"The Girlfriend of the Whirling Dervish…"
Summary: Nearing her wedding day, Amy is reminded of a previous engagement…Follows the action of "Gran Mag", pre "The Wolowitz Enigma"…
Disclaimer: It's all Chuck's…But nothing for Joss Whedon on this one.
(Just a note…To learn more about Amy's rather bipolar, beautiful, and somewhat tragic sister and her Sheldon Cooper obsession, you'll want to read "Gran Mag" the first tale in this particular series. "Flowers for Sheldon" however is not a part.)
Part XXXVII…
"So…CIA?…NSA?...Lord knows you're not FBI or State…" Howard eyed Collins who frowned at him…
"And I gotta tell ya…This 'we're here to stop a terrorist group' thing sounds like…Raj?..." he turned…
"Horse-hockey…" Raj nodded… "No terrorists trying to kill or grab an important person like the King…Even assuming they could know he'd decided to come and give Amy and Sheldon his blessing…Would act like these guys…Elaborate deception, politely allow all passengers…But us?…To be evacuated…These fellas, whoever they are, aren't your garden variety terrorists…"
"And you want us to believe you, with these five, counting your phony conductor here…Are all the government would send in to stop a group trying to kill a head of state after getting word?..." Howard, to Collins… "I know some of these guys are known terrorists but this isn't some crazy act of jihad…This was very well planned and you people are much too unbothered…Mr. Bain?..." he turned to Martin… "This smell to you?..."
"Stinks, Howard…" Martin nodded…
"Listen to me…" Collins, face flushing… "You people are getting involved in something you have no business..."
"No business?...Really?..." Howard stared… "You just sorta missed us, huh, getting people off the train?..."
"I'm telling you people for the last time…" Collins began…
"You're right, Howie…" Bernadette cut him off… "There's something fishy here…These people knew the king was coming…" she turned to Collins…. "How could they know?...And why wouldn't the government send in the troops, the state police…"
"We're trying to prevent panic, I've told you that, ma'am…" Collins tried…
"And gee, so are the terrorists, it seems…Nice of them…Terror without terror?..." Howard noted… "What is up here?...Is this an assassination?...You brought these people in, you're just here to observe, aren't you?...What, was it a deal?...Is Faisal a little too independent for you and this is a nice, quiet place to take him out?..."
"He wants Amy, too…Else we'd be dead or evacuated…" Raj, suddenly… "That's why we're still here…Amy…Which means this isn't an assassination…At least not of a king…"
"Oh my God…" Bernadette, trembling…Furious, to Collins… "You bastards!...You're trying to kill Sheldon!..."
Gee...Howard pondered…
To think not so long ago some of us would have been willing members of that club…
"Majesty…" the wounded 'Kahid' hissed to Faisal from the seats they were now being kept to, guns pointed at them…
"You've got to leave that poor man be!..." Faisal hollered at Boulos… "Dr. Hofstadter's just trying to help protect his friends…"
"Majesty…You must take care…" "Kahid" urged…
"You dog!..." Boulos, glancing at 'Kahid' while nursing wound a bit… "If I chose to kill that Yankee worm or you, I will without hesitation…!"
Ok, boss?...
Lets not get carried away, Boulos…Returned glance…Men can lose sight of the goal in the heat of battle and we don't want to kill the golden goose just yet…
"Sire…Please…" 'Kahid'…
"And you, traitor to our people…I should have you shot right now…" glare to 'Kahid'…
And, now…?
The hard slap?…Come on, Boulos…I need the sympathy vote here…
Oh…Groan at the kick to leg…
Ok…Good enough…
"Let him alone!..." Faisal, furious… "The man's just trying to protect me…"
Oh, yeah…Glance to Boulos, slightest of nods…
Well done, kid…
"Quiet the both of you or I'll kill him right now!..." Boulos…Waving to one of the others with first aid kit…
Could use a little medication right now…
"This is insane…You can't get away now…And that looks nasty…" Faisal eyed Boulos' wound…
"I'll live…Perhaps you won't…Now be quiet!..."
"Promise me Dr. Hofstadter will be spared and I will…Otherwise, you may as well kill me right now…"
Hmmn…Two of the other team members eyed each other…
A little of the old man in the kid after all…Who knew?...
