A/N: Thanks for the great reviews and welcome my new followers. Keep up the good reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own BBT but like to take a few characters to play with sometimes

A few days later, Sheldon was sitting out on the porch reading a book on physics when he heard footsteps running towards him. As he looked up, his sister was jogging towards him.

"Shelly! Robbie fell of his motorcycle again and I have to take him to the ER"

"Good Lord. Well, it is your husband so I shouldn't be surprised"

"Can you or Mee Maw watch Noah until Momma gets back?"

"Mee Maw is taking a nap"

"Well, I guess Noah gets to spend time with his Uncle Shelly"

"Missy—" Sheldon stood up to protest but he was interrupted by his sister thrusting his nephew in his arms.

"Momma should be back from church in a couple of hours. I just fed him. He should be ready for his nap in about an hour. If he doesn't go down right away, read to him or play music. He really likes AC/DC"

"But—"

"Thanks, Shelly" Missy said before she ran off the porch and to her pickup truck.

Shelly stood helpless while holding a seven month old child. He looked down and saw his nephew staring at him. "What are you looking at?"

An hour and a half later, an exasperated Missy returned to the house. Her husband merely busted his butt, so she took him home and left him home sitting on a pillow before collecting her baby. She needed the cooling off time and she needed to thank her brother for watching her son. She knew Sheldon felt uncomfortable around babies and she owed him one.

Missy pulled up to the house, shut off the truck, and climbed out. When she walked up to the porch, she saw that the front door was open but the screen door was shut. As she got closer, Missy was about to call out to her brother when she saw something that melted her heart.

Sheldon was sitting in one of the living room recliners set aside for Ron's visits reading to her son. She caught a glimpse of what her brother was reading her son and rolled her eyes. Quietly she grabbed her phone and started filming. After she began recording, she watched her brother face her baby and talk to him. Sheldon's words brought tears to Missy's eyes, but she fought to hold them back not wanting to embarrass her brother. When he was done, she stopped recording and put her phone away before entering.

"Hey, Shelly. How's my baby?"

"Well, after you unceremoniously dumped you son on me like a sack of potatoes, we sat here watching an episode of Doctor Who on my computer. He was still awake so I thought I would enrich his mind. You have to start early you know"

"Of course, Shelly. So what rocket science stuff are you enriching my son with?"

"I am not reading him rocket science stuff. I am showing my nephew the wonders of physics. Our genetic markers are similar even if not the same ovum so there's a chance he inherited some of my genius as opposed to his father's lack of it"

"Shelly, don't make tangle with you like we did as kids" Sheldon held up his nephew in front of him. "Don't hide behind my baby!"

Sheldon put Noah back on his lap before Missy walked over and picked him up. "You two looked really cute when I walked up. Maybe you should think of having one of your own" When she saw the moment of sadness in his eyes, she knew she said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, Shelly. I wasn't thinking."

Pushing his feelings down, he put on a mask of indifference. Inwardly he relaxed as he knew if Missy heard anything he said to the baby, she would have made fun of him by now. "There's nothing to apologize for. To have a progeny I need to have a person of equal intelligence to produce with and that is something that I am lacking at the moment"

"No you're not, Shelly" She took a step towards her brother. "Should you and Amy get your heads out of your butts, it's something to consider for the future"

"I beg your pardon –"

"Well, Momma's home. I need to get home to kick my husband's ass, literally. Good night, Shelly"

Sheldon watched his sister leave and he prepared himself for his mother. She did apologize for her remarks the other day and he accepted it. However, he still felt hurt from what she said about Amy. It was then he realized she was saying something to her. "I'm sorry. What did you say, Mom?"

"I was asking you want you wanted for dinner. Ron is coming over tonight."

"I'm not very hungry. Besides, doesn't he have a home?"

Sheldon didn't hate the man, but he still felt uncomfortable with his mother and Ron. He was still annoyed about his mother criticizing him for the non-existent sexual relationship she thought he was having with Amy, but doing the same thing with the older man. He still couldn't sit on the couch.

"Shelly, you will be polite tonight or I will send you to your room like I did during the last visit. I will also take out all your toys and computer stuff. Do I make myself clear?"

When his mother left the room, his sister's words began to whirl through his mind. He shook his head in a futile attempt to get them out. When that didn't work, he picked up the Physics textbook and began to read again. He needed to get himself together before he could call Amy. She was busy in Michigan for the time being and needed to focus on her job there…at least that is what he told himself.

He was sitting and staring at the wall when he heard a loud crash upstairs. "Mee Maw?"

Sheldon tore up the stairs, followed by his mother. When he got to his grandmother's room, he found her lying on the ground. Nearby, one of Noah's toys was lying on the floor. Mary ran to the phone and called an ambulance.

