Hey lovely readers, fanfiction finally seems to work again, but in case there are more problems I just wanted to let you know that I also post on AO3. The fanfiction app also wasn't affected by those errors I think, so maybe you want to read over there...

Anyway, here is a new chapter! :) Please also check out last week's missing scene for the episode 4x21 if you missed it due to the troubles fanfiction had and tell me what you think. Thank you so much for reading! :)

8x24: "Well, Gollum, you're an expert on rings. What should I do with this one?"

Sheldon was mesmerized by the dancing light that reflected off the surface of the clean diamond. He moved the black velvet box that contained his Meemaw's golden engagement ring back and forth, making the diamond sparkle.

Sheldon never cared much for diamonds. They were the product of carbon particles under high pressure, nothing more. But now he began to see why women all over the world enjoyed wearing a glittery piece of carbon on their finger.

A diamond in the rough was just a black, unimpressive stone, but if you work on it and have a little patience it can transform to something beautiful.

Amy was beautiful. She always was to Sheldon, even if he mostly couldn't express it in words. As she ended their Skype call just now, with her shaky voice and her sad eyes, Sheldon wondered if it took him too long to realize that she was the prettiest, most valuable diamond of all.

Everything that had happened in the last two days could've been so different, had he only realized what was in front of him. Had he only found the words to tell her…

They broke their intimate kiss on the couch to gaze deeply into each other's eyes. "Can you believe it's been five years since our first date?" Amy had asked with a giddy smile.

"I know." Sheldon answered. "Do you think I should start watching the Flash TV show?"

"That's what you're thinking about?" Her voice sounded a bit disappointed.

"Well, one of the things."

"Are any of them me?"

Sheldon smiled and gently stoked Amy's hair behind her ear. "Oh, Amy… you don't have to worry about that anymore. You're always on my mind… always. I just thought that starting a new TV show is like starting a new chapter in one's life. It's a great commitment. And since it feels like we're on the verge of a new chapter in our life, too, I thought it would be only right to start this new commitment together."

"Soo... you're asking if we could watch it together because we're committed?"

"Yes." Sheldon nodded happily. "Don't you think that we are?"

Amy was smiling again. "I do. I just didn't realize you were thinking about bringing our relationship to the next level."

"Oh, I am thinking about it." He paused to look into her eyes again. "Anyway… you're distracting me." he said and leaned in to kiss her again.

And she let him and they were making out on the sofa like randy teenagers, by the end of which they were breathing very hard, their cheeks were blushing and the air was full of excitement and anticipation to take it even further.

But instead what he got was a rejection and a fight that he didn't fully understand. Amy's eyes were filled with pain and tears as she eventually stormed out the door without ever concluding their anniversary and without a final goodbye kiss.

Maybe... had he only tried to be more calm and understanding, she wouldn't have been mad at him...

The next morning Sheldon would have woken up in a good mood. He had dreamed of Amy the whole night and of their prolonged kiss on the couch. The thought of it – the thought of her – was making him smile involuntarily and his stomach tickled in such a way that it was hard for him to eat any food.

Even his friends noticed his extraordinarily good mood. He couldn't stop talking about Amy and how she was making him feel. Pointing out to Leonard and Penny that, although they were claiming to be in love, too, they hadn't picked a wedding date yet, led to a mild quarrel, an impromptu Vegas wedding and an epiphany for Sheldon.

But in reality the next morning had brought only sorrow. Sheldon couldn't sleep the whole night, thinking about what went wrong. When he texted Amy in the morning and later at lunch, he noticed that she didn't respond to any form of contact.

It worried him. It made him sick to his stomach. Sheldon hadn't eaten the whole day.

Later, when he asked Leonard and Penny for help, their talk only made him feel worse. Because they instantly figured out that it was him who did wrong while he couldn't plausibly explain it to himself the whole day.

When his best friends finally decided to have a shotgun wedding in Las Vegas, he was truly happy for them. They deserved it. They were in love. As was he. He wanted this, too.

And there was his epiphany. If only Amy had answered his calls so he could've explained himself to her…

In his perfect alternate universe Sheldon considered skyping Amy immediately, but what he just decided was too important to do it over the internet.

He needed to see her.

Rushing out the door and onto a bus heading to Glendale, Sheldon tried to piece together the words he would say to her. But his brain was a mess and his thoughts too excited to tame them.

He stood in front of her apartment door and knocked three times. As she opened up and looked at him with a pleasant but surprised smile, the words just tumbled out of Sheldon's mouth. Nothing would've been able to hold him back.

"Amy… I just realized that all relationships are difficult and sometimes we're only making it even more difficult by overthinking our actions. I am a great over-thinker. I always had been. Especially when it comes to you and the way I feel about you. Often times I'm scared of how certain things will affect me. But now I know that sometimes I just have to stop thinking for a moment and do whatever feels right to me. This does. And I can't wait another day for it."

He paused to take a breath and he saw Amy smile and opening her mouth to say something, but he beat her to it and moved down to one knee with the golden ring held up in his hands. "Amy, will you marry me?"

The ring was suddenly glittering so much more as tears blurred Sheldon's vision. Because what happened in reality was brutally painful. He didn't get to ask the question that his heart begged him to ask.

Amy had beaten him to the punch and she asked for some time apart. What did this even mean? Were they broken up now? How could this happen? Why did this happen?

He loved her. Oh, he did! So much. And she… she did love him, didn't she? She said so just now. So why was she doing this?

Dear lord, this was such a mess! A colossal misunderstanding paired with the worst possible timing.

Sheldon closed the ring box. He couldn't stand looking at the diamond any longer. It was too painful. Bowing his head down, feeling the tears dripping from his eyes, he cradled the ring box close to his chest.

If only Amy had let him finish talking...

Something gloomy for the angst fans. ;) I wanted to create some sort of 'what if' scenario, I really hope it wasn't too confusing.

Anyway, I'm not quite sure which scene I'll do next. I have a few more written, but I maybe need some time to decide if it's okay for posting. I hope you'll stay with me. :) Thanks again for reading and don't forget to leave a review!