A/N: Written for and dedicated to Nicole! She requested an LP fic, and I've been meaning to write this for her since what feels like forever ago, so here it finally is.
Penny's not quite sure how she ended up in here. Sure, shopping has always been a stress reliever of hers, but it's typically been for clothes or shoes - never books. Of course, any clothes she buys today would be next to useless in just a few months, but she really doesn't want to think about that quite yet.
Instead she wanders aimlessly through the store, unfamiliar with the layout. She remembers hearing something about bookstores closing due to a lack of business, and suddenly feels oddly guilty for not reading more.
She finds herself in the sci-fi section, and considers getting something for Leonard, but he plows through his series so fast she can never keep up with which book he's currently on. A few rows over is romance, reminding her of the stacks of Harlequin novels her sister had that Penny could never get into. In the science section she briefly flips through Physics for Dummies before replacing it on the shelf, proud that she has at least a vague familiarity with the concepts on the pages.
Her wandering eventually leads her to the back of the store, where the books are larger and brighter, the tables and chairs smaller, and a few parents browse with their not-quite-school-age children. Penny is about to turn to leave - this certainly wouldn't work as the distraction she was seeking - when one book in particular catches her eye.
A large smile, her first genuine one all day, spreads across her face as she steps forward and reaches for the book. Maybe this is just what she needed after all.
Leonard is already home by the time she makes it back to their apartment.
"Did you go shopping after work?" he asks from the couch, noting the plastic bag clutched in her hands.
"No. I mean, yeah, I went shopping, but I didn't go to work today." She feels flushed and her stomach is in knots.
"Why didn't you go to work?" Leonard asks as he stands, concern growing. "Were you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine. Well, I'm not sick. I just - this is for you." She holds out the bag.
Leonard takes it slowly and raises his eyebrows in confusion. He opens the bag and pulls out the book Penny had purchased earlier - a Star Wars ABC book. His eyes dart back and forth between Penny and the book while Penny bites her lip in anticipation.
"Uh, thank you?" Leonard says after a pause. "I mean, it's not what I'd expect, but I certainly don't have it in my collection."
"It's not for you," Penny interrupts. "Well, it is in a way, but it's to read with someone else."
Leonard still looks as confused as ever, and Penny starts to wonder if this was a stupid idea.
"You bought me a Star Wars alphabet book," Leonard says slowly, "to read with someone else. And you didn't go to work today." Penny can practically see the wheels turning in his head, but she knows he's not going to make the connection without some extra help.
"I went to see the doctor this morning," Penny says. "The book is for a future bedtime story."
"To read to the doctor?"
Penny can't help but giggle at his obliviousness, and somehow that gives her the final courage she needs. She takes a deep breath.
"To read to our child. I'm pregnant." It's the first time she's spoken the words out loud, and she's simultaneously thrilled and terrified.
Leonard's confusion turns to shock, and then after a long second his face breaks into a grin.
"You're pregnant?" he asks, almost a squeal.
Penny nods, filled with relief at his obvious joy.
"I know we haven't talked very much about it, but we had sorta decided we'd wait until we'd been married longer-"
Leonard cuts her off with a kiss. He wraps one hand around to her back, holding her tightly, and the other rests gently between them on her stomach.
"You're pregnant," he repeats in a whisper, leaning his forehead against hers, his brown eyes sparkling behind his glasses. It's moments like this, Penny reflects, that she's glad Leonard is no taller than she is. "How far along are you?"
"Just a couple months." Leonard wraps his second arm around her, pulling their bodies flush, and she closes her eyes as she relaxes into his embrace. "It'll still be a while before we know if it's a boy or a girl."
"I don't care either way." A pause, then Leonard chuckles.
"What?" Penny pulls back to look at him.
"Nothing. Just wondering what Sheldon's reaction will be to our non-imaginary child."
"Don't forget smart." Penny kisses Leonard's nose. "With your genes, that kid better be smart."
"Well at least he'll know the alphabet, from Anakin to Zam."