"The Wolowitz Enigma…"
Summary: On a honeymoon trip/working seminar at CERN in Geneva, Sheldon and his minions and a somewhat frustrated Amy find themselves trapped in a bit of a mystery…
"Of course it should be "The Sheldon Cooper Enigma'…" "But Howard solved it…" "That's beside the point…" "It is the point, Sheldon…And you could mention that Penny's here and was integral to solving the mystery…" "Why?...You just did…"
Follows a bit the action of "Gran Mag"…And another not yet written…
Disclaimer: What's Chuck's is Chuck's…No infringement intended…
Part XI…
Genève Aéroport…About 10 am…
Arrivals…People scurrying about, families and couples reuniting...Others waiting, some alone, some not…Some eagerly scanning the arrivals boards or the hallways from the debarkation areas, others with somewhat less enthusiasm…Even a bit of trepidation…
Sheldon eyeing Amy…Amy, Sheldon…
"I'm sure it will be fine…" he noted, putting arm around her as they sat side-by-side, she with paper cup of hot chocolate in holder… "Everything was fine in Maine and at the wedding…"
"Thank you…" she leaned against him… "I know you're nervous about this, especially after what happened yesterday…"
"If this helps her…It's fine…It's odd, though…" he shook his head…
"What?..."
"I suddenly have this urge to call Missy and ask her how she is…"
"You should…" Amy nodded…
"Fascinating…" he shook head again… "I mean the effect you've had on me, Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper…"
"A good effect, I trust…?" she eyed him…
"I believe so…Even if it does seem I'm accumulating a truckload of social obligations I never before felt the need to acknowledge…Yes…It is…"
"Well, nothing that wasn't already there, Moonpie…" she rubbed her head against his arm… "Just needed to be brought out into the light…"
"I might have lived my whole life alone in the dark but for you…" he said suddenly… "Cathy, don't ever let anything happen to you…Nothing must ever happen to you…"
"I'll do my best…You, too, you know…Heathcliff…" she smiled at him…Then sighed…
"I know it's a frightening thing…Such a risk, giving your heart to me…So much to lose, now…It's terrifying…Just remember, it's the same for me…"
"It's true…" he nodded… "Amy…It's so terrifying and wonderful…And we are so like them, in our way…"
"Heathcliff and Cathy…Though I hope I never gave you cause to think I'd go with Edgar… Hofstadter or Bloom…Sweet as they are…" grin…
"Well then…As Stuart would suggest, the proper response is…Amy… 'Be with me always…Take any form, drive me mad, only do not leave me in this dark alone where I cannot find you'…I mean that, beloved…" hard stare…Tears in eyes…
"You have to, now…Having made me love you…" anxious smile…
"No problem…" she nodded… "And you the same…Cause 'I cannot live without my life…I cannot die without my soul'…And I am Sheldon…" stare…
"And I, Amy…Though I don't think I'd do as well as they climbing above the moors…I tend to pass out on heights…"
"I'll carry you…You're light enough…" hug…
"Poor Charlotte…Yes, we have to be a family for her…" he mused, nodding… "But I imagine no one will ever guess what we are, Cathy…We'll just be an amusingly odd couple, even to our friends…"
"I think they see, a little…Howard, most of all…" she pondered… "But it's true Heathcliff, most will never…Thank goodness, given the world's tendency to destroy what it can't understand…"
"Yes…We're like Leonard's arctic snowflake, generally transitory, but in our case preserved forever…"
"Doesn't mean we won't have to do something about your snoring…" she grinned at him… "Ah, there's her plane in…" she eyed the arrivals board… "They've disembarked…"
"Hey…The plane's in…" Leonard, now moving to them, coffee cup in hand…Penny following…Rajesh with cinnabun and coffee behind her…
"Amy!..." a cry…A beaming Charlotte hurrying their way, carrying bag…Hampered by frequent efforts by various males to offer to assist her, carry bag, find a taxi…Politely rejected…
"Amy!..." Charlotte embraced her fervently… "Sheldon!..." Ummn…
"It's fine…" Amy smiled… "Go nuts…" Charlotte giving tight embrace…Cheek kiss…Release...
