Chuck looked into Sarah's eyes and waited. She was obviously having difficulty answering his question, but he would not push. This was for her as much as for him so he would do it the right way.
"Chuck, I, …. I mean that I ….." and she stopped. She then looked back into his eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled it.
"No, I can't start a real relationship with you." She looked down at her feet trying to keep from seeing the hurt on his face.
"I can't start one, because I'm already in a real relationship with you. I have been ever since I saw you help the little ballerina the day we met." Sarah had no idea how to convey what she felt. She just knew that no one, ever, could make her feel what she felt for him.
"Chuck, I just don't know how to….. say…." And she paused again trying to collect what her heart was telling her.
Chuck Bartowski felt like a small amount of electricity was running through his body. He had just asked Sarah Superspy Walker to be his real girlfriend, and she responded that she already was. The smile on his face could power a small town. When she looked up, her matching smile could warm that same small town.
Chuck wanted to jump up and down, but he knew she needed reassuring. "Sarah, I know you have a hard time talking about your emotions. And while I do want to know what they are, and help you express them, I can be patient until you become more comfortable with it. I just need to know how you feel."
So she jumped him. Her lips crashed into his and her arms wrapped around his back.
As soon as he realized what was going on, he returned her kiss. And while this kiss didn't have the urgency in it as the one at the docks, it held a promise that there was much more behind it.
After a few minutes, she slowly ended the kiss and sunk down putting her head on his chest. "Chuck, I only wish I knew how to."
"Well, that was pretty good at expressing them to me." Chuck laughed, encircling her with his arms.
She smiled and wrapped him tighter. "I want to tell you, I've wanted to tell you for so long. But every time I open my mouth to, only silence comes out."
He stroked her back, trying to make her feel more safe and secure. "I understand, it's hard for me sometimes too. But I want you to know how much I care about you. Thank you for bringing me back from my depression, thank you for taking care of me and supporting me as I adjusted to being the Intersect, and thank you for helping me come to terms with these new opportunities; it means the world to me." He looked down into her eyes with such adoration she couldn't take it.
So she jumped him. Again. But this time, the kiss lasted longer. It help more than a promise, it held a guarantee of much more. It held her desire for him, and the need she had to be loved by him.
This time he slowed the kiss. He wanted to kiss her forever, but they needed to talk for a while before it could go any further.
"Ok, I'm convinced." He gave her a light, tender kiss. Then he brought her near to him again.
Sarah placed her head on his chest again and sighed contentedly. "Before I completely lose control, I want to thank you for telling me about your past. I know I don't talk about my own, and that's not fair to you, but I've so wanted to know about those years. I had no idea what you and Ellie went though."
Then she looked up at him, and pulled away just a bit. "I'm so proud of what you did and what you've grown into."
"Thank you. But if it wasn't for Ellie's love and support, I never would have been able to do any of that. And as for now, I still have Ellie's, but I've received as much from you. You've always told me I could have anything I wanted." He again looked her straight in the eyes, trying to express the gratitude he felt.
And so she jumped him. He almost laughed this time, but he was too wrapped up in the kiss. He wished time would just stop so he could continue this forever.
This time they both ended the kiss, and went back to their positions of her head in his chest, their arms encircling each other.
After a moment, he asked. "Is there a way we can just make time stop and be this way always?"
"If there is, please do it. I don't think I've ever been this happy before." She was happy just to be in his arms, breathing his scent, and knowing he was happy.
"I wanted to ask you what we should tell Beckman." He hated to bring the real world back into their world, but he needed to know.
The slowly parted and walked to over to the couch to sit down, he put his arm around her to snuggle her in and asked. "Did you read the same as I did with the 'no official status between us'? I was kind of hoping that meant our whole cover under the undercover thing could grow into whatever we wanted it to be."
Sarah knew enough government double speak, to be able to decipher it. "That's exactly what she meant. She can't acknowledge there was anything, so not acknowledging was her only option."
"Wait, ..what? Is that anything like Who's on first?"
She laughed. She actually knew this inside joke. "Actually yes, it is like that. And if you play it right, you might get to second base soon."
He blushed. She loved it when he did that. Then he looked her directly in her eyes and started the famous Bartowski Eyebrow Dance. She loved it even more when he did that.
So she jumped him. Even she was beginning to see a recurring theme here, and smiled as she broke the kiss. "That seems to be happening a lot."
"Yes, yes it is. I just wish I could figure out how so I could have done it sooner." He let out a small laugh and so did she.
"So what do you think about the rest?" Chuck was definitely excited about everything General Beckman had offered him. But if Sarah and he were to be in a real relationship, he needed her input also.
She loved the fact that he wanted her opinion. She couldn't believe everything General Beckman had offered him, but he deserved every bit of it. Sarah knew he was amazing, but it seemed the US government took notice of it too.
"I think it's all pretty much wonderful. There are a few areas that we'll need to see how the agreement is worded when she forwards it, but the basis if fantastic." She felt like a kid who had been locked inside of the candy store. There was so much and it was all so great.
Chuck noticed the 'we' Sarah had used. The day just kept getting better and better. What he felt for "She who must not be named" compared to what he felt for Sarah, was like comparing the color blue to the sky over the Rocky Mountains. They both might be blue, but there was so much more to the latter.
Sarah turned to face him. "Do you know what I think is the best part of the whole thing? You won't have to lie to Ellie anymore. I know how much that kills you. I always feel so bad when something happens and you have to hide it from her."
"That's as long as they accept." Chuck was a bit worried how that meeting would go. He was hoping General Beckman would let him broach the subject with Ellie and Devon.
"Please, they both would help anyone in need of medical treatment or not. And neither of them would reveal a secret given to them in confidence. Plus if they agree to help, they will be safer. They won't be assigned bodyguards or anything, but the CIA keeps on eye out for its doctors, they are too hard to come by." Sarah had no doubt that they would agree, and they would be safer for it.
"I hope they do. I'm also excited about the new analysts. Counter cyber terrorism sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Don't tell the general, but I might accidently still occasionally find myself nearish a certain tv stations website late at night. And that said station might change its broadcasting to something I might want to watch at the time."
"Charles Irving Bartowski, I can't believe you." She pointed a finger accusingly at him with a large smile on her face.
"What, it's just an amazing coincidence if you ask me. And besides, most of the time it's Anna." He tried to shrink into the pillows theatrically, but she just bumped his shoulder and smiled at him.
"Speaking of Anna, did Casey ever tell you he suggested she be considered for recruitment to the NSA?" Casey had told her of her martial arts skills he had witnessed in the cage.
"No, but I wouldn't put it past her. She's scary good at what she does. But speaking of Casey, would you help me talk to him? The two of us get kind of belligerent to each other, but I really want to know what he thinks about this."
"Of course, he's probably dying to turn the bugs back on anyway. Let's just go over there."