Sorry guys. Had a couple of people quit or call off at work and I'm having to help cover extra hours. This chapter covers a bit more time. Hope you enjoy.

6 weeks later

Penny gently ran her fingers through Raj's curls. He had fallen asleep, his head resting on the bed. The door to her room opened and a nurse walked in pushing a bassinet. She smiled softly as the nurse handed her son to her. She wiggled into a more comfortable position and the nurse showed her how to cradle him. Chase Patrick Koothrappali latched on immediately.

"Glad one of us knows what we're doing,' she murmured.

The nurse grinned and placed a blanket around Raj's shoulders. "You're doing wonderfully, Mrs. Koothrappali." The nurse looked at Chase with a smile. "He looks just like you," she said before leaving quietly.

She looked at the wispy blond hair and chubby cheeks tenderly. Everything she had been through was worth it. Movement caught her eye and she turned to find Raj watching them with a smile.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

Penny blushed and looked back at Chase. "Priya will arrive in the morning with your parents. She is not an idiot, Raj."

Raj moved up onto the bed and slipped an arm around Penny. "Penny, Chase is two weeks early. He looks just like you. There is no reason for anyone to suspect anything."

She sighed softly. "I'm just worried that your family will not accept him. Your mom was really upset when we got married so quick. Your cousin even tried to get you to annul it."

Raj reached out and tucked the blanket around Chase's tiny feet better. "Penny, my family likes to think they are very traditional. Even though they really aren't. They have to complain, in order for them to feel like they have done their duty. But they have accepted you, and they will accept our son." He gave her a wide smile. "Look at him. He's adorable. How could they not love him?"

Penny relaxed against him. "We're lucky to have you."

Raj kissed her temple. "I am the lucky one. I was ready to give up, Penny. I was so lonely and in such despair. I had already decided to leave, you know. The night Amy announced her pregnancy, I was going to tell everyone I was going home. Then I saw so much pain in your eyes. I knew in that moment that you were just as unhappy as I was. I had suspected it all those weeks between your break-up with Leonard and that night. We spent every Friday on my couch watching rom-coms. Neither one of us talked about why we really avoided the others and hid what we were doing, but I had already begun to suspect. I would have returned to India a broken man. Instead I stayed to support you. I found a purpose with you. In essence, you saved me. Look at me now. I can speak freely to women. I have a kind and beautiful wife. A baby I dearly love. A job I relish going to. All because of you."

Penny switched Chase to her other breast and cuddled closer. "Quite the paradox," she said with a smile. "If you and I hadn't been so miserable, we would not be so happy now."

Raj reached out and cupped her cheek. "You are my best friend, Penny. I love you."

She smiled tearfully. "You are mine and I love you, too."

6 days Later

Sheldon stared at the picture Raj had sent attached to the group email announcing Chase's birth. He sighed heavily and deleted the email. Secretly he had always carried a small hope that it was he who had gotten Penny pregnant. That this was all some sort of mistake and one day she would show up and admit it was him all along. Of course it would never happen, but that didn't stop his infernal mind from wishing. According to Raj, their son was a week late. If it had been his child, she would be due within the next week.

He heard a whimper from across the room and hurried over to pick up Sabrina. It was time to eat, so he carried her into the kitchen to fix a bottle. Amy had to discontinue breast feeding because her nipples had become cracked and chaffed. She pumped every morning and afternoon, but it was still quite painful for her. Sabrina didn't seem to notice the difference between breast and bottle. He settled into the arm chair and got his daughter comfortable. He dreaded having to go back to work when his paternity leave was over. 12 weeks was not nearly enough time in his opinion. Amy had gone back to work last week, finding it difficult to stay home.

He didn't hold it against her. Amy was not predisposed to domestic endeavors. She preferred dissecting a brain to baking a cake. He, however, was finding it very satisfying to clean, cook, and take care of Sabrina. Amy seemed to love the other aspects of parenthood more. Bathing Sabrina, rocking her, reading to her at night. Amy was quite good at soothing Sabrina when she was fussy. If he could, he would work strictly from home. Too bad Cal-Tech required him to put in so many hours at the school each week.

When Sabrina finished her bottle, he burped and changed her. He carried her back to his home office and laid her back in the bassinette. With a heavy sigh he walked over and opened the laptop's trash folder and retrieved the email Raj had sent. He placed it in his secret Penny folder so it was password protected. He exited out of his email, and returned to working on his latest equations. He resolutely put Penny out of his mind. He had no business carrying a torch for a married woman. Especially not when he was a married man. But he couldn't delete the picture.

3 Months Later

Penny was at the stove when Raj walked in. He hung up his jacket and checked on Chase before walking over and kissing her cheek. Penny smiled slightly and stirred the stew. "Hey. How was work?"

