Penny was on her hands and knees, furiously scrubbing at the floors, trying desperately to distract herself and to keep her eyes off the clock where she was obsessively tracking the time. Jake wasn't home. He had forced her to go with him the night before, even though she hated his friends. Punishment maybe, for allowing Zoe to stay with Sheldon? Now he was having a "boy's night." Jake had always been a protective type, but apparently it was more than just concern for her and Zoe, jealously seemed to be playing a greater role in his reaction then she had originally thought.

And why shouldn't it. She was a married woman and here she was, counting down the hours until Sheldon returned with her daughter, and not just because she missed Zoe. It was because those few seconds she spent with Sheldon on her porch, she felt as though she could breathe again. It was as if she had been underwater for years and in those seconds she could come up for air, if only for a moment. Leaving him had been one of the hardest things she ever had to do, but living without him was ten times harder. Every day she was reminded of the fact that she had found the person she would love most in this world, and the sad irony was that her soul mate didn't love her back. It broke her heart and while Zoe had brought her back to life, she had never stopped hurting. And now here he was, suddenly apart of her life. And the guilt killed her because the fact remained that she was married, and she wasn't a cheater.

She practically jumped when the doorbell rang. It was so taxing to get worked up every time the doorbell rang and to experience the fierce hope that it was Sheldon. She was up on her feet in a second and at the door. She opened the door and took in the site in front of her, before cracking up in laughter.

Zoe and Sheldon stood in front her, with matching Mickey Ears, both of them had arms filled with toys, games and other Disneyland paraphernalia. Both looked wide eyes and happy from a day of Disneylanding, and it was pretty much the most adorable thing she had ever seen in her life.

"What is she laughing at," asked Zoe.

Sheldon shrugged.

"Nothing," said Penny composing herself and hugging Zoe tightly. "Did you have fun precious?'

"I did mother, so much fun! I got my picture taken with the X-Men!"

Penny looked at her confused.

"The X-Men are at Disneyland?"

"Yes Disney bought Marvel several years ago mother."

"Oh yes," said Penny with a laugh. "How silly of me."

"It was so funny mom, I ate a corny dog and then I threw it up after I rode the teacups! Dad had to hold my hair out of my face!"

Penny looked up at Sheldon, about to apologize but he seemed to be smiling with a slight amusement.

"Yes, it was quite an experience," he said, absently patting her head. Penny could barely hold back the look of shock. Sheldon met her gaze. She was looking at him as if she barely knew him. Understandable, when she was pregnant it never entered Sheldon's head to even ask her how she was, let alone hold her hair for her during morning sickness.

"Very nice of him," she said slowly. "Thanks again, Sheldon. I really appreciate it."

"Mom," said Zoe interrupting her. "Where's dad?"

"He's …out," she said.

"Again," asked Zoe. "I feel like he's always out these days! I wanted to show him my picture with the X-Men."

"Why don't go you put it on the fridge baby," she said with a smile.

"Capital idea mommy," she said, skipping off into the house.

"Of course," he said. "It was no trouble at all. I hope that you'll let me take her for the weekend again soon."

She smiled softly.

"I'm sure she'd love that."

They two stood in silence, thick awkward tension hanging between them.

"Well," said Penny finally. "I guess we'll let you go."

Sheldon nodded. Zoe had reappeared at Penny's side, looking up at her and then back to Sheldon, she clearly didn't want him to go.

"Thank you, daddy," she said sweetly. "I had fun."

She hugged Sheldon around the legs tightly. Penny looked sadly at Zoe, who was holding to him tight and long.

"I'll miss you," she said.

"Sweety you'll see him again soon," said Penny.

"Yes," said Sheldon. "I promised to take you to the university sometime soon."

Zoe seemed to light up at this.

"Oh yes," she said with a happy hope. "I can't wait."

She detached herself from Sheldon and stepped back with her mother, who, if Sheldon didn't know any better, seemed a little sad to see him leave as well.

"Bye Sheldon," she said one more time.

Sheldon was suddenly seized with a thought. Then he abandoned the thought, then once again, he threw caution with the wind and held out his hand to block the door from closing.

"Uh Penny," he said, his eyes down, obviously embarrassed. "It's Halo Night."

