Past and Future

Okay... back again... enjoy... The Powers That Be may own the characters... but certainly not like THIS!

Before Leonard could fully understand what was happening... Penny rolled over and out from under him... she crouched and twisted with a pained look on her face and sprang away into the under brush and into the woods beyond. Leonard scrambled around searching for his clothes and glasses. He found them and quickly dressed. Looking around... he could see no trace of Penny. There was rustling in the brush with what sounded like growling, subdued howling and then a sharp yelp followed by what sounded like crying. All Leonard could think of was that Penny was dragged away by some type of animal. All the worst thoughts immediately went through his mind.

Bernadette stopped Howard from nibbling on her neck as she heard the telltale howl of her sister. It was not fully wolf... yet not fully human... this could only mean she had not fully changed... and if she didn't change... there was still hope for Leonard.

Leonard went deeper into the woods searching for any trace of the beautiful woman he was becoming emotionally attached to. He could only think that if he wasn't focused on his own wants and pleasure... Penny would not be in peril... or worse! Why couldn't he control himself? If anything happened to her.. he would never be able to forgive himself...

Howard felt the hard shove Bernadette gave him... "Hey! what's up?" Then he heard the howling that Bernadette was concerned about. "That's in the direction that Leonard and Penny took... we have to find them!"

Leonard saw a patch of golden hair just past a hedge row. Slowly, he circled around... he was trying to prepare himself for the worst.

Bernadette was worried, but she was also glad for the interruption... Howard was very good at the games she was playing with him and had followed her into the woods... tracking her movements like a professional. When she broke their embrace... she was dangerously close to falling to the urges that seemed to be plaguing Penny. "I think it came from over there". Bernadette knew these woods every bit as well as Penny, and she knew Penny's favorite places within them.

Leonard was as quiet as he could be... he circled around and saw a break in the brush... what he saw... he wasn't expecting... laying on its side... there was what appeared to be a Wolf caught in a snare... a BLONDE Wolf... It was breathing heavily... panting... Leonard came around to face the Wolf... it immediately sat up as best it could with its hind leg caught. It bared its fangs and growled its displeasure at the intruder. Leonard looked into the eyes of the animal... It was bigger than any Wolf he had had experience with. Leonard bent down and stared into the eyes of the Wolf... They were a bright green...

Howard was having a hard time keeping up with Bernadette. She seemed to have incredible stamina.. and she didn't lose her footing at all. He stumbled across roots and branches that she skillfully sidestepped... quickly moving like a blood hound that had caught a scent... "Hey... wait up..." Howard stood with his hands on his knees breathing heavily... trying to catch his breath.

Leonard softened his look and the Wolf did the same... It seemed to sit back and whimper as it turned and exposed its caught paw. Leonard moved closer slowly... taking notice of the watchful gaze of the trapped animal... This was certainly a dangerous encounter. Leonard leaned in as the Wolf softly whimpered... releasing the snare. The Wolf immediately jumped to its feet. Leonard fell back and then scrambled to his... he reached for his tranquilizer pistol and found he had left it back in the clearing with the snare stick. Realizing he was at an extreme disadvantage, Leonard backed slowly toward the clearing. He also knew that quick movements could startle the Wolf and it could attack at any minute.

Bernadette turned and put her hands to her hips. "C'mon! we have to find them... we're just wasting time!" She turned and seemed to scamper off... Howard took a deep breath and followed her as quickly as he could.

For every step Leonard took backwards, the Wolf followed... never really trying to get away... just staring at him... with those beautiful... piercing green eyes. Leonard found himself backed into the clearing with the Wolf following... He could see his gun and snare stick in the clearing and made his way to them. The wolf seemed to stop and lower its head in submission... again whimpering... Leonard stopped and started to approach the Wolf.

