Thank you for your patience. I just came home from my event and while I had a great time, my head is still spinning a bit from all the new people and all the small talk (other introverts might be able to relate to this). I am sitting down now to make my final edits, but I will probably not be as focused as I usually am, so if I leave a few more mistakes in this chapter than I usually do, I hope you can forgive me for it!

Warning: This chapter is very M-rated.

If you are not familiar with musical terms or if it has just been too long since you've used them in school, I think most of them can be derived from the context, but if not, just check Wikipedia: "List of Italian musical terms used in English".

So don't you dare and try to walk away
I′ve got my heart set on our wedding day
I've got this vision of a girl in white
Made my descision that it's you alright

When I take your hand, I watch my heart set sail
I′ll take my trembling fingers, and I'll lift up your veil
Then I'll take you home and with wild abandon
Make love to you just like a true companion

As It Is In Heaven
Chapter 26 – "True Companion"

"You… you… you knew?", he stuttered. "But how? Why? I… I don't understand."

Amy took one more step towards him and looked at him pleadingly.

"Please, Sheldon. Sit down. Let me explain."

Even though he felt completely overwhelmed, he fought the urge to just run out and be alone with his confusing thoughts for a while and did as she told him to.

She stood there in front of him. The tray she had brought in was shaking in her hands.

"You are upset. Do you want me to prepare you some tea? Or do you think the chocolate mousse works too?"

He sighed impatiently. Yes, he was upset.

How could he not be? He had hurt her. Unknowingly, but still. And she had known about it.

She had kept this from him. This and... all the other things. And he had no idea for how long. Or why she did it in the first place.

There was no time to prepare tea. He needed to know. Now.

"Just explain, please… And yes to the chocolate mousse." It looked delicious after all. And it was worth a try.

"Alright.", she conceded, handing him the sweet treat. It wasn't a hot beverage, but it really did taste amazing, and it soothed him a little bit.

He looked at Amy expectantly. Right now, it was hard to make sense of everything he had just learned. He needed her to explain.

She finally put the tray down and sighed.

"I uhm… don't really know where to start."

He nodded. She looked uncomfortable. And while a part of him was disappointed in her for not telling him, a little angry too if he was honest, he did not want to make it harder for her. He just wanted answers.

"Well, for starters… how long have you known?"

She sighed deeply.

"All the time.", she confessed. "Since long before I met you here in Medford."

He just stared at her. How could she keep this from him for such a long time?

"Uhm… so… obviously ten years ago, I was supposed to go on this date with you. I had this agreement with my mother to date once a year, so…", she sighed. "Anyway, as I read your profile, you seemed so different from everyone else I had met before, so I looked up some of your work and watched a few of your lectures online and I was really impressed. And then I… saw some other videos too…."

"What videos?", he wondered.

"Uhm… there was one where you were having a fight with another scientist on some stage… and another one, that must have been taken only weeks before we were supposed to meet. You were giving a speech… and you were drunk. It was hilarious. 'And here's Uranus'. I couldn't stop laughing for almost ten minutes and I laughed again, every time I watched it."

Sheldon cringed. He couldn't believe, Amy had seen those.

"Anyway.", she continued. "The more I learned about you, the more I was looking forward to meeting you. I thought… maybe this time I'll finally meet someone like me, just maybe a little more outgoing and… playful. But still, someone who gets me. Exactly the person I wanted to have in my life. But…"

"But I didn't show up", he said impatiently. He already knew that.

"I…", she shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes. "I was so disappointed. Not in you. In me. How could I get my hopes up like this. How could I think that a handsome, brilliant man like you would ever be interested in me. I made up this story in my mind that you walked in, saw me…"

"And walked out again?"

He remembered that weird question she had asked him months ago.

You didn't… I don't know… go to that coffee shop, take one look at the woman, decide she wasn't your type, and you could do better? You didn't just leave without saying hello?

