A/N: Okay, definitely saw some of those reactions coming. I'm glad that I already have my outline for this story, because I would hate to lose any readers! Let me just put this out there: I hate cheating, more than anything. Being in a committed relationship now, if my significant other were to ever cheat, no matter how much I loved them, we could no longer make it work afterwards. Way too many trust issues come with that. That is the ultimate betrayal, and, if you remember from the show, Penny believes so as well. In that last paragraph, yes, Penny keeps the man's business card; yes, she notices his eyes on her, but, Leonard is still obviously on her mind. She does love him, and, while writing, I try my hardest to stay in character. I could definitely see this happening, seeing Penny doubting herself later on in life, even after she has what everyone thinks of as 'the perfect life'. Penny is full of insecurities and I feel like those just don't vanish randomly one day and are never to be seen again. But, Penny? Cheating? C'mon guys.

This story is not about cheating. This story is about the ups and downs that come with relationships, no matter how wonderful they seem from the outside (successful jobs, nice home, beautiful children). A relationship is hard, and, while I'm not married yet, I have come to understand that marriage is 10 times more work. Just like the quote in the first chapter says, a marriage is not just about the wedding; it's something you work at day in and day out, with your partner by your side.

With that being said, here's the next chapter. I'm glad someone mentioned Leonard's POV, because we will get to that in the following chapter. And I was mistaken when I said the old gang would be in this chapter, it's actually the next. Don't shoot me!

Oh, and I totally didn't even think of the girl 'Alex' from season 6 when naming their son in this story. I was meaning for it to be short for 'Alexander', you know like 'Alexander James Hofstadter'? Sounds cute right?

Enjoy!


That night, Penny found herself in the kitchen. Cleaning up the mess on the bar space around her, she thought back over the past several hours since arriving home from work. The moment the door had been unlocked and swung open, she was met with the usual silence. She figured that was something she would have grown accustomed to over time, but her heart proved her wrong, still dropping every single time. Something she'd definitely never get used to? The hopeful look on her daughter's face as she anxiously waited on her mother to open the front door, then, once inside and met with an empty house, the way that hopeful expression changed quickly to one of disappointment. Just like her mother there; despite not seeing his car in the driveway, they both still never gave up hope until they ventured inside to see for themselves. Aliyah would quickly try to hide it though, shrugging off her pink Hello Kitty backpack and asking if she could help with dinner (something she definitely did not get from her mother).

Penny did a good job of hiding the pain she felt too; from her kids, from her friends, from her coworkers. She had learned to fake a smile every time someone pointed out the pictures scattered around her office, portraits of, what seemed like, a happy family. She could genuinely smile through dinner that night with Aliyah and Alex, listening as the former told her of her day at school, while feeding the latter spoonfuls from his jar of pureed sweet potatoes (she had become a pro at multitasking since becoming a mother). Penny couldn't help wondering if Aliyah and her father discussed the same things at breakfast, trying to make up for the lost time with each dinner he missed.

Two hours later, after an intense game of peek-a-boo, Alex was resting quietly in his crib and, four hours later, after allowing her to say up a little later than usual to help her mother bake, Aliyah had been tucked into bed, her favorite story read to her; although Penny didn't read it quite like Leonard always had, with his animated voices and actions, she was learning and she could tell that Aliyah appreciated the effort.

Now, Penny stood in the kitchen, the silence around her reminding her of her missing husband. Staring into the stainless steel oven as she set the timer, she wondered why Leonard had wanted a house with such a huge kitchen if only to miss eating dinner with his family. She instantly felt bad as that bitter thought crossed her mind. Things weren't this way when they first moved in. Her eyes roamed over the rest of the room; from the simple, yet elegant white subway tile backsplash above the sink to the granite tile of the kitchen island. Leaning her elbows against the top of the island, she thought back over the excitement they had experienced purchasing this house. They had been married for five years; Aliyah then three and outgrowing the small two bedroom apartment. She smiled fondly at the memory of Leonard blindfolding her the whole car ride there, the way his hand gripped hers while leading her up the walkway, the rush of emotions that ran through her body as he removed the blindfold from her eyes and she jumped into his arms. She remembered the day they had moved in, Aliyah staying the night with Uncle Howard and Aunt Bernadette while they unpacked, but instead, they had other ideas and ended up making love in the bedroom, in the shower, the floor in front of the living room fireplace, and even the kitchen island she was currently leaning against. A chuckle escaped past her lips at them answering the door the next morning, hair wild and boxes still surrounding them.

