A/N: In celebration of 13 years of Chuck, I wanted to post something as homage. I didn't have any chapters of my current stories ready, so I dusted off something I've been working on here and there. Of my unpublished stories, this one is the most light-hearted, which seemed more fitting of a celebration. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.
Chapter 1
"Excuse me. I'm a little lost and my GPS doesn't seem to be working out here. I'm looking for … Villa di Solo. Have you heard of it?" she asked in Italian, placing her sunglasses on top of her head. The older woman stopped her sweeping to admire the tall, statuesque blonde looming over her. Pondering the question, her brow furrowed.
"Villa assolo?" The woman asked, looking perplexed. Sarah held up her finger, indicating to wait just a moment as she dug her cell phone from her purse. Thumbing through some apps, she pulled up a picture and showed it to the woman. Squinting, she pulled Sarah's hand closer to her face for a better look. After a brief moment realization must have struck as her eyes and mouth flew open.
"AH! 'Solo'," she exclaimed with recognition, her face lighting up. "Yes! Yes. At the top of the hill," she declared, turning to point at the winding dirt road that continued over her shoulder. "You must be the American. Walker?" Sarah was a little taken aback, but nodded.
"That's right. Sarah. Sarah Walker," she said, offering her hand. The woman accepted it, shaking it firmly.
"Giulia Lastra. We spoke on the phone a few days ago. But please, call me Giulia. Your Italian is quite good. I'm very impressed." The older woman opened the door to the small grocery, placing the broom inside and dusting off her slacks.
"Thank you. I traveled extensively for my previous job. I picked up a number of languages," Sarah replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable speaking of her past.
"Fascinating. Well, let me get the key and I'll ride up with you." Giulia went behind the counter, into a back office, where Sarah could hear her rummaging about. While she waited, Sarah perused the shop, taking in the limited variety of prepared foods, in sharp contrast to stores in American. The shelves were largely stocked with homemade jars of canned vegetables, fruits and preserves. There was a surprisingly large selection of wines, along with baked goods and cheeses. Staples, such as coffee, milk, eggs, flour, sugar and oils were available as well, but given they were, literally, in the middle of nowhere, the amount of stock in the store was small. Still, it was nice to know that she wouldn't have to drive thirty minutes to an hour just for eggs.
"All set," Giulia declared as she came out jingling the ancient looking keys. Sarah thought they looked like medieval gate keys of some sort, but didn't make mention of it. Sarah stepped outside and the woman followed, closing the door behind her. When she headed toward Sarah's car, without bothering to lock up her shop, Sarah was shocked.
"Um… aren't you going to lock up? Aren't you afraid that people are going to steal from you while you're gone?" Sarah asked, looking around.
"Pfft. There's hardly anyone for miles, and those that are around would never do such a thing. We work on the honor system. If I'm not here, they leave money for whatever they take." Waving off Sarah's concerns, she got into the passenger seat of the black Porsche Carrera 4 that Sarah had shipped over from DC in advance. Shrugging with bewilderment, Sarah got into the driver's seat and took off in the direction Giulia had indicated.
Driving slowly through the Italian countryside, as her Porsche was not well suited for the rougher terrain of the dirt road, in only a matter of minutes they reached their destination just outside of the small hamlet where she'd stopped for directions. It was probably, at most, a ten to fifteen-minute walk back to the store along the curving road, which she thought might make for a nice stroll later. Stopping in front of the old, rustic stone villa, the women got out of the car and headed for the large, wooden door with aged wrought iron straps and handle. The place appeared to be hundreds of years old but in remarkably good repair. The vines growing over parts of the house made it look even more rustic, giving it a feeling as though it had been accepted by nature, becoming part of the landscape.
"The outside looks beautiful. How old is the villa?" Sarah inquired as Giulia inserted the large key into the door's lock.
"Oh, the hamlet was originally founded nearly six-hundred and forty years ago. The original structures were destroyed in a fire but this villa was rebuilt in 1672, using the same stones from the original buildings. The hamlet has been added to over the years, creating what you see now." Giulia gestured to the surrounding area, where there were other smaller homes. A much larger villa could be seen further up the hill, along with gardens and a variety of other buildings varying in size. They all seemed to date from the same period, or at least were built to look that way.
