A few things suggested that you read before continuing:

1. Yes, this is based on the movie The Notebook. Some quotes are taken straight from the movie, and some scenes are moved around, but it's the same general idea. Unfortunately, if you've seen the movie, you know what happens.

2. This is for Notorious JMG's contest. If you don't understand, go to /forum/TWoPKickedUsOutButWeStillLoveChuck/49974/ and it's at the top. If you haven't joined the board (and sorry if you see this message on top of almost every chapter of every story), you should. Oh, and I still used some of the old rules.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or the Notebook

Thanks Natty for beta-ing, and for the support. Especially the support.

Psh, it seems so much longer when it's in Microsoft Word.

--

A man somewhere in his seventies walked into the room, his deep brown eyes and small smile showing nervousness and hope. He walked over slowly to the reception desk, where a woman barely looked up before pointing over to a corner in the room. There sat a woman, her hair gray and white from age, sitting and reading. He walked over and introduced himself as Charles, asking if she'd like to hear a story. The woman, whose name was Rachel, smiled and gratefully accepted. It had been a long time since she'd heard a good story.

--

He will always remember the first time he saw her. The medium length blond hair cascading over her shoulders, a confidant smile on her face as she sauntered over to the counter. The moment their eyes connected, Chuck Bartowski, an ordinary nerd, felt something in his chest for the first time in years. Something he hadn't felt since before a horrible breakup with his college girlfriend.

--

Rachel smiled. "Chuck, huh? Wonder where you get your names from."

Returning the grin, Charles shrugged, wrinkles diving deeper into his skin. "Anything else?"

"Where does this story take place?"

"Partly in Los Angeles, California, and partly in North Carolina. Right now we're in Green Bay, Wisconsin."

"Oh? This is a complicated story, but I kind of like it. I feel like I've heard it before. So this is a love story?"

"Yes, it is."

She raised her hands slowly and clapped with delight. "Ooh, my favorite."

--

He worked at an electronics store. She, Sarah Walker, worked for the CIA. A weird twist of fate brought them together. It was Chuck's birthday, and he received an email from an old college buddy. Major details aside, inside this email was something called the Intersect, which held every government secret. She was assigned to protect him along with the help of John Casey.

--

"This is a little complicated."

Charles looked up from the book. "Don't worry, it will all come together soon."

"Would you like me to stop interrupting?"

"I don't mind it."

"I think I will. It helps with the story."

He readjusted his glasses and flipped the page.

--

They had to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, which provided tough, because in reality they both had feelings for each other. It was around six months since they'd met, when Chuck, Sarah, Ellie—his sister—and Devon, her now fiancé, went to a fair. Despite the flashing lights and booming noise around them, Chuck could not take his eyes off the golden smile on her face, which grew even more when he was able to win her a stuffed teddy bear. He knew what days like this meant to her; she was not used to being normal.

They were walking hand in hand, half for the sake of the world around them, and half because they wanted to. In front of them, Ellie was resting her head on Devon's shoulder as they walked, tired from the day's activity. They'd spent all afternoon at the fair, and now as the sun set down, exhaustion set in. Still, all day Sarah had waited for the line for the Tilt-A-Whirl to shorten, and now the four ran onto the near-empty ride. Chuck and Sarah shared one of the seats, and as the ride lurched, being unprepared, she was thrown into his arms. He laughed and put his hands around her waist, so that she continued leaning on him. Turning her head backwards so that he was upside-down in her sight, she slightly smiled and yelled with glee as they continued spinning.

As the ride slowed to a stop, she took the chance to rest her head on his shoulder, and he gave her a look of pure love, a perfect Kodak moment in his life. When the four got off, Ellie and Devon said they were going to go, and when the others were done, they could leave in Sarah's car. They said their goodbyes and Chuck leaned forward once they'd left, whispering if she wanted to take a walk along the pier. She nodded, and he led her by the hand. They were the only ones in sight, besides a teenager walking past them, loudly whispering into a phone about how "Natty loves Jordy". He thought about how often the word love was used, when most of the time it meant nothing, or at least nothing close to what he felt right now. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of the street. Taking a leap of faith, he asked if she wanted to dance. And surprisingly, she said yes.

