Raj placed his tray on the table next to Howard's and looking at his 2 friends announced. "I think we have a problem.""You got one too?" Howard asked without even looking at his friend."Excuse me?""I take it the problem you are referring too is an email similar to the ones we received; from Sheldon's beloved Meemaw? Who, if her tone is anything to go by, is even more crazy than her grandson!" Howard looked up from his bacon cheeseburger to confirm he was right.Raj nodded. "Yes! Exactly! And you say she is crazy but her threat to tell my parents of the various women I have been dating seemed real enough. I cant believe Sheldon told her!"" Raj your parents know all about the women you have been dating." Leonard pointed out unsure why his friend was suddenly so concerned." Yes but they think it is purely platonic, cinema trips and goodnight kisses on the cheek. It was part of my new allowance conditions, no sowing wild oats with American floozies. If they find out I have been lying all these years...""Well she threatened to tell my rabbi about my weekly cheesecake factory bacon burgers and but I agree with Raj," he looked seriously at Leonard "I think she may be serious.""OK, so even if she is what is the problem? We have done nothing wrong. It is not our fault Amy dumped Sheldon and he was fine once she left. Look he even won a Nobel! He has hardly suffered!""Yes well we all know the work that won that prize happened when Amy was well and truly by his side pandering to his every crazy whim. And since he has returned to Texas he has evidently declined to the point that makes the cat incident look casual."" I am not sure exactly what we are supposed to do about it." Raj moaned." Well I guess all we can do is reply telling her how he was here and suggest he comes back to work where he may find comfort?" Leonard knew even as he uttered the words they could come back to haunt him, but he really had no idea what else they could do. Sure Sheldon had been more insular after Amy left but he had been working hard and had the results to show for it. "Penny did said Amy is thinking of coming home soon. Do you think we should warn Sheldon?"" Well maybe wait to see if he returns." Howard said, "if he is not good at the moment and his mother is on his case then maybe it really is the best for him to come back here before we break that piece of news."73Amy stared at the email in total shock. The first thought that rushed through her mind was how on earth Sheldon's grandmother had got hold of her email. The second was confusion. Surely the questions Meemaw was asking her Sheldon would be able to answer if he were staying in Texas as she stated. Maybe something had happened to him. Panicking Amy picked up the phone and dialled Penny's number."Penny hey it's Amy. Is Sheldon OK?""Amy hi, err yes as far as I know." Penny answered cautiously. "Why do you ask?""Because I have just received an email from his Meemaw asking me all sorts of very strange and frankly quite personal questions!""Oh you got one too.""She emailed you?" Amy asked stunned by this piece of information. "Why would she want to know if you had failed to fulfil all Sheldon's physical needs?"Penny snorted trying to disguise her laugh. "Oh boy you will have fun answering that!" She sniggered. "No Amy she did not ask me such personal questions. She wanted to know from me why I had let the two of you split up. It seems she is holding your group of friends responsible for your entire relationship.""But that's ludicrous!" Amy muttered "Surely she knows Sheldon does what Sheldon wants.""Well evidently her precious Moonpie is suffering and it is our fault.""Does Sheldon know do you think? That she has messaged us I mean." Amy had initially thought Meemaw was acting on Sheldon's instruction, knowing he did not like confrontation himself, but hearing each member of their group had received a message made Amy doubt this theory."How else would she have got our email addresses?" Penny had just assumed Sheldon had shifted all responsibility to others rather than accept any wrong doing himself so had not given Amy's suggestion any thought until now."Well I guess she could have tricked them out of him, or in the case of myself, Raj, Howard and Leonard obtained them through the university.""Or she hacked his account." Penny laughed. "I mean I have been using their Wi-Fi for years he is not exactly original with passwords."Considering this Amy nodded to herself. "She must be worried though, I mean to message strangers like that.""Amy I wish you would come home. Maybe if you both came back things could return to normal."Amy sighed. "That's just the thing Penny I don't want things to go back to how they were before."73It was getting dark. Sheldon had been watching out for his mother's car. He was hungry now having skipped lunch. Climbing carefully out of the tree he made his way into the kitchen. Knowing his grandmothers habits of old he checked the fridge and found the wrapped chicken from lunch and a bowl of coleslaw. Helping himself to a generous portion Sheldon sat himself down at the table. It was strange being in the house alone. Even growing up it had always seemed busy children and adults all vying for attention. Voices shouting to be heard. Now the peace