A/N: Some Stanford TMI background related to this chapter. The Wacky Walk is a long-standing tradition for graduating seniors at Stanford. Google it, some of the stuff they do is very creative. Stanford does not use the typical Latin honors for graduates, instead using the collective 'with distinction' and the higher recognition 'with honors in the major.' Stanford seniors can be selected for the Phi Beta Kappa Society. For our non-US readers, the Phi Beta Kappa Society is the oldest, most prestigious, and most selective academic honor society in the United States. Membership in Phi Beta Kappa is limited to undergraduates with very high GPAs, typically at least 3.8 out of a 4.0 scale.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck and I make no money from Chuck. It's August and we're in the season called Hell's Front Porch. It's way too hot to be any cleverer.
Chapter 43 – Pomp and Circumstance
Saturday June 15
Sarah looked at her roommates occupying one half of the table, the other half taken up by people none of the CATS knew, amazingly enough. Her eyes drifted around the Main Quad at the other tables filled with this year's graduating seniors. The Senior Dinner capped off the first day of Graduation Weekend. Only one more day to go, she sighed, feeling a strange mix of melancholy and excitement.
The baccalaureate celebration, that morning, had been both solemn and joyful. Reminding the students of all they had experienced together during their time at Stanford. All their accomplishments. While also challenging them to build on the foundation they'd established during their time on campus. To go out into the wider world always striving to improve it. Officially wearing their graduation robes for the first time brought the speakers' messages home to the four friends. No matter what happened in the future, they would always be seen as cardinal-tinged Stanford graduates. The theme of looking back while, at the same time, looking forward. Having their families there to witness just heightened the shared sense of ending one phase of life and beginning a new one. The CATS had been determined to focus on the excitement of new beginnings. To feel the joy and not the pain. That would come later.
"It's time for happinoose," Carina had declared, causing all four of them to laugh, remembering their partying over the previous weekend. Luckily, their giggling during the processional into Frost Amphitheater hadn't been out of place since a lot of their fellow seniors were exhibiting similar high spirits. The roommates did their best to ignore the bewildered expressions they saw on more than a few faces. People wondering what lay ahead beyond their academic chrysalis.
Once baccalaureate was over, the friends found their families and they all shared a picnic lunch on the vast grassy expanse of the Stanford Oval, just a short walk west from the amphitheater. After the group had finished their meal, the CATS led them back to Roble Hall, where the young women deposited their graduation robes, safe for the big events the next day.
It took another small hike southeast from the dorm, past Florence-Moore Housing, to get the four friends and their guests to the next destination. Luckily, Jack's wheelchair was motorized sparing the others from getting blistered hands and sore arm muscles. They spent part of the afternoon attending the President's Reception at the historic Lou Henry Hoover House, his official residence. The young women greatly enjoyed impressing their families when they introduced them to Dr. Bainbridge and he spoke to the roommates by name.
"Rubbing shoulders with the bigwigs, Sarah," Jack teased after the president had moved on to greet other graduating seniors. "You have been spending your time up here wisely, haven't you?"
"We met him when Chuck was in the hospital. Dr. Bainbridge knows his parents. It's no big deal," Sarah shrugged but was secretly pleased with Jack's compliment.
"I sincerely doubt that, Sarah," Carina's mom commented with a knowing smile. "All four of you are graduating with distinction. That's no small feat. Especially at a school as demanding as Stanford."
"You kept your grades up even when you were busy going all over to your acapella competitions. And winning them. National champions. That's very impressive." Mr. Rizzo interjected. The young women tried to dismiss the praise, but their blushing smiles gave their true feelings away.
"Not to mention the fact that you got the grades and won the championship while rallying everyone to do what they could to help your friend, Chuck," Emma smiled with a teasing lilt in her voice. Sarah gave her mother a look.
"Yeah, friend," Carina snorted. Sarah gave her a look, too.
"Of course, you guys still got good grades. Surprise, surprise," Molly grumped, oblivious to her mom's teasing her older sister. "Mom bugged me all spring about my grades because I wasn't …,"she made air quotes with her fingers, "'helping to save a comatose young man.'" The 14-year-old pouted. The adults chuckled knowingly.
"Did it help, Mol?" Sarah asked.
The younger girl sighed and reluctantly nodded, "Yeah, it did. My grades were pretty good." More chuckles.
"Could have been better," Emma murmured quietly, but not quietly enough because her younger daughter heard.
"Mooom!" Molly whined. That got everyone in the group, except for her, laughing.
"You worked hard, sweetie, and I'm proud of you, too," Emma said, trying to soothe her daughter's ruffled feathers.
Sarah checked her phone. When she didn't see any texts or phone messages, she huffed out a breath and frowned.
"Is he still busy in his lab, Sarah?" Emma asked.
"Yeah, Mom. He must be. Chuck's doing his best to get it all packed up before tomorrow," Sarah answered, chewing on her lower lip. "He promised me that he'd get done in time for me to finally introduce him to you."
"Sarah!" Hearing her name being called brought Sarah back to the present. The meal part of the Senior Dinner was over and people were milling around taking pictures with their phones. Some of the people on the same floor in Roble Hall as the CATS wanted to take some group shots. Preserving memories for posterity. She smiled when Amy and Zondra pulled her out of her chair. Chuck had sent her a text during the middle of dinner. He'd finished packing everything up. Finally! He also told her that he was grabbing some dinner and then crashing. Sarah didn't blame him. She knew he'd pushed really hard to get it done in time to see her graduate. And meet her family. Thanks, baby, she thought before crowding in closer to Carina to make sure she was in the picture being taken.
Chuck had indeed finished packing up his lab. Almost the last thing he did was to strip the hard drives out of his desktop PCs and lock them in a large box with biometric locks, alongside any papers and partially completed electronic components from his projects. When he'd gotten all of the most sensitive and vital items stored away, he locked the box. It was going with him in his car back to Burbank where it would spend the summer in the family's fire-proof Faraday Cage-enhanced safe. The now gutted computers would go into the storeroom Stanford had set aside for his use for the summer.
"Take that, T-800," Chuck mused to himself. "I don't care if you'll be back or not. You ain't gettin' my stuff." Chuckling at his own silliness, he loaded the two PCs onto the convertible hand truck close to the handle and wedged the lockbox next to them and next to the baseplate. After checking all the drawers in his desk and below each of the worktables for what seemed to be the thousandth time, he stood and took a slow look around.
"Thank you for allowing me to work here these last few months," he said to the empty room. "Even though I'm moving onto bigger digs, I'll never forget that I took the first steps of the end of my educational journey in this room." Chuck didn't know why he did it, but it seemed fitting. With one last look, he wheeled the hand truck out of the room, turned out the lights, shut the door, and locked it. When Chuck got down to the guard station on the ground floor, he turned in his keys to his space. Then he pushed the truck to the storage room he'd been assigned where he offloaded the two PCs. Giving the storeroom a quick review, and finding nothing out of order, he relocked the door and returned the hand truck to the guard station.
"Don't worry, Chuck. We'll make sure it gets where it needs to go," the guard said. "Have a good summer."
"Thanks, I'll do my best," Chuck smiled. With a wave, he rolled the lockbox out of the ChEM-H/Neuro research complex to where he'd parked his car. Hoisting the box into his trunk, he drove back to Roble Hall. All the physical effort had given him a pretty big appetite and he wanted to get to Lakeside Dining to eat and relax, too tired to go out anywhere and contend with the crowds in town for graduation. After parking his car, he retrieved the lockbox and trundled it up to his room for safekeeping until he left with it on Monday.
While Chuck was eating in the sparsely occupied dining hall, he texted Sarah the good news that he'd finished with his lab. He also told her he hoped her day had been everything she imagined it would be. And that he was going to take a good hot shower and just crash into bed. She hadn't texted him back, but he hadn't expected she would, being busy with the Senior Dinner right then.
And he did do what he told her, but not before spending about thirty minutes doing some research online, when he got back to the room, on Cape Cod. Particularly on Yarmouth and the towns that surrounded it. He got lucky and found what he'd been hoping to find. There were some places he'd need to check out once he reached his destination.
