Sheldon Swifties LIX: "X-Advisors…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's…

Part LXIII…

Dr. Stein's office…Department of Physics…

"So, Cooper? You and Miss Smith had a question about the lecture?" Stein eyed young Sheldon, then Amy/"Penelope".

"Uh, yes…If it's not imposing." Sheldon, a bit carefully. "Didn't you know had guests, sir."

"Ah, quite all right, Cooper." Younger Xavier beamed. "What class was it?"

"Applied Quantum…" Stein noted.

"Oh, no…My sympathies to you both." Xavier grinned. "Though I suppose you had little trouble, Mr. Cooper?"

"No, just had one question on the thermodynamic theory…" Sheldon offered.

"But it can wait…Very nice to meet you, sir." Amy, hastily. "Come on, Sheldon. You were going to give me your notes from class before my next one and I'd best be rushin'."

Young Sheldon blinking at her…She, urgent glance to door.

But…

"And we shouldn't bother Dr. Stein when he's so busy…Maybe we can meet to discuss it later, sir?" she turned to Francis who nodded.

"Certainly."

"Well, count me in on that discussion too, Miss Smith." Xavier smiled at her. "I may just be an experimental jockey but I like a good tussle with theory."

"Absolutely…C'mon on Sheldon. Oh, hello Dr. Fowler-Horowitz, see you in class…Later." Amy, jerking a hapless Sheldon along to the door…

"And wasn't there someone else with you?" Dr. Francis the younger called merrily.

"Oh, that's Dr. Kripke, Dr. Stein's guest. He was waiting outside with us. I'll tell him you're busy. See ya. Bye!" Amy waved, pulling Sheldon out the door and closing.

"Nice girl…" Xavier grinned at Stein. "One of your new students, eh? My complements, things are picking up in the Physics field, Creator." Shrewd wry grin.

"She's a promising candidate…" Stein nodded.

"Very, indeed." Xavier, impish look. "Tell me, is she by any chance a 'Star Trek' fan? All the young ladies back home compare me to that Patrick Stewart guy, Picard." Wink.

"I'm not sure that she is…"

"Now there's a pity. My one edge over you with the younger set. And your student too, Maggie?" Xavier eyed Dr. Fowler-Horowitz.

"Oh, yes…Quite a fine one, too."

"Well, I must get to know this prodigy." Dr. Francis grinned. "Oh, but who is this 'Kripke' waiting for you? Shall I tell him to come in?"

"In a moment…Lets have an instant to ourselves before the daily grind resumes, since we're so fortunate to all meet at once." Stein noted pleasantly.

"Well, at least let me tell the poor fellow you can see him in a moment." Xavier went to the door, opening. "Oh, Dr. Kripke? Yes. Dr. Stein will be free in just a few minutes if you'd care to wait for him. Excellent." He closed door.

"Kripke? Isn't that the plasma whiz kid you were going to try to get for your group, Francis? The Marshall candidate? Damn…Our plasma lab had its eye on him too. Is he lost to us?"

"Afraid so…" Stein wry shrug. "We made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

"You always land 'em, Stein. But they always want to work with the Creator. Well, at least let me meet him and perhaps pick a brain or two. Funny, I thought he was younger." Francis pondered.

"I guess they age fast in Southern California." Shrug.

"I believe they do…" Stein, leaning back in chair as Xavier sat by Margaret.

"Maggie, it does me wonders to see you again. Tell me, any chance we'll ever steal you back home to Princeton?" Xavier sighed.

"I'm very settled here in the sunshine, Xavier. Warms my old bones." She smiled. "I think I'll probably hold out here till I retire and head home to Maine."

"You'll never retire…" he shook head. "Now. Tell me you are free for dinner tonight."

"I am." She nodded. "Perhaps about eight, if you gentlemen would care to escort an elder dame to dinner?"

"With rapturous delight…Oh, Frank…I've taken our usual room at the campus hotel. Strangest thing though…And it may be related to my odd little incident…The clerk there seemed to think I'd been in earlier this week. And congratulated me on my recovery…Said I looked years younger. Oddest thing."

"Very strange. How does it tie into the other 'incident', Xav?"

"Well…I got a call…From Dick Ashbury, my lawyer. Oddest thing." Xavier shook head. "Or perhaps a little frightening even. He claims he arranged my bail the other day…From jail. Here."

"Really?" Margaret stared. "The city jail?"

"It seems so…Francis?" sly grin. "You didn't have anything to do with this?"

"No, not at all." Stein shook head. "Did you check with the authorities?"

"No, not yet in person…Though I called and the desk officer or whatever told me, yes, indeed, I'd been arrested and bailed...Though it seems the charges were dropped later and my bond should be returned. Thank God, it was 5000."

"My goodness…Someone must have used your name." Margaret, earnest concern.

