"So, what did you think?" Sheldon turned to face Amy and everyone waited as she tried to think of a response that wouldn't offend.
"Well, it was an interesting concept…but that Jar Jar character! How could you stand to watch him over and over again?"
"Exactly! Now can you see why we hate that Episode so much?" Sheldon reached over to squeeze Amy's hand gently. "Gentlemen, I think we have a keeper in this one." Howard announced from the chair, which earned him a scowl from Sheldon; and he shrank further into the depths of the armchair hoping that he hadn't earned himself another strike as well. Amy shifted on the couch, and leant over to murmur something in Sheldon's ear. He nodded and paused the player before the next movie could start up.
"Gentlemen, I propose that we take a fifteen minute recess before we start on Episode II."
"Excellent! My bladder's been crying for the past twenty minutes!"
"Howard! There are ladies present, and I don't know how you were raised; but in our house Mama taught me that it was always ladies first." Sheldon rose from the couch and stopped Howard from moving from the chair.
"Oh, yeah…sorry, Amy. Go ahead." Amy cheeks flushed a little as she scurried down the hallway to relieve her screaming bladder. She finished her business and after scrubbing her hands thoroughly and spritzing them with a little antibacterial cleanser, emerged from the bathroom and announced it was all clear. Howard rushed past her, nearly knocking her straight into Sheldon, he steadied her and caught a whiff of something pleasing to his nostrils.
"Mmm…someone found the Purell." He murmured as he led her back over to the couch and held up her mug in invitation.
"No, thank you; I believe that I have had sufficient for one night. Yes, I discovered the Purell in the bathroom; do you mind?"
"Oh not at all, quite frankly it's refreshing to see someone else has the same exacting hygiene regime as myself." Sheldon placed the empty mugs in the sink and then got himself comfortable back in his spot. "Are you warm enough, Amy? Shall I fetch you a robe?"
"Sheldon, I'm fine…if I need something, I will ask. Just relax and enjoy your movies." Amy patted his arm gently and shifted a little on the couch as she curled her legs up to one side. "Is this okay?" She asked suddenly, knowing that Sheldon would probably never allow someone to put their feet on the couch. He merely nodded, and shifted further over so that he was propped up against the arm. They waited until everyone was back in their seats and started the second movie.
Somewhere around two o'clock in the morning and halfway through Episode IV they started nodding off, Sheldon felt a slight pressure against his arm and found Amy's head slipping onto his shoulder. He didn't say a word, just lifted his arm slightly and allowed her head to fall naturally against his side; her legs were completely on the couch by that time, and Sheldon made sure that she was adequately covered up before turning his attention back to the movie. By three o'clock, Leonard had succumbed and was sprawled halfway across the arm of the couch with his arm flung across Amy's back. Sheldon twitched a little at the sight, before moving Amy carefully over so that her head was propped on a pillow on his end of the couch and her head stayed snuggled in the crook of his neck – in essence he had dragged her onto his lap to make sure that Leonard wasn't touching a single part of her body. By half past three, Sheldon had also fought and lost the battle against sleep and his head slipped lower and lower to the side, until it was resting against the soft silkiness of Amy's head…
"Holy crap on a cracker!" Penny sat bolt upright on her couch and winced as the bright sunlight streamed through her open curtains. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yelped as she saw the time. "Eight fifteen! Why didn't anyone wake me? Coffee or shower, I need both but which first? Leonard will have a pot on, I'll run over there and grab a cup first…" Penny ran into the bathroom to splash a handful of cold water on her face and patted it dry, peering at her puffy eyes in the mirror. "Seriously girl, you need to get a grip! Stop with the all night pity parties or you will end up looking like Aunt Martha before your time." She brushed her teeth quickly and flung on a robe before creeping across the hall to open the door to Sheldon's apartment.
"Holy crap on a cracker!" She yelled out again as she walked straight into the coffee table which Leonard had moved over to make room for the marathon. Her yell had Howard moaning in his sleep and calling out in a hoarse voice.
"Not so loud, Ma…trying to get a little sleep here." He shuffled in the chair and rolled over, only to hit the floor with a thump. "What the frack?" He blinked as he realised that he wasn't in bed at his Mother's house, but sitting on the floor in Sheldon's apartment where he had fallen asleep in the middle of Episode IV. He looked over to see Raj curled up in a small ball by the coffee table and Leonard sprawled across half of the couch. What had him gulping in amazement was the sight of Sheldon snuggling up with Amy; both curled up in his spot on the couch.
"This has to be some weird ass dream that I'm having…the combination of Junior Mints and Red Vines..." He muttered as he rubbed his eyes, as if doing so would transform the image before him.
"Well, it looks as though you guys had quite the sleepover…" Penny muttered as she accidentally on purpose, kicked Raj as she picked her way through the debris littering the floor of the apartment. "What happened to paintball? I thought we were supposed to be at the course by nine?"
