I was completely overwhelmed (in a good way) by the reactions to my last chapter. I am so happy you liked it so much. It was a very important one for me to write, so thanks to everyone for reviewing, you really put a smile on my face with every review!

To be honest, I hardly had any time to write this week. And then, due to all the rewriting I did on the chapters before, I had to start this one almost from scratch and I wrote the first draft yesterday evening in one sitting, something I don't usually do. It turned out to be much longer than I had thought (again… sorry). While I was editing it today, I couldn't help but feel that maybe it would have been wiser to split it into two chapters. There are so many individual conversations happening that I would have loved to elaborate on. But to be completely honest, I am just so ready to move on already and get to all the wedding-related chapters, so I can only hope that this one does not feel too rushed with all the content it covers. Some of it will come up again during/after the wedding chapters.

Sadly, I also had to cut a conversation between Amy and her favorite student's parents. It was actually one of the first things I wrote for this sequel, and it makes me a little sad to cut it, but I just couldn't find the right place to fit it in, so I only put parts of it into Amy's thoughts here.

On a side note, I know that some of you wanted Siebert to be punished for his actions in this story. As so often, I had several versions of the conversation between Sheldon/Amy and him. After much consideration, I chose not to go with the most aggressive one. Not because he would not have deserved it, but because, no matter his role in this story, he is still the president of a very prestigious university, and I believe that it is in Sheldon and Amy's best interest to try and stay civil with him. Which, of course, does not mean that they will make things too easy for him. I hope you can live with the way I chose to go about it.

And then I am going to leave another disclaimer here: In this chapter, Amy is critizicing CalTech for not doing enough for young women in STEM-fields. Now, I am very sure that, in real life, universities like CalTech are doing a lot more for the advancement of women in science. Just to be clear, I am basing this conversation on the fictional version of CalTech that we got to see on the show. I always found it a bit ironic that they put three men who were completely clueless about women up for the task to come up with a plan to help women get into science. So, that's what I am referencing in this story. It is not meant to criticize any real-life university.

So, with the next chapter, we are officially entering the pre-wedding-phase (yay!), starting out with Sheldon's bachelor party. I hope I will be able to post it next week, but as always, I cannot promise anything.

Well, I know what's right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground
And I won't back down

Balancing Heaven And Earth
Chapter 19 – "I won't back down"

Amy's POV:

~ About two and a half years ago~

"She's so beautiful.", Amy whispered in awe as she watched the bride walk towards the aisle.

Although, she was floating much more than she was walking. Her dress was… spectacular. A tight bodice adorned with beautiful silk flowers. Amy knew it was custom-made, which was probably the reason why no one would have guessed that the bride just had a baby a month ago.

The flowing skirt seemed to be shimmering in the dim light inside the church. And also shimmering were the eyes of the beautiful woman who, not just because of the pompous dress, looked just like a princess today.

She was wearing so much jewelry. And even though Amy couldn't quite agree with the old woman next to her who had made a sarcastic remark about the groom feeling the need to show off all his money, a small part of her did wonder, if this really had been Missy's choice.

She wouldn't be able to know though. Because she had not played any role in planning this wedding.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I really wanted you to be my maid of honor. But Robbie wanted us to skip the whole bridesmaids and groomsmen thing and have the whole wedding be about only us. I hope you understand. He's just… very adamant about certain things."

And of course, Amy had understood. After all, this day was about Missy. And even though a small part of her wanted to stand there in the front, wearing a fancy dress and having her own little moment in the sun, she just wanted to be happy for her friend.

In the front, stood the man who was supposed to be Missy's prince. And a little bit to the left, a ring pillow in his hand, stood a little boy, just four years old. His eyes also sparkling, most likely because of the prospect of getting his own room in the castle… well, not a real castle, but a beautiful house he was about to move into in just a few short days.

The church was decorated with red roses in every row. And everyone who was attending, even the ones that were not invited to the reception later on, had been gifted a little amulet, filled with a picture of the bride and groom, engraved with a bible verse in the back.

"She really is beautiful.", Mary whispered back, trying to soothe the little baby in her arms who was seemingly not impressed by the fact she was getting a stepfather today. "And she looks so happy."

"Like a lamb to the slaughter.", came a grumble from Amy's left side.

"Mother.", the woman on her right hissed. "This is neither the time nor the place for…"

"It's a bible verse, honey.", the old woman rebutted. "So do not tell me this is not the place for it."

Their little spat was interrupted by the pastor who was now starting to preach about love and family.

Then, the church choir sang a song. They sounded a bit off-key, but Amy smiled as she spotted Connie´s friend Ruth who, by the look on her face, was putting her whole heart into the song.

The exchange of vows was classy and short. No individual vows. But a lot of religion.

Amy furrowed her eyebrows slightly when Missy was made to promise to obey her new husband. Wasn't that line something from the very distant past?

But well, she had stated before that Robbie was a bit of a traditionalist. Maybe he just wanted to use those old-fashioned words. There was no way anyone would expect this self-confident, fierce woman to actually obey anyone but her own thoughts and dreams.

An hour later, they arrived at the reception hall.

If Amy thought the church wedding with all the decorations, clothes, jewelry and gifts had looked expensive, then this was a whole other dimension of luxury.

The hall was grand and opulent, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The walls were dressed in silk drapes, the color of ivory, its golden tassels cascading to the floor.

Amy gasped as she noticed the marble staircase, its banisters decorated with fresh roses and orchids. On the top of the staircase there was a life-sized wall painting of the bride and groom.

There were golden candelabras on all the guest tables, each holding flickering candles, bathing the room in a warm glow. Amy almost did not dare to touch the silver cutlery or the crystal glasses.

The dance floor looked like it belonged into a ballroom in 12th century Vienna, used by the emperor's family.

"Wow…", she breathed out. "This is…"

"Excessive? Over the top? Boastful? Completely ridiculous?"

"Oh, Connie.", Amy chastised her friend gently. "I know you are not happy about this. But please save your pleasantries for later when we are back home. Let Missy enjoy her day."

