The showgirl and the scientists!
Amy's mother is a showgirl and comedian in Reno: REALLY! What should Sheldon do? How can he follow the important social convention? This is the second chapter of the fic that postulates that Bette Milder should play Amy's mother in The Big Bang Theory. MILD SPOILERS FOR SEASON 5 EPISODES 23 +24.
1am
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Knock, Knock, Knock "Amy".
Amy appeared at the door dazed and confused.
"I need to talk to you." He whispered desperately. He hadn't been able reach his REM cycle. All he knew was he couldn't lose her. She was his thy'la – the Vulcan word meaning friend/love... soul mate.
Amy hovered at the door wearing his flash t-shirt. Sheldon smiled and pecked her lips. She was adorable when she was sleepy. He knew: we had to do this: he could no longer function without her. And if Mrs Fowler wouldn't ... He remembered the conversation with her mother.
"Sheldon" Mrs Fowler said pointedly. She had always refused to call him by his given name. "Are you going to tell Amy about her adoption?"
"You want me to keep a secret?" Sheldon replied unnerved sitting at the edge of his seat. "I can't make that promise. I can't keep secrets at the best of times but from Amy. It's impossible... It's against my code. She's going to be my wife..."
"You're engaged?" the woman said even more distraught.
"No," he quickly replied regretting his blunder. "I love you daughter Mrs Fowler. I love her more than string theory, physics or my desire to get a Noble prize. I would like your blessing..."
"No you can't have my blessing" she spat. "Not until you promise me your silence! This news would devastate her."
"I promise that I won't tell her!" he said standing up. "Because you need to tell her Mrs Fowler... she's going to be my wife, its important!"
"I can't do that. We're at a stalemate Dr Cooper..." she said determinately. "I will not tell Amy. You have promised me you won't and if you can't keep this secret – end your relationship with my daughter. I suggest you leave this house tomorrow."
"Fine!" he said standing. "I will wish you goodnight!"
"Amy we need to go..." Sheldon whispered without further hesitation.
"Go?" she asked.
"Yes go!" he replied. "Immediately, I need you to trust me snuggles – we have to go for a drive north right now."
4am
After being on the road for two hours Amy needed a rest and some coffee. They stopped at a diner and she snoozed on his shoulder while silently he planned the rest of their trip. He decided to turn Amy's phone off because she was driving. He would only use his for navigation and music. He had to do this; he had to follow this social convention so that she would always be his.
7am
Sheldon and Amy had been on the road for two hours when his phone started to buzz. They were heading north, stopping for breakfast in a roadside dinner when Amy's curiously overcame her.
"Sheldon, will you tell me where we're going?"
"Reno" he said before taking a bit of toast.
"Reno?" she repeated in disbelief.
"Yes!" he said before using his koala face. Amy knew she'd not get any more out of him.
"Can I have my phone to call my mother?" Amy asked.
"I believe it is turned off in the car!" Sheldon admitted. "You can contact her once we're in Reno... Don't worry I left her a note explaining everything. They continued their breakfast in companionable silence until Sheldon asked:
"Now let me ask you something... Why were you wearing my t-shirt for bed?" he said rubbing the back of his neck again. "I know you brought sleepwear of your own."
"Yesterday morning I woke and smelt your pheromones around me." Amy said awkwardly. "I presume that I had a night terror and you calmed me." Sheldon nodded so she continued. "Thank you but since then your neck has been in pain. I thought it best to substitute you for your t-shirt to aid my REM cycle." She finished, watching him trying to deal his ache away. "Sheldon may I try that please? As it does come under the purview of boo boos and ouches!"
She used her knowledge of the nervous system to manipulate his neck and deal with the ache. The diner was almost empty, and their booth was secluded so no one would question them. Not even when Sheldon quietly moaned.
"Oh Amy – your hands really are magic!" This made her smile. A year ago he would never had let her touch him at all – now it gave him pleasure. It gave her pleasure that they had this intimacy.
