This chapter is the last one that is from Amy's POV. The next one (a flash forward to three years later) will be from Sheldon's POV. Of course you will also be finding out what will be happening with Raj and Missy soon, but not from their POV anymore.

Now, I hope you will enjoy this one, although I have to warn you. There are very happy parts in it, but also one that is very sad.

I will post the next (last) one as soon as it is ready.

Warning: There is a character death during the flashback. I am sure, you will already know who it will be.


Balancing Heaven And Earth
Chapter 31 – "You'll Never Walk Alone"


Amy's POV:

~ Almost exactly two years ago ~

"And you are sure, she's comfortable?"

Amy watched as Mary sat down on the chair next to Connie's bed. She took her sleeping mother's hand and gently caressed her fingers.

Amy had to bite back tears as she witnessed this gentle gesture. Losing Connie already felt unbearable to her. She couldn't imagine what it must be like for Mary.

"Yes.", she said, clearing her throat. "The doctor was here earlier and adjusted her dosage. He promised, Connie wouldn't be in pain."

"I can't believe this is happening so fast.", Mary said remorsefully. "I know she's old but… I thought we would have a little more time. I am not prepared for this."

"You'll never be.", Amy said softly. "No matter how old she is."

Mary nodded thoughtfully.

"I have to call my son.", she whispered. "He will want to see her one last time. Oh, he'll be furious at me for not telling him sooner."

Amy swallowed dryly. She hadn't really thought about Sheldon in weeks. Not ever since Connie's health had been declining so dramatically.

How would he feel, knowing his grandmother was dying? Finding out that no one had told him about this sooner?

"I think you really should.", she agreed. "Connie cannot be against it anymore. Not now when… she knows it's the last chance."

Mary took out her phone and Amy's breath hitched in her throat. This would not be an easy call.

But then, they both startled as Mary's phone started ringing in her hand.

"Leonard Hofstadter…", she mumbled. "What does he want now? I thought he and Sheldon hadn't talked in years."

Amy furrowed her eyebrows. Who was Leonard Hofstadter? She had never heard this name before, but it did not sound Texan.

Mary answered the phone and within seconds, her face turned white.

"Wh… what?", she croaked. "Leonard what are you talking about? My baby had a… it cannot be. It's impossible. He's so young and healthy. But then again, his father… Oh Lord… Was it a bad one?"

Tears formed in Mary's eyes as she seemed to be unable to speak in full sentences anymore.

"Yes… yes, I'll be there as soon as p… oh no, but my mo… but I have to… I... I'll… Leonard, please take care of him for now. I'll call you as soon as I know what to do."

Mary sunk down in her chair with a heavy sob. She looked so small. Amy turned her chair towards her and held her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

Mary what's going on?", she dared to ask.

"Sheldon…", Mary sobbed again. "My poor baby. He's… he's…"

Amy's blood ran cold at the mention of this name. "What happened?", she croaked.

"He had a heart attack.", Mary finally breathed out. "He's in surgery now but… things are not looking very good. They cannot say if he's going to make it. I… Oh God… my son… my… my poor baby."

Sheldon Cooper had a heart attack?

Amy felt dizzy as she tried to let that information sink in.

What a mess. What a horrible, horrible mess.

Mary was breathing heavily, one hand on her chest, the other on her head. She turned paler by the second and Amy was afraid she would pass out soon.

She quickly ran to the kitchen and filled a glass with fresh water, ran back and handed it to Mary, who accepted it, but just held it in her hand without drinking.

"I need to go to California but… my mother…", she stuttered. "She's dying and I won't be here and…"

"I'll be here.", Amy promised. "I'll keep you updated."

She knew this was not really comforting. She wasn't family after all. Not really.

But she did not know a better way to comfort Mary. She couldn't be in two places at once. And if everything she had been told about Sheldon was the truth, then he really, really needed his mother right now.

Suddenly, they heard a voice. A quiet one. A weak one. And yet one that did not allow to be ignored.

"You… have… to go, Mary."

Both women turned to the old lady that was lying in bed.

