A/N: I'm sure this is old, but I really am sorry this is so late. Between work and my mom, things got crazy but she is okay now.
Thank you so much to all those that have read, reviewed, favorited, etc. You're all rock stars and I appreciate every single one of you =)
Thanks to Bill, for his beta-eyes. He told me the original version wasn't sappy enough so hopefully that has been fixed to everyone's liking and that none of it is too over-the-top
Re-cap just in case: Bryce and Steven are asses, Sarah broke Bryce's nose and had surgery. Ta-zah … hope that helps.
..-. .- - .. .-.. -.- - .- - - . .-. … … - - .-.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
With every exhale, Sarah became more cognizant of her surroundings- the steady beep of a heart monitor; the soft breath traveling up her arm, tickling the hairs there; the pressure next to her hip; the pain igniting a fire across her back. That was the worst and probably the source of her restlessness. As her eyes opened in rapid blinks, her brow furrowed, piecing together the clues to where she was. To the left, the morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room's decor. It was beige. Beige was boring. Hospitals could really use some interior decorating tips.
Finding nothing of interest on that side of the room, Sarah's eyes slid to the right. Empty recliner. A television. Closed door. Funny animal shapes. Bland pict-
Funny animal shapes?
Sarah did a double-take, letting out a relaxed sigh at the sight. Chuck. A smile instantly spread across her lips. He also happened to be the pressure resting against hip as he was using the bed as pillow. She slipped her hand from beneath his and ran her fingers through his unruly curls, so soft and satiny. They were a bit matted from sleep, but still the best thing to wake up to. He must have spent all night in that chair. After riding Morgan's bike all that way, there's no way he could be comfortable.
And that thought forced everything to come together. The unstoppable crying and the surgery and talking to Eve-
Eve!
She must have startled at the thought as Chuck came to almost immediately. "-ts goin' on?" he mumbled, trying to catch up to the commotion.
"E-evie-" she began before pausing to swallow her fear which also gave Chuck a moment to shake off the cobwebs. "Evie isn't- . . . she hasn't-" Sarah couldn't get her mouth and brain to work together and form words she so desperately prayed weren't true. "She's-"
Seeing her struggle, Chuck laced his fingers with hers, hoping to provide comfort. "She's sleeping," he said, his voice rough with sleep. "She's okay. Ellie told me her fever hasn't spiked again but her temperature is still a little high." He started to get to his feet. "I'll go-"
Her heart pounded so loudly, Sarah was surprised she'd heard him speak. As he started to pull his hand away, she held on tightly. "How long ago was that?"
"I don't know. Maybe an hour after they brought you to the room."
"And how long ago was that?"
"Just after one."
Sarah's eyes darted around the room. Clock- a clock. There has to be a clock.
Chuck squeezed Sarah's hand forcing her to find his eyes again. "Sarah, take a breath." He brushed her bangs back and finished getting to his feet. "I'm going to go check on her for you."
He'd do that?- "You'd do that?" she asked, her voice touched with bewildered surprise, staring at him in uncertainty. Should she really let him go? Clearly he was just as exhausted as she was and here he was offering to . . . well, move. She tried to find it in her to decline his offer but she just couldn't. She needed to know.
"Of course."
"You're not going to call me crazy and tell me that nothing is wrong? Or force me to go back to sleep?"
Chuck let out a breathy chuckle and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back," he said, choosing not to address her questions. He knew, no matter how much protesting he did, it would just be easier to find out the most recent information for Sarah. It'd save so much time. Besides, she hadn't asked. He'd offered. A little peace of mind would go along way in allowing Sarah to rest, to heal. And just like Eve, Sarah needed that, too.
Sarah's jaw dropped, the only thing registering was utter disbelief. No matter how many times he offered to do these things, it never ceased to amaze her. Her head shook. "God, you're just so . . ."
Halfway between the door and the bed, Chuck turned to look at her as she trailed off. His brow furrowed at her expression of bewilderment. He held his palms out. "So what?" he asked with a shrug.
". . . perfect."
Chuck gave a self-depreciating laugh. "I'm definitely not perfect."
"You are to me," she said softly.
Chuck turned away to hide his blush. With a small shake of his head, he stepped back up to the bed and bracketed Sarah with an arm on each side of her hips. "Well, I'm glad you think so, even if I don't." Their eyes traced over the features within inches of their own. With a short rock forward, Chuck closed the distance between them, gently encasing her bottom lip between his, the barest of touches still enough to warm his soul and set alight his passion. He wondered absently if kissing Sarah would always feel like this. The thought was both exhilarating and terrifying to the point where he found himself holding back. A lingering doubt that no words could heal would always stay with him- that one day, it could all be over in the blink of an eye, like a rug being pulled out from under your feet. It'd happened before when his mom left and his dad, Stanford and Bryce, the government. There just wasn't too much more that his battered heart could take. But when he kissed Sarah, none of that mattered. All was right if only for a moment. It felt amazing.
