This is it. This is the end. This has been 4 and a half years in the making. I can't believe it. I hope this will be worth the wait.

Enjoy!

Chapter Forty

Sheldon had ruined everything.

He had slipped the ring on Penny's finger, and they were back to sitting in their seats. Penny was smiling so wide, Sheldon wondered if her cheeks were sore, yet. She kept looking at him and the beautiful diamond ring on her finger. Sheldon was smiling, too, but not as sincerely. In his head, he was cursing himself (hopefully Meemaw and Jesus would forgive him).

This was not how he wanted to do this.

He had had a whole speech to give Penny before presenting the ring and asking her those five words. But his nerves had gotten the better of him. (Honestly, he couldn't believe it He was going to win the Nobel Prize one day and couldn't let nerves best him ). Penny still had said yes, but she didn't know the depth of his feelings for her.

"What's wrong?"

Sheldon cursed, again. (Sorry, Meemaw). "Nothing, Penny." He fiddled with the utensils that had been left behind and studiously avoided her gaze.

"You're lying." She started twisting the ring and bit her lip. "Do you regret asking me already?"

"No!" He exclaimed and reached out a hand to her. "And what do you mean already?"

She shrugged. This time she was the one to avoid his eyes. "I don't know. I just sometimes think that you'd get bored with me in the future. I'm not as smart as you, an-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Penny. You can never bore me. I'm upset because I had so much I wanted to tell you before I proposed. I wanted to let you know how much I love you, but I forgot everything when I went down on my knee." He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Penny."

"Oh, Sheldon, I know you love me, and we're both being silly. I should know that you'd never get bored of me, and you should know that I don't need a bunch of pretty words to let me know how you feel." She stood and walked to his side of the table. Sheldon stood and reached for her hands.

"I love you, Sheldon Cooper."

"And I love you, Penny Dixon, soon-to-be Cooper."

She went on her tiptoes and kissed him.

The restaurant erupted in applause and cheers for the second time that night.

Penny called her parents when they got home later that evening. Her dad answered, sounding like he had just woken up, but once Penny finished telling him the news, he was whooping for joy. Along with her mother, who had woken up, as well. They were happy for Penny and told her that they would come up to visit soon.

From his bedroom, Penny could hear the moment Sheldon had told his mother about the proposal. She had heard Mrs. Cooper's scream from where she sat in her spot on the couch. Leonard had heard it, too, and walked out of his room groggily.

"What's going on?" He squinted at the Penny shaped blur on the couch.

Penny held up her left hand, knowing that it would look like a blob to Leonard. "I just got engaged!"

"Great!" He said. "But if you'll excuse me, I'll be more excited about it tomorrow. Once I get some sleep." With that, he shuffled back into his room. Penny had to stifle a giggle and settled herself deeper into the couch. Over the last several months, Leonard had lost all of his jealousy that Sheldon was dating Penny. In fact, he liked that the two were together. Penny and Sheldon were his best friends and they were perfect for one another.

"My mother is very happy about the events of the night," Sheldon said, coming back into the room several minutes later, rubbing his temples.

"I couldn't tell," she giggled.

"Sarcasm." Sheldon flopped, very un-Sheldon like into his spot. "I'm not too tired to catch it, Penny."

She patted his thigh. "You're getting much better at catching it, sweetie."

He turned his head, from where it rested on the back of the couch, in her direction and smiled. "I have you to thank for that, Penny." He squeezed the hand that was still on his thigh.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a little while longer. The events of the night still had their hearts racing, but it had also been a long day for the both of them. Exhaustion was creeping up on them.

"I think I am going to to take a shower and then, get to bed." Sheldon stood. "Care to join me, Penny?"

"In bed? Of course." She stood, too.

"No, in the shower."

"Sarcasm?" She asked. But then looked in his eyes and saw that he was nervous. His hands were clasped behind his back, she guessed that they would be shaking slightly, as well.

"No, Penny. I was sincere. We are to be wed, and we will see each other in various stages of dress...or in this case, undress."

They had been together for a year, and things had gotten heavy between them as Sheldon grew more comfortable. But they had not reached that stage yet. In fact, the most Sheldon had seen her undressed was without a shirt, and she had had a sports bra on, which covered most of her chest.