Amy could see the panic in Mary's face. She had not wanted Connie to hear this. Not in her condition.

"Mother…", she whispered.

"Fly to… California.", Connie croaked, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Take care of… our little boy. He… needs you. More than I do. I… I have Amy. He has… no one."

"But…", Mary tried to protest.

"You…", Connie took a deep breath. It was hard for her to talk this much. "Don't tell him… about me…", another deep breath. "Don't… upset him. Make sure… he's getting better and tell him then. Now go."

Mary blinked away the tears in her eyes and got up. She bent over her mother and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, mom…", she croaked. "I am so sorry… You know how much I… I love you so much and… I am going to… miss you and…"

"I know, honey.", Connie said and squeezed her daughter's hand. "You don't… have to… I already… I know, darling."

Mary nodded frantically. She was still shaking.

Feeling she had to give Mary this final moment with her mother, Amy offered to go get her laptop and book the next flight to California for her.

Ten minutes later, Mary came outside too.

"She's asleep again.", she said tearfully. "Could you do me a favor and call Georgie? I don't think I can drive to the airport by myself."

Of course, Amy did just that.

She wanted to do more. She wanted to say something to ease Mary's pain. It must be unbearable for her, having to leave now. Knowing she would never see her mother again. Not knowing if her son would still be alive once she arrived.

But there wasn't anything she could do other than promise to take care of Connie right until the end.

And then, everything was silent again.

Mary was gone. Connie was asleep.

And Amy was alone with her thoughts.

With her sadness because she had to say her final good-bye to the person who meant more to her than anyone had ever before.

And the confusing feelings of worry and regret for the man more than a thousand miles away. The man who was fighting for his life. The one she had been dreaming about for so many months.

Was it bad to feel sorrow because she would most likely never get to meet him for real? Did she even have the right to mourn this idea of her perfect match?

Her thoughts were interrupted a few hours later, when there was a knock at the front door.

"Georgie… hey…", she said, trying to force a smile as she opened the door to let the tall man inside.

"How is she?", he asked in a solemn voice.

"She's sleeping.", she answered. "It's… almost all she does anymore."

Georgie nodded, before he entered Connie's room.

Deciding to give him privacy, Amy went to the kitchen and prepared tea. About fifteen minutes later, Georgie returned. His eyes looked red as if he had been crying.

"Do you want tea?", she offered.

He just shook his head and opened one of Connie's cupboards.

"Thanks for the offer but… I need something stronger than tea."

Amy went to get a glass and watched, as he poured himself a large amount of a brown liquid.

He emptied the glass at once and poured another one.

"I'm so sorry…", Amy said quietly. "This must be a hard time for you. Losing your grandmother like that."

"Yeah.", Georgie said gruffly. "She was… is… the best. There will never be another one like her on this planet."

"You're right. There won't.", Amy agreed with an aching heart. "And… I'm sorry about your brother too. I hope he'll recover soon."

Georgie snorted.

"Sheldon?", he spat. "Oh, he'll recover fine, don't worry. And if he won't, well that's too bad."

"Georgie…", Amy said, the shock evident in her voice. "How can you say this?"

"Meemaw's dying.", Georgie pointed out, seemingly trying to hold back his tears. "She's dying. But can my brother just let us say good-bye to her in peace? No. No, he had to go and have a heart attack. He always does this. He always makes everything about himself. And now, meemaw's dying and mom's not here and everything is overshadowed by the prodigal son again. As it always was. Just the way he likes it."

"That's…", Amy stuttered, taken aback. "That's preposterous, Georgie. You brother did not have a heart attack on purpose. He did not choose this. He's fighting for his life. Of course your mother had to go and be there for him."

"It's infuriating.", Georgie exclaimed. He had lost his battle against the tears that were running down his face now. "I'm grieving my grandmother. I'm worried how my mother will take yet another loss. And he had to go and do this… and now I have to worry about him too. It's not fair. It's not fair that I am worrying about him. Not when he would probably not even be batting an eyelash if this was me fighting for my life."

