Chuck sat in the waiting room for the Akron General Hospital's emergency room, feeling helpless and anxious, occasionally pacing in an attempt to keep calm. Casey and Carina were with him, while Gertrude waited in a secluded spot outside, keeping a watchful eye on the area around the hospital, in case anyone followed them. Sarah had not regained consciousness during their frantic escape and subsequent drive to the hospital, and so far no one from the emergency room had come out to explain what her condition was.

Chuck glanced up at the clock on the wall, and felt a renewed sense of anxiety along with some irritation.

"We've been here for an hour and a half" he grumbled. "We should have heard something by now."

"Chuck, just try to be patient" Carina replied softly.

"It's Walker" Casey added. "She's as tough as they come, I'm sure she'll be fine."

Chuck snorted.

"That's what they say on all the TV shows right before they find out the person died."

"Chuck..." Carina chided him as gently as she could. "Don't start thinking like that, you'll just drive yourself crazy."

"Along with the rest of us" Casey muttered.

Casey pulled his phone out, and after using it for a couple minutes he looked up.

"Well there's at least a bit of good news I can give you: Jill hasn't left your place, and Gertrude says she hasn't seen any sign of trouble, so it looks like we weren't followed."

Carina frowned.

"I don't get it, those goons had us basically dead to rights. Worst case they lose a few guys, but I doubt we would have been able to hold out for too long. So why did they basically just let us go? It makes no sense."

"Maybe once they got a taste of who they were dealing with, they didn't wanna risk it" Casey replied, a note of pride in his voice.

"Casey, you're a master of killing, but I highly doubt getting a look at your face was what sent them running" Chuck responded skeptically.

"Hey don't forget Bartowski, I'm the one who had the entire nation of Costa Gravas terrified of me."

"Yeah, until they nearly killed you and I had to save the day. Don't they basically see you as mother Theresa now?"

"Don't remind me" Casey growled. "You were the one who stole my blood." Then he smiled fondly. "But I have to admit, those were some excellent cigars. I still have a few."

"Perfect, we can smoke them at Sarah's funeral then."

"CHUCK! ENOUGH!" Carina snapped. "That's my friend you're talking about. If you say one more negative word about her condition, I swear I will take you outside and shoot you myself. Do I make myself clear?"

Chuck was taken aback by the intense emotion in Carina's voice. He had never heard her sound so on edge. However, his own emotions were so raw at the moment he still couldn't stop himself from making one more snarky remark.

"Fine. I'm sure Agent Walker will be up and killing bad guys again in no time. I'm sure you'll both be eager to get back to wherever you flew in from. Better?"

Carina's jaw dropped. Even Casey's eyebrows rose in surprise at the cynical tone in Chuck's voice.

"Chuck what the hell is wrong with you?" Carina asked, sounding both angry and concerned.

"Nothing. I'm just being professional. That's what professionals do, right? Tell the blunt truth and shove all emotion aside? At least that's how I understand it."

"Ohhh" Carina reacted, realization dawning on her. Casey looked completely confused, and was also clearly irritated about that fact.

"You and Sarah had a conversation recently, didn't you?"

"Yes Carina, Agent Walker and I had a little chat on the plane, while you were doing who knows what with the pilots. Frankly, I'm a little shocked the plane didn't go into a nosedive. I guess that's what an autopilot is for, right?"

Casey's brows rose again, this time he looked a bit impressed by what he'd heard.

"Chuck, we are going outside" Carina stated firmly. "Now." After seeing the look on his face, she added, "I promise I'm not going to shoot you, but we need to talk."

Carina led Chuck to the parking lot just across from the emergency room entrance. She wanted to give them some privacy, but she also wanted to be close enough for Casey to be able to come out and get them quickly if a doctor or nurse came out with news about Sarah. They ended up standing between two empty parked cars, the entrance still in view.

