A/N Thanks again for the reviews. I do want you to know I read and appreciate them. I also think about what is said. I still own nothing.

Leonard and Penny had contacted Mona and Steve and arranged to meet with Wayne and Barb at Penny and Leonard's apartment on the coming Sunday.

Deciding they needed to get going with the wedding, Leonard took a day off and they started to work on getting out the wedding invitations.

Mr. Wyatt Waters and Mrs. Susan Waters

And

Dr. Alfred Hofstadter and Dr. Beverly Hofstadter

Request the honor of your presence at the Marriage of

MISS PENELOPE SUSAN WATERS

AND

DR. LEONARD LEAKEY HOFSTADTER

Saturday, January Eighth

Two thousand and seventeen

At four in the afternoon

At the

Athenaeum

Located on the Campus of the California Institute of Technology

2400 University Drive

Pasadena, California

Penny said, "Okay, that should work. Now let's list out the rest."

"Matron of honor, Mrs. Lisa Dawson"

"Best Man, Dr. Sheldon Cooper."

"Bridesmaids, Dr. Amy Farrah-Fowler and Miss Bernadette Rostenkowski."

She hesitated, "Could Bernadette have her doctorate by then?"

"I doubt it. She still has to finish her thesis."

Penny smirked, "I think we have enough doctors anyway." She went on, Groomsmen, Mr. Howard Wolowitz, Dr. Rajesh Kootherpalli."

"Okay, let's see, ushers, Mr. Frank Dawson and Mr. Randall Waters."

"Are we sure your brother is going to be out?"

"According to Dad, he should be due to overcrowding. If he isn't, it won't be that big of a deal to have his name out there."

She went on, "Going on, Flower Girl, Dawn Browning, Ring Bearer, David Hofstadter."

Penny looked up, "What do you think of putting Missy in charge of the punch bowl? I am really looking forward to seeing her again."

"I think that's a great idea. I was glad to hear she was coming up with her mother."

Penny smiled, "Do you think that any other twins could be so different?"

Leonard laughed, "If there are, I don't know how."

Penny said, "Okay, last but not least, officiated by Mrs. Mary Cooper."

She took a breath, "Okay, that's the wedding party. Let's go over the guest list."

Leonard took out a sheet of paper, "This is what we wrote down before."

He read off, "Professor Michael Hofstadter, Judge Diane Hofstadter…"

"Your brother's not a doctor?"

"No, but he is a tenured professor of law at Harvard Law School and argues cases before the Supreme Court."

Penny smirked, "Okaay."

Leonard smiled and continued, "Sir John Browning and Dr. Hayley Hofstadter-Browning."

Penny stared, "Sir?"

Leonard had to laugh, "He's English, Hayley met him in college. He was knighted for his work with Ebola patients during a breakout in Rwanda."

Penny took a deep breath, "I know how your mother treated you when you were young, but I have to say, you have one hell of an impressive family." She moved over and hugged him, "And we hadn't even mentioned the handsome doctor who won a Nobel Prize."

Leonard hugged her back and gave her a kiss on the mouth. I guess you're right, but I would take your family any time."

He stepped back, "We better keep going, let's see, Mrs. Debbie Wolowitz, Mr. Stuart Bloom, Dr. Bert Kibbler, Dr. Leslie Winkle," He smiled, "That one over Sheldon's objections."

"Are those two still going at it?"

Leonard smiled, "As long as she keeps calling him dumbass and he keeps disparaging her work…"

Leonard smiled broader, "Speaking of Sheldon, here are a couple of his suggestions, Stephen Hawking and Erno Rubik."

Penny laughed, "I can see Stephen Hawking, but who the hell is... what did you say?"

"Erno Rubik, he invented the Rubik Cube."

"Okay, but why is he inviting him to our wedding."

"I don't know, something about he seemed like a lonely man."

Penny shook her head, "Alright. Let's go on."

"Perry and Millie Draper."

"I think we should send along a note telling them we will understand if they can't make it. Mercy is only a few months old."

Leonard nodded, "Well, that's all I have." He smiled ruefully, "It's not much of a list."

"I agree, but we did say we wanted it to be small." She sighed, "But it is kind of bad when the wedding party is as big or bigger that the guest list."

