A/N: Everything A/N related after the chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck. Last time I say that for this story. *sniff*

The Good Samaritan, Chapter 11
The Ending

In a cab to Sarah's Apartment
Friday, December 31st, 2004
21:12

She didn't bother hiding the tears. She didn't care anymore. So she cried. Cried for her life, cried for missed opportunities, cried for the things she would never get... she cried. All she cared about was getting away from the hospital and never seeing his face again. The world seemed to have grown a tad darker with her decision, but it was done. She would throw herself into her job and that would be that. Sarah Walker was destined to be a spy.

She meant it when she told Chuck that she didn't know whether she loved him. But she cared about him a great deal. More than she should've cared for someone, something which made his position in her life all the more dangerous. She was told from day one that spies didn't fall in love or form connections. People had a nasty tendency to die on you. Besides, caring about someone outside of a professional view would get you to do foolish things for those people, would get you killed in the blink of an eye. Terrorists, or even her own government, wouldn't shirk from using Chuck as bait to lure her out. Wouldn't be scared to use him and as a result her to further progress their own goals.

But even that wasn't the real reason that she ran away. The real reason was far pettier. She was scared, scared that he would not be happy with her. It was a tough thing to admit for Sarah, but there it was. Without knowing it, Chuck had slyly wormed himself into Sarah's heart. He did it without so much as a kiss, but simply by being him. Simply by laughing with her and talking about her fictional job and his real one. Simply by telling her of the crazy antics that his co-workers had gotten themselves into and how he would go around solving it. He had even made video games sound appealing, something that Sarah had never had any interest in.

She leaned her head against the cold window of the taxi as it drove the by now familiar route back. The driver stayed respectfully silent and Sarah recognized her street as they drove down it. She felt the cab grinding to a halt. The driver turned to her. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No… and I don't know if I'll ever be." She saw the driver eye her conspicuously, obviously assuming that she had just lost a loved one. He would never suspect that she had just made one of the toughest decisions of her life. She got out and paid the fare, before grabbing her duffel bag and trudging up the stairs that led to her apartment. She opened the door and entered into the dark hallway. She normally loved the dark, stealth was important for a spy, but it seemed to have grown even darker than usual. She immediately reached for the light switch and continued to turn on every light in the house. Not a single inch of the room was left in the dark. The light managed to illuminate her entire apartment, but her heart remained pitch black.

She flung the bag in a corner before running to her bedroom and collapsing on the soft mattress. It felt amazing after having slept on a hospital bed for almost three weeks. She shucked off her clothing and climbed under the covers, hoping that a good night's sleep would bring a new day and hopefully her memory of him would start fading.

She closed her eyes but that only served to bring his face to the forefront of her mind. She felt her fingers searching for his hand as if it would provide the nutrition that she so desperately craved at that moment in time. All she found was a cold mattress. She willed her mind to forget, but just like it had done with her Red Test, the image of his face with his broken gaze proved to be the tormentor to Sarah's mind. His eyes bored into hers, the question playing in them. Why? It was then she realized that she had fallen asleep.

She jolted awake, but stubbornly refused to get up. She twisted and turned but sleep wouldn't catch her again. Her mind didn't let her. She kept replaying the conversation in her mind. Was her job truly that important? It had been all she had known for over six years; it had become part of her identity. Actually, the entire Sarah Walker identity belonged to the CIA, although the details that had seeped through were of the real her. She had no intention of compromising her safely guarded self, but it had happened on its own accord, thanks to him and his damn smile. She contemplated going back, telling him it was a mistake and that she loved him so much that two weeks with him were enough to convince her that he was all she wanted for the rest of her life. She had been thoroughly denying it to herself but she knew it was no use. It was stupid of her, but she had broken the cardinal rule. She kept trying to tell herself that she didn't, but finally, safely tucked away in the depths of her bed she admitted it to herself. But she couldn't do that to him, she couldn't begin something with a civilian, no matter how amazing a person he was. Everything she had told him in the hospital was true. He would be in danger. So maybe the CIA wouldn't go quite as far as she had told him they would to make sure she would never leave, but that didn't mean that the enemies she had would be quite so benevolent.