"Oh my hip"

"It's going to be okay, Mee Maw" Sheldon said as he sat next to his grandmother, trying to keep the fear out of his voice for her sake.

"No Mother we are not broken….He's with his family in Texas and I am working for a few weeks in Michigan…..No he has not broken my hy-….You know what? Never mind. Mother my sex life is none of your concern…I'll come home when I am done with this project…Mother I will come home when I feel like it. Bye!"

Amy hung up on her mother in frustration. She was mostly unavailable growing up when she needed comfort but was always there to give criticism and judgment. Girl Scouts were whores and women remained virgins until marriage. Her mother raised her to be perfect, but she was always just short of that pedestal in her mother's eyes.

She thought about her father and wondered how he put up with her mother for so long. Her dad always made time for her when able, but when she got older, she discovered that the man she thought could do no wrong was also flawed. It was wrong what he did, but she could understand now the how and why of his actions. She only wished she could tell him that, but she was seventeen years too late and it was the biggest regret of her life. Seeing where her thoughts were going, she attempted to shake it off.

Today she had taken her three friends to the airport back to California. She had missed them as soon as they left to board the plane. The drive, while only a little more than an hour, felt like an eternity to her. Then getting her mother's phone call was always an emotional drain. Suddenly, her thoughts shifted.

Sheldon. She wondered how he was doing in Texas. She didn't know what the future held for them, but she hoped that they could salvage their friendship if anything else. He was more than her intellectual equal, he was probably the only one who really tried to understand…..no...who could understand what it was like to grow up lonely and different. For years, she closed herself off from people for protection, but Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his friends snuck past her walls, changing her life forever. If she lost him completely, she didn't know what she would do.

She wanted to call him desperately and talk to him, but she was the one who set up the ground rules this summer. No phone calls, only general emails, but she was already regretting it. She made that rule to prevent her caving in like before or keep her from getting hurt as he would inevitably be cold and aloof with rejection.

There was much for each to say, all very messy and complicated, but how did they go about it? Sheldon didn't know what he wanted from life and she was confused as well. She didn't know what to do as she began to cry.

Amy was near the end of her crying jag when she heard her phone buzz. Broken out of her spell, she answered the phone while wiping her face. "Steve, hi. How are you? How is Janis?" Amy listened as her face ashen. "Oh Steven….I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Amy listened for a moment. "When is the service?"

She wrote down the information given. "I can call the university for you. Anyone else? Okay. I'm so sorry and let me know if you need anyone else" Amy hung up the phone in shock.

A heart attack. A 39 year old woman in the final stages of chemotherapy brought down by a heart attack.

Her life was a mess but someone just lost their life partner. Nothing that she was going through could compare to that. Amy sat back on the couch, enveloped by the quiet of the house. Ten minutes later, she heard her phone buzz. When she looked it was a text from Penny letting her know that they landed in California successfully after a delay in Idaho due to an unruly passenger. She couldn't stop herself as she texted back.

Thank you for letting me know. Steve just called and let me know his wife died in Ann Arbor. He's taking her home to Virginia for funeral. Thanks for coming to see me.

She sat in shock for a few minutes before calling the head of the CMU Neuroscience department with the news. She let them that she would be available for the next few weeks if Steven needed the time off and hung up. She sat and thought for the next several minutes about Steven's loss and her relationship with Sheldon. All of her misery comingled until she collapsed in a fit of tears in frustration and pain.

Sheldon was sitting with Mee Maw in her room as she slept. Missy went home earlier with a promise to come back in the morning while George Junior wasn't anywhere to be found to no one's surprise. His mother outside was talking to the doctors.

She had a bruised hip and sprained ankle due to tripping on one of Noah's toys after attempting to get up without her cane. When she arrived and reported a wave of dizziness before falling, she had tests run. She had atrial fibrillation. She was going to be started on medication, but there was the future possibility of bypass surgery if it didn't improve.

He continued to feel conflicted as he remembered Amy's picture with Penny on Facebook. That thought alternated with his talks with Mee Maw and his baby nephew. He just didn't know what to think.

He looked at the clock and saw visiting hours were technically over. He didn't care what any rule stated. He wasn't going to leave Mee Maw alone. Sitting and contemplating, he was surprised by his grandmother's voice.

"Moon Pie, you need to go home"

"I don't want to leave you alone here, Mee Maw. These places are full of germs and strange people."

The elderly woman merely shook her head. "Fine, if you're not going to leave, we're going to talk. Have you figured out your life with Amy yet like we talked about?"

"No. She's probably already moving on"

"How do you know that? Has she told you this?"

"No" Sheldon said petulantly

"Then how do you know?"

"This" Sheldon walked to his grandmother's bed. She took the phone and looked at the picture of Amy and Penny from Mackinaw City on Penny's Facebook page. After a moment, Mee Maw started to laugh.