"Fine.", the old lady huffed. "But prepare yourself for lots of complaining."

Amy grinned. It was okay if Connie wanted to complain later on. Actually, her colorful language was amusing to hear.

She waved to Ruth who sat down at big table right next to theirs. Ruth waved back, but then turned her attention to the man who was about her age. Amy had been introduced to him a few weeks back when she had driven Connie to the senior center. His name was Daniel and Amy still did not know how to classify the relationship between those two.

"It's complicated.", Connie had just shrugged when asked, and Amy knew, whatever secret there was, it was not Connie's to tell.

More people sat down at that table. Old and young ones. They seemed to have fun together and for a moment, Amy couldn't help but wish she could be sitting there as well.

"That's the choir.", she finally realized. "I cannot believe, Robbie and Missy invited all of them."

"Really? I think he would have invited the whole town had he found a place big enough. Needs to show off what a big guy he is with all his money. I wonder what he's compensating for."

Amy rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to this cheerful group of people.

"I think we should join after all.", she said spontaneously.

"Join who?", Connie asked.

"The choir."

"Amy, I am saying this with all the love I can muster up… have you suffered a blow to the head on the way here?"

"No, Connie, look.", she pointed out. "They seem like a friendly bunch of people. Look at the fun they are having. You've been so glum lately. I think this could be good for us. Breaking out of our rut."

"If you want to have fun, then let's go bowling. We haven't done that in a while. Or maybe we could go on a little road trip. But no way will we join a church choir."

The old lady started coughing suddenly and Amy handed her a glass of water.

She sighed deeply.

For a small moment, she had forgotten about her friend's declining health. She was right. There was no way they could be joining a church choir. Getting through this wedding celebration would already be strenuous.

Sadly, her friend's frequent infections had continued to arise over summer break. Amy had done her best to help treat her symptoms, but it had become worse with every week.

Finally, a few days ago, she had managed to talk Connie into seeing a doctor. After listening intently, he had drawn blood. "Just to be safe", he had said.

But Amy had seen the worried look on the man's face, and she felt her own worst fears to be confirmed.

For the rest of the evening, Amy chose to sit beside her best friend and make sure she was okay. She watched as Missy danced the first dance with her new husband, hoping Connie was wrong. Hoping that this fairytale wedding was the start of Missy's happy ending.

Then, it was Mary's turn to be spun around by her new son-in-law. Mary was grinning the whole time. She seemed almost more infatuated with the man than the bride herself.

A few of the other male guests came over to the table to ask Amy to dance, but she shook her head. Although she still went on dates quite frequently and had come to enjoy parts of it, she was not in the mood for male attention tonight.

Especially not, because her biggest hope, that the man of her dreams would be here, attending his twin sister's wedding, was crushed. Again.

So, she only danced with Georgie for a bit, wondering for a second, why none of the men present, not even her own brother, were dancing with the bride. Now that she thought about it, Missy was hardly socializing with anyone but her new husband.

After dinner – a lavish affair in five different courses, all looking very upscale but tasting a little bit like feet - had been served and eaten, Amy decided to take Connie home.

She said her goodbyes to Missy who was a little bit disappointed but understood that her grandmother was simply not well enough for a night of partying.

"I'm just glad my moonpie did not have to see this.", Connie muttered as they were driving home. Seeing Missy marrying that pig would have broken his heart."

Amy still did not know the story behind that, but she guessed she had to believe Connie.

"Do you want to have some tea before you go to bed?", Amy offered when they arrived in their home.

She put her bag on the couch in the living room and while doing that, noticed that the answering machine was blinking.

She pressed the button, just as Connie entered the room.

"Hello, Mrs. Tucker, this is Dr. Henderson speaking. Your blood results came back. I would like to ask you to make an appointment at your earliest convenience so we can discuss them."

Amy's blood ran cold.

Although the friendly doctor had obviously tried to sound neutral, she could hear the concern in his voice.

"At my earliest convenience…", Connie breathed out and sat down on the couch. "I guess this is it. I'm toast."

"You don't know that.", Amy protested. "This could be anything. Maybe it's just an iron insufficiency that needs to be treated as soon as possible to make you feel better. The symptoms do check out."

She did not really believe it. But she wanted to.

"Oh, Amy.", the old woman said sadly. "Do you think I haven't seen the look on your face lately? This is something serious. We both know it. I had just hoped… I could ignore it a little longer."

"So…", Amy cleared her throat. "I guess you should call him back. First thing tomorrow morning. There's no use in speculating now."

"Amy?", Connie asked, her voice barely more than a faint whisper.

"Yes?"

"Could you… come with me to the appointment? Just… so I am not alone when I hear all the facts? I mean… just in case I don't understand everything. You as a scientist should have no problem in that area."

Amy swallowed deeply. Connie had never looked this vulnerable before. This had nothing to do with facts or wanting to understand scientific terms.

The woman who had opened her world to so many things and had been her rock for almost a year… she was scared. And Amy couldn't blame her.

"Of course.", she promised. "Whatever you need, Connie. I'm here for you."

~ Back in the present ~

"You seem nervous."

Amy turned around to look at her fiancé who was sitting on a chair next to the door leading to President Siebert's office.

She had been pacing around back and forth at least for the last five minutes.

"You're right.", she admitted and finally sat down.

"There's no reason to be.", he told her and grasped her hand. "We'll just see how it goes. We are not deciding anything today. We are only…"

"Exploring our options.", she finished for him. "I know. We've been saying this for weeks. But… I don't know… I don't even know anymore how I want this meeting to go. The more options we have… the harder it will be to decide. And after yesterday… it all just…"

"Feels wrong.", he agreed. "I know. It feels wrong, taking a step that could take us away from Joshua."

She nodded silently.

It had been so strange, waking up this morning. Strange. But soothing.

Holding the little child in her arms. Being able to protect him from all evil, if only for a few hours. Both of them wrapped up in Sheldon's arms. They had felt like a little unit.