"Chuck, I know this is a terrible time to have this conversation, but you can't keep acting like this. You're lucky no one else was in that waiting room. If anyone had been in there, they would have heard you basically announcing that we're spies and you're working with us. There's also the fact that you hurt my feelings and disrespected my friend who may well be fighting for her life right now. So I need you to get ahold of yourself, and talk to me about Sarah. Tell me what you two talked about on the plane, if you're okay sharing. You need to open up, and besides, I have a pretty good idea what the gist of the conversation was anyway."

Chuck sighed. At the moment his emotions felt like they were at war with each other. He was angry. Angry at himself, at Sarah, even at Carina, just because she'd scolded him, even though he knew he deserved it. He wanted to yell at anyone who gave him even an inkling of a hard time. He also felt scared. Scared of Sarah dying, scared of what had just happened at the factory, scared of how much he still didn't know about the Overseer. At the same time, he also felt sympathy for Carina, knowing she was probably just as afraid for Sarah as he was, and knowing he'd made things even harder for her now since he'd hurt her feelings and had been quite rude to her on top of it. As if that wasn't enough emotion, he was also heartbroken over his conversation with Sarah. He'd essentially told her he was done with her romantically, he was letting go. That had crushed him. When he'd realized his Sarah was gone, it had felt like part of him had died. That feeling had fed, and was still feeding, into the anger he felt. Maybe he did need to talk. Maybe it would help calm some of the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He sighed again.

"Agent Walker and I..."

"Sarah" Carina interrupted. "Use her name. You sound so cold when you don't."

"Fine." Another sigh. "Sarah and I basically came to the conclusion that our relationship going forward is going to be professional...and nothing else. That was upsetting enough. Then I realized for the first time that Sarah Walker, my wife, isn't here anymore. Do you know what that feels like?"

Carina gently put a supportive hand on Chuck's arm as his eyes became misty and he started to shake a little.

"No, but I almost wish I did, then maybe I'd be able to tell you something that might help you."

Chuck smiled.

"You know that may be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." His smile disappeared and a pained expression replaced it.

"Ever since I came to that realization on the plane, I've felt like I've lost a huge piece of my life. Like someone took a chunk out of my heart. I don't feel whole anymore. It hurts. It also makes me angry. Really angry! I almost wish Quinn was still alive so I could kill him myself! It's his fault this happened! But that son of a bitch is dead and buried so I don't have anyone to focus this anger on! I just keep feeling angrier and angrier!"

Chuck suddenly realized his voice had gotten louder and louder to the point where he was now shouting instead of talking. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

"I'm also scared, both from what we just went through, and because I don't know if Ag...if Sarah's gonna to be alright or not. I feel helpless, like I have no control over anything in my life right now. Look, I know I shouldn't have snapped at you the way I did Carina, it was awful of me, and I feel terrible about it. But I'm so messed up in the head right now that at the same I'm trying to apologize, I also want to yell at you for yelling at ME. You said something so nice to me and I'm still angry, that is not normal!"

Carina gave his arm a gentle squeeze.

"That part I can understand, Chuck. None of this is normal. What you're going through, I can't even imagine how overwhelming it must feel. I'm having a hard time keeping my composure and I'm not dealing with nearly as much as you are. I know you didn't mean to lash out at me. To be honest, I kind of guessed your conversation with Sarah was a big part of it."

"Yeah, you realized pretty quickly that Sarah and I had had a significant conversation. I know you're good, but how the heck did you figure that out?"

Now it was Carina who took a deep breath.

"Chuck, I don't want to make you angry again, but Sarah and I talked about you before we came back to Burbank. I asked her how she was going to handle seeing you again, and she basically told me what she told you, that she was going to be professional and that that was where she was going to draw the line."

Chuck let out a breath.

"I get it" he replied. "You two are friends, it makes sense you'd want to make sure she was going to be okay coming back. I also get why you didn't say anything to me. Honestly it was probably better that Sarah and I talked it out in person anyway."

"Thank you for understanding" Carina replied, visibly relieved, but then her demeanor became serious "But there's something else you should know."

