Chapter XXI

The sets and costumes were done, the required on-location filming spots were booked, the actors were signed, the crew were ready, and the script was finished. Penny sat back in her chair in her home office, sparing a look at Charlotte and Eleanor on the floor. Charlotte doodling away and Ellie in her bouncy chair. She went back to her paperwork. It had been a grueling six weeks since she returned to work and put the first pieces onto her chessboard by signing Bridget and Robert, but it was all done now and under budget. Prior to meeting Sheldon, Penny was hardly judicious with money, she spent what she earned and what she earned wasn't a whole lot. But now with a husband and kids, a mortgage—that somehow they'll be able to pay off next year—property taxes and a host of other bills, she's learned not to play with house money. The studio gave her a budget of $30 million and her final accounting cost for the entire production was two million under.

It was a good thing she got this out of the way early too, because after not having actual sex with her husband since the birth of her second daughter, which her doctors and medical tests assured her was just her body healing itself and not a serious medical issue, she was ready, damn it. And tomorrow was Valentine's Day. After nearly six months without Sheldon, she was so ready.

A few days ago, the entire motley crew went to the airport because Howard returned from space and to say that he was shocked by Bernadette's pregnancy was an understatement; the engineer fell to his knees and kissed the well-walked floor of LAX's Arrivals terminal just beneath her feet, then proceeded to pick her up and twirl her around like a maniac. Penny didn't know exactly what caused this reaction, but later in the car, Sheldon explained that due to his father's abandonment in his youth, Howard had trust issues with male authority figures mainly because he himself never had one. He had told Sheldon early on that he was scared to be a father because what if he was also predisposed to abandon his children? Penny thought that was heartbreaking, but she knows that Bernie was also ready for this baby and that she'll allow Howard to fully express his fears long before they actually have the baby. In the weeks prior to finding out she was pregnant, the petite blonde was kind enough to watch both Charlotte and Eleanor while Penny and Sheldon attended the Marine's Birthday Ball on November 10. Only the second time they'd attended because Sheldon was either in training or overseas. Penny thinks Bernadette was using that opportunity to gauge how she would be as a mother. Given that when she and Sheldon returned, Charlotte and Ellie were both comfortably asleep and the house wasn't a mess; Penny thinks Bernadette would be a great mom.

A tug at her sleeve brought Penny out of her musings about her friends and her plans for Valentine's. Looking down she knew it was Charlotte.

"Hey honey, whatcha need?" Penny smiles. "I want to change my name," Charlotte pouts.

Penny's brow knitted, "Why, Charlotte's a very pretty name."

"But it's too long, it takes me forever to write it, watch," Charlotte then drops to the floor and

proceeds to write her name on the back of her drawing in clumsy, uneven letters. She gets up and thrusts the paper in front of her mother, "See?"

Penny chuckles, "I do, but I still don't understand why you want to change your name." Penny says playing along, she knew exactly why, she had the same issue with her own name early on, that's why she also went by Penny, except on official documents.

"Because it's old!" Charlotte pouted again, this time giving her mom full-on puppy dog eyes and a jutted lower lip.

Penny had to do everything not to fangirl squeal at the absolutely adorable sight in front of her; her three-year-old daughter who everyone says is a carbon copy of her with blue eyes looking so adorable that she doesn't know what she was going to do. If Charlotte ever discovers this "superpower" of hers, heaven help the poor sap she decides to use it on. Steeling herself, Penny picks up her oldest and sets her on her lap, "Okay, if you don't want to be called Charlotte what should we call you?"

Thinking in her mother's arms, Charlotte finally settles on, "Liz. It's only three letters."

Penny laughed. "Honey, you know that 'Liz' is just short for 'Elizabeth' right, which has nine letters like yours?"

Charlotte's brow knits and she looks up at her mother, "Why did you name me Charlotte anyway?"

Penny breathes a sigh of relief, at least it wasn't The Question, Charlotte was way too young for the Birds and Bees talk. "Well, you know how Daddy likes to talk about his Pop-Pop, but you never met him?" Charlotte nods, "When Daddy was your age he loved his Pop-Pop and I think still does. He is partly the reason Daddy does what he does."

