Penny lived in Nebraska for an entire year before fate caught up with her.

And for a whole year, she missed Sheldon Cooper with every bone in her body. She hoped he would somehow surprise her and walk through the door with a bouquet of flowers or something. Of course, that wasn't his style and Penny knew that, she really did. He loved her and probably missed her in his own way, but he was not the kind of guy who did the grand gesture thing. Leonard was. Leonard probably would have sold his soul to keep her from leaving California in the first place. Sheldon was not Leonard.

At first, Nebraska wasn't so bad. It was nice to spend so much time with her sister and her niece and nephews, and she'd forgotten how much fun her brother could be when he wasn't actually strung out on something. Penny didn't even mind helping out around the farm, it was almost like second nature to her. Her mom and dad were so happy to have her home, and eating dinner together as a family was nice. But as the months went by and Penny slowly began to realize that this could be her life forever, it wasn't so great anymore. She had to come up with some kind of plan. One that didn't involve her high school boyfriend Johnny, whom she saw at the grocery store every week and who seemed very interested in catching up with her over a beer or two. Sure, she could settle down with him and pop out some babies and live the small town life most of her high school friends had settled for, but did she really want that? It was the easy choice, but not exactly the right one. However, it was time to face the fact that she was closing in on her thirties and all she could claim as marketable skills were a washed up acting career and waitressing for minimum wage. It was starting to occur to Penny that although she'd gotten far with her looks up to this point, she'd have to find something real to focus on if she was ever going to make something of herself.

So the day fate found her again, Penny was sitting at her desk in her old room, with all her cheerleading ribbons and pictures of her smiling teenaged self. It was a very chilly February, six months after she left California. She'd forgotten how cold a Nebraska winter could be, and she had her space heater on practically 24/7, just like she used to in high school. But on this day, she was doing something she never did as a teenager-studying. Her finals were in a few weeks, and she wanted to be prepared. The local community college might not have lived up to Cal Tech standards, but Penny was learning a lot in summer school. She was taking Creative Writing and Beginning Accounting. If she ever started making money again, she wanted to be a lot smarter about it.

There was a knock on her door, and as usual, her mother barged in without waiting for an answer. But Penny didn't mind. She missed her mother when she was in California. Even the blatant disregard for privacy.

"Hi, sweetie. Aww, you're doing your homework. What I would give to have seen you so hard at work 10 years ago."

Penny smiled sweetly. "Me, too. What's up, Mom?"

Pamela looked like she had forgotten all about what she was going to say, but then it came back to her. "Oh, yes, you have a visitor."

Penny sighed. "Is it Johnny again? Mom! We talked about this. For the love of god, tell him I'm busy." Johnny was not one to take a hint.

"Oh, no, it's not Johnny, sweetie. It's that boy you used to date back in California! He's so handsome. And pale! I'm kind of worried about how pale he is, actually. We'll have to get him to sit outside for a bit if he's here for a while."

Of course, Penny didn't hear her mom after hearing the word "awkward." Was it true? Had she underestimated Sheldon? Would he really come all this way just to see her? What could he possibly want?

Penny was on her feet in seconds and flew over to the living room. And...well, obviously it wasn't Sheldon sitting down on the ancient plaid love seat her parents bought before she was born. It was Leonard, in all his nerdy glory.

It wasn't that she was disappointed...well, okay, she was disappointed. But if nothing else, it was nice to see Leonard again. They had such an intense relationship for a long time; there was a long stretch of time in her life when she was absolutely sure they'd be torturing each other forever. And then when he didn't speak to her for months after the Sheldon thing, it broke her heart a little. She felt even worse that Sheldon lost his best friend because of her. But now here he was, sitting in the living room she grew up watching cartoons in, looking pale as ever.

