A/N: Not much to add to the summary here, except that this is how I can see things developing after the kiss on the beach. As you may expect, a happy ending is assured.
No beta, as usual, but I proofread it carefully. All disclaimers apply. Enjoy!
Chuck vs the New Key
Chuck's kitchen was a madhouse. He had invited Emma and Molly for dinner with him and Sarah, so he had to cook. This time he wanted it to be special, so anything having to do with Hamburger Helper was ruled out by default. He could go the easy way and order a pizza (vegetarian, no olives for Sarah) or make hamburgers (medium rare with extra pickles, again for Sarah), but this approach was rejected for much the same reasons.
"Dude," Morgan exclaimed, taking in the recipes printed off the internet that were scattered everywhere and the pile of open cookbooks. He and Alex had just slipped in through the Morgan Door. "What's going on?"
"What does it look like, Morgan? I'm trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Sarah's Mom and will be coming with Molly, so everything has to be perfect."
"Move over."
"Excuse me?"
"I said, move over. I'll handle the cooking."
"Huh?"
"Morgan can cook better than you, Chuck," Alex said, siding with her boyfriend. "After all, he did come very close to becoming a Benihana Chef."
"Guys, I appreciate the offer, but this is something I have to do by myself."
"I beg to differ. It's a clear case of horses for courses to me. Cooking is just not your forte, Chuck. This dinner will be special, no matter who actually does the cooking," Alex insisted. To drive the point home, she took Chuck's apron off of him and handed it to Morgan. "We understand, too. You need to help Sarah regain her memories every way you can."
"Yeah," Chuck said. "Too bad we can't use the Intersect glasses now."
"Don't beat yourself up over it, man. All things considered, you made the right choice and Sarah agreed. Think about how many people you saved. Sarah also remembered the virus you used to disarm that other bomb five years ago. She will remember everything, eventually."
"I know, Morgan, I know. But I can't help feeling so impotent right now. Sarah must be going through Hell. She saved me from this when I was about to enter Phase Three, but I was unable to do the same for her."
"We'll think of something. We always do."
"You think so?"
"I know so." Morgan then decided to change the subject. "How are Devon, Ellie and Clara doing in Chicago?"
Chuck smiled for the first time. "They're complaining about the cold."
"They don't call Chicago 'Windy City' for nothing, you know."
"Still, after having lived all their lives in sunny California, it takes time to adapt. But as Illinois is closer to Connecticut, they're seeing the Very Awesomes more often."
While they were talking, Morgan had already taken an inventory of available ingredients and decided on a menu, so he got to work.
-o-
Meanwhile, in Emma's house, Sarah was watching a video of Molly playing soccer with her friends in the park. She had her Mom by her side and her adopted sister on her lap. "You play very well, Molly," she said admiringly.
"Thank you. Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask me anything."
"Do you really have amnesia?"
"Where did you hear that?"
"You and Mommy were talking about it earlier."
"Yes, Molly, I do have amnesia. I can't remember most of the last five years."
"Then you don't remember the day I met you."
"Actually, that I remember." Fortunately, Chuck had described the day to Sarah in great detail. "By the way, where is Rex? I don't see him anywhere."
"He's in my room." Molly was happy. Her sister remembered their special day.
Before they knew it, it was time to head to Chuck and Sarah's place for dinner.
"It's time to go," Sarah said. "We'll take my car." She smiled at Molly. "Hurry, before I forget where it is."
"Wow! You can forget where you left your car?"
"She's kidding," Emma clarified.
"I was," Sarah admitted. "Sorry if I confused you."
When they arrived at the apartment, Chuck greeted his wife with a kiss. His mother-in-law and his sister-in-law each got a hug. He then led them to the dinner table, where a sumptuous meal was already served. A bottle of wine and a carton of juice were chilling in an ice bucket. The appetizers were mini quiches with smiley faces.
"You certainly lay out a good spread, Chuck," Emma told him.
"I wish I could say this was all my doing, but Morgan took it upon himself to cook. I'll be the first to admit that it's one of the things he does better than me."
