Here is the next chapter in our little saga. This chapter deserves a T rating, so consider yourself warned if you only like K stories. We are getting closer to the end of the first arc of the story, which will end with the Vancouver Olympics. Two or three more chapters I think in this arc. Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think. Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 3
Morgan woke up after a night of partying to find Chuck already gone. Coffee was brewing in the pot. There was a note left on the table with a bag of pastries. The note said:
Gone for breakfast and then to practice. Enjoy. C.
Morgan opened the bag and looked inside. He found an assortment of pastries inside. I wonder what has Chuck in such a good mood.
Sunlight streamed through a crack in the drapes and fell on the smiling face of Sarah Walker. She was hugging her pillow imagining her arms were around a certain brown eyed hockey player. She touched her lips and remembered the kiss from last night and knew in her heart it was from a special young man.
As she was lying there, she heard a soft knock on her door. She looked over at the other bed in the room and saw Zondra fast asleep and not moving. Sarah slowly climbed out of bed and headed to the door wearing only the white tank top and pink boy shorts she wore to bed. She peered through the peep hole in the door and was pleasantly surprised to see Chuck standing outside her door holding coffee and a bag of pastries. She smiled and pondered whether to let him in immediately or put something on first, remembering her state of dress. Knowing the gentleman Chuck was, she decided she should at least cover up some and called out. "Just a minute." Sarah hurried to her closet and grabbed her bathrobe, put in on and loosely tied it around her waist. She took a quick look in the mirror, patted down her hair and opened the door.
"Good morning, Chuck. What a nice surprise." Sarah smiled at him and stepped to the side to allow him in.
"Good morning, Sarah. I brought you breakfast." Chuck smiled as he held out the coffee and bag of pastries he brought. As Chuck walked in, he came close by Sarah and he paused to give her a brief hug and kiss on the cheek. Sarah turned her head in just in time so that Chuck's lips met hers instead of her cheek. Chuck, caught by surprise, pulled back briefly and raised an eyebrow. Sarah conveyed a look to him that said do we have to go through this again? Chuck smiled at Sarah and gave her the Bartowski eyebrow dance. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time with feeling.
After the kiss broke, Sarah looked up at him, smiled and said "That's better. I hope you won't feel like you need to ask permission to do that again in the future."
Chuck's smile broadened into a wide grin. "Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming. The most beautiful woman in the world just told me I can kiss her whenever I want."
Sarah reached up, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down for another kiss. "How about another kiss, instead. What did you bring for us to eat, I'm starving."
Chuck set the coffee and bag on the table. "I brought some for Zondra, too, in case she was here." Sarah smiled at his thoughtfulness and got some plates from the cupboard. Sarah opened the bag and enjoyed the aroma. Chuck had brought a half-dozen chocolate croissants and the scent permeated the room. Sarah put one on each plate and sat down next to Chuck.
By this time, Zondra had woken up and hurried into the bathroom to change. She had to head out to practice soon and wanted to give the love birds a little privacy. She saw how much those two were in love even though they probably didn't realize it themselves yet. Zondra grabbed the coffee Chuck brought and one of the croissants said thanks and headed out the door.
"What a great way to start the day, Chuck. Thank you for doing this, but don't you have to be at practice soon?"
"I don't have to be there until 11:00am. I still have some time. What time are you heading over to the rink?
"I'm heading over before you're done with practice. We're having a pre-competition meal and meeting beforehand, but I hope I can see you before the competition starts."
"I would love to meet you beforehand and wish you good luck. I know you're going to be great. Just tell me where and when."
