A/N: This chapter begins a few weeks after the end of the previous one. You might have noticed it's longer than usual. Well, that's because this is the end of the story. I may have crammed too much into it, and probably should have split it into more chapters, but it works for me the way it is. Thank you all for the wholehearted support you gave over the past few months.

Chapter 26

Sarah surveyed the scene, a satisfied smile on her face. The rehearsal dinner was going smoothly. At one table, the Very Awesomes were having a lively conversation with the Bartowskis and the Walkers. Ellie and Devon were dancing together with several other couples. She could see her cousin Alex with Cole, Morgan with Alex Casey and Bryce with Jill. Carina was at the open bar, ordering a fruit cocktail for Molly. She was keeping an eye on the little girl while her parents were dancing. Chuck was also at the bar, chatting with Casey and Kathleen.

"Great shindig you've managed to put together, Sarah," Chuck told her when she joined him.

"I can't take the credit for it. Mom did all the work."

"She'll get the proper recognition for it. In the meantime, can I have this dance, Ms. Walker?"

"But of course, Mr. Bartowski," she replied gamely.

Much later, at his place, she declared that she was going to take a shower. He didn't offer to accompany her, which was weird, but she was too tired to care. When she came out, she found him at his computer.

He looked up and smiled at her puzzled look. "I was checking the weather forecast for tomorrow," he explained. "It's the downside of being the best man at an open air wedding."

"So, what does it say?"

"According to this, it will be sunny, warm and with a light breeze."

"Perfect for Ellie's wedding," she concluded.

"Yes." He turned off the computer. "I'll take a quick shower and we'll go to bed."

"We've got a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"Frankly, I don't envy you. As the maid of honor, it's your job to keep the bride from freaking out."

"Why, will she be getting cold feet? I don't think so."

"Cold feet are very low on the worry list. But everything else will have to be just perfect."

Sarah yawned. "Morgan will be at the beach first thing in the morning to make sure everything will be ready by midday. I'll be with Ellie and the other bridesmaids. She and I also checked the dresses. Everything is in order."

"Looks like we have everything under control. Wait, are the groomsmen's suits in the guest room?"

"No, they are in the living room. The guest room is taken."

"By whom?"

"Vivian is staying here tonight. Since she's a bridesmaid, it will be more convenient for her. I also confirmed the appointment with the hairdresser and the makeup specialist you recommended. How did you know them anyway?"

"You forget I have connections."

"You mean the CIA?"

"No, not this time," he laughed.

"Then what?"

"Hollywood," he replied. "Orion has provided equipment for several high budget films. I called one of the directors we know and he recommended them."

"It pays to have connections in the right places."

"It sure does. By the way, you didn't tell me how the bachelorette party went, the other day."

She grimaced. "I'd rather not go into it."

"You ladies didn't make fools of yourselves, did you?"

"Then maybe I should be asking you about Vegas," Sarah shot back.

"All things considered, everything was pretty tame out there."

"Tame?" Sarah echoed. "Somehow I don't believe it. Not with you, Morgan, Bryce and Devon's brothers and frat bros involved."

"I didn't even wake up with a hangover the next day, which is more than what you can say." It was true. Sarah, Ellie, Carina and the other girls had come home smashed. Not to mention that they had woken up everyone with their drunken, loud and horribly off-key singing while staggering into the courtyard. He'd had to fight to take a bottle of champagne away from Sarah and get her to bed, but not before pumping her full of aspirin, water and antacids, which helped reduce her hangover.

"Shut up and let me get some sleep," she mumbled.

-o-

All the effort and planning that went into the wedding was not for naught. The weather was perfect, a light breeze was blowing and in short everything was ready. The distant cries of seabirds and the gentle hiss of the surf only added to the picture of tranquility.

Stephen was smiling proudly as he escorted a beaming Ellie down the carpet covered aisle between the guests' seats. In the front row, Mary Bartowski and Honey Woodcomb were visibly moved. They were tough women, one being a cutthroat businesswoman/former CIA agent and the other being a surgeon, but they were there for the wedding of their older children.

Chuck was very happy for his sister. She and Devon had always had this great thing together. There were the expected ups and downs in the relationship, but it only grew stronger every time they overcame hitting a pothole. He stole a look at Sarah, who stood with the bridesmaids. Their eyes met. Yep, she was ecstatic to see him and everybody else who'd become family to her in a very short time happy.

"Dearly beloved," the Justice of the Peace began. "We gathered here today to join Devon Christian Woodcomb and Eleanor Faye Bartowski in matrimony."

