A/U: Thanks so much for all the kind and supportive comments and reviews. Lost in My Addiction requested this story last April as a present for her May birthday. Fortunately (for me), she didn't specify which year. I never imagined it would be this long a story or that it would take this long to write. Thanks for being so patient one and all.
Apologies, once again, to anyone who reads French, in case the letter here has mistakes. Also apologies for changing the canon timeline at the end. It just worked better for what I wanted to do. As long as I had already added a week between the rescuing of the Basque terrorist and their returning home, I figured this little change wasn't going to upset the rotation of the universe. I hope you catch, and enjoy, the foreshadowing to later canon events. There are also foreshadows to my own Season 6 episodes yet to come.
Sorry about some of the formatting in this chapter. It just wouldn't do what I wanted.
Insert standard disclaimers here.
10. Epilogue
The supersonic jet landed at Edwards Air Force Base just after 2230 and the team quickly transferred to an Air Force Jetstream Super King B200 for the quick, hour jump to Bob Hope Airport.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no!"
"Chuck, what's the matter? Did you flash on something?"
Chuck, who had pulled out his phone once they were in the air, suddenly grabbed his head, and began crying out and rocking back and forth. Sarah tried to console and calm him, but he was completely distraught.
"Ah, Sarah, I'm such an idiot! Wh-when we decided to leave Paris, on the train, I disabled the GPS, locations, notifications and all the other trackers on my phone, so no one could find us. In the process, figuring we weren't coming home anytime soon, I also turned off the calendar." He smacked himself in the forehead repeatedly with his phone. "I forgot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! I forgot … Ellie and Devon are leaving for Africa … their going away party was tonight and their flight out is early tomorrow morning. I've missed them!"
"Oh, Chuck, I'm so sorry…." Sarah put her arms around him as he bent forward, holding his head between his hands. She leaned down and kissed his ear and whispered, "It's not that late; maybe you can still catch them. We'll hurry. I know Ellie will understand once you explain."
Chuck could only moan in response.
Casey and Morgan had not heard the exchange but saw Chuck's posture and knew something was wrong. Sarah just waved them off for the time being. She would try to explain later, and hoped Casey would be sympathetic enough not to pick on him.
####
"Boy, Bartowski, what did you do? Only been with Walker a week and already she's sending you home alone?" Casey's smirk was almost as loud as his words, as he stared in the rearview mirror at his asset in the backseat.
"I'll have you know, it's not like that, Dr. Drew. None of us have any clean clothes. All three of us live at Echo Park, while all of her stuff is at her apartment. As soon as she can shower and change, she'll come over here, too. So … nyah!"
"Just seems funny ... the lone wolf just couldn't wait to grab a cab and rush off by herself."
"Give him a break, Casey. Can't this heap go any faster?"
Casey responded with a deep throated growl, but he did floor the accelerator, shoving Chuck and Morgan deeply back into the seat cushions.
Once Chuck had settled down, Sarah had moved back to where the other men were seated in the plane, but when she started to explain, Casey just grunted, "Don't care, Walker. Mr. Lady-feelings is still just an asset to me."
"Fine! But when we land, he needs to get to Echo Park asap. Any suggestions?"
"Sure. My Crown Vic is there, so we an all go together."
"I'm going to grab a cab to my apartment then. Please, Casey, just get him there FAST!"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a mock salute and roll of his eyes. But he did duck slightly when he noticed her all-business glower and finger point.
#####
Sarah hated watching Chuck drive away with Casey and Morgan. It was the first time since Paris that they had been apart, and she missed him already. As the taxi pulled into traffic, she closed her eyes and let her mind surf the waves of joy … those exhilarating moments in the Paris hotel when they first threw caution to the wind, and allowed themselves to finally express the two plus years of pent up desire … the pure wonder and joy when Chuck stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower, looking up, eyes wide ... the laughter and easy teasing as they explored each others' bodies … the excitement of stealing away on the train, together at last, as a couple, in love…."
"Miss … Miss, we're here…."
"Oh, yeah, sorry." The cabby interrupted her daydreams and Sarah blushed deeply as she paid him before stepping out of the car. She needed to shower, dress, grab some clothes, and get over to Chuck's place. She sure hoped they would both catch Ellie.
As the water ran down her body, washing away the grime and exhaustion of the past few days, her mind was in overdrive. What do we do now? Beckman hasn't said anything yet, but surely she has figured out something is going on between us. Otherwise, why would we have gone AWOL? She's already done a 49B on me once, but that doesn't mean she won't do it again. Do we stand up to her; give her an ultimatum; either let us be together, or we resign? But am I ready to do that? Is Chuck? Damn! How is Maurice doing? Will he heal well enough to be self-sufficient, now that he's older. Her mind continued to whirl faster and faster….