"Leonard! Oh, my god! What are you doing here?" Penny exclaimed. She sat down on the love seat and hugged him. It was nice. Everything about him was the same. Good ol' reliable Leonard. She inspected him for signs of his motive for coming. He didn't seem to have that look about him that indicated he missed her and he wished things were different and he was there to proclaim his love for her. Thank goodness—there was no way she could deal with that again. So why was he really there?

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I'd stop by," he said, and she giggled and playfully punched him in the shoulder.

"Come on. Nobody wants to come to Nebraska unless they absolutely have to," Penny said.

Leonard looked like he was on the verge of saying about a thousand different things. But she certainly did not expect to hear what he did manage to say.

"Okay, I'll just get to the point. I'm not here for me, although it is...great to see you. You look amazing. But, uh, anyway, it's Sheldon. He needs you back. As soon as possible."

That was the moment Penny's mom chose to walk in the living room with a plate of milk, cheese, and crackers. The chosen snack for guests ever since Penny could remember.

"Well, sorry to interrupt, but I thought you two might like some refreshments!" Pamela looked delighted to finally be meeting that nice young man Penny used to date.

Penny looked at Leonard and laughed. She couldn't help it.

"Thanks, Mom, but if Leonard ate this, he would blow up like a balloon and float to Mars. Leonard, do you want to go for a walk or something?" All she wanted to know in life was why Sheldon needed her. When she left California, he made the opposite quite obvious.

"Sure. Thanks, Penny's mom," Leonard said. He followed Penny outside, and they walked around the neighborhood in the cold Nebraska winter, not bothering to put their coats on.

They walked almost a block, absorbing the bustling sounds of the neighborhood and the crispness of the cold before Penny said, "Damn, Leonard, are you going to tell me what Sheldon wants or what?"

Leonard laughed. "I would never count patience as one of your virtues. Okay, well, here it is. First of all, if Sheldon knew I was here, he would probably murder me in my sleep. But he is driving all of us insane. More than usual, which is, as you know, a lot. He's thinking about giving up on string theory altogether, but he doesn't have a back-up plan, which is making him so frustrated he can barely even get out of bed. We're worried, Penny. We don't know what to do."

Penny sighed. She had been worried about something like that happening when she left, but what could she do? "Of course I'm heartbroken for the guy, but how could I possibly help? He's not like you and me, Leonard. I can't just go back to the apartment, give him a talking to and magically transform him."

"No, I don't think that's possible either," Leonard said. "But I have to tell you, Penny, even though you guys weren't together very long, there was something so different about him during that time. It was like...you were his missing piece. And it's not like he was making huge innovations at work or anything, but he was, I don't know, inspired. It was so fascinating to watch, and even though I hated and resented the thought of the two of you, even I have to admit that it was a good match."

Penny groaned. "That's not the point, Leonard! Yes, we had a good relationship. We taught each other something new every day. Our differences are what brought us together, blah blah blah. The point is, none of those things were enough. My life still sucked, my career still sucked, and he still wouldn't go past second base! So I don't understand how giving up my life here, my family here, and going back to Pasadena could possibly help anything." Now she was getting angry. What right did Leonard have to come marching back into her life, getting himself involved in a relationship he never really understood? Arghhh.

"Penny? I realize that you're mad at me right now, but can we please slow down? You're walking really fast and I need my inhaler," Leonard said, looking a little more than winded.

"Oh. Sorry. Come on, let's go get some coffee. Where it's warm." Penny borrowed Pamela's 1995 Altima, the car she learned how to drive on, and drove them to Starbucks.

"Now, this is the third place we've attempted to have this conversation, Leonard. Just say what you want from me and I'll think about it," Penny said, and took a sip of her Cinnamon Dolce Latte.

"I think you should come back," Leonard said. He continued quickly before Penny had a chance to reply. "I know that isn't a magical cure for whatever is wrong with Sheldon. And I know you have a life here. But I think you both are happier together. Even if you're just good friends."

