Chapter 25

Well, my little fan fic-keteers, it looks like the last episode of Sheldon Six is at an end.

If I could, I would run each and every one of you readers up a flagpole and salute you. And if you touched the ground, burn you. I'd like to take a moment to personally thank ShAmy4evr, who you may or may not know is the first transcontinental Beta Reader to a Hazelra7 Fan fic-o-tainment story.

On with the "Show"

"Are you upset?" Amy asked with a timid smile.

Sheldon asked in a huff, "Are we still playing the game?"

She didn't think that he would be so upset over her not agreeing immediately to an impromptu trip, but she was wrong. His snappy tone and lack of eye contact gave Amy the first glimpse at Sheldon's anger.

However, Amy forced a smile and asked, "Do you want to continue to play?" She was confused and wanted to break the tension that seemed to have risen more often this week than she liked. Their time together was supposed to be perfect and she couldn't understand what had upset him.

"Does it make a difference?" Sheldon said with a scowl. Having not received the answer he had wanted and to be honest, expected, he now did not know how to respond. His mind had come up with the perfect proposal, and he hadn't thought through any other possibilities. And what worried him was that he knew from the other Sheldon's that he had better get it right. No onion rings, tuition breaks or failed anniversary dinners. Sheldon wanted to put all those other Sheldon's to shame with his romantic genius and Texas at the bay seemed as romantic as they come.

Amy shrugged, "Can we go to Texas a different time? I have booked the week off, but I still have…"

Sheldon cut her off with a jolt of sudden cheerfulness, "You already have the time off! Perfect! I'll book our tickets!"

"Sheldon I can't go! What about in a month? I'd love to go…"

"A MONTH!? That's too long!" Sheldon thought of the ring just waiting in his wall safe begging him to put it on her finger. In his mind, there was no reason to wait a second longer. He knew that as soon as she said yes, he would be able to breathe easier. All would be as it should be. He had waited long enough for something he did not even know he was yearning for. The other Sheldon's had opened his eyes and he wanted to know that Amy was his, just as he was hers. He needed to see that ring on her finger declaring to all that they belonged together, that this beautiful woman had chosen him. "I want to take you as soon as possible! There's no reason to wait!"

"Yes there is… look I wanted to talk to you about something…" Amy let out a heavy sigh and said quietly, "I have this thing…"

Sheldon cut her off her sigh, "Nothing can be THAT important."

"Well it's pretty important, at least to me it is. You see…"

Sheldon waved his hand away, "Amy, this trip would be MORE important than ANYTHING you have planned."

Amy glared at Sheldon and is dismissal of her. She was about to tell him about her surgery, but his stint as a petulant child silenced her. She was angry, but also disappointed and upset over his apparent lack of understanding. She did not expect empathy but had hoped for some consideration of her feelings, so she stopped talking and the rest of the car ride was as silent as a church during a funeral. She shut her lips together and breathed heavily concentrating on the road, and not the stubborn man next to her. In turn, Sheldon just stared out of the passenger window, not looking at her and so not seeing how angry she was. Neither did he see her disappointment because his own overshadowed everything.

When they were near work, Sheldon turned toward her and barked, "What is so damn important that we can't go in two weeks? The Fourth of July only happens once a damn year, Amy! ONCE A YEAR!"

Amy said nothing as she pulled into the parking lot. Sheldon had never used that type of language with her and she was not going to allow it now.

She threw the car in park and turned toward Sheldon. The look she gave him caused him to shudder. It was only then that he realized that at that moment, he might not be the only angry person in the car as Amy snapped at him, "And I don't see what is so "damn Important" that you can't change the time. I have things going on, Sheldon. Things that were in place LONG before you came into my life! Upsetting things that I thought I couldn't tell… well never mind… But Sheldon, believe it or not, not everything is about you! Now I have work to do and am likely to be busy for the rest of day, so would greatly appreciate not being disturbed!" Amy leaped out of the car and slammed the door, popping the air in Sheldon's ears. He sat fuming in the passenger seat as watched her storm off toward her lab.

Then as he exited her vehicle, his mind started to run through every scenario he could think of: What did she mean things in place before he came along? Was it something like Stuart's date? A long standing obligation that she couldn't escape? Could it be another man ready to sweep her off her feet? So much for his fireworks proposal at the bay if she already had another man lined up.

Sheldon trudged off to his office, his mind continuing to play through the possibilities: Maybe it was some arranged marriage she couldn't speak of? He remembered the story of Faisal and his blood started to boil in his veins. By the time he opened his office, Sheldon's mind had Amy married off to some Arab Sheik, with hordes of children's riding camels that were spitting on his shoes. Sheldon tried to shake off the image with work, but all the figures on his white board only morphed to Amy's face glaring at him.

He paced around his office for hours, his anger and disappointment making the walls feel as if they were closing in on him and by the time he met Leonard for lunch, he was wound as tight as a ball of rubber bands, just waiting to snap. His grunting silence during lunch went unnoticed until Raj had the temerity to ask where Amy was, at which point slammed his utensils down and stormed off toward his office again.

