Chuck VS The Picture

Notes: This takes place in Season 3 and in the future when Grace is about 2.

***555***

"I promise I was not snooping," Chuck said his hands held up in surrender.

Sarah looked up from the magazine she was reading and arched a manicured brow at him.

"Promise," he reiterated.

"I believe you, Chuck. What did you find?" Sarah unfolded her long legs and approached her boyfriend, her new roommate, the first man she had ever lived with.

"I was putting away your laundry and the drawer stuck…."

"You were putting away my laundry?" she smiled, no one had ever done her laundry for her before.

"Yes, is that not OK? I mean, I was trying to make you feel at home and I didn't think you would mind me handling your delicates, since I now get to handle your….delicates…." he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You are a dork, but no it's fine, it's great, it is very nice of you to do my laundry," she tugged him close and kissed him softly.

"Oh good," he said his eyes still closed from the kiss.

"But what were you snooping around?" she pinched his cheek.

"I wasn't snooping, that was my initial point, but when I tried to close the drawer it wouldn't close, it was stuck so I jiggled it and this came out and landed at my feet," Chuck reached around to pull a small photo from his pocket.

The photo was of a little girl, clearly Sarah maybe 4 years old, dressed as a cowboy with a hat, a vest with a big silver star, a holster with 2 pistols hanging and boots with spurs.

"Oh no," she moaned and covered her face.

"You had a thing for fire arms at an early age Ms. Walker," he crossed his arms when she took the photo and held it close.

"I don't have a lot of pictures from when I was little," she said simply.

"I know," his voice was soft.

"I liked this one, I took it when my grandmother died. She kept it on her dresser. I had it in a safety deposit box for a long time, I shouldn't have it, but after I saw my dad last year, I needed it," Sarah told him honestly.

Sarah had been a lot more forthcoming about the little details of her past since the train. That time locked away in a cabin when they were either sleeping, having sex or talking led to all sorts of admissions.

"Well then we should keep it on our dresser. I'll find a frame," Chuck took off and headed for the closet in the hall.

Sarah stood in the same spot looking at her younger self. She remembered how much she loved that costume, the spurs clicked as she walked down the sidewalk trick or treating with her small hand in her dad's bigger one. She liked the feel of the guns at her hips, the tilt of the hat on her head.

"What's going on in your head?" Chuck asked.

"Huh?" Sarah saw him holding a frame.

"You have the cutest little smile on your face."

"I was happy this day," she stretched out her arms and invited Chuck in, to her embrace, to her heart.

"I'm glad," his words were so sincere they made Sarah's heart clench, she pulled him closer.

"Bedroom," she whispered.

"You want to put the picture on the dresser?" he asked as he pulled back.

"That too," Sarah grinned and walked past him.

Chuck caught on to what she actually wanted to do in the bedroom and picked up the pace. Sarah had her shirt off over her head before Chuck could say anything, but he squeaked.

"What?"

"Window is open," Chuck pointed.

"No one's out there," Sarah said as she approached the window in her black lacy bra…. "oh, hey Devon," Sarah waved as she covered herself with her shirt and closed the window and the shade.

"Oops," she grinned at Chuck.

"You are no longer living on the 23rd floor of a high rise hotel," he smirked back.

"I know. I don't live alone any more either and running from the bathroom to here naked because I forgot to bring my clothes in when I showered is not a good idea," she frowned.

Chuck just opened his eyes wide.

"I don't think Morgan actually saw me."

"Well he is still alive, so I would say he didn't."

"You're still alive," she said as she proceeded to take the rest of her clothes off.

"I am a strong man," he groaned softly when she was fully on view to him.

"Yes, you are," she nodded and stepped closer to him.

"I enjoy having you here," Chuck said casually.

"Yeah?" she tilted her head to one side.

He just swallowed loudly and nodded.

"I'm feeling under-dressed," she looked him up and down.

"Yeah, right, sorry," he shook off the fog of lust he was feeling and quickly got out of his own clothes.

"Better," Sarah chuckled.

"So very much better," he agreed as he approached her and kissed her.

Sarah returned the kiss and held him close.

***555***

5 years later…

"Please don't cry, I know it is just hormones, but please don't cry," Chuck said as he balanced his phone between his ear and shoulder as he walked from the office to his car.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just can't believe I totally spaced on Halloween."

"We both did, it's been hectic. I can handle this, do not give it another thought, just give Grace a bath and I will be home in time to get her dressed and take her out."

