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 XLIX…
"Dude...Thank God we got off that road..." Rajesh sighed. "The broiling sun, the endless miles...I know we'd've died by day's end. Or frozen in this evening's desert cold." Looking out the window of their bus at the twilight...
"Rajesh...We hitchhiked from Pasadena to Tucson. It's true we did have to wait for our rides but we've walked at most a total of two miles in three days. And most of that was shopping in Tucson for the souvenir belt buckle you wanted."
"Well, you must admit, we did sleep on the desert."
"In the camper of that retired couple who took us across the desert and fed us."
"Yeah, I didn't think we'd make it out alive. That nice lady stuffed me to the gills, I thought I would explode. Anyway, thanks for managing the bus tickets." Raj nodded.
"Thank, my dad for wiring the cash."
"Yeah...I cannot believe he really thought it was you calling. So Penny is right, you still have the voice of a twelve year old?"
"I assumed a high voice..." frown.
"And he thought you'd run away?"
"I did...I used to every two weeks, to get away from Mom. Dad understood, it became a game and his way of apologizing to me for not preventing the electroshocks when I was five."
"How did your Mom take it?"
"She never knew." shrug. "She was always off at sabbaticals and when she called she only wanted to check on what Dad was doing and if I'd been following my defecation schedule, what I'd been dreaming, and the number of times I hid in my room and played with myself. He'd say I was out and passed on his best guess..."
"He fudged your poop and whack-off data?"
"It's how Mother finally caught on...She said I couldn't have physically managed that many orgasms without dying from my asthma. You know I cherished that for years, I thought it meant she'd been concerned."
"Well...I hope it doesn't mean your younger self gets stuck somewhere."
"Not to worry. I never got out past the city limits. Though, right this weekend is probably the one time I went further. Well, Dad'll just have send twice."
Cut to Hofstadter home…
A middle-aged Judd Hirsch-look alike eyes a twelve year old Leonard Hofstadter coming in the doorway.
"Fast trip."
"Forgot my in haler." young Leonard nodded, picking said inhaler off kitchen counter and heading out.
Dr. Hofstadter looking after him…
"Am I gonna punish him for claiming he ran to Tucson and needed money to come home? A boy who has every right to burn the place down with us in it?" shrug.
"Well, in any case, Grey hound's winged feet all the way to Austin." Raj leaned back.
"Uh, well...Alamogordo, New Mexico." Leonard, a bit sheepishly. "I knew the fare from Tucson to Pasadena and I didn't want to ask for more than that and some dinner money."
"What?"
"It's pretty close and we can hitch the rest of the way. Besides, it's right next to the White Sands National Park and Missle Test range where the Trinity site is located."
"The first a-bomb test? Cool...But Dude, we can't go site-see now."
"It's only open for tours when missile tests aren't being conducted, but we could pick up brochures and come back with Penny later, after we save the world or at least make sure this becomes our world and goes on." Leonard noted.
"You expect to get Penny to come out to the original A-bomb site?"
"I'll tell her it's the original Big Bang, for humans..." smile.
"Huh-uh. You're lucky, dude. Even if we can't get back you have Penny, assumng she survived the vortex."
"Thanks..." Frown.
"I'm just sayin'...My Lucy is dust and ashes now, you know...As is my Howard...My Bernadette...Uh, our Bernadette..."
Lucy, I swear...Raj mentally apologized. It's only your ghost I'll have fantasy sex with from now on.
"I'm sorry, Raj. I forgot." sigh. "I wish I could make it better, buddy."
"Hey..." a lovely young girl across from them smiled over. "Did you say you were going to the White Sands Park?"
"Well, just stopping by." Leonard explained. "We're actually on our way to Austin. But stopping in Alamogordo."
"Really? I'm getting off there, my dad's meeting me to drive me home after we go see a missile launch at the test site. I love space science and all that, though I'm studying ballet, so my aunt is taking me." she indicated the heavily sleeping woman next to her.
Hmmn...She looks familiar...Raj eyed her. About fifteen I'd say.
"I'm sorry...About your friend's...Lucy?" she asked, cautiously.
"His girlfriend, yeah." sigh… "She was killed in a terrible accident a little while...Ago. Say, do I know you?" Leonard eyed her.
"I don't think we've met. Summer Glau." she offered a hand across the aisle. "You know I live in San Antonio...If you'd like a ride that far, my dad would take you. That'd get you pretty close to Austin."
…
"You have everything, Mr. Kripke?" Stein, careful to whisper, eyeing Barry as Kripke returned with Sheldon from Sheldon's building after unloading the last boxes from Stein's trunk.
"All set, Doctowr, thank you. As yet all seems cleawr."
"Yes, no sign of Xavier or Susan as yet." nod. "Good, then I'll call it a night and go release Martha and check on Susan. I'll call as soon as I get home. Mr. Cooper?"
"Dr. Stein...Please tell Susan while I'm sure I would have enjoyed I don't think I'll be able to escort her to the movies." solemn nod.
"Yes. I rather think that's wise." Stein nodded, sighing. "Though may I say I think Susan was at least right to fall for you in older Sheldon's future, young man. I only wish it could have had a happier end for her and a less threatening one for your counterpart."
"Thank you, sir. Good night. We'll be waiting for your call." Sheldon nodded.
"Take extreme care, Cooper. And you, Dr. Kripke, watch over him. See you both in the morning but don't hesitate to call for any reason."
"We'll be fine, siwr. Good night."
Stein nodded and entered his car, driving off a moment later.
"Well..." Barry eyed young Sheldon. "We've swept the pewrimetewr and no signs of the enemy, male or female. Shall we commence tuwrning Castle Shewldon into Fowrtwress Shewldon?"
"We shall...After you, doctor." young Sheldon waved.
...
"Sheldon?" Amy whispered as they sat in Penny's CCU room, in the dark.
"Yes?"
"Thank you." she patted his hand. "I couldn't have borne not keeping my promise to my bestie tonight."
"I know." nod.
"Sheldon?"
"I'm still here."
"Good..." smile. "I love you."
"You, too."
Loud snore…
"Lord...How did Leonard manage it?"
"He loved her like I love you."
"Then I am the luckiest man in the world and Penny, sorry as I am for her, is still the luckiest woman in the world."
"I beg to differ..." Amy, beaming in the dark. "Sheldon?"
"Yes?"
"Kiss me, then tell me what we do when the nurse comes in."
He kissed her. "We hide, under the bed. This is a circa 1996 room which means the bed is probably five-to-ten years old, it's larger than the ones in 2017, there should be plenty of room for us both. The nurse will probably only turn on the night lights, which should help and I've pulled the sheet and blanket to cover us from view and tossed the two extra pillows and a sheet underneath. We will have to get out before five am when they'll be doing more extensive vital signs and blood drawing but we can try to hide in the bathroom then."
"So...Maybe we should go under the bed now?"
"I think we have a little time before the nurse comes..."
"Exactly..." Amy noted, pulling him close.
...