"Oh, how great it is to see you all again!..." Charlotte, teary-eyed…Attempting to embrace the group as one…
"Oh, and I brought these, Amy…Sheldon…Look, from some of my patients…They all wanted to wish Aunt Amy and Uncle Sheldon a happy wedding and honeymoon…" she pulled out a folder, on opening revealed to be full of hand-drawn and lettered cards…
"Sorry, I don't mean to get so emotional…But it's so nice to have a family and friends and my little sister back…" she sighed… "I feel so happy being here with you…" Amy rubbing her shoulder…
"And we're glad you're here, Charlotte…" Penny nodded, beaming… "This is how it was meant to be…"
Well?...She nodded at Leonard, urging…
"Great to see you Charlotte…" he smiled…Offering a hug which was accepted eagerly…
"Have you two settled things yet?..." she eyed them… "Not meaning to press…"
"Actually…" Penny, smiling at Leonard who rolled eyes… "We're good…Just want to let things take their course…But I got a provisional proposal already and I think I can get him to move formally when we're ready…" grin…
"That's good…You two are so well-matched…Like Amy and Sheldon…I know you'll be very happy when all's settled…Hello, Rajesh!...May I?..." Charlotte offered hug…Accepted, kindly by a smiling Raj…
"Have you read that book I sent?..." she asked… He nodded…
"Didn't help much yet, eh?..." she smiled, a bit ruefully…
"Try…ing…" he choked out… "It's…ok…"
"Hey!..." Penny grinned… "Not bad…And not a drop of booze, I might add…"
"It's great, Rajesh…Just keep at it at your own pace, as Dr. Mechalis says in the book…I know you'll overcome this…" Charlotte, beaming…
"I've been talking to Amy every night but how is my brother the angel boy…?" she smiled at Sheldon… "Are you showing Amy a proper honeymoon?...I know CERN is a big lure for you…"
"He's trying his best to fight it…" Amy, smiling… "We've had a very nice time…"
"Nice?...Oooh…Sheldon…?" Charlotte frowned… "You can do better…You jumped off a building for this girl…Come now…"
"Sorry…Don't mean to bring up my less healthy days…" she sheepishly noted to Amy… "But I just mean he should be making this spectacular…"
"Medium spectacular…But I expect to be wowed again before we're done…" Amy noted, solemnly…Eyeing Sheldon coyly at end… "I will be wowed again?..."
"If it's humanly possible without suicide…" Sheldon nodded… "Though that is hard to top…"
"I can live without it if it must involve that level of risk…" Amy grinned… "Charlotte, you look wonderful…I'm so glad your chemo cycle went well…And these are beautiful cards…Thank you and your patients…"
"May I?..." Sheldon offered, taking the bag from Charlotte…
"I can't believe that's the woman who tasered me and tried to kill her own sister a few months ago…" Leonard whispered to Penny as the group headed out…
"She never meant to kill Amy, just make her suffer…Which probably would have been worse…" Penny noted…Whispering back… "But she just needed to know her sister really loved her and never betrayed her…And that she had people who truly love her…"
"Yeah…Well, good to see she seems to have gotten her feelings about Sheldon directed in a more healthy way…"
"He was all she had, poor thing…I kinda know the feeling…Like with me and Kurt when I kept going back to him…"
"At least you never threatened his new girlfriends…" Leonard noted…
Ummn…He looked at her sphinx-like expression…
Me to know, you to find out, if you ever give me cause, Dr. H…Grin…All boarded an elevator…
"And how is Stuart?...He seemed well last time I spoke with him…No, don't worry, Amy…" Charlotte smiling, putting up a hand… "It really is fine…I like him very much but I understand and I wasn't sure if he was the one either…Though he is very sweet…Is he still with Ms. Comic-com?..."
"I wasn't worried, Charlotte…" Amy shook her head… "I know you're dealing well these days…Stuart's fine and I think they're still together…Are they, Sheldon?..."
