Title if the chapter is a NKOTB song, early nineties but I was much to goth at the time to enjoy Backstreet Boy's or N'Sync. A big thank you too my beta cutelittlelumpofwool82 for polishing this up for me and being the idea woman.
George Jr. and Missy sit in the kitchen and continue their drinks from earlier. They were both a little horrified and grossed out from Sheldon's display earlier. Seeing him kissing a girl like that had been disturbing. Before Amy they weren't even sure if he liked girls boy were they wrong.
"It was plain nasty," George spits out as he makes himself another rum and coke in Meemaw's kitchen.
"It ain't nasty… Well seeing it was kind of gross… but they love each other so flipping much it makes my heart hurt," Missy tells George putting her hand across her heart and sighing. George had been wailing on about how fake and gross their make out session had been.
"He was just kissing her like that to get at me. He ain't ever kissed her like that before. What all of a sudden the boy grew balls?" George huffs. "He was practically looking me in the eye the entire time," He yells slamming his hand on the counter.
"Sheldon has balls, he just keeps his balls private. Unlike you who just let's all your balls hang out," Missy laughs enjoying Juniors jealousy. "Okay, I'm as drunk as a skunk!" Missy giggles jumping up on the counter and swinging her legs.
"I'll show you! I'm going to go back out there and they will be playing tiddlywinks or some shit. You'll see… It was all just an act!" George growls pointing at her.
"Oh there will be some titties and some winkies out there!" Missy giggles. George has no idea how much Sheldon and Amy truly feel for each other, she on the other hand wasn't blind she's noticed the heated looks between them over the past few weeks.
"Tiddlywinks you dummy! The game!" He slurs rolling his eyes.
Then he rushes out the door and walks back to the pond. Slowing when he hears giggling. In the purplish light of twilight he makes out the shadow of Sheldon and Amy standing in the water. Her arms wrapped around him and his head buried in her neck. On the chair where they had been making out was their clothes neatly folded.
"Damn Missy," He curses hating that his sister was right. "Got to hand it to the boy, not even I have done it in Meemaw's pond," He mumbles to himself impressed. Then he grabs the neatly folded clothes and sprints back towards the house with them. "This game still ain't over boy," He laughs.
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"Sheldon are you being serious?" Amy asks stunned as they bob in the water.
"Completely," He says blinking the water out of his eyes.
"We can't get married," Amy says stupefied.
"Why not? It would solve all your problems. My first thought was to get you legally emancipated. That process is rather lengthy, I looked into myself when my father would not let me go to college," Sheldon shares.
"Sheldon, that would have broke your mother's heart!" Amy says shocked.
"Which is why I abandoned my quest. If you can't get your parents to sign off on it then the court proceedings can be grueling. However if we were to marry then you would become automatically legally emancipated," He says excitedly.
"I am only seventeen, my mother would have to sign off on me getting married as well," Amy reminds him. "Come on let's get out of the water it's getting chilly," Amy says shivering with cold in spite of the day's heat. They walk out of the water and Sheldon gives her a smirk as he gets caught openly staring at her behind. Causing Amy to giggle and smack his arm, she was always amazed by how beautiful Sheldon could make her feel.
"Actually your legal guardian has to sign off on it. And you said yourself your current legal guardian is…" He leads as they sit on Missy's abandoned chair and grab a towel from her large tote to dry off.
"Constance! Right now Constance is my legal guardian!" Amy says his logic finally becoming clear to her.
"Exactly, so to get emancipated you would have to have your mother agree. To get married we would just need Meemaw to agree. Then you are emancipated in the eyes of the law. My property rather than your mother's. Never would you have to suffer abuse at her hands. As an added bonus you would gain full control over your trust," Sheldon says grinning.
"What will people think if we get married at seventeen?" Amy asks balking a bit at him saying she would be his property.
"I had a cousin who got married when she was sixteen and everyone seemed thrilled about it," Sheldon says innocently and Amy cuts her eyes at him.
"Sheldon, was she pregnant at the time?" Amy asks, already certain of the answer.
"Well yes… but you are not and we will make sure that it is clear you are on birth control and all proper precautions are being taken care of," He assures.
"You make some excellent points," Amy says a little sadly. She had daydreamed about marrying Sheldon a million times. They were always older in her fantasies though. Graduated from school with their doctorates under their belts. Amy reaches for her abandoned swimsuit and finds it gone along with Sheldon's clothes. "Sheldon! Our clothes are gone!" Amy panics looking around for their clothes.
