A/N: So this is NOT part 3/3, that's entitled Chuck vs the Return and it's coming along. I think i've confused some of you by calling the chapters part 1, 2 and 3. Essentially all the chapters here are one-shots that relate to each other in some way or another but the reason i consider chapters 4, 5 and 7 a trilogy was because i began writing it as just one big scene. i couldn't finish it before my vacation, then i got back and forgot what i was doing...and now they're three one-shots just like any other chapters. blah. so if i've confused you, just ignore the blip about part 1 or 2 or 3, okay?
as always, to lessen the confusion, i've put up a timeline on my profile. Please check it out--preferably after you've read the chapter. I think it would be more fun if you discovered for yourself where this might fit in the grand scheme of things.
And like before...it might help if you've read Chuck vs the missing years and long days and night (in that order).
Chapter 6: Sarah vs Chuck
It's a rare August day in L.A.. The sky is actually blue and the sun, while present, is surprisingly subdued. It's her kind of day. Her favourite; and the fact it doesn't come around that often makes it all the harder to ignore the temptation to just drop everything and run outside.
She toughs it out though; slips on the dinky Orange Orange uniform and plays out her cover life. But all the while she's staring out the window, wishing she could be anywhere but here behind the counter.
It's been a slow week and it passes by even more slowly without Chuck to keep her company. Her cover life is kept busy though; business is booming in the yogurt industry.
As she steals a glance at the clock mounted against the pillar, she gives a sigh of relief. It's five to twelve which means Chuck will be on his break soon. It's the silver lining to the dread of customers who will flood in during the lunch-time rush.
She wonders if he will visit today.
Don't count on it. Her conscience has always been honest to a fault. Despite how dense Chuck can be sometimes, he knows not to cross the line.
Sarah hears the bell above the door ring and she suddenly finds it hard to breathe. It's stupid though, because she knows better, knows he's not that hopeless.
"Hello, welcome to Orange Orange," she chimes, trying to hide her own disappointment as she smiled for the patron. The woman who waddles in looks as if she's swallowed a basketball, or maybe in this case a beach ball. For a frame as thin as hers, the swollen belly is on the verge of being unnatural and yet she couldn't have looked happier.
"Hi, can I get a regular vanilla? Extra strawberries." The woman smiles at her, and for a second, Sarah thinks she's heard that voice before. But then she looks up at the curly haired woman and it doesn't trigger anything in her memory.
She shakes the thought and nods. "Of course. Coming right up."
Sarah completes the order and rings up the till. Just as the woman is about to hand her the cash, she stops and grabs Sarah's hand.
"Oh my God!" she gasps.
Sarah feels her heart rate go from sixty to a hundred; her senses kick into high gear and she fears for the worst.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" Please don't go into labour in the store. The last thing she needs is a scene.
The woman is speechless but there's a smile on her face. Sarah feels encouraged. How many women smiled when they went into labour?
"Jenny!" There's a delay where Sarah just stares at the woman. "Jenny Burton!"
"Oh my God," Sarah utters. She realizes she's misplaced her fears and that there are far worse things to deal with than a puddle on the ground.
"I think you must be mistaken—"
"It's me! Veronica!"
Sarah can't help herself. "Oh my God," she utters, unwittingly acknowledging the association. "Veronica Slater."
The woman smiles. "Lalonde now," she chimes, displaying the solitaire on her ring finger.
Sarah can't keep from repeating herself. "Oh my God."
The woman laughs good-naturedly. "I know, right?"
It seems to go against nature to see Veronica Slater standing across the counter, married and very, very pregnant.
"What a surprise!" Sarah exclaims.
"I know! I haven't seen you in what? Ten—twelve years?"
Sarah nods in agreement. "Yeah, you've really changed." She doesn't even know where to start. The Veronica she used to know had always insisted on straightening her hair until each strand was fit to pass as a ruler. She was the most no-nonsense person Sarah had ever known, infamous for turning down one of the most popular boys of their grade and instead opting to stay at home to study.
"Yeah, you too!" Veronica gives her a look over, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "You work here now?"
