Author's notes: Here is another chapter. I first want to thank everyone for their reviews. They are very helpful. I am hoping to get through the emotional stuff through the next couple chapters and move on to our favorite couples next adventure. Thank you again and any advice going forward would be greatly appreciated. Disclaimer: I do not own Chuck.
Sarah lay in bed staring at the ceiling. No matter how she situated herself she could not get comfortable. It really wasn't a matter of comfort as much of a matter of getting her brain to shut down. She had all these thoughts running through her head, and all these emotions. It was almost like the feelings over the last five years were right there, but the memories that should be attached to them were missing. She had feelings for Chuck, his family, this place, and so many other things but couldn't justify them in her mind. How can the feelings from the past five years be so strong and present but the memories that formed them be missing. As time passed she decided to investigate the room further. If I can't sleep I might as well gather some Intel she thought to herself. She spent the next hour or so going through drawers, looking at pictures, and anything else she could get her hands on. She was about to give up when she saw her old suitcase sitting in the corner. She thought maybe she kept mission stuff in there since spies have to always be on alert. She pulled the suitcase out and wheeled it over to the bed. She opened it to find it empty. She was a little disappointed she had hoped maybe something would be in there and remind her of a mission her and Chuck had gone on. She was about to close it up when she noticed something sticking out of the inside zipper. She slowly reached in and pulled the item in question out for a closer look. It was a picture of her and Chuck. They looked so happy. He was embracing her and they both were smiling for the camera. She looked at the picture and couldn't help but feel a since of importance run over her. This picture was important it represented something more than just a simple picture. As she looked at it all these feelings started to race through her mind. Then just like at the beach a memory crashed into her. She could see herself unpacking and having a conversation with Chuck. Then she heard herself say "You are my home Chuck. You always have been." Sarah's eyes snapped open as the moment began to calm. She remembered the mission to Mulan, and the argument about unpacking. It had just come flooding back to her. She wanted to run to Chuck and tell him, but she also didn't want to get his hopes up. Yes she remembered this important moment, but was she really ready to start acting on these memories.
Chuck had not slept well since all of this began. Without his wife by his side he just couldn't find the ability to rest. He slowly got out of bed and walked over to grab his wallet. Inside was a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it slowly revealing its contents. Inside was the drawing from the bullet train. The perfect family in front of the perfect house. He just sighed as he looked at the image. In his hand was the last thing that he and Sarah had done before everything got turned upside down. It represented everything over the past five years that they had fought for. At the beginning sure it was just fighting to be together, but as they grew together it became so much more. In that moment on the bullet train everything was finally coming to fruition. Everything they had fought for, everything they had scraped and clawed to have was right there in front of them. Then in a flash it was all taken. He could feel the tears starting to well up, but he had decided that he had to be strong. Sarah needed him to be the strong one now, and he didn't have the luxury of breaking down now. He folded the picture up slowly. He knew that he would keep it with him always. It was a reminder of just what he was fighting for. He was fighting for his family. The family he had now and the family he hoped to have someday. As Chuck placed the drawing back in his wallet he heard a slight knock on the door. He turned and saw Sarah.
"Chuck. I remember our mission to Mulan." She blurted out. She knew she had to say it fast before the logical side of her brain won out and stopped her from saying it at all. The look on Chuck's melted Sarah's heart. It was the look of a little kid getting exactly what he wanted for Christmas. She walked over to him and took his hands in hers. "What all do you remember?" He asked. Sarah retold the story of their Mulan mission with surprising accuracy. Chuck just listened and took it all in. He was so happy in this moment, and to think just a few minutes ago he was ready to break down. Sarah got to the end of her memory and she paused for a moment. "You are my home Chuck. You always have been." She stated. Chuck heard this and smiled. He could remember how big at the time this moment was for them. It was when she started to truly open up to him. He looked at Sarah and just smiled. "Chuck right before I remembered the mission I was looking at this picture from my suit case. I felt all these emotions and then like a tidal wave it hit me. It all came flooding back the mission, the unpacking, all of it. It was right there. "She said. Chuck processed this information slowly. He recalled what Ellie had told him when convincing him to go after Sarah, and win her back. She just kept saying feeling and emotions were powerful things. Maybe she was on to something. Maybe the combination of the feeling and the picture were able to bring forward the memory. This was the third time it had happened since all this began. In their dream house, on the beach, and now in their apartment. There had to be something to this, and he knew the next step. He had to call Ellie to figure out what to do. "Sarah this is amazing. I really think we need to call Ellie and see what she thinks about all of this." Sarah just stared at Chuck not sure what to say. She was freighted of what wounds that would bring up. After everything she had put Chuck and Ellie through in the last few weeks. Yes Chuck forgave her almost instantly, but she was his wife. Ellie was family, but would she be able to forgive as easy as Chuck did. "You are probably right. I am just worried how she will react towards me. I did threaten to kill here just a few weeks ago." Sarah said. Chuck placed both his hands on Sarah's face and gave her a gentle kiss. He looked her in the eyes. "See us Bartowski's we do anything for family. Even forgive almost instantly" he said. Sarah allowed a little smile to creep onto her face. She knew in that moment that no matter what that Chuck would not let anything happen to her. That because of that no one in his family would either. That this family had been through so much and was willing to go through so much more for the people they love. "Why don't we get some sleep and we will call Ellie in the morning." Sarah said. Chuck just nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead. As Sarah walked back to her room she wanted a since of calm washed over her again. She knew that they would make it through this, and that together there wasn't anything they couldn't do.
Sarah awoke to the distant sound of talking. She could hear Chuck's voice, but that was the only part of the conversation that she could hear. He must be on the phone with Ellie she thought. She got up and began to clean up a little from her Intel gathering mission. As she was putting things back a knock came from the door. She saw Chuck slowly pushing the door open. She thought it was cute how timid he looked in that moment. Like he didn't want to disturb her. "Good morning Chuck." "Good morning Sarah." They just both stared into each other's eyes. "I just got off the phone with Ellie. She got some time off work for a family emergency, and is going to fly back to run a couple of tests if you are ok with it?" Sarah thought about it and as much as it scared her she knew Ellie was the best equipped for the job. "Ya I think that is a good idea." Chuck closed the gap between them and took Sarah's hands in his. "Don't worry it will be ok, and I will be here for all of it." Sarah just smiled. "Chuck I am worried. This is all new to me. Put me in a gun fight or in the middle of any type of mission and I know what to do. Having so many people that just care for me and want me to be ok that is something new. I know that I was probably used to it before, but now I just am scared. What if I am never the same again or never regain all my memories. Will all of you look at me like I am a different person?" Chuck just looked on in terror. "Sarah no matter what happens I will always love you. Yes that love might change because you change, but I have and will change also. Change is inevitable. If we stick together then we can get through this and be stronger for it. My family…No our family will always be there not matter what. They will love you for you not who you use to be, but for who you are right now." As Chuck was talking Sarah just smiled. He knew exactly what to say and exactly when to say it. He always seemed to have this calming effect on her, and it was great. Having someone in her life that knew her so well and that was willing to change with her was an amazing feeling. Sarah started to talk but she was interrupted by the sound of a pounding from the front door. "Hey guys I know you are in there. Come on let me in. I gave you last night. Now I want to know what is going on." Morgan shouted. Chuck just looked at Sarah and smiled. "Guess now is as good of time as any to give him the update." Sarah nodded in agreement as Chuck left the bedroom heading towards the front door. Sarah looked around at her surrounding and new she was home and no matter how much the family stuff scared her it also gave her hope for a future that she never knew to be possible.