Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...
Part LI...
"Now Amy..." Margaret eyed young Amy as they sat in her kitchen, Amy eating some soup just heated in microwave for her. "I realize you're anxious about both the Sheldons. I was both young and in love, and just in love not so long ago myself and I understand absolutely how overwhelming can be the desire to keep your beloved safe and in your care."
"Grandpa Leonard." Amy nodded, sipping soup.
"Grandpa Leonard among others including you and Charlotte..." nod. "But you're twelve and currently in my care and you must trust that we've arranged for the safety of them both."
"I'm not worried about Sheldon, adult..." Amy noted, dunking crusty bread in the soup. "He's got me, adult, by his side. I pity the fool who'd take her on...An adult Fowler in love." Calm tone.
"True enough..." Margaret agreed.
"But my own honey...Not to question Dr. Kripke's guardian skills..." Amy noted, carefully. "Susan, adult, only knows he's here, not his counterpart. Same for Dr. Francis. Ergo, my lamby is in danger and I am concerned."
"Amy...You can do far better protecting him by staying here and resting and setting out on the quest fresh tomorrow."
"That's the logical argument, Gran." nod.
"Amy..." stern look. "In the paraphrased words of your great aunt, if you try to leave this house tonight...I'll get you, my pretty...And your little dog won't be any safer."
"I love him, Gran..." calm stare. "But I understand."
"Stop evading the direct answer, child. I'm no fool. Promise me you'll stay here."
"Gran. We are Fowler women." shrewd regarding... "I won't lie to you, you know if I can get to Sheldon tonight, I will."
"Fair warning and honest, true Fowler. All right, then. It will be slumber party sleepover, down here in the living room. And you can call Sheldon. But you are not going there."
Shrug, rising and taking bowl and spoon to sink. "No prison or fortress can hold my rapturous, pining heart. Likewise, fair warning." nod. "But can we call my darling now?" eager look. "Until I hear that he's safe, my blood pressure and pulse remain at dangerously high levels."
"All right, but in the living room. And I warn you, child...I've turned on the alarm system, just in case you're hoping the doddering old grandmother might pass out in thirty minutes or less."
"I expected no less, Gran." nod. "Shall we?"
"Come along and bring your juice...Amy, he does seem like a sweet boy. I am happy for you." Margaret noted as they entered the living room.
"Isn't he?" Amy beamed as they sat on sofa. Margaret pulling phone over and dialing. "It's something of a pity that my counterpart is here, his'd be a good match for Charlotte."
"Charlotte's only two years old than you?" Margaret stared.
"It's not the age, it's the experience. Charlotte's lived a lifetime of suffering. Clearly my adult Sheldon, manfully as he tries to conceal it, has done the same. Only to be expected in a world incapable of ever fully appreciating him." solemn nod.
"Really? He struck me as somewhat overprotected. And I mean to speak to Amy about...Yes? Ah, Dr. Kripke?"
"Sheldon! Hi!" Amy quieting at a stare from Gran Mag.
Right, not too forward...Demure catches like honey, she nodded.
"Yes, is everything? Really...The boy wasn't hurt?"
"Sheldon!" Amy cried, grabbing for phone.
"Amy! It's fine. Not Sheldon...Sit down, girl!" stern look... Amy settling down, anxious.
"Well, yes...Probably best to extend the time before the laser fires. And true, Austin needs better pizza. It's one of the things that makes me grateful for Princeton." Margaret nodded.
"Their laser nearly blinded a pizza delivery boy..." she explained to Amy, who nodded, calming. "Fortunately they shut it off before he suffered any ill effects."
"Can Sheldon come to phone, Doctor? Amy is...Hello, Sheldon. Yes, she's fine."
"Yes, I'm fine, but pining my love!" Amy cried.
"Amy! Control yourself!" Margaret frowned. "Here, talk to Sheldon. But a bit less anxious, girl. Don't give it all away." hiss at end.
Right...One shouldn't be too forward. A bit of cool and collected... "Sheldon! Oh, Sheldon! My heart was in my throat when Dr. Kripke mentioned someone'd been hurt! Oh? Well. The Darwin factor at work, yes. Lucky he didn't "
Margaret eyeing her...Amy?
