A/N: Welcome to Chapter 12. You've made it! Congratulations. The choir concert is nearing. Let's see how our young couple fares.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.
Chapter 12
Chuck opened the door to his apartment at just after 10:00 am Sunday to find Ellie sitting on the couch in her pajamas, drinking coffee. She looked to him with a quizzical smile.
"Soooo? How'd it go Mr. Walker of shame?" She waggled her finger between them, mouthing "You see what I did there?"
Letting out an exasperated sigh and rolling his eyes, he exclaimed, "Ellie! Really?"
"What? You haven't given me any details, so I have to make my own assumptions," she defended with a wry smile.
"Alright. Alright. The night was amazing. OK, beyond amazing. Dinner was incredible. We really need to find some way to thank Mrs. Milano. We got the royal treatment at Cafe Milano. Just Wow. Then at prom, I got a chance to use my new dance moves. Sarah and I salsa'ed which was a blast. We even got a round of applause!" Ellie laughed along with her brother, so excited for him. "Then there was a slow dance… and … well … I kinda sang the song to her while we were dancing-"
"Awwww. That's so sweet! Look at you being quite the charmer. And?..." motioning him to continue.
"Annnnd… she uh … she kissed me…" he trailed off into his own little happy place with a stupid grin plastered across his face.
"AHHHH! Really?! Yes!" Ellie jumped up and down with excitement with her arms reaching for the sky.
Chuck laughed at her antics, "Yes, really! God, El. It was incredible. I know it sounds corny, but I swear I could fly. The rest of the prom we danced, laughed and hung out with friends. It really was an amazing time," he said grinning from ear to ear.
"That is so awesome, Chuck. I'm so, so happy for you," she confessed clearly getting misty eyed.
"Alright. So after the prom what did you do?" she inquired, appearing on the edge of her seat. Chuck told the tale of everything that happened at Jennifer's from the karaoke to Sarah's 'discussion' with Mark. He conveniently left out the part about Bobby Thompson as he had not come clean to her about that particular episode.
"Whoa, whoa. Time out! Back it up, Chuck. What do you mean quality time with 'her boyfriend'? What the hell Chuck?" she demanded with anger growing in her tone.
"Oh, right. Yeah, sorry. I kind skipped that part. So, as I was walking her up to Jennifer's house, I uh...I asked her to be my girlfriend," he said sheepishly.
"Chuck! And? She said yes?" Ellie was about to come unglued with anticipation.
"Wellll, No. N-not exactly in those words," he stammered out.
"What?! Well, what 'exact' words were there then?" sounding more than a bit exasperated.
"I believe she said…'Nothing would make me happier than for you to call me your girlfriend, Chuck' ...or something along those lines," he smirked as he could see the look on his sister's face.
Slapping Chuck across the shoulder she yelled, "You bastard! I could so kill you right now. If I wasn't so damn happy for you, you nerd," she finished with pulling him into a bear hug. "I am so happy for you, little brother. I've wanted a good person to find you for so long. For someone to see the man that I see. You picked a good one, Charles Bartowski." She pulled away and looked him in the eye, " I hope this means we see more of her around here," she raised an eyebrow in question.
"I hope so too, El. It's all pretty new to me, so I'm just kinda learning as I go," he said with a shrug.
"You look beat. Did you get any sleep at all?" Ellie asked with concern.
"I slept with Sarah for a couple of hours," he declared matter-of-factly. When Ellie's eyebrows threaten to shoot off her forehead, Chuck scrambled to correct himself. "No! N-Not like that. I meant we snuggled on the couch together and we feel asleep for a few hours. Then I got up and made a big breakfast for everyone. That's it. Nothing else happened. Just some hugging and kissing is all," he claimed, with red creeping from his neck to his ears.
"Suuurre. No, I believe you." Ellie was winking at him and nodding. It was evident that she was giving him a hard time, but it didn't help to quell his embarrassment. "Made breakfast for everyone, huh? Who is this 'everyone'?" Ellie asked with a smirk.
