"Chuck! I'm so happy to see you! I missed you so much!"

Chuck smiled as he stepped into the embrace of his sister, Ellie. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Devin entering the courtyard, pulling two clearly VERY full rolling luggage bags behind him. Their eyes met, and Devin gave Chuck a quick smile and nod. Chuck's gaze moved past Devin, to the little figure toddling behind him.

"Clara's walking?" he asked, stunned by the sight.

Ellie broke the hug, and turned to beam at her daughter.

"Yeah, for a couple weeks now. I was gonna send you a video I took the day she started, but with everything you've been dealing with, I thought it might be a nice surprise for you to see it in person. We were hoping to come visit sooner, but our schedules have just been so busy. Casey's timing was perfect. Devin and I get some much-needed time off, and I finally get to catch up with my little brother."

"Can you believe he's getting married?" Chuck asked with a chuckle.

"There was a time I wasn't even sure you would get married, Chuck."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis."

"You know what I mean. You seemed content to be a Nerd Herd-er for life, hung up on an ex-girlfriend. I always knew you had potential, I just wasn't sure if anyone else would see it."

"We've definitely come a long way since then. You know, some days I still can't believe I'm married to someone so amazing, especially since I almost lost her."

As if on cue, Sarah walked out of the house, an excited smile on her face.

"Ellie! Hi!"

"Sarah! How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks! We're so glad you guys could come."

They were interrupted by Clara, who had made her way to her mother's side, and was now holding onto her leg.

"Oh my gosh she has gotten so big!" Sarah exclaimed, as Ellie picked Clara up.

Chuck decided to give the two women some time to chat, while he went to go talk to Devin.

"You have no idea how happy I was when Chuck told me you got your memory back"

Sarah smiled at her sister-in-law.

"I was pretty happy myself. Don't get me wrong, I love the spy life, but it's nothing compared to the life I have here, with Chuck."

"I still remember, vividly, how devastated he was when you lost your memories. And after he had to give up what he thought was his only chance of restoring your memory, he was inconsolable. I've never seen my brother so brokenhearted. I hated seeing him like that."

"I know, and I feel terrible that he had to go through all that pain. He and I have talked about it, even got into a pretty big fight over it. I just hate that all of it was because of me."

"Sarah, you're everything to my brother. It was awful, what happened to you, but none of it was your fault."

"I know, but I look back on my decision to leave Burbank, to leave Chuck, and I can't help wondering if it was a mistake."

"Well, you had lost your memory, and had no reason to think it would come back. You made the best decision you could. You were looking out for everyone. No one blames you for leaving, Sarah. Not even Chuck. Sure, it was painful, and we all missed you, but we understood why you did it. But you know what? We don't need to relive the past. You're back now, my brother looks the happiest I've ever seen him, and Casey is getting married. So, let's enjoy the moment. I think it's safe to say we all deserve it."

"Thanks, Ellie" Sarah replied, appreciatively.

The two hugged gently, with Clara cooing happily in her mother's arms in-between them. Sarah pulled back a bit, and softly tickled Clara's neck, eliciting a giggle from the little girl. Sarah smiled, and, with a little encouragement from Ellie, began to engage in some play and silly-talk with Clara, much to the enjoyment of both.

"Someone likes her Aunt Sarah, huh?" Ellie asked Clara, using her own baby-voice.

The only response was more giggling from Clara, and even some from Sarah.

"Chuck, Casey's engagement party starts in less than two hours. We all still have to get ready, so what's so important that we needed to meet right now?" Ellie asked.

Chuck glanced around at the three women he'd gathered together in the living room. Ellie looked a bit impatient, Sarah had just a hint of worry on her face, and his mother looked calm and expectant. He had wanted to share this with all of them in person, and had even held off on telling Sarah, so they could all hear it together. They were all family after all.

"Sarah, remember how you asked me to tell you what happened when the Overseer tried to brainwash me with that programmed Flash?"

"Yeah, you still haven't told me anything, and you keep putting it off whenever I bring it up. Is something wrong? I don't understand why we all needed to be here right now, or why you've been acting so weird about it."

"It'll make sense in a minute" he assured her.

"Chuck, are you sure this isn't something the two of you would prefer to discuss in private?"