Sarah's been asked enough to know how to respond, but it still bothers her every time. She braves a smile and nods. "Uh huh. Yup. Yogurt."
Veronica smiles politely. "I'm sorry we lost touch, Jenny."
"Yeah, me too." Sarah didn't have any friends the way Chuck had Morgan, but Veronica had gotten close enough. She still remembers the woman vowing to make the front cover of Fortune magazine before she was twenty-five. The way she'd denounced marriage and children as an archaic institution meant to keep women from rising above their male counterparts.
And yet here she was, as big a hypocrite as any. Sarah wonders if Veronica still remembers that conversation.
"So, how are things for you? Anything exciting?"
Sarah's smile falls. She stares down at her bare hands and wonders what she really has to show for all her efforts. A few dresses, and a really nice car?
"Uh, no, not really." Sarah glances at the clock and wonders where all the customers are. She'll take any excuse now.
Veronica raises her brows. "No one important in your life?"
At the hint, Sarah's heart jumps. "No." She shoots the question down immediately, without even realizing what she's saying. The agent side of her lives for self preservation."Sorry, I meant yes." She takes a deep breath and shakes her head.
Veronica looks at her curiously. "I have a boyfriend..." Sarah explains. "I just..." The weight on her chest doesn't budge and with each passing second she feels it more and more. "It's complicated."
Veronica gives her a sympathetic look. "That's too bad."
"Yeah..." Sarah doesn't want to dwell on the thought. The whole point of this break was so she could focus on something else.
"Listen, it was really great to see you again." Veronica grabs her hand and squeezes it. She's so sweet to remember even after all these years. Sarah's touched, really. "I just hope it's not another ten years before we see each other again."
Sarah's not sure what comes over her. It could be a combination of things, but she should know better, should know that she doesn't get to have friends in her line of work.
"Veronica!" she cries as the woman prepares to leave. When she turns around, Sarah doesn't wait for her conscience to stop her. "Do...do you want to have dinner some time? We could catch up..."
It's a rare August day in L.A.. The sky is actually blue and the sun, while present, is surprisingly subdued. The weatherman on the morning news declares it a shame, but Sarah thinks it's perfect. She loves days like these. It's the kind of weather that makes her want to drop everything and go for a run in the park.
And yet here she was, not in a park but in someone's opulent backyard. It's not quite the same; the landscaping is fine and all but she would never think of stepping off the stone path and sitting on the genetically engineered lawn.
She hates that she has to be here. Her work has taken her to too many of these places before and she has no fond memories.
Thank goodness she has Ellie for company.
"Hard to imagine, huh?" the brunette asks, gently rocking the bundle nestled in her arms.
Sarah smirks. "I never knew you had..." She stops herself and wonders if it's rude to call it what it is.
Ellie couldn't care less though. "Relatives rolling in dough?" She makes a face. "Neither did I. But then Chuck makes the front-page of the paper and suddenly they're popping out of thin air."
She shoots an apologetic look at her brother. It's a Sunday afternoon and Chuck is surrounded by a swarm of men in suits. Even on what was supposed to be a relaxing weekend from work, he can't seem to catch a break.
"At least it's not the other way around," Ellie remarks. "At least they already have money."
Sarah couldn't agree more. Knowing her husband, he would probably give the shirt off his back if they asked for it.
Ellie adjusts the blanket draped over her shoulder, revealing a glimpse of the sleeping infant snuggled up against her.
"How is she?" Sarah asks, helping her sister-in-law with the fabric.
"Sleeping soundly," Ellie replies with a relieved sigh. "It's a nice change."
Sarah laughs. She still remembers how difficult Ellie's firstborn had been.
"You have the patience of a saint, Ellie," she says. "I don't know how you do it."
As if to remind them of his presence, the women both hear an unmistakable shriek in the background.
"Thank God," Ellie chuckles. "He'll sleep soundly tonight."
Sarah smiles. She thinks she catches a white blur pass under the hedges and the sound of Devon's baritone voice calling out a warning.
"Have you ever thought of more?"
