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 LXXI…
Max having headed out after "Aunt Zana's" call home to secure approval for an extended stay in Austin for Summer, the newly arrived group considered the options…
"So, I guess we have you to thank, Ms. Glau." Leonard began as he, the named Ms. Glau, Bernadette, and Raj stood in the UAustin parking lot.
"Summer, Dr. Hoftstadter." She smiled. "And it's a pleasure…I've always believed Auntie's tales about you guys…Since she showed me her future phone and predicted events. And won enough betting on football to pay my ballet tuition for two years." Grin at Bernadette. "But it's just incredible to see you and Raj here, in the flesh."
Raj…I'm Raj to Summer Glau, Raj thought, pleased.
And I've got a girl waiting for me, at least in the afterlife…Plus this Summer Glau is a minor, living in a state where a brown adult male chatting her up could really end badly.
But of course, mostly…Sorry, Lucy.
"Well, here we are…" Leonard, wan smile. "But we've got to find my wife and the younger counterpart of Dr. Francis Stein, the man whose theories made this trip possible. And his maniac daughter and her ex-lover, Dad's ole friend, and my ex-advisor, who put his theory into practice, destroying our world and killing everyone but us in the process." Urgent look.
"Well, Auntie has taken me to Dr. Stein's house…I've even seen some of his published work, she thought it would help convince me, though really all it did was convince me I'm not going to be a physicist." Sheepish shrug.
"Oh, I'm sure there's a bright future for you…With many, many friends." Raj, eagerly.
"Raj? What did I say about what we tell Summer about her own future?" Bernadette, sternly.
"Nothing…We tell her…Nothing. Sorry." He sighed.
"Auntie…" Summer eyed her.
"Ok, I tole her she'd be very successful in the arts. But that's all. I just wanted to encourage my sweetest girl." Bernadette beamed. "But lets can any more, ok guys?"
"Right." Leonard, Raj nod.
Of course, if Summer is a Terminator sent by Bernadette, Howard, or some else in the future, Raj pondered…
"But I do think Dr. Stein's place is the place to start…" Bernadette noted. "And he should be expecting us, via your call to young Susan."
…
"George! Hi!" Susan greeted the entering Sheldon, in his brilliantly clever costume of ten-gallon hat and cowboy boots, he offering guarded, yet still a bit arch, look to his comrades, Dr. Stein, and Dr. Fowler-Horowitz.
"I've been meeting the family!" she enthused.
Ok, she believes he's a cousin…She's just pleased to see him. Immediate killing not yet required, Amy thought. Eyeing young Amy who bore same grim expression.
"Yeah, George…We plumb done all shacked up here." Penny smiled at him.
"Hi, my lil' buckaroo husband…" Amy, hastily. "Dad." Young Amy beamed at the suddenly startled Sheldon…
And yet…This is pretty much how my daughter would look, isn't it? He pondered in wonder, eyeing her. Amy beaming as she caught and interpreted his look…
Sheldon…
Oh…Lord, not in front of our poor Penny! She moved to embrace him.
One thing to maintain the illusion, another to let her see us sincerely happy and with some hope of a joyous future even if we fail to right things.
Uh…Sheldon gasped.
"Always miss ya, sweet…Uh, chucks? When you go away." Amy noted, releasing him.
"Why…Uh…Suure, sweet…Ummn…Pea?" he eyed her. She offering surreptitious nod.
Dr. Stein, seated by Susan, with Dr. Fowler-Horowitz in chair at his side, worriedly eyeing them…
"So…" Susan turned to him, startling him a bit… "Do I call you 'Dad', 'Father'?" sheepish smile.
"Dad, generally…" he smiled wanly. "But till you have the legal proof in hand, perhaps better to stick to 'Dr. Stein'."
Margaret, quick glance…
Oh, my poor Francis…I can only imagine how hard this has become for you. But…There's no doubt in my mind that this is Agnes' daughter, not your and Xavier's Margaret. And makes it even harder for me to understand how Xavier could have done this terrible thing, to you, as well as these poor children. Because he must have known this was not the child he and Margaret might have had.
"Well, I think 'Dad's ok, for now." Susan smiled, patting Stein's hand.
Penny, seeing, blanching a bit…As Stein tried to offer a smile.
Jesus, God…You are cruel.
"I…Uh…Need to make a call, see if there are any messages for me." Stein rose suddenly.
"About 'Mom'?" Susan asked, a bit hopefully.
"Yes, and there's always…" he headed off, a bit abruptly. Margaret rising and following him as he went out of the room.
"Did I say something wrong?" Susan eyed the others, nervously. "Is there something wrong between him and my mother?"
"Best to leave it for him, darlin'…" Penny noted, guarded look to Sheldon and the Amys.
….
"Francis…" Margaret came to him as he stood in the hallway outside Penny's room. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks, Maggie." He smiled at her, tearing a bit. "It's…"
"I want to hope she's better, Francis. But…" careful look.
"I know…"
"Whatever happens, there is still your Susan."
He nodded, then dropped head on her shoulders, sobbing…
"Francis, Francis…"
"It's Aggie all over again…" he whispered. "I so hoped…"
"We'll do all we can…And perhaps…" Margaret paused.
"She can't grow up to do this…" he shook head. "I can't let her become a monster."
"One step at a time, Francis…And she seems rational now."
"Aggie did, from time to time…" sigh. "Well, I should call home and see how Sue is."
"Yes." Margaret agreed, nodding as young Amy came out, worried look.
"Is everything all right?" she came to Margaret as Stein went to the bank of payphones in the hallway.
"It's hard to lose a child, Amy." Margaret noted.
"Susan? Everything all right?" Stein addressed the phone. "A who? Dr. Hofstader? Leonard Hofstader?"
…
"Here we are…" Bernadette noted as the group of Leonard, Raj, young Summer Glau, and herself paused before the large home of Dr. Francis Stein.
"Nice place…" Raj eyed the house. "How could UAustin can spring for a house like this and CalTech can't even offer rental assistance."
"He does have tenure…" Leonard noted.
"Ah, yes…That magic word." Raj sighed.
"Yeah, it's a nice house." Bernadette agreed. "I'm glad I didn't decide to burn it down, first time I came." Calm tone.
Leonard eyeing Raj…
"Auntie…" Summer sighed.
"As I've said, I've adjusted. And I wasn't about to spend years in a madhouse or prison to no purpose. But I never forget Howie or my babies." Bernadette, wan smile.
"But you never approached Dr. Stein?" Raj eyed her.
"What was I going to say? Your sweet little daughter and your beloved best buddy grew up to murder my family, friends, and my whole existence, and I'll kill you and her in the most horrific way possible if you don't find a way to restore my world?" Bernadette shrugged.
"That had to wait until he actually developed and published the theory…I know you can't rush these things. Did I mention you guys got here just in time?" she smiled at them.
…