Sarah quickly finished her shower and dressed, thanking her spy training for the speed at which she could be ready to move out. But when she grabbed her go bag to repack it, the large envelope from Maurice fell out on the floor. She started to ignore it, wanting to get to Chuck's, but then curiosity finally overcame her. She picked it up and sat down on the edge of the bed. Taking out one of her knives she tentatively slit it open along the flap.
Pulling out a thick packet, her eyes immediately teared up at the hand written letter on top.
Ma chérie Rebecca,
Je suis tellement heureux que vous êtes venus à moi encore une fois. Vous avez grandi dans une très belle et accomplie femme. Je suis tellement heureuse pour vous maintenant que vous avez une vie avec un jeune homme généreux et attentionné.
J'espère que ce ne sera pas notre dernier temps pour être ensemble, mais il est important pour vous d'avoir les renseignements et documents ci-joint. Même si nous ne sommes pas parents par le sang, vous êtes ma famille ne vivant que.
Les comptes mis en place pour le bébé ont été triplé, à la fois dans les îles Caïmans et Belize. Comptes pour votre usage ont été établies ainsi, et sont énumérés dans les documents. Tous mes biens ont été rebaptisé au nom de L'Renardeaux.
Ma chérie, s'il vous plaît ne soyez pas un étranger. Je n'ai pas beaucoup d'années restantes et je voudrais entendre les rires des enfants, comme vous, une fois ri, en DuPont encore une fois. Mon amour et de bénédictions à vous et Charles.
oncle Fox
(My darling Rebecca,
I am so pleased you have come to me once again. You have grown into an incredibly beautiful and accomplished woman. I am so happy for you, now that you have a complete life, with a generous and caring young man.
I hope this will not be our last time to be together, but it is important for you to have the enclosed information and documents. Even though we are not blood relatives, you are my only living family.
The accounts set up for the baby have been tripled, both in the Cayman Islands and Belize. Accounts for your use have been established as well, and are listed in the documents. All my properties have been retitled in the L'Renardeaux name.
My darling, please do not be a stranger. I do not have many years remaining and I would like to hear the laughter of children, as you once laughed, in DuPont once again. My love and blessings to you and Charles.
Uncle Fox)
Sarah could barely breath as she finished the letter, tears running freely down her cheeks, her left hand at her open mouth. Yet she laughed at the endearment at the end; the first name she ever knew him by, those many years ago.
She fumbled with the rest of the papers, her shaking hands unable to control the stack neatly. There were bank statements: Zurich, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, the Caymans, Belize. Property: DuPont, a beach house in southern France, a villa in Tuscany. The Last Will and Testament of Maurice L'Renardeaux … sole beneficiary: one Rebecca L'Renardeaux!
For the first time in her life, unbidden by torture, or a blow to the head, Sarah felt herself losing consciousness! The room was spinning around her and she slipped from the bed. The papers spilled all around her as she felt herself hit the floor. But the impact was the shock that brought her back to the present. Oh. My. God. What … has he done? He … he can't do this … surely there is someone more deserving...
Sarah pushed herself back to her feet and staggered to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and looked in the mirror. Well, going to have to start all over on my face.
Her mind raced once again, as she repaired her light makeup and brushed her hair. Returning to the bed, she picked up all the papers, returned them to the envelope, and put it in the nightstand drawer for now. She had already decided to put it all in her safety deposit box as soon as possible, and not say anything to Chuck, until she could sort it all out in her own mind. If it freaked me out, what's it going to do to him?
She finally managed to pack her bag and then ran downstairs to her Porsche. Ah, so nice to get to drive my car again, too! The engine roared to life and smoke rose from the tires as she slammed the pedal to the floor. The feeling of power, the vibrations coming through the steering wheel, was cathartic and soon a smile broke across her face. Soon she would be back in the arms of Chuck Bartowski, the one man that she trusted, made her feel at home, and truly loved. Then maybe she could just forget all this turmoil for just a little while.
#####
Chuck was out of the car before Casey even put it in Park, and raced into the courtyard. He was disappointed that it was empty … the party was over … so he pulled out his keys and opened the door to Ellie and Devon's apartment. It, too, was dark and empty. He called their names, all while knowing it was futile.
Then he noticed the DVD: Ellie & Devon's Going Away Party 2010.
He put it in the player and was watching it, running Ellie's speech over and over, feeling worse each time.
Suddenly, he heard her voice behind him, "Chuck…."