"That would be Sarah, her mother and her younger sister, Molly. Would you like their ranks and serial numbers as well?" Chuck goaded.
"Nooo. It's fine….I was just forced to have plain old toast and coffee cause I don't have a wonderful son-in-law to make me breakfast. You know ….after sleeping with her daughter…." she trailed off as she made a hasty retreat to the kitchen for a coffee refill. Ellie figured he must be exhausted because all that seemed to warrant was an exasperated sigh. "Why don't you go grab a shower and get some rest, lover boy," she commanded with a snicker. "I'll wake you before supper." He walked into the kitchen, gave her a hug and a kiss on top of the head. He pulled away and started to make his way out of the kitchen.
"I like those pajamas, El. They're very….matronly," he rushed out of the kitchen toward his room. He was narrowly missed by an orange that bounced off the wall behind him.
"Ass!" she bellowed.
"Love you too!" came his muffled reply from down the hall.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Walking into the school come Monday morning was like a brand new beginning for Chuck. He and Sarah had talked and texted Sunday afternoon...and evening...and night. They had laid there talking on the phone, listening to the same radio station and commenting about the songs or singing along with them out loud to each other. They had agreed to meet at the main entrance of school in the morning. Which brings him to the reason he is standing in the hall now. He was reading a flyer on the bulletin board to pass the time when two arms snaked around his waist and the fingers interlocked at his stomach. As the arms squeezed gently, the person they belonged to pressed their body against his back in a warm him.
"Mrs. Ferguson, is that you?" he inquired with a devious grin on his face. Mrs. Ferguson was their stout, hair-netted lunch lady with unfortunately hairy arms. Immediately the body and arms pulled away as he received a firm and rather loud smack on his backside.
Chuck yelped in surprise and turned around to face a positively gorgeous Sarah Walker sporting a look of mock mortification, "Already stepping out on me, Mr. Bartowski?" her face slowly morphing into a mischievous grin.
Feeding off of her playfulness, he sidled up to her, placing his hands in her hips, "You know I only got eyes for you, dollface," he crooned with his best Sam Spade-esque impersonation. She let out a giggle and pulled him into a quick kiss.
"You're such a goof," she sighed, taking his hand and walking down the hall toward her locker. "So, I couldn't sleep last night and I got to thinking…" immediately Chuck's face turned worried . "Now, don't freak out. I don't think it's a bad thing. I was just thinking….what if….for our duet….what if we, you know...added a little something to it?" she raised her eyebrows in anticipation of perhaps some sort of backlash.
"Hmmm. What exactly did you have in mind?" Chuck looked curious.
"What if we acted out a little bit of the scene where the song comes from? Maybe some simple props or change of clothes? What do you think?" She inquired.
"Really? You want….you want to act out part of it too? Are you...really sure about that? I ,"mean...you know..with the… and the…. Really?" Chuck was genuinely shocked.
Sarah couldn't help but laugh at Chuck's stammering. "Yes, Really. I think it might be...fun," she cooed with a wry smile on her face as she looked up at him through her lashes.
"Wow. You play really dirty, Ms. Walker. That's..that's just not even fair," he sighed shaking his head recognizing defeat. She only responded with a look of faux shock, touching her hand to her chest in her best 'Who? Lil' ole me?' impression. After a momentary pause as they stood at her locker, he finally responded, "Alright. If that's what you want, then let's talk with Mrs. Davis and see if she agrees."
"Yes! Thank you! This will be great. You'll see." Sarah bouncing up and down finally slowed and placed her hands on his chest and gave him a soft kiss. "Now you better go or you'll be late. I'll see you at lunch." she gently shoved him and waved with a wink.
As he walked to his locker in a daze, he mused to himself, "I'm in so much trouble, but I'm gonna love every minute of it."
