Author's note: With this chapter I changed the rating of the story to "M". I hope you don't mind ;-)

Thanks for the reviews! It's funny how I became more interested in Leonard's character after I started writing this story. I never paid much attention to him before that, I'm learning to like him.

I own nothing.

Chapter 4 - The coitus disturbance

Amy stood up and crouched by his feet. "Let's start with your shoes, shall we?"

He nodded and she started untying his left shoe, carefully removing it and then his right one. She placed them neatly on the floor by the bed. She removed his socks and then she sat back on the bed. "Now it's time to remove your sweater." She reached for the beam and slowly pulled it up. Grabbing his left arm, she helped him to remove it from the sleeve and then repeated the same action in the other. "We have to be careful with your wound." Amy stood up and placed her hands on the v-neck collar and lifted the sweater, taking extra care with the bandage next to his right ear. "Done!"

Sheldon grinned and held her by her waist, bringing her closer to him. She still had her arms on his shoulders, and he pulled her closer for a kiss. It was chaste but strong, and it took longer than usual for them to break apart. Amy took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. He was still holding her. She licked her lips and shook her head a little, like if she was getting out of a trance.

"Errr.. Can I remove your shirt?"

"I think I can unbutton it, but could you help me take it out?"

She smiled. "Of course."

He gently removed his hands from her waist and started to untuck his shirt from his pants, then began on the lower buttons. His usual quick fingers were not so efficient and he was struggling to complete the task. He looked up at her with frustrated eyes. "Amy, I think I'll need your help here as well."

"That's ok, soon the effects of the medication will be over. Don't worry." She reassured him. Amy reached for a button in the middle of his chest, touching him lightly. Sheldon observed her hands, how delicate and at the same time precise they were. In an instant all the buttons were undone and she sat on the bed beside him. She brought her hands to his shoulders and slid the fabric from his arms. He was only in his undershirt. She placed both hands on his waist, bringing the shirt up, revealing his bare skin. As she started lifting it up to his chest, he chuckled.

"It tickles!"

"Sorry..." She laughed too, breaking the tension, both of them smiling now as she finished removing his shirt. She stood up and offered a hand to help him.

"Now stand up, so I can remove your pants easier." She blushed a little after saying that, and he blushed as well.

"I'm sorry, Amy, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..."

"No... I... It's just..." She looked down.

"I know what you mean. You expected to do this under a different circumstance, didn't you?"

Amy lifted her head and stared at his blue eyes. "Honestly, yes."

"Well... It doesn't mean that just because I'm not in my best conditions that we can't try a few things..."

"Hmmm... What do you have in mind, Dr. Cooper?"

He let her hands go and grabbed her hips. "I was wondering... Maybe... If you don't mind... You... and I... We..." He brought her closer with each word. They were mere inches now, her face was so close to his bare chest that she could feel the heat of his body in her skin.

"Maybe we what...?"

He took a deep breath and said it all at once. "YouandIcouldshowertogetherifyoudon'tmind."

"I'd love that." He leaned his head to kiss her, and her arms wrapped around his naked torso.

"Amy." He broke the kiss, his forehead touching hers. "I wish I could help you undress, too."

"Hmm... Well, if I sit on the bed you can help me a little."

"Good idea." They both sat again and Amy started unbuttoning her cardigan.

Sheldon crossed a leg, facing her. He removed her hair from her shoulders and slid her green cardigan off. He placed it behind her on the bed, and watched again as she removed her vest off her head. He picked it up and started making a pile of her clothes. When she was about to finish unbuttoning her shirt, he asked, "Come closer." She moved towards him, her thigh touching his leg. He placed both hands on her cheeks and leaned to plant a soft kiss on her lips. His hands slowly slipped to her shoulders, under her open shirt. He touched her collar-bone, feeling her warm skin. He opened his mouth a bit, allowing his tongue to explore her, nibbling her lower lip. She parted her lips as well, feeling him slowly enter in her mouth. His hands had already removed her shirt, and were back on her collarbone, going down inch by inch, reaching her breasts.

Amy moaned with the feeling of his hands exploring her body, even though over her undershirt. Her hands, which were resting on his legs, moved back to her waist and in a swift motion she removed her last top piece. She broke the kiss for a while to remove it off her head, and as soon as it was off he placed his hands back on her breasts, touching them over her bra.

"Shall we remove your pants now?" She asked, while her hands were caressing his thighs. He nodded, and she stood up, gesturing him to follow her. She kicked off her shoes and took his hand, guiding him to the bathroom. They stood by the tub, and Amy placed her hands on his belt. "Is it ok?"

"Yes." He leaned to capture her lips once more with his, and she blindly unbuckled it, unbuttoning his pants and searching for the zipper to slid it down. With each move he felt her hands touching his nether region, he deepened the kiss, bringing her closer. His pants were finally on the floor, and Amy held them to help him free his legs. As she stood up again, she slid her hands on his legs up until she rested them on his waist. He was just on his briefs, and she still had her skirt and stockings to remove. He reached for the zipper on the back of her skirt, brushing her buttocks as he opened it. She felt it slide down her legs, and she quickly removed her stockings, standing just in her underwear.

