"Today's the day!" Lauren grinned when she picked up Chuck for his last physical therapy appointment as a patient staying at the rehab center, "Are you excited to be going home?"
"You have no idea," Chuck sighed, "It's been literally months since I've slept in my own bed, and apparently I've gained a roommie, so that'll be fun."
"That's right, I'd forgotten that Sarah moving in was a new thing for you guys," Lauren nodded walking along side Chuck who was moving around, assisted by his crutches.
"I was a little surprised when I found out about it," Chuck shrugged, waiting as Lauren opened the door to the therapy room, "Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to it, I just always thought I'd be the one asking her to move in with me, not my sister."
"Well from what I heard from Ellie and the ICU staff; it was the only way to make sure she would go home to get rest." Lauren informed him as she began to guide him through their usual warm ups, "She refused to leave your side unless your sister forced her to go home to shower and rest, and only if she knew your sister was going to be with you."
"I heard," Chuck snickered, "I can kinda understand why she did that, though. To be honest, I'd probably have acted the same way if she'd been the one who got shot and wound up in a coma. She's still a little pissed at me for stepping between her and the mugger."
"I'd be proud if my fiancé took a bullet for me," Lauren mused.
"Yeah, well, of the two of us, she's the one who has self-defense training," Chuck shrugged.
"Well unless she is able to pull a Neo in the Matrix type move or is impervious to bullets like Superman and Shazam, her self-defense training isn't going to do diddly against a gun-wielding baddie," Lauren rolled her eyes, "Alright Chuck, now that you're all warmed up, we're going to try something new today."
"Oh really? Saving the best for last eh, Doc?" Chuck smirked.
"You might not think so by the time we're done," Lauren teased, "I hope you aren't too tied to your crutches, because they're going away now."
"Please don't make me use a walker," Chuck groaned.
"No," Lauren shook her head, "They don't make walkers tall enough for you to use, Gigantor."
"So, I'm on my own?" Chuck looked nervous, "I mean as much as I want to get back to getting around unassisted, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that just yet."
"You're not, but I can't have you taking the rehab center's crutches either," Lauren shrugged, "Today you're going to learn to use a cane."
Chuck huffed a sigh, she was right, he wasn't going to like having to hobble around with a cane like an old man for however long it took to be stable enough to get rid of it. At least with the crutches he could pretend he had hurt himself doing something awesome like rock climbing or surfing, instead of being gimped due to diminished muscle tone thanks to a two-month long coma.
"Fine," He gave in, "Let's do this thing."
It took a while for him to adjust to the cane once Lauren had adjusted it for his height. He fell a few times, but luckily Lauren was able to catch him and was strong enough to keep him upright until he was able to walk the length of the room and back a few times without stumbling too much. His whole body was sore by the time their 45-minute session was finished and he hobbled back to his room.
"Alright, I'll go start on your discharge instructions and paperwork," Lauren advised him, "You should be able to go home in a few hours. Might want to let Ellie or Sarah or whoever is picking you up know."
"Okay," Chuck nodded, taking a seat on his bed and picking up his phone from the bedside table, "Hey, it's me. They said I should be released in a few hours... yeah, okay, I'll see you then. Love you."
Lauren was in his room giving him the last of his instructions and reviewing the discharge paperwork when his ride arrived, inspiring a goofy grin to spread across his face.
"Hey you," He greeted.
"Hey yourself," She returned his smile, sidling up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist before lifting up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. "Are you ready to go?"
"Just about," Chuck shrugged, "I'm all packed, just waiting for Lauren here to finish reading me the riot act."
"I was doing no such thing," Lauren rolled her eyes, "Anyway, take it easy as much as you can and don't push yourself too hard. You need to keep up with your stretches and I want you taking short walks at least once or twice a day. No further than around the block to start with, you got me?"
"Yes, ma'am," Chuck nodded.
"Good, now you have my office's number, call to set up your first outpatient appointment." She instructed, "If I don't see your name on our schedule within the week, I will come for you, capiche?"
"I got it," Chuck smirked, "But you won't have to, I'll call as soon as I get home."
"Alright, then you are free to go," Lauren smiled up at him, "You might want to pick up some ibuprofen on your way home to deal with any muscle soreness, the standard over the counter dosage should be sufficient."
"Thanks," Chuck nodded and turned to Sarah, "Ready to go?"
"Let's go," Sarah agreed and turned to Lauren, "Thank you so much for getting him back on his feet."
"No problem, it's literally my job," Lauren chuckled, "You take care of him."
"I will," Sarah promised and guided Chuck out of the room to where the car was parked. She knew that getting into her Porsche was difficult for him on a good day, so she'd checked out a suburban from the motor pool of the local NSA station.
