A/N: Me: I have nearly 500 FAFSAs to help students do this week. I need to not worry about fics.
*Hears How Do You Do by Roxette on 80s on 8*
My Brain: Or….
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
Chuck looked down in shock at the text he received. Wanna meet a gal for a night of dancing?
Chuck stared at his phone. Five weeks ago, he had found himself on the beach with Sarah. He told her he was there for her, however she needed him. She had asked him to kiss her, and while it hadn't returned her memories, she asked him if she could staywith him.
For three weeks, they did everything in their power to try and move forward, and Chuck thought they were moving forward. He thought they were in lock step, and then she surprised him. He licked his lips and decided to reply how he always would with Sarah.
I assume it's a black tie affair, because anything with you should be.
He had come home from the grocery and had found Sarah leaning against the back of the couch, her hands clasped together, her brow furrowed. When he opened the door and saw her face, he knew. Something in him told him. She was leaving. His phone went off and he looked down at the text he received.
Perfect! Tonight? You pick the place and text me were.
She had told him that there was something she had to do. Alone. He wanted to tell her he could go with her, but he had sworn he wouldn't push. He had sworn he would be what she wanted, but the problem was, he wasn't sure what she wanted. Hell, he wasn't sure she knew what she wanted. His phone went off again.
I told you I was coming back, and I meant it. I didn't mean to be gone this long.
She had left, and that had been two weeks ago. He hadn't heard from her, and he was considering finding her using his fishy skills when he received the text from her today. He typed his reply.
I can't wait.
A second later, his phone went off.
I can't either. I have so much to tell you, and I will.
Chuck stared at his phone. She was going to tell him….something. He blew out a breath, and realized he needed to find his suit.
}o{
He stood at the bar. Since she had left, he found himself listening to a song on repeat he hadn't expected to. During his time of teaching Sarah about music, he had introduced her to the Swedish Pop Duo, Roxette and both of them found themselves listening to the group together.
He couldn't help the music that played in his head as he watched the front door of the club. For whatever reason, Roxette's How Do You Do, specifically,had been his companion during this journey. He glanced at the door, and saw it open. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, and he couldn't feel the warmth in his heart as she smiled at him. The words to the song began to rush through him.
I see you comb your hair, and gimme that grin
It's making me spin now, spinning within
Before I melt like snow, I say hello
How do you do?
He couldn't help but lift a hand, to wave. She returned the wave and her smile grew.
I love the way you undress now, baby begin
Do your caress, honey, my heart's in a mess
I love your blue eyed voice, like Tiny Tim shines thru
How do you do?
"Hi," she said warmly, stopping in front of him.
"Hello," Chuck replied. "Get you something to drink?"
"No," Sarah told him. "I need to talk to you, and I need you to hear some things…..all good things," she added quickly. "And I want to remember this, so no alcohol."
Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Did you….did you just make a memory joke." Sarah bounced a shoulder and grinned.
Well, here we are crackin' jokes in the corner of our mouths
And I feel like I'm laughing in a dream
If I was young I could wait outside your school
'Cause your face is like the cover of a magazine
}o{
Two weeks ago, she had left. Not because she didn't love him, because she did. But because deep down, she knew she wasn't Sarah Bartowski, she was Sarah Walker. She knew that through time, she would grow to be Sarah Bartowski. She knew she wanted to spend forever with Chuck. She was fine going through the journey again…except she wasn't.
Sarah had looked at so many pictures of the two of them, and she wanted those memories. She wanted to know why they were smiling the way they were. As if they both knew a joke that someone else didn't. She wanted what the woman in the picture had. When Beckman had called with an idea, Sarah had jumped at it.
She didn't know how Chuck would respond to Beckman's idea, but the one thing she knew was she couldn't hurt him. She couldn't get his hopes up and this fail. She knew the pain he was going through, and she wasn't going to do that again.
The problem was, she didn't know that was the worst thing she could do to him, not include him. She didn't have those memories of her doing similar things in the past and how they had hurt him. She thought she was protecting him. She knew that now, and that's one reason it had taken as long as it had to come back to him.
