A/N: Come in! Come in! Been waitin' for ya. What's that? You say there was traffic backed up. Where? Ohhhh. See, last week the Moore's had a new baby, and of course the ladies Sunday School class had a sign-up sheet of who was going to take dinner to them. Well, Thelma signed up for today, and you know how Thelma and Gladys have been feuding since the chili cook-off.
How long ago was the chili cook-off? Well, let me think, has to be five…no…ten….oh, I remember. 1994. Anyways, since it's Fall…what's that? No, it is now Fall. I mean, it could be Autumn, but it's absolutely Fall. Anyways, since it's Fall, Thelma made chili, and Gladys also made chili, and there they met, on the side of the road.
See, all of Henry Moore's family was there, and of course Amy Moore's family as well, so the driveway was full. Words were spoken, and what ended up happening was there was an eleven person chili tasting. Well, I'm not one to spread gossip, but Henry's mamma….she is. She called Phylis, Phylis called Debbie, and Debbie called Brenda, and within about twenty minutes, half the county was there to watch this taste test.
Hmmm, who won? Well, the dog, Sparky, wasn't chained up right, and he jumped on the table, knocking over both pots. Sparky ate all the chili on the ground, and Henry, probably tired from all these people at his house and having a new baby, looked at the dog, who was all proud of himself, thumping his tail on the ground told the women, that Sparky like both of the chilis.
Brave words. I have to believe that man is at the end of his rope, and who wouldn't be. Brand new baby and mamma and mother-in-law fussin' over everything…what's that? Oh, yeah, so Thelma and Gladys have started making chili together.
How's Chuck and Sarah? Get you a Hostess Apple Pie and a RC and I'll tell you all about them.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
Sarah turned from the window and looked back into the lobby of the clinic. "Do we have an appointment with Daisy and Justin today?" Sarah asked.
"No," Chuck said, walking into the lobby. "Why do you ask?"
"Because they're walking down the sidewalk," Sarah said. "Well, Justin is and Daisy is on his back." Sarah turned back to see the sight of the huge dog being carried down the sidewalk.
"Hot damn!" Chuck said. "I think the pills might be working."
"Were they for Daisy or Justin?" Sarah deadpanned. Chuck snorted. "I'm assuming anxiety pills for Daisy?"
"Yes," Chuck told her. "Plus, she hasn't barked at her shadow in three days." Sarah shook her head. "The real trick was getting her to take the pill."
"I can't wait to hear what it is that you put it in," Sarah said, turning to him.
"Hostess Ding Dong," Chuck said. "Daisy might have a weight problem by the time we get her other issues worked out." Sarah put her hand to her face and couldn't help but laugh. "I'm just glad she's not a snob like some people. They refuse to eat a Ding Dong now."
"Listen," Casey said, coming out of the back room where he had been helping Chuck do the maintenance on the equipment in clinic. "Those Ding Dong in the tin foil just tasted different, and better."
"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked.
"Ding Dongs used to be wrapped in tin foil and not plastic," Casey told her.
"What is a Ding Dong?" Sarah asked.
Casey looked away and Chuck looked hurt. "I've failed her haven't I?" Chuck asked softly.
"You two are so weird," Sarah said, shaking her head. She turned to look out the window. "Uh, Justin is heading this way."
"Can I please stay and watch this?" Casey nearly pleaded. "I always enjoy this train wreck."
"Behave," Sarah told him. The door opened and Justin came in with Daisy on his back.
"Chuck! Sarah!" Justin said, happiness on his face. "I just had to thank you. Daisy let a butterfly land on her nose for three of four seconds yesterday before scurrying inside."
"She was outside?" Chuck asked, gobsmacked.
"By herself!" Justin said. He reached for his phone. "I've videoed the whole thing. Here."
"You don't-" Chuck began.
"Oh, but I want to see," Casey cut in, moving toward Justin. Casey must have moved too quickly because Daisy's eyes went wide and she shifted her weight on Justin's back. "Sorry, girl, I just wanted to see your movie."
