Summary: How did Chuck get this far in his life without the ability to leap small buildings with a tall ladder? Chuck is normal (as much as he ever was), but what about his life?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Note: Thanks to Malamoo for her great help! Thanks for listening to me ramble on.

Another note: This is my first fanfic, so teach me well people!

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Present Day...

It was a cool, crisp autumn day in southern Indiana. He was outside in the driveway, detailing his Ducati; the sun was shining, heating his dark blue fleece to a comfortable warm temperature. He heard the sound of a diesel motor and the slight screech of brakes and his senses came alert. Listening for a few seconds, the sounds quieted down and he returned to his beloved Ducati.

55 seconds later, his spy senses went off and he positioned his body behind the motorcycle as his right hand reached behind his lower back for the Beretta 92F in the waistband holster. He waited, his eyes taking in everything, from the asphalt driveway, the woods surrounding his L-shaped house, his 3-bay garage, looking outward for the threat that he knew was fast approaching. He knew it was only a matter of time for him.

Slowly moving under the cover of the woods, the figure used considerable stealth to avoid detection. It took 10 minutes to travel the 100 feet alongside the driveway. 20 feet from the man sitting behind his motorcycle, the figure stepped out onto the driveway.

He looked over the top of the seat at her. He took in the blonde hair pulled back in a mission ponytail. Her ice blue eyes flashing in the sunlight. The smirk on her lips told him that she thought she had bested him. She looked at him again, saw the look in his eyes and she knew.

"God damn it!" she growled. She looked at him with fire in her eyes. The look on her face would destroy any mere man that it was directed at it. "She was here, wasn't she? Right here in this house! How could you? Damn it all to hell!" She turned and marched off towards the front door, steam rolling off her like a locomotive.

He could never hide anything from her, she was his kryptonite. How was he going to explain this? How would she understand how he felt about her? He would make this right somehow. He owed her an explanation. He just didn't know if she would believe it when he told her that he loved her with all of his heart.

He went into their house after her, calling her name. He found her standing in the master bedroom, looking at the bed, with its rumpled sheets and the meanest look on her face. She reeled around to him and cried, "How could you?" With that, she stormed off to the other side of the house. How could he fix this? He sat down heavily on the unmade bed, hanging his head in his hands. What a disaster! Could he make this right?

He found her on the deck out back, looking into the woods, her arms wrapped around her body. He walked up beside her and smiled, hoping she would at least listen to his side of the story. He could feel the frustration roll off her in waves.

"Sweetheart, will you just listen to my side?" he begged. "I just wanted you to know just how much I love you. You know that I would do anything for you, right?"

"You could have told her to leave!" she replied angrily.

"Honey, it's a little more complicated than that."

"Come here." Chuck said as he pulled her into his arms. "I want you to know that no one can replace you, no one. But she is like a drug to me; I can't get her out of my system. I've tried over the years, and yet, here I am, still under her spell."

"How can she do this us? She can't keep coming in and taking advantage of you and me!" she wailed.

"You can't let this get to you, you have to give me a chance to make this work."

She couldn't take it anymore, this being the strong one; she felt the hot sting of tears as they rolled down her cheeks. The sobs racked her body as she tried to bury herself further into Chuck's arms. He looked down at her, he saw this beautiful creature, with lustrous blonde hair, perfect skin and sparkling blue eyes. Even at her age, she turns the heads of most men. Chuck is both proud and worried at the same time. How ironic is that?

"You have to let me try, baby. I have to get her back, because I can't seem to live without her"

Looking up at him, her cheeks still stained with tears, "Why can't she love us like a normal person, Dad?"

"Charlotte honey, I have spent 15 years trying to get your mother to be normal. Never gonna happen."


Well, that was different, eh? Just so you know, my Charlotte was inspired by Malamoo's Charlotte in "Then and Now", but the neat thing about AU? We can do lot's of things with chararcters of our own design. Damn, but I love this stuff! Thanks Moo!