"What's so funny, Mee Maw?"

"You, Moon Pie. Obviously this picture was posted by Penny to get your ass in gear"

"Mee Maw!"

"Sheldon Lee Cooper. You have been sitting around moping for weeks because of this girl. You've even admitted that you were the asshole"

Sheldon's eyes bugged out as he continued to listen.

"I know that you don't buy what that psychic told you, but someone is trying to tell you something. You are scared shitless that she will walk away before you figure things out, but you're letting her, Moon Pie. Life is sometimes about taking a chance. Yes, there's a chance you may be rejected, but there's also a chance you two can come together and make a life. Maybe you two working together will help you decide what you need to do about your science career."

Mee Maw finished but had an afterthought when she saw her grandson contemplating. "Don't over think it. You always over think. Just say what's in your heart."

Their conversation was interrupted by a buzz on Sheldon's phone. He saw it was Penny but decided to let it go to voice mail. He was still annoyed by the picture and at Penny for having his Amy cozying up to other men. 'More attractive men' he thought.

"Who called Moon Pie?"

"Penny"

"Don't be sore at her because of that picture. You call her later"

Before Sheldon could respond, Mee Maw's room phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello? Well, hello Penny. I've heard a lot about you. Yes he's here, hang on" She pointed the phone towards her grandson. "It's Penny. She says it's important"

Seeing the look his grandmother gave him, Sheldon took the phone. "Hello Penny. So what is this emergency? Wanting to make sure I saw the picture you took of yourself and Amy half naked?" His snark died to a quiet as he heard what Penny was telling him. He nodded for a moment. "Okay, thank you for calling me, Penny. Goodbye"

Sheldon hung up the phone but remained quiet. Mee Maw didn't like what she saw. "Sheldon, what's wrong?"

"Amy's friend, the professor that she was working for…..his wife died" Suddenly he realized the jealousy he had about the man made him feel very small. "She was in the hospital at University of Michigan receiving chemotherapy for her breast cancer. Tonight she went into cardiac arrest while talking to her husband. It was quick and the doctors think the treatments weakened her heart."

Sheldon waited a beat before continuing. "I guess after Penny text Amy let her know they arrived home, Amy texted back letting her know about her friend's wife. When Penny called her to check on her, Amy was trying to sound normal, but Penny knew she was crying and upset. Penny said for me to 'get over myself and high tail my skinny ass up to Michigan' before hanging up." Sheldon said

"Then why are you here? Get the hell up there"

"I don't want to intrude Mee Maw. What if she gets upset when she sees me there and then tells me she doesn't want to be with me anymore? I don't think I could take that rejection"

Mee Maw smiled. "So you are in love with her"

He knew there was no point in lying to her. "Yes"

"Have you two made love yet?"

Sheldon's face turned beet red. "Mee Maw! That's very personal"

"That's what I thought. Penny called you for a reason. Amy needs you Moon Pie and you need her. Remember when I said to shit or get off the pot? Well pinch it off and get on the next flight north. Yes, you two have some problems, but sometimes, you have to suck it up when your better half needs you. Talking can come later."

"But Mee Maw, you're hurt. The doctor said you will need someone to take care of you for the next few weeks because of the atrial fibrillation and that you can't get around by yourself"

"So I got a little dizzy spell from my ticker. Instead of being smart, I got out of bed too fast and tripped. My own fault. The doctors want to keep me here until tomorrow night to be safe. I have your mother and your sister to help me, so I will be all right for a few days. If something changes, someone will call you. Now get out of here and thank Penny the next time you talk to her. She's a good friend to both of you to track you down for Amy and set you straight."

He realized that she was right. Maybe it was time to take a chance and get out of his comfort zone. Getting up, he kissed his grandmother good night. "Thank you, Mee Maw"

When he ran out of the room, the older woman pulled her tablet out of her bedside drawer. Opening up Facebook, she found what she was looking for and laughed. "Oh, Penny, I think the two of us would get along just fine."

Outside the room, Sheldon walked quickly in the halls until he found his mom, who had just finished talking to the doctor. "Mom, I need to go to the airport. I have to go to Michigan"

"What? Why? Your grandmother needs you here. Surely, Amy can wait"

Sheldon ignored the jab. "Because Mee Maw told me to. Amy needs me"

Mary wanted to dissuade him, but the look on her son's face told her it would go in one ear and out the other. "Okay, let me say good night. Just meet me in the car" She said as she handed him the keys that he yanked out of his mother's hand as he ran down the corridor.

By the time Mary made it to the car he had booked the red eye from Houston at 3:00 AM into Detroit. She got him home where he packed quickly and to the airport by 11:00. After getting through security, which he felt he was unjustifiably being detained longer because his agent was an idiot, he sat at the gate around 1:00 AM. Forced to sit and wait for the flight, he had his IPad and his thoughts.