"Sheldon" Amy enquired coyly enjoying the fact her boyfriend was at her complete mercy. "Why are we going to Reno?" To her surprise he tensed back up and pulled away.
"I can't tell you right now but it is important." He assured her.
"Alright..." Amy said sitting back down. "May I propose that we visit Aunty C while we're there? We could stay in the hotel she works in. I haven't seen her since you met Stephen Hawkins."
"Agreed" said Sheldon without hesitation. "I would like to meet the woman you share so many similarities with."
Amy was going to continue the conversation when Sheldon got up announcing. "I'm going to void my bladder before we head off." Before he left he touched her fingers; Amy sighed.
Sheldon headed bathroom-wards hoping that Amy wouldn't want to retrieve her phone from the car or call her mother. He checked his messages; from his voicemail be knew Mrs Fowler was up and angry. As was his mother, Leonard, Penny, Missy, Raj, Howard and Bernadette. He decided not to respond to any communication, lest Mrs Fowler should try and stop them.
2pm
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sheldon Lee Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D. and Sc.D. A Loving boyfriend and Caltech's favourite Theoretical Physicist!" the older blond at the bar said with a smile. He'd walked into the hotel bar to wait for Amy; adhering to their non-room-entering policy. Quickly he turned to look at the person addressing him. She was wearing casual warm up clothes; different hues of green that made her eyes sparkle. Her accent was from the Bronx; softened by Reno's warmth.
"Excuse me?" Sheldon asked curiously. "How did you..?"
"What are you kidding me?" She said ironically. "Sheldon you tweet your every activity? You're a veritable Agatha Christie of micro-blogging! And when you don't update of twenty hours your friends, family and fans have a cow!"
She had come-hither hips, a sassy smile and eyes that couldn't be cruel. There were also other shared characteristics. This lady was definitely Cecilia Sanderson: Amy's biological mother. To his surprise he recognised her for another reason too.
"Showgirlgonefunny?" he asked astounded.
"I prefer to go by Cecilia but I am showgirlgonefunny on twitter: Hi!" she smiled.
"You follow me on twitter!" he exclaimed realising that this meant she knew a lot about him. What else did she know? Before they could engage in a private conversation, he heard Amy arrive.
"Aunty C?" she squealed walking over to his companion with unusually open arms and body language.
"Of course I follow you on twitter... you're in a loving relationship with Amy!" she muttered before turning her full attention to Amy. "You look so beautiful; despite how you're hiding that gorgeous figure." She took in every inch of Amy clearly delighted. Then, she sighed: "You crazy kids must be in love!"
"I'm not crazy!" Sheldon interjected trying to catch her eye.
"He's not. His mother got him tested."Amy confirmed as her Aunt looked at her. "How did you even know we were here?"
"You always stay here in my hotel; you're such a creature of habit!" Aunty C responded looking at both of them. "Let's go to my dressing room" Aunty C added grabbing Amy's arm and leading the way.
There was no small talk between the bar and the dressing room backstage. Sheldon was fascinated; it was like some strange away mission to another planet; performing arts! Cecilia's dressing room was covered in props, music sheets and photos. There were a lot of photos of Cecilia with famous people but the pictures that had pride of place were those of Amy.
Amy in the Bugsy Malone outfit, Amy on stage performing, Amy riding a bike, Amy's official graduation photos and a framed copy of every article she'd ever written. This collection strongly reminded him of his Meemaw's house.
"Sit down please Amy..." Cecilia said indicating to the couch before adding: "Sheldon, take as long as you need to find 'your spot'. I want you to be comfortable. I have some yoohoo's in the fridge if you'd like."
"Thank you. That would be lovely!"
As he looked for possible locations he was surprised at how gracious she was being. Nobody had ever been so understanding; so patient so he was comfortable. Then, he thought about how wonderful Amy was when he needed order and control. They truly were a pair.
