I own nothing, OK maybe Max and Jenny
Penny was sitting in the food court of the mall waiting for Leonard to come back with her hot fudge double Swiss chocolate sundae with chocolate sprinkles. It had been an extremely hot day for the beginning of the autumn season. Penny had been so uncomfortable at home; she asked Leonard if they could go to the mall and just walk around in the air conditioning. Of course, once they were at the mall, she wanted to just sit and watch the world pass by. And what better to watch the world pass by with than a hot fudge double Swiss chocolate sundae with chocolate sprinkles. Leonard had no problem catering to Penny's every whim. He got the biggest kick out of watching Penny's face light up when he would satisfy her wish of the moment.
Penny had been watching a young family having lunch. There was a young girl sitting with her father eating French fries and playing with the ring on her father's third finger of his left hand as her mother fed a baby a bottle of milk. They seemed so happy; Penny wondered what it would be like living as a family. She started to drift in her thoughts back to her childhood in Omaha.
Leonard walked up with the sundae and placed it on the table in front of her. He then reached under the table and took Penny's feet into his lap and started to massage them. They had started to swell if Penny was on them for any length of time.
Penny took a scoop of ice cream as Leonard started to message one of her feet. "Oh my god, that feels so good, and this tastes so good. Leonard, Honey, you are too good to me. I'm sorry I made you bring me here.
Leonard sat rubbing her other foot smiling. "You have nothing to be sorry about, I'm having a ball. The guy at the ice cream place called your sundae the pregnant special. What do you want to do next?
Penny took another scoop of sundae. "I want to get married".
Leonard abruptly stopped the massage. "Umm... Whaaaa"?
Penny put her spoon down. "I want to get married. I want to be a family when Jenny and Max are born".
Leonard put Penny's foot down. "Penny, we are a family".
Penny looked up at Leonard. "Leonard, I know that I love you and you love me. I know that we're a stable couple in a committed relationship. But the babies will be Hofstadters when they are born and I won't. I want to be a Hofstadter too".
Leonard looked at Penny more seriously. "Penny, are you serious? Think about what you are saying. You are due in February; it's the end of September. Do you want to go to city hall, or Vegas"?
Penny started to eat her sundae again. "No, I want a real wedding with family and all that".
Leonard asked. "Penny, how can we do that? There's no time to plan a wedding its hard stuff… and takes a lot out of you… and renting a hall on short notice in Pasadena"?
Penny smiled. "Not in Pasadena, Sweetie, in Omaha. We could have an old fashioned…. home spun…., as Sheldon would put it, wedding. It won't be as fancy as in California or New Jersey, but I'll bet my Mom would be thrilled and would help. It doesn't need to be fancy or big; I just want to be married before the babies come. And, we could do it by November. That way we will be back here during the last trimester. Dr. Johnson said everything would be OK until then. That way we could be a real family, I mean officially, if... you know... something happens".
Leonard got up and sat next to Penny. "Penny, Honey, everything is going to be fine. I want to marry you. It has been a dream of mine for years. You know it has. But we don't need to do this because you are afraid".
Penny put her head on Leonard's shoulder. "It's not that, Silly, I'm not afraid. I want to get married because every time we are together, I think of how stupid I was before, I think of all the time I wasted. I love you; I can't stand to be without you. I don't feel complete. I feel like we are holding the last piece of the puzzle and we're not putting it in. I want to finish the puzzle".
Penny was trying to hide the thoughts that little Jenny would be in danger any time after Max was big enough. She had been on the internet looking up multiple births and knew that they were higher risk of premature birth. Jenny was at least six weeks behind and Penny was getting anxious.
"Dad knows everybody in town. He could get the Elk's Lodge or something. My sister will help; we've been planning my wedding for years. You'll love her. Just don't get her angry after Tequila shots. Her husband Frank still walks with a little limp. Even my brother will help. My Dad will make sure of it. Bernadette, Amy and I can do the dress thing here. I promise I won't overdo it. It'll be after the crop season. November is so beautiful back home. It'll be a little cool for us, but you can see forever across the fields. You'll see. You're used to New Jersey and Pasadena and all the people. Back home it's so open, so quiet. The fire in the fire place, the smell of the wood burning, the cows and the horses. Mom cooking pies. It'll be great. All the guys can come. You can invite your family. Please Leonard, I want to be married to you. I want to be your wife. I know I said it freaked me out that we would be married forever, but I don't want to wait. I want to be your wife, and I DO want it to be forever. Pleease"?
Leonard was amazed at the quick fire seemingly random information being thrown at him. And could tell that there would be very little he could do to reason any other point of view with the beautiful blonde sitting next to him.
Leonard kissed her head. "OK, let's go finish the puzzle".