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The rest of the day went on beautifully. Lunch was probably the most fun it had ever been. People were all abuzz about prom and naturally called out to Chuck and Sarah. The girls at the table gushed over Chuck's 'Prince Charming' re-enactment and how romantic it was. Sarah only added fuel to the fire when she showed them pictures of the glass 'slipper' he had used to bring her corsage. You could almost see the whole table melt. They went on about their steamy dancing and then they teased about the kissing they saw between Chuck and Sarah throughout prom and the after party.
"So? Are you…you know...?" Carina pointed back and forth between Chuck and Sarah. Sarah just got a huge grin on her face and emphatically nodded. "Charah!" she exclaimed as she raised her fists in the air in triumph. The rest of the girls and a few people from adjacent tables all cheered 'Charah' in rebuttal. The girls all chimed in with praise of how great it was and how happy they looked together. Chuck certainly couldn't argue there; at least for himself. He was literally the happiest he had ever been. It almost seemed too good to be true. Like the bottom would fall out from under him. As if the fates would realize what had happened when they had their backs turned only to rip it all way. There goes that silly rabbit again.
Sarah glanced at Chuck during her conversation with others at the table and caught a distant, lost look on look on his face. It was similar to the look she saw when they met at their first tutoring session. Now, as it did then, nearly broke her heart. She got up from her seat and walked around to his and took his hand. "Come with me a minute," she commanded as she pulled him out of the lunch area and into an adjacent hallway where it was quieter. She held both hands and looked up at him, "Talk to me Chuck. What's the matter? Please," she pleaded. The look on her face begged for an answer that he could not deny her.
"I'm sorry. My mind just got to spiraling." She nodded encouraging him to continue. He let out a sigh and went on," I was thinking of how happy I am right now. I've never been happier in my life. But some part of me thinks that this has to be some sort of cruel joke. That I'm going to wake up and it will have all just have been a dream or that all of this will just get ripped out from under me. I….I can't go back to the way things were before, Sarah. I'm….I'm not strong enough to do that again," his last words barely a whisper. Shaking his head, several heavy tears rolled down his face as he stared at the floor.
"Hey. Hey, look at me. Chuck. I'm the happiest I've ever been too. I don't want to go back to the way things were before I knew you. My Dad...he taught me a valuable lesson as a kid. Don't depend on others for your happiness. I can't hold out and wait for others to make me happy. I need to seek out and take for myself what makes ME happy. Chuck….that's you. YOU make me happy! Not the fancy clothes, expensive restaurants or grand romantic gestures. This right here…" She placed her hand on his chest, "this is what makes me happy ...this is what I….this is what I want. Yesterday morning when we snuggled on the couch to watch a movie, I can't recall ever feeling more warm and safe in my whole life. Chuck, the way you smile at me, the way you think of others before yourself and the way you are fiercely loyal to your friends. Even from the first day we met you showed me what an amazing and caring person you are and have never once asked for anything in return. That is when I knew I could put my trust in you Chuck Bartowski. I knew I could trust you with the most precious thing I own….my heart, Chuck." With tears streaming down her cheeks she looked in Chuck's eyes, pleading with him to hear her words.
"Thank you….I...I can't even begin to tell you how humble that makes me feel. I guess I've always let others make me feel like I am undeserving, that I am somehow less; like I wasn't enough. I realize now that the only person who has the power to make me feel that way is ... me. Those people, these feelings, only have this hold on me because I allow them to. Well, not anymore. I deserve to be happy, dammit. Sarah, being with you is what makes me happy. If...If I can make you as happy as you say, I must be doing something right. I know that there will be days where I'll feel weak and insecure. I have a lot of years of bad habits to break. But if I have you there with me, I know that I will make it through. I promise that I will spend everyday proving to myself and to you that I worthy of you, Sarah Walker." Chuck took her cheeks in his hands and kissed her soundly on the lips. After a long moment he pulled away and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she did his. "Alright, that's enough of that blubbering out of me. What do you say we join the others and revel in our happiness, Ms. Walker?" He inquired with a new found confidence, offering her his arm.
