The girls had a lovely day by the lake. That afternoon, they'd been sunbathing, cooling off in the clear waters when it got too hot, chatting, reading and finishing Penny's beers. Later, Penny had even caught some fish for them, and was now roasting it over the fire as the evening shadows lengthened and the lake grew quieter.

'So any thoughts on the Batchelorette Party?' Bernadette asked just then.

'Well…' Penny considered, 'at the moment, I'm thinking Vegas – we never did go that time…'

'Yeah, well, sorry Bestie,' admitted Amy. 'I should be off the no-fly list soon.'

'That would be great!' Bernadette agreed. 'Are we gonna go with the original 'No husbands, no boyfriends, no rules' thing?'

'Oh, hell yeah!' Penny laughed. 'I want to be doing shots off a gladiator's six pack at Caesar's Palace and throwing up a shrimp buffet by the end of the night!'

The girls laughed. 'What about the shows, Penny? I saw Siegfried and Roy one time – loved it!' Emily said, taking a bite of her fish.

'Hey, as long as there's at least one oiled up guy in a thong there, I'm cool!' They chatted and ate some more, having moved on to a couple of bottles of wine.

'So Amy,' Penny asked a little later, 'you know that dream study thing? What happened with all that?'

'Well, in just about a month's time, I'll be speaking at a symposium for the American Journal of Neuroscience to present our preliminary findings…'

'Ooh, that's cool!' squeaked Bernadette. 'I love symposiums! I don't know if I'd go with Howie again though – it was kind of a problem at Big Sur…'

'Yeah, well, I'm really looking forward it, and Sheldon's coming too!'

'Really? Interesting…' Penny said, leaning forward. 'So, what's the deal? He's been a pretty good boy since he came back…'

Amy paused for a moment. She wasn't sure how much she wanted to admit yet. 'His probation period will be up by then, I guess, and yes, his behaviour since has been exemplary…'

The girls squealed. 'Ooh, so is this it?' Penny asked eagerly.

Amy looked into the fire. 'Maybe,' she admitted shyly. 'I don't know. He can still decide it's not what he wants, that's what we agreed.'

'Oh come on, that is so not gonna happen!' declared Penny.

'Right!' agreed Emily. 'You know, I haven't known him so long, but even under all the crazy I can tell he really likes you!'

'We'll see,' was all Amy would say, but she smiled, and her cheeks burned at the thought.

After a day of monsters, mutants and superheroes, 4A suddenly felt quiet as Howard and Raj left, ready to return the following day for the next instalment. Raj had to go home to Cinnamon, and Howard had been asked round to stay at his mother's that evening. With Bernadette away, he didn't really have any good reason not to, and Cinnamon needed to be let out and fed. This left Leonard and Sheldon clearing up the various DVDs and games that lay littered around the apartment amongst takeout containers. When they'd finished, Leonard was just about to leave when Sheldon stopped him.

'Leonard? You know, with Penny away, I guess you could have your old room back tonight?' he said, not wanting it to sound like he'd prefer not to be on his own that night.

'OK,' Leonard agreed, understanding what he meant. Sheldon had adapted to him not being there pretty well, but he agreed that tonight he could make an exception, and come 'home'.

'OK, well, you know where the spare sheets are. Goodnight!' Sheldon called, halfway to the bathroom already.

'Oh yeah, and as you come under the heading of 'Guest' now, there'll be some paperwork for you to sign tomorrow,' he finished, poking his head out the door.

Leonard shook his head with a resigned smile. Even now, after so much else had changed, it was rather nice to know that some things were just the same.

'Goodnight Sheldon!' he called, making his way to his old room.

By now, at Big Bear, the sun had gone, and bright stars, so much brighter than back in Pasadena, were scattered across the sky. Bernadette and Emily had retired to their tents for the night, as had most people around them, leaving Amy and Penny by the flickering fire.

Penny took a sip of her wine, and looked over at Amy. This was as good a time as any, Penny thought, even though she was still worried about bringing it up.

'Hey, Ames?' she asked.

'What up, Bestie?' Amy was rather sleepy herself now.

'You know that day…when Sheldon took off…'

Amy's mouth set in a harder line, making Penny more nervous. 'Yeah…'

'Yeah…well…I still feel kind of bad that we let him go…I'm sorry.'

Amy was quiet for a moment. 'I know,' she replied, after a while. 'I wish you hadn't, but I know why you did it.'

'I don't know what I'd have done if it was Leonard.' She rarely admitted to such feelings of vulnerability where her relationship was concerned, and Amy was surprised to hear her do so now.

'You're lucky. I don't think you'll ever have to worry about such things.'

'Yeah…well…I don't think you do any more. Not now,' Penny continued. 'I never thought I'd see the day, but that man loves you. We can all see it.'

'Really?' For so long, it had been too good to believe, but she was starting to. Actually, she started to back when Sheldon had kissed her that first time, and it had scared her. She'd thought she'd be the one to seduce him – the one in control. That kiss had proved how wrong she was.

'Really. You know, when you got mad, I thought I'd screwed up so bad, you wouldn't even want me around,' Penny continued, staring out over the lake.

'No,' Amy replied gently. 'I was mad, but I couldn't be without you, or any of you guys now.'

'So I'm still gonna be 'part of your life'?' asked Penny, quoting something Amy had said to her once.

'You bet, Bestie!'

Penny laughed, and finished her wine. 'Cool. You know, you're doing it right. With Sheldon, I mean.'

'In what respect?' Their relationship was so different to hers and Leonard's – Amy didn't understand.