"No mom, you and Ellie need to hear this too."

"Well then, we're all ears."

"Alright, so Ellie, I realize you weren't personally there for this, but I think you've been sufficiently brought up to speed on everything that happened, right?"

"Yeah, I mean that was the most nerve-wracking phone call of my life, and I was less than thrilled to find out that mom got shot, but yeah."

"Which, I keep telling you, was just a minor flesh wound" Mary interrupted.

"You were shot, mom!"

"It only required a few stitches, I've been through a lot worse."

"Not helping!"

"Okay, Ellie, mom, need you to focus on me for a minute, okay?"

"Sorry Chuck" Ellie replied, letting out a frustrated breath, before taking a slow, deep breath to calm herself. "Okay, go ahead."

"Alright. So, as you either saw or heard, I was going to be brainwashed with a programmed Flash, sort of like what happened to Sarah, but probably on a bigger level."

"And I saw you Flash" Sarah interjected. Her voice quivered slightly as she added, "I thought for a moment I'd lost you."

"You're right, I did Flash. But it was different than any other Flash I've ever had. I don't really know how to describe it, exactly. But I saw dad."

Everyone reacted differently. Sarah's mouth dropped open, and Ellie covered her mouth with her hands. Mary's eyes widened, and she turned her head away from Chuck, but not before he caught a quick glimpse of her eyes becoming misty.

"What...how...I mean, how is that possible?" Ellie asked, clearly in shock.

"Well Ellie, dad knew what the Intersect could do, better than anyone. He saw what it did to Hartley Winterbottom, and he didn't want to take any chance that the same thing could happen to one of us. So, he programmed a safety feature, one that would only work if the Intersect was in my head, or yours. It was designed so that if anyone tried to erase our personalities, or brainwash us using the Intersect, it would essentially step in, and stop it. The program restored the full Intersect in my head, and eliminated the possibility of Flash cards of any kind affecting me ever again. When I Flashed in that auditorium, the program was activated. Dad programmed himself into it, so he could explain what was happening, and why."

"So, you actually got to talk to him?"

"For a little bit, yeah. It was mostly the technical stuff, but um..." Chuck faltered for a moment, the emotions he'd felt from seeing his dad again, resurfacing

Sarah put a reassuring and supportive hand on his shoulder, and he noticed tears trickling down Ellie's face. His mother still had her head turned away, but her shoulders were heaving a bit, as though she were crying. Chuck took a deep breath, getting his own emotions under control, and then continued, delivering his father's final message.

"Ellie, mom, he wanted me to tell you that he loves you. He also said he wished he could've met his granddaughter. I think he wanted us to make sure she knew who her grandpa was."

"She'll know" his mother replied, just loud enough to be heard. Chuck was certain she was crying now.

Sarah pulled Chuck into a soft but loving embrace.

"I'm glad you got to talk to your dad one last time." she whispered.

"He also had a message for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he said to tell you that you made the right choice when you chose me.

Sarah didn't reply, but she hugged him more tightly.

"Chuck" his mother said, turning back to face him. There were tearstains on her face.

"You okay mom?" Ellie asked, noticing them as well.

Mary nodded, giving her daughter a heartfelt smile, before turning her attention to Chuck again.

"When I took the Intersect from you, Chuck, it was partially for the reason I gave you at the time. But it was also because I was afraid your father was going to end up turning you into another Volkoff. I was afraid his obsession with the Intersect, and your involvement with it, would end up leading to something terrible. I didn't have enough faith in your father. I thought he might put the success of his work above anything else. We even fought about it when he was getting ready to start his work with Hartley. I want you to know that I was wrong. I just... I wish I could tell your father that...could let him know..."

"Mom, it's okay. Dad knew what his true priorities were... just like he knew what yours were."

Mary nodded and whispered her thanks as Ellie embraced her.

"Thanks for hosting this for us" Casey told Sarah, loudly enough to be hard over the noise of the engagement party.

"Hey, what are partners for?" she replied with a lighthearted smile.

"Usually, they help with shooting commies and planting explosives, but this works too."

"Hey, if any armed gunmen show up, I've got your back, though I think that's gonna be Gertrude's job now."