"I know we will, Sheldon." Everything in Penny wanted her to just strip naked right there and run into the bathroom with Sheldon. But he was nervous, and the other part of her wanted to wait until their wedding night to be with him like that. "But I think I would like to wait...if that's okay."

He looked a little relieved (and also a little disappointed, too, she noticed). "If you are sure, Penny."

"I am. I think it'll be worth the wait." She winked and he blushed a deep red.

"I-I'm sure it will."

Four Months Later

Penny didn't want a long engagement. She had been with Sheldon for over a year, long enough to know that this was the man she wanted to marry.

Together, they opted for a private wedding, with just their immediate families and closest friends in attendance. Leonard would be Sheldon's best man and Penny had joked that Raj should be her maid of honor. But that honor had gone to her sister, instead. The boys, plus Stuart, were Sheldon's best men. Two girls that Penny had worked with, plus Missy Cooper made up Penny's bridal party.

Dr. Mueller had flown in from Germany to see the wedding, and sat beside Meemaw and Mrs. Cooper, who had already started to cry before Penny had even walked down the aisle. She had been waiting for this day since Sheldon was born.

At the reception, Sheldon was off talking to his Meemaw, while Penny was with her parents. Dr. Mueller approached her and Penny stood to give him a huge hug. "I am so glad you're here!" She introduced them to her parents, who were even more impressed that their daughter knew a German doctor, as well.

"So, will I get the privilege to be sharing a plane trip with you and Sheldon tomorrow?" Dominik asked a little later.

"You're going to Texas, too?" She asked. That was where she and Sheldon had decided to spend their honeymoon.

"No, I will be going back home and- Oh." He cursed softly. "I suppose Sheldon has not told you, then. It was most likely a surprise that I have just ruined."

"I...don't understand..."

At that moment, Sheldon came up from behind Penny, looking very handsome in his tux. "It is quite all right, Dominik. I was just about to tell Penny the news." He took a seat besides his wife.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to surprise you, Penny. For our honeymoon, we will be spending a week in Europe. I thought it fitting since that is where we first admitted our feelings to one another."

"That's wonderful!" She threw her arms around his neck. She had wanted to go back since the moment they had stepped back onto American soil. "But what about Texas? I just told your mother that we would be visiting her in a few days."

"We'll still be going there, but on our way back from Europe."

Penny was so happy, she was at a loss for words. This day could not get any better. She had married the love of her life, was surrounded by her loved ones and was now going back to the place that had made all of this possible.

"I love you so much, Sheldon Cooper."

"And I love you, Penny Cooper."

Two Years Later

Penny and Sheldon Cooper welcomed their first child, Jennifer Marie Cooper into the world. Jennifer for the role that had jump started Penny's career, and who had given many hope that their dreams could come true, and Marie after Sheldon's Meemaw, Marie.

A year previous, Sheldon had won his Nobel and had gone on a tour, lecturing at various Universities around the world. Penny had received a supporting role in a movie, and had been nominated for an Oscar from said role. Though, she hadn't won, Penny had still been happy. Her dreams were coming true.

She decided to take a little break from acting, though. She and Sheldon wanted to start a family, and with Jennifer, Jenny for short, they did.

"You know, our daughter's name is going to rhyme with yours," Sheldon observed as he held the precious bundle in his arms.

"If we have a son next, we can have his name rhyme with yours," she teased.

"I do not think there are any suitable names out there that will do." His mind was already racing with various names. He made a face each time he thought of one. "Why don't we worry about that for when we do have a son?"

"Agreed," she said, tiredly and settled deeper into the pillows of her hospital bed.

"I love you, Penny...and Jenny," he said and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"And I love you both, too." She reached for Sheldon's shoulder and squeezed it lovingly before drifting off to sleep. It had been a long day.

Penny Cooper could not have asked for a better life...or for a better man to spend that life with.

I just want to say thank you to all of you who have stuck around to read this story over the years. It has really meant a lot to me and without you all, this story would have never been finished. I don't know if I will ever write another TBBT story after this since I don't watch the show anymore and won't have much time to write in the future, but I will forever LOVE this couple. Maybe one day I will be inspired to write another one. Who knows? ;)

Thank you all, again, for reading! :D I love you!