Progeny paradigm
Whilst adhering to an important social convention Sheldon notices something wrong at Amy's mother's house. There are a lot of Beaches references in this fic because I believe the only person who can play Mrs Fowler next season is Bette Milder. MILD SPOILERS FROM SEASON 5 episodes 23 + 24.
6pm
Sheldon had been in Glendale for less than hour when the puzzle had presented itself. Mrs Fowler was a very kind woman and had seemly forgiven him for their first encounter via Skype. She'd welcomed him into her home and allowed them to settle in themselves.
Sheldon was taking Amy's bags to her room, when he noticed the family photo's surrounding him. There were a host of people, some that had familiar characteristics, most didn't. In Amy's room he took time to observe her from her possessions. Among the evidence of girlhood spent studying science was other memorabilia.
He continued to look round. Unlike her home; this room was awash with photographs. This included a rather large picture of him on her bedside table.
One picture in particular stood out; young Amy and a woman he didn't know. They had the same shaped eyes, mouth and bone structure. In the photo their hair was almost red and wild with curls. The young Amy looked at the woman with complete love; a look that was reciprocated by the woman.
There was a picture in Amy dressed in a tutu spinning with the red headed lady; Amy playing her harp and Amy singing on stage dressed like an extra from Bugsy Malone.
"Suddenly I want to email Amy from a year ago!" Amy said from the doorway not wanting to enter her room with him inside it. Sheldon looked over and saw her twisting her hair around her finger. He sighed.
"Amy is that you on stage?" he asked sitting on her bed primly.
"That's just something my Aunt Cecilia got me to do when I spent summer with her in Atlantic City..." Amy replied dismissively. "Aunty C thought I'd be a child star like she once was. I sang 'Glory of Love' and had a routine but I didn't like it very much. So Aunty C taught me the harp instead. She's very musical; like me!" Amy beamed.
"Alright!" he smiled glancing between the red headed woman and Amy. A moment later, he stood and walking towards her. "I'll just go unpack."
Sheldon would be sleeping in the guest room next to Amy's. They'd agreed not to come into each other's rooms in the interests of priority and their mother's joint happiness. As he passed by he ran a finger against her skin. It was a really a compulsion now; even the slightest psychical contact made him happier.
"HOOO!" she breathed.
"Indeed!" he smiled.
Science and Amy were the foundations of his existence now. Hence why they were there; visiting her mother to follow an important non-negotiable social convention. Meemaw had told him it was non-negotiable as a child and that was good enough for him.
Sheldon knew he had to stop thinking about it. He concentrated 'the niggling' idea rattling around his head. Amy was only vaguely like Mrs Fowler. They shared some mannerism and language similarities but physical genetic elements were missing. The parallels were nurture rather than nature in orientation.
7pm
He had a hypothesis but needed evidence. That evening, to distract Amy from playing her harp he asked to see pictures of her as a child. He needed to hear stories of her childhood from herself and her mother. The progeny paradigm plagued him. Amy looked like the pictures of her father; there were physical similarities between them. The more he saw a younger version of Mrs Fowler the more he was convinced; Mr Fowler was related to Amy, Mrs Fowler was not.
8pm
For Amy the most unusual and fascinating part of the evening was when Sheldon requested her rendition of 'Glory of Love'. When she pointed out she need musical accompaniment; he offered his skills as a pianist. As a surprise, Amy found the pink fascinator and feather bower used once performed with.
She stood against the archway between the dining and living room. Sheldon saw her take on the mantel of a performer and it transformed her. He found it enticing. Then, in a voice he'd never heard she began: "Hit it cuddles:"
You've got to give a little, take a little,
And let your poor heart break a little.
That's the story of, that's the glory of love.
You've got to laugh a little, cry a little,
Until the clouds roll by a little.
That's the story of, that's the glory of love.
As long as there's the two of us,
We've got the world and all its charms.
And when the world is through with us,
We've got each other's arms.
You've got to win a little, lose a little,
Yes, and always have the blues a little.
That's the story of, that's the glory of love.
That's the story of, that's the glory of love.
He'd heard her singing many times during at Boyfriend/Girlfriend Sing-Along Night; but never like this. She insisted on doing it twice; once with her childhood adornment and the rest in a more mature fashion. Amy sung like she knew what the lyrics meant. Sheldon was amazed at the difference.