"With a woman like her, and friends like you and Bartowski, I've got nothin' to worry about. Hell, I'm in a good mood, throw Grimes in there too. Just don't tell him I said that"

"Well, if you wanna keep the good mood, don't look to your 3 o'clock"

Sarah watched humorously, as Casey turned and caught sight of what she'd seen: Morgan and Alex in a romantic liplock. He grunted and turned back towards her, surprisingly unbothered.

"Wow, Gertrude is really changing you into a softie!" she exclaimed. "Pretty soon we're gonna be calling you Johnny, and watching you help little old ladies cross the street!"

Casey smirked at her as she laughed lightly.

"Next person to call me Johnny gets hit over the head with a little old lady."

Sarah was about to respond with a joke, when the clear sound of silverware being tapped against a glass interrupted their conversation, and quickly quieted the room. Glancing around, she quickly spotted Chuck, standing near the middle of the room, holding a glass and a fork. He cleared his throat loudly to make sure he had everyone's attention.

"Hey everyone, sorry to interrupt but I just wanted to take a few moments of your time to make a little toast to Casey and Gertrude."

"Here here!" Morgan called out, in support.

"Thank you, Morgan. So, I've known John Casey for quite a while now, and I think it's safe to say that for a long time, most of us expected him to settle down in a bunker, not a marriage."

Sarah laughed, and noticed everyone else did as well. Even Casey broke into a low, rumbly chuckle. As the laughter died down, Chuck continued.

"For years, Casey was just this huge dude with an unhealthy obsession for guns and warfare, a firm belief in law and order, and a strong sense of patriotism."

"Here here!" Casey bellowed in approval, drawing more laughs.

Sarah watched Chuck as he prepared to continue speaking, feeling incredibly grateful to be his wife, and looking forward to the surprise she had planned for him for later that evening.

Chuck looked around at all the smiling, happy faces of all the people here to support Casey and Gertrude, and continued his speech. He was a little surprised that he wasn't feeling nervous.

"Over the years, as I got to know Casey better, I found out there was a lot more to him than I first thought. For example, I found out he had a daughter, Alex, who is standing over there next to my best friend Morgan. I won't get into the details, but basically they were completely out of each other's lives for a long time, and Casey made the bold decision to try to re-connect with his daughter. I think they'll both admit, it was tough going at first. But Casey persevered, he put in a lot of time and effort, and eventually he became a significant part of Alex's life. As he did, I got to see John Casey as a father, and I'll be the first to admit, I was surprised at how good of a father he really is."

"It's true!" Alex called out. She smiled as she turned to look at Casey. "I love you dad."

Casey gave her one of his rare smiles, and raised his glass in the air.

"Love you too Alex." he replied, a hint of emotion in his voice.

A few "awwws" were heard around the room. Chuck waited a moment and then continued.

"Casey would you please join me over here? I promise I won't embarrass you."

"Why stop now?" Casey answered, drawing more laughs, as he made his way over to Chuck.

Gertrude had been standing near Chuck, and as Casey reached where Chuck was standing, he beckoned for Gertrude to join Casey. The two reached each other, and almost instinctively, reached out and held each other's hands. Chuck gave them a few moments before he started speaking again.

"That brings us to why we're all here tonight. I-"

"Actually Mr. Bartowski, you weren't all here. You were one person short."

Chuck looked over to see who had interrupted, and was surprised to see the front door wide open, and General Beckman standing in the doorway.

"General!" Chuck couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "I didn't think you were going to make it, but now that you're here-"

"When I said you were one person short, I wasn't referring to myself, though I thank you for the invitation. I just wanted to be here in person to help deliver a... special surprise for everyone."

General Beckman stepped inside and out of the doorway, making room for someone else to enter the house. The first thing Chuck saw was the bottom half of a set of crutches, but as their user took another step forward into the doorway, his mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"CARINA!" Sarah practically screamed from where she was standing. She dashed over to Carina, who was smiling widely.

Chuck looked at the scene unfolding in front of him in utter amazement. Carina's left leg, from her foot to just below her knee, was wrapped in a bandage, and her foot was clearly in a cast. Chuck could also tell there was a bandage around Carina's midriff, as it bulged out slightly under the dress she was wearing. Nevertheless, she still carried herself with the same confidence and playful attitude that had made her a cherished, albeit somewhat mischievous, friend and ally.

