Sarah was wearing a blindfold, but she couldn't have felt safer as Chuck's hand gently gilded her forward. She took one step then another and slowly she noticed the ground change. The hard surface under her feet was replaced with loose ground. After another few steps, Sarah realized she was walking on sand.
"Are we at the beach?" Sarah asked.
"No, of course not. Why would you think that I'd bring you back to our beach for our anniversary?" Chuck replied. "That's just nonsense." Sarah laughed. "How'd you figure it out? I drove around all over."
"I'm walking on sand," Sarah explained.
"You're wearing shoes," Chuck said. He was still guiding her forward as they talked.
"I can tell the difference between sand and stone even in shoes, Chuck," Sarah chuckled at him.
Suddenly they stopped walking and Sarah felt his hands gently remove her blind fold.
"Surprise!" Chuck said. "I know you guessed the beach, but at least the rest is still a surprise."
Sarah's breath caught in her chest. She could hardly believe Chuck had gone to so much trouble for an anniversary she didn't even remember.
Small holes had been pressed into the sand until they formed a large heart shape. In each little indentation there sat a tiny tea light candle. In the low early evening light, the candles stood out bright against the white sand.
In the centre of the heart, Chuck had set up a tiny picnic. There was a light coloured blanket laid out over the sand with two chair cushions side by side. A small slightly raised wooden table was placed in front of the seating. Though Sarah thought it looked more like a very fancy cheese board than a table, it still fit perfectly. There was a bucket with champagne and a basket beside it that Sarah had to assume had their dinner in it.
"It's beautiful, Chuck," Sarah said with wonder.
"Not as beautiful as you," Chuck answered easily.
He'd been making a habit of this since they'd kissed on the beach. Always taking every opportunity to turn a casual conversation into a love confession and though Sarah enjoyed it, she wasn't necessarily used to it.
Sarah had made a point over the last several months to learn everything she could about the time that she'd lost. During Ellie's last visit, she'd asked endless annoying questions about baby Chuck. Sarah had quite enjoyed it when Ellie had brought out the baby photos and Chuck had turned a dark shade of pink. She'd bothered Morgan as well for details about her old life. He'd turned out to be a wealth of information about Chuck before he'd met Sarah.
Even though Sarah still hadn't remembered more than a glimpse or two here and there, she was starting to put the pieces together, but more than that, she was happy. Happy living with her husband.
There was still, however, one cloud in her sky. Emotionally she was behind in this marriage. Chuck was ready to start a family. It had become more obvious to Sarah every day since the day she'd first asked him about it. The problem was that Sarah was still getting used to the idea of being his wife. Without her memories to help her catch up to him on an emotional level, Sarah had no idea if she would ever be ready.
"Well, don't just stand there," Chuck told her playfully. "Come sit, eat."
Sarah turned to kiss him sweetly before going to sit on one of the comfortable looking cushions.
They were almost finished eating when Sarah caught herself smiling at her husband. She wondered sometimes if having all the memories of how they fell in love would minimise how lucky she felt. Who else was lucky enough to have such devotion as this?
"What?" Chuck asked. Sarah just shrugged. "You were grinning at me."
"Oh, just lost in my thoughts," Sarah replied.
"Can I know those thoughts?" Chuck asked. "Or are they a secret?"
"Not a secret per say," Sarah answered.
"Then do share," Chuck added. His smile lit up his eyes, like he was smiling with his soul not just his face.
"It's just sometimes… well, It's like every now and then. I stop and I realise that this isn't all a dream," Sarah explained.
"I know what you mean." He was looking at her with that heart in his eyes expression again. Sarah had grown to love that look. She couldn't feel the love back to quite the same degree, but she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't love him already. Not that she'd had the guts to tell him yet. Sarah had done everything she could think of to show him how she felt, but every time she'd opened her mouth to say the words they always got stuck in her throat.
"There just aren't guys like you out there, Chuck," Sarah continued.
"Pfft," Chuck dismissed her praise. "Sure there are."
"Trust me there really aren't," Sarah argued. "I've travelled all over the world and I've never met anyone quite like you."
"It may feel like that but, Sarah, I'm pretty average," Chuck reminded her. "I bet you can't name one example."
"I could name a dozen," Sarah answered easily. "Starting with the fact that only you, Chuck, would go to all this trouble to celebrate an anniversary that your wife can't even remember."
Chuck laughed. "Which anniversary do you think we are celebrating?" he asked.
"How should I know? I don't remember any of them."
"That's not true," Chuck said. "You remember one of them." Sarah just stared at him very confused until he explained. "One year ago today we were sitting right here on this beach and you asked me to kiss you."
"Wait, this isn't a wedding anniversary, or celebrating our first date, or us getting engaged, or anything like that?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"Of course not," Chuck replied. "This is the anniversary of when we started over together. I wanted this to be the start of a new tradition for us as we are now."
