A/N:When last we left our couple, they were ...well… coupling. They're probably finished by now… maybe. Thanksgiving is coming up. Who doesn't like an unhealthy dose of federally sanctioned gluttony?
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.
Chapter 14
"Chuck," she whispered.
"Sarah, I'm so sor-," he began to whisper in return.
"Shut up and kiss me."
And kiss her he did. Until the early morning hours, the two worshipped each other, pouring all their energies into pleasing the other. It went beyond just physical pleasure, which abounded, but was intimate beyond anything either of them had ever experienced before. They finally drifted off to sleep, their naked forms intertwined, thoroughly sated, succumbing to exhaustion.
The relentless beeping of Sarah's alarm elicited a groan from both of them. Sarah expertly flopped her hand onto the nightstand, silencing it. The two sunk back into each other, letting out long, moaning sighs of relief. Chuck lay prone on the bed with Sarah nearly laying fully on top of him, the very position in which they succumbed to sleep earlier in the morning. Sarah gave him a squeeze and grunted playfully at the effort.
"God. So this is what this feels like?" Sarah mused, nuzzling her cheek into his chest.
"You mean deliriously happy?" Chuck questioned, a grin spreading across his face. Sarah gave a slight chuckle.
"Mhmmmm." She kissed the area of his chest immediately adjacent to her lips, not wanting to move her head. "You know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," she groaned.
"What?!" Chuck craned his head up, attempting to lift up to see her. She didn't move from her spot, only let out a grunt and raised her left arm to push his head back down on the pillow.
"I have to go to work and my feet and toes are sore," she grumbled.
"Sore? Sore from what?" he asked with concern and a bit of curiosity. Sarah huffed in amusement, turning her head so that her chin rested on his chest. She could see his face grinning down at her and it made her beam.
"Well, I spent so much time with my toes curled that they started to cramp up," she chuckled. He half-heartedly chuckled along with her, averting his gaze to the ceiling.
"Toe cramps. So that's what the noise was about," a tinge of disappointment colored his voice. Sarah shook her head at him, finding him exasperatingly adorable.
"No Chuck. That was NOT what the noise was about," she declared in a sultry tone.
"Oh...OH!", Chuck seemed to finally get the hint, starting to blush a bit.
"Yeah. That's what she said... Well, I guess that's what 'I' said." Sarah broke into laughter, burying her face in his chest, his own laughter causing her head to bounce, further fueling the laughter. Once they regained control, they sighed and Chuck started stroking her hair.
"I should probably sneak out the back or something, huh?"
"What the hell for? It's not like we did anything wrong," she retorted, turning to look up at him again.
"I know, but it could be a little awkward for you to explain to Molly and Gerty why I'm here," he shrugged.
"Ok. First off, I'm pretty sure Gerty knows why you're here. In fact, I'm guessing she probably 'heard' why you were here." That admission made Chuck's ears start to redden. "Second, Molly would just be excited to see you. If I just told her we had a sleepover, I'm sure she wouldn't think twice about it. And lastly, the only thing that would be awkward is Casey catching us in the walk-in cooler. Now THAT would be awkward." Chuck barked out a laugh but it quickly turned into a shiver as he thought about the prospect. Sarah lightly smacked him on the chest.
"Oww. What was that for?" he asked with mirth in his voice.
"You were thinking about Casey walking in on us. That's kinda gross, like a brother walking in or something," Sarah shuddered slightly.
"No! I was thinking about you … and me… familiarizing ourselves with ... the vegetables," Chuck's eyebrows danced with the insinuation. Sarah burst into laughter, tears coming to her eyes, even letting out a snort or two. She began to get herself back under control.
"One... one can become too familiar with vegetables, Chuck," she retorted, her giggles starting back up again. "Oh, God. I'm not gonna be able to watch that show with Molly anymore," she forced out, before succumbing to her giggling again. This time, Chuck followed suit with giggles of his own. After a minute, they both calmed down, sighing heavily.
Chuck placed a kiss on her cheek but quickly became distracted by kissing her cheek again, then her jawline, then down her neck to her collar bone. Sarah was giggling and moaning at his ministrations when a knock came at the door. Chuck froze, his lips staying attached to her neck.
"Sarah. Up and at 'em or we're gonna be late." Gerty called through the door.
"Ok. I'll be down in just a minute," Sarah replied loud enough for Gerty to hear. She was swatting at Chuck playfully, his kissing expedition beginning again.
"Chuck. Molly said that next time you have a sleepover, you can sleep in her room. I'll let you two field that one," Gerty announced, the devilish grin could be heard in her voice. Chuck gulped with a blush while Sarah burst into laughter, nearly rolling off the bed and onto the floor.
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The diner was packed. Everyone's kitchens overrun with tomorrow's Thanksgiving preparations meant eating out for lunch. Thankfully, they had a full complement of help, including Ellie. Casey manned the flat top and Chuck worked on plating meals and doing dishes, while the ladies waited tables. Chuck caught Casey eyeing him on occasion but figured it was just the big guy making sure he wasn't screwing something up.
Casey brought two plates over to Chuck, each with an open faced cheeseburger on it, awaiting the requested condiments. Casey set the plates on the work table, but didn't let go of them. Chuck almost took them, but paused, looking up at Casey. The large man's jaw was set, as if preparing to say something. Chuck just stood and waited, not wanting to interrupt and incur his wrath.