made him uneasy.Rinsing his plate and putting it away Sheldon went into the study where Meemaw kept her computer. Maybe he would see what game she was playing and see if he could help her at all. Seeing the laptop open he settled down and prepared to thrash any pensioner beating his beloved grandmother but his plan was quickly forgotten when moving his finger over the mouse pad he saw, not a game page or even a familiar website, but his own email account. Quickly opening the sent folder his eyes widened in horror as he took in the evidence of his family's interference.Standing suddenly he began pacing. How dare they! He was a grown man; he did not need his mother and grandmother interfering. He did not need them talking to his friends.It was as he paced the room for the fifth time the front door opened and his mother appeared, "Oh good you are here, Meemaw wanted to know if you wanted to come go get dinner with us.""No I don't but what I do want is an explanation!" Pointing at the laptop he continued "Was this you?""Err..." Mary blustered" No, but Shelly-""'But Shelly' nothing." Storming passed his mother he found Meemaw sat in the car, her smile at his appearance soon turned to a wince as he pulled the door open and said "Why? Why did you have to interfere? This is exactly why I dint tell you sooner."Nodding Meemaw climbed out of the car. She saw Mary waiting, watching; and linking arms with her grandson she said "We are worried Moonpie. Today you were so upset. I have never seen you like that before;" she guided him slowly toward the porch chair and setting herself down waited for him to join her. "Sheldon when you were little you had no friends but you had science. Now you tell us you have good friends yet it seems none of them cared enough to help you when you were in trouble so it made me wonder if these were really friends or just scientist hanging on your coattails hoping some of your success will rub off on them."Sheldon snorted. "Meemaw Penny is a sales rep who wants to be an actress, Bernadette, Raj and Leonard may be scientists but they are hardly in my league and any success I have is of no reflection on any of them. Howard is a mere engineer with a little space adventure that he builds up to give himself a feeling of importance. They do not care about my work but they have cared for me. Penny looks after me when I am sick, Leonard, Howard and Raj share similar interests in comic books, movies and paint balling; they choose to spend their free time in my company and share these interests. So you going to them accusing them of not caring for me is unfair." Sheldon sighed. "When I was small I was lonely Meemaw now I have friends.""But Moonpie you are not happy.""No, I am not happy but I told you earlier it is my fault I messed up.""You can't hide out here forever you know." Meemaw said gently."I know." Looking at his grandmother seriously he asked "How did you break in to my email account?"Meemaw grinned. "Sheldon you have had that password since you were a little boy!""Yes well maybe the next one won't be so easy to break!" he muttered standing to re-enter the house."As long as you don't make it 'I am the flash' you should be fine!" Meemaw chuckled and seeing him stiffen and almost stumble her laughter grew. "Why don't you make it something no-one would guess from you." She suggested helpfully"Something like 'my Meemaw is a fraud!'" Sheldon muttered as he rushed to re-enter the house and escape her laughter. He had thought seeing Meemaw would help, he had thought she would cook for him and tell him he was right and that Amy would soon come to her senses and be back, begging him to return.Instead she had question his friends and laughed at him.Slamming into his bedroom he lay of the bed and stared at the ceiling. He had a Nobel. Things were meant to be different yet here he was hiding in his room and nothing had changed.73Amy stared at her keyboard. She had tried drafting a reply to Sheldon's grandmother but it felt silly. She was not a child and resented being treated like one. And she simply refused to answer questions on the more intimate side of her relationship with anyone. Not that there was anything to tell a little voice in her head reminded her. She could not believe Sheldon had OKed it for his grandmother to contact his friends so she had to assume he was unaware of this latest development, but maybe if Sheldon really was having trouble coping she should explain her side of the story and maybe between them Mary and Meemaw could help Sheldon see why she was upset.Hitting send Amy quickly shut down her laptop. Grabbing her jacket she headed out the door. An evening with her friends what was she needed and she needed to make sure that happened soon.It was 2 hours later Amy returned to her apartment. She took the plane tickets out of her bag. She was going home! Sending Penny a text telling her the latest news Amy smiled at her friend's excited reply. Sitting on the sofa Amy set about looking for somewhere to live once she got back. She had loved her old apartment but wanted a new start. This went for work too and she knew she would have to seriously consider her career once more. But regardless of these problems Amy was excited. She was going home and it felt right
