Love me, hate me, say what you want about me (Britney Spears quote), but I'm back baby. I know it took me a long time to update, but I needed this to be right. Your reward is that it is my longest chapter to date. I hope you enjoy what I've done here. Fluffyness abounds.

While Chuck much appreciated the stripper inside Sarah Walker and was content to not have a bachelor party, Morgan and Devon would have none of his silly protestations. They insisted it was a man's birthright to have one last hurrah before tying the knot, even if it was to a woman as fabulous as Sarah Walker. In the midst of planning a wedding and a bachelor party Chuck and Morgan unfortunately still had to work shifts at the Buy More, Chuck because he had a wife to support soon and Morgan because he really was looking forward to having his own place one day. Devon, on his day off, had come to visit BuyMoria and work out the details of the bachelor party.

"You know, dude, it doesn't have to be strippers. There are so many intense things we can do to celebrate the end of your bachelorhood. I know some awesome places for white water rafting. And I really thing that rafting is almost like a metaphor for marriage. It's like when…" Awesome began, but was cut off.

"Wait a second there, Devon. You know I am not as into the whole adventure sports thing as you are. Morgan, can't you think of anything we could do as a last hurrah?" replied Chuck.

"I have been on it for a while, my man. I got us all tickets to… wait for it… COMIC CON! And how perfect is it that that is where you and Sarah actually met. You can give me my award for best ever best man now," announced Morgan, with a smile bigger than his beard.

When he heard this Chuck jumped on to his little buddy and gave him a bear hug. Not only was going to SDCC the most epic thing of all time, but it also had special meaning for him and Sarah. Of course, Sarah wouldn't be there, but still. He could have fond memories. Maybe he could even revisit the beach where Arwen was conceived.

"So who exactly did you get tickets for, Morgan?" asked Chuck.

"Well, of course you, me, and Devon. Also Casey," Morgan replied, mumbling the last bit about Casey. He wanted his new pal to be involved even though he wasn't a groomsman. The man would be walking Sarah down the aisle, after all.

"Casey, seriously? He'll probably kill everyone before the weekend is over. Just hope it isn't you or me. I don't want Devon to have to explain to Sarah why we are returning home from my bachelor party in body bags," Chuck explained.

When Morgan got back to the apartment he shared with John Casey he informed him of the plans for the bachelor party. The four men would be driving to San Diego for a weekend of boozing, schmoozing, and nerdy epicness! To Morgan, this seemed like the most perfect vacation a man could ask for. To Casey, this was not the most appealing offer.

"You expect me to come with you to this freak fest? And you want me to not kill anyone? You must be joking, Grimes."

"Hear me out, Casey. There will be video games there, not just comics. You can play lots of video games where you shoot and kill people. If that is all you want to do, then that's great. I really just want you to come along for Chuck. You are one of his very best friends, and you mean so much to him and Sarah. You are part of this family, man, and it wouldn't be the same without you."

Casey grunted.

"I guess so. I'll pack my bags."

With all the men on board, they loaded up Devon's Sienna and hit the road. Even though Casey did not appreciate being seen in this "mom mobile", Devon explained to him, in what seemed to be some sort of product placement ad for Toyota, that this van was the top of the line and stylish.

When they finally arrived at the W hotel in San Diego, the Captain of all that is Awesome had a surprise waiting for them.

"Chuck, you and your buddies here are just so awesome, I thought I would treat you all this weekend. I got us a penthouse suite here at the hotel. Amazing views and tons of space. Don't want to muck up your mojo, John."

"Devon, you really didn't have to do that. We can all chip in. We have jobs," replied Chuck. He didn't want his brother-in-law feeling like he was being taken advantage of. They may not be the wealthiest of guys, but they did alright. It would be a stretch on the budget to chip in, but it was only fair.

"Nonsense, bro. This is your weekend and the hotel was my idea. It is my pleasure, honestly. Now let's get to partying!"

Devon pulled out two bottle of Grey Goose and a case of Red Bull and started mixing the drinks, but first Casey had them all drink a bit of Johnny Walker because, as he so gently put it, "that is what real men drink, not that girly Bull shit." When they were good and buzzed, they decided to spend their first night out clubbing. There really wasn't too much going on over at the Con, and all of the guys except Chuck wanted to get some lady interaction going on at some point during the weekend. Whenever Chuck got around women all he could think about was how much he missed Sarah and what was she doing and how would she feel if she knew all of these women were hitting on them. Most of them were not even creative or subtle. Chuck found the come-ons to be a little much and decided to take a break from the dance floor. While he was getting a drink at the bar, the cheesy pick-up lines continued.

