A/N: We need a lighter chapter don't you think.

Chuck and Sarah vs Therapy

Chapter 10

Emily Stevens

On my way to Chuck's apartment, I reflect on the time I've known him. When I first met him, I didn't even know if I liked him. Boy was my first impression wrong. I'm normally pretty good about sizing people up.

During those last three weeks that I spent with him waiting on word from Sarah, I really came to like him. I know he loves Sarah with his whole heart. It broke my heart to see her look at him as though he were a stranger. I know it broke his.

When Sarah prepared to leave the hospital, she thought she would get a place of her own. I was instrumental in talking her into moving back in with Chuck.

I give Sarah a call when I'm about two blocks from their apartment. When she answers I tell her that I am just outside. She tells me to just come in when I get there.

When I walk through the door my heart soars. There's Sarah and Chuck sitting on the couch. Sarah is sitting on Chuck's lap with her left arm around his neck. They both look so happy.

"I see we have definitely made some progress," I say with this huge smile on my face.

"Oh Em, I'm so glad you could stop by on your way to DC," Sarah said getting up from Chuck to give me a hug.

Chuck followed her and gave me a hug as well. I held him tight and rubbed his back. We held each others gaze for a second expressing the happiness we both felt. I am not sure but I thought I saw a puzzled look briefly cross Sarah's face as she saw our exchange.

"I don't want to say I told you so but…I told you so," I say smiling at her. "When did you get your memories back?"

Now it's my turn to watch a silent communication with just their eyes.

"She's hasn't really got her memories back Em." Chuck said calling me by Sarah's nickname. Only Sarah and now Chuck call me that. Sarah noticed that as well.

"I don't understand."

"We've been role playing. The last couple of weeks Dr. Carter has had us pretending for one night to be Sarah Walker and Chuck Bartowski, engaged couple."

My heart sank.

"We do everything that we did when we were together…well except sleep together."

I saw disappointment on his face as he said that. I turn to Sarah and search her eyes. "I don't know why you draw the line at your bedroom door Sarah," I say.

She smiled at me good naturedly.

"A girl has got to have her secrets," she says looking at Chuck with a teasing expression.

"Girl, you've told Chuck all your secrets a long time ago." I look at one to the other. I see a look of shock on Sarah's face. She knows she has slept with Chuck in the past. Somehow that knowledge was just a sterile bit of information that she hadn't really processed. But now that she was feeling a little closer to him, the knowledge of their intimacy took on a new meaning to her.

"The thing is," Chuck said with a hint of a smile that gradually turned into a huge grin. "Role playing day was yesterday."

I look at Sarah asking for an explanation with my expression.

"It's like this Em. I like being in love with Chuck, even if I don't actually feel those emotions here." She pointed to her chest.

I turned a puzzled expression from Chuck back to Sarah.

Chuck had set back down on the couch and was listening to us from there. Sarah turned and jumped back in his lap throwing her arm around his neck just the way she was when I first walked in.

"I like the way it makes me feel to have my arms around his neck. I know that sounds stupid." She finished talking but could not suppress her grin.

"Sarah, you know how I feel about you… the two of you?"

"I didn't at first but I do now. I get it."

I look at them both happy and clearly in love. She doesn't even know it yet but she's fallen in love with him again. He's captured her heart for the second time. My mind wonders off even though I can tell they are talking to me. The powerful thought that I have will not be denied. How many couples who love each other completely when suddenly one of them loses all memory of the other? How many could find their way home. Home to the person they love. I was thinking along these lines when I heard Chuck ask.

"How long can you stay?"

"I have to leave tomorrow night," I say a little sad that I can not stay longer.

I look back to Sarah and decide that I can help them yet again. "Sarah, I know this might be embarrassing for you but you should sleep with Chuck. And not soon, you should sleep with him tonight. I have not steered you wrong yet have I?"

She gave him a coy look. "We'll see," she said.

It was early and I know that everyone in the apartment wished it was time for bed. Even I was excited because I knew Sarah had already decided she would join Chuck tonight. But- we had at least three hours before that was going to happen.

Chuck went to make some dinner for us giving Sarah a chance to broach a subject that she had decided she needed to speak with me about since she saw Chuck and I hug.

"Em, when you stayed with Chuck while I was away. How did things go with you two?"

I knew what she was really asking. I shocked her by turning her world upside down. "Well Sarah, the truth is…we fell in love. The only reason I stopped by was to pick Chuck up on my way to DC." I just watched her face. She went from disbelief to very hurt to anger. When I saw her anger grow I knew I better not press my luck much further.

"Sarah, I'm just kidding. Chuck was so concerned about you he couldn't do anything but worry and cry himself to sleep." I looked at her and saw her start to calm down but the question remained on her face.

"Why did I just say those things? Because Sarah, you've fallen in love with Chuck all over again. Think about what you felt when you thought that Chuck had betrayed you. Pain right, pain in your heart, the kind of pain that only love can bring."

We ate and talked and laughed and then as it came time to go to bed, an air of hesitancy grew in the room. I was not going to allow her to back out because of fear.

"OK, you two get off to bed. I know where my room is. I'll turn the TV on just in case." I said as I pushed them towards the bedroom. "You'll thank me for this tomorrow,"

"Just put your arms around his neck and everything will follow from there," I yelled through the door at Sarah. I was laughing as I went into my bedroom.

X-X

I look at her over my coffee cup as I take the first sip. The smell of coffee in the morning always makes me feel good. Today, I don't need the coffee. I feel great just seeing the look in her eye. Chuck was still in bed and Sarah said she doubted if he would be up for a couple more hours. I look at Sarah again. If I were a great photographer this would be my one and only chance at immortality. Because setting across the table from me was the pure essence of a woman in love. I'm not sure that a camera can catch the texture, the mood, the look in her eye that you only saw with just the right angle. But I would love to take that picture.

"So…how was everything?" I ask not able to wait any longer.

She smiled at me. "Em…I don't have the words to thank you for what you've done for Chuck and me…mainly me. From insisting that I stay here with him… to last night. I will never be able to express my gratitude."

"All right all ready. Tell me about last night. How was it?"

The seriousness left her face as she smiled replaying the night in her mind. "Last night was special. It was unique is some ways. You tell me that I am in love with Chuck but I'm not sure that I feel that in my heart."

"Sarah, I don't know how you can say that. I can see it on your face. I'm not sure what you think you should be feeling."

"I know what I felt last night and it was amazing. The only thing I have to compare it with was when I was with Bryce. I always thought that was the best but this…this was…on a different level."

"Details," I say.

"Without getting too graphic, I could not let go of him. It occurred to me that I love hanging on to him. I want to remember to ask Dr. Carter if that could be some kind of symbolic act or something. But anyway, while we were making love I held on to him so tight. Like I was afraid of losing him again."

I could not believe that Sarah was talking about this so openly. But I listened with rapt attention. She suddenly smiled.

"You know why he's still in bed? Because he sure didn't get much sleep last night. I wish I could remember the three years that I've lost but even if I never do…I have decided that I want to go ahead with our original plan of getting married this fall."

"I'll marry you if I'm still alive," Chuck said as he walked to the coffee pot.

Sarah and I shared an amused smile before she got up to put her arms around his chest from behind.

"Good morning," she said and pulled him tight towards her.

I watched her lay her head on his back. My heart sang for her. I knew that they still had issues they would need to work out but if she could find her way back to him from where she was…then I knew they would find a way to make it work.