I am getting married today. I'm getting married today!
The first thoughts to cross ones mind the moment they wake up were often insignificant and not worth remembering, often not even a real sentence; for Penny however, those thoughts filled her with an immense excitement that made her open her eyes wide and sit up.
"I'm getting married today!" She squealed into the room, a grin on her face and her hands clutching the sheets excitedly. If Leonard had been beside her, he would have a bruised arm by now and possibly a burst eardrum.
Smelling coffee, Penny slid out of bed and pulled on her brand new white dressing gown - a gift her sister had given her the night before - and shoved her feet into the hotel slippers that were slightly too big. She used the hair tie on her wrist to tie her hair into a messy bun as she left her room and crossed the few steps across the hall to the room being shared by Bridget, Amy and Bernadette.
A grinning Meryl answered her knocks. "Good morning sweetheart!"
"Here comes the bride, here comes the bride!" Bridget sang, holding out a mug off coffee.
Taking the coffee, Penny raised her brows and did a little bounce. "I'm getting married today!"
"Wow, it's kinda scary to see her so happy before she's had even a sip of coffee." Bridget folded her arms, looking at Penny curiously. "You didn't sneak Leonard into the hotel, did you?"
As Meryl hit Bridget's arm, Penny rolled her eyes and scoffed. "No, I'm just excited!"
"Besides, you would have heard them if she'd snuck Leonard in last night." Bernadette said as she and Amy joined the group still standing by the room entrance. "Come on in, soon-to-be Mrs. Hofstadter - we're ordering room service for breakfast!"
"Ooh... do I wanna order everything because I'm excited or order a reasonable amount because... you know, I gotta look fantastic tonight." Penny wriggled her brows.
"Eat everything." Meryl waved a hand at Penny. "Trust me, you'll fit into your dress and he's not gonna notice tonight anyway."
"Yeah, there'll be other things on his mind, bestie." Amy giggled, handing Penny a menu for room service. "Bridget showed me a photograph of you in that wedding underwear."
"You took a photo and showed it to people?" Penny smacked the menu against Bridget's arm.
"Really, you could eat twenty loaves of bread and ten pizzas and fifty dollars worth of Chinese food and he still wouldn't notice, if you're in that underwear." Bernadette nodded.
"It's not just about Leonard." Penny twisted her lips in contemplation. They were right - what did it matter what she had for breakfast today? It wasn't going to cancel out all the hard work she'd been putting in recently. Scanning the list of breakfast foods, she sighed. It did look tasty. And she didn't want her niggling insecurities ruining her day. "Okay, order everything."
"Good morning."
Leonard wasn't even phased by Sheldon sitting in the armchair by the closet of his old bedroom. Most importantly, he wasn't even bothered. He had given himself the luxury of nine extra minutes of sleep thanks to the Snooze button, managing to pleasantly doze in that time. He often forgot how comfortable his old bed had been.
"Good morning, Sheldon." Leonard practically chirped.
"It's good to hear you so happy this morning."
"I'm getting married today!" Leonard grinned. "Of course I sound happy!"
"I'm happy too - I knew you were going to hit the Snooze button." Sheldon also grinned, proud of his foresight to schedule in alarm snoozes. "You never did that before Penny came along."
"Those nine minutes can often be a blessing."
"I prefer it when you and Penny use those nine minutes to sleep rather than... race against the clock."
Smirking, Leonard chuckled. "You should try that sometimes. It's a fantastic challenge."
"Huh." To Leonard's surprise, Sheldon paused in consideration. "Interesting. I do like a challenge."
"Okay, this is getting weird."
"Then lets go have breakfast. Koothrappali and Wolowitz have made your favorite."
"My favorite?"
"I lived with you for a long time, Leonard. I know what your favorite breakfasts are." Sheldon pointed out as Leonard got out of bed and into his robe. "The only thing we don't have is Penny's French Toast. Because none of us are Penny."