However as he stormed into his office, he finally started to think straight as he ran through the fight in his mind, and he realized that perhaps he may have been slightly out of line. Only slightly, he reasoned.

He remembered the look on her face and it tore into him. She had looked pained, her eyes squinting to slits and brow furrowed in concentration. It seemed that she had wanted to say something. Her face, red with anger worried him. He didn't like it. The other Sheldons had spoken of Amy's different faces and the only one Sheldon thought he would never see was the one she had given him in the car, as if his words had hurt her.

But how could she not see his disappointment? If she had something to say to him, why couldn't she tell him? If Faisal was back in the picture, why couldn't she tell him? But then the memory of his own secret gnawed at him. He so wanted to tell her about the congress of Sheldon's and he had thought that a trip to his home town would be perfect way to show her how his life had differed from the other Sheldons. And maybe she could have gone with him to his mother's grave, a patch of dirt he hadn't let his feet touch since he was 11. Perhaps Amy would have been with him as he showed her his mother's few belongings that he had kept hidden in the closet of their family home so that his father wouldn't donate them out of guilt.

He sat back in his office chair and his anger returned, he felt the trip was tainted, and it was all her fault. The irony morphed his angry to regret. But more than anything, he just wanted her near him and hadn't a clue why she couldn't go. He sat up when he realized, he had been too angry in the car to ask her. Though she had told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone, he had to know and find out what kept her from the Texas trip. He only hoped she was still talking to him.

He rushed down the hall to find Amy, but she had left early for the day to meet with Penny and Bernadette for a girl's night. He knew that it had been arranged before their fight, but the fact that he couldn't see her stung. He hoped that she would still come to apartment that night, but thanks to the way they had left each other that morning, he wasn't sure. The thought that Amy would not want to come back to him almost broke him. What if she never came back?

Once again, Sheldon's famous temper got the better of him. No matter how much he tried to ignore his old life and habits, the demons still haunted him. It had been such a silly fight, and might have cost him Amy. What else would his temper cause him to lose?

By the end of the day, Sheldon was a shell. The throbbing anger that he had started the day with had gone, leaving him empty. He slumped to the car with Leonard who was all a buzz about his upcoming date with Penny and didn't notice Sheldon's unusual silence.

However at the comic book store, Sheldon's sour demeanor was eventually noticed by the group as it weighed on their giddy evening like a heavy blanket. His heavy sighs at everything anyone said screamed that he wanted to talk about something but was too stubborn to just ask for help. Finally, Leonard took the bait and asked as he looked over his glasses.

"What's wrong Sheldon? You seem…"

Howard interrupted, "You look like a guy who's missing the last piece of the Tie Fighter Lego set."

Raj perked up and joined in the analogy, "No… more like the guy who rolled a critical fail at the Gates of Gawokrul with only a tin dagger to defend against the Orc horde."

Sheldon sighed again, but said nothing. Leonard added, "No, not that bad! Though… perhaps like the guy whose first tickets to Comic-Con were shredded by his mother in an attempt to curb his child-like enthusiasm. Just because I was only 12 didn't mean I couldn't go to San Diego! Not that she'd notice I was gone anyway!"

"Dude… Get over it." Raj shook his head and looked back to his gloomy companion, "I think Sheldon looks more like the guy who is last in line for a Stan Lee comic book signing, only for him to find out that you're the guy who thinks that he uses too many double letters for the names. Like Peter Parker… Or Bruce Banner."

Leonard turned toward Raj, "Marvel isn't the only one who does that! Hello! Lois Lane! Clark Kent!"

Forgetting about sighing Sheldon moping next to him, Howard had to correct Leonard. "That's a C and K for Clark Kent… it doesn't count!"

Their solemn friend was ignored for a long standing comic debate as Raj shook his head and added, "The phonics of the word is what counts! Besides, he never signed my comic…"Raj slumped down, but Leonard snapped at him.

"But you brought a Superman comic book!"

"Exactly! He should like it for the phonic sympatico alone!"

"There is no such thing as phonic sympatico!"

"Yes there is! Like when I say Naan, and all the Spanish speakers think I said, Pan.. both mean bread!"

"We are WAY OFF topic here, guys!" Leonard scolded the group and Sheldon looked over to him with a slight smile hoping they would get back to the topic at hand: Sheldon. But Sheldon's smile dropped when Leonard said, "Stan Lee was never going to sign that comic book!"

Howard rolled his eyes and said, "Raj… that's like showing up for the Star Wars Movie in a Star Fleet Federation uniform!"

"Nobody would do that! That's blasphemy!" Leonard's smile broadened as he looked out and said dreamily, "Only 6 months away to the new Star Wars Movie! I bet the new movie will be out mid-December!"

