A/N: I want to say a HUGE! thank you to MPHS95 for editing this chapter! (Look at me with a Beta like the big boys!) She helped edit this chapter late in the night! So nice to help me! Check out her story if you haven't yet. The Paradigm Realization.

Paroxysmal Paradox 4

Knock knock knock, "Amy?"

Knock knock knock, "Amy?"

Knock knock knock, "Amy?"

Amy called out to him. "Please Sheldon, I can't see you now. Not now."

Sheldon didn't listen to her pleas and creaked opened the door. "Amy…" What he saw caused a pain in his heart.

Amy's head was down, her brown hair covering her face like a shroud. She was shaking uncontrollably from crying. "Sheldon… Please… Go…."

"No, Amy. I can't." He sat next to her on the bed but she turned away from him. "Amy, the doctor said it will take a while for you to get back on track. You had a quite a head trauma."

"It's all I have…" Her tears dropped on her hands folded in her lap. She didn't bother to dry them. "It's all I have, Sheldon."

"What is Amy? Please look at me." He tried to pull her hair off her face, but she pulled away from his touch. "What is all you have?"

Amy looked up at Sheldon, her eyes were red with tears and her lip lower lip was quivering. "My intelligence, Sheldon! I don't have looks like Penny, I'm awkward, and I'm not funny like Howard. Heck, I don't even have a lot of money. But I am smart, at least I was. It was the only thing you love… I mean liked about me. Now it's gone, and soon…"

Amy looked at him with a pained face he hated seeing on her. "And soon…You..." Amy turned away, "Please just go, Sheldon. I don't want you to see me like this and I know you hate weepy."

"Amy please, it's not the only thing I like about you." He pulled her into his chest, but she was stiff, like a 2/4 board laying on him. "I like your humor, your kindness. Your shiny hair and your take no prisoners blunt retorts. I like you, quirks and all, remember?"

Amy sat up and looked at him straight in the eye, "Sheldon, if I were less intelligent, like average person's IQ, you wouldn't have given me a second look. The only reason you and I became friends was that I was just like you! Now, I might not be. I could be like everyone else, not exceptional. You could have your choice of dumb girls, Sheldon. You don't need me."

"Hold on there Little Lady. Let's get a few things straight. One, if I wanted a 'normal' or dumb girl, I had my pick of the litter back home in Texas, and none of them made me take a second look like you did."

"But you did that because I was smart!"

"No, I did that because you seemed like me, different that the rest. It wasn't until I got to know you better that I realized how intelligent you were. Bonus."

Sheldon moved closer to her. "Second, you've only been out of the hospital for 3 days! You're on massive pain killers and God only knows how long Bernadette's witches brew will be in your system. You need time to heal"

He took her hand in his. "Finally, you're wrong about another thing, Amy Farrah Fowler. I not only want you, but need you."

She looked away from him. "You couldn't possibly understand."

He put his hand on her chin and lifted it to look at him. "No, Amy, I am the only one who can really understand. I know that if anything happened to my mind, I would be scared, lost and feel hopeless"

He inhaled to collect his thoughts before continuing. "Listen to me Amy. You will get it back. You may not get the memories back of the last few days, but your mind will come back. The drug's effects are temporary and you'll be off the painkillers soon. Besides, it doesn't matter now anyway."

Amy blubbered through her shock, "What! Of course it matters! Sheldon!"

"Well, not to me. We should have thought about all this before you made me fall in love with you. Now it doesn't matter how dumb you get, I'm stuck with you!" He crossed his arms, and looked annoyed with her. Amy blinked three times before answering.

"I'm sorry… What?"

Sheldon ignored her question. "Well, you should be sorry. Got me all twisted up with these hippy feelings! We are people of science Amy, not a bunch of emotional blubbering idiots. Now chin up and forget all this business about you losing your intelligence, Amy. Frankly, you could stand to be knocked down a few pegs. I can barely keep up as it is when we play Counter-Factuals. If it turns out we can't have a relationship of the mind then will have to work on, other… areas."

Sheldon looked at her wide eyes and cleared his throat. "Anyway, right now we need to work on you eating breakfast." Without another word, Sheldon got up off the bed and held out his hand. "You need to eat, Amy. You know how lack of food affects your cognitive functions and it makes you all weepy!"

She timidly took his hand and he pulled her off the bed walking her to the kitchen. "How do you know that?" She was still reeling from his off-handed declaration of love. She was in a daze with a slight smile on her face. She wondered if her drugs were working, or did he really say he loved her?

