I had a really hard time, finding a fitting song for this chapter. I wanted one about small-town-gossip but most of those I found were just a little too aggressive. In the end, I settled on this one that I had never heard before and while it does not fit the chapter perfectly, I chose it mainly because one of the performers is Reba McEntire who guest starred on Young Sheldon a few times.

I got a little gal that wears her hair up high
The boys all whistle when she walks by
Why don't you mind your own business?
(Mind your own business)
Well, if you mind your own business, you sure won't be minding mine

As it is in heaven

Chapter 12 – "Mind Your Own Business"

"Uncle Shelly, I am here!"

He wasn't even able to say hello to his sister before her son jumped into his arms and squeezed him tightly.

Sheldon returned the hug and sat his nephew down on the floor then.

"Hello, Missy. Robbie.", he nodded at the couple, even if it took a lot of strength to acknowledge his former bully and not telling him exactly what he thought of him.

Missy greeted him back, but Robbie just frowned. It was clear, he wasn't happy with his stepson's enthusiastic way of saying hello to Sheldon.

But then, his mother came to the front door and Robbie's demeanor changed entirely.

It's like he flips a switch.

"Mary, thank you so much for inviting us. I've missed these dinners. Everything smells so wonderful. These are for you."

He handed Mary a bouquet of flowers that looked very expensive.

Sheldon was baffled at his mother's reaction. She was looking at Robbie as if he was the best thing in the world before she put the flowers into a vase.

Fortunately, the doorbell rang again only seconds after and Amy, dressed in a pretty, flowery dress that reached her ankles, entered the room.

She looked lovely as always and Sheldon's mood improved instantly when he saw her warm smile directed at him.

His mother had not been thrilled at first, in the afternoon when Sheldon had told her about this additional dinner guest.

"But from what everyone told me, she seemed to be very much part of this family these past two years. Why should she not be at a family dinner?", Sheldon had argued with her. To which his mother had no counterargument, so in the end, she had no other choice but to give in.

Georgie and his new girlfriend were the last ones to arrive.

Sheldon stood by awkwardly as his brother greeted Amy with a brotherly hug.

"Mom, you didn't tell me, my favorite Medford resident was coming tonight. It's been far too long, Amy."

His mother frowned. "Actually, your brother invited her. I didn't know she was coming either until earlier today."

Sheldon wasn't sure, but he felt, Amy looked a bit upset at his mother's reaction.

Georgie raised his eyebrows at him surprised and Sheldon just grinned smugly.

That's right. She might be your favorite Medford resident, but she's came here for me.

However, half an hour later, he almost regretted inviting her. Not because of Amy. She was delightful as always.

Something that couldn't be said about the other participants.

The children had been fed and sent to play until dessert and the seven adults were gathered around the dinner table.

The food was perfect, as always. His mother had outdone herself and Sheldon didn't even complain about the heart-friendly vegetables that covered half of his plate.

But then, out of nowhere, his mother turned to the woman by his side.

"So, Amy.", she started, in a voice that Sheldon did not like at all. "Last I heard, you were going out with the Miller kid. How's that going?"

Amy coughed and was quick to swallow the spoonful of salad she had been chewing.

"Well, we went out twice. It was nice. But I don't plan on seeing him again.", she said casually.

"I see.", Mary said. "So, then you're getting back with – what was his name, I think he's working at the grocery store in Jacksonville. I always liked him."

"Carl.", Amy helped her. "No. He's nice. But we don't really have many things in common. It just did not work out."

Sheldon saw her shift on her seat uncomfortably and decided to help her.

"Can we change the subject?", he begged. "I don't think anyone is interested in who Amy used to date."

"Yeah, mom.", Georgie agreed with Sheldon, maybe for the first time in his life. "You never asked about Amy's dating life before. What's going on here?"

"Nothing.", Mary stated, ignoring her kids' protests. "I'm just making conversation. Oh, what about that nice man from church? Matthew, was it? Didn't you have fun with him at the church picnic? I thought you two looked so cute together."

"Uhm… yeah…", Amy stuttered. "That didn't work out either."

"Such a shame.", Mary gave her a poignant look. "Did he not want to go out with you again?"

"As a matter of fact, he did want to.", Robbie interjected. "He told me, he was planning on taking her camping. But she declined and stopped answering his calls. That must have been around the time when she met that other guy. Michael, I think. Remember, they went bowling once."

Amy coughed again and Sheldon was ready to jump his former bully's throat who had a smug grin on his face as he said that.

"I had no idea, my dating life was that interesting to you, Robbie.", she said as politely as she apparently could muster up.

"Well, I think it's good that Amy tries to get to know different men.", Missy finally spoke up. "She's still young and doesn't have children. Why not test out the waters a little?"