"That was a damn foolish thing you did Bartowski," Casey finally declared, staring at Chuck. Chuck looked down at the table, feeling sufficiently chastised, nodding his head in understanding. "Thank you, Chuck," was all Casey shared before releasing the plates and turning back to his duties. Chuck wasn't quite sure what to say, so he opted to say nothing and just leave it alone. This was the first time Casey had ever used his first name, and that made Casey's words all the more meaningful. He suspected that this was as emotional as Casey got, at least outside of the 'anger' spectrum. It made Chuck happy to know that, in some way, he had gotten through to Casey. Chuck considered him a friend but doubted that the big man would ever acknowledge returning that sentiment. Still, he'd take the win where he could get it. With a smile spread across his face, he returned to plating food for the throngs of customers.
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Thanksgiving day arrived and Chuck was up before dawn. The town was so serene, the calm before the storm of travelers and last minute shoppers. He arrived at the diner and it felt odd to be here by himself. He locked the door behind him and made his way to the kitchen. Throwing on the lights, he opened the back door and faced off with his greatest creation. The 'Pit of De-Spare Ribs and Shoulder Smoker'. He removed the cover, admiring his handiwork with a smirk. He got to work on getting the smoker started and loaded with charcoal and wood splits. While it came up to temperature, he returned to the kitchen, pulling out two eighteen pound turkeys from the walk-in refrigerator. Placing each one on a large aluminum roasting pan, he began preparing them.
He rubbed the entire outside of the birds with canola oil and sprinkled liberally with kosher salt, granulated garlic and granulated onion. He quartered several apples and onions, placing the pieces inside the turkeys, followed by garlic, salt and pepper. Satisfied with his work, he took the pans to the smoker and inserted a meat probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast of each turkey. He then locked up the smoker, ensuring it was far enough away from the building or any flammable materials. The security camera located at the back of the building would allow him to watch it remotely for trouble. He pulled out his phone to check the app he created for the smoker and could see that it was reading the meat temperature of each bird as well as the temperature in the smoker. He locked the back door, cleaned up the kitchen and headed back to Sarah's house to start breakfast for everyone.
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He entered the house quietly, not wanting to wake anyone, as it was not even 7:00AM yet. He crept through the first floor of the house and into the kitchen. Preheating the oven, he put aluminum foil on two large sheet pans before laying out strips of bacon on the foil. While waiting for the oven to heat up, he began mixing the dry ingredients for pancakes. He couldn't locate a skillet large enough but found a long electric griddle that would do the trick. While it heated up, he started the coffee maker then proceeded to finish the pancake batter by adding in the wet ingredients. He let the batter reset after mixing to blend, then put the sheets of bacon in the oven.
Having poured himself a cup of coffee, he took a sip as he began scooping batter onto the griddle with an ice cream scoop. The house was still silent, but he assumed that, once the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and cooking bacon reached the upstairs, he would soon be greeted by his sleepy-eyed fan club. He finished the first batch of pancakes and was almost ready to flip the second when felt a set of arms wrap around his stomach, a head resting just below the middle of his back.
"Morning Mr. Chuck," came the muffled voice of Molly, still thick with sleep. Chuck turned to pull her around beside him to give her a one-armed hug.
"Mornin' Peanut. How'd ya sleep?" he asked sweetly, using his free hand to flip pancakes.
"Gooooood," she replied in her sleepy voice, resting her head on his side.
"Tell ya what. How about you go snuggle up on the couch, watch some cartoons and I'll let you know when breakfast is ready, huh? Sound good?" Chuck smoothed her hair back, trying in vain to tame the blonde mess. She nodded her head and ambled off into the living room. Chuck couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable she looked.
He pulled the pans of bacon out of the oven, perfectly crispy without having to clean grease off of every surface of the kitchen. He transferred the bacon to some paper towel lined plates, to soak up any grease, and went back to his pancakes. The last batch was placed along with the others on a large platter covered with a dish towel to help keep them warm. Chuck set the table for six just in case Casey decided to stop over. That thought made him smile, not just for Casey but for Gerty. He knew that Casey was a good man, and Gerty certainly deserved one of those. She seemed to understand him, see the man beneath the gruff exterior, and was not afraid to stand up to him if he was in a grumpy mood. The two seemed perfect for each other.
Chuck set the orange juice and syrup on the table and surveyed his handiwork. A set of arms slid around his waist followed by a kiss at the base of his neck. He hummed at the sensation and placed his hands over those that were now on his stomach.
"Molly, you've gotten so much taller since this morning," he said, with the same tone he might use with Molly. That elicited a tsk and raspberry to his neck, making him giggle and squirm. He turned to face her, looking down into her eyes. "Oh. It's you," he smirked, wrapping his arms around Sarah and pulling her into a kiss. When she pulled away she tasted her lips and hummed.
"Mmmm. Coffee," she grinned mischievously. "I think I'll take my coffee like that every morning." Chuck's eyes widened and his cheeks started to take on some color.
"E-every morning, huh?" he asked, feeling a little warm. Sarah thought on those words for a moment and shrugged, her own cheeks growing warm.
