CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
And when all's been said and done
It's the things that are
Given, not won
Are the things that you earned
"See the World"
Gomez
August 12, 2012
Carmichael Industries, Burbank, California
"Carrot sticks and celery ok?" Morgan asked as he brought a small tray of vegetables to the table where Sarah was adjusting the chair to fit her form. "That's all that's in the fridge. Alex hasn't had a chance to shop—"
"Thanks, Morgan," Sarah said hurriedly, grabbing a small handful of carrots from the tray before she even sat down. "I'm starving," she added, slightly muffled as she had already started chewing.
"Didn't we just have lunch like an hour ago," Morgan was mumbling to himself, right before Chuck made eye contact with him, slashing his finger across his throat with his eyes wide and his forehead creased, a prominent cease and desist plea.
Morgan turned a negative head shake into a nod, rubbing the back of his neck as he hid his face in embarrassment.
Chuck pulled another chair over towards Sarah, lifting her legs and placing them on the seat of the chair. He missed her slightly annoyed face, and her mouthful of carrots prohibited a normal retort. "Chuck," she started after she had swallowed enough food to talk. "Please. I'm pregnant, not injured."
"Your ankles are swollen from being on your feet all day yesterday shopping with Ellie," he said defensively, smiling diplomatically. "Enjoy it while it lasts. Only one more month of me waiting on you hand and foot," he said sweetly, reaching down and stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers.
She feigned irritation, but he could see through it easily. Sarah was incredibly independent, much more than his sister, and he had remembered well how over the top Devon had been while Ellie was pregnant. Chuck found himself walking a thin line between doting and leaving her to her own devices.
Truth be told, Sarah found herself frequently exhausted, more so than she remembered being at any time in the past. Chuck had always paid close attention to her—what she needed, how she was feeling, never more so now that they were back in their old lives again. It made her feel loved, knowing he paid more attention to her ankles and her fatigue than she did herself.
Chuck's attention was diverted from his wife as the monitor on the wall in the office trilled for attention.
"Good morning, General," Chuck called as she appeared on the monitor after he'd clicked it on.
"My goodness, the gang's all there, it looks like," Beckman called, seeing Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Casey. "Seeing everyone is in attendance, I can make this more comprehensive than originally planned. First and foremost, the Congressional hearing concerning the Intersect occurred on July 30, 2012. Chuck, your sister's evidence was conclusive proof. The DNI has officially abandoned any and all research into the Intersect, considering Charles Irving Bartowski the only possible human Intersect. Without the last known download, there are no more human Intersects. The last two defective remnants of the corrupted Intersect files were removed from both Morgan Grimes and Hartley Winterbottom on July 29, 2012." She cleared her throat, fully aware all the people in the room knew the truth, but also knowing she would never betray Chuck's truth out loud to anyone.
Chuck stayed quiet, feeling the weight lift inside as he could accept the fact that after five years the Intersect craziness was finally over. He watched Beckman twist, noticing the slight difference to her uniform. "General, is that another star on your shoulder?" Chuck asked with amused amazement.
Behind Beckman in the screen shot, a tall man with white hair in a suit stepped into the view of the camera. "Yes, Charles, you are looking at Major General Diane Beckman," Roan said with a dry chuckle.
"Congrats, General," Chuck said with a wide smile, the questions concerning Roan Montgomery's presence left unasked.
Beckman smoothed out her bangs with a few fingers, a crooked grin on her otherwise stern face. "I wanted to retire, after all that. Spying again sure made me feel my age. But I couldn't refuse the offer they made me to stay. I am not the head of the NSA any longer. I am in charge of the counter cyber terrorism division." She smiled, a genuine smile, that seemed out of place on her face. "What can I say? I missed my old team."
Chuck looked quickly at his wife, who sat beside him with both feet propped up on the other chair. The smile on his face fell, and he looked back at her. "Uh, General, about that. I appreciate your...faith...in Carmichael Industries. But as you can see," he said, gesturing to his very pregnant wife, "we're going to be parents (his eyes widened as if saying the word freaked him out) soon, and, I think, considering the fact that I was threatened by bad state actors and such, that perhaps the mission statement of Carmichael Industries might need to change-"
"Mr. Bartowski," Beckman said sharply, interrupting his diatribe. "What are you talking about?"
