A.N. - Why is it that my head is filled with so many ideas for this story, yet I'm coming up blank for my other ones? Oh well, at least I can get something out on paper lol. On to the progression of Shenny; I decided to incorporate an idea I was going to turn into another story at some point, but it made more sense to just add it to this one. Enjoy!

Evolution

It had been several weeks since Amy and Raj started dating, and things were finally back to what Penny would call normal. She and Leonard could finally talk again without it being too awkward, thanks to his interest in a woman he'd met at a Sci-Fi convention. He'd taken Howard with him, but hadn't gone with anyone else. The weird thing about it was that Sheldon hadn't been upset for not being included on the trip. When Penny asked Sheldon about it when Leonard and Howard had left for the event, he'd looked at her with that tilt to his head he always got when something puzzled him and replied, "I have important work to be done and the convention is a minor one anyway. Besides, this way I get to hang out with you, without Leonard's commentary in the background."

"Aww, does that mean you enjoy hanging out with me?"

"Of course I do. Despite our obvious differences, you've provided the most loyal friendship to me than anyone else we know."

Penny had been both exhilarated and saddened at his comment. Later, when she really thought about it, she realized that he was right, but then she realized that the reverse was also true. If shit hit the fan, she knew that she could count on Sheldon.

Penny's thoughts were interrupted when the room began to shake around her. Growing up on the family farm, Penny had been educated early on how to respond to a natural disaster. In Nebraska, that usually came in the form of tornadoes, though she herself had only witnessed one major tornado there. When Leonard had complained some time back on Sheldon's emergency drills, she'd instantly perked up and had asked Sheldon about it later. He had told her that while he didn't have the time to take her through a drill himself, he would give her a list of the items she would need to purchase. After all, her apartment could be used as a second meeting place, should the inevitable happen. Penny had mused at the time that Sheldon probably assumed she wouldn't pay attention to the list, but if there was one thing she took seriously, it was being prepared. She even had a BLS* card and went to a class every year to keep her skills up. So now, she hurried to her emergency cupboard, and pulled out a hardhat, an orange vest with reflective strips, and a flashlight, then scooted to duck under her kitchen table. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and tried to make herself as small as possible as the room continued to shake. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound as part of the floor above fell and hit the table. The table snapped into two pieces under the weight, and though she tried to scramble out of the way, part of the table came down on her left leg and she cried out in pain. Finally, the earthquake was over, but Penny couldn't move as her leg was pinned under the table and rubble of the floor that had fallen. She couldn't see the damage to her leg, but she felt the symptoms of shock coming over her and knew that there must be some amount of blood loss. She took a quick assessment of what she was wearing, a t-shirt and jeans, and she took off the bright orange vest and t-shirt, then put the vest back on. She tore her t-shirt into one, long strip, then tied the material tightly around her upper thigh.

Just then, her front door opened and she saw a tall shadow of a man, a light on his head illuminating the darkness, for the power had gone out during the quake. "Penny?" Elation filled her at the sound of his voice.

"Sheldon! I'm under the table and my leg is trapped!"

Sheldon pointed his flashlight and saw her predicament, but he also felt a sense of pride as he took in the fact that she was wearing items that he had recommended she purchase. He hurried over to her, asking, "Do you think it's broken?"

"I've no idea. It hurts a lot though. I think there must be some sort of gash or something too, because it feels like I'm losing blood. I can't see what's wrong though."

It was then that Sheldon saw she'd used her shirt for a tourniquet and that she had been left in only a bra and the safety vest. For some reason, he felt himself grow warm and the familiar sensations of arousal begin to creep over him. He'd seen Penny naked before once, when he'd been trying to help her dress after she'd dislocated her shoulder, and the image had been imprinted on his brain. He still used that memory often when he needed to self-pleasure himself, telling himself that he was only conjuring her image because she was the most aesthetically pleasing woman he knew. Sure, he could have used a magazine or the internet, but he had found that by using Penny, he felt more relaxed and happy afterward. Now, however, the gravity of the situation allowed him to push his baser instincts aside easily and his concern was growing. As he was pondering what to do, the ceiling began to groan in protest. He saw fear widen her eyes, and something strange happened. Later, he wasn't sure whether it was the fact that Penny usually wasn't afraid of anything or whether it was the sight of her looking so vulnerable, but he felt a surge of protectiveness charge through him. Without thought, Sheldon grabbed the table and lifted it up and over, putting it down to the side, swept Penny up into his arms, and hurried out of the room.

Penny watched the whole thing with wide eyes, her breathing quickening when he picked her up, holding her close. She'd heard about women who had done similar acts when their children were in danger, but she'd never seen it actually done before. She heard Sheldon say, "I think we should leave the building," as he headed towards the stairs, but she was staring at the shining blue flecks in his eyes as if she were trying to discern the mysteries of the universe. Something big was happening to her, but she was afraid to look at it too closely, at least for now. When they reached the street, Sheldon gently put her down, kneeling across from her, and stated, "I'm going to look at your leg, Penny." She nodded, noting remotely that there were a lot of people on the street but that she couldn't find it within herself to call out to anyone for help. She could feel him touching her skin and her heart began to beat erratically. Sheldon never touches anyone voluntarily like this, especially if there's the possibility of an open wound. This is special. I will treasure this moment forever, she vowed to herself. "I don't wish to alarm you, but you have a large gash in your shin as your leg is broken, and a piece of bone is protruding from the gash. I need to wrap your leg in something to stop the bleeding." He thought for a minute, then took off his safety vest and outer t-shirt, then put the vest back on. "I suppose we're both losing our shirts today," he joked, making his breathy laugh.

"But Sheldon, that's your Flash t-shirt. You can't use that, it'll be ruined!"

"It's just a shirt, Penny, I can replace it easily," was his response. After he wrapped her leg, he flagged down an emergency worker who brought over an ambulance.

As they lifted Penny up into the vehicle, she asked, "Can he come with me?" pointing at Sheldon.

"Is he your husband, Miss?"

"Well, no, but he's a very good friend of mine."

"I'm sorry, but unless he's a relation of yours or your significant other, I'm afraid he'll have to drive himself."

"I promise I'll be right there, Penny," Sheldon stated. "I'll call the others and I'm sure they'll give me a ride to the hospital. They'll probably want to make sure you're alright as well."

"Okay. Thank you, Sheldon, you saved my life." And at an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're my hero," she grinned.

Sheldon stood there, stunned, as the doors closed and the ambulance drove off, his cheek burning where Penny had kissed him. Hero? No woman has ever called me that before. The thought was exhilarating and he felt as if his feet were lifting off the ground. His phone rang and his mind was grounded. "Hello, Leonard. Yes, we're fine, though Penny is being taken to the hospital. She has a broken leg. I'm sure she'll want all of us there, including you. I'm just outside of our apartment building. Alright, I'll see you in fifteen minutes. Thank you." He hung up, trying not to count the minutes until Leonard picked him up, until he could see Penny again.

P.S. - Forgot to put that BLS means Basic Life Support, for those of you who don't know, and it is the card you get for passing the CPR test.