A/N: I was really taken aback by the response to this story. : Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me.

So, they're together, but both are still nervous after the long separation, and Sarah is definitely fragile…

Just a Memory?

Chapter 2

There ain't no mistaking
It's true love we're making
Something to last for all time
It's never changing
Can't you hear me, I'm saying
I want you for the rest of my life

Together forever and never to part
Together forever we two
And don't you know
I would move heaven and earth
To be together forever with you

"Together Forever"
Nina Nesbitt version (2020)

Sarah was lying on her couch when she woke up. She must have been moved there, because her last memory was at her doorway.

A very worried Chuck Bartowski was crouched in front of her. She was still stunned at seeing him. God, she'd even fainted when she opened the door and saw him!

"Chuck, what are you doing here?" she managed to get out.

"Catching a fainting Sarah Walker, it seems," he replied with a crooked smile.

She sat up and said, "But I'm not allowed to see you… we're not allowed to see each other!"

He smiled. "Says who?"

"The CIA, the NSA and probably others, too," she replied. How could she keep him safe from them?

"Not anymore, Sarah." She was going to ask why, but he said, "I hope you don't mind me turning up like this." He definitely seemed nervous about that.

"You remember me, then?" she asked.

"How could I ever forget you, Sarah?" he replied. That caused her heart to flutter.

"And you don't hate me for how I left?" She had to know.

He sighed. "You leaving was very hard for me. I was already cut up about you kissing Cole, but I thought we'd moved on from that."

She gasped. "You saw that?"

"I did," he solemnly stated.

Sarah felt awful and felt the need to explain. "I just reacted to him kissing me," she admitted first. Steeling herself, she looked into Chuck's eyes. "You'd rejected me… again. And then that happened. I just closed my eyes and imagined it was you kissing me, but then the reality of the situation filtered through into my brain. It wasn't you, and I pulled away, disappointed." She held his gaze and added, "No one's kissed me like you have, Chuck."

He smiled a little sadly. "So, I was already fragile and then you left without a word. I know I refused to move in with you, but I was still very hurt. Maybe even angry. I remained like that until Casey told me what had really happened."

That was a shock to her. "Casey did?" He nodded. "Wow! One for the books!"

"We didn't realize, but he was one of our biggest supporters. As a couple." She just shook her head in amazement.

"After that, I just did both my jobs in a numb state," he said. Looking deep into her soul, he added, "The joy had disappeared from my life."

"Mine, too, Chuck. Mine, too," she whispered.

He took a deep breath. "Once the Intersect was out of my head-" he started.

She stopped him. "Hold on! How did that happen?"

He smiled at her. "My dad turned up. He's Orion, the one who built the original Intersect."

Her jaw must've dropped because he smiled and his finger pushed it up, closing her mouth.

"And he removed it?" she asked breathlessly.

"He did," Chuck replied. He not only looked pleased, but also proud of his dad.

There was obviously a lot he wasn't telling her, which she would ask about later. "So, they let you go?"

He smirked. "My new CIA handler disappeared almost as fast as you did. She couldn't wait to leave, but she did say goodbye."

That felt like a knife in her side. "I didn't want to," she quietly said.

He must've seen her reaction. "I know. I shouldn't have said it like that. Sorry."

She grasped his hand. "Not as sorry as I am that it happened, Chuck."

She'd worried about him getting a new handler, if they didn't just bunker him. She was glad the latter hadn't happened, but had to ask, "Who was your new handler?"

"Alexandra Forrest," he replied, and watched her reaction.

"I know of her. A stickler for the rules." She looked back. "Did she hurt you?"

"Not if I did what she asked. I was so subdued when she arrived, missing you, that I didn't fight with her. The few occasions later that we did clash, let's say that she wasn't kind." He paused there.

"Agent Forrest had a reputation of being ruthless."

He chuckled. "That she was. Anyway, I learnt to just do whatever she said, and then it was bearable. Apart from the hole in my heart."

"There was a matching one here," she said, pointing at her chest.

