"Sheldon we need to talk."
Looking up to find both his mother and Meemaw staring at him he frowned. Things had settled down the past few days. He had even begun exchanging text messages with Leonard, Howard and Raj; all of whom were keen for him to return home it seemed.
"What's wrong?" he asked cautiously.
"I received a reply from Amy." Meemaw said gently sitting on the edge of Sheldon's bed watching his face closely for a reaction.
"Amy? You emailed Amy too?" Breathing heavily Sheldon said "But why would you do that? I told you we were over. My friends are one thing, still not acceptable but still…"
"Sheldon, Amy is going back to LA." Mary interrupted hoping the announcement would break through his rant and focus his attention.
"She is? Why?" Sheldon stared hard at his mother hardly daring to breath.
"I don't know son. She did say that the reason you were unable to explain why she needed time to us is that you never asked her. She seemed a little defensive if you ask me!" Mary sniffed.
"Well what is important is she is going home so you have time now to sort out your problems with her." Meemaw interupted throwing a reproving glare at her daughter.
"She said she wanted to talk, sort things out?" Sheldon asked hopefully.
"Well no; but she is going back so I am sure that means she is ready."
"Sheldon, why did you not ask Amy why she needed time?" Meemaw asked curiously.
"Because I thought she meant that evening, that she needed an evening to herself. You know she would lock herself in her bathroom like you women do, with wine and bubble bath and such nonsense. Amy has developed these strange habits more and more in the years I have known her thanks to Penny and Bernadette. When she said 11 hours was not enough I consulted my calendar and figured she was having a bad month with her menzies. So I increased my contact time to every 12 hours. When a week passed with me communicating every 12 hours and she still showed no sign of mellowing I asked her if she thought she should visit a Dr. But each of my helpful suggestions just seemed to anger her more."
Mary and his grandmother seemed to be as shocked by Amy's behaviour as he himself had been Sheldon noted when he saw their open mouths. "I know! It is unfathomable isnt it. But when flowers didn't work and evening visits with new suggestions only resulted in complaints from the neighbours, Leonard told me I should let her come to me. So I stayed home and only sent her messages via my daily vlog. But then she moved. She didn't tell me she had even been considering it. In fact I only found out she had moved at all when the new resident sent the flowers back."
"Shelly, honey, do you think maybe your suggestions and advise may possibly have upset Amy? Added to the problem?"
"Well yes! Obviously they did or she wouldn't have left; but I still fail to see why."
"Moonpie a woman likes a man to ask how she is especially if there is a problem."
"But how was I to know there was a problem if she didn't tell me?"
"Well, maybe if her asking for space was an unusual event that was when you needed to ask her." Meemaw pointed out gently, knowing this reading of emotions had always been hard for Sheldon but knowing also this was a point he needed to learn and fast.
"If I asked if everything was OK after every unusual event I would be forever asking!" Sheldon snorted.
"Have you ever asked her?" Meemaw asked almost scared of the answer she was about to receive.
"Yes of course. When she ran out of the room when we were playing dungeons and dragons I went after her. Well Penny threatened to throw my dice out of the window if I refused. And when she did not answer any of my attempts to contact her when Penny and Bernadette had upset her I got Leonard to take me to her apartment..." Sheldon thought for other examples. "I guess when she got mad on Valentine's Day then we spoke about it too."
"And on these occasions did it help, talking about it?"
Sheldon thought carefully. "It just lead to overly familiar displays of affection, cuddling, some suggestive game play that makes me blush even thinking about it, and some kissing which led to a change in the relationship agreement and quite frankly forced me to face intimacy issues I thought I would never have to deal with."
"And did any of these occasions make things worse between the two of you?" Meemaw asked trying to hide the grin his words invoked, secretly pleased Amy had obviously got through to sheldon in a way noone else had.
"Well no, uncomfortably closer if anything." Sheldon muttered.
"So it was a good thing!"
"Well…. Look I did not want Amy to leave!" Sheldon stated fully defensive now. "I intended to propose remember."
"That may be true but you didn't; and you also chose not to tell anyone. So maybe Sheldon you didn't really want it at all. When you just described getting closer with Amy you called in forced. Maybe Amy was right to leave."
Sheldon blinked at the two women staring at him. "You think Amy was right to leave me?"
Meemaw patted his knee. "Maybe Sheldon you need to think about what Amy might need instead of just your needs. Then you can decide if you think you can offer her those things."
Standing to leave Meemaw added "If she is back Sheldon you could always just stay friends."
73
Mary waited until they were back in the kitchen before she tapped Meemaw's shoulder and pointed to the door. Hustling the older woman out she waited until they were well clear of the building before she hissed "What was that about. Why did you suggest he would be better off without Amy?"
"Maybe he will. Or more precisely maybe she will. Mary that message from her was so full of hurt. You know what Shelly is like, he is demanding and wilful. I love the boy so much but even I am not blind to the fact we all thought it was a miracle he made one friend let alone so many. And you yourself admitted you never thought you would see the day he met a woman he could settle down with."
"Exactly, and he did! So why are you determined to split them up?"
"I don't want to split them up I want them to at least remain friends. Look I didn't tell Sheldon but I invited Amy here. Maybe if we can talk to her in person we can get a better idea of how things really are."
"I think he will notice if Amy suddenly appears."
"Yes well we don't know she will yet. And if she does agree I think we should make sure he is not here." Holding up her hand as she saw her daughter about to protest Meemaw continued. "We both know Amy has changed Sheldon and all for the better, but if he is left to his own devises he may loose her completely. No we need to see just what he has done and make sure he sees it too."
