A/N: Sooner than you may have expected Chapter 7 has arrived. Enjoy!

Chuck's voice filled the air for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. Sure he had said Sarah's name a few times before, but that wasn't really speaking. This was and it was beautiful. Making it even more beautiful was that with his first words he had told his daughter that he loved her.

After hearing those words with happy tears streaming down her little face, Felicity threw her arms back around her father and said, "I love you too Daddy."

Meanwhile Sarah was trying her best to keep it together and Abigail ran over to Chuck.

"Daddy, what about me?"

Chuck didn't answer for a long while as though his voice had to recharge. During that silence Abigail's face fell. Maybe Daddy didn't want to talk to her.

Those long, agonizing seconds of silence finally came to an end when Chuck found his voice again. "I... l-l-love... y-y-you... t-t-too... Ab... i... gail."

When he said those words to Abigail the sad expression on her face instantly disappeared to be replaced by a big smile that was adorably missing a bottom front tooth.

That was another milestone Chuck had missed during his time as a captive, his child losing her first tooth. He had missed enough of his kids' lives and he didn't plan on missing any more. Now that he could communicate and moving had become easier he was going to get involved in his children's lives again. He wasn't going to sit around anymore while their lives passed by as he watched from the outside. He was finally going back inside.

Later that afternoon when Felicity was sitting on the couch admiring her new doll and brushing its long blonde hair, everyone else gathered around to talk to Chuck who had pulled his laptop out. Talking was still difficult for him and it took a lot of effort and energy to say just a few words, so he was going to save his speaking moments for words that really mattered, like when he told his daughters that he loved them. For now it was easier for him to communicate through a computer.

Chuck's body no longer shook as vigorously as it used to whenever he tried to move, so he could type a little easier and faster now. He could even use more than one finger, though he still couldn't type the way he used to. But it was more than he could do just a few days ago. The more he worked at something the more easily he was able to get his body to cooperate with him.

'felicity did you have a fun birthday'

Sarah read the typed message aloud and Felicity answered in the affirmative.

'i'm glad that i was here for it. i would have been sad if i missed your birthday. i'm sorry i wasn't here for yours sarah'

"It's okay Chuck. We're just glad to have to you back. The special days you missed aren't as important as the fact that you are here now."

Chuck's fingers began moving over the keyboard again and new words slowly started appearing on the laptop screen.

'sarah, felicity, abigail, i want you all to know that i've heard your words about wanting me to get better and to not stop fighting. i want you to know that i will keep going and i will keep fighting. i want to be a real part of this family again.'

Sarah couldn't read that message aloud because she kept choking on the words. She was barely even able to read it to herself. Instead Abigail tried to read it, sounding out the words she didn't know.

After learning what her father wrote on the computer Felicity set her doll down and sat up on her knees to whisper something in his ear that only he could hear. "You will get better Daddy. I know so. That's what I wished for."

Hearing that his daughter had used her birthday wish on him Chuck started to cry. In that moment he became more determined than ever to fight for his recovery. He had to make his little girl's wish come true.

The next day Sarah had to return to work, but Chuck wasn't going to let that impede his recovery. Even without Sarah by his side during the day he was going to continue the work she had started with him. It was going to be hard without her support, but he had made a promise to never give up no matter what and he planned to keep that promise.

Monday morning before Sarah and the kids left Chuck shared an emotional goodbye with them. Finding his voice Chuck said goodbye to all three of his girls individually and did his best to give them real hugs. As the door closed separating them on opposite sides, the watery eyes each had been trying to hide were unleased. Now that Chuck had begun to communicate no one wanted to leave him.

Loneliness set in when Sarah left with their daughters, even having his mother stay with him didn't assuage the feeling of isolation. To quell his loneliness Chuck spent every moment of his day working on his recovery. He worked ten times harder than he had on every other day combined. He was going to make the most of the time he had. If he had anything to say about it Felicity's birthday wish was going to come true.

Most of his morning was spent tucked away in his computer room, as Felicity called it, typing and speaking every word that he wrote. It was very draining, trying to speak so much, but he pushed though. By typing and speaking he was working on multiple areas of his recovery at once and the more he worked the better he was going to get.

Chuck worked on improving his typing skills and speech until Mary knocked on the door and told him that lunch was ready. His mother tried to help him up and get to the kitchen, but Chuck insisted on doing it himself. It was the only way he was going to improve. Chuck wouldn't even let her help him hold onto his silverware or eat. He was determined to do everything himself.