"Hey, handsome," one said. "So apart from being incredibly sexy, what do you do for a living?"

Chuck sighed.

"Really? That is all you've got. My fiancée is the hottest, most dangerous woman in the world and you can up to me with that? Sorry, sweetheart, but go find someone else to bother. I'm completely taken."

It was then that Chuck received a text message from Sarah:

Hope you're having fun. You know it will be the last you ever have. Lol! I love you.

With that, Chuck was reenergized. He went back out on the dance floor to party the night away with his best buddies. The night ended with all of them back at their hotel passed out drunk in the bed, on the floor, and in the tub. When Chuck awoke the next morning he knew it had been a successful night of partying by the hangover that plagued him. However, he knew that the best was yet to come. Today they would head over to SDCC and get the real party started.

As they entered the convention center a cacophony of sounds greeted their ears. The laughter of grown men, gleeful at the sight of rare comic books. The pounding of gunfire from multiple gaming stations. The roar of a man dressed as Chewbacca. This was the bachelor party a nerd could only dream of, and Chuck was living it with his best pals. Over the weekend they spent time meeting celebrities, debating with other nerds, and just getting to immerse themselves in the nerdolution of America.

All Chuck could think was, "I wish Sarah were here with me."

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When Sarah heard about the bachelor party, she was thrilled for Chuck. She knew he had been wanting to go. Even though she wished it was something they could share, she had a lot of wedding planning still to get done at home. She hadn't even been dress shopping yet. Part of her said she was holding back because there were other more important things to deal with first, like invitations and venue, but another part of her knew it was because she wished it was something she could do with her mother. Of course, Sarah really hadn't known her mother, but every girl dream of picking out their wedding dress with their mother. Sarah may not have been the most traditional girl in the world, but she was still a girl.

Sarah kissed Chuck goodbye, and the boys were off to the Con. She was now home alone. Most women wanted to be free of their pesky men during the wedding planning process, but Sarah did not. She wanted Chuck right by her side because he was so much better at this stuff than her. He was also the love of her life. She currently felt like a piece of her was missing.

Not wanting her friend to wallow in self-pity, Ellie headed over to Casa Walkertowski with a surprise for the bride-to-be.

"Hi, Sarah. What are you up to?"

"Oh, you know. Just working on picking out flowers. Do you think gardenias will go with the venue we've chosen?"

"Gardenias go with everything, especially when they are your favorite flower. Now, I have a surprise for you."

Sarah was intrigued. Surprises were not always the best thing for spies. They were taught to always see the unexpected coming, but Sarah could not guess what this surprise could be. She was getting soft.

"I feel so bad about Chuck leaving you here, so I planned a little trip for us as well. We'll be going to New York City for your bachelorette party/ vacation/ wedding dress shopping extravaganza!" Ellie screamed.

"Oh my gosh, Ellie. That is so sweet! Who is we?"

"You, me, and Arwen, of course. We'll be flying there, first class, and staying in the Casablanca Hotel in Times Square! It's just going to be a fun long weekend with girly stuff, relaxing, and of course shopping. I got us an appointment at Kleinfeld, so you'll definitely find a dress. I know you've been putting it off. No more of that, okay?"

Sarah was super excited about all of this. She hadn't been to New York in ages. Kleinfeld was probably going to be her favorite part. She loved watching "Say Yes to the Dress" late at night when Chuck wasn't up, even if she'd never tell anyone. It was her guilty pleasure. Now she would get to experience it for herself.

When Arwen finally woke up, late as usual, and found out about the trip she started jumping up and down and hugging her Aunt Ellie. She had never been to New York, ever, and was so excited to see all of the sites.

The next day, all three ladies hopped on a plane and headed across the country. Ellie had hired a limo to pick them up at JFK, and they were whisked to their hotel. Sarah was happy she didn't have to think about anything because if she did have to think she would be drawn to thoughts of how she wished Chuck were by her side to share this experience. When she started feeling like that, she knew she sounded like a moody teenage girl, all sick with puppy love. Sarah Walker was not any of those things. She was a strong, independent woman. And she focused on that. And how happy she was to be taking this vacation.

As they entered the hotel and went upstairs to their room, Sarah could only think this was a dream. Here she was, preparing for marriage to the most amazing man she had ever met, and she had met a lot of men in her time. Every time she thought about what was going to happen, that she would marry Chuck Bartowski, she got massive butterflies in her stomach. She almost felt like she would be able to fly. There was nothing she couldn't do with him by her side. He would be her partner in life always, now. It was almost too much happiness for one person to bear. As they entered their hotel suite, Sarah was glad to have her favorite ladies by her side.

