A/N - I'm noticing a trend here. My chapters seem to be getting longer and longer. This story is going to be in three arcs. Arc 1 is where Chuck and Sarah meet at the Vancouver Olympics. Arc 2 is what happens with them during the following 4 years. And the final arc will be at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. I am also thinking of changing the category from being a crossover to just a Chuck fan fic. I'm not including any characters from the Cutting Edge, just using a little of the plot. Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think.
Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter 4
A few short hours later, Chuck was woken by the clanging of pots and pans in the kitchen. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 5am. For a moment he wondered how he ended up in the cafeteria all alone sleeping at a table. Then he remembered the previous night and thought of his beautiful blonde girlfriend, yes girlfriend, and wished he was with her instead of being where he was. Chuck sighed, stretched, and headed off to the bathroom. When finished, he washed up and splashed water on his face before looking in the mirror. He looked terrible. He needed a shower and he needed Sarah. Looking down at his watch again he noticed only fifteen minutes had passed. What was he going to do for two or three hours? Chuck decided to head over to the local coffee house and load up on caffeine before going back to his room. He really needed a shower and a change of clothes. Sarah would gladly let him use her shower he knew, but he didn't have any clean clothes at her place and he needed his hockey bag. After arriving at the coffee house, he purchased a large latte and a newspaper and sat down on a leather easy chair. It was going to be a long few hours.
Zondra woke up with a terrible headache and feeling nauseous. As she cracked open her eyes, the light seemed twice as bright and she immediately shut them and groaned. Opening one eye at a time, her eyes finally adjusted enough for her to look over at the other bed where she saw a sound asleep Sarah, alone in her bed. Her memories from last night were foggy at best and she thought she remembered seeing Chuck here with Sarah. Suddenly, Zondra felt very sick and she ran to the bathroom.
Sarah's very pleasant dream was interrupted by the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. She looked around the room and noticed Zondra was not in her bed and put two and two together. Grumpily, she got out of bed and went to her purse and got out some aspirin and filled a glass of water for Zondra. Sarah went to the bathroom door and knocked softly. "Zondra, are you OK?" she asked. Only a groan could be heard in response. "I have some aspirin and a glass of water for you when you come out of there." Zondra whispered back weakly. "Thank you."
Sarah looked at the clock. It was 8:30am. She figured Chuck would be there in about 30 minutes with breakfast and coffee, so she decided to think about getting dressed. Just then, Zondra opened the bathroom door and looked positively green. Sarah held out the aspirin and glass of water for her which she downed quickly. After doing so, she plopped down in a chair and sighed.
Sarah asked, "What happened last night? You came back totally hammered."
Zondra replied, "I was invited by Morgan and some of his snowboarding buddies to go out drinking last night. We went to a Canadian Hinju bar called Patel's. The owner is some crazy dude called Lester Patel and the manager is an even crazier dude by the name of Jeffrey Barnes. They stood up playing music and we drank all kinds of weird beverages I never heard of before. It was crazy. The next thing I remember was staggering into our room and seeing…." Oh god, Sarah. I'm sorry for walking in on you and Chuck like that. Maybe you should have put a sock on the door or something."
Sarah chuckled. "Would you have even noticed it in your state?"
Zondra looked sheepishly at Sarah. "No, probably not. The next thing I remember was waking up this morning lying face down on my bed. Thanks for the blanket by the way."
"You're welcome. Chuck's going to bring breakfast soon. Do you want the first shower?
"Thanks, Sarah." Zondra picked out some clothes and headed back to the bathroom.
After three lattes, Chuck headed over to the bakery and bought an assortment of pastries. He made sure there were plenty of chocolate croissants in the mix. He also bought 4 coffees and a carton of orange juice. Once back at his place, he noticed that the sock was gone from his door and he opened it and entered.
Morgan was sitting at the table with a huge grin on his face. "Hey, dude. Where were you all night? You look terrible. By the way, I saw the interview with Sarah last night. Awesome, dude!"
Morgan held out his fist and joined in a fist bump with Chuck.
"It's a long story. You had a sock on the door all night and Sarah's roommate Zondra got drunk and crashed back at their place. I didn't want to interrupt you and Sarah needed her sleep, so I went to the cafeteria. It was a long night. I need to hurry up and take a shower and get over to Sarah's. Who were you with, by the way?"
The door to the bathroom opened and out walked a cute brown haired young lady a little shorter than Morgan. "Hi," she said. "You must be Chuck. I'm Alex." Fortunately she was completely dressed.
"Pleased to meet you, Alex. How do you know my friend here."
Morgan spoke up. "She's a fellow snowboarder but is on the Canadian team. I met her first a few months ago at a pre-Olympic competition. We became friends and stayed in touch, but she was involved with someone else. I saw her at the Opening Ceremony and we agreed to meet up later after she told me she had broken up with her old boyfriend a while back. We went to a place called Patel's. It was crazy and we came back here."
"I brought breakfast for you and Sarah and Zondra. Help yourself while I take a shower. Just be sure to leave a few chocolate croissants."
"Thanks, Chuck," they chorused and looked in the bag.
"I hope Zondra didn't cause any problems for Chuck and Sarah last night. She was pretty smashed," said Alex.
"Unfortunately it sounded like she did. We'll have to make sure Chuck and Sarah get some alone time, and soon," responded Morgan.
Chuck emerged from the shower feeling refreshed and in much better spirits, although he was wired on caffeine. He had on his track suit and grabbed his hockey bag and the remaining pastries and coffee and headed over to Sarah's.
After Zondra finished with her shower, she got dressed and started to feel a little better. Sarah grabbed her bathrobe and went into the bathroom for her shower. While she was taking her shower, Chuck knocked on the door. Zondra looked through the peep hole and saw who it was and opened the door. Chuck was a little disappointed it wasn't Sarah, but he smiled and said, "Hi Zondra. I brought breakfast. I hope you're feeling better."