The ceremony went smoothly. Stephen gave his daughter away, Ellie and Devon exchanged their vows and rings, no one objected to the union and the couple was pronounced man and wife. After the obligatory photo session, it was time for the wedding reception at the Miller. Toasts were being made to the happy couple, the band was playing an excellent selection and the dance floor was full. When the band took a break, Devon stepped up on the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ellie and I would like to thank you all for coming to this very special day. Right now, it's time to keep up the traditions. Single ladies, please come up. Yes, right there. Ellie, come to the stage."

Ellie gracefully stepped on to the stage holding her bouquet. She searched the cluster of single young women in front of her, seeking out one in particular. Then she turned around and threw the bouquet. It appeared to be heading straight for Carina, who sidestepped at the last instant. Hence the bouquet landed into the hands of a very surprised Sarah Walker. Everyone applauded. She blushed a bit, but then held her prize high and went to exchange hugs with the newlyweds.

Then things got a little more interesting. Devon knelt and removed Ellie's garter, as the eligible gentlemen gathered before the stage. A scuffle broke out when the piece of lace was thrown. Chuck, by virtue of his height and training managed to snag it in mid-air before anyone else had a chance to get close. He'd been stoked and eager to catch it, ever since seeing who had gotten Ellie's bouquet.

He approached Sarah, who had been hoping that he would be the one to catch Ellie's garter after she caught the bouquet, dangling his prize from a finger. He offered her his hand, she took it and he led her to the stage, where she took a seat. Then, he knelt before her and slowly, gently slipped the garter on her leg, not stopping until it was at about mid-thigh. He got up and again held his hand out for her. She followed him to the dance floor, where they joined other couples.

"Look at my little girl with your boy," Emma whispered to Mary.

"They are a lovely couple."

"Mary, I want to know one thing. Are they done with…?"

"It's over," Mary assured her. "Right now, they are just a couple of working stiffs."

Emma laughed. "White collar, high-end job working stiffs," she added.

"Do you think that maybe one day we might be family?"

"We already are, Mary. The thing you're referring to will be just a formality."

"Good to know you feel the same way."

"Oh yeah. Hey, have you seen Jack anywhere?"

Mary looked around. There was no sign of Jack, or of Stephen, for what the matter. "They didn't!"

"We should never leave the two of them together unsupervised."

"No, wait, I see them. They're over at the bar, talking to Casey."

"I wonder what they're talking about."

While both women were watching, Casey reached into a pocket and produced three Silver Coronas, the best cigars from Costa Gravas and offered one each to Stephen and Jack, keeping the last one for himself.

"They're going to play connoisseurs," Mary concluded.

"As long as they don't ditch your daughter's wedding reception to go shoot pool, I'm okay with it."

"I think we should let them hit a bar after it's wrapped up here. What do you think?"

"It wouldn't hurt to cut them some slack, I guess. Would you like to go someplace as well?"

"Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"There's this nice cocktail lounge not far from here. We could go check it out."

"Why not? But I hope we won't be mistaken for a couple of cougars on the prowl."

"Naw, it's kind of an upscale establishment. Maybe we could get Casey's wife to tag along, too."

"And John will go with our guys and keep an eye on them. I like the way you think, Emma."

When the reception ended, the newlyweds departed on their honeymoon, while the others either went home or found a place to continue their evening out. As for Chuck and Sarah, they ended up in his place. She opened the dresser drawer reserved for her stuff and found one her favorite pairs of pajamas in there. He was already changing out of his suit and into sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"Chuck, when the bouquet sailed into my hands, and I'm pretty sure it was a conspiracy between Ellie and Carina, I found myself wanting you to catch the garter."

"When I saw you get the bouquet, there was no way in hell I'd let another man catch the garter, Sarah."

"I love you so much, Chuck."

"I know. And I love you, too."

"Wake me up in the morning, but not too early. As to the question of how you'll wake me up, I'll leave the choice to you."

"Goodnight."

-o-

Chuck decided to emulate Sarah and be a little lazy in the morning. Besides, it was a weekend and he'd finished all the work he'd had to do even before Ellie's wedding. Eventually, he got hungry and decided to rouse Sarah and go make breakfast. So he lightly kissed her lips and continued by trailing kisses down her jaw line and neck. When her eyes fluttered open, he lightly tickled her.

"Chuck, stop," she said and yawned. "I'm awake."

"Let's go take a shower and make something to eat."

