A/N: Sorry this chapter has taken so long, I've been having some health issues and haven't had time to write. This chapter is a bit of a filler, but it's all necessary for the next chapter. Enjoy!
SARAH'S POV
"Well, if we never got along…" I ask defensively, "Then why are you here?"
Slowly, he reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a manila envelope.
"I guess Bartowski's made us both a little soft," he tells me.
He places the envelope on my bedside table, and I look at him in confusion.
"Beckman's got a new job for me, but…these past five years, we changed, you know?" He pauses for a moment, then continues, "We became friends."
I am startled by this comment, as it seems so unrealistic, so unlikely.
"We became friends?" I reply in a harsh tone.
"Surprised me too," he says honestly. "So…" he continues, glancing down at my luggage, "where are you off to?"
"I'm going to go find Quinn."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" he questions.
"He took my life away from me," I concede. "And I'm not going to let him get away with it. I have to go get those glasses back, no matter what it takes…I won't let him hurt anyone else."
"And what about you?" he presses.
"Relax, Casey," I say with a hint of attitude. "If there's one thing I know, it's how to be a spy. I'll be fine."
"Just be careful. There are a lot of people who worry about you, you know?"
"Well, they have nothing to worry about."
I hear him grunt above the silence in what seems to be disagreement, so I cut through the awkwardness of the conversation by slightly changing the subject.
"So what's in the envelope?"
"See for yourself," he says cryptically.
"Why don't you just tell me?"
He doesn't answer. Instead, he gives me a small smile and heads out the door. "Take care of yourself, Walker."
Once again, I'm left alone with nothing but my thoughts and a mysterious manila envelope on my bedside table.
Curious, I pick up the envelope and break the seal with my knife. I reach in and pull out an encased disc, a blank one. No label, nothing. While I don't exactly know what it is, something tells me it is a DVD. Knowing I've got nothing to lose, I pop it in the DVD player and take a seat on my bed.
After a few moments, words begin to fill the screen.
Chuck & Sarah's Wedding
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Reading these words and anticipating what is to come, I put my hand to my mouth and take a long, deep breath.
The video begins, and my eyes are suddenly met with a church full of guests. Music begins, and for the first time, I can actually see myself walking down the aisle. I'm wearing a strangely beautiful white dress, a smile proudly planted on my face. Suddenly, Chuck's face fills the screen. He, too, has a giant smile on his face, a single tear falling from his eye. I must admit, he looks quite handsome…and I actually look quite beautiful.
Seeing the looks on our faces, I begin to get emotional. This is real…or it was real. My eyes begin to feel moist, ready to release the tears which are sure to come.
The two of us meet at the altar, surrounded by Casey, Devon, Ellie, and…Carina and Zondra. I'm beyond confused at how the two of them came to be in my wedding, but nothing surprises me more than spotting Morgan as the officiant.
I feel strangely content watching my own wedding as an outsider, relieved in knowing that I can find happiness.
Chuck,
You're a gift. You're a gift I 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.
As I watch myself recite my own wedding vows, I completely lose it. The tears fall, one after another, from my eyes down to my chin. I never thought I would, or even could, feel that way about someone. I always assumed that being a spy meant only looking out for myself and never trusting anybody else. Clearly, I was wrong…so very wrong.
Uhh…right, my vows. My turn for vows. They just don't cut it, I'm sorry Sarah. How do I express the depth of my love for you? Or my dreams for our future…or the fact that I will fight for you every day…or that our kids will be like little superheroes with little capes, or stuff like that…
My sobs turn into light laughs at the mention of superheroes, a smile on my face.
Words can't express that, they don't do it justice, they just don't cut it. So no vows…I'll just prove it to you every day for the rest of our lives. You can count on me.
Listening to Chuck's vows, I can't help but feel the emotion. Every word he says seems so genuine, so full of love.
Perfect.
The look on my face says it all, and there are no words necessary.
Do you, um…Charles Bartowski take this woman to be your, uh, lawfully wedded wife?
I do.
And do you take this man-
I do.
By the power vested in me by the Intergalactic Federation of Planets, I now pronounce you…man and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Come here…
Between laughing at Morgan's words and crying at my own, the tears continue to fall.
There's not a moment of hesitation in my voice as I say I do, as if I've never been more certain about anything.
As we make our way from the church, hand in hand, the screen fades to black.
Wiping my tears, I feel a multitude of emotions. Part of me feels so distant from the experience, as I have no memory of that special day. Another part of me is jealous of my former self and the experience, wishing I could remember it.
More than anything, I feel a strange sense of regret. I learned that Chuck was telling the truth all along, but until this very moment, I didn't realize the depth of what we really had. Until this moment, I didn't understand why he didn't want to let me go. Out of my own selfishness, I walked away from what is clearly a wonderful guy. A guy who loves me whether I remember him or not.
