Chapter 55: The Wrath of Grapes…

Work is still crazy, sometimes I work 7 days per week, but I still manage to write something every other day. Just hang in there with me until some things are settled at my job. Now, back to the party…

Two hours later, all the food and been eaten and most of the wine had been consumed by everyone except the pregnant ladies and Kelly Wollowitz. The music played by Raj and been fun and everyone had enjoyed themselves immensely while they danced. An awkward silence descended on the room when Kelly briefly left the room and Amanda said out of nowhere, "Bernie, it must have been nice to meet Annelise and have someone your own size to pick on."

As Penny and Niki gasped, Bernie stepped closer to the taller woman and demanded, "What did you mean by that, Amanda? Are you saying I must have been pleased to meet someone as short as me?'

Oblivious to the brewing storm, Raj's wife answered jokingly, "Yeah, you bet. It isn't often we get to see two munchkins talking in this day and age."

Sheldon muttered to himself, "Oh dear god." And he looked to Niki for an answer that was not forthcoming.

Bernie's eyes narrowed, and her voice went up yet another octave, "Munchkins? Is that what you called us, bitch?"

Niki tried vainly to placate her friend, "Bernadette, I'm sure she didn't mean it that way."

At her words, the tiny blonde turned her wrath on Sheldon's wife, "Excuse me, there's another way to take the word munchkin?"

Raj interjected hastily, "Bernie, did you just call my wife a bitch?"

"I sure did, Buster. You got a problem with that?"

Sheldon once again mumbled a heartfelt plea to a god he did not believe in and looked to his wife for support before he spoke out loud, "Bernadette, I'm sure Amanda misspoke because of the wine. Alcohol sometimes makes a person say stupid things without realizing it. Look at Penny."

Leonard turned and warned him, "Hey, buddy. That's my wife you're talking about!"

"I know full well who your wife is, Hofstadter. I've known her almost as long as I've known you. Even you can't say that Penny does not overindulge in the vino from time to time."

Leonard walked up to Sheldon and spat out, "At least my wife only says hurtful things because she's drunk. Niki let's fly with the insults all the time, even when she's stone cold sober."

Now it was Niki's turn to add to the chaos, "Excuse me, Leonard? When have I ever insulted either you or Penny? Tell me. When?"

Penny looked over at Sheldon's wife, hands on hips, and answered, "How about when you roll your eyes whenever I don't understand some science thing"

Niki pointedly corrected her, "You mean scientific term, right?"

"There you go again!"

In response, Sheldon addressed Penny, no small amount of anger in his voice, "At least my wife uses good grammar when she puts someone down. As do I."

"Oh, shut up, Sheldon! You call Bazinga good grammar?"

He looked down his nose at his wife's friend and replied, "I am of the opinion that it is far superior to using acronyms such as, lmfao!"

Penny immediately fired back, "Get off it, Sheldon! That's how you support your point? Everyone uses lmfao!"

"Yes, I know. That's why I consider it common."

"I suppose you are thinking, 'Common, just like Penny'."

Sheldon was quick to reply with a heartfelt, "Not at all."

Penny's arms were crossed resolutely across her chest as she responded with a curious, "That would be a first. Why not?"

"Because you are my wife's best friend and that is special to me. Also, you and Leonard have always been there for Niki and me."

Penny's stance immediately softened, "You mean that?"

Niki put her arm around her husband in a show of support, "Sheldon never says things he doesn't mean."

Howard muttered under his breath, "Unfortunately."

Penny looked at her friend, whose arms now both encircled her husband, "He doesn't need you to defend him, Niki. I was talking to Sheldon."

Niki's arms dropped from Sheldon's waist and she gave her friend a disappointed look, "Well forgive me for trying to play peacemaker between two people I love!"

All conversation suddenly ceased as the entire group noticed Kelly Wollowitz standing in the doorway. She shook her head sadly and, with tears in her eyes, addressed the adults, "Excuse me if I am talking out of turn, I know I'm just a kid, but aren't all of you people supposed to be best friends? Aunt Penny, Aunt Niki, Aunt Amanda, Mommy, Uncle Sheldon, Uncle Leonard, Daddy, and Uncle Raj, why are you all talking like this to each other?"

All the parties involved stopped and looked sheepishly at each other.

Amanda was the first to speak, "Bernie, I'm sorry if I made you feel badly. I've always wanted to be short, blonde, and cute. It was more jealousy than anything else that started it all. I apologize."

Bernadette looked at her incredulously, "You're jealous, of me?"

"And of Annelise. I always feel too big and clumsy around tiny, petite women."

Annelise interjected, "Well, I've always wanted to be tall. Tall actresses seem to get all the best parts. I'm always the kid sister or someone's daughter in plays. Never the love interest. The only time my size has worked in my favor was in Cats."

Sheldon looked to Penny with a shamed look on his face, "And I didn't mean any insult when I mentioned your drinking, Penny. We all know you do imbibe a bit when you are not with child, but you have cut you drinking way down in the past couple of years. I spoke out of turn."

