A/N I am now returning the characters I borrowed to their rightful owners.

As it turned out, Leonard was right. Caltech and Dr. Gablehauser agreed to let Leonard stay and work from Omaha. Leonard left his hotel and lived on the farm for the next eighteen months, until Sara was ready to start school. During that time, they bought a house in Pasadena in an area where they could keep horses. When they moved, they took Daisy, leaving Dallas at the farm.

The financial problems with the loan on the farm and providing for Penny's family was resolved by the entire gang forming a corporation, 'Nebraska Education and Rural Development' better known as NERD.

It's first act was on the education side when it extended a very low interest loan to Bridget to be paid back over a long period of time. The money was used for her to attend Cosmetology school. When she graduated and got a job, she and Jeremy moved into an apartment of their own. She later fell in love with a handsome delivery man and they were married.

NERD then purchased back the original land that had been on the farm. They got it back at cost from the neighbors who had bought it because the neighbors wanted Wyatt to return to farming.

They then hired Wyatt to run the farm as well as share in the profits. Putting up the land as collateral, they were able to get much more favorable terms on the original loan and made payments from their share of the profits. Sheldon quickly learned how to leverage the futures market so that although it prevented then from making a huge profit, it also prevented them from suffering a big loss.

When Jeremy grew up, he married their neighbor's daughter and they moved in with Wyatt and Susan to help with the farm. When Wyatt and Susan finally decided they were ready to quit and moved to California to be with Leonard and Penny and their family, Jeremy took over the farm.

Randall Prentis was finally released from prison, but after hanging around the farm for a few weeks, he ran off and was never heard from again.

Georgina found herself getting bored and approached Doug with the idea of partnering with her to open a Gentlemen's type club where she was now living.

To her disappointment, Doug said he was not interested in having any part of being an owner of a club again. But then he told her he would cosign a loan so she could get started, putting up one of his businesses as collateral. When she told him she couldn't allow him to do that, he said he was taking no risk because he knew she would be a success. And she was.

After being urged for many years by his personal and business friends to do so, Doug Cummings stuck his toe in the Political Arena. After serving on the town council, he won an election for Mayor. After three highly impressive terms, he ran for and was elected Governor of the state of Nebraska. As both Mayor and Governor, he hired Mary Crowly to be on his staff, installed Mike Hayward as chief of security, and made Howard his personal bodyguard. After serving two terms, he resisted efforts to have him seek higher office and retired. He then used his money to build hospital wings, a convention center and assorted other projects to help Omaha. When those he helped insisted his name be on the buildings, parks, etc., many people groused they should just change the name of the city to Cummingsville.

Warren Hampton continued to be a highly successful lawyer but he was always obsessed with the custody case he lost. He told everyone he would have won if his clients had not stabbed him in the back.

Old Mr. Hays decided to retire when he reached the age of eighty. He moved to Florida and formed a friendship with another transplanted Omaha man named Ralph Bradshaw.

After a few years, Henry Thompkins decided he would like to try his luck at being a judge. After winning an election to a state judgeship, his career skyrocketed. To a Federal judge, to a judge on a Federal appeals court, and eventually to the United States Supreme Court, where he was the deciding vote in giving Michael Hofstadter his first loss appearing before the court.

As for Michael and the rest of the Hofstadters, things returned to normal after the trial. Although Sara did get to meet Michael and Hayley's families, they never had much interaction. Sara finally got to meet her Grandfather and his new wife before they escaped back to Africa.

Cherie decided to take another shot at New York and became a member of the Rockettes. Those legs finally paid off. She eventually married a plastic surgeon and gave Penny a hard time that she had married a 'real' doctor.

Although before seeking custody for Sara, Brandon and Eileen weren't sure they wanted children, Eileen gave birth to a baby girl they named Melody, just a couple months before Leonard and Penny returned. Penny kept her word and Sara was able to spend time with them. They also had horses and when Melody was older, Eileen taught both her and Sara how to jump. Both were good, but Melody actually went to the Olympics and won a Bronze medal. Sara and her stepsister stayed close throughout their lives.

Raj finally convinced Jasmine to give his friends a chance and he was able to spend quite a bit of time with them in America.

Howard and Bernadette also had a girl they named Halley. Sheldon was disgusted when she grew up to be an engineer like her father. But he gave up on her completely when she compounded her folly by marrying an engineer as well.

Sheldon was also shocked when Sara entered the liberal arts program in college, at the University of Nebraska no less. He mourned losing her when she graduated with a history major!

All was forgiven though when it turned out that the attraction between Isaac and Sara as children had stayed with them and they fell in love. They had the wedding on the farm and the guests included many that had been at the trial. Some swore they saw tears in Sheldon's eyes when the pastor declared them Doctor and Mrs. Isaac Cooper. (Howard cynically stated it was because he was reminded that Isaac had got his doctorate six months earlier than his father had.)

As for Leonard and Penny, their son David Sheldon Hofstadter was born on Sara's seventh birthday. Sheldon tried to tell everyone it was no big deal about the middle name, that Leonard had stolen the idea from him, but no one believed him.

David Hofstadter apparently received the best from every part of the family. He grew to be over six feet, handsome, and extremely intelligent. But to everyone's shock he was also a great athlete. He excelled in several sports in both high school and college. Using a basketball scholarship, he followed in his sister's footsteps and attended the University of Nebraska.

To his utter astonishment, Leonard found himself becoming a sports father, going to all of his son's games and learning to at least have some appreciation and understanding of them.

After college, David chose baseball as his career choice and eventually made it to the major leagues, pitching two years for the Chicago Cubs until he hurt his arm. He then retired and became a sportscaster. He married his high school sweetheart, one of the cheerleaders, leading Leonard to ruefully say, "At least we have something in common."

Leonard and Penny lived a long full life, surrounded by friends and family. Their children would pretend to be grossed out but were actually thrilled and pleased when in their seventies, Leonard and Penny still couldn't keep their hands off each other. Although they wanted to be disapproving, everyone had to laugh when Howard taught the grandchildren to say, "Get a room."

The landing craft descended from the mother ship, which had completed its arduous ten-month journey. It glided to a stop on the surface and twenty-two minutes after it landed, the door opened and Mary Penelope Cooper, daughter of Noble prize winner Doctor Isaac Leonard Cooper and his wife Sara Ann Cooper, became the first human to set foot on Mars.

A/N I am not sure exactly how this epilogue worked out, but I did enjoy writing it. Thanks again to all of you. I have been overwhelmed by your responses to this story. I have a few more ideas for possible stories but will have to see how it all shakes out.