Chapter Two

Penny enjoyed having the girls over and they helped her to take her mind off Leonard, they watched girly movies and thanks to Amy had some non alcoholic wine with lots of popcorn and it was agreed that despite their busy lives they would spend Wednesday evenings together and maybe another night if anybody was available

Penny was just glad that Amy had forgiven her and that she had not messed things up with her, Sheldon however was turning out to be a different story

It was a few days after everything had happened and Sheldon was avoiding her and not even taking advantage of her offer of lifts to work, she managed to run into him one evening when he was leaving his apartment, she noticed that he was dressed up and not wearing his usual t-shirts

'Sheldon you look nice today, where are you going'

'I'm going out with Amy, what do you want'

'Why are you avoiding me, Amy is ok why can't you be'

'Like I told you on Saturday Amy is a very forgiving person but I have an eidetic memory and right now I don't want to be near you whilst the memories are so fresh'

'Sheldon you know the reasons why though and I said sorry and you accepted that'

'Yes but then you pushed me too far with your comments afterwards'

Penny was getting frustrated 'Look I said sorry, just accept it'

'So because you say so, you want me to say oh that's ok then and just forget about it, well that's not going to happen and may I point out its funny how for so long you have been playing with Leonard's heart and dragging your heels over whether or not you love him and all of a sudden now that he has gone, you miss him, in a weird way it's a good job it was me you came onto and not some random stranger, you may have had a lot more to regret'

'What the hell are you talking about, I've never messed Leonard about'

'You seem to forget that not so long ago you wanted to finish with him and turned down his marriage proposals but enough of that, im just saying right now I would prefer that you stay away from me and you are banned from my apartment when I am there alone, right now I just don't trust you Penny, you think you can get your own way with me and with no thought for others and you are very wrong, when the others are here you may come over but you will no longer be mooching food and wifi from me and I no longer require your driving services, perhaps during your time with the girls you can talk about what you actually want with Leonard'

'I'm sorry you feel this way, I'm just glad Amy forgave me'

'Yes well Amy is a wonderful person and I'm very lucky to have her, now if you could give me back my apartment spare key then this conversation is over'

Penny gave him the key and went back into her apartment while Sheldon went off on his date with Amy

Amy was waiting for Sheldon in her car outside his apartment block, she knew why he was avoiding Penny, they had no secrets after all and she supported his choice and he had no problem with Amy seeing Penny

When Sheldon got into the car she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek to which Sheldon blushed and said that he was happy to see her and told Amy about the conversation he had just had with Penny

They chatted about their respective days on the way to the Chinese restaurant which had only opened the previous week and Amy was surprised to find that Sheldon had reserved an enclosed booth for the two of them

There was oriental music playing in the background and the lighting was set to what most people would call "dim" or "romantic"

'Sheldon this place is beautiful, thank you for bringing me'

'Well I checked this place out when it opened and I knew it would be ok and I want only the best for you Amy' and he sat down next to her and took her hand whilst they book looked at the menu

The waiter came over and took their drink order, Diet Coke for Sheldon and Lemonade for Amy and they both decided to have the same thing which was Roast Duck and Noodles with a side dish of spare ribs and vegetable spring rolls

Sheldon found himself staring into Amy's eyes in what can only be described as "eye coitus" they were both smiling at each other and Sheldon was feeling very content so decided to bring up something he wanted to discuss with Amy

'Amy I have been thinking, how would you feel about us going on a weekend away sometime?'

'Where were you thinking' said Amy

'Well if you say yes then I can get planning!'

'Ok but it has to be something we will both like'

'Of course, also I was thinking that perhaps you would like to stay at my apartment this weekend'

'You mean like Friday to Sunday or would you like me to stay until Monday and I can take you to work'

'Yes I agree with that suggestion of staying until Monday, the only thing is that I will be going paintball with Howard and Raj on Sunday morning' and with that he kissed her on the cheek

By this time they had finished their meal, so Sheldon paid the bill and they stepped out of the restaurant and held hands on the way to the car park, Sheldon was enjoying this new found freeness and he wasn't scared or worrying about germs like he usually did and he was happy to be just a little bit intimate with his Amy

Amy drove them back to Sheldon's apartment and went in with him and Sheldon made Amy a cup of green tea and they chatted until it was time for her to go

'Would you like to stay over tonight?'

