A/N: I looked at the first AN about my mom and…gah. So, here it is. I might have colon cancer as well. I am having prep on Monday, Colonoscopy on Friday (the 2nd) and then we'll go from there. I may not, but with my luck and 2020…yeah, I'm scared to death. I don't tell you this to beg for sympathy or anything like that. I tell you this because it may be a while before this fic is updated again. I've tried to write on it for days now but I just can't. And I'm sorry. I know, my health first, but I could use something good and light right now and I can't even write for me. So, I wanted to get this out, to let you know what happened after the dance. If I'm gone for a bit…or a while, I wanted this in a good place. Take care my friends, I really hope that this is nothing. I really hope this is more of better safe than sorry. I'll see you as soon as I can. I do have other stuff at beta so I'll post it as I get it, but this is all of this that is there. Hopefully we'll see each other back here real soon. David
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
Chuck walked back to the breakfast buffet, feeling the eyes of the women at his table on him. It was the last morning of the conference. The final remarks were going to be made, then he and Sarah were to be driven to the airport by Zondra and Carina. There, they would have a car rented for them, and then he and Sarah were going to drive down the PCH… eventually. He thought maybe they should spend some time at the Golden Gate Bridge today.
He had been informed that morning that Sarah had all this week off if she wanted it, at least as far as Chuck's mother was concerned. He didn't know who had told Mary what, but he had a sneaking suspicion that now not only was Molly involved, but Ellie as well. And he wasn't sure how he would survive Ellie joining the current four members of the 'CAT Squad'.
He sat back down at the table, turning his plate so the bacon he had piled on it was near Sarah. She gave him an amused look, took a piece and snapped it between her teeth, a look of contentment on her face over its crunchy goodness. She glanced at him.
"What?"
"You seem content," he said softly.
"You should know," she replied. She ate her bacon, looking pleased with herself, as Chuck turned red. He was grinning… red, but grinning.
}o{
The night before
"I don't really, really, really, really, really, really like you," she admitted. His face fell, sadness was in his eyes.
"I love you, Chuck."
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me too?
Chuck stood there a moment, stunned. He shook his head, took her hand, and led her to the doors leading to the balcony outside. They went out, and stopped, both stunned to see the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, lit up at night.
"It's beautiful," she breathed.
"Yeah," he replied. She turned, to find he was looking at her, not the bridge. There was no question from the look on his face what he was saying. "Sarah-" he began.
"Wait, stop," Sarah said, her hand on his chest. "I didn't tell you that because I wanted a response from you. I didn't tell you that to pressure you, or make you think that I expect something from you. I told you that, because we both deserved it."
He pulled his chin back, confusion on his face. "We… both deserve it?"
"Yes, Chuck," Sarah told him. "You deserve to know all the facts in every decision you make regarding me. I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, or what. But I'm trying, because I love you." She watched his eyes. She had always been told her eyes told the story of how she felt, and right now she felt excitement, and she was sure her eyes were betraying that. But what she saw in his… she couldn't describe it, but God, it excited her.
"And me," she said in a low voice. She swore she saw him shiver. "I deserve to admit it to myself." She paused a second. "I always thought love would… I don't know, be a burden. To care for someone, to make them a priority in your life." She looked at her hand on his chest, and removed it, taking his hand, instead. She stepped closer… there was barely room for light between them.
Looking up into his eyes, she continued. "It hasn't been a burden, falling in love with you. It's been a damn treat." She was grinning. "It has been the best, and I deserve it. And I don't know if you can ever understand-"
She stopped talking because her air was taken away. Suddenly, there was a mouth on hers, a tongue inside her mouth, and her arms were instantly around him. His hands had cupped her face, and when he pulled away the look in his eyes fanned the slow burning embers in her chest to flame.
"I don't know if anyone has ever complimented me more than what you just told me," he said softly. "That I make you feel like that, and that you want it, and… Sarah, I told your sister earlier this week that I was falling in love with you-"
"Wait, what?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"She may have come over and…" Chuck trailed off, looking for the word.
"Interrogated? Threatened?" Sarah offered.
"No, nothing like that… okay, exactly like that. She told me I was never to hurt you." Sarah crossed her arms, annoyed. "Hey," he said softly. "She really loves you, and is watching out for you."
"I know, but-" she began, looking away, her voice sullen.
"I love you," he said softly. "If you don't mind, I'm going to say it again, because it just feels so good to say it out loud. I love you, Sarah Walker… Doctor Sarah Walker, I. Love. You."
"I love you, Chuck Bartowski," she said, grinning at him. "So, what are we gonna do about this?"
"Be happy?" he offered.
"I like that," she said, smiling. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I like that a lot."
"Be happy, together, for a long time?" he added.
"How long?" she asked.