"So, you decided to quit napping and stop by, huh?" Casey asked, straight-faced, a teasing twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, the doctors cleared me to leave, and there weren't any good movies playing, so it was between this, or reading a book. It was a tough call" Carina replied with a smirk.

"Glad you're alright Miller."

Carina's smirk disappeared, her expression softening into an appreciative smile.

"Thanks Casey"

"Well," General Beckman's voice rang out. "I've done my part here. I would stay, but I'm due back in Washington. John, Gertrude, congratulations."

The general nodded at Casey and Gertrude, then at Chuck, Sarah, Morgan, and Carina, and departed without another word. There was some quiet murmuring among the guests for a few moments before Chuck cleared his throat to get everyone's attention again.

"So, I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to top that" he joked, getting a satisfying round of laughter in response.

He looked over at Carina, and gave her a smile and a nod, silently letting her know he was glad to see she was okay, before continuing.

"Anyway, I believe I had just gotten to the reason we're all here. See, about two years ago, I became business rivals with a woman named Gertrude Verbanksi. What I didn't know at the time, was that Casey and Gertrude had a history and that he saw her as a rival for entirely different reasons. Needless to say, it led to some tense confrontations. But then something happened. The business rivalry faded, and around that same time, Casey started to see Gertrude as less of a rival, and more of an equal. He became more and more impressed with her every time they worked together. When Gertrude joined our team, I was going through a hard time. It was during a time when I was seriously questioning whether or not I'd ever see my lovely wife Sarah again. Thankfully, things worked out, and right now she's standing over there, looking as radiant as ever. But this isn't about that. See, during that time, I was really just a shell of myself, and Casey and Gertrude stepped up. Together. They helped keep the company going, and helped me get through the toughest time of my life. They worked closely together for months, and during that time, they fell in love. They may not have realized it immediately, and there were plenty of squabbles along the way, but they became partners in a way I don't think either of them expected. As I watched them grow close, it became clear that they were the perfect people for each other. They bring out the best in each other, and they make each other happy. I know that their lives together are going to be filled with action, adventure, excitement...and a whole lotta love. So, here's to Casey and Gertrude, the most unusual, unique, wonderfully perfect couple, and two of the best people I've had the privilege of getting to know."

Chuck raised his glass.

"To Casey and Gertrude!" everyone in the room echoed.

"Carina, how are you? General Beckman didn't give us any updates while you were in the hospital!"

Sarah was beyond thrilled that Carina was okay, and her excitement was reflected in her voice as she spoke.

"Well, I won't be running any marathons anytime soon, and I'm gonna be out of the field for at least six months, but-"

"You're alive." Sarah finished. "That's what matters. We were all worried about you. I saw the footage of you getting shot."

"I'm glad you killed that bitch. Beckman filled me in on everything that happened. I owe you a few rounds of drinks. You up for a night on the town after the party?"

"I'd really love to, but I'm gonna have to pass. Rain check?"

"Sure, but you'd better not make me wait too long."

Sarah smiled but didn't reply. Carina looked at her carefully for a moment, then started casually looking around the room.

"How bad?" Sarah asked her, after a few seconds.

"What?"

"How bad were you hurt? All we knew was that you were shot and stabbed, and were in the ICU."

"Well, I took a knife slash to the leg, pretty deep but didn't hit anything vital, and then a gunshot wound to the abdomen that apparently missed my spleen by about 3 centimeters. Unfortunately, the worst part was that after I got shot, I staggered back onto my injured leg, which wasn't able to support my weight. I fell awkwardly, and ended up breaking my ankle. Won't be able to return to field work for at least six months. Think you'll mind having me as a neighbor for that long? I figure if I'm gonna be laid up for a while somewhere, it might as well be with people I know."

"Actually..."

"Hey, if you're not comfortable with the idea, it's fine."

"No, it's not that, it's just... look, we haven't told anyone yet, but... Chuck and I are moving."

Carina's eyes widened in surprise.

"Moving? Where?"

"To our dream house, actually."

Sarah pulled out her phone to show Carina pictures of the house, and where it was located. Carina shook her head in disbelief as she looked through it all.

"I can't believe Sarah Walker is settling down and moving to the suburbs."

