"That Rick dude wasn't kidding," Devon smiled, "Super easy going. I can see why he brings his kids out here."

"And he was right about the beautiful views from this vista," Chuck agreed, "Maybe we could come back once the weather warms up a bit more. Clara should be able to handle this trail with little difficulty and I could easily get one of those backpack carrier things for Molly."

"No need, bro," Devon shook his head, "We still have ours from when Clara was little. Never got rid of it since we want to have one or two more… or that you would meet someone and there might eventually be a Baby Bartowski who might require the need of it. Unless we both wind up with little ones at the same time, we can just share the thing until it falls apart."

"Not a bad idea," Chuck shrugged.

"Oh, which reminds me, Ellie was going through some of the stuff we have in storage and found a few boxes of Clara's old stuff, do you think Sarah would be interested in any of it for Molly?" Devon asked, taking a sip of water from the bottle he'd pulled from his ruck sack.

"It would certainly save us some money," Chuck nodded, "She grows so fast, we can't dress her in the same outfit more than a few times before it's too small. I don't think it would be an issue taking Clara's hand-me-downs, Ellie and I practically grew up in hand-me-downs from Morgan's cousins… at least until we got too tall for that to be feasible anymore. Let me run it past Sarah first, though."

"Awesome," Devon nodded, "Should we head back?"

"Yeah, don't want to keep Rick waiting too long," Chuck shrugged, and the men headed back down the trail to meet up with their driver.

Rick was on the phone with his wife when he saw his passengers emerge from the trail, "Hun, I gotta go, those guys I was telling your about are back."

"Alright," Vicki acknowledged, "We'll see you tonight, I'm making Salmon for us and fish sticks for the kids. How's that sound?"

"Delicious," Rick smiled, "I'll see you then. Love you."

"Love you too."

Rick climbed out of the SUV to greet Devon and Chuck, "So, how was the hike?"

"Beautiful," Chuck grinned, "We're thinking we might bring the fam up once it warms up a bit to enjoy it together."

"Let me know when and if I'm not working, maybe we'll join you," Rick suggested.

"That would be awesome," Devon nodded, "Hey is there some where around here we can change real quick? Don't want to be wearing trail dust the rest of the day."

"There are some restrooms over there," Rick pointed to the other end of the parking area where there was a break in the trees.

"Great, be back in a jiff." Devon and Chuck made their way over to the restrooms and true to Devon's word, they were changed and back to Rick in a matter of minutes.

"Well you two certainly clean up good," He nodded appreciatively to the men who had both donned button-down shirts, Chuck's green-striped shirt paired with dark wash jeans and his new all-stars, and Devon wearing a blue shirt with khakis and casual brown oxfords. The men nodded their appreciation and loaded up in the SUV to head to their next destination, a local brew house.


"Oh my God, this is heaven," Sarah sighed slipping into the hot tub next to Ellie.

"It is, isn't it?" Ellie smiled, "Remind me to thank your mom for thinking of it. I just wish I could have done more like gotten gels or something, but the hospital won't allow it, too easy for germs and critters to hid up underneath."

"Aw, that's too bad," Sarah cooed with fake sympathy, lifting her red gel manicured hand and giving it in appreciative look over. "That must be so awful for you."

"Shut up," Ellie nudged her and laughed, "But seriously, I saw the price list, just the mani-pedis alone were a pretty penny, not to mention the day use fee and the massages."

"She insisted," Sarah shrugged.

The women sat in silence for a while before Ellie spoke, "So has it happened yet?"

"Has what happened yet?" Sarah turned to her friend.

"The mopey mommies?" Ellie elaborated, "That sudden grip of guilt that hits you the first time you leave you child behind to take a day or two to yourself."

"Oh, that," Sarah chuckled, "Yeah, it hit me this morning, actually. Mom called me on it before I could even say a word."

"I figured she would," Ellie nodded, "After all, she was the one who helped me thorough my moments. After I got back from maternity leave, she noticed I was a bit off because I felt bad leaving Clara with a sitter during the day. She assured me that it was normal and made sure I knew that it was okay to not be okay with it but that the guilt would eventually fade. Later, when Devon and I took a long weekend to ourselves and left Clara with his parents, I went through it again. Devon's mom was no help, and I mentioned it to your mom in passing after we'd returned, again she assured me it was normal. She told me that there's nothing wrong with calling your kids when you're away, so long as you don't over do it, limit it to once or twice a day and the rest of the time let yourself relax. In case you didn't already now it, your mom is amazing."