"Come inside, I'll give you the tour," the older woman beckoned, stepping in through the heavy wooden door. Sarah followed, testing the door as she entered, thoroughly surprised to find that, despite its imposing size, the door swung with ease. Closing the door behind her, Sarah moved through the foyer into the main living space. She stood in wonder as she scanned the room. It was the perfect marriage of modern amenities while still keeping with the old-world charm of the villa. The exposed beam ceilings, plaster walls and stone tile flooring matched well with the more modern, comfortable furnishings. It felt quite warm and inviting. She could envision curling up on the sofa and losing herself in a good book or napping the day away, something she'd never had time for in the past.
"As you can see, this is the main sitting room. Through that archway you can see the formal dining room. The kitchen is through here," Giulia added, gesturing into the next room. Sarah followed, her head on a swivel, trying to take it all in. "The villa has been fully renovated. As you can see, the kitchen is equipped with new appliances, and all the modern conveniences. There is also a full complement of cookware and dishes. The owner insisted that we fully stock the kitchen, so I hope you find that the cupboards and icebox are filled to your liking." Giulia opened the refrigerator and the kitchen cabinets, demonstrating where the food stuffs were located.
Sarah was taken aback but offered her thanks, "Wow! That wasn't necessary, but thank you so much. I have to say, the pictures online don't do this place justice. It's really quite beautiful."
"Thank you. The food was no trouble at all," she remarked, waving off Sarah's thanks. "Through this door is a mud room with a stacked washer and dryer that also has a door leading outside. Down this small hall you'll find a study and a half bath. If you'll follow me upstairs?" Leading the way to the foyer, the older woman climbed the wood and wrought iron staircase to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, a hallway stretched in either direction with a door at each end. Venturing to the left, Giulia opened the door and gestured for Sarah to follow.
"This is the master suite. It was originally two bedrooms, but the two were combined to make room for the attached bathroom." The same decor from downstairs was echoed in the bedroom, the exposed beam ceiling and stone tile flooring throughout. The off-white walls and bed linens sat in sharp contrast to the black of the wrought iron canopy bed. The antique white armoire, chest of drawers and sitting table were accented in wrought iron hardware, bringing the whole room together. It was bright and clean without feeling sterile. Sarah couldn't help but smile, the place feeling more like a home than anywhere she'd ever lived before. Turning to look at Giulia, she caught the woman smiling at her.
"Wait until you see your sanctuary," she grinned, bouncing her eyebrows. Pushing open a set of double doors revealed the master bathroom. A large marble vanity with a framed mirror adorned one wall. The faucets looked new but were vintage reproductions, keeping with the styling of the house. The adjacent wall was covered in marble, with a large soaking tub set within a marble surround. New, unlit candles were placed all around the tub, giving Sarah ideas of long, luxurious soaks by candlelight. Oddly, the faucet was located in the center of the wall, with the polished piping traveling up the wall to a large shower head above. That would account for the wall of glass that separated the tub from the rest of the room, with a sliding glass panel allowing access. It wasn't so ornate as to clash with the rustic style of the house, but rather the colors blended well together, giving a sense of harmony.
"Oh my. It's beautiful. And the tub! It's enormous. I rarely find tubs that are comfortable for me to lounge in, but this one looks perfect," Sarah admitted, looking over the bathroom in wonder.
"Yes, the owner insisted on that when he made the renovations. I'm glad it suits you. This door is for the water closet, offering some additional privacy." Giulia exited the bathroom and Sarah followed after another glance over the room. "At the other end of the hall is a guest room that also has its own bathroom, though it is smaller, with a walk-in shower instead of a tub. It's lovely, but not nearly as grand as yours."
Guilia continued down the stairs with Sarah in tow, taking her to a door that was next to the staircase. When she opened it, Sarah expected to see the precarious steps down to a root cellar full of all manner of dirt and bugs. Instead, there was a similar wooden staircase leading down, with finished walls and ceiling, much like the rest of the house. A flick of the light switch just inside the door provided ample lighting.
"Wow. I did not expect that," Sarah confessed. Giulia chuckled, starting down the stairs.
"You'll find that the owner has surprising tastes." At the bottom of the stairs there was a small hall with a door to the left and right, much like the second floor. Opening the door to the left, Sarah gasped in surprise. Inside was a workout room, complete with nautilus equipment, free weights and a large padded mat for various floor exercises. A large heavy punching back hung from the ceiling of the far corner. A large screen television was mounted on the wall in front of the treadmill and stair climber, offering some entertainment while working out. There was also a massage table setup near one wall, away from all the equipment. This place was like heaven.
