A/N: Thank you all for your patience. This story took a ridiculously long time to get finished, but here we are. I present, the conclusion of "The Christmas Wish".

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck

Chapter 12

"Mmmm. Ellie," Emma sighed, dropping her white napkin on her plate, as if in a show of surrender. "That meal was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for including me."

"Oh, it was nothing. Really." Ellie waved off the compliment, though her grin belied her appreciation at hearing it. "I can't tell you how happy we are that you're here. You know," Ellie paused, glancing across the table at her brother with a loving smile, "for the longest time, Chuck and I were the only family we had. As the years went by, our little family slowly grew to include … friends," she stated, gesturing to Morgan, "and loved ones," she added, opening her arms to include Devon, Sarah and now Emma. "For us, this is what family is really about. Surrounding yourself with those you truly care about. I think I can speak for Chuck when I say that it is so wonderful to be able to include Sarah, and now you, Emma, into our little family."

"Here, here!" Chuck exclaimed in reply. "To family," he said as he raised his glass in toast. The glassy-eyed guests, overcome with emotion at Ellie's impassioned speech, lifted their own glasses in kind.

"To family," they all parroted, clinking glasses with their neighbors. After taking a sip, Sarah leaned her head on Chuck's shoulder, humming in contentment. Emma watched on, her heart swelling at seeing her daughter so happy.

"You two make such a great couple, so happy," Emma confessed, causing all at the table to turn their attention toward her. "How long have you been together?"

Everyone at the table shared a glance, uncertain about how to answer that question. Sarah sat up in her chair a little straighter, turning slightly to face her mother. Clearing her throat, she gave her mother a tentative smile. "It's an ummm… interesting story. Hold on a second." Holding up a finger, she slipped out of her chair and hurried to the guest room. A moment later she returned, sliding back into her seat. Placing a handmade envelope on the table, Sarah placed her hand on top as she continued.

"When I was little, after … after we left," Sarah began, her voice tight with emotions, "I kept giving Da- err, Jack, letters to send to you, ones that I had written because I missed you and he never let me call you. I never heard back from you, and Jack always made excuses as to why. So, eventually… I wrote another letter, but this one I addressed to Santa Claus, hoping he could help me. I snuck away and went to a nearby toy store where they had this mailbox for letters to Santa. I mailed my letter and waited. Needless to say, nothing ever came of it.

"Now, fast forward twenty years. A friend of Chuck's purchased a storage unit and inside was an old mailbox. It was empty, except for this." Sarah slid the card across the table toward her mother. Emma's eyes grew wide, her mouth slightly agape as she clearly had an idea of what was to come.

Gingerly, Emma took out the handmade card and opened it, reading the message inside. Covering her mouth with her free hand, tears rolled down Emma's cheeks, her heart breaking for her little girl. Shaking her head, Emma turned her gaze to Sarah, her pain and sorrow etched across her features.

"Oh, baby. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't—"

"No," Sarah rushed out, taking her mother's hand. Fighting to hold back her tears, Sarah squeezed her mother's hand tightly. "No. It's not your fault, Mom. If anything, it's mine, and Jacks."

"You were just a little girl," Emma objected, shaking her head emphatically. "Jack manipulated you, and likely poisoned you against anyone or anything that would threaten to take you away from him. That's the type of man he is." Leaning in closer, Emma placed a hand on Sarah's cheek, wiping a tear away with her thumb. "It. Wasn't. Your. Fault. Do you hear me?"

Sarah closed her eyes tight, more tears spilling down her cheeks as she nodded her head, sucking in a ragged breath. Wrapping her arms around her daughter, Emma squeezed Sarah tight, trying to offer her —and the little girl that wrote that letter— some small measure of comfort.

Sniffles could be heard from around the table, causing mother and daughter to pull apart, looking rather embarrassed as they wiped at their cheeks. Chuck placed a comforting hand on Sarah's back leaning in and placing a kiss to her head.

Dabbing at their tears with their napkins, Sarah blew out a long breath, trying to get herself under control. "So, where was I? Oh, the letter. So, it … it seems that Chuck found the letter, and when he read it… he decided to make it his mission to find her… me."

"And I did," Chuck added dreamily from beside her.