"As you wish, Mr. Bartowski. As you wish," she replied with a knowing smile, taking his arm.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
At the end of choir, Chuck and Sarah pitched their...well, Sarah's idea to Mrs. Davis. The older woman pondered the plan and paced back in forth in deep thought.
"So let me get this straight. You two, whom I had to practically drag kicking and screaming to do this duet, want to add the whole acted scene and costumes, etc. ?" she questioned.
"Um..Yeah. That about sums it up," Sarah chucked.
"And you two have seen the scene and are familiar with the elements, etc?" she continued her questioning.
"Yes, Mrs. Davis," the answered in unison.
"And you're ...OK with that?" she asked skeptically.
Chuck and Sarah smiled at one and other, held hands and then nodded at Mrs. Davis.
"Oh! I see. Well….If you think you can have it ready in time, I am willing to allow it. It would certainly make a big hit I'm sure. I tell you what. Practice it, learn your lines and blocking and then on Friday we can go in the theatre and you can show me. If I don't think it will be ready for the concert, which is exactly two weeks from today, then we just go back to the original duet. Sound fair?" Mrs. Davis asked waiting for their reply.
"Yes, Ma'am," they nodded as the excitement took over their faces.
"Alright, well, get to rehearsing you two," she chided in jest as she chuckled. With that the two made their way to one of the practice rooms and began planning and rehearsing. Throughout the week, Chuck and Sarah continued to rehearse and plan their stage blocking, what props they would need and what dialogue if any they would include. They were at Chuck's apartment having dinner with Ellie as a break from homework and planning for the duet. Sarah and Ellie were talking and some TV show and Ellie made a comment about how 'fabulous' some guy looked. Then an epiphany struck Chuck.
"Sarah! I just had a great idea, but we need to go meet some people. Come on, I'll clean all this up when we get back. Excuse us El." He made his apologies and took Sarah by the hand and escorted her downstairs to the 2nd floor. They made their way to apartment 2C where Chuck knocked on the door. After a moment and some murmuring behind the door, it opened to reveal a large, chiseled man with a furrowed brow look between them. Sarah was a little taken aback at the imposing nature until the man's face quickly morphed into a huge smile. "Charles! Bryce, it's Charles. Please, please. Come in you two." They entered the apartment and as the door closed the interrogation began. "Sooooo. Who is the gorgeous young lady, Charles?"
"Right. Sorry. Mr. Casey, this is Sarah Walker….my girlfriend." He could never say it without a smile creeping across his face. "Sarah, this is Mr. Casey. And this is Mr. Larkin. Mr. Larkin, Sarah Walker." Chuck motioned to Bryce as he entered from the kitchen. They all shook hands, Bryce and John looking Sarah over appreciatively.
"So, Charles….I take it that this is….your 'someone special'?" Bryce inquired being obviously suggestive.
The color in Chuck's cheeks deepened a little, "She certainly is," he said as he looked over to her. "She's the one I told you about. My emergency prom date. Sarah, Mr. Casey owns a bridal and gift store and Mr. Larkin owns a salon and day spa. They are my fairy godfathers...uh...so to speak." Chuck hoped he didn't offend at the way it came out but as John and Bryce both burst out laughing he assumed they did not take offense.
"It's so wonderful to meet you both. So you two are responsible for the tux and the haircut. Thank you for that. Now, who was responsible for the glass slipper?" she inquired looking between the two men.
"Well, that was Charles here. He found it and immediately thought of you. He is such the romantic," Bryce chimed in.
"He most certainly is. The most romantic man I've known," she replied
"Ok, you absolutely MUST tell us about prom night, Sarah. Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out," Bryce implored as he motioned for them to sit. Sarah recited the whole story from her phone call from Mark to the breakfast the morning after. At several points some tissues were required, and not just from Bryce and John.
