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 XLVI…
Physicists…Margaret eyed the arguing team of Stein, Sheldon, Kripke, young Sheldon seated around table in her temporary office.
Bit disappointing to see Amy lost in the argument as well.
After all, everyone knows James Kirk could take Picard any day of the week in a fair fist fight…
"Gentlemen! And you, Amy!" she called, raising her hands.
"Picard!" Sheldon got in a last gasp…
"We've debated the wormhole theory's possible corners allowing for manipulations and the Star Treks…"
"There are seven now, in my time…Plus new movies! Though the new Spock sucks." Sheldon noted, hastily.
"Seven?" Stein blinked. "I see I have more to live for than I realized."
"Just wait till Dr. Who's revamp really gets going." Sheldon beamed. "But then…" sigh.
"Enough, Sheldon!" Margaret frowned. "Folks, we need to focus on the practical for now. We can test the boundaries of theory and Star Trek…Kirk, by the way…Later."
"Huzzah!" young Sheldon cheered. "Thanks, Gran Mag!" Sheldon glaring, Stein looking distressed. Kripke beaming.
"Yes…Any thing for a quiet life. Though, really…Kirk in two rounds. Now, getting back to the matter of preventing the possible destruction of this universe and the salvation of yours, lets consider our practicalities. We need to find my granddaughter, younger Amy. It worries me that I can't get hold of her at her dorm. She has no class at this time. But, hopefully she's all right." Anxious stare at Amy. "Most important, we need to locate Susan Stein, adult, and determine if future Xavier Francis is here, in this universe at this point in time. Hopefully, Amy's not with either of them but all the more reason to locate them, quickly."
"You're quite right, Maggie." Stein nodded. "But I would say that we reverse the order there, as one item can be settled, quickly. Sheldon? Did you manage to obtain the data from your device and analyze it?"
"I did…Very nice supercomputer for 1996, Doctor." Sheldon beamed.
"Thank you, Mister Cooper, I had to struggle to get it. The experimental boys generally get dibs…Fusion, missile, and Star Wars research."
"Always the way…" Sheldon sighed.
"Now a laptop can pwrobably do the same job…" Kripke noted. "Still…If you managed to retwrieve anything…"
"What have you got?" young Sheldon asked.
"Dr. Fowler-Horowitz? If I may…" Sheldon indicated the desktop computer on her desk.
"If it will help…The password's written on the piece of tape on the side."
"Ah, Soup1#Nazi…Your host is a fan of 'Seinfeld', nice…." He tapped away and pulled out a hard plastic floppy disk from his pocket.
"My…How wquaint." Kripke eyed the floppy.
"In a way, I found it comforting. I always loved the colors and solidity of the hard plastic disk. One moment, please." Sheldon insisted.
Amy staring… "It's been so long since I've seen one…I'd forgotten how cute they were."
"Bitches to store much on…" Kripke sighed. "Twruly we awre twrapped in the dawrk ages."
"I really have to analyze that boy if time permits." Margaret whispered to Stein, taking seat by him as Sheldon moved the computer slightly and turned on its projector, inserting his disk in the side.
"Yes….According to my analysis…Lights, please, Amy?" she scurrying to the light switch.
"You did a PowerPoint presentation?" Margaret eyed the image on wall.
"A rather poor one, 1996 was not a good year, PPwise…There." An image formed and sharpened on the wall.
"Analysis of wormhole resonance patterns in wave form…Sheldon Lee Cooper, Ph.D, Sc.D. 2017-1996."
"Here we see the minor variations in Leonard Hofstadter's microwormhole experiment at the Cal Tech High Energy Laser Lab, September, 2017. Please note I have amplified the wave formations for easier viewing. Amy? Next slide?"
Hmmn…Margaret eyeing Amy who gave slightly nervous, depreciating wave…Just helpin' out my honey, here, Gran. No doormat is Amy Farrah Folwer, Cooper to be. Uh, Fowler-Cooper.
"And here we see the various stages of the wormhole expansion in millisecond, then nanosecond intervals. Note the sharp peak indicating the major expansion here." He pointed.
