Chapter 12
Visiting
Leonard leisurely sipped his coffee as he and Penny had just finished breakfast in the Diner when his face suddenly took on a worried frown, "Oh my God, whatever you do please, don't let on to Sheldon we visited North Platte", he warned Penny. "Why is that?", Penny asked him.
"Because North Platte is home to the biggest railroad yard in the U.S. And if we told Sheldon Cooper we had been near the Bailey yard; he would either then bore us for hours telling us about it's history, and you know Sheldon and trains, or quite likely he would fly into a strop and just sulk for days, and believe me both scenarios would be extremely unpleasant", Leonard explained.
"Oh my God yes, we would certainly have to keep our mouths shut, I just never could stand his long lectures, let alone understand them, and as for his sulks, it doesn't bear thinking about", Penny agreed, shuddering.
"So why did you keep asking him 'why', when you knew his replies were usually over an hour in explanation?", Leonard asked.
"Hey I'm stupid, OK Hofstadter", she replied smiling at him.
"So what would you like to do now?", Leonard asked Penny.
"Well as we have Sheldon's gift, I rather fancy a spot of retail therapy, I sure need it after what happened this morning", Penny suggested, then feeling afraid she had upset Leonard with the reminder of his ordeal that morning she reached out and took his hands in hers, "I'm sorry honey, I love you".
But Leonard waved her apology away, "It's OK, I love you too. Now then Mrs Hofstadter would you like to accompany me to the mall, My Lady?".
"Why Sir, that would be wonderful", she replied and Penny fluttered her lashes for dramatic effect as she took his hand.
As soon as they entered the Mall Penny gave a squeal of delight and immediately rushed for the bath and body works store, Leonard followed her, but on opening the door a conglomeration of scents assaulted his nostrils and so he decided to wait outside for her. And that was Leonard's day. He waited for her while she had her hair and nails done while on guard duty with the three bags containing shower gel, body lotion, scented candles, soaps and whatever else Penny had collected, He waited while she tried on some shoes, then more waiting while she chose some cosmetics. Until finally at the appropriately named Vanity where he waited over an hour while she tried on clothes, then to Leonard's relief, Penny decided it was time for dinner, but Leonard felt it was all worth it as the huge smile on Penny's face was priceless. However as they drove round searching for a restaurant, suddenly to Penny's great delight they came across 'Penny's Diner' and their search stopped there. And after a cheeseburger and chips (fries), (Penny), and a burger and chips (Leonard) and over coffee, they sat and talked together of their plans for the future.
"I guess we need to start looking for a bigger apartment, I mean even with the two of us it will be cramped, but if I am pregnant, it will be even harder to live in 4b when the Baby gets bigger?", Penny observed.
"yes you're right and I still have a lot of my stuff in 4b and if we move all that in we will be hardly able to move with just the two of us", Leonard agreed.
"Also I must confess, I hate my job Leonard, and I want to quit. I hate having to flirt with Doctors just to make sales, I mean, I know that that was me when I was younger, but it's not who I am now. I have only one man in my life now and he is the only one I want to flirt with, and that's you", Penny admitted earnestly.
"Leonard carefully considered her request, He too found the idea distasteful, especially when a certain Dr Lorvis showed up with a bunch of flowers for Penny having misconstrued her flirting that she was somehow interested in him and even a couple of female medics too had expressed amorous interest in Penny. No, Penny was right. Leonard too had had enough of people ogling his beautiful wife. "You're right Honey. Why don't you quit as soon as we return to Pasadena", Leonard told her "did you want to return to acting?", Leonard asked.
"I would have liked to, but at my last audition there were loads of young pretty girls all applying for the part, and as I looked at them I had to face the facts, I had no chance, in fact I stunk up the place, so sadly dream over for me I guess. And quite frankly the older I get, the less work, if any, I will able to get, I'm sorry sweetie, I remember when we argued abut this some time ago, but you were right, and it was always my dream and I just didn't want to accept the truth then.
It is the hardest thing to do. Do you know how many would be hopefuls like me are entering the acting profession, and what fraction of them make it big, it's just a tiny handful in comparison. And it would be hard for me now. And if I am pregnant, well.", Penny sadly explained
"I'm sorry Honey, but you will always be the biggest star there ever was as far as I'm concerned", Leonard smiled as he told her.