The gesture was so sweet that Sarah didn't even know what to say. Such a simple thing, but it spoke volumes. Chuck's actions spoke louder than mere words. It was like he was telling her that he valued them as they are now, without the past they had shared but only he remembered. Chuck didn't want to spend their lives celebrating anniversaries she didn't feel a part of. He wanted to truly start over with her and it made Sarah love him even more.
Chuck didn't seem to expect her to say anything. Instead, he studied her face, likely finding the answer he needed there, before moving in closer to kiss her.
Sarah felt his touch down to her toes. Her muscles melted while simultaneously moving to be closer to him. His arms felt so good wrapped around her. She was just about to turn and sit on top of him when Chuck pulled away.
"There's something I need to tell you," Chuck said in a more serious tone than he'd used all evening.
"What is it, Chuck?" From his tone alone, Sarah was beginning to worry. Was this about kids? Had she made him wait too long?
"General Beckman got in touch with me," Chuck began. "They've built another Intersect."
"Oh?" Sarah inquired. This conversation was not going the way she'd expected.
"They salvaged the glasses Quinn had with the key. They've been working on reverse engineering them for the last year and ,Sarah, they finally figured it out. Beckman said we could use it, if you are still interested in having Ellie edit the software to help you get your memories back."
Before Sarah could so much as open her mouth, Chuck was talking again.
"This doesn't have to change anything, if you don't want it to, Sarah. There is absolutely no pressure from me to do this," Chuck spoke fast and with some agitation. "The last time we had a chance to use it, you were interested, but a lot has changed since then and I don't want you to feel that if you decide not to get your memories back, it will in any way change how I feel about you. Things are really good right now and-"
It was at this point that Sarah cut him off with a kiss.
"Calm down, Chuck," she whispered softly as she pulled out of the kiss.
"I just want you to do what will make you the happiest," Chuck whispered back, but he did at least seem calmer.
"You make me happy," Sarah told him. "And I want to remember every happy moment I ever had with you. We are doing this."
Sarah wanted her memories back for so many reasons. There were some small annoying reasons like when she ran into people she'd met during her missing years and had to either explain to them that the government's top secret weapon wiped her brain or smile, nod and pretend to care, but there were bigger, much more important reasons too. Reasons like wanting to remember every happy moment she'd ever spent with Chuck. Sarah wanted to catch up with Chuck. She wanted to remember the years of emotion that had led her to deciding to marry and plan a family with this man. Even as in love with him as she was now, it wasn't enough. Sarah wanted to feel all she had before.
"You're sure?"
"Completely sure," Sarah confirmed.
"Then I'll call Beckmen in the morning," Chuck replied.
She could see the overwhelming joy on his face and wasn't surprised when he kissed her again, reaching his arms out to hold her. Her chest pressed into his and she could feel his hands on her back, holding her close, while their lips mingled. Sarah opened her mouth and at once Chuck deepened the kiss.
As Chuck kissed her neck and down past her collar bone, Sarah moaned softly and leaned back. Chuck's hand was still at her back, keeping her from falling, but as she leaned back even more, she felt her head and shoulders gently connect with the soft sand. Chuck was kissing her lips again, as the rest of his body pressed against her. The weight of him on top of her felt good, like a warm blanket.
Sarah wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him closer, if that were even possible. The hand he wasn't using to hold up his weight was moving over her body. Even through her clothes, it felt amazing.
"Oh gods, Sarah, if we weren't on a public beach right now," Chuck groaned.
"We could go home," Sarah suggested.
Chuck didn't need telling twice. He jumped up at once, and started packing up. They had everything in the car and were on their way home faster than Sarah thought possible.
At home in their bed, they picked up right where they left off and celebrated their anniversary by making love until they fell asleep in each other's embrace.
Despite the fact that Chuck had been the one to call Beckman and accept the offer, it hadn't really felt real. Then Ellie had come to visit, setting up shop in his living room to work on the software for Sarah's glasses. Watching his sister burn through her vacation days to help him hadn't even made Chuck really believe that his wife would get her memory back.
Then, the day came that Ellie told him she was ready.
"Like ready ready?" Chuck asked.
"Yes, Chuck," Ellie laughed. "Where's Sarah?"
"Working," Chuck said. Over the last year, Sarah had joined him at Carmichael Industries. The cyber crime security company was coming along nicely. Usually Chuck was very proud of that, but today he could care less.
"Well, call her," Ellie said, exasperated at him in that way only his sister could be.
"Right, yes, call her. Makes sense."
Chuck fumbled with his phone just long enough for it to be embarrassing, before he managed to dial the number. Sarah picked up the phone and Chuck explained to her that it was ready and she needed to come home.
"Well, not needed so much as if you want you could come home, because this is still up to you," Chuck rambled. Even as he knew he shouldn't be doing it he couldn't stop the word vomit.
