The Last Christmas.
A/N More at the bottom, but warning: this is dark and depressing.
She sat in the hotel room staring out into the decorated city in front of her. It was close to midnight, but still the city was lit like a living Christmas tree. Chuck was right; Paris at this time of year was always a sight to behold. Her view of the Tower was as breathtaking now as when she saw it with her soul mate all those years ago.
She saw the light pour in from the hallway as the outside door opened, "Chuck?"
Then she shook her head and listened carefully before a small smile came to her lips and she relaxed her hold on the throwing knife she had hidden up her sleeve.
"You should be at home with your family?"
Alex sat down in the chair next to her then leaned over and gave Sarah a hug.
"We didn't want you to be alone on Christmas, Sarah. He would not want that."
Sarah smiled, her blonde hair long ago turned grey and a except for a few small wrinkles around the eyes, no one would have believed that this woman was well into her seventies.
"I'm not alone, you know that Alex. But how is Casey doing. Last time I saw him I thought he recognized me." Sarah reached over and poured herself a cup of tea.
"He has more bad days now than good. The alltimerzes has him reliving a lot of his missions. By the way, what sort of mission caused Chuck to kiss my dad in order to save his life?"
"Well Chuck's logic was not always the best, and he took some weird leaps with those he loves, especially under pressure."
Alex small smile left after a few minutes of Sarah's silence. "Morgan, well he wanted to be here, but Ellie and I convince him to stay and watch Dad and the grandkids this Christmas. Morgan's like a kid again playing with Chuck Jr and Sarah" Alex chuckled at the look on Sarah's face.
'And I still want to know how Morgan got your son to name his kids Chuck and Sarah is beyond me Alex. Morgan really was raised by gypsies wasn't he?" Sarah finished off her tea and sighed.
"Chuck loves looking at the tower all lit up for Christmas. We use to come here every other year with the kids when they were small, and then a few times afterward when we weren't visiting them all over the planet. His favourite Christmas was when we rented out the whole floor of this hotel and all the family came to spent Christmas here. You and your family, Ellie and Devon and their awesome brood. It was the last time that Casey really knew who we were I think. Even my sister and her granddaughter made it up. Chuck and Casey both found out they were going to be a great grandfathers that Christmas too. The holopicture still makes him smile of all of us together in the main lobby of the hotel." Sarah looked back out at the tower.
"So how did you know?" Sarah's voice was a little more than a whisper.
"Ellie is still bad at covering things up. Like you, I still have a few connections. I called Greta and she confirmed enough for me to put two and two together. She also got me a flight out. I told Ellie it should be family to take care of this. She does not really understand why but she's a wreck. Morgan is not much better."
Alex took Sarah's hand. Tears started falling.
"Alex, this is Christmas and those had better be tears of joy, understand." Sarah squeezed her hand.
Alex sobbed quietly, but she could not help but notice Sarah was having a hard time staying awake. "Well we both know it's late and time for bed. Need a hand?"
"Sure" Sarah reached over and grabbed two crutches lying hidden on the floor of the darken room. A little shaky getting started and in obvious pain with every step. She and Alex headed to the bedroom. When they arrived Alex looked in at the resting figure.
"Chuck looks so peaceful. I have not seen him like this since before the governor failed."
Sarah just nodded at Alex's comment as she climbed into bed, kissed Chuck on the lips, and laid her head on her husbands' chest.
"Good night Alex."
"Goodnight and Morgan wanted me to say 'God bless Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski'."
Alex closed the door. She heard quiet talking coming from the other side, so she went over and sat on the coach looking through the window again. Over an hour passed before she noticed a box on the TV with her name on it. Opening it was a piece of paper, a mission briefing packet, two legal documents and a lot of other letters addressed to family members.
Opening the note she read
Dear Alex
I am certain that from all those at home, you would be the one that would come. We would have left by the time you read this and know that we have had a wonderful life both as spies and as a normal family. The only thing we would change would be us getting together as a real couple from day one, when I saw him in the buy more and Morgan started calling me Vicky Vale.
Officially Greta sent us on a mission so the CIA will take care of all the arrangements. You are in charge of everything else. There is a flash drive in the box. Make sure that she gets it with our thanks. You will need to send the cleanup crew to the apartment number I wrote on the drive.
These are letters for the family. Tell them the truth. Chuck was told that he only had a couple of weeks left before his loss of brain function stopped his heart or breathing. The day before yesterday where Ellie had to use a defibrillator on him, we knew it was a matter of days now. He is in so much constant pain.
Do not tell them that it was Chuck that caused my spinal injury last year when he started to do martial arts in the bed and kicked me in the back. They can believe it was a car accident. I don't want them to think badly of him ever. My pain meds were to the point where I cannot function anymore, and the specialist only gave me a few more months before the damage the drugs are causing me make me lose this battle as well. The damage done to my heart isn't the drugs; it's what is happening to the man who owns it.
I don't want to go on without him anyways.
Tell everyone we love them and that we are looking down on them, together.
Chuck once put in his spy will a clause that if we both die together that to tell Morgan and Casey that "Chuck's long legged Valkerie with an aversion to clothing is bringing the Tron warrior to the gates of honoured dead and we will save a place of honour for you.'
Chuck is such a nerd. I love him so.
Sarah Bartowski
Alex folded the paper and picked up her phone's earpiece and voiced dialled home.
"Hi Honey. I just wanted to say I love you."
"Yes she is in a lot of pain Morgan, but you know her, she really tried not show it."
"Yeah Chuck looks peaceful."
Alex picked up a tissue and wiped away the tears. She heard Morgan talking but got up, put on a pair of gloves and gathered the tea pot and cup and poured out the almond scented tea and washed it all twice before she realized he was asking her a question.
"I am going to leave them there for one last nights sleep and the clean up crew will be here at 0600.I'll watch over them until we all get home. Whatever Ellie gave them, it was peaceful."
A/N
Everything I write went a little darker than I wanted. Someone suggest I write a dark piece so hopefully I can get this out of my system, And not I can try to get over the HUGE case of writers block that seems to have sprung up.
No Beta on this one, and I hope I have not put a damper on anyone's Christmas. Usual disclaimers apply. I own nothing from the Chuck universe. They are owned by people much more powerful than I.
As always, if you enjoyed anything on this site, take a second to send tthe writer a review. Consider it a Christmas present that costs nothing.
JC