"I can't believe I'm doing this." Bernadette gasped, rubbing her bump vigorously.

They were in a rundown little cafe, the sort of place none of their guys would even think of setting foot in, waiting to see Dr. Hofstadter.

"Just try and remain calm." Penny tried to soothe her. "We won't be here very long, OK?"

"OK." Bernadette took a deep breath.

He'd been pretty happy to hear from them, so she had no doubt he would turn up. He understood they had questions, and was willing to answer them. She just didn't like doing what she was doing. She and Penny both knew their boyfriend/husband wouldn't be happy if they knew. She was starting to think of calling the whole thing off, when the door ting-a-linged.

"Hello, girls."

Bernadette smiled uneasily. Penny started twirling her straw around in her soda, feeling unexpectedly nervous.

"You're not here to ask about neuroscience, are you?" He asked.

"No. We wanna know what the hell made you abandon her husband when he was a kid." Penny admitted.

"I already told you. His mom and I argued a lot."

"Couldn't you have visited?" Bernadette asked.

"It's not that easy..."

"Did your wife know you'd cheated on her?" Penny asked.

"She did."

"And she knew you'd been with Howie?" Bernadette asked.

"Yes."

"Did Mrs. Wolowitz know?" Bernadette wanted to know.

"Beulah? She knew I was married."

"What?" Penny looked confused.

"She thought we were divorcing around the time we conceived. After he was born, she never really asked."

"She never wanted to get married?" Bernadette asked.

"We just came to a mutual agreement. We decided we didn't have to get married. Around that time, it was becoming normal for people to have children out of wedlock."

"Hmm. Alright, why didn't you tell your other kids you'd had another son?" Penny asked.

"I didn't want them to get upset."

"OK." Penny didn't feel at all convinced, and looking at Bernadette, she saw the pregnant woman felt the same. A glance at Amy told her the neuroscientist felt as they did, too.

"Really." Nathan leaned forward to look more closely at them. "I do love my children..."

Penny scoffed. "Right."

"I wasn't a good parent when they were younger. I know that. I just want to start over with them."

"Why now?" Bernadette quizzed.

"I might not be around for a very long time." He didn't look them in the eyes this time. It was obvious to the three of them that he was hiding something.

"Uh huh." Penny got up. "We have to go. Come on."

Before they left, Nathan caught Bernadette's wrist. "Please get them to meet me. Leonard won't answer his cell and I don't know what Howard's number is. I want to make peace with them."

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"OK, he was totally hiding something." Penny told the other girls, the moment they were in a store.

"Of course he is, but what?" Bernadette replied, looking up from the violet sweater she was holding.

"He might be ill." Amy pointed out. "I don't know if you noticed, but he looked very pale."

"Yeah well, so do all of our guys." Penny pointed out.

"Amy does have a point." Bernadette said, placing the sweater into her basket. "Also, he looked tired. Like my nana before she..."

"Damn, I wish we'd asked if there was something wrong with him." Penny told the others. She lowered the little pink dress she'd been examining. "Although, wouldn't he have told us?"

"He may be going through denial about his illness." Amy suggested, placing the red high heels she'd been looking at in her other arm. "Most ill people do go through denial."

"Wow. Maybe we should tell them to make peace."

"How can we do that?" Bernadette asked. "They're really upset with him and I don't blame them."

"How about we give them until the end of the week and then we suggest that they make up for the sake of their futures?" Penny asked.

"What do you mean?" Amy wanted to know.

"Well, you're having a baby. You want him or her to know their grandparents, right?" Penny asked Bernadette.

"Of course I do."

"Well, there you go. That's why they should make peace."

"I'm impressed." Amy complimented her. "That's good reasoning."

"Thank you."

"I just wish we hadn't snuck around."

"Hey, it's alright. The boys won't find out." Penny told her. "Trust me."

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"Just think," Raj said. "In a few months, you won't be coming here as often."

Howard rolled his eyes. "I've got six months. Relax. Besides, I'll take Junior here with me."

"He's gonna love it." Leonard told him.

"Oh, hey guys." Stuart greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, we've had stuff come up." Leonard explained, glancing briefly at Howard.

"Oh. Hey, I saw Penny today."

"Penny?" Leonard repeated, surprised. "She's working today. I didn't know you go to the Cheesecake Factory."

"I don't. It's too expensive. I went to the, uh...oh! The Flying Apple. It's a little cafe. Anyway, Penny came in with Amy and a blonde pregnant lady."

"Did the blonde pregnant lady have a silver star around her neck, a wedding ring and a pair of brown glasses on?" Howard asked.

"Yeah. And she had a huge pair of.."

"That was my wife." Howard interrupted, glaring at Stuart with all the force he could muster. "Her name is Bernadette."

"That's weird." Leonard commented. "Penny told me she was working today."

"That's what Bernadette told me."

"What's going on?" Sheldon asked.

"Stuart saw Penny, Amy and Bernadette today. They were supposed to be working."

"They were seeing Dr. Hofstadter today." Sheldon explained.

"What?!" Leonard exclaimed. "Why?! And why didn't you tell us?"

"You didn't ask."

"Well, did they say why they were seeing him?" Howard asked.

"Don't worry. Amy told me it was on a scientific basis."

"So, why was Penny there?" Leonard asked.

"They were going to the mall after." Sheldon told him.

"Dude, Penny would never sit through a science thing just to go shopping after. She gets too sleepy." Raj reminded him.

"Are you saying Amy lied to me?" Sheldon asked.

Raj patted his shoulder. "I'm afraid so, dude."

"I think," Sheldon announced, trying and failing to keep the tremor of disappointment out of his voice. "That we'd better ask our significant others why they've lied to us."

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The three women sighed with relief when they finally got to Apartment 4B. Finally, a chance to to rest!

"Those stairs are ridiculous." Amy stated to the other two.

Bernadette mumbled in reply and started massaging one of her feet. The pregnancy had left her out of breath.

"When are the boys coming back?" Penny asked, having taken a glug of orange juice.

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"Girls!"

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"Girls!"

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"Girls!"

"Wow, Sheldon sounds upset." Amy remarked. "I wonder what it is."

"Amy Farrah Fowler! You lied to me!"

"Penny, what the hell.."

"You met up with him?!"

Raj quickly wedged himself between the three couples. "Guys, guys! Calm down. There is a delicate foetus in the room." He pointed at Bernadette's expanding womb.

"Amy, I can't believe you lied to me. Again. Do you understand how hurtful it is? Particularly in the fact that we all know I can't tell when people lie."

"Sheldon..."

"I don't understand. If you'd honestly explained why you wanted to meet him..."

"It's not Amy's fault." Bernadette told Sheldon. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. It was my idea to try and meet him."

"Why?" Howard asked.

"I was curious, Howie. I mean..he's the man who's made you who you are..."

"No." Howard ran his hands over his eyes, trying to dry the tears that were forming. "He has nothing to do with me, OK? He's not made me who I am. My mother has."

"Leonard, I'm so.." Penny tried. She was stopped by Leonard holding up his hands.

"Just, don't, Penny. Come on, guys."

That's that for this week, folks! Next weekend will have them making up with Lenny, Shamy and Rostenowitz galore! Hope you all enjoyed and feel free to drop a review!

Love from Shania. xx