But she wasn't sure who she was protecting more at the moment. Him... or her.

The main reason that she didn't dare going back was because she was scared. She had been abandoned too many times already. Her dad had abandoned her when he got caught, the CIA had abandoned her in her time of need after her Red Test, Zondra had abandoned not only her but her country by reporting to Gaez… Yes, Sarah knew what she wanted, she had always known throughout her entire life. But for the first time in her life, what she really wanted directly correlated to another human being and that thought frightened her to no end. She had stood toe-to-toe with the vilest of mankind on the planet and something as simple as committing to a man scared her to no end. She found herself cursing the CIA for not including how to deal with stuff like this in their training.

What had felt like four hours in actuality was closer to ten minutes. She gave up trying to fight a losing battle and reluctantly slid back out of bed. She padded over to the TV, dressed in nothing more than a bra and panties, her attire during most if not all of the nights at the hospital. She didn't even have the willpower to get a robe. Unceremoniously she plopped down in a chair and turned on the TV. The first channel was a romantic comedy. Of course. She zapped along but couldn't find anything to her liking. It seemed like America had decided that it would be a night full of shows that were prime candidate to being canned or movies that would have a swooning effect on ladies. Sarah wasn't a fan of American television at that point.

She despondently clicked the TV off again and the apartment was filled with a deafening silence. If she would focus really hard, maybe she could remember his voice and let it talk to her. Great, that's not desperate at all.

She looked across the room and felt like she was suffocating. Everywhere she looked she imagined seeing him, smiling at her. She had to get out of there and fast. If she didn't, who knew what would happen? She grabbed the duffel bag she had thrown away earlier and made her way out of the apartment. The cold December air hit her like a sledgehammer but it wasn't the freezing air that was hurting her the most. It was her own traitorous heart.

24 Hour Fitness
Friday, December 31st, 2004
22:46

Sarah had no idea why she ordered the taxi driver to take her to the gym. She knew she wanted to release her stress but she doubted that they would be open on New Year's Eve. But her steps were mechanical and before she knew it she walked into the trusted gym. Apparently they were in fact open. Who would've thought?

Her somewhat good mood shattered when she saw Paul talking to his boyfriend and she found herself once again thinking back to the hospital. Of course the man had to have brown curly hair. It was destined to be. Sarah Walker would not catch a break. She walked up to the counter and tried to open her mouth, but was reduced to a sobbing mess. The tears streamed over her face unbidden. She fell to the ground and felt four strong arms pick her up and drag her to a back room. She heard mumbling but the sound of her own wracking sobs overpowered the voices, reducing them to joining the background sounds. She was gently sat down in a chair and she slumped forward, burying her face between the crooks of her arms as she silently sobbed on the desk. She heard the gentle voice of Paul asking his boyfriend to leave them alone for a bit and he would come get him when he was done. He approached the desk and laid a comforting hand on Sarah's back, softly rubbing it. She felt the vibration of him putting something on the desk and when she looked up she saw a water bottle being placed in front of her.

Paul stopped rubbing her back the moment he saw that she had eyed the water bottle and moved across the desk. He sat down and looked at her, willing her to speak "I… fucked… up," she managed to say between sobs, finally admitting the truth, not only to Paul but to herself as well. But it didn't matter. It had been done.

"Calm down first. Take a sip of water. And then calmly explain to me how you fucked up and we'll see if we can fix it," he said with a sincere voice. It reminded her of the way Chuck would talk to her which caused another crying jag.

"I'm guessing this is about a guy?" Paul asked. Sarah simply nodded her head, unable to form words. She did feel the tears finally starting to stop.

She lifted her head and grabbed the water bottle. She twisted the cap off and took a few frantic sips. The water felt cool against her throat. She took a few calming breaths, willing herself not to burst out in tears again. But every time she'd take a breath she would see Chuck's face as it was contorted in dismay at the fact that she was saying goodbye.

"Feeling better?" Paul asked. Sarah shook her head. "Okay. Take all the time you need."