"If you don't mind me saying, you seem to be quite fit. I suspect you'll make good use of this space," the woman grinned, giving Sarah a moment to drool over the space. "There is a door against that wall that leads to the house's mechanicals. There may be occasions where maintenance staff will need to come down here to gain access," she informed Sarah, gesturing to the door in question.
'Now… for the piece de resistance," Giulia continued, stepping back into the hallway. Waiting for Sarah at the opposite end of the small hallway, the older woman opened the door with a flourish, allowing Sarah to peer in. Sarah choked when she stepped inside. Before her was a small antechamber containing a high counter with a small sink at one end. On the wall opposite the door were wrought iron gates, through which she could see a room lined with wooden shelves, filled with easily more than one hundred bottles of wine.
"This is the villa's dedicated wine cellar. You'll find a number of bottles in the wine racks in the kitchen, but this is the primary storage. You'll find bottles from around the world, but in large part, these wines are produced in this region or neighboring regions. You are welcome to any that you like. If you run out of a variety you enjoy, just let the caretaker know and she'll have replacements ordered for you."
"Caretaker?" Sarah asked, looking over her shoulder at Giulia, who was still standing behind her.
"Yes, Miss Walker. The rental comes with twenty-four-hour maintenance, and a caretaker to clean the house and perform any chores that you may require. If you'd like, we could have someone cook your meals for you as well."
"No. No, that won't be necessary. Though the cleaning, that I wouldn't object to. How much do they charge per week for their services?" Sarah asked, turning to face the other woman.
"As I said, their services are included within the price of the rental. There is no extra charge," she reiterated, waving her hands dismissively.
"How can you afford to rent this beautiful place for so little and not charge for extra services? You must be really hard up for guests," Sarah chuckled.
"On the contrary. We are very selective about our guests. We have a quiet, peaceful community and only accept guests that we feel will be a good … fit." Sarah thought about that for a moment. She had been drawn to the peace and quiet promised in their rental advertisement. So far, they have lived up to their end of the bargain. In fact, with the exception of Giulia, she hadn't seen another living soul, which seemed rather odd.
Following Giulia back upstairs to the kitchen, the older woman wrote some information down on a small notepad. "Sofia, she's the caretaker, she'll be here every morning at seven o'clock. Sundays are her day off, so you will be on your own then. She is a bit hard of hearing and very set in her ways. Best to just smile and nod a lot. It's better for everyone that way," she confessed with a wry smile. "If there is anything that needs fixing or you have any trouble with the electronics in the house, just let Sofia know and she can have someone take care of it. OH! I forgot. The whole house, including the basement and outside patio, have WIFI. The televisions are all set up for streaming services, plus local stations as well." She wrote some more notes on the notepad and then slid it across the counter toward Sarah.
"That is the WIFI password. Now, Sofia does not have a phone, so if something needs attending to when she is not her, you can call me. I left my name and number on the bottom." Checking her watch, Giulia winced, hissing through her teeth.
"I'm so sorry. I really must be going. It was lovely to meet you, Miss Walker."
"Sarah. Please."
"Ah. Sarah. Well, like I said, it's Sunday, so Sofia is off, but she will be here in the morning. If you have any troubles, please call me." Waving her goodbye, the older woman left the villa, heading further up the hill, toward the other buildings in the small hamlet. Taking an appreciative look at the grounds outside the front of the house, Sarah then closed the large front door. Leaning her back against it, she sighed in relief. She'd longed for someplace to call home for so long and it finally felt like she may have found it. Granted, she was only renting it for the time being, if things worked out maybe she could convince the owner to sell. Pushing that thought aside for now, she pushed herself off of the door and wandered around the villa, admiring the attention to detail in the architecture and the simple yet elegant decorations.
A set of French doors led out to a stone patio with a raised fire pit and comfortable outdoor seating. A flagstone walkway led through the yard and branched off in three directions. One led to a small gate in the hedgerow at, what she assumed, was the edge of the property. A second stopped at a small stone building, twelve feet square, with a chimney along one side. Surprisingly, there were small curls of smoke drifting from the chimney, showing that, whatever it was, it was functional. The third leg of the flagstone path led to a small barn which looked as though it had been converted into a garage, with dark wood door panels and wrought iron accents to match the style of the villa. The structure itself was stone and mortar, just like the other buildings in the hamlet, so it offered modern function without sacrificing aesthetics. She realized now that there was a gravel drive that passed through an arch alongside the villa that led to the garage. She'd make use of that after unloading her luggage.
