Chapter 20: Wedding

"You are lucky enough to be best friends who love each other and that's the strongest kind of love because at its core it has kindness, patience and respect. Qualities that are hard to find in people these days." - Leonard

Howard and Bernadette's wedding was beautiful. The ceremony had been so emotional, full of love and smiles, but also so many tears with the looming knowledge that Howard would be going into space the very next day.

Bernadette had decided to have her wedding and reception in a conservatory, decorated with lights and flowers everywhere. It was magical and beautiful- everything the small woman had wanted and envisioned.

Carly and Penny had arrived earlier than the others to put the finishing touches on the venue, as well as help the bride get ready. They both met Bernadette's mother, who was although quiet, so very sweet.

The men had arrived later and Carly, wearing her pink bridesmaid dress, met with Sheldon looking tremendously handsome in his tux. A sliver of red poked out from his white button-up shirt, alerting her to the fact that he was wearing red long johns underneath the rented suit.

The bow tie was so cute on him.

At the sight of her, he had visibly swallowed and stared at her in wonder. "You're so pretty," he had whispered to her, awestruck. She had blushed darkly under his intense gaze and latched onto his arm so they could walk down the aisle together.

"You're by far the most handsome one here," she told him honestly, stroking his ego which had him smirking to himself for the rest of the ceremony.

Afterward, they all congregated around specific circle table-clothed tables. The bride and groom were busy, speaking with other guests, cutting the wedding cake, and then everyone mingled- music starting and the party started.

Sheldon sat beside Carly, with Leonard and Penny across from them as they enjoyed a piece of cake and a glass of champagne. Carly was delighted with the taste and smiled softly at Penny who caught her eye.

"I swear, if I see one airborne worm in this establishment, I'm leaving," Sheldon threatened, eyes darting around the conservatory in paranoia.

Carly placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Sheldon, I already told you, there aren't any butterflies in this one."

Sheldon was still unconvinced but he settled down for the time being to finish off his piece of cake.

"You two should go dance!" Penny suddenly said, a bright smile appearing on her face with twinkling eyes. Carly bit her lip uneasily from the pressure and glanced at her boyfriend.

He tensed under their gazes and gave Penny a look of derision. "I believe in an infinite number of universes, and I can assure you that I'm not dancing in any one of them."

Carly grabbed her glass of champagne and took a swig. The magic in the air was swirling around them and she was beginning to realize that the magic had ended during the ceremony for her and Sheldon.

He hated romantic things like dancing, flowers, and gushy love songs. The romantic in Carly sighed in disappointment. She supposed it could be worse though. He could be a real tool like John had been.

"Oh come on, Sheldon. This is Carly's first wedding she's been to. Take her out for a spin!" Penny encouraged and Carly tried to cut in before Sheldon could continue to protest, more than likely with an insult thrown her friends way.

"It's okay Penny. I wouldn't want Sheldon to do something he's uncomfortable with," she told her honestly, shaking her head for emphasis.

Sheldon quirked an eyebrow at Penny with a smug smile. "See? Carly doesn't even want to dance!" He told her triumphantly, misreading the situation, before putting one last bite of cake into his mouth.

"I wouldn't say I don't want to..." she muttered under her breath, turning her eyes to the dance floor where everyone was having a good time.

Leonard suddenly stood with a grin in his fiancé's direction. "Come on Penny, let's go."

"You don't dance!" Sheldon pointed out to Leonard, alarmed.

Leonard rolled his eyes at his roommate. "I have a beautiful woman with me at a wedding that I will never understand how to came to be- but I refuse to let the moment go to waste."

Penny grinned and took Leonard's hand happily and threw a wink at Carly. "See you later!"

Carly watched them leave for the dance floor. Leonard clumsily spun Penny around and then held her close, swaying to the music while they laughed merrily.

"Are you upset that I don't want to dance?"

Sheldon's sad, and unsure question in her ear, had her jumping in surprise as she turned to him.

Her heart skipped a beat at how close he was as he leaned down to speak with her privately, even though no one was sitting at their table to overhear.

"A little," she admitted to him but gave him a reassuring smile after seeing his eye twitch at her answer. "But don't worry. I'm not too heartbroken. I'm just glad to be here with you."

