Honestly guys, you deserve a medal for those awesome reviews you're sending to me! Thanks to all of you who give me feedback since pretty much the beginning and thanks for so many nice and lovely guest reviews! :D You rule!

Since many of you noticed it... Yes, I changed the rating; you'll just have to wait and see if or when there will be a kiss. And no, I'm not going higher than T-rated. ;)

Happy reading...


-Chapter 12-

Nervously, Amy walked over to the table on which all the arriving flights were displayed. Sheldon's flight was scheduled to land half an hour ago, but obviously there had been a delay, pushing his actual time of arrival thirty minutes back.

Now he still needs to get out of the plane and collect his luggage, which naturally takes time, Amy reasoned logically in an attempt to calm herself. Stop fretting about it; he will be here soon.

Immediately after Amy got back from her call with Missy, she wrote to Sheldon, asking about all the specifics of his move back to the States. When he will arrive, where he would live and when exactly he would start working. She also immediately offered to pick him up from the airport to which Sheldon gladly agreed.

The display changed from 'landed' to 'baggage claim', causing Amy's heart to speed up. He's on his way! Impatiently, she moved forward to get a good look at the sliding doors through which all the arriving travelers went.

Amy thought back to the plea she made to Missy before she hung up their call. Namely, that her mom, Karen, mustn't know anything about Sheldon moving to Boston. It wouldn't surprise Amy if her mother would jump onto a plane herself to get Amy out of Sheldon's reach again. She could practically hear her complains about the inappropriateness of it all.

Amy snorted. What could her mother be thinking that they were doing here anyway? Amy was looking forward to work and study alongside Sheldon, not to do anything… inappropriate. Whatever that may be. So, to avoid more fights and troubles with her mom, Amy decided to keep Sheldon a secret.

The sliding doors opened. Amy's eyes widened and she began standing on her tiptoes. Other people, waiting for their friends or family members were closing in on her, blocking her view. Grumbling under her breath, Amy cursed her shortness and craned her neck to see. She was sure she would recognize him. Amy didn't take Sheldon for someone who would drastically change his appearance.

It still came as a shock to her when, suddenly, the crowd before the doors thinned and in the path, halfway towards where she was standing, a tall, lanky figure was emerging seemingly out of thin air.

He didn't move yet, but the smile on his face told her that he had spotted her long before she realized he was there.

Amy sucked in a startled breath, staring for a few seconds… then, finally, a grin spread upon her face and she ran forward.

It took him only three long strides and he was there, releasing his grip on his suitcase to wrap his arms around her without hesitation. She did the same.

"Sheldon." she whispered against his chest where her face was buried.

"Amy." he answered from above her, breathing against her hair as he was speaking.

She was never hugged by anyone like that. Obviously, not by her mother, but her father's hugs never felt that intimate, either. Sheldon enveloped her tightly and securely. She could feel his heart beating beneath her ear as she was holding on to him by wrapping her arms around his midsection.

Amy had no idea how long they stood there like that, but the parting came way too abruptly to her.

Sheldon suddenly held her at arms-length away, studying her face while blushing adorably. "Sorry… I-I should have asked first if you're comfortable with this extreme form of affection."

"N-No, it's fine. It was very comfortable… I mean…uhm, nice." she stuttered, feeling herself furiously blushing, too. They smiled at each other and Amy noticed how far up she had to crane her neck. Boy, did he grow. "I'm just so glad to finally see you again." she said.

"Me, too." Sheldon answered immediately. They continued to silently observe the other, smiling shyly and looking away whenever their eyes met. "Excuse me for staring," Sheldon said eventually. "I'm just marveling at all your physical changes."

"My changes?" Amy repeated, blushing again. "I hardly changed anything about myself. Same old clothes, same old style."

"Not quite." noticed Sheldon. "Your hair is longer by about… five inches, I would assume, and you're not wearing your hairband but a rather nice-looking barrette. Your glasses are no longer black-rimmed, but red now and I think you're also at least two inches taller. Oh, and you're actually wearing even more clothes now than in Texas."

Amy's jaw dropped, flattered by Sheldon's perceptiveness. "Uhm, yeah… I-I do. It's getting really cold up here and you know how I'm always freezing."

"Yes, I suppose, that hasn't changed then." Sheldon smiled.

Much to her surprise, Amy's heart skipped a beat at his smile and she quickly talked on to play down her perplexity. "A-And look at you." She motioned up and down, marveling again how tall he was. Sheldon did grow fairly quick as a pre-teen, but now he was towering above her by at least two heads. "You're a giant." she chuckled good-naturedly.

"I can see how you get that impression, but I'm only 6'2'', which is above average for most of the American male population, but not gigantic." Sheldon explained, yet smiling proudly.

"And what happened to your mature button-down shirts you wore as a kid?" Amy wondered, grinning at the now a little childish-looking, two-layered, black Superman t-shirt combination.

