AN1 Greetings! Let's see if we can get this story 'Completed' then :) Here is a warning to get out your tissue boxes. It's going to be an emotional one.

AN2 The first twenty chapters have been remastered. I had intended to do all forty before publishing Ch41 but it was extremely hard work to do those twenty and I will be remastering the further twenty in the coming weeks. The entire first half of the story is now written and remastered into present tense writing. And there is also numerous lines of new dialogue included. It should be a much better experience to read through.

AN3 Also, check out my new Charah war story - Who Dares Wins! It's a story about Charah's adventures in the 22nd British SAS Regiment. And this time, Chuck and Sarah are equal members of the same team and so they are involved in every single mission that occurs together. Which was one of my main difficulties in writing up Redemption, with Sarah being unable to undertake missions with him.

Sarah vs Redemption and a Navy War Hero

Chapter Forty One: Two Became Three

"Bryce, no!"

Sarah is instantly jolted awake and her eyes pop open as she looks in-front of where she is laying. She is presently spooning Chuck with her arm placed over him and her head is resting just behind his own. He is sweating profusely and her soulmate seems to be extremely unsettled.

He must have had another nightmare...

Soothingly, she whispers to her wounded warrior, "It's okay, baby. I'm here with you," as she begins to kiss into his hair for several minutes until he seems to settle once more. On feeling comfortable enough that her lover has settled, sleep overtakes her once more…

Later that morning

Sarah is now in the process of waking up for the second time this morning. She begins to dance her hand over and play around with Chuck's own hand as she also kisses into his hair from where she is laying in a two-pronged affectionate attack.

"Are you awake, love of my life?" she whispers softly into his hair.

"Yeah. I also had a violent nightmare throughout the night," he responds in the same tone as her.

"I know," she replies as she kisses the back of his head once more.

He then turns to face her and the two soulmates begin to burn a powerful intimate gaze through each others eyes.

"I keep dreaming about Bryce and seeing the way he died. I can't get it out of my head. It's been crippling me for the past year," he declares in a distressed tone.

A faint smile of strong sympathy forms on Sarah's face on hearing his declaration. "I'm sorry," she declares softly and she moves her hand up to delicately caress her wounded warrior's cheek.

"I just want them to stop, Sarah," he responds despondently to her and he gazes at her in distress and torment.

"I know," she replies soothingly as she smiles at him. "This is why I want to talk with you again about a medical discharge, Chuck."

She watches him strongly shake his head before responding, "Sarah, I can't. Let's just say for one minute that I could bear the shame in knowing I couldn't hack it any more and my entire team thinking bad of me, I would still need to make the bastard pay who did all of this to Bryce, Jill and to Hollie. Please, Sarah, I need you to understand that I have to make Red Eye pay for what he has done to my best friend and to his family."

It is now Sarah's turn to furiously shake her head. "Chuck, I can't ever understand or accept that. As your girlfriend, and as your future wife, then there is only one possible path forward in my eyes and that is for you to be medically discharged from the Navy effective immediately and nothing you say will change my opinion on that. I have your best interests at heart because I love you," she declares as she continues to burn an intimate stare into his eyes.

She watches him nod and he smiles affectionately at her. "I know. And I love you too. But I have to do this, Sarah. I know it's hurting you but I can't move on from the Navy until I have done this," he then responds and she immediately begins to huff as she becomes frustrated by his words. She can't be expected to just sit idly by and watch the love of her life destroy himself in an uncontrolled thirst for vengeance. Sarah is interrupted from her sulking and from her thoughts as Chuck moves to pick her up and he stands on the bed with Sarah in his arms and she wraps her legs around his naked frame.

"Excuse me, buster, where do you think you are taking me? I was quite happy where I was," she states as she gazes into his eyes.

"To shower. Before we get into a disagreement and I would prefer to do a thousand other things than to argue with the love of my life," he responds affectionately and a wicked smirk forms on her face.

There's a thousand other things I would prefer to do with you too, Chuck...

"Who says I want to shower with you?" she responds playfully as she gazes intimately into his eyes and she watches him quirk his eyebrows.

"Don't you?" he then asks.

Sarah immediately shakes her head in disbelief at his question. "Of course I do! Why would you even ask such a silly question?" she responds with a wicked smile.

"You're unbearable!" he declares with a wide loving grin.