Sunday June 16
Emma Burton had been careful to get to Stanford Stadium in plenty of time to secure a place in the Track House Parking Lot, close to Gate 4. Sarah had told her that Gate 4 was the designated entrance for guests with mobility limitations. Emma was certainly glad she'd remembered to bring their rearview mirror sign so there wouldn't be any questions about them parking in that area. Jack had refused to allow her to take him to the sections set aside for wheelchair seating since only one companion was allowed. That would have forced them to sit apart from their friends and make them responsible for a potentially fractious Molly. For those two reasons, Jack insisted on sitting with the rest of the group. Emma had sighed at his stubbornness but had to admit that she agreed with him. They'd lucked out and snagged a set of seats at the back of one of the sections on the concourse level with enough space where Emma could collapse and stow his wheelchair out of people's way. The seats were in the shade from the upper-level overhang making the coming ceremony much more enjoyable for all of them. The only fly in the ointment was that Chuck wasn't sitting with them. Emma looked around the crowded stadium and frowned.
"I don't see Chuck," she complained impatiently.
"Darlin', this place is a madhouse. How could you possibly expect to catch sight of him among all these people?" Jack asked, grinning.
"Stop grinning at me like that," Emma scolded her husband. "Can I help it if I want to meet him?"
"No. Apparently, you can't help it," he teased. "We can all see that. Plain as day." There were knowing chuckles from their friends. Molly just rolled her eyes and snorted.
"Mind your manners, little miss," Emma pointed at her younger daughter with an amused gleam in her eye. Turning back to Jack, she went on, "Once we got seated, I texted Sarah with the information about where we were. She texted me back that she'd sent it on to Chuck." Her eyes shifted as she scanned the crowd again.
"OK, but she also told us last night that he'd have to walk over from the dorm because of parking restrictions."
"You're right."
"And I bet she didn't demand that he sit with us," he reasoned. "My guess is she wants to be here to introduce him to everyone and protect him from your third-degree." She could feel their companions' eyes on her.
"That's where you're wrong," his wife shook her head. "The sun's out, so no reason to have a hot lamp and I left my rubber hose at home. It'll be first-degree, at most." She could hear quiet laughter down the row of seats. "Practically benign."
"Emma …," Jack warned.
"Hush," she admonished him. "I'm only teasing. Sarah's head-over-heels in love with Chuck. The very last thing I want to do is scare him off."
"Or make Sarah mad," Molly piped up with a smirk.
"That, too," her mother agreed, shuddering at the thought of being on the receiving end of General Sarah the Protector's anger. She'd had more than one conversation with her eldest daughter's roommates during Chuck's ordeal. Emma was well aware of how fierce Sarah could be, so she tried to rein in her excitement at finally meeting the young man who'd swept her daughter off her feet. Looking at her phone, she sighed. "It's almost 9:30 anyway. The procession and … What did Sarah call it, Molly?"
"The Wacky Walk, Mom," the teenager answered, trying not to roll her eyes again to avoid another scolding.
"Yeah. The Wacky Walk. One last bit of silly before real life sets in on Monday."
"I've got the camera ready, Em," Jack reassured her. "You tell me where to point it and I'll make sure we get the pictures."
"Thanks, honey," she replied. Looking down, she opened the first of the booklets they'd been given when they entered the stadium, to review the schedule for the morning. Only two hours. Not long by most standards. Especially for a ceremony to graduate so many people at once. Emma thought it was a bit generic, but understood the reasons. It would be asking too much for people to sit through a ceremony long enough to name each student individually. That was what the department celebrations were for later in the day. Leafing through the second booklet, the list of conferred and degree candidates, she found the names of all four women listed under their respective schools. Amy in the School of Engineering. Sarah, Carina, and Zondra in the School of Humanities and Sciences. Each of them was graduating with distinction. Sarah was listed as having the additional accolade 'with honors in the major' attached to both of her degrees. And her Phi Beta Kappa recognition.
Smiling, Emma looked down the row at the other parents, waggling the booklet. "According to this, we raised four very smart and talented young women." She got smiles and nods in return.
"Maybe," Nancy Monroe grinned. "The real proof will come after they get out of here and face the real world."
"Only your Amy, Nan," Emma admitted. "Sarah has three more years to get her act together. Same with Carina and Zondra."
"If any of them ever do," Abigail Miller joked. That got a laugh from all four families.
"Mom, look!" Molly pointed, trying to pretend indifference. "They're coming in. Time for the Wacky Walk!"
For his part, Chuck was glad he'd gotten to the stadium before 9:30. Just. After breakfast, he'd tried to get a jump on packing up his stuff in his and Morgan's room. Morgan had taken care of his half of the room back at the start of the week. Now, it was Chuck's turn. Conscious of the press of time, he'd stopped in time to shower and change clothes.
Not sure what to wear for the combined event of attending Sarah's graduation and meeting her parents, all the CATS parents, he'd opted for the classic blue Oxford-cloth button down, khaki trousers, navy blue blazer, and Stanford rep tie. Forgoing his familiar Chuck Taylors, he was wearing a pair of brown penny loafers. Another pair of shoes his father had made sure he purchased back in the fall. He wanted to look nice, but not overdressed, for Sarah when he met her parents. The one concession he made to comfort was he decided to wear his Stanford baseball cap. His hair hadn't grown in enough and he was worried about his head getting sunburned. That would not be a good way to start his summer.
His precise recall allowed him to leave the dorm with enough time to take a not too brisk walk over to the stadium. After the time he spent shining himself up, Chuck did not want to break out into a sweat. Not before meeting Sarah's parents, at least.
The stadium was as busy as he expected, based on his own prior graduation experiences. Even though Sarah had texted him the information about where the CATS' parents were sitting, he hesitated to join them without her by his side. While Chuck normally had no issues mingling with adults, he had no experience mingling with the parents of a girlfriend. Let alone doing so by himself. He'd wait for Sarah to join him before taking on that singular challenge.
A few minutes after Chuck found a seat in the upper level near the front, the processional began. He'd heard about the Wacky Walk from his parents, so generally knew what to expect. Graduating seniors with decorated caps, signs with a range of sentiments drawn on them, and other such expressions of happiness for completing their undergraduate education. And a fair amount of silliness. Some people banded together to go a bit farther, but still keeping inside the well-established rules.
The CATS were one such group. The roommates teamed up with two other rooms on their hall to create something more memorable. Sarah had warned him that the twelve women had each gotten a box large enough for them to fit inside. The group spent the last week, while he'd been buried in his lab, decorating the boxes. But she hadn't told him what the decorations were, just that he'd know them when he saw them. Luckily, it was easy to spot twelve women holding twelve boxes with matching decorations around them as they trooped into the stadium. The boxes were decorated so that the line of women looked like a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) train. It was obvious, even from the distance he was watching, that the CATS made up the first four spots in the "train". Sarah was in the lead as the engine. Carina, Zondra, and Amy followed in order. The other eight women, who he knew by name, but not much else, trailed after his friends. Chuck was too far away to do much besides take some pictures on his phone. Sarah told him that Jack was a bit of a camera buff, so he hoped the older man was getting better shots that he would be willing to share. Chuck had to admit that it definitely was creative and more involved than what other people were doing. There were a few guys wearing things that looked like laptops or calculators and other similar get-ups. Some sorority girls were carrying paper rolls that looked like burning torches along with signs claiming that they'd "survived" the test of college. The CATS and their friends were the best and not just in his opinion. Many of their fellow graduates stopped them so they could take pictures for their "train". It was all fun and a very creative and relaxed way for the students to parade into the stadium. The undergrads, that is. The graduate students entered with a lot more decorum but with the same pride in a job well accomplished.
It had taken the CATS almost ten minutes to fight their way through the milling crowd of new graduates and their families to reach their own. Fortunately, the ceremony had ended just a little bit before the scheduled time of 11:30am. The early afternoon would be taken with the individual school and department celebrations.