Sarah finished up her first croissant and started in on her second. Chuck noticed some chocolate on the side of her mouth and reached out to take it off with his finger. He then took the chocolate from her lip, licked it off and smiled. "Yours tastes better than mine," he announced and grabbed the fresh croissant off her plate. Sarah squealed, grabbed his hand and tried to take it back. "Mine," she said as she took hold of his wrist, laughing. Chuck pulled his arm back while being held by Sarah, which resulted in her sitting on his lap. Sarah started tickling Chuck and he put his arm around her and pulled her tight so she wouldn't have any room to reach his most ticklish spots. He enjoyed feeling the warmth of her body next to his as her robe had fallen open and her upper body was pressed against him, especially since she only wore a thin tank top and no bra. Sarah also enjoyed the feeling and felt herself becoming turned on. Both stopped laughing for a minute and looked into each other's eyes. Their lips crashed together in a heated kiss as they poured every ounce of feeling into it. Once the need for air was paramount, they broke the kiss and they touched their foreheads together, panting for breath. "Wow," they both said together.
Chuck's phone alarm went off just then and he fumbled with his phone to shut it off. "Unfortunately, I need to leave for practice very soon."
"As much as I don't want you to go, you can't be late." Chuck took the croissant in his hand and offered a bite to Sarah which she took. She then kissed Chuck lightly on the lips and finished chewing. "Mmmmmm."
"Is that for me or the croissant?"
Sarah giggled. "Both."
Sarah reluctantly stood up to allow Chuck to leave. Chuck stood and hugged Sarah tight. Reluctantly, they released each others embrace. Sarah retied her robe and walked Chuck to the door.
"Have a good practice. Call you at the arena so we can meet beforehand?"
"I'll look forward to it. See you later." Chuck gave Sarah a quick kiss and headed out the door to go to practice, a huge smile on his face.
Sarah closed the door and sighed. She couldn't believe what was happening. She hadn't felt this good in years, if ever. She walked back to the table and saw what was remaining of her croissant and picked it up. She smiled, finished it off in two bites and drank the rest of her coffee. After taking a shower, she picked up her bag and headed out to meet Bryce and Beckman, a huge smile on her face.
When she arrived at the Pacific Arena, she went to one of the conference rooms where she met with Bryce and Beckman. Diane had ordered a light lunch for them and they went over the routine again and again to make sure nothing was missing. Diane looked at the two of them and asked, "Are you ready? This is it. The Olympics. It doesn't get any bigger than this. I need your head in the game and total focus. No distractions."
Sarah thought about Chuck for a moment. Was he distracting her? Is he standing in the way of a gold medal? No, she thought. Because of him she's even more focused to do well. She wanted to make him proud of her. She wanted to model her gold medal for him, wearing nothing else. Ok, that probably wasn't an appropriate thought right now, but she really wanted to win.
"No, Diane. I am totally focused and ready to win," said Sarah.
"I'm all in," said Bryce. "Ready to go and win."
Beckman seemed satisfied that her charges were ready to go. She sent them off to their respective locker rooms to get ready. Sarah put on her Capri blue sterling dress that had a ballet style neckline, crossed back spaghetti straps and a single skirt. The dress had a silk finish and a scrolling glitter pattern and she wore her dress over beige tights. She put on her makeup and put her hair in a bun. She looked gorgeous. Finally, she put on her skates. It was time to call Chuck.
Chuck was so excited that he got to the Coliseum an hour early. He couldn't wait to see Sarah. Hockey practice couldn't go by fast enough but he was able to focus on what he had to do. Casey was still pleased with his progress and he was going to be ready for his first game in two days. Chuck was going to meet his parents there later and he was anxious for Sarah's call and he kept looking at his phone, willing it to ring.
Finally, his phone vibrated and it was Sarah. He answered the phone.
"Hi, Sarah."
"Hi, Chuck. Are you at the arena?"
"Yes, I'm here. I can't wait to see you."
"Me, too. You can meet me just outside the locker rooms by gate A. But first, I wanted to let you know that my parents are going to be here tonight, and I'd like you to meet them."
"Really? I'd love to meet your parents, Sarah."
"Great. They're going to come meet me by the locker rooms, too, a few minutes after you get there. Can you meet me right now?
"On my way, Sarah. See you shortly." They hung up.
Chuck rushed down to the meeting place and saw Sarah. Her beauty took his breath away and he froze for a moment, standing still about twenty feet away from her. Sarah, pleased at his reaction to her appearance, smiled and said, "Earth to Chuck. Come in Chuck."
