The Big Bang Theory FanFic

Christmas at the Hofstadter's

Chapter One

Leonard Hofstadter couldn't sleep. The worst had happened, and he didn't know how to tell his wife, she would be heartbroken, stressed and annoyed. If Penny felt any of these things life wouldn't be easy for anyone so all three together would be hell. Leonard looked at the clock, it was three am, unusual for nine-month-old Alice to still be asleep at this time, maybe the solid food and formula milk was making a difference. In what felt like a blink it was seven am, and Alice was just stirring. Penny was still asleep, so Leonard picked the baby up and went downstairs with her, still worried about how he was going to tell Penny.

"Morning, Daddy" their oldest child, Megan, came bounding into the living room "three weeks to go"

"I know" Leonard tried to be super excited for Megan "I bet you're looking forward to it!"

"You know I am, daddy" Megan laughed "aren't you?"

"of course," Leonard tried his best to be convincing, hoping he'd got away with it "Alice's first Christmas"

"Yay" Megan giggled and bounded out of the room as suddenly as she had come in

"morning" Penny stretched and slumped down onto the couch "thank you for the lay in"

"No problem" Leonard smiled at his wife, she always looked beautiful first thing in the morning, even if she didn't feel it "how are you feeling?"

"awful" Penny sighed "I can't believe I'm putting myself through this again"

It had been a week since they found out that Penny was pregnant again, and she just felt awful. Having had all three of her previous pregnancies in her thirties, Penny had been considered an older mother, but this time she was forty and boy was she feeling it.

"I'm pleased you are" Leonard beamed "you know that"

"I know" Penny rolled her eyes out loud "two weeks to go and them I'm off work for Christmas, can't wait"

"About that" Leonard took a deep breath, he knew that, to put it mildly, Penny wouldn't' be pleased with what was happening at Christmas "I need to buy some plane tickets"

"why?" Penny didn't really want to know the answer "where are we going?"

"New Jersey" Leonard answered cautiously "Christmas at the Hofstadter's, we've been summoned"

"oh, great" Penny groaned "morning sickness, and your mother"

"I'm sorry, you know what juliet's like when she gets a bee in her bonnet"

Leonard's relationship with his sister was difficult. Actually, Leonard's relationship with most of his family was difficult. It was a badly kept secret that the only reason Leonard had been born was to test his mother's childcare and parenting theories. There was nearly ten years between Juliet and Leonard and all the attention went on her, and their brother, Michael. When Penny was pregnant with Megan, Leonard had had enough. He had flown them both up to New Jersey to confront his family. Leonard's dad, Alfred, and his sister, Juliet, were devastated, they had spent most of the visit doing all they could to make it up to him by getting to know Penny more and talking things through with Leonard. As a result, Penny and Juliet had become good friends and Juliet had spent the next seven years taking evert opportunity to try and get the family into some form of normal.

"I know she means well" Penny sighed loudly "but she choses this year to have a family Christmas, when I'm pregnant and nauseated?"

"in her defence" Leonard shrugged "she doesn't know you're pregnant"

"are we going to tell them?" Penny asked, fighting back the sicky feeling

"I think we're going to have to" Leonard chucked as she ran out of the room.