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 XLI…
"All right, gentlemen. Lets be clear on this…" Francis Stein, now standing by chalkboard in his study, door firmly closed against any possible prying ears, namely young Susan's, to Sheldon and young Sheldon, seated.
"First principle of my assisting you…My daughter in either form must come to no harm." He tapped that statement, written in chalk and firmly circled.
"I realize you may have valid reasons for feeling otherwise but that is the price of my aiding you. Are we agreed?"
"I defer to my counterpart." Young Sheldon noted. "It's he who's lost so much to her. As yet, I have in fact only benefitted from encountering…Him…And his friends, including the counterpart Miss Fowler." Sly smile to Sheldon.
Putz. Sheldon, frowning. Hormonally driven, sex-crazed putz.
"I don't wish to see Susan harmed, Doctor. As it's within my power you have my word she won't be." He sighed.
"Excellent…" Stein nodded. "Naturally I will take responsibility for the adult Susan if we cannot put what she's done, right. I mean to the extent of sending you back to your former existence, Sheldon. I feel certain at the very least we can guide events in this timeline to a successful conclusion."
"If adult Susan…And Dr. Francis, of my counterpart's era, should he also be here, don't intervene." Young Sheldon pointed out.
"Yes…" Stein sighed, shaking head… "Xavier is the random element here. If he did cross with Susan's quantum double. But I cannot believe my old friend would have changed so."
"He apparently only learned the truth about Susan some time after this year…" Sheldon shrugged. "Jealousy is a powerful factor."
"Yes…The truth." Stein shook head. "It seems in trying to help my dearest friends, I've created this terrible situation. Sheldon, you apparently have been told what Xavier thinks or was led to think…?"
"That you are Susan's father but his wife, Margaret, is actually her mother…She wanted to leave a child behind when she was dying but Dr. Francis wouldn't take the risk. Your wife bore Susan as a surrogate but neither she nor Dr. Francis could face the truth, apparently, so you went on with the original lie and never told Francis."
"Right enough as the story goes…As my poor wife probably will tell Susan, to spite me and hurt her. She is insane, you know. I had to commit her last year, she was becoming violent and disappearing for weeks on end. A danger to herself and to others, particularly my Susan."
"I'm sorry." Sheldon nodded.
"And Susan is her child." Stein sighed. "The attempt with Margaret's eggs failed but I couldn't crush Meg with that knowledge, that her last effort to leave Xavier something of herself was lost. And then, as it was the truth in any case, I chose to leave things as they were for Xavier and Susan."
"It is possible Margaret or a friend told Dr. Francis their version…" Young Sheldon noted.
"He's never shown any bitterness to me. We're the best of friends, I don't understand it. Even if he was told something like that, he would have come to me." Stein shook head. "There must be more…Something else, driving him to this. But you say as yet you haven't seen him or Susan?"
"Not as yet. My fiancée…." Sheldon, sidelong glance at young Sheldon…
My…Fiancee.
That remains to be seen…Young Sheldon returning look. Let the Fates roll the dice and the better Sheldon win.
"…And our partner, Dr. Kripke are out searching for them or signs of their presence."
"Are you sure that's wise, Cooper?" Stein, a bit anxious. "Both the later Xavier and my daughter have shown they have no scruples in dealing with anyone to attain their goals."
"Amy will be careful. Kripke's…Very cautious. They'll only try to get a lead on them."
"Hmmn. Well, lets hope so. Wait?" Stein eyed Sheldon. "Kripke? Barry Kripke?"
No…Oh, no…Sheldon sighed. Young Sheldon eyeing him.
"Don't tell me you've heard of him?"
"As a matter of fact, I have. He's a brilliant young fellow if I have the right one. He's been corresponding with me regards my wormhole theories. He hopes to apply plasma physics to a theoretical application…Quite brilliant."
Dang…Sheldon fumed. Even my own ex- or here, current, advisor is impressed with him.
"I'm actually hoping we might lure him here…He'd pair well with you. I mean, you…" Stein nodded to young Sheldon.
No…Oh, no… Adult Sheldon trembled.
"Is something wrong, Cooper? Are you experiencing physical discomfort?" Stein asked.
"Oh, no. Just a bit of gas from my orange juice."
Calm yourself, Cooper. Remember, he never came like the serpent to enter my garden here. Or more aptly, to be the Bluto to my Popeye.
Well…Sigh. Given he helped me save Amy from death, I suppose I'm being unfair.
But he can't be my Leonard…No. I will not let that happen, no offense, Kripke. And I am grateful to whatever Powers that Be that my Amy was spared to remain with me and to your share in that. But, I can't let Leonard…And the friends my dearest friend gave me, be lost and forgotten.
"Moving on then…We know we can restore the timeline by preventing my Susan from disrupting it in 2017." Stein drew arrow to a box stating that, in chalk. "That is one possible option and perhaps the essential one, but it leaves you and your friends trapped here, to live out your lives twenty years too early. With the strong possibility you might create other disruptions we can't imagine or control."
