A/N: The story is drawing to a close, finally. Consider this the first part of the epilogue.

Standard disclaimers apply.

Sarah vs the Family Reunion

Chuck looked across the aisle to where Sarah sat with her Mom. She was very happy and in turn it made him happy too. He remembered going to their room to wake her up for the flight home. He had found her peacefully asleep in the bed, Sam watching over her, gently stroking her daughter's golden hair. Sam had given him a quick hug before trying to shake her baby girl awake. Sarah had just turned on her side without waking up. Chuck had then taken over, kissing his girlfriend's cheek and causing her to turn on her back again. Another kiss, on her lips this time, had finally done the trick. They had all packed the night before, so all that Chuck had left to do was call Frank and have him arrange for someone to pick up the Audi from the airport parking lot.

The flight to Los Angeles would be long, but certainly not boring. Morgan was sitting next to Chuck, enjoying the comfort of flying first class. Alex was engrossed in a magazine, having found the chance to relax. Sarah and Sam were still catching up on each other's lives. The fasten seatbelts sign had long ago been turned off, so Chuck rose from his seat and approached Sarah.

"Hey honey," he said simply.

"Chuck, about time. I think both Mom and I need a break from our trip down memory lane."

"You look like you need one. Sam, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Chuck, anything."

"How did you find out about us? The team, I mean?"

"It was simple enough. The current Director of the CIA, the one who replaced that idiot Hicks, just happens to be an old partner of mine. I asked him about Sarah and imagine my surprise when he told me that she is an agent and working for General Casey. He was kind enough to give me information on you and Alex, but I was still a bit shocked to see Morgan with you."

"Alex is training Morgan. He and Awesome found out about Sarah-"

"She told me all about it and about Ellie as well."

"Did you know about…?" Instead of specifically mentioning the Intersect, Chuck tapped the side of Sarah's head lightly.

"Not until last night. That was quite a shock to the system, but if anything I'm proud of my baby."

"You are right to be proud of her, Sam. She was done a lot of good with… it."

"That she has. By the way, why do you call my son 'Awesome'? Not that he doesn't deserve it."

"That's Sarah's nickname for him and we've all kinda picked it up from her. Basically she's calling him Captain Awesome, and I must say it fits."

"No Mom, they have not yet found a pet name for me," Sarah said, answering Sam's questioning look.

"Alex has a pet name for you and so does Big Mike."

"Don't say it, or I'll go Intersect 2.0 on you. Chuck, I'm serious. Consider yourself warned," she said and pouted.

"Please, baby girl, I'm dying to know," her mother said.

"Alex calls her…"

"Don't!"

"… Nerd Girl."

"You are dead, Chuck."

"And her boss at the Buy More calls her…"

"It'll be slow and painful," Sarah warned.

"… Blondie Nerd," Chuck said, ignoring the threat. "Alex is Blondie Green, that's how he has named them," he continued. He looked at his girlfriend. She was trying hard to appear angry, but she was failing miserably.

"I like the nicknames," said Sam.

"Is there any other sordid secret you want to know about your daughter?"

"I think this was the last one."

"She's told you everything else then. Smart girl."

"Chuck, would you like to keep Sarah company for a while? I want to go talk to Morgan and then to Alex. I have a lot to discuss with them too."

"I'll be more than glad to." As soon as Sam got up, he took her seat and draped an arm around Sarah, pulling her close for a kiss.

"Don't even think about it. You are not yet forgiven for- mmmmmmmmm"

"Did you like it?"

"Kissing me to shut me up?"

"You've done it several times. It was my turn to see if it works on you."

"Apparently it does. Happy now?"

"I'm always happy when I'm around you. Ouch! What was that for?" Chuck asked the question because Sarah punched him in the shoulder.

"For always knowing a way to make me stop being mad at you."

"Can't help it. I'm so in love with you that I'll always find a way to make you feel better."

"I know. It's one of the reasons why I love you so much."

Eventually Sarah reclined her seat and fell asleep. She had stayed up most of the night talking to her Mom, so she was still tired. As for Sam, she finished her talk with Morgan and Alex and reclaimed her seat, where she too fell asleep, but not for long. Chuck, Morgan and Alex watched them, glad that things had worked out better than their wildest flights of imagination could have foreseen.

The flight from Switzerland to LA was a long one, but the in-flight service was excellent and the seats comfortable. They all managed to get some sleep and at one point Sam motioned for Chuck to join her at the bar. She ordered a vodka for herself, while Chuck went for a Jack Daniels on the rocks.

"Chuck," she began, "you know I talked with Sarah and she told me all about you and your relationship with her."

"I know, Sam."

"I saw you on the Bateau Mouche in Paris."

"You were there?"

"Yes. I was on a mission and I had just turned over surveillance of the mark to the next shift, so I had nothing else to do and decided to take the boat tour."

"And you took the same boat Sarah and I had taken."

"Imagine my surprise when I saw you two dancing. It was all I could do not to come in and… and…"

"I understand how hard it was. You didn't want to blow your mission. It's something I can relate to. In fact for two years I was scared to reveal my feelings for Sarah to her. I hurt her many times, but back then I felt I had no choice."