Zondra invited Chuck in and said, "Sarah's in the shower. She should be out shortly. Thanks for the food Chuck. Oh, and I'm really sorry about barging in on you like that last night."
"That's OK. Since Sarah has a big day today, it was probably for the best anyway."
Zondra snatched up one of the coffees and took a sip. "Ah, that's much better. What did you bring?"
Chuck handed the bag to Zondra and she peeked inside. She noticed there was a bear claw and took it out. "Is it ok if I take this? I love bear claws."
"It's all yours, Zondra. I'm glad I brought something you really like."
"Thanks, Chuck. You really are sweet."
"Sweet? Great. Thanks for making me feel like I'm eight."
Zondra chuckled. "From what I saw going on with you and Sarah last night Chuck, you are definitely not eight."
Chuck turned red and didn't notice that Sarah had emerged from the bathroom as he had his back to the door.
Sarah came up behind Chuck, put her arms around him and said, "You are sweet, Chuck, and you are definitely not eight."
Chuck smiled at her comment and the feeling of her arms around him. He slowly turned around in her arms and put his arms around her. He noticed that she was wearing her bathrobe and had her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. She smiled at him and blue eyes met brown eyes with love and adoration in them. Chuck leaned down and captured Sarah's lips in his and they were immediately lost in their own little world. After a long moment they heard Zondra clearing her throat. "Don't forget you're not alone in here."
Sarah and Chuck broke their embrace and she asked "What time do you have to go to practice, Chuck?"
"I need to leave in about twenty minutes."
Sarah pouted and said, "So soon?"
"Unfortunately, Casey moved up the practice time today. Something about avoiding distractions."
Sarah snorted. "Distractions my eye. He must have seen my interview last night. I hope what I said won't cause you any problems with the team."
"The only problem it will create is jealousy. They're all going to wonder how a nerd like me could be so lucky to have found a girl as wonderful as you."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Bartowski. But, I'm the lucky one."
"Please," Zondra huffed. If it gets any more sugary in here I'm going to have a diabetic ketoacidosis attack and I'm not diabetic."
Sarah looked at Zondra sideways and gave her a smirk. She told Chuck to sit down, went to the cupboard and got down some plates and put them on the table. Sarah came to where Chuck as sitting and sat down on his lap. "Is this seat taken, Chuck?
Chuck smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "That seat is exclusively reserved for you whenever you want it."
"Good answer. Now what did you bring me to eat?"
Sarah looked inside the bag and took out two of the chocolate croissants and put them on her plate. "Mmmm. My favorite. Thank you, Chuck" and she kissed him on the cheek. She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "Just the way I like it."
Chuck happily devoured a blueberry muffin and one of the several remaining chocolate croissants. He had his arms around Sarah and loved the warm feeling of her body next to his. They talked amiably with Zondra as they ate and she shared stories of her time at the speed skating rink and the fiasco at Patel's. Zondra then excused herself and went to the bathroom to finish getting ready for the day.
Sarah shifted in Chuck's arms and put her arm around his shoulder so her upper body was facing him. When she did so, her robe fell open and Chuck discovered Sarah was naked under her robe, at least the top half of her. Sarah leaned down and kissed him on the lips and she noticed what had happened and made no attempt to cover up. She saw that Chuck had noticed too and couldn't take his eyes away. Sarah arched her back a little so Chuck could get a better view and he gulped loudly. Chuck, suddenly feeling embarrassed, turned bright red and closed her robe. Before Chuck could apologize for staring, Sarah reached down and put her hand under his chin and lifted it up, capturing his lips in a heated kiss. After breaking off the kiss, Sarah whispered in his ear, "I'm not wearing anything at all under this robe. Would you like to see?"
Chuck stammered and coughed and Sarah chuckled at his reaction to her question. Before he could answer, his phone alarm went off and he had to leave for practice. They both groaned. Damn alarms and roommates.
Sarah reluctantly stood up and Chuck followed suit. He picked up his bag and called "Goodbye, Zondra" as he walked to the door with Sarah. He took her into his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately and Sarah responded with equal fervor. Chuck allowed his hands to wander south and he confirmed what Sarah told him as he felt no panty line. Sarah smiled at the end of the kiss with her lips next to his. "Careful, Buster. Don't start what you can't finish." Chuck leaned back and gave her the Bartowski eyebrow dance and smiled broadly. "I love you, Sarah. See you later."
"I love you too, Chuck. Have a good practice."
Chuck arrived at practice fifteen minutes early and started putting on his gear. Casey walked into the locker room and came up to him. "Bartowski, am I going to have to worry about you?"
"What do you mean, Casey?"
He grunted. "I saw that interview last night with Walker."
"Oh."
"She going to be a distraction for you? I'm counting on you to help shut down the other team's top line."
"No distraction, Casey. She's actually helping me to focus even better."
Casey grunted again. Twice. "Ok, but she better not wear you out before the games. You better practice abstinence during this tournament."
Chuck turned red and got angry. "What I do with my girlfriend is none of your business, Casey. I'll be ready to go and give my all every game. You can count on me."
Casey grunted three times. "If you aren't, you'll be benched."
"Fair enough, Casey. What are we working on today?"
Casey explained what they were doing on the way out to the ice. Chuck got a significant amount of ribbing from his teammates regarding Sarah and all were wondering how the nerd could land such a hot blonde. Chuck just responded that he wondered the same thing and his attitude just helped the team bond closer together.
When practice ended, he couldn't wait to get back to the village. He was going to meet Sarah for lunch.
They decided to go to the cafeteria for lunch since they didn't have much time to travel very far. While picking out their food in line, one of the workers looked at Chuck and said "Weren't you sleeping in the cafeteria last night?"
Sarah turned and looked at Chuck. "You slept here last night?"
Chuck looked down and nodded.
