Hi everyone. Here's another one-shot I hope you will enjoy. I had actually started writing it during school and in any spare time I could find, in hopes that I could publish it sooner. But alas, my life had other schoolwork started piling up and these subjects (History, Law, Literatures in English and Communication Studies) each have their own challenges. Anyway, education is key so they took precedence.

My other story TWHPWSTB is on hiatus as I can't find enough time to write it, but if anyone wants to help me with it, feel free to PM me.

NB. If you're studying/ doing homework or anything that has a deadline do NOT listen to your CHUCK playlist. Otherwise, as the music of Nico Stai, Band of Horses, Jerry Messersmith, Bon Iver etc. fill the room, you will begin to connect each song with the corresponding Chuck scene. And then the nostalgia will come, and you will have a sudden urge to binge watch the series and or watch some fan videos on YouTube.. And before you realise it, hours would have passed and you'll be a complete mess and a ball of emotions. Trust me... Speaking of which, if you are finally able to watch the series finale without crying, there's a really nice Chuck and Sarah montage to Ryan Star's 'Losing Your Memory'.

I'd like to thank each and every member of this Chuck fanfic community- whether you were with the show from the get-go, joined in for the ride later or discovered it after its run. It's you; the readers and the writers who keep this incredible show alive. As a writer, I hope that you'll enjoy this story. And PLEASE leave a review, I wouldn't mind if it's as a guest - just let me know what you thought. I'm open to constructive criticism (constructive being the operative word)

I don't own CHUCK….*sigh* but a teenage girl can dream. Can you believe it's been two years since the series finale?

Words written in italics reflect character thoughts and ^^ represent text messages.

Thanks to TheIntersect20 for checking this over for me. I added a couple thousand words after her look over, so all mistakes are mine. If you spot any, let me know.

Monday, January 22nd 2018.

As sunlight filtered through the light blue curtains, Sarah stirred in her sleep. Five minutes later, she was fully awake and checked the time on her alarm clock. It was only 6:30 and she was up kind of early, considering she had set the alarm to go off at 7:30. Shifting her body so that she was now resting against the headboard, Sarah cast a forlorn glance at the other side of the bed. She patted the spot where Chuck usually laid and sighed. She hated waking up alone. She had gotten so accustomed to waking up in his arms- the feel of his arms around her, the warmth from his body and the faint steady sound of his heartbeat.

Sarah placed her left hand on her six months pregnant belly as she felt the baby kick, letting her know that she was also awake. Tossing the bed covers off of herself, Sarah got out of bed and headed to the master bathroom. After performing her morning duties, she re-entered the bedroom and checked her phone. A frown became etched on her face when she saw there were no new messages or voicemails. Chuck hadn't called. Placing her phone back on the bedside table, she decided to go see if CJ was also up. She picked up a pink robe that accompanied the night gown she was wearing which was draped over a nearby chair and slipped it on.

Sarah then proceeded down the hallway which was covered in many family pictures before she came to CJ's door. She pushed the door open slightly, being extremely careful to make as little noise as possible. Poking her head inside, Sarah saw that he was still asleep; his curly mop of brown hair the only thing visible beneath his Star Wars sheets. She stepped inside and turned off his night-light before placing a kiss on his cheek. He did not stir and Sarah decided to go downstairs to make breakfast.

On entering the kitchen, Sarah immediately went to the phone to check the answering machine service. There was only one message and her heart leapt a bit when she thought it might be from Chuck. She was a bit disappointed when she heard the message play. It was her OB/GYN who had called to reschedule her appointment since her previous one was postponed due to an emergency Caesarean. She sighed once again before going to fridge. Sarah scanned the contents of the fridge as she tried to make up her on what to eat. Nothing in it immediately caught her fancy but she finally decided to make a fruit salad since she had craved strawberries and kiwis since the night before. As she was preparing to sit down to enjoy her breakfast, she heard the distinctive sound of a bicycle's bell. Sarah pulled both sides of the robe closer and then loosely tied a bow just above her protruding stomach. As she made her way to the front door, she saw the newspaper boy.

"Good morning." Chad said as he met her.

"Good morning Chad." Sarah replied as she took the newspaper from him. "Thank you so much for bringing this up to me." she continued and flashed him a smile.

"It's no problem" he said with a small laugh. "I'm running late though so I'll see you tomorrow." The teen said before turning and making his way down the pathway.

"I'll see you later. And tell your mom I said 'hi'. "Sarah called out after him. It was only then that she noticed the feel of soft fur against her legs. Looking down, she saw her dog Chazzie looking up at her.

"Good morning Chazzie. I bet you're hungry aren't you?" she asked him as they made their way inside the house. He wagged his tail vigorously and barked loudly, which to Sarah's mind was the affirmative.

On re-entering the kitchen, Sarah filled Chazzie's bowls with water and his puppy kibble and watched as the dog wolfed down his meal. She then opened the door which led to the backyard to allow Chazzie to get some fresh air and exercise. Glancing at the clock, she realised it was 7:18 and decided to start making breakfast.

CJ joined her in the kitchen just as she was finishing making the pancake batter. "Good morning sweetie."

"Morning Mommy."

The sudden succession of shrill rings cut their conversation short. Sarah answered, "Hello."

"Hi." was all the smooth voice said in the other line.

"Chuck" Sarah breathed.

"Baby I miss you so much. How are things back there? Are you ok? CJ? The baby?"
Sarah smiled at the sound if his voice and her heart fluttered at the concern he was showing, "Everything's fine. We're all doing ok but we miss you. Oh! And I almost forgot, we're really close to reaching an agreement on the terms of the RBC contract."

"Daddy!"

"Hey CJ. How are you?"

"I'm fine."

"And are you taking good care of Mommy?"

"Uh huh". CJ looked at his mother, contemplating whether to divulge a piece of information to his father before turning his back to her and mumbled something into the receiver.

"What was that buddy?" Chuck asked his son.

CJ's voice was barely above a whisper "The baby hurt mommy this morning."

"What do you mean she hurt Mommy?"

"She kicked mommy just now." He told his father.

"Oh!" Chuck exclaimed and smiled at his son's concern for his mother's well-being "She doesn't know any better yet CJ." Chuck explained.

"But it's not nice to kick."

"I know, but when she's a little older, you can teach her all that stuff. Cause you'll be her big brother and she'll need you to help to teach her right from wrong. But for now, the baby will kick to let your mommy know that she's happy."

Understanding flashed across CJ's face. "Oh. So she's not hurting Mommy?" he asked his father one last time for good measure.

"No." he replied "how was the trip to the zoo?" Chuck asked him, remembering that his class was scheduled to go in a field trip yesterday.

"It was really good!" CJ told him, his voice oozing with excitement. "I saw a lion and a snake and it was really really big and an elephant and a hypothalamus and-"

"Hippopotamus" Chuck corrected him. CJ corrected his mistake and continued to ramble off the list of animals he had seen at the zoo. When he was finished, Chuck asked him "So did you draw me a picture of all those animals you saw?"

"Uh huh" he replied while nodding his head "Mommy put it on the fridge. And I showed it to Grandma Mary and she said it looked reaalllly nice and that I had to draw one for her to put on her fridge."

Sarah had finished the pancakes and they now sat on a plate in the middle of the table. She beckoned CJ to come take a seat.

"Daddy, Mommy's finished making my pancakes so I have to go eat now."

"Ok, I love you."

"I love you too Daddy."

"Give the phone to your mom again."

CJ gladly returned the phone to his mother then climbed into a chair to devour his blueberry pancakes. Sarah poured them both a glass of orange juice while talking to Chuck.

"So where were we?"

"I think you were gushing about how much you miss us."

Chuck laughed. "You have no idea how much. Hopefully this mission will wrap up soon. I can't wait to be back home with you."

"The sea and sun in the Caribbean proving to be too much for you?" Sarah teased him.

"If you were here with me I'd definitely be enjoying myself." he told her, with a seductive undertone in his voice.

Sarah's face flushed. She glanced at her son who was too occupied with his breakfast to listen to the conversation. Still, to be careful, she stepped out of the kitchen before answering him. "You might be right; I bought this new lingerie set that leaves little to the imagination. I think you'd like it. It's red with a bit of lace in the right places and so silky it slides off my body quite easily."

She heard Chuck gulp audibly before he replied to her. "Ooh, you play dirty Sarah Bartowski."

"Only when you want me to. And besides you enjoy when I talk dirty don't you?"

Chuck chuckled. "I walked right into that one didn't I?"

"Yes you did." she replied with a grin.

"You know this is gonna occupy my mind now right? And I'll hardly be able to focus."

"I'm sure you can handle it. And besides, it's an extra push to get you home a bit faster."

"As if I really needed one. I've gotta go though, so I'll call you a bit later." Chuck grudgingly told her. "I love you."

"I love you too." And with that, Sarah's morning became a bit brighter.

"CJ! Come on, you're gonna be late for school." Sarah huffed at her son. They were standing in his room, with a pile of clothes on his bed. "If you can't find the Obi Wan Kenobi shirt, just wear a different one."

"No Mommy. I have to find it."

"CJ." Sarah warned. He stopped his complaining instantly, knowing that when his mother used that tone, it was not good. They had searched all his drawers and his closet and the shirt was still nowhere to be found. "CJ you can wear it tomorrow ok? When we get home this evening we'll look for it again and if we still don't find it, I'll call Auntie Ellie and ask her to see if it's there."

He looked at her, tears welling in his eyes. "Look, this is a Star Wars T-shirt too. Put this one on." Sarah told him, handing the shirt to him.