"There's more? You know they might wanna reserve a bed for me in there because I'm probably headed for a heart attack at this rate"

"Chuck, Sarah is starting to remember some things."

Chuck froze, not quite believing what he'd just heard.

"I'm sorry, I think I just had a stroke. Did you say Sarah is remembering things?

"Nothing major, just little bits and pieces, and unfortunately nothing about you. At first we thought she was maybe hallucinating or something, until she remembered something I recognized. Then I realized what was happening. I thought you should know."

Chuck didn't dare to let himself hope that maybe his Sarah wasn't gone forever. If he did and was wrong, he knew it would be devastating. Nevertheless, he felt some of his anger and feelings of helplessness ebbing away. He opened his mouth to speak but before he had a chance to ask Carina what Sarah had been able to remember, Casey's voice boomed out from the emergency entrance.

"Hey! Get over here! A doctor just came out and has news! Thought you might want to hear it with me if you aren't too busy!"

Chuck's heart was pounding in his ears as he walked over to the middle-aged female doctor holding a clipboard, who was waiting for them. Casey and Carina stood on either side of him, creating a small circle, with Chuck on one side and the doctor on the other.

"I assume all three of you are here for Sarah Walker?"

"Yes" Carina replied. "How is she?"

Chuck held his breath, feeling desperate to know, but also afraid to find out.

The doctor looked down at her clipboard for a moment, then back up.

"Ms. Walker has sustained a pretty severe concussion. We did a CT scan and an MRI of her head, there was no sign of a fracture in her skull, and no cranial bleeding. She is currently resting comfortably. She did not regain consciousness while she was examined and treated, but her vitals are good and there is no indication that there is any risk of a coma. She needs rest, and she has been given an IV to provide her with fluids, medications for pain and something to help her sleep. She likely will not wake until the medication wears off, which is good because sleep is the best thing for her right now. We are going to keep her overnight for observation and I will allow only one visitor with her at a time until she wakes. You can switch visitors at any time, that won't be a problem, but only one person should be in her room with her besides hospital staff. I don't want her disturbed until she's had as much sleep as she can manage."

All three nodded their agreement and Carina offered to visit Sarah, and text Chuck and Casey updates if there were any.

"I don't want you to have to stay all night" Chuck told her. "I'll come and relieve you at, say, 3 or 4 in the morning so you can get some sleep and then you can come back later when you're feeling fresh. Sound alright?"

Carina nodded.

"I'll text you when I'm ready for you to come take over."

"Alright, I'll see you later then. Casey, Gertrude, and I will arrange for where we'll stay tonight and I'll let you know the details."

As Carina followed the doctor to Sarah's room and Chuck and Casey walked out, Casey turned to Chuck with a wry smile on his face.

"See Bartowski? Told you she'd be fine."

Gertrude insisted on staying at the hospital in cover. There was still no sign that anyone had followed them there, but they agreed having a lookout was the prudent move to make. Casey agreed to take over when Chuck and Carina swapped out. Once that was settled, Casey and Chuck searched for nearby hotels and found a reasonable place just a few miles away. They booked three rooms, using phony identification as a precaution. Chuck and Carina would have their own rooms and Casey and Gertrude would share. Not being certain how long Sarah would be in the hospital for, they booked their rooms for three nights. They both went straight to their rooms with minimal conversation so they could get in as much sleep as they could before they were due back at the hospital.

Chuck lay in his hotel bed, feeling physically and mentally drained, but unable to fall asleep. He was relieved Sarah was going to be okay, but everything else that had happened still weighed heavily on him. He spent time mentally going over his conversations with Sarah and Carina, and checking the cameras at his house. Since it was two hours earlier back in California, Jill was still up. He watched her for a little bit as she rummaged around his kitchen making something to eat, then moved into the living room and settled in to watch a movie. Chuck couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing, wishing he could be having a simple night like that. For a brief moment Chuck considered what it would be like to be back together with Jill, then quickly pushed the thought from his mind. There was too much history and mistrust to even entertain that kind of thinking. Chuck put his phone away, suddenly uncomfortable with watching Jill, and tried to sleep. As he finally dozed off, one of the last thoughts he had, was of the mysterious flash he had experienced at the factory right before the ambush.