Ellie balks. "I don't know. Life is hectic as it is, and I can't imagine having another." Then she gazes down at the baby tucked in her arms. Suckling on her tiny thumb, she's the picture of contentment, "But then sometimes I am so tempted."
Sarah smiles back. "I know what you mean."
Ellie nuzzles the top of the infant's head. "She's definitely got the infamous Bartowski curls." Sarah laughs. Even the doctor declared he'd never seen an infant with so much hair.
The blond reaches out and wraps her finger around one of the unmistakable ringlets.
"Don't worry, sweetie, I'll teach you how to tame them," Ellie assures, kissing her on her chubby cheeks. The baby stirs but not enough to fully awaken.
"She's perfect, isn't she?" Ellie asks, full of pride when she looks to the other woman.
Sarah gazes down at the infant, her fingers still slowly brushing through the mess of downy-soft hair. It's become a habit with her husband, but the feeling doesn't lose any of its significance in the transfer.
"Perfect," she agrees.
Sarah walks through the sliding doors of the Buy-More and heads for the help desk. She's already got her eyes locked on the target, but he's completely unaware of her presence—for now. For now his expression is completely unguarded, and when he smiles, there are no strings attached. He's Chuck Bartowski, nerd extraordinaire.
Morgan notices her first. He slaps his friend on the back and points. Chuck turns his head, and his smile falls. The light in his eyes fade and he stands up straighter than before.
Sarah stands still and it takes every fibre of her being to keep the disappointment from reaching her face. There used to be a time when she had an entirely opposite effect on him.
He acknowledges her with a nod; a warning to walk no further.
Chuck gives Morgan a reluctant high-five as he steps out of the circular desk and walks towards her. His feet drag a little with each step and the smile he greets her with is nothing like what she's used to.
"Is something wrong?" he asks, his hands tugging nervously at his tie.
She's overcome with a compulsion to straighten it for him but she hides it by hugging her arms. She knows she crosses the line sometimes, no wonder he gets confused.
"Uh...no, why would you think that?"
He shrugs. "Well, usually when you visit it's a matter of national security." He winces a little when he says it. "So...who are we going to save the world from today?"
Sarah's left speechless for a moment but then her training kicks in and she smiles up at him. "Uh, no one. I just thought this would be good for our cover."
Chuck's eyes darken to a shade she wished she never had to see. "Sarah," he warns. "Don't."
She tilts her head to the side. "Don't do what?" she asks innocently. "It's just a cover, Chuck." She thinks she goes too far when she tries to close the distance between them. Already naturally resistant to displays of affection, he's especially deterred after what she's just said.
"I know. I know it's just a cover," he said with a tired sigh. "But I thought we agreed we'd take a break. So I could separate my life from work for once, you know?"
No. Sarah doesn't know. Her life was her work.
She bites her lips. She can feel all eyes at the desk on them. On the other side of the room John Casey is keeping tabs on them too. It feels like the whole world is watching.
"Okay," she says in defeat. "I'm sorry, Chuck."
She's tempted to ask after him. To find out just where he spends his lunch breaks now. But then she would have to admit to more than she's willing to and that's too much.
Chuck sticks his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, okay." He turns without so much as a goodbye, and Sarah wonders if he'll really walk away like this with everyone watching.
She doesn't wait to find out. "Chuck!"
She stops him and pulls him back. For a second their eyes meet and she sees a glimmer of the man she adores, hidden behind the wall he's built for himself. The one he's built to keep her out.
"I need a favour."
He sighs. "Okay. Computer troubles in Castle again?" Even though he's not happy with the way things are, Chuck is still willing to help. And her heart swells with love for him when he looks prepared to walk out the store with her when ten seconds ago he was doing the exact opposite.
"No, not that kind of favour." She knows she doesn't need him for this, that she can make up any number of excuses, but the truth is she wants him there. "An old friend of mine from high school is in town and we're meeting for dinner."
Even though Chuck's gotten good at hiding his emotions, he can't hide the look of hope that bubbles to the surface.
"I need you to help me maintain my cover."
Chuck's shoulders slump. "Oh." The brown of his eyes is lukewarm at most, but he accepts the request. "Sure."
