3 weeks earlier….

Penny waited until she heard Leonard, Raj and Howard leave the apartment, arguing over which film they would see now that Sheldon had stopped being anal and agreed to stay home. She knocked gently on the door then let herself in. Sheldon was sat at his computer, but gave her a small smile when she came in. When had he started smiling at her like that?

"Good evening Penny. Are you well?" he turned back to the screen and started closing his applications down.

Oh, God, she thought. She knew subtlety would be lost on him; direct was always the way to go with Sheldon. Here goes, she thought.

"Erm, not really, Sheldon. I'm pregnant."

His head whipped round and he stared at her. "What?"

She suddenly felt panicky, and the tension of the last week threatened to overwhelm her. The words spilled out. "Sheldon, I'm pregnant. It's yours – yes, I've done the math - and I really hope you'll support me because I want to have this baby. I mean, I'll do it without you if I have to, but I think kids need both parents at least…around…even if you and me aren't, y'know…but I'm not going to get rid of it no matter what you say. So…what do you think?"

She stopped, waiting for his reaction, fully expecting him to start hyperventilating and half scanning the apartment for paper bags.

"Oh, my." He stared off into the distance.

She frowned at him. "What, that's it?" She wasn't actually prepared for anything other than a diatribe about how important his work was and how impossible it was for him to have a child right now. Actually, she had pretty much unfairly prejudged him, she realised. After all, he had taken her at face value that she was pregnant and it was his. She silently thanked him for not being a dick about it. Yet.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?"

Penny nodded at him dumbly. Sheldon dashed into his bedroom and emerged a few minutes later with a shoebox. He came and sat next to her, his long fingers moving over the lid of the box as he sat in silence for a minute. Finally, Penny broke.

"For God's sake, Sheldon, say something! Please?"

He didn't look at her.

"You are aware, of course, that I write to Memaw regularly." It was a statement, not a question, but Penny nodded anyway. "Yes, Sheldon, I am. But what has that got to do with…?" "Please, Penny, allow me to finish." he interrupted.

"Several years ago, I wrote her a letter in which I documented the opinions of numerous 'friends' regarding my apparent inability to find a romantic partner. Of course, I didn't consider it any kind of failure since it was not something I had ever attempted to do. However, these 'friends' did not interpret it in this way and instead preferred to cast aspersions on my future chances of finding a mate and subsequently procreating. In the interests of attempting to gain a balanced perspective, I asked Memaw if she thought I would ever find someone… willing…to carry my child. This is what I received in response."

Penny felt her heart break a little. They all made jokes about Sheldon's 'deal', and maybe sometimes forgot there was an actual person under that whack-a-doodle crust. But he had actually written to his Memaw to ask if she thought someone would ever love him? That was gut wrenching.

"Ok, sweetie…so what is it?"

He still hadn't looked at her. If she hadn't known better, she might have said he was…embarrassed? He sighed a little, then took the lid off the box and gingerly held up the contents.

It was a babygrow.

Emblazoned across the front of the tiny white outfit in big, blue letters were the words:

"My Daddy's a Rocket Scientist!"

Through eyes damp with tears, she looked from it to him, and saw he was smiling to himself. She reached out and took his hand, then lent over and kissed him on the cheek. He squeezed her hand, then looked up and gave her a small, but undeniably happy grin.