Amy awoke the next morning on an air mattress in Penny's living room.
Bernadette's tiny frame was on the couch, and Penny had pulled her mattress off her bed and set it in the room, so that she didn't unfairly have the bed to herself whilst her friends slept on the floor.
Amy sat up and put a hand to her head.
She had consumed more alcohol than she usually would, due to the confusion about Sheldon and the new job.
"Morning." Penny yawned and stretched.
"Good morning." Amy and Bernadette replied in unison.
"I'm going to make us some breakfast. Is bacon and eggs okay for everyone? I got some fresh yesterday at the store when I bought our snack food." Penny said, sauntering to the kitchen.
"Yes, thank you." Amy replied, blinking away the sleep from her eyes.
"Sounds great Penny, thanks." Bernadette added.
Within minutes, they were all sitting down to eat their breakfast.
"Sorry about over-cooking it a little." Penny apologised
"You hardly over-cooked it. Only a little, but it's still so good!" Amy smiled.
"So when are you going to tell Sheldon about the job offer?" Bernie asked, biting into a piece of bacon.
"I was thinking I'd get it out the way today. Do you mind if I shower and go talk to him or would that be rude?" Amy asked, feeling guilty.
"Not at all." Penny shook her head, "as long as you come back here afterwards to tell us how it went!"
Amy smiled, finishing her food and getting to her feet to wash up her plate. "Thanks, I will."
..
Almost an hour later, Amy stood outside her boyfriend's apartment.
She smoothed her skirt down and took a deep breath before knocking.
It was Leonard who answered the door.
"Hello Leonard, is Sheldon in?" Amy asked.
"Sure. Sheldon, it's for you." Leonard let Amy in, and Sheldon rose from his spot on the couch, where he was reading.
"Hello Amy." He smiled.
"Hi Sheldon. Look, I need to talk to you about something." Amy began.
Leonard took that as his cue to walk out of the room. "I'll be in my room if you need me." He said, closing his bedroom door behind him.
Amy took another breath and Sheldon looked expectantly at her. "Is something wrong? Are you breaking up with me?"
"No, I'm not…Do you remember that job opportunity I told you about?" Amy asked, seating herself on the couch.
"Of course I do. I have an eidetic memory." Sheldon replied, lowering himself next to her.
"Well, it was in fact true, and…Well, they offered me the post. It's for five months." She said, grinning.
Sheldon's expression changed, but Amy couldn't read it.
He blinked and a frown appeared.
"I see…" He nodded slowly.
"I was just wondering what your thoughts were on it. As my boyfriend, I thought I could ask you." Amy looked at him.
"Well…It's an amazing opportunity." Sheldon started.
Amy grinned. "So you mean you don't mind if I go?"
"Of course I mind!" Sheldon whined. "Amy, I don't want you to leave."
"It's only five months…"
"Regardless; we just started making progress in our relationship like you have wanted me to do for so long. I finally feel comfortable to try it slowly, and you spring this on me." His voice was high, and he had a panicked look on his face.
"Sheldon, I'll be coming back. I will come back to you, you know I will…And you know why."
"Surely if you really were romantically in love with someone, you wouldn't want to leave them! This causes me to question your feelings."
Amy felt the anger rise inside her. "Now just you stop right there, Sheldon Lee Cooper! The fact that I have been offered a once in a lifetime job opportunity does not mean that my feelings for you do not exist! You know me; I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it. Besides, you said in the restaurant the other night that I should go for it!"
"Yes, but I never thought you would get offered the place. I thought it was just gossip." Sheldon replied.
Amy glared at him and clenched her jaw.
"Well guess what? It isn't!"
"Amy, please…" Sheldon was begging now. "Please don't leave."
She blinked at him, feeling her heart being torn.
Sheldon rarely begged, and when he did, he meant it.
"Why don't you come with me?" She asked, changing tactics.
"But what about my work? Cal Tech needs me here…And not to mention how a five month trip to Florida would mess up my routine." Sheldon argued.
"So you're saying I can't go because you can't?" Amy shook her head.
"I never said that." Sheldon shook his head. "I asked you not to leave me…I want you here."
Amy sighed. "Sheldon, not everything is about you."
"I don't follow…"
Amy gritted her teeth. "I appreciate that you're trying really hard to make our relationship physical, but me going away for a few months to work won't change that,"
"What if you meet someone else, who can give you what I can't yet give you, right away?" Sheldon asked quietly.
"You think I would cheat on you?" Amy shook her head in disbelief. "You really think I would do something like that?!"
"No, I didn't say that either." Sheldon went high-pitched again. "Amy please…I know this is big for you but I'm scared."
"Why?"
"I don't want this progress in our relationship to be in vain. I want you here Amy. Please don't leave me…"
Amy softened. "I haven't made a decision yet, Sheldon."
Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I thought you were really going to ruin everything by going."
Amy grew mad again. "Excuse me? What the hell does that mean?!"
"Well, I've accommodated you into my life and made so many changes for you, that I'd hate for it to be wasted…" Sheldon trailed off, seeing Amy's expression.
Then it dawned on him that he was not saying the right thing.
"Wasted?" Amy growled.
"Alright, no, not wasted…More like…" Sheldon stammered.
Amy cut him off. "You know what? I'm done with this. I thought I could handle it but I can't. You'll barely kiss me, or touch me, and I'm just an object to you aren't I? I love you Sheldon; I'm in love with you, but you don't love me back, and you can't even fathom the decency to let me do something my way for a change!" Amy yelled, feeling tears run down her cheeks. "This job means a lot to me, but that doesn't mean I'd just forget you and that we can't carry on where we left off when I get home!"
Sheldon stepped forward. "Please don't cry…" He put an arm out, but Amy swatted him away.
"Don't. Just…Please don't. The worst part about this is that you don't understand what you're doing or how you make me feel!" Amy turned on her heel and marched to the door.
"Amy, wait…" Sheldon called out.
She turned around, furiously wiping her tears away.
"Please…I'm begging you not to go. I…I…"
"You what, Sheldon?" Amy demanded.
Sheldon opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, and then swallowed hard.
"Amy I…"
But Amy was shaking her head and was out of the door before he could finish.
"…I love you." He muttered, staring at the now closed door.
He sank back into his spot on the couch, feeling shell-shocked as Leonard padded out into the living room.
"You okay buddy?" He asked quietly.
Sheldon shook his head, his eyes stinging.
"She's leaving me Leonard." He bowed his head down to stop his roommate from seeing him cry.
This was the first time he had really felt broken; no amount of Kohlinar could suppress this.
Leonard placed a hand on Sheldon's shoulder, which for once, he didn't swat away.
"I love her, Leonard and she's leaving me!" He broke down, covering his face.
He finally realised how Amy must have been feeling for so long.
This must be what regular people called heartbreak…