Dun dun dunn. She's baaaaack. I'll give a little bonus prize to the first (or only) person who can tell me what song is being referenced time and time again while Chuck and Sarah are getting ready at the beginning. Hints: the title is mentioned, blue, breathe, shoes, shirt, make-up, basically everything. "R______ __ B______" by ________rd C__f_______l

I do not own Doug or its theme song which gets stuck in your head forever and ever.

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Sarah stood in front of her mirror in nothing but her matching lacy black lingerie. She leaned over the bathroom counter and with slightly quivering hands somehow managed to apply her makeup to perfection. She decided on a shimmering champagne color for her lips, knowing whatever she wore would most likely be smudged by the end of the night and red just wasn't Chuck's color. Or was it salmon? Either way, Sarah didn't think she could handle anything getting in the way of tonight. She didn't consider herself a romantic, but everything had to go perfectly. She made sure there was no smudge line or too much of anything anywhere.

Tonight was the night Chuck was going to propose. She'd been practicing her surprised face in the mirror for days ever since she found the ring. She didn't open the box, not being that much of a spoil sport, but she did go out and buy a completely new outfit when Chuck asked her out for dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the area via a note that was sent with a dozen red roses to her hotel room. Chuck, of course, was the biggest romantic the world had ever seen.

He, too, needed everything to go perfectly tonight. His past experience with engagement rings had not gone smoothly, and Sarah probably would not be too thrilled to receive a ring covered in coffee grounds and miscellaneous DNA. More so, if she had to look through a dumpster to find it. So Chuck silently vowed that would not be the case this time. In a desperate attempt to stop the cycle of bad luck, Chuck had put a tracker on the bottom part of the box under the ring and the platform holding it. Now he could sleep knowing he knew where it was at all times.

Chuck stood in front of his full-length mirror trying on different shirts and reminding himself to breathe. He'd given up the futile attempts to control his heartbeat hours ago and now simply just wanted to remember to breathe. "In through your nose, out through your mouth," Chuck recalled hearing Sarah say during his training to become a spy. While it was a helpful tip, just the thought of Sarah made that task all the more difficult.

Chuck still had no idea what to wear. After more inner fashion critique than he'd like to admit as a straight man, he finally settled on the blue button down shirt Sarah had said she liked on him. At least this way he'd compliment her outfit nicely. She always wears blue. He loves when she does, because it makes her gorgeous eyes all the more prominent.

Once that decision was made, Chuck took notice of his bare feet. No All-Stars tonight. No, tonight he was flying solo. Dress shoes and a suit jacket were called for this occasion. He had to admit, he felt a little like a Linus without a blanket when he left his apartment.

Chuck arrived at Sarah's hotel with a few minutes to spare, which he spent envisioning the way he hoped the night would pan out. He'd ask, she'd say yes, and they'd walk out with Sarah's left hand weighing more than it did when they went in. Nothing more, nothing less.

Chuck checked himself in the rearview mirror before getting out and walking into the building. Riding up in the elevator, Chuck relied on his fallback nervous habit of whistling. Unfortunately, the first thing that popped into his head was the theme song from Doug. "Doo, doo doo, doo doo…" Hands in his pockets, his right one clutching the small velvet box like a lifeline, he watched the bright red numbers slide off the bottom of the screen as the next one slid into its place at every floor. Chuck pictured a diorama-type view of inside the hotel. Somewhere diagonally above from him in a room-sized box of plaster, concrete, and carpet was where the woman he hopefully was going to marry was waiting. And here he was, in this tiny metal box slowly sliding up to reach her. Just two seemingly insignificant citizens of the world in a building, in a city, in a state, and so on. Chuck wondered if anyone else in the world was getting ready to propose right now. Or if it was just him.

Doug had just stepped in a can of paint by the time the doors opened to her floor, signaling the end of the whistling. Chuck walked the same path he had walked a hundred times before to her door and stood in front of it. The door opened not five seconds later and filling the doorframe was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. Words couldn't begin to do her justice. This pair had never been good at words anyways, and there was one thing they both knew to be true: it was all in the eyes. Sarah saw in his eyes everything that even the most articulate schnook in the world couldn't say.