"Yeah, I am, and that's why you love me," she responds affectionately as she continues to gaze into his eyes from where he is carrying her.

"Yes, it is," he responds and she giggles approvingly.

"This shower will involve sex though, right?" she asks with a wicked smirk.

She watches him shake his head before responding with a straight face, "No."

Sarah instantly pouts on hearing his response. "Then I'm not so interested any more," she admits.

"I was just playing," he chuckles to her from where he is continuing to hold her up against his frame in the air with her legs wrapped around his hips.

"Don't tease me like that!" she pouts before adding further comment, "I thought you were being serious."

They then both enter into the shower, courtesy of Chuck doing all of the walking and Sarah adjusts her head to kiss Chuck's lips before subsequently biting him on his lip causing him to wince in discomfort.

"Ow! You witch!" he declares causing her to laugh a suppressed laugh in approval of her actions and of his reaction to them.

"That's what you get for teasing me," she retorts and he grins at her.

They then continue to kiss from how they are positioned inside of the shower with Sarah wrapped around his upper frame.

"Stick it on then," he whispers into her mouth on breaking the kiss as he nods his head at the shower tap.

"What's wrong with your own hands?" she asks mischievously against his lips.

"Um, they're kind of gripping hold of you. I can drop you if you want?" he deadpans.

"Fine," she responds with a wide smile as she removes her hands from around Chuck's neck to turn on the shower before placing her lips right back against his own and the shower soon steams up as the reconciled lovers express their newfound intimacy again once more…

Later that day

Chuck and Sarah have just arrived outside of Jill Larkin's parents home. This is where Hollie, the daughter of Chuck's best friend Bryce Larkin who was tragically killed in action almost a year ago and Jill Larkin, who is recently deceased from suicide is now located.

"Sarah, I don't know what to do," Chuck declares as he looks to his girlfriend for guidance.

He then watches as Sarah takes hold of his hand and she moves to affectionately kiss him on his lips.

"Baby, I'll help you through it," she declares on their lips parting as she then intimately touches her forehead against his own from where she is tiptoeing up to his height.

Chuck then backs away ever so slightly before responding, "Sarah, you don't need to take on the responsibility of somebody else's kid. I won't hold it against you if you can't be with me any more if I win custody."

He watches as she shakes her head in disgust over his words to her.

"Chuck, don't talk so silly! I will be with you for the rest of our life. I didn't know Bryce, but he gave his life to defend this country and I do know all of his and all of your friends and it has been the greatest privilege of my life to be attached to your troop for the past few months. I wasn't around when you took over godparent duties, but even if I was, I would have told you to do it anyway. And I probably would have became one too," she declares with conviction and her words to him causes a titanic smile to form on his face as he moves his hands to cup her face and he kisses her lips softly in a powerful loving exchange.

"Sarah, thank you. I love you," he declares in a soft loving whisper.

She smiles adoringly at his declaration before responding, "I love you too. Now let's go and see her. She needs you."

He nods in acceptance before responding, "Ok."

Chuck and Sarah then walk the remaining distance to the front door of Jill Larkin's parents home and Chuck knocks on the door. On knocking, the young couple then wait a few moments until Jill's parents appear at the door.

"Hi," Chuck greets the parents of his best friend's wife.

"Hi," they both respond in a depressive tone.

"How is she?" Chuck then asks as he gazes at them both.

"She's not good. We can't get her to do anything. We don't know what to do. It's too much for us," Jill's father admits to Chuck.

"Can I see her?" Chuck asks as he shifts his gaze between Jill's mother and father.

"Of course. Come in," Jill's mother responds.

Chuck nods before responding, "This is Sarah, my girlfriend."

"Hi," Sarah responds as she greets Jill's parents and Chuck and Sarah then step inside.

"I'll wait here, Chuck. You should see her alone. She doesn't know me," Sarah declares and he nods and smiles affectionately at her.

Chuck then turns his back on Sarah and he leaves her in the company of Jill's parents as he begins to ascend up the stairs. On finishing his ascent, he walks along the upper hallway for a short moment before stopping outside of the closed door as he builds up his courage to enter and he feels his face begin to flush with sadness and distress over the situation of the little girl inside of this room and he breathes out a deep sigh to stem his sadness before he moves to take hold of the doorknob in his hand and he then enters into the bedroom and steps into it and he connects his gaze onto Hollie who is sitting on the bed in her pyjamas. He then watches as the young girl meets his gaze and she begins to look distantly at him and it is the first time in all the time he has known her that she has looked at him like that and it completely breaks his heart in seeing first hand the torment and severe emotional trauma that she is going through.

