Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of the creators of The Big Bang Theory.

Looking down, Amy breathed in, the sweet scent of butter and honey tickling at her senses. She picked up the delicate, flaky goodness beneath her palm, and closed her eyes as she took her first bite, groaning as flakes melted softly over her tongue.

"Oh my." Opening her eyes, she saw Sheldon smiling at her, his hands on his fork while leaning against the small table. He chuckled as honey dripped from her chin, causing her to grope wearily for a napkin.

"It's good?" he asked.

"It's better than good." She chewed and dabbed her mouth, all the while locking onto Sheldon's amused expression. When she reached over for a glass of milk, she heard Mary Cooper giggle from across the kitchen.

"I was hoping that I got the recipe right," she said, looking at Amy. "I wanted your first experience with Meemaw's biscuit to be perfect."

Amy smiled, swallowing, as she took a drink. "It was," she told her. "It was like a piece of heaven."

Sheldon watched as his mother grinned from ear to ear, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. He knew Amy's mention of heaven pleased her.

"Mother, come over and join us," he said, changing the subject. "You've been in the kitchen all morning."

Mary Cooper smiled, removing her apron. "I was on my way." Walking to the table, she suddenly frowned, watching her guests with peering, judgmental eyes. Together, Sheldon and Amy were eating with a fierce determination – Sheldon, devouring his bacon, while Amy continued to bite into her biscuit.

As she reclined, she cleared her throat. "I don't want to interrupt, but Shelly, you know that in this house, we always say a prayer before we eat."

Frustrated, Sheldon shook his head. "Mom."

In mid-bite, Amy looked up, widening her eyes. She brought her biscuit down, while Sheldon tightened his jaw.

"Even before breakfast? Mom, for heaven's sake."

"Yes, exactly, for heaven's sake." Mary extended a hand on each side. "Now give me your hands so that I can say grace. It will only take a minute."

Putting down his bacon, Sheldon sighed. He looked sheepishly over to Amy. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay." Amy took his hand, and reached across the table for Mary's. She smiled, meeting her eyes. "Actually, would it be okay if I said it?"

Mary stared at her in disbelief, along with Sheldon. "Really? You want to say it?"

Amy nodded. "Sure. Why not? Would that be okay?"

Mary looked over to Sheldon. He rolled his eyes again, shaking his head. "So my girlfriend wants to pray. It's not a big deal. Really. It's not."

A huge smile spread across Mary's face. "Well, yes, Shelly. You're right. It's not a big deal. To you." She looked at Amy, full of anticipation. "Go ahead, dear. I'm looking forward to hearing this."

Ignoring Sheldon's frown, Amy smiled at Mary before closing her eyes. She felt a squeeze on her hand.

"Okay, so we are thankful," she said shakily. "Mary, Sheldon, and I are thankful for this wonderful, delicious food we are about to, um... I mean... are eating." She took a slow breath. "We are thankful for this day – a day to share and get to know each other better." She smiled. "And I'm thankful that we have each other, and that we have love." She cleared her throat. "So that's it."

Amy opened her eyes. She saw Mary across from her, lips turned up with one eye slightly open. "Amen," she concluded, and then squeezed Amy once more before releasing her hand. "That was beautiful, dear. Good job."

Amy smiled and looked over to Sheldon, who continued to roll his eyes skyward, before picking up his bacon.

Looking at him, Amy couldn't believe that it'd been three months – three fast months – since she and Sheldon had begun their new arrangement. Sheldon had managed to work out a sleeping schedule for both of them, and after a few weeks, they'd managed to settle into a predictable, but adjustable, routine.

She thought often about the validity of their "plan," but continued to keep it to herself. To Amy, the upcoming nuptials were like clouds hanging low in the air: close enough to see, but still out of their grasp. And never discussed.

Mary glanced up from her food. "I'm so glad that we decided to do this. Meemaw will be so excited to see both of you. She can't wait to meet you, Amy."

Looking up, Amy grinned, even though she felt a jolt in her stomach. "I can't wait to meet her, too."

They began to play with their food again. Mary watched Sheldon from across the table, eating, with Amy's hand still inside of his. She shook her head in amazement, before meeting Sheldon's eyes. She winked at him.

