A/N: The road trip continues where sing-alongs are a must. So, fasten your seat belts, do some window surfing and enjoy the ride.
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck
Chapter 26
"Oooo. Look. The Outlets at Tejon. We should stop. I mean, who doesn't love an outlet mall?" Chuck asked, turning to glance at Sarah. The flat look she was giving him made him swallow thickly. "That's a … a soft 'No' on the outlet mall?" The same flat look was accompanied by a raised eyebrow. "OK. That-that's a hard 'No' on the outlet mall. Got it. Definitely no outlet mall." Chuckling, her flat look dissolving, she shook her head in amusement.
"I'll tell ya what, when this is all over with, we can go anywhere you want. Even an outlet mall," Sarah added in a tone reserved for talking to babies, lightly pinching his cheek. Chuck blushed and rolled his eyes.
"I'll hold you to that," Chuck replied, "but I'll come up with some place better than an outlet mall." After another minute, a large sign over the interstate caught his attention.
"Ooo. Fresno," Chuck exclaimed. "Fresnooo," he repeated, drawing out the word as if sounding disappointed. "In what universe is Fresno better than Paris, Derek?" Chuckling to himself, he followed the CA-99 North signs, diverging from I-5.
"OK, I give. Who the hell is Derek? Do we need to have a discussion about the medications you're on?" Sarah asked with humor in her voice.
"Right. Right. Sorry. I… I have this nasty habit of quoting movies when I see or hear stuff that reminds me of a line or a scene. I probably should have disclosed that little tidbit on our first date, huh?" Chuck asked, looking rather sheepish.
"No kidding. Clearly I had no idea what I was getting into," Sarah teased, laying her head on the back of her seat, still looking at him. "So… are there… are there quotes from any of my movies that you use like that?" she asked, sounding uncharacteristically timid. Chuck glanced at her in surprise, both at the question and the tentative way she asked it.
"Well… there is one that I've used before, well, paraphrased at least. It's probably one of my favorite lines from any of your movies. Not just the words, but the way you say them, your facial expression and body language. It… um... " Chuck trailed off, his cheeks starting to redden.
"What is it? Tell me," she pleaded, grabbing his forearm and shaking it, much like a child whining in a toy store.
"It's… it's a little embarrassing," he confessed shyly, ducking his head for a moment before returning his gaze to the road. She just stared at him, waiting, with an impatient look on her face. He must have felt it, or perhaps he saw it in his periphery, causing him to sigh in resignation.
"Fiiiine. You know in 'Heart of Darkness', when you get cornered in that military lab, the hordes of zombies right on your heels?" Sarah nodded, the corner of her mouth turning up as she listened. "You walk into the lab with the experimental weapons and stop in front of that badass plasma repeater?" The grin on Sarah's face widened, humming her acknowledgement. "And then… you uh… you turn it on and it makes this humming sound, like when the Ghostbusters fire up their proton packs...an-anyway," he sputtered, swallowing thickly, "you pick it up and say…"
"Come to momma," Sarah breathed out in a husky, sultry voice. She nearly burst out in laughter when she saw Chuck shiver.
"Yeah," he eeked out in a high pitched voice before clearing his throat. "Yeah, that's the one. That's um… that's one that comes to mind."
"Hmmm. I'll have to keep that in mind," she purred, thinking of ways to use that to her advantage at the right moment. Seeing how the topic was effecting Chuck, she took pity and steered the conversation back on track.
"So, aside from your penchant for quoting movies, what other atrocities have you been keeping from me?" she asked with mirth in her voice. Staring at his profile, her eyes sparkled with that same amusement as she watched his eye widen.
"OK. So this is where I lay it all on the table? Confess all my deepest, darkest secrets?" She couldn't quite tell if he realized she was teasing him, his expression a mix between amusement and fear. She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed, but before she could respond, he barreled forward.