"That sounds like such a magical evening you two. I am so happy that we could play a part in getting you two kids together. You make such a beautiful and happy couple….Uggg...I told myself I wasn't gonna do this," Mr. Casey berated himself as he fanned at his eyes, trying to fight back his emotions. After blowing out a long sigh, he collected himself. "Well. I am certainly glad you two stopped by and shared your wonderful story with us. It has really been a treat to meet you, Sarah. Charles here is as good as they come and it's nice to see he met someone who appreciates that."
"Ah, I almost forgot the other reason I came to visit. Sarah and I are performing a duet for our Spring concert and I want to ask for your help with some props. I figured if anyone could help it would be you two." Chuck went on to explain the situation and what items they were looking for. All too happy to help for such a worthy cause, John said that he could get what Chuck needed and to come pick it up tomorrow evening. Chuck and Sarah offered their thanks as they all said their goodbyes, Bryce and John giving the young couple hugs as they left.
After ironing out all of the specifics for the duet, they showed what they have worked on to Mrs. Davis. She watched thoughtfully with a flat look on her face. Chuck and Sarah were very nervous that all of their hard work had been for nothing. Finally she spoke, "There are two glaring problem that I see. One, I didn't think of any of this and that really bothers me. Second, I have to update the program now before we send it to the print shop. I'm moving you the the last spot before the finale. Mostly because it will be hard to follow this with anything else to be quite honest." Mrs. Davis' visage turned from flat to a huge grin. "Just give any special lighting instructions to Mr. Mowery." She stood and left then to their revelry.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So, are you nervous? Cause I'm uh..I'm a little nervous," Sarah uttered as she paced the hallway, wringing her hands. She tried to take controlled breaths to calm herself but was not having much luck.
"You know, I thought I would be a wreck, but strangely I feel pretty good. I suppose it's because I have someone to help me keep my calm center. You've got that someone too," he said stopping in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Hey. Look at me, please. You….are Sarah 'Freaking' Walker, one of the most amazing people I know. You're not alone in this. Not in this or anything else for that matter. I'm right here and I'll be beside you tonight and for as long as you still want me. So, take a deep breath," he instructed and waited for her to comply. "That's it. One more. Good. Now keep calm and kiss me," he said with a mischievous smile. That garnered a big smile from Sarah as she raised up on her toes and kissed him softly. "There, now. Better?" he inquired.
Nodding, "Yes. Thank you. You always know just what to say. The kisses don't hurt either," she confessed dancing her eyebrows. They both laughed and made their way to join the rest of the choir to begin the show.
There were three choral groups performing: the Show Choir, the Concert Choir and the Chamber Chorale. The Show Choir performed a show tune medley of There's No Business Like Show Business (Annie Get Your Gun), All that Jazz (Chicago), One (Chorus Line) and You can't Stop the Beat (Hairspray) with accompanying choreography. Next, the Concert Choir, which consisted of largely freshman and sophomores and a few upperclassmen performed Can you Feel the Love Tonight (The Lion King) and My Heart Will Go On (Titanic). Lastly, the Chamber Chorale, which Chuck and Sarah were in, was a more experienced and refined group. They performed The Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera) followed by a stirring and inspiring rendition of Let the Sunshine In (Hair).
Following the choral numbers, the soloists performed. Among the pieces were Empty Chairs at Empty Tables (Les Miserables), Memories (Cats), The Sound of Music (The Sound of Music) and If I Were a Rich Man (Fiddler on the Roof). All of the performances were exceptional. When the soloists returned to the backstage halls they received hugs and words of congratulations from their fellow choir members. There was one final number before the finale of the concert and that was Chuck and Sarah's much anticipated duet. The two made their way to the stage when the previous soloist was finishing. They stood in the wings and waited for the stage lights to go dark. Chuck took Sarah's hand and gave it a firm, reassuring squeeze and a kiss on the cheek as they moved to their places.
