A/N: Well, this is it. A nice little epilogue that ties it all up. Thanks for your interest in this story. A quick note...I don't have any kids, so my descriptions in this chapter are second hand, from talking to my friends who do have kids and have experienced pregnancy. If anything seems off, it's because I'm not truly writing about something first hand, which is easier for me. Ugh, now it's back to The Mask and the downward spiral. The Mask is awful, the end of Tic Tac is awful...Final Exam is wretched...I may have to write something else happy by the time I get there. lol. If I can stay on schedule, I should be at Other Guy by mid-June. Light at the end of the tunnel! Enjoy this!

Nine months later

I woke from a light sleep to the sensation of being kicked from the inside. I was lying on my right side, my distended abdomen tucked against Chuck's side as my head rested on his shoulder. His hand rested against my stomach.

I looked up to see him, wide awake in the early morning hours, watching me.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" I asked, still groggy.

"Because our son is practicing his soccer skills in utero, against my hip."

Our baby's movements had woken us both, although his lack of sleep seemed unnecessary. "Why didn't you move?"

He sighed, then touched my cheek. "Weren't you the one who told me, on the very first night we slept in the same bed, that you slept better when I was close to you?"

Nine months pregnant, three days past my due date, and I was an emotional wreck. Those words brought tears to my eyes. Chuck, fortunately, was used to it. I could only nod. I kissed his cheek, saying a silent prayer of thanks that he was here, and that we were together.

That was Chuck. He took care of me, loved me almost to a fault. I say almost because we both know…there is no such thing as going too far for love. We live by that.

"I know how uncomfortable you've been, how hard it is to get any rest. If my shoulder helps even a little bit, then I'll deal with the consequences."

It did. I kissed him softly on his lips before laying back down. I had never slept in a bed with anyone before our first night in the house in Florida. But suddenly sleeping close to him, touching him, being held in his arms…it was the most restful sleep I'd ever had.

He always joked and told me it wasn't him per se, as it was how exhausted I was from having sex with him. It was fair to argue that—we were wild more often than not, sometimes twice a day.

Of course, initially, the real reason for my increased libido was because I was pregnant. Chuck and I had conceived a child that night in his hotel room. The craziness of adjusting to our abrupt change of circumstances distracted me, so I was almost three months pregnant before we knew for sure.

Apparently even as adults, we cast caution to the wind. Although our lack of contraception this time wasn't a teenage brain's failure to recognize consequences. Making love that night the way we did had been a decision, a choice, borne of desperation and longing and suffering. I never mentioned consequences at the time, and he left it unsaid.

That time, it had been something we both knew, but accepted. I could get pregnant. And…I did get pregnant.

Thank God I ran with him, although I know if we had parted, having his baby and raising him alone would have been hard, but I would have done it.

I worried at first, thinking everything had already happened so fast and this was complicating everything. That a baby on top of everything else would overwhelm us.

With tears in his eyes, holding my face in his hands as we stood in the doctor's office, he asked me to marry him. We were a family, and it was time to make it official, he said. God, did I love him.

It was the happiest moment of my life, telling him yes. And then each happiest moment would trump the next, until it was like living in a dream.

We got married on the beach. The ceremony was simple. Our guests were only family—Ellie, Devon and Clara, Morgan, Alex, Casey…and Alex's mother, Kathleen, who had run with the Grimes'. Casey had prepared for every eventuality.

Chuck teaches guitar and I keep the books for our family business. It's not an extravagant lifestyle, but the fact that our house is paid for takes the edge off. Our house is simple, but happy. Everything I had ever dreamed about.

I had family and friends, because of Chuck. Our son, now overdue, was the next wonderful thing.

"Three days. You know what the doctor said, right?" Chuck asked, rolling toward me.

I laughed, then smiled at him. He wiggled his eyebrows before he laughed too.

My ankles were swollen, my blood pressure slowly creeping up. Every joint in my body ached and my back throbbed constantly.

When I had asked to be induced at our last appointment, my doctor had suggested waiting until three days past my due date. She suggested we have sex, saying sometimes that was enough to stimulate labor very late in the pregnancy. If that didn't work, she would schedule an induction.

