Author's note: This was two chapters that I thought worked better as one. I'll be playing with time jumps next so hopefully you'll stay tuned. I'm still finding my way with this endeavor so your reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: The Big Bang Theory and all characters, plots and creative elements derived from the source material belong exclusively to their respective owners.

I own nothing except maybe a few characters I will throw in myself.

"Please sweet little girl, I prefer you behind the wheel and me the passenger"

Behind the Wheel – Depeche Mode

When Amy had returned from the bathroom Sheldon had presented her with the agreement addendum they had spoken about the night before the Full Disclosure Clause, as it would be known would go into effect that day. Sheldon had also presented a new outline of their physical contact parameters. The outline was two pages long and listed several subtopics beyond handholding including kissing, French kissing, touching, privacy and more. She had quickly noted that Sheldon had written verbose definitions of the various acts without any real reference to how they would present themselves specific to their relationship. Amy finally just chose to ignore the details and drew a mammoth x across each page.

Sheldon had raised his eyebrows but remained quiet as he watched Amy flip the pages over and write:

-x-x-

All forms of physical contact shall be mutual, consensual and decided upon on a case by case basis. All PDA's and privacy levels will be determined based on the respect of the partner's wishes and bilateral agreement. All milestones in said contact will be decided by and initiated by Sheldon Lee Cooper, aka the boyfriend.

Pre-approved list of physical contact:

Hand holding

Hugging

Cuddling

Kissing

-x-x-

She signed the document with a flourish and handed it to Sheldon. He was not comfortable with the simplicity but was drawn to the last line that gave him complete control of their intimate physical progress. His old nemesis Fear gripped his chest. It was that fiery villain that injected him with the insecurity that he could lose Amy to some charlatan capable of giving her those things he often felt too debilitated to provide.

"Kissing?" he asked

"I just put it there so you know you won't have to ask."

"Oh," he smiled recalling Penny's inopportune interruption.

When he raised his eyes to meet hers he saw that her cheeks were a pageant of varying shades of crimson, she averted his gaze and only eyed the floor. Her hands were braced closed to her sides and he could detect that they slightly trembled. He often forgot her own innocence in these matters so it was because of this visual reminder that he signed his name with renewed vigor beneath her own signature, punctuating a personal determination that she would always remain his and his alone.

"I'll type it later. Let's go."

Amy stood before the open trunk of her car retrieving a paper from a backpack and a bottle of water from her mini-cooler. She was still not convinced that her beloved Sheldon Lee Cooper had been unaffected by eating a "germ" infected strawberry. Lately though he'd been surprising her in many ways.

A text from Penny interrupted her thoughts.

A,

I expect details later!

Change of work plans. Have 2 w8 until Wed. to get 2gther.

Bern said OK. U?

-P

xo

P,

Wed. ok.

See you at 6 p.m. then

-A

xo

She entered her car and turned it on along with the air conditioning then handed Sheldon the water and the paper.

"I present to you the Student Driver Agreement." She said with dramatic emphasis.

Sheldon read:

-x-x-

Student Driver, aka Sheldon Lee Cooper agrees to the following parameters

1. Trust Amy Farrah Fowler, aka the girlfriend

2. see number one

Goals and desired outcomes

Emergency preparation

fun

Independence

mobility

Disclosure of lessons to social group will be solely determined by student.

-x-x-

"Amy, this doesn't tell me what your plans are for me."

"Sheldon, you just have to trust me. It is my hope that you can learn by just having some fun."

"You're right about emergency preparation. I'd have to agree even if you solely presented that one point. I did have to drive Penny to the hospital once and I even had to spend an afternoon in jail due to that incident because of an infraction that was not my fault."

"I've heard the story and I think it's kind of hot to know I'm dating a bad boy who has spent some time in the slammer."

"Amy, it sounds like you've been watching way too many of Penny's reality shows." he chided while signing his acceptance and giving her a crooked smile.

Their eyes met, her heart fluttered but she gave herself a mental shake and reapplied her faculties to the task at hand.

Amy pulled out onto the road then asked "What are your paintball plans while Leonard is away? I know that usually takes up your Sunday mornings and I want to know how to plan for the upcoming lessons."

"Well, we have all agreed to play on alternating Sundays and Stuart will fill in for Leonard temporarily. Raj has agreed to pay his fees. We always play at 10:30 a.m."

"Rajesh is very generous."

