A/N: And we're back! Prom seems to have gone pretty well. The night is still young, let's see how our teens survive the night.
Let me just say how humbled I am at the responses to this story so far. I've had a lot of fun writing it and I'm glad you are enjoying it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck. Contents may be hot!
Chapter 11
Chuck drove Sarah home so she could change clothes before going to Jennifer's party. Chuck had packed a change of clothes as well, so he changed in the bathroom and waited for Sarah. Chuck sat on the couch in the living room and Sarah's mother seemed to interrogate him about the evening's events and their plans.
"So Chuck, where did you guys go to eat? Olive Garden or something?" Emma inquired.
"Um, No. No. I took her to Cafe Milano. Are you familiar with it?" Chuck responded politely.
The woman's eyes grew large as saucers and her mouth dropped to her chest, "Cafe Milano?" she questioned in disbelief. "You got a table at Cafe Milano? But….but...How on Earth did you manage that? And to be quite frank, how can a man your age afford a place like that?" she crossed her arms waiting on his response.
"I uh...I've done some work for Mrs. Milano, the owner's mother. She helped me get a table there this evening when I found out about the ...situation." Chuck shrugged and gave a small smile. "I couldn't really -".
"Mom, it was absolutely amazing. Ugghh. I can't even describe it." Sarah plopped down on the couch right next to Chuck, their sides touching, and she took his hand as if it were second nature. Chuck was a little surprised but was more than OK with it, so he gently squeezed her hand in return. Sarah continued, "From the moment we arrived, everyone knew Chuck's name. They practically treated us like royalty. Then the owner came to our table and told use he had his chefs plan us a special meal. Mom, the wild mushroom stuffed ravioli with garlic cream sauce was unbelievable. The owner was so nice. He thanked Chuck for all the things he did for his mother and then they said the meal was on the house. It was like a movie, Mom." Sarah was giddy as she recounted the events of the evening. "Oh, Mom. The dance. The dance was...well.. I'll have to tell you about the dance tomorrow maybe," she said with a wry smile as she looked to Chuck with a blush. Chuck's ears turned red as a grin grew across his face.
Emma had noticed the distance between Sarah and Chuck, or the lack thereof, and the hand holding did not go unnoticed either. She could not keep the smile off of her face as she listened to the happiness in her daughter's voice as she retold the events of the evening. "So, Chuck. Where are you taking my daughter now? A party I suppose? Will there be drinking there? When will you have my daughter home?" Emma raised an eyebrow to Chuck as she awaited his response
"Well, Mrs. Walker, we were invited to a party at a friend's house. I do not know if there will be drinking, but I do not drink and would never do so since I am driving. As to when I will have Sarah home, that depends on you, ma'am. What time would you prefer I have her home, Mrs. Walker?" Chuck asked sheepishly.
"Hmm. Well. I understand that these things tend to last very late and there is often time breakfast afterward. How about 10:00 AM? I think that is sufficient, don't you?" Her question sounding almost rhetorical.
"Yes, Ma'am. That sounds more than reasonable. You have my word, Mrs. Walker." Chuck said with determination in his voice.
"Mom, don't worry. I'm in very good hands," Sarah leaned into Chuck as she smiled, looking to Chuck and then back to her mother. Chuck could only return a red-faced grin.
"Alright, you kids. Have a good time and please be safe. OK?" Emma implored. The two teens agreed and left.
They drove to Jennifer's house with the top down and the music a little louder than was necessary at close to midnight. The cool night air blowing through their hair was exhilarating on top of the anticipation of the party itself. They sang along with the radio and laughed together the whole way. They soon arrived at Jennifer's house and joined all the other cars parked along the street. The house was very large and there was sufficient distance from their neighbors that the slight thumping of music that could be heard outside was likely not very noticable. Chuck made his way around the car opening Sarah's door and offered her his hand. As they made their way to the house, Chuck stopped for a moment on the front step and turned to Sarah.
"Um..Sarah, I have a confession to make," swallowing a lump in his throat. "I uh….I've never been to a ….a party before. Do uh...do you have any advice, maybe?" CHuck looked to her a little embarrassed .
