A/N - We are nearing the end of this part of the story. Really. Lot's of hockey in this chapter. This story is in three parts. Part one takes place during the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Part two takes place between the games, and part three will be in Sochi 2014. The middle section will cover four years in a short period of time as this is an Olympics story. I hope all of you that are watching the games are enjoying them. Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think.
Chapter 12
Sarah fell asleep in the car on the way back. She put her head in Chuck's lap and was out like a light. When they got back to the building, Chuck picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and carried her up to their room.
Once inside, he carried her back to the bedroom and pulled down the covers. Chuck laid Sarah on the bed and took off her shoes and socks, her jeans and her sweater, leaving her in her bra and knickers. He slid her under the covers and tucked her in and went to brush his teeth and get ready for bed.
After getting ready for bed, he heard his phone buzz and noticed he got a text from Emma, checking on Sarah. He answered right back that everything was OK and that she was in bed sleeping.
Chuck stripped down to his boxers and crawled in bed next to his beautiful girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around her and spooned into her back. She instinctively pushed back into him for warmth and they both fell fast asleep until morning.
Sarah awoke in the morning with a terrible taste in her mouth. She thought for a minute and wondered what had happened. The last thing she remembered was getting in the limo and putting her head on Chuck's lap. Cracking open an eye, she saw that it was morning and that her head hurt. A lot. She also she realized she was in bed. How did I get here? Then it hit her, Chuck! She instinctively reached over to the other side of the bed and instead of the warm body of her boyfriend, felt cold. Nothing but cold sheets. Sarah groaned. Where was Chuck? She tried to sit up but it hurt too much and then put her head back on the pillow. She ran her hands down her body and took note of what she was wearing. Why am I in my underwear? I'm always naked when I sleep with Chuck. Did we have a fight?" No, couldn't be. My head hurts too much. She opened her eyes again and looked over at her nightstand. On it was a bottle of water and some aspirin. Chuck. She sat up and saw a note.
My Darling Sarah,
I hope you're feeling better. I got called to a walkthrough at noon. Here is some aspirin and I made some eggs and bacon. You can microwave them when you get up. There's some coffee in the pot too. I'll call you when I'm done.
I love you.
C
P.S. I loved the song last night.
Sarah smiled to herself. I love you too, Chuck. She looked at the clock. It was noon. She got up, hopped in the shower, washed her hair, shaved her legs and underarms so she could be nice and smooth for Chuck, got out and dried off. After putting on her makeup, she went to the closet to pick out some clothes for the day.
Since it was cold outside and she was going to an ice hockey game, Sarah thought something casual like jeans would be appropriate. So, she found her tightest pair of blue jeans and slipped them on over her light blue knickers. Liking what she saw, Sarah looked for her light blue blouse with the little white buttons that Chuck seemed to like when he saw it that first morning. She put in on over her matching bra and continued to like what she saw. Casual and sexy, but not too sexy. She put on her socks and boots and headed to the kitchen to eat the food Chuck left for her.
Chuck walked out of the walkthrough with Casey. Casey noticed someone was missing. "What happened Bartowski? Where's your girl?"
Chuck smiled and said. "She got a little hung over last night. I let her sleep in. I'm going to call her now."
"No sex last night Bartowski? I thought you were a little distracted at the walkthrough. Watching you play this Olympics has made me change my mind about abstaining."
Chuck laughed. "I'll make sure I tell Sarah. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of what you just said."
"See you later Bartowski."
"See ya coach."
Chuck picked up his phone and dialed Sarah.
She picked up on the first ring. "Hi Chuck."
"Hi Sarah. How are you feeling?"
"Much better now, thanks to you."
"What did I do?"
"Being the super fabulous boyfriend you are, you left me some aspirin, a bottle of water, and cooked me breakfast. Although it was more like lunch for me. But, I didn't like waking up alone this morning."
"I didn't like leaving you sweetheart, but you needed your rest and I had to go."
"I know Chuck honey. But I much prefer waking up with your arms around me."
"Me too, Sarah. I also love being your pillow. Casey told me that he's changed his mind about abstinence after the way I've been playing. He wondered why you weren't here when we were done. I told him you had a hangover and needed your rest. I think he's concerned that we didn't have sex last night."
Sarah laughed. "Meddling with our sex life again is he? Well, I think the only thing to do is for you to get back here as fast as you can so I can rip your clothes off and have my way with you."
Chuck grinned and blushed.
"Did you just blush?"
"How did you know?"
"Simple. Talking about sex makes you blush."
Chuck laughed. "It makes you blush too."
"I'm looking forward to a lifetime of making each other blush."
"Me too, Sarah. They want me for an interview in two hours and I miss you."
"I miss you too, Chuck. What should we do."
"I know you just ate, but I'm hungry and I don't have time to come back to the penthouse. I sent Pierre back with the limo. Can you come and get me and go get a pizza and make out?