"I…" groan… "Have no need to deal with you, dog…"
"The American does look exactly like the King, more or less…" 'Kahid' cut in… "He could be useful to you…"
Boulos, eyeing…
Oh?...Well should I…? Uncertain look…
'Kahid', hard stare…Idiot…You don't take orders from me…You're the 'leader', remember?...
"If he surrenders, I'll have him brought here…Now, sit quietly and give us no more trouble…!" Boulos, waving for help to a seat… "Omar, go and tell the others!...I want the 'imitation king' alive!...Go!" Omar, tall and bearded, near the front of the car, lowering gun and heading out…
Hmmn….Is a bit nasty…Boulos eyed the wound…
"Better take me to the next car and sew this up…" he hissed to the nearest team member, currently training gun on Faisal… "Keep an eye on them!" he ordered the others, the first helping him to the car door…
"Thanks…" Faisal whispered…
"It should buy the boy some time, with luck…" 'Kahid' nodded…Noticing Faisal glancing at the two remaining guards…
Hmmn…Kid is a bit more of a handful than Stirling thought…Best to take on the role of wise counselor and friend urging minimal loss of life…For now…
A blinking Sheldon had just received the same conclusion from Bashir and Penny that Bernadette had independently arrived at…
"Kill…Me?..." he stared…
"Kill…Sheldon?..." Amy, still rubbing, blinked…Eyes narrowing instantly…
"They're not here to kill the King…They could've done that immediately…" Bashir noted… "They clearly wanted everyone but you and your friends off the train…There's only one possible reason for that…They want Dr. Fowler with the King…Perhaps as a hostage to get him to do their bidding, I don't know…But logically, you are the one in danger, Dr. Cooper…"
"Faisal didn't come to wish me well, did he?..." Amy, quietly… "He came to propose…?"
Sigh… "He wanted to make his case, just in case there was a last chance for him…My friend the King is a romantic, I'm afraid…And much to my discredit, I encouraged him in that, if only that he could have his chance, see you were happy in your choice, and resign himself…But his intentions were strictly honorable, I assure you, Doctors…"
"And they want me with him?...These people, whoever they are?...Why?..."
"As I say, I don't know for sure…You would make a fine hostage to force him to do their bidding…"
"You said you could guess who was behind this back home?..." Penny, frowning…
"Yes…The Deputy Prime Minister, the late King's top advisor…He's the most likely source of information for the group acting here…He's been after control of the nation for years, checked only by the old king…I should have realized he'd even stoop to working with terrorists…" Bashir paused…
"And he has excellent contacts with the CIA…"
"What?..." Amy to Sheldon's glare…
"Propose…?" he asked, coldly…
"Sheldon, we're talking about your life being in danger…" she tried…
"Propose…?" he repeated, grimly…
Oh…Fine…Shrugging wave of hands…
"He liked me…What do you want me to say, Sheldon?...You must have seen that when you met him…"
"You lied to me…" grim stare…Shaking head… "Amy Farrah Fowler, you lied to me…"
"I needed his money to stay near you at Cal Tech…What would you've done?...You were the one who urged Leonard to prostitute himself for Science…I did it for Science and true Love…And it's not like I accepted his proposal…He saw I loved you and got the message…If I lied to anyone, I lied to him, though I never said I loved him…And while I'm sorry to have hurt him…I would do it again to be able to have my chance with you…Sheldon, I did it for you…" she eyed him…Calm stare…
"Dr. Cooper, the King never excepted anything from Dr. Fowler except a hope that she might hear him out…And I can tell you, he views you as the luckiest of men…" Bashir, gently… "Surely you can grant him the privilege of having the greatness of heart to appreciate Dr. Fowler as you do…And spare a little pity for the man who knows all too well he never had a chance…"
"In any case, practical considerations first…" Amy, calmly… "It seems they want me and would like to eliminate Sheldon…And they now have the King…And you think the CIA is involved, doubtless not to assist us?..." she eyed Bashir…
"I think very much not…" he nodded…
"Well, since I'll human shield Sheldon that worry is for the moment eliminated…Until they decide it's no longer worth it to try and use me with Faisal…Our concern now is Faisal…And our friends…"