Chuck, looking startled for a moment, came to his senses. They walked toward each other and hugged tightly. "Wow, Sarah. You look fantastic. You should win the gold medal just by standing there."
"Sarah gave Chuck her biggest smile and said, "I bet you tell that to all the figure skaters you know."
"Only the one I love, Sarah."
Chuck looked startled for a moment. Did I really say that? I hope I didn't scare her away. But I do. I really love her.
Sarah also was taken aback for a moment. Did I hear him right? If I did, is it good news? Yes! That is great news. I love him too!
"You love me, Chuck?"
"I, I, I hope it isn't too soon, but I've never felt this way before. Yes, I do love you"
Sarah smiled her biggest smile ever. "I love you too, Chuck. I was afraid everything was happening too fast. But I've never felt this way before either. Before you, all I could think of was my next competition, or my next practice. Now all I can think of is a future with you. I love you, Chuck."
Chuck almost couldn't believe his ears. Sarah Walker loved him. He swooped her up in his arms and gave her a very passionate kiss and she kissed him back with every fiber of her being. "I love you, too, Sarah Walker."
Just then they hear the clearing of throats, rather loudly. Chuck and Sarah broke their embrace and looked to where the noise came from. Sarah Walker's parents stood before them with a stunned look on their faces. Sarah, startled, looked at them and said "Oh my. Oh hi, mom and dad. You startled us for a moment. Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend (Sarah glanced over and got an affirmative nod), Chuck Bartowski. Chuck, these are my parents, Jack and Emma Walker."
Chuck shook each of their hands and said "Pleased to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Walker. You raised a wonderful daughter."
Jack looked over at Sarah. "What's going on, Sarah. Who's the schnook? I thought you said no distractions during a competition?"
"Look, dad. He's my schnook. And he's not a distraction. I'm fully committed to winning. It'll be that much more special to be able to share it with someone special. With Chuck."
"How long have you known him, Sarah? Are you throwing away your dreams for a guy?"
Emma spoke up. "Be nice, Jack. Can't you see how happy she is? I'm sure she'll do fine. In fact, I think she'll skate the best she ever has.
"Yes dad, I am very happy and feel like kickin' a little ass tonight and tomorrow night." I'll be fine.
"You know what fine stands for don't you?"
"Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional. I remember dad. I also remember that a good con man can leave whenever he wants to. But I'm not a con man and neither are you.
Chuck spoke up. "I don't want to get between Sarah and you. I'll gladly step aside and wait until after the competition to be with her."
Sarah immediately went to Chuck and put her arms around him. "I don't want you to go anywhere, Chuck. I want you here with me."
Emma said, "Say something, Jack."
Chuck's offer touched Jack. It showed him that Chuck really loved her. "You're a good man, Chuck, even for a schnook. It's ok with me for you to date my daughter, starting now."
Chuck, Sarah and Emma all breathed a sigh of relief and smiled broadly. Jack, seeing how happy everyone else was, joined in.
"Where are you sitting, Chuck?"
"I'm sitting over in Section B, row 12 with my parents and sister."
"Really? We'll be right in front of you in row 11. We'll let you say goodbye to Sarah and see you up there."
Chuck and Sarah watched them turn and leave. "Don't worry, Sarah. You'll do great out there."
"I know, Chuck. With yours and our families support, I can't wait to get out there and compete."
Chuck took Sarah in his arms and smiled at her. He liked the fact that she could look him in the eye straight on when she stood on her skates. "Break a leg, Sarah," he told her, using the old line for actors. "I'll be cheering for you the loudest. I love you."
"I know, Chuck. I love you too. See you afterward."
Chuck kissed Sarah tenderly and she walked back into the locker room, ready for the skate of her life.