'Waiting. I wish I had,' Penny said quietly. She paused for a moment. 'You know what my first time was like? Behind a truck at a local Rodeo. I was sixteen, and it was quick, and messy, and kind of hurt, and I was left thinking, 'That's it? That's what everyone goes on about?' You won't have that.'

Amy smiled then, and looked back at her friend. Her eyes shone behind their glasses in the firelight. 'I know.'

He stepped through the door into the futuristic retro lounge, following her. With the cat-like grace that her name came from, she curled herself seductively over the large round bed, eyes bright as she stared back at him, daring him to join her. She didn't look quite the same though, as those bright eyes were glittering behind 60s style glasses with the frames swept back, as the woman behind their challenging stare was Amy, dressed in the same sleek, sheer costume he'd fallen for at 15, hip curving up sharply from the mattress, leaning on one arm.

'So you want that saucer of milk, Mr Wayne?' she asked, her eyes never leaving his own. 'Or may I call you Bruce?'

Sheldon looked down at himself. He was Batman – how did she know? And why had he even agreed to be here – she was part of the scourge of the city he'd sworn to protect.

'I came here to teach you the error of your ways,' he stated, trying to ignore the way the costume clung to every curve on her body. She smiled, red lips glistening in the dim light.

'Is that a promise?'

Sheldon moved closer then, standing right in front of her, towering over her. 'I don't think you understand how serious this is. You're in a lot of trouble. One word from me and you're back in Arkham where you belong.'

'Oh, you wouldn't send me back,' she breathed, bringing her legs round, running her hand slowly down her thigh before peeling off first one high heeled boot, then the other. 'I'm no good to you there…am I?'

'Then you'll do what I say,' he ordered, his eyes on the toned, shapely calves she revealed. 'Lie down.'

Catwoman Amy smiled. 'Make me.'

Suddenly he was on the bed beside her, then over her. She was trouble, pure and simple, so why did he want her so much? Unable to resist, he ran his own hand up her thigh, revelling in the feel of her warm skin beneath him, and saw her shiver as it went higher, his hand stroking the line of her hip.

In response, Amy grabbed on to his Utility Belt, and pulled him to her, dragging him down into a hard, hot, angry kiss. Her look of annoyance when he broke it was if anything, even more arousing than the kiss itself, alternately soft and hard, devouring and sweet. A kiss was no punishment though…He sat up abruptly, pulling her with him.

'And what do you think you're doing?' she asked, flashing him a sidelong glance, breasts heaving with denied desire.

'Your punishment,' he replied, indicating his lap. 'Over my knee – on your front.' She smiled, a devilish look in her eyes.

'I have been very, very bad…'

'Stop talking. Get down.' Sheldon took a sharp breath as she draped itself over him, so close to the strain she could surely feel, and turned to look back expectantly. He looked down at her, the beautiful rounded curves of her rear on full display. He drew his arm back, and couldn't help but moan at the ecstatic cry that escaped her as he slapped that rounded, soft, velvet covered skin…She turned back once again, hair messed and pointy feline ears askew, and whispered just one word.

'Harder…'

Sheldon woke with a start. It struck him her last word couldn't be more appropriate, and he suddenly regretted asking Leonard to stay. He knew from experience that these walls were not thick enough to get away with such things, groaned and lay back, wishing it away, wishing these feelings would leave him in peace. What was this woman doing to him? Even so, Sheldon couldn't help wondering what Amy was doing just then, and imagined her curled up in the folds of her sleeping bag, hair cascading over her pale shoulders…

Amy turned, and caught sight of her appearance in the mirror. Her hair, usually perfectly straight, fell about her in curls and flicks reminiscent of her namesake from Charlie's Angels. Looking down, the puffed sleeves of her blouse and her skirt were also somehow strange, not hers. Then she walked by an office, and all became clear. That was his office. The big shot oil baron she had to work with – the same one whose bright blue eyes would be the downfall of a saint. She'd seen so many women come and go from that office, and the swagger that man had infuriated and tempted her beyond measure. Well, this time things would be different – this time, he'd get a taste of his own medicine. She knocked at the door.

'Sheldon Lee, can you explain just what you mean by these figures here?' she asked, presenting some sort of balance sheet. He turned in his chair, and silently looked her up and down before answering.

'Nice way to speak to your boss, little lady,' he replied, a slightly amused look in his eyes. 'I bought 'em out – problem?'

'Only one,' Amy said, leaning her hands on his desk, facing him down. 'You think you can have anything you want, don't you? Well, now it's my turn.' Sheldon leaned back, and tipped his white Stetson back to look at her again, with a gaze that burnt her soul.

'And how're you gonna do that?' His accent was always stronger when he wanted something. Provoked, Amy swung herself onto his desk, and slid into his lap, where she could already feel his desire hard against her. Her fingers traced down his bootlace tie, grabbing it at the end. She pulled him to her, and whispered 'You'll find out…'

'Really? Reckon I know…' His arrogance was breath-taking, and he pulled her back into a deep, hungry kiss that made her hot, wet…No. Her rules – not his. Amy broke the kiss, suddenly back on the desk in one fluid motion.

'Get up,' she commanded, 'and get over there,' she continued, nodding to the edge of the desk opposite and pushing papers aside as she stretched her legs out before her. There was only the slightest hesitation before Sheldon hid a smile, and moved round to play her little game.

Amy smiled as she saw him in position, and lowered her back, pulling her knees up. She lifted her thighs and gently drew her knickers up, then down, finally flicking the damp lace on the floor with one stiletto heel.

She leaned up and looked Sheldon straight in the eye, feeling her bare skin cool against the faux mahogany and felt herself, warm, wet and open.

'Ride me, Cowboy…'