"It's A Reasonably Bearable Existence..."

"It's a Reasonably Bearable Existence..." Part V...

"It's a Reasonably Bearable Existence..."

Summary: The Powers That Be have had it with Sheldon...And have decided he needs a little Xmas...

Disclaimer: It's all Chuck's...But nothing for Joss Whedon on this one.

(Just a note...To learn more about Amy's rather bipolar, beautiful, and somewhat tragic sister and her Sheldon Cooper obsession, you'll want to read "Gran Mag")

Part V...

("This Holiday Season..." deep intonation... "Amy Farrah Fowler...and Sheldon Cooper, natural philosophers..."

"He's a physicist...She's a neurobiologist..." Joseph sighed...

"Eh...Natural Philosopher still sounds better..." Penelope shrugged... "Anyway...This Holiday Season..."

"Explain to me why I agreed to letting you do an intro...?"

"Inspiration and helps me organize my thoughts...I love the flickers...And you were looking down my blouse..."

"What?...How the heck could you know that?...I'm invisible to you..."

"And I'm an ex-tavern maid..." shrewd look... "Oh, come on Joseph...You were only human yourself once...And so long as Claire never hears...I was a little flattered after all these years..."

"You were in my field of vision, that's all...But, I'm willing to humor you, if it'll get the job done...So?..."

"Ahem...This Holiday Season...Amy and Sheldon...Are going where they've never gone before..."

"This better not be leading to where I think it's leading, girl..." stern tone...

"Oh, come on...They're adults...And, you know what's what here...But I meant...Into their pasts...Their present...And... Their future..."

"Fine...Now, are you inspired?...Can we get back to the job?..."

"Pray continue, Joseph..." wave...

Field of vision...Please...)

Sheldon took his melancholy dinner alone in his usual spot; and having read all the newest physics papers online, and beguiled the rest of the evening with his operating system reconfiguration, went to his bedroom...As noted, he resided in chambers which he shared with his roommate...Outside was now dark, the fog so hung about the black windows, that it seemed as if some Genius of the Weather sat in mournful meditation there...

("Geesh...So much for sunny California..." Penelope shook head... "His friends were just across the way before they went off for dinner, what's with him?...Why is he spending Christmas Eve cut off like this when there are so many people who just want a chance to love him?..."

Long silence...

"Ohhh...My job to find out...Right...Got it...Thanks...")

Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the laptop computer on the bedroom table, except that it was good-sized as to screen, even, large...It is also a fact, that Sheldon had shut it off that morning as he had done so night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Sheldon Cooper had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the city of Pasadena even including - which is a bold word - the chamber of commerce. ..Let it also be borne in mind that Sheldon had not bestowed one thought on his girlfriend Amy, since his last mention of her that afternoon. And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Sheldon, preparing to boot up to do a few final reviews, saw on the screen, without its undergoing any intermediate process of change - not a black screen, but Amy's face.

("Oh, oh...I know this...You use electricity, like Dr. Franklin used to catch in those Leyden jars...That's what makes the image light up..." Penelope, beaming...

Thought I didn't know the modern way, didntcha...?

"Claire told me all about it...The electric force passes to the elemental particles and they light..."

"No electricity...He didn't turn it on..."

"Oh...")

Amy's face... It was not in impenetrable shadow as the other objects in the room were, but had a dismal light about it, like a bad lobster in a dark cellar...

"Damn screen needs to be replaced..." sigh...Sheldon frowned...

It was not angry or ferocious, but looked at Sheldon as Amy always looked: earnestly with ghostly spectacles turned up on its ghostly forehead...Her hair was curiously stirred, as if by breath or hot air; and, though the eyes were wide open, they were perfectly motionless...That, and its livid color, made it horrible; but its horror seemed to be in spite of the face and beyond its control, rather than a part or its own ex-

("Joseph...That's mean...Amy's a wonderful girl..."

"This is what Sheldon sees, girl...I'm just pushing his imagination..."

"Well, lets hope it's guilt...It'd ought to be...")

-pression...

As Sheldon looked fixedly at this phenomenon, it was blank and black again...

To say that he was not startled, or that his blood was not conscious of a terrible sensation to which it had been somewhat used since infancy, would be untrue...But he put his hand back upon the laptop he had relinquished, turned it sturdily on, and logged in...

He did pause, with a moment's irresolution, to get up, open and shut the door; and he did look cautiously behind it first, as if he half-expected to be terrified with the sight of Amy's hair sticking out into the hall. But there was nothing on the back of the door, so he said "Pooh, pooh!" and closed it with a bang...

("Well at least that's got him goin'..." Penelope grinned... "May I...?"

"If you must..." sigh... This family sure goes for the big show and lights...)

Lights flickered...

Sheldon looked about...

"Lovely..."

("And cue sound..." Penelope smiled...)

Banging sounds...But definitely not knocking...More like someone dragging chains about, over boxes in the cellar...

("You know this apartment is not above a cellar..." Joseph...

"His imagination'll make allowances...Just like your Amy head..." Penelope noted...)

"Strange...The Bains who live below us are usually very quiet..." Sheldon noted, looking down at the floor...

Sounds of dragging chains now on as if coming up the stairs...

Hmmn...

("He'll go check now..." Penelope grinned... "And no one there..."

Hmmn...She stared as Sheldon took the desk chair seat...)

"Hello, Leonard..." he addressed the speed-dialed cell phone...

("Allow for modern technology, girl..." Joseph noted...)

"Yes, this is your anal Scroogian roommate...No, I am not 'breaking down' to ask to come to dinner...I just wanted to check if you knew what the banging outside was...What banging?...Leonard?...Are you and Wolowitz attempting to be amusing...If so ...Bwhah...Very amusing, now you can stop...Leonard?...Leonard?..."

Hmmn...It must be a practical joke...

A violent bang and rattle of chain just outside the bedroom door...He went over, triumphantly opening with a sudden rush...

("Nyah..." Penelope grinned...)

Nothing...

"Oh, darn..." Sheldon frowned... "The apocalypse was supposed to be on the 21st..." Shaking head, he closed the door...

"Hello, young Edison..." a voice from his desk chair...A familiar voice...

"Paw-paw?..." he stared...