Chapter 21 - Sheldon's Surprise
Now that Amy had joined Sheldon at the party, together they began to greet and receive congratulations from people again, plus Sheldon continued to find out as much as he could about what was going on in this timeline and where he fit in it all. He liked that everyone was realizing his brilliance, but he hated parties and he hated people shaking his hand to congratulate him, even if they seemed to not do it too much. The worse part was however, that he wasn't sure how to act, he didn't know how this Sheldon acted in this timeline, but luckily Amy being there saved him, she was always there for him when he hesitated, even covering for him a little when he got confused.
During what seemed like a little lull in people coming up to congratulate him, Amy wrapped her arms around his and slipped a small bottle of Purell hand sanitizer into his palm, "You doing okay, you seem a little tense and like you didn't want to even talk to some of those people."
Her concern for him, made him believe that he wasn't entirely different in this timeline as he was in his timeline which was a relief. So he tried to see how much of him was the same as this timeline's Sheldon, "It is just a lot of people and it gets too much sometimes." Sheldon then looked for her response.
"I know Honey, you don't care for parties, especially ones where everyone is just getting you involved in meaningless chatter, but this is your first Nobel Prize, it is special." Amy reassured him.
"You are right as always, of course." Sheldon missed talking to her so much and just having her there made him happy.
It was then a woman walked up to them, one Sheldon recognized from his timeline that had worked with Amy in her lab. This woman smiled at Amy, who smiled back, then turned to Sheldon, "Congratulations Dr Cooper, Amy told us it was only a matter of time before you would win a Nobel." She then gave Sheldon a little nod, which he appreciated instead of a hug or handshake. However, then the woman, smiled at Amy again. "Congratulations Dr Cooper, you are glowing today." Which made Amy smile even larger and the both of them then squealed and hugged each other to Sheldon's surprise.
"Well Karen, to be fair Sheldon had a lot to do with that too." Both girls then giggled again.
"So how far are you along?" Karen asked.
Amy, who was wearing a loose billowy dress, then pressed the front of her dress against her baby bump. "Four Months now."
Sheldon stood there wide eyed as he now noticed Amy was pregnant, her dress had been hiding it before. That woman, Karen, was right Amy glowed and he was speechless, as the two girls talked. He didn't know what was going on around him and didn't hear another sound as he just looked at pregnant Amy in amazement.
The girls talked for a few more minutes, then Amy turned to Sheldon, who now had recovered slightly from his initial shock, "Honey, I am really tired, this pregnancy is really hard on me, do you mind if we go home." Was she was offering him a way out of the party, if she was, he was not going to pass it up.
"Yeah, of course, you probably need your rest." Sheldon was able to get out his mind still reeling that Amy was pregnant.
Amy gave him a smile and a wink, then lead him over to Siebert and some people Sheldon thought were on the board, who immediately congratulated him too. Amy told them she was tired, her hand on her baby bump and she wanted Sheldon to take her home, which everyone agreed was more important than the party, immediately. It was only a few moments later Amy and Sheldon were walking to the exit, Sheldon still in a semi state of shock as he followed Amy along. Once outside the building, walking to the parking lot, Sheldon looked down at Amy, "Thank you Amy."
"That's okay Honey, like I said before, I know how you hate parties, especially with people that you don't have a lot in common with." Amy said to him. "But you seemed a little confused in there today, especially when I was talking to Karen, is there something wrong Honey?"
"Umm, I guess I zoned out a minute, so much going on."
Amy's smile now returned, "In the zone again cuddles, yes I know all about that."
Sheldon smiled back at her and was happy at least that part of his self was still there in this timeline, he was going to have to find out what else was the same or different. They walked quietly for a couple minutes giving Sheldon some peace to think and think he did, a lot. Since he got to this timeline, he found he won the Nobel Prize, which meant he fixed the problem with Lewis like he originally planned, score one for Dr Cooper. He also now had Amy back too, not only back but married to her, so he wouldn't have to worry about loosing her again, which was a huge relief. The pregnancy was something he never imagined when this whole thing started, he had just wanted Amy back, pregnancy was never on him mind, but now as he thought about it, he was sort of happy. The baby obviously had his DNA, the sperm donor may be a different Sheldon, but it was still his DNA, so it was logically his baby too and he didn't even have to have coitus to get Amy pregnant. Sheldon then smiled, Amy was pregnant with his DNA and he hadn't had to even participate, score another on for Dr Cooper. Sheldon realized he had everything he had been cheated out of a couple weeks ago, more actually, it had all worked out like he wanted, and Sheldon's smile got larger.