Sheldon perked up at the thought of the new Star Wars Movie but then he remembered that Amy's birthday was on the 17th and he let out a sigh loud enough to interrupt the group's banter. Finally Leonard remembered his sad friend and what had started the conversation, "Oh yeah, what ails ya, Tex?"

"Ya got no skip in your giddy up!" Howard's Texas accent fell on deaf ears. Sheldon just let out another sigh again. "And no response on wearing a Federation uniform to a Star Wars movie? Must be woman troubles."

Finally, Sheldon could say something, "How'd ya know?"

Raj answered for him, "It's always women troubles, Howard should know…"

Howard ignored Raj and said, "Clearly the great and mighty Sheldon Cooper has messed up! I noticed no Amy Farrah Fowler at lunch today… Could it be trouble in paradise?"

"You're in trouble with Amy, already? So soon?" Howard looked to Sheldon for confirmation but all he received was another sigh, "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

Sheldon moaned and said flatly, "Fallen right on my keister, gentlemen. I may or may not have lost my temper…" Sheldon looked up at the group who tried to look surprised, but had to avert their eyes. "Anyway… I think I need to apologize to Amy… But I don't know how. It's not in my nature. Brotastic never talked about saying sorry when dating women…"

"Brotastic doesn't know everything."

"I guess not." Sheldon groaned, "What about that stupid movie, "Love means you never have to say you're sorry? Movies lie to us. Brotastic is no help. What is a guy to do?"

"You better watch different movies and get a new advice column on women if you want to keep a lady." Leonard offered as counsel.

Howard chipped in, "Let me tell ya, saying sorry is the easy part."

Sheldon snorted, "For you! You're always wrong!"

Howard narrowed his eyes at Sheldon, but Raj shrugged and said flatly, "Easy to say sorry… 'I'm sorry I was a clueless idiot.' Done."

Sheldon snorted, "How do you know I was a clueless idiot?"

"Of course you were! You're a guy! We all are." Howard nodded, as did Raj and Leonard who added as an afterthought, "Oh, and buy her something…"

Sheldon perked up, "How does that work…"

Leonard chimed in, "Instead of a heartfelt apology, show her you're sorry with an empty financial gesture."

Howard agreed, "Yep… I already got three things I can get Bernadette when I screw up! I just need my allowance from Ma and I am golden!"

Sheldon remembered the other Sheldon's women trouble and something about a tiara, a devilish grin bloomed on his face as he licked his lips. "Leonard… I think we need to stop at the jewelry store on the way home…"

Over at Los Robles, the girl's night was in full swing and all the girls were doing their best to console Amy and decipher Sheldon's actions. But since Amy wasn't giving away many details of their spat, they were not having much success. Amy was still upset over their morning fight, but as the day wore on she had realized that her anger had prevented her telling him about her surgery. Penny, Bernadette and Yvette tried to comfort her, but they too were unable to understand why Sheldon had acted the way he did.

"Maybe he had something planned with his Meemaw?" Penny suggested, though she did think that this was probably wishful thinking.

Yvette, Raj's girlfriend who had joined the girl's night, added, "Or maybe he wanted to take you somewhere special?"

"Nah, more likely he is an ass!" Bernadette added pouring the wine into Amy's glass with a heavy hand. "Look, they are all clueless idiots. They can't even stay on a topic for more than 30 seconds!"

"That's true! Talking to the guys is like watching popcorn in a pan! They jump from topic to topic without any conclusions! It's maddening!" Penny added as she held her own glass out for a refill.

"Look…Howie is a hot mess. Leonard is well… Leonard… Raj is.." Bernadette looked over to Yvette who was hanging on every word, "Well, he's sweet as pie. But none of them know how to handle women, or their emotions. And Sheldon is the worst of the lot. Hell, he never even had training on how to act like a person."

Penny sat up, "She's right! I mean, how long was that guy completely alone? Years! It's like that movie Castaway, when Tom Hanks is stranded on an island."

Yvette curled up her nose, "Oh I hated that movie! I mean, talking to a ball for that long? That was nuts!"

Bernadette shrugged and added, "I liked it.. I mean, it showed that he had moved on from romantic roles, like Sleepless in Seattle."

Amy let out a large sigh, but it was overshadowed by Penny leaping to the DVD Player, "God, I love that movie! WE should watch it! Oh and double feature it with when You got Mail!"

Amy gave a sigh and took a large gulp off her wine. It really did feel like grape juice that burned, as Sheldon said one day when Penny offered him a glass.

The girls started to watch the film, chatting about the plot and the actors and trying to ignore Amy's giggles. She had had only had one drink of her wine and was feeling silly. But when she started to cry for no reason before the credits were over for Sleepless in Seattle, it was decided that Amy Farrah Fowler was too much of a light weight to enjoy wine that night or any night for that matter. So around 8 PM, they half carried her back to Sheldon's apartment, put her to bed and returned to 4A to complete their Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan marathon.