"Oh, Chuck. My advice is to keep holding my hand and kiss me often," reaching over and planting a kiss on his lips and beaming a smile at him. "Besides, these are your friends now too. When people get to know you, they can't help but like you. So, just be YOU Chuck. That's the secret. If they don't like you for you, then screw 'em. I like you for you, and that's what's important, right?" she smirked at him and shoulder bumped him.
"You have no idea how happy that makes me. Um...Sarah..I was meaning to ask you….about tonight," Chuck was nervously rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, "I don't want to make any assumptions ...but...you and I…." Chuck paused trying to find the words to continue.
"Yes, Chuck?" she turned her head to the side, looking at Chuck through her lashes, an expectant look on her face.
"Well, what I mean to say is that... being your friend...it has meant more to me than you will ever know. You took a chance on me, and I will be forever grateful. I just want to ask you to take one more chance….a chance that this nerd could make you happy. Will you take one more chance on me, Sarah Walker, and be my girlfriend and let me prove to you every day that it was all worth it?" Looking into Sarah's eyes he was having a hard time holding back tears as he laid his heart before her. In the small silence that followed, he couldn't keep her gaze and looked away beginning to fear the worst.
"Chuck…", she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. She raised her hand to cup his chin to direct his gaze at her, "You've proven to me every day since our first tutoring session that you are worth it and so much more. Nothing would make me happier than for you to call me your girlfriend, Chuck." She placed a hand on each cheek and pulled him into a soft yet fervent kiss. Chuck wrapped her in an embrace and held her close for a few moments before they were interrupted.
"Oh, for God's sake. Get a room Walker!" Carina had pulled the front door open and found the couple in their intimate moment. A smile threatened to split her face to see her friends together finally. Sarah grabbed Chuck by the hand and dragged him into the house smacking Carina on the shoulder on the way by. A number of people were already here. As Chuck and Sarah made their way into the house, the party goers cheered "Charah!" when they saw the two enter. Chuck and Sarah slowly turned to each other with perplexed looks as they both turned to Carina with a questioning look. "What? Why are you looking at me?" Carina asked indignantly. "Clearly 'Saruck' sounds ridiculous," she stated matter-of-factly and walked off as if no further explanation was required. They made their way through the rooms greeting people and grabbing drinks and snacks along the way. They made their way to the family room where they could hear music and a large gathering of people. On the TV, song lyrics scrolled past as Kaitlyn stood near with a microphone singing along.
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that
You might not be real
I sense it now, the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me
Away from me
'Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know
That makes me believe
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
…
She was not too bad but she was clearly having fun just singing and didn't care how she sounded. Nobody else seemed to care either as they either cheered her on or sang along with her. When she finished the whole area clapped and cheered for her as others stepped forward to vie for their turn at karaoke. Kaitlyn greeted Sarah with a hug as Sarah conveyed her approval of her performance. From behind them they felt a hand on their lower backs and a voice exclaim behind them.
"Guys! You came! I'm so excited," Jennifer hugged the two from behind. Sarah turned to face Jennifer followed by Chuck. For a moment, there was a quiet tension between Sarah and Jennifer. Chuck could only stand in anticipation looking back and forth between the two. A wry smile crept onto Sarah's face as she reached forward and pulled her friend into a big hug.
"I'm sorry, Jen. I just got a little jealous when I thought you were … you know," Sarah trailed off not wanting to finish that thought.
"Sarah, Chuck is an amazing guy and I will never forget what he did for me. But girl….it is crystal clear that he is your 'amazing guy'. I'd never try to get in the way of that, not that I would stand a chance," Jennifer giggled and squeezed Sarah tightly before pulling away. 'Come on you two! Go up there and find a song. I hear you've been holding out on us. Isn't right, Carina?" Jennifer called over her shoulder to Carina who was bouncing up to her friends.
"Whatever you say, chica! But for argument's sake, what am I agreeing to?" Carina looked between her friends for clues.
