Love Is Hell

Chapter Eleven: Taking Back Chances

Author's Note: Previous chapter had my loins on fire so I had to write another chapter before I went to bed, lol :)

Sheldon awoke, lying on his back; he immediately was aware of two things: First, he was naked. And second, lying with her head on his chest and her hand on his stomach was Kate, asleep. He smiled to himself, remembering last night. He felt to take a shower at this moment, but he felt comfortable and relaxed, also refreshed while lying in bed.

His memory made a flash of images; Kate was underneath him, moaning his name, their chests rubbing together in sliding friction as their bodies compressed in raw passion. Sheldon recollected whispering to Kate that he loved her...he didn't know what romantic feelings exactly were where other people were concerned; his feelings towards his mother, sister, and brother were genuinely platonic, like his relationship with Penny and Leonard. However, his were stronger for Kate. The idea of her leaving was intolerable...if she left the world completely...unbearable.

Sheldon glanced down at the woman breathing lightly, sleeping comfortably under his arm. He would get up right now and shower but that would mean interrupting her REM cycle, which even to him was most necessary, considering Kate never slept past the time he awoke. And she needed it.

There came a ring of his phone and Sheldon glanced at his end table. Well, drat. He moved ever so lightly, extending his arm and found the phone in his hand. He clicked the answer to his Iphone 4 and answered it quietly, "Dr. Sheldon Cooper here, hello?"

"Heyyyy, buddy," sniggered a voice, which due to its mischief and plotting tone, Sheldon recollected the voice's owner to be the only Leonard Hodfstader.

"Hello," Sheldon said happily. He glanced at his clock and said, "Why are you up this early? You're never up this early."

"Well," said Leonard. "I thought I'd check on you."

"Why?" Sheldon asked.

"Because, I couldn't help hear a few animals go at it last night and then I kept hearing something hit a head board. That didn't happen to be you and Kate frolicking in the bed sheets, did it?" Leonard said curiously.

"Really, Leonard?" Sheldon returned. "I don't see the reason why you telephone this early in the morning just to inquire about my night with Kate; it's highly unsettling."

"What, you mean like when you asked Stephanie when we were dating whether I...how did you put it? Oh yes, I remember, if I 'satisfied her sexually'? So if you'll just put me on the phone with Kate, I'll extend the same courtesy." Leonard teased.

"I hardly think so."

"I was kidding."

"I had a thought you were, but that's not the point; Kate's asleep," said Sheldon.

"How do you know that?" Leonard returned curiously.

"Well, if one is lacking in a conscious state but still mentally capable of waking up and walking around, I'd presume that Kate's sleeping," said Sheldon coolly. He rolled his eyes, mouthing 'oh my god'. He glanced down when Kate moaned ever so quietly in her sleep.

"I know what 'sleeping' is," Leonard responded cynically.

"Then why did you ask?" Sheldon remarked.

"I was—you know what: never mind. So, are you still up for paintball?"

"Of course I would be," Sheldon said, sitting up and leaning his back against the head board. "Why wouldn't I be?"

His sitting up made Kate stir; she muttered something inaudible in her sleep. To Sheldon's surprise, and instant delight, he smiled when Kate had uttered 'Be gone' in Klingon. His attention was drawn back to Leonard's answer.

"Well, when I get through with a night of rough sex, I'm normally sore," said Leonard.

Sheldon startled at his answer; the 'rough sex' got him definitely. He thought about last night. Yes, he supposed that the head board had been rather rough on Kate, but that didn't seem to give him any disadvantage of paintball. However, when he moved slightly, he did feel a little numb downstairs. Sore? Sure, yeah, he felt a little, but it'd wear off surely the rest of the morning.

"I'm fine," Sheldon said.

"Ha, you sound like Kate. I must say, I'm very proud of you, Sheldon. Did you start it or did Kate?"

Sheldon frowned.

"Leonard, I can't help but feel that Wolowitz put you up that inquiry."

"Yeah, he did," said Leonard. "He's beside me."

Sheldon shook his head disapprovingly.

"Although I'll refrain from answering the question for the fact that I value confidentiality and its many wonders of separating you four from my personal life with Kate, I'm also going to reach out as far as saying that even if I did confide in my fornication, you'd eventually have to face the expectation that eventually, you'd have to confront Kate about it, as she is clever in finding out about your childish ruses."