Penny's sad look vanished behind a huge smile, that was all she ever wanted now, to be loved and cared for by this wonderful man. "Thank you Honey, that really makes me feel so much better", and she gently cupped his cheek in warm appreciation.
Though Penny was determined now to be an equal partner in doing her bit to contribute to the finances. She hated relying on Leonard when she was a waitress at the cheesecake factory, though Leonard was an absolute sweetie and never complained, though he often tried to educate her on managing her finances better, but Penny's esteem was quite low back then and spending always made her feel better, well at least until her credit card statement arrived.
They finished their coffee and made their way back to the cabin, where Penny after putting away her purchases had a shower then changed into her pajamas, and opened a bottle of fruit juice and snuggled against Leonard she watched Star wars with him, as it was Leonard's turn to pick a film to watch. But whether due to her shopping excursion or the comfy feeling snuggled up to her husband, Penny fell asleep.
And Leonard watched the end of Star Wars accompanied by Penny's gentle snoring. He gently picked his wife up in his arms and carried her to the bed before turning off the T.V. And the lights he then joined her, in slumber.
The next Morning Leonard awoke to find Penny still asleep, and as he watched her sleeping, Leonard, for the umpteenth time, tried to understand how on earth he was ever able to make this stunningly beautiful woman his wife, the thought of it alone all those years ago was his wildest dream.
Then carefully getting up without waking her he went into the kitchen and started the coffee and began to prepare a breakfast of egg, bacon, pancakes and maple syrup and bringing it into the bedroom and placing the tray on the side table he woke Penny with a kiss, "Breakfast sleepy head", he said softly. Penny rolled, stretched and sat up smelling the coffee then spotting the breakfast, "Lovely, thanks sweetie, will I get this every morning?", she asked smiling up at him.
"Afraid not honey I will have to go back to work soon I guess", he replied.
"How are you feeling?", he asked her, hoping that she would have a better idea if she was pregnant or not.
"I feel just the same honey, It's just that peculiar feeling I had yesterday after I saw that cloud, And I can't take a test yet until at least a couple of weeks have passed, I hope I am because now I think I might be, I so really, really want to be", she sadly replied.
Well where do you want to go today?, he said changing the subject.
"Well first I want to go to the diner, Then I thought we could go to Ogalalla and visit front street and boot hill, it's like going back to the days of the wild west"
"But the diner isn't open yet till the afternoon?", Leonard puzzled.
"I have to go to thank Janey and Pete for keeping you away while I cooked dinner and got dressed up", she giggled.
"I thought something was going on, as they acted strangely when I had finished working on Pete's computer ", Leonard declared. "I know,But Pete's computer was not running properly, and I knew you could fix it so I talked it over with Janey and we planned it together", she said hugging him.
At the diner Janey invited them in for a coffee and Penny chatted to her as Leonard was showing Pete some of the new models as suitable replacements for Pete's old computer.
"Are you OK Penny?", Janey asked her "as you seem to be a bit spaced out today?".
"Actually, please don't tell anyone, But I think I might be pregnant", And she told Janey about what happened the day before." That's wonderful Penny I'm so pleased for you; if you are that is, now you just said you had a queasy feeling in your stomach yesterday?, Janey questioned.
"No it was a sort of twinge inside me, I've had it before but never as strong as it was yesterday?", Penny replied.
"it sounds to me like you were ovulating, passing an egg, so as you had sex yesterday there's a good chance you are pregnant, unless you're on the pill that is?", Janey asked her.
"I was, but I forgot to bring them with me, then with the excitement of coming here with Leonard I forgot to get some more, Oh Janey, I really hope I am, And Leonard is so excited about the baby, I'd hate to disappoint him", Penny stated passionately.
"And please don't tell Leonard I told you but I really needed to speak to another woman about it", Penny pleaded
"Penny I see Leonard's face when he looks at you,, I don't think you can ever disappoint him, But don't worry, I won't say anything to him", Janey promised her. Then Penny & Leonard left for Ogalalla.