"I certainly don't hate that idea. My bed felt very cold this morning. It's only been a few days but… I think I'm getting accustomed to waking up with you there." She looked up at him through her lashes, the rosiness having crept up to his ears, he flashed her his signature smile, stretching from ear to ear.
"Who am I to deprive you of a warm bed?" he smirked. Sarah stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Oh, come on. It's entirely too early for that. I haven't had my coffee yet." Gerty shoulder bumped them on her way through the kitchen to the coffee maker.
"Sorry Gerty. I just needed to get a little … sugar for my coffee," Chuck waggled his eyebrows. Sarah huffed in amusement and smacked him on the arm. Gerty just groaned.
"God. I just walked right into that one, didn't I?" She shook her head as she poured herself a cup of black coffee and headed for the dining room table, where the places were already set. "Wow Chuck. Nice spread. How early did you get up?"
"I was up around 5:00AM. I went to the diner and put the turkeys in the smoker, then I came back and started breakfast. Everything's ready if you guys want to get started. Whoa. Wait. Is Ellie still sleeping?" Chuck asked looking out into the living room to see if he missed her.
"I think she's still in the shower. I imagine she'll be down in a bit," Gerty replied. A knock at the door grabbed all their attention. It was rather strange to have visitors this early. "I'll get it," Gerty offered, being closer to the door. She shuffled to the door in her robe, pajamas and floppy slippers while Chuck looked on with a huge grin. Sarah caught the look and nudged him.
"What's goin' on?" she inquired, intrigued by his expression. Chuck just winked and gestured at the door without saying a word. Gerty unlocked and opened the door and gasped.
"J-John! What uh… what are you doing here?" She was taken aback, closing her robe around her and subtly trying to smooth her hair down. He grinned sweetly at her, an expression he'd not shown before.
"Mornin'. You look … you look great," he offered sincerely, making her blush and divert her gaze to the floor for a moment. "Uh… Bartowski texted and said there were pancakes. I … I couldn't say no ta … ta pancakes." Though his words seemed innocent enough, his inflection seemed to suggest it was not pancakes that he couldn't say 'No' to. His cheeks began to color, adding some credence to that notion. This had not gone unnoticed by Gerty, or Chuck and Sarah for that matter, who were quietly watching from a distance. Sarah threaded her arm around Chuck's and leaned into him.
"Nice work, Bartowski," she whispered, hugging his arm a little tighter.
"Well, um … come in then. There's some fresh coffee in the kitchen and I think breakfast is ready." She moved aside, allowing him to enter the foyer. As she closed the door behind him, a blonde blur slammed into the large man's lower half, causing him to stop in his tracks, lifting his arms up out of the way.
"Mr. Casey! You came!" Molly gave him a hug and then grabbed his hand to pull him toward the dining room. "Mr. Chuck made pancakes and bacon and coffee and juice." The little girl was pulling him backwards, like some game of tug of war. Casey looked at Gerty as if pleading for her to intervene. She just grinned from ear to ear at the sight, letting Molly drag him to the table. "You can sit across from me," she declared taking him to his seat. "Right here, beside Ms. Gerty."
Sarah and Chuck were covering their mouths, trying their best not to laugh out loud at their little hostess playing matchmaker. Ellie came down the stairs, catching the tail end of the exchange but figuring it out rather quickly. It brought an amused smile to her face as she gave Sarah and her brother a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Morning everyone. What a great spread? Where should I sit?" Ellie ask, surveying the table.
"Oooo. Oooo. Right here. Right here, beside me!" Molly answered enthusiastically, patting the chair to her right. Ellie chuckled as she did as she was told. "Sarah, you sit here," patting the chair to her left. Sarah looked on in surprise at Molly's insistence, but did as she was asked with a smirk. Chuck took a seat at the end of the table nearest Sarah.
"Look! All the sisters are sitting together," Molly exclaimed, motioning between Sarah, Ellie and herself. Ellie brought her fingers up to cover her lips, looking a little misty-eyed. Sarah wrapped her arm around Molly, hugging her, at the same time gripping Ellie's forearm.
"That's right, Peanut. All us sisters together." Sarah stole a glance at Chuck, who was sitting with his elbows resting on the table, hands together, covering his mouth. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he regarded the row of ladies, the collection of those most important to him. The heartfelt declaration by the young girl seemed to affect everyone at the table. Even Casey gave a soft grunt, the corner of his mouth turning up.
Chuck clapped his hands together, then rubbed them together quickly. "OK, everybody. Let's dig in before it gets cold." Sarah could tell by the small hitch in his voice that he was affected as much as she was by their little 'moment'. They began passing around platters of food and engaging in small talk. The main topic of conversation was, of course, Thanksgiving. More specifically, all the good food planned for the day.
"John. I may have been too presumptuous. You're gonna be here this evening for dinner, right?" Sarah asked, passing the platter of pancakes to Casey for his third helping. Casey looked at Gerty to take note of her reaction. She stilled her fork on its way to her mouth, glancing at him.
"Um. Well… I … I don't really have much in the way of family. If it's not an inconvenience..." he trailed off.
"No!" Gerty blurted out. Realizing how abrupt and loud that was, she calmed herself before continuing. "No, it's no convenience. We'd love to have you." She winced at her choice of words, inwardly cursing herself. Without missing a beat, Sarah chimed in.
