Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj were gathered in Leonard and Sheldon's apartment discussing who was the bravest character in the Marvel universe when Sheldon's phone rang.
"Hello. Yes, the elevator's out of order. You'll have to use the stairs. Of course you can. Pizza dates back to the 16th century, while the first elevator was not installed until 1852. That means that for over 300 years, people carried pizzas upstairs. Be part of that proud tradition."
Leonard frowned. "I'll go get Penny while that guy spits on our food." When he knocked on Penny's door, an older man answered it.
"Yes?"
Leonard was startled. "Oh, um, is Penny here?"
The stranger smiled. "You're Leonard, right?"
Leonard nodded, wondering how this man knew who he was. "Yeah."
The stranger's smile widened. He held out his hand and shook Leonard's hand excitedly. "Damn, it's good to finally meet you, son."
Leonard was thoroughly confused. "Okay, I think a bit of context here might help."
Penny finally appeared. "Oh, hey, Leonard. I see you met my dad."
Leonard breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. Context."
Penny's dad waved at Leonard. "Come on in, buddy. Take a load off."
Penny jumped in between the two men. "Oh, gee, Daddy, Leonard can't stay. He just dropped by to say hello. Thanks for stopping by, sweetie. I'll see you later." She proceeded to give him a long, deep, passionate kiss while her father watched approvingly. "Bye," she said as she closed the door in Leonard's face.
Leonard didn't know what to think. He stood in the hallway confused. "That was odd," he said out loud.
A few minutes later, Penny was at Sheldon and Leonard's door.
"Hey, can I talk to you out here for a sec?" Penny asked of Leonard.
Leonard nodded. "Yeah, sure," and walked into the hallway.
As Leonard exited the apartment, Sheldon said to Howard and Raj "I'm starting to think we're never going to see that pizza."
"So you're probably wondering what that was all about," Penny asked Leonard once they were in the hallway.
Leonard shrugged his shoulders. "What, uh, the kissing and everything? Nah, women do that to me all the time."
"Yeah, okay," Penny said sarcastically. "The thing is, Daddy came into town for a visit and I kind of told him we got back together again."
"What? Why?"
"Well, you're the first guy he's ever really approved of, you know? You're a scientist who went to college and you don't have a neck tattoo or outstanding warrants or, or a baby."
"What kind of guys did you used to go out with?"
Penny paused. "Just guys. Anyway, when I told him we split up, he was heartbroken, and he kept bugging me, 'How's Leonard? Why can't you get back together with Leonard? I bet Leonard never tipped a cow over on himself.' So to get him off my back, I told him we worked things out. Will you please just play along until my dad leaves?"
"Hold on, you actually want me to deceive your father with some sort of sham play acting and kissing and stuff? Cause I'm good with that."
Penny's dad opened her apartment door. "Slugger, you out here? Oh, there you are. Good, Leonard's here, too. Leonard, I'm taking your gal out for a steak dinner, you wanna join us?"
Penny looked panicked. "Oh, Daddy, that's nice, but Leonard has to work. Right, Leonard?"
Leonard grinned. "Uh, I do, I have to work. But I'm gonna blow that off to spend the evening with my sweetie and her father, 'cause, you know, just the kind of boyfriend I am."
*****
Later that evening, Raj and Howard were in Raj's lab at CalTech. They had planned an evening of stargazing through the university's telescope. They were in the middle of a serious game of Battleship when there was a knock at the door.
"Oh, great, you made it," Howard said as he opened the door. Bernadette was standing on the other side of the door holding two bottles of wine. "Come on in. I invited her," he said to Raj.
Bernadette looked around the room "So where's the telescope?"
Howard pointed at a monitor to his right. "It's in Hawaii, but Raj controls it from here. He's hoping to see Epsilon Eridani dim, which would be evidence of a planet orbiting it."
Bernadette wrinkled her nose. "So we just sit and stare at the screen, waiting for something to happen?"
Howard shrugged his shoulders. "I did it with you when we rented The Notebook." Raj, still unable to speak to women without the aid of alcohol, leaned over and whispered in Howard's ear. Howard rolled his eyes. "Yes, Gena Rowlands is a treasure." He looked at Bernadette. "You'd better open up that bottle of wine or I'm gonna end up with swimmer's ear."
*****
At about the same time, Leonard, Penny, and Penny's father Wyatt were at her apartment door after having a delicious, albeit awkward for Penny, dinner.
"Thanks for the steak, Wyatt," Leonard said appreciatively.
"My pleasure. It's nice to have dinner with a boyfriend of Penny's that knows how to use a napkin."
Penny frowned. "So not funny, Daddy."
"Well, I'm just glad you finally found yourself a keeper," Wyatt said with pride.
Leonard puffed his chest out and smiled. "Thanks, Wyatt." He looked at Penny. "I'm a keeper."
"Leonard, you want to come in for a nightcap?" Wyatt asked.
Penny jumped in. "Oh, gee, Daddy, he'd love to, but Leonard has to work in the morning."
Leonard smiled. "Maybe I could go in a little late."
Penny frowned at Leonard. "No, no, no, you can't. Your career is far too important."
Wyatt ignored his daughter and smiled a big Midwestern smile at Leonard. "C'mon, son, one drink ain't gonna kill ya. One drink and then you can get back to all your science stuff."