Looking over the neighboring properties, there were tall stone walls and thick hedgerows separating the various parcels, much like one would expect in a neighborhood. However, she noticed that there appeared to be gates that allowed for easy passage between all of the yards. There were also small foot paths between the walls and hedgerows, an intricate network that likely made walking from place to place all that much faster. She imagined that it also fostered a greater sense of community between the neighbors that lived in this hamlet.
A short distance away she could see a white-haired woman beating a rug with a broom as it hung from a clothesline. She'd never really had time to stop and observe ordinary people on her travels. There was something so domestic and honest about the act of keeping your home clean that struck her. She'd lived out of hotel rooms or company apartments for most of her life, so the idea of cleaning and maintaining a "place" was a novel concept. Giulia had mentioned that the caretaker would handle the cleaning, but perhaps she could take on some of those tasks herself. Sarah felt like it might help her "bond" with the villa, make her feel more connected to it. Sighing with contentment, she walked back into the villa, hugging herself with a smile on her face.
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"GAH!" Sarah growled in frustration. She had been looking forward to soaking in her tub, surrounded by candles and bubbles. As luck would have it, there was no hot water in the house. Wrapped in her silk robe, she went down to the basement to look in the mechanical room in hopes that it might be something simple. When she opened the door she was taken aback. Everything looked brand new and high tech. She recognized a rack mounted on one wall with network equipment and bundles of wires connecting to it. On the adjacent wall, blue and red hoses ran to various manifolds, but she couldn't make heads or tails of it. She couldn't even find anything that looked like a water heater. Frustrated, she stormed back upstairs and into the kitchen.
Finding the notepad Giulia had left, she took it upstairs with her to get her cell phone. Plopping down on the bed, she retrieved her phone from the nightstand and began to dial the number. She realized it was after nine o'clock and felt bad for calling at this hour, but she really needed some hot water if she had any hopes of sleeping comfortably tonight. Sighing with resignation she placed the call and waited for an answer.
"Hello. Giulia? This is Sarah. Sarah Walker? I'm sorry to be calling so late, but I didn't know who else to call."
"No. Of course. I told you to call if you needed anything. What seems to be the trouble?"
"There is no hot water in the house. None. I thought I could turn it on myself, but I couldn't make any sense of that mechanical room," Sarah admitted, huffing in frustration.
"Oh, I see. It's hard to take a bath with no hot water, huh?" Giulia asked. Sarah could hear the wry smile in her voice but ignored it. "I'll have someone stop over right away."
"Thank you, Giulia. You're a lifesaver."
"Oh, please. It's nothing. However, the man that will be stopping by, he doesn't speak Italian. I hope that won't be a problem." Sarah could sense a con a mile away. She could hear the grin in her voice, so Sarah suspected that there was some sort of hazing going on. Having a laugh at the new girl's expense. Let it never be said that Sarah Walker couldn't take a joke. Well, the 'new' Sarah Walker, at least.
"I'm sure it will be fine. I speak many languages besides Italian. I think we'll manage." Sarah couldn't help but let a little bit of that same wry smile slip into her voice too. The women said their goodbyes and Sarah put her clothes back on, not wanting to parade around in just her robe with a strange man in the house.
Less than ten minutes later, Sarah heard a rapping at the front door. When she reached the door, she took a cleansing breath, preparing herself for the worst. Pulling the door open she was surprised to see a tall, young man standing there. He looked to be about her age, dark curly hair, a trimmed beard and light brown eyes; hazel perhaps. He was dressed in a faded t-shirt, so covered in paint and stains that the logo was illegible. Worn, paint spotted jeans and a pair of Converse tennis shoes, which looked to have been black in another life, completed his ensemble. When she returned her gaze to his eyes she noticed his expression. He looked like a deer in headlights.
"Per favore. Entra," she greeted, gesturing for him to come in. He nodded and stepped inside, holding what looked like a tool bag in one hand.
