Chapter 40 - The Past Revelation

The next week went quickly, the wedding was rapidly approaching so while Leonard and Penny still helped around the farm in the morning, the afternoons and early evenings were centered around their upcoming wedding. Penny was much busier with the wedding than Leonard, her sister and mother having things for her to do each day, giving Leonard a little time each day to catch up on his work at Cal Tech. His paper had really been well received, the university's peer review now complete, the paper was released and the response was overwhelming, Leonard was stunned to get emails from some of the most famous scientists in the world.

It was one of those emails that he was reading now, while sitting on the couch, it was at least his fifth re-reading of this particular email and he still couldn't believe it was real. He almost didn't notice Penny had settled her self next to him, taking a small break from making table centerpieces with her sister, mother and two cousins, he was so absorbed in reading the email again. However, her closeness and voice pulled him out of this email fixation, "What you do'in?" she greeted him in her singsong voice.

"I'm sorry." Leonard's reflex response just came out of his mouth without a conscious thought.

Penny giggled, things had been so perfect with him the last few weeks, anything that went on between them only endeared him more to her. "Sweetie, what are you sorry about?"

"Um…." Leonard tried to think why he even said that, finally finding some excuse to why he made that response. "For not noticing you until you sat near me and spoke?"

Penny giggled, he was so adorable, she put her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, "You're forgiven." She then glanced down at his laptop screen, "What are you reading?"

"Some of the emails, I have gotten concerning my paper." Leonard explained, turning the laptop so she could see while sitting next to him.

Penny glanced at the screen already seeing long words she couldn't even begin to imagine their meaning, until one word caught her eye, it made her stare at it a moment before turning to her husband, her eyes wide. "Dr Steven Hawking sends you emails?" she said in awe, Dr Hawking being someone she did know a lot about since meeting the guys years ago.

Leonard gave her a small smile, "No not normally, especially not since my North Sea trip."

Penny's expression turned to something slightly sad, "I never told you before, but I was going nuts while you were gone. Even though I had Sheldon to baby-sit, I felt lost without you. I guess if anything, that trip cemented for me that you were my future. I sort of knew then that I wanted be with you forever and that I would never find anyone I would feel the same way about again as I did you. Someone kind, who loved me, who I could trust and who challenged me." she gave him a little giggle at the end.

Leonard just stared at her, suddenly feeling horrible, "I…..I'm sorry Penny."

Penny got a small smile on her face, "You have nothing to be sorry about Sweetie, going on that trip was something I would have never kept you from, you had to do it. Besides you knew the commitment issues I had then, that time away just helped me put them in perspective and made me see how stupid my commitment issues concerning you really were. You could actually say that time away helped our relationship. Well except for that party at the end, I wanted to just yell at you that night I called, for having so much fun. I guess I was jealous you were having so much fun without me."

Leonard nodded a sad expression still on his face, "Penny, there was something I wanted to tell you about that party, but I guess I have been afraid to and the more time that has passed, between it happening, the easier it has gotten for me to put it off."

Penny looked at him, her heart tightening in her chest as the worse scenario came to her mind. "What is it Leonard." she very softly asked while staring at him.

Leonard looked at her and sighed, almost two years of guilt now bearing down on him. "Penny remember how I told you about what happened in England."

Penny nodded, "Yes. That was all that happened, wasn't it?" she cautiously asked.

"Yes, that is all that happened, I promise." Leonard quickly responded.

"Okay, is that what happened on the boat another girl hit on you." Penny asked, hoping that was all this was.

"Well sort of, but not the same." Leonard now felt this was a really bad time to be getting into this with her, after all that happened the last couple months.

Penny was beginning to get anxious and Leonard's nervousness in telling her was making her only think the worse. "Leonard just tell me." she said a little louder.

"Well, you could tell when you called we were partying and I was a little drunk." he looked at her as she nodded, "We were partying because the experiment was basically done, Dr Hawking sent a message that we had all done a good job and so all we had to do was finish up some details before we were going home. Everyone was a good mood, we now knew each other from working together, so everyone thought a party was needed." He stopped to look at her.

Penny needed for him to finish, she had to know what happened, "Go on." she said.

"Well, everyone was getting pretty wasted and you know I'm not a good drinker, so partying, talking to you, partying some more and dancing with everyone, I got sick." Leonard told her before stopping again.

