A/N: Wow here we are again. First as always i will apologize for the ait. I hope the next chapter does not take as long. It is mostly done with a few tweaks. This chapter and the next two will be a turning point in the story in many ways. I need to thank everyone who has reviewed and pmed me regarding this story, it keeps me going and lets me know that at least somoene is stil reading. I know its slow going but it will be finished and as always i need to a few special people. Bdaddydl for putting up with me and giving me his insight and making this story what it is. For PJ Murphy for his great beta and for uplink2 who is always asking when this will be out and for just being a great friend who for some reason thinksim a better writer than him. Just know bud that i know the truth lol and Michael66 for his support and friendship as well. Lastly i need to thnak my wife and daughter for their love and support you guys mean the world to me. PLEASE SEE THE ADDITITONAL NOTE AT THE END!
Chapter 14 The Awkward phase
Chuck shifted back and forth on his feet, trying to figure out how to proceed. He rubbed the back of his neck as he felt the tension in the muscles growing, from the dilemma in front of him growing.
"Uh Sarah, I'd like you to meet my FRIEND, Jill," he said meekly, apart from his overemphasis on the word 'friend'. "Jill, this is Sarah Walker and her younger brother, Sebastian. They just moved into the complex a few weeks ago."
"Ah, so has my Chucky has been giving you the grand tour?"
Jill's voice was like sandpaper to Sarah's ears. Her thoughts instantly focused in on Heather Chandler from high school and how she was looking at the brunette version of that stuck-up tramp. But at least Heather could say she was in high school; what was this woman's excuse?
"Ahem." Chuck cleared his throat. "Jill, first of all, I'm not YOUR Chucky, and second…was there something that I can help you with today?"
"Well, I was alone and bored and since I'm off of work and all, I was hoping I'd catch you at home and see if you'd like to catch a movie or just stay in and play video games with me."
Chuck turned towards Sarah and gazed into her eyes. As he watched the seemingly endless pools of Sapphire blue cloud over, he couldn't help but miss those bright shining celestial orbs that were there only mere seconds before. "To be honest Jill, I'm actually going out with Sarah and Sebastian for the day. Would you like to join us?"
Even though it was easy for a fresh recruit from the farm to see that Chuck was uncomfortable she gave him the Walker glare that her father was famous for.
Jill pondered his offer for a moment before reaching up near his ear on her tiptoes. "As fun as that sounds Chucky, you will get so lucky if you just ditch these two and stay here with me."
She then placed both of her hands seductively on both sides of his face turned him towards her and put her lips on his, giving him a slow sensuous kiss. She then withdrew at the sound of someone clearing their throat. A stunned Chuck was left wondering why Jill had all of a sudden became so aggressive. Sebastian had to slap Sarah's hand as her knuckles turned white grasping onto his shoulder. She looked down and eased her grip, not even realizing how tense she was at the exchange between the two.
"Chuck if you'd rather spend the day with Jen then by all means we can do this another time," Sarah said evenly. "But you might want to take it inside the PDA is not appropriate for some eyes." She glanced down towards Sebastian hoping the brunette had at least some concern for the innocence of youth.
She could feel the uneasiness and nausea in her stomach rising up through her esophagus even as she said the words. She had to fight with everything she had to keep from losing it in front of them. She took several slow controlled breaths, which seemed to do the trick.
"It's Jill," the brunette said with a sneer and a look at Sarah with a "stay-away-from-my-man" glare as she grabbed Chuck's hand. She couldn't have staked her claim more obviously if she had "Marked" her territory. "But that sounds like a good idea, Chuck. Let's take this inside."
Chuck yanked his hand away from her and glared angrily at her. "Jill, this is the last time I'm going to tell you this. We are NOT together, we never have been, and never will be. You are my friend and I'm happy to be that, but there will never be anything more between us. If you cannot accept that, well then I guess we don't have anything else to say to one another."
Chuck pulled his keys out of his pocket and walked to the driver's side door. Sebastian signed shotgun and jumped into the front seat, but Sarah stopped him and guided him towards the back seat, not wanting to get Chuck in trouble with the law. As she waited for Sebastian to put on his seatbelt, she watched the shock on Jill's face turn to red-hot anger, and she couldn't prevent a smile coming to her ruby red lips. And she didn't want to.
"Bye, Jen!" she said to give the knife one final twist as she slid into the front seat.
Through the rear-view mirror, Chuck could see Jill stomping back to her car. He made his way down the esplanade as they drove towards their destination. He wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Hey guys, I'm…I'm sorry," he muttered. Both Sarah and Sebastian looked at Chuck at the same time "I want to apologize for everything that went on back there. I know I don't have to, but I also want to apologize for Jill. She is not normally that aggressive. I have turned her down before, but she just can't seem to take the hint and she never gives up."
He gave both of them a quick glance and realized he would be better off just moving on. "But enough about that today is your day. Look out the window to your left and you will see our destination."
Sarah and Sebastian turned their heads and noticed that they were coming up on Dodger Stadium. Sarah looked back at Sebastian and reached into the back and grasped his hand when she saw how tense he was, even though he was trying to put on a brave face.
As Chuck pulled into the parking lot and paid for his parking pass, he felt the tension coming from the rest of the car. He looked to his right and saw Sarah consoling her brother. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was hoping he hadn't done something wrong.