"Stuart isn't quite as skilled a freeloader as Penny but with practice I'm sure he might get Raj to buy his entire store inventory from him."

"I seriously doubt Stuart is duplicitous."

"I didn't mean to imply that Stuart is deceptive. I meant to imply that Raj is a sucker."

"Like I said Rajesh is just generous. Hopefully, his new found voice will boost his self-esteem."

"Well that's enough of that."

Amy giggled to herself. There's my Sheldon. It was his trademark move if things were getting too "hippie-dippie" for his liking. He would end the conversation or change the subject.

While Amy watched the road he watched her. In particular at that moment he relished the fact that it was the first time he had heard her refer to him as hot without the aid of alcohol. He liked knowing that "he did it for her" as she once said in an inebriated state, though he wasn't quite sure what that meant because the "it" that he surmised had yet to be broached. He smiled to himself ruminating on their morning fun. He loved those shared moments of playing with Amy. If it weren't for Penny he might have even kissed her. Drat! How many times had that cornhusker been an invasion on his life.

Now he didn't know when opportunity and audaciousness would conjoin again. He had wanted to kiss Amy since the night of their first cuddle. He'd considered giving her a gentle kiss on the top of her head but she'd had other requests that evening which quickly suffocated his desire for months and still made him anxious. He was no longer afraid of her germs or the kiss itself. She had proven even in sickness that her cooties were benign to his immune system. It wasn't the kiss at all. He was wary of - the after. There were three words that acted as a splinter since the day he'd first fleshed out his own amorous inclinations – and then what?

He cherished the drunken kiss Amy had given him to the extent that he would be willing to download it from his brain onto a memory implant and have it stored in a safety deposit box. He liked the way she had approached him, first with a slight warning then with almost cat like fluidity towards him. Dear Lord, Why had she never tried that again? He would have been ready. He wanted a do over. He wanted to return a kiss, that kiss, sans alcohol of course but it had seemed like she knew what she was doing and he would have been willing to follow. She just never had. The only other time she had kissed him on the lips was the night he gave her the tiara but it was a different kind of kiss and Penny had been there, drat, again. The kisses on his forehead had also been nice but drat Penny was there again!

And Then What? Avalanches are born from weakness and change threatens their instability. Until now kolinahr helped as he had managed his weaknesses but D&D and now Leonard's departure had brought a wicked catty-wompus into his life leaving him dangling on a precipice. Vulcan hybrid man or not the elements were conspiring to force him to make a move, a tumble towards upheaval. Another problem was that his thoughts had long diverted from the chaste, so he knew he'd be ridin' this snow-slide straight down to what his momma would call 'the devil's gate'. He once watched a PBS documentary that stated, "Nearly all avalanches are triggered by their victim, or someone in the victim's party." This morning all he'd wanted was a strawberry kiss. Just a tiny kiss, to prove to himself and to Amy that he was committed to progress. This he ventured to guess would buy him more time and so there would be no victims in this lustful avalanche, yet.

THE STRAWBERRY!

"We're finally here. Darn that ridiculous interstate construction. I should have looked that up beforehand but we're here now." Amy had seen his reaction. His eidetic memory had reproduced the scene of the half eaten strawberry. She was sure of it. His eyes bugged, his throat tightened, he began to cough. She handed him the water bottle he had put to the side.

Drinking and looking around his location Sheldon calmed. "Speed Zone! There's a mini-golf, bowling, an arcade and a Johnny Rockets!"

"We're not here to do those things but we can try them later if you want. Everything opens at 10:00 a.m. to the public. I wanted to have been here an hour ago but that darn construction."

She'd grabbed a backpack from her trunk and hurried to the entrance gate with Sheldon following quickly behind her. Pulling out her phone she called someone. Ten minutes later a park employee appeared and after showing a card and I.D. they were let into the Speed Zone Park. The family entertainment complex included five different go kart tracks and bumper cars. The bumper car area was where Amy led Sheldon to begin his driving lessons.

"Amy, I'm horrible even at Mario Kart. You know this. This is not going to end well."

"Part of the obstacle is your negativity. Mario Kart is virtual and we don't need you to master the virtual world. We need you to master Sheldon's world."

"In Sheldonia people don't drive. We have programmable hover-crafts of varying sizes. Just key in your destination and swoosh, you're there."

"Sheldon you know I meant Pasadena."

"Don't you think programmable hover-crafts would work in Pasadena?"