Sadness was etched across his face and Sarah's heart ached. Unshed tears were swimming in his big brown eyes. Sarah couldn't bear seeing him so unhappy. She sighed and tried to wrack her brain to remember where she had seen the missing shirt last. Then she remembered.

"CJ, go downstairs into the laundry room, I think I might have left your T-shirt in the hamper."

His eyes brightened at the news and he rushed out of his room. Sarah observed the mess that they had made while looking for the shirt. She shook her head. That would have to be cleaned up later.

Donning a black and white maternity business wear dress and a silver chain belt above her belly, Sarah checked to make sure they had everything before leaving. Satisfied that she wasn't forgetting anything, especially her comfortable flats which she slipped into at work Sarah called out to CJ.

"CJ come on or we'll be late."

"I'm coming Mommy."

He came bustling down the stairs, a big smile on his face. In his white Star Wars T-shirt which featured Obi Wan Kenobi on the front, a black jeans and black converse with his brown curly hair growing wild, he really did look like his father.

"Do you have your colouring book?"

"Yes please."

"Crayons? Pencil case? Exercise book?"

CJ nodded after each item was listed and Sarah was satisfied.

"Ok, it seems like you're all set. Grab your lunch box off the kitchen table while I activate the security system."

When CJ returned to the living room, he found his mother check through her briefcase, ensuring she had all the files she needed. Seeing him return, with his lunch box in hand, Sarah closed her briefcase and ushered him out the door.

"What does the fox say? Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!" CJ sang along to the song playing on the radio.

Sarah huffed in frustration. Since its release, that song had been getting a lot of airplay; far more than necessary she and Casey thought. And what was up with that chorus! While she had learnt animal sounds years ago in pre-school, she was 99.9% positive that foxes did not say 'Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow! or Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow! or any of that ridiculous nonsense that the singers were talking about. She was about to change that station when CJ began speaking.

"Mommy, why don't you sing with me?"

Because it doesn't make any sense. "I don't really like this song sweetie." Sarah explained.

They had come to a red light so Sarah took the opportunity to look back at him. CJ scrunched up his face and said "Uncle Casey doesn't like it either. " he informed his mother.

"Did Uncle Casey tell you that when he babysat last week?"

"Mommy!" CJ exclaimed. "Adults only babysit babies. I'm not a baby, I'm FIVE." he told his mother while holding up five fingers. "Oliver is a baby, not me" he said referring to his younger cousin. "I'm a big boy." CJ added with conviction.

Sarah chuckled as she continued driving. "I'm sorry sweetie. Yes. You and Clara are both 'big'."

Nodding, CJ continued talking. "Last week when Uncle Casey was watching me while you and Aunt Ellie went out, we were watching cartoons and then the song came on and Uncle Casey started mumbling under his breath and growling." He was silent for a moment. "Mommy, Uncle Casey growls like a bear sometimes!"

Sarah smiled and tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. "I guess he does. But don't let him hear you say that ok?"

"Yes Mommy."

"Now, I've been thinking that you need a haircut. Your hair is starting to make animal shapes again."

"Nooooooo." he cried. "I like my hair when it makes animal shapes, it looks like Daddy's old hair in the pictures we have home." he explained.

Sarah shook her head in amazement at how much CJ wanted to be like his father and couldn't fight the smile that threatened to form. "Ok. Ok. I won't take you to the barber shop yet."

For a while, the car was quiet, the soft music of the radio floating through. Sarah was thankful that awful song had stopped and a pop song, which was less repetitive than most out there was currently playing. CJ seemed contended to stare through the window and occasionally joining in for the chorus if songs he knew came on. They had just pulled into the school's car park when CJ suddenly asked "Mommy is that why Daddy calls Uncle Casey 'Sugar Bear'?"

Sarah partly owed her CIA training to successfully dodge answering CJ's question. She turned off the car and hopped out. She opened CJ's door and when he got out, she checked him over. Taking his hand, Sarah distracted him by asking him what he wanted to do after he got home. Like his father, CJ soon began to ramble off a list of suggestions. By the time they reached the main building of the school, CJ was still talking. However, he saw one of his teachers standing there, waiting for the rest of his classmates. He stopped talking turned to his mother. It was difficult for Sarah to bend down to give him a hug so she just gave his hand a squeeze. Excited to see one of his friends going to the teacher, CJ ran to catch up with them. Sarah waved at his teacher, a mid-forties woman, before she led the boys into the school. Sarah had begun to walk towards the car when CJ's voice shouting "Mommy" stopped her. Turning around, she looked at him questionably. And then she remembered she had forgotten to give him a kiss. CJ blew her a kiss which she caught and she sent one back to him. With one last wave and a smile, he was gone.

Orion Technologies Inc., Burbank CA

Sarah's Office

"Mom, I'm fine." Sarah said as her mother continued to grill her about her well-being. "Really, I'm just feeling a bit tired that's all."

"I don't want you to exhaust yourself dear. Maybe you should go home early and get some rest before CJ comes home." Emma suggested.

"Mom..."

Emma cut her off "Or maybe I can come over there for a while until Chuck gets back. And speaking of Chuck, how is he? And how soon will he be back?"

"Chuck's fine. I spoke to him today and he's hoping to be back home by early next week. There's really no need for you to drive all the way up here, and besides, you can't just take Molly out of school so you can come here and baby me, although I'm sure she would like that."

Emma chuckled. "I'm sure she would. Fine, but call me if you need anything... Oh fudge!"

"Mom? Is everything ok?" Sarah asked, instantly concerned

"I'm fine darling." Emma's voice came through the receiver. "I just remembered I have a lunch date and I haven't even done my hair or selected my outfit!"

"A date?" Sarah questioned. "With Peter?" Sarah asked, referring to the man whom she'd been introduced to three months earlier.

"Yes, with Peter."

"So..." Sarah ventured, "Are things getting serious?"

Emma sighed "Honey, I don't know. I guess there's a possibility. I don't want to jump into anything."

Sarah noticed that her mother sounded distracted and as though she was searching for something. "Mom, I'm gonna let you go get ready for your date. I'll talk to you later. Love you."

"I love you too sweetie." Emma said before disconnecting.

Sarah shook her head as she got up to pour a glass of water. Her mother was acting like a teenager getting ready for their first date with the boy she had a crush on. Sadness flooded through her as she remembered her own teen years and felt a tinge of regret that her mother hadn't been there to see her get ready for any dates. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she made her way back to her desk. She had met Peter a handful of times and he did strike her as a nice guy…..

/

(Flashback: Emma's house. Friday, September 29th 2017.)

"Why didn't you bring over CJ?" Molly asked Sarah.

"Well sweetie, CJ, Chuck and Morgan are having a Star Wars movie marathon this weekend and he really didn't want to miss it but he told me to say 'hi' for him."

"Oh." Molly nodded in understanding. "You know, all the other kids are jealous because they're not aunties yet."

"Really?"

"Uh huh" Molly said nodding her head. "They only have brothers and sisters and cousins but I'm the only one that has a nephew." she finished with a smile.

Sarah was about to tell Molly that soon she would either have a niece and a nephew or two nephews when the doorbell rang. Her mother had just finished showering and was getting dressed so she rose to answer. Upon opening the door, Sarah came face to face with a gentleman who appeared to be in his mid-fifties. He was five foot nine, and his black hair was peppered with grey.

"Yes?"

"Um hi." the man said, fidgeting with his brown sweater. "Is Emma home?" he asked.

"Sarah who's at the door?" Emma called out as she entered the room. "Peter, what are you doing here?" Emma asked staring at the man in the doorway.

Sarah finally seemed to remember her manners and ushered the man inside, closing the door behind her.

"Hi Peter." Molly said as she re-entered the room with a reading book.

"Hi Molly. How are you?" the man whom Sarah had come to know as Peter asked.

"I'm good."

Sarah looked at her mother, waiting for an introduction. Peter cleared his throat.

"Um" Emma started "Peter this is my daughter Sarah, Sarah this is my um... my uh friend Peter."

After a formal handshake and 'Nice to meet you' were exchanged, Peter turned his attention to Emma. "You forgot didn't you?"

Confusion and then realization flashed across Emma's face. "Oh my gosh Peter, I'm so sorry!"

"It's OK." Peter told her, his voice revealing a hint of disappointment. "We can go dinner another time."

"Are you sure, I'm really sorry."

"Yea, I'm just gonna-" Peter started as he jerked his thumb towards the door.

"Mom, it's OK if you go. I'll keep Molly company until you get back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea, I'll order us a pizza or something for dinner."

"OK, take a seat; I'll go get ready in thirty minutes tops." Emma told Peter.

Sarah and Peter exchanged awkward smiles before Sarah excused herself from the room, telling Molly she'd be back soon. She was a bit uncomfortable about leaving Molly with this man, but Molly seemed to know him and her mother definitely knew him so he wasn't a complete stranger.

When Sarah knocked on her mother's door and then entered the room, she was surprised at the sight that greeted her. She leaned against the door and watched as her mother rummaged through her closets looking for something to wear. She decided to take a seat on the bed as her mother continued to behave like a chicken with its head cut off. Throwing off the sweatpants she had on, Emma jumped into her favourite pair of black jeans.

"Mom, you might wanna take it easy jumping into those skinny jeans."

Emma shot a look at Sarah before looking for a nice shirt to wear.

Hopping off the bed, Sarah decided to help her mother find a suitable one. After searching the first drawer of her chest of drawers, Sarah found a silky red spaghetti strapped top and black jacket.

