Yes, I know most people view aliens as typically humanoid and either highly aggressive or highly intelligent. Where's the fun in that?

:Alien Invasion:

He hated the aliens. With a cold, vicious loathing. He had spent his life watching sci-fi, reading comics and planning. He had three different scenarios for an alien invasion. One for hostile aliens, one for Vulcan-esque aliens, and one for body snatcher type aliens. Variations abounded in those papers. Carbon based, vegetative, non-corporeal, etc. He had NOT planned for this. Cute. Lovable. Cuddly. That's how the world saw them. They were vaguely dragonish, since they had long lean bodies, lithe tails, and wings, but they were squishy, like sand filled balloons, and only 5-8 inches long. They wanted sanctuary on Earth. We were closest to their home planet's solar system which was being swallowed by a black hole so they made their way here. They liked being owned, too. Wanted to be pets. Anything that got them hugs and petting. Oh how the damnable things loved to be hugged. You'd be walking along, minding your own business and one would sneak up and wrap around your arm or leg, asking for a pat on the head or a quick squeeze.

Sheldon shuddered. He paced Penny's apartment. At this moment all his friends were in 4A, watching The Avengers and hugging their F'Wendies. (Uggh! Even their species name, F'Wendi, was so innocuous and nauseating.) Penny's apartment was his only relief from the creatures. She was currently visiting her parents. Her mom had been in an accident and needed her help until she could get around on her own.

Sheldon sat down on the edge of Penny's bed. She had been gone 3 weeks, 4 days before the aliens arrived a month ago. He wondered how many she owned. He looked around her room with it's care bears, MLP's and pink bedding. He was guessing a dozen. At least.

Sheldon laid back in frustration. He could smell her grape seed oil soap on her pillow. He missed her and wished she would return. He had only heard from her twice. Once when she arrived and then a couple of days after the aliens showed up. He had lied to her then. She had asked how he liked them. Did he think of them as tribbles? He had given her a breathy laugh and said they were nice. Because he knew she would think they were. Because she was teasing and he didn't want to wreck the moment by arguing. She hadn't called since. Amy got an email from her once a week, updating her on Mrs. Queen's health and saying she'd be back "soon". "Soon" was never quantified though.

Sheldon closed his eyes and pictured her. She was his friend, and she meant a great deal to him. He had not understood until a couple of weeks ago how deep his feelings ran for her. Sheldon drifted off wondering what she was doing and if she missed him.

He awoke as soon as he felt the hand clamp over his mouth. He looked up into angry jade eyes. Sheldon tried to raise up, but she only pressed her hips down tighter. His eyes went wide as he finally noticed she was straddling him. She leaned in close.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a gruff voice.

Sheldon glared back at her and tried to buck her off. Okay, not a smart idea, he discovered. That brought a certain part of his anatomy into contact with a certain part of her anatomy which was now resulting in an embarrassing tension in his anatomy. "I was seeking sanctuary from the F'Wendies our mutual friends seem determined to fill my apartment with."

She looked at him appraisingly. "You said they were nice."

Sheldon blushed. "I lied. I knew you would like them, and I didn't want to annoy you when you were so far away."

Penny stared at him for several seconds and then slid off him. She shook her head. "Wrong, bucko. Those little beasts creep me the fuck out." She turned and walked out of the room. Sheldon slowly stood and followed. He watched her open her suitcase and dump it on the floor. He twitched for several seconds at the pile of clothes she left on the floor. Then he watched with a perplexed air as she sifted through the clothes and pulled out a handful of under-things, a couple of shirts and two pair of jeans. Then she stood, stripped off her skirt, making him blush, unable to look away from her thong. She pulled on another pair of jeans and then moved to her bathroom. She reappeared with some lotion, soap and shampoo. She grabbed a hoodie from her couch and a pair of tennis shoes. They went into the suitcase, too.

"Penny, what are you doing?" he asked timidly.

"Getting out of here," she replied evenly. "I'm going north."

Sheldon was confused. "I don't understand."

Penny sighed and looked back at him. Suddenly she stood and grabbed his neck, pulling him down. He spasmed, wondering if she was going to kiss him. Instead she just looked in his ears and studied his eyes.

She nodded to herself and went back to her packing. "My family took in 6 of those things. They seem cute and friendly. But I saw what they are really doing. When they arrived, I was too tired and cranky to pay much attention, but a home health nurse gave mom one. I couldn't sleep so I went to get some milk and saw them. The have a tentacle thingy they stick in you ear while you sleep. It sucks a bit of life from you. Ever notice they never eat? That's why. They feed off of us. You can see small punctures in the ear and broken blood vessels in the eyes of those they feed from. They don't like the cold, so I'm going north."

Sheldon felt a measure of vindication at his dislike of them. "How do you know they don't like the cold?"

She rolled her eyes. "Think about it, Sheldon. Every day more and more people from Canada are immigrating here. Leaving their colder climate so they can have one. It's the same all over the world. Finland's population is halved. Greenland is practically empty now. So I'm headed north."

Sheldon sat for a moment and considered what she had said. He was surprised by how logical and well thought out it was. He looked at Penny with a new-found respect. She saw his expression and smirked.

"I may not be a genius, Moon Pie, but I am a survivor."