Daisy eyed Casey suspiciously as Justin handed Casey his phone. Casey watched the video, chuckling the whole time. He handed Justin back the phone, just as the door opened and a lady holding a tiny kitten came in.
"Chuck, is there any way you can see Marcie?" the lady asked. She gestured to the tiny kitten in her hand. The kitten gave the softest meow, and that's when all hell broke loose.
Daisy yelped, shoved off of Justin's back, sending him to the floor face first. You could hear the claws clacking on the linoleum floor as Daisy skidded through the lobby, crashing into a lamp, sending it into a chair, and crashing to the floor. She headed down the hallway. As she went out of sight, the sounds of the claws hitting the floor, sliding, and hitting things continued. Things crashed to the floor. Chuck slowly turned to Casey.
"Guess I'll stay around and help clean up," Casey said.
Sarah walked over to the woman, and held out her hands. The woman gently placed Marcie into Sarah's hands. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean to scare her," Sarah said gently to Marcie. Marcy mewed and snuggled into Sarah's hands. "Let's go into the back, I'm sure there's a room that hasn't been destroyed." She turned to Chuck. "Not a word about cat scratches," she told him.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. The two women and kitten left the lobby. "Hey, at least it wasn't a butterfly."
Justin lifted his head, his nose bloody from hitting the floor. "I'm so sorry."
Casey clapped Chuck on the shoulder. "See, you did decided right on getting the linoleum floor. Easier clean up." Chuck glared at Casey. "I'm going to Lou's to get the doc."
"You do that," Chuck said, stooping to help Justin up.
}o{
Chuck sat there, staring at his chili as Fred kept snorting, chuckling, and laughing. "You should tape that stuff and put it on that TV show," Fred said.
"I'm trying to help a patient, Fred," Chuck said, turning to Fred. "I'm trying to be compassionate."
Fred was silent for a second as he held Chuck's gaze. "You know you can't fix all that's wrong with that dog, right?" Fred asked gently.
Chuck let out a long sigh, put his elbows on the counter, and his head in his hands. "I know," Chuck muttered.
"Chuck, you know you have to laugh at some of this stuff or it will drive you crazy," Fred continued.
"I know, I know," Chuck agreed. "Was Justin's nose broke?"
"Nah," Fred said, going back to his chili. "Now, is his spine out of alignment from that big dog pushing off of him…." Fred began to chuckle again.
"Why are you so worried about Daisy all of a sudden?" Lou asked.
"Well, I'm not psychologist," Fred began.
"And you're not Chuck, who I was asking," Lou pointed out.
"But I think he's projecting," Fred continued. Lou stood there, waiting for more, but Fred just ate his chili and drank his coffee.
"You gonna continue?" Lou asked.
"Now you want me to talk?" Fred countered.
"Dear, Lord, you two are going to drive me nuts," Chuck muttered.
Fred turned to Chuck. "Son, you can't save everyone, I thought you learned that?"
"I did," Chuck said.
"But you're scared to death you can't be what your baby needs, right?" Fred continued.
Chuck said nothing. He just raised up and began to eat his chili. "His silence speaks volumes," Lou said. "Where's Sarah?"
"Telling Casey how she wants things fixed since she somewhat blames him for what happened earlier," Chuck said. "And she's kinda right, also, Casey is kind of scared of her right now so…."
"She didn't want the chili," Fred added.
"I mean….it does affect her," Chuck said as politically as possible.
"Lot of gas," Fred noted.
"Happens to the best of us," Lou said with a shrug.
"I imagine being pregnant, it's a little more foul than usual," Fred said to Lou. Chuck dropped his spoon. "Sorry, given what all you've dealt with I assumed that kind of talk wouldn't bother you."
"It's not that, it's just…" Chuck trailed off as the bell went off above the door from it opening. He turned and saw his wife, and a look of horror covered his face.
"Hey, Sarah," Lou began, as she looked up.