"The 'boy' was twenty-two and asked if they saw the red firefly in their doorway. Plus he needed them to give him directions back to his father's pizzeria..." Amy noted to Margaret, before hastily returning to phone. "Oh, Sheldon...I'm so glad you're all right and you've provided yourself with a lethal defensive system."
Yeah, Kripke, smiling as he watched Sheldon on phone, rapt in conversation. I nevewr knew Zac Johnson's fathewr moved to Pasadena from Austin to open a branch of his dad's place.
So many times at his wrestauwrant Leswley and I wrevelled in listening to his son tell us of his adventuwres with Hofstadtewr and company..."My buds, the science guys who live wright next to the gal I'm banging. Convenient, wright? What's hewr name, I know it's some kind of change...?"
...
"Dr. Hofstadter. Leonard? Please, wake up." anxious tone.
Leonard opening eyes. "Oh, hi. You need me to get up?" he eyed Miss Glau, intently staring at him in the dimly lit dark of their bus seat.
"Leonard, if you want to live, you need to get off this bus with me, now." she eyed him sternly.
"What? No, oh no..." he stared... Raj was right?
"You need to get off this bus with Summer Glau, Leonard." She morning d into Penny. "Cause if I find out you spent the night sleeping by her...Hell to pay! Hell...to...pay!"
He woke, startled...
Phew...He looked about. Miss Glau sound asleep next to him.
Ummn...Maybe I'd better take that empty seat further back, now she's asleep.
Thanks for lookin' out for me, honey. He sighed.
"Don't mention it..." Penny's voice from across the aisle, where the snoring Raj had morphed into Penny eyeing him. "And get the hell out of that seat, bucko!"
He woke with start, in the seat he'd moved to, further back, after Ms. Glau had fallen asleep after eagerly talking to him about Science for a bit, while hinting at her mix of disappointment and concern about his poor friend whose lack of conversation was clearly stemming from his girlfriend's tragic recent accident.
"Lucy'd be pleased, buddy." he eyed the sleeping Raj down the aisle.
"Hang in there, honey, I'm coming as fast as I can..." he whispered.
"You coulda asked your dad for money sooner and the full fare..." Penny beside him, in the outfit she'd worn when her double appeared in the lab, noted. "Sorry...I know you're doing your best. I don't wanna be your Mom. I'll stop haunting your dreams."
"Don't you dare." Leonard insisted.
"Ok. Of course you know it's your fault if you're turning me into some weird version of Beverly." she frowned.
"That's not true. And you turn into Mom and I'm waking up, right now." he noted.
"No...I won't do that. You've been through enough." she beamed, kissing him. "Just get the lead, out, honey." eyeing him. "I could be in danger, all alone." pleading face.
"I know, I'm tryin'."
"Ok...And it goes without sayin', though I'm sayin'...No fantasizing about Summer Glau. Whoever she is..." stern look.
"Really? Penny, we watched the Terminator Chronicles at least twice."
"I'm lying...You know I'm insecure, beautiful as I am, whenever you show interest in an intelligent girl who's beautiful. Though really? Fifteen would be a little..." frown.
...
Penny's CCU room...
"Sheldon...Oh, my." Amy's voice from under the bed.
"Yes, my...Very my..." his voice agreeing. "Though I'm glad I had the foresight to put an extra sheet on the floor. For what is supposed to be a clean environment this floor..."
"We'd best keep it down..." Amy noted. "We might wake Penny or be heard outside."
"Ok...But I'm not the one who cried out last time."
"True, I'll try to contain the sheer ecstasy of my orgasm next time. Though I would point out..."
"Fair enough...Though I would note I made an effort to utilize the baser tones so that my cries wouldn't travel far."
"I guess we're both rather ecstatic..." fond tone. "You don't think we're being selfish expressing our love physically like this, under the bed of the woman we came to comfort ?"
"I don't think Penny would object..." Sheldon noted.
"No, she doesn't..." Penny called from above, whispering. "It's lovely. But try to keep it down a bit, guys? Tryin' to sleep here."
Silence...
"Sorry, bestie."
"No prob...Thanks for being here, bestie. G'night. Night, Sheldon."
"Good night, Penny."
....