"Sebastian, are you OK?" Chuck asked while seeing the tears pooling in his young friend's eyes.
Sebastian's hands started flying, trying to sign the right answer. But he was going so fast that even Chuck could not understand him.
"Seb, Seb…it's OK, calm down. You're not disappointing anyone, I promise. But I need you to slow down. I can't understand what you're signing to me."
After another few moments Chuck had the basic idea of what was wrong. He thought he had a solution, but he needed to talk to Sarah for a moment by himself. He got out of the car and motioned for Sarah to join him outside.
"Sarah, look. I know you don't know me really well, but I swear I didn't know this was going to happen…I guess I should have talked to you about it first."
"Chuck, I…"
He put his hands up quickly. "Please, Sarah. I can fix this. I swear I have a little experience with this. Everything will be OK in a few minutes, just please give me this chance to fix things."
As Chuck walked towards Sebastian his fingertips brushed against Sarah's knuckles and yet again there was a huge surge of energy. The first time it had happened was when their hands touched in her apartment; Sarah thought it was a fluke that only she had felt. However, as Chuck walked over to the passenger side door, she saw him rubbing his fingers together and looking at his hand.
So it is mutual, she thought to herself.
Sarah moved a safe distance back to give the two their privacy but still see their lips moving..
Chuck walked over to the passenger side door and opened it up. Sebastian's teary, red-eyed face turned towards him and Chuck slowly kneeled down, grasping the sides of the car and the door to help his descent. The change in the weather from the prior day's rainstorm wasn't helping his injury one bit.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Sebastian was hesitant. "Whatever you say to me will stay between us, OK? I won't share it with your sister unless you ask me to. But if you could, I need you to keep taking deep breaths and sign slowly to me. It will make it easier for me to understand you, OK? Just take your time."
Sebastian nodded his head. It's OK if you talk to Sara; she already knows.
"Were you remembering your times of coming to the ball park with your dad? Was he a big baseball fan?"
Yes. He always took me to games during the season. He was a Padres fan so we always went to their home games but when the Padres would play the Dodgers down here we would come down and stay and bring me with him as well. It was one of the only things that we ever did together just us.
"Sebastian, I wish you would have told me this the other day, but that's OK. I don't want to reopen old wounds. If anything, you should embrace those memories and remember them every day. Use them to remember your father before the accident. Whenever you're down, just remember a time your dad took you here.
He looked up and rubbed his hands on his pants the grabbed Sebastian's hand and placed it on his chest. "Do you feel your heart? As long as it beets you won't forget them."
"You know, both my dad and my mom left me and my sister Ellie when we were very young. Well, I was young. And for a long time I thought it was my fault, that I did something to drive them away. Now I know that's not the same as your parents being taken away from you, but I can tell you when I was your age it hurt all the same. My sister taught me to latch onto the good times and to remember them when times were tough or I just missed them. It didn't always work, but there were times were it was all I needed to keep the nightmares away."
Chuck shifted on his feet and his eye sight caught Sarah watching him intently and noticed she was trying to see what he was saying. He shifted his feet a bit and got down lower so she couldn't see him anymore. Sarah tried to reposition herself without Chuck seeing her but was unable to. She backed off a bit and decided she trusted Chuck enough to grant them their privacy.
"There was something else that happened, and I haven't really talked to anyone about it and please don't share this with your sister, OK?" He waited for Sebastian to nod before continuing. "I dated this beautiful woman once. In fact, we were planning to get married. She… she died on 9/11. Like you, she was ripped away from me by someone who has no respect for human life. A part of me died that day. To be honest, most of me died that day, and I don't know if I will ever get it back. But I'm trying as best as I can to surround myself with good people. You are truly my first friend since her death. So for as much as I'm helping you, you are helping me just the same."
Sebastian nodded. He wiped his face off with his sleeve. "Now come on and let's have a great day with your sister, OK?"
Sarah watched as Chuck spoke gently to her brother and after a few moments she saw the little smile on his face and his tears completely gone as he got out of the car. She knew exactly what was bothering her brother but she didn't know how to help him deal with it. There were just too many things that were going to remind them of their family and today was just the beginning. She vowed to learn to be a better big sister and help Sebastian through this.
The trio began to walk towards the ballpark when Chuck led them past the main entrance and headed towards the rear of the stadium.
"Umm, Chuck? Where are we going? The entrance to the stadium was that way," Sarah inquired.
"Indeed it is, but where we are going is just around the corner over here."
Sarah was quiet for a moment but then she needed to say something to Chuck. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Chuck glanced at her in confusion. "Uh, sure. Hey Sebastian, can you run ahead? We are going to the Will Call window."
Sebastian nodded and started to make his way ahead. Chuck waited until he was a few feet away. "What's up Sarah?"
Sarah bit her lower lip and grabbed Chuck's arm to pull him closer to her. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for talking to Sebastian," she said gently into his ear, suddenly not wanting to let go of him. "I'm still not very good at this parenting thing, but I'm going to get there."
"I have no doubt you will, and if you need any help, I'm always a phone call away." Chuck had that same smile on his face. It wasn't an ear-to-ear grin, but it made Sarah's heart race. It was the sort of smile you saw from a person you wanted to be with. A smile you wanted to look at day after day.