Violins began playing softly in the pit as the spotlight faded in to show Chuck and Sarah standing near each other at center stage. Chuck is wearing a black top hat and Sarah a snow white veil, facing forward toward the audience. They turn to one and other in silence, a look of contemplation and longing on their faces. Slowly he closes the distance toward Sarah and she toward Chuck. They take one and other's hand and turn to walk downstage toward the audience. After a few steps, they pause and kneel together.
C: I, Anton, take thee, Maria . . .
S: I, Maria, take thee, Anton . . .
C: For richer, for poorer . . .
S: In sickness and in health . . .
C: To love and to honor . . .
S: To hold and to keep . . .
C From each sun to each moon . . .
S: From tomorrow to tomorrow . . .
C: From now to forever . . .
S: Till death do us part.
From his jacket pocket, Chuck withdrawals two rings fashioned from silver twisty ties. He hands one ring to Sarah while taking her right hand, then places his makeshift ring on her finger. With a contented smile he proceeds, "With this ring, I thee wed." A smile stretching across her face, Sarah places her ring on Chuck's finger and looks deep into his eyes, "With this ring, I THEE wed." Chuck takes both of her hands in his as he loses himself in her glimmering azure pools.
C: Make of our hands one hand,
Make of our hearts one heart,
Make of our vows one last vow:
Only death will part us now.
S: Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.
CS: Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart;
Even death won't part us now.
As the music plays their lips meet in a soft kiss, lasting a long moment. They slowly pull apart, gazing into each other's eyes, a sheepish smile on their faces. They continue to hold each other's gaze as they continue.
CS: Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.
Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart,
Even death won't part us now.
They both stand, a look of sorrow now washing over them. They separate, removing their hat and veil respectively as they grow further apart. Placing their items on stands to either side of the stage, they turn to look to each other once more. After a moment's pause, they rush to each other and meet in a tight embrace. After a few moments, as the music dissipates, Chuck placing a soft kiss to her cheek, the lights fading to black. To say 'the crowd goes wild' would be a disservice. As the stage lights come back up, Sarah and Chuck are standing hand in hand, taking a bow in front of the entire theatre on their feet applauding, cheering and whistling. The couple is clearly overwhelmed at the audience reaction, but bow again as the audience continues.
"Wow. Ladies and gentlemen. How incredible. That was Sarah Walker and Charles Bartowski singing 'One Hand, One Heart' from the musical West Side Story. Let's hear it for this amazingly talented couple," Mrs. Davis gushes over the microphone, the audience quieting. "A little story behind these two," she begins as Chuck and Sarah are still standing there waiting to be able to leave the stage. Embarrassment begins to creep over them as they are fearful of what Mrs. Davis will say. "They were both too shy to pursue a solo for this concert, so I got creative and persuaded them both to convince the other to do a solo. Once I got them together in one place I pitched the idea of a duet. Annnnd after some 'convincing' they finally agreed and I think we are all glad the did. They picked the song and staged the excerpt from the musical themselves. I couldn't be more proud. Let's hear it for Chuck and Sarah one more time!" The audience clapped enthusiastically with a few whistles thrown in for good measure. The two took another bow as they made their way off stage to join the rest of the choir for the finale.
Mr. Snyder, the band teacher, fills the time by talking about upcoming events and summer programs, while the stage is set behind the curtain for the final song. The choir shuffled onto the risers and the eight soloists for this number made their way toward the mics setup across the stage. The orchestra made their final preparations as Mr. Snyder made their introduction. "Ladies and gentleman, our final number of the evening will be with the combined Concert Choir and Chamber Chorale, including eight soloists. We ask that you please hold all of your applause until the very end. Without further ado, we leave you with 'One Day More' from the musical Les Miserables," motioning to the curtain as he exits the stage. The curtain draws open to reveal the more than 110 member combined choir and soloists. The orchestra begins and the soloists soon follow. The talented young men and women perform beautifully. When the entire choir joins in, the sound is awe inspiring. They continue alternating between soloists and the full choir reponses. When the finish nears, the tempo slows and the crescendo builds until finally the force from the sea of vocalists hitting their final notes quite literally shakes the theatre. The power and passion exhibited by these students had the entire theatre out of their chairs, some in tears from the emotional impact of the song and others from pride of their children's amazing performance. There was nearly two minutes of applause while they called out the names of the soloist and acknowledged the orchestra and conductors.