Sarah looked up, first at Carina, then across the room at Chuck, who was engaged in a deep conversation with Morgan. She smiled.

"Sometimes life can surprise you" she said, still gazing at Chuck. "But honestly, this is what I want. This is my future. With the man I love."

Carina made a gagging sound, drawing Sarah's attention back to her. But when Sarah looked at her face, Carina was smiling.

"I know I've made fun of Chuck in the past, and mocked relationships, but honestly, I'm really happy for you two. Just don't tell anyone else I said that. I have an image to keep up, you know. So, I guess this means I'll be looking for somewhere else to kill time while I recuperate."

"Actually, not necessarily. I think it's time for my little toast. Excuse me."

Sarah walked to the middle of the room, and, following Chuck's example, grabbed a fork and tapped it against her glass, drawing everyone's attention and quieting the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, everyone, but I had a little something I wanted to say. First off, I want to congratulate Casey and Gertrude again, I'm sure they're going to have a long, interesting, happy life together, and I hope their marriage is as wonderful as mine turned out to be. I know that might sound like I'm bragging a little, and I'm not trying to turn the spotlight onto Chuck and I, or steal any of their thunder. But I wanted to take this opportunity to announce that Chuck and I will be moving to our dream house in the suburbs. I don't have the exact date yet, but this really isn't about that. The reason I bring it up, is because Chuck and I decided to leave this place to Casey and Gertrude. Hopefully it can be the same kind of home for them that it has been for Ellie, Devin, Chuck, and even me. Casey, Gertrude, consider it our wedding gift to you."

After the applause died down a bit, Sarah went to stand next to Chuck, who smiled and put a loving arm around her, while Casey stepped forward.

"I'd just like to thank everyone for coming out." Casey turned to face Chuck and Sarah. "Bartowski, Walker, thank you. Gertrude and I really appreciate your gift. It...it means a lot. I know we had a... a rather rough start, when we first met. I just want you both to know... I'm glad I didn't shoot you. You're good partners. You're good friends."

"Wait a second!" Carina blurted out. "You mean if I wanna stay here while I heal up, it's up to Casey? He'll be the one running the show?"

"Oh, this day just keeps getting better" Casey replied, an amused expression on his face.

"What he means to say," Gertrude interjected, "is that it would be both of us making decisions. Together. I'm sure John would be happy to have you stay while you recover, right?"

Casey gave Gertrude an approving look, then turned back to Carina.

"You took a bullet in the line of duty. You know how I feel about that. Letting you stay as long as you need isn't a problem... provided you don't make it one."

"Never say never" Carina replied, with a wink.

"On that note, everyone, feel free to stick around for a bit if you'd like, but I think we're gonna start wrapping things up" Sarah announced.

She then turned to face Chuck.

"Sweetie, do you mind taking over the cleanup after everyone leaves? I've got a special surprise for you, but I need some time to get everything ready. I'll text you when I'm ready, and let you know where you need to go to meet me."

"Meet you? Sarah, what's going on?"

"I promise I'll explain everything later. Are you okay helping with the cleanup?"

"Yeah, but-" Sarah interrupted him with a quick kiss, and a hurried thank you, as she dashed out the door.

Chuck watched Sarah hurry off, a confused look on his face.

"Problem?" Ellie asked him as she walked up from behind.

"I don't think so, but she sure got out of here in a hurry. I guess I'm stuck with cleanup duty."

"Oh, don't worry Chuck, I'll help. It won't be so bad, I promise."

Carina hobbled over on her crutches to join them.

"I saw Walker leaving in a hurry, is she okay?"

"Far as I know" he answered, distractedly, then realized who he was talking to. "Oh, hey, I'm glad to see you! Glad you're...okay. You are okay, right?"

"I will be" Carina replied. "Guess I'm gonna be sticking around for awhile."

"Oh, speaking of, my sister and her husband are staying where you were. I had them move your stuff. It's in the guest bedroom here, if you don't mind staying in there for a couple nights until they head back to Chicago."

"That's fine. Thanks, Chuck. I appreciate it."

He smiled back at her, feeling relieved to see her up and about.

"I don't suppose you'll be much help with cleaning up, so if you wanna get settled, or watch TV or something, I can move some furniture around to make you comfortable. We had to move almost everything to make room for the party, but if you need anything, let me know."

