Bask to Pasadena we go. I know Leonard was a bit of an ass in the beginning, but bear in mind, he's spend the better part of four years wanting Penny. It's a bit hard to give up a fantasy. However, I want a fluffy story, so Leonard is going to be a true friend in this one.


It was Amy who picked them up at the airport. She chatted excitedly about the places she and Bernadette had scouted for them. Sheldon had been dubious at first about letting the women take on this task, but Penny had pointed out that they were both scientists, and although not as intelligent as he was, it would save time to have them look over listings and weed out any that were obviously unsuitable. Then he wouldn't have to miss time from work, or video games.

He had reluctantly agreed, after giving the women a check list to use. Size of the rooms, condition of the neighborhood, proximity to work and the comic book store, and most importantly, friendliness of the neighbors. He didn't want to risk a veritable hoard of strangers trying to make his acquaintance.

They carried their luggage up to 4B and found Leonard, Howard, Bernadette and Raj waiting for them. Leonard looked at Penny for a moment, like he had lost a treasured toy, but an instant later his expression cleared and he smiled. "Welcome home, Sheldon and Penny."

Sheldon endured the hugs from the women and handshakes from the guys, but retreated behind Penny quickly. "We know you guys said no reception," Bernadette said happily, "but you never said no celebration. So, we've planned a party for you both."

Sheldon gave a horror filled moan. "Not another party," he pleaded.

Leonard held out a hand to shush him. "We have pizza, sodas, and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit."

Howard gestured to the table behind them. "And every newly married couple needs a wedding cake and gifts."

Raj placed his beer on the table and pointed a finger at Sheldon. "It's a non-optional wedding obligation. And if or when any of us marry, you can reciprocate then."

Sheldon sighed and relaxed some. "Very well. But you are all obligated to marry, now."

Penny couldn't contain her giggles anymore. She reached out and hugged Leonard briefly before moving back to Sheldon's side. "Thank you, all of you. We're lucky to have you guys in our lives."

Amy grinned widely, and brandished a large knife. "Enough chit chat. Who wants cake? The piece with the large cluster of roses is mine."


They spent the next two weeks settling back into a routine. Work, school, friends and house hunting took up much of their time. But they each made the effort to spend time together alone. Penny was seeing a different side to Sheldon. He was still arrogant and opinionated, but he was also less likely to criticize. Penny found herself more willing to compromise. She did what she could to maintain his schedules and routines. Even if she didn't particularly feel like having Thai food on a Monday.

Leonard acquired a most unlikely roommate. He asked Stuart about putting up a flyer in the shop's window, figuring that if he could find someone who liked comics and sci-fi, then he was sure to end up with a roommate he could get along with. 30 minutes later Stuart had handed him a deposit and agreed to move in the day after Sheldon moved his things to storage. It had been almost two months since they returned from their trip and although they argued on occasion, they had found a groove that worked for them.


Penny wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a nap. She entered their apartment and smiled slightly when Sheldon looked up from the table with a smile. Penny hung up her purse and jacket. She would never admit it out loud, but she liked Sheldon's organization system. Being able to find her things at a moment's notice was great. She walked over and bent to place a quick kiss on his cheek. "How was your day?" she asked without much interest.

Sheldon looked up at her curiously. He slowly turned in his seat and stared at her. Penny frowned, wondering if she had cheesecake on her face. She was just about to ask when Sheldon quickly turned back to his laptop. He opened a file labeled SCHEDULE. Penny turned to walk away but he grabbed her wrist. Penny looked back at him and he looked stunned.

"Penny, how do you feel?"

She shrugged and sighed. "Tired, mostly. It was a long day at work. Three parties. My feet hurt and my back aches. I'm going to take a bubble bath, sweetie."

Sheldon didn't release her like she expected. Instead he closed his eyes and stood up. He cupped her face in his hands and frowned with concentration. She was about to ask what he was up to when he suddenly grabbed her boobs. Penny eeped at the unexpectedness of it. His hands slowly slid down to her hips and back up.

"Sweetie, as much as I would love to get playful with you, I'm just too tired right now, okay?"

