I don't own Chuck. This story uses my first story, 'What's Next' as canon. My original intent was to publish this as the epilogue to 'What's Next'. But, I liked how the original ended, I felt this was not required, so instead, I will release it as a one shot story. Several clues are given where the story of the next generation of Chuck and Sarah's family and their friends might lead to, should I choose to expand on that story some day, but that is another story. I hope you all enjoy this one.

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September 20th, 2024 / 4:52 AM / Orion Heights Master Bedroom

"Morning Sweetie." Sarah rolled on top of her husband in order to serve as his own personal alarm clock.

"Sweetie, I haven't earned that title this morning, have I?" Chuck was grinning ear to ear, as the love he shared with his wife burned hotter than ever, even after thirteen years of marriage.

"Not yet maybe, but last night was amazing. Perfect." Sarah was looking straight down into her husband's eye's from her spot perched upon his chest, as she returned his smile.

"Come here you." with that Chuck and Sarah swapped places with Chuck rolling on top of Sarah, and they became swept up in passion.

September 20th, 2024 / 5:24 AM / Orion Heights Master Bathroom

"Chuck, does tandem tooth brushing, ever get old or monotonous to you?" Sarah looked over to Chuck, as she was fishing for an answer to a question not related to tooth brushing, but rather to the events of the previous half hour.

Chuck had become an expert at reading his wife, and came up with the right answer, "Sarah, don't ever tell the kids, but if I could only have one hour of the day to live over and over again, it'd be the first hour of each day with you. I don't know how every morning can get better, yet it does." Chuck was now finishing up, as he wiped the toothpaste from the corners of his wife's mouth with a hand towel, then his own.

"I agree Sweetie, let's get dressed and find out what today will bring us, shall we?" Sarah replied as she got out ahead of Chuck toward the bathroom door.

"After you." Chuck said as he grabbed his wife's butt as she walked ahead, each of them giggling and laughing like they were still kids.

September 20th, 2024 / 5:28 AM / Orion Heights Kitchen / Patio

"I'll get the coffee since you woke up first." Chuck stated as he headed for the cupboard.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll meet you out on the patio after I let the dogs out." Sarah was already out the door, surrounded by the family's pack of dogs. Xena had passed away three years prior, but all three of the triplet's dogs were still alive, each named for a child, Essy (Stevie), Jay (Charlies Jr or JR), and Em (Mary Emma).

Chuck finished up with the coffee a couple of minutes later, and headed out to the patio, only to be greeted by his wife head coming towards him returning from the yard.

"There, all done." Sarah came onto the patio, after walking around the backyard picking up fallen branches from the storm the night prior.

"Your coffee ma'am. Just how you like it." Chuck acted like an English butler serving Sarah.

"Thank you my good fellow." Sarah smiled, then got a little more serious. "So last night, before we got interrupted by ex-President Beckman, you were telling me about the kids doctor's appointment."

Chuck replied in a happy but serious manner, "Everything was normal. Ellie estimates JR is going to be very tall, maybe 6'10" even. She suggested we get him more involved in basketball, even though we know the risks, if he doesn't play, people will start to wonder. Stevie is gong to be tall too, Ellie estimated about 6'5, and Mary Emma around 6'. Ellie laughed at me that there is no doubt the kids are mine, considering JR is almost my identical twin, and all the kids are so tall. But Stevie and Mary Emma sure look like you don't they?"

Sarah smiled at the thought of how much JR looked like Chuck, then replied, "I only wish Stevie didn't act so much like me."

"What. No. Is Stevie giving you trouble again?" Chuck acted surprised, even though he wasn't.

"No, not really. I wish he acted more like Mary Emma, even though Mary Emma is a handful, at least she doesn't act like a spy. I think Stevie could enroll in the CIA academy today as a twelve year old and pass. It scares me." Sarah looked worried, but in a normal sort of way, as every parent sees some of themselves in their kids that they don't like.

"Speaking of scaring you, Ellie told me only JR is showing any signs of being intersected, and everything is dormant in JR." Chuck got more serious, discussing a topic that seldom came up in their home.

"Well, let's keep that little secret between ourselves, Ellie, and the kids." Sarah was the reason this topic was ignored, she pretended it to not be true so the subject would not slip accidentally around others.

