Thank you all so much for all of the lovely reviews left on the last chapter. I really loved that one (think it could be my favourite so far) so to have such a lovely response meant the world. I am so unbelievably grateful for all the continued support, thank you so much!

Here's chapter 13. I hope you all enjoy :)

Sheldon awoke to the usual, loud ring of his 6am alarm. Unlike most mornings, where he would often spring out of bed and begin his morning routine without allowing a minute to pass, today he found himself simply lying in bed, thinking and reflecting.

He wasn't normally one to reflect, he would often refer to such a thing as being rather hippie-dippie but today was his birthday. His 36th birthday to be precise and if he was being honest, it had been quite the year to look back on. Two major things had happened to him in the past year, his break up from Amy had been the first time he had really truly suffered heart break, some may argue that he was lucky to reach the age he did without experiencing such a raw, hurtful emotion however, it still didn't make it any easier for him to grasp.

The second being that he was going to be a father, on his last birthday if you had told him that in a years time he would be a few months off welcoming his first baby into the world he would have laughed in your face. Now though, he couldn't quite remember what it felt like to not carry the burden of impending fatherhood around with him. From the moment Amy told him and once he had got his head around the idea, his little girl had completely taken over his life.

His next year on earth would be a good one, he was sure of it. People were quick to tell him that the arrival of his daughter would be the best day of his life and although he was having nightmares about being with Amy in the delivery room, he was happy and willing to believe them.

He didn't want to hope too much, but dare he say it, things seemed to going good with Amy. Nothing had gone further than the kiss from a month ago nor had a kiss like that happened since, but they were spending so much time together and sharing moments that Sheldon considered to be incredibly intimate even though there was no physical aspect.

As time went on his approach to the break up had changed. He had gone from wallowing in self pity and demanding sympathy to wanting to do anything that he could to show Amy what a great boyfriend and father he could be. She deserved the world, he knew that, he had known that all along, only this time he was willing and more determined than ever to show that to Amy. Like Penny had told him on many occasions, the two of them were 'made for each other'.

Never one to normally celebrate birthdays, Sheldon had allowed the guys to twist his arm on this occasion. It wasn't anything huge, just a few drinks out at a bar. Leonard had pretty much insisted on the four of them doing something for this particular birthday simply stating that next year things would be so different with a whole other little human to think about. Stupidly, he found himself agreeing.

—

"Happy birthday" Amy grinned happily as she opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat. She knew Sheldon wasn't one for celebrating birthdays so she didn't want to make too much of a big deal but she was hoping that what she had up her sleeve would make today really special. She leaned across and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek, her lips felt soft against his cool, clean shaven face. The little kisses had become their regular greeting, soft little pecks on the cheek were all they ever amounted to and were only for when they were alone.

"Thank you" Sheldon muttered. He never quite knew how to respond when people wished him a happy birthday. He had faced the same dilemma this morning when he walked into the kitchen to chants of happy birthday from Leonard and Penny as well as all his favourite breakfast items laid out on display. He never quite liked the attention however, he greatly appreciated the gesture. Sheldon turned the key in the ignition and started the engine.

"Wait one second" Amy reached out and placed her hand on his thigh to stop him from moving the car, as soon as her mind had registered where she had placed her hand she quickly retreated it. "I have something for you" she announced, he watched as she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small white envelope. He turned off the ignition and moved his body to face her. "I know you don't do birthdays, but I thought you might like this" she told him as she handed over the envelope which he tentatively took from her.

He looked at the envelope in his hand and up at Amy's smiling, beaming face. He carefully peeled back the seal to see that located inside was a small white card, as he pulled out the card his eyes were drawn to a small silver engraving of a stork carrying a baby in the top left corner. He looked back over at Amy, her eyes urging him to keep going. Once the card was free from the envelope, Sheldon's eyes flickered over the writing and details that were laid out before him. His face instantly broke out into a smile.

"Is this happening today?" he asked. It was obvious, today's date was clearly written in Amy's handwriting, he just needed clarification.

