Chapter 12

Thanks again to ShAmy4evr for everything, as always!

The next morning as Amy approached the door of 4A she did her best to forget Sheldon's suggestion of marriage. She was a planner herself and she admired it in others. Now that she had let her heart free to fantasize, she admitted to herself that she did dream about a future with Sheldon, but even those dreams were years off, if ever. There was one aspect of Amy's life Sheldon did not know about yet, and his talk of marriage might waver if he knew.

Sheldon seemed so confident in his feelings for her that it was almost unnerving. She wished she had that confidence.

Sheldon opened the door with a hefty sigh and pleasant smile, "Good Morning, Dr. Fowler. Tea?"

"Oh sure!" Amy nodded and relaxed. As soon as her eyes met his, her doubts melted. She walked into his home, noticing an intoxicating smell wafting through the apartment like mana from the gods.

"What is that aroma? I am drooling!"

Sheldon sucked in his bottom lip for a moment and thought. A way to a woman's heart is through her stomach. Momma would be proud. "My sour dough bread. My momma taught me to make it when I was nine. Would you like a slice?" The smell reminded Sheldon of his momma's laugh and the way she had always called him her special boy.

"A slice? I want the whole loaf! Where is it?" Amy moved over to the kitchen to find the bread. She picked up a slice, and held it for a second. It was still warm. "Did you bake this for me?" Amy took a taste, and then another. Sheldon watched her sensually devour the bread and lick the butter off her lips.

Sheldon stammered and darted his eyes down, "Oh… No… I just… Yes… I did. Yes." He didn't want to seem to eager, but she seemed to love the gesture.

Amy was perplexed, "Sheldon there is no reason to lie about doing this for me, unless you have another loaf and you fear I may break in here in the middle of the night and steal it!"

Sheldon licked his lips and told her with a low husky voice, thick with Texas timbre, "Little lady, if you want to come on over here in the middle of the night, just say the word. I got an extra key with your name on it."

Amy nearly dropped the second slice, "Oh my… well. Thank you for the invitation. I am… God, this bread is good, isn't it!?"

Sheldon locked eyes with her and hid a small smile. The look he gave her shook her knees as if they were made of rubber, making her wonder where that key was after all.

As Amy ate her bread, the couple continued to volley trivia back and forth about baking, the agrarian history of the Indus Empire and best formulas in calculus for making a bread pan. Sheldon was enthralled by her thoughts and words, willingly enslaved by an intellect which was on a par to his own.

From the moment he had met her, speaking with Amy had become the highlight of his day. As much as he wanted her as his girlfriend with all the physical contact that it entailed, he cherished this time as much if not more. Her mind helped sooth the memory of years of intellectual loneness. He had found another polymath just like him. She loved his brain in all its glory. Most people in Sheldon's life had been annoyed and at times feared his intellect, but Amy seemed to revere it. She knew how his mind worked and that fact was as comforting as the warm sliced bread hot from his oven.

Their ride to work was pleasant as was the good-bye smile Amy gave Sheldon. He was able to work with ease as ideas were flooding him. Working at Caltech was becoming easier each day. Even the lunch crowds weren't as bad as they once were for Sheldon.

At lunch, Leonard had pleaded that they go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner that evening, and as no one could refuse his puppy dog eyes, it was agreed. So shortly after 5 pm, Amy made her way to Sheldon's office to collect him. As she turned the corner she almost ran smack into Bert, who seemed to be in a rush and was not looking where he was going. Backing up she smiled, but Bert's red eyes didn't return it and before Amy could say a word, he took off down the hall as if the hounds of hell were after him. And as he disappeared around the corner Amy thought she heard him whimpering.

Amy turned towards Sheldon's office and saw the door close. She walked over to it, and knocked.

"Hello Amy Farrah Fowler! Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes... Did you see Bert? He seems upset, his eyes looked a little red. Maybe I should go talk to him before we leave. I'll be right back."