Coming to the clearing... Bernadette and Howard found Leonard standing in front of a Blonde Wolf... its head turned down with its eyes looking up at the bespectacled animal control officer. Bernadette and Howard were standing behind Leonard with him between the wolf and themselves. Howard instinctively leveled his tranquilizer pistol and shot...

The dart struck the Wolf in the shoulder. The reaction of the wolf was to dart straight ahead at the shooter. Leonard was partially blocking the way so the Wolf darted around him knocking him to the ground. When he fell, the Wolf hesitated long enough time for Howard to load a second dart and fire again. The Wolf stopped dead in its tracks and stood looking at Howard with fangs bared and a now growling. Leonard got to his feet and came to the side of the Wolf and watched as it staggered toward Howard and Bernadette. Whimpering, the Wolf took one glance at Leonard and then fell to the ground at Bernadette's feet. Laying on its side with shallow breaths.

Bernadette fell to her knees and stroked the Wolf as its eyes rolled back and closed. Leonard knelt down and took the two darts and threw them aside while glaring at Howard. "You shouldn't have used TWO!... That's way too much tranquilizer for this size Wolf."

Bernadette started to cry. "She could DIE! You have to help her!"

Howard looked confused... "Help her? He then looked more closely at the wolf. Oh yeah... okay... HER... we need to get her back to the center. Where's Penny?" He looked directly at his friend... Leonard!... Where's PENNY?!"

Leonard looked up. "I don't know... I think she was dragged off into the woods..."

Howard shook his head... "You THINK?! What do you mean... THINK?!"

Bernadette put her hand to the Wolf's head. "We have to help her..."

Leonard stood. "Howard... get the Wolf back to the center... I'll look for Penny... come back for me when you can... If I don't call you... I'll be right here... Now lets get HER into the cage."

Howard and Leonard lifted the limp animal and took her back to the truck. They loaded her into the cage in the back and Howard drove quickly back to the Animal Center with Bernadette riding in back with the caged animal.

Leonard spent the afternoon and early evening searching the nearby woods for any indication of a fight or evidence that someone was dragged off by an animal. All he could think of was Penny being harmed by one of the large carnivores in the area... But there was no evidence of a struggle of any kind. He had found her clothes... so she must still be naked... and the temperatures were dropping... He was as confused as one person could be.

Howard showed up just before dusk and Leonard told him all about what had happened. If it wasn't for the fact Penny was missing, Howard would have given Leonard all kinds of "business"... now... it just seemed childish and immature. The two friends looked around together until the sun set and then reluctantly returned to the city of Pasadena.

Leonard stayed after being dropped off at the center. He was curious as to what had happened to the captured blonde Wolf. He fished into his pocket to find the key to the quarantine room and unlocked the door. He was surprised to find the new Chief in the room watching two cages. On one side of the room was the Blonde Wolf. Still apparently semi sedated as she was lying on her side breathing steadily, but much stronger than he had last seen her. Across the room was the cage with the Dark Brown Wolf taken from the hotel. He was pacing regularly and staring at the Wolf in the other Cage. Quiet vocalizations were being exchanged. "Amy... I'm surprised to see you here..."

Chief Amy Fowler turned. "Yes... well this is quite fascinating... I've been tracking this pair for quite some time."

Leonard cocked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Pair? You were tracking them?"

Amy smiled. "Yes... for some time... you see I am considered an expert in lycanthropy... or as laypeople refer to them werewolves..." Leonard was stunned. Amy continued. A werewolf... from Old English: wer, "man", man-wolf, or lycanthrope from Greek: lykos, "wolf", and anthropos, "human" is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction (e.g. via a bite or scratch from another werewolf)."

Leonard could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You're kidding right?"

Amy looked thoughtful. "On the contrary... these two specimens... one male and one female have been in the area for quite some time... their existence, however, as you can see... is far from mythological... also... while they may certainly, for lack of a better term... infect their prey with a bite or scratch... they use a more interesting approach as a trigger for their shifting..."