Chuck hungry, stopped at the concession stand before he made his way back to the stands and saw his parents and sister already in their seats. Chuck had bought a large tub of popcorn, some peanuts, candy and some soft drinks to share. He sat down and shared the food and drinks. A little while later Jack and Emma came to their seats. Chuck introduced them to his family and they settled in to watch the competition and wait for Sarah and Bryce's turn.
There were few surprises in the first groups of skaters. When it came to the final group, Sarah and Bryce were skating last. Shaw and Smith had the highest score and were in first place with a score of 72.17 when Walker and Larkin took the ice. The skaters went to their opening pose and the music started. Sarah and Bryce began with a side-by-side triple lutz, double toe loop combination that was executed flawlessly and Chuck stood up and cheered, loudly. Ellie grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down before he could embarrass himself further. The skaters followed with a side-by-side spin combination and went into an overhead lift. Chuck prayed that Bryce wouldn't catch an edge and drop her. After a spiral step sequence Bryce lifted Sarah into a split triple twist and followed that with an exquisite throw triple axel that was landed perfectly and Sarah's smile lit up the entire building. Their program concluded with a forward inside edge death spiral that was performed without a hitch. When their program concluded, they were greeted with a standing ovation led by Chuck, Ellie, Jack, Emma, Stephen and Mary. After picking up many of the flowers thrown on the ice, Sarah and Bryce headed over to the kiss and cry area to await their scores. The cameras focused on the happy skaters as they waited for their scores. When the scores finally were posted, they received a brilliant 77.9, which gave them a commanding lead heading into the final skate. Bryce and Sarah stood up and waved to the crowd. Sarah scanned the audience and looked for Chuck. He wasn't hard to miss as he was jumping up and down leading the cheers. That's my nerd. Sarah continued to smile and wave to the crowd.
Sarah and Bryce were corralled by TV reported on the way to the locker rooms. She asked them about their skate and congratulated them for a job well done. Before signing off, the reported asked Sarah about who her new boyfriend was. "Boyfriend?" she coyly answered. "Yes, Sarah. This one." She showed Sarah a picture of Chuck and her in a passionate embrace that was taken outside the locker rooms earlier that day. "It looks like he's also leading the cheers in the audience." Sarah sighed and said, "Yes, I have a new boyfriend and his name is Chuck Bartowski. He's a hockey player on the US team. That's all I'll say for now. We would appreciate it if you would respect our privacy." The reporter signed off and said to Sarah, "Even if I wanted to respect your privacy, this is the Olympics. You don't have any."
Bryce and Sarah left to go change in their respective locker rooms. Sarah met up with Chuck, her parents and the Bartowskis and decided to head out for something to eat at a local diner. They also invited Bryce to join them and he accepted. Ellie was really excited to meet Bryce and he was happy to pose for a picture with her. They ordered light dinners and waited for their food.
Sarah, sitting next to Chuck, asked "Did you see the TV interview we did right after the performance?"
Chuck shook his head no.
Sarah said "I hope you don't mind, but the interviewer showed a picture of us kissing outside the locker room and asked about us. I couldn't lie and told her that you were my boyfriend and asked her to respect our privacy."
Chuck raised an eyebrow and said "The whole world knows about us now? Wow."
"I hope you're not mad, Chuck"
"Why would I be mad? The whole world knows that the most beautiful woman in the world is my girlfriend? This is great!"
"I'm glad you think so and I'm also glad all the girls know you belong to me. But, this means we won't have any privacy as long as we're here in Vancouver."
Chuck paused for a moment and shrugged. "It's a small price to pay to be with you. I hope the paparazzi aren't too intrusive, though."
"I'm not so worried about them, Chuck. Look outside the window."
Chuck turned and saw a small group of people looking in the window pointing excitedly at them. He turned and looked at Sarah "Don't worry, they're probably harmless."
Their food arrived and they dug in. Sarah shared her salad with Chuck and Chuck gave Sarah half of his cheeseburger. When the waiter came back to check on them she asked for extra pickles. Everyone enjoyed their food and Jack, Emma, Stephen and Mary enjoyed getting to know each other. Jack also spent some more time getting to know Chuck better and the Bartowskis enjoyed finding out more about Sarah. Bryce was happy to see everyone getting along so well and enjoyed talking to Ellie. He was wondering if he could hook up with her after tomorrow.
