Hi lovelies,

Thank you so much for continuing to review these prompts. It means so much!

This prompt was requested by two guests and Dvalls1 and is a follow up/continuation of Not Part Of The Plan and For The First Time so please go and read those first.

I just want to say that I have no experience in this area but have tried to do a bit of research however, the time frame of certain things may not be correct. On another note, I've decided to make all of the three prompts an alternative to Emily's birth.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! xxxx

Waking up to the soft sound of machines and the warm, calm atmosphere of the NICU had strangely become the norm for Amy and Sheldon. The past four days had been quite the whirlwind and their journey into parenthood was very far away from what they had expected.

"Your neck looked like it was in a funny position, I put a cushion under your head but I don't know if it helped" Sheldon explained, his voice quiet as he turned from the incubator to face Amy, watching as she uncurled herself from the chair where she had fallen asleep, watching her face contort in pain as her muscles were stretched and eased.

Waking up to various aches and pains was also becoming quite normal for them, Amy craved a comfortable nights sleep more than anything but she wouldn't rest, she couldn't properly relax until their little girl was home where she belonged.

"Thank you" Amy pushed herself up into a sitting position, not having the heart to tell Sheldon his kind gesture hadn't worked at all. Her eyes instantly searched for her baby, she was terrified of taking her eyes off of her, even if it was just to take a nap, this often happened when she couldn't physically stay awake any longer and her eyes just closed of their own accord.

Sheldon had tried to tell her it was okay to sleep, that she needed to rest and take care of herself too but it was all just noise to Amy, she didn't want to know. Until her little girl was okay, she couldn't focus on anything else.

It had been Penny who had managed to convince her that everything would be okay if she left her daughter and Sheldon for just an hour. During that time, Penny took her home to shower and made her coffee and tried anything she could to make her smile. Amy had to admit she felt a little better afterwards but when she weighed up the worry she had for her daughter it just wasn't worth it.

She couldn't shake off the thought of not being there when something happened. Whether it be a positive milestone or something heartbreaking Amy hated the thought of her not being by her daughters side, no matter what the cost, her little girl needed her mum to be there every step of the way.

"I was telling her about super asymmetry" Sheldon explained, his hand gently resting upon the incubator.

"Oh darling" Amy sighed as she pulled herself up, placing her hands through the hole in the side and taking hold of her daughters hand. Today, she felt stronger, Amy was sure of it. "Is daddy boring you with science talk" Amy asked, gently moving her finger back and forth across her arm, she still couldn't quite believe how soft her skin was.

"Amy" Sheldon gasped, sounding rather offended. "We can't have her growing up thinking that science is boring." Surely, with DNA from both Amy and Sheldon it was instilled in her that she would love Science.

"Don't worry. When you're a little older and big and strong you'll be able to run away whenever daddy starts boring you" she laughed as the image came to mind of their little daughter toddling around their apartment running away from Sheldon as her giggles filled the room.

"You know, I can't wait for that. I can't wait to take her home" Sheldon spoke, a sense of longing in his tone. He didn't feel like he would truly be able to figure out fatherhood until she was home, until it was all down to them.

—

"I feel so nervous" Amy admitted as she placed her little daughter into her car seat for the first time, adjusting the straps accordingly and checking numerous times that she had strapped her in properly and then checking even more.

"Me too" Sheldon replied. "But it's a good nervous, nervous excitement" he explained just so Amy understood that the excitement and the overwhelming feeling this moment brought wasn't lost on him.

After five and half weeks, they were finally taking their daughter home. Neither Amy or Sheldon had imagined parenthood starting out like this, they had experienced more ups and down than they thought were possible to experience in a whole lifetime, let alone just five weeks. But somehow, as if by magic, they were still here. All three of them had been able to get through the most difficult time of their lives and now all they had to worry about was their future together.

Their journey to this point hadn't been easy. At six days hold, they were able to hold her for the very first time, that would go down as a moment neither one of them would forget. Feeling her tiny body against their chests, feeling her heartbeat, feeling her body gently move up and down with every breath she took was just the most incredible thing. Amy couldn't recall when she last saw Sheldon cry but as he held his baby girl close to him for the very first time, she was sure she saw a few tears roll down his cheek.

