When Sheldon woke up Wednesday morning the first thing he did was check his phone. Amy would be starting her new job today. He wondered if she was nervous, if she had already met any of her work colleagues. In fact he had lots of questions. Normally details of someone else's day did not interest him; but he realised now the questions he had were because normally Amy would just tell him these things without him having to ask.
Seeing he had 1 new message he smiled
"Hi Sheldon, I am sorry I haven't called. My body clock is all over the place. I start my new job soon. I am nervous now. I have walked the route several times and have found a Costa coffee on the route so I shall at least get my fix! I will be home about 6pm UK time which will be about 10am your time. I will try to call you. Have a good day Sheldon. I miss you xx"
Sheldon bounded to the shower and even had the coffee on when Leonard appeared.
"Your happy!" Leonard commented "You heard from Amy?" grinning Sheldon nodded.
"She sent me a text. She starts work today and is going to call later. I cant wait to hear her voice."
"That's great buddy! Send her our love when you talk to her."
The ride to work was much lighter with Sheldon filling Leonard in on his lecture plans.
"Sheldon have you really thought about this going by train idea? It doesn't sound very practical."
"Leonard I am sure when we get down to it all our arrangements will run like clockwork. Harvard was a breeze, I am sure this will be too."
Deciding not to mention the hissy fit Sheldon had thrown when the tour had been suggested Leonard just smiled, happy that Sheldon was back to, what for him, was normal.
Texting Penny when he had parked the car Leonard thought she deserved a warning.
"Hey Penny, Dr Whackadoodle on good form this morning as he has heard from Amy so very chirpy. Talking about your train trip! Thought I should warn you Lxxx"
"Great, thanks for warning I will have to devise a plan to distract him! ;-) Px"
Sheldon spent the morning checking his watch every 5 minutes. At 9.45 he locked his door to ensure he wouldn't be interrupted. By 10.15 he was pacing the floor. At 10. 30 he had withdrawn into himself and was sat staring out of the window. It was nearly 11 when his phone rang.
"Dr Copper."
"Sheldon! Oh it so good to hear your voice,"
"Amy! I thought you had forgotten."
"I'm sorry Sheldon, I was a bit late leaving work then I got lost! I only live round the corner from where I will be working but it is definitely going to take me a while to get used to walking. People here very rarely drive to work evidently."
"How was your first day? Does it seem like the research there will help your research back home?
"Yes I think so. To be honest today was a blur of names and places. My head is spinning; but the facilities seem OK and the research is definitely interesting. Have you planned any more of your tour, Penny said she was going to help you."
"Not yet, I will meet with her tomorrow." Sheldon went quiet he couldn't believe he had been waiting to talk to Amy for days and now he didn't know what to say.
After a slightly awkward pause Amy said,"Sheldon, I am sorry but I have to go, I have to meet with my research assistant and I have no idea how to get there. I will try to call later in the week or email."
"OK Amy, bye." Sheldon reluctantly put down the phone and sat staring out of the window again. He really needed to plan these calls better.
Giving himself a mental shake Sheldon decided to be productive and pulled up the lecture timetable Gablehauser had sent him. Some of the universities on the tour were quite small and Sheldon was pleased to see the first few in fact were close together. He really would be able to go by train. Deciding to map out the universities and then the route they could take Sheldon decided he would talk to Penny about flying the long distances and using the train on shorter journeys.
"Penny, I need to give details to Gablehauser of out travel plans, can we meet to discuss. S"
"Sheldon I am working tonight, do you want to meet this afternoon, I can come to you before work?
"That would be most agreeable thank you Penny. I will see you at 3."
By 3 o'clock Sheldon had done very little. He kept looking at the clock and working out what time it would be in London. Maybe this tour would do him good he admitted to himself, keep his mind focused.
Penny arrived precisely at 3 dressed for work. She looked at Sheldon's white board s and asked
"Where are all the fancy equations?"
"I have had tour planing to do this morning, solving the mysteries of the universe have gone on hold."
"OK... if you say so... so what did you need to discuss re the tour? You weren't serious about the train were you?
"Well Penny I thought we could compromise. I know you don't want to go by train but I have mapped out the places we are going and I figured we fly the long distances and go by train on shorter journeys."
Laying out the map he showed Penny his idea.
"I guess that could work. Do you want me to contact these places to get you rehearsal time?"
"For the first few definitely, but I may need to practise again before the first one also, could we do that? I haven't really been focused lately." Sheldon admitted quietly.
"Of course we can. I will arrange something tonight and let you know. Have you heard form Amy yet?"
"Yes she phoned this morning. She started work and seemed to be OK. We didn't talk for long she had to meet someone. It was strange I spent all morning waiting for her call then didn't know what to say to her." Sheldon confessed.
Penny smiled "Oh sweetie it will get easier, you had a pretty intense few days and now all that distance."