"What do you say we give it a fifty-year trial run, and see?"
"No faith in us?" she asked him, grinning.
"More in my proclivity to do something stupid," he told her. She shook her head, leaned up, and brushed her nose against his. He grinned and chuckled. She kissed him gently.
"I love you."
"I love you," she said. "God, I had no idea what I have been missing. I didn't even know you existed, or that someone like you could exist."
"Well, I'm pretty sure if it wasn't me, you'd have found someone else," he told her.
Her hand slipped into his hair, and she quickly grabbed hold. "Chuck… don't be stupid. No one has ever made me feel anything like this."
"Hurting your nerd," he reminded her.
"No, you're hurting yourself, by saying stupid things," Sarah told him.
"Would you find it weird if I found that hot?" he asked.
"I would, but it's you, so it's on brand," she told him, grinning.
}o{
Now
"Where did you two run off to last night?" Carina asked softly, leaning over to Sarah as the speaker droned on.
"I needed to get to bed, last night was just too much," Sarah answered. Chuck heard what she said, and looked away, a grin on his face. Carina never noticed, her eyes on the speaker. "Sometimes, you just need to go to bed, you know?"
"Yeah," Carina answered. "What's with you and Chuckles?" she asked softly, where Chuck couldn't hear. "He's… I don't know, looking a bit more confident, and… well… there's a bounce in his step."
"Don't know," Sarah replied, twisting her lips. "Your welcome to ask him."
"I hope you two are okay the next few days," Carina said, shaking her head. "For the love of God, maybe you should speed up the physical part of whatever the hell you two have going on."
"I don't know, Carina, I really like our physical pace," Sarah answered, never turning her head. She continued staring straight at the presenter.
Carina shook her head, and then replayed Sarah's words in her head. She slowly turned towards her friend, and saw the smirk on the blonde's face. Carina started to ask, but then shook her head, and muttered, "nah," to herself.
}o{
Last night
They walked back inside, hand-in-hand. Huey Lewis's Do You Believe in Love had begun to play, and Chuck and Sarah shared a look. "Chuck," Peter Stark said, walking up to him. "You have a non-compete with Orion?"
"No," Chuck replied. "But I have no want to go back to that life."
"You misunderstand," Peter said. "I want you to keep creating, so that I can buy your products, your designs. You do you, Chuck, but don't sell yourself short. You can keep creating, and do what it is you want to do. Think about it." He handed Chuck his card, and walked away.
"Hmmm," Sarah mused.
"Sarah, I can't work for him," Chuck told her.
"Oh, I know, but…" she trailed off, grinning. "Can we maybe talk about this another time? I've got other things on my mind tonight."
"Doctor Walker!" Chuck said, with faux indignation. "Well, I've never."
"It's okay, I can teach you," she said, grinning. "Remember when you said you were hot for teacher?" Chuck made a choking noise. "Want me to teach you some things?"
"Oh, God," he muttered. She patted his cheek, grinning. "I see we're cranking up the innuendos."
"There are no innuendos on my part, Chuck," she told him, looking him straight in the eye.
"Is it me or is it hot in here?" Chuck asked, pulling on his collar.
"Maybe you need a cold shower," Sarah suggested, grinning at him.
"Okay, time out," he said, and her grin left, replaced by worry. "No, wait, nothing like that," he reassured her. "I just need to know, is this our new normal? Because I'm fine if it is, I just… it just might take me some time to get used to. Not because there's anything wrong with it." He paused. "It's more because the woman I love, the badass Doctor Sarah Walker loves me, and is flirting hard with me."
"Chuck, baby… I have not yet to begun to flirt," Sarah retorted.
Chuck began to laugh. "I'm going to die from this. With a smile on my face, but die." Sarah smirked at him. "But I think you'll bring me back to life."
"Not that kind of doctor," Sarah told him.
"I know, it's just your smile," he said with a shrug. "It fills me with life, and joy."
"Let's go," she said, taking his hand. "We need to get out of here."
"Something wrong, something hanging from my nose?" Chuck asked.
"No. I just need to see exactly how giving my boyfriend is," she told him.
He stopped, making her stop, and spin back towards him. "Very," he said, and walked past her, leaving her standing there, her mouth open, unable to shut it.
}o{
Now
Sarah sat in the back seat with Chuck, trying not to look over at him. Trying not to think about the night before.
The door to the hotel room slammed, as she walked in, having finally gotten her bearings. She saw him, smirking as he headed toward the shower.
"Do you want to drive?" Chuck asked her. She turned to him, grinning. "The rental, I mean?" He returned her grin.
She shoved open the door, seeing him jump behind the shower curtain, his clothes on the floor. "Sarah! What are you doing?" he yelled.