Zondra's International Relations event was the earliest, starting at 12 noon. It wasn't too far away as it was being held in Dohrmann Grove. Sarah was a little miffed that her and Chuck's spot was being used in such a way, but she was grateful, at the same time, that neither of hers were taking place there. That would have been too awkward for the couple to navigate in front of her family. Being together in their private spot in such a public setting. What it did mean was that Zondra and her parents would have to start walking over in the next few minutes or risk being late. The brunette was getting anxious and Sarah couldn't blame her. They all had worked hard for their diplomas and Zondra wanted to get her hands on hers without any delays. Four years was a long time to wait.
The problem was that Chuck hadn't joined the group yet. And Sarah couldn't see him in the crush of people around them. She was looking in the direction Chuck had told her he would be arriving when they'd talked on the phone right after the ceremony ended, but she still hadn't caught sight of him. Carina happened to be looking in the opposite direction, so she was the one to spot him first. Him being head and shoulders above most of the other people helped to make it a fairly easy task, in the end.
"Nerd at nine o'clock, Blondie," Carina sang out, grinning and pointing. Some of the assembled parents chuckled.
"There're a lot of nerds at nine o'clock, Carina," Angela Rizzo joked. More quiet giggles. Carina just snorted, her grin widening.
Sarah jerked her head around and caught sight of her smiling boyfriend in a jacket and tie. Very preppy. And his baseball cap. Of course, he'd wear that. She snorted a laugh and shook her head, a matching grin on her face. Then she remembered that her family was standing there. Suddenly nervous, she blew out a breath. Here we go, she thought.
"We were afraid you got lost," she teased when he managed to dance around the last few people separating him from the waiting group.
"Sorry about that y'all," Chuck apologized sheepishly. "After we talked, I found out that I couldn't come back down the same way I'd gone up. They had ushers directing everyone in the opposite direction. Took me longer than I hoped." His eyes widened and he huffed when he saw the look on Zondra's face. "But I made it. Barely." His shrugged and gave the impatient new graduate a crooked smile and tried not to wilt from the intense stares the CATS' families were all directing his way. Don't freak out!
"That's OK, Chuck," Sarah smiled when she reached out and squeezed his hand. "You had no control over that and none of us knew either. The main thing is, you made it. That's what matters." Looking around, she went on, "Z, why don't you introduce your parents first? That way you guys can leave so you're not late."
"Sure, Sarah," Zondra nodded, but before she could continue, Chuck interrupted.
"Sorry, Sarah. Zondra. But I've got to do this," he said. "Congratulations, y'all!" He moved to hug each woman, in turn. "And congrats on the Wacky Walk, too. Your train was a big hit! Very cool." The four women smiled and nodded their thanks.
"We've not actually gotten our diplomas yet, Chuck. You know that, right?" Zondra teased.
"Sure, I know that, but commencement is still a big deal, even with a cast of thousands," Chuck grinned. His comment drew smiles and chuckles from the watching adults. "I'll just have to give each of y'all a second hug once you do have the goods in hand."
"Sarah gets two more hugs, Chuck. Don't you, Sarah? Two degrees, after all." Carina smirked.
"At least," the blonde said emphatically. More knowing chuckles.
"Hold yer horses, Sar," Zondra jumped back in. "Times a wastin' and we've gotta get going. You can get yours from Curls later." The brunette grinned when Sarah blushed at her comment. Emma was biting her lips and shared an amused look with her husband at the young women's antics. Molly giggled.
"Right," Sarah twisted her lips to the side, before prompting, "So?"
"OK, Chuck," Zondra grinned. "These two fine people are my parents. Peter and Angela Rizzo." She gestured at the couple standing next to her. "Mom. Dad. This is Chuck Bartowski."
"We gathered," Angie Rizzo grinned. Turning her attention to Chuck and sticking out her hand, "Nice to meet you, Chuck. I'm Angela Rizzo, but everyone calls me Angie." Chuck smiled and took her hand.
"Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Rizzo," he responded, determined to be properly respectful. Trying to ignore the look of consternation she gave him; he released her hand and turned his attention to Zondra's father.
"Pete Rizzo. Pleasure to meet you, Chuck. Were you the guy who made tamales during New Year's Eve? Or was it the pasties and fried pies?" The two men shook hands.
"Pleased to meet you, Sir," Chuck grinned. "My friend, Morgan, had the tamales. I'm the one responsible for the pasties and the fried pies." The older man grinned.
"Don't worry, Dad, I've already told both of them that they're always welcome at any future parties at our house. If they bring those treats," Zondra interjected. "And, Mom, I promise to work on getting him to unbend a little, too. We've got a few years to make it happen." Zondra winced when she realized what she had said. Looking at Amy, the brunette mouthed "Sorry." The blonde frowned and blinked a couple of times but nodded her head in understanding. None of them wanted to think about tomorrow.
"Good!" Both elder Rizzos replied laughing.
"Thanks, Chuck. Sarah," Zondra smiled. "We've got to go. Now. Mom and Dad. Follow me."
"We'll catch up with you back at the dorm, Z," Sarah called as they walked away. Zondra waved her hand in acknowledgement.
Sarah turned to her mother. "Mom, I'm going to ask you and Jack to wait to be introduced until last. Carina has to get almost all the way back to the dorm and Amy almost as far, OK?"
"Sure, Sarah. Not a problem," Emma replied, even though it was. Her daughter gave her a grateful smile.
Carina stepped in with a grin. "Chuck, this is my mother, Dr. Abigail Miller. Mom, this is Chuck."
Abby Miller stuck her hand out, "Nice to meet you, Chuck. Carina has told me so much about you." The way she said it caused Carina to blush. When Sarah's eyebrow rose in question, the redhead just shrugged diffidently.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Miller. I'm Chuck Bartowski. I'm sorry to say that I've not had an opportunity to visit San Diego's Natural History Museum, but it's on my list the next time I'm down that way."
"I appreciate that, Chuck. We're pretty proud of our little museum," the elder Miller beamed. "And it's Abby, by the way. I'm only Dr. Miller at work." Sarah and Carina shared a wide-eyed look at her reaction. Emma was biting her lips trying to contain her amusement.
"I'll try and remember that, Dr. Miller," Chuck replied, causing the anthropologist to shake her head and snort a one note laugh. Jack was silently laughing at the young man's insistence on proper etiquette.
"My turn!" Amy exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. Turning to indicate her parents, she announced, "Chuck, these are my parents, Dr. Nancy Monroe and Dr. Jace Monroe. Mom, Dad, this is Chuck!" The two adults smiled and offered their hands.
"Doctor. Doctor. Very pleased to meet you both," Chuck said as he shook each of their hands, in turn. Turning serious, he went on. "I read your most recent paper, Dr. Monroe, about microstructure evolution of beryllium catalyzed by argon ion irradiation. Very intriguing." Amy's father smiled and nodded, somewhat surprised at the recognition.
Amy shared a look with her two roommates. Carina just snorted and shook her head. Sarah pressed her lips together and caught her mother's eye. The older woman gave her a knowing smile and a slight shake of her head. Chuck Bartowski was something else, all right.
"I saw your recent paper on nanotechnology, as well," Dr. Monroe responded back. "A bit out of my area of expertise, but it seemed very compelling." Before he could say anything else, his wife spoke up.
"OK. OK, you two. No talking shop," Nan admonished them with a knowing grin. "We're here for the girls, not so you can engage in a mutual admiration society." Her husband chuckled and nodded his understanding. Chuck just looked sheepish, his face red. "It's nice to meet you, Chuck. And it's Nan and Jace. Even though I know you won't call us that." The graduate student nodded with a small smile.
Chuck shrugged one shoulder and took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. Then he turned to face Sarah's family, but before he could say anything, Molly piped up.
"Why're you wearing a baseball cap, Chuck? Looks kinda out of place with your jacket and tie." Emma frowned at her younger daughter's rude intrusion.
Chuck smiled and visibly relaxed. Taking his cap off, he exposed his still growing hair.
"Because my hair is still growing back in and I don't want to get sunburned. My grandad told me a story once from when he was in the Marines. His head got sunburned one time because his hair was so short. First it hurt and then it peeled. He said it looked like big pieces of dandruff flaking off. It made his sergeant mad, too, 'cause got on his uniform. With everything else going on, I didn't want to start the summer with a sunburned head," he raised his shoulders in an apologetic shrug.