"I guess." Sheldon looked sadly at penny.
"Look why don't you start by emailing her each day, then at least you can think about what you are going to say, text her good morning and goodnight and soon it will feel easier."
"Thank you penny. I don't know how I would have coped these last few months without you."
"Sheldon you are my friend, that's what friends do for each other. Now I need to get to work but I will book some space for the weekend so you can practise and will text you the time."
"Thank you Penny."
73~73
To: Amy Farrah Fowler
From: Sheldon Cooper
Good morning Amy, I didn't want to text in case I woke you so thought I would email and wish you good morning.
I also wanted to apologise for my lack of conversation yesterday. I was so looking forward to hearing your voice then I didn't know what to say. I am sorry. I am rehearsing with Penny this weekend and she has agreed to my train/plane schedule!
I hope you have a good day at work and don't get lost!
Love Sheldon
x
Amy couldn't stop smiling when she read Sheldon's email. First and foremost he had signed off with love and x. He had never done this before. He was obviously finding this hard like her. Amy used her phone to take a few pictures of her flat, grinning she placed 'snuggle bunny' in various poses and locations around her flat as she snapped the pictures and then emailed Sheldon.
To: Sheldon Cooper
From: Amy Farrah Fowler
Hey Sheldon!
Snuggle Bunny wanted to show you his new home! He is settling in well! He stays at home during the day as he is still jet lagged, but maybe I will take him with me and show him were I work!
I managed to meet my new assistant, James without getting lost. This really is quite an achievement. I look forward to hearing how your rehearsals with Penny go. Say hello to everyone for me.
Have a good day Sheldon
I love you
A x
Sheldon actually laughed out loud the next morning when he opened the photos from Amy. He hoped she was joking about taking the rabbit to work, they would never take her seriously if she did that. It was nice to see where she was living though. Saving the photos to his phone so he could show Penny later.
73~73
By the weekend Sheldon had got into a routine, he emailed Amy before bed as she would then be getting up; and when he got up it was her afternoon so he would enquire after her day. Usually Amy replied straight away and emailed a couple of times a week too. She had taken to putting photos into her emails of snuggle bunny. Once he was doing laundry, once he was eating fish and chips as Amy thought he needed a British meal to help him acclimatise. Sheldon was amused by this whimsical side of Amy which he hadn't seen before and looked forward to the photos. They had hoped to Skype too but so far they hadn't been able to get a time they were both free.
Tonight Sheldon had arranged to rehearse with Penny, he had not seen her this past week as she had taken on a few extra shifts to make up for the time she would be away with him. They were using the theatre space they had used before and Sheldon planned to run through just the first lecture. He was nervous.
Hearing Penny knocking on the door Sheldon grabbed his bag and headed out.
"Good evening Penny, I trust you are well?
"Yes thanks sweetie. You all ready?"
"I guess, I feel nervous though."
"That's OK, nerves are good."
"That's just silly" Sheldon muttered.
Surprising himself though, Sheldon ran through the first lecture without any problems,
"Penny I did it!" the shock in his voice evident.
"Of course you did. As we keep telling you it wont be a problem!. Now come on lets do lecture 2 and then I will let you buy me dinner!"
Lecture 2 went as smoothly as lecture 1 and Sheldon was happy to escape and take Penny to the local Indian restaurant.
"Have you spoken too or heard form Amy?" Sheldon asked
"Not recently, I haven't been home much"
Digging out his phone and opening the photos Amy had sent him he showed Penny
"Oh dear lord she isn't really going to take it to work is she? Penny laughed
"I hope not! But who can tell!" grinning Sheldon put the phone away. "She seems happy when I have emailed her, although busy. I guess that is just to be expected. I miss her though and hope we can Skype soon as it would be nice to see her face."
"Sheldon I am sure she feels the same. She was so sad to leave you I could see that. You obviously had a nice weekend. "
Sheldon blushed.
Grinning Penny said "From the colour of your cheeks I take it you had more than just a 'nice' time! Well good for you! I will have to Skype with Amy myself" winking at Sheldon as he began to bluster.
"That's personal Penny!"
"Sweetie I am teasing! Now eat your dumplings or I will!"
Moving his plate out of her reach Sheldon huffed. Then looking at Penny shyly Sheldon said
"Penny, when Amy comes home, will it be the same do you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well.. we became... intimate" Sheldon could feel the redness in his cheeks as he spoke "when Amy comes home do you think we will just continue that or will it be awkward. I don't want to do the wrong thing."
"Aw Sheldon it will be fine. I really think you should try to visit her though, in London I mean. She would love it and it would give you time together."
"Penny it is a long flight. You know I don't like flying!"
"Well just think about it, please."
"OK."
"Right well having established you are now a lecture wizard I suggest you get the first one confirmed so we can get this show on the road!"
Grinning Sheldon nodded."First thing tomorrow."
73~73
