A/N I did get a bit written on the newest chapter (66) this week, so hopefully, I won't have to hold off on publishing in three weeks. I've got a character in this chapter, some of you might like to see and I hope I've caught their essence, let me know. I am grateful for and want to thank all my readers. But a couple deserve a shout-out, by name. bamadude has given me a comment on every chapter of my last two stories, over the last three years. And, also, to SRAM, who has missed a comment on a chapter every so often, but has also been there for my last two stories. Guys, thank you. Enjoy

Chapter 63

Thursday 30 April, 7:15 PM

Leonard was waiting nervously in the hospital classroom looking at the booklet and wondering why he was nervous. Tonight is only our introduction to the birthing classes, so there's no reason for me to be nervous. He looked around and saw there were four other couples, all sitting on the floor, waiting for the class to start. Dr. Samuels was sitting at the table, looking over some papers and Leonard assumed she would start the class right at 7:30.

"Leonard?" he heard Penny say.

"You nervous too?" asked Leonard.

"No, why?" said Penny. "I'm still thinking about the look on Amy's face last night."

Leonard sighed, "I know, she didn't say much of anything to us, for the rest of the night. I thought we had that all worked out."

"Well, originally, they didn't know where we would be moving to," said Penny. "I think Amy thought I wanted to replace her with Bernadette, as my best friend. And, moving next to Bernadette, probably validated her thoughts. Showing the house last night probably brought all that back up."

"But, we explained that," said Leonard.

"I know we did, and I really believe Amy understands that, from a logic standpoint," said Penny. "But, emotionally, this still has her upset."

"So, what can we do?" asked Leonard.

"She's got to work through it. But, how would you feel if I asked Amy to be a godmother to one of them?" asked Penny.

"To be honest, I thought you were going to ask both Amy and Bernadette to be godmothers," said Leonard.

"I was, er, I am, but I want to tell Amy either tomorrow or Saturday," said Penny. "Tell her she can come over anytime to see her goddaughter or to help with the twins whenever she wants. I just want to make her feel wanted, 'cause I don't think she feels that way right now."

"If that's what you want to do, go ahead," said Leonard. "I would even…"

"Good evening," said Dr. Samuel. "And, welcome to our office's birthing class. This class will run for six weeks, each Thursday at 7:30. Tonight, for the first class, we'll run over what you can expect in each class, then learn about labor, delivery, and postpartum care, along with addressing any of the fears you may have about those subjects. We feel if we address those fears, the mother will be more relaxed during her delivery."

"In our second class, we'll teach and then begin practicing breathing techniques and also instruct your labor coach how to support you, both physically and emotionally, during labor and delivery. The third week we'll discuss medication options for pain, along with practicing breathing exercises."

"In the fourth week, we will talk about possible complications and medical interventions, such as cesareans, along with practicing breathing exercises. The fifth week will include a tour of the facilities here at Huntington, along with practicing our breathing exercises. In our final class we'll discuss newborn care, along with, now say it with me, practicing our breathing exercises."

She looked at Penny and Leonard, "Since we do have a couple here who are having multiples, we will briefly touch on some multiple issues. Penny and Leonard here," Dr. Samuel pointed, "are having twins."

"This class is a combination of what we feel are the best of the different birthing ideas, like Lamaze or Bradley. So, are there any questions?" Seeing none, Dr. Samuels continued, "Ok then, please open your booklets and we'll get started."

Friday 1 May, 6:00 PM

Leonard and Penny had both stopped at a grocery store the previous two nights and filled their cars with boxes. They were now using those boxes to pack up the figurines and books that we're working on the bookcases in the living room. They would start working on the rest of the household goods over the next few days. They were taking frequent breaks, 15-20 minutes every hour, to keep Penny from getting too tired.

They used their last break to order a pizza and some salad for dinner, and after it arrived, they took another break. There were almost finished when Leonard asked, "Have you talked to Amy yet?"

Penny finished chewing, swallowed, and then said, "Not yet. I asked if we could talk tonight, but she said she and Sheldon were going to a function. I thought she might be avoiding me, but I heard them leave earlier. Sheldon was complaining about going to a biology function, so I guess she really did have something going on with her department tonight. I'll try and talk to her tomorrow."

"Yeah, Sheldon was complaining about having to go tonight, at lunch today," chuckled Leonard.

"So, I'll talk to her tomorrow," said Penny.

"And you're going to ask her to be a godmother to one of them, right?"

"Yep, and I hope that, and a couple of other things I say, will ease her mind about us not abandoning her."

They continued eating, and when they were finished, they put the salad in the fridge, the pizza on the counter, and Leonard washed the dishes. After, they again started working on packing away the bookcases.

Another hour had passed and they stopped for another break. Leonard went to the fridge to get some water and brought one back to Penny. They both looked around at all the boxes and Penny said, "To get the lower rate, the movers said they would only move the big things, like the furniture. We have to move these, are you sure you four guys are up to moving all of this?"