Penny was bewildered by this huge request. "Do you understand what you're asking me to do, Leonard? I have no job in California. I don't have a place to live. It would be like I was starting over again, and I can't...I just can't do that. As much as I love Sheldon and want him to 'fix' him, I won't do it at the expense of my well-being."

Leonard nodded and took a sip of his black coffee. "Okay, hear me out. You won't be starting over. A few months ago, I...well, I sort of showed your Nebraska screenplay to Mandy."

Penny scoffed. "The girl you met on the boat? Really?"

"Yes, actually," Leonard said, looking slightly ashamed. "We've been seeing each other for a while now. Anyway, I showed it to her because her roommate works in publishing and she has Mandy on the lookout for new stuff. And guess what? She really, really liked it. In fact, she wants to talk to you. She's pretty sure the screenplay could be turned into a novel, and she's very interested in getting it sold. And if that takes off, you can probably find yourself with quite a satisfying and lucrative writing career."

Penny was truly speechless. He had done that for her? Leonard, the guy whose heart she broke in a thousand pieces? Wow. Just...wow. She wasn't even mad he figured out where the screenplay was and showed it someone without her knowledge.

"Leonard...I don't even know what to say. That's amazing. Why would you do that for me?"

"Because Sheldon needs you. He went through most of his life not having someone like you to guide him, and then when you left, he fell apart. I'm not saying it's your responsibility to help him-it's not, and I want to make that clear. But again, I know you as well as I know him, Penny. And I know that you don't really want to be here, in Nebraska, living with your parents. And I know you miss Sheldon, and I know he misses you, and I know it's asking a lot, but Penny...please come home. You can even stay with Raj until you get the money for your novel. He has a girlfriend and works a lot, so he's not home much. Come on...what do you say? If you tell me right now that you're truly happy here in Nebraska, then I'll leave on the next flight out of here."

Penny had no idea what to say or do. Not a single clue.

"Can you give me a while to think about it?" She asked. "The semester is over in 2 weeks and I want to finish my classes, at least. And then I'll let you know."

Leonard kind of smiled and frowned at the same time. She could tell he thought for some reason he was going to show up and magically whisk her away back to California with just a little convincing. "Sure. Of course. Whatever you decide, I appreciate you at least listening to what I have to say."

Penny hugged her old friend Leonard. He clung a little too long and a little too hard. Penny wondered about this Mandy back home, and how she'd feel about this situation. That was a question best left unanswered.

They drove back to the house and after some awkward good-byes, Penny watched Leonard reluctantly get in his car and go back to wherever he came from. Pamela joined her at the window.

"What was that all about?" Pamela asked, munching on a cracker.

"Oh, nothing," Penny said, and sighed.

"Don't give me 'nothing.' You're my daughter, honey, I know when you're upset. Are you sad he's leaving?"

"No, no, he's just a friend, Mom, you know that," Penny said. "He just wants me to come back to Pasadena to get Sheldon out of the funk he's in. Even if it's just as a friend. Leonard got me a job and everything. Sort of."

Pamela tried not to look too panicked that her daughter was thinking of leaving her again. "Well, what do you think? Are you going to do it?"

"I don't know. Sheldon and I parted on such bad terms and I haven't heard from him since. But I do miss him." Penny missed him so much sometimes, it physically hurt. Although leaving Pasadena probably was the best thing for her to do at the time, she should have handled it so much better. Sheldon had been right—she did try to make it his problem when in fact he had nothing to do with her decision. She had to figure out a way to make it up to him if she was going to come back.

Was she coming back, though? During the next couple of weeks, she studied as much as she worried. Penny did not want this stress to cause her to fail the exams when she'd been working hard all semester. In between writing a short story for her creative writing class, she'd jot down the pros and cons of California. The weather was always nice. The job Leonard mentioned sounded amazing, and it was a new direction for her life that could only be positive. She and Bernadette could get back to their lunch dates. And, of course, Sheldon. Their relationship was a challenge; among other things, the lack of intimacy was, unfortunately, somewhat of a problem for Penny. For most of her life, Penny expressed her love in relationships with, well, sex. She was good at it, she liked it, and it made her feel amazing. Most of the men she'd dated over the years enjoyed and appreciated her sensuality. With Sheldon, Penny had to find other ways to show how much she cared about him, because sex was not and would not be a factor. At least until they got married, which they were nowhere near being ready for, obviously. This was so much harder than she anticipated, and if they got back together, she'd have to search for a different way to express herself.

