A/N: Hello everyone, here's the latest chapter, so read, review and enjoy! Also, I'd like to thank IlikeKnightsInBangedUpArmor for inspiring me to come up with scenes for this chapter and so it is thus dedicated in her honor. :)

As always, we writers are a greedy, needy lot, so please do leave a review at the door! :D

Now, on with the story!

Sheldon rubbed his palms over his plaid slacks as he sat in his spot. He frowned, his blue eyes focused on the television, though he wasn't paying that much attention to the action on the screen. Howard was leaning forward in the large armchair, his gaze glued to the set as Raj wrapped his arms around his knees as he sat on the floor. The lanky physicist noticed with disinterest as a buxom, vivacious blonde came on screen.

"Now that, gentlemen," Howard breathed, licking his lips, "is a shiksa goddess."

Raj nodded mutely, his lips parted as his wide dark eyes roved over the woman and Sheldon shook his head slowly. What could they see in that artificial-what was the word his father often used- oh, yes, floozy? The word sounded strange even in his head, but he found it to be particularly apt in this case. The female giggled in an annoyingly high-pitched manner and Sheldon suppressed a shudder of annoyance at the sound. Just what exactly could be attractive about that screeching? How could anyone want that trait to be potentially passed on to their prospective young?

The answers eluded him, and the only solution left him feeling morose. Watching the other two males in the room salivate upset his digestion, so he instead rose and moved into the kitchen, allowing his mind to gravitate towards one of his preferred mental exercises; pondering the devilment his favorite redhead was up to.

The fridge door swung open, artificially cooled air blasting his torso pleasantly. By now, she had reached the car rental establishment. As he leaned down to retrieve a bottle of water, he pondered the actions she may have been taking at that moment. Considering the current external temperature, he was doubtful that she was jubilantly frolicking about the parking lot, though she no doubt had stepped outside in order to avoid wasting fuel. The notion caused the corner of his lip to twitch; ever practical and pragmatic, a trait that he had always appreciated. Unlike the nauseating woman on television, his girlfriend was realistic, a true beauty, in body and mind. Indeed, his Copper was a-

He sputtered the water that he had been in the process of drinking, a coughing spasm racking his body. It was a testament to the all-consuming, inherent properties of the human female form that neither Wolowitz nor Koothrappali even noticed.

Recovering his breath, Sheldon dropped onto a stool, attempting to wrap his brilliant mind around the startling concept that had come to him out of the aether.

"Sweet Sufferin' Jesus," he muttered under his breath, holding a hand up over his chest in a futile, instinctual attempt to calm his racing heartbeat.

At what interval in time had she become his Copper?

And to be perfectly frank, the inclination to claim possession of her person was absurd, not to mention he doubted she would appreciate the sentiment. Swiftly, Sheldon dismissed the entire train, comfortable in blaming the ridiculous thought on the distractions the woman had caused in his life, though he couldn't deny that some of them were rather welcome.

Sheldon reached back into his memory, noting that it had only been a short seven months since she had moved into the building and nearly two of those had been spent entirely in his company. Taking that into consideration, was it, in fact, conceivable that she had connived her way into his-

A tiny yelp of noise escaped past his lips and he immediately pressed his fingertips to their contours, his eyes widening impossibly large. That was impossible, it simply was not possible. That did not actually happen in the real, physical world. There was not even any evidence for its existence.

What was this then? This hot, throbbing ball in his chest, that felt nothing like his normal heartbeat. He placed his palm against his stomach, rubbing it in a loose circle in an attempt to soothe his startled digestive system.

Letting out a breath, he shook his head to dispel the troubling impressions and Howard chose at that moment to look over, his brow furrowing. Sheldon barely noticed the other man opening his mouth, apparently intent on saying something, then closed it again, as if he thought better of it. Finally, he simply asked,

"What's got you in a tizzy?"

Sheldon didn't answer at first, too caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts and conjectures to reply. After a moment, his slender fingers drumming against his chin, he turned his attention to the slight engineer.