Chuck sinks to his knees inside the bedroom as he opens out his arms and he consolingly whispers, "Come here."

He then watches as she walks off the bed and she steps into his arms as the young girl begins to sob into his chest as tears begin to leave his own eyes and he consoles and comforts somebody he loves more than words can ever declare.

"I'm so, so sorry my sweet little angel," Chuck whispers comfortingly as the young girl wails inside of his arms and he adds further comment, "I love you so much."

"I want my mommy and daddy!" she wails into his arms which causes the battle hardened DEVGRU operator to begin to sob himself as he affirms a tighter grip on the young girl in his arms.

"I know you do, sweet pea... I know you do..."

A short while later

Chuck is still unchanged with his goddaughter in his arms. She has stopped wailing and he has managed to calm her down though it had taken some minutes to achieve that.

Chuck moves to pull Hollie back slightly, who hadn't moved out from his frame once since entering it and he moves to kiss the forehead of the beautiful and loving little girl.

"Let's get you cleaned up and dressed. There is somebody very special that I would like you to meet," he declares as he wipes her wet cheeks and he pinches her cheek ever so slightly as he sports her a loving grin...

A short while later

Chuck and Hollie have just arrived downstairs and Sarah is in the company of Jill's parents inside of their living room when she notes her boyfriend enter with the young little girl that Sarah can't even begin to imagine the extreme trauma and distress of what she is going through in losing both of her parents and probably feeling unloved and unwanted as she is far too young to understand the situation and the circumstances of the death of her parents.

Sarah then watches as Chuck walks hand in hand with Hollie until arriving in her vicinity.

"Hollie, I would like you to meet somebody very special to me. This is Sarah," he says and she glances at Chuck briefly before then back at Hollie and she then lowers herself down to the level of the young girl.

"Hi, Hollie," Sarah says affectionately as her wide loving smile continues and she makes strong eye contact with the adoringly shy young girl.

"Hi," Hollie responds distantly.

"I have heard so much about you. It is a pleasure to meet you," she declares lovingly.

"Thank you," Hollie responds and Sarah continues to gaze affectionately at the young girl that has likely been through more trauma than most adult humans.

"Would you like to eat your dinner now, Hollie? You haven't eaten yet and we have your favorite," Jill's mother declares.

"I'm not hungry," Hollie responds distantly and Sarah smiles sympathetically at her.

"Hollie, you need to eat," Chuck says encouragingly with a loving grin.

"What is your favorite food, Hollie?" Sarah then asks from where she is kneeling down to the young girl's level.

"Chicken nuggets," Hollie responds as she looks at Sarah causing a loving smile to form on her face.

"Oh really? I love them too. If I eat some together with you then will you then?" Sarah asks softly.

"If you will then I will even go and get you some ice cream also," Chuck adds in and Sarah glances affectionately at her soulmate before looking back at Hollie once more with her continued smile.

"Ok," Hollie finally agrees causing instant euphoria and joy for the four adults all around the young girl's vicinity.

"Thank you," Chuck responds softly.

"Thank you, Hollie," Sarah responds with a sparkle in her eye as she continues to gaze adoringly at the young girl...

A short while later

Chuck, Sarah and Hollie are now seated at Jill's parents dining table. Hollie is in the middle of the two soulmates and Hollie has just finished eating her favorite chicken nuggets.

"So, did you like them, Hollie?" Chuck asks and Sarah rotates her glance between Chuck and Hollie.

"Yes. Thank you," Hollie responds as she looks at her grandparents.

"You're welcome," they respond as they smile at her.

"Did you like them too, Sarah?" Hollie asks as she glances at Sarah and Sarah beams the young girl a loving smile.

"I did. They were really nice," she declares softly with her continued loving smile.

"Mommy used to like them too," Hollie declares causing Sarah's smile to fade as she starts to feel deep anguish towards this young girl who she has just met for the first time and the mood in the room between the four adults and young girl turns sombre once more.