"Of course he would.", Amy disagreed. "You are his brother. No matter what resentment there is between you two, he must care about you."

"Oh, please.", Georgie all but shouted. "My brother has never cared about anyone than himself. He hasn't been here in years. He wasn't at Missy's wedding. He doesn't care about anything that is going on in this family and yet he's the one both my mother and my meemaw care about the most. And now he might die and… it's not fair. It's not fair that I am upset over this. I should not care about him dying."

For the second time on this day, Amy held a Cooper family member's shoulder as they wept. Trying to give comfort, even though her own mind was a mess and she wanted to cry and scream herself.

It was not fair. None of it. Not Connie's condition. Or Sheldon's heart attack. And even though she couldn't agree with Georgie… she felt for him. All of this… it wasn't fair to him either.

"I'll… uhm…", Georgie croaked as he was able to talk again. Then he stood up. "I'll better leave now. Thank you, Amy. For everything you do. For alle of us but especially for Meemaw. I would like to stay and support you but… right now all I can think of is going to Dad's favorite bar and having enough drinks to feel numb enough to get through the next days."

"Take care of yourself, Georgie.", Amy said softly as she followed him to the door. "I understand you're in pain but… don't put yourself in danger. Call me later if you need someone to pick you up from the bar. Don't drive yourself. Promise?"

She startled when Georgie hugged her to his chest, so tightly, she had trouble getting enough air into her lungs.

"You're a good person, Amy. We are all lucky to have you."

Then he turned around on his heel and left.

Amy put away the bottle of rum and Georgie's glass and went back into Connie's room.

She sat with her for two more days. Forty-eight hours during which Connie only woke up three more times.

The first time, she woke up to ask about Sheldon. So, Amy made a call.

"They cannot say for sure.", Mary answered, her voice laced with tears. "It's too soon to tell. But at least he made it out of surgery alive. I'm watching over him right now. All we can do is hope and pray."

Of course that's not what Amy told Connie.

"He's out of surgery.", she said instead. "Mary's watching over his recovery."

But she could see in Connie's eyes, that she did not believe her. Even when she was barely alive anymore, she saw right through Amy's amateurish poker face.

The next time she woke up was to tell Amy something important about the rent money and a savings account. "Sheldon needs to make sure she gets it.", she croaked. "It's for her. For her, when the day comes."

Amy had a hunch what Connie meant, but she did not have the mental capacity to really think about it now. After all, who was to say, Sheldon would even be able to do anything about it anymore?

Still, she nodded and promised to take care of it.

Connie fell asleep again. She wasn't really breathing anymore at that point. It sounded more as if she was gasping for air. It did not seem to be painful. In fact, if she were able to put aside the sadness of the situation, Amy would even say, it seemed strangely peaceful.

But of course, it also was a definite sign, that the end was near.

She tried once more to call Missy and ask her to come, but as usual, Connie's granddaughter did not answer her phone.

Amy's eyes filled with tears, and she took Connie's hand.

"It's okay.", she whispered softly and caressed her friend's fingers. "You are allowed to stop fighting, Connie. You can go now. Everything will be fine. I will make sure of it. I promise."

And that's when Connie opened her eyes and started speaking. For the last time. And much clearer than she did before.

"You… Amy… are a wonderful young lady.", she said between heavy breaths. "I love you. So much."

"I love you too, Connie.", she whispered.

"Could you sing?", Connie asked. "The song I chose for my funeral? I'd like to hear it one last time."

Amy released a shuddering breath as more tears rolled down her face.

Connie closed her eyes and squeezed her hand with the last bit of strength she had, and Amy started singing.

When you walk through the storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.

At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

She did not know that, just that moment, when her friend was slipping away, the man so far away, lying in a hospital bed was asleep and hearing that same song in his dream. Sung by a voice he did not recognize yet.

Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Amy could feel Connie's grip around her hand getting weaker and weaker. She watched as her friend's eyelids fluttered. There were a few short breaths.

And then one last sigh.

After that, there was no sound in the room anymore, other than her own voice.