Chuck awoke several hours later to the beeping of his phone. After a moment of disorientation he remembered he had set the phone to constantly beep if he received a text. He clumsily grabbed it in the dark and read the text. Sure enough, it was Carina.

I'm ready to swap out. Sarah is still asleep. Let me know when you're on your way.

Chuck groggily pulled himself out of bed, called Casey to let him know Carina had contacted him, took a quick shower both to clean and wake himself up, got dressed, and made his way to the lobby, where Casey was already waiting.

"What kept you Bartowski? Makeup needed touching up?" Casey asked as Chuck approached.

Chuck gave Casey a sarcastic smile as he passed by him and kept walking. Casey followed Chuck to the car and in no time they had reached the hospital. Casey dropped Chuck off at the main entrance, then left to relieve Gertrude. Chuck walked up to the reception desk, and the young woman sitting there.

"How can I help you sir?" she asked.

"I'm here to see a patient, Sarah Walker. I'm actually relieving a visitor currently with her."

The woman turned her attention to the computer in front of her, pressed a few keys on the keyboard, and informed Chuck that Sarah was on the 5th floor. She gave him a visitor pass and directions to her room. A few minutes later Chuck was opening the door to the room Sarah was in, and waving to get Carina's attention without making any noise. Carina was sitting in a reclining chair next to Sarah's bed. On the opposite side of the bed was the IV machine and various other pieces of medical equipment currently monitoring Sarah's vitals.

Carina looked up, noticing Chuck's wave. She smiled and stood up quietly. She gestured for Chuck to step out in the hallway so they could talk.

"How is she doing" Chuck asked in a low voice once they were outside the room.

"She hasn't stirred but the nurse who's been checking in on her periodically says that's normal. She probably won't wake up for quite awhile yet. I hope you brought something to do, because otherwise you might be bored. That chair in there isn't bad, but it's not designed for sleeping. I couldn't get comfortable enough to doze off for even a few minutes."

Chuck held up a book he'd been carrying.

"Brought it with me in case I needed it on the plane. Guess it'll come in handy after all."

"Let me guess, romance novel?" Carina asked, just as a nurse walked by, causing the nurse to glance at Chuck, looking like she was about to laugh.

"Spy thriller actually, but thanks for that" Chuck replied with an embarrassed smile.

"What can I say, you're easy to mess with" Carina teased. "Alright well I need a bed, a shower, and a change of clothes. Did you guys manage to find a decent place to stay?"

"Yeah we found a decent hotel. You got your own room since I heard you're the world's worst roommate."

Carina replied with a shocked but amused smile.

"What?" Chuck asked. "You think I don't know how to mess with someone? News flash Carina, I trained under Sarah Walker, I can go toe to toe with you anytime, any place."

Carina looked impressed.

"Anyway, Gertrude will be picking you up at the main entrance and taking you to the hotel. You're both checked in already and Casey gave your room key to Gertrude so you can just go right to your rooms."

"Thanks Chuck, let me know if anything changes before I get back. I'm hoping to be back in about 5 or 6 hours, long enough to get a passable amount of sleep."

"Sounds good, see you then."

Chuck had settled into the recliner, but his book sat in his lap. His focus right now was on Sarah. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her since he'd sat down. She looked so peaceful. There was a gauze pad covering the area where the metal pipe had struck her head, and the ace bandage holding it in place that was wrapped around the rest of her head made it look like she was wearing a sweatband from the 80s, but aside from that, the oxygen tube in her nose, and IV in her arm, she looked like she was just sleeping.

Chuck had to resist the urge to reach out and brush her hair with his thumb. He had been so angry with her, and ready to cut her out of his life. But sitting here, he felt a rush of emotion to take care of her. He sort of felt like her husband again.