Sheldon grabbed her arm to stop her, "Oh don't worry about old Bert. He did some kinda experiment with sulphur and it got in his eyes. He's fine. Let's go! I am so hungry I could eat a horse and chase the jockey!"

As Amy followed Sheldon out, she looked curiously down the hall, wondering why there would be sulphur in the physics department and more importantly, why would Bert be in Sheldon's office?

Dinner at the Cheesecake Factory turned out to be a pleasant affair, and much better than their previous visit. Penny had even managed to get Sheldon's order right, a minor miracle that Sheldon said that would make him go to church to thank Jesus, if he had the conviction or inclination.

For Amy it was an entirely different experience from last week. She felt more at ease with Penny, and the conversation sparkled – gone was the tediousness she had felt on her last visit and the unfounded jealousy as well. She beamed at her new friend who seemed to only have eyes for Leonard that night, because his was the only order she delivered on time, the only drink she refilled and the only one who was offered dessert.

Afterwards, like any good Southern gentleman, Sheldon walked Amy to her car to ensure her safety. Leonard had agreed to drive him home that night so they could discuss a potential roommate agreement and the requirements for the privilege of living with Sheldon. Although, Sheldon knew from the congress of Sheldons that living with Leonard was a gift as well, and one he wouldn't want to squander.

As they strolled to her car in the dark parking garage, Sheldon's anxiety rose. He yearned to kiss her good night, or at least give her some tangible form of affection as she had given him the previous night. Her simple kiss on the cheek still warmed his face but he craved one more like their first kiss.

He recalled how guarded Sheldon One had been with his affections, almost lording it over his Amy and only giving her bits here and there. As if his love was so precious that it was a special gift. Sheldon thought Number One was a callous ass and he vowed not to repeat that bonehead's mistakes. Seeing his alternate versions bumble their charmed lives had been infuriating, however there were still snippets of good advice echoing in his mind. After all, who better to listen to than the smartest guy in the room: Himself.

Amy wrung her hands as she approached her car with a slight smile. Over the course of the evening, Sheldon had held her hand under the table and lightly rubbed her thigh every time she had laughed at his witty jokes that no one else had understood. It was a small gesture, but one that Amy cherished.

As they approached the car, Amy steeled her nerves, and took hold of Sheldon's hand again. She loved holding his hand. It was strong and engulfed hers, but with skin as soft as silk. He looked down at it, then to her and smiled.

"You know, just a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to walk in a crowded lunch room, eat in the restaurant, or even hold a lady's hand. You got some powerful magic, Amy Farrah Fowler."

Amy smiled, and reached out for his other hand. Her back was against the car door, and Sheldon stepped closer. "I… don't think I have magic. I think you are facing your fears, as I am."

"I have only one real fear now, Amy." He released her hand only so that he could brush back her hair and feel her soft cheek. He wasn't quite bold enough for ask for another kiss in public, so instead, he leaned into her cheek as she had done. As soon as his lips made contact, he reached up to hold her shoulder. He pulled away, but Amy moved her face toward him and kissed him softly on his mouth for a brief moment. She finished her kiss, which Sheldon thought was much too short, and she moved to his ear.

"Thank you for walking me to my car. You are a perfect gentleman."

Sheldon tipped his head to whisper in her ear, "Good Night, Amy. Be safe." His mouth moved down her neck for a moment as he inhaled her scent and he slowly pulled back with a smile that Amy happily returned.

Sheldon watched her drive off with a wave, and then made his way to Leonard's car with a slight skip in his step. He and Leonard were only in the discussion phase of the roommate negotiation, and a short meeting to outline expectations was the agenda for the night. Sheldon had an extensive list, but Leonard seemed to be willing to agree to anything.

As he approached the car, he saw a rather hefty man ripped like a body builder, chasing Leonard round it yelling obscenities at him. Sheldon didn't wait for moment before took off toward the car, and stopped the roundabout chase by pushing the man away almost knocking him to the ground.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Sheldon bellowed at the crimson faced ogre.