The sound of the front door unlocking pulled her back to reality and her heart sped up as she waited. Soon, Leonard appeared in the kitchen doorway, his hands shoved in his front pockets, his eyes red. Had he been crying?

Penny glanced up at the clock. 10:26 pm. He hadn't been home this early in ages. "It's a little early for you to be home isn't it?" She didn't know why she couldn't just give him a simple 'hello'.

"Well, 'hello' to you, too," Leonard said, as if reading her mind. He walked closer to her, pulling out one of the bar stools and sitting down. "What are you doing? What do I smell?"

Glancing at the timer on the oven, Penny held back the sigh of relief that not too much time had passed while lost in her thoughts. She may have improved as a cook, but it wasn't uncommon for her to still lose track of time and burn food. "I'm baking some brownies," she replied, facing him again.

His eyebrows shot up, nearly reaching his hairline. While she was learning to be a better cook, baking had not been something she did often, usually just purchasing something premade for dessert from the market. "Baking or burning?"

She couldn't have stopped the laugh that filled the room even if she had tried. "Baking," she answered and sent a mock glare his way. She was met with an adorable smile as he chuckled at his own joke and her heart did a flip flop. It had been way too long since she had seen that smile.

"Brownies, huh? So I guess that means I can't have any?" he asked, the hint of his smile still lingering on his lips.

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Actually, I am making lactose free brownies!" she explained, wearing a proud smile. She grabbed the carton of icing next to her and, bypassing her spoon, drug her finger across the inside, collecting some icing on her finger tip. She held her finger out for him. "Taste this!"

As his lips touched her finger, her entire body freeze. The butterflies, that she could have sworn died long ago, were alive and flying around in her stomach. She had to fight the moans of pleasure bubbling up inside of her from escaping. A feeling of satisfaction swelled inside her as she watched Leonard close his eyes just a second before her own followed. His lip moved delicately across her skin and images of his lips elsewhere on her body filled her mind. God, how she missed his touch.

Suddenly, his lips were gone and all she felt on her skin was the cool air. Her eyes fluttered open to find Leonard's staring back at her, a grin on his face. Her hand dropped to the counter as she watched him stand and walk around the island to stand next to her.

Once he was beside her, his hand landed on her hip. Her breath caught in her throat as his hand slid under the hem of her shirt, his fingers rubbing patterns just above her waistline, much like he would do as they lay in bed in the aftermath of their lovemaking. The warmth from his touch on her bare skin caused her eyes to widen slightly and her heart rate to multiply.

"So, what are you baking for?" he casually asked, his remaining hand gripping her other hip and pulling her closer.

Penny's hands rested on his chest, playing with the buttons on his long sleeve shirt. Oddly enough, she missed the nerdy shirts and colorful hoodies at times; the clothing brought a familiarity of better times with it that Penny desperately missed. She gazed up at him through her eyes lashes, "The school's having that PTA fundraiser in the morning, remember?" Just as her fingers were beginning to undo the top button of his shirt, she felt his grip on her loosen. "What? You did remember right? I asked you if you could come with me this Saturday and help with the kids?" Judging by the look on his face, she had her answer. Groaning, she tried to wiggle out of his grip, but his hands stayed in place. "Leonard," she whined, trying again.

"Listen, I forgot, I'm sorry!" he attempted to apologize and Penny's movements ceased, "I totally forgot and I promised the guys that we could hang out. They wanted to go paintballing and-"

"What the hell, Leonard!" Penny cut him off, pushing her hands harder against his chest and shoving him away. She felt a sliver of sympathy as his body collided with the kitchen island behind him. That feeling was soon replaced with anger once again as she walked a few feet away, giving herself some distance from him. She could never think properly with his hands on her body. "You finally have a weekend off for the first time in forever and, instead of spending it with your family, you want to run off with your friends?" She felt her voice rising, knew she should quieten down for the sake of her kids, but she found that easier said than done at the moment.