Sarah asked "Why?"
"I went back to my room and the sock was still on the door and I didn't want to interrupt anything and I wanted to make sure you got your rest and didn't want to disturb you, so I came here. My coat makes a pretty good pillow."
Sarah clenched her hands into fists and put them on her hips and glared at him. "Chuck Bartowski, don't ever do something like that again. Your rest is just as important as mine. Promise me that you'll come to me when you need a place to sleep and I'll do the same if the tables are turned."
Properly chastised, Chuck nodded in agreement.
Sarah smiled at him and said, "It's sweet that you're always looking out for my best interests. Please let me look out for yours, too."
They took their food, Chuck paid for it and they sat at a table to eat.
"Casey talked to me today….., about us."
Sarah raised an eyebrow.
"He's afraid you're going to be a distraction. I convinced him you weren't."
"Good. Something tells me that another proverbial shoe is going to drop."
"Yeah….He's worried that you're going to 'wear me out' and wants us to practice abstinence until the Olympics are over."
Sarah laughed. "I don't think he has anything to worry about. Every time we get close, something or someone interrupts us."
Chuck smirked. "I told him that what I did with my girlfriend was none of his business."
"You didn't."
"I did."
"Did he kick you off the team?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. He just told me that if I didn't give my all every game, I would be benched. He has nothing to worry about in that regard."
"No he doesn't. You'll do great, Chuck. Although I hope you're not planning to ask me to agree to the abstinence part."
"Not if I can help it, Sarah. But as you noted earlier, there does seem to be some kind of conspiracy that is keeping us apart."
"You believe in conspiracy theories, Chuck?"
Chuck laughed. "Only when they keep me from my beautiful girlfriend."
Sarah chuckled and leaned in for a kiss. "Let's end this conspiracy as soon as possible."
After Sarah left to get ready to go to the Pacific Coliseum, Chuck called Ellie and asked what time they were planning to go to the arena.
"The finals start a lot later than the short program. We are planning on getting there at 7:00pm. Do you want to have dinner with us beforehand?"
"Sarah, Bryce and I are planning on celebrating afterward. I don't want to eat too much before the program starts."
"Why don't you come to our hotel first. It is pretty close to the Coliseum."
"OK, El. I come by about 5pm."
"See you then."
When Chuck got back to his room, he found Morgan sound asleep taking an afternoon nap. Chuck thought that was a good idea since he didn't get much sleep the previous night. He set his phone alarm for 4:00pm and lay down on his bed. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Chuck invited Morgan to go with him to meet with Ellie and his parents. When they got to the hotel and knocked on the door, Ellie answered and was disappointed to see Morgan there. Morgan said "Hi Ellie. Long time no see."
Chuck said "I hope you don't mind me inviting Morgan along El. He's going to watch the skating tonight too and I didn't think you would mind if he came with us. He is my oldest friend, you know."
"Yeah, the boy who took my pillow to the 8th grade dance."
"I've matured, Ellie. I've got a new girlfriend too. She's going to meet us at the Coliseum to watch the skating. She had an interview to do with the Canadian press."
"Morgan Grimes has a girlfriend?"
"Yes, El. I met her. She seems really nice," said Chuck.
Mary came to the door of the suite they were in. "Invite them in, Ellie. We'll leave in a minute."
They went inside and heard Stephen talking on the phone. "Yes, Langston. I'll look into it when I get back from the skating. My son's girlfriend is going to win a gold medal tonight."
"Who was that, dad?" asked Chuck.
"He's the head of the government agency that the contract I'm working on is for. He wants an update on the status."
"Oh," said Chuck.
"Is everybody ready to go?
They all said yes and headed out the door.
Langston Graham looked at the receiver of his phone as he disconnected the call. As Director of the CIA, he was concerned over everything and everyone that was in contact with Stephen Bartowski, including the girlfriend of his son.
He picked up the phone and dialed. The man answered. "Jones, secure."
"Jones, have you seen Bartowski's son with a girl?
"Yes sir."
"Why wasn't I apprised of the situation?"
"You told me to just watch and observe him, sir. It's in my report that I just sent to you. It appears that they're getting quite close. Did you see the copy of the interview she did last night? Sarah Walker called Chuck her boyfriend. Is there a problem, sir?"
"No problem, Jones. I want to make sure he's safe. His dad has reported threats against his family. You better assign someone to follow this Walker girl to make sure she's not a problem."
"Will do, Director."
When they all arrived at the Pacific Coliseum, Chuck saw Emma and Jack in the lobby and went over to say hello. They had the same seats as the previous night so they would all be sitting together. Morgan saw Alex and brought her over to meet the Bartowskis. They were all amazed that Morgan had actually found a girl and a nice one to boot.
Chuck felt his phone vibrate and checked the screen. Sarah had sent him a text and asked him to meet her where they met the previous day. Chuck readily agreed and he headed on over, alone. Once he arrived at the spot, he texted Sarah that he was there. Chuck bounced nervously on his toes while he waited. A short time later, a vision of an angel entered his line of sight and walked awkwardly toward him as she was wearing her skates. Sarah Walker was absolutely stunning in her gold dress that had a plunging neckline and beige fabric for a modicum of modesty. Chuck's jaw almost dropped to the floor as Sarah came up to him as Chuck was rooted to the ground. Sarah smiled at him coyly as she gave him a light kiss on the lips. Chuck finally snapped out of his stupor and said,"Wow, Sarah. Your dress is incredible. I am absolutely speechless. Although you could make a gunny sack look good."
Sarah laughed as she spun slowly around for him so he could get a good look. "I'm glad you approve. I picked out these dresses without my boyfriend's approval and based on the reaction I've received these two days I had nothing to worry about."
Chuck took Sarah's hands in his and looked deep into her blue eyes. "I'm glad you want my approval but you literally would look good in anything." He pulled her into a chaste but deep kiss. "You're going to do great out there. Just don't leave anything on the table. Give it your all and go for it."