"That these two have been holding out on us and need to get up there and get their karaoke on," Jennifer exclaimed, pointing toward the TV.
"Hells YES! Get your scrawny asses up there and show these people how it's done," Carina demanded, pushing them forward.
"Whoa, whoa. Come on now. Easy!" Chuck protested. It all seemed in vain as Jennifer and Carina where both pushing them to the TV.
Sarah finally acquiesced, "Alright. Alright. Enough with the pushing. Geez. One song! OK?"
"Do we sing together or separate?" Chuck asked.
"Together, duh!" Jennifer and Carina replied in unison.
Chuck and Sarah scrolled through the available songs. There were pieces from every genre of music spanning decades. They contemplated a few but weren't really satisfied with any until they both pointed to the same song, "There!". They looked at each other and chuckled. They got the song prepped and grabbed the microphones. They stood on either side of the TV and prepared as the cheers subside. As the music began to play the crowd surrounding then broke into cheers again but managed to quiet a little as the two began to sing.
C: I got chills
They're multiplying
And I'm losing control
Cause the power you're supplying
It's electrifying!
S: You better shape up
Cause I need a man
And my heart is set on you
You better shape up
You better understand
To my heart I must be true
C: Nothing left
Nothing left for me to do
CS: You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, the one I need
Oh, yes indeed
At this point, most everyone in the house has circled around the family room watching and listening to the couple sing. They stare on in awe at how amazing the couple sounds. The chemistry between the two does not go unnoticed either. The way they are not just singing, but rather singing to each other is quite evident.
S: If you're filled
With affection
You're too shy to convey
Better take my direction
Feel your way
C: I better shape up
Cause you need a man
S: I need a man
Who can keep me satisfied
C: I better shape up
If I'm gonna prove
S: You better prove
That my faith is justified
C: Are you sure
S: Yes, I'm sure down deep inside
CS: You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, the one I need
Oh, yes indeed
The group of onlookers is so caught up in the performance that they all begin singing the chorus along with Chuck and Sarah. Noticing the audience participation, they wave at the crowd, encouraging them to sign along.
E: You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, the one I need
Oh, yes indeed
You're the one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, honey
The one that I want
You are the one I want
Oh, the one I need
Oh, yes indeed
The song ended and there was a standing ovation of cheers and whistles throughout the house. Sarah and Chuck took each others hands and mock bow, a little embarrassment evident in their colored cheeks. They made their way from the TV area and receive pats on the shoulders and high-fives from the crowd. Just when they thought they had escaped, they were accosted by a blonde and auburn haired duo, jumping up and down practically screaming at Chuck and Sarah. Jennifer and Carina were so excited, though it wasn't clear if they were excited because of the performance or if they had too much caffeine or perhaps so other sort of mood altering libation. The party continued and Sarah and Chuck happily mingled throughout the house. Chuck was standing in the front hallway involved in a conversation with Sarah, Kaitlyn and her date Brandon when the jovial atmosphere was shattered by an outburst in the hallway behind him.
"Well, well, well. If it's not the man of the hour, Fuck Barftowski. Come on, everyone! Let's hear it for good ole Barftowski," slow clapping very loudly was what appeared to be a rather intoxicated Bobby Thompson. He had just entered the front door with several members of his merry band of idiots and was already looking to start trouble. Chuck immediately turned around, stepping in front of Sarah and Kaitlyn and putting his arms out to form a barrier.
"Bobby," Chuck said and nodded in acknowledgement with a flat look on his face.
"Look at you. Just makin' yourself right at home," slurring his words a bit with no shortness of disdain in his voice. "You realize that all of these people make fun of you behind your back right. You didn't think these people were your friends did you? Hell, Kaitlyn there, makin' fun of you was like an art form to her. Ain't that right?" Kaitlyn with tears in her eyes and her face flushed, she had to turn away. "You too. And you..and all you," he pointed out people in the crowd that was gathering. "Why did you even let this piece of shit in here anyway? He doesn't belong here. He belongs in the circus with the rest of the freaks." He snickered at himself and looked to his friends for encouragement before turning back. "As for you blondie, when you decide you need a real man, I got somethin' special for you," he said with a slimy, lecherous tone as he looked her up and down.