'Sheldon I'd love to but tomorrow is Friday and I need to go home and pack a bag of things to bring over, I can come over first thing though drop my bag here and we can go for breakfast before work'

'That sounds like a good idea' said Sheldon as he walked her to the door and said goodbye as he took her in his arms for a very long cuddle

Amy was enjoying the cuddle and reluctantly let go before kissing his cheek and telling him she would see him at 7am the next morning

Sheldon went to bed dreaming of Amy and how much he wanted her and how trusting and patient she was of him, it had taken him a long time for him to be comfortable with physical contact and he was gradually breaking his barriers down with her and he knew it was because Amy was special to him, he would not of been comfortable with anybody else

Friday morning

Amy had arrived and Sheldon was ready to go, he took her bag and left it in his room and they both left the apartment to go for breakfast, though not before running into Penny who was going for a morning jog

'Morning Ames, hi Sheldon'

Sheldon and Amy both greeted her, Sheldon more reluctantly

They continued on to a nearby café and had the breakfast special which was Sausages, bacon, fried eggs mushrooms and beans with Tea and Toast before Amy paid for the breakfast and they left to go to work with Amy dropping Sheldon at Caltech

'Amy I just wanted to say thank you for staying this weekend and for breakfast'

'No problem Sheldon, I'm actually looking forward to this weekend'

'So am I Amy'

They agreed that Amy would pick Sheldon up from work at 4pm and they had a quick hug before Sheldon left the car

Sheldon had a productive day at work and was happy, something that Raj and Howard noticed when he joined them for lunch, time passed quickly and soon it was 4pm and Amy had text him to say she was outside, Sheldon packed up his stuff and left the building

Sheldon broke into a big smile when he saw Amy waiting outside the entrance to Caltech, she wasn't in her car and walking towards her gave him a happy feeling and he hugged her when he saw her, Amy was happy at the new found freeness and confidence of Sheldon

'Hi Amy, this weekend is going to be great, you can help me with my laundry tomorrow night! I seem to have abandoned my carefully ordered schedule when I'm with you but that's something that will remain!'

'Of course I will help you, I could make your favourite meal tomorrow before you have to do all that though'

'Oh that sounds good, but what shall we have tonight'

'I fancy a curry, we can order a takeaway to arrive for when we get back to your apartment'

'That's settled then' said Sheldon as he phoned in the order whilst Amy drove

Penny's apartment

Tonight was scheduled to be Leonard calling her on skype but she had just received an email saying that he was very busy and he would call her on Saturday sometime, Penny had no option but to accept it and wanted to talk to Amy and Bernadette but they both had plans and she wasn't sure that Alex would be able to offer much advice but as she was contemplating all this she received a phone call from work asking her to work the late shift at short notice for double money so she accepted and went, again passing Sheldon and Amy on the staircase, though this time just nodding at them

Sheldon's apartment

'Sheldon you know I support you when you say you don't want to be around Penny but how long will it take you to be ok with her'

'Amy I really don't know and I don't want to think about it, this weekend is about you and me and I want to enjoy that'

'Ok that's fine' said Amy smiling at him

Just then the curry arrived and they settled down to eat it and Sheldon decided afterwards to take Amy upto the roof as it was a clear reasonably warm night

They stood holding hands and watching the stars for a while and chatting amicably about various things until it started to get late and they went back downstairs, Sheldon was thinking about using the roof again in the future for a more romantic setting

'What do you want to do tomorrow' said Sheldon as they sat on the sofa enjoying each others company

'I don't mind' said Amy, in truth she wasn't thinking about tomorrow but was happy to sit with Sheldon whilst they were cuddling and he was running his hands over her shoulders and back, she really liked that!

Sheldon was finding he was getting more comfortable with physical contact with Amy but wasn't sure about Amy sleeping in his bed so they agreed that she would sleep in Leonard's room again, so they went to bed but during the night Sheldon was disturbed by noises coming from the other room, he found Amy laying down but shouting in her sleep, he sat down on the bed and tried to calm her until she came to and Amy woke up properly

'Are you ok now, that was pretty scary to watch so I can't imagine what it would be like to be in the dream'

'Yes thank you Sheldon, do you think you could make me a cup of warm milk am not feeling so sleepy now'

'Of course' said Sheldon and they both walked to the kitchen and Amy sat down at the bench whilst Sheldon made the milk for her and for himself, Amy felt herself relaxing and decided she would go back to bed

'Amy I find myself wanting to comfort you so come to my room and we can spoon until we fall asleep'

'Are you sure? I don't want you to freak out'

'Don't worry I wont!'

Sheldon usually slept on his back in the centre of the bed but he knew he would have to make room for Amy and so he let her choose which side and they both got in and spooned and they both fell asleep straight away

Sheldon woke up first and remembered that Amy was in bed with him and he was still cuddling her and found hat it wasn't unenjoyable, he wanted to stay longer but he got up to shower and was getting breakfast ready when Amy emerged looking very fresh and alert, Sheldon passed over her breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon and they started chatting whilst eating

'Sheldon thank you for comforting me last night, I think I can safely say that was the best night's sleep I have had in a long time'

'Amy you are my girlfriend and it's my job to take care of you and I will admit to feeling the same, last night sleep was very enjoyable and I think I would like to have you in my bed more often!'

'Oh really' said Amy flirting which Sheldon noticed

'You are a vixen Amy Farrah Fowler, you know exactly what I meant!'

'I know but I like joking around with you and not having to worry that you might take it the wrong way or being scared anymore'

'You could never scare me Amy, the only person I was scared of before was myself and I think you are wonderful for putting up with me for so long and I think we can now reap the rewards of that, what's the saying about good things come to those who wait?'

