A/N: Thank you for all the amazing feedback...I continue to be in awe of your support!

Chapter 11 has some adult content, again, nothing overly explicit or graphic, hence the "T" rating.

Thank you Nevr for your ongoing guidance as pre-reader and Beta!

I don't own Chuck or make any money from writing this story, but I wish I did...

Chapter 11 – I'll Be Home for Christmas:

Saturday 24 December 2011 – 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Austin, Texas - Emma Nowak residence

Chuck and Sarah were up early for their flight, which was smooth and comfortable. Immediately upon landing in Austin, Chuck and Sarah grabbed their roll-aways and Sarah's duffel bag containing her arsenal of weapons and approached the concierge at the VIP desk where Sarah was handed a set of keys to a loaner car. After completing the paperwork and loading everything in the trunk, they got under way. The drive to Emma's house took less than 30 minutes, and as they arrived, Sarah was surprised to feel comfortable and happy. She looked a Chuck with a smile, then reached over and gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you for coming, Chuck. It means a lot to me."

He smiled. "I'm excited to meet your mom….Uhm….boy, I hope she likes me…..what if she…."

"Chuck….don't freak out. She'll like you," replied Sarah giving him another peck on the lips. "Come on, handsome…."

It was a lovely white house with a red door, a white picket fence, and a few Christmas decorations outside. But it was the smell coming from the kitchen as they approached the front door that made the house feel comfortable…like home.

"I love it." Chuck turned to Sarah. "I really love it….it feels like home." Then he smiled sincerely at her. "Maybe someday…."

Their eyes locked like the first time they met, and they barely noticed Sarah's mother had opened the door and was looking at the two of them adoringly.

"Merry Christmas, you two," smiled Emma, "and welcome."

"Mom!...Sorry…Merry Christmas…..It's been such a long time, and I'm so happy to see you," replied Sarah as she hugged her mom.

Chuck was taken by Emma's beauty and could see the strong resemblance between the mother and daughter. She was a little shorter in stature but had the same golden hair and sparkling eyes of the deepest blue. He smiled warmly as the women hugged and shared a long overdue mother-daughter moment.

"Mom, this is Chuck….Chuck Bartowski," Sarah beamed.

"Mrs. Walker, it's so…." Chuck's words were cut off as Emma pulled him into a tight hug.

"Oh Chuck, I am so happy to meet you….and please call me Emma….It's been a long time since anyone called me Mrs. Walker, and to be honest, I don't miss it." Emma had gone back to her maiden name, Nowak, and after her divorce from Sarah's father, Jack Walker, she moved to Austin, Texas, and started a daycare center with some of the divorce settlement.

Emma turned to Sarah. "You are right. He is a handsome fellow." She then turned to Chuck. "You know Chuck, you're a pretty special guy….you are the first man my Sarah has ever brought home." She hugged him again. "Now come into this house….you must be tired from your trip. Can I get you some warm cider or a coffee?"

Sarah and Emma entered the house holding hands while Chuck returned to the car to retrieve the two roll-aboard cases and the black duffel bag he affectionately referred to as "Sarah's Supply Closet."

"Sarah…oh my gosh…he is gorgeous. And his eyes….more importantly, the way he was looking at you…I am so happy for you," Emma gushed, causing a blush in Sarah's cheeks.

"I love him, Mom. I've only known him a short time, but he is the smartest, kindest, sweetest, most considerate man I have ever met, and he has made me a different person, a better, more open, and happy person. To be honest, I've been more than a little terrified because I have never felt like this before….never had a man make me feel like this before, but.…."

"I saw it in your eyes as too, kiddo. So, when is the wedding?" asked Emma with a coy smile, just as Chuck arrived to hear the punchline of the question.

Sarah was frozen as she saw Chuck's eyes widen at Emma's comment.

Ever the gentleman, Chuck stepped in to try and take the heat off Sarah. "Uhm…well….I love your daughter, Emma, more than anything...but our lives are a little complicated…." Chuck started to explain when Emma cut him off.

"Oh, you are so adorable when flustered, you sweet, sweet man," she said, looking at him with her head cocked to one side and a slight look of pity in her eyes as she studied him. She then gave him a gentle pat on the cheek and, with a happy giggle, added, "As if you have any say in the matter…..I know my Sarah, and when she sets her mind to something, it's going to happen. It's just a matter of….."

"Mom….stop it….you are going to chase him away," Sarah laughed to diffuse the awkward moment, but her crimson blush gave her away as she looked at Chuck. "I'm so sorry, Chuck, my mom, is just a little overenthusiastic."

