Chapter 2 – Thanks for coming back. Won't drag this on too long. Please review, let's begin. Mssupertigz

Chuck frantically ran his hands through his dampish hair as the sweat ran down his forehead. 'I thought I shot him; he fell into the river. His body floated away.' Chuck headed back to Castle to verify that he wasn't going crazy. He brought up the train surveillance and scrolled back an hour or so. He had to see for himself and if the camera's picked him up then he didn't see a ghost. Chuck scanned the subway and finally saw him running down the stairs. Chuck followed himself till he came to where he heard the tapping. Chuck zoomed in as if he were seeing the whole thing play all over again with his mind and heart.

He slammed his finger into the keyboard to pause the image and stared. Chuck wasn't sure what a ghost would look like, or if someone were playing tricks with his mind, either way they were doing a good job. Chuck heard a startled grunt come from behind him that startled him even more. He turned around and gave whoever was there a right jab. Chuck looked to see the results and saw Casey grabbing his jaw. Chuck leaned towards him. "Sorry Casey."

"No, I'll remember not to sneak up on someone looking at a ghost. We're looking at a ghost, right?"

Chuck turned towards the screen. "I wish it was." Chuck sat back down and followed the subway train that he was travelling on and looked at all the stops and finally saw him get off but lost him in the crowd of commuters.

Chuck turned his seat around. "So, are you going to tell me why, in all the crazy things that we have seen and done, hell spat out one of their own?" Casey inquired.

"So, I'm not seeing things?"

"I wish you were." Chuck glanced away.

Casey sat down as they stared at the image again. "When?"

"I was leaving Sarah's hotel earlier and I crossed the street. I looked back at the parking lot and saw someone staring up at the hotel. Like they had been doing it for some time. So, I crossed back, and they headed towards the subway. I ran to catch up."

"Did he see you?"

"Not sure but when I got to the lower level, I thought I lost him, and when I turned, I heard a tapping like someone was tapping on glass. I looked towards the noise and there he was waving as the car moved. Then I came straight here."

"Does Sarah know?"

"No! And she can't."

Shaw smirked as he stepped off the ramp and headed up the stairs towards street level. He hadn't expected to see any of them so soon, but the look he got from Chuck was the best form of recovery he could have asked for. He looked up to see a black sedan pull up to him and he got in. "Where to boss?"

"Westside Medical. I have some things to take care of."

The driver shouldered checked and pulled into traffic.

Shaw got out and headed into the main doors, walking up to the directory scanning all the floors listed till he saw the one he wanted. He walked up to the elevator catching his breath slightly as the doors opened. Shaw walked in and turned to face the doors when a hand reached in and stopped the door from closing. Ellie looked at the full car and faced the door unaware of who was behind her. The doors opened and Ellie walked out along with a few others and a man in a tailored suit that looked out of place even for a hospital. Ellie walked to the desk and grabbed the pile of files that she started to sign. The tall dark stranger walked the floor and came back again. Ellie assumed that he was looking for a room and was about to turn around and ask him but heard a nurse step in before she could. "No, thanks." The man spoke with a confident tone in his voice. "But you can tell me where I can find the stairs." Ellie could see from the corner of her eyes that the nurse pointed the man towards the stairs. Ellie leaned back to get a glimpse of the man and when the nurse walked around the desk, they both smiled. Ellie went back to her files then resumed her rounds.

Chuck ran back and forth looking at his reports from Paris and all of the Interpol reports all claiming that Shaw was dead. 'So why are you here?'

Casey slid a cup of coffee on the counter as Chuck grabbed it. His hand shook as he picked it up. He raised the cup. "Sarah's pregnant."

Casey sat down. Casey squeezed his arm. "I know. I'm not sure what to say. I want to say congrats because that is what is needed here and that you two can finally be happy."

"Hard to be happy when the child may not be yours. And the thought that raising a kid whose father is an egotistical narcissistic… I didn't sign up for that. It was supposed to be our kid, our family."

"It still can. You don't know for sure, and I think that what you two have been through those little Bartowski's would step up to the plate. We just need to put an end to this nightmare once and for all."

"Not sure that we can."

Westside Medical

Hours later Ellie answered her page and headed down towards her intended page and saw the stranger from earlier. Admiring his physique, she quickly knew that he wasn't there to see anyone but was looking for something. She tended to her page then returned to ask the nurse what the stranger was looking for. "He said that he was looking for the lab where they did the testing?"

