A/N: Welcome back Cardinal fans. Long time no see. This is College Baseball TMI and we're back! It's the middle of May (in the story), so you know what that means. Yup, that's right. On today's program we're talking about the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, the Road to Omaha. Before we get into it, we need to tell you about the professional staff over at Stanford TMI. When we had the 'incident' back in March (chapter 28), the lions at Stanford TMI did the difficult thing and stood by us when everyone around them was urging them to throw us under the proverbial bus. It's to their great credit that they didn't take the easy way out and, for that, we offer them our sincere gratitude and thanks. So, when we tell you to use Stanford TMI for all your TMI needs, do it. Believe us, you won't be sorry. We're your hosts, Biff Roberts and Rob Bifford. Yes, we're still here and are as surprised as you are. But that's what court injunctions and weekly group meetings are for, isn't it? Ahem! So, what's the deal with the talk about the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, the Road to Omaha, you ask? Well, you should know that the Division I collegiate baseball championship is organized in a manner similar to other NCAA tournaments. Conference champions (usually determined by a tournament, but not always) receive automatic bids, and the selection committee fills the remaining spots, based on how the teams are nationally ranked at the end of the regular season to create a pool of 64 teams. The first tier, called Regionals, is played at the locations of the top 16 schools in the final rankings with four teams at each location, seeded 1 through 4, competing in a double-elimination bracket. The winner of each regional moves on to the second tier, the Super Regionals. Super Regionals are played at eight locations throughout the country and consist of the 16 surviving teams, matched up by predetermined regional pairings. The matched teams play a best-of-three series to determine who moves on to the College World Series (CWS) that's played in Omaha, Nebraska. The CWS mimics the earlier rounds, consisting of two double-elimination brackets of four teams each. Thereafter, the winners of each bracket meet in a best-of-three final. The winner of this final series wins the College World Series and is crowned the national champion. And there you have it! Thank you for all of that TMI, Biff. You're welcome, Rob. Make sure your mic is off, Biff. You got it, Rob. We have lots more scripted TMI lined up for you in the coming days. That's right, Rob. And no unscripted TMI at all, we promise. Biff turn off your mic. You promised! Yeah whatever, Rob. (-Click-) That's all from us here at College Baseball TMI, until next time! (-Click-)
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, at least as far as I can remember. I'm not like Chuck in this story. In more ways than one. I make no money from Chuck. That's another way I'm different from Chuck in this story. He makes all kinds of money from being Chuck.
Chapter 37 – Lucky
Friday May 17 – Stanford Campus – after 11:00pm, twenty days after Chuck's injury
Chuck and Sarah finally ended their kiss when the mutual need for oxygen overrode their romantic desires. They drew back, but only far enough for them to lock eyes and see the love and joy shining out at them, one for the other. The silly smiles on their faces quickly morphed into need as their lips met once again to share what was in their hearts. Actions had superseded words. They giggled simultaneously when Sarah's attempt to deepen the kiss was met by Chuck's own effort, but the giggles became soft moans when their tongues caressed as they delicately explored each other's mouths. This time, when they parted, they were gasping for air. Chuck rested his forehead carefully on Sarah's while they continued to cling to each other, even while refilling their lungs with long slow breaths. Each breath brought the delicate scent of Sarah mixed with jasmine and vanilla to Chuck's nose, causing his lips to twitch into a small smile.
"Thank … you, … Sarah," he gasped out.
"Why are … you … thanking … me?" She giggled, feeling giddy, her cheeks rosy from their kissing and her embarrassment at how breathless her voice sounded. He's kissing the life out of me, she thought, mentally chastising herself at the overwrought image she had in her mind. Why not? After all, I'm trying to do the same thing to him.
"For loving … me," Chuck replied, finally catching his breath. "Even with all of the issues I have going on up here." He freed up one hand and twirled his finger next to his temple.
"Stop right there, Chuck Bartowski," Sarah said, taking one hand from around his neck and shaking her finger in his face. His eyes widened at her scolding tone. "I fell in love with you. Just you. As you are. As you've always been since I met you." She hugged him to her to emphasize her point before looking him in the eye again. "I didn't fall in love with a different version of you. Some average guy who then got bitten by a radioactive computer and became a genius overnight …" She had to stop because he had taken a step back in surprise.
Chuck's eyes were like saucers, a stunned expression on his face. "Good grief! You did not just say 'bitten by a radioactive computer', did you, Sarah Walker?" Now he was grinning like a fool. Sarah nodded and giggled again at his silly antics. "Oh. My. God! I love you so much. You're perfect!" He laughed joyfully from deep in his chest.
Sarah bounced a shoulder cutely. "You're just figuring that now, Mr. Science?" she smiled sweetly, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Oh no, Sarah. I knew you were perfect since the moment I met you," Chuck said, his voice going lower and deeper. She shivered. "I just didn't know how perfect you were … for me." Sarah saw the smolder in his eyes a second before he crushed his lips to hers. This kiss made her go weak in the knees and stoked a fire in her belly. She kissed him back with everything in her, pouring all of her own emotion into her lips. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she was sure she could feel Chuck's doing the same. They were so good together. So natural. Their kisses were simply amazing, so what would … other things be like? When her thoughts caused her to moan into the kiss, she heard Chuck's own moan answering her. Their kiss lasted quite a while as they reveled in the taste and touch of each other. When they parted this time, they were panting more than before, even while they continued to exchange soft pecks on the lips while trying to regain control of themselves.
"I … need … to … take … a … breather! Literally! … Whew!" Sarah panted looking up at him, her eyes shining. She could see the nearby streetlights reflected in Chuck's eyes. In her mind, they were dancing delightfully.
"Me … me … too … Sarah!" Chuck tried to grin while he panted himself. "I'm more … out of … shape … than I … realized. I'll need a lot … more kissing practice if I'm going to … get back in proper boyfriend shape," he chuckled between breaths.
"Oh dear! What ever shall I do?" Sarah said very primly, then she shrugged. "I guess I'll just have to keep kissing you until you are up to snuff." Her bubbly giggles were quickly muffled when he pressed his lips to hers, but he pulled back after only a few seconds. She suppressed a frown. That kiss hadn't lasted nearly long enough. Then she noticed he was grinning mischievously. What was he up to? It didn't take long for her to find out.
"I do need you to kiss me, Sarah. A lot. I need all sorts of practice," Chuck said, feigning seriousness. "Help me Sar-obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope," he chirped, trying, unsuccessfully, to hold in his giggles. She thought he was being an absolute goofball.
Sarah threw up her hand to block his latest advance and turned away. "That's it! We're done," she grumbled. "That was just plain awful. I can't be with a guy who makes up such terrible pet names." She huffed, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
Chuck stuck his lower lip out as far as he could and worked his jaw, trying to make his lip quiver. "Wow! OK, I guess I really wasn't the droid you were looking for, after all." He furrowed his brow to add some 'gravity' to his faux pout. She snorted a laugh at his expression.
"You're no droid, Bartowski," Sarah gave him a heated look of her own. "You're all man and you're all mine." She dove in for another kiss, but he cut this one short, too. This time she couldn't stop her frustrated huff.