All day, every day while Sarah was at work and his daughters at school Chuck worked on his recovery. Each day Chuck was able to achieve a little progress in one of the areas he worked on. He wouldn't accept anything less.

By the end of his first week of intense work Chuck had shown a marked improvement. His typing skills had grown beyond that of a chimp and even that of a novice. He now sat firmly in an intermediate territory. It was still worlds away from where he used to be in his computer skills, but he had come a long way.

He was walking better as well. He no longer felt like a crippled old man when he walked. He didn't feel quite so unsteady on his feet anymore and was able to move with more confidence. Chuck was still moving a bit slow and he definitely couldn't run or jump or do anything like that yet, but he didn't feel as though his legs would give out and collapse under him anymore either.

While on the subject of feeling steadier on his feet Chuck's body no longer shook nearly as bad whenever he tried to move. His shakes been had reduced to a mild tremble, which made everything so much easier to do.

The area he had shown the least amount of improvement in however was speaking. It did make sense though. That was the newest development in his recovery and the one with which he had the least amount of practice. The only way to change that was to try to talk more.

Friday night after he and Sarah had gone to bed Chuck moved his body against Sarah's and wrapped his arm around her securely, causing Sarah to gasp. Chuck was actually holding her, but what he had in store for her next was even better. He had practiced the words over and over until he could say them clearly. Whispering in her ear Chuck said, "Sarah... I... love... you."

Tears fell from Sarah's eyes and created a salty puddle on her pillow. Not only was Chuck holding her, he was whispering words of love into her ear. It had been nearly a whole year since Sarah last experienced being held in her husband's arms and it was amazing. Within minutes she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Several days later on March 5, exactly ten months from the day he first disappeared, Chuck woke up feeling different, but he didn't know why. He couldn't seem figure out the reason he was feeling the way he was. Sitting up in bed Chuck just sat there trying to figure what was making him feel so differently this morning.

When Sarah passed by the bedroom door a short time later after feeding Gabriel she noticed that Chuck was awake, but not getting out of bed. Stepping into the room Sarah asked, "Hey Chuck, what are you doing?"

Receiving no answer or a response of any kind Sarah ran into the room in a panic. "Chuck?! Chuck?! What's wrong?!" When she continued to receive no response, Sarah waved her hands in front of his face to search for a reaction.

"Sarah?"

Relief washed over Sarah when Chuck spoke her name and looked at her. "What happened Chuck?"

"I'm... not... sure... Something... feels... different."

"Is something wrong?"

"I... don't... know... but... please... don't... cry," Chuck answered as he reached up to wipe the tear from her cheek.

That's when he knew what was causing the feeling he woke up with that morning. He wasn't shaking anymore, not even a little. His movements were smooth and sure. After 305 days it seemed that his body was his again.

"Sarah... look... my... hands... aren't... shaking... anymore."

"Chuck, that's wonderful! How do you feel?"

"I... feel... like... I... have... more... control... over... my… own... body... but... I'm... still... having... trouble... with... my... words... I... know... the... words... I... want... to... say... but... it... is... difficult... to... say... them."

"You're doing fine Chuck. You've come so far already. I see no reason why you couldn't expect to have a full recovery. I have to get the kids to school, so I'll see you this afternoon. Mary will be here if you need anything and you can always call me."

Sarah then left Chuck alone in the bedroom with his thoughts. As he sat on the bed Chuck thought about the goals he had for himself now that the shaking had finally stopped. He wanted to be able to pick and hold things without fear of dropping them. That was the only way he would be able to achieve his ultimate goal.

Chuck's work that day consisted of lifting various items of differing sizes, shapes and weights. He practiced picking the item up, carrying it around for a while and setting it back down. Chuck needed to build his confidence up because he couldn't have any doubts about the stability and reliability of his hands. For what Chuck wanted to hold he had to be certain that there would be no chance whatsoever that he would drop. They were his most precious treasures and totally irreplaceable.

By the weekend Chuck finally felt confident enough to hold his treasures. He was steady on his feet, his grip was secure. He was feeling like his old self again, like the real Chuck.

The first treasure Chuck wanted to hold was his original treasure, Abigail. She was having a birthday next week and he wanted to know if she had any ideas for her special day.