Reveling in my own thoughts, I come to a realization. In order for me to truly move forward, should that be what I choose to do, I must first say goodbye to the past. That means saying goodbye to Chuck and giving him the apology he truly deserves.
CHUCK'S POV
Ellie remains planted at my side, her hand gently rubbing mine.
"Alright, Chuck," she says. "We're going to take you up to surgery now."
"That's right, buddy," Devon chimes in. "We're gonna get you all fixed up."
"Mmm."
"Devon and I will go up with you so you won't have to be alone," Ellie tells me. "Are you ready?"
Despite my body's weakening state, I manage to give her a nod.
I am pushed swiftly through the halls once again, Ellie on one side and Devon on the other.
After a few short minutes, I am brought into a dimly lit room and moved to yet another bed.
Devon and Ellie stand back as even more unfamiliar faces come into view, all wearing scrubs and surgical masks.
"Hello Chuck, I'm Dr. Raynor" an unknown voice suddenly swoops in beside me. "I know you're having a hard time breathing, so we're gonna get right to it. We're going to fix up your lung, see what we can do for your shoulder, and get you back up on your feet. Sound good?"
"Mmm."
"Alright then," he says. "Dr. Lin over here will administer your anesthesia, and then we'll get going. You have nothing to worry about, so just try to relax."
He is quickly replaced by what appears to be the anesthesiologist.
"Okay, Chuck. I'm going to be injecting an anesthetic through your IV."
Suddenly Ellie interjects. "Can you wait just one second?" she asks the anesthesiologist.
He only nods, and she comes to my side once again.
"I love you, you know," she tells me.
"I…love…you…t…too…sis."
"And I'll be right here when you wake up."
"I…know."
"Hang in there," she says, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead.
"Are we ready?" Dr. Lin asks.
"Mmm…hmmm," I mumble.
"Alright," he says with a compassionate smile.
I begin to feel the effects of the drug, but not before the mask on my face is replaced with a slightly larger, more intimidating one.
"Take deep breaths…just relax," he adds.
I feel Ellie's hand squeeze my own one last time, and just as my eyelids begin to close, I am met with the image of my Sarah.
SARAH'S POV
As I walk through the courtyard of my other apartment, mine and Chuck's apartment, I am met with a strong sense of anxiety. I'm not quite sure what to expect, or even what to do. So much has happened in such a short amount of time, and I don't exactly know what to make of it.
I thought I had made up my mind about what to do…I thought I could just leave and never look back. Now, after having seen that wedding video, I'm not so sure. Should I stick around and see what happens…or should I walk away and let Chuck start over with someone else?
As I arrive at the front door, I take a moment to calm myself from the overwhelming thoughts. After a long, deep breath, I muster up enough courage to knock on the door.
I try knocking several times and even ringing the doorbell, but no answer. I even try knocking on Ellie's door in an attempt to find Chuck, but again, it seems as though no one is home.
I highly doubt everyone is asleep already. Curious, I pull out my own keys, fumble through them looking for the right one, and open the door myself.
"Chuck?" I call out. "Are you here?"
I walk through the entire place, but am met with nothing but silence. I can't help but notice the different photos and trinkets throughout, each telling a different story. My eyes suddenly zoom in on one of the photos on the bookshelf by the front door. It is a wedding photo of Chuck and I, smiles on our faces, that same look of pure joy and adoration in our eyes. Next to the photo is yet another manila envelope, this time labeled with the word Prenup.
Puzzled, I open the envelope and pull out a single piece of paper.
Prenup
I, Sarah Walker, promise to always love Chuck Bartowski. In return, he will always love me. I promise Chuck that I will not even contemplate the word divorce, and I will never use my prenup.
As I read it, over and over, a small smile fills my face. For once, without hesitation, I know what I have to do. Confident, I pull out my phone from my pocket, find Chuck's number, and hit call.
After multiple rings and no answer, I am met with his voicemail. "Hey, you've reached Chuck. Leave a message!"
I hang up the phone, disappointed. I shouldn't be surprised that he's ignoring my calls, not after everything I said to him. I would hate me too. However, I refuse to give up. This time, I pull up Casey's number and hit the call button.
After two rings, a grouchy sounding Casey answers the phone.
"Hello?" he says with a grunt.
"Casey, it's Sarah," I tell him. "I was just wondering if you knew where Chuck was? I really need to talk to him."
For a few moments, I am met with complete and utter silence. Until…
A/N: Sorry it wasn't too exciting…the next chapter is where things really get moving! Leave me a review and let me know what you think :)
