A/N: I loved Chuck the week. It was fanfrickentastic. They were so cute at the end! My one complaint, not enough dramatic action, because that is what I really love. Anyways, hi. This is story is a series of oneshots based on the lyrics from the song Twenty Years by Augustana. IMPORTANT this first chapter will make little sense if you haven't read chapters 8, 10, and 14 from my other story, The West Coast. But, not all chapters will follow this storyline, so if you don't get this one, come back again and try the next chapter. Yes it's confusing, but its also like an adventure! The next few chapters should be up quickly... I already have 3 written and I'm working on 2... keep an eye out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or Twenty Years.

Well I've been running from something

He wakes up (again) with her gently stroking his face.

Sarah, Sarah. It's almost 2 A.M... please, can we just sleep?

She lets out a huff, and he knows that she doesn't want to sleep. She doesn't want to miss another moment with him. And he understands, he does, he has wanted this moment for so long... but he also needs his rest. And tomorrow... tomorrow might be the best day of his life.

Because tomorrow Sarah, his wife, will be officially home. She could hug their two daughters, and he could tell her how much he loved her and missed her. She could tell him what happened to her, how she got her new scars, and he could tenderly wipe the awful memories away. He wouldn't have to visit her grave anymore... the CIA has probably already removed it. He won't have to tell his girls that Mommy isn't coming home anymore. She can help him tell the story of how they met...

Chuck!

Sarah...

Chuck! Wake up. Now.

And then none of that matters anymore. She's been home for a total of four hours, but he knows the differences between Oh, Chuck, I need you, now! and If you don't wake up, we're all going to die. Being a spy for seven years will do that to a man.

She's sitting upright in their bed (No longer just his), and staring out the window. Her eyes are bright, and he figures that wherever she came from, it's definitely not two in the morning. She leaves the sheet behind as she goes to look out the window.

He's busy admiring her wife when she whispers in a low voice:

Are the girls here?

Of course the girls are here, but they're asleep. I'm sure they'd be glad to see you...

You need to get them out of here. Now.

Sarah? What

They've found me. The director promised me I was safe.. I should've followed my instincts. Damn it! Do you have guns?

Chuck is still in bed, wondering what is going on. Sarah's quickly getting dressed. Giving him occasional, expectant looks.

Chuck!

He jolts, realizing that he'd been frozen. Most likely out of shock.

Come on, I know this isn't ideal, but I need you to stay calm. Get the girls, go out back, you said the Hendersons were on vacation? Go to their house, and if you don't think you're safe there, find Casey. He still lives around here, right?

Yeah, but, Sarah, what's going on?

She sighs, and stops throwing her stuff into a tiny bag.

Look, out the window, those vans? They're equipped for surveillance. The man sitting in the passenger seat is wearing a black mask, and I saw him check his gun. I've been on the run from a group called AFRO...

And then Chuck flashed. He hadn't done it in years, and Sarah had almost forgotten about the intersect. She watched as he processed the information, probably basic stuff that she already knew.

Sarah...

I know, I know who they are, what they've done. It was my mission to bring them down, but it was too much. I've been on the run from them ever since.

I know I haven't had an update in a while, but...

Burke said they'd gone underground...

Burke's the new CIA director?

Yeah, but he said I was safe, and he must've been wrong...

Sarah. Stop. Look, I flashed, and Julius Burke was in the intersect as the man who started AFRO, originally as a group of ambassadors that worked in countries for better education. After a year, he decided to stop the education thing, but never officially disbanded AFRO. Sarah, if Burke started AFRO...

Oh God. Chuck, he knows everything about me! Where I live, my family... you have to get away from here.

Then a car door slammed out front, and the couple froze. They were coming. Chuck rose from the bed and pulled Sarah tight against him. Because this was it.

I love you.

She kissed him, fiercely.

I love you. Nothing will stop me from coming back to you, to the girls.

She lifted her bag and left, knowing that he would take care of Emily and Anna. If not for himself, or for them, then for her.

And then she was gone and Chuck was still standing in their room. Wondering if this was all a dream. Maybe she was dead, and he'd let the stories he'd been telling Emily and Anna go to his head.

A knock on the front door confirms the reality of the situation. He throws on clothes for travel, and grabs his emergency suitcase. He runs to the girls' rooms and gently wakes them, telling them it's time for a vacation. Carrying Emily and guiding Anna, he leaves his house behind. Wondering if Sarah will make it through the night.

She lasts the night, managing to avoid both the intruders and her family as she escaped. Its two or three days later and she's at a train station, trying to find the best route to D.C.. So she can kill Burke. She carefully angles herself so that the security cameras can't see her whole face, and is sure to pay in cash for her ticket. As she boards the train, she wonders how long she'll be gone for this time. As the train moves down the track, she wonders if Chuck made it out of the house alive... if not... then perhaps it was all for nothing.

After spending a night at the Henderson's, Chuck takes the girls to Uncle Casey's. Hoping that the Colonel will help him, help Sarah.

Uncle Casey! Uncle Casey!

Whoa, slow down that Em! Rawr! Grrr! Give me a big hug!

Chuck smiles, he always knew Casey was one big teddy bear. As the girls settle down to watch cartoons, Casey gives Chuck a cup of coffee, and they sit down to talk.

So, what is it.

Sarah.

Look, Bartowski, the search is over

She found me, last night. She's not dead Casey! She's been on the run in Europe this whole time from a group called AFRO.

Casey stays still, stays silent. He wants to believe Chuck, he wants nothing more to believe that Sarah Bartowski is alive, but at the same time... he doesn't want his hopes to be dashed because Chuck had another dream...

Look, Casey, we're in trouble. She came back last night, but they found her. Some thugs hired by AFRO broke into our house, and she had to run. The man who runs AFRO, Julius Burke, is also the new director of the CIA, and she's going to try and kill him.

Oh God

I know, I need your help, I have to help her, but I can't leave the girls behind.

No, Chuck, it's too dangerous, I'll do it, you haven't flashed in years...

I flashed last night! I flashed on AFRO and the intel was good, I'm sure I could flash on kung-fu.

You're out of shape, you'll hurt yourself more than the enemy.

Casey, it's Sarah. She's my wife. And I thought she was dead.

Look Chuck. Look over there, those are your daughters. Sarah's daughters. And I hate to have to say this, but if you go after her, there's a chance that neither of you come back, and I don't want to be the one to tell them that Daddy isn't coming home either. That he's with Mommy now.

Casey...

I'll go Chuck, you watch your family. You tell your little girls that Mommy is coming home, and that Uncle Casey is going to help her. You got that?

Casey, how can I

Save it, Bartowski, I've gotta go pack.

A/N: Aannd cue theme song. Sorry if this one shot seemed filler-esque. I know that it shouldn't, but I want the final chapter of this mini-series to end with a bang. Which it will in it's next chapter... also, I love Chuck. Goodnight.