Chapter 20 - Returning to Work
Sheldon and Amy spent that Saturday afternoon and evening at Amy's apartment packing some of her things to move over to Sheldon's apartment. As a result, Sheldon ended up staying the night at Amy's and because of that, both of them didn't return to Sheldon's apartment until Sunday afternoon, well after Leonard and Penny had already left to spend a lazy day hanging around the coast. So Leonard and Penny were walking barefoot on the beach, while Sheldon and Amy were moving boxes into Leonard's old room and not even realizing Penny, with Leonard now, had returned to Pasadena. The rest of Sunday and Monday, the comings and goings from apartment 4A seemed to happen when Leonard and Penny where comfortably in apartment 4B or gone, so even after Sheldon left for work Monday morning, while Leonard and Penny were still asleep in Penny's bed, Sheldon was still oblivious to their presence next door.
Leonard laid awake, while Penny slept cuddled against him, in bed just thinking about his appointment with President Siebert that he made for after lunch, this Monday morning already beginning exactly like he thought it would. Leonard had stayed late that morning with Penny until the alarm went off for her to get ready for work, 9 AM, however, she had acted just like he expected, she just quickly shut it off and laid back on him, cuddling even closer while trying to fall back to sleep. Her actions didn't surprise him because she had acted that way the whole last week, since they got back together, her job as an actress was not important to her now, she seemed more than happy with him and nothing else seemed to matter to her. Though it made him feel special she would think that way, he knew she was still recovering from the heartache he caused her and he also knew how much her acting was her dream, something he would never take from her, so she had to get up. Leonard rubbed her back, "Penny, Honey, you have to get up for work."
"Okay." she whispered then pulled herself even closer to Leonard.
Leonard knew after she was back to normal, no he corrected himself 'they were back to normal', she would wonder about why she did this and rationalize she did it for them, but she would also be unhappy to have given up her dream. He promised himself he was going to make things right for her again, so she needed to get up. "Penny…" she didn't respond, so he said her name louder, "Penny!" which finally got her eyes open and looking at him. "You promised me you would do this." he now softly said.
"Leonard I don't need this, I only need you." she pleaded.
"Penny you have me. Please understand, you never really lost me, it was a one big mistake and now we need to get over it. You need to get back to your life and what you love." He tried to explain.
"I don't love that work, I love only you." she countered.
Leonard couldn't help but smile at her, "And I love only you, too, but I do like what I do at work, Penny, and you enjoy being an actress, so you need to get up."
"Leonard, I don't want to leave you." she whined.
"Look, I'll take you to work and pick you up, okay." he responded. He had thought that there would be problems this morning, so he came up with this plan to try and get her to go.
Penny sighed, she still didn't want to leave, but she could tell he wasn't going to give up and there was basically nothing for her to do, she was in no state to argue with him, the thought of arguing with him not even an option. So Penny gave up. "Fine." she pouted.
"That's my girl." Leonard gave her a kiss,
Penny got ready, but she really took her time, stopping every so often to kiss, hug or just rub against Leonard as she got ready. Leonard also tried to get ready with her, but she managed to slow his preparations too, jumping into the shower with him and making it take way too long, as she tried to delay them both by again rubbing against him with her nude body. Leonard was having trouble not giving in to her, but he knew this aggressiveness she was now showing was an indication she was getting back to normal and that her getting back to the work she loved, acting, would only help that process. So Leonard managed to keep her moving until they were finally in the car heading to her studio.
Once at the studio, she actually talked him to coming in the studio with her and then took him to the Craft Services table with her to have some coffee and a bagel. It was while they were standing there, alone, quietly talking, Penny's friend Carol walked up to them. "Penny, Honey how are you doing?"
Penny turned with a big smile that surprised Carol, "I'm doing fine. Carol this is my fiancé, Leonard." she told her proudly.
Carol, like everyone else, knew Penny was pregnant, that news spread through the cast and crew quickly, but Penny's cheerful mood and the sudden appearance of her fiancé just seemed a little strange to her, after all the drama from her last day on the set. Carol really liked Penny, they had quickly become work friends on the set, so she was a little concerned at the moment for her. "Hello Leonard, Of course I'm Carol like Penny said." she offered her hand to shake his.
Leonard took her hand, "Nice to meet you."
When their hands separated, Carol wanted to know more what was going on, she was surprised seeing this Leonard, he was not the kind of guy she expected Penny to be with, he was not in Penny's league. "So you guys been together long." she asked.
Penny smiled more and took Leonard's arm, "Off and on for over seven years, the last three, very on." she squeezed Leonard's arm as she pulled herself closer to him.
That information surprised Carol, seven years and three years steadily was a long time, it made Carol's concern start to wane, maybe this guy and Penny had something special going on, so she decided to be nice to him because he was Penny's man and Penny was her friend, but she was still curious. "So Leonard what do you do?"