"You mean protect people?"

Penny nods, "Mmm-hmm, remember how Meemaw said that Daddy reminds her of Pop-Pop more and more over Thanksgiving?" Charlotte nods again, "And how similar they looked when Gramma Mary showed you that picture of Daddy in Pop-Pop's old uniform?" Charlotte nods a third time, "Well, when you were born, I wished my own Nana could've seen you, she would've loved you instantly. So I named you after her and it just so happened that 'Charlotte' is the girl version of Pop-Pop's name which was 'Charles'. So do you understand now?"

"Is that why some people, like Uncle Eric, call me Charlie?" Charlotte asked thoughtfully after a few beats.

"Sure is. Any more questions?"

"If Daddy looks like his Pop-Pop, do I look like your Nana?"

Penny laughs, she never thought of it before, and certainly neither of her parents pointed out any resemblance, "No, sweetie, people say you look like me just with blue eyes," Penny shifted Charlotte to her arms and walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner which Penny put there a week ago solely to check out the costumes, "Do you think so?"

Charlotte looks at herself and Penny in the mirror then turns and looks at her mother, studying her closely. At one point coming within inches of Penny's face while turning and lifting her face and asking Penny to stick her tongue out and say "ahh"; Penny laughs but does it. After her rather thorough inspection of her mother's facial features, Charlotte declares, "Yep, Mommy we look just like each other," she then turns and looks at Ellie who is still bouncing away in her bouncy chair,

"Does that mean Ellie looks like Daddy?"

Penny laughed out loud; Ellie, according to both her mother and her mother-in-law is sort of a more balanced combination of her and Sheldon, it was too early to tell who she actually takes after although the prevailing bet is Penny, eventually. "I don't know honey, but I'm sure any brothers you might have will probably look more like Daddy."

Charlotte made a face, "Brothers? Boys are dirty."

Penny suppresses a laugh… only just because one day her daughter—actually both of her daughters

—would find out about boys and she'll be there with popcorn at the ready. But that's a crisis for another day, today it seems she's distracted her daughter enough about her name to move her focus elsewhere.

Trying to celebrate Valentine's Day with kids was difficult, it was doubly so when your friends were in relationships of their own, and Penny hated to do it but she got Rachel, her PA to take Charlotte and Eleanor for the day, promising in writing to pay the new hire overtime. By 8:30 in the morning, Charlotte and Eleanor were in Rachel's car with Rachel's roommate headed for Disneyland. Penny was just thankful Charlotte didn't ask a whole lot of questions; all her daughter heard was 'Disneyland' and it was immediate tunnel vision, she thanks her lucky stars for that.

Penny had been without Sheldon for 21 and a half weeks while her body healed and her youngest daughter needed tending to and Sheldon had that secretive mission the week before Christmas.

Penny found out later from the news that it was most likely a hostage rescue done in Russia but both the State Department and the Kremlin were keeping mum for various reasons—neither side confirming or denying what happened officially—because of political reprisal or embarrassment or in Russia's case probably both; since officially it wouldn't do well to be known as the administration that let a foreign black op occur in the country and put up no adequate resistance.

This made Penny a little extra eager to reconnect—she wanted to reward her hero husband.

When Sheldon was still at the house at seven in the morning, Penny had been a little suspicious, especially since Sheldon left the house at five like clockwork every weekday. Penny suspected he got a 24-hour liberty pass; that's the only way her Marine Corps husband could so easily sleep through a weekday morning when he should be on base and not worry about a desertion charge. After the kids were picked up and breakfast was cleared, she confiscated his phone and dragged him up to the bedroom, pointed at their recently made bed and told him, "Sit down and be a good boy, I'll be right back."

Sheldon chuckles, "Rather eager, are we? I know sex and swimming aren't the same thing but doing both on a full stomach can cause cramps," he added cheekily.

Penny stopped and turned around, arms crossed over her chest, "If I am, then so are you, why else would you be home today?" She asked rhetorically.

