A/N: Hello Charah fans! Welcome back for the next installment of Matchmaker. I know it's been a while in coming and I hope to update more frequently, time permitting.

I'm starting to make some jumps in time within the story. Following them on their day-to-day lives over the coming weeks of them waiting for the finale to air would get really tedious, both to read and to write.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 34

Over the next several days, Chuck and Sarah spent as much time with each other as possible, though it never felt like enough. Most days Sarah spent much of her time on conference calls or having to go to meetings in town, leaving Chuck to his own devices. To occupy himself, and to keep his mind off of missing Sarah, Chuck dove into his work, playing catch-up on emails and the latest tech news. He'd conferenced with Morgan and executives from various interested companies looking to partner with Orion Inc. Things were definitely starting to pick up for his company in the wake of its recent success and it made him excited for the future. He'd even begun working on a rough plan for expanding the company in different directions. It would take a lot of research and preparation, but he felt he was well positioned to make that happen.

When the next episode of Off-Screen Romance aired, Sarah and Chuck had convinced Casey to smuggle Ellie and Devon to the estate so they could all watch together. Ellie was happy to finally see her brother and Sarah, as well as Zondra, but she was beyond excited to see the estate where the show had been filmed. Ellie spent nearly thirty minutes pointing out the spots where various scenes had been shot. As put together as Ellie typically was, it was rather humorous to see her geeking out over it.

They all watched as Sarah took small groups of contestants on a tour of a movie set, Sarah and Zondra giving color commentary throughout. "Look! Did you see that?" Sarah exclaimed, pointing at one of the contestants. "He's flirting with that woman. Right in front of me!" There were plenty of other examples of how most of the men were insincere or just not right for Sarah at all.

Ellie, as well as Sarah, took great delight in seeing the highlights of the footage taken of Chuck walking around meeting people, just being himself. Chuck was obviously a bit embarrassed, never enjoying being the center of attention. When they showed the group tour that contained Chuck, everyone laughed at his expense when he'd accidentally burned his hand on a large light, remarking about the "hot red head".

"That's what they're called! 'Red heads'!" Chuck defended, starting to get a little offended at the constant teasing. Sarah tucked in a little closer to Chuck's side, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"We know, Sweetie. We're just teasing. It's funny because we all know you and that isn't something you would ever say, with the meaning that it implies." Running her hand up and down his chest soothingly, he soon got over his momentary offense and they continued with the show. When they reached the scene in which they had dinner with the crew, including Carina, Ellie - and secretly Devon - were jealous that Chuck had gotten to meet another celebrity. It was in this scene that it became Sarah's turn to be on the hot seat.

Everyone hissed, glancing at Chuck, when his on-screen self commented that Sarah would never be normal. Those hisses quickly turned to "awws" when he followed it by calling her "extraordinary". Sarah blushed at the recollection, and even more so when she saw her expression on screen. She watched in rapt fascination, remembering how his words had affected her so much.

"I-I don't mean your characters, although they are incredible. I mean you. You're an amazing woman. To work in this business and still maintain your integrity and poise, to be willing to use your fame to make a real difference, rather than just amass wealth. I guess that if meeting you has taught me anything, it's that I was holding you up on a pedestal, but for the wrong reasons. 'Sarah Walker' is an extraordinary person, who just happens to be a phenomenal actress. Others may be too jaded or blind to see it, but I feel fortunate to know the truth."

"Wow, bro. With lines like that, I'd have chosen you too," Devon confessed, which resulted in an elbow to the ribs from his fiancé. Unlike on screen, Sarah didn't have to bite her cheek or try to hide how she was feeling. She could finally let her happiness show, including the tears of joy. They watched on as the scene continued.

"H-How do you know? You barely know me. How do you know that's the truth?"

Sarah watched herself, recalling how overwhelmed she'd felt, and still did, at how disarming his honesty could be.

"I pay attention. When everyone else is busy trying to get you to notice them, I see you. I know this sounds corny, but I see it in your eyes. They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. I-I don't know if I believe that or not, but … but no matter how you present yourself on the outside, I can see your feelings in your eyes. I can see how they turn a steely grayish-blue when you're angry or the color of cornflowers when you're really happy. Like when we were at the hospital, talking with those kids. You seemed to forget about the cameras and all the other … crap. You were just focused on the moment with that little boy or girl. Your eyes sparkled a cornflower blue and it was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I don't claim to know what all the shades of blue mean. When we first met, even…even right now, your eyes are the color of … of sapphires. I dunno if that's annoyance or… or sympathy or … or what, but… I like it."