"Testing?"

"He said that he was waiting for results of a blood test."

"Did you get a name?"

"No, sorry."

Ellie headed down to the lab to see what was up with this stranger and his inquiry. She scanned her card and noticed that the lab's door was open, and the fridge door had been obviously pulled on. Ellie looked at the tray and saw her brother's and Sarah's blood sample and that the results were in and wondered if that stranger was more of a threat. Ellie grabbed the viles just in case and tried to call her brother.

Ellie headed down the hall still trying to get a hold of her brother when she looked up to see Sarah. "Am I glad to see you." She grabbed Sarah's arm and slipped into a small waiting room. "I have been trying to get a hold of Chuck, have you seen him?"

"No, not since this morning. Why?" Then Sarah noticed the viles. "Why do you have our viles?"

"I took them because there was a man looking around the lab and when I came into the lab, I saw that it was your samples that I assume he was looking for. Why are you here?"

"Dr. Foster's office called and told me that they were able to put a rush on the results so she asked if we would come in to see her, but I haven't been able to get a hold of Chuck."

Sarah started to worry. She looked at Ellie. "You said that a man was snooping around." "Yeah."

Ellie walked out of the waiting room down as Sarah followed her to the security office. Ellie showed her badge and asked to have the video from the west wing brought up. The guard brought up the feed and Sarah watched intently as the stranger came into view. Ellie watched then pointed to the man. "That's him."

Sarah's heart stopped. She had never been one to be absolutely scared of another human being with all the things she had seen and done as a spy. But seeing him, a man that she assumed was dead, a man that drugged her, lied to her and the worst of it might be the father of her unborn child. Sarah had to sit down. Ellie turned around to sit down beside her. "Who is he?"

Sarah never answered. She just brought her hands to her face. The shock alone jolted her whole being and her thoughts went directly to why she hadn't heard from Chuck. Sarah feared that he had found Chuck and done something to him and found out somehow that is why he had come to the hospital. Sarah got up. "I have to go and find Chuck."

"What about the results?"

Sarah knew she had to find out, first, but she also worried about where Chuck was. Ellie quickly opened the secure file and brought up Sarah's and Chuck's results. Ellie scanned the page then looked at Sarah. Her smile was all she needed. "Chuck is 99.99% the father. Sarah hugged Ellie then headed to the door. "I have to go find Chuck."

Ellie walked into the hallway. "Is Chuck in danger?"

Sarah ran to the elevator. "Yes." As Sarah grabbed her cell.

Castle

Chuck headed upstairs and headed through the Buy More just to cut out some time. He heard Sarah's ringtone but chose to ignore it as he had to go look for Shaw. The child's parentage was now on his mind and whether it could be his. Like Casey said, 'They had to hope that he was.'

Chuck rounded the stairs and entered the staff lounge like he had done many times before. He slid the lockers open and slipped through closing them like he had done as well. As he turned, he saw his face and then felt his fist smash across his face. Shaw pulled Chuck's body into a chair and waited till Chuck opened his eyes. Shaw remembered that Chuck had not flashed for some time and from what he got after he hit him, he figured that he was right. Chuck leaned back and tried to move but found his wrists taped to the chair. Chuck looked up at his worst enemy. "Welcome back. I hope that I didn't hurt you, well I'm not. What you got is a far cry from what you did to me."

"How?"

"I started asking that same question weeks ago but came to the conclusion that the best don't die."

Chuck didn't like hearing what he was hearing.

"Chuck what you did to me was awake up call and when I was strong enough, I came back here to tie up some loose ends. Starting with you. I wanted to start with Sarah as I enjoyed watching her come and go and it brought back so many fond memories of her and I, but I wasn't prepared to see you come out of her place this morning so early. So how is she? I am surprised that you would want to have her after I had her first." Chuck rocked in his chair.

Shaw walked closer then threw another punch. "Boo yah! That felt good." Chuck could hear his flesh scream then when Shaw threw a punch into his mid-section. All the air was sucked out, forcing Chuck to gasp. He leaned forward working his chair. He slid his fingers under the seat and found that the seat was cracked. Chuck moved his wrist to stretch the Buy More packaging tape. Moving his wrist back and forth just enough to break the tape but not to alert Shaw of his attempt to break loose. "So, I was at Westside Medical earlier as I was told that Sarah is pregnant. I had to find out for myself. Once this child is born Sarah will never see it again."