Leonard looked around, "Yeah, it may be a bit too much for us nerds. But, I mean, who else can we get to help?"

Penny and Leonard looked around, then turned back. They looked at each other for a few seconds, then smiled and nodded.

Saturday 2 May, Noon

Penny was standing in front of apartment 4B, feeling nervous, as she was supposed to talk to Amy. In Penny's mind, it was to try to get her over the feeling of being abandoned. She had been going over what she was planning on saying all morning, but now, standing here, she felt unsure of herself.

As she was trying to gather the courage to knock, the door opened and Sheldon almost ran into her.

"Sheldon," said Penny.

"Why are you standing in front of our door, Penny?" said Sheldon.

"Where are you going?" asked Penny.

"Leonard called and invited me over, saying you were going to talk to Amy," said Sheldon. "I don't want to be here if you are yelling at each other."

"Then you know why I was standing in front of your door," said Penny. "I was just getting ready to knock when you came rushing out. And, we're not going to yell at each other"

"I've heard that before," said Sheldon. "I'll be over at your apartment."

Sheldon walked off, opened the door to 4A, and walked in, closing the door behind him.

Penny walked into 4B and called out, "Amy."

A few seconds later, Amy came out of the bedroom, looking joyless, walked to the couch, and said, "Hello, Penny."

"Hi Amy, I need to talk to you," said Penny.

"Going to rip my guts out again?" said Amy, peevishly. "Tell me one thing, then let me find out another?"

"No, Amy, that's not what I want to do," said Penny. "I want you to come over as much as you want. I want you to help me with the twins, as much as you want, especially, your goddaughter…"

"Oh sure, come over…wait, what?" said Amy sounding confused.

"I said I want you to help with your goddaughter, as much as you want," said Penny.

"You want me to be one of your baby's godmothers?" asked Amy.

"Yes, and I even know which one," said Penny. "I want you to be Annika's godmother. That name is honoring my great-aunt and the first letter, of Annika's name, is the same as yours. What do you say?"

"I suppose Jesika's godmother will be Bernadette," said Amy, dryly.

"Of course," said Penny. "But, the first letters of their names won't match the way your's and Annika's will. Really, Amy, I am not going to abandon you. Will we be nearer to Bernadette? Yes, we will. But, that doesn't mean you can't come over as much or more than her. After all, she has her kids to deal with."

"Yeah, that's true," said Amy. "Can I plan the baby shower?"

"Yes, you can, but I have to approve any plans," said Penny. "You have a tendency to go off the rails. I also want you to come with Leonard and me this afternoon when we go pick out furniture, rugs knick-knacks, and drapes for the house. Will you come and help me?"

"Sure, I will," said Amy, sounding excited. "Your my bestie and I will always help my bestie."

"In that case, I'll see you at 2 PM," said Penny. "That's when we'll be leaving."

"Good, that gives me 45 minutes to get started with planning the baby shower," said Amy. "Send Sheldon back when you get home."

Penny rolled her eyes after turning toward the door. Oh, God, what have I done? I've unleashed a monster by asking her to plan the shower, thought Penny, remembering the plans for Bernadette's wedding. However, as she walked back to 4A, she was smiling. She entered the apartment and heard Leonard say, "Well, thank you for that Sheldon. It's a bit unexpected, but thanks."

"Oh, Penny's back, that means I can go back," said Sheldon. He said goodbye to both of them and left.

"What was that about?" asked Penny.

"Surprisingly, he was telling me about being okay with us leaving."

"Really?" said Penny. "That is surprising."

"Well, he said it took him a while to work it out," said Leonard. "But, having more room, getting his spot back, and not having to hear a screaming baby is more than enough to keep him happy."

"Those sound as if his being okay with us leaving is more Sheldoncentric, than anything else," said Penny.

"It is," said Leonard. "But, he did say he was happy we were able to find a place that has what we want. And, he says he hopes we are happy with the new house. So, there is a bit of the change that has stuck."

"Yeah, I suppose so," said Penny. "Anyway, we have to get ready. Amy is coming with us to look at furniture and the other household goods we plan on getting."

"Really?" said Leonard. "Do we really want her picking out our stuff?"

"Yes, we do," said Penny. "Especially after I nudge her in the right direction if you get my drift."

Leonard laughed, "Oh, yeah, I do."

"Then go get ready," said Penny. "She'll be here in 15-20 minutes, we're leaving at 2 PM."

Saturday 2 May, 10:00 PM

Penny was tired as they had spent four hours, looking at furniture. They were planning on going for a couple more hours on Sunday, this time without Amy. Although Amy had been helpful, it was tiring trying to control her impulses, as her taste and Penny's taste were quite a bit apart, on some things. There were also some things they agreed on, and Penny let Amy think she picked out those things.