"My God…It actually worked." Stein blinked, shaking head. "I knew it must have but…"
"Indeed, but if I may proceed…"
"By all means…" Stein nodded.
"Here's where Susan's quantum double appeared, note the duplicate peaks that exponentially increased in size, then one disappears…"
"When she went through the vortex…" Stein sighed.
"Yes, and here is likely Dr. Francis' doublet…Hmmn…That appears to be a multiple of at least five…" Sheldon eyed screen. "It could have been mine and Amy's superimposing…But this outlier, here…" he pointed… "Is odd. As if a new matrix signal from outside had been inserted at a different frequency. It could of course be an error or noise, but…"
"Someone else entered the matrix?" Amy blinked. "From outside…?"
"That is one possible explanation…" Sheldon nodded.
"Could it have been…Me?" Stein asked, staring at the peak. "If I somehow learned what Xavier and Susan were up to?"
"Or it could be Dr. Francis left the lab and inserted himself separately but that seems wrong, given a likely doublet for him appears back here."
"So, we may have someone else here?" Amy asked.
"It's not impossible…" Sheldon agreed. "But whomever it was had to know what was going on, and had a grasp of the theory and planned this insertion. I would guess it was Dr. Stein and we may find him on his way here to help, if he survived."
"Lets hope so…" Stein shook head. "If Xavier's changed so much I must even question my own motives…"
"I'm sure you would try to help, Doctor." Amy noted, kindly. "You seemed anxious to warn me about both Xavier and Susan, though you were defensive of her."
"I hope you're right but lets take no chances." Stein nodded. "If we encounter my counterpart, let him prove himself first before we place any trust in him. His sole concern might well be only Susan and her safety."
"That's understandable, Francis." Margaret noted kindly.
"I'll hope I'm better than that…Though…"
She patting his hand…
"Moving on…" Sheldon, insistent. Time, people…
"Notice the various doublets, etc remain on the same frequency curve. From what I've managed to piece together I believe that means they…"
"…All came to the same destination." Stein nodded.
"Yes…Thanks." Sheldon, slight frown.
"However…" he paused. Waiting for Amy…
"There is a frequency change right here…Just before I, Amy, and Kripke latched on to the matrix. That could indicate a different destination. Note how our signals are on the original frequency, here."
"A different destination…Xavier?" Stein eyed the screen.
"It seems possible." Sheldon noted. "I can't confirm it as yet but someone traveling that day was headed somewhen and where different from the rest."
"And Xavier would have had reason to jump differently…" Margaret nodded. "Very good, Dr. Cooper."
"Just let me show some acknowledgements here…Leonard…Leonard..." Sheldon, pausing, choking up.
"Sheldon?!" Amy went to him, hugging him…
"Oh, Amy…My poor Leonard, my poor friend! It's not right! It's not..." Sheldon, suddenly weeping in her arms, she kissing him, rocking him gently.
"I'm so sorry, Sheldon." Stein, gently. "It's all right, Sheldon..." Margaret nodded kindly.
"Cooper..." Kripke, solemn nod.
Young Sheldon rising to solemnly pat Sheldon…
"I feel very sad, almost as if I did know him already, Sheldon." he noted, sadly.
"Thank you, Sheldon." pause...Amy, tearfully hugging him. He reached for young Sheldon's hand, giving him a firm stare. "Sheldon? When you do meet him, when you know and love him better than anyone but Amy and Mom? Tell him I loved him...Tell him...He made my life wonderful and I owe him everything good in it." Earnest pleading stare.
"I will." Sheldon nodded. "But if you stay, you can tell him, his younger self, that too, at the right time. So, it will be all right."
"Yes..." nod. "Sheldon, you're very wise."
"Thank you, Sheldon." young Sheldon nodded.
"Thank you...Sheldon." Amy beamed at him offering him a hand and pulling him into her embrace with Sheldon, for a moment.
All startled by a phone ring...Dr. Fowler-Horowitz moving to take it, anxious look.
