Chapter 17:

It was early on a Friday night and already a crowd loomed all around the perimeter of the exhibition hall. It was near impossible to hear over the excited hollers and the camera lights flickered like fireworks, enough to burn out a person's retinas.

Vicki Kent checked her make-up for the tenth time in half an hour, tilting her head from side to side to capture all angles in the small compact mirror. She reapplied a coat of lip gloss, having chewed the previous coat off in her nervousness.

Suddenly she heard someone scream, "He's here! He's here!"

Vicki dropped her make-up and grabbed her tape recorder. She ran ahead in her stiletto heels, beating out everyone else to the end of the red carpet.

"Mr. Bartowski!" she screamed. "Mr. Bartowski!"

Relief flooded her when the tall brown-haired man turned in her direction. He smiled shyly and waved.

"Mr. Bartowski, if I could have a moment of your time!" she begged, waving him over. She thought she was going to faint when he obliged. He was striking in the well-fitted suit yet looked somewhat uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving, making him the rare kind of man who lived unaware of his own appeal. Vicki was sure when the recorder was off she would tell him about a thing or two.

"Hello, Miss…" He held out his hand and she latched on, shaking his entire arm enthusiastically.

"Kent!" she breathed, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. "Vicki Kent. Reporting for the LA Times. Mr. Bartowski, you must be so excited. Your game's just sold over ten million copies in its first week and it's been nominated for the critic's choice of 2013."

Mr. Bartowski's nodded, well aware of that fact. "It wasn't me alone. My partner, Mr. Grimes, was instrumental to the development of the game."

Vicki hardly gave a thought to the developer's shorter, less attractive friend. "But it was you who came up with the concept, wasn't it? That's so amazing. How did you think of it? It's so brilliant, really!"

Mr. Bartowski looked flustered by her effusive compliments. "Uh…about that." Before he could finish the thought, a tall, slender woman appeared at his side, wrapping her hands discretely around his elbow.

Vicki's smile faded and she straightened her posture, knowing a challenge when she saw one. Mr. Bartowski continued to stammer, looking to his companion for the words he needed.

She was preoccupied however, staring down at Vicki Kent, the blue of her eyes like the metal edge of a knife.

"Hello," she greeted, the tone of her voice restrained but still demure.

"Hello," Vicki responded, feeling a little hesitant.

"Sweetie, Miss Kent was just asking me how I came up with the concept for the game," Mr. Bartowski explained, oblivious to the staring match between the two women.

His companion looked up at him and they shared a secretive smile. The look alone was enough to fill Vicki with jealousy. Suddenly she felt like the kid being picked last for the team; the girl left out on all the gossip.

"Ah, and what were you going to say?" she teased. Her eyes were momentarily light like spring-water but then they caught Vicki staring and darkened in warning.

Mr. Bartowski shrugged. "Well, like many things in life…it just came to me. You know? It just felt right."

"Right time, right place," his companion added. "All a big coincidence, perhaps?"

He nodded enthusiastically. Vicki sensed there was something more but in her envious state, she couldn't be bothered to ask.

"And you are?" she asked pointedly.

Mr. Bartowski beamed with pride. "Oh, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce my wife to you, Miss Kent. Sarah—"

Sarah extended her hand. "Sarah Bartowski," she said, making sure the woman caught the flash of the diamond sitting on her ring finger.

Vicki stared, struck speechless by the cruel hand of reality. "Pleased…to meet you," she uttered. The woman smiled triumphantly back, and Vicki had to admit she had lost to a worthy adversary.

"Sweetie, we should get inside. They're waiting for you."

Mr. Bartowski wrapped his arm around his wife and waved at the hapless, young reporter. "It was nice meeting you," he said. "You'll write something nice for your article, won't you?"

She nodded dumbly. "Of course, Mr. Bartowski," she said as she watched him ascend the stairs, taking with him all her hopes and dreams.

_

"Chuck, relax. There's nothing for you to worry about." Sarah's tone was soothing but he needed more than a few words to calm him down. The entire exhibition hall, all three floors, were filled with reporters and critics just waiting to pounce on him.

"What makes you think I'm nervous?" he asked, putting on a front. She laughed, making Chuck blush. "Am I really that easy to read?"

Sarah focused on his tie, straightening it even though it was already perfect. "Your hands are a little clammy," she confessed, kissing him gently on the lips. "Just relax. This is your moment. What you've waited your whole life for."

He arched his brows. "This?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the crowd. "No. This isn't what I've waited my whole life for." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her snug against him.

Sarah shot him a look. "Chuck…" she warned in a low, husky voice; the one that often made him forget he possessed free will. "You can't charm a girl like that unless you're willing to follow through." She gave him one last, long kiss away from prying eyes before extracting herself from his grip. "Stop procrastinating. You should know I'm not usually so generous. I don't like to share my husband with just anyone."

She held out her hand, and together they walked into the awaiting crowd.

_

The couple had taken no more than ten steps into the crowded floor before Chuck interrupted.