"Alright. Here goes. When I was thirteen, Morgan and I were having a sleepover at Ellie's and my place. We were staying up all night, watching reruns on television, playing video games; that sort of thing. Well… we were watching 'Married With Children' because… well… Christina Applegate. Anyway, in this episode they made a particular culinary concoction that Morgan and I just had to try. Soooo… we made..." Chuck trailed off for a moment, glancing at Sarah, who was biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing at his retelling of the story. "A Tang-wich."
"I'm sorry. A what?" Sarah asked through her chuckling.
"A Tang-wich. You know. Two slices of white, Wonder bread, then you take Tang, that orange-flavored powdered drink mix-"
"I know what Tang is. I didn't live under a rock," she interjected, still giggling at his story. "So you're telling me that you actually made a sandwich out of nothing but powdered Tang and white bread? Did you eat it?" Sarah asked, a grimace on her face as she held her breath, fearing the answer.
"Of course we ate it! We were thirteen! That's not even close to the grossest thing we ate," Chuck confessed. Drawing on Sarah's amusement, he began to chuckle as well.
"Oh GOD!" Sarah's whole body shuddered as she went into a spasm at the thought of eating such a thing. "I can't believe you ate that. Ewwww. So what did it taste like?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Oh, worse than you'd think. The white bread gets stuck to the roof of your mouth, and if that wasn't enough, when you get to the sand-like consistency of the Tang, whatever moisture you had left in your mouth gets sucked out. So we had to drink a lot of water. A word of warning, soggy bread and fake orange juice doesn't make for a good combination. Especially when that orange drink is so highly concentrated. We had to drink so much water to dilute the Tang to acceptable levels. In hindsight, it was a really stupid idea."
"You think? Oh my God. Where were your parents?" Sarah gasped in mortification, covering her mouth. The second the words left her mouth she wished she could somehow suck them back in. It was just something people joked about, but for Chuck, it wasn't a laughing matter. Sarah felt sick, her heart in her throat. "Oh, God. Chuck, I'm… I'm so sorry. I… I didn't mean-"
"No. Hey. I get it." Chuck reached across the console and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "Look, my childhood wasn't always glitter and rainbows, but I'm not bitter about it. I had Ellie. We had each other. We made it through, and, not to be boastful, I think we did OK. It all made me who I am today… and brought me to you. So for that reason alone, I have no complaints. So please, don't be afraid to laugh and joke around me. I promise, I won't take offense." Chancing a glance at her, he gave her a broad smile, which tightened when he saw the tears threatening in her eyes. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, peppering a few more across her knuckles and down her fingers.
Blowing out a heavy sigh, Sarah continued to stare at Chuck, resting her head back down on her seat. "How are you even real?" she asked, absentmindedly running her thumb over his knuckles. "I say something stupid or hurtful and you try to make me feel better about myself. Who does that? I mean, you do that, but I've never met anyone else like that; like you. You keep reminding me that I made the right choice. Well, I don't even know that it was a choice, to be honest." Reaching up with her right hand, she brushed the back of her fingers against this cheek. "I think the first time I saw that smile, the one where the corners of your eyes crinkle up," she added, tracing a finger around the corner of his eye, "and your nose wrinkles," she continued, lightly tapping his nose, "that was when it all started. My heart was making up its mind before my head could realize what was going on. I'm glad my head figured out what my heart already knew. Otherwise I might not be on this amazing road trip, listening to your expertly selected music and clever movie quotes, keeping me entertained."
Letting out a hum of both amusement and contemplation, he was otherwise silent for a moment, struggling with the compliments she paid him. He wasn't the greatest at accepting compliments, not having much experience with them for much of his life. The best way he knew was deflection.
"Well, I'm not a one trick pony. I also packed snacks." He gestured to the back seat over his shoulder, hoping to draw attention away from himself. When Sarah didn't move, still staring at him, Chuck glanced at her to see what was the matter. He found she was giving him a wry smile, shaking her head in amusement.