"Amy, how could you ever think I didn't find you pretty enough?", he said exasperatedly. "And how could you think I would be so rude as to just leave you there?"

"I… I didn't know you then. And then a few months later, I saw you. At the grocery store. With this stunning blonde. You were shopping together. She was calling you sweetie. She touched your arm. You didn't even notice me, just walked right past me. And I thought, well, it figures. Why would you want to meet me if you could have women like her?"

"Oh, Amy…", he groaned. "That's why you thought I was some kind of ladies' man. You misinterpreted the situation. The woman you saw me with was Penny. My neighbor. My former best friend's wife, mother of his children. She used to be one of my favorite people. But there was never anything between us. She's like a sister to me."

"I realized that when you told me about your friends.", she said in a small voice. "But back then it just fit the picture I had of you. I even considered that it could have been a prank. All of it. Maybe someone wanted me to think a man like you could be interested in me. And maybe you played along. It wouldn't have been the first time someone would do that to me."

"You know I would never do something like this.", he protested. He had been the target of stupid pranks too and he had never understood the appeal of it all.

"I know.", she gave him a weak smile. "I know that now. But well… back then, I took it as another sign that my life wasn't what I wanted it to be. I had already considered moving away. And seeing you there in that grocery store… well, it pretty much sealed the deal."

He shook his head in disbelieve. If only he had met her. All of this could have been avoided.

"How did you end up here then?", he asked after a while. "Was it really a coincidence? Or did you look me up to wind up in my hometown 'by accident'? Befriend my family to get close to me?"

"What?", she sounded genuinely shocked. "No, Sheldon, no. This is not what happened. I promise. I might be a weirdo at times. But I am not a stalker. No. That was all a huge coincidence."

He waited for her to continue.

"Sheldon, everything I told you was true. I had been travelling the world. Took on some jobs, pondered my next moves. And then I ended up here, took the teaching job and moved in with Connie. I had no idea she was your grandmother. If I knew, I never would have moved in with her, because I still had a pretty low opinion of you."

It sounded plausible. But still… so many questions.

"Then how did you find out?"

"Well,", she sighed. "I had lived with Connie for a few weeks, when she started mentioning you. 'You should meet my grandson', she would tell me and 'You and Sheldon have so much in common.' Of course, I recognized that first name, but I still didn't think it was you. Connie and you didn't have the same last name after all. And from then on, in almost every conversation we had she would shout out 'That's exactly what my moonpie would have said'. And I became really curious about you."

He had to smile a little. Oh, how he missed his meemaw. It was nice that she had thought of him so often.

"And then she invited me to family dinner at your mother's place. Remember, I told you, I thought she was trying to set me up with your brother. But he was only talking about tires, and it did not make sense. Until he introduced himself as "George Cooper" and that's pretty much when it hit me. Connie Tucker's grandson, George Cooper. And her other grandson Sheldon Cooper, who – as I was told at that same dinner – was living in California. I was utterly shocked. I mean… isn't it crazy? I was living with your grandmother and having dinner with your family. So many years after we were supposed to meet."

"It is crazy.", he agreed. He could barely wrap his had around it. "But if you've known all this time, then why did you never say anything?"

"Sheldon…", she hesitated. "You need to understand how confusing this was for me. Everyone in your family kept comparing me to you. They told all these stories about you and said I should absolutely meet you. And the things I learned about you, they were so endearing. Not at all how I had pictured you. Somehow, I don't know how it happened, I started to imagine how it would be like, if we met here in Medford. Would you remember me or the fact that we were supposed to go on a date? Maybe if you met me as Connie's tenant and we spent some time together, it wouldn't matter that you didn't find me pretty and maybe you'd be impressed because you would also notice how much we had in common…"

"Amy, I never cared about looks. But I always found you pretty.", he protested. "This whole thing was only in your head."