Sheldon's eyes opened and he looked down at her with awe and hope. Slowly he bent and kissed her gently. All of a sudden, Penny wasn't quite so tired anymore. She returned the kiss with rising passion but Sheldon broke away and tugged her toward the bathroom. Penny grinned, thinking they were about to shower together. So, imagine her surprise when he sat her on the edge of the tub and reached into the cabinet. He pulled out one of the home pregnancy tests he had bought a month ago and handed it to her.

"According to my research, this is the most accurate home test available. You must urinate on the wand and then we wait for two minutes. If there are…"

Penny took the box from him and rolled her eyes. "I know how the test works, Sheldon. Sweetie, I just had my period a little while ago. There's no reason to think I'm pregnant."

Sheldon looked smug. "Your feet are swollen, Your face is puffy, your hormones are out of balance if your moods lately are any indication. And your period was 6 weeks and 3 days ago. You are 11 days late, Penny.'

Her eyes bugged out and she began counting backwards mentally. Holy crap on a cracker! He was right! She ripped open the box and pulled out the wand. When she reached for the zipper on her skirt, Sheldon seemed to realize what bodily function she was about to perform. He scrambled out of the bathroom and shut the door.

"On the stick!' he reminded her loudly.

They agreed to wait until after her first appointment with the obstetrician before they told anyone their news. Sheldon stepped up the house hunting. He even enlisted Raj and Bernadette's help. By the end of the next week, he had three possibilities. He made arrangements to view them after their appointment with the OB/GYN.


Penny shivered as she slipped into the thin paper gown and scooted up onto the exam table. Sheldon was looking over the equipment in the room, checking for inspection stickers to assure himself everything was in good working order. Penny grinned at the mask he wore over his nose and mouth. He had tried to get her to wear one, saying hospitals were havens for super bugs and killer viruses.

Dr. Sargent and a nurse stepped into the room after a quick knock. He looked up and paused when he saw Sheldon.

Penny giggled. "He's mysophobic," she said by way of explanation.

The doctor nodded with understanding and moved to sit on the small stool beside the table. "Well, Mrs. Cooper, you are definitely pregnant. Approximately 32 days according to the blood test. At this early stage there isn't a whole lot to do, or see, but I am going to do an internal ultrasound anyway. According to your medical history, you had a few cysts removed a couple of years ago, so this is just for my own peace of mind. Now, lay back and get comfortable."

The nurse moved around Penny and lifted the gown to her stomach before covering her lower half with a blanket. Sheldon blanched before moving up near her head. She guided Penny's feet into the stirrups and gave them both a reassuring smile. "This is going to be a bit uncomfortable," she said calmly, "but it will be over before you know it."

Penny grimaced at the wand in the doctor's hand and reached out for Sheldon's hand.


The realtor looked at Penny with confusion and Penny just smiled and walked over. She took the strip of pictures that Sheldon had insisted the doctor print out from his hand. "Sweetie, the baby is just a tiny little dot. She can't see her. Now, come look around the house and tell us what you think."

Sheldon huffed with annoyance. "Sheldon 2.0 is NOT a dot. I am pointing him out. Anyone with eyes can see he is perfectly formed. Besides, I have already decided this house will do. It has adequate room, ample storage, a large backyard and the neighbors have suitably high hedges. It is seven minutes from your job, fifteen from mine, and the preschool two streets over has a high rating." He snatched the pictures back and looked at them with a tiny smile.

Penny burst out laughing and looked at the realtor. "We'll take it."


7 Months Later

Penny was in the middle of typing up her notes from her algebra class when the phone rang. She reached for it absentmindedly. "Hello?"

"Penny?" She turned her full attention to the overwrought voice on the phone.

"Missy? Are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"It's Meemaw," Missy said softly. "She's in the hospital."

Penny almost dropped the phone. She took a deep breath and asked a few questions. She promised to call Missy back as soon as she had spoken with Sheldon. Penny stood up slowly, and gave her belly a gentle pat. "Let's go see daddy, honey."