"I guess I shouldn't tell you the other name I thought up," he said, tucking his chin in and resting his index finger on it, like he was expecting another scolding.
"I know I'm going to regret this, but what is it?" Sarah pursed her lips and twisted them to the side.
"Sarah-no de Bergerac, but I decided not to use that one because I was afraid you'd think I was making fun of your nose," he shrugged. That surprised Sarah and she didn't know what to think about his teasing, so she might have to have a little fun, too.
"What's wrong with my nose?" She questioned sternly.
"Nothing, Sarah. Not. One. Thing." Chuck waved his hands, trying to calm her down, but she wasn't really upset, only pretending to be bothered by his comment. And, maybe, playing with him just a little bit. "See? That's what I was worried about. I'm terrible at this stuff. Your nose is perfect. You're perfect. In fact, you're the most beautiful person I have ever seen. I'm the luckiest guy on the face of the Earth." He said it with such genuine feeling that she couldn't keep up the charade. He was so sweet. And handsome. And most definitely kissable.
"Thank you, Chuck. That's very sweet of you to say that," she smiled gently, then went in for the kill. "I always feel beautiful when I'm with you." The last part came out in a whisper. She bit the corner of her lower lip when she was done speaking, her eyes smoldering this time. She waited to see his reaction. It didn't take long and he reacted as she expected.
Chuck's mouth fell open and he blushed adorably while his eyes went out of focus. Sarah worried for a second, but then he shook his head and chuckled. "Uncle. Uncle, Sarah. I give. You win. I'm terrible at all of the boyfriend-girlfriend banter stuff."
"You could have fooled me," she smiled and looked up at him through her lashes. This time when she kissed him, he didn't cut it short and she was able to enjoy it fully, only stopping when they needed to breathe again. "That was wonderful, Chuck. See? You're getting back in shape already."
"It must be due to your stellar training plan, Miss Walker," Chuck said softly, running his hands down both of her arms.
"Must be," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "It's pretty late and you should be in bed asleep. I need you fully healed up and back in business tout de suite. You've got a lot of kissing to work on and I'm a real taskmaster. You saw me at all of those Songbirds practices."
Chuck groaned. "Don't bring that up, Sarah!"
"Why?" Now she was most definitely confused.
"Because Carina was right. I think I really was … um … checking you out back then. Now that I know what that means." Even in the dim light, Sarah could see he was blushing in shame at his admission.
"We knew that, Chuck. I knew that," she corrected.
"Why didn't you say anything? I'm sorry for doing that to you. I really mean it." He really did sound contrite and that couldn't stand. Not any longer.
"I didn't say anything because I liked it, babe." Sarah admitted.
"Oh?" Chuck looked confused, thinking. "Oh …" Then he grinned.
"Yeah. Oh," she nodded, grinning, as well. Reaching up, she stole another kiss. "Let's get you back to the dorm."
Chuck was shaking his head and smiling at her. "I've got so much to learn."
"Me too, sweetie," she replied. "I don't know all that much either. You're my first real long-term boyfriend and definitely my first love. The only person I want to be in love with."
He smiled shyly and nodded in agreement. "Same goes for me. I guess we'll just have to take our time and learn all the stuff we need to know along the way."
"Yup," she chirped. Will we ever!
They reached for each other, intertwining their fingers and squeezing affectionately. That was how they walked back to Roble Hall, stopping every so often to kiss and giggle at each other. Neither one cared that it took them more time than normal to get back to the dorm.
They were walking down the hall toward her suite, when Sarah thought of something she wanted to ask him.
"What did you mean when you told me that it might have taken you getting hit in the head for you to understand your feelings? Does it have anything to do with you wanting to talk to Ellie when you were in the hospital?" She looked at him expectantly.
"Yeah, it did. I mean … I did talk to Ellie about what I was feeling," Chuck said apologetically. "Don't be mad. I wanted to talk to you, since you've helped me figure out so many other things already. But I couldn't see how I could ask you to help me figure out my feelings for you without feeling like I was putting you on the spot. Especially since I didn't understand what your feelings were at the time." He frowned and worked his mouth from side to side.
"I get it, sweetie. I do," Sarah nodded, squeezing his hand in reassurance. "I'm not mad, either. How could you talk to me about me or about figuring out your feelings for me? That would have been a weird conversation. I'm just glad that you and Ellie did talk and she helped you. Helped us. You've come a long way with her this year. That makes me happy, too."
"Yeah, we have," he smiled. "My memories were really chaotic when I was having my episode, but memories of you kept recurring or I was hearing you on the recording or in the room or something. Anyway, I could tell that my brain was putting the pieces together, figuring things out, and things were clearing up. But I woke up before I had the answer. Ellie helped me sort out my thoughts and feelings. I'll need to thank her the next time I see her."
"Yeah, me too," Sarah grinned. By that point, they'd reached her room. "Time for more practice, Bartowski. Drop and give me twenty. On second thought, forget the pushups. Come here and give me twenty kisses."
Chuck barked out a laugh. "Yes, Ma'am!" And did as he was told, hugging and kissing his beautiful smirking girlfriend. The smirk didn't last very long before the sighs began. They tried to muffle their giggles and their shared moans as the kisses multiplied, but they didn't do a very good job. When the suite's door flying open didn't cause them to stop kissing or step back from their tight embrace, a sharp voice did finally get their attention.
"Decent people are trying to get some sleep. What are you two reprobates doing out here? Filming a naughty movie or something? Why am I not involved?" Carina tried glaring, but her grin ruined the effect she was hoping to achieve.
"I'm kissing the man I love. As if it's any of your business," Sarah huffed, looking at her friend who she didn't feel particularly friendly toward just then. He was overjoyed to hear her say those words about him.
"And I'm kissing the woman that I love," Chuck added, unable to contain his smile at that statement. Sarah grinned back at him. She loved hearing him say it, too. They tried to go back to kissing.
"Oh, OK. As long as it's … WHAT? What did you just say?" Carina almost shrieked. The young couple just beamed at her and giggled again. The redhead reached out with both hands and grabbed their arms, attempting to drag them into the suite. "Get in here!" Once they were both in the shared room, she closed the door. "Did I hear you right?" Zondra and Amy came out of their bedroom to stare at the trio. Chuck and Sarah were smiling and nodding.
Both said "Yup!" at almost the same moment.
"You told him you love him?" Carina's voice was going up as she stared wide-eyed at her roommate.
"Mm-hmm," Sarah pressed her lips together and smiled, her eyes wide. The redhead turned to Chuck.
"You figured your shit out? You told her you love her?" Carina's voice had risen even higher so that she was almost squeaking.
"Yeahhh, I did," Chuck drawled, his face taking on a dreamy expression. Sarah giggled, charmed by the look on his face.
"Oh! My! GOD!" Carina yelled, gathering them into her arms and fiercely hugging them.
As soon as Carina let go, Amy squealed and took her place for another hug.
"This is huge!" Zondra exclaimed.
"That's what she said," Carina smirked. Zondra just snorted and shook her head.