It took her another five agonizing minutes before she finally calmed herself down to a point where she could speak with only a minor waiver in her voice. She proceeded to tell him everything. About how she met him on the street when he was bleeding to death in front of her, to her begging for him to survive, to them playing different games together and laughing with each other. About how amazingly well she had connected with Chuck's family and friends. About how the conversation with him was so easy even though they came from two completely different worlds. About how she wasn't an accountant at all but rather that she worked for the CIA. About how she hadn't felt bored even though she had been so inactive since Chuck came in her life, whereas before she needed to continuously be active in a physical way for her to not be bored. And finally she told him about how she had come to the inevitable conclusion that it wasn't possible for them to be together due to the fact that she was too proud to be a serving intelligence officer as well as being too scared about a possible relationship that she hid behind the job as her penultimate argument for them not being together.

Paul had kept silent during her entire explanation and hadn't asked any question at all. Even after she was done he kept silent. "Well… I'm done explaining now," she said with a weak chuckle that turned into a small sob.

"It seems to me that you're not happy with your choice." Paul started.

"You could say that," Sarah sniffled.

"Then why would you continue to torment yourself like this?"

It was a fair question. "I don't… I don't know. Because I'm scared? Because he might let me down?"

"Do you honestly believe that?" She shook her head. "Listen, honey. I can't speak for you, but the way you just described this man, he is everything you've been looking for. He can make you laugh; he can make you enjoy your life again. And he never even had any physical intimacy with you. Do you not understand how unbelievably rare such a thing is?" Again, Sarah shook her head. "As I said, I can't speak for you or make any decision for you. But there are more things to life than just a job. Your job won't be there for you when you're tired. Your job won't be there to rub your feet or listen to your stories. Your job won't be able to take you out to a nice candlelit dinner and then take you dancing. Let me ask you this, does your job make you happy?"

"I don't know… I guess."

"And does he make you happy?"

Sarah perked up as she thought about those glorious two weeks. "Yes, yes he does."

"So what's the problem then?" Sarah stared blankly into space. "Let me ask you, do you love him?" Sarah shrugged and she felt like the tears would soon return. "Does he love you?" Sarah nodded again. "In words, please."

"He does… he told me so himself."

"And you?"

"I… I think so… But, how can I be sure?" While her mind had been made up in her own bed, proclaiming it outright proved to be tougher than she had thought. Sarah began to feel like it was a mistake, coming to the gym. But like a train wreck that was just waiting to happen, she couldn't do anything about it now.

"Well," Paul started. "Love is different for everyone. But I suppose that the easiest way to define it is if you want to be with someone for the sake of being with someone. You become happy by him or her being by your side. You're happy when you get to do things together. But most of all, it's a feeling that you have that no one else is able to illicit in you. How does he make you feel?"

"Like… like I'm the center of his world."

"And do you like that feeling?" he asked her. Sarah swallowed. The answer was easy, but the repercussions for answering would change everything.

"Yes," she admitted. "I do."

"And what is he to you? Chuck, I think he was called?" Sarah thought about it, but before she could respond, Paul was grinning. "You should see yourself. I only mentioned his name and you started smiling. Sarah, I don't know why you're fighting this so hard." She kept quiet, which seemed to annoy Paul. She had never, ever seen him annoyed, especially not at her. "So what you're essentially telling me is that you are going to walk away from someone you love and who loves you to a job that you aren't even sure delivers you happiness?"

The words hit Sarah hard. Put like that, she couldn't for the life of her figure out why she had run away. She sat staring blankly into space again, when an argument popped up. "It's been two weeks and a few days. How is it even possible for this to happen?"

"Who knows?" he said. "No one really knows how this all works. But I can tell you that it doesn't matter whether you've known someone for a month, three years or a decade. If it feels right, it feels right and you'd be foolish not to act on it."

"But what if he hurts me?" she asked in an impossibly small voice, not at all a resemblance of the strong young woman that she was, but more of a small child, the one she never had the opportunity to be.