Penny looked at him for a moment, a small smile playing on her lips. Zoe looked up and watched the two of them with keen interest.

"I know, Sheldon," she said. She thought of Halo night once every week, she never thought she'd have it again.

"Well, unless you are previously engaged would you like to join us?"

"Yes," she said. It was abrupt, pure impulse, and the knowledge there was absolutely nothing she would rather be doing tonight. There was a flicker of guilt when she remembered Jake, but he was out with his friends having "guy time", she would hang out with her friends, for the first time in years.

Sheldon looked shocked by her quick response, but pleased.

"Alright, then," he said.

"Just give me a second to get changed," said Penny.

Zoe made a squeal of delight. She had been hoping she would have a chance like this. She wanted to see her mother with her friends, to see her mother having fun, and she wanted to be with the two of them together for more than 30 seconds, at least once in her life.

XXX

"Sheldon, you're late," yelled Leonard as he got up to answer the knock at his door. "This time is going to have to come out of either bathroom time, game time, or dinner time and frankly…"

Leonard opened the door to a sight he never thought he'd see. Sheldon standing next to Penny and Zoe in front of them, they looked like a family, a real family.

"Penny," he exclaimed excitedly. He had seen Penny a few times since she returned but this was different. It would be like old times, times he thought he'd never get back because of Sheldon. Penny laughed giddily and hopped closer to him to give him a hug. Zoe followed suit, though she had seen him recently.

Howard and Raj were equally excited to see her.

"Thank God you're here, Penny," said Howard. "Someone has to knock Sheldon off his high horse and his 34 game winning streak."

"Oh it would be my pleasure," she said happily.

"It's good to see you Penny," said Raj quietly. While he hadn't conquered his fear yet, he had gotten considerably better at speaking to women, plus he was also overcome with joy at having the whole gang back together again.

"You too Raj," she said hugging him tightly and planting a kiss on his cheek.

Zoe stood beside Sheldon, both watching Penny as she interacted with her old friends.

"Good," said Zoe, with relief.

Sheldon looked down at her.

"What?"

"She looks happy," she said with a smile. Sheldon nodded in agreement, she looked like the old Penny.

Zoe cocked her head to the side and smiled.

"You know all children think their parents are the best, and it causes them to over exaggerate certain qualities?"

He nodded.

"I have never had that problem," said Zoe. "I have always been able to say "my mother is the most beautiful women I have ever seen" and it be true."

Sheldon took in her words and remembered a time when he had thought that about Penny too. He still thought she was the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but there was once a time when she was with him, when he could have said "the most beautiful woman in the world picked me." He had lost the right to say that. His thoughts were interrupted by a tiny hand squeezing his. He looked down.

"Also, if I tell 99% of the child population in the world that "my dad is smarter than your dad", it'll be true."

"99.9% I'd say," he said.

She pondered it for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

"Most likely."

XXX

"Kill him mommy! Kill him! Blow his head off!"

"I'm trying!"

"There is no try woman," yelled Zoe who was on her feet, eyes glued on the screen.

Sheldon and Penny were the last left in the epic battle of one-on-one between them. Zoe was watching and cheering on her mother to victory. As much as she loved Sheldon, there was no doubt where her loyalties lied.

"Where is she…I don't see her! Where…" Before Sheldon finished the pieces of his character flew onto the screen in a bloody explosion. Zoe and Penny let out identical screams of victory. Sheldon didn't even have time to pout over his loss, seeing Zoe and Penny holding hands and jumping up in down, basking in her victory, made it impossible for him to feel anything but completeness. The feeling haunted him, this the way his Halo Nights should've been for the past 6 years. This is what his life should be.

XXX

Penny quickly lost track of the time. She loved being back with her boys. They chatted long into the night. Zoe had fallen asleep on the couch, her head in Penny's lap and her feet in Sheldon's. But she couldn't bring herself to leave, she wanted to make this time last as long as possible. She had stayed in relative contact with Leonard and Raj, even Howard, but it was different being with them and hearing what they have been up to. It was different telling them, face-to-face, about the trials and tribulations of raising a prodigy. It wasn't until Jake's name came up that she felt reality come crashing down around her, this was not her life. This was her old life. She had a new life and a husband, a husband who loved her when she thought every man would turn and run when they heard she had a kid, a husband who helped turn her little business into something that actually supports them. He had done a lot for her.