"Do you think we were right in telling the kids about the intersect when they were so little?" Chuck thought that maybe Sarah's no secret, no lies pact thinking went a little overboard in this case.

"I'm positive Chuck, no secrets, no lies. It's a swinging door that must go in both directions to work." Sarah was sure as she answered.

Chuck looked up to see his daughter, Mary Emma coming into the kitchen door. "Angel, how are you this morning?"

'It's 6 AM, which means it's Bartowski kid time. The old folks home is closed for the morning, time to let the next generation dominate. Morning Mom and Dad." Mary Emma usually woke up very early, often before Chuck and Sarah. She would work on one of her various projects in her room, waiting precisely until 6AM, when she'd always be the first of the triplets to come down to join their parents. Then for the next hour, the family prepared breakfast, talked about plans and schedules, laughed, discussed the weather, studied or prepared for work, fooled around and played, and just about anything else under the sun. Since the kids were born, they always were included in this 6 AM ritual, such that now it was a habit, one they all enjoyed.

"How long have you been up Mary Emma?", Sarah asked.

"How do you know I was up at all Mom, I could have slept in like Stevie and JR?" Mary Emma and Sarah were starting the morning battle of wills.

"I am a trained spy after all Mary Emma, I think I'm sneaky enough to know what my three children are doing." Sarah did not hide her past from her children, at least most of it.

"Well, if you know so much, do you know what Stevie was looking at on his computer the other day?" Mary Emma was fighting back the best she could.

"I do" Sarah answered, "The thing I can't figure out is how Stevie beat your father's parental control measures, he isn't that interested in computers?"

"Beats me." Mary Emma knew this was a battle of wits she was going to lose, so she at least thought she'd get a few shots in. "Plus, Stevie is a lot better at computers than you might think. And we all know JR can do anything that dad can on the computers."

Sarah was on the attack, "Or did he agree to play in your coed soccer game this afternoon, so you'd have someone to protect you, in return for you doing some upgrades to his computer?"

"Geez mom, what do you have, camera's in our rooms? This so sucks having a trained spy as a mom. Most kids complain about nosy parents, if they only knew what I put up with." Mary Emma was trying to get her mom off the subject.

"Well, did he?" Sarah knew all of Mary Emma's diversion tactics.

"So what if he did, his select team isn't practicing, and he'll help us win. And so what if I am afraid of Billy Butkus? Everyone is, everyone except Stevie that is." Mary Emma had a point.

Sarah surprised Mary Emma by agreeing with her, "OK, Stevie can play if your father says so, since your dad will be the one at the game, but no more helping him get into trouble on his computer, he gets in enough trouble without you encouraging him."

Just then Stevie came bouncing out onto the balcony, "Good morning my lovely sister and beautiful mother. I'm starved, what's for breakfast?" Stevie gave his sister and mother huge long hugs each morning, this morning was no different.

On queue, JR (pronounce Jay R not junior) walked through the door. He had a daze on his face, like he was an absent minded professor, which in many ways he was. JR was different than Stevie, he always gave Mary Emma a tap on the top of her head, a gentle one, as an acknowledgement. His mom, always got a peck on the cheek. This morning was no different.

"Morning JR, what mystery of the world are you solving this morning?" Sarah asked as JR ignored her hug.

"Mom, did you ever wonder why only people have consciousness? What if my computer could give consciousness to Jay (JR's dog), maybe optically?" JR broke off his stare and smiled at his mother as he asked.

"That's fascinating JR. Maybe your father can answer that one." Sarah answered.

"What?" Chuck looked up from his handheld computer interface. "JR, we've talked about this, real minds and computers don't mix." Chuck was not happy with JR's interest in this issue, and tried to downplay the notion.

"But dad, you told me that about human minds, but I thought with animals, it would be different. Plus, grandpa Stephen and you both have worked on such things. Why can't I?" JR was being like any twelve year old about his obsession, only problem was his obsession was about an issue that was very dangerous.

"And look where it got grandpa. Now drop this JR." Chuck was more worried, than mad, as he saw so much of his dad in JR.

Mary Emma came to the rescue of her brother and asked, "Mom, what's for breakfast?"