"Relax, kids….Chuck, I was just having a little fun with Sarah when you walked in on the butt end of me pushing her buttons…..a mother's prerogative. Having said that, the way you two were staring into each other's eyes….well…..I'll just stop there." Emma gave the two a knowing grin and thought to herself, 'she'll be married in the next 12 months and pregnant within 18, and she felt a warmth in her heart for the daughter she loved and had missed for too long.

"Chuck, the upstairs guest room is all made up for you two, so why don't you put the bags away while Sarah and I get some refreshments as lunch won't be ready for a few hours." She then grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her towards the kitchen.

"Mom!… When is the wedding? Really? We've been together for less than a month," Sarah admonished with an impish grin on her face.

"Honey, I've been able to read you like a book since you were two…..and by the way, he's not going anywhere."

XXX

Chuck enjoyed sitting with Emma and Sarah, looking at old photo albums as Emma told him all about Sarah's tom-boy childhood. They had enjoyed a wonderful late lunch of poached salmon over rice accompanied by asparagus smothered in hollandaise sauce and an excellent bread pudding made with raisins and a bourbon sauce. Chuck was warmed by the feeling of having a family around him for Christmas, a very special time in the Bartowski home before the accident left him alone. Chuck was comfortable and content, with Sarah curled up into his side, as Emma flipped the pages in the old albums. He looked at the modest Christmas tree in the corner decorated with paper ornaments made by the children in her daycare center. Then he saw the gas-fired fireplace emitting a mesmerizing blue and orange flame around the ceramic logs, and he felt Christmas again. He felt Sarah's breathing slow as she drifted off, curled into his side, and smiled.

"Emma, thank you. For everything. I'm not sure I can explain how much today has meant to me, but I am actually feeling the Christmas spirit for the first time since my parents passed," Chuck shared with a contented smile.

"You are welcome, Chuck. And thank you….My Sarah can be a bit complicated and intense, and when her father and I divorced, she became angry at both of us. She was upset with her father for deserting us, which really happened way before the divorce, and making us feel he didn't care. And she became angry with me for not punishing him more in the divorce settlement. She didn't understand it at the time, but I had had enough and just wanted out. Dragging him through the coals would have just prolonged my agony but not changed the outcome. It's only recently that she and I have reconciled and come back into each other's lives. I see a happiness in her eyes I have not seen in a long time, and I think I have you to thank for that." Emma gave him a soft smile and a wink. "Now, why don't you two head upstairs and get some rest? Tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Of course…can I make breakfast for everyone?" offered Chuck.

"Not on your life, Chuck. You and Sarah rest, I'll have breakfast ready for you when you wake up, and then we will open some presents before spending the rest of the day cooking, eating, and watching football on TV…..but thank you for offering….you are adorable," replied Emma.

Chuck gently nudged Sarah to take her upstairs.

"Chuck Bartowski, don't you dare move," Sarah grumbled, snuggling in even closer to him. "I'm warm and comfortable, and if you so much as twitch, they'll never find your body."

"See…she can be a little intense," Emma sighed as she got up, went to the closet, and pulled out a quilt. She then laid the quilt on top of the two of them, giving Sarah and Chuck a kiss on the forehead. "You two stay on the couch as long as you like. I'll see you in the morning. She looked again at her daughter and the man who thawed her heart and smiled adoringly at the pair before turning and heading off to bed.

= ! =

Sunday 25 December 2011 – 08:30 Central Standard Time

Austin, Texas – Emma Nowak residence

Emma came down the stairs to see that Chuck had obviously followed Sarah's demands to the letter. Sarah was dug into Chuck's side, sleeping soundly, and poor Chuck was still in the same seated position, but with his legs stretched out towards the coffee table and his head leaning against the top of the couch back. His eyes cracked open as he heard a creak from the stairs announcing Emma's arrival.

Emma stopped and smiled at the sweetness of the scene, warmth again filling her heart at seeing her daughter so comfortable in Chuck's arms. Chuck very slowly raised his head and mouthed the words "HELP ME!" to Emma, who could not stop herself from laughing out loud…..causing Sarah to stir.

She looked up to see her mother on the stairs laughing and, in a sleepy voice, said, "Mom…what is so funny?"

"It wasn't me…it wasn't me…I didn't move….I promise," Chuck stammered with a giggle.

"What time is…..Oh my god…Chuck….Why didn't you wake me? Why did you let us stay here on the couch all night?" Sarah asked, confused.

Emma laughed even harder. "Baby, you threatened him with bodily injury if he moved…..ring any bells, sleeping beauty?"