"He's right," Sheldon heard Howard say in the background.

Sheldon glanced down at his phone and then put it to his ear again.

"Do you have me on speaker phone?" Sheldon exclaimed.

"Yeah," said Leonard, less than enthusiastically.

At this point, Sheldon glanced down for Kate was waking up. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, a smile on her face. Locks of hair fell down her shoulders, back, and a few in her eyes, at which point, she pushed them behind her ears. Sheldon then realized that Kate, too, was naked; and why wouldn't she be after what happened last night?

Sheldon looked at her pointedly as she sat up; she raised the blanket around her body, looking at him curiously from him to the phone.

"Who's that?" Kate asked; her voice slightly cracked.

"It's Leonard," Sheldon said.

Kate glanced at the clock saying, "Why is he up this early?"

"Why don't you ask him," Sheldon invited. He clicked the speaker phone. "Leonard, you're now on speaker as well with Kate. Tread carefully."

"Oh...hi...Kate," Leonard said quietly.

Kate frowned slightly.

"What the hell are you calling here for, Leonard?" asked Kate.

Sheldon answered the question and said to Kate pointedly, "He's inquiring the proclivities of last night, Kate. Care to divulge?"

Kate rolled her eyes and took his phone, placing it off speaker phone and then to her ear.

"Who's with you, Leonard?" Kate snapped; her voice was immediately cold.

Sheldon gave her an alarmed look; Kate was ruthless in the morning. It kind of made him smile though as he listened to her talk to Leonard. When Leonard told Kate who with him, Kate and Sheldon exchanged looks.

"Leonard, you tell Howard to remember that I know his wife, and I know your fiancee. Remember that Penny and I can cream the other team without you, Wolowitz, and Rajesh in the game. And I'm not above friendly fire!" Kate threatened.

Sheldon could hear Leonard's remark: "We were just teasing, Kate. Besides...you should sound thoroughly satisfied after what..."

"Complete that sentence, Hodfstader, and you won't have anything with which to satisfy Penny," Kate threatened curtly.

There was nothing on the other end. Kate looked at Sheldon's phone and then handed it to its owner.

"What happened?" Sheldon inquired.

"He hung up." Kate replied. She got to her knees and kissed Sheldon on the lips briefly. "But to answer Leonard's question, it was more than satisfactory."

Sheldon beamed at her. Sheldon went to take a shower shortly after and Kate dressed in her bedroom.

Sheldon was making Cylon toast when Kate had dressed and entered the kitchen. She was sore between her legs, more than obvious; there was no hiding it either as she moved with a bit of a limp. Sheldon glanced at her, more out of concern than acknowledgment.

"Are you all right?" Sheldon asked.

"Mm-hmm, more than all right," Kate remarked. Although she sat with some great effort on her part.

Sheldon gazed at her momentarily.

"I'm making toast," he said, continuing on. "Do you want any?"

"No," said Kate. "I'm just thirsty." She stood again and moved to the refrigerator.

Sheldon took his seat on the left stool, eating his breakfast. As Kate joined him with a glass of milk, which she drank quickly, he gazed at her with a bit of wonderment. She smacked her lips with satisfaction, grinning at him broadly.

"Paintball weekend," Kate noted.

Sheldon looked at her suddenly, saying, "I'm sorry?"

"I forgot it was the weekend," Kate explained. She brushed a hand through her towel-dried hair; it wasn't completely dry but the wet strands were giving her hair the look of a permed wavy style that fit her well.

"How can you forget it's the weekend?" asked Sheldon. "It's on the schedule, and it's on your phone...it's on my phone, and, excuse me for reminding you, it's also the best two days of my week where our friends gather to play the brawling game of Paint ball." He ate his toast and then turned to her saying, "How could you forget that?"

Kate stood and rinsed her glass in the sink, turning to him so her back was against the counter, her arms flanking to her sides.

"Unlike you, Dr. Cooper, I don't have an eidetic memory," Kate told him smoothly. She watched as Sheldon stood to put his plate in the sink, at which point she moved aside.

As she turned to move to the living room, a set of hands wrapped around her waist and this made her squeak. Instinctively, her palms covered the back of his hands. Cautiously, she turned her head, looking up at him.

