on successfully repairing the time machine. Finally! Sheldon even nodded approving the fantastic resolution that Amy put on that part. She was brilliant - as Amelia - and Sheldon felt really proud of her. What a story! And now Cooper would be able to go back to the future!
He didn't know why, but he felt sad about that thought. It was what he wanted, right? It was what Cooper wanted! To show the world he was the one, he did it, he invented a real time machine! He would win a Nobel Prize! Not one! More than one! All his professional dreams would come true! But...
Amelia…
He would crush her feelings, right? What they shared, would he be able to just… go? The anxiety of the answer of these questions increased on Sheldon's mind.
He started the last published chapter. Published today. That was the one Raj read. The one everybody would read soon. Now it was Sheldon's turn.
The time machine was ready, Cooper could go. Sheldon arrived at the part where Cooper and Amelia were talking, maybe for the last time. It was now or never, all or nothing.
Sheldon read it while holding his breath. Finally Cooper asked her! To come with him to the future! And Amelia accepted!
"'Take me with you. I'm yours.'"
Sheldon stopped at Amelia's words. He never heard these words from Amy, somehow, he felt jealous of Cooper. A possessive sensation he couldn't stop invaded him. He released a long breath and promised himself that one day he would hear it from Amy's lips.
And that was it, the two lovers joined their destiny, bodies and souls. With passion, with no shame, with no secrets. Sheldon adjusted on the couch as he read the intense exchange. His body was burning already because of the detailed actions Amy put on this part. Somehow, he tried to search the similarities from their first time, or other lovemaking sessions. But it was… different. He was relieved that what they shared, was unique for them, and not recreated in a story for the eyes of strangers. But at the same time, he wondered if Amy wanted this instead of what they shared.
Trying to push the thought aside, he continued reading the last part of the chapter. Blushing - again! - as the unexperienced lovers did more than he expected. Sweat started to form on his forehead, and he even spied the bedroom door again, now with more reasons to be afraid of being caught.
"He embraced her body in his arms, caressing her tangled hair. Lost in each other eyes, they waited for the morning to come, to find their future together.
NA - To be continued - Thanks for the love"
And that was the end of chapter, and with that from all the updates.
Bookmarking the page, he closed the laptop slowly.
Wow.
Sheldon remained quiet for a moment, closed his eyes and tried to replay all the events he had just experienced.
Was he angry? Yes, he still was, yet amazed by her writing. The story was really good. But she lied to me! His blood was running fast in his veins. Confusion invaded him too. But there was a feeling that was ruling him now.
He was aroused.
To be continued…
So Sheldon read the story, uh oh… What can happen next? *evil laughs* Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts in a review!
Btw: I chose for Amy 'EmeraldVixen' in honor to one of my fav writers: Hazelra7. Read all of her, 100% recommended!