Sheldon nodded thoughtfully and sat back up in his chair. "I see," he said softly, almost to himself.

Carly took her glass of champagne and took another sip, the tingling on her tongue making her giddy. "Besides, I've never danced before. I'm probably horrible at it," she laughed lightly.

Sheldon licked his bottom lip, staring at the dancing bodies and considering them. In a snapped decision, he grabbed his glass of champagne with both hands and downed it all in one gulp- shocking her, her mouth going agape.

He then turned to her, his eyes wide and determined. "Let's go."

Carly blinked dumbly. "What?" She whispered, unable to process what he was trying to say.

"Let's go dance. You want to don't you?"

He was so sincere that it made her lightheaded. There was no way he was wanting to dance. Not after his show of convincing them all he hated dancing.

"Wh-what? No, Sheldon no. It's fine we don't have to-" she stammered nervously but he just rolled his eyes dramatically and grabbed her, pulling her to her feet. Even as she continued to protest, she had no say in the matter as he led her to the dance floor. She looked up at him in fear. "But you don't dance," she tried one last time.

"I said I didn't dance, not that I didn't know how. I'm well aware of how to waltz, salsa, and mambo. Many others too, but the songs about to end and I'd like to get this over with," he told her in a rush, taking her hands and putting one on his shoulder and one in his clasped hand. His free hand went to her waist and before she could utter anything else, he was leading her into a waltz perfectly to the music.

Carly didn't know what was happening. Her mind hadn't caught up to her body and so all she was able to do was allow him to lead, dancing with her in front of all of their friends and the other guests. She caught Penny's surprised eyes, her face going red as Sheldon's longjohns.

She ducked her head, trying to focus on what she was doing but failing- yet, it wasn't a problem. Sheldon knew exactly what he was doing and it sent her heart racing uncontrollably in her chest.

She looked back up and found him staring at her in deep thought, oblivious to everyone staring at them. All he was focused on was her and it sent a new blush appearing on her face. She felt like an inexperienced schoolgirl for some reason.

"What's wrong?" He asked her softly, still twirling them around to the music. His eyes held hers for a long moment before she bit her lip, then let out a breath.

"Nothings wrong," she assured him gently. "Just... you're an amazing dancer."

Sheldon smirked then, his eyes twinkling back at her. "You're surprised?"

Carly couldn't help but laugh at his usual arrogance. "Yes, very."

"There's much for you to learn about me, Miss Bennett," he told her slyly, his eyes lowering to her mouth, making her heart speed up when she noticed.

She swallowed thickly as she watched his eyes raise slowly back up to her eyes. "I suppose so," she whispered, getting lost in the blue of his irises and what they were telling her.

At that moment it felt like everything fell away and she forgot that people had been staring. All that existed was them. Just Sheldon and her.

The song soon ended and a slower one began. Instead of letting her go, as she would have expected, Sheldon pulled her gently to him so they were closer. Her breast's eagerly pressed up against his chest as her heart pounded in her ears.

Her first slow dance...

"Have you danced with anyone before?" she asked him, ashamed of her insecurities but still needing to know. There couldn't be any other explanation for how well he danced.

"No," he told her. "I'm from East Texas. There are things you have to learn to survive."

Not understanding the reference to his homage, she accepted it. "Oh, I see." She did feel relieved.

He smiled smugly then. "If you ever attend an East Texan barbecue with me, you'll also be privy to how well I can line dance."

Carly blinked blankly, unable to imagine her scientist boyfriend, Dr. Sheldon Cooper with two doctorates, line dance. "That's something I'd be interested in," she teased and he grimaced.

"Well I try to avoid such gatherings, so I'm sorry to disappoint," he told her, wrinkling his nose at the idea.

Carly bit her lip and finally glanced around, seeing Penny with her head on Leonard's shoulder with her eyes closed. Howard and Bernadette were also dancing, their foreheads together, savoring their last hours together.

Carly looked back up to her boyfriend, loving the way his handheld her modestly by the waist but wanting to be just as close. Perhaps the magic for them could still be there.

Carly slid her hand from his, and he momentarily looked surprised by the action but then widened his eyes further when she bravely wrapped both arms around his neck, bringing them even closer.

