"The university is forcing me to use my vacation time. I don't want to take a vacation, so I've decided that I will be spending the week here with you," Sheldon informed Amy as he removed his bag and set it on an empty chair in her lab.

"You can start by washing those beakers," she directed him to the sink full of dirty instruments. "I don't mind that you're here today, but you can't come tomorrow. Max has a doctor's appointment in the morning and I decided to take the day off to spend with him. It's been a few months since we've had a day together in the middle of the week, so I'm going to let him choose what we do after we're done at the doctor's office." Despite Sheldon thinking the tasks Amy was giving him were beneath his intelligence, the couple fell into a comfortable day working beside one another. "I was thinking, Sheldon, you could join Max and I tomorrow if you'd like. I'm sure he'll just want to go to the park or zoo, you'll say you did something fun during your vacation."

"I'm enjoying myself here, but alright, I can join the two of you tomorrow. Let me know what you decide to do so I can properly prepare for the day," Sheldon answered before collecting his things to go home.

Sheldon met Amy and Max in front of his building promptly at 10:30 the next morning to join them for a trip to the zoo. The trio spent the morning and early afternoon watching their favorite animals. To the dismay of her son and boyfriend, Amy eventually decided it was time to leave to avoid some of the rush hour traffic. Nearing the front of the zoo, she stopped the group outside the restrooms. "Let's go potty, Max. It's been a while since you've gone and I don't want you to have an accident in the car."

Max planted his feet and refused Amy's hand. "I don't want to go with you. That's the girl's bathroom. I'm a boy."

"It's okay, let's go. You can pick what we have for dinner tonight if you hurry up," she tried to bribe the boy.

"Can Sheldon take me? He's a boy like me." Max's request was met with a silent exchange between the adults.

Finally, Sheldon spoke, "We'll be quick."

A few minutes later, Amy emerged from the women's restroom and spotted Sheldon and Max near the gift cart not far away. "Look what Sheldon bought!" The preschooler exclaimed.

"That's really nice of him," Amy looked at the stuffed monkey her son was holding up for her to see, before turning her attention to her boyfriend. "You didn't have to buy him that, Sheldon. He's got plenty of stuffed animals at home. He'll sleep with it tonight and maybe tomorrow before it gets thrown into the pile with the rest of them."

"It's not for me. It's for you, momma." He held out the toy for Amy to take. "I told him monkeys are your favorite."

"Thank you for letting me spend my vacation with you, Amy," Sheldon thanked his girlfriend Friday afternoon. "I've enjoyed our extra time together this week."

Amy looked up from the specimens under the microscope in front of her. "I've enjoyed our time together, as well. It's been years since I've had somebody to work alongside in the lab. It's been nice to have someone to show something interesting to right away when I see them and not have to wait until someone stops by for something else later in the day."

"I believe we have different definitions of interesting. The brain will never be superior to the workings of the universe. Are you able to give me a ride home when we're finished this afternoon?"

"Sure," agreed Amy. "But I have to pick up Max from my parents first. He was having a rough morning so my parents agreed to watch him for the day instead of going to daycare. They've got dinner plans, so I need to get him by five. Leaving here at four-thirty means I'll get to their house right at five as long as traffic isn't worse than usual."

Sheldon's face showed slight concern. "Is Max okay? He's not sick, is he?"

"You have nothing to worry about. I know he didn't go to daycare on Tuesday when we went to the zoo, but sometimes he needs a break from daycare, which I completely understand. I had days like that when I was in school. I still have days like that on occasion, where I just need a day where I don't come to work, even though I'm not sick." Amy hesitated before continuing, "Can I ask you something, Sheldon? Max hasn't stopped talking about you since we dropped you off after the zoo the other day, but he's always that way whenever you come over. I know our relationship agreement only requires monthly date nights on the third Thursday of the month, but..."

Amy was cut off before she could finish her sentence. "Or the fourth Thursday in a month with five Thursdays."