"That's right. We'd love to have you." She put a greater emphasis on the word 'love', in part to take a jab at Gerty's slip and perhaps also to lessen its importance in the discussion, having come from more than one source. In either case, Casey grinned and nodded.
"That's very kind of you. Both of you," he shared a pointed look with Gerty. "Is there anything that I can bring? Side dish? Wine? Maybe a dessert?"
"Just bring yourself and your appetite," Sarah replied.
"But I'm sure if a bottle of wine made it into your pocket, these ladies wouldn't complain," Chuck interjected, eliciting chuckles from around the table.
"I also invited Ian and his partner. They should be stopping by after he has dinner with his family, or he's had enough of their crap." Sarah shook her head.
"Partner? They cops or somethin'?" Casey asked in between mouthfuls of pancakes.
"Um...No." Sarah replied rather flatly.
"Oh...OH!" Casey responded, his eyes going wide in realization.
"Is that going to be a problem?" Sarah asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow. Casey studied her for a moment. Then shrugged.
"Nope," he said, though there seemed to be more on his mind. Sarah waited for him to have it out, assuming there would be some snide comment. He looked up from his plate and turned to look at Sarah then Gerty.
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments," he spoke, pausing for a moment before returning to his breakfast. Sarah literally sat back in her chair, stunned at what just came out of Casey's mouth.
"Wow. Um… Shakespeare, huh? What uh… what do you mean by that?" Sarah asked, quite intrigued. He took his napkin from his lap to wipe his mouth as he finished chewing.
"Well, that's Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. It's widely believed that section of sonnets was written to a young man. Regardless, the sentiment of the sonnet is the same. There's no reason why two people that love each other shouldn't be together. It's not my place to judge what's right for others. Just cause it ain't right for me, don't mean it ain't right for them," he concluded with a shrug, laying his napkin on his plate.
"That's very wise Casey. I never really thought that deeply about the words of that sonnet before. Not to sound like I'm buying into the stereotype, but… you don't exactly strike me as the Shakespeare type," Sarah admitted, wincing a bit at herself. Casey snorted with a small chuckle.
"I suppose not. I never touched the stuff until I ..." He paused for a second, catching himself, "until a couple years ago. I found myself with some time on my hands and there was this old book of Shakespeare's sonnets. I started readin' just to occupy my mind. At first I was just readin' words, not really gettin' what he was sayin'. Then, after readin' sonnet 18, it started to click, you know? Anyway, some of it just stuck with me. I used to think it was all just a bunch of hoity-toity nonsense for book nerds, no offense. Once I figured out his weird way of speakin', it wasn't nonsense after all." He paused for a moment, seeming to contemplate posing a question, but seemed apprehensive.
"What is it Casey?" Sarah asked, leaning in closer. He cleared his throat before pointing at one of the platters.
"Anybody gonna eat that piece of bacon?" The table erupted in laughter as Sarah handed him the platter.
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The house was filled with the symphony of aromas, fueling everyone's hunger as they gathered around the TV in the living room. They had watched parades and were now on to football. Having filled up on a large breakfast, they snacked on cheese, crackers and fruit for lunch, saving room for the main event. Chuck had just returned from the diner with the two smoked turkeys, which were now being kept warm in the oven. Dinner would be served soon and people could hardly wait.
The dining room table was set, covered in a fine tablecloth, used only on special occasions. The table's extra leaf was added to accommodate the additional guests, making the setting look truly grand. Sarah placed finished placing glasses at each seat when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" yelled Molly.
"Excuse me?" Sarah corrected, raising any eyebrow. The little girl looked sheepishly at her big sister.
"I mean, you'll get it." Her shoulders slumped. Sarah opened the door to see Ian and another man about their age beside him. He was a handsome, dark-haired man, dressed casually with a well-groomed 5 o'clock shadow.
"Ian. Come in!" Sarah gave him a hug then gestured for them to come in.
"Sarah, this is Brian, the one I was telling you about. Brian, this is Sarah Walker." Sarah and Brian shook hands, exchanging pleasantries.
"Sarah, he didn't do you justice. You're absolutely gorgeous, and I love you home," Brian gushed, gesturing around the house.
"Well, thank you. You're more handsome than he described, which clearly means Ian is the problem here," Sarah chuckled, with Brian following suit.
"Haha. Whatever. Hey, I hope you don't mind. My brother was going stir crazy at the house, so I invited him along. Parent's keep riding him about getting married, blah, blah, blah. He's parking the car, listening to the game on the radio." Ian gestured over his shoulder at the door.
"Of course. We have enough food for an army." Chuck and Ellie came from the kitchen, hearing the arrival of new guests. They approached the foyer when Sarah noticed them. "Oh. Ian, you remember Chuck." Ian smiled apprehensively at Chuck, uncertain of what his reaction might be. When Chuck brandished his broad smile and extended his hand, Ian visibly relaxed and accepted his hand, shaking it firmly. Ian was shocked when Chuck pulled him into a hug. Chuck whispered a 'Thanks' into his ear, letting Ian know that all was forgiven.
"Hi. I'm Ellie Bartowski. Chuck's sister. It's great to meet you." She shook Ian and Brian's hands.
"Ian. Ian Woodcomb. Pleasure to meet you." Before he could continue, the door opened, allowing a burst of cold air to fill the foyer. A tall man rushed in, quickly closing the door behind him.
