So I don't even want to know how long it's been. All I know is that it's been WAY TOO LONG. Actually, I think I do know maybe. For the first week I was being pretty lackadaisical, obsessing over Wimbledon. The second week, I was in downtown Chicago. I'd like to say I was doing research for this story, but I was still doing much of nothing. I did see a Cubs game (GO CUBS! They did lose though...), so maybe I'll include a Cubs game family outing in a future chapter. Anyway, since then I've been again doing nothing, but in the suburbs. Though, for the past few days, I've been hanging out at the house I model the house in this story after. That got me all pumped and motivated again, feeling a sense of being in this story, so I rewrote the entire chapter 7. I had most of it done, but I 86-ed it. I think that's why I wasn't too motivated before. It wasn't good enough for you guys. I definitely love it now, so here it goes...
It's also the first part hence the title...
"Did you hear that?" breathed out Sarah, stopping her line of kisses on Chuck's abdomen while still straddling him.
"No-" answered Chuck. He pulled her down to him, wanting to thank the lips that just lovingly breezed down his neck to lower chest. Just as his tongue slipped between her lips, she pulled up again, suddenly freezing.
"Someone's here."
Sarah practically flew off of the bed (and off of other things as well), and threw on everything Chuck helped her take off. Immediately within those few seconds, Chuck reacted in pulling the blanket back up to him. He sat up, still in quite a daze since he was completely confused, and just followed his eyes to the scurrying Sarah around him.
"Sarah, what are you doing? No one's here-" Chuck spoke, but inevitably too soon. The doorbell rang and his eyes sprung to their largest opening possible. Sarah's eyes went wide as well, but a second before Chuck's did considering she was looking out the window to the door below, seeing who had rung the doorbell. He couldn't comprehend completely, and just stayed glued to the bed. All he could say was, "Just kidding?"
"Put some pajamas on. Okay, Chuck? This is going to be a long night."
"Well, I was kind of hoping it would be," he mumbled.
"Chuck-"
"-Got it."
After finding his boxers from a random place underneath the covers and slipping them on, he finally got out of the bed and crossed the room to the dresser. Before doing so, he turned around to figure out where Sarah had stealthy gone to. Apparently she was already in their adjacent bathroom, checking herself in the mirror and trying to figure out what to do with her sex-ed up hair. During such, the doorbell rang another time.
"So," kind of yelled Chuck, trying to get Sarah's attention from their bathroom. He put on his green stripped pajama pants, and a dodgers t-shirt Sarah had got for him months ago. "Do you know who it is?"
"Yes," answered Sarah. She hurriedly put her hair in a ponytail, went back to their room, and then continued, "And you do too."
"What?"
Chuck followed Sarah out of the room, though couldn't help but stop as he looked down and through the glass panel front doors, knowing completely who was at the door. Sarah did the honor of unlocking and opening the door to the exuberant couple hiding behind it, and displayed her own smile, but one of definite confusion.
"Surprise!!!" squealed Ellie. She immediately hugged Sarah, taking a step in the house. As soon as she did, she was able to notice Chuck's own confused self slowly walking down the stairs quite hesitantly.
"Ellie," said Chuck, finally making it to the bottom of the stairs. "Wh-What are you-"
She cut Chuck off mid question, and chose him as the next person to hug, definitely on an excitable high. Chuck looked bewildered at Devon, who just was guided in with their luggage. Devon apologetically smiled at him after letting the luggage down to hug Sarah as well. All Chuck could do in response was give one of his famous weird chuckle. Ellie finally released herself from him and caught a glance of his completely-dumbfounded-that-his-sister-just-flew-here-at-the-worst-possible-time-ever look, but couldn't fully see it since her excitement prohibited such. Though she stopped the hug, her hands kept gripped firmly to his arms.
"Chuck! You cut your hair!" squealed Ellie once again.
"Yeah-"
"And since when do you not shave?"
"I didn't have time today."
"Why didn't you call me back?"
"My phone broke and I've been busy. Wait, Ellie, what are you doing here?"
"So I can't surprise my kid brother? Oh you know, the same kid brother who seemed to fall off the face of the earth a few weeks ago. I'm surprised I even found you."
"Well, how...How did you again?"
"Dad told me."
"Dad told you?"
"Well just google and strenuous phone calls to practically everyone didn't work. I knew Dad with that new important government job in D.C. probably was our best bet. So I called him and asked if he could do some searching in some federal database for your address."
"Ellie, that's illegal."
"Chuck, why am I getting the feeling that you don't want us here?"
"Well, maybe because I'm not a fan of surprises."
"Your home phone number wasn't listed, so I blame you for the surprise!"