Sarah had tears running down her cheeks, as did Ellie. Even Zondra was tearing up a little at the scene. Chuck shifted in his seat, feeling a little uncomfortable realizing he'd just confessed all of that to millions of people. Not that he didn't mean every word, but the gravity of it was beginning to set in.

"Dude," Devon interjected, shaking his head in amazement. "Sarah didn't stand a chance." Sarah barked out a wet laugh, followed by everyone else.

"Not a chance," Sarah admitted through teary eyes with a smile spread across her face.

"Oh, Sweetie. The look on your face right there… you were so done for," Ellie declared, giving Sarah a sympathetic smile.

"God, you should have seen her when we were reviewing the footage later," Zondra chimed in, shaking her head with amusement. Sarah groaned, burying her face in her hands, knowing what was coming. "One of my assistants, Megan, was watching with us and she made a comment. Something along the lines of wondering why he was single and expressing some interest in dragging him off somewhere." Chuck's eyes grew wide as saucers, never having heard any of this before. Sarah just groaned again in embarrassment.

"The look on Sarah's face when Megan said that. Jeeez. I'm surprised she didn't burst into flames right there. I think Megan saw her life flash before her eyes. I had to yell at Sarah to snap her out of her death glare." Chuck sat with his mouth agape, looking between Zondra and Sarah.

"I couldn't help it," Sarah conceded, looking contrite. "When she said that, something in me just snapped, like she was trying to make a play for my man or something, even though he wasn't at the time." Sarah just shrugged, turning three shades of red.

"Yes, I was," Chuck interjected, drawing everyone's attention. Sarah looked confused, as did everyone else, except for Ellie, who grinned knowingly. "I was yours from day one," he confessed with a small shrug. "You may not have known it, but that doesn't make it any less true." When Sarah felt it impossible to fall any harder for this man, he did something like this to prove her wrong, over and over.

Sarah melted into her seat as their friends and family let out "awws" in response. Sarah gestured at Chuck, showing him off to all that were present. "You see what I have to deal with? It's like this all the time," she teased, her smile beaming and eyes glassy.

"He should have said something sooner," Zondra added. "Poor Megan. She couldn't apologize fast enough. Man, you scared the hell out of that poor girl." Ellie was dying laughing, just imagining the scene. Chuck was having a hard time believing that Sarah could feel that kind of jealousy over him, especially back then. To him, he felt like he had plenty to feel jealous about in regard to Sarah, but the thought that he could have eyes for anyone other than Sarah was ridiculous.

The conversation died down and they continued to watch the ending of the show, Sarah sending another contestant home. Sarah related the story of "Guy" and his hateful comments toward Chuck, insisting that Chuck was a plant and had no real chance of winning. "How d'you like them apples, Guy?" Sarah shouted at the TV when her on-screen self sent him packing.

"He made some valid points," Chuck interjected, coming to the man's defense. Sarah promptly back handed him in the arm, sending him an icy glare. "At… at the time I thought they were valid points," he corrected, rubbing his arm. "If you look at it objectively, if I was a plant, that would explain why I kept moving forward, while much more attractive men were getting sent home. I know the real reason," Chuck back peddled, holding up his hands toward Sarah in surrender, "but at the time it made sense to me."

"What about now, bro?" Devon asked, gesturing toward Sarah. "That line of thinking kinda got blown outta the water." Chuck nodded with a chuckle, giving Sarah a warm smile.

"It's certainly a dream come true. The only downside is that I can't go outside and shout it from the rooftops. Not that I need to broadcast the fact that the most incredible woman in the world loves me, but … OK, maybe I do a little," he conceded, holding up his hand with his thumb and forefinger close together. That earned him chuckles all around and a shoulder bump from Sarah. "I just feel like there's this … this bubble inside of me that's so full it's about to burst."

"I know, baby. I feel it too," Sarah offered, hugging his arm. "But just think, only three more weeks until the finale and the live show. Then, the whole world will know."

"That's kind of a mixed blessing. We won't have to hide it anymore, but then THE WHOLE WORLD will know, bringing with it a lot of unwanted attention. I just hope that someday we'll be able to just be together, just us, doing normal things. I get that 'normal' is subjective, but I'd like to be able to ...take you to dinner or dancing-"

"Dancing?!" Ellie jumped in, interrupting her brother. "So, you'll go dancing with her? You never wanted to go out dancing with us?" his sister exclaimed with a faux pout.

"Go third-wheeling it while you two are out dirty dancing in some club? Yeah, no thanks," Chuck replied, his eyes widening for a moment. "Now, dancing with this lovely lady ..." he trailed off, looking over at Sarah. She gave his arm another squeeze, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment.

"He's a really good dancer, and I guess I have you to thank for that, Ellie. Those lessons at the 'Y' really paid off," Sarah confessed, glancing up at Chuck with a smirk.

"Oooo. So, we get to see you dancing on the show?" Ellie asked, clapping with excitement.

"Yep," Zondra interjected. "During the last two episodes, you get to see these two crazy kids bump and grind on the big screen." Sarah gasped, giving her friend an affronted look, causing Zondra to laugh hysterically. "Oh, come on Blondie," Zondra challenged, "that tango of yours nearly set off the sprinklers."

"Tango! Muy caliente!" Devon chimed in, winking at Chuck, nodding his head approvingly. Ellie let out a 'tsk', rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

They continued to chat, discussing the need to get together once all of this business with the show was over, Zondra, Ellie and Sarah already making plans. The hour grew late so Casey took Devon and Ellie back home, Zondra taking her leave as well. As the door to the guest house closed, Sarah leaned against it with a contented sigh.

"I really love your family," Sarah offered, pushing away from the door as she sauntered over to Chuck. He watched her appraisingly as a grin spread across her face. Sliding her arms over his shoulders and lacing her fingers together behind his neck, she grinned up at him with a sparkle in her eye.

"They love you too. I'm pretty partial to you as well," he teased with a smirk.

"Oh, are you now?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow with a smirk of her own. He hummed his answer, nodding his head as he held her gaze. "You're pretty alright yourself," she responded, bouncing her eyebrows at him.

"I am pretty alright," he agreed with a mischievous grin. "How about we go discuss it in greater detail in your boudoir?"

"Mmmm. I like the way you think," she purred, reaching up on her tiptoes for a searing kiss. When she pulled away, she hummed in satisfaction at the dazed look on his face. Slipping past him, she smacked him on the butt before racing upstairs. Chuck shook himself out of his stupor, gasping in mock indignation. Sarah shrieked and giggled as Chuck gave chase, hot on her heels.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chuck sat drumming his pen on his notepad, his mind a million miles away. No matter how hard he tried to focus, his thoughts would always drift to her, recalling, in excruciatingly vivid detail, all of their moments together since their date night and their confessions on that beach. Though the memories themselves were joyous, he felt an emptiness inside. He ached for her in a way he'd never experienced before. He knew it was bordering on unhealthy and to continually dwell on it wasn't going to make it any better.

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when a hand slammed down on top of his, pinning it to the table. Startled, Chuck looked up with wide-eyed surprise. "Chuck. Dude," Morgan exclaimed in exasperation. "You're killin' me with the pen thing. You gotta snap out of it man," he pleaded. "Look, I get it. You're hurting, but we have to focus. These meetings could mean the difference between life and death." Chuck gave his friend, and partner, a flat look, titling his head to the side. "OK. Ok, not 'actual' life and death, but you know what I mean. If things go well, it could be huge - HUGE- for Orion. This could be the big break you've been hoping for; a chance to expand the company."

"No. No, your-your right. I know it, buddy. I'm sorry, I just… I miss her," Chuck confessed, his shoulders slumping.

"So, call her!" Morgan insisted, gesturing to the cell phone on the table.

"I don't want to hound her, Morg. She's off in some exotic locale, busy being … 'Sarah Walker'. She has a life aside from me. I have to be respectful and supportive of that and give her the space she needs. The last thing I want is to come between her and her career."

"You're being ridiculous, Dude. Just. Call. Her," Morgan demanded, stabbing his finger into the table. Chuck shook his head, struggling with what he thought was the right thing. Sighing in frustration, Morgan snatched the phone from the table and began scrolling through Chuck's contacts. Before Chuck could stop him, the call had been placed and Morgan shoved the phone at him. "There. Now you have to talk to her," he declared, looking rather pleased with himself.

With his lips pursed in aggravation, Chuck put the phone to his ear. Fully expecting the call to go to voicemail, he was about to hang up when Sarah answered, sounding almost out of breath.

"Chuck?" He froze for a moment, not knowing what to say or what excuse to use for calling like this.

"Hi-hi, Sarah. I'm… I'm sorry. I know you're bus-"

"God, I miss you," she breathed out, a sound of longing in her voice.

"You-you do? I … I figured you'd be so busy with work and … whatnot…" he trailed off. "I didn't want to make a pest of myself. "

"Oh, baby. Never! You're all I've been able to think about. Do you have any idea how many times I've picked up my phone today to call you? How many text messages I've written and deleted?" Sarah sighed out a huff. "I knew you had your meetings today and I didn't want to distract you. I know how important they are to you."

"You're important to me!" Chuck jumped in, practically admonishing her. "I know we talked this morning, but I just … I miss you so much. I'm being ridiculous, aren't I? I'm acting like a middle schooler."

"If you are, then so am I. I've been a complete wreck this past week. The wardrobe and make-up people are probably sick to death of hearing about how amazing my boyfriend is."

"What? You-you told them?"

"Well, I didn't use your name, but I had to talk to someone, or I'd go crazy. I hope you're happy. You've completely ruined me," she teased, huffing into the phone.

"I… I have to confess; Morgan actually dialed the phone for me. I was trying to convince myself that I should leave you alone so you could focus on work. I've been kind of…"

"Mopey!" Morgan interrupted, leaning toward the phone. "He's been insufferable, Sarah." Chuck turned to his friend with a glare, but Sarah chuckled, having obviously heard him.

"Aww. I'm sorry, Chuck. If it's any consolation, I've been pretty mopey too. "

Chuck got up from the conference table and started to pace, moving to the far corner. "How are we going to do this? It's only been a week and I'm going out of my mind. When you have to go away for weeks or… or months, what am I going to do? They'll have to give me drugs like they did for our dog Peaches for her separation anxiety. Otherwise, you'll come home to find the house torn to shreds and I'll have peed on the carpet or something," he joked, throwing a hand in the air in exasperation.

Sarah barked out a laugh, sighing when she finally calmed down. "Thanks. I needed that. Maybe not the imagery, but the laugh I needed. You always know what to say to make me feel better. I wish I had some sage advice to give you, some coping mechanism I've learned over the years, but the truth of the matter is, this is new to me too. Before, whenever I did have to leave someone for any length of time, it never bothered me. I didn't give it a second thought. I rather enjoyed the time away, to be honest. With you though? God, this just sucks. I'm struggling as much as you; more so maybe."

"You think so huh? Is this a competition now?" Chuck teased, chuckling to let her know he wasn't serious.

"Noooo, but you're probably stuck in an office somewhere and I'm here… on a gorgeous beach, surrounded by palm trees and crystal blue waters and all I can think about is how much I wish you were here to enjoy it with me. I'm miserable." Sarah huffed in frustration.

"Ugh. You have no idea how much I wish that too. How long until you're done?" he asked apprehensively. He could hear her swallow through the phone. That response didn't bode well.

"I… I don't know. I'm here for at least two or three more days. We lost a couple of days' worth of shooting due to the storm that blew through. After that, I don't know yet. Diane has been inundated with requests for interviews, product endorsements... more photoshoots, not to mention the flood of scripts that keep coming in."

"Such is the life of the most amazing woman in the world," Chuck commented, sounding sincere yet disappointed.

"I'm sorry. My life was hectic before, but this… I never expected this. To make matters worse, I've finally found somebody I want to come home to and I can't. I know this wasn't what you signed up for. I'm-"

"Stop. I knew exactly what I was getting into. Does being apart suck? Abso-freakin-lutely! But when we're together, even if it's just talking on the phone from a million miles away, it's soooo worth it. You're worth it. All of it."

"I love you," she breathed out, her voice tight. A smile spread across Chuck's face, hearing her say those words never got old.

"And I love you." Chuck was pulled from his little bubble by the sound of voices outside the conference room door. Clearing his throat, he shook himself back to reality. "I'm sorry, baby. I gotta go. The meeting is about to start. I'll call you later tonight or-or you call me. Whichever works for you. Since you're hours ahead of me, why don't you call me, that way I don't wake you up or something."

"OK. Go. Have a good meeting. Knock 'em dead. I'll call you tonight when I can. I love you, Chuck."

