I like this chapter. I like this chapter a lot actually. The first part is (I hope) pretty funny, and the second part is pretty emotional. Hope you like it too!

DISCLAIMER: Blah blah blah, I don't own TBBT, blah blah blah…

The Victoria's Secret clerk popped her gum loudly as she stood at the counter, thumbing through the latest issue of Nylon. It was a slow day today, and she liked that. For a sales clerk, she'd never been much of a people person.

"What about this one?"

She looked up and across the store. There was only one couple there, and to say she's surprised would be an understatement. They're not the usual kind of people she sees in the store. The woman was dressed awful dowdily in a sweater, skirt, knee socks and shoulder bag, with straight brown hair and glasses. She was holding up a white lace garter slip for the man to look at, awaiting his opinion. The man was tall, thin and kind of reminded her of a praying mantis in appearances.

She closed her magazine and chomped down on her gum. She knew she should go assist them, and so she walked over. "Hello," She said. They both turned to look at her. "I'm Amanda, how can I help you?"

"Hello, Amanda," The woman said. "I'm Amy, and this is Sheldon,"

"Hello," Sheldon said, unenthusiastically, before looking around the room as if he might find something to entertain himself. Amanda didn't know a man who wasn't entertained by pictures of women in bras and panties.

"We are going to be engaging in intercourse in exactly 10 days, and I'd like to get some new lingerie,"

Amanda raised her eyebrow. "10 days?" She repeated, incredulous. "You plan when you have sex?"

"Oh yes," Sheldon piped up. "We limit our physical desires to only birthdays and anniversaries."

Amanda decided not to comment. "Well then," She said simply. "I think you might want to start out with something a little more…" She grappled for a word. "Classic," She finished after finally thinking of an adjective. She held up three lace appliqué slips in three different colors – yellow, purple and black. "Perhaps one of these is more your speed?"

The woman – Amy – took the hangers from Amanda, delicately feeling each one. "Let's just get all of them," She announced to her boyfriend, husband, whatever he was, a second later, having deemed them sufficient.

"Oh no," Sheldon interjected with a shake of his head. "They simply won't do. Yellow is the most fatiguing color to the eye due to the high amount of light it reflects, so we can't get that one. Black is afflicted with death and mourning –"

"But," Amy interrupted. "It does have a slimming quality."

"Yes," Sheldon said. "But I really don't want to be thinking of my father's funeral when I'm in bed with you – it's already unpleasant enough. Plus, you don't need to be slimmed down, you're fine the way you are." Amy smiled, and Amanda had a feeling that that was the nicest thing he'd ever said to her. "Purple is obviously the best choice because it not only represents royalty and wealth but also wisdom, of which we have much."

Amy nodded in approval, and then handed the purple slip to Amanda. "We'll take it," She pronounced proudly.

Amanda nodded and went to go ring them up. She handed them a small bag containing their purchase, offered a token 'have a nice day' and watched the couple depart, arguing lightly over something trivial.

That was the day Amanda finally quit her job.

"Oh."

Howard stirred, and looked over to his wife. She was sitting upright in bed, and their eyes locked. He was wide awake now – obviously, this was it. Howard began to sit up, and he realized then that Bernadette was crying – not just crying but full out sobbing, like she'd been that day at the hospital. "Hey," He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. Bernadette buried her face into his chest.

For a moment they stayed there, closer than they'd been for days. Even though the circumstances were the farthest from ideal, it felt good to hold her in his arms again, to feel her chest rise and fall as she breathed, to be able to touch her.

"I'm sorry," She said finally.

This wasn't what Howard had expected her to say. And when she said it, he felt horrible, knowing she felt that way. "Bernie, this isn't your fault."

She ignored him. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't protect our baby. I was supposed to keep them safe and I couldn't…" She sniffled. "…do it. I failed – I failed you and our baby."

"Hey," Howard said softly. "Look at me," She didn't listen. "Bernie…"

Finally, Bernadette lifted her head, and Howard used his thumb to wipe the wetness off her cheek. "You could never fail me. There is nothing you could have done," He told her gently. "You can't blame yourself. It was a tragic accident. No one is at fault here."

Bernadette nodded slowly. "I wish I had told you," She said. "I'm sorry, I should've. I just thought that I could postpone it until I went to the doctor's…What I didn't know was that by that time the baby was already gone." She trailed off. "I'm sorry. I should've told you the minute I found out. I should've talked to you about this instead of ignoring you. I'm sorry…"

He doesn't really know how to respond. What do you say to that? So, he simply held his wife while she cried. That was the least he could do. "It's going to be okay. We are going to be okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I wrote that last scene a while ago and I think I wanted to add something to it, but now I forget what it was…Whatever. Is it adequate as it is?