"This kinda reminds me of when we were little." Bridget mused, shaking the nail polish bottle. "Every time you saw I was doing my nails, I had to do yours too."
"And then we would wrestle Scott and manage to paint one fingernail before Dad had to break it up because we'd be kicking and screaming." Penny laughed.
"At least it got your wobbly tooth out once."
"I got quite a bit of money for that one!" Penny grinned proudly. "The Tooth Fairly did well that year."
"Or she felt sorry for you after you cried for like, an hour." Bridget rolled her eyes.
"Still, I bought so much candy with that money..." Penny smiled. "My kids are gonna get so much Tooth Fairy money. But not by having their teeth kicked out from each other."
"Still up for those kids, huh? Other foot." Bridget instructed.
Admiring the freshly painted nails of her left foot for a moment, Penny nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely." Sighing contentedly, she leaned back and closed her eyes. "God, this is so cool. I'm actually getting married!"
"Really? That's news to me!" Bridget laughed.
"Whatever." Penny shook her head. Enjoying the gentle warmth of sunshine through the window on her face and the scent of nail polish, she let her mind wander. Her initial stream of excitement had settled down slightly to a level where she could eat her breakfast and get on with the day without squealing every other sentence. The rest of her entourage had gone off to collect the bridesmaids dresses and check up on the rest of their guests. Her own dress was hanging neatly in it's cover, still a surprise to everybody else. Amy informed her the guys were also awake and preparing on schedule. Everything was going exactly to plan. It was all going to be perfect.
At least, until the panic that she had avoided for so long began to creep in as Bridget began the second coat of nail polish.
She was getting married. That was forever. Forever!
I'm getting married.
"Oh my God." Penny sat up, eyes wide.
"What?"
"I'm getting married."
"Yeah... yeah, you are." Bridget said slowly, not sure if Penny was about to scream in excitement or burst into tears.
"Oh God. I'm getting married today. I can't... I can't do that! I'm not... oh my God, it's so soon. I'm gonna be with Leonard forever and I'm still... I'm still seeing Ellen and the baby, my baby - our baby, she's... God, I need to get my life in order first, I'm still-"
"Penny!" Bridget leaned forward to grab her sisters hands. "Listen to me. None of that is you. You're just freaking out. It's okay."
"But it's-"
"It's exciting, and amazing, and it's going to be absolutely perfect." Bridget assured her. "I know you've had... a lot of horrible things happen to you, but you've also had some absolutely incredible things happen. You deserve to have this amazing day - and to feel this happiness every single day of your life."
Taking a deep breath, Penny gulped down the lump in her throat. "I know. I just..."
"Don't let that shit get to you." Bridget said firmly. "You're going to have an amazing wedding and cute babies. I'm going to paint your nails and you just think about those little Hofstadter kids running around in Daddy's Converse sneakers and Mommy's favorite purple body con dress."
"Hey!" Leonard grinned as he answered Penny's phone call. "How're you doing?"
"Good." Penny told him truthfully. "Excited, a little freaked out but... really looking forward to seeing you at the altar. What about you?"
"Yeah, a little nervous, but other than that - we're getting married! I'm excited!"
"Me too." Penny giggled. "I can't believe in a few hours I'm gonna be Mrs. Penny Hofstadter."
"Sounds just as beautiful as the bride is gonna look."
Smiling at her reflection in the mirror, Penny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear the way Leonard would do without realizing the similarity of the action. "I just wanted to talk to you for a little while. I'm very... you know..." She waved a hand around frantically as though he could see, "today. I'm getting my make up done soon."
"Raj and Sheldon have gone to pick up lunch. Howard's getting Scott, Michael, and our Dad's."
"You remember how to do your tux properly?"
"Of course."
"Good. And no Superhero t-shirts beneath your tuxedo shirts?"
"I promise, no Superhero t-shirts."
"Remember to double check Sheldon."