The man pointed to Leonard who was cowering, "HE'S my problem, Pal... Stay outta this." The man puffed up like a fighting cock, ready for battle.

Leonard screeched out before he ducked behind the front of the car, "He's Penny's ex-boyfriend, Kurt. I just asked him to pay her back the money he owed, nothing more! He thinks I am after Penny!"

Sheldon looked back at Leonard, "Well, you ARE after Penny!"

Leonard could kill his new friend, "SHELDON! Don't tell the 6'4 Spartan that!"

"Oh please, he's only 6'2." Sheldon turned toward the man who was now cracking his knuckles and glaring at Sheldon.

"I'm 6'3. What the hell do you know about it, ya little bitch."

Sheldon eyed the man up and down and clicked his cheek, "Whelp, I know that the overuse of steroids not only causes testicular atrophy, but also leads to baldness and over aggression. Now, Penny may not be the brightest bulb in the lamp, but she sure the hell can do better than a juiced up brainless meat sack like you. Run on home now, before I show ya what I do to bullies." Sheldon squared his stance and locked eyes with the brute.

Kurt just sneered at Sheldon, and pulled back his fist. Sheldon didn't miss a beat, he ducked the oncoming punch with a twirl that put him behind Kurt. He grabbed his arm, bent it behind up to his shoulder blade and slammed Kurt's head into the trunk of the car. Then flipping Kurt around to face him, he punched him in the nose so hard that Leonard could hear the crack from where he was hiding. Kurt fell to the ground with a thud and a yelp of pain.

Sheldon took a deep breath, and then casually walked over to Kurt cowering on the pavement, "I would think twice about messing with my friend here, Kurt." Kurt tried to get up, wiping the blood from his nose but Sheldon pushed him down with his foot. "Now… now… stay on down there, boy. I don't want to dirty up my new shirt teaching ya again, who's really the little bitch, now do I?"

Leonard watched the whole scene awestruck, and kicking himself that he didn't have a camera.

Sheldon walked casually around to the passenger side and motioned for Leonard to open the door. Leonard ran around, quickly got into the car and once Sheldon was seated, drove away before Kurt was off the ground.

"Sheldon! That was amazing. I don't know what I would have done if you had not shown up."

"Well, besides running around the car, I bet you would have escaped. He's as slow as cold molasses. Besides…I don't like tyrants." Sheldon held his hand into chest as the pain throbbed from it. "Dumb ones are the worst."

At the age of 13 Sheldon had been as scrawny as a new willow tree, and just as easy to knock over. It was around about then that his father had heard that the neighbor kids had been picking on him. Thus began the never ending boxing lessons his father had put him through with his older brother George Jr, and later, when Junior refused to hit his little brother anymore, his father himself. Sheldon lost every time, and had just wanted the agony to end. His endless bloody noses and bruised ribs had cured him of his aversion to blood and pain, and though he thought a death ray would have been much simpler, he had eventually stood up to his bullies, and fought back. He had hated bullies ever since. He was not a fighter, but he had learned his lessons well. He would never be bullied, or allow someone else to be bullied again. But he hadn't hit a person in years and he had forgotten how much pain his knuckles felt.

The following morning Amy arrived early at Sheldon's apartment with a new batch of turnovers to thank him for the bread. She was greeted with a sweet smile and a hot mug of tea. As they were chatting about the possible new roommate agreement Sheldon had negotiated with Leonard, Amy noticed his reddened knuckles.

"Sheldon! Are you injured?" Amy moved over to him and grasped his hand to inspect his injuries. Sheldon pulled it away and gave her a wincing smile.

"It's nothing Amy. I just scraped it cleaning… um… the bike in case you want to ride this weekend…Any more of those turnovers little lady?" Sheldon did not want Amy to find out about his fight last night, and he had made Leonard swear to not breathe a word of it to her. Leonard had agreed, although he had thought that it was pretty cool of Sheldon to defend him and had said that Amy might feel the same way. Sheldon disagreed. He didn't want Amy to think of him as a brute who fights in parking lots like a thug.