"Of course but Back To The Future failed to materialize as planned so we are without hoverboards today. These bumper cars will have to substitute for now."

An attendant was waiting for them in the operations booth. Amy went to speak to the young teen and Sheldon could see that Amy tipped him some money. When she returned she opened her backpack and handed Sheldon a heavy tan vest that someone might wear on a safari.

"What is this?" he asked

"It's a weighted vest. Put it on and tell me how it feels." She directed

"It's heavy and feels like your boa constrictor hug but not as nice." He answered.

Amy smiled and absently caressed his forearm. "Is it too heavy? We can take some weight packs out and make it lighter for you."

"No, it feels fine but what is it for anyway?"

"Our previous discussions lead me to believe that part of your struggles with driving can be attributed to a sensory overload you have not handled. So I want to begin by giving you something that has been researched to provide calming and comfort. The calming should allow you to process the other stimuli more methodically."

"How did you manage to get us in here at this time? I like being here without the public." He asked while putting on the vest.

"A colleague at work told me her brother was manager and part owner of this franchise. I contacted him and he permitted me this favor. I thought you would prefer to start without anyone around. We have four more Sunday mornings between 8:00 – 11:00 here for practice before we head out to the real-deal."

"Well say no more my lovely sensei. What will you have me do now?"

Amy's heart and stomach were doing acrobatics but she forced herself to maintain an unaffected façade. Keep it together Fowler getting lovey-dovey with Sheldon will just shut him down.

"What I need you to do get into the car that the attendant has picked. He chose the largest because I know your legs are too long for most of these but I think you'll be fine."

"Oh goodie he picked a red one."

I love seeing my man-boy happy. She thought while she walked over and wiped the car, the seat and the steering wheel with the disinfectant wipes she had brought.

Sheldon gripped his heart while watching her do this for him. She knows me so well.

He squeezed into the car. "It is a little cramped for my legs but there is room for my knees."

He buckled his seat belt while he watched Amy pulled out some mini orange pylons that she was placing eight feet apart.

"What else is in that backpack?"

"Just the things we need for our lessons. Now once you get control of the car I want you to drive around the pylons in an oval and then we'll move on to trying a figure eight."

"What do you mean get control of the car?"

"Well Sheldon, these cars are made for bumping and crashing not driving perfectly. You will need to get control of it because it is not calibrated for precision."

"Ready?"

He nodded and Amy signaled the attendant. Music blared, lights flashed and Sheldon crashed into the farthest wall. He was stuck and started smacking the steering wheel with his hands. Amy signaled the attendant to stop everything. She rushed to Sheldon.

"Calm down. Everything is okay."

"Amy, I'm stuck. It won't go backwards. A car doesn't work this way. This isn't going to work. I'm sorry. Don't be disappointed with me."

"Stop. Look at me." His face was flaming red and he refused to make eye contact until she lifted his chin towards her.

"Amy it won't work."

"Yes it will. Tell me, what bothered you?"

"The music, the lights and the steering wheel doesn't seem to control anything."

"Okay. I'm going to ask him to keep off the music and lights. Then try again. Please.

He nodded and waited for the current to start again. This time he managed to move away from the wall but was now stuck with spinning in circles in the same spot. Amy could see his frustration and asked the attendant to stop again. When she reached him he was starting to remove himself from the car.

"No Sheldon. Wait please. We are not done. Don't give up. You did better this time."

"Amy, how can you say I did better? Let's just go."

"We discussed this back when I was sick. We have to have an emergency plan where you're prepared to drive. In 'case of emergency' means there is going to be chaos. You need to be able to manage the chaos. That's why I wanted you to start with this first instead of in a regular car. Filter out all those things that are overloading your mind. Organize and control the chaos Sheldon."

He looked at how she was willing him and wanting him to keep going. Driving had never really mattered to him but he wanted to see her happy. He wanted to see her radiant smile. He sat back down in the car.

"Thank you. Now tell me what were the things that bothered you? What isn't working?"

"For one there is some infernal buzz coming from the antenna pole on the car and the grid transferring the energy. Secondly the accelerator is not making any sense and third the steering wheel sucks!"

"First wear these." Amy said pressing some noise canceling headphones into his hands.