She always knew she was coming back, but once she regained her memories, she was furious with herself for again, doing something on her own. To be fair, they both had a habit of doing so through out their relationship. She knew she had to see him, and she was going to have to accept however hurt and angry Chuck was with her.
As she saw him, the song that had been stuck in her head since she regained her memory, How Do You Do, by Roxette began to play again.
How do you do (do you do) the things that you do?
No one I know could ever keep up with you
How do you do?
Did it ever make sense to you to say bye? (Bye bye)
She could never leave him. When she didn't have memories of him, she couldn't leave. God knows she tried. She had tried to walk away, and yet she found herself on a beach, and there, Chuck had found her.
Sarah thought she would hurt a man as good as he was. She thought that he couldn't possibly have known her, but when she got her memory back, she couldn't help the irony of her continually trying to get over Chuck Bartowski.
"I'm sorry, Chuck," she told him. "Beckman had an idea that could get my memory back, and I had to, Chuck." She took his hands in hers. "I felt like…I felt like I wasn't your wife, the woman I wanted to be…Sarah Bartowski. I was Sarah Walker, and I felt like…" she snorted. "There's a line from a song, How have you been, baby, livin' in sin? That's what I was doing. I was Sarah Walker, trying to be Sarah Bartowski, at least I thought I was. And I couldn't do it anymore, Chuck. I couldn't. Not if there was a chance to get everything back. I had to try."
}o{
Chuck was listening to her, but could help but hear the line she said was from the song that had been in his head since she left.
I see you in that chair with perfect skin
Well, how have you been, baby, livin' in sin?
Hey, I gotta know, did you say hello?
How do you do?
"Did it work?" he asked. She didn't vocally answer, which fit. Sarah Walker…now Bartowski, never was one to talk a lot. She let her actions speak for her, and the grin that was on her face, told the greatest story he could hope for. "How?" he asked softly.
"Sensory deprivation tank," Sarah replied. Chuck's eyes went wide. "Yeah."
"How long did they have you in there?" Chuck asked, concerned.
"Oh, just for a little while," Sarah told him. "When I came out, I had already begun to remember." She looked down, took a breath and then back up to him. "I was ashamed, Chuck. I had gone off without you, and I didn't trust you. I admit, I didn't know that was kinda our thing at the time, but still…I'm sorry."
He gave her a kind smile, as they lyrics continued to play in his head.
Well, here we are spending time in the louder part of town
And it feels like everything's surreal
When I get old I will wait outside your house
'Cause your hands have got the power meant to heal
He looked down, seeing her hands holding his, and felt whole for the first time in two weeks.
"You didn't know," Chuck told her.
}o{
Sarah shook her head, fighting tears. When she first heard the song she remembered how they both had fought about who the song was talking about. To her, it was about Chuck. To Chuck it was about her.
How do you do (do you do) the things that you do?
No one I know could ever keep up with you
How do you do?
Did it ever make sense to you to say bye? (Bye bye)
How do you do (do you do) the things that you do?
No one I know could ever keep up with you
How do you do?
Did it ever make sense to you to cry bye? (Bye bye)
"I love you, Chuck Bartowski," she said, squeezing his hands.
}o{
"I love you, Sarah," Chuck replied, smiling at her. "You know, since you've left, I've had that song by Roxette playing in my head." Sarah's eyes widened and a surprised look crossed her face. "Seems like you have too." Sarah nodded. "Seems like no matter what we do, we find each other."
"I'll always find you," she promised. "How about no more losing memories?"
"I mean if you insist," Chuck teased. Sarah swatted him. "Hey, wanna go home?"
"Yes," Sarah told him. She yanked his hand, grinning, as she led them out of the establishment and toward home.
How do you do (do you do) the things that you do?
No one I know could ever keep up with you
How do you do?
Did it ever make sense to you to say bye? (Bye bye)
Yeah, how do you do (do you do) the things you do?
No one I know could ever keep up with you
How do you do?
Did it ever make sense to you to say bye? (Bye bye)
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. RIP Marie Fredriksson