Chuck had been working 24 hours a day on a new piece of anti-virus software, an upgrade to his initial design. Sarah had just found out she was pregnant for the 2nd time and was equal parts exhausted and sick most days, she had all she could do to keep Grace fed and mildly entertained. Halloween had snuck up on the Bartowskis.

Chuck knew there was no way there were any Halloween costumes left in the stores, not the premade variety. He was going to have to improvise. While driving over towards Large Mart an idea struck that made him smile.

"Honey, I'm home!" Chuck announced as he came through the door with a bag in hand.

Sarah and Grace were at the table eating macaroni and cheese.

"Thank you," Sarah said by way of greeting.

"My pleasure," Chuck said with a tired smile as he kissed Grace's cheek.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"Hey, buttercup, you excited to go trick or treating?"

"Candy!" everything Grace said was an exclamation.

"Will you share with, daddy?" Chuck asked as he helped himself to some mac & cheese.

Grace seemed to ponder that for a long time.

"I think that means no," Sarah laughed.

"How are you today?" Chuck asked vaguely.

"Not terrible. I think I might go with you," Sarah said.

"Yeah?" Chuck smiled broadly.

Sarah just nodded. Once the food was consumed Chuck directed Sarah to the couch to relax while he herded Grace off to get in her costume.

Twenty minutes later they returned and as Sarah turned around her eyes widened.

"Oh Chuck," she started.

"Do not cry," he laughed.

"It's all I do lately," she sniffled, "but seriously. I love you so much."

In front of Sarah was a 2 year old Grace with brown pants, a white shirt and a red vest with a big silver star. She had a holster with 2 pistols and boots with shiny silver spurs and a cowboy hat perched on her pig-tailed head. Chuck had jeans and a plaid shirt on with boots and a hat of his own.

"There were no costumes left, I had to improvise. They had this cowboy set in the toy department," he shrugged.

"I love it," Sarah said and she looked in her husband's eyes to let him know how much.

"You still want to join us, you could wear the hat," Chuck took off his hat and offered it to his wife.

She didn't speak, just nodded and took the hat. The little family headed out and joined the throngs of kids and parents strolling around the neighborhood on a lovely night in Southern California. Grace ran in to a couple friends from her play group and the parents all chatted amicably. Grace started to lose steam after a while though and Chuck scooped her up, one spur dangling off her boot.

"Want a Snickers?" Sarah asked as Chuck came down from putting Grace to bed.

"We pillaging the kid's candy already?" Chuck grinned.

"Yep," Sarah nodded around a mouthful of Almond Joy.

"It's early, want to watch a scary movie?"

"You know I do. The Shining?" she asked with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Sure, go change. I'll make popcorn."

An hour later and Chuck and Sarah were curled up on the couch, Jack Nicholson slowly descending in to madness, the popcorn bowl had only a few partially popped kernels left and there were several empty candy wrappers scattered about.

"I can't believe you remembered the cowgirl costume," Sarah looked up from her spot on his chest.

"It kind of hit me out of the blue. I don't know where that picture is, but we have to find it and print one of Grace to go beside it," he said quietly against the crown of her head.

Sarah sat there a moment longer just reveling in her life, in this man, who was so unlike every other person in her life before him. Chuck had a sense of place, of family, that she had missed out on – that he should have missed out on too but for Ellie.

"I love you," she leaned up a bit to kiss him.

The hormones and her affection for him coalesced in to quite a kiss, Sarah's toes curling against the couch cushion and her heart speeding up a bit. She encouraged Chuck underneath her and draped her body out over his. She had been so tired and pukey in the early days of her pregnancy, but that was gone for the moment and all she wanted was to keep kissing him.

Chuck readily complied, his big warm hands against her back, one sliding down over her bottom to tug her thigh against his own. They kissed like this for a long time, until the snow got very bad at the Overlook Hotel and the room around them was fully dark but for the flickering light from the TV. Sarah sat up and pulled her tee shirt off over her head and unbuttoned Chuck's shirt to feel his skin against hers.

"You OK? You good?" Chuck asked, totally breathless and sexy.

"Yeah, yeah," Sarah agreed readily.

"Bed?" Chuck tried to sit up with his wife on top of him.

"Now," Sarah insisted and reached between them to deal with pants.

"Mmmm, kay, good…now," Chuck babbled nonsensically as he kissed along her bare shoulder.

Later as he stroked her back and they both tried to catch their breath, Chuck giggled.

"What?"

"I love how the sweetest most sincere conversation turned into super hot sex," Chuck laughed again.

"Have you met us?" Sarah joined in, "doing the laundry turns in to super hot sex."

"We are very hot," Chuck grinned.

"Seriously though, I love you so much. I always have and I always will."

The End