"Where is Morgan?" Molly piped up. "I want to beat his pants off at Mario Kart again."
"Where did you learn to talk trash, Molly?"
"You and Morgan are not the only ones who play video games, you know," she said sagely.
"I seriously doubt boys your age use that kind of language, young lady," Chuck countered.
"Okay, I heard you and Morgan while you played Halo when I came here for a sleepover."
"I don't think we'll be playing any more video games when your sister is here on a sleepover, Sarah."
"Too late, the damage's already been done."
"Maybe." He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "Fortunately, she hasn't heard anything but the tamest trash talk Morgan and I are capable of."
"I concede the point."
-o-
"Are you cold, Sarah?"
"Not really," she replied but still snuggled up even closer. "Casey gave me my video log of Project Bartowski, just before we finally took down Quinn. It was day 564 of the mission when I admitted that I'd fallen in love with you. Judging by the previous entries, I'd been in love with you for some time, but only then did I find the courage to openly admit it, at least to myself."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I've fallen for you all over again, Chuck. I may get it all back some day, but I'll always cherish these last weeks."
"We are making many happy memories," he agreed.
"New memories to complement the old, whenever they come back," she emphasized.
"I'd drink to that, but the wine is all in the kitchen."
"Chuck?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up and kiss me."
"Sarah?" Chuck asked about half an hour later.
"Why aren't you asleep, Chuck?"
"Probably for the same reason you aren't," he replied.
"Don't do it to yourself. Don't. Just don't. We agreed it was the best thing to do. In any case, Quinn blocked the Intersect in my head, so it can't do any more damage."
Suddenly he tensed and squeezed her tighter to him as something clicked in his brain. "Say that again!"
"It can't do any more damage."
"No, what you said about Quinn."
"What, that he blocked the Intersect?"
"Yes. I may have the solution, Sarah. I'm putting heavy emphasis on the 'may', as I don't want to get our hopes up for nothing."
"Chuck, if you have an idea, please share it with me."
"After the Intersect was removed from Morgan's head, he fully regained his memory after only a short time, right?"
"From what you told me, yes, he did."
"If the principle holds, we only have to remove the Intersect from you for good and your memory will come back."
"So, the Intersect is suppressing my memory, without having wiped it?"
"It's a theory at this stage, but yes. You are remembering bits and pieces of our life, so it's not gone. It's just inaccessible."
"According to this theory of yours, what do we have to do?"
"First, we unblock the Intersect, but we must be careful to avoid flashes so as not to make things worse."
"It sounds doable."
"I have no doubt we can do it," he assured her.
"OK, then what?"
"Once it's unblocked, it can be removed. And that's precisely what we're going to do. We are going to remove it once and for all."
"Hopefully removing the barrier and allowing my memories to return."
"Precisely. We'll need an unblocking program, plus the removal tool."
"Computers are your thing, Chuck. If anyone can do it, you can. We'll sleep on it and take it up again in the morning." She made herself comfortable again and closed her eyes. Soon, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Chuck was still awake, holding her, not knowing that her newly infused optimism was causing more memories to return to her as dreams. All he could tell was that she was having a nice dream. Her angelic smile as she slept was confirmation enough for him.
-o-
In the morning, while Sarah had gone out for a run, he went to Morgan's and filled him in on the plan. His enthusiasm was contagious and together the two friends got to work on the fine details of this latest project.
"What about your Intersect, Chuck?" Morgan asked suddenly.
"Mine was uploaded using the Key. I don't even need a Governor."
"I wish the Key hadn't self-destructed. We could use it to enhance the removal tool. Hey, you can copy it!"
"I can copy the components, but I don't have a clue about its firmware. Without it the Key is useless."
"Nonetheless, you can get started on replicating it. It wasn't too damaged, it just shorted out."
"Reverse engineering it should not be too difficult," Chuck conceded. He concentrated and flashed. "Wow! I have the schematics for the Key! It must have added them to the Intersect I downloaded."
"Score one for Team Chuck. Do you have anything on the firmware?"