Chuck entered his daughters' shared bedroom and found his girls playing on the floor. Still speaking at a slowed pace he asked his eldest daughter to come to him because he wanted to talk to her. Once the five-year-old was standing in front of him, Chuck bent down and lifted the small child into his arms.

Abigail instantly threw her arms around her father's neck and gave him a tight squeeze. "You picked me up Daddy. Did you get all better now?"

"Daddy. feels. much. better. now. And. Daddy. wants. to. know. what. you. want. to. do. for. your. birthday?"

As Chuck carried Abigail over to the couch she began excitedly telling him all of her ideas for her birthday. She had lots of ideas and she was going to tell her father about every single one of them. Abigail wanted a pony cake like her sister's. The pony toys on that cake were pretty and she wanted her own. She also wanted to invite her friends from school to her party and to have fun games to play.

After Chuck finished talking to Abigail about her birthday Felicity turned to him and said, "Pick me up next Daddy. Please."

Chuck looked at Felicity's little angel face and there was no way he could resist her. So Chuck stood from the couch and scooped Felicity up into his arms. Like her sister Felicity wrapped her arms around her father's neck to hug him tight. "Can we do a piggyback ride Daddy?"

When Chuck said yes to a piggyback ride Felicity squealed in delight. Chuck spun his daughter around until she was in the piggyback position. He then carried her all around the house while she giggled.

For five minutes Chuck carried his daughter around on his back letting her enjoy her first piggyback ride in such a long time. When he finally put her down, Sarah who had been watching Chuck with their daughters, approached holding Gabriel in her arms.

"Do you want to try holding your son now?" Sarah asked.

Sarah's words made Chuck nervous. He hadn't held a baby in years and this would be the first time he ever held his son. "Sarah. I. don't. know. if. I. remember. how. to. hold. a. baby."

It'll all come back to you the moment you have him in your arms. I promise," Sarah said, gently handing the infant over to her husband.

Chuck stood rigidly as Sarah placed the baby in his arms. Seconds later as he looked at the baby in his arms, his son, all of his nerves melted away. Suddenly the fact that he had a son became more real to him now that he was actually holding him. For a long time Chuck just stared at his little boy.

As he gazed at his son Chuck kept whispering his name over and over. "Gabriel. My. son. My. Gabriel."

When Gabriel started to cry a little later Chuck panicked.

"Chuck, it's okay," Sarah said soothingly. "He's not hurt and you didn't do anything wrong. He's probably just sleepy. He usually takes a nap around this time. Do you want to put him to bed?"

"I. don't. remember. how."

"Of course you do. Go sit with him in the rocking chair and gently rock him until he falls asleep. Then just put him down in his crib."

Chuck slowly began walking toward the nursery. He wanted to be extra careful in his movements. He had a baby in his arms and he didn't want to drop him. Reaching the nursery he took great care as he sat down in the rocker to lull his son to sleep.

After a couple minutes Sarah saw Chuck relax. It was starting to come back to him. Chuck was falling back into the role of fatherhood. As she watched her husband rock their son in his arms she wiped a tear from her eyes. It was such a beautiful sight seeing her husband with their son for the first time. To capture the moment Sarah pulled out her phone and snapped a photo.

Several minutes of rocking back and forth later Gabriel had drifted off to sleep. Sarah whispered to Chuck that he could put him down now and he slowly rose from the chair and carried his son over to the crib and gingerly set him down.

"I. did. it. I. put. Gabriel. to. bed," Chuck said proudly after successfully setting his infant son into his crib without waking him up.

"I told you could do it. You still remember how to be a father. You just needed a little practice to remind yourself of what to do."

Chuck turned back to look into the crib where Gabriel was sleeping peacefully. Sarah was right. He was starting to remember what it was like to be a father to a new baby.

"Come on," Sarah whispered, taking Chuck's hand and walking out of the nursery. "We'll let him sleep."

Now that Chuck was starting to feel comfortable with taking care of a baby again he started taking on more responsibility with his son. With Sarah by his side offering support and talking him through everything Chuck changed Gabriel's diapers, gave him his bath that evening and dressed him for bed.

When the girls' bedtime came along a little later Chuck sat with them on Abigail's bed to read them their bedtime story. After he finished reading the story Abigail and Felicity begged him to read them a second story because they hadn't gotten to have story time with Daddy in so long. Giving in to their precious little faces Chuck opened up the second book and started reading.

After story time Chuck scooped Felicity up and tucked her into her bed on the other side of the room, while Sarah tucked Abigail in for the night. Chuck and Sarah then kissed their girls goodnight and wished them sweet dreams.