But ultimately, as much as Penny wanted to make a decision, it felt all wrong. Leonard's heart had been in the right place when he asked her to come "home," but what about Sheldon's?

During a breakfast of peanut butter waffles and orange juice, Penny was deep in thought. Her whole family was at the kitchen table, loud and obnoxious and everything Penny loved about being in Nebraska. She would miss them if she left, but they all had their own lives. They would be fine.

The only person who noticed her contemplativeness was Pamela, of course. While Penny helped her mom with the dishes, Pamela said, "Tell me, baby, I can't stand the anticipation—are you going back to California or what?

Penny sighed. "I still don't know! It's tempting. I just wish I knew how Sheldon felt about it. I don't want to go back and interrupt his entire thought process just because Leonard thought it was a good idea."

"Well, why didn't it work between you two?" Pamela asked. "I know it's hard, Penny, but it'll help to talk about it."

"Well, he was really caught up in his work, for one thing," Penny said. "I respect and admire his work ethic and I would never get in the way of that, but he has a one track mind. When he gets stuck on something, it's literally all he can think about, and nothing I could say or do would get his mind off of it. Also, sometimes, if I gently reminded him, he'd try to be romantic. But it was really hard for him to come up with it on his own. He didn't really like to hold hands or kiss in public. Not that I blame him exactly, but a little PDA isn't totally uncalled for, right?" Pamela was nodding thoughtfully. Penny didn't share her next thought with her mother, which was how she might go absolutely insane if she had to wait until marriage to consummate the relationship.

"What else?" Pamela asked, encouraging her daughter to continue.

"Okay, well, it's not like we don't have anything in common. We do. But we both have our own interests and sometimes it's hard to merge them. And when he does participate in things I know he doesn't particularly care about, he doesn't try very hard to convince me he's not bored out of his mind. And he's really particular about what he eats. He's very much like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally. It can drive a girl crazy."

"Hmm, okay. What about the good things?" Pamela asked. "Surely there was some of those, right?"

"Well, yeah," Penny said, thinking about what brought them together. "He's completely vulnerable and he has no idea, which is so adorable and yet very...hot. He's an amazing kisser. And even though he doesn't say it much, I know he's attracted to me. The way he looks at me when he thinks I don't notice...it's just nice. He's so smart and he's always teaching me things. We have so much fun together, and not the kind of fun I have with anyone else. When it's good, it's so good-we have a groove together. We fit. We're like puzzle pieces. Our chemistry is so addictive."

Pamela smiled sadly. "Penny, from everything you've said about this Sheldon, it is obvious how in love with him you are. You owe it to yourself to find out if you can salvage whatever happened between the two of you. And as for knowing what he feels about the situation…there's only one way to find out."

"Yeah, I know," Penny said mournfully. "I'll call him tonight after I study. I have a feeling it's not going to be easy."

"Probably not, but at least you'll know where you stand. And from the way you just described all the good things about him, I'm pretty sure that would be a good thing to know."

Penny knew she was going to call Sheldon, and her mother knew she was going to call Sheldon, and probably even Sheldon somehow knew Penny was going to call him, but Penny was still uneasy. "What if I go back and we fix what was broken but everything stays the same as it was before? What if I find myself going through the motions again? I can't just come back here like a loser for a second time."

Pamela smiled. "Honey, you can come back here whenever you want, for no reason at all. Nobody will judge you, not here. Your brother's been in and out of jail his whole life, and your sister has her hands full with all those kids. We're all on different paths, but we're a family. Your father and I just want you to be happy."