"Thanks Chuck. We will and it's wonderful knowing you're supporting me, us, no matter what."
"I'm here for you Sarah. Always. No matter what happens."
Chuck pulled her close and he held her for a long moment. Beckman came out of the locker room and walked up to the couple. "It's time to go, Sarah." Sarah introduced Diane to Chuck and they shook hands. "She's going to do great."
"I know."
Chuck gave Sarah one more kiss and looked her once more in the eye. "I love you Sarah Walker. Enjoy your time out there. It's what you've worked so hard for."
Sarah responded. "I will Chuck and I love you too. See you after the competition." Sarah and Diane turned and walked back inside the locker room.
By the time Chuck returned to his seat, the skating had already started. The early skaters had no chance to win but some of them performed pretty well. Chuck turned his attention to the TV monitors and watched the commentators speak.
"The question of the night heading into the free program is will they, or won't they?
"Yes, that is the question everyone is asking."
"Will Walker and Larkin do side by side triple axels or won't they? Since they have a big lead, do they even need to do them? What do you think, Kristi?"
"It is a big risk – reward scenario. If they try them and succeed, there is almost no way they can lose. If they fail, it opens the door for Shaw and Smith."
"Do you think they'll try it?"
"Seeing how happy Sarah Walker is right now, I'm sure of it."
Chuck smiled to himself as he watched knowing that he had something to do with Sarah's happiness.
Walker and Larkin were skating second to the last in the final group and Shaw and Smith were skating last. Shaw and Smith's program had the potential to score a few more points than Walker and Larkin's program if they didn't do the triple axel. The time finally came for Bryce and Sarah.
As they skated on the ice, Sarah looked up and saw Chuck and her family cheering wildly for them. She wanted so badly to do well and win. Bryce turned to Sarah and asked "Are we doing the triple?" "Definitely," Sarah replied. "Why," asked Bryce. "Because I feel like kickin' a little ass."
They took their opening pose and the music from Bolero started. Their opening move was the side by side triple axel jump and as they approached their take off point, both skaters caught a perfect forward outside edge on their skates and rotated in unison three and a half times before landing perfectly on the ice. A huge roar came from the crowd as they knew they were witnessing something special as none of the other competitors were even going to attempt such a jump. Bryce and Sarah continued on in their program, landing perfect jump after perfect jump, making exquisite lifts and throws and spirals before finishing with a magnificent death spiral. The crowd rose to their feet as the two skaters finished and shared a hug and reveled in the applause. Sarah looked up at Chuck in the stands and blew him a kiss. He smiled broadly and returned one to her. After taking their bows and picking up some of the numerous flowers thrown on the ice, Bryce and Sarah went to the kiss and cry area to wait for their scores. The crowd chanted their names and expected a record breaking score. Bryce and Sarah jumped up and waved ecstatically when the score was posted. They received an incredible 140.33 points, giving them a total of 218.23. The only way for them to lose is for Shaw and Smith to do something they have never done before.
Chuck wanted to go down and be with Sarah, but the television crew had taken her and Bryce to the back to get their reaction. So Chuck, unhappily, was forced to stay and watch the final competitors. Shaw and Smith, skating to a polka started brilliantly, landing several triple jump combinations. Daniel was dressed in lederhosen, complete with suspenders and Amy had on her German peasant costume. They were skating the best they ever had but is was doubtful they could exceed the score put up by Walker and Larkin. Ask they approached the end of their program, while they were performing a series of spins, the blade of Amy's skate caught on Shaw's suspenders in the back, cutting them loose, causing Amy to land hard on her ass and Shaw's pants to fall down, making him fall flat on the ice. The crowd groaned at their plight but the sight of them lying and sitting on the ice caused the crowd to begin laughing hysterically. Shaw and Smith got up and hurriedly left the ice, too embarrassed to take their bows. Fortunately for them, they had enough of a lead and piled up enough points early in their program to finish third and get a bronze medal.
Finally it was time for the medal ceremony. Shaw and Smith were introduced first and since they were from Canada, received a loud round of applause. Shaw had fixed his costume and they had overcome their embarrassment. The silver medal went to a Russian pair, Markarov and Solemsky. They finished with a good score, but far behind Walker and Larkin. Finally, Sarah and Bryce were introduced as the gold medalists to a rousing standing ovation. After everyone had received their medals and flowers, the winners turned on the podium to face the flags for the playing of the US National Anthem. Bryce and Sarah placed their hands over their hearts and sang along. Sarah had tears of joy streaming down her face and when it was over, they invited the other pairs to join them at the center podium for more pictures.
At the conclusion of the medal ceremony, the arena started to empty out. Bryce and Sarah were asked to stay for more interviews and Chuck was going crazy trying to get to see Sarah. Finally, after the last interview, Sarah came out to where Chuck could see her and he ran to her and picked her up in his arms and gave her a big kiss. "You did it, Sarah! I'm so happy for you." Sarah smiled broadly and kissed Chuck back as he set her back down. Chuck reached down and picked up the medal that was hanging around her neck and took a close look at it. "You're going to get one too, Chuck. Your team is good enough to win." Chuck said "Thank you, Sarah. But tonight we need to celebrate your victory." Chuck saw Bryce standing nearby and stuck out his hand. "Congratulations Bryce. You were fantastic out there. " Bryce smiled back and said "thanks, Chuck. It feels great. Did someone say something about a celebration?"
Just then Jack and Emma walked up and congratulated the victors. They were so proud of their daughter. Jack said "I was able to secure a small banquet room at our hotel for a celebration. Stephen and Mary are ordering the food and we're getting the champagne. Bryce, feel free to invite some of your friends to join us as well."
Bryce smiled and said "Thanks Mr. W. I have three or four people in mind."
