A/N: Happy hump day! I want to apologize to everyone for the lack of updates lately. I have no good excuse except that I was not up to writing. I will try harder to get chapters out in a reasonable manner.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this next chapter of 'Versus The Road'. Not much movement, just good 'ol fluff setting up a discussion that will occur next chapter.
ENJOY!
As always, THANK YOU for all the reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.
Bartowski Residence, Ojos Azules
March 4th, 2013
Local Time: 10:04:35 am
Current Outdoor Temperature: 63 degrees Fahrenheit
Current Windspeed: 15 mph southwesterly
Tides: 6:34 am / 6:56 pm
Wave height: 3-4 ft
Today's Forecast: Cloudy in AM, sunny and warmer in PM
Current Security Threat Level: Low
As the days passed, Chuck and Sarah learned firsthand how, in Patagonia, one can truly experience all four seasons in one day. Just a few days ago, they'd been caught while running in a sudden snowstorm. The curious thing is that twenty minutes prior to the first snowflakes falling, it had been sixty-five degrees and sunny.
Chuck informed Sarah that it wasn't going to get any better. Winters that far south are rarely 'light'. They were in for a lot of snow, wind, ice, and rain. To his surprise, Sarah just shrugged it off and made a comment about how the jacuzzi was covered and they had multiple fireplaces.
This morning was no different. Last night, they had gone for a walk and found how very cold it was outside. Now, in the morning, it wasn't sunny, but it wasn't freezing either. They were sitting on the balcony outside their bedroom.
Chuck was sitting in one of the many wooden Adirondack chairs spread out over their property. Sarah decided that his lap was more inviting than the neighboring chair, and plopped herself right down in it. He happily wrapped his arms around her and continued with the crossword puzzle he'd printed out earlier.
Sarah took a sip from her tea as she half watched Chuck and half read over the clues. She always found his 'concentration' face cute, and he was making that face. She couldn't help but lean over and give him a kiss on the lips, smiling at his mild confusion.
"Is this the New York Times puzzle?" She asked.
"Yep," he nodded. "It's one of the harder ones out there. Especially on the weekend."
"32 down," she pointed out. "It's 'M-A-D-I-S-O-N'."
Chuck looked over the sheet and found the clue for 32 down. It read: 'Shortest US President'.
"How'd you know that baby?" Chuck asked curiously.
"I did go to Harvard, remember?" She teased. "But c'mon, everyone knows that James Madison was our shortest President at five-foot-four."
"And who is the tallest?"
"Easy. Abraham Lincoln. Around six-foot-four."
"Wow. How do you know that much about the Presidents?"
"I was on Secret Service detail for a year, Chuck," she reminded. "And history always fascinates me. I don't know why. Maybe I like learning about the country I defended for so long."
"Maybe," Chuck said. "Either way, it's incredibly sexy."
"Me talking about history is sexy? I doubt that," Sarah said.
"Sarah, everything you do is sexy," Chuck said with conviction. "Especially when you use your brain."
"Thanks," she blushed lightly, taking another sip of her tea.
Chuck just smiled and went back to his crossword.
One hour later.
A little while later, they were enjoying a walk along the shore of their island, hand in hand.
"Chuck?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember when you went out with Lou?" She asked quietly.
"Um….yeah," he replied unsurely.
"Remember when you came in to the Weinerlicious and broke up with me?"
"Yes," he sadly said, looking at his feet.
Sarah noticed and stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to Chuck and forcefully grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her.
"I'm not mad, Chuck," she softly told him. "Not anymore, at least."
Chuck silently nodded.
"It's just - when you came in, you told me about how instead of your life flashing before your eyes when you thought you were going to die, you just saw a list."
Chuck nodded again, still silent.
"After you told me that, I started thinking of what my list would be," Sarah explained slowly.
"What was on it?" Chuck finally asked after a moment of awkward silence.
"This," Sarah shrugged casually.
"What do you mean, 'this'?" Chuck wanted clarification.
"Well, vaguely, you and me, together. More specifically, I just wanted to be able to be with you, hold your hand, kiss you. Without people looking over our shoulders. Without the job hanging over us. My list was simple - I wanted you."