Chuck smiled and held out his arm, which she took without a moment of hesitation. They walked into the elevator together, both with shy smiles on their faces. As the floor numbers decreased, Chuck turned his head to look her in the eyes. "You look amazing, Sarah."

Sarah thought of the hours she spent finding the perfect dress, the money spent on the perfect shoes to go with it, the thousands of crunches she'd done to keep her perfect figure, and everything else that led up to her looking perfect standing in an elevator with him. It was all worth it now that she knew Chuck had noticed even for a second. She leaned in a little closer and gripped his bicep a little tighter, thinking that she'd be holding onto this arm for the rest of her life and no one else's.

"Thank you," she said quietly, "You look nice."

Chuck admired his girlfriend, hoping beyond hope that their future kids would have her eyes. Granted, of course, that they were fortunate enough to even have kids in the future. Chuck had come to terms with the fact that in their lives the things that usually went without saying sometimes needed to be shouted from the top of a skyscraper.

Chuck was nervous that she could hear his heart beating out of his chest on the car ride there. She refrained from making some flirty comment that would catch him off guard, such as "What's the occasion, sweetheart? I didn't know they changed the date for Valentines Day." She knew why they were there. And he didn't need to know she knew. If he got nervous, he might change his mind. And biting her tongue was a small price to pay in order to insure his follow through.

On the other hand, it was kind of his fault she knew. What kind of guy puts a tracking device in a ring box and thinks his superspy girlfriend won't find out?

But so as to keep him sane Sarah waited for him to run around and get her door. She took his arm when he offered it. She let him pull out her chair for her. And she let everything he did go on without a hitch, because her only part the whole night was to say yes.

That is, until she saw what walked through the entrance in the middle of their entrées.

Chuck had his back to the door, so when Sarah choked on her wine and started coughing into her napkin, Chuck had no idea what could have caused it.

Sarah furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side, shaking off her initial response.

"You alright?" Chuck looked concerned and leaned across the table slightly.

"Yeah," she croaked as the red washed away from her face. "I think it just went down the wrong pipe."

Chuck bought her excuse and loosened up. "I hate when that happens."

Sarah darted her eyes between his and the person behind him waiting to be seated. Damn her for looking so good. Sarah could not believe this was happening. This was her night. Her perfect night. And that perfect night did not include a run-in with that woman. Sarah realized she'd have to move fast if she wanted to save the evening. The second he sees her it's over.

"So, sweetie, is there something special tonight or are you just going to make a habit out of spoiling me?" Sarah leaned forward and gave him an eyeful of cleavage. She then leaned back, inwardly shaking her head and telling herself she would not seduce him into proposing like some mark.

"Yeah, no, um, there was—is something I, uh, brought you here for," Chuck was getting more and more nervous by the second. Sarah put on a nonjudgmental look and smiled at him trying to help him out. She then put her hand over his. It was a little moist. "Sarah, we've been together for a while now, right?" She nodded encouragingly. "And everyday I look at you and think of how much you mean to me. How I couldn't live without you… and so I got to thinking. What are we waiting for? I love you more than anything in the world. And now that I have you I never want to let you go. And I think you feel the same way about me. So, Sarah—Sam… whoever the amazing woman sitting across from me is. Will you…"

It wasn't a scream. It wasn't glass breaking. It wasn't a gunshot. It wasn't Casey smashing through something. Nor was it an exploding generator, a flash, a slap, etc.

It was just a tap on the shoulder.

You know how in the movies the camera zooms in quickly on the person's face when their entire life comes crashing down around them?

Sarah couldn't bring herself to close her mouth. It just hung open. Staring at the tablecloth, she couldn't even blink. This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real.

Chuck was startled and turned around. His heart dropped into his stomach. "…Jill!"

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said obnoxiously clueless. Sarah still hadn't moved, frozen like an ice sculpture. Still staring at the tablecloth with her jaw unhinged, Sarah laughed. Just once, as she played audience to her own life. Of course. Of course Jill Roberts would show up. They haven't seen her in what? Years? But of course on this day at this time and this place, she would make her big return. Of course. Why not? It's not like the universe has ever passed up a chance at screwing with her life before.

