Penny and Kurt have found a heartbreaking compromise over Cat. (For those who have asked, this is a RL custody arrangement my friend Will had with his ex. It's worked really well for them for over 11 years now. Yes, I know custody battles usually take much longer to settle. This is fiction people. My story, my rules. :P)

Penny stood in the hallway and stared at the door for several minutes. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. All she knew for sure was that she wanted to be home, with Sheldon and the others. But this was something she had put off for far too long. She needed closure. She raised her hand and knocked firmly.

She waited impatiently as she heard slow footsteps toward the door. It opened and she looked at the man her mom had loved. The man who had constantly belittled her and her sister for everything they ever did.

He looked down at her with cold eyes. "Bout time you showed up. I left that message with those two geeks hours ago."

Penny waited for the pain to come that she had always felt growing up. The sting of feeling inadequate that always surrounded her when she was in his presence. She was surprised when Sheldon's words floated through her mind. "My only wish was for you to be happy."

"I don't know what you want," Penny said calmly, "but there is nothing for you here. Go back to Nebraska." She turned to leave and he grabbed her arm.

"Don't you turn your back on me, little girl," he said angrily. "I'm still your father. I want to meet my granddaughter."

Penny jerked her arm free. "You were never my father. You were my mom's husband, and a bad one at that. You have no claim on my daughter at all." Penny looked at him carefully, noting the bloodshot eyes, the sallow shin tone, and the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes.

She shook her head wearily. "I used to fear you," she said softly. "You were so cruel to me and Sarah. All because we weren't boys you could be proud of. You fawned over Robbie, gave him everything and anything he wanted, but Sarah and I? We were just baggage to you. No, I don't fear you anymore. Now you're just an old man, desperate to have respect you never earned. Well, I don't have any to give you." Penny turned away again and headed to the elevators. "Goodbye."

She ignored the sound of a slamming door and stepped into the elevator car. She hit the button for the ground floor and felt a tremendous weight fall from her shoulders. For years she had wanted a close family. Wanted it so badly, she had spent hours begging and praying when she was little. Well, she had a family now. A loving, supportive family that made her happy. Cat, Sheldon, Bernadette, Amy, Leonard, Howard, Gail and Raj. That was her family. And she was anxious to get home.

Sheldon stood and walked to the door. Leonard smiled slightly, knowing he must have heard Penny's footsteps. He was so attuned to her that it was as if he had a sixth sense. By the time Sheldon opened the door, Penny was stepping onto the fourth floor. Leonard watched them embrace each other tightly. Penny gave him a small wave as they headed across the hall. He stood and shut the door after returning the gesture.

Leonard stood still for several seconds, thinking about the conversation he had with Amy before she left three weeks ago.

"It's a great opportunity," Amy said hesitantly. "I've worked very hard to get the respect of my peers, and now that hard work is paying off. I …I can't turn this experiment down."

"What about your work here in Pasadena?" he asked tensely. "Your friends and family." He swallowed hard. "And me?"

"Leonard, it's just for a couple of months…"

"Amy, I like you," he said softly. "I want to get to know you better. I know we have the start of something really good. And I think you know it, too."

Amy was silent for so long, he began to worry she was angry. "Come with me," she said softly.

Leonard reached for his phone and dialed a number engraved on his mind. It rang six times before Amy answered.

"Leonard? I was just thinking about you. Again."

"I was thinking I might come visit you," he said with a smile. "If you still want me."

Amy's voice was gentle and full of warmth. "I do. I really do."

Leonard grinned. "I'll be there Friday night."

"I'll pick you up," Amy promised. "And Leonard?"

"Yes?"

"I've missed you."

Leonard blushed even though there was no one there to see it. "I've missed you, also." They said their goodbyes, and Leonard went to his room to pack a bag.

Sheldon closed the door and pulled Penny into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him tight and breathed in the scent of his All detergent and Irish Spring soap. Slowly her stress seeped away. She smiled as Sheldon spoke.

"There, there, Sheldon's here."

Penny pulled back and looked up at him mischievously. "You know, the last time you said that, things got a bit physical."

Sheldon bent and kissed her hard. When he finally pulled away, they were both gasping for breath. "I'd hate to break a pattern," he murmured before slipping his hands under her shirt.