"How do you know that it is yours?"

Shaw looked at Chuck. "I don't think that is an option. I was with her first."

Chuck had some consolation that he knew how far along Sarah was but there still was a slight possibility that this animal might be the baby's father. Chuck looked at Shaw. "And you know for sure that you are the father."

"I am." Shaw turned to give Chuck another punch, but Chuck stood up grabbing Shaw's fist in his palm. Even though Chuck had not flashed in some time he had learned to compensate and had picked up a few moves of his own. Shaw looked at Chuck shocked with disbelief, not that he had gotten himself free but that he had stopped his hand from doing some more damage. Chuck pushed Shaw's fist back forcing him to step back and stumble slightly. Chuck charged Shaw by leading with his shoulder and giving a tackle that threw them both over the table and crashing to the floor. Chuck followed with a few punches of his own forcing Shaw to jab him in the throat. Chuck fell back as Shaw got up and ran out the door. Chuck struggled to get back onto his feet but staggered out the door after Shaw. Shaw made his way into the main part of Buy More where Chuck tackled him again. They wrestled tugging and pulling and getting in as many jabs as they could. Shaw grabbed Chuck as he got to feet, throwing him into a shelf of kitchen appliances. Chuck stared up at the ceiling.

Sarah sped through the streets deciding to go to Castle. If Shaw wanted revenge, he would go there first. Sarah ran down into Castle and found the place empty. She scanned Castle just to make sure that Chuck wasn't lying somewhere. She then scanned the Buy More. Not sure why, but she had a feeling and when her feeling was confirmed she gasped as what she was seeing. Shaw tossing Chuck around like a sack of potatoes. She grabbed a gun from the armory and headed up the back stairs that led to the entertainment room. At least she could sneak in there and not be seen. She left the screen open hearing all the crashing and breaking of the Buy More as she ran down the hall.

Chuck still wasn't flashing, and he hoped that he could, just to show Shaw that his emotions were not a factor anymore. Chuck looked at Shaw with blurry eyes as he struggled to flash. Only getting short glitches of images but not enough to make a difference. Sarah lifted the trap door slightly to get a look at what she was heading into. She stepped out and slipped out of the door. She saw Chuck lying on the floor and was about to go to him when she felt something poking her into her back. Sarah raised her hands as Shaw took her gun.

Shaw walked past her, seductively with a lot of creepiness. Sarah heard him inhale. "You smell amazing. It must be the pheromones. Isn't it amazing how you can tell that a woman is pregnant just by her smell? And to have this baby to be mine. I tried to see the tests but Chuck noisy sister kiboshed that. But who cares? We can stay in my penthouse in DC and raise this kid." Sarah pushed his hand away as he tried to caress her face. Sarah ran towards Chuck. "How are you alive?" Sarah ran past Shaw then knelt down beside Chuck. "Wake up. Chuck wake up. Help me finish this. Shaw's not the father, you are, and this baby needs their father." Sarah looked up at Shaw. "What did you do to him?"

"The man isn't flashing, and he can't take a punch. Just like I predicted." "Chuck wake up, come back to me."

Just then Shaw grabbed Sarah by her hair and dragged her away from Chuck. Hitting her face, her body turned away from Chucks. When he saw Sarah fall back, he was finally able to flash. He rolled over and got up off the floor. Shaw looked over to where Chuck was now standing. "Don't you ever stay down?"

Chuck looked at Sarah as she sat holding her face. He winked at her and smiled making Sarah's heart flutter. 'He heard me'. She said to herself. Chuck looked at Shaw. "Time to finish this!" With no fanfare Chuck put his best foot forward and now that he could flash and Shaw not knowing that he could – it might work out for him. Chuck let Shaw take the first punch making him think that he was in control. But as fast as Shaw's punch had hit Chuck, Chuck threw a powerful punch making Shaw tremble. Chuck was finally flashing after months of failing to do so. With all the anger, hate and all the belittling he took from Shaw. And on top of it how he faked his friendship just to break up the team. The worst is how he stole all the first with Sarah. Every punch from then on was validation that he had no more control over Chuck, Sarah, the team or the baby. Cause the child was his. Chuck continued to out punch Shaw not letting him get any punches in.