"Well…", Robbie shot her a dirty look and his sister seemed to shrink in her seat before she quietly resumed eating. "And I think, it is not appropriate for a woman – a teacher no less and a member of our church – to sleep around."

Amy dropped her fork and started at him in shock. "S… sleep around?", she asked flabbergasted. "Is that what you all think of me?"

There was an uncomfortable silence and Sheldon couldn't believe it when the others, including his mother, just kept eating their dinner and ignored her question.

"Oh, don't be offended.", Georgie said and smiled at her reassuringly. "There's nothing wrong with having a little fun while you're young and free. Don't be ashamed of who you are, Amy."

Amy stared at him. She looked genuinely mortified and Sheldon's blood started to boil.

"How dare you people treat my dinner guest like this.", he hissed.

"Sheldon… it's alright.", Amy said softly and squeezed his arm. "Let's just eat."

"No.", he insisted. "No, it's not alright. This is unacceptable" He turned to his mother. "Amy is a guest in this house. My guest. I invited her, because she is my friend. Now you can like it or not, I don't care. But you cannot treat her like this. You know better than that. I know, because you taught me better than that."

His mother had the decency to look away.

"And you.", he turned to Robbie. "How dare you question Amy's morality. What has her dating life to do with the way she teaches science? Also, since you value your precious church so much, you should be grateful for Amy. Since there wouldn't even be a church choir anymore without her."

Robbie narrowed his eyes at Sheldon.

"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. First Corinthian letter 6:18."

Sexual immorality?

Something in his brain snapped.

"Well, that's rich, coming from the guy who used to have relations with half the cheerleader team. You bragged about it all the time, how you got them drunk and took them to your van. If anyone at this table is sexually immoral, it certainly is not Amy."

"It's okay, Sheldon.", Amy whispered next to him and touched his arm again as if to stop him. "Just let it go."

He knew she was capable of fighting her own battles, but he just couldn't let Robbie talk this way about her.

"That's different. I was an eighteen-year-old boy, blowing of steam.", Robbie said defensively. "But what would you know about that? The only way you'd get a woman is if you built one yourself. Weirdo."

"Robbie, that's enough.", his mother shouted out. "What's gotten into you?"

At least now, even she looked shocked by the turn this conversation had taken.

As soon as he heard his mother in law's voice, Robbie's expression changed entirely.

"I am sorry, Mary.", he apologized, smiling at her brightly in a way that made Sheldon cringe. "I should not have talked this way at a family dinner."

Mary nodded at him.

"Maybe this really isn't a wise choice for a dinner conversation. Let's just change the subject.", she ordered and again everyone resumed with their meal.

Sheldon shook his head disbelievingly. What more proof did his mother need to finally realize what kind of person Robbie was?

And how dare she just move on without as much as an apology to Amy?

"You are all a bunch of hypocrites.", he hissed before getting up. "I don't even want to look at you anymore."

With that he stomped off to the front door.

"I… I am sorry, Mary but I think I am leaving too. Thanks for dinner. It was delicious as always.", he heard Amy say before he went out the door.

He could hear her steps behind him, but he was too angry to wait for her as he practically ran across the street to her house and sat down at the bench on her front porch.

She sat down next to him.

"Sheldon…", she started.

"How could they do this?", he asked furiously. "How could they let this man into our family?"

Amy put her hand on his upper arm tentatively.

"Sheldon…", she tried again.

"He's hurting my sister. And he's sitting there all high and mighty, as if he's above everyone else and then he has the nerve to say those things about you and quote the bible. And don't get me started on this so-called apology. How can my mother fall for that? He… he's a liar. A hypocrite. A violent man. A bully. He used to make my life a living hell and he still does."

Amy put a hand on his shoulder.

"He bullied you, huh? That is what you meant with having had bad experiences with him. That's why Connie did not like him."

He slumped down and sighed.

"Yes.", he admitted. "And I know it has been years. Decades really. It shouldn't bother me anymore. It's not even like he was the only one. But… he was the worst of them all. The one that started it each and every time."

Memories ran through his head. Of himself surrounded by bigger children who tossed him around and called him names.

His things disappearing from his bag or his locker. Turning up again destroyed. Ripped apart. His favorite journal. The pen that once belonged to his pop-pop. Nothing was sacred to those monsters.

Running home, his heart hammering in his chest, being chased by them. Being thrown into the dirt and beaten up.

He couldn't stop the tears that were falling from his eyes.

"This is embarrassing.", he mumbled. "I'm a grown man. I shouldn't still be hung up about things that happened in High School."

Amy started caressing his back soothingly.

"Sheldon, did you know that being bullied can change the way your brain works? It is not just something you get over with. It causes long-term emotional damage. Children who have been bullied often have trouble trusting people for the rest of their lives."

He looked at her closely.