I miss this feeling he thought. He decided he would enjoy the feeling for the night, because he knew there was a very good chance it would be the last time he'd feel it.

Chuck must have dozed off because before he knew it, he was squinting into the sunlight coming in from the room's window as someone shook his arm.

"Chuck, hey, wake up."

Chuck looked up and saw Carina standing over him. He glanced at Sarah and saw she was still asleep. He pulled the lever that put the recliner back together and as he straightened he had to clench his teeth at the sudden unexpected ache in his back. The look of pain must have shown because Carina immediately reached out a hand to help him stand.

"I can't believe you fell asleep in that chair" she whispered.

"I'm regretting it, believe me" Chuck groaned back, trying to keep his voice as quiet as he could.

He slowly made his way out of the room. Carina followed him into the hall.

"Why don't you head back to the hotel for a bit" she suggested. "I'll call you if you're not back when she wakes up."

Chuck agreed, eager to stretch out his sore back on the soft mattress in his room.

Chuck was awoken again by his phone. He glanced at the clock by the bed and saw he'd managed about three hours of sleep. His back felt better, though still stiff as he sat up. He picked up his phone and saw it was Carina calling.

"Hey Chuck, good news, Sarah's awake!"

"That's great news Carina, I'll get Gertrude and we'll head straight over" he replied.

"Great, see you soon. Make sure you let Casey know too. He's still on watch, right?"

"Far as I know" Chuck replied.

As soon as Chuck hung up he grabbed what he needed and walked to Gertrude and Casey's room. He knocked and after a moment Gertrude answered. She had clearly been awake for a bit.

"Carina just called, Sarah's awake" he told her.

"Great news. Let's not waste any time then. I'll call Casey on the way if you haven't already."

Chuck, Gertrude, and Casey sat in a small waiting area down the hall from Sarah's room. Doctors were about to clear her for multiple visitors, they just had a couple of minor tests to run first now that she was awake. After a few minutes of silent waiting, Carina entered the waiting room, a smile on her face that Chuck couldn't quite read.

"Sarah has been cleared for everyone to visit" she announced. "But first..." her attention now focused solely on Chuck, "She'd like to see her husband."

Her husband Chuck thought to himself. Probably won't be for much longer. Gotta keep the cover up though.

He got to his feet and followed Carina down to Sarah's room. The door was open but as Chuck entered, Carina closed it, leaving him alone with Sarah. He looked through the door window at Carina, a quizzical look on his face. She just gave him that odd smile again and walked off.

"Hey Chuck."

Chuck turned around to see Sarah sitting up in her bed. The oxygen tube was no longer in her nose but the IV and gauze pad/wrap remained. She was still wearing her hospital gown but now her hair fell freely below her shoulders, the ace bandage had been re-wrapped over her hair, allowing it to do so. Chuck couldn't help thinking for the thousandth time or so that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"You look good" he said. "For having had a metal pipe hit you in the head I mean" he added, not wanting to make things awkward.

"Thanks" Sarah replied. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Well its not exactly my best hospital look but at least this time I'm not dressed like I just came from a battlefield." Chuck joked, remembering the time he'd been in a hospital delivering Sarah an antidote just in time, dressed like a Russian soldier.

"I thought the camo looked good on you"

"Well it was definitely a pretty big change from the Nerd Herd uniform. I can only imagine what Ellie thought."

"I'm sure she was happy to see anything that wasn't the Nerd Herd uniform. She didn't exactly make it a secret that she hated you staying in that job."

"That's probably why she wasn't more upset when she found out I was the Interse-" Chuck stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide. Sarah was smiling.

Chuck walked slowly to her side, hardly daring to breathe. He sat down on the side of the bed and looked deeply into her eyes. What he saw took his breath away.

Sarah met his gaze, her eyes locked with his. But it wasn't Agent Sarah Walker he saw in her eyes. The Sarah he saw looking back at him was his Sarah.