10am
He now knew with a degree of certainly that his deduction was correct. This was an unfortunate conclusion because he was here, spending the weekend with Amy and Mrs Fowler to follow an important social convention. If Sheldon and Amy were going to enter into a state of martial monogamy he needed to seek approval from her parents. In this case her mother.
Why did this always happen to him? He thought as he went to bed. His eidetic memory betrayed him as it replayed how soft Amy's skin had been beneath his fingers earlier. The beauty of her voice soothed him until he concluded: The sooner she's Dr Amy Farrah Cooper the better!
2am
"ARRR! NOOOO... DON'T PLEASE!" the ear splitting cries ripped through the house.
"DANGER! DANGER!" he sat up quickly. Realising that Amy was in need. He leapt to his feet, skidded out of the door and was at Amy's side before his brain processed what he was doing. Amy was wrestling with her covers clearly terrified, sweat poured and her eyes were wide open.
Sheldon flung himself between her, the headboard and bedside table; protecting her from danger. His peripheral vision detected Mrs Fowler hovering at the door. He ignored her. Then, he spoke very calmly:
"Amy everything is going to be alright. I love you. You love me and as long as there's the two of us we've got each other's arms." Irrationally, he wanted to hold her to give her more comfort but he knew from prior experience that that was a bad idea. Mrs Fowler had melted back to her room and he was sure she'd mention this tomorrow. He didn't care. His Thy'la... love and future wife needed him. He continued whispering words of comfort until the she was at peaceful again.
Relief washed over him and he promised himself he'd only linger for a few minutes before returning to the guest bedroom. Their breathing synchronised and soon their REM cycles coincided.
6:30am
It seemed like moments but the next time Sheldon opened his eyes mornings light was streaming through the curtains. He looked down towards Amy who was curled in a ball beside him. A smile played at his lips as he rose from the bed and snuck outside. His future wife was peaceful again. Sheldon loved calling her that; in his head she already was his. From the moment he grabbed her hand as Howard was hurtled into space.
As he exited her room, he bumped into Mrs Fowler.
"Hello Dr Cooper!" she said semi-sternly. "How did you sleep?"
"Fine thank you Mrs Fowler!" He whispered massaging his neck. "Amy... needed me!"
"I heard!" she said. "Shall we resume this conversation downstairs?"
"Alright" he said meekly. "But I need to void my bladder first." He smiled, nodded and headed to the bathroom. Mrs Fowler blinked rapidly and headed downstairs thinking God really has made Dr Cooper for Amy.
After his ablutions, Sheldon walked downstairs calmly reminding himself of all he'd accomplished, how much he loved quantum physics and how perfectly they'd scheduled the entire weekend. In his pocket he carried Meemaw's engagement ring. Everything would be orderly and was in their control.
"What would you like for breakfast Dr Cooper?"
"On Saturday's I have Oatmeal" he replied hopefully before bravely adding. "But I'll have whatever is the most convenient thing for you, Mrs Fowler!"
"You were very skilled at calming my daughter last Dr Cooper; have you done it often?" she asked a little on edge.
"Quite often!" he confessed looking directly at her. It was true. Whenever the girls had sleepovers, Sheldon was fetched to deal with Amy's terrors. There had been occasions when Amy had slept over at his house, when he had slept at hers and when they and their friends had been away together resulting in the same practiced routine. Him quietly pouring out the squishy irrational thought and feelings he had for her.
Mrs Fowler stiffened. Her reaction was remarkably like Amy's so Sheldon knew something was wrong.
As Mrs Fowler made Oatmeal he felt compelled to adhere to another social convention.
"Mrs Fowler, I feel it's important for me to apologise" he started ordering his thoughts. "Three years ago, we met via Skype. Amy and I told you that we had a relationship with intercourse. It was a ruse. You see at the time, Amy was my friend that was a girl. Not my girlfriends. At that time we had a relationship of the mind; which was stimulating. We engaged in no physical contact, no unhygienic exchanging of saliva and definitely no coitus. Amy wanted to please you by demonstrating that we had a socially conventional relationship and seeing as we'd known each other for six months and met on a dating site... Saying we engaged in coitus and yearned for each other made sense."
"Excuse me!" Mrs Fowler tried to interject. Not wanting to think about her daughter engaging in that kind of relationship; regretting ever forcing Amy to date.
"We never have engaged in coitus!" he reassured his unsuspecting future mother-in-law.