"See, now, this is the fun part of getting hurt. You get out of doing any work, and people wait on you hand and foot. This part I could get used to."

"Reminds me of my daughter" Ellie replied with a smile. "Except you won't be keeping everyone up half the night."

Chuck and Carina shared a knowing grin.

"Did I miss something?" Ellie asked, noticing their amused expressions.

"Sorry sis, if you knew Carina, you'd understand."

"Well on that note, how about we start cleaning up while people are leaving? Devon's got Clara, so we should have this done in no time."

"You know I hate cleaning, El"

"I know, I remember what your room used to look like. But Sarah put you in charge, and I'm not helping if you don't do your part."

"Wow, you really are a mom now" Chuck replied with a grin. "Alright, let's get to work."

As Chuck and Ellie began to clean the place up, Casey and Gertrude said goodbye to each of the guests as they left. Soon it was down to just Casey, Gertrude, Morgan, Alex, Chuck, and Ellie. Carina had retired to the guest room, and Alex had pitched in to help clean, which sped things up considerably.

"You know Morgan, you could lend a hand" Chuck said, as he wiped the dining table clean.

"What about Casey? He's here too!"

"It was his party, Morgan. You don't ask the person you just threw a party for, to it clean up afterwards."

"Besides, Grimes" Casey added "I make messes. I don't clean them."

"You will if you expect to sleep anywhere but the couch for the rest of your life" Gertrude replied, bumping him a bit with her arm.

Casey chuckled, amused, until he saw the look in Gertrude's eyes.

"Right, I just meant in the field. At home, that's, well that's completely different. Naturally."

"Naturally" Gertrude agreed, with an amused smile of her own.

"Chuck, if you would just take the trash out to the bin, I think we're done!" Ellie announced triumphantly.

Chuck looked around, surprised to find that the place was indeed spotless. He grabbed the very full bag of trash and brought it out to the bin. As he did, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He put the trash in the bin, then took out his phone. It was a text from Sarah: "I'm ready. Come meet me at our beach."

"Hey guys, I just heard from Sarah." He called through the open door. "I gotta go."

"We've got it from here Chuck, no worries" Ellie called back.

With that settled, Chuck walked quickly to his car, and fired up the engine. As he made his way to the beach, he wondered why Sarah wanted to meet there, or what she was up to. Most of the memories of their time on that beach were mixed, some were even quite painful. It was an important place for them, no doubt about that. But it was an unusual place to meet for a surprise, especially at night. The moon provided some light, but most of the beach would be hidden by darkness.

Chuck saw that Sarah's car was the only other vehicle in the lot, as he pulled in. He parked his car right next to hers, and looked inside, but it was empty. Taking a deep breath, Chuck opened his car door, and walked towards the beach. As soon as he got up the small incline so he could see the beach, he froze. The sight in front of him was not what he had expected. Sarah was sitting on a large blanket, which she had placed on a pretty flat area of sand. Pushed into the sand all the way around the blanket, were candles, all glowing softly in the still night air. The sight was beautiful and a bit surreal.

"Hi Chuck" Sarah said softly, her voice sweet, warm, and inviting.

"What's all this? he asked, noticing a bottle of what looked like champagne, but on closer inspection was sparkling grape juice, in a bucket of partially melted ice, with two glasses sitting next to it. He also noticed a manila envelope that appeared to be covering something else underneath as well.

"Sit" Sarah replied, directing him to sit next to her, without sounding demanding.

"Okay" he answered, taking his seat right next to his wife.

"Chuck, I wanted to meet you here tonight, at our beach, because this is where it all started for us.

"It also nearly ended here Sarah. This place is meaningful, but it brings up a lot of mixed emotions."

"I know. That's why I'm going to change that. That's why I wanted to do this here, and not anywhere else."

"What are we doing here exactly? I mean, don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful scene you've set up here, and very romantic, and you clearly put in a lot of effort, I'm just wondering why."

"Well let's start with this."

Sarah opened the manila envelope, obviously intending to keep whatever was underneath it, hidden for the time being.

"Remember how Shaw was able to get under your skin, because I told him my real first name?"

"We don't need to-"

"Chuck, just look at this. I got it done this morning."