"I told you; since you don't know, I'll teach you," she said. There was silence. "Chuck," she said in a nervous voice. "Is this alright?"
He pushed the shower curtain open and he started to speak, worry on his face, but whatever he was going to say, died on his lips. She was standing there, wearing nothing but a salacious grin.
"Can't believe you fell for that."
"Maybe you fell for my plan," Chuck said, swallowing thickly. Sarah took a step toward him. "My devious master plan," he said, his voice going up an octave. She stepped into the shower, and wrapped her arms around him. "God, I wish I had been smart enough to come up with this plan."
"Hey, I'm here," she said softly. "It worked out just fine."
"I don't mind you driving," she told him. Her lips twitched, like she was holding in a laugh.
"Oh, I'm aware," he replied.
His large hand was stroking the skin up and down her back as he kissed her lips, her neck, nibbled on her ear lobe, and then he made his way down her body.
"Maybe we should take turns," she offered.
She pushed him against the shower wall, attacking his mouth with hers, her hands running everywhere.
"Whoever isn't driving should be on the lookout for the best sites," Chuck told her. She nodded, grinning.
They stumbled through the room, half-dried, falling onto the bed, not even bothering with the covers, each wrestling with the other for who would be on top, laughing and giggling as they turned one way, and then the other.
"As long as whatever we do, we do it together, that's all I care about," Sarah said with a shrug.
She woke a few hours later, his hand again stroking her back, a lighter touch than before. She raised her head from his chest as she looked up at him, seeing a look of contentment that matched her own.
"Together," Chuck said, taking her hand and squeezing it.
"That was pretty good," Chuck said. She smacked him on the chest playfully. "Especially since you had to teach me so much on the fly." She burst out into laughter. "Hey," he said. She looked back up at him. "I love you."
"I love you," Sarah told him, raising up to kiss him. "And my God, are you a quick learner." Chuck laughed at that. "I am so glad your mom hired us."
"Me too," Chuck said. "And not just because we had great sex." She shook her head, snorting. The smile left his face, but a soft look took its place. He ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, as she leaned into the sensation. "I didn't know being with someone could be this amazing… and-and, I'm not only talking about what we just did, because… wow!" Sarah laughed. "But… Sarah… God, I love you so much, and I didn't know that I could feel for anyone the way I do you. Especially so quickly."
She held his gaze for a moment, a smirk growing on her face. "Wanna try another lesson?"
"Practice makes perfect," Chuck told her, grinning. "Hey," he said softly.
"What?" she replied, amused.
"Where do I sign up for tutoring?"
"Bartowski," she said in a low voice, making him shiver. "Find something to hold on to."
}o{
Carina had kept Sarah busy outside, while Zondra took Chuck in with her. They came back out, and Sarah noticed Zondra and Carina exchange a glance. "Sarah, you need to go in, they need to scan your driver's license."
"Be right back," she told Chuck.
"I'll be right here," her replied. As soon as she was through the door, two hands grabbed him and shoved him against the SUV. He looked into the eyes of the two women, a little frightened.
"Listen, we don't have much time," Zondra said.
"She's in love with you," Carina said quickly. "We don't even know if she recognizes what's going on, but what's important is that she does. And she's gonna be a little nuts, as she tries to come to understand what she's going through."
"Isn't that a little fast?" Chuck asked, fighting to keep a straight face.
"You gotta understand blondie, Chuck," Zondra said. His lips twitched, but they didn't notice. "You're right about her, and her processing of things. She's feeling emotions she can't even put words to yet, and she might just blurt it out at some point."
"So, what do I do then?" Chuck asked.
"Be honest," Zondra told him. "Don't tell her anything not true."
"No lies, Chuck," Carina said, her finger in his face.
"No lies, Chuck," Zondra parroted, both Carina's words and finger.
"What are you two doing?" Sarah asked, making both women freeze.
"Hey, baby," Chuck began. Zondra and Carina looked at each other and mouthed baby? "They're just telling me how I should be honest with you."
"Okay," Sarah replied. "Anything you should tell me?"
"Yeah," Chuck said, sighing heavily. "I love you." Carina's and Zondra's eyes bulged. They both turned to Sarah, who was smiling.
"Aw, thanks," she said, a happy smile on her face. She walked up to him, and gave him a peck on the lips. "You ready to go?" He nodded. "Hey, I love you." And with that, she walked to the driver's door and got in.
"What the hell?" Zondra muttered.
"Gotta go," Chuck said, racing around to the other side.
"Wait… what's going on?" Carina asked.
"Have a good flight you two," Sarah called out the window as they drove away, leaving her two friends standing there, flustered, flummoxed, and just stunned.
}o{
"I feel that was a big step in our relationship," Chuck said several hours later, watching the scenery go by as they drove down the PCH.