"I just had a weekend off and I spent it with you guys when we went to the carnival!" Leonard exclaimed, taking a step toward her.

She took one back. "No," she corrected, "You didn't just have a weekend off, that was four weeks ago."

A frown stretched across Leonard's face as he covered it with his hands, rubbing, "That was a month ago?"

Penny nodded, her heart breaking at the realization of just how long it'd been since they spent time together as a family. "Yes, it has been that long." She sighed, leaning back against the cabinet behind her, "That's all you do anymore is work. You've always got your nose stuck so far up Hawking's ass and his other smart guy friends that you seem to forget about your family waiting on you at home!"

Leonard's hands dropped and she saw the frown deepen, "I haven't forgotten about the three of you."

"Well stop acting like you have!" Penny screamed, wiping at her eyes quickly before the tears fell down her cheeks. "You know," she continued, "Howard still makes it home in time for dinner with his family nearly every night! So does Sheldon! What makes you so different?"

Leonard's hand slammed down on the counter, making her jump. His frustration was evident in his voice as he spoke, "Because Howard and Sheldon don't have to work their asses off like me to provide for their family!"

"Um, hello, Sheldon has a newborn baby at home with Amy! And Howard and Bernadette have kids just like us-" Penny pointed out before Leonard jumped back in.

"And Sheldon still lives in the same apartment that he's always lived in, not a big house like this, while Howard and Bernadette don't have to worry, because Bernadette is making tons of money at her job-"

"Oh, so my job isn't good enough to help provide for our family?" Penny asked, her voice cracking at the end. She begged herself to calm down, to listen to Leonard's side of the story, yet she couldn't stop. "I'm sorry my job isn't good enough for you. "

"I never said that, Penny. It's just that we have house payments and car payments. We have to pay Doris to babysit, we have to pay for Aliyah's piano lessons that she wanted to take so badly, we have college fees to pay off; the list goes on and on, so I'm sorry if I'm trying to bring home a little extra money by working more with my new colleagues. "

Penny scoffed, "You claim to care so much for us, yet, on your day off you make plans to go play paintball!"

Leonard threw his arms in the air, exasperated, "Maybe I wanted to be around someone who wasn't nagging or screaming at me all the time, which I really wish you'd stop doing!"

"Well I wish you'd drop dead!" Penny didn't mean the words. As soon as they had left her mouth, leaving an awful taste as they went, she regretted them. She felt foolish, felt childish, but now that they were said, she couldn't take them back.

Before Leonard had a chance to retort, a high pitched wail erupted from down the hallway. Their son was awake and obviously not happy about it. Penny took a step forward, fighting back the urge to bang her head against the wall, prepared to go check on Alex, when the timer from the oven sounded, signaling the brownies were done.

"I'll get him," Leonard assured her, turning and leaving the kitchen, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Penny yanked open the oven door, retrieving the pan of brownies with oven mitt now covering her hand. Slamming them down on the counter, she waited as they cooled. Her mind replayed the argument that had just taken place over and over again in her mind, recalling the hurt in Leonard's eyes as he walked away. As she painted the icing over the top and cut them into squares, she bit down hard on her bottom lip, choking back her sobs and holding back anymore tears she had left.

Once finished in the kitchen, she slowly made her way down the hallway to the bedroom. She paused before reaching her destination as she saw a sliver of light from the room to her right. Peering in through the crack in the door, Penny saw Leonard sitting in the nursery chair in the corner of the room, Alex in his arms, his cries now silent, and Aliyah perched in his lap, her head buried in his shoulder. She took a second to admire the scene before her. Despite their problems, despite his schedule, the kids still thought of Leonard as the most amazing father;

She eventually tore her gaze from them and carried on and into the bedroom. As she climbed into the bed, she felt 23 years old again, instead of 35. She felt the old stubbornness that she had worked so hard to get rid of stepping forward again and she wondered if she had ever really grown up at all.