Chuck then breaks the silence as he declares, "It's time for ice cream."

On hearing her boyfriend and future husband's intervention, she gazes at him with a loving smile and Chuck then stands up to go and fetch the ice cream.

Sarah then glances at Hollie once more as the little girl begins to ask her, "Would you like some too?"

A loving smile forms on Sarah's face once more before she responds, "Yes please. You are so kind..."

A short while later

Chuck and Sarah have now been in Jill Larkin's parents home for nearly two hours and it is now time for them to depart. They are both kneeling down to Hollie's level in the hallway of Hollie's grandparents home.

"We have to leave now, Hollie," Chuck declares with a sad smile and Sarah glances at her soulmate briefly before looking back at Hollie once more and a sad smile of her own forms as she has loved being in the company of the young girl and she wishes she could stay here and not leave her side so that she can comfort her.

"Yes, we do. It was lovely to meet you and we will see you again soon," Sarah then declares as Chuck and Sarah then move to stand up again.

"Please don't leave," Hollie says as she gazes at Chuck and then at Sarah briefly causing both Chuck and Sarah to turn emotional as their faces begin to show strong sadness and extreme emotion.

"I have to leave now, Hollie. For my job. But I will come back. I promise you and I mean this more than I have ever meant anything: I will come back to you. And if you want, then you can come and live with me and Sarah if your grandparents agree to it," Chuck responds with more conviction than Sarah has ever heard from him and she watches as he glances at Jill's parents.

Sarah then watches as Hollie's grandparents both nod their heads in acceptance and Sarah smiles lovingly at them both.

"Look after her for me until my time is up and the very same day it is, I'll come for her, if that's ok?" Chuck asks emotionally and Sarah affectionately touches her soulmate's arm from where they are stood together as she can see that he is heavily distraught likely due to him having to leave her again.

"It is. You are the best possible friend that our son-in-law could have had. Thank you so much," Jill's mother declares emotionally as she begins to cry causing the mood of everybody present in the hallway to turn extremely sombre and tears now begin to leave the eyes of everybody present inside of the hallway.

"It is my honour to have known him," he responds as he breaks up and begins to cry and Sarah quickly moves to comfort her best friend, her soulmate, her everything as she puts him into her frame and she rubs his back affectionately.

"Don't cry, Chuck," Hollie declares and Sarah pulls back from the embrace with Chuck as they both gaze at Hollie once more.

"I'm sorry. You're right," he declares in a hoarse tone of voice. "I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok," Hollie responds as Chuck and Sarah then begin to depart the home and Sarah watches as Chuck quickly walks on ahead to his Dodge Challenger.

Sarah turns to face Jill's parents who are also watching Chuck and are looking in his direction in a sombre mood.

"Thank you for allowing us to visit her. I need to go and comfort him now," Sarah declares in an anguished tone.

"You're welcome and yes, you do," they respond and Sarah nods as she turns away from the home to Jill's parents home and she quickly heads up the path to catch up to her soulmate.

On arriving in his vicinity, he then turns to face her once more and Sarah's heart melts at seeing the devastation on the face of her soulmate.

"Come here, baby," Sarah commands emotionally as she brings him into her arms once more and she comforts him as he sobs into her chest...

End of Chapter

AN4 It was very hard to write this chapter. You all know that I'm good at displaying emotion in my stories and I didn't struggle with that. However, no dialogue was coming to me at all. Because what can you say to a three and a half year old girl who has just lost both of her parents? Gosh, if I was ever put into that scenario of having to communicate with a poor innocent, sweet young girl like that, I don't know what I would do or how I would react. But even though no dialogue came to me this chapter, it is an essential chapter to have taken place. Because it's the foundation of what's to come in the ending of the story.

AN5 The next chapter will either take place in Afghanistan or there will be some final moments in Los Angeles before Charah ship back out again. I'm not sure yet and I'll have to consult my notes because I have been gone from the fiction for a year and I can't remember my plans. Maybe I will do a final Los Angeles chapter and have Charah spend some time with Mary, Devon and Ellie. I'll decide in the coming days and I think that's about all. So I hope you enjoyed today's chapter (obviously it's a sad chapter. But what I mean is the significance of what it actually represents. There was A LOT of good that occurred in this chapter) and if you could leave me your thoughts on it, then I would be very thankful :)