"Here." She told her mother, "These will look great on you."

"Thank you."

"And you can wear your red wedges and take the matching clutch I gave you with this outfit."

"Ok, those should coordinate nicely." Emma said completely trusting her daughter's fashion sense.

"I can do your makeup if you want."

"Ok, that'll be great." Emma said and went to get her cosmetic bag from the bathroom. So many questions were swirling in Sarah's mind. Just who was this 'Peter' person and why hadn't her mother told her about him? When Emma returned, she was still lost in thought.

"Sarah?" Emma called as she snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a moment." Sarah told her mother. "Take a seat." Sarah said motioning to the bed. Emma did and she wondered how long it would take before Sarah started questioning her about the man in the living room.

"Soooo…." Sarah drawled as she took out her mother's foundation from the cosmetic bag, "Who's Peter?"

And there it was Emma thought. "He's a friend." Emma told Sarah.

Sarah nodded and began to apply the foundation. "How long have you known him?"

"He moved here two years ago and we've been friends for almost just as long."

Sarah pondered over that information. "Are you dating him? Is he... I mean, is he your boyfriend?" Sarah asked, a hint of resentment tainting her voice at the thought of her mother being in a relationship and not telling her. She knew her mother was her own woman and was entitled to her privacy but the thought still stung.

"Honey, no. I wouldn't say we're dating. We went out for coffee last week and he asked me out to dinner. So if anything, this is our first date."

Sarah sighed. "Ok." And continued to work on her mother's makeup, applying a faint hint of brush, eyebrow pencil and mascara. She had decided to forgo the eyeshadow and was now looking for a suitable lip gloss and lipstick. As she uncovered the cap for the lipstick, Sarah wondered if she was being irrational. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"I didn't… I don't mean to pry in your business, I mean you're an adult and you're entitled to your privacy and I respect that. It's just…" Sarah stopped short as she searched for the right words to say. "I just thought that..."

"Sarah." Emma stopped her. She tugged at Sarah's hand, pulling her to sit in the bed beside her. "Honey, do you think I would keep something as important as a new man in my life from you?

"I guess not." Sarah mumbled.

"I wouldn't. You're my baby girl and I love you."

"I love you too Mom. And I want you to be happy."

Emma smiled and tapped Sarah's hand and then hopped off the bed. "Now, would you please go tell Peter I'll be out in five minutes? I need to comb my hair. And thanks for helping me get ready." Emma said as she examined herself in the mirror.

"You're welcome." Sarah said and took one long glance at her mother who was brushing her hair. A wave of happiness washed over Sarah as she saw her mother excited about going out. She wasn't the eight year old girl anymore who had hoped that by some miracle her parents would get back together and they'd be a happy family. No. That dream had been shattered a long time ago. Sarah knew her parents hadn't ended on the best of terms; their lives having pulled them in different directions. She hated how she'd been stuck in the middle, forced to take a side. However, her mother deserved to be loved and if Peter was the one she chose to be with and he made her happy, she'd be fine with that. Snapping out of her thoughts, Sarah went to the living room to acquaint herself with Peter a bit better.

/

Craig Jameson, one of the ten corporate attorneys currently negotiating the terms of the RBC contract hurriedly stepped out of the elevator and onto the thirty-fifth floor which housed the executives of Orion Technologies Inc. offices.

"Hey Tammy." he greeted Sarah's secretary, a mid-forties woman with raven black hair who was putting down the phone. "Is Mrs. Bartowski in?" he questioned.

"Hi Craig." she returned the greeting. "Yes. One of her meetings got cancelled, so she's available."

"Thanks. I'll see you later." Craig said and headed to Sarah's office.

"Bye." Tammy called out after him.

Having knocked in Sarah's door and receiving permission to enter, Craig entered the office. Sarah looked up from the document she was reading when she heard the door open. Upon seeing Craig, she smiled.

"Craig, I'm surprised to see you in my office already. Have we finalised the RBC contract?"

He shifted on his feet. "Actually Mrs. Bartowski, we have a problem."

Sarah ran her fingers through her hair. Sighing, she said "Well let's see if we can get this straightened out."

/
Craig held the conference room door open for Sarah and she nodded her thanks. Upon entering, all eyes swept on her. One of the attorneys sitting at the head of the table instantly vacated her seat for Sarah.

"Thank you." Sarah told the attorney. Turning her attention to the large flat screen TV with which they were teleconferencing, Sarah began speaking. "Good morning. I understand there's a conflict with the contract."

The attorney appointed as the head negotiator for RBC spoke up. "Good morning. Yes, we believe that the price for the security software and installation is a bit high."

Inwardly, Sarah scoffed. While she appreciated the company's clients, she did not like people trying to price their work.

"I believe that when paying for a product, you pay for quality. Yes?" The man nodded. "My husband and his team have worked tirelessly to develop a security system that would best protect your bank. Furthermore, the terms of the contract that our legal team came up with are certainly fair. I think that $60,000 is a fair price considering the performance of the product, in fact, it's almost a giveaway. You know our company's reputation. We are the best in the business and that's why you came to us. I assume you don't want a repeat of that incident six months ago where your security system was easily bypassed and millions in cash were stolen." Sarah stopped speaking and looked at each of their faces. "$60,000 is our price, no more, no less. Do you accept or will you take your business elsewhere?"

The man sighed. Damn it. At least I tried for a smaller fee he thought, but we really can't afford another incident or our clients will lose confidence in us. "You have a deal."

Sarah flashed a smile. "Great! It was a pleasure doing business with you." Turning to Craig, she added "I'm entrusting you with finishing up here. You can report to me later."

She smiled at all the other members of her legal team and rose from her seat. With one last nod to everyone, Sarah exited the conference room. Wow! everyone thought. They had reached a stalemate in the negotiations and Sarah had finalized everything in a couple of minutes. She really was something.

/
When Sarah returned to her office, she flopped into her chair and kicked off her shoes. She was feeling more tired than usual. Maybe I should go home early like my mom suggested Sarah thought. Sarah checked her watch. It was a nice Michael Kors gold watch which Chuck had given her for their sixth anniversary and she absolutely loved it. Realising that she did not have much to do at work, she notified her secretary that she would be taking the rest of the day off and headed home.

Sarah was on her way to pick up CJ from school when a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen. She clutched her stomach with one hand as the pain surged through her. What the hell was going on? She pulled over, not wanting to risk getting into an accident and immediately had to force her eyes shut to deal with the intense pain. These could not be contractions. This was too soon. The pain stopped for a moment, only to return with ferocity.

"Ahhhhh!" she cried out in anguish. Ellie. She needed to call Ellie or Devon. Sarah grabbed her bag and rummaged through it for her phone. Finally finding it, she fumbled with the touch screen, her blurred vision inhibiting her from pressing the right numbers. A chill ran through her, and suddenly, the smart phone in her hand weighed a ton. It slipped from her fingers and Sarah feeling a bit light-headed banged her head on the steering wheel. The only thought penetrating her mind was God I hope my baby's ok.

When Sarah came to, the sound of beeping machines and antiseptics filled her nose. She was in a hospital. "Mhmm" she mumbled as she tried to open her eyes. Sarah felt a damp cloth being pressed against her forehead. Forcing her eyes open, she saw her mother standing over her and Ellie conversing with her OB/GYN Dr. Hinds.

"Mommy?"

"Hey baby girl."

The two doctors walked over to her. "Hi Sarah. How are you feeling?" Ellie asked.

Sarah swallowed thickly. "Head hurts."

"Anything else?" asked.

Sarah was about to ask what was going on when the pain she had felt earlier returned. "Ahhhhhh!" she cried again, gripping her mother's hand. "What's wrong with me?" Sarah cried.

The two doctors shared a look which did not go unnoticed by Sarah. "Sarah I need you to calm down." Ellie began.

Tears were forming in Sarah's eyes. "Please tell me. Is something wrong with the baby?"

"Sarah, you're in premature labour." began Dr. Hinds, wanting to keep Sarah as calm as possible. "When you were brought in you were unconscious. After we did a couple of tests, we realised what the problem was and we administered Atosiban acetate to stop it."

"We thought it had worked." Ellie added. She didn't need to add that it hadn't. Sarah knew that by the look in her eyes and the sharp pains she was experiencing.

"No!" she cried "it's too early. You have to stop it."

"Sarah, there's nothing we can do at this point. You're cervix has begun to dilate and your contractions will start to come stronger and faster. I promise you that I'll do my very best to help you deliver this baby." Dr. Hinds said.

Sarah shook her head, adamant that her baby wasn't ready to be born. Dr. Hinds checked her pager. "I have to go check on another patient but I'll be back soon." she told Sarah.
As the door to Sarah's room closed, another pain rippled through her, causing her to clutch her abdomen and cry out.

"Sarah. Honey, I know it hurts, but just try to breathe in and out really slowly." Emma told her.

Sarah obeyed. "Ellie, I can't do this."

"Yes you can Sarah."

'It's too soon." Sarah reiterated.

"Sarah, with the advancements made in medical technology premature babies have high chances of survival. Just think positively ok?"

"Mommy! It hurts!" Sarah cried not caring if she sounded like her five-year old self when she had gotten her immunization shot for measles. "Please, make it stop." Sarah said in desperation.

"I know baby. Just hold my hand as hard as you need to. We'll get through this together."
"Chuck…." Sarah's voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "I need Chuck."