Sarah laughed and laughed. "One question. Do you want to make out before the pizza or after?"
"Both."
"I'll look forward to it Chuck. And I'll bring the Altoids."
The Canada Hockey Place was filled to capacity in anticipation of the quarter final match between Team USA and Slovakia. The players were on the ice warming up and Sarah gave her man her usual greeting the first time he skated by. Instead of the usual ribbing he received from his teammates, they just ignored what happened as they all knew the importance of the game. Win and you advance with a chance at a medal, lose and you go home. Sarah was sitting in her usual spot next to Stephen and Mary, but this time Jack and Emma were sitting on her other side instead of Ellie and Devon.
"Relax Sarah," said Emma. "They'll do fine."
"I know mom. I just want Chuck to win a medal, real bad. He deserves one."
"Knowing Chuck, I bet he thinks he's already won the biggest prize he'll ever get."
"What's that?"
"You're heart."
Stephen, Mary and Jack all nodded in agreement.
Sarah grinned broadly and noticeably relaxed. "That he has mom. That he has."
The puck was dropped and they were underway. Team USA got off to a bright start for a change, probably because Chuck was out for the opening shift. After a great passing play by Chuck, the winger Brown had a great scoring chance only to be foiled by a great save by the Slovak goalie. The puck stayed in the Slovak zone for the entire time Chuck's line was on the ice before they made a change. The pace of the game was frantic, back and forth, with both sides creating chances. The breakthrough came near the end of the first period when Chuck, standing up at the blue line, gave a great open ice hip check to his opposing center, sending him flying down the ice. Seeing that the puck was headed right to his teammate, Chuck headed up the ice. Crash Thompson fed him a perfect pass at the red line right in stride and Chuck was soon in alone on goal. He deked to his left causing the goalie to go down and Chuck lifted the puck on his backhand under the crossbar for the game's first goal. He raised his arms in excitement and was soon mobbed by his teammates. The crowd erupted with a roar and Team USA's bench jumped up in unison. Sarah was jumping up and down in excitement as her man had done it again.
The first goal soon led to a second as the second line took advantage of a breakdown in the Slovakian defense and scored a goal on a rebound with only fifteen seconds left in the period. As players headed to the locker room, Team USA was firmly in control leading 2 – 0. The TV cameras went to the booth. The play-by-play announcer Dan Daniels asked "Well Brent Montgomery, what were your impressions of the first period?"
"I'd like to know what Chuck Bartowski has been partaking in during these games. I can't believe how well he has played. The only player that has matched him so far is Sid the Kid for Team Canada. I hope we get to see them face each other in the gold medal round."
"Yes Brent, he has played really well and has been an inspiration for the team. What do you expect in the second period."
The camera panned through the crowd and stopped at a certain blonde sitting behind the bench. She was smiling broadly and chatting with two older women.
Brent started to speak. "Well, I expect Slovakia to ….. " He caught a glimpse of Sarah on the monitor. "Who's that?"
Dan hears through his earpiece "Sarah Walker, Olympic gold medalist in pairs figure skating."
Dan says over the air "That Brent, is none other than Olympic Pairs Figure Skating gold medalist Sarah Walker."
To which Brent replies, "Wow, I should have watched that event. I haven't seen beauty like that in a long time."
"You mean like when you met your wife?"
"Ha, ha. Very funny Dan. Who are the ladies with her? Why don't we send our roving reporter down there for a quick interview?"
They hear through their earpieces. "Keep it in your pants and focus on the game, Brent. We'll send somebody down there but don't do this again."
Dan said "Back to what you were saying about Slovakia."
"Right Dan. Slovakia can't afford to get further behind. They must be aggressive from the start and get the first goal in the second period."
In the meantime, Carly Crawford, roving reporter for the TV network cautiously approaches Sarah, Emma and Mary. Stephen and Jack had gone to the refreshment stand to buy some drinks and snacks.
"Excuse me, I'm Carly Crawford from Canadian Sports Network. Could I please have a quick interview with you Ms. Walker? Sarah looked puzzled for a moment. "You are Sarah Walker the gold medalist, right?"
Sarah nodded. "Why do you want to interview me now? We're in the middle of a hockey game. Shouldn't you be focusing on that?"
Carly was impressed that Sarah didn't want the focus shifted away from the game. "We like to do follow up stories on gold medal winners to see how winning has changed their lives," she lied.
Sarah looked over at her mom and Mary. They both shrugged.
Carly asked "Who are these two lovely ladies with you Sara?"
Emma spoke up "I'm her mother, Emma Walker. This is Mary Bartowski, the mother of her boyfriend, Chuck."
Carly was momentarily silent. Her boyfriend is Chuck Bartowski? Lucky blonde skank. He's such a hunk.
"I'll do a quick interview, if you like," said Sarah.
"Great," said Carly. They set everything up and when the commercial break was over, they came back on the air.
