Chuck vs the definition of insanity
A/N: They never learn. To Notorious JMG – you are my hero. Go read chapter 6 of Chuck vs the Producers – pure brilliance. And to everyone who tweeted me today in an attempt to cheer me up, you guys are Awesome! Thanks a million (and some).
This is unbeta'd. All errors are courtesy of a new keyboard and my cat that played scrabble with my laptop's keys. I guess killing the puppies on the toilet paper got a little old.
Now Schwartz & Fedak, a little life lesson – you do not set up a proposal like that, a speech like that, only to have it interrupted by a [enter bad word here] arrest, you [enter adjective that can get you sued for character defamation]. If I owned Chuck, this is what would have happened.
Sarah paused at the top of the stairs. The moment she feared for a long time, but was actually looking forward to her whole life without realizing it, was finally here. Her earpiece crackled.
"Sarah, you just stopped. What's the matter?" Morgan was the last person she ever expected to be quarter backing her for anything. Though right now, she couldn't think of anyone better to have in her corner.
"I don't know. I think for the first time in my life I'm..." She didn't want to say it. "...nervous." Damn, she said it.
"Oh, my God, oh my God, you have butterflies." Still trying to process his statement, she heard him mumble "She has butterflies." She heard a grunt over the earpiece before Morgan came back online. "That's completely natural. Everybody gets butterflies."
"Morgan, I don't get butterflies." She was not about to admit to him, or her partner, that she was a little familiar with a fluttering in her stomach. There was that afternoon in Chuck's hallway, the morning in Paris...
"That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is...that's Chuck Bartowski out on that balcony, okay. You know, he is the best friend that I've ever had." Morgan must have covered the mic again, because she could barely make out "No offense." Then he was back. "And listen, I know you weren't asking and maybe it's a little silly, but...uhm...you have my permission to marry him. He's all yours, so...all right, take care of him." Sarah felt her nervousness disappear as a smile graced her lips. Chuck Bartowski was all hers.
"Thank you, Morgan."
Determined not to waste another moment, she made her way down the hallway to the balcony where Chuck was waiting. She barely paid any attention to the chatter on the other end of the line. Then Casey came through loud and clear.
"Walker, check your six. By your feet. Bartowski dropped the ring." It could have been her imagination, but Casey sounded a little tense.
Keeping her calm, Sarah stepped outside and spotted Chuck. Her heart started beating faster when he gave her a bright, nervous smile.
"Pick it up pick it up pick it up." This time it was Morgan freaking out a little.
"Look at the moon, Chuck." The distraction worked. When he turned, she quickly stooped down to retrieve the red jewelry box. She took a quick breath and joined him, careful to keep it hidden.
"It's perfect." Meeting his eyes, she leaned in for a kiss. Silently thanking her dad for teaching her less than respectable skills, she slipped the box into his jacket pocket. Chuck's hands came up to cradle her face as he kissed her again. She pulled away slowly and he took both her hands in his.
"I've been to so many places around the world, but..." Sarah gazed out over the breathtaking French countryside, crowned by the full moon, "I've never been to place as beautiful as this." She wasn't just saying it for the sake of the proposal. Or the scenery alone.
"I have." Chuck's response surprised her. Tearing her eyes away from the view, she studied his face. Chuck met her eyes before continuing. "Every day. Every morning I wake up and I look at you. When we brush our teeth tandem style." Sarah couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "When we watch TV together. Whatever. Anything. Always. Every time I look at you…it's the most beautiful place I've ever been." Sarah didn't know what to say. How do you respond to something so eloquent? "It's just…I feel like I should be James Bond right now, you know? The guy who's standing on this balcony with you, right now, in this moment, I mean…"
Sarah tugged on his hands. She had to interrupt. "I didn't fall in love with James Bond, I fell in love with you." She poured all her emotions into that statement. He was her hero, because he loved her. And because she loved him. Sarah smiled when Chuck swallowed determinedly and she noticed his hand patting his pocket. This was it. She was glad he didn't get to surprise her. This way she could savor every second.
"Sarah, I'm…uhm…I'm…I'm gonna ask you a question right now, so please, don't freak out, okay?"
"I won't," she promised, trying to calm Chuck's nerves.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Going on missions and saving the day and being heroes." Sarah couldn't contain her smile. Or her happiness. "But mostly though, I just want to be with you." His voice cracked. "At your side. Always." He finally took out the ring, but she barely looked at before locking gazes with him again. Chuck went down on one knee. "Sarah, will you marry me?"
