The Reflection and Progression Variant…Chapter 3
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"Oh, here we go," Amy muttered expecting the worst.
"I can hear you," he said shaking his head as he turned back to the whiteboard.
'I know you can," she said mockingly. "What's the exception Sheldon?"
"Well, stop being so cocky and I will tell you!" he shot back.
"Fine," she replied rolling her eyes.
"I saw that," he pointed out.
"SHELDON! Just say it!"
"It's not that time of the month…I don't know why you are being so difficult," he mumbled while facing the board.
"Sheldon!"
"Okay…okay! Well, if we combine the two timelines, I believe that we could reach our goal sooner than this," he said as he underlined Amy's end point with the marker.
"Our goal?" she asked wide-eyed as her voice cracked a bit.
"Marriage Amy…please focus, would you?"
"Is that the exception? To bring the wedding forward?"
"That is the end mark, isn't it?" he asked but not sure why Amy was confused. He was using quite simple terminology to express himself.
"So, let me see if I have understood this correctly," Amy says as she gets up and stands next to him in front of the board. "You are willing to accept my timeline with the exception that this date moves forward?" she asks as she points to her original wedding date.
"That's what I just said. Do you agree? Is that too soon for you?" he asked in concern.
"No, that sounds wonderful. Is that too soon for you?" she questions.
"I wouldn't be making the alteration if I had an issue with it," he points out.
"Then I believe… we're getting married in less than two years?" she said with a hint of disbelief.
"Is that a statement or a question Dr. Fowler?"
"A statement?" doubting herself again.
He turns his head and looks down at her waiting for some kind of reaction. Amy was just staring at the board mesmerized. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect this. She had wanted it, she had fantasies about it but wasn't expecting it any time soon if she were being honest with herself.
"Amy, look at me," he said softly. Slowly she raised her head to meet his gaze. "I have been thinking that the next logical step for us is marriage. In fact, I have thought about it quite a lot recently. I mean, let's look at the facts. We are indeed perfect for each other. We love each other and as I told my mother a long time ago, I have never met anyone more similar to me."
"Well Sheldon, you have managed to render me speechless," she said quietly.
"Good," he replied feeling rather satisfied. "Come on, let's sit down then I'll make us some tea," he said as he put his hand in hers and led her to the couch.
After sitting down next to each other, Sheldon turned his body so that he was facing her.
"What made you change your mind to see me?" he enquired.
"Two days after we spoke on Skype, I sent a text to Penny to see if she wanted to get together and talk. She sent me a text saying she wouldn't be able to offer me any valuable advice because, and I quote, 'Men are selfish pigs who are led by their hormones,' and that I'm lucky you are not like that. I tried to ask her what that was about but she said she would explain later. I haven't spoken to her since," she replied.
"Ah yes. Leonard and Penny were going to Vegas to finally get married after I pointed out to them that they were moving slow and that they hadn't even set a date for their nuptials. On the way there, Leonard confessed to kissing a girl on his North Sea trip."
"Oh, that's terrible! I suppose she felt betrayed. Where is she now?" Amy asked.
"She took a leave of absence from work and is at home with her parents." Sheldon replied.
"Nebraska? When is she returning?"
'Probably tomorrow. She was supposed to leave for two weeks," he informed her.
"And how is Leonard?"
"He's regretting ever letting that kiss happen and the fact he told her about it now rather than immediately after returning. Poor guy," he said as he shook his head back and forth.
"It's best though that he told her. Having secrets in a relationship is not healthy," Amy added.
"Exactly. I'm sure they will work it out eventually but he has to 'earn her trust' according to Penny," Sheldon stated. "Now, you still haven't answered my question."
"Sorry, I got side-tracked for a moment there. Yes, well… since I couldn't talk to Penny about what happened I called Bernadette. She was available so we met up the following day. Actually, she was quite helpful, maybe more so than what Penny could have been. She told me what you said when you went Christmas shopping for me and how you said it.
Sheldon lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers as he clearly remembered that day. By trying to be mean to Amy, he ended up really enjoying the feeling of exchanging gifts with her.
"I have a confession to make about that day," he said in embarrassment.
"What is it Sheldon?" she asked softly.
"Well…the only reason I got you anything was to ruin Christmas so we would never have to celebrate it again."
"I have a confession to make as well," Amy said confidingly. "I know."
"You do?" he asked in surprise as his head bobbed back up.
"Your grandmother not only gave me the recipe for the cookies but she also filled me in on the reason for your repugnance for this particular holiday. I wish you would have told me the real reason to begin with yourself. Therefore, I was expecting some kind of snide or rude comment just like that time you came to break up with me over that stupid table. I knew then what you were coming to do the minute Penny called me and told me that they had bought that table. I've learned your ways Sheldon," she said.
"Oh, have you? Then why did you get so angry with me on our anniversary and asked for a break. You say you know me so why did that infuriate you?" he asked inquisitively.
"It wasn't the comment that actually bothered me upon reflection. I was thinking that you were pushing my timeline back. We exchanged I love you's and next on the list was intimacy. We were in the middle of a make out, I was getting aroused and thinking, 'Okay, here we go' and then you took it all away," she declared.
"I wanted to continue kissing though but you pushed me away," he replied.
"I know I did. I felt that I wasn't as desirable as a TV show was and that's why you threw in that comment," she said sadly.
"Why would you think you are not desirable enough?" He said as he was thinking how preposterous that notion was. Amy was beautiful.
'Quite a few people, including Bernadette, have commented that I have no sex appeal."
"It doesn't matter what they think. Leonard has told me I have no hormones. Does it look like I care? I only care what you think. So, what do you think of me?" he asked a bit self-consciously.
"In what respect exactly? Because if you want to know in terms of attitude…we would need days to analyze that," she said with a smirk on her face.
"I'm serious Amy," he said in disappointment.
"So am I." she replied.
"In the desirable aspect Amy! What do you think of me?" he let out with a sigh.
"Oh, that. You should know exactly what I think. I've said it often enough, unlike you," she answered as she looked him dead in the eyes while saying that last part. Sheldon hung his head in shame as he knew she was right. He has only told her once in the five years they have been together that she was pretty.
"You've called me a sexy toddler even though I'm in my thirties. I've also been called a sexy praying mantis which is scary since the females devour their mates after intercourse. And I believe I have been 'sex on a stick'. Correct me if I'm wrong here," he replied to her comment.
"The operative word in those descriptions is 'sexy'." she pointed out.
'What about you? Do you find me sexually appealing Sheldon?" she asked bashfully.
"I do. So much so that it is becoming difficult to control my urges," he responds.
"I didn't realize I had that effect on you," she said in astonishment.
"Amy, you are more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. You are not just a cute lump of wool… you are the cutest lump of wool I've ever had the pleasure of knowing…and wanting."
He places a gentle kiss on her lips.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"To let you know that I do admire and love you."
"That's so romantic," she gushes.
"Proposal," Sheldon requests as he takes her hands in his.
"I'm listening," she says while leaning into him.
"I suggest we treat our relationship as if it were a crashed computer and restore it to the last point we both were happy… to the night of our anniversary," he states.
"I'll accept that on one condition…we take with us what we've talked about tonight," she told him.
"Done!" he exclaimed as a smile crossed his face. "Now, how about some tea?"
"That sounds lovely," she replied.
So, where do they go from here? Stay tuned.
Thanks for reading!