Chuck and I hadn't had regular sex since I was seven months pregnant. I couldn't lie on my back and my belly had grown too large to fit comfortably between us. The acrobatics required for it to fit hurt too much, downward pressure and achy joints constantly interfering.

We got creative. Or, Chuck got creative. I could lie comfortably on my side while he used his mouth. He was amazingly skilled in that department, satisfying me so easily with so little effort. I could then still lie on my side to reciprocate. My fantasy from our first time, him coming down my throat, became commonplace.

It was done from necessity, but it was something I now looked forward to. My orgasms were milder that way, but it was just as well. Having an orgasm while heavy with child was a unique experience. The baby would go crazy as my muscles contracted. At first it scared me, but eventually I got used to it.

We had to have penetration as a last resort before the doctor would induce me. It sounded like a chore, and making love with my husband shouldn't have felt like one. It was just hard to get into the mood.

"Can we wait until I eat something?" I asked.

He laughed. "Of course. Come on, I'll make breakfast."

He helped me get out of bed and helped me put on my robe. I waddled out to the kitchen with him, opting to sit in the wooden chair, fitted with a small pillow to support my back. There were no soft chairs left in our house where I could sit comfortably anymore.

Chuck was busy making toast and boiling eggs while I scanned the mail, piled on the table. Lots of checks, Chuck's students' payments sent monthly that way. Bills too, though I never worried about bills. I paid them, and we always had enough money. However, there was one piece of mail that caught my eye. No return address, and strange block-like letters. It was addressed only to me, Sarah Carmichael.

I opened it quickly, curious about what was inside. There was one stiff piece of quality printer paper folded in thirds. Unfolding it, I saw it was mostly blank. Folded inside it, there was a gift card to Target. The only writing on the paper looked like a hyperlink.

"Chuck, what do you think this is?" I asked, holding up the paper to show him.

He was in the midst of plating breakfast, so I waited for him to finish. He brought my food and placed it in front of me, then took the paper.

I watched his face, how his eyes narrowed as his thoughts started moving quickly. He was blinking rapidly too, and then I watched him hurry to our laptop computer that was open on the coffee table in the living room.

"What, Chuck?" I asked, more curious. Maybe a little worried.

"This is…some kind of temporary link. It's asking permission to breach our regular firewall." He was typing while he talked.

"In English?" I asked, knowing he was deep in thought, some technical information at his disposal that I didn't understand.

He looked over his shoulder at me. He had paled. "This is my father's code, I know it."

Knowing Chuck's father was still hiding from the CIA, primarily to keep his and Ellie's location secret, and that now he was contacting us, scared me.

"To…send us a gift card?" I asked, holding it up so Chuck could see it.

He continued working. I could see part of the screen, code flashing by that he seemed to be understanding, though it was at lightning speed. As quickly as it started, it stopped, leaving a single green cursor on the screen.

"Sarah, I think you should see this." He sounded so serious. When he stood, holding the computer, his eyes were misty.

Every minute that passed, I was more apprehensive. He set the computer down on the table next to my food. He took a deep breath and then hit the enter key.

The dark screen scrambled for a second, and then it cleared. Carina. It was Carina's face, a recording that started when Chuck hit the toggle again.

"Hi Sarah. Hi Chuck." A little ghost of a smile, a telling smile. "So if you're watching this, then the guy who found me in New York was telling the truth. That he worked for Chuck's father. That the night you disappeared, you really ran away with Chuck, because he was in witness protection or something like that." She blinked several times, looking more emotional than I had ever seen Carina look. "I was so worried, you have no idea. And I didn't find out you were safe until almost four months had gone by. But, you're watching this," she smiled, "so you are safe. And apparently married to Chuck…and expecting a baby. So congratulations."

My tears splashed down from my cheeks onto my hands. Chuck reached for my hand and held it.

"I wish I could see you, but I understand why I can't." Her smile dimmed. "I would wish you happiness, but I know you don't need that wish. You have it. Because you're with Chuck. I knew it was him, even though you wouldn't say so in the club. I didn't know how sad you really were…until I saw you with him, and I saw what you looked like happy. So take care of you, and Chuck, and your baby. I'll be ok, since I know you're ok." She kissed her index finger and pressed it against the camera lens. Then the recording ended.

