A/N: Well folks here it is the last chapter of this tale. I hope you enjoy the ending as much as I enjoyed writing this story.
A big thank you goes out to my Beta, Boys3allC, for cleaning up all my messes through this story. You are the best!
As always I don't own these characters:
On Saturday morning Sheldon had plans to go with the rest of the guys to pick out the tuxedos for the wedding. Howard told the guys that he had received a phone call from NASA telling him he would not be going to space because the Soyuz capsule failed the pressurization test. His mission had been scrubbed. After Sheldon made a scene while trying on his tuxedo Howard got a text with his final orders.
"Well, that's it. My orders have been rescinded. I am officially no go to space." Howard said, putting his phone away.
"I'm sorry, Howard, but I got to tell you, I'm a little relieved you're not going." Leonard said to him.
"Why?"
"Come on, you were going up in a rocket designed in the 1960s by the Russians." Leonard said.
"Yeah, so?"
"When was the last time you were at Best Buy and you heard someone say, ooh, check out this Blu-ray player, it must be good, it was built in Russia"?" Leonard asked him.
"Well, their technology isn't that bad."
"When you come back to Earth in a Soyuz capsule, you free-fall from space at 500 miles per hour, and the only thing that slows you down is a little parachute that pops out right before you crash into the ground. And the whole thing was designed by the same brilliant minds who were unable to capture Rocky and Bullwinkle." Raj interjected.
"All right, well, whatever. I wasn't worried." Howard told him.
"You weren't?" Raj asked.
"Let me explain the difference between you and me. You watch Star Trek. I live it." Howard explained.
"Oh, please. I don't remember the episode of Star Trek where the guy never goes to space and brags about it in a tuxedo store." Raj said.
"Make all the jokes you want, but there's only one of us here brave enough to almost do what I almost did." Howard said.
While the guys were tuxedo shopping, Amy decided to call her mom and ask about her father. She was really angry about the fact he had come to visit her when she was seven.
"Good morning Amy! It is so good to hear from you. I didn't expect a phone call this week. How was the rest of your weekend last week?" Her mother greeted.
"Oh and how is the new job?"
"Well to be honest, Sunday was interesting. We ran into Nick and Jennifer at The Neptune Diner during brunch." Amy answered.
"You didn't?" Her mother exclaimed. "What happened?"
Amy proceeded to tell her all about how Nick, not having seen her and Sheldon, told Jennifer that Sheldon had been paid to be her boyfriend because there was no physical contact between them She then explained how Sheldon thought it would be fun to kiss and see what explanation Nick came up with for it.
"Did she now? I guess she isn't as stupid as we thought." Sandy said to her.
"He's still pretty stupid." Amy laughs. Sandy smiles but changes the subject.
"Now how is the new job? I hope you are making some new friends." She commented.
"Oh yes, it is great. My new colleagues are wonderful. They were so welcoming to me and Hannah. Even my new boss was great. He sent me flowers after the first week." Amy told her. "I was confused because Sheldon had warned me he was a hard ass. But he seems so nice."
"Oh that is nice. I wonder if he sends flowers to all the new employees."
"I don't think so, Hannah didn't receive any."
"Honey, Hannah is your subordinate. Of course she wouldn't get flowers from your boss."
"I don't think that's it. Besides they didn't come with a note so we didn't know who they were from at first."
"Why did he send them to you then?" Sandy asked. "Do you have another male admirer? He does know about Sheldon right? Unless you and Sheldon are having problems."
"We are not having problems. And yes he knows about Sheldon. He actually found out about him on the day of my interview. Sheldon, being the stubborn man he is, didn't want to take a vacation so I talked him into it. President Seibert was most grateful." Amy said, casually dropping the name. She was hoping her mother took the bait. Sandy may not have known what her father had changed his name to at the time but there are not many Seibert's and she would have known her ex-husband's mother's name.
"Did you say Siebert?" Sandy asked nervously.
"Yes, why? Do you know any Seibert's?" Amy asked, feigning a casual tone.
"Oh well, I mean, no of course not." Sandy lied.
"Yes so anyway," Amy continued, knowing she shook a nerve with her mother. "We originally thought the flowers may have been from Barry Kripke. He is a co-worker of Sheldon's who hit on me a while ago. Then after that didn't pan out, Hannah and I thought maybe they were from this guy Burt who came to visit me in the lab after I bumped into him my first day. He didn't know about Sheldon and asked me out."