"Yes…And had access to a considerable amount of my personal information…" eyeing the two.

"Now see here…You two idiots." He grinned. "If this was a practical joke to get me down here…"

"We best fess up, eh Francis?" Margaret eyed him. "It was, of course. Sorry if you were worried but I put Francis up to it." She smiled.

"Maggie…" Xavier wagged a finger at her. "You flatter me. And I accept." Chuckle. "Well, thank God, I was nervous there might really be someone mucking around in my accounts…Like that girl of yours a few years back, Francis? The bank officer you…Pardon my French, Maggie…Loved and left?"

"Mutual leaving…Though she was annoyed with me not returning her calls later on." Stein noted.

"So…You got me down here." Xavier eyed the two. "What's the big deal? Did I miss anyone's birthday? I know ole Francis hasn't gotten anything new in the works, did you win something, Maggie? I usually keep up but I've been up to my neck in work."

"No, nothing special…I did do some new work on the neural net paper, a follow-up." Margaret noted. "It's actually Francis who had something new."

"You do, Frank?" Xavier eyed him.

"A nice little breakthrough on his old wormhole theory. He was keen to talk it over with you and maybe even…"

Xavier, eagerly… "Play around with it? Ah, that's wonderful…I've told you for years we should try a few experiments there. Is it really something, Frank?"

"It may be…" Stein nodded. "At least we ought to discuss it."

"Wonderful. You're forgiven. Especially if we get an evening out with the beauteous Margaret from it." Xavier beamed. "Oh, damn…We're keeping young Kripke waiting. Shall I usher him in? I'd actually love to meet the kid."

"Certainly…" Francis nodded.

"Just beware, Xavier…The boy has a bit of a lisping problem." Margaret noted. "Don't make fun."

"Maggie…There's not a cruel bone in my body. I hope you of all people would know that." Xavier, reprovingly.

Margaret glancing at Stein…As Xavier went to the door. Slightest, quickest glance of despair…

Travel stop area on I-10 to San Antonio from Alamogordo, New Mexico…

"What do you think?" Max addressed the others from his driver's seat as the car rested in its parking space. "There's a McDonalds, a Pizza Hut…I see Taco Bell…Cracker Barrel. I vote for Cracker Barrel, myself but majority rules guys." Beaming smile.

"Raj? Do you need anything special…Vegetarian, I mean?" Summer looked back to him.

"No, no…Of course as a Hindu I would shun some things…But as a patriotic Indian-American…And a member of our merry band of meateaters…Where's the beef? Cracker Barrell sounds fine…" nod.

Especially with a fellow like Max to deal with any folks who might want urge me to go back where I came from…He noted in low hiss to Leonard.

"Cracker Barrell sounds fine Max…" Aunt Zana/Bernadette nodded. "But I'd like to use the facilities first. Leonard? You mind escorting this old biddy while the others get a table for us?" Careful stare…

"Uh…Sure. I could use a run myself." Leonard nodded.

Dude…Raj eyed him, waving him close.

"If she's the Terminator leader, run like hell when she dissolves into liquid metal before she can shove a finger rod in your brain…" nervously.

"Raj…"

"Ok…I warned you." Anxious look to Leonard as he got out, Zana awaiting him with smile.

"We'll see you in just a bit. It's ok, Dr. Koothrapali, I'll get him back in one piece." Fond beam.

My God…It is her, Raj stared. I never got a good look at the eyes before, too focused on the sensible shoes and middle-aged lady dress. And, of course, Lucy forgive me, Summer.

It's her…

"Bernadette?" Leonard hissed as they walked.

"Shhh…Wait." She hissed. "Only Summer knows who I am."

She does? He stared.

That should make for an interesting alternate universe train ride here in about ten years.

"C'mon. My foster brother'll be waiting… You don't want to have him getting suspicious of you, he's very protective of me and Summer."

"I gathered that…" he nodded, following her.

"Ok, we've got a few minutes safe here." She'd led him into a tunnel corridor.

"How…" he blinked at her.

"Good, you believe me. We've no time to waste. And you know how." She eyed him.

"But…" he blinked. "You weren't in the lab, you were at home…With…"

"Stop. Please. Don't say it." She sighed. "They were with Stuart. I got nervous and came over. You'd already gone through…Howard." She gulped, tears spilling… "He saw me coming in at the door and shoved me through, just as everything… Oh…Leonard!" she wept, grabbing at him.

"He didn't…" gasping a bit at the embrace…

"No…" forelornly, releasing him. "He saved me just as the portal collapsed." Dabbling at eyes… "God, how I wished he hadn't when I found myself here, thirty years ago. I should have died with him and our kids. Still…" she paused.

"Thirty years?" he stared.

"Thirty-three years, four months, two days, fifteen hours, to be fairly precise. I can even give you the minutes and seconds, I've counted every one of them." She eyed him.