"Then that's what he does. Sarah, life is made up of chances and choices. But you've been living in a bubble. Why do you think you keep coming here so often? Because that's what your bubble was made up of. You had work, you had the gym, and you had your apartment. It was safe. You didn't put yourself out there. And while I agree that the clientele in this particular establishment may not have been the most enticing, there are enough great guys out there, perfect for you. But you're scared to take a chance. It's obvious in everything you do."

"But you don't understand… I…"

"I don't understand?" he asked, in a firm tone. "Honey, I'm gay. I've had to deal with rejection all my life, not only in my love life, but in social circles as well. I've been put down by other people on an almost daily basis. But at the end of the day, I kept putting myself out there. And now, I've found my happiness. Why are you so intent on denying yourself the chance at happiness? Yes, it may go south, that's a possibility. But the way I've seen your eyes light up at the mere mention of his name… You need to take a chance. Take a chance on him. Because even if it goes south, it will still mean that you tried. But I've known you for four years now and not once have I seen you… happy. So please, do yourself a favor. Go back to him; tell him you made a mistake and that you'd like to go for it with him. Screw conventional rules. This is your life, not anyone else's. You get to lead it the way you want, and you do get to be happy. All you need to do is chase it."

Once again, she found herself thinking back to everything that happened and the unfamiliar and yet amazing emotions that she had been feeling. She sighed once, before a small grin threatened to break through. "So what are you going to do?" he asked, his gaze still firmly fixed on Sarah.

Sarah was scared to admit that she was going to go back to him and plead with him to take her back. She knew that he'd probably get a cocky grin on his face and tell her that he was always right. Still, he did help her, so he deserved to know. "I'm going to go back."

"Good, now let's get you back to where you belong so you can start living the life you deserve." He stood up and grabbed his car keys. What the hell? Paul's facial expression didn't change. He simply helped her and that was enough for him. He didn't need anything. He had been selfless. It reminded her of Chuck, but then again, a lot of things reminded her of him. The impression she got from him was that he too would do anything to help a friend. Paul was heading for the doorbut Sarah stopped him.

"Paul… thank you."

He enveloped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Anything for you."

Recovery room, Washington Hospital Center
Friday, December 31st, 2004
23:30

Sarah stood in front of his door. She knew they had spotted her already and were doing a fine job in ignoring her. A nervous ball threatened to overtake her completely. She had faced down terrorists with weapons while she had a knife and a spoon and she didn't break a sweat. And here she was, going to tell someone she loved that she was willing to fight for their relationship and she was a nervous wreck. She had already made the call and sorted everything else out. All that was left was to face him and tell him the truth and the new status quo. If he lets me, that is.

She tentatively opened the door to the room. Chuck was still lying in bed, surrounded by Devon, Ellie and Morgan. She stepped in and saw Chuck glance over to her before dismissing her completely. Her courage fell and she knew she had screwed up royally.

"Could you please leave us alone for a bit? I need to talk to Chuck… in private."

"We're not leaving," Ellie spat. "I think it's you that should be leaving."

Sarah looked around and saw a constellation of emotions around the room. Morgan looked upset, probably because she had hurt his best friend. Devon looked a little less upset and even had a smidge of empathy in his gaze. Chuck's eyes displayed hurt and disappointment and Ellie's eyes were a blazing fire of rage. Sarah swallowed nervously and contemplated just cutting her losses and run. But she wanted… no, she needed to do this. She met Ellie's eyes, sure that the intensity in her eyes mirrored Ellie's. "No."

"Haven't you done enough damage yet?" Ellie asked, the venom dripping in her tone.

"Actually," she started. "I think it's time I start to take responsibility for the damage that I've caused and start fixing it," Sarah said, standing defiantly.

Ellie glanced over at Chuck who was a lot more interested to hear what Sarah had to say after her last remark. He briefly nodded and Ellie wordlessly stood up and walked out of the room, followed by Morgan and Devon. Devon stopped and leaned in to Sarah, whispering, "Don't screw up now."

Sarah nodded and swallowed before stepping towards Chuck. She took a seat and started fiddling with her hands. She hoped to God that her little speech hadn't done irreparable damage. Oh, she was perfectly willing to grovel; she just hoped he was receptive.

"Chuck…"

"You said you wanted to fix the damage you've done."