--

"They really were in love, weren't they?"

Her tone made it less of a question, and more like a statement. Rachel looked at Charles intently, waiting for an answer. He smiled at her once again, and replied, "Yes, they were."

"Have you ever felt love like that?"

Taking the time to stare right into her eyes, he said that yes, he had.

--

And so the two took a chance. They agreed to follow their instincts and start a real relationship. Both were ecstatic, as was everyone around them, maybe with the exception of the secret agents' bosses. But there was nothing anyone could do, because nothing could keep them apart. In fact, the two became inseparable.

She had a mini mission for a few days, and had to go to Boston. Chuck was there when she got off the plane and she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and fusing their lips together. Two days away from him was as bad as two years, in her opinion.

They were at the beach: Ellie, Devon, Sarah, and Chuck. The two ran into the water splashing, and Sarah shrieked as she was lifted into Chuck's sturdy arms and swung around. When he let her go, she continued spinning around, her hands up in the air, her mouth opened wide in a grin. Chuck laughed, watching her, and ran over to where she now was. When she noticed him standing next to her with no body contact, she rose on her tiptoes and kissed him softly, her hands on his neck.

Wearing his sweatshirt and gathering in the warmth from both his embrace and the fire in front of them. She smiled slightly and nudged his shoulder so that he was now staring back at her. Deciding that a minute without kissing Chuck was a minute wasted, she traced kisses along the corners of his lips, which were sticky from the mix of marshmallow fluff and graham cracker bits. He groaned contently and nuzzled her face with a teasing smile, causing Sarah to pull away and laugh. She hadn't felt this good in God-knows-how-long.

Arms around each other, Chuck and Sarah leaned into each other, watching the moon and absently minded swatting away mosquitoes that came close. All was silent until Sarah whispered something almost inaudible about a house and shutters. Chuck looked toward her, moving his head forward so that he could see her face, and looked at her questioningly. She looked down and played with his hands nervously, suddenly wanting to crawl into a hole in the ground and pretend she'd never said anything. "I want a white house with blue shutters. With a white picket fence and a big dog. And kids, I want kids."

"I'll make you one."

She looked at him in surprise and wonder, and not knowing what to say, tried something casual, saying that he would likely kill himself by tripping and falling.

"True. But I will find you one, and I won't stop looking until we find the perfect house."

That was when she let a tear slip down her cheek, wondering why she was lucky enough to find a man like him.

--

Out of the corner of his eye, Charles could see Rachel visually fidgeting in her seat, covering her mouth with her right hand. He gave a small smile and closed the book, saving his place with his finger. "You know, you really can interrupt."

She removed her hand, returning the smile. "Well it was at a good part. I really like this story. You're a great writer."

"Thank you. Although you might not feel the same way, once we really get into it. Not everything can stay happy."

A faraway look reached her eye. "Don't you wish that everything could be happy, with no obstacles? No challenges to face; no problems to solve?"

"Ah, but then what reward would be get for getting past those obstacles?" Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned around to face the receptionist. "Hello Kristen. How are you doing today?"

"I'm good, thank you. The doctor would like to see you now."

Turning to Rachel with an apologetic smile, he said that they could continue when he got back. She nodded, saying it was worth the wait, and watched as he rose from his seat and slowly walked with a limp down a hallway, turning into a room.

Having done this many times, Charles sat down on the small cot as the doctor rolled up his sleeve without a word and began checking his breathing. After a minute, he took out a manila folder and began reading, questioning his patient about his health. "I see you've had two heart attacks over the last eighteen months." Charles nodded slowly. "And you're feeling okay?" Another nod. "And you're taking your medication?"

"Every day, twice a day."

Nodding, the doctor muttered, "Good, good." He closed the folder. "So I understand you read to Miss Leecan?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "Every day. To help her remember."

"And you think this will help? I'm sorry, sir, but—"

"I read to her and she remembers. Not always, but sometimes. And those few minutes, they're worth it. Science doesn't believe it, but even you should know that science only goes so far. I love her too much to lose her. Now if we are done here, I have a story to finish."