"Chuck" she said softly. The way she said his name. The tone of her voice. Chuck's mind was reeling. Sarah placed her hand tenderly on his cheek. He closed his eyes, drinking in the moment. He also found himself afraid to open them again, fearing this was all a dream.

"Chuck I want you to know, you're still a gift. You've always been a gift. You're my Chuck."

Chuck opened his eyes to find Sarah still looking at him, a tear from her left eye slowly trickling down her cheek. The moment was too much. Chuck grabbed Sarah's cheeks with his hands and pulled her face towards his. His lips crashed into hers and it felt like the earth itself moved. The kiss was an explosion. All the pent up pain, angst, anger, loss, and loneliness he had felt was blasted into nothingness. Sarah deepened the kiss, and Chuck knew without a doubt it was Sarah. Her kiss was the one he'd become so familiar with over the years. It felt like home, and he never wanted it to end. He had his Sarah back.

A short time earlier

Sarah Walker opened her eyes and almost immediately shut them again. Everything was so bright it hurt her eyes. She moaned. Then she heard movement next to her.

"Sarah?"

Sarah recognized Carina's voice immediately.

"Carina...what's going on? Where am I?"

"It's so good to hear your voice again. Sweetie you're in the hospital. You took a pretty nasty blow to the head from a metal pipe. Do you remember that?"

Sarah thought for a moment as she tested opening her eyes ever so slightly. It was bright but not painful, and she slowly began to adjust and open her eyes wider Once she was able to comfortably open her eyes fully, she turned to Carina.

"I remember the factory. We were pinned. I had to lay flat to stay out of sight. I remember seeing Casey and Chuck..." her voice trailed off. Something was different. She remembered seeing Chuck, and she remembered the memory of her first real kiss with Chuck popping into her head for some reason just before that. She thought back to Chuck again, and suddenly it felt like she was seeing the memory through two very different minds. She remembered looking at him as someone she barely knew, which felt very strange because she did know him. She thought back to the day they'd sat on the beach in Burbank and she'd asked Chuck to tell her their story. As she remembered some of the things he'd told her, she realized she was able to remember experiencing them herself. She didn't just think she remembered things, she knew. She now realized she had a LOT of memories she was able to recall. It was a strange sensation. The memories were there and felt like they'd always been there. They came to her as easily as the memories she hadn't lost in the first place. She decided to put it to a test and turned to Carina, who was watching her very intently.

"Carina, do you remember my wedding?"

Carina frowned, obviously confused about the seemingly random question.

"Yes, what does that have to do with the factory?"

"Never mind the factory for a minute. Do you remember Chuck and I using twist-ties at the ceremony instead of rings?"

"Yeah, you told me it was a special little secret between you and Chuck. Why does it matter that I remember it?"

"Because I do."

"Wait, what?"

"I remember my wedding. I wanted to be sure I wasn't just imagining it. I remember it."

Carina's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. For the first time since Sarah had known her, she was completely speechless.

"That's not all" Sarah added.

"Uh...ok...wh...um...what else do you remember?"

"I remember Burbank, I remember the Wienerlicious and Orange Orange, I remember Casey...and I remember my husband."

Sarah's eyes were sparkling with excitement and wonder, and she was smiling in a way Carina hadn't seen her smile in far too long.

"I wanna see Chuck. But don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise."

"Sarah this is huge, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let me get a doctor to examine you first" Carina replied. "Then I'll call Chuck."

The neurologist who examined Sarah seemed fascinated by the return of her memories. With Carina's help, he tested Sarah's memory on a variety of things. They determined, based on what they were able to test, that though there were some things still missing, Sarah had indeed recovered the majority of her memories. When Carina asked the doctor what could have caused it to happen, he told them he couldn't be certain, but that the likeliest reason was the massive blow to the head. Since Sarah had started remembering pieces after a smaller hit to the head, the major blow she'd suffered was the likeliest culprit for the rest. However, he made sure to emphasize it was only a theory, and he strongly emphasized that Sarah shouldn't try intentionally hitting her head in the future as a method of memory recovery, as it would almost certainly do more harm than good.