"So this guy Barry and another guy Burt hit on you. Wow Amy, the saying is true, guys want what they can't have. So this Seibert guy, he have a thing for you too?" Sandy asked, nervously. She had known Samuel's mother had gone back to her maiden name of Seibert after she divorced his father but she didn't think there was any reason for Sam to have changed his name.
"No mom, like I said, he already knew I had a boyfriend and he knew Sheldon was that man. He was just congratulating me on my first week."
"Well that was very nice of him, but there had to be something more to it. I mean like you said, Hannah didn't get any flowers so why should you?"
"But you said yourself, he wouldn't have sent them to my subordinate."
"That is true so I can't help but think this man has ulterior motives." Sandy said. She had a feeling if this was who she thought it was he did have ulterior motives.
"Well, see the thing is mom, he didn't just send me flowers, I got another gift later in the afternoon."
"And you are sure this man doesn't have a thing for you? What was the second gift?" Sandy asked, worry seeping into her voice.
"A picture and a dress." Amy answered. She was sure that this would shake her mother up.
"That is a strange gift. What was the picture of? And how would he know your size to get you a dress." Sandy asked, more curious about this strange man buying her daughter inappropriate gifts as her boss.
"You see that's the thing mom, it wasn't a painting, it was a photograph. And in that photograph were two little children, one boy and one girl."
"Oh my God! Amy, I think you should quit your job now." Sandy told her, the fear in her voice evident.
"Now why would I do that? Just because my boss gave me a picture and a dress?" Amy asked. "That seems a little bit of a stretch. Besides this job is perfect. My wonderful boyfriend works there, I am doing amazing research and it is close to my new home."
"Amy, please trust me. You need to leave this job." Sand insists.
"And I will ask again and this time maybe you will answer with the truth. Why would I leave a job I just started?" Amy asked, her voice getting a little louder.
"You know don't you?" Sandy asked, horrified.
"Know what mom? Do you think I know something I shouldn't?" Amy asked, curiously.
"Who was in the picture, Amy?" Sandy asked.
"Oh it was me and Sheldon from when we were three and four. I think it was taken the summer before we came to California. And before you ask the dress was my favorite one from that summer, another casualty of the move I believe. It got ripped and you bought me a new one. I believe that is what you told me. You know along with all the pictures."
"Dear Lord Amy, how long has he been back?" Sandy asked. "How long has he known who you are? Oh my God! Sheldon!" She shouted through the phone, realization hitting her.
"What about Sheldon?" Amy asked, confused. This conversation had nothing to do with Sheldon.
"Oh this is making so much sense now." Sandy said.
"What makes sense?" Amy had no idea what her mother was talking about.
"I knew he was too good to be true. He is a terrific actor. I was wondering how he could possibly have remembered you. He had an answer for everything. Eidetic memory, what a crock. I almost fell for it too. Oh and the part about thinking the man looked familiar, of course he recognized him right because he already knew. Damn it Sam! I knew you were low but this is really low." Sandy was talking to herself.
"Mom!" Amy screamed into the phone, jarring Sandy out of her thoughts. "What the hell are you talking about? Who is a good actor?" She asked.
"Oh Amy you are too in love to see it." Sandy said sympathetically.
"See what?" Amy asked, still thoroughly confused. Her mother was scaring her.
"Your father set this whole thing up." Sandy says irrationally.
"What whole thing?" Amy asks disbelieving.
"You and Sheldon. Don't you see? He and Sheldon have been working together. It all makes sense now. You have never had a date go past what the first fifteen minutes and all of a sudden this guy wants to go out for not one but three more dates in one week. I wonder how much your father paid him." Amy can't believe what she was hearing. It was so ridiculous that it was comical
"You think Sheldon had something to do with this?" Amy laughed.
"I find nothing funny about this situation. You are dating a fraud." Her mother told her.
"You can't be serious." Amy laughed harder.
"Amy Farrah Fowler, you stop laughing this instant! This is serious."
"Mom, calm down. I know for a fact Sheldon had nothing to do with this. That is without a doubt the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard."
"No Amy, listen to me. You meet this guy who is perfect for you. He gets you a job at his place of employment where your birth father just happens to be the president."
"First, Sheldon did not get me the job." Amy started.