Still, she finished the song. After all, a promise was a promise.

And this one was one she was able to keep.

So, she sang the last words. Trying to find comfort in them.

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

As she finished the last notes, her lips began to tremble. And the first big tear landed on Connie's lifeless hand. Amy grasped it and held it on her cheek as grief and desperation overtook her.

The woman lying in bed… as peaceful as she looked… she was not Connie Tucker anymore. The world had lost her. It has lost its light.

There was no more joy. No more hope. None of it.

All that was left was darkness.

Quickly, Amy made the promised call to Mary, barely able to say the words.

She would have to call the doctor next. To confirm the time of death. And then the rest of the Cooper family.

But right now, all she could do was weep. Hot tears ran down her cheeks.

"Oh Connie…", she wailed. "How can I go on? What am I supposed to do? Who am I, if I don't have you as a friend?"

She sat there crying for what felt like hours.

The tears did nothing to give her comfort or ease her pain.

And she knew, she would most definitely never feel happy again.

~ Back in the present ~

Never had three minutes felt this long to Amy.

Although, she had to admit, she was spending these three minutes doing her favorite thing in the world.

Curled up on her favorite couch with her favorite man. Holding him tight and sharing sweet kisses.

Kisses that spoke of unconditional love. Of hope. And of assurance that – whatever the result of that infernal test might be – things would be okay. They would be okay. Always.

Finally, Sheldon pulled away from her. A weak smile on his lips. An unreadable expression in his eyes.

"Three minutes are up.", he stated quietly. "Do you want to…"

Amy took a very deep breath.

She wanted to look. And at the same time, she did not.

Her body felt like a practical example of Schrodinger's cat.

She was pregnant. And at the same time, she was not.

As long as she did not check. As long as she did not open the box, she would remain in both states at the same time. She was in the blissful state of not knowing. Of having hope.

"I'm scared.", she admitted. "But let's do it anyway."

Sheldon nodded and took her hand, intertwining their fingers.

With shaking fingers, Amy grasped the test and turned it around.

She was thankful that it wasn't one of those cheap tests where they had to look for lines or plus signs. It was a digital one. And the message was very clear.

"Is that… does that mean…", Sheldon said as she showed him the test, her heart nearly beating out of her chest.

"We…", she exhaled, then inhaled deeply again. "Sheldon we… we are having a baby."

"We are having a baby.", he repeated almost tonelessly.

He turned to her, his eyes filling with tears. Carefully, as if he was afraid, he gently lifted her cardigan enough so he could put one hand on her lower belly.

"We are having a baby.", he said again, his voice trembling with emotions.

"We are. We really are.", she said in awe, looking back at the test, blinking twice to make sure it was real. "I can't believe it."

Then she put the stick on the table again and leaned against Sheldon, putting her hand on his that was still resting on her belly.

It was one of these life changing moments. One that made her look at her life in a completely different way. Things that had mattered only minutes ago were now irrelevant. And things she had never thought about before were slowly forming in her mind, becoming new priorities.

And she was so happy that this moment, this wonderful, life changing moment was another one that she and Sheldon got to share here. On this couch. Where such a big part of their story had begun in the first place.

"We are going to be parents.", she heard Sheldon breathe out. "I am going to be a father and you… you are going to be..."

"I am going to be a mother and we are going to be a little family.", she said, a smile forming on her face.

Only slowly, the information was starting to sink in.

She lifted her head and grasped Sheldon's face to give him a little peck on the lips.

He kissed her back, but he seemed distracted.

She knew the look on his face. He was trying to figure something out. He looked… nervous.

"Sheldon, what…"

She did not get farther than that, as he almost jumped up from the couch. He seemed to be pale all of a sudden.

"I am going to be a father.", he repeated. "We are going to be a family. We will have a little son or a little daughter. And… Oh, God, Amy what are we doing? We are making a huge mistake."

Amy's mouth fell open.

"Wh… what? But I thought you wanted this."

"Of course I want this.", Sheldon exclaimed.

"Then what's the problem?", she wondered.