They had stopped walking just a few feet behind Sebastian and Chuck realized where they were. "Hey, give me a second. I need to go over to the window. I'll be right back."
"OK," Sarah said as she tried to contain the blush threatening to creep up her neck. All of a sudden she felt a tug on her shirt. She turned and saw Sebastian. He started signing slowly to her.
"What? I don't like Chuck… Well of course I think he could be a friend but we technically just met…No, I don't have a crush on him. Listen; just keep your fingers shut, OK? IF and when that time comes, I will let you know, so shhh!"
Chuck walked up to them clasping his hands together with a huge grin on his face.
"What is so funny, Mr. Bartowski?" Sarah raised an eyebrow, pretending to be upset. "And when do we get to go inside?"
"Well…"
He was interrupted by a voice coming from behind them. "As I live and breathe! Officer Charles Bartowski!"
They all turned to see a stunning, sultry young woman walking up to them, her raven hair glistening in the sunlight and her tanned skin glowing like a native Californian.
She walked up to Chuck and smacked him in the ass. "So all this time I've been hoping you'd call me for a date, and the one time you finally do all you want is baseball tickets. Is there something wrong with me, Chuck, or have you just been holding out on me because I'm too hot for you?"
Chuck laughed. "No, not at all. Elena Quintanilla, please meet Ms. Sarah Walker and her brother, Sebastian."
Elena walked around them keeping one eye on them and one on Chuck. She had noticed the blonde beauty's reaction when she had smacked Chuck's ass and now she just wanted to mess with her a bit.
Sarah looked from the woman in front of her draped all over Chuck to Chuck himself, whose face was getting redder by the moment. She stuck her hand out in front of her and smiled. "Sarah Walker, nice to meet you."
Elena slid her right arm through Chuck's and accepted the handshake. She did her best to hide the fact that the woman in front of her had a strong grip and she felt her fingers being squeezed rather tightly until the woman had let go.
While rubbing her hand she knelt down in front of Sebastian and spoke directly to him. "Well hello there. My name is Elena, nice to meet you." She signed the same words to Sebastian, who couldn't keep a smile to himself.
Sarah's eyebrow quirked and Elena looked up and winked at her while Chuck just bashfully shrugged his shoulders "Elena is the stadium's Language and Special Needs Coordinator."
Elena stood up straight and turned again towards Sarah. "Would it be OK if I took Sebastian for a while?" Sarah was a bit surprised; Elena went from flirty to friendly and professional in an instant. "I promise you can trust me. I'm going to teach him more sign language and I have a few other surprises for him."
Although her spy senses were going overboard, she had to concede that could just have been her reaction to the woman and Chuck. Seeing Chuck nod his head, Sarah reluctantly agreed and told Sebastian to go ahead and have a good time.
Elena slapped her hand on Chuck's chest. She let her fingers glide seductively down Chuck's chest, but he busied himself catching the two tickets she left behind. With a wink, she walked over and grasped Sebastian's hand in hers.
As she passed Sarah she leaned closer to her. "Make your move soon, sweetie," she warned with a whisper. "Otherwise, next time he'll take a lot more than my tickets and peanuts."
With that, Sebastian and she turned and headed towards an office part of the complex. Chuck looked down at the two tickets in his hand and began to slide them into his back pocket when he glanced at Sarah and noticed the peculiar look she had on her face.
So…" they both tried to speak at the same time. They smiled and Chuck gestured for her to go first. "Please, go right ahead," Sarah sharply replied. "I would love to hear about this."
"OK, but how about we make our way inside and grab a bite to eat?"
Chuck gestured towards the gates of the ballpark. Sarah turned and made her way to the ticket collector. Once inside they grabbed a cheeseburger with extra pickles and a Diet Coke for Sarah and a few Dodger Dogs with chili and cheese and a beer for Chuck. They sat at one of the tables overlooking the field and ate in relative silence for a few minutes.
Chuck took a long slow swig of his beer and gasped as the bottle left his parched lips. "Mmm, that's good."
Chuck placed the bottle down and looked into the brightest blue eyes he had ever seen. It dawned on him that he had been thinking that a lot since he had met the gorgeous blonde sitting in front of him. He placed both hands on the table and leaned back in his chair a bit and started again.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like an alcoholic. It's just this is the first beer I've had since the incident, and since the hawk cleverly disguised as my sister isn't watching me today, I'm sneaking one in."
Chuck gave a slight chuckle but the look on his companion's face told him he had better start talking and fast. Wow, she could make any hardened criminal spill their guts instantly with that glare, he thought. "Just 4 months out of the Academy, I was off-duty and coming off a run down by the beach. I came up to this BMW parked on the side of the street. Then I noticed this kid was trying to get into the car. As I ran past, he was sliding a bar into the window trying to jimmy the lock. He wasn't paying attention to his surroundings so I doubled back and caught him by surprise. Once caught, he begged and pleaded with me to not take him to jail. Trying to scare the young kid, I asked him about his family and what would they think about him being a thief. He told me that he lived with his sister and that his home life was not the best. I have to admit I identified with what he was going through and decided to give him a second chance. After telling where his sister worked, I dragged him down to the stadium and brought him to her. When she found out what he did, I almost had to arrest her for beating him in front of me."
