Amy packs up her last box and looks around her apartment with a sense of accomplishment. It's a small apartment in a nice neighborhood on Los Robles. The building is five stories high and she is on the top floor. The building had no elevator so she had to go up and down five flights every day. Still it was better than living with her mother.
Amy had been back in California for almost five years now. During that time she had been living with her mother and grandmother in her childhood home. Since she was working at UCLA and the commute was easy. It also enabled her to squirrel away enough money to pay off her car in full. Or at least that was her excuse for why a grown woman would choose to live with her mother. Amy also wanted to be close to her ailing grandmother. The woman had helped raise her and she knew that she didn't have long left in this world.
Then six months ago her grandmother had died. Without her in the house, Amy finally felt like it was time to move on. Living with her mother had been starting to grate on her. They were they very different people. From food, to TV, to books, they couldn't seem to agree on anything anymore. Amy's grandmother had a way of smoothing things over between them. With her gone it had felt like they were constantly at odds with one another.
The biggest point of contention was that Amy's mother liked to try to set her up on dates. Every chance she got. So far in the last six months five men had been invited over from her mother's church for dinner. In obvious attempts to make a love connection. When those attempts had failed spectacularly. Her mother had even gone as far to demand she at least try and date at least once a year.
Amy's mom did not respect it when she told her that romance just wasn't for her. How could Amy explain to her why she had no interest? That she had flirted with the fires of romance and had been badly burned. Even though it had been five years she still wasn't over Dr. Cooper. It had been a short affair. Yet Amy was sure that what she had felt with him would be as close as she would ever get to love. Amy knows that she had loved him with her whole heart. That the brief but passionate episode on his desk. Might be enough to tide her over her entire life. Her cheeks still burned and her loins still throbbed everytime she remembered it.
Amy had never told anyone about it. She was too embarrassed. She had never spoken to Dr. Cooper again after that fateful night. Immediately after she had been too embarrassed to contact him. Amy waited a we ek, then she went to his classroom to apologize. It was then she found out he had resigned his post and left campus.
Weeks later Sheldon had tried to email her. When she ignored him he had sent several more. Each time she had deleted them unanswered and unread. She didn't need his pity. It had been clear in his eyes how much he regretted their actions that night. He had given her a simple kiss and she had attacked him, like a crazed woman. It was too bad, Dr. Cooper had been most interesting and she would have liked to get to know him better.
Burdened with the memories of Dr. Cooper, Amy sinks into her newly delivered couch. It felt good to be on her own again after five years of her mother's constant meddling. Even as an adult she dictated almost everything she did. Her life was falling into place. She loved her career. Though she was getting a little bored with the research she was doing at UCLA.
There she was one of many doctors working on an addiction study under famed scientist Dr. Williamson. Sometimes as the only woman on the project she felt like she was being undermined. Like her input wasn't as valued and she sometimes ended up doing the mundane tasks that should be assigned to a lower research assistant. Just the other day she had been tasked with getting the whole team coffee. None of the other doctor's would have been asked to do something so menial.
It was those thoughts that lead her to play around on different university servers looking for new projects. Amy finds a position at Caltech that would be her heading her own research team. The job description also lists teaching one lab a semester in its duties. Amy has yet to teach, but a research position with light teaching duties would be a great way to start.
The chances that she will get it are slim. Still, it's too tempting a position not to try for. So she sends in her resume and hopes for the best. Amy is shocked when someone from the university calls her the next day to set up an interview.
On her way down to her interview she hears voices on the floor below her. She stops in the staircase to listen to what's going on. It sounds like at least three different male voices and one female. One of the male voices strikes a chord. Her whole body feels like it is thrumming, like a string on her internal harp has been plucked. Amy thinks that the voice is that of Dr. Cooper's. Only how could that be? Is it possible that he had found her after all this time.
Amy tiptoes down the stairs and peeks around the corner. Her heart almost jumps out of her chest hoping to hear Sheldon. Instead she sees a blonde girl and two other men. A tall strapping handsome man and a shorter man wearing a pair of thick black glasses. The trio look uncomfortable, like they don't belong to together.