"Aargghhh…paintball! I don't think that's gonna happen today, Penny. I know I fell asleep around three…Sheldon and Leonard were still awake but from the looks of things they couldn't have made it a lot further in…You know we can't leave a movie half finished; it wouldn't be fair…we'd have to start all over again." Howard nudged Raj awake and ignored the groans and mumbles coming from the grouchy Indian.
"What were you watching anyway?" Penny asked in an offhand manner, as she crossed over to the kitchen to switch on the coffee maker. She was trying her best not to feel left out, but it still hurt a little to know that the whole gang was over and she hadn't been invited.
"Star Wars…you know you were banned from watching it over here; so don't try and make me feel bad for not coming over to get you."
"How many episodes?"
"All of them…well I fell asleep midway through IV…so the first three anyway."
"Oh, the poor, poor girl. What did you do to her? Was she tied up, did you slip something in her drink?" Penny forgot all thoughts about not being invited, for her being forced to watch the saga was a fate worse than death and she immediately felt a pang of sympathy for Sheldon's new friend.
"Nothing! She seemed like she was quite enjoying herself; especially when Sheldon turned out to be quite the snuggle bunny." Howard lowered his voice and took a step closer. "I don't know whether you noticed or not, but they happen to be wearing matching outfits; pants, shirt, socks – everything. He even unwrapped one of his mint condition shirts just so that they could match…And there's more…Sheldon gave her one of his dumplings – straight off his plate!"
"Holy crap! That's just…amazeballs…I don't know what to say…" Penny looked over at where Sheldon was still curled up around Amy on the couch, offering his body as shelter and holding her securely in his arms. "Our little Shelly is all grown up, Howard."
"Yeah, I know…That reminds me, I need to call his mother." Howard flipped open his phone and snapped a quick picture of the couple and sent it off to Mary as an attachment. He dialled her number and waited for her to pick up. "Mary? Yeah, it's Howard – did you check your inbox? Open it up and call me back." A few moments later Howard's phone vibrated, he picked it up and Penny could hear the excited squawks of Mary Cooper coming through the speaker. "No, they weren't alone…yeah, that was taken just a few minutes ago…no, we were having a movie marathon and everyone just fell asleep where they were sitting…it looks like Leonard may have gotten a little handsy during the night and Sheldon must have switched places with her…yeah…okay…bye." He flipped the phone closed and turned to Penny. "That is one excited Mama, she's hearing wedding bells and they haven't even been out on a proper date yet."
"Howie, I think we've skipped dating protocols…I mean they knew each other for what, three hours…and he's already got her out of her clothes and into his!" Penny bit back an excited scream of excitement and poured herself a cup of the rich, fragrant brew. She walked over to where Leonard was softly snoring, and wafted the cup under his nose. He twitched a little as the scent rose up his nostrils, and then slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey, sleepyhead…rise and shine; it's paintball time!"
"Noooo…need more sleep…" Leonard turned on the couch and found himself nosing up against Sheldon's shoulder. He felt a sneeze coming on from the waft of the talc emanating from Sheldon's clothes and twitched his nose in an effort to hold it back. He jumped up from the couch, forgetting that his legs were tangled in the comforter that all three of them had shared during the night; he fell onto the floor and the noise combined with the sudden loss of heat woke Sheldon with a start.
"Danger! Danger!" He sat up and looked around the room, his sudden movement waking Amy as well. She looked at their cosy positioning and her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Oh my…" She muttered as she tried to extract herself from Sheldon's embrace with injuring them both. Sheldon placed a hand on either side of her waist and lifted her effortlessly over his lap until she was seated against the arm of the couch, occupying his usual position. "I must have fallen asleep and clambered over you like a crazy person, I'm so sorry Sheldon."
"It wasn't you at all, Amy. Leonard was attempting to cuddle up to you in his sleep and so I merely swapped positions with you on the couch; we must have both moved involuntarily in our sleep, seeking out warmth as the night grew cooler." Sheldon explained, keeping his face averted so that she couldn't see the betraying twitch beneath his eye which always revealed when he was attempting a falsehood.
"Oh, well I had better get changed and head home; I think we had better put off our plans for the zoo today, Sheldon. You will no doubt want to complete your laundry and I believe your friends have arranged to go paintballing this morning. Perhaps I will call you later in the week and we could arrange something for next weekend instead?" There were an assortment of groans throughout the room as Amy mentioned paintballing and Sheldon had a look of distress on his face.
"You really mean to leave in the middle of a Star Wars marathon? We still have three more to go…you can't leave just as the best one's are about to start!"
"He's right, Amy. No one should leave before seeing Episodes IV through VI at least once, we can do paintballing any old time. Stay, watch the rest with us, come on – it will be fun!" Leonard looked up from where he was still entangled on the floor and asked her what he knew Sheldon was trying to say. "I'll even throw your clothes in the wash so that you can wear them home tonight, what do you say?"
"Would it be okay if I took a quick shower first?" Amy asked quietly, she hated feeling grubby and had missed her evening shower last night and again this morning.
