The In-Law Initiation

A/N I don't own the characters, except for the few I made up, who haven't appeared in TBBT.

Penny looked out of the car's window as they traveled down the New Jersey Turnpike, nearing Cranberry Township. Turnpike was a funny word thought Penny. She was puzzled by the fact there were two names. It was also I-95. Why didn't they just call it the 95, like they did in California?

Penny turned toward Leonard, Penny could see something was bothering him. Since starting the ride from New York, every so often, his hands would clenched tightly on the steering wheel, and he would mumbled to himself. She thought about asking him what was bothering him, but she decided to ask something else, "How much longer?"

Leonard looked at the exit for Brunswick and did a quick calculation, "About a half hour," he said, "we're about half-way there." Leonard looked at her, she could see his face was serious, when he said, "Why, you getting nervous?"

She was sure now that something wasn't quite right. He usually would grin when he was making a joke. She chose to ignore that and answered, sounding a bit sad, "I don't know, I am worried about it. After all, he's a professor at Princeton, I'm a less than good actress and waitress."

Leonard was surprised. She was usually pretty confident, even when she was making snarky comments about her work. He tried to console her, "If it was my mother, I would be worried too, but you're meeting my dad. He's nothing like my mother. Remember, he's also dating a waitress."

That made Penny smile, but she became quiet as she wondered if coming here with Leonard was such a good idea, especially now, with Leonard looking upset with something. Leonard had come to her two weeks earlier, asking if she wanted to take a trip with him to Princeton. She vaguely knew Princeton was somewhere in New Jersey, but when she looked it up on Google, she got excited, because of how close it was to New York.

She asked Leonard if they could go to New York for a couple of days, after New Jersey. He chuckled and told her it would be fine. "After all," he had said, "this could make up for the Switzerland trip." While it had been just over a month since she had missed that trip, she was now excited about staying in Manhattan, at the Sheraton at Times Square. Her and Leonard had picked that out together.

It was only after they had picked their New York hotel, that she realized she didn't know why they were going, and thought to ask. Leonard explained that due to the divorce of his mother and father, there were some legal things his father needed him to sign, as far as ownership of some things, and other financial items he wanted to turn over to Leonard.

Penny watch the countryside roll by, and knowing his father was dating a waitress, she was thinking about Leonard and their relationship. Despite Leonard's father now dating a waitress, Penny was still a bit uncertain about her own suitability for Leonard. She couldn't get past the feeling that at some point, Leonard was going to get bored of her.

She wasn't smart, like Leslie, or that doctor, and she didn't really share his interests. He wasn't interested in going out, dancing, or celebrity gossip, or sharing her interests. Although, she had to admit, she was picking up some of his science fiction.

She grinned when she thought about the time she used the Star Trek reference when she was talking to that bitch actress. She had also started to remember quotes from the different Star Wars movies.

And, she had to give credit to Leoanrd. He had been listening to more of her music, although he would get bands and songs wrong. He was also watching some of her television shows. But, overall, she worried what kind of match they were for each other.

Leonard had started to slow down, exiting the Turnpike. Paying his toll, the continued through, rolling under the bridges with the turnpike above them. After a sweeping right turn, they came out on a two lane road. After another five minutes, Penny saw a sign showing Princeton straight ahead.

"Are we going to Princeton?" asked Penny.

"No," answered Leonard, "we're going to the house, with a short diversion."

"For what?" asked Penny.

"You'll see," said Leonard.

As they passed the next road, Leonard pointed to the left and said, "That is where we should have turned." Before Penny could speak, he continued, "It's just ahead, we'll come in another way."

Less than mile ahead, a large school building came into view on the left, set behind what Penny thought was a rather large parking lot. Leonard pointed toward it, "That's my high school," he said.

"Holy crap, that's a big school," she said.

"What do you mean?" asked Leonard.

"That building's about twice as big as my high school," she said. "Not to mention that parking lot is much larger than our school's lot."

"Well, that's it, that's where I spent three miserable years," said Leonard.

"Then why did you show it to me?" asked Penny.

"Just showing you some of where I grew up," said Leonard. "I'll take you to Princeton, a few other schools, and some other areas around here. Not all of them are going to be good memories for me, but I've spoken of them to you before, just want you to see them."

They came to a traffic light, and Leonard turned left. The school was still to their left and the school property ran along the left side of the road. At another light, Leonard turned left again. Now they could see the back of building they had first seen. She was looking at the school, still comparing her school to this one, in her mind, Those are some nice baseball and football fields, and another parking lot, damn.

"Leonard, how big was your school?" Penny asked.

"What do you mean?" said Leonard.

"How many students did you have in the school, in your class?"

"I don't know," Leonard said, "I think we had about 1500 or so. There was about 350-375 in my graduating class. Why?"

"I think we had about 350 total. We had 83 kids graduate when I did."

"I didn't think ours was all that big," said Leonard.

"It's a lot bigger than mine."

There had been houses on the right, and now as they had passed the school, there were houses on both sides. Rather large houses, thought Penny, and here weren't many trees this size, standing by themselves, around the area she lived, in Nebraska.

A road appeared on their left, and Leonard turned down it. Colonial Avenue, Penny saw was the name. Leonard traveled a short distance along the road. There had been several roads that lead off to the left and right, and finally, this road ended in a 'T', forcing Leonard to turn left or right. Leonard turned right and Penny tried, but couldn't see the name of the road they had turned onto. At the third house, he turned right, into driveway.