"I know.", she nodded, looking ashamed. "I know, Sheldon and I am sorry. But anyway, with all the stories I got told about you. Your lonely childhood, your experiments, your intellect… I looked up more of your papers online and I don't know… I just… at some point, I started building this image of you in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I guess…", she sighed. "I guess, you became kind of my dream. I am sorry, I know it sounds crazy. I just… I imagined us meeting and you falling for my mind just as I fell for yours. I was waiting for you to show up. That said, no, Sheldon, I did not move here because of you. But it was because of you that I stayed for much longer than I had planned."

He let that sink in. All this time when he had been friendless. Alone and miserable. She had been here, waiting for him.

"And then you came here, and you hated me.", she continued. "You didn't even mention the blind date. But you told me about your eidetic memory, so I was sure you must remember me. But you didn't even seem to know I was a neurobiologist. Things did not add up. And I didn't know how to bring this up. Especially with you grieving for Connie."

"You could have told me, once we became friends.", he said softly.

Even if his anger was subsiding, it did hurt, the fact she did not trust him enough.

"I still didn't understand why you didn't say anything.", Amy argued. "Maybe you were embarrassed for standing me up and had hope that I didn't remember. We became so close friends, maybe you did not want me to feel bad because you didn't find me attractive. But then we had sex, and you said all these beautiful things to me. You told me you had never dated and that I was your first. And that your friends had set up a date for you, but you didn't go. That's when it finally clicked, Sheldon. That night, before we fell asleep, I decided to come clean the next day. But then…"

"Then the attack happened.", he realized.

"Yeah…", she breathed out. "And when you finally let me in again, I was scared of telling you. Scared you would think it was your fault I was mugged. That this would be another reason for you to push me away. I was still planning on telling you. I just didn't know how… or when… I wanted to do it tonight, but then I chickened out because we were having such a great time. Sheldon, I am so sorry. Please, even if you need time to process this, don't give up on what we have. Don't shut me out again. Please."

She was still standing there in front of the couch. Shaking, fidgeting with her fingers. Tears visible in her eyes.

He sat the empty pudding bowl aside and got up.

Even if he wished she would have told him, he understood. And at least this last part was on him. Those three months apart had hurt her deeply. No wonder she wasn't willing to risk going through it again.

And she was right. The first thing on his mind was that yes, this was all his fault. He had been so close to running away again.

But just like it had been the case with Robbie, he knew, in the end, it wasn't his fault. Yes, he was the cause for her walking home alone in the dark. But it had been his friends' responsibility to cancel that date. And also, he wasn't to blame for the actions of the man who had attacked her.

So, instead of feeling guilty, or angry or disappointed, he focused on something else.

"I was your dream?", he asked softly. "While you were living with meemaw, you imagined meeting me? You were waiting for me? Was that the reason you never went on a third date with anyone else, even before we met?"

She shrugged helplessly.

"I guess.", she admitted. "Sheldon, this is embarrassing, but yeah. You… you were my dream. Until you showed up and you were even better than my dream. No man could ever live up to what you mean to me."

"You're even better than I imagined.", he whispered. "That's what you told me the night you kissed me the first time. And then you said, you feared I would break your heart again. It all makes sense now. By not showing up, by making you think I rejected you for not being pretty enough – which is completely ludicrous by the way – I broke your heart."

She shook her head. "I said that? Well, I guess I was being a bit dramatic that night.", she said. "I did feel heartbroken, when I saw you at that grocery store. I knew it was crazy to feel that way. But even if I felt heartbroken, you didn't do it knowingly. You did nothing wrong, Sheldon. I shouldn't have said that to you."

It was hard to comprehend all the information. His brain was working in overdrive to process everything.

"Amy…", he started hesitantly.

"It's okay, Sheldon. I understand if you need time now."

She turned away from him and he knew, no matter what she said, this was hurting her. And he absolutely did not want her to hurt. They had been through enough already.