After a quick change of subject to Neil Diamond, Amy was lost in conversation while Sheldon struggled to keep up the lie that he liked the romantic crooner.

Wednesday evening meant comic book night and Sheldon once again tagged along with the guys to the comic book store. Sheldon was a little tense to start with, being on guard against Stuart's anticipated anger over his stealing of Amy. He had expected a fight and Sheldon came in baring teeth, ready to go Texan on him. However, Stuart had just chalked it up to his luck with women, and was just relieved that Sheldon hadn't interrupted his date to claim Amy.

Sheldon flexed his sore fist and started to peruse the comics. He was feeling much more confident, not only about his relationship with Amy, but also with this group of guys that he felt he could now call his friends. With friends, however, comes the inevitable mischievous mocking that Sheldon was not quite used to yet.

"So, Casanova… How's it going with the Fair Fowler? Any tantalizing bedroom details you'd like share with the group…" Howard was stopped mid-sentence by a beam, no a laser aimed at his head. The source was Sheldon's ice blue glare that could freeze a man.

Sheldon leaned across the comic stacks, and in a steel hard voice said to Wolowitz, "Not in any universe would I discuss my amorous activities with anyone, least of all some loose lipped 'Casanova' as you say, who can't keep it in his pants. Sheldon Lee Cooper does not kiss and tell… Now… You were sayin?"

Howard gulped and turned quickly toward Leonard, "Ahhh… How was your date with Penny, Leonard?"

"It wasn't a date! I just walked her to her car. After she left, well that was when it got exciting." Leonard looked to Sheldon who shot him an unreadable stare. Sheldon had said he didn't care if the guys knew, as long as they didn't say a word to Amy or they would get a strike. After seeing Sheldon in the parking lot, Leonard thought he knew what Sheldon meant by a strike, so he had kept his mouth shut during lunch.

Raj asked, "Is the Cheesecake Factory our new Tuesday night hot spot!?"

Leonard sighed, "Maybe… but I might always be just the guy who orders cheese-less nachos. I don't know how to approach her."

"Ask her about her acting jobs." Sheldon offered without looking up to see the guys' reactions. "But don't ever let her think you believe she is stupid. Don't say you love her too soon, you will spook her off. And for god sake, don't propose during sex!" Sheldon gave all this advice while thumbing through the stacks, rattling off everything he could remember from the other Sheldons' banter.

Howard was shocked by Sheldon's insight, "Sheldon! You are woman whisper! What advice do you have for me?

Raj piped in, "And me!"

Sheldon looked up over their heads to think, "Howard, there is a three date rule for coitus. You need to go on three dates before that will happen, so don't ask for it but don't wait too long afterwards…Once you have a girlfriend, don't cheat on her with a online troll who will turn out to be a man. You'll never get another one, girlfriend that is, not troll."

"A man? Glissinda the Troll of the famed Bridge of Souls, is a man?" Howard was pale for two reasons. One, how the hell did Sheldon know about his online love affair with the fair Glissinda the Troll, and two she was a man.

"Yes. Sorry. According to my sources, he's the greasy old fat guy in facilities management. He's been stringing you along for years, son." Sheldon glared at Raj to think what he could, but he had nothing, "Raj… I don't know…I really don't… Only steer clear of gold digging deaf women and beware of creepy zombie girls who like to have sex in cemeteries, that's all I got…"

Raj slumped down, "Oh man…I'll never get a girlfriend."

Sheldon smirked at him, "Don't start Hofstadering now, Raj!" Howard burst out a laugh and held up his fist to Sheldon, who shook it.

Sheldon had remembered all the repartee back and forth between the Sheldons before he had blown his top at them. They had spent what seemed like hours swapping stories about the group, their lives and friends. The banter with Sheldon's new friends seemed the same, except this crowd was much more fun. Little hints here and there told Sheldon that this universe was not too far off from the others.