"It's not anything fancy. You won't have to dress up," she rushes to assure. She knows Chuck's more comfortable out of a suit than in.
"Okay." He shrugs again, not any more excited than before.
"It'll be on me," she adds. "I feel bad making you pay every time."
Chuck nods with indifference. "Sure," he says again. "Give me a call."
Sarah can't help the disappointment that washes over her. Perhaps she's making a huge mistake.
"Are we done here?"
For a second she considers breaking a computer in Castle just so he'll have to leave with her. She wishes she had more willpower. The whole point of this break was to show that she was not compromised.
"Yeah." Sarah doesn't know why, but she feels like she's ending more than just a conversation when she says it.
Chuck nods. He prepares to walk back to the desk, but seeing that they have an audience, plants a quick kiss on her forehead. It's a far cry from what she wants, but she realizes at this point, it just might be the most she'll ever get.
Ellie is just explaining to Sarah how she thinks Chuck and her are related to the owners of this mansion when they are interrupted by a stately looking old woman. It's only two in the afternoon but she's already dressed in an evening gown, wine glass in hand.
"Hello, Eleanor, are you enjoying the party?" she asks.
Ellie takes half a step back and clutches the blanket and its precious content tighter to her chest.
"Yes...Mrs.—" She pauses, then remembers. "Maitland. Mrs. Maitland." She shifts the weight in her arms to extend a hand. "Thank you so much for inviting us. This is quite the party."
The woman smiles congenially. "Oh, this is nothing really. We do this every year with the family."
Sarah and Ellie share a subtle look but manage a smile and nod politely. They were only family now because of Chuck.
"Your son—" She points to the far end of the garden where Devon is trying to wrangle the toddler into his arms. William has a gap-toothed smile on his face and when he shrieks, it's like hearing a pig headed for the slaughterhouse.
"He's delightful."
Sarah catches the way Ellie frowns and it makes her bristle to think anyone would speak ill of her charming nephew.
"He is," she pipes up. She smiles at Ellie and squeezes her hand. "Wait until you see him with animals. I hear you've got a few. He just loves little dogs." Sarah thinks she can almost see the flash of fear pass over the woman's face.
"Really?" the matronly woman asks. "Well...how nice." She takes a long dreg of her wine and grimaces. "And you are—"
"Sarah Bartowski." Sarah shakes the woman's hand, squeezing it hard enough to warn that she didn't play as nice as her sister-in-law.
The old woman's eyes light up in recognition. "Delighted. Your husband's a very brilliant man."
Sarah couldn't help but smile with pride. "I couldn't agree more."
"My husband has done well for himself too. I guess it must be in the genes."
The declaration is rife with irony. It's an opportune moment for Sarah to remind the woman that her husband had a large trust fund to pave the way while Chuck had to overcome impossible odds to achieve what he has. Hardly the same thing.
Before she can though, she hears a noise that sounds almost like a mew, certainly nothing to the calibre of William Woodcomb's lungs, and it soon becomes apparent that the infant in Ellie's arms is starting to stir.
"Oh, how precious," the old woman coos, shifting her attention to the baby. "Does it have a name?"
Sarah blinks. Years of cover-work in the service industry has taught her to bear stupid questions with a smile but she can't believe what the woman's just asked.
"Of course," Ellie says, hugging the infant tighter to her chest. Despite being no more than a few weeks old, the baby senses that something is wrong. She looks to Sarah with her wide blue eyes, the corner of her lips pulling into a frown.
"Shh..." Sarah strokes the baby's hair tenderly. "It's okay."
"It's Chuck," Ellie informs, doing her share to keep the infant from crying.
The old woman makes no secret of her disapproval. "You named your baby after your brother?" She steals a glance at the named relation, who was still immersed in conversation with the others. "That's a little strange, isn't it?"
Ellie frowns. "I beg your pardon?"
The old woman plasters on a smile. "I mean...why name your baby after your brother? It's bad form. What about your father, or grandfather?"
Sarah bites down on her tongue. She takes a deep breath, having promised to behave herself in front of her husband's distant relations.
"Chuck is named after her father actually," Ellie clarifies.
