A/N: Last chapter, Sarah had enough of her memories back to not only continue to be depressed, but also really miss Chuck. She is still unsure he would ever take her back, of course, but she's decided she needs to do something.

This chapter looks at how Chuck is getting on in his new life.

From the reviews, people seem to like the change in Sarah's attitude. Things are starting to change. Thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming, I really appreciate them.

Still betaless, but happy to make corrections, so let me know if you find any mistakes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or the lyrics I have used. I loved Portishead and saw them twice. I miss them.

Chuck – After You

Chapter 12 – Life Goes On

In the days, the golden days
When everybody knew what they wanted
It ain't here today

Through the times of lasting love
When parents talked of things tried and tested
It don't feel the same

Dreams and belief have gone
Time, life itself goes on

Far beyond the shrinking skies
Where money talks and leaves us hypnotized
It don't pave the way

Underneath the fading sun
The silent sum of a businessman
Has left us choking

Dreams and belief have gone
Time, life itself goes on

In the days, the golden days
When everybody know what they wanted
It ain't here today

Dreams and belief have gone
Time, life itself goes on

"Half Day Closing"
Portishead

He still misses her. Sarah. The love of his life. He thinks about her every day, wondering what she is doing. Worrying about whether she is safe. Well. Unharmed.

He even worries whether she is still alive. As she had gone back to working for the CIA, maybe some lowlife tracked her down after she left and killed her. Who would know?

So, thoughts of Sarah Bartowski occupy his brain every night, stopping him getting to sleep quickly. But he can now sleep, eventually.

During the day, he keeps his brain active. He doesn't think about her when his mind is completely occupied on other things.

Every day is the virtually same, apart from when he needs to go shopping for food. He gets up, showers, makes and eats breakfast and then starts coding. For the first few weeks, he'd been working on the visuals for the game, but now he's coding.

He stops before midday and goes for a run. Choosing that time meant it is much hotter, but there are more people about, which is what he wants. The heat does make it more uncomfortable, but seeing people is more distracting. He has started seeing the same people occasionally and greets them. Most do not want to interact, but some do. Usually just a wave, but some offer a greeting.

A few days ago, a woman had suggested running together, but he turned her down, politely. He didn't want female company. That would just remind him of who he was missing. He did not want to think about her. So, he runs alone.

Once he arrives back home from the run, he showers and then makes some lunch. He then restarts coding for the next five hours, sometimes longer if he becomes engrossed.

He tries to avoid continuing into the evening, though, and, after eating, he watches a movie or two, before heading to bed for those Sarah thoughts and eventually sleep.

Each day, a repeat of the same.

Differences to the routine are the food store trips and, of course, the weekly calls with his mom.

Those calls are comfortable now. They follow the same pattern each week. He would call her. She would immediately answer. She'd say few words, usually single words with each reply. She never asked any questions, but she gets everything she needs from the calls.

Chuck had never been a man of few words. He was always a talker, so he'd talk at his mom. With the days being so uniform, there wasn't a lot to say, but he knew that his rambling made sure she knew he was okay. She didn't need to know about the old man he had seen on the beach last Wednesday, with his metal detector. She didn't need to know about the wind surfers he had watched. She certainly didn't need to know about how he was getting on with the coding or the latest problem he'd had to solve with some of that. However, she patiently listens and always seems please when they end the call. She knew he was coping.

Today, he mentions the woman who had wanted to run with him and his mom suddenly seems to pay more attention.

"I've seen another person on the beach for a few days. A woman with black hair. She jogs on the beach too. Three days ago, she ran alongside me and talked to me."

"Had she been watching you?" This is the first question she has asked on these calls.

He frowns, then answers, "No. I don't think so. Why?"

"You are still a person of interest, Chuck," she sounds frustrated, having to tell him this.

"Mom, she's just a jogger. She's not a spy!"

"How do you know?" she asks.

He is now getting frustrated. "Because I do, Mom. I can recognize spies. I worked with two of the best for years and lived with one for two years! I was one myself too!"

She just grunts then asks, "What did she say?"

He smiles. She has moved on from questioning whether the woman was a spy. "She wanted to run with me, but I said no."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, why? Why did she want to run with me or why did I turn her down?"

"Both."

"She wanted someone to run with. Someone she could talk to while running." He decides to tell her all his thoughts. "She was flirting with me."

Grunt.

He has to tell her why he turned the woman down too. "I said no, partly because I don't want someone thinking I'm interested in them, in any way."

"What else?"

He knows what she's asking. He pushes the fingers of his right hand through his hair and sighs. "Running with another woman would remind me of who I really want to run with."

"Good."

He doesn't understand. "Why good, Mom?"

"Good that you don't want to let another woman in and good that you are still wanting your wife."

He huffs and then says, "Of course I want my wife. I love her. I miss her, Mom."

"I know."

Thinking and talking about her gets to him again. The tears start. He hasn't done this for some time, but then he's been avoiding talking about her. This conversation has set him off. He sniffs, forgetting that his mom would hear.

"Chuck, don't lose hope. Give her time. She'll come back."

He raises his voice. "How do you know, Mom?"

She is silent for a while, then says, "I had dark times. Away from your father. I almost gave up, but I knew I loved him and that helped me. I came back, thanks to your wife. Too late for Stephen, but she helped me come back to you and Eleanor. She loves you, Chuck, even though she is upset with you. When she gets her memories back, and she has obviously already started getting them, she will remember you and will want to come back to you."

It is the most his mom had ever said to him. She obviously wants him to understand. Understand that she knows Sarah and she knows things will change.

He stops crying and wipes his eyes. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

"I'll tell your sister you are alright, and doing the right things."

"Thanks. Tell her I love her, too."

"Will do. Bye, Son."

"Bye. Mum. Love you,"

"Love you too."

She ends the call.

He stares at the phone for a few minutes with a smile on his face.

Sarah will come back to him. She will.

A/N: So, Chuck is coping. That's the best way to describe his state of mind. We are at the turning point next chapter, then things will start getting for them both. Not easy, but better.

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