"Sheldon, honey...ahem, what are you doing?"

"Extending the intimacy," Sheldon told her.

"Hm, okay...I got that, but why are you doing that?"

Sheldon gazed at her curiously.

"Is it not social protocol for a couple who've engaged in coitus the night before to continue to maintain physical contact?" Sheldon asked, truly dubious of the matter.

Kate chuckled.

"Well, I suppose so, but Sheldon, I know you don't like overall physical contact."

"Well, Kate, I know you've showered recently and like me, you maintain a strict routine to hygiene and antibacterial products," said Sheldon logically. "If it was the otherwise, I'd be ten feet away from you."

Kate chuckled and said, "And you'd neither touch me with a thirty foot-and-a-half-inch pole."

Sheldon gave her a quirked look of confusion, to which Kate responded, "It's part of the song from the animated production of How the Grinch stole Christmas."

"Oh," Sheldon remarked. Then he exhaled a breathy laugh.

Kate turned so his hands were on her lower back. His expression was one of uncertainty when she moved her arms around his waistline. She looked up at him, allured. With half the inclination of her gaze and the fact he held her in his arms, Sheldon was more than tempted to kiss her, but he withdrew when there was a knock on the door. When he did so, Kate wasn't surprised—he didn't prefer to show affections like those of a human being when others were around, even if they were outside the door. Kate looked after him with peculiarity but it didn't put her spirits down. After all, she had sex with him last night and he hugged her this morning; what more could she ask for?

Kate answered the door promptly, taking out a ponytail in which would hold her hair up until it became half-dry. As she did so, she expected the only people who ever bothered to knock on the door and that was Howard and Rajesh; because Leonard and Penny regularly entered without knocking.

"Hello," Kate said politely. "How are you, Raj?" She addressed the Indian astrophysicist.

Seeing her, Raj spoke nothing but he took out a flask from behind his back, took a sip, and then after a moment, he grinned at her, saying, "Pretty good, Kate. How are you?"

"Delighted," said Kate. She looked at Howard, who was a bit ashamed. "And you?"

"Fine," said Howard. He shook his head and said gently, "Kate, I'd like to apologize for what happened this morning."

"Really?" Kate remarked coolly. Seeing Howard side-glance, Kate narrowed her eyes. She moved past Howard and Rajesh and saw that Bernadette stood a inch from the doorway, apparently monitoring the conversation. When her post was exposed, Bernadette merely grinned at Kate with knowing.

"I see," said Kate. She looked at Howard. "Are you really sorry or are you doing this to stay out of trouble?"

"I'm sorry," Howard apologized sincerely. "I was out of line and reverting to my old self. So I'm sorry. Now, can we come in?"

"Sure," said Kate. She gestured for them to do so. When Bernadette began to pass as well, Kate touched her shoulder. "How'd you get him to do that?"

"I threatened him with no sex for a day," Bernadette told her, smirking.

"Good for you," Kate enthused. The two girls entered but as soon as Kate began to close the door, there was another knock and she opened it to see Leonard and Penny; Penny pushed him forward slightly.

"Kate, I'm sorry for teasing you and Sheldon about having sex last night, and it'd be a great relief to me if you would accept my apology," said Leonard, although his words sounded rehearsed. After he said it, Penny beamed happily.

Leonard side-glanced her and said, "So now can we..."

"No," said Penny automatically. "Tonight." She grinned sweetly at him.

This was enough for Leonard and he gazed at Kate reproachfully. She gazed at the two with curiosity; did all the girls threaten their boys with sex? Kate wondered in what way she could threaten Sheldon with that but the time happened in itself so rarely that it wouldn't dawn on her that Sheldon would use sex as a modification for a behavior misconduct. The idea made her smile with naughty, naughty thoughts.

Kate opened the door fully and Leonard and Penny entered.

"Hey, Penn," Kate remarked, smiling at her.

"Hey," said Penny. She leaned in to whisper, "Good job last night."

Kate stared at her blankly but then a girlish smile flashed her face to her eyes and Penny winked at her mischievously. As they entered the room, Kate closed the door.

Bernadette and Howard sat on the floor, on cushions of course. Rajesh was on the far right cushion of the couch, Kate in her spot, Sheldon in his spot, and Leonard and Penny sat in the armchair together. Kate crossed her legs, Indian style, and smiled at Sheldon.

