I don't own "Chuck" but maybe I could con NBC out of it...
The Father of the Bride
The entrance to the church remained quiet. Most of the guests had entered by now, as the ceremony was only a half hour away from starting. Or at least that was the story.
A man in a priest's collar stepped outside for a moment. He looked around furtively, raised his arm, and began speaking into his wrist watch.
Most people would find this somewhat unpriestly action surprising. Jack Burton, however, was not most people. In fact, this was exactly what he had expected to see. Once again, he considered the ramifications of what he was going to do. Then he opened the car door, stepped out, and grabbed the cello from the back seat.
"Good afternoon, Father."
The priest's eyes immediately narrowed, but relaxed when he saw the suit-clad man lugging a large case towards him.
"Ah, hello."
"I don't suppose I could trouble you for a hand." Jack gestured towards the door.
"Of course, of course." The priest opened the door to the church.
"I trust the others are here?"
"Uh, I believe so."
Jack gave the other man a friendly shrug. "I'm always running late. I knew I should have listened to my mother when she suggested the piccolo." He walked through the door, and paused only a second to give the man a friendly wave as the door was closing behind him. It was too easy.
The key was to always look like you belong. Most people always assumed the best, so not giving them any reason to think otherwise was vital. This rule apparently included young government agents disguised as priests. If he had the time, Jack could give him some pointers.
He looked around to make sure that nobody was in the hallway. Off to one side, he could hear the sound of string instruments warming up, so he turned and headed in the other direction. He found a closet and shoved the cello in there. He didn't need somebody to see him with the cello and starting making requests. Years back, he'd successfully pretended to be the bass player for Kansas for two months. But the cello player in a string quartet is much more exposed, and would be a lot tougher to fake.
He found a stairwell at the end of the hallway, and quietly climbed upwards. At the end, he could hear women's voices. He paused momentarily as he realized that he'd reached his destination. He'd known it would be a risk to come here, but it hadn't really mattered. He'd had no choice.
"How're you doing there, Sarah? You almost set?" The voice, female, was unfamiliar to Jack.
"Almost." He immediately recognized his daughter's voice. After a pause, "Everything's still ok, right Ellie?"
"Sure, there's just a bit of a hold up with the string quartet," the first voice responded. "Uh, Anna, could you go down and check on things?"
Before Jack could find a place to hide, a short Asian woman in a green dress walked out of the room down the hall. She gave him a speculative glance. "Should you be up here?"
"Uh, yeah, I was just looking for the bathroom."
"Oh, well, you're going to want to go back downstairs and go back the way you came. You're totally looking in the wrong place." The Asian woman walked down the stairs.
Jack sighed. He'd been off his game there, and had been slow to invent a response. He briefly considered following the woman's directions and leaving the church altogether.
However, the voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.
"Excuse me?"
Jack turned to find two women studying him intently. The brunette was in a green dress like the Asian, and was eyeing him with concern. She seemed to have an officious manner about her that reminded him of either a doctor or a kindergarten teacher.
He almost didn't recognize the second woman. While many of the con job he'd dragged her on years ago had involved dressing up in various disguises, a wedding dress had never been one of them. It had been a long time since he'd even imagined her in a bridal gown. Even those vague memories didn't prepare him for how beautiful she looked.
"Dad?"
The second woman's wary expression was replaced with one of confusion, and she turned to the bride. "Your dad? I thought you said…"
"It's complicated," the bride responded.
"Where have I heard that before?" The brunette studied the other two for a moment, before saying "Maybe I should go and help Anna out there."
As soon as the other woman headed down the stairs, Jack followed Sarah (he still had trouble with that name) into the other room.
As soon as she had closed the door behind her, Sarah turned to Jack. "What are you doing here?"
"It takes more than the lack of an invitation to keep me from your wedding."
"Dad, I didn't… I don't even know how to contact you!"
"Of course you do." He gave her a pointed look. "I raised you to be resourceful. Plus, I know who your friends are."
Sarah studied him for a moment. "Then you know why it was stupid to come here."
"I considered it. I even thought that maybe this was all some elaborate ruse to get to me."
Sarah stared at her father before smiling briefly. "Dad, I hate to say it, but you're not really that important to the people I worked for."
Jack tried not to let that hurt. "So then this is for real. You're really marrying that Chet?"
"It's Chuck, Dad. And yes, I am." Sarah stood up, her arms enfolded defiantly.
She still has her mother's spirit, Jack thought to himself, before his thoughts returned to what she had just said. "You said, 'the people you worked for.' So you quit? That new self defense class gig, that's legit?"
Sarah nodded.
Jack gave his daughter a searching look. "Are you sure about this? I admit I don't know exactly what you've been involved with, and I'm not exactly sure how I feel about you being in law enforcement, but I could tell you were…important. Are you sure you want to throw it all away?"
"I don't think I'm throwing anything away, Dad. You don't know anything about what I was doing."
"No. But I'd like to think I didn't raise a quitter."
"No, you raised me to be a liar and a thief." Sarah paced back and forth across the room. "You're right that I was doing things that were important. And I'm proud of a lot of what I accomplished. But in many ways, I was doing exactly the same things you taught me to do. I didn't know how to be honest anymore, to other people or to myself. I really was my father's daughter, even if I was working for a different side. I was conning people again. And I can't do that anymore."
Sarah stopped to look at herself in the mirror. "Chuck could look through everything, all the lies and the walls I put up, and see me. Nobody has ever done that. And he could love me for me, not some part I was playing." She turned around again to look at Jack. "I'm sorry if it seems to you like I'm compromising myself by marrying Chuck. But I'm not. I'm finally getting to be myself. Not some agent, or your accomplice. Just somebody who can live her life with the man she loves."
