"The X-Advisors..."

"The X-Advisors..." Part XIV...

Disclaimer: All is Chuck's...

Part XIV...

"You know..." Howard smiled as the group waited in the ER waiting room for news that Leonard had been sent upstairs. "In the ole days, back in Europe and such places, the bride and groom would be escorted to their chamber by their closest friends from the wedding party...Who'd make a racket and tease the hell out of them...And in general, see that things were done right. Not just my guys, you understand...Most of yours, too. And I believe it holds true for Raj's fellas, right?"

"It corresponds..." Raj, sage nod.

"Meaning...This was just right...We're doin' it just right..." Penny, beaming... "Howard?! How do you keep managing this? It's beginning to scare me, all this good and wise stuff coming outta you these last years... Bernadette, you are a lucky, lucky girl."

"I know." Proud nod.

"But not as lucky as...PENELOPE HOFSTADTER!" she cried...Wagging finger...

"A ring?" Amy stared... "Leonard had a ring...?"

"He's been keepin' it handy...It's just one he picked up, and he didn't really mean it to be my real ring but I don't care. It's fine and it's mine...I'll have to get it engraved but..." she beamed.

"This is my wedding ring...And here it's gonna stay..."

Raj, Howard, Sheldon...Glaring...

The Ring!

"I knew it!" Sheldon fumed. "Even when we all went to the post office to mail it to Peter Jackson, I knew he'd pulled a switch."

"Well...It's mine now." Penny noted, a bit smugly... "Aren't you mine, Precious...?" stroking it.

"Pardon me...Is that what I think it is?" Dr. Stein eyeing the ring...

"I'm a huge Tolkien fan...From the days when there only the books and no one thought of Elijah Wood and that Shakespearian fellow Susan always says I resemble as Frodo and Gandolf..." he smiled.

"It's one of the original prop rings..." Raj sighed. "We found it one day, one ordinary day...Lost among trivial things...It gleamed like a burning molten fire. One ring, to rule them all..."

"Our Precious..." Howard, Raj, Sheldon...Awed tones...

Lucy eyeing Bernadette...Bernadette shrugging...

Our nerd boys go gaga over a piece of costume jewelry...Accept it, girl.

"And now it be my Precious..." Penny smiled. "See how it gleams..." she held her hand up to the light.

Well...Greater love hath no nerd...Bernadette sighed.

"Mrs. Hofstadter?" a nurse came out to them... "I can take you up now...And three...No more than three...Of the rest of you...To say goodnight."

"I'm stayin'...Right?" Penny, anxiously...

"Right...There's a sleeping couch in the room." kind nod. "But lets do this, ok? He should get to sleep."

"Ok..Uh...Bernadette? Amy? If it was me..." Penny, a bit sheepishly.

"No...The original gang does the Hofstadter wedding night honors, it's traditional, as my honey says..." Bernadette, warmly... "Howie and Raj will give us all the details and Sheldon will provide commentary...Go on, guys."

"Amy..." Penny went to her. "I'm so glad this idiot..." she nudged Sheldon... "... got things straightened out...And if Leonard helped..."

"He did...And he did..." Amy beamed...Hugging her, then a kiss on cheek. "Congratulations, Mrs. Dr. Hofstadter...Leonard's made such a wise choice...And so have you." She hugged her again, Penny wiping tears. Hugging Bernadette as Amy released her...