Chapter 20

Author's Note: Back with a new update! Sorry if it's late. Still adjusting to college... Thanks to all the readers who stuck with me and who understood my situation. Finally found time to work on at least one chapter. I really wanted to end on a cliffhanger and I have so much more planned for this story.

Oh, by the way, some of you may not have noticed but I removed the "Previously on the Impalpable Chemistry..." bit. I figured it would be easier for all of you to read my fic without it. (Since it's just a recap and all that)

Shoutout to the following users: redhead59901, abrht0907, AlHc924, olivia25, .tbbt73, Haru Niven, thatAwkwardPotato, and to all the guest readers who continue to support this story. Enjoy Chapter 20!

Leonard and Penny brought an injured Sheldon all the way back home.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…" He quickly limped to his spot and Penny and Leonard helped him get his feet elevated.

Primal urges be damned. Letting go of his anger proved to be difficult. Sheldon could not comprehend how something so insignificant like a rock would cause him such a great deal of pain. It was humiliating! Why did he listen to Leonard and Penny?

"Well, that clearly didn't work." Sheldon huffed in his place.

"No one told you to close your eyes," Penny remarked.

"I was trying to visualize my anger!"

"I'll go get ice," Leonard headed straight to the fridge.

"Do you want me to call Amy?"

"No. I forbid you to do so."

"Why not? She took care of you last time."

"That was different! I was sick."

'Well, now you're hurt."

"And how am I going to explain why it happened?" Sheldon reacted violently to Penny's suggestion. I mean, what would Amy say once she saw him in this state? If she found out the truth, she'd be disappointed to know he wasn't following his promise to be happy for her because he clearly wasn't.

"Fine, fine. I won't call her."

"Thank you. What happened earlier stays between us."

"I got it."

As much as Penny wanted to tease Sheldon even further, she felt bad for him. At first, it was fun seeing Sheldon get so worked up over another person. But now... She hated seeing him so vulnerable and lost. She never expected Sheldon to love someone this much.

Love... It is scary. That's why it surprised her when Sheldon told them he was in love with Amy. Heck, she couldn't even admit to herself that she's in love with Leonard.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door.

Sheldon widened his eyes and looked at Leonard.

"Who is it?" Leonard called out.

"Amy Farrah Fowler."

"Penny! I just told you not to call her." Sheldon angrily said in a hushed tone.

"I didn't." Penny raised her arms. She didn't call Amy at all. She was also surprised by the turn of events.

Sheldon: Tell her I'm not here.

Leonard: Okay, where are you?

Sheldon: I don't know. You'll have to devise a scenario that plausibly explains my absence, keeping in mind that the key to a good lie lies in the details.

Penny: But, Sheldon. She'll clearly see you when Leonard opens the door.

Sheldon: Well, I can't go anywhere can I?

They heard Amy's voice through the door. "Hello? Are you guys okay over there?"

Sheldon looked at Leonard in haste. Leonard opened the door slightly so as to block Amy's view of the apartment.

"Hey, Amy. What's up?"

"I'm sorry for the surprise visit. I've been trying to reach Sheldon all day but he won't answer my calls or texts..." Penny glared at Sheldon. "Why are you ignoring her?" Sheldon didn't reply.

"Is your nose bleeding?"

Seeing Sheldon's little accident caused Leonard to laugh so hard his nose started bleeding. Leonard shrugged and tried to avoid answering her. "Oh, I'm fine, don't worry about it. I'm sorry, Amy, but Sheldon's not-"

"Wait," Sheldon called out. He let out a huge sigh. "Let her in."

She saw Sheldon on his spot wincing in agony. Both his legs were on the coffee table. He had ice packs on his feet.

"What the hell happened?"

"I tried to let go of anger and threw a rock into my foot."

Leonard followed with a reply. "Then he got more angry and kicked the rock with his other foot."

Amy went to sit beside Sheldon. "What caused you to act so violently?"

"He was jealous." Leonard quickly covered his mouth realizing what he just said. Sheldon and Penny glared at him.