"Yeah" Amy nodded. "I did check with the guys, they said the time would be okay but if it doesn't work with you we can always rearrange" she explained. She knew he didn't take well to his routine changing or things being suddenly sprung upon him.

"No, no" Sheldon shook his head. "Amy, this is great" he seemed genuinely thankful and appreciative of the gift, traits he never normally seemed to display. It warmed Amy's heart to know she had made him feel those things. When he first broached the subject of a 4D scan, he didn't think Amy had taken his suggestion all that seriously, but now seeing right in front of him that she had booked one for this afternoon, well he was already sure that this was going to be an amazing birthday.

"I'm glad you like it"

"I do, I love it" he smiled however, his brow furrowed when a thought dawned upon him. "Amy these things are pretty expensive, let me..."

"Sheldon, it's a gift" her hand was back on his thigh again, stopping him from saying anymore. If she wasn't allowed to treat him on his birthday then when, plus the added bonus with this gift was that she too also benefited.

"Okay" he nodded. "Thank you"

The car ride to Caltech was comfortably quiet, Sheldon spoke about his impending night out with the guys, he was down playing the situation and trying to come off as very reluctant but Amy knew that deep down he was secretly looking forward to it.

"Shall I stop by your lab at 2?" Sheldon asked as he swung his car into its usual spot at the university car park. Once inside, their paths very rarely crossed, with Sheldon working on theories in his office and Amy experimenting in her lab.

"Sure" Amy nodded. This afternoon could not come round quick enough, she was bursting with excitement. She knew that the majority of that excitement came from seeing their baby but she knew there was a tiny part of her that was looking forward to spending even more time with Sheldon.

—

Never one to be late, as soon as 2pm arrived Sheldon found himself in the doorway of Amy's lab. It had been quite a while since he had visited Amy in her lab, years even, almost instantly he was transported back to the times they had spent together here, the fond memories that they had made, never quite realising at that moment how special they were, how much he would miss them. In the early days of their relationship, Sheldon often found himself spending a lot of his free time here, they would eat lunch together most days and talk about science, their discoveries and research. Everything was easy and simple back then.

Amy was so engrossed with her work that she hadn't even noticed Sheldon's presence. He found her concentration incredibly cute, the way she nibbled on the corner of her lip and the way her eyes narrowed when she was focused. For now, he didn't want to disturb her, he just wanted to observe.

Her long dark hair was tied back into a loose ponytail that trailed down her back, whenever it fell over her shoulders and got in her way she would gently swish it back to its place in quite a dramatic fashion. He found himself smiling almost as wide as she was when her eyes lit up after delicately slicing the brain in half and carefully inspecting the left side, she had clearly found whatever it was she was looking for.

It amazed him how happy watching someone handle a brain made him, but this was Amy's happy place right here in her lab, this was her joy, her passion and he had recently began to realise that nothing made him happier than seeing her happy.

"Good to go" Sheldon finally spoke, she was still deep in concentration, he could have silently watched her all day but he was cautious of the time.

"Oh my god, Sheldon" she jumped, her whole body jolting as she clutched her hand to her heart. "You shouldn't be sneaking up on people in my condition" she laughed, trying to catch her breath and steady her heart rate.

"I didn't sneak up on you. I've been stood there for nearly 10 minutes" he told her as he checked his watch. It was only now that her body was turned to face him that Sheldon could see how much her lab coat was strained around her stomach, the material just managing to meet in the middle and fasten around her. He was sure it would only be a matter of weeks, possibly days before she would need a new one.

"10 minutes? Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I completely lost track of time" she apologised as she quickly placed the brain back in a plastic container and peeled off her gloves.

"You seemed quite happy doing whatever it was you were doing. I didn't want to disturb you" he explained, as Amy moved around the lab, washing her hands and hanging up her lab coat. He had been watching her for ten whole minutes without muttering a single word, Amy wasn't sure whether she found the gesture sweet or a tad creepy. "Are you ready?" he finally asked once it looked like she had tidied up and carried out all the necessary checks.

"Yep" she nodded, picking up her handbag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I'm really nervous, are you?" she asked, she didn't know why but like with all the scans that she had had the nerves were bubbling in her stomach.

"Not really" he shrugged. "I'm just super excited"

—

"You have such a lovely, neat little bump. It's gorgeous" the sonographer, who had introduced herself as Grace, complimented Amy as she helped her get comfortable on the bed.

"Thank you" Amy smiled, suddenly feeling very proud of her little bump. "I do feel huge some days, it just seems to be growing everyday"

"Oh it will. I remember with my little boy, it felt like I was growing over night. I would wake up some mornings and there would just be a huge bump" they both laughed, it was nice for Amy to have someone to talk to about these things. Penny and Bernadette were amazing but they were yet to go through any of this, to have someone that could easily relate to everything she was experiencing was really lovely. "Do you know what you're having?" Grace asked as she placed the gel onto Amy's stomach.

"A girl" Sheldon answered before Amy even had the chance to process the question, how proud and excited he sounded when he revealed the gender made Amy's heart burst.

"Oh, how gorgeous. That makes my job easier, I don't have to try and hide anything" she smiled. "Right, lets see if we can see what this little girl of yours is up to" she thought out loud as she placed the probe onto Amy's stomach. The room was dimly lit and Amy was sure if circumstances were different, the darkness could have tricked her body into falling asleep, she wondered if it was done on purpose to help expectant mothers relax. "Okay, here she is" Grace spoke excitedly as turned the monitor to face Amy and Sheldon.

The image that greeted both Amy and Sheldon took their breath away and tears immediately formed in Amy's eyes. She instantly reached out for Sheldon's hand which they both squeezed simultaneously. Amy had seen images like this before during a brief study years ago on fetal development but this time round it was so different. It was her baby, her little girl staring back at her. No longer a grainy black and white image, but a little person, their little girl with tiny, delicate features that were as clear as day.

"Oh wow, look at her" Amy breathed as a few tears trickled down her cheeks, she couldn't quite believe that that little person was growing inside of her. The baby's hands were up by her mouth, obscuring a full view of her face, they couldn't quite make out whether she was sucking her thumb but either way Amy didn't care, she could simply watch her all day.

She glanced over at Sheldon's who's eyes were fixed upon the screen, she couldn't quite make out his facial expression, he was either absolutely in love or terrified or maybe it was a mix of both. A squeeze of the hand from Amy caused him to glance down at her, his eyes questioning.

"You okay?" she asked quietly. He smiled and enthusiastically nodded his head. She knew he may need time to process his thoughts and feelings.

"Look, she's moving" his smile grew wider as he watched the image, they watched the baby wiggle on the screen, something that Amy also felt. They both watched as she moved from side to side and lowered her hands from her face, they now had the clearest view of her whole face. Amy felt herself crying again.

"Look at her little face" she gushed. She was so perfect. "She has your nose" Amy commented turning her attention to Sheldon when she noticed that her daughters cute button nose was definitely inherited from her dad.

"Really?" Amy nodded. "Is she smiling?" Sheldon asked excitedly, he was sure he could see the corners of her mouth turning up. "This is fascinating, Amy's she's smiling."

"Certainly looked like a smile" Grace commented, she had seen many of these before so in Sheldon's mind she knew what she talking about. "She's definitely a happy little thing."

—

The room was engulfed in darkness as Amy stirred from her sleep, something had woken her, causing her to become restless but currently in her dream like state she was a little dazed and confused as to what it was. She carefully sat up in bed and rubbed at her eyes in an attempt to hopefully be a little more alert. She switched on her bedside light and reached for her glasses placing them on her face.

Her heart leapt in her chest, it sounded like someone was pounding down her door, someone was pounding down her door. She quietly got out of bed and reached for robe, wrapping it around her body as she carefully padded across to her bedroom door. With her heart racing in her chest, she stepped out into the hallway, almost one hundred percent sure that it was now her apartment. She was just about to retreat back to her bedroom and hope whoever was there would disappear, when she heard the gentle mutter of her name, followed by another not so gentle knock.

Sheldon.

