Sheldon's S.O.P.

First off, I despise Leonard and Amy. Leonard is NOT a nice guy. Amy is more depraved than Howard is, in my opinion. But I love the actors Johnny Gaelcki and Mayim Bialik.

That being said, read this if you want to know how Sheldon got his quirks, in my opinion. Read this if you want to see how I get Sheldon and Penny together and read this to see what I do to Leonard. Do I really need to say there will be a character death?

Flamers and Shamys you are warned up front about this so I suggest you either don't read it or don't review it as I have a delete button. I am also made of sterner stuff, so your bullying tactics won't work.

I also dedicate this to Reparata.

Chapter 1

Since Penny had come into the guy's lives, her free time had changed. One of the thing was she got to drive Sheldon around when she lost a bet to him. That's why she was here at The Comic Book Store on a Wednesday evening; for New Comic Book Night.

Amy had pushed Sheldon faster and harder than he had liked. He had finally realized that she was trying to change him into somebody he wasn't, and in a spectacular fit of un-Sheldon like emotion had broken it off with her. Penny agreed with Sheldon on the why, which upset her 'bestie' to no-end. Amy then tendered her "best-friend" position and was moving over-seas to continue her research.

At the same time Penny was realizing that Leonard was only interested in keeping her as the 'hot-girlfriend.' Their relationship had cooled after she had told him that she wasn't happy with the way he treated her. She may love Leonard, but she had come to the conclusion that she wasn't 'in-love' with him.

"So Stuart how's the old social life?" Penny asked. There was no way she could keep up with all the different comics, so she didn't try. Instead she stood by the front counter waiting like a mother hen on her charges. She knew Sheldon's favorites; he had told her often enough. Aside from them, she didn't know why they kept changing, launching, re-launching and re-imagining all the stories. It was just confusing to her.

Shaking like he was a bobble head doll, Stuart replied, "I'm 'dating'" using air quotes, "a girl from Minnesota. She's a graphic design student. We talk about comics and snow verses sun. We are Skyping tonight after I close. It's fun." When Stuart talked, it always reminded Penny of a guy walking around with a rain cloud over his head. He seemed perpetually blah.

"That's nice."

There wasn't anything she could do to help Stuart; that ship had sailed. The rest of her group was fun, mostly, and she liked looking out for them. They did the same for her. Just because they marched to the beat of their own drums, who was she to say? She had taken flak when people found out she used to rodeo in Nebraska. She had no problem being protective of her friends. So when a large guy silently approached Sheldon from the rear, wrapped his arms around him, picked him up and shook him, she was startled for only a moment and then moved to go Junior Rodeo Champion on his ass.

Before she could make it over to rescue Sheldon, the man gently set him down. Sheldon quickly spun around to face his attacker and froze.

"A-ten-hut!" The man said softly to Sheldon with a small grin.

Penny noticed that the strangest thing happened. Sheldon immediately snapped to attention; back straight, head up, eyes forward, arms at his side.

The big man slowly looked him up and down. After a few seconds he broke into a big grin, "At ease!"

Sheldon relaxed and she was surprised by his reaction; he smiled! Not a smirk or a Joker smile, but an honest-to-God smile! Then she saw him do something she had never seen him do; he clasped hands and briefly embraces the big guy. Penny didn't know who was more shocked, her or the guys.

They all slowly approached Sheldon and the big man who were both talking and laughing.

"Want to get us caught up Sheldon?" Leonard inquired.

Still smiling that warm smile (who knew), Sheldon explained, "Penny, everyone, this is…" he looked at the man seemingly unsure what to call him.

The big guy stuck out his hand to Leonard, "James Williams." Nodding to Sheldon, "We went to school together."

Shaking hands with everyone, his smile widen when he saw Penny. Elbowing Sheldon he said, "You always were a lady's man Coop."

If Penny's eyebrows could have gone higher than her head they would have. Being called Coop and a lady's man; Sheldon? When Sheldon didn't say anything except turn crimson, they stayed there.

The spell was broken by "The Emperor's March" ringtone. Sheldon quickly got out his phone. "Yes Dr. Gablehauser? What? Yes. I have Howard, Raj and Leonard with me. Yes, we can be there shortly." Closing his phone he sighed, "There's been a small accident at the lab, and our presence is requested." Sheldon said looking at the guys.