"Parli italiano?" She asked, but the man just looked uncertain, standing with his tool bag in both hands in front of him.
"No tengo agua caliente," she tried again. Still no response.
"Nie mam ciepłej wody."
"Je n'ai pas d'eau chaude."
Still, he stared at her, with a hesitant smile, clearing having no idea what she was saying. She tried again in Hungarian, Russian and several other dialects from eastern Europe and other Slavic languages and each one fell flat. She sighed in frustration running her hand through her hair.
"I'm… I'm sorry. Those all sound really beautiful, but I have no idea what you're trying to tell me," he confessed, looking apologetic.
"You're American?!" Sarah exclaimed indignantly. The sheepish look on his face and the wince from her shouting made her immediately feel like an ass. "I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't mean to shout. It's my fault. I should have assumed English first. Enough people speak it. I guess I was … I dunno what I was thinking. Anyway… can we start over?" She asked, looking sheepish herself.
He gave a bright smile, one that made his eyes shine. "I'm Chuck," he began, offering his hand, "but most people call me Riccioli. I had to Google it. It means 'curls'," he mused, pointing at his head.
"Yeah. I … I know what it means," Sarah replied, giving him a wry smile.
"Right. Of course," he said, shaking his head, rolling his eyes at himself. "So, you were having some sort of problem?"
"Yeah. Yeah, there's no hot water anywhere in the house. Do you think you can fix it?" she asked, looking hopeful.
"Oh, yeah. Sure thing," he answered, waving her off. He then bent down and placed his hand on the stone floor, feeling around. Sarah looked around, fearing that she must be on some European version of Punk'd.
'What… what are you doing?" she asked quietly, bending down closer to him. He glanced up at her, then back down at the floor, realization hitting him.
"Oh," he chuckled, looking embarrassed. "The floors. I was seeing if they were cold."
"Well, they're stone floors. They're probably going to be cold," she snarked. Immediately she felt like an ass again. Every time she opened her mouth, she seemed to shoot barbs at this 'Chuck' guy. Yes, she was disillusioned with men, but he had done nothing but come to this house in the middle of the night to help her and she was being a class A bi-
"Radiant heating," he interjected, breaking her from her thoughts. Seeing the confused look on her face he continued. "The building out back has a boiler in it. We use wood to heat the boiler, which creates hot water that travels underground and into the house. It's then used for hot water at the taps as well as the radiant heating system throughout the villa. As you mentioned," he added, clearing his throat, "the stone tile floors are cold. When the villa was renovated, radiant heating was installed beneath all the floors. There's an automatic sensor that adjusts the floor temperature based on the ambient temperature outside. In the colder months, the floor temperature is higher which aids in keeping the villa toastier. In the hotter months, the temperature is lowered to help it feel cooler in here, without freezing your toes when you step out of bed or the shower. Annnnnd that was probably way more information that you were looking for. I'm sorry, I tend to ramble when… when I get nervous," he finished, shrugging with a self-deprecating smile.
An awkward silence fell between them and Sarah couldn't think of a thing to say in response. She was honestly captivated by his explanation, not to mention thoroughly impressed. She saw him shake his head, his eyes going wide.
"Hot water! Let me go check it out," he rushed out, practically dashing from the room. She slowly followed, watching him exit the villa through the mud room and down the path toward the small building she'd seen earlier in the day. Curious, she followed outside and stepped up to the opened door of the stone shed. There was a single bulb hanging from the ceiling illuminating the space. At one end was a large steel box with a heavy steel door on the front. What she assumed was an exhaust tub ran into and up the stone chimney that was part of the building. The rest of the space was used for firewood storage. She watched him open the heavy steel door and toss several pieces of wood into the red-hot coals. When he was finished, he latched the door closed and brushed his hand on his pants. When he turned to leave he jumped with a start when he saw her standing in the doorway.
"Wow. I… I wasn't expecting you there. You're… very quiet. Ummm... that's the wood burner and boiler, as I'm sure you guessed. There was still plenty of wood in it from when I filled it this morning, but I added some more to keep it going until tomorrow. Since it was still burning, I suspect that the boiler isn't the issue, but maybe the hot water shutoff valve got turned in the basement. Let me go in and take a look."
Sarah stepped back, allowing him to exit the shed and watched as he closed it up. She found that she liked his kind, unassuming manner, and the goofy smile he had when he was embarrassed was rather cute. Berating herself for having those kinds of thoughts, after finally getting away from her previous problems with men, she shook herself and followed him back into the house.
