'Mm what's that,' Sheldon almost gagged as he walked into the kitchen, 'delicious smell?'

'Tuna wellington... we ran out of beef.' Penny said as she stood by the stove cooking.

'Right... um anything I can do to help you my dear?'

'Ok... what's going on? What do I need to give you permission for?' Penny asked raising an eyebrow.

'Nothing...'

'If it's going to that week long sci fi convention with Leonard, Raj and Wolowitz then its a no. You're too old for that sort of thing now Sheldon. You've got me and your kids to look after.'

'Can I not ask my wife if I can help every now and then?'

'Yes you could, if you did it every now and then. Only problem is you only ask when you want something.' Penny smirked, 'so what are we doing with this weekend away?'

'Ooh... why don't you take mum to a spa?' Lilly said strolling in.

'Lilly, how many times must I tell you not to butt in or eavesdrop when your mother and I are having a conversation?'

'At least once more... can't guarantee I'll hear it but you know... still worth a shot.'

'Er that's enough of that sass young lady!' Sheldon said pointing his finger at her. Lilly rolled her big blue eyes and scraped her long blonde hair back into a pony tail.

'I'm only trying to help you out. If you take mum to a spa it will soothe and relax away then tensions that you will cause on the day. Plus it'll also leave mums feet feeling smooth and supple.' Lilly grinned cheekily and Sheldon glared at his daughter.

'Your mother has been married to me for nearly 20 years, I think she's used to any situations that I may accidentally cause.' he said through gritted teeth.

'No darling, you still have the strange ability to surprise me.' Penny laughed.

'Hey mum.'

'Evening mum.'

Penny turned to see her two boys enter the room. 'What are you two up to?'

'Nothing, we just wanted to see how everything is.' Oliver smiled.

'Yep and to see what your erm... cooking?' Stephen asked, pushing his glasses back.

'Aww, how sweet of you.' Penny said, walking over to hug her son, 'though Stevie, I really think we should book you in for a haircut. You're hair is getting so long nowerdays.' she said, ruffling her fingers through his long brown hair. 'And Ollie... what ever it is you two were up to, I advise you stop it this instant.' Penny smiled at her eldest son and he bent down to Stephen.

'I think she's onto us dude.' he whispered in his ear.

'Agreed.' Stephen whispered back.

'Right, back to our holiday. Where can we go Sheldon? I want to go somewhere nice.' Penny smiled.

'And amorous?' Oliver smirked, wiggling his eyebrows, quickly stopping when his mother shot him a look.

'Look, I'll just start making arrangements.'

'Penny, no... let me do it.'

'No, if I let you plan it then the whole thing will turn to a geeky weekend away.' Penny smiled, kissing her husbands nose.

'The best kind of weekend!'

'No! How about we go to that nice little bed and breakfast we stayed at on our honeymoon? You know, re connect with the past and all?' Penny smiled.

'What that small little place in the middle of nowhere.'

'It was good enough 20 years ago, it should still be good now. Besides, the middle of nowhere, just us Sheldon, what could be better?'

'I don't have a choice in this do I?'

'Nope, so I'm going to go and give them a call and then we'll be off for our romantic weekend away.' Penny smiled before walking out of the room. 10 minutes later she returned with a smile on her face. 'It's all booked Sheldon. Better start... NO my tuna casserole has burnt!' Penny cried suddenly noticing that black smoke was coming from the oven. 'Sheldon! Why didn't you turn it off?'

'Oh I'm sorry. I must have forgot.' Sheldon feigned his apology and secretly high-fived his daughter. 'Looks like we'll have to have something else.'

'Chinese Take away?' Lilly grinned and Penny sighed.

'Fine... but your father is paying.'

'But mum! You know how he got last time! I remember his words exactly: "You wanted Chinese take away, I ordered Chinese Keep Away." He wouldn't share a morsel of food!' Lilly sulked.

'Well I can't help it... I only ordered for myself and didn't think of you at all.' Sheldon grinned. However it was soon wiped off his face when Penny shot him a stern look.

'No sweetheart, daddy is definitely going to buy everyone a Chinese tonight or I will extend an invitation for our weekend away to you and your brothers.'

'Fine!' Sheldon threw his hands up in the air and picked up the kitchen phone and the take away menu.

'Why is it that you always manage to get him to do stuff by involving the use of your children?' Lilly asked.

'Lils, your father loves you all very much but your father is your father and well, for some reason you make great leverage with him.' Penny kissed her daughters blonde head and proceeded to chuck the casserole in the bin.