Just as he was thinking that, he found a comic on the DC multiverse. The guys interrupted his haze, and Howard asked, "How do you know so much about women, Sheldon?"

Sheldon tapped his temple, "This brilliant mind houses much more than the secrets to the universe." Sheldon looked past Leonard "Like why do I not own that Bat Man cookie Jar! Excuse me Gentleman."

Raj shook his head, "Sheldon will be putting Stuart through retirement before too long. "

Leonard leaned in, "Hey…I didn't tell you guys at lunch, because Amy was there, but…" He lowered his voice, "You guys have to promise you won't tell Amy, Sheldon said not to."

"We swear!" Raj and Howard nodded to each other. They loved gossip, and secrets were their favorite, though they were terrible at keeping them.

Leonard said quietly, "Sheldon totally clocked Penny's ex-boyfriend who was trying to kill me! You should have seen him, he took him down with one punch!"

"Really? He's like a nerdy super hero!" Howard's mind was racing with all the possibilities, "Can we get him to do a number on Joshua Levin. That bastard stole my retainer when I was 11 and I have had crooked bisectors ever since."

"Now now… we can't have Sheldon as some kinda body guard." Raj shook his head. "It will mess up his face for Amy and they won't look good in the wedding photos!"

Howard scolded his friend, "Raj… way, WAY too soon to be talking weddings! You want to scare him off! Now hush!"

"Fine…" Raj smiled, "Well… maybe in that case he could be our body guard.. Think about it! We will never get picked on at comic con anymore! Even when all we go as variations of Cat Woman! Dibs on Haley Berry!"

"Yeah, I don't care how many guys he beats up, that is not happening Raj." Leonard shook his head and then asked quietly, "Do you think I should live with Sheldon? I mean… he's right across the hall from Penny and… "

Before he could say anymore, Raj started to whine, "HEY! What about me? Aren't I the perfect roommate?"

"Frankly, Raj, if I stay with you for another day, the only woman I will be with is Jenny Craig. Now seriously, whaddya think?"

Howard took in a deep breath, "Well…He's crazy… OCD to the max… His trivia facts will bore the crap outta you. He has a temper and now you know he can back it up… he cusses like a dock worker, and he is cleaner than my Aunt Bernice. But… Hey Penny is next door, so of course you should! You could see her every day! Maybe even Au Narturel!"

Leonard looked dreamily out in space, "Every day…"

"I am NOT bringing any of my cooking to you, Leonard. I hope you and your new bride suffer in the culinary desert that will be your life." Raj stomped his feet and scowled.

"Who cares if we eat mac and cheese forever? Sheldon says we are meant to be!" Leonard's smile beamed out like a lighthouse.

Howard tsked at Leonard, "Careful, Pal…Sheldon is crazy over Amy. You might be moving out before you move in, replaced by another bespectacled brunette in sensible shoes."

Leonard smiled, "Yes.. I figure I got about six months, tops. Six months to get Penny to be my girlfriend."

"Why six months?" Howard queried.

"Are you kidding, the way Sheldon looks at Amy? Leonard will be lucky if he has six days!" Raj beamed, "And it's all due to my match making! I am a romantic genius!"

"Yeah… genius.. anyway.. I need to work fast! Romance Ninja" Leonard did a judo Chop, but Howard just rolled his eyes.

Howard snorted, "I got 20 bucks says you can't even get a date in six months!"

Sheldon overhearing the latter part of the conversation yelled back to the group, "That's a sucker bet." He knew Penny and Leonard's coupling was just a matter of time.

Across town, girl's night was well underway. Amy had met Bernadette and after a few awkward moments due to Amy's nervousness and mentioning of menses, the girls were gossiping like they were in a school yard. However, the jeans shopping was an exercise in restraint, as far as Penny was concerned. How one person could find every pair of "mom jeans" in the store was a mystery. Finally, Bernadette and Penny had locked Amy in the dressing room while they found a pair that would fit her like a dream and, Amy had to admit, her ass looked amazing. Eddy would be proud.