It was then, in that moment when she was laying against her fathers chest that they decided to name her. With everything that had happened, a name, as silly as it may sound had somehow managed to slip their minds. There was finally a lull of calmness and peace amongst the intense worry that they were both feeling, they had finally got that moment that Amy was desperate for after the birth. Although, it was six days late, holding her and watching Sheldon hold her was one the best things she'd ever experienced.

They decided to call her Emily. A name Amy had had her heart set on since she was a child, a classic beautiful name that seemed to fit their daughter perfectly. Sheldon was more than happy with the name, Emily Cooper had a nice little ring to it.

"We get to take you home" Amy cooed at Emily, whose eyes were wide as she took in her surroundings, as the weeks had passed as well as growing stronger, she was becoming much more alert to everything around her. Just three days ago, Emily had been taken off the ventilator. Sheldon and Amy had been prepared and briefed on ever type of scenario that could arise, it was a horrible feeling to know that there was absolutely nothing that they could do. They just had to stand and watch helplessly and hopefully as their daughter took her first breaths all by herself.

"Are you okay?" Sheldon asked, he was just about to pick up Emily's car seat when he saw that Amy was crying.

"We're taking her home" her voice was quiet and thick with tears. As the weeks had gone by, Amy couldn't bring herself to think of this moment, there were so many obstacles to overcome that it seemed so far into the future. They were just taking every little moment one step at time. "We actually get to take her home" she reached up to wipe her eyes.

It was an emotional goodbye as they left the NICU. Saying goodbye to people that had been able to take care of their daughter in ways they could never have imagined, in ways they never could. They were the most amazing, caring people and Amy owed them all everything because that's what they had given her. Emily, her everything.

—

"This is your home" Sheldon announced in a whisper as they stepped into apartment 4A. For the first time in a long time, it felt good to be home. Recently, their visits home had been very brief and fleeting, a quick shower or a few hours sleep. They never had that relief of finally being home, that safety and security that home brought them had gone and in its place guilt and worry about what they were leaving behind at the hospital. Now as they stepped through the threshold that homely feeling was suddenly back, they were home, the three of them together.

Although initially nervous at driving with such precious cargo, Sheldon had been keen to show Emily everything on the journey home, talking her through various buildings that they passed. He even went out of his way to show Emily Caltech, explaining that this is where mummy and daddy worked. Amy found the gesture incredibly heartwarming and simply didn't have the heart to tell him that by this point the car had lulled Emily to sleep.

"What do we do now?" Sheldon asked, as he placed Emily's car seat down on the floor. He had spent all of his childhood studying and researching to reach where he now was in his career and even now as an adult, it was rare that a week went by that he wasn't introduced to something new which questioned his thinking and understanding. Yet, the most important job of all, being a parent and raising children was something that you were just left alone to do. No courses, no papers, no nothing, just a very tiny baby who depended on you for everything, it felt incredibly overwhelming.

"I have no idea" Amy laughed.

"We could sleep" Sheldon suggested, he hadn't got round to reading many parenting books like he'd planned but sleeping when your baby slept was a common piece of advice.

"I'm not sure I can sleep" Amy admitted as she sunk her body down into the couch, finally relieved to have some comfort. Sheldon looked at her, his eyes asking a million questions. "Sheldon, I'm really scared. What if something happens to her and we don't know because we're asleep" the thought had been playing on her mind throughout their time in hospital, although she was nervous about sleeping there, there were various machines that would go off if the slightest problem was detected. They didn't have that here.

"She's going to be okay" Sheldon told her gently, placing his hand on her knee. "Look at her, look how strong she is, she breathing all by herself" he was in complete awe of her, what she had already overcome in her short little life so far was nothing but amazing. He couldn't quite believe he was partly responsible for creating her.

"I know" she didn't sound convinced as her eye were fixed upon Emily.

"She's ours Amy" he gave her knee a gentle squeeze. "She's safe. We finally have her home, now we just have to figure out how to be mum and dad" Amy couldn't help but laugh, she was so grateful that throughout all of this he was always by her side, she wasn't sure what she would have done without him but never once did he make her question that possibility.

"I think we'll be amazing" flopping her head onto his shoulder, she could feel the tiredness consume her.

"Me too"

Thank you SO much for reading! As always reviews are always welcome and so appreciated! For the meantime, while I work through a few requests, prompts requests are closed.

Stay safe. Lots of love. xx