"I will."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Grinning, Penny looked at the photo of Leonard on her screen before putting it back to her ear. "Meet you at the altar."
"I'll be waiting."
"I wanted to show you this, son." Wyatt said, sitting down beside Leonard on the couch with a photograph. "But don't tell Penny I've shown you this. She probably doesn't even remember it exists."
"Alright." Leonard said, curiously taking the photo from Wyatt. The second he saw what it was, his face lit up with a smile. A very young Penny - probably around four or five, from the looks of it - was standing in what he recognized to be the back garden of her family home. She held a bouquet of daisies and buttercups that looked like she'd picked them from the field beyond the garden. She wore a white dress that was evidently one her mother intended for special occasions, but had mud marks around the hem and knees. She was barefoot, a pair of chunky glittery sandals visible to the left of her. On her head was a white pillowcase, secured with three butterfly hair clips. "Oh my God. This is absolutely adorable!"
"Yeah... it is, isn't it?" Wyatt chuckled. "Mer was not impressed that she'd stolen our pillowcases and ruined the party dress she'd lain out for that evening. We found a copy of her Aunt Lucy's wedding video in the old VCR."
"Wow." Leonard was transfixed by the photograph.
"You know, that's the last time she was ever that enthusiastic about weddings and marriage and all that." Wyatt sighed. "She wasn't all too excited at me and Meryl's wedding. Hated Bridge's wedding - but very happy about the divorce news, not surprising though. I guess she never grew up with a good example of what a marriage should be."
"But you-"
"No, son, me and Meryl... we worked it out in the end, but there were - we had our problems. It's at least partially our fault." Wyatt shook his head. "That's why we're so glad she found you. And why I was so insistent that you didn't give up on her. The way she talked about you... even when she was only pretending you'd gotten back together, the things that girl said! That's true love."
"Are you ready, sweetheart?"
"Uh-huh." Penny nodded, looking at her mothers reflection behind her in the mirror.
"You look gorgeous."
"Thank you." Penny smiled shyly, running her hands over her dress. "It's not too..."
"The dress is absolutely perfect."
"Did you want me to get married in all white?"
"Sweetheart, I want you to get married the way that you feel is right."
Looking at herself in the mirror again, Penny nodded. "This feels right."
"You know, I just saw Leonard. He looks so cute in his tuxedo."
"They're such a change from his dorky t-shirts."
"Yeah, it's quite surprising to see all the guys all dressed up like that."
"Usually when the guys are 'dressed up' it's dressed up in some fancy dress costume." Penny giggled, finally turning around. "Is the car waiting for us?"
"Yeah. But you can take your time honey."
"No, I'm ready." Penny stepped toward her mother. "I've been ready for this for... a long time. I just can't believe it's finally happening."
There was no doubt about it: Penny was absolutely beautiful. But walking down the aisle, grinning as she clung lightly to Wyatt's arm, Leonard found her a thousand times more breathtaking than he thought possible. Not in the way that made him grab for his inhaler, but the good kind that kept his eyes glued to her.
It was that smile on his face that Penny was mesmerized by. The one that he reserved for her, and only for her. And right now, everybody could see it - everybody could see the way she made him feel. Penny loved that; to her, it was the depiction of love. His smile gave her a wonderful glow that she could feel herself radiating; like excited butterflies, only better.
Penny felt Wyatt let go of her hand and give her a kiss on the cheek. She clung to him a moment longer before giving him a kiss on the cheek too. He had worked hard to give her a life better than his own; perhaps he'd spent too much time perfecting her sports skills, but Penny had to admit he'd done a pretty damn good job. Finding a way to thank him for that was difficult, and Penny could only hope in that moment that he was proud of the person she was now.
"You look... beautiful." Leonard couldn't stop himself from whispering to her as she stepped beside him.
Sheldon turned to Amy as the Minister began speaking. "This really is wonderful. I'm impressed."