The drive back to Echo Park was uneventful, the two bantering back and forth until they arrived at the condo complex. The courtyard was quiet, aside from the fountain burbling in the middle of the shared space. Chuck let out a sigh, letting the sense of peace that being home allowed him.
Ellie was still at Orion's lab, so the condo was empty when the new couple made their way in and back to their room. Setting Chuck's bag on his computer chair to be dealt with later, Sarah turned back to her boyfriend with a smile, "Welcome home, Chuck."
"It's good to be home," He grinned, pulling her to him with his left hand, as his right was occupied with his cane.
They shared a soft kiss and let themselves enjoy this first moment alone together. Soon the soft kiss wasn't enough for them. They'd been waiting two years and were ready to move beyond the few unbridled, cover shattering, kisses they'd shared since their first meeting. Neither needed to say a word as they slowly made their way over to the bed. Sarah drew down the covers as Chuck laid his cane against the wall where it would be retrievable later.
Considering Chuck's physical limitations, they quickly undressed each other down to their underwear before Sarah encouraged Chuck to get into the bed. She waited until he was settled before climbing in after him and resuming their make out session.
Chuck smiled coyly against Sarah's lips at the gasp she let out when he'd released the clasp on her bra, rolling her over until he was hovering over her, studying every exposed inch of her using not only his eyes, but his hands and lips. He felt the moan she let out, when he'd captured her breast in his mouth for the first time, go straight to his core. He wanted her so badly, but he also wanted to make it worth the wait as he continued to kiss, touch, and taste every inch of her.
Sarah could hardly contain herself as she felt her boyfriend slowly move his ministrations down her body, pausing only a moment to get her consent before removing the last of her clothing. It wasn't long before she found her hand buried in his curls as he did things to her that no man had ever done before. When he was done, she decided to return the favor, bringing him to the brink of madness before easing off, not wanting to miss the main event. Clearly, he was on the same page because she felt and saw him reach over to his bedside table.
A while later, they lay sated in each other's arms, covered only by the bedclothes and the thin sheen of sweat that glistened on their skin, as they slowly drifted off to sleep.
The sound of the front door opening and closing woke the pair from their sleep.
"Guys, are you home?" They heard Ellie call, "Chuck, Sarah?"
"She's going to come in here if we don't make an appearance or at least answer her," Chuck warned, "Either way I don't think any of us wants her to see us like this."
"Good point," Sarah agreed, sliding out of bed and pulling on and old t-shirt of Chuck's she'd claimed as her own when she moved in and a pair of sleep shorts. Pulling her hair back she pressed a soft kiss to her boyfriend's lips, "You get dressed, I'll distract Ellie." With that, she exited the room.
"Hi Ellie," She smiled, entering the kitchen where Ellie was pulling out chicken breasts from the fridge along with eggs and parmesan cheese.
Ellie saw what Sarah was wearing and tried to hide the smirk, "You do realize my brother just got out of the hospital, right?"
"The only thing wrong with him is he lost some muscle tone," Sarah shrugged, "Luckily we can adapt."
Ellie grimaced, "I so didn't need to hear that."
"And I so didn't need to hear you and Casey the other night, either," Sarah countered, "Next time, tell him to close his window."
"Okay, okay, truce?" Ellie chuckled, mixing the parmesan cheese with bread crumbs.
"Truce," Sarah smiled, "Do you need any help with dinner?"
"Sure, could you put the salad together?" Ellie requested.
"You got it," Sarah nodded and got to work.
The women were joined a short time later by Chuck, who'd pulled his jeans and shirt back on, but was barefoot and leaning on his cane.
"So nice of you to join us," Ellie teased as she processed the chicken through the egg wash and parmesan bread crumb dredge before laying each breast in the heated skillet on the stove.
"Well, you did wake me up from a nap, so…" He countered.
Ellie gave him a knowing look and turned back to the stove, giving the pasta a stir. "Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes. Sarah, you might want to get dressed."
"Alright," Chuck nodded and ambled over toward the living room as Sarah made her way down the hall.
"Hey, did you call Lauren to set up your appointment?" Sarah called when she'd returned, wearing a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater before resuming her post to finish chopping up veggies for the salad.
"Frak, no, I forgot," Chuck called back, pulling his phone from his pocket and looking up the number for the clinic. After a few moments he turned toward the kitchen, "Hey would 10am on Friday work?"
"That's fine, Chuck," Sarah responded, "I'm at your full disposal. The team is in stand down mode until your future with the company is decided."
Chuck nodded his understanding and turned back to the phone, confirming his appointment and hanging up. He'd just picked up the remote to watch the news when there was a knock on the door.
"Chuck, would you mind getting that" Ellie requested over her shoulder as she flipped the chicken.
"Sure, Elle," Chuck levered himself up off the couch, taking a moment to be sure he was steady on his feet as another knock sounded. "I'm coming, just give me a sec!" He called out leaning on his cane as he made his way to the door.