Why was he here at this time? Was he hurt? Had something happened to Leonard or Penny? The irrational fear of someone breaking in and attacking her was suddenly gone but it was replaced with worry for her closest friends. She rushed over to the door, unlocking it and removing the chain, before opening it to reveal Sheldon slumped against the door way, he had a lazy smile upon his face and his eyes were heavy and hooded. He didn't need to talk, Amy could smell the alcohol already. He was drunk.

"Sheldon, what the hell are you doing here?" she hissed, checking the time on her watch. "It's 2am, you will have woken up half the building" she could already imagine the elderly couple just across the hall complaining and the family of four that just moved in upstairs now struggling to get their children to sleep.

"I'm sorry" he slurred, as Amy stepped back allowing him in. "Leonard was going back to Penny and I didn't want to be alone. It's my birthday" he pouted, his lips looking suddenly extremely kissable, Amy was surprised by the sudden urge that came over her to just kiss him there and then.

"Well, technically it isn't" Amy muttered under her breath.

"It isn't?" he asked all wide eyed and sad, if she wasn't so mad at him for waking her and half the building up she would have laughed.

"No, it's 2am the next day" she waved her arms up in the air.

"Are you angry?" he leaned in close to her and whispered as if they were in a room full of people. As she looked up at his face, that cute little face that completely melted her heart she couldn't be angry for very long.

"No, I'm not angry" she sighed. "But I think you've got more than just me to worry about. Half the building will be awake now" she scolded.

"Sorry mum" he laughed rolling his eyes at her. As he laughed his body swayed from to side to side, he could barely keep himself upright. Amy wondered how much he had had to drink, it didn't take a lot to get Sheldon drunk but to get him this drunk he must have been drinking it by the bucket.

"Whoah, you need to sit down" she told him as she took hold of his shoulders and led him towards the couch. He threw his body down onto the fabric, grabbing one of the blankets that Amy always had draped over the couch and placed it over him. "I'm going to make you coffee, you need to sober up" she told him as she examined his current state, she hadn't seen him like this in a very long time.

"I don't drink coffee" he muttered.

"Fine. Water then" Amy huffed. She was thankful that tomorrow was Saturday, at least that meant that no matter what time she was up with Sheldon she could always sleep in in the morning. "How did you even get here anyway?" she asked as she turned on the tap to fill up the glass, every so often she would glance back at him to make sure he was doing okay.

"I walked" he mumbled. "At least I think I did"

"You walked?"

Sheldon nodded. Amy couldn't quite believe he had ventured out during the early hours of the morning to make it to her place. He barely ventured out after dark alone and completely sober. "Sheldon" she sighed as she sat down on the couch next to him, pretty much placing the glass of water in his hand. "That could have been really dangerous, you could have gotten lost or hurt or I don't know anything could have happened" although she found the gesture incredibly sweet, the what ifs were all that filled her head and the thought of losing him weighed heavy on her.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see you"

"That's very sweet Sheldon but I'm not worth walking the streets at 2am for" this caused him to sit upright straight away and take her hands in his.

"Yes, you are. I'd do anything for you Amy" he was staring at her, his blue eyes gazing right into her own so much so that she felt like she couldn't look away almost as if his gaze was fixing her to her spot on the couch. He would do anything for, she totally believed him. "Oh Amy, I don't feel good" he whimpered, the sudden movement had caused him to feel dizzy and sick, he removed his hands from hers and buried his head into them.

"Thats because you're very drunk" Amy laughed. "Come on, drink your water, you'll feel better for it in the morning" he did as he was told, taking small sips of the water before placing it down on the coffee table with a clatter. Sheldon shuffled closer to Amy and let his head flop lazily onto her shoulder.

"I really have had the best birthday ever" Amy smiled at how child like he sounded, every birthday as a child seemed like the best birthday ever, she was sure it was pretty rare for a 36 year old to claim they had had the best birthday ever but it made her smile all the same.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it"

"I have" she felt him nod his head against her shoulder. "I've been out with my friends and we got to see our baby" he gasped, almost as if the realisation of the days events had dawned upon him. "We got to see our baby didn't we" he moved his head from Amy's shoulder and turned his body to face her.