"Way to try and change the subject. I'll give you this one because I could use a snack, but don't think it's going to work all the time. One day I'll get you to accept a compliment." Chuckling at his expression of faux offense, she turned to look in the back seat.
'Oh my God! What the hell did you buy?" Sarah exclaimed, seeing the dozen bags lining the floor and back seat, including a small cooler.
"Well, I wasn't sure what kind of snacks you liked, so I bought a few… OK, a lot. I bought a lot. But there are different categories to consider. You have your chocolaty snacks, like candy bars and such. There's the gummi family of snacks, like Gummi Bears and Sour Patch Kids. I also put Twizzlers and Red Vines into that category for simplicity," he added as he counted off the varieties on his fingers. "Hard candies, like Starlight mints and jawbreakers, aren't really good road trip fodder, so I didn't include any of those. Then you have your salty snacks like chips, pretzels and nuts. Don't get me started on cookies. That's a whole other thing completely. Lastly there are the meat snacks which include, but are not limited to, jerkies, snack sticks and pepperonis." Sarah turned to look at him in wide-eyed astonishment.
"Wow! That's… you take snacks very seriously," she admitted, looking between Chuck and the bags of snacks behind them.
"Morgan and I watch a lot of movies. Much of the same movie night snacks double as road trip snacks. Oh, there's also a cooler back there with bottled water, iced coffee, soda and iced tea. I wasn't sure what you'd be in the mood for or what your favorites were, so I made some guesses. If you don't find what you like I can stop at-"
"Chuck!" she interrupted, taking a hold of his hand, trying to stop his spiraling. Sarah watched him inwardly curse himself and she began to wonder. Turning to face forward, she sat upright, considering her words carefully. "Chuck... do I make you nervous? And before you rush to answer," she interjected, holding a hand up, "I want the truth, not what you think you should say or what you think I want to hear. I want the truth." Chuck was silent for a moment, looking at the dashboard, then the navigation console and back out at the road.
"Maybe … maybe a little," he confessed, looking sorrowful.
"Why? Is it something I said or did?" Sarah asked, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.
"NO! No, it's not you. It's… well it's kind of you. No. No, it's me. It's me. I'm just…" Chuck paused letting out a huff of exasperation, running a hand through his hair. "The truth… the truth is … I'm nervous. Nervous about you and us; mostly us. I… I want this," he gestured between them, "to work so badly, I want everything to be perfect. I'm probably going overboard but I don't want to give you a reason to…" he trailed off, chewing on his bottom lip. Staring at Chuck for a moment, she let out a single note chuckle, shaking her head.
"Chuck… look at me," she requested softly. Hesitantly, he glanced at her, trying to keep one eye on the road. "I'm sitting here in this car with you, about to introduce you to my mother and go on a vacation to a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere with you. Those are two things I've never done with anyone else. And do you know why?" She asked, leaning forward so she was more easily in his field of view while he was watching the road. Chuck looked uncertain, as if wondering if the question was rhetorical or not, so Sarah kept going. "First, because I trust you. I'd never do either of those things with someone I didn't trust implicitly. Second, because I love you. Chuck, this isn't some casual interest, trying to figure out if there is anything there between us; testing the waters to see where this goes. I'm long past that, and to be honest, it's a little scary. I've never been here," she emphasized, pointing to where she sat. "Well, not 'here' here, but here; in this situation. I've never felt like this about anyone. I've never been in love with someone before, so I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm so afraid of screwing it up, like I'll say or do the wrong thing-"
"That's impossible! You couldn't screw anything up!" Chuck interrupted, sounding almost offended. "I love you. No matter what you do or say, nothing's going to change that." Pursing her lips to fight back the happy tears, she sniffed, swallowing the lump in her throat. He'd said it all; exactly what she was feeling. She gave him a pointed look, remaining silent. When he looked over at her in curiosity, he saw her expression and started to mouth a question when he seemed to have an epiphany.