"I.." Leonard didn't get to finish before Penny jumped in. "He is a researcher at Cal Tech in experimental Physics, I should have introduced him properly. Carol this is Dr Leonard Hofstadter, PHD in Physics at Cal Tech university." Penny said that with such determination and so proudly, it actually made Leonard feel a little self conscious and he blushed slightly in embarrassment at Penny's praise of him.
Carol never met someone with such an academic background, she personally knew few people with degrees and most of those were four year degrees in the arts. Standing there with an actual flesh and blood scientist, one of those guys who had the brain power to discover the secrets of the universe, was a completely new experience for her. For a second or two Carol was at a little loss for words, wondering what she could say to a scientist, like this man, and not sound like a stupid buffoon, she was actually a little nervous now. "Umm….Nice to meet you Dr Hofstadter." Carol put her hand out again and immediately felt foolish, since she had done that just a coupled minutes before with him.
Leonard chuckled slightly, "Nice to meet you too, Carol. My friends call me Leonard, Penny's friend's do too." Leonard then gave Carol a smile, before he turned back to Penny to smile at her.
Carol giggled and shook his hand again, he seemed like a nice guy, she was changing her mind, maybe he was in Penny's league, what he lacked in height and ruggedness he really made up in brains, big time, which did make him sort of extra special. "Thank you Leonard." Carol would have loved to talk to them more, but she knew her and Penny needed to go to the table, with the rest of the cast, and start work with the new script, so she now looked to her friend. "Penny, I guess we better get to work."
Penny's smile went away after Carol's words sunk in, so with a little bit of anxiousness she just replied, "You go ahead, I'll catch up." Then watched as her friend turned and left before she turned back to Leonard, a very serious expression on her face, her breathing becoming heavy. "Leonard, I don't want to do this. I really don't know how to be away from you this long right now. I don't know how to explain it…..do you understand?"
Leonard had hoped it wouldn't get this bad, he had hurt her very badly and it really disturbed him to see her so unsure and needy, it was just not her. "Penny, I promise I will be here to pick you up, then we can do anything you want later. I promise Penny, I will be here for you. Penny you are the only woman in the world I want to spend my life with, I could never leave you." Leonard then leaned in and kissed her, and Penny responded immediately deepening the kiss, until Leonard had to finally pull back or they would never let each other go.
Penny looked at Leonard and slowly nodded, she didn't want to leave him, the last week had been so nice with him, things were so much better now and she didn't want it to end. She was also scared, scared she would make some mistake again a ruin what she now had again and she couldn't let that happen. She needed him, both because she was pregnant, for the baby, and her own well being, she needed his love to help her through this time now, she didn't think she could make it without him. But he did promise to come back, and Leonard always tried to keep his promises, so with a strength she found inside of her, she decided to accept what he wanted her to do. "I'll call you when we get done." she whispered.
Leonard nodded. "And I will come immediately to pick you up, then I'm your's till tomorrow when you go to work again. Okay?" He gave her a small smile.
Penny finally smiled again. "Okay, just remember you're mine till I have to work tomorrow." She then gave him a quick peck on the lips then turned to go, looking back at him a couple times as she walked away and blowing him a kiss before she went through the door that Carol had went in previously.
Leonard sighed, he really hoped everything went well with her today, he would never admit it to her, but he also felt a little scared leaving her alone the next several hours. If anything, the last week only proved to him how much Penny meant to him, he never wanted to see her in pain again and he needed her as much as she seemed to need him now. He actually wanted to be the one to be with her while she was pregnant, even if the child wasn't his, he wanted to be the one to hold her and comfort her, the one she knew she was safe with. He would love her forever and in turn love her baby forever because that baby was a part of her, and he had plenty of love for both of them. He knew it was pathetic, but if being with Penny for the rest of his life meant he had to be pathetic, he now knew he could accept that, because being with her made it all worth it.
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It was an hour later that the actors were looking at the script for the episode they were to perform that week, they were now reading it for the first time. While they all read, Penny didn't notice the quick looks her fellow actors were directing to her or the look Carol gave her as she got to the end of the script. Penny was too engrossed in the pleasant thought that she didn't have very may lines or scenes in the episode and that would mean she would probably not be away from Leonard as much that week, because of her small amount screen time. It never occurred to her that she had gone from a main character to almost an extra since the news had gotten out she was pregnant.
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Leonard was sitting outside President Siebert's office ten minutes before his appointment just looking at his phone, trying to convince himself not to send Penny a text to ask how she was doing. He didn't see Dr Gablehauser till the man was standing over him, "Dr Hofstadter."
Leonard almost jumped, taking a couple seconds to overcome his surprise, then stood up, "Sorry Dr Gablehauser, I was…..I was just checking something on my phone."