Shaw was desperate and grabbed a broken piece of shelving and swung hitting Chuck. Shaw went for the gun in his ankle holster. He aimed it at Chuck and was about to put an end to Chuck. Shaw yelled at Chuck. "Chuck!"

He watched as Shaw aimed his gun ready to pull the trigger. Shaw was about to pull the trigger when he clutched his own chest. He jerked forward as his gun fell to the floor. Shaw fell to his knees as the gun hit the floor. Chuck looked up to see Casey standing behind him with his gun raised. Casey kicked Shaw's gun away. Sarah ran to Chuck helping him up. "Ellie told me that a man came by looking into our blood tests and when I saw who it was, I came here."

"Yeah, he told me that he was at the hospital and that he was so sure that he was the father."

Sarah looked at him. "No Ellie showed me the results."

"But they weren't supposed to be done yet?" Chuck looking at Sarah.

"I guess she put a rush on them."

"But how did he know that you were pregnant?"

"He had to have someone following us."

"He said that he was watching you."

Sarah brought Chuck into a warm embrace. Chuck leaned back placing his hands over her stomach. "So, he doesn't know that." Chuck started to fall. "Casey!" Sarah cried out.

Casey ran over and dragged Chuck over to a chair making him sit down. "You need to go to a hospital."

"And say what? That a man that I had shot and killed months ago was resurrected from hell and now he came back to get revenge, and did this to me?"

Chuck got up. "I'm done."

Casey looked to his left as he saw death rise. Shaw looked at the three. "It's not over!"

Casey raised his gun again. "Yes, it is!" As the bullet flew it hit Shaw in the exact same spot that Chuck had shot him months ago.

Sarah tended to Chuck then the three looked at Shaw's dead body lying in his own pool of blood. "I'll take care of this; you get Chuck checked out." Casey left and returned with a coroner bag, grabbing some gloves and putting the lifeless body into it then carrying it away. Chuck looked at Sarah. "What do we tell the CIA now? As far as the CIA is concerned, he was dead months ago." Sarah looked at Chuck as he tried to stand up. She saw the fear in his eyes, and she had to change that. She grabbed his face and repeated what she had said earlier to him. "The baby is yours, ours. That is where I was, I got a call that the results were in earlier than she thought and when I went to get them, Ellie told me that Shaw had been lingering around and tying to get a hold of the results. She took them and kept them safe till I got there. When she showed me the security feed, I had to find you."

"I saw him staring up at your hotel room and when I followed him, I lost him, and Casey and I have been looking for him and found him here. He must have left the hospital when he didn't get anywhere."

He looked at Sarah and slid his hands over her stomach and rested them there. Chuck was so happy to finally say. "It's mine?"

Sarah nodded as a tear rolled down her cheek. They shared a moment. Sarah feared the thought that Shaw was alive and that he could have been the father, freaked her out. She just got Chuck back. Chuck leaned against the counter in Castle as Sarah grabbed the first aid kit. He grabbed her hand as she struggled with opening the box. "I'm sorry that I didn't come to you right away. I had to be sure, sure that I wasn't seeing things. Sarah shuddered at the thought that he had been watching her and for how long.

A month later

Chuck was happy to move on and having Sarah out of her hotel, they could finally be together as they awaited the arrival of their precious little one. They lucked out on getting an apartment in the same complex Chuck had lived in, but they found one nearby and all that Casey had to do was jump a fence and he was there if there was an emergency. Sarah threw down her last box, well it was her only box as she didn't have much of anything to call her own. Living a life as a spy she didn't really have time to lay down any roots but the last three years, Chuck showed her how to do that.

Chuck closed the door as Sarah heard him say goodbye to Morgan. Morgan was tickled pink to be an uncle and by the looks of the variety of stuff animals, this kid would have enough toys to play with for a lifetime. Chuck walked up to Sarah as she was in her own thoughts. He slid his arms around her front and pressed his body close to hers. Sarah leaned back resting the back of her head on his chest.

Sarah inhaled. "Do I smell Spyro?"

Chuck kissed her cheek. "Only the best, for my girl."

Sarah turned around and kissed Chuck. The kiss was sweet and special. It was just the right amount of everything. Chuck kissed her back then looked at her. "You, okay?"

Sarah stepped back and looked around the room. "I know that this is all new and you're not one to lay down roots but…"

Sarah looked at him, as she placed her hands on her stomach. "It's not about me anymore, nor is it about you. We were just two people trying to deny our feelings for each other and look where it got us."