"If the boys mind, you can always come over to mine and take a shower? I'm sure I can find you something to wear until your clothes are dry." Penny offered as she sipped her cup of coffee.
"Thank you, Penny, but that won't be necessary. I know you have yet to purchase the adhesive ducks that I recommended after your spill in the shower; and so Amy of course, must take her shower here. Also, clothes…as you know, each Star Wars marathon must be accompanied by the appropriate attire, hence the t-shirts. Raj, Howard – I assume you brought a spare change with you? Then perhaps you would like to take Penny up on her offer to shower and change over at her apartment? I suggest that we meet back here in forty five minutes; that gives us each fifteen minutes to shower and change before we restart Episode IV…I will find suitable garments for Amy to change into…Amy, if you would care to follow me?" Sheldon rose from the couch and waited for Amy on the landing. His take charge attitude toward Amy was freaking them all out a little, but it seemed to be working as she followed him into his bedroom as meek as a lamb.
"What am I supposed to do all day while you're all getting your geek on?" Penny spluttered from the couch.
"Well if you could promise to keep quiet and remain out of sight, I don't think Sheldon would mind if you stayed to watch with us." Leonard suggested with a smirk, and Penny narrowed her eyes and glared at him.
"Why don't you give Bernie a call and see if she wants to hang out at the Galleria with you? She's probably about ready to strangle her Mother right about now, so I would strike while the iron's hot." Howard piped up from the armchair and Penny nodded.
"First sensible idea you've had all year, Howard. You guys coming over to shower at my place? Clock's ticking boys, tick-tock." Howard and Raj grabbed their bags and followed Penny across the hall. She grabbed a few towels from the cupboard and shoved them in their arms. "Go for it…don't mind the mess, I'll clear it up later. Anyone want some breakfast? Just to let you know, that I'd have to run back over to Sheldon's if you do, 'cause like Mother Hubbard, my cupboards are bare."
"No, we're okay thanks." Howard replied for both of them and shoved Raj through the bedroom and into the bathroom. "You go first, and then you won't have to sit and stare into space waiting for me to finish. As soon as you're done, you can head back over to Sheldon's."
"Thanks, Howard – you are truly a good friend."
"Yadda, yadda, yadda – get on with it then!" Howard passed a towel through the door and then stepped back out into the living room. "So, did you call Bernie yet?"
"Yeah, she's going to meet me around eleven in the food court. So, tell me more about this Amy chick – what's she like?"
"Sheldon." Howard replied without a moment's hesitation. "I mean it, those two are so alike that it's kind of freaky – I wondered whether it was some subliminal conditioning set up by their parents in order for them to get together; but apart from a general enquiry here and there throughout the years, neither one has seemed particularly interested in the other. Until Sheldon though that there was a chance that Amy would be moving in across the hall, that was when he started following her career through articles that she's had published, and I think Amy mentioned that she's actually read one of Sheldon's thesis papers."
"Cool. So, she's okay then? Not like that freaky Ramona?"
"No, Amy's okay…plus she seems to like Star Wars, so what's not to like? If we finish up the marathon early, I might try to find out a little more about her – want me to fill you in on any juicy details if I manage to pry any secrets out of her?"
"You betcha!" They exchanged a high five and Raj appeared from the bedroom; dressed in the same pants as the day before but now sporting a black Darth Vader t-shirt, embellished in silver.
"Ooh, nice shirt Raj! That's a new one isn't it?" Penny asked, already expecting nothing more than a nod or a shake of a head in response. Raj nodded, and quickly left the apartment. Howard looked at Penny and shrugged – "At least he nodded, that's more than he could do a year ago…I might ask Amy whether she knows anything about selective mutism…I bet she'd love to attach all kinds of electrodes to his brain."
"Yeah, she's some kind of brain doctor isn't she?"
"Neurobiologist, she's working on a primate study over at UCLA; but there's a slim chance that she might be coming over to CalTech for another study next year." Howard called out from the bathroom, and Penny walked into her bedroom to pull out a few clothes for the day. "Penny, I forgot to grab my bag; could you pass it to me please?"
"Okey dokey." Penny walked back into the living room and picked up Howard's bag, wincing at the weight of the thing. "Jeez, did you pack a few rocks in there as well?"
"No, just my pocket light sabres…a couple of games in case we get bored; change of clothes…you know, the usual." Howard's voice was muffled by the towel as he stretched out a hand around the bathroom door. Penny placed the bag in his hand and retreated back into the living room before Howard could give her the full peep show. He emerged a few minutes later and after a quick wave of thanks disappeared back across the hall and Penny soon heard the familiar soundtrack start up again. She shook her head trying to figure out what on earth Amy found so appealing about sitting through nearly another eight hours of the saga; and then glanced over at the clock to see that it was almost half past nine. "Better jump in the shower if I want to meet Bernadette on time…Fifteen minutes apiece, hah! In your dreams, Sheldon Cooper!"