"You know what I've not played in a while?" Kate inquired to him curiously.

"Hide-and-Seek?" Raj guessed from the floor.

Kate and Sheldon looked down at him with a mindful gaze, to which Raj shrugged carelessly, saying, "Hey, dude, I've not played that in years. Of course, when I did, Priya never found me. I still won."

"Has it ever occurred to you," said Leonard, "that Priya was just not searching for you and left you hiding so she could have the house to herself?"

Rajesh looked at him incredulously, saying, "Why would she do that?"

"To be cruel," answered Sheldon. "It's not unlike what happened when my twin sister and I were divulged in the game. Of course, as it happened with you, I was left in the broom closet for many hours."

"You never came out?" Penny inquired, surprised.

"No," said Sheldon. "I wanted to come out. But playing with a contemptuous sister frequently belays any rules associated with the game and she'd placed a drawer in front of the closet door, which barricaded me inside it for many hours."

"That's cruel," Kate noted.

Sheldon turned to her, saying, "It was hell."

"So what happened?" asked Penny.

"What happened?" Sheldon repeated. "I'll tell you what happened. After the hours of pleading for her to let me out of the dark room I was forced to do the only thing I could do."

"Which was?" encouraged Bernadette. She seemed interested in the story.

"I found a gun and shot at the door," said Sheldon. "While it alerted my sister to believe that I'd committed suicide, Mom was more adamant in rescuing my safety as she pushed the dresser out of the way and opened the door, to see that I was all right. In the end, my sister was grounded for a week and I was taught how to shoot a gun properly at a two-foot radius."

Kate looked at him boldly.

"I played a game similar to Hide-And-Seek, although I never hid," Kate told the group. "My game was Seek-and-Find, considering I hated hiding."

"Why?" asked Leonard. "That's like the best part."

"No," said Kate. "In order for me to hide, I'd have to cram my body into some cramped space for hours on end and hope they find me. Personally, while I was the seeker, I pretended I was a zombie hunting for human flesh with which to console my undying hunger." She smirked when the group stared at her creepily.

"That's a bit...eerie," said Penny.

"Disturbing, more like it," said Howard.

"Yeah," said Leonard. He gazed at Kate curiously and said, "Did that make the game any more fun?"

"Of course it did," replied Kate with an obvious tone. "I was a zombie; who wouldn't want to be that."

"If the apocalypse ever comes in which zombies invade, I'll remember that for you," said Penny lightly.

"Why would I be a zombie in the apocalypse?" Kate remarked. "Out of all of us, excluding Sheldon who has an emergency pack, I'm more agile and quick in hunting down poor illegitmate nerds on the Paint ball field."

"Yeah," Howard noted. "You also have a lust for spilling blood on the field." His eyes widened as he looked at the group and said, "Even better reason not to make Kate a zombie."

"Like I would get bit," Kate muttered.

Sheldon turned to her and said, "If you do, would you like to amend the Relationship-Roommate Agreement?"

"What?" Penny and Bernadette remarked in surprise.

Sheldon and Kate looked at them and Leonard was the one to explain that there was a zombie clause in which action would be partaken in one of the roommates were turned. As a result, Sheldon smiled at the group.

"If I turn, she can't shoot me," Sheldon stated, pointing indicatively at his girlfriend.

Kate smiled and said, "I'm keeping my status for that clause, but thank you for asking, Sheldon."

"Just out of curiosity," said Howard. "What is your status for the situation in which you become a zombie?"

Kate shrugged and said, "Shoot me until I'm jelly."

"That's a bit gross," Bernadette noted.

"But awesome," Penny added, smiling at Kate, who thanked her for her approach happily.

There was a distinct titter in the group. Kate heard another knock on the door. But this was a different one. It almost sounded reluctant. Sheldon stood and eased past the group to open the door. The moment he saw the visitor, he closed it without another word. Sheldon sat in his spot, resuming as though nothing had happened.

"Who was that?" Penny asked pointedly.

"No one," said Sheldon. "Just air."

"Just air—good lord," Leonard muttered. He stood and waited for the knock at the door and then opened it with caution. "Oh, hello, Chance."