Leonard was now intrigued. "Interesting approach?"

Amy knew she had his attention. "Yes... you see... they transform into the state you see before you if they have sex with an otherwise normal human".

Leonard gulped and couldn't help but ask. "What would make them turn back?"

Amy walked over to the cage with the dark Wolf. "It seems... as we have seen in the recent cases... they need to kill their sexual conquests..."

Leonard immediately thought back to the jogger and the blonde fur he had under his fingernails. "They would have to KILL them?"

Amy walked to the cage where the Blonde Wolf had now woken up and was sitting on the floor watching the two co-workers... paying extreme attention to Leonard. "There may be other triggers to change back... I have been researching lore on this subject and stories on one type or another go back to the ancient Greeks and migrate all the way to Europe and Scandinavia. It seems that there are tales of a thriving population in a small area of Switzerland where they keep to themselves. It is entirely possible that if they engage in sex with another werewolf... they may very well revert to their human form."

At this point... The Dark Wolf was very much agitated and showed attack postures of bared fangs, growling and ruffled hunched back... he then howled which sent the Blonde Wolf into a defensive posture where she retreated into the corner of her cage.

Amy's eyes widened. "Fascinating!"

Leonard went to the cage and the Blonde Wolf came out of the corner to take refuge behind Leonard as he was standing between her and the Dark Wolf. She reached through the cage bars and pawed at Leonard's leg... whimpering. Leonard was now hopeful and intrigued. "Amy... you said that they killed after they had sex... what's to say they do not do the same to their wolven partner..."

Amy put a finger to her lips... tapping lightly. "I would think that the population would rapidly decrease to an unsustainable level had that been the case... Clearly... the male partner is much more robust and could easily dispatch of the females... without females... population growth is impossible. At any rate... we can see if the theory is correct. We have before us... the means for proof of concept." Amy approached the cage of the Dark Wolf and looked into his eyes... "What-do-ya say sailor? Would you like to give it a try?" The Wolf gnashed its teeth at her and growled. Amy turned to Leonard. "Clearly... you have a better relationship with the female... bring her here."

Leonard bent down and reached into the cage. The Wolf pressed her head against his hand. Leonard softly rubbed the fur on her cheek. As she turned toward him... Leonard was taken once again by those striking green eyes... they were almost pleading... The problem was... was she pleading to be with the other Wolf of to be kept apart. Leonard leaned close... he still didn't believe what he was being told... he softly spoke. "Penny? is that you?" To his surprise... the wolf whimpered and rubbed her head against his hand... this time, Leonard could feel a tear drop from her eye. Leonard inhaled deeply. "Oh my GOD..." A thousand thoughts ran through his head... Leonard was quickly being over whelmed. He needed short uncomplicated decisions... first things first. He reached in the cage with both hands and stared directly into those green eyes. "Do you want to go with the other wolf?" The thought of now losing her came shooting to the forefront... Why would Penny want to stay with him... all he could give her was pain... all he could give her was a way to become a wolf... Leonard was pulled from his thoughts when the other wolf became agitated once again. Looking back to Penny, Leonard thought the look he received back was one of almost pleading. He stood and unlocked the cage... Amy stepped back and watched as Leonard brought out the Wolf who was surprisingly docile. As they approached the other cage... the Dark Wolf retreated to the back of the cage. Leonard warily opened the cage... only to be charged by the Dark wolf...

Penny quickly jumped between the advancing Wolf and Leonard... knocking the wolf back as she entered the cage. Amy rushed to Leonard's aid and closed the cage and locked it. The two wolves were nose to nose fangs bared and growling... Leonard was sure there was going to be a confrontation and Penny would not be the victor... He ran to the wall and brought down a rifle... he would not toy with tranquilizers.

Amy grabbed the barrel of the gun and pulled it away. "NO!... not yet..."