"We could invite some of the other people at Caltech."

After thinking about it for a moment, "No, we said close friends and relatives. If we missed someone we still will have time to send them an invitation."

Penny sat back, "Well, I guess it's true, we're going to get married."

Leonard asked, "Getting cold feet?"

"God, no. It just is so scary to realize how easily this could never have happened. How we could have never got together."

Leonard sat down close to her, "Are you sure you want to change your name? I mean, it is your stage name."

Penny smirked, "It's not like it's been up in lights. Besides, I finally figured out how to spell Hofstadter."

Leonard stood up and smiled, "I just remembered how we got interrupted when we danced in our underwear, I was just getting to my good moves."

Penny smiled, "Are you sure you want to bug Sheldon? Why don't we just go straight to the sex?"

Leonard acted as if balancing two things, "Bug Sheldon or have sex? Tough decision."

Penny stood up and taking him in her arms, gave him a passionate kiss. She stepped back and looked at him expectantly."

Leonard said, "Bug Sheldon it is."

When she stared in disbelief at him, he smiled broadly, "Just kidding, let's have sex."

As they rode up in the elevator, Wayne felt himself getting more and more nervous. Although he had gotten used to being with people like Steve and Mona, he was about to visit a Nobel Prize winner and an actress. He also still wasn't sure what they would talk about.

Barb on the other hand was getting more and more excited. She couldn't wait to see Penny again. They arrived on the fifth floor and Barb immediately went and knocked on the door of 5A.

When Penny opened, it she smiled broadly, "Barb, it is so good to see you again. You haven't changed a bit."

Barb smirked to herself, yeah, I still have no breasts, "Hi, Penny. You look great."

Realizing Wayne was still in the hall, she grabbed his hand, "Come on in, Wayne."

When Penny saw him, her first reaction was WOW. She quickly spoke up, "It's good to meet you, Wayne. Come in."

Just then Leonard came out from the bedroom. Penny waited until he was by her, "Wayne, Barb, this is my fiancée, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter.

Leonard smiled and said, "It's just Leonard, Hi, glad to meet you." He reached out and shook Wayne's hand.

Penny stepped back, "Well, let's all get comfortable. Why don't you two sit on the couch."

As they found their way there, she added, "Can I get you anything? Leonard just made some coffee. Or would you rather have some wine or water?"

Wayne spoke up, "Coffee sounds good." Barb said she could use some water.

After everyone had a beverage, Penny and Leonard opting for water, Wayne was a little nervous how Penny was looking intently at him. She finally said, "I have to say, I don't see that you look much like Roy."

Wayne smiled, "Everyone always said I got my looks from my Mother."

After an awkward silence, Barb sighed, "Loosen up everybody." As the others relaxed a little, she went on, "We saw your commercial, Penny. We were really impressed. Are you doing anything else?"

"No, but I am scheduled to make more of the car commercials."

Wayne hesitantly spoke up, "I just want to say that I am honored to meet you, Leonard. I never met a Nobel Prize winner before." He sighed, "In fact, I had never met people like Barb and her family before."

Penny spoke up, "So, I understand you two just got to California. How is it going?"

Barb answered, "It's going great. Wayne found work at a bike shop and I have found a job waitressing."

Penny smiled, "As you probably remember, I spent more than a few years doing the same. Where are you working at? I hope it's not he Cheesecake Factory."

"No, it at the Steakhouse on Silver Drive. What's wrong with the Cheesecake Factory?"

Penny laughed, "Nothing. It's just where I worked for a long time."

Penny turned to Wayne, "Mona and Steve told us you rode all the way out here on a motorcycle. That really sounds like fun."

Wayne smiled, "We did have a good time." He smirked, "But you do have to travel pretty light."

Leonard was surprised to find himself feeling a little left out. He was a little angry with himself for feeling so but couldn't help himself.

Barb was talking, "Yeah, I had never really spent time on a bike before, but I really loved it. How about you, Penny, have you ridden on one a lot?"

"One of my boyfriends in High School had one. I loved it. You could really find some out of the way places where you could be alone."