"Because, this is the third time we've had this discussion. By the way, I've read the side effects of Prednisone, you are bound to get weepy and have increased appetite. Therefore, go eat. I'm going to take a shower."

He pointed to the plate with his index finger. "I expect that plate to be empty when I get out." Sheldon popped off to the shower, but poked his head around the corner. "And don't get any funny ideas about coming in there again! There only so much a man can take!"

Amy sat on the bar stool, blinking at toward the bathroom door. Finally, she turned around, and finished her breakfast, chewing through her smile. Her tea was a perfect temperature. Tepid.

After his shower and a change of clothes, Sheldon convinced Amy to take her own shower. He said he had to stay in the bathroom while she did it, however as she was at risk for syncope due to the increased humidity.

It took everything Sheldon had not to peek his head around the shower curtain during her shower. Once, when she didn't answer one of his questions, he stood up and looked in after her. The reason she didn't answer was she was under the water stream. He quickly sat down before she noticed he spied on her or she noticed how his slacks fit him differently.

After she dressed, Amy begged Sheldon to take her to Cal-Tech to check on her lab. He thought she wasn't ready, but she insisted. He called Penny for ride, maintaining that Amy couldn't drive. Losing her independence was another sore point for Amy, but she didn't mind seeing Penny. She was on a lunch break and arrived within 20 minutes.

"Hey Ames, how are you doing honey?" Penny was concerned for her friend and feeling a tad guilty that she didn't notice her symptoms sooner Friday night. Not as bad as Bernadette felt, however. She had yet to see Amy, but she checked on her at the hospital while she was sleeping. Sheldon informed her that her drug may have actually helped Amy, but it did little to assuage her guilt.

"I feel a lot better. Sheldon is really taking fantastic care of me." Amy smiled at him, and then looked out the window lost in a cloud. Penny noticed Sheldon keep an eye on Amy the whole time. He insisted they sit together in the back seat so he could do so.

"Wow, Sheldon! This coming from the guy who begged us to save him from Amy!"

Sheldon looked down and tried desperately to avoid Amy's curious stare. "Yes, well, I was ill-prepared to handle hysterical mood swings, and given your female anatomy, dating history and propensity for alcohol consumption, I figured you were an expert."

Penny narrowed her eyes at her lanky passenger in the back seat. "So it had absolutely nothing at all to do with her being naked and riding you like a bull?"

Amy shot back at him with a start. "WHAT!?"

Amy had yet to be informed of her antics and Sheldon was in no shape to inform her. "PENNY! Don't bring up that stuff, you gossipy Gertie! Amy has enough to handle right now!"

He whispered to Amy, "I'll tell you later. And you were only half-naked, by the way."

"No Amy, I'll tell you later, don't worry Sheldon, I won't leave anything out." Amy smiled at Penny and looked at Sheldon who let out a huge sigh.

"OH boy!"

Penny smirked at Sheldon through the mirror and saw he was red with embarrassment. "So Sheldon, how long are you planning on staying at Amy's?"

"As long as it takes, Penny. Although, I was going to try and convince her to stay at my apartment."

Amy looked at Sheldon. "What? This is first I've heard of it, Sheldon."

"Well, actually, it's the 3rd time I've mentioned it, but the first time you were out of it. The second time, you were… Um… distracted." Sheldon quickly looked out the window. Amy looked confused but she was used to the feeling by now.

"Well I would love that Ames! We would be so close! Leonard can stay with me and you can take Leonard's room!"

Sheldon shot back. "No, she has to stay in my room."

Amy smiled over to Sheldon, "Oh Sheldon, I think I'm fine now. I don't want to put you out. I can sleep on the couch."

"No, Amy. You have to sleep with me. I can't check on you if you don't. It a non-optional condition."

Penny almost wrecked the car. "Wait, you two are sleeping together?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes and explained slowly, "Yes, Penny, watch the road! Amy needs to be monitored. I can't watch her 24/7! I need some sleep, ya know!" Sheldon looked to Amy and shook his head and nodded at Penny. "And she's in the healthcare field now? I weep for the infirm!"

Amy laughed at Sheldon, but she was feeling better. She needed to get back to her routine, she told herself, and would be fine. No need for Sheldon's nursemaid antics as nice as they were. This trip to Cal-Tech was the first step.