"We can't leave.", he almost shouted. "Amy, we cannot leave this place. We cannot just move to California. It will never work. Oh dear Lord, this is a disaster. How could we not think about this?"

"What are you talking about? What will never work? Why… how can you suddenly think…"

Amy got up and grasped Sheldon's arm, trying to get him to sit back down. But he just held her shoulders and stared at her intensely.

"We are having a baby.", he repeated. "And… it will be stressful. First the pregnancy and then the birth. What if you are put on bedrest? What if there's a problem during birth? What if you are going to have post-partum depression? What if I fail as a parent? You will resent me and… you will leave me and…"

Oh no. She understood what was happening. Sheldon's eidetic memory was going through every childbirth-related risk and calculating the odds of those happening to them.

"Sheldon, it's all going to be okay.", she tried to reassure him.

"Damn right, it's going to be okay.", he exclaimed. "Because we are staying right where we are. We are safe here. We know how to function as a couple here. We have a support system. My mother is right next door. She'll tell me if I am about to screw up. The people from the choir… they can help out and... and…"

Amy shook her head. It would be hilarious, if it weren't this serious.

"Sheldon sit.", she said quietly. "Sit and I'll go make tea."

He did not fight her, but as she walked to the kitchen, she heard him mutter to himself.

"Freaking out to your pregnant wife and making her serve you tea when it should be the other way around. Great job, Cooper."

Again, she shook her head. She did not mind making tea. It was exactly what she needed right now to keep her hands busy.

But despite Sheldon's little outburst, it was strange how calm she felt. And how absolutely sure of the next words she was going to say to him.

"Here.", she said softly as she handed Sheldon his mug. "Drink this. And listen to me."

He looked as if he was about to protest, but she looked at him sternly, and so, he finally took a sip of his tea and looked at her expectantly.

"Sheldon… We are not going to stay here. We will finish packing and next week, we are going to move to California. Just as we planned to do."

"But…", he tried, but she shushed him.

"I get that you are scared. And yes, you are right, we do have a great support system here. First and foremost, your mother who I am going to miss dearly during this journey."

"See, I am right. So why…"

"However…", she continued. "No matter where we are going to be. You will not fail. Not as a parent and not as a spouse. And neither will I. What we have built is so strong. It can prevail anything. And we do have a support system in California. Your sister will be there. And so will your friends."

Sheldon sighed.

"I know they will." he agreed. "I know, Amy. But… I am scared. Everything seems to be easier in my mind if we just stay here."

"Of course it would be easier.", she admitted. "Don't you think I know this? Sheldon… Medford was the first place where things ever felt easy to me. At least most of the time. It's the first place where I succeeded in making friends and… feeling like I belonged. It's… it's Heaven, Sheldon. To me, Medford will always feel like Heaven."

"Then why not just stay?", he asked seriously. "It's what you wanted in the first place."

"Because…", she breathed out. "Because… as much as I love it here… I realize that… we cannot stay in Heaven forever. We have plans. Dreams that we simply cannot put into reality if we stay. You want to win a Nobel Prize. I want to become a professor and help change the situation for women in science. We cannot do this from here. You know we can't."

"But don't you think, things are different now?", he asked softly. "Don't we have different priorities? Now that we have… this?"

Again, he put his hand on her belly, so delicately as if she was carrying the biggest treasure in the whole world. Which maybe she was.

"Maybe.", she shrugged. "Maybe you are right, Sheldon. Maybe we will be moving to California, only to realize that it was wrong. And then… then we will know, and we will come back here. This will always be an option. You know that. But… you do still want this, don't you? You do still think that the best option for our future lies in California. At least for a while. Right?"

"I guess so.", Sheldon said, although he did not sound fully convinced. "You are right. Our plan… it is our best option. And I do believe we will be happy in our new home. It's just… scary to leave this place behind. When it feels so safe. Like Heaven. And now… everything will be changing and…"

"Maybe…", she interrupted him. "Maybe the purpose of this Heaven that we have found is… not to spend the rest of our lives here. Maybe its purpose was for us to… catch a break. To find each other. To gather strength. And to learn. What we really want in life and… how to be happy. You know? So, we can return back to Earth and resume living our lives. Only differently. With different priorities and… a new understanding of who we are. And then… once we have fulfilled our dreams and lived our lives… maybe then, it will be time to return to Heaven."

