Disclaimer: I do not own Chuck and there is no copyright infringement is intended.

Anti-Kryptonite continues to help me and for that I am grateful.


February 13

Chicago

Jill stepped off the plane, duffle bag in hand, and made her way to the airport parking lot. Her eyes searched for the car, quickly scanning the back row of the cars parked next to the open grassy field.

When she spotted it, she walked to the car, opened the door, and sat down in the driver's seat. She reached over, opened the center console, reached in, and pulled out an envelope. She looked inside it, grabbed the keys, pulled out the files, and skimmed over them. She realized rather quickly that these files were not on Chuck, but rather his sister, Ellie.

They contained detailed information about Ellie's age, date of birth, college GPA, Degree, expertise, a history of her involvement on the Intersect project and Operation Barktowski. These files were so detailed they even included information about her hobbies and interests, and what all she liked to do in her spare time.

She was a part of the team the whole time? That can't be! How did I not know?

Jill took another look at the files, searching for her place of employment. "Time to do some recon," Jill told herself.


Chuck and Sarah

With Casey off to Chicago to watch over and protect Ellie and her family, Sarah had convinced Chuck that the best thing he could for her was to try to get as much information about the situation as he could.

He decided to hack the CIA database but found no new information on Frost or Orion that Casey had eluded to. Whatever it was that had aroused Beckman's suspicions was not officially on file. That worried Chuck because to him, that meant that someone on the inside was still plotting against him.

Sarah had noticed Chuck was getting frustrated and reminded him about her words earlier. "I want tonight to be the night."

He agreed to Sarah's suggestion that she leave and go home to prepare for the evening while he stayed back for a while and put the finishing touches on the tech room.

He struggled initially, to keep his mind on the work, often moving things around to different spots, even though he knew exactly where everything was to be put. He had to stop several times, take a deep breath, and relax. He thought of Casey protecting his family in Chicago, and of his wife at their home, preparing a meal for them. Those thoughts tempered his nervous, irrational fear, and reset his mind to finish the job at hand.

After the initial struggle was overcome, the next hour went rather quickly as he double-and-triple checked the electronics, making sure everything was working properly and nothing was being over looked. They got hacked and broken into once and he'd vowed that from then on, as a securities corporation, that would never happen again.

As he prepared to leave he sent a text to Sarah, letting her know he was getting ready to head back home, as she had asked him to do, when he got an immediate response back.

"I'm ready for you," he read as he heard music playing in the background. She had attached an audio file to the message.

"Who is that?" he started to ask himself. He thought for a moment. No way. Where did she find that? Not from me. Did she just like them, or does she now have a new genre of music she likes?

A huge grin came over his face. Tonight will definitely be the night.

(...)

Back at the apartment, Sarah had enlisted the help of Morgan and Alex. Sarah set about the kitchen, preparing the meal. The lovely aroma of carefully crafted herbs and spices hung in the atmosphere. Meanwhile Morgan and Alex set the table and created a romantic dinner for two mood in the living room, complete with dim candle light and soft instrumental music.

When everything in the kitchen and living room was set, Sarah thanked Morgan and Alex for helping and asked them for one more favor. They agreed and Sarah handed them a suit and told them to stand watch for Chuck. "When he comes into the courtyard, have him change into the suit."

Sarah then went to their bedroom, picked out a dress that, until tonight, she had been hesitant to wear, and slipped into it.

"Only one more thing to do," she told herself. She prepared an audio file and waited for Chuck's text.

A few anxious moments later she received his text. With a seductive smile, she sent her response back with the audio file attached. "That ought to get him here rather quickly."


John Casey

Chicago

Casey had found the Woodcombs' house easy enough. It was late and the lights weren't on so he waited outside, carefully observing the house. Since no one had come or gone while he had been watching, he decided to go have a look.

As quietly as he could, he approached the house and made his way through the front gate. He walked up the front porch and looked inside the windows. No activity.

