The drive back to the Walker household was relatively quick as they were going opposite most of the traffic. Chuck got Molly while Sarah assisted her mother into the house. Since it was getting close to dinner time, Chuck offered to make dinner while the ladies relaxed. He handed Molly off to Sarah and proceeded to the kitchen to inventory what he had to work with. Finding some chicken breast, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, eggs, and white wine, he decided that making a quick chicken parmesan would be the best option for the evening. Further exploring in the pantry resulted in finding pasta and red sauce.
After beating the eggs and mixing up the bread crumb and parmesan dredge, he started heating some oil in the skillet as he got the chicken ready to fry. 10 minutes later he added butter and white wine to the pan and covered it to let the chicken simmer to finish cooking as he filled a large pot with water to cook the pasta. While he waited for the pasta to cook, he made quick work of setting the table and pouring drinks for the ladies and himself. Molly got milk, Emma got iced tea since she couldn't have alcohol with her medication, and he poured glasses of the same chardonnay he'd used to cook the chicken in for himself and Sarah. Once the noodles were cooked and drained and mixed with pasta, he called the family to the table as he dished up the meal. The adults all got chicken and pasta while Molly was given a bowl of chopped noodles and some cut up bits of chicken which were given to her once they were cooled enough for her to handle with her fingers.
"Chuck, that was amazing," Emma complimented him.
"Thank you, Emma," Chuck blushed slightly under her praise as he continued to eat, "It was nothing."
"Don't sell yourself short, Chuck," Sarah gave him a soft smile, "You doing this, and everything you've done, especially the past couple days, for us is greatly appreciated. We are very lucky that you found us."
"No," He looked up at his girlfriend, "I'm the lucky one to have found you again."
Sarah blushed at his statement and went back to eating her dinner while also sharing the task with Chuck of making sure Molly ate her dinner. As the meal wrapped up, Chuck collected the dishes and carried them back to the kitchen. Before he began to wash up, he made sure to put away the leftovers, even portioning out a chicken breast and some pasta into an individual container for Sarah to take with her for lunch the next day.
"Chuck, you don't have to clean up," Sarah protested carrying in the glasses and cups from the table, "You've already done enough by making dinner, making sure Mom is okay, taking care of Molly and I, and… well you know everything. I can take care of the dishes."
"Don't worry about it, Sarah," Chuck shrugged, "If there's one thing Bartowskis are good at, it's cleaning. You go spend time with your mom and Molly and I'll join you in a little bit once I get this cleaned up. But first," He reached into the fridge to pull out the wine bottle and refill the glass that Sarah still held in her hand, "I think a little more vino is in order."
Sarah just looked at him, and adoring look on her face as she watched Chuck making quick work of the dishes. "You are truly one of a kind, Chuck Bartowski." She murmured before going back and sitting on the couch with her mom to chat while Molly played with some toys on the living room floor.
Chuck joined them a short time later, as he promised, and they settled in to watch a movie. Molly had at one point gotten up and toddled over to the adults asking to snuggle with them before eventually curling up in Chuck's lap and falling asleep. As the credits rolled, Sarah smoothly lifted the little girl into her arms, leaning down so that Chuck and her mom could kiss the little girl goodnight before taking her back to her room to be changed and put to bed in her crib.
When Sarah returned, she found Chuck helping Emma get up from the couch as her left side was still sore. Once Emma was up on her feet, she said goodnight to Chuck and started toward the hall that led to the bedrooms.
"I know I've said it before, but that young man of yours is a keeper," Emma smiled at her daughter.
"Yeah, he is," Sarah agreed, looking past her mother to Chuck who was in the process of removing the DVD and putting it away before shutting down the entertainment system.
"And he loves you," Emma smiled up at her, "And Molly."
"I know," Sarah grinned, "We love him, too."
"Not to push, but should I be using this mandatory down time I now have to start looking for venues?" Emma gave her daughter a teasing smirk.
"You're getting a little ahead of yourself, don't you think?" Sarah chuckled.
"Maybe, maybe not," Emma shrugged, "All I know is when you find your person, you hold on to them and cherish every moment you get with them. And looking at the two of you, three of you if we are counting Molly…"
"Which we should," Sarah interjected.
"He's your person, and you are his," Emma gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek, "I'm going to go to bed, my meds are making me sleepy. I don't care if he stays or not, just don't do anything I wouldn't do, and try not to wake the baby."
"Mom!" Sarah blushed.
"I was young once, heck, how do you think you came about?" Emma arched an eyebrow, "Good night, Sweetheart."
"Good night, Mom," Sarah rolled her eyes before kissing her mother's cheek and stepping aside to let the older woman pass. When she reentered the living room, Chuck turned to see her, and a big grin spread across his face as if he was seeing the best thing in the world by looking at her. It made her weak in the knees, but she fought to maintain her footing as she walked up to him and let him enfold her in his arms. "Thank you," She whispered against his neck from where her head rested on his shoulder.