Sheldon took another sip from his tea, then put down his mug.

The tension seemed to be leaving his body, and he pulled Amy close again.

"I think… maybe you are right…", he whispered. "How are you so wise?"

"Easy.", she said and winked at him. "I'm thinking for two now."

He kissed her cheek.

"This is how the next nine months are going to be, huh? The two of you combining your minds and ganging up on me?"

She giggled softly, before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pecking his lips.

"So… we're still moving?", she clarified.

Sheldon took a deep breath.

"I guess we are.", Sheldon agreed. "But… if it does not work out, then…"

"Then we are booking the next flight back here.", she finished his sentence.

"Agreed.", he nodded. "I'm… sorry for freaking out on you."

"That's okay.", she said and grinned at him. "It's only fair, since I freaked out on you less than an hour ago. So, now that this is settled… what do you say, should we pack another few boxes tonight? I feel so energetic right now."

Sheldon shot her a stern look.

"No, little lady. We are not doing anything like that. If you feel we are behind schedule then I can pack a few more boxes while you are sitting here on the couch, drinking tea and taking care of our prodigy."

"But Sheldon…"

"No, Amy. I listened to you. Now you are listening to me. For the next nine months, this is your top priority. You will sit and rest as much as you can and keep our little poppy seed safe. And it is my top priority to do everything in my power to make sure you can do just that."

Amy's heart melted at his words. "Oh, Sheldon…", she breathed out.

"On that note, I am going to make you another cup of tea now. But first, I am going to look up, which herbs are safe during pregnancy. No more peppermint for you, little lady, peppermint can cause contractions. Next, I'll print out a list of all foods to avoid during this time. And once I'm done with that, I'll figure out what steps we need to take to babyproof our house. And… oh no…"

"Oh no?"

"Amy, you are not allowed to fly. It's not safe. With your situation… you are more likely to get blood clots and… being on a plane can be…"

"It's perfectly safe to fly, Sheldon.", she stopped him and took his hands in hers. "I love that you are so protective of me and our little poppy seed. And I will gladly only drink the tea and eat the food you approve of. You can babyproof everything you want and yes, you can take over the packing. But we will fly to California next week. And we will be safe. All three of us."

"Okay but… as soon as we are there, we are getting you checked up. Oh, that reminds me, I'll have to look up who's the best OBGYN in our new area of living."

"Deal.", she said and kissed him once more.

They stayed like this for a while. Making plans for the future. Wondering about this little person who was now inside of her. Sharing the excitement because this was actually happening.

A little later they went to bed, because although it was still early, Sheldon insisted that Amy needed sleep.

Which – although she did not like to admit it – he was right about. She felt exhausted. In a way she had never felt before in her live.

But now that she knew the reason for it, it did not seem that bad anymore. Quite the opposite.

Knowing that her body was busy developing new life made her embrace this new tiredness.

Dressed in her nightgown, she cuddled into Sheldon's open arms and rested her head on his chest. And then she smiled, when she felt Sheldon's hand on her belly again.

She fell asleep easily like that. Her heart was filled with dreams and hopes and happiness. In the arms of her husband who already loved this new life inside of her just as much as he loved her.

The next few days passed much too quickly for her liking.

Sheldon did not allow her to lift even one finger while he was busy packing the last few boxes, so she spent a lot of time lying on the couch and reading pregnancy books while drinking Sheldon-approved tea.

They spent their afternoons taking care of Joshua and Ellis and in the evenings, they would have dinner with Mary and Georgie.

It was too soon, much too soon, to tell their big news, and so, Sheldon and Amy kept their little secret to themselves.

But of course, they told one person. The one they both would be missing for the rest of their lives.