Penny smiled back at him, "And Sheldon, I think Bazinga is a good word. Lmfao, well, that is sooo common. But you came up with Bazinga on your own. It is truly a word of you own creation. I kind of admire that."

It was then Bernie's turn, "Amanda, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I've always wanted to be tall and leggy like you. Unfortunately, I'm pint sized."

Howard finally spoke loud enough to be heard, "But, honey, you're all the woman I could ever want or need."

"Oh, Howie!"

Amanda added to the love fest, "Bernie, I accept your apology. You know I think the world of you. You're so smart and quick-witted. And such a good mother!"

Kelly piped up, "She sure is! And you're a great mommy to Cinnamon!"

Raj looked at his wife proudly and agreed, "Yes, she is. Hey, why don't we all stop arguing and listen to me for a minute."

Leonard was eager for the night to get back on an even keel, so he turned his friend and replied, "Okay. What do you want to say, Raj?"

"Well, Amanda and I are leaving in a couple of days and won't be able to be there live for Penny's opening night. So, Amanda and I bought her a little present."

Penny's eyes went both wide and moist as she exclaimed, "Oh, you guys! You shouldn't have! "

Raj grinned broadly and responded happily, "I know, but we did." With that, he held out a small package, which Penny took began to tear open.

"It's all right if I open it now, isn't it?"

Amanda almost screamed with impatience, "Of course! We want to see your reaction!"

As Leonard had been doing since Penny had resurrected her career, the Koothrappalis had purchased a gold charm for her bracelet. As Penny was about to start a run in A Streetcar Named Desire, the box she opened contained a small streetcar, with Penny's name written along the length of it. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried, "You guys! What can I say? It's perfect! And now you're going away to Hawaii and heaven knows when I'll see you again."

Amanda wiped the tears from her own eyes and reminded her friend, "Hey, there's always Skype. And Raj and I promise to be back before the babies are born."

At Amanda's words, Sheldon held up one hand and cleared his throat, "A bit of warning, Skype got Niki and I into a most troublesome situation."

Niki put her arms back around her husband and reassured him, "Honey, don't worry about it. Amanda and Penny aren't married. They'll be fine. Besides, we worked everything out and now look, we've made some amazing new friends who are here with us tonight."

Penny began to cry once more, "But Niki, you are leaving for Stanford soon, and Leonard and Sheldon are going on that lecture tour. The only people I'll have are Helmut and Anna. While I love you guys, I love it best when everyone is here, in Altadena. Not scattered around the country."

"Well then, we've all got some good news for you, Bestie. I'm going to do my lecture series from right here in Southern California, in the comfort of my own living room. I've traveled around enough lately, and I really don't want to leave home this summer. Luckily, the school agreed, and I will be giving cyber lectures for the class to watch online. So, I'm pretty much staying put right here and continuing my research."

Leonard quickly added, "And Sheldon and I are doing the same thing with our lectures, sort of. We'll be holding our lectures at the Griffith Park Observatory and they will be live streamed for anyone who wants to listen, for a not-so-nominal price, that is. A meet and greet will still be held for those who attend the lectures live, of course."

Sheldon continued the explanation, "With both of our wives being pregnant, neither Leonard nor I wished to be far from home. Everyone involved was quite willing to work with us. Of course, we will still be going to Washington D.C. to accept our awards, but we shall be taking our families with us. That is one thing I have come to realize; my family and friends have to come first sometimes. Not always, of course, but sometimes."

"Like now?" Niki teased him.

"Like now." With that, Sheldon pulled his wife closer to him and planted a tender kiss on the top of her head. Leonard did likewise with Penny.

Kelly Wollowitz took in the scene in front of her and then smiled broadly as she announced, "Hey, all you adult people."

Howard looked down at his tiny daughter with love as he asked her, "What Sweetie?"

"How about we all stay here tonight at the hotel and go together to Disneyland tomorrow?"

At her words, Sheldon Cooper stepped boldly forward and tapped Kelly's father on the shoulder, "Howard, a word with you about you child, if you don't mind."

His friend and his wife both rolled their eyes as they responded together, "What is it, Sheldon?"

As Niki attempted to steer her husband away from his coming remark by tugging at his arm, he purposefully ignored her and continued with, "I do believe you are raising a genius. Kelly's idea is wonderful and I, for one, second the motion."

Amanda looked over at Raj, "It would be fun to spend time with all of our friends before we leave."

Bernie voiced her enthusiasm as well, "Howie, this would be a great opportunity for all of us to make some good memories with our friends."

Kelly added, "And we could show Helmut and Anna all the best rides!"

Sheldon grinned down at her, "That we could, Kelly. Let's take a vote. All in favor of young Wollowitz's idea, raise your hand. Everyone's hand went up and it became unanimous, their entire group would stay the night at the hotel and the next day, help show Helmut and Annelise around the park.

Well, that was settled amicably. Now, on to Penny's opening night!