New chapter! I had this one partially written and I'm feeling guilty at not updating, so you get two in a row!
For the reviewer concerned that I'm not moving the Penny/Amy thing along, I appreciate your concern, and you didn't sound harsh. I've touched on it in almost every chapter since the blow up, but in real life, things don't work out quickly. Sometimes it's only realistic for two characters to give each other space. The Hofstadters (and Penny) need the time away that they're having at her parents'; however, this trip is directly influencing the last quarter of the fic, so it's not just a fluffy event I'm throwing in – from my initial planning of this fic in late 2012, this visit has been something of a catalyst for the ending of the fic, and you get the start of that in this chapter. We're getting there, and you don't have to wait all that much longer. It's not like TPA where it took Penny forty four chapters to get pregnant, that's for sure! :)
Ada's first Christmas wasn't much different from Savannah's. Like her sister at that age, she was more interested in the wrapping paper than her actual gifts, and sticking as many of the bows as possible to Leonard and her grandmother.
"Do you like your big stuffed horsey?" Wyatt asked, sitting down next to Savannah, who understood that the present was what waited inside the colorful paper.
"Yes," she said. "Thank you, Grampa." She stood up and leaned over, kissing Wyatt on the cheek, and then smiled at him.
"You're such a polite little girl," Wyatt said, touching her nose. "Now what did you bring for me?"
"Does Santa not like you?" she asked, looking confused.
"Savvy," Penny said. "Get the red present under the tree. It's from you and Ada."
Savannah looked confused, but found the present her mother mentioned and brought it to Wyatt. "Gloves!" he said, holding both pairs up. "I hope these purple ones are for you, dear."
"Purple for Grandma, brown for Grampa," Savannah said, as if she had actually bought them herself.
"Thank you, sweetheart," her grandmother said.
"Savannah, put your presents over by Daddy and then look out the window." Penny said. Savannah started over to the couch, and Penny cleared her throat. The girl went to retrieve her gifts and set them by Leonard before standing on the couch and looking outside. She squealed. "Snow!"
"She's never seen snow, has she?" Wyatt asked.
Leonard shook his head. "Not in person."
"Can we go outside?" Savannah asked.
"Put on your other sweatshirt," Penny said. "You don't have a winter coat. I did buy you mittens."
"I got it," Leonard said. "Come with me, Savannah banana."
"I'll pick up the wrapping paper," Penny said, taking Ada from Leonard and setting her on the overstuffed chair.
"So Penny," Wyatt said. "Have you and Leonard given any thought to a date?"
"Well, you know, we don't want it to be a huge wedding," Penny said, "so there's not a huge need to book a fan place two years in advance. We'll do it this spring sometime."
"If you're not set on a certain place or time, why don't you do it here?" her mother asked. "I don't mean today," she clarified. "But you'll be here another week or so, and that way your father could be there…"
"Woman, a plane won't kill me," Wyatt protested.
"I…I don't know," Penny said. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I would love for you guys to be there, and if doing it in Omaha makes that happen, then that's what we'll do. But…" she shrugged. "I don't know about doing it this week. Stuff's complicated."
"Amy?" Her mother asked.
Penny let out a breath. "She won't even talk to me. She can't have kids and she resents me for it. And I almost blame myself for her resentment even though it's not my fault I could have these girls. But I can't blame her…" she shrugged. "Amy has always sort of been…"
"Infatuated with you," Leonard said, coming back with a fully dressed Savannah.
"Really invested in our friendship," Penny finished. "And I don't need her to find the ground I walk on holy or anything, but I'd love for us to be on an equal playing field. She won't speak to me and that's hard."
"Who?" Savannah asked.
"No one," Penny told her. "Go and play in the snow with Daddy. Try not to fall on your face," she said to Leonard.
"I grew up where there's snow!" he protested. She grinned at him.
"Have you tried talking to Amy?" Wyatt asked. "I mean, when a cow is pissed at you, you give it food and it forgets you were the one who set up the electric fence."
"I've texted her, I've pleaded with Sheldon, I think he understands…which is something I'd never thought I'd say…" she shrugged. "I feel like that high schooler who holds on too long and gets her heartbroken. But Amy's not a boy, she's my best friend."
"Oh, this brings back memories," her mother said, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter and putting her arm around her. "You sad about your friends and telling me about it. Only this time you're not doing it to make me feel bad for you and give you more allowance."
That made Penny smile. "I would choose you guys over Amy," she promised her parents. "But I can't imagine marrying Leonard without her there."
"Have you ever had sex in a hayloft?" Penny asked Leonard after they'd put Savannah and Ada to bed and headed up to their room.
"No," he said. "But you know learning is a passion of mine."
"Well it's like, you're sleeping with someone, so good, but sometimes the hay will jab you in the back or arm or stomach and that's just annoying."
"Is this about to turn into a metaphor?" Leonard asked.
"Sort of," Penny said. "Let me tell you, I've come out of piles of hay with the most amazing marks…not important." She sat down on the bed. "I want to marry you."
"Well that's a relief."
"Hush." She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "I want to marry you, and sooner rather than later. But the thought of Amy not being at the wedding…" she sighed. "I needed this trip, Leonard. I needed to get away, and I needed the girls to see my parents. But it's just made me realize that I can't go on like this. I need Amy in my life. And since Amy's gone, so is Sheldon. Remember when we couldn't go a day without seeing them?"
"Yes," Leonard said. "Back when I lived with one of them and acted as his personal chauffeur."
"And I was backup for you!" Penny said, and they smiled fondly at the memory. "Leonard, so much has changed. And I know a lot of it is good. And if I could go back and give up my children to keep Amy in my life, there's no way in Hell I'd do it. Maybe I'm selfish for wanting her and them. But I can't help it."
"You're not selfish for wanting to hang on to a friend after you have kids," Leonard said, sitting down next to her and lying flat on his back. "I miss Sheldon, and I miss Amy. But what can we do?"
"So we shouldn't do anything?" Penny asked.
"That wasn't a hypothetical," Leonard said. "I mean literally, what can we do? We've reached out, and gotten nothing in return. And we've kept our distance, waiting for them to miss us, and who knows if that's happened."
"I feel so powerless," Penny said.
"Hey," Leonard said, rolling onto his side and tugging her closer. "You've got lots of control. Those girls worship you. And if you want to make Savvy idolize you even more than she already does, put her on one of those horses tomorrow in front of you. That euphoria might carry into her teenage years and keep her and us at a equal level."
"But Mom, I want to date him! Remember when I let you ride a horse?" Penny laughed. "I can see it now."
"That's exactly how it's going to work," Leonard said, sounding completely serious. "Just enjoy the rest of this vacation, Penny. If we want to get married here, we can come back for it. But we can't wait around on Amy forever."
Penny sighed, wiggling into a new position, so her forehead touched Leonard's. "I know. I know you're right. Since when did you become voice of reason?"
"When were you voice of reason?"
"Point taken. Just...let me try her some more when we get home, and if nothing comes of it, give me a bit of time to get used to the idea that she may really be out of our lives."
"She won't be," Leonard said, kissing her. "She loves you near as much as I do."
Penny dropped her voice to mimic Howard. "But probably in a different way."
Leonard chuckled. "So, about sex in the hayloft…"
"I think your asthma would kill you before foreplay finished."
"You know I have this pathetic obsessive need to make sure we've done all the stuff you've done with your past boyfriends."
She giggled. "We'll see how early the kids sleep tomorrow."
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