I watched as the screen dissolved, line by line. Security, I thought. Chuck said it was temporary. It automatically erased.

When I could speak again, I asked softly, "How did your father know?"

Chuck was emotional too, but he smiled just the same. "Casey must have said something to General Beckman. He was the only one who knew everything."

The more I had seen Casey adjusting to a normal, civilian life, the farther away from the old soldier I had first seen him as became. He may have been tough, but he had a soft core underneath it all. I was sure Chuck had mentioned my missing Carina, the one thing from my life before I felt needed closure.

He would hate it, but I would have to thank Casey for it later.

~O~

We spent the morning outside, relaxing, before Chuck brought up our assignment from the doctor. I wasn't adverse to it, though I knew it would be uncomfortable. It was more about my lack of enthusiasm, my fear that the act would be perfunctory, not emotional the way it had always been with us.

Chuck, of course, came through for me once again. He undressed me slowly, then helped me lie on my side. I could hear him undressing behind me, then I felt the bed shake as he climbed towards me. He pressed his naked body against me as he spooned me. He tucked his arms around me, underneath and over, gently holding my heavy breasts in his hands. He squeezed gently, helping to dull their heightened sensitivity.

After a while, he slid his hand between my legs. He massaged me, externally only, to a gentle climax. I moaned softly as I felt his finger, gliding back and forth over my opening, making sure the orgasm had sufficiently lubricated me.

"I'll go slow," he whispered. "Tell me if something is uncomfortable." He held my leg and slowly slid inside me in slow motion.

I wasn't prepared for the sensation. There was so much pressure already, the addition of him only increased it. He barely moved, patiently waiting for me. His thrusts were shallow and slow. It was a crazy angle, and I thought about how much strength he needed to hold both me and himself the way he was.

"Oh, I forgot how good this feels…to be inside you," he whispered, straining as he controlled himself.

I had missed it, too. "Yes, Chuck, yes," I moaned.

"Are you ok? Is this…"

"Perfect," I panted. All of that pressure that had been keeping me so uncomfortable for so long was now increasing my arousal. I was engorged, throbbing, my pulse palpable between my legs, where he penetrated me.

The orgasm I had was incredible. Deep and intense, stronger than anything I'd experienced in months and months. The baby went crazy inside me and then Chuck gasped, his release exploding inside me. He kissed my temple, easing away.

It was early afternoon, but I slept at all times of the day, my fatigue pronounced. I drifted to sleep, content. And I woke up in a puddle.

My water broke. I was in labor.

~O~

I had a normal labor, a normal birth. Difficult and painful, but having Chuck at my side made it easier. He was such a good coach, and even though I know he almost fainted, he stayed strong for me when I needed him.

"How about Stephen…after your dad?" I asked Chuck as he sat next to me, staring in awe at our baby as he slept in my arms.

"Ellie will love it. I think it's perfect." He kissed me.

"How many babies do you want?" I asked him. I knew he wanted a big family, and so did I. Seeing our baby, feeling how much I already loved him, I could feel my heart expanding.

"How many do you want?" he asked, laughing.

"Is five too many?" I was kidding, but he paled just the same.

"On a music teacher's salary?" he teased. "How about we just have one at a time, and wait and see?"

I giggled, content.

"Do you ever think about how…unusual we are?"

"All the time," he deadpanned.

I wrinkled my nose at him. "No, I mean…you know what the neighbors always said about us. How much in love they think we are. They have no idea I married you when I barely knew you."

"Barely knew me? That's not true."

"Chuck, we only went on two dates in 15 years and then we lived together for three months and got married."

"That's exactly what we did. But that has nothing to do with you knowing me or not. You know me better than anyone. And I always knew how I was the only one you ever showed your true self too. That never changed no matter what happened to us."

"I love you, Chuck," I whispered, still overly emotional. He was right.

Individual instances meant nothing. We had been in each other's hearts from the beginning.

Truly, always, forever.