A/N: OK, here's the chapter we've all been waiting for. I hope you like it.
Only Two Options
Chapter 13
The video screen went dark and Casey, Chuck and I kept staring at it. I could not keep the smile from my face. I can only imagine what is going through Chuck's mind right now.
"Well Bartowski, I guess congratulations are in order," Casey says turning to face Chuck who is standing between us.
Chuck was shaking Casey's hand but was still speechless.
"Chuck, you deserve this. You earned it," I said and gave him a big hug. He was limp in my embrace still not comprehending what had just happened.
"I can't believe that-" Chuck was cut off by Casey.
"Agent Bartowski, I never thought I would ever utter those words." Casey smiled but shook his head in earnest.
That brought Chuck out of his stupor. "Get used to it Casey because that's my title now. I expect to be treated with due respect," Chuck said not able to contain the smile from his face.
"Good lord, what has this world come to," Casey said leaving the Buy More Video Room.
Chuck then turned to me. "I know this was your doing," he said looking at me with a sincerity that made my heart rise in my throat.
"I only mentioned to Graham that looking at results alone. You had better results than a third of our staff. I asked him if he thought that that was fair…I guess he didn't."
"Sarah, what's this mean? I mean what impact is this going to have on us? I mean our relationship?"
"Well the only impact I can see is that you are going to be able to afford to take your best girl out in style," I said enjoying his childlike enthusiasm.
"You know I love you with every ounce of strength God gave me, right?"
My eyes moistened at that. "Chuck, I do know that you love me. And I can't tell you how important that is to me now."
Chuck looked at the CIA ID badge that I had handed him just minutes ago. "This is so surreal. I guess in a way I have Bryce to thank for this too. If he had not sent that email to me I would not be an employee of our government and I would not have you. The next time I see Bryce I've got to tell him how much I appreciate him."
"Let's hope we get a chance to see him again." I look at my watch. "Hey we need to get ready. We've got to be at Ellie's in two hours," I said grabbing his hand and leading him out of the video room.
As we got into my car, I thought about the nice surprise Graham gave us. "What are you going to do with your week off?" I asked.
"Spend it with you. Beyond that I haven't made any plans."
"We should do something. Go somewhere," I said.
X-X
"Ellie, that was fabulous," I said, still tasking the lasagna.
"Oh it was just something I threw together," she said smiling.
"Ok, what are we going to now? It's only 5:30, we've got time to do anything we want," Devon said.
"We could play Monopoly," Chuck said.
"No, you always win, lets play something else," Ellie said.
"Do we have to play a game," I said becoming aware of a crazy thought that would not go away. I used all of my willpower to forget it.
"We could go for a walk," Ellie said.
"It's too hot out. I don't want to get all sweaty. I just took a shower, Devon said out of character.
Walden, do not go there. I can't believe your thinking about this.
No, this is perfect. I can't think of a better way to show Chuck how much I love him.
"Is there anything good on TV?" Ellie said.
"I don't know, let's find out," Devon said looking through the TV Guide.
"I know what I want to do," I said, the adrenalin flowing through my veins; my heart was pounding like canon fire.
Everyone turned to look at me expectantly. Normally, I don't suggest anything when I'm over at the Bartowski's; I just go along with whatever they come up with.
"I want to get married," I said.
"And you will, have you set a date yet?" Ellie said without looking up.
"No, I mean I want to get married tonight." I watched three heads snap to my direction. I looked at the three people sitting around the table from me. Chuck was the first to smile…then Ellie and finally Devon.
"Sarah, what are you saying?" Ellie said.
"Let's go to Las Vegas and get married. It's only four hours away." I turn to Chuck. "In five hours I could be Mrs. Bartowski." I look again at the people staring at me open mouthed.
"Devon, we could do that, you know," Ellie said the excitement growing in her voice.
"Babe, what about my family?"
"I don't know, we'll explain that it was a spur of the moment thing…come on Devon, Sarah's right. Let's get married tonight."
I turn to Chuck and see a look upon his face that I'll never forget as long as I live. It was a mixture of gratitude and love and excitement and a dozen other emotions all rolled into one. He came across the table and kissed me hard in front of his sister.
"That settles it. Devon, we're getting married tonight! Go get the car ready." The look on Ellie's face was resolute and Devon knew not to even think of arguing.
X-X
Ellie and I are in her bedroom picking out a dress for her to wear. I've sent Chuck to our apartment to get my dress and his clothes. Devon is already packed and went to gas up the car. As I had it figured, by midnight I would be a married woman.
Within thirty minutes we are all in Devon's Toyota Avalon heading east toward Vegas. The electricity in the car could have powered LA for the night. When I have a lucid moment I can not believe what we are doing. And…it was all because of me.
I think briefly what Graham is going to say when he finds out. I know I will get an ass chewing. But right now, I don't care. I know I'm doing the right thing.
"Sarah, where do you want to get married? There are a hundred different chapels there," Ellie said turning around to look at me.
I'm practically sitting on Chuck's lap. We've be kissing the whole time and his face is covered in my lipstick. There's a hotel that does weddings, it's called weddings in the air or something like that. That sounds OK to me." No one ever thought to ask how I would know that. I never bothered to tell them that I'd been there before under cover.