"Chuck, don't you think maybe we should, um, you know...discuss the situation-" Sarah said, pulling on his arm from her seated position, very slight irritation evident due to his proclamation that he had not discussed with her yet.
Chuck chose to answer Beckman's question, even as he glanced down at Sarah. "North Korea. You know, the whole reason...for the...surveillance…" He just stopped talking, watching as Beckman's face stayed perfectly still, slight irritation evident.
"Mr. Bartowski," she said again, annoyed. "Listen carefully to this. Do you actually believe that the, oh, I don't know, top...five...cyber terrorists in North Korea...combined...are any match for you?"
Chuck stared, unspeaking. "I'm sorry, General...what…" He turned his head, regarding her out of the corner of his eye. "General," he said, a twitching smile on his face. "There was no credible threat from North Korea, was there?" He looked at Sarah quickly, who was looking at him in confusion.
Speaking out loud, but to herself, Sarah muttered, "She was waiting for me to call you. She knew…"
Beckman's straight face was compromised by the slightest twitch of her mouth. "That information is classified, Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski."
Chuck locked eyes with his wife, seeing her soft smile and misty eyes. The closer she got to delivering, the more emotional she seemed to be over everything, but he knew, specifically now, why she looked the way she did. He could hear Casey behind him, a soft breathy huff inside his mouth, as well as Morgan, chuckling under his breath. He put his hand on top of Sarah's head, making an enormous effort to stay level and unemotional.
"That being said, Mr. Bartowski, Carmichael Industries has a permanent contract with the NSA in my new unit, provided you accept. And hire more staff. We have a backlog we think you and your team can get started on ASAP. You and your family would not be in any danger, Chuck. On that you have my word," she promised. "I have issued on my authority an advance payment for work to begin at once."
"General, are you serious?" he asked, when he found his voice. "That's a rather odd amount, don't you think?" he added quickly, mumbling to himself after he saw the amount as it flashed on the screen. Five hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars.
"Does she look like she's kidding, Charles?" Roan asked him, stooping to keep his head in the shot.
"Chuck, we can do this," Sarah said, laughing even as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "This is exactly what we were planning. Before everything went wrong. You can get it off the ground, you know, so we have time after the baby comes. Chuck," she said again, a cry of emotion that resonated inside him. He raised his eyebrows, in silent communication with Sarah, as she nodded her head vigorously.
"Looks like we have a deal," Chuck said, beaming with a wide smile. "Oh, and, uh, thank you. For everything."
Ignoring his outburst, Beckman continued. "Jane Bentley has been promoted to head the CIA in Clyde Decker's old role. She'll be working closely with the NSA now that there is no Intersect. Potentially concerning matters of cyber terrorism. Just so you are aware."
Chuck watched as Roan put his hand on Beckman's shoulder, amazed at the warm emotion he saw on her face before she was stoic again. "Colonel Casey," Beckman called. "The NSA also has a promotion in mind for you as well. The NSA needs a new director, Colonel."
Chuck started laughing, almost whooping, excited at the idea of Casey's promotion to Beckman's old position until he heard Casey interrupt her. "I appreciate the offer, General, I do. But I think I need to stay in Burbank, at least for the near future. My daughter's getting married, as soon as Grimes gets the stones to ask her. I have a part-time gig with Verbanski Corp."
Chuck spun quickly, seeing Morgan looking like he was choking, although on nothing. Morgan opened his mouth like he was trying to say something, but no words came out. He coughed several times, giving Chuck a thumbs up even as he continued coughing.
"Colonel, or should I say General Casey," Beckman interjected. "There's a bit of a...gap...in leadership in the DNI, currently. While we are in the process of...restructuring, shall we say, there's plenty of...leeway...for you to work from Burbank for the time being. We need your leadership, Casey," she implored forcefully.
He growled, then grunted, nodded crisply and turned away. "I'd take that as a yes," Chuck whispered to Sarah.
"General Casey?" Beckman called, feeling his nonverbal responses were insufficient.
He turned, standing straighter, remembering whom he was addressing. "Thank you, General. I accept the position. I appreciate your faith in me, ma'am."
"Casey's our new boss," Chuck smiled, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet with his hands in his pocket.
"Uh, Mr. Bartowski, you and your team still report to me," Beckman clarified. "General Casey's role is much broader. Though we will all be working together."
