A/N: In the last chapter, Chuck took Sarah back to his new home in Maimi Beach. He's taken her back into his life, but not opened up to her. After a discussion with Ellie, Sarah has decided to have a serious talk with him about it.

Thanks for the reviews. They help me know I'm not just writing this for myself.

No beta, but fingers poised for corrections, you just have to tell me what they are.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or the lyrics I have used. A fun song this time, from The B52s.

Chuck – After You

Chapter 17 – Loving

If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says
"15 miles to the Love Shack"
Love Shack, yeah, yeah
I'm headin' down the Atlanta highway
Lookin' for the love getaway
Headed for the love getaway
I got me a car, it's as big as a whale
And we're headin' on down to the Love Shack
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about 20
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money

The love shack is a little old place
Where we can get together
Love Shack, baby (a-Love Shack, baby)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)
Love Shack, baby, Love Shack (Love, baby, that's where it's at)

"Love Shack"
The B52s

The Woodcombs are heading back to Chicago today, after their week's holiday.

Before leaving. Ellie corners Sarah for a quiet chat.

"Sarah, you will talk to him, won't you? Make him know how you are feeling and what you want. Don't just let him keep spiraling in his own thoughts."

Sarah smiles at the description of their life together now. She pulls her sister-in-law to her and gives her a hug. "I plan to do it today."

As Ellie pulls away, she beams at Sarah. "Strike while the iron's hot, huh?"

Sarah grins back, "Definitely."

Chuck and Sarah have just finished waving them off and walked back into the house.

Sarah looks at her husband and says, "Chuck. We need to talk."

The look of fear on his face is more than she can take. She reaches for him and grabs his hands. "Chuck. It's nothing bad, but we really do need to talk."

Her touch makes him feel less frightened. It always has. He looks into her ocean blue eyes and can feel himself falling into that ocean, just like before. Maybe she isn't going to leave. He nods and they walk to the couch and sit down, still holding hands.

Sarah sits quietly for a few seconds, marshalling her thoughts. She's already decided what to say and what to ask, but obviously Chuck's answers are what will really drive this conversation.

She looks at Chuck and starts, "Chuck, I want to know how you're feeling, about me being here."

Chuck answers, without any hesitation, "I'm very happy you're here, Sarah."

Sarah had been watching his eyes as he said this. His eyes told a different story. Those eyes always show his feelings. They always used to be a window onto his soul. Now they are almost opaque, guarding his soul, hiding it from her. She can tell he is lying, just from that.

Chuck is starting to feel uncomfortable. His wife is just staring at him. Analyzing him. He starts to turn his head away, but she lets go of one of his hand and reaches up and, holding his jaw, pulls his face back to her. He closes his eyes, still not wanting to look into hers.

Sarah quietly says, "Chuck, please don't lie to me. Please look at me, as well. Stop hiding from me. It's very hurtful."

He opens his eyes and does look at her, while his cheeks redden. Part of him feels ashamed for lying, but that's mainly of being caught doing so, being such a bad liar. Part of him wants to build a new wall to hide behind. However, when he looks at her watery eyes, he sees the hurt she is mentioning. That stops him from continuing to lie, but he can't just tell her. He doesn't want to force her to stay.

Watching Chuck closing up, saying nothing, is horrible. His silence hurts her even more than the lie, somehow.

She can feel a tear starting to form in her left eye and quickly wipes it away.

She gazes into those eyes that always used to speak volumes to her, and says, "Chuck, please tell me the truth. No more lies. No more walls. We can't get through this otherwise."

"No lies," he mutters, then realizes he said that out loud. He looks at his wife.

Sarah only just heard his words. She frowns and quietly asks, fearing the answer, "Do you think I'm lying? About wanting to be here?"

That takes him by surprise and he quickly tries to stop her thinking that. "N-no, Sarah."

"Chuck, I can tell when you're lying. I think you half believe I want to stay and half not."