"Jealous? Jealous of what?"

"Uh..."

The three of them stayed silent with Amy carefully analyzing the situation. "Oh. I see what this is about."

"You do!?" The three of them asked in unison.

"Is this about Howard going to space?"

Turns out that Howard made his decision and agreed to become part of Expedition 31 for NASA. He's been juggling astronaut training and wedding planning so they haven't seen him in a while.

Sheldon scoffed. "I'm not jealous of H-" Penny cut him off. "Yes, he is. It's killing him. But enough about that. How was your date with Bert, Ames?"

Amy quickly glanced at Sheldon who was acting all nonchalant. "He's sweet, but I don't know. I'm putting off dating for now. I've been busy working on..."

After Amy said that she was putting off dating, Sheldon stopped listening to whatever she said after that. He was hiding his glee.

Guess I didn't have to worry about that geologist after all...

"Sheldon? Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh... I'm sorry. No."

Why was he smiling? What is he thinking about? "You should get some more rest. I actually asked if you were feeling any better..."

"Yes, I am. Thank you for coming."

"No problem. It's about time that I be your hero every now and then." Amy returned his smile.

"Well, I must say, you are doing an excellent job, Dr. Fowler. Your presence alone makes me feel better now more than ever."

Through Amy and Sheldon's exchange, they didn't notice that there were two other pairs of eyes staring at them.

Penny whispered in Leonard's ear. "Come on, they're so flirting with each other right now and they don't even realize it!"

"I know. I feel like I'm invading their privacy or something. It's best we leave."

"Yeah, we should..." Penny continued watching them.

"Penny?"

"I'll catch up with you." She sat down on Leonard's chair.

Sheldon convinced Amy to stay for a little while longer. Leonard and Penny finally gave them their privacy, with Leonard having to pull Penny along to go with him outside of the apartment.

"So, you're not planning to date anymore, is that right?"

"For now, at least. I realized I'm not ready yet."

"Not ready to settle down with Bert I assume?" He teased.

"Nope. Far from it."

"Well, that's a relief... I mean, not that I care about your personal life because I promised not to, but thank goodness."

"You're right. Geology's not a real science." Amy sighed.

"Finally, you see my point." They shared a light-hearted chuckle.

"I do hope that you get better. It's one thing to be envious, but injuring yourself? This has to stop."

"It won't happen again. I don't know what came over me."

"Can't you just be happy for your friend?" Oh, wait. This is Sheldon we're talking about.

"I am happy. I promised I would be. But right now, it just... hurts."

There was so much pain evident in Sheldon's voice at that moment. Amy didn't realize that her best friend would be so insecure about his friends' successes. Or maybe she just couldn't notice that Sheldon may have been talking about something else rather than Howard.

"That's a normal reaction. But I honestly think you have nothing to be jealous about."

"I don't?"

"Yeah. He's your friend and you should be able to support him when he succeeds. For what it's worth, he'll only go to space once, but you'll always be a genius."

"Oh, stop it." Sheldon blushed at her compliment. Not that he wasn't aware that he was a genius, but it sounded better coming from her.

"But you know... I really don't think you're jealous of Howard at all. No matter how little you think of him, he's still an important part of your social group. He's your friend. And I know how much you hate change."

Sheldon knew that Howard wasn't the reason for his injuries, but he couldn't help but agree with Amy's observations. He didn't realize it, but even Howard going to space was something that gave him discomfort. "I just need more time, that's all."

"I understand. By the way, there's this university fundraiser coming up next Saturday. Once you feel better, maybe we could go together..."

"Ah, no. I don't care much for fundraisers. Seems like a complete waste of time if you ask me."

"Oh... Alright then." Amy tried to hide her disappointment. "May I ask why?"

"It's demeaning. I refuse to be trotted out and shown off like a prize hog at the Texas State Fair. Which, by the way, is something you don't want to attend wearing a Star Trek ensign's uniform."

"Sheldon, all scientists need to fund-raise. None of us would be able to continue our field of study without it."

