"Are you still okay driving this weekend?" Bernadette asked Amy during Thai food night a few months after Max learned Sheldon was his father.
Amy set her plate on the coffee table. "I forgot we're supposed to be going to that conference this weekend. I don't think I'm going to be able to go."
"Is everything okay? You seem distracted tonight," Penny pointed out.
"I just have a lot going on this week. My parents were going to watch Max for the weekend, but my Aunt Flora is in the hospital, so they drove up to Bakersfield to be with her since she doesn't have anyone close. Max can't come with us to the conference, so I'll have to stay home."
Sheldon looked at the seven-year-old who was sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the coffee table from him. "Go to your conference. I can take care of Max for the weekend."
Max excitedly bounced on his knees hearing this suggestion, only to settle down as Amy spoke, "I don't know, Sheldon. That's asking a lot of you. You've never spent more than a few hours with him. Are you sure you'll be able to handle two nights? It's not like I'll just be out with the girls and can come home if something happens."
"It will be fun. He can join us for vintage video game night on Friday. I think we might be going to the comic book store on Saturday. He's my son, too. Let me do this for you," Sheldon tried to convince his girlfriend.
"Please, mom? Let me stay with Sheldon," pleaded Max. "You keep saying we should spend time together. This would be a whole weekend. That's a lot of time."
Amy looked between her son and boyfriend and was opening her mouth to speak when Penny interrupted. "Go to your conference, Ames. Max can take Leonard's room for the weekend. We'll stay across the hall. I can leave work early on Friday to pick Max up from school; he and I will hang out until the guys get home from work. We'll help keep an eye on him, right Leonard?"
"Yeah. We can help Sheldon this weekend," Leonard knew they were doing this to help his friend, but he wasn't so sure exactly what his wife was volunteering him for.
"Fine. Max can stay here, but call me every day to let me know how it's going," ceded Amy.
Max clamored to the other side of the coffee table to hug his mother. "Thanks, mom," he stated before he turned to Sheldon, "I'm so excited. It's gonna be so much better than staying with Grandma and Grandpa. Their house smells funny."
Four days later, Amy stood in Sheldon's living room after dropping Max off at school. "Max should have everything he needs in his suitcase. I packed him extra clothes just in case he spills or something. He's been weird about his socks lately, he insists on wearing them inside out. I don't get it, but I think the seams irritate him. It's easier to just let them be inside out than to fight with him to turn them right side out. His Spock monkey is in the front pocket of the suitcase. He'll want it for bed. I also packed a few books for him. His class goes to the library at school on Fridays, so he should have a new book in his backpack to read tonight."
"I know this, Amy," Sheldon cut her off. "I also know that he only likes the door closed partway when he goes to sleep and that he has Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast every day, even if he's offered the sugary cereals that most kids love. I know he'll try to get out of brushing his teeth unless I watch him do it. I also know that you'll be back in time for dinner on Sunday and that you're worried for no reason. We'll be fine."
Penny and Leonard had been watching this exchange from the kitchen when Leonard whispered to his wife, "I don't think Sheldon's going to need much help this weekend."
"Nah, I only said we'd help to get Amy to agree. Sheldon's got this," she whispered somewhat loudly, causing the two scientists in the living room to look over at them.
"Come here," Sheldon held his arms out to embrace Amy. When she stepped towards him, he wrapped his arms around her. "Please try to enjoy your weekend."
Amy nodded against his chest. "I should go. I said I'd get to work early since I'm leaving early to pick up Bernadette."
Sheldon opened the door for his girlfriend and waited until he heard her footsteps on the stairs before turning back to the couple in the kitchen. "Aside from picking Max up at school and driving us to the comic book store tomorrow, please don't ask me if I need help all weekend unless I'm really in over my head. I want to prove to myself, and Max, and Amy, that I can be a good father."
"You got it, buddy," agreed Leonard as Penny nodded her head next to him. "We should probably get to work, too."
Sheldon pulled the covers up around Max before sitting on the side of the bed. "You had a snack and there's a glass of water on the nightstand. We read your library book and Spock is right here. Do you need anything else tonight?"
"Are you going to leave the door open halfway?" The boy asked as he got comfortable in the foreign bed. Sheldon nodded his head in response. "Can you leave the hallway light on, too?"