"Love you too. Bunches," he chuckled, smiling into the phone. Sarah chuckled as well, humming in adoration and amusement. She made a kissing sound into the phone before ending the call. Chuck pulled the phone away and looked at it. His background picture on his cell phone was a selfie of the two of them, Mt. Shasta in the background, both with broad smiles across their faces. He felt that ache again, a knot forming in his stomach.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was getting late, but with the four-hour time difference, it was still early evening on the west coast. Sarah knew she needed to get some sleep, but she wasn't about to miss an opportunity to talk with Chuck. He had texted her an hour before, letting her know that he was out with clients but would try to wrap it up soon. She'd been waiting by the phone, more or less, for hours. Sure, once she'd gotten to her hotel room, she'd been flipping through channels, trying to pass the time, but she'd mindlessly pick up her phone every few minutes to make sure it was still on and that she hadn't missed a text or call.

The long day was wearing on her, so rather than fall asleep while she waited, she opted to chance a call to Chuck, if only to say a quick good night. Hesitantly, she pressed the call button and put the phone to her ear, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. She wasn't nervous so much as anxious, excited. After two rings he answered, and she could hear him fumbling with the phone. That was so 'Chuck'.

"Hell-hello. Hello? Sarah?" He stammered out, the noise of someplace very public could be heard in the background.

"Hi, Chuck. I'm sorry. I've caught you at a bad time. I just-"

"No! No, just… one sec," he said before she could hear his muffled voice thanking someone, exchanging some laughter. Then his voice came back on the line more clearly, though the background noise was still present. "I'm here. Just let me get some place a little more… private."

Sarah could hear him as he walked, she assumed, greeting people as he passed, exchanging quick pleasantries. She could just imagine him waving at people, shooting them that goofy grin of his, the one that set everyone at ease. Smiling like a fool as she stared at the ceiling while lying in bed, it was almost like he was there with her. Almost.

"Ok. Sorry," he said as he took a steadying breath. "Sorry about that. I'm here. You-you still there?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yes, I'm still here, you goof. I've been waiting all night to talk to you," she admitted with a chuckle.

"I'm so sorry about that. I was really hoping to be done by now. Things just kept-"

"Chuck don't apologize. I told you, I get it. These meetings are important. Believe me, if anyone understands having to honor your commitments, no matter how much you wish you could be someplace else, it's me. It's kinda late for meetings though. Sounds like you're out someplace. Does that mean…" she trailed off, not wanting to ask the question.

"Yeah. The meetings ran late, so we all went out to dinner. We've been eating and drinking, talking shop. That sort of thing," Chuck confessed. She could practically hear the wince of guilt in his voice at that admission.

Sarah felt a momentary pang in her chest. There was a small amount of jealousy that seeped through, knowing that he was still able to go out in public, relatively unmolested, unlike her. What made her more jealous was that he wasn't out with her. She'd wanted so much to be able to go out, like a normal couple, much like they had on their date on the show. Unfortunately, right now that wasn't a possibility and it made her sad, frustrated and… jealous. She caught the guilt in his voice and it made her more than a little ashamed for having those thoughts. It wasn't like he was blowing her off to go spend time with the guys or something. This was all part of his job, building his business. After all, she'd been doing the same thing to him since she'd left their mountain retreat weeks ago. Meetings, social events and now traveling around the world for publicity and photo shoots. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be her. She'd gotten a small taste of her own medicine and she didn't like it one bit. Rather than voice all of that, she tried to be supportive and understanding, just as he had been from day one.

"It's all part of the song and dance of business. Sometimes, more things get accomplished over dinner than in a business meeting," Sarah offered, trying to set him at ease, to let him know that she understood. "So, I take it the meetings went well, then?"

"Sarah," he paused, adding to the suspense, "they couldn't have gone better. I'll fill you in on the details when I see you. I don't want to waste the time right now. I just want to talk to you. I miss you."

"I miss you too, Sweetie. I'm so happy for you. Even though you wouldn't tell me what the meetings were about," she chided playfully, "I know you were stressing about it."

"I'm not trying to hide it from you. Well… mostly. I just didn't want to get anyone's hopes up, including my own, before it was a done deal. Didn't want to jinx it. Enough about me though, I want to hear about you. How was your day? Are you doing OK?"

"Aside from missing you like crazy? I'm doing alright, I guess. Tired. It's just been non-stop. First was New York, then London, then back across the pond to Miami and now Jamaica. I feel like I haven't been able to take a breath. I just want to snuggle up in my… our… our bed. Snuggle up in our bed and shut the rest of the world out for a minute. Being with you at the cabin, and then at the estate, I got spoiled," she confessed with a chuckle.

