A/N: I don't own nor make any $ from Chuck
Chuck was sitting alone on a deserted beach. It was a warm sunny day without a cloud in sky and he was relishing the feel of the warm sun on his face.
"Hello Chuck," a voice said from behind him.
"Bryce?"
"Been a long time buddy," he said as he sat down next to him.
"Bryce I don't understand how can you be here? I saw you die," Chuck said.
"C'mon buddy you are a smart guy, but your asking the wrong question," Bryce said as he smiled at him.
"What do you mean?"
"The real question you should ask yourself Chuck is not how I could be here, but how could you be," he said as he poked him in the chest.
"Oh my god! Am I dead?"
"Well that all depends on you Chuck."
"On me! How?"
"How much are you willing to fight for her," Bryce said as Sarah materialized on the beach.
"What do you mean? I did fight for her. I do still," he said.
"That's not what I mean. I mean how much longer are you going to fight yourself about her? How much longer are you going to keep being insecure about how she feels about you? She loves you Chuck."
"I know that."
"No you don't! Everything she has done since she has known you has been in your best interests. She is not perfect, but she needs you to stop with the little childish insecurities and be her man. If you can't accept and embrace the fact that she loves you then you don't deserve her."
"What about you? You're a pretty damn big insecurity! I'll never be the spy that you were. I'll never be good enough for her," Chuck said.
"Chuck she never loved me and you want to know the reason why? Because I was never strong enough for her. I never understood her the way you do. Loving someone is not about being a hero; it's about being their hero. You need to put that person first, and as much as I wanted her to, I knew that she never loved me."
"The first time I saw you two together I knew that she loves you."
"How?"
"She baked for you," he said.
"What?"
"She baked something for you, my point is she changed. If you were just an asset, or even a fellow agent she wouldn't have done something personal like that. It was subtle but those that knew her really well would pick up on it."
"So what does that prove?"
"Chuck she changed for you! You don't understand the kind of person she was before she met you. With me she had fun but it was just filling time, she never let me in enough to be able to change her, but with you she did."
"She changed her way of thinking and more importantly of what she wanted in life. She got that all from you Chuck, not from some super spy, just a good guy from Burbank. She doesn't need a guy strong enough to save her, she needs a guy strong enough to build a life with."
"Now the question you need to ask yourself Chuck is are you that guy?"
Chuck remained silent for a moment as he processed all of this.
"What do I do Bryce?"
"You have two choices. You can walk down the beach this way with me, or you can walk down the beach that way and go to her, but I don't really think it's much of a choice is it," Bryce said as he smile at his friend.
"No it's not," Chuck said as he returned the smile.
"Well then it's time to go," Bryce said as he pulled him up.
"I wish we had more time Bryce. I miss you," Chuck said.
"I miss you too buddy, but we will see each other again one day," he replied as they embraced.
"Now get you ass back to Burbank," he said as he slapped him on the back.
Chuck turned and walked down the beach away from Bryce.
"Hey Chuck," Bryce called.
Chuck turned to look at his friend.
"Romulus and Remus," Bryce said.
"I don't understand," Chuck replied.
"You will soon enough," Bryce said as he smiled.
Chuck turned back and resumed walking down the beach.
"Wait Bryce what does...," Chuck said as he turned around to his friend once more only to find the beach deserted again.
Two days later Sarah was just finishing off the eggs that the hospital staff had brought up for her when she saw a slight movement from Chuck.
Did he just move his finger?..she thought. She was caught "mid-chew" and remained motionless waiting for him to repeat his movement.
There! He did it again! She thought as she saw him move his whole hand this time. She hit the button to call the nurse and grabbed his hand squeezing tightly, and tried to hold her emotions together as she felt him squeeze back.
"I'm here Chuck," she said softly as tears ran down her face.
"Sarah," 'he said as he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"I missed...," was all he needed to say as he was enveloped in her embrace.
