VI.

"It's weird."

Penny watched the man in front of her carefully. He stood tall, leaning against the rough trunk of a tree, his arms folded across his chest as he studied her just as intensely. The way the black leather clung to her well-shaped body, the seductive loose waves her golden hair fell into. Sheldon was glad he had undeniable self-control, or else he might have scared her off just then. "Why?"

The blonde shrugged as she sat on a large boulder, "I feel like…" she trailed off, all of a sudden feeling embarrassed, "I feel like I know you somehow. Though, I know that can't be true, we just met like four days ago." She glanced down to the moss-covered rock. "It's silly."

Sheldon turned the conversation around, "I heard you went to the hospital…"

She waved him off nearly immediately, "It was nothing. Just fainted or whatever, I'm fine. I was fine." She looked up at him and noticed he had gotten closer, still, leaning on a tree. She looked away again quickly. "That doesn't sound like nothing to me…do you remember anything?"

Penny shrugged, "Not much. Jessica, my friend, found me at home but I just know I didn't go home. I know it sounds weird, but I just know something happened. Something important," she almost sounded stressed out. Sheldon nearly felt bad. "Do you feel any different?"

"No. I mean…kind of?"

She didn't know why she felt comfortable talking to this man, who she barely knew, in the dark thick woods but she did. When they locked eyes and breathed each other's names it didn't take long for him to immediately turn his back and walk towards the edge of the trees. Penny had followed without question. He led her deep into the forest and where she should feel scared and intimidated, she didn't. She felt safe with him, like she knew he wouldn't hurt her, but instead he'd protect her.

She glanced up at the crescent moon that was partly covered by thick clouds, the sky was a navy blue and you could easily see the multitude of stars shining down on the town. She sighed deeply, "I feel like my senses are heightened, I mean…I can hear everything," she emphasised the word 'everything'. She looked at him, "I'm not saying I'm some kind of superhero now," she chuckled and gestured to her cat woman outfit, "But it's really weird, I thought I was suffering from side effects of a concussion or something, but the nurse told me I was fine. It still hasn't gone back to normal."

Sheldon watched her speak, "Do you want it to?" He questioned her, she tilted her head in question, "Do you want it to go back to normal?"

A faint smile played on her lips, "Not really, no. I kind of like it…I can hear Kurt-" her words stopped abruptly. She felt like she just walked into territory she never wanted to disclose with this guy. Sheldon's eyes never once left her, and the blue orbs glowed with curiosity as she stopped talking.

Penny felt like in some way she was cheating. Was it bad that she didn't want Sheldon to know she had a boyfriend? It wasn't that she was ashamed of Kurt…she was, but that wasn't it. Everyone in town had known they were dating, but something felt different. She supposed she should feel bad, despite Kurt being a complete asshole they were still dating. Even if he did cheat on her, she didn't have it in her to do the same, "Kurt," she sighed, "Kurt is my boyfriend, we've been dating for almost two years."

She could've sworn she saw something flicker over his face when she spoke, but she couldn't place it because the emotion was gone immediately.

"You're destined for greatness, Penelope."

His words threw her for a loop, they weren't what she expected but then again, she realized this man was odd, he wasn't what she expected in general. His demeanor was so different compared to the way he spoke in her dreams. So, she didn't reply to what he was saying. She just watched as he bent into a crouching position and picked something up off of the ground, it looked to be another wild flower.

He twirled the greenish brown stem between his long fingers, "The Aster," his voice was deep, he completely disregarded the information she told him. Standing to his feet, at his full height he towered over her as he slowly walked closer to her, "It represents patience, elegance, and daintiness," he explained as he examined the flower one last time before looking into her eyes, "I think that the Aster describes you fittingly."

Penny glanced at Sheldon and then at the flower, "You don't know me though," she was touched by his words, but an unsettling feeling washed over her, how could he speak with such confidence like he knew her? Sheldon just glanced at her, "I'm very good at reading people." He said simply.

She didn't reply to that, because much like everything else he said, she didn't know how to. She watched with hooded eyes as he placed the wild flower behind her ear, and as his fingers slightly grazed her face her mind was flooded with what felt like memories.

"A snapdragon," he said simply before taking a few tentative steps towards her, his eyes never left her own curious ones, "It represents graciousness and strength," he told her. He broke eye contact once he was a few inches from her, and looked at the pink and green flower, "Wonderful traits to have," he concluded before placing it behind her ear.

Penny felt her heart speed up at the action. He had barely touched her, merely skimmed her ear and she was already heating up at the cheeks. She looked away from him, finding her sneakers much more interesting than his gorgeous iris'.

When she regained focus, she saw Sheldon watching her tentatively. "Something wrong?"

She frowned deeply before placing her head in her hands, she wanted to cry, something was wrong with her and she didn't know what. She felt like a huge part of her life was suddenly missing, and she didn't know what to do about it. She absolutely knew something else happened to her the day Jessica found her unconscious, she didn't go back home but yet somehow that's where she was. Then she woke up in the hospital feeling completely…fine. She felt new, like she was never injured and instead underwent some type of therapy that healed her of all wounds physically and mentally. She could hear everything, her touch and taste were much more sensitive, and her sight…she could've groaned.