"The usual, oatmeal, fresh squeezed OJ, bananas, strawberries, and cereal with ground flax topping." Let's head into the kitchen and get things ready. Sarah in the kitchen with her kids was the life she dreamed of when she was a spy, a normal life, and this was it. If this scene could be was the end of her story, Sarah would have been quite content with it.

"Wonderful, I can't wait. I'll have two of everything." said Stevie as he began to load his tray with food.

"He stops at MacDonald's on his way to school mom. He just eats the healthy stuff here to please you." Mary Emma was still in a lousy mood over getting busted over soccer.

"I know where Stevie stops on his way to school. He's as thin as a rail, as long as I feed him the healthy stuff when I have him, he'll figure things out when I'm not around. At least someday. As will you young lady." Sarah was not going to get lured into this debate with Mary Emma.

"Chuck this morning, I have a group of international clients in the office at 8 sharp and still have several things to do to prepare for the meeting, would you take the kids to school this morning, seems Stevie is stopping at MacDonalds when the kids walk on their own?" Sarah knew who was guilty here, but was testing Chuck.

"Uhhhhh …... suuurrreee." Chuck knew he was busted, if only he had rescinded this no secrets no lies thing when they left the spy world he thought.

"YOUUUU! Are YOU stopping at MacDonald's with the kids?" Sarah had that look, much like the one she had on the train when she realized Chuck was in the train car when she was hiding in the bathroom of the suspected Basque terrorist years before. Chuck was in trouble.

"Well, uhhhh, no, maybe, ahhhh yes, well sort of. We make so much money Sarah, shouldn't we support all local vendors, not just those who serve healthy food." Chuck answered as he thought, why, why, do I get in these spots with her?

Stephen eyes lit up and he said under his breathe to Mary Emma and JR, "Great, a fight, dad never wins these, mom so kicks his butt."

Mary Emma leaned over and whispered, "Yea, maybe, but when they make up, ewwwhhh, it's so gross. And did you guys hear them this morning in their room? We are the children of spy's after all, do they think we're blind?"

"Or deaf?" JR quickly added, making both his siblings laugh.

"We'll discuss this later Charles Irving Bartowski" Sarah was not happy.

"Great, she used his middle name, he is so dead." Stevie quipped to the others.

"Middle name, yea, I'm going to have to put music on loud tonight, it's going to be too sappy around here tonight, all that making up." Mary Emma laughed at the look her mother was giving her father right now.

"You mean making out." Stevie tossed in, making his sister and brother giggle. Stevie, JR and Mary Emma could not get enough of such talk about their parents.

"By the way, Chuck, did you know that Mary Emma was the one to take down the controls off of Stevie's computer, in exchange for Stevie showing up at today's soccer game and helping her coed team out?" Sarah was in full lioness mode now, nobody was safe.

"Stevie, we'll have none of that, it isn't fair when you play with that team, it's for beginners. Your sister has to learn to stand on her own two feet. She won't always have you around to protect her. And yes Sarah, I put some new software into my parental control package, I think Mary Emma will find her access to some of her favorite programs will require some of her best hacking skills to get up and running again."

"You didn't daddy. This family is so lame, mom's a spy, and dad's some computer geek genius, I wish we were normal." Mary Emma responded.

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and smiled as Chuck wistfully said, "If they only knew Sarah, if they only knew."

Sarah put her dishes in the dishwasher, gave Chuck a quick kiss, and headed for the door, "Kids, remember all dishes in the dishwasher, last one out the door, turn it on, kitchen better be spotless when I return."

Chuck called to her as she was heading out, "Sarah, I have a meeting today at 3pm, I checked your calendar, you were free, could you go to Mary Emma's game for me?"

"Dad, no, you remember the last time, you had to hold mom back from putting some sort of sleeper hold on the referee, I don't think it is a good idea. Especially today, we play Billy Butkus's team, and his dad, Bruiser Butkus is coming, the middle linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. I don't think even mom could take Bruiser. I heard he once bit the ear off of a referee when he called a penalty on his son for punching a kid in the stomach."

Chuck looked at his daughter, "Bruiser Butkus has a son. Oh my. Maybe Stevie should play. And yes, Sarah, it's no big deal, I'll cancel."