She could not imagine a version of her life where she was not seeing the little boy every day. Couldn't protect him. Couldn't be there for him after everything he went through. And she knew, Sheldon felt the same way.

"But I still think we should stick to our plan.", Sheldon told her gently. "We have been working towards this meeting for so long. Let's see it through. Just for the next hour, let's work under the assumption that we want this. And once we know everything… we can go home and make an informed decision."

She took a deep breath.

"You are right.", she admitted. "You are completely right. We prepared for this. Thoroughly. We need to see it through. No matter what will come from it. We owe it to ourselves."

"Dr. Fowler, Dr. Cooper. President Siebert is ready to see you now."

Sheldon got up and took Amy's head. They exchanged a serious look, before entering the office.

"Dr. Cooper.", the older gentleman nodded as he shook Sheldon's hand.

"And you must be the famous Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Amy smiled at him politely and shook his hand as well. "The pleasure is on my side, President Siebert."

The pleasure was not on her side. After all, this was the man who had pressured Sheldon into making a promise that had affected her quite a bit.

But she could not be too icy or act too annoyed at him. After all, he still was the president of the university Sheldon had an established career at. Amy knew, despite everything, Sheldon's ideal scenario was to keep working at CalTech, remotely or not and she did not want to ruin it for him.

But one thing was for sure, if Siebert wanted her, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, to become a member of the staff as well, then there would be a price to pay.

"So, why don't you two take a seat.", he said, pointing at the two comfortable looking chairs in front of his desk. "I was a little surprised when you requested this meeting. If this is about your potential job here, Dr. Fowler, I suppose you should be talking to Dr. Gunderson. I believe he already made you a very generous offer."

"It's not about the job offer.", Sheldon interjected. "Well, in a way it is, but that is only part of the reason why we are here."

Siebert's gaze shifted from Sheldon to Amy and back. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Well, why don't you two enlighten me. I was wondering what you could be wanting to talk about that could not wait for two months until you are back here."

Sheldon looked at Amy and bit his lips. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

This was it. The first big ask they had. And maybe, it would already give some indication on how well this meeting would be going.

"President Siebert, there is no easy way to say this, so I will not beat around the bush. I will not be back, living in Pasadena in two months. We are getting married in May and there is no way we will be moving at the same time."

"Ah.", Siebert nodded. "I understand. You want to go on a nice honeymoon first. That's no problem. So, you'll be back in June then?"

"I can see why you would think that but… no.", Sheldon said, shaking his head.

"J… July?", Siebert asked.

"No."

The friendly expression on Siebert's face vanished.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cooper, but I fail to understand. We have an agreement."

"I know.", Sheldon answered, clearly uncomfortable. "But… when we made this agreement, I had made a few assumptions that turned out not to be accurate. So, I adjusted my view on… some things, and while I am not ruling out relocating here in the foreseeable future, at the very least, we will need more time."

"Dr. Cooper…", the man started talking with furrowed eyebrows. "I fail to see…"

"You can give away my office for all I care.", Sheldon quickly said. "I would prefer it not to go to Dr. Kripke, but that is your decision. But I do ask you not to hold me to the agreement we made. I made a hasty decision that does not just affect my own life but also my fiancées and my family's life. I cannot keep my end of the bargain. This is non-negotiable."

Amy had to bite her lip through all of it. She was proud of Sheldon for staying friendly and not calling his boss out on pressuring him into this agreement in the first place, and although she was dying to do it on his behalf, she knew this was not the time and place for it. That would come later. Maybe. If it had to.

"Well…", Siebert sighed. "You do not have to worry about your former colleague. He will not be working at this university for much longer. No one else has inquired about your office, so maybe we can keep the status quo for some time. Depending of course on how long you are planning on staying away. You might have to live with us reassigning your office at some point if you take too long. Just out of curiosity, may I ask how long you are planning on working remotely, Dr. Cooper?"

Sheldon looked surprised at this question and Amy had to grin a little.

It was clear as day that President Siebert did not intend to make things harder or Sheldon in the least. Whatever the circumstances of Kripke's departure were, it was evident that Siebert could not afford to lose a theoretical physicist of Sheldon's caliber right now. This strengthened their position immensely.

"I cannot give you a definite answer right now.", Sheldon said carefully. "There is a number of circumstances that affect this decision. But we are currently trying to work through all of it and I should be able to have an answer for you very soon."

The man in front of them scratched his head and took a look on a piece of paper in front of him. Amy did not know if that paper even had any significance or if he was just trying to collect his thoughts for a bit. Then, he turned to her.

"Well, Dr. Fowler, I assume one of those… circumstances… is you. So, let's talk about why you are attending this meeting and then maybe we'll know more."

Amy cleared her throat.

She was feeling more nervous than she had expected and she was not sure why that was. During the past months she had spoken on the phone with people from several prestigious institutions and she had never been nervous about those talks.

Maybe it had to do with the fact she was aware how much Sheldon subconsciously wanted this meeting to be successful and she did not want to disappoint him.

Or maybe – and she realized this just in that moment – those other talks just had not felt real. She was not seriously considering moving to New Jersey or Boston or New Haven.

But this here… it was real. And although she had not wanted to fully admit it to herself, she did want this to work. Even if they would not be making a decision today, she did want to have this opportunity.

"I have the offer you received via Dr. Gunderson in front of me. The conditions seem generous to me. You are getting your own lab with two lab assistants. You can pick from several projects that are currently waiting to be conducted or you can get back into your own research right away. I hope you can agree that we are offering a quite generous salary, considering you have not been an active scientist in over ten years. But Dr. Gunderson assured us that you are caught up on all the recent research and he has much respect for your abilities, so I expect that hiring you will be beneficial to our university."

"Thank you, President Siebert.", Amy nodded. "You are right, your offer is indeed very generous."

The older man studied her for a few moments.

"I am glad we can agree on this.", he said then. "But Dr. Fowler, please excuse my confusion. I just don't understand why we are still sitting here. Why are you still teaching science out in the sticks? Why have you not jumped to take this offer right away?"