Amy looked up, laughing. "Do you two have some sort of secret? Want to clue me in?"

Sheldon looked at his food, while Mary waved a hand. "I'm just amazed, is all. My Shelly is so in love. I'm in shock, really, at seeing the two of you together. My baby is growing up."

"Mom, please."

Amy looked over at Sheldon. He moved his fork through his eggs. "I've told her that we've become serious." He glanced to her. "So, she likes to talk about it now. A lot."

Amy blinked. Staring at Sheldon, she felt her heart swell, as he timidly looked away. Glancing back over to Mary, she spoke softly. "I love your son very much. The feeling is mutual."

She felt Sheldon's hand tremor on top of hers, right before Mary exchanged a quick look with her son. She turned her attention back to Amy.

"I'm really glad to hear that," she said softly. There was silence, while Mary turned up her cup. She looked at Sheldon again.

"So... what are you working on at the university, sweetie? You haven't told me in a while."

Relieved for a change in subject, Sheldon eagerly looked up. "I'm currently researching a study from several years ago about string theory." He glanced to Amy, smiling. "It proposes that experiments may be possible to prove the geometry of hidden dimensions." He paused, while his mother stared at him blankly. "Anyway," he continued, "I'm on a panel with several other universities to research and discuss it. It will probably take a while."

Mary cleared her throat. "Hidden dimensions?"

"Yes. Of course. I've told you about this before, mother. If extra dimensions can be proven, then we will be closer our goal."

Mary looked away. "And remind me. What goal would that be?"

"A unified theory, of course." Sheldon continued to eat while he spoke. "The study that I'm researching could be the first step in proving string theory... the first step in unlocking the secrets of the universe." He paused with a dreamy look. "It's fascinating. I've already contacted the university that began the study, and we're meeting next week to discuss it." Looking up, he saw his mother's expression, and frowned.

"I've told you about this before, mother. I find the possibility of extra dimensions to be very intriguing. Especially lately."

Mary peered at him. "Alright, then. But since it's yet to be proved, do you concede that some things are beyond what we can understand? That there are things that can't be seen, or explained?"

Sheldon glared at her and huffed, shaking his head. "I concede to nothing. Just because some things aren't explainable yet, doesn't mean that they won't be in the future. And, that's what I'm trying going to do. It's what I've always tried to do." He glanced to Amy, and saw tension in her eyes. Letting out a sigh, he looked back to his mother, and quickly softened his tone.

"What I mean to say," he explained, "is that, yes. There are things that can't be explained. Currently." He looked away, seeming lost for a moment. Then he lifted; his expression soft. "We all want answers, mother. I will respect your opinion, if you respect mine."

Widening her eyes, Mary stared at him. "Well, slap my head and call me silly. I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth."

Sheldon brought up his fork; eyes averted, and took a bite. With a stoic expression, he chewed, swallowed, and then, attempted to change the subject.

"So, tell me again – the plan? What time is Meemaw arriving?"

"One o'clock sharp," Mary said quickly. She stared at Sheldon a moment before looking down. "And, if you don't mind, could you stay in your room until then? I want to clean the house before she gets here."

"Yes, certainly," Sheldon replied, before Amy could say anything. "In fact, we'll go in there as soon as we finish eating."

Without looking at Sheldon, Mary smiled at Amy. "That would be perfect. I've got some boxes of old pictures you can look through to pass the time. Would that be okay?"

Amy looked at Sheldon, who was staring at his food, and then, back over to Mary. "Oh, sure. That sounds great." They continued eating, while Amy wondered how many boxes of pictures could fill up an entire morning and early afternoon.

Around twelve thirty, Sheldon walked into his childhood room and found Amy on the bed, an arm under her chin, with boxes of pictures surrounding her. With an old photo in her hand, she smirked as she raised her eyes.

"You were so adorable," she said, holding up a photo of Sheldon as a toddler, wearing a cowboy costume.

Sheldon sighed. "You can't live in Texas without at some point being forced to wear a cowboy hat." He took it from her and studied it. "But I do look pretty good."