"I'm sorry but we couldn't reach him. But we did leave messages on his and Casey's phone and one with General Beckman in case they reported to her first."

"Sarah." Ellie began "you're nine centimetres dilated. I'm gonna go get and a nurse."

Sarah forehead was laden with sweat. Her mother and Ellie were on either side of her, their hands being gripped tightly with each push. Sarah was exhausted. She didn't know how much more she could take but her doctor, her mom and Ellie were insisting that she was doing great. Just a couple more pushes she told herself, and then you'll be able to meet your little girl. With one final push, the cries of her baby filled the room. As she welcomed this new life into the world, Sarah was filled with sadness and fear. Sadness that Chuck wasn't here, especially when she needed him so badly. Fear that her baby wouldn't make it. She was so tiny, and Sarah found that she was afraid to hold her. Her fingers were incredibly small as they captured Sarah's pinkie in theirs. Somehow, Sarah managed to smile at her baby girl despite the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing. The nurse then came and took the baby from her as she needed to be monitored and admitted to the ICU.

Sarah awoke with a start, her hands immediately cradling her belly. She heard her phone ringing and switched on the bedside lamp.

"Hello?" Sarah answered.

"Sarah!" Ellie's frantic voice came through. "I've been trying to reach you for the longest time. I was just about to send Devon over."

"What? Is something wrong with CJ?" Sarah asked, her voice laden with worry.

"No, no. He's fine. I was just worried about you. When I called the house phone and you didn't answer I tried your cell but got the same result. I was beginning to think something happened to you."

"I'm OK Ellie." Sarah said trying to convince her (and maybe herself in the process). "I just decided to take a short nap and the next thing I know, I've been sleeping for five hours. I'll be there in twenty minutes to pick up CJ."

"No it's ok. There's-"

"Ellie" Sarah cut her off. "I think I burdened you enough for the day. I wouldn't want to make you or Devon bring him home. I'll be there shortly."

"Sarah." Ellie stressed. "I would never think or say that watching CJ is a burden. He's my nephew and I'd do anything for him. And besides Clara and Oliver love it when he comes over. Now, there's no reason to worry about CJ. He's already asleep."

"So early?" Sarah asked. "He's usually up for another hour."

"Well Clara convinced the boys to watch Tangled with her- you know how she gets sometimes. And then they played Hide-and-Seek with Devon throughout the house. We barely got them to eat dinner, bathed and tucked in." Ellie finished with a chuckle.

"Sounds like they had fun."

"Yea, but I made sure CJ and Clara did their homework first. Since he's already asleep, he can go to school from here in the morning."

"Are you sure Ellie? Getting ready three kids under the age of eight at the same time can be daunting."

"I think we'll manage. Besides, you need to rest. You've been handling CJ pretty much by yourself since Chuck's been gone - and he certainly is a ball of energy. You must be feeling tired."

"A bit." Sarah confirmed.

"So when is Chuck coming home?"

"He and Casey are trying to wrap up the mission by the end of the week."

"I bet you miss him."

"You have no idea!" Sarah sighed, her voice betraying the sadness she felt. "And CJ misses him a great deal too."

"I can imagine. I felt like going crazy when Devon went to that medical convention in Chicago for a week."

"I remember." Sarah chuckled. "But Chuck promised that this would be the last mission he'd take that would last so long. At least until after the baby's born."

"Good." Ellie was quiet for a moment. "So besides the tiredness and missing Chuck like crazy you're OK?"

"Yes."

"Just making sure. I've gotta go though, but I'll let CJ call tomorrow before he leaves for school."

"Yea, OK." Sarah said. "And Ellie, thanks a lot - for checking up on me and taking care of CJ."

"Hey, that's what sisters are for. Call me if you need anything. OK? Love you."

"OK. Love you too. Bye."

Sarah placed her hands on her belly, waiting for the baby to kick. She figured the baby was still sleeping when after five minutes, she felt nothing. I guess I better go find something to eat. The baby must have read her mind and agreed with the proposition because she immediately kicked. Despite the discomfort Sarah felt from the kick, she smiled. Lifting up her T-shirt, Sarah watched her stomach moving as the baby moved inside of her.

"Hey baby." she said "You know, I think your Daddy and I are gonna have to decide on a name for you." She and Chuck had discussed baby names, with a few suggestions from their family members included. Chuck, being the nerd-enthusiast he was immediately suggested Leia, Jayne and Serenity.

"I don't think I want you named after a Sci-Fi show though. But I did promise your father that we could consider them as middle names." Yes she had promised. She just hoped they agreed on a name that would go well with either middle name. Chuck had been disappointed that she didn't want to name CJ Luke. But Sarah shot that name down immediately, knowing he would just be anxiously waiting for the day to say 'Luke, I am your father.' However, when she suggested they consider his names for middle ones, he practically had a nerdgasm. Maybe not one as big as if they were being considered as first names, but the excitement was there.

"I bet your Uncle Morgan is gonna try the same thing with your Auntie Alex." Sarah chuckled. Alex was five months pregnant. She and Morgan had decided to wait until delivery to find out the sex if their baby but Sarah had no doubt that Morgan was pushing for Sci-Fi based names.

/

Sarah rummaged through her refrigerator, looking for something that would catch her fancy. Nothing did, so she decided to order some Chinese, especially since the baby appeared to prefer it over had come to this assessment following the time when she, Chuck and CJ had gone out for Mexican, and she ended up emptying the contents of her stomach later that night.

She was about to begin dialling the number for her favourite Chinese restaurant when her security system beeped, alerting her on an incoming vehicle. She glanced at the clock. It was a little after 9 and she wasn't expecting anyone. Sarah entered Chuck's office and typed in various commands which gave her access to the security system. Simultaneously, the system checked the vehicles licence plate and ran a face recognition program of the driver. When Sarah gained access, she was relieved to see that it wasn't a threat but only Devon. Turning off the computer, she went to let Devon in.

Sarah opened the door just as Devon was about to knock.

"I really thought Chuck was kidding about your spidery senses." Devon joked.

"You know how Chuck is." Sarah told him. "But the motion sensors gave you away." she continued as she ushered Devon inside.

"What brings you by?"

"I was on my way to the hospital but, Ellie and I just wanted to make sure that you were doing OK, with Chuck being gone and CJ spending the night at our place." He stopped, realizing how that could sound insulting. "Not that you can't take care of yourself." he added quickly.

"It's ok Devon. And you can tell Ellie that I appreciate her concern. I may be six months pregnant but I still am the CIA's number one, even though I may share that title with Chuck. And besides our security system is really high-tech. Remember how I mentioned the motion sensors?" Devon nodded. "Well we've got cameras covering every inch if the property and the streets, facial recognition programs and ammonium sensors which detect the level of ammonia in perspiration so it distinguishes between humans and animals. Trust me; this house is probably more secure than an army base."

"Awesome!" Devon exclaimed, truly impressed. "Oh, Ellie also sent some food over." he said as he made his way into the kitchen with a large bag.

He began taking out the various containers and placed them in the kitchen counter.

"I know I'm eating for two, but all this food could feed a small army." Sarah joked.

"You know how Ellie gets. The kids didn't eat that much so we ended up having lots of leftovers and Ellie insisted that I bring you some of everything. I even have some leftovers for a buddy of mine who's working a 32 hour shift at the hospital."

"Thanks."

"No problem." Devon said and then glanced at his watch. "I've gotta get going. So I'll see you later."

"OK, drive safe." Sarah said as she saw Devon out.

Devon turned back to her. "I'm only gonna be at the hospital for about an hour. I could pick you up after and take you back to our place."

Sarah contemplated the idea for a moment. "Nah, I'll probably be asleep by then. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You're sure?" Sarah nodded. "OK, good night."

"Good night Devon." Sarah said and closed the door.

She rested against it and smiled contentedly, this was what she had wanted for a very long time, a family who loved her and cared about her well-being. She was extremely grateful that she had found it... because family was a gift, one she would cherish.

Sarah returned to the kitchen and began to see what food Ellie had sent over. In one of the larger containers, she found a slice of lasagne, in another baked chicken, and mashed potatoes. She also found a helpful serving of tossed salad and was especially pleased when she was the dessert. Ellie had given her two options - pecan pie or chocolate cake. She then decided to text Ellie.

^^ Sarah : Thanks Ellie, u're the best! :) :) ^^

^^ Ellie : *blush* Meh! I know ;) and remember, if I don't get my containers back… I know where u live ;) ^^

^^ Sarah : Natural comedian aren't u? :p I'm about to go eat. G'night ^^

^^ Ellie : Good night. ^^

After texting Ellie, Sarah Helped herself to the food Ellie had sent. After her second serving, she was stuffed. Chuck is definitely gonna have to help me work off these extra calories. She made sure that the security system was activated before turning off the lights. She and Chazzie, who had also had his fair share of the meal made their way up the stairs. When they entered the master bedroom, Chazzie circles the room and then lay down beside his masters' bed.

"Chazzie." Sarah called and his ears immediately perked up. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Be good. OK?" He barked in response.

Tuesday, 23rd January

In the morning, Sarah awoke, feeling well rested. She was surprised that the baby hadn't kept her awake most of the night as she did most nights. She figured the baby was pretty full after Ellie's meal like she was and had to sleep it off. Sarah checked the clock, it was after seven so she decided to call CJ after she brushed her teeth and washed her face.

"Hello." Clara answered the phone.

"Hey Clara, how are you?"