Sarah now saw what seemed to be the beginning of tears in Chuck's eyes.
"Chuck? What's wrong sweetie? I thought you would be happy to hear that…"
"Of course that makes me happy," Chuck reassured. His tears, however, contradicted his point. "It's just - you tell me beautifully about what you felt, and my 'list' was dumping you and dating someone else. I'm an idiot."
Sarah was conflicted. One one hand, he was right. He had broken up with her that day - and it wasn't the nicest of breakups. He had, without knowing, played cruelly with her heart when he gave her the little 'list' speech. She had thought he was going to go for it finally, admit his feelings for her and ask her out or to give them a shot. Instead, he crushed her dreams and walked out on her. Literally. On the other hand, that whole debacle was long forgiven and almost forgotten. She knew both of them had made many mistakes along the way. She couldn't hold it against him - he cared little about her past, and had always forgiven her for anything and everything.
"Chuck," Sarah started, her voice a tad shaky. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Chuck saw her struggling, and gently took her hands in his, almost immediately allowing her to think clearly and breath easier. "I'll admit, that was a horrible day. When you started that talk, I thought you were talking about something completely different. It blindsided me when you broke up our cover relationship. It shouldn't have mattered much to me - it was technically fake after all - but that wasn't the case. It meant everything to me. It was the closest I'd ever came to a real, loving relationship. Just thinking about you with another woman broke my heart."
Chuck's tears now spilled over, cascading now his cheeks as he listened to his wife bare her soul.
"But the truth, Chuck, is that I forgave you for all of that long ago. While yes, the memory is still painful, in the grand scheme of things it's not that big of a deal. We're together, forever. That's all that matters. And besides, all that nonsense eventually led to our first kiss. I'm not sure about you, but I wouldn't trade that memory for anything."
"Me either," Chuck quickly assured. "It still seems like a dream when I think about that kiss. And you know how sorry I am about all that crap. I was so confused, so unsure about everything. I honestly didn't think there was even the slightest chance for us. I still feel like I betrayed you, though. It hurts. I did the one thing I always say I'll never do - hurt you. That is unforgivable."
"Chuck, I'm sorry to have to say it, but if we sat around not forgiving each other for everything either one of us has done to hurt the other, whether intentional or not, we'd still be in a cover relationship. Sadly, we have both done a number of regrettable things for a number of different reasons. That's not what's important. What's important is that we're able to look past all that silliness - that we know our love will get us through anything. And, I'm sorry about this conversation. It wasn't the direction I'd hoped it would go in, but I probably should have seen it coming."
They both laughed softly at her last statement. She was right - she should've seen it coming. Maybe she did, and she just wanted to get it out on the table. Either way, both of them felt a hell of a lot better.
Their hands were still clasped together. Chuck reluctantly pulled his back, to Sarah's visible dismay. He quickly squashed her negative feelings, immediately taking her face in his hands.
He waited until they made eye contact before he spoke, slowly and determined.
"I love you," he said with absolute honesty.
Sarah broke out into a huge, toothy smile, the one that got Chuck flustered.
"I love you," she replied equally as honest.
Without either of them making a conscious move, they gravitated together, their lips meeting in a sweet, tender kiss full of emotion. It was slow but fulfilling, and they both were lost in it quickly.
Chuck still had Sarah's face delicately in his hands as they slowly broke apart, predictably resting their foreheads together, eyes still closed.
"Chuck?"
"Yea?"
"What are we doing tonight?"
"What do you mean?" Chuck asked, a little too quickly to not arouse suspicion.
"I mean, what are we doing tonight? I haven't talked to Ellie, but it's pretty obvious you've been doing something behind my back…"
"Um….it's a surprise," Chuck bravely said. Sarah was getting better about surprises, but it was still truly a crapshoot how she would react.
"Fair enough," she said with a small smile, leaning in for another kiss. "Now that you've half-ruined the surprise, I expect to be wowed," she challenged.
"Fair enough," he repeated with a grin. "Be ready at seven. Formal attire."
"Alright then," Sarah smiled. "That's more like it. Can we go back home now?"
