A/N: Thanks again for the reviews. Still not over myself yet lol…I basically got told I'm really sick (long-term kind of sick, not just like a cold or anything.) So am kind of in a mess. Thank you for the reviews and messages; they really cheered me up. Chapter 57 is here…Major fluff warning for later in this chapter!
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"Sheldon, over here!" Leonard stood up at the table, beckoning to his friend.
Sheldon walked over and sat down.
He noticed that Raj was also still battered and bruised, and that the cut on his lip had scabbed overnight.
Sheldon cleared his throat. "Rajesh, I'd like to apologise for injuring you yesterday. And you, Howard."
"No, we shouldn't have made those comments about your daughters. We were only joking, but even so, making crude comments about a child is wrong." Raj replied.
"Yeah, we're really sorry." Howard finished.
"And to make it up to you, we're going to throw you and Amy the best Anniversary party ever!" Raj grinned, pulling a huge ringbinder out of his satchel and dropping it loudly on the table.
He opened the folder and flicked through countless pages of pastel-colored decorations and cakes.
Leonard frowned. "Do you happen to have a Y chromosome in there?"
Raj ignored him.
"Raj, as much as I appreciate this…You do know what I was planning for mine and Amy's anniversary, right?" Sheldon raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, a party…"
"No. I was planning a…"
"Dr Cooper." Siebert wandered over to the table, "How's your wife? And how did the midwife go this morning?"
"She's fine thanks, and it was really good. Very insightful; I was actually wondering whether you would grant me some absence on all of Amy's weekly midwife appointments? She's brilliant; she takes extra time to teach us birthing methods, parenting skills, what I can do to help Amy during the pregnancy and labor…I'd still come to work, just perhaps a couple of hours later. Just until the twins are born." Sheldon asked.
"Not a problem." Siebert replied. "Oh and thanks for the invite; the wife and I would love to attend."
"Thank you." Sheldon replied, turning back around.
He opened his mouth to speak again, but an envelope was dropped in front of him. "Hewwo Coopew. I AWE-SVP'd to youw invite. See you thewe."
"Thanks, Kripke." He nodded, taking the envelope and opening it, seeing the 'yes' box ticked, before he re-sealed it and slipped it neatly into his satchel.
"Dude, you already sent out invites?" Raj groaned.
"Yes…"
"But I was going to suggest these. Look at the lettering, it's beautiful. And the color scheme is darling."
Sheldon, Leonard and Howard all stared at him.
"Is there a medical doctor in here?" Sheldon asked, scanning the cafeteria.
"Maybe in the nurse's office; why?" Howard responded.
"Because I think Raj needs a prescription for a pair of testicles."
Raj gave Sheldon a withering look. "Oh ha-ha! Just because I like calligraphy and pastel colors does not make me any less of a man."
Howard peered at Raj. "Hmm, then how do you explain your black eye magically vanishing?"
Raj shifted uncomfortably. "I might have covered it with concealer and powder."
Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "I rest my case."
..
As Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj all made their way down the hallway to return to their offices and labs, Dr Gablehauser stopped Sheldon in the hallway.
"Ah, Dr Cooper. I was looking for you! The wife and I would love to come, thank you." He said, handing Sheldon an envelope.
"Thank you Dr Gablehauser." Sheldon replied, tucking the envelope in his satchel.
He turned a corner, and his friends froze.
"Are you coming with me?" Sheldon asked as he paused outside the door.
"No way Jose, I'm not going in there!" Howard laughed nervously. "Not after last time."
"Leonard? Raj?"
"Forget it dude. She scares me." Raj shook his head.
Leonard sighed. "I'll go." He followed Sheldon to the door as his friend performed his signature three knocks.
"Yes, Dr Cooper?" Came the voice from inside.
Sheldon frowned. "How did she know it was me?"
"It's a mystery, it's a mystery, it's a mystery." Leonard mocked. "Just go in."
Sheldon opened the door. "Good afternoon, Ms Davis. I just wondered if you had looked over my proposal yet?"
"Ah yes." The human resources woman replied, as she reached into her purse and took out an envelope. "I'd love to attend. Thank you for the invite…How are your interpersonal skills coming along, Dr Cooper?"
"Much better, thank you for asking." He replied, before adding: "And how are you?"
"I'm very well, thank you. I'm impressed, Dr Cooper! You've done extremely well."
Sheldon smiled politely. "Thank you, I'll see you later."
He closed the door behind him, and placed this envelope into his satchel along with the others.
"Hey Sheldon, did you invite Alex yet?" Raj asked.
"I was going to give her the invite today because she wasn't here when I handed them out. Why?" Sheldon frowned.
"Would you mind if I asked her as my plus one?"
"Oh…I thought you liked Dr Turner?" Sheldon asked.
"That was months ago. I like Alex again." Raj replied.
"Good Lord. It's a wonder any of us can keep up with your ever-changing romantic interests!" Sheldon rolled his eyes.
"Could you please just ask her?" Raj hissed, desperately.
"Ask her yourself. You can talk to women now, and here she is." Sheldon nodded towards the end of the hallway and Raj spun round.
"Good afternoon everyone!" Alex smiled.
"Hey Alex." They chorused.
"Alex, may I speak to you?" Raj asked.
"Oh, of course. Is everything okay, Dr Koothrappali?"
Sheldon handed Raj the invite to give to Alex.