"Chuck, it's fine," cut in Sarah.
"It is?" said Chuck, leading his eyes upstairs, intending to indicate the little boy occupying Andy's room.
"What's upstairs, Chuck?" asked Ellie, folding her arms.
"Nothing. We'll discuss that later."
"Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"What? No. Why would you think that?" answered and asked Chuck, saying the last line through his teeth while staring at Devon.
"It's just...First of all, how could you afford this house? This is like double the size of our apartment."
"I'd actually say triple if we're not going to count the basement; but you know, I'd saved a lot of money throughout the years...Invested it! That's how I paid for your second wedding. Also the place I had just worked for had given me a bonus when I signed my contract. As a matter of fact, I actually found out about the job, because my financial planner worked for the same place."'
"Worked for? What's with this worked for? You don't work there anymore?"
"Yeah, I got a new job. And also, the cost of living out here is so much less than California. I mean with taxes alone-"
"Why'd you get a new job?"
"It pays more? Bigger office too. I also have a secretary now, or that's just what they're telling me. Do you think we can stop with the interrogation for just a minute?"
"Okay," said Ellie, smiling, "I just can't believe my little brother is finally growing up. This is huge, and I'm not just meaning this house."
"This is awesome!" chimed in Devon, gliding over to Ellie and putting an arm around her.
"Ha," laughed Chuck, "Yes, very awesome."
"This is all real, Chuckles?" questioned Awesome.
"Yes, Devon, why wouldn't it be?"
Devon shrugged nervously.
"Alright then," yawned Chuck, being fake, "You guys are probably really tired from all that traveling; I'm assuming. And God knows I'm tired." He looked at Sarah, and she rolled her eyes, smiling though. "So we'll catch up tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright, Chuck," said Ellie, "Is this really okay, though? I mean, you guys don't seem that excited."
"No, no, I'm excited. We're excited?"
"We're excited," chimed in Sarah.
"See? We're just tired and a little shocked, but still very pumped. Okay, if you go upstairs and make a right, the guest room is to the left. I'm just going to go and get some water before I head off to bed myself. I'm definitely parched. Sarah, you're parched too, right?"
"Parched? Sure."
"Alright, that settles it. Goodnight, you too," rambled on Chuck, patting both on the back before they walked upstairs.
As soon as they started their slow trek upstairs with their luggage in tow, Chuck grabbed Sarah's hand and rushed both of them to the playroom nearby and shut the door quietly. Making sure their tones would be hushed, Chuck whispered, "Sarah, what are we gonna do?"
"I don't know. Wow...Definitely a surprise."
"Wow? Yes, wow. Do you think Devon told her?"
"I mean, maybe. But we could just say that we moved here to get away from all that. I think we need to talk to the General."
"But I think she'll kick my ass as much as she could through a television screen once she finds out I told Devon. She only approved that Ellie know my dad had some government job. If she thinks our cover is in danger, she'll shut off this entire mission too soon and-"
"-You'll go to an underground bunker while-"
"Andy does too."
"So what are we going to say about him?"
Before each could think of a good enough rationalization, their time was up like usual these days. They could blatantly hear a shriek come from Ellie upstairs, and then a call for both of them. Chuck and Sarah bolted out of the room and up the stairs. Someone could assume the worst would be a bad guy breaking in their house, threatening Ellie and Awesome with their lives. Chuck and Sarah knew better though. The worst they were assuming was that Ellie and Devon had just been introduced to Andy prematurely somehow. The assumption became a fact when they reached the top of the stairs, looking at Ellie with her mouth open while she stared at Andy across from her.
"You two finally met..." said Chuck, his fake excitement gradually going away with each word.
"What are you talking about, Dad?" sleepily said Andy, but still aware of his cover.
"Dad!?!" yelled Ellie.
"You're probably wondering who this is," said Chuck, "Would you like an explanation, Ellie?"
He turned to Sarah for approval. She shrugged, trying to think of an explanation herself.
"Please!?"
"Okay, well, this is Andy" again rambled Chuck, "He's Sarah's kid. You see, she had him about five years ago? Back when she lived in D.C."
"What!?" yelled Sarah this time.
"I'm sorry, honey. I know this is a sore subject and all. Anyway, the father, Bryce-I mean, Bruce, had custody. Suffice to say," whispered Chuck, "...He's dead now. So here's Andy! Sweet and lovable Andy! And Andy, this is your Aunt Ellie."
"Aunt Ellie?" barely choked out Ellie.
"A little presumptuous maybe? Just Ellie, Andy. And remember, I said you can just call me Chuck. Oh, and this is her husband, Awesome."