"Why?" Chuck asked. "I thought this walk was nice."
"It was. But now I'd rather be taken to bed than on a walk. So?"
Chuck did not have to be asked twice. In less than a heartbeat, they were headed back to Ojos Azules.
6:58 pm. Ojos Azules.
Sarah was just about ready. She was wearing a little black dress, one she found in her closet that she'd never even seen before, never mind worn before. Chuck had cleared out of the bedroom, and she guessed he was waiting downstairs. He had already put his suit and tie on, giving Sarah the time she needed to prepare. She always took longer, and they had learned to work around each other as they got ready for dates. That never stopped them from taking a shower together, however. Neither one of them was willing to compromise when it came to that.
She was finishing up her makeup, wanting to look her best for Chuck. She gazed at herself in the mirror. Along with the black dress, she was wearing light makeup, black heels, diamond stud earrings that Chuck had given her, her rings, and her charm bracelet. The bracelet hadn't left her wrist since Chuck had put it on their first day at Ojos Azules. She wore her hair down loosely, the curls splashing above her shoulders. Her gaze lowered down to her stomach, where the beginnings of a baby bump were obvious. It wasn't enough to freak about yet, but it was enough to make Sarah highly emotional. As she stood there, rubbing her belly where their children were, she was sure that this moment was the single greatest of her life. If only she had her husband's arms around her, it would be perfect.
Sarah sighed happily as she put her things away. Finally ready, she stepped out of their bathroom and made her way towards the stairs.
Chuck was nervously pacing in the living room on the main floor. He had planned with Devon and Ellie, trying to keep it a secret from Sarah. It wasn't a special occasion, he just felt the need to do something special for Sarah. He hated to admit it, but he had been feeling slightly inadequate ever since Sarah had gotten pregnant. Her job was so important, and she was the one carrying around two babies. He felt useless. Sarah had told him time and again how much she cherished and appreciated his help and support, but even that didn't help to alleviate his concerns.
Suddenly, Chuck heard their bedroom door close. He shot his head up towards the second floor and caught sight of Sarah. His breath caught in his throat and he suddenly felt the need to let his neck get some air. She was walking towards the stairs, obviously giving Chuck a little show as she swayed her hips. Chuck somehow moved himself to the bottom of the stairs, looking up and waiting expectantly for his wife.
Sarah met him on the ground floor, both of them looking each other over with approving eyes.
"You look very handsome, Chuck," Sarah smiled as she straightened his tie, planted her hands on his chest, and leaned up to kiss him.
"Wow, Sarah, baby, you look…..wow," Chuck stumbled, finding it hard to accurately describe the vision in front of him.
Sarah just kept smiling at his rambling. She knew how he felt, it was written all over his face. It was the exact reaction she had been going for. Mission accomplished, she thought.
"So are we going on a date or are we just going to stand here while you ogle me?" Sarah teased.
"Honestly, I'd be content doing this for the rest of my life," Chuck said seriously as he stared into her deep blue eyes.
Sarah was slightly taken aback by the seriousness of his statement, but quickly recovered.
"While I would love that, I'd go crazy pretty soon without you touching me," she said.
"Good point," Chuck mused. "Shall we?" He motioned towards the front door.
"There's just one more thing I need to do, then we can leave," Sarah explained.
"Okay," Chuck replied. He thought maybe she had to use the restroom or grab a clutch or something. He was surprised when she took his face in her hands and planted a hard, emotional kiss on his lips.
"I love you," she said after the kiss broke. "Forever."
"I love you too," Chuck said with the same emotion. "Forever."
With that, they linked hands and made their way out. Chuck, using his iPhone, locked the house down after they exited. Sarah, not knowing where they were going, waited for Chuck to show her the way. They were soon walking down towards the boathouse.
When they were about twenty feet away from the boathouse, the door swung open towards them. Sarah was shocked, she had thought they were alone on the island. She was about to reach in her purse for her gun when she realized she didn't have a purse or a gun.
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski," Devon grinned. "I am here to escort you to your dinner." He was wearing a white dinner jacket, black pants, a white shirt, and had on a black vest and bow tie. Sarah giggled softly.