Leonard turned his attention back to the cage. The wolves were now exhibiting standard mating behavior. They were sniffing each other... starting nose to nose... circling and then sniffing and licking other parts of their bodies from their nose to their tail... Penny sniffed the genitals of the other wolf and licked him... he in turn did the same to her... paying great attention and licking her as she lifted her tail and held it to one side... exposing herself fully... she then leaned down and moaned. The male wolf took this opportunity to mount her and seemed to grab on with his front paws and bit into the fur of her neck as he thrust his hips forward quickly and forcefully. Suddenly... Both wolves cried out with a long howl... oooooOOOOOOWWWWWWoooooo!

Leonard could think of nothing more that the encounter he had with Penny this very afternoon... The way she probed and licked him... almost his entire body... the time she spent fondling, stroking and licking him between his legs... the way she presented herself to him... and then that very same howl as he felt her inner muscles tighten around him... Everything seemed so strange... unbelievable... Leonard could feel nothing but the desire to run from the room...

Amy followed quickly and stopped Leonard from leaving... She knew that this ordeal was challenging... to the mind... and the soul... but she also knew that he needed to stay... to reconcile his thoughts... She sat him down and gave him a drink of water from the water cooler.

Leonard blindly took the water and moved the glass to his lips. What was happening? How could this happen? Was ANY of this real? Penny had been coming around often recently... she easily could be seen flirting with him... and he enjoyed it. He never really had any of the girls he was with show him such attention before. Was she interested in him? Or was she just trying to get access to the quarantine room? Penny seemed to have feelings for him this afternoon... were those really feelings? ... or were they just urges that needed to be satisfied?

As Leonard was trying to come to terms with what was going on, there were noises of thrashing about coming from the quarantine room... Amy reached for the door with Leonard closely behind her. Entering the room the two co-workers looked to the cage where the two Wolves were last together. Leonard was still having problems with what he was seeing. Laying back to back... their heads away from the cage door... were two naked people... One was a male... thin but muscular... brown hair... the other was well familiar to Leonard. It was a female with Blonde hair... her knees pulled up a bit showing off her beautiful hips and muscular legs... the mark of a snare on her left ankle... her hair cascading down her shoulders covering her breasts that he knew were firm and perfect.

Leonard quickly went to a closet and retrieved two blankets. Amy opened the cage door and took one of the blankets to cover the naked male. Leonard took the other blanket and wrapped it around the blonde woman on the floor... taking her into his arms and bringing her out of the cage... Amy then closed and locked the cage door. Little was known about the person on the floor of the cage.

Leonard held the woman in his arms and brushed the hair from in front of her face... knowing what to expect ... yet not wanting it to be true... He looked into the face of the woman he had spent the afternoon with. They had shared something very personal that day... something he would not easily forget... or even want to forget... something he was quickly deciding he would not give up. "Penny?"

Penny slowly opened her eyes... tears falling from them... "Leonard... I'm so sorry... I didn't want this to happen... I didn't want you to find out..."

Leonard held her close as she leaned her head against his chest... "Shhhh it'll be okay"

Penny sat up and gathered the blanket around her naked body. "How can you say that? look at me... You saw what you saw... It was real..."

By this time, the male in the cage had regained consciousness. "Pardon me... but would you possibly have more appropriate attire?" Amy went out into the veterinary area and retrieved two sets of scrubs. Penny and the male put them on. The caged male spoke. "I assure you... I am of no danger to you."

Penny raised her head. "He really isn't..."

Leonard looked on in disbelief... "How can you say that...! He almost killed that woman at the Hotel."

The male thought. "Yes... the woman at the hotel... we should probably talk about her..."

Penny held on to Leonard. "I know because he's my brother... Sheldon... he would never hurt me... and as long as you are with me... he wont hurt you either... isn't that right... Sheldon..."

Amy smiled. "Ahhh the incestuous nature of the pack".

Sheldon looked at her. "And you are?"