There was an uneasy silence that reminded Sheldon of when Amy was displeased. Silently, the woman continued to make Oatmeal on the stove. Bubbling with feelings she couldn't articulate she served her guest's breakfast.
"Thank you Mrs Fowler!" he said politely.
"Will you promise me never to engage in coitus?" Mrs Fowler asked out of the blue. Her question gave him pause. Amazingly, it was a promise he knew he couldn't keep. 'Homo novus' recognised his desire to 'pon-farr' with Amy. Levelly her responded:
"I can promise you, our relationship shall proceed within a social paradigm that will be agreeable to Amy, my mother and you..." Mrs Fowler looked at him afresh.
From upstairs they heard the pipes being used, indicating that they'd soon gave company.
"May I request that we continue this conversation later Mrs Fowler?" he asked. Amy's mother nodded stunned. "Then, I shall find a way to occupy Amy so we can further this discussion." He smiled.
Amy came down obvious of the important conversation that was being undertaken.
"Good morning Mother!" Amy said brightly giving her cheek a peck. "Good morning Sheldon. Our tour of Glendale leaves here at 9am; we're going to historical landmarks and I've even arranged special tours for you!" Sheldon gazed at his girlfriend reflecting: Amy's so wonderful.
8:30am
Breakfast was nice but Sheldon still was uneasy. A restless REM cycle of comforting and thinking, resulting in a conversation with Mrs Fowler was stimulus enough to inspire Sheldon to action.
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Amy opened the door and he gave her a genuine smile.
"Hello – cuddles what can I do for you?" Amy said brightly hugging her doorway to prevent her from flirting with him too much.
"I was wondering whether you still intend on making dinner?" he asked innocently hugging the door. "Because it states in the relationship agreement that... you'll make me dinner when we're away, and on Fridays and I like your cooking... Snuggles!" finished bashfully. Then, he looked into her eyes and he extended his two fingers towards her. She smiled and met them half way. It was a Vulcan kiss and she knew that in this unfamiliar place this was what he was comfortable with.
Their fingers touched, he licked his lips and her cerebral cortex produced oxytocin in overdrive with a veritable: "WHOOO!" as the effect.
"I love you Amy Farrah Fowler!" he said with a smile.
"I love you too Sheldon Lee Cooper!" she grinned, blissfully happy.
12pm
They'd been to many hidden treasures of Pasadena but his mind wouldn't switch off. The more the day went on, the more Sheldon's hypothesis was confirmed. He knew that before he bridged the subject of Mrs Fowlers consent; he needed to find out whether or not Amy knew.
7pm
Amy made them all dinner, spaghetti with little sausages, Texas toast and parmesan. Sheldon offered to help her mother wash up so they could talk.
"Mrs Fowler" Sheldon began in a quiet voice. "Who are Amy's parents?"
"What?" Mrs Fowler asked dropping the plate she was washing into the sink. That was not what she'd been expecting. She had expected this young man to ask for her daughters hand in marriage.
"I noticed that Amy looks like her father but other than some slight behavioural similarities; she is not your biological daughter." Amy's mother didn't know what to say. She looked into his crystal blue eyes surprised. "Does Amy know?" He asked in a low voice. Fierily, she silently shuck her head.
"No she doesn't know about Cecilia" she whispered collapsing onto a chair. "Her name is Cecilia Sanderson. Cecilia was a child star from Atlantic City, then a singer. My brother-in-law fell in love with her. They married but her ambition burned so brightly after she fell pregnant with Amy. Their relationship couldn't take it. He was a doctor and one night became sick... by morning he was dead."
"I'm so sorry for your loss!" Sheldon exclaimed automatically. He sat next to her and listened; realising that Amy didn't know. If she had done then it would have been on their full disclosure information when they'd first started to talk about combining their DNA for a brighter tomorrow.
"It was a long time ago, Sheldon." She sighed. "We couldn't have children Mr Fowler and I... When Amy was born she was a blessing. We adopted her."
"What happened to Cecilia?"
"She's a showgirl and comedian in Reno!"
I have enjoyed this first try at a Shamy fic. I've only been watching The Big Bang Theory for three weeks. Mainly due to how compelling Amy and Sheldon are. Do you think it should continue? I have an idea of the destination but not the route.
Thy'la: Vulcan word friend/lover/soulmate
What do you think about Bette Midler playing Amy's mother?