So I could take up time to come up with a snappy disclaimer. To let everyone know that this piece of fiction based on TBBT characters is for enjoyment only of the readers and the writer in creating it. I could find some odd way of doing that, but it's too late tonight, so screw it. Oh, and Sam, Tish, Lisel belonga to me

(Note: Sorry this chapter contains no sex, just innuendo, not my style of writing, I'm a tease)

Happiness and Complications in your Stocking

Leonard awoke he didn't have to even consider who was next to him. Penny still smelt the same. The vanilla bean body lotion told him even before he ever opened his eyes. He was on his side and she had her back to him spooning. His arm lay over her, his hand beside her hand barely touching. Penny's head rested on the pillow his arm was under.

He didn't want to move and disturb her, if he could hold his breath and prolong this moment he would. It wouldn't be too much longer now the morning sunlight was filtering through the patio door. The room was bathed in the soft light before the sun streams into your room. He looked down at Penny's blonde hair cascading across her shoulders. It was warm in her room, her right leg outside the comforter. Leonard thought of what a perfect moment this was. He lifted his head to kiss the top of her head very gently. She murmured, and turned more toward him. Then 80 pounds of Pit Bull jumped on the bed.

"Einstein, down, off the bed, down honey", Penny said in a stern voice. Einstein was off the bed and heading back to the door. "Sorry sweetie", she turned toward Leonard and pushed her face into his chest.

Then a soft furry critter was standing next to his head, purring. "Hi Schrodinger" Leonard reached up to stroke the cat. Penny snuggled deeper into his chest. "Sorry, they're my support group these days"

Leonard moved the cat down between them. Schrodinger snuggled in between them and started purring loudly. Penny giggled and started stroking the cat. She finally picked up the cat and put him on the floor. She cuddled back into Leonard, her hand running down his side.

"That cat's not the only one that can purr", she said softly, her lips meeting his.

Leonard hands moved over her lower back to her thighs, Christmas morning was looking good.

Coffee, cookies and gifts

Leonard was feeling particularly good, they were still in bed. The sun was streaming though the patio doors of the bedroom. Penny again spooning him, her back to him, and his right hand interlaced with hers. It had been a long time since he'd lain this close to someone unless she had an ear ache. Let alone had sex three times in less than 12 hours. He suddenly felt younger and older at the same moment.

He hadn't been with anyone since his wife and that was before Lisel was born. He was happy it was with Penny. Their sexual chemistry was alive and well. She moved toward the edge of the bed, kissing his hand before releasing it. "I'll make coffee then we can sit around the tree and open a few presents" she said as she tried to get up. Leonard wouldn't let her go. "I'm not sure how you could top the present so far this morning.' He was grinning, she kissed him quickly. "I'll have coffee and a cookie for you. We can go back to bed later if you like", she said with a mischievous grin. He let go of her. Leonard settled back in. "What a great Christmas so far", he muttered.

Leonard lay there several minutes. The cat got back up into the warm spot where Penny had been curled up and started purring. Leonard stroking her side, his mind shut off for change, in the moment.

Penny was busy getting the coffee brewing in the kitchen. She could hear Einstein and Leaky in the utility room hungrily chomping on the kibble she had just put down for their breakfast. She pulled her pink robe a little tighter around her. Leonard had been fabulous last night, not like old times, even better. Passionate and unhurried, he was no longer trying to be the king of foreplay. A grin came to her face just thinking about this morning.

The coffee was done and she went toward the pantry. She had bought some big oatmeal cookies the other day at the bakery. They should be great for a light breakfast. She grabbed the cookies and saw she had muffins from the same bakery, umm poppy seed. She changed her mind and got the muffins.

Both dogs were waiting in the kitchen. She rubbed both their heads for a moment then got a plate down. "Leonard the coffee's ready and we have muffins", she had raised her voice to not quite a yell. She set down at the counter and started tearing apart a muffin and popping it in her mouth.

Leonard heard Penny and had sat up. On the end of the bed Penny had laid a black silk robe for him. He hadn't exactly thought ahead to his needs last night. It was a good thing he and Penny were about the same size, though she was much thinner than him. There's going to be an exercise room in the house, he thought. Because Penny is very fit, very fit indeed he thought with a wicked little grin. He laughed, he never could pull off being the lecher.

He pulled on the robe, the cat had moved to the spot in the bed he had just vacated. Leonard threw the comforter over the cat and headed for the door. He turned out of the hallway into the great room. It was bathed in natural light from the doors and windows facing out on the pool. It had sense of colors, greens, yellows, oranges and white. He suddenly realized it reminded him of her apartment. It was bigger and spread out more but it had a sense of her.

Penny was sitting on a stool on the outside of the kitchen counter eating a muffin a piece at a time watching him..

"This is such a beautiful room Penny. It looks like how I've always remembered you. It's has upbeat colors and a cheerfulness. I'm trying not to say perky."

Penny grimaced at perky, then smiled at him. "I got an interior designer when I moved in. The room was beautiful but not home. It took me a while but I'm pretty happy with it now. He had the thought that I wanted to entertain. But besides having friends over occasionally it really just needs to be the room I live in."

Leonard nodded and joined her at the breakfast bar, stole a piece of her muffin and popped it in his mouth. "Penny how's your family in Nebraska? I should have asked you earlier."