"Come here, you two. I guess we're all hugging tonight," Zondra grinned with her arms outstretched. When she embraced them, she whispered, "I'm so happy for you both. Truly." Stepping back, she had to wipe the surprise tears from her eyes. That got Amy and, then, Carina crying, too. Zondra's tears wouldn't stop, so she gave up. "Fuck it."
Chuck and Sarah just grinned and shared a loving look. Both were too happy to shed any tears. Still smiling, they leaned toward each other. They got a reaction when they kissed.
"Aww," Amy cooed.
"That's just gross," Carina teased, pretending to be grumpy.
"Too bad," Chuck muttered. "You better get used to it." Sarah was still snickering when his lips captured hers once more.
"Oh, damn, Curls. Way to stand your ground. Get it," Zondra laughed, brushing at her cheeks ineffectually.
"Ok. OK. Enough of that," Carina ordered. Chuck and Sarah paused their kiss to look at her. "We want details. Spill."
"Well, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition!" Chuck exclaimed.
"NO-body expects the Spanish Inquisition!" All four women yelled, almost falling over laughing.
"What now?" Chuck wondered.
Saturday May 18 – Stanford Campus – twenty-one days after Chuck's injury
Chuck woke to rain and a message on his phone that informed him that the game scheduled for that afternoon had been canceled. No weight training had been arranged since the game had been set to begin at 12 noon. That meant Morgan was free in the morning and Chuck could go eat breakfast with his friend. The two of them had quickly showered and dressed before going to meet Alex and Sarah for breakfast at Lakeside Dining. He basked in the friendly greetings he received and quick exchanges he had with some students as the duo made their way to where their girlfriends were seated. Breakfast was fun and light and normal. Chuck felt an almost overwhelming level of gratitude that he was there in that room with his girlfriend and their friends experiencing his real life once more. It was not the only time that day he would have that feeling.
The only shift in the collective normal of the friends' breakfast came when Sarah rose to greet Chuck as he reached the table. Their deep kiss and shared 'I love yous' brought gasps of delight from their two breakfast companions. Neither Chuck nor Sarah wanted to share the details, those memories were just for them. That fact had already frustrated the CATS the previous night when nothing the three women said or did could make Sarah or Chuck divulge even the tiniest tidbit of information about their momentous, but private, moment. So, to that end, the new lovebirds forced their friends to content themselves with the certain assurance that they were happily and completely in love. Both Morgan and Alex had teared up when they heard the couple repeat those words.
After breakfast, Alex and Morgan left for Green Library. With only two and a half weeks left in the quarter things were heating up for everyone. Everyone besides Chuck, that is. He was stuck in an enforced neutral. Even Sarah had to hurry back to her room to do her own work, but she promised to meet up with him for lunch. After some very warm kisses, he left her at her door to find his own solitary way back to his dorm room.
Chuck was going stir crazy with boredom. He wasn't supposed to be doing any work. He wasn't supposed to exercise or exert himself in any way whatsoever. Apparently, no one appreciated how difficult it was for him to do 'nothing'. He'd never just done nothing in his life. His brain was used to being occupied with a million things. Well, a million things and Sarah. Now, all he was thinking about was Sarah and as wonderful as that was, the rest of his brain was practically screaming for something else to do. Casual reading was out. So was catching up on his professional, technical, and academic journals. He'd already done that on Thursday and even that hadn't taken up the entire day. That was the downside to being able to read and remember everything with just a glance. Lingering over a book or a magazine wasn't possible for him, outside of comics books, that is. Even they didn't take a huge amount of time, unless he forced himself to really slow down to admire the panel art. Chuck had spent the rest of Thursday and all of Friday watching videos on his laptop. Even taking a walk was out of the question, currently, because of the weather. He had no desire to walk in the rain by himself anyway. With Sarah it might have been romantic, but alone? Nope.
Chuck had barely returned to his room when he made a decision. Reading and reviewing his notes and unfinished research write-ups couldn't really be called work, could it? And if he made come corrections and small additions to his write-ups, that wouldn't really be considered work, either, would it? No, of course not, he reasoned. He sat down and booted up his laptop.
"I'm such a liar," he said to the empty room. "Who am I trying to fool?" Laughing at himself, he prepared to get to work.
A little before noon, there was a knock on Chuck's door. He quickly saved and closed what he was working on before getting up to see who was interrupting him. The frown that was beginning to form on his face, when he opened the door, quickly transformed into a warm smile when he saw that Sarah was standing in his doorway, with a smile of her own.
"I'm here to –, " Sarah began, but stopped. Her smile dimmed into a questioning look. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"Nothing's wrong," Chuck countered. "I was messing around on my computer and lost track of time." He shrugged.
"Um-hum," she said, not sounding convinced at all.
Her eyes narrowed as she regarded him while he attempted to look innocent. The more he tried, the more her eyes narrowed until she frowned.
"Chuck, you promised," Sarah pouted.
His shoulders slumped and he nodded in resignation. "I know I did, Sarah, but come ooon," he complained.
"Chuuuuck!" she whined, crossing her arms and giving him a good dose of stink-eye.
"You don't understand," he grumbled.
"What don't I understand? I understand that you promised you wouldn't strain yourself, at all, until you got clearance from the doctors on Monday. Or did I miss something?" Now she was tapping her foot impatiently.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to do nothing? Nothing? Any idea, at all? No physical activity and no mental activity? Especially no mental activity?" He asked tersely. "I'm not used to doing absolutely nothing. My brain sure isn't." He stepped back from the door and allowed her to come into the room with him.
"What about reading your journals or watching movies or … I don't know what?" she questioned.
"I read all of the journals that came out while I was having my episode on Thursday," he shrugged and shuffled his feet, trying not to frown. "And I've been watching movies and videos nonstop since then. I'm bored to tears. It's like my brain is starving or something." Sarah snorted.
"It can't really be that bad, can it, Chuck?" She didn't fully understand.
"Yeah. It can," he said, unable to hide his frown. He searched for a way to explain it to her. Then he had it. "OK, think about this. Imagine not moving a muscle from Wednesday afternoon until now. Not moving at all. Except for blinking your eyes, maybe. Could you do that? Don't focus on the issue of eating or drinking, just think about not moving. At all. Could you do that? For all of that time, I mean?" He could see that Sarah was actually trying to picture that scenario in her mind, so he noticed the moment her expression changed.
"Oh, Chuck," Sarah said sympathetically, finally understanding. "It must be terrible for you." She stepped in to hug him.
"Yeah, it was. I couldn't take it anymore. That's why I decided to look over my notes and my write-ups," he shrugged. "Doing that isn't all that different from just reading my journals."
"But you didn't stop at reading, did you?" Sarah smirked, giving him a knowing look.
"No. No, I didn't," Chuck admitted. "Once I got going, I just kept going. Couldn't stop. I really didn't want to stop. It felt so good to be back doing something, Sarah. I'm not even kidding."
"Any issues? Any pain or dizziness or anything?"
"Nope, nothing. Except for the end of boredom."
She snorted a one note laugh. "OK. I guess it's OK anyway. I don't know if you should be doing that stuff or not, but I won't tattle on you to the powers that be."
"Thanks, Sarah. I owe you," he smiled in relieved appreciation, kissing her lightly.
"Yes, you do. And I know exactly how you can pay me back," Sarah grinned at him.