Alex opened the envelope. "Ah…I see, but this is from Dr Cooper…" She said, confused.
"Yes, but I was wondering if you would accompany me as my date?" Raj asked shyly. "You can say no if you want. You probably will, I mean it's me; the guy who couldn't talk to you for almost a year, and…"
"Yes."
"What?"
"I'd love to go with you Dr Koothrappali." Alex smiled.
"Oh…Great. Thank you!" Raj spluttered, before grinning. "Would you like to meet tomorrow after work for coffee? We can discuss what colors we should wear together."
Alex nodded. "I'd love to."
"Awesome…So…It's a date then." Raj rubbed his hands together.
"I guess it is, Dr Koothrappali."
"Call me Raj."
"Okay…Raj. I'll see you tomorrow for coffee. Should we meet here after work so we can go together?" Alex asked.
"Sure." Raj replied, eagerly.
"I look forward to it." Alex beamed, letting herself into Sheldon's office.
The guys all looked at Raj, eyebrows raised.
Raj grinned. "I was so smooth. But Sheldon, are you okay with this? I mean if Alex and I were to get into a relationship or anything…"
Sheldon shrugged. "Why is it any of my business who you pair-bond or fornicate with? Go ahead."
..
That afternoon, Sheldon arrived home to find Amy on the couch, reading a book, with Scooby happily tucking into his bowl of food.
"I have something for you." Sheldon smiled, as Amy looked up at him.
"Is it an explanation about your secret Anniversary plans?" She asked.
"No, but it is a clue…" Sheldon replied. "You know I don't really like keeping secrets, and I know that you are desperate to know this one, so I figured that giving you a clue wouldn't hurt, and also wouldn't count as telling."
Amy smiled. "You're getting good at this whole compromise thing! Come on, show me!" She placed the bookmark in her current page, and put the book down on the table.
Sheldon removed his hand from behind his back and presented a peach-pink scented Yankee Candle.
Amy frowned. "Hmm…Is it a candlelit dinner?"
Sheldon shook his head. "Perhaps if you were to smell it, that might give you a clue."
Amy took the candle and sniffed it. "I recognize that scent…" She frowned.
"You probably do, but I'm not giving anything away. Also, I was thinking that we could put the candle to good use." Sheldon hinted. "Normally I don't condone using candles in here because they're a fire hazard, but on this one occasion, I am prepared to make an exception."
He took a box of matches from the kitchen drawer and took Amy's hand.
"Oh wait! I need the bathroom again. Could you just wait one minute?" She asked.
"Of course. I'll uh…Get ready." Sheldon replied.
Amy shut herself in the bathroom as Sheldon walked into the bedroom and closed the curtains, blocking out the afternoon sunlight.
He found Amy's pregnancy chillout music CD and placed it into the player, switching it on and turning the volume to an acceptable level, before placing the candle safely on one of the bedside tables.
Just as he lit the scented candle, Amy returned, dressed only in a bathrobe and closing the bedroom door.
She blinked, taking in the scene. "Oh my God…Sheldon, this is so romantic!"
"Shh." He whispered, softly grazing her lips with his, and pressing them firmly into a kiss, before parting them again to let his tongue glide gently over hers.
He took her hand and led her over to the bed, where he gently laid her down, straddled her hips and leaned down to drop soft kisses all around her lips.
Amy grabbed the hem of Sheldon's top shirt and lifted it off over his head, so now he was only in his plain, navy long-sleeve and his slacks.
Sheldon knelt up, pulling the shirt off, revealing his slim but defined body, before reaching for the ties on Amy's fleecy bathrobe.
The bathrobe fell apart, so now Amy was revealing her whole body, covered only by a bra and panties.
Sheldon leaned down again, and inched his way up her body like a prowling lion, until his face was inches above hers, closing in for a deep, loving kiss.
He gently lowered his body onto Amy's, until his stomach touched hers, the baby bump carefully sandwiched between them.
At that moment, the couple felt completely connected as they lay skin-to-skin, with Sheldon feeling the light baby movements from Amy's stomach radiating through his own.
It sent butterflies through his body, feeling somewhat what Amy felt; feeling the lives that they'd both created moving around before they had even entered the world.
After a few moments, Sheldon gently flipped Amy onto her side with her back to him, as he lay behind her.
Knowing what was coming; Amy removed her panties, and watched the flame on the scented candle dance as she felt Sheldon remove his boxers next to her.
She reached a hand back to pleasure him until he was ready, and mimicked the position they had seen in her 'The Physical Mother' book that Julie had given her earlier.
Slipping inside Amy, Sheldon cuddled her closely as they moved in time together, slowly making love with Sheldon using his free hand to explore and caress Amy' body.
Julie had been right; this position was romantic.
Amy was pleasantly surprised that Sheldon had taken the initiative and done this for her, knowing how stressed and scared she had been feeling lately.
After some time, Amy breathed raggedly and let out soft moans as orgasm washed over her, just as she felt Sheldon release with her.
Catching her breath, Amy rolled over to face him. "Thank you." She whispered.
She was silenced by another kiss.
They both just lay there for a while, not wanting to move just yet, or get dinner just yet, but to just enjoy the connection they felt.
Amy glanced at the candle, trying to figure out why it was so familiar, but couldn't place it.
Shrugging to herself, she snuggled closer to Sheldon and sighed softly.
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