"Buurrrr. Bro, it's freezin' out there," the man exclaimed as he shook off the cold. He turned to face the crowd in the foyer and was immediately drawn to Ellie. Her dark brown hair, hazel eyes and brilliant smile caused his words to catch in his throat. Ellie was equally drawn to the tall, blond man, whose piercing blue eyes seemed to pull her in. The people surrounding the pair grew quiet after a moment, realizing what was going on. They looked between the two, trying to stifle chuckles. Finally, Ian spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.
"Dude. Bro! Hello?" Ian snapped his fingers in front of his brother's face, finally pulling him from his musing. "Smooth, man. Really smooth," he chided, smirking at his brother. "Ellie, this is my brother Devon. Devon, this is Ellie." Ian moved out of the way, allowing the two to shake hands.
"I'm… I'm Devon," he said shaking her hand, awestruck and wide eyed. Ellie chuckled as she shook his hand, though her cheeks started to feel a little warm.
"Yeah. He mentioned that already. Nice to meet you. Devon, was it?" she asked, clearly poking fun at him. He got her meaning and chuckled at himself, shaking off his nerves.
"Nice one. That's awesome," he exclaimed, pointing at her with the 'you got me' look.
"Hey, Devon. You remember Sarah?" Ian, pulled his brother from making a fool of himself and motioned toward Sarah.
"Sarah Walker. I absolutely remember." Devon pulled Sarah into a bone crushing hug. "She's like the sister I always wanted. You look amazing," Devon commented, stepping back to look her over.
"Thanks Devon. You look great. Still working out I see." Sarah was right. The man was tall, as tall as Chuck, and built like an Olympic swimmer. He was just as handsome as she remembered from when she and Ian were 'dating'.
"Oh, yeah. You know. I like to keep fit, eat right," he conceded, gesturing to himself.
"Hey, Devon. I want you to meet my boyfriend, Chuck. Chuck, this is Devon Woodcomb. Ian's older brother." The two men shook hands. Devon had a firm grip, but it wasn't so much a show of dominance, it just seemed to go along with his outward, spirited personality.
"It's nice to meet you Devon. Strong uh… strong grip ya got there," Chuck confessed, wincing a bit.
"Oh. Sorry 'bout that, Bro. I get a little carried away sometimes." Devon chuckled and patted Chuck on the shoulder.
"Ellie is Chuck's sister, visiting for the holiday," Sarah offered, bringing Ellie back into the conversation.
"Oh. Is that right? So you're not from around here?" Devon asked, focusing all his attention on Ellie.
"No. I'm a California girl. I live in LA. Echo Park to be exact." Ellie shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of it. Devon's eyes grew huge.
"No shit? Wh… Seriously?" Devon was grinning but shaking his head as if in disbelief. He even started to chuckle.
"What's so funny about that?" she seemed a little offended, crossing her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"No. No. Not funny, 'haha'. Funny ironic." He pointed to his chest. "Silver Lake". Now it was Ellie's turn to be shocked.
"What? Are you kidding me?" Ellie barked out a laugh, holding her stomach, overcome by the absurdity of it. Sarah was looking between them, not really comprehending. Looking to Chuck for some guidance, she could see that he had an amused look on his face, rolling his eyes.
"Care to explain to the rest of the class?" Sarah asked, looking between them.
"Well, it would seem that they've traveled twenty-five hundred miles to Thanksgiving dinner, only to find that they live about a mile or two away from each other," Chuck explained, sounding rather amused. Everyone got a chuckle out of it.
"So what is it you do in Echo Park, Ellie?"
"I'm a neurologist. I finished my Neuro-Rehabilitation fellowship about a year ago. Now I'm doing research at UCLA on neural repair and regeneration." Ellie began, walking into the dining room, Devon following closely.
"That… that's so awesome. That is such an interesting field. So little is known about the brain and its healing abilities. Where'd you go to med school?" Devon asked, sounding thoroughly impressed.
"I went to UCLA. It was a good school and close to home. Enough about me. What about you? What is it you do, Devon?"
"Oh. Right. I'm a … a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai. I went to medical school at UNC Chapel Hill but took a fellow in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at Cedars-Sinai, and I've stayed there since." He shrugged, trying not to sound boastful.
"Holy crap! That's amazing. LA is such an enormous city that we'd probably never have met, even though we're so close to one another. To think that my little brother falling) in love with that wonderful woman brought me here. Then meeting like this. It just seems so… I dunno…" she trailed off, her cheeks reddening slightly.
"Kismet," he uttered at just over a whisper. She looked into his cool blue eyes, a little taken aback that he was thinking the same thing.
"Really? You think?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face, still holding his gaze. Devon was searching her eyes, for what she wasn't sure. He, too, smiled, but shrugged his shoulders.
"I dunno. Maybe. I mean, I'm not sure how much I believe in all that, but… if it walks like a duck."
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People mingled around the house, drifting in and out of conversation, generally enjoying themselves. Shortly after Ian and Brian showed up with Devon, Alex McHugh, the newest member of the 'Emma's Diner' family, arrived, bringing a bottle of wine and a small Crockpot filled with bacon wrapped water chestnuts, bathed in barbeque sauce. There were many cheers for the 'Bringer of the Bacon', helping her feel welcome. She found a seat in the living room and seemed to fit right in as she, Casey and Gerty yelled at the television, citing the ineptitude of the officials.
