Word Count: 2141
Summary: A trip down memory lane. [Penny's POV]
Disclaimer: I don't own The Big Bang Theory or the characters.

I stand in front of the elevator, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

I can't believe this will be the last time I'm this place. In the first place I could call my own. I stare at the apartment in the right. My first apartment.

If I close my eyes, I can still see all of it. I can still remember unpacking my things as the love of my life and his annoying best friend walk in. I can still remember the stammering, the nervousness in the air. I can remember them inviting me over – well, one of them inviting, the other not wanting me to show up.

I remember ex-boyfriends, parties, and so many kisses. I remember seeing Leonard for the first time after three months, I remember the kiss we shared. I remember the snowflake he gave me, the one I stared at so many times.

I remember all the missed timed I love yous and proposals – until the one that stuck.

I remember lazy Sundays and hangouts with the girls.

So many things that happened in that apartment, so many memories that would forever be stuck with her.

All the good and bad.

With tears in my eyes – I honestly can't tell if they are all happy tears – I look at the apartment of the left.

Dinners with everyone, game nights I complained so much about. Watching those nerdy movies with directors' commentary, rolling my eyes at the guys excitement. Hanging out with the girls as we wondered if the discussions over superheroes were going to be the rest of our lives.

Middle of the living room dances with my husband after we finally had the apartment for ourselves, no roommate around to tell us it was late.

I remember my drunk proposal, so thankful for his negative answer. I remember everyone gathered to watch me in a TV show with too many letters, one where my scene was cut.

I can't stop myself and laugh as I remember just how young the guys – and myself – were when we met. I smile as I realize just how much we grew since then.

I open my eyes. There are a few memories that are more recent, like bringing our daughter home for the first time. Or her first steps, in the very hall I stand in.

I can hear the guys playing a game in that apartment, and I let them. There's a lot left to pack, but it's also the last time they will be able to play a game in that apartment, and for old time's sake, I let them do it.

Thirteen years ago, I wouldn't have believed this would my life. I was sure I was going to make it as an actress. I didn't think I have to live in this apartment building for so long. Leaving shouldn't be this hard, but it was. Part of me wanted to stay here forever, but we need more space.

Rubbing my belly, I smile.

I didn't imagine myself being a mother of two, but if Howard and Bernadette could do it, so can we.

I had to admit I was sad that Sheldon and Amy didn't want to take apartment 4A for themselves, but they didn't want to raise their children in apartment either. It was weird to see Sheldon so excited to be a father, already reading so many parenting books and choosing names and furniture for the baby's room.

I never would've believed if someone said that that guy was going to be a father. But then again, I wouldn't have believed if people had said I would have this life and be so happy with it.

I see the door of the apartment open, and my husband appears. I give him a smile, and he smiles back.

"What are you doing out here?" He asks me, and I take another look around before answering.

"Just… taking it all in I guess." I give him a sad smile, and I know he understands what I mean. I'm going down memory lane. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be playing your game?"

"Well, in the spirit of nostalgia and things staying the same as before, I kind of died." He shrugs as I laugh.

"Things are definitely changing though. Maybe the next time you play, you'll win." He rolls his eyes, and I know he got that from spending too long with me – and Sheldon, of course.

"Sure." I see him looking around. He has tears in his eyes, and I know it's finally hitting him they are really leaving.

"Hey." I hit him in the arm, and he looks at me. "I will miss this place too. But we get to go to a new place and make new memories there." I know what I said doesn't make him feel any better, but nothing I can say will.

He looks down at his feet, and I'm hit by the memories of when he couldn't even look me in the eye. We all really grew.

"I've lived here almost my entire adult life." He finally looks back at me. "This is where we met." I give him a smile, but he doesn't return it, more focused on the apartment door. "This is where we got engaged. Where you told me you were pregnant. Where Maya took her first steps." He stops and finally looks at me. "Howard and Bernadette got married in this building. We had our prom." He chuckles. "Where Sheldon told Amy he loved her for the first time, and we had to hear her telling that story for a whole week." I laugh at that now, but at the time I remember planning pushing her down the stairs.

"So much happened here." I tell him. "It's what I'm doing here. Realizing just how much my life changed since moving here." I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. "Thank you."

He looks at me, puzzled. "For what?"

I look at him and give him a sad smile. "I was dating jerks and completely lost when I met you. You claim to not be brave and all that, but I know it took a lot for you to go talk to me the first time."

"I just thought I should be a good neighbor." He shrugs and I stare at him.

"Yeah, and not at all because you had a huge crush on me."

He opens and closes his mouth a few times before looking back at his shoes, blushing.

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Anyway," I continue, and he looks back at me. "despite your second intentions, I'm glad you came to talk to me. It changed my life and I have you to thank for."

"I can safely say it changed everyone's life." He looks back at the apartment he just came out of. "Remember that Christmas we talked about how different things would be if Sheldon didn't exist." I nod. "Things would be a lot different if you weren't here."