That last bit caused Chuck's rage to boil and he started to close the distance between himself and Bobby, his fists clenched. He only got a couple of steps before a large hand on either side of him pressed back against his chest as he saw two large men push past him. In their wake were seven more men of large build and most nearly as tall as Chuck. These men positioned themselves between Bobby and Chuck. A female voice called from over Chuck's shoulder.
"Bobby, it's time for you to go. The only one not welcome here is you. Now get your ass and the trash you brought with you the hell outta my house. Now!" Jennifer was standing tall in defiance beside Chuck. Chuck now felt a hand wrap around his arm as he looked down to see Sarah grip his arm to steady him.
"Whatever, bitch," as he flipped her off and backed out of the door. All his friends turned and left with him except two. One of them raised his hands in surrender, "Sorry everyone. My apologies for dropping in uninvited. We didn't know he was gonna be such a dick. Sorry guys. Enjoy your night." The two made half-hearted waves and left out the door as well. With that, the door shut and the wall of large men turned and dispersed. As they passed by they patted Chuck's shoulder or pounded fist in solidarity. Chuck was speechless that all of those people had stood up for him...with him. He looked down to Sarah to see her approving smile. Then Chuck looked around quickly. Not seeing who he was looking for, he started checking the adjacent rooms. Finally, on the back patio sitting in a chair was Kaitlyn. Her head was low and you could hear the occasional sniffling. Chuck reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder as we walked around the chair to face her. He crouched down so he could see her face.
"Hey. You alright?" he asked in a caring tone.
Shaking her head, "No. No Chuck. I'm...I'm so sorry," the tears starting to flow again.
"Why Kaitlyn? What do you have to be sorry for?" Chuck inquired.
"All the...all the things he said. They …. They were true. I used to say horrible things, mean things. I'm so ashamed of myself Chuck," he sobs continued.
"Hey. Hey. It's alright. Do you still feel that way Kaitlyn?" Chuck asked with a calm, comforting tone.
"No, Chuck ! No. Not since...not since the first day you sat at our table. It was..it was the first time I actually got to talk to you and be around you. That's when I knew that all the things people said were wrong….I was wrong." She looked up at him, her mascara running from her crying.
Chuck looked right into her eyes and smiled, "Well. Alrighty then. Come on, there's plenty more partying to do." He stood and offered her his arm. She looked on in disbelief, but eventually she stood and took his arm. She squeezed it and laid her head on his shoulder for a quick second and then righted herself as they entered the house. Sarah stood just inside the door looking on at the two. As they approached her, Kaitlyn released Chuck's arm and came to Sarah. Giving her a small hug she whispered to Sarah.
"He is definitely a keeper, Sarah. Hold on to that one." The two young women smiled at each other and Kaitlyn left to find her date. She found Chuck's gaze and he looked a little concerned as he approached. She met him half way and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him into a kiss. Chuck as not sure how long they stood there kissing, but it was not nearly long enough. When they pulled apart the only words Chuck could muster was "Wow!"
"Come on you two. You can count each other's fillings later. There's more karaoke going on. Let's go!" Carina goaded with a wry smile. They all went to the family room to cheer on those behind the mic as they listened to karaoke for a while. Chuck was sitting in an oversized chair and Sarah was sitting on his lap and they continued to watch their friends sing and laugh. Sarah then heard a disgusted grunt come from Carina who was sitting on the arm of their chair. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Carina spat out. Sarah looked around to see who she was referring to when she spotted him peering through the crowd. Mark Burgess. Shit! He saw her and started to make his way toward her. She got up and made her way toward him to intercept him before he got to Chuck.
"What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out with Rachel or something?" she spat at Mark.
"Sarah can we talk, please? Look, I'm really sorry. Tonight, all of it was just a huge mistake. Rachel isn't the girl I thought she was or the girl I thought I wanted. She's not you, Sarah. Look, you don't have to settle anymore. It can be you and me now. It should have always been you and meI. Come on, we can go for a drive and tal-" before he could finish his sentence, out of seemingly nowhere a fist connected with the left side of his face and sent him stumbling. In a daze he gripped the side of his face and tried to regain his balance.