"Aunt Sarah!" the seven-year old squealed. "I'm awesome. CJ and I had a reaalllly good time yesterday. We got to watch a movie and then we built a fort, but Oliver pushed it down, and then we played hide-and-seek and Daddy gave us piggyback rides." she continued excitedly without stopping for air.

"That's great honey. Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun."

"Uh huh." she confirmed.

"Where's CJ? I want to talk to him before you guys leave for school."

He was eating breakfast. Hold on, I'll go get him."

Before Sarah could even thank her, Clara's voice travelled through the house. "CJ! Your mom wants you!" she yelled.

Ellie and CJ entered the room, CJ immediately going to the phone while Ellie reprimanded her daughter.

"Clara Mary Woodcomb! How many times have I told you not to yell?"

"Sorry Mommy." she said.

"Don't let it happen again. Now go finish eat your breakfast. And when you're finished, go upstairs; your father is trying to choose your outfit for school today." Clara was abhorred by the idea and quickly left the room, whether to actually go finish eating breakfast or stop her father from committing a serious fashion crime, Ellie wasn't sure.

For the second night in a row, Sarah awoke from another fitful sleep, this time it wasn't because she was having a bad dream, but because she had heard a noise coming from the bathroom. Though she hadn't been in a mission since before they had found out she was in her tenth week of pregnancy, the skills she had gained from her years with the CIA didn't just disappear. She didn't move but remained in bed, as she tried to figure out what made the noise and if a potential threat existed. Mentally, Sarah was also analysing how far her gun and the distress button were from reach. She opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the darkness. Her bedroom was still dark, save for the little light that was peeking out from the bathroom, the door being slightly ajar. Her senses were piqued. Who the hell was in her house? How in the world had they disabled the security system? And what did they want? Had they already gone into CJ's room? Oh God! CJ. The questions swirled in Sarah's mind. Panic threatened to consume her, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"Oh crap!" Sarah heard a voice exclaim from the bathroom. Sarah knew that voice immediately- it was the voice which she had gotten accustomed to over her past ten plus years in Burbank, it was the voice that was constantly reassured her; it was the voice of the only man she had ever loved.

"Chuck?" Sarah called out into the darkness.

She heard a commotion in the bathroom and was about to call out to him again when Chuck popped head popped between the doorway.

"Hey babe. I'll be out in a second." Chuck called and Sarah could barely mark out his features.

Two minutes later, Chuck entered the master bedroom. By then, Sarah had already turned on their bedside table lamps and was no sitting up against the bed's headboard.
Chuck took a seat on the bed next to her. "Hey." he greeted his wife again, but this time he placed a lingering kiss on her lips and then greeted the baby.

"Hi yourself."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you. I know how tired you must be." Chuck said noticing the fatigue that inflamed her eyes.

Sarah shook her head and laced her hands with his. "It's OK. When did you get back?"

Chuck looked at his Rolex watch. "The plane landed around 12:00. Beckman debriefed us on the trip home. And I finally made it from the airport at about 12:45."

"I thought you needed more time to complete the mission."

"There were a couple of hiccups. Although it wasn't my fault. I specifically told Casey that if it looks like a bomb, and ticks like a bomb, then it's generally a bomb. But you know how Casey gets. Oh! And I may or might not have shot down Casey's helicopter with his own gun." Chuck added sheepishly.

"I'm surprised he didn't kill you."

"Well..." Chuck drawled. "He was probably going to but then Morgan reminded him that he wouldn't want to deal with and I quote ' an extremely hormonal CIA assassin who's trained in over 200 ways to kill him." Chuck noticed that Sarah's eyes had narrowed considerably so he continued quickly. "Anyway, we would've been longer but we had help from a certain red-head."

"Carina?"

"The one and only."

"What was she doing there?"

"She said something about having a couple of days off and wanting to visit each island in the archipelago and sampling their national dishes." Chuck paused for a moment. "Though I'm not too sure if she meant the actual food or sampling the men." he added.

"Knowing Carina, it's probably the latter."

"Anyway, she had just finished a drug operation in Panama and as I said she had a few off days so she lent us a hand and we wrapped up quickly."

"That's good." Sarah said.

"She also mentioned something about how it was going to me so much harder to find something to spice up our sex lives now that we'd have two kids running around."

"Again, typical Carina. She never was a prude."

"Figures."

"I missed you." she said staring directly into his eyes. "We missed you."

"Honey, I missed you guys too. You know how important you guys are to me. And a day didn't go by that I didn't wish we were together. And I know that doesn't make it any better but I really hope you didn't worry yourself sick. But I'm here now, so can we just concentrate on that? Please?"

"Fine."

They both lay down in bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Do you need your 30 minutes of complete silence tonight?" Chuck asked, though he found that Sarah rarely did unless something weighed heavily on her mind. Usually, it was because she was mad at him about something or - But it simply wasn't in Chuck's nature to let Sarah go to bed angry and so they usually ended up talking about whatever was wrong and on the occasions that she was in fact mad at him, that would lead to make up sex.

Sarah sighed. She had missed snuggling with him, and there was no doubt in her mind that her cuddling needs outweighed Chuck's. If someone had told her ten years ago that she would fall in love and become a needy, love-crazed girl, she would have laughed, and then knock their lights out for suggesting such a thing about Langston Graham's Wild Card Enforcer. But now, she embraced the idea; because being in love with Chuck was sensational. He wasn't the James Bond type of spy that she had worked with countless of times. Sarah was glad she didn't fall in love with James Bond, because being in love with Chuck Bartowski was so much better. He was loving, compassionate, nerdy, fiercely loyal, ingenious, charming, and handsome - he was everything she needed. Sarah trusted him, more than she had ever trusted anyone in her entire life

Before meeting him, she didn't know how someone could love another so deeply, but now she understood. When you find someone that you care about, that loves you for being you, despite your past and your many shortcomings, it was hard to walk away. Chuck was her soul mate; he was a gift, one she would treasure for the rest of her life.

"Sarah?" Chuck snapped her out of her musings. His face was hovering over hers and concern was written all over it.

"Hhm? No. I'd love to cuddle."

She didn't have to tell him twice. Chuck shifted his body so that he was now spooning Sarah, his hands resting on her belly. He sighed contentedly. "I love you Sarah." he said and placed a kissed her temple.

"I love you too Chuck, and nothing's ever gonna change that." You're my home.

Wednesday

"Now, Mrs. Bartowski …" Chuck began as he trailed kisses down Sarah's jaw line to her neck. He stopped where her neck met her shoulders and let us warm breath ghost over her skin. The sharp intake of breath by Sarah confirmed what Chuck already knew, Sarah wanted him.

"I believe you have something to show me." he told her, looking directly in her piecing blue eyes before capturing her lips in a scorching kiss. Sarah revelled in the kiss, the feel of his mouth on hers, the faint taste of maple syrup from breakfast, the way his hands travelled up and down her body, making her feel as though her body was on fire. He was intoxicating but Sarah soon found the need for air pressing.

Oh you cannot be talking about negligee at a time like this. "Yea." she barely managed to say confirming that she did have something to show him. "Do you-" Sarah stopped short and licked her lips, Chuck was again kissing her a sensitive spot and it was driving her insane. She wasn't even sure she could form a cohesive question especially since Chuck was causing her to shiver and her body ached for his touch. Slipping her eyes shut in an effort to concentrate, she began again "Would you like me to put it on now?" Her voice came out as a hoarse whisper and she really hoped the answer would be no.

Chuck stopped kissing her and looked pensive for a moment. "No, I think you can save it for a later." he said with a bright smile matching hers. "Besides," Chuck continued and stepped away from her "It would just end up in the floor in a couple of seconds just like this one." he finished with a smirk on his face.

Sarah felt her cheeks go pink and an embarrassed giggle escaped from her lips. When Chuck had stepped away from her, Sarah felt a slight chill over her body. She would have chalked it up to the loss of his body heat as had been completely oblivious when Chuck slipped the nightie's straps from her shoulders. Damn he's good.

/

"You're quiet." Chuck told her. They were lying in bed, with Sarah's pressed against Chuck's back. His hands currently rested on her belly, drawing small circles on her skin.

Sarah shifted in his arms, which took a little effort until she was able to face him. "As opposed to ten minutes ago?" she asked with a small smirk.

Chuck blushed. They both had been pretty loud. "But seriously, is something wrong ?"
Sarah averted his gaze, suddenly finding his chest hair interesting. Chuck noticed her hesitance and lifted her chin so he could look directly in her eyes. "Come on, you know you can tell me anything."

"I've just been feeling uneasy for the past couple of days, with you being gone and I guess I'm getting pretty anxious about the baby." Sarah shrugged before continuing "I was worried about you and the mission seemed so dangero-"

"Hey." Chuck cut her off "you don't have to worry about me. OK? I told you already. I won't be going on any missions that are gonna take more than a day. And even that's a stretch- I also told Beckman no to missions that'll go overnight. The same goes for Morgan. Casey agreed with us. I mean he'd probably kill us both if we got injured knowing what'd it would do to you and Alex." Chuck saw Sarah smiling at the last part.

"We're gonna help out one of the other teams with logistics but that's as far as it'll go and help some of the agents with their hacking skills while Casey will go on the missions to make sure everything goes smoothly.

"Beckman agreed to that?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Sarah, come on! Auntie Becky has a soft spot for us. I mean we are the A-Team."

Sarah laughed. "I cannot believe you just called her that! Chuck, it's only cute when CJ does."

"Hey! That's not fair." Chuck pouted.

"Seriously. Don't call her that anymore."

"Fine." Chuck whined.