Sarah handed him a piece of paper. Chuck looked at it for a moment before realizing it was a birth certificate. The name printed on it was Sarah Lisa Bartowski. He looked at it, then back at Sarah, who had tears in her eyes.

"That's my legal name now. I had it changed. That's my real name."

Chuck felt like someone had set off fireworks in his heart.

"You...you took my last name?"

"Our last name, Chuck. You're my husband. My family. You're the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. The man I am so completely and hopelessly in love with."

Chuck couldn't contain his feelings anymore, as he leaned over and gave Sarah a deep, passionate kiss. Sarah broke the kiss gently.

"You might wanna hold off on that a bit longer."

"I can't imagine you topping that right now, but okay."

Sarah reached under the manila envelope, but hesitated for a moment,

"Chuck, before I show you the other thing, I want you to know I'm ready for any reaction you're gonna have. Pretty sure I know how you'll react, but just let it be your honest reaction, okay?"

"Always" he replied, sincerely.

Sarah reached under the envelope, and handed Chuck a folded piece of paper. She held something else in her hand as well, but kept it from his view. Chuck unfolded the paper and smiled. It was the picture he'd drawn on the bullet train, of their dream house, and their family... and it clicked immediately what she was telling him.

"Are you..." he breathed, a look of wonder on his face.

Tears started to stream from Sarah's eyes as she smiled and showed him the other object she was holding: a pregnancy test.

"I'm pregnant."

Chuck wasn't sure how to react first. He wanted to hug and kiss her, he wanted to leap and yell happily, he wanted to take in the moment, he wanted to swing her around in his arms. He was absolutely overwhelmed with joy. He finally threw his arms around her, still trying to find the words to describe how he was feeling. All he could manage to say was her name.

"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah."

He felt her hugging him back, and it brought him back into the moment.

"Are you sure?" He made sure to smile, wanting her to know he was asking out of happiness.

"I guess I could have kept each of the tests I took as proof, but this was the first one. I went to my GYN and had it confirmed. Remember when I threw up when Shaw first arrived? I also felt nauseous while Jill was holding me prisoner. I didn't even connect that all of that was happening during the morning hours. It was morning sickness. When I started having it more regularly over the last week or so, I realized what might be going on, and if it was true, I wanted to surprise you, so I hid it from you. I took that test, and it was positive. I took a few more to be sure, and they were all positive too. So, I made an appointment with the GYN to confirm for certain. Once there was no doubt, I planned this surprise reveal for you. The new birth certificate happened to arrive today, which really made me feel like doing it tonight was the right time. So now this beach can be our special place for all the best reasons. We started here. Our family started here."

Chuck took Sarah in his arms and kissed her with all the love and passion that he could muster, and he felt her return it.

"Wait, so you've been having morning sickness over the last week, and somehow managed it so I wouldn't notice?"

"Believe me, it wasn't easy. But hey, spy skills come in handy for more than just catching bad guys."

"Hopefully they'll help with diaper changes and 3 am feedings, too."

"Any chance the Intersect has skills for that?"

The two shared a laugh, then celebrated with the bottle of sparkling juice. As the candles burned low, Sarah rested her body against Chuck. He kissed her gently, and sighed.

"Between our wedding, getting you back, and now this, you are at the heart of the three best days of my life."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like the best is yet to come."

Two Months Later

"I think we're down to the last couple boxes" Chuck commented, looking at the backseat of Sarah's car.

"Is there gonna be room for them all?" Sarah asked, walking up with a small box in her hands.

"Honey, here, let me take that."

"Chuck, I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

"I'm an invalid!" Carina interrupted from the chair she was lounging on, giving Chuck and Sarah an amused grin.

Carina had shed her crutches roughly two weeks ago, and now used a walking boot to protect her ankle. She hadn't been able to help Chuck and Sarah with the moving process, something she had frequently teased everyone about, enjoying the reactions she got, especially if particularly heavy things were being moved.

"Chuck, please tell me you're not making your pregnant wife do the heavy lifting? Morgan asked, as he came outside carrying a larger box.

"No, I'm trying to keep her from doing any heavy lifting."

"Don't worry Bartowski" Casey spoke up, joining the group, and carrying the largest remaining box. "You can tell everyone you're pregnant too. You're a big girl now, people might buy it."