"How do you know that?", he asked.

"Well…", she sighed. "Every teacher should know that. And… I was bullied too."

Of course, she was. Was there anything they did not have in common?

"I know what it's like.", she continued. "And I cannot imagine being in a situation where your former bully is suddenly part of your family. Married to your twin. Abusing her. What a nightmare."

Yes, he knew all that. But there was this other thing.

"It… it changes the way your brain works?", he repeated what she had said first.

"Yes.", she nodded. "Trauma does that. It can activate the same areas of the brain as physical pain does. It causes change to your whole brain structure. It can lead to depression, anxiety and many other mental health problems."

She proceeded to talk about brain waves and synapses and hormones and with every word she spoke, he got more and more sure about his sudden realization.

"When you said you have a background in science, you meant neuroscience.", he whispered more to himself than to her.

"I was always interested in… Neurobiology.", she confirmed. "But that's not important anymore."

He shook his head.

"But it is. Amy, you are exceptional. The way you talk about the brain. You really know your stuff. You… you should really pursue that. Maybe even get a PhD. I can help you study for it. I am sure, you would do fascinating work."

She looked at him strangely and for a second it looked like she was wanting to tell him something. But then she looked away again.

"Well, the work I do now is pretty important too.", she insisted.

"Teaching science to High School students? Amy, you are wasting your intellect on morons who believe the world is flat and was made in seven days."

"That's not all I do, Sheldon.", she protested.

"Yeah, you show them how to cut into frogs too.", he said mockingly.

"Sheldon.", she looked up to him sternly. "Don't you wish you'd had a science teacher who was actually passionate about science? Someone who would have encouraged you and was able to answer your questions?"

"Sure.", he shrugged. "But I was an exception. For most kids, the science lectures we had were perfectly sufficient."

"See, that's where you're wrong.", she insisted. "If we want young people to go into science, we should show them what a great job that is. Spark their interest. Encourage them. Show them that it is more than dissecting frogs or learning formulas."

He smiled weakly. "You think you can do that? Get teenagers from Medford interested in science? Because I tried that when I was in High School. And it only got me in trouble."

"Well... I'm trying.", she nodded. "I've been using some old connections to get scientists to visit and perform experiments. Talk about their jobs and how they got to where they are. And I launched a program to specifically encourage girls to go into science. I've made that last thing my condition before I took this job. I've gotten accomplished female scientists to mentor those girls and there's even talk of a new scholarship."

He looked at her in awe.

"Wow. You ARE actually doing important work."

"Of course, I am.", she nodded. "Even today, girls are still being told, boys are better at math and science. Someone needs to show them that's not true."

He thought back to the time when he and his friends had tried to get teenage girls interested in science. They could have used someone like her.

How was it possible that his mother idealized Robbie like this while judging Amy the way she did, when she was actually trying to improve things in Medford?

"I am so sorry, Amy. I did not mean to make this all about me. You were treated poorly tonight. I apologize for my family."

"It's okay.", she said, although she looked sad. "I don't care what people like Robbie think of me. But… I really thought your mother liked me. We used to get along so well."

"She does like you.", Sheldon insisted. "Very much. She just does not like how… how close we are becoming."

Amy nodded. "She thinks I'm not good enough for you. She thinks I'm… some kind of tramp."

"She cannot possibly think that.", he promised. "No one in their right mind would think anything like that about you. And just for the record, I do not agree with anything that has been said tonight. I am terribly sorry for how you were treated tonight, Amy."

"Really?", she winked at him. "So, you don't think I am a slutty trollop from the evil land of California who brings sin over this lovely, god-fearing small town?"

The way she looked at him, he just had to pull her into his arms.

It was normal, right? They were friends. And friends hugged once in a while.

The only difference was, he used to count down the seconds until he could get out of a hug. But not with Amy.

It was shocking, how fast this closeness to her became his new normal.

"I know you are not. But… even if you were.", he mumbled. "It wouldn't change the fact that you are kind of my favorite person right now."

She slung both arms around his torso and nestled into his chest. It reminded him of the night before, the way her body molded into his and he felt himself rendered speechless by the intensity of feelings that were coursing through him.

"You are my favorite person too. By far.", she whispered.

It was exactly what he had wanted to hear. But still, hearing it was almost overwhelming and before he could stop himself, he placed a soft kiss on her hair, before he hugged her even tighter to his chest.

Which – of course – was normal too. They were upset. This was a way to comfort each other. A great way, actually, as it almost completely took his mind off what had transpired earlier.

Of course, it also made his mind wander to other things. Things that did not make it easy, saying good night to her later that night.

The rest of his family had already left, when he returned home. Only his mother was sitting in the living room. She put away her book and chewed on her bottom lip as he approached her.

"Sheldon…", she started.

