I'm A Believer
A/N: Blame the internet! This was finished and supposed to be posted yesterday, the 13th Chuckversary. It's hard to believe it's been 13 years since the pilot, Chuck vs The Intersect, aired. You might remember that it was also Chuck's birthday - David Carner reminds me it would be his 39th. We first met Chuck at a birthday party Ellie threw for him – a birthday party he tried to escape. All this got me wondering, what would Chuck's 39th birthday party be like. And what would the conversation be like if Chuck spoke in song lyrics. Oh yeah, if you don't know the song, the lyrics are in italics.
I had other plans for this song's story. They weren't very good because I couldn't get past the opening paragraph. Not sure how good this is, but I sure enjoyed writing it.
I don't own the rights to I'm A Believer or Chuck but there's not a trace of doubt in my mind that it would be a blast.
September 24, 2020
A little house with a white picket fence and a red door
Chuck took a sip of his beer, sat back and looked around the table. Morgan and Alex. Casey and Gertrude. Ellie and Devon. Emma and Molly. His Mom Mary. They were all here. Everyone. The people he loved.
His family.
They came to celebrate his 39th birthday.
Chuck smiled as he realized that even though they were all here for him, it was Sarah that made it happen. She called in old favors to track down Mary and Casey from parts unknown and help Ellie and Devon find coverage at the hospital. She convinced Morgan that CI should declare it a holiday and the start of a long and well deserved four day weekend. She tempted Molly with the prospect of being Aunt Molly and watching all the kids. Sarah did all this for him. He couldn't think of a better gift and the smile grew, crinkling his eyes and making them sparkle.
Having Ellie and Devon at the table was the real treat. They surprised him by flying in with the kids from Chicago last night. Ellie said she didn't want to miss his last birthday before having to check off "40 and above" on every survey and Chuck suffered through Devon's good natured ribbing about picking up speed once you are over the hill. He also delighted in playing hide and go seek with Clara and Henry.
Everyone was enjoying the meal, the company and catching up with each other when the conversation shifted to past birthday parties. Ellie teasing about the ones she tried to throw Chuck.
"Ugh. Sarah you wouldn't believe how difficult it was to show my brother some love by throwing him a birthday party. He actually tried to escape the last one by sneaking out the Morgan door."
"That wasn't a birthday party" Chuck snorted "Ellie invited all of her single female doctor friends. It was her version of the Bachelor except set in Echo Park."
"Hey, I was just trying to help you get out of your funk" Ellie shot back "Taking five years to develop a five year plan and only managing to pick out the font was over the top little brother. All I wanted was for you to be happy and maybe find a little love. You know, someone to mend your broken heart." she frowned.
Chuck just winced and shook his head "Yeah, I was in a bad place then. I thought love was only true in fairy tales. Meant for someone else but not for me."
At the other end of the table Morgan's head popped up and he squinted at his friend as he continued.
"You know, Love was out to get me. At least, That's the way it seemed. Disappointment haunted all my dreams."
Smirking, Morgan knew he had to join this conversation.
"That all changed the next day, right buddy? When you first saw Sarah?"
Chuck's smile grew at the memory "That's right Morgan. Then I saw her face, I thought now I'm a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind."
"I knew it. Love at first sight!" Morgan exclaimed, nodding his head up and down like a life size version of a bobble head doll in a 6.2 magnitude earthquake.
"That's right Morgs. I remember thinking I'm in love. I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried."
Devon was listening to the two friends closely and watching their back and forth, a confused look on his face. "It feels like I've heard this somewhere before." he said to no one in particular.
Ignoring him, Morgan plowed on "Jill really did a number on him." nodding toward his friend.
"Well yeah, well what did I know about love?" Chuck said "I thought love was more or less a giving thing" letting out a big huff "Seems the more I gave the less I got."
Morgan cut in with "What's the use in tryin'? All you get is pain? Right?"
Looking down at his hands "Yeah. When I needed sunshine, I got rain. Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer."
"I always knew it" Morgan said "Not a trace of doubt in my mind"
"It's a song" Devon blurted, his eyes as wide as saucers. "The words to a song. By Smash Mouth. It's from Shrek." he said, looking around at everyone at the table for support.
"Actually" Emma interjected "It was originally done by The Monkees. It was the last #1 hit of 1966. Stayed there for seven weeks."
Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, Chuck just continued. "I knew in that instant that I'm in love. I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried."
"Neil Diamond wrote it." Casey grunted "Ironic. It was his biggest hit and he didn't sing it."
"Uhhh…" was all Devon could muster, his head shooting back and forth as he followed the conversation.
"Oh come on Devon, we've all been there" Sarah smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I was there - Oh, love was out to get me. Now, that's the way it seemed. Disappointment haunted all my dreams.
It's a story as old as time!"
"It's true Devon" Chuck said "Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind." Sighing and looking deeply into Sarah's eyes he breathed out "I'm in love. I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried."
"Neil Diamond was a great song writer" Gertrude chimed in "He was a master at writing bubblegum-gospel songs."
"True" Mary added "no hymn to the eternal Her could ever better capture the religious epiphany of the soul-stirring moment when a young man sees the face that changes everything forever than this."
Devon turned to Ellie, imploring her "Uhhh… Babe?"
"Oh Devon, come on" she answered "I knew as soon as I met her. Sarah was special. She was the one. Yes, I saw her face, now I'm a believer. Not a trace of doubt in my mind."
A grateful smile spread across Sarah's face "Thank you Ellie. It took me a while but I finally Said, I'm a believer"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
Chuck and Morgan looked at each other and couldn't hold it in any longer. They started singing in an upbeat tempo that changed the energy in the room.
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I'm a believer)
Sarah, Ellie and Alex answered with
Said, I'm a believer, yeah
Which was answered with I'm a believer by Morgan, Casey and Chuck
And they all stopped, looked at each other for a good 10 seconds and busted out laughing until their sides hurt.
Except for Devon - who still didn't understand what was happening.
Taking pity on him, Ellie reached over and said "Don't worry honey, I'll explain it later." Kissing him on the cheek.
With that she stood up and announced, "Time for cake!"
Sometime later
Chuck and Sarah's bedroom
Chuck and Sarah had retired to their bedroom after everyone had left for a private – ahem – celebration. Holding each other close while they tried to catch their breath, Sarah snuggled closer, bringing her mouth up to Chuck's ear "So, do you believe that my love is out to get you?" she whispered.
"Oh yeah. I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer).
Fini
*"I'm A Believer" – single by The Monkees – released November 12, 1966 - written by Neil Diamond, produced by Jeff Barry. It hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31, 1966, and remained there for seven weeks, becoming the last No. 1 hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling record for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 5 song for 1967. Because of 1,051,280 advance orders, it went gold within two days of release. It is one of the fewer than forty all-time singles to have sold more than 10 million physical copies worldwide.
A/N: Poor Devon. For such an obviously smart guy, he can be a little slow on the uptake. I hope you enjoyed this little lark of mine. I tried to capture the light hearted fun of the show and the incredible chemistry of the cast in celebration of the 13th Chuckversary. Please take a moment and let me know what you think.