Penny once needed glasses to see at night, she hadn't moved her glasses since the night she and Kurt fought, and she told him to sleep in thee guest room. That was the night before she went to the hospital. Something happened to her there, and she didn't know what, but she felt different.

"I know I'm going to sound crazy, and I know you'll probably write me off as some crazy small-town hick, but Sheldon…" she trailed off as she looked up into his eyes, her own flooding with tears, "Something is wrong with me," she emphasised the word 'wrong'. She looked at her palms, as if examining them, "I can feel this…this energy rushing through my body, and I can hear everything…I can see everything!"

"What do you mean see everything?" He questioned her slowly.

She looked around her, "It's so dark in the woods, I shouldn't be able to see twenty feet in front of me, but I do!" She stood to her feet and walked a few steps, Sheldon's gaze followed her, "And when I close my eyes," she closed her eyes, head pointed towards the sky, "When I close my eyes everything comes back to me, I don't know if it's a dream or memories, or…" she exhaled and opened her eyes, the stars shining brightly.

"It's overwhelming…" she said calmly, "Seeing and hearing everything, I mean." She looked at him, he hadn't moved from the spot he stood, "But it also feels, normal. Like, I was meant to feel this way," she looked away.

Sheldon made an executive decision.

He knew he was supposed to wait, let her remember on her own. Though, watching his beloved Penelope lose all sense of who she was and just wander in a bottomless pit of misery and confusion, it killed him. Sheldon took a confident step forward, standing toe-to-toe with her and before she could ask him what he was doing, he reached out and placed his hands on her hips almost possessively, and pulled her towards him. With their bodies touching completely, he lowered his head and captured her lips with his own.

The kiss was desperate, fiery, and explosive. It was filled with need, and lost love…Sheldon knew it wasn't completely his Penelope, but she was improving, and he hoped that this helped her, or else he just ruined everything.

Penny gasped both from the sudden contact and the images and voices that ran through her head.

"I love you, Penelope."

Penny smiled widely, she grabbed a hold of Sheldon's hands and dragged him down into the stack of hay she sat in, "Well, I do believe I love you too, Sheldon Lee."

Sheldon smiled and leaned forward, kissing her lips. Penelope had never kissed a man before, this had been her first and she loved every second of it. Sheldon Lee was the only man who had made her feel special, and that night as they lay naked in the middle of a large haystack, she didn't regret giving herself to him. He was her first and last, she'd make sure of that.

.

"Penelope, we gotta go, darlin'," Wyatt said as he started bringing sacks from the home to the carriage waiting outside. Penny looked around curiously at her parents, they weren't telling her something and it pissed her off.

She planted her feet, "I ain't going nowhere, pa. What's goin' on?!" Her accent thick.

"Now, Penelope Queen, you listen to your father, we gotta go it's no longer safe for us here…there ain't nothin' for us here in Texas anymore."

The fifteen-year-old girl just frowned deeply at her parents and grounded her feet into the old wood floor even further. Her hands started to glow a vibrant green and she placed them on the chair in front of her, a thick rope manifesting and bounding her hands to the object. It was an act of defiance and Susan noticed it. She knew Penny would behave like this, but she didn't have time to talk her out of her tantrum, so instead she raised her right hand and let it get engulfed with a purple light before quickly flicking her wrist towards Penny. The rope immediately disappeared, and Penny was now involuntarily walking towards the carriage outside.

She screamed and cried, "I don't wanna go, mama! I can't leave Sheldon!" She thrashed at an invisible force, trying in vain to stop walking.

Wyatt and Susan's heart hurt for their youngest daughter, but they knew it would always be like this.

She was destined to meet Sheldon once, only once, and they would fall in love. Then, they would have to leave, if not there was no hope in ever breaking Agnes and Agatha's curse. Sheldon had to find her.

Susan grabbed her daughter's arm, "Penelope, listen to me! I know you're hurtin', I know you're sad, baby. But please believe me, you'll understand one day…you'll see Sheldon again, he ain't gonna get too far without you." She tried to smile, her own tears in her eyes, she hated taking away her daughter's happiness, "But right now we gotta go, there ain't nothin' left in Texas for us, darlin'. Randall got the right idea and left as soon as he turned eighteen, it's our turn now."

Penny didn't speak, instead she just glanced over her mother's shoulder and watched as her dad transformed into a grey furred beast, he snarled towards them and let out a howl, immediately four more wolves came from the surrounding forestry, his pack. Susan sighed and kissed Penny's forehead before walking towards her husband and attaching the reins to each animal.

She glanced up at the night sky and saw the large crescent blood moon in the sky, shining a vibrant red.

They had to go. Now.

.

"I'll never forget you, Sheldon Lee," Penny called out to the large brown furred beast running after her family's carriage. She touched the necklace around her neck, the crescent moon and ruby stone shining in the moonlight as her family was carried down the dirt trail.

Sheldon ran until he couldn't anymore, Penny watched with saddened eyes as he transformed back into his human form to shout, "I'll find you, Penelope! I will always find you!"

Penny gasped as she pulled away from him, stumbling backwards until her back painfully hit the rough bark of a tree. Sheldon watched her tentatively, he didn't want to make any sudden movements and scare her.

She glanced up at him, and Sheldon watched as multiple emotions ran through her eyes.

"Sheldon…" she remembered.