"Sheldon Lee Cooper! What's this I hear about you hurtin' your brother?" Mary Cooper's voice tore down the phone line.
Sheldon sighed. He had been expecting this but not so soon. The others never thought George would stoop so low as to call their mother but Sheldon knew better. If there was ever a chance to tattle and get a sibling in trouble, the Cooper kids would take it.
They had only just arrived home when the phone started ringing.
"I thought I could trust you to take care of your brother. Now I know you two have never quite got along but you are much more mature now and when he decided to visit I thought you could both put your differences aside but I suppose that was a little too difficult. I should not have to give you a talking to for physical violence and throwing your brother out onto the street!"
Mary's tone was thick with sarcasm and anger.
Sheldon, however, was stunned, "You knew he was coming here and you didn't warn me?"
His mother stuttered before replying, "Uh…It may have been my idea" she replied slowly, "But I was not expecting things to go downhill so fast. I just-"
"Mom, you haven't heard the whole story" Sheldon interrupted.
"Shelly, I'm sorry, this just isn't like you. I gotta admit that when George phoned I wasn't quite sure whether to believe him but he sounded so upset"
"I imagine he is upset but he completely deserved it!"
Mary sighed. She never thought that she would still be having to keep the peace between her sons when they were so far into adulthood. Despite acting much like an 80-year-old, Sheldon still could be a little immature. George on the other hand had been acting like a teenager for most of his life and this was expected.
"Fine Shelly. Why don't you tell me what happened?"
Sheldon begrudgingly explained the entire day to his mother without sparing a single detail, much to her despair.
The others all sat in silence listening to Sheldon's conversation with his mother. Amy blushed when her boyfriend revealed her spontaneous violence towards George. She was a little ashamed and did not want Mary to be angry with her.
"And that's when he walked off and we came home" Sheldon finally finished.
Mary laughed, "Oh Amy! That girl of yours sounds more Texan than you" she giggled to Sheldon; Mary had always had a soft spot for Amy.
"That's because I've tried to distance myself from my heritage as much as possible" he rolled his eyes. Sheldon was relieved to hear that his mother did not seem as furious anymore and almost appeared proud of Amy. He could understand that; he was proud of Amy too.
"So do you see why I told him to leave now?" Sheldon could tell that he had convinced his mother that he was telling the truth. George clearly had spared some key details.
There was a slight pause at the end of the line, causing a little self-doubt within Sheldon.
Finally, his mother spoke, "Shelly honey, pass me over to Amy"
Sheldon futilely nodded down the line and held out the receiver towards his girlfriend who was looking a little scared. She had only heard one half of the conversation and had no idea why Mrs Cooper would want to talk to her.
However, as Sheldon nodded at her in encouragement, Amy delicately took the phone in her fingertips and cleared her throat before speaking.
"Hello? Mrs Cooper?"
Mary's Texan accent came smoothly down the line, "Dear, we talked about this, you can call me Mary. I just wanted to apologise for the behaviour of my son"
Amy relaxed a little. Mary did not seem upset. Sheldon, however, looked a little on edge. Amy wondered whether he had gotten a harsh scolding.
"Which son?" Amy searched for clarification. She could not tell whose side Mary was on yet.
Mary tittered, "George. Although I doubt Shelly has been on his best behaviour either. You put them both back in their place didn't you though? Poor George" there was a chuckle at the end of the line.
"Mrs Cooper, I'm really sorry-" Amy flustered.
"Mary dear" Sheldon's mother corrected. Amy nodded.
"I'm sorry Mary" she replied quietly.
"Now darlin', no need to apologise, it's not you that I'm concerned about. George had it coming. Maybe it will knock a little sense into him, although I hardly doubt it" Mary tittered to herself, "Now, could you pass me back to Sheldon please?"
Amy breathed a sigh of relief, "Of course. It was nice talking to you. Maybe we'll see you soon?"
Mary beamed, she was fond of Sheldon's girlfriend, "I would love that honey. Bye for now"
Amy took the receiver away from her ear and held it out to Sheldon who had been listening curiously with his arms crossed and head leant forward.
He heard his mother's voice again, calm yet stern.
"Now Sheldon, while I agree that you and Amy had to stand up for each other, I am not okay with you abandoning your brother in the middle of California. You can't imagine the kind of trouble he could get into"
Sheldon sighed, "Mother, he wanders around the streets of Houston half-drunk every night. I assure you he will be fine"
"Sheldon Lee Cooper, you go out and find your brother now" Mary's voice rose in volume and deepened. She was getting angrier.
"But Mom!" Sheldon did not want to bring that brute back into his home.
"Now" Mary instructed.
With a roll of his eyes, Sheldon gave in, "Fine!"
Sheldon hung up the phone begrudgingly and took his windbreaker off the back of his desk chair to shrug it on.
"I've been instructed to retrieve my brother" he sighed in explanation to the others.
The gang all walked to the door, also pulling on their own coats; everyone was willing to help find George.
It was only when Sheldon opened the door to apartment 4A that they realised George was not as far away as they thought.