"Makes sense to me," Molly nodded. "Big dandruff would be gross."
Chuck nodded. Then he looked at her thoughtfully. "I'm guessing that you're Molly. Sarah's sister."
"Course I am," Molly snarked, twisting her lips to the side. Sarah frowned. Emma was going to say something but held off for the time being to see what happened.
"Thought so," Chuck stuck his hand out and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Molly. I'm Chuck," he said in a warm voice.
Taken off guard, Molly blushed. She shyly reached out and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, too, Chuck. You're tall!" she blurted, her face reddening more.
"Thank you," Chuck smiled. "And you're pretty, just like your sister, if I may say so."
Utterly charmed, Molly giggled, her blush deepening. "You may," she murmured.
Sarah's eyes widened again as she bit her lips hard to keep from grinning and incurring Molly's embarrassed wrath. Amy and Carina shared a knowing look. Chuck was at it again.
Emma quietly put her hand in front of her mouth in astonishment. She glanced at Jack to see his reaction. He was equally surprised. Molly was a typical cynical teenager. Acting too cool and smart-mouthed for her own good a lot of the time. Chuck had crashed through her protective walls like they weren't even there. If Chuck could disarm and charm Molly like that, she understood why Sarah had fallen as fast as she did. She never stood a chance. Looking at her older daughter, she noticed her nodding her head knowingly.
Turning from Molly, Chuck looked at Sarah. It was time. She stepped up beside him and took his hand. She felt his palm beginning to get damp. After his performance with Molly, that surprised her.
"Mom. Jack. This is Chuck Bartowski, my boyfriend," Sarah happily announced. "Chuck, these are my parents, Emma and Jack Burton."
Chuck swallowed and held his hand toward Jack. "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Burton."
Jack reached up from his wheelchair and shook the proffered hand, grinning at the younger man's unfounded nervousness. "Jack Burton. It's a real pleasure to finally meet you, Chuck." Sarah giggled when her stepfather winked at her.
Releasing Jack's hand, Chuck turned to Emma with a crooked smile. His deep breath caused her own smile to widen into a grin. When he tentatively held out his hand, she grabbed it, shaking it vigorously.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Chuck. We're very glad that you're so much better than you were a few weeks ago."
"I appreciate that, Mrs. Burton. It's wonderful to finally meet you, too," Chuck replied. "It's obvious that Sarah and Molly take after you." He winced a little when he said it, hoping he hadn't said something inappropriate. Jack grinned and shook his head. The three CATS shared identical wide-eyed, lip biting expressions.
Emma snorted, "Charmer." Then she released his hand and batted it aside. Before his face could register his shock, she reached up to engulf him in a hug.
"Molly's right, you are tall." He giggled shyly. "No reason to be nervous, Chuck," she whispered in his ear. "I've wanted to meet you for the longest time." Emma tightened her arms. "Thank you for loving my baby girl." Chuck pulled back a little and smiled softly.
"I had no choice. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her."
"Really?" Emma tried not to squeal in delight, but she couldn't stop her lips from curling into a pleased smile.
"Yes, Ma'am," Chuck murmured, his smile widening. "I had no idea what was going on, so it took me a long time to understand. I figured it out. Eventually."
"I'm so happy that you did. For both your sakes," she murmured as Chuck stepped back from her embrace.
His smile grew warmer. "Lucky for me she was patient and willing to put up with me until that baseball knocked some sense into my brain." Emma's eyebrows shot up, surprised that Chuck would make light of his injury. Even Jack looked a little stunned.
Sarah grabbed his hand and squeezed, upset. "Don't say that, Chuck. Even in jest. That was a terrible thing that happened," she scolded him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, Sarah," Chuck immediately apologized. "It was awful to get hurt like that, but having that long episode did help me start to sort things out. Put the pieces together. Like I told you before, I'd go through it all again, if that's what it took for me to figure out that I love you." Sarah smiled, suddenly teary-eyed.
"I love you, too," she responded.
The three older women watching all said "Aww" almost simultaneously.
"Is he always this honest?" Emma asked, amazed that the seemingly shy young man her daughter had described to her had just made such a public admission.
Sarah's eyes widened and she nodded. "Yup," she chirped.
"I don't lie. That's one of the earliest lessons I learned," he announced, serious and smiling at the same time.
"No, you don't," Sarah cooed, leaning in to kiss him.
"That's just gross," Molly complained, giving her sister and her boyfriend an exaggerated look of disgust.
"See? That's what I keep saying," Carina protested with an exasperated expression as she gestured at Chuck and Sarah.
"Hush, Molly," Sarah retorted before their mother could say the same thing. Her younger sister was about to respond when she saw the look on Emma's face and closed her mouth with a snap. Sarah gave her roommate a look, too, but unrepentant Carina merely shrugged.
"Your day is coming, Carina. Mark my words. You too, Amy. You just wait. When you least expect it, too," Emma declared. The two young women's mothers both raised their eyebrows and gave identical shrugs. As if to say "we'll believe it, when we see it."
Jack checked his watch and cleared his throat. "Sorry to have to be the one to break this up, but we've all got to be other places sooner rather than later. I don't know about you, but I need all the time I can get," he chuckled good naturedly. The three families chuckled and agreed that they needed to be on their way. Since the CATS were on the tightest schedule, they hurried off with their guests following in their wake.
Sarah's feet were sore. She'd sent Chuck and her family over to the Main Quad where the Human Biology ceremony took place while she made a slight detour to check in at the Ford Center Plaza and get her line-up card for the procession for the Psychology celebration walk-in. Sarah wouldn't actually participate in the walk-in but she needed to know where her place was in line as that would determine where she'd be sitting, once she finally arrived. None of it was a surprise since the department was well aware that she was receiving two degrees. And she wasn't the only one. There were enough students who were receiving both Human Biology and Psychology degrees that both programs had created their celebration schedules to accommodate them. Sarah had made sure the coordinators knew she'd checked in and got their OK. Then she tore off to the Main Quad for the Human Biology celebration and her first diploma.
Chuck had been so sweet. Taking pictures with his phone during the ceremony and being very effusive with his praise for her accomplishment as soon as they left the Quad on their way to her second ceremony. He even managed to continue to charm her parents. And her sister. That might have been the most surprising thing of all.
They'd arrived late, as was expected. Sarah followed her fellow dual degree recipients to their seats. A staff member showed her family and Chuck to the places that had been held for them in the wheelchair accessible area. Their timing was impeccable. The speeches finished a little while after they'd all gotten seated.
Now, Sarah was waiting for her row to be told to stand up for their turn to receive their diplomas. They were almost done putting the hoods on the newly minted Psychology PhD graduates. It wouldn't be long now. Almost her final act as an undergrad. It was her last formal act. Moving out of the dorm for the final time tomorrow would be the actual final act. The end of the CATS as they'd known them up to that point. A new chapter in all of their lives would begin. The excitement and anticipation of this day was quickly being overtaken by her sadness at what was ending. The uncertainty brought about by the changes in her life after most of the last four years had been fairly stable and predictable. Yeah, even living with Carina had been predictable in a certain kind of way. That is until Chuck ran into her life and turned everything upside down. Changed her life in the most astonishing ways possible. Memories of the last nine months rose to the surface of her thoughts, causing her to smile. Chuck Bartowski. Curls and brown eyes. Mystery and sweetness. Friendship and revelations. Heart wrenching anguish. Determination and love.
Sarah was so deep in her thoughts that it took two tries for the girl beside her to get her attention that their time had finally come. They left their seats, lined up to the right of the stage, and waited. Her name was called, she took her diploma, shook someone's hand, she was too dazed to remember who, got her official picture taken, and walked across and off the stage to the left. Being a 'W', not long after she regained her seat, the Department Chair announced that their class had graduated. They all cheered. Some people threw their mortarboards in the air. It was over. She wanted to cry.
