Sheldon Swifties LIX: "The 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 XVII…
1959…Princeton…
"It's such a shame that Professor Einstein should have had to die before I came to Princeton…" Stein sighed to his friends Margaret and Xavier as they headed from Dr. Fowler's classroom for the building exit. Students hurrying past…A few casting glances at the increasingly well-known male pair…Well-known though mainly for reasons not directly connected to their prowess in Physics. And a number eyeing the quite lovely Margaret…Not a few in puzzled resignation.
Francis frowning a bit back at the classroom door…
Just why should the divine Dr. Fowler have any need to keep that mere "businessman" Leonard behind…?
"Yes, I'm sure it was the one regret of his life that he didn't get to meet you, Francis." Xavier, rolling eyes to Margaret's grin.
"True…Poor man…It would have comforted his last years to know that theoretical Physics would pass on into my capable hands. Why do you suppose Dr. Fowler kept Horowitz behind?"
"She's concerned about him, Francis." Xavier sighed. "And he is a fascinating case for her…After all she is a clinical psychologist as well as a neurophysiologist."
"Why such a brilliant woman wastes her time among all the little sciences…" Stein shrugged.
"And she likes our lil' Leonard…" Margaret, impish grin at Xavier…
"Oh surely there are better objects for her attention…" Stein attempting an off-handed pose.
"Oh…Francis…" Margaret sighed, glance to Xavier. "I'm sorry."
"What? I merely meant to express my regret at the folly of women in general and some brilliant women in particular. It's a concern for the gene pool of my adopted country." High-minded look.
"Right…Of course…" she nodded, indulgently. "And I am sure Dr. Fowler appreciates your concern. But…The fact is, Francis…" kind smile, hand on arm. "The heart must go where the heart wants…I'm sure there'll be a Dr. Fowler for you one day." Beam.
He frowned…"Xavier, will you explain to Miss Margaret that I am not seeking anything but the romance of completely understanding the universe from its beginning to end at all levels? Sordid human interplay does not constitute such…"
"You get that?" Xavier asked Margaret. She nodded.
"She's got it, Francis…"
"Should we wait?" Margaret asked as they neared the exit.
"Oh…I don't know…" Xavier, smile... "I think Leonard's going to busy for a while."
"What?" Francis stared. "Well…We should wait. It would be rude to go without him."
"First time you've ever worried about being rude to Leonard Horowitz…" Xavier grinned. Margaret giving reproving look…
"So what about your rocket project, boys?" leaning against wall, she attempted to change the subject. "When do we get atomic rockets for bus service to Mars?"
"If your boyfriend would show a little extra daring…" Francis began.
"Francis…" sigh. "I can't steal plutonium from the university cyclotron for you to experiment on."
"You'd do the experimenting…I've already done the theoretical heavy lifting… Just a matter of a little all-naturized American courage and a little tinkering… "
"Do we want the FBI at our dorm again? And that was just when you insisted on publishing your paper without getting security clearance. If they thought we were actually trying it out…"
"Given NASA's poor performance to date vis-à-vis the Soviets…" Francis began.
"The government is very nervous about atomic secrets, Francis…People go to jail or even get the electric chair…Remember the Rosenbergs? And as you just noted, technically we're naturalized citizens, both of us…You do remember the agent stressed that?" Xavier urged. "And he was trying to help us, you know."
"I know he said we have a great future in store…Naturally." Stein shrugged.
"If we don't blow it by going to prison first…" Xavier, pointedly.
Margaret frowning… "They shouldn't have threatened you like that. You weren't doing anything wrong, really. Just speculating…"
"See…Margaret agrees with me." Francis, archly.
"Uh…Hey, folks." Leonard had come up to them…
"How'd it go with the Wicked Witch of the East?" Xavier grinned. Leonard frowning as did Stein…Though Horowitz's frown more of the puzzled variety.
"She wanted…Wants…To discuss my case in detail. She mentioned that farm in Maine again…If I can go up for a week or two this summer."
"You ought to go. She could probably help you a lot with…Things." Margaret, grin…Xavier giving reproving look. Stein perturbed.
What…Things?
"What things?" he asked, aloud.
"Oh, I just mean she's such a famous psychologist and all that…" Margaret, casually… "So…?" smile to Leonard… "Will ya go and see the Castle?"
"I might…This is getting to be kind of a problem…" sigh. "And she seems to think she could do something for me."
"I'm sure…" Margaret, teasingly…Xavier, mock frown to her…
Francis, more anxious…
"I'm sure Dr. Fowler doesn't have a castle…Did she say that?"
"Hey…It's Frankenstein!" a hulking, tall senior rushed by, his equally hulking mates chuckling as they hurried out. "You makin' dweebs now?!"
"Better the creator than the monster, dimwit!" Margaret called after him.
"Dorks…" she sighed.
"Well, nice that time it wasn't Frankenstein and Jewinstein…" Horowitz shrugged. "The senior class of undergrads is steadily improving. Of course…" he returned to subject… "I did tell her about how Sheila…" he eyed Margaret's frown.