Sheldon, blinking…
"Bazinga…I've gotten rather good at teasing the good doctor-husband…" Amy beamed to Charlotte who grinned at Sheldon… "But you should call Stuart, Sheldon, I know he'd like to hear from you…"
"Now…Lets get you back to the hotel and up to your room…I want to dish soeur 'a soeur…"
No offense, bestie…She hissed to Penny in passing… Penny giving an "OK" thumb and forefinger with eye wink…
"Just knock on the door if we're more than fifteen minutes alone together, Sheldon…" Charlotte grinned at him… "Bazinga…I know you can't help being a little nervous…" she patted him…
"Come on, sis…" Amy urged… "We'll be back in just a few…Then all we ladies will dish…"
"Are Howard and Bernadette here?..." Charlotte asked, following Amy…
"They went shopping but should be back any minute…" Leonard called…
"Is everything…Copacetic?...With them?..." she asked Amy as they went into the elevator…Guarded tone…
"For the time being…Howard's not mentioned otherwise, though they haven't set a date again yet…Hard to say…Bernadette doesn't like to talk about it now…" Amy noted as the doors closed…
"I'm sorry…" Charlotte sighed… "I hope they can work it out…Honestly…" smile to Amy…
"I know…But…" Amy eyed her sis… "If things didn't…I would be willing to put in a good word…"
"Oh, I do like Howard…We share so much in our pasts…And he does remind me of Grandpa Leonard…" Charlotte sighed… "But don't let Bernadette think I'm trying to do anything…I don't want to spoil anyone's happiness if she and he can work it out…I'll be all right one way or the other…I had a date the other weekend…That nice lab technician, Charles…"
"Oh?...Really nice?...Or…?" Amy, hesitating…
"Not like my old pattern…Very nice…I think he likes me…We'll see…I didn't…My usual, I mean…Just dinner…" Charlotte, cautiously… "It was nice not having that pressure...Especially coming so soon after my last chemo cycle…"
"Good…I'm glad you're taking things a bit slow and I want details on how 'nice'…But now…" Amy pressed the stop button…The elevator lurching to a halt… "I've got to tell you…" she eyed the surprised Charlotte… "And I want you to be the first…" beam…
"OH!..Amy!..." Charlotte, arms raised in jubilation…Hugging her… "When, what, have you got a good obstetrician…?"
"Seven and a half month, we think…I'll wait unless Sheldon wants to know…I think so but if you have a recommendation…"
"What about Sheldon?...Did you…?"
"Not yet…I just confirmed it this morning…Sheldon thought I was shopping but I saw an obstetrician…We'll tell Penny and Bernadette in a few…And we'll spring it on him and the boys tonight…"
"Oh…Amy, this is so wonderful…Aunt Charlotte…We'll be like Great Auntie Mag and Gran Mag!…I'm so glad…Truly…Oh, a little Sheldon or Amy…"
"Maybe Margaret Charlotte…Or Sheldon…We'll see…"
"Dieu…Will Sheldon be 'bazingad' on this one…" Charlotte cackled…
"Sorry…The old Fowler will come out…"
"No, he will be bazingad…And I'd better have a defibrillator standing by…" Amy noted…Cackling in turn…
Mutual cackle…
"The Wolowitz Enigma…"
Summary: On a honeymoon trip/working seminar at CERN in Geneva, Sheldon and his minions and a somewhat frustrated Amy find themselves trapped in a bit of a mystery…
"Of course it should be "The Sheldon Cooper Enigma'…" "But Howard solved it…" "That's beside the point…" "It is the point, Sheldon…And you could mention that Penny's here and was integral to solving the mystery…" "Why?...You just did…"
Follows a bit the action of "Gran Mag"…And another not yet written…
Disclaimer: What's Chuck's is Chuck's…No infringement intended…
Part XII…
Café near the gang's hotel…
"We should be getting in…They've probably got Charlotte in by now…" Howard noted…Swirling his hot chocolate…
Not bad, but my mom's has marshmallows…
"I don't like the idea of you facing that psycho again…I wish Amy would've thought a little before inviting her…" Bernadette, grimly…
