It had been three weeks since Priya had given birth and unfortunately Naiya was still in NICU. Penny's acting was continuing to be successful with raging reviews and she found that she was becoming quite well known, people had started to stop her in the streets for photos and autographs. She had also struck up a relationship with Jason which she had to admit, she had gone into half-heartedly. She still hadn't yet moved out as she was too preoccupied with work to move but she made sure she was civil to Sheldon. She found that he ignored her most of the time but she learnt to deal with it, they hardly spoke aside from the odd hello.

So, as Penny sat in Jason's apartment snuggled up to him, she couldn't help but feel that she enjoyed snuggling Sheldon better. Her relationship with Jason was very strange; he treated her and talked to her like she was a dumb blonde show girl that he could show off as eye candy. He never seemed to let her do anything she wanted, it always had to be what he wanted. In addition, he seemed to find everything funny, even if it upset her. In a way she was glad that they had not slept together yet and sometimes wondered why she was with him. He had made the move on a few occasions but Penny found that she physically could not will herself to sleep with him. She liked to put it down to the stress of work and with Priya but deep down she suspected it was because of Sheldon. She was still in love with him and she was pretty sure he still loved her because she had seen the secret looks he had shot her when he thought she wasn't looking; they were both just too stubborn to admit it. She remembered how she used to bake lemon soufflés for them every Sunday morning. If there was one thing Penny could make, it was a lemon soufflé; she had never burnt one in her life because she could just feel when they were ready. So today, she decided to make lemon soufflés for Jason.

'Mmm, I love the way you smell and I cannot wait to taste one of your cakes.' He grinned as they cuddled on the sofa. Penny gave him a soft, but almost forced smile. She remembered how Sheldon would wait by the oven trying to calculate the time they would take until they were ready for him to consume. It felt strange that she was now with someone completely normal. It was almost… boring.

'I should probably check on the soufflés.' Penny smiled, getting up and out of his embrace.

'But they haven't been in very long.'

'Even so… I'll be back soon.'

Making her way over to his kitchen, she couldn't get Sheldon out her mind and she sighed. She needed his support because she was feeling stressed. She missed the way he held her, the way he kissed her, the way they lived together and she even missed their sex life together. Opening the oven she gasped in dismay as she pulled out the burnt lemon soufflés , 'Oh no…' she whispered as Jason entered the room.

'Oh dear, you burnt the cakes.'

'Actually they're soufflés.' Penny said, a hint of annoyance laced in her voice.

'Cakes… soufflé… same thing.' Jason chuckled.

'No, they're not. I've never ever burnt a soufflé in my life.' Penny said in dismay.

'Oh well, you'll live.' Jason grinned, kissing her neck. 'I love how good we are together, how much of a good couple we make. I'm so glad we met in that bar.' He whispered, 'I think I want to spend the rest of my life with you.'

Penny's eyes widened in shock, 'What? We've been dating three weeks!'

'Well I know that but when you know, you know. I know when we'll get married, how many kids we'll have, their names…'

'Woah, stop, stop! You can't just decide these things for me! You can't just plan out the next 20 years of my life!' Penny cried.

'Penny please, of course I can. I knew I had you the day I met you.' Jason laughed, once again treating her as if she were stupid.

'How could you know something like that?' she asked incredulously.

'Because you giggled like a school girl, you couldn't take your eyes off me and you had a certain nervousness about you that just… enticed me. Your cute little bubble brain was practicaly begging for me to take you out.'

'Really?' Penny said through gritted teeth, 'Because you want to know what I think? I think, no I know that you did not have me the moment that we met Jason. You're wrong. And excuse me but truth be told, I didn't like anything that you ordered for me on our first date and ok fine, yes, it was nice not to have to think for a change but who wants someone that doesn't think! You don't care about the things I like to do, you don't care that you upset me or insult my intelligence,' Penny yelled, the tears that had formed in her eyes falling down her cheeks. Jason let out a little chuckle, 'Look! You even laugh when I cry and you say "huh" when I make perfect sense. And never in my life have I burnt a lemon soufflé until now and that in itself… oh my god… that is a perfect example of why I can't be with you. It shows me that I can't be myself around you and I would have decided that a long time ago if it wasn't for my stubbornness and denial of the fact that I'm still in love with a terrific guy. I made a stupid mistake letting him go and even starting something with you so soon after ending things with him. I was never over him, you were just some guy.'

'Penny, you're making no sense.' Jason laughed and Penny laughed.

'That's the thing Jason! For once in my life, I am making perfect sense! I need to leave, I need to go and tell Sheldon I love him.' Penny laughed, grabbing her coat.