Amy took a deep breath.

"Because, President Siebert, while your offer is very generous, I cannot accept it the way it is. You might not understand, but teaching science 'in the sticks' as you call it, has made me rethink my priorities. I would be honored to work at this institution. But I have spent the last few years trying to inspire young teenagers, girls in particular, to find their passion in science. And I need to work at a university that supports that."

"I don't understand what you mean.", Siebert said dismissively. "This university does a lot for women in science. Just ask your fiancé. A few years back, he has participated in a project to bring more young girls into science. CalTech launches projects like that all the time."

"Yes, Dr. Siebert, Sheldon has told me about this project. I happen to know the scientists involved in it. And while I am very sure those three men had the best intentions, you just have to agree with me when I tell you that this was not the right way to go about it. Did you ever evaluate this project? I would be very interested in knowing how much of a difference it made."

"Evaluated… well, we… uhm… did not have the time or resources to…"

Amy nodded silently.

She suppressed the urge to ask Siebert if he was even really interested in making a difference. More likely, projects like these were nothing but a way to tick off the task "women's advancement" from his yearly to-do list.

"And that is my point, President Siebert.", she said as politely as she could. "I do want to get back into science. I do want to research, and I would love to do it here. But after the experiences I made as a High School teacher, I can only work at an institution where the advancement of women in STEM-fields is taken very seriously. There are so many talented girls out there. Girls who would never even consider applying to an institution like CalTech because they do not have a sociological background where they are encouraged to pursue science. I've seen it. We need to encourage them. There is so much unused talent and potential out there."

"Well, Dr. Fowler, that might all be true. But CalTech already has so many talented applicants each year, both male and female. We already have to turn away a great number of High School students that meet our requirements. Why would we want to encourage even more applicants."

Amy raised her eyebrows. She had not expected that questions.

"For starters, because I assume you want the best applicants possible."

"Dr. Fowler, are you suggesting that we are missing out on the best applicants possible because we are not actively reaching out to young girls going to school at some ridiculous small town High Schools? I don't mean to insult you and I understand that you have been out of the loop for some time, but I doubt that any students you have taught during the past years can compete against the applicants we have chosen this year."

Amy shrugged. It was no surprise that this man would think like this.

She could have called him out on his snobby behavior. But instead, she chose to just prove him wrong.

"Well, with that attitude, we might never find out.", she said. "If only there was a way to prove my words to you."

Amy opened her bag and handed President Siebert a stack of papers.

He looked at her curiously and then started reading through them.

Amy grinned to herself when she saw his eyes widen. She knew it was impressive and she applauded herself for giving her favorite students all these extra assignments.

At last, the man looked back up at her.

"Can you tell me, what exactly I am looking at here?", he asked her.

"These assignments and papers are written by an eighteen-year-old girl who is currently attending Medford High. Her name is Maddie Ferguson, and she has been my student ever since I started teaching."

"Maddie Ferguson.", Siebert tapped his finger against his chin and then opened his laptop to type something. "There must be a mistake. I cannot see her name on the list of next year's freshmen. Is this your bargain? You want us to reconsider her application? That's an easy ask. Consider it done."

"Maddie has not applied to CalTech.", Amy shook her head. "Or any other college. She will most likely be attending business school next school year and maybe taking a few science classes at a community college if she can fit it into her schedule."

"This makes no sense. These assignments could easily be written by a doctoral candidate. Why would she waste her time at business school?"

"So you do agree, President Siebert.", Amy concluded, proud to be able to make her point. "A girl like Maddie does belong at an institution like CalTech. More than most of your applicants. Despite the fact that she's going to a 'ridiculous' small town High School. Any university would benefit from reaching out to girls like her."

Siebert opened his mouth a few times but did not make a sound, before clearing his throat.

"Touché.", he said then. "So, enlighten me. What do you suggest. You are coming to work at CalTech if we let you reach out to young girls across the country on our behalf? Let you promote working in a STEM-field to young students we wouldn't normally reach? This is a big undertaking, Dr. Fowler. We are offering you a position as a neurobiologist, and now you are telling me, this is not what you want at all?"

"I do want to be a neurobiologist.", Amy said. "And no, I do not want to reach out to girls on the university's behalf or travel from state to state to promote working in a STEM-field."

"Then what is it you do want?", Siebert asked, sounding confused and slightly annoyed now.

Amy swallowed dryly. Her palms were starting to get sweaty. She was nervous to continue, but then she felt Sheldon take her hand and squeeze it reassuringly.

"You've got this.", he seemed to say with his eyes as she looked at him.

"I want there to be a group assigned to the advancement of women in STEM-field.", she said. "Similar to the project you mentioned before, but a more permanent one. Led by female scientists. I don't necessarily want to lead this group, but I want to be an active part of it, and I have a few ideas I insist on developing."

"Ideas?", Siebert clarified.

"There needs to be a scholarship designated to young girls from backgrounds like Maddie's. And a mentoring system. Of course, there would have to be a budget. So we can really make a difference."

Amy used the next fifteen minutes to outline her ideas. She showed Siebert her notes on it. All the research she had done. All the voices from female scientists she had interviewed for this, outlining the struggles they had been through to get where they were now with possible solutions for the next generation.

"Well, Dr. Fowler, that all sounds… very expensive.", Siebert finally said as he was done looking over her notes. "And time-consuming. We would probably have to involve a PR-firm to get this done. All of this… just to get a handful of new applicants?"

"You have seen Maddie's work, President Siebert.", Amy reminded him.

"Yes, but this is one student.", he said, shaking his head.

"One student at the first school I have ever taught at. It would be a big coincidence if she was the only one in her position. President Siebert, I believe, there are lots of Maddies out there. Young girls with a lot of potential that only need the right encouragement."