Sheldon looked down at himself. "Oh, that…" he said a little surprised, proving to Amy that he seemingly abandoned the dress shirts a long time ago. "Well, I came across a well-stocked, little comic book store in Heidelberg not far from the university. They were not only selling comic books, but also merchandise and t-shirts. It reminded me of my friend Tam and of being at home, sitting on my bed, reading comic books. So, somehow… I primarily started to wear superhero shirts, because I felt comfortable in them." Sheldon blushed again and looked to the ground. "Does it make me look stupid?"

Amy smiled genuinely. "No… I like it." she said, brushing an imaginary piece of lint from his sleeve. "I think it suits you."

The proud grin forming on Sheldon's lips seemed to make him grow a few extra inches. "Well…" he said. "To that I say, 'Vielen Dank fur das Kompliment.'"

A little perplexed, Amy scrunched up her brows. "What?"

"That's German and means 'Thanks for the compliment.'"

Amy tilted her head. "I know, but I think it's pronounced 'für', with an umlaut."

Provokingly, Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "Who of us just spent four years in Germany?"

Amy giggled. "You did. But I'm pretty sure that I'm right anyway."

"I think you must be mistaken." Sheldon lectured stubbornly.

She giggled some more. "Alright, Dr. Cooper, if you say so. Should we head for the university now?"

"Fine by me." Sheldon said.

"Great." Amy beamed excitedly. "I'm going to give you a tour around campus. Follow me to my car." she said, naturally taking his hand without giving it much thought and leading him through the arrival hall.

Sheldon didn't try to remove his hand from her, but his voice still sounded a little strangled as he repeated, "Your car? You… drive?"

"Of course. I took my driver's license here in Boston and even got a good deal for an old, beat-up Ford. It's not great, but it's mine and it gets me around town. Didn't you learn how to drive?" she asked, looking back to him while pulling him along.

"Me? N-No." Sheldon answered indignantly, but with a slight shiver in his voice. "I… uhm, I'm way too evolved for driving. I prefer getting chauffeured around."

Amy laughed. "I see. I bet you're just worrying too much again."


"Your 'check engine' light is on." Sheldon noticed upon entering her little car.

"I know. It worries me, too." said Amy, shifting the gear to drive and heading out of the parking space. "But right now, I just can't afford to get a repair. I'm even desperate enough to send prayers to your mom's god, begging that the car will hold out as long as I need it."

"Well, that's unacceptable. It's not safe for you." Sheldon complained.

"I walk as much as I can and only use the car when I absolutely need to. What else can I do?" Amy shrugged, making a right turn to head for the freeway.

Sheldon seemed to think for a moment. "I could help you out… financially, I mean."

"What?" Amy quickly looked over to him to see if he was being serious. "No, I couldn't ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering." Sheldon corrected. "And I vehemently insist that you take my offer if you ever want me to set foot in your car again. We can get it repaired as soon as I get my first paycheck."

"But—" Amy tried to protest.

"I insist." Sheldon repeated firmly. "In exchange you could agree to drive me around from time to time. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Amy threw him a quick sideway glance. "Okay, deal." Smiling, she added, "Thank you, Sheldon."

"Of course."

After a small pause, their chatter flowed on naturally and easy, as if they were never separated at all. Amy asked Sheldon about his flight, which, according to him, was dreadfully long, but tolerable because of the sole fact that he knew she would be waiting for him at the end.

Amy swerved the car a bit upon this admission, causing Sheldon to grab the handle bar in shock.

"Good lord, woman!"

"Sorry, I'm… I-I swear, I'm usually a better driver than this." Amy pledged.

"I should hope so." Sheldon remarked, settling down again. "At least the adrenaline rush fueled a few more hours of energy for me. I'm already looking forward to your campus tour but wasn't sure if I'd really be up for it after the flight."

"Oh, of course." Amy nodded in understanding but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed. "You probably rather want to rest. We can do the tour another day."

"Nonsense." Sheldon argued. "I already said I want to do it. We haven't seen each other in four years. You're not getting rid of me that easily again."

Another glance to her right showed Amy that Sheldon was grinning boyishly at her. She blushed and grinned back. "What is that? Do I detect a hint of irony in your speech?"

Sheldon puffed his chest. "I'm a man with two doctorates now. I've picked up quite a few things."


Sheldon left his luggage at his private dorm room and was ready for his trip around Harvard after he freshened up a bit. His room was located in a special block for the university's teachers and was much bigger than a regular student dorm; it was more like a small flat, Amy realized after sneaking a peek through the crack of the door.

They started walking side by side, their hands swinging loosely and coincidently brushing against each other, while Amy proudly showed Sheldon the imposing, old buildings and different faculties of the school. She pointed out to him where all the biggest, most important lecturing halls were and where the physics department had their offices, so he would know his way around when he began working.

She also showed him her favorite place – the grand library – and they strolled through spacious paths of green parks, connecting the different houses. Amy's dorm room and the labs associated to the neurobiology department were located under the medical branch of the faculty. Zealously, Amy explained that she was handpicked by her professor to assist him in an addiction study with capuchin monkeys.