"No. We shouldn't get too excited. It's frustrating, you know. I have what it takes to unblock Sarah's version, but I won't do it without the removal tool."
"Why don't we ask Beckman for it?"
"Beckman's gadget worked, but it still took you weeks to remember everything. Call me selfish, but I want Sarah's recall period to be as short as humanly possible. And, like you said, a Key may help to that end."
"Let's recap. We get removal glasses from Beckman, add our own Key and proceed with the plan."
"Basically, yes. We won't even have to create a Sarah's Life file."
"I'll call Beckman. You work on the Key."
He was back at his apartment before Sarah returned from her run. He still had time before she showed up, so he picked up the phone and called Ellie.
"Hey little brother!"
"Good morning Sis. How's Chicago? Still cold?"
"I'm freezing my ass off here every time I step out the door! At least our new place is warm and toasty."
"You have my deepest sympathy. But there's another reason I called. Do you still have the laptop Dad left for you in his Mustang?"
"I still have it. Not a day has gone by that I haven't looked for a way to help you and Sarah. But without a Key it's impossible to create a customized Intersect with Sarah's memories."
"There may be another possible approach to the problem."
"Go on."
"Parts of Sarah's memory are coming back all the time. This tells me that it's not gone, just suppressed."
"Of course! I should have known, since the same thing happened to Morgan! If you remove the Intersect, the barrier holding Sarah's memory blocked disappears. I go to the back of the class for not making the connection."
"Well, I have most of this figured out, including how to make a new Key. What I don't have is the Key's firmware. This is where you come in. I want you to check your laptop. Look for anything remotely related to a Key."
"I'll get back to you as soon as possible, little brother."
-o-
"CHUCK!" Apparently, Sarah was back.
"Yes, honey?"
"I had another recall a little while ago. Exactly how many times did we break up over the years and who initiated the breakups?"
He was treading on dangerous territory and he knew it, but decided to tell the truth, consequences be damned. "Um, let me see… three times? Yes, it was three times. And I broke up with you every time."
"You just volunteered to be my sparring partner at the gym for the next three sessions I'm having there." She spun on her heel and headed for the shower.
Sparring partner? Yeah, right. More like punching bag, Chuck mused. He did have the Intersect, and even without it he was quite good at martial arts, but he'd never hit a girl, least of all Sarah. And damn, did she have a vindictive streak… So, he'd better get to work on something guaranteed to appease her, like helping her regain her memories ASAP.
For the moment Sarah had found an outlet for her frustrations and excess energy: housekeeping. She was cleaning the apartment from top to bottom, not noticing that Chuck had been gone for hours. When he returned, he found her sprawled on the couch, still in her housedress and apron.
"You look like you need a massage, Mrs. Bartowski."
"And from what I remember you are a quite skilled masseur."
"It's part of my skill set, which I can possibly enhance with the Intersect, should you so wish."
"I do wish so, Chuck. Let's take this to our room. Who knows, maybe we can make this a very happy massage."
*meep* "Are you sure, Sarah?"
"I'm your wife, Chuck. Surely we must have done this before."
"No argument there, but somehow it doesn't feel right while you still don't remember so much of our life together."
"Let me remind you what you said: We are making new memories, together. Besides, a few rounds between the sheets might jog my memory."
"Then how can I refuse?"
-o-
A few days later, Chuck's reverse engineered copy of the Key was ready for final assembly. General Beckman had also come through for them and sent an unblocking tool and Intersect glasses. He was taking a hearty swig of Chardonnay while putting the finishing touches on the removal program when Sarah came back from a shopping trip with her mother and sisters.
"Hi honey, how was shopping?"
"Molly's turning into a miniature Carina. She's got great shopping instincts."
"So do you, Sarah. She didn't max out Emma's credit card, did she?"
"No, thankfully she did not." She took in the scene in the living room. "You are hitting the thinking juice again?"
"I've got work to do."
"Let me make you something to eat. You'll need it."
"Thanks."
"Any specific preferences?"
"Surprise me."
