A/N: I posted this drabble to tumblr (littlecajunlady) on March 15, 2015 and the prompt was "I almost lost you."

They were at the beach. Their beach. Chuck had sat in the sand beside Sarah and told her their story upon her request. She'd laughed and cried throughout, and she really isn't sure why. If she has no memory of him, and no memories of their lives together, then how can this man still affect her this way?

Now he mentions his friend Morgan, who has this crazy theory that she'll regain her memory if Chuck kisses her. It sounds a bit too much like a fairy tale to her, but she can't deny that she wants to kiss him. So she tells him so.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"Kiss me."

He smiles and leans in. The kiss is soft at first, and she enjoys it, but unfortunately no memories come. However, there is something familiar about it, like her lips know how to respond to his without her having to think about it. The kiss deepens. When they finally break apart, she keeps her eyes closed. She isn't ready to open her eyes and see his disappointed face, not when she's hurt him so much already.

She can still hear it in his voice though. "It didn't work."

Sarah shakes her head and slowly opens her eyes. His face is only inches away from hers, and when she looks him in the eye a memory suddenly takes her breath away. She can see him standing in front of her, wearing a tux. And when they kiss it feels exactly like the kiss they just shared. She can feel it on her lips. Sarah then feels a sudden swoop in her belly as she remembers the way Chuck dipped her and kissed her neck. She leans away from him now, her fingers pressed to her lips.

"Sarah?" he asks, searching her face. "Are you okay? Do you remember something?"

Her voice sounds dazed. "I think so. You looked nice, very . . . handsome. Then we kissed, and you grabbed me and dipped me. I think I might have heard laughing? Were people clapping?"

Chuck's eyes start to tear up and he lets out a happy laugh. "That was our wedding! You remember our – oh wow!"

Before she knows it, he's hugging her tight. When she doesn't return it with quite the same enthusiasm, he stops himself and pulls away.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to … I just can't believe it actually worked! Do you remember anything else?"

This is where she has to disappoint him. "I'm sorry, Chuck, but no."

He's sad, she can tell. But he recovers nicely. "It's fine. At least you remembered something, right? And it's our wedding! If I could've picked any memory for you, it would've been that one."

It's certainly a nice memory to have, though something is still missing. She might slowly be regaining her memories, but she still feels emotionally detached from them. It isn't enough just to remember, she needs to feel them as well.

Sarah isn't ready to give up just yet. "Can we try again?"

"Of course. I can kiss you all day if you want me to."

She smiles at that and they kiss again. Sarah tries to hold on to her new memory, to really immerse herself in it. At first it feels just like before, but the longer the kiss goes on the more excited she feels. Sarah Walker with butterflies in her stomach? It's ridiculous but true. This is the first time she's begun to feel what she thinks she's supposed to be feeling towards this man. She wants more, not only memories of Chuck but the last five years of her life.

They don't break apart. In fact, he holds her closer. Suddenly more memories come, but they flash so quickly through her mind that she can hardly make sense of them. The memories are confusing and disjointed, but they're there. Sarah remembers a bracelet, a ticking bomb, and a salmon colored dress. Then there's a watch, and a music box, and little girl named Molly. She pulls away again when the barrage of memories become too intense.

"Chuck, I …" she says, grabbing her aching head. "I think I'm starting to remember."

"Oh my god, Sarah!" he cries. His eyes are filling with tears again. "I can't believe it. I almost lost you."

She has to try to explain before his hopes get too high. "Chuck, I'm not … I mean, I don't suddenly remember everything. They're more like a few random flashes, and I can't really make any sense of them yet."

He visibly reacts to the word 'flash' but doesn't comment on it. Instead he takes her hands in his and assures her, "It's okay. This just means that maybe someday you'll be able to remember everything. No, not maybe . . . I know you will."

She smiles, feeling a strong wave of affection for him that she swears wasn't there two kisses ago. Sarah hopes he's right because right now she wants nothing more than to remember every moment she's ever had with him.