"Maybe you are right, but why should CalTech…"

"I have already proposed my ideas to several prestigious institutions. A few of them have shown interested. Do you really want all these talented young girls to apply to Harvard or Yale or Princeton? Think of it, one of the Maddies out there could be the next female Nobel Prize winner. Think of the media interest. A little girl from a small town no one has ever heard of. Achieving something like that. What university do you want to be credited for her success?"

"Princeton is interested in this?", Siebert asked disbelievingly. "And Harvard?"

"They are.", Sheldon interjected. "They have expressed interest from the beginning. But when they heard they would be gaining two accomplished scientists for their staff, they were very quick to make a substantial offer."

"T… two?", Siebert stammered. "Who… Oh."

He looked down on his table for a second, then turned to Sheldon again.

"Dr. Cooper, are you blackmailing me? Is that what this meeting is?"

Amy grinned to herself. They had expected this question to come up. And she was proud of Sheldon to answer it in the way they had practiced, throwing his boss's former words back in his face.

"I am certainly not blackmailing you at all, President Siebert.", he said innocently. "But we just thought… as a man who believes in long-term investments you might be interested in knowing about it."

"L… long term investments?", Siebert stuttered, clearly not remembering having used exactly those words a few months back.

"Yes. Long term investments.", Sheldon repeated. "You do not know my fiancée very well, but if you did, you would know that her ideas usually work out. I fully believe in everything she has just presented to you. We are giving you the first opportunity to accept this deal, because I always enjoyed working here very much. We also value the fact that you let me pursue my career remotely for the past year. But at the end of the day, I am willing to go with Amy to wherever she can apply herself to this project. It's up to you. You want to make a long-term investment? Invest in her. You will not regret it."

Amy could almost hear the wheels in Siebert's head turning as he pondered his employee's words.

"You are asking for very much.", he finally stated.

Sheldon and Amy both nodded.

Yes, they were asking for a lot. And even if Siebert would say yes to it, for now they could not guarantee if they would really take his offer. They had to sort out things with Missy and Joshua first.

But still, in Amy's mind, Siebert kind of deserved to be pressured for a bit. Just like he had tried to pressure Sheldon.

"I'd like to think that we are also offering very much.", she rebutted then and held his gaze.

As much as she wanted to please Sheldon and give him the opportunity to return to the place he felt familiar with and as much as she could see herself working here, she had promised herself to not sell herself short.

She had a dream. And she wanted to do anything in her power to make it come true.

Finally, Siebert released a big sigh.

"Well. I cannot promise anything. I will have to run it by our board of directors. Provided they agree, I will get back to you with a new offer."

"Good.", Sheldon nodded. "Provided we like your offer, we will consider it together. I will be honest though. There are other matters that are factoring into our decision, and it might take a little while until we get them all sorted out."

"I can give you a few months to sort it out.", Siebert agreed. "But our board of directors won't like it if you take too long."

"Understood."

"Oh, and Doctor Fowler, please talk to your student. We could use a talent like her at our institution. Maybe if you come work here, you could even mentor her per your idea."

Amy gasped.

"Really? But… applications have been closed for a while. And… it's too late to apply for a scholarship anyway. She could never afford studying here on her own. I don't know if…"

"I will take care of it. Consider it a first gesture to prove to you how much CalTech is willing to help young, talented, female scientists."

Amy was speechless for a second. She couldn't wait to tell Maddie's about this. Surely, that would finally change the young girl's parents' stance about her future plans.

"Thank you, President Siebert.", she breathed out.

Only minutes later, Amy and Sheldon were standing in front of his office.

"Well, that went better than I had expected.", Sheldon stated as he opened the door.

"You're right.", Amy agreed and let her gaze wander around the room that had started all this drama.

It was a beautiful office. Spacious and with lots of light. She could understand that Sheldon liked it. And while she could not fully understand that keeping it what such a big deal, she was happy for him that it all seemed to turn out okay in the end. Provided of course, they could solve everything else first.

"So, what are we doing now?", Sheldon asked as he sat down on his chair.

She knew what he meant. Currently, there was a small boy waiting in an apartment only a few miles from here. A boy who really needed their support right now.

"I guess… we should just let this sink in now.", she suggested. "Today, we need to take care of Missy and Joshua. Everything else will have to wait until they are better again."

Sheldon nodded thoughtfully.

Then, he pulled her onto his lap.

"Is it bad that I wish we could take Joshua here with us?", he asked. "I know it's not possible. I know he belongs with Missy and Ellis. But… I don't know how things can ever get better for him, as long as he stays in Medford."

"I feel the same way.", Amy admitted. "Missy is thinking about switching to another school, but that will take time. Joshua ran away from home, not just because he wanted to get to you. You would have been back in a few days. He ran away because his life in Medford feels unbearable to him."

"It's more bearable with us staying there.", Sheldon rebutted.

"Yes.", Amy nodded. "But he's a child. He needs more than a loving uncle and aunt. He needs friends too. Also, after what he's been through… maybe Missy should look into getting him therapy as well."

"How do you think she will react to… everything else he has done?"

Amy's heart sank. She had almost forgotten about the thing Joshua had told Sheldon about the night before.

"I don't know.", she whispered. "I think she will understand. But I think we should be present when he tells her. As support for both of them."

Suddenly, she felt his strong arms gripping her tightly around her waist.

"I have no idea how I would have gotten through the past weeks without you.", he said, cupping her face. "This whole thing is… just so horrible. But it feels easier, because we are in it together."

Amy smiled at him gently before she leaned in to kiss his lips.

"Agreed. Seeing Joshua and Missy like this… after everything they have already been through… I am glad we get to support them together. I just wish… all this drama would stop already. They deserve a break."

"They do.", Sheldon nodded. "And so do we."

Amy knew what he meant.

It had been so nice the day before. Sheldon surprising her in his apartment. The way he had looked at her. Those few blissful hours of just being together.

Ever since they had met, it seemed something was always up. And although she knew, helping Missy and Joshua was their top priority right now, she craved to finally have some time with Sheldon where they could just be happy without any drama or any problems to solve.

She kissed his lips again.

