CHAPTER 1

Hey guys. I am back with a new story. I was thinking of doing something a little light hearted you know, because Lost and Found is a bit angsty. This is inspired by a movie I watched. I loved it on screen, so I thought it would be nice to see it with my favorite characters from Chuck. So, here it is. Oh, and Charah it is.

This will contain some sad moments, but it will have a happy ending. I only hope that I can do this story justice. The way you guys have supported Lost and Found has given me the confidence to try this one out.

Let's get on with it.

"Italics" – Russian dialogue

-Break—

Outskirts of Podolsk, Russia

You can see the snow taking over the entire land, as a sheen of white is covering the ground. How much ever you look around you can only see snow, apart from the road.

On the side of the road, you can see a car with its front cover lifted, with a man checking it for any problems. From the passenger side of the car, the head of a young girl, in her early teens, can be seen popping out, looking at the scenery. Just then, the front of the car is slammed shut, and the man gets in the driver seat. He looks at the girl and smiles, calling her, "Hey sweetie, ready to go?"

The girl turns to him and huffs, "I've been ready for a while dad. You are the one who's delaying us. I was so excited to go to school this year. Now, I am definitely not going to make a good impression by being late on my first day" she pouts.

The man just chucked, and started driving, "Don't worry. I'll speak to the principal about this. You, just think about your classes and all the new friends you're going to make."

The girl sighed and smiled cheekily, "It seems like you are more excited than I am. And that says something. I thought Dads feared their daughters growing up and becoming women too early. And then there is you. Do I have to be worried?" she teased.

The man just laughed, "I just want you to experience everything in life that's all. I never got to live a happy life when I was young. It was filled with uncertainty and a sense of not belonging in my own shoes." He then turned somber, "I promised your mother that I will make sure you live your life without anything to worry about. I know that I cannot stop you from worrying about some things, but I will try my absolute best to make it as comfortable as possible."

She smiled sadly, "I miss Mom too, Dad. It's okay. I know how you feel." Trying to cheer him up, she said, "Come on, as Aunt Ellie would say, we Bartowski's are made of tougher stuff!" she laughed.

The man chuckled, "That we are. So, what do you want for dinner today?"

The girl jumped excitedly, "Can you make your special Chicken Pepperoni, with Spaghetti? It's been a while since we last ate that"

The man raised an eyebrow, "We had that two days ago, Maya"

Maya cheered, "Exactly! Way tooooo looooong", she drawled.

The man chuckled, "Okay fine. We'll have that"

Maya cheered loudly.

Maya's School, Podolsk

As the car pulled over at her school, she got off the car and ran inside, yelling out a "Bye, Dad" in the direction of the car. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a tapping sound on his window. He looked and saw a blonde woman trying to get his attention. He lowered the window, and looked at her, as she glared at him with her stormy blue eyes, which actually made him pause for a bit. She then started speaking, which brought him to the present.

"Is this the time to be dropping of your daughter? I thought parents were supposed to be more responsible"

He just blinked and smiled, "Hi, I'm Chuck Bartowski, father of Maya Bartowski, the girl who just went inside. I am really sorry, but I don't really know Russian, so could you please repeat that in English, if you know it?" he asked sheepishly.

Her glare slightly softened, "Oh, sorry. I'm Sarah Walker, the Vice-Principal of this school. I just wanted to know if you're going to make a habit of being late everyday"

Chuck grimaced, "Sorry, Miss Walker. My car broke down on the way, and it took me about 30 minutes to fix it. I promise you, this won't happen again"

Sarah decided to let him off the hook, "See to it that it doesn't." And she walked away inside the school.

Chuck just stared at her as she made her way into the building. He then shook his head and muttered, "Damn…" and pulled away.