"Ooooooh. So you're saying I…"
"Yes. You're not going to screw this up. Not so long as you keep being you. That's it. That's all I want. I appreciate how much you worry about pleasing me. I realize it's part of the way you try to show me how much you care. I get it. Just… don't stress about it. We'll figure out each other's likes and dislikes. That's what dating is all about, right? I don't expect you to … divine my favorite candy bar or what flavor of toothpaste I prefer." Taking Chuck's hand in both of hers, she squeezed it tight. "I know that you love me and that I love you. I have zero doubts about that. And knowing that's what's most important to me. All the other stuff is inconsequential."
"You're right. I do love you and I guess I was afraid… afraid that might not be enough. That's something I need to work on," he confessed, blowing out a breath. "What d'you say we work on that 'likes and dislikes' list?" he asked, chancing a glance her way. With a smile she nodded, squeezing his hand in reassurance. "OK. Well, grab a bag from behind you and we can get started." Sarah complied, reaching behind the seat and pulling back a bag full of various snacks. Chuck reached his hand inside, fishing for something and finally pulled out a small bag.
"Ah. What's your take on Corn Nuts?"
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So… I guess that's a 'yes' on Gummi bears then," Chuck stated as he held the now empty bag upside down, shaking it as evidence. Sarah giggled, playfully smacking him on the arm.
"Shut up. I have a weakness for Gummi bears," she said with a faux pout. Holding up one of the last remaining bears that were still in her hand, she studied it. "They're so yummy and cute," she confessed. Chuck glanced over and watched as Sarah made the red gelatin bear dance, "I know I'm yummy, Sarah, but don't eat me," she said in a high pitched, cartoony voice. "I'm sorry, I just can't help myself," she replied in her normal voice, sounding truly apologetic. "No. Nooo. Nooo! Mmmnmnmnm.. Nooo … mmmmnnnnmnnm." Sarah acted out the screams of the tiny bear as she bit its head off, continuing the sound effects of it screaming within her mouth as she chewed. Chuck could only watch in utter disbelief and awe as the scene unfolded. When Sarah finished eating the rest of the 'dismembered' gummi, she chuckled to herself. Glancing at Chuck, she noticed his expression and immediately reddened. "What?"
"Oh. My. God," Chuck exclaimed breathlessly.
"Don't make fun of me," she pouted, this time the pouting seeming more genuine.
"Are you kidding? That was freaking awesome! Sarah Walker, you're a closet nerd. Admit it! Chuck pointed at her, a huge grin on his face.
"I am not!" she protested, her pout transforming into a sheepish grin.
"Nope! I saw it. Just then. That was such an amazingly nerdy thing to do. God… just when I think you're the coolest person ever, you do something like that and-"
"Ruin it?" she interjected, a self-deprecating lilt to her voice.
"No. You prove me right. The fact that you're one of the most badass people on the planet, not to mention breathtakingly gorgeous, but you can sit there and make the sound effects of disemboweling a gummi bear. I didn't think I could fall any harder for you but…" he trailed off, shaking his head in both amusement and reverence.
"You're so weird, but you're also really good for a girl's ego, you know that?" Sarah asked, giving him a loving smile. "I think I'll keep you."
"That's good, because it would get really awkward on this trip if you broke up with me and we still had to share a cabin," Chuck mused, sticking his tongue out between his teeth. Sarah barked out a laugh, throwing her head back. After her laughter died down, letting out a long contented sigh, she cleared her throat.
"Can uh… can we make a pit stop?" Sarah asked, looking a bit sheepish. "That iced tea I drank is starting to catch up with me."
"Oh! Oh, sure. In fact, if it's OK, there's a place up here I wanted to take a look at? I'd think they should have a restroom." Chuck looked over with a hopeful smile.
"I mean… we have to be careful where we go, but right now, as long as there's a restroom, I'm game," Sarah replied, shrugging.