Sarah nearly bursts out in laughter when she sees the look of horror on the old woman's face. She's tempted to point out Ellie's mistake but the moment is too golden.
"You had a child with your brother?" Mrs. Maitland's hands tremble so badly the wine threatens to slosh over the side of the glass.
Ellie's face blanches. "What?" She looks at Sarah with bewilderment. "Oh my God! No!" She shakes her head with fervour. "How could you think that?" She covers the baby's ears, too appalled to even allow the infant to hear the accusation.
"Well what do you expect me to think with a remark like that?" the old woman demands. Color rises to her otherwise bleach white skin. "Your husband's name isn't Chuck, now is it?"
Sarah would have allowed the ruse to continue but she can't stand the accusations that are being thrown at poor Ellie.
"No, but my husband's is." She takes the infant from the woman's arms, holding her daughter securely against her chest. Sarah's arms instinctively adjust to the weight of the precious bundle and when the baby rests against her collarbone, it's as if the groove was shaped for her little chin.
"Oh!" The old woman nearly collapses with relief. "Thank God!"
Sarah checks her cell for what feels like the fifth time in five minutes. When the display remains blank, she shoots an apologetic smile at the people seated across from her.
"I'm so sorry," she says. "He must be running late."
Or maybe he's ignoring your calls.
Veronica shakes her head. "Oh no, it's not a problem," she smiles but it only makes Sarah feel worse. Now she's getting the pity vote.
"Yeah, traffic in L.A. is terrible. That's why we had to leave." Cal Lalonde, Veronica's husband, offers up. He's a lawyer just like her; five years ago they met in the waiting room of one of L.A.'s top law firms while vying for the same position.
Some things in life just aren't fair. Veronica got the job, and the man.
"But we miss it," Veronica quickly adds, smiling at her friend. "It's fun to come down once in awhile for a visit."
Sarah hides behind a smile of her own. She feels like a terrible person but it's hard to watch them when they are so head over heels in love. He's got the expression of a lovesick puppy and when both of them join hands over her swollen belly, it's nearly too much for her to take.
Maybe that's why she doesn't have friends.
Sensing Sarah's silence as a sign, Cal slides out of the booth. "Let me go check on our food," he says and leaves the two of them alone.
"I'm so sorry, Veronica," Sarah confesses. "I'm such a third wheel."
The woman laughs. "Don't worry, he doesn't mind."
Sarah checks her phone again but there are no new messages.
"He's real, I swear." She already knows how pathetic she is. She's nearly thirty and working at a place for people half her age. She lives out of a hotel room, doesn't own anything that wouldn't fit into a single suitcase, and her pseudo-boyfriend is nearly an hour late for their date.
Veronica nods her head. "Of course he is," she says, and there is no doubt at all in her voice. "I know what it's like for people to judge."
Sarah tilts her head. She wonders if they are wandering into dangerous waters.
"I'll admit I was surprised to see you working at the yogurt store, but I'd be a huge hypocrite if I told you what you should and shouldn't have done."
Veronica shakes her head slowly, reminiscing on things long past. "I never told you did I...but I quit my job about five years ago. You know, that job."
"Oh my God." Sarah doesn't know if she should congratulate or console her. Everything Veronica ever did had been to reach that goal.
She shrugs. "I know. I've dreamed about it since I was a little girl, but when I finally had it, I don't know...it wasn't what I thought it would be." She makes a face. "I sound like a brat, don't I?"
Sarah's silent. She doesn't want to draw any conclusions too quickly or her conscience will jump at the chance to remind her how it's just not the same.
"The truth is, life was lonely at the top. When you're up there, the only place to go is down." There is no regret in her voice when she tells Sarah how she ended what had been her dream career.
"Was it hard?"
Veronica stares off deep in thought. "The moments leading up to it, yes. I really didn't know anything else. I had Cal though." Her eyes suddenly sparkle with mischief. "Would it be terrible of me to say that I considered becoming a housewife?"
Sarah nods. "Yes, terrible," she teases.
Veronica laughs. "Life is so much simpler when money isn't a concern."
Sarah tilts her head in query. "Is it?"