Around 9:45, Amy blinked her eyes open to find a figure leaning against the door frame staring at her in the dark of Sheldon's bedroom. She gasped but soon the hints of talc told her it was just Sheldon. As she sat up in the bed, she wondered how long he had been watching her sleep. He looked shrunken somehow, and after she had found her glasses she could see from the light from the window that his beautiful blue eyes were shiny and bloodshot.

Amy adjusted her cardigan, embarrassed that he should see her in such a state. She must have fallen asleep fully clothed. She didn't really remember how she got to Sheldon's bedroom, but she had never drunk before. Her initial plan had been to go back to her apartment, feeling that Sheldon would not want to see her that night. But she knew that if she was honest with herself, the real reason was that she wanted to avoid him. However her unaccustomed alcohol consumption had trumped her agenda of avoiding Sheldon and the conversation she had long ignored.

She brushed back her hair and whispered, "Hello." But she still couldn't look at him for any length of time.

Sheldon's voice cracked, "Hello."

Amy wasn't sure how long they stared at each other with only the sound of their breathing between them. Finally to break the silence she said again, 'Hello' the same time Sheldon said, 'Hi.' Sheldon moved and sat on the edge of the bed. He licked his lips and said in a meek voice, "Amy… sorry…" Then stopped to take a breath to start again.

Amy snapped her head back and looked at his drooped shoulders. She could hear his heavy sighs and was about to speak, but he started again, "I never shoulda spoken to you like that. I was upset over not being able to go to Texas, and I acted…" Sheldon took a breath and said the next line with a thick Texas accent, "like an overgrown man-child who had his favorite toy taken away, or somptin like that..."

Amy grinned and said, "You talked to your sister, didn't you?"

Sheldon looked away at the admission, "Maybe…but she was right." Sheldon had called Missy while he was at the jewelry store to get her advice on tiaras. It was his first time in a jewelry store, and Leonard had been no help. Missy told him to apologize instead, and save the hairpiece for when he really screwed up. Then as Leonard drove them home, Missy talked Sheldon through the unfamiliar action of an apology. When he got home, he had expected to walk into an empty apartment, but there in his bed was his Amy, curled up, fully clothed and snoring like a saw. He had stood watching her sleep for a while, thinking over how lucky he was that he had met her that day he had spilled coffee on her. That here, even at his worse, she was still waiting for him. He could learn patience from her, a lesson he thought perhaps he could have used that morning.

Sheldon took a shaky breath and said, "I never wanted you to see my temper, Amy. It never should be aimed at you. Ever. It's something I wish I could rip outta me."

"We are all woven together with the bits of our past. Your temper isn't something that will go away overnight Sheldon. It's part of you and I understand that. You're not the only one who can be angry. But I think the key is to talk about it before it gets too far."

Sheldon let out a relieved breath while saying, "That's what I didn't do and I'm… sorry."

"Thank you for apologizing to me Sheldon. I know that's not easy for you."

Sheldon traced his fingers over the quilt thread and said unhappily, "It needs to be easy though, well… for you, anyway. I'll work on how to apologize to others later." Sheldon swallowed the lump in his throat, "I really want to know why you can't go…"

Amy looked down at her folded hands, and swallowed her words, "I can't…" She hesitated, not able to find the right way to say what she wanted.

Sheldon sighed and said, "I know… I know we have a lot to talk about, but you look exhausted."

"I am."

He inched closer to Amy and reached for her hand. She offered it willingly and gave him a sweet half sleep smile. "I want to explain things, Sheldon but it will take while I think."

"Me too."

"Now I wanna sleep, then we can wake up early, have a nice breakfast and discuss things, okay?"

"Sounds perfect." Sheldon rose off the bed and offered his hand to Amy to get up so that they could both prepare for the night. After they had both changed they met at the bed and carefully folded back the covers. Sheldon held out his arm for Amy and she snuggled into his chest. Within minutes she was asleep with Sheldon lightly running his hand down her shoulder.

It was around 5 AM when Sheldon woke up the following morning, and he decided to make an early start on his exercises. Though he had tried not to wake Amy when he got up, she still heard his grunts and moans as he carried out his exercises. She thought an early start was a good idea and would give them time for their talk later. So she rose and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, though she could not resist pausing briefly to watch Sheldon's muscles ripple as he continued his workout. Removing her nightgown, she threw on her robe, poked her head out of the bathroom door to see if Sheldon was done and ready for their shower, but he was still pulling himself up and down on the bar. Amy couldn't resist a second longer as she moved toward him, licking her lips.

Sheldon felt her hand on his spine, then slowly trace down to his hips. He held onto the bar with one hand as twisted around to face Amy and replaced his second hand on the bar. She wasn't looking at him, but his glistening body just begging to be touched. Amy outlined the muscle groups of his chest as if sculpting clay. She placed a short kiss on his lips, then his chin, his neck and moved her lips down his chest toward his stomach as her hands led the way. Sheldon tensed up as she moved toward the band of his boxer shorts, but held onto the bar with both hands to see what she would do.

