My first disclaimer of the day was rather philosophical so this here is the second whack at it. All the stuff contained in this work of fiction based on any TV show, movie, cartoon, comic book, novel, short story, painting, general rumor, specific rumor, long winded answer, brief morning exchange or similar sharing of an idea, character, location, joke, skit, school play, ink blot tests etc. that did not come out of the authors head belongs to them. Be warned many times the authors head is rather a jumble of misleading thoughts, ramblings, memories and the like so it's possible that he lost his train of thought during this entire disclaimer. Still can't own a cat.

Routine Renderings

Leonard awoke to a very wet nose pushed into his right ear. He flinched and took his right arm off Penny to push Leaky off the bed. Penny groaned, "How does that dog manage to open a closed door. I have to remember to lock it." Einstein said hello next by jumping up on the foot of the bed. Leonard rolled onto his back and Penny rolled with him tucking into the crook of his left shoulder.

"What's got into them this morning?" Leonard sleepily said stretching his right arm.

Penny snuggled a little closer, "Nothing really they just want the old routine back. Before I became engaged to this amazing sexy professor I would get up every morning I didn't have work and take them for a walking jog. Then come home and work out. But lately I'm just staying in bed all morning with you."

Leonard pulled her closer, "At least I've been giving you the work out part."

Penny snorted under breath "who did most of the work last night."

Leonard chuckled, "Your choice."

She then raised up and kissed his cheek. She started to get out of bed. "Who wants to go for a little jog today?" The two dogs immediately howled then quieted when she raised her hand. She grabbed her yellow robe and called over her shoulder, "Coffee Leonard"

Leonard rolled on his right side, "I could get used to this routine, sure."

Gaining Perspective

Leonard sat at the counter drinking his morning coffee reading the news on his tablet. Penny had taken the dogs for their walk and the house was very quiet. He checked his mail. His banker in Geneva said the 4th quarter looked very good about a 6% gain on his trust and Lisel's trust was up about 4% for the year. He would need to talk to him soon and set something up so Penny could access his in case, He thought about the case, he was 9 years her senior. There would and should be a time when he wouldn't be there anymore. It would be far better than the alternative. An overwhelming sadness fell over him. Penny and Lisel would miss him and that would hurt them terribly. He knew that hurt, an emptiness for a loved one that can never really be filled. There is no healing the wound, just learning to live with it. There was no conflict in his mind. Penny was his first love and he loved her more now if that was possible. But he missed Liisa. He missed her laugh and the way she could lift his mood. He missed listening to her read her poetry to him. The way she would touch his hand to calm him down when someone frustrated him. How she could handle a difficult person with such gentleness and finesse. Penny could also. She knew how to handle people. She could be soft or hard depending on what was required. He did think it took toll on her though.

Sometimes it took time to get back to herself, to get out of the part that needed to be played. He decided he better start going on the walk with the dogs too. Get out and get more exercise, maybe cut back the scotch a bit. If he let Penny know she would certainly be motivating him to do it. Probably just work on it myself, at least for now.

He thought of the possibility of another child. It made him smile but the same fear of leaving them was there. Yep, got to start using the exercise room he thought. Though he loathed exercising, he liked to walk and keep active but some deep fear from gym class was still there. He started doing the math in his head. Lisel would be 18 when he was 59. If they had another child in the next year or two he'd be 64 or older when that child was 18. It was coming down to spending the next 20 years working or spending time with his family. Money wasn't a question still he was what he was a physicist and now a administrator. This was over thinking but of the right kind he decided. But he needed another perspective, he needed to talk to Penny about it. Then he heard the dogs and Penny at the door. Leonard pulled himself into the present turning to see two very happy dogs and his winded goddess coming through the door.

Assistant to a Person

Leonard helped Penny get the dogs out of their harnesses and put the leashes away. Penny caught her breath and he poured her some more coffee. She had on black tights and running shorts and a pink athletic tank top. Her pink running shoes matched the top and she had her Nebraska hat on. She sat next to Leonard at the bar still breathing a little hard. "Chelsea should be here in a few minutes, you should get in the shower."

"Chelsea?" Leonard hadn't heard about Chelsea.

"Sorry, she wants to be my new assistant. You'll like her she's young, cute and shorter than you." She had a wicked little grin from that last remark.

"You're not taller than me until the heels go on, besides I like taller older women."

This prompted a slap on the arm. Leonard feigned injury and started toward the bedroom with his coffee.

After his shower he decided that blue khakis and white button down shirt looked good for meeting a potential assistant.

