A/N: Hey guys. This is my first fanfic. Oneshot. Takes place during 4x23. My take on how the rehearsal wedding dinner could have gone if Vivian hadn't activated the Norseman on Sarah during Lester's montage. Kinda delves into Sarah's past and explores Sarah's emotions. Inspired after listening to the song 'The Only Exception'. Fluff.
SARAH VS THE ONLY EXCEPTION
Sarah had a smile plastered on her face as the montage of moments between her and Chuck came to an end. Chuck scoots his chair over next to hers and puts his arm around her. She leans back into him. "So, did you like my surprise?" he asks.
"Yes", she replied happily. "Thank you, Chuck." She paused. "Uhh, Chuck? I have a surprise for you as well."
She got up and walked towards the impromptu stage on which Jeff and Lester were due to perform on later that night. She entered a CD into the stereo and picked up the microphone. "Chuck, I know I'm not the best communicator in the world, and..." she lets out a nervous chuckle. "..and I may not be the best singer in the world either, but here's a song that means a lot to me and I want to dedicate it to you. It's called The Only Exception."
All eyes were on Sarah as the music started. She trained her eyes on the microphone stand in front of her as she tries to calm down. She begins singing quietly.
When I was younger
I saw my daddy cry
And curse at the wind
He broke his own heart
And I watched
As he tried to reassemble it
And my momma swore that
She would never let herself forget
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love
If it does not exist
SUMMER 1987
5-year-old Sarah drew a picture of a princess and a prince as she listened to her parents fight in the room next door. It seemed like that was the only thing they did nowadays. If they weren't hurling insults at each other, they were giving each other icy glares or completely ignoring each other. Even to a 5 year old, it was unmistakable that their relationship was falling apart.
That day, her mom gathered all her belongings and came into her room. She gave her a hasty kiss on the head and promised her that she would be in touch. "I love you, Sarah darling. Never forget that." She slammed the front door behind her as she left. Little did Sarah know - it would be the last time she'd ever see her mom again.
She heard her dad call her mom. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take it that far. Call me back please." He hung up and dropped the phone on the floor.
Her dad walked into her room and slumped on her bed. She watched as a stray tear made its way down his cheek. "She's gone", he whispered. Sarah stared at the heart she'd drawn between the prince and the princess. "Daddy, is love hard?" He didn't answer her. Instead, he stared out the window at the space her car used to occupy. "What have I done, Sarah? What have I done?"
That night, Sarah ripped her picture of the prince and the princess and silently promised herself that she would never fall in love.
But darling,
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
Sarah looks over at Chuck, who seemed mesmerised. Various memories flashed through her head.
She remembered the time when she finally told Chuck she loved him.
"Chuck, I love you. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to say it but it's just that I've never felt this way before. Before you, I was nothing but a spy..."
She remembered the time when she told Chuck he was her home.
"It's a picture I like to keep with me at all times, whether I'm in Portugal or Burbank...Chuck, you're my home. You've always been."
She remembered the time when she found Chuck's proposal plan. He'd lost the intersect and the Belgian kidnapped him thinking that he had the intersect. She remembered how worried she was, and it was then she realized that Chuck was the one.
Sarah glanced at Chuck again, who by now was smiling like an idiot. She took a deep breath as she launched into the next verse.
Maybe I know, somewhere
Deepin my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways
To make it alone
Keep a straight face
SPRING 2008
The pentathol's effects were starting to become more and more obvious. It was crucial for them to find the antidote not only to save their own lives, but Ellie's as well.
To Sarah, this assignment had turned into something more than just an assignment. She doesn't want Ellie to die. Chuck would be devastated. If she couldn't be with him, she wanted him to at least be happy.
They'd just found the antidote. Sarah was about to drink it down when Chuck stops her midway. "Wait, not yet."
"Why, what's the matter?" Sarah asks, confused as to why Chuck wouldn't want her to drink the potion.
"Nothing. It's just that...this...this will probably be the last chance I have to know the truth." Chuck stammers. "I know you're just doing your job here, but sometimes it feels so real, you know?" He pauses and takes a quick breath before carrying on. "You and me, up, our thing under the undercover thing...is this ever going anywhere?"
Sarah glanced down and fixed her eyes on the floor. She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes. She wanted to give in and tell him yes, but she knew that Beckman would separate them if she did. She contemplated the alternatives and finally mustered up the courage to look him straight in the eye. "I'm sorry Chuck. No." That was all she could manage.
And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable, distance
And up until now
I had sworn to myself that I'm
Content with loneliness
Because none of it was ever worth the risk
Sarah rolled around restlessly in bed that night. She repeatedly replayed the events of the day in her mind. She could not forget the look of disappointment on Chuck's face when she said no. If only he knew that I was trained to withstand penthnol, she thought to herself.
She picked up her phone off her nightstand and absentmindedly fiddled with it. She contemplated calling Chuck. She pressed on his name in her contact book and his picture popped up. She stared at his smiling picture - his warm, brown eyes, his mega-watt smile...she longed to be with him.
She eventually decided against calling him. She whispered to herself "It's just a cover Walker...it's just a cover."
Ohh—
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
APRIL 2011
Sarah sat at the dining table sipping a cup of coffee whilst finalizing her wedding vows she'd been working on for the past week. She decided to read it one last time before putting it away safely for the day of the wedding. She cleared her throat and started reading.
"Chuck. You're a gift. You're a gift I could never dreamed I could want, or need, and every day I will show you that you're a gift that I deserve. You make me the best person I could ever hope to be, and I want to spend, and learn, and love the rest of my life with you."
A smile broke out on her face. It was perfect.
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
You, are, the only exception
And I'm on my way to believing
Oh, And I'm on my way to believing.
The instrumentals drifted to a slow stop.
Chuck got up and maneuvered his way through the crowd onto the stage, never once taking his eyes off of her. He struggled to hold back his tears as he pulled her into a loving hug. "I love you Chuck, and nothing's ever gonna change that." Sarah whispered into his ear. She'd once told him that when he was sleeping. She wasn't sure if he'd heard it that time so she decided to repeat it.
Ellie, who had been rocking baby Clara in her arms, started sniffling. "No...no no. Two times already. I PROMISED myself I wouldn't cry. MASCARA!" She got up and shoved her daughter into her husband's arms. Devon, who's eyes were still glued to the image of Chuck and Sarah hugging, could not react fast enough and barely managed to catch his daughter. He uttered a single word: "Awesome".
And there was a grunt. A rather satisfied one, shall we say.
A/N: How was it? Any comments? Press the 'review' button :)