"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part L...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part L...

"So the laser kicks in when the door is forced open, but only if the three-digit code is wrong?" Sheldon asked, eyeing the controls of the now well concealed laser set up in a bookcase directly across from the front door.

"Blinding our assailant if not cutting him in half ala 'Goldfinger's'." Kripke nodded.

"Sounds good. I agree the door is 77.5% likely to be the point of assault. Shall we finish electrifying the windows?"

"100, 000 volts should do the twrick, nicely. Again, though we allow one crack at the thwree digit code. Safety fiwrst, natch. But Sheldon, not 'Amy' or 'AMY' or 'AFF'. Bit too obvious."

"I suppose. What about 'A1F'?"

"Possible...I'd wrecommend a diffewrent numbewr, at least."

"Yes. Dr. Kripke, it's kind of you to be helping us like this. I know you weren't planning to be stranded here."

"As I said, it's nice to be among the fiwrst time-twravelewrs. I intend dibs on any book deals."

"You're not as close to my counterpart as his other friends, till now anyways. I heard him promote you."

"I wrathewr leaned mowre towawrd his nemesis, thwrough things wewre a bit bettewr between us...And Wil Wheaton, then Bwrent Spinnewr had weplaced me. I wrather opewrated on the fwringe of youwr social ciwrcle. Though...I must adwmit, I was wrather jealous..." Barry shrugged.

"Of me...Understandable..." nod.

"Uh, no. Actually I've always been wrather jealous of Leonawrd Hofstadtewr, poor guy."

"Ohhh...Yes...The bodacious Mrs. Hofstadter..." nod.

"Ohhh...." Kripke eyed Sheldon with shrewd smile. "Sooo...You have nowticed hewr bodaciousness, in fact? I always thought so." nod.

"That dawg!" Sheldon, furious.

"He nevewr cwrossed any lines. I wrather think he was afwraid to. Mainly cause he loved Leonawrd so much. And then, Amy came and he was a gone man...Don't wowrry." smile. "Nice to know you'wre human. And to have something to hold ovewr Sheldon." grin.

Frown by young Sheldon...

"I can hardly speak for my counterpart but I'm twelve, in early puberty. I notice...Everything. It's rather distressing, the distraction. My only consolation previously was, that it would, from what I've observed, be greatly reduced by age thirty. And now, there is only one sole distraction, now that I've achieved perfection in Romance, winning the divine Amy." beam.

"Twrue enough. Nevewr expect me to admit this to youwr countewrpawrt but she is a pwrize such as few men can aspiwre to. Although I have told him I admiwre his achievement. Wremembewr, young Coopewr, thewre is no gwreatewr joy in life or lwove than making a woman who nevewr thought she would be desiwred or chewrished, exactly that."

"I will. So long as you remember that Amy of either era is not for you." Sheldon, firmly.

"So noted." nod. "But it's not simply his wiwfe's bodaciousness that kinwdled my envy, Coopewr." sigh. "Hofstadtewr was the most couwrageous and belwoved man I knew. Evewryone, even Sheldon Coopewr, no offense, was won by his noble sowul and open heawrt. Fowr him, thewre wewre no bawrriewrs, simply obstacles to be slowly, given his showrt statuwre and asthmatic condition, climbed and ovewrcome. He won Penny not with chweap flwash or wealth or fame...Just a kind heawrt and a twrue sowul and a couwrageous spiwrit. I would have given much to have been half the man he was, just to be lwoved half as much as so many lwoved him. I just wish I could tell him how much his example mweant to me, even if I wresented how easy it was for him to win heawrts and admiwration." nod, wan smile.