However, Sheldon's happy moment disappeared when they came up to a car, he didn't recognize and Amy lead him to the passenger door, to obviously let her in, Sheldon froze. Amy was acting like she expected him to drive, and a chill ran down his spine, he could not risk faking something like that, not with Amy being pregnant, so he quickly went over his options. "Amy, could you drive, I had a couple drinks with Leonard before I came up, then had some mouthwash to hide it, but I still am feeling the effects." Sheldon lied, he was so scared at the moment, even his facial ticks, when he lied, didn't even appear.
"Oh, okay. Really you drank with Leonard?" Amy smiled. "That is so nice Honey, I'm glad you two had a guys moment together. You two don't have much time together anymore, and since that thing with Penny, he has been so depressed….I don't know Honey, I'm afraid about what is going to happen to them."
Sheldon nodded, trying to act like he had a clue what that thing was, "We can always hope things will change between them."
Amy smiled, "Yes we can. I don't think it will, but there is always hope." Amy then got into the drivers seat while Sheldon settled into the passengers spot, relieved that he was safe for a few more minutes while they drove to their home, which Sheldon had no idea where it was located.
Sheldon felt a lot better when Amy pulled into the parking lot of 2311 Los Robles and even better when they got off the working elevator to the fourth floor and entered apartment 4A. He was prepared for the worse, but seeing the same leather couch and his stuff in and on the bookcases, finally made him relax a little and for the first time since he arrived in that timeline, he thought that maybe he would be able to adapt. "Honey, would you like some tea?" It was music to Sheldon's ears, and he smiled at his wife and nodded as he sat in his spot, suddenly feeling like his life was centering up again.
Amy took the teas over to the coffee table and sat next to her husband, she had heard his sigh as he sat down it his spot, and she wondered why he had been so tense. She was a little concerned for him, he was acting even more tense today than other days, when he had to attend parties, "Honey is everything okay?"
Sheldon looked down at her, the feeling inside of him suddenly having her back, her being his wife, carrying their protégé, and now being home in his spot, was overwhelming and he almost couldn't deal with how absolutely wonderful he felt right then. "Yes things are actually wonderful Amy, it is just so much has happened today, it is very overwhelming to me." Sheldon smiled down at her, everything he just said was the absolute truth.
Amy cuddled up to him and Sheldon took her under his arm, fighting the impulse to pull away, as she got herself comfortable against him. Sheldon closed his eyes just letting his other senses take over, her smell was intoxicating and her soft warm body against him was soothing, before this day he had dreams about this happening again, ever since he had lost her in his timeline, and now having it overcame all his fears and phobias of being so close and intimate with another person. Sheldon just sat there with her against him, becoming use to the feel of her and slowly learning that he was safe with her again, it was something he always knew, but now he understood that she was what he really needed in his life. Sheldon now admitted to himself how wrong he had been, letting her go had been the biggest mistake of his life, in his old timeline. In this timeline he didn't let her go and he still got his Nobel, actually sooner that he would have in his timeline, even if everything had gone right. No, now that he had Amy back everything would be better, he just knew it, he just needed now to adapt to this world he was in and to do that he needed information. "Amy do you think Leonard and Penny will survive this crisis, after all they have been married, how many years?" Sheldon thought they could talk about Leonard and Penny then he could also slip in some parallel questions about him and Amy to get information on his life here.
Amy lifted her head off of him and looked at him confused, "Seven years, you know that."
'Seven years' surprised Sheldon, and he looked at her a moment confused, finally composing himself to respond, "I sometimes put trivial unimportant things out of my mind to make room for science. I never felt the length of their marriage was that important."
"Honey, don't say that, you know you care more about them then that. We would have never met each other if it wasn't for Leonard and Penny, you can't tell me you forgot already about the dating site and the blind date they set up so we could meet each other. And they were your best man and my maid of honor two years ago. You can't tell me their situation doesn't hurt you inside for them." Amy looked up at him with sad eyes.
Another surprise, Leonard and Penny got them together, not Howard and Raj, interesting. Also interesting was he know found out they had been married two years, "I guess you are right, I didn't mean to seem like I didn't care."
Amy's smile came back as she laid her head back on his chest to cuddle him, "I knew it, it is just sometimes Honey, your old ways come out in full and I like my husband better."
Sheldon now understood something, he had changed after marrying Amy, which actually made some sense, obviously he was not put off by coitus anymore. Suddenly Sheldon stiffened and for the second time that night Amy lifted off him to look up in confusion. "What's wrong Honey?"