"How?" Chuck was curious.
"I'm taking you out tonight. For dinner. Miss Maisie's. Be ready by 6:30 sharp," she ordered.
"Sure. No problem. In fact, yum! How were you able to pull this off with no notice? Saturday nights are hard to get reservations for at Maisie's."
"Because it isn't 'last minute', babe. I made the reservations as soon as I knew you were getting out of the hospital. And it helps if you know the owners and it so happens that I do," Sarah grinned smugly. He chuckled.
"Oh! That's so cool! Thank you, Sarah. It'll be great to go there with you again. It's been too long."
"Yes, it will and yes, it has," she agreed. You have no idea, baby, she thought. He was going to be so surprised. At least she hoped he was. When she drew him into a sweet kiss, they both hummed happily. Breaking the kiss, she said, "I didn't tell you before because I wanted to surprise you with it after the baseball game today. Since it got canceled, I'm telling you now." She paused, then continued. "Ok, that's later. This is now. Food time! Feed your girlfriend. You wouldn't like me when I'm hangry."
Chuck laughed. "Come on, She-Hulk. Let's get you some grub before you wreck the campus." Their shared amusement lasted all through lunch.
Sarah insisted on driving them to Miss Maisie's.
"You're not supposed to be doing anything, Chuck. I take that to mean no driving either. You've already broken the rules once today. So, sit back, relax, and let me take care of you," Sarah cut her eyes toward him and smiled before returning her attention to the road in front of her.
"I'm all yours, sweetheart," Chuck smiled crookedly.
"You got that right," she winked at him and smirked. He chuckled and shook his head. When he laid his arm on the center console of her Sonata, she reached over and put her hand over his, threading their fingers together.
"I love you," he sighed contentedly. It thrilled him to say it to her.
"I love you right back," Sarah said matter-of-factly, accompanying her declaration with a single sharp nod. And a wide grin.
All too soon, the trip was over. Sarah found an available space in the lot off Sherman Street and they walked the rest of the way to Miss Maisie's hand-in-hand. As expected, Mr. Colt was waiting outside the front door.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is! Chuck Bartowski and his lady friend, Miss Sarah," he boomed. He eyed Chuck's remaining bruises, but didn't offer any comment. Before Chuck could say anything, the big man engulfed him in a bear hug. A gentle bear hug. "Welcome back, boy. We done missed y'all. Sho 'nuff. Praise be, da Lawd done brought y'all back ta us," the big man said into Chuck's ear. Colt released him from his embrace and stepped back. "Him and Miss Sarah, that is." He smiled and wiped his eyes before turning his attention to Sarah. "And as for you, you sweet angel. You deserve an extra big Michael Colt hug for bringing dis here numbskull back, too." He hugged Sarah to his massive chest, rocking her to and fro. "How y'all be, Miss Sarah?" She smiled and patted him on the back. He got the message and released her, chuckling.
"I'm much better, Mr. Colt. Now that Chuck's awake again. And, as much as I appreciate your thanks, you and Miss Maisie played a pretty big part, too. Bringing that fantastic food to feed everybody. All of your support. Getting your church and your amazing choir involved. Taking part in our recording. Thank you for all of that. I will admit though, that I did have a pretty big vested interest in getting him back on his feet," Sarah grinned and encircled Chuck's arm in hers. "I couldn't have the man I love sleeping the rest of his life away, could I?"
"Oh Ho!" Michael clapped his hands. "So y'all told him?"
"We told each other," Chuck corrected, grinning.
Mr. Colt let out a whoop and hugged them both. "Wait 'til Maisie hears dis! She'll be so happy fer y'all. That'll make two o' us. Let's go find her." He turned toward the door. Chuck didn't see the wink the older man gave Sarah. The couple followed him into the restaurant.
"Y'all! Looka here! See who ah found wandering around outside!" Mr. Colt bellowed as soon as the three of them got inside the door. He stepped to one side and swept his arm out indicating who had been behind him. As soon as people saw them, the happy greetings started.
"CHUCK!"
"MISS SARAH!"
"WELCOME BACK!"
Other calls could be heard from the other patrons. There were some cheers and waves and everyone wore huge smiles. They made such a commotion that Miss Maisie came running out of the kitchen to see what was going on. As soon as she saw Chuck, she shouted for joy and started crying as she ran toward him.
"Yuh better brace yoself, son," Mr. Colt chuckled.
Chuck did as he was instructed, blinking his eyes to clear them of the tears that had been forming due to the heartfelt welcome he'd received from the other 'regulars'. It was a good thing, too, because Miss Maisie was rapidly approaching. At the last minute, she pulled up to avoid crashing into him and risking further injury. Stopping right in front of Chuck, her hands went to her mouth in joyous surprise. Somehow, from somewhere, she'd retrieved a tissue and dabbed at her eyes as she took in the sight of Chuck Bartowski standing there in the flesh. That didn't last long before she reached out and grabbed him.
"Let muh hug your neck," the older woman demanded after she'd already started doing just that. "Sweet Jesus, ya back. We done bin prayin' and prayin'. Dem prayers been answered. We so glad ya back, Chuck. We missed y'all so." She started crying again, but pulled back and looked him in the eye with a serious expression. "Y'all betta be nice ta this here young lady, Chuck. She's da one who done it. Her 'n da Lawd." Maisie let go of Chuck, turned to Sarah and smiled. Then she pulled Sarah into a soft hug. "Thanks be ta y'all, too, Miss Sarah. We's ever so grateful." She let go of Sarah and turned back to Chuck wearing her serious face again. "Y'all betta listen ta me, Chuck. Be nice ta this angel."
Chuck smiled and leaned closer to Miss Maisie's ear. "I plan to be as nice as I can be, Miss Maisie. I promise. It just so happens that I love her." When he stood back up, she could see he was smiling. The older woman's eyes lit up in happy surprise. She glanced over at Sarah and saw her tight-lipped smile while she nodded her head.
Miss Maisie threw her hands in the air. "Woo Hoo!" she exclaimed and grabbed Chuck and Sarah both in a huge hug. "We known it all along," she whispered in the middle of the embrace.
"I told him first," Sarah giggled.
"O course ya did, Miss Sarah. We's had an understandin', didn't we?"
"Yes, we did."
"Well, bless ya both," Miss Maisie said as she ended the hug and stepped back to dab at her eyes again. "Ah've made enuff of a spectacle of muself. Let's get ya over ta y'all's table. C'mon Michael."
The older couple led them toward Chuck's usual table. He was too busy greeting familiar faces and shaking hands with people to notice that their pathway altered slightly. When he looked up, he stopped. The Colts had led them to the big corner table. Standing in front of it was his family. His parents, Ellie and Devon, and Morgan and Alex all waited to greet them. He turned to Sarah a little shocked.
"Surprise!" she grinned. "We wanted to celebrate your recovery and thought this was the only place we could do that and do it properly."
Chuck's stunned expression was replaced by a huge smile that wrinkled his nose and crinkled his eyes. A full Bartowski grin. He laughed and hugged Sarah. "Thank you, sweetie. This is fantastic." He kissed her joyously. When the kiss ended, he smiled at her again. Only this time it was her special smile. "I love you."