"You got it. Did you enjoy playing video games with us tonight?"
Max nodded as he pulled the monkey Sheldon had purchased at the zoo years earlier closer to him. "Can I play again next week, Dad? That racing game was fun."
"That was Mario Kart," replied Sheldon as he smiled at Max calling him dad. "We'd have to check with your mom, but I don't think the guys would mind if you joined us. Maybe we can suggest she have a girls' night with Penny and Bernadette."
"Or maybe I can sleepover again? Then momma won't have to wait for us to finish playing before she can go home," Max sounded hopeful at his suggestion.
Sheldon rested his hand on Max's legs. "That's a good idea, but we'd not only have to check with your mom but also ask Leonard if he's okay with you staying in his room again. We aren't going to the comic book store until after lunch tomorrow, so you can sleep in if you want. I know you're up a little later than usual tonight. You know my room is right next door and where the bathroom is, so I think you're all set for the night," he said standing from the bed and moving towards the door.
Max stopped Sheldon as he stepped away from the bed. "Can I get some comics tomorrow, Dad? I don't have any of my own."
"They're comic books, not comics, and I think we could make that happen. Good night, I love you," Sheldon flipped the light switch and was starting to close the door when Max spoke again.
"Good night, Dad."
Amy let herself into apartment 4A two days later to find the remnants of an elaborate domino maze set up around the living room. "Hi, guys. This looks fun. How was your weekend?"
"It was so good," Max jumped up from the floor and ran across the room to hug his mother. "We had Chinese food and played video games. We went to the comic book store and Dad let me pick out two comic books of my own! We watched Star Wars before Dad taught me how to do laundry. He helped me with my homework, but I didn't really need any help. I'm gonna get my comic books to show you."
"It sounds like you had a good weekend. Did he give you any problems?"
Sheldon shook his head, "No, it was as good of a weekend as he said. We didn't need Penny or Leonard for anything except picking him up from school or driving us to the comic book store. He's been calling me dad all weekend, Amy! He only did that the night we told him after I tucked him in and he thought I couldn't hear him. It's been five months since then and now he's been saying it all weekend."
"He asked me if it was okay if he started calling you dad this weekend. I told him that was his decision, but I supported him if he was ready to do that," explained Amy. "What comic books did you get him? Nothing violent, I hope?"
As if on cue, Max returned to the room with a book in each hand. "Look, Dad let me pick The Avengers and Scooby-Doo. The Scooby-Doo one has Batman in it. We already read them yesterday, but can we read them tonight before bed?"
"We can read one of them," answered Amy, reaching for the books from her son's hands. "Is all of your stuff ready to go? I passed Penny and Leonard on my way up. They were going to pick up dinner, so I'm sure they'll be back soon." Max ran down the hallway again as Amy turned to Sheldon. "I guess I was worried for no reason before I left."
"I said we'd be fine," Sheldon smugly replied. "But I should let you know that Max asked if he could sleep over again next weekend. I told him we'd have to talk to you. We don't have to talk about it right now, but I thought you should know in case he says something tonight."
Amy smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. Since this weekend went so well, maybe we should discuss him spending longer times with you." Amy's smile faded as she continued. "If you're open to it that is. I know you didn't sign up for this, you were just looking to make some extra money to get faster internet."
Sheldon reached for Amy's hand as the pair cleaned up the abandoned dominos from the floor. "As I've told you multiple times, although I didn't sign up for this when I made that donation, I wouldn't have stuck around this long if I weren't open to it. I could have kept my mouth shut and never said anything about making a donation, but I didn't, because part of me had those same suspicions my mother did and I wanted, no, I needed to know. Telling you I donated has been one of the best things I've ever done."
Moving closer to Sheldon, Amy stated "I love you," before leaning in to kiss him.
"Gross!" Exclaimed Max as he returned to the living room, dragging his suitcase behind him.
I have this story all finished, so I should be able to continue posting every few days until the last chapter is posted near the end of the month. I wasn't going to start a new story because I'm moving and don't want it to go weeks or months without being updated, but I'm thinking of doing a series of one shots in the Max universe. Just little moments I didn't include in this story, but it won't leave everyone wondering what happens next if I get to the point I'm not able to update very often. If I were to do that, what kind of moments would you want to be included? I've got a few ideas, but I'm open to more.