"You know I'd do anything for my girls," Chuck smiled against the top of her head where he was kissing her crown. "You don't ever have to think family for doing what family is supposed to do."
"Is that what we are?" Sarah looked up at him, "Family?"
"If you'll let me be," Chuck smiled warmly down at her, the love and affection he felt for her clear in his hazel eyes, "I already consider you, Molly, and Emma part of my family, and I can guarantee you that Awesome, Ellie, and Clara feel the same way. You are my family, whether we share a name or not."
"And if I wanted to someday share a name with you?" She smiled up at him, "Maybe add a couple more to our number?"
"I would be down for that," He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "Just say the word and we can make it happen."
"You don't think it's too fast?" Sarah gave him a hopeful look.
"Too fast?" Chuck snickered, "Woman, I have loved you for the better part of the past ten years, this has been the opposite of fast."
Sarah chuckled at his pronouncement, "You make a good point, Mr. Bartowski." She lifted up on her toes to kiss him, pouring her love and commitment into the display of affection. "But I think it's traditionally the man to kicks things off."
"Point taken," Chuck nodded, "I'll see what I can do about that." He pulled her closer into his arms, pressing warm kisses to her lips, jaw, and neck, smiling as he felt a shiver run through him as he hit a particularly sensitive spot right below her ear.
"My only request is that we wait for Mom to be fully healed up before we make anything official," Sarah sighed.
"Are we talking anything, anything, or just the license, officiant, vows thing?" Chuck leaned back a bit to look into his girlfriend's eyes.
"Just that last part," She confirmed, "I know she's going to want to look her best in the pictures, so the cast will have to come off first."
"Good to know," Chuck nodded, "Are you a big event kind of girl, or intimate gathering type person?"
"Neither of us have much in the way of extended family," Sarah shrugged, "I'm thinking family and a few friends."
"I think I can work with that," Chuck nodded, "We can discuss details later. It's getting late and you have school in the morning. Do you need me to stay the night again?"
"As much as I would love that," Sarah ran her hands up and down his chest, "We're okay, you can sleep in your own bed, enjoy it while you still can."
"Only if you're sure," Chuck hedged.
"I'm sure, I love that you were willing to stay again for us, though" She smiled brilliantly up at him.
"Hey, you're my girl, kinda comes with the territory," Chuck shrugged modestly, "I'll head out, then. I put some leftovers in a smaller container for you to take to work tomorrow."
"You take such good care of me, Chuck Bartowski," Sarah walked him to the door.
"Just practicing for someday," He pulled her into his arms once more for a searing goodnight kiss that left them both weak in the knees. "I love you Sarah."
"I love you too, Chuck," Sarah smiled up at him, "Drive safe getting home."
"I will," Chuck assured her, "Do you want me to call and set up an appointment with the lawyer?"
"Nah, I'll take care of it during my lunch break," Sarah shook her head, "Thank you for offering though. Do you want to join us?"
"I can try to make it, if you want me there," Chuck began to walk backwards toward his car.
"I think we would appreciate it if you were there," Sarah nodded, "If not for moral support, but as a witness to the accident. I'll let you know the time once I set the appointment."
"Alright," Chuck nodded, "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Sarah nodded.
"Alright, goodnight," Chuck gave her a small wave before getting in his car and driving off as she waved goodbye to him.
It was quiet as he walked into the courtyard of his condo complex, the only sound was the trickling of water as it poured from one level to another in the fountain. The low light casting the area in comfortable, soothing, shadow. He had just inserted his key into the lock of his door when he heard the front door of his sister's condo open up.
"I thought you said you were spending the night at Sarah's," Ellie probed, walking toward him in slippers, pajamas, and a fluffy robe, her hair up in a messy bun, and face scrubbed of makeup, "Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Sis," Chuck assured her, "They just didn't need me there tonight. Sarah assured me she had everything under control."
"Alright," Ellie nodded, "Let her know that if there are any questions about what Emma should and shouldn't be doing, that they can call me."
"They know, Elle," Chuck gave his sister a placating smile, "It's late and I have work in the morning, so I really should be getting to bed."
"Okay," Ellie smiled up at her brother, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Elle," Chuck returned the smile as he opened his door and stepped inside. Once the door was locked, he made his way across to the stairs and slowly climbed up to his room. Not bothering to put on pajamas, he stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and slid under the covers. He was struck by the realization that his bed felt empty without Sarah laying beside him. After two nights, he had already acclimated to her presence as he slept. Considering the conversation that he and Sarah had before he left, he knew he would be doing something to remedy the situation soon.
He began to formulate plans to ramp up to doing that something as he slowly drifted off to sleep where his dreams were filled with Sarah in a white gown which morphed into images of Sarah a bundle in her arms and exhausted but happy look on her face as she said something to him that doesn't quite reach his ears. The last dream he remembered was a white house with a picket fence and a red door, him and Sarah sitting on the porch swing while they watched Molly and other children playing in the yard. A sense of peace, love, and joy surrounding them.