"We did" Amy nodded with a smile.

"And she's really real isn't she?" Amy wasn't quite sure she was making sense of his drunken ramblings but she found it utterly adorable, whatever it was he was trying to say.

"Yes, she's really in there. She wriggling around like crazy" she told him placing her hand upon her stomach. Feeling the baby moving constantly had become quite the norm however, now that their little one seemed well and truly awake, Amy was beginning to wonder how much sleep she would actually get.

"Did I wake her up?" he sudden looked sad at the thought.

"No, no. She's been awake for a while" Amy was pretty sure Sheldon had woken her up but he looked so upset by the thought she simply didn't have the heart to tell him. "Right, come on you need to get to sleep" Amy finally announced, tapping his knee when she noticed that the time was ticking by.

"I want to stay here" he grabbed hold of her arm, snuggling closer to her again. "I like it when you take care of me" he had always been affectionate after alcohol consumption but this was a whole new level of affection that Amy was yet to experience.

"I like taking care of you too" there was a natural instinct within her to take care of people, maybe it stemmed from never having any friends to take care of when she was at school which subsequently led to no-one really taking care of her, now that she had friends in life all she wanted to do was care for them, Sheldon was no exception. "You can stay here, don't worry, I'm not going to make you walk all the way back home" she couldn't quite get over the fact he had walked to her apartment.

"Good" he mumbled. "Let me stay here with you"

"I can't really stay right here with you. There wouldn't be enough room on the couch" she could feel her tone become slightly patronising, she was talking to him like a child but she felt his current state excused it. She didn't bother to broach the subject of sharing a bed together, the last time that had happened the idea had gone straight over Sheldon's head.

"Oh please" he pouted, this time he wrapped his arms around Amy holding her tightly in what was now an awkward side hug.

"Sheldon" she laughed trying to wiggle free from his grasp. "Come on, we both need to sleep" with a deep breath, Sheldon huffed, loosening his grip on Amy who was able to quickly rise from the couch just before he allowed his body to flop down.

To begin with Amy just stared at him, he looked utterly adorable in his sleepy state. His eyes were tightly closed and his lips were squishy and pouty from where his cheek was pressed against the couch smushing his face. Eventually her brain clicked into gear and she began to gather up a few cushions, piling them on top of one another and plumping them to make a plausible pillow.

"Sheldon, you're going to have to help me out" she urged as he lay there, being totally uncooperative as she tried to move him into a more comfortable position, he was a complete dead weight on her sofa. "Just shuffle up the couch a little, you'll be much more comfortable."

Sheldon let out an inaudible groan as he followed Amy's instruction and rested his head on the make shift pillow. She smiled to herself as she draped the large, knitted blanket over him and attempted to tuck him in. He would be so hungover in the morning, Amy found the thought rather amusing.

"Are you comfy?" she asked.

"Mmhm" he nodded his head, eyes closed. Amy was unsure whether he had even registered her words.

"Goodnight Sheldon" she lowered her head and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. What came next was something she could have never predicted, she may have been naive for not seeing it coming but the words he muttered in his dream like state caused her heart to stop and her stomach to twist in knots.

"I love you Amy"

Thank you all so much for reading.

As always reviews are always welcome and so appreciated. I cannot tell you how much they mean :)

I hope during these crazy times, no matter where you are in world that you are all taking care and staying safe.

Lots of love.

06.11.20 - A/N: It has been brought to my attention over the past few days that there is a huge issue with this site and viewing chapters. With this story it has been chapter 13, I know some of you have been able to read it but also lots of you haven't (so who knows how many of you will actually see this message). From what I have seen it is very hit and miss, one minute the chapter is there, the next it is gone. Anyway, I am writing this to let you know that until the issue is fixed, I will not be updating. I am really sorry but for now, it seems silly to post chapter 14 when 13 isn't showing up as being there. Regardless of the day, I will update if and when fixed and of course will continue writing. Again, really sorry, hope you all understand.

Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world. xx