"Touché."

Penny smirked, "You know what, I could use an extra pair of hands with my back and other hard- to-reach places, what do you say?"

His response was lifting her up over one shoulder and throwing the helm of her robe up slightly to smack her cotton sleep-short-clad ass, causing her to giggle in delight.

Twenty-two weeks without her husband really was way too damn long. Penny wonders why she is feeling this needy now when after she had Charlotte she had more than a year to go until Sheldon

came home and she can remember not feeling as remotely wanton as she does now. At the time she just thought that was because she was too busy trying to be there for Charlotte, Val and Alex to worry about her needs, plus the fear and excitement of being a first-time mom was enough to make her forget she had needs. But with Eleanor it wasn't that much different, she was busier than ever with the two of them and Sheldon was a fully-fledged member of the United States Special Operations Command. If anything it was worse, but she still doesn't know why she was particularly needy now, was it just postpartum hormones or something else? Either way, she was going to get her man and ravish him for the first time in a long time, soon enough.

Sheldon put Penny down and then slowly removed her robe leaving her in her usual camisole and shorts, he then lifted her chin staring into her emerald green eyes—the ones that so long ago he fell for—the rarest colour and like the mercurial woman in his arms, unique to the core. He kisses her, taking immediate satisfaction in the fact that she gives in instantly. When they separate, he watches with lust-filled eyes as his wife takes a step back, backing herself to the bathroom sink counter and with a deliberate movement takes her camisole off leaving her topless. He doesn't quite know which he finds sexier: Penny's pre-child chest which honestly he believed was the single most perfect pair of breasts ever made; firm, sensitive, and very much more than a handful or Penny now; they were still sensitive, but much bigger, and good lord almighty he was pretty damn sure even after two children her breasts were still firmer than a vast majority of women pre and postpartum. He is absolutely amazed by the shape of them and knows that Penny takes great pride in her body despite wanting to be seen as more than a pretty face.

"You just gonna look or are you gonna do somethin'?" Penny sasses.

Sheldon breaks out of his reverie, "Oh, I intend to do lots of things with you… to you," he quips, "Better pace yourself."

She growls hungrily, "Get your ass naked and get in the shower, Sheldon," Penny orders pointing to their ensuite.

Smiling, "Since you asked so nicely." Sheldon takes off his t-shirt, boxers and pyjama bottoms and sees that Penny has already ridded herself of her sleep shorts and panties in record time and was impatiently standing there arms crossed her chest and tapping her foot. He doesn't know why this scene before him is both so erotic and funny at the same time.

They get into the shower together, and Penny is soaping up Sheldon's amazing body. That was one side effect of military life she'll gladly accept. Her husband keeps himself in excellent physical condition and she reaps all the benefits. She pays extra attention to Sheldon's shoulder 'flesh wound' and kisses it tenderly when the shower head rinses off the soap. That was one side of the military she definitely could do without, it was also the constant reminder of what she almost lost.

"So your intention is an actual shower? And here I thought you wanted me to take you under the spray," Sheldon says knowing that Penny was leading up to the main event. He got a pinch to his side for that. "Ow…"

"You deserved it; as if I can't be sentimental and sensual at the same time," she pouts, then thinks better of it and wraps an arm around the back of his neck and pulls him down for a hot wet kiss under the spray. When they break apart, foreheads touching, she growls lowly, "I haven't had you in six… fucking… months…" then drops to her knees in front of him, his hard, erect member staring her in the face. Penny licks her lips in anticipation then grabs her husband's incredible cock, stroking it, licking the length of it, before putting it in her mouth.

Sheldon's head falls back onto the shower tiles as his eyes close in pleasure. His wife's mouth feels incredible, and while he's had the pleasure of her mouth more since Ellie's birth, anytime he

receives oral from Penny is a cause for celebration. He eventually opens his eyes and groans in pleasure because Penny has started playing with herself while sucking him off. He thanks all the stars above for Penny, and then pulls her up and kisses her soundly before reversing their positions.

