'What do you want this table up here for anyway?' Leonard puffed, having just hauled the coffee table from 4A up to the roof. 'And who's asthmatic here?' he continued, taking a heavy drag from his inhaler.

'Well now you realise the folly of buying that other one,' Sheldon replied smartly. 'I'm sure you're glad you didn't have to drag that one up here!'

Leonard conceded the point, but still wanted to know why on Earth Sheldon was intent on setting up the coffee table and garden chairs on the roof. 'So what's this stuff doing here?'

'We're not done yet.' Sheldon didn't answer the question. 'You know I asked you to bring that laser home?'

'Yeah…I was wondering about that…' Sheldon in charge of a laser was a somewhat worrying prospect.

'Well it needs to be set up like it was when we shot it off the moon. Come on, bring it up!'

'What, you're doing the same experiment? Why?'

'Because Amy's never seen it,' Sheldon said, as if that explained everything. 'I hadn't met her then, so thought she'd like to see it now. I'm sure she'd appreciate it more than Penny and that troglodyte Zach we had here last time.'

Leonard grinned. 'He was an idiot – blowing up the moon…what's with the table though? You gonna put the laptop on it?'

'Yeah.' There was the slightest hesitation in Sheldon's reply, and it made Leonard look up.

'OK…I'll go set it up,' he said, wondering what his friend was really up to.

As it turned out, Amy had to wait a little longer than expected for the EEG equipment. It was meant to be available on Wednesday, but the students using it had made some mistake with their data and had to hold on to it until Thursday. It occurred to her, however, that this was fortunate, as it meant that she would be able to conduct the experiment directly after Date Night, thereby maximising her chances of getting something 'interesting' showing up. She'd been asked around to 4A, but Sheldon wouldn't tell her what they were doing, just that she shouldn't eat before she arrived.

She was fully recovered now, of course, following the events of last Saturday. She would be – she'd been well looked after. Amy smiled as she thought back to Sunday. Sheldon had stayed that night, even though he was really too tall to sleep comfortably on her couch and she'd sneaked a peek in at him early that morning. He'd texted Leonard to bring round some more clothes in the end, and was curled up in blue and white plaid under her Afghan rug. His hair had fallen slightly into his eyes, and it was all she could do not to gently stroke it away. It really had looked lovely when it had grown out a little that time, but it always did. Then, as now, she'd watched him silently from her kitchen, hardly daring to breathe lest she wake him and lose her chance to just gaze unobserved. He looked so peaceful in sleep – like a little boy – but she was all too aware that he wasn't.

Reluctantly, she'd left him, wondering what his dreams were saying. She had to find out sometime soon, and had found herself considering them more and more ever since hers on the camping trip. Was there any chance Sheldon would ever…think of her that way? She'd love to believe it, but didn't dare. Snuggling back down under her own covers, she thought back to that dream, not the first she'd had about him, but they were surprising few and far between, and generally incoherent and poorly remembered – not like that one. And now the man who'd provoked it was mere feet away…if only she didn't feel too groggy to do something about it…

Amy fell back to sleep, and didn't wake up until nine when she heard movement coming from her kitchen. On the other side of her door, Sheldon poured them each a cup of tea, and was about to take hers through when nerves suddenly got the better of him. As if it hadn't been…well…hard…enough last night, sleeping on cushions that smelled of Amy's dandruff shampoo and perfume, now he was expected to calmly ignore her in bed? What if he went in there and couldn't? Apart from anything else, he'd be breaking the rules and probably lose her then and there. Still, he couldn't let her go without breakfast, and taking a deep breath, set the cup down on the floor before knocking to come in.

Knock, knock, knock, 'Amy!' Knock, knock, knock, 'Amy!' Knock, knock, knock, 'Amy!'

She turned as she called him in, her heart pounding. She never imagined she'd see him in the morning like this, and couldn't help but let her eyes rake hungrily over him.

'Good morning Amy,' Sheldon said, shyly. He didn't want to dwell on the fact she was in bed and wearing so little. Unusually, her forearms were exposed, and as she looked up at him subconsciously pulled the covers up closer, although she wasn't sure if that was for his benefit or hers. Either way, they were both grateful in that moment that her body was hidden.

'Would you like breakfast?' he asked, his eyes drawn to the lightly freckled skin so often concealed by wool and polyester.

'Thank you,' she smiled, almost as shyly. He'd made her a great breakfast, and later that day Penny was sent out to buy the required Fried Chicken ingredients.

'Hi sweetie!' Penny called as Sheldon let her in. 'How are you? Are you OK now?'

'Hi bestie!' Amy replied brightly. She'd been installed on the couch with her feet on a cushion, with strict instructions not to move except for bathroom breaks or naps in bed. 'I'm much better -Sheldon's been great!'

'Ooh!' squealed Penny. 'So he's been looking after you? That is so sweet!'

'Penny, don't wear Amy out asking questions!' Sheldon ordered, anxious to get Penny mobilised and not waste time sitting around chatting.

'Sheldon, I'm just asking!' Penny countered indignantly. 'And,' she continued, smiling altogether too knowingly as she leant on Amy's kitchen counter, 'I hear you've been doing a pretty good job!'

'Of course I have. I've been sick, I know what to do,' Sheldon replied arrogantly, and handed her some money. 'Here's a hundred dollars. Go to Target and get what's on this list. Exactly what's on this list. No substitutes!' He tapped his pen on the words for emphasis.

'O-kay,' replied Penny, squinting at the paper a bit. Her writing was better than Sheldon's. She could only assume he'd been too busy solving the mysteries of the universe in 3rd Grade to trouble himself with paying attention to handwriting exercises.