"Well, I better get going." the shorter one says looking nervous, "If I don't get him to work on time I'll hear about it all week."
"Alright, see you around Leonard." the blonde says as the boy walks away looking dejected.
"Is he a friend of yours?" The taller man asks the blonde.
"He's my neighbor." she shrugs. "Listen, you better get going, I've got to get ready for work soon."
"Okay, talk to you soon?" he asks hopefully.
"Sure." she smiles and the man leans in and kisses her. The woman kisses him back but, backs away quickly and gives a tiny wave before duckinging into her apartment. The man walks away and heads down the stairs.
When they are both out of view Amy hurries down the rest of the stairs. She went from being on time for her interview being on the verge of being late. As she makes her way to her car she decides she is happy it wasn't . It had sounded just like her memory of him. When she got close she realized neither of the men sounded like Sheldon.
Amy had been thinking about him so much lately she must have conjured him out of thin air. Then as she pulls away she remembers that the shorter man had said that he had to drive someone to work. Meaning there had been three men on the stairs. Now she tries to decide what she would do if she came face to face with Dr. Cooper again.
Sheldon
Five years since his stint at Harvard and Sheldon was happy with his life. He had his dream job at Caltech, he was living in a spacious apartment. He had even found a friend with his roommate Leonard. Lately however his best friend had been preoccupied with their new neighbor Penny. In fact Leonard had become so enamored with Penny he had little time for anything else.
Sheldon wanted to tell Leonard not to waste his time on Penny. That women were far more trouble than they were worth. That even if he managed to woo her. There was a high probability that she would just rip his heart out and stomp all over it. Five years and he still had not quite recuperated from Amy.
Most of the time he tried not to think about her. Still every now and again the memory of her would swirl to the surface of his brain. The way she had smiled at him, the way she could challenge him intellectually, the feel of her lips against his. He still had her sweater she left, tucked into one of his drawers. Sometimes he still took it out. If he pressed it to his nose he could still faintly smell her perfume. It was hand knitted and he often wondered if she had made it herself.
To this day he still can't figure out what went wrong. After she ran away from him he decided to give her some space. Instinctually he knew he had hurt her feelings. Working from his experience with his mother and sister he knew it was best to give a woman space when she was upset. Sheldon also needed time to process how he was feeling about what had happened. He had never felt that way about a woman. Had never expected to ever feel that way about a woman, or anyone for that matter. There was no denying, however that he felt strongly for Miss Fowler. So strongly, that he was prepared to give up everything to be with her.
Then unexpectedly he got a call from Caltech to come for an interview. He had flown out immediately to California. Getting the job would solve all their problems. Amy would be in California by the summer. They would no longer have an improper relationship. Once he secured the job he flew back to Cambridge and resigned immediately. Then started working on moving across country. He felt there was no need to inform Amy of anything until he was situated in California. It would only be a few months then they could be together.
He hadn't considered that she would ignore his communications. He had written her a ten page treatise titled the Repercussions from our Dalliance. That outlined why he had ended things so suddenly that night. His decision to take the position at Caltech and sever ties with Harvard. Then he laid his heart on the line. Told her exactly how he felt for her and his hope for their future. He waited weeks for her reply, the whole time feeling like his heart was in a vise.
Today while leaving for work Leonard had seen Penny saying goodbye to one of her male suitors. Leonard had been crushed and the car ride was quiet and tense. Sheldon kept quiet on the subject. Knowing that nothing he said would change Leonard's opinion of Penny. Even though he wished he could tell him that no matter what happens with Penny his heart would be broken. Needing distance from his forlorn friend. He breaks off from him when they arrive at work. Sheldon heads toward the personal offices. There is an office opening up soon, larger than the one he occupies now. While walking down the hall he hears a familiar voice, A voice he hasn't heard in five years.
"Welcome to our school Dr. Fowler. I look forward to your work."