Her family and Chuck rushed up to congratulate her for the second time with hugs and kisses. The difference was there was no place they had to be, so Jack could indulge in a flurry of picture taking. Sarah was feeling so strangely numb in the midst of their happiness. She stood where she was told and smiled when asked, but it didn't seem real after all of the time waiting for this culminating event to take place. Her recent ruminations about her first three years and the amazing fourth year were swirling in her head, confusing her. That's when she felt the strong and tender arm of someone curl around her waist and give her a gentle side hug.
"Two Degrees. From Stanford no less. And with distinction and honors in your majors! Phi Beta Kappa! Very impressive and very much deserved. You're so amazing, Sarah! It couldn't have been easy to accomplish all of that and be an active member of the Songbirds for all four years. I'm very proud of you. Now, a new adventure awaits just around the corner," Chuck said with awe in his voice.
"You sure?" Sarah asked, sudden tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"'Course, I'm sure. There's a new adventure every year," he nodded matter-of-factly. "And I'll be there by your side the whole way."
"Promise?" she asked, clutching his arm tightly.
"Promise," Chuck confirmed. "Always." She could see the certainty in his eyes.
He'd done it again, speaking to her from his heart. Giving her what she needed and easing her worry. Taking her hand from his arm, she reached up to curl it around his neck, pulling him down into a warm kiss. Neither one noticed Jack taking their picture. Molly, for once, had nothing to say.
Monday June 17
It had taken most of the morning to pack up their rooms and stuff it all into their cars. Chuck had gotten his car packed first since he'd had some time the previous morning to get a head start. That just meant the CATS used him as a pack mule to help haul their stuff down the parking lot. After the other three saw how efficiently he and Sarah arranged her things in her car, they implored him to help them, too. With all five friends pitching in, the job was quickly done. Then they piled into their vehicles and raced to San Jose and Falafel's Drive In, the same place they'd enjoyed on the trip back to Stanford after the winter holidays. Gyros and handmade banana milkshakes to fortify them for their afternoon of driving.
The restaurant was close to Interstate 880. So, after one last shared meal as newly minted college graduates, it was time to go their separate ways. Carina, Sarah, and Zondra were off to the south for a week with their families, who had flown out earlier that morning. Chuck would be tagging along as far as Burbank before taking a flight to Massachusetts at the crack of dawn the next day. But the four of them were destined to spend more time together in Palo Alto.
Amy, alone, would be heading north to her parents' home in Livermore and her own week off. Her future would begin on the following Monday just as her three former roommates. They would be taking their first steps in graduate school while she started her new job as a Chemical Technologist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The same place where both her parents worked.
"I've got to go, but I don't want to," Amy whimpered, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm gonna miss you guys so much." The academic CATS were equally teary eyed.
"You can call us anytime you want. You know that right?" Carina sniffed, surprisingly maudlin.
"Yeah, I know that," the blonde nodded. "And it's not like I'm all that far away. It's not even 50 miles from home to Stanford."
"You can drive that in an hour," Sarah half smiled.
"Or less," Amy smirked. Her friends giggled. They all had heavy feet on the gas pedal.
Zondra snorted in laughter, "Hell, if we tell you that we're going out drinking and dancing you'll be there in a New York minute."
"This is true," the new technologist nodded. "Still won't be the same not living with you three lunatics," she added, wiping the cheeks ineffectually.
"You can come over anytime you need your lunatic fix," Sarah said.
"Don't worry, I plan to. Save me space on your couch, OK?"
"Sure," Carina promised.
It was at this point that Sarah noticed that Chuck hadn't said anything, preferring to stand silently and watch the four friends say their goodbyes. Amy followed Sarah's gaze and looked at Chuck.
"You OK, Chuck? You know that I'll miss you too," Amy smiled sadly. "You're a big reason our last year was so memorable." He just nodded silently.
"What's wrong Chuck?" Sarah questioned.
"I've never had a friend leave before," he shrugged. "It's weird. I was always the one going off somewhere to a new school. Morgan stayed in Burbank. Amy leaving is a new thing for me."
"Having friends move away is part of having friends, Chuck," Zondra reminded him.
"Yeah, I get that. It's just strange. A different experience, ya know?" Chuck replied. Then he stepped up to Amy and gently gave her a hug. "I'm going to miss you too, Amy. Please stay in touch and come back to visit as often as you like."
That did it. The CATS were all crying again. They all hugged Amy and said a last goodbye. She wiped her cheeks, jumped in her car, and drove off before the friends' emotions spilled over any further. Everyone else stood in the drive-in parking lot drying their tears before returning to their own cars for the long drive toward home.
Sarah followed Chuck's car when he exited the Golden State Freeway, the Five, toward West Burbank Boulevard with hand waves and a few honked horns for Carina and Zondra as they continued on their way. She took in as much of the scenery as she could as they made their way north, skirting around Burbank High School. Sarah pictured him going there and graduating when he was all of eight-years-old. This was Chuck's hometown. Where he spent his childhood, such as it was. Where Ellie, and Morgan, had lived and gone to school as well. Where he'd played baseball for the first time and learned to swim. Where he'd come face-to-face with his challenges as a young boy. There wasn't time today, but she wanted him to show her around so she could see the places that were such a part of his past. And his present. Sarah hoped to be able to do the same with Chuck when they eventually arranged a visit to her home in Coronado. After relatively few turns, which she was sure she would be able to replicate in the other direction, Chuck turned into a small parking lot in front of what looked to be a walled Spanish-style apartment complex. Parking her car next to his, she got out.
Chuck smiled as he walked over to take her hand. He'd had a lot of time to think about things during the drive down from San Jose. Except for a couple of rest breaks and one refueling stop, they'd driven straight to his home. The weekend had turned out to be a whirlwind of emotions. Closing up and storing his lab. The CATS graduating. Meeting Sarah's family and the other families, as well. Dinner last night at the Sundance Steakhouse honoring the stellar achievements of his dear friends. The four sets of parents coming together to celebrate their daughters. And the interesting young man who they'd befriended.
His pride in their accomplishments was tempered by their shared sadness when Amy left the group. Her impending departure had weighed on them all. Not a permanent parting, but a separation none-the-less. It made him acutely aware of his own departure, however temporary. And he realized that, even though he and Sarah had agreed to this plan, he was still of two minds. Go or stay? His inner conflict remained unresolved and he expected that it would stay that way until he returned. It merely served to reaffirm that his plans for later that evening were the correct course of action. His head and his heart in perfect agreement.
"Ready to see mi casa?" Chuck joked when the couple turned toward the large wooden doors.
"Si!" Sarah chirped with a grin. They walked up to the doors. Chuck punched in a code on the keypad mounted on the right-hand door. Hearing a distinct click, he took the handle and pushed the doors open.
"The parking area is used for guests," he explained. "When Mom used to see patients in her office here, that's where they would park. She still sees some longtime patients here, but most go to her office closer to downtown Burbank. We've got a garage on the back side down the alley, but us parking here is fine, too."
The doors opened on a brick paved walkway flanked by gardens behind chest-high brick walls, full of trees, bushes, and other plants, all in full bloom. Their combined perfume was as relaxing as it was enticing. The side of the building that Sarah could see was made of concrete formed to imitate adobe bricks. Wrought iron grills protected the windows and balustrades of the same material ran around the second-floor balconies. An arched portico pierced the wall, roofed with large oak beams. Beyond the portico was a brick paved courtyard with a two-tiered six petal Moorish fountain in the middle. More flower beds broke up the inner space and were filled with a variety of plants including some tall cacti. The shade provided by the building's two stories and the serene sound of the gurgling fountain created a wonderfully calming atmosphere. Sarah was impressed and she wondered which one of the units belonged to her boyfriend's family.
"Oh, Chuck, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"Thank you. We like it," he smiled.
"It looks old. Is it?"
"Yes, but not as old as you might think," Chuck began. "It's a copy of the famous El Cabrillo apartment complex built by Cecil B. DeMille in Hollywood in 1928. This place was constructed the next year in an attempt to get some of the Hollywood people to move up to Burbank. It was a good idea that was upended when the stock market crashed and the Great Depression set in.
"That's a pretty cool history and this is a neat place to live," Sarah commented as she looked around the courtyard. She saw that there was even a turret in one corner. "So, which one is your family's place?"