Leonard started up the hall, as he approached the great room he could hear Penny's distinctive laugh. Not an acted laugh either but Penny's high pitched giggle.

Penny and a young girl really, were sitting on the couches in the TV area. "Leonard this is Chelsea. Chelsea this is my fiancé Dr. Leonard Hoftstader PhD."

Leonard offered his hand, she took it without rising. "Just Leonard will do, nice to meet you Chelsea."

Chelsea had brown hair with red highlights cut short but straight framing her face. She had pleasant face with large dark brown eyes a prominent nose and lovely smile. Leonard wasn't sure of her ethnicity. She was dressed conservatively in a tan skirt, white shirt, and matching tan jacket. Her shoes low healed black leather.

Leonard sat next to Penny on the other couch. "Chelsea and I were just comparing notes on Nebraska. She's from Grand Island that's West of Omaha."

Leonard nodded trying picture a map of Nebraska but it wouldn't come. He just smiled.

"So Chelsea, Josh has filled you in on the basics of this job. My personal assistant is pretty much on call unless you're on vacation. That said I try to respect weekends, holidays and any personal time you need unless I'm working. If I'm working, you're working, got it? You'll know when because you keep my calendar, both personal and professional."

"Yes Ma'am"

"Okay let's start there, ma'am is fine but I prefer Penny when were in private or public. But you have to refer to me as Ms Jenson or Penelope to other people. They might not even know who you're talking about if you don't. Not a lot of people are going to call me Penny. "

Chelsea nodded, very serious now. Leonard tried not to smile he was surprised she wasn't taking notes. Penny was being gentle with her, just guiding her along like they were going on a trip together.

"Chelsea this is really the most important thing. You are going to get to see the inside of our lives." She reached over and put her hand on Leonard's leg and looked at him. Leonard nodded. "Leonard, his daughter and I will be living our lives and you will be witness to it. What you witness must be totally confidential you're not to talk to anyone about our personal lives. That is the kind trust I have to have in my PA and that's why Patty got fired. I'm not working today so I have a list of things I want you to do. But what I really need for you is to think about that trust. You've already signed the confidentiality agreement but this agreement is personal between us."

She squeezed Leonard's leg again. He knew it was to show that us was both of them not just Penny.

Chelsea was a little hesitant but Penny smiled at her and put her at ease. "You can get started, go ahead and use my desk by the patio. The task list is in your mail. We'll go over my calendar later."

Chelsea gave her a smile, "Okay boss, I'll get started." She got up and headed back to the far end of the great room where the desk was."

Leonard leaned over and said quietly, "She's very young?"

Penny smiled softly at Chelsea's back, "18, same age I was when I got here. I hope she stays Leonard. Before you came out she told me she's half Rosebud Sioux. That's where she gets such beautiful skin and lovely eyes. She was 6 inches taller she could get modeling work."

She turned and faced Leonard and his heart melted. Just the real Penny, she hadn't been acting with the girl. The half grin she had on her face, a little cRooked on the right side.

She widened her grin, "Whatchya thinking?"

"Oh just how incredibly sexy and beautiful you are today." Leonard replied sincerely.

Penny blushed she'd yet to put any makeup on today. She started to shake her head and Leonard put his hand on her chin. He looked into those green eyes, for as long as he could. Leonard leaned forward to kiss her and whispered. "Seriously"

Paint, carpet and wallpaper

Chelsea Twobirds Lewis watched the two kiss out the corner of her eye. She grinned and looked down at her list. The first Item was to arrange for a painter to paint the spare bedroom the colors Penny had chosen. The next was ordering furniture that Penny had sent links to. Then to arrange to have some things moved from an apartment in Pasadena. She had been a Penelope Jensen fan since her show came on the air. She wouldn't let her down.

Morality is not a concept rooted in one's faith but in one's ethics and respect for your family, colleagues, friends and loved ones. That ethics and respect is what laws, civil society and civilization are all about. They are learned from the mother and the father who care for their child rather than abandon them, then from their siblings and friends. In the end it's learned from the other people you fall in love with you then pass onto your children. Not the circle of life that is nature, the circle of love that is human civilization.

This was the first disclaimer today I was in an odd mood. I like the new one better.

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Hope you enjoyed tonight's chapter, Reviews are awesome, like to know what you're thinking.

Kid Macy what would I do without you. I wait for your stuff all day long. I've talked to Leonard. 4B is yours contingent on you going to school to develop this inherent writing skill and sense of humor. Leonard and I are thinking USC, our treat? Oh and Yep Ipad 3 I have a bud in Cupertino.