"I told I was ok with it…And I am…Charlotte was fine in Maine and sweet at the wedding…I'm sure she's over the crazy Sheldon obsession…After all, it was partly the chemotherapy affecting her…"
"So Amy says…" Bernadette, shaking head… "I don't trust her…And she seemed a little obsessed with you at the wedding…"
"She wanted to apologize…We danced a couple of times…That's all…" he frowned… "This isn't about Charlotte and you know it…"
"Don't start telling me what or how I feel…" she replied, sharply… "I'm concerned for you…The woman tried to kill some of us and hurt you…At least grant me that I can care, even if I'm a heartless betrayer…"
Sudden weeping…
"Bernie…I didn't say that…"
"If I could take it all back, never let it happen…I would…"
"I know that…But what's done is done…And all I ask is that you tell me what you want…What you really want…"
Sigh…
"When I'm here, with you…I only want you…" she said, flatly… "Truly…"
"But with Raj?..." he eyed her…
"I can't help how I feel about him…" she looked away… "Can't you see it as something like your attachment to your mother?...And just help me fight it?...And in time…"
"Apart from the 'eehew' inherent in that scenario, momwise…" he blinked… "That seems awfully hard on you as well as me…Not to mention, Raj…"
"I don't want to lose you, Howard…" she pleaded… "Can you just give me a little more time, let me try to work this one out?...Father James is counseling me and it is helping…"
"If you really want to, Bernie…All the time you need…But…" he reached to take her hand… "You don't need to do this to make it up to me…I'll be fine…I won't love it…But I'll manage…"
"But I won't…" she eyed him… "I'm not doing this out of nobility, Howard…If I thought just running off with Raj would settle everything, I'd convince myself it was best for you and do it…But I can't imagine not having you in my life…Lord, I wish you guys would get human cloning up and running…If there were two of me…"
"There'd be two unhappy Bernadettes…" he noted, quietly…Faint wry smile… "And I wouldn't want that…"
"You're a good man, Howard Wolowitz…Please don't give up on me yet…" she sighed…
"Never…" he patted her hand… "Well, now…What about the good Father?...After what you said about 'The Thorn Birds' the other day…" grin…
"Knock it off, you…" she grinned back…
"How's he taking poor Angela?...They were close friends, right?..."
"I guess…He seems pretty shaken up by it…Howard?...Why were you seeing her?...I buy that there was no hanky-panky…Really…" she patted his hand in turn… "Was there something important?..." she eyed him… "I'm scared for you…Whoever hurt her, might have been waiting for you, too…Did she drag you into something?..."
"I don't know, honestly…It did seem important to her…And I think it centered around a word…"
Hmmn?...
He pulled out the slip of paper with the Hebrew word "timshel"…She looked at it, then him…
"It's Hebrew for 'thou mayest', basically…It refers to God's attempt to offer Cain a second chance after he killed his brother, Abel…"
"Like in 'East of Eden'…?" she stared at him…
"Exactly…Actually the word has a variable meaning…It can be taken as 'Thou mayest not' as well…"
"And what would a second chance after a brother kills his brother have to do with Angela Christos and someone trying to kill her…"
"Or silence her…Or keep her from speaking to me…There's no way to be sure whoever wanted her dead…"
"And this could have something to do with the work…The experimental data being lost?..."
"Who knows…" he shrugged… "But given she wanted to see me…And passing on the idea that she longed for my short but studly form…"
"She'd've been wise to long…" Bernie, beaming…
"Do you think you could speak to the chaplain…See if he has any ideas?…Maybe without giving too much away as to my meeting with Angela?..."