'What am I going to say to her when I get there? What if she tells me to go away and hates me? How can I tell her what I feel when I can't even get the words out myself?'

Feeling restless, he got a cup of tea from a nearby vendor. It wasn't until he opened the tea bags that he realized what he picked out. 'Lemon Zinger and Green Tea…..and I'm not even at a rave'

He sat quietly sipping his tea while trying to read an article on Star Trek, but gave up when he read the same page for twenty minutes. He pulled up Amy's Facebook and found pictures posted of her with the girls and wine bottles. They were all smiling or laughing in their pajamas and was posted the night they arrived in Michigan. He figured she was as hopped up as the others probably were, but she looked happy…..beautiful.

He then pulled up a file on his IPad and smiled when it opened to pictures. As he flicked through each one, he felt happy when he saw Amy in various poses…..with him at Bernadette and Howard's wedding, their costume at Stuart's party, one taken at the party when the guys were all competing for tenure, and his favorite of all, one that he took when she was making another Death Star cake for him, about a week before he left. Her eyes were lit up and her smile was so bright.

Suddenly, he got inspiration. Hearing the call for his flight, he worked quickly, shocked that almost two hours had gone by. He opened an email to her and only sent a note with an attachment. The final call came when the message was sent, so he packed up quickly and rushed to get in line for the flight to Detroit. Hopefully, what he did will not make things worse, but his Mee Maw was right. 'One needs to defecate or get off the toilet'

When he was settled in, he listened patiently to the flight attendant's instructions before putting his ear buds in. He wanted to sleep, but the tea was keeping him awake now, or at least that's what he preferred to think.

When takeoff commenced, Sheldon reached for Amy's hand before realizing he was alone. Not wanting to get kicked off the flight due to his fears, he closed his eyes and imagined her sitting next to him. He grabbed onto the arm rest and squeezed as tight as he could. When the place got to ten thousand feet, he relaxed, but those nagging thoughts from Houston came back to him.

'I hope I got off the toilet seat in time and she doesn't want to flush me back down'

Amy calmed down after a few minutes. Feeling wide awake, she turned on the TV and attempted to watch a movie, but she couldn't pay attention as her mind was elsewhere. Earlier, Penny called concerned about her text. She tried to keep her voice neutral, but Amy knew her bestie was still worried. After reassuring her she was fine, she hung up and sat in contemplation before another crying jab took over. Eventually she fell into a fitful sleep on the couch. She was woken up by Penny's text ring.

I know u & S are on outs, but L just got call that Mee Maw is in the hospital in Galveston.

Quickly she sat up and regretted it as she had a headache from her crying, but she ignored it. "Oh no. Sheldon must be a wreck"

She sat and debated for the longest time on what to do. More than once she picked up the phone to call, but always stopped. She moved towards the laptop for an email, but knew better. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She didn't recognize the number but read the message.

Hi amy its missy. i know my brother is an idiot but dont write him off yet. watch this.

Amy pushed on the attachment and her heart melted as she watched her Sheldon reading to his nephew. Halfway through, he turned to the baby and talked to him.

'Someday, Noah, you will find someone who makes you feel good. Don't do what your Uncle Doctor Cooper…..Uncle Shelly did and ignore them or put your relationship in some binding document to protect yourself. I had planned on someday giving you an Aunt Amy, but I made a mess of that by being an a—a donkey's posterior. But I'm going to figure my life out and do whatever it takes to get her back because while science is my first love, she's…my Counterfactuals partner, my one true equal…my best friend…..the only woman I have ever had these feelings for….the only woman I've ever…but if I don't, it's all my fault. You have the potential to be a genius such as myself. Don't muck it up.'

Sheldon shook his head. 'Okay now that Uncle Shelly had his hippy dippy moment, let's get back to what is important. Physics'

He started to read again when the video ended. Amy sat there for a moment stunned. Her boyfriend spoke from the heart.

She knew what she needed to do…..wanted to do and debated back and forth for several minutes. "Oh fuck it!" Amy yelled before she realized what she said. "Penny does influence me"

There were things to be said and emotions to be dealt with, but right now, her boyfriend needed her, and she needed him.

She looked outside and watched the rain pour in buckets and heard the thunder and lightning. Tuning the loud booms out, she opened up her laptop and got on her computer. Finding flights to Houston, she found one that took off from MBS in Saginaw at 4 AM. She looked at the clock and saw it was 12:30 AM. With her TSA history, it would be tight, but she had to try. Quickly booking it, she ran into her room and packed a bag and her laptop. She was off for another five days and she was grateful.

She grabbed essentials and ran out the door, running back to lock the door. Her car was close to the house, but she was drenched when she got in. Programming in directions on her phone navigator, she drove to the airport.