'Lilly! Get out of the bathroom!' Sheldon yelled as he stood outside the bathroom door, 'What the hell are you doing in there?!'

'I'm flossing, just like you told me to do! You know so you can save money by not sending me to the dentist?' came Lilly's voice from behind the door.

'Well, recent tests have shown that not flossing your teeth comes in handy when YOU'RE INTRUDING ON YOUR FATHERS ALLOCATED BATHROOM TIME!' Sheldon banged his head against the door as Oliver approached him.

'Hello dad.'

'Oh no not you already. It's too early for my daily dose of you.' Sheldon sighed and Oliver shrugged before walking past his father and reaching out for the bathroom door.

'Mind if I...'

'Yes, I do actually.'

'Oh, is there a que?'

'Yes Oliver. That's why I'm standing here.'

'Tell you what, why don't you use your own bathroom?' Ollie said and Sheldon looked at his son as if to throttle him.

'You know very well why young man...'

'You know I can always take another look at it.' Oliver said, taking a step back.

'It was you taking a look at it that broke it in the first place! Is there anything still in this bloody house that still works when you've looked at it?' Sheldon sighed and Ollie shrugged.

'TV I suppose.'

'I believe that it is now a fact of life that my property plus broken always equals: Oliver.'

'Can I go in before you dad?' Ollie asked, trying to bypass his father again.

'No, no you most certainly cannot!'

'You know, the less you two talk, the quicker I come out!' Lilly called and both father and son looked at each other in confusion.

'And what does that mean?' Sheldon asked. Teenagers just seemed to boggle him completely.

'Sheldon, can I talk to you for a minute,' came the voice of Penny and Sheldon turned around to see his beautiful wife standing at the far end of the landing in her white silk dressing gown. Even in no make up and in her nightgown, she was still by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But at the moment, he needed to use the bathroom and the shower and Penny seemed to be less important. 'Sheldon!'

'Can't it wait a minute Penny?'

'No, I need to talk to you.'

'Then talk!'

'In private honey.' Penny smiled, 'In our bedroom?' she added before walking back into their room. Sighing in annoyance, Sheldon walked away from the bathroom. No second had his back turned, Lilly walked out and Oliver went in.

'Lilly! Oliver!' Sheldon yelled before storming into the bedroom, 'What?!' he cried as Penny shut the door behind him.

'Look... Lilly's diary.'

'Lilly's diary? Where did you get that?'

'I found it.'

'You... found it? In what sense? Found as in you went looking for it by snooping through her personal possessions with a fine tooth comb?'

'No, found as in Fleming when he discovered penicillin. He was looking for something else... See being married to you for 19 and half years really has smartened me up.'

'Right, so er... what were you looking for then?'

'What was Fleming looking for? The point is I found it.' Penny smirked.

'Eureka... now put it back before Lilly finds out and we are both skinned alive. You don't want her to think that you've rea... you've read it haven't you.' Sheldon sighed as the look on Penny's face gave it away.

'Yes I did and it's... its horrible!'

'Why, what does it say?'

'She says... Mum doesn't trust me.'

'And?' Sheldon said in disbelief, not quite believing that he missed going to the bathroom because this was what his wife wanted to talk to him about.

'Isn't that enough?'

'Well you don't trust her do you... you read her diary!'

'The point is Sheldon is that she's noticed. And if she has noticed, how can we have the honest and open relationship with the free flow of confidence between mother and daughter?'

'Why on earth would you want that? That's like trying to say you want to be part of the Borg collective!'

'So I know what she's up to ofcourse!'

'Well... what is she up to then?' Sheldon asked, not really wanting to know the answer out of fear that his little girl was growing up. Penny sat down and looked at her husband.

'I can't tell you that... it's private.'

'Well does she...' Sheldon trailed off, moving about awkwardly.

'Does she what?'

'Nevermind... what does she say about me?'

'Nothing.'

'Ha! I find that difficult to believe Penny. I'm probably one of the most awkward human beings in the sentient world. I find it very difficult to believe that my name has not cropped up in that diary! Plus I'm also her father!'

'Well have a look then!' Penny held out the diary for Sheldon to take but he shook his head in fear.

'No, I'm not getting involved.' Sheldon then walked out and retried visiting the bathroom, hoping that Oliver had left. Twisting the doorknob, he was disappointed to find that it was locked, 'Oliver, OLIVER!'

Suddenly the door opened, 'Um dad... I'd leave it for a couple of minutes if I were you.'