"So she told me. You are together now and this is the most important thing. The difficult times you went through only made your bond stronger."

"Thank you Sam. Thank you for being so understanding," Chuck said with a smile.

"One more thing; were those your parents on the boat?"

"Yes, that was them, Stephen and Mary Bartowski."

"I liked them both. I only saw them from afar and not for long, but they are definitely nice people."

"You should have seen how my Mom reacted when she found out I'm a CIA agent."

"She didn't know?"

"No. Let me tell you, Hell hath no fury like a mother kept in the dark about her only son's career."

"She seemed okay to me."

"That was because she met Sarah for the first time there. She really likes her, you know. She was still mad at me and my Dad, but she was also very happy to meet Sarah, who likes my Mom too, by the way."

"And your father is an excellent dancer."

"Sarah had to flash to keep up with him," Chuck said and winked.

"Really?"

"No, I'm just kidding. Seriously now, Sam, you should get some more sleep. You look like you stayed up all night."

"I did stay up all night."

"Come on. You need to be rested and fresh for when we get home." He got up and Sam let him guide her back to her seat. Sitting down next to her daughter, she went out like a light. Chuck watched them both as they slept and smiled. Settling comfortably back in his own seat, he picked up a newspaper and idly leafed through it.

The next thing he knew was Morgan shaking him to wake him up.

"Huh? Morgan, what's going on buddy?"

"We're on final approach to LAX. So move your seat to the upright position and fasten your seatbelt."

"What time is it?"

"My watch is still on Zurich time, Chuck."

"We left Zurich at nine o'clock, right?"

"Correct."

"It's about a thirteen hour flight."

"Twelve hours and thirty five minutes on average."

"So it's some time in the afternoon here in LA."

"Correct again," Morgan said, doing some mental calculations to confirm.

The landing was smooth and the team quickly moved to get through customs and immigration. Their government credentials made getting done with the formalities a breeze. The longest wait was in the baggage claim area, but after they picked up their stuff, including Sarah's steamer trunk, they hurried to the short-term parking lot.

"Mom, you are coming with me in my car."

"You have a car? You didn't have one when Devon got married."

"I do now. Here she is."

"You bought a Porsche?"

"Dad bought her. He just gave her to me."

"I'll need to have a talk with Jack. He was always spoiling you," she said smiling.

Chuck and Morgan loaded their baggage into the Charger, while Alex threw her bag in the Barracuda's trunk. They had left some equipment behind in the care of some of Casey's contacts in Zurich to be shipped back to the States at the earliest convenience. The three-vehicle convoy rolled out of the airport area and turned towards Burbank.

On the way Morgan called his girlfriend to let her know he was back. She was enthusiastic, especially when he told her he had a surprise for her. Sarah had agreed with the others not to call her Dad, her brother and her sister in law. She wanted Sam's appearance to be a surprise. Fortunately Jack had moved to his son's apartment for a few days while his place, which neither Sarah nor Devon knew where it was, was being fumigated.

Sarah was so eager to see her whole family reunited that she drove really fast, having flashed on the appropriate techniques. One motorcycle cop had made the mistake of pulling her over, but Sarah instantly transformed into Agent Carmichael and literally shoved her NSA badge in the brunette's face. If the lady officer wasn't sufficiently intimidated by then, she definitely was when she found herself looking at Sam's CIA badge. She glanced nervously at the two muscle cars that stopped behind the Porsche.

"These are my associates," said Sarah, as Chuck got out of the Charger and approached them. The cop made the mistake of eyeing him appreciatively, something that didn't escape Sarah's attention.

"Everything OK here, Officer?" Chuck asked, producing his badge.

"Um, yes sir, everything is OK." She then turned to Sarah. "Well, ma'am, you are free to go."

"Thank you," Sarah said haughtily. "Just don't do anything stupid and mention over the radio that you stumbled on an NSA operation. Your frequencies are not secure and if I get wind that my partners and I have been compromised because of you, you'll be lucky to get a job at a greasy fast food joint. If you don't end up in the slammer or in an unmarked grave, that is."

"Yes ma'am," the officer gulped.

"Have a nice day," Sarah said, smiling sweetly and getting back in her car. "Skank," she muttered under her breath as she sped away.

"What was that all about, Sarah?" Sam asked.

"What?"

"You were really nasty to that officer. She was just doing her job."

"I know, but I didn't like the way she looked at my Chuck. That boy is great, really great and I love him, but he somehow attracts brunettes like bees to honey."

"That's why you threatened her?"

"I was going to let her get away with stopping us until she started ogling him."

"My, my; are you jealous, baby girl?"

"Me, jealous? No, definitely not. Maybe I overreacted a little. I mean, c'mon Mom. I'm tired and I'm really excited at having my family back together and…"

"It's okay, Sarah."

"Thanks Mom."

The rest of the drive to Echo Park was uneventful and soon all three cars were parked in their spots. Sarah dragged her steamer trunk out of Chuck's car and went straight to her brother's apartment. She knew where Devon and Ellie kept a spare key, but when she saw light coming out of a window she decided to knock.

"Sarah you are back!" Devon exclaimed when he saw her and pulled his little sister into a bear hug. Ellie came running to the door and squealed happily when she saw her.

"Hi Devon, Ellie. Can you give me a hand with this?"

"Sure. It's not too heavy. What's in there?"

"My stuff and some things I bought for you guys. Where is Dad?"

"I'm right here, Angel," Jack called from the kitchen. Surreptitiously Sarah motioned with her hand for Sam to hide in the shadows, as she wanted the surprise to go as planned. She opened the trunk and started pulling various neatly labeled packages out.

"Dad, this is for you. Devon, this is yours. Ellie, these boxes are from me and this one is from Devon."

"What's in them?"

"This one is souvenirs I bought for you in Europe, this one is full of Swiss chocolates-"

"Swiss chocolates, I love them, thanks Sarah!"

"And Devon asked me to get the last one for you."

"Awww, it's a Cuckoo clock! I always wanted one of those, thanks guys!" Ellie enthusiastically hugged the Walker siblings.

"Sarah, where is Chuck?" Jack asked.

"He's taking our stuff to our place with Morgan."

"With Morgan? Where did he disappear to, by the way?"

"Ellie, he was in Switzerland with Alex, Chuck and me."

"What were you all doing…? You were on a mission?"

"A short one well worth interrupting my vacation."

"Really?" Ellie looked like she was about to blow up when Chuck Alex and Morgan entered.

"You gave them their presents, sweetheart?" Chuck asked.

"All except for the best one," Sarah replied and whistled. Nothing happened. Curious, she went out and found Sam frozen in place, unable to move. "Mom, what's wrong with you? Come on," she whispered.

"I'm scared, Sarah."

"You? What are you scared of?"

"I don't know if they'll be happy to see me."

"Mom, get a grip on yourself. It's no time for insecurities now. I know and you know that they'll all be thrilled to see you."

"Well, what is that present anyway, darling?" Jack asked as Sarah reappeared at the door, pulling at something.

"This," she replied and pulled hard enough to drag Sam into the apartment and send her flying into her husband's arms.

"Sam? Sam baby, is it really you?" He held her tightly, slowly convincing himself that he wasn't dreaming, that the love of his life was back with him.

"Mom?" Devon was also stunned. He recovered quickly and vaulted over the couch to envelop both his parents in a big hug. Ellie stood rooted in shock. When the realization sank in, she was so happy that she started tearing up. By now Sam was crying with happiness and inevitably set Sarah and Ellie off. The whole family hugged, while Chuck, Morgan and Alex watched with huge smiles on their faces.

"How… how is this possible?" Devon asked.

"It's simple, big brother," Sarah said when she was again able to breathe. "The organization Mom had to run from turned out to be a part of the Ring. When we took down the Ring's leadership, we eliminated the threat to Mom as well."

"We'll talk about all this later," Said Jack. "Right now I want to do this." He grabbed his wife and kissed her. He kissed her like he did the first time she had allowed him to; like on the day she'd said yes; like on the day of their wedding; like the times when they had learned Sam was pregnant with their children; like he had done on every happy occasion of their lives.

"You haven't lost your touch, Jack Walker," she said when they came up for air. All the others applauded and cheered.

"What can I say? I'm a great kisser."

"I hope you haven't been practicing," she teased.

"Okay Sarah," Chuck said. "Now I see where you got your jealous streak from."

"I AM NOT JEALOUS!" Sam and Sarah yelled together.

"Mom, cool your jets," Devon said. "The important thing is that you are back and you are here to stay, right?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Awesome!"

"Right now we all have some catching up to do. Sarah tried to fill me in as best as she could, but there are some things I'd like to hear from you guys. Ellie, don't just stand there! Come here, you are part of the family too. And I must say you were the best looking bride I have ever seen."

"How do you know about that, Mom?"

"As I told your sister, I wasn't about to miss my son's wedding."

"You went to the wedding?"

"In disguise. Do you have the wedding album?"

"I'll go get it!" Ellie said. She gave it to Sam, who leafed through the pages.

"That's me right here."

"No wonder none of us recognized you. It's a great disguise."

"Tell me about it. I couldn't recognize myself when I looked in the mirror; which was a good thing."

"This calls for a celebration," decreed Ellie. "Morgan, call little Alex and see if she can make it."

"Who is this little Alex?" Sam asked.

"She's Morgan's girlfriend, General Casey's daughter."

"And you are still breathing, Morgan?"

"Apparently Mrs. Casey likes me. And her husband too, "Morgan said.

"And to avoid confusion, when Ms. Casey comes here, call Major Forrest 'Alexandra', OK Sam?"

"Sure thing, Chuck."

That day was one of the most memorable in their lives. The Walker family was back together and its members were glad to share their happiness with their closest friends. There was a lot of reminiscing, joking about the past and just enjoying the company involved. It was well past midnight when they all finally retired to their rooms, after agreeing to reconvene in the morning to continue the bonding and catching up session.