"Jill," Sarah said trying to bite back on the level of venom in her voice. "What a surprise!"

Jill regarded her in the same way someone would if they weren't sure if they or the person behind them was being waived at.

"…Sarah," Jill dragged out in a sickeningly fake pleased voice. "What are the chances?"

"Pretty fucking good apparently," Sarah inaudibly mumbled as she stabbed at her plate.

Chuck decided to finally do something. "Jill, what are you doing here? You should be halfway across the world by now," he whispered sharply.

"Calm down, Chuck, Fulcrum is dead. I have no one to hide from."

"I'll give you someone to hide from," Sarah mumbled in a low tone.

Jill looked at her and asked, "Sorry, Sarah, what did you say?"

Sarah once again laughed bitterly to herself and ignored the woman.

"But what about the government?" Chuck still didn't understand how she could be so calm about this. "You're an escaped convict, shouldn't you be a little more cautious?"

"Jill Roberts is an escaped convict. Erin Keane is simply a lonely widower who has yet to let go from after her poor husband's death."

By only moving her eyes to look, Sarah glanced at the hand that had tapped her should-be-fiancé's shoulder. Now Sarah was simply smiling dismally in disbelief.

Chuck soon after caught on and saw the familiar ring on her hand. "J—Is that—Is that the ring I gave… handed to you?" He decided "handed" sounds much more platonic than "gave." He wanted to give Sarah a ring. He had handed Jill one. As far as he was concerned: two totally different things.

This was beginning to get too weird for Sarah. Chuck hadn't even told Jill to leave yet and now she finds out that that woman has been wearing her boyfriend's engagement ring? Seriously? Pulling her napkin off of her lap and placing it on the table, Sarah said, "Excuse me," before standing up and walking to the ladies room.

"No, Sarah, wait," Chuck tried, reaching out after her. He didn't even get to finish.

Sarah smiled at him quickly but it didn't come anywhere close to reaching her eyes. Chuck sighed and dropped his hands in defeat as he watched her turn the corner to the restrooms.

"Great," he said sounding disappointed, "That's great."

"Did I miss something?" Jill asked as she watched the couple fall apart before her very eyes.

"No," Chuck said with forced enthusiasm. "You hit it right on the mark." Standing up, he turned to face her head on. Staring into her dark eyes he said, "Give me the ring, Jill."

"It's part of my cover, Chuck, I can't get rid of it," she replied.

"Then I'll buy it off you!" He pulled out an empty check from his wallet and a pen. "How much do you want for it?"

"It's not for sale."

"Don't be ridiculous, you can buy a new one with the money," he said. "How much?"

"Not happening, Chuck."

"Why are you doing this!" Jill only stared at him, infuriating him even more. "Don't you get it? I can't go on knowing there's a woman out there wearing an engagement ring she got from me."

"Don't you mean 'Sarah' can't go on knowing that?"

"You know what? Yeah. I do. How am I supposed to give her this," he said, pulling the ring box out of his pocket and shoving it in her face, "when you're standing here with that on your finger?"

Jill's eyes locked on the ring box. She couldn't find the words to say anything.

"You know, after I helped you escape from a life of prison for crimes you no doubt committed, I'd think you'd be a little less stubborn to help me out. Just out of decency, I expected more." Chuck scoffed and said, "You really need to grow up." He barged past her in the direction of where Sarah had gone and never looked back.

Sarah had been sitting on the couch in the restroom blowing off steam. How did things get so out of control? This was not how she had envisioned this night going. Sure, she and Chuck have never been what's considered "normal," but this is just ridiculous.

She looked up when she saw a woman in her late forties wearing jewels the size of fists walk over to her. In a distinguished voice she announced (this woman did not 'say'), "I'm guessing you're Sarah?" Sarah perked her head up instantly and looked at her. "Yes, well your companion is waiting outside for you like a lovesick puppy." Sarah's eyes brightened and the woman smiled contentedly and sat down next to her. Sarah moved over to make room. "I believe he used the words 'breathtakingly beautiful' and 'eyes you can lose yourself in' when describing whom it was he wanted me to retrieve."