The next 48 hours brought a myriad of tests and examinations to Chuck, and once everything was completed, he was deemed in reasonably good health considering how much toxin he was exposed to.
He was sitting in his room and was getting accustomed to the collar they had put on him to help his tracheotomy scar close, when Casey came in.
"Stop playing with yourself moron, besides that's the wrong part."
"Nice to see you too Casey," Chuck said as the older man sat down.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not too bad. My throat is a little dry," he replied.
"Well you can thank your girlfriend for that," Casey said.
"What?"
"After the gas your neck swelled up like a fat kid at the buffet line. Walker opened up your neck an saved your life. You know how she is with knives," Casey said.
"Wow! Really?"
"What can I say, nothing says love like a tracheotomy."
Later on that day team Bartowski was gathered in Chuck's hospital room for a private videoconference with the general. Sarah was laying in the bed with Chuck and made no move to get up when she came on the screen.
"Hello team. How are you feeling Mr. Bartowski?"
"I'm doing ok general. A little tired, but nothing I'm told won't mend."
"Very good. I have the results of your tests and they indicate that the intersect is intact and you have no brain damage."
"How thorough was the testing," Casey quipped silently.
Sarah tried unsuccessfully to suppress the smile that came to her face.
"Agent Walker I would like to inform you that your request has been approved and relocation will happen immediately, then you are to begin your new assignment."
"New assignment? Sarah what is she talking about? Are you leaving," Chuck said with a hint of panic.
"No Chuck I'm not leaving," Sarah said as she squeezed his hand.
"But she just said…"
"Mr. Bartowski, as per Agent Walker's request, both you and Agent Walker will be relocated to a new residence."
"We are moving in together," he asked with a smile.
"Yeah," she replied smiling.
"Upon relocation Agent Walker and you are free to pursue a relationship. Agent Walker's conduct these past few days has demonstrated how effective she can be when it comes to you Chuck," Beckman smiled.
"Thank you general," Chuck beamed.
"Don't thank me Chuck. Agent Walker has always had your best interests at heart, it seems incredibly stupid to me to prevent something that can and has made you the best team in the agency," Beckman replied.
"I am assuming you two can keep it professional during business hours?"
"Absolutely ma'am," Sarah answered.
"Now agents I would like to introduce you to Agent Jeremy Wallace. He is here to discuss the evolution of team Bartowski," she said.
Casey and Sarah looked at each other uneasily as a slick looking young man appeared on the screen next to the general.
"Hello team its an honor to speak with you today," Wallace said.
The look of suspicion that Wallace got from the three individuals in the room was a little unnerving, but the look that he got from Sarah was terrifying. It looked as if she was hungry lion looking at a wounded gazelle, and Wallace felt like the gazelle.
Wallace decided to change his track and decided to address Chuck directly.
"Mr. Bartowski I want to say it's an honor to meet you, you are a true American hero," Wallace said.
"Uh thanks, but I'm just a normal guy," Chuck replied.
"I beg to differ Mr. Bartowski. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty many times and with no formal training. Imagine when you are fully trained how effective you will be. I have come here to offer you a new position Chuck," Wallace replied.
"Excuse me fully trained," Sarah said as she protectively moved closer to Chuck.
"We would like you to head your own unit Chuck. We will train you and match you with a new team and the latest technology so that you can fully realize your potential," Wallace said as he totally ignored Sarah's question.
"General is this true," Sarah asked.
"Yes Agent Walker, we feel that Chuck had the ability and aptitude to be a first class agent," Beckman said.
"What," Sarah said as she was blindsided.
"Agent Walker surely you would want Mr. Bartowski to be at his best to defend this country. He has potential that is far and away above everyone else," Wallace said condescendingly.