Penny suddenly realized how the conversation was going. She snuck a look at Leonard and could see he was a little uncomfortable. She reached out and took his hand. He looked surprised and then looked at her appreciatively.

Barb noticed and decided it was time to get to why they had come, "We really want to thank you for letting us come and talk with you." She looked at Wayne, who started to talk, "I just want you to know how much I appreciated you talking with me on the phone." He paused, "I know is was probably difficult for you. I want you to know how much it meant to me. It was a big step in me starting to feel better about myself. I began to think I was a pretty decent person after all."

Penny smiled, "I am so glad to hear you say that. I also want you to know that although it was hard for me, it was something I realized I needed to do. I believe it helped me move forward also."

After another time of silence, Barb stunned everyone when she said, "Wayne, why don't you give Penny a ride on the bike. I will stay here and talk with Leonard."

After a long silence, Leonard spoke up, "I think that's a good idea."

Wayne looked at Penny, "What do you say, Penny?"

Penny was wondering what the Hell was going on. But then she realized that it might be good for her to spend some time alone with Wayne. After all, they were the ones that were related in a way. Maybe they should talk.

Penny smiled, "It's okay with me. Just let me get a jacket." As she got up, she turned to Leonard, "Could I talk to you for a second."

After they went into the other room, Wayne turned to Barb, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I do. You need to have a talk with Penny."

When they got to the bedroom, Penny turned to Leonard, "What's going on? Why did you want me to do this?"

Leonard sighed, "First of all, you need to talk with Wayne without me around. I think you can both be more honest with each other. I also think it shows that we do trust him." He sighed, "Then I am ashamed to say I was getting a little jealous. I need you to know that I love and trust you." He smirked, "Besides, I know you wanted to go for a ride and you sure won't be doing that with me."

Penny stared at him, "You know you never have to worry about me and someone else." She smiled, "But I do have to admit, I would like to go for a ride." She moved up to him, "Maybe we should get a bike and I could give us a ride to some place where we could be alone."

Leonard smirked, "So we could do it on the hard ground? Naked out in the woods?"

Penny suddenly kissed him passionately, "Stop that, you're making me hot."

After Wayne and Penny had left, Barb turned to Leonard, "I think I could use a glass of wine now."

After he got her one, she sat back on the couch, "Thanks for agreeing that they needed to have a talk. I also wanted to talk to you."

She took a sip, "You don't have to answer if you don't want to and I am sure you have heard all this before. But you have to admit, you and Penny do make a little of an odd couple."

Leonard wanted to tell her she was right; he didn't want to talk about it but then decided she did seem sincerely interested.

"Penny moved in across the hall from Sheldon and me. From the first time I saw her, I think I was in love with her in some way. It wasn't just that she was so beautiful but I sensed how special she was, how good a person she was." He smiled, "Nothing that has happened from that day had changed my mind."

He went on, "I should have let her know how I felt then. But we both believed what you were saying, that we were too different, that we shouldn't be romantically involved. But we did become good friends. I would like to think I was there for her." He sighed, "I never should have let her leave."

He went on, "Then I met Priya and she got married to Roy." He smiled, "It is still hard to believe we got back together."

Barb stared at him. She felt herself tearing up a little. I was all so romantic. She finally said, "I think I understand." She hesitated, "It is a little like Wayne and me."

She finished her glass, "I mean, he just came into where I worked to get a drink. I still don't know what possessed me to ask him to meet me after work. In a way, it was like you and Penny. I mean he was gorgeous, but there was something else. As tough as he looked, I could feel a vulnerability, that something was bothering him."

"When he told me about Prison, about Roy and his father, about his Mother, it should have shocked me, scared me, but somehow I knew he was nothing like them, that he was a good person."

She smirked, "Like you said about you and Penny, "It is hard to believe we ever got together."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a while and then Leonard smiled, "Why don't you tell me about how Penny was in High School?"

Penny sat behind him, her hands lightly around his waist. Her mind had been a jumble of thoughts when they first rode off, but she had decided she was just going to go along, to enjoy the experience. She really did enjoy the feeling of being on a bike.