They sat down at the table and, before people began to dig in, Sarah asked to say a few words. "Seeing as this is a day during which we're supposed to celebrate what we're thankful for, as the hostess today, I wanted to share that with all of you. This is the first time in years that anyone has gathered at this table for Thanksgiving. To have all of you here means more than you can possibly imagine. Just a short time ago, Molly and I were the only family we had. Now… now we have new sisters," she gestured to Ellie, Gerty and Alex, "and brothers." motioning to Casey, Ian, Devon and Brian with a smile. "I've found love when I least expected it, but needed it most." She looked at Chuck, tears beginning to glisten in her eyes. "You have been there for me, for … all of us really. Always putting everyone else first. I truly believe that none of this would have been possible, this family wouldn't have come together, if it weren't for you. So, I'm thankful for all of you. To family." She raised her glass in a toast, sniffling, and the table followed in kind, sniffles echoing throughout.
"Alright. Enough of that," Sarah interjected, wiping a tear from under her eye. "Let's dig in!" And 'dig in' they did. The theme of the day was gluttony and everyone did their part. They ate and talked, thoroughly enjoying themselves until there was a symphony of moans and groans from stuffed bellies. Gerty, Casey, Ian and Brian insisted on cleaning up, allowing the others that had done most of the cooking to relax. Devon and Ellie sat in the dining room, sharing stories from their respective hospitals. Alex and Molly played board games on the living room floor while Chuck and Sarah snuggled on the couch, watching a log fire on Netflix.
Sarah's head was resting on Chuck's chest, the crackling and popping sounds of the digital fireplace intensifying the feeling of home. Nuzzling further into his chest, Sarah whispered just loud enough for him to here.
"Thank you Chuck. Thank you for everything." He ran his hand through her hair while tracing his fingers lightly along her arm that was draped across his stomach.
"Thank me? If anything, I should be thanking you. You welcomed me into your family, made me feel like I belonged. The only greater gift I've ever received is … you. I started to believe that I'd never find someone who loved me for… me. And for reasons I'm not entirely sure I understand, you do. You love me and I can't think of a greater gift. So… thank you, Sarah Walker." He craned his head down and kissed her on her forehead. After a few seconds he could hear her sniffle, then she smacked him on the stomach. 'Oww. What was that for?"
"You suck!" she pouted, sniffling some more. "You had to say all that nice stuff and make me cry, dammit." Chuck began to chuckle softly, which garnered him another smack to the stomach. "Stop laughin' at me. It's not funny," she chided mockingly, trying hard not to laugh as she continued to pout. Eventually, they settled back into their comfortable silence, enjoying the sounds of the fire and occasionally chuckling at the antics of Alex and Molly playing games. When they finished with their game, Molly bounded over to the collection of DVDs and pulled one out, showing it to Alex. Molly then held it up, showing Sarah and Chuck.
"Sarah, can we watch Ratatouille?" the little girl asked in a whiny, pleading tone.
"NO!" shouted Sarah and Chuck simultaneously. The two immediately started laughing but composed themselves shortly to offer their apologies.
"I'm sorry Peanut. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's getting late, so we'll have to watch it another night. Maybe one more game and then it'll be time for bed," Sarah instructed. Molly pouted a little but conceded defeat and started playing a game of Uno with Alex. Chuck and Sarah had continued their snuggling on the couch for a while longer when Sarah gasped and jolted.
"Oh crap. I almost forgot. Hey uh… Alex? You got anything going on tomorrow?" Sarah asked with a sing-songy tone.
"Um… just homework and reading I guess. Why?" Alex replied.
"How would you like to make some money while you do that?"
"Um… oookayyyyy," Alex responded, a little unsure.
"Well, I have people coming in tomorrow to replace the booths, tables, chairs and some appliances. I just need someone to be there. You can sit in my office and study while they do their thing. I just need someone there while they're working, in case they have questions or something. I'll pay you for the time you're there," Sarah added with a hopeful grin.
"So you're going to pay me to study all day? What about food?" Alex asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"Eat and drink whatever you want. Just clean up after yourself. Deal?" Alex made an exaggerated thoughtful expression, pretending to think it over.
"Alright. Deal," she smirked.
"Yeeeesss! Now I get to sleep in tomorrow," Sarah said, waggling her eyebrows at Chuck. Alex caught Sarah's expression and the implied meaning. She snorted and shook her head in amusement. Chuck blushed but still had a knowing smile plastered across his face.
The evening came to an end and people said their goodbyes. Ian and Brian thanked Sarah for her hospitality and exchanged hugs. Ellie and Devon made plans to meet the next morning for breakfast followed by a tour of the area. The area being what it was, that tour would be a short one, though it was highly doubtful that was the real agenda. Alex said goodnight, getting hugs from everyone, including a huge hug from Molly.
Chuck and Sarah helped get Molly off to bed and Ellie soon followed, wanting to get adequate rest for tomorrow's 'outing'. Casey and Gerty were talking in the living room, sipping on glasses of scotch in front of the Netflix fire. Chuck and Sarah opted to leave the two alone to talk so they could do some… 'talking' of their own in Sarah's room.