"Thank you, President Siebert. I look forward to contributing to your fine institution." he hears her say. He thinks for a moment, that he is imagining things Sheldon presses his back against the wall, not wanting to be seen. He craned his neck around the side of the wall. Watching her as she rounds the corner and disappears. All he saw was the shape of her shoulders and hips, and the swish of her hair. That's all it takes for him to know that it is her. Sheldon marches into President Seibert's office feeling frantic.
"President Siebert, who was that?" Sheldon asks and President Siebert looks at him like he is crazy.
"Excuse me, Dr. Cooper?" President Siebert asks shutting the book he was looking at closed.
"The woman who was just in here. Who was she?" Sheldon demands.
"Dr. Cooper, I don't believe you're privy to that information." he says pointedly.
"It's just that I think I have worked with her before." Sheldon tells him and President Siebert looks confused.
"With Dr. Fowler? When would you have worked with a neuroscientist?" he asks.
"Nevermind, I must have been mistaken." Sheldon says gruffly as he grips the doorjamb.
"Are you are you alright Dr. Cooper?" President Siebert asks worried.
"Excuse me President Siebert, I must be going." Sheldon says racing from the office and to his office.
Sheldon takes out his laptop and powers it on. He types her name into the search engine. For years he thought about looking for her. He had gone as far as looking her up in the phone book, before discovering the Fowlers in California were simply too numerous. After that defeat, he decided that even if he could find her. His time with her was best left in the past. Now he wishes that he had kept better tabs on her. It seems the now Dr. Fowler, had been living right under his nose. Just a bus ride away in Glendale and working at UCLA. He hacks into the universities personnel files and finds her resume.
Sheldon's heart leaps into his throat when he sees the address she has listed for herself. Amy is currently living in his building. Just on the floor above him. How is it he has missed her being so close? Curious he researches it further. Discovering that it must be a recent move. When he pulls up anything else on her it lists an address in Glendale. Before he knows it Leonard is knocking on his door, and he has spent his entire day cyber stalking Amy.
"Ready to go buddy?" Leonard asks him.
"Just a moment." Sheldon says as he closes his laptop and starts packing up. Leonard sits in a chair by the door and pulls out his phone.
"You seem kind of out of it. You get some work done?" Leonard asks when Sheldon is finally packed up.
"Yes, lots." Sheldon answers distractedly.
In the car on the way home they are both quiet. Both distracted by their prospective female troubles, yet unwilling to talk about it. The twenty minute ride feels like it takes forever.
In the lobby Sheldon is distracted by Leonard running into Penny. He is trying to talk to her, without letting on how much it hurt him to see her with another man this morning. He scoffs at how ridiculous he is letting one woman rule his life. When suddenly he feels something brush against him. He looks down angrily, only to discover Dr. Fowler at his elbow trying to get past him to the stairs. Which he was blocking while watching Leonard and Penny's exchange.
"Wait, Amy!" He pleads trying to stop her before she runs away. He realizes that he has shouted it and that Leonard and Penny are now watching them. Amy stops but doesn't say anything she just stares at him wide eyed. "Amy, please talk to me." He begs but she just turns on her heel and runs up the rest of the stairs.
Amy
Knock, knock, knock
Amy answers her door nervously, worried Dr. Cooper will be on the other side. It's only been a few hours since she left him on the stairs. It wouldn't be hard for him to figure out which apartment was hers. Part of her hopes it is him. She had panicked on the stairs and ran. What would she say to him though, after five years and one awkward encounter.
Amy is surprised when she opens the door and sees the blonde from the earlier hallway altercation. Aside from the kaleidoscope of bright colors she is wearing. The girl is wearing contradictory fashions. On the girls feet are a pair of suede boots trimmed with fleece, that might look at appropriate on an arctic expedition. The rest of her body is clad firmly for the summer. With a tank top that exposes much of her cleavage and some of the smallest shorts Amy has ever seen. Amy is sure that she has reached her door in error. Or she is part of some welcome wagon committee.
"I'm sorry, I just moved here. I think whoever you are looking for has moved out." Amy says moving to close the door. The girls face that had been set in a wide smile falls a bit and stops the door from closing.
"Are you Amy?" she quickly asks.
"Yes." Amy says confused.
