A/N1 So this is it. Final chapter.

Thanks for reading, reviewing and PM-ing. I'd enjoy hearing your parting thoughts if you have any to share.

Don't own Chuck. And I am almost done writing that.

Chutes and Ladders

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Clue

Tuesday, April 3

Chuck did his best to stifle the scream. He heard Sarah stifle hers. Then she fell forward.

Onto his bed. Chuck fell forward across her bare backside, spent, empty...absolutely full of her. They were trying to be quiet. Devon was asleep after his night shift at the hospital.

Chuck rubbed his hand across Sarah's bare shoulders, rearranging the spray of blonde hair, caressing her. She moaned softly and her whole body shook. Again. When the shaking passed, she turned her face toward him. "You, Chuck Bartowski, make all of me an erogenous zone. Head to toe, all points between."

She started to twist toward him, to turn over, and he lifted himself off her, aligning himself beside her. She turned. Now on her back, she put one hand on his cheek. They were both flushed and still panting. She leaned up and kissed him on the lips, a kiss that promised more once she had a moment to catch her breath, once the most serious aftershocks had passed.

Chuck's phone rang. As he stretched out toward the nightstand to pick it up, he noted the time.

11:23 am.

They had slept late and then been wholly preoccupied with each other. They hadn't left his bedroom. He looked at the phone. Casey. Chuck turned to Sarah and put out his hand toward her, holding up his index finger, indicating that he would need a second. She leaned toward his hand and sucked his finger into her mouth, her tongue rolling around it. His eyes rolled back in his head.

"So not helping, Sarah...and I am so going to hold you to that." She grinned around his finger and then released it.

"Turnabout is fair play," she promised. Sighing and shaking his head, he stood as he answered the phone, his Hello accompanied by Sarah's low, throaty giggle.

"What's up, Casey? Yes, yes, um, I am up." Giggles. "Lunch? Well, for us it would be more brunch, but sure. I could eat." Sarah giggled again at that. "Where? Really? At Go Fork Yourself?" Another fit of giggles. "Rhonda's coming? Okay. See you soon."

He ended the call and looked at his naked fiancé draped across his bed, her body still flushed, her giggles just subsiding.

"So," Sarah observed, trying to be serious, "we have a lunch date?"

Chuck nodded. She asked: "When?"

"An hour."

Sarah glanced at the ceiling as if calculating. "I think we have time."

She sat up, continued forward onto her hands and knees, and crawled across the bed toward him, her blue eyes suddenly unspeakably intense, a stalking tigress. Chuck grinned even as he trembled.

He would be happily mauled.

ooOoo

Despite the lunchtime crowd - a handful of people that Chuck could see through the window - Billy Powell was out in front of the cafe, smoking. Chuck parked the Crown Vic and shut it off. It shook violently, spectacularly, rattling, rattling. Then it backfired like a canon, shaking one final time. Sarah started laughing softly. Chuck blushed.

"That didn't sound good, not good at all."

Sarah nodded. "I don't mean to laugh, but it felt a little like she is jealous…"

"She?"

"Well, of course, Vic, Victoria, is a lady…"

"Huh. I guess so. You think she noticed your ring."

Sarah nodded and leaned toward him. "I suspect so."

Laughing, they got out of the car. Billy studied them from inside a blue cloud of smoke. When they got to the sidewalk he ventured a comment. "I got an old bugle inside, Chuck. Should I play taps later?" He pointed with the orange end of his cigarette at the Crown Vic. "Not sure she's gonna start again. That sounded like a death rattle."

Chuck shrugged, glancing back with fond worry at his boat of a car. "Nah, she's got nine lives, that one."

Billy did not look convinced, but he changed topics. "So, did you finish those final cases?"

"Yeah, Billy, I did. We did."

"Oh, good! So, she's your partner now?"

Chuck smiled at Sarah, his best smile. "She sure is." Sarah squeezed his hand. "You have the big table in the back open, Billy?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah, usual lunch crowd, a few business folks, and a few loners. Be nice to have some love in the place."