"Can I see how you look like?" Sheldon was curious to know if she looked just like in his dreams.

She nodded, and stepped back to give him full view of herself. She placed her hands on her waist and turned, giving him a complete view of her body. She was even better.

"Now it's your turn."

"I guess that's fair enough." He slowly turned himself, and when he faced her again he came closer, grabbing her hips and kissing her passionately. Amy reached for the clasp behind her, releasing herself from her bra, instantly feeling Sheldon's hands moving up, cupping her breasts. She discarded it carelessly on the floor, reaching for the waistband of his briefs. "May I?" She asked, interrupting the kiss for a second. "Hmmhumm" He agreed, with his lips on hers, feeling her nipples under his fingers. As she removed his briefs, she felt his erection touch her stomach, the moist tip teasing her skin. She had never felt so turned on in her life. His hands moved down to meet her panties, tugging it down a little. She finished to remove the last piece of cloth from her, and Sheldon brought her so close as they had never been before. She loved how his throbbing erection felt against her. It was all so new to both of them, and so natural at the same time.

Sheldon finally broke the kiss, breathing heavily. He looked down at her eyes, she never looked more beautiful to him. "I love you, Amy."

"I love you, too." He leaned down to kiss her again, and she reached for his hands.

"I think we should get in there." He followed her, being careful not to lose balance as he stepped inside the bathtub. Amy turned the shower on, bringing them both under the warm spray, being careful not to wet his bandage. She grabbed the soap that he had already placed neatly when he unpacked their things after they arrived from the trip. Her shampoo laid beside his, and she smiled at the thought of having her things next to his if they moved in together.

"Turn around, let me wash your back."

Penny woke up feeling extremely thirsty. She searched for her phone beside her to see the time. '1 am. Merry Christmas, Penny.' she thought. Her head was aching badly. She need a glass of water and a painkiller. She saw Leonard lying on his stomach. 'Thank God he had done that surgery, otherwise he would be snoring like a pig by now.'. She released herself from his leg which was on top of hers, and searched for her robe on her bag. She opened the door as quietly as possible and left, still a little dizzy from all the alcohol she had drunk.

As she walked through the hall, she heard the shower on from the Shamy room. 'Wow, who's taking a shower so late? But wait, is it the shower or is it my head pleading for water? God, I really need to stop drinking that much.' She wanted to open their door a bit to peep, but her need for water was greater, so she went downstairs, supporting herself on the handrail. When she passed by the living room, she saw a light near the Christmas tree and someone was there.

"Santa?"

"Don't be foolish."

Penny came closer and sat next to her.

"Why are you up so late? Don't tell me you're waiting for presents." She chuckled, but stopped as soon as she saw that Beverly didn't laugh at her joke.

"Do you need anything? A painkiller?" She pointed to the container on the coffee table. "Help yourself."

"Thank you." Penny grabbed two pills and a glass of water, relieving her throat.

After a few minutes of silence, Penny decided to speak again.

"It was very nice of you to help Sheldon today."

"Well, he was in need, Amy couldn't carry him alone, it was only logical that I helped to take him to the hospital. Not to mention the state you and Leonard found yourselves."

"Yeah, you don't have to remind me of that, my headache is already doing it just fine." She replied, throwing her head back to rest on the couch.

After another long silence, it was Beverly who spoke now.

"Are you really intending to marry Leonard?"

"What? Of course I am!"

"There's no need to feel offended. I just wanted to know if you are serious about it."

"Be sure I am. And for your information, I'm not taking advantage of him financially." She emphasized the last word gesturing along.

"Noted."

"And by the way, you didn't have to tell Mike that, don't you know how insecure your son is?"

"Apparently you know that pretty well. Even then you broke up with him in the past."

"What? Are you trying to make me feel guilty?"

"No, I'm just stating a fact. You hurt him before even knowing about his insecurities, you shouldn't judge me for doing the same."

Penny rolled her eyes. "All right, I'm not gonna judge you anymore."

"Thank you."

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Go ahead."

"How can you be a mother and at the same time be so cold with your own son?"

"I raised Leonard to be logical and analytical. It happened that it didn't work. It was an interesting case study in the end. Although I could never really explain why he insisted on being different. I blame Deena and her emotional data input."

"Apparently they were very close in the past. I wonder why he never mentioned her to me before."

"That would be because of Jessica."

"Who's Jessica?" Penny frowned her eyebrows and suddenly became more interested in the topic.

"Deena's daughter, who he dated for a few months before moving to California."

That was new information for Penny. She wondered why he had never mentioned that to her before. Why would he hide it from her?

"And why did they break up?"

"She cheated on Leonard and got pregnant."

"Really? How could she tell it was not Leonard's baby?"

"They had never had intercourse, he was still a virgin at the time."

"Oh. Wait, how did you know that?"

"Please, it was pretty much obvious."

Penny thought about answering, but she got lost in her thoughts. After a few minutes, she stood up and went back to the guest room.

"Thank you for the painkillers. Good night, Beverly."

"Good night, Penny."