11
Penny did not enjoy her weekend. Though she had hoped to spend it getting ready for her return to the working world and reviewing her work wardrobe, she instead had to spend much of it mollifying a sullen Leonard.
"I don't want you working for Sheldon. I prefer that you not work at all."
"Leonard, I am bored out of my mind sitting at home all the time."
"You have yet to read any of the science books I set aside for you. Once I have tenure you'll need to be able to entertain and converse appropriately with my colleagues. And you should also be checking the course catalogs I brought home for classes to take. If you start now you could have your degree in two or three years. Sooner if you also go to summer school."
"Because I'm stupid, right? Because you don't want people to know that your fiancée is a dumb hick from Nebraska."
"That's not it."
"Sheldon doesn't seem to think I'm stupid. And I figure I'll pick up all sorts of science-y stuff working for him. Is that the problem?"
"No. I just don't want you working. I want you to take care of our home and our kids."
"Well right now we don't have any kids and we haven't even talked about when we will. By the way, in case you're at all interested my answer would be not yet."
"We'll need to get started soon because I want a big family."
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen, Leonard. There's no way I'm spending the next ten years pregnant."
"You'll see. Once we get started you won't want to stop."
"And you know this how?"
"I know you."
"And you think I want a big family?"
"Of course."
"Well, that discussion is going to be tabled for a while. A long while. I'll be staying on the pill and you will continue using condoms. There is no negotiating the matter."
"Penny, I don't get it. You have no acting career any more. There is absolutely no reason for us to not start working on our family right away."
"There's a big reason, Leonard. I. Don't. Want. To. Period."
"I guess I'll just have to be a little more patient. But once we have the wedding out of the way… And by the way, how do you expect to put your dream wedding together and work full time?"
"What dream wedding would that be, Leonard?"
"Haven't you been planning a big dream wedding since you were a little girl?"
"Um, no."
"I thought all little girls did that?"
"Yeah, some of my friends did that. I thought it was silly. They all saw getting married as their goal in life. I had other things in mind. I don't want a big to-do Leonard. We can't afford it and my family can't afford it. You are barely paying the rent and our other bills. We haven't had a night out since forever. Part of the reason that I accepted the job with Sheldon was so we'd have some money for stuff we've been doing without."
"If we really need something we can ask my mother."
"No to that. I can work and I will work. Sheldon is going to pay me a good salary and also offered to provide health insurance, something you haven't bothered to follow up on."
"There's a bunch of paperwork involved, Penny. I'll get around to it."
"Don't bother. I bet Sheldon has me set up by the end of my first day."
"I still object to you working for him. He's changed. Since he came back he's been different. Look at what he did to poor Amy."
"Leonard, Amy did that to herself. Sheldon went and manned up and put his family first. Maybe you could learn a lesson from him about what family really means."
"I know what family means. I watched That '70's Show and Happy Days."
"Well, I know you sure as hell didn't learn it from your family."
"One good thing about you working with Sheldon is that we'll be able to have lunch together every day."
"Maybe."
"What do you mean maybe? Sheldon always eats lunch with me and Howard and Raj. We'll just get a bigger table."
"Don't start planning out my workday for me, Leonard. I'll see what's going on when I get there. And I wouldn't be expecting Sheldon to go back to the Sheldonian schedule either. He has additional responsibilities now."
"Like what."
"He's helping Missy with the baby."
"Yeah. I'll believe that when I see it. I predict that Missy will run back to Texas within a month."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
"Sheldon will drive her crazy just like he drove me crazy and just like he drove Amy crazy."
"Y'know Leonard, sometimes you can be a real asshole. I'm going across the hall. Why don't you, hmmm, I don't know, try cleaning up some of your shit."