Arwen was also beside her self. She had this great new family, in addition to the one she had back at home. There was so much love in her life that it was hard for her to continuously hold on to the anger she felt from being abandoned by Sarah at birth. In reality she wasn't abandoned; she was lovingly placed into the arms of people who could love and care for her. Sarah still loved her. That much was becoming very clear. As Arwen stood in this beautiful hotel room with her birth mother, who was bustling about with Ellie getting settled in, it was obvious that they had this deep connection. It was deeper than words, something very obvious in the fact that they never said much to each other.

Ellie's voice pulled Arwen out of her deep thought.

"Great. Now that we're settled in, I thought we could take a tour around the city. It may seem cheesy, but we most definitely have to hit all of the really touristy spots. That is the best way to start a vacation!"

The three ladies left their hotel and started their exploration of the city where the hotel was, in Times Square. The lights, sounds, and people were almost too much for them. From there they took a short stroll through Broadway, headed over to Central Park, and fetched a cab to the Circle Line tours. They made sure to see the Statue of Liberty because no NYC trip would be complete without it. Monuments were important to them as well as museums, so they saw the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and the Natural History Museum. As their day drew to a close, they headed to Ellen's Stardust Diner for dinner (and a mini show). After their super long day, they had a deep and restful sleep, something they would need for dress shopping the next day.

(The next morning…) Their appointment at Kleinfeld was at 11am, so the three friends were able to sleep in just enough for them to feel well rested when they awoke. Heading to the store, Sarah couldn't help but feel a slight sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. She had very particular taste and knew Ellie was very overzealous. Arwen on the other hand seemed like the girl who would hate everything she tried on. This was going to be an arduous task, finding a dress. As they entered the store, Sarah was overwhelmed by the sight of all the white dresses. She was right: this was going to be hard.

Sarah explained to the consultant that she wanted simple. She didn't want a lot of beading, if there was any. The dress had to be ivory. Nothing too modern, lacy, or poofy. Her requirements didn't seem all that specific, but what she was searching for was a feeling. Of course, she could have married Chuck in her birthday suit and she wouldn't care. This was for him. He would care what she was wearing. Sarah couldn't wait to see his face as she walked down the aisle. It had to be perfect for him.

She must have tried on 15 dresses. It was all way too much. This one was too shiny. That one made her look like a freaking Disney princess. This other one impeded her movement to such an extent that she couldn't walk out of the dressing room. After nearly two hours in the store, Sarah was close to giving up hope. Ellie and Arwen weren't really giving her the support she needed. She didn't even want to be doing this.

"Guys, I'm done. Seriously. All of these dresses have been hideous on me. I can't take it anymore. I CAN'T TAKE IT!" she screamed, clearly freaking out the entire store with her temper tantrum.

"Please, Sarah, one more. Arwen and I found something we think you'll like," Ellie said, trying to persuade her sister-in-law to-be.

"Well, if you two agreed, then I'll give it a shot."

Sarah marched back into the dressing room to try on the last dress. On the hanger it definitely caught her eye. Simple yet intriguing. Modern yet timeless. As she slipped on the Badgley Mischka creation she was rendered speechless. It was an ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline, slight empire waist, and A-line skirt. This was it. This was the dress.

"Oh my goodness," Arwen and Ellie exclaimed in unison.

"Sarah, you are a vision. This is so much better than either one of my wedding dresses. I'm so jealous!" Ellie said with tears in her eyes.

Even Arwen was choked up.

"Sarah, you look beautiful." Arwen was a girl of few words, much like her mother.

Sarah wrapped the purchase up right there. This was the dress Sarah Walker would marry Chuck Bartowski in.

Later that night, Arwen was asleep in bed and Sarah and Ellie were down at the hotel bar.

"Sarah, I have one more surprise for you," Ellie said, with a mischievous grin and a twinkle in her eye. "We're going on a little adventure tonight, and don't worry because I left a note for Arwen. She knows where we're going."

Ellie got them a cab and gave the cabbie the address. Sarah, once again, was not so into this whole surprise thing. As they pulled up to a nondescript building, Sarah still had no idea what she was in for tonight. But when they entered she was speechless for the second time that day. Now, it was for a totally different reason. They were at a strip club, surrounded my male strippers. Sarah had to text Chuck as Ellie pulled her up to a seat near the dance floor.

Please rescue me from your sister. She is clearly insane.

Reviews, por favor. This is your chance to berate me for taking a million years to update the story.