A/N -Thank you all for the reviews and the story follows, I hope you continue to enjoy it.
Another wordy chapter, but again important.
The Italics are memories (but I'm sure you worked that out).
"So you will give me a call when you get there." Leonard kissed Penny on the cheek.
"Of course."
"So tell me again why did you leave the kids with dad?" Leonard asked.
Penny licked her lips, "Well I wasn't going to leave them with your mom!" she laughed.
Leonard nodded in agreement and smiled. "No, no dad is a much better choice."
"I'll be back on Monday, you don't need to meet me, I'll get a taxi."
Leonard looked at his shoes. "That might be a good idea, we, we might be running some experiments on Monday and you know, I'll probably forget to come collect you, and we wouldn't want that."
Their conversation fell quiet, Penny looked away from Leonard towards her waiting plane and Leonard looked anywhere but at Penny.
He spoke first, "I love you Penny." he said in almost in a whisper. She heard him, but couldn't look at him.
Penny's flight was called for boarding. "I best go." she grabbed at Leonard's arm and squeezed it smiling at him at the same time, then turned and walked toward the gate to board her flight.
Leonard loved her, he loved her very much, she just wished she could return that love, he deserved that love.
Penny's problem was that had been having an affair with a man that lived on the other side of the country for 6 years now, at least in her mind. When Leonard touched her she thought of him, when Leonard kissed her, she thought of him. But it was Amy's phone call and the mention of his name that started the dreams again, and the night they spent together had played over and over in her mind since Amy's call over a week ago.
Penny was never certain if Leonard knew about that night. When she arrived in New York she feared that he would smell Sheldon on her, one morning Leonard mentioned casually that Penny called out Sheldon's name in her sleep, he didn't say anything else, but whenever Sheldon's name was mentioned in any passing conversation Leonard always looked to Penny, looking for her reaction. He had to know that at the least she had feelings for Sheldon.
His breath was warm on her cool skin, soft kisses on her bare shoulders. His fingers teasing her nipples.
She awoke with a start, with the announcement that the plane was preparing to land. She must have talked in her sleep, the woman sitting next her gave her a dirty look, then she whispered to her husband and he turned to look at Penny too. Penny pushed back into her seat wishing it would open up and swallow her. It didn't.
When Penny landed in LA she grabbed her bags and headed to the hire car booth, she collected her car and phoned Leonard to let him know that she had arrived, she got his voice message , which she expected. It was Friday afternoon about 4.30pm, she hadn't told Amy that she was coming it was going to be a surprise.
"LA I'm so happy to see you again." she yelled out to the city s she drove. The sun was beating down and she felt a freedom she hadn't felt for ages, even the peak hour traffic didn't upset her mood. As she drove closer and closer to Pasadena she was feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement.
As she drove past The Cheesecake Factory she smiled, so many memories, many great memories, she wished she could go back in time and right the wrongs.
She pulled up outside of her destination, two deep breathes for courage.
She knocked on the door.
After what seemed an eternity the door opened, "I see they fixed the elevator," she looked up into his blue eyes and smiled, she was so glad to see him again.