As the bedroom light was cut off and Chuck was stepping out of the room Felicity lifted her head slightly and said, "I'm happy you feel better Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too," Chuck whispered. "Goodnight sweetie."

Now that all of the children were in bed Chuck and Sarah had some time alone to talk. Sitting together on the couch, Chuck turned to Sarah and said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. For helping me with Gabriel and helping me feel like a father again. Thank you for visiting me when I was in the hospital and for taking care of me. Thank you for raising the kids by yourself. Thank you for never stopping loving me. Thank you for being Sarah."

Sarah couldn't say anything. All she could do was cry.

Chuck brushed the tears from her eyes and slowly pulled her face toward his. When their faces were mere inches apart Chuck brushed his thumb across Sarah's lips.

Sarah's body began to tingle in anticipation of what she knew was coming. Chuck was going to kiss her. Every nerve in her body sizzled with electricity as she waited for his lips to touch hers.

"I love you Sarah," Chuck whispered as he moved closer and gently captured her lips.

The kiss was slow and unhurried. This was their first kiss in almost a year and they wanted to savor the moment. This kiss was going to be one they always remembered. Chuck pulled Sarah even closer as the kiss deepened and she got her fingers lost in his hair.

When their lips parted Chuck and Sarah rested against the other's forehead while their lips burned with the sensation from their kiss. For several seconds they sat there, basking in the moment.

Sarah was the first to move. Pulling back to look into Chuck's eyes, she whispered, "I love you."

"And I love you," Chuck whispered back.

As the fog of euphoria from their kiss faded and unclouded Sarah's mind she was struck with realization. "Chuck! You aren't halting your words anymore."

Suddenly it dawned on Chuck as well that his words were coming easier now. He wasn't struggling with them anymore. "I guess reading all those stories to Abigail and Felicity really helped. But right now there is something else I want to do with my lips."

And with that Chuck pulled Sarah in for another slow, sensual kiss.

That night as they got ready for bed Sarah had something on her mind. "Chuck," she said hesitantly. "What do you remember about what happened to you when you were captured?"

Chuck sat next to Sarah on the bed and took a deep breath before he began his story. "I had just gotten to Buy More and I was walking toward the store when three men came up behind me and grabbed me. I didn't even have a chance to fight them off and the next thing I knew I was waking up in a strange room. It was cold and dark and I didn't remember how I had gotten there. They must have used something to knock me out."

"What happened to you there?" Sarah asked as tears flooded her eyes."

"I remember that other than the chair I was tied up in there was no other furniture in the room. I didn't have anywhere to sleep that night and I spent the whole time thinking about you and the girls. You were always in my thoughts."

"They wanted to use me for the Intersect in my head. They had me flash on little stuff at first, mostly about their crew. I guess the wanted to test the Intersect to make sure it worked and that they could trust information. I didn't want to tell them anything, but they must have given me something to compel me to answer."

"Beckman did say they were drugging you to make you cooperate," Sarah replied, her face now stained with tears.

"After that I don't really remember anything else until I woke up in this bed calling your name."

"You don't remember the hospital or being rescued or what happened to you for all of those months you were held prisoner?"

Chuck shook his head. "I didn't even know how long I had been gone until you told me what day it was."

Sarah wouldn't ever know the full story of what had happened to her husband and was wasn't sure wanted to know all of the details. At least if he couldn't remember what happened to him Chuck wouldn't be haunted by reliving the nightmare over and over.

Wrapping her arms around her husband Sarah laid her head on his chest. "I'm so glad that you were found and that you're safe now. I couldn't bear to lose you again. After you were rescued and I learned that you were catatonic and unresponsive it felt like I was losing you all over again. It took a long time, but I finally have my husband back and the kids have their father back."

Life began to return to normal in the Bartowski home. Chuck was running around the yard playing with his girls again. He and Sarah had reaffirmed their love for one another. Gabriel finally had a father.

The fog that once filled the walls had now completely evaporated. Warmth, love and joy now overflowed Casa Bartowski. Their world had finally been put back together and no one was ever going to tear them apart again.

A/N: Three years ago on this date Chuck aired its final episodes. Today, we reach the conclusion of this story. I hope you enjoyed both this final chapter and this story.

My next story will be for another fandom, but that doesn't mean I won't still be writing Chuck fics. I still have plans for the Chuck world.