He looked around the neighborhood and didn't notice anyone watching him. Just to be safe, he went around back, hoping they had a back entrance, which they did.

He fumbled with the lock for a few minutes trying to pick the lock, Sarah really was a lot better at that than he was. He finally picked it, and carefully walked inside. He checked all the rooms in the house, and was amazed at the size. It made their apartment in Burbank look like a hole in the wall. He went back through the house, planting bugs at strategic locations.

Unbeknownst to him, a woman dressed all in black had entered the house through the back door, just as Casey had. She heard his footsteps upstairs and decided to hide across from the base of the stairs, where the shadows and darkness melted into her all black attire.

Casey's shoes betrayed him, announcing his presence with the sound of dull thuds as he descended the stairs. He turned at the base of the stairs to leave the same way he came in.

Once his back was turned, she stepped from the darkness that had enveloped her, gun in hand pointed at Casey.

He froze when he heard the slightest clack, clack, clack, of her shoes hitting the floor. Casey slowly reached for his gun, ashamed he did not have it out and ready.

"Ahhh. I wouldn't do that if I were you," the dark woman responded when she saw his hands move. "Hands in the air, then turn around, slowly."

The voice sounded strangely familiar, but he did as she commanded. Casey turned around and stood face to face with this woman, and was shocked by who he saw.

"Casey?" the woman replied, shocked by who was standing in front of her.


The Courtyard

Chuck entered the courtyard excitedly and made a beeline toward his door. He was so focused on getting home he did not see from which direction Morgan came.

"Whoa, whoa, cowboy!" Morgan stepped in front of Chuck, holding both hands up, palms out, indicating he wanted his best friend stop. "You can't go in there looking like that."

"Morgan, why not? Sarah is waiting for me." Chuck pointed toward his apartment.

"Dude, trust me. I know a thing or two about romance. She is waiting, yes. But first, you look...well, you need to get cleaned up before you open that door," Morgan responded. All he wanted to do was to help Chuck out and complete the mission Sarah had given him.

"What? Morgan, no. No, what I need is to get to my apartment and be with my wife." Chuck tried to move around Morgan, but Morgan mirrored his movements and would not let him pass.

"I know, but trust me. Sarah will love seeing this version of you."

"What version of me, Morgan?" Chuck wasn't sure what Morgan was planning, but lately he had been extremely helpful.

Morgan was the one who told me to listen to my heart when I was trying to find Sarah. He let me stay at his place when I left Sarah at the beach, though it killed me to do that. And the dinner with Sarah, and his help with Molly and the zoo.

"I got you clean clothes and a suit. Use our place. You could probably use a quick shower too." Morgan watched Chuck's demeanor change. "I just want you to look good for your lady."

And now this. "Okay, Morgan, you're right. Let's do this."

Alex had watched intently while Morgan persuaded Chuck to clean himself up for his wife. Despite their little hiccup with Morgan and the Intersect, Alex was beginning to look at Morgan in a different light. I really do love that man. Maybe I am ready to hear those words.

Alex thought back to the night she and Morgan had had Sarah over for dinner.

(...)

Morgan had cleared the table, put the dishes on the counter-top, and came walking back toward the table. Alex gave Morgan a subtle head nod to keep going, or more likely, to go do something else.

"I'm going to be playing Call of Duty...if anyone needs me," Morgan said as he walked past the two women still sitting at the dinner table.

"When Morgan cooks, I do the dishes. Kind of the deal we have. You can help me and we can continue our conversation," Alex told Sarah, though it was actually meant to be a question.

"Sure. I'll help."

The two got up and went to the sink. Alex drew the water and added the soap while Sarah started the conversation where they had left off. "So...moving in together. That's a big step for you guys, right?"

Alex nodded half-heartedly in agreement. "Yeah but we had talked about it for a while actually. And after Morgan told me about the last mission, the concert hall and everything, it just seemed like the right time."

"I remember a little about our decision to move in together." Sarah's eyes gave off the same echo of excitement her voice had.