Sarah gave her a full smile and explained, "He's always been quite eloquent."

The woman sighed, "Yes, well I have to admit it's a nice change of pace seeing a couple that's truly in love." She held out her left hand and displayed the boulder of a diamond on her ring finger. Sarah's chest felt a pang of jealousy, not at the diamond, but at the ring itself. "As you can imagine, the circles I run with aren't much for love. Greed is in abundance, but love is secondary."

Sarah subconsciously rubbed her bare finger, the charm bracelet on her wrist sliding down at the motion. "…I got lucky, didn't I?"

"More than you'll ever know, sweetheart."

When Sarah walked out, she saw Chuck leaning against the opposite wall looking like he was in the waiting room of an ER. As if he had been caught in the act, he instantly pushed off the wall and tried standing straight in an attempt to prevent her from witnessing it.

She looked at him straightening his tie and breathed out a laugh through her nose. They both smiled crookedly at each other, expressing the inexpressible through their mutual silence. Chuck offered out his hand and she gently took it, entwining their fingers.

Jill was nowhere in sight by the time they reached their table.

"Will you hate me forever if I tell you I've lost my appetite?" She was worried but Chuck just smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

He whispered into her ear, "Actually, we were leaving whether you liked it or not." Sarah laughed and lightly hit his chest.

Chuck signaled for the check and it was quickly brought over. Opening it, he was surprised to find a single diamond ring tucked in with the receipt.

"What is it?" Sarah asked when she saw his expression.

Chuck stared into open space with a faint smile. Palming the ring, he turned to his love and said, "You're one expensive date, Miss Walker. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were only with me for my money." His signature smile appeared and she laughed.

"Oh, sweetie…" she sighed, "…You don't have any money."

Chuck stared into her eyes deeply. "You always know just what to say."

"It's a skill," she shrugged playfully. "Do we need to wait?"

"Nope," Chuck said. "Cash only. With my luck the government would come up with some reason to cancel my card and I'd be stuck here looking like an idiot."

"You underestimate how catastrophic our dates can be," Sarah said.

"Call me a romantic."

They walked out of the restaurant together and Sarah smiled at her nameless friend on the way out. The woman nodded at her and Sarah looked at the dinosaur sitting next to her. Suddenly Sarah didn't think her relationship was that abnormal after all. They went outside and waited for a taxi.

"So, what now?" she asked him. He knew full well what she was referring to.

Chuck was about to answer when a taxi for them drove up. Chuck opened the door and let her in before he followed suit. It was dark in the cab as they drove over highways and under tunnels. The streetlights flickered over their faces and Sarah leaned into his shoulder. Their driver was silent as he drove them back to Echo and the only noise was coming from the occasional contact between the rosary beads swinging from the rearview mirror. Sarah was emotionally exhausted and just wanted to power down for a while. Chuck served as her pillar and didn't mind being her pillow either. He could get used to this. Being with her. It was like she was a part of him. Chuck draped his jacket over her and she nuzzled into his neck.

He softly whispered her name and she looked at him adoringly. It was then that he reached into his pocket and grabbed the small box. He flipped it open and took out the ring. Sarah's heart was beating so fast. Putting the box back in his pocket, he held the ring between his pointer finger and thumb. He whispered to her as her gaze stayed glued on the ring. "Will you marry me?" Never taking her eyes off it, Sarah held out her hand and he slid it on her finger. He had always dreamed of marrying her. And when they finally got things right he knew it was only a matter of time. Now it was official. He was going to marry her. Not only that, but now he would know for a fact what her real name was. She was going to be a Bartowski.

"Oh, and Sarah?"

"Mm?"

Chuck pulled out the other ring in his pocket and showed it to her. "You are the only woman on the planet wearing my engagement ring."

Sarah kissed him, somehow managing to express just how much she loved him through that one gesture. Chuck then held her tighter against him and they were silent for a long while but Sarah finally spoke.

"I still want to kick her ass."

Chuck nodded. "I figured that's what you'd say."

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I really hope Jill comes back when Sarah and Chuck are finally together. That'd just be awesome. "To a night of infinite possibilities..."