"Don't.", he cut her off. "Do not ask what I was doing out so long. It is none of your business. No matter what you might think, I am a grown man. And your behavior tonight was unacceptable. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I am.", she all but whispered, and Sheldon didn't know what to say for a second. He had not expected this.

"I am so sorry, Sheldon. What happened tonight was horrible and I fully accept responsibility for my part in it. I should never have brought up what I did during dinner. It was not fair to Amy. And to you."

"You put her on the spot, mother.", he said angrily. "Yesterday you told me you loved her. And everyone keeps telling me how important she was to meemaw. And to this family. Why would you treat her like that? Just because of me? Because I invited her?"

His mother smiled at him sadly.

"I don't fully understand it myself. But yes, probably.", she admitted. "Whatever is going on between you two, it scares me."

He huffed.

"Well, whatever reason you think you are doing this for, it needs to stop. Right now. Because Amy is part of my life now and I am happy about it. Nothing you say or do will change that."

His mother patted on the spot of the couch next to her and after hesitating for a second, he sat down.

"You are serious about her, aren't you?", she asked. "You have feelings for Amy."

In his attempt to look away for her, his gaze shifted out of the window. The light on Amy's porch was still on. There was no way, his mother did not see them lying in each other's arms just before.

"I haven't analyzed my feelings yet.", he said evasively. "But… it is possible."

She nodded.

"I see."

"You better get on board with this quickly, mother. Because I love and respect you, but I will not let anyone insult Amy the way she was insulted tonight."

"I know. And I promise, it will not happen again. As I said, I am really sorry. My personal feelings aside, no guest should be treated like this in my house."

At least she got that one right.

"You are apologizing to the wrong person. I am not the guest who got insulted.", he said, a bit calmer than before.

She nodded again. "I know. Tomorrow morning I'm going over to Amy's and apologize to her too."

"Good.", he said. "And you better make it a really good apology. Because while I do believe Amy is a person who can be very forgiving, what you did today was downright cruel. And might I say, I've never seen you act like this before."

"I know. It's just…", she hesitated.

"What?"

"Lately, I have this disturbing feeling that something is wrong. It started after meemaw's death. Something bad is about to happen to this family. Something I can't control. I can't help but worry about you."

He took a deep breath. It was worth trying at least.

"I think you are partly right. Something bad is already happening in this family, mother. But it has nothing to do with me or Amy. I believe, you are looking out for the wrong twin."

She did not answer for a long time.

Did she believe him? Would she ever?

"Mother?", he asked when she was silent to long for his liking.

"Sheldon, would you consider…", she hesitated, and he raised his eyebrows, hoping she would continue. "Maybe next choir practice, you can tell Missy, I'd gladly watch her children a bit longer so she can go out with all of you. I mean… Maybe she needs to be around you more. You… and Amy."

He looked at her surprised.

Was it a ploy to make sure someone was watching him and Amy? Like a chaperone of sorts?

Or was it her way of saying she was starting to doubt her son-in-law and wanted Missy to be among friends?

To his distress, during the next choir practice, he had to realize that none of it mattered for the moment.

It started out promising. Everyone had practiced at home and their first song sounded much better than it had last time.

Amy kept grinning at him from her spot in the choir, and his heart was making a little jump whenever he looked at her.

'We did that.', they seemed to communicate silently. 'Together.'

But even after two songs, someone was still missing.

"Is Missy not coming tonight?", he asked the others. "Has she called anyone?"

"I haven't heard from her.", Ruth told him, checking her watch. "She's late sometimes. But never this late. Maybe we should take a break so someone can check on her."

That was exactly what they did, and Sheldon took it upon himself to call her.

"Missy?", he asked. "Are you alright? We're waiting for you."

He heard sniffling on the other line and her voice sounded strange.

"Yes, Sheldon. Thanks for calling. I am fine. But… I can't today. No babysitter."

That was poppycock and she knew it.

"Missy, I talked to mom just a few days ago. She is more than willing to watch the kids. Tell me what's going on.", he demanded.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Well…", he heard his sister's shaky voice. "It's just… Ro… I… I decided that I am spending too much time away from the kids. I should be home more. Spend my evening with the family instead of this choir. It's… better this way. For a while at least."

He was about to start a rant. Tell her this was crazy. That he knew Robbie was behind all this and that she deserved better than his treatment of her.

But he thought about what Amy had said.

Don't pressure her. Be there for her. Get her to trust you.

"Missy, it's okay if you don't want to tell me everything.", he said softly. "But please know, no matter what's going on, I am on your side. You are my twin sister and I love you. And if one day you are ready to talk to me, I will support you, no questions asked."

There was nothing to hear on the other line except a sob.

And then she hung up and he had no idea if he had said the right thing or made everything worse.