Sheldon was for a moment at a loss for words, before something came to him. "Amy, Leonard seemed to be sick, a cold or something and I didn't know it until after I took a drink directly from a bottle he handed me for a toast."
"You drank from a bottle Leonard handed you!" Amy was dumbfounded.
"I told you I had a few drinks with him, so I was not in clear mind at the time." Sheldon tried to explain. "Anyway, I am afraid of spreading those germs to you Amy."
"I'll be okay, Honey." Amy gave him a sweet smile.
Sheldon thought quick, "I know your are strong, but I am very concerned with the baby."
Amy's smile faltered a little, doubt coming into her mind plus the mother instinct now taking over her concern for the baby inside her. "Oh. Of course you are right to be concerned. What do you suggest we do?"
"I think maybe we should keep our distance tonight to make sure I don't pass any of Leonard's germs to you. We should know if I am coming down with anything by tomorrow." Sheldon tired to convince her.
Amy didn't like it, she loved cuddling Sheldon, but his logic did make sense. "Okay Sheldon." She then moved to the other side of the couch.
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Penny drove to their house with Leonard as passenger, he was surprised she drove a new BMW convertible and that they had a house, however he was shocked when he saw the house. "Penny you live here?"
Penny looked at him confused at first then with understanding, "Yeah, it is only half paid off yet, but I make good money so I'll have it paid off by the end of the season. We….I mean my husband and I moved in here about a month before the….we have lived here over a year now."
"It must cost over a million dollars." Leonard still was surprised as they went through the automatic gate, it was a very large stylish house in a very wealthy neighborhood.
"3.5 million to be exact, and we can afford it." Penny told him.
"You make that much money, Wow." Leonard said in awe.
"Sweetie, you make quite a bit of money too, ever since you won the Nobel, your yearly bonus can make the house loan payments." Penny explained, forgetting who she was talking to.
Leonard shook his head, "Did you say I….I mean your husband won a Nobel Prize?"
"Yes" Penny now realized she had said him and not her husband.
Leonard shook his head again in disbelief. "How much does your husband make?"
"Well, his official salary is $150,000 a year, but his bonus is $350,000 a year."
"Really, your husband makes that!" Leonard was again shocked.
"Sweetie he told me once that he brings in 50 million a year in grants and donations, so really they are not paying him enough. He likes his job, at Cal Tech, too much, some of those other colleges had offered him close to a million a year." Penny had now stopped the car and was looking at Leonard, a strange expression on her face.
Leonard looked back at her, "What is wrong Penny."
"I'm sorry, but talking like this reminded me of the first year we…..Leonard and me were married." Penny then looked away and got out of the car, concerned how easy it was to talk to him, how he seemed like her Leonard, before she cheated on him.
Leonard followed Penny into the house, it was really quite beautiful, bright and cheery, it reminded him so much of her. He was right behind her until she stopped in the middle of the living room, obviously thinking of something as she stood there. "Leonard, you can have the guest room to the right, down that hall. The master is on the left and farther down, on the left, and just past that, is my husband's room. You can probably find something to wear there, I don't think he will mind and everything there I assume fits you anyway."
Leonard nodded, "What does your husband normally wear around the house?"
Penny looked at him, a sad expression momentarily taking over he features, "He usually works late and just comes home and goes to bed. So he wears a suit every day from when he leaves till when he comes to bed. There are still jeans and some T-shirts in the closet and drawers, if you want to wear those, he hasn't worn them in a long time."
Leonard nodded, "Okay, is it okay if I take a shower."
Penny gave him a small smile, "Of course Sweetie, this is like your home now, you don't have to ask."
Leonard smiled back at her, "Okay, thanks." Then he headed down the hall to the room.
Penny stared at him as he left till he disappeared into the guest room, she still couldn't believe this was all happening. Time travel and a man who was so much like her husband it was scary and disconcerting to her, especially since there was a moment there she almost kissed him, forgetting who he was. She also thought back to when he held her, again confused about how good it felt to be in his arms, his smell, his touch the way he held her, again reminding her of her Leonard. She remembered him saying that maybe they crossed paths, while time traveling, or even combined, as the sudden thought crossed her mind, was she being given a second chance. It was all so mind boggling, and she shook her head to clear it, then went to her room to get out of the dress she was wearing, shower and change for the evening. She had an extreme urge to talk to this man, whoever he was, and try to find out more about what was happening, she really needed to know more before it all drove her nuts.