Christmas at the Hofstadter's

Chapter four

Before they knew it, it was Christmas eve, and the annual research papers were piled up next to the milk and cookies that Megan and Elliot had insisted be there for Santa. It had so far been an typical Hofstadter family Christmas, complete with and argument, condescending comments and obvious notes being taken for research purposes.

Penny was fed up already, she kept looking for flights on her phone, but they were all either sold out or extremely expensive, plus, the snow was really coming down now and the airport would sure be shutting soon.

"Beverly, will you please stop making notes on Megan?" Penny's outburst came from nowhere, everyone looked at her as Beverly put her note book away.

"if you didn't want me to do it, you should have just said" Beverly sighed in the normal patronising way she always used with Leonard and Penny "there's no reason to have a tantrum"

"I'm sorry?" Penny questioned, a little more assertive than she intended "I don't want you experimenting on my daughter"

"Oh, that's fine dear" Beverly swapped over the notebooks from her bag "I can make some notes on Elliot now"

"no!" Leonard somehow, finally found the strength to stand up to his mother "we don't want you experimenting on any of them"

"We told you that" Penny agreed "when I was first pregnant with Megan"
"Why can't you just accept that?" Leonard found himself crumbling again, the strong Leonard had disappeared as quick as he materialised "please just accept that"

"I don't know what you've got against it" Beverly answered "wouldn't you want your mother to be happy?"

"Not at the expense of our children" Penny found the strength Leonard had lost "we want our children to be happy"

"I don't see why they wouldn't be" Beverly was annoying Penny more and more with every breath "they know I love research"

Leonard didn't know what to say, he simply shook his head and walked away.

"Thanks for ruining Christmas" Penny was almost crying "Alice's first Christmas"

Leonard walked swiftly into the quest room they had been 'assigned' during orientation. The décor and furniture screamed his sister, flowery, bright, think 1960s flower power and you'll be some of the way there. Leonard had actually considered wearing shades at night time when they first got there. None of that mattered now, though. He didn't understand why his mother wouldn't just let it go. She may've had children purely for scientific and research purposes, but Megan, Elliot, Alice and the new baby were wanted for more traditional reasons, love and family.

"what are we going to do, Leonard?" Penny broke his thoughts "are you okay?"

"I'm so angry" Leonard told her, a bit louder than he had intended "I can't stay here"

"okay, well where should we go?"

"home" Leonard shrugged "let's just go home"

"Leonard, it's Christmas eve, there will never be four available seats, and even if there are, they will be expensive"

"well, we can drive" Leonard suggested, regretting it immediately "we'll rent a car"

"Four two days?" Penny wondered where her sarcasm sign was when she needed it "and ruin the kids' Christmas? When I'm pregnant?"

"we can go to a hotel" Leonard's suggestion this time wasn't totally out of the realms of possibility, but still quite unlikely "if we can find one open"

"I think we're going to have to just suck it up, just stay here until boxing day and then go home from there, then, we never have to see your mother or any of your family again"

"I suppose so" Leonard shrugged "we do have Sheldon and Amy here"

"exactly"