Authors Note: Sorry it takes time between updates on this one, sometimes I write it and then scrap it or save it for something else. On will Leonard pay, jury is still out, I have not figured out the end as yet.
Disclaimer Big Bang its characters belong to someone else. The story belongs to me,
While Sheldon was in his meeting with Siebert and GableHauser, Howard was pacing back and forth in the security computer room. He was getting more and more frustrated, whoever had deleted the files had fried the secondary systems.
"Hofstadter keeps finding ways to get away with things" he thought, he banged his hand in frustration. He went back to checking circuits and anything else to see if he could get some complete data.
He had bits and pieces from throughout the day but nothing from the timeframe he wanted. He suspected that one of the security guards had been paid off but unless he could find proof that it was deliberate.
"Damn it" he said kicking the chair across the room into the door.
Howard knew he could not raise his theory, the whole failure looked like something had just gone wrong but his gut was telling him that this was not so.
He decided to ring Bernadette, after a few rings she picked up.
"Hello" Bernadette said.
"The arsehole is going to get away with it Bernie, I cannot find anything" Howard said flopping down in the chair once he had set it back on its four legs.
"What do you mean Howie" said Bernadette concerned for her husband.
"I cannot find anything, the whole system is crap" Howard said running his fingers through his hair. Howard could hear Penny and Missy arguing in the background and realised that Bernadette must be at the apartment.
"Sorry honey, hold it a second" Bernadette said, Howard could hear his wife yelling "WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP I AM TRYING TO LISTEN TO HOWARD."
"My God, when she yells she is just like my mother" Howard thought.
"Sorry Howie, what do you mean" Bernadette said.
"The system was crashed, nothing left but bits and pieces of data" he could hear Penny asking if Howard had hear from Sheldon, "Tell Penny no"
Bernadette passed the information on and he heard Penny and Missy cursing and saying anything happens to Sheldon then Leonard would pay and then then Mary Cooper telling them both to pipe down and sit down.
"Sounds like you have a lot on your hands" Howard chuckled.
"You know nothing mister" Bernadette said, "Our two country girls are getting restless and want to form a posse and take out Leonard."
"They are that pissed" Howard said.
"Hey Sheldon is easier to handle than those two at the moment. "Bernadette replied.
Howard could hear someone trying to take the phone of Bernadette, "Penny stop it" Bernadette said "Howard is my husband I will talk to him".
"Give me the phone B, Missy hold her down while I get the phone" Penny could be heard saying.
"Get off me you two" Bernadette said angrily.
"Sorry but my brother is in trouble and we both need to find out what is happening, our mommas took our phones" he could hear Missy say.
Just then he heard Wyatt," Penelope Queen get off your friend and give her back her phone. You too Missy Cooper" Howard heard the phone fall on the ground.
"You too Christine, now the three of you sit" Wyatt was heard to say "You ok Bernadette, here is your phone, and I'll watch the all-state junior rodeo team here."
"Howie are you still there" Bernadette asked.
"Yes, you ok" Howard asked sounding a little concerned.
"Yes but I would not want to be Leonard if Missy or Penny find themselves alone with him, they are so bent out of shape, hope it goes alright for Sheldon."
"Yeah, well I better go, Sheldon might call any moment." Howard said "Love you".
"Love you too." Bernadette said.
Howard continued for another 15 minutes and then went to sit down.
At that moment Howard phone went off.
Howard picked up the phone "Howard"
"Its Dr Sheldon Cooper here, I am ready to be driven back to the apartment" Sheldon said on the other end of the call.
"Okay" Howard replied "Be there shortly, just finishing up".
"Did you have any success?"
"We if finding nothing and getting nowhere is success then yes" Howard sarcastically replied.
"Sarcasm" Sheldon said
"Correct, the system has been fried, we might recover bits but nothing that would prove anything" Howard said as he moved to start cleaning up his gear.
"Well I will await you out the front"
"Ok Sheldon" Howard said as he hung up, he looked again at the system, thinking that Leonard must have gotten something to overload the system without leaving any trace. If he could just find it and then he could get justice, not justice for Penny and Sheldon but for the whole gang, Leonard had been double crossing them all at various stages of their former relationship.
Howard checked the area to make sure that he had gotten everything and the place was tidy, he would be back tomorrow to see if he could find something. He opened to door and left.
Back at the apartment as Bernadette hung up the call, Wyatt paced in front of the ladies on the couch, Bernadette went to stand with Mary and Darlene at the kitchen counter.
"What the hell were you two doing to poor Bernadette when I walked in" Wyatt said looking at Penny and Missy.
"I want to know what is happening with Sheldon. "Penny said, "I should have gone with him".
"We both should have" piped in Missy.
"Yeah and if it went bad then I would be at the local police station trying to bail both of you out. "Wyatt said "I understand how you feel but you cannot do nothing."
Darlene moved around the counter and walked over to the door, she picked up the bag which Wyatt had dropped when he entered.
"Nothing important in the bag, love, I will put it in the boot of the car in a bit." Wyatt said to Darlene.
"Well what do we have here, Mary I believe it is a rope, some ties which could be used to bind hands and feet."
"What no tar and feathers" said Penny.
"They were out of the tar, the feathers we were just going to get from the pillows." Christine pipes in with a grin.
"What no camera" Missy said
"Got that, Meemaw wanted to make sure we sent her the pictures" Christine said.
"You spoke to my mother" Mary said.
"Yes, she suggested that we tar and feather Leonard and leave him somewhere for the TV news to find him."
Penny and Missy laughed, as Mary frowned.
"That's Meemaw, nobody hurts her Moonpie" Missy said.
"Do we need to lock you all up to keep someone for doing something to Leonard?" Darlene said looking at her husband and daughters.
"Mom he started this" Penny said.
Bernadette's phone made a noise and she looked at it. "Howie has just picked up Sheldon, they will be hear in twenty minutes."