"Thanks, Mom," Penny said, happy that at least someone in this world loved her unconditionally.

Three days before her exam, all Penny wanted to do was study before she made the phone call. But after going over the same paragraph on balance sheets for about an hour and failing miserably, Penny sighed and closed the textbook. She made a cup of tea and took her cell phone outside to make the call. She walked to the barn and sat down on the steps. Patrick, her favorite barn cat, ran over to greet her. Penny counted to three and made the call while giving Patrick his tummy scratches. She was mostly a dog person but sometimes a good kitty purr made her happy.

Sheldon answered on the first ring, and didn't even bother with formalities.

"Greetings, Penny," he said, and oh, wow, she couldn't even properly prepare for how much she missed his voice. Just hearing it made her completely forget what she was going to say.

"Oh! Sheldon, hello," she said. Well, that was a start. "Um, how's it going?"

"It's not 'going' anywhere. I am sitting perfectly still watching television. Are you currently in motion?" Well, he was still the same ol' Sheldon.

"No, Sheldon, I'm sitting here outside talking to you," Penny said, exasperated already.

"Hmm. I suppose you've come to a conclusion about the proposal Leonard spoke to you about?"

Wait…what? Penny was confused. So confused. "What? Sheldon, are you saying that you knew about Leonard coming to Nebraska to talk to me?"

"Of course I did. Who do you think asked him to go?" Sheldon sounded pleased with himself.

"Well, gee, let's see, I was under the impression that Leonard came on his own, since that's what he said and everything." Penny was getting annoyed. Typical.

"Yes, well, that was the plan. I wanted him to see what your reaction was if you didn't think I was involved. If you were to come here, I wanted you to do it because you wanted to, not because I asked you to."

Penny was shocked. This was, to say the least, not what she expected.

"So…you tricked me."

"Yes," Sheldon said simply. "So what have you decided?"

Gah! He was so infuriating sometimes...but Penny had to admit, he was kind of adorable. She was sure that an entire lifetime of this weird game they played wouldn't be so bad. Actually, it might be kind of fun. It would never be boring, that's for sure.

"That depends, I guess," she said. "I wanted to call to see how you would feel about me coming back. I didn't want to leave my family and go back to California, tail between my legs, if you were going to give me the cold shoulder."

"I can see why you'd come to that conclusion and I respect it," Sheldon replied. "However, I sent Leonard in my stead because, well, I just didn't want to know if you declined his offer. He was under strict instructions to not tell me any negative news."

"Oh?" Penny asked, smiling a little. "Why is that?"

"I don't know," Sheldon said, and Penny wondered if Sheldon ever actually admitted he didn't know something. "Perhaps it's because after much reflection, I've come to the conclusion that the feelings I've been experiencing lately are directly connected to missing you. And after speaking to Raj and Leonard and Howard, they informed me that most likely, if you didn't want to come back, I would be disappointed. They seemed to all agree that-what was it, Wolowitz?" Penny could vaguely hear Howard in the background. "Oh, that's right, I'm a better person when I'm with you."

More than anything, Penny wanted to believe everything he said. She knew this wasn't easy for him, but she couldn't help but feel a little, well...manipulated?

"Sheldon, that is amazing of you to say, thank you. But what if Raj and Howard and Leonard weren't there to guide you? I'm sorry, but I can't always be your relationship teacher. You're going to have to pick up on some of this stuff on your own. Do you understand?" It was harsh, but he needed to hear it.

Sheldon was quiet for a moment. "I understand what you are saying and I have no guarantees to offer you. All I know is what I have been able to gather from empirical data, which is the following: my work has suffered since you left, as well as my sleep pattern. Sometimes I wear my Sunday pajamas on Tuesday because I am not paying proper attention to my schedule. I'm aware that you moved back to Nebraska because you no longer had any career opportunities available to you, but I think that we can work this out together. As Leonard mentioned, we found a job for you. You can stay with Raj since your apartment has been rented. And if you are still so inclined, I would like to see if we can resume our romantic entanglement. That is, if you wish to move from Nebraska, of course. We all know your family is very important to you and none of us want to get in the way of that."