Penny is a lot more vocal, especially with the added heat of the shower. Holding onto the top of Sheldon's head to keep her husband right where she wants him, not because he doesn't know how to eat pussy but rather because Sheldon likes to tease and Penny was so done with teasing, she wanted pleasure and her man, her husband was a damn expert at this too.

"God, yes! Like that…" her voice trails off as she shudders, and as he had done with her, pulls him up and kisses him deeply. "I need you," she tells him sensually.

That sends a shiver up his spine; want is optional, one could live without certain wants, but need is essential. He was essential to her and vice-versa. Sheldon spins Penny around facing the wall, her arms braced against the slippery tile as her butt is presented to him.

"Please…" Penny begs in a low moan.

Obliging he lines himself up at her opening and thrusts in, both letting out moans, groans, and curses at being rejoined after so long.

Penny looks back and reaches for Sheldon pulling him in for another heated kiss as he continues to pound her. Penny then feels Sheldon's hands cup her tits and he starts to squeeze and fondle them and pinch her sensitive nipples. Her heart is racing faster than normal during sex, possibly due to the heat from the shower or the fact that six months without her husband was enough to get her to come really damn quick. She breaks away from his kiss, and throws her head back in ecstasy because her orgasm is coming and coming fast, "I'm cumming!!" Penny faintly hears Sheldon groan as her inner muscles tighten around him and she falls over the precipice of pleasure.

When she comes down from her high, she reluctantly pulls him out of her, shuts off the water, quickly drags Sheldon out, and haphazardly dries them both with a towel. She gives him another kiss before taking him by the dick to the bedroom. His chuckle is enough for her to know that they aren't overcomplicating this. It's fun, sexy, and enjoyable for both of them.

Pushing him down toward the bed, she waits for a few beats before climbing on and on top of him rubbing her body against his. She hears him groan again as her slick pussy makes contact with his still-erect cock. She smirks, "Didn't you say something early about pacing myself?"

Sheldon nods dumbly.

Penny kisses her way down Sheldon's amazing body, when she reaches his cock lathers it up with spit before crouching over him, "I think it is you who should prepare, honey, because now that I've had my first, I wonder if five years on you can still do to me what you did on our honeymoon?"

Sheldon hisses as she hovers over him stroking him, "What's that…" he groans, "give you 40 orgasms?"

Penny smiles broadly, "Oh, so you do remember, I guess that memory of yours doesn't allow you to forget." She sinks down onto him and moans," Ugh… so big… since we only got… until the girls get back how about you see if you can give me a tenth of our honeymoon?"

"Only four? That's setting the bar pretty low for us don't you think?" Sheldon snickers, but quickly winces as Penny retaliates; he forgot he was inside her. "All right… all right, good lord woman!" He recants.

Penny beams and starts to ride her hubby in earnest.

***

Later that night, when Rachel drops off the girls, Penny who has been wearing a huge grin all day thanks to multiple orgasms, thanks her PA and gives her an extra $200 cash as her thanks for giving up her Valentine's. She's so happy that she doesn't even care that Charlotte is going on and on about the tea cups, It's A Small World or the various Disney Princesses she met because Rachel told the people doing the park meet and greets that Penny was a director at CBS. Being multi- satisfied for the first time in half a year tends to do that to a girl. After Penny finally puts Charlotte and Eleanor to bed—with a story assist from Sheldon—she waits for her husband in their now newly changed bed sheets, when he finally joins her in bed she snuggles into him, her head on his chest.

"Today was a great day, honey."

Sheldon chuckles, "Well, it was unseasonably warm for February, but yes I agree," he jokes, and gets a pinch to the ribs for it. Sheldon wraps an arm around his wife in response.

The rest of the day was physically and emotionally satisfying on multiple levels, the couple made love not simply had sex and because of that their climaxes were so much richer. Penny especially spent an excessive amount of time kissing and caressing Sheldon's 'flesh wound' telling him with every subsequent kiss how she felt that day and how she feels now. In return, Sheldon worshipped every speck of Penny's body; it amazes him how toned she is just six months after the birth of a second child, and ensuring Penny is constantly satisfied. He thinks Penny cooing to and making baby talk to his cock after they were well and truly exhausted qualifies.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Penny."