He starts to look away. She's right, but he doesn't want to admit it, even to himself.

"No, Chuck. Look me in the eye when I tell you this." She pauses waiting until he does. "I know you can read me. Almost as well as I can read you. So, please see the truth in my eyes as I say this. I will only leave if you send me away. or if you don't let me in, which is the same, really. I love you with all my heart. I never want to be apart from you again." She can't stop that stray tear now.

Chuck can't see any deception in her eyes. He sees love, all the love he always used to see there. He also see hurt and fear. In the past, he often saw hurt. Hurt that he'd caused, but fear is such a rare thing to see in her eyes. She really is frightened of what he says.

Sarah decides to lay it on the line for him. "Chuck, I know you've let me into your home, but you aren't letting me back in fully. I'm here. You're here. But I'm still missing you. Missing us being together."

After the talk about lying, he knows he can't keep doing that. She is opening up to him, so he needs to open up to her too.

He swallows. "I know, Sarah. My insecurities are still stopping me. I still keep thinking you'll walk away again and I won't be able to cope this time."

"Chuck, I don't want to leave. Ever again. But, right now, I don't feel wanted. It's hurting. It's reminding me of those painful memories again. The feeling of rejection."

She steels herself to tell him just how she's feeling. "I have all my insecurities too, Chuck. Running away is my response to panic and, it seems, to rejection as well. I am determined to fight those insecurities, those urges to run and hide, but you're making it very hard for me."

Chuck hadn't considered that, being wrapped up in his own fears. He looks down before he says, "I'm sorry, Sarah. I'm doing the same as I always do. I'm just thinking about how I feel and not how you are."

Sarah puts her finger to his lips. "Chuck, after how I've treated you, it's not surprising. I'm so sorry."

He opens his arms and she gladly moves within them. They embrace. Both holding onto the other. Holding onto their love. Not wanting to let it go.

Chuck hasn't done this since they got back here. Sarah feels so good, with his arms around her, and just melts into him, with her head on his chest.

It reminds Chuck of what he's been wanting all this time. What he's missed.

"Sarah, what can I do to help you?" he asks.

She pushes herself away from him and looks into his eyes. She places her hands on either side of his face. "This, Chuck, this. I need you to hold me. Make me feel wanted. This does make me feel that way."

She also can't hold back from reminding him of her feelings for him. She keeps looking in his eyes, with a loving look in hers and another tear rolling down her left cheek, and says, "I love you so much, Chuck."

"God, I love you too!" He leans down and kisses her. It is a tender kiss, but it is just what they both need.

That night, Sarah moves into his bedroom. Their bedroom.

She doesn't wear anything sexy. That would be too much at this point.

They are both lying facing each other. Both needing sleep, but actually enjoying just looking at each other.

Sarah murmurs, "Thanks for this, Chuck. I love you."

Chuck replies, "It does feel good to have you here, Sarah. Thanks for making me realize it. I love you too."

Sarah twists around, facing away from him and reaches back and takes his hand, pulling him to her. She leans back pressing her back against his chest. He doesn't resist. She places the hand she has been holding on her stomach.

She knows he still isn't ready for anything else, but going to sleep like this is a start.

She drifts off first, but is sure he won't be far behind.

Sarah wakes after the best sleep she has had, well, ever. She slept straight through. No nightmares. No dreams either.

His arm is still around her and his breath is on her neck. He's still asleep.

Their legs are intertwined and her feet are warm. Her feet are always cold when she wakes normally. Is this another thing about him? Her perfect foot warmer? She doesn't care, she just wants to wake like this every morning.

It takes Sarah another two weeks to really convince him she really is not going to leave and to trust her (a phrase that still makes him wince).

They seem to be in a good place now.

More and more memories are returning. He helps her understand them.

Sarah has also taken the first steps at reconnecting with her mom. No meetings are planned yet, but they are now talking on the phone.