"No, that's not what I was going to say.", he protested. "Amy, you said I was your dream. That you built me up in my head. And that the real me was even better. Did I get that right?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Well…", he sighed. "I was so lonely these past years. I told you, remember? How my group of friends changed once everyone got girlfriends and later on wives and kids. I told you how I was craving for one person on my side."

"Sheldon, what are you saying?", she asked, while stepping closer to him.

He shook his head. Oh, crazy didn't even begin to describe what he was going to say.

"I used to walk the streets endlessly. Fleeing my apartment and all the couple stuff that was happening there. I wished so badly that there was a place where I could flee to. A place where I had someone to turn you. Someone who understands me. I wasn't thinking about a romantic relationship. Just an ally. And now that I know I could have had you in my life all this time…"

He swallowed deeply. Tears sprang to his own eyes now.

"Do you realize how different my life would have been with you in it? You are precisely what I was hoping for. And much, much more than I could have imagined. So, I guess… you were my dream too, Amy. You were my dream before I even knew who you were."

She hardly let him finish his sentence before she threw herself into his arms.

"So, you're not mad at me? You don't need to take a step back? You don't think I am crazy?"

He shook his head.

"I am not mad at you, Amy. And taking a step back is the last thing I want. We wasted enough time already." He chuckled before he continued. "I am not so sure about the crazy part though. After all you're a world-renowned neurobiologist working as a science teacher in this ridiculous smalltown. We need to do something about that at some point. But everything else? No. I am just glad we finally found each other."

She grasped his shoulders then and planted a firm kiss on his mouth. It felt different now that he knew everything. Knew how connected their lives really had been all this time.

He couldn't take it anymore. He felt an urge to connect with her even more. To merge with her.

"Amy…", he said seriously as he searched her eyes. "I know, we said a third date didn't mean we had to… well… And you seemed nervous before, so I understand if it is too much for you tonight. But I am thinking… only if you're interested…"

"I'm interested.", she interrupted him determinedly, before she kissed him fiercely.

"Are you sure?", he clarified. "It's not too much? Because earlier, I got the impression that…"

"It's not too much.", she said firmly. "Yes, I was nervous before. I have been nervous ever since we rekindled our relationship because I knew I still had these things to tell you and I did not know how you would react. But now that it's all out… I don't feel nervous anymore, Sheldon. About anything."

"Good.", he said, before he kissed her again sweetly.

As he slowly walked her to her bedroom, he realized, he had never felt anything like this. Not even during the night they had done this for the first time.

He couldn't believe his luck. There she was, this amazing woman who had waited for him for years.

He had fallen for her a long time ago. For her personality. For her body. For her brain.

And now that he had caught a glimpse of what this brain really was capable of, she was even more alluring to him.

"Take off your clothes.", he whispered, after he had closed the door behind them.

"Please.", he added, as she looked at him surprised. "I need to see you now. All of you."

Her fingers trembled, as she nodded at him softly, so he helped her remove her clothes one by one before she put them on her dresser in a neat pile.

He let his eyes roam over her naked form. Her smooth skin and her enticing curves. Her long, silky hair that was falling over her shoulders.

His body was aching with desire.

Not pretty enough for him?

He shook his head amused before he stepped to her and held her shoulders to kiss her sweetly.

"You are so beautiful, Amy. Please don't ever doubt how attracted I am to you."

She released a shuddering breath.

"It's your turn now.", she told him and tugged on his shirts.

He wasn't wearing as many layers as she was, so it did not take long until he was naked too.

Just like he did before, she let her eyes wander over his body, and he knew exactly what she saw when he heard her draw in a sharp breath.

He smiled before he pulled her flush to him, making her feel his arousal for her. He hoped she didn't have any doubt left, about how he saw her and what her presence did to him.

She held his head with both hands and her lips found his again.

They were kissing deeply, their bodies pressed together. She released a big, shuddering sigh, and when he pulled away from her for a second, he could see tears assembling in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?", he asked concerned. "Did I do something wrong? Are we going too fast?"