She smiles tiredly in his arms, "Happy Valentine's Day, Sheldon. I love you." "I love you, too, Penelope."

It was another all-inclusive Saturday at Penny and Sheldon's. Supposedly after Valentine's Day earlier in the week, there was some big news to share.

Penny and Val had just put the kids down for a nap and returned to the living room in time to hear Howard.

"Oh God, I'm so nervous about my dissertation defence," Howard blurted out after lunch.

Sheldon, Emily, Raj, and Bernadette chuckle. Howard glares playfully at them. Over lunch Howard had shared that he had been in an accelerated PhD aerospace engineering degree program since he was cleared of any federal charges related to Leonard's destruction of the elevator and the rocket fuel, he was due to defend his dissertation in May.

"I would share with you my experience but I don't think mine is very applicable," Sheldon told the engineer, "I received my doctorate a year earlier than most in my cohort, I was also just 16, and I had to defend it in German."

Howard laughs nervously, "Yeah, it's taken me three years to complete this and I'm as nervous as it is about defending it in English. But what did you do after?"

Sheldon looks at Penny, she squeezes his hand assuringly, "Lose my virginity."

Emily, Raj, Bernadette, and Howard spit out the water they were drinking and start to cough. "Wait, what?" Howard chokes out, tears forming.

Sheldon shrugged, "Just as I said, I lost my virginity after successfully defending my dissertation. In Germany, the panels are much more deliberative during one's dissertation defence, while you won't get official notice of your success or failure until all candidates have gone through the process, the way the panel talks during your dissertation defence and whether or not the dean shakes your hand or not is a good indication of whether you passed or failed. I knew instinctively after I completed my 95-minute defence, whether or not I defended it—there were smiles all around and the dean shook my hand quite vigorously. I went back to my dorm room, and waiting outside was my long-time lab partner, Sabine, I invited her in, told her what happened and she hugged me. When she pulled back, I, being 16, hormonal, and recently declared—albeit unofficially—a doctor kissed her. She reciprocated, and well, one thing led to another and before long… you can guess the rest."

Howard smirks. "So what did she look like? No, wait, better question, who's better her or Penny?" Penny snickers, and crosses her arms playfully and looks at Sheldon she already knows the answer

—they had no secrets from each other, and besides that, she had met Sabine once already—but

she's curious as to how Sheldon would react. "Yeah, honey, who's better me or little Miss I-Just- Wanna-Do-A-Doctor?"

Sheldon looks at Penny and smiles indulgently, "Oh you, definitely you, Penny."

"So…," Emily begins after recovering from the shocking news that Sheldon lost his virginity after defending his dissertation, "Where's the riskiest place you've had sex?"

Penny and Sheldon chuckle. Penny didn't know that her dermatologist friend was such a sex freak when she introduced her to sweet innocent Raj at her daughter's birthday but, Raj clearly isn't complaining so they must either get along really well or he's equally as twisted, just better hidden. The couple thinks about that question honestly, looking at each other while they do. Something passes between them and they smile.

"His truck," Penny finally tells her.

Emily looks a little bummed by the answer, but there's probably a good reason for it, "Okay, I'm sensing more to this, so come on spill."

Penny smiles and walks over to Sheldon's desk, rummages in one of the drawers pulls out a flash drive, grabs his laptop, boots up the computer, sticks in the flash drive and pulls up a video."

"You made homemade porn?!" Emily asks incredulously.

Sheldon and Penny and the rest of the occupants look at her bewildered including Raj. Penny's eyes go wide, and she laughs, "What?! No! This is the official recording of my undergraduate commencement by the University of Nebraska, specifically my graduation walk. Penny hits play, and although Howard and Raj had already seen it, they hadn't seen the HD version. Even Michael and Val, who were at the ceremony, crowded around to watch.

When it finished the girls were wiping away tears, the guys were coughing to cover up any lingering lumps in their throats.