'Penny! Stop! We're so good together!' Jason yelled but she paid no attention to him. Running down the stairs of his building, she jumped into her car and raced through traffic until she parked in her allocated space. She ran up the flights of stairs and threw the door open. There he was, sitting at his desk working. He looked up to acknowledge her before looking back at the computer screen.

'Sheldon, I need to speak to you,' she said, still catching her breath. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

'What?'

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' She said.

'For what?'

'For ending our relationship and everything since. I miss you, I need you, I just want to take everything back and go back to where we were before all this shit happened!'

'I see.'

'Say something.' Penny said, annoyed that that was his response. Sheldon looked at her and furrowed his brow.

'Well, I don't know what to say. You dumped me without getting to know my side of the story. I have dreams too and it was unfair of you to make it seem like yours were more important than mine! I've given more than half my life to string theory and when I finally proved its existence, all that crossed my mind was to let the world know of my findings. And I'm profiting quite well from it so far and I tried to get into your performance, I truly did but I wasn't allowed! Ask John the usher. I could only listen to it, and from what I heard you were truly amazing. I wanted to go and see you but you were so angry with me I didn't think you would want me to, I thought I would throw off your focus or you would chew my head off, kind of like a female spider does to their mate. ' Sheldon said, his voice rising.

'Hey! I'm...' She started.

'I'm not done yet, so just… be quiet! I've missed you every day and do you know how hard it was to watch you go to that guy and watch you move on with someone who wasn't me? I still don't understand the reason as to why you ended it with me, you refused to speak to me and then all of a sudden you tell me that you can't be with me anymore? I've changed so much for you and you terminate our relationship over something so trivial… it was like a slap in the face,' Sheldon argued, 'Did you even care about how I felt or was I just another one of those men that walked in and out of your door?'

'Of course not! You mean more to me than anyone I've ever been romantically involved with!' Penny cried.

'Well it certainly doesn't feel like it Penny! If we're gonna be together, you're gonna have to listen to reason before making rash decisions. In fact if we're gonna be together, I must insist on a relationship agreement and you are gonna have to sign it!'

'Fine I will!' She yelled.

'Good! Because I love you!' Sheldon cried and Penny felt herself thrive off the sexual energy between them.

'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah!'

'Good, because I love you too!'

'Well good because that's the first time we've said that to each other at the same time!' Sheldon said, a look of shock crossing both of their faces.

'Yes… it is.' Penny's voice softened as she spoke.

Sheldon swallowed, 'Convention dictates for me to kiss you now.' he said and Penny put her hands on her hips.

'Well you'd better.' Before she knew it she felt Sheldon's lips collide with hers. Oh how she had missed this. This was how it was supposed to be, her heart beating fast, the butterflies flying in her stomach and her skin on fire. She started tugging at his clothes and he in turn followed her actions and before she knew it, they were back in bed together.

'Wow, that was some good makeup sex.' Penny said softly as he stroked her skin softly. He kissed her forehead and smiled at her.

'Sex is such an ugly word, I like to make love to you Penny.'

'Well, I like you making love to me too.' Penny grinned. Suddenly the phone rang and Penny grinned as she answered it.

'Penny Miller speaking, hot sex goddess with a very naughty physicist between her thighs.' Penny said, which earned a chucked out of Sheldon, 'Oh… Mrs Cooper… Hi! Yes, I'll pass him straight over.' Penny said, blushing beyond belief as she handed the phone to Sheldon, who was crying due to holding back fits of laughter. As soon as he put the phone to his ear, he spoke in a fluid voice as if he had just been sitting on the sofa casually reading a book.

'Hello Mother, what can I do for you? Yes, Penny and I have resumed our relationship… Yes, we love each other very much.' Sheldon smiled and she kissed his nose, 'Yes, I promise, we will visit. Things have just been hectic.' Penny began to kiss his neck and other erogenous places on his body and Sheldon felt his body react, 'Yeah mom, I gotta go…I'll call you back.'

An hour later, Sheldon and Penny decided to visit Priya, Leonard and Naiya at the hospital. When they arrived on the ward, they saw Leonard, Raj and Priya sitting with someone, who was talking to them with a look of concern on her face.

'That must be the neonaturalist.' Penny said quietly and Sheldon shook his head.

'Neonatologist.'

'Fine, neonatologist. It looks like something's wrong doesn't it?' Penny grimaced as she watched Priya bury her face in her hands and Leonard place an arm around her. The neonatologist left a couple of leaflets before leaving and Penny quickly rushed over.

'What's happened?' she asked.

'Naiya, she er… her organs are too weak and immature and they haven't grown to the stage that the doctors think they should be at. They haven't developed properly and this morning her brain activity began to drop and it's continuing to do so as we speak.' Leonard said, his voice shaking, 'Annie, our neonatologist, she says the decision is up to us but Naiya is very weak and it's been a real miracle that she's held out for three weeks. She's just stopped growing though and…' Leonard was interrupted by a painful howl of anguish from Priya.