"Yes, or the fourth Thursday in a month with five Thursdays. We see each other multiple times a week, often without the rest of our friends. I'll drive you to the train store or we get ice cream. I enjoy those extra moments we get together."

"I do, too. Those are just a bonus, though, and not required by the relationship agreement. We don't have to see each other outside of our required date nights if you don't want to. I won't mind," offered Sheldon.

"It's nothing like that. Quite the opposite actually," stated Amy. "Whenever we spend that extra time together, I don't bring Max with us. How would you feel if we include him more often when we do those types of things? It won't be all the time. He loved spending the day with you. I know he would be ecstatic to see you more often. He's always asking me when you're going to come over again after he sees you."

Sheldon put his finger to his lips as he thought before answering. "I suppose that would be alright. He did enjoy the zoo, and he likes trains, so I'm sure he would love the train store. Even though he's only three, it could still be fun to go with someone else who likes trains as much as I do."

"Thank you so much for agreeing to this," Amy ran across the room and hugged her boyfriend. "If there's ever a time you don't want me to bring Max, just let me know. We should probably head out so I'm not late picking him up from my parents."

Amy and Sheldon picked up Max from his grandparents before dropping Sheldon off at his apartment. As he was getting out of the car, he turned around, "Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? It's Chinese food night."

"Yes!" Max shouted from the backseat. "I want to see Sheldon's house."

Amy glanced over her shoulder at her son before looking back at Sheldon. "Sure. Let me park and we'll be right up."

Sheldon waited for Amy to find a parking spot while texting Leonard that Amy and Max would be joining them for dinner. The trio slowly began the trip up the three flights of stairs to the fourth floor. Max made it to the second floor before asking Amy to carry him the rest of the way. Halfway up the next flight of stairs, she joked to her son, "Did Grandpa feed you bricks for lunch? You're a lot heavier than the last time you asked to be carried like this," which was met with giggles from the little boy.

"Do you want me to carry him?" Offered Sheldon as they approached the third-floor landing.

"No, it's not that bad. I'm just joking with him. Thank you for inviting us to stay for dinner. I probably would have picked up take-out on the way home, so you just saved me the stop."

The group stopped outside Sheldon's apartment as he opened the door. Sheldon entered first, followed by Amy and Max, who Amy had set down in front of her. "Hi everyone," Amy greeted the group gathered around the coffee table. Howard and Bernadette shifted over to make room for Amy on the center cushion on the couch. "Max, you remember everyone, don't you? That's Penny, Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Bernadette," she said as she pointed at each person.

Max nodded quietly as he turned away from the group and wrapped his arms around Amy's legs. Amy knelt in front of her son. She whispered to him before taking him by the hand and leading him down the hallway to the bathroom. She shut the door behind them and gave the boy a minute before saying anything. "You weren't expecting all those people to be here, were you?"

"There's a lot of people here, momma. Why does Sheldon live with so many people?" Max questioned while studying the shower curtain.

Amy chuckled. "Only Leonard lives with Sheldon. Everyone else is our friends. You've met all of them before, just not all at the same time. Dinner's probably getting cold. Do you want to go back out there? You can sit by me. It's okay if you don't feel like talking to everyone."

"Can I sit by Sheldon, too? Is Sheldon going to show me his trains? He said he has a lot."

"You'll have to ask him about both of those things, but I'm sure he'll agree. If he is willing to show you his trains, you can't play for very long." Amy reopened the bathroom door and ushered Max back into the living room.

Max walked down the hallway and tentatively looked around the group when he reached the edge of the living room. Quickly spotting the tall physicist, he made his way to the side of the couch where he tugged on Sheldon's sleeve and motioned for him to move closer. Sheldon leaned down and after listening to the boy's question, he patted the cushion next to him, indicating he could sit there.

Thanks again for the reviews and messages about this story. I just finished writing the last chapter of it, but don't worry, it will be several weeks before I post all of it.