"Great," said Jack. "Were staying at the Grand Ambassador."
Chuck walked with Sarah and Bryce back to the locker rooms so they could change. Sarah took off her gold medal and put in around Chuck's neck. "Hold it for me?" Chuck grinned and said "Of course sweetheart. Hurry back so I can put it back on the person who earned it." Sarah kissed Chuck tenderly and she hurried inside to change. Sarah called over her shoulder and said "Be right back."
Bryce came out first and stood with Chuck while they waited for Sarah. Chuck asked "How does it feel?"
"Great, Chuck. But I have to admit I'm feeling a little melancholy. I can't believe it's over. I'm going onto a new phase of life, soon. I'm not even sure if I want to compete at World's now. This is the pinnacle."
"Have you discussed World's with Sarah?"
"We had always planned on competing at the World Championships, but it's something we need to discuss now."
Sarah just then walked out of the ladies locker room carrying her bag. Chuck took her gold medal and put it around her neck and took her bag from her to carry it. Sarah kissed him briefly and turned to Bryce.
"Discuss what with me, Bryce?"
"The World's. I'm not sure I want to compete there now."
"I'm surprised, Bryce. We had always planned on going."
"I know. But we won it last year and now we're Olympic Champions. It seems like it will just be a letdown."
"I see what you mean, Bryce. Let's not make any rash decisions. We should probably talk to Diane, too."
"OK, Sarah. Let's celebrate and think about it for a few days and talk to Beckman. All I know is that I'm not setting foot on the ice for a few days."
"Me neither. OK, Bryce. Let's go celebrate."
Room 323 at the Grand Ambassador Vancouver was basically a large suite with a kitchen and wet bar and separate bedroom. It could easily hold the thirty or so people that were there to celebrate Sarah and Bryce's gold medal. In addition to the Bartowskis and Walkers, there were Morgan, Alex, Zondra, Carina, several other members of the US Figure Skating team, friends of Bryce and a few members of the snowboarding team and speedskating team and John Casey and Diane Beckman. Stephen and Mary had ordered shrimp, meatballs, kebabs, relish trays, fruit, and dessert to eat and Jack and Emma ordered champagne, wine, beer and various soft drinks for their guests to enjoy.
Once everyone who wanted one had a flute of champagne, Jack proposed a toast. "To Sarah and Bryce. Congratulations on winning the gold medal. You made us all proud and best wishes for a great future." The sounds of 'here, here,' were heard along with the tickling of glasses and the sound of champagne being sipped. Bryce took a moment to thank their coach and the support of the Walkers as he lost his parents when he was a teenager. Sarah also took a moment to thank her parents for all the sacrifices they made for her to allow her to skate and also to Bryce to sticking with her for all these years and for being her friend.
After a while, Morgan found a stereo and put on some music. A corner of the room became a dance floor and several of the guests began dancing. Chuck, standing next to Sarah, took her hand and led her to the dance area and began a slow dance with her. Neither of them cared about the beat of the music but were just content to hold each other and sway to the music. At the end of the song, their lips met in a chaste but loving kiss and they pressed their foreheads together.
Stephen and Jack, who were talking together at the other side of the room, looked over and saw their children in their embrace. Jack said to Stephen "You know, when I first learned of your son's and my daughter's relationship, I was concerned that it would be a distraction for her and cost her the gold medal. But, after I got to know Chuck some and saw how happy he made Sarah, I knew my first impression was wrong. You raised a fine young man, Stephen."
Stephen smiled and said "They are good for each other aren't they? We got a chance to get to know Sarah before you met Chuck and we think the world of her. She's a fine young lady. Chuck's a lucky guy."
The two men watched Chuck and Sarah a little while longer. "You know, Jack. Don't be surprise if one day my son comes to you to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."
"If that happens, I can't think of a better young man to be my son-in-law.
The party continued on until the wee hours of the morning before the guests started heading back to where they were staying. Jack and Emma were concerned about Sarah as she had more than a few glasses of champagne and wanted her to stay with them at the hotel. Chuck wasn't much better and Sarah didn't want Chuck to go without her. So, Jack and Emma invited Chuck to stay with them as well as their room was a one bedroom suite. Sarah would sleep on the couch and Chuck would take the floor. Sarah borrowed one of her mother's pajama sets and Chuck just stripped down to his boxers and his T-shirt. Jack and Emma said goodnight and gave them their extra pillows and blankets and left Chuck and Sarah sitting on the sofa. Chuck had his arm around Sarah and she was snuggled up to him and they put one of the blankets over them. Chuck leaned his head against the back of the couch and soon was fast asleep. Sarah was resting her head on Chuck's shoulder and also was soon asleep. During the night they shifted positions where Chuck was lying on his back and Sarah was almost lying on top of him. Chuck's left hand had drifted up underneath her pajama top to the middle of her back and his right hand had slid down to where his fingertips were underneath the waistband of her bottoms. Sarah was in that half-awake, half-asleep twilight and was reveling at his touch. She lifted her eyes and noticed that Chuck's were still closed and his breathing was still even. As Sarah became more aware of her situation, she noticed something else. Chuck was aroused, very definitely aroused. And so was she.
Jack and Emma were lying in bed after enjoying a wonderful time of lovemaking and were trying to decide whether to get up or not. Jack's stomach growled and he declared that he should order room service. He started to sit up but Emma held him in place for a moment. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Jack thought for a moment. "Did I forget to tell you that I love you? I thought I said that to you numerous times over the last several minutes."
Emma chuckled and said, "Yes, you did. It's not that."
Still failing to comprehend her point he asked "What is it then?"
"We're not alone in our hotel room."
Jack sat up with a start. "What, someone's been watching us?"
That got a genuine laugh from Emma. "No, silly. Our wonderful daughter and her very nice boyfriend are in the living room."
Jack relaxed and put his head back down on the pillow. He turned his head and smirked at Emma. "Do you think they slept apart last night?"
Emma smiled back coyly at him. "Would we have?"
"Of course not. But do you think if we walked out there now we would be interrupting anything?
"Probably not. I'm sure they're still a little hung over from last night."
They decided to throw on some clothes, check on Chuck and Sarah and order room service.
Sarah shifted her position so she was now completely lying on top of Chuck and positioned herself a little higher on his body. This accomplished two things. She could now reach his jawline with her lips and it caused his right hand to slide farther under her pajama bottoms. She was cursing herself in her mind wishing now she had not decided to wear any panties under the bottoms. Her internal complaining ended quickly, however as Chuck shifted his hand upward and then downward to slide underneath her panties.
Chuck was enjoying a very, very, very pleasant dream. He was dreaming that his absolutely gorgeous girlfriend was lying on top of him and kissing his jawline. He also felt her burning hot skin under his fingertips on her back and yes, on her ass. He stretched a little and pushed his hardness upward and felt an intense warmth. This doesn't feel like a dream. Chuck cracked open his eyes and saw Sarah kissing him from his ear down to the tip of his jaw and back again. The next time down his jawline he turned his head slightly and his lips met hers. Sarah pulled back a little to be able to look him in the eyes. "You're awake."
"I was having this incredible dream that my gorgeous kick ass girlfriend was lying on top of me and my hands were finding some very soft bare skin…. Now I know it's a lot better that that. It's not a dream."
Sarah smirked. "You're right. It's definitely not a dream." Chuck reached behind her head with his left hand and pulled her in for a very intense passionate kiss. Their tongues explored each other's mouths and dueled for supremacy. Chuck, much to Sarah's delight, slid his left hand from behind her head south ward to join his right hand on her perfect ass. His hands started to massage her bare skin and she groaned with pleasure. As he was massaging her, her pajama bottoms and panties were getting pushed down farther and Sarah assisted in that by lifting her hips slightly so that Chuck could lower them further.
As Sarah and Chuck continued to get more and more involved with what they were doing, the bedroom door opened and Jack and Emma walked into the room. "Rise and shine, you two," they called out in unison. "It's time to get breakfast."
Chuck and Sarah groaned together as they were interrupted, again. They were thanking their lucky stars that they were still covered by a blanket as Sarah didn't want her parents to see her bare ass. Chuck, being the helpful guy he was, took his hands off her bare skin and pulled her garments back up so that she was covered. Sarah sat up, which allowed Chuck to do the same. Sarah slid the blanket over to cover his lap until he calmed down. "Great, what are we having?"
Jack ordered bacon and eggs, toast, coffee and orange juice for everyone. "How did you sleep?
Chuck and Sarah both smiled and said "Great." Chuck pulled on his pants and Sarah went into the bedroom to change. After they took turns using the bathroom, the food had arrived.
Emma asked, "What is your schedule like for today, Chuck?"
"We have our first game tonight. It's against Hungary."
Sarah said "I can hardly wait. It'll be the first time I get to see Chuck play."
Chuck smiled and said "Don't forget honey that I'm just a fourth line center. I'm on the checking line."
"Yeah, but you're the best fourth line center at the Olympics."
"And you're biased."
"It's the truth, sweetheart."
Jack spoke up, breaking their little bubble and said, "Do you think we can get tickets? We would like to go."
"It's an early game, so I think there are some left."
"I'll go down to the box office today and pick up tickets for as many of your games as we can."
Chuck smiled and said "We'd love to have the support. Thanks for wanting to come."
Chuck looked at his watch and said "I have a team meeting to go to in an hour and need to get going."
Just then, Sarah received a call."Yes, this is she.,,,, When?... This afternoon? Where? Ok, that should work. I'll be there at 4:00."
"Who was that, Sarah," Chuck asked.
"That was the TV Network. They want me and Bryce for an interview at 4:30 to open the overage tonight. The interview is with Hartley Winterbottom."
"The Olympics anchorman? Wow, that is impressive. I'm sure you will wow them."
"The only person I want to 'wow' is you, Chuck."
Chuck's cheeks turned pink. Sarah stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Will I be able to see you before the game starts?"
"I hope so. When I find out the exact time for everything I will send you a text. Hopefully I can sneak out and see you for a minute."
Chuck and Sarah kissed lovingly and he turned to go.
"I love you, Chuck."
" I love you too, Sarah. See you later."
Sarah arrived at the TV Studios at precisely 4:00. Bryce walked in right after her and they said hello.
"Did you have a nice time at the celebration last night, Bryce?"
"I had a great time, Sarah. Carina helped me celebrate even more after."
"TMI, Bryce."
"What? Didn't you and Chuck get a chance to celebrate?"
"What makes you say that?"
"You're looking very happy, but a little tense."
"It's just the interview. Besides, I don't kiss and tell."
"I'm not talking about kissing, Sarah," Bryce smirked.
Fortunately for Sarah, they were called in to get the makeup put on and then they were called into the studio. Both were wearing their gold medals around their necks.
Each sat in plush white semi-circular looking chairs with Hartley sitting across from them.
The show started and Hatley introduced them as the darlings of US Figure Skating and welcomed them to the program.
"Congratulations, you two. I bet it is a dream come true."
Bryce responded, "Yes it is. Sarah and I and have been partners for a long time and we have worked very hard for this."
"Yes, it is. As Bryce said, we have worked long and hard for this and it's great. We also have a lot of people to thank for helping us get here, including our coach, Diane Beckman, our families and friends. Even though Bryce's parents passed away when he was in high school, they are a big part of our success and will forever be in our hearts.
Bryce said "Amen to that."
What's next for you? Hartley asked. "Are you going to compete in the World Championships?
Sarah and Bryce looked at each other. Bryce broke the silence. "We had always planned on competing, but now we're not so sure."
"This could have been the last time Walker and Larkin skated together?" Hartley asked.