"I do…"

"And how do you propose that you would do that? The way I see it, you said what you really wanted to say and you told me yourself that it was final. So what has changed in…" he trailed off and looked at the clock, "two hours?"

"I have." She saw that her response threw him for a loop.

"Really? Well, that's awfully convenient isn't it?" he finally said in an icy tone that she wasn't used to. The bubble of fear that she had screwed up for good threatened to make its way to the surface.

"I… I had a good long chat with someone… and he sort of showed to me what an idiot I was being."

"So what's changed about… you?" he asked. Apparently, her response had been a good one. His tone while still cold seemingly was beginning to thaw a bit.

"For one, I called my superiors and I told them that I was retiring from field work. I hadn't been doing it for very long and the director tried to get me to reconsider but I told him that I was either becoming an analyst or I would leave the agency." Chuck's eyes widened at the revelation but he didn't say anything. Sarah cast her eyes to the ground. "But that was only part of the reason…"

"And what was the other part?"

"I was scared," she admitted, and she was sure her eyes displayed the vulnerability that she was feeling. "Scared that it wouldn't work out, scared that I was moving too fast, scared that you…"

"That I would leave you," Chuck finished the sentence. Sarah looked up and the tears that she had desperately tried to keep at bay made their way back to her eyes. Haven't I cried enough, already? She nodded and a tear made its way down her cheek. Chuck's soft thumb stopped the tear from completing its journey. She sniffled and swiped away the remaining tears in her eyes.

"I was… am afraid that I can't… be a good girlfriend. I've never been one. I didn't even go to my high school's prom… I don't know anything about how to take care of you or how to let someone take care of me. It's never happened. What if I screwed up?"

"So you decided to walk away?"

The question was justified but it still stung. "Like with everything, I thought it was better to just run away from my troubles."

"You said you changed. What happened?"

Sarah perked up a bit. "I spoke to an old friend who told me what a fool I was being. He explained to me that there was more to life than just my job and he… explained to me that it was okay to take the plunge into the deep end sometimes."

"Listen, Sarah. If there's one thing I value above all; it's trust. I need to be able to trust you. What do you think would've happened if your friend wasn't there?"

Sarah's eyes fell again and she couldn't bear to look at him. "I would like to think that eventually I would've realized my mistake… but I'm not sure." She heard him sigh and her heart broke. She knew that he would tell her that he didn't want to be with her only because a 'friend' told her to be. Her efforts had been in vain. By telling him the truth, she had inadvertently signed the death warrant on a possible relationship, which admittedly was still in limbo.

"Well, let's just be happy that he was there for you, then." Sarah's eyes shot up and she looked into Chuck's eyes as he smiled at her. Her heart seemed to stop beating for an instant, only to beat twice as fast as usual, all at the same time. Her stomach fluttered and her eyes conveyed her question to him. He simply nodded and she jumped up and flung herself at him, holding on to him for dear life. She felt his arms encircle her waist and she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"You're not angry or upset at me?" she asked, painfully aware that her voice sounded like that of a broken girl, although she probably was.

"You came back for me, right?" he asked her, and she nodded in return. "Then why would I be angry or upset?"

Sarah felt her entire body deflate in relief. The tears fell but this time sadness wasn't a factor. She felt Chuck softly stroking her hair and she couldn't think of a moment where she had felt more at peace or better yet, more at home than at that moment in his arms. "I want to move to D.C… preferably move in with you. Would you be okay with that?" Sarah stiffened in his grasp. What the...? Moving in together? So soon? They were barely a couple. Granted, she had barely left his side during his stay in the hospital but that didn't mean that th... Chuck kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. We'll discuss it later," he whispered in her ear and the tension in her muscles dissipated. She fell slack into his arms.

The door opened and Ellie walked in, followed by Devon and Morgan. "So that's it?" she questioned when she came close. "She says she's sorry and you forgive her?"

Sarah's eyes shot up towards the older Bartowski sibling, but before she could say something, Chuck beat her to the punch. "Yep, that's how it works." Sarah felt her hand being searched out by Chuck's and she grasped it, feeling him squeeze in it for support.