"Well, it's time I stick it to the Man. Plus, Saturday is laundry night. So, instead of bowing to pressure, and going to that pointless soiree, I plan to stay right here and do a load of whites. I suggest you do the same."

"That's the thing, Sheldon. I just told you earlier that I was busy working on my research on addiction in lower animals. I lack the equipment and going to that fundraiser is my only chance of pursuing my research further."

When did she say that? Sheldon must've been spacing out when she mentioned that detail earlier.

A week later.

Sheldon found himself just outside Amy's lab like he was on that day.

"No, Bert, come on. I'd love to go to the mineral show with you."

"Sweet. It's a date."

"No, it's not." Sheldon appeared by Amy's door. She was surprised to see him. "Sheldon? What are you doing here?"

Bert was surprised as well. "Amy's who's this?"

"He's my b-"

"I'm her boyfriend."

"You are?" Bert and Amy exclaimed at the same time.

Sheldon continued. "Amy, don't go out with him."

Amy widened her eyes. "What?"

"You heard me. Amy, if you want to be my girlfriend, I really want to be your boyfriend."

"I really want that too."

"Good. Because I love you."

Amy eagerly reciprocated his smile. "I love you, too."

Bert was caught up in their moment. All he could do was cheer them on. "Kiss her, you brilliant fool."

Sheldon passionately kissed Amy the way he always wanted to. Amy returned his kiss with equal fervor. They both moved away from each other after running out of breath.

"Well, I'll let you get back to whatever this is." He turned to leave but Amy stopped him.

"Get back here."

Amy pulled him back and they continued kissing as if no one was watching them. Sheldon was happy, he felt complete, he never wanted to forget this moment.

It all ended when Sheldon woke up. "Not again." This was the fifth time he dreamt about Amy.

He looked to his right and saw that Leonard already brought his food in. Sheldon was on bed rest for a whole week with Penny and Leonard taking care of him. He ignored Amy's calls and texts. He hasn't seen her the whole week.

Hours later.

He heard a knock on his bedroom. Penny barged in.

"Penny? What are you-"

"Promise not to tell Leonard any of this."

"Woah, Woah. Penny, I'm flattered. But you know I see you as more of a sister, right? Maybe even a mother."

"Ew, no. That's not what I meant. Leonard might be able to leave you two alone but I can't. I've worked too hard just for all of this to hit the fan."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Amy. You're avoiding her again."

"I'm not."

Sheldon remembered their last exchange at her apartment, tending to her burn, that pinky promise they made, and when she hugged him before he left. The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. He actually missed her.

Sure, he was elated to find that Amy wasn't interested in dating at the moment. But that didn't change the way it pained him that she didn't reciprocate the depth of his feelings for her. That didn't mean she would close her doors to future suitors. He hoped that space from Amy would allow him to move on. He needed to for the sake of their friendship.

"Some best friend you are. You can't just ignore Amy whenever you feel like it."

"Can't I? She just said she was putting off dating to focus on her work. I'll just do the same."

"That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

"Is it? We promised each other our friendship wouldn't change no matter what. I'll be able to focus on String Theory and get a Nobel without having to feel pressured about committing to a troublesome relationship that would distract me from my true purpose in life. Maybe along the way, Amy will realize that her right person doesn't exist. We can spend our whole lives together and nothing would become complicated. Everybody wins."

"Look, Sheldon. You're cooped up in your room and you're unable to walk. Don't you see the problem?"

Sheldon stayed silent. He was starting to become a recluse.

"I am not going to watch you live your life like this. I'm not used to seeing you this way."

"She desires a romantic relationship and I just can't stand to watch her look for one."

"Sheldon, do you love Amy?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Yes."

"Then make her yours."

"I don't want to be rejected again."

"She didn't reject you. She just doesn't know how you really feel. You know for two people claiming they're geniuses, you guys are so dense when it comes to these things."

"Maybe it's better that way." Sheldon looked away.

God. It's like talking to a wall.