Sarah spoke up. "We'll be skating in the exhibition at the end of the games and we haven't decided on the Worlds."
Are you going to be skating as a team next year?
"I've been accepted to medical school at Stanford next fall, so I will be retiring before then. If there is a skating tour in the summer, I might take part if Bryce wants to."
What are you going to do Bryce?
I've always wanted to be an actor. So watch out ladies, I'm heading to Hollywood."
That got a chuckle from Sarah and Hartley.
Hartley turned to Sarah and said "Bryce seems like a charming guy yet you two have never been a couple. How have you not succumbed to his advances?"
Sarah laughed. "Easy. He's not my type."
They showed a picture of Chuck and Sarah kissing.
"And this man is your type? He looks kind of geeky to me."
"Nerd. And he is totally my type."
Bryce chimed in. "Believe it. It's sickeningly sweet watching those two. Besides, Sarah has been kind enough to introduce me to some of her friends."
"Chuck is the envy of almost the entire male population in Vancouver right now."
"You're so kind."
"Now that your competition is over, are you going to watch any of the other events?
Sarah spoke up first and said "Of course I'm going to watch all of Chuck's hockey games and some of the events my friends are in like skiing, speed skating and snowboarding. Maybe a few others as well."
Bryce said "I'm going to be checking out a lot of the same events as Sarah, but not so many hockey games."
Hartley turned to the camera. "There you have it. America's golden couple, although they really aren't a couple." Hartley chuckled at his own joke. He was the only one. "Congratulations to both of you again. This is Hartley Winterbottom signing off."
Once off the air, Hartley thanked them again and left the stage. They unhooked the microphones and Sarah and Bryce headed out the door. They promised to take a couple of days off to think about what to do next and to talk with Beckman then.
Sarah then called Chuck but got his voicemail and she left a message asking him to call her when he could. She then called her mom and asked what they were doing for dinner. "We're just heading over to a burger joint next to the hockey arena. Dad was able to get tickets to the rest of Chuck's games for us. We'll catch a cab and pick you up on the way. I've seen the building you're at. Just wait inside and I'll text you when we get there."
While Sarah was waiting, her phone vibrated and she looked at the screen. It was Chuck and her face immediately lit up. "Hi Chuck"
"Hi Sarah. Sorry I missed your call. Our team meeting lasted a lot longer than I expected."
"No worries Chuck. What were you guys talking about."
"Nothing important. Just how to avoid distractions and to be sure to practice abstinence."
Sarah snorted and started laughing. "Really?"
"No, not really. I'm just teasing. We talked about strategy and match ups and the roles we are going to play. Casey must have been a drill sergeant in a past life. We must have gone over the same things five times."
"It's better to be prepared, Chuck."
"I know. I really miss you."
"Me too, Chuck."
"What are you doing now?"
"I'm waiting for my mom and dad to pick me up. We're going to the burger joint by the hockey arena to get something to eat."
"Super Jumbo Burger?"
"Yeah, I think that's the place. What are you doing for dinner? I don't want to mess up your pregame routine."
"It's still two hours before faceoff. Can I meet you there for a quick bite?"
Sarah grinned broadly. "I don't know. I only meet handsome brown eyed men about 6 foot 4 with curly brown hair and an incredible smile who play center on the US hockey team fourth line. Do you know anyone like that? He's invited."
Chuck laughed heartily. "He sounds like he has some pretty tough shoes to fill, or skates I should say."
Sarah's grin broadened even further. "Of course you can come Chuck. I just got a text from my mom. She's here. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes."
"Great Sarah. I'll see you then"
Sarah was smiling brightly when she got to the cab. "What are you so happy about?"
"Chuck just called me back and he can meet us for dinner."
"The schnook is going to join us? That's great Sarah."
Sarah smiled. "He's not just any schnook, dad. He's my schnook."
Jack laughed and said "I'm glad you're so happy my daughter. I think you picked a good one. Finally."
Sarah thought about what he said and had to agree. She simply smiled.
They arrived at the burger place faster than expected and went inside. Fortunately there was a table in the back that was available and they took it. A few minutes later, Chuck walked in scanning the room. Sarah stood up and waved at him and Chuck hurried over. Chuck picked up Sarah and swung her around once and gave her a big kiss. "Now I'm ready to play a hockey game." Jack snorted at his comment and Emma and Sarah simply laughed softly.
Jack asked "What do you all want to eat? My treat."
Sarah said "The usual. Medium rare cheeseburger with extra pickles and a chocolate malt."
"I'll take a triple burger with cheese and a biggie fry and a chocolate malt sounds good too."
"You like to eat all that before a game, Chuck?
"I haven't had anything to eat since this morning. I'm really hungry. Besides, I have plenty of time to digest it."
Jack knew what Emma wanted and went up to the counter to order. Chuck sat down and Sarah promptly sat on his lap. "I'm not too heavy for you am I Chuck? This isn't too much of a distraction for you is it?"
Chuck snorted and enveloped Sarah in his arms. Emma looked at the couple and said "I'm really glad you found each other." "Me, too," said Sarah.
Jack came back to the table with their drinks and the food was delivered shortly thereafter. They all dug in.
Emma asked "I hope you don't mind Chuck, but could you please explain some of the rules to me? I don't know much about ice hockey."
Chuck smiled and said "I'd be happy to." He then went on to explain what the lines meant, offside, icing, face offs, what each position is supposed to do and the various penalties. When he got to the fighting part she asked "Do you get into many fights, Chuck?"
"No, Emma. Every team has a couple of players that do most of the fighting. They do it to protect the skill players and sometimes just to change the momentum of the game."
"Do you have any dreams of playing in the NHL, Chuck?" asked Jack.