Penny moaned as his left palm cupped her breast and his right moved behind her to unclasp her bra. Penny drew him down for another heated kiss. Sheldon walked them back toward the bedroom with slow, measured steps. Tonight would be different from their first time. Tonight they would savor each and every touch. They had all night to explore each other. And he intended to delight in each and every second of it.

He slipped his arm across her waist and drew her flush against his chest. Her breathing was rhythmic and steady, even though she gave the occasional snore. He studied her features closely, enthralled by how much pleasure he got just from looking at her. He had always known the universe was filled with mysteries within riddles within enigmas. He had never known that love was the same.

Every emotion he discovered with Penny led him to a new one he had never known he could feel. Apprehension led to confusion, which led to curiosity, which led to admiration, which led to desire, which led to love, and so on. Sheldon closed his eyes and buried his face in her golden tresses. Love led to peacefulness, apparently.

(It's been a couple of months, now. Cat is about to go away with Kurt, and the couples have settled into one large familial group. To keep Penny's mind off the upcoming separation, they invited the girls to paintball.)

Howard, Sheldon, Leonard and Raj looked at each other with a healthy dose of fear. They were used to being decimated on the paintball field. Every department they had ever went up against had absolutely demolished them. Usually within the first half hour. They even had a routine excuse for their poor performance. They were scientists, not warriors. (No matter how much they might like to be both.) They peered out the small slotted window of the shed as two more from the geology department trudged by, covered in red paint.

Leonard swallowed hard and looked at his friends. "Okay, I'm just going to say it. All of your girlfriends are scary."

Amy snickered from her seat on a hay bale. They all looked over at her and she shrugged. "What did you think would happen, guys? Penny was raised on a farm. Her grandfather took her hunting all the time. B's dad is a cop. And Gail's family has a long military history."

Sheldon looked at his friends with an expression of contemplation. "I think I may have to revise some of my disaster plans. It might be beneficial to incorporate our women into more active roles than just child-bearing for the purpose of repopulation."

Howard smirked. "Now, let's not get carried away. Repopulation is important, you know," he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Raj laughed aloud before slapping a hand over his mouth.

Leonard snorted. "Yeah, I can just see how well that will go over with the girls."

Raj let out a strangled whine as a gasp drew everyone's attention to the shed door. Penny, Gail and Bernadette were staring at Sheldon with slack jaws. Amy stood and walked over to join them, a picture of female solidarity.

"Just child-bearing?" Bernadette hissed.

"Repopulation?" Gail asked stonily.

Penny cocked one hip and glared at her lover. "Sweetie, wanna take a wild guess where you'll be sleeping tonight?"

Sheldon's shoulders slumped and he sighed heavily. "Alone?"

Penny looked at her three girlfriends who all nodded. Penny looked back at the guys. "You keep your disaster plans, honey. We've got our own."

Bernadette grinned. "Never surrender."

Gail nodded. "Never retreat."

Amy shrugged apologetically. "Never take prisoners."

The guys had only a second's warning before the girls opened fire.

Sheldon tried to maintain his anger as Penny dabbed muscle cream over his paintball bruises. It wasn't easy, since Penny kept giggling every time he revealed a new one for her to treat. "Sorry," she said softly. "But you have to admit, you brought it on yourself for that little show of chauvinism."

Sheldon looked over his shoulder at her with a glare. "It was not chauvinism. It was simple physics. Men have stronger bodies, physically. It is common sense for the male species to take care of the female. I just hadn't taken into account the freakish affinity for masculine pursuits you three have."

Penny snorted with humor. She bent and her tongue darted out to flick at one of the bruises on his shoulder. "So now I'm too masculine?" she purred into his ear.

Sheldon's pulse sped up, and his groin tightened. "Woman, you are messing with forces beyond your ken," he growled.

Penny moved her fingers along his ribs and inched his nipples. Her breath was hot against his neck. "Yeah? Well, your ken can kiss my Barbie," she retorted.

Sheldon twisted to draw her in front of him but Penny slithered from his grasp to slide to the floor between his knees. Her hands smoothed over his thighs and she licked her lips. Sheldon's breath caught in his throat as he watched the fire in her eyes grow hotter. "Or," she smirked, "maybe my Barbie should kiss your Ken."

He swallowed convulsively as Penny reached for his zipper. She couldn't mean…..! Surely she wasn't going to…! Oh lord! She was! Sheldon's eyes rolled back in his head. He finally managed to find his voice, but the only thing that came out was "Don't stop!"