When Penny was four, she went through a girly phase where she wore dresses every day, usually accompanied by a sequined crown and wand. At least, that's what her mom loved to tell her as the woman "suffered" through Penny's tomboy years. Penny didn't remember a thing about it and could hardly believe that was her in those old photos, swathed in pink, ruffles and sparkles.

When she was seven, her aunt had gotten engaged and wanted Penny to be a junior bridesmaid. Penny clearly remembered that no one ever asked her how she felt about it. After sulking through several fittings, she finally ripped off the dress, tearing out the bottom flounce in the process. The damage to the dress could be repaired, but it was apparent that Penny was not going to cooperate. She ignored the sighs and reproachful looks from both her mother and aunt as she ran off to practice pitching for her next softball game.

She might be an adult now and not averse to wearing some sexy little number, but something in Penny's mind still rebelled at the idea of poufy dresses and formal ceremonies. Her wedding was going to be different. Sheldon, at least, was wholly on her side. She remembered he once said that he was terrified of any crowd large enough to trample him. Although he had since gotten much better at dealing with his irrational fears, she had no intention of testing his limits. The only people she wanted to be there when she got married were her closest friends and family. She knew her mom might raise a token protest over her minimalist ideas. That was why she wasn't even going to give her the chance. The wedding was set for just three weeks away. Her parents were flying in the night before, and Penny's only instructions to them had been a stern warning to not buy a fancy dress or rent a tux.

This was definitely the biggest secret Sheldon had ever had to keep. Although he had made great strides in conquering his phobias, he was relieved that he didn't have to keep silent for long. Their wedding was going to be almost the complete opposite of Leonard and Priya's. Penny still tended to downplay important decisions. Sheldon didn't completely understand why, but it didn't matter. As long as he knew she loved him, everything else was just a detail.

He had already made arrangements for his mom and sister to fly out for a short visit. Although his mother may have hoped for a formal ceremony with an ordained minister (preferably southern Baptist) officiating, he knew she would gladly settle for seeing him happily married. She hadn't been subtle in her hints that it was high time he made Penny "an honest woman" and got down to the business of giving her some grandbabies. Children, he supposed, would come in time… if Penny wanted them. After seeing the way she interacted with her students, he was certain she would be an excellent mother.

Just two weeks after the Hofstadter newlyweds returned to Pasadena, Penny told all their friends to meet them at a public garden. She said they were all going to have their pictures taken together. That was the truth, as far as it went, which saved Sheldon from nervous tics every time the subject came up. What Penny was actually planning was a surprise wedding… or at least half a surprise, since they did tell their families ahead of time.

The lowering sun was casting a golden tint over the world as their friends met them at the entrance to the park. Per Penny's instructions, the guys all wore button-down shirts with ties. Bernie was wearing a cute yellow sundress, while Priya wore a cream silk pantsuit. Penny wore a gauzy blue dress just a few shades lighter than Sheldon's cobalt blue shirt which brought out the blue in his eyes. Together, they led their unsuspecting friends along the path until they rounded a corner and came upon a clearing. Several people were already waiting there, including an unfamiliar man in a suit, standing under a gauze canopy.

Leonard stopped short when she saw the gathering. "Hey, Sheldon, what's your mom doing here?"

Raj and Bernadette figured it out at almost the same time, and let out matching squeals of excitement. Bernie flew over to Penny and hugged her tightly, and then immediately started scolding her. "I wanted to help you plan your wedding. What about your dress, and the flowers, and the cake, and… and… a wedding is supposed to be special," she almost wailed.

Penny hugged her back, but said firmly, "This is exactly the way I wanted it. No fuss, no stress, no blowing thousands of dollars on a dress you only wear once. All I ever wanted was for the people I love to be here, and you all are."

Bernie nodded and wiped quickly at her eyes. "Okay. I guess I can't be mad at you when you put it that way."

Sheldon and Penny exchanged their vows in a brief ceremony conducted by the officiant, who was a justice of the peace. As Penny slid the simple gold band on his left hand, Sheldon couldn't imagine that even winning the Nobel would make him feel any more happy or proud that he was at that moment.

After the promised photos were taken by a friend of Penny's from work, they all got into a stretch limo which whisked all of them off to a retro-forties club. They had dinner in a private room, enlivened by plenty of champagne. After that, Penny had arranged to have an instructor come and teach them the basics of swing dancing. Even Sheldon, bolstered by the heady effects of half a glass of bubbly, managed to maneuver Penny around the room a few times without tripping on his feet of hers. But for most of the evening, he was happy to watch as his friends were all enjoying themselves. Penny came over often to give him a quick kiss or chat for a few minutes, but she understood that he didn't need to be dancing to feel he was participating.