Wayne tried to concentrate on his riding but couldn't stop the thoughts passing through his mind. What were they doing? Why had Barb apparently wanted him to do this? But at the same time, he realized he did want to talk to Penny. He then had a thought that shocked him, disgusted him, but it wouldn't go away. If a stranger saw the four of them, he would probably assume that he and Penny were a couple. That led to another thought, how had he and Barb ended up together? How had he found his way to the place he now was?

When they reached a rest area, he pulled in. It reminded him of when he and Barb had talked before just before they got to California.

He got off and led Penny over to one of the picnic tables.

She looked as confused as he was. He took a breath, "Well, here we are."

Penny nodded ruefully. After a long silence, Wayne tried again, "Why do you think they wanted us to be alone?"

Penny looked at him, "I think it is because they are comfortable how they feel about us. Both of them love and trust us. In a way, our relationships are similar. It is kind of amazing that we are together. It took a series of remarkable and improbable events that brought Leonard and me together."

She looked at him, "I think that is kind of true about you and Barb too."

She went on, "The same thing could be said of you finding me as well."

As Wayne pondered what she said, he realized she was right. Who would have ever dreamt a year ago he would find himself in his current situation?

"Penny, what do you think of me? What do you really know about me?"

Penny contemplated what he was saying. She was stunned to realize she really didn't know him at all. Almost all of her perception of him came from others. From her parents especially. Some of it came from Steve and Mona. And she figured some came from him being with Barb. But the only real contact before now came from her telephone talk with him.

She had known Roy for a much longer time and had been so wrong about him. Why did she trust him? I mean she was alone with him. Why wasn't she afraid?"

Wayne watched her, wondering what she was thinking. He realized that there was really no reason for them to care what the other thought. There was no real reason they needed to care about how the other felt. Their only connection was a tenuous one, she had married his half-brother, a person he had never even met or knew existed until he was dead. He realized that it was Barb who had wanted them to meet. She seemed to feel it was a good thing for them to know each other.

Penny finally spoke, "Wayne, does it really matter what I think of you? There is really no reason for us to know each other better. Our lives are unlikely to interact. I don't think you need me to have you know that you are nothing like Roy. You have Steve and Mona to let you know how they know and trust you. I know they have told you they accept you as part of the family. You have Barb to love you."

Wayne realized she was right. He no longer doubted that he was not Roy or his father. But at the same time, he felt he had a tie to Penny. He had to smirk to himself, he was what, a half-brother in law? But as weird as it sounded, she was his only even remote tie to his mother. He had to smirk again, his only possible relative. But he doubted she felt that way.

Hesitantly, he said, "You're right, Penny, there is no reason for us to be more than we are now. But, in some way, I feel a connection to you. I don't think I realized it until now."

Penny stared at him but then realized what he was saying. She was stunned to realize that she felt something too. He was related to Roy. In knowing him, it was like reviving the good side of Roy.

She smiled at him, "I think I know what you mean." She sat back, "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" She said quietly, "About your mother."

They spent the next couple hours talking to each other about growing up. He told her about the things he and his mother would do together how she wanted the best for him. He also surprised himself when he told her about her trips to the prison and how he felt he let her down.

Penny talked about growing up on the farm. About her dreams of Hollywood. About how she had met and become friends with Leonard and Sheldon.

Then stunned at how much time had passed, they got back on the bike and headed back to the apartment each feeling they had found not only a new friend but, in a way, a new member of the family.

When they got back, they had to endure some ribbing that Barb and Leonard had been worried they had run off together. They said they had thought about it but something had stopped them.

Seeing the look on Barb and Leonard's faces Penny smiled and said, "We were each deeply and passionately in love with someone else." Penny smiled fondly at Leonard and took his hands, "Besides, everyone knows tall handsome men are not my type."

Assuring each other they would keep in contact, they said their goodbyes. Penny and Wayne told their respective other what they had talked about. Both Barb and Leonard were gratified and happy.

Later, Penny and Leonard were sitting next to each other on the couch when Leonard suddenly turned to her, "I just got a great idea."

When she looked quizzically at him, "Let's invite Steve, Mona, Wayne and Barb to the wedding."

Penny smiled happily at him and knew again why she loved him so much. Assuring him that was a great idea, she snuggled to get as close to him as she could.

Then she suddenly smirked, "Now we could have two ex-cons at the wedding!"