They arrived at Front Street a replica of an 1800's western main street with a real bar in the saloon
and a Jail, Leonard joked he could have been the sheriff but Penny told him he would have more likely to have been the store owner, at which Leonard feeling a little hurt at this until Penny said "You aren't going all strawberry pop tart on me are you?". At which Leonard laughed and things were smoothed over especially when Penny hugged and kissed him just as a young hunky guy had started to come over to ask for a date, Then he stopped looking incredulously at them before turning back to the bar shaking his head. They had a meal in the saloon and Penny still stuck to her mineral water, then they looked round the souvenir shop before making their way to Boot Hill an 1800's graveyard, "To get in touch with my Nebraskan history", Many of the graves were unknown and some were just marked Pauper.
In the early days of the town though the population was only about 130 the cemetery held over 100 people which spoke volumes about the violent times in those days particularly between the cowboys driving the cattle north from Texas to the Union Pacific railroad, and the couple looked at all of them with interest until Penny spotted one of a young woman who had died in childbirth and was buried along with her stillborn baby, and at this Penny got quite upset, and Leonard took her back to the cabin.
They arrived back at the cabin and Leonard saw that Penny had fallen asleep, noting worriedly how pale she looked, Leonard opened the cabin then returning for Penny, He gently picked her up and carefully carried her inside and laid her on the bed covering her over with a blanket. Leonard was worried, was her distress down to her illness or her possible pregnancy or both?, Leonard wished he knew.
He decided that while Penny was sleeping he would barbecue some of the fish they had caught which were in the freezer and started preparing everything.
The phone rang and Leonard quickly answered it before it could wake Penny, "Oh good it's you Leonard, listen Penny's Mom has sent on a package for you it's here at the diner if you would like to collect it", Janey told him.
Leonard was delighted as it was his wedding present to Penny. "Great!, I've been waiting for that, I'll be right over, thanks for ringing", and he ended the call.
He checked on Penny but she was still sleeping, so he quickly made his way to the diner and retrieved the package from Janey, thanking her profusely, he then quickly retraced his steps back to the cabin.
Entering the cabin and seeing that Penny was still asleep, he lit the barbecue, then made some dressing for the salad and made some coffee. Later finishing his coffee and finding the barbecue to be ready he put the fish on it then squeezed some lemon juice over them and watched them cook.
Penny woke up, puzzling at where she was then realizing she was back in the cabin, she then called Leonard in a slight panic, hoping he hadn't left her alone. "I'm here honey, just cooking the fish for our dinner, would you like a coffee?", he asked her.
Penny replied in the affirmative and joined him in the kitchen, then taking her coffee from him they went out to the barbecue, where Leonard turned the fish over then handed her the package.
"Here you are honey, It's my wedding present to you", Penny turned to Leonard her green eyes wide with delight as she began to open the package.
Inside a small jewelry box, she found a pair of earrings and a matching pendant, on which two gold intertwined hearts below a gold six pointed star with a diamond in the middle of it. Penny puzzled at the star. "why a star Leonard?", she asked.
"its not a star its the ice pattern of a snowflake under a microscope, you see no two snowflakes have the same pattern they are all different", Leonard informed her.
"Oh it's lovely Leonard, a snowflake, how clever", Penny told him, delighted with her present.
"In fact that pattern IS your snowflake, you see I looked at your snowflake under an electron microscope when I was in the Arctic and took a photo of it, and that is the actual pattern of it, I just sent a picture of it to the jeweler with my design and he made it for me, you see our Pattern is unique, there just as I feel our marriage will be, in my mind it will be so special that there will never be one like it ever, our love is special".
All Penny could say was "Leonard", she was lost for any other words, And so overcome with emotion was she that she hugged him tightly and burst into tears, though happy ones.
Penny insisted that she wear them now and wore them as they ate the meal Leonard prepared for them and ever after, she would treasure them all her days.
They spent the evening watching another film appropriately entitled nine months. But Penny, her head on Leonard's lap, fell asleep again before the end.
Leonard, after putting her to bed before getting in himself, fretted at her increasing tiredness and was glad she was seeing Dr Goldman tomorrow.