Alex had heard Morgan's version of the tale but wanted to know Sarah's. Alex feigned having no knowledge of that event as she dipped her hands into the dish water to check the temperature. "What was it like for you and Chuck?"

"Well, to be honest, I...I don't remember much. Just something about a tiger wrecking Devon and Ellie's place..." Sarah hesitated, but she didn't understand why. Alex was proving to be a very trustworthy friend.

Alex heard the apprehension in Sarah's voice and saw a bit of confusion in her eyes. "It's okay, Sarah. If you don't remember or don't want to tel..."

"I do." Sarah cut in. "Kind of. I see Chuck and me standing in the living room. I'm telling him something important but...I don't remember what I said to him. It has to be important though, 'cause we both are smiling at each other, and then..." Sarah's lips tingled as if they remembered something her brain could not. "...that's where my memory ends."

Alex started washing the plates and glasses as she listened to Sarah. Alex was excited and glad that she and Morgan had decided to move in, but she wanted to know more of what living with a nerd would be like. And if Sarah remembered, then maybe Sarah could give her a few pointers. "So what was it like with Chuck? I mean, living with him."

Sarah's eyes questioned Alex. "What do you mean?"

"Um...well, Morgan and Chuck have a lot in common. Video games, posters, movies, collectibles, you know, nerdy type stuff. Was it weird having all that stuff around the apartment?"

Sarah reached into the sink, grabbed a plate, and started to dry it while she thought back a moment. "Kind of, I guess. I don't know. I don't remember it being a big deal. I guess I thought it was normal." Sarah questioned herself as much as she answered Alex.

Alex chuckled. "Well, even now you must know that you and I are living with guys that are anything but normal."

Sarah smiled and quietly laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. Would you believe that Chuck is the most normal I have ever had?"

"Oh, really?" Alex responded, surprised, and Sarah nodded. Alex thought for a moment. Should I ask her? I want to know, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable, especially if she doesn't remember.

Alex stopped what she was doing, turned to face Sarah and asked, "When did you know that Chuck was 'the one?"

Sarah froze and the glass she was holding slipped from her hands, hit the floor, and broke into a million pieces. Sarah looked down at the glass on the floor, then back to Alex. "I'm so sorry," Sarah apologized, after the sound of the glass hitting the floor had snapped her out of her momentary stunned stillness.

"That's okay." Alex walked carefully around the broken glass and got a broom from the nearest closet.

"Let me," Sarah demanded, holding her hand out for the broom.

"No, no, it's okay. Just finish drying the rest of the dishes." Alex motioned toward the sink.

"I'll buy you another one," Sarah told Alex, feeling like a klutz.

"Only if you promise not to break that one," Alex quipped, smiling at Sarah.

"Ha ha." Sarah faked laughter, smiling back at Alex.

Sarah finished drying the dishes while Alex swept up the glass. "So you wanted to know when I knew Chuck was my guy," Sarah restarted that conversation.

Alex looked over at Sarah. "Only if you want to tell me. Like, did you know before Chuck did? Or did he surprise you when he proposed?"

"Well, I am not sure. I don't know when he knew, but I do have a vague recollection that I told him while he was sleeping that I would say yes if he asked me. But that was after I was angry, or upset at him for some reason.

"So that's when you knew?"

"I think so but...it's..." Sarah stopped and thought for a moment.

"We can talk about something else if..." Alex started to say but Sarah started answering her before she was finished.

"...it's almost as if I knew for a long time that I...I wanted to marry him but was...afraid of something," Sarah finished.

"Oh! What were you afraid of?" Alex gently probed.

"I don't know. Maybe of turning into my parents, or..." Sarah stopped suddenly as if she remembered something long forgotten.

Alex saw the nervous tension in Sarah's face. "It's okay, Sarah. You can tell me."

"It's like I did...like I did want to marry him but was afraid it might change us, who we were and what we had. And I didn't want to lose him."