Chuck is still having weekly call with his mom. He hasn't invited her into those, which hurts, but she doesn't want to stop him bonding with his mom.

Sarah has no idea what they discuss, but as Chuck doesn't come out looking chastened, she suspects he is telling his mom nothing about his own behavior. She knows she could just call Mary, but that would undermine his relationship with his mom, so she doesn't.

So, at the same time as that call, Sarah has a weekly call with her sister-in-law. Sarah doesn't want Ellie to feel left out any more, but she's also a good sounding board.

Ellie finds the lack of progress frustrating. "Do I need to have a word with him, Sarah?"

Sarah certainly doesn't want that. "No, Ellie. I'm dealing with it. It's just hard for him, you know?"

Ellie remembers the previous times and sighs. "Yes, I do know."

Sarah smiles to herself. "I have a plan, Ellie."

Ellie recognizes the determination in Sarah voice. "Good."

So, after two weeks of Chuck stalling, Sarah has decided they will take that next step. They will make love. This is stupid!

Chuck knows that his nervousness that she will leave is still stopping them. He admits to feeling that if they make love and then she leaves, it would be so much worse. Of course, it would, if she left. But there is absolutely no chance of that happening. He just can't seem to get that into his head, no matter what she says,

So, Sarah books a room at a wonderful holiday home further up the coast near a beach. The property is not that different from their own, but it is not their home. It won't have the association for Chuck with being on his own.

She drives them there. She has found something she doesn't like about him, the speed he drives, but as that's the only thing, she feels very lucky.

Having just arrived, she takes his hand and pulls him in. She gets him to sit down and sits beside him.

She holds his hand. "Chuck, I've brought you here for a reason. Your insecurities will drive me away, you know?"

"I know!" he whines, looking distraught and looks down. " I am fighting them, Sarah."

Enough was enough! Sarah grabs both of his hands and raises her voice slightly, "Chuck!" That makes him snap his eyes back to her.

She looks at him and calmly says, "We can fight this together. Together. We are a team. But we have to work together to fight it."

He knows she is right. He has to overcome this or he will lose her again and it will all be his fault.

He looks into those bottomless ocean blue eyes. Eyes so full of love, but that is not all, there are other things too. Nervousness. Hurt. Fear. All the things he is causing by holding back. From not loving her.

He pulls her to him and kisses her. A tender, loving kiss, but one that neither wanted to stop.

Once the need to breath does make them pull apart, he says, "Together. The best team there ever was!"

Somehow, Chuck feels that fear seems so stupid. Maybe it's this place, but he doesn't really know.

She pulls him back and kisses him putting all her passion into it. He doesn't hold back this time and kisses her as fiercely.

Chuck feels the fears drop away and a burning desire for her takes over.

He lifts her and she wraps her legs around his waist. He carries her through to the bedroom, still kissing.

As he puts her on the bed, he smirks. "So, this is our Love Shack?"

She pulls him down to her and says, breathlessly, "It better be!"

They spend the rest of the day in bed. Making love. For Chuck it feels like they have never stopped. It is glorious, but more than that, it makes him feel she is really here to stay.

For Sarah, it is wonderful. Just as she remembers the first time. Making love brings a lot of memories of previous times. Happy memories. Very happy memories!

She knows this has only started to break down his barriers. They will have to keep working on it, but they are together, in every way now.

For Chuck it makes him realize both what he's been spoiling for them, but also how much he needs this part of their life. And how the physical and emotional bonds between them are linked and so important. He feel a weight life off his shoulders. That fear of her leaving hasn't completely gone, but it feels weaker, somehow.

Making love isn't the be all and end all, but it has confirmed their love for each other. Nothing would break them up again.

Nothing!

A/N: So, they can be happy together again and love each other! Just an epilogue left now.

I decided not to drag this out any more. Sarah couldn't stand it! Some of you might feel it's rushed, but I really think they've gone through enough and I'm happy with the chapter like this. Please let me know what you think in a review.

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