Welp, I'm still alive after last chapter. That's always good.

DISCLAIMER: I really hate writing theses…I don't own anything; you all know the drill by now.

When Howard finally emerged from the hospital room approximately thirty minutes later, he found Raj waiting for him. He'd totally forgotten about the panicked call he'd made to his best friend on the way.

"What's going on dude?" Raj asked, holding his hands up in a 'what the Hell' gesture. "I was on a date with Danielle when you called and –"

"Danielle, as in the girl from the university?" Howard asked, not that he was exactly enthusiastic.

"She's not a student!" Raj responded. "That would be illegal."

"Actually, not illegal, just bad enough to get you fired." Howard sighed, sitting down next to Raj. "So, how was your date going?"

"Good, until you called me. I was really worried about you and Bernadette so I told her we had to go to the hospital."

"She's here?"

"Yeah, in the cafeteria, getting coffee." Raj paused. "Alright dude, now tell me what's going on. Is Bernadette okay?"

Howard looked down. "…She had a miscarriage, Raj."

Raj's eyes widened and for a moment he didn't say anything as Howard met his eyes again. "How could you not tell me? Your wife's pregnant and you didn't let me know?"

"She didn't let me know Raj!"

"She didn't tell you?"

"No, apparently it never crossed her mind!" He replied sarcastically, before sighing to himself.

"Did she cheat on you?" Raj asked. "Was it yours?" He wasn't joking – he was serious.

"Yes it is mine, Raj!" Howard didn't notice. "…Was mine…I…look, you're being really insensitive right now so just go back to your date or…or something."

Raj didn't budge. "Howard...look, I understand how you must be feeling…"

"Do you?"

"What?"

"Have you lost a child, Raj?"

"Well…no, but…"

"Then you don't understand."

Raj opened his mouth to say something else, but then decided against it. No matter what he said, it wouldn't make Howard feel any better. He had to give him time. "I'll be in the cafeteria if you need me." Howard didn't respond and so, feeling like a complete and total ass, Raj walked away.

He found Danielle sitting at one of the hospital cafeteria tables, pouring a packet of sugar into her coffee. He walked over and slid into the seat across from her. "Hey," She said. "This coffee really sucks."

"How much sugar have you put in that thing?" Raj asked, rubbing his temples wearily.

"Three," Danielle replied, tearing open a fourth. "If I don't, it just tastes like shit – next time I read a story about a nurse falling asleep on the job I think I'll feel a little more sympathetic." She took a long sip of her coffee and made a face, putting it back down and continuing to add sugar. "So, is your friend Howard okay?"

"He'll be fine," Raj said vaguely, wondering how much he should tell her. Finally, he decided he should just let her know, because if Danielle was going to (hopefully) become his girlfriend, she'd probably hear about it sooner or later. "His wife Bernadette just lost their baby."

Danielle put down her sugar packet and looked up at Raj, an expression on her face that made it look like her own best friend had just lost their unborn child. "You're kidding," She said.

"I wouldn't joke about this kind of thing," Raj told her. He picked up Danielle's coffee cup and took a sip. She was right – it was really bad. "I guess you made the right choice when you decided to hang back."

"Well," Danielle said with a shrug. "You know, I've never met the guy and I figured he needed some space. Having his friend's new girlfriend in the mix wouldn't have helped any."

Raj practically choked. "Did you just say what I think you just said?!"

Danielle reached a hand up to her mouth, narrowly missing spilling coffee all over the table. "Oh my God," She said. Her hand moved from her mouth to her heart and then back to her side. "I am so sorry, I said girlfriend didn't I…Raj, let me just tell you I am not one of those pushy, overprotective girls who tries to put a label on things too soon. I just assumed…but you know what they say when you assume…I've really made an ass out of us haven't I? I'm so sorry Raj, Dr. Koothrappali; I'll just be going…"

Her hand reached for her purse, and instinctively Raj reached out and grabbed her wrist. She looked up at him, surprised, and he was taken off guard by his own boldness as well. "Don't," He said. "…Stay. With me."

Then, Raj did something he'd wanted to do for days. He leaned across the table, took Danielle's chin in his hand and kissed her squarely on the lips. Less than a fraction of a second later, she kissed back, welcoming this audacious move with parted lips and what Raj thought was Pina colada flavored lip gloss. They don't care that they're surrounding by a bunch of people in a hospital cafeteria, some of them probably staring – they are two people experiencing each others' lips for the first time, and it consumes them in mind, body and soul for the time being. The duration is probably only a few seconds, but in those few seconds, they're both mesmerized.

A first kiss is always special. It either makes or breaks your relationship; it either confirms or denies that you're with the right person. You get your first taste of that person's lips, your first whiff of their scent, your first feel of their body. It can be anything you want it to be, just like your relationship, new and fresh and full of promise.

They pulled apart, looking at each other in wonder and amazement. Had they just kissed each other? Yes, they had. "Wow," Raj said. "Just, just…wow." He didn't think he could say anything else.

Danielle took his hand. "I'll stay," And stay she did.

Lenny and Shamy next time, I think. Oh, and a little Howadette scene that will probably cause you some pain. Yup.