"Then I'm at the right place!" the blonde beams. "I'm Penny your downstairs neighbor." she tells her motioning to the stairs. The girl is empty handed so she's not part of a welcome wagon committee. Still Amy decides to let her inside.
"Would you like to come in?" she asks warily.
"Sure," Penny says wandering in and looking around. "This is exactly like my apartment." Penny marvels as she looks around.
"Apartments in the same building do tend to have the same floor plan," Amy says gently.
"Oh yeah." she laughs. "Have you been in any of the two bedrooms?" she asks and Amy shakes her head no.
"I haven't had the chance to meet many of my neighbors." Amy tells her, "except for Sheldon" Amy thinks. Who must live somewhere in the building. Two run in's were more than a coincidence.
"Why don't you come have dinner with me and my friends?" the girl asks brightly.
"When?" Amy asks curiously thinking about marking her very blank calendar.
"Right now. I think tonight is pizza night." Amy is taken aback. This is only the second dinner invitation she has ever received and the first one didn't end up very well. Still the girl seems nice enough and a dinner with her and her friends sounds better than the meal she had planned. So she follows the girl out the door and starts down the staircase.
"You're sure they won't mind?" Amy asks worried.
"They won't mind at all. It will be nice having another girl there." Penny says opening a door to one of the apartments.
"Hey everyone! I brought a friend! This is Amy she's new to the building and lives in the apartment above now." Penny explains as she grabs two bottles of water from the refrigerator.
"Hi Amy!" say a chorus of voices. Sitting around a coffee table are two young men who look to be around her age. Nervously Amy moves inside the door going to sit on the couch. She chooses the seat in the middle. A small man in bright clothes is in the one seat, and the other seat with a striped pillow propped on it looks otherwise claimed.
"Howard Wolowitz." the boy next to her says extending his hand. Amy moves to shake it and he grabs her hand and kisses it. Amy jerks it back grossed out by how unsanitary it was to kiss a stranger's hand.
"Amy Farrah Fowler." Amy says tersely. "Have you lived here long?" Amy asks him trying to make polite conversation.
"Oh, we don't live here." Howard tells her pointing at the other boy who as yet to say a word. "This is our friend Leonard and Sheldon's apartment. They're just out getting the food."
"Sheldon you say?" Amy squeaks as the door to the apartment opens and Sheldon walks in.
"Sorry we're late. It's Leonard fault." she hears his unmistakable voice say.
"It's not my fault, Sheldon." The small man besides him begins to argue, but Amy doesn't hear what he says. Like a deer in the headlights she is frozen. Staring at the subject nearly all her dreams for the last five years. It appears Sheldon has stopped listening to him as well. He is looking at her like he has just seen a ghost.
"Amy! What are you doing here?" he exclaims dropping the bag he was carrying. His exclamation unfreezes her mind and she pops up and brushes past Sheldon and his friend at the door and starts running up the stairs tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Amy! Amy!" she hears a voice calling behind her. It is Penny hot on her heels.
"Why did you invite me there?" Amy spits at her angrily. "Are you guys trying to make fun of me?" she asks stopping at her door.
"Make fun of you? What? I was trying to do my friend Sheldon a favor." Penny says confused by her reaction.
"How is bringing me there a favor? I'm sure I'm the last person in the world he wants to see." Amy sniffs and wipes her eyes.
"Actually, I think you're the only person in the world he has ever WANTED to see." Penny tells her looking desperate.
"You don't know that." Amy says sadly.
"I do though! Please can I come inside? Let me explain better?" she begs and Amy shrugs and lets her inside. They sit on her couch. "Okay look, I haven't known Sheldon all that long. I just moved into the building six months ago. However in the six months that I've lived across from him and Leonard. I have learned this. Sheldon doesn't like most people. Sheldon doesn't have emotions like other people. I've never seen him happy, or sad, or mad. He's basically like a robot man."
"Your point is?" Amy sighs. She knows all too well how cold he could be.
"Ever since he saw you at his job, and then on the stairs he has been... different." Penny says pausing.
"Different how?" Amy asks softly.