Sarah smiled brightly, nodding her head. "He did. See, I had recently remembered that Christmas from so long ago and that letter I'd written. I was feeling … adrift, so I decided to do a little … soul searching, I guess. I went back to that same town —Monterey—, but when I got there, I found that the toy store was gone, and with it, Santa's mailbox. I wandered aimlessly around the town, visiting some of the places that I used to go. Eventually, I found myself sitting in this tiny chair in the children's section of the public library, reading one of the Christmas stories that I had when I was little. I felt… alone… lost. Then, low and behold, who should walk up to me?" Sarah shifted her gaze to look at Chuck, who raised his hand, brandishing a goofy smile.

"No?" Emma questioned incredulously. "You're kidding?" Both Chuck and Sarah shook their heads, clearly amused.

"Wait, wait, wait," Emma interjected, waving her hands in front of her. "This all happened THIS Christmas?!"

Sarah nodded, giving her mother a tight smile. "Yep. We met, what… about four days ago?" she asked, glancing at Chuck briefly for confirmation.

Emma's mouth fell open and her eyes became comically large. "Four da— Oh my God!"

"Look," Sarah interrupted, holding her hands up placating, "I know that this all happened really fast and that it looks like we're jumping into this without—"

Emma shook her head, waving off her daughter's comment. "I was just going to say that for you two to look so happy, so in love, I would have guessed you'd been together for much longer. If he makes you happy and treats you with the love and respect you deserve, then how can I find any fault in that?

"You do, right?" Emma questioned, leaning forward and looking pointedly past Sarah toward Chuck.

"He does," Sarah defended, placing a hand on her mother's arm, chuckling at her protective nature.

"I try," Chuck added, giving a sheepish shrug. "Emma, I… I love your daughter." Turning his focus to Sarah, his expression turned even more adoring. "I just… I love her."

"Aww," Sarah cooed, leaning into Chuck, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "I love you too," Sarah whispered, her eyes growing glassy.

"I can certainly see that," Emma mused, a broad smile on her face. Emma shook herself, blinking away some happy tears. "I interrupted you, Sweetie. Please, continue your story."

Sarah let out a soft chuckle. "Right. Well, when he told me the story, showed me the letter, I was floored. We spent the rest of the day just walking around the town and talking. Eventually, he confessed that his reason for trying to find me was that he wanted to make that little girl's Christmas wish— my wish— come true.

"It's kind of funny," Sarah chuckled, though there was a tightness in her voice. "Just before you got here, Chuck was so sure that he'd broken his promise to me, about making my Christmas wish come true. But," she continued, holding her arms out, gesturing around the table with a tight smile. "As you can see, he did it. He made it all happen. All I could have hoped for and so much more.

"There's a Christmas tree with beautiful decorations, a mountain of presents and…" pausing, she took hold of her mother's hand, smiling warmly, "and family. Lots of family," she added with tears in her eyes as she gestured around the room, finally taking Chuck's arm and pulling him close to her.

Barking out a mixture of a laugh and a sob, Sarah shook her head, overcome with emotions. "I can't begin to explain how all of these pieces fell into place, bringing Chuck into my life at just the right moment, but it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. You really did make my Christmas wish come true. Thank you," she choked out, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss.

Emma sniffled as she brushed her hand across Sarah's cheek, wiping away tears and smoothing her hair behind her ear. "That's the magic of Christmas, Sarah"

Sniffing as she wiped tears from her eyes, Ellie cleared her throat. "I propose a toast," she declared, her voice thick with emotion. Lifting her glass, everyone around the table followed suit, awaiting Ellie's words.

"I think it's safe to say that all our Christmas wishes have come true this year," she began, grinning at her brother. "Christmas always holds a special place in our hearts. We celebrate caring and compassion, family and friendship, hope and love. I believe that this is just the first of many more Christmases that we'll all share together. I love you all. Merry Christmas!"

With glasses raised, and spirits high, the words echoed among the gathered friends and family.

"Merry Christmas!"

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Looking at the makeshift card in her hands, the young girl closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. Blowing it out, she opened her eyes and set her sights on the mailbox in front of her. Hesitantly, she stepped forward, her fear and anticipation growing with each passing moment.

Reaching the mailbox, with the words "Letters to Santa" painted across the front, she took one last look at her letter. Tentatively she reached up to pull down the lid of the mailbox, the metal groaning and squeaking in response. Gently, she placed the letter inside but was reluctant to let go. Finally, with a sigh, she released the envelope, sending with it all her hopes and dreams.