However, once she was at her lab, she began to worry. She couldn't find her keys and she took the wrong hallway to the lab. Once inside, the sounds of monkey screeching made her head throb. She tried to check on the progress of her DNA analysis, but she couldn't remember basic sequences or her password. By the time Sheldon picked her back up again, she was sitting on the floor outside the lab, with her hands on her ears.

Sheldon rushed over to her. "Amy! Are you okay? I knew I shouldn't have left you."

She looked up at him with red, swollen eyes. "I can't do it, Sheldon. I can't work. I'm useless!"

Sheldon pulled her off the floor and held her. "You're not useless, Amy. It's just too soon. I just talked to Seibert and he's letting me work from home for a week. I am going to take care of you."

"I guess I need you to help me… I hate it!"

Amy didn't want to be weak and helpless. Sheldon knew his girlfriend well enough to know that. "I know you hate it, but you can help me, okay?"

"How can I help? I can't even match base pairs!"

"You can figure out how to get your brain back. That's what you brain monkeys, do right? Also, Bernadette is coming over tonight to talk about the drug's effects, but you need to listen to me. When I say it's too soon for something, it is, okay?" His voice was firm but considerate.

"Okay, you were right. I shouldn't have come."

Sheldon walked her to the lunch room holding her hand. "Let's get lunch and ease into the routine, okay?"

"Okay, it will be great to see everyone." Amy shuffled alongside Sheldon, feeling like she didn't belong in the halls of the university anymore and was nothing more than a mere visitor or on some kind of campus tour. Her ego had been shattered and she was doing her best to gather all the pieces before they were lost forever.

The gang was excited to see Amy since Sheldon kept her sequestered for days after the hospital. They made her feel welcome and very kind, not mentioning her wild antics from Friday too much. Of course, they were all in fear of Sheldon as any reference to her crazy night was met with scornful ire and a warning of strikes.

The guys were more interested in teasing Sheldon over his new role as nursemaid and wondering how he would look in a nurse outfit. Just as they were about to finish up, Kripke walked in the room and smiled at the table. Kripke had heard how Sheldon was taking care of his amnesiac girlfriend and he wanted to know what sexual antics he had cooked up while she was out of it.

He made a move toward the table, but Sheldon rose up and met him across the room. Sheldon whispered something to him as Kripke was glaring at the table. Suddenly all the color drained from his face and he shouted at Sheldon. "You wouldn't!"

"Watch me." Was all the gang could hear from Sheldon, who suddenly seemed 6 inches taller. Kripke made an about face and left the lunch room scurrying off like a scared rat back to his hole. The physicist came back to the table with a satisfied grin. Even Howard was impressed. "Sheldon, what the hell did you say to him?"

"Oh, nothing of importance. I just pointed out how his life would be should he decide to bother Amy." He looked to Leonard. "OH and if you get a call from Ms. Davis about some missing laser equipment, you know nothing!"

"Sheldon! What did you do?"

Before he could answer Amy interrupted with a rapid fire response to the group of slack jawed friends. "Barry Kripke suffers from an inferiority complex due to this glaring lack of intellect, emasculating inadequacies, and his embarrassing facial tick that is an obvious psychosomatic response to being rejected by this mother at early age. This coupled with his pathological need for copulation and his inability to complete the task. This lack of performance causes him to belittle those he finds a threat to his masculinity through aggressive and boorish behavior with Sheldon being the obvious candidate, but you all as well."

Sheldon quickly added. "OH Snap!" He smiled at her, "That's how you do the dozens! That's my girl!"

Amy had looked down and blushed at Sheldon's compliment. He had put his hand on her knee, squeezed it, and winked at her. She felt one of those broken piece of herself fall back into place.

Howard jumped in by looking at Amy. "What about his speech impediment?"

Sheldon quickly added. "Oh, that, it's just a physiological condition. God, Howard, don't be so judgmental!" He looked at Amy and shook his head. "So rude."

Amy shrugged her shoulders and continued with lunch before Howard got her attention.

"Listen Amy, Bernie feels terrible about the drug and she is really broken up about it."

"Please Howard, tell her it's not her fault. First, I should have known better than to drive after a head trauma. Second, I should have known better than to take a unknown pill without checking the bottle, and third, the drug is obviously a derivative of some kind of benzodiazepines which enhances the anti-convulsive effects but also causes temporary amnesia"

Without realizing it, Amy was on a roll. "You see, it's based on the activation of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid…"

Amy proceeded to tell the group the entire history of brain injury studies, and benzodiazepine effects, trials, studies. The facts rolled out of her, like she was reading a script

"… additionally, if the hippocampus or surrounding cortices are injured…."

