Author's note: Guys, I am SO sorry. Had quite a few personal problems :( which completely killed my creativity... and kicked me into a writer's block. But yay hay - I am back! Enjoy it :)

The flight had been nice. Sheldon had been able to sit by the window without a stranger next to him and had corrected a stewardess on how tomato juice was not vegetable juice. Amy had been a pleasure to sit next to. They had played Counterfactuals to kill the time and had gotten some strange and also creeped out looks by the people around them but they couldn't have cared less.

"There! There's my suitcase!" Amy pointed at it and Sheldon fished it off the conveyor belt.

They turned around and left the hall. The Texan airport they had landed at was huge and Amy would have been completely lost there without Sheldon. She hated airports in general, she found them kind of confusing. Sure, there was labeling everywhere but she always managed to get lost somehow. Sheldon on the other hand seemed to know the airport as well as his pocket. He walked around like it was the easiest thing in the world. Just five minutes later they finally were out of the airport.

The taxi ride was quiet because Amy was busy looking out the car window and admiring her boyfriend's hometown. The flight had taken two and a half hours and until they had reached the taxi another forty minutes had passed. Now they would still be driving a while so it would be late in the evening when they'd arrive. Amy was still nervous but she tried not to bother Sheldon with it anymore. He had told her over and over again that his family was 'easy to please' … not exactly a compliment but luckily she knew how he had meant it.

Last time Mary had been around – which wasn't long ago – she had been busy with work and not been able to join. Sheldon had been disappointed at first but of course he had quickly agreed that science was something that could not wait. Even though he didn't exactly consider neurobiology a science.

"I hope my mom cooked something. I'm starving." Sheldon mumbled, underlining his statement by placing a hand on his stomach.

Amy looked over to him. "I am sure she has. Does she know when we'll arrive?"

"Yes. But if this driver keeps going so slow, we'll be approximately 8 minutes late and if that means my chicken is cold, I am going to leave this car with a dead man." He glared at the rearview mirror but the taxi driver had either not heard him or decided to ignore him.

Amy crossed her fingers and put them in her lap, taking a deep breath and staring back out of the window. The closer they got, the lighter her heart felt. It was strange because she was nervous and wasn't that supposed to cause a heavy heart? No, she felt like home. She felt like this was a part of her as well as it was one of Sheldon. A few years ago she would have never been able to even imagine to feel so close to someone and now here she was; in Texas with her boyfriend of five years.

The next twenty minutes in the car passed pretty fast since Amy had been lost in her thoughts and Sheldon in his twitter feed.

"Here we are" The taxi driver smiled, his heavy Texan accent clearly pushing through.

Amy got out of the car while Sheldon paid the driver. She looked at the big house. It had become dark outside but the lights shining out of the windows made everything feel so warm and welcoming. She was suddenly roused from her awe, as the taxi driver put her suitcase next to her feet. "Have a nice evening"

"Likewise" She quickly smiled at him and then looked at Sheldon.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at her almost in anticipation for a nod.

"I'm nervous. But… okay, yes." She nodded.

Sheldon took a step forward and Amy followed him. The ring of the doorbell sent another shiver down her spine. She felt her stomach sinking. Time to shine.

The door was opened by Mary.

"Shelly!" He was pulled into a hug immediately and Amy couldn't help smiling. If only her mom would have ever been so sweet with her. She knew that Sheldon probably didn't appreciate it as much as he should have.

"How was the flight? Are you hungry?" Mary let go of her son and patted his shoulders.

"Did you make chicken?" Just from the sound of his voice, Amy could tell that his eyes were sparkling.

Mary just grinned and nodded. Sheldon shoved his suitcase and himself past her into the house. Amy swallowed as her potential mother-in-law turned back around and a huge smile appeared on her lips. Amy had never seen anyone so genuinely happy when she had knocked on a door. Before she even knew what was happening, she was caught in a comfortable hug with one arm firmly around her waist and one hand caressing her back. Amy was so relieved and happy that she couldn't help but hug Mary back.

"I'm really glad to have you here" Mary playfully punched Amy's shoulder after she had ended the hug. "Missy can't wait to meet you"

"Is the chicken in the kitchen?" Sheldon tiptoed and stared over to the next room.

"In the oven. Prepare something for your girlfriend, too, Shelly!" Mary screamed after him and then turned back around to the young neurobiologist.

"Where is Missy?" Amy asked, inconspicuously looking around.

"At her apartment. Since my mother is already staying here and you two guys, Missy said she'd save us some space." Mary linked arms with Amy and pulled her over to the kitchen while talking to her. All the tension was gone – she felt at home. When she entered the kitchen, she watched Sheldon prepare the chicken on the three plates. She sat down next to Mary. The smell made her stomach grumble and she hoped no one would hear it. This was probably what teenage boys felt like being at their girlfriend's home for the first time. Amy had never had this experience in her teenage years but she wasn't mad or sad about it anymore.

Sheldon turned around and handed everyone a plate. "Shall I prepare one for Meemaw, too?"

"Oh, she's asleep already" Mary answered with a loving smile. "She was very tired, you know"

For some reason Amy felt disappointment rise within her. Yes, it was selfish. Meemaw was not the youngest anymore and it had probably been an exhausting day, but she had wished to meet her for so long, that another night seemed endless.