"Nonsense, Stevie, JR and I will watch Mary Emma play, like a normal family would. And Mr. Butt Kiss or whatever his name is will watch his little boy play, everything will be fine, now I HAVE to go, see you tonight 'Sweetie', and kids, I'll see you after school." Sarah was out the door.

"Oh boy", said Stevie, "This is going to be AWESOME. Bruiser Butkus and mom are going to get in a fight. Butt Kiss's daddy is going to get clobbered by a girl. Ha. I can hardly wait."

"Your mom isn't going to kick anyone's butt, and the name is Butkus, not Butt Kiss. Now finish up and get ready for school all of you, we have just enough time to stop at MacDonald's if we hurry." Chuck's memory of the fight with his wife over food choices was short lived, much like the afore mentioned mission long ago.

Chuck then turned away from Stevie, and grimaced as he echoed his son's words about the afternoon's soccer match and how his wife was going to behave, "Oh boy." was all he could say.

September 20th, 2024 / 3 PM / Bel Aire Public Junior High Soccer Field

The game started innocently enough with Sarah, JR and Stevie settling in along the sideline. Parents from both teams sat on the same sideline.

Michelle Torres was there to watch her daughter Samantha Lisa play. So was Jodi Coleshaw, whose twins Katie and Kipper were both playing too. All three kids were in the same school and same class as the Bartowski triplets, and the six were best friends.

Sarah noticed one of the referees was wearing a uniform for the other team. She asked Jodi and Michelle, "Why is that fat referee wearing a uniform?"

Before Jodi could answer, Bruiser Butkus answered for her. "That's not a referee, that's my boy, Billy Butkus. I see your daughters here aren't playing, what are their names?" Bruiser was being obnoxious toward Stevie and JR by calling them Sarah's' daughters.

Luckily, before Sarah snapped back, Stevie answered, "Mr Butt Kiss, you know me. Stevie Bartowski. I met you when Billie tried out for the city elite soccer team? I was the kid making all the goals that day, my uniform was #1, the best player always gets that number. I see Billie is #99. Don't worry, that number thing might be due to the size, the high numbers are usually the triple extra larges, he isn't that bad a player." Stevie knew full well what he was doing, yanking the Bruiser's chain.

"Tell your little brat to shut up lady. Someone should slap him and teach him some manners." Bruiser Butkus puffed out his chest and straightened out his knees, as Sarah, although skinny and now in her forties, was nearly his height and did not appear the least bit intimidated or scared, so he tried to inflate his height by standing taller.

"Stephen, that's enough, I sort of started this, and you aren't helping any. I told your father I would behave, this isn't starting off well." Sarah said to Stevie. She was proud of herself, beginning to think she was getting this normal stuff down pat.

"Mr Butt Kiss, I'm sorry. I hope your son has a good game. We're going to move over there, we don't want to cause a ruckus or anything at our kids game, now do we?" Sarah smirked at how demure she was acting.

"Butkus, not Butt Kiss. OK, get out of here. Scrawny little thing you are anyhow, I'll bet your kid is the skinny, tall, blond, angelic looking girl out there. HA. She's #1 too. Billy, knock #1 out of the game. Destroy her." If Sarah was proud of her composure, Butkus was even prouder of how smart he thought he was in figuring out who Sarah's child was, and turning Billie loose on her.

Billy Butkus turned and gave his dad a thumbs up, acknowledging the order to hurt Mary Emma.

Sarah turned to Stevie and JR, and worriedly said, "Now I did it boys. Mary Emma can't defend herself against that big bully. What should I do?"

Stephen, in his best Sarah Walker handler impersonation, "Mary Emma will be fine mom. Piece of cake. She is much quicker than Billy. Plus, I have an idea. We'll be over behind the goal by those four girls if you need us. Don't get in a fight with the Bruiser while we're gone, I want to see it live when it happens. Come on JR."

"Stevie, do I have to?" JR couldn't say no to Stevie, but hated getting involved in his schemes, especially when the opposite sex was involved. JR only had eyes for one girl, Sam Torres, but that is a different story.

"Hush about that Stevie, nobody's going to fight Mr Butkus." Sarah said quietly to her son, "You stay out of trouble Stevie, and don't get JR into trouble either."

