Chapter 46 Winkle in Time

Anyone want to write the Threads for a week or so? It's easy just think up some odd thing that might happen to your favorite character. Sit down and write an inane but hopefully witty disclaimer like this one. Then write four or five scenes you can see in your mind. Get the length up to about 2000 words. Then look for a bridge to the first scene of the next chapter. Then edit. First clean up all the clunky sentences, add that part you left out, make sense of the part you put in, delete that long winded diatribe that seemed good but sucked. After that you edit it again put in all the missing, an, a, it, its, it's, I etc, you know all the stuff, that your brain said but fingers forgot to type. Look for the words that should be combined, split the ones that shouldn't. Read it beginning to end, realize you jumped in time, or that the prior chapter said something else. Fix those things. Proofread it one more time, publish. Have a drink to celebrate your success. I won't even talk about distractions and never going from beginning to end in one session. Makes me think about what it takes for three people to write the 20 minute comedy that is The Big Bang Theory, I salute you and of course it belongs to you. Now that you've written the disclaimer your already 250 words ahead on your 2000 plus words a day goal.

Butter and Salt?

Leslie Winkle was hunkered down hard at work. She carefully hung a paper bag before the target in her lab. She went to the other end of the test bench and switched in the capacitor and adjusted the power on the cavity magnetron to the right setting. She checked the aim then stepped behind the shield and turned on the system. There was the familiar popping sound she expected. The bag started to expand the folds in the side stretching, vapor started to come from the top and the popping started to diminish. She turned off the system and walked over to the bag. She removed it from the target and started eating her popcorn.

It always impressed her that with this equipment she could make her popcorn in half the time she could in the microwave in her apartment. Leslie sat down at the desk in the lab her tablet in front of her flashing a meeting that she was late for. Leonard Hoftstader could just wait a little while longer she decided and continued to eat her popcorn. She was pretty satisfied with herself. That email had finally forced a meeting with Leonard. Leslie actually liked Leonard as much as she liked anyone. She knew she was smarter than he was, he knew it too.

Leslie had read all his papers and research at CERN. She saw the occasional brilliance he showed in his work. It was the quantity she found amazing. Leonard had the redeeming quality in his career she did not possess. He wasn't lazy like she was. She had never had his drive and the ability to work something to its end. What the hell was he doing being a department chair. He belonged in the lab he was wasting his one talents, persistence and patience.

Differing Protocols

Leonard sat behind his desk and read one more time through the list of Leslie's published work. The quantity was lower than he would have expected from an experimental physicist. In fact she was exactly on the low end of average he thought. He'd known Leslie a long time, dated her for a while, well kind of dated her. Okay he slept with her a few times. They had tried to have a relationship once but Sheldon being Sheldon had taken care of that. Leslie was a very controlling person he knew. She would not hesitate to use leverage against an enemy, for that matter even a friend or lover. Leslie always struck Leonard as being asymmetrical as if there was some small piece missing in her personality. She was social but generally caustic. Her sense of humor was good but she could just be a sociopath playing along. He didn't think she was mentally ill.

Leonard also knew she was a genius with a mind on par with Sheldon's. This meant personality wise she was probably just as fragile he'd just never seen that side of her. He wished Lena was here and could speak better English. She would figure it out. She had a way with people just like her daughter. Leonard checked the time. Leslie was 45 minutes late for their 10:00AM meeting. One more brick in a wall he didn't want to build. Before him on the desk was a printed version of her email. The last six months of complaints made by people against her and a letter revoking her tenure and dismissing her from the university signed by the Caltech president. It just required his signature to be official. The president had left the decision up to him.

Leonard had started to go through the complaints one more time when his secretary opened his door. Leonard stood and steeled himself. "Your wife and daughter are here Dr. Hoftstader." She opened the door wider and Lisel ran in, he got down and gave her a hug. As Leonard picked her up a smiling Penny came through the door. She was dressed casually in black jeans, a pink top, purple hoody and black leather shoes. Lisel had on the cute jeans with little butterflies Penny had bought yesterday and a white shirt with a large matching butterfly on it. "You guys are early I expected you at noon?"

Penny grinned at Lisel, "Miss Lisel asked if she could visit her friends at the Caltech daycare before we went to lunch. I thought it was a great idea but I'm not on the list to drop her off or pick her up. You have to go and put me on the list."

Leonard grimaced, daycare was across campus. "I'll take her over and get it all set. Sorry she just hasn't been to daycare since last year."

Penny sat in the chair on the left side of Leonard's large desk, "I'll just wait here."

Leonard just gave an apologetic smile and went through the door with Lisel still in his arms.

Place and Time

Leonard had only been gone a few moments when his secretary opened the door.

"Can I get you some coffee or tea Mrs. Hoftstader?"

"Tea would be wonderful Mrs. Perry" Penny smiled at the older lady and at being referred to as Mrs Hoftstader it really was better than Ms. Jenson.

"I'll be right back then"

She left the door ajar and was gone.

