A Different Answer Paradox

Disclaimer and AN: As always I own nothing, this little story came to me after watching S5E23. As usual many thanks to the people that inspire me to write; SlightlyOffKey, MissLaurenV, and of course WeBuiltThePyramids, thanks so much for the wonderful writing that you do and I hope that my stumbling attempts do your talents justice.

Chapter 1: The Aftermath Encounter

Leonard and Penny stared awkwardly at each other across the hall separating 4A and 4B. Leonard broke the silence first and said "I have been thinking about what I said when we were in bed the other night."

Penny looked at him and responded, "Yeah I have thinking about it too."

Leonard looked at her carefully and said "I noticed you never answered me."

Penny paused for a second before saying "You're right," and then walked over to him. She pulled him into a deep kiss and then met his gaze as it ended.

"Yes, Leonard, I will marry you," Penny said.

"I mean don't worry about it I wasn't expecting you to say yes or even given any kind of answer because that was totally unfair of me," Leonard babbled on, not yet processing what she had said.

Penny kissed him again and said, "Sweetie, I said yes, I would be very happy to become Mrs. Penny Hofstadter."

Leonard's breath froze in his chest as he looked at her with a very fragile look in his eyes. "Your serious?" he asked.

"Yes sweetie, I got scared once before when you said I love you, and the outcome caused me more pain that I thought possible." Penny said, tears forming in her eyes.

"You have given me more than any other man I have ever been with has. You have given me true and honest love, a best friend and a partner that I have never had." Penny choked out, the tears flowing freely now.

"Being apart from you made me realize it wasn't something that I ever wanted to go through again, and I have dreamt of when we would one day get married and have our own family. So while I wasn't expecting that last night and it shocked me so much that I had to process it, I already knew what my answer was going to be." Penny said to Leonard as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I will never get scared of your love again, and I want you to know how much I love you and how much having you in my life has meant. I want so much to be your wife and to be a mother to your children, and I promise you I will make sure you know every day how much I love you." Penny whispered to him, her voice almost stolen completely by her emotions.

Leonard was now crying also and hugged her tightly. He suddenly let her go and said "Wait right here, give me just a second," As he turned and vanished through the door into the apartment leaving her standing in the hall.

Just a moment later, Leonard returned and asked Penny to closer her eyes. Penny looked at him with a puzzled expression for a moment and then hesitantly closed her eyes.

Making sure her eyes were closed, Leonard fished a ring box out of his pocked and carefully opened it while getting down on one knee.

"Penny, since the moment you moved in across the hall, you have captivated me. Not just with your beauty, but your compassion and the love that you have for everyone around you. Your acceptance of us, the matching of Howard and Bernadette even though he creeped you out, and your strange but very endearing friendship with Amy, it just makes you such a wonderful woman. Like I once said I had been in this relationship 2 years longer than you had because I knew for a long time how much I loved you." Leonard told her, as her eyes remained closed.

"Penny, my love, please open your eyes and agree to become my partner, and my wife?" Leonard asked as Penny's eyes fluttered open.

She gazed down at the glittering diamond engagement ring, and sank down to her knees with Leonard as the tears flowed freely down her face.

"What, I mean how" Penny tried to ask, as she was once again overcome and completely shocked by her fiancé in front of her.

"I had it picked out a little before we broke up the first time. I was so in love with you and when I saw this ring I knew that one day I would place it on your finger so I bought it then. I didn't know then when I was going to ask you but I knew that I would" Leonard told her softly.

"When we broke up I couldn't get rid of it, because that would have meant I was giving up on us, and even when I was with Priya I don't think I truly ever did give up on what we had" Leonard said.

"So I ask you again Penny, with a ring in my hand and a better proposal than a heat of the moment question during sex. Will you give me the greatest gift I could ever hope for and marry me?" Leonard asked.

Penny just whispered "Yes," and held out her hand. Leonard gently slid the ring on to her left ring finger before lifting her hand and softly kissing her palm.

No more words needed to be said as they clung to each other and cried tears of happiness at how far they had come and how much they had overcome.

Leonard stood, and gently helped Penny to her feet. He looked at her and said "I love you Penny, and I always will."

Penny returned his gaze and said "I love you too Leonard, forever."

Penny fought the urge to call in sick to work and said, "As much as I want to stay here and just be with you I need to go to work, and I guess on the way home I get to pick up some wedding planning books."

Penny started down the stairs before pausing and looking back to Leonard. "Sweetie, if you have some free time tonight while I am at work, you should look for some houses in neighborhoods with good schools."

Leonard just stared at her with a puzzled expression.

"Honey, I am not saying we are going to have kids right away, but I know I want that future with you. I want to build a home and a future with you." Penny said elaborating on her previous comment.

Penny turned the corner on the landing as she called out a final comment, "Oh and it will be the wakeup call that Sheldon needs to realize he has to become self-sufficient at some point. While I know he will always be a dear friend we can't continue to play parents to him."

Leonard's last thoughts as Penny's footsteps faded away were, "Crap, Sheldon is going to freak."

A/N: So it had been pointed out to me before that Leonard and Penny hadn't yet had sex and that if I want to stay closer to the origination point of this story I couldn't make her pregnant…..yet .

I finally have some free time and have decided to start writing some additional chapters for this story. I am not sure how frequently I will be able to update just due to schedule but I will at least put forth a commitment to finish it.