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she squeezed his hand. "No matter where in the world we are or what we're doing…I want you there with me. I need you with me. Always." The last word was barely a whisper. "So, yes, Chuck." She nodded. "Yes." With a relieved sigh he slipped the ring onto her finger and folded her hand in his as he got up. Chuck pulled her close with his free arm. Sarah's circled his neck. They smiled at each other before she tangled her fingers in his hair and guided his lips to hers.
It felt like there were spotlights shining on them. On this moment. Then Sarah realized it wasn't her imagination.
"Freeze! Don't move! CIA!" Suddenly they were surrounded by agents pointing guns at them.
Chuck was the first to recover. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on here? We're on a mission. What are you doing? Stop! No!"
One of the agents opened the case Sarah exchanged with Pierre earlier. He examined the contents. "It's legit."
"Agent Sarah Walker, you're under arrest."
"For what?" She had trouble wrapping her mind around what was happening.
"Treason." They all lowered their weapons and one of the agents handcuffed her.
Sarah turned to Chuck helplessly. "What?" Two agents carted her away while Chuck was refrained from following.
"No!" he protested as he struggled in vain to free himself.
"Chuck!" Sarah started to panic. She fought desperately against the hands on her arms that were dragging her away from Chuck. She managed to look back. "Wait!"
"This is all wrong!" He was panicking too.
"Chuck!"
Sarah sat on a hard bench in the detention cell, turning the engagement ring around her finger. She was prepared to do whatever it took to help take Volkoff down and bring Mary Bartowski home, but the timing couldn't have been worse. Last night was supposed to be the happiest of their lives. It will always be, but she couldn't help but wish it ended differently. She hated surprises. If Beckman had just trusted her…
She didn't care that almost the entire agency thought she was a traitor. What mattered was that she was going to have to break her promise to Chuck, even if it was just for a little while. She saw him running through the door as the General exited her cell. He looked distraught when she let him enter. Sarah felt her own tears brimming in her eyes. He knelt down to meet her gaze and she forced out the words before he could say anything. "Chuck, I'm leaving."
He straightened, shocked and confused. "What? Where are they taking you?"
"They're not taking me. Chuck, I'm going." She got up too. "Beckman never thought I was a traitor. It was a setup," she explained with a calm she didn't feel. "The perfect opportunity to establish my cover as a double agent." When he responded with a mere sigh she closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of his hands. "Chuck, we have so much together. You know, a real life and a future. But I need to go back to be the old me for just a little while longer…if I plan on surviving this."
"Surviving what? Where are you going?"
"I'm going under cover into Volkoff Industries. I'm going to take them down from the inside."
"No. No, you're not. That's exactly how I lost my mom…" His heart breaking plea almost made her change her mind, but she had to be strong.
"That's exactly how you're going to get her back, Chuck. I'm doing this for you, okay? I'm doing it for us." Her eyes begged him to understand.
"Why does it have to be you?"
"Chuck, you have to trust me, okay? For Beckman's plan to work it has to be me. I'm sorry." Her last words were barely audible. Sarah slipped the ring reluctantly off her finger and placed it in Chuck's palm. She curled his fingers around it and clamped his fist in her hands. "This is mine," she told him in a steadier voice, her eyes not leaving his. "I'm coming back for it and I'm coming back for you."
"Sarah…"
"Exactly," she interrupted and swallowed. "I'm Sarah Walker. I can do anything, remember? Because I have you."
The cell door slid open. "Agent Walker, it's time."
Fighting back her tears and failing, she nodded.
"I love you." Chuck told her often, but she could never hear it enough.
"I love you too, Chuck. I'm not gonna come back without your mom." He gave her a desperate kiss before she was led away. With a last backwards glance at Chuck she mouthed "Wait for me."
A/N:
Okay troops, here's what we're going to do – we are all going to watch episodes 12 and 13. Thereafter you can take any action you deem necessary. I am trained in Russian martial arts and all torture methods not condoned by the Geneva Convention, so let me know if you need help. On the bright side, at least we learned a little about Sarah's family. And how great was Casey? First helping with the proposal and then telling Chuck about his own proposal to Kathleen. Awww.
Now if you still feel bad, sad or mad, just imagine it ended this way:
Casey was sitting at the conference table cleaning his gun. He was truly disappointed. For the whole team really. After everything they did to help the proposal go smoothly…
With a sigh he reassembled his gun, checked the mag and slammed it back in place.
"Colonel Casey," Beckman's sudden appearance startled him. His trigger finger slipped. Jumping up from his chair he bent over his boss…er, former boss. Looking at her lifeless form sprawled out on the floor, he grunted. "Whoops."