Back to the guys for a little lunch meeting

Own nothing

"What do you mean she said Thank you?" The level of disbelief in Howard's voice was apparent. "What did you do then?"

Raj just played with his lunch. "There wasn't really much to do… She said Thank You and then she left".

Howard looked on in disbelief. "That's insane… she can't just say thank you and leave!"

Leonard stopped pushing his salad around on his dish. "Trust me… that is exactly what happens. And…. I would seriously think twice about pushing too much. It could really end badly".

Howard shrugged. "I hear ya brother, we've been there and done that." Howard then turned to Raj, "I hope that you aren't planning to hook up with one of your friend's sisters to get over Alex. I'm an only child, Sheldon's sister gave birth and Leonard's sister has the possibility that she inherited the smoldering emotions of his mother".

Leonard shot Howard an icy stare "Howard!" Howard just giggled a bit and took a bite of his rice krispy treat.

Sheldon looked up. "Leonard, you simply cannot make the assumption that the comment made by Alex, although made under similar circumstances than the one made by Penny, carry the same connotation. Alex is a smart, intelligent young woman and possesses an intellect that on the surface implies that she would observe, and deduce conclusions based on the intricacies of the posed problem."

Leonard took offense to the implication. "Are you saying that Penny is not smart?"

Sheldon put his fork down and looked at Leonard. "Not at all, but you do have to concede the fact that when you are dealing with Penny when she is in a situation that she is not in control of, or under conditions that are not what she has anticipated….. is something akin to opening a gate at the Bucking Bull Championships. Your chances of lasting eight seconds are slim".

The three of the other guys just nodded in agreement. Sheldon smiled and picked up his fork to continue with his lunch.

Raj, although amused by the conversation, was still at a loss for what to do. "What should I do? I thought that if we talked, we would understand how important this is and how much we mean to each other. After a response like that, I don't know any more than before… and then, she just left…"

Leonard spoke first. "Raj, you just need to be honest with yourself. You laid yourself out there and that's a good thing. Maybe Alex just needs some time to think. Give her a little space and then ask. Just don't push her to say something she is not ready to say. Trust me, you'll regret it".

Raj looked disappointed. "Yeah… OK... Howard, did you talk to Bernadette?"

Howard smiled a little. "I did, and she did tell me that she had been asking my mom about how it was for me when I was little. I was an only child and only had my friends. And she wanted to know how I felt about not having my Dad around. Then she said she asked her Mom about why they left Bernie in charge of her brothers and sisters so much. Bernadette didn't have such a good time always having to be their mom. She felt like she had to grow up too fast."

Leonard asked. "Did she say anything about Penny and the kids?"

Howard continued. "Well, she has always really liked your kids. They have always been so good and quiet, except for Max, who just wants to see his mom naked all the time. He's going to be such a perv when he grows up. You gotta love his enthusiasm."

Leonard glared at his friend. "Howard, he's just hungry".

Raj giggled. "Yeah, but can you blame him? Penny was always beautiful, but since she has been breast feeding.."

Leonard now shot a look in Raj's direction. "Could we please stop talking about my wife's breasts? Howard, what did Bernadette think about having a baby?"

Howard was a little more quiet, almost shy. "She said that maybe she would. She said after talking with everyone and spending more time around infants, she would think about it. She is still concerned what would happen with her job and what would happen to her body, but she was a lot more open to the idea."

Raj was curious. "What made her change her mind Dude? She was al worried about her figure and her career. Alex is worried about that stuff too. I think that's part of her issues."

Howard looked at Raj. "Well, to be honest, she just said maybe. And I'm sure she's still worried about that stuff. I mean, look at how small she is. Can you imagine pushing a baby out? She shouldn't be worried about her figure, but she is. And then there's her career. She thinks that she won't get ahead and will get passed over for advancement if she has to take time off for a baby."

Sheldon questioned. "I was under the impression that the two of you had an agreement that YOU were the parental unit that would stay home and take care of the children, assuming of course that you came to an agreement to have any".

Howard looked over. "Well, that was a possibility,… at least in her mind… She said that her mother offered to help out and her mother would kind of press Bernadette's sisters to help considering that Bernadette had to take care of them when they were younger. And my Mom would help."

Leonard smiled. "That sounds great Howard. It seems that you have a support system all figured out. You can count on us too. I know that Penny and I are really grateful for all the help that you have been for us".

Sheldon interrupted. "Leonard, as nice as it is to support your friends in need, are you possibly forgetting the fact that Penny is taken up caring for your children, and Raj and Alex could be finding themselves in the same situation. I see no way to offer a support structure on such an informal basis. If you are serious, we will have to have meetings and comment sessions before we draft a formal Parental Group Agreement. Howard, considering that we already have two children to take care of, and a possible third on the way, we may need you to delay you planting your seed, so to speak, so we can better co-ordinate our efforts."

Howard, Raj and Leonard stared at Sheldon in disbelief.