I think this is the last chapter, because it ends in a nice place. Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement. Enjoy.
Penny slept in a hospital bed, the baby in a cot next to her as Leonard walked in. He smiled at them both, feeling almost giddily happy. Was their baby only two hours old? It seemed impossible. After they'd managed to get out of the elevator, there had been two paramedics, who'd checked both Penny and the baby over, before taking them to hospital. One of the paramedics had announced that she'd been lucky because it'd been an easy birth. Penny had glared at him with fury, telling the (male) paramedic that if he thought it was easy, he could squeeze a baby out of his body next time. He'd wisely kept his mouth shut.
Once at the hospital, Penny and the (as yet) unnamed child had had a few more checks, but been deemed fit and healthy. They were staying overnight though, just for observation. As soon as the baby slept, Penny slept too. Leonard moved towards the cot and saw that their son was looking at him. He had brown fuzz on his head and bright blue eyes. He was absolutely perfect. As the baby was awake, Leonard picked him up, a little afraid he was going to drop him. He cradled the baby, sitting next to Penny's hospital bed.
"Hey little one," he murmured over the bundle. "Well, you came at a little bit of an inconvenient time, you know that? Anyway…" he sighed as the baby watched him. "You have such a beautiful mother, but I think she's a bit tired now. That'll probably be a theme over the next few months." Leonard smiled. "We don't have a name for you yet. We can't seem to agree on anything. What do you think?" The baby blinked at him and Leonard grinned, amazingly happy with this new arrival. "I love you."
"So what name should we have?" Penny asked.
"You were listening?" he asked, slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah," she said, her eyes opening. "Can I have him?" Leonard handed the baby over, slightly reluctantly. Penny beamed at him.
"Isaac?"
"That's a scientist," Penny said. "So no."
"So Darwin's out too?" he asked.
"Do you hate him?" Penny asked, still smiling though. "Remember how you got teased at school?
"What do you want then?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said. "Matthew, Daniel, Harry, Antony " she suggested. "Something normal."
"I like Daniel," Leonard said quietly.
"Really?" Penny asked. "You're capable of liking a normal name?"
"Yes," he said. "Daniel's good."
"Are you a little baby Daniel?" she asked the baby, rocking him. The newborn opened his mouth in a slight yawn and Penny laughed. "Daniel then?"
"Yeah," he said. "Daniel. I think it's perfect."
"Little Daniel Hoffsteader," she said.
Leonard paused for a moment, in surprise. "He's going to… take my last name?"
"I thought he would," Penny said, smiling. "If that's okay?"
"Yeah," he said, feeling tears well up. But the baby beat him to it. His wailing filled the room and Penny looked bewildered for a moment. That was until the baby started rooting towards her, nuzzling into her chest.
"Are you hungry?" Penny untied her hospital gown, and the baby latched on to her breast very quickly, his cries silenced instantly. She smiled at him, a perfectly angelic smile and then at Leonard. "Are you happy?" she asked.
"Very," he said honestly. He tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Thank you." She smiled at him, but turned her attention to their son very quickly.
They were the very picture of a happy family.
The End.