He was only slightly surprised to see Casey on the other side of the door, seeing as his sister had a habit of inviting the imposing marine for family dinner.
"Took you long enough, Bartowski," Casey grunted.
"Yeah, well it takes me a little longer to get around right now," Chuck shrugged.
"I sustained multiple GSWs and I was rehabbed and back in country in less time than it's taking you to heal," Casey stated.
"Yeah, well, not all of us are as indestructible as you, Casey," Chuck retorted, earning him a grunt.
"Are you gonna let me in or are you going to continue to barricade the door?" The older man asked.
"Right," Chuck nodded, hobbling aside to allow the bigger man to pass.
Sarah had come into the dining room to set the salad on the table when she saw her partner enter and noticed the bottle of wine he carried. Figuring she'd give the man a private moment with Ellie, she smiled over at him, "Hey, Casey, thanks for bringing the wine. Would you mind getting the cork screw from the kitchen while I finish setting the table?"
Casey grunted his agreement and made his way into the kitchen. Looking back to see the kid making his way back to the couch, he sidled up next to Ellie, "Hey there, beautiful," He hummed affectionately in her ear.
"Hey yourself," She grinned back at him, tilting her head to accept his soft kiss.
"Walker sent me in here to get a corkscrew, but I recon she had ulterior motives," John explained, going to the applicable drawer and pulling out the device, quickly opening the wine.
"Probably was trying to give us a moment, since Chuck doesn't know you and I are seeing each other." Ellie nodded.
"Is that all we're doin', 'seeing each other?'" He challenged, a teasing glint in his eye. "'Cause last I checked we were doing a bit more than seeing."
Ellie giggled at him and rolled her eyes, "You know what I meant."
"I did," He poured her a glass of the white zin he'd brought and handed it to her before wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck, "Hmmm I love that smell… the chicken smells good too," He gave her a cheeky grin.
"Oh, get out of here, you," Ellie laughed, "Tell Chuck and Sarah to start heading for the table, dinner is ready to go."
John nodded his assent and took the wine out to the table, letting the younger couple know dinner was done before returning to the kitchen to help Ellie carry the rest of the meal out, taking the platter of chicken while she grabbed the bowl of rice and followed him back to the dining room.
Chuck gave Casey an odd look when he took a seat at the head of the table, the spot that Awesome used to inhabit for these meals and directly across from Chuck's seat. It was a bit like he had entered the twilight zone; or those logic puzzles from Sesame Street, 'One of these things are not like the others...' he absently thought.
"...So, we were thinking, once he healed up, we might go looking for our own place." He heard Sarah inform his sister.
"There's no rush," Ellie countered, "Are you looking for a one- or two-bedroom place?"
"We haven't decided yet," Sarah shrugged, "We're open to whatever we find, so long as it has at least two bedrooms. Don't much care if it's an apartment or a house."
"Well, like I said, take your time," Ellie reiterated, "There is no rush. Heck, maybe by the time you're ready to take that step, it will be a moot point."
"Thinking of downsizing Ellie?" Chuck asked, looking over at his sister.
"No, definitely wouldn't say downsizing," Ellie chewed on her lower lip as Sarah choked on her wine at the implication of Ellie's statement. "But maybe a change of scenery would do me some good. A fresh start? A new place, see if I can't find a more research-oriented position once my side project with Dad is done…"
"Research is what you wanted to focus on when you did your fellowship," Chuck nodded.
"It was," Ellie agreed, "Working with Dad reignited the spark, so to speak. Not to mention, finding a treatment, and possibly a cure for degenerative cognitive function is what Dad was originally trying to do. I could take over from just before the Intersect project went sideways."
"Well, if anyone can do it, it'd be you, Elle," Chuck grinned, "But be careful to not get sucked into working for the CIA or..."
"Trust me, I won't," Ellie assured him, "Not to mention that you, Sarah, or John will say something if a grant or funding seems suspicious."
"True," Chuck nodded, "So you really don't want to stay here?"
"In this apartment? Not really," Elie shrugged, "I mean, Devon and I moved in here together and while we may have had some good times here, I think it's time for me to move on and find a place that is my own."
"Makes sense," Chuck nodded, "Would it be too hard on you if Sarah and I took over the lease?"
"If that's what you want to do, it's fine with me," Ellie encouraged him.
"It will definitely be an option to discuss," Sarah agreed, "Definitely not something that needs to be decided right now."
"Yeah, we have a few more things to figure out before that," Chuck agreed, "Starting with dessert; got anything sweet to eat, Elle?"
"I made tiramisu," Ellie rolled her eyes, "But you have to finish your dinner first."
"Yes mom," Chuck teased, causing Ellie and Sarah to laugh, even Casey chuckled a little at the interaction.