He nodded. "Anyway, Casey left six months later. He said that he stayed to make sure no one came after me, and that may well have been his personal reason, but I don't think Beckman trusted that the Intersect had gone."

It was a lot to take in, but she suspected he was right. "When did this happen?" she asked.

"The removal was just over a year ago, so Casey's departure was just six months ago."

She took a deep breath and asked as calmly as she could, "And since then?"

"I've been trying to find you, Sarah. I started that before he left."

She had to ask, "To say goodbye?" All her fears hung on the answer to that question.

He winced. "Is that what you want?"

She didn't answer that directly. "I've thought about you every day since I was sent away. Even when I was still in the Company." She looked down at her hands. "Since then, I've not thought about anything else."

"Good thoughts?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "Mostly sad thoughts, and regret."

His brows furrowed. "Regret?"

She didn't hold back. "I never told you that I loved you," she said, letting herself be completely open and very vulnerable.

He gasped. "You did?"

She felt that hadn't spelled it out clearly enough. She'd said that in the past tense. "I still do, Chuck, with all my heart."

"Oh my God, Sarah!" He truly seemed dumbstruck.

He just sat and stared at her in amazement. Unfortunately, that meant he'd not said the words in return. Her vulnerability was playing havoc with her emotions. Emotions that she'd only really gained because of the man before her.

She looked down again. Her heart sank. It felt like she'd made a mistake saying that. This was the end. She started to wish he'd never turned up. She could've hung onto a thread, the thought that he still wanted her, but now that was fraying.

"So, you don't want to say goodbye?" he finally asked.

She couldn't look at him, just shook her head in denial. His hand appeared under her jaw and gently raised her up to look at him again.

"Me neither," he said. "I love you, too."

Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, her mouth sought confirmation. "You do?" Of course, he did. He wouldn't lie about something like that, would he? It was probably just her vulnerable state affecting her.

He opened his arms to her. "All my heart, too."

The distance between them just vanished. She was suddenly sitting in his lap and kissing him for all she was worth. He kissed her back just as desperately. This kiss was at least three years overdue, and neither wanted it to end.

Chuck was still in a daze.

After their frantic kiss, Sarah had just burst into tears and sobbed into his shirt as she buried her head against his chest. He never thought the always tough Agent Walker would do that. He'd certainly not seen her cry before, and was uncertain how to react. He just wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. It seemed to be what she needed, as she clung to him just as tightly.

Once she stopped crying, she pulled back, and wiped her tears away. He doubted she wanted to talk about why she cried, so he didn't ask.

"Before you kissed me, back then, I never knew the word swoon would ever apply to me," she said in a forced amused tone, but he sensed some truth creeping through.

He smiled at her deflection from her tears. "Better than Cole, then?" he asked jokingly.

"Miles better," she replied in all seriousness. "Better than anyone."

He nodded. "Kissing you today is like a dream come true, Sarah. But even your cover kisses were always miles better than anyone else's real ones."

Names didn't have to be mentioned. They both knew who the other was talking about. He felt on top of the world, and hoped she did, too, now that she was no longer crying.

"Will you eat with me?" she asked, tentatively.

He nodded. "I've missed our meals together," he replied, and her tears welled up again. He pulled her to him as she sobbed into his chest again.

"Sorry, Chuck," she finally said. "I've not enjoyed eating without you being with me." She took a deep breath. "Everything has been painful without you. That's why I'm such an emotional mess."

He looked her up and down, trying to decide if she was thinner than when he last saw her.

She suddenly grinned, a beautiful sight. "Checking me out, Mr. Bartowski?" she teased.

He loved her humor and grinned back. "Just as gorgeous as in my dreams, Miss Walker."

She shook her head and her expression changed to a loving one. "You always say the right thing, don't you?"

"I do?"

She leaned forward and pecked him on his lips. "You do." She jumped off of him and grabbed his hand. "Come on. Salad time."

As they walked into the kitchen, Sarah could feel Chuck's eyes on her. With anyone else, she'd bristle at that, but with him she couldn't be happier. In fact, she hadn't been this happy for a long, long time. She even waggled her bottom at him.