Amy kneeled down before him and continued to kiss his stomach, then his jutting hip bone that was slowly being exposed as she removed his shorts. Sheldon took one hand off the bar and wove his fingers through her hair, but he needed to steady himself as Amy quickly dispatched his shorts short and took him in her hands.

Sheldon looked down to find Amy looking up at him, while her dexterous hands worked him. In a husky voice, much lower than he had ever heard from her, she ordered him, "Hold on to the bar." Sheldon sucked in a breath, closed his eyes, reached up and gasped the bar just in time as he felt Amy's lips on him.

Sheldon's arms held on to the bar for dear life as his muscles flexed and constricted with every pass of her soft lips but the bar was nearly pulled off the wall. He could hear the wood that held the bar up creak with his strong pulls every time she stroked her hand or sucked the tip. He opened his eyes and looked down at her and with a lower growl, he ordered her, "Take off your robe."

Sheldon let go of the bars, and as she pulled the cloth off her shoulders, he pulled her off the floor and toward him finishing the job by ripping the fabric off her body. He pushed her against the door frame, hoisted her off the ground and told her with a commanding tone, "Grab the bar."

Amy had only a moment to adjust to the feeling of being suspended in the air with Sheldon's arms holding her up before a new sensation overwhelmed her. Sheldon arched his back and pivoted his body into Amy. She held her breath as he filled her and every thrust was deeper than the last. The act was frantic and furious almost out of control, but Sheldon couldn't stop till finally they quaked with release. Amy's grip on the bar loosened as she clung onto his neck but Sheldon held her steady. Spent, but with Amy still in his arms, Sheldon leaned against the door frame for support and then slid down to as floor as they collapsed together. Sheldon grabbed Amy's robe and threw it over them while they both caught their breath.

Amy finally said with a laugh, "I was just going to check on you for the shower."

"Well… I think I'm ready for one now." Sheldon said with a coy smile, "After all that exercise, ya know."

"I know…" Amy was as sweaty as Sheldon and was in desperate need of a shower herself.

Amy rose off Sheldon and held her hand for him to help him get up from the floor and they made their way to the shower to complete their intimate morning routine which now seemed so natural. Sheldon loved how Amy used the soap to wash his back and massage his shoulders. He almost suggested that they call in and spend the day just lounging. However, he had promised that they would talk before work and so they exited the shower and dressed for the day. As Amy was pulling her cardigan over her shoulder, Sheldon came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned back and arched her head on his chest.

"I wish you could stay longer than just this week, Amy."

Amy took a deep breath and placed her hands on Sheldon's, "Well maybe I could… How long?"

"Maybe three or four…" Sheldon leaned down and kissed her neck, "Decades."

Amy turned around and gave him a quick kiss, "Well… You better get a handle on your decorating, there Sheldon! I mean… come on? Where am I going to put my cardboard cutout of Bon Jovi?"

Sheldon gulped, "Well, I do have a closet. Many closets… for all your…French things."

"Bon Jovi is a band, Sheldon."

"Okay… boy band things."

Amy giggled and left the bedroom and headed to the guest room with Sheldon following close behind. She looked around the room and at the furniture, "I guess this could work. I think my waterbed might even fit in here!"

Sheldon stood in the doorway and held onto the bar as she twirled back to see him. "You won't be needin' any separate bed, Amy. You know that." Sheldon pulled at the bar a little, "Might need a new bar though."

Amy shivered thinking of their activities that morning, "Yes, well… your guest room does look a bit sparse, other than this extra furniture, you could easily put all the trains in here that you told me were still in Texas. But I think you need to get rid of your sister's crib. I mean Jake is like 15 now."

Sheldon shook his head, "Nope… Might need it."

Amy dropped her smile, "I don't think you do."

"I don't believe in that co-sleeping stuff, Amy. I mean, you could crush the kid!"

"No… not that…" Amy closed her eyes for a moment and then said flatly, "You… you should get rid of it. It takes up too much space."

"I don't want to, Amy. I mean…"

"You just…GET RID OF IT, SHELDON!" Amy's raised voice echoed through the almost empty room and she was embarrassed by her outburst. Sheldon took his hand off the bar, and frowned as he walked over the crib and held onto the rails. Amy looked away and lowered her head, "I'm sorry… I just…"

Sheldon's eyes drooped like a puppy from the pound, "Why are you mad, Amy? Did I do something wrong?"

Amy let out a sigh and shook her head, "No Sheldon… you did nothing wrong. I'm sorry I yelled." She let out a nervous laugh, "See? You're not the only one with a temper." Amy tried to leave the room but Sheldon turned quickly and grabbed her hand.

"Amy… If you want your own, I understand. I mean, hand me downs… Lord knows I had to put up with enough of Junior's mud stained clothes."

Amy curled her brow, "What?"