"Ah …," Chuck hesitated. She saw him blushing a little and rubbing the back of his neck.
"Chuck?"
"Well … Would you believe it's all ours?" he said sheepishly.
"What? The whole place?" Sarah was incredulous. "This entire building belongs to your family?"
"Ah … yeah," he shrugged.
"Did you buy it? Because of your company?" Sarah stared at him, open-mouthed.
"No. Not me. Not this time," Chuck chuckled and shook his head. "Nope, Mom and Dad bought it when Ellie and I were a lot younger. It was in pretty bad shape back then. Structurally sound but definitely in need of updating and repair."
"Did your parents do all of this themselves?" She was looking around in complete astonishment.
"No way," he vehemently shook his head. "They did some stuff, but brought in contractors to do the majority of it."
"How big was it?"
"There were ten units in the original design." He turned them around to face back the way they'd entered. Pointing to the left of the portico, he continued. "The two units on the left were remodeled into the main part of the house. The walls were reconfigured to create a big living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room on the first floor. Mom and Dad's bedroom is on the second floor there."
As he was speaking, he turned them to follow his descriptions. "To the right of the entrance are their offices. Mom's on the first and Dad's on the second floor. Dad's workroom is along the side there. Ellie's space is in the back corner. The portal over there? With the steps?" She nodded. "That is how we get back to the garage." Turning to the opposite corner where the turret was located, he smiled. "The turret marks the spot where my rooms are located."
"Of course, it does," Sarah laughed. "I can just see you climbing down a rope from that balcony there." Picturing just that event in her mind.
"I may, or may not, have once made a rope out of my bedsheets and done that very thing after one too many Errol Flynn movies," he grinned.
"Oh my God!" she laughed harder. "You're such a nerd! You're also a nut, but mostly a nerd."
"Guilty as charged," Chuck grinned. "But I'm your nutty nerd."
"Yes, you are," Sarah cooed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Then she realized what he'd said earlier. "Wait! You said you have rooms? What sort of rooms?"
"Well, a bedroom, of course," he teased, snickering at the flat look she gave him. "Then there's a bathroom, game room/play room, workroom/study hall, and a hobby room."
"Jesus, Chuck! That's a lot. What did you do with all of that space?" She couldn't believe what he was telling her.
"C'mon, I'll show you around a bit later," he said, tilting his head in the direction of the dark wooden door to the left of the portico. "Time to say hello to Mom and Dad." She nodded and smiled while he led to the door. Typing another code into the security pad beside it, he grinned and opened the door. "Here we go." Stepping into the room, he called, "Mom? Dad? Sarah and I are here!"
"Chuck!" Mary exclaimed as she walked down the hall into the living room, Stephen right behind her. "Sarah! Welcome to our home. It's so nice to see you again." The two women exchanged hugs. "You made good time getting here," she observed while her husband got his own hug from Sarah.
"Sarah and her friends like to … um … drive fast," Chuck admitted with a note of chagrin, scuffing his feet at the expected scolding.
"I bet," his mother smirked.
"When Chuck invited me to visit la casa de la Bartowski, I couldn't wait to get here. Something about coming up to see his hobby room," Sarah giggled cheekily.
"Charles! We raised you better than that!" Stephen chided his son with a grin. "Your hobby room of all things."
"I'm not even going to bother to correct the record. Not with all three of you ganging up on me," he pouted. Sarah shoulder bumped him with a small giggle. Chuck twisted his lips to the side and snorted, shaking his head at her teasing.
"Well, at any rate, it's a good thing you did make such good time," Mary said. "Dinner's almost ready. Stephen?" She raised her eyebrow to him questioningly.
"A couple more minutes on the burgers and we're all set," her husband announced. At the look his son gave him, he added, "Sorry for not waiting. We were getting hungry." He shrugged to the others' chuckles.
"I hope burgers and fries are OK with you two?" The older woman asked. "We've got some fresh grilled corn-on-the-cob and a nice salad to go along with them. All the fixins for the burgers, too."
"Sounds yummy!" Sarah felt her mouth begin to water at the promised meal.
"Yeah, just wait until you taste Dad's burgers. He mixes chorizo in with the ground beef. Adds a bit of smoke and spice. You'll love 'em, Sarah. Trust me," Chuck grinned, happy to be coming home to one of his family's traditional summertime meals. "Let me show you where the bathroom is down here, so you can wash up." His father retreated back down the hall toward the family room and the door leading outside where the grill was located.
When Chuck came back by the kitchen after guiding Sarah to the bathroom, his mother whispered to him, "The box is in the top drawer of your dresser."
He blew out a breath and nodded, "Thanks, Mom. I'm going back out to the car to get my suitcase and laundry bag. If Sarah comes out before I get back, let her know. Thanks." Mary nodded and Chuck dashed out of the house.
Dinner had been even more delicious than Sarah had imagined when Mary was describing it to her. Chuck hadn't been exaggerating. His father's hamburgers were perfectly grilled. The chorizo did add a wonderful flavor and a bit of a kick, just as he'd said. She'd enjoyed garnishing hers with all of her favorite toppings almost as much as she'd enjoyed eating it. Chuck's parents had insisted that she take a plastic tub with four more burgers so she could enjoy them once she got home or share them with her family. She honestly wasn't sure whether she'd share or not, they were that good. That decision was something she could distract herself with on the final leg of her journey home. For now, Chuck was giving her a tour of his family's impressive house. The wooden beams from the portico were repeated throughout the inside. Hardwood floors and an abundance of Spanish-style tile on the stairs, along with more wrought iron railings combined to create a warm and inviting interior. An abundance of fireplaces, either with stone or brick facings added to the ambiance. The house was huge, but it still managed to feel cozy.
He started in the main part of the house and worked clockwise. His plan was to end up in his part of the house. That's where he wanted to give Sarah her presents before she had to leave for Coronado. He'd dropped his suitcase and laundry in his room after taking the Krass Brothers box out and putting it in his dresser alongside the one already there.
After showing Sarah the main part of the house including the two guest rooms situated on the second floor, he took her down the hall above the portico to his mother and father's offices. His father's labs came next followed by the rooms Ellie used. Besides her bedroom and playroom there were two guest bedrooms where her friends stayed when she had them spend the night for sleepovers during her school years.
His part of the house had its own guest rooms. He hadn't used them very often. Mostly when Morgan spent the night and the occasions when his cousins came to visit. His study room was on the first floor in what had to have been the dining room of an apartment originally. Next to it was his own lab, mirroring his father's on the opposite side of the house, filled with computers and other equipment. The infamous hobby room was above the game room and connected to it by a spiral staircase.
The game room was so 'Chuck' that Sarah couldn't help smiling when she saw it. Shelves of board games and videos. Couches and chairs arranged in front of a big screen TV where the coffee table was festooned with different video game machines. Just like a typical boy. What wasn't typical was how neat and tidy the room was. All of the board games and video games, books, and DVDs were neatly stored in separate areas on the shelves. Her Chuck was much more organized than a normal boy would probably be. The only curious thing was the long rectangular table, on one side of the room, that didn't have an obvious use.
"What's the table for, Chuck?" Sarah wondered.
"Games," he shrugged. At her look, he elaborated. "Board Games. Wargames. Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying."
"So that is where you nerd out, you mean?" she teased, squeezing his hand to make sure he knew she wasn't serious.
"Yup," he grinned. "That's where I get my nerd on." Sarah blushed at the image that sprang to her mind when he said that. She wouldn't mind getting her nerd on. "But if you want to see my biggest nerd stuff, we have to go upstairs." Tugging her hand, he led her to the spiral staircase up to the second floor.
When they set foot on the floor above, Sarah's mouth fell open in shock. A good portion of the room was taken up with a fully detailed model railroad layout. The rest of the space was taken up with shelves laden with miniatures of various types and sizes. A desk was shoved against one wall. Small cabinets and trays filled with paint bottles were neatly arranged on the wall above the desk's surface.
"Wow, Chuck! That layout is … um … something else," she said, trying to make sure she didn't sound critical. "Is that the train that you told me you put up around the Christmas tree each year?"