"Lou," Chuck began.
"What is it that you're eating, Sarah?" Lou asked. Gasps filled the diner, as Sarah paused mid scoop with her spoon. "You're bringing food into my…diner?"
"They said it was okay," Sarah said, seeing every eye on her.
"She's never gonna be from around here," Fred muttered shaking his head.
"Okay, what about whatever the baby wants?" Chuck asked.
"I have my limits, Chuck," Lou said to him. She looked back at Sarah, and then stared at what was in her hand. "Wait a minute….is that a Blizzard…a Dairy Queen Blizzard?"
"Yes," Sarah said, confusion filling her voice. "They said it was fine for me to eat it here. I told them I was heading over and I didn't think bringing food in was right."
"When you say them, did Dan stop by you office?" Lou asked. Sarah nodded. "What flavor, Sarah?" Sarah stared at her. "What flavor is the Blizzard?"
Sarah felt the intense stared of everyone in the diner. "Pumpkin pie," she said.
"Ohhh," came from everyone in the diner as the tension left the room. Lou was nodding, and smiling. The ladies Sunday School class carried on like nothing had happened.
"Oh Thank God," Chuck said, putting his head on his arm that was on the counter.
"Well, of course you can bring a Pumpkin Pie Blizzard in here," Lou said. "It's Fall, Y'all."
"I am so confused," Sarah said, coming up to the counter and sitting down.
"It's a seasonal item, and just delicious," Fred said, going back to his coffee. "Dan always makes up a few and takes them around to various businesses to get people to try them who haven't in the past. And it's Lou's favorite."
"Been known to have one here at work myself," Lou said proudly. "So, do you want anything, or is the Blizzard enough?"
"I was thinking about chili," Sarah said.
Fred burst out laughing as Chuck lightly groaned into his arm. Fred clapped Chuck on the back.
}o{
"So, let me get this right, you pay money," Sarah began.
"Back in the day it was a dollar, but now it's probably five if not ten," Chuck said.
"And you get in a circle, and you walk," Sarah continued.
"As the music plays," Chuck told her.
"Right, almost forgot, the music plays and when it stops, the person in charge yells out the number, and whoever is one that number gets a cake?" Sarah asked.
"Yep," Chuck said, nodding. It was fall festival time at the LaCompt County schools, which meant fundraising was in overdrive. "What's wrong?"
"Wouldn't it just be easier for everyone to contribute fifty dollars, or sell cakes for three or four times normal price?" Sarah asked.
"But then there wouldn't be a cake walk," Chuck told her.
"But…the cake walk is all chance," Sarah told him.
"Not if you have your special cake walk shoes," Chuck told her. "Any year I've entered the cake walk I've won a cake." Sarah looked down at his feet then back to him. "What?"
"Well, first…they're you're normal Chucks, and second…if you've been doing that since you were a kid….you had some enormous feet as a child," Sarah told him.
"Obviously, they are different shoes," Chuck said.
"So, you win every time you enter a cake walk?" Sarah asked.
"I didn't say that," Chuck replied. Sarah peered at him, frowning. "I've always won one that night."
"So you just payed money until you won?" Sarah asked. Chuck nodded. "And how many times did it take you?" Chuck scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "So, as I said, you could have just payed extra for the cake."
"See, this is why they say you're not from around here," Chuck muttered.
"There's times I'm good with that," Sarah replied. Chuck stuck his tongue out at her, and she caught it in mid-air, grinning at him. "I like this tongue, but stick it out at me like that again…" she let go and let the warning hang in the air.
Chuck studied her a minute, leaned down to her ear, and spoke. "Yeah, you're bluffing, you like my tongue too much." He straightened up as her eyes went wide, stuck his tongue out again, and headed off to a nearby booth.
"Damn it," she muttered, chuckling.
"Is he going on about his cake walks again?" Gertrude said, coming up to her.
"How did you know?" Sarah asked.