"George!" Sheldon says like a swear.
"He stole our clothes?" Amy yells. Grabbing part of the towel Sheldon was currently drying off with trying to cover herself thinking George may be watching.
"It would appear so, he fancies himself to be quite the prankster," Sheldon scoffs annoyed and wrapping the towel securely around Amy.
"What are we going to do waltz through the door buck naked? We only have one towel and it can't cover us both," Amy moans wrapping the towel around her chest tightly.
"Never fear, my antisocial tendencies and love for safety have made me a master at knowing where every entrance and exit to a house is. I happen to know if we walk around the side of the house we can get into the basement from a small window," He says gruffly. It's one thing for Junior to prank him this way but Amy did nothing to deserve this, and for this he would make Junior pay.
"And the basement has the washer and dryer! I just ran a load early this morning, perfect. What will you do?" Amy asks him worriedly.
"I happen to keep a spare set of clothes in her basement closet. Once I got a mustard stain on my pants during a cookout. I had to sit pantless in the basement until they were cleaned. So now I make sure to always have a spare set," Sheldon tells her getting up. "Come on let's go, the quicker the better."
They sprint across the lawn around the side of the house. Just like he said there is a small aluminum window he is able to pull open. The squeeze is tight but they both drop safely into the basement. They get dressed in silence.
"Let's go find George," Sheldon says looking up the basement stairs.
"What? Why? I don't want to be anywhere near him right now," Amy tells him even if it had turned out well their naked sprint had been humiliating and she hopes no one saw.
"When he sees us fully dressed and not humiliated it will kill him. He has to know I won this one, also now I need to get him back now," Sheldon tells her, she can see the thrill of competition is growing strong in him. Sheldon hated losing, he hated being teased, and she was certain George had something terrible coming to him.
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Missy lays on the couch watching TV and George sits on the floor in front of her his long legs stretched out. Watching the cartoon on the screen with his arms crossed annoyed.
"Let's go out somewhere," George whines. He needs something to get his mind off of what he saw out in the pond.
"Not right now, we gotta wait for Sheldon and Amy. Also I'm watching this movie right now," Missy snaps. Tired of his grumpiness and jealousy, at this point their drinks were not helping him relax at all.
"I can't believe you are making me watch this," He tells Missy and she hushes him.
"You are going to make me miss the best part," She gripes at him.
"You think every part is the best part," He groans watching Belle and the Beast fall in love.
"I do! Belle is the best princess. She's got brown hair, she's kind, she likes to read… Hey what's happening right now is like Beauty and the Beast! Amy is a bookish brunette being pursued by a huge conceited loud mouth. But she falls in love with the socially awkward recluse instead!" Missy squeals laughing until she's crying and almost falls off the couch.
"That's it I'm turning this shit off!" George yells trying to grab the remote from her.
"No! Besides all Meemaw's got in the house are cartoons. Or the greatest stories of the bible by Timelife. We both know that without cable Saturday TV blows," Missy says hiding the remote behind her back.
"Where are Sheldon and Amy? They have been gone for a long time," George huffs impatiently.
"You told me where they were, out in the pond doing the no pants dance. Then you took their clothes," Missy tells him shaking her head.
"I just can't wait for them to come knocking at the door buck naked begging to be let in. I'm going to be laughing so hard!" He snickers.
"At what? This movie? Oh please George this is juvenile even for you," Sheldon says smugly walking in the room and sitting in an arm chair.
"Sheldon what are you doing in here?" George asks shocked.
"In my grandmother's house? Probably the same thing you are doing," Sheldon says rolling his eyes as Amy walks in and sits on the arm of the couch beside Missy.
"Ya'll have fun swimming?" Missy says teasing poking Amy with her foot and Amy blushes, "I ain't ever got Sheldon to go in no water!"
"We had a very refreshing dip," Amy says demurely looking down at her lap picking at imaginary lint.
"Well your back now, let's go out somewhere," George says a bit defeated. Bringing up the stolen clothes would only make him guilty. Asking about it would only be making Sheldon's victory greater.
"Yeah let's go!" Missy says enthusiastically shutting off the TV.
"Where?" Amy asks curiously.