Sarah's recall finally clicked, "Chuck, I am so sorry….I was just so comfortable." She covered her mouth with her hands as she started laughing. "Why don't you go upstairs and nap, and I'll help mom with breakfast….after I shower and change."

Chuck welcomed the proposal and took a comfortable 90-minute nap while the ladies had some alone time making breakfast and preparing for their Christmas dinner. He came down the stairs feeling refreshed and enjoyed the pancakes, bacon, and eggs before they all returned to the couch to open their presents.

Christmas music was playing on the stereo, the tree was all lit up, and the fireplace was glowing as Sarah retrieved the first two presents from under the tree and handed one to her mother and one to Chuck.

Emma read the card, "I love you, Mom…maybe with this, we can see more of each other – Merry Christmas – Sarah." Emma carefully unwrapped her gift, a new Apple iPad, and she gasped.

"Sarah, this is much too extravagant….how do I even figure out how to use it?" asked Emma with a tear in her eye.

"That's why I brought Chuck, Mom. I'm only pretending to like him so he can teach you how to use it….We can video chat on weekends to see each other. And you can make, receive and see pictures….It will be so fun," Sarah beamed as Emma swept her up in a deep hug. "Your turn, Chuck."

Chuck opened the card and read the note out loud, "Chuck, you are the Han Solo to my Princess Leia - Merry Christmas – Love, Sarah." He smiled and gave Sarah a sweet kiss before opening the thin envelope that seemed to contain some papers. As he pulled them out, the first item he saw looked like a coupon that entitled the bearer to an all-expense paid weekend at the next Comic-Con convention in San Diego in July. Inside were two VIP passes and confirmation for an ocean view suite at the Pantai Hotel in La Jolla.

Chuck's jaw was on the floor. He could not decide if he was more overwhelmed by the incredibly cool gift or that Sarah made such an extraordinary effort to come up with something that she knew he would really love.

"Sarah, this is the most incredible gift and so completely thoughtful…I am so excited to go with you…."

"Slow down there, cowboy. I Just offered to pay for it…I did not agree to join you at nerd central for a long weekend. Maybe you should take Morgan…." She laughed heartily as Chuck pulled her down to him on the couch and wrapped her in a bear hug. "Wow….You keep this up, and you're never going to get rid of me….." he smiled.

Chuck then got up and retrieved two gifts from under the tree. He gave the first to Emma.

"Emma, thank you for including me in your Christmas and making the day special for me. Hope this will help ward off any winter chills - Merry Christmas – Chuck," read the card. Inside was a beautiful cornflower blue pashmina scarf made from the finest Cashmere produced by the Changpa people of the Ladakh region of the Himalayas.

"I hope you like it, Emma. I looked at Sarah and kinda guessed on a color I thought you would like, so…but if you don't like it, we can…."

Emma interrupted him, "Chuck, this is stunning, it's so soft, and the color is breathtaking. Thank you, I love it. You two really spoiled me this Christmas….Thank you both." Emma gave Chuck a big hug while mouthing at Sarah, "He's a keeper…" with a wink.

He then turned to Sarah and gave her a card to read aloud. "Sarah, A little something for someone incredibly important to me from someone incredibly important to me – Merry Christmas – Love Chuck" He opened a small silk pouch to reveal a silver charm bracelet.

"It's good luck. It was my mom's charm bracelet. My dad gave it to her, and I want you to have it."

Sarah's hands covered her mouth, and her eyes welled as she was overwhelmed by how intimate and profoundly personal the gift was. "Oh my God, Chuck, it's beautiful, but it's your mother's bracelet, I…."

Chuck reached up and gently took her right hand, pulling it away from her mouth and putting the bracelet around her wrist. Then he kissed her hand while staring into her eyes. "You mean a lot to me, Sarah, and so does the bracelet, so it makes sense to me that you two belong to each other. I love you, and I want you to have it."

Sarah jumped onto Chuck's lap, smothering him in kisses, while Emma held back tears of joy at seeing how happy her daughter was to have found her counterpoint in life. While clutching her hands to her chest, Emma looked skyward and mouthed "THANK YOU" to the divine powers that brought Sarah and Chuck into each other's gravitational field.

After the heavy emotions of Chuck and Sarah's gifts and the meaning behind them, the mood lightened as Emma gave her gifts to Chuck and Sarah. The joint card read: "Dear Sarah and Chuck, thank you both for making my Christmas special. I hope that these gifts will remind you both of this Christmas and how magical you have made it for me and for each other in the future. Merry Christmas, Mom." The first gift was a matched set of Christmas pajamas, followed by a matching set of Santa Claus Hats personalized with their names, and the 3rd gift was a pair of matching sterling silver picture frames.