That evening, Bartowski Residence

The father-daughter duo were chilling on the couch, watching 'Tangled' on the TV, with a bowl of popcorn between them. After a healthy dinner of Chicken Pepperoni and Spaghetti, they decided to watch a movie together, as was the norm for a Wednesday night. It was a schedule that had been a part of their daily lives since Maya was four years old. Monday was take out night, Tuesday was laundry night, Wednesday was movie night, Thursday was game night, Friday was random restaurant dinner night, and Saturday and Sunday were spontaneous nights. They would decide what to do right then and there. It had been a fun little routine for them so far. But Chuck predicted it might lose its glamour when Maya starts high school, or starts dating. He decided to take how much ever he could get from her, before she grows up. He turns to look at her as she watches the movie intently. She inherited his brown curls, and brown eyes, but her face and body were completely her mother's. Character-wise, she was very much like him. That helped him control his emotions a lot, because he could hardly forget that fateful night, when his wife died, leaving him to take care of his 4 month old daughter. He took his role as her father responsibly, never leaving her in anyone's care, always making sure she had whatever she needed. He taught her a lot about how to be a good person, or at least a good human being. He liked to think he did a good job, looking at her now. He only hoped that her mother, wherever she is, approves of his upbringing, and is happy and in peace. He never could come to terms with her death. At the very least, he made sure he never left his daughter wanting for anything.

Snapping back to the present, as he felt himself being shaken, he looked at Maya, who was looking at him with an eyebrow raised, "Are you okay? You looked kinda far away for a moment"

He shrugged sheepishly, "Sorry. Just thinking about the talk I had with your Vice-Principal today."

Her eyes widened, she shouted, "What? Why didn't you tell me you spoke to Miss Angela? What did she say?"

Chuck grinned at her, "She just started scolding me in Russian, and when I told her I didn't know the language, she eased up on me. I promised to be early from now on and she let me go." His eyes then widened, "Wait, Miss Angela? She told me her name was Miss Walker."

Maya looked confused, "Miss Walker? She is the school translator. Why would she tell you that…" she looked flabbergasted.

Chuck shrugged, "I dunno." He then grinned mischievously, "But it's going to make for a really interesting conversation tomorrow. I am going to have some fun."

Maya snickered. She knew her father's prankster side very well, having been a victim too many times. She actually felt bad for Miss Walker. Oh well, she'll know the verdict tomorrow.

The Next Day, Maya's School

"Bye Dad"

As Maya went inside, Chuck sat inside his car, waiting for the beautiful blonde to appear. And boy did she not disappoint. There she was at the driver's window, once again knocking. Chuck lowered the window, and grinned, "Good Morning Miss Walker. How are you this fine morning?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "You're going to play it that way?"

He smiled innocently, "Whatever do you mean?"

She grumbled, "Damn it, you take the fun out of it. I thought you would actually get pissed with me, ya know?"

He chuckled, "Well, I'm usually a very cheerful person. So a little pranking doesn't really ruffle my feathers. But, you actually made me feel bad, so you must be ready to face my retaliation, because boy am I going to get back at you for this."

Sarah smirked, "We'll see."

He smiled at her and asked, "So, Miss Walker, what did I do to earn your ire?"

She smiled back, "Oh nothing. You just looked like easy pickings that's all. And please call me Sarah"

"Fine, Sarah. You can call me Chuck"

"Chuck, huh. You poor soul"

He exclaimed indignantly, "Hey! It's not that bad, I like my name y'know?"

She put her hand up in surrender, "No offense. Just felt bad for all the bullying you must've endured in school", she smirked.

He sighed, "Well, I'm just happy to put it past me." Smiling at her he asked, "So, Sarah, what is an American doing so far away from home?"

"Whoa, mister. At least invite a girl for coffee before asking such personal questions"

He sputtered, making her laugh. He decided he liked her laugh, and vowed to make her laugh more.

Smirking at her, he said, "I don't think you can handle me."

She just leaned into him, making him back away from her. She smiled seductively, and internally cheered, at his gulp.

"Oh, I can handle you just fine. Can you handle me?"

As his brain was rebooting, she just smiled cheekily and walked away. After waking up, seeing her walk away, he called out, "Why don't we find out?"

She turned around, "Sure. Pick me up from here at 6 tonight. We'll see how well you handle me" smirking as she walked away.

Chuck just looked at her as she went inside.

"Damn", he muttered.

TBC

Well, that's the end of Chapter 1 of New Life. The next chapter will be the introduction of Sarah Walker's past. I hope you guys like this, and review and support this.

If you feel anything can be changed, please tell me in the reviews.

See you soon.