After going over Sarah's post-hospital care instructions, the doctor left, saying he would be sending in a couple nurses to do a few more tests, and after that, Sarah would be cleared to have additional visitors. While they waited, Sarah asked if Carina could send in Chuck first when everyone else arrived so she could surprise him in private. Carina loved the idea. As two nurses entered, introduced themselves, and explained what they were going to be doing, Carina's phone buzzed. She checked it, then looked up excitedly.

"They're here."

Present Time

"So Walker, you're telling me when you came back with that empty head, all I needed to do to fix you was pistol whip you a few times?" Casey asked with a smirk.

Sitting on Sarah's hospital bed, she and Chuck were inseparable. He had his arm gently around her waist, her arms were wrapped around his chest and her head (the uninjured side) rested on his shoulder. She smiled.

"Something tells me it wouldn't have been that simple."

"Personally I don't care how it happened, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that I have my wife back, she's healthy, and that I'm not dreaming" Chuck said happily.

"Imagine if this actually was a dream, and you're about to wake up in a few minutes" Carina replied with a teasing grin.

"That is not funny" Chuck answered, his face suddenly serious. "I refuse to even entertain that thought."

"Well, just to be sure..." Carina replied mischievously, getting up and walking over to Chuck. She gave him a quick punch in the arm.

"Oww!" Chuck exclaimed, looking down at the spot that had just been punched. "You could've just pinched me!"

"I would've gone for the face myself" Casey commented, giving Carina a look of approval.

The hospital determined Sarah did not need to stay for a second night, so she was discharged later that day with instructions to follow up with her own doctor within a week, and to seek immediate treatment if she experienced any of the symptoms listed on the discharge paperwork they provided her. Chuck drove everyone back to the hotel, where they arranged to have their stay reduced from 3 nights to 2, with the plan being to fly back to Burbank the next day. Before they'd left the hospital Chuck had made sure to ask the neurologist if it was ok for Sarah to fly, and was assured that it was safe based on all the tests and scans that had been run. He was eager to get her home to rest and recuperate for a bit before they planned what they were going to do next regarding the Overseer.

In the meantime, everyone just wanted to spend the evening relaxing in their hotel rooms, so they ordered a rather large amount of food from a nearby restaurant since no one had eaten in quite some time, and when it arrived they each grabbed their share and retreated to their respective rooms.

Chuck couldn't help but smile as he watched Sarah devour her food. Sarah looked up, mouth full of food, and noticed his grin. After a few moments of chewing and swallowing, she gave him a confused smile in return.

"Are you amused by the fact I'm eating like a pig right now? In my defense I'm starving, and it's really good."

Chuck's smile widened.

"Not at all, I'm just enjoying the moment. I'm spending a wonderful evening alone with my wife, and I just wish I could freeze time, because it's been so long since I've been this happy. So eat like a pig, a cow, a rabbit, I don't care. I have you and that's enough for me."

Sarah smiled. It was the smile that always gave Chuck butterflies in his stomach. The smile he'd ached to see again for so long. He couldn't resist leaning across the table to kiss her. She leaned over almost simultaneously, meeting him in a passionate kiss that took the breath away from both of them.

After eating, while Chuck cleaned up, Sarah found her bag that Chuck had brought in for her and pulled out some clothes to sleep in. She wanted to feel comfortable and cozy, so she settled on a white cotton cami and a pair of light pink pajama pants. As she pulled off her clothes to change, she heard a sharp intake of breath and turned to find Chuck staring at her.

"What?" she asked with a grin, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"It's been a long time since you've..."

"Changed in front of you?" Sarah finished for him. "Chuck I'm your wife, it's not like there's anything I need to hide, or that you haven't seen plenty of already."

Chuck's blush made Sarah giggle.

"Are you messing with me?" he asked in a mock serious tone.

Sarah didn't answer, she just continued undressing, while maintaining eye contact with him and smiling coyly.