"I suppose we should leave now," said Penny. "It's already past your bedtime Sheldon and you still have to drive us home."

"Oh of course," said Sheldon. "It's well past Zoe's bedtime."

Penny gently lifted Zoe's head off her legs and hugged each one of her old friends goodbye, each one making her promise that she would come back again. She didn't know if she would for sure, but she hoped so.

When she turned around, Sheldon was gently lifting Zoe up into his arms, her head resting against his shoulder. Penny drew a breathe and held back the sudden impulse to cry. He loved Zoe, Zoe loved him, and she, she loved them both. Why did everything have to be so complicated all the time? Well, she was in a room with five geniuses, everything was always complicated.

"Are you ready Penny," asked Sheldon. She nodded, unable to speak at the moment. She followed him out the door. They walked in silence to the car. Zoe still had awoken. She stirred a little when Sheldon buckled her in but she quickly lay her head against the door and fell back into a sound sleep. Penny half hoped that she would wake up. She didn't feel like she could make small talk with Sheldon, they were never good at that, it was one of the things she loved about Sheldon. He never bothered with small talk, so she took to heart everything he said.

They rode in silence for a while before Penny couldn't bare it any longer. She was always the first to break.

"Thank you for inviting me tonight Sheldon."

He nodded, but his eyes were on the road.

"I miss you guys."

He nodded again, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. He couldn't talk to her, without other people there to temper him, he just might tell her to leave her husband and come back to him, but he couldn't do that. He had no right to ask that of her, and furthermore it might cost him his visits with Zoe.

He could feel her eyes on him.

"I'm sorry Penny," he said finally. "I'm not certain of the social protocol here, or what we are supposed to talk about, but I will follow your lead."

Penny looked at him with the same look she had earlier.

"I thought you were the exact same Sheldon, but you're not are you?"

He looked at her briefly, conveying his confusion.

"I assure you I am."
"No, you've changed. I have never heard the words "I'm sorry" from you Sheldon, and now you can just say it so casually. You hate human contact but you'll hold Zoe like it's the most natural thing in the world. You hate bodily fluids but you took care of her when she got sick. What happened to you?"

"You could barely do laundry or pay your electric bill," said Sheldon. "Now you have created a successful business, you take care of a household, you make decision everyday that impact not only yourself but those dependant on you. What happened to you?"

"Zoe," she answered without skipping a beat.

"Well there you have it," said Sheldon, in answer to her question. Penny turned away to look out the window, discreetly whipping away the tear that finally made it's way down her cheek.

"She's amazing," she choked out.

"Indeed," said Sheldon with a nod. "You have done a superb job raising her Penny. "

"I barely had to raise her," she said with a laugh. "She was smarter than me at age three."

"That has very little to do with it," said Sheldon. "If nothing else a young genius needs more nurturing and direction then most. Many parents are not equipped to deal with a mind like Zoe's, it's frightening and intimidating. Zoe is incredibly lucky…assuming one believes in such a thing."

"Well," said Penny with a light hearted laugh. "You know, between the three of youI had plenty of practice taking care of geniuses. I was well prepared."

"Nonsense," said Sheldon. "It is hardly equivalent. Zoe is much smarter than they are."

Penny let out a laugh, a genuine Penny laugh and it warmed Sheldon that he still had the ability to do that.

When they arrived at Penny's house, Jake's car was still gone.
"He's out awful late," said Sheldon looking at his watch. Penny looked at him with an amused look.

"We're just getting back too."

"I suppose so," he consented, but he could see the strange look in Penny's eyes. She suddenly looked sad again. He offered to help her into the house, but she declined.

"Goodnight Sheldon," she said unbuckling her seat belt.

"Goodnight Penny," he returned, his voice low and slightly twangy. Penny leaned over in her seat and kissed him on the cheek. She couldn't help herself, it may be the last time she would have a chance. She hurried out of the car, gathered Zoe in her arms and made her way slowly up to her house. It didn't feel like home. She felt like she was walking away from home and each step hurt.

She could feel those piercing blue eyes following her up to the door, waiting to make sure she got in safely, clear blue questioning eyes.

If the question was "what the hell are you doing", the question that she was asking herself right now, then she didn't have an answer.