Sarah wiped her mouth with her napkin…not because of anything messy on her face but because sitting here listening to Chuck's story was making her mouth water. Every time something happened that would make her hate Chuck, the story turned around and made her want him even more. She had to keep herself from staring at his lips too long; otherwise she would get in trouble. She grabbed another bite of her burger and motioned for Chuck to go on.
"That's pretty much it. Now I check on her brother, Jose, every now and again to make sure that he stays on the straight and narrow, and she lightly flirts with me when she sees me. She knows my history and knows nothing will ever happen, but she likes to try."
Before asking the obvious question Sarah looked intently into Chuck's eyes and saw the honesty in them. She also noticed a glob of chili on the side of his mouth. She tried to get him to notice it by discreetly gesturing with her eyes. But when that didn't work, she rose from her seat, took her thumb, and wiped it off of his cheek. It was a brazen thing to do, but the look on his face was priceless. She figured now it was time to go in for the kill.
Why he won't just ask me out? Sarah wondered to herself. Maybe if I press the question, to which I already know the answer in the back of my mind, he might open up and ask me.
"So Chuck, what kind of history might that be?" Sarah asked with a bit of a coquettish lilt to her voice, making sure she gave him the full-on baby blues. "Are you a player, Chuck? Should I be worried what you might be teaching my little brother? I mean, first that brunette this morning, Jen, and now Elena. That's two in one day, Chuck."
Sarah sat there as she took a long draw from her drink, gently massaging the straw between her lips to the point where it could very well be interpreted certain ways. And given the priceless look on his face, she knew she was getting under his skin.
Chuck choking on his beer at that could also be a sign, too. "No, I'm not a player," Chuck rasped as he tried to regain his composure. "They're just friends, no benefits of any kind."
Chuck took a napkin to wipe his mouth and the tears that had rolled down his cheeks from coughing profusely a moment ago. It wasn't lost on Chuck that Sarah had again called Jill a name other than her own, but as he was trying to not lose his lunch he decided to let it go.
God she is so beautiful, he thought. I should just ask her out, but I really should speak with her brother first before I try.
"OK, so you're not a player. Then what history could you possibly have?"
Chuck was about to reply when he looked at the field and noticed that the game was about to start. He looked at his watch and realized that they had been talking for the better part of an hour. Batting practice had ended and the game was getting ready to start. He then noticed Sebastian and Elena making their way towards them from behind Sarah. "Perhaps another time. It looks like your brother is coming back. Here, let me get the trash."
Chuck hurriedly grabbed the trays and took them to the trash as Sebastian and Elena joined them. Sebastian was gesturing animatedly at the autographed ball and bat that he had been given. The ball was signed by the entire team and the bat was signed by both Fred McGriff and Robin Ventura, two Future Hall of Famers. He also told them how he was on the field for the entire batting practice and even caught a fly ball from The Crime Dog.
"I also gave him some pointers about his sign language and how to make sure everyone can understand him," Elena added. "I taught him a little trick to do with his foot so he knows not to go too fast." Elena placed her hands on his shoulders. "He is a very special kid."
"Thank you," Sarah said sincerely. She pulled the young woman in front of her in for a quick thank you hug. At least that's what it looked like to Chuck.
"Just so you know, you will never get that chance," Sarah whispered in a slightly alarming tone before pulling back and smiling at her.
Elena steadied her features before turning to Chuck with a smile on her face. "And you," she said as she poked her finger into his chest. "Don't wait too long to call me again or I will come find you." She leaned up and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "She's a keeper. Don't be a fool like you were with me and let her get away."
Chuck blushed a bit as he rubbed his chest. "What do you mean?" All Chuck heard was a snort as she walked away.
The rest of the day went beautifully, even though the Dodgers lost the game. As they walked back to the courtyard later that afternoon, Chuck reminded Sebastian that he would be at the apartment early the next morning for his lesson and then they would go out and do something together. He asked Sarah if she wanted to join them but she had to decline she had a meeting with her attorney which would probably take all day. However, she added she would be free the following day if they had something planned. Unfortunately, Chuck told her he would be heading up to Stanford to take some tests, but he would talk to her after he got back.
They said their goodbyes and Chuck made his way to Ellie's apartment while Sarah and Sebastian went towards theirs. As Chuck entered the apartment, Sarah stopped on the steps for a brief moment and stared at the man who in just a short period of time had become as important to her as he was to her brother. As his door shut, Sarah made her way up the stairs lost in thought. For once in her life, she wondered what the future might bring.
Thursday September 4th, 2003 - 8:00 PM – Echo Park
Sarah locked the door behind Sebastian and herself. They had just come back from the Griffith Observatory where Sebastian learned about astronomy…and Sarah learned quite a bit herself…before they spent the remainder of the day on the boardwalk. Chuck had stopped by early to give Sebastian his lesson as he promised. But when her appointment with her lawyer finished just before noon, she decided to join them, much to Chuck's, and hers delight.
Sarah hung up her coat and the rest of the day came flooding back to her. She sat down on the couch for a few minutes, her long day with Chuck bringing a smile to her face, when her cell phone had rung for the third time that day. Every time it was the same number, and she didn't recognize it. But since it could have been a teaching assignment, she decided to answer it this time. She motioned for Chuck and Sebastian to keep walking but they stopped in the hallway as she answered her phone.