The choir members filtered out and headed to the music department where they hung up robes and those in Chamber Chorale changed out of dresses and tuxedos. Chuck waited for Sarah in the hallway in his street clothes. When she joined him they made their way to the theatre entrance where they met Sarah's Mom and sister. Chuck saw Ellie as well and waved her over.
"Mrs. Walker, I'd like to introduce you to my sister Ellie. Ellie, this is Sarah's mother and her sister Molly," Chuck motioned from Ellie to Mrs. Walker.
"Mrs. Walker, it is so nice to finally meet you. Chuck has told me so much about you all. I just adore your daughter. Sarah is such an amazing young woman and she has done so much for Chuck, I can't even begin to tell you." Ellie boasted as she shook hands with Sarah's mother and sister.
"Oh, please. Call me Emma. Chuck talks about you all the time, Ellie. I feel like I know you already. I just can't say enough nice things about Chuck here," patting Chuck on the shoulder. "Such a caring and wonderful man. He is sooo good to my Sarah. If I could bottle him, I'd make a fortune." All of the ladies chuckled but Chuck felt a little awkward being the center of all their attention. "Oh my gosh! Can you believe these two? I mean...WOW. So amazing! I'm so proud of both of you. Really you were incredible." Emma pulled Chuck and Sarah into a bear hug that rivalled Ellie's. Not to be outdone, Ellie took her turn as well to give them hugs and offer her praise.
"You guys were amazing. Sarah, you looked and sounded like an angel. And the little show you put on, including that kiss,... Nicely done!" Ellie cheered.
"Yeah. Talk about some PDA. Doesn't get much more 'P' than that," Molly playfully chided while chuckling.
Sarah simply hip checked her sister. "How about we all go for ice cream?" Sarah asked looking between her mother and Ellie. Everyone agreed it sounded like a great idea. They all met for ice cream where they talked about their respective families. Chuck and Ellie tried to not dwell on their past too much as it was a bit of a mood killer. They all kept the conversation light.
Chuck walked Sarah to her mother's car and gave her a rather impassioned kiss, yet still keeping it tame given their present company. "Good night Sarah. Thanks for tonight. You make a great partner, you know it?" A broad smile covered his face.
"You too Mr. Bartowski," she said with a wink. "Have a good night. I'll call you later."
Chuck met Ellie at their car and they drove home in relative silence. It was eventually broke by Ellie. "I ever tell you how proud I am of you?" Ellie asked as she glanced over to him and then back to the road.
"Once or twice," Chuck replied with a teasing tone and a wry smile.
"Well I am. I'll also admit that for years I was worried. Really worried about you, Chuck. Now…. now I see you with Sarah. I see how she looks at you when you two talk and more importantly, I see how she looks at you when she thinks nobody is looking. I'm not worried any more Chuck. I think you're going to be just fine," she said with a loving smile spread across her face grabbing and squeezing his hand. "I think you're both going to be just fine."
A/N2: The End? Maybe for now. They have each other and they are in a good place. Will it last forever? We'll see. There is still senior year and college they will have to weather. Perhaps we will catch up with our young friends next year as they prepare for college.
I would like to give a special thanks to and WillieGarvin for all their help and support. This was my first attempt at fiction and I have been very humbled at the outpouring of comments and words of encouragement throughout. It has really meant a lot. I hope that I can continue to write stories that interest you all. Assuming, that is, you found this interesting. Well… since you are here on the 12th chapter I can only assume it was at least marginally better than chewing broken glass. Unless someone 'fanfic-rolled' you and you found yourself here on accident.