After a short amount of small talk about the drive, their work and small family matters a question bust from Amy's Aunty.
"The current twitter-verse theory is that you're eloping in Reno!" Cecilia beamed embracing her 'niece' again. Amy looked at her Aunt blankly. "When you two went digitally and physiologically MIA your friends tried to contact you through every which way. Which led to a long and interesting twitter debate: Howard eventually tracked Sheldon's phone."
"They tracked Sheldon's phone?" Amy said.
"It's actually not that hard" Sheldon interjected. He needed to speak about facts rather than the actions of their friends. "Anyone can do it. What's more, it's not even illegal. In fact, anyone can match up caller IDs for the entire U.S... Howard probably would have hacked the SS7 public switched network routes to pinpoint the location of a cell phone number and thus us. He could have used the Home Location Register (HLR), which cellular networks use to determine phone location. According to CNET, the HLR is normally only available to telecoms but is now available for a few through a few European companies and of course Howard who has NASA clearance."
The two women looked at him clearly interested. Amy was relieved her Aunt understood Sheldon's need for order, social conventions and being heard. While she just liked hearing his voice.
"Well, however they did it; they deducted your destination." Cecilia continued. "It was unlockedbythekripke that suggested the elopement! You're trending in Pasadena, #shamyeloping."
This woman was so similar to his Amy that it was absolute confirmation; even down to the organisation of the dressing room.
"Knew it!" Sheldon muttered to himself.
"We're not eloping" Amy said confidently before realising she didn't actually know why he wanted to come here. "This trip was Sheldon's idea!"
"So Sheldon..." Cecilia asked. "If you're not here to elope; why are you here?"
"Because..." Sheldon said slowly. "I've realised that Amy Farrah Fowler isn't only a brilliant scientist but she's a gifted performer. I would like to see her perform on stage with you tonight!"
7pm
Sheldon had fully expected for Amy and Cecilia to laugh at him after his unusual request. Instead, they'd accommodated him and spent hours on their routine before heading to the spa to pamper Amy. Sheldon scouted the Reno strip looking for places he could approve to eat and for activities a newly engaged couple could participate in. During that time he refused to go online and see his friend's reaction to his rash decision to flee to Reno with his girlfriend.
It felt so out of character for him. Who was he now? He wondered. Before he went to the bar he'd gotten changed into his chequered jacket and superman t-shirt.
He grinned as he handed over the hotel desk requesting that they look after the garment bag.
There were two woman at the bar wearing long black gown that hung off their shoulders. Their dresses had a slip up the side exposing a shapely leg. The older woman had her wavy hair pinned; dyed strawberry blonde while the younger's brunette hair was curled and flowing. Their body language was mirrored as they ate ice-cream sundaes taking in hushed tones and giggling.
Sheldon had once confessed to his friends that he thought that if he'd be 'enslaved it would be by an advance species from another planet not some hotsy totsy from Glendale'. For him, it was hugely she was the epitome of hotsy totsy. A higher class physically appealing, or 'hot hottie' woman. She was more beautiful than Penny... her size 6 figure was perfectly womanly.
Suddenly, he was reminded of that time they played Star Trek role play and Amy had been dressed in the original series medical uniform. She'd been his fantasy – from the sixties when offices were enticingly curvy.
"Jeepers!" he muttered to himself.
"Sheldon Lee Cooper what are you doing?" his mother's voice snapped him out of the Amy induced daydream. Amy and Cecilia turned round before he did. Amy had undoubtedly caught his expression of desire. For a second he looked deeply into her eyes; he needed to express that love. A moment was enough of that.
Why was his mother in Reno? Sheldon turned to look at his mother and found that she had a backing group; namely his friends and Mrs Fowler.
For the next chapter I have two routines. 1) I could continue this scene from Sheldon's reaction to his 'guests' or 2) I could take a look at how the gang and mothers coped with Shamy's sudden unexplained Reno trip... What do you think?