She shook her head rapidly.

"No. No, you're perfect. I just… I can't believe this is happening. Finally, everything's out in the open and all my fears of you leaving me because of what I kept from you are gone. It's… I… I have no words, Sheldon. I am just so relieved and happy. And I want you so badly, it almost hurts."

Relief washed over him.

"I feel the same way.", he admitted.

He took her hand then and led her to her bed, where they slipped under the covers together.

As he was softly kissing her mouth, his fingers tracing the tears that were still falling from her eyes, his eidetic memory reminded him of each and every occasion when he had craved her without even knowing her.

It felt like the cracks in his soul were slowly healing, knowing that all this time, she had been wanting him from afar. He hadn't been alone. He just hadn't been aware of it.

He was trembling with emotion, realizing how they had been brought together. So randomly. What were the odds?

"My dream.", he whispered, and even more tears sprang to her eyes before she pulled his head close to hers and kissed him hotly.

Their hands wandered over each other's bodies for what felt like an eternity. Slowly. Sensually. Carefully. Making up for all the years they had lost.

At some point, she reached for the drawer in her nightstand to retrieve a condom, but he took it from her hand and put it down next to them.

"Not so fast, Dr. Fowler.", he whispered into her ear and he realized, being able to address her like that, added a whole new dimension to his desire for her. "This will not be like last time. I want you to be ready for it. I'll make sure you are."

He sat up on his haunches, taking in her appearance.

"You're so beautiful.", he told her. "I've never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as you are right now."

She blushed deeply and it looked so adorable, he just had to bend down to kiss her again.

Her body was like a symphony waiting to be written. A sheet of music waiting to be arranged by him.

He outlined her curves with his hands. Caressing every inch of her skin. Every freckle, every scar, every wrinkle, before lowering himself on top of her again and capturing her lips.

She was shivering underneath him. Whimpering into his mouth. Little moans escaping her throat.

Mezzopiano. Con animo.

He was kissing a trail down her neck to the valley of her beautiful breasts that fit perfectly into his hands. He kissed every inch of her upper body and when he took one of her nipples into his mouth, she gasped and sighed.

Sospirando. Allegretto.

His hands wandered lower and when he touched her womanhood, oh, the sounds she made then…

Appassionato. Messa di voce.

"Sheldon.", she breathed out, as he kept rubbing her, the way he had learned the first time they had been together. Circling her in the right place with a little pressure. "Sheldon, please…", she moaned. "I need you. Now."

"Not yet.", he said softly and applied a little more pressure with his thumb while slipping one finger inside her.

"Oh!", she gasped and undulated her hips.

Crescendo. Accelerando. Maestoso.

Her first climax of the night was approaching, he could sense it and he quickly claimed her mouth, swallowing her cries of ecstasy.

Forte. Espressivo. Fermata.

She opened her eyes then and he could see the desire. The longing for him.

"Now?", she asked desperately.

He grinned wickedly.

"Da capo.", he replied smugly, and her eyes widened almost comically.

He kissed her lips one last time and then disappeared under the sheets, a strangled cry escaping her lips as she realized what he was about to do.

Drammatico. Agitato.

He was a little nervous about it too, but he wanted to try. Because he was going to make sure, she was ready this time. As ready as she could possibly be.

He trailed kisses down her belly and once he reached her core, he had to hold down her hips with the way she was trembling. And when his tongue connected with her, he could hear a whole new melody of high-pitched moans and throaty sighs.

Dolce. Volante. Cantabile.

He kicked it up a notch and pushed two fingers inside her as he explored her folds and lapped at her vigorously.

He couldn't believe the words coming from her mouth then. Amy. His Amy. Usually so eloquent, always picking her words carefully was cussing and using some very un-ladylike words, almost like a drunken sailor.

Feroce. Molto Furioso.

