Author's note: Thank you for the follows and reviews. Happy New Year may 2014 be a year filled with peace and joy.

Disclaimer: The Big Bang Theory and all characters and creative elements derived from the source material belong exclusively to Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady.

Chapter 4

Raj had just conceded a win to Leonard by putting his PS1 controller down and yelling towards the kitchen, "Sheldon aren't you going to take your turn? All you've been doing is checking your phone."

"Play away." He instantly put his phone down and waved a hand in the air, "I'm just going to make myself some mint tea. My stomach has been in distress lately. I've looked up my symptoms and I do believe I have an H Pylori infection. I'll have to go into the clinic tomorrow and take a breath test."

As the apartment door opened Sheldon shifted his attention with eager anticipation until he saw it was Penny and so returned his thoughts to his tea.

"Hey everyone, I've brought cheese bread and marinara sauce."

"ooooh, I'll start watching my figure on January 1st", Raj cheered.

"They were training some new assistants in the kitchen and they went crazy making cheese-bread. I grabbed it thinking you guys would be ready for some snackin'."

While laying out the food on the coffee table, Leonard leaned across to sweetly kiss her on the lips, "Thank you."

Behind her the door swung open again and Howard jumped from his seat to greet his wife with a kiss. "Bernie"

She returned the kiss and handed him a box. "I had to pick up my dad from the eye doctor for my mom; he had his eyes dilated, so I took him home and ate with my parents. My mom sent you guys some black forest cupcakes there are supposed to be cherries in the middle. Something new she's testing out."

Sheldon walked towards her briskly passing Howard who was headed to the kitchen, "Where's Amy?"

"That was my greatest achievement of the day. I got Amy to Atlanta." She announced.

"What!? She's gone? She left? She didn't give me any notice. She hasn't even sent me a text. What are you doing sending her to Atlanta?" With each question Sheldon's voice rose half an octave.

"She didn't have time. We got to her apartment and I helped her pack then I rushed her to the airport."

"She can't fly. She's on the No-fly list."

"I know but that's for commercial airlines. I got her on a private jet."

"Whoa." Leonard and Penny said in unison.

"Cool" smiled Raj

"How?" asked Howard

"NOoooo" Sheldon howled.

Bernadette looked at Sheldon with wide-eyed surprise forcing her tiny voice to become serious as she explained, "All week one of my company's big wigs has been around and today we had a luncheon for him. Afterwards he's chatting at our department's table and it came up that today he was flying on the company jet back to his home in Atlanta. I jokingly ask if he was willing to take a passenger. He thought it was me but I tell him that it's my friend Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. Guess what? He knew who she was!"

"See Sheldon I don't know if you know or even care but in the world of neuroscience and addiction research Amy is a big deal. Until I got this job I didn't know but the R&D people say her name is attached to some pretty impressive studies during the last ten years."

"Okay. What was I saying? Oh yes. So I know Amy was missing that huge meeting at the CDC next week because of the No Fly List restrictions that she hasn't been able to get lifted."

"Is that the science building in Atlanta the zombies invaded that got blown up?" Penny asked Raj who gave her a big grin and a thumbs up. "See I do know stuff."

"What huge meeting?" asked Leonard.

Sheldon looked at him and spoke through a tightened jaw and with hands flying in all directions, "The CDC, NIH, FDA and every confounded agency has been trying to gather experts in the field of addiction so the government can regulate these e-cigarettes that have become so popular. The tobacco companies do not need FDA approval and they have put significant dollars out there to keep it that way."

Nodding her head with agreement and excitement Bernadette continued, "With all these big players involved the boost to Amy's profile and career would be enormous. These things just don't come along very often for any scientist but especially for lady scientists. I couldn't just let her pass it up."

Leonard walked around the table and placed a hand on Sheldon's shoulder to guide him towards his spot while asking, "Isn't it odd that they're having this meeting now, so close to the holidays?"

Sheldon sat down as he responded. "It was supposed to happen in April, then June, then August, then the government shutdown came, but now to have it this close to the holidays doesn't make sense."

"It's bureaucracy!" The high pitched squeak startled Leonard who was closely watching Sheldon alternately rub his wrists and grab his ears.

"Of course it doesn't make sense. Maybe everyone decided to play nice. Maybe funding for the meeting and travel expire at the end of the year. Who cares. All that matters is that Amy is part of a select few to spearhead whatever it is they're working on and I got her there!"

Sheldon scurried to his desk chair and opened his laptop, "That remains to be determined. Personal air transports have a high incidence of accidents. If I would have known ahead of time I could have done a background check on the plane's safety record and checked the log hours of the pilot."

"Honestly, Sheldon I don't think our company would let our CEO's fly around in unsafe airplanes with dangerous pilots."

"I'd still like to verify that myself. Who is this boss of yours?"

"His name Tyler Blanchard, he's one of our vice presidents."

"Was he the pilot?"

"I don't think so. That's not something he mentioned."

"What type of jet was it? Was it new or old?"

"I don't know and I don't know."

"Is he young, single, how much is he worth?" interrupted Penny which caused Howard to laugh and join in.

"Maybe he can get Amy into the mile high club since we know Sheldon won't ever join."

"Howard - stop. Sheldon you have nothing to worry about. He has a reputation as a polite southern gentleman from all the people that have worked with him. I wouldn't have asked for the favor if I considered otherwise."

"What is their flight itinerary? In what hotel will she stay?"

"I don't know Sheldon. She was trying to book something on our way to the airport."

"I need to research the crime rate in the area." He rose to grab his phone, rubbed it but found he still didn't have any messages leaving him with a hound dog expression as he clutched the phone to his chest. Everyone watched him silently not sure whether to comfort or tease him to lift him out of his concern. Beads of perspiration formed above his brows but intensity darkened in his eyes, informing all that his mind was at work and not just wrapped in worry.

"What day will your boss be returning?"

"Oh, I don't think he'll be back until February."

"Let me rephrase my question – when will the jet be bringing Amy back?"

"Bringing Amy back?"

"Yes"

"eh-hem oh – I hadn't thought of that."