"Sounds good to me."

They took a long (really long) shower and returned to the bedroom to get dressed. When they reached the kitchen, Chuck sneezed suddenly.

"Bless you," she said. "Are you catching a cold?"

"I don't think so." *sneeze* "It must be an allergic reaction."

"What are you allergic to?"

"Cats," he replied.

"Maybe a cat sneaked in here." A noise from behind the kitchen counter caught their attention.

"And *sneeze* it's still here."

They went to take a look. It was a feline, all right, but not exactly a felis catus.

"A tiger?" Sarah exclaimed.

"It's a tiger cub," he added. He chuckled as he saw it devouring sausages from a pack it'd ripped open. Apparently, it had somehow managed to open the small fridge next to the main one. "Looks like a female."

"How do you know?"

"Look under the tail. There's no exterior plumbing."

"Oh."

*Big sneeze*

It caused the cub to turn around and notice the two bipeds looking at it.

"Here kitty, kitty," Sarah cooed. It approached her and rubbed against her legs, purring with satisfaction. "That's a good girl."

"I'll take your word for it," he said, pinching his nose closed. "Tigers are endangered species. Someone must be looking for this little lady."

"Well, she has no collar on."

"I'll turn on the news. There's bound to be something about her."

"Check the internet as well."

"I will. You just keep her away from me."

"You know, it's a pity you're allergic to cats. She's quite the cuddly little kitty."

"Got it! They were taking a Siberian Tiger cub named Alisa back to the zoo from the vet's when she somehow got out of the van near the park. I'll call the zoo and let them know."

It was all sorted out not long afterwards. The people from the zoo collected the cub to return her to her mother. Alisa had been bred as part of an effort to save the Siberian Tiger from extinction, according to the project manager, who thanked them effusively. On impulse, Chuck promised that Orion Computers would help by donating equipment to the project. Sarah agreed that his parents would support his decision. He was seconds away from calling them, but decided not to bother them on a Saturday. Instead, he fired off an email, which they could read at their convenience. Afterwards, Sarah sent Chuck to the study and took it upon herself to clean the kitchen, removing any trace of the tiger cub's presence. She didn't want her boyfriend sneezing his head off. She was about done when Carina dropped by.

"Hey Sarah," she called through an open window."

"Good morning sis." She went to open the door. "What brings you here this early?"

"Well, you weren't at your apartment, so I figured this would be where I'd find you. Turns out I was right. And why are you scrubbing the kitchen? Did you try to cook?"

"That's the part you're not going to believe."

"Tell me."

"The short version is that we had a little tiger in here. She'd somehow gotten out of the van transporting her and ended up here."

"A tiger… are you kidding me?"

"No, in fact we liked her, except… Chuck is allergic to cats, so I decided to clean up here." Sarah then opened a laptop and showed Carina pictures of her, Chuck and Alisa.

"She's cute."

"Yes, she is. And we liked each other very much."

"A tigress can always recognize another tigress, Sarah," Chuck said, coming up behind them. "Good morning Carina."

"Good morning. So, my baby sister is a tigress?"

"In more ways than one," he replied with a wink.

"Grrrrr," Sarah growled playfully and clawed at him.

"Since you're both here, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for coffee or something."

"We were about to have breakfast when Alisa turned up in my kitchen and ate my country sausages."

"Fine, I'm taking you out for brunch," Carina said.

Chuck and Sarah looked at each other and nodded. "We'll take you up on that."

Carina was no slouch when it came to finding good places to go to. This time, the three of them ended up in a small bistro not very far from Echo Park. They gave their order to the friendly waitress and, while waiting for their food, Sarah noticed Chuck's pensive look.

"Are you OK Chuck?"

"Yes, I'm fine, why?"

"Something is troubling you. I can tell."

Now or never, he thought. "Sarah, would you like to move in with me?"

That took her by surprise. "Come again?"

He looked at her straight in the eyes. "I love you and you love me. We spend most of our time together. Living under the same roof is a natural progression."

"Yes, I love you very much, but this was quite the surprise."

"Come on, sis," Carina butted in, siding with Chuck. "I know you want it. There's no downside to it, either."

"I can think of one," Sarah said casually.

"What?" Chuck was a little worried.

"If I move in with Chuck, then how am I going to be able to steal your cosmetics every time I need them?"

Chuck and Carina exchanged funny looks and laughed. "Now I know why some things were not as I'd left them on my dresser sometimes," Carina said.

"I have a solution," Chuck added. "You can always borrow Ellie's stuff."