She called Leonard and asked him to come get her without telling Sheldon. She no longer fit comfortably behind the wheel of their vehicle. She used the time waiting for Leonard to quickly book a flight to Galveston.

20 minutes later Leonard showed up and helped her get in. He looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay? Should I take you to the hospital?"

Penny shook her head. "It's not me," she said with a sob. "Meemaw is in the hospital."

Leonard swore softly. Everyone in their group knew how much Sheldon loved his grandmother. "What can I do?" he asked.

Penny smiled at him. Once he got used to their marriage, Leonard had become a better friend to them both. Penny suspected some of it was that since he and Sheldon no longer lived together, they weren't getting on each other's nerves as much. She thought the rest of it was due to Leonard having his own love interest. He and Sheldon's new assistant had hit it off immediately. Alex was gorgeous, smart and completely head over heels for Leonard.

"Just be supportive," she answered. "Sheldon is going to be devastated if she doesn't get better. There's no one he loves more than her."

Leonard shook his head. "There's you and Abby," he said indicating her bulging stomach.

They pulled into the university parking lot and he hurried over to help her out. Penny placed a hand against her aching back and stretched. "He's still going to be devastated," she said worriedly. "Can you get the other guys for me? Bring them to the office?"

Leonard nodded and walked her to the entrance. "I'll go get them now. I'll stop by and tell Gabelhauser, too. Ask him to get the paperwork together for a leave of absence."

Penny kissed Leonard's cheek and hurried away.

Sheldon was adjusting a portion of his equations when she opened the door and stepped inside. He looked around, annoyed at the interruption until he saw her. A grin spread across his face. "Penny! What brings you here?" He looked her over carefully, worry replacing his smile. "Are you okay? Is anything wrong?"

Penny walked over and bit her bottom lip. "Sweetie, Missy called me," she said, deciding to just say it and get it over with. "Meemaw is in the hospital. She's really sick."


Leonard opened the door slowly and peeked around the edge. Howard and Raj followed as he opened the door and stepped inside. Penny looked over at them tearfully. Sheldon was sitting in his chair, staring out the window, expressionlessly. He didn't even look up to acknowledge them. Penny was gently rubbing his shoulders, but he didn't seem to notice.

Leonard walked around the desk and stood in front of Sheldon. "Sheldon? What can we do?" he asked carefully.

Sheldon looked up finally and shook his head. "I …I don't know." he admitted. "I need to … but I can't leave Penny. Meemaw …Penny's so far along …" Sheldon's voice trailed off and he closed his eyes tightly.

Penny moved to the side of his chair and cupped his jaw so he would look at her. "Honey, you need to go. Meemaw needs you. You have to go see her. I'm okay. Honestly. And if anything happens, we have our friends here to help."

Sheldon stood quickly and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I don't want to leave you," he admitted sadly.

"Drive!" Howard exclaimed.

Everyone looked over at him with confusion and surprise. "You fly down, and we'll drive. Me and Raj can drive Penny to Texas. It only takes a couple of days, right? I have vacation time coming, and so does he. I would love to visit the NASA center, anyway. We drive Penny down to your family and we can drive her back, too."

Raj nodded quickly in agreement. Leonard smiled and looked back at Sheldon. "There. All arranged. I'll take care of the house plants if one of you leaves me a key. Okay?"

Sheldon looked at Penny questioningly. "Sweetie, I booked you a flight that leaves in four hours. Let's go home and pack you a bag, okay?" she asked. Sheldon sighed and nodded. He held her close for a couple more heartbeats and grabbed his messenger bag. He turned to Howard and Raj with a stern expression.

"I am entrusting you with the most important person in my life. Do not let anything happen to her!"

Penny rubbed his arm soothingly. "Abby is fine, Sheldon. We'll be careful."

Sheldon looked at her tenderly. "I was talking about you," he said softly. Penny's eyes widened slightly but Sheldon got them all moving before she could say anything.


I know some will want to know what happened in those missing seven months. Well, mood swings, heartburn, morning sickness, lots of using the bathroom and a bit of arguing over baby names. I skipped it all because I wanted to get back to Meemaw.