"Hello?"
"Uh, hi. Is this Sarah Walker?"
She placed a finger in her left ear and spoke a little louder. "Yes, this is Sarah Walker. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, hi. This is Bryce. Remember, we met at the party for Chuck and you agreed to go on a date with me?"
Sarah glanced at Chuck who was tossing a piece of popcorn in his mouth and Sebastian was trying to emulate him. "Uh, yeah, I remember."
"Well you said we could go out on the 6th and that's what this Saturday is, so I was hoping we could go out to dinner and a movie?"
"Uhh look, things have changed. I….."
"…Aww come on, beautiful," Bryce interrupted, much to Sarah's dismay. "You promised me a date. I guarantee if you don't like it, I will never ask again."
Sarah glanced at Chuck and moved herself away just out of earshot. "Fine," she replied through gritted teeth, even as her stomach started to turn itself into knots.
"OK, great. I will pick…." Sarah hung up the phone quickly as she sensed someone coming up behind her. She turned to find Chuck and Sebastian walking back in her direction.
"Hey, is everything OK?"
Why did I do that? Sarah thought, although she tried to keep the anguish from her face. She couldn't handle looking into those warm, brown eyes that were so full of genuine concern for her. She only accepted the date to get Bryce off of her back, and she did make that promise. A promise she had regretted ever since.
Sarah feigned a headache and asked if they could cut the rest of the night short. Ever the gentleman, Chuck understood completely and headed for the door. The knots she felt earlier threatened to make her cry. She wanted to come up with a way to tell Chuck about Bryce.
"Chuck?"
"Yes, Sarah?" Chuck asked as he turned back to her.
Sarah was ready to admit the truth. But those trusting eyes made her falter. "Study hard tomorrow and let us know how you do on Saturday. We're pulling for you."
"Thanks," he replied with a smile. Sarah wasn't sure, but this smile felt a bit different. More than his ear-to-ear grin's that she found so adorable, his face gave away the look of…promise, perhaps?
She walked up to him and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, her hand gently gliding against his other cheek to hold him there momentarily. "Good night," she whispered softly into his ear.
Chuck signed good night to Sebastian and pulled the door open. Stepping out of the apartment, Sarah lingered for a brief second before gently closing the door. Chuck stood for a moment as the image of the long slope of Sarah's neck and her cascading blonde hair filled his vision. He felt it against his cheek when she kissed him, and he prayed he didn't look as flushed when they said goodbye as he felt right now.
He descended the stairs and walked across the courtyard to Ellie's and Devon's apartment. As he put his hand on the doorknob, the door flew open.
"Dude, how about a game of Call of Duty and grape soda?"
Chuck shook his head and smiled. Clearly Morgan decided to take advantage of Ellie and Awesome working tonight. He put his hands on Morgan's shoulders and pushed him inside. "Sure, I could use something to take my mind off of studying tomorrow. But aren't you DJ'ing tonight?"
"Yeah, but I don't have to be there 'til eleven so I'm free to spend some time with my best bud!"
Chuck exhaled and plopped down on the couch in front of the TV. Morgan handed him a controller and a can of grape soda. At least some things still felt the same.
Saturday September 6th, 2003 - 8:45 AM - Stanford University
The ride to Palo Alto wasn't too bad for Chuck. He was in the passenger seat of his sister's Mustang convertible with the top down and she had volunteered to drive him up there. In fact, Devon even Morgan had volunteered to bring him back or even accompany them to the school. But it was odd that Bryce never made the same offer. Actually, Chuck hadn't heard from him in several days.
But now wasn't the time to think about it. He had to keep his mind in the game, as Awesome would say. It wasn't until they turned onto Palm Drive and he saw The Oval with the quad behind it that his stomach began to get queasy.
Sensing his discomfort, Ellie placed a supportive hand on top of his and patted it. "Chuck, please. It's going to be OK. Don't hyperventilate and keep your eyes on the prize. You can get through this, and then we'll deal with the rest."
Ellie looked at Chuck. Both of his hands were pulling at his hair and the sweat from his brow was evident, even though it was a cool morning. Ellie could see tears forming in the corner of his eyes. She immediately pulled over and turned the car off. She got out of the car and ran around the front of the car to open the passenger side door.
"Chuck, look at me." Chuck just stared straight ahead as the tears streamed down his face. "Little brother, please look at me."
Chuck started trembling uncontrollably. Ellie suddenly grabbed his shoulders and slammed him back against the seat.
"CHARLES IRVING BARTOWSKI! YOU KEEP YOUR EYES ON MINE!" That shook Chuck out of his panic. "You can get through this! You will get this done! Not only for yourself but for Kayla as well!"
She paused and looked into Chuck's eyes. She saw a fire behind them. She wasn't sure if it was anger or determination, but the tears were still coming and both of his fists where clenched so hard together that his knuckles were turning white and she could see the skin beginning to give way underneath his nails.
She took his hands and squeezed him tightly, her voice becoming much softer. "Chuck, I know this place is as bad of a place in your mind as anywhere that you spent time with Kayla. But this today is for you, for your future. Kayla would want you to do this. Now show her and everyone else what I already know. That you are a Bartowski, and that a Bartowski always rises to the challenge. I promise, once this is over we will reminisce and I will give you all of the time that you need. Please? Do this for me, for her, but most of all, do it for you."