"Growing up I dreamed of playing for the Kings. They were my favorite team. But, I never was drafted so I don't think it will ever happen. I was good enough to get an ice hockey scholarship to Harvard and was able to graduate last spring with a computer science degree. I help my parents with their computer company and I was lucky enough to make the Olympic team. Who knows, if I do real well in the Olympics, maybe I'll at least get a tryout with one of the teams. An Anaheim Ducks scout spotted me and got me the Olympic tryout. Maybe they'll give me a try. If I get the opportunity, I have to try. It's been my dream for years."
"Your mom told me that you did more than graduate from Harvard. You graduated at the top of your class," Emma offered. "She says you already designed a number one best-selling computer game that has made their company a fortune."
Chuck looked embarrassed at the accolades being heaped upon him. "I guess that means I have a fallback plan if playing in the NHL doesn't work out."
Sarah looked at Chuck and said "No matter what you decide to do, Chuck, you'll do great and I'll support you."
Chuck responded, "No matter what I do with my life, Sarah, I just want you to be in it."
Sarah's eyes became moist and she told him, "I want you do be in my life too, Chuck. No matter what."
Their lips crashed together to start a passionate kiss when they both pulled back suddenly. "I guess we shouldn't have order onions on our burgers, she laughed. Emma had already reached in her purse and pulled out a tin of Altoids. Sarah and Chuck each took three and put them immediately in their mouths. After the mints dissolved, Chuck said "Now where were we? Sarah raised an eyebrow and smirked. The both leaned in and started the kiss again. After they pulled away for air, they said in unison, "Now, that's better."
Jack, Emma and Sarah walked into the arena and saw the Bartowskis. They saw someone new with his arm around Ellie. He was a very handsome young man with an athletic build and bright smile. The three of them approached the group and were welcomed with hugs and smiles. Ellie said, let me introduce you to my fiancé, Devon Woodcomb. He's a heart doctor and couldn't get away until last night. Devon let me introduce you to Sarah Walker, the new pairs gold medalist and her parents Jack and Emma. Oh, and most important, Sarah is Chuck's new girlfriend."
Devon smiled back and took a good look at Sarah. "Woah, way to go Chuckster. Wow, you are really beautiful." Ellie punched Devon in the arm. "But not as beautiful as you, El." Ellie smirked and said, "Nice comeback. She really is beautiful, isn't she?" It was Sarah's turn to be embarrassed.
"Where are you sitting, Jack asked?"
"We're in Section C row 4. We're right behind the benches. We got tickets a long time ago after we found out Chuck made the Olympic team. Chuck bought an extra ticket in case and that of course is for Sarah."
Jack said "We're unfortunately in the nosebleed section as we got tickets really late because we didn't know until very recently that we would be watching hockey."
Devon responded "One of my frat brothers is in the men's short track event and the event is the same time as Chuck's games if they make the quarterfinals and semifinals. So, you're welcome to use our tickets those two games if you want."
"Wow Devon and Ellie, that's very nice of you. Let's hope Chuck's team makes it that far."
The talked a little while longer and went to their seats. When the players came out for warm ups, Sarah stood up and cheered loudly for her man. When Chuck skated by, he nodded to her and smiled and she blew him a kiss. Some of his teammates saw this and endlessly ribbed him about it until the game started. Once the game started, they were all business.
The puck dropped and the game was underway. Both teams started slowly, getting a feel for the ice. About five minutes in, Chuck got his first shift and performed well, helping keep the puck deep into opposing territory. Finally, after the halfway point of the first period, the US scored the first goal on a power play. That's the way the first period ended and Chuck logged about 5 minutes of ice time and played well. Early in the second period, Chuck was on the ice, this time helping to kill a penalty. The normal person on this part of the penalty kill was in the sin bin and Chuck was sent out to take his place. With about ten seconds left in the two minute minor for slashing, Chuck anticipated perfectly a pass and filled in the passing lane. Chuck intercepted the pass in stride and raced down the ice. For a big man, Chuck was pretty fast. With several Hungarian players chasing after him Chuck closed in on goal and fired a quick wrist shot that beat the goalie in the five-hole. The red light went on and Chuck raised his stick in celebration, not believing he just scored a goal in the Olympics. His teammates surrounded him and patted him on the helmet and shoulders and he headed to the bench. Looking a few rows behind the bench, he saw Sarah jumping up and down in excitement and hugging his family.
Chuck's goal turned out to be an important one as the Hungarian net minder was brilliant the rest of the way and prevented the US from scoring again. In the third period, Hungary got on the board and scored a good goal against the US top line. The score ended with the US winning 2-1 and Chuck playing a great defensive third period.
Back in the locker room, Casey spoke to the team. "Great win gentlemen and a great goal Bartowski. I guess she isn't a distraction. This got a laugh from his teammates. Seriously gentlemen, we need to tighten up our passing if we are going to beat the Swiss next game. Defense was terrific tonight and keep that going. Practice is tomorrow at 1pm. See you all then."
The players all changed and headed out of the locker room. Sarah was anxiously waiting for Chuck to appear as he was one of the last to emerge. When Sarah saw Chuck, she ran to him and jumped into his arms and gave him a gigantic kiss. While this was going on, one of his linemates, Crash Thompson, saw what was going on and said loudly for everyone to hear "I guess someone isn't going to be practicing abstinence tonight." Chuck and Sarah were oblivious to everything that was going on around them.
When they arrived back at the Olympic village, Chuck and Sarah decided to go to his room. When they got there, they thought the coast was clear and they would be able to have some alone time as there was no sock on the door. Chuck and Sarah were engaged in a passionate embrace at the door when Chuck, after fumbling with the key due to Sarah's ministrations, finally opened the door. As they stepped inside, the lights suddenly came on and a loud 'Surprise' was yelled out. Much to Chuck's and Sarah's surprise, and dismay, his room was full of well wishers and friends congratulating Sarah on her gold medal and Chuck on his goal. Needless to say, the conspiracy remained intact.