"Weren't you not two hours ago, telling me what happened while you were damn near bawling your eyes out about the fact that she was leaving? I think that warrants an explanation."

"And she gave it, and I accepted it," Chuck said, his eyes blazing. "Is it so hard to be happy for me? To accept the fact that I can make choices in my own life without consulting you first?"

Ellie's stern mask fell. "No… but I… I just want what's best for you Chuck…"

"And Sarah is what is best for me."

"But she's a spy!" Ellie shouted, her voice breaking at the end and according to her facial expression, she had shouted a lot harder than she had intended to.

"Not anymore," Sarah whispered, sufficiently scared of Ellie and what she might do if Sarah would speak up.

"What was that?"

"Not anymore," Sarah said, this time louder. "I transferred from field ops to an analytical position so that I wouldn't have to endanger Chuck… or myself. And this way we could be together."

Ellie deflated. "But what about me?" she asked while her eyes started to become glassy.

"I don't know what you mean," Chuck responded, but the way his eyes darted away in guilt betrayed the fact that he was well aware of what she meant.

"Chuck you have a life in Los Angeles. And if she's in an analytical position that means she needs to be close to her headquarters… And long distance never works…"

Chuck knew where she was going. "That's all very true. Which is why I've decided to move to D.C."

Ellie cast her eyes down to the ground, much like Sarah had done not five minutes before. "I knew it," she whispered. Her shoulders started shaking and Sarah saw Chuck desperately wanting to reach out for her. "You're leaving me."

Chuck sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Look, contrary to what you believe, I didn't actually have a life in LA. What did I do? I moped and worked at a Buy More for twelve bucks an hour. I was living with my sister and her boyfriend. And that was great, but it's also pretty sad. Who lives with his sister when he's twenty-four years old? The only "normal" thing I've done since Stanford is hang out with Morgan. And even that usually led to us staying up 'till ridiculous hours and playing video games. Apart from Morgan and you, there is nothing keeping me in LA. I think it's time to grow up, sis. And I know that I can do that with Sarah."

Ellie was embraced by Devon, who mouthed, 'awesome' to Chuck before focusing his attention on his girlfriend. "He's right, Ellie. I know you love Chuck and I love him like a brother but I can see this working out just fine for him. It's time to let him go and spread his wings."

Ellie collapsed against Devon, silently sobbing and Sarah saw that Chuck felt like crap. She squeezed his hand to let him know that she was there for him. She was rewarded with him smiling in her direction and for a second she swore that the world around them brightened. His smiles still hadn't lost their potency.

Ellie slowly turned around, while still being embraced by Devon. "There is absolutely nothing I can do to get you to change your mind?"

"No," Chuck said, but Sarah felt the tenseness in his muscles. She couldn't believe what he was willing to give up, just to take a chance on her, in the same way that she was finally ready to take a chance on him.

"Then I guess that all there is left to say is… good luck, Chuck. And remember," a watery smile broke through, "you're aces."

"Thanks, Ellie. I love you and don't you forget it." The words acted like a needle that popped a balloon and she felt the tension leave his body at an astonishing rate.

She nodded and fell back in Devon's embrace.

"Morgan… you okay buddy?" Chuck asked. The bearded best friend had been uncharacteristically quiet and just stood in the room with a vacant stare in his eyes.

"Dude," he managed to say. "You're leaving?"

Chuck nodded. "Look man, I know we had some fantastic times in our lives and I'll never forget them. But it's time to move on. I found a woman that I love and we're going to be moving in together. And I'm sure that you'll find someone to fall in love with as well. And it's not like we won't game together anymore," Chuck promised him, his face sporting a cheeky smile.

"Hey, shouldn't I get some say in that? I do believe that it's my apartment that you're looking to move in to," Sarah huffed. She lifted her head but made the crucial mistake of looking into Chuck's puppy dog eyes. "Fine," she acquiesced before lowering her head back in the crook of his neck. Damn puppy dog eyes.

She heard Ellie chuckle and Morgan spoke up. "Dude, I get it. Look at her… she's awesome. I get it, it's just… tough. And it'll definitely be different. But I'm happy for you man, I really am. Because you know I'll back your play every time, right?"

