Leonard and Penny were in 4B, making out on the couch when there was a knock on the door. They parted and Penny hesitated.

"Guys, open up," Howard's muffled voice called. "I have some big news!"

Penny answered the door and he staggered in, wet with rainwater. He wore a hoodie and a smile.

"You sure look happy," Penny commented.

"I am," he said breathlessly. "When Bernadette got examined at the hospital two days ago, the sonogram detected an abnormality. The nurses called me just now; technically, we're having triplets, one of the babies has two heads!"

"Oh my God."

"Yeah. When the kid's old enough we might look into getting them separated."

"Howard, that's...weird," Leonard said, but he was grinning.

"Yeah! Siamese Wolowitz. I was on my way over here for Halo Night and Dr. Bootabelly or whatever his name was phoned me and told me the news!" Howard clapped once. "God, I am so happy. Three kids!"

"Yes, at once," Penny added. "That girl's gonna need an Epidural."

"Hang on. If you're here, where's Bernadette?" Leonard asked.

"At home. Her sister came by. I wasn't going to leave, but Cecily told me to go, that she needed girl time."

"Her sister's name is Cecile," Leonard corrected him.

"Right. Anyway, I went to Sheldon's first, 'cause he's closer to the stairs, but no one answered; so I guess Halo's off. So I thought I'd come chat with you guys!" Pulling his hoodie down, Howard strode into the apartment. "Three kids!" he repeated, as he sat next to Leonard. "Can you imagine me in a car with my wife and three kids? That takes up my entire van!"

"Yeah, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Bernadette agreed to marry you," Penny answered loftily. "So I might be a bit slow to respond."

"Yeah, but what else is new?" Howard asked good-naturedly.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Congratulations, Howard. This is huge."

"It is, isn't it? OH my God, Josh doesn't even know Bernadette was expecting one baby." Suddenly Howard was freaking out. "And she experienced false labor! What if the babies come early? What if I wake up at like three in the morning to labor cries? We don't have a crib, or a changing table, or a formula bottle, or diapers, or rash cream..."

"What the hell did Cecile bring?" Penny asked bluntly.

"Toys."

"Kinda like buying the horse when you don't have a farm, isn't it?" she pushed.

"Howard, calm down. A lot of women experience false labor," Leonard told him. "And besides, it might not have been that. The baby might have kicked and startled her into thinking that's what it was."

Penny sat on Leonard's other side. "What's Cecile like?"

"Just like Bernadette," Howard answered. "Except she's single. She's staying at our place for a few nights," he added. "She lives in Claremont. Fifty-eight hours of two Bernadettes; I should probably buy Tylenol."

Penny was still smiling as she went to answer the door, and there stood a perfectly dry Raj. He peered past her shoulder at Howard. "Hi. Uh, is Halo Night here now?"

"Naw, Shamy's on a date," Penny answered, and held the door open wide for him to come in.

"Why are you all nice and dry?" Howard grumped.

"It's called an umbrella, dude."

"Hey, whatever happened to your Footsteps Of The Stars thing?" Penny asked.

Raj sighed bitterly as he went toward the kitchen. "We were our only fans." He sat in the living chair, and Penny sat next to Leonard again.

"Why?" Penny asked.

"I dunno, high expectations...People suck," Raj answered succinctly.

"Yeah. I meant, why were you fans?"

Howard gave an insincere laugh as Raj rolled his eyes, and Penny smiled smugly at him.

"You guys want coffee or tea?" Penny asked.

"Uh, I'll have coffee," Howard said.

"Tea for me, please," Raj answered.

"Okay. You know where the kitchen is," she answered smartly, and they got up and walked begrudgingly to the kitchen.

"That was mean," Leonard told her.

"I know," she smirked.

"So?" Howard was asking. "You get your dog today?"

"Yup," Raj answered unenthusiastically.

"Problems?" Howard inquired.

"Yup," Raj repeated. "Whoa, dude, three sugars is enough, okay?"

"I need the energy," Howard said, as he walked back to the couch. "Kripke's wearing me down."

"Why are you letting him?" Leonard asked.

"Because, I don't want him to tell Marcy Grossman about The Song!"

Penny barely had to think about it. "She already knows."

"What?" Howard asked.

"Since when do you and Kripke talk?" Raj asked, as he stirred the tea.

"We don't! Howard, don't you remember? You played it for her and she spit in your hair?" Penny asked.

Howard didn't move. He didn't blink.

"So you've been running errands for Kripke for nothing?" Raj inquired.

Howard thawed. "No, you're mistaken. She didn't know about the song," he said lamely, unconvincingly. "She spit in my hair because...she hated my face."

"You played it for her in person!" Penny pressed. "You played it for me! If anything, Marcy Grossman will try to tell Barry, and he'll say...'I know'."

Howard looked at his coffee. "Do you have wine?"

"Like you have to ask..." Raj murmured, and when Penny glared at him he quietly sipped his tea.