"No matter what you say, the fact still stands. She's not in love with me."

Ugh. Why is this so hard? Penny gave up on holding her tongue any longer. "Sheldon, whatever I tell you will stay here okay? Amy can't know I told you this."

"I'm all ears."

"So, she liked the kiss... And you told her about the relationship agreement..."

"Yes."

"Why would you do that?"

"I don't know... I wanted to protect her. But I get it now, I shouldn't have done it. You two would've figured it out on your own."

"She isn't repulsed by me. This was all a misunderstanding and it's all your fault." Sheldon quickly got off the bed and left the room.

Penny followed after him, surprised to see him on his feet. "You were okay all along?"

"I got better two days ago. I just didn't want to get out of bed."

"What the hell, Sheldon? We took care of you all this time when we didn't need to?"

"Yes, both of you taking care of me makes me feel important. And don't think that this makes us even!"

"But, Sheldon. You have to know that relationship agreement of yours was a bad idea. It just proved to her that you weren't ready to commit."

"You clearly didn't understand my intentions. That agreement was my commitment in writing. It was a compromise!"

"Compromise?"

"Penny, all my life, I have been uncomfortable with the sort of physical contact that comes easily to others. Hand-shaking, hugging, prostate exams. But I'm working on it, you know? All my life, I never imagined I would be so comfortable with another person. But when it comes to her, I don't mind at all. It just feels right. A lot of things I never thought possible now seem possible. I worked with her, kissed her, went out with her on a date, I've been to her apartment after dark countless times, ran with her through the rain, allowed her to take care of me when I was sick, I even had to take care of her when she injured her hand, we even hugged..." Sheldon paused, processing what this all meant.

"Wow. Okay. Hang on. Are you saying someday you and Amy might actually get physical?"

"It's not just a possibility. Penny, I think I'm ready to be the right person."

Penny smiled. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Sheldon quickly got his phone and tried calling Amy but to no avail.

"What day is it today?"

"Saturday."

She's probably at Caltech now for the fundraiser...

"Don't worry, Sheldon. That's why I'm here." Penny smiled.

Penny knew how much Amy wanted Sheldon to come with her to that fundraiser. Leonard also told her to convince Sheldon before he left. So, she was ready to help him pick what to wear as well as drive him to the university.

Sheldon wore a black suit- the one he wore during the Chancellor's award ceremony years ago. Sheldon told her he didn't want to wear it considering how the suit reminded him of his public humiliation.

"I still think I look like a clown."

"Come on, Sheldon. You look so handsome in it. When Amy sees you in this, she won't know what hit her."

"You better be right."

"You all set?"

"Wait." Sheldon went to his drawer and brought out a stack of papers.

"The Relationship Agreement?"

"Yes. I'll show her this and explain everything. Then I'll ask her if she's willing to be my girlfriend."

Penny couldn't believe this was finally happening. Her plans for Sheldon and Amy were finally coming full circle. 5 or 10 years? Ha! Leave it to Queen Penelope, expert in all things Shamy. Penny shook her head. Leonard's geekiness was rubbing off on her. That romance ninja bastard.

Penny dropped Sheldon off at the university. "Good luck, sweetie!" Crap. I am his mother. Penny thought as she drove away.

Sheldon finally arrived at the party. Surprisingly, compared to the past fundraisers, the event was in a larger and fancier venue- the Athenaeum. What's the special occasion?

He spotted Leonard and Raj in one corner, sipping wine. They were surprised to see him.

Leonard: Sheldon. You're here!

Sheldon: Have you seen Amy?

Both men stayed silent.

Leonard: Yes...

Sheldon: Where is she? I need to talk to her. It's urgent.

Raj: She's busy talking to that VIP President Seibert was talking about.

Sheldon: VIP?

Sheldon looked in the direction Leonard pointed at. In the far center of the Athenaeum, he saw Amy with her back to him. She was talking to a man wearing a red and white headdress and a white ankle-length dress with long sleeves. They were surrounded by men wearing uniforms, also wearing the same headdress.