Amy smiled... "Doctor Amy Farrah Fowler... Lycanthropist"

Sheldon laughed... "What could you possibly understand about us... How DARE you even try..."

Amy slyly looked at the man in the cage... "You don't remember... do you..." She paced in front of the cage seemingly deep in thought... casting a look at Leonard as he held onto Penny. Amy turned quickly and grabbed the bars of the cage. "You STILL haven't learned to seal the deal... so to speak! This event with that poor woman in the hotel... it wasn't your first...was it?"

Sheldon scoffed. "Poor woman... INDEED! a simple Street Walker... What is she to you?"

Amy stared... "You just think we can be used and then discarded? Do you have any IDEA! what happens to the women you use and throw away?

Sheldon looked aside. "They are not thrown away... they serve their purpose..."

Amy was getting angry. "DO THEY? Just what is that purpose? You have your way with them and then have no regard for what you leave in your wake... you just leave... not caring... to go off and find another conquest... Why do you feel the need to wander to others? It serves no purpose other than to satisfy lust..."

Leonard was confused. "AMY... What are you talking about?"

Amy looked over at her co-worker that was tenderly holding what appeared to be a frightened woman. "Leonard... you have no Idea what we have here... This is a completely different species... one that has lived for centuries... millennia... they exist in the shadows... preying on the innocent..."

Sheldon scoffed... "Innocent... PLEASE! We were perfectly happy to be left alone... If it wasn't for people like yourself.."

Amy practically screamed. "PEOPLE LIKE ME?! There are no PEOPLE like ME!... Thanks to you..."

Leonard tried again to calm the situation. "Amy... please calm down."

Amy turned and bent down to stroke Penny's blond locks... "You have no idea... don't get too attached... you see... it's very simple... THEY... live in communities... very similar to standard Wolf packs... there are Alphas and Betas and Deltas... But there is something very different... you have seen it today... after they have sex... if it is with a normal human... they TURN..."

Penny shook at the feel of the woman's hand and sound of the words. Wondering what affect they would have on Leonard. Leonard questioned. "What do you mean normal human".

Amy stood. "If they stay to themselves... They do not turn... they stay in their human form... but they must have sex with their own kind... other wise they turn..."

Leonard held Penny near. "But... they turned back".

Amy smiled as Sheldon looked on. "To turn back... they apparently can have have sex with one of their own that has turned... or Kill a human and drink their blood... that is the reason for the attack on that woman at the hotel... and the Jogger..."

Leonard was still confused and pointed at the cage with the tall stranger. "But he didn't turn back to human..."

Amy turned to look at Sheldon. "He didn't kill her... she was found quickly and brought to the Hospital. You are lucky... Leonard... this Female spared you..."

Leonard broke in... "Penny has a name..." Leonard rubbed Penny's back as she held on to him.

Amy turned and gazed at the blonde. "No matter... she provided the proof we needed... The woman from the hotel has survived... although in a coma... so this union...tonight... between siblings has proved to be a successful trigger to turn back."

Leonard looked down at Penny. "She called him her brother..."

Sheldon smiled. "Don't worry... The males of my species are sterile... there is no chance of pregnancy... at least no chance by me..." Sheldon then turned to Amy... "How is it that you know so much of my people?"

Amy turned.."Research and the necessity to understand... I suspect there is a question to the issue of sterility... Your females are fertile to the sperm of normal human males... or your species could not survive... it is only assumed that the males of your species are infertile because there has been no birth within your species. But that may be nothing more that an immune response of the female to the male sperm of your species. It is unknown if you could actually impregnate a female that was not of your species... you dispatch them quickly afterward. I also had a need to understand how to stop the killing..."

Sheldon scoffed... "What is it to you?"