The next morning they sat and read while sunbathing outside (as Penny's appointment with Dr Goldman wasn't till the afternoon), When the telephone rang, Penny went to answer it, "Hello, Dr Gabelhauser how nice to hear from you", Penny politely told him. Dr Gabelhauser congratulated her on her marriage to Leonard, and Penny thanked him then he asked if he could speak to Leonard. Penny handed the phone to Leonard hoping that Dr Gabelhauser didn't have more work for Leonard, as she went to her lounger and lay down to read her magazine, ten minutes later Leonard came back looking stunned. "Are you OK honey?", Penny asked "It's not more work for you to do, is it?". "No, in fact you'll never believe it but they have offered me Tenure at Cal Tech", Leonard told her "He said he was impressed with my previous work and also that I had sorted the data so quickly and accurately and as I am now married, it makes me more stable than single guys and in fact, just the man for the job?".
"Honey, that's wonderful, I'm so proud of you, but before you get too carried away, what about Sheldon, he's going to go up in flames when he hears this"
"Well much as that bothers me, I'm afraid 'WE' are my priority not Sheldon, It's not my fault Dr Gabelhauser chose me is it?", Leonard surmised. "And also sweetie don't forget that there may be a little one to think of too", Penny reminded him patting her stomach.
As they drove into North Platte for Penny's appointment they were in a traffic queue waiting at the lights when to the right of them some cops had pulled over a driver who was drunk and irate, and were reading him his rights, when emerging out of the passenger door of the beat up old car, a young heavily pregnant blonde came towards the drunk to try and calm him down, only to receive some of the vilest verbal abuse from him, blaming her for his plight the poor woman then burst into tears at his mistreatment of her.
Penny went white and started shaking, the woman looked the same age as her and the guy looked just like all those muscular handsome jerks she used to go for, the past immediately came into her mind when in her apartment one evening she was telling Amy and Bernadette that life with Leonard was boring and she was going to break up with him. This was why Penny started shaking with emotion at how close she came to throwing it all away and ending up like that poor woman saddled with a drunken jerk, just because she foolishly missed the excitement.
"is it okay if I go in alone honey" she asked Leonard I really need some girl to girl talk.
Leonard assented to her request and told her he would wait in the waiting area, though he would like to speak to Dr Goldman too.
Penny walked into Dr Goldman's consulting room when summoned. Straight away Dr Goldman could see that something was wrong and asked Penny If she was feeling OK, and Penny explained about the scene she witnessed on the way here, and how closely that could have been her and it had just grieved her that she ever thought Leonard was boring, she then showed her the pendant and earrings he had bought her. How thrilled she felt at the feeling she might be having his baby, Then she burst into tears. It took Dr Goldman half an hour to calm Penny down telling her that the point was she was now married to Leonard and she didn't throw her happiness away she has it now and she, needs to calm down or it could affect the baby, and she wouldn't want that would she?, Penny shook her head, She wanted this baby more than anything in the whole wide world, she told Dr Goldman. Then Penny feeling better returned to the waiting area and Leonard went in to see the Doctor. "Hello Leonard, Penny said you had something to ask me?" Dr Goldman greeted him.
Leonard told her about Penny feeling she may be pregnant, but he didn't know what he could do for her if it turned out negative."I see, that could be a problem, unfortunately we can't shield her from unpleasant things so the best thing to do would be to tell her often how valuable to you she is, keep telling her how much you love her It's the only way to handle the tremendous disappointment she'll feel", Dr Goldman instructed.
Leonard could not help feeling the tears starting to build as he thought to himself how valuable?, 'Penny is the whole world to me'. Dr Goldman gave him time to compose himself then handed him the contact details of a psychiatrist in Pasadena that she wanted Penny to see. Penny, while waiting for Leonard, fixed firmly in her memory the image of the drunk and the poor woman. Then if she ever felt bored again that memory will certainly prevent her from throwing happiness away.
Then Leonard returned back to the waiting area. And Thence in turn, to return back to the cabin.
The next few days of their honey moon they spent a happy time Boating, sunbathing and the occasional meals at the diner not to mention frequent use of the Jacuzzi. And Penny was still fiercely determined to stick to her healthy diet of salads, fish and mineral water.
Finally the last day of their honeymoon came and Penny said her rather tearful goodbyes to Janey (who was also in tears) and Pete
thanking them profusely for letting them stay in their cabin and the use of their boat, Penny and Leonard drove back to Wyatt's farm but both determined to return to Lake McConaughy, or Big Mac as the locals named it.