"Somehow, I don't think she'll appreciate it."

"She won't have a problem with it."

"Then yes, I'll move in with you. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you, in fact. Even though borrowing Carina's stuff is definitely more fun."

"To be frank, I was hoping you'd say yes. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to gather the nerve to ask you. But I did have this made." He produced a small box and handed it to her.

It was another surprise for Sarah. But then again, the box was too big for a ring. She opened it and found a set of keys inside. "You got me keys to your place?"

"From now on it's going to be our place."

"Ellie is going to get the surprise of her life when she and Devon return from their honeymoon and find me living with you."

"We'll need earplugs."

She swatted him playfully. "Don't be mean to your sister."

"I'm not being mean. I'm simply stating a fact."

She drank some of her mimosa and looked at him pensively. "Your statement does contain a fair amount of exaggeration, but I get the gist."

"So, when is Sarah going to move in with you, Chucky?"

"We didn't get around to that."

"She can move in this weekend. Think about it. It's perfect. I can borrow a truck or a van from Orion and get your stuff in one go."

"Shouldn't we do some preparation work first?"

"Sarah's right, Chuckles. You'll need to make room for her stuff in your closet, the medicine cabinet in the bathroom…"

"And don't forget the kitchen," Sarah added.

"You girls got me thinking. We can move your stuff to my – our now – place, and then worry about where to put it, as we can just leave everything in the guest room temporarily."

"Then let's get busy!" Sarah said enthusiastically.

Chuck insisted on paying for brunch, even though it had been Carina's idea. After all, he had to be the perfect gentleman no matter what. They were leaving the restaurant and heading for his car when…

"Sarah? Sarah Walker?"

Sarah whirled around at the sound of a familiar voice. She saw the blond woman who'd called out to her and her eyes widened in surprise. "Zondra?"

"It's me, all right. Dammit, girlfriend, it's been years since I last saw you. Oh, hi Carina."

"Hi Zondra."

"Chuck, I'd like you to meet my roommate at Harvard, Zondra Rizzo. Zondra, this is my boyfriend Chuck Bartowski."

"Hi," Chuck said.

"Hi."

"Sarah, Zondra and Amy, their other roommate, were quite the party animals back then. In fact, they were known as the CAT Squad. Also, I was an honorary member."

"Meow," Sarah whispered in his ear.

"Atchoo!" He pretended to sneeze and then winked meaningfully at his girlfriend.

"Chuck's allergic to cats," Sarah explained to Zondra, laughing. "So, what are you doing these days?"

"I've been running Dad's business ever since he decided to retire."

"Good for you, I guess. Have you kept in touch with Amy?"

"Sure I have. She's working for a magazine as a fashion columnist. I hear she's close to getting her own TV show, too."

"Zondra studied business administration and Amy was into journalism," Sarah informed Chuck.

"Well, I've got to run. By the way, what are you doing, Sarah?"

Chuck replied before Sarah could. "She's the next head of Orion Computers' Marketing, PR and Advertising Division."

"WHAT?"

"Oh, I totally forgot to tell you. Watkins retires in a couple of months, Simpson put in a request for a transfer to another section and Carpenter is in line for promotion to Central Accounting, which leaves you as the most suitable candidate for Watkins' position."

"Wow. I mean, I've been with the firm for less than six months."

"Think about the millions we made thanks to you."

The other two girls enthusiastically congratulated Sarah. He also congratulated her – with a toe-curling kiss.

-o-

As expected, Ellie's reaction to Sarah cohabitating with Chuck had been very enthusiastic indeed. As a matter of fact, both the Bartowski and Walker families approved of the move. All in all, things were going very well, for everyone. Just like Chuck had said, Sarah got to be appointed head of her division in Orion Computers.

Some months later, Chuck and Sarah were at home, unpacking from a trip to a computer and video games convention. His latest game had been a smash hit and, much to her surprise, Sarah had drawn quite a lot of attention, as many had easily recognized her as one of the leading characters. She'd even had to give a couple of interviews to people from gaming magazines and sites.

"There you are," Ellie said, barging into the apartment.

"Wow, sis, take it easy. We were gone only a few days."

"I missed you just the same. Come over for dinner in a couple of hours. Mom and Dad will also be coming."

"Sure, no problem," Sarah assured her. After Ellie left, she turned to face Chuck. "The Empress has spoken. But, seeing as we have a couple of hours, I see no reason why we couldn't take a shower."

