Being There (takes place after A Farewell to Arms)

She sighed. "I thought, at least when I stopped the book, that they were too wrapped up in themselves, too lost in their own exclusive world. Like they were obsessed with each other, never spending a second apart. Oh, it's stupid. Maybe it was just that they are snowed in that tiny house with the small room. Ignore me."

There was a soft knock at the door. "Amy?"

"Come in," Amy yelled and sat up in bed.

Penny entered the room in her pajamas and came over to the bed. "How are you feeling, sweetie? Did I wake you?"

"No, I was awake. Actually, I'm feeling much better."

Penny sat down on the edge of the bed. "Good. Do you want to try to eat something else? Sheldon isn't here, you can have whatever you want. We've got ginger ale with high fructose corn syrup and microwave popcorn with whatever is horrible about that. Ice cream, potato chips, pickles, you name it."

Amy smiled at her best friend. "No, thank you. You've really been so kind. Both you and Leonard. I'm sorry for this is happening in your house. We should have waited. We thought we had more time; most couples of our age take an average of three to six months to conceive. And I just stopped the pill and my periods were always so irregular before and I'm thirty-six . . . I should have known even Sheldon's sperm would be above average, and it would happen the first month."

Penny screwed up her face. "Great. And I was just starting to accept the creepy idea that Sheldon Cooper has sex in my guest bed. Now I'll have to think about that, too."

Amy ignored her comment. "Penny, do you think I'm a horrible wife?"

"What? No. I think Mother Theresa has nothing on you. Why?"

"I made Sheldon leave and go to the comic book store with Leonard tonight."

"Yeah, so?"

"It's just that he's been so attentive and caring and mostly calm, and I wonder if I shouldn't have sent him away. Five years ago I would have sold a kidney for this much attention from him." She paused and sighed. "I feel guilty, but I can't help feeling a little . . . smothered. I basically told him that he was obsessing over me. What is wrong with me?" She put her face down into her hands.

"Sweetie, don't feel bad about that. Obsessive compulsive is sort of Sheldon's shtick. Especially when he really, really loves something."

Amy put her hands down. "He really is into me, isn't he?"

Penny smiled at her. "You have no idea. Hey, how about this? The guys are out, we have the house to ourselves, and this is my last week before I start filming. Why don't you put on your PJs, and we'll watch Sex in the City in my bed?"

"Okay."

"Great! I'll meet you in there. I'm going to get some wine. Do you want anything?" Penny got off the bed.

"I'll take some of that ginger ale, if you don't mind." Amy got up, too.

"Sure thing."

Amy changed into her nightgown and went to Penny's bedroom. She took the Transformers BluRay out and put in Sex in the City instead. She had just got up onto the bed when Penny returned, her hands full.

"Oh, good, you've got it ready. One ginger ale for you." Penny climbed in bed next to her, handing her the cold can.

"Penny, can I ask you something? A really big favor?" It was something Amy had thought about for awhile now.

"Sure, what?" Penny asked, taking a handful of popcorn out the bag she had made.

"Will you be my back-up? When I have the baby? In case Sheldon can't do it, can't be in the room. Will you come in with me?"

"Oh, Ames. Of course I will. But he'll be there."

"I'm not sure. The sight of blood makes him pass out. And he had nightmares after his sister had the baby, and he wasn't even in the room the whole time. I need a back-up. You can be my back-up, and Leonard can hang out with Sheldon, giving him fresh paper bags to breathe into."

Penny smiled. "Yes, we will be your back-ups. But you won't need us. Trust me, he'll be there."

"How can you be so certain?"

Penny shrugged. "Because you'll be there. Obsessive compulsive is his thing, remember?"

Amy settled back into the mountain of pillows on Penny's giant bed with a contented sigh. She pressed the play button on the remote.

Just as Carrie's dress was getting splashed by the bus on the screen, Penny said, "This whole conversation reminds me that I owe Raj ten dollars."

Sheldon and Leonard where met by an empty living room when they opened the front door.

"Where are they?" Leonard asked.

"They're watching Sex and the City in your bed again." Leonard looked at him with confusion, and Sheldon added, "Vulcan hearing."

Leonard rolled his eyes. "Guess we were gone a long time. And they do love that show."

"That show frightens and confuses me," Sheldon replied.

"Let's go say hi." Leonard led the way to his bedroom. He stopped in the doorway. The television was still running, but both Penny and Amy were asleep.

Sheldon stood behind him. "Is that processed ginger ale? And microwave popcorn!"

"Shhhhh, they're asleep."

"I should wake Penny up and give her a piece of my mind. Giving a pregnant woman carcinogens!"

"Calm down, Sheldon. But should we wake them up, do you think?"

"We can wake up Penny so I can give her a strike, but Amy needs her sleep. She is with child, you know."

"Uh, yeah, you may have mentioned it a million times." Leonard tipped toed into the room and turned the television off before unfolding the blanket from the end of the bed and covering the two women.

Sheldon stood in the doorway and looked at his sleeping wife. Leonard came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. He tensed slightly at the touch but didn't shift away.

"Leonard, I'm worried I won't be able to be there," he whispered even more quietly than they had been. He didn't take his eyes off of Amy.

"Where?"

"In the room when Amy has the baby. I might pass out. Or something." He didn't tell Leonard about the nightmares.

"Well, will Amy be there?"

"What do you mean, will Amy be there? Of course she'll be there. Where else would she be? Unfortunately, this isn't like that episode of Voyager, where they beam the baby out." He looked down at his friend in confusion.

"Don't worry. If Amy is there, you'll be there, too."

Sheldon gave his friend an incredulous stare. "How can you be so confident?"

Leonard shrugged. "Because where ever Amy is, Sheldon is sure to follow."

AN: Sorry it's so short (but you were warned). Thank you for your reviews! I love reading them all.