Billy threw his cigarette down and turned to open the door. Chuck stepped on the cigarette and ground it out. He and Sarah went inside.

Billy asked them. "How many?"

Chuck mentally listed everyone coming again. Casey and Rhonda. They had gotten a call from Matthew and Ginny on the way to the cafe; they were coming, and bringing Sasha. Casey had texted to say that Alex and Morgan were coming too.

"Nine. Eight and a half. Eight and a booster seat."

Billy's eyebrows went up. "A crowd. Great! I'll see that the buffet is full and hot." He led them to the large round table and then headed into the kitchen. Sarah looked around. "A self-service cafe. That's, um, interesting."

Chuck laughed. "Billy's interesting. He doesn't think I know it, but he actually owns the whole strip mall. He's my landlord. He's kept my rent low enough for me to stay in business."

Billy came back out to the table. He had a single cupcake on a platter. A small, brightly colored candle burned atop the chocolate frosting. He put it on the table. "Thought you two might want to celebrate your...partnership." Billy winked and walked away.

Sarah smiled at Chuck, her best smile, and blew out the candle.

ooOoo

"Miss Walkerrr! Miss Walkerrr!"

Matthew and Ginny arrived first, Sasha in tow. When Matthew put her down, she sprinted the final distance to the table. She got to Sarah and climbed up into her lap, giving her a big hug.

Then Sasha reached for Chuck. "Mr. Chuck!" He took her and gave her a hug while Matthew and Ginny sat down. They looked tired but happy. In fact, that seemed to be true of everyone at the table, except Sasha - she was happy but not tired.

Billy arrived with silverware and napkins, glasses of ice water. He grabbed the plate with the cupcake crumbs. He looked around the table, then stood for a second, his head ping-ponging between Chuck and Sarah and Matthew and Ginny. He looked puzzled and then left, whistling long and tunelessly, shaking his head.

"So," Ginny said, "engaged, huh?"

Sarah jumped a bit in her seat. She glanced at Ginny. Ginny shrugged. Matthew spoke. "Spy, remember. Try living with her everyday. Especially around birthdays or holidays."

Ginny laughed and kissed Matthew's cheek gently. "Sorry, honey, but I don't know if we will ever see spy-to-eye on surprises." Matthew put on a face of arch glumness. Sasha saw it and giggled, causing Matthew to laugh too.

"Daddy gave Mommy a surprise party one time. They were very quiet after the people left." Sasha shrugged and everyone laughed.

Ginny admired Sarah's ring and proper congratulations were shared around the table - Chuck and Sarah's engagement, Matthew and Ginny's pregnancy - and the atmosphere grew festive.

Chuck dug into his coat and got his wire-bound notebook and green putt-putt pencil out. While Sarah talked with Matthew and Ginny in general terms about their plans, Chuck drew the outline of a frog on one of the pages, tore it out, and handed it, the notebook and the pencil to Sasha.

"Can you draw one?"

Sasha smiled, nodding, and took the notebook and pencil. She looked at the pencil. "I like this. It's my size."

Chuck grinned. "Then you keep it. I have lots."

Sasha beamed. She put her head down close to the paper and her tongue between her teeth, she started drawing, her concentration intense.

ooOoo

Alex and Morgan arrived. Chuck watched as Morgan sat down on the other side of Sasha. After greeting the adults, Morgan looked at the black-haired little girl. "Hey, Sasha, watcha drawing?"

"A frog!" She turned the notebook toward Morgan.

"That's good! I wish I could draw like that."

Sasha extended the pencil to Morgan. "Wanna try one?"

He took the pencil, then noticed it. He looked at it more closely. A clue. "Where did you get this, Sasha?"

"Mr. Chuck gave it to me. He said he has lots." Morgan rotated his head toward Chuck, recognition in his eyes. "Oh, he does, does he?"

