:The Dragon:

Sheldon sighed as he turned away from the game store. He disliked being in the mall, but Leonard insisted on coming here for the new release of a computer game. He was standing in line at the moment with Howard and Raj. Sheldon decided to wander down to the book store. He was about to head back to the game store when he noticed a new shop. There were a couple of birdcages in the window holding parakeets. He stepped inside and saw a few aquariums with fish or lizards and some bunnies hopping about in holding pens.

"Hello."

He turned and saw a tall thin man regarding him closely. "Hello. I'm just looking."

The man smiled slightly. "You won't find what you are looking for out here. You need to step into the back room for what you seek."

Sheldon backed up a step. "That's okay. I'm not really looking for a pet."

The owner smiled wider. "Are you sure? I was certain you were searching for a dragon."

He paused in his retreat. Sheldon's eyes widened. "A dragon? There's no such thing."

The man gave him a full smile. "Isn't there? I have one who has waited a long time for you."

Despite his misgivings, he was intrigued. The man moved to lock the door and flip the sign to closed. He gestured toward the back and Sheldon turned in that direction. He felt like he was in a strange dream. The shopkeeper led him to the back and he gasped. The back room was huge. The walls were all covered in a pearl colored fabric. Large pillows and cushions covered the floors. In the center of the room was a gold pedestal. Sitting on top, staring at him was a small golden dragon.

It's body was about two feet long, and thin. It's two clawed legs were situated on the front half of it's body, and tipped in fine feathery hair. It's emerald colored eyes blinked slowly at him. Leathery gold and black wings fluttered on it's back. It rose up onto it's tail and hopped into the air. It glided over and landed on his shoulder. The wings folded up close to it's body. The tail wrapped across his shoulders and it's little feet clung to him gently. It rested it's head against his chest. He could feel it's throat vibrating softly over his heart. He reached up and gently rubbed it between the eyes. It closed it's eyes and the vibrations increased. Sheldon let out a soft sigh of awe. He could barely feel the dragon's weight.

The shopkeeper watched Sheldon closely. "Shall I assume you are interested?"

"How much?" Sheldon asked softly.

The man moved toward the door. "Will you care for her? Keep her safe and happy? She is a very special creature and deserves to be loved. Can you love her?"

Sheldon nodded immediately. "Of course!"

He smiled mysteriously. "Then she is yours. But I demand your promise. You cannot neglect her. You cannot give her to another. You cannot set her free. She must be returned to me if you no longer care for her."

Sheldon gave his word. Not that it would ever happen. He could not imagine never wanting this creature.

Sheldon looked at the dragon and smiled. It was a softer smile than his koala smile. More sincere than his "Please fund my research" smile. It was a smile of joy and awe. His friends couldn't understand it. To them, it was an ordinary yellowish lizard that for some inexplicable reason, Sheldon was fond of. He named it Penelope, saying like the character in the Odyssey, he knew this particular creature had been waiting on him to come get her.

That was probably why he dreamed most nights of a lovely blonde woman who awaited him with open arms and emerald eyes. He always awoke from those dreams feeling bereft and alone. He came to look forward to them.

Leonard, Raj and Howard were out "clubbing", whatever that was. Sheldon was settled in his spot, pizza in one hand, remote in the other. A marathon of Doctor Who was on and Penelope was curled up over his shoulder. A knock on the door drew him off the couch with a grumpy sigh. He opened it up to find the shopkeeper from the animal store. Sheldon blinked in surprise.

"May I help you?" he asked, his right hand immediately rising to Penelope. She had raised her head and was now staring intently at the man.

"Dr. Cooper," the man smiled. "I have come to see if you are still content with your pet."

Sheldon nodded emphatically. "Of course, I am. Penelope is more than a pet, though. She is my friend. My companion." The dragon swung it's head around and nuzzled Sheldon's jaw. He stroked her snout tenderly.

The man nodded. "So you do not wish to return her?"

Sheldon's jaw dropped. "Of course not! You can't have her!"

The man smiled widely. "Dr. Cooper, I was hoping you would say that. It has been one year since you took her from my store. I have come to show you the true secret of your dragon."

Sheldon looked at Penelope and found her staring intently back at him. True secret? He reached up and gathered her in his hands. "Will it harm her? I don't want her hurt."

The man shook his head and Penelope leapt from Sheldon's hands into the outstretched ones of the shopkeeper. Sheldon fidgeted nervously, trying hard to keep from snatching her back. The man brought her up to eye level.

"Does he treat you well?" The dragon nodded.

"Does he love you?" She nodded again.

"Do you love him?" A vigorous nod made Sheldon smile.

"Have you found the one?" The dragon nodded quickly and raised up onto it's tail. It spread it's wings and began to undulate slowly. Sheldon watched, entranced as the man placed her on the floor and reached into his pocket. He held out a small scroll to Sheldon. "The secret is that she is not really a dragon. She is a woman, cursed to take this form until she met her one true love. For generations, she has resided in my family's care. Read from the scroll and you break the curse. But!"

Sheldon looked up from Penelope to the man's face. "But, if you do not truly love her, you will not break the curse, and you will lose her."

Sheldon knelt to look at Penelope. "It's you, isn't it? The woman I dream of? How can that be?" Sheldon reached out and ran his hand down her soft scales one last time. He untied the scroll and unraveled it. He took a deep breath and began to read.

After a couple of months the guys quit asking Sheldon questions. For one thing, he had no adequate answers for what happened to his pet, and why he was suddenly engaged to a lovely woman they had never met before she moved in. Seriously, how do you explain to your three friends that the woman you love and are planning to marry spent the first year of your acquaintance living in an aquarium? The day they went to the mall to try on tuxedos, Sheldon noticed the pet shop was gone. In it's place was a Spencer's.