"Yes?" Margaret spoke to phone, sudden relief on her face. "Amy!"
"Amy?" Amy stared…Sheldon from her embrace stared…
Amy…Young Sheldon beamed, nodding.
"What? You're in jail?" Margaret blinked. "Why are you in jail? What?" stare. "A man accused you of what?! Why were you in his hotel room? Amy?"
Amy, desperately shaking her head at Sheldon's and young Sheldon's stares…
Kripke's curious one...Why...Fowler? Coy smile.
Amy eyeing all...I dunno…Hands raised sheepishly.
What is this? Randy young Sheldon…Sheldon eyed him…And my Amy goes to men's hotel rooms? Is this the Randy universe?
"Who is the man accusing you? Amy? Xavier Francis?" Margaret stared at the others.
"Lets go! My love is in danger!" young Sheldon cried, hopping up. Sheldon, anxious look to Amy.
I fear we have really contaminated this timeline…
"One minute, Sheldon!" Margaret called. "Yes, I am talking to Sheldon Cooper, Amy. Yes, your Sheldon Cooper."
"I love you, Amy! I'm coming to your rescue!" young Sheldon called.
"Sheldon?! Please." Margaret, urgently. "Go on, Amy!" she told the phone. "Tell me..."
"Sheldon, calm down, I'll be fine." Amy went to young Sheldon. "If I'm in jail, Dr. Francis can't hurt me."
Sheldon and Sheldon eyeing each other…Like I believe that…Both looking to the door.
Stein, come over by Margaret now, anxious…
Kripke, quickly looking over Sheldon's data still projected on the wall…
Hmmn…There's yet another frequency divewrsion, though the small mess of peak barely diverges from the main frequency? Could be a wrandom fluctuation…Still…
"We'll be there shortly, Amy. Don't let Dr. Francis near you! Can you…?" Margaret called. Damn! She slammed phone down.
"That rat bastard!" she cried. "Accusing my granddaughter and this other…Do any of you know a 'Penny Hofstadter'?!"
Sheldon, Amy, Kripke staring at each other…
…
Offices of the Austin Police Department…
"No, I'm not willing to drop the charges..." Penny insisted to the bench officer.
"Ma'am...You're sure about this? Dr. Francis is willing to say he overreacted and will drop his solicitation charge. Your little 'friend', 'niece', whatever over there..." he indicated Amy at the phone, just hanging up. "...could end up in Juvenile."
"And our charges don't matter?" she fumed.
"They're very serious, ma'am...And we take them serious. But...Several witnesses saw you enter the hotel alone with the doctor, referring to him as your 'dad'."
"He was threatening me and Amy..." she insisted.
"And you were seen leaving freely while he was 'handcuffed to the bed'?" reading from a form. "Ma'am?" he eyed her.
"He's kinky...He demanded I do it. So what?"
"And he suffered a broken hand, possibly at your hands… Though he's willing to avoid charging you with assault and battery."
You bet yer booties I broke his hand. I wish I'd broke his skull, too, now.
"I've told you what he did."
"Kidnapped you and your niece, threatened her life and yours. Yes, ma'am..." he sighed. "But it shore don't look like you were kidnapped. And the young lady was in class yesterday. We confirmed that, that's how serious we took your charges."
"He let her go to class...While he held me. You have to do something...Where is he, by the way?"
"His lawyer arranged bail. He's out but restricted to the town."
"His lawyer? How could he...Oh, crap, of course he did then. He was ready for this all along, natch." She fumed. "And you people just let him go. What are you all friends?"
"Ma'am, there'll be an investigation and he'll be charged if the evidence warrants. Now as to you and the little miss…?" he sighed.
"We stay in jail, not having a lawyer, right?" she glared.
"Penny?! Grandma's on her way!" Amy beamed.
"Great, honey. Listen, you two-bit clown, two women, one, a minor, come to you and tell they've been kidnapped and in danger of sexual assault and worse and this is all you do? You let the bastard go and hold us?"
