"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part III...

Part III...

The Cal Tech reception had moved into full swing as President Siebert entered the hall with one of the distinguished guests of the evening, Dr. Xavier Francis...

"Dr. Francis..." Leonard had caught up with his idol, Penny nervously keeping up...

Dr. Francis, in rather elegant yet less formal suit jacket and sweater vest...And, yeah, Penny noted...Either a rather bad rug or a poor job of hair plugs...Turned. Pausing at sight of the couple before him.

President Siebert rather relieved to find young Hofstadter minus his usual Cooperian millstone, not to mention having that rather attractive young lady again in his company.

Hmmn...

Well, if she is a paid escort, she's a fairly classy one...

And given Dr. Francis seems to be taking clear stock of the attractive girl...

"Sheldon?" Amy looked at him... "Aren't we going over to meet Leonard's old adviser?"

"Soon as I know where Dr. Stein is..." Sheldon frowned. "It's like him to try and sneak in on me."

Him...He said "him". And he did say the daughter had no charms for him...Amy told herself.

Even if she has Penny's luminous skin and her favorite outfit belongs to one of Sheldon's more cherished sci-fi characters.

"There he is..." Sheldon, narrow-look to the front entrance where Eric Gablehauser was just coming in, leading another figure... "Well...Lets go in...But slowly..."

Very slowly, Amy mentally agreed...There being no sign as yet of her own primary concern...

"There's Dr. Francis with Leonard and Siebert..." Raj noted to Howard, Bernadette, and Lucy...

"And the Creator has entered the building..." Howard looked to the front...

"I hope you won't call him that around other people..." Bernadette noted.

"As long as you never let him get within ten feet when I'm not firmly attached to your arm, fine." Howard agreed. She eyeing him...

"Yeah...That bad..." he nodded. "And yeah, doesn't matter if he is seventy-something..."

"His reputation does precede itself..." Raj nodded...

"Dr. Francis...This is Dr. Leonard Hofstadter...One of our chief experimental physicists." Siebert indicated Leonard. "He actually helped organize this reception, he's been quite eager to meet you tonight."

"Ah, a man after my own field..." Francis genially offered a hand. The majority of his attention however focusing clearly on Penny...

"Well, we know each other, Dr. Francis..." Leonard, a tad disappointed...

"Hofstadter? Leonard Hofstadter? You were my adviser for three years?"

"Ah, yes...Of course..." hearty tone. "Leonard Hofstadter, my finest pupil." Friendly beam...

"And you are?" he addressed Penny...

"Dr. Francis?" Gablehauser had come up, leading a tall, distinguished-looking white-haired man in formal suit, rather neatly if quirkily set off by a bright red tie... "Sorry we didn't have time to meet outside, I had to pick up our other guests...Eric Gablehauser...And of course you know, Dr. Stein."

Francis' genial expression fading at sight of Gablehauser's companion...Who grinned impishly at Francis...Then gave a rather pleased glance to Penny...