"I agree," Sarah said. "But… I told you I was in it to win it."
"See, you say 'in it to win it', but Sarah… let's be honest, that's being open about something and sharing… well, it's a step, in trust," Chuck said.
She was silent for a moment. "It was burritos, you goof," she reminded him.
"Ah, it was burritos, but we are sharing a hotel room tonight, with only one bathroom. Talk about getting to know someone… or are we getting two rooms?" Chuck asked.
Sarah was trying not to laugh. "No, Chuck, only one room."
"Mistress Sarah," C3PO chirped.
"What the hell?" Chuck said, looking at his phone and over to his girlfriend.
"Mistress Sarah asked me to procure reservations for you," C3PO explained. "Those reservations have been secured. You did tell me she has all permissions… have you changed your mind?"
"No!" Chuck said quickly, causing Sarah to laugh. "C3PO…"
Sarah glanced at him.
"How do you feel about installing yourself on Sarah's phone?"
"I think that is the next logical step, Master Chuck," C3PO said.
"Damn, that's more serious than going steady," Sarah said, grinning.
"Mistress Sarah?" C3PO asked.
"Yes?"
"Do I have your permission to install myself onto your phone?" C3PO asked.
"Of course, you don't need my permission," Sarah told him. "I trust you, since Chuck created you."
"One does not just force themselves onto one's devices," C3PO admonished her. Her mouth dropped, and she began to laugh as Chuck shut his eyes, and groaned. "Do you need to take Mistress Carina's class?"
"Some days I think she'd like to be called Mistress Carina," Sarah muttered.
"I'm sorry, I do not understand," C3PO responded.
"That's okay, buddy-" Chuck began.
"Are you implying that Mistress Carina would like to be a dominatrix?" C3PO inquired.
Chuck made a choking noise. "Yes, C3PO, that is exactly what I am implying," Sarah replied, her lips twitching.
"Oh," C3PO replied. "Oh my gracious me."
C3PO was silent for a moment.
"Do you mind if I power down, Master Chuck?"
"Go right ahead," Chuck replied, wanting to groan. C3PO shut down. "Well, you made him shut up, which is unheard of." Sarah burst out into laughter. Chuck grinned. "Gonna try a tactful topic change." Sarah snorted. "Where are we staying?"
"Well, seeing how much you enjoyed the bridge, and the wharf, I thought we'd stay near Monterey's wharf," Sarah told him.
"Uh," Chuck said, sitting up in the seat. "Do we have the budget for that?" Sarah gave him a look. "I mean, are we going to charge that to Zondra?"
"No, I'm paying for it," Sarah told him. "Got a problem with that?"
"Any chance you'd let me split it with you?" Chuck asked.
"Nope," she replied. "I want to treat my boyfriend, and make sure he gets a good night's sleep. You look like you're dragging over there, bub."
"Didn't sleep well," Chuck admitted. Sarah grinned, and he laughed. "No, not that… that was fine. Hell, that was amazing, and totally worth it. It's just…" He shook his head. "Nevermind."
"No secrets, no lies, Chuck," she said softly.
"Oh, it's not a secret," he assured her. "It was just me thinking about what Peter Stark said."
"About you still creating things?"
"Yeah, but…" Chuck sat there, his lips pursed together.
"You could never sell anything to Stark," Sarah said, not asked. Chuck nodded, and she smiled. "It's why I love you, you know… one of the many reasons." He looked over at her. "Even though you have had serious issues with your father, you're still loyal."
"To a fault," Chuck pointed out.
"Chuck, baby, family is family. And you love them, regardless of what stupid things they've done. You may be frustrated, or mad, or angry, or hurt, but you love them. You have the biggest heart."
"Isn't that bad?" Chuck asked. "Don't I need to see a doctor for that?"
She gave him a look. "By the way, your sister is really wanting to have lunch with me," she told him, nerves in her voice. "Can I tell her about… us?"
Chuck gave her a look. "Do you want to?"
"I want to sing it from the damn rooftops, I want everyone to know… except one person, but I'm sure she does," Sarah said.
"Molly," Chuck said. Sarah nodded. "Wanna get her?"
Sarah turned to him, grinning.
A/N: I have more planned, how much more, who knows. Wait…you want a scene…okay, one more, but then it's time for bed.
"Have I told you I'm very hands-on in my research and ideas?"
"Wait…are you with everyone?" Chuck asked.
"Oh no," Sarah told him. "Just the IT guys I fall in love with."
"That seems like a very narrowly targeted demographic," Chuck replied.
"It is," Sarah replied. "It's targeted at my favorite person." Chuck pointed to himself. "Mmmhmm," she hummed.
Seriously, take care, I hope to see you real soon. Reviews, PMs, yada-yada. David