"You know, I would make it up to you if I hurt your feelings."

Chuck's smile brightened at that. "Oh really?" He asked "And how would you do that Mrs. Bartowski?" He finished with a cheeky smile while manoeuvring so he now hovered over her.

"Like this." Sarah told him as she pulled him down to her, Chuck being extremely careful not to place pressure on her stomach. Sarah's lips connected with his and Chuck failed miserably to suppress the groan emanating from his throat. Yup, she'll be the death of me.

"Better?" Sarah asked, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"A little." Chuck replied before capturing her lips again in a sensual kiss.

"Mhhmmm Chuck" Sarah whispered, suddenly finding it difficult to form coherent sentences. She broke the kiss and lightly pushed Chuck from off her. Chuck was surprised, he thought they were beginning round four so he turned to Sarah, his eyes questioning.

"I'd love to continue this." Sarah started "I really would but I can't."

Chuck pouted. "Why not? I promise you'll enjoy yourself."

"Oh I would never doubt that honey. I mean every time I'm with you it's amazing. But I think you broke me during round two and I was lucky to recover for round three which wore me out. And I have my doctor's appointment in two hours."

"Fine."

"Besides, we've still got tonight." Sarah said and kissed him on the cheek. She then slid out of bed.

"Not that I don't appreciate the view…" Chuck began, throwing Sarah a wink which caused her to blush "but where are you going? And if you're looking for your nightgown it's over here." Chuck reached down and picked it up from the floor and handed it to her.

"Thanks. I think I'm gonna go find something to eat. The baby's hungry."

Chuck got out of bed and threw on his pyjama bottoms and a T-shirt. "What are you in the mood for?"

Sarah cocked her head to one side, contemplating. "Something with blueberries."

"OK, I'll go whip something up."

"Chuck, you don't have to. I mean you made breakfast this morning and-"

Chuck silenced her with a kiss and wrapped his arms around her. Looking directly into her eyes he said "I want to because I love you."

"I love you too."

"Great! So now that's settled, Mrs. Bartowski would you like to join be downstairs for brunch?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Sarah smiled at him.

/

Sarah and Chuck were seated in the waiting room of her doctor's office. Chuck was currently reading a pamphlet which listed different pregnancy superstitions from around the world.

"Well this is interesting." Chuck said "In China that pregnant women should avoid using glue or other adhesives, as it may cause birthing complications. Also, hammering nails is thought to cause deformity in the foetus. And pregnant women in Guatemala, particularly those of Mayan descent, may stay at home throughout the entire nine months of their gestation out of fear of exposure to illness, evil spirits, or the ill will of others." He looked at Sarah, who was tapping her foot anxiously.

"Sarah? Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you please stop worrying?"

"I'll try."

Five minutes later, they were ushered into the doctor's office.

"Sarah, Chuck. How are you guys doing today?" Dr. Hinds asked them.

"We're doing pretty great." Chuck answered for the both of them.

"And Sarah, how have you been feeling since our last visit?"

"Mostly tired."

"Have you been under a lot of stress lately?"

"Not really. I take this easy at work and my family helped out with CJ when Chuck travelled, so I wouldn't say that." Sarah said. "But I have been feeling anxious about the baby." she confided.

"Have you been experiencing pain?" the doctor asked concerned.

"No. No." Sarah shook her head. "Nothing like that. This may sound really silly but … I had a dream that I went into premature labour and I've been a bit anxious since."

"Lots of mothers feel anxiety when they're nearing the end of their pregnancies. However, you shouldn't worry too much. Our last appointment showed that everything was fine and the baby was progressing normally. You're not scheduled for an ultra-sound today but I'll see if I can arrange one, just to make sure. OK?"

"That would be great, thank you."

The doctor excused herself and went to arrange for said ultra-sound.

"I'm glad you told your doctor about your anxiety." Chuck told Sarah while interlocking her hand with his.

"Yea. I just want to make sure everything's OK."

"I'm sure it is."

"Since we're in the topic of baby, we really need to narrow down on the names."

"I'm still rooting for Leia or Serenity as a first name." Chuck said with hopeful puppy dog eyes.

Sarah shook her head. He was still at it.

Dr. Hinds re-entered the room. "I was able to arrange the ultra-sound. But first, Sarah I want to check your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, in addition to your weight. So if you'd just step on the scale…"

"I told you everything was fine." Chuck told Sarah as they walked through the mall.

"Yea, yea." Sarah said. She was quite relieved when the ultra-sound revealed that their baby was healthy. The doctor had also said that she was gaining an appropriate amount of weight and her blood sugar and plod pressure levels were in normal range. "Come on, Kathleen told me about this store. I want to check it out."

Sarah pulled Chuck into another baby store. She didn't know what it was, but something about seeing baby clothes just made her happy. Her eyes spotted a pair of pink booties and she immediately went for them. "Chuck, look at these, aren't these the cutest baby booties you've ever seen?" Sarah gushed.

Chuck didn't reply for a moment but only smiled at his wife and at how happy she was. "Um honey, didn't your mom buy a pair of pink shoes already?" Chuck asked innocently.

Sarah's head snapped back up to him. "Sweetie, mom bought a pair of ballerinas and those were fuchsia."

"Riiight" Chuck replied. "Not that I have anything against pink, but I think we should look at some other colours. Like I don't know purple." he said pointing to a sundress that was on a rack.

"Honey, that's lilac." Sarah laughed. "But close enough. That dress is nice though so you can put that in the shopping basket as well."

Sarah and Chuck continued to make their way throughout the store, picking up blankets, onesies, washcloths, rompers and other articles of clothing as they went. Chuck had even found a cute little stuffed bunny for their little girl. They were on their way to the cashier when Chuck stopped Sarah.

"Honey. We HAVE to get these." he told Sarah, holding a onesie in each hand. Sarah looked at them and had to admit, they were pretty awesome. The first one was a pink, purple and white onesie with the words 'If you think I'm pretty, you should see my Mommy!' And the other, which was red, had the picture of a computer and the words "Nerd" in bold black letters.

Sarah's eyes light up at the sight of the two pieces. "Definitely. And we should get the NERD one for Morgan, he's gonna freak!"

/

"Ya know, this is probably one if the best things about being your own boss." Chuck told Sarah as they sat down in an In n Out Burger division inside the mall.

"What? Taking any day off?"

"Not exactly…" Chuck said stretching across the table to take her hands in his. "Taking the day off to spend with my beautiful wife."

Sarah smiled. "Flattery will get you everywhere. You're not so bad yourself. I'm stuffed, so we should probably get going. I wanna check out a couple more stores before we leave to go pick up CJ from school."

Chuck's gaze swept the floor where their various purchases rested. He honestly thought they were done for the day. "I actually thought we were finished shopping for the day. How about I go throw this trash away and then take these bags to the car. And I'll meet you in…" he trailed off, waiting for Sarah to indicate which store.
"Toys R Us. I wanna check out that Star Wars light saber they were advertising."

"OK, I'll see you in about ten minutes."

Thursday

"Hey Morgan. Buddy, listen, I need you to do something for me. And no Sarah cannot know about it." Chuck paused and allowed Morgan to speak. "Yes I realise that honesty is important in a relationship, who do you think I am?" he asked incredulously. "Listen; just meet me in my office at 10:15. OK? Chuck hung up.

"Whose relationship are you talking about?" Sarah asked as she entered the kitchen. She was clad in a pink camisole and plaid boxer shorts. Chuck thought she looked beautiful.

"Huh? Ahhh... Nobody's. We were just talking in general."

"Huh," Sarah said unconvinced, "Chuck? You remember our rule right? No secrets, no lies."

"Yup." Chuck nodded. "Husband remember, I have the ring to prove it. You tell me things you wouldn't tell other people."

"Exactly." Sarah confirmed "Which means the same should go for you

"I know that. But it's nothing to worry about." Chuck attempted to placate her. "Have I told you how beautiful you look this morning?" he asked with a nervous laugh. "I mean... and you smell fantastic too." The sound of the toaster stopped his rambling. "Hey, maybe that was just the pop tart," Chuck said taking a whiff of the warm snack, "I gotta go shower. See you in ten minutes." He left the room, leaving a very confused Sarah leaning against the kitchen counter.

/

At 10:10, Sarah entered Chuck's office. There she found Morgan waiting for him.

"Morgan?" Sarah eyed him suspiciously. "What are you doing? Is Chuck up to something?"

"I don't know. You'd know better than me." he said, failing miserably to hide the fact that even after all these years, Sarah still intimidated him sometimes.

"You know Morgan," Sarah began, her hands on her hips as she walked toward him, "You and I haven't really had the chance to talk lately."

"Well you know, we've both got babies on the way, lots to do at work. It's just a busy time in our lives." Morgan laughed nervously.

Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. "Sit." she commanded. She looked at him intently, "Morgan, you do know that you shouldn't piss a pregnant woman off don't you?"

"Was that a rhetoric question? Cause I'm not sure, Literature was never my strong suit."

Sarah ignored his comment. "And you really shouldn't piss a pregnant CIA agent off. So you're gonna tell me exactly what I wanna know!"

Morgan gulped. Sarah tapped her foot, waiting for an answer, they both turned when they heard the door open.

"Chuck!" Morgan jumped from his seat at the entry of his best friend. "So glad you're here. Your lady is intimidating. I tried not to make eye contact, but she kept pulling me in with this gaze. But don't worry, I didn't say anything."

"Ahem." Sarah said and the men turned to her.