"Is she talking to some Middle Eastern dilettante?"

"Not just some Middle Eastern dilettante. He's a prince from Saudi Arabia. His Highness, Faisal bin Abdulaziz." President Seibert joined in on their conversation.

"What would a Saudi Arabian prince do at Caltech?"

"Turns out he funds one of the top science research facilities in Saudi Arabia. He's particularly interested in the field of neurobiology, so Dr. Fowler volunteered to make a case for her department."

Oh, right... She really needs the money. Sheldon continued looking in Amy's direction.

"Wow. That's something you don't see every day." Leonard commented.

"Totally. A handsome prince? It's like a fairy tale come to life! Lucky Amy." Raj stopped talking, realizing that Sheldon was just there.

"Okay, this is my cue to leave now. Gentlemen." President Seibert left and tended to the other benefactors.

"Oh, look. Amy's coming over here."

Amy widened her eyes when she spotted Sheldon. She smiled and excused herself to go and talk to him.

She didn't see him for a whole week. She wanted to visit him, so she tried communicating with him first to let him know. However, he never answered. She then figured that she needed to give him space so that he could have enough energy to get better. And he did look better- and different. His appearance caused her heart to skip a beat. Control yourself, Fowler. You just miss him, that's all.

"Hi, Sheldon. You look so handsome."

Amy wore something formal for the occasion. She wore a turquoise dress with a matching shawl to match. Her hair was also made up. If she wore a tiara she would've looked like an actual princess. Sheldon started getting overwhelmed.

All the men looked in approval. Sheldon managed to utter a small "thank you". Leonard glanced at his friend, smirking at his reaction.

"Hey, Amy! Looking good in that dress I picked out for you."

"Thanks, Rajesh."

"Wait, Raj helped pick out your dress?" Leonard inquired.

Amy and Raj started hanging out after he chatted with her in her lab. He would also message her about Alex and his sessions. Amy would give him tips and help him out from time to time. Raj offered his services to help Amy prepare for the fundraiser.

"Yes. He took me to Beverly Hills and told me all about classic lines, colors that complimented my skin tone, the works!" Amy spoke with such glee.

"Glad I could help."

She turned to talk to Sheldon. "Good to see you walking on your own two feet again. You said you wouldn't come."

Sheldon tried to come up with a reason fast. He didn't want to be a hypocrite. "Well, I realized that I couldn't leave the state of the physics department with these two." He gestured at Leonard and Raj who looked offended.

"I see. Good luck then."

Leonard was the next one to speak. "So, Amy... Talking to the prince huh?"

"It's amazing, isn't it? He's so refined and he's really interested in hearing about my research."

"Not to mention attractive," Leonard muttered under his breath. He found himself fawning for the foreigner as well.

Sheldon looked at his friends in confusion. "Amy... I actually wanted to talk to you-"

He was interrupted by the so-called elephant in the room. The Saudi Arabian prince.

"Dr. Fowler, are you ready to go?"

"Yes. Just a minute, Your Highness." Faisal smiled at her and nodded his head towards the guys. The guards behind him motioned for them to show their respect. They all bowed in a comical fashion. He gave Amy and the guys some space and proceeded to talk to President Seibert.

"Can it wait? The prince asked me to show him around town and discuss work... I'm hoping this gesture could help me raise funds for my department."

"Uh, okay. But, Amy. Are you really going to trust a man you just met?"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. He's a prince! And if anything happens, I'll be prepared." She showed them a pepper spray cam from her purse.

Amy bid them goodbye and went to Faisal. They saw him hold his hand out for her as she linked her arm with his while exiting the venue.

President Seibert approached them again. "I know. Didn't expect someone of his status to come to our fundraiser either. He called a few days ago, said he read Dr. Fowler's research, and wanted to meet her. I said why not? I bet Dr. Fowler would be happy to show him around for the sake of the university. Also, I can think of the many privileges she'll experience during her outing with him."