She smiled softly up at him as both of his hands found her waist, holding her to him as they swayed to the music.

The dance that had been romantic from the start, became much more heated as their bodies pressed in delicious ways against each other.

Sheldon cleared his throat, his hands twitching on her thin pink dressed waist. "This is new," he rasped, eyes darting around her face nervously.

She bit her lip, suddenly worrying it was pushing his comfort zone. "Is it okay?"

Sheldon swallowed, his adam's apple moving up and down in front of her eyes. "It is," he mumbled with a small nod.

Carly smiled in relief, glad he wasn't pushing her away. She lowered her eyes down at the sliver of red under his collar. "Aren't you hot?" She wondered aloud and he glanced down at himself once before shrugging.

"A little. It's worth it though. Who knows what sort of diseased character wore this before me," he explained, his eyes squinting at the idea.

She had to admit, he had a point. Carly's smile widened at him, appreciating how he thought of everything. "You look so handsome," she murmured as her head found his chest, leaning her cheek against him.

She heard his heart speed up at the action, or her words, she wasn't sure.

"Thank you," he whispered, his hands moving across her waist and settling along the small of her back, pulling her even closer to him if it were possible.

They were silent then, slowly swaying to the music and enjoying the feel of each other. Sheldon closed his eyes, focusing only on her as he had done most of the day. She was so beautiful, the color she wore highlighting just how pale and creamy her skin was.

She didn't normally wear makeup, or if she did it was very light, but the way she was dolled up made her look even more unearthly. She was a goddess, a magical being that if he didn't know any better, he'd created in his imagination.

How he had managed to find her and keep her with him, throughout everything he'd been through in the past few months, was beyond him.

He was incredibly grateful.

The song eventually ended and Carly slowly and reluctantly pulled away. He looked back down into her brown eyes, twinkling from the lights as she regarded him with such adoration.

It moved him greatly.

"I'm a little tired. Do you want to sit back down?"

Sheldon had never loved her more at that moment. "Most definitely," he told her earnestly and she grinned, taking one of his hands and guiding him back to their table.

Penny and Leonard were both still dancing and so they once again had the table to themselves.

At least for about five minutes. Raj appeared and slung himself down into his chair looking miserable, sitting an empty glass of champagne on the table.

"Everyone's so in love- even you guys!" He whined, throwing his head down into his hands. "Why can't I find that?"

Carly wasn't used to hearing him speak around her, in fact, she could probably count how many times she had heard him since meeting him on one hand. However, her heart broke for him. He was so lonely and upset, unable to even speak to a woman, let alone date one.

"I'm sure you'll find someone, Raj..." she assured him gently, wishing he wouldn't look so sad.

Raj shook his head. "There's no way," he mumbled into his fingers.

Sheldon scowled then. "All right, if this is going to turn into some kind of whiney cryfest then I'm out." He stood and then looked down at Carly expectantly.

She bit her lip, and then looked over at Raj who took his hands away and guiltily looked down at the table. "Hey, Raj... just hang in there okay? You'll find someone wonderful for you. I just know it. I mean look at me-" she said with a smile, glad when he finally looked at her with a small glimmer of hope. "I was in a similar position as you. I had a hard time making friends, barely spoke to anyone, and now I have great friends and an even more wonderful boyfriend. I feel in my heart that you'll find someone."

Raj's sad face broke out into a soft smile at her words. "Thank you, Carly... that means a lot to me."

Carly grinned and Sheldon rolled his eyes, grabbing her hand. "Good lord, let's go."

Carly shook her head in amusement and sent an apologetic smile at Raj, while Sheldon tugged her away.

He smiled knowingly at her and put a hand up to wave. Carly was truly an angel, especially to put up with Sheldon and his varying moods. He almost wished that he'd been the one to ask her out all those months ago.

Sheldon didn't know how lucky he had it.

Sheldon led Carly outside into the cool, Autumn Californian night air. Everyone was still inside as they walked hand in hand over towards a small outside garden, where it was quiet except for the small amount of music from the wedding.

When he released her, she put her hands over her arms, suddenly wishing she had a sweater or something to put on over the thin dress she wore.