Jack and Stephen fought over who would pick up the check and Jack won the argument with the promise that Stephen would pick up the check the next night after the finals. They all got up to head back to where they were staying and noticed that the crowd outside had become considerably larger.
Emma turned to one of the waiters and asked "Is there a back way out of here?"
The waiter, after looking outside said "Yes. There is an alley in the back. Do you have a ride to where you're going?"
"We were going to catch a taxi out front. Perhaps you could go out and ask one to drive back to the alley."
The waiter agreed and headed outside. A few minutes later, he came back in. "A taxi will be pulling into the alley after they drive around the block. You should be ok then."
Chuck and Sarah thanked the waiter and Chuck gave him a $20 tip. They decided that Chuck, Sarah and Bryce should ride together back to the village and everyone else would wait until after they left before heading out front to get a ride to their hotels. They said their goodbyes and headed for the back door.
As soon as they reached the back door, the cab pulled up and Bryce got in front next to the driver and Sarah and Chuck got in the back seat. Bryce suggested that they duck down in the back seat until they were on the road. Chuck and Sarah did so and turned the opportunity into an impromptu make out session.
After they got on the main road, Bryce told the driver who was spending too much time looking in the rear view mirror, "Keep your eyes on the road. We need to get back in one piece. We have a gold medal to win."
He then looked back and Chuck and Sarah who now had sat back up in the seat. "I'm happy for you two, but can you wait until after tomorrow? I really want to win."
Sarah smirked at Bryce and said "I really want to win too, just as much as you. Being with Chuck takes away all my anxiety and fear about performing on the ice. We're going to do great tomorrow."
"Don't wear her out tonight, Chuck. She really needs her rest for tomorrow."
Chuck blushed bright red and said "Wha wha what are you talking about Bryce?"
Bryce regarded him for a moment and smirked. "Where did you find him Sarah? He's the last of the perfect gentlemen.
Sarah amused said "That's one of the things I love so much about him. He is the perfect gentleman. If and when that happens, Bryce, we won't be talking to you about it."
Just then, the taxi pulled up to the village and they got out. Bryce decided to pay and they headed to their rooms after saying goodnight. Chuck asked Sarah to come with him to his room because he wanted to give her something. As they got to the door they noticed a sock tied to the door and Chuck stopped dead in his tracks. Sarah asked "Is there something wrong, Chuck?
"There's a sock on the door."
"Why would somebody do that?"
"You know, in college you tie a sock on the door when….."
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"Morgan's in there."
"So?"
"He's not alone."
"So?"
"They're having intercourse."
"Ah…. Let's go back to my place."
Chuck and Sarah walked back to her room hand in hand and Chuck took her key and opened the door. The room was empty and Sarah invited him in. Sarah saw a note on the table. It read:
Sarah,
Saw you on TV. Great job. Congrats. Congrats on the performance, too. ;) Out with friends. Will be back late.
Zondra
Sarah read the note and chuckled. She showed it to Chuck and he smiled.
"Would you like some hot tea, Chuck?"
"I'd love some"
Sarah started the water boiling and invited Chuck to join her on the couch. Chuck put his arm around Sarah's shoulder and she leaned in on him. They enjoyed the companionable silence for a few minutes until the water was boiling. Sarah made them some herbal tea and they sat back on the couch.
"I'm really proud of you, Sarah. You did great today."
"Thanks, Chuck. Would you have been proud of me if I didn't do great?"
Chuck looked ashamed for a moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I love you. I'll always be proud of you."
Sarah reached up behind his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. "I'm sorry, Chuck. I was just teasing you. You are so much fun to tease. I love you, too."
Chuck smiled, relieved. "I need to be less sensitive, I know. It's just I can't believe that you love me."
"That just means I'll have to do a better job of showing you just how much I do. Besides, I can't believe you love me."