Chuck quickly turned to Alex. "What's up with your dad? I got a cryptic voicemail from him last night and then the invitation for this morning…"

Alex put her hands out, palms up. "We don't know. Rhonda called and invited us to come. I guess we will find out." Alex looked at everyone carefully. "So, you guys are all okay. I don't know exactly what was up yesterday or last night, but I know it was...serious."

Chuck nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it was. But we…

"Sarah!" Alex burst out, shouting. "A ring?"

Sarah blushed. Alex went on, loudly, excitedly. "I guess the Tall, Dick and Curly is off the menu?" The other patrons turned to the table, trying to figure out that comment.

Sarah scooched down in her chair a little. But she smiled at Alex. "Yes, absolutely off the menu. I'm the only one who gets to taste it…" her blush became furiously red, "I mean...I am the only one who makes it...Oh, I give up. I suck at explaining. - Tell me I did not just say that?"

The table laughed in unison, including Sasha, who did not understand, but who was enjoying seeing her teacher so flustered.

ooOoo

Casey and Rhonda showed up next. Rhonda was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Casey looked like something the Cat drug in.

They took the final two seats. Sarah introduced Rhonda to Matthew and Ginny. She shook their hands with respect and pleasure. "Good to know you both." The grin remained on her face.

Chuck looked around the table. He felt so happy in the moment. If Ellie and Devon had been there, the round table would have been complete. Still, it was wonderful. Wonderful. But Chuck was concerned about Casey, Casey's hangdog look.

"So, Casey, what's going on?"

"I've got news. Quite a bit of it." He looked at Sasha, who was drawing again. "I'll try to tell it all in a G-rated way." He paused for a breath, waited for the adults to attend to him, then started.

"I talked to Matthew and Ginny late last night, so they know some of this. Morgan, Alex, some of this won't make much sense. I'll explain what I can later.

"So. First, the drums in the desert did not all have you-know-whats inside, but several did. Tests on the first few reveal that they are among the missing homeless. Evidently, FARMA decided to double-down on their illegal dumping.

Besides keeping watch on the Wilmores, Perry and Shaw were involved in and oversaw the recent dumping. We think they took the...people...from the lab to the warehouse and put them in the drums there before trekking out to the desert. The hole we saw was meant to get covered over soon and a new one dug.

"Perry's confessed to it all. Shaw's got nothing to say, but he keeps demanding to see Ginny." Casey peered at Ginny and she shook her head, then snuck a glance at Matthew, whose face betrayed an old hurt, but one that had evidently healed. He smiled at his wife.

"Second. I went and visited legal sk…" Casey noticed Sasha, "Jill Roberts this morning. She is going to make it. She'll face some serious rehab - but she's lucky. An inch to one side and she would have been dead instantly. She gave a statement. Given her description of her attacker, we believe it was one of the Foxworth men you found at FARMA.

"The gun was planted, obviously. We found copies of your fingerprints, Chuck, the ones on file at the station when you got your PI license, in Jessup's desk. We think he gave them a copy or something and they used some spy sh...spy tricks to recreate the prints on the weapon. Their hope was to get you out of the way by pinning the...you know what...on you. Can't say I think Foxworth or his bunch were exactly criminal masterminds. Foxworth was no Moriarty. But if you have enough money, maybe you don't need much frontal lobe development, right, Dr. Watson?" Casey gave Chuck a twisted grin.

"Larkin's being investigated as we speak. From what I have been able to gather - Perry knew a little about it and confessed it too - Larkin was trying to allow Foxworth and FARMA to operate without actually becoming part of their operations. You know, sorta like a doctor who is willing to let a patient die but not to kill the patient. Be passive, not active. Mitigate responsibility, I guess. But it got Larkin actively…" Casey dropped his voice, "...killed."

"Perry told me that Foxworth found out, from Shaw who was tailing her, that Roberts visited you, Chuck, and they decided she needed to go, Larkin too. Shaw had some kind of directional mike and he heard what Roberts asked you. They were worried she might start giving up secrets. She went to you because she figured out, although she won't say how, that Foxworth had ties to...well, you know. Foxworth found out that was true, and he thought she was getting less...enamored of him, so he wanted to eliminate Roberts, Larkin and you, Chuck, all in one go."