Okay...who was this guy and what did he do with Sheldon? Penny was stunned. Had she been underestimating him all this time, or did he really change this much since she'd been gone? And if she came home, would she be giving up all the hard work she did to move on from the person she was in California? She had so many questions. For a brief moment, Penny thought about asking Sheldon to move to Nebraska, instead. And even though she was somewhat sure he'd do it if she asked nicely, Penny knew he would hate it there. She didn't hate Pasadena; she was just sure it gave her all it had to offer. But she missed her friends, and she missed the weather, and she missed the ocean, and most of all, god, did she miss her Sheldon.

"Sheldon? Thank you for thinking so much about this, it really means a lot to me." Penny said, trying to keep the tears that were threatening to break out at bay. "But I need to think about this. My exams are in a few days, and I'll call you when I'm finished, okay?"

"I suppose that is acceptable," Sheldon said, sounding disappointed. "It is always important to do well in your studies."

"Thanks, sweetie. I'll call you soon," Penny said. They said their good-byes, and Penny hung up and stared at her phone. Patrick rubbed against her leg. She picked up the kitty and he purred. There really wasn't much of a decision to make. As determined as she had been to get away from the mess she left back in Pasadena, now all she wanted to do was get back into the fray.

She was sure going to miss Patrick, though.

Sheldon was staring at his white board, trying to make sense of the equations scrawled on it. He was missing something, but he had no idea what. It was like a puzzle piece he misplaced in his brain somewhere, and it was absolutely infuriating. His career was in stasis, and he had no idea how to get it back on track. Something was going to have to give soon, because he was running out of the money in his savings and a new job was not forthcoming.

Behind him, the door opened. Sheldon sighed with relief and said, "Leonard! Thank god you're home; I need a break from this godforsaken equation."

"Well, I know a few ways to distract you," said a voice that did not belong to Leonard. Although he knew Penny was coming back eventually, he was still pleasantly surprised. He missed her so much, and now she was here.

Sheldon quickly turned around and there she was. Penny. In all her glory. Sheldon was prepared to feel any number of ways when he saw her for the first time since she left, but all of those turned to mush when he saw Penny's smile again. Ridiculous, he was aware, but by no means surprising. She was the only woman in the world who could make him feel this way, and he loved that about her.

"You're here," Sheldon said, trying to gather enough nerve to do what he'd been wanting to do since the moment she left. But he couldn't seem to make himself move from where he was standing.

"I am," Penny said, smiling. She didn't move, either.

"Well...how did you do on your exams?"

Penny laughed. "I aced them, actually. My creative writing professor said I should look into continuing my education. I told him that I had someone waiting for me back home who will help me with that. So...is that true? Is someone waiting for me at home?"

Sheldon barely recognized himself anymore. He had no idea what he was doing with his career or his love life or really his sense of self, period. All he knew was that Penny stood before him, vulnerable and strong, beautiful and smart, and waiting for him. There were no guarantees they'd make it work this time, but Sheldon didn't care. Just the two of them at this moment was more than enough for him. So before he could answer her question, Sheldon quickly found the strength to make his way to Penny and gave her a real, actual hug. It was different from the Christmas hug when he was so ecstatic about owning a Spock napkin, different from the laundry room hug when she said she'd talk to Leonard about going to Switzerland, different from all the other hugs he halfheartedly gave her through the years. This was a hug that encompassed all the episodes of Doctor Who they watched together while Leonard was gone, while their friendship grew stronger and stronger over the summer, not to mention the trip to the hospital and their respective dramatic break-ups and everything in between. A hug that represented all the kisses they exchanged when Sheldon barely knew what he was doing. A hug for the last six months they missed together because they were too stubborn to admit their real feelings. Sheldon loved Penny, and now it was time to prove it.