"Oh please!" Her mother said. "You don't think he talked you up to his buddy?"
"Absolutely not! I applied for that job on my own without Sheldon's knowledge. And I am completely insulted that you think I can't get a job on my own. Not to mention the day of the interview, President Seibert didn't even know Sheldon was my boyfriend. He told me he had a meeting with a stubborn man in the physics department. He was surprised we were dating. And he told me the same thing yesterday. Sheldon had nothing to do with this whatsoever. Besides, he is without a doubt the world's worst liar. He would have had more nervous tics than a Lyme disease research facility. I would have known he was lying."
"I'm not buying it." Sandy told her.
"Believe what you want but I am sure Sheldon had no idea." Amy told her. "But that still doesn't excuse the fact you knew he had changed his name."
"I didn't know."
"Then why did you get so upset a few minutes ago. If he was still Samuel Keller then you wouldn't have told me to quit my job at the name Seibert."
"I really didn't know but I figured it out while you were talking to me. Seibert was his mother's maiden name which she changed after the divorce with his father. Apparently abuse runs in that family. I honestly hadn't thought about what his name was. I wanted to forget him, remember?" Sandy told her.
"Yes but don't you see, he had to change his name so he could get a reputation back. He left Texas after seeking treatment. He legally changed his name, just like you did and started over. He got a masters and a good job at Harvard." Amy said.
"Harvard? When was he at Harvard?" Sandy asked.
"I am going to say from 1987 until 2005 when he got the job as president at Caltech."
"So he was there when you went?" She asked.
"He was in charge of admissions. He knew it was me, since he figured out your new name. He remembered that you called me Amy when he came to visit the summer before I turned eight."
"He told you?" Sandy asked.
"Yes he did. Why didn't you?"
"Because it didn't matter. He had given up his rights to you years before."
"Actually he didn't." Amy pointed out to her. "You left him and took me away from him."
"Well yes, but that was for the best." Sandy said.
"I never said it wasn't but why didn't you give him a chance when he came to you four years later?" Amy asked her.
"Because I was afraid, okay. He said he had changed but I didn't know if I could believe him. He showed up at your grandmother's house completely out of the blue. I was terrified because he had found us."
"Well it wasn't like you made it hard for him. You moved back to your home town."
"But I changed my name, got remarried and…" But she was interrupted.
"Moved back to your family. Look mom I get it. You didn't want to go far away but there had to be a reason. I know you were scared of him but if you were that afraid your name never would have been your maiden name, which he obviously knew. You would never have come home and you would have never seen your family again. That is what really terrified people do."
"Okay maybe I just wanted to make it a little difficult for him. I did however remarry rather quickly and your dad did adopt you right away."
"How did that happen since my father didn't give up rights?" Amy asked curiously.
"Well since I changed your name legally, I was able to procure a new birth certificate, reflecting the change. I just told the state of California that I had lost the original and gave them your social security number with the hospital. When they sent me new paperwork to fill out, I left the name of the father off of it. I had court documents showing your legal name change and they made a new birth certificate with it on there. I needed that for school anyway. So when your dad adopted you it was completely legal."
"Wow you did go through a lot for me." Amy said.
"I did. So when Sam showed up that summer, I threatened to call the police. Jerry had the phone in hand, then he said all he wanted was one look at me. We told him no but you wandered out into the hall anyway so he got his look. He then said he was leaving the area and would never bother us again. He said he was moving to the east coast to work at a university but he didn't say which one. I was just so glad he left."
"He did tell me all that. He said when I asked you who he was you told me no one and made me go back with grandma."
"You have to understand, Amy. I had no idea he had changed. When he said it to me they were just words. I can remember every hit, slap and punch that man ever gave me. I couldn't risk putting you in danger. When he saw you and then said that was enough and he was leaving, I was relieved. I figured I never would see him again."
"He had an opportunity to come home and he did. And you have to admit, he has not contacted you in all those years."
"That is true." Sandy admitted. "Now how long has Sheldon been at Caltech?" She asked.
"Since 1996 when he came out here at sixteen. He got his doctorates there and then they kept him on as a researcher."
"And you said Sam came in 2005?" She asked.
"Yes." Amy answered.
"So he became Sheldon's boss?" Sandy asked.
"Of course he did. He is the president of the university." Amy told her.