"Lots of work to do, Chuck I'll talk to you later. See ya Sarah." Morgan said and scrambled out of the room.

"Honey?" Chuck began, "Would you mind telling me what is going on?"

Sarah's eyes never left Chuck as he walked toward his desk and placed the file he had entered with down. "I don't know sweetheart," she stressed the last word, her gaze penetrating "I was hoping you'd tell me."

"Well...I'm about to look over the annual quarterly reports if you wanna help."

Sarah's eyes flashed a shade which anyone who knew her well enough knew they were entering dangerous territory. "Chuck..."

"You really wanna know?"

"Desperately."

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"I know that. But I promise, you'll really like this one. Just trust me Sarah." Chuck said and gave her the full Bartowski charm effect.

"Fine." she grudgingly conceded. "The board meeting was pushed back to one o'clock. So we can go over these reports together and then go to lunch."

Friday

Chuck and Sarah had left work early, giving their employees permission to do the same. They had then gone to the supermarket before picking up CJ from school.

When Chuck entered the kitchen, he found his wife wiping down the counter, having just fed Clara, CJ and Oliver their snack.

"Do you wanna go out on a date some time? And I mean a date without any distractions no business calls or sudden mission briefings to distract us. Just you and me."

"Like a real date?

"Yea. It'll be fun."

"Chuck, I'm six months pregnant, I don't know how much fun I'd be."

"Sarah come on! What do you have to lose? In a couple of weeks, we'll be busy painting the nursery and lots of other stuff to get ready for the baby and in three months she will be here." Chuck said and placed his hands on her belly. " Then things will start getting crazy as we try to manage a new-born and an over-excited five year old while keeping abreast of the developments at work. And you're gonna wish that you had spent one last night of fun and romance with me."

She shrugged and then smiled. "OK."

"Really?"

"Mhhm."

"Tonight."

"Tonight? Chuck, if the insane amount of toys we have lying around the house isn't an indication, we have three kids in the house. Or have you forgotten that we're babysitting for Ellie and Devon since they both had to deal with the mass casualty because of the accident on the freeway?"

"I haven't forgotten. It's hard to when you step on at least ten Legos on your way down a flight of stairs. NOT pleasant. But I've got it covered, Mom said she'd babysit, she'll be here around five."

"OK. It's a date." Sarah smiled.

"I've got magic coming your way baby. Magic." Chuck said. "Now, I'm gonna get the kids to put away their toys."

/

Mary actually showed at four o' clock, eager to see her grandkids.

"Mimi!" the three children greeted her when she entered the house and rushed to shower her in kisses.

"I missed you guys so much. And you're getting so big!"

"Hey Mom. Remember me? Your son?"

Mary finally turned her attention to him. "Hey Chuck. It's good to see you too." she said and kissed him on his cheek. "The kids and I will be fine; you go get ready for your date."

"We won't be leaving until six but I see where I'm not needed." Chuck joked and headed up the stairs.

Mary turned back to her grandchildren. She lifted Oliver onto her hip. "So what do you guys want to do? We could go to the park and take Chazzie with us." That suggestion got three excited squeals.

In less than fifteen minutes, Mary had her grandchildren ready to go. They were now impatiently waiting in the living room with Sarah. Chuck was attaching Chazzie to his collar and Mary was making sure she had everything they might need.

"OK, I'm ready." Mary said entering the living room.

"Finally!" Clara moaned.

"Bye Uncle Chuck and Auntie Sarah." Clara said and made her way to the door.

"Buh bye." Oliver told them.

"Bye Mommy, bye Daddy!" CJ said giving them each a kiss on their cheek.

"Bye, you kids be good." Sarah told them.

"Mimi!" CJ called from by the door.

"Hurry!" Clara yelled.

Sarah chuckled. "You sure you can deal with the three of them? I mean they do have a lot of energy."

"Are you calling me old?" Mary challenged with a smirk on her face.

Sarah smirked also, remembering the conversation from their first meeting. "Not old," she clarified "just slow."

"I'm sure Mom can handle it." Chuck said. "Do you have your keys." he asked his mother.

"Yes, now I have to get going before these kids come and drag me away. I'll see you guys later." Mary said. She kissed Chuck on his cheek and bent down to place a kiss on her daughter-in-law's forehead and rubbed her stomach, before going to the door'

"Thanks." Chuck called out after her.

"No problem!" she replied as she ushered her three excited grandchildren and Chazzie out the door.

/

"Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?" Sarah smiled at the compliment and the spark of genuine emotion in his eyes. "Seriously, you defy the boundaries of mortal beauty.

"Thank you, that was very sweet."

"Sweet? Golly gee, thanks for making me feel like I'm eight." he joked.

"But you're not so bad yourself."

"Please! I'm fantastic."

"Yes, you are." She looks at him, their eyes immediately locking each other. Sarah loves his eyes; she could lose herself within their depths. Chuck feels the same way. After studying her for so long, piece by piece breaking down her walls with the strength of his love, he's realised that her eyes are the windows to her soul. And even though every aspect of her draws his gaze into sharp focus, Chuck thinks he loves her eyes the most. He's glad that they don't have to hold back now, Sarah doesn't veil her emotions. Instead, he is now privy to the unadulterated emotions, without the accompanying guarded sheen.

They both lean in at the same time. Their lips meet, and the tip of Sarah's tongue slipped slightly between Chuck's parted lips. Like all their kisses, he begins to lose himself in it, almost, just almost forgetting where they are. He breaks the kiss, and casts a grin in Sarah's direction. She smiles back and they continued to peruse the menu before their waiter comes to take the order.

/

"What are we doing here Chuck?" Sarah asked as they stood in the lobby of The Grand Ambassador Hotel. She looked around; it was just as luxurious as the time when they had come here to find the Turners. The polished marble floors, glitzy chandeliers and the unique architecture also enhanced the luxurious atmosphere of the hotel.

"You'll find out soon enough." he answered coyly. Chuck went up to the receptionist and got the key to the room he'd booked. Sarah looked at him quizzically. "Shall we m'lady?" he asked offering his arm.

"By all means." Sarah said as they made their way to the elevator.

Their room was on the seventeenth floor. When Chuck opened the door for Sarah, she was amazed by the room. Sarah took in the massive king size bed, the high ceilings, plasma TV and gorgeous decor. The room was absolutely stunning. The bathroom was equally spectacular with marble everywhere, crystal chandeliers, frosted glass doors, huge bathtub and an LCD television embedded above the bath. They would definitely be putting that tub to use later.

"Chuck this place is amazing! What are we doing here?"

He shrugged. "We won't be able to go on a babymoon this time, so I thought I could at least give you this. I mean, it's not a full blown vacation but"

"Chuck," Sarah stopped his ramble "Shut up and kiss me."

Hours later, Sarah was lying on her back, with some effort; she managed to get on her side. "Are you awake? Can you hear me Chuck?" No answer. "I love you Chuck

It was in these quiet moments that Sarah sometimes let her mind wander. What if I hadn't met Chuck? They would never had fallen in love, she wouldn't have the wonderful family she did now; her life would have been empty. Without Chuck, she'd be nothing but a spy. Sarah pushed such thoughts from her head, focusing in more positive things. He'd set her free from her past, and she was happier than she would have ever thought possible.

/

When Chuck awoke, Sarah's head was in his chest. The sunlight was peeking through the hotel windows and the rays reflected on Sarah's blond halo of hair. Chuck brushed a lock of hair from her beautiful face. She stirred momentarily, but then snuggled further into his chest. It could be considered creepy, watching someone so intently while they were sleeping but Chuck didn't care. How could he not stare at this work of art? Nobody compared to Sarah. She wasn't perfect, no one was. But she loved him, he loved her. And that was simply amazing.

Spies don't fall in love, everyone had told them. But they had proved that they were the exception to the rule, and Casey and Gertrude were doing so as well.

He noticed Sarah looking up at him. He smiled down at her and leaned in for a brief kiss.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, what were you thinking about?" Sarah asked as they both sat up against the headboard.

"Just how happy I am with you. I love you Sarah." Chuck said staring intently into her ocean blue eyes. Gosh! He loved her eyes; you could lose yourself in them. "And one more time, because it feels so good to say, I love you." Sarah smiled; this was a very familiar speech. "You and I are perfect for each other," Chuck continued, taking her hands in his, "I'm gonna kiss you now, if that's ok."

"Like you even had to ask."

When Chuck and Sarah finally stopped kissing, they were both flustered and breathing hard. "I love you Sarah, always have."

Sarah loved Chuck's eyes; they were so warm and reflected his emotions so well. Whether it was because of the hormones or not, Sarah was overcome by the emotions that overtook her and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I love you too Chuck, more than you could ever imagine." With that, she grabbed Chuck by the face and smashed her lips to his, pouring everything into the kiss. Her hands immediately went into his hair, pulling him closer to her.

Sarah's fingernails raked down Chuck's back. That's definitely gonna leave a mark. But he didn't mind. Instead, he relishes in the breathy whisper of his name as it is expelled in gasping anticipation from her lips. They stop, but only for a moment and Sarah feels her body burn with desire under Chuck's smouldering gaze. Their lips pursue contact again, and waves of goose bumps ripple across both their skins. Chuck's hovering over her again, as their tongues battle for dominance. His skilled tongue sweeps over hers, treating Sarah to a wickedly delicious sensation. Kissing Chuck Bartowski is amazing, it's like a drug Sarah thinks. She yields herself to him, something she would have never done before meeting him. But now, how could she not? One could not simply walk away from Chuck; everything about him was just too intoxicating.