Sheldon stood quickly and hurried to the door. He paused and turned back to her. "Will you wait for me? I have an emergency bag. I will need to gather a few things to add to it. Twenty minutes, at most."

Penny nodded without looking up. "Yes," she said softly. "I'll wait for you."

They drove through California in silence. He shuddered at the seedy motel she stopped at in Oregon. Penny reached in the back and pulled out a bag with some of his freshly laundered sheets and handed it to him. He was surprised by her thoughtfulness. He hadn't even noticed her taking them. Penny checked them in and then went for some food. She brought back a pizza and they ate it while planning their route.

She fell asleep while he was using his laptop to search out gas stations and stores along their chosen route. He watched her for a long time. He had questions, but wasn't sure he dared ask them. Why hadn't she suggested taking the others? When he came out of his room with his bags he had found her standing in his living room. She was looking down at their sleeping friends calmly. The aliens had gravitated toward her, but she ignored them until one wrapped around her hand. Then she had plucked it off and shoved it in the freezer. Noticing him, she had grabbed a bag of food she had pilfered and her own luggage. Wordlessly she exited the apartment and headed down the stairs. He was surprised by the truck she walked to. She told him it was her dad's as she threw her things in the bed, except for a duffel bag and the food. Those she put in the small backseat. He had lifted his own belongings into the truck and settled in. She gassed up just outside Pasadena and they were off.

It took them six days to find a place to settle. It seems they weren't the only ones to be suspicious of the invaders. They found a small four room cabin nestled outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. Their nearest neighbor was half a mile away.

Sheldon grew more and more appreciative of Penny as time went by. She wasn't a genius, no. But she was practical. She had more realistic knowledge. String theory and quarks weren't going to help them survive out here. Penny knew how to cultivate the soil for a small garden. He knew which herbs and plants were best to grow. Penny took a job at the local grocery store to supplement the savings Sheldon had transferred to the local bank. Their expenses were small, since the cabin had a wood stove and they only used electricity for the lights and computers. Sheldon worked on his theories and took care of the house. He found he quite liked the solitude, having only Penny for company usually. They didn't encourage others to get to know them very much. Even when Penny was working, she remained aloof and distant.

His excuse was that he wasn't comfortable with strangers. He had no idea why she discouraged people. He had asked her once, after a man had approached her in the drug store to ask her to dinner. She had told the man she was married and had to get home to the children. Sheldon waited until they were in the truck to ask her about that. She shrugged. "Not interested." was her only reply.

They had been there almost a year before the rest of the world had finally caught on. By then the F'Wendi were so numerous, most countries decided to ignore it. They instead focused on the benefits of the aliens. There were no wars, everyone was at peace. Although, life spans were shortened by a considerable amount. Everyone was aging twice as fast as before. There were many different settlements in the colder parts of the world for those who didn't agree. Strangely enough, those places were peaceful too. United in their desire to just be left alone by the F'Wendi.

She was in the yard potting some new basil seedlings when he made up his mind to approach her. He was nervous, yet hopeful. Once again she had turned away a man from town. This one had come to the cabin, ignoring Sheldon, and asked her to dine with him. She sent him packing with a firm no.

He cleared his throat and drew her attention to him. "Penny, may we talk?"

She looked at him steadily and nodded. She stood and walked over to the water pump to wash off her hands. They moved onto the porch and sat down.

"Penny, why did you not want to bring the others? Leonard, Raj, Amy?"

She sighed, and looked out over the yard. "Because they would not have believed me. They were happy there. They liked the joy those things gave them."

"Why did you bring me?"

Penny looked up at him and smiled softly. "Because you asked. Because I needed you. Because you needed me."

Sheldon took a deep breath. "Is that the only reason? Necessity?"

Penny searched his expression. "What are you asking, Sheldon?"

Sheldon gathered his courage and plunged in. "Is there any possibility you could ever want me? Like I want you?"

Penny was silent for several minutes. Sheldon's nerves gave out and he jumped to his feet with embarrassment. He hurried back inside and into his bedroom. He sat down on the edge of his bed and wondered how badly he has messed up what they had built here. He wasn't surprised when he heard the truck start and pull away. He was still in his room when Penny came back an hour later. She knocked softly on his door. He thought about ignoring her knock, but she didn't give him a chance. She pushed open the door and walked over to sit beside him. She placed a small brown bag on his lap. He went to open it but she placed a hand over his.

"You surprised me Sheldon. That's why I couldn't answer you. I never imagined you would be interested in a physical relationship. Least of all with me. So, before you open that let me ask you something. Is this because you want me, or because I am convenient?"

Sheldon placed a hand on her jaw and showed her the sincerity in his eyes. "I have cared about you for a long time. I want you, and no one else." She nodded gently and indicated the bag. Sheldon opened it curiously. Prophylactics. Several boxes of them.

He looked at Penny hopefully. She smiled. "I don't think either of us is ready for kids. I haven't been on the pill for a long time. I spoke to the druggist on town and he gave me birth control but it will be at least four weeks before I feel safe enough not taking extra precautions. I also don't want to wait four weeks. I've waited years already for you."

Years, she said. She had waited for him for years. Sheldon leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. He was thrilled when she kissed him back. He was even more thrilled when she drew him over on top of her. Over time, Sheldon stopped hating the F'Wendi. After all, they gave him Penny.

Can't you just picture Sheldon's face the first time he saw these aliens?