"Or if you hadn't come talk to me." He seems to think about it for a moment before nodding.

"Howard and Bernadette would probably not be together, which Halley and Michael wouldn't exist."

"Howard and Raj would probably not get Sheldon in the dating site, so the Shamy wouldn't be a thing."

"Which means there wouldn't be a bowtie to make Sheldon think of Super Asymmetry and get a Nobel Prize."

I nod. "And obviously, we wouldn't be here." I rub my belly once again, almost subconsciously. "And Maya wouldn't be here." He nods, tears back in his eyes. I know there are tears in my eyes too, because I can't even begin to imagine my life without my little girl in it. "Although the elevator wouldn't have stopped working in 2003." I remind him, laughing. He smiles, the tears rolling freely down his face.

"If you think about it, I made everyone climb three flights of stairs almost every day, which meant everyone was exercising." I roll my eyes. "And we all got to talk a lot during those climbs."

"We could've had those conversations in the elevator."

"Well technically, in this alternate universe we wouldn't know each other, so there wouldn't be having any conversations."

"Whatever. Can we please talk about something that isn't a universe where we didn't meet?"

I can almost see the wheels turning in his head. He grabs my hand, and I'm already expecting something sweet out of him. "I hope there isn't a single universe where we aren't together." I nod, agreeing with him. "That doesn't seem to be a good universe."

"Maybe we would meet some other way." I smile, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah. Maybe we would." I can see him lost in thought, and I don't want him thinking of a universe without me. I can feel a stupid bout of jealously creeping up, which is stupid because he's here and that other Leonard isn't my Leonard. But I keep imagining him with someone else. "I can't believe this is our last day here."

He looks at me and let's go of my hand, an ominous smile on his face. I just stare at him.

"Come here." He says, holding out his hand. I grab it and he makes me enter my old apartment.

Again, the memories sweep in, and I'm hit with a wave of nostalgia. Everything but the furniture is in boxes, and even though those things aren't mine I still feel the want of taking everything out of the boxes and into their respective places.

"What are we doing here?" I ask him when I finally stop reminiscing. When I look back Leonard isn't even in the room anymore. "Leonard?"

He finally appears climbing up the stairs and looking at me from in front of apartment 4A.

"What are you doing?" I ask him, but he doesn't answer. Instead, he walks until the front of the elevator and stops. I am again hit with nostalgia and give a smile. "Oh, hi." I tell him, just like all those years ago.

I see him fighting a smile. "Hi." He waits a bit, biting his lip to fight the smile creeping in his face. "Hi."

"Hi?" We are now both laughing, especially when we see Sheldon stepping out of the apartment.

He stares at us. "Hi." He says, before going towards the elevator and entering it."

Leonard looks at me. "We don't mean to interrupt." And then he stops. "I can't remember the rest."

I bite my lip. "We live across the hall." I bite my lip. "I can't remember the rest either." I whisper. "I do remember introducing myself to this very anxious man that didn't seem to be able to look me in the eyes." He smiles, and I continue. "He says his name, and his roommate's name, before going back to the nervous 'hi'. And then I closed my door, thinking I had dorky neighbors." He chuckles at that comment, and I do too. "I can hear those dorky neighbors talking in the hallway, and then- "Leonard chooses this moment to step in and close the door. "and then I got interrupted, apparently."

I hear a knock on my door. I open it. "Hi. Again." He says, and I roll my eyes. "We brought home food. And I know moving can be stressful, "he grabs my hand with a smile. "and I find when I'm undergoing stress that good food and company can have a comforting effect."

I feel the tears I was holding for so long falling. "You remember that?"

"Penny, I'm an over thinker as you know. I thought about that conversation and all I could've said instead a thousand times. So, yeah, I remember that."

I was about to answer when the elevator door opens again, with Sheldon, Amy and Bernadette stepping out of it.

"What are you- doesn't matter, we have pizza." Amy says, emphasizing her point by raising the pizza box she was holding. "If you guys want to join us."

We both nod, closing the door to the apartment. I look at Leonard as we walk to the other apartment. I can see that he is nervous about moving out, especially since we are moving out from the building where so much happened. But as we enter the apartment 4A and everyone sits in their usual spots, I can't help but realize we are all feeling that.

But like a very smart person as told her in the past, good food and company can have a comforting effect. As I listen to everyone talk, I realize that it won't take the apartment for them all to be together, and that they will all always be together. As a family. A highly dysfunctional one, but a family nonetheless.

The End

After two years I finally remembered this story. I can't believe I forgot about this compilation of one-shots. Even if I can no longer have my continuation of season 12 one-shots, I will try to write random one-shots and post them here.

I was thinking about how the gang would react to leaving their dear apartments, but I don't think I'd get Sheldon right, so I did what I love to write - Lenny. I went and watched the Pilot again, so the quotes are as in the actual episode. Obviously as it was thirteen years (meaning about two years after the finale) they wouldn't remember word for word, but I needed it to be like that.

Hope everyone likes this story.