Penny never felt Leonard join her that night.


"We're doing so good!"

Penny watched as her five year old daughter took charge, somehow managing to sale all of the dessert she had made the night before. The little girl stood beside her in a white baker's hat and pink apron with the word 'Chef Cutie' embroided across the chest of it; both courtesy of Uncle Raj and her soon-to-be Aunt Selena. Besides the blonde hair that hung past her shoulders and the mesmerizing green eyes, she looked nothing like her mother at the moment. Penny giggled slightly when Aliyah sat down in the chair next to her, the apron rising to above her knees and she saw the pink Ugg boots her daughter was currently wearing; now she looked like Penny.

"Aliyah, Mommy is so proud! You sold all of them!" Penny beamed down at her.

Aliyah's face took on a mischievous grin as she slowly shook her hand and reached for the folded up napkin next to her. "Not all of them, Mommy," she paused, unwrapping the napkin and revealing three small lactose free brownies in her hand. "I saved us some," she whispered, glancing around to make sure no one else had heard.

Another set of giggles pushed past her lips and Penny accepted one of the brownies from Aliyah. Taking a bite, she was surprised at just how good they really were. I really cooked these?

She thanked Aliyah and the little girl smiled from ear to ear, "You're welcome Mommy. I saved Daddy one too."

Penny's thoughts quickly drifted back to that morning and the tension that had filled the room. She had woken that morning to find the bed empty. Walking into the kitchen, she found emptiness as well. It wasn't until she entered the living room did she find anyone. Leonard and Aliyah sat on the couch, cereal bowls in hand and cartoons on the tv. She noticed the blankets and pillow piled on the couch next to him and frowned.

After some awkward talking and Aliyah chattering away about the bake sale that day, they had decided Aliyah would attend the bake sale with Penny and Leonard would spend the day with Alex, who was still sleeping peacefully in his crib. Leonard hadn't offered to accompany them and Penny hadn't asked again, both of them hardly looking at the other, still sore from their argument the night before.

She felt the familiar pain in her heart as she kept up a front for the sake of her daughter's happiness, hoping she couldn't see through it. Aliyah, nor Alex, asked for this. It wasn't their fault Leonard and her were having problems. She wanted to talk through them, wanted to fix this so badly; yet, when that moment would present itself, Penny would put her old walls up again, could feel herself regressing back to her old self ten years before.

She watched for a second as one of her coworkers came up to talk to Aliyah, complimenting her on the attire she was dressed in. Aliyah smiled as she took it all in. Penny's eyes moved from the scene in front of her to her phone currently in her right hand, contacts open as she scrolled through the 'J's. Once she found his name, she typed out a message:

'Hey, it's Penny. You busy?'


It was a beautiful day outside. The late October weather bringing a slight breeze with it and leaves began to change their colors and fall to the ground below them. The park was bustling with kids running around, playing tag, jumping on the swings. The birds in the trees above them chirping and taking flight occasionally and a few dogs chased tennis balls and caught Frisbees in the distance. Everyone was enjoying their day at the park.

And here Penny sat with a stranger.

She wasn't quite sure what possessed her to call him, but once she did, her body had filled with guilt. Penny had shook her head after mulling it over, coming to the conclusion that she had nothing to feel bad about; all that they were doing was letting their daughters play.

"So, you're a lawyer?" Penny asked, raising the Styrofoam cup to her lips and sipping her steaming coffee.

The man next to her smiled as he told her in detail about the firm he worked for. His words began to fade as she stared at him, scrutinizing him from top to bottom. He couldn't have been much older than 40. She noticed a few gray hairs mixing in the brown ones and knew if she pointed it out, he'd probably drive to the salon that instance. He continued to ramble, something he'd been doing for the past hour, describing his first ex-wife (Dean's mother) and his most current ex-wife (Tiffany's mother) and how neither could handle the attention he got from women because of his profession. She discreetly rolled her eyes at his arrogance.

"So, what does your husband do?"

"He's a physicist." Her eyes met his when his laughter surrounded her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing!" he assured her, all the while, still laughing, his eyes squinted slightly and his forehead scrunched up, "Your husband is a nerd? I just pictured you with someone like a doctor or an actor or" he paused, a disgusting grin forming, "or a lawyer."