"After his parents died, he didn't want to do the cake walk any more," Gertrude said, sighing. "His mom and Ellie backed dozens of cakes for the cake walk, and they were all amazing, but his mom and Ellie made a German Chocolate one that was just unbelievable. After Mary died, Ellie didn't want to cook like that anymore, but when she found out that there were quite a few less cakes, she began to."
Sarah reflexively put her hand on the small bump on her stomach, thinking about Chuck at that age, and losing his parents.
"He wanted that German Chocolate cake so badly," Gertrude said. "Everyone knew it, and we all came up with a plan. I paid for him to be in the cake walk, and everyone that made the walk, knew that when it stopped I was going to call the number he was on."
"Oh." Sarah couldn't stop the noise that escaped her mouth.
Gertrude put her arm around Sarah's shoulders and walked her away from where Chuck was so he couldn't overhear. "It was the first time I'd seen him really happy since she died."
"So, that's why he does it every year," Sarah said.
Gertrude chuckled and nodded. They turned back toward Chuck who was paying for a spot in line. "We created a monster," Gertrude admitted. "I love that boy dearly, but…." Gertrude shook her head. "One year someone knew was running it, and he had to win it the old fashioned way. He spent nearly one hundred dollars. He insisted on continuing because it meant so much to him."
"Oh, God," Sarah said, chuckling.
"Don't worry, everyone knows after three times you make sure he wins," Gertrude assured her.
"Wait, other people know and they aren't upset with that?" Sarah asked.
Gertrude turned to Sarah and grinned. "Honey, they're the ones who insisted it. It's the only thing we can really do to give him a fond memory of his mother." Gertrude laughed. "Besides, Ellie makes the cake, and gives fifty dollars to the charity."
"You know I can give the money," Sarah began.
"Do you want the wrath of Ellie?" Gertrude asked. "No, this is what she wants to do and she's going to." Sarah nodded. "You don't know how happy she is he has you."
"Well, I'm pretty happy I have him," Sarah said. A "Whoop!" interrupted the two women. They turned and saw Chuck had won and everyone was congratulating him. "Are we sure he doesn't know, and is playing into it?"
"He probably does and probably is," Gertrude admitted. "But that's his way of letting us do something for him. I know there are times you find this little community strange, and we do some strange things, but we love each other."
"You do," Sarah said, nodding. "You do."
}o{
"No," Chuck said, coming outside the clinic the next day. Sarah turned to him, gave him a look, grinning. "No, the cornucopia goes there," he insisted. "I am tired of Thanksgiving claiming the cornucopia. I get it, you're putting up Halloween decorations, but a cornucopia is Fall, Autumn, AND Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving doesn't get the cornucopia all to itself."
"You just like saying cornucopia," Sarah accused.
"While I do, I am serious," Chuck insisted.
"What if we put the cornucopia between the two skeletons that are sitting in the rocking chairs?" Sarah offered.
"I like it!" Chuck said, and headed back in. Sarah chuckled.
"I hear you're causing trouble," came the teasing voice behind her. Sarah's eyes went wide, she spun, and threw her arms around the woman she claimed as her sister. "You seem to be in a festive mood," Ellie teased.
Sarah pulled away, and grabbed the older woman by the biceps. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine," Ellie assured her. "I have the day off and thought I'd come see how you are and how my brother is. Gertrude told me you found out about the cake walk."
"You know I could just donate the money," Sarah said. Ellie gave her a look. "Offer rescinded." Ellie giggled. "Am I ever gonna fit in here?"
Ellie gave her a kind smile, put her arm through Sarah's and led her to Lou's. "Let's have lunch," Ellie said.
}o{
The two sat a booth, after Ellie received a warm welcome, with many encouraging her to move back here to practice. "See, they love you, you're one of them."
"So are you," Ellie insisted.
"No, I'm not," Sarah said. Ellie shook her head. "What?"
"This is the teasing stage, Sarah," Ellie explained. "As soon as you have that little one….you're one of them." Sarah was silent. "Oh, so you're thinking what if I didn't have a kid?"