"Yes. But it may be the only one." Sheldon sighed. "And Amy, Kripke, and I are willing to stay and live as quietly as possible if necessary. Perhaps, years from now, peeking in on ourselves and friends."
"Yes, possible. But both your younger self and I have been contaminated. We will have to spend the rest of our lives doing our best to forget and repress what we've learned from you. But that's for later. As to other possible outcomes, there is this…" Draws arrow to box… "'Susan and Xavier move to alter the past as they wish and succeed.' That would not necessary be the worst outcome, their counterparts might, being content, then not proceed to destroy your universe. The adult Susan and older Xavier would, like you possibly, be trapped here but likewise content. You would have to follow suit and remain hidden from them as well."
"We considered that. As part of the 'stay here and hide' option." Sheldon noted. "But frankly? We don't believe Susan would be content just to see her younger self win my counterpart."
Excuse me? Young Sheldon stares.
Take one for the team, younger self…Sheldon, arch look.
"And Dr. Francis' goal likely conflicts with Susan's in any case. He would have her gone." Sheldon noted. "In which fact, that leads to another entire scenario…If I may?" he rose, extending hand for the chalk.
"By all means…" Stein handed chalk piece over.
Sheldon drawing arrow…Oh…Wincing at squeak...
This is why I abandoned the ole chalk and slate for a nice, quiet whiteboard.
…To a box he drew in which he wrote… "Francis goes back to prevent Susan…"
Stein eyeing the box.
"We believe dual time jumps might have been possible in the milliseconds of the wormhole's expansion…His goal was not to help Susan here but his own agenda…And he did have months to prepare."
"And yet…My Susan is alive here…" Stein pointed out.
"Which may only confirm that the multiverse is geared to stability…" young Sheldon noted. "This timeline is not affected by what Dr. Francis does twelve or more years before, but his new timeline is totally different, confirming its existence as part of the multiverse. Which is my counterpart's main block to returning to his existence."
"A change to his original timeline, preventing its destruction or near destruction, could be impossible, yes." Stein nods.
"But, the good news is, if Francis did go to a new, past timeline, he can't interfere here…" Sheldon noted. "He's trapped in his own new existence."
"Yes." Stein calmly. "But in that case…In another universe…My best friend has, in effect, or even literally, murdered my daughter."
"As your daughter murdered my friends and meant to murder my wife…And probably still means to murder or harm her counterpart here." Sheldon noted, quietly. "It does at least remove the X factor from our current situation if so."
"Perhaps…" Stein sighed. "I realize you have little cause to mourn my daughter, Cooper but…"
"I've said I want to help her if possible. I can't do more than that, Doctor."
"And I appreciate that. Perhaps we should leave that option and move on."
"Of course…" Sheldon nods.
"It is a pity we can't be sure Dr. Francis didn't follow Susan here…" young Sheldon notes. "If only we had measurements of the wormhole expansion at the moment of…"
"We do…" Sheldon blinks. "The matrix controller Kripke and I cobbled together the night before recorded the data in case we needed to review. That's how we knew Susan was moving to expand Leonard's test wormhole just in time to act, we'd followed the data from the start of the experiment."
"Right then." Stein nodded. "Our first practical bit of data. We'll need to analyze that."
"Kripke was looking into the situation there, though I hadn't thought of checking on Francis that way. He's going to see what sort of computing power he can get his hands on while he and Amy seek their leads at the Physics department, to start."
"Physics department?" Stein eyed him.
"Susan would no doubt want to keep tabs on my counterpart and his relationship with your daughter…And my Amy's counterpart. She wouldn't want to just show at his door, so the department seemed a logical place where she'd try to do surveillance."
"Logical…But, Cooper, we've agreed Susan, adult Susan, could be very dangerous…" Stein noted.
"They'll keep their distance. And she has no idea we're here."
"Does not fill me with comfort. But listen, gentlemen…It's getting on to time for my class in the department. Perhaps we ought to table further theorizing for later and proceed to that class. Susan might possibly try to see me as well. And young Cooper here is enrolled in the class."
"I agree…" young Sheldon nodded. "We'd already intended to journey over, in part to see that Amy was all right and to see if Susan came looking for me. We concur, Dr. Stein."
"Yes. But Cooper, 'senior' of sorts?" Stein eyed Sheldon. "It might be best for you to stay. If Susan saw you, she might well guess you'd contacted me and she might do something rash, likewise, Xavier. And we do have a practical task for you if you have that controller available. I happen to have my own supercomputer terminal in the next room. It's probably primitive by your standards, but it can match most of what the main university computing facility has to offer. And you could keep an eye on my daughter…In case adult Susan or Xavier shows up here."
"Well…" Sheldon, a bit anxiously. "I was rather expecting to come and check on Amy…And Kripke."