"You sonovabitch! You think you can pull that shit and then come back here and sweep me off my feet and I would actually want to go with you? Are you out of your damn mind? I didn't even want to go with you in the first place. I wanted to go with him," turning and pointing to Chuck who was now standing behind her, "but he was too shy to ask me and I was too scared to ask him at the time. You know what? Maybe I should thank you. If you weren't a complete and utter asshole, I wouldn't have had such a magical evening. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some quality time to spend with my boyfriend." With that she grabs Mark by the shoulders and drives a knee hard into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him to the ground in a ball. Satisfied with the pained gasps of the man on the floor, she returned to her Chuck, taking him by the back of the neck and kissing him soundly. The gathered crowd let out various cheers and cat-calls but neither Chuck or Sarah cared one bit.
They spent some more time hanging out, singing karaoke and laughing with their friends. Chuck had never had so much fun in his life. He had friends, plural, he had the most amazing girlfriend and the best part was that it was only the beginning. Sarah came up to her gathered friends.
"Guys I think I need to call it a night. It's like 3:00 and I am exhausted. I'm gonna have Chuck take me home and I'm gonna crash. Thanks so much for everything. Jen, the party was amazing. Carina, try not to devour Cole all in one sitting. You have to pace yourself," she said with a chuckle. The girls all hugged each other, then Jennifer, Carina and Kaitlyn all took turns hugging Chuck, each of them whispering their "Thank you"s or requests to take care of Sarah. With that, Chuck walked Sarah to the car and headed for her house.
They spent the drive to Sarah's house in contented silence, holding hands over the center console. It was approaching 3:30, so there was little traffic on the streets, making their trip fairly quick. Chuck stopped in at Vons and picked up a few things, leaving Sarah in the car so as not to spoil his surprise. They proceeded to Sarah's house and arrived at just before 4:00. They quietly made their way into the house. While Sarah went to the bathroom to wash off her makeup, Chuck smuggled his purchased items into the house and stowed them away for safe keeping. Sarah returned downstairs looking comfortable and refreshed wearing a big T-Shirt and yoga pants. Chuck stood and stared at her in awe which began to make Sarah feel a little self-conscious, looking herself over.
"I...I'm not sure if it's the red gown or what you are wearing right now that makes you look the most breathtaking. Wow," he whispered shaking his head in disbelief. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as a grin grew across her face and the color rose in her cheeks. She moved in closer, gently took hold of his shirt in both hands and looked up at him through her lashes.
"You know, you've already got the girl, Chuck. But thank you for the compliment. It means so much more coming from you because I know you really believe it," she confessed as she stood on her toes and brushed a soft kiss across his lips. "How about we go watch a movie or something?" She took him by the hand and lead him to the basement family room where the noise wouldn't bother anyone. They turned on the TV, keeping the volume low, and found a movie on cable to watch as they sat on the couch. After a moment, Sarah made Chuck scoot to the end of the couch where he could rest his back on the end and then Sarah pulled herself in close, laying her head on his chest and snuggling into his side. Chuck wrapped his arms around her and they both heaved a contented sigh, sinking deeper into the couch. It was only a matter of moments before they were both fast asleep.
Sarah began to stir from her sleep unsure if it was due to the lack of warmth beneath her or the heavenly aromas wafting through the house. She stretched and found her phone to check the time. Seeing that it was 8:15am she left out a whimpered groan and rubbed her face. She forced herself from the couch and made her way up the stairs. The display as she entered the open kitchen and dining area was quite a shock. The table was set for four places with a huge spread of food already on serving plates on the table. She shifted her gaze to the kitchen to see Chuck wiping down the counters and taking the last bit of food to the table.