Casey and Gerty had been talking most of the evening about everything and nothing. To be clear, Gerty did most of the talking. Sure, Casey offered his input and opinions, but they were typically short and often accompanied by grunts. Now they sat staring at their drinks in silence, the crackling of the fake fire on TV the only reprieve. After a few moments, Gerty sighed, trying to build her courage.
"John. This… this unspoken 'thing' between us," she began, swirling the amber liquor in her glass. Casey's eyes grew wide as he took in a breath and held it. "I… I don't want it to be unspoken anymore. But I'm … I'm afraid you don't feel the same. Like there's something holding you back… or maybe it's something about me that's keeping you away." She swallowed thickly, fixing her gaze on her drink, unable to look up.
"Wh-... N-no. No Gertrude. God... " he scooted to the edge of his seat, trying to get closer to her. "You're… you're…" he stammered, shaking his head as he searched for the right words.
"I'm what John? Old? Used up? Broken? -" She swallowed thickly, a hurt look on her face.
"Perfect!" he bellowed, taking Gerty and himself by surprise. She stared at him in shock, while he tried to collect his thoughts. "You're … you're the most amazing woman I've ever met. You're kind, beautiful and strong. Stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know I ain't much for words, but you need to know that. Don't you let nobody tell you any different." They were both quiet for a moment, the words settling over them both. Finally, Gerty cleared her throat, breaking the silence.
"John, I… No one's ever..." She swallowed the lump in her throat, the firelight dancing in her glistening eyes. "If what you said is true, then why? Why do I feel like you're keeping me at arm's length? Every time I think we're getting closer, you seem like you're fighting it. I get that you're a gentleman, and I appreciate that more than you know, but John..." She looked into his eyes, pleading for an answer.
"There're things in my past, things I've done, that some just can't overlook. I'm… I'm afraid if I tell you those things… You'll…" he trailed off, clenching his jaw, rocking slightly in his chair, not able to meet her gaze. She knew that Casey was a strong, proud man, not one to easily share his emotions or put them on display. But now, she could see he was rattled. She could see the fear in him and it made her heart ache. She reached for him, taking his hand.
"John, if you really believe those things about me, then there's one more you need to add to the list. Trusting. Ahead of all those other things I need you to trust me. Put some faith in me and I promise you won't be disappointed." She squeezed his forearm, hoping to get her point through to him. He closed his eyes and just sat, taking steady breaths to calm his nerves.
"You know that I was a Marine for a long time and all the things that go along with that. What you don't know is that… I went to prison." Gerty took in a breath, squeezing his arm just a bit tighter. "I went to prison for two and a half years for nearly beating a man to death. See… that man had beaten and tried to rape a … a friend of mine. I just couldn't let that stand. It took everything in me not to end that miserable bastard's life. I wouldn't allow them to parade her in front of that court. So I did my time. My only regret… my only regret is that I didn't end him... See, ... I came to find out that piece o' shit went on to hurt someone else I care deeply for, and it kills me inside that I could've stopped it." His voice was growing shakey, his jaw quivering slightly.
Gerty gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand. "Oh my God," she breathed out at just above a whisper.
"I'm so sorry … I'm so sorry I didn't protect you from him when I had the chance…" A solitary tear streaked down his cheek and her heart broke for him. She dropped out of her chair to kneel in front of him, wrapping him in a hug, burying her face in his neck. His large, powerful arms enveloped her, pulling her close to him. As they held each other, he breathed in the scent of her hair, relished in the touch of her skin, her warm breath on his neck. The sensations sent a shiver through him. Gerty slowly pulled away, looking into his eyes, her cheeks still wet with tears. With little fanfare, she took his face in her hands and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He was stupefied by the spontaneous nature of the kiss but quickly found his bearings and began kissing her back with equal fervor. After nearly a minute, they broke for air, their foreheads pressed together.
"Just to set the record straight, in case I wasn't clear enough…" she took a few breaths before continuing, "I can look past it. In fact, it only further proves that you're the good man I know you to be. But don't you waste one more minute worrying about what could've been. If you had ended him, we wouldn't be here right now. Frankly, John Casey, I'd go through it all again if it brought me here … to you." She leaned in, kissing him just as passionately as before, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. After a short time, she broke the kiss, panting slightly. Her eyes shifted, looking around the room and bringing them back to his.
"You know, it seems to me that we have the day off tomorrow," she stated, her smile looking a little mischievous.
"So it seems," Casey replied, a grin starting to form across his face.
"It's a good thing we'll be able to sleep in tomorrow." Gerty took his hand, pulling him from his chair as she led him out of the living room.
"W-we?" Casey asked, a little taken aback by being dragged across the room.
"Mhmmmm," she hummed. "John Casey, I aim to misbehave," she called over her shoulder as they made their way up the stairs. His only response a cross between a grunt and a whimper.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sarah lay on her stomach next to Chuck, basking in the afterglow of what seemed like hours of passionate love making. He rolled to his side to face her, propping himself on his elbow with his head in his hand. "I wanna to ask you something, but I'm a little afraid at what you'll say," Chuck offered as he traced patterns on her naked back. She hummed at the sensation but then opened an eye at the comment.
"This sounds serious," she declared, pulling her pillow under her, hugging it.
"Well, it … .it kinda is. I … I'm developing a new line of software in the Earth and Beyond series. It's a language learning software, incorporating the exploratory game elements of Earth and Beyond in an effort to make learning a new language fun and exciting." Chuck paused to gauge Sarah's response to the idea.