"Isn't it?" Veronica stares at her, daring her to contradict her. "If you're not working to make money, then you'd better like what you're doing." She smiles. "I was working eighty hour weeks, I had three Blackberries and two assistants. I saw Cal maybe once a week if I was lucky." Veronica's hand runs over her prominent belly and her face visibly glows with happiness.
"You only live once and that's no way to live."
Mrs. Maitland is not completely satisfied with Sarah's answer.
"But Chuck's not a very appropriate name for a little girl."
Sarah wrinkles her brows. Like Ellie she feels the need to shield her daughter's ears from this kind of slander.
It hurts Sarah's cheeks to smile but she does so anyway. "What would you suggest then?" she asks through gritted teeth.
"Well, a real girl's name. Something proper. Like Eleanor, for example."
Sarah shares a look with her sister-in-law. The thought had crossed her mind more than once but the bearer of the namesake had refused the honor.
"I think Chuck is a wonderful name," Sarah said, staring down at her daughter. She's too young to have her own personality, or so the doctor says, but Sarah can already see the parallels; the sweetness in her disposition, the way her brows furrow just so when she's concentrating on something, and that smile—it's calibre is every bit on par with her father's in terms of charm.
Sarah doesn't think she could have picked a more suitable name.
"It's actually Charlotte," Ellie said, eager to mediate. "We just call her Chuck as a nickname. Like Charlie or Chicklet or Chickie..." She smiled proudly at her niece. "She's only a few months old but she's already amassed quite the collection of nicknames."
The old woman narrowed her eyes. "Well..." she said with a stiff look of censure. "You should just call her Charlotte then. You're just going to confuse her."
Sarah laughed. She stares into her daughter's eyes, pale blue orbs as pure as an unpolluted sky.
"Somehow I doubt that," she said.
The old woman's nostrils flare at the blatant disregard. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
Sarah smiles and this time she's genuinely amused. If her daughter's inherited even a fraction of her genes, it'll be the least of her worries.
Sarah's given up checking her cell. It's an hour into dinner, the food's just arrived and she's convinced Chuck isn't going to show.
She wonders if she's becoming jaded when she hears Casey's voice ring in her ear.
In the end, people will just let you down. She's not used to disappointment though, especially not from Chuck.
Across the table Cal murmurs something in Veronica's ear. She smiles and kisses him sweetly. Sarah has to avert her eyes, even though they've been nothing but respectful this entire time she still can't bear to watch.
She's just about to dig into her pasta when she hears something rustle beside her.
"Hi..." she hears, the sound akin to a breathless sigh. "I'm sorry I'm late."
She looks up to see Chuck, leaning against the table for support, a clear layer of sweat dripping from his forehead.
Sarah jumps from her seat and rushes to his side. She instantly assumes the worst, and checks his forehead for any telltale bruises or bloodstains.
"Chuck, are you okay?"
"I'm sorry..." he pants. "I'm sorry I'm late." He holds up the gift bag in his hand and delivers it to Veronica. "Honey, you forgot the gift at home."
He gives her the subtlest of winks and kisses her on the cheek.
Sarah's speechless, and so is everyone else. Veronica peers into the gift bag and pulls out three receiving blankets, wrapped in tissue paper and silk ribbon.
"Oh, Jenny," she gasps, stroking the soft material. "It's beautiful. You shouldn't have." She looks over at Chuck who's slowly recovering from his run. "And to you too, Chuck. It's Chuck, right?"
Chuck nods and urges Sarah to take a seat. "Yeah. And it's nothing really. Jenny picked them out. I'm just the delivery boy."
Sarah steals a glance at him, hoping to catch his eye but Chuck doesn't turn to meet her gaze.
The sounds of the restaurant fade; Sarah vaguely hears him introduce himself as her boyfriend. She thinks he's got Cal engaged in a conversation about the latest software, but her thoughts are elsewhere.
She never told Chuck anything about a baby, which could only mean that he discovered the fact for himself...when? She'd only asked him for the favour yesterday.
Sarah leans closer to him. His acting is so spot on that no one even suspects.