Casey stopped for a minute. "I'd like to have gotten a chance to talk to that pri...idiot, Larkin."

Chuck smiled a tight, funereal smile. "I know a guy who can do a seance, Casey, talk to the dead, he's got a glowing red crystal ball…"

Casey shot Chuck a puzzled look but went on. "So, that's the story on that. Roberts made me promise I would tell you that she wants to see you, Chuck. So I just did."

Chuck looked at Sarah. She smiled at him.

"But that's not all the news, Casey," Rhonda said, her continuing grin growing larger.

Casey shifted in his seat. "No, no it's not. Um...Turns out, the interim captain was really interim. As of this morning, I am the new police captain, although I have not yet been officially installed. Evidently, the folks at the top got a call from the folks above the top recommending me for the job." Chuck noticed a glance between Matthew and Ginny. "So I got the offer and...I guess...I accepted."

Rhonda jumped in. "Yes, he accepted. And the salary increase means two things. One, I can quit my job and do what I've wanted to do for a while…"

Alex spoke in disbelief. "You mean come in with me, buy another truck, grow the business?"

Rhonda nodded happily at Alex. "Yes, I've had enough of guns and bad guys. And I like the thought of Casey's shapely ass behind a desk when it isn't in my han…" She stopped. Sasha. "Besides, Casey hasn't done it yet, but he's gonna give me a personal promotion soon...That's the second thing." She waved her left hand in the air suggestively, humming Bob Marley.

Casey was staring at the floor, red-faced, but he looked up long enough to grin, resigned but also happy, at Rhonda.

Alex went on. "That's so great! Both things. I couldn't be happier. About all of it. For both of you. And, hey, Chuck and Sarah have news too!"

Sarah shared her hand with Rhonda and the table erupted into multiple congratulations again.

Chuck leaned over to Sarah's ear as the hubbub went on around them. "See, no one at this table thinks we're crazy."

Somehow, Sasha overheard. "I think Mr. Chuck is crazy." She grinned at him.

Everyone heard; everyone laughed. Eventually, they headed to the buffet to help themselves.

As they reached the buffet, Morgan sidled up to Chuck and asked to borrow a pencil.

Late Spring

It turned out that Sarah had a lot of money in banks. It had all been collecting interest steadily but remained untouched. Sarah and Chuck kept enough to start the business, then donated the rest anonymously to various homeless shelters in LA.

Matthew was able to help them and he wanted to be involved. From the distance (Chuck and Sarah were unsure where exactly the Wilmore's were), he worked on programming with Chuck and he made resources from Wilmore Laboratories available.

The AI projects were showing great promise. As Chuck and Matthew worked on the AI projects, Chuck converted old programs of his into sellable apps. Soon, the apps were making money. The business was beginning to take shape, to become its own living thing.

Chuck shut the PI office but did not officially go out of business. He kept his license current.

Sarah continued teaching; she had no plan to quit.

ooOoo

Chuck moved in with Sarah a couple of weeks after the engagement. The Crown Vic died in the parking lot there after the last trip with Chuck's things. It would not start again. Nine lives used up. Chuck had to have it towed and put to rest. Morgan, who stopped by to help Chuck move in, watched sadly as the Vic was towed away.

"Like Chesko, she gave up the ghost, as they say."

Chuck gave Morgan a look. "Did we ever figure out who says that?"

Shrugging, Morgan quipped, "I guess we do."

ooOoo

Chesko had been reanimated in the meantime. The US government has supplied the funds, although not six million dollars. Still, even the more modest amount allowed for a resurrected Chesko of renewed vitality and brighter colors. His sound system was also better. Chuck found him almost infinitely more frightening, and unless Sarah was with him, he never approached Hole 18.