"And he would have had all of Sheldon's records. So he would have known it was the Sheldon Cooper that lived down the block from us." Sandy said, almost to herself.
"Yes he figured it out. He told us it wasn't hard. Even you told us that last week. You said when I told you he was from Texas you looked him up. You said he was a rock star and was easy to find. You knew immediately it was him. So did President Seibert." Amy pointed out to her.
"So who's to say he didn't…" Sandy started but was interrupted.
"Not this again. I am going to say this for the last time, Sheldon did not know. He is a terrible actor and a terrible liar. He would have never been able to pull off such a charade for a year. So please stop with all these accusations."
"But Amy…"
"No mom, enough! If you can't accept the fact that I believe this happens to be one of those big coincidences, then maybe Sheldon and I need to stay away for a while." She said. She was just about to hang up when her mom spoke again.
"Amy you can't mean that. Please just talk to Sheldon about it. Maybe he will come clean." Sandy pleaded. She truly couldn't believe this was just a coincidence.
"No mom. Sheldon and I met on a dating website, Sheldon did not get me the job and Sheldon did not know that President Jonathan Seibert was in fact Samuel Keller, my birth father. When you can accept that, then give me a call." Amy hung up the phone and screamed in frustration. Years of pent up anger at her mother coming out if her mouth in a loud wail.
Sheldon was coming up the stairs with Leonard, both carrying their tuxedos. When they heard Amy screaming on the other side of the apartment door, Sheldon rushed in, worrying that something awful was happening to Amy. Leonard followed behind just as quickly. They found her sitting in Sheldon's spot crying. Sheldon ran to her side.
"Amy," He said, putting his arm around her. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Why were you screaming? And what has got you so upset?" He asked.
Penny came rushing in. "Hey I heard someone screaming from my room, is everything okay?" She asked.
"My mom is a bitch!" Amy yelled to everyone in the room. She was still crying.
"I take it the phone call didn't go so well?" Sheldon asked.
Amy looked him dead in the eyes and asked him. "Did you know President Seibert was my father when you met me?"
"Why don't we give them some privacy?" Leonard suggested to Penny.
"Good idea." She said. The two walked out without another word and went over to Penny's apartment.
"What kind of question is that?" Sheldon asked. "Of course I didn't. Where would you get that idea?" He answered. He was shocked that she would think that he would keep something that important from her.
"My mother thinks you and he are in cahoots and this was on big ploy to get me to meet him." Amy told him, still crying.
"You can't be serious. Why would she think that to be the case?" He asked.
"I am completely serious. I started to tell her about the week and then about my father and she went off on this huge tangent about it was just perfect that we met and fell in love and then you got me the job, where…." She was telling him and he interrupted.
"I didn't get you the job. You earned the job." He said, incredulously.
"I know that and I told her that. She thinks you talked me up to your buddy Seibert." She told him. She started laughing then.
"My buddy, huh? Does she know how much the man can't stand me? Did you tell her he was forcing me to take a vacation when I don't need one?" He asked.
"I told her about the vacation. I don't think he hates you." Amy pointed out.
"Well he may hate me more now that I am dating his daughter. But trust me the man isn't my biggest fan." Sheldon said.
"He did call you stubborn." Amy said.
"Did he now? That seems uncalled for." Sheldon said.
"No I think he was right in that regard." Amy laughed.
"Very funny. So your mom really thinks that poorly of me that I would stoop so low as to start a relationship with you just so you could meet your birth father?" Sheldon changed the subject back.
"No I don't think she thinks poorly of you. She thinks poorly of Seibert. She thinks he made you do all that. She still finds it hard to believe that we had four dates in one week. I never got past fifteen minutes with some of my dates." She said. "She thinks it was all part of the plan."
"Well that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You don't think that do you?" He asked, nervously.
"Of course not. You were genuinely shocked when you heard him tell me who he was plus you are a terrible liar. You would not have looked at a picture of my father and known who he was and acted as though you didn't know him. I know too well."
"I hope you told your mother that." He said.
"I did but she thinks I am too in love to see the truth." Amy said.
"What are you going to do about it?" He asked.'
"I told my mom when she is ready to accept the real truth to call me and I hung up on her."
"Oh wow, Amy, I am so sorry this happened to you." He said, pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you. You know for about two seconds, I almost believed her. But then I thought to all the things we have been through this year and I knew you couldn't be that type of person. You are the most caring, loving person I know and you could never have done that kind of a thing to me."