"Thank you," she whispers, taking his hand under the table. She knows he would have been on time had he not run out of his way to find a gift.
Chuck smiles down at her. "You're welcome," he mouths silently. His eyes are like a fountain of molten chocolate; he's the sweetest thing she's ever known.
"You didn't have to," she whispers. She doesn't know why he keeps doing these things for her.
Chuck just stares, as if it was never a matter of choice. "But I wanted to."
It's hard for Sarah to tell if he's just pretending for their cover or if he genuinely means it but she wants to believe. Wants to believe her friend's life could be her own.
And for once, her conscience has nothing to say.
It seems to go against nature that when William Woodcomb is returned to his mother's arms, he's still wild with energy. Sarah shares a look with Ellie, and while she loves her nephew to pieces, she's somewhat relieved her own child does little more than eat and sleep.
"Babe, you were supposed to tire him out," Ellie complained. By the looks of things, it seemed that her husband had misunderstood those orders and done the complete opposite.
"It's harder than it looks," he said, gasping for breath.
"Devon, he's two," she reminded, trying to keep the squirming toddler from falling out of her arms. "How hard can it be?"
Behind them, Chuck laughs. The dynamics are off without him and when he steps beside Sarah, they are finally one complete family unit.
"I think we've got the makings of a marathon man, yah?" Chuck asks as he holds his hands out for a high-five.
"Yah!" William roars, swatting his grimy paws against his uncle's.
"Chuck, don't overexcite him!" Ellie warns as she finally relinquishes her hold and drops the toddler to the ground. He falls and bounces back to his feet like a rubber ball. "I swear, Devon, teaching him to walk was a huge mistake. We should have just kept him in the playpen."
Devon smiles down at his son with pride. "If we kept him in there any longer, he would have learned how to climb out. Look at him, he's a natural athlete."
William beamed back proudly. "Yah!" he hollered at the top of his lungs.
Sarah and Chuck laughed, much to Ellie's chagrin. "Don't encourage him!" she chastised.
"Momma!" William tugged on his mother's leg, and then pointed at his aunt and the bundle in her arms. "Mine!"
Ellie pales. "No! Not yours," she corrects. "That's Aunt Sarah's."
William shakes his head furiously. "You said play!" he accuses. Despite having a limited vocabulary, his accusation is spot on.
Chuck laughed. "He's right, Sis. You're the one who's got him all excited about the baby."
Ellie narrows her eyes at him. "No, William, she's still too small. You're going to have to wait."
William shakes his head. Waiting is not something he knows how to do. "Mine! I wanna!" He holds out his hands and looks pleadingly at his aunt.
Sarah smiles and bends down to his level. "Okay, Will."
"No!" Ellie immediately stoops down and tries to intervene. "Don't you remember what he did to those ducks at the park? He's not ready."
Sarah's surprised she's not more concerned. Her training has taught her to consider all the possibilities, to analyze every feasible outcome from a situation. And yet somehow she still doesn't see the harm of allowing her nephew to hold the baby.
"Will, can you promise to be careful?" she asks, staring the young boy straight in the eye.
He nods eagerly, his entire body shaking with excitement.
Ellie tries one last time. "Sarah—"
"It's okay," Chuck says, giving his sister's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be fine."
Sarah holds her breath and she feels the slightest twinge of apprehension as she passes her most precious treasure into the hands of a two year old. Most of the blankets fall to the ground but William manages to wrap his arms around the baby's midsection. He grunts at the effort of holding her upright, and both sets of parents hover all around him, ready to catch either one of them should they fall.
Sarah lets out a sigh of relief as William grins back at her. He looks down at the strange bundle he's holding and after some hesitation, plants a peck into her mess of curls. Charlotte scrunches her face in annoyance but doesn't go beyond that. She seems to tolerate being in the hands of someone so unreliable but only just.
"Okay, William, be careful now, you hear?" Ellie chides. William nods as he begins to toddle away, swaying from side to side. He doesn't let go of his cousin but he grunts with the exertion of the added weight, and after two steps, Charlotte's feet are nearly dragging across the ground.