Chuck never did go to visit Jill. He and Sarah sent her a nice Get Well card. She was out of the hospital and in rehab. So far, nothing from FARMA had blown back on her, but the investigation of the company was on-going.

The company itself was faltering. Although the full story about Foxworth was suppressed, share-holders grew antsy about the charges the company faced and its shaky leadership. Stocks were falling. Other pharmaceutical companies were poised to take FARMA apart and consume its pieces. Sadly, that would mean that the death of one FARMA would likely create two or more in its place, a perverse, monetized fissioning that seemed inevitable: dollars feeding on dollars.

ooOoo

Chuck and Sarah met with Matthew and Ginny in early May for a weekend in the Rockies. Although Ginny was still keeping the location of their permanent home a secret, the family looked well. Ginny was much larger and more clumsy, and annoyed with her size and her growing dependence on her husband. Sasha seemed even happier, better adjusted.

"How has she been?" Sarah asked Ginny as Sasha ran off to play in the pine needles beneath a tree. They were out taking a walk together. Chuck and Matthew were playing Nancy Drew: The Final Scene back at the cabin - trash-talking to each other.

Ginny's face showed relief. "Much better. She hated leaving your class and leaving Mr. Chuck, but she's adjusted well to the new place. The main thing is that I am relaxing, no longer in constant spy mode. I realize I kept her keyed up, tense, because I kept us living like a fortress family. I brought the spy world home and it gnawed at her…" Ginny wiped sudden tears from her eyes.

"But, other than being annoyingly large and somewhat helpless, I am adjusting well too. It's been a detox of sorts. But I found a lawyer's office - they do pro bono work, lots of it - and I volunteer. It gives me something to do, something to think about.

"When the baby arrives, and we get settled, I am going to open a self-defense studio for women. That's the plan, anyway. And Matthew is constantly working on the new projects for Chuck. He loves the idea of creating things that will help people immediately and directly. We have both had a bellyful of abstract 'greater good' shit."

"Graham used that phrase when he tried to recruit me," Sarah offered.

"Not surprised. It was his 'Open Sesame', his 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. He simply assumed that the greater good conformed to whatever he did, wanted to do."

Sarah nodded. That had been her impression too. That's how that talk almost always worked.

Sarah looked at Ginny. "Has Boosinger left you two alone? We've not heard from her, of her."

"Yes, she's been as good as her word. She's a weird choice for that job, a woman with a functioning conscience. I don't know how long it will last...at some point, her conscience will quit or she will. Langley is incompatible with moral imagination." Ginny stopped, rubbing her lower back and shaking off the topic.

"What about you two? I heard Chuck moved in."

"Yes, it's good. Really good. We just set a date. Middle of September. We're hoping you two can come."

Ginny pursed her lips. "We'll certainly try. Is it going to be a big affair?"

Sarah shook her head. "No, just us. A new dress and a new suit. Morgan will marry us. I know, long story...Just the folks who were at lunch at Go Fork Yourself, plus Chuck's sister and her husband. My friend Jerri.

"And...maybe...my dad. He said he would come. I want him to meet Chuck. But it makes him a little nervous that Chuck used to be a PI and a lot nervous that one of Chuck's closest friends is a police captain. Dad's had a...colorful past."

Ginny nodded. "Is that part of the old story about the knives?"

"Yes."

"Hey, when I start my studio, how about coming for a visit sometime and teaching a guest course on knives? I'd like a chance to learn from you myself."

"You'd have to tell me where you live."

Ginny scanned the woods around them in comic exaggeration and then gave Sarah a secretive look, as if spy to spy. "All in good time, Agent Walker, all in good time," she said in a stagey Russian accent. When Sarah laughed, Ginny seemed both pleased and surprised.

Early Fall

Matthew and Ginny did make it to the wedding. Sasha too.

Ginny was huge and Matthew was overprotective, but they were there, and happy for their friends. Jack Burton made the wedding, although he spent most of the reception trying to avoid Casey, who, Jack complained, had the cop-est cop face Jack had ever seen. Still, Jack liked Chuck and was genuinely happy that his daughter was so happy.