"Howard, I find myself in need of your assistance on a personal matter," before Howard could recover his stunned expression, Sheldon added, "and please note that the only reason I ask is because you are the only person I know that is currently in a stable, romantic relationship."

Raj shook his head slowly, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Dude, you realize you've opened a door that you are never going to be able to close again?"

Sheldon spared him a glance.

"Yes, I am aware of that fact, but I believe that the potential reward outweighs the risk in this case."

Howard ignored both of them, his eyes gleaming as a smirk spread across his features.

"So," he said, lingering on the vowel in a voice that was almost as oily as his expression, "trouble in the love department with our fair Copper, hmm?"

The tone of his voice had Sheldon's blue gaze narrowing, the previous streak of possessiveness that he had consciously squelched now leaped back to the fore and he allowed it.

"Dr. McIntyre is hardly ours, Wolowitz," he said in a mild voice, though his words seemed to have a biting affect on Howard, who licked his lips and cleared his throat.

"Right, well, you've come to the right man for advice," if anything, Wolowitz's self-assurance was nigh indestructible and easily bounced back, Sheldon conceded to that. He settled back into his chair, stretching out his legs in front of him and linking his fingers behind his head casually, "Now, what can I do for you, Padawan?"

Normally, Sheldon would have been somewhat appreciative of the reference, but, in light of the current subject of discussion, he only found it irksome. Supressing a grimace of annoyance, he let out a short breath through his nostrils and loosely crossed his arms.

"I would like to know, Great Sith Lord of Underachievement, how and when it was that you realized you possessed-," he paused, strugging to locate the correct word to describe his thoughts, "feelings...for Bernadette."

Howard blinked at him, his expression mirroring Raj's, both men seemingly unprepared for that sort of question to ever occur to Sheldon. They exchanged glances, a gesture that only made the genius's displeasure spike further. Deciding quickly, Sheldon waved his hand at them.

"Nevermind, gentlemen. Excuse me, I'm going to get ready to meet Copper's parents."

With that, he sedately rose and strode back to his room, Howard and Raj dumbfoundedly still sitting in the living room. As Sheldon placed his hand on the doorknob, there was a rush of hurried footsteps, Howard skidding around the corner to stare at him when he turned to regard them curiously.

"Dude, you're in love with Copper?" Raj asked the question seemingly before he could stop himself, too surprised by the conclusions that he and Wolowitz had apparently mutually jumped to.

Sheldon let out a snort of laughter, opening the door to his room.

"Hardly."

When he shut the door behind him, he failed to see the grin spreading across Howard's features.

"Oh my God! You really are, aren't you?"

The question pierced the wooden door and Sheldon's body, causing him to freeze as he pulled out a dresser drawer. Recovering his composure he gave the door a scornful glance, shutting the drawer firmly.

"I fail to see the logic behind that deduction and I am not even going to bother mentioning the preposteriousness of the allegation."

He pulled his outer shirt over his head before carefully tucking a clean, dark blue collared shirt. As he meticuously buttoned it up, he heard Raj's voice through the door.

"Dude, if you don't care about her, what are you even doing with her? Move over and let a more sensitive, appreciative man have a chance."

"What? Do you really think she would go out with you? You can't even talk to her?" Howard's derisive question voiced the rationale that had kept Sheldon from karate chopping Koothrappali through the door.

"And? Copper's the kind of woman who is so intelligent that a man has nothing to add to the conversation."

Sheldon paused in buttoning the very last plastic disc.

"Koothrappali, your ratiocination of Copper's intellect, while apt, still does you no credit."

"Sheldon, your circumlocution of the topic at hand is impressive, but futile," Leonard's voice cut through and the lanky physicist grimaced.

"Thank you, Leonard, it's always a pleasure to see your tenacity at play," was the retort, though the venom with which he had meant to lace it with was sorely lacking.