Sarah's fingers trailed up his stomach. Conscious of the IV in her arm, one hand stayed at his side while the other went straight for his curls, urging him for more. She couldn't explain it, but being with Chuck made even the biggest catastrophe seem easy. He just had this ability to make her forget where she was without even trying. And yet, in some ways, she was still waiting for him to kiss her senseless, like he did in front of Roan. That kiss haunted her dreams. It still does. Ever since becoming a real couple, she really wanted him to do that again. Much too soon for her liking, the kiss ended. Chuck rested his forehead against hers, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"I'll be right back," he promised again, silently closing the door behind him.
Once Chuck had disappeared, Sarah rested back against the bed with a grimace. She hadn't realized how much it hurt to move when she'd sat up to kiss him better. She was tired and hot and uncomfortable and just really wanted to get off her back. Without Chuck there as a distraction, her only company was silence and pain. It's not the worst she'd ever felt, but it was certainly up there. Should she really be hurting this much? Was that normal? Every time her heart beat, it was like a drum playing across her back- a mindless beating that rang all the way up through her ears, aggravating her to no end.
She never questioned Dr. Williams' decision about surgery, but at this moment, she wondered if the PBSC donation would have been the better option. Except the problem with that method was that you had to have five days of injections before being able to donate and Evie simply didn't have that amount time. Doing the surgery had been the most direct route even if it had been the outdated way.
Aside from the pain, though, she felt completely embarrassed to have been as afraid of surgery as she had been. It had been nothing. Exactly like Dr. Williams said. Get in, get out, get on. Hindsight, as they say, is twenty-twenty.
The scratch of a door latch drew Sarah from her thoughts. She turned to the door, hoping for Chuck but instead saw a nurse carrying a fresh bag of blood. As the nurse looked over to the bed, her shoulders jerked in surprise.
"Oh, you're-" she began, startled, ". . . awake." Shaking off her astonishment, she smiled pleasantly. "I'm just changing you to your last bag of blood." Sarah nodded and watched the nurse switch out the empty bag with a fresh one. As the nurse checked the connection to the IV in Sarah's arm, she asked, "How are you feeling?"
In typical fashion, Sarah downplayed the pain. "I'm okay." Her answer sounded weary which wasn't surprising considering she'd recently gotten out of surgery. On the other hand, this was a medical professional and she should have felt comfortable enough to ask about the pain. Had it have been Ellie walking in, she probably would have but she didn't know this person.
"Good." The nurse gave a smile and nod. "So, where's your boyfriend?" she asked as she checked over the monitors, making sure everything was set properly.
"Um, he went to see if there's any news about Eve."
"Aw, that's sweet of him," she said, noting Sarah's blush. She reviewed Sarah's chart and saw that it'd been a while since she'd received pain killers and the previous dose had been small at that. The nurse shook her head. "Okay, huh?" It's no wonder Sarah was awake. She was probably feeling everything. She grabbed a syringe and vial. "Perhaps this will help you feel better than okay. Just a small dose of morphine."
Sarah nodded, grateful for a reprieve even if it meant she immediately felt drugged. She fought against allowing her eyes roll back. It's a good thing she'd done a fairly stellar job at torture resistance training or staying awake may have been a problem. However, in this case, being drugged had its upside. The throbbing had stopped. But there was also the downside. It made her sleepy and as drowsy as she may be, she had to stay awake at least until Chuck came back to tell her about Evie.
"Get some rest," the nurse said, making her way to the door. "You deserve it."
..-. .- - .. .-.. -.- - .- - - . .-. … … - - .-.
After a series of mindless turns, Chuck found Casey slouched in a chair outside Eve's door. His legs were stretched out in front of him, arms folded across his chest. Though his head rested back against wall and his eyes were closed, Chuck doubted that Casey was actually sleeping.
"Why aren't you with Walker?" Casey asked, not even bothering to look at Chuck.
"How did yo- never mind." He shook his head and plopped next to the burly man. Chuck crossed his arms and slouched like Casey but kept his legs tucked back. He sighed, feeling himself falling asleep in his relaxed position. Sleeping in a chair did not make for a good sleep. Casey's hand swung out and hit him in the chest. "Aaow! Casey."
Casey shifted in his seat and looked at Chuck with a raised brow, clearly not going to apologize nor interested in drawing out this little tête-à-tête. Obviously Chuck had come for a reason and Casey wanted to move the discussion along so he could get back to sleeping- or the poor version of it he'd been attempting.
Chuck pouted and rubbed out the sting but had the presence of mind not to discuss it further. He drew out his moping, forcing Casey to wait for an answer as he settled back into his seat. That really hurt. Does the man not know his own strength? "Sarah wanted to know if there was any news on Eve."
"Walker's awake?" he asked in surprise. He looked at his watch. Almost seven. "Hm, would've thought she'd been out at least until later in the morning."
"Well, Sarah's nothing if not stubborn. Honestly, I'm surprised she's awake too but worry's a pretty good motivating factor. She'll probably go back to sleep after she's assured Eve's okay."
Casey grunted, knowing that would mostly like be true. "I don't know what to tell you. Not much has changed since Ellie left. I think Eve's pretty well down for the count. Only time will tell if she can take a few more rounds. But, she's alive. It's better than what she could've been at this time."