As Sarah reached to hug her mother, Chuck gently slid her off his lap and ran upstairs to the stunned look of the two women.

"Chuck…Are you ok?" Sarah called after him as he sprinted up the stairs.

"Give him a minute, sweetheart. A lot was going on here this morning, and maybe he needs….." Emma was about to discuss men and the challenges they sometimes had with deeply emotional situations when a beaming Chuck Bartowski bounced down the stairs in his new Christmas pajamas and Santa hat, hugging both Emma and Sarah.

The women were both relieved but curious. "Chuck, you had us worried that maybe the gift triggered a difficult memory or something," Sarah said with concern, and her brow furrowed.

"Oh gosh…sorry…no….not at all. The opposite. The Bartowski Christmas tradition was that we all got Christmas pajamas on Christmas eve, and we wore them all Christmas day. And since our plans are to watch football and eat ourselves into a coma, I thought I would wear something appropriate for today's planned events. Sorry if I startled you, but I was so excited that I wanted to change right away." They all laughed as Sarah suddenly darted away and sprinted up the stairs returning a few minutes later sporting her new pajamas and Santa hat.

After a wonderful but emotional day, Sarah and Chuck made it upstairs to the bed in the guestroom. Sarah wanted to celebrate Christmas more intimately, but Chuck could not get past the idea of making love right next to Emma's room, mainly as Sarah was occasionally prone to expressing her state of enjoyment verbally. They settled in, holding each other close as they fell into a warm and happy slumber.

= ! =

Monday 26 December 2011 - 10:30 Central Standard Time

Somewhere over Texas at 30,000 feet

They had a lovely breakfast and shared an emotional goodbye with Emma before driving to the airport, boarding the Citation X, and rocketing westward. "That was the best Christmas I've had in a while, Sarah…..I loved your mom….I can see where you got your grace and the sparkle in your eyes….and getting to wake up next to you on Christmas morning was magical….even if I was practically paralyzed from sitting on the couch while you slept." Chuck smiled as he gave Sarah a tender kiss. Sarah then pushed him back in his seat and climbed into his lap, straddling him. They had a wonderful Christmas, but sleeping on the couch and in the room next to Emma had tempered Chuck's desire to be intimate for the last two nights, and Sarah was hungry.

"Sarah….the pilots…."

"We are at 30,000 feet flying at almost 700 miles an hour, so between the noise of the engines and the fact that the pilots are wearing headsets, they won't hear a thing….." Sarah grinned, arching her eyebrow and reaching for his belt. Chuck knew that look and was smart enough not to argue with the blonde goddess smiling down at him. 'Mile high club, here I come,' thought Chuck as Sarah slowly unbuttoned her blouse. He then shocked Sarah by giving her his "Bartowski eyebrow dance," lifting her up and placing her on the leather couch directly underneath him while moving his lips to that particular spot between her neck and collar bone. Sarah moaned while wrapping her legs around him. He slowly started kissing his way down to her breasts, then her belly, taking a moment to lift her skirt and slip off her panties before continuing his exploration south. Sarah was losing her mind as Chuck's ministrations would bring her to the edge of ecstasy before slowing and starting the climb again and again, until he pushed her over the edge. She was a stunning woman, but when she was in the throes of pleasure, she radiated an otherworldly level of beauty that Chuck could not get enough of. As she recovered from her climax, she pulled him up and into her, while gazing lovingly into his eyes. "Chuck," she whispered. She pulled him closer and gently bit his earlobe as his movement intensified, and again she felt herself climbing again. "I love you, Chuck," she moaned quietly in his ear as she felt him reaching his peak. They came together as the plane hit a small pocket of clear air turbulence.

"Oh…My...God…the earth actually moved," Sarah said with a giggle as she threw her arms back over her head, enjoying the bliss of her sexual satisfaction. Chuck smiled warmly and kissed her forehead before finding her panties and pulling himself together.

Ninety minutes later, the happy and relaxed couple was back on the ground where Casey was waiting with the Suburban and a less grouchy demeanor than usual.

"Traffic lighter today, Casey?….No one damaging your calm?" Chuck smiled, extending his hand in friendship and receiving a grunt in response.

"Walker, Bartowski… I trust you enjoyed your cover weekend meeting the family…." Casey smiled…just a little.

"Almost as much as the flight, partner," Chuck added with a smile….. "These private jets are the coolest thing ever." Sarah choked momentarily at Chuck's private joke.

"No better way to fly than at the taxpayer's expense, huh, Bartowski?" Casey said sarcastically as they entered the Suburban and headed back to Orion.