"How can you ensure her safety? I mean, what if this Faisal fellow turns out to be a fraud or a big jerk?" Sheldon has his fists clenched. He also noticed how he raised his voice at his superior. Seibert looked at him disapprovingly.

"You have nothing to worry about, Dr. Cooper. Prince Faisal assured me that Dr. Fowler would accompany him in his limo, show him around, talk about work, and he'd bring her back here after. She did bring her own car. I'll be waiting right here at the university to make sure she comes back safely."

"Alright then." I'm still not convinced.

Sheldon decided to stay for a while, hoping he could finally talk to Amy once she came back. He left the party and went to his office. He asked Leonard to inform him once Amy was there.

He brought out the relationship agreement from his suit pocket. Penny was right. It's a nice suit. I could fit my laptop in here.

He laid it down on Amy's desk. Yes, he still had her desk. He had come up with an excuse saying that he kept it in case Amy ever visited him and they could eat lunch together. And sometimes, when she couldn't visit, he'd imagine she was still there with him.

Sheldon tried rehearsing what he was supposed to say when he finally got the chance to talk to Amy but he couldn't find the right words to say. As time went on, he got more and more anxious.

Hours later.

Sheldon was seated on Amy's chair, his head resting on her desk. He waited for hours but Leonard never messaged. He was starting to get worried so he stood up.

Then, he heard a knock on the door.

That must be Amy! Sheldon composed himself, picked up the agreement, and opened the door.

"Oh, it's just you."

"Sheldon, it's getting late. We need to go home."

"But she's not here yet."

"President Seibert's still here. He said he'd take care of it."

"But I need to talk to her."

Leonard noticed what he was holding in his hand. "The relationship agreement? Sheldon, we talked about this-"

"Yes. And I don't care if you think I shouldn't do it. Being upset about Amy all the time isn't accomplishing anything. If I want to resolve this situation, then I need to take action. I'm going to talk to her and ask her to be my girlfriend. If she says yes, we'll talk about it and try to work things out."

"Okay then. I trust you. But you can always talk to her tomorrow, Sheldon. It's not like she's unreachable or something."

Why do I feel like she will be? Sheldon sighed. He looked at his roommate, dark circles under his eyes. Seems like he had a long night. Sheldon finally relented and agreed to let Leonard drive him home.

Leonard went to get the car while Sheldon waited by the university entrance. After a few minutes, he saw a luxurious vehicle arrive. Amy finally came back!

It's not too late to talk to her! He saw her get out of the car and almost called out but stopped himself when he saw that she wasn't the only one who got out of the limo.

"I must say, Dr, Fowler. I enjoyed this evening very much. I have no doubt that you have a very promising future ahead of you."

"Thank you. I had an enjoyable evening as well. It's not every day you get to tour a foreign prince around. I can't believe we got to eat at that restaurant. It's been booked for months!" They shared a chuckle.

"My pleasure. I can assure you I'm more than interested to contribute to your research pursuits. I'll be contacting President Seibert about it."

"I don't know what to say. I feel like I should curtsy or something."

"No need, no need. I consider you a close acquaintance now, Dr. Fowler."

"Okay then. Good night, Your Highness. Thank you again."

"You can also drop the formalities. Call me Faisal."

This conversation feels oddly familiar. "Uh, sure. Thank you, Faisal."

"Good night, Amy. If I may call you by that name."

"You may! You can call me anything..."

"How about my princess then?"

"What?"

(Author's Note: If you must know, I am rolling my eyes right now.)

"Oh, nothing. Never mind. See you tomorrow, Amy."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. I've extended my stay here in California for about three weeks. President Seibert told me to ask you to continue showing me around. This time around the university? Hopefully, I can also visit your laboratory. I'd love to watch how you work."

"Oh, I see." She was hoping she could catch up with Sheldon.

No, Fowler. You can do this. Mama needs a state-of-the-art two-photon microscope!

"Is something the matter?"

"Not at all. I'm looking forward to it."