"I see your shower and I'll raise you a bubble bath."

"All in," she smiled as he pulled her into his arms.

-o-

"Would you like some wine, babe?" Devon asked his wife.

"No thanks. I'm a little tired and wine wouldn't help. I'm willing to settle for some soda."

"Everything is delicious, Ellie," Sarah said enthusiastically. "Like always."

"I got the recipe from your Mom. She said it's a long time hit at the restaurant."

Time flew by and before long it was time for dessert and coffee. Stephen, Devon and Chuck were deep in a discussion about the merits and potential disadvantages of turning a car into a virtual spaceship with high end electronics, including a head-up display projected on the windshield, full color multifunction display screens on the dash in place of traditional instrumentation and the car equivalent of aircraft hands on throttle and stick controls.

"Boys," Mary shook her head.

"Give them high tech gadgets to play with and they turn into little kids," Sarah agreed. "Anyway, I've pretty much gotten used to it. I do happen to be living with Nerdus Professionalis Maximus."

"What was that again?" Ellie was almost out of breath with laughter.

"It's just a pseudo-Latin term I invented to describe Chuck."

"It fits," Mary said.

"I agree," Ellie added. She waited until things had calmed down. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. "Devon, there is a good reason I refused the wine earlier. In fact, I'll stay away from alcohol for the next few months."

"Babe…"

"Yes, I'm pregnant."

"Sis, this is amazing! Congratulations!"

"I'm gonna be a Gramps!" Stephen exclaimed.

"Ellie, honey, this is great news!" Mary was visibly moved and excited.

"Any time you need something, just tell me," Sarah said, hugging Ellie.

-o-

Some time after Clara Woodcomb was born…

"She's so small," Molly said as she looked at baby Clara in her bassinet. Ellie had been called by the hospital for a quick consultation and she was currently using Chuck's top of the line videoconference setup.

"I remember when you were born. You were just as small, Molly," Sarah said.

"Do you want to have kids someday, Auntie Sarah?"

Sarah looked longingly at her engagement ring. Chuck had proposed at the hospital just after Clara's birth. "If I were to have kids, then that would make you their aunt."

"Cool!"

"You think it's cool?"

"Yes! All the other kids at school talk about their brothers, sisters or cousins. No one is an aunt or an uncle."

"What are you ladies talking about?" Chuck asked, entering the apartment loaded with groceries.

"Molly was just telling me how small Clara looks."

"She may be small, but she's quite a handful."

"Where is Morgan?" Molly piped up.

"You want to play video games with him again."

"Uh-huh. He's very funny."

"Right now he's with Casey and Kathleen helping them install new kitchen cupboards."

"But he will be here."

"He's as eager to play with you as you are."

Clara chose that moment to get fussy, so Sarah scrambled to give her a bottle. Soon afterwards, the baby calmed down and was asleep again.

-o-

The wedding had been way better than anything Sarah had ever dreamed of. Her Dad, smiling as he gave her away to Chuck, her mother and sister trying to hold back tears of joy together with his mother and sister, the exchange of vows of everlasting love… in a word it was all perfect. After an all too brief (to them at least) honeymoon, they'd returned to Burbank and got back into the daily grind at Orion, spiced up by frequently having to baby-sit Clara and/or Molly.

Inside her office, Sarah signed off on a shipping order with a flourish, had it sent and then decided to relax. She kicked off her heels, tilted her chair back and rested her feet on the edge of her desk. Her mind wandered to the last business trip abroad she had taken with Chuck, just the previous month. She'd loved seeing Paris again, especially with no one shooting at them, but the highlight had definitely been the trip to Zurich on an antique train. Three fun-filled days in a luxuriously furnished compartment… what girl wouldn't love it?

Right now she had another problem. Even though she'd had a late and very filling breakfast, she was hungry again. The energy bars she kept in the bottom desk drawer proved insufficient.

"What the hell is wrong with me," she wondered. The issue was too pressing to ignore. She put her shoes back on and stormed out of the office. "I'll be right back," she informed one of her subordinates. Making tracks for the cafeteria, she ordered an extra special club sandwich with cheese sauce on the fries and sat down to devour it, washing it down with a black cherry vanilla coke.

Naturally, the people working at the cafeteria shot her a few curious looks when she returned less than two hours later for lunch with Chuck and his parents. This time she got a double veggie cheeseburger and a cherry coke. For some reason she had this weird desire to have the taste of cherries in her mouth all day long. Fortunately, she managed to get everything under control.