The game began. Stevie was largely correct, Mary Emma was quick enough to stay out of harms way, except for one time when Billy stuck his foot out and tripped her.

While the game was going on, Sarah witnessed Stevie in action. The girls Stevie and JR approached included one of Mary Emma's friends, Heather Bing, who had an enormous crush on Stevie. Although that pretty much was every girl in Stevie's class from what Sarah could tell. The four girls were laughing, as Stevie hadn't stopped talking since he arrived. Sarah also noted that Billy had lost his focus on the game, and especially on hurting Mary Emma. He seemed more concerned about what was going on between Stevie, JR and the four girls.

Oh, Oh. Here come Mr Butkus, seething mad, right for me. Sarah thought. What did I do wrong now?

"Tell your little brat to quit flirting with my son's girl friend. Your brat is distracting Billie from playing." Bruiser moved right into Sarah's personal space as if he was trying to start a fight with a thug in a bar.

Stephie came running from his seduction mission, to witness the confrontation. JR walked over by Jodi Coleshaw, out of harms way. He didn't like this sort of thing, and was worried about his mom.

"Butt kiss, I have one word for you. Listerine." Sarah raised her jaw defiantly. If Butkus knew the tell, the raised jaw, he would probably not have said the next words, but how could he know that he was not dealing with a soccer mom, but with an ex-CIA assassin and a lioness protecting her pride.

"Looks like your bratty little kids aren't the only ones who need some manners taught to them. You are a little old and upidity for my tastes, but I guess I would do you." With that he reached around to grab Sarah's behind.

Sarah calmly grabbed the wayward hand in a quick sweeping motion, and stepped behind Butkus. From there, she was able to reach up and find the nerve on the big man's neck, much like Spock used on Star Trek. Yes, there really is something there you can grab, and incapacitate a man.

Sarah got real close to the Bruiser's ear, and whispered as she applied an increasing amount of pressure, "Is that all you got, really, you disappoint me. Now settle down, everything will be OK. Maybe you should go sit down over there and get some rest. I'm the wrong person to be messing with."

"My arm, my arm, it's numb, what did you do to me? I have a big football game on Sunday? What if the ESPNIKE reporters find out about this, I'll be the laughing stock of the NFL? " Bruiser was almost ready to pass out from the pain.

"You'll be fine you big baby, just relax. I learned this nerve location, when I was tortured in an Iraqi prison. Luckily, my partner, who I am married to, came in and rescued me. At the end of the day, he and I took out fifty five members of the Elite Revolutionary Guard. We try not to hurt civilians, even obnoxious ones, now that we're retired. By the way, would you please do me a favor, and ask you delightful little boy to quit trying to hurt my daughter? And while you're at it, if I ever, ever, ever see you disrespect a woman from our school or anywhere else for that matter again, I will hurt you, permanently. You understand?"

With that, Sarah let the pressure up off of his neck. "Don't worry you big oaf, you'll be fine, although if I'd pinched about half an inch to the right, you'd have been crippled for life. Now go, before I really get mad."

"Yea, sure, whatever. Just leave me alone." With that Bruiser left to get as far away from the tall blond as he could.

Stevie looked disappointed as he asked, "Mom, what did you do to him? He looked like he'd seen a ghost when he passed me by. But you didn't even hit him, or kick him, or anything? It looked almost like you were whispering sweet nothings into his ear? Plus, I heard him tell Billy to not go after Mary Emma."

"We had a nice little chat Stevie. I saw you over there by the way, so that was your plan, to distract Billy by talking to his girlfriend? You should be ashamed of yourself." Sarah tried to act angry, in spite of her being a little proud.

"It worked didn't it? Billy stopped going after Mary Emma. Plus, those girls liked that I talked to them, even if I was only using them to protect Mary Emma, for the greater good." Unfortunately Sarah recognized all too well the look and the words that Stevie had used to explain himself.

Sarah looked up to the sky thinking about what the future might hold for her three children, the spy, the angel, and the computer geek and whispered to herself, 'Oh Boy.'

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Lot's of untold stories abound, I have more ideas, but I thought it would be fun to take a little glimpse into the future. Hope you enjoyed it.