Penny looked around Leonard's office more closely. She had only been there one time at the last faculty mixer and then for just a minute. Leonard had a large desk that was a very light cherry wood, behind it a matching credenza and bookshelf. His chair was black as were the two comfortable arm chairs in front at angles to his desk. On the wall next to the door was a long black couch that matched the chairs. Next to it along the right hand wall a conference table that would seat six. The carpet the same light beige as the outer office, there were no plants or decoration of any kind except on the wall opposite the table. On the wall were Leonard's diplomas from Princeton and a framed photograph of 5 people at a banquet table. She got up walked over to it and remembered. It was a dinner at Caltech her and all the guys from the first time she had been dating Leonard.

When Leslie came through the door she wasn't startled. She just thought Mrs Perry had returned with her tea. She smiled at her and went into actress mode. "Hi Leslie" Penny walked over and offered her hand. Leslie took and shook it lightly. Penny took the initiative and went and sat back in the left hand chair again. "Leonard will be back in a few minutes we had a daycare issue. Come over, sit and catch me up."

Leslie looked ill at ease for moment but came and sat down anyway.

Penny gave her a comforting smile and look. She leaned forward conspiratorially and spoke softly. "Leslie you know that Leonard is still very fond of you. He says you one of the smartest people he's ever met. That says a lot considering some of the people he's met."

Leslie tried to smirk but it didn't come out that way more of a tired grin. "I guess I've been an ass to him since he got back. I wanted them to offer me the chair. I don't think I would have taken it but I wanted to be asked." Leslie leaned back and this time managed the smirk. "Now they're bringing Cooper back with his damn Medal the dumb ass. I guess I'm just bitter that's all. I wish I could say I've worked really hard and not been recognized but I haven't. That's why I probably would have turned the chair down, too much boring work."

Penny reached over and patted her arm, "That's how Leonard feels about it too sometimes. I know he misses doing experimental stuff. But he made some choices about being in Lisel's and now my life that he felt were more important to him. I respect his decision."

Leslie shook her head, "Now that he's married to you I'm sure he won't even be the chair much longer. He needs to be in a lab Penny doing the research and experiments. If I had Leonard's drive I'd have a Nobel as well as Cooper."

Penny tried to gracious and understanding but she was starting to lose her patience. A deep breath and countdown from five, "Leslie you're what forty year's old? I'd say it's time you got in the driver's seat and put your foot down. I'm coming to the end of my career as I've known it. Leonard may well decide to step down next year but he'll wait until he has the grants set up for Raj and Sheldon. Just be honest with him and tell him what it is you need. If it's reasonable he'll find a way. Like I said I know he's still fond of you and considered you his friend."

Leslie looked taken by surprise. Then looked at the door as Leonard entered, "Hi Leslie you were late sorry I had to step out. Honey she's in daycare you're all signed up to pick her up. You also need to go by administration and sign some papers over there for the health plan. Ask for Lauren. Leonard was moving this whole time and was now back behind his desk. "What are our lunch plans with Lisel?" Penny smiled her best smile at him and got the Smile in return, "Picnic in the park, it's all in the car."

"Sounds great, see you in about an hour" Penny stood and walked behind his desk and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "See you later Leslie" Penny walked out shutting the door softly behind her.

Sunshine

The sun was out and it was a warm day for February in Pasadena. Leonard, Penny and Lisel weren't the only ones sitting on the grass to have a picnic. Several other people had done the same. Some with baskets like Penny, some with just their lunch in a to-go box or bag. Penny had laid it old style, a blanket to sit on, small modern picnic basket. She had sandwiches, ice tea and milk for Lisel and some cookies and chips for the munching on.

Penny watched Leonard eat, he'd been pretty upbeat when they had went back by his office to get him. Leslie had left just before they entered. She had given Penny a warm smile.

Leonard laid his head in Penny's lap just like an old movie. "Okay I got to know what you and Leslie talked about." Penny looked down at him and smiled. "Just girl talk really she just needed someone other than old male physicists to talk to. Why what happened."

Leonard grinned, "I was prepared to fire her today, well as close as you can come to it in the academic community. I was prepared to revoke her tenure and bring her before a peer committee. She would have got canned for sure." He leaned up on his elbow and looked out over the park. "She actually apologized for her email and confided in me she wants to go to CERN and work on getting her own Nobel Prize. I agreed of course she is brilliant. Between Horst and I we should be able to swing it.

Leonard lay his head back down and Penny stroked his hair. "She needed a change of place Leonard. She'll be challenged there in more ways than one. I hope she does it."

Leonard just smiled and shook his head. He knew tomorrow Penny had work and Lisel would come into Caltech with him for daycare. He wondered what all his friends were up to.

There we go that wasn't so hard now was it. Of course it's not what I outlined today but there it is it's got about half of it. Hope you the reader enjoyed it.

Please review, comment, email or tweet as you please I like to know I'm still on the right track.

Just like last time the blog is ellipticalthreads dot com

Macy hope Oklahoma is treating you well.