"Secondly Dr. Cooper you are sitting here giving this measly little contraption power over your genius. You know that geometry, math and physics are at play here and yet you are not thinking about the angle that is required of your foot on the accelerator or the degrees of turn for the steering wheel to guide you backwards or forwards. You are letting it control you and allowing it to win. Use your genius Dr. Cooper and you will control the chaos."

He never thought she was more beautiful than at that moment. She didn't mock or pity him as he floundered but instead she made him feel like there was no way he could possibly fail.

"Ok. Power on." he said with determination.

After a bit of sputter where he was stuck in reverse for a minute Sheldon was able to manage the car and drive in circles around the cones for fifteen minutes. Then when Amy challenged he was in control enough to drive the figure eight route she wanted. Then Amy stopped things again.

"Now I want you to change cars. You're comfortable but can you control the chaos of a different car? The math may be different this time. Are you ready?"

Sheldon wasn't completely convinced but he said "Bring it on."

This time he managed the task with some trepidation at first but quickly mastered the skills he'd tried before. Amy took the last ten minutes of their time to jump into the first red car they'd used and proceeded to bump Sheldon around the track. Sheldon took off his earphones so he could trash talk and bump her around the rink until she was stuck where she couldn't move. The attendant told them it was time to go and Amy collected her things back into the backpack. They laughed and walked together towards the restaurant.

"That's twice today."

"Twice?"

"Twice that I've trapped you and left you powerless."

"You trapped me long before today." She quipped still looking towards their destination.

He took her hand and opened the door for them to enter the restaurant.

The hostess guided them to a booth in the back near the kitchen. The tuck and roll red naugahyde booth benches glistened along with the stainless steel and retro fifties décor. They were that day's first customers and the smell of cleaning liquids still hung in the air.

"This is perfect. I've read positive reviews about this location, everything is clean, workers are alert and attentive and their food products should be fresh at this time in the day. I look forward to coming here for the next few weeks."

"I'm glad you're pleased. I wanted to try an unorthodox approach that would address the sensory issues that I think are the real crux to your driving. You haven't taken off the vest. Do you want to leave it on?"

"No." He answered returning it across the table to Amy. "I forgot that I still had it on. I can't say definitively that it helped. How did you plan to measure its effectiveness?"

"Sheldon, I didn't set this up as an experiment. I would have told you first. So my only measure is asking you 'what do you think'?

"Well, it's not unpleasant so I'm not opposed to using it for the duration of your program."

"Didn't you ever ride bumper cars as a child?"

"Yes, every time the county fair came around. I just ended up stuck by a wall where everyone just kept crashing into me not letting me move even after the ride was over. Not a fan."

Once their food arrived hunger overcame their conversation and they ate quietly. Sheldon's eyes began to wander along her bare arms. Amy rarely went out without a cardigan and though he'd seen her this way before he noticed that the thin summer fabrics she was wearing now clung to her differently. The checked short sleeve sun yellow blouse and her scoop neck white cotton tank top were thin and almost sheer despite the layers. She twinkled a shy look at his lingering gaze but returned to dipping her fries in mayonnaise. His eyes roamed over to her bare clavicle and the memory of rubbing his fingers there a few months earlier. Straightening in his seating he found that because of his height he could see more than a hint of cleavage. When she suddenly leaned her back on the bench he feared she had read his thoughts.

"mmm good" he said taking a larger than usual bite of his burger.

"I'm going to order a milkshake for dessert. I was trying to avoid the temptation but I'm too weak."

"Me too." He added nodding his head still chewing his oversized bite.

As she leaned back he noticed how her breathing emphasized the noticeable hardness of her nipples. In his head he heard Wolowitz's voice saying "check out the buds on those mounds".

"Amy, you're cold!" he left his bench and slid in beside her putting his arm around her and rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"It's the refrigerated air. I'm always cold at the lab and I get goosebumps anywhere that they have refrigerated air."

"I'm sorry I don't have my jacket with me."

"I'll be fine until I drink my shake. Unless you, let me take it "to go" in the car?"

"As the driver you cannot…"

"I know" she interrupted

They finished their lunch side by side with Sheldon taking moments to rub Amy's arms and in an attempt to keep her warm.

"Didn't your father ever try to teach you how to drive?" she asked trying to divert her mind from the electricity she felt from his touch.

