A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first go at TBBT fanfiction. I got the idea while watching reruns the other day that this could be an interesting premise. I write primarily True Blood fanfiction, so if you're ever wanting to read any of that, head on over to my profile and give that a go!

Disclaimer: THE ONLY CHARACTER I OWN IS EMILIA

Please read and review! It's the only way that I can get any sort of feedback about whether the story is any good, or if it needs any work. Good and bad criticism is more than welcomed.

Penny woke up and sighed heavily. Looking at her clock, she groaned, realizing that she had overslept for work. She knew she should get up and get ready for the day, but she couldn't bring herself to do it—she was too sad. Her husband Leonard had left two days ago for an expedition to the North Sea. He would be gone for four months.

She stood up and made up her mind. She picked up her cell phone and dialed her manager's number, and called out for the second time that week. She told herself that tomorrow, she would get back on her regular schedule.

Penny couldn't tell whether she was going to actually miss her husband, or if she was just not used to him being gone. In all honesty, they had been growing apart in the last few months. She couldn't pinpoint any particular reason for the sudden distance, but it was palpable. She usually told herself that their daughter was the only reason she stuck it out.

"Emilia," she whispered, walking into her four year old daughter's bedroom. "Time to get up."

Her daughter rubbed her sleepy green eyes and smiled up at her mother. Penny chuckled at her daughter's wild blonde hair and shook her head. She wanted to get Emilia's hair cut, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Mommy, is it time for school?" Emilia asked in a tiny voice.

"Nope, you're going to stay home with me today, Emmy," Penny said smiling.

Her daughter grinned up at her, and then her smile faltered slightly.

"When will daddy be coming home?"

Penny hesitated before answering, knowing Emmy couldn't fully comprehend the amount of time Leonard would be gone.

"Baby, he'll be gone a while. But he'll be home before you know it! We can even keep a calendar if you want."

Emilia nodded eagerly at that, and her smile returned immediately.

Penny dressed Emmy quickly, attempting to also remove the tangles from her long wavy hair in the process, before going and getting dressed herself. She had a few errands to run, and wanted some time to think.

Knowing that her daughter wouldn't want to go grocery shopping and job hunting, Penny walked across the hall and knocked on the door of apartment 4a.

Sheldon answered the door still in his robe and slippers, and smiled when he saw the two blondes waiting for him. He always enjoyed seeing them, especially little Emilia.

"Penny, Emmy, what can I do for you this morning?" he asked, eyeing the duffel bag Penny was carrying.

"Sheldon, I was wondering if you or Amy would be around today. I'm running errands this morning, and don't want to drag little bit along," Penny answered, pleading with her eyes.

Sheldon regarded her carefully before nodding his head in the affirmative. He noticed Penny outwardly sigh in relief.

"Thank you so much. She was thrilled at the prospect of spending the morning with Uncle Shelly and Aunt Amy," Penny said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, I don't see any reason I can't watch her for a couple of hours. Although, it's laundry day, so please be back before noon," Sheldon said, taking Emilia's belongings.

"Sure thing," Penny said before bending down to kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Where's Amy?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Oh, she left this morning to go to London for some conference for two weeks," Sheldon responded, obviously not bothered in the slightest that his wife was gone.

Penny looked at Sheldon for a minute, and then shook her head. "Alright, well you too don't have too much fun without me. I'll be back soon."

And with that, she was gone.

Sheldon and Emilia walked into his apartment and he got her settled on the couch before unpacking her belongings. He was impressed.

He had known Penny for eight years, and for the first four, she was scatter-brained and irresponsible. As soon as she found out about Emilia, though, she had gotten her life more on track. She and Leonard had only been married for a few months when they got pregnant.

Sheldon and Leonard had been best friends since they had become roommates almost 10 years ago, but if he was being honest, he and Penny had grown just as close over time.

And Sheldon had even loosened up with many of his rules, since he and Amy had been hosting Emilia in their apartment more often.

Of course, Sheldon still had his routines, and his habits. But he had grown accustomed to the sight of crayons littering the floor, and for the first few years of her life, the smell of baby powder in the bathroom. But he enjoyed it. Emilia was the product of his two best friends.

He enjoyed having them around, and he still missed having Leonard live with him, even though he had moved out five years ago. Shortly before Penny and Leonard's wedding, he and Amy had "tied the knot" themselves. They weren't in love, or any of that nonsense—no, there's was a marriage of the minds. Amy slept in Leonard's old room, and Sheldon kept his for himself.

The only thing that changed was they had scheduled coitus ever Tuesday and Thursday, for 30 minutes. There was no love. There was no emotion. It was strictly business, so to speak.

He sometimes wished that he could have the love that his friends shared, but recently, he had seen the changes in their demeanor. Sheldon was no expert in in social interaction, but he could tell when they were fighting. He could feel the tension in the air when they came for visits.

The weeks before Leonard's expedition, Penny had taken Emmy to his apartment on more than one occasion, telling him quietly that Emmy didn't need to be around them to hear their arguing. Of course, he happily obliged, enjoying having a young person around who loved trains as much as he did—or almost as much as he did.

He was pulled out of his inner thoughts by a tiny tug on the hem of shirt.

"Shelly, will you color with me?" Emilia asked with a tiny smile and wide eyes. She was playing him like a fiddle, and she knew it.

"Well of course," he said, smiling back down at her, "oh, and I got us a new train coloring book yesterday!"

Penny trudged up the four flights of stairs completely exhausted. She was late picking Emilia up from Sheldon, but she didn't have the energy to feel guilty about that. She had gotten an application from pretty much every building with a "help wanted" sign, grocery shopped, and picked up a calendar and some stickers for Emmy to mark down the days until her father returned home.

She knocked on Sheldon's door, and got no answer. She pressed her ear against it and didn't hear anything, and she frowned. She dug for her emergency key, and slipped it into the lock.

When she entered the apartment, she noticed that the lights were still on, and the TV was still going, it was only muted. That's when Penny started panicking. She had just picked her cell phone out of her purse when she heard giggling outside the door.

Sheldon entered first carrying a hamper of clean clothes, followed by a giggling Emilia. Penny sighed in relief, throwing her phone back into her purse.

"Sheldon, I'm so sorry I'm late. I was picking up job applications and lost track of time…"

Sheldon simply put his hand up and stopped her. "Penny, although you are late, it was no inconvenience. Emilia and I did laundry together, and I started teaching her about the glory of physics."

Oh lord, Penny thought. "Alright, well thank you again, Sheldon. I should, uh, probably go now."

Sheldon nodded, and handed Emilia back to her mother, along with the packed duffel bag. He leaned down and gave the little girl a hug.

"Love you Uncle Shelly."

"Love you too, Pumpkin."

Penny smiled at the exchange. Sheldon and Emilia were too cute together. And she couldn't help the feeling that she got when she watched them together, that Sheldon would make a wonderful family, if he were to ever be given the opportunity.