"No, that stuff is in the wooden trunk you can just see under the layout over there in the corner," he said, pointing. "This layout is mine. It uses HO scale trains and buildings. The Christmas train set is O scale. Lionel trains. Bigger scale than my stuff. HO is about half the size of O scale. More trains in the same amount of space. If that makes sense," Chuck clarified. Sarah nodded.
"It does," she smiled. "Very impressive. I must say."
"No, this layout is something I've worked on for a long time. Since I was little. Time consuming, if you know what I mean. Same goes for the miniatures. Soldiers and heroes and monsters. I put 'em together and paint each one. For the historical things, I do the research to make sure I paint them in the correct colors."
Now it made sense to Sarah. This was where Chuck had spent time filling up his days. A lot of time. She could picture younger Chuck, with too many curls, meticulously working on his layout or precisely painting his little men.
"Why didn't you bring any of this stuff to Stanford to help keep you busy up there?" she wondered out loud.
"My schoolwork and research were going to take a lot of time. Baseball made up most of the rest. And spending whatever free time I had left over with you," Chuck smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "The most important of all. No time for this stuff."
"I appreciate that, sweetie. Are you going to put some of this stuff in your house?"
"I don't know really," he shrugged again. "Depends on how much time you have and how much free time I'll have once I get set up in the new space and my research schedule evens out."
No free time or very little, if things work out like I hope they do, baby, she thought. I have some much more pleasurable co-ed activities planned for us. She didn't bother to hide her grin, allowing him to believe it was in response to his comments about him finally having a more regular schedule.
The last room Chuck took Sarah to was his bedroom. A king-sized bed surrounded by the things that Chuck valued most. Comic books and graphic novels. Textbooks and journals. Another computer on his desk. Some action figures sitting up on shelves. Movie posters covered the walls. It was as neat as every other room in his part of the house. It was also the last room in the house for her to see. She knew it was getting a bit late and she needed to be heading home soon. But she was reluctant to leave. That would be the start of their being apart for two months. Two whole months.
"So, this is your inner sanctum, is it, Chuck?" Sarah asked warmly.
"Yeah," he nodded. "Mom and Dad's room is just down the hall past the bathroom and that guestroom I showed you earlier."
"This is the place where you dreamed your dreams and made your plans?"
"Yeah, those, too. For a while." Another nod. "At least until I had to go away to school." He frowned. She squeezed his arm in sympathy and he smiled sadly. Rallying, he went on. "But the most important thing that happened in this room was I made the decision to, one day, go to Stanford and try for a normal life. This is the place I made the decision that led me to you, Sarah. It's the most important decision I ever made or ever will make." Tears had appeared in his eyes, the same as hers.
"Oh, Chuck. I'm so glad you made that decision," Sarah pulled him to her and kissed him.
"Best decision I ever made," Chuck said when their lips parted. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she responded. Pulling out her phone, she checked the time. "It's getting late. I really, really don't want to go, but I've got a bit more to drive and I should get on the road."
Chuck sniffed and nodded. "I don't want you to go, either, but I know you need to leave soon." Sarah nodded sadly. "But, before you go, I wanted to give you a few things."
"Chuck, you don't need to do that," she complained. "Besides, I didn't have time to get you anything."
"That's OK, baby," his mouth curled into her special smile. "I've got lots to remember you by right up here." He tapped the side of his head.
Sarah sighed affectionately, "OK, Mr. Science. I get your point."
"Good," Chuck nodded emphatically. Walking over to one of his shelves, he pulled out a book and brought it back to her.
"This is a collection of fantasy stories about someone called The Witcher. I know what you're probably thinking, but it's not a "Lord of the Rings" clone or someone's retelling of their Dungeons and Dragons adventure. And it's not set in a fantasy version of western Europe," he explained.
"OK, what is it then?" she asked.
"It was written by a Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski. The setting is more of a fantasy version of the area around Poland and the Baltic states. Very different from the typical stuff." He gave her the book.
She read the title on the cover, "Wiedźmin. That's Polish!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, Wiedźmin or The Witcher. Sort of a monster hunter, but there's much more to the stories than just that. I've got all of his books in both Polish and English. I really like them. I thought that, if you had time and wanted to, you could read these short stories. Enjoy them, maybe. And practice your Polish at the same time."
"Chuck, that's so thoughtful. Thank you," she said sincerely. "I don't have any idea what my schedule will be like, but I'll try to read this and think of you while I'm doing it." Leaning in, she gave him a soft kiss.
"You're welcome," he replied, holding up a finger. "But there's more!" Sarah grinned at his theatrics as he turned to his dresser and opened the top drawer. Reaching in, he pulled out a small rectangular box and gave it to her.
When Sarah saw the Krass Brothers Fine Jewelry label on the top of the box, she gasped. Of course, she knew about the store. More than once, the CATS had peered longingly at the beautiful pieces they had displayed in their shop window, but she'd never gone inside during her entire time at Stanford.
"Open it," Chuck urged her.
Speechless, Sarah followed his instructions. Inside the box was a gold open-heart V-Bale pendant covered in rubies. She looked up at her boyfriend in shock.
"It's beautiful, Chuck. Oh my God! When did you do this?" she asked incredulously.
"A few weeks ago. They didn't have what I wanted in stock, so I had them make one for me. I've got their certified quality statement in an envelope in case you want it. The chain is 18 inches long. I wasn't sure what length to get, but Mr. Krass assured me that it was a good size."
"It's perfect. Here help me put it on," she requested excitedly, taking the necklace out of the box and turning around. Chuck undid the clasp and draped it around her neck before reclosing it. She hurried over to his mirror to admire how it looked. "It really is beautiful. I love it. Thank you, but what possessed you to buy me a necklace?" He cleared his throat when she turned to regard him.
"Sarah, it's been one month to the day since I told you I love you," Chuck said happily with her special smile on his lips. "I gave you my love then. So, today, I'm giving you my heart. That pendant is my heart. My gift to you. I'm going to be about three thousand miles away from my heart for a little while and I know that your love will protect it until I come back to you. It's going to be tough to be so far away, but I know it's safe in your hands."
"Oh my God, Chuck! Oh my God!" Sarah whimpered as tears welled in her eyes. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. "Oh, I love you. I love you so much," she said between peppering his face and lips with kisses. He'd done it again. Chuck Bartowski was absolutely the most romantic person she'd ever met. There was no way he could be any more romantic, she thought.
"I love you, too, Sarah," he breathed the next time their lips parted. "But there's one more thing I want to give you or offer to you, I should say." He backed out of her embrace and took a second older box out of his top drawer and gave it to her.
Surprised, she looked down at the scuffed box in her hand and opened it. Inside was a silver charm bracelet with several charms attached. He saw the question in her eyes.
"This one takes some explanation," Chuck admitted. "This charm bracelet has been in my family for five generations," he paused and shrugged, "well, I guess six generations now. At least, I hope so." Another pause while he gathered his courage. "It's been a tradition in my family going back to my third great grandfather before we even arrived in America. A man gives this to the woman he loves. She, in time, gifts it to her firstborn son to give to the woman he loves. And so on. Now it's come to me. I called Mom at the end of May and asked her for it. I want to give it to you, if you'll accept it." Sarah was stunned. She had some idea what he was saying, but she couldn't get her thoughts in order. He was speaking again. "It also represents a promise, Sarah. My promise to you that you don't have to worry about me while we're apart this summer. You have my love. You have my heart. And you have my solemn promise. It's also my promise and my hope for our future." She looked down at the bracelet, realizing how old it must be. Then she looked in his eyes and saw his love and commitment shining out at her.
"Chuck-," she began.
"You don't have to put it on if you don't want to. Not right now. Take it and think about it over the summer. Tell me your decision when I get back, if that's OK?" he smiled awkwardly.
The look in his eyes told her that he would abide by whatever choice she made. He was too new and inexperienced to understand that she'd already made her decision. She took the bracelet out of its box and put it on, smiling at the surprised expression on his face.
"Sarah? Are you sure?" he stumbled.
She smiled and cupped his cheek, the bracelet newly affixed to her wrist dancing musically. Sarah giggled before leaning in and kissing him solidly.