Ellie could feel the tension begin to leave his body. It was then she dug into her pocket and produced a locket, placing it in Chuck's hand. Chuck wiped his eyes and looked down at the golden trinket that was resting inside of his left hand. He carefully pried open the edges to reveal two pictures on the inside. One was of him and Kayla together and the other was of Kayla by herself with that sultry smile that he loved so much. It took him a moment to realize Ellie was speaking to him again.
"Chuck, I'm giving this to you not to make you more depressed but to give you inspiration and hope. Keep this locket close to your heart and take strength in knowing that Kayla will be with you always. And before you ask, no you don't have to wear it al of the time. I know it's kind of girly but use it as a symbol for today."
For the first time since they had left the hotel where they stayed the night to drive to the campus, Ellie saw the slightest hint of a smile. He ran his finger over the picture of Kayla and used his sleeve to wipe his nose and looked up at the one woman who was always there for him.
"You are right, Ellie. Let's get to the testing center and begin to put this behind us."
He pulled his door shut and Ellie made her way back to the driver's side and started the car. They drove the remaining half-mile to the testing center. As Ellie pulled up to the door, a woman in a gray pencil thin skirt and a purple blouse came outside. Before Chuck could even blink, Ellie was out of the car and embracing the woman in a hug. Chuck sat there with a what-the-hell look on his face until Ellie turned from the woman and waved for him to get out of the car.
"Excuse me, Dean Lewis, you remember the reason that we are here. This is my younger brother, Chuck."
Chuck went to shake the dean's hand when she surprised him with a hug. "Welcome back, Charles. You know, once your tests are done and we await your grades, I still have some furniture for you to move back into my office."
Chuck's face got a little red at the mini-flashback going through his mind and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes ma'am, anything you wish."
"Ma'am?" Dean Lewis was incredulous. "Boy what in the hell has happened to you that you're showing me so much respect?"
"Well, ma'am, I actually joined the police department after everything that happened."
"Oh, I know that. Your sister keeps me updated with your exploits. Including saving those nice people at the expense of your kidney."
Chuck glanced at his sister, who apparently was watching the clouds. He returned his attention towards Dean Lewis when she again took him by surprise. "Come, Charles. It's good to have you back. Let's get you inside and get these tests over with so we can then sit down and have a little chat."
"That sounds good, ma'am." Chuck looked at his sister and gave her a this-isn't-over glare. To her credit, Ellie remained oblivious to his discomfiture as she looked under her nails to see if there was any dirt.
The trio walked and Chuck was introduced the two professors who would be giving moderating and grading his exams: Dr. Diane Turner and Professor Turgeson. Ellie gave Chuck a hug and left with Dean Lewis to go and catch up while Chuck took a seat, turned to the professors and smiled.
Saturday September 6th, 2003 - 12:00 PM - Stanford University
Chuck exited the testing center and stretched his arms. He looked down the hall to find his sister and his former dean seated on one of the benches. They were engrossed in conversation, but as he walked up to them his shadow caught the eye of the dean. Ellie turned and looked at her brother.
"Well, how did it go?"
"They said I should know by Monday, so I thanked them for their time and then I came out here."
"OK, how do you think you did?"
Chuck shrugged his shoulders. "It is what it is."
"Charles, your sister is just curious. Let's all go over to the Starbucks in the student union and get a coffee and talk for a bit," the dean replied.
Saturday September 6th, 2003 - 6:45 PM – Interstate 405
They had been driving for almost an hour, and the radio had been on some mindless station that seemed to be repeating the same pop songs every five minutes. Ellie kept repeating the same action she had as well: staring at her younger brother, who was mindlessly staring out the window as the scenery of the trees and other cars on the road as they passed by.
Ellie returned her eyes on the road and her mind drifted back to about an hour ago when the pair pulled up in front of Chuck's old apartment in Palo Alto. It was the apartment that he had shared with his fiancée, Kayla. At first, he wouldn't get out of the car. Ellie could understand that, so she sat outside the car on the bumper and gave him all the time that he needed.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but in actuality it was only a few minutes, the passenger side door opened and Chuck emerged. He took a deep breath and let his eyes take in the entire building. He was noticing every crevice and how the ivy from the garden had steadily been growing up the side of the complex. He walked up the front door of the building and ran his fingers over the porch tresses. Ellie could only begin to wonder what memory the porch was bringing up in her brother. She placed her finger to her lips and began chewing on her fingernails as she watched him delicately trace the overhang with his finger. A moment later, an older man came out of the entrance, and as Chuck noticed him the older man took him into an embrace.
Ellie noticed her brother mouth 'help' to her, so she came over and shook the older man's hand. She couldn't help but notice as her brother's gaze went back to the overhang. She also noticed that his PDA levels had reverted back to his pre-Kayla days. The older man brought them inside and let them into the apartment, which wasn't being rented at the moment.