"It's beautiful here," she commented idly, looking around at all the flowers.

Sheldon shrugged noncommittally. "I suppose to a girl, sure. You like all these hippy-dippy things."

Carly rolled her eyes and went over to a small stone bench to sit down. Her heels had been bothering her for a while and she didn't think she could ignore them for much longer.

Sheldon saw her do so and followed her, sitting down next to her. They fell into a comfortable silence and she looked over at him, seeing him stare up at the stars in thought. She wondered if he was thinking about how his friend was going to be up there come tomorrow.

He looked so handsome, she thought again. She loved his usual attire of boyish superhero shirts and khakis, but she'd never get tired of seeing him dressed up.

She tore her eyes away from him and looked down at the bushes of flowers around them. "Thanks for dancing with me, by the way. I know it wasn't easy for you."

She felt his eyes lower to her face and she looked back, giving him a small smile.

"It wasn't, but the champagne and the company made it less difficult," he confessed, his blue eyes looking dark in the shadowed evening.

Carly's heart skipped at his words. He seemed to know just what to say to make her swoon, even if he didn't realize the gravity of it.

Carly scooted near him, feeling him tense but then relax after a moment, with her head falling to his shoulder. His warmth felt nice on her cold skin. She couldn't help the shudder that broke through her, sending goosebumps up her arms.

He looked down at her then in alarm. "Are you cold?" His voice was worried.

She was embarrassed but was too cold to blush. "A little, but I'm fine."

Sheldon slid forwards on the bench, removing her face from his shoulder, to slip his jacket off. She blinked at him, not expecting the gesture, and was even more surprised when he propped the jacket around her shoulders carefully.

She looked up into his eyes, watching him concentrate on making sure the jacket covered her as much as possible. She felt breathless and indescribably cherished at that moment.

"There. I've got layers on and you're just in that lazy excuse of a dress," he muttered, his eyes darting around her face before settling on her eyes.

She couldn't help it, she leaned forward and hugged him, her arms going around his middle and pressing her face against his chest. He froze, his arms going upwards in shock, as he looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Mmm, so warm," she moaned in content, sending spurts of fire through his veins.

Sheldon supposed that his body heat would warm her faster and more effectively than the jacket ever could, so he wrapped his arms around her, holding her small body to him, pressing his nose into her soft curled hair. She smelled heavenly as she always did.

She tightened her arms, almost squeezing the life out of him but he didn't mind. She was there with him, needing him, loving him. He would accept any sort of torture from her if it meant that he could be with her forever.

Forever.

That was something he hadn't thought about. Tucking the thought away for another time, he savored the moment of bliss he was experiencing with Carly's pure essence surrounding him.

After another long moment, she finally pulled away from him with a flushed face and a shy smile. "We should probably go back in. Our friends will be looking for us."

"They can look," he said softly, not wanting to return just yet. Her smile softened her features and she slid a hand up to his cheek.

His eyes briefly closed at the touch, his breath coming out rapidly.

"I don't want tonight to end," she admitted in a small voice and he opened his eyes to find her staring at his mouth, her bottom lip going between her teeth nervously.

His heart sped up at the implication and he too felt nervous. "Why not?" He asked her, wanting to know what she was thinking with those heavy eyes of hers. "I was thinking more about how I wish it would end."

Carly laughed softly at his words, even though he had half meant them. Her hand caressed his jawline, making him lightheaded, before dropping her hand to his chest.

"I love seeing you dressed up," she admitted, her eyelashes fluttering attractively at him.

Sheldon felt his ears warm, but he ignored it to give her a wrinkled nose as if to say he was disagreeing. "It's admittedly itchy. I'd much rather be in my t-shirt or better yet... in my pajamas at this time of night."

Carly laughed, sending tingles down his spine. "Touché. I have to admit, I miss my sneakers. These heels are blistering my ankles."

Sheldon looked down at her feet then, seeing the redness growing at the back of each foot. "I have a first aid kit in Leonard's car," he offered helpfully and she smiled.

"I'm all right. I can tough it out," she said with a shrug, the jacket on her shoulders sliding a little from the action.