Chuck got on his IPhone and began to surf the web. "Got it," he said. Moments later he had dialed the number. "Hello, Weddings in the Clouds…do you have any availability for tonight? Eleven thirty," he said looking at Ellie.
Devon, get us to Las Vegas in three hours," she said with determination.
"We'll take it," Chuck said as he reached in his wallet for his credit card number.
"We're going to be pretty close so wait on us as long as you can, OK?"
As if on cue, Devon hit Interstate 15 and floored it. Woooh, I didn't know this baby had this in her," he said. "If we don't get stopped by the cops, were home free."
X-X
Just minutes from the city limits we have twenty minutes before our wedding is scheduled. Chuck, Ellie and I have gotten dressed in the car. Devon didn't have the luxury and will have to be quick when we get to the chapel.
Devon flies through the streets of Las Vegas with Ellie telling him every turn to make. The sound of skidding rubber fills our ears as the roar of the engine drowns out everything but our yelling. The streetlights fly by like the lights on a subway. It is a miracle that we have not been stopped by the cops.
Slamming his brakes on outside the chapel in the sky while making a perfect parking slide, we all pile out and run like rabbits to the doorway. Ellie and I are trying to put our high heels on as we run. We take the elevator to the top floor and finally arrive completely out of breath three minutes before our scheduled time of eleven thirty.
Devon runs into the changing room and exactly four minutes later emerges in a suit.
"Who's going first?" Chuck asks looking at me.
"Ellie and Devon should go first, they were engaged before us," I say. I watch Ellie smile as she looks at her husband to be.
"Devon, you ready?"
"Never been readier, babe," he said taking her hand and leading her to the front of the chapel. Chuck and I follow after them.
We watch as Ellie and Devon repeat their wedding vows. I cry it is so beautiful. Chuck holds me tight as we stand awaiting our turn.
It didn't take long before I heard, "You may now kiss the bride."
My heartrate went through the roof as the pastor motioned for Chuck and me to come to the podium. I can hardly force my legs to move. Somehow I am able to follow the love of my life and stand beside him facing the pastor.
"Sarah Walker and Charles Bartowski…are these you're legal names?" the pastor said looking at our ID.
Chuck said yes but I said no. I look at Chuck. "I want this to be real," I say. I look over at Ellie and Devon who have confused looks on their faces. "I'll explain later," I say to them.
"No, I've got my real ID here," I say as I dig through my purse. I find my drivers license from the state of Maine and hand it to the pasture. He looks at the ID and then at me.
"You're Sandy Walden?" he asks.
"I am," I say stealing a look at my soon to be sister in law.
"Then let's get married."
Chuck and I stand facing each other. We are holding both hands between our bodies. A favorite thing for us to do since we first did it on the roof top when I thought Chuck was going to be locked in a bunker. Now look at him. He's a full fledged CIA agent getting ready to marry his one time handler. Things like this only happen in a fairy tale.
Everything was a blur. Before I know what had happened I hear the pastor saying my name.
"Do you Sandy Walden take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband for richer or for poorer until death do you part?"
"I do."
He then turned to Chuck.
"Do you Charles Bartowski take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife for richer or for poorer until death do you part?"
Oh, I so do," he said and we all started laughing. I stopped as the seriousness of the moment took hold of me. I was just a pronouncement away from being Chuck Bartowski's wife. Mrs. Bartowski. I squeezed his hand as I hear the pastor say, "I now pronounce you husband and wife…Sir, you may now kiss your bride."
Chuck slowly moved his lips down to meet mine. Both sets of lips slightly parted in anticipation of meeting. I watch as they come closer and closer to my own. Finally, I feel the softness and the gentle caress of his lips upon mine. I heard both Ellie and Devon in the background yelling as we continued our kiss. Finally, Chuck broke away and smiling as big as I have ever seen him, he picked me up effortlessly and spun me around. We laughed with pure joy as I watched the room go round and round. He put me down and kissed me again. Then, it was time to face Ellie.
As we walked up to her and Devon she was quite. She was very happy for us but I can see that there is something on her mind. That something is a woman named Sandy Walden.
I'm not sure exactly when I decided to tell Ellie the truth about me but somewhere between her saying, 'I do' and following Chuck to the podium I made the decision.
Standing in front of her, I decide to put her off for just a short while. "Who's hungry? I'm starving," I say stealing a look at my sister in law. "Besides, we need a quite place to talk."
Ten minutes later, we find a little diner that is not completely packed. I steer the hostess to a booth that is relatively isolated from other customers and Chuck and I sit facing Ellie and Devon.
I see it is all she can do not to start interrogating me so I begin my explanation.
"Ellie, what I'm going to tell you can never leave this booth. You can not tell your coworkers and Devon…you cannot tell your family. Do you promise that?"
They looked at each other and then Ellie looked at Chuck silently asking what was going on.
"Ellie, Sarah's right. You cannot ever talk about this to anyone. OK?"
They shared another look and I see that Ellie is now a little concerned about what she is going to hear.