The other men standing outside his door also seemed to pick up on that, because there was a resounding silence for several minutes as Sheldon cuffed his sleeves and looped a dark belt through a clean pair of black slacks. Satisfied with his selection, he slipped on his dark shoes and opened the door, to be met with an empty hallway.

Mildly baffled, he walked into the living area and was struck by the three deep frowns that were staring at him from the couch. Refusing to return the look, he moved back into the kitchen and rummaged around, looking for a suitable snack or consumable that he could bring to Copper's apartment. Social decorum dictated such an action and he knew it was rather paramount that he forge an excellent impression on her parents. Further analysis of why he considered the action important was not an endeavor he was keen on indulging.

"Sheldon," his name brought his attention around with a quiet hum as Leonard fixed him with an intense gaze, his head tilted, "just what exactly does Copper mean to you?"

Well, apparently the others thought that he should indulge. His lips twisted as he looked at them with exasperation.

"You know, I don't believe that my relationship with Copper, in any capacity, is any of your business."

One of the shorter scientist's thick eyebrows shot up.

"Do I need to trot out the roommate agreement? Cite Section 16, Paragraph 3?"

Sheldon glared at him before folding his hands over themselves on the bar.

"Very well, if you insist on stickling me with pointless bylaws," he trailed off, his chin lifting and resembling a gangly bird, though he didn't realize it, "what precisely do you need to know?"

There was an exchange of glances as all three men crossed their arms.

"Sheldon, we think of Copper like we do Penny," Howard began, but Sheldon cut him off sharply.

"I hardly think that is going to help your case, Wolowitz."

"What Howard means," Raj continued calmly, his tone one adopted in an obvious attempt to soothe, "is that she is important to us and we consider her a friend. As such, we are concerned about her well-being."

"And her relationship with me causes you to be anxious about her well-being?"

Sheldon knew that he was being irrational, offended by their lack of trust in him where Copper was concerned, but he found himself unable to inhibit the emotions that roiled through him.

"Sheldon," Leonard's tone was equally irritated, shooting the other two a dirty look, "just answer this for us, do you care about Copper? I mean, really care about her?"

Sheldon crossed his arms, raising his eyebrows in a silent inquiry and Leonard let out a breath.

"What we are trying to ask you is, are you putting Copper's happiness and well-being before yours?"

To say that Sheldon was skeptical of their true motivations for this line of questioning would have been an understatement. Thus, he asked,

"Now what has-ah...I see," a tiny, knowing smile played around his lips, "You are all concerned about mine and Copper's relationship because you believe that if her father and I do not get along, she will never leave the three of you with any peace. Not to mention, the loyalty issue."

No one said a word and Sheldon felt both disappointed and vindicated at the same time. Thus, he continued, his eyes sweeping over them, his irritation stabbing them like a shower of needles, despite their efforts to not meet his gaze.

"This is not motivated by a friendly concern, this is entirely self preservation on your parts."

Their lack of response only incensed him further. Snatching up the bouquet of flowers that he had purchased for Copper's mother, along with a box of Cheez-its, he strode towards the door.

"Good day, gentlemen."

The door slammed behind him.

Copper fought the urge to roll her eyes as her father wandered around her living room.

"You've maintained such a wonderful aura in this apartment, love. Did you put out those aquamarine stones that I sent you? You must have, the air in here is so pure, so peaceful."

"I have them in my room, Daddy, they go wonderfully with my blue and cream bedspread."

A single glance at her mother's amused smile confirmed that she was not alone, at least. They sat on the couch together, nearly identical in their features, down to the light grey shade of their eyes. Only two discernable differences could be observed between the two women, age being the most obvious. The other was their hair. While Copper's was infamously a bright russet mane of ringlets, her mother's was straight and softly brown. Her mother sipped at her cup of coffee, one long leg draped over the other, covered neatly by the grey tweed of her skirt, an exact replica of her daughter's pose.

"I'm sure you're father agrees, don't you, darling?" her mother's voice was as quietly lilting as Copper's, though slightly deeper, throatier, and possessing a richness that her daughter often both envied and enjoyed.