"How did this become an everyone turns on Chuck moment?"

"Don't worry sweetie, I know you mean well" Sarah answered, giving him a quick kiss.

"Consider it...moving hazing" Morgan added.

"Hey, if there's hazing involved, I no longer get to count as an invalid" Carina interjected.

"I knew there was some way we could get you back on your feet faster. I was just hoping it would involve a cattle prod" Casey responded in his low, gravelly voice.

"Sorry Casey, maybe next time" Carina winked.

"How about we just focus on getting the last stuff packed?"

Chuck smiled at Sarah's reaction. Her tone had sounded just like a mom chiding her kids. Sarah noticed his smile, and tilted her head to the side, a smiling, confused look on her face.

"What?"

"Nothing, you just... nothing. I think I'm just glad the packing is just about done."

Sarah gave him a look that said she didn't quite believe him, but wasn't going to pursue it.

"Well, this was nothing compared to loading up that moving van last week" Morgan spoke up. "Let's just say I'm glad I'm glad I didn't have to unpack everything and figure out where to put it."

"I actually enjoy putting our home together with Mr. Bartowski here" Sarah replied, moving next to Chuck and putting a loving arm around his waist.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bartowski" he replied with a grin.

"Oh, come on, you two are turning into an old married couple already!"

"Morgan, you should know better than to call a hormonal pregnant woman old" Sarah answered, clearly teasing. "Especially one with a wealth of knowledge on using knives as weapons."

"I think he just volunteered to get the last box, don't you think so sweetheart?" Chuck asked her.

"Yes, I think he did!"

As Morgan went back inside to grab the last box, Chuck couldn't help but look around at the place he'd called home for so long. It seemed like not that long ago, he was here living with Ellie, hung up on an ex-girlfriend, and stuck in a seemingly dead-end job. That e-mail from Bryce really had changed everything. Now he was married to the woman of his dreams, they were expecting their first child, and were finishing moving into their dream house. He remembered the night they'd announced Sarah's pregnancy, a few weeks ago. Morgan had immediately wanted to know if they were planning on naming the baby after him, Ellie had cried happily for them for what felt like an hour and Casey had given them a surprisingly warm congratulations, and a promise to save a few of his cigars from Costa Gravas, to smoke after the baby was born. His mother had made jokes about being a grandmother again, but was genuinely thrilled for them, and Carina had claimed she'd already figured it out when Sarah kept postponing going out for drinks. It had been a wonderful night, and the last one before they'd officially moved into their new home. But even after their major moving day, there had been things left behind that still needed to be packed, and in the days since then, they'd been gradually bringing over their remaining belongings. They'd told themselves it had taken so long to finish the move because they were busy with Carmichael Industries, settling into their home, and starting to prepare for the baby. But he knew the real reason, and he was pretty sure Sarah did too. This was the end of an era. They were leaving the place where they'd first really gotten to know each other, the place where they'd spent years posing as a couple as a cover, the place where Sarah had first admitted that she loved him, the place where they'd spent their first real night together, and the first place they'd called home after they got married. There were so many memories here. Not all of them were wonderful, but they had all led him to his life with Sarah, and now they were embarking on the next chapter. As Chuck watched Morgan come out with the last box, Sarah leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Just thinking about all the memories we've made here."

"Well now we get to go home to our wonderful house, and make some new memories...together."

"Hey Chuck, don't forget we have a team match tomorrow night. Call of Duty. We're still on, right?" Morgan asked.

"You know it, buddy." Chuck responded, pointing at his best friend.

"We'll find some time to hang out too" Sarah told Carina, who nodded appreciatively in response.

"Hey Bartowskis" Casey spoke up as they were about to get into the car. "Don't be strangers."

Chuck and Sarah both smiled at Casey, then climbed into the car, with Chuck at the wheel.

"Ready for the next adventure?" Sarah asked.

"You know me, I'm always ready, as long as you're with me."

Sarah smiled, and the two kissed tenderly, then Chuck fired up the engine.

"Let's do this" Chuck said with a smile.

I know this last chapter took a little longer to release than I anticipated, but hopefully it was worth the wait. I had to condense a few things, or else I felt like it would have dragged on too long. There's still the Epilogue coming though. Thanks for reading!