"Well, we will have to return to the apartment soon. But I am sure, no one will notice, if we just stay here a few minutes longer."

"Agreed.", Sheldon nodded. "And if anything were up, Raj would surely text us. So… I guess we owe it to ourselves to… find a little peace for a few minutes."

And that's what they did.

Those few minutes turned into half an hour and it was the best half hour of the day.

They did not talk about the meeting they had just attended. They did not discuss Joshua's situation or brainstorm about how to help Missy. They did not talk about the houses they had looked up or how far over their budget those were. No.

They just sat there together. Curled up on Sheldon's desk chair. Exchanging words of love and admiration. Kissing softly and without haste.

All the stress and tenseness of the past few days were forgotten for a while. All that mattered was that they were here together. Completely in love. Ready to face all of life's challenges together.

When they were finally able to pull away from each other, they went back to Sheldon's apartment, walking up the four flights of stairs together hand in hand.

They arrived just in time for Raj to go pick up Missy.

"You know, I could pick her up as well.", Amy offered. "So, you guys can have some time to play video games. I believe Joshua was promised a trip to the comic book store too. Surely you would enjoy that more than having to drive for a few hours, Rajesh."

She did not mention that she would probably enjoy driving to the airport more than a few hours at the comic book store.

"No. You stay here, Amy.", Rah shook his head. "I promised Missy to pick her up and I am sure Joshua feels much more comfortable with you two."

He was almost out of the door already when he turned around.

"Joshua and I prepared lunch. Everything's either in the fridge or in the oven. I'll text you the instructions on how to finish everything once I am at the airport. Please make sure to finish it on time so Missy can have a home-cooked meal when she comes back."

He left then and Sheldon and Amy exchanged curious glances.

"I know.", they heard a voice from the couch. "Apparently, they are friends. At least that's what they call it."

Amy's eyes widened. Joshua couldn't seriously be implying… Or was he?

She thought about the way Rajesh had burst into the apartment the other day. And the fact that apparently, they had been speaking on the phone about the wedding preparations. Or maybe… about more?

No. Missy was her friend. She would have surely told her.

But then again, Amy had to admit that she had been occupied with other things lately.

"Well, I think that's nice.", Sheldon nodded. "Missy can use all the friends she can get. And so can Raj."

Amy looked at him in disbelief. Apparently, he had not caught Joshua's strange tone at all.

She decided not to say anything. After all, she did not even know if this was true or just wishful thinking of a boy who wanted his mother to be happy. And even if so, there were much more important things to consider now.

"Can we go to the comic book store now, Uncle Shelly?", the boy asked then.

Sheldon looked at her, probably to determine if she would be okay with it, so she nodded, smiling back at him.

"You guys have fun. I'll stay here."

"Really? You're not going with us?", Sheldon asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"I'll let you boys have this experience to yourself.", she told him. "I promised Raj to finish the lunch he prepared. Maybe tomorrow we all can do something together."

"Bye, Aunt Amy.", Joshua said and hugged her before grabbing Sheldon's hand and pulling him out of the apartment, excited at the thought of seeing a real big-city comic book store.

Amy had been at the comic book store with Sheldon several times over the summer. It was not her most favorite place in the world and also, she wanted a few moments to herself to call Maddie's parents and request another meeting with them for the upcoming school week.

She could vividly recall the last meeting she had with them.

They were not bad guys. They loved their only daughter very much and were worried for her.

They were also skeptical because a career in science was not something they could imagine very well, simply because they knew nothing about it.

There were many fears involved. The fear of letting their little girl move to another state and not being able to protect her from harm there. The fear that her career could not turn out the way she wanted to.

'We have a successful family business, Miss Fowler.', Maddie's mother had said gently. 'Our daughter would be settled, working alongside her brother who cares about her very much. No one could ever fire her. She could focus on all other things in life that bring her joy. A career is not everything. Especially not for a young woman.'

And then there was also the fear brought on by the fact that their daughter was capable of things they could never understand.

'I want my little girl to live her dreams.', her father had spoken. 'I just wish her dreams would not be taking her away from us. She would be living far away, spending time with people so different from us. What if she never comes back?'

In the end, Amy had very gently managed to alleviate some of the older couple's fears and while still not completely happy about it, they had agreed to let Maddie make her own choices.

By then, of course, it was too late to apply to any of the schools Maddie wanted to attend. So, she had started thinking about taking classes at the community college.

She couldn't wait to see the expression on the young girl's face when she would learn the truth.

Sheldon and Joshua came back an hour later, two bags filled with new comic books in their hands.

They had just decided which ones to read, and Amy had just finished the lunch Raj and Joshua had started cooking in the morning, when they heard steps outside of the apartment and two people chatting with each other.

Joshua looked up alarmed. Amy could see in his eyes that he was worried. Worried about his mother's reaction to him running away, as well as worry about something else.

But it turned out, he did not have to worry about that first thought.

"Joshua!", Missy shouted and ran to pick up her little son. She pulled him into her arms and held him tight, tears rolling down her face. "Oh, Joshua, I am so sorry. I should have never let you stay with your father for a week. I should have known something was up with you."

Joshua cuddled into his mother's arms.

"Aren't you mad at me for running away?", he asked in a small voice.

"I was. For a second.", Missy admitted. "But I know why you did it. It is my job to keep you safe and happy, Joshi. I failed and I am sorry. I will do better from now on. Just… don't do it again. If you ever feel like running, just talk to me instead. We can talk about everything. Always."

Amy could see Joshua's gaze flicker to Sheldon for a second.

"Wait for after lunch.", Sheldon mouthed to his nephew. Amy nodded in agreement. Missy would be in a much better mood after being fed.

A while later, Amy promised herself to ask Raj for the recipe of the meal.

It was delicious. The home-made buns were fluffy and crispy at the same time. The meat was tender, the sauce was delicious and the fries… she couldn't figure out for the life of her, which spices their friend had used for those.