'Wow. That sounds like a really great idea. Make learning fun so you don't realize you're learning. I read a study in college, during my capstone course, about play based learning in relation to language development. It was fascinating, and it had really promising results, but the 'play' they were using was nowhere near as immersive as your games." Sarah seemed genuinely excited about the idea, turning to face him, mirroring his posture of propping herself up.
"I'm really glad you think so. See… I'm creating a new division of Intersect Global, called Intersect-U. I'm still working on the name," he gave a sheepish shrug. "It'll house all of our educational software offerings, including the new language learning titles. In addition, I plan to add a course management add-on component that can plug into existing course management systems. That will allow teachers to better incorporate the games into their existing curriculum and track a student's progress. It'll focus on grades K-8, where I think we can have the most impact, but we can certainly expand beyond that. We'll offer the program for free to educational institutions. If individuals wish to purchase a personal copy, they can still do so for a nominal fee. I'm not looking for this to be a money maker, I want it to be a … a dream maker." Chuck paused for a moment, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?" Chuck sighed chuckling at himself, shaking his head. Sarah reached out a hand and touched his arm.
"No! Not at all. I can hear how passionate you are about this, and it seems like you've put a lot of thought into it. It sounds truly amazing and could make a huge difference for millions of kids, Chuck. I'm… I'm so proud of you." She smiled her megawatt smile at him and it warmed him inside.
"Thank you. That means more than you know," he replied, blushing a bit.
"But you said you wanted to ask me something?" She inquired, curious where all of this was going.
"Right. Yeah. So… I uh… I want you to be the Executive Producer for the language learning software project. You're brilliant and, with your educational background, I think you're a perfect fit." Chuck winced a bit, uncertain how she might react. At hearing his offer, she was floored, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Several times her mouth moved as if to say something but remained silent. After a few moments she was finally able to form a response.
"Chuck, I… I don't know what to say. This… this is huge. I'm… I'm not qualified for something like this. I don't know anything about writing software or … or… any of it really," Sarah exclaimed.
"I wholeheartedly disagree. You're the most qualified person I know. You don't have to know how to write software, you'll have a team of people under you that will do that. I want you to be in charge of the overall vision, the finished product. With your experience with languages, you'd offer guidance to the teams to ensure it's a quality product and that it delivers on our promise of being fun and exciting, while still providing high educational value. You'll be surrounded by staff that will help you every step of the way. You'd be free to hire or contract any experts you deem necessary. I trust you for this project, Sarah." Chuck was looking at her with complete sincerity and admiration.
"But… but Molly...a-and the diner… I can't…" Sarah looked like a deer in headlights, running her hand through her hair, muttering to herself.
"Most of the time you can work from wherever, using video and audio conferences when you need to collaborate. Maybe travel to the parent office once every few weeks or something if needed. Now the diner… that's something else entirely. I completely understand your attachment to the diner and the people there, I truly do. I made the greatest discovery of my life in that place." Chuck reached across and brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek in the process. "I'm not suggesting that you ever sell the diner, but… what if you let Gerty run the diner? She's a perfect fit. She has tons of experience, people love her and she's...she's family. You'd still own it, it would still be family run." Chuck could see that Sarah was really torn over this decision. Her eyes were staring off at nothing but searching, looking for answers perhaps. He knew this was a huge step and would be incredibly unfair to expect her to rush into a decision. Chuck reached across the space between them and took her hand.
"Look, this is a lot to ask of you. I don't want you to decide right now. Think about it for a few days or a few weeks even. Please don't feel obligated just because it's 'me' asking you. If… if you don't think it's a right fit for you, then don't do it. Sure I'd be disappointed that the project wouldn't benefit from your leadership, but I love you and I want you to do what makes you happy. I would never, ever ask you to sacrifice your happiness for anything. OK? We … we can even forget I asked if you want." Sarah stared at Chuck for a moment, not saying anything, just considering him. A wry smile spread across her face as she reached out and caressed his cheek.
"I'll think about it. It's a very tempting offer, and what you said about the diner isn't a horrible idea. I'll just need to think about it. Alright?" Sarah was hopeful she wasn't hurting his feelings by not accepting right away. He seemed so excited and, truth be told, she found it exciting as well. Finally, an opportunity to use her education for something meaningful. Still, she could be potentially giving up so much.
"Absolutely. In fact, I won't bring it up again. When you've made a decision, just let me know either way. No pressure at all," he raised a hand as if swearing an oath. She chuckled and shook her head at him.
"Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. As the kiss lingered, it began to grow in intensity, soon becoming a raging inferno. Sarah lifted the sheet, throwing her leg over his thighs to straddle him beneath the sheets.
"Hey, Oh!" Chuck exclaimed in surprise. Sarah chuckled at his antics.
"You're such a nerd," she declared with a smirk, shaking her head.
"Woman, I'm the King of the Nerds!" he announced with conviction before flipping her onto her back, eliciting a small shriek and a giggle from Sarah. The two continued their nocturnal activities well into the early morning.
A/N2: And there we have it. Full circle with the bedroom shenanigans. Stay tuned for more Waitress...
I really appreciate all the PMs and Reviews. Keep 'em coming.