The living room, dining room, extra upstairs bedroom, and the master bedroom all now had furniture to be delivered on Thursday. Several different area rugs and their washer and dryer would also be delivered on Thursday. They were planning on picking out a few more things, several large bookcases for both downstairs and upstairs.

They had gotten ready for bed, and Penny was feeling playful. She had been tired and not feeling horny for a few days, but she was feeling it tonight. It had taken Leonard several minutes to catch on, but he finally did, though it took them a couple of minutes before found a comfortable position for Penny.

Sunday 3 May, 3:15 PM

They had gone for their usual brunch at Marston's, then going to look at some more furniture before going to the farmer's market. There, they had picked up their fruits and vegetables for the coming week, and upon getting home, put them away.

They sat down and started waiting, when Leonard said, "You did call them, right?"

"Yes, I did," said Penny. "They said they would be here at three."

"I was just checking," said Leonard. "After all, it's 3:15 and they aren't here yet."

"Well, she asked if she could bring her brother," said Penny. "So maybe they're running late because they're picking him up."

"Do you think they'll be able to move all of the heavy stuff?" asked Leonard.

"I don't think they'll have any problem," said Penny. "I know he's big enough, and she said her brother is also big, plus the elevator works."

Just then there was a knock on the door, and Penny got up to answer it.

She opened the door and Zack Johnson said, "Sorry we're late, I got confused with the address."

"I thought you knew how to get here," said Penny inviting them in.

"Oh, he does," said Marissa. "It's just he got confused when he tried to find the address. When he couldn't find the address, he ignored it and drove here."

"But he said he…" started Penny, while Zack and Marissa looked at her. "Yeah…sure," she finally said after a pause.

After the three guests got settled on the couch and had accepted drinks Penny sat on the overstuffed chair, and Leonard sat on the arm.

Zack looked around at all the boxes on the floor and said, "You guys moving?"

Leonard and Penny looked at each other, then Penny said, "Yes, we are, remember that's why we asked you over, so you can help us next week."

"Oh, yeah, right," said Zack. "I'm so forgetful these days, now that Marissa is pregnant. Our doctor says it sometimes happens during pregnancy."

"Ah…but…it doesn't," Penny paused, sounding confused. She nodded and continued, "Yeah, sure."

"I thought you weren't able to get her pregnant," said Leonard.

"I did too, which is why we quit using any protection," said Zack. "Then I went to my reunion, met up with my fraternity brothers and we redid the hitting each other in the nuts game again, and two months later, Marissa was pregnant. I think the game must have knocked my balls back into place."

"Are you sure?" said Leonard. "Someone could have slept with someone else?"

"Oh, no," said Marissa. "Zack has told me he's never slept with anyone else, since we started dating, so it has to be his."

Leonard's eyebrows went up, Penny's eyelids went up and down quickly. They looked at each other and then back to Zack, as Leonard said, "Yeah, sure."

"Also, the doctor checked him," said Marissa. "He doesn't understand it either, though he did explain it to us."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Zack. "This is my brother-in-law Robert. He's also Marissa's bother."

Robert stood and approached Leonard and Penny, shaking their hands, before sitting back down.

"What do you do Robert?" asked Penny.

"Oh, I'm retired," said Robert.

"You're really young to be retired," said Leonard. "Did you have a company, like Zack, that someone bought out?"

"Yeah, I am kinda young, but I didn't own a company," said Robert. "Since I wasn't working, I thought, my dad isn't working and he's retired. So, I just thought, I'll retire. But, it's tough being retired, I have to keep finding odd jobs to do, since retiring doesn't bring in much money."

"Sure, sure, I can see where that will be a problem," said Leonard, sounding confused.

"I can see the family resemblance now," Penny whispered to Leonard.

"So, what do you need," asked Zack.

"Well, you said you would help us move, and we wanted to take you through the apartment and go over a few other things, so you understand what we need. Once we do that, we can set up the time you can come over next Friday. Also, you already agreed with how much we should pay you. But, I really think it should be more."

"Oh, yeah, that right, we talked about it yesterday," said Zack. "It's that pregnancy forgetful thing again. And no, we're fine with what we agreed to get paid, after all, we're retired."

"Oh, yeah, the retired thing," said Leonard with a small shake of his head. "You said you have a pick-up truck, and our friends have a van, so we were hoping you would be able to make a couple of trips, on Friday, and a couple more, with Howard and Bernadette making a couple of trips on Saturday. Also, you and your brother-in-law will help us move all these boxes you see scattered around."

"Oh sure, we can do that," said Zack. "When do you want us?"

"Next Friday, about nine in the morning," said Leonard.

"Sure, we can do that," said Zack. "Nine next Friday morning we'll be here."

"That's great," said Leonard. "Now, before we get started, can you give me your doctor's explanation on how hitting yourself in the nuts actually restored your ability to get your wife pregnant?"