'She's going to die and I can't stop it!' she sobbed. Penny clasped her hands over her mouth, a tear rolling down her cheek.

'Maybe…' she started by Priya cut her off.

'Maybe nothing. There's nothing more they can do, her brain activity is dropping.' Priya sobbed and she looked into the NICU ward window at her baby girl. Standing up, she placed a hand on the glass. No one knew what to say.

'Priya, we have to make a decision.' Leonard said softly, remembering Penny's words about being her rock.

'I know.' Priya whispered, 'what do you think we should do?'

Leonard sighed, 'I think… we should take her off support and just enjoy the remaining time we have with her.' Priya nodded as he spoke, 'She's put up a hell of a fight but… her little body is just too weak to continue now. Naiya will always be with us… in here,' Leonard said softly, placing his hand on her heart.

'You're right,' Priya said softly and Penny felt herself start to cry quietly. Sheldon put an arm around her and pulled her closer to his body. Raj got up and sighed.

'I shall inform Annie,' he said softly before walking out.

'So are you guys back together?' Priya asked, trying to perk up.

'Yes we are,' Penny said softly. Priya nodded.

'Congratulations, it's nice that something good happened today.'

'Oh Priya, it will be ok. You couldn't help this.' Penny said softly and Priya began to cry again, 'Oh don't cry Priya, please… you'll make me start crying again. You have to think how well of a fight Naiya has put up. She's survived three weeks when some babies don't survive 3 hours. You will have plenty more kids in the future and Naiya will be there to watch over you and them.'

'I know, I just wish… I just wish that this hadn't happened to me. No parent should have to bury their child.' Priya said softly as Annie and Raj entered the room.

'Alright Priya, Leonard… we're ready for you now.' Annie said softly. Penny watched as Priya, Leonard and Raj followed Annie into the room where Naiya was being kept. She and Sheldon peered through the window as Annie and a nurse removed the wiring from Naiya. Priya sat down with Leonard beside her. Annie lifted Naiya out of the incubator, wrapped her in a small cloth and gently handed her over to Priya.

'She's so beautiful,' Priya whispered, stroking Naiya's face.

'She should just slip away,' Annie said softly and both Priya and Leonard looked at each other.

'Goodbye my beautiful baby girl,' Leonard bent down and kissed the baby's tiny head, 'we've loved you for every second of your little life.' He took out his phone and took a picture of Priya and Naiya together. They looked perfect; his perfect family… even if it was a short lived one.

Priya felt her baby's breathing slow down and a tear rolled down her cheek as she whispered goodbye to her daughter. 'Mummy loves you Naiya,' she bent down and kissed her as Naiya's breathing soon slowed to a stop. Annie made the move to take Naiya away but Priya stopped her, 'No, I… I just want to hold her for a bit.' Leonard, wiped a tear away and kissed Priya's temple.

'She's at peace now,' Raj said, placing a hand on Leonard's shoulder before speaking a few comforting words in Hindi to Priya. It was at this point, Sheldon decided that it would be a good idea if he and Penny left them to grieve.

'I just can't believe that she's gone; poor Priya and poor Leonard.' Penny sighed as they walked down the street to the hospital car park. 'God, that's really put a downer on my day now.' She sighed. Sheldon linked his hands with hers and gave it a squeeze.

'Well at least she's in a better place now.' Sheldon said softly and Penny nodded in agreement as they arrived at the pay machine for the carpark. Sheldon looked at the parking charge prices and his eyes widened, 'Wow, those prices are extortionate!'

'Tell me something I don't know.' Penny said sarcastically. Sheldon frowned, pondering what to tell her.

'Ok, well did you know that many people believe that frogs don't have gall bladders when in fact they do, it's just harder to find because it's located behind their livers.'

Penny looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief, 'What?'

'You told me to tell you something you didn't know, well, that's something you didn't know.'

'Sheldon, I was being sarcastic but thank you anyway.' She said, dropping a couple of quarters into the machine.

'Penny?'

'Yes?'

'I love you.'

Penny smiled at Sheldon and gave him a gentle kiss, 'I love you too.'

Thanks for reading guys, a nice long one for you :] Gonna admit I shed a tear when writing this [probably didn't help that I was listening to Alibi by 30 seconds to mars at the time lol] Saw a film called "Because I said" so the other da, so some of the chapter is influenced by it :] good film so if you havent seen it, check it out! Also a shout out to my reviewer Ontheledge! I had to use that frog fact you made in your review on chapter 26, it made me laugh and it was so random that it just made me think that it would be something Sheldon would say, so thank you :] Anyway I hope you liked the chapter, I will update soon! xx