"Hey, Sarah, is that who I think it is?" Chuck nodded in the direction of the gentleman sitting at the bar. Aware of their attention, he raised his glass and nodded.

Sarah stopped in her tracks, a look of bewilderment clear on her features.

"Sarah?" She stirred from her thoughts and stared up at her husband. "Did you invite Doctor Casey?"

The blond-haired woman squeezed his hand. "Well, he did save your life you know," she said slowly. "I thought the least you could do was extend the courtesy and invite him to your launch."

Chuck tilted his head, staring deep into her cobalt blue eyes. He knew that look; he'd seen it often enough. They shared a moment, and then Chuck relented.

"Okay," he said. He didn't have to know; knowing that it was something was enough for him.

Chuck looked back at the doctor and smiled, and hard as it was to believe, he thought he saw the doctor return the favor with something genuine.

_

"Chuck! Sarah!" The couple slowed just enough for a tall brunette to catch up to them.

"Ellie! Careful!"

The elder Bartowski frowned at him. "Chuck, I'm pregnant not invalid," she reminded. A smile broke out on her face and she grabbed their hands, one in each of hers. "Isn't this exciting?" she asked, squeezing each of them with enthusiasm.

Chuck nodded, far more subdued than his sister. "Yes…yes…very exciting," he said, looking around at all the photographers and strangers that surrounded them.

Sarah smiled. "Don't worry, he's just overwhelmed," she said, teasing him again.

Ellie squeezed Chuck's hand and when she looked over at her sister-in-law, it was hard to imagine she ever bore the woman any ill will. It was amazing what a long apology and dinner twice a week at their home could do.

"Devon and I are upstairs by the couches if you need to come find us." Then she turned to the blond haired woman. "Make sure he doesn't. This is not a time for my brother, the man of the hour, to hide in a corner with his sister."

Sarah smiled, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Don't worry, he won't."

Ellie gave each of them a hug, and then disappeared into the crowd again. Chuck tracked the back of her head, casting a worried glance with every step she made.

"Chuck, she's right. She's pregnant not incompetent," Sarah reminded, trying to capture his attention. "She knows how to walk in a straight line."

"Yes, and that's exactly the problem," he pointed out. "She can't walk in a straight line when there's so many people around!"

Sarah laughed. She tugged on his tie, bringing his ear closer to her lips. "What are you going to do, Charles Irving Bartowski, when we decide to have children of our own?"

The question was harmless enough, but it was still sufficient for Chuck to flush beet red. Luckily for him the room was dark and no one save for his wife could tell. Her eyes glinted with mischief and she smiled, obviously pleased she could still have that effect on him.

"That's not fair, Sarah, you can't say things like that to me and not follow through," he whispered, throwing her own words back at her.

She tilted her head, her chin rising slightly at the challenge. She held his gaze, her eyes dark and daring. The electricity that passed between them was nearly palpable. They stared at one another, neither of them saying a word. Finally Chuck looked away. If even possible, his face flushed an even deeper shade of red.

Sarah shook her head slowly, her own cheeks beginning to blush. "That time it was all you," she teased.

_

Hours later and the evening was finally winding down. Chuck thought he sounded like a broken record, repeating the same things over and over again but the press seemed to lap it up and he was grateful for it. It saved him from having to elaborate and possibly make a fool of himself.

Somewhere along the way he lost track of Sarah and now as he walked up to the third floor of the rented hall, he saw that she was sitting with Ellie. His sister had the woman's hand pressed over her growing belly.

Chuck kept his distance, not wanting to disturb them. Knowing Ellie, she was probably going to slip a few not-so-subtle hints later tonight if she hadn't already gotten to Sarah.

"Great evening, huh?" Morgan walked up to him with two cold beers in hand, dressed to the nines in a suit identical to Chuck's. It had been their idea to dress in matching suits, a notion Ellie insisted only children practiced when forced by their mothers.

He handed him one of the bottles and uncapped the other. Now that the party was nearly over, they could relax a little.

"We did it, Chuck, we really did it." Chuck knew the look of excitement on Morgan's face spelled only the beginning of what they could do together.

"Hard to believe, huh?"

"You kidding?" Morgan laughed. "Look at this place! We're the two luckiest bastards in this joint!"

Heads turned at the louder than expected exclamation and the pair turned around, feigning ignorance. Only when they thought the coast was clear did they turn back around.

"Yeah," Chuck said, clinking bottles. He stole a glance at Sarah and as if on cue, she looked up and smiled a smile so brilliant it threatened to overshadow the light in her eyes. Chuck felt his heart swell at the sight of her and he returned the look in kind. From across the room, they shared a moment that was completely theirs alone.

"We sure are."

THE END

A/N: That's all folks! Thank you to all the wonderful people who left me a review; your words of encouragement were exactly what i needed to finish this story. Thank you for being so patient and sticking with me to the end. I'm still a newbie at this and you guys have been nothing but kind. Thanks again!