73
"Dr Hofstadter."
Leonard looked up from his work surprised. "President Seibert. Err... hello."
"Don't look so worried I just needed to ask if you had heard from Dr Cooper? He informed us he would be back today."
"He did?" Leonard looked surprised. "I spoke to him yesterday and he never mentioned it. Hang on." Then grabbing his phone Leonard called Sheldon number
"Hey buddy. How's things?"
"Not good Leonard. I am stuck in a taxi from the airport and the driver won't listen to any of my advice on the best route and the best speed for fuel economy…"
"Sheldon if you had told me you were coming home I would have met you!" Leonard sighed, "President Seibert is here wondering where you are?"
"Oh yes, I am running a little late tell him. If this buffoon takes my advice I should be at Caltech in 42 minutes."
Leonard sighed as he relayed Sheldon's message. "He is on his way."
"Good. OK well carry on Dr Hofstadter." Seibert left a confused looking Leonard who quickly called Penny.
"Hey only me. Did you know Sheldon was back today?"
"What? No! I thought he was still in Texas. And not hearing anything from his Meemaw after we replied to her email I assumed he would be there a while."
"Well we assumed wrong. When exactly is Amy due back?"
"Last I heard it was this coming weekend. I said she could stay with us."
"Why?" Leonard almost shouted.
"Because she is our friend and because she hasn't been able to find somewhere new yet."
"Well I don't see why she can't go back to her old apartment. It could make it awkward with Sheldon just across the hall. "
"Leonard they are our friends and Amy needs our help. It will probably only be a few days anyway. And I was thinking about the house you saw and wanted us to look at. Maybe," Penny used her most persuasive voice now, " maybe if Amy and Sheldon can cope across the hall from each other she can take over my apartment and we can move!"
Leonard was quiet for a second as he contemplated the full impact of Penny's suggestion."Well let's hope so because unless Mary has worked miracles on Sheldon it could get awkward."
73
"Dr Cooper welcome back. And once again congratulations!"
"Thank you." Sheldon nodded. He was a little surprised that the president had contacted him asking for this meeting but seeing it as an escape from the advice being thrown at him at home he welcomed the reprieve.
"I called the meeting today to see if you would be returning to your old position with us?"
"What?" Sheldon blinked "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well because Dr Cooper you are now a world renowned star. You are going to be financially independent and I am sure there will be many offers for you to lecture on a much grander scale."
"But why on earth would I want to do that?" Sheldon shuddered. "I hate lecturing."
"So you intend returning to us?"
"Well I had, but know I am getting the feeling I am not wanted." Sheldon could feel the panic rising in him. He had not for one second considered anything other than returning to his home, his friends and his job here.
"On the contrary," Seibert grinned "we would be delighted for you to return, in fact it would be quite a coup for us if you stayed. I am sure we could find you a bigger better office."
"No. My office is fine. In fact I don't want anything to change." Sheldon muttered the enormity of his achievement coming home to him once again.
Seibert laughed. "Yes well we know that won't happen. In fact I have a list here of papers and publications already vying for the first interview with you. And the board thought it would be a good idea if we set up some TV interview too."
"No!" Sheldon jumped up. "No. I just want to come back and get on with my work." Running form the room leaving Seibert. Staring after him in confusion Sheldon made his way to Leonard's office.
"Leonard I need you to take me home, now!"
"Hey, what's wrong?" Leonard grabbed a chair and guided Sheldon too it.
"They want me to do interviews Leonard. On TV."
"I'd have thought you would have liked that." Leonard frowned. "I mean with your experience in front of the camera with your little fun with flags project it is not exactly a huge step up."
"Not exactly huge? Leonard can you hear yourself! Fun with flags was a hobby. It was fun and entertaining. They will want me to talk about my discoveries, how I drew my conclusions. I can't do it! I should have e stayed in Texas."
"OK, let's get you home so you feel more settled. Then when you have had a chance to think maybe you will see some advantages to coming home."
Driving the route he knew Sheldon favoured Leonard was quiete as he tried to work out how to broach the subject of Amy. He had promised Penny he would tell him but he had expected to do it by phone and let Mary deal with the fall out, now though he knew he needed to do it quickly.
"So something else happened while you were away." He said as casually as he could.
"I am sure many things happened while I was away Leonard. I really don't need a break down of every event in your life."
Biting back the retort on his lips Leonard tried again this time a little more bluntly. "Amy is moving back."
"I know" Sheldon answered quietly.
"You do? How?" Leonard had not expected this response and the relief he felt was huge.
"She emailed Meemaw."
"And you don't mind. Penny thought it was too close. "
As he let the words rush from his lips Leonard became aware of Sheldon frowning.
"What is too close?"
"Amy living across the hall with Penny and I then maybe taking over the lease when we move out."
"What!" Sheldon's screeched had Leonard slamming on the brakes and clutching his chest.
"Jeez Sheldon!" Leonard glared as he waved an apology to the hooting traffic and began to move forward again. "I thought you said you knew."
"I knew she was coming back to LA… I need to get home, I need to plan I need to work out what I say to her."
"Sheldon calm down. Remember what happened before what you need to do is give her space."
"But that's just it Leonard. I know I need to give her space but I need to tell her that. And a whole lot of other stuff that Meemaw wrote down for me."
Shaking his head Leonard knew the next few days could be bumpy!
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