"Never." He said. "I love you too much to ever deceive you like that."
"I love you too." She said. "So how was tuxedo shopping?" She asked, changing the subject.
"Well it turns out that Howard is not going to space." Sheldon said.
"What happened?" She asked.
"The Soyuz capsule failed the pressurization test." He answered.
"But his mission wasn't supposed to be for a month. Can't they get another capsule?" Amy asked.
"I don't know. He told us his mission was scrubbed and his orders were rescinded today so I guess they can't." He said.
"Well I know Bernadette will be happy about that. She was so worried about him. They planned the wedding before just so she could say she was married to him if something happened." Amy told him.
"Really? That seems kind of cold. Why would you want to say you were married to someone?" Sheldon asked. "I would think they should wait."
"I thought it was romantic. I mean if you were going on a mission somewhere that would take you away from me for months, I would want the knowledge that you were my husband before you just took off." Amy said. Then she got a look of regret on her face. They had spoken about marriage but nothing was set in stone.
"You would want to marry me, knowing I may never come back?" He asked, ignoring her look of worry. He had his plan and he wasn't going to be leaving her anytime soon. They would be able to properly plan their wedding.
"Of course. If you were going to space or say to Mars, I would want to say, that was my husband." She said.
"Mars?" Sheldon laughed. "Amy if I were going to Mars, I would want you to come with me. That kind of trip would take months and there may not be a way to get back."
"Really?" Amy said.
"Of course, if I'm going to a barren, lifeless environment where the chances of survival are slim to none, I want you there with me." He said.
"That is so sweet."
"Of course it is. Now get that silly notion out of your head that I am going to leave you. I don't plan on going to space or Mars anytime soon."
"Alright fine. But Mars would be fun, wouldn't it?" She laughed.
"It would be." Sheldon joked. "We could be the first to plant a flag on Mars. We could be the first to watch Mars Attacks! on Mars. We could be the first to say good lord, what on Mars are you talking about?"
"You know, we could also be the first people to procreate on Mars." Amy pointed out. "Our kids would be Martians."
"They would, wouldn't they? We could give them cool Martian names. And we could teach them about Martian history. Like, who planted those flags? And, uh, where did that copy of Mars Attacks! come from?" Sheldon laughed.
Amy began to laugh with him. "What is a cool Martian name in your book?" She asked, laughing harder.
"I don't know, maybe Mork?" He suggested. This made Amy laugh harder.
"He's from Ork, silly." She said.
"Right as always." He laughed.
They were laughing so hard they didn't hear Leonard and Penny come back in.
"You guys seem to be having fun." Penny said. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah it is. My mom just had a bit of a brain fart. When she comes to her senses it will be fine." Amy told her.
"A brain fart?" Sheldon laughed again. "Is that a technical term, Dr. Fowler?"
"For what my mom had, yes." She laughed. Sheldon laughed along with her.
"These two are weird." Penny whispered to Leonard.
"You are just figuring that out?" He asked. "They are like this all the time. They seem to just get each other. I have never seen anything like it."
"Well they have known each other a long time." Penny pointed out.
"That's just it, they haven't really but it seems as though they just have always been together." Leonard said.
"True but fate brought them back together. And I believe they are going to be like that forever." Penny said.
"Yeah they are." Leonard said, smiling at the couple. He was envious of his best friend. The man whom he had met ten years early was not the same man sitting before him now. Sheldon may have his tedious moments but he was loyal to the end. Leonard realized just how happy he was to have him in his life. And Amy was just perfect for him. He knew that Amy was going to end up his wife someday and he actually couldn't wait for that to happen.
"What are you two talking about over there?" Sheldon asked.
"Just how perfect you two are for each other." Penny answered.
"We are aren't we?" Sheldon said, pulling Amy in close to him.
"We really are." She said.
The End.
Okay I know some of you are wondering what will happen when they go to San Francisco and what happens with Amy's mother and newly found father. Will she meet her half siblings and step-mother? Well stay tuned I will be writing a sequel soon. I have tentatively named it When Sheldon proposed to Amy. But I am not sure I like that...any ideas?
Thank you to all of you who have followed, reviewed and made this story a favorite. I have enjoyed writing this and enjoyed reading your feedback. You guys are the best.