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"Ah ha! Got it," he exclaimed, coming out of the mechanical room looking triumphant. "The breaker for the pump was turned off. It's always the little things. I'm so sorry. That's completely my fault. Since nobody has been staying here, we weren't using the boiler and I turned the pump off to save it from running for no reason. That's totally on me. I'm so sorry. I … I could cover your next month's rent to make up for the inconvenience," he offered, looking legitimately apologetic.
"What? No! That's completely unnecessary. It was just a small issue. It's not the end of the world. Besides," she added, looking him up and down, "the rent on this place, while reasonable, is still a lot of money. I don't imagine a handyman's wages would cover it." She heard herself after the words came out and she still couldn't believe it. What was the matter with her? Everything out of her mouth was a snide comment or just plain demeaning. This was not who she was, at least she hoped not. Had her job really made her so cruel and callused? Wincing, she huffed in frustration with herself.
"That… that was rude. I'm sorry. I-"
"No. No, it's OK. I get it," he interjected, waving dismissively at her. He looked at his clothes and shrugged. "This isn't exactly Armani," he admitted with a self-deprecating smile. "I'll try to find some way of making it up to you. If there's anything you need, anything at all, just give me a call."
"That's very sweet, thank you. Ummm… I don't think I have your number. Giulia only gave me her number and the name of the caretaker. Sophia, I think it was? But she doesn't have a phone apparently."
"Oh, right. Yeah. Sophia is pretty old school. It wouldn't surprise me if the last phone she used had a hand crank on the side," Chuck joked, chuckling at his own humor. "She's a really great lady though. Doesn't speak any English, but the eye rolls and exasperated sighs she gives me are pretty universal. Don't need a Rosetta stone for that." Chuckling again, he grew quiet for a moment, looking lost in thought. "Oh. Sorry. Let me um…." he patted his shirt and then his pants, searching. "I don't seem to have…" Amused at his awkwardness, Sarah walked to the kitchen and retrieved the notepad with Giulia's instructions. Handing the pad and a pen to Chuck, he nodded appreciatively.
"A notepad. Why didn't I think of that? I should probably carry one of those in my tool bag." He quickly jotted his first name and phone number down on the paper, handing it back to Sarah. "There ya go. I mean it. If you need anything, don't hesitate to text or call. I… I don't sleep a lot, so I'm usually up late. So, don't worry if you need me in the middle of the night." Sarah was taken aback by the statement, and in another time and place, she would have expected that to be a come on. However, the look of pure mortification on Chuck's face immediately set her at ease, biting her cheek to keep from laughing.
"Not… not need me, per se. No, I meant I could service you- off-offer you my services," he choked out, closing his eyes and shaking his head. His cheeks, ears and neck were nearly crimson. Before opening his eyes or saying a word, he just pointed toward the front door. "Before I make an even bigger ass of myself… I'm gonna go." With that, he chanced a glance at Sarah, ducking his head and making his way to the front door. Opening the door and stepping outside, he turned and glanced over his shoulder. She had followed him and was standing in the doorway, one hand on the large wooden door, the other on the doorframe.
"Good night, Miss Walker." Giving a shy smile and a wave, he turned and walked off into the darkness. Sarah watched him go until he disappeared into the night before closing the door.
Sarah headed back upstairs to her bathroom and turned on the hot water, to test if it was indeed working. Within a moment, her tub was filling, bringing a smile to her face. Getting undressed in her bedroom, she padded back to the tub, but stopped halfway when she realized the floor was no longer freezing. It actually felt comfortable to walk on in her bare feet. She chuckled out loud, biting her lip as she remembered Chuck rambling about the radiant heating. Slipping into the tub, she sprawled out, the tub nearly long enough for her to lay down in. It was warm and incredibly comfortable. Surrounded by candlelight, and bubbles up to her ears, she hummed in satisfaction as she soaked her cares away.
A/N2: So, it's a start. I have lots of other irons in the fire, so this likely won't see many updates soon. I just thought it would be nice to post something on this anniversary. Thanks to all of you readers and fellow authors for helping to keep Chuck, Sarah and all the other characters we love (or love to hate) alive for all these years. Here's to many more to come. #WeStillLoveChuck
Joe