"Just Devon is fine, little bro," said Devon, not as shocked as Ellie.
Aware of the situation and mainly that Ellie was still quite apprehensive towards him, Andy took a step towards her.
"You know, today Chuck had said I'd meet you someday. Who knew it'd actually be today, right?"
"Right."
"It's a pleasure, Ellie," politely said Andy, "I was just thinking- you thought you were surprising us, and here we are surprising you."
Ellie finally giggled, "Right again. Well it's nice to meet you, Andy."
"You too, Ellie. And Devon or Captain Awesome, the same goes for you."
"Sarah, he's gorgeous," interrupted Ellie, amazed at this little boy in front of her.
"Thank you," replied Sarah, briefly averting her angry eyes from Chuck.
"Alright, then. I'm glad we got all this cleared up," said Chuck, "Andy, bed time?"
Andy answered, "Of course," then he flashed his pearly baby teeth at Ellie before going back into his room. His plan to woo her definitely worked.
"-And I'm so tired," said Chuck, "Bed time for me too. Ellie and Awesome, you guys are good with the guest room?"
"Chuck-"
"Ellie, please? We'll talk more tomorrow, alright? I'm saying please here..."
"Okay, Okay. I guess you're right. Goodnight guys."
She turned around and went in the guest room. Devon followed for a bit, but only to close the door.
He turned around and smiled, "I really like your new set up."
"Thanks."
"This is all real?" asked Devon, taking a step forward, then whispered, "No spy stuff, right?"
"Right," whispered Sarah also, "We left that all back in Burbank."
"Oh! Wow, well that's cool. I mean, the spy stuff was cool too. It was awesome, but this is good too. Mazal tov, you two!"
Chuck put on the best smile he could. "Thanks."
Right as Devon gave his last smile of salutations to then turn around and enter the guest room as well, Sarah started walking towards the master bedroom without Chuck. Chuck, having been in front of Sarah while talking with Devon and Ellie (and also since Sarah's training had taught her to be insanely stealth of course), didn't notice Sarah leave to go back into the room. He finally noticed when he turned around to nothing, and the door was shut to the master bedroom. This time tonight when he entered his room after Sarah, she wasn't in there anxiously waiting for him, sitting up in bed. No, this time she was lying in bed turned away from Chuck's side of the bed with all the candles blown out of course. After he brushed his teeth, he'd hoped she wouldn't still be up, because he knew what was coming. As he settled in bed beside her, she turned around to face him after clicking the TV on from the remote on the nightstand.
"What were you thinking, Chuck? That was the best excuse you could come up with?"
"Hey- it worked, didn't it? And I didn't hear you saying anything."
"I was thinking, but then you had to just start rambling away as usual."
"I don't see what was so bad about it."
"Are you kidding me? Your sister probably thinks I'm some dead beat mom!"
"Come again?"
"I'd rather move to California to run a wienerlicious than stay in D.C. and be by my son?! Oh, I'd say I'm worthy of mom of the year."
"Okay, I didn't think about that, but Ellie is very forgiving. What else was I supposed to say?"
"Well, maybe that he was your illegitimate kid with Jill?"
"Okay, first of all, Jill and I both have brown eyes. The kid's eyes are like the color of the freakin' Atlantic."
"Genetic recombination, Chuck."
"Well, sorry, not all of us went to Harvard, you Ivy League snob."
"Oh, because Stanford is really that much different, right? Besides, you learn that in high school biology!"
"Ellie would never believe that. She knows me too well. You, on the other hand, are practically a wonder to everybody. I mean, I'm like the only one who knows you."
"You know me, Chuck?"
"Yeah, I'd say I do."
"Well then, you should know I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want to go to sleep."
She turned to face the ceiling instead of his face after reaching out her arm to the nightstand to turn off the TV, completely finished with this conversation.
"Come on, Sarah," pleaded Chuck, staring at the ceiling now too, "I do know you can't stay mad at me forever."
"And why's that?"
"...You said you love me," said Chuck, taking a chance from her earlier confession.
"Well, I guess I'm going to have to stay mad at you for as long as I possibly can then."
Grasping at the bit of confidence Sarah had now instilled in him, Chuck just took her hand underneath the covers, intertwining their fingers. Though she was mad, Sarah responded in exactly the same way, but kept her eyes still at the ceiling. Her barriers started to fall with each growing second of their contact.
Fully aware of that, Sarah said, "You know, you can't just exploit that."
"Exploit what?" responded Chuck, being facetious.
"You're really going to make me say it?"
"Apparently."
"That I love you, Chuck. If I'm mad, then I'm mad. Okay?"
"Okay."
Just as Sarah closed her eyes and started to fall asleep, Chuck's chuckling beside her stopped such action.
"What?" asked Sarah, pushing herself up to fully stare at his laughing body.
"You left your son for the wienerlicious," laughed Chuck, "It's just nice to know your priorities aren't messed up, Sarah."
"Shut up!"
In one swift move and just like earlier, Chuck was on top of Sarah, and her legs found solace in wrapping around his thighs. His lips went to hers, and she lovingly obliged in the kissing. Just as she started nudging his pajama pants off, and accidentally his boxers too, Chuck stopped. Feverishly trying to get to where they both intended to go, Sarah accidentally bit his lip when he stopped.
"You know, Sarah, you stopped being mad earlier than I thought you would. Us...Before...It was that good, huh?"
"That good? Don't kid yourself, Chuck. It was no where near how it used to be with Andy's real father."
With that unexpected response from Sarah, Chuck's shoulders fell; but just as he started backing away, Sarah's arms that were around his neck pulled his ear to her mouth, "It was...ridiculously better."
His lips slammed into hers again, but then he stopped again.
"You do realize that's a little weird considering you're talking about a dead guy."
Sarah laughed, "Don't tell me you didn't like it though."
"So I guess you know me too."
Chuck put his full weight on his knees as he sprung up, crossed his arms at the bottom of his shirt, and threw it off of him. Sarah smiled as his chest expanded, and she found herself marveling the surprising six pack displayed right in front of her. Once his arms went back to his side and his abs became relaxed, bulging out a bit, she grabbed both of his shoulders, once again noticing surprising muscles but now in the slightly larger shoulder muscles that led to his neck. He looked down below, giving her a bit of the Bartowski eye brow dance before lowering himself and beginning another round of the 'ridiculously better.' The night actually did turn out to be a long night, like both had intended it to be. Who knew?
It was amazing- lying, embraced in Chuck's arms; holding Sarah in his arms.
It was like the outside world always seemed to cease away when they were together like this. Chuck was right- Sarah couldn't stay mad at him forever because she loved him. It always was like that. Most recently for example, her anger at him for uploading the new intersect was stripped away by her love for him, him being the true version of courageous and caring Chuck that was always illuminated in his simple vulnerability. And whenever Chuck would go through any of his convictions, he'd be so nervous, knowing there could be a response from Sarah that could break him way more than any of her CIA trained physical strategies could prove as fatal. There was too much to love about Chuck, and there was too much to love about Sarah. Though again for simplicity's sake, nothing felt better than this moment of being complete with each other...Nothing.
Sarah started to wake up, immediately feeling tickled by Chuck's chest hairs underneath her chin. She lifted that chin up to take a glance at the sleeping Chuck above. Unknowingly her lips curled upwards, and then she laid her back in its previous spot. Sarah wrapped her arms tighter around him, took a deep breath, and fell back asleep, not caring about being tickled. Then again, chest hair on a man in an appropriate amount always grabbed her interest.
Chuck had actually been awake during all of this. He'd woken up a good thirty seconds before she did, and also creepily but lovingly stole a glance at his own sleepy lover. It was hard not to; and like Sarah decided as well, it was hard not to want to wake up from this just yet.
Though eventually their sleepy nirvana had to end, and both were now in the kitchen making breakfast together with Andy. Ellie and Awesome were still sleeping considering jet-lag and the two hour time difference, giving way for this synchronized and fun moment for the fake family. Ellie loved pancakes; but Sarah, apparently a household goddess, intended to spice up the pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips. In a way as well, she wanted Ellie to have a perfect breakfast so it'd be harder start talking and interrogating them again in the middle of it.
Hearing laughing and other hysterics from the downstairs, it was hard to stay asleep even though Ellie Woodcomb was extremely tired. There were two story ceilings from the family room (connected to the kitchen) that led to the upstairs, making the sounds even that more prevalent and loud. She snuck a bit down to the island that connected the two sets of stairs to the first floor, and rubbed her eyes to make sure what she was seeing was really what she was seeing. Chuck held Andy up on his right side in front of the stove on the island while Andy attempted to flip a pancake. On Chuck's other side was Sarah stirring more batter, and all of them smiling all the while. Right as Andy sprung the spatula up, the pancake went flying, half of it landing on the side of the pan, and the other half landing beside it on the stove. Chuck and Andy were the first to erupt in laughter, and Sarah followed once she noticed what had just happened. Devon had walked out of the room right afterward from the more and more laughing.
"Hey, what's going on, Ellie?" asked Devon stepping towards her.
"Shhhh!" whispered Ellie, moving her eyes to indicate that she was spying on the three below.
Sarah had decided she'd take over the flipping since Chuck just tried and did worse than Andy-the entire pancake landed on the stove. Andy and Chuck agreed, and moved to the left to focus on eating some slices of banana, or mostly the chocolate chips, while letting Sarah work her magic. Right when he did though, Chuck also wrapped an arm around her waist, kissed her cheek, then moved lower and kissed the side of her neck. Though this time, he let his lips linger a few seconds longer while on her neck. She closed her eyes, loving the tender lips on her skin and surprising burning feeling of his scruff on her sensitive skin as well, remembering the night before. Once the adorably sweet but sensual kiss was over, Sarah opened her eyes and turned her head. Both smiled at each other for just a second before returning respectively to their eating and flipping.
Interesting enough, Sarah didn't even notice that Ellie and then Devon were spying on them. Love definitely distracted her. Being with Chuck made her forget for a bit that she is in fact a trained and highly deadly CIA agent. He made her feel normal. And this, making breakfast for company, was definitely normal. Strangely normal, thought Ellie, but adorable nonetheless.
Ellie did eventually love the pancakes. Everyone loved the pancakes. They all sat at the circular granite kitchen table, groaning with each bite of the insanely good pancakes. Instead of groaning in love of the pancakes with each bite, Chuck's hand squeezing Sarah's lower thigh with every bite did its own justice. Every now and then Sarah would slightly giggle, give Chuck a look, kind of rub her hand above Chuck's, then stare back at the table. Andy would giggle, because Sarah would giggle; but anytime anyone would look at Andy to see what he was chuckling about, he would just genuinely smile back at you before returning to his food. Though when Chuck would look at him, Andy would laugh even harder. This would then influence a funny face on Chuck towards him, provoking Andy to erupt in more laughter.
It was all kind of surreal for Ellie and Devon, but most of all Ellie. Watching the three of them and seeing her brother sublimely and yet very simply happy was what Ellie realize that though this was weird, this was good. Chuck seemed to finally be on top of the world. He had nothing holding him back anymore: not a degree that wasn't a finished, not a job he couldn't stand, not a lifestyle that didn't match his potential, and definitely not an overbearing sister breathing down his neck. It seemed that everything was in his control. Or so it seemed...
The phone rang, and Chuck sprung up to answer it. Just as he did, Ellie could see Chuck's hand release from Sarah's left hand in mid air. She could also swear she saw the rock of a wedding ring too. Speechless, she of course stayed silent while Chuck was on the phone.
"Hello?" said Chuck.
"Bartowski, you better have a damn good explanation why you turned off all the surveillance in your house!" yelled Casey.
Chuck clutched the phone closer to his ear and mouth.
He said, "I do. Can't talk now though; call me later," then hung up the phone.
He closed the blinds fully on the adjacent full length windows and doors to the kitchen table, and then sat back down.
"Who was it?" asked Andy.
"Telemarketer. So much for that 'do not call' list, right?"
"Sarah," said Ellie, "What's on your left hand?"
"Huh?"
"Left hand. Ring finger."
Sarah looked to Chuck to once again blurt in an explanation, but he just gulped.
"You guys got married!!! I can't believe this! When were you planning to tell me!"
"I'm guessing you didn't already know from the mailbox that does indicate the plural form of Bartowski," said Chuck.
"No! Are you kidding me, Chuck? You got married!"
"Yeah, so what's the big deal?!"
With that ridiculous question, everyone at the table (including Sarah and Andy) looked wide eyed at Chuck.
"The big deal...The big deal!?!!?"
Just as Ellie took back her thought that Chuck had everything in control, the thought was suddenly turning into a fact. Casey, thinking that the fake Bartowski clan were being held hostage, slipped a gun in the back of his pants, and slyly moved along the side of their fence in the backyard to get to the house without being noticed. Chuck didn't even know that this was happening. It could've been in part to the closed blinds ahead of him; but in any case, Chuck was definitely not in control right now...
You know, some may wonder why I leave some chapters on cliffhangers. You might think it's because I like playing with you guys or whatever. The real reason most of the time (like this time)? I'm not too sure on the next part. So take some time and review. Tell me if you liked this chapter, if you like how it's progressing as a story, and/or where you want it to progress.
The simple minute it takes to review might not seem like much, but it matters a hell of a lot to me as the writer who annoying has "severe ADHD" (as my neurologist puts it), making it hard to ever focus and get motivated. And I sincerely wish that I was kidding, because I love this story. lol. I also wish I was kidding, because professors usually get extremely annoyed with me in class but that's a totally different story. ahahaha.