"God, I've missed seeing you do that!" he breathed out.

She turned and looked at him with a smile on her face. "I always knew you liked my ass."

He nodded. "Never grabbed it, though."

She grinned. "Probably frightened of my knives."

He pretended to look affronted. "I was always a respectful gentleman."

She nodded. "Sometimes I wished that you weren't." The intervening years had definitely made her think so. "For three long years, I've continued to wish that," she admitted.

He moved up to her, and she had to look up at him. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "And you wouldn't have minded me touching you like that?"

She blurted it out. "I've wished that we'd made love before I was sent away." He looked shocked, so she added, "For real, not pretending for the cover."

He kissed her and she sank into it until he pulled away. "I think that would've made your departure much more upsetting."

As she thought about it, she realized that he was probably right. She refocused on his eyes and replied, "Unless you leave me, nothing will stop us now."

He gave her that smile that she'd always felt was just for her. God, I love him so much!

Then, he spoiled it a bit by saying, "Apart from salad." She lightly slapped his arm and turned back into the kitchen.

He looked at what she had on the surface. "Just lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber? You'll waste away on just that!"

"I have a loaf to cut, as well," she argued.

He walked to her refrigerator and searched in it, and finally took out a block of cheese. "Good. You need a wedge of this, too." Then, he grabbed two apples, as well.

She raised an eyebrow. "Trying to fatten me up?"

"You need your energy for what's to come."

She blushed but didn't disagree. "I like this Chuck Bartowski," she purred.

He grinned. "I want to just keep kissing you, but we do need to eat."

"Yes, sir!" she replied and started preparing their food. She was suddenly desperate to eat quickly.

Chuck lay on his back, staring at the ceiling of her bedroom, panting. Making love to Sarah Walker had fulfilled all of his fantasies, and so much more.

"Need more sustenance?" she teased.

"That was one wild ride!" he gasped out.

She rolled her naked body onto him. "It was," she replied. "And I hope it's not the last."

"This evening or ever?" he teased back.

"Both," she replied, and she kissed him. "Been a long time for me, Chuck, and I've fantasized about you doing that for the last three years… when I've not been crying about us being apart."

He held onto her naked body, loving the feel of it, as he replied, "It would've been less time if you hadn't been so difficult to find."

"I know," she replied sadly. "I'm sorry. I just hid from the world when I left the Company."

"I'm so glad I found you," he murmured.

"Me, too," she said and gave him another kiss. Then, she rested her head back on his chest.

Having her lying on him like that, totally naked, was beyond his wildest dreams. As was her glorious body. He knew she'd be gorgeous, she was when clothed, after all, but when she disrobed , she took his breath away.

"Whatcha thinking?" she asked.

He blushed, but he hoped that she couldn't see that. He avoided stating everything, and just said, "You. My dream girl."

She hummed. "My dream guy."

His brain spun off into the future. He couldn't stop himself asking, "What do we do now?"

"This minute, this hour, tomorrow…?"

"We're definitely making love more," he replied. "But I was thinking beyond that."

"I don't want there to be a beyond, unless you're with me," she said, leaning up and looking at him. "Now we're together, I never want us to part again."

The look of determination she was giving him left no doubts in his mind. It was wonderful. However, he needed to know more than that. "But do we stay here, or go somewhere else?"

"What do you want to do?" she asked, obviously not wanting to be the decision-maker, unlike their time as asset and handler.

"I want you to be happy, Sarah, wherever that is," he honestly replied. "I'd like to see my sister and her family, my dad and probably Morgan, too. So, I don't want to hide completely, but other than that, I just want to be with you, wherever that is." He could see tears forming in her eyes and hastily said, "I don't want you being upset, Sarah."

"I'm not upset, Chuck. You caring for me as much as you do, makes me emotional. I never used to be like that before you."

He smiled at her. "The Bartowski charm?"

"Ruined a perfectly good spy," she replied, but her smile showed that she wasn't upset about it.