Finally, she sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Wanna sneak out of here and go fool around?" she asked with a grin.

He smiled back but examined her face closely. "It's only ten minutes after eight," he commented, checking his watch. "Are you certain you wish to leave this early?"

She shrugged. "I've been feeling a little tired lately, but it's no big deal. If we leave now, we'll have the rest of the night to do whatever we want." The look on her face made it very clear what she had in mind.

"We do have to get up early tomorrow for our flight," he agreed with a complicit smirk. He rose and drew her into his embrace. "I love you, Mrs. Cooper," he whispered against the golden silk of her hair.

She lifted up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I love you too. Just promise me you'll remember that tomorrow."

He looked confused. "Why wouldn't I? I have an eidetic memory."

She gave him a mysterious smile and refused to answer. Instead she took his arm, and they slipped quietly away together.

Their honeymoon was on the Big Island of Hawaii. Penny had been planning to spend the week lying on the beach, working on her tan, while Sheldon couldn't wait to sightsee at the Keck Observatory with its massive telescope. But on their first night at their hotel, Penny sat down cross-legged in the middle of their king-sized bed with its crisp white linens.

"Come sit next to me," she said, patting the bed beside her. He could never resist that invitation, which exactly echoed the first day they had met.

She handed him a card-sized envelope. He opened it and pulled out a trifold card. The front panel had a picture of him dressed up as Batman. Penny had obviously photo shopped in his face, but it made him smile anyway. Above his head on the card, a word balloon said "You…" Unfolding the next panel, his eyes widened to see a photo of Penny in a Batgirl costume, obviously not photo shopped. She had placed her image next to his, with one arm crooked out to the side. The caption read, "And me…" Sheldon's heart beat faster and his palms began to sweat at the sight of Penny dressed up so sexily, even as his mind was racing down entirely different pathways: Did this mean she was open to the idea of cosplay? Would she attend conventions with him? Had she read any of the comic books?

Penny nudged him gently. "You haven't read the rest of the card yet," she said, twisting her hands in her lap.

Now curious, Sheldon opened to the final panel… and his mind went completely blank with astonishment. The figure of Penny now cradled a tiny, cherubic bundle in her bent arm, and the words above their heads said, "And Bat-baby makes three."

Spots danced in Sheldon's vision, and he gradually became aware that Penny was shaking him and peering into his face anxiously. "Is this- is this a hypothetical supposition, or…" Words failed him.

She bit her lip apprehensively and handed him a sheet of paper. It contained the results of a recent blood test. Subject: Larsen, Penelope C. Date: three weeks ago. HCG count: 256 mIU/mL. There was no doubt about it. Penny was pregnant. He stared at the paper for much longer than was strictly necessary.

"Honey? Say something, please," Penny begged.

"I… I have never been adverse to the idea of progeny," he said weakly. A muscle under his left eye twitched slightly. "I will adapt," he added, more firmly. "I have not yet regretted my decision to embrace the chaos that you have brought into my life."

Penny was smiling by this point. She knew change was difficult for him, but this response was equivalent to someone else jumping up and shouting for joy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him. He responded, slowly at first, but then with more enthusiasm, until suddenly he jerked upright. "We will need to buy a house," he blurted out.

"Honey, what are you talking about? We just bought a condo," Penny protested.

"With twins on the way, I believe the extra square footage of a detached residence will eventually become necessary," he said distractedly.

"Twins? What do you mean, twins?" Penny cried.

It was his turn to stare at her in confusion. "I thought you knew. Your chorionic gonadotropin levels are unusually high for this early in a pregnancy. That usually indicates multiples, and given my family history, you are most likely pregnant with twins."

Penny sank back into the fluffy comforter. "Oh, holy crap, now I think I know how you feel when someone throws you a curveball," she groaned.

He leaned over her and gently rested a hand on her stomach. "You are much better at adapting to new situations than I am, and I already have evidence that you are excellent at interacting with children. You will make an amazing mother."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "And I know you're going to be great at being a daddy." She hooked a finger inside his double-layered t-shirts and drew him down on top of her. "But right now, I'm on my honeymoon, and I want to focus on being a wife," she said in a sexy drawl.

Her words brought to mind all the changes that he had experienced over the past two years: following Penny halfway across the country, learning to take pride in menial labor and physical tasks, falling in love, moving in together, buying their first home, and getting married. Becoming a father was just a natural progression, and he felt a small spark of excitement at the idea. He was learning not only to embrace the chaos of change, but to appreciate it, and all because of Penny.