"As you wish." She quickly made him a club sandwich. She sat down next to him as he ate and stole a few of his fries. "What are you doing?"
"Just working on a project of mine," he replied.
"If you feel like taking a break, I can show you what I bought on Rodeo Drive today."
"Now that's what I call a first class incentive."
"I'll go change," she smiled. "It won't be long."
She was in their room trying to decide which outfit to model for him first when his phone rang. "Hello Ellie."
"I FOUND IT!" Ellie squealed.
"Huh?"
"Chuck, I found what you need! Dad put the firmware for the Key in one of his files. You can fix Sarah!"
"Thank you Ellie. Thank you."
"I'm sending you the file now."
His laptop beeped with an email alert. "I got it."
"Let me know how this will turn out."
"Naturally," he promised before hanging up. The next moment he was rendered speechless and his jaw just about dropped to the floor when Sarah came into the living room with her latest beachwear selection on. It consisted of a bikini worn under a shirt, tails tied above her midriff, sinfully short Daisy Dukes and flip-flops.
"Chuck, say something."
"…"
"You like it," she deduced and pirouetted to give him a full view. "I think I'll strike while the iron's hot. Coming up next, my new lingerie sets."
"Xhfhhghdhghjs," was all that came out of Chuck's mouth. It was like this amazing brain of his had just shorted out. Naturally, Sarah's ego got a massive and much needed boost out of it.
"I feel like a runway model," she said when she came back in a purple butterfly teddy and high heels.
"You had a runway catfight while on a mission in Milan during Fashion Week." He said when he finally managed to be able to speak again and produced the fashion magazine with Sarah's picture on the cover he had saved after the aforementioned mission.
"If I look like this, you should see the other one."
"You gave her quite an ass whooping."
"Tell me all about it," she urged and sat down on the couch beside him.
-o-
By burning the midnight oil, Chuck had everything ready the following morning. Yawning tiredly but happily, he made tracks for the bedroom to tell Sarah the good news. He found her sitting on the bed, looking at a piece of paper.
"Is that us?"
"Yes, Sarah. It's how we imagined our future."
"Looking at it I had a vague memory of you drawing it while I watched."
"We were on a bullet train in Japan at the time. You had the Intersect for all of two days and it had already begun to adversely affect you, but you were still you, my Sarah."
"I'll always be your Sarah."
"Yes, I know. And it's time."
"Time for what?"
"Everything is ready."
"Does this mean I can have my life back?"
"Just like we discussed a few days ago, Sarah, I finally have the equipment we'll need."
She took a deep breath. "Let's do this."
"First, we unblock the Intersect."
"Chuck? No matter what happens, I want you to know that I love you."
"I love you too, Sarah."
"Now do it."
He held the modified PSP in front of her and pressed the activation button. Three minutes later the screen went blank. "Stage One complete," he said. "The Intersect should be unblocked, but don't try to flash."
"Shouldn't we see if it worked?"
"It's not worth the risk, or the pain. Are you ready for Stage Two?"
"Give me the glasses."
"Here you go." His fingers brushed against hers as he handed over the glasses. She took his hand in hers and leaned in to give him a kiss.
"Thanks for everything," she said as she put them on. The system activated and millions of images flashed before her eyes at an incredible rate. He was anxiously watching her, not even daring to breathe. Finally, the display on the lenses flickered and stopped. Sarah went limp and fell sideways into Chuck's arms.
He gently removed the glasses from her head and cradled her to him. "Sarah?" She was breathing normally, but she'd passed out, obviously from the strain on her brain. He picked her up, carried her to the bedroom and deposited on the bed, wanting to make sure she was comfortable. Then he sat by her, waiting for her to wake up.
He didn't have to wait long. Sarah stirred, groaned and her eyes fluttered open.
"Chuck?"
"I'm right here, honey. How are you feeling?"
"Uh, I, um, I don't really know. I feel lighter, I guess."
"It worked! I too felt lighter the first time the Intersect was removed from my head."
"Then I should…" Her lip trembled as she tried to see if she could recall something from the last five years. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were glistening with unshed tears, which then started flowing down her cheeks. "I remember. Chuck, I remember everything! It worked just as you predicted!"