Sarah turned to Chuck smiling, tightening her already tight grip on his hand.
Chuck squeezed her hand and they walked towards Devon. He gave Chuck a fist bump, which Chuck nervously returned, and Sarah a kiss on the cheek.
As they entered the boathouse, Sarah saw the Woodcombs' boat docked. She wondered if dinner was on one of the boats, or a the Woodcombs', or somewhere else. She had no idea. She knew if she tried, even a little, she probably could have easily figured it out. But that's not what it was about. Chuck wanted to surprise her with something nice. Who was she to object?
Devon led them to the dock and motioned towards the Woodcombs' boat. Chuck clambered over first, and, still holding on to Sarah, helped her climb in. Devon followed soon after, and soon they were out of the cove and heading south.
About fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the cove of an island Sarah couldn't remember ever seeing before. Strangely enough, there was a large, long outdoor dock. Devon expertly docked the boat and Chuck helped him tie it up. Sarah waited patiently in the aft of the boat for Chuck to get her.
Chuck reached out his hand over the side of the boat for Sarah. She took it and he helped her onto the dock, her heels clicking as they hit the wood. Chuck was smiling widely at her as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. She reciprocated, snaking her own arm around his waist, erasing any remaining space between them.
They walked to the end of the dock where Devon was waiting with a silly grin on his face.
"Right this way, please. Your table awaits," Devon said with a flourish.
He led them along the water, where the grass was fairly short and wouldn't mess up all their nice clothes. Chuck let out a sigh of relief as he noticed that the clouds of the morning were now nowhere to be found and it had warmed up a bit. He had been counting on that.
After a couple minutes, they came to a small point, and rounded a corner. As soon as they did, Sarah audibly gasped as her free hand shot to cover her gaping mouth.
Before them, about fifty yards down, was a small table set for two. Ellie was standing off to the side, holding hands with Devon who had just joined her. They both were watching Sarah's reaction, along with Chuck. The setting was perfect. The table was just above the beach on the grass, facing the setting sun. There was a tall candle burning in the middle, flanked on either side by a single gardenia.
"Chuck," Sarah blurted out. "This is…"
"I know," Chuck told her as he kissed her on the temple. "Wanna eat?"
"Yes," she breathed happily. She was having a little trouble trying to express the pure happiness she felt at Chuck's gesture.
They approached the table, and, predictably, Chuck held Sarah's chair out for her and helped her settle in. As he started to walk back to his chair, he felt her grab his wrist. He spun around to see what she wanted, and she immediately grabbed on to him and yanked him down to her. She kissed him hard again, letting him know in no uncertain terms how happy he made her.
Chuck finally sat down, flustered from Sarah's kiss. She was just smirking, glad she still had such an obvious effect on him.
Soon, Devon and Ellie were busy serving Chuck and Sarah their dinner. They started off with Caesar salads, followed by a main course of fresh Argentinian steaks. Sarah's were cooked perfectly like she liked it, as was Chuck's. The conversation through dinner was easygoing, the couple discussing various topics but almost always coming back around to talk about the pregnancy. It was the main topic of discussion in the Bartowski home these days.
Sarah expressed her slight worry about Ellie and Devon, asking how they could pull all this off with Clara around, among other things. Chuck waved her off, assuring her everything was okay and she didn't have to worry. Sarah smiled and accepted it for what it is.
"Thank you, Chuck," Sarah said as they were waiting for dessert, two slices of red velvet cake.
"I wanted to do something special for you, Sarah," Chuck began.
"Chuck, you don't have to-"
"No, Sarah, please, let me say this," he interrupted her interruption. She nodded for him to continue. "It's just - sometimes I look at you, and nothing is good enough. I could give you all the diamonds and riches in this world, and it still would never be enough to show you how much I truly cherish you. I just don't ever want you to even think that I take you for granted. I am very aware of how lucky I am, and I will never ever forget it. I just - I just love you so much, and now that we're having kids, I want to make sure to do something special for you."
Chuck's impassioned speech was quite emotional, and had them both frantically trying to hold back their emotions. At least Sarah had an excuse to cry, she was pregnant.