The driveway led to the right side of a cream colored, two story, house. This side had two garage doors. She could see two rather large oak trees in the front year, and numerous other oak trees scattered around the front and back yards. Leonard stopped the car, just in front of the garage doors, then shut it off. He looked over at Penny and said, "Well, were here, you ready to meet my father?"

Penny looked worried, but nodded.

Leonard said, "You don't have to worry, Penny. My father is nothing like my mother. You know I've struggled with how much time he's been away, but he seemed like a decent guy to others."

She still looked uncertain.

"And, remember," said Leonard, "he's dating a waitress, so he is required to like you."

That drew a smile from Penny, and they both got out of the car. They walked along the brick-lined path from the driveway, to the front door. They both stepped up the two steps to the small porch, and then Leonard pushed the doorbell.

They waited for a few seconds, the door opened, and there stood Leonard's father. "Leonard," he said, "so good to see you, come in, please come in." He turned and walked into the house.

Leonard and Penny entered the house, Penny closed the door behind them. They followed him through a small hallway, turning left and entering what looked like a living room. It was tastefully decorated, a TV was on, a large overstuffed chair facing it, there was a table to the right of the chair, with a couch to the right of the table. On the table, was some sort of drink and what looked like an iPad.

His father turned, and shook hands with Leonard. He turned and looked at Penny, staring for a second, he shook his head, then continued looking at her, as if in a trance. Leonard, taking the hint said, "Father, this is my girlfriend, Penny. Penny, this is my dad, Dr Hofstadter."

Alfred started and turned toward Leonard. "Leonard," he said, "you don't have to be so formal." Turning to Penny, he said, "Please call me Alfred." He put out his hand, ready to shake her hand, but Penny was having none of that.

"Come here," she said and step toward him, giving him a hug. He was tentative, but as the hug continued, he returned it. After breaking the hug, Penny took a good look at Alfred. There was a slight stoop to him, and every so often, he would blink and turn his head to the side. Even with the stoop, he was taller than Leonard.

It struck Penny; how can Leonard be so short? His dad was taller than Leonard. Beverly was much taller than either of them. She let that thought go and looked closely at Alfred. She could see the resemblance between Leonard and Alfred.

It appeared that Alfred had the dark hair of Leonard at one time. Now, however, it was heavily flecked with grey, and was thinning. He had a goatee and a mustache, what was that call again, she thought, both were almost all white, like his sideburns. Penny thought he was well dressed with a light blue shirt, with a grey vest and a light brown coat and pants, with brown shoes. Penny grinned to herself, Alfred had better fashion sense, than Leonard.

"So, Leonard," Alfred said, "how was the trip?"

Leonard's answer was short and clipped, "Long."

"Are you tired?" ask Alfred. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm, OK," said Leonard, as he turned to look at Penny. Penny nodded.

"Can, I get you anything?" asked Alfred.

"No." Again, he sounded short.

Penny realized Leonard was being very curt with his father. Was Leonard mad at him? She thought. Alfred must have thought the same thing as he asked, "Are you upset with me, Leonard?"

"Some," said Leonard. "You spent years paying more attention to that damn Etruscan skeleton, than you did to me, and now you need help, you call me. Why don't you call that Etruscan boy up to take care of that stuff?"

Penny remembered Leonard talking about that skeleton before.

"I'm sorry about that," said Alfred, looking contrite. "There is no excuse, I simply spent as much time away from here as I could."

"And you didn't think about us, not being able to leave like you could," snapped Leonard.

"Yes," said Alfred, "I did think of that. But, I'm not sure there was anything I could do. I was the lead on those expeditions, so I had to go. I was in charge of the investigation after getting the skeleton back here."

"So, you were more dedicated to your job than you were to your family," said Leonard with the anger now very visible.

"I won't deny any of that," said Alfred simply.

Penny put her hand on Leonard's arm. He eyes smoldered as he turned to look at her. He could see the sadness in her eyes, and he cooled down. He gave a little nod and turned back to his father. "I'm sorry father, that is in the past."

"No, no," said Alfred, who had noticed the exchange between his son and Penny. "You have every right to be angry with me. But let me explain a bit." He paused, stroking his goatee, then said. "Leonard, I always tried to be here during the school year. I always tried to make sure I was at least home while you kids were here. I admit I was busy, I admit there were times I wasn't here, but I tried to spend as much time here, in this house, that I could."

"When I knew I was going to be gone for the summer, I was the one that found places for you to travel to, or go to during the summer. Your mother wanted nothing to do with that. For example, those three summers you went to orchestra camp? Those were set up, so you wouldn't be here alone, with your mother. Same with those two summers you spent at Princeton, staying in the dorms. I did the same for your brother and his summers spent studying law, or clerking for a judges. And your sister and her trips, during the summer for things having to do with medicine, or medical school."

Leonard thought back, and realized his dad was here, whenever his mother was home. He also remembered a "discussion" he had overheard his parents having, and now, looking back on it, realized his dad was probably trying to protect him, and his siblings, from his overbearing mother. While he realized his father had, and continued to have faults, and Leonard was still angry with him about that skeleton, he now looked at the actions his father had taken in a new, more positive light.

"OK," Leonard started, "what is all this about?"