With every touch, every kiss, the fire intensifies. They've gotten accustomed to this, but every time it's just as wonderful. Pretty soon, they both lose all semblance of rational thought as they enter a state of absolute bliss.

/

Sarah quickly put on her robe when there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by room service.

"Good morning ma'am. I'm sorry to disturb you..."

"Right, I'll take it from here."

"Is there anything else I can get you?" the greying man asked.

Chuck came up behind her, clad in plaid pyjama bottoms a blue T-shirt. He grinned and took the tray "Actually, I think we have everything we need. Thanks."

The man nodded in understanding. "Very well." They both grinned at him; Chuck gave him a tip and then shut the door.

Saturday, January 27th 2018.

John Casey stood in his boxer shorts, looking in his closet for something to wear to the family dinner tonight. I really need to do the laundry. He had been on three missions consecutively and had yet to find the opportunity to do the laundry. Though he and Chuck had returned from the Caribbean on Tuesday, he hadn't had the time, and that was mainly due to his girlfriend, Gertrude's insistence on them making up for lost time. Not that he minded. Not at all.

"You know John," Gertrude called from the doorway, "If you don't put on some clothes soon, we will be late for dinner. If we make it at all." She was already dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a crème shirt and her brown ankle boots.

Casey swallowed. "I would get dressed, except I can't find a clean shirt anywhere."

"Oh! I almost forgot." Gertrude said. She went to the closet and pulled out her suitcase. Upon opening it, she took out a box. "I got this for you in Minsk; maybe you can wear it tonight."

Casey took the box from her. "It's a sweater. Why's it so soft?"

"It's cashmere."

"It doesn't feel flame-retardant." Casey countered. "But thank you."

Gertrude could only shake her head. "You're welcome. Put it on and let's go."

/

Ellie answered the door with a glass of wine in her hands. "Hey guys," she greeted her family, "we're putting out some hors d'oevures so come on in."

"Hey sis." Chuck greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Are Morgan and Alex here yet?"

"No, they called and said they might be a little late." Ellie said "Sarah you look great!"

Her ear hair was tumbling in lustrous waves of golden sunshine down to her shoulders and she was clothed in a jacket and jeans. "Thanks. I'm still a bit ticked off that I now have to wear these horrible maternity jeans though."

"Please, you look fantastic."

"That's what I always say; she can wear a burlap sack and make it look like it came from a major fashion house." Chuck agreed.

Sarah blushed at the compliments. Ellie turned her attention to her nephew, "CJ, your Uncle Devon just finished giving Oliver a bath and Clara's upstairs playing. You can go join them."

/

By seven o' clock, most of the family was there, Morgan and Alex had showed up first, with Mary, Emma and Molly arriving at the same time.

"So tell me about your day." Ellie told her family members, "fun parts only." she clarified.

"Hmm...Fun parts only." Chuck said. Each member proceeded to relate the events of their day, recounting any outrageous thing that happened.

"This is fun, talking openly about our day." Ellie said.

"It's the best."

They all turned when they heard the front door open. "Hey everybody," Casey said.

"Sorry we're late." Gertrude added as she held up two bottles of wine.

"Perfect timing, we're just about to sit down and eat." Morgan said

"Uh, I'd like to make a toast." Sarah said. "Chuck and I have done a lot of thinking this week and I was thinking how different my life would be if I hadn't met you. I probably wouldn't have any friends. But I look around here today and I realise that because of Chuck I do. Nobody in the world is closer than we all are. So thank you, not only for being the best friends ever, but for being a family that I could rely on. So, cheers." Sarah raised her glass which contained non-alcoholic wine.

'Cheers." Everyone chorused and raised their glass, the children also being allowed to have non-alcoholic wine.

Sarah clinked her glass with Chuck's and leant in for a kiss. "I love you." he mumbled in her ear.

/

Morgan was sitting on the couch playing Mario Kart with CJ.

"This is where I make my come back." Morgan told CJ, as he tried to take out CJ from first place, "This is where I make my comeback!"

CJ smirked. Uncle Morgan had nothing on him.

"What?" Morgan asked dumfounded. "You used cheat codes! Didn't you?"

"I'm just better." CJ replied confidently.

"Not fair." Morgan complained.

"I think it's my turn now Uncle Morgan." Molly said as she sat down.

"No, it's my turn." argued Clara.

"No it's not."

"Yes it is!"

"Hey!" Morgan interjected, "I'll switch the game to four players and we can all play. OK?"

"Yea!" the three kids shouted excitedly.

/

The women had retired to Ellie's study as she wanted to show them some designs she had in mind for both nurseries. Chuck noticed his nephew playing with the ball on the floor and went to join him. 'Hey Olly, everyone left you all alone? You wanna play ball with Uncle Chuck?" They spent about fifteen minutes playing catch when Chuck noticed that Oliver was constantly rubbing his eyes. "Oh you're tired. Come on let's get you to bed." Devon entered the room, having just ended a call from the hospital. "Everything OK at work?"

"Yea, just a change in schedules." Devon turned his attention to his son, "Did you have fun playing with Uncle Chuck?" the little boy nodded. 'Well it's time to get you to bed. Say good night to Uncle Chuck Oliver."

"Night night." he mumbled sleepily.

"Good night buddy."

/

Molly, CJ and Clara went up to her room as Clara was excited to show the Hello Kitty Karaoke Machine Grandma Honey had given her. Chuck and Morgan then decided to join Casey in the living room.

"Whatcha ya doing Casey?" Morgan asked.

"The housemaid is laying out coffee spoons with the dinner service! There's gonna to be hell to pay at Downtown Abbey tonight!" Casey said with a grin.

"I didn't know you watched Downtown Casey!" Morgan said, his eyes bulging from the surprise.

"What's next? Writing fanfic?" Chuck joked, his eyes lighting up with potent amusement.

Casey growled. After glancing around to make sure the children were out of earshot, he said "I swear on all things Reagan, if you two morons don't shut the hell up I will shove my foot so far up your ass that-"

"Casey, just admit it, you looooovvvvveeeee us!" Chuck cut him off.

"Come on Casey! You know your threats don't work on us." Morgan joined in. "Besides, two words for you: Sarah and Alex. I wouldn't get in trouble with them if I were you."

"That's nice Moron, hiding behind your women." The two best friends continued their teasing banter for a couple more seconds. "Bartowski. Grimes." he warned, advancing toward the two men.

"Shutting up right now!" Chuck spoke for the both of them, Morgan making the motion of zipping his mouth and throwing away the key.

/

"I got it." Chuck said when the doorbell rang. "Are we expecting anyone?" he asked.

"Not that I know of." Ellie said.

"Carina, Zondra! What are you guys going here?" Chuck asked as he ushered them inside.

"Spur of the moment decision." Carina said.

"Well it's good to see you."

"Nice to see you too. Where's Sarah?" Zondra asked.

"Everyone's in the living room."

"You guys must really like Snoresville if you're popping in so often." Sarah said when she saw her two friends enter.

"Meh. Don't fool yourself Walker. I ran into Zondra in Barbados and she dragged me here with her."

"And you came screaming and kicking no doubt." Sarah chuckled.

Hellos, how are yous and hugs were exchanged around the room as Zondra and Carina caught up with the happenings in Burbank.

"Well I'll admit that I wanted to see the kids. From the last pictures you and Chuck sent me, they've gotten so big."

"Kids tend to do that."

"And I couldn't pass up the chance to see you waddling like a penguin." Sarah shot Carina a death glare.

"By the way Sarah, Alex, you guys look great."

"Thank you." Sarah and Alex said.

Ellie immediately fell into her role as hostess and asked the two ladies if they wanted anything to drink.

"Since Sarah and Alex can't drink, I'll drink for all of us. I'll have some Johnny Walker if you guys have."

"And what would you like Zondra?"

"A soda would be fine, thanks."

"So how long are you guys in town for?" Emma asked. "We're going shopping tomorrow if you wanna tag along."

"Should be fun. We're in." Zondra said.

/

Sarah looks around the crowded living room. Her extended family is laughing at Morgan's antics. The kids are excited not only that they get to go past bet time, but that their Auntie Carina and Zondra are there. She catches Chuck staring at her, they share a glance and she sends a brilliant smile his way, to which he flashes the Bartowski grin. As the room fills with laughter and smiles, Sarah is filled with happiness. Their family may be unconventional, but it's everything and more than she could have ever dreamed. Unconsciously, her hands drift to her stomach when the baby kicks and a smile immediately forms on her face. She is home. This is where she belongs.

AN#2: You guys made it to the end. :) Imagine me being able to write 1600+ word fanfic and scraping for words for my C.A.P.E. assignments, which are only 3000 words. Kudos to those writers that write monster chapters and post weekly.

I was not sure I would have been able to post today, seeing as I was suddenly plunged into mourning when a school colleague died in a car accident yesterday. I showed my friends the music video for 'Terrified' and she gushed over how cute Zac is and I was like I LOVE HIM...Then I started to gush about him and now my friends think I stalk him, which is ridiculous right? *nervous laugh*

Thanks so much for reading; I hope it was not too wordy. I'm not too confident with writing action, so I tried to recapture other elements of the show that we loved- the family aspect, humour, and romance. I figured since the series ended on the 27th January, I would end my story on that date as well, the only difference being that instead of the characters going in separate directions, I brought them all together.

Hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks again for reading. Please leave a review.

Viva la CHUCK!

~lots of love from Barbados- Barbadiangirl.