"I suspect there'll be very few people, but maybe hats and sunglasses will do the trick." A few miles later, Chuck pulled off CA-99 to Ave 21 ½. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, with little to nothing around.
"Um… are you sure you know where you're going? And how do they come up with half of an avenue? How the hell does that work?" Sarah asked with a grin. Chuck gave a snort, chuckling at her observational humor.
"I have no idea what's up with the 'half' in the road names, but trust me. It's not far." After about a half-mile drive, they came to a four-way stop. A newer looking building was situated on one corner, the only building visible in any direction as far as the eye could see.
"I hope that's the place. I don't know that I can wait much longer," Sarah teased, though the call of nature was growing louder by the minute.
"Yep. This is the place," Chuck reassured her, pulling through the intersection and into the nearly empty parking lot. An older Buick was the only other vehicle there, which made Sarah feel a little better about stopping. Putting their baseball caps back on, they both stepped out of the SUV and stretched, various joints and vertebrae cracking and popping.
A large statue of a mammoth graced the lawn in front of the building, with a sign that read "Fossil Discovery Center". Stepping through the front doors, the place was a museum of fossils, skeletons and taxidermied animals. Stepping up to greet them was an older man, in his late sixties to early seventies, a huge smile spread across his face.
"Good afternoon! Welcome to the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County. I'm Harold. Harold McVicker," he began, gesturing to the name tag pinned to his short-sleeved button down shirt. "Most people call me Mack." He extended his hand to Sarah and then Chuck, shaking their hands with enthusiasm. "It's great to see young folks such as yourselves in here to explore the natural history of this area."
"Thanks, Mack. Say, before we look around, could you point us to the restrooms? It's been kind of a long drive." Chuck made a sheepish grin and a partial pee-pee dance to further illustrate his point. Sarah had to twist her lips to the side to keep from laughing at him outright.
"Oh. Sure. Sure. Right over there. Just past the skeleton of the ground sloth is a small hallway. His and hers. Can't miss 'em." Chuck and Sarah both nodded, thanking the older man as they made their way to their respective restrooms. Refreshed, they met up in the hallway, sharing a smile.
"So you think we're safe here to look around a little bit?" Chuck asked, glancing over his shoulder and then back at Sarah. Thinking it over for a moment, she bounced her head from side to side in contemplation.
"I don't think it would hurt. Maybe just a quick visit." Excited, Chuck dove in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Taking her hand, he led her out into the main room, following the various displays around the room.
"Most of these fossils and artifacts were discovered when digging a landfill in the county," Harold chimed him, standing a short distance away, watching them explore. "That mammoth molar you're looking at, I found that in three pieces. I glued it back together. That was before this place was built to showcase all of these finds."
'Wow. So you actually unearthed some of the things in here?" Chuck asked, turning to look at the older man with wonder.
"Some of 'em. Once word got out of the find, people came from all over to help dig at the site. All of the fossils and skeletal displays came from that dig site. The furry versions you see around the room, like the gray wolf, coyote and bobcat, those came from various locations throughout the state. Unfortunately, they had to be put down by CDFW because they were sick, injured or posing a threat to humans. At least their deaths weren't in vain. They can 'live' on here as examples of their species. I'm sorry. I tend to ramble on. You two feel free to look around. Let me know if you have any questions at all." With that, Mack waved as he backed away, returning to the gift counter near the entrance.
Sarah and Chuck walked around, leisurely exploring all of the exhibits. The large mammoth skeleton with the tusks attached was a sight to behold, as were the ground sloth and saber-toothed cat. In all, it was an enjoyable break from the long drive, giving them a chance to stretch their legs. They thanked Mack on their way out, walking to the car hand in hand. Chuck opened the passenger door for Sarah, helping her in. Once he got in the driver's seat and started the car, he paused, holding up his finger.
"Hold on one second. I'll be right back." Not waiting for a response, Chuck dashed out of the car and back into the building.