Chuck tilted his head back to see Casey, smiling broadly even as Casey growled at his unfettered glee.
"As your first task as NSA head, may I suggest looping in Verbanski Corp with Carmichael Industries? If Carmichael Industries is covering the cyber terrorism threat, you will need a more militant presence for covert operations that could arise as missions present themselves," Beckman said pedantically. "As they are also in Los Angeles as well, it should work nicely."
"Wow, Casey, that sounds like a dream come true. I mean, you know, your dream, but still...that's awesome," Chuck beamed.
"Enough, Bartowski," Casey grumbled. "You were right before. I like Burbank. A little," he added, showing them a gesture with his index finger and thumb pressed close together.
Laughing, Chuck wrapped his arm around Sarah's shoulders affectionately.
"There is also the matter of Alexei and Vivian Volkoff," Beckman announced. "During the hearing, they were both pardoned, as well as Corrine MacArthur. The committee determined the actions of Alexei Volkoff were the direct result of tampering by a double agent. Testimony provided by your mother as well as your wife, the victim of said charges, was taken into account in terms of Vivian's status. The Winterbottom family sends their regards from England."
Chuck breathed a sigh of relief, knowing in that moment what his father had struggled all his life to repair was finally fixed. He closed his eyes, allowing the partial flash to take hold as he heard his father's voice in his head, stronger than just a memory or his imagination. You did it, Charles.
Sarah saw his face when he opened his eyes, sensing his thoughts and the emotion accompanying them. Ever since Stephen had died, Sarah had known of the giant hole inside Chuck that had never quite healed. She felt the warmth rise inside her now, sure that pain in him was at last gone, transformed into a unique connection he now experienced instead.
Mistaking Chuck's wistful happiness for momentary love sickness, Roan interjected, "Charles, just for the record, did you ever tell Agent Walker that it was me who figured it out first? That you were in love with her?"
"He did?" Sarah asked, shocked, remembering just how long ago that first mission with Roan had actually been. Chuck laughed out loud, although Sarah knew part of it was just embarrassment.
"Said you were worth dying for," Roan beamed. He turned his head, dangerously close to Beckman's cheek.
"He did?" Sarah asked again, looking back up to Chuck, noting how this time, Chuck didn't turn his head to look at her, his face burning instead.
"Although, isn't it much nicer when they live for you?" he said sweetly. "Agent Walker, the man jumped off the roof of a building with a plastic banner wrapped around his waist for you. Definitely worth dying for," Roan repeated, then quickly pecked Beckman's cheek, pulling away before she swatted at him.
Sarah smiled, reaching for her husband's hand and squeezing it. Beckman shoved Roan out of view of the camera, in a way Chuck would only have called playful.
"Are we all set, General? Because now I have to start looking for more help-"
"Uh, just one more thing, Mr. Bartowski." She pulled a piece of paper from her desktop, pulling her glasses down her nose to read. "I had this come across my desk from the Judge Advocate General's office a few weeks ago, but I was holding off, as you had bigger fish to fry, so to speak. It's concerning private property on Warner Boulevard in Burbank, California." Chuck and Sarah looked at each other, mouths hanging open. Beckman continued. "The owners of said residence, a Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Coffey, sued their real estate agent, a Miss Kimberly Peterson, as well as her brokerage firm, Taylor-Osgood Realty, for damages incurred during a house showing in January. Vandalism to a door frame, a broken wall mirror, broken banister slats, three bullet holes in the back door frame, as well as a broken front door lock, and a biologic waste clean up for multiple blood stains on the hardwood floors...ahem," she looked up, over the top of her glasses, one eyebrow higher than the other. "Which in turn cost them an accepted offer from a buyer on January 28, 2012. The brokerage firm in question then petitioned to sue the Federal Government, once the police report became available."
Sarah put her hand over her mouth, just the mention of the incident in the house still upsetting. "General, as I'm sure you surmise from the date of the complaint, that was...uh...maybe my fault, although, under the circumstances, as you know, I mean, as you were made aware-" Chuck stuttered, his voice becoming progressively lower.
"The vandalism was my fault, General," Sarah called over Chuck's last few unintelligible syllables.
"Noted, Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski," Beckman said, in a much gentler manner than Chuck or Sarah had expected her to reply. She continued, "The government settled with Miss Peterson and the brokerage firm. And now the government is looking to divest. Cheaply," Beckman finished.