My Amy's safety in my old advisor, younger counterpart, and Barry Kripke's hands?
"She'll be safe with us, Sheldon." Young Sheldon noted, confidently. "I concur with Dr. Stein, you're best employed here, getting what data you can from your device and watching young Susan. After all, she seems to like you...Georgie." Smile.
…
"I know you wanted to lay out a plan, Amy…" Penny began as she and young Amy walked to the University hotel.
"We can do that later. I agree with you that we should see that this snake in the grass, Dr. Francis, older counterpart, is secure in your apartment."
"Plus the hotel staff might wonder about my being away from 'Dad' so long when he's injured and I am supposed to be taking him into the hospital."
"Is that wise? You surely can't restrain him there. With handcuffs, I mean." Amy frowned. "Perhaps we should deal with him sooner rather than later."
Ummn…Penny blinked.
"You don't really have that poison available…?" she asked, carefully.
"Please…Well, yes, it's standard for euthanizing lab animals…" Amy shrugged. "But disposing of the body would be far too difficult. Did you actually think I was suggesting killing this obviously deranged and tormented man?"
Uh…
"Penny? You were thinking of killing him?" Amy stared.
"It…I only…" Penny hesitated.
A little while ago she seemed bent on murdering anyone threatening Sheldon and now I'm the bad guy?
"Well, he did kill your beloved…And your friends…And possibly billions of innocents, even trillions of intelligent beings unknown to us." Amy paused, looking about.
"What?"
"Just checking in case some super being or other hyperadvanced alien, pissed off at the destruction of his world, was out looking for us…And hopping mad."
Penny blinked.
Why'd she have to suggest that? I thought Amy wasn't all that into the sci-fi stuff?
"But as to Dr. Francis, I merely meant we have to settle him somewhere he can do no harm." Amy noted. "You have a hospital appointment, we could use that to convince him to come along quietly, hoping to make his escape there."
"Yeah, well he should have his hand looked at…"
"You're a very kind person, Penny Hofstadter…" Amy eyed her with smile, then turning stern. "But we need a degree of callousness here. This man murdered everyone you and my counterpart cared about, including Sheldon and her own self. I don't think we need to concern ourselves with his injuries."
"I guess not. But where would you…?"
"We have an ace in the hole, Penny. I have help at hand."
"You do?" Penny stared.
"Indeed. Forgive me for not mentioning it before but I had to be sure of you." Beam. "And she's dealt with securing people before. And has just the sort of place for doing so."
"Uh…Huh…?"
Penny, imagining a castle with dungeon, Dr. Francis chained or on a rack thing or in one of those rock group things? Iron Maidens?
Sounds like she's friends with Leonard's mom.
"And it's not a bad place, really. Grandpa Leonard loved it, once he got over being kidnapped and confined there…"
"Grandpa…Leonard?"
"Horowitz, don't worry." Smile. "And Grandma knew she was the one for him, they just needed some time together alone. He being her patient of sorts it was also good therapy. Up to the confinement part…"
"Your Grandma? The one in the photo?"
"She's here, on a sabbatical. And to see me." Beam. "She'll know what to do with your foe. She could even commit him, under the right circumstances. You'd be willing to testify to him being unstable and violent, even abusing you, wouldn't you? Penny 'Francis' Hofstadter?" smile.
Hmmn…
Well, all three are sorta true… As they entered the hotel lobby…
"How is your father, 'Miss Frances'?" the clerk at desk smiled at Penny…Then eyed young Amy…
Geesh, for crying out loud, that's too much. This one's barely twelve.
"I was going up to check him. My sister and I, she just flew in to see how Dad was."
"Yes, my poor father." Amy nodded.
Well…I suppose there's always the chance…The clerk shrugged.
She certainly doesn't look like Francis' or Stein's type. As the two headed for an elevator…
"I'll go in. He shouldn't know you're involved." Penny told Amy in elevator.
"Sounds good. Then we'll call GranMag and try to explain things. She really will know what to do, Penny. She always does."
"I'm kinda anxious to meet her, given how you always talk about her." Penny beamed. They got off the elevator and proceeded to the room door.
"Best to…" Penny waved at Amy who nodded, moving back, out of sight from the room.
"Yo, 'Dad', I'm back." She unlocked and entered.
Oh, shit…She looked around. Nothing but the handcuffs…
That son of a bitch!
"Amy! Come in, quick!" she called, turning to the door.
"Amy?" Dr. Francis, emerging from the bathroom, with smile, looking quite dapper but for the still-limp hand.
"God…Amy, go!" Too late as Amy entered.
"Amy Farrah Fowler, the younger, I presume." Francis smiled. "How very nice to meet you. Penny, I'm sorry, but those handcuffs and shackles chaffed. I used a little contortionist trick Francis and I saw done in Thailand to get free…Actually a month from now. Please, have a seat, I took the liberty of ordering room service for two for lunch but I'm sure we can add something for our guest."
…