"Yeah." Chuck hadn't really expected anything to be different from before but he was so grateful to not have to go back with bad news. While this news wasn't great, it was a start. "She'll make it, Casey. There's too much left not to fight for."
Casey nodded noncommittally, refusing to comment otherwise. There were some fights that you just couldn't win and Eve had been fighting this one for a long time. Casey had never been one to get his hopes up. Chuck had always been the optimistic one on this team and at times- like now- it wasn't so annoying. Eve needed all the optimism she could get. He let his eyes close, intent on going back to resting but not quite sleeping.
"How are you doing, Casey?"
Casey gave Chuck a look that said 'you're kidding, right?'
Chuck raised a hand in surrender, waving off his question. "Sorry." As if Casey would actually want to talk about that. Sleep deprived Chuck was not a good communicator. Granted, he'd have asked the same thing had he not been sleep deprived.
Casey settled back into his spot against the wall, wiggling around until he was comfortable again. "When Eve wakes up, then I'll tell you." That'd be the only thing to rid him of the sinking feeling he had now. If Eve didn't wake up . . . well, he just couldn't think about that now.
Chuck blew out air between his lips, his cheeks bulging like a chipmunk and nodded. They sat together, not quite in an awkward silence, but Chuck wanted to see if Casey'd say anything more. He severely doubted it. Casey's initial reaction would always be to say no but Chuck knew that a little patience could get the big guy to open up. Truth be told, Chuck also needed a minute to prepare to move. His body ached all over the place from riding that damn bike and sleeping in that awful chair. He should really get into better shape. Being this sore was ridiculous. He sucked in a quick breath and pushed to his feet, intent on making his way back to Sarah. "Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me. You'll tell us if anything changes?"
Casey nodded but didn't open his eyes. He could hear Chuck steps getting further down the way when a thought struck him. "Hey, wait," he called out, looking down the hall after Chuck. "Walker . . . how's she doing?" He should have asked earlier considering she'd just had surgery and all.
"Tired and in pain, but otherwise intact."
Casey nodded. "Tell her thanks. I'll be in to see her in a couple hours." He settled back against the wall and closed his eyes. "I just want to sit here for a while."
"Okay," Chuck said sadly, all of a sudden feeling bad for leaving Casey alone. Beckman had left with Ellie and Trisha was in with Eve. It always seemed like Casey was left by himself, which was completely unfair. He could tell Sarah the news and then come back. "Do yo-"
"No."
Chuck shook his head. "Honestly, that's just freaky." Casey laughed as much as he ever laughed. Chuck felt glad if he could brighten Casey's mood in any way. He didn't want to leave Casey alone; however, he wouldn't leave Sarah alone. Casey should have someone that would just sit with him, too, even if they didn't talk- which would most likely be the case. He was Casey, after all. And Chuck knew just the person. "Have you told Grace?"
Casey grunted. The thought had crossed his mind, but no. He wouldn't do that to someone, even if he knew she'd do it. "No. It was late. Besides, I think she's at work now."
Chuck nodded, considering his parting words carefully. Casey definitely wasn't a shout out for help kind of guy, but there had been moments over the past two years where, in his own Casey-way, he asked for it. Chuck simply thought now should be one of those times. "You know, Casey, it's not so bad letting someone help every once in a while."
"Bye, Bartowski."
Chuck gave a small laugh and resumed his trek back to Sarah's room. "Just sayin'," he called over his shoulder. Maybe Casey had convinced himself he preferred to do these things alone.
Hopefully, one day, he wouldn't want to.
It didn't take long for Chuck to get back to Sarah's room. Just in case she had fallen asleep in his absence, he opened the door as quietly as possible, peeking in before entering. Her eyes were shut and he watched her chest rise and fall for a few moments before entering. He held the door knob down, closing the door without a sound. He reclaimed his seat in the chair; his sore muscles had him dropping hard instead of hitting the surface softly. The chair squeaked in protest under his weight, and Sarah's eyes opened in tired slits.
"Hey," she said, rubbing her eyes. "What did you find out?"
"She still sleeping," he said, threading their fingers and brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "We'll know more when she wakes up."
"So basically what you told me before?"
He shrugged. "Well, you never know. Something could've changed. It's been hours," he said. "Casey said thank you, by the way. He'll be by in a couple of hours."
Sarah nodded, a comfortable silence falling between them. With her worries put at ease, she found herself unable to fend off sleep any longer. "Chuck?" she mumbled groggily before she drifted too far from consciousness.
For his part, Chuck had also been dozing in the chair again. Getting home couldn't come soon enough in his book. "Hm?"
"Lay with me?"
In a wordless reply, Chuck released her hand. Being careful not to touch, he crawled over top of her. To keep Sarah on her back, Chuck rested on his side with his arm draped over her abdomen. Though the bed wasn't extremely comfortable, his body had been grateful for the chance to stretch out. In no time, both of them fell asleep.
..-. .- - .. .-.. -.- - .- - - . .