Indeed, everyone was overjoyed about the wedding - everyone but Sarah's students, who were not happy about having to transition from Miss Walker to Mrs. Bartowski. Her new name proved to be quite a mouthful for her kindergarten students. But they eventually adjusted.

ooOoo

Sarah got pregnant later that Fall.

It was hard to know who was most excited - if it was Chuck or Sarah...or Ellie.

The business was prospering. New AI devices were now being designed, initial programming was almost complete. Excitement surrounded Chuck and Sarah, each expectant in his or her way.

The baby was born a few days before the new AI software was to be presented at a news conference.

A little boy.

Philip.

Chuck had lobbied for Sherlock, and then for Humphrey, but Sarah's good sense carried the day.

Chuck walked beside Sarah's wheelchair since the hospital, as a final act of due diligence, insisted that Sarah be wheelchaired to the car by a nurse. Chuck had purchased an old Toyota Land Cruiser, a tank on wheels, to chauffeur and protect his wife and child.

Casey hated that the car was not American-made, but he tolerated Chuck's choice. Casey had lobbied hard for a red Oldsmobile Delta 88 but Chuck's good sense carried the day.

Chuck took little Philip and put him in his car seat. The one they bought for Sasha was too big for Philip, but it was in a closet at the apartment, ready to take over when Philip got older.

After securing the baby, Chuck helped Sarah up into the Land Cruiser. She got in the seat, and Chuck closed the door.

ooOoo

As Chuck went around the front of the car and took his place in the driver's seat, Sarah rotated in hers, seatbelt on, to face Chuck, not the dashboard. In that position, she could see and touch the two most important things in her world, her husband and her son.

She leaned her head to the side, against the headrest, and gazed lovingly, first at her Chuck, then at Philip. She was empty, spent, sore from labor - but she was full of her husband and of her son. Chuck started the Cruiser and pulled away from the curb.

"Ellie and Devon are at our place, waiting to welcome us home. Ellie's promised to keep it low-key." Chuck and Sarah both laughed, knowing that expecting Ellie to be low-key at such a time was tilting at windmills.

"Thanks for reminding me, Chuck. I got a call from Ginny just before you got here. We talked about deliveries."

Chuck looked at Sarah a little nervously. "Um...not so sorry I missed that conversation. Witnessing the event was...enough...wonderful...but enough."

Sarah reached out to rub Chuck's arm. "It's okay, sweetie, you aren't the first man almost to pass out in the delivery room."

"No, but you were the one in pain, the one doing the...labor. I'm mortified."

Sarah looked back at Philip, sleeping in the car seat. "Don't be. I know you were suffering for me. I know you would have rather it have been you than me. You're sweet."

"Well, thanks, but I was once a working detective. I once fought rogue spies and evil policemen and quasi-zombies. You'd think…"

"You'd think you have a big, empathic heart, most especially for me. I love you for it, Chuck. I love you."

They drove on in warm silence. After a few minutes, Sarah gave Chuck a look. He caught it. "What?"

"Even fat and ugly and tired, even after giving birth, are you still jealous of me, Chuck. A smidgen, a skoosh…"

"A mite?" Chuck finished the list. "Absolutely, and you are not fat, ugly and tired. You are wholly beautiful. You are a woman, the woman, Sarah Bartowski, the most amazing woman I know, and I know Ellie Woodcombe and Ginny Wilmore, so the bar is way, way high. But no one else is close, Sarah. No one, as much as I love Ellie, as fond as I am of Ginny."

Sarah's eyes got wet and she blinked. "Thank you, Chuck," she said quietly.

"For what, Sarah?"

"For everything."

The End

A/N2 That's all, folks. If you aren't reading MisEd, goodbye! And thanks!

Again: Parting thoughts?

(New MisEd likely on Monday or Tuesday. It will now be my sole focus.)

Zettel