The conversation was casual. No one said a word about Joshua running away or about the meeting with Siebert. Instead, Raj talked about his planetarium show and Joshua showed off his new comic books.

Amy kept watching Raj and Missy, trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them. They seemed friendly with each other. Comfortable. Almost… familiar. And it seemed that Missy's smile was just a little bit brighter whenever she spoke to their roommate.

But only a few hours later, the smile was wiped from Missy's face.

"Mom, I need to tell you something.", the little boy said in a small voice. "Something that will make you mad."

Raj offered to give them all privacy since he was not part of the family. Missy, who looked anxious at what her son was about to tell her, told him he did not have to leave, so he busied himself in the kitchen and started cleaning up.

"What's going on, Joshua?", Missy asked her son then. "What is it you are worried about? Whatever it is, I promise I won't be getting mad. The most important thing is that you are safe. You can tell me anything."

"Well… uhm… remember at the beginning of the school year, when I asked Aunt Amy what a whore is?"

Missy looked at Amy, who shrugged. She knew, Joshua had to tell this story himself.

"Yes.", she answered carefully.

"Well…", Joshua shrugged. "I only asked that because on the first day of school, Tommy from my class told me about this dare. His older brother and a few friends were dared to skip school and spray paint on some neighborhood whore's car. And then someone said that must be my mother because she's the only whore they knew."

Amy gasped and almost jumped when Sheldon grasped her hand. She turned to him. His face was red with anger. Joshi had left out that part the other night.

"Oh, Joshi, that must have been horrible for you.", Missy said, stroking her son's back soothingly. "Why did you never tell me?"

"Tommy said if I ever told you, he would punch my face and beat me up like Uncle Shelly was beaten up by his father's friend. I was scared, because Uncle Shelly was at the hospital for so long. I don't want that to happen to me."

His father's friend.

"You mean Robbie.", Missy realized. "Oh God, Joshi. That's horrible."

If only they had known from the beginning that Robbie's friend's child was in Joshua's class. Maybe some of these events could have been prevented then.

"Yes.", Joshua said and looked down at the floor.

"So… All this time you knew who was sending me these messages. You felt bad for not telling me. But that's okay, Joshua. It was not your responsibility. I just want you to know that you never have to keep things like that a secret from me. I will always find a way to protect you."

"That's not everything.", Joshua admitted, a tear running down his cheek. "Remember when you talked about my troubles at school? Out in grandma's kitchen when I was supposed to be asleep?"

Amy remembered it well. It had been months ago. Missy had asked them to spend time with Joshua and figure out if his problems at school could mean that maybe he was a child prodigy like his Uncle. Only after they heard Joshua's story the other day had Sheldon told her about seeing Joshua outside of his room that night.

Again, so much could have been prevented, had the boy felt safe enough to talk to them.

"Yes. I remember.", Missy said. "But what does that have to do…"

"You talked about the message on your car. You said you were thinking of leaving Medford with me and Ellis and starting over somewhere new. But then you said you did not want to uproot my life and that the message wasn't that bad because there had only been that one."

Amy could see the moment when realization kicked in for her friend.

"Joshua… are you saying that…"

"I wanted to leave Medford, mommy.", the boy cried. "I wanted to get away. I hate it there. Every day I have to walk past the place in grandma's yard where we saw all the blood the morning after Robbie beat up Uncle Shelly. The other kids at school call you a whore and Uncle Shelly a weak victim because he almost got himself killed and couldn't defend himself. I don't want to stay there. So I thought… I could give you a reason to leave."

"You wrote those messages in the mailbox?", Missy croaked, her lips trembling. "But… why did you not just tell me you wanted to leave?"

"I tried.", the boy said. "But you were always so sad. I did not want you to worry about me. But I thought… if you felt unwelcome in Medford, then you would want to move away, and you wouldn't have to know about all the things the other kids did to me at school. We could have just started over."

Again, Amy's heart felt heavy with sympathy for the little boy. His actions were all wrong, but she couldn't blame him for coming up with yet another plan.

"But Joshi…"

"I am so sorry, mom.", the boy wailed. "I know I called you a bad word, but I never meant it. I just… wanted to go away. To some place where you would not always be so sad."

"Oh, Joshua.", Missy said and pulled her son into her arms again. "It's okay. I wish you would have just told me but… it's not your fault. It is not your responsibility to worry about me being sad. It should be the other way around. I am sorry you felt so desperate."

It looked like a big weight fell off Joshua's shoulders as he hugged his mother back tightly.

Amy was relieved for seeing Missy react the way she did. But she also knew, all of this had left a deep impression an Joshua. He must have felt so alone when he felt he had to resort to such drastic action.

It was high time, he learned to just be a little boy again for a while.

A few hours later, when Joshua was put to bed – Raj had offered his room to Joshua and Missy again and they had accepted gladly – the four adults were sitting on the couch, talking about the situation.

"I can't believe he has been so unhappy for so long.", Missy croaked as Raj offered her a tissue. "I am a horrible mother. How could I not have known what was going on with him?"

"You are a wonderful mother, Missy.", Raj protested. "You have been through so much. You were traumatized. But you always did your best for your children."

Again, Amy and Sheldon exchanged curious glances. How could Raj know so much about Missy's situation.

"How will I ever… fix this?", Missy continued. "How do I solve this situation when I can barely take care of myself?"

"Missy, Amy and I have been talking.", Sheldon said then. "I know you said we should do whatever is best for us. But the truth is, we love you and your son so much and we can't stand the thought of leaving you. You are not alone in this. We will be with you in Medford for however long you need us."

Amy nodded, but Missy shook her head vehemently.

"No, Sheldon. You two will not be throwing away your future on behalf of me. I screwed up my life all by myself. I married your worst nightmare. I almost got you killed. You have already done so much to help me. I appreciate your help, but I cannot accept this."

"Well, it's final.", Sheldon replied stubbornly. "We are considering you in all our future plans. There. You always told me you wanted me to be a real brother to you. So… deal with it. Because it's happening."