Amy laughed. "Of course you do." She shifted on the mattress, causing more photos to move and fall from their piles. "I still can't believe your mother let us stay in the same room. I wasn't sure how that was going to work when we planned this trip."

Sheldon waved a hand. "Like I told you at breakfast, she knows that we've gotten serious. And she realizes that we are adults." He studied her quizzically. "And, good job, by the way, on getting on her good side this morning. Saying a prayer pretty much seals the deal of your acceptance into my family."

Amy widened her eyes, and then laughed. "Well, that's not why I did it, but I'm glad she liked it." With a slight smile, she paused as she processed on his words. Sheldon kept her gaze and walked over, while moving pictures out of the way. He cleaned off a spot, and sat down next to her.

"Mother left to pick up Meemaw, so it won't be much longer. You'll be allowed to leave the room soon. Sorry, she gets this way when it comes to cleaning the house."

Amy laughed. "I'll say. I especially found it strange when I had to ask for permission to go to the bathroom. It's almost like she's hiding something."

At that, Sheldon looked down to his hands. Amy studied him curiously. "Is she?"

With his eyes down, Sheldon moved his hand from his lap to hers. Then he took a breath. "Yes, actually. We're both hiding something."

Slowly, he reached into his pocket with the other hand and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Amy.

At the sight of it, Amy felt her breath catch in her throat. Gingerly, she took it from him while he intently watched her face. She cradled it in her hands; her eyes fixated on Sheldon.

"Open it," he said.

Slowly, Amy moved her eyes to the box. It was old, and the lid almost fell apart as she lifted it from its flimsy structure. Holding her breath, she gingerly moved it away, revealing a diamond ring sitting lonely on the top of a large wad of cotton. At least a half carat, she thought, while her heart skipped a beat.

The box began to shake as she lifted the ring with trembling fingers. She felt Sheldon's hand, still in her lap, slide across her thigh and move to her back. He began to stroke lightly, his fingers soft against the top of her skirt.

"It's an antique," he explained, looking down. "It belonged to my Meemaw. She wants you to have it, but if you'd rather have something new, that's okay. We wanted to make sure you knew that."

For a second, Amy couldn't get a breath. Her eyes fluttered as she glanced up, before looking back down to the ring.

"No, it's perfect," she whispered. "I love it."

With that, Sheldon smiled and released his hands, moving them to either side of him, bracing himself as he sat up straighter on the bed. He cleared his throat.

"Try it on," he prodded. "I know we'll probably have to get it sized..."

Amy had it on before he could finish. It was a little big, but it would stay on, for now, if she made sure to be careful. After a moment of moving it around, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Is this the correct finger? I have no idea."

Sheldon looked at her fingers curiously, before letting out a snort. "I have no idea."

The moment lingered, as they continued to look at each other. After what seemed like forever, Sheldon slowly lowered his eyes to Amy's hand.

"My mother, my Meemaw and I... we've been talking, and we want you to have the ring. It's an heirloom, and it's special to my family. My sister and I went through several rounds over this, but I eventually won." He paused, taking a breath. "That's part of the reason for this visit. They know I'm giving it to you, and that you will have it when Meemaw arrives."

Amy looked up in shock. "So, you've already told them everything? About our plans?"

Sheldon nodded. "Yes. They know." Then he tightened his lips. "And also, I've been talking with Penny." He glanced up as Amy's eyes widened further. "She told me that you've been looking at wedding dresses."

"Oh, well, that." Amy looked away, her eyes fixated for a moment on the ring. It was beautiful, sparkling in the light of the lamp. She glanced up. "She wasn't supposed to tell you about that. I know it's still too early for looking."

Without a word, Sheldon rubbed his hands across his pants. He looked at the ring, and for a moment, they just sat, staring; the sound of their breaths mingling together. Finally, Sheldon cleared his throat, his eyes fluttering with a look of nervousness.

"Amy," he said softly. "I love you, and you make me happy." He wrenched his hands in his lap, as his expression grew serious. "I know that before, when I talked to you, I said that I couldn't explain what love was. But I've been thinking about it, and I think I have an answer."