Chuck put his arms around her and pulled her in for another kiss that quickly heated up into a passionate embrace. Sarah climbed onto Chuck's lap and straddled him and deepened the kiss. Sarah ran her hands through Chuck's brown curls and Chuck's hands rubbed up and down on her back. Their breathing became faster and heavier as their tongues danced together. Sarah's hands drifted lower and started unbuttoning his shirt and Chuck's hands lowered to the bottom of Sarah's sweater and slid underneath the fabric where he found very warm bare skin. His hands started sliding up as he made small circles around her back. Sarah moaned softly "Chuuuuck….." Sarah had Chuck's shirt completely unbuttoned and was starting to slide it off his shoulders and Chuck hands had slid up to the bottom of her bra and he slid his hand underneath the strap continuing his massage. "Sarah….." Chuck leaned forward and allowed Sarah to remove his shirt, leaving him with a thin white T-shirt. She quickly reached down to the bottom of the T-shirt and lifted it up. Chuck raised his arms and let her remove it. Her lips quickly crashed back into his as their breathing became more and more ragged. Chuck moved his hand to her back and started fumbling with the hook of Sarah's bra. He was having difficulty unhooking it. Sarah smiled during the kiss and asked "Do you want some help?" Chuck smiled and said, "No, I've got this." He then reached around with his other hand and managed to unhook the garment using two hands. Sarah smiled. "It's about time. You must be out of practice," bringing a chuckle from him. Chuck continued to massage Sarah's back, this time with two hands and then brought his right hand to her side and stroked up and down, gradually getting closer to Sarah's left breast. Sarah was getting impatient and was about to turn her upper body to the left when the door to the room suddenly opened and Zondra staggered in, obviously having had too much to drink.
Chuck and Sarah were shocked and shouted in unison "Zondra!" Sarah jumped up off of Chuck and glared daggers at Zondra.
Zondra, gaining focus temporarily, saw the state of dress of her roommate and Chuck and slurred "Oops. Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Zondra then staggered over to her bed and fell flat on her stomach, completely passed out.
Chuck and Sarah stood there in complete shock for a moment before Chuck spoke. "I don't think even putting a sock on the door would have helped this situation."
Sarah chuckled and said "I think you're right. Her timing couldn't have been any worse."
Chuck smiled and said, "Well. It would have been a lot more awkward if we were both naked."
That got a real laugh from Sarah.
Chuck pulled Sarah to him and reveled in feeling her warmth against his bare skin. They stood that way for a long moment.
"I guess I better go. Do you want some help with Zondra?"
"No, thank you. I'll just cover her up with a blanket. Where are you going to go, Chuck? Morgan put a sock on your door."
"I'm sure the coast is clear by now and you need your sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."
"I know. You sure you don't want to stay?"
"I'm positive I want to stay, Sarah. It's just that I love you and want our first time, and every time for that matter, to be really special. And if I get into bed with you, I won't be able to keep my hands to myself and Zondra is here and neither of us will get any sleep."
If Sarah could fall any harder for Chuck, it just happened. She just hugged him tighter and finally looked up at him and said "You are the best man I have ever known and I love you Chuck Bartowski. I too want our first time and every time to be really, really, special and I know you will make it that way for me and I will do everything in my power to make it that special for you too."
They finally broke their embrace and Chuck put his shirts back on. Chuck picked up his coat and Sarah walked him to the door. "I'll bring you breakfast in the morning, Sarah."
"But it's my turn," Sara protested.
"I'm not keeping score. Besides, I have to get up early for practice tomorrow."
"Ok, Chuck. Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight, Sarah."
They shared a brief kiss and Chuck headed back to his room. Sarah closed the door and went toward the table. It was then she noticed that they never did touch their tea.
When Chuck got back to his room he discovered, much to his dismay, that the sock was still on the door. He thought for a moment and headed to the cafeteria. Once there, he found a table in the corner, took off his jacket and decided to use it as a pillow. Just as he drifted off to sleep, his last thought was I hate roommates.