"I know why you are upset. Don't worry…when we have a baby, we can get our own crib. Safety standards have changed over the years anyway." Sheldon smiled that Amy was already concerned over their child's welfare, "I love that about you, you're always thinkin' Amy Farrah Fowler." Sheldon's eyes widened with glee, "OH! Maybe we can get one with trains on it! That's a great idea!"

Amy's lip trembled as she looked at the crib, "I can't…"

"Can't what? Okay… Maybe not covered with trains… but some trains." Sheldon smiled at his ability to compromise, but it wasn't returned. "One train?" Amy said nothing, but looked like she was trying to speak. Sheldon frowned in confusion, "No trains?"

"I can't…"

"Oh sure ya can! Trains are great. I'll show ya. In fact, I should get one to put on the wall! You'd love that!"

"No! It's not the train!"

"What is it then?"

"It's because…" Amy looked up at Sheldon and finally said as if the words themselves scared her, "Because I can't have children, Sheldon! I just can't!" Amy rushed out of the guest room before she had to look at the crib another minute. She wanted to get away from him and his heavy hopes that weighed on her. She couldn't give him everything he wanted. He wanted children, and it was the one thing she could not give him.

It wasn't how she wanted to tell him, but at least it was done. But she couldn't face him right now, and needed to get out of the apartment. However Sheldon was too quick for her. Before she was able to reach her purse and leave, Sheldon caught her and spun her around so she would face him. Instead of shock, or anger, he looked calm, almost dismissive.

"Oh Amy darlin' what are you talkin' about. Of course you can have kids!"

Amy pushed him back and raised her voice, "No! No I can't! I have this medical condition, Sheldon. When I was in my 20's I was told I couldn't have children due to this problem."

"What problem Amy? You never told me!" Sheldon lunged toward her in fear and tried to hold her, but Amy pushed away his sympathy, his touch. She didn't want anyone to think her weak or damaged. She just wanted to deal with it and in a week it would be over.

Amy drew in a breath, "I have heavy bleeding and sometimes pain. It hasn't been as bad lately, but it was terrible a few months ago and I went to my doctor who said I should just... I have surgery scheduled." Amy put her head down and whispered, "After fighting with the insurance for MONTHS, finally, I have a hysterectomy scheduled for next week."

Amy slumped down, "That's what I wanted to tell you yesterday. That is why I can't go with you to Texas. I am going in for surgery and I won't be able to travel. I took a week off from work to rest, but I should be fine after that."

Sheldon wasn't thinking of Texas or anything but what she just told him, "A hysterectomy? You don't need that!"

Amy raised her voice in annoyance at his dismissive attitude, "Sheldon, I've discussed this with my doctor and it's all settled. I'll be fine." She tried to reassure him, though she was the one who needed to hear the words more than he, "Gladys said she'd help me get to the hospital." Amy gave the information so a matter-of-factly as if she was telling Sheldon she was going on vacation.

Sheldon pulled back in a panic. He never could handle the idea of hospital, let alone surgery. The very thought made him cringe. The story of number Five's Amy came to his mind and he tensed up like coiled spring. Then suddenly Sheldon brightened up and he smiled as he remembered number Two's story about his Amy and how they found her problem. It was the same one that had almost killed number Five's Amy. Sheldon's abrupt smile unnerved Amy and she looked at him with confusion as he reached for her hand.

Sheldon knew he could fix it all, if only his Amy would listen.

"I know what is wrong, Amy! You don't need that! You just have a problem with your fallopian tube! That's it! I promise, you will be okay!"

"I already AM okay! I'm fine. Unless you are saying I will only be fine if I can have children! Is that what you are saying?" Amy voice shook in her throat.

"No, Amy, you're perfect. You can have kids."

"Are you saying I am only perfect if I can?" Amy felt her throat close up as a gasp escaped her. This was what she had feared the most.

"Never. No. You are perfect now. Right now, sitting here. No kids, nothing. Amy."

"But you want children. I know you do."

Sheldon shrugged, "Sure I do. But if that never happens, at least I have you. That's more than I could hope for. But it doesn't matter. What matters is what you want. If you don't want kids then that's fine. For me there is no choice. It's you with or without kids. But what do YOU want." Then Sheldon placed his hands on her arms trying to make her look up at him and added softly, "Do you want children Amy? Do you?"

Amy closed her eyes and for the first time she admitted something she had hidden down deep in soul. It was something she never said aloud, because the pain of it nearly crippled her. In a shattered voice she said, "Yes… I did. But I can't. Please don't make me relive this."

Sheldon waved a hand at her worries, "Oh Amy. You can! I know it!"

"How can you know that, Sheldon? That's just wishful thinking." Amy moved away from Sheldon and sat on the beige chair clasping her hands together. She still couldn't look up to see his face without seeing hopes that despite his words she knew she could never fulfil.