'Why?!' Sheldon cried in exasperation and almost dreading the answer he would receive.

'Because I'm next!' Stephen cried, darting past Sheldon and into the bathroom at the same time as Ollie ran out.

'Stephen!' Sheldon banged on the door in despair. 'That's it, you're all grounded for a month!' All of a sudden, he couldn't wait to go on this weekend away with Penny now.

An hour or so later, Lilly approached her mother and father. Both Sheldon and Penny looked at each other as if to know that something was up.

'Alright Lils, what do you want?' Penny asked, 'And if it's a water bra again you can already predict my answer.'

'No, I was just gonna say... well you know how I got that A in Spanish?'

'You got an A?' Sheldon said, 'I'd expect no less of my children, but then again sometime I wonder if you and Ollie are mine. Stevie is the only one who seems to get consistant grades... OW!' Sheldon cried as Penny elbowed him.

'What your father means to say honey is congratulations.'

'Right, whatever... well you know how I got that A in Spanish... I was wondering... could I have a party to celebrate?'

'Why do you want to celebrate getting an A?'

'Cause dad... we're not all geniuses like you and Steve!' Lilly cried.

'So that's how it works now? A for acceptable grades, P for party and oh how about N for no?' Sheldon said, turning the page of his book on new particle chain reactions.

'Of course you can have a party dear.' Penny smiled.

'Should I use my cloak of invisibility for good or evil.' Sheldon murmured to himself.

'I heard that!'

'Well, that's a first. No one ever really listens to me in this house.'

'Well from what I recall when we were younger and before the kids came along we used to always listen to you and follow your demanding regimes Shelly. It's about time you repaid the favour.' Penny smiled, sticking her tongue out at her husband. 'How about this Saturday, when your father and I go away for the weekend?'

'Penny... are you mad?'

'You mean to say that you're going to let me have a party whilst you and dad are away?' Lilly said, quite shocked. Her father's reaction was what she had expected but her mothers was something else!

'Well why not. After all you won't want your mother and father lying about and ruining the scene for you youngsters... even though I was quite the party chick when I was your age.' Penny smiled.

'Hello? Do I exist at all?' Sheldon asked, once again finding himself ignored.

'What sort of party is it going to be Lil?'

'I'll tell you what sort of party it's going to be Penny: ear splitting music, stains on the carper, urinating in my shrubberies, groping in the bedrooms and a bunch of illegally alcohol induced teenagers. Id rather it be a non existent party!'

'Don't worry dad,' Oliver smiled, opening up a can of beer, 'I'll look after them and you know, keep an eye on everything.'

'Ha! Like you're invited!' Lilly laughed, sitting down next to Ollie and filing her nails.

'I know lots of boys.' Ollie smirked and Lilly grinned at him.

'I think you're old enough to supervise.'

'He's not old enough to drink, let alone supervise!' Sheldon cried, taking the beer off his son. 'No. I'm putting my foot down here, no, no, no, no, NO!'

'Well I'll be there as well dad and I think we know that I'm the most sensible of the lot. Far wiser than my years.' Stephen smiled.

'You're 12 years old Stevie!'

'Er... your staying at Rusty's.' Lilly snorted.

'I don't like Rusty... he's weird and certainly not my friend.'

'Well start liking him then... otherwise I'll tell all the kids in your class that you still wet the bed.'

'But I don't...'

'Yeah, I know that and you know that but who are they going to believe?'

'Fine, well I'll just have to put your passport photo on the internet.' Stephen smiled, getting up to leave the room.

'Stephen!' Lilly cried in horror.

'So that's agreed.' Penny smiled.

'No, no its not agreed. I'm sorry but I'm not happy about this. I've said my piece and you all know how I feel. If you want this party then fine go ahead but as you do it just trample over the tattered remnants of my dignity.' Sheldon said, hoping to evoke some sort of emotional response from his family.

'Thanks dad!' Lilly squealed before running off to her room whilst Oliver got up and kissed his father's cheek.

'To have your trust is just amazing father.' he grinned before taking the beer back off Sheldon, after which he too ran off after Lilly. Penny smiled and brushed Sheldon's cheek with her index finger before kissing him softly on the lips. Sheldon smiled at his wife before shaking his head.

'No. Still not happy.'

Thanks for the few reviews I received on the last chapter. Let me know what you think of this one guys! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. The party is up next so wonder what shenanigans Sheldon is going to find himself in with his kids this time! Would love to hear some of your ideas!

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