"Me too. It's very... Leonard and Penny."
"Yes, it is."
In the front row, Beverly turned cautiously to look at her ex-husband. "Well, he certainly turned out better than I expected."
Philip Hofstadter held back a comment that if Beverly hadn't been so blinded by her warped psychological beliefs, she could have seen that Leonard had turned out incredibly well despite their questionable upbringing much earlier than his wedding.
"I believe you have prepared vows?"
Leonard nodded 'yes' before taking a deep breath and holding Penny's hands. "Penny, you stand before me today as fascinating and gorgeous as the day I met you. Back then you were just the pretty neighbor, but it did not take long for me to learn that there were so many complex layers to you that made you even more special. You took my hand and showed me a world beyond the science that I knew, and for that I am forever grateful. Science is how I make sense of the world; you are my world: after all, we are made of particles that have existed since the universe began. I like to think that the atoms travelled fourteen billion years in time and space to create us so that we could be together and make each other whole."
"Oh my God. Wow." Penny felt her eyes watering. "Leonard, you're not only the love of my life - you're my best friend. We've gone through so much, both together and apart, and I wouldn't have gotten to become the person I am today without you beside me every step of the way. I think you've learned in that time that I struggle to put into words exactly how I feel... but today I will say the two most important words of my life, in front of the most important people in my life. So here I stand, the blonde girl from Nebraska who spent six years building up the courage to tell you she loves you, in a wedding dress at Griffith Park Observatory pouring her heart out. I love you, Leonard Hofstadter - you've got a friend in me. And that is never gonna change."
The Minister held out a ring to Penny. "Do you, Penny, take Leonard to be your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"
"I do." Penny was unable to stop her smile as she carefully placed the ring on Leonard's finger. There they were: those two binding words.
"And do you, Leonard, take Penny to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"
"I do."
Watching as Leonard gently slid the ring onto Penny's finger, the Minister grinned. "By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you: Husband and Wife! You may now kiss the bride."
Penny was right: she had always been one for showing her feelings through action rather than words. The Minister had just about gotten out the final syllable before Penny had pressed her lips against Leonard's, one arm gripping his tuxedo jacket at the waist and the other at the back of his neck. Leonard placed both of his hands on her waist, giving her an excited and reassuring squeeze.
"Doctor and Mrs. Hofstadter, everybody!" Bridget announced excitedly.
"That's us!" Penny squealed as they pulled apart.
Leonard gestured a hand to the aisle. "Shall we, Mrs. Penny Hofstadter?"
The couple began to make their way down the aisle, white and pink petals being thrown from each side. Their congregation proceeded behind them, cheering and clapping: Bridget with Amy and Bernadette, followed by an ecstatic Raj, Howard and Sheldon. It wasn't long before their parents and friends began to join on, following the carpeted route to the roof of the Observatory. Upon arriving, they were handed champagne flutes - Leonard and Penny being slightly ahead, with the guests having respectfully slowed down to give them a head start.
Grabbing Leonard's hand, Penny skipped to the edge, looking out over the city. Holding up her champagne flute to his, she grinned. "Here's to the rest of our lives."
"To the infinite chapters of our life as Dr. and Mrs. Hofstadter."
A/N - That's it guys! 35 chapters of this rollercoaster journey of a story... it's been really interesting to write. Sometimes scary, sometimes really exciting. I've got another installation planned because I sort of fell in love with the journey I started here. But real life calls and I will be a bit slow with writing and updating, so I hope this satisfies your hearts. And yeah, I borrowed the Leonard & Penny vows from TBBT 9.01 because actually, I thought those were adorable. Thanks for all those who've been reading and reviewing and following and favoriting! I wanted this chapter to be 3,000 words exactly so I've done very minimal editing. I have a thing for the appearance of numbers. (I would have liked 4,000 because I like even numbers, but the chapter number is 35 so it had to be 3,000). Happy New Year! :)