Nonetheless, Amy was pleased to note that the blonde goddess she was once again able to call her bestie had come up trumps, and their lunch had been amazing. She'd have to let Mary know, and next time, she'd have to make Sheldon cook enough for Penny too, rather than shoo her out. That afternoon it had been just the two of them again, companionably reading or watching TV.

'Hey, look, 'Back To The Future's on,' Amy said suddenly, and looked up. Somehow, the look in her eyes just then made Sheldon blush and look away. She didn't seem to realise, but she'd caught him staring – well, daydreaming, really – as he'd let himself dart ever increasing glances over her hair, legs…further up…Was this ever going to stop? Thank goodness for the distraction that was time travel!

'Oh yeah!' he replied, trying to sound particularly enthusiastic, as if the way her skirt rode up slightly when she moved couldn't be further from his mind. 'We've got the Trilogy, but this is the original and best!'

'Cool, you wanna watch?' It wasn't until much later in the film, that Sheldon found himself irresistibly drawn to Amy again. He caught the rapt expression on her face as she watched Marty's parents dance for the first time, having just saved his mother from Biff. He wondered what she was thinking. No doubt it was an enjoyable film, even if there were certain plot holes and inconsistencies, but she seemed to be getting something more from it. Putting all his considerable intellect to the problem, Sheldon suddenly remembered – dancing. They'd gone dancing once, after she and the other girls had practically dragged him there. He'd expected to hate it, like he always had as a child, but there'd never been a pretty brunette with sparkling green eyes looking up at him then – not like that night. He'd heard that song somewhere else too – it was one of Meemaw's. Maybe they could dance again…somewhere …

As Amy stepped into the apartment on Thursday, she detected the unmistakable flavours of spaghetti and hot dogs, and smiled. That meal was special. Other women might win their men with a big steak dinner or apple pie, but this one had won hers.

'Hi Sheldon,' she called, taking a seat next to his on the couch. 'That smells good!'

'It does, doesn't it?' he answered proudly, and dished it out. He brought hers over, but didn't put it down – he couldn't.

'Sheldon, where's the table?' Amy asked, fearing another furniture related argument had blown up between 4A and 4B.

'It's upstairs,' he said, holding her plate out. 'And please could you take this? It's highly inadvisable to carry too much upstairs.'

'OK,' Amy replied, uncertainly. 'When you say 'upstairs'….?'

'On the roof. That's where the table is. And after taking nearly two hours today to find a replacement spot up there this afternoon, we're not sitting down here!'

She took her plate, a bemused smile on her face as she followed Sheldon up to the roof. Alternate dining arrangements? What was going on?

Her smile grew as she took in the sight that met her when they stepped out. On the coffee table, were two jars, one containing glow sticks, and one flowers. She'd never received flowers in her life and certainly wouldn't have expected them from Sheldon.

'Sit down,' he said, indicating the garden chairs.

'Sheldon, this is great!' Amy said, her eyes darting around. 'And flowers?'

'Yes, Raj came up with those, or to be more accurate, he came up with a dozen red roses. These aren't roses.'

'What are they?'

'Californian poppies.' He really hoped she wouldn't ask why. To admit that they seemed a better choice for his California girl was far too hippy dippy to even contemplate.

'Oh…thank you…' Amy could say no more, as she suspected she knew why, but knew better than to make him say it. He loved her. Sheldon Cooper was in love with her.

'And what are those?' she continued, after a couple more mouthfuls of spaghetti.

'Glow sticks. Raj also suggested candles, but on a bitumen treated roof that seemed extremely hazardous. I had these in my emergency kit.'

'Emergency kit? What kind of emergency?'

'Oh, all sorts!' Sheldon replied enthusiastically. 'In the spirit of being prepared for every eventuality, I hold quarterly drills for, until recently, myself and Leonard, to save us in case of such disasters as fire, flood, earthquakes, nuclear accident and zombie Armageddon.'

Amy hid a smile. Zombie Armageddon? 'Well, we always had earthquake drills at school – the other kids never used to take them too seriously, but I did.'

'I know! I had the same experience with hurricane drills – anyone'd think they didn't care about the possibility of being blown into Louisiana! I'll have to show you the rest of my stuff later!' he continued, and suddenly looked down at his food as it occurred to him that meant letting Amy back into his room.

Amy took a sip of her sparkling mineral water. Wisely, Sheldon had considered the possible dangers of alcohol on a roof, and she was glad of it. Just then, she noticed some sort of equipment in the corner.

'And what's that?'

'That's one of Leonard's lasers. Did you know that by shooting a laser directly at the moon, as it is tonight; will enable us to prove the human presence there?'

'No, how?'

'Astronauts on various missions left small items of debris up there. The laser bounces off them, and we can see it here on that laptop!'

'Cool!' She was as impressed as he'd hoped, and when they'd finished, Sheldon handed her some glasses and, following Leonard's instructions, shot the high powered beam up at the moon. Seconds later, a spike on the graph jumped up.

'Wow, that's great! When did you guys do this?'

Sheldon didn't answer for a moment. 'Just before I met you. In fact, this is kind of how I met you.'

Amy looked puzzled. 'You met me at a coffee shop.'

'Yes, but it was during this experiment that Raj and Wolowitz found the dirty sock that made me go there,' he replied, and Amy blushed as she understood why she was really there.

'So, you wanna come see my emergency kit?' Sheldon asked then, suddenly shy. Amy agreed, wondering if that was really all he meant. Surely it was, but…

It was. '…And this is the safety equipment…' he continued proudly, putting a helmet bearing a small lion on his head and shrugging on a fluorescent jacket.

'Right,' Amy looked at him, her eyes slightly darkened. He had it all covered. Emergency rations, more glow sticks, firelighters…and looked both a little ridiculous and rather hot…