"You can post bail, too, ma'am. It's considerably lower in your case...For yourself. But, given the nature of the charges...The young lady..."
"Her grandmother is coming. And I agree to drop the charges." Penny sighed.
I'm starting a new career when I get back or if I have to stay, I am going to law school...Or well, maybe just as an advocate sort of thing, minus law degree...I've auditioned for lawyer and advocate bits on some TV shows, I know how to handle myself. And when Leonard hears, he'll help me and when he retires, he'll... She suddenly gasped, holding back tears.
"You may be doing the right thing, ma'am. Dr. Francis is a pretty respected man, you'd really have to..."
"If I stay here, I'm going to have this department investigated right down to you, you son of a..." Penny raged, trying to hold tears back.
"Penny! Not now!" Amy, desperately. "You're probably right to drop the charges, for now. We'll pursue things later. Lets go."
"Little miss, I'm afraid..." the officer began…
"They won't let you go, Amy. The worthless little..." Penny fumed, then sobbed.
"It's all right. Gran Mag will take care of it."
"He gets the better of us at every point...I should've..."
"Never accepted a ride from him!" Amy hastily insisted. "We were stuck when your car failed, he seemed nice, it's ok, Penny." urgent eyeing.
You don't need an attempted murder charge now…
"Amy!" a voice calling...Penny looking over to the entrance to see...Amy, at seventy-something.
"Gran!" Amy, happily.
So...That's Gran Mag. Margaret. I...Oh...Oh...OHHHH! Penny hopped up.
"Kripke!" she cried. "Oh, Barry! Is it you?!"
"Oh, suwre...Ummn...Hi!" he waved.
Nice...Always knew if the right situation offered...He beamed.
"Amy..." she gasped as Amy entered, quickly racing to the entrance.
"Penny! Penny!"
"Oh, Sheldon…! Sheldon!" Penny cried, spying Sheldon behind Amy.
"Oh...My..." she eyed young Sheldon following, then a younger version of Dr. Stein…
"Bestie?!" adult and young Amy cried as Penny collapsed in a faint.
"Oh...Hello..." young Amy nodded to adult Amy. "It's very nice to make your acquaintance." as they moved to help Penny, held back by the bench officer who summoned help. Penny vaguely opening eyes, looking up from the floor.
Heaven...I'm In Heaven...And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak… The song plays, with Fred Astaire's voice floating along as Penny in beautiful silver gown glides across a beautiful vast outdoor marbled patio, Leonard in tux, leading her. Sorta.
"Sorry...I just need a little practice." he notes to her. "Just shut up and keep dancin'...Oh, Leonard...Lets never leave here..." she floates along in his arms.
"And you're definitely getting better, honey."
And my Heart beats so that I can hardly speak...Astaire's voice and the music continue...
"Thank you, sweetie. Penny...We're in Heaven..." he sang now, in Astaire's voice… "And while my hearts beats so that really, I can't hardly speak...And we seem to find the happiness we seek..." Gliding along with her… "When we're out together, dancing cheek to cheek… But Penny..."
"Shut up, shut up...I wanna stay."
"Penny...You know you can, but now's not the time." Leonard told her, spinning her effortlessly around and gliding her along.
"You really have got this down, Leonard. Oh, I'm in Heaven...Oh, can't I keep the happiness I seek?" she sang, somewhat badly.
"No. I'm sorry." Leonard sighed, halting them, releasing her, stepping back, even as she desperately grabbed for him, and fading away. "I love you, Penny...I'll be waiting..."
"I love you, Leonard...I'll come, fast as I can." she murmured. Opening eyes fully.
To see the group clustered round her, an EMT at her side.
"Amy? Am I dead?" she whispered.
"Nope." Amy nodded. "Thank God, nope." weeping. Sheldon hugging her.
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Son you've got a friend in me
Yeah you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You got troubles and I got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together, we can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them
Will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you baby
And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You just remember what your old pal said
Son you've got a friend in me
We stick together, we can see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them
Will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you baby
And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
Yes, you do
You've got a friend in me...