"Yes. I've been waiting for a long time," Sheldon said, wanting to kiss her with everything in his soul. "Do you think we can give this another shot?"

Penny looked just as conflicted as he was, but she said, "I think we can. I think it would be pretty great. And I think we can help each other out. I think we owe it to ourselves to try."

And then they kissed, and it was everything Sheldon had missed and wanted for months. They were going to figure this out, and finally get it right. Hopefully.

A few years later...

Sheldon was always stepping on Lego. Always. It used to annoy him, but now he was just resigned to it. Besides, Rose's latest project was building a Lego Deathstar. He was more proud of his daughter than annoyed.

Sheldon had just made himself a sandwich and came into the living room (after stepping on a Lego in the kitchen and cursing under his breath) to join the rest of his little family. It was a normal day in the Cooper household. Penny was sitting on the couch with her laptop while also managing to keep Bartholomew, their two year old golden retriever, from eating Stephen's GI Joe. Rose was hard at work with the Lego. Sometimes when Sheldon walked in a room and saw these people, some of whom he helped create, he had no idea how he ended up in this life. Not that he would trade it for anything. It was just, for the longest time, his only care in the world was his career, his work, his contribution to the scientific community. But ever since he won the Nobel Prize for physics, those things weren't as important anymore. Coming home to a full house of this life he couldn't imagine...six year old Rose and her endless thirst for knowledge, three year old Stephen, who was already determined to be the class clown even at his young age, and beautiful, amazing, brilliant, unfailing optimist Penny. She was the rock of his life when he didn't even know he needed one. She was his other half. Even after all these years, they were still teaching each other new things every day. And...the sex was amazing.

It took a few months for Penny and Sheldon to find their rhythm again when she got back to Pasadena, but once they did, they never lost it. Sure, they'd have the usual disagreements, but they were always able to talk their way through it. And although Penny didn't have a magical answer to Sheldon's career rut, she helped guide him to the solution he ultimately came to-after some soul searching, Sheldon figured out that teaching was the path he wanted to take. The thought of such things used to repel him, but with Penny's guidance, it felt like the right thing to do. And while Penny met with Mandy's roommate and started the process of becoming a writer, Sheldon was there by her side.

Meanwhile, the intimacy got more...intimate, although they would ultimately wait until their wedding night to do the actual deed. Everything was just easier. It was like Penny and Sheldon just accepted the fact that they were going to do whatever they needed to do to stay together, and it worked. Penny went to Texas to meet Meemaw, who obviously loved her to pieces but wanted Penny to eat more mashed potatoes because she was "so skinny!" Sheldon went to Nebraska and bonded with Penny's father over their shared knowledge of guns. Sheldon grew up in Texas, after all. Things got serious, and after a year and a half of becoming each other's everything, Sheldon got down on one knee in the produce aisle of the grocery store. It wasn't the most romantic of places and it certainly wasn't the cleanest of places (he took a very long shower that day), but he thought it was appropriate given their many excursions to the store together.

Their wedding was on a beach in Malibu, which obviously Penny had to spend many hours talking Sheldon into. But they both knew he'd do anything for her, and eventually he agreed-only if he could say his vows in Klingon. Penny reluctantly acquiesced to this request, because he was a huge nerd and she loved him. Raj was still ordained and had the honor of officiating the ceremony. It had been perfect, and even Sheldon would have admitted that. And a few hours later, in their hotel room? Penny finally showed Sheldon a world he had missed out on for entirely too long, and so many things started to make sense to him. Needless to say, they didn't get out of the room much during their honeymoon, and Rose came along nine months later, and Stephen a few years later. They had a deal, by the way-Penny got to name the first kid and Sheldon got the second one. Both their children had dark hair like Sheldon, but Penny's green eyes and long lashes. They were, of course, adorable.