"Hmm? Oh, yes, of course, dearest, you're right," his voice had a dreamy quality, far away, and often inspired Copper to compare it to what Galileo or Copernicus must have sounded like; contemplating the stars, concepts that mankind rarely had ever dared to dream of.

A shifting of her eyes to the clock reminded her of their conversation in the car and she turned her attention to her father's back. She bit her lip to resist the smile that threatened, taking in her father's broad shoulders that were covered by his shimmering blue peasant's shirt, the ruffled cuffs spilling over his hands elegeantly.

"Daddy, please remember what we talked about in the car. Sheldon is agoraphobic, so please keep in mind that he is not being rude if he doesn't shake your hand when you meet him."

He turned them to regard her, his cornflower blue eyes giving her a curious, disappointed look, an odd expression on a face that was a chiseled kind of handsome. His hair was as untouched by grey as his wife's, a burnished red mop of tight curls that still, combined with his features, drove women to distraction. It was a fact that both entertained and pricked at Copper's mother.

"But, how am I supposed to obtain an accurate reading of his energy, Copper, love?"

She shook her head, curls gently bouncing around her shoulders.

"You are experienced enough and he is uinque enough that I'm sure that won't be a problem for you, Dad."

He gave her a warm smile, moving over to peck his daughter's cheek fondly.

"Of course, love, of course. Will he be here soon?"

She nodded with a bright grin.

"Yes, and Penny's coming, too."

There was a sharp knock at the door and Copper rose.

"That would be her now, actually."

Her mother gave her an inquisitive look.

"How do you know that, dear?"

Copper smiled at her mother over her shoulder.

"Oh, you'll see."

Opening the door with a grin, Copper's grey eyes met mirthful green ones, her blonde friend streaking past her to launch into the open arms of her father, who grunted laughing from the impact.

"Mr. Fred! It's awesome to see you!" she moved and leaned down to kiss the other woman on the cheek lightly before hugging her tightly, "And, you, of course, Ms. Emily!"

Copper shut the door gently after checking the hallway and turned, her arms crossed loosely.

"That's not what you called them when I told you they were coming," she teased and her mother arched a delicate eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, Frog Lady and her faithful sidekick, Batty Loon, as I recall."

Penny had the good grace to blush sheepishly, rubbing a hand over her arm.

"Yes, well, I believe its- what's the word- oh, yeah, it's apt!"

Her proud smile at her vocabulary is probably why no one had the heart to be offended at her words, Copper thought, shaking her head mildly. Emily patted the cushion beside her.

"Come sit with me, dear, and tell me what you've been up to. Copper has been telling me quite a few tales, but I want to hear it from you."

Penny beamed happily, content to talk about one of her favorite subjects and Copper knew her mother was indulging her friend. Her father came to stand beside her, leaning against the wall next to her.

"You haven't spoken much about work, love," he observed and she chuckled softly.

"It's the same as always, Daddy. It doesn't change."

"But you have, love," he looked over at her quietly and she grinned at him. It was so easy to forget how sharply perceptive he could be when he put his mind to it, "You're much happier here than you've been in a long time."

"Yes, I suppose I am. Warm California sunshine, hmm?"

"I doubt sunshine is what caused it," he said playfully and she punched his arm lightly.

"Lay off, old man, you're disrupting my energy," she shot back with a grin and they shared a laugh.

Grabbing her around the neck gently, but firmly, he pulled her into a headlock and ruffled her curls.

"And you know very well that it will always fall right back into sync with the universe, as it is destined to do, so don't blame your poor, old father."

"Dad," she whined, pushing at his arm in a pointless attempt to get loose. Seemingly having pity, he released her and she glared at him, combing her fingers through the unruly mess.

A series of knocks at her back, each followed by her name gave her father pause and he looked at her curiously.

Shaking her head and taking a deep, cleansing breath, she opened the door.