"I know Morgan. And thanks, that's all I wanted to ask of you guys."

Sarah turned in his grasp and it seemed that everyone had calmed down and made peace with the inevitable. Sarah didn't feel any of the sorts. She just felt giddy and couldn't wait to take him home to her apartment. Her life had been in shambles from the moment her father drove her away from her grandmother's house. But finally her luck had changed. Everything was right again.

Recovery room, Washington Hospital Center
Friday, December 31st, 2004
23:59

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Recovery room, Washington Hospital Center
Saturday, January 1st, 2005
00:00

"Happy New Year!" the gathered shouted as everyone went in for hugs. Chuck had actually managed to stand up and while his first steps were a bit wobbly, he had regained his footing. Sarah had hugged and kissed her boyfriend's family, before coming face to face with Chuck.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," he admitted.

"Me too," she replied.

They moved in and their lips met in a foreign way that felt safe and natural at the same time. Tentatively, Sarah felt Chuck's tongue seeking entrance and she was happy to allow it. She softly moaned and returned the kiss with vigor, before slowly parting and gazing into his eyes. A genial grin, that Sarah was sure was on her face as well, overtook his face.

"Happy New Year, Sarah."

"Happy New Year, Chuck."

It had been a night of many new firsts for Sarah. It was the night of the New Year, the night of her first kiss with Chuck, hell it was even the night of her first kiss on New Year's Eve. It was the first time she dove into the deep end and put all her trust in another human being, being secure in the knowledge that he wouldn't take that responsibility lightly. It was the first time in a long while that she was open and vulnerable, having closed off the world for so long. She had opened up to this crazy, insane, lovable family. And for the first time, she was okay with it. For the first time, she felt like she truly belonged. For the first time, she felt like all her fears and insecurities were misplaced. And for the first time, in a very long time, Sarah Walker had a family again.

She snuggled into Chuck's embrace, relishing in the comfort and safe feeling his arms provided. She sighed contentedly and fell slack in his grip. She felt, rather than saw, the smile grow on Chuck's face, bubbling up from his toes all the way to his mouth at the way she wholly trusted him to take care of her.

"I love you," he murmured into her hair, before softly pressing his lips to it. Sarah's heart fluttered and despite the fact that she didn't yet return the gesture, she knew it only to be a matter of time before she would. Because for the first time since the day she had walked away from her own home, stripped of a name and identity, the world made sense again.

The End

A/N: This fic started out as an idea I got at 4 AM as I was nestling into my bed. I turned on the PC again, wrote out the idea and went back to bed. Little did I know that it would end up becoming my (as of yet) most popular fic. I want to thank every single reviewer for taking his or her time in letting me know what you thought. You all made this story so much more interesting for me to write, it's a seriously unbelievable experience.

A few special mentions I'd like to give. First off, ShinyJayne20, for listening to my insane prattle, for laughing with me, for simply making the stupidest stuff up and going with it. Natalie, you've been and still are amazing, and it's an honor to be able to talk to you each and every day. Another person I'd like to mention is chuckaddict or stefii1806 for joining our insane little group and pitching in with your own crazy ideas. It's been a blast. Furthermore, uplink2 for supporting me from the very beginning of my entering in this world, faithfully reviewing almost everything I ever wrote. Thank you so much dude. Also thanks to BigKev67 for being the coolest Australian I've met. And of course to the faithful reviewers, and everyone who just bothered to join me on this crazy journey of self exploration and... wait, hang on, wrong story. Whoops. Oh well, still a major thank you.

As for me, well, I still have a hell of a lot of Chuck fics up my sleeves that I'll be working on. I might eventually put up the epilogue but my main issue with that is that if I do it, it almost assuredly forces me into a sequel and I don't know whether I have the time to commit to one so for now, this is the end. However, the future is still uncertain.

My closing statement? Well, it's been an extremely fun experience and I'm stoked that I can finally say I've actually finished a multi chapter fic. I hope you all enjoyed it, I most certainly did. Thank you all very much for reading.