"She kinda is, isn't she?" Sarah smiled and rested her head on the edge of the hot tub. "You're pretty amazing yourself, Ellie. I'm glad we've become friends."

"You too, girlfriend," Ellie beamed over at the younger girl, "You're getting the hang of it, and some day maybe you'll be able to help out another friend who is going through the same thing."


The boys had spent the afternoon at a couple breweries sampling their unique brews before Rick drove them to their final stop of the day a local distillery which had recently gaining acclaim within their area as being one of the best. They'd been shown to a table on the patio and their server, a petite redhead approached with a tray of glasses, each holding a finger of whiskey for their sampling pleasure. She offered them cigars to compliment the blend, which they politely declined. Devon had never been a fan of smoking, even socially, and Chuck had smoked when he was in high school and college, but had worked hard to kick the habit.

They'd sampled the first couple glasses and were relaxing with their last, enjoying the view when Devon looked over at his brother-in-law with an evaluating look, "Alright, so what is up with you, Bro?"

"What do you mean?" Chuck furrowed he brown and returned Devon's look.

"You've been acting really weird this weekend man, like you're nervous about something," Devon explained, "Is there something wrong?"

"No," Chuck shook his head, "Well not exactly. When Morgan and I went to the pier last weekend, we got to talking. He said some stuff that really made me think, and I kinda did something really impulsive."

"Impulsive?" Now it was Devon's turn to look confused.

Instead of replying, Chuck slipped his hand into his pocket and extracted a box, setting it on the table in front of his brother-in-law. Devon looked between Chuck and the box a couple times before reaching out and opening it, a smile spreading across his face.

"Awesome," He whispered, "When are you gonna do it?"

"That's the thing, I really don't have a plan," Chuck shrugged, "Morgan mentioned something that Casey had said about just letting it happen and not trying to make it into some big production. So, I've been carrying that thing around with me all weekend in case the right moment presents itself. There've been a few times I thought it was the time, but we were interrupted, or something happened, or…"

"Yeah I get ya," Devon nodded, "Well, I'm happy for you, and Ellie will be too."

"Devon, you can't tell her," Chuck insisted, "She'll explode with Ellie joy and ruin everything."

"I'm not going to lie to her," Devon shook his head, "But I won't say anything unless she asks."

"Thanks, man," Chuck smiled appreciatively.

Devon closed the box and handed it back to Chuck before raising his glass to the younger man, "To the next step in your life. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Dev," Chuck tapped his glass against Devon's and the men drank their toast. It was then that Chuck noticed the time displayed on his watch, "We should probably get going. I don't know about you, but Sarah and I have reservations and I still gotta change."

Devon spared a glance at his watch as well, "We do too, let's go." They left a substantial tip for their waitress and headed out to meet up with Rick at the SUV to head back to the Bed and Breakfast to prepare for their dates.


Since Ellie and Sarah wanted to surprise their guys, they were already in Chuck and Sarah's cabin getting ready. When Chuck attempted to enter, Ellie pressed the garment bag holding his brand-new Armani suit into his chest, pushed him out of the door frame and pointed to her own cabin where Devon stood on his porch, smirking in amusement over the whole thing. Chuck rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders with a 'what can you do?' expression on his face as he ambled over and followed Devon into the cabin.

To say the surprise was worth it, was an understatement. The guys were told to wait an hour before retrieving their dates and had spent the time between getting ready and picking them up to drive down to a local flower shop and pickup flowers for their ladies before returning.

When the door of Chuck and Sarah's cabin swung open to reveal Ellie and Sarah, the guys' jaws practically hit the floor.

"Wow," Chuck sighed, seeing Sarah in an elegant deep blue halter dress that matched her eyes and hugged her frame before flowing down to her knees which she'd paired with silver strappy heels. The only jewelry she wore was a pair of diamond studs which had been a gift from Chuck for Christmas, and the charm bracelet he'd presented her with on her birthday.

Devon had a similar reaction to Ellie when she appeared wearing a form fitting black dress with silver detailing along the waist and black pumps, and if one had been listening close enough, they would have heard a quiet, "Awesome," Escape his lips.