Sheldon just smiled at Amy, watching her eyes glow again with every word dripping off her silver tongue. The guys were glazed over, only half listening to her.

Finally Raj popped in the encyclopedic rant. "Do you think it's possible, Amy, that your injury actually made you MORE smart? Like a super hero!"

Amy blushed, and looked at Sheldon, "No, Raj, I don't think so. I might be just getting back in the zone. I am still the same girl with a 189 IQ." She quickly looked at Sheldon's wide eyes. "I mean 183 IQ… Right 183…"

Sheldon looked at her with slight smirk and leaned over. "Welcome back, Dr. Fowler."

After they left Cal-Tech, Amy and Sheldon returned to her apartment. It was a few hours before dinner back at Los Robles and she need to gather her things and she was exhausted. She looked down the pills prescribed to her on the counter and froze. Vicodin, Prednisone and methylphenidate.

"Sheldon, have I been taking methylphenidate?"

"Yes, I didn't want to change anything. Is there something wrong?"

"Sheldon, this is highly addictive. I know about the Plenger study. Why didn't I ask for Amantadine?"

"I'm sorry, Amy, I thought you were asking for almonds. I just kept on giving you nuts!" Amy was extremely incapacitated at the hospital and it was hard to understand her once they put her on the methylphenidate.

"I need to call that doctor. I really don't want to take the pain killer or methylphenidate anymore."

He looked at her concerned. "Okay, but you can take other analgesics, Tylenol, just not Advil. They react with prednisone."

"I know. I did a study on it in college. I just don't want to feel this way anymore. One minute I'm fine, the next, I can't remember if I closed the door."

Sheldon moved over to her. "You know it's going to take some time, Amy. Don't worry. I'll take care of you and the doors. Now, do you want a nap?"

Amy let a breath. "Yes, I'm exhausted." Amy slumped off the bed room with Sheldon following behind her. She stopped and turned around. "Sheldon, you don't need to take a nap if you're not tired."

Sheldon rolled his eyes, "Amy, how many times do I have tell you, I have to watch you. Now, if you are okay, I will lay with you, but I will bring my IPad with me. You didn't seem to mind that on Monday."

"We've done this before?"

Sheldon smiled, "Oh yes, we have Amy, frequently." Sheldon grabbed his bag and left it by the bed side. Amy made her way to the bath, brushed her teeth, and dressed in a nightgown. When she returned to the bed Sheldon was lying bare chested under the covers.

Sheldon looked almost disappointed when he saw her. "Are you going to wear that?"

She looked down sheepishly, "Oh I ... I don't know…"

Sheldon face scrunched up like he ate citron pickles. "It looks scratchy."

Amy looked over to Sheldon's bare chest and quickly made a decision. "I guess not…"

She sat on the side of the bed and slowly pulled off her nightgown with her back to Sheldon. She had no reason to leave as he was busy reading his iPad.

But he was on the front screen, watching her reveal her hour-glass curves the entire time. He put down his iPad and opened his arm after she quickly dove under the covers. She slowly nuzzled up to his chest.

"Amy, how much do you remember of the last few days?"

Amy positioned herself so her face was near his neck and her hand was on his chest. She starting playing with chest hair again. "I don't remember much. I remember… waking up and screaming when you startled me. I remember the pancakes."

"That was this morning."

"Oh, right. Well, I remember… Not much..." She looked up to Sheldon who pulled off her glasses and placed them on his iPad.

Sheldon swallowed hard. "Um, do you remember… Um, kissing me?"

"No, I'm sorry, Sheldon. I don't."

"Do you remember me kissing you last night?"

"No, Sheldon, I don't. You kissed me?" He looked at her eyes and it told him she hadn't a clue what he was talking about.

"I made a promise. I thought I had fulfilled it, but I guess I didn't… again."

"Again?"

Sheldon cleared his throat, "Um yes, well, I thought you had remembered, so I just… well. I've done this before. But I thought you would remember!" He seemed to raise his voice defensively.

"It's okay Sheldon, but I'm sorry, I don't."

"I only did it because you made me promise!" His self-justifying tone seemed out of place.

"Well, Sheldon, I remember most of the day, so I think you are safe, go ahead and tell me, what this promise is."

"I, um, promised I would kiss you like you kissed me on Friday."

"And how many times have you fulfilled this promise, Sheldon?"