They both say OK in unison.
"As you know, my name is Sandy Walden. But I work for the United States Government in a capacity that is very sensitive. I use the alias of Sarah Walker because I need to maintain anonymity."
I watch Ellie try to process what I've just told her. "I don't understand Sarah…or Sandy. I mean I don't even know what to call you," Ellie said the exasperation evident in her voice.
"Ellie, I'm undercover out here so I am Sarah Walker. But I can assure you that I love your brother. I didn't want to marry him as Sarah Walker and not have it be a real marriage. You understand?"
"Wait a minute, so the Wienerliscious job is just a front or something," she said her brow furrowed in confusion.
"That's right." I see her mind working. She's getting to the question that will be of utmost interest to her.
"Sarah," she looked at me and then at Chuck as she had definitely put two and two together. "Why do you spend so much time with Chuck? When do you have time to actually do the job you're out here for?" she says as her eyes drill holes into her brother.
"Ellie…I work with Chuck." I didn't say any more. I just let that sink in.
She looked at her new husband and then to her brother. I cannot tell what's going on in her mind. "You work for our government too?"
"Uh…Ellie, I wanted to tell you but we thought that it might be too dangerous so we decided to keep you in the dark. I'm sorry. I can't tell you how hard it was to lie to you like that," Chuck said the emotion clearly dripping from his voice.
Ellie has a blank look on her face. I am so afraid that my instinct to tell her the truth is absolutely wrong.
"You've been working for the Government since Sarah's been here?" Ellie asked.
"Uh well-"
"That's right, Ellie. Chuck has worked with me ever since I first came out here," I said looking at Chuck to shut him up. There's no sense in complicating the story any more than it has to be. Technically, it's the truth.
Ellie looks at her husband and I see a tear slide down her cheek. I'm so afraid that we have hurt her with the truth.
She turns to Chuck abruptly and says, "That's so cool. You know what this means?" she said waiting to answer her own question and keeping us all in suspense.
"Chuck doesn't have to work on that five year plan. He's already made it." She broke out in the biggest smile. Getting up from her side of the booth she came over and gave her little brother a huge hug. "I'm so proud of you." As she went back to sit down I see she started to think of the reality of the situation.
"You said it was dangerous…how dangerous?" she asked looking from me to Chuck.
We look at each other. Chuck gives me a little nod to proceed. "I'm not going to lie to you… it can be dangerous work. We are at the center of a pretty intense national security alert. But we have a good team and we're very good at what we do."
I watch Ellie look at Chuck with so much pride. It is worth the risk I'm taking just to see her expression.
"Wow Chuck, I had no idea you were like… James Bond," Devon said.
"Well actually it's Carmichael…Charles Carmichael."
I watched the three of them burst out laughing. I am not sure he should have given that away but I can not help it. I start laughing as well.
"So Ellie, Chuck and I are really married. My legal name is now Sandy Bartowski. But I still need to be known around here as Sarah Walker. It's for the job. This is something that only we can know about. As far as everyone else is concerned, I'm still Sarah Walker, Chuck's fiancée."
"There is one more complication…I will need to let my parents know about getting married. I would like for you to meet them. When we go there, I will be Sandy Walden Bartowski. When you meet my parents, Sarah Walker does not exist. OK?"
OK, but you realize how odd that is going to be for us," she said looking at her husband. I've known you for almost a year now. I think of you as Sarah. It's going to be a real adjustment to think of you as Sandy."
I see she is really concerned. "Ellie, it won't be that difficult. You'll see. I can't tell you how excited I am for my husband's family to meet my family. I will try to set something up as soon as I can."
I sit beside my husband. Just the thought of telling them that I've gotten married to Chuck is so exciting for me that I can barely stand it. I cannot believe how great my life has turned out. I owe it all to this wonderful man. I look at my husband. As I do, I feel that familiar stirrings deep inside me. I call it that warm and fuzzy feeling.
"You know," I say looking at Chuck with a special look. "I'm not really hungry. What do you say we grab a hotel room for the night and turn in?" I see that Chuck understands my meaning.
"Yeah, I'm really tired," he says faking a yawn. "What do you say we meet tomorrow for breakfast?"
Ellie and Devon both laugh understanding what is going on. "Let's sleep in. We can meet for breakfast around ten O'clock. You know technically Sarah, we girls are on our honeymoon, do you think that will give us enough time?" she said with a wicked smile on her face.
"Mmh," I say looking at Chuck. "I don't know. I'll call you on your cell if we need more time," I say smiling.
We leave the restaurant without even ordering. We find a hotel which is easy in Vegas.
Chuck and I spend our first evening as husband and wife. Some of that time was spent as you might imagine. But we stayed up most of the night just talking about our dreams and hopes for the future. We still have to learn a lot about each other. I know that we have the time now. I push away the thought of what the CIA's official stance will be when they find out about our marriage. The last thought I have as I fall asleep for the first time as Sandy Bartowski is how safe I feel lying by my husband's side.
Fore the first time in my life, I say a small prayer thanking God for what he's done for me.
Let tomorrow come…because tonight is perfect.