Chuck's eyes never left her, and when the last article of clothing had been removed, she watched him gulp as he took in the sight of her. Of all of her.

"Chuck, it's not like this is your first time seeing me naked, yet you're acting like you're watching me through a peephole or something. Don't get me wrong I think it's cute, but I don't want cute to turn into awkward."

As Sarah slid on her pajama pants, Chuck seemed to realize how he was acting.

"Sorry Sarah, its just...its been a long time. This is a lot to take in all at once. It was just a day ago that I was mentally preparing myself to move on from you forever. Now we're here, and it's like some kind of emotional whiplash."

Sarah finished dressing and walked over to Chuck, putting her arms around his waist.

"Chuck I know we have a lot we need to talk about. A lot of catching up to do. And I get that this has to be a lot on you right now. But I love you, and I'm here for you, and if there's anything I can do to help, just ask. My answer is always going to be yes."

Chuck gently kissed her forehead and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"And here I thought I was the one supposed to be taking care of you."

Sarah leaned up and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Chuck smiled, then looked at her clothes.

"You know, it's a little early for bed isn't it?"

"I'm not planning on sleeping yet. I thought maybe we could cuddle on the bed, maybe watch some TV."

Chuck smiled again.

"I like your thinking, just give me a minute to change and I'll meet you on the bed.

Sarah walked over to the bed but stopped before she reached it. She turned around and watched Chuck strip down to his boxers before donning a pair of drawstring flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt. As he tied off the drawstring he noticed she was watching him.

"Now who's the one peeping?" he asked with a grin.

Sarah didn't react except to run her eyes up and down his figure.

"Why aren't you on the bed? I thought you wanted to cuddle."

"Eventually" Sarah replied, her voice hinting at something.

Chuck walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So what else did you have in mind?"

Sarah grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Well it occurred to me that we haven't spent time together as husband and wife in quite awhile" she purred as she reached down and slowly started to loosen the knot on Chuck's drawstring.

Chuck swallowed, realizing where she was headed.

"Um Sarah, didn't the doctor tell you no strenuous activity for awhile?"

"Yes, so I guess you'll have to do most of the work this time. I promise I'll make it worth it" she replied suggestively.

Chuck lay in bed, feeling both very happy and a bit confused. He was holding Sarah in his arms, her head on his chest and her arms and legs wrapped around him. She was asleep. On the one hand he'd been dreaming of having Sarah in his arms again for so long, that he wouldn't let go of her right now for anything. On the other hand, his emotions had been through the ringer over the last day or so. He'd gone from fighting to keep her in his life, to realizing she was likely gone and he'd have to let her go, to now having her back. He hadn't been exaggerating when he'd told Sarah it felt like emotional whiplash. He knew they'd have time to talk on the plane, and they'd have all the time they wanted back in Burbank when they got home.

Home

The thought made Chuck smile. They really were going home. Back to their home. Not just his home. The thought brought tears to his eyes. There would be bumps in the road, no doubt, but they were together again. For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, he didn't feel empty. He wasn't alone. He impulsively squeezed Sarah a little bit, relishing the feel of her body against his. He must have squeezed just enough to wake her, because she picked her head up and looked up at him.

"You ok?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah" he whispered. "Just thinking about you."

"Good thoughts I hope" she whispered back with a smile.

"I'm just so happy to have you back. You're my Sarah."

"You're still my Chuck."

A/N: I know this may not be how some of you saw this happening, but it was actually my plan from the start. I re-wrote a few parts multiple times hoping to keep things from sounding too cheesy. Anyway, the next chapter will be heavy CHARAH but it won't be ALL fluff. They will be addressing issues they encounter as they re-connect. The action will return and there's plenty of story still to go but for the next chapter, Romance takes center stage! Hope you liked this chapter and the story so far! Thanks for all the positive feedback, it means a lot to me! I also pay attention to the ideas and suggestions and sometimes I'm even able to incorporate them, so thank you for that as well! Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter!