"Oh, good. You're here," Penny remarked as she let herself into her neighbors' apartment. "Can I talk to you, Leonard?" The room was filled with a chorus of "Ooh's" as Leonard paused the video game and motioned for Penny to join him in the kitchen. Shifting uncomfortable, she suggested, "Do you think we can talk somewhere without an audience?"

Motioning again, Leonard directed Penny down the hallway with Howard calling after the pair, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Following Leonard into his room, Penny waited until Leonard closed the door behind them, "How are things going with Lindsey? I noticed you've been around more the past few weeks."

"Yeah, we broke up. It was a mutual decision. We decided it wasn't working and we should stop wasting each other's time. What did you want to talk about?" the physicist asked, watching Penny inspect his room, much as she had done months earlier.

"Sorry to hear about that. You seemed to really like her. I had a doctor's appointment today," she started.

With panic crossing his face, Leonard cut her off, "Is everything okay? There's not something wrong with the baby is there?"

"No, no, no," Penny put her hands up to lessen Leonard's concern. "The baby is perfect. Still being stubborn and not letting the doctor get a good look to see if it's a boy or a girl. We'll try to see again at my next appointment. My doctor suggested I pick a birthing partner and go to a few birthing classes at the hospital. I was kind of hoping you'd be willing to go with me? The classes are on Wednesdays and I know that's new comic book night, but the classes aren't until seven, so maybe we can get Sheldon to agree to go to the comic book store before dinner instead of after or go on Thursday instead. It's only for four weeks and doesn't start until the week after next."

Leonard hesitated before answering, "Are you sure you don't want to ask one of your girlfriends? What about Mrs. Wolowitz? You don't really want me in the room, seeing everything, do you?"

"Why? You scared seeing everything is going to ruin the fantasy you have of us together?" the blonde smirked.

"I, uh," Leonard avoided eye contact, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"My girlfriends all have their own stuff going on and never like canceling plans last minute, which is what will happen when I have the baby. You've been nothing but supportive of me, despite what happened between us and how I ended up in this situation. I feel like you're the only person who really meant it when you said to let you know if I need anything."

Slowly, Leonard gave Penny a smile and began to nod his head, "Sure. I guess I'm gonna be getting to know a whole new side of you."

Flipping through the newest arrivals at the comic book store two weeks later, Howard made an observation to Leonard, "You haven't stopped talking about Penny since we've been in here. When are you going to ask her out already?"

"I can't ask her out. We're just friends, despite what all of you and her father think. I never should have told you what Wyatt said when he was here."

"Cut the crap, Leonard. It's obvious to all of us that you like her as more than a friend. And I'd be willing to bet she feels the same way about you. We've all seen the way she gravitates to you more than the rest of us when we're all together. If you're in the kitchen when she comes in, she'll always spend a few minutes with you, talking and laughing, before joining the rest of us."

Leonard shook his head, "I can't ask her out. She's pregnant and has made it very clear she has no plans of dating anyone right now."

Snatching the comic book he'd been looking at from Leonard's hand, Raj chimed in, "But you're her best friend. She might make an exception to her no dating rule for you."

"Is nowhere safe from listening to you three talk about women?" Sheldon whined as he turned around from behind the other men. "This is the comic book store. It's supposed to be a woman-free zone. Ooh, I need that one," he reached across and took the comic book that was now in Raj's hand.

"That was mine!" complained Leonard as watched his roommate examine the book.

Leonard and Penny exited the birthing classroom after the first class and made their way back to Leonard's car for the drive across town, "I'm sorry the instructor kept saying daddies." She made air quotes around the last word. "I can talk to her next week before class and let her know that you're just a friend and not my baby daddy."

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind. I know I'm just a friend and not your baby's dad. You don't have to say anything and make it awkward."

Looking across the car, Penny shrugged her shoulders, "I'll say something if you want me to. You're doing me a huge favor by agreeing to do this. I don't want you to feel like you shouldn't be there." Leonard didn't reply to this and the pair listened to the radio as Leonard drove towards the apartment building. "Do you mind stopping to get some ice cream?"

"Sure," Leonard glanced at her, "I'm guessing you want your usual chocolate shake from House of Pies?"

"Yes, please."

Reaching the fourth-floor landing of the apartment building, Penny let out a sigh, "Didn't you say the elevator worked when you moved in? What happened to it and why is it taking so long for the landlord to get it fixed? Those stairs are cruel and unusual punishment when you're pregnant."

"Yeah, it used to work. I'm not sure why it's taking so long for it to be fixed," He lied as Penny approached the door to 4B. "Penny, wait," he stopped her. "Do you maybe want to get dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure. Are you and the guys going out?"

Leonard shook his head, "Just us. Like a date?"

Crossing the hallway, Penny approached the bespectacled man while shaking her head. Reaching for his hand, she declined his offer, "I'm seven and a half months pregnant. You don't want to go out with me."

"Yes, I do," he looked at his hand before looking at the woman holding it.

"Maybe if things were different right now, but I can't start dating someone, even you. You've become one of my closest friends over the past year," she gave his hand a squeeze before dropping it. "My situation is complicated enough, I don't need anything adding to that. I'm sorry, Leonard. I hope you can understand."

Feeling defeated, Leonard placed his hand on the doorknob of 4A, "Yeah, no, I get it. It was stupid for me to ask. I guess we'll see you tomorrow for pizza night?" Watching Penny enter her apartment and close the door behind herself, he muttered under his breath, "I shouldn't have listened to the guys."