He looked down. "As you know, a lot of what's going on between us is nothing more than hormones causing a chemical reaction, bringing on strong feelings of attraction. I get that, and you get that. But even though we both acknowledge that and have decided to embrace it, I can't help but admit that there's much more going on here." He glanced up, and took a slow breath. "I have experienced love before. I have loved members of my family, and my friends. And, like you told me, I even loved my father. Upon reflection, I realize that I loved him very much." He paused, with another labored breath.

"But this love that we have – this romantic love, whatever you want to call it – is so strong and so intriguing, that I've really been at a loss at understanding it. And, as you know, I like to figure things out."

He paused again, watching, while Amy took a quivering breath. After a moment, he leaned in and kissed her softly, pulling back slowly as he took her hand in his. He played with the ring with his thumb.

"You were right about things settling down. These past few months have been the happiest of my life. Knowing that I'm going to see you every night, hold you and feel you..." He paused, looking away with embarrassment. "I've decided that this kind of love is really simple, after all. Basically, I can't live without you, Amy. I feel that you're part of me, and that I'm part of you. Does that make sense?" He paused, and Amy nodded slowly. Then, he let go of her hand and placed his hands in his lap.

"I hope you realize how important you are to me," he continued, glancing up. "I know that in the past I haven't been the perfect companion, and that sometimes I do and say the wrong things. But, now, this is good, isn't it? We are good."

Gripping the ring with her other hand, Amy felt a lump rise to her throat. Her bottom lip shook as she moved closer to him. "Yes," she choked out. "We are good. I know that I haven't been perfect, either, and I agree with you. These past few months have been the best of my life. And it is because of you. I agree with you about love. What we feel is so much more than biology. It has to be." She paused, lifting her hand. "This ring means the world to me, Sheldon. The fact that it came from your grandmother makes it even more special. Thank you." Her hands fell to her lap as she leaned in, and their lips lightly touched. Sheldon glided his hand over the ring, grasping it with his palm while they lingered, and slowly, broke away. After a moment, Sheldon's phone began to buzz in his pocket, causing both of them to smile.

"It's probably my mother," he said, reaching in. "It's about time for her to arrive." He checked and nodded, as Amy wiped her eyes. "It's time. Are you ready?"

Pressing her lips together, Amy continued to rub her face, while keeping her fingers steady so that the ring wouldn't fall. She let out a long breath. "I think I'm even more nervous now," she said, and smiled at Sheldon, who took her hand, lifting her up.

As she stood, she nudged him. "And I knew your mom was hiding something this morning. She kept exchanging looks with you."

As they walked to the door, Sheldon smirked. "I can't fool you, can I?" He pulled her to the hall. "Let's go. We need to get out there."

They walked slowly down the corridor, while Amy admired her ring. The house was eerily quiet as they rounded the corner, and Amy quickly turned her head as Sheldon stepped back. He moved behind her while she walked forward, entering the living room. With a bewildered expression, she stopped, taking in the scene before her, which was much different than it was that morning. The couch and all of the furniture had been moved and replaced with two sections of white chairs.

As she walked further, she turned to Sheldon, still behind her. "What's going on?" she whispered.

Sheldon looked to his feet. "My attempt at being spontaneous." He lifted his hands, reaching out, taking her fingers inside of his. Then he pulled her further into the room, stopping next to one of the chairs. He placed his hand on one.

"This is where the guests are going to sit. It will look much better once we decorate." Amy looked up, shocked.

Sheldon cleared his throat. "I know that you don't want to wait two years, Amy. And I don't either. So, I don't see the point in putting it off, especially since we both feel the same way."

Amy blinked at him. "You've been talking to Penny."

"Yes."

Then, the front door opened, and Amy quickly turned her head. She saw Sheldon's mother enter, along with an older woman that Amy knew to be Sheldon's Meemaw. They were silent as they strode in, with smiles of mischief plastered on their faces. They were soon followed by Penny, Leonard, Howard, Bernadette, and Raj. Once in, the door was pulled closed, and they stood silently, looking on from the foyer.

Penny had a dress over her arm, and a bag across her shoulder. She walked to them with her head down, stopping next to Sheldon as she turned.