"He is sad because he loves you! He has been moping around for hours. Leonard says ever since you ignored him on the stairs when he tried to talk to you. He has locked himself away in his room. He's even talking about getting a cat." Penny says like this is definitive proof of his affection. Amy fails to see how a possible feline acquisition equates to love.
"Listen Penny, I don't think his feelings have anything to do with love. More than likely he feels guilty." Amy says to her gently.
"Guilty?" Penny asks her curiously.
"I'm going to tell you about my history with Dr. Cooper. Then maybe you'll understand why I ran out of that room." Amy sighs.
"Please." Penny says eagerly tugging her legs under herself like a child getting ready for story time.
"Alright, five years ago I was finishing up my doctorate at Harvard. During that time Dr. Cooper was working as a professor at the school." she begins.
"Oh my god! Was he your teacher!" Penny squeals. "I bet he was your teacher! Was he a mean teacher? Did you get him into trouble."
"No, he wasn't my professor." Amy tells her. "However he did have a reputation for being a mean teacher." Amy says a smile cracking on her lips.
"So how did you meet?" Penny asks getting more impatient.
"He knocked all the books out of my hands." Amy tells her and Penny looks confused. "On accident, of course. After that I kind of developed a little crush on him. I kept seeing him around school not knowing he was the infamous professor everyone kept complaining about."
"Oooo! A crush! Now we're getting to the good part." Amy grimaces but continues on.
"One day I saw him in a bookstore. I had been pining after him so long I decided to talk to him. We kind of hit it off. We ended up talking for a long time and it came to pass that he was a professor at the school. Being a doctoral candidate, I wanted his input on my thesis. So Dr. Cooper offered to look it over for me."
"So far… boring." Penny complains and Amy gives her a 'just you wait' look.
"Dr. Cooper invited me out to dinner. During the course of dinner he offered to hear me present my thesis. I was nervous about presenting to the board and Dr. Cooper having two doctorates was qualified to give me some pointers." Getting to the hard part Amy takes a deep breath.
"So far, I'm still not seeing where everything went wrong." Penny sighs.
"After I was finished. Dr. Cooper congratulated me. Then one thing lead to another and…" Amy hesitates as her cheeks start burning.
"And what!" Penny says excited.
"He kissed me." she mumbles quickly. Penny screams so loudly Amy jumps in her seat and wonders at the girls sanity.
"Then what happened!" Penny asks eagerly.
"Then I fairly attacked him. We started tearing each others clothes off like wild animals. We came very close to copulating on his desk." Amy says as she casts her eyes down shyly.
"And you didn't… umm copulate?" Penny asks gently.
"No, he pulled away. Told me 'I can't do this. Please put your clothes on and go'." Amy says miserably. Penny goes from gleeful to putting her hand over her mouth in shock. "Then I got dressed and ran out of there more embarrassed than I have ever been in my entire life." she groans.
"Did you try and talk to him about it? Maybe he didn't mean it the way you took it?" Penny reasoned. She couldn't imagine Sheldon being so cruel. Then again Penny never thought he would be capable of making out with anyone.
"If his words didn't show me. His actions did. I went to speak with him. Apologize for my actions, and I found out that he had resigned from his post and left campus." Amy points out.
"What?" Penny replies shocked.
"Yes, he tried to email me a few weeks later. But I deleted them unopened. I don't need is pity." Amy says stubbornly.
"Amy, maybe he was trying to explain?" Penny asks gently.
'Doubtful. The subject line was Repercussions from our dalliance." Amy huffs.
"I understand how you feel. Still I think you should talk to him. All I know is he has been really broken up over you, and you both deserve closure." Penny reasons, as if on cue there is a series of three raps on the door.
"Amy and Penny, Amy and Penny, Amy and Penny." the voice asks urgently after each knock.
"That's Sheldon." Penny tells her.
"I guessed." Amy says dryly.
"Will you please just talk to him?" Penny pleads.
"Fine, let him in." Amy shrugs nonchalantly. But inside she was a bundle of nerves at the thought of being alone with Sheldon again.
One more chapter and then THe epilouge! Leave a review and tell me what you think!