He fixed it immediately, not wanting her to get cold again. "Out of the question, little lady. I'm you're boyfriend. It's my job to fix up any ouchies or boo-boos. Here come with me," he said while standing, taking her hand and once again leading her away.

Carly's heart swelled with love for her Sheldon. He was such a thoughtful boyfriend when he wanted to be. Sometimes he was downright self-centered but there were times like these that she truly enjoyed and cherished.

Sheldon sat her back down at the table and was relieved to see Raj had disappeared. "Wait here," he told her then left. She watched him find Leonard over by Howard, who handed over his keys after Sheldon spoke to him.

He then left the conservatory once more, disappearing for a few minutes. She smiled to herself, truly happy for once in her life.

Bernadette appeared at her side and took a seat, looking breathtakingly beautiful in her wedding dress. "Hey, how's it going? I see Sheldon manned up and gave you his jacket. How uncharacteristic of him."

Carly grinned at her, holding the jacket to her happily. "I know! It surprised me too. How are you? I can't believe you're married now!"

Bernadette smiled in elation. "I know right? And to think, Howard's mom even told me that she approves of me- finally. For now at least."

Carly smiled before glancing around again. "Everything's so beautiful. You picked a lovely spot to get married."

Bernadette nodded. "I used to come here all the time as a little girl. I just knew it was the perfect spot, you know?"

Carly was touched by the words, wishing she had a place like that. "That's wonderful..." Then, she suddenly thought of something. "How are you guys holding up? You know with... tomorrow and everything?"

Bernadette's smile fell and she glanced over at Howard joking with Raj, Leonard, and Penny. "It's hard. We are truly enjoying tonight and I'm so proud of him, but... It's going to be difficult to go on without him for two months."

Carly nodded with sympathy. "I understand. I'm glad you guys decided to still go through with your wedding though."

Bernadette smiled. "Me too."

Just then, Sheldon reappeared with a small travel first aid kit in his hands. He gave Bernadette a pause, before smiling. "Congratulations," he told her politely and she brightened under the kind words.

"Thank you, Sheldon."

Carly smiled up at her boyfriend as he sat down next to her. Bernadette then stood back up.

"I'll leave you guys to it. We'll be closing down in about an hour, so Howie can get ready for tomorrow," she told them, before walking off.

Carly waved at her back, then turned in her chair to see Sheldon going through the first aid kit on the table. He plucked two bandaids and a bottle of ointment from it before turning to her.

"Thank you, Sheldon," she said, reaching for them, "I truly appreciate-"

Sheldon withdrew his hand out of her reach. "I'll do it, I'm more medically inclined than you," he told her smartly and she frowned, watching him bend down and take one of her feet in his hands to slide her shoe off.

She held her breath as she let him put her foot into his lap so he could get to her ankle better. Up close and personal, she did see the actual angry blisters that she had been experiencing the whole day.

"They're superficial, but this antibacterial ointment will heal them in no time," he told her distractedly, grabbing the ointment bottle. He took a bandaid and opened it, carefully and meticulously so he didn't touch the padding. He then squeezed a bit of ointment onto it and then with delicate fingers, placed the bandage on her blister.

Immediately, she felt better with the protection, but the whole situation left her breathless and gaping at him.

She glanced around as he dropped her foot to the floor to focus on the other one. No one was watching, and for that she was grateful. She didn't think she could handle the teasing, as her heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest.

After bandaging the other foot, he slid her foot back down, his fingers brushing along the top of it softly and sending a rush of heat through her. She slipped her shoes back on and then looked up to see him shyly packing the first aid kit back.

She struggled to find her voice, an overwhelming amount of emotion was making it difficult. "Thank you, Sheldon."

"You're welcome," he told her without looking at her. "You should get one of these travel first aid kits for your purse. Then you won't have to..." He had turned then, catching her eyes full of love and emotion, that his words failed him. He gulped. "I, uh, may have an extra one at the apartment I can give you," he finished lowly.

Carly's heart was pounding in her ears as she stared lovingly at him, seeing no one else in the world but him. He cleared his throat and broke the eye contact, staring down at the table awkwardly.

Carly composed herself, sitting up straighter and with the need to do something with her hands, grabbed for her unfinished glass of champagne to gulp it.

