Disclaimer: Sonny With a Chance belongs to Disney.

Author's Note: So, I'm using the story title as the title of the last chapter. See what I did there?:) I've had this chapter written for several days, but I had trouble with ending it. Sorry it's short, but anyway, enjoy!

Three Little Words

It was a quiet ride back to Sonny's apartment. She still felt a little dazed by the whole earthquake experience, and she was sort of glad it was dark so she didn't have to see any damage that might have been done. As it was, there seemed to be flashing lights and sirens in every direction, and she was sure that the police, fire, and medical people of the area would be putting in some overtime tonight. She was very glad that Chad was driving her home because she wasn't sure she could have concentrated on the bus changes if she were on her own.

"It's going to be okay," he said suddenly, almost as if he could read her mind. Then again, she supposed it wasn't much of a mystery what she must be thinking about.

"How do you know?"

"Everything here is built with earthquakes in mind. They're not the disasters you see in the movies."

Somehow, hearing Chad Dylan Cooper sound disparaging about his own industry made Sonny feel a little bit better. Yes, there were flashing lights, but given the local population density and crime rate, those could probably be seen on any given night in Los Angeles. While no preparations could be perfect, she believed that the damage and injuries would be much reduced from what they would have been in the past.

"How did you know what to do?" she asked after a pause.

"What?" Chad sounded like she'd startled him out of his thoughts.

"How did you know what to do in an earthquake?" she clarified. He shrugged a little self-deprecatingly – an unaccustomed gesture for him.

"You don't grow up in California without learning a little about earthquakes."

"Oh." Sonny supposed that was true. Just as she'd grown up learning about the hazards of undertows and tornadoes, Californians learned about earthquakes. She suddenly felt the need to keep talking, though. "Now that I think about, I guess I have heard that doorways are the safest place to be."

"Most structurally sound part of any building," he agreed, once again surprising her with his knowledge. The young man who hated reading and coasted through their mandatory classes (his parents had insisted upon him getting a diploma, even though he had no doubts about being able to earn a living without it) could speak quite intelligently about this topic.

"There's no way I would have remembered that in a crisis, though," said Sonny, wanting to give credit where credit was due. "Thanks a lot for helping me out."

"You're my lady," he responded. "It's my responsibility to take care of you." From another person, that might have sounded patronizing and demeaning, but from him, Sonny found it kind of sweet. As though realizing that what he'd said seemed a little overdone, he added, "It's a leading man's job, you know."

Sonny felt herself smiling. Trust a lifelong actor to compare any life situation with a prepared script. Still, his attitude reassured her, like things were returning to normal.

"This wasn't your first earthquake, was it?" she voiced the sudden thought.

"No. It was the third that I can remember, not counting the little ones you hardly feel. I think there was another one when I was a baby."

"What about the hands on the neck thing?" she asked then. "I've never heard of that. What was that about?"

"Keeps your neck stabilized so your spine doesn't get injured when everything's shaking. The neck can be really delicate."

"I guess that makes sense." She had an aunt who'd slipped a disk in her neck vertebrae just from a simple rear-ending at a stoplight. How much more damage could a good-sized earthquake do?

"You gonna be all right?" he demanded as he parked in front of her building. There was real concern in his voice and expression.

"Yes, I'll be fine."

"I really should walk you to your door," he offered, but she shook her head and laughed lightly.

"You're not allowed to park here," she pointed out. "I told you, I'm fine. I'm pretty glad I have tomorrow off, though."

"Make sure you get your rest."

"I will." Sonny paused, her hand on the door handle. Chad really had been impressive tonight. She turned back to look him straight in the eyes. "Maybe this is just the earthquake talking, but…I think I love you back." Her heart was pounding furiously against her ribs as she awaited his response, and she finally thought she understood how he must have felt after blurting those words out a few days ago. His mouth stretched into a goofy grin.

"I'll take it," Chad declared, leaning in for a good-night kiss that seemed even better than the one on the beach. "Good night, m'lady."

"Good night, Chad." Afraid that if she lingered any longer, she'd manage to find a way to mess up the moment, Sonny fled out of the car and up to the door of her building. Another long talk with her mom was definitely in order, accompanied by a warm beverage and followed by a good night's sleep.

It wasn't until Sonny got all the way upstairs that she realized that Chad hadn't said the three words to her again, even though she had. Upon reflection, though, she decided that was okay. She had said that it might have been just a reaction to the earthquake, and he might not want to burden her further until she said it not under stress. Besides, "I love you" was a phrase that should never be overused. She was fine with them not using it often, as long as they meant it when they did.

With that, she entered her apartment, grateful to be home at last.


Review responses:

Sweetheart446: Actually, if you search Earthquake and go to the Sonny With a Chance stories, there are a few. Regardless of the originality or lack thereof, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

HorseLover314: Thanks! I hope 3 weeks wasn't too long to wait.