"Surprise, Aimes," she said, smiling and reaching into her bag. She brought out Amy's tiara and sat it on top of the dress. "Don't get mad, okay? You know I can't keep a secret, and, as you know, sometimes a person needs to be pushed." She held up the dress for Amy to see. "We managed to get your measurements. I hope it will fit."

In shock, Amy stared at it, before looking up to Sheldon. "You measured me?"

He shrugged and looked away. "It wasn't easy. But, yes, I did."

Amy blinked at both of them. "So, let me get this straight. You are surprising me with my own wedding?" She continued to blink, while they nodded, along with everyone at the door.

Her mouth open, she shook her head. "But what about the marriage license? Is this legal?"

Sheldon smiled. "I tried to get around that, but unfortunately, the state of Texas was relentless." He glanced to Penny. "So, we're going to head to the courthouse now to apply for a marriage license. Then, according to the law, we have to wait three days. So, in three days time, right here, we will do it – along with friends, family and a bunch of flowers." He looked at her expectantly, and smiled.

Amy continued to blink at him. Sheldon cleared his throat.

"Mother has already arranged everything, right down to a barbecue in the backyard after the ceremony. And don't worry. We'll have those little sandwiches – you know, the cucumber things that girls like so much. And hot dogs. And, of course, ice cream. It will be a fun time."

He paused, searching Amy's face for a reaction. She just stared with wide eyes, looking from Sheldon, to Penny, in disbelief.

Clearing his throat, he continued. "So, we have three days. In the meantime, we will have the dress fitted, if it needs it, and the rest of us can go and shop for fancy clothes. Everyone is staying close by at a local hotel, so that will make it easy for us to get together. Three days should be a sufficient amount of time to find suitable attire." He shoved his hands in both pockets, as he shifted on his feet. After a moment, he frowned, furrowing his brow as he looked away.

"But none of this is set in stone. If you want to stick to the plan and wait, that's fine. We still have the date, and the church reserved, at home. But, if you want to do this now, everything is in place. Just give us the word, and things will proceed." He took a breath, looking over to her with apprehension, mixed with expectation. "Penny thought this would be romantic, and as you know, I trust her on these kinds of things. But if it's not okay..."

Sheldon couldn't finish as Amy landed a finger on his lips. She looked over to Penny, before scanning the faces in the doorway. She blinked at their curious smiles, before bringing her eyes back to Penny.

"Will you excuse us for a moment?" she asked her bestie.

"Of course."

With a final glance in Meemaw's direction, Amy grabbed Sheldon and led him away from everything, dragging him slowly across the room. Keeping the ring in place, she pushed eagerly on the swinging kitchen door, pulling Sheldon inside with one forceful jerk. The door barely closed when she threw her arms around his neck, knocking him several steps into a waiting china cabinet. Steadying himself, Sheldon settled his chin on her shoulder, while stretching his arms across her back.

"Does this mean – yes?" he asked with a smirk.

Amy kissed his neck, as tears began to stream down her cheek, saturating the soft skin below his ear. She felt her heart pound as she grasped his shirt, pulling him as close as she could, planting kiss after kiss all over his neck, and face.

"Yes, Sheldon. A thousand times, yes." On her tiptoes, she balanced herself, before moving her head in front of his, meeting his expectant gaze.

"I love you, Sheldon Lee Cooper," she said, smiling. "And God, yes. I want to marry you."

Sheldon's grin widened as he tilted his head, nodding in quick approval. "Alright, then," he said, leaning close. "Let's do this."

And they did.

The end. Finally.

So there you have it. It's been a long, fun ride, and I hope you have enjoyed it.

I'm so thankful for your patience. When I look at the date that I began this, I'm extremely embarrassed, to say the least. I hope you found it to be worth the effort to wait on me.

I'd love to get your feedback on the story as a whole. This is the first time I've tried anything like this, and I realize that it's different, and that I attempted to take on heavy topics. I also realize that many times this story became frustrating, but I hope there were enough cheesy, soft (and a few steamy) moments to make up for it. Please let me know.

Again, thank you for reading. :)