"Okaaaay," she uttered, confused as to what was going on. Watching him enter the building, she shrugged and started reading through some of the informational pamphlets they had collected from the Fossil Discovery Center. After about five minutes, Chuck hopped back into the car, closing the door behind him.
"Alrighty," he huffed. "Sorry about that."
"Everything OK? You kinda raced out of here," Sarah inquired, amusement in her voice.
"Oh. Oh yeah. I'm fine. I just… I wanted to get you something. You know, just a little something as a souvenir; something to remember our trip by." Chuck shrugged sheepishly, pulling a small box out of his pocket, handing it to Sarah.
"Awww. Chuck, you didn't have to do that. What is it?" She asked, looking between the box and Chuck.
"Well, open it and see," he chided playfully. Grinning, she slowly lifted the lid off of the small box to reveal a silver necklace with a fossilized pendant wrapped in a silver bezel.
"Oooooh. It's beautiful! It's just like those big fossils we saw in the case," Sarah cooed as she gingerly lifted the necklace from the box.
"Yeah. It's an ammonite fossil. You can see the perfect, logarithmic spiral of the shell's cross section. I don't know what the amber colored stone is that got fossilized with it, but I thought it was pretty," Chuck confessed, shrugging shyly.
"It's so beautiful," Sarah added, running her finger over the polished surface.
"It's kind of cheesy, but… I figured if that fossil was still around after sixty-seven million years, what better to symbolize a long, lasting relationship?" Ducking his head, Chuck looked away, blushing a bit.
Without warning, Sarah turned his head with her free hand and kissed him. It was a long, soulful kiss, full of love and promise. The seconds drifted by as the two continued their kiss, only pulling away when the need for oxygen became too great. Sitting back in her seat, she hurriedly put the necklace on.
"You don't have to actually wear it. It's not all that fancy or anything-"
"Of course I'm going to wear it," she retorted indignantly. "My boyfriend got me a beautiful, thoughtful piece of jewelry. You damn well better believe I'm gonna wear it," Sarah huffed as she finished adjusting it. Pulling down the visor, she slid the mirror cover to the side, adjusting the visor so she could see the necklace in the reflection. Beaming as she touched the necklace, her eyes sparkling with joy, she admired it, turning it in the light to see the subtle spectrum of colors.
Chuck watched his girlfriend -a moniker that he was finding hard to get used to- admire his gift and couldn't help but grin. She seemed so legitimately happy, even over such a small, relatively inexpensive gift. Buckling up, he navigated the car back onto the freeway, resuming their journey as Sarah continued to play with her necklace, stealing a glance at Chuck periodically.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The flat farmland of central California was not much to look at; fields as far as the eye could see. Thankfully, they had each other for company and Chuck's playlist to help keep them entertained. About an hour after their impromptu rest stop of fossils and skeletons, they were pulled from their conversation by the car's stereo going silent.
'Captain," the woman's voice began, "I have found a well reviewed taco stand in the vicinity. Would you like me to plot a course?"
"Wow! Your assistant looks for taco stands when you travel?" Sarah asked, shaking her head. "Damn. I need to get me one of those assistants."
"OK," Chuck replied matter-of-factly. "Once we get to the cabin, assuming there's any cell service, I can set you up with it. But the taco search doesn't come standard. That's a specific search algorithm that I created. Are you in the mood for some tacos? Personally, I'm kind of hungry and we have a ways to go before we get to your mom's house. If … if you don't like tacos we can-"
"Whoa! Stop right there. Not like tacos? Tacos are a deal breaker. We need to have tacos at least once a week. That's non-negotiable," she replied with a wry smile.
"Ok. Ok. Point taken. But are you in the mood for tacos now?" he asked, grinning back at her.
"I am indeed."
"Alright. Serenity, plot a course to that taco stand," Chuck commanded.
"Very good Captain. You will arrive at your destination in eight minutes. I have placed the map on the navigation screen." With that, the center navigation screen for the SUV showed a map of Modesto and a highlighted route to their destination.
When they arrived at their destination, just a few blocks off CA-99, they found themselves in a makeshift gravel lot along a railroad track in what looked like a business district. A number of metal carports had been erected with picnic or plastic folding tables underneath. Behind the carports were several food trucks, each behind their respective "dining area".
"Well this looks like the place," Sarah said, craning her neck to look at all the various signs.
"I'd say. It's probably best that you stay in the car. No offense, but you kind of stand out in a crowd… even though there aren't that many people here. Still, I'll go up and order for us."
"Says the six-foot-four inch white guy at a taco truck," Sarah teased, sticking her tongue out.
"Touché. Still, people are more likely to recognize you." Sarah rolled her eyes, good naturedly, agreeing to let him do the ordering.
"OK, Serenity, which of these taco trucks is the best?" Chuck asked.
"According to a sampling of reviews, Margarita's Taqueria seems to be the preferred establishment. Their tacos are described as 'on point'. I take that to mean they are, in fact, quite good." Chuck and Sarah couldn't help but laugh at the comment.
"Serenity, show us a menu." A picture of the food truck appeared with the menu sign in plain sight. "OK. Well, I'm gonna get tacos, obviously. Whoa… that's… that's an interesting choice of meats. Cheek. Tongue. Tripas? Oooo. Hard pass on those. What would you like?" he asked, turning to Sarah.
"I'm gonna go with two pollo and two carnitas," Sarah declared. "Oooo. And a Coca-Cola Mexicana. I haven't had one of those in years."
"Sounds good. I'll be right back." Sarah watched Chuck conversing with the person in the food truck, point and indicating numbers with his fingers; an odd game of charades. She couldn't help but giggle at him, the way he looked like a large, adorable child. After a few minutes, he made his way back, his hands full of food, soda bottles under his arm. Coming to Sarah's door, she opened it, taking the food from him and setting it on the center console; the two sodas in the cup holders. Once Chuck got in and the door closed, he started passing out tacos.
"These are the chicken… sorry 'pollo' tacos, "Chuck corrected himself, rolling his eyes at himself. "Here are your carnitas tacos but, if you want, you can feel free to have one of mine. I got asada and pastor with plenty to spare. There're also small cups of salsa, sour cream and cheese if you want to add those. Ooo and some lime wedges too."
"They look and smell amazing," Sarah commented, not waiting to hear a reply before digging in. The two ate in comfortable silence, only their moans of delight could be heard over the music. As the song transitioned into the next, the distinctive guitar and drum intro had them both nodding their heads to the music. When the lyrics started both paused their eating to sing along.
"A little ditty 'bout Jack & Diane
Two American kids growing up in the heartland"
The two continued to sing along, grinning at one another. It felt like old times, even though they'd only known each other for just over a week. Something about the bond they'd formed felt rooted in some kind of shared past. It was difficult to explain, but easy to feel.
"Suckin' on asada tacos, outside Margarita's Taqueria"
Chuck's improvised lyrics caught Sarah off guard, causing her to burst into laughter. It wasn't until the key change that Sarah was able to sober enough to join Chuck in singing again, both of them reenacting the drum fill with 'air drums'.
"Oh, let it rock, let it roll
Let the bible belt come and save my soul
Holdin' on to sixteen as long as you can
Change is coming 'round real soon
Make us woman and man"
They finished singing along with the song, the laughter starting back up again as soon as the song ended. Slipping back into their comfortable silence, they finished their tacos, Sarah sharing a bite of her carnitas taco, while Chuck somehow lost one of his beef tacos when he wasn't looking. Sarah only offered an innocent look as she wiped her overstuffed mouth with a napkin. The two finished eating and discarded their trash before getting back on the road. Before leaving Modesto, they stopped at a Flying J for gas and to take a restroom break before getting back on the road.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Passing through Stockton and then taking I-80 out of Sacramento, the flat farmland gave way to rolling hills with patches of green forests; a much more visually stimulating scenery than the past few hours. When they took the exit for CA-49 North, Sarah's excitement began to build. They were within thirty miles of her mom's house and all the thoughts she's been putting off were starting to bubble to the surface.
Her mom hadn't met any guy she'd dated in the past decade. That had been by design. Sure, her mother hadn't lived near LA, so it was easy to blame the distance. Still, Sarah had never made any efforts to take her boyfriends to meet her. In hindsight, it was likely because she didn't want her mother to point out the obvious; those guys were not right for her. She knew that, but didn't see much alternative at the time. That's not to say it was all terrible, but they were really just relationships of convenience. She was settling and didn't need her mother reminding her of that fact, phone calls with her mom were bad enough. Her mom had always kept tabs on her career, including what was on the news and social media. Her mom tried to be supportive but there was always the undercurrent of worry in her voice when they spoke.
Now she had someone in her life that truly made her happy. A man that put her first and was genuinely interested in her as a person. The one person that she wanted her mom to approve of, and they were about to meet shortly. Deep down, Sarah knew that her mom would like Chuck; everyone liked Chuck. Still, there seemed to be a lot riding on this meeting and she wanted it to go well.
When they finally made it to Nevada City, it was just as Sarah had remembered it. She had only visited twice since her mother had moved here nearly three years ago. Ordinarily, Sarah would fly her mom into LA to visit because her filming schedule was so rigorous. The quaint, historic downtown had that old timey feel, many of the original buildings still standing and in good repair.
"This place is so cool. It's like one of those towns you see in a Hallmark movie or something. I can just picture Candace Cameron Bure walking down the sidewalk over there, having some kind of meet cute with the hunky male lead." Sarah chuckled at his observation, but it wasn't far from the truth. This did look like a set from a movie.
On a quiet side street, lined with mature trees and well-manicured yards, their Range Rover came to a stop at the curb in front of her mother's house. Sarah took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
"You OK?" Chuck asked, looking over with concern on his face. "If you're having second thoughts on me meeting-"
"No. Nope," Sarah interrupted, shaking her head. "I really want you to meet her, or her to meet you. Whichever. I'm just a little nervous. I've never introduced her to anyone I've really cared about, so I don't quite know what to expect," Sarah confessed, wincing a bit.
"So… no pressure or anything is what you're saying," he teased, trying to hold back his smile. It seemed to help curb the butterflies in Sarah's stomach, and Chuck's as well. Nodding reassuringly, she got out of the car, Chuck following suit. Walking hand in hand along the front walkway and up the steps to the porch, the two stood facing the door. They turned to each other, locking gazes. An unspoken conversation occurred, each giving the other the reassurance they needed. With broad smiles, they nodded before turning to face the door again.
"Here goes nothin'," Sarah muttered as she knocked on the solid wood door.
A/N: "Oh MAN! What's with this guy? Does he have to do this at the end of every chapter? "
Yes. Yes, I do.
We'll have to see how the meeting with Sarah's mother goes in the next chapter. I can hardly wait to see how it turns out…
For those interested, the song referenced in this chapter is:
Jack & Diane by John Cougar Mellencamp (aka John Mellencamp)
This song has (arguably) one of the best air drum fills ever, surpassed only by Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight". If for some reason you haven't heard it at some point in the last... 38 years since its release, I recommend you seek it out.
You guys are so awesome. The support you've shown for this story is just so humbling. Please keep your comments coming. I love hearing from you.
If you haven't done so yet, I highly encourage you to join the Chuck Fanfiction group on Facebook. It is an amazing group of people. There's lots of great discussion, polls, sharing of story ideas, more polls, writing challenges, yet even more polls. It's a really wonderful community that could benefit from all of you joining its ranks.
Until next time.
Joe