As always I own nothing, make no money from this and bow before the genius that is Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady and all of the writers, actors and crew that bring the TBBT to life. Thank you.
Sugar and spice and everything nice
Sheldon was showing his family around the campus so I decided to take the bus and meet them at the CheeseCake Factory later. It is usually only a ten minute ride from Caltech so I was not worried about being on time. It was a typically beautiful day in Pasadena so I sat on a bench out in front of the Restaurant. This was how I met Bernadette Rostenkowski. I was resting my eyes and enjoying the sun when a voice that was sweet and lilting interrupted my daydream. Focusing on what was said, rather than admiring the voice, I realized that she was spewing forth a cornucopia of swear words that would make the saltiest sailor, blush. The current object of her ire appeared to be an automobile that had smoke drifting up from under the hood. In a moment of stupidity I made a comment about kicking it and teaching it a lesson. Major mistake, if a person is melting down you should never give them the slightest excuse to make you the recipient of that ire. She turned toward me. She was 4' 11' at most and was what my Uncle Floyd used to call "a healthy girl". Pushing some blonde curls out of her face, and accidentally smearing grease on her cheek, she was ready to launch a tirade at the interloper. Suddenly she stopped, a look of recognition on her face. She was an undergrad at Cal Tech and had heard all about the mysterious Dr. Hofstadter who had been whisked away by a military helicopter after a lab accident. We exchanged pleasantries and I asked her to join us for our celebration since her Father would not be able to come by till his shift ended. After closing the hood on the car and cleaning up she returned to the bench while we waited for the rest of our party. She was an interesting person. Her father was a much decorated detective for the LAPD. Her mother had been a full time stay at home Mom until her oldest children were able to take care of the younger ones. Being the oldest girl of the 5 siblings Bernadette was often left in charge which she admitted made her a little pushy when things were not going her way. I liked her. Bernadette was trying to determine whether to major in MicroBiology or Experimental Physics. She had admitted she had been trying to get up the nerve to discuss it with me for a while but had shelved the idea after my accident. I assured her I would be glad to meet in the University commons if she wanted to setup an appointment. As an afterthought I suggested she could join me for Tai Chi in Griffith Park any morning at 8 a.m. We could discuss her future over coffee. Recognizing her hesitation I assured her that the group I exercised with usually had anywhere from 10 to 20 people in it and the coffee would be at the cafe across the street. Bernadette admitted that because of her appearance men tended to make passes at her so she was naturally suspicious. Sheldon and his family were walking towards us from the parking garage so I rose and offered her my hand. Unused to this kind of attention she blushed and commented how nice it was to have a conversation with a guy who did not spend the whole time staring at her "boobs". I laughed and watched her blush even deeper when I said that in these sunglasses she could never be sure where my eyes were looking. She was still a nice shade of red when I introduced her to our group.
As we entered the restaurant Sandy, the day manager, greeted us and escorted us to what was commonly known as the over flow room. Its' sole purpose was to supply extra seating for the larger crowds seen at holidays, graduations, and the occasional corporate meeting. I found that Cheryl, my personal favorite, and Kim, had come into work that day because they knew we would be having a party there. Sandy told me with a conspiratorial wink that all the wait staff had wanted the gig since we were so nice to wait on and more importantly, I tipped well. Cheryl grabbed the drinks for her regulars and Kim circled the room taking orders from the others. As requested a fair sampling of their appetizers were displayed on a side table. Next to it was a dessert table containing a sampling of their most popular cheesecakes and pies. Knowing it was Sheldon's favorite I had arranged for a yogurt machine to be standing by Sheldon's table of honor. It was a great event, people mingling and exchanging ideas. I saw that both Amy and Bernadette were standing off from the crowd so I introduced them to each other. Bernadette had heard of Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler and was quick to get her views on the field of Biology. Amy on the other hand now had a friendly ear to ask her many questions on dating to. Delighted to be included in a conversation the two talked till supper was served. I circulated nudging conversations and then moving on. Feeling full of myself I sat down at one of the quieter tables and just observed. That is when Mrs. Mary Cooper sat down next to me, watching me, watching the crowd. Fearing I was being rude I turned toward and she asked me one question. Why? She had talked to almost everyone in the room, getting bits and pieces of the last couple of years and fitting them together. She told me I was the one piece that did not fit. Why had I taken her boy under my wing? Why had I made a point of getting Sheldon's name on any of the papers he and I worked on, when as senior writer I only need mention his contribution? Why, when Sheldon's Mee-Maw had gotten sick, had I gotten hm a plane ticket so her boy could home faster? Why when I thought no one was looking was my limp more pronounced? I realized that there was more to Mary Cooper than she presented to the public. She may have been uneducated but she was not stupid. A lie would be a waste of both our time, instead I told her the truth. Angelo, the vendetta, the journal, the fiasco in Michigan. I told it all and felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest. She thanked me for being honest and assured me she would never speak of this to Sheldon. We were conspirators in raising Sheldon up. She out of love and me out of need to be around true genius. I then realized that the room had gotten quiet. When I looked up most of the faces were turned toward me. Realizing I had been "elsewhere" Sheldon again offered his thanks for being his mentor and more importantly his friend. I must admit I teared up and was forced to remove the sunglasses to dab my eyes.. I heard a sharp intake of breath and saw Missy turn her head in embarrassment. The glasses returned I smiled and thanked Sheldon for his sentiment. At a nod from me Cheryl pulled out the graduation presents that were hidden under the dessert table and stacked them in front of Sheldon. He almost vibrated with anticipation. One by one the people in the room gathered up a package and presented it to him. He made a note of each present and its presenter, thanking each for the treasure they bestowed. A nice pen set from his Mee-Maw. A Messenger bag he had been admiring was presented by MIssy. Amy's gift was a long sleeved Flash shirt, a duplicate to the one Sheldon had as a boy. His eyes twinkled and he blushed as Amy kissed him on the cheek. Howard's gift was a pristine copy of Flash #139, the introduction of the reverse flash, that Sheldon had been looking for to complete his collection. There were only 2 boxes left so seeing that no one was approaching the table I picked up the smaller box and presented it to Sheldon. I let him know that the University was going to offer him a spot in the the Theoretical Physics department studying M theory. He opened the box and held up a simple brass name plate. Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper B.S., M.S., M.A.,PhD., ScD., I let him know it was for our office door if he took the position with CalTech. He smiled and signaled for Howard and Raj to come over. The last box it turned out was their early birthday gift to me. It was magnificent. I held a cane built to match the one carried by Kingpin in the Daredevil series. The guys then detailed the cane's differences. This cane was cut for me to walk with comfortably. The shaft was made form carbon fiber reinforced polymer that was both light and held its shape. The shaft had been etched with a laser with runes that were simaler to the ones used by the elves in Lord of the Rings. The tip had a replaceable rubber tip to reduce the noise when I walked. The grip appeared to be a giant diamond with its facets so clear you could see thru it. It fit my hand like it was meant to be there. Thru Howard, Raj explained he had hunted thru multiply building reclamation stores to find it. It was the glass door knob from a reclaimed pair of French doors. Using the stress ball I used to strengthen my right hand they made an electronic mold of what the door knob would need to be shaved down to fit my grip. The computer controlled laser had done the rest, I thanked them for their gift and promised to keep it with me at all times. I now understood Mrs. Coopers parting words. I had idolized Angelo and now no matter what I did "that Angelo" would never return. I needed to treat Sheldon as friend or brother, but not as a project. It seemed the more I did for others the more I grew personally. I had sought to be the catalyst for my friends to grow from and instead found that they in turn were raising me up as well. Live and learn.