"Anybody hurt?" Asked Penny concerned.

Rotating his head to loosen up nerves, "No, but the fire set off the sprinkler system so we need to go assess the damage to our different areas." Sheldon looked at the group and started issuing orders, "Leonard can drive us and then we can meet…James later to eat. Penny, would you please escort him to The Cheesecake Factory?" Turning to look at the big man, "Is that acceptable to you sir?"

The big man's eyes fill with something, but then he smiles and grin, "Coop, I'd go anywhere with this lovely lady."

Sheldon nodded. Leonard looked upset, still laboring under the assumption he would end up with her. Everyone just nodded at one another and started moving.

As they got to the door, Leonard slowed down to a crawl looking over his shoulder at James and Penny talking, "Come on Leonard!" Sheldon commanded, "I need to see if the water damaged any of my boards! Move it!"

Penny shook her head at the strange turn of events.

"I guess you get to play tour guide."

"Yeah, but this and The Cheesecake Factory tend to be the only places we can really go right now. You probably don't get into 'new comic book night.'" Penny said noticing the lack of any comic emblems on his person.

Stuart leaned against his counter watching the people move through his store. "You the owner?" James said stopping.

Stuart stood a little straighter, "Yes. Something I can help you with?"

Looking around, James said, "You have a nice place. Clean. Well lit, good stock from what I see. You don't do much in RPGs or cards do you?"

Blinking at the question, Stuart replied, "Not really. I can get anything you need, but I only stock comics and supplies."

"I don't have time right now to look over your back stock," as he motioned to Penny, "but do you have any war comics? I'm looking for Weird War, Sgt. Rock, Haunted Tank, things like that?"

Stuart did a quick mental flip of his inventory; he knew what he had in his store, "Not much call for those older DC titles. I can look and see. I can get a hold of you through Sheldon?"

"Yes. Please let him know what you got. I'm trying to fill up some blank spots in my collection."

Nodding his understanding "Got it." James held out his hand; Stuart shook it.

Turning and walking out the door, Penny just stared.

He looked so normal, she thought.

Exiting the store, Penny led the way to her vehicle. As they got in she looked at him, "Ok, I got to ask: You look normal and yet what you were talking to Stuart indicates to me this ain't your first rodeo. And that was a nice thing you said to him. I know he takes pride in his store."

"Well I know what it's like. I owned a store and put a lot of hard work into it. Blood, sweat and tears, not to mention a ton of money. He has a nice place."

"I know, but I'm still relatively new to all of this and I didn't understand; RPGs? Cards?"

Laughing, "Yeah, Coop never continued much as a Gamer."

Taken back at that, Penny retorted, "Oh then you don't know; we have Halo night, online Age of Conan, vintage video game night…"

Holding up his hand, "That's not the kind of gaming I mean. I am a Gamer. Yes, I play computer games, just as Coop will play RPGs. I'll play anything. But Gamer, with a big 'G' refers to role play games. Pen and paper games, with dice. Cards are the different collectible card games, or CCG's. Usually it means Magic;but there are others."

"Wow, how do you know so much about all that?"

"The store I owned was a game and comic store. Not as many comics as what Stuart has, but I did have a good selection. I did mostly the gaming aspect."

"You don't have it any more? Sheldon would have loved knowing someone who owned a store like that."

"Oh he knew. I shipped him a lot of stuff. He got a Helluva discount. But I sold it about 10 years ago to my manager. He had to shut it down after a couple of years. It something you either have a passion for or don't."

"Sounds like you regret selling."

Sighing, "Yeah, I was stupid. My manager was a nice guy, just not really business savvy. Also, a lot of people who open stores like that tend to feed their habit. It's like a drug dealer who uses his own product. You have to remember why you are doing it."

They drove in silence after that. Penny slid a couple of glances over at him. Since he was larger than most of her passengers he had to adjust the seatbelt harness to accommodate him. Then he just leaned his arm out of the window and watched the scenery go by. How did Sheldon know him and why hadn't he been around before? Was he embarrassed by her...uh, the group? Or was Sheldon embarrassed of him?

"Um, Penny?"

She shook herself from her daydream, "Yeah?"

He motioned with his head at the traffic light, "Where I'm from, green means go. Maybe here it means something else…"

Her face flushing, she floored the accelerator.

