Penny Takes the Stage

Bonus Chapter: A Bit Cautious

AN: This takes place before the other bonus chapter, obviously 😉

"Penguin? Penguin, I'm home! Where are you?" Cameron called as he closed the door. "And more to the point, where's my dinner?"

"Oh my god, did I accidentally time travel?" Penny asked with a laugh as she came to greet him. "I meant to put that time machine away but I must've left it out again. I do believe I've stepped back into the 1950s."

Cameron released her to look out at the ocean through the floor to ceiling windows of their Malibu beach bungalow and appreciate the sunset for a moment. "Oh come on, the deal was that whoever got home first would take care of dinner, and you've obviously been home from the doctor for hours, so--?" He gave her another kiss, a really good one, to take the sting out of his words. "My meetings ran long at the studio, there was only shite to eat there, and I wanted to hurry home to you so I didn't stop anywhere--" he let his words hang as he took a drink of the wine she handed him.

"Go look in the oven, she suggested, dropping a kiss on his nose and smiling enigmatically.

The oven? 

Normally he could smell something if it were baking, but he obediently went to check anyway, giving her a quizzical look and leaving her standing in front of the windows.

He flicked on the light and looked around their spotless kitchen. He bent over to look in the oven, which looked empty from where he stood.

No, not quite empty. There was a dinner roll sitting in it, though the oven didn't seem to be on or anything.

How odd.

"Penelope? Is this dinner? There doesn't seem to be anything in here except some sort of bun or something--" he opened the door to get a closer look.

"What, honey?" Penny asked innocently as she came into the kitchen, leaning a rich hip on the counter as she sipped her juice.

"I said there's nothing but a bun in the oven," he repeated as he noticed that she was sipping juice out of her wine glass.

His words echoed in his head as the mists cleared.

Juice in her glass.

Bun in the oven.

Home from the doctor.

"Penguin, did you--are you--are we--" Cam swallowed, setting his wine glass on the counter before he spilled its contents.

Penny, too, set her juice glass down as she smiled widely and patted her stomach, eyebrows high, nodding vigorously.

"YES!" Cameron shouted, both fists in the air, jumping up in the air. He hugged Penny, lifting her off her feet, twirling her around before carefully setting her down again. He kissed her soundly, cutting off her happy laugh.

"How far along are you?" He asked, stroking her slightly protruding belly, which was her natural state.

"About eight weeks," she replied. "I'm due in mid-April."

"A spring baby, how marvelous!" Cameron said. He pulled out his phone. "I have to call Vivi and tell her straight away."

"Yeah, but why don't you wait until tomorrow, Daddy?" Penny suggested. "It's the middle of the night over there right now, no need to wake her up."

"I suppose you're right," he agreed, disappointed. "But god, I want to tell someone, you know?"

"Why don't you call Simon?" Penny suggested, handing him his wine and guiding him toward the couch."