Chuck watched as the numbers flashed across the bottom of the screen. To the penny, it was the amount of the advance from the NSA. Five hundred and thirty-seven thousand dollars. Chuck blinked hard, rolling his eyes to disguise the tears that had begun accumulating on the rims of his eyelids. When he turned to look at Sarah, both hands pressed over her mouth as tears streamed from her eyes, he couldn't keep the tears from overflowing. He put his arm around Sarah and held her against the side of his body.
"Chuck, I can't believe it. That house has been for sale for almost a year…" Sarah said in awe.
"Buyer's market, you know," Morgan called, a goofy grin on his face as he realized he was witnessing an uncharacteristically kind gesture on Beckman's part.
Casey and Morgan moved away as Chuck bent down on his haunches, eye level with Sarah. "You do still want that, Sarah? All of it?" he asked her sincerely.
She nodded vigorously again, reaching for Chuck to hug him. "So long as we wait until after the baby's born to get the dog," she said with a smile. Chuck grabbed her, pulling her against him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, General," Chuck managed to say, towards the screen, over the top of Sarah's head.
"You're welcome," Beckman said sincerely. "Just invite me to the baby shower, hmm?" she added, then clicked off the connection.
August 24, 2012
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
"So when do you close on the new house?" Ellie asked Sarah as she sat on the sofa next to her in her apartment's living room.
"Two weeks. They can close pretty fast when you pay cash," Sarah smiled. She sipped her tea then asked Ellie, "What about you guys?"
"I think General Beckman had a hand in it too, to be honest, but the day before she met with you all, we got an offer. We close right around the time the baby is due. We just started looking out here for a house. Not too close to you, but close enough," Ellie laughed. Sarah sighed, knowing Chuck would be happiest with his sister nearby.
Sarah surveyed the room and its occupants as they mingled around a table covered with trays of finger food and snacks. Her mother and young sister, Chuck's mother, Alex, Ellie's mother-in-law Honey Woodcomb, Sarah's friends Carina and Zondra, and Morgan Grimes' mother Bolognia we're all present. It wasn't a large gathering, but cozy and comfortable. Everyone in the room cared about her and her baby. It was a situation she had never contemplated being possible before. It was a pleasant surprise.
"John's girlfriend didn't come, huh?" Ellie asked conversationally.
Sarah laughed hard at that. "Gertrude's not ready for a baby shower, trust me. She sent us a gift, though," Sarah told her.
"What about General Beckman?" Ellie asked, her eyes wide. "She really asked to be invited?"
"I think it was for something specific," Sarah mentioned. "She doesn't strike me as eager to play baby gift bingo."
Ellie laughed. Outside at a small table, she heard laughter drifting in through the open window. The men all sat together—Chuck, Morgan, Devon, Devon's Dad Woody, and Morgan's step-father, aka Big Mike. John Casey had un-respectfully declined, with a single grunt of disgust.
"So, tell me, did my brother really hire Skip Johnson to work for Carmichael Industries?" Ellie asked her, conspiratorial in tone, as if she were sharing gossip.
Sarah laughed, grabbing Ellie's arm for emphasis. "Not just him. Jeff and Lester, and that other Nerd Herd guy with the glasses...I can't remember his name," she said slowly.
"Jeffster?" Ellie almost shouted in disbelief. She covered her face with a hand. Mumbling to herself, she said, "I will never get away from those two. Never." Looking back up at Sarah, she asked louder, "Aren't they making millions of dollars touring the world...singing cover songs or whatever?"
"Per diem. I guess they do international tours, but when they're in the U.S. they have a lot of free time," Sarah said in between sips. "They did kind of save the day, more than once, even with that last ordeal. I know it sounds weird, but Chuck could do worse…" She smiled again, shrugging her shoulders. "They are to start at least, you know, and all ready to go so Chuck can take a few months off to be home with me."
Ellie noted some trepidation in Sarah's voice, wondering about the source. "Sarah, is everything ok? You sound worried."
Sarah's cheeks tinted slightly pink. "I don't know, Ellie, I'm just a little freaked out, you know? All that baby stuff. I don't know what to do with half of it. I never baby-sat or anything. I didn't even play with dolls. I grew up without my Mom." Sarah looked up, seeing empathy in Ellie's eyes like she had never seen it before.