Gablehauser chuckled, "No problem, sorry I surprised you. President Siebert can see us now."
Leonard nodded and followed the taller man into the President's office where he was warmly welcomed and offered a seat on the couch while Siebert sat on the other end and Gablehauser sat in a nearby chair. The next few minutes was occupied with a question and answer session about Leonard's work in England with Dr Hawking, and a couple questions about how Leonard liked it at Cambridge. Siebert and Gablehauser were actually quite nice to him and he soon relaxed as he answered all their questions, at least until they suddenly stopped asking them and looked at each other.
"Dr Hofstadter, I guess we really need to come to the real subject of this meeting." Siebert suddenly said, Leonard just looking at him and nodding.
"Cambridge sent us a courtesy letter telling us they were recruiting you to work with Hawking's team. So Eric and I did a little digging and found out they were offering you a higher salary and tenure to entice you." Siebert stated and Gablehauser just nodded.
Leonard felt nervous, he was unsure now if they were mad and had called him in to fire him, because he didn't really want to leave. "Yes they did, I have been back in California since Saturday, so I haven't had a chance to tell anyone yet." Leonard tried to defend himself, trying to make them understand he wasn't hiding anything from them.
Siebert held up his hand, "We understand completely Dr Hofstadter. I know it is quite an honor to work with Dr Hawking, but Dr Hofstadter we would like to make you a counter offer."
Leonard blinked a couple times in surprise, a moment ago he had not planned to leave and was concerned they were going to fire him, but now they wanted offer him something to stay, he now thought carefully as he replied, "Certainly, President Siebert."
Siebert smiled, "Dr Hofstadter, the board has already agreed to offer you tenure, like Cambridge has and a salary offer to equal theirs." Leonard nodded, so Siebert continued. "We can't offer you the same career prestige as working with Dr Hawking, but we thought of something else that could be a boost for your career." Siebert then nodded to Gablehauser.
Gablehauser nodded back, "Dr Hofstadter, I will be leaving the university next year to take a position back east, so my position will be vacant. President Siebert and the board agreed that you would be immediately appointed Deputy Dean of the Physics department then when I leave, Dean." Gablehauser looked at Leonard, who was just staring at him.
"Of course, that would result in added salary and benefits, bringing our monetary offer to one larger that Cambridge's." Siebert added.
Leonard swallowed, he felt he was dreaming, Deputy Dean and tenure was a huge boost to his career, something he never expected, since he had not actually planned on leaving. He was at a loss for words, "Um, I am honored at your offer sir."
"Leonard all I ask is you take a couple of days to think about the benefits of staying at Cal Tech over Cambridge. This university has a lot to offer and I request you take that in consideration before you accept Cambridge's offer." Siebert quickly added.
"I will Sir and I have. I accept your offer and I will stay at Cal Tech." Leonard stated.
Siebert and Gablehauser looked at each other in surprise, then turned to Leonard smiling and shaking his hand. "Excellent Dr Hofstadter, I know you made the right decision." Siebert said while shaking Leonard's hand.
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While the actors were taking a break from their table read, the producer watched Penny talking to her co-actor Carol, expecting Penny to come to him at any moment to complain about her screen time. Over the last few weeks, discussions had be held about her part, after the clinic told them she was pregnant, and even though her work had been excellent, they had decided to write her off the show, to avoid any problems. But she did have a contract for ten episodes so they planned to marginalize her character over the next episodes until the tenth where she would be written leaving for good. He was just a little surprised that she hadn't run up to him after the table read, maybe she was smarter than he thought, that suddenly made him groan as he thought that maybe she was planning on getting a lawyer.
"I'm so sorry Penny." Carol told her.
Penny looked at her confused, "About what?"
"What they did to your character in the script. I know they don't have much respect for us new actors, but to write your character like that is just cruel. Just because you are pregnant…." Carol suddenly stopped as she saw Penny's eyes go wide.
"You know?" Penny whispered.
Carol cursed herself for saying anything before Penny told her, but now that she was down that rabbit hole she decided to spill her guts, so she nodded. "We all knew the next day. Penny you know that paperwork we signed in our contract gave the studio permission to know about medical things about their actors that could impact the show."
Penny nodded, "I guess I should have realized that." she just said.
"It is not fair they are reducing you screen time because of it." Carol added.
Penny stood there a minute and thought if it really bothered her and found she didn't care. "Oh well." Penny shrugged
Carol looked at her confused, "You're not mad?"
Penny smiled then shrugged again, "I feel I should be upset, but I'm not. I love Leonard and we are getting married in five weeks, so that is so much more important to me, I just don't feel this job is that important."
"Oh honey." Carol took Penny into a hug. "I'm so happy for you."