"Oh, Shelly.", Missy said and squeezed her brother's hand. "That is so nice of you. But… maybe it should be the other way around."

"What?", Sheldon asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "I don't know what you mean."

"Maybe I should be considering you in my plans instead.", Missy shrugged. "You heard Joshua. He's miserable in Medford. He's being reminded of that horrible time with Robbie every day. So am I. Maybe instead of you staying for me… I should be ready to leave with you. I'm more flexible. I don't have a partner to consider. Or a career. I still have meemaw's rent-money. Plus everything I got as a divorce settlement. Maybe my first hunch was right. Maybe my family needs a fresh start as well."

Amy blinked as Missy's words started to sink in.

"You are considering… moving to California?", she asked.

Missy shrugged.

"I always liked it here. So… maybe. There's nothing left for me in Medford anyway. Well, not exactly nothing. There's… mom."

"Yeah.", Amy agreed as she thought about her future mother-in-law.

"She's done so much for me. The main reason I wanted to stay initially was because of her. I feel bad about leaving her behind."

"She would feel lonely without all of us.", Amy agreed. "And she's not getting younger either. I don't like the thought of her growing old all alone."

"She could always come with us.", Sheldon suggested. "I mean… with all of us possibly leaving… does she really have a good reason to stay?"

"She loves her church.", Amy interjected. "And the women from her bible group."

"I said 'good' reason.", Sheldon rebutted. "But you're right, she is very attached to those things."

"We need to talk about this once we are in Medford.", Missy decided. "All of us together."

"It won't be easy.", Amy pointed out. "You know Mary will never ask you to stay. She will always tell you to do whatever makes you happy and pretend she's okay with it."

"Yes, just like you and Sheldon would stay in Medford and pretend you're okay with it. For my sake. Just as Joshua did not tell me how bad his situation really was. This has to stop. Going forward, we all will have to be honest with each other. It's the only way to find a solution that works. For all of us."

Amy nodded. Missy was right. It was high time for all of them to lay all cards on the table.

Missy's POV:

"Thank you for taking us here today. Sheldon and Amy really deserved to have this day for all their plans today."

Missy was holding her little son's hand and following Raj as he gave them a tour of the planetarium he was working at.

Sheldon and Amy had left in the morning to look at neighborhoods with available houses, of course not before asking repeatedly if that really was okay with her.

"My pleasure.", Raj said, smiling at her. "Usually I just come here, do my show and leave again. It's been ages since I have last been here as a visitor."

"Raj, look!", Joshua exclaimed and pointed at one of the objects on display. "Can you tell me what this is?"

Raj took his time to explain everything to her son, like he had done with the last 27 items he had asked about.

Missy watched them and smiled. Joshua seemed so comfortable in Raj's presence. It was nice to see her son so relaxed for a change.

But of course, it was easy to feel relaxed in Raj's presence.

Granted, after only speaking to him on the phone for months, it had been awkward at first, when he had picked her up from the airport.

She couldn't make sense of the way her heart had jumped in her chest. Or of the urge to hug him in greeting.

Missy had not wanted to hug anyone outside of her family in a very, very long time.

But with Raj… she found herself able to let her guard down a little bit. She could laugh with him. Chat about everything and nothing at once. And never, not even for one moment, did she feel anything but safe in his presence.

Spending time with him and Joshua, here at the planetarium, felt so natural. Like something they had done a thousand times before.

And just for a second, she couldn't help but compare it to the time when she had introduced Joshua to her ex-husband. The one who was currently serving a life sentence in prison.

Robbie had showered Joshua with expensive gifts. Lavish trips. And about a hundred empty promises.

Raj was not trying to buy her son's love. He had bought him a small plush star in the gift shop, as a reminder of their time here and then, he had patiently told him all the facts about stars and planets he had wanted to know.

But wait. Why was she comparing Raj to her ex-husband?

He was a friend. Nothing else.

A friend who was still awake after she had taken her son to bed later that night.

"Hey, I wasn't sure if you'd just go to sleep with Joshua.", he said and got up to offer her a drink from the fridge.

"I couldn't sleep.", she admitted. "There was just… too much on my mind."

She accepted the soda and sat down on the couch next to her friend.

"I understand.", he said and smiled at her softly. "If you want, we can watch a movie together. I believe it's your turn to pick tonight."

She chuckled.

"You mean really watch a movie together? In the same room and everything? It will be weird, not hearing your voice over the phone."

"Hey, my voice sounds much nicer in person.", he rebutted, which made her giggle.

He turned on the TV and opened the Netflix app. Then handed her the remote to pick.

"The notebook. Good choice.", he nodded after she started the movie.

That too felt just so comfortable.

After these days of anguish and worry, it was just so nice to end the day with someone she could trust. Someone she could always count on.

And so, she did not even notice at first, when her head drifted more and more to her right side. She was too tired, and the soft music from the TV screen was almost lulling her to sleep. She only noticed when her head hit something.

"I… I'm sorry.", she stuttered when she realized she had almost fallen asleep against Raj's shoulder.

"It's okay.", he reassured her. "I don't mind. You must be tired. You can just… lean on me for a while if you want. After all… we all need someone to lean on once in a while"

She wanted to say no. It was weird, sitting so close with a man who was her friend. Her friend she had not seen in months. It gave the impression of something… she was not ready for. And would probably never be.

But if felt comfortable. Being in such close proximity with a man she knew she would never have to be afraid of. And there was something in his voice. He had sounded almost shy… but sincere.

And so, Missy stayed in this comfortable position and closed her eyes again, allowing herself to drift off to sleep for a bit.

"Missy… are you really thinking about moving here?", she heard a voice from the distance.

"Mhmm…", she replied groggily. "Maybe. I don't know."

"I just want you to know… I'd be very happy if you did. Because I like you very much and I would love to see you more often."

"Hm. Me too.", she mumbled.

And then, she felt a hand travelling up her arm, pulling her close.

It was nice. Nice and comfortable.

And for the first time in a long time, Missy Cooper was able to sleep peacefully.