"You deserve to be spoiled. I just wish I was there to spoil you," Chuck said with a mischievous tone. Sarah hummed in amusement, shifting in her bed.

"I wish that too. Diane's supposed to call me in the morning with an update to my schedule. I'll know more then and whether I'll have time to come home."

"Maybe… maybe I could meet up with you somewhere along the way? If you have time between appearances and whatnot," Chuck asked hesitantly.

"As much as I would love that, it's not a great idea. I mean, especially after this week's episode aired. People are going crazy! When I agreed to do the show, I had no idea that it would garner this much attention. Although... I suppose I never expected to find the love of my life on the show either. America seems to approve, though. You seem to have quite the fan club," Sarah teased.

"You joke, but I actually had several people stop me today asking for selfies and autographs. Although, in fairness, one of them thought I was John Krasinski," he admitted, sounding only slightly dejected. Sarah couldn't help but burst out in laughter, rolling to the side to bury her head in her pillow.

"Seriously though, I get it. Right now, things are too hot for us to be seen together. If only we could go back to the cabin. Even if just for a day…"

"Yeah," Sarah agreed, sighing in disappointment. "Well, it may be a small consolation but…" she trailed off, biting her bottom lip to hide her devilish grin, even though he couldn't see it. "The shoot I'm doing now involves some … swimsuits." She could hear Chuck's breath hitch and it was all she could do to keep from giggling.

"You are a cruel…. evil woman," he croaked out, practically whimpering.

"Maybe I could bring them home with me and … model them for you… in private." When she heard him choke, it was too much, and she couldn't hold her mirth back any longer.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you? You do realize that I'm in a public place," he chastised playfully.

"They can't hear me, unless you have me on speaker phone." She froze for a moment, her laughter dying off at the prospect that their conversation might have been overheard.

"No! I'd never do that. However, I still have to walk back through a crowded restaurant," he declared, sounding particularly frustrated.

"What does that have-" she began before it dawned on her. "Oh! Oh, God. I'm sorry," she snickered, failing to hold back her amusement and no small amount of pride.

"Yeah, it's hilarious," he chided, though she could hear amusement as well. "I'm gonna have to stand out here and think about … baseball or… or Queen Elizabeth or something." Sarah's laughter spilled out anew, doubling over as she held her stomach.

"St-stop. I… I can't breathe," she pleaded through bouts of laughter. "Oh God. That… that's too funny," she wheezed, trying to get herself back under control. After a couple of failed attempts, she was finally able to still her laughter, letting out a long breath.

"Are you done now?" he asked, trying to sound agitated, but she could tell he was smiling by the tone in his voice. A small snort slipped out, but she recovered quickly.

"Yes. I'm done," Sarah relented, sighing in contentment.

"I love you, but it's late there and you should probably get some sleep." Sarah groaned in frustration, knowing he was right but not wanting to end the call.

"I know… but I don't wanna," she pouted, sounding like a petulant child.

"I know, but I should get back in there. I don't want to leave them alone with Morgan for too long," he joked, chuckling at himself. "Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked, trying not to sound pleading but he was sure it failed.

"Yeah. I don't know when though. Maybe it's best if I call you, or I can text you when I know more?"

"That sounds good. Sleep tight. I love you."

"Love you. Night," she replied, not removing the phone from her cheek until she heard the call end. She blew out a long breath, hoping some of the ache she felt would go out with it. Checking the alarm on her phone, she placed in on the nightstand and turned off the light. Rolling over, she pulled the extra pillow close, hugging it to her body. Burying her face in it, she took in a deep breath through her nose. When she packed for her trip, she was sure to steal a couple of Chuck's shirts. One she wore as a nightgown and the other she used as a pillowcase of sorts. It didn't feel like him, but it at least smelled like him, offering her some comfort in the lonely nights on the road. Breathing in the scent of her Chuck, she hummed in contentment, drifting off to sleep with thoughts of when they'd be together again.

A/N2: It looks like their honeymoon period is coming to an end. Both of them are being pulled into the real lives, meaning there will be less time together; at least until their relationship becomes public. Speaking of, that time is quickly approaching, with only one more episode to air before the finale. I don't know about you, but I'm getting impatient. I'm really excited to see how it turns out.

It really means a lot that you take the time to drop a review or PM to let me know how you feel about the story. Good or bad, I find all your constructive comments valuable. I hope you continue to share your thoughts.

Until next time, stay well and be safe.

JW