Sheldon sat near her in his spot on the couch, but he was perched on the edge of his seat trying to hold her hand. Amy drew in a breath, "Sheldon… I know you want children and I am sorry that I cannot give them to you. I'm so sorry!" She pulled her hand away and put it to her face to hold back her tears.

Sheldon went on his knees in front of her and reached for her hands to beg her to listen to him, "No, you can have children, Amy! You always have them! With our genetic material, we could make super genius kids, Amy…"

"Please stop. Please. Don't do this." Amy throat closed from the tears she held back. His words were like blades cutting her.

Sheldon reached up his hand, and brushed away her tears, "Please Amy. I know you can. Please. I know!"

"What are you talking about, Sheldon!" Amy pushed his hands away jumped off the chair. She had had enough of this conversation and talk of children. She had long since cried over her inability to have children. Not that it had ever been was a major issue as she never expected to have boyfriend let alone a family. The fact that Sheldon was dredging up this long settled pain enraged her and she yelled across the room at him, "You are not making any sense! How can you know about my medical condition, when I have doctors telling me what I should do?"

"They are wrong, Amy. Just wrong! You have a growth on your fallopian tube. It's like a genetic defect you developed in your twenties."

"How could you possibly…"

"Listen to me! If you have a Hysterosalpingogram, they'll find it. Please trust me! Don't get that surgery till you get it checked."

Amy was still fuming though at this point she was more confused, "Sheldon, you better have good reason for making stuff up like this. "

"It's not made up. I swear. I almost have the work done to prove it." Sheldon got off the floor, grabbed his white boards and set them up like he was a lecturer. Amy flopped back into her chair with a heavy sigh, already exhausted before the lecture began.

Sheldon was undeterred. He turned around and placed his hands behind his back. With a sly smile he asked, "First… how much do you about Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics?"

Amy sat back, "Oh dear lord!" She got comfortable for a long talk.

Over three hours later, work was long forgotten and Sheldon had told Amy everything about the congress including the math and the quantum mechanics which Amy had made him skip over when he had started to go into more detail on the white board. Amy understood most of the theory, but wanted to get to the nut meat of the conference of Sheldons. She could just barely believe the story of number Three and the theater, number One and Four's history seemed so foreign to her that she couldn't even believe that they were the same Sheldon. The story of number Five's Amy struck a chord as did the notion. that in another reality, there was an Amy plump with child. However each story seemed to sadden Amy rather than lift her spirit. Sheldon was so thrilled to finally be able to tell his tale that he didn't notice Amy's face as she looked away from the white board to wipe away the lone tear rolling down her face.

Finally, he sat in his spot with a grin and said, "You see, Amy? See how we are meant to be! And because of number Two and number Five, we can get you checked out! We can have it all, Amy if you want it. Just like it's supposed to be."

Amy looked back at Sheldon with eyes shiny from unshed tears, and shaking her head she said. "Sheldon… this is how it's supposed to be. This.. This is our reality. I am not those Amy's."

"I know that! You're better! You're my Amy."

"But you are only with me because you were told I was the one. You didn't choose me. You sought me out."

"As soon as I heard about 'Marvelous' Amy, I had to know." Sheldon looked incredulous at the notion that any of those other Amy's could measure up to his. He knew his was best but his admiration wasn't seen by Amy.

She gasped with the realization, "You went to my study to find me."

Sheldon smiled unaware how his former action might seem to Amy, "I did. I signed up that Sunday and then met you Monday."

She looked away as she remembered the odd things he had said over the last few weeks. She said with a hushed tone as if she was speaking to herself, "Avocados." Amy swallowed, "Neil Diamond… Ricky the monkey… Rajesh's dog… All of it.." Then it hit her and she looked at Sheldon with a pained expression, "You knew because of them. Those other Sheldon's. Their lives their friends… their Amy's."

"Now I have my own!" But Sheldon's smile was not returned.

With a brittle voice, Amy asked, "Do you even love me, or were told you should?"

"What do you mean? Of course I love you! You're Amy!"

"Yes…but when, Sheldon? When did you love me? When you heard the name: Amy? What if I were Abigail, Martha, or Nancy or Bernice… would you?"

"You could never be a Bernice, Amy. I don't understand… I love you!"

"Because you were told to do so. You were told to fall in love with Amy Farrah Fowler. It was all planned out... I wasn't a choice. I am… a prescription… I am a prescription for the life you feel you were robbed of. I'm just a fantasy to you." Amy closed her eyes for a moment and then took a breath.

"What are you saying Amy? Please look at me."

Amy opened her eyes, but looked past Sheldon. He could see she was pale and bewildered, and as she rose off the chair she said. "I need to think… I need to take a step back…"

Sheldon knew that phrase and it hit him like a spear. He remembered the look of confusion on Number One's face and he knew it was now on his own. "Please don't say you want to reevaluate the situation. Please don't…" Sheldon reached for Amy, but she ignored him.

She walked toward the door but she couldn't feel the floor. She didn't hear Sheldon call back to her. She didn't feel the handle of the knob or hear the door close behind her. She was numb.