Sarah was white hot about this latest development. She was angry that the general would not tell her about this last night, but more then that she was afraid. Afraid that they would turn Chuck into a dead, lifeless soul. The kind of soul you need to have when they send you out to kill someone. She couldn't allow that to happen to him. He wasn't that type of person that could ever kill someone, and deep in her heart she knew that if they led him down this path, then he would surely die.
Chuck was frustrated at not having control of his life anymore. True, there were some things that he would never be able to control, but he was not going to put Sarah through that anymore. She had fought for him and now it was his turn to fight for her, he knew how she felt about the spy life and the fears she had for him, but he was going to end her fears today. They would be together and he would not put anything above her, not even the greater good, because she deserved his best and that's what he would give her.
"General these last few years has been the most stressful and dangerous of my life," he began.
Sarah subconsciously winced when she realized how much danger he had been in an how many times she came close to losing him.
"I have come across some of the most evil people on the face of the earth, but I have also come across two of the best people that I have ever know," Chuck said while looking at Sarah and Casey.
"Exactly Chuck! When we are finished with you, you will be like them," Wallace said with glee.
Sarah winced again when her worst fear was mentioned. She didn't want him to be like her, she wanted him to stay pure.
"I'm sorry but all the training in the world could never make me like them. I don't have the dedication that Agents Casey and Walker have and I could never be as good as them. They are selfless people who put the greater good above everything else, even their own feelings," Chuck said as he winked at Sarah.
"Our teams success is as much a testament to Agents Casey and Walker as it is to me. Without them I would be nothing. So with all due respect general I would have to decline your offer. I would like to stay with my team," Chuck said.
"Mr. Bartowski I don't think you appreciate the opportunity that I am giving you here," Wallace said.
"No I appreciate it Agent Wallace. I'm where I belong," Chuck said as he looked at Sarah.
"Is that your final decision Chuck," Beckman asked as she cut off agent Wallace's feed and his screen went blank.
"Yes it is general," he said.
"Very well. You have one more imaging test tomorrow and then you and agent Walker will move into your new residence. Agent Casey will be next door," Beckman said.
"How thrilling," Casey replied.
"After you are fully recovered we will resume operations."
"Thank you general," Chuck said.
"Thank you Chuck. Wallace was right, you have certainly done more then your fair share. You all have. I wish you both good luck, you two deserve to be happy," She said as she looked at her team.
"You too coronel," she said to Casey.
"thank you ma'am," Casey replied.
"Well get some rest team. You will need it," she said as the screen went blank.
"Well I need to get a few things done," Casey said as he stepped out in the hall.
"I'm so proud of you Chuck," she said as she kissed him.
"I am going to fight for you, fight for us Sarah. You are the most important thing in the world to me, and I want you to know that I really am so grateful to have you in my life," he said.
Chuck would never realize how perfect those words were that he said to Sarah, or how much they hit the mark. It was exactly what she needed to hear and it showed how well he knew her and proved without a doubt, that he was her man.
"Oh Chuck I love you too...and if you ever think of going off somewhere without me again…,"
"I know you'll kill me," he laughed.
"No, I'll rip your balls off," she whispered in his ear.
"You'll what?"
"She said she will rip your balls off. Christ get your ears checked," Casey grunted from the hallway.
He held he hand as the procedure progressed. She was always so strong in these situations, so he found it not surprising that she was again today. The probe continued its examination until finally a dimly lit image came on the screen.
"Well congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bartowski its twins," the doctor said as he maneuvered the ultrasound probe around to get a better image.
The couple was speechless as they saw their children for the first time.
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat?"
"Please," Sarah answered for both of them as she saw Chuck was too engaged to answer.
"Sarah look at them they are amazing," Chuck said as he kissed his wife.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too Chuck," she replied.
It was at that particular moment that a thought popped into chucks mind. In ancient mythology the twins Romulus and Remus founded the city of Rome.
"Romulus and Remus, I'll be damned," Chuck said softly.
"What was that," Sarah replied.
"Nothing just something and old friend mentioned to me," he said smiling.