"Oh, good. You're up. Sorry if I made too much noise. Hope you're hungry." Chuck shot her his toothy grin with a sparkle in his eye. Just then Emma and Molly staggered into the kitchen and froze at the sight. Emma slowly made her way toward the dining area taking everything in, the shock evident in her face. "Here Mrs. Walker. I brewed you some coffee. I wasn't sure how you took it, but there is some milk and sugar on the table. Please have a seat and dig in." Chuck motioned to the table but nobody could move. Finally Sarah was able to get her words together.
"Chuck...what...what is all of this? Did ...did you cook all of this?" Sarah was still in shock but made for one of the chairs to sit. The others followed suit found a chair.
"Yep. Don't you remember? I promised you the 'Chuck Bartowski Breakfast Spectacular'. Well, I don't know how spectacular it really is, but there is a lot of it at least. There are pancakes, scrambled eggs, hashbrown potatoes, grapefruit halves, crispy bacon, toast and juice. There's also more coffee in the pot if anyone drinks it. I saw on the calendar that Molly has a soccer game later this morning, so I wanted to make sure I got this all prepared so she could have a good breakfast to fuel up." It seemed rather obvious that Chuck was nervous at the rate at which he was rambling. Sarah placed her hand on his forearm squeezed gently to reassure him.
"Chuck, I can't remember a time when I've had a better breakfast. This is absolutely amazing and so thoughtful. Thank you so much," Emma said as she started serving and passing the food around. Everyone ate in companionable silence, only broken by the soft moans of contentment and the clanging of silverware on plates. As their pace slowed, Emma spoke up drawing everyone's attention. "So, how did your night go? Did you guys have a good time? I mean you clearly got home well before I expected."
Sarah looked to Chuck and could not keep the grin off her face, "It was an amazing night, Mom. We went to Jennifer's and had a lot of fun. Chuck and I sang karaoke, which was a blast."
"Yeah. One of the highlights was when Mark showed up to profess his feelings for Sarah and tried to whisk her away," chimed Chuck as he gave Sarah a wry smile.
"Oh really? And how did that go?" Emma inquired with a great deal of curiosity.
"Basically, I told him that I didn't want to go with him in the first place and that I was lucky that I didn't. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had such an amazing night with my boyfriend," she said rather matter-of-factly. Emma and Molly's eyes both shot up at that and looked between Sarah and Chuck. The color in Chuck's face rose a bit and his smile grew a little wider.
"Then she proceeded to kick his ass (pardon me). Mrs. Walker, your daughter is simply amazing." Chuck shook his head and admired Sarah with a dreamy, faroff look on his face.
Emma beaming with pride replied, "She most certainly is, isn't she?"
"About time those Taekwondo classes we took at the Rec Center paid off, huh? Did you bloody him up good?" Molly jumped in, looking for all the gory details.
"Molly!" Emma chided.
"What? That guy was a total tool. He deserves whatever he got," Molly declared with a chuckle.
"No blood, but I think I got my point across," Sarah confessed with a smirk. Chuck just snickered and kept eating. They all helped clean up the dishes and put leftovers away. Emma and Molly got ready for Molly's soccer game and Chuck collected his things to leave.
"I'm gonna get going. That way you can go back to sleep for a while and I can go home and grab a shower and some more sleep too. Plus Ellie will be wondering about me," he said fiddling with his car keys.
"Alright, Chuck. Thank you for everything. I mean it. This whole night is one that I will never forget. For a number of reasons." She reached up and pulled him into a long kiss before pulling away and smoothing out some imaginary wrinkles on his T-shirt. They said their goodbyes and Sarah leaned against the door after closing it, slumping a little with a sigh.
"So, boyfriend, huh?" her mother's voice called from the stairs, startling Sarah. Sarah's cheeks reddened as she nodded.
"It's about time," Emma snickered as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "It's about time."
A/N: I think we can end our night of magic on this happy note. Reviews and PMs make the creative juices flow. Keep 'em comin'.
Karaoke:
Kaitlyn- MIchelle Branch - Everywhere
Chuck and Sarah - You're the One That I Want - Grease
I have created a public playlist on Spotify with all the songs featured in this story, in order of appearance. Just look for Chuck vs. What Will Be