"I know how you feel, Sarah," Ellie said, looking over both shoulders to make sure her mother wasn't in ear shot. "The only mothering I learned from my mother was what not to do. I did my best with Chuck, but it wasn't like having a baby. You shouldn't worry, Sarah. I would always hear other moms talking, saying how you just know things that you didn't think were possible. The difference between the sounds of Clara crying-I learned her sounds for hungry, tired, sick...The gibberish that came out of her mouth when she started talking that I understood like I was an interpreter. I amazed myself. But you love them, so much it hurts. Everything is easy after that, even after three days straight with no sleep."
Instantly feeling better, Sarah smiled again. Ellie added softly, "And you have us. My mom, your mom, me...old pros who can help you. Everything will be fine, I promise."
Sarah jumped at the sound of the doorbell, unexpected in the middle of the party. Ellie got up to answer the door. When she opened it, she saw General Beckman, in civilian clothing, something Ellie and Sarah both had never seen before. Behind Beckman were Corrine and Vivian Winterbottom, with Chuck entering to stand behind the group, having been summoned via a beckoning hand, from the table on the patio outside the door.
"Hello all," Beckman called amicably. "I brought extra guests, I hope you don't mind." Turning back to address Chuck, Beckman said, "Your mother found them rather easily."
"Corrine and Vivian, how nice to see you again," Ellie said with a friendly smile. Sarah struggled to her feet to greet them. Chuck rushed forward past the group and grabbed Sarah's arm to pull her up. He held onto her as everyone around them hugged and kissed hello, as Mary came rushing forward to join the group. Beckman stepped away from the group, calling Chuck and Sarah together off to the side.
Beckman took a white envelope out of the inside pocket of her jacket and held it out for Chuck.
"What's this, General?" Chuck asked with a quizzical laugh.
"Just open it," Beckman said impatiently.
His eyes shifting back and forth between the envelope and Beckman's face, Chuck turned it over and undid the flap. He stared, agog, at the check that he pulled out. "Forty...forty...forty six million dollars?" Chuck stuttered, realizing after the words were out that he had been unnecessarily loud. He heard Sarah nearly shriek as she saw it too.
"That's the original amount of your deposit into Roger Bale's account, plus nine months interest. Decker froze your assets illegally, and then it was tied up in red tape until we could prove the deposit was made legally in conjunction with your mission. But it's yours. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you," she finished quietly.
Chuck put his arm around Sarah, completely at a loss for words.
"Maybe that will help you to get some more people hired than those Buy More imbeciles," Beckman said, clearing her throat and adding, "and yes, I know, those imbeciles saved our asses."
Chuck shook his head as if coming out of a stupor, and looked up at Vivian. "Hey, Vivian," he said, motioning her over to him with his fingers folding into his left palm. "This may seem out of the blue, you know, but do you have any career aspirations, you know, on the horizon?"
She chuckled wryly. "Before your mother called, Charles, my father and I had just finished traveling all over Europe for almost a year. But, no, as a matter of fact, I still don't know exactly what to do with the rest of my life."
"Vivian, you speak, what, five languages? You studied economics and international commerce, among other things…" She had nodded all along as he spoke. "My business is in the process of rapidly expanding and I need, well, a manager. I'm the CEO, Sarah's my partner, Morgan Grimes is my office manager and his girlfriend Alex McHugh is my assistant. I just hired four more employees. We need like, I don't know, ten more plus liaisons to deal with the CIA and…"
"Vivian," Sarah cut in, sensing how awkwardly nervous Chuck seemed, "what Chuck is trying to say is, will you be the Operations Manager for Carmichael Industries?"
"Me?" she asked, putting her hands against her chest. "Charles, your company deals with computer terrorists. I don't know anything-"
"But you have the knowledge background that we need. Maybe your mother would be interested in working as an advisor, you know, until you learn the ropes?" Sarah coaxed.
"Of course. And your Dad has enough weapons development knowledge I'm sure the NSA and or CIA could use him as a company scientist. That way you can all stay in California, you know, stay together," Chuck said, a goofy smile on his face that Sarah found charming and sweet. "Thank you, Babe," he grumbled under his breath to Sarah.