Sheldon blinked rapidly and answered softly. "Um… nine times."

"Nine times?"

"Once on Sunday, three times on Monday. Once in the shower." He cleared his throat at the mention of the shower, "Once when you woke up on Tuesday, twice before you went to sleep and once when you woke up after 10 minutes." Amy looked at Sheldon with her jaw dropped, "I'm sorry Amy! But, you know I hate being obligated to something, so I better kiss you, okay?"

"Okay, Sheldon. Let me help you clear your balance sheet." Amy reached up and kissed Sheldon quickly. "There. You're all set."

"No Amy, it wasn't like that, it was like this."

He cupped both hands on her face and kissed her slowly as he re-positioned himself over her. He kept kissing her till she let out a moan, and he once again, glided his tongue across her bottom lip. Amy eyes widened, but she didn't pull away. She wrapped her hands around his neck and gently stroked his hairline while he continued to kiss her.

His mouth was on its own power, dashing his tongue in her mouth while nibbling on her lips. Every time she thought he would pull away he dove in the kiss again, pulling her closer each time. His hands moved down her waist to her hips and he felt her hip bone pivot against his hand. Amy let out a soft moan and traced her hands down his spine to around his flexed shoulder blades.

He pulled away from her startled face far enough to see her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, but focused. She was looking at him like she used to before the weekend. He moved his hand up to her rib cage and started to kiss her again with even more intensity as if her recovery gave him permission. Amy moved her hands to the small of his back and pulled him to her waist. He was almost completely on top of her, his legs were between hers as he continued to kiss her. His roaming hand moved up to her breast as Amy arched her head back. Sheldon starting kiss her neck and moving his mouth to her chest. He realized his hips were rocking against her and he stopped. He looked at her with surprised eyes, shocked by his own actions and how he let things get too far out of hand… Again.

After she caught her breath, Amy finally said. "Oh my, that was the kiss you promised me?"

Sheldon couldn't speak. "Um…. Umm"

"I made you promise that?" She whispered to herself, "I am a genius!" Amy still couldn't believe this was the same Sheldon Cooper who counted the seconds of their closed mouth kisses. "We've kissed like that nine times?"

He cleared his throat again and continued to stare at her with wide eyes. His action surprised himself as well as Amy, "Well, technically ten now, but no, that last one was a little different."

Amy smirked at him. "Well, I don't remember, do it again!"

Sheldon narrowed his eyes at Amy. "Now, don't play games with me little lady!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Amy looked at Sheldon plump lips and let out a regret filled sigh. "So I guess, we are even now?"

Sheldon shoulders slumped. "Yes… I think so. But we will have to see tonight. You might forget."

"I hope I do. But if I don't, you can give a code, a piece at a time. When I get the whole thing, you can know I am safe."

Sheldon's eyes lit up. "Amy, that's brilliant, why didn't I think of that 9 times before?"

"Well, Cuddles, you just can't keep up with this stellar mind of mine!" Amy giggled and snuggled back in his chest. She smiled at him and asked. "Sheldon, how was that time different?"

Sheldon didn't want to say it was the first time he touched her breasts or that he never pressed his groin against her in her bed, but all he could say was "It was longer."

"Oh. I see... Um Sheldon?"

"Yes?" He was still hovering over her, with his arm wrapped around her head.

"Are we going to…" She cut off her query.

Sheldon swallowed and asked. "Um, going to what, Amy?" He stiffed up, bracing for what he thought she would ask of him.

"Um... Add kissing like that to the relationship agreement?"

He let out a sigh in relief as he lay back on the pillow. "Oh! That! Yes well... I need to um… It seems I better, you know, retroactively. Oh, and we better add all this contact. I mean, under the 'boo boos and ouchies' section."

Amy ran her hand down his chest. "Yes that seems like a good idea. Could we, maybe add, the naps together too?"

"Well, when you or I are injured, then it seems appropriate."

"I'd sleep better if you kissed me good night again…" She looked up at him with doe-like blinking eyes and a pert mouth.

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "You say that every time!"

"Well, I would sleep better!"

"Okay, but only so you get to sleep! You need your rest, and…" He leaned toward her, then pulled away and smirked with a twinkle in his eye. "AL VL."

"What's that?"

"The first part of your code." He leaned down and kissed her again, a little tamer, but with a renewed purpose and a mind toward a goal as he knew exactly what he would ask for at the end of the code. Hopefully, Amy could crack it.