Sheldon held his breath and released it slowly in spurts, each second she didn't come back. He was frozen, not knowing what to do. He rushed out the door and raced down the stairs to catch her, but she was gone.

Sheldon ran back upstairs to get his phone and ring Amy, but the sound from the desk told him she had left her phone behind. He paced around the room, and as each moment passed, he grew more agitated. He pushed his white boards to the ground and stomped down the hall to his exercise bar. He jumped off the ground and grasped at the bar, but his sweaty palms almost caused him to fall. He pulled himself up once, then twice, but the view of the crib taunted him.

He closed his eyes, but could only remember the last time he grasped at the metal, holding her and feeling her, not knowing then that it could have been the last time. Sheldon groaned out in pain and ripped the bar off the frame, splintering the wood and bending the metal. He threw the bar into the guest room, where it crashed into the crib and crumpled the rails. Dropping to the floor, in the same spot he had held her earlier, the same spot he had found himself that first week of meeting her hearing the ghostly taunts of his father's voice echoing in his head. He covered his ears as if to drown out his own thoughts, put his head between this bent legs and shook.

Everything was wrong. He wavered between regret over telling about the congress and not telling from the beginning. He didn't know what to do, or how he could ever fill the hole her leaving had left in his heart.

Then he felt a light almost featherlike touch on his head and looked up to see Amy holding out her hand for him to rise off the floor. He took it and pulled himself up, pulling her to him as he had done on their first meeting. She smiled and held his hand as she led him to the couch. He followed her, wondering if he was dreaming.

Sheldon sat in his spot with Amy beside him. He asked, "Where did you go?"

"To the roof. I just needed to think for a while."

Sheldon asked timidly, "And… what did you think about.?"

"Those other Amy's. What do you think they would they have done?"

Sheldon cocked his head in curiosity, "I don't know. I guess it depends on their Sheldon's and their reactions."

"Maybe not. Each of those Sheldon had the same DNA, but led different lives and were different men. The Amy's would be no different. They are all their own person, as am I. Maybe their stories just opened you to the possible. Anyway, no matter what the circumstance or how it happened, I still love you. I can't ignore that and I won't run from it. I just need some time to process all this."

Sheldon let out a breath, "Okay. I understand. Do you want me to send you a PDF of my notes on multiverses?"

Amy smiled and said, "No… I think I'm good." She shook her head and laughed, "While I was on the roof, I really thought about all your stories. In fact, guess what I saw?"

Sheldon asked, "What?"

"A dirty sock."

He had to let out a chuckle, and then squeezed Amy's hand, "I like our story better."

"Me too." Amy leaned against him and Sheldon wrapped his arms around her as if they were tied like a bow.

24 hours Later…

Amy received a text from Sheldon to meet her for coffee. Amy and Sheldon had gone to work after their conversation, but she asked for one night alone to think over things. Sheldon agreed and asked if they could talk on Friday. Just the one night away from Sheldon was enough for Amy. She spent Thursday evening forcing away all her doubts, but the loneliness of her empty bedroom echoed them back to her. When she got Sheldon's text, she smiled for the first time in a day.

However she had thought it odd that he had asked to meet her in the cafeteria, but then thought that maybe he wanted neutral ground. It was just after breakfast, and she hoped the cafeteria was not too busy. Amy walked toward the door, but as she reached for the handle, she was knocked back by the door and fell to the floor. Then she let out a gasp as she felt a splash of liquid on her. Looking up she saw Sheldon standing over her with a coy grin and out-reached hand. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. He pulled her off the floor with a tug, but then without releasing her hand, he went down to the ground on one knee. Amy looked around confused by his actions until he pulled a small box out of his pocket and adeptly opened it while he held onto her other hand.

"Amy…" He took a moment to steady his hand and his voice. He locked eyes with her and never wavered, "You asked me when I fell in love you? Well, I've been thinkin' about it and its right here. Before I knew your name, before I had met, this famous Amy, it was you who stopped my heart. You. I didn't fall in love with Amy Farrah Fowler. I fell in love with you. You just happened to be she."

Sheldon licked his lips and continued as Amy held up her hand to hold back her gasp. "I want to marry that woman. The one who turned my head, the one who challenges me every day, the one who made me smile for first time in years; that is who I want. The one who picks me off the ground like I did for her 27 days ago. So, woman with the brilliant green eyes and coffee stained sweater… will you marry me?"

That's it folks!

And if I may get serious for a moment, writing this story and all the Six Sheldon stories has been one crazy ride. But with all its ups and downs, I wouldn't give it up for the world. Except for now, when I'm giving it up.

Before I sign off, I'd like to share with you all one last use for author's notes... It's good for times like this. Good night. SNiff SNiff

...(waits for reviews)

ShAmy4ver, did you hear that? Oh, the people are heartbroken. I can't take this away from the world. Six Sheldons are back!

Epilogue to both stories coming soon!