"For a smart guy, you can be pretty obtuse sometimes," she scolded him gently.
"This I know," he acknowledged with a smile, kissing her back.
"I want to wear your bracelet and I accept all it represents. That is my promise to you. My love and my solemn promise," Sarah sighed in happiness.
"And my greatest joy," he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply.
"Mine, too," she responded when they parted. Her thoughts filled with the future. Immediate and longer term. "Unfortunately, I've got to go, but I want you to tell me the history of the different charms first."
"Yes, milady," Chuck grinned. She snorted at his foppish tone.
Lifting her wrist and turning the bracelet until he found a tree charm. "The important thing to know is the tradition has been that the charms are chosen to represent the two people as they are when the bracelet is given and not how they may be later in life. For example, the tree and the flower are the first two charms. My third great grandfather, Jozef Bartowski, gave the bracelet to his true love, Bożena Sadowski. He was a farmer, but when he met Bożena, he was just clearing the land for his farm, thus the tree charm and not some kind of farm related ornament. Bożena was said to keep wonderful gardens, both flowering and vegetable, so her charm is the flower."
"When did the tradition start?" Sarah wanted to know.
"We don't know the exact date, but we do know that Jozef was born in 1823, so some time after that."
"OK. Who's next?"
"Their son was Krystian who gave the bracelet to Agata Chlebek. He was a farmer by the time they met, so the plow is his. Agata was supposed to be a wonderful baker of cakes and pies and other goodies. Her charm is the pie next to the plow. Krystian was born in 1857. They were married in the old country but came to America before their children were born."
"How many children did they eventually have?"
"Twelve. My great grandfather was right in the middle. The older children were all girls. That's how he got the bracelet."
"Twelve!?" Sarah couldn't imagine having that many children.
"Yeah, twelve. Not all of them made it to adulthood. Part of life back then, I guess," Chuck said, looking apologetic. Hurrying on, he pointed to the cow charm. "The cow represents my great grandfather, Leonard. He was a farmer, too, but later he started a livestock auction in the town near their farm in Pennsylvania. During WWII he made a good bit of money from running the auction. That formed the basis of the family money that sent my grandfather and my father to college. Louise Krakowski became his wife and the thimble charm is hers because of her skill at sewing and all kinds of needlework. Mom has some of her pieces here. We'll ask her to show them to you on another trip. Great grandad was born in 1891."
"This is fascinating, Chuck. To have so much of your family history laid out in this simple bracelet," Sarah smiled.
"I know, right?" he grinned. "It is pretty cool." She nodded. "OK, my grandfather, Richard, had just gotten out of the Marine Corps and was going to college on the new GI Bill, when he met my grandmother, Elizabeth Randall. Her father worked for the government in the Department of the Interior. They moved all over the country almost every year, usually in the middle of the school year. So, Grandma went to a different school almost every year as a result. Their charms are the US Marine Corps symbol and the 1940s car. He was born in 1925 and saw some tough service in the South Pacific during the war."
"He's the one who started the Christmas train collection. Became a veterinarian, right?"
"Yeah, that's him. Quite a guy. They're both pretty cool. They're getting on, but it would be neat if we could figure out a way for you to meet them," Chuck chuckled. "Mom and Dad have already told them about you, so I know they'd love to meet you in person."
"That would be great if that were possible," Sarah agreed.
"Something for us to figure out."
"Yup." She nodded. Looking at the next charms, Sarah grinned, "A computer and a microscope. Your parents, of course."
"Exactly," he nodded, smirking. "As you know, they met at Stanford while they both were deep in their studies. They were both born in 1961, so were 39 when I was born. Younger when Ellie came along, of course."
"Sounds like two other people we know, doesn't it?" she tapped her chin.
"Yeah. Must be something in the water up there in Palo Alto," Chuck giggled.
"I'm certainly glad there is, too," Sarah chuckled and gave him a peck on his lips before looking back at the charms and smiling. "That leaves the baseball glove, bat, and ball for you and the … Oh my! Did you get a charm made out of our Songbirds logo? The one on our tee-shirts?"
"Yeah, I had Mom get that done for us. Do you like it?" he asked.
"That's so sweet! Thank you! I love it! Your charm, too. And not just the silver ones on my wrist," she smiled when he blushed. "This bracelet is such a wonderful idea. Thank you, Jozef and Bożena, for having such an inspired way to hold on to your family's history. I can't wait to tell my mom all about it. She'll think it's cool, too. I'm sure of it."
"She won't be upset that I gave it to you?" he worried.
"Not a chance," Sarah reassured him. "Especially not after the way you charmed everyone yesterday. Even Molly. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't want to adopt you." They both laughed. Sobering again, she frowned, "Now I really do have to go. I want to get home before I get too tired."
"I understand, Sarah. I want you to be safe, too. So, you best be on your way." Chuck helped her gather the boxes and the book and, taking her hand, they went in search of his parents so she could say her goodbyes.
Chuck and Sarah were standing next to her car. When they'd found his parents in the living room, his mother had given Sarah a paper bag and whispered something in her ear. She must have said something nice, because Sarah smiled and hugged Mary in gratitude. Both of his parents admired the necklace Chuck had picked out for Sarah and expressed their pleasure at seeing her wearing the family bracelet. After them wishing her safe journey home and asking after her family, the young couple made their way out to the parking lot.
"Drive safe, Sarah," Chuck implored her. "Call me when you get home, so I know you're alright. I'm already missing you and we're standing next to each other."
"Me too, Chuck," Sarah admitted with a pout. "I promise to let you know as soon as I get home. I'm going to miss you something fierce. Please, be safe this summer."
"I promise, sweetie. I'll call as soon as I can after I land tomorrow. We'll work out a schedule to talk once you know your schedule and I know mine, OK?"
"Of course, baby," she said. "Now kiss me good. It has to last all summer." Tears were blurring her vision. They held each other as tight as they possibly could, relishing their closeness. It took more than a few deep kisses before they drew apart.
"I love you, Chuck. Always remember that," Sarah told him, kissing his lips.
"I love you, too, Sarah. Finding you changed my life in ways I could never have imagined a year ago," Chuck replied, brushing his lips against her cheeks, her chin, and her lips. Their last kiss was the deepest one of the evening. They poured all of their shared love and longing into it.
When the kiss ended, Sarah stepped back and opened the door to her car. She reached in and placed the bag that Mary had given her on the passenger seat. Standing again, she gave Chuck one last soft kiss.
"I love you, baby. Have fun. Be safe. Come back to me as quick as you can," she murmured before swinging down into her seat and buckling her seatbelt.
"I love you, too. Have fun with your family this week. Good luck in summer school. You're gonna knock 'em dead. Call me," he requested as he shut her door. They blew kisses and waved to each other as she pulled out of the parking space. The last thing she saw was Chuck turning toward his car to unpack the rest of the stuff he'd brought home.
Sarah waited until she hit her first traffic light to open the bag Chuck's mother had given her. Mary had whispered to her that she knew all about painful separations, so she'd stolen one of Chuck's tee-shirts along with one of his pillowcases out of his laundry bag while they'd been busy on the house tour. Sarah looked in and saw the tee-shirt and case. Taking a deep breath, she caught the familiar scent of Ivory soap, cedar, and him. The unfamiliar weight on her wrist drew her eyes to the charm bracelet. Thinking about all it symbolized, she sighed, smiling while holding back her tears. It was going to be a long summer.
A/N2: Chapter title comes from the name of one of the five marches composed by Sir Edward Elgar in 1904. It's commonly referred to as the Graduation Song.
A/N3: A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure used to block electromagnetic fields.
A/N4: The steakhouse mentioned in this chapter really does exist, but it isn't open on Sundays. I waved my artistic license in their faces and got them to open just for this chapter.
A/N5: The Bartowski's home is, of course, modeled on the El Cabrillo condominium complex in Hollywood, a registered historic building. The actual interiors of the units are beautiful.
A/N6: Without any fancy pomp and under all sorts of circumstances, WillieGarvin is always ready to help me get my chapters into decent shape. Thank you, my friend.
A/N7: 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/N8: 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.