He heard Sarah's gentle laugh through the speaker next to his ear and then she spoke. "I'll be home as fast as I can."
She hung up and Chuck turned to his sister to tell her Sarah was on her way.
"Everything is going to be okay, Chuck," Ellie told him gently. Then she pulled Chuck in for a hug and he realized how badly he'd needed it.
If this worked, it would change everything, everything except how desperately he loved Sarah. Chuck had meant every word he'd said to Sarah the night he'd told her about this chance to get her memories back. No matter what she'd chosen, he'd have supported her.
But that didn't change the fact that he'd wanted her to choose this; wanted her to choose to remember him.
The Sarah he'd lived with for the last year was still his Sarah, and Chuck loved her more than anything, but there had been a time when she'd loved him back. Sarah, as she was now, had great affection for him, and Chuck knew she was content living her life with him, but she wasn't ready for their family to grow. She wasn't ready to move into their dream house yet. Chuck couldn't help but want more when it came to Sarah. He'd rather spend his entire life with Sarah as she was now than ever give her up, but he also couldn't stop the hope that one day, she'd want everything she'd wanted before.
With the success of their cyber security company, Chuck had finally managed to buy their little dream house. He hadn't told Sarah yet that he owned the house, because he didn't want to pressure her. It was just going to be there if she was ever ready for it. Once he had the money, Chuck knew he would have brought the house just for those words she'd carved into the door frame. If someone else had bought it, Chuck felt sure they'd have filled in the hole and Chuck couldn't bear the thought. He'd accepted even before purchasing it, that she very likely would never want to move in, but today that could all change.
His sister pulled out of the hug and put her hands on his shoulders. "Breath, Chuck."
He laughed lightly. "It's just kinda hard to believe, I guess."
"Believe it, Chuck," Ellie told him.
Just then the door opened, Chuck turned his head and there was Sarah.
"You ready for this?" Ellie asked her.
"Yes," Sarah said decisively. "There is just one thing I want to do first."
Chuck was so confused. "What could you possibly need to do first?" he asked. He would have kept rambling on, probably asking if she needed to pee or had left the stove on, but his mouth was suddenly very busy.
Sarah had crossed the room in a second and grabbed him and kissed him. It reminded Chuck of their first kiss, their first real kiss when he'd closed his eyes and suddenly felt her touch.
"I love you, Chuck," Sarah said when the kiss broke. "I need you to know that in case this works or even if it doesn't. It shouldn't have taken me this long to say it, but I need you to know that me, as I am now, is in love with you. Okay?"
"Ok-ay," Chuck said very slowly. He felt like he was in shock, wonderful, beautiful shock.
Staring into her eyes, Chuck realized how true her words were. He saw that same affection on her face that he'd noticed months ago, but now his insecurities weren't blocking the rest. There, on her face, was that same loving look he'd committed to memory years ago.
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to make love to her until dawn, but instead he just stood still and watched as she turned to his sister.
"I'm ready," Sarah said.
Ellie told Sarah to sit down and then put the glasses on her.
Chuck watched as the glasses activated and Sarah twitched the way one does when they are uploading an Intersect.
Moments passed, and Chuck realised he'd been holding his breath, and then it was over.
Slowly, Sarah took the glasses off. She was still looking at the ground, sitting perfectly still. Ellie reached forward and took the glasses out of her hands, but still Sarah stared at her feet. Chuck didn't realise he'd been holding his breath again, until she moved.
Sarah turned as if in slow motion, or maybe that was just Chuck's perception of it. She looked up, and he could see a brilliant smile on her face.
"Chuck!" she exclaimed. There were tears running down her face, but her smile told him they were happy tears.
He could hear the joy in her voice as well, and he just knew it had worked. Chuck wasted no time, kneeling down in front of her and pulling her into his arms.
"I remember all of it," Sarah spoke into his shirt.
And then as if trying to prove it she started telling him their story. She told him how she'd felt when they met. And how all she'd been able to think about when she'd been sure she was about to die, was kissing him. Listening to the bomb tick she'd grabbed him, almost without thought.
She talked about finally finding him in Thailand after her long search and how relieved she'd been when he woke up. She told him about their proposal in the hospital and how happy she'd been at their wedding.
"I didn't have data on all of that," Ellie said. "The upload must have unblocked some of her true memories, as well."
"Works for me," Sarah said laughing. She hadn't stopped smiling while telling her story and Chuck realized he was beaming too.
Sarah stood up and pulled Ellie into a huge hug. Chuck could hear Sarah thanking her with such genuine emotion it almost brought Chuck to tears. Ellie replied something like she was just happy she could help.
Chuck told Sarah about their little house and she wanted to see it immediately. She wanted to build the future with him again. His wife was whole again and Chuck couldn't wait to share the rest of his life with her.
And they lived happily ever after. The End... for real this time.