Then, she said, "I love it here, and if you're with me, it'll be perfect. That doesn't mean we can't visit or have some visitors, though."

"Ellie, Devon and Clara would love this place," he said, imagining them playing on the beach he'd walked along to get here.

"Clara?" she asked as she sat up on him. "They have a daughter?"

He focused his eyes on hers, just as he always tried to before she left. Her naked body was so much more distracting! He smiled. "They do, and she's lovely, if a bit of a scamp sometimes."

She obviously realized she should cover up and did that with the sheet. She smiled. "Isn't that what being a child is all about?"

"I bet you were, before things went wrong," he replied and then wished he hadn't.

She sighed. "I probably was."

He felt he should change the subject. "Tell me what you do here," he suggested.

She looked at him with a faint smile. "Other than thinking of you?"

"Yeah, other than that."

"I paint."

He was definitely not expecting that. "You paint?" She nodded. "What?"

She leaned back down, resting her arms on his chest and bringing her gorgeous face close to his. "I'll show you when I feel like rising from my favorite resting position."

"God, you're so gorgeous!" he said, unable to take his eyes off her face.

She smiled. "You're pretty gorgeous, too."

They had to kiss after that and the kiss deepened. Inevitably, that led them to making love again.

They'd dressed before Sarah led Chuck to her art studio. She didn't know why she felt nervous about showing him her paintings, but she did. She guessed it was because his opinion mattered so much to her.

After entering the studio, Chuck just wandered around looking at each of the framed paintings, saying nothing. When he'd examined them all, he pointed at the stacked, unframed ones and looked at her.

"Look at them all, Chuck," she said. She nearly said she wasn't hiding anything, but thought about the one that was indeed hidden. Should she show him that one, too?

Sarah was still debating that when he finally looked up and spoke to her. "You're so talented! At everything, but your paintings are just amazing!"

She was so relieved. "You'll probably think I'm ridiculous, but you saying that is the best compliment I could ever want for them."

"Have you ever done portraits?" Chuck asked.

Well, she had to show him now! "Just the one," she replied. She went and retrieved it and placed it on the table before removing the cover.

He gasped when he saw it. Then, he looked at her. "You have that photo with you?"

"I grabbed it before they cuffed me. It's my most treasured possession," she said.

"I have it, too. It's in my backpack."

"We both look so in love in that one," Sarah said quietly, wondering if that was too much to say.

Chuck held her gaze and said, "I was, and I still am."

When that photo was taken, she was sure that he was. She'd told herself that it wasn't true about her feelings, but she'd since realized that she was lying to herself. "Me, too," she replied in no more than a whisper.

Their lips crashed together as their arms wrapped around them both. Admitting it had been so much easier than she'd expected.

She pulled away first. "I have to put it away again."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Thinking about that, Sarah realized that there was no reason to anymore. "I hid it because I wanted no one else to see it. They'd ask questions I wouldn't be able to answer without crying. I cried whenever I looked at it, which was quite frequent, but that's just me. Crying wasn't conducive to any painting I did in here." She looked into those hazel eyes of his. "But now I should frame it and put it up in our living room, proudly on display."

"Our living room," he repeated with a dreamy look as they walked back to it.

"Definitely ours," she replied. "No longer just mine."

"I love that it's now ours," Chuck said. "That this will be our home together."

Sarah's breath caught as he finished. "What?" he asked, full of concern.

"I've lived here for three years. I love it, but it's never felt like home. There was always something missing." She locked eyes with him. "That was you. You were missing. Now… the place feels complete. I'm complete. I've never had a home, but now, yes, this feels like one."

He pulled her into another of his breathtaking kisses as they sat on their couch. She just closed her eyes and gave herself up to it. Reveled in it.

This was what Sarah had wanted for so long, them together, and not just briefly. Neither of them wanted to part, so life would be like this from now on. After such misery came such joy.

A/N: More happiness in the next chapter.

I know "Together Forever" was a Rick Astley song, but I can't stand his version (or his voice). The Nina Nesbitt version, however, is great.

I'd appreciate a review of this chapter, if you can spare the time.