He had enjoyed the meal Sheldon admitted. And this morning, although it felt longer ago than that now, when he had smuggled his phone out to text Penny he had hoped maybe that he could meet them more regularly. But in the space of one conversation with his mother he could understand why Ramona was right. He could not achieve the things he wanted surrounded by people who did not understand.
His mother, he knew, would never understand; her overemotional approach to life and family and God would always come into conflict with his need to find answers. He had been fighting it all his life and now, so close to his prize, he couldn't let her control him again.
Leonard, Howard and Raj understood a little. They understood the basics at least Sheldon acknowledged. They did not however have his drive and ambition, so easily sidetracked by their constant need for sexual gratification and the constant pursuit of relationships.
Penny, in some ways, understood the most. While her dream was only to become an actress she still showed the ambition and stubborn tenacity to keep plugging away, however fruitless and misguided that dream may be. She would have, he was sure, a little understanding of standing so close to all he had hoped to achieve.
Amy... Sheldon frowned. He got confused whenever he thought of Amy these days. What had started as a friendship of two like-minded people had, he had to acknowledge, become more than that. She had found a way past his carefully crafted defences and he was forced to admit, if only to himself, that before Ramona had approached him with her proposal, his relationship had become more than just a shared love of science.
He had in fact enjoyed the evenings they had spent watching TV together or evening just talking about their respective days. He even missed hearing about the animals in her lab. When he had seen her at the cheesecake factory he realised how he wanted to hold her hand, how he had missed the reassuring squeeze she gave his fingers if she knew he was anxious or the way she unconsciously stroked the back of his hand with her thumb. And the memory of her lips touching his and her soft flesh in the palm of his hand... Sheldon shivered and forced himself to refocus.
Hearing she had another man had hurt more than he had ever expected, and he knew that it was this reason, that had caused him to text Penny. He wanted, no needed, to know if he had lost her.
He had thought she would understand. By ending their relationship he was wanting to break the schedule he had set for the both so he could undertake Ramona's new one. He had assumed he would get his work done, get his Nobel and then Amy would be there waiting for him. Maybe he hadn't been clear. Maybe if he had explained better...
He had sent the tweet because seeing her had brought back memories of their last night together, his promise to make their next date special. He knew she would never read it but sending it had given him a comfort. A hope or wish she may still be looking for the account, may still care.
With his mother angry she would not be willing to accept his explanations. He had never walk out on his mother before and he admitted, if only to himself, that he was surprised she hadn't followed him to give him a spanking as she had many times in his childhood. He knew if she spoke to Amy, which he was pretty sure she would knowing his mother, then she would find out Amy had spared no time in replacing him.
Sighing Sheldon looked at the timetable next to his bed. In 1 week he would be ready to submit his work. He was so close. He stood and made his way into the kitchen putting on the kettle. May be tea would help.
"Sheldon, I was not expecting you home yet. I thought you were working at the university." Ramona said surprise in her voice as she entered the room and watched him prepare, then accepted the tea Sheldon handed her
"My plans changed. My mother is here."
"What in the house?" Ramona frowned looking towards Sheldon's room.
"No, in LA. She was concerned I hadn't called, and she is mad."
"Well let the others deal with her, Sheldon you are so close."
"Yes I know; but you haven't met my mother." Sheldon muttered.
Ramona said nothing she watched Sheldon fuss with his tea and the said "Do you want to go back?"
Sheldon shrugged.
"You can, I am not holding you here I have told you that."
"I know."
"Is it the others, are they putting pressure on you?"
"No."
"Was it Amy?"
Sheldon shook his head.
Ramona looked at him and said "So it is just your mother?"
At his nod she replied, "Invite her here. Let her see how close you are to achieving your life's dream."
"It wont make any difference Ramona. She has never understood and showing her another set of whiteboards wont change that now."
"So what are you going to do?"
Taking a deep breath Sheldon said "Carry on. I am too close now to stop. I will call and invite her as you suggest but I wont stop now."
Satisfied Ramona said "How about as a treat to cheer you up we order pizza?"
"With sausage and olives?"
"Yes. But tomorrow we are right back on schedule."
Nodding Sheldon happily went to wash up.
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Satisfied Sheldon was back on track Ramona waited until he was settled in his room for the night and went to her desk. Without the others influencing him he was so much easier to manipulate. He had achieved so much and she knew if his work was submitted he was in with a real chance of winning the Nobel. She smirked. For all his brains and intelligence though Sheldon Cooper was not as clever as he thought he was.
Having denied her all those years ago of any recognition, she was going to make damn sure she got it this time. She was not babysitting him for nothing. Sure he would have got there on his own one day, of that she had no doubt, but it was thanks to her he would reach his goals this early and she intended to have her name on that prize.
Turning on her laptop Ramona pulled up the files on Sheldon's family.
Mary Cooper shouldn't prove too hard to handle she decided. Sheldon seemed to have resisted her so far otherwise he would have joined the ministry if Mary had her way. No the one Ramona had to watch for it seemed was the grandmother. Her influence seemed far greater. Closing the reports she had on his group of friends she picked up the phone Sheldon had left carelessly on the side, she was pleased to see other than one text to the waitress and tonight's visit to the apartment he had not been in contact. She had thought the girlfriend, if that's what she really was, would have been more of a problem; but Sheldon seemed unconcerned at anything other than his mother being in town. Typing up the notes from the day, making a mental note to stay close to Sheldon for the next few days, Ramona went to bed. She had not checked the history of cookies on Sheldon's phone or seen the twitter account he had set up via google.