Penny's writing career didn't happen all at once. It was slow going for a year or two, but after a respected book critic got a hold of it and had nothing but praise for Penny's novel, everything started happening. Although being an actress was what she dreamed of practically all her life, Penny found that being an author suited her. She just finished number three and was starting to think about the next one. Her novels were a mixture of comedy, romance, and adventure. They were a huge hit.

With the money from the Nobel Prize and Penny's books, they could afford a relatively nice home in Austin, where they ultimately decided to settle down. Sheldon wanted to get back to his Texas roots and Penny liked the culture (and the food) in Austin.

Sheldon sat down next to Penny on their way too expensive couch and tried to eat his sandwich in peace. Just five minutes of peace, maybe? Was that too much to ask?

"Daddy!" Stephen said excitedly, and climbed in Sheldon's lap. Bartholomew decided this was a good time to jump on the couch to join the fun, and sent Penny's laptop soaring to the floor. Thankfully it did not shatter into a million pieces...this time. Rose looked at the scene and rolled her eyes, choosing to keep her distance like the "cool" six year old she was.

Penny and Sheldon exchanged a glance that was becoming very common around their household, one that basically said, "What did we get ourselves into?" with some "What would we do without them?" added in.

"Rose, can you take your brother to his room and play for a few minutes? Daddy and I need some alone time," Penny asked her daughter.

Rose rolled her eyes again. "Fine," she said. "Come on, Stephen." She grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him to his room, where they would probably watch Frozen for the 87th time or something. Sheldon didn't really want his children to be ruled by TV, but he did have to admit, it was an easy solution when he wanted to spend a little time with his wife.

Penny scooted closer to Sheldon and put her head on his shoulder. It was nice; their lives were so busy, they hardly ever had a free minute or two to just...sit.

"How's the book coming along?" Sheldon asked.

"Slowly," Penny admitted. "I know everything I want to say, it's just finding the time to write it."

Sheldon nodded. He was trying to write a paper as well. In Austin, he had found working as a physics professor at UT quite fulfilling, but still wanted to find time for his own projects.

"Well, I received an email from Leonard this morning. He and Mandy will be coming for our anniversary party next month," Sheldon said.

"Oh! Well, that'll be fun," Penny replied, and she wasn't even being sarcastic. Leonard was much easier to be around now that he was married. It mellowed him out, took the pressure off. Plus, Bernadette and Howard and Raj and his new girlfriend were coming, as well. They all tried to get together once a year, but it was obviously getting more and more difficult.

Penny noticed Sheldon's empty plate and said, "How was your sandwich?"

"I wouldn't know; Bartholomew ate it after he almost broke your laptop." Sheldon was not exactly a dog person, but he knew Penny had wanted one ever since she left Nebraska.

"Aww! Come on, I'll make you another one." Sheldon followed Penny into the kitchen. She always made the best sandwiches. They talked about their day as Penny got out all the ingredients, and Sheldon again pondered how, many years ago, this kind of conversation, this kind of life baffled him. And maybe all his experiences in life, or lack thereof, had all come together to make this one possible.

"Come here," Sheldon said, as Penny was putting the finishing touches on the sandwich. She grinned, and he pulled her into a deep, promising kiss. After the kids went to bed, they'd make something happen. Probably. If one of them didn't fall asleep first.

"Love you," he said.

"Love you," she said, and then there was more kissing. This was their life, and they'd never have to go through the motions again.

A/N - Well...here it is! I had no intentions of taking so long to finish and I am so sorry, thank you so much for your patience. Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride. I admit, the last couple of chapters were not what I planned to do from the beginning, but this is what happened and I'm okay with that. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and you are all the wind beneath my wings.

P.S. Sorry to those of you disappointed that I didn't go into the sexy times in detail, but believe me, I have written my fair share of Shenny sexy times if you want to check out my other stories. I just wanted to keep this one PG-13.