Amy turned and removed the scarf she had wrapped around her neck... revealing a long scar and marks that appeared to be bite marks on her shoulder and neck. "You really don't remember do you... a young undergrad... at UCLA... one evening... behind a liquor store..." Amy turned to look a Leonard. "I had been rejected by your typical boys at the typical party... after one too many glasses of beer or wine... or worse... I had passed out in one of their rooms... I had actually woken up with MORE clothes on than when I passed out... They had little mercy... frat boys... with their jokes... I left the party... mostly out of embarrassment... only to make my way to the nearest liquor store... wanting nothing more than to drown my sorrows... and that's where I met you... Sheldon..." She turned to see the thoughtful gaze of the caged man.

Sheldon was now confused. "You should be dead... I turned back..."

Amy laughed softly... "Modern medicine... and close proximity to UCLA Medical Center... I actually was pronounced dead... then an overzealous medical student gave it one more try..."

Leonard questioned. "How did you find out you were... changed?"

Amy chuckled. "I was attacked again on campus... there was a serial rapist in the news... Imagine the surprise of the poor devil that actually thought I was worth a role in the hay... and then then the authorities found him... or what was left of him... and linked his DNA to other cases on campus... that's why you were never hunted down and found out Sheldon".

Sheldon scoffed... "This is preposterous."

Amy threw the scarf to the ground... "IS IT?!" She then grabbed the bars of the cage... staring into Sheldon's condescension. She began to breath heavy... to heave and then started to groan in pain. It was a pain that Sheldon and Penny had known all too well... Amy arched her back in agonizing , tortuous positions. She doubled over in wrenching spasms... she held her head with her hands as if to stop it from exploding... Flexing her hands and limbs as they morphed. Within a few minutes... Amy turned to a Wolf... Her eyes glistening with want... she turned and looked at Leonard... and gave that same howl Leonard heard this afternoon.

As Amy advanced toward Leonard, Penny immediately stood between this menace and the human she had developed strong feelings for. She pushed Leonard back and curled her upper lip baring her teeth and snarling... "Back off... BITCH!"

The Shewolf standing before her seemed to smile... then there was the same pained grown as she fell to the floor... the process repeating... Within a short time... Amy had turned back to her human form... she didn't need to copulate with one of her own... she didn't have to kill the unsuspecting partner to her ecstasy...

Sheldon was stunned. "How can this be?"

Amy sat up with Penny's help... The transformation was not without distress. "Mind over matter... I am also a neurobiologist... It's nothing more than will power... understanding what you are... and understanding what you want to be... I researched the myths... and stories... tracing them back to a village high in the Swiss Alps. There are still elders that are sympathetic to our kind... understanding of what we are... and that know the ways of the mind. With much effort and training... they taught me their methods... they are now mixed into the population.. Lycan and Human... a true breeding population... Lycan females alongside Human males..."

Penny held tightly to Leonard... "Can... can you teach me?... US?"

Amy smiled and turned to Sheldon. "That is why I have been searching for you these past years... to let you know there is another way... I will work with the two of you... and until you perfect the technique... you still can rely on each other... Of course..." She then turned to Leonard. "We will need your assistance in changing Penny to her Lycan form. We can set up a 'Colony' of sorts... a kind of commune... up in the hills... near the heart of the preserve."

Penny blushed as she nuzzled into Leonard's neck and whimpered. "What about Sheldon... we can't hold a human female hostage..."

Amy smiled yet wider. "I can offer myself as the human in that case... if it is acceptable to you Sheldon..."

Sheldon cocked his head. "Remarkable... You are truly unique Amy Fowler..."

Just then... The telltale sound of a howl wafted in on the evening breeze. Penny sighed... "Actually... there are three of us."

The four made their way to the apartment that Penny and Bernadette had rented. It wasn't in the best section of town, and was actually close by to the Animal Center.

Penny quickly opened the door to the apartment when they found Howard wrapped in a sheet holding the door to a bedroom closed. He looked over to see his partner and his boss... "WHAT THE FRAK?! Leonard... you aren't gonna believe what just happened!