"Anywhere but here," Missy replies. "I am bored out of my skull, and it's only a matter of time before you two start kissing on each other again. Got to get you out of the house to prevent teen pregnancy," Missy laughs again taking a sip from her glass. Amy blushed and Sheldon just gives Missy a hard glare. "You know what would be really fun? Remember when we was little and we would all spend the weekend with Meemaw and Pop-Pop they would take us to putt-putt golf?"
"Putt-putt! Man I could go for whacking some balls through a clown's mouth," Junior says smacking his hands together. "Just sounds like a regular Saturday night for you, right Missy?" He laughs nudging Missy with his elbow.
"Shut up dumbass!" Missy says punching him in the arm.
"No way, that may have been a fun time for you two but it was abject torture for me," Sheldon complains.
"Only because you were as big of a killjoy at six as you are now," George scoffs.
"Killjoy? You are the killjoy need I remind you of the permanent dent in my skull from one of our fun little outings," Sheldon says raising his voice.
"Cause' you wouldn't shut up about pine cones the whole damn time!" Junior growls.
"I"ll have you know that pine cones…" Sheldon starts but is cut short.
"Will ya'll just stop fighting! Damn! Ya'll are getting on my last nerve," Missy yells. "Me and Amy will just go by ourselves if ya'll don't want to go."
"Amy doesn't want to..." Sheldon begins.
"Actually Sheldon it does sound kinda fun. My mom never let me go to places like that and I think I would like to try it," Amy says softly giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Alright let's go, so Amy can find out how fun whacking a ball through a windmill is," Sheldon says sarcastically. He could never resist that look and he wondered if Amy knew that fact.
"We all know how much Amy likes whacking balls," George laughs and Amy looks at him wide eyed and shocked.
"I believe she just told us that she had never played the sport before," Sheldon corrects.
"Sheldon, he was making a sexual innuendo," Amy whispers to him then it is Sheldon's turn to look at him scandalized.
"I will not have you talking to my girlfriend like that!" Sheldon says angrily standing up to face George. Squaring his shoulders with his fists and jaw clenched to look intimidating. George is shocked to see that they are the same height now, he thought he was still the taller one when truthfully Sheldon might even have an inch on him.
"Cool down cowboy, I was just teasing," George says holding his hands up in defeat.
"You tease too much," Sheldon tells him the anger in his voice rising. All the resentment for the last seventeen years is about to spill out and Missy can feel it.
"Come on ya'll let's just go," she says grabbing Georges shirt and tugging him backwards. "Both ya'll had bad days, you just need to blow off a little steam. Come on Amy you're driving, I can't and we won't all fit in George's truck."
They all pile into Amy's volvo and Sheldon directs her to their destination. Amy is surprised to see that the putt-putt course is actually a large complex. Inside the building is an arcade, a restaurant and lots of games. There are children running around screaming completely unsupervised. Amy was in heaven, this is the kind of place she always wanted her birthday parties to be at and her mother would never let her.
"This place is fantastic!" Amy cries looking around. "Do we have to just play putt-putt or can we do everything?" Sheldon looks at her curiously she looks like a kid in a candy store.
All his life he had been subjected to birthday party after birthday party in establishments such as this, all the blinking lights, loud noises, crowds of people, it made him feel like his head was about to explode. Most of the time he would hide in the upstairs arcade playing Street Fighter until he had mastered it. The few times he had been coaxed down he found the games of skill to be unfair. Once you figured out the algorithm of the way the lights flashed, or the exact angle to bounce the ball to score the most points there was no challenge. He was almost always able to come away with a large prize.
"You never went to a place like this as a kid?" Missy asks her and Amy shakes her head no.
"My mother didn't believe in spoiling a child with extravagant birthdays. I was never invited to anybody else's so this is my first time," Amy replies emotionlessly while still looking around.
"Dang girl, almost everything that comes out of your mouth makes me sad," Missy tells her wrapping Amy in a sideways hug. "Well you are going to have the time of your life tonight. We are going to make up for every shitty birthday party you ever had."
"It is almost my half birthday," Amy muses.
"So let me kick Sheldon"s ass at putt-putt then you can do whatever you want," George says walking up to the counter. "My treat," he says plunking down a hundred dollar bill on the counter.
They head to the miniature golf course and start the first hole. Amy goes first and hits the ball so hard it pops upwards over the windmill and to the other side. Amy covers her mouth shocked and Sheldon just looks at her impressed.