Amy was torn out of her thoughts, when Mary grabbed her hand. She looked over to Sheldon with wide opened eyes as Mary started to mumble a prayer. Sheldon just rolled his eyes and shrugged, then said a loud and clear "Amen" along with his mother, and started to shovel chicken into his mouth.

"Meemaw can't wait to finally meet you, Amy!" Mary smiled at the young woman. "Lord knows, she wouldn't stop talking about ya"

Amy felt her face turn bright red but her heart started beating faster and she suddenly felt more welcomed than she had ever felt anywhere. Sheldon's family was truly a blessing – maybe Mary wouldn't exactly have agreed to that choice of words, but to Amy it was a miracle. People who had never met her before couldn't wait to finally meet her. They treated her like a daughter. Amy was so happy, she felt her eyes fill with tears. Quickly she looked back down onto her plate and continued eating her chicken.

"George Junior will pay a visit tomorrow as well"

Sheldon grunted noticeably and Mary shot a strict glance into his direction. "I do not need to mention that I want you two do behave, do I, Shelly?"

"No, mother" Sheldon sighed.

She didn't take her look off of her son. "I want peace between the two of you. It's about Missy. This entire week is about your twin sister, Sheldon. The holy bond of marriage."

"Yes, mother"

Amy felt the tension in the room and cleared her throat. "I really like your chicken, Mary"

"Thank you, dear!" A smile spread on her face. "Old family recipe"

"The best recipe" Sheldon agreed.

"The best family" Amy quietly whispered.

"This is Missy's old room" Sheldon opened the door and put Amy's suitcase down.

Amy entered a little room. There was a small bed next to the window. The walls were painted in a light yellow, there were still some posters on the walls. A few old stuffed animals sat on the only little dresser in the room. There also was a desk that looked very old and very used. Names and hearts were carved into the wood, some of them half scratched away again.

"It's pretty warm outside. If you want I can open the window for you… it's a little hard to open sometimes"

"That would be nice" Amy smiled and watched her boyfriend walk over to the window, opening it with a lot of strength. The cool breeze of the night hit her and gave her goosebumps. Sheldon smiled self-satisfied and walked back over to his girlfriend. "The bathroom is over there."

"Thank you" She smiled. "Will you wake me up tomorrow morning?"

He looked astonished but then he nodded, even if a little confused. "What time?"

"Whenever you wake up" She smiled and then turned to watch the room again. It looked comfortable… kind of. It was her first night in this house and she didn't exactly feel well with the thought of sleeping alone but she didn't want to sound immature so she decided to keep her worries to herself.

"Alright" Sheldon seemed a little insecure about what to do next.

Amy smiled. "Sleep well"

"You too"

She looked into his blue eyes and caught his stare immediately. She had become an expert at this and she knew – once he got lost in her emeralds, there was no going back anymore. He swallowed, his look dropped onto her lips. They were so tempting and even more so since he had found out what they felt and tasted like. Without being able to resist, he lowered his head, his eyes switching between staring into her eyes and down onto her mouth. Amy held her breath. They had kissed quite a few times yet but she couldn't say it had gotten any less exciting. It still felt like her blood started boiling, like there were a million little tickling butterflies on her skin and in her stomach. It wasn't any different this time. With a smile on them, her lips welcomed his. His hands immediately found their way on her hips, pulling her a tad closer. A slight sucking on her lower lip let Amy groan slightly. She put her hands on his underarms, feeling the arousing game of his muscles under his shirt. She tasted the cobbler they had had for dessert and found that it hadn't even been half as delicious from the plate as it was from his lips.

Sheldon's thoughts started spinning and then slowly disappeared. He was still getting used to this feeling – but he started enjoying it more and more. Ever since he had been able to think, his brain had been occupied, been full of thoughts, circling around between his cerebral matter. But the first time he had kissed Amy, he had found that all of these thoughts and voices had become quiet whenever his lips were pressed to hers. He was just full of feelings. There was nothing else. And he enjoyed this. He felt her warm breath on his cheek. His grasp around her hips was firm. He wasn't sure anymore if they had been standing there for only minutes or a few hours.
"Shelly?"
It was Mary's voice that let them rush apart. Sheldon had to clear his throat before he could answer, his voice still sounded quite thin. "Yes?"
He nervously wiped his hands on the sides of his pants. His mother walked up the stairs and was rather confused finding the both of them pretty breathless and with flushed cheeks.

"Amy, is that room okay for you?" Mary asked, her eyebrows knitted worriedly.

"Absolutely!" The neurobiologist immediately answered with an exaggerated nod.

Mary didn't seem too convinced but still turned around to her son. "Shelly, I have a few things to tell you regarding the wedding preparations. Join me in the living room when you two lovebirds are done here"

Amy's face color changed between pale and blushed about thrice while Mary walked back downstairs, then she took a deep breath and looked at Sheldon insecurely. "I would assume we are done here?"

"Yes… have a good night, Amy."

"You too, Sheldon"

She quickly turned around, shut the door and took a deep breath. Oh boy, spending 24 hours a day with Sheldon would probably become harder than she had thought.