Penny was getting upset, she felt that he was stalling and she was getting scared about what he was going to say. "Leonard, just tell me what happened." she now repeated to him.

"This woman, Mandy, who I worked with…..kissed me." Leonard blurted out.

Penny looked at him, "and?"

"At the time it happened I just kissed back and it took me a couple seconds to realize what was happening, that I wasn't kissing you, before I stopped kissing her back. I'm so sorry Penny." Leonard pleaded.

Penny just stared at him, "You kissed her?" Leonard nodded. "Then what happened?"

"Well she got sort of mad. You see the ship was moving and when I realized what I was doing, I pulled away just when the ship rolled and it pushed our faces together, making our teeth hit and I broke her tooth." Leonard explained.

Penny blinked, "Okay, then what happened."

Leonard looked at her and continued, "She swore at me, so I kept away from her the rest of the trip and she never approached me again, either."

Penny felt she should be mad at him but all she felt was relief that it didn't go any further, but now a question came up in her mind that she needed him to answer. "Leonard, have you ever dated anyone while dating me?"

Leonard looked at her confused then shook his head, "No."

Penny nodded, she couldn't stop now, "Sweetie, have you slept with anyone else since we got back together?"

Leonard was again surprised at her question, "No, of course not. Penny I know I'm a screw up and I don't know why you would want to be with me most of the time, but I have never slept with another woman or even wanted to when I have been with you." he told her.

Penny immediately thought of Dr Slut-Bunny, but quickly dismissed it because she had dumped him shortly before that encounter, so it was really her fault it happened. However she had one more question, "Are there any other women I should know about?"

"No, I promise that is it." Leonard quickly responded, then thought for a second, "You know nothing ever happened between me and Alex, right?"

Penny nodded, "I know." she looked down at her hands to think, she was actually feeling more relieved than mad. The England thing happened when they were separated, even in a sense broken up, so she could easily dismiss it. This new boat thing was cheating on her when they were dating, but before they got engaged, and to be honest after all that happened the last few months and it being almost two years ago, she couldn't bring herself to be too emotional about it. After all he didn't go looking to cheat and when he found himself kissing that girl he stopped it, she honestly had never been with a guy who would have stopped himself from cheating. There was also the thing of Leonard stopping it because of her, that he only wanted her, it made her feel less disturbed about it all and not really that upset. She sighed and looked back up to him. "I'm mad at you and I wish we were having sex so I could cut you off."

"Believe me I'm really sorry." Leonard quickly responded, "I'm a big screw up, and I don't blame you if you want…" he trailed off suddenly looking at her with a scared expression.

It took a second for Penny to understand. "Oh No mister, you are not getting off that easy, you still are on the hook to marry me. After we are married, I'm going to make your life miserable, as your wife, until I'm over this." She knew it was pretty much an empty threat, but he didn't know it, she loved him too much, especially after the last few months, she wanted to spend her life with him and have his children, and recently there was also the building intensity in her to bed him again.

Leonard nodded, "I understand. I love you Penny."

Penny just wanted to grab him and hug him, but she needed to be strong, he needed to know he couldn't take her for granted. "Just remember that when you let your lips wander to another woman's mouth again." she gave him her best acting glare.

Leonard shook his head, "Won't happen, these lips are your's and your's alone, except when I have to borrow them to eat, but otherwise they are your's forever."

Penny had a hard time not laughing, scolding herself for forgiving him so easily to keep the smile off her face. "I'm going to hold you to that, Dr Hofstadter." Leonard didn't say at thing and just nodded, understanding he had just been forgiven.

Penny just stared at him, she just wanted to be in his lap kissing him at that moment, but she knew she shouldn't show how needy she was after his confession. She needed a distraction and seeing his laptop still on, she decided that it would do. "So what did Hawking say?"

Leonard was relieved the subject was changed as he turned to his laptop and began to explain Hawking's email and the other emails he had received. Penny listened intently, happy to be close to him and that this latest crisis was now over, she knew she would remember it, but honestly it didn't change her feelings about him or them. They sat and talked for the next half hour, until Penny's sister came in to get her back to work.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWRONG BABYxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was later that night, that the afternoon's subject came up again. Penny came out of the bathroom to find Leonard already in bed, but when she got in with him, he didn't scoop her into his arms like she was use to. This different reception immediately made Penny turn to look to him. "What's wrong?"