"Sarah, you don't have to explain."

"I do." Chuck smiled slightly then sat down next to the pizza box. "I was trained not to have feelings or at least not to let anyone know that. But when I met you and saw what we had under the undercover thing, I thought that maybe it could work. I could love you, protect you and you could love me back, and to be honest protect me as well. But we know how it turned out, but I never stopped loving you, you need to know that."

"I do."

"I was so happy that the test was positive and that you are the father, but I have never been so scared at the same time. I have been in dangerous situations many times before, with the faintest feeling of fear. But having a child, having your child it scared me but in a good way till the thought popped into my head that it could all be different because I was with Shaw."

Chuck stood up and placed his hand again on her stomach. "This baby was meant to be, it has come at the exact time for the right reasons. To tell us that it is time for us to be happy. I would like to date you first but."

Sarah tried to laugh but started to cry.

Chuck looked at her. "No, I'm not sad. You're right. I love you."

"I love you too."

Chuck grabbed the box and made Sarah sit down on the couch and enjoyed the pizza. When they were done, Chuck got up and tossed the box into the recycle bin and came back into the living room and for a brief moment when he did not see Sarah, he got worried. He walked down the hall to their room and saw her waiting for him. "Come here." Sarah whispered.

Chuck walked in and fell into her arms. He held her close, then embraced her lips with his. They had not been together since the morning that their lives changed. Sarah knew that Chuck was giving her time but, in a way, she was giving him time to. As she kissed him and held him close feeling his body touching hers and their reactions, they were receiving from each other. She knew that nothing could destroy what they had and were going to have once this baby arrived.

Sarah broke their embrace and walked Chuck to their bed, in their own room, in their own place and made love to him. And every night after that and every morning she vowed to make sure that he knew that she was his.

Chuck turned to face Sarah holding a very small person. He watched them weigh her, measure her and take ink prints of her little feet. Her cries were like angels singing. He leaned down as he gave Sarah their little miracle. He kissed her forehead then her lips as he watched the love of his life and his child instantly bond. Chuck fingered brushed Sarah's loose hairs back over her ears as Sarah looked at those little eyes. "I guess we need to give her a name?"

Sarah looked at Chuck then back at their baby girl.

Chuck slid in beside her as he wrapped his arm around Sarah and held his baby girl's little fingers in his. The room emptied, leaving the three as they sat in quiet. Sarah looked at Chuck as he leaned in to kiss her. " A name?"

"Yeah, or she will be called Bartowski Walker."

"Bartowski Walker why not Walker Bartowski?"

Chuck smiled. "So, what name do you want to give this little one?"

Sarah looked at the face of their precious one. "She needs a name that when she asks why, we will have a great story to tell her. A name that she will appreciate and cherish."

"What about any of your alias's?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, it has to be just right."

"Charlie?"

"Maybe?"

Sarah leaned down and kissed her baby.

Chuck woke up as Sarah was still sleeping holding their child. He slid off the bed and walked over to the other side and carefully took the baby out of her hold. He covered her up and sat down next to the bed. He held his baby girl close to his face and placed kisses but stopped when she started to fuss. Chuck whispered in her ear. "You need a name."

Chuck looked at Sarah then back down at the baby and had a possible name.

Later that night

The nurses made Sarah shower and feed the baby again as Chuck returned with food, watching her latch onto Sarah's breast. Chuck placed the food down and walked over giving Sarah a kiss then his baby. He smiled as she snorted and cooed as she was being fed. Chuck sat down. "I think that I might have a name for her, well two names."

Sarah switched breasts then looked at Chuck. Chuck sat on the edge of his chair. "What do you think about Alex Samantha Walker Bartowski?

Sarah lowered her eyes. Chuck slid his chair closer. "I know that hearing you tell him your real name hurt me, but I think she needs to know how Sam has always been with you, even with all the other names that you have had. Sam will always be who you truly are, what is real, and Alex is one name that when she asks why, we can say that it was the name of a very important person who never gave up on us, even when we did, a few times. She can be called Alex or Sam or Alsama if she wants to."

Sarah reached her hand out as Chuck grabbed it. She slid her fingers into his as Chuck stood up. "Alex Samantha."

"Alex Samantha Walker Bartowski, don't forget that."

Chuck kissed the top of her head. He looked at her.

"Well?"

Sarah looked up. "Chuck, meet your daughter Alex Samantha."