Alex's calm demeanor and gentle poking and prodding was letting Sarah be open and honest with her. Sarah needed that. She needed someone to talk to about this stuff. Maybe Ellie had been that person in the past, but Sarah could not remember. Chuck would listen, yes, but Sarah needed a neutral third party, or at the very least, another woman's perspective.

"I think I looked to Chuck for some sense of normalcy. All I had before Chuck was being a spy and what that does to you. Chuck was this sweet, good-looking, nerdy guy that had everything I wanted. True friends, like Morgan, and a family that looked after one another. Before Chuck, I never had those." These details and thoughts rolled from Sarah so naturally it was as if they were never forgotten.

Alex thought to herself. I was never a spy, but I do know what life was like before Morgan. I am ready.

"Thank you, Sarah. I think I understand." Alex smiled, thinking about what life down the road would be like with Morgan.


Woodcombs' house

Chicago

"What are you doing here?" Mary asked, as she lowered her gun.

"I could ask you the same thing," Casey answered gruffly.

"I'm here to protect my family." Mary stood straight and proud.

"Chuck send you?"

"Chuck? No. I came for another reason. Chuck asked you to come?" Mary questioned, running through scenarios that might explain this situation.

"Well, Mary, seems like we need to talk," Casey grunted and thought about what could have brought Mary here, to Chicago.

"Yes. Yes, we do, Casey."


Bartowski Apartment

Everything had been perfect from the moment he walked into their apartment and saw Sarah standing in front of the table wearing her thin-strapped, low-cut dress. The color of the dress made her eyes sparkle. And oh how he loved her eyes. The dim candle light made for a perfect backdrop that allowed her blonde hair to shimmer. It had a slight wavy look as it disappeared behind her bare shoulders. Her skin looked amazingly soft, and Chuck thought about what it was going to be like tonight, after the meal, when they would be in each other's arms.

Thank you, Morgan. You were right yet again.

The meal was even better then the aroma that had teased Chuck's senses when he sat down at the table, in front of the food that had already been placed there. He had been so distracted by his wife's beauty that nothing else but her had mattered. Knowing that she had taken the time to go to all this trouble to make this meal and set the mood made the food that much better.

Though they both wanted to talk more, very little was said while they ate. No words were needed. The long looks at each other across the table, the gentle, loving smiles and quiet laughs said all that needed to be said.

Sarah glowed. Her smiles were warm and inviting. Her eyes took in his every movement. Her feet met his, in the center underneath the table.

It was perfect.

When they were done, Chuck leaned back in his chair, "Thank you, honey. You sure do know what I like."

Sarah smiled, and Chuck saw her blush. He didn't think he had ever seen her blush before.

Chuck saw his chance. "Sarah. I gotta ask. The song in the text you sent me."

Sarah took this opportunity for the perfect transition. "Thought it would be our theme song for the night."

Chuck immediately smiled. "Oh yeah."

"Yeah." Sarah got up, walked around the table, grabbed Chuck's hand, and gently pulled him to his feet. She guided them down the hallway toward their bedroom.

"I just have to ask, though. You like Tim and Faith?"

"Well, for tonight anyway." Sarah led them through the open door to their bed.

He noticed that the song was playing, sound turned down low. "How did you get that to play..."

Sarah sat them down on the edge of the bed, leaned in close to him, placed her hands on his cheeks, and gave him a long, soft, passionate kiss.

The music echoed softly in the background. Look in my eyes...

Sarah pulled back momentarily, pulling her lips from his, gazed into his eyes. "Wouldn't you rather know what I have on underneath my dress?" Sarah asked her husband seductively.

Chuck speechlessly stared back into her eyes.

Let's get lost tonight...

"Nothing." She smiled at him, her eyes begging for him. "And I am all yours."

In each other...

They wrapped their arms around each other and fell gently onto the bed.

Let's make love...


I want to thank those of you who have been following the story. Your comments and thoughts are always helpful. Drop me a line.