"They're doing well. Dad is getting up there but my brother finally straightened up and he's working with dad on the place. My mother is my mother, I learned in therapy she would be called passive/aggressive. I called them when I got up and wished them a Merry Christmas. How's your family sweetie?"

"I'd have to ask Sheldon about my mother", Leonard smirked, "Apparently my father has remarried. He's doing field work with the new wife in Africa. My brother and sister seem to be doing well. You know how it is."

He left it at that, he was closer to Liisa's parents than his own. Beverly had never even seen Lisel in person. Leonard sent her pictures each year. He kept his distance from her, can't have a lot of love loss when there is no love involved.

Penny frowned, "I'm sorry Leonard. Your mom is just really, different"

Leonard smirked then smiled. He took the other muffin off the plate and started breaking it up. He handed penny a piece and sipped his coffee. Reached over and put his hand on her exposed knee. She moved close and kissed his cheek.

They both finished the muffins in silence. A feeling of contentment with each other's company could be seen on their faces.

The snowflake decorated Christmas tree was next to the love seat and fireplace on the left side of the great room. Penny lead Leonard by the hand to the love seat. She went to the wall and turned on the gas fireplace.

"Now that's more like it" Penny got on her knees beside Leonard and reached over to the presents under the tree. She grabbed one and handed it to Leonard. He looked at it and announced "To: Einstein From: Santa". He laughed and they continued to sort the presents there were four presents for each dog, three for the cat, three for Penny and somehow two for Leonard. There were still about twenty presents under the tree.

"What about those gifts?" Penny turned and laughed, "Those are just beautifully wrapped boxes to make the tree look good."

Leonard reached over and pulled a blue velvet box from between the gifts still under the tree. "This one too? He handed it to her, a look of surprise on her face.

Leonard just smiled and sat back started opening the dog's gifts for them.

A gem and an ancient trinket

Each dog got rawhide chews, a new squeaky ball and a box of organic dog treats. Schrodinger got a catnip cigar, toy mouse and toy bird.

Leonard opened his first present, it had a piece of paper in side, the paper said, "You're wearing it." Leonard felt the robe, looked at Penny and smirked, "Am I that predictable?" Penny laughed, "no but I'm that adorable."

"Well thank you for the lovely robe." Leonard chucked, He opened the last present, then he realized that it wasn't for him directly. Inside were a very soft pink stuffed bear and another note. "For Lisel's bed, you'll need to remember the name."

He smiled at her and leaned over to share a kiss that went longer than they thought it would. Their lips parted slowly and a shudder ran through them both.

Penny opened her three gifts from her friends. She got body lotion and soaps from Sheila her hair dresser and friend for many years. Her friend Mindy gave some lovely doe skin gloves. Joey, her gay manicurist had given her small blue earrings that were lovely.

Penny at last just held the blue velvet case.

As she opened it Leonard said "Something New and Something Old"

The box contained a lovely gold chain, filet thin but a quarter inch wide. On the chain was Leonard's wedding ring. Next to it the ring she's seen in his jewelry box.

She first lifted his wedding ring on the chain. It reminded her of the ring he'd ask her to hold all those years ago. But this was his wedding ring she hadn't even noticed he'd removed it.

"Penny, I realize if we are going to do this I have to let go. I also realize that I've wanted to let go but couldn't until now."

Penny was close to tears, but his smile held her from them. She picked up the ring from the Jewelry box, "Liisa's?" Leonard shook his head no, "I bought it for you when you went to New York, I just never got to give it to you"

"That's it , game over" said Penny, "I'm going to cry now" She's was crying , but had made herself laugh and damned if didn't help.

Leonard embraced her and waited a few seconds and looked her in the eyes. "Merry Christmas, you can wear the ring or not. Keep it on the chain with mine if you like. Jewelry are trinkets, the feeling behind them when they are given is all that matters"

They held each other a while longer, then laid back together in the love seat and watched the fire burn and the Christmas tree glisten. Leonard had noticed that Penny was wearing the small diamond ring on her left ring finger. The ring on the chain was around her neck.

Penny turned into Leonard she kissed him softly but it built and intensified. Schrodinger jumped up and lay in across their laps. Leonard pulled back and said quietly: "Yep way alive", the cat just purred.

Leonard stood, and swept penny into his arms easily picking her up. "You said we could go back to bed" Leonard said walking toward the hallway. Penny just smiled. Schrodinger was pissed.

Aside: I really will try to avoid the Schrodinger cat in the future but it was fun for a chapter. This came from a fan of the story I love what his daughter's wrote.

Big Fans:We loved Chapter 6. It was so nice to see Leonard finally finding some parental love. The webcam passage was very moving. We liked Penny's house too. Guess it turns out she really is " so into science" after all.

Fabulous work. Please keep writing and writing and writing...

Ps. My daughter in NYC just texted the following update:

" In an article published in the April 2013 edition on the Journal of the American Physical Society Dr. David Underhill was exposed as an academic fraud . The Mac Arthur Foundation sued him to recover his " genius award" grant.

His rock band was sued for copyright infringement. His wife divorced him, taking everything. Incriminating cell phone pictures figured prominently in the case. He lost his motorcyle due to gambling debt

Mr Underhill now lives with his mother in

Trenton, NJ, where he works at the local Cheesecake Factory

Penny was right. David is an idiot.