Sarah's 'I love you, too' was drowned out by Ellie's squeal. His parents didn't look surprised, only pleased.
"Oh my God, you two!" Ellie yelled, reaching out with both arms and wiggling her hands excitedly. Sarah got the first hug. "I'm so happy for you, Sarah. Thanks for not giving up on him."
Sarah giggled in her friend's arms. "I couldn't have left if I'd tried."
"I knew that, silly," Ellie whispered. "You saw him in that swimsuit after all." Sarah barked out a laugh and slapped Ellie lightly on the arm, blushing. Ellie just laughed. "Coffee this week sometime?" she asked when they ended their hug.
"Definitely," Sarah nodded.
"We might even do a little shopping."
"I can get into that idea, too." Both young women laughed.
Ellie turned to her smiling brother. "Come here, you goof." She kissed him on the cheek and gave him a public hug. That meant no broken bones, just more bruises. "I'm glad you finally told her. I'm so happy for you."
"I couldn't have done it without you, El. Thanks," Chuck kissed her on her cheek and whispered back. "I might want to share a coffee, too, this week. I've got time and I'd like to catch up with you myself."
Ellie smiled and gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. "It's a date, little brother."
When they parted, they could see that Sarah was stepping out of an embrace with Devon.
"C'mere, Cap'n," Chuck grinned, opening his arms wide, "You deserve a hug, too."
Devon hesitated, then shrugged. "OK, you can hug me. But no kissing." He looked Chuck in the eye. Chuck's eyes widened as he drew his chin back in surprise. Devon sighed, looking resigned. "OK, you can kiss me. But no tongue." Now, Chuck looked confused and he frowned. Devon's shoulders slumped. "Fine. Fine. Maybe, just a little tongue." But he couldn't keep up the charade and his face broke out into a huge grin as he laughed. "Come on, Chuckster. Let's hug it out." He reached out and embraced Chuck in a bear hug as both men laughed. The people around them chuckled at their antics.
While still in the midst of their embrace, Chuck whispered in Devon's ear, "Thanks, Devon. For everything you did. I'll never forget it. And, more importantly, thanks for being there for Ellie."
When they ended their hug, Devon smiled and nodded. "There's no place I'd rather be, bro."
"Awesome." Chuck's smile matched his friend's.
"Indeed," the older man nodded, grabbing Chuck's shoulder and squeezing it affectionately.
Sarah and Chuck exchanged quick hugs with Alex and Morgan, since they were already privy to their big news. Their hugs with his parents took longer, but were more dignified. The soft words Chuck shared with his parents left all three of them smiling but glassy-eyed.
With the greetings finally concluded, the couples took their seats at the round corner table, sitting on the benches and sliding to the side until all eight people were comfortably situated. Devon and Ellie were next to Stephen and Mary then came Morgan and Alex who were seated beside Chuck and Sarah. She and Devon occupied the outermost seats across from each other.
Chuck turned his head to look at Sarah. "Are you sure you want to be part of this craziness?"
"Absolutely," Sarah grinned widely.
"Atta girl," Devon smiled. "We outsiders need to stick together. Form a mutual defense pact or something."
"Sounds good to me," Sarah agreed and giggled at Ellie's boyfriend. They high-fived to seal their deal.
"You have no idea what you're in for," Mary snorted, smirking.
"Now, now, dear," Stephen patted his wife's shoulders gently. "Let's not upset the young people. You'll scare them off."
Devon and Sarah looked at each other wearing the same mock terrified expression.
"Run!" Devon told Sarah. He pretended to begin to get up.
Ellie grabbed his arm. "Nope! Too late! You had your chance," she shook her head, grinning.
"Damn!" Devon complained. "Save yourself, Sarah!"
Sarah just grinned and shook her head. She was happy right where she was, thank you very much.
Alex stage whispered in Morgan's ear, "These people are your friends? They seem a little crazy to me." She winked at Mary to let her know she was only teasing.
"More like a lot crazy," Morgan shrugged, then he grinned, too. "I've known that for years."
That got them all laughing.
"They may be crazy, but they're the best people I know," the bearded man added.
"Suck up," Ellie teased, pretending to frown.
"Definitely. Guilty as charged," Morgan admitted.
That got everyone at the table laughing again. Sarah most of all. She loved these people and this place. A deep warmth suffused her body as she contemplated being part of this group of people. As she sobered, Sarah encircled Chuck's arm and hugged it to her body before leaning into him and humming in happiness. Her behavior brought a round of "Awws" from the others at the table.
Changing the subject, Stephen picked up a menu before looking at his son. "So, Charles, you've been here a number of times. What's good?"
"Here we go," muttered Morgan. Alex snickered.
"Hush, you," Sarah gently chided him. Chuck's friend giggled. Ellie snorted while Devon smirked silently.
Chuck just twisted his mouth to the side and shook his head at his long-time friend. Turning to his father, he answered his question. After going over the menu with his parents and offering suggestions, everyone settled on an entrée.
Like usual, Mr. Colt took their order while Josie, the waitress who normally handled the table, stood by smirking and shaking her head. Chuck grinned back because he was well known for making sure the staff assigned to his table got a better than normal tip to make up for Mr. Colt horning in on their territory. The entire table started off with a cup of the gumbo, Chuck had almost insisted.
"Trust me," he told his parents. Although Mary really didn't take much convincing. She'd had her fair share of Cajun food while growing up in the South.
From there they ordered a mess of appetizers. Chili gator bites (yes, real alligator), boudin balls, and 2 orders of Louisiana BBQ Shrimp, a traditional New Orleans dish. Their salad choices followed with a range of dressings requested.
"Dem's all good choices," Michael nodded his approval. "Y'all ready with yo' main courses or does ya want me ta put dis order in and come back fur dem in a wee bit?"
Chuck looked around the table. When he saw everyone nodding, he looked up. "I think we're ready now, Mr. Colt."
"Right. Whatcha y'all be havin'?" The restaurateur questioned.
Chuck had convinced Stephen to go with the Cajun Sampler for a small taste of a number of dishes. Mary went with shrimp creole with 2 times level spice.
"Are you sure about that, Mom?" Chuck asked.
"Yeah, Baby!" Mary replied with a New Orleans accent. "Laissez les bon temps rouler! [Let the good times roll!]" She was having a good time. Chuck was out of the hospital and he and Sarah were finally on the same page. Her and her son's relationship had also gotten better. Lots of things to celebrate. Besides, she liked spicy food almost as much as her son.
"A'right, Missus!" Michael chortled.
Ellie picked the Atchafalaya catfish. She chose the blackened catfish option instead of getting it fried. The fish was served over spicy cheese grits with a crawfish cream sauce. Devon went with a fried oyster plate, but added a lagniappe of shrimp for a little bit of something extra. He couldn't help grinning at Ellie when he made his order while she did her best to not blush.
Morgan went with the seafood platter Devon had gotten the last time they'd been there together, while Alex settled on the St. Charles seafood scampi pasta. She thought the dish's description of lightly blackened shrimp and scallops tossed with tomatoes and penne pasta in a garlic butter sauce sounded wonderful. And not as heavy as the jambalaya she'd had previously. At least, that's what she hoped.
Sarah went with the shrimp and crawfish bayou cakes with Creole sauce and spicy cheese grits. Chuck finished off the orders with his typical crawfish étouffée, but only with 2 times the spice.
"Only 2X dis time, Chuck?" Mr. Colt teased.
"Yeah, I think so. Still getting back in the saddle, so to speak," Chuck nodded.
"Smart move, sweetie," Sarah smiled, kissing his cheek.
"Who am ah ta argue with a lady?" the older man smiled.
"Ya's Michael Colt, that's who. Ya ol' scoundrel!" Miss Maisie scolded, walking up to the table. Her husband just rumbled a laugh and shook his head in defeat. She looked over the table. "Dis here troublemaker treatin' y'all a'right? Not being too much of a pest, is he?"
"O' course not, cher," he smiled and kissed the cheek she offered him. "Ah jes be buttin' in on Josie. Like normal." Both Maisie and Josie snorted and shook their heads in resigned amusement.
"He's fine, Miss Maisie. Honest," Chuck promised. The others at the table nodded their agreement, smiling at the antics of the two owners.
"Well, OK. We'll get y'alls orders started, sharpish 'n Josie be back wit y'alls gumbos. Cain't let Michael be havin' all da fun,'' Miss Maisie said, leading her husband and Josie toward the kitchen.
Josie came back in a few minutes with a tray full of cups of gumbo. The other courses came along in due time. More than once, while the meal progressed, Chuck had to tamp down his emotions. Being at this restaurant, surrounded by his family and his closest friends, he found himself feeling that same overwhelming sense of gratitude he'd experienced earlier in the day.
Sarah picked up on his mood. She leaned over to him and murmured in his ear. "I'm so glad you're here with me tonight, baby. Here with all of us, but mostly here with me." She gave him a heartfelt smile that conveyed more than her words said.
"Me too. So much, Sarah. I love you," Chuck replied, smiling her special smile.
"I love you, too," Sarah cooed. More than a few people smiled their approval when the young couple shared a sweet, if somewhat New Orleans spiced, kiss.
Sunday May 19 – Stanford Campus – twenty-two days after Chuck's injury
Chuck was feeling more than a bit grumpy. His parents had left earlier that day to go back home to Burbank. They'd finalized their plans earlier in the week, once they knew he was improving and would be released from the hospital. Cole and Gill had gotten back from their trip to Napa late the previous evening. Stephen and Mary had invited them to spend a couple of days with them in Los Angeles before heading back to England, so they were all flying down to Burbank together. There hadn't really been much time for a final visit with any of the older adults since their flight was scheduled too close to the start time for the final baseball game in the series against Oregon State. Chuck had to settle for saying goodbye in the Roble Hall parking lot before he and Morgan made their way over to the field. Chuck knew he needed to be at the game. He was part of the team and healthy enough to sit on the bench, but it bugged him at some level, too. It wasn't much fun being confined to the bench. At least Sarah had been there with him to offer her thanks and say her own goodbyes to his parents and the Barkers. She'd been in the stands for the game, too, so that was nice.
Chuck's desire to get back to work in his lab was the main thing fueling his grumpiness. He wanted to get back onto the baseball field, too, but he knew he had to put in the work to get back in shape before that was possible. He'd been in less than top form at other times in his life and accepted the need for conditioning, so that really didn't bother him all that much. While he wanted to do something to help Stanford make the Division I Baseball Championship, it didn't look like that would be possible. Maybe, if he got cleared to start working out when he saw the doctors on Monday, he might be able to get close enough to put in a few innings, if they made the playoffs. He just didn't know for sure.
"What's wrong sweetie?" Sarah asked, picking up on his restrained agitation. They were walking toward the dorm after he'd changed back into his street clothes at the conclusion of the game.
Stanford had played very flat and it ended up costing them the game, 2-5. The loss kept them down in the PAC-12 rankings and jeopardized their chances of making the D1 championship. Since Colorado had given up baseball back in 1980, only eleven of the twelve schools in the PAC-12 played baseball. There was no end of season conference tournament, like other conferences played, although Chuck knew the leaders of the conference were talking about reinstating it at some point in the near future. If Stanford wanted to make the playoffs, they'd have to do better the next weekend at Arizona State. It might even come down to requiring Stanford to win games and certain teams to lose strategic games in order for the Cardinal team to make it to the postseason.
Chuck hesitated, then began to answer, "I'm going bonkers …." His voice tapered off when he saw the look on his girlfriend's face. A look that said 'not this again' before turning mischievous.
"Wrong, Chuck," she corrected. "You went bonkers when that baseball bopped you on your bean, babe. But, you all betta now, you betcha," she concluded with a silly grin.
He stared at her wide-eyed for a beat or two, then his face just crumbled as he cracked up laughing. When he looked at her again, she stuck her tongue out at him and his laughter doubled. It took a little while for him to regain enough of his composure that he could form coherent words.
"Oh God, Sarah! Thank you," Chuck grinned, still gasping a little to catch his breath. "Thank you for doing that. I needed that laugh more than I knew. It blew off some steam, so I feel a lot better."
"Well, I am a psychology major, you know," she reminded him.
"Are you saying that they teach a class about therapeutic laughter?" He cocked an eyebrow inquisitively.
"You'd be surprised what we psychology majors know. Especially when you combine it with Human Biology," Sarah teased.
Chuck chuckled, "No doubt." He didn't pick up on her innuendo at all. She stopped herself from pouting.
"So, what's really bothering you?"
He shrugged. "The team is in trouble of not making the championship and I'm not out there doing my part. I know it's stupid, but it's how I feel just the same." He kicked a pebble on the sidewalk feeling like he was being childish.
"I know you want to be out there, sweetie," Sarah squeezed his hand and rubbed his arm sympathetically with her other hand. "You've just got to allow yourself to heal and get back in shape at whatever pace they set for you. Whatever pace your body sets for you, too."
"I know," Chuck frowned.
She thought he was being adorable, but she wanted to cheer him up. And talk sense to him. "It won't do you any good to go back too soon or do too much. You might hurt yourself in some other way. It'll just delay things more."
"Yeah, I know that, too. It's just …"
"It's just you can't play baseball and you can't do your work," she looked at him out of the corner of her eye, "at least not do as much of it." She smiled when she heard him snicker. "And you're going stir crazy with boredom."
"That's what I was saying before you started throwing the killer B-words at me," he smirked.
"I get that. That's why I did it. But I've got a surprise you're going to like."
"Another one? That's two in two days. What is it?" Chuck asked eagerly.
"You'll have to come by the suite to find out. That's why they call it a surprise." She grinned.
"I do understand the concept," he wrinkled his nose at her and she giggled. "I'll drop my bag in my room and be over there ASAP."
They stopped at the front door to Roble Hall and kissed. Sarah watched him race off toward his wing of the dorm and the side entrance there. She paused to make a call.
"He's on his way back to his room. Get it ready. It won't take him long to get over to our place. Is everyone there or almost there? Great! I'm on my way up."
Chuck arrived at the CATS' suite at the same time Morgan and Alex did.