Back at Penny's apartment, Amy was sipping on sparkling water like a lady from Sex in the City. She felt like a down town hipster and was having a fabulous time, but she was curious about one thing.

Amy asked her new friend, "Bernadette, have you ever met Sheldon?"

"No. I've only been over here a few times, I've never seen him. What does he look like?"

Amy got a dreamy look, "Well, he's tall, blue eyes and raven hair. His shoulders hoo! He is so…"

Penny interrupted, "He's a lanky geeky guy with some muscles, but he is crazy for Amy, so good for her! Speaking of which…Amy… We want dirt!"

Bernadette nearly squealed, "Oooh! Dirt! Yes!"

Amy swallowed her water and eyed her salivating audience with a skeptical glare.

Penny sat in her multicolored chair with a glass of Chardonnay. She wanted all the scandalous details on her neighbor of 8 years that she had never been able to get before. "So, what's the deal with my crazy neighbor? Did you guys do the deed yet?"

Amy almost spit out her sparkling water, "No! We haven't even had a second date yet. We have it scheduled for Saturday. The kiss after the first one though…" Amy stared off into space till Penny snapped her fingers at her.

"Earth to Amy! Second date huh? Gonna wear your new jeans? Or save them for date three?"

Amy sipped her water, "Hmm… Jeans at the zoo…"

"I say wear them on the third date. You might have sex then."

Now Amy did spit out her water. "WHAT?"

"Oh sure…"Bernadette sipped her wine, and added with a high pitched sweet tone, "Sheldon has to wait three dates before you can have sex. That's the rules."

Penny looked completely confused, "Three dates? Seriously? How many before you move in? OR get married?"

Bernie thought about it, "Um…" She really didn't know.

Amy leaned in, "Yeah… When is it appropriate to talk about marriage?"

Penny looked wide eyed and said, "Oh sweetie, don't bring up marriage! It spooks the men folk!"

"Yeah. I lost a boyfriend in college that way. He left skid marks from leaving so fast!" Bernadette smirked, "Best way to get rid of guy. No fuss no crying fits."

Amy chewed her lip and asked timidly, "What if…. He brings it up?"

Bernadette assured her. "He won't, unless he wants to get out trouble or he is an idiot."

Amy mumbled out, "Um… what if he did already?"

Now it was Penny's turn to spit out her drink, "WHAT!? He asked you marry him? You have known him for how long? Damn, girl you are a Vixen! Are you sure you didn't have sex?"

Amy rolled her eyes, "Positive, I'd remember that! He just mentioned it casually when he was thinking of having Leonard move in."

Penny sat up straight, "Leonard? Really… Interesting…"

Bernadette reassured her, "Some guys just know what they want. It's kinda sweet, actually. Don't worry."

"Okay…" Amy smiled with a huge sigh. She was thankful she had this group of friends to help her filter her dark thoughts. It was far better than her mother who seemed to add to them.

Penny leaned in to the group like she had a secret, "Speaking of Leonard! Guess what!? I heard that Leonard totally punched out my ex-boyfriend last night!"

Amy was floored, "Leonard? Little Leonard?"

"YEAH! The bus boy says he found Kurt on the ground nearly crying! He asked him what happened and Kurt said Penny's new boyfriend did this. Amazing. I didn't know he had it in him. I got a check today for the money he owed me!"

Amy looked down at her sparking water and remembered Sheldon's torn up knuckles. "Yeah… amazing…" She took a deep swallow of her water thinking about the coincidence and the law of large numbers.

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story. One wonders if Sheldon's lesson's from the past will come back to haunt him. Might be some angst ahoy, but NOTHING like the show! Your author ain't cruel like that! That's not how we roll in the Shire…