It occurred to me that Ellie has dealt with a brother that is not living up to his potential for at least 7 years now. The time from Stanford to when Bryce sent him the Intersect could be somewhat explained by his complete devastation of his collegiate life, friendship, and romantic relationship all at the same time. About all he had going for him was Ellie and Morgan. But since Sarah showed up, she has seen her brother come back to life. Now two years later, he's not moving forward again. Ellie doesn't strike me as the type of person who won't help the people she loves. Even if they don't want it.
Standard disclaimer - I don't own it or will I be making any money from it.
"Chuck, you know I love you, but you are moving out. Devon and I have discussed it, and it's time for you to move on. "
Chuck looked at his sister like she had grown a third appendage. "Sis, we've been through this. I don't make enough for a place of my own. I know you want me to move in with Sarah, but we're not ready for that yet."
Ellie would not be dissuaded however. "I guess you are going to have to find a roommate or get a second job then. It's been seven years since Stanford and I can understand that took a lot out of you. But Sarah has been around for the last two years and we've seen the old Chuck Bartowski back. It's time you moved forward in your life. I know you can do it, you're just afraid of something like Stanford happening again."
How could he explain to Ellie that he wasn't allowed to move on with his life? He had a cover to keep and that was as a Nerd Herd Supervisor with a girlfriend. His and even Ellie's safety depended on everyone believing that. "Ellie, you just don't understand. I'd like to move on from the Buy More, I'm just not ready yet."
"Chuck, that's an excuse not a reason. I expect more from you than excuses. If you can give me a reason, then I'll talk with Devon again, but it has to be a real reason not to move forward with your life." Ellie knew her brother could be so much more than he currently was. She didn't want to push him, but she couldn't stand to see him stop living life. She thought Sarah was good for him, and it had been for a long time, but it was now two years later.
Chuck knew he had a large problem. He was stuck between the immovable object of the US Government, and the irresistible force of Ellie Bartowski. He was tempted to give Ellie General Beckman's phone number and let them fight it out, but he could just picture them teaming up against him for doing it. "Ellie, I don't know what to say." And with that, he grabbed his phone and left. He had to call Sarah, she would figure some way out of this.
"Sarah, she won't budge. You know my sister, she thinks it's what is best for me and she won't be moved from it." Chuck wondered sometimes if these people had actually met Ellie before. "She has something of a stubborn streak, just in case you hadn't noticed."
"I know she's stubborn, and if your cover was what was really going on, she'd be absolutely right in doing what she's doing. " Ellie doing the right thing for her brother was one of the traits she liked most about her. To be honest, doing the right thing at a personal cost was a trait both of the Bartowski siblings had in common. She both loved and hated the trait at the same time.
"Maybe if we fake break up, she'll realize the pressure is too much for us and back down?" Chuck knew he was grasping at straws.
"Hmm… I'll think about it and get back to you." Sarah needed time to think.
Chuck looked at her with surprise and said "That's great, when you government types figure out how to run my life better, you let me know." Chuck was getting pretty fed up with not having any control over his own life, lying to his friends and family constantly, and the tension between Sarah and he was at an all time high. He wasn't at the breaking point yet, but Sarah's attitude and Ellie's decision was moving him that way.
"Chuck, that's not what I meant and you know it." She knew she hadn't worded it the way she wanted to as she said it, but he couldn't think she didn't care about his life.
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have reacted that way. I'm a little stressed out with the situation, and with it being Ellie I have no bag of tricks to go to. But, in all honesty, I do think you and Casey sometimes expect me to just do what you say without me having any opinion about it. I've found all I do in my life anymore is lie and deceive the people I care about. I constantly lie to my sister and Devon about what I'm doing and where I'm going. I lie to all my friends about our relationship. I lie to myself about the fact that my feelings for you just keep growing and getting in the way. And I lie to you that it doesn't bother me that you don't have the same feelings for me and that I can just be friends. Casey is probably the only truthful relationship I have currently and he just grunts at me and threatens me. I'm not built this way, to be able to keep lying to people and to myself." There, he said it. It's not the way he wanted to but he'd been holding that in for a while now and needed to get it off his chest.
"Chuck, I … I mean…." Sarah set down and put her head in her hands, hiding her eyes from Chuck.
"Sarah, I'm not going to say it's ok, because it's not. But maybe Ellie's right and it's time for me to start moving forward in my life. I'm not sure I can be just 'The Intersect' much longer. I deserve and I want more than that." And with that he left.
Sarah checked Chuck's GPS; it still showed him at the beach. She was sure he was there thinking and cooling off from his announcements earlier. The sad part was, Sarah agreed with everything he said. Sarah used to not care about lying to people to accomplish the mission, but lying to Chuck's family and friends was getting uncomfortable. She knew they could never have any type of real relationship, but even she was having a hard time controlling her emotions around him with all of her training. She didn't know how Chuck could do it since he practically lived by his emotions. His amazing self restraint was another reason she felt the way she did about him. And if she wasn't careful, she just might have to figure out how she really felt about him. Sarah decided to talk to Ellie and see if she could get her to change her mind.
Ellie answered the knock at the door and found Sarah without Chuck there. "Hi Sarah, Chuck's not here right now, I was actually expecting him to be with you."
"No, he's at the beach thinking. We kind of had a fight. Can I come in and talk about it with you?" Sarah was always comfortable talking with Ellie, maybe a bit too comfortable.
"Sure, I'll get us a Diet Coke and then we can talk. I take it he told you that I asked him to move out?"
Sarah set at the kitchen table as Ellie handed her a glass. "Yes, and that's what our fight was about. He asked if I would consider moving in with him. Ellie, I care for your brother, but I'm not ready to move in with him."
Ellie set down and seemed to take the news in stride. "Actually, that's about what I expected to happen."
"What?" Now Sarah was confused. Why would she expect her to say no after two years of dating off and on?
"Sarah, I'm going to be honest because I'm your friend. This is coming from your friend, not Chuck's sister. You two are not going to work out." Ellie took her hand as she said this trying to be reassuring.
Sarah's jaw dropped. "What do you mean we won't work out? Chuck and I care for each other a great deal."
"I don't doubt that, but you've been dating for two years. You've helped Chuck put himself back together from where Stanford left him. But that doesn't mean you two are right for each other. Having a strong emotional attachment is a great start, but if you still don't feel safe enough to let him into your heart after two years, I think either you aren't meant for each other or you're cheating him out of being in love with you. Whichever one it is, I think you should break up." Ellie was trying to put it as softly as she could. From what she knew of Sarah, she didn't like to open up emotionally and was surprised she had gotten this far with her.
"Ellie, I … I mean…." Sarah put her head in her hands hiding her eyes from Ellie.
"Sarah, I'm not going to say it's okay, because it's not. But maybe it's time for you to start moving forward in your life. I think you and Chuck both deserve more than that." And with that, Ellie pulled her up, gave her a hug, and walked her to the door. "The only advice I can give you is to think with your heart not with your head." And then she closed the door behind Sarah.