Jack stood there for a while before replying. "I've always loved you for you too, you know, as hard as that is to believe. I may not have always been there for you, but that was because of the life I dragged us into, not because of you. And I am happy for you." He approached his daughter, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "And you look incredibly beautiful today. Just like your mother."
Jack reached into his pocket. "I can't offer you much today, but I thought you might like to wear this." He handed her the pendant he was holding.
"Dad?"
"I didn't steal it! Honest. It was your mother's. I hope your Chuck will be a better husband to you than I was to her."
Sarah looked away for a moment, as if to hide the tears that Jack could see anyway. Finally, she said, "Dad, you have to go. Despite what I said earlier, the people here will recognize you, and they'll arrest you."
"I think, given the circumstances, I might have to take my chances. I haven't always been much of a father, but I think I have an important duty today."
The door opened, and the brunette returned. "Everything ok here?"
"Of course," Jack replied without turning away from Sarah. "I was just telling my daughter how beautiful she looks, and how proud I am of her."
Sarah rolled her eyes, and whispered, "Laying it on a bit thick, aren't you?" but Jack could tell that she was pleased.
The brunette didn't seem to notice this, and her brief smile had changed to a more serious expression. "Sarah, don't be alarmed, but we've got a slight delay. The cellist is missing. Apparently he showed up a few minutes ago, and then vanished. Why is it always the musicians who screw up weddings?" she grumbled.
"That's ok, Ellie," Sarah said. "I'm sure he'll turn up soon." She gave her father a pointed look.
"Well it doesn't matter now, we've got a replacement coming, so it shouldn't be too much longer." She looked at Jack. "Mr. Walker, can I take you to your seat?"
Sarah gave him a concerned look, but he ignored her. "Of course. Maybe I can get a chance to wish my future Schnook-in-law congratulations when I get the chance."
"Schnook-in-law?"
Jack was following the brunette down the stairs after briefly hugging his daughter.
"Uh, yeah, a bit of a private joke."
"Ah. Well I'm actually the schnook's sister."
"Oh, well I didn't mean…"
"Actually, it fits pretty well." She gave him a conspiratorial look. "Do you mind if I use it?"
"Be my guest."
"Thanks." They walked down the hallway, and Jack could hear the low rumble of the gathering crowd. Ellie turned to him. "I'm glad you're here, Mr. Walker."
"Please, I won't answer to Mr. Walker. Call me Jack."
The brunette smiled. "Ok, Jack. You know, my dad almost didn't make it to my wedding, and it would never have been the same."
"No, I can imagine it wouldn't have."
"This will work out better. Having Sarah's aunt give her away just seemed odd to me."
"Sarah's aunt?"
The brunette stopped. "Yeah, your sister, right? She was stepping in."
Jack nodded. "Right. Well, I'm here now."
Ellie smiled again as they reached the chapel. "Well, you can just have a seat by her, and you'll have a great view of the ceremony."
Jack paused. The pews were at least half full, and he had no idea who Ellie was gesturing towards. "I have to admit, I haven't seen her in a while. I'm, uh, not sure if that's really her color."
Ellie chuckled. "Well, I have to say I've never seen somebody wearing black to a wedding before."
Jack nodded in relief. There was only one woman in black in the room. "Yeah, it's another family joke."
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
"I do."
Jack sat back down in the pew, his mission now complete. Now all there was to do was watch his daughter and future son-in-law recite their vows.
Once the ceremony was complete, he slowly stood back and looked around for a convenient exit. "Don't think you're getting away," he heard a voice next to him say quietly.
Jack turned to study the older woman that Ellie had referred to as Sarah's aunt. She was, of course, here in some official capacity. Her demeanor suggested that she took no pleasure in the event.
"Aren't you at least going to let me go to the reception?"
"Were you invited?" the woman raised her eyebrow.
"I'm sure they'll make an exception for me, right Sis?" Jack smiled.
The woman stared at him. "You know, it's amazing how far she went with a father like you."
Jack took a minute before responding. "I know."
They stood up, and Jack immediately found a rather large, burly man put a meaty hand on his shoulder. "Ah, this must be…Cousin Johnny?"
"Funny. Let's go."
Jack scanned around for options. He could see a crowd accumulate by the exit.
"What about the receiving line? Surely you won't deny the guests the chance to congratulate us? Wouldn't that seem rude, and suspicious?" He placed more emphasis on the last word, assuming it would carry more weight than the first.
The woman sighed. "Fine. But don't imagine you're going anywhere."
Jack took his place in line, and was soon was surrounded in a sea of handshakes. However, two of his "nephews" were always standing behind him, so his options remained limited. Finally, the crowd began to thin. He was preparing to face the inevitable when he saw Ellie and a tall blonde man approach him.
"Congratulations, Jack," Ellie smiled. "I'd like you to meet my husband, Devon."
"Listen," Jack said after he'd shaken the other man's hand, "I don't happen to have a map to the reception hall, and my sister already has a full car with my two nephews here. I don't suppose I could travel along with you folks?"
"Of course, Jack," Ellie said.
Before the woman could respond, Ellie took Jack's arm and led him away. He knew he wasn't free yet, but at least he'd be able to attend his daughter's wedding reception, and share in her happiness for a little while longer. Escape could wait.
***
We'll seem more of Jack's story later on. However, next will be…'The Best Man.'