"Unconventional but it will get the job done," he tells her following her to the other side so she can try again.
"Here let me show you how you swing right," George says walking up behind her and placing his hands lightly on her elbows.
"Alright that will be enough of that," Sheldon says poking George with his golf club making him back up.
"Don't you poke me with your club," George warns.
"Don't you poke Amy with yours," Sheldon glares.
"Don't you make me give you another dent on that big old head of yours," George says moving closer to Sheldon challenging him.
"Boys! Stop it!" Missy yells. "Ain't no one bringing their balls or clubs out here tonight. This pissing contest has got to stop. This is Amy's very merry unbirthday and we are all going to play nice," Missy says stomping her foot.
"You need to stop watching cartoons Missy," George laughs. Missy just puts her hands on her hips and glares at him looking eerily like their mother. "Alright, we'll play nice," He sighs while backing away from Amy. They finish the rest of their game and head back inside to the arcade.
"You should let Sheldon win you some tickets," Missy tells Amy. "Sheldon can win you whatever you want," Missy says winking at Amy.
"Oh really?" Amy asks taking Sheldon by his elbow and he looks down at her smugly.
"Most of these games present me with no challenge. Like let's say this one," Sheldon says stopping at a machine with lightbulbs flashing up and down. Sheldon puts a token into the machine and the lights start blinking faster. "The point is to hit the button when it hits the 10,000 ticket mark. Most people will misjudge and hit it just before or just after. Yet if you count the blinks and time it precisely..." Sheldon hits the button and a buzzer goes off, and the lights flash like crazy. The machine starts spitting out tickets, so many that they just curl around their feet in a pile.
"Yay!" Amy squeals clapping her hands while jumping up and down. They win so many tickets the attendant has to give them a roll to make up for what wasn't in the machine. "Let's do another!" She says running to a different machine.
"Big deal! So he can count," George says huffily. Watching as Amy pulls Sheldon along behind her as he struggles not to trip on the many tickets dragging the floor.
"Then you do it if you think it's so easy," Missy says handing George a token with a raised brow. George puts the token in and moves his head up and down following the lights. He slams his hand down and five tickets pop out of the machine.
"Shut up!" He tells Missy pointing at her. "Don't laugh." He sighs.
"Hey George?" Missy asks stifling a laugh.
"Hmm?" He asks distracted watching as Amy hugs Sheldon around the middle when he wins another game. Sheldon just looks slightly embarrassed and annoyed when she kisses him on the cheek then drags him to the next game.
"How did you get that hundred dollars?" She asks him as he slips another token into the machine. He slams his fist down and it buzzes angrily at him and produces no tickets.
"How the hell does he do it!" George swears moving over to Skee ball.
"George you're not answering me," Missy says handing him a ball.
"I may or may not have taken it from the snack bar when they asked me to leave the pool," George says throwing a ball into the highest hole. "Aww yeah! Suck it Sheldon."
"He's not even playing this game asshole," Missy sighs. "George, mama will find out you stole that money. You got fired and stole money! She is going to kill you Junior," Missy scolds.
"Well that's why we gotta have fun tonight. I am going to be dead or grounded the rest of the summer," George tells her winking as he tosses another ball up into a hole.
"Missy! We won so many tickets they politely asked us to leave!" Amy tells her excited with her arms full of tickets.
"Alright let's go spend your tickets! You can get whatever you want with this many," Missy says happily. She was glad Amy was having such a good time she deserved it after everything she's been through.
"Well I will need almost half for myself," Sheldon says coming up at her side with another armload of tickets.
"Sheldon don't be selfish!" Missy gripes.
"It's okay Missy even if he takes half I can still get that giant purple monkey." Amy says pointing at the prize booth.
"Aww, ya'll already sound like a married couple," Missy says and Amy looks taken aback.
"Yeah well, come on let's go cash out. I might have enough left over to get you a little something too," Amy says wrapping her free arm around Missy and walking away.
"Dude, you are such a tool. You have a girlfriend and you are still hogging all the tickets. What do you need? The lame ass bat signal? Newsflash you can buy it at Spencer's if you want it that bad," Junior huffs preparing to throw his next ball but Sheldon's next words make him miss the shot.
"What you don't know is that I need these tickets for her," Sheldon says cryptically walking away.
"What the hell?" George mumbles watching Sheldon disappear in the crowd.