"What are y'all doing here?" he asked.
"No idea," Morgan said. "Alex got a call and we hoofed it over here. She won't tell me why."
Alex knocked on the door.
A voice inside the room called out, "Come on in! It's open!"
Chuck followed his roommate and girlfriend into the central room of the suite. The door swung shut behind him. When he turned to look, Sarah was there smiling at him from a spot next to the door.
"What's going on, Sarah?" he asked in confusion.
"Surprise!" Came the answer as the other ten Songbirds piled out of the bedrooms on either side. Those rooms weren't large so they must have been fairly jammed together in there.
Chuck grinned, still confused. "I don't get it."
"You never got a chance to see the video of our championship performance, sweetie," Sarah said, misty-eyed. "We all wanted to be here when you saw it for the first time. And we didn't want to do it in the middle of the dining hall this time."
"Wow! That's so cool. Thanks," Chuck smiled, looking around. "So where is it and where do you want me to be?"
"It's on my laptop, Curls," Zondra said. "Come sit here at my desk and have a look. Morgan, too. Or did Alex already show it to you?"
"Yeah, she did. But I wouldn't mind seeing it again." Morgan admitted, smiling at the memory.
"Come on, then," Zondra pointed at her chair and Chuck sat down. Morgan stood behind him while the Songbirds all crowded around to watch Chuck's reaction. Sarah was by his elbow when he pressed play.
The video came up and he watched it in silence. When it was over, he pressed play and watched it again. When it finished the second time, he sat there and stared at the frozen image of them receiving the trophy for a minute. Then he shook his head.
"My God, y'all," he said quietly, his voice full of admiration. "That was amazing. Y'all were amazing." He looked up at the women surrounding him with a stunned expression. He pushed back the chair and slowly stood up.
That's when he saw that Beca was holding the trophy in her hands.
"May I?" he asked.
She nodded and gave it to him. He held it reverently, slowly running his fingers over the trophy and tracing the group's name where it had been etched into the plate on the front. "The Stanford Songbirds," he softly whispered in awe.
He looked up from the trophy and scanned his friends' faces. "Y'all did this. All of you. You worked hard and you fought and you practiced like crazy. Y'all pulled together and you won. You beat everybody. I'm so very proud of all of you. Congratulations!" He looked back at the trophy, then back at them. "God, I wish I could have been there." He shook his head in regret, tears in his eyes.
Sarah hugged him. "You were there with us, Chuck. Every step of the way. You had faith in us when we didn't have all that much faith in ourselves. You urged us on. We won that trophy, but you helped us do it."
"Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate you saying that." Then he frowned. "Y'all won right when I … uh …" He couldn't finish.
"Yeah, sweetie. Near as we can figure. Almost at the same time." She felt him tensing so she hugged him all the more.
"I'm so sorry for taking that moment from you," he whispered, the pain in his voice evident to all the people in the room. "I hate myself for ruining your triumph."
"Oh baby, don't say that," Sarah begged him. "Don't you dare say that." She sniffed, tears pooling in her eyes and running down her cheeks. Her tears weren't the only ones. "You didn't ruin anything. You didn't take anything from us. In fact, you gave us something that helped us win. You helped us rally and stay strong and fight through everything and earn that trophy." She could feel him slowly stop crying.
"What did I give y'all, Sarah? I don't know anything about singing or dancing or acapella." Chuck looked genuinely confused. Sarah smiled and brushed her fingers over his cheeks, wiping away his remaining tears.
"This, Chuckles," Carina grinned, her eyes red-rimmed. "You gave us this." He looked and she was holding a pair of bookends. Each bookend held a bronzed shoe. When he looked up at Carina, she laughed. "Two-inch heels, Chuck! Two-inch heels. You gave us our rallying cry. These are for you. That way you'll always be part of the Songbirds."
Chuck laughed, giving the assembled group one of his huge Bartowski smiles. "Thank y'all. Thank y'all, so much." The women cheered and clapped. He turned to Sarah. "Thank you, Sarah. I'll treasure them always."
Sarah smiled and nodded, pulling him in to a warm and comforting kiss. Leaning back, she said, "I love you, Chuck."
"I love you right back," he replied warmly. The Songbirds cheered and clapped even louder.
Monday May 20 – Stanford Campus – twenty-three days after Chuck's injury
Chuck was ecstatic. He'd just completed his required rechecks with the medical staff at Stanford Hospital. After having breakfast with Sarah, he'd gone over to the hospital while she headed to her morning classes. First on the agenda for him had been an MRI and an EEG. While that data was being reviewed, Dr. Kurtz had sent Chuck over to the physical therapy department for another follow-up check. Coach Casey had been there, so Chuck was very pleased when Drs. Herrmann and Balough both felt he'd passed his recheck there with flying colors. When he saw Coach Casey smile and nod in satisfaction, he grinned, too.
"Be at practice this afternoon, Bartowski. Plan on doing some calisthenics and a good bit of running. You've been lounging around too long as it is," Casey smirked.
"I couldn't agree more, Coach," Chuck smiled. "You're assuming my other doctors are going to sign off as well."
"They will if they know what's good for them," the coach growled. Then he laughed and clapped Chuck on the shoulder. "Go find out what they have to say. I'm right. You'll see."
Casey headed back to the field and Chuck returned to the Imaging Center where the doctors had been reviewing his test results. He showed Dr. Kurtz the PT form that Dr. Herrmann had given him. The shorter man looked it over and made some notations on the tablet he was carrying.
"Well, Chuck, you'll be happy to know that we think it's OK for you to go back to your work. Both in the lab and on the baseball field.," Kurtz smiled. "The MRI and EEG results both look fine to Dr. McSparren and me." The younger doctor nodded in agreement. Kurtz motioned for Dr. Green. "Doctor?"
"Yes. Well, Chuck, your forehead is healing nicely with what looks to be minimal scarring. We'll keep an eye on it and see how it goes. Those bruises are looking better each day. Soon you won't notice them at all. Please continue to be a little more careful for the next few months and let your skin heal. But you should be OK, in my opinion," the plastic surgeon said.
"Thank you, Doctor," Chuck smiled.
"Same advice from the two of us," Dr. Kurtz interjected. "Let your skull heal along with that hole in your head. You may feel OK, but the bone is still knitting together. Take it easy a little and watch out for fast flying objects." The doctors all grinned, chuckling.
Chuck snorted, "You don't have to worry about me, I'm going to be very careful for a long, long time. I promise. As much as I thank y'all and appreciate everything you did for me, I really don't want to have to experience a repeat performance." He smirked.
"Good," Dr. Kurtz responded. "We'll see you at the same time next Monday. Right?"
"Yes, Sir," Chuck confirmed. "I'll be here." He shook hands with the three doctors. Checking the time, he made the short walk to his daily session with Dr. Dreyfus.
That meeting had been stressful, but very necessary. Dr. Dreyfus had continued to have him carefully reviewing his troubling memories, but not like he'd always experienced them previously on his own. This time around, the doctor had him stay firmly in the present and examine his memories from his current perspective as a young adult of nineteen and not at whatever age he had been when the memory originally occurred. It helped him gain new understanding and allowed him to put his past memories more in context of his life overall. The aim of the exercise was to help ease the pain of those memories. This would allow Chuck to more easily keep them in the past and help to prevent them from invading his present again. Chuck's hyperthymesia couldn't be cured but he was learning better ways of managing it.