"Wow. I've seen military homecoming videos before but that one really takes it," Bernadette says wiping away a final tear.

"It sure does, but I'm still confused because I didn't see any sex in that unless you lot consider kissing to be sex," Emily winks.

Penny laughs, "Oh God, I'm not a prude, it's just okay," she takes a breath, then explains, "After we walk off, I don't return to my seat. I walk off with Sheldon into the tunnels and we talk privately. That talk included a few more kisses and after one particular kiss I got really wet so I told him to you know," she gestures, "he agrees and we head out of the stadium and into his truck intent on driving to my house or to a motel or whatever but, once inside his truck, I couldn't wait anymore so I leaned over told him 'there's nobody here' so I lean over and take out his ding-dong while still in my graduation gown and suck him off. After a few minutes, he pulls me off of him—keep in mind that I hadn't seen him since last March—so I was confused. But before I could voice anything, he had my panties pulled to the side, bunched up my graduation gown and pulled me back on top of him. I rode my fiancé after graduation which honestly was the best graduation present I ever got."

Emily whistled low and chuckled, "Hot."

"So that's what happened to you. I knew something was up when I went searching for you after the ceremony and none of us could find you," Val exclaimed.

Penny blushed, "Yeah, sorry Val. My folks were pretty mad I left the ceremony too, but Sheldon was back. You knew how much I missed him."

Val threw her head back and laughed, "Hell yeah, I do," she then addressed the rest of the group, "For nine months, all this girl listened to was Mariah Carey's love songs. Day and night, night and day. By the time we graduated, the entire floor knew the words to several Mariah Carey songs by heart," Val turns to Penny and sheepishly admits, "We were about a week away from stealing your iPod, laptop, and whatever else you had that had Mariah Carey songs on it but then Finals came up. We had blueprints and everything drawn up."

Penny laughed.

Michael snorted, "Oh please, that's nothing," he looks at Penny, "I'm pretty sure he gave that emergency-only letter when you guys left the ceremony, right?"

Penny nodded, "Yeah, I read it then threw it away."

Michael chuckled, then turned to Sheldon, "Did you give her the Friday the 13th letter?" Sheldon nodded, "Along with 22 others."

"Wait, what's the Friday the 13th letter?" Emily asked.

"It's a series of response letters I wrote after receiving every one of Penny's. The Friday the 13th letter is significant because I received the companion to that two days before April 13, 2007—the same day that my actions earned me the Medal of Honor. In Penny's letter, she wrote that she wanted me home, wanted me in her arms, she reiterated her commitment to marry me and start a family but to do that and I quote, 'Honey, I can't lose you, I love you, I need you. You are it, the one, the only one, so get your butt back here so I can change my last name. Then we can start a family.' It was those words more than anything that drove me to do what I did. I had to return to Penny and I don't know what possessed me to actually do what I did because in all right- mindedness that was practically suicide. But I made it out alive and I'm forever grateful for it. The Friday the 13th letter is actually the fifth draft of the same letter that I wrote that night. I didn't know it at the time but the Friday the 13th letter was essentially the first draft of my wedding

vows."

Michael nodded sagely, arms crossed, "You can say that again when I read the first draft, I was absolutely floored, then it became this flowery fluff piece. No offence, Penny."

Penny snickered shaking her head, "None taken."

The group were stunned into silence, they knew the couple were devoted to each other but they never knew the exact depth of that devotion before. It took a while before the conversation started up again.

"So aside from Howard's news what was so Earth-shattering that you all needed to be here today?" Penny asked.

Michael and Val shared a look that did not go unnoticed by Sheldon and Penny. "I'm pregnant!" Val exclaimed excitedly.

Penny chuckled, "I figured from the look you guys gave each other, but you can't be too far off, I don't even see a bump."

Val laughed back, "Yeah, you're right, only four weeks," Val placed her hands on her still flat stomach.

Val and Michael then accepted congratulations from the others as well.