"I know you guys don't like her…"
"She's in it for the shekels Sheila…?" Margaret glared. "How could we not love her?"
"It's not like she denies she likes getting things from me…" Leonard noted, plaintively. "And there aren't many girls who'd put up with a guy who runs for the restroom everytime he meets a strange girl…And a few he knows. Particularly a lil' Jewish guy like me."
"Who happens to be able to afford to give her anything her greedy little heart desires." Margaret frowned. "Leonard, you're better than that…You deserve better."
"You mean like my cousin Rose?…Two hundred pounds and far more interested in my cousin Hannah, I'd say."
"If you'd just settle down and have some confidence in yourself…Look at Xavier here." She beamed at a pleased Francis. "If he hadn't got over worrying about every little problem…"
"You mean his increasing lack of hair…" Stein noted, archly.
"Hello? I can't help heredity…" Xavier frowned.
"Yes, you come from a long line of eggs…" Leonard grinned…
"Boys…" Margaret glared… "We don't make fun of Xavier's hair and I don't make fun of Francis' glasses and Leonard's lack of stature…Agreed?"
"Agreed…" Chorus…
"Xavier?" Stein frowned to his friend as Margaret patted Leonard… "Why are those girls giggling at me from over there…?" he indicated two undergraduates eyeing the trio…
"Because they like you…Sorta." Margaret hissed. "Go say hi."
She might have said…Like one of you…Xavier, Leonard…
"Why on earth would I want to do that?" Francis shrugged.
"Consider it an experiment." Margaret suggested, grin to Xavier. "Maybe they heard your British accent and it wowed them."
"They do say the girls all go for the aristocratic type…" Xavier, innocently. Leonard eyeing him and Margaret… "You oughta give it a try. An experiment, like Margaret says."
"What if they respond?"
"Then say something else…Quote Shakespeare or some other poet…Tell em about Physics, maybe that's why they're interested in you…Or just ask them if they wanted something." Margaret nudged him. "Go…"
He shook head…
"I hardly believe those two are Physics majors…" he began... "Anyway I wanted to go with Xavier and Leonard to the station, I want to talk to Xavier about an idea I had about time travel…"
"You can, after you say hi to them…" Margaret insisted. "C'mon, they've seen you looking…They're waiting for you to come over."
"Why?" Stein blinked.
"If you don't, I'll go with the three of you and Xav will be talking to me, not you…So?" she eyed him.
"I know I'd prefer that…" Xavier, gallantly. "You have one option that I can see, Mr. Stein…" stern look to Stein. "Boldly go…"
Gotta admit, while I usually don't see what this beauty sees in Francis, at certain times he does bring forth a rather commanding air…Leonard thought.
"Oh..Fine…" Stein fumed, walking over… "Hello? Why are you staring at us?" he asked the surprised girls who looked at him.
"You know…I recognize those two from your drama club…" Xavier grinned at Margaret.
"Well…They actually were curious about him." She shrugged. "Though so much for a week of trying to make him look mysteriously foreign and alluring…" Watching the two heading off, a bit nervously under Stein's frowning gaze.
"You might at least tell people why you're staring at them?" he called.
"This is going to be difficult…" Margaret sighed to Xavier. "When you finish your therapy with Dr. Fowler and can stay to talk to them, yes…" she eyed Leonard's rather woebegone "what about me?" look. "I will introduce you."
….
"Margaret was our radiant angel…And she didn't give up on me, ever." Stein noted. "She kept on insisting to friends that I was the strong, silent, British type, despite my obvious ineptitude. And eventually, with much help…" grin. "Especially after I lost all hope of your grandmother…" careful stare…
Amy eyeing his look...
Dr. Francis did say he and Susan live to destroy other peoples' happiness. But there's no worse way to gain a character reference than to steal another's beloved.
On the other hand…I may not be equipped with Penny (Hofstadter!)'s hyperacute male sensors but I can tell when someone finds me…Or at least what he sees of Gran in me…
Appealing…
But even that's not scaring me as much as how close…
But it's safe…Penny's married in spirit and soon technically and Sheldon…
Sheldon would never…
He felt for Susan…They were kids…
But Penny and Sheldon…
Oh, God…She looked over at the ER doors…
Sheldon loves me…Sheldon loves me…This is my own demon tearing at me…
I couldn't believe I'd have a chance when it became clear Charlotte would live…When I saw Susan Stein at Austin…
When I found out about the goddess actress living across the hall from him…Amy bested by a laughing Fate once again.
But Sheldon waited…Has been waiting…Loves…Me. She closed eyes, wan smile…
"What happened…" she eyed Stein… "How could you do that to your best friend? And given Susan's age…Were you and Margaret…Lovers? Did you fool him for years?"
"He believes so…How long hardly matters against the fact that I did do that to my other best friend." Stein sighed.
"Are you trying…?" she eyed him, dark look, flush, harsh tone. "Dr. Francis said you'd try. I trust Sheldon…"
"So do I, Amy…" shake of head. "So much so that I've trusted him for years with the thing I love most in the world."