Kate and Sheldon turned immediately towards the direction. Sheldon began to retort but Kate shook her head at him. She joined Leonard at the door, standing beside him. Kate saw the woman before her; she was dressed in cut off blue jeans and a long-sleeve V-neck shirt. Recently having had black, short-cut hair, the length was now to her shoulders. And standing before her, Kate saw Chance was looking a bit...sad?

Leonard seemed to sense the uneasiness for he smiled nervously and said he was going to back and sit down. The group behind Kate looked around.

"Hi, Chance." Kate said lightly.

"Hi, Kate."

There was an awkward silence and then Kate crossed her arms.

"What do you want?"

"What I want is not the point; it's what I'm here to do," said Chance quietly.

"Really? What is that?"

"To apologize," said Chance.

"For what?" Kate remarked.

"Well, there it is," Chance told her. "I have nothing for which to apologize, except how I behaved towards you the other day."

Kate conceded that point; she'd been very mean towards her and vindictive towards Sheldon. Other than that, she had no other reason to apologize, for Sheldon had done the rest. Kate bit her lip when Chance sighed shakily, crossing her arms in a natural defense against whatever emotions were coming to her.

"Kate," said Chance. "We've been friends since school. Surely, we could put all that behind us?"

"Behind us, sure, but you can't tell me it won't come up again," Kate reminded. "You don't like Sheldon and I don't like your attitude towards him. I'm not leaving him, so you might as well choose here and now what you're going to do."

"Well," said Chance coolly, "You know I'm with Raj again, right?"

"I do," said Kate.

"And you know how they're friends..."

Kate sighed and looked at her impatiently, saying, "Chance, what do you want?"

"Okay," said Chance quietly. She sighed heavily. "I know I can be..."

"Bitchy," Kate finished.

"Right, and you know that—you know that about me. But you have to know that Sheldon can be..."

"Demanding and self-centered?" Kate finished, although this was more reciting what Chance had told Kate about her boyfriend.

From behind, Sheldon gave the group a confused look and they only consented the fact. Meanwhile, Rajesh was beside him, looking awkward and uncertain as to what was happening or what he was supposed to do.

"Right," said Chance. "But according to Raj, you have told him you love him and to be quite honest, I can never compete with love." She smiled unlike herself and said sweetly, "I'm happy for you, Kate."

"Right," said Kate. "But I don't hear an apology from you, Chance."

"So here it is. I'm sorry for having been a bully to your boyfriend and I'm sorry beating up Kyle Doors was the only reason you and I ever became friends. I'm sorry that you love a self-centered, eccentric wack-a-doodle but in order to consummate our friendship once again, I will attempt to be more tolerable of his antics. I figure if Raj and his friends can do it, I can try to do the same thing."

Kate stared at Chance. Where the hell did all this originate? Seeing her expression, Chance attempted to smile friendly-like.

"It's not Raj," said Chance as Kate glanced at the aforementioned for answers. "I did this all by myself."

Kate gave Chance a skeptical glance.

"I know," she continued, "that this is hard to believe. You know I'm not one for apologies."

"No, so you'd understand why I have a hard time believing you," Kate told her.

"Yes, I understand." Chance said. She sighed heavily again and she held out her hand. "I'm also making up because even though I think you're a softy and have no backbone what so ever, I've missed you this past Thanksgiving and I regret having done so by my own fault. That is to say we can still hang out, even though we're not best friends anymore."

Kate became remorseful. She crossed her arms defensively but as Chance continued to hold out her hand, Kate was uncertain if her anger towards her had completely diminished.

Kate sighed and touched Chance's hand and said, "I accept your apology."

"Am I forgiven?" Chance asked.

Kate and Chance turned to Sheldon, who, after a long time of staring at the two, sighed deeply.

"Sure, why not," said Sheldon.

"Why not?" repeated Howard, Rajesh, Penny, Leonard, and Bernadette.

"Yes," said Sheldon. "I'm in such a good mood this morning that not even that vexing woman can pull down my spirits." He stood to get himself a bottled water. As Chance was welcomed into the apartment, she sat on Raj's lap, and Kate sat in hers. Leaning forward, Bernadette and Penny winked at Kate. The sex last night probably did a miracle on Sheldon Lee Cooper.

Author's Note: Yes, Chance is back, but hopefully, I've made her personality a little more charming. Rajesh can't be the only one without a girlfriend; that's just cruel.