"I wasn't-"
"Yes you were," Ellie said. "Would some men question you? Absolutely. Would their wives give them grief if they didn't except you? Absolutely." Ellie watched Sarah, seeing the skepticism on her face. "Fred's already singing your praises about you and Chuck and saving their horses."
"Yeah, but," Sarah began.
"And the Pikes…what you did for their hogs while Chuck was out working on some other animals on some other farm….and the fact Chuck said you knew more about what was wrong with those animals than he did," Ellie continued.
"I know, but," Sarah began again.
"And then there's all the kids you helped comfort when they lost their furry family member," Ellie said gently. "Those kids already consider you one of town. But, here's the important thing, Sarah." Ellie paused and looked her right in the eye. "This isn't about them, it's about you, and now you want to belong to something."
Sarah looked out the window. When she looked back at Ellie she saw a proud smirk on Ellie's face. "And you didn't?"
"Oh, of course I did," Ellie said. "Do not get me wrong there are things here that are done that are questionable at best, but at the end of the day, this town is home, and family." She paused for a second. "Some of the family is Uncle George who's drunk at the family picnic and you shouldn't let near the potato salad….but family all the same."
"Didn't have the best one of those growing up," Sarah admitted.
"You're gonna have more family than you want," Ellie said, giving her a pointed look. Sarah laughed at that.
"Who looked after you when all this was going on with Chuck, and the cake walk?" Sarah asked.
"The whole town," Ellie said gently. "The same way they'll look after you. Some of them can seem….simple, but they are complex people that can tell people need love in different ways." Ellie stared out the window in shock. Sarah turned and saw who she was looking at. She turned back to Ellie.
"Shocked to see Daisy outside or Daisy on Justin's back?" Sarah asked.
Ellie chuckled. "Some of those people are more complex than others," Ellie said, going back to her food, making Sarah laugh.
}o{
"Fred," Sarah said coming in a few days later, by herself.
"Sarah," Fred said. "You doing okay, need me to tell your husband to put you on bed rest?"
Sarah sat down beside Fred, and waved Lou off before she swatted him. "Who was she Fred?" Sarah asked softly.
"Who was who?" Fred asked.
"Who was the patient that you lost, or something went wrong with that you can't get out of your mind? Who was the woman that I assume did nothing from the time she found out was pregnant, and either lost the baby, or her health deteriorated?"
Fred sat there a moment, struggling with emotion.
"Well, what I will tell you is, different people need different motivation. Take me for example. If I was to motivate me, I'd say things like, "Maybe you should sit down," to make sure I don't because I don't like anyone to tell me what to do."
Lou came over with Sarah's to-go order and handed her the bag. Sarah went to get money.
"Nope, it's on Fred," Lou said. Sarah started to protest, and then saw the look on Fred's face.
"Thank you," she said, and kissed him on the cheek. She gathered her bag, and made it to the door.
"Sarah, what was that for?" Fred asked.
"Don't know what you're talking about," Sarah said, and headed out the door. "See you later, Lou."
Lou waved bye to Sarah, and then turned to Fred. "Are you happy now?"
"I'll be happier once she has that baby," Fred said.
"Sally wasn't your fault," Lou reminded him.
"Well, I can't let it happen to one of our own again now, can I?"
Lou sighed, came around the counter, and gave Fred a kiss on the other cheek.
"What the hell you women doing?" Fred asked.
"Reminding you that we love you too, you old geezer," Lou said, walking off to clean tables. Fred grunted, took a drink of his coffee, and nodded.
A/N: Fall…makes you reflect and think, don't it? What? You need to head out? Okay, now, Jeff and Lester had a squabble today, so Jeff is on Highway One Ten. That's probably the better way to go. You know when Lester gets pissy he can be a bit of a brat. Take care, and check back around Thanksgiving. I don't know if you know this, but Thanksgivings and Bartowskis….well….shenanigans always abound.