One last time, they sat in front of her grave, sharing the happy news. Crying tears of joy. And Amy could swear, she could hear an answer in the wind rustling through the nearby tears.

"I knew it.", it seemed to whisper to them. "Well done, you two."

All too soon, the day came, to say goodbye.

To the people they loved. To all the places they liked to visit.

And at last, to the house that had become a happy home to both of them.

The shipping company had already picked up the furniture and all their boxes. Georgie was waiting for them in his car that was filled with both their suitcases.

Arm in arm, Sheldon and Amy walked through the now almost empty house for the last time.

Memories filled her mind. Memories of conversations that had happened a long time ago.

"Now tell me the details of the agreement you had with the former uhm… with… with Cons…" – "With your meemaw. Or with Connie as I used to call her."

"I uhm… I am going on a date. I cancelled initially because of the funeral, but in the end, I decided I need the distraction tonight." – "Must be some gentleman, waiting in his car and honking his horn for you to get outside."

"But this is still my meemaw's house and the thought of a stranger's naked sweaty bottom soiling her couch or carpet or kitchen table… well I am sorry, but I have to draw the line somewhere."

"Let's look at it logically. What are the parameters? How do you measure it? How do you know you like someone?"

"Unless the choir agrees to try Tibetan throat singing." – "I'm sorry what? I have never heard of that before."

"Well, I'm not that interesting." – "I beg to differ."

"That brings us to our next order of business."

"Better. So much better than I imagined." – "That's good to hear." – "I'm just scared you might break my heart again." – "Again?"

"So, you don't think I'm a slutty trollop from the evil land of California who brings sin over this lovely, god-fearing small town?" – "I know you are not. But… even if you were. It wouldn't change the fact that you are kind of my favorite person right now."

"Fly with me."

"I want you to know that just because this was my first time, I don't expect anything from you."

"If you just want to take me out because you feel you owe it to me… I'll relieve you of your debt, Sheldon. Consider it paid." – "Uhm, technically, you owe them to me too. You got to enjoy my body. And you told me you liked it. So, I demand you spend three dates with me."

"Your middle name is Farrah. And you have a doctorate. You are Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler." – "The one and only. But what's so upsetting about that?"

"You are precisely what I was looking 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."

"How do you know you love someone?"

What a journey. What an adventure. What a way to start a life together.

Amy felt sad, having to leave this place. This special place where she felt her life had truly begun for the first time. The place where she had experienced so much joy. And so much sadness too.

And at the same time, she felt grateful. Grateful for this experience. For this place where she had learned to feel alive and accepted and needed all at the same time.

"Are you okay?", Sheldon asked her softly.

She nodded. "I am. Are you?"

"I think so.", he said. "It's just… hard. To leave all of this behind."

"It is.", she agreed.

"Remember, we can always come back."

"I know."

She smiled at him. It was true. They always had that option.

And while it hurt, she also knew that they were taking so much with them. Memories as well as life lessons.

And with that knowledge, the two of them stepped out of this house. And out of this life.

They closed the door behind them together. For now.

And then, they took a step towards the new life that was waiting for them.

And who knew, maybe… just maybe, they were about to find a new version of Heaven there. Maybe they would even find out that Heaven was everywhere they were.

Together.


So, that's it. No more Medford-chapters for now, I am afraid.

I know, many of you wanted Sheldon and Amy to stay in Medford. Believe me, it was not easy to come to a decision here, because I hate to disappoint anyone.

To me, personally, the question of where they will live was never meant to be this important. It was always much more about the journey of coming to a conclusion and about the things they learned on the way. I firmly believe that there isn't just one place where one can be happy. And as much as I tried, I just did not find a plausible solution where Sheldon and Amy could spend the rest of their lives in East Texas and be content.

So, yes, they will leave their "Heaven" for a while and continue with their aspirations while also building a life for their little family. And who knows, they might be able to find a new kind of Heaven there. Will they return to Medford one day? I honestly don't know and maybe I don't even want to know right now. For now, this is up to your imagination. At this moment, I only have a vision for the next few years, which I will post soon.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing!