A/N: First and foremost, I want to apologize to all my faithful readers. I wasn't up to writing this past weekend, and I'm sorry. Here's the next chapter of 'Versus The Road'.
I still have a number of ideas for both while Sarah is pregnant and after the kids are born. I am debating whether or not to complete this story and start a sequel, or just continue with 'Versus The Road', adding chapters. Thoughts?
Thanks go out to everyone who reads and reviews. Every review motivates me to keep writing. As long as you guys keep R/Ring, I'll keep on writing.
THANK YOU.
-JB
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.
Previously on 'Versus the Road':
"Auntie?"
"Yes, Clara?"
"What's the Intersect?"
Sarah peeked at the other adults in the room, who were looking at her expectantly. Apparently she was on her own with this one. She turned back to her niece with a smile.
"It's a nickname for your Uncle Chuck," she said playfully, resorting again to tickling Clara. It worked.
"Okay! Okay! Stop! Please!" Clara yelled between fits of laughter, tears streaking down her face. Sarah joined in her laughter, finding her niece's giggling adorable.
Ellie, watching the scene with a smile, turned to Chuck.
"So, what ideas do you have about…you know," she asked, pointing to his head instead of saying the word.
"Well, we don't want to just let it sit there unused. I mean, I have a Governor, so I'll be fine, but we figure as long as we have it we might as well study and use it," Chuck explained.
"Okay," Ellie replied. "I think we should do a full physical diagnostic, run some CT scans and MRIs, then see where we're at."
"When can we start?" Chuck asked, his eyes still watching his wife.
"Right now if you want," Ellie shrugged. "We don't really have any plans 'til dinner, do we sis?" She asked Sarah.
"Nope," Sarah grinned. "I just need Ellie to help with the cooking in a couple hours."
"Well, for most of those tests, we need to go to the medical center," Ellie reminded. "But I saw enough medical equipment downstairs to at least do some preliminary testing."
"Okay," Chuck nodded. "Can Sarah come down with us? I just….don't…..want….to…," he rambled, looking at the floor, mildly embarrassed by his obvious need for his wife.
"Of course," Ellie said happily. "Devon, will you stay up here with Clara while we go downstairs?"
"Sure, babe," Devon answered, moving towards Sarah and Clara.
Sarah gave Clara a big sloppy kiss, making both of them laugh, and reluctantly handed her over to her brother-in-law. She could honestly say that she had grown quite close to her niece. It was quite a change from when she was first born, and Sarah was almost terrified of even holding her. She and Chuck were engaged, but Sarah still had a ways to go before she felt completely comfortable. It helped when she and Chuck volunteered to babysit Clara often when Ellie an Devon needed a night to themselves. She discovered that there was nothing particularly hard about childcare, it just required a lot of patience and the need to stay calm. It became Sarah's mission to 'practice' with her niece, knowing that it was inevitable that she'd have her own children soon. And when Sarah Bartowski has a mission, it gets completed.
She sighed as Clara nestled into her father's arms. Chuck noticed and deftly moved towards Sarah, wrapping his arm around her waist. She leaned her head on his shoulder, watching her niece with longing.
"Don't worry baby," Chuck whispered as he kissed the top of her head. "We'll have our own soon enough."
"I know sweetie," Sarah smiled widely, "and I can't wait."
He smiled and gave the crown of her head another kiss.
Ellie, Chuck, and Sarah made their way into the bunker, leaving Devon and Clara upstairs in the family den watching a Disney movie. Chuck had to promise Devon that he'd let him do some of the tests. Devon was mildly jealous that Ellie was the one getting to do all the medical stuff, so Chuck vowed to let Devon get his time in as a doctor.
The first test they ran was a simple physical. Height, weight, body fat, eyesight, hearing, et cetera. Ellie even had Chuck walk across the floor, taking note of his gait and orientation of his steps. When it comes to the Intersect, they could never be too careful, never have enough tests done.
There was an MRI machine in the bunker, part of the small medical center Chuck had built in. Ellie first did a fully body scan. Chuck put headphones on, as the MRI machine was very loud. Sarah talked to him through them, keeping him calm and collected by keeping his mind off the scan. It was odd at first for her, to talk to Chuck and not be able to really hear what he said in response. Ellie motioned for her to keep talking, and Sarah smiled nervously as she started talking to Chuck about her ideas for the kids' rooms. As she continued on, Chuck laid there with a stupid, happy grin on his face. Sure, he was in the middle of an MRI scan. But the simple act of hearing his wife gushing about how she wanted to turn one of the spare bedrooms into a nursery made him happier than he could ever remember being.
Ellie also had a wide grin on her face. She was conducting the test, which involved many smaller tests within the scan, but she couldn't help but overhear her sister-in-law emotionally talking about their future children. Ellie was still blown away every single day by the monumental shift in Sarah. When Chuck had first brought her home all those years ago, Ellie pretty quickly deduced that Sarah had feelings for her brother, but for some reason hid them behind a facade. When she finally found out the real reason for their hesitance, she understood completely. It all made sense, why Sarah was always so guarded and never gave herself fully to Chuck. But now, Ellie was simply in awe as she witnessed her best friend and her brother prepare to welcome their own children into the world.
"Do you remember when we went to Costa Gravas the second time?" Sarah asked Chuck through his headphones.
"Yep," he heard his soft reply over the machine's beeping and whirling.
"I was thinking about that the other day," Sarah continued. "You talking them down, preventing accidental nuclear war. I was so proud of you. I remember that you and I were going through our own problems. I was still terrified of commitment. But that mission changed me. When you simply said, 'Is the love still there?', I knew what I needed to do."
"I love you," Chuck said between breath-holds.
"And I love you," Sarah replied immediately. "But hold your breath for ten seconds starting…..now."
The MRI mercifully came to an end, and Chuck stood up and stretched. The door swung open and Sarah came into the room, moving quickly to Chuck and burying her face into his chest. His arms automatically enveloped her, bringing her closer. Her hands were gripping the front of his t-shirt, and he could feel the emotion running through her body.
"What's wrong, Sarah?" He whispered.
"Nothing," she mumbled into his chest.
"Not gonna fly," Chuck replied. "You should know you can't get anything past me, Mrs. Bartowski."
"I know," she admitted. "It's just…..I was talking about the nursery, then about some old missions, and my mind couldn't help but wander and…."
"And you somehow thought about what could have happened on one of those missions?"
"Yeah," she replied sadly. "I know it's stupid, Chuck, but what if just one thing went wrong once? I can't even think about it, sweetie. The thought of us not being here, not being a family, me not being pregnant…." The emotion overtook her, and she buried her face back into Chuck's chest, and he could feel, see, and hear the tears spilling over.
"I know, baby, I know," he cooed, trying in vain to calm her down. His voice seemed to have the opposite effect, and her sobbing became louder. He just wrapped her up as tightly as he could, softly kissing the top of her head as she cried into him.
"Chuck?" He heard his wife's voice. It sounded so weak, so frail.
"I'm right here honey," he reassured.
"Never ever leave me," she pleaded. "I wouldn't survive, Chuck. Just please, never leave."
Chuck's heart broke at the vulnerability in Sarah's voice. He didn't know why she was suddenly so emotional, but he knew better than to waste time wondering about why.
"Hey," Chuck said fairly firm. He slowly reached down and gently took her chin in his hand, raising it so he could look into her eyes. When they finally made eye contact, Chuck almost started crying himself seeing the pain in Sarah's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Sarah. You're my end game. I fully expect you to be competitive when we play shuffleboard in fifty years."
That got a laugh, music to Chuck's ears. He kept rubbing her back lovingly, letting her get it all out.
She eventually calmed down enough to look up at Chuck, love brimming in both their gazes.
"I really, really need you to kiss me right now," Sarah pleaded, her lips quivering.
Chuck brought his hand up to her cheek and leaned down. Their lips met ever so gently. This wasn't the time for unrestrained passion or lust. It was a kiss for the future, a promise. Chuck felt the tension leave Sarah's body as they kissed.
"Aww," Chuck and Sarah heard. They'd both forgot Ellie was standing not five feet away in the room.
The kiss broke and Chuck instantly buried his face into Sarah's curly locks, fully embarrassed. Sarah, on the other hand, just smiled at Ellie, enjoying her place in her husband's arms.
"You two are so cute," Ellie beamed.
"Thanks," Sarah grinned. "I'm sorry I'm so emotional. We should continue with the tests, yeah?"
"Don't apologize," Ellie said with a wave of the hand. "You're pregnant. With twins. I told you your emotions would be up and down. Nothing to worry about."
"Thanks, sis," Sarah said. "I know we've already said this, but Chuck and I are so grateful that you guys are here. It means the world to us," she said honestly.
"Of course," Ellie smiled. "Like we'd miss you guys becoming parents. Besides, I'm learning a lot from you two."
That piqued Chuck's curiosity, and his head shot up from its place in Sarah's hair.
"What do you mean? What have you learned from us?" He asked.
"Well, for starters, I've discovered that Sarah has pretty much destroyed any aversion to PDA you once might have had."
"You got that right," Sarah smirked as she leaned up and kissed Chuck fairly passionately on the lips. He instinctually opened his mouth in response to her tongue's beckoning, and they would've deepened the kiss tremendously if Ellie hadn't not-so-subtly cleared her throat.
"Exactly," she pointed out.
7:01 pm. Dining room, Ojos Azules.
After the preliminary tests were completed, they rejoined Devon and Clara. Chuck plopped down on the couch, Clara between him and Devon, and watched the rest of the movie while Ellie and Sarah made their way to the kitchen. Ellie told Chuck they'd do some more tests soon at the medical center, then they'd discuss options.
Sarah actually had quite a good handle on dinner. She just needed Ellie as an extra set of hands to help set the table, toss the salad, pour drinks, cut up bread, and any other small chores that needed completion. Ellie was more than happy to help, and was again in awe as she watched Sarah seamlessly transform into a doting housewife.
"You're getting pretty good at this," Ellie motioned to the dinner around them. "Well done, little sister."
"Thanks," Sarah beamed. Ellie-approval was so very important to her. "I learned from the best." She nodded to Ellie.
"Don't be silly," Ellie said. "You're a natural in the kitchen."
"Yes, she is," Chuck gushed. "My wife is amazing, isn't she?"
Everyone at the table enthusiastically nodded between bites, causing Sarah to blush deeply.
"Auntie Sarah's the best!" Clara yelled.
"Why's that, sweetie?" Ellie asked her toddler.
"Because she's my Auntie," Clara simply answered. "I love her. She always tickles me though!"
"I love you too," Sarah told Clara with a smile. "And I only tickle you because….," she reached over to Clara, "you're so ticklish!" She tickled her tummy for a few seconds, causing Clara to laugh hysterically.
"And how do you like it?" Chuck had gotten out of his seat and was standing behind Sarah. He reached down and tickled her sides, where he knew she'd be unable to prevent herself from laughing.
"Stop! Please! Chuck!" Sarah breathed through laughs.
"I'll stop, but there's a price," he told her.
"What….. is…it?"
"A kiss," he shrugged.
Sarah shot out of her seat and turned to Chuck, smashing her lips into his.
"Ew! We're eating!"
"Clara's right," Sarah laughed as the kiss broke. "Go sit down," she told Chuck.
He nodded, but before he went to his seat, he leaned in and whispered into Sarah's ear.
"Fine, but we're picking this up as soon as they're gone."
As much as Sarah loved her family, right then she wished she and Chuck were alone. She sighed happily as she sat back down to enjoy the dinner she'd worked hard on.
The conversation flowed easily at the table. Chuck and Sarah were incredibly open about their spy life, answering most of Ellie and Devon's questions truthfully. There were some answers that were still classified, but they understood.
"Sarah?"
"Yes, Ellie?"
"When did you know that you'd disobey orders for Chuck?"
The question was out of left field. It got everyone's attention, everybody shifting their gaze to Sarah who was watching her fork and knife.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Chuck suggested.
"No, it's okay," Sarah said without looking up. She took a couple deep breaths then lifted her head back up to look at her family.
She caught Chuck's eye and told him, silently, it was okay. She wanted to do this.
"I disobeyed orders on our first date, but that was different. That was before my bosses knew who Chuck really was," Sarah explained.
Everyone was still watching her intently, so she took a deep breath and continued.
"I came incredibly close to pulling my weapon on another CIA officer. They were trying to take Chuck away. It all worked out, but that was when I really started to understand how deep I was in." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Then, about a year after that, they tried to take him away again. It was my job to go to the Buy More and lie to Chuck to get him to go down to Castle so Casey could take him into custody."
"What happened?" Ellie asked, on the edge of her seat.
"I lied to him. I told him exactly what I was ordered to. That everything was okay and he was safe. I was about to lead him down to Castle when he spoke."
"What did Chuck say?" Devon asked, equally as intrigued.
Tears started falling down Sarah's face as she remembered that night.
"He told me how thankful he was that I was in his life. That he'd started to question whether or not he could trust me, but that he knew he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I took one look at him, and I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't lie to the love of my life. It was that moment that I knew, for sure, that Chuck was always going to be the number one priority in my life."
"So what happened next?" Ellie prodded.
Sarah wiped her tears, a smile plastered on her face.
"I told him the truth. I told him that they were trying to take him away. We ran."
"You ran?" Devon asked, confused.
"Yes," Sarah replied. "We were on the run for not even a full day before Casey caught up with us. That was when you found out about Chuck, remember Devon? Then, when we face the General, Chuck got me off the hook. I could've easily been thrown into prison."
"What? Why would they put you in jail?" Ellie asked.
"What I did was technically treason," Sarah explained. "I took Chuck off the grid, and planned on keeping him from the government. They had every right to throw me in a dank hole."
"But Chuck saved you," Ellie added.
"Yes. Chuck told them that it was all an intricate plan to flush out the enemy. They bought it."
"Wow," Ellie breathed, obviously moved by the story.
Chuck grinned at Sarah, amused that she'd conveniently left out the part about their passionate wake up in Bartsow. She winked and smiled back.
"You guys are something else," Devon declared. "You've gone through enough trials and tribulations for two lifetimes."
"I know," Chuck sighed. "We've sure been through a lot. But everything that happened led us right to this very moment. I wouldn't change a single thing. I've never been happier."
Sarah beamed at his words, her hand instinctually rubbing her stomach, where their children were currently growing slowly. Just the mere thought of their children made her emotional again.
They finished dinner, Ellie and Devon obviously still moved by Sarah's story. Ellie had always known Sarah loved Chuck….it was that obvious. She was now starting to understand how deep that love really ran - how Chuck and Sarah were soul mates in every sense of the word. Hearing the story of how they'd run only served to add to Ellie's unending love for her sister-in-law. It helped her to realize how difficult those times had been for the two of them, and how amazing it truly was that they'd come out the other side of it like they had.
11:32 pm. Chuck and Sarah's balcony, Ojos Azules.
They were in the jacuzzi, relaxing and enjoying the unseasonably warm evening, the clouds having dispersed when the sun went down. Elle, Devon, and Clara had left a couple hours prior, Ellie giving Sarah a knowing look when they were out the door.
As soon as they could no longer see the Woodcombs, Sarah pulled Chuck upstairs and out onto the deck. As they went, they kissed and she started to take Chuck's clothes off. Not one to be left out, Chuck reciprocated the gesture, unbuttoning Sarah's blouse expertly. They were both giggling at how much they wanted each other.
They made it to the jacuzzi with barely any clothes left. Chuck slid out of his boxers while Sarah unclasped her bra and got rid of her panties. As soon as she stood back up, completely naked, Chuck predictably froze.
"Baby, you know how much I love when you go all catatonic on me. It always makes me feel so beautiful that I have such an effect on you. But please, right now, I need you." Sarah spoke slowly, and Chuck heard the same vulnerability that she'd had earlier in the MRI room.
Chuck nodded and they clambered into the jacuzzi, Sarah straddling Chuck as their lips met in a frenzy. It was as if they'd been apart for days, when in reality they'd made love only hours before. Their hands were running all over each other's bodies, memorizing each inch of bare skin. They were frantically trying to connect at all levels, Sarah moaning as Chuck nibbled on her ear lobe.
"Chuck, please," she pleaded, her voice trembling.
She pulled back slightly to look him in the eye. They both stopped moving and gazed at one another, transmitting looks of love and adoration.
Chuck just smiled and lifted her up off his lap, giving her the chance to rearrange their bodies for maximum pleasure. She didn't waste the opportunity, and they were soon writhing in sync, both of them happy they were fairly isolated. If they'd had neighbors, they surely would have complained by now of a woman screaming.
He couldn't help but grin at his wife as she let him know just how much she loved him, in more ways than one. He was still frankly amazed that he could get such a passionate reaction out of her, but he wasn't about to question it. He was also on the verge, Sarah expertly making sure both of them were satiated.
When they finally were satisfied for the time being, they turned on the jets and just relaxed in each other's arms. They were both panting, their bodies catching up slowly.
"That was…..," Sarah started.
"…..I know," Chuck finished.
She smiled and kissed him, leaning her head on his shoulder when they broke apart.
"Telling the Bartsow story got me pretty emotional," Sarah said.
"I noticed," Chuck grinned. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not much more to say," Sarah shrugged. "I mean, we've never really talked all that much about that morning…"
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking," Chuck said.
"You know that wouldn't have been good for us if we'd….finished what we started that morning?" Sarah asked.
"Of course," Chuck assured. "I get it. It was a blessing in disguise that we got interrupted. As much as I wanted it, it wouldn't have helped in the long run."
Sarah let out a sigh of relief. She was mildly worried they would have a heated discussion about it, but was relieved when she understood that Chuck got it.
"Trust me, sweetie, I wanted it just as much as you did. But that's not really what I wanted to say to you about that morning."
"Go on," Chuck coaxed.
Sarah took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze before she began.
"That was the morning when I first admitted to myself that this, right here, is where I wanted to be."
"You knew we were going to live in Chile?" Chuck joked.
Sarah chuckled and playfully slapped his arm.
"Hey! That hurt," Chuck said, mocking offense.
"Poor baby," Sarah whispered. She softly and sensually kissed his arm where she'd hit him. "Better?"
Chuck was sitting there with his eyes closed, moaning in pleasure. "Much," he breathed out.
"No. I knew I wanted to be married to you, barefoot and pregnant," she said almost shyly.
"Really?" Chuck asked disbelievingly. "And, just for clarity's sake, you're barefoot, pregnant, and naked," he pointed out.
Sarah giggled. "Yes," Sarah answered, gaining confidence. "I woke up in your arms that morning, and I knew that was the only place I'd ever be truly happy again. No, not in a motel in Barstow, wiseass. In your arms."
"Wow," Chuck smiled. "Thank you?"
"You don't have to thank me, silly," Sarah grinned. "In reality, I should thank you."
"Why? What did I do?"
"You never gave up on me," she whispered.
"How could I?" Chuck asked incredulously. "I've told you this almost a million times. I'll never give up on you, Sarah. I'm going to spend the rest of my life loving you."
"Good," she smirked. "That makes two of us."
Chuck grinned back, and their lips found each other again.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you," he whispered right back.
1:13 am. Chuck and Sarah's bedroom, Ojos Azules.
Chuck was asleep. Sarah knew that much. She could tell from his steady breathing and his steady grip on her. She was content just lying in his arms watching him. She knew if he woke up and caught her she'd get admonished, but she figured it was worth the risk.
She was thinking about everything they'd talked about before, during, and after dinner. She wasn't lying when she told Chuck that talking about Barstow had gotten her emotional. It had been a confusing time for her - stuck between her orders and her heart - and bringing it back into focus made her realize how stupid she'd acted.
She was embarrassed when she told Ellie and Devon about how she'd lied right to Chuck's face and was seconds away from sending him to a bunker. She was ashamed of her actions, even though she had ended up telling him the truth and going on the run with him to protect him. Chuck had told her countless times he never blamed her, that she'd done the right thing, but that didn't help her guilt. It was still there.
How could she do that? She claimed to love him, but then she came incredibly close to leaving him to the CIA's devices. It was a battle between her two psyches - that of a CIA officer, and that of Chuck's girl. Chuck's girl had won out - barely. Sarah always wondered to herself what she would have done if Chuck hadn't spoken up when he did. Would she have followed her orders? If she had, would she have ever seen Chuck again? That was the question that made her the most emotional. The mere thought of how close they'd came to being forced apart caused her to start crying right there in Chuck's arms. How did he ever forgive her? She'd always told him she would never allow him to be taken to a bunker, then she's seconds away from doing it herself? What kind of person does that to the person they love?
She tried to keep her sobbing to a minimum. Chuck's senses had become extra sensitive ever since they found out about the twins. He always woke up when she did, whether it was to help her with her morning sickness or because she had a bad dream. He was always right there by her side.
"Sssshhhh, it's okay," Chuck soothed. He was awake now, much to Sarah's dismay. She wanted him to get some sleep, not worry about her.
"I'm sorry," she said through her tears, "go back to sleep. I'm fine."
"No you're not," he whispered firmly. "And that's okay. You don't have to tell me what's going on, just let me help you any way I can."
He rubbed her back softly, letting her know that he was there for her.
"Thanks," she sobbed.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, Sarah sobbing into his chest while he comforted her with kisses and kind words.
Finally, Sarah spoke up.
"I was thinking about Barstow again. Well, about before Barstow."
"What about it?" He asked softly.
"About how close I came to betraying you. Scratch that, I did betray you, Chuck. The only reason I didn't follow through was because you spoke up."
"Is that what you think happened?" It was much more clear to Chuck now.
"Yes," she nodded. "I betrayed you. Never mind that we went on the run, I walked up to you that night intent on betraying you."
"Oh, Sarah," Chuck breathed. "Baby, that's so far from the point."
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"I never ever thought of it as you betraying me. C'mon, baby. You don't think I understood what getting an order meant to you? How hard that was for you? And besides, if you actually had betrayed me, I would've ended up in a bunker. Not in bed with the most beautiful girl in the world. So, I think I got the better end of that deal," he grinned.
"But Chuck, I lied to your face. I was ready to let them take you. How could I do that to you?" Sarah cried, her tears spilling over again.
"Sarah, I will admit that it hurt that you lied to me," Chuck said. "But ten seconds after that, you told me the truth. You don't think I forgave you on the spot? Didn't I run with you?"
"You had no choice," Sarah pointed out.
"Of course I had a choice," Chuck said. "I could've gone down into Castle and let Casey tranq me. But I didn't. You know why?"
She shook her head slightly in the negative.
"Because I trust you, Sarah. With my life. And even then, straight after you lied to me, I knew you'd do anything in your power to keep me safe and help me find my dad. That's why I ran with you. Because I love you, honey."
"I love you too," Sarah said, her kisses relaying her honesty.
They were silent for a few moments, the only sound in their bedroom Sarah's soft sobs.
"Are you better now?" Chuck asked, slowly running his thumb up and down her soft cheek.
"Much," she replied with a small smile. "But, again, I really need you to kiss me," she quivered, biting her bottom lip. Chuck found it irresistible.
Their lips met, this time with much more passion, and they didn't end up going to bed for a while yet.