After several follow-ups, Raj and Emily dropped quite possibly the biggest bombshell of them all, which was Emily was expecting too. Howard was especially happy for his best friend, and he liked Emily; the redhead was equal parts wild and smart and Howard thought his friend needed a woman like that since he was so reserved.

It wasn't until Bernadette asked if they planned on getting married that Raj broke down. He said his father had threatened him with disownment if he didn't rectify the situation and move back to India and settle down with, "a nice Indian girl". It is a cultural concept that had been allowed to persist, the problem being not just of mixing races but mixing religions, the latter of which is still a touchy subject for all-Indian couples.

That explanation riled up Bernie, Penny, and Val with all three women pledging right there to be there for the couple whatever they decide.

Penny eventually told Raj and Emily, "If your dad doesn't want to be part of his grandson's life he doesn't have to be, and Raj, come on I've seen your paychecks, you and Emily can more than afford to venture out on your own without your parents' money. Besides, your kid might not have a paternal grandfather but they'll sure as hell will have some pretty kick-ass surrogate aunts and uncles and cousins."

Emily thanked the blonde for her kind words and after a brief eye conversation, told the rest of the group, "We'll let you know soon."

Soon turned out to be a week later, when back at Penny and Sheldon's, Raj and Emily told the group they were getting married at the Bellagio next month and that they wanted their 'family' and Emily's family to be there. Emily explained that a Vegas wedding was the quickest to organise and it was ultimately the cheapest even when factoring in the hotel.

The rest of the friends agreed to attend, except for Sheldon and Michael who said tentatively if

they aren't called on a mission they'll be there, otherwise they wish the couple happiness and prosperity.

The day after Raj and Emily's wedding announcement was Sheldon's birthday, and he had never been more thankful for a birthday falling on a weekend. Penny woke him up with a timeless wake- up routine involving her mouth and his cock. Honestly, if all he got on his birthday was a blowjob from his beloved wife, he'd consider that a pretty good birthday—hell, he considers any time Penny uses her mouth on him to be a good day. But afterwards, Penny wouldn't let him leave the bed, instead, she left the bed and returned a few minutes matter with a tray of breakfast foods followed by Charlotte pushing Eleanor in her stroller.

Charlotte jumped up on the bed and tackled him in a great big birthday hug, then directed toward Penny, "Mommy, I need Daddy's present now. It's in Ellie's stroller basket."

Sheldon chuckled as Penny curtsied then handed over Charlotte's gift with, "Your Highness."

He opened Charlotte's gift which oddly enough was something he would use, maybe. The officer's boat cloak. If nothing else, it never hurts to have a cape. He read Charlotte's note that she put in to accompany the cloak.

"To my Daddy, Superman. Love, Charlotte. Happy birthday, Daddy." He looks at Charlotte warmly, "You think I'm Superman?"

She shakes her head, "No, Aunt Val thinks you're Superman, I think you're Santa."

Sheldon chuckles because Penny is right, "So why did you write 'To my Daddy, Superman'?" Charlotte giggles, "Because Santa doesn't wear capes, silly."

He laughs, "Well, thank you for the cape, sweetheart."

Charlotte grins a toothy smile back, "You're welcome, Daddy!" Then stands on her knees and gives him a cheek kiss. They see a brief flash, no doubt Penny got that on her phone and will be sending that to family within minutes.

Penny lifts Ellie into her arms and settles next to Sheldon on the bed; she doesn't dare put Ellie in his lap since she knew Charlotte has become quite territorial with her role as the big sister in recent months and especially with regards to Sheldon. The level of affection is odd considering father and daughter didn't meet for 18 months, but ultimately Penny can't really judge she was the same with her own dad then had a few memorable years of her own when she was in Little League and Junior Rodeo.

Growing up, Sheldon never really understood the point of birthdays but now somehow as a parent all days whether they are significant or not are meaningful and he has to attribute this to the people he's around. His family. His wife and children. As he watches his three-year-old daughter open a juice box for him and sees his wife caring for their newborn daughter, Sheldon Cooper chuckles to himself, his younger self definitely didn't envision this life, but this life had something much more tangible than science could ever offer: a loving family.