"I'm sure Morgan can get everything arranged. Let me give you our card, and I'll let Chuck's assistant get back in touch with you," Sarah said, reaching to the table for her purse.
Sarah on her feet seemed to act as a magnet for the others to mingle their way over to her. Just as she was turning away from Vivian, Carina and Zondra were in front of her. Chuck moved Vivian away, as Sarah heard him mumbling to General Beckman about lemon squares.
"Sarah Walker...or Sarah Bartowski, that's your official name now?" Carina asked with a sharp smile.
"Sarah Bartowski, yes, Carina," Sarah said with a smile.
"I just wanted to say thank you, for giving us the chance to cross one more thing off our bucket list," Carina teased her. "First a real bridesmaid, now a real baby shower. If someone had told me seven years ago I would be here I would have pinned them to the wall with a knife." Sarah looked around quickly, making sure Carina hadn't spoken too loudly, although all of the people in attendance with the exception of her five year old sister knew the background story.
"It's not so bad, Carina. You should try it," Sarah laughed.
Zondra cut in on Carina's mock outrage. "You don't miss that life at all? So you're really perfectly happy, running that company with the super nerd?"
Sarah looked across the room, seeing Chuck at the dessert table. He was chatting away to General Beckman, explaining what the food items on the table were, she surmised by his pointed fingers and her slightly impatient stance. Morgan was in the process of leading the group of men towards the same table. Chuck laughed, catching Sarah's eye across the room. After all the time that had passed, everything that had transpired and everything that was yet to come, the look in his eye still made her heart skip a beat and her knees feel weak for a moment.
"Perfectly," Sarah told Zondra, never taking her eyes off her husband.
September 24, 2012
Westside Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
As Sarah held her son in her arms, she adjusted the tiny blue hat that seemed enormous on him, though the hat itself seemed so small it was almost comical. His tiny little hands kept breaking through the cotton blanket swaddled loosely around him. Stephen's little face was pink, robust and healthy, and he slept comfortably in his mother's arms, after the eventful evening he had created while making his entrance into the world. Mesmerized, she watched his tiny chest rise and fall, his tiny lips twitch, his hands jerk ever so slightly. Never in her life had she experienced love at first sight, but she knew now what everyone had said to her before had been true.
The only thing that broke her attention was the sudden coolness she felt at her hairline, Chuck's wedding ring against her skin as he brushed back the messy hair off of her forehead. He sat beside her, wedged onto the hospital bed, half of him dangling over the edge. His arm was around her shoulder, as he looked at his son, asleep in his wife's arms. He had the sensation of unreality, having waited for this for such a long time. His entire world, right here before him, within the wreath of his arms.
"Eventually we're going to have to do something other than just look at him, you know," he said softly. He was exhausted, Sarah could see, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep as well as tears of joy.
"He's like the cutest thing I've ever seen. I could just look at him all day," she said softly, a chuckle in the words.
The nurse in the room with them, a quiet observer who stood off to the side at the counter in Sarah's room, decided to talk then. "I'll tell you. He's the cutest baby in the nursery right now. Normally I keep stuff like that to myself, you know, but the girls were fighting over him. God's honest truth." She had a kind smile and a radiant congeniality that made both Sarah and Chuck very comfortable.
"He looks just like his Dad," Sarah said with a huge smile.
"Oh, they all do at this point. I always thought it was some kinda evolutionary thing. You know, back before they could do tests. Proof, right off the bat. He's gonna have your eyes," she said, talking directly to Sarah. "Those baby blues are so light. Usually the blue is darker when it changes."
Chuck and Sarah exchanged a loving glance. "I can't believe how amazing you were. Although I should have known. I told you a long time ago, I knew you could do anything," he said with a smile, leaning in to kiss her forehead.
Butting in again, the nurse said, "You know I was assigned four moms today. That's my usual. Lordy, I could make a fortune if I figured out a way to clone you, Mr. Bartowski."
"What?" he asked, his face crunching in confusion. Sarah smiled, laughing to herself, knowing what the nurse referred to, but letting her tell him herself.
"You, you know, holding everything together. Having a baby is stressful, as I'm sure you're aware. Sometimes the mom's freaking out, almost always the dad's freaking out. I can't tell you how much of my time is spent calming people down. You had the entire situation in hand. Even, you know, the gross stuff. Mostly," she said with a laugh.
"I'm a...you know, I sort of get a little queasy at the sight of blood," he said uncomfortably. "So much blood," he added, seeming to turn a sickly shade of green at the thought. "How do you have any left?" he asked, looking at Sarah, one corner of his mouth turned up.
"Chuck, you were totally fine, all things considered. I thought you were going to freak out when I started talking about my mucus plug-" Sarah was cut off.
"Uh, Sarah, maybe not all of it right now," he said, his eyes wide and his mouth twisted in a way she found so humorous she laughed, despite the fact that the muscles needed to laugh hurt when she did.
"You didn't pass out. That's all that matters here. You did a very fine job," the nurse said sweetly. She flipped open a chart, started recording something with a pen. "Um, and Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski, just so you know, there's an army in the hallway waiting to get in here. They said they were all your family. You've got a big family," she said, shaking her head.
Emotional already from the entire situation, as well as lack of sleep, Chuck's eyes misted at the notion. "Yeah, yeah, we do," he said with a crooked grin. Chuck and Sarah together had five blood relatives to their name, including everyone. The family waiting in the hall had been built up from the ground, filling in the voids created by the ways they were both brought up.
"Someone got engaged in the hallway, from what I was told right before I came in here," the nurse told them. "Caused quite a scene. We had to tell the group to quiet down a little bit."
Chuck and Sarah exchanged glances. "I think we started a tradition," he whispered to her, as he placed his hand gently on his son's chest. "Who's next when Morgan and Alex are in here?"
"Casey?" Sarah asked with a laugh.
"Ha, ha, no," Chuck said seriously.
"Two at a time, they can come in. But we need to start practicing breastfeeding, so some of them are gonna have to wait. I was told to tell you that both grandmothers called dibs first." Chuck was laughing.
"Who's side is the grunter?" the nurse asked.
Sarah burst out in full laughter, taking a few moments before she could talk. "I'll take him, Chuck," she said softly.
"He's a cutie," the nurse whispered conspiratorially. Then Chuck was laughing hysterically.
"He's...uh...he's taken," he managed to squeeze out between guffaws.
"All the good ones are," she said slowly, making sure he knew she was looking at him when she spoke.
"Chuck, why don't you hold him?" Sarah said, shifting the tiny bundle towards him.
He fidgeted nervously, not sure what to do with his arms or his hands. "Don't freak out, Chuck," Sarah told him. "Just use your good arm," she added softly, knowing he was still not 100% better from the damage the bullets had done to his left shoulder, still in the process of a rigorous physical therapy regimen.
Sarah placed him in the crook of Chuck's arm. Somehow the baby sensed the change, opening his eyes briefly to survey the new scene. Looking at his son's eyes wide open, gazing at his face, stole all his strength to speak, emotion shutting his throat completely. It was many minutes before Chuck could speak at all. "Hey, little man. This is your Daddy," he said, his voice breaking. "It's nice to meet you, finally."
He felt Sarah, leaning over to kiss his cheek. She knew what this moment meant to him, so much more than the nurse could ever understand. This was sealing up a wound he had been living with for almost 15 years. The only way to make it better, in the end, was to do for his son what his father had never done for him, due to tragedy and life's cruel unfairness. But hope bloomed, because he was starting over, knowing he would correct all of it, to the best of his ability. He had gone to hell and back multiple times to make sure none of that followed them beyond this place.
"I feel like I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he mumbled distractedly, directed to both Sarah and the nurse at the same time.
The nurse took the cue, shaking her head. "A word of advice from a mother, rather than a nurse, Mr. Bartowski. Just love him. Everything else takes care of itself." She made a gesture with both hands, encompassing the circle of three in front of her. "I wouldn't worry about anything. Just let those Grandmas in here before they start a ruckus."
Slightly embarrassed by the nurse's words, Chuck bowed his head over his son. He heard in his father's voice all of the things his father had told him, about his son being the best of everything in both Sarah and him. His heart pounded, the emotion swelling to the point he felt his heart would burst.
The nurse opened the door, beckoning in the first two visitors, Mary and Emma. They were squealing, talking over each other and to Sarah, and missed Chuck, whispering to his son, "Aces, Stephen. You're aces."
A/N: All is said and done except an epilogue to follow. Thank you for reading what ended up being a novel.