They stood back to give Chuck room as he stood in the doorway. Blinking back tears, his eyes scanned the room and the memories flooded into his mind. Everywhere he looked he saw memories that he shared with Kayla; their first kiss in their apartment, the first place they made love, then the second, the moment he caught her staring out the window under the bright moonlight looking at her engagement ring. Finally it was too much for him and Ellie couldn't let him relive it by himself any longer. She walked up and took him in her arms, holding him close as he cried the tears that hadn't been shed in over two years. He had kept his emotions tight to the vest for so long that they came in waves making his whole body shake
That was well over an hour ago. Now Ellie once again felt her gaze drifting back towards her brother. But as her eyes again returned to the cars in front of her, she heard something she never expected to ever hear again.
"Do you think that there is only one person meant for us?" Chuck mumbled, never taking his eyes off of the scenery going by.
"Umm, do you mean do I think we are destined to only have one true love in life?"
"Yeah."
Ellie bit the inside of her cheek while trying to come up with what he needed to hear. "Honestly Chuck, I don't know. The only thing I'm positive about above all else is that we aren't meant to live alone or unloved. So whether that means we have one love for our entire lifetime or we have a dozen, as long as we are happy and they are happy, then life is worth living."
The silence returned to the car for a while as they made their way up the 405. "Thanks, El."
"You're welcome, Chuck." Ellie replied not trying to push him too far as this was the deepest conversation they had had in aw while regarding his personal life.
After another mile, which took a bit of time as they hit Saturday evening traffic in Los Angeles, the air of tension was broken again by Chuck. "Ask it," he said with a long exhale.
"Ask what?" Ellie replied innocently.
"What you're dying to ask me."
Ellie massaged the steering wheel trying to play it cool. "Chuck, I truly don't know what you mean."
Chuck gave a derisive snort while wiping a tear from his eye. The culmination of the past two weeks finally hit home today on the drive with his sister.
"Chuck? Come on, sweetie, you can tell me what's on your mind."
Chuck turned to look at his sister. "I…I…" Chuck sighed and ran his fingers through his hair and faced the window again. He took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, because if you would have asked me this question a few weeks ago, I would have said that I would be alone forever until I joined Kayla."
Ellie felt the tears well up in her eyes but fought with every ounce of to not let them fall as her hands wrapped tighter onto the steering wheel, her knuckles becoming white with anticipation.
"But…"
Oh God. What now?! Ellie's conscious screamed.
"I can't ask her out yet."
"Ask who out?"
"Well I'm her brother's friend and I don't want to ruin our friendship, so I have to ask him first. If he says yes, then I will ask her out"
Ellie's inner girl was doing the happy dance as she tried to keep down an ear-piercing scream she was dying to let out. "Chuck, you mean you want to…"
"Ask Sarah out, yeah sis. We've gotten to know one another quite well over the last few weeks and she's been on my mind for almost all of it."
"When are you planning on asking her out?"
"Tonight, as soon as we get back."
Chuck was about to say something else when all of a sudden he was slammed back into his seat from Ellie gunning the V-8 engine in her Mustang. "Hey, Captain Kirk! What's with going to warp speed? Are you trying to kill us?"
"I'm getting you home, so just sit back and hang on."
Chuck grabbed the bar just above the glove compartment, finally understanding why it was called the Oh Shit! bar. "If you don't mind, I'd like to arrive there in one piece and without my shorts being soiled. Not to mention, you do realize you are driving with a police officer, right? Do you want me to make you pull over and give you a ticket?"
Ellie turned and gave him a Bronx cheer. "You're on leave, little brother, so you can't give me a ticket even if you wanted to. And you've been alone long enough Chuck. I want to see you happy."
"I don't know about happy, El. It's just one date. I mean, do you really think Kayla would mind me moving on?"
"Chuck, the number of dates you've been on since you lost Kayla I can count on one hand and have fingers to spare. Let me tell you something. One, she would absolutely not mind. I knew her well enough to believe she would not want you being alone and unhappy the rest of your life. And more importantly, you've never even kissed one of those dates goodnight and you're already thinking of Sarah as more than just a potential date. You deserve to be happy. And I really hope Sarah is the one who can make you happy."
Chuck looked down at the floor and couldn't help but smile. Ellie always looked out for him. She was there for the good times and all of the bad. And now that the long tunnel of darkness that was the last two years of his life had a small flicker of light ahead, she was going to make sure the train kept heading towards it.
"Thanks, Ellie. Thanks for everything that you have done for me. I wouldn't have made it through the last two years without you."
Ellie reached over and gently squeezed his shoulder. "You're worth all the effort, Chuck."
Saturday September 6th, 2003 - 7:30 PM – Echo Park
Sarah wiped the steam from the bathroom mirror. Her towel was wrapped tightly around her waist as the shower continued to pour hot steam into the bathroom. Her arms were locked tightly gripping the sink with her head bowed down. She didn't want her brother to hear any noise coming from the bathroom so she turned the shower to full stream. She ran her hand through her damp blonde mane and stared at her face through the steam building back up on the mirror. The image staring back was one she did not want to see.
Why did she answer that phone call? How was she going to look Chuck in the eye the next time she saw him when she went out on a date with his best friend? She knew nothing would become of the date. This Bryce was all surface and zero substance. But more than that, she had grown strong feelings for Chuck. Feelings that had only intensified over the last two weeks at seeing his caring and nurturing side with her brother. Someone who could only trust his big sister until this gentle giant of a police officer came into both of their lives. He not only got Sebastian to be more open and social he also taught him how to communicate and how to get back out there in life. There were so many times where she wanted to ask him out, but she held off. She desperately wanted him to make a move, but he never did. He stayed true to his word to prove to Sebastian that he wasn't helping him just to get to his older sister. And it was driving her crazy.