The rest of the hour went by rather quickly, with Penny and Leonard returning to the table giddy from their drinks and the overall atmosphere. Raj had brightened as well, finding a pretty girl to dance with.

Everyone soon called it a night, waving the newlyweds off and wishing Howard luck with his launch. Sheldon decided to drive home with Carly, not wanting to partake in Penny's drunk banter.

They made it to the apartment building before they did, and so the couple took their time walking up the flights of stairs to 2B.

"I wanted to ask you something," Sheldon piped up after a long bout of comfortable silence, his jacket hung over his arm.

She glanced over at him while they walked side by side up the stairs. "What's that?"

"Stuart's having a Halloween party at the comic book store and I was just wondering if perhaps you'd like to come with me?"

He looked nervous about asking but she didn't understand why. They'd been dating for a few months now and had spent copious amounts of time together. She felt like spending a holiday with her boyfriend would have been a given, but perhaps she'd been wrong.

Heaven knows she'd never really been with someone. At least not this seriously.

"Of course I'll go," she told him with a smile, dissuading his anxiety over it.

His lips turned upwards. "Okay good. So what I was thinking was that you could be R2D2 because, I mean, look at you- you're tiny and you'd be perfect. And then I can be C3PO."

Carly blinked, realizing she had walked right into that one. "That sounds nice but... shouldn't we be a couple?"

Sheldon gave her an odd look. "Why do you think I chose R2D2 and C3PO?"

Carly bit her lip. The idea of dressing up like a small robot did not sound appealing. "Okay... counter-proposal, how about you go as Han Solo and I'll be Princess Leia."

"Awww, but I wanted to wear my C3PO costume this year," he whined, giving her his largest puppy eyes.

She smiled at how adorable he was. "Yeah but think about how good you'd look as Han Solo. I mean- you're a great leader and I could totally see you being a sexy scoundrel."

At the word "sexy" Sheldon embarrassingly fumbled up the stairs and had to grab the wall for support to keep himself from falling up the steps. She bit her lip, pretending to not have noticed.

He gave her a clumsy look over his shoulder before trying to walk back up the stairs. They stopped in front of her door and he took a deep breath, obviously avoiding the subject of him being "sexy."

"All right," he conceded with a nod of his head. "I'll do it. I'm more of an empire man, but I do have to admit, the idea of leading an alliance in rebellion is awfully alluring."

She grinned brightly at him. "Great! Then it is settled."

"Are you sure you want to go as Princess Leia though? I'm sure I could get Leonard to let you borrow his Chewbacca costume for the night... just make sure to disinfect it first. I've seen how much he sweats."

Carly went through her purse, finding her key. "I'm sure," she stated without hesitation. "I'll have Penny do my hair."

Sheldon sighed dramatically, watching her unlock her door. He got silent once she turned to look at him, realizing they'd have to say goodbye.

He surprised himself by thinking that he knew what she had meant before, about not wanting the night to end. He didn't want to give up the sight of her just yet.

"I had a wonderful time tonight," she told him with a soft smile. His heart fluttered wildly in his chest.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," he confessed, his eyes running over her hair framing her face and the way the dress hung to her curves, committing it to memory. Not that he truly needed to, with his eidetic memory.

"I'm glad," she murmured, before going over to him. He held his breath as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, her lips pressed softly and delicately.

When she dropped back down to the balls of her feet, he gazed at her in awe. Such a beautiful woman couldn't possibly want to do this with him. She hadn't even put up a fight about wearing a Star Wars costume like Penny did when Leonard suggested it. It was mind-boggling.

"Goodnight Sheldon," she whispered to him.

Sheldon licked his lips anxiously, wishing he didn't have to say goodbye to her just yet, but couldn't think of any reason to make her stay. "Goodnight, Carly," he said anyway and watched her silently enter her apartment with one last smile in his direction.

The smile that she held specifically for him.

Dear lord, he was doomed.

I have quite a few new followers! I just wanted to say thank you for that, and if you have a moment, let me know what you enjoy about this story and how it's going so far. I haven't got much of a reaction recently. Anyone who read the original, is this revision to your liking? Let me know!

See you on Friday! We meet a potential rivalry. How will Sheldon react?