Letting go of the lid, it slammed back into place with a loud clatter, startling the young girl, causing her to jump back. Catching her breath, she took a few more steps back, not taking her eyes off the mailbox. As she took one last step, she stumbled slightly as she bumped into someone, causing her to gasp in surprise.

Glancing up at the woman looming over her, the little girl relaxed slightly as the woman stooped down to her level. Pushing a few strands of hair behind the girl's ear, the woman smiled at her reassuringly.

"You did a good job. I'm proud of you." Placing a kiss on the little girl's forehead, the woman made an exaggerated smacking sound with her lips, causing the little girl to giggle. Pulling back, the woman gave the girl a broad smile. "Now, how about we go do some shopping?" The little girl perked up immediately, nodding her head emphatically.

"Alright," the woman chuckled, standing to her full height. She offered her hand to the young girl, who accepted it eagerly. "Wave goodbye to Auntie Lou," she said, gesturing toward the counter behind them. Rather than just waving, the young girl broke away, racing behind the counter to give Lou a hug around the waist.

"Aww. Thanks, Peanut," the short, older woman groaned as she squeezed the little girl in return. "Did you mail your letter to Santa?"

Looking up at Lou, the girl nodded her head once with finality. "Yep!"

Lou snickered in response, smoothing the girl's hair down as she walked her back around the counter. "Great work. You be good for your mom and dad, huh? And if I don't see you guys beforehand, have a Merry Christmas.

"You be good too, Sarah," Lou said to the girl's mother with a wry smile, stepping up and giving her a hug. "And give Chuck a hug for me, huh?"

Sarah chuckled as she returned the hug, bending over slightly to accommodate their height difference. "Will do. Thanks Lou, and Merry Christmas."

Taking Sarah's hand, the little girl practically pulled her out of the coffee shop. Waving their final goodbyes, they stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the cool December air. After a moment, Sarah began to swing their joined hands back and forth, causing the girl to giggle.

"So, Molly, you never said what was in your letter to Santa. What did you ask for this year?"

The little girl twisted her lips in contemplation. "I'm not sure if I should say. It's kind of a surprise since I asked for something for someone else."

Sarah let out a tsk, pulling her daughter closer to her. "Aww, Peanut. That's very sweet of you but you're supposed to ask Santa for what you want for Christmas."

"I did ask for stuff for me," the little girl answered, "but I asked for stuff for you too. Well, kinda for all of us, I guess. I don't know if I'll get it or not." Turning to look up at her mother, her expression became serious. "You said that was a magic mailbox, right? That Santa used it to help Daddy find you?"

Humming, Sarah let out a soft chuckle. "That's right, Sweetie," she said, squeezing her daughter's hand. "That was the same mailbox."

With that, the little girl's smile —dotted with missing teeth— grew wide and her eyes sparkled. "Then I'm sure he'll get it for me."

"There's a pretty good chance," her mother stated, shrugging and nodding her head. "Out of curiosity, what did you ask Santa for?"

"A little sister to play with," Molly replied, matter-of-factly.

Sarah's eyes shot wide open, halting in her tracks. Slowly, she turned to look down at her daughter and then behind her at the Mean Bean coffee shop, the mailbox still visible in the window. Turning back to face forward, Sarah stared off into the distance as the thought washed over her.

"What's wrong, Mommy?" the little girl asked sweetly, tugging on her mother's hand.

Looking down at her stomach, placing her left hand on it, Sarah's smile began to widen as she chuckled to herself. Turning to Molly, she gave her daughter's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Nothing's wrong, Sweetie. That's a really good wish. In fact, I have a feeling you might just get everything you wished for."

Tugging on Molly's hand, Sarah gestured with her head for them to continue walking. "Come on. I think we have more shopping to do than I anticipated."

…. The End…

A/N2: I opted to skip Christmas Day proper, feeling that all I wanted to say with this story was laid out on Christmas Eve. I also wanted to step away from the same formula I seem to fall into with my Christmas stories come Christmas morning. I'll, instead, leave it to your imagination.

I want to thank all of you that have made it this far, following along with this story and showing your support. I know it's well passed Christmas, but I hope that I was able to carry the spirit of the season forward with this story. My Christmas Wish to you all is that you find peace and hope throughout the year, surrounding yourselves with those you love.

While it is better to give than receive, I certainly gain a lot of joy from hearing from all of you. If you could give a moment to share your thoughts, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Be safe and stay well,

JW