The advice he had gotten days before, really paid off and as he tasted her most intimate part, as he softly suckled on her most sensitive spot, as he let his fingers slide in and out of her, she fell apart, grasping the sheets, shouting out her pleasure.

Sforzando. Sforzando. Sforzando.

It felt like there were shockwaves sent through his body, telling him that now, finally, was the time to stop denying himself the thing he wanted the most this moment.

He got up on his knees again and quickly grabbed the condom, ripped open the package and applied it with shaking fingers, his body urging him on to hurry up.

He lowered himself between on top of her and gently caressed her face.

"Amy…", he whispered as he saw, she still had her eyes closed. "Look at me."

She languidly opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"God, I think you might have just killed me right now."

He chuckled. "Well, I hope not. Because I am not done with you yet."

She kissed him deeply. "Take me, Sheldon.", she begged then. "Please. I want to feel you."

He sighed relieved. Part of him had feared, she wouldn't want to continue anymore.

She spread her legs to make room for him and he held her hips as he, very slowly and carefully, started to push into her, looking for any sign of pain or discomfort in her eyes.

But she had other plans. Her hands moved to his buttocks, and she bucked her hips and much, much faster than he had wanted, he was completely buried inside her.

"Amy…", he gasped at the sensation. "Are you… are you okay?"

"Yes.", she replied softly, her lips trembling again. "I am sorry. I couldn't wait. I had to feel you."

"But… you're not in pain, are you?", he asked. Just to make sure.

"No.", she smiled at him. "Not in the least. I feel… deliciously full… with you. This is perfect, Sheldon."

His heart burst over with feelings for her. It was breathtaking, the feeling of finally being one with her again.

Affetuoso. Con amore.

He slowly began moving inside her.

Perfect. One way to describe it. But even that didn't do it justice.

He felt pleasure on a level he couldn't even have imagined in his wildest dreams.

And he felt other things too.

Three little words trying to fight their way to the surface. Not for the first time.

But that was too soon, right? He had only met her less than a year ago. And they had only been on three dates.

He knew the rules. You don't say it too early. He had watched more than one of his friends learn that lesson in a very painful way.

So, he pushed those thoughts aside and just focused on the woman that was trembling underneath him. Oh, dear Lord, if only he could stop time and stay in this moment forever.

This tight heat surrounding him. Her hands gripping his back. Her hot breath in his neck.

Could he make her cry out in pleasure a third time this night? He wasn't sure it was possible, but he was eager to find out.

He grabbed on of her legs to wrap it around his hip and kept pushing into her slowly but steadily. Every time pulling out almost completely before burying himself inside her again.

This seemed to be a better angle for her, because she was clinging to him and gasped with every thrust.

He growled and kissed her deeply while trying to keep himself from succumbing to his pleasure.

And then he felt it. Her walls tightening around him. Squeezing him almost painfully. Her arms squeezing his shoulders just as hardly. A cry from her lips, so powerful, he feared she might be passing out.

Fortissimo. Prestissimo. Tremolo.

And then, pleasure overtook him.

"Oh… oh… Amy…", he groaned as he finally let himself go.

He couldn't believe how it felt. Like an explosion inside his mind and his body.

It felt even better than the first time. Because there was no uncertainty this time.

He knew how he felt about her. And he knew what he wanted of her. He had never been so sure about anything in his life.

He looked at her then and smiled. Her chest was heaving, and her face was bright red. She was still breathing erratically.

And he couldn't help but think, she was even more beautiful than before.

Completely spent, he pulled her into his arms. Their labored breaths filling the room.

Nothing else.

Tranquillo. Pianissimo. Sotto voce.

Fine.

There were no words to describe how much happiness he felt.

This woman… Oh, she was incredible. In more ways he could have ever imagined.

And deep inside, he wondered how it was possible. How did he get so lucky to have her in his life?

But in the end, it did not matter. All that mattered was that they were here now.

Finally.