"My husband is without a doubt the smartest and the sweetest man I have ever met. I don't need a doctor or an actor or," she paused, grinning back at him, "or a lawyer."

Penny furrowed her brow, her line of sight leaving him and focusing on her daughter up ahead. A frown appeared as she saw Aliyah leaning up against the pole next to the swings, kicking at the dirt beneath her shoe.

Just as she was about to stand to check on her, Penny felt a hand rest on her upper thigh.

"I can be sweet too."

She looked up into James eyes as his hand inched higher up. Suddenly all reasons for coming here, all the excuses she made, were out the window and she knew she could no longer do this. Her own hand quickly reached out, grabbing him by the ear. She ignored his scream, pulled him closer to her, and whispered in his ear, "If you don't take your hand off of me, I swear you'll never be able to use that thing between your legs again."

Instantly, his hand jerked back, as if burned. Penny released him, standing and yelling for Aliyah. It was definitely time to leave.

Once both her and Aliyah were safely in, Penny put the car in gear and left the park and that sorry excuse for a man behind her. She glanced in the rearview mirror at her daughter. "Did you have fun, sweetie?"

"Eh, not really. That Tiffany girl wasn't very nice," Aliyah said, her eyes staring at the window at the scenery passing her by.

Penny's heart broke into a thousand pieces. She had put her daughter through misery just so she could, what, have the attention of a man for a few minutes? She felt horrible and disgusted. She could feel the spot his hand had been resting burning through to her skin and her mind flashed back to the feeling of Leonard's hands on her, two completely different feelings.

Maybe this meeting with James was a test. She had been feeling like her younger self more and more as the days passed, and that scared her. Meeting James today had proved to her that she didn't want that back. Looking at him, all she saw was the endless list of losers she had dated before; Kurt, Mike, David Underhill. And closing her eyes now, all she saw was Leonard. All she wanted was Leonard.

She hated cheaters, always had, always would. She had been drawn to James, yes. She had been curious at first, yes. He had shown interest in her and she was feeling lonely, but she'd never resort to cheating. She loved Leonard way too much. They could scream and curse at each other for days on end and she would still feel this deep love for him. Even if, and her heart dropped to her stomach at the thought, they went their separate ways, she'd still love him until the day she died. She knew that, now more than ever.

Her phone 'dinged' making her jump in her seat. She frantically searched through her purse for the object, while keeping her eyes on the road and one hand on the wheel. Her driving skills had improved since becoming a mother.

Once she had the phone in her hand, she checked her messages. One from Leonard.

"Bernadette said she'd watch the kids. We need to talk."


Shutting the car door, Penny adjusted the purse on her shoulder as she slowly made her way up the walkway. She came to a stop right outside the door. She could feel her nerves running wild. Her stomach was beginning to twist and her palms grew moist.

When she had first read the text from Leonard, her heart had soared. Whether it was going to be a good or bad talk, he was still making time to talk. But now, standing outside her house, she began to panic, afraid of what her answer might be when she walked in. Would they fight? Would she throw up her defenses yet again? Would he walk away?

The tears burned in her eyes as she pictured him leaving; the thought of having to tell Aliyah made her almost crumble to the ground right there. With her kids in mind though, she stood a little bit taller. They deserved an answer no matter the outcome. They deserved to be happy and to not have to watch their parent's fight. She reached for the doorknob, taking a deep breath, and trying to prepare herself for what was awaiting her on the other side.

As the door swung open, she was met with darkness. She shut the door and hung her purse and coat up on the rack hanging from the wall. Her feet led her out of the entry way and into the living room while her mind was running a thousand miles an hour.

The living room was dark as well, with the exception of a few burning candles scattered around the room. Her attention was drawn to the man on the couch though; with his black rimmed glasses and green recycle t-shirt. Here we go.


A/N: I'm not exactly happy with how this turned out once my thoughts were put on paper. It seemed so much better in my head. Maybe I'm just having an off day, I don't know. Anyway, Leonard's view will be the next chapter. Please review!