Dan Daniels said "It looks like we're in luck. Our own Carly Crawford is down with Olympic Champion, Sarah Walker. Carly."
"Thank you Dan. I'm here with Olympic Champion, Sarah Walker. Thank you for agreeing to talk to us.
"You're welcome. It's my pleasure."
"Are you a big ice hockey fan?"
"I am now."
"You mean you weren't before the Olympics?"
"I saw a game or two, but wouldn't say I was a big fan. But things have changed."
"Really? What changed?"
"It's Mary's son's fault. In a good way."
"What do you mean?"
"Simple. I met Mary's son, Chuck Bartowski, and fell madly in love with him and I want to be here and support him and his team every game he plays. It's a bonus that he's been playing really well."
"What's so special about Chuck Bartowski?"
Sarah got a dreamy eyed look on her face which was picked up by the camera. "Well, because he's Chuck. He's handsome, smart, and has a great body. Those things are nice. But most importantly he is the kindest, most thoughtful and caring man I have ever known and I trust him completely and he always treats me with respect."
Carly heard through her earpiece "Time to wrap it up. The players are leaving the locker rooms now."
"Thank you Sarah for your time. Enjoy the rest of the game."
Sarah nodded and Carly turned toward the camera.
"There you have it. A young woman who not only won a gold medal, but also looks like she found the man of my…. err….her dreams. Back to you Dan."
Dan, chuckling, "Thank you Carly. Don't worry, only the whole world caught your Freudian slip there. The players are back on the ice for period two. We will be back for the faceoff after these messages."
Jack and Stephen came back with the refreshments and passed them around. Stephen asked "I saw a camera crew walk by a minute ago. Do you know what that was about?"
Mary said "They came to interview Sarah. Said it was following up on how winning a gold medal has changed her life. I think it was a ruse. They seemed to want to know more about her and Chuck."
Jack looked a little angry for a moment. "What business is it of theirs?"
Sarah spoke up, "Don't worry daddy, we appreciate your concern. Chuck and I decided not to keep our relationship a secret and it's been fine so far. We figure if we cooperate and are open it will cause us fewer problems in the long run."
"I guess you're right, sweetie. It looks like they're ready to drop the puck."
Casey decided to have the second line start the period and Slovakia won the draw and immediately went on the attack. Slovakia was buzzing around the net and creating chances, but were unable to convert. Finally, when it looked like Slovakia was going to get a great chance in front, Crash Thompson interfered with the Slovack center and was sent to the sin bin for two minutes. Casey called out. "Bartowski, you're on the penalty kill with Perry, Williams and Rogers. Don't let them back in this game."
Chuck led them back on the ice and heard "Go get 'em Chuck" from Sarah. He smiled inwardly and thought I'll do my best sweetheart.
Chuck won the face off just outside the zone and fed it over to Rogers who took it across the blue line and held it until he was pressured and fired the puck behind the Slovakia goal. A good start for Team USA. Perry went in to pressure Slovakia with the fore check and kept them pinned behind the goal. Finally, they came out from behind the net and headed up the ice. Chuck, studying the formation coming forward anticipated an outlet pass to his left. The key was to intercept before the puck crossed the blue line as Perry was trapped in an offside position. Chuck stepped around the player in front of him and charged to where he expected the pass to go. Fortunately he guessed right and he reached out with his stick as far as he could and managed to stop the puck from crossing the line. Chuck skated forward and got control of the bouncing puck and headed toward the net. There was one defenseman back. Perry saw what happened and turned in the opposite direction in support of Chuck. Chuck drew the defenseman toward him and fed a perfect pass toward Perry as Chuck continued on to the net. The defenseman recovered quickly and he skated toward Perry to cut off his angle. Perry seeing that Chuck had camped out to the left of the goal one-timed the puck back to Chuck with a perfect pass and Chuck tapped it in to the wide open net in front of him. It was a perfectly executed give and go play and a short-handed goal to boot. Team USA mobbed Perry and Chuck for their great play and they headed back to the bench. Chuck looked over at Sarah with a huge smile on his face and Sarah she smiled back and blew him some kisses. When the announcement came "Goal by number 39, Chuck Bartowski, assist to number 21, Gordon Perry. Time of the goal 2 minutes, sixteen seconds", the crowd stood and cheered.
The short-handed goal demoralized Team Slovakia and Team USA went on to score another goal five minutes later on a power play. The rest of the period showed no more goals, but Team USA was firmly in control. Team USA began the third playing sound defense, frustrating Team Slovakia. By the time the middle of the third period came around, the game became real chippy. Once, when Chuck went to the front of the net to get in position, a Slovak defenseman charged into him with a running start, sending Chuck crashing into the net and flipping over the crossbar, landing flat on his back. This earned the defenseman a double minor for charging and a game misconduct penalty. Sarah, of course, was on her feet in worry. Emma put her arms around her and held on. Fortunately Chuck didn't stay down very long and gingerly made his way to the bench. He looked over at Sarah who had her hand over her mouth in worry and Chuck just smiled at her and gave he the 'a OK' signal with his thumb and forefinger. Sarah was immediately relieved and sat back down, but put her head on Emma's shoulder.
After Team USA scored a fifth goal on this power play, Casey sent Chuck to the dressing room as a precaution and Team USA cruised to a 5 – 0 victory. It was a great team victory and Chuck was named the number two star of the game. The goalie, after the shutout, deserved the number one star. Team Russia had already advanced to the semi-finals to face Team USA by beating Sweden the night before. Team Canada and Team Finland will face each other in the other semi-final.
When Chuck hobbled out of the locker room after the game, Sarah came up to him and kissed him.
"Are you OK, sweetheart?" Sarah asked with concern in her voice. "It looks like you got beat to a pulp."
"Yeah. Playing ice hockey hurts. The doctor says nothing major happend. Just a lot of bumps and bruises. He wrapped me real tight with gauze from my neck to my feet. I can barely move."
"I'm not sure about the doctor's methods. They seem a little unorthodox."
"I know, but I'm willing to endure a little pain to be able to play in the next game."
"But your mental and physical health are important, too."
Sarah put her hands on each side of Chucks face with her finger tips on his ears and gave him a kiss."
"I'm OK. But ow, ow … why do my earlobes hurt?"
Sarah smiled and said "I know how to fix this. Just wait till we get home to the penthouse."
Early the next morning Chuck woke up and did an inventory of his surroundings. His beautiful girlfriend was in their favorite position with her head on his shoulder, her hair splayed on his chest and her arm and leg draped over his body. He looked over at the clock. It read 7am. They had a wonderful evening together and with his parents. Since Chuck was so sore after the game, they decided to bring take out to the penthouse instead of eating at a restaurant. Stephen and Mary were very happy to see how far Chuck and Sarah's relationship had come and they were excited to have Sarah as a future daughter-in-law and were looking forward to the time when they would be officially engaged. After they left, Sarah helped Chuck into the Jacuzzi tub and they enjoyed a relaxing and fun soak. She then gave him a massage with all the extras and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
Chuck thought he should be peaceful and content. Instead he was almost scared out of his mind. He couldn't move and it had nothing to do with Sarah almost lying on top of him. His muscles had locked up and he debated on whether to wake Sarah up. He wanted the love of his life to get her rest, but he knew he need help and it would upset her if he didn't ask for it.
Chuck turned his head and kissed her on the forehead. "Sarah," he said softly. She stirred a little and went back to sleep. "Sarah, sweetheart, please wake up," he said a little louder. "Hmmmph. Chuck?"
"Please wake up Sarah, honey."
Sarah cracked open an eye. "Is there something wrong sweetheart?"
"I can't move."
"Do you need me to move? Do you need to get up?"
"No honey. I can't move. My muscles locked up. I can't move and my back hurts."
Sarah sat up in alarm. "What do you want me to do, sweetheart? Do you want me to go get Ellie and Devon?"
"That would be great, honey. This has never happened to me before and I'm really scared."
Sarah leaned over and kissed him. I love you Chuck and I'm here with you and for you, no matter what. Everything will be OK. I'll go get your sister and Devon."
"Thank you Sarah. I love you too, honey."
Sarah got out of bed and headed to the door.
"Sarah?
She stopped. "Yes, Chuck?"
"Don't you think you should put something on before you go?"
Sarah looked down at her naked body. "Oops. Thanks, Chuck." She went back and pulled on her track suit bottoms and sweat jacket. "Do you need anything before I go, sweetie?"
"Could you please help me put on some boxers?"
Sarah smirked. "Sure Chuck." She went to the drawer and picked out some clean boxers and pulled back the covers. She looked down at Chuck's naked body and noticed several large bruises on his thighs and upper chest. She gasped. "My God, Chuck, you're covered in bruises. Can you roll over? I'd like to look at your back."
"You're going to have to roll me, Sarah. I can't move."
"OK, sweetie. Here goes." She lifted up from his side and hips and rolled him over. She was shocked at the sight. His entire upper back was black and blue and his right buttock had a large contusion.
She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be right back sweetheart. Ellie and Devon need to look at you. I think it's best if you stay on your stomach. Here let me put on your boxers for you."
Sarah slipped the boxers over Chuck's feet and up his legs. The farther she pulled them up the more Chuck groaned in pain. After they were all the way on, she pulled the covers up and kissed him one more time and headed to the door.
Devon and Ellie were lying in bed asleep when they thought they heard knocking on the door. They continued lying there hoping the intrusion would end. When the knocking persisted, Devon got up and looked through the peep hole. He saw it was Sarah and she looked worried.
Devon opened the door and said "Hi Sarah. Is something wrong?"
"It's Chuck. He got flipped over the goal in the game and landed on his back. He was OK last night but can't move now and he's covered in bruises."
"Come on in, Sarah. Wait here and I'll get my kit and Ellie and I will come look at him."
"Thanks Devon."
Devon and Ellie threw on some clothes and went with Sarah to check on Chuck. They went into the bedroom and found him on his stomach just as Sarah left him. Sarah came up to him and kissed him on the cheek and said, "Sweetie, Devon and Ellie are here."
"Thanks honey."
Devon spoke up "What's goin' on bro."
"I can't move, Devon."
"You just called me, Devon. You never call me Devon. You must be really hurting."
Ellie said "Let's take a look at you."
Ellie and Sarah pulled down the covers so that the two doctors could look at him.
Devon said "Those are some pretty impressive bruises there bro. Did you get checked out after the game?"
Chuck moaned. "The team doctor looked me over and they did some X-rays. Fortunately nothing was broken and he wrapped me up in some gauze and sent me home."
Sarah said "He soaked in the Jacuzzi tub after dinner and I gave him a massage before we went to sleep. He seemed OK then. There are a lot more bruises showing now than last night."
Ellie said "That's pretty normal. I think his body is reacting to the beating he got during the game. Any other injuries?'
He's got a contusion on his right buttock.
Devon nodded. "Let's have a look at that Chuck." Sarah pulled down his boxers far enough so they can see the injury. "That should heal pretty fast, Chuck. It's just a minor skin abrasion but over a pretty large area. Just keep it clean and it should heal in a few days."
Sarah asked "How can we get him to be able to move"
Ellie said "We'll give him a muscle relaxer injection to stop the spasms. That should do the trick. But I don't know if he'll be able to play in the next game tomorrow night."
Chuck said "Is there anything you can do? I really want to play."
"You're covered in bruises, Chuck."
Devon, who played football in college, said "We can try to get you ready to play, but the first hit you receive may knock you out of the game. Do you have access to a flack vest? That could help you withstand some blows to your body."
Chuck said "We have some in the locker room. I need to talk to Casey and you should talk to the team doctor."
Sarah said, "There's no way you should practice today, Chuck."
Devon said, "I agree. You should rest and we'll do our best to get you ready for the game."
Sarah said, "Sweetheart, are you sure you should try to play? I know how important this is to you and I support you 100% in whatever decision you make. I'm an athlete too and I know how hard you have worked to get here. Please listen to your doctors and don't do anything that will cause you long term damage."
Chuck smiled and said "I'll listen to my doctors, honey. We'll make this decision together."
Sarah smiled, relieved. She wanted Chuck to be able to play, but didn't want him to do so against doctors' orders.
Ellie gave Chuck an injection to relax his muscles. It started working in a few minutes and he was able to roll over onto his back. A little while later he was able to sit up. He called Casey and put his phone on speaker.
"What is it Bartowski"
"Good morning to you too, Casey."
Sarah spoke up. "Chuck couldn't move when he woke up this morning and he's covered in bruises from the hit he took yesterday."
Casey alarmed, "Crap, I'll send the doctor right over."
Ellie spoke up. "Coach Casey, I'm Dr. Eleanor Bartowski, Chuck's sister and I'm here with my fiancé Dr. Devon Woodcomb. We gave Chuck a muscle relaxant and he's able to move now. We should consult with the team doctor on how to treat him. Chuck really wants to be able to play in the next game, but he'll probably need some additional medication and a protective vest for his bruises."
Casey said, "I'll contact the doctor and have him call you right away. Keep me informed of his condition and Bartowski?"
"Yes, Casey?"
"Skip practice and rest. We need you ready for tomorrow night."
"OK, Casey. We'll keep you posted."
Sarah's phone alarm beeped. She looked at the display. "I almost forgot. I'm supposed to go practice with Bryce in an hour but I don't want to leave you, Chuck."
Ellie spoke up. "You go ahead and go. We'll stay with him until you get back."
Chuck said, "You need to go, sweetheart. I was hoping to watch you practice but I can't right now. I'm in good hands here. Don't worry, I'll be OK. I love you."
Sarah came over and kissed him and said, "I love you and I'll miss you. I'll be back as soon as I can." She went into the bathroom to get ready to go and headed out a few minutes later.
Sarah rushed to the arena for her practice session with Bryce. She was surprised to see Lindsay there watching them on the ice.
Sarah teased Bryce. "You're still spending time with Lindsay? She's a very cute girl and seems nice, but I thought you would be hanging around Carina more. I thought she was more your type. Someone to have fun with but with no strings attached."
Bryce responded as he lifted her up in a one armed overhead lift. "I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few days."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Bryce said after he set her down on the ice. "Seeing how we're going to be retiring after the World Championships and seeing how happy you and Chuck were together, it made me evaluate my fear of commitment."
Bryce picked up Sarah as she jumped and immediately they executed a flawless split triple twist.
Bryce continued. "Thanks for introducing me to Lindsay. I don't know if she's interested in a long-term relationship, but I sure enjoy being with her. She's different – in a good way."
Sarah said "The fact that she's here should tell you a lot. She wouldn't be here watching you throw another woman around the ice if she wasn't interested in you."
Bryce chuckled as he pulled Sarah in for a spin combination. "I hadn't thought about it that way.".
"You should invite her to come to the Worlds with you."
"Really?" Sarah sailed through the after Bryce threw her in a throw triple loop, which she landed flawlessly.
"Really. Take her to a nice dinner and discuss it with her. See if she's interested. Turin, Italy is a very nice place to visit."
Bryce lowered Sarah into a forward outside edge death spiral and raised her up into the finish of their program. "Good idea, Sarah. Thanks."
"You're welcome, Bryce. Now let me get back to my man and see how he's feeling."
Sarah stopped and picked up some lunch for Chuck, Ellie, Devon and herself and arrived back at the penthouse. She walked in and set the food on the table. She was very happy to see that Chuck was sitting on the couch in the living room playing video games with Devon. Ellie was sitting next to Devon talking to her mother on the phone.
Sarah announced, "Hey guys, I brought lunch."
Chuck killed another zombie and paused the game. He smiled at his beautiful girlfriend and "Thanks sweetheart. How did practice go?"
"Great, honey. Like riding a bicycle." She walked over to the couch and gave Chuck a kiss. Sarah wanted to sit on his lap but thought better of it. Instead she helped him to his feet. He walked unsteadily to the table, but at least he was moving. "Does it hurt to walk, sweetie?"
"A little. Mainly I'm really stiff."
Sarah guided him to a chair and he sat down. Devon and Ellie joined them. Sarah passed out the salads, sandwiches and drinks. "Did you talk to the team doctor?"
"Yes. He sent over a prescription for pain and a longer term muscle relaxant. He's due for another dose in two hours. He also sent over some sports cream that provides heat to his muscles. We decided to let you take care of that task," Ellie smirked.
Sarah blushed. "I'll me happy to take care of my Chuck."
Devon added, "But don't get him too stimulated. It may cause him to tense up. I hate to tell you this, but no sex for a few days."
"Even if I do all the work?" asked Sarah hopefully.
"Sorry Sarah," answered Ellie. "Giving him and orgasm may cause him a great deal of pain."
Sarah looked extremely disappointed.
"Don't look so down, Sarah. Lots and lots of cuddling is encouraged. Besides, Chuck can still take care of you if he feels up to it."
Chuck spoke up "You know sweetheart, I'll always take care of you."
"I know Chuck. It's one of the many things I love about you. But I'll always take care of you, too."
They all finished their lunch and Devon and Ellie got up to leave. "Thank you for lunch, guys. We'll leave you two to work this out. I know you'll come up the perfect compromise."
Chuck and Sarah smiled and said "Thanks for all your help, guys."
"You're welcome, Chuck. That's what families are for. We'll bring dinner by later."
The next morning, Chuck's muscles felt much better, but his bruises looked and felt worse. Chuck and Sarah took a shower together and after drying off, Sarah spread the sports cream all over his body. The scent of the cream permeated the room. Chuck laughed "Putting all the cream on me will solve our desire for each other, honey. It smells terrible."
Sarah smirked. "That may be so, sweetie, but it'll be so much fun to wash off."
Chuck turned pink. "You're going to be the death of me, sweetheart."
"Ah, but what a way to go."
They both laughed, shared a kiss and got dressed. Devon and Ellie stopped by to check on Chuck and after examining him said it was up to him if he wanted to play tonight. Chuck looked over at Sarah and she shrugged. "I know how much it means to you to play, Chuck. So if you want to, go for it." Chuck smiled and kissed her. He was going to give it a shot.
The Canada Hockey Place was buzzing with excitement for this critical semi-final game between Team USA and Team Russia. Team Canada had already advanced to the gold medal game by defeating Team Finland earlier that evening 4 – 1, led by a hat trick by Sid the Kid. Chuck was standing in the corner of the locker room gathering his thoughts. Sarah had spread a fresh layer of sports cream on him before they headed over and he wore spandex underneath his uniform to keep his muscles loose. The flack vest was also tightly secured over his chest and back. He hoped being on the ice and then sitting on the bench wouldn't cause his muscles to freeze up.
The TV commentators talked about the upcoming game. "Well Brent, what do you think are the keys to the game?"
"The number one key for Team USA is the health of Chuck Bartowski. He has been by far their best player and after that vicious hit he received in the last game, it will be interesting to see how he performs tonight. The second key is stopping Russia's number one line and the third key is surviving Yuri Gabrienko's hits."
"Assuming Chuck Bartowski is ready to go, Russia will need to figure out a way to neutralize him and get the puck past the net minder, who has also been terrific for Team USA."
Sarah was sitting in her seat fidgeting. She sat in between Emma and Mary, who were trying to calm her down. As usual, she met him outside of the locker room for their pregame kiss and words of encouragement. Sarah knew Chuck was in pain and was trying his best to hide it. It made her even more nervous. When the players came on the ice for pregame warm up, Chuck looked like he was moving pretty well he smiled when she blew him his pregame kiss. Still she worried, and worried some more.
Chuck was out for the opening face off and he won the draw. One step after leaving the circle, he was checked hard in the shoulder by the Russian center. Chuck winced a little but was OK and got open for a pass. He took the puck into the opposing zone and since no one was open for a return pass, fired a shot on goal. It caught the goalie by surprise by its speed and accuracy and it went in the top corner off the inside of the post, stick side. The building erupted with a cheer and Chuck raised his stick, not believing that he had scored such a quick goal. Sarah, obviously pleased jumped up and down and hugged her mom, Mary, her dad and Stephen. The announcement came "Goal by number 39, Chuck Bartowski, assist to number 8, Brian Smith and number 17, George Williams. Time of the goal, nineteen seconds. What a great start for Team USA.
The rest of the first period was a tight checking affair, with few shots and even fewer scoring chances. Near the end of the first period, Chuck's line was sent out to try and hold onto the lead for the last minute of the first period. Chuck was head manning the puck out of his zone when he did a quick side step around a hip check and crossed into the Russian zone. He slowed down, waiting for help and passed the puck to his teammate in the corner. Heading to the front of the net he came face to face with Yuri the Gobbler and he stopped quickly to change directions. As he did and started to go around Yuri, the Gobbler stuck out his arm and clothes lined Chuck under the chin, sending him flat on his back. Fortunately, Chuck got up quickly and made his way off the ice. The referee didn't see the foul and no penalty was called. The period ended a few seconds later with Team USA leading 1 – 0.
Back in the dressing room between periods, Casey instructed his team. "OK men, we've got the lead. Maintain your composure and don't retaliate for the hit on Bartowski. It was a cheap shot, but the best way to get revenge is to win the game. Are you OK Bartowski?"
Chuck gave him a thumbs up signal and decided to lay down on the bench. It felt good for a few minutes, but when it came time for the players to return to the ice, Chuck couldn't sit up. Casey walked over to Chuck and said "Let's go Bartowski."
"My back is killing me, Coach."
"Oh crap. Get the doctor, quick."
There was no more time to wait. The trainer stayed behind with Chuck as they called the team doctor.
When the players came back out on the ice, the first thing Sarah noticed was that her man wasn't there. At first she thought he was talking to Casey until Casey came to the bench with a frown on his face. Then she started to totally freak out. Sarah tried to get closer to the bench but couldn't and she yelled to Casey. "Where's Chuck?" Just then, the trainer came back to the bench and he turned to listen to what he had to say. After listening he pointed to Sarah and told him to talk to her. The trainer, Steve Bailey, motioned for Sarah to go to the top of the stairs of here area and wait for him.
In the meantime, the puck was dropped and the second period began. Without their inspirational leader, Team USA was flat and dead on their feet. Five minutes into the period, another hit by Yuri the Gobbler sent team USA over the edge. Crash Thompson, angry about what happened to his teammate and friend, slashed Gabrienko with a high stick, resulting in a five minute major penalty and a ten minute misconduct.
Sarah met the trainer and walked with him to the locker room and invited her inside. The doctor had arrived and wanted him to swallow the muscle relaxants but Chuck didn't want to. "If I take those, I won't be able to play. I'll be too slow and won't be able to feel anything normal for a while. Can't you just give some pain killers?"
Sarah hurried over to where Chuck lay and kneeled beside his head and planted a big kiss on his lips. "What's wrong, Chuck?"
"My back has tightened up and I can't stand up straight. My legs are OK, I just need some help with my back."
Sarah looked at the doctor. "Do you have any more of that sports cream?"
"Yes, but why?"
"Maybe with the sports cream and pain killers, we can get him back on the ice. It may take until the third period, but it's worth a shot."
Sarah looked back to Chuck. "I know how important this is to you. I'll do anything I can to help get you back out there."
Chuck smiled back at her. "What did I ever do to deserve you? You are the absolute best girlfriend a man could ever hope for. Thank you, sweetheart."
The doctor gave Chuck two pain killers and brought out some sports cream. They helped Chuck off with his sweater and flack vest and had him lie on his stomach. Sarah took the tube and a large gob of the cream and firmly massaged Chuck's back, starting at his shoulders and down to his waist. Again and again she massaged the back of the man she loved and it slowly started to relax his muscles.
Out on the ice, the game went from bad to worse. Team Russia scored two power play goals on Crash's penalty and then late in the period, a sloppy turnover at the blue line led to a third Russian goal and at the end of the period, Team Russia led 3 – 1.
Team USA trudged back to the locker room, heads down in defeat. When they got back to the locker room, they saw Sarah straddling the bench sitting on Chuck's ass and massaging his back. Chuck said "You've almost got it Sarah, I can move again. Keep going. I've got to get out there." The other players were amazed at what they were seeing. Here was a man and his girlfriend doing everything possible to help the team.
Casey, seeing what was going on said, "Look at those two. Are you going to let them down? Have you ever seen such devotion? I haven't. Forget the second period. We're going to go out and win. We're going to win it for Chuck and Sarah."
The team shouted in agreement and when the intermission was over, everyone headed back to the ice except Chuck. He needed an extra few minutes. He sat up and the trainer helped strap the flack vest back on, his pads and his sweater. When his equipment was all in place, he pulled Sarah to his lap and had her sit there for a minute. "I love you Sarah Walker, soon to be Bartowski, and I always will."
"I love you too Chuck and I can hardly wait to be Sarah Bartowski. Don't make me wait too long."
With that, they shared a deep and loving kiss and Chuck headed slowly down the tunnel to the ice. Sarah was escorted by security back to her seat for the start of the period.
When Chuck slowly made his way down the tunnel to the ice, he thought about his life and how absolutely incredible it had become because of one gorgeous blonde figure skater. He loved her and she loved him, and he couldn't believe how lucky he was. She simply made him a better person. He resolved in his heart that he had to make it official and the sooner the better.
Sarah had just reached her seat when the crowd saw Chuck coming on the ice. The place absolutely exploded in applause and cheers. Team USA looked like a different team out there, now full of confidence. Emma asked Sarah when she returned, "What happened?"
"I'll tell you later. I have a feeling we are going to see a whole new game."
Chuck was on the ice to take the opening face off. As in the first period, he won the draw and this time dodged the opposing centers check. He felt surprising good after Sarah's massage and the pain killers. Chuck received a return pass and spotted his winger Perry streaking toward the blue line on the opposite side of the rink. The problem was that there were two Russians in his way. Chuck crossed the red line and nodded to Perry who kept going. Chuck faked like he was going to pass the puck across the ice but instead lifted the puck in the air over the defensemen's heads and it landed just across the blue line in the Russian side of the ice. Perry made a great play to control the bouncing puck and skated in alone on goal. Chuck followed the play in case of a rebound but Perry's shot was true and beat the goalie on the glove side. It was now 3 – 2. Game on.
Mid-way through the third period, Chuck was on the power play. They had the play set up in the offensive zone and the puck was sent behind the net to where Chuck took control. Perry skated toward the left side of the net and instead of passing the puck out like he usually did, Chuck went to the opposite side and tucked the puck in the net with a great wrap around goal. The game was tied. Sarah, Emma, Jack, Mary and Stephen were on their feet, cheering as loud as they could. Even Morgan could be heard with Alex in the upper deck. The Russians couldn't believe what had happened. Their two goal advantage was gone.
Up in the TV booth Dan Daniels was saying "That was an incredible goal, folks. How this man wasn't drafted by anyone in the NHL is a mystery to me."
Brent added "Well, I hear the Anaheim Ducks have the inside track on Mr. Bartowski since it was their scout that invited him to try out. I understand loyalty is very important to Chuck."
"We have an interview scheduled with that scout after the game. We'll see if we can find out more."
The game was winding down, with less than a minute to play and the score was still tied. It looked like the game was headed into overtime. After the puck ended up in the crowd, Chuck's line was sent out with 35 seconds left in the game and the face off was just inside the Russian blue line. This was a very important face off since it could result in a scoring chance if Chuck won the draw. The puck was dropped and Chuck won the draw, sending the puck toward the corner, where Smith was stationed. Smith controlled the puck and took it behind the net. There were 25 seconds left in the game. Chuck was engaged in an epic battle for position in front of the Russian goal with none other than Yuri the Gobbler. Even though Chuck was 6'4" and weighed 210 lbs., he was giving away 3" in height and 50 lbs. in weight. Since Chuck couldn't out muscle Yuri, he decided to use his quickness. By this time, the puck had been passed out to Crash Thompson who desperately wanted to make amends for his foolish penalty. There were 10 seconds left in the game. Crash looked into Chuck's eyes and he saw him look to his right while turning his head to the left. Chuck turned to his left into Gabrienko and immediately spun back to the right. Crash fired a perfect low shot along the ice that the goalie appeared to have covered. Chuck's fake created just enough space to free up his stick. Gabrienko, realizing he had been faked out, had swung his elbow out to try and knock Chuck off balance before the shot came. Just as the Gobbler's elbow connected with the side of Chuck's head at his temple, Chuck tipped the puck up under the crossbar for the winning goal with one second left in the game. The red light went on and the crowd erupted in joy, especially Sarah and the family. That joy was short lived however, as Gabrienko's elbow knocked Chuck out cold and he fell hard, face first on the ice.
A/N 2 – Ooh, a little cliffhanger heading into the last chapter of this arc of the story.