"Ellie…."
"I forgot my phone ... I think I still might be drunk."
"I'm so sorry Ellie. I wanted to be here."
"It's fine Chuck; you missed one party. Truth is: I think I got so drunk because I got so upset with myself … I'm leaving my little brother." With tears in her eyes, Ellie moved in to hug her brother ... the little boy, now grown into a man … that she cared for so much.
"I'm not so little anymore."
Chuck heard footsteps and looked over Ellie's shoulder. Breaking the hug, he saw Sarah walk up to the doorway. Quietly he spoke: "And, uh, so you know … you're not leaving me alone."
Ellie turned to see Sarah, who waved and smiled, "You guys are back together?"
"We're together."
#####
They walked Ellie back out to the car, where Devon was waiting. A giant smile broke out on his face when he saw who was with his wife. "Bro! We thought you had missed us. So awesome to see you … and you, too, Sarah!"
Before he could speak, Chuck was overwhelmed in a backbreaking hug, while the two women laughed and embraced once again. When he moved to hug Sarah, Awesome whispered in her ear, "I knew he was somewhere, fighting for you. So happy you found each other."
"Me, too," was all Sarah was able to squeak out.
"Okay, you two have to get going or you'll miss your flight. Call us on the satellite phone once you arrive and let us know where you are."
"IF we actually, ever do know where we are!"
Chuck and Sarah stood, arm in arm, and watched the car disappear. Then they turned, hands seeking each other, fingers entwining, and walked back into the courtyard. "So … Chuck … you okay now?"
"Yeah … yeah, I think I am. But … I REALLY need a shower, and we only have a couple of hours 'til our debriefing with Beckman. I can tell by that wonderful hint of lilac that you have already showered, so what say you run down to the bakery and grab pastries and coffee, while I go get cleaned up?"
"Sounds like a winner. Ten will get you twenty that I'm back before you are out of the shower."
"You are on, Agent Walker…." And with that Chuck gave her a quick smooch on the cheek and raced into his apartment.
#####
The debriefing with Casey and Morgan went quickly, with Beckman praising the colonel, and Casey complimenting Grimes on his resourcefulness. The General thanked them both and dismissed them after Morgan tried to make some crazy comments about Chuck and Sarah.
While the two men left, the General stared angrily at the two young agents, making them look down at their hands demurely. Finally she said, "Let's take a moment to review. This is quite a list you two compiled: stolen car chases, gun and knife battles in public spaces, car bombs, international terrorists, drug cartels, Interpol, a still mysterious source. Quite a week in the mountains, wouldn't you say?
"Yes, ma'am! And a job well.…"
"Stow it Mr. Bartowski!" Fire seemed to erupt from their superior's eyes. "You have no idea how many favors I had to call in to save your butts. It is still going to take some effort to smooth the international waters, so for the time being, you two are restricted state-side."
"Are you benching us, General?"
"No, Agent Walker. But you will not be needing your Passports for some time, either."
"Then you are grounding us."
"Why, yes, Mr. Bartowski. You have acted rather immaturely so grounding seems the appropriate term."
After a long glower, she continued, "Do either of you have any type of explanation for your extemporaneous holiday?"
"It was my fault," they both replied at the same time.
"I flashed and made Agent Walker accompany me while pursuing a suspect..."
"I was following a hunch and Chuck was simply being a good partner..."
"Do you both think me an idiot?"
"No ma'am.…"
"Then don't lie to me."
"General ... I think it's important ... you should know…." Chuck could feel Sarah looking at him in concern. "Sarah and I…." They looked at one other, and then reached out to take each other's hands.
"Stop ... Release Agent Walker. I didn't ask." They quickly dropped each other's hands and stepped away from each other slightly. "I don't need to know all the de.…"
"But I thought you said no more lies and we ... we want to tell you the truth."
"No!"
Suddenly Sarah spoke up, strongly and with great conviction, "General, Chuck and I are dating ... Exclusively." Chuck's head snapped around to look at Sarah, eyes wide with concern ... She had said it, out loud, directly to the General's face. There was no turning back now. But his heart soared as he saw the beautiful smile on her face as she turned and looked at him.
They looked back to the screen where the General had her head down, eyes closed, the ever-present scowl deepening even further. "I must caution you, that allowing your personal life to interfere with your professional one can be dangerous." Then after a beat she continued. "But off the record: it's about damn time!" For the first time, as she reached out to hit the disconnect button, a sly smile crept across her face, and her eyes lit up like they had never seen before.