Raj grinned widely. "Very interesting. Dr. Horton thinks we are moving in the right direction. It's a bit early to be sure, to be honest. However, the results from the initial tests are positive."

Penny smiled and pulled some iced tea from the fridge. She poured him a glass and sat down. "Sweetie, I want to talk to you about something."

Raj sat across from her. "Sounds serious. What is wrong?"

Penny patted his hands soothingly. "Nothing bad. It's just, I want to go back to school. I was doing pretty well back home and although I wasn't a top student, I was learning a lot. There's a small college nearby that I can go to. They have a great theatrical arts course, and if I work hard, I can probably have a degree in two years. There's just one problem."

Raj nodded. "We would need a nanny. At least part time."

Penny bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I know it's not cheap, and I hate to ask…"

Raj turned his hand over and curled his fingers around hers. "Penny, you are not just my wife. You are my friend. We can afford this." He shrugged casually. "We should begin by putting out an advertisement for a nanny."

Penny stood and walked around the table. Raj scooted his chair back and she settled in his lap. "Thank you," she murmured as he held her.

Raj smiled against her hair and hugged her tighter. "Two things, though. We wait until Chase is 6 months old, and we make sure our nanny can cook."

Penny gasped and jumped up as the smoke alarm went off. She jerked open the oven door and pulled out the scorched bread. Raj chuckled as he opened the kitchen window and turned off the alarm. Penny threw the oven mitt at him and his chuckled turned into a full blown belly laugh.

All the noise woke up Chase and he waved her off to take care of their son while he cleaned up the kitchen. Maybe they should hire a real cook along with the nanny, he thought with amusement.

4 Weeks Later

Sheldon hesitantly handed the diaper bag and cooler over to Mrs. Fowler. He had to go back to work, and he hated it. "She will need a nap in 24 minutes," he said softly as his mother-in-law cradled Sabrina. She nodded calmly and motioned him toward the kitchen to put away the bottles of breast milk. Sheldon watched her face soften as Sabrina yawned widely. Whatever reservations Mrs. Fowler had had as a mother, she was more expressive with her grand-daughter.

"I will take good care of her, Sheldon," she assured him. "Amy said she will stop by during her lunch, and that you both would call periodically to check on her."

Sheldon nodded and leaned down to place a kiss on his daughter's forehead. "I will call every two hours. If you need me, I will come immediately."

Mrs. Fowler smiled slightly. "You are a good husband and father, Sheldon. I am sorry I ever had doubts about you."

Sheldon nodded uncomfortably and headed to the door. He had to force himself to open it and walk away, when all he really wanted to do was grab her back and go home. He would have to speak to the school board about on-site day care. He just knew he wasn't going to get any work done today.

7 Months Later

Penny walked into the house with a big smile. She had gotten through her first semester with flying colors! She couldn't wait to tell Raj! She hung up her coat and headed to his office with the letter containing her grades. She opened the door and stepped in.

Penny quickly closed her eyes and scrambled back out into the hallway. "Crap! Sorry! Should have knocked! Oh god! Sorry!"

She hurried down the hall to the kitchen and began pulling out leftovers from the night before. Ten minutes later Raj and Cara walked into the room. Penny blushed a bright red. "I'm sorry, guys! I really am."

Cara smiled and walked over to help Penny. "We know. Sorry, we should have put up a tie or something."

Raj moved over to kiss Penny's cheek. "So, what were you so excited about?"

Penny spun and grabbed her letter. "Look!" she said with glee as she showed it to them both.

Cara and Raj hugged her happily. "Congratulations!" Cara said sincerely. "We knew you could do it!"

Penny nodded. "Yep. I even got higher marks in algebra than I thought I would! Thanks to you tutoring me!"

Cara smiled and watched Penny hug Raj tight. She wasn't sure how they did it. They obviously loved one another very much. They both loved their son. And they both loved her. To Penny she was almost like a sister. To Chase, she was not just a babysitter, but a kind of aunt. To Raj, she was a lover.

When they had hired her, she had ignored the spark of attraction she initially felt for Raj. But as time went by, they got closer. Then, a month and a half ago Penny had sat them all down. She had said she could see the way they were starting to feel about each other, and she didn't want them to feel guilty about it. She wanted them to be happy.

At first she had been embarrassed and disgusted with herself, but Penny had erased all of that when she told Cara the truth. She and Raj did love each other. But it was the love of friends. They had married for reasons neither of them wanted to discuss, but that they were not a typical married couple. She and Raj slept separately, and she did not object if they wanted to be together.

At first it was a bit awkward until she realized Penny was telling the absolute truth. She really did want their happiness. Three weeks ago she had moved into Raj's room and now the four of them lived together. She was amazed. She had been orphaned at 15 and had no family. Penny and Raj accepted her into their lives and hearts unconditionally. She loved them just as much as they loved her.