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"You are not seriously going to go to dinner with them again?" Ramona asked in disbelief a week later.
"I had a call from my grandmother when I was at the university today." Sheldon admitted sheepishly. "She told me my behaviour was unacceptable and demanded I meet mother and apologise. As mother is flying home tomorrow I thought tonight was the ideal opportunity. I have so far managed to finish the draft of my proposal, it seems to check out and I intend to spend the rest of the week checking double checking and if necessary triple checking every detail before I get Gablehauser to view it Friday. Tonight though I intend to try to sooth my mothers wrath by sharing a meal with her before she flies home then I can focus on the things that matter."
"You wont be late?"
"No 10 at the latest."
"Shall I drive you?"
"No Penny is coming to collect me,"
Nodding, but not happy, Ramona made some tea and sat watching Sheldon. She had been right about the grandmother, calling at work not here or his cell, calling when she, Ramona, was not with him. But he seemed OK if a little quiet.
Tonight he was dressed more casually than the last time he had seen his friends, but his trousers and shirt were smart and his shoes shining unlike the god-awful two toned brown things she had taken great pleasure in burning on his arrival.
Seeing Sheldon smile at the knock on the door she half expected him to just leave but was shocked when he reappeared Penny in tow.
"Ramona," Penny smiled sweetly. "Sheldon, it seems, neglected to pass on the invitation to dinner tonight. His mother had hoped to meet you too."
"She did?" Ramona asked curiously.
"She did?" Sheldon asked at the same time his tone more disbelieving than Ramona's.
"Yes sweetie. Once she had calmed down and the guys explained how far your work had come she seemed keen to meet Ramona. But I should warn you she is hoping to get you and Amy back together."
Ramona snorted. "Yes well of course I can come if only to explain to her that Sheldon is past such romantic nonsense and this is in fact the reason his work has improved."
Saying nothing Sheldon just looked at Ramona nodding when Penny said "His mother doesn't always look at things like that, but of course you are welcome to try explaining it too her."
73
He felt like he was caught under a spotlight. Since arriving at the restaurant Sheldon had been bombarded by questions, first his mother had demanded to know how long he had known Ramona, as Ramona tried to answer each question Mary cut her off with a fierce stare and turned to Sheldon.
"Shelly it is not like you to be so quiet, and even more unusual for you to let someone else answer a question directed at you. Now I am going home tomorrow but I refuse to leave here without answers."
So Sheldon sat shifting uncomfortably as his mother fired question after question at him. He knew she was asking questions that were not just her own as there was no way she knew anything about the work he was doing. When he turned finally and glared at his friends he could see they were all trying to look sympathetic but were in fact listening carefully to each of his answers. The only people in fact not paying any attention were Amy and the buffoon she was sat next too. For some reason this annoyed him more than the blatant eavesdropping of the others.
Finally Mary seemed to run out of steam and sat watching Sheldon.
"What?" He snapped
"I just want you to be happy Shelly." She said softly patting the hand fisted on the table in front of him.
"I know" he nodded, "but I am happy. I am doing what I have always wanted to do mother and Ramona has made that possible." This final comment thrown in almost as a challenge caused Mary to bring Ramona under her scrutiny.
"So you are taking good care of my boy?"
"He is a man. But yes of course. It is in nobodies interest for Sheldon to be unhappy in any way."
"He wasn't unhappy before." Leonard said unable to sit and listen as Ramona made it sound as if they had made Sheldon so unhappy.
"He didn't think he was unhappy no, but he also was not achieving anything. He was surrounded by people with no ambition and hell bent on making sure Sheldon didn't succeed either."
"Now hang on a minute..." Penny snapped. But Ramona threw her a glance before continuing. "His so called best friend was one of those instrumental in making Sheldon look incompetent.
No. Time once wasted reading comics and playing video games is now utilised to ensure Sheldon is at the top of the game, both mentally and physically. You must have noticed his pallor is now no longer the pasty white brought about by no sunlight, his physique is toned and lean due to exercise and a healthy diet. So whatever his 'friends' may say I would challenge that I am in fact taking better care of him."
"But he was in a loving relationship," Mary said trying to ignore the giggling Amy who was talking to Ben and still paying them no attention. "He was happy."
Ramona shrugged "I think you can see for yourself neither Amy or Sheldon appear particularly heartbroken by the change in circumstance!" Drawing a reluctant Amy into the conversation Ramona said "Amy, is it not in fact true that at your last nostalgic get together you left long before the evening was over?"
Amy shrugged
"You see. If Amy was pining for Sheldon she would surely have called or text or tried to have some sort of contact via work but nothing. He has not exactly been ringing her phone off the hook either has he?" she grinned at Penny
"How do you know that?" Penny asked frowning "How do you know they have not been talking every day?"
Ramona hesitated for the briefest second before turning her back completely on Penny and saying to Mary "Surely you can see he is happy. As his mother you know him better than anyone, does he look stressed or maltreated? He isn't a prisoner. He doesn't want that old life now. No more comic books or visits to see a bunch of monkeys at the zoo. A life of scientific recognition this is what Sheldon wants."
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A/N: Once again many many thanks for all the reviews and messages! Ali x