Ellie's never looked more horrified but Sarah just smiles.
"Ellie, relax, he won't get far..." She tries to call the woman back but Ellie's intent on being there the second either of them falls. Devon simply rolls his eyes and races to catch up with his wife.
As Sarah watches on, she feels her husband's arms suddenly wrap around her, pulling her close. She's so content as is that if Chuck tries anything, anything at all, she thinks her heart will simply burst from all the love.
"Thank you for coming today. I know it's not really your idea of a good time." He nuzzles her neck and plants a kiss on her cheek.
Sarah laughs. "What do you think my idea of a good time entails?" she challenges.
He shrugs. "Not hanging out with my snobby distant relations, that's for sure." He kisses her again, on the lips this time, and Sarah wishes he hadn't. Now she's afraid she'll agree to his next wild request. "Don't worry. I think I've bored them enough so they'll never bother us again."
Sarah smiles. From the corner of her eye, she spies Ellie trying to negotiate with her son for Charlotte. The little boy clutches onto his cousin dearer than his security blanket, and even Sarah's beginning to worry when she'll have her daughter back in her arms again.
"Well, this isn't so bad. As long as it's once a year," she relents.
Chuck looks genuinely shocked. "Liar," he says, and sticks out his tongue.
Sarah shrugs. He's right. This wasn't her idea of a good time. She still hates that she has to be here. Her work has taken her to too many of these places before and she has no fond memories. And yet when she thinks about Chuck and their little one, about the family so dear to her and who've got her surrounded, there's no place she'd rather be.
Sarah's not a fan of hospitals. The smell always gets to her, always brings on terrifying memories of waking up in a strange place, strapped to a gambit of machines and plugged full of drugs.
But this time it's different. Everyone she passes in the hall looks happy to be here. There are no ominous silences, no tears of anything short of joy.
At the threshold she stops and double-checks the number written on her palm.
This is it.
"Hey..." she whispers, treading softly to her friend's bedside. She places the flowers with the growing pile on the window-sill and takes a seat next to her.
Veronica leans against the pillar of pillows, shifting her arms as to better display the sleeping baby in her arms.
Sarah stares in awe. Words escape her.
Veronica laughs softly. "Do you want to hold him?"
Sarah immediately declines. "No!" she says, and takes a step back in case her friend insists. "I'm not good with babies."
"That's not possible. They don't do anything but sleep."
Sarah insists and shakes her head. "Not around me."
Veronica's eyes glint with mischief. "You know this is going to be you someday. You might as well get in some practice while you can."
Sarah laughs. "I'm sorry to disappoint, Veronica, but I don't think so."
The woman shrugs, not entirely convinced. "Whatever you say," she teases. "But you just wait. One of these days you'll meet a guy who will change the way you see the world. Then you'll realize that there are things in your life worth fighting for."
That isn't the problem.
Sarah's smile falls and she looks down into her lap. "My life is complicated," she explains. "I'm not the type."
Veronica just shakes her head. "Whatever you say," she replies with a knowing smile.
"It is," Sarah insists. For a second it feels like deja vu; only she's not in braces anymore and the tables have turned.
"Uh-huh."
"Veronica—"
"Whatever you say," the woman repeats. "You watch."
Sarah leans back in the chair. She knows she'll never win an argument against a lawyer, so she shuts her mouth and follows the advice, watching Veronica gaze down at her newborn.
It's not for you. But the look of pure joy on her friend's face is nearly enough to convince her otherwise.
It's not for you, the voice repeats, stronger than before. Her conscience is right. It's always been right.
But Sarah looks on, and despite knowing better, hopes Veronica will prove her wrong.
ahh, i'm in a chatty mood tonight.
So i'm aware that this chapter might have felt different compared to the last few as the "then" and the "now" weren't completely related. i hope you enjoyed it anyway. i was kind of going for a double entendre with the title. which was why i'd hoped you didn't check my profile before you read the chapter, because i was vague about who the baby belonged to at the very beginning. not that i could have fooled any of you =P
i'm still working on the next chapter. it's getting there...but i could always use some encouragement. candy is preferred but reviews are always appreciated. =)