"Umm, I didn't really know if you were still mad." he confessed.

"I am, and as part of your punishment you have to spoon me every night, hold me close and cuddle me like you mean it. It keeps me warm and helps me sleep, so now it is mandatory." she told him in no uncertain terms.

"Really." Leonard had done that with her ever since they first dated, but now hearing her say she actually wanted it, made him feel good inside. He sometimes thought is was more for him and that although she would sometimes want it, most of the time she just put up with it for him.

Penny didn't answer except to turn and push back into his waiting arms, and he pulled her in close to cuddle her. The immediate warmth and security was a little too much for her and she couldn't control the large content sigh that left her mouth. She felt so comfortable and closed her eyes, but there was one other thing that she had to do before she fell asleep, something that nagged at her all day. "Leonard why did you tell me now about the girl on the boat?" She could feel Leonard tense no sooner than the words were out of her mouth.

Leonard had hoped they would not discuss Mandy again, but he now remembered something Howard told him once before, wives or soon to be wives never forget when you screw up big time. So he just sighed, "I kept finding excuses to not tell you for so long because…you know."

Penny suddenly felt horrible. "Because you thought I would break up with you?" She felt his head nod and heard his whispered, 'Yes'.

It was quiet for a couple seconds as Penny thought back, she might have done just that, something stupid again and broke up with him. She fingered her engagement ring, thinking if she did that she wouldn't be getting married with him now and she just knew she would be miserable without him. "So why now?" she asked softly.

"It has been killing me to keep it a secret, but I was scared, so when we were talking today about the trip, I just couldn't hold it any longer. The talk of the boat and everything just brought it back so strong, I just had to tell you. I'm sorry." he confessed.

Penny was on the verge of tears, she knew Leonard very well, from being his friend all these years and the thought of him suffering for almost two years over this broke her heart. It was like a self imposed torture and even though she was the injured party in all this, she loved him too much to see him suffer for so long. But she had another question, "Leonard, why didn't you tell me when you told me about England?" she had wondered about that since she told her about the boat that afternoon.

"I wanted our relationship back, I wanted you back, it just didn't seem like something that would help me try to get you back. I just needed to be back with you, so bad, that not screwing that up was more important than the guilt I felt. Maybe things wouldn't have been as bad if you knew I did that…...I don't know. I'm really sorry." his last words almost a whisper

Penny was torn in her heart, he did deserve punishment, it was a minor form of cheating, but him suffering two years with this tearing at his soul because he thought she would dump him again, was worse than the whole terrible event meant to her. Also, his telling her that he needed to be with her again, was something that tugged at her heart, she needed the same thing then, it was like they were in sync, destined to be together. "I guess I understand. Leonard next time just tell me." but she suddenly thought back that then she might have broken up with him, "or don't ever tell me." she whispered mostly to herself.

"It will never happen again, I promise, so there will be nothing to tell you. I'm not going to let myself get in those situations again." Leonard quickly responded.

That really eliminated all the confusion in Penny's mind about Leonard's confession, she had prayed for months that she would get him back, after the incident with Sheldon, and she had promised she would never let herself get in that situation again, just like he did now. "Okay Sweetie, I believe you and you answered my questions, I can sleep now." she felt him relax now as he held her, even pulling her a little tighter to him, it made her smile. "I love you Leonard."

"I love and adore you Penny. I promise I will be the best husband and never give you any reason to doubt me." he responded then kissed the back of her head.

That kiss sent a feeling of warmth all through Penny, making her swallow hard at the feelings it created in her. She had never thought it would happened like it did, first not even ever considering sex again, then the gradual arousal she felt every time she was around him the last few weeks, to now this new or old feeling back in her. She wanted to make to love to Leonard and for him to make love to her right now, in that bed they now occupied, she knew all he had to do was touch her in a sexual way and she was his. So it took a couple of minutes of Leonard comfortably holding her before her libido settle down again and she could sleep.

A/N: My story takes place in Season 8, taking a different twist, but I have tried to keep everything before like canon. So the boat incident with Mandy has weighed heavily on my mind while I wrote this, because this story has the subject of cheating as a main part of it. It also made me have mixed feelings about including Leonard's cheating it the story and addressing it since chapter one. I finally decided, just recently, that it needed to be addressed so that is why I provided this chapter.