Both laughed, as they remembered how fond Amy had always been of the lovable, little creatures.

Much too soon for her, Amy led Sheldon back to their starting point. "And that's your place again." She caught him stifling a yawn. "And right on time, I see."

"Sorry." Sheldon said. "You didn't bore me. I loved the tour, but I guess the jet lag is getting to me at last and I have yet to call my mom and tell her I've landed safely." Sheldon cringed noticeably. "She will be mad that I haven't called her immediately."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Amy scolded. "I could have shown you where the call booths are."

"It's not a problem." Sheldon assured her. "It didn't occur to me earlier." And then with a gaze directed at her that seemed almost dreamily, he added, "I… I must have had… other things on my mind."

For the umpteenth time, Amy felt her cheeks warming up. "Well… I-I guess I let you sleep now."

"That would be good." agreed Sheldon, nervously clenching and unclenching his fists while looking at the ground between them. "But I still have the weekend to get accustomed to my new surroundings. So… i-if you don't mind… maybe you could show me the city tomorrow?"

Amused, Amy noticed that apparently she wasn't the only one after all who was affected by their reunion. "I'd love to." she said.

"Good." Sheldon smiled.

They kept staring at each other, blushing and shifting about, neither of them knowing what would be the appropriate way of saying goodbye after reconnecting with an old childhood friend.

"See you then." Amy said, timidly lifting her arms just as Sheldon wanted to extend his hand. "Oh… sorry, I thought—"

"No, it's okay." Sheldon smiled somewhat relieved and carefully lifted his own arms.

They slowly moved towards each other. Sheldon didn't take long to figure out where his arms needed to go from when they hugged earlier and enveloped her again in his, suddenly much bigger, more manly than boyish, embrace.

Amy immediately learnt to love the feeling of being held so securely and leaned her head against the Superman emblem on his chest… when, suddenly, a voice startled them.

"The young Dr. Cooper, I assume?" The voice spoke with confident authority, causing Sheldon and Amy to spring apart. "I see you're already getting acquainted with our students."

"Uhm… I-I'm…" stuttered Sheldon, his ears turning red as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And Amy was no better.

A greying, lean man with glasses had interrupted them and was now observantly folding his hands behind his back before introducing himself. "My name is Professor Charles Kingsley. I'm the director of this university."

Sheldon's demeanor changed immediately. He shook himself, stood straighter and politely extended his hand. "Of course, Professor Kingsley. I've heard so much about you."

"And I about you." The older man shook his hand, but the suspicious look didn't leave his face. "So, you're the wunderkind who managed to revolutionize the way we think about string theory?"

"That I am, Sir." Sheldon confirmed with his head held high. The professor lifted a single brow when Sheldon absently produced a small bottle of Purell from his pocket and rubbed a few drops into his hands. "Oh, I… I'm only doing that for precautious reasons. It has nothing to do with you personally, Sir."

"You didn't seem to mind with her." Kingsley nodded at Amy, who would give just about anything right now to be swallowed by the floor. "Miss Fowler, am I right?" he asked.

"Yes, Professor." Amy nodded shyly.

"That's different." Sheldon explained. "I know A—, I mean, Miss Fowler from my hometown in Texas. We practically grew up together."

"So, you're old friends then?"

"Yes." Both, Sheldon and Amy, confirmed simultaneously. "Just friends." Amy added boldly.

Sheldon nodded in agreement and made a point of not looking at her or even standing closer to her than necessary.

Professor Kingsley watched them intently. After an uncomfortable pause, he said, "Well then, I'm looking forward to getting impressed by the work you will do for us, Dr. Cooper."

"I won't disappoint, Sir." Sheldon stated.

The threesome stood there rooted for another moment until Kingsley cleared his throat. "I believe you should take the chance to rest for the weekend, Dr. Cooper. I'm expecting you in my office at 8 a.m. sharp on Monday. Then you will receive your teaching schedules and your personal office key."

"I will be there on time. Good day, Sir… and Miss Fowler." Sheldon politely nodded at each of them before retreating backwards into his room.

"Bye, Dr. Cooper." Amy whispered, smiling timidly at him.

He dared to quickly smile back and then closed the door.

Amy was still smirking as she turned away and almost flinched when her gaze met the unwavering one of the principal.

"I don't think you have any business to still be here in the teacher's sector, do you, Miss Fowler?"

"N-No, I don't." Amy answered intimidated and turned to hurry back to her room across campus. On the way, she couldn't shake the feeling away that someone just dropped another large stone in their way.


Hehe, what do you think of this chapter? :)

By the way, I have no idea how an university, Harvard in this case, is structured... this is just how I imagine it, haha ;)

And shoutout to cosette141; it was her idea to let Sheldon say something in German, since that's where I'm from, haha. Guess who's right about the pronunciation... ;D