Ellie and Devon stood off a short distance away, watching Chuck and Sarah. They had their arms wrapped around each other, both of them glancing behind them every few seconds to make sure Clara was alight, playing on a blanket out of sight. Ellie knew if Sarah had any idea that Clara was that close, Chuck and Sarah's date wouldn't be just the two of them. Sarah just loved Clara too much - and especially now, with her own on the way, Sarah looked forward to and appreciated all the time she had with her niece.
"Chuck, I've never felt that you don't cherish me, and I've certainly never though you've taken me for granted. You have to know that as much as you love me, I love you at least as much. You always say you're lucky, but I'm the one who had become a different, better person solely because of you. I'll never forget what you did for me, sweetie. Thank you so much for this. I love you."
Chuck smiled with relief, matching Sarah's grin. Their hands found each other across the table, just as Ellie and Devon put down their dessert in front of them.
"Thank you," Sarah smiled up at Ellie. "Not just for this. Thank you, Ellie and Devon - for everything."
"You're welcome," Ellie and Devon said in unison. "It's our pleasure, sis," Ellie added.
They decided it was better to feed each other their dessert, so that's exactly what they did. Between their giggles and joking, they finished their meal. Chuck enjoyed a coffee, black, while Sarah enjoyed a green tea. Soon they were finished, but they were still seated at the table. They sat in a comfortable silence, holding hands, watching the sunset.
After a few minutes, Chuck spoke up softly.
"Sarah, will you dance with me?"
"You know I will," she responded eagerly.
Chuck turned and motioned to Devon, who produced a set of portable iPod speakers. He hit play, and walked away with Ellie to give Chuck and Sarah a little privacy.
Sarah wrapped her arms around him as he enveloped her into his embrace, both of them wanting to be as close to each other as humanly possible. Sarah leaned up and pecked him on the lips before she settled into his chest, leaning her head against him.
-x-
Beautiful woman, so sexy
Come shake that bottom oh,
Over to me
Feel that one drop, feel that skank
Brother B playing that hip-hop
It's better than a, money in the bank
Light are low, moon is high
I want you to know
That you're the brightest star in my sky
-x-
and
-x-
I'm groovin' slowly
With my woman
Groovin' slowly
With my woman
-x-
DJ play that music
All night long
Play that funky Kingston
You know it's our,
Our favorite song
Feel that back beat
Feel that groove
Got my baby on the dance floor
She doing all her, her favorite moves
-x-
I want you to know girl
I want you to feel
I want to show you
That my love is real
I want you to see girl
You're the brightest star that shines
Even though there is no forever
I'm gonna love you 'til the end of time
-x-
'cause
-x-
I'm groovin' slowly
With my woman
Groovin' slowly
With my woman
-x-
Beautiful woman, so sexy
Come shake that bottom oh,
Over to me
Feel that one drop, feel that skank
Brother B playing that hip-hop
It's better than a, money in the bank
Lights are low, moon is high
I want you to know
That you're the brightest star in my sky
-x-
and
-x-
I'm groovin' slowly
With my woman
Groovin' slowly
With my wo-man
-x-
As the song ended, Chuck and Sarah remained in the embrace, neither of them willing to end their closeness. It was odd - they know spent almost every single waking minute, and every sleeping one, together, yet they still craved being as close to one another as possible. Sarah had thought, before they were wed, that once they were husband and wife their relationship would somehow plateau, that they had already reached the great heights of their love. Boy was I wrong, she thought to herself.
The simple addition of two little Bartowskis, even if they were still inside of Sarah, helped launch their relationship into the stratosphere. It wasn't just the fact that they were going to become parents. It was everything that was caused by it. The early mornings that Chuck spent helping Sarah through her nausea. The routine of taking all her vitamins that Chuck always tried to make fun. Even the simple act of kissing each other good morning meant all that much more to both of them.
"I love you," Sarah said without moving her head from her spot on Chuck's chest.
"I love you," Chuck responded in kind.
A/N: The awesome song featured in this chapter is "Groovin' Slowly" by John Butler Trio. I featured it in a chapter of "Mason's Island" as well, if you recognize it.