Devon recovered first, mounting the steps to his wife, a single red rose in his hand. "Shall we?" He handed his bride her rose and kissed her on the cheek so as to not smudge the dark red lipstick she was wearing before offering his arm to her.

Ellie smiled and took his arm, descending the stairs. They stopped briefly to bid Chuck good night before heading to Chuck's car which they were borrowing for the night.

Chuck's grin was infectious as he approached Sarah, handing her a small cluster of gardenias, "Every time I think you can't look more beautiful, you go and prove me wrong."

"Thank you," Sarah blushed, "You look very handsome, yourself."

"Are you ready to go?" He offered his arm.

"Yes," She linked her arm though his and allowed him to guide her down the stairs, "Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise." Chuck grinned cheekily as a black town car pulled up, the driver exiting and opening the rear door for them. They drove for a while before pulling up in front of a large hotel.

"Chuck?" Sarah looked at him inquisitively.

"The restaurant is attached to the hotel," He explained, exiting when the driver opened his door and assisting her out, making sure she was steady on her feet before guiding her into the elegant dining room.

"Buonasera, welcome to La Touque," The hostess greeted them with a warm smile.

"Good evening," Chuck nodded, "Reservation for Bartowski."

The hostess checked her book and nodded to them, "Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski, if you'll follow me." She guided them to a table tucked away in the corner and waited as Chuck held Sarah's chair out for her. "Your dinner service will begin in a moment, buon appetito!"

Once the hostess had left, Sarah leaned over the table, "I think she forgot to give us our menus."

"No, she didn't," Chuck shook his head, "I arranged for us to enjoy the Chef's Tasting Menu tonight."

"Good evening," A trim man approached, a bottle of wine in his hand, "My name is Joseph, and I will be your sommelier tonight. May I offer you something to start?"

"Please," Chuck nodded.

Joseph poured a small portion in to one of the glasses set in front of Chuck and offered it to him, waiting as Chuck took a small sip and nodded his approval before pouring both of his guests a small serving of the wine. He bowed and took his exit.

A short while later a young woman with long chestnut hair plaited back in a conservative braid approached, "Good evening, my name is Tali, and I'll be your server this evening. I know you called ahead, however are there any dietary restrictions we need to know about before we start your dinner service?"

"I'm allergic to olives," Sarah informed the young woman.

"Very well, I will make sure Chef is aware," The woman smiled before taking her exit as well.

"Chuck," Sarah looked at him curiously, "This is nice and all, but this has got to be expensive."

"It's okay," Chuck assured her, "We can afford it. Not all the time, but once in a while I want to treat you to something a little extra special."

"Alright," Sarah smiled at him, bemused, and relaxed.

A moment later, Tali returned with their first dish, Joseph right behind pouring a small portion of vino to accompany the dish. Once Sarah and Chuck were served, they took their leave once more to allow the couple to enjoy their first course. This was repeated until they had enjoyed a full 6-course dinner with a rich chocolate mousse for dessert.

As Sarah was savoring the last few bites of her mousse, Chuck waved Tali over to settle the check, "Thank you for a lovely meal and please pass our compliments on to the chef and his team."

"Of course, we're glad you enjoyed your meal, Mr. Bartowski," Tali nodded, "I will be back in a moment."

As soon as Tali returned with Chuck's card and the bill was signed, Chuck assisted Sarah from her seat once more and they met with their car once more. A short time later, the car was pulling up to a small venue. Sarah could hear the music emanating from inside and looked at her boyfriend in wide-eyed amazement.

"Figured you'd like to end the night with a little dancing," He shrugged with a charming smile before exiting the car and helping her out once more.

Once inside, Chuck ordered an amoretto sunrise for Sarah and a scotch, neat, for himself. They found a table and enjoyed the blues band that was playing.

"Thank you for coming out this evening," The lead singer, a curvatious woman with long, honey brown, hair and a beautiful smile greeted them, "For those who may not know us, we are The Sugar Thieves. We're going to slow things down for a bit," She grinned and the band began playing 'I Got That Feelin.'

Chuck saw Sarah swaying in her seat as the bluesy ballad was performed and held out his hand. With a smile she accepted and soon found herself in his arms swaying on the dance floor. When the music picked back up again, they reclaimed their seats and enjoyed the band. After the last set was played, they once again returned to the car for their ride home.

"So, what did you think?" Chuck asked as they rode along.