Sarah stepped into the shower and let the hot streaming water pelt her body. Every time she thought about Chuck her stomach twisted into more knots.
"Why am I going through with this?! I was a CIA Agent" she screamed at herself out loud as the water streamed down her face. She knew why she was going. Firstly, she wanted to get Bryce off of her back, knowing he wouldn't let up until they went out. Tragically, that was the only way to deal with guys like him and even though she was an agent and could come up with a number of ways to get out of the date she realized that she really needed this date with Bryce because she hadn't been out on a date in ages, and she needed to know if her feelings for Chuck were real and it wasn't just a desperate need to have a romantic relationship with someone.
She shook her head. That last excuse sounded very weak. How could she think she simply wanted to be with someone when every last thought in the last few weeks was for that cute neighbor who lived with his sister and her fiancé? He was just so kind to her brother's situation and he took the time to honestly listen to her, and he got her. Sure they had met before for five minutes, but those five minutes left a lasting impression on her. True, they hadn't been alone together except when he was teaching her sign language but even in the little things that he noticed and remembered that she liked or didn't like made her realize he understood her. He found the girl that the CIA had tried to bury without even trying. Even now, as she prepared to go out with someone else, all she could think about was Chuck and that scared her more than any mission that she had ever been on.
She was broken out of her thoughts as she heard a knocking on the door outside. She exited the shower and dried off. She began to get ready.
Saturday September 6th, 2003 - 7:45 PM – Echo Park
Ellie pulled the car into the parking spot and turned off the ignition. She turned and saw that her brother's gaze was focused on the front door of Sarah Walker's apartment. He sighed and slumped down in the seat.
"Chuck, just go," Ellie prompted. "Don't wait; otherwise you'll lose your nerve."
Chuck opened the door and limped his way across the courtyard making his way towards the stairs. Ellie sat in her car, put her hands together, and looked up into the sky. She wasn't a very religious person, but she figured short of saving someone's life, there wasn't a better time to bring out the big guns. Really, two lives might be saved tonight.
"Lord, these two kids have been dealt a terrible blow. I know everything you do that you do it for a reason, but hopefully you will find it within your power to give these two kids the kind of happiness that you have given me and Devon. They deserve it."
Ellie returned her gaze towards her brother as he slowly made his way up the stairs, his hand on his side, holding it as he made his way to the door.
Sebastian got off the couch when he heard someone knocking on the door. He knew his sister was in the shower so he went to the window and peered outside. He recognized the man at the door and opened it up enthusiastically.
As the door opened he looked up and saw Sebastian answering the door. It's now or never. "Uh, hey Sebastian. Do you mind if we talk for a minute?"
Sebastian enthusiastically waved his hands for Chuck to come in and he then went right to work with the sign language asking Chuck how his tests went.
A thin smile appeared on his lips. "They went OK, but it's going to be a few days before I know if I passed them or not. That's not why I'm really here. Do you mind if we sit on the couch and talk for a minute."
Sebastian walked over to the couch and sat down. "Look Sebastian, I would like to ask you a question, and I want you to understand that if you say no, I will respect that and nothing will change between us. I mean, my friendship with you is paramount to me, but….."
Sebastian interrupted Chuck. You want to ask my sister to be your girlfriend, he signed with a slightly goofy smile.
"Sebastian, I would like…wait what?" Chuck's eyes went wide with shock.
I maybe young but I'm not blind, Chuck. Every time you guys are together, it just seems right. My sister never smiles as brightly unless you are around. What I'd like to know is what took you so long?
"Well, uh…it's….um…
Don't tell me I'm too young to understand. You like her and she likes you. It seems pretty simple to me. Just ask her to be your girlfriend, I know she's wants you to. If you don't I'm gonna tell her to ask you.
You like her and she likes you and I just want my sister and my friend to be happy like my parents were. So just ask her already.
Chuck stared in shock for a moment before a huge grin erupted across his face, which Sebastian matched. "Thanks buddy. Um, where is your sister anyway?"
She's in the bathroom.
"Ah, OK. Well, I will just wait for her to come out," Chuck replied as he wiped his now sweaty hands on his jeans, nerves getting the better of him.
There was another knock at the front door. He patted Sebastian's knee and told him that he would get it.
Just as he was about to answer the door he heard the bathroom door open. His hand held the doorknob as he turned. He felt his heart race as he caught sight of a vision of loveliness. Sarah emerged from the bathroom tossing her hair back, wearing a tight form fitting red shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. Her whole ensemble showing off the delicate and sexy curves that put together a fantastic package that culminated with a kind heart and a sharp mind.
As she saw him, he noticed a frown form on her face. Without realizing it, he finished pulling the door open. He slowly took his eyes off of Sarah and looked at the person on the other side of the door. His mouth dropped open.
"Uh Bryce, hey."
A/N2: Please don't hate me for the way this chapter ends. i know that it is a cliff hanger but i promise the next chapter will explain the end and set up the next arc. I promise not to let this next chapter take another 6 months.