"I spent most of my time too busy with my science education to be interested in driving but my father did take me driving. Two times to be exact. One summer when I was fourteen he took me to a house across town from our house because he needed to give someone an estimate for some house repairs. The house sat on a dirt lot and when he got out of the truck he threw me the keys and said 'drive yourself around the house for thirty minutes'. I tried but was too afraid of running over the chickens so I just sat there waiting. When he came out some harlot in nothing on but a dirty beach towel waved 'good-bye' to him from the front door. He told me to drive off the lot and I did but he didn't like that I was driving so slow so he just took over. When we got home he told my mom he was out giving me driving lessons."

"I'm so sorry Sheldon."

"The second time it was at the bar maids house but he told me to drive around the block. I just parked the truck and walked home."

"So he never really tried."

"There was a third time. I heard him telling my mom he was taking me out for driving lessons I was skeptical but I went with him anyway. I recognized the route was the way to house across town. When we stopped at a red light I told him 'I will not be a pawn in your fornication schedule' then I got out of the truck and walked home."

Amy was observing that he handled all the information with considerable detachment as if reading from a medical journal.

"Then when I was sixteen my brother tried to teach me because he and his friends were too drunk to drive home from my cousin's party. He sat next to me in the truck while his troglodyte friends rode in the truck bed. 'You know the only things that don't know how to drive in Texas, Shel-bot?' they kept yelling at me while my brother slurred his instructions. 'Steers and queers just steers and queers!' then my brother laughed and wouldn't stop."

"He didn't defend you?"

"I gunned it. I drove over a few lawns, knocked down some fences and some mailboxes. Those idiots bounced around like bingo balls at a church fundraiser but I drove home. And that was my last 'driving lesson' until our friends attempted their intervention by forcing me to get my learner's permit."

"Did you get in trouble?'

"My brother dislocated his arm but it wasn't my fault that he wasn't buckled. My mother only scolded me since she knew how my brother could act. And my father wasn't about to reprimand me about anything that had to do with driving lessons."

"What about the boys in the back of the truck?"

"Don't know. Don't care."

Putting her right elbow down on the table with an expression much like she had the night he had asked her to help him with advice regarding Priya. 'What's rattling around that big bulbous head of yours?' she thought this time to herself.

"Sheldon, do you mind if we play a word association game?"

"Go ahead"

"bananas"

"Really? What if I answer 'Amy' instead of monkeys?" they shared a knowing smile.

"day"

"night"

"dog"

"cat"

"long"

"short"

"cookies"

"Meemaw"

"quarrel"

"parents"

"chickens"

"danger"

"safety"

"vital"

"brother"

"drunk"

"sister"

"twin"

Amy continued a rapid fire of arbitrary words and phrases of varying subject matter until she had counted one hundred and forty samples when she then said, "driving lessons"

"betra-" Sheldon faded with a mumble not completing the word.

"What were you going to say?" Amy inquired watching as drops of perspiration formed above his right brow.

"I don't know. I lost my train of thought." He answered as he turned to survey the still half empty restaurant and seats behind him.

"Sheldon, I'd like to ask for full disclosure here." Amy pressed.

"Alright." He said placing his left elbow on the table to mimic her pose he then faced her matching the forthright look in her eyes. "I was going to say betrayal." He whispered.

"Hmmm. I see." She murmured while sitting up to smooth out a wrinkled napkin.

"Well, what does it all mean Dr. Fowler?" he asked trying to recapture her attention.

"Since I am not formally trained in the Jungian methods I can only offer you my personal insights on this exercise."

"Very well." He affirmed while licking and nibbling on his lower lip.

"Well, it is not new information. Meemaw is your answer for anything that has to do with comfort and sweets. You prefer to choose words that are oppositional and you have a negative opinion about both your brother and father." She did not mention her curiosity as to why his answer to whimsy had been coitus and to bed he'd responded with the word intense. "Would you ever consider exploring analysis further with the assistance of a professional?"

He watched her as she took the final slurps of her milkshake, never taking her eyes off of his as she waited during a long silence for his response.

"Amy, we could stay here and debate an appraisal and worth of psycho-babble all day but we have some strawberries to can. Plus if you honestly consider me damaged in any way it falls under the relationship agreement Booboos and Ouchies Clause and you Dr. Fowler are supposed to take care of me." His voice had softened on the last four words as he reached to gently sweep a hair away from her face to place behind her ear. Their eyes locked and he leaned towards her tentatively brushing his lips against hers for a chaste tender peck before he rose to leave.

A/N: Reviews please. A little levity is on the way Penny and her posse need some time together.