It was a rainy Tuesday evening and Amy was sat in her apartment. She glanced over to her harp and wondered if she could play a song but she felt too tired and too stressed out. It had been a long day; she'd spent six hours doing a study on addiction and then had to go to a meeting which had been completely pointless. All she really wanted to do was go to bed but she knew if she went to sleep now, she would never sleep when the time came to actually go to bed. So she wandered over to the kitchen to start making dinner.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approach from outside.

Knock, knock, knock, Amy

Knock, knock, knock, Amy

Knock, knock, knock , Amy

She wondered what Sheldon was doing here. It wasn't date night and she couldn't think of anything else that the Relationship Agreement had in it that would make him come over. As she opened the door, all she could see was the tears in his eyes. He reached out to her and drew her in for a hug. Brushing the thrill she was getting from this close physical contact away, she put her arms around him.

'What's wrong?' she asked him. But he was sobbing by this point. She slowly drew away from him and told him to follow her into the room. He sat down on the sofa, still shaking although his sobs had quietened. She immediately knew what to do.

'May I offer you a hot beverage?' she asked him

'Yes please' said Sheldon, grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket. 'I'd like tea'. He blew his nose delicately. 'I'm sorry about the hug but I'm just feeling so low'

'What's upset you' asked Amy walking around the kitchen. She hated seeing Sheldon when he was upset yet it was in these emotional outbursts that he would allow physical contact. It also reminded her that he was as human as everyone else.

'Leonard's just been informed that he has won a Nobel Prize for his latest paper' said Sheldon and with that he dissolved into a fresh flood of sobs.

'Ah, I can see why you're upset' said Amy. She held a steaming mug of tea in her left hand and a tissue in the other.

'How can I go on? I always thought it would be me who won that. I've worked so hard my entire life, I've never been distracted by things like Leonard and yet he wins!' cried Sheldon, once again reaching out to Amy.

Amy couldn't think of what to tell him. She knew how much this was hurting Sheldon. After all, he was so dedicated to his work. But a part of her was happy for Leonard as he was her friend too. She knew she better not tell Sheldon that! He wouldn't be able to take it. Another part of her was being exhilarated by yet more physical contact with Sheldon.

'If I don't have any reason to pursue my career, then I might as well look to something else' cried Sheldon into her chest.

Amy remembered all the times that the others had said that they hated Sheldon when he interfered with their work. She also knew that his friendship with Leonard was well and truly over. She wondered if he would leave the apartment, then maybe she could move in with him! But for now all she was obliged to do was comfort him. That was what a good girlfriend did. He looked up into her eyes and without hesitation kissed her. For a moment all there was, was passion and love. There were feeling there that neither of them had felt before. It was Sheldon who broke away first.

'You've never done that before' said Amy, trying to catch her breath. She felt completely overcome

'I know. It was interesting' said Sheldon. He picked up his mug from the coffee table and took a long drink. He didn't know why he had just done that. It was so unlike him. But then again why did he have to be like him anymore? What was the point of being Sheldon Cooper if he wasn't going to be the best?