"Of the band?" Sarah looked up at him.

"Sure, the band, the night, all of it," Chuck smiled down at her.

"I really enjoyed all of it," Sarah sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, "The band was amazing. Did you notice how the guitar player, Michael, couldn't take his eyes off of the lead singer?"

"Well he is married to her," He chuckled, "They were the founding members of the band, back when they went by Michael and Meredith."

"That's kinda cool," Sarah agreed, "To be able to do something like that together."

"Yeah, it is," Chuck agreed.

The rest of the ride back to the bed and breakfast was quiet as they sat in quiet contemplation of their night. Upon arriving back at their cottage, they took their time disrobing each other and made love well into the early hours of the morning when they finally drifted off to a peaceful sleep.


Both couples were glad of 1pm check out time the Bed and Breakfast had as none of them had managed to get out of bed until after 11:30. Ellie and Chuck quickly exchanged the clothes that were left behind in each other's units and they all set to work packing up their things and loading them up in their cars. Stopping at a local bistro, they collected the boxed lunches they'd pre-ordered and began their convoy back to Burbank.

With stops for gas and dinner, they did not arrive at Emma's to collect the girls until after 8:30 at night. Both girls were asleep in Emma's guest room when their fathers silently crept in to retrieve them carrying them out to the car as Sarah and Ellie collected their daughters' things and thanked Emma for everything she had done for them before joining their families back in their cars and finishing their drive home.

"I've got her, if you can take care of the bags," Sarah spoke softly so as to not wake the slumbering toddler.

"Okay," Chuck nodded, popping the trunk of the car and grabbing a couple bags, carrying them into the courtyard an on to their condo where he lay the bags just inside the entryway but out of Sarah's way when she entered, a still sleeping Molly in her arms.

By the time Chuck had finished unloading the bags and locked and armed the car, Sarah had settled Molly, who'd woken a little during the transfer to her crib, back to sleep. She was still watching over her daughter when she felt Chuck's presence behind her, "She woke up a little when I was putting her to bed, but she's out now."

"Glad to be home?" Chuck asked quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to her neck where it met her shoulders, feeling her shiver at the contact.

"Mm-hmm," Sarah hummed her agreement, "I missed her so much. Having her here with us, I can't think of anything I would want more."

"I can," Chuck smiled, one arm releasing its hold on her.

Sarah cold feel a slight movement behind her before she saw Chuck's right hand appear, despite the low light in the room, courtesy of the hall light, she could see a small box in his hand. With a flick of his middle and ring fingers, he flipped the lid open one handed revealing a platinum ring with a half eternity setting and a haloed solitaire. She felt her breath hitch and her eyes mist up as emotion overwhelmed her.

"The only way I could see our lives being even more perfect than they are now," Chuck whispered against her ear, "Is if you would make me the happiest man alive and agree to marry me."

"Oh Charlie," She sighed and turned to face him.

Chuck met her eyes and gave her a loving smile as he took her left hand in his own and slowly lowered himself to one knee, "Jenny, I have loved you since he first day I met you nearly ten years ago. I've always known you were special to me and I am so awed and proud of the woman and the mother you have become. Jenny, will you marry me?"

Sarah's joy radiated from her smile as she eagerly nodded, "Yes, Charlie. Oh my God, of course!" Her smile broadened as she watched him gently remove the ring from the box and place it on her left hand.

He kissed her hand and stood, wrapping her up in his arms for a long passionate kiss in celebration. 'Casey was right, all I needed was the girl to make it perfect.' He thought as he lifted his fiancée in his arms and carried her to their room to continue their celebration.


"In case it hasn't been clear the last several months," Chuck spoke softly, breaking the silence as they rested, naked and sated in each other's arms, "And with your blessing, I plan to adopt Molly just as soon as Clavo lets us know that Bryce has signed the parental severance paperwork.

"Of course, you have my blessing," Sarah shifted until she was facing him, "You are and have been her daddy since the day you came back into our lives. She hasn't known any other father in her life. And if I were to have picked any man to be her daddy, you would be it."

"I love you," Chuck beamed up at her, pulling her down to him for a long kiss.

"I love you too," She smiled against his lips before settling back down into the warm embrace of her fiancé's arms, dreams of walking down the aisle and promising to be his forever more filling her mind as she slept peacefully through the night.