"So how do you know Sheldon?"

"Oh Coop and I went to school together."

"So you met him when he went to school in Texas?"

Shaking his head, "Nope, before that. When he was at military school."

She whipped her head around so fast that she knew she twisted something, "What?"

"Penny…. Light. Red light. Red light! Stop!" He seemed to be trying to stomp on some imaginary brake pedal.

Slamming on the breaks in front of the stop light she was still looking at him when the car stopped.

Sighing, and breaking into a sweat, more than just from the heat, James said, "Look, get us to the restaurant in one piece, and I'll tell you how I know Coop."

Sitting at a table in The Cheesecake Factory, James relaxed with a sweet tea as Penny sipped water. She had received a text message from Sheldon stating that they would be at least another 45 minutes. This should be enough time to get some good background information.

"So you were going to tell me about Sheldon and military school?"

"Coop and I went to Kemper Military School & College in Boonville, Missouri. I was already there, an Old Boy, by the time he showed up. It was weird having a kid that young graduating high school with me. "

"I thought he went to the University of Texas?"

"He did for his later degree. But his folks thought it was a good idea for him to go to Kemper. His father had attended, so it was a family tradition. Coop got his high school diploma and then his associate's degree before going onto his first PhD."

"How old was he when he went to this military school?" Penny was a little upset thinking about a young Sheldon, alone at military school. Scared. No one to sing him Soft Kitty.

"About 12, I believe."

Something clicked in Penny's mental Rolodex. Not having a super computer for a brain or eidetic memory, she had to rely on cues from words she remembered. Something about Sheldon being 12…

"Was this after the time he tried to buy something on the Internet?"

James looked her in the eyes, "You know about that?"

"Oh yeah. His mom was up once and explained how he tried to buy some uranium off the internet and the FBI came by and had a talk with him."

"They had done more than talk. It was 'suggested' that Coop attend Kemper. The government figured they could keep an eye on him, without 'officially' keeping an eye on him. Mrs. Cooper thought it was a good idea. She's a real sweet lady."

"Sounds like you know the family well."

For the first time James squirmed in his seat, "I know all of them yes."

"So what was Sheldon like at that age?"

"Like any 12 year old boy with a genius IQ I guess. As a 'New Boy' he hated it. But he was the best New Boy I had. Hell, he was the best in the whole frikkin' company. All it took was for you to tell him something once, and it was written in stone after that. Usually we had to drill it into the New Boy's heads. But he knew the schedule after one day; up at 5:30, shower, sh—use the bathroom, clean your room, orderlies and make sure your uniform was ready. He never got any strikes for any infraction."

"He still does that!" Penny said excitedly. "He gets up at the same time every day. He even has his bathroom visits plotted out." She says almost to herself, "And he still tries to issue me strikes."

Scratching his ear and making a face, James said, "Really? Hmmmm, I might have to take some of the blame for that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we told them, New Boys basically had to ask permission to do anything. So here was this kid, 12 years old, tall, skinny, scared, reporting in to me. Knock, knock, knock, 'Sergeant Williams.' Knock, knock, knock. 'New Cadet Cooper, Sheldon L.' knock, knock, knock, 'requests permission to speak to you, Sergeant!' I thought he was being a smart-ass asking about when he could use the bathroom, not realizing that when Coop asked you something he was being serious."

"You got that right."

"So I told him he had to plan them out and let me know when he was going. Dam if he didn't."

"Oh My God!"

"What's wrong?"

Penny was stunned. She sat there thinking to herself, So THIS is where Sheldon gets some of his quirks! From getting up early, the bathroom time, Hell, even his knocking. This guy is a gold mine of information about Sheldon. I still wonder why, after 5 years, Sheldon has never mentioned him or said anything about him. Here I thought we were his only friends. And why am I so interested in knowing about Sheldon? I mean he says we're best friends, and so I guess it's normal to want to know as much about your friend…

James cocked his head and looked at her as she sat there staring off into space. He furled his brows as she seemed to be off in her own little world. His phone vibrated and he saw a text from Sheldon:

Sir, ETA 10 minutes. Sit Rep Please.

He texted back:

I think I broke your friend.

End of chapter 1.

Yes, there was a Kemper Military School & College in Boonville, Missouri. Yes I went there for 6 years. Did the things that happen in this story actually happen?

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