Back home, she and Mary were looking after Clara while Ellie was at work. And before Sarah realized it, she was crying while holding a smiling baby girl.

"Sarah, are you all right, dear?"

"Yes," she sniffled. "I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"I remembered Molly telling me how much she'd like to be an aunt. It was funny and so sweet."

"Oh boy," Mary exclaimed, using one of her husband's catch phrases.

"What?"

"I think Molly's wish is going to come true."

Sarah paled. Suddenly, everything made sense. The morning drowsiness, the hunger, the aching feet… She was also a week and a half late, as she realized. "Mary… you could be right. And I'm freaking out here. I mean, I should have realized it earlier…"

"Honey, it's all going to be fine. But tell Chuck. Don't forget that."

"I'll have to confirm it first. Can you stay with Clara while I go to the drugstore?"

"Go. Don't worry about Clara. She and I are going to have a blast while you're gone."

"We'll need ice cream, too. I'll get some on the way back. See you in five."

Sarah got just about every kind of pregnancy test the pharmacy had and she disappeared into the bathroom to take them the moment she arrived home. She left them on the counter by the sink and rejoined Mary and Clara.

"Relax, Darling. I know Chuck will freak out at first, but then he'll be so enthusiastic you'll have to get a restraining order on him to keep him from crowding you too much."

"Huh?"

"I'm just kidding."

"Oh."

A few minutes later, Mary was still watching Sarah play with Ellie's daughter. "Shouldn't you go check the results?"

"Frankly, I'm scared shitless."

"Come on, we'll do it together."

"Thanks."

Every single one read positive. "You are pregnant."

"I am. And I still can't believe it."

"Hello! Ladies, I'm back!" Chuck yelled from the door.

"Let's go face the music," Sarah said with a tight smile and led the way to the living room.

"Sarah, are you all right? You look… off."

Ooops. It was the wrong thing to say. "It's your fault," she snarled.

"Um, if someone could explain…"

"I'm PREGNANT!" She perversely enjoyed seeing him go white as a sheet. And then he fell backwards on to the couch. "CHUCK!"

It was all Mary could do not to laugh. "He just entered the freak out phase."

Sarah was in no mood for games, so she unceremoniously splashed the contents of a glass of water on her husband's face.

"I had this weird dream…"

"It was not a dream, Chuck. You really knocked me up. Just don't pass out on me again, OK?"

"Sure, anything you say. You're really pregnant?"

"I've been feeling off for a few days now. Today, I had weird food cravings as well, I am late and, to top it off, I have a bunch of pregnancy tests all showing positive. So yes, odds are I'm really pregnant."

"That's the best news I've gotten in a while!" He jumped up and hugged his wife.

"I'll make an appointment with my doctor in the morning."

"Can I come, too?"

"Yes. Just keep your act together."

"For you, I will. I love you."

-o-

"Twins?"

"Chuck, you've been asking the same question for the last half hour. The answer is not going to change. We are expecting twins." She huffed.

"What?"

"It's just… for the next few months you'll still be you, while I will become an oversized balloon, a Goodyear blimp and a lead fucking Zeppelin, in that order."

"You'll always be beautiful."

"Of course you'd think about my boobs," she snapped.

"I was talking about the whole package. Do you remember how Ellie seemed to be glowing all the time while she was pregnant on Clara?"

"Sorry. This pregnancy thing is making me irrational."

"It's just hormones. Besides, you'll have me to cater to your every whim."

"Hmm… I'm beginning to like the whole deal – a little."

"You'll like it a lot more before it's over." The drive home passed in silence, but as he pulled into his parking space Chuck had an epiphany. "We're gonna need a bigger place."

"I agree. Our apartment is nice, but barely enough for one kid, let alone two."

"We'll just have to find a new place, then."

"I'd like one with a white picket fence and a red door. I always drew houses like that when I was a kid."

"Like the one across the street from our place? It's exactly as you described it and it's for sale. If all goes well, we'll buy it and give our current place to Morgan and Alex."

"Then what are you waiting for? Make an appointment with the realtor!"

They both loved it. Sarah even went so far as to carve their names on a door frame, staking their claim. Luckily, they had enough money saved to buy it outright, splitting the cost fifty-fifty. And by the time an exhausted Sarah, hoarse from screaming in pain and making threats on Chuck's life and limb, was in recovery at the maternity ward of the hospital, with a miniature copy of Chuck and another of herself in her arms, he had turned it into their dream house, from bedroom to Nerd Cave.

THE END