"You mean spy, again?...I don't do spy well, you know…Especially with my confessor…Even if I may do other things too well…" downcast look…
"Bernie…Lets put that on the back burner and stick with your plan there…You'll figure it out and let me know, right?..." he eyed her… "But if you could help with this…It might be nice to work it out together…Maybe help you decide being Dr. Watson to my Sherlock Wolowitz is a bit more exciting than a wealthy Bollywood playboy turned astrophysicist…" he gave a shrewd look…
"I'm no saint, either, you know…" grin…
Lounge of the hotel…Leonard, Penny, Raj have rejoined the Fowlers and Fowler-Coopers…
"So you say your friend was attacked in her apartment just before Howard was to see her?...And he revived her?..." Charlotte stared…
"Not only that…" Amy shook her head… "The assailant was still in the apartment…Howard was lucky not to have joined poor Angela in a coma…"
"And poor Bernadette was just below, waiting for him…But she saw no one?..." Charlotte asked…
"She heard Howard cry out and went up the elevator, then Father James, the Mc Ewan brother I told you about on the phone, came in…He was supposed to meet them there as well…At Bernie's request…" Amy nodded…
"I don't understand why people want to hurt people like that…" Sheldon, grimacing… "Don't we lose people soon enough in this world?..."
"I don't why either Sheldon…Even though I did walk on the violent side recently…" Charlotte sighed… "It was like a kind of madness…I knew I was acting badly, even insanely…But I couldn't control myself…I wish I…" she twisted anxiously…
"We understand, honey…" Penny, soothingly… "But you were ill and afraid and now things are better…You have us and Amy…"
"Thank you…" Charlotte nodded, wan smile… "But there is a difference here…This person didn't stay…They weren't obsessed as I was…This was for a purpose…And if not robbery…?"
"They didn't want her to talk to Howard…" Leonard noted… "Though as yet he hasn't told us what she wanted him over for…But it may have something to do with CERN…"
"With the test and the missing data?..." Sheldon looked at him…
"Who knows…?" Leonard shrugged…
"I think you hit the nail...Foursquare as we say in Nebraska…" Penny nodded… "Whatever she was going to tell Howard, that was probably why this guy went for her…"
"Have the police searched her place?..." Charlotte asked…
"They were investigating, roped it off…" Leonard noted…
"But if Howard has some idea why she wanted to speak to him?..." Charlotte eyed him…
"Are you saying we should check it out?..." Sheldon blinked a bit… "Excuse me, but interfering in a criminal investigation by poking about a crime scene is probably as serious an offense here as it is in parts of America other than Mississippi and Alabama and some regions of Texas…"
"We wouldn't be…Interfering…" Charlotte grinned… "Especially if we knew what to look for…"
"Hello, Father…" Bernadette rose from her seat at the café table to greet Father James…
"Thank you for coming again…After what happened at Angela's, I know this can't be easy…"
"Not at all…I'm glad to see you both…" James smiled at her, then offered a hand to Howard who rose…
"Father…Thanks for coming…"
They took seats and eyed each other…
"I hope Howard, you realize I'm here not merely as Bernadette's confessor and priest, but as a counselor…And that I do counsel non-Catholic couples…"
Smile…"Meaning you won't walk out of here baptized…"
"The thought had crossed my mind…" grin… "But I do appreciate your talking to Bernie and being willing to talk to us both…Ummn…" Howard looked at Bernadette…
"I'm not really sure how we start things here…Which is remarkable considering therapy and Jews should go together like fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream…"
"We just talk…About anything…And see where it leads us…" James smiled… "Though usually I do do this sort of thing in more seclusion…"
"I feel better doing it out here…" Bernadette, hastily… "I don't want people thinking we're seeing you professionally…Even if we are…And Howard's ok with that…"
"I'll keep a list of casual reasons as to why we've met handy…" James smiled…
"Well, if we can talk about…Anything…" Howard, carefully… "Could you tell me a little more about Angela?...You were close friends, right?..."
"Angela?..." James blinked… "Well, yes…More than friends, really…She's a relative…My cousin…And one of my New Spirituality leads…"
"Your what?..." Howard asked…
Hmmn…Bernadette frowned…
Glad if it's putting Howie at ease but …Kinda not the conversation I wanted to have just right now…
"A recreation of the old Pole reform group…The Spirituality…" James paused, then smiled… "A rather more real-life version of the Illuminati in its day…"