Once the screen went blank, they turned to face each other, taking each others' hands, and stared at one another in amazement. Beckman's final statement was something neither of them could have ever predicted. Finally they moved together, Chuck's arms going around Sarah's waist and her's moving around his neck.
They teased each other, coming close but not quite connecting their lips. Their noses touched and Chuck grazed his lips from left to right across Sarah's full lower lip. As he neared the corner of her lips she tilted her head and slightly opened her mouth, pulling him back to the center. As they fully enveloped each other, head to toe, the stark and sterile surroundings of Castle disappeared for them.
Chuck was backed up against the briefing room table and the cold aluminum shocked him back to reality. "Mmmmm … wait … Sarah, hey, wait." They pulled apart slightly and he swallowed, trying to catch his breath. "As much as I so want to continue this, I really don't think this is a good place."
"You're right." she said with a sigh. "Beckman could come back online, Casey could drop in, plus, who knows what surveillance might be running. I'm sure we can figure out some times and places down here, but for now, we better wait until we get back to your apartment tonight."
"Oh, this is going to be a long, long day…."
#####
Chuck dropped the needle on the record….
"I think I found the one. This is going to be your favorite song."
Sarah watched him as music began to fill the room:
Birds flyin' high
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
"I like this…."
Reeds driftin' on by
You know how I feel
"That's a good start…."
It's a New Dawn
It's a New Day
It's a New Life for me
And I'm Feeling Good!
FINIS
DECLASSIFIED SCENES:
Chuck followed Sarah back to the room to retrieve the two bags of equipment he had purchased in the BuyMore. He hadn't notice Sarah was not there until there was a sudden movement behind him. He turned quickly, but not fast enough to fend off the gorgeous female body that wrapped around his upper body. Gripping him fiercely, Sarah began to assault the back of his neck. Between the sudden impact, the extra weight suddenly on top of him, and the thrill of the kisses being administered, he staggered, falling against the table.
"Hmmmm … honey … you're going to have to be better prepared for an attack from the rear, if you want to be a real spy." Propped against the table now, Sarah moved her lips to Chuck's ear while pulling him around to face her. Their lips came together and they both moaned loudly.
From the other room came: "Hey! You two … Knock. It. Off. Get your minds on the mission!"
#####
That same evening, a security alarm they had placed in the office of the local, clandestine team, had gone off. They rushed to the office building and caught the man and woman. DeBarné was elated: their first break in the case! But he had completely underestimated these two. He and Burkart were taken by surprise and knocked unconscious in the blink of an eye; he had never seen such skill and speed, even though he had trained with some of the top law enforcement organizations in the world.
#####
"Morgan, there is a map of the castle on the table in the next room. You are free to explore the castle, but stay in the areas outlined in blue. And, please don't touch anything; there are security measures and alarms throughout. You will really like the Maiden's Tower."
#####
When he had come to, he once again tried to bluff and bluster his way through. "Okay, you scared me once but I know this is illegal so you need to let me out of here."
"Ungh. And if we don't? You going to run to the local gendarme? ...E-TIGRIS? ...Interpol? You going to tell them that you, Le Renard, was captured in a hotel room you were about to rob, and held against your will? Hmmmm?"
#####
Sarah grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over, onto her, and attacked his lips with her's. He ran a hand along her side, and on down to her thigh. Unable to stand any more, Sarah rolled them over and lay across his chest, pressing into him with all her might...
...continued on, gently tracing his finger down her neck, along her collarbone, and then slowly downward, between her breasts, across her bra, and on to her navel. She was beginning to squirming now, and moved her hand to his leg, drawing it up the outside of his thigh. He leaned down and began running kisses across her bra and the skin above…
#####
Before they had taken off, Inspector Burkart had cornered Casey, "We are going to need statements from each of you, including your friend in the hospital."
"Not sure that's going to happen, Inspector. We are way overdue back home."
"I'm sorry, but I can not allow you to leave. You do realize we have not removed the BOLO on your friends as yet?"
"My boss at home will be in contact with your government, if she hasn't already. I suggest that little oversight be rectified asap, sir. Then we will see about whether we have time to make any statements. Now, if you'll excuse me, we need to get to the hospital. Do appreciate the lift, by the way." With an informal salute, Casey turned and ran to the open chopper door, leaping onboard even as the pilot began his ascent.
A/N2: Hope you enjoyed these Declassified Scenes, as well. I was watching the DS's at the end of Season 2 Disk 1 before working on Chapter 9. I thought about all this material that I had cut but still hall stored on my worksheet. So I figured, "Why not put them at the end, too?" So you can see some of the strange twists the story took along the way.
Once again, thanks for reading. Back to Season 6 and Chuck vs. The Broadband.