On his way back to Roble Hall, at the conclusion of his session with Dr. Dreyfus, Chuck stopped off at Dr. Loveless's office to talk to the Dean of Engineering. When he entered the office, Dr. Loveless was smiling and shaking his head at him.
"I know why you're here, Chuck," Dr. Loveless grinned. "But if you had just called, I could have saved you a trip." Chuck looked confused. The older man laughed and shook his head again. "I had your lab unlocked earlier this morning. Even though it really doesn't matter."
"Why is that?" Chuck was suddenly concerned. The Dean could see it in his body language.
"Relax Chuck. Everything is fine," Loveless waved his arm back and forth. "Don't you understand that your research is going to be approved? Certainly, you need to finish your write-ups and turn them in. Those write-ups are part of the standard process, but all of your advisors in the engineering disciplines are impressed with what you've accomplished thus far. I've talked to your advisors in the non-engineering disciplines, too. They feel the same way, each and every one, so don't bother going over there. Just call them. We're all pulling for you. So, just calm down and get back to work. You're doing fine. More than fine." Chuck visibly loosened up.
"Yes, Sir. I will. Get back to work, that is," he said.
"And be safe. Or safer, I should say," the dean smiled.
"I'll do that, too, Sir," Chuck smiled, feeling lighter than he had in a long while. He had to resist skipping down the hall when he left the Dean's office.
Now, Chuck was on his way to meet Sarah for lunch at Lakeside. He needed to tell her something. When she had sprung the championship video and bronzed shoe bookends on him, he'd been so overcome with emotion that he'd failed to tell her last night. This morning, his excitement and tiny bit of anxiety about whether or not he'd be cleared pushed his news out of his mind for the second time. Chuck was determined that there wouldn't be a third time.
As soon as he exited the serving line, Chuck caught sight of Sarah waiting for him at a table. Alone. She was wearing a long-sleeved pink button-down shirt, khaki skirt, and matching pink espadrilles. Her long blonde hair was lightly curled and she was wearing a thin pink headband to complete her outfit. She started smiling as soon as she saw him. By the time he'd reached the table, she was grinning widely and practically bouncing in her chair. He grinned back at her and put his tray on the table before taking his own seat.
Sarah leaned over to greet him with a very warm kiss. "Hi, sweetie! What'd they say? What'd they say? What'd they say?" She asked. Her eyes were shining and she grinned excitedly, this time keeping her teeth firmly closed. Chuck didn't see that, though.
She's so beautiful, he thought as he looked at her. He tried to stop, but he couldn't stop himself from staring. She loves me. She's so beautiful. She loves me. She's so beautiful. She loves m—
"Snap out of it, babe," Sarah was blushing at the awed look on her boyfriend's face. But she was also smiling. When he didn't move, she leaned over and kissed him again. That got a reaction. He blinked. And smiled sheepishly. "I would love to continue this, sweetheart. But we are in a public place and I really would like to know what they told you at the hospital." She giggled.
"You're just so beautiful, Sarah, that it takes my breath away and freezes my brain. Sometimes. Maybe, a lot of times," he made a goofy face and gave her a peck on the lips.
Sarah giggled again and her blush returned. "Having you look at me that way makes me feel beautiful, Chuck. You're so handsome that I'd look at you the same way and get lost in your eyes. IF I didn't want to know what they told you, so badly," she booped him on the nose. "So, tell me! Spill it buster!"
Chuck shook himself out of his stupor and chuckled at her antics, his face reddening at her honest comments about him. "They cleared me, Sarah. All of them. Dr. Loveless even took the lock off of the door to my lab. I'm going to baseball practice today. Coach Casey is planning to have me do a light workout to ease me back into things. I still have more rechecks and my sessions with Dr. Dreyfus will continue, but, apart from that, I'm good to go."
"Oh, Chuck! I'm so glad!" Sarah exclaimed, giving him another kiss. "You'll be careful, right? Promise me you'll be careful?"
"I promise, Sarah. I don't want to spend any more time in the hospital if I can help it." Chuck held up his right hand like he was making a Boy Scout pledge.
"So, what other exciting things happened this morning?" She asked as she began to eat.
Chuck ate for a few minutes before answering. "Well, there really isn't any news from this morning. But I do have news that I failed to mention last night because you stunned me with the video and those bookends."
"You should know that those are my shoes, baby. With all of the girls going crazy, I forget to tell you," Sarah smiled shyly.
"I'm so glad, Sarah. That makes it even more special to me," he smiled and leaned in for another kiss. She smiled when their lips met.
"Tell me your news. Then eat. If you're going to be exercising, you'll need the fuel."
"What I failed to mention last night is that the team is having an end of season banquet next Sunday, May 26. We're allowed to bring dates and I want you to go with me. If that's alright with you, that is," Chuck said, smiling her special smile.
"Of course, I'll go with you, but why is it next Sunday? Don't the coaches think the team will make the championship?" Sarah asked, curious.
"Sure, they hope we make it, but we won't really know until after the games next weekend. It's really coming down to the wire. But they hold the banquet at the end of the regular season because if we don't get a chance to go to the playoffs, the season is over. People take their finals and go home or go off to play in a summer league. And, if we do go to the playoffs, they would start the very next weekend at the end of May. They continue on until we lose and go home or win it all. No time for a team banquet."
"That makes sense," she nodded. "OK, next question. Is the banquet formal or semi-formal or casual?"
"It's semi-formal. Suits for the guys, but I'll bet some of the players come in sport coats and ties since they might not have suits. Dresses for the girls. I have no idea about what kind of dresses."
"I do. Don't worry, I've got it covered, sweetie," Sarah smiled. I'm gonna knock your socks off, baby, she thought to herself. If I can find the right dress, that is.
"Cool. Should be fun," he smiled.
A/N2: Chapter title comes from the song by Jason Mraz. Nice upbeat melody and lyrics for a charmingly sweet song. Perfect for two young people in love. It describes Chuck and Sarah, in this chapter, to a tee.
A/N3: Atchafalaya (uh-CHA-fuh-lie-uh) is the name of a river in Louisiana. Lagniappe means something given as a bonus or extra gift. A little extra. In the chapter, Devon got some shrimp as a little extra with his entrée.
A/N4: I'm lucky to have WillieGarvin giving me help and advice since I started writing this story. Without his unflagged assistance y'all would be reading something much different than you have been. Thank you for your guidance and your friendship, WG. And thank you for your own story, Chuck vs A New Day, and the weekly fun and inspiration it gives me.
A/N5: Thank you for reading. Please drop me a PM or leave a review. Let me know what you think. For those of you who have left reviews or PMs previously, thank you. I appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you to everyone who's followed or favorited this story, too. Your support means a lot to me.
A/N6: If you enjoy Chuck fan fiction here on the fanfic site, go over to Facebook and join the Chuck Fanfiction group that's there. You'll find nice folks who share your interest in our favorite spy couple. You are not alone.