"Great." Faisal took Amy's hand in his. To her surprise, she started blushing when he kissed her hand.

Sheldon couldn't hear what they were saying but he definitely saw their last exchange.

Faisal went back to his limo, leaving Amy all flustered and unaware that Sheldon was there watching the sight before him.

Amy saw him and she suddenly felt like a deer caught in the headlights. But that feeling turned to guilt quickly when she realized that he probably waited for hours for her.

She approached him, walking up the steps. "Hi, Sheldon. You didn't need to wait for me."

"I just wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened to you."

Amy felt touched by his concern. "Well, you'd be happy to know that nothing did. After getting to know Faisal a little bit better, he was more than generous. You don't need to be suspicious of him anymore. I'll be spending more time with him until he goes back to Saudi Arabia after three weeks."

Three weeks, huh? "I can see he's quite taken with you."

"He is?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't he be?"

"Well, he did call me a princess. Or maybe I misheard... I don't know..." Amy played with her hair. She didn't know if it was because Faisal was a prince, but spending the night with him really made her feel like a princess.

"You do look like one. Even without that whole makeover of yours."

"T-thank you. U-Um... So, you wanted to talk to me about something earlier?"

"Oh, I completely forgot about that. I'll let you know once I remember it."

Amy tilted her head. That's strange... He has an eidetic memory.

"Alright then. I could drive you home if you'd like?"

"I'm actually waiting for Leonard."

"Oh, I see... I'm sorry I took so long. Thanks for waiting for me. Good night, Sheldon."

Before Amy could leave to go to her car, Sheldon grabbed hold of her and hugged her.

Amy's heart was pacing. She was hoping he wouldn't notice.

Leonard's car arrived, the engine's sound alerting Sheldon that it was time for him to go.

"Amy... If he ever hurts you, you know where to find me." Sheldon said softly.

Sheldon let her go, and she missed his warmth already. With all the dimmed lights, Sheldon's suit, and the way he was looking at her, it felt like she was in one of those old French movies.

Sheldon said goodnight and went inside Leonard's car. They drove off.

Amy felt weak in the knees, she didn't care if the floor was dirty, but she sat on the steps of the university entrance for a while trying to calm herself. It was as if her encounter with the prince was long forgotten.

"I saw what you did there," Leonard smirked. Seeing Sheldon and Amy embrace was so romantic. "So, did she say yes?"

"No. Change of plans. That prince ruined everything."

"Huh. But what about taking action this time?"

"I am. Oh, I'm not backing down without a fight. I am the right person. It's time to show her that I am." Far better than that clown.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make Amy Farrah Fowler fall hopelessly in love with me."

End of Chapter 20.

Author's Note: *facepalm* But she's already in love with you! Penny's right, they're so dense.

Ooh, a love triangle it seems? Will Lady Elizabeth choose prince charming or her knight in shining armor (or captain/superhero if you'd prefer.)?

Hope you liked this chapter. I was very intrigued by the mention of Prince Faisal in Season 4. Too bad it wasn't explored further. It was also one of those rare instances where we saw Sheldon get jealous. Expect more Faisal in the next chapters.

Also, Raj has been improving with his sessions. So, he's been getting better at talking to women. I would like to clarify, however, that he and Amy communicate the same way he communicates with Alex (via text messaging).

I apologize if I ever provide inaccurate information about Saudi Arabian culture. I have no intention to offend anyone and I just wanted to introduce Faisal into my story. I'm trying my best to keep it general since I have little to no knowledge about it. So, if any of you have suggestions or concerns, please send me a message so that I could revise my wordings if ever they're wrong. Again, this is an AU fic, so I hope you guys will understand.

Notable episodes I used: The Desperation Emanation, The Parking Spot Escalation, The Geology Elevation, The Cooper-Kripke Inversion, The Intimacy Acceleration, The Benefactor Factor, The Prom Equivalency, The Earworm Reverberation, The Spock Resonance (and more)

Please continue leaving a review! A fav and follow would also be appreciated, so if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Until next time, Shamy fans!