'Well Sheldon I will agree with you there. You know I found you very interesting and wanted to get to know you better from the day we first met and I found you was most unlike all the other guys out there'

'I felt the same as soon as you said coitus was off the table'

'Its not now though is it' asked Amy

'I will say for now that it will happen in the future, I'm not sure that I'm totally ready yet'

'That's ok, we can work on that' said Amy

'Thank you' said Sheldon and with that they cleared away the breakfast things and worked together doing the washing and drying up

It was now 10am and Amy had suggested going to the Glendale Galleria to check out the sales and Sheldon wanted to get some superhero t-shirts so he agreed

They had a successful day shopping and Amy had got a surprise gift for Sheldon, they were on the way home when Amy remembered that she was cooking for Sheldon that night and stopped off at the local supermarket to pick up the ingredients needed , while Sheldon waited in the car.

They had been home for a little while and Amy was cooking dinner and Sheldon was sorting his laundry ready to take it at the correct time when Amy decided to give Sheldon his surprise

'Sheldon I picked up something for you at the mall that I think you will like and I already checked to make sure you didn't have it already' and with that she handed over a bag to Sheldon which contained a red baseball cap with the Flash symbol on it

'Oh Amy thank you I do like that' and he surprised himself by giving Amy a quick kiss on the lips

'Your welcome' said Amy turning away bright red flushing from the unexpected kiss

Dinner was now ready and Amy had prepared Spaghetti with little pieces of hotdog cut up and garlic bread and also remembering from her experimental date, Strawberry quick which Sheldon was very enthusiastic about

'Amy I must say this is just as good as when my mother makes it and hers is wonderful'

'I'm glad you like it' said Amy happily

After dinner Amy produced a chocolate cheesecake which they both only had a little of because they were still a bit full from dinner and then Amy joined him while he went to the laundry room and they chatted and played counterfactuals waiting for the washing to finish

When they returned to the apartment Sheldon switched the telly on and found that there was a documentary on about the human brain and despite his dislike for "yucky squishy things" asked Amy if she wanted to watch it, which they did but Sheldon found himself distracted by Amy being so close to him and he was smelling her hair shampoo and the fact that Amy knew how much he was working on the physical contact made him safe with her and that she wouldn't try to force him to do anything

When the programme ended Amy turned to him to say something but Sheldon leaned into kiss her on the lips and she responded and they were gently kissing and touching each other for a few minutes

'Amy I really enjoyed that and I want to do it again but im scared of how far we will go'

'Sheldon we can stop anytime you want'

'Are you sure? I don't want to disappoint you'

'You could never disappoint me Sheldon'

'Ok its time for bed anyway, so let's go get ready'

This time Sheldon wanted Amy in his bed all night and they settled into bed comfortably and spooned the whole night

The next morning Sheldon had breakfast and left early to go paintball with Raj and Howard. Amy had already planned to have a late breakfast with Penny and Bernadette

The three of them went to the same café Amy and Sheldon had gone to the previous Friday and ordered their food chatting whilst they waited

'You know Leonard couldn't skype with me yesterday because he was so busy and then I got upset because I couldn't speak to him but work phoned me and asked me to go in and I ended up working the bar with various leering drunkards but I got paid double so that's kind of payback

'Oh bestie, you should have said something and we would have tried to cheer you up'

'Its ok because I knew you were both busy and I didn't want to bother you and I still cant believe Sheldon doesn't want me around and that's kind of hard to take in'

'Just give him some time, he will be ok a few weeks im sure of it'

Penny was working the lunchtime shift at the cheesecake factory so they finished up and went their separate ways, Sheldon had given Amy a spare key so she let herself in and worked on her laptop analyzing brain data whilst she waited for Sheldon to come back

Amy having lived on her own for so long was used to cooking for herself and knowing just what Sheldon liked she started on making a roast chicken dinner for him that she had also picked up at the supermarket when she got the spaghetti ingredients

Sheldon arrived back at around 2pm having stopped at the comic book store on the way home and could see Amy working in the kitchen, he went to join her cuddling upto her whilst she stood at the stove

'Hi Sheldon dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes'

'Amy that all looks and smells delicious! I'm just going to have a shower and get changed and then I can help you finish'

'That's ok everything is sorted out' and with that she kissed him softly on the lips, to which Sheldon responded and she then went back to the stove

Sheldon was starting to really enjoying kissing Amy and found that given no limits he could do it for a very long time! He was slowly but surely breaking down his barriers and he wasn't unhappy about it either and gave another suggestion to Amy before going for his shower

'Amy how would you feel about staying every weekend while Leonard is away'

'I'd love that but what will happen when Leonard comes back' said Amy

'I think we will continue as we are now so that's settled then!' and Sheldon went off to have his shower

They had an enjoyable rest of the day and were relaxing in the evening and talking about their jobs and they agreed to meet everybody at the cheesecake factory for dinner on Monday, Amy had found out at breakfast that Penny would be working the evening shift and Sheldon said he didn't mind.

All in all they both agreed that the weekend had been a success and Sheldon was happy with the progress that they had made so far