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Later that night Amy and Sheldon lay in her bed. It had been a long and interesting day and Amy was wired. After they left the putt-putt golf place they all got dinner. Everyone except for George who stayed behind saying he would hitch a ride from someone else. By the time they got home Missy was so out of it she laid on the couch and passed out. Now Sheldon was laying in her bed silent even though she can tell he can't sleep either.
"Amy?" Sheldon asks breaking the silence.
"Yeah?" She asks.
"You never answered me, earlier," He asks and Amy flips over to face him. Amy was dreading this. Honestly she was surprised that he was able to go so long before bringing it back up again. Sheldon was not a fan of unfinished business. Amy thought for sure it would have come back up when Missy mentioned them being an old married couple.
"About getting married?" She asks and she sees him bob his head yes in the dark. "I still don't know. There are a lot of things to consider," She sighs.
"Well, what are you considering?" He asks looking over at her.
"Your scholarship, would you still get it if you are a married man? The whole college experience really, how will being married affect all of that? Will we live in the dorms still? Do we have to find an apartment? What about health insurance if we get married you can't be on your moms," Amy trails off.
"As far as my scholarship goes, men much older than me with established families have used it to further their education. However I was thinking that our marriage would be a bit of a secret," He says carefully.
"A secret?" She asks curiously.
"Yes, I mean our families would know of course but as far as school and other activities our marriage would be hush hush. We would still be in separate dorms and everything would go exactly as planned. Except we would be legally bound to each other. If you wanted we could even get divorced once you were of legal age," Sheldon says softly not meeting her eyes.
"It's all very logical Sheldon," Amy sniffs annoyed.
This was not at all how she thought it would be. She wanted a romance, she wanted him to be on one knee. She did not want to be discussing getting divorced within the same breath of getting married. When she got engaged she wanted it to be because he loved her so much he knew he wanted her in his life forever. Not just to save her from having to go back to her mother. Though she did have to admit just offering it was a selfless gesture. Sheldon would only lose in this and she had everything to gain.
"Sheldon think of everything you could lose doing this," Amy says sitting up on the bed.
"Think of everything I gain," he counters sitting up and facing her.
"You would be legally bound to me forever. Think about it, say you divorce me once I turn eighteen. The marriage would still show up on background checks. You apply for a research grant and they want to know about your teenage marriage. I don't see anything you would gain in this," Amy sighs.
"I would gain you forever, even if you made us get divorced when we were of age. I would just wait and ask you again when you truly felt you wanted to be married," Sheldon says taking her hands in his twirling her promise ring around on her finger. A gesture she realized he did when he was feeling nervous.
"What would be the sense in that?" She laughs looking into his serious face.
"There wouldn't be any sense in that… But I would do it if it made you feel better," He tells her solemnly. It dawns on her that maybe he isn't just being selfless. That maybe he truly wants to be married to her.
"Sheldon why do YOU want to get married," She asks and he looks down and sighs.
"Amy everything is going to be changing soon. You know I have a hard enough time with change as it is. As much as I have dreamt of going away and doing this, I am dreading it too. Amy you are the one constant in my world. As rocky and weird as things can get you keep me steady. Amy I love you. You are the only person I will ever love and I want you with me forever," Sheldon says in a rush finally looking up his eyes full of love and sincerity.
"Sheldon...I…" Amy stammers her heart racing.
"Will you marry me?" Sheldon asks pulling out a ring from pocket.
"Sheldon what's this?" Amy coos taking the ring from his hands like it was a precious jewel.
"A one of a kind green lantern ring I won for you tonight," He says smiling at her as she puts the ring on her finger.
"That's why you needed the tickets?" Amy asks with tears in her eyes taking the ring off and handing it back to him and he nods his head.
"What do you say?" He asks nervously biting his lip.
"Ask me again on one knee," Amy says smiling sweetly. Sheldon looks at her odd but gets up and walks around to her side of the bed and gets on one knee. Holding out the ring to her once again.
"Amy Farrah Fowler, will you marry me?" He says softly.
"Yes," She replies. Her voice cracking as he places the ring on her finger. "I love you."
"I love you too," Sheldon replies rising up to kiss her. They both crawl into bed and Amy curls into his side with her hand on his chest admiring her ring. Sheldon wraps his arm around her tightly and they begin to drift off into a peaceful sleep.
Thank you for all the nice reviews! They let me know I'm not shouting into the void.