Not being able to hold back his own tears, he pulled her into a big hug. They held each other and cried together for a while, letting the news sink in. They drew slightly apart, looked into each other's eyes and kissed.
"You're back."
"I'm back. Your wife is back. Sarah fucking Bartowski is back! Now we can move forward again."
"We should let the others know. They too deserve to learn the news."
"I'll call Mom."
"I'll call Ellie and Awesome. Then we'll go tell Morgan and Alex."
"And then we'll celebrate. It feels so good to be back!"
-o-
A few days after Sarah finally regained her memory, things were back to normal. General Beckman had finally been able to unfreeze their accounts, so they had the money Hartley Winterbottom had given them as a wedding present back. Carmichael Industries was now a top of the line cyber security provider, with proper offices, and everything was going smoothly for a change. Then, one day, Chuck walked into Sarah's office to find her looking a little green around the gills and drinking herbal tea.
"Sarah? Are you all right?"
"No," she replied miserably. "It must have been something I ate, but…" She never finished the phrase, as she bolted for her private bathroom. A retching sound came from behind the closed door.
"What's going on in there?"
"I'm fine… I think. Listen, can you go get me a pack of Flashdent toothbrushes? You know, the disposable ones…"
"I'll be right back." True to his word, he was back in less than five minutes. He found her lying on her office couch.
"I haven't felt this miserable since Vivian tried to kill me with the Norseman."
"You should see a doctor."
"Did you bring what I asked for?"
"It's here."
"Thanks." She went to her bathroom and brushed her teeth. "Much better now," she sighed as she sat back down behind her desk.
"You still look like hell."
"Forget about it. It's probably nothing."
"Okay. I had news for you, before you started hugging the porcelain throne and puking your guts out."
"Good news, I hope."
"Oh yeah. We got paid for our first job. It's enough to cover the deposit on our dream house."
"This calls for a celebration. You, Mr. Bartowski, are taking me out to lunch. Better yet, order in. We'll have lunch here and then I'll show you again how much I love you."
"Your wish is my command, Mrs. Bartowski. One pizza, vegetarian, no olives, coming up."
Sarah made a face and ran to the bathroom again. "I think we should skip lunch," she said dejectedly after some retching and a lot of dry heaving. "My stomach is still upset." At least she had plenty of disposable toothbrushes, as Chuck had bought an entire box for her.
"No more arguments; I'm taking you to see a doctor."
-o-
"There is nothing wrong with you, Mrs. Bartowski," her doctor said. "You are healthy as a horse."
"Then why was she throwing up all morning?"
"I said there is nothing wrong with her, but there is a good reason she's been having these symptoms. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski. You are going to become parents."
"I'm pregnant?"
"How far along is she?"
"Judging by the HCG levels in your blood, I'd say you're at least six weeks along, using a calculation based on your last normal menstrual period, which usually adds two weeks to the actual duration of the pregnancy."
"Then she conceived four weeks ago?" Chuck asked.
"Approximately," the doctor agreed.
"On the train," she said. "It must have been that time on the train."
"I agree. Sarah, this is fantastic news! We are going to be parents!"
"You should schedule an ultrasound as soon as possible."
"Can we do it today?"
"I have an opening in my schedule. We can do it right now."
"Right now sounds like a good time," Sarah agreed.
Chuck and Sarah held hands as they looked at the ultrasound display screen. "There is your baby. It looks healthy so far. Oh!"
"Oh?"
"Look closely. There's another fetus in there, also healthy looking."
"Chuck, we're having twins!"
"Yes, baby, we are!"
"We can freak out all we want later, but right now I'm very happy."
"Me too, Sarah, me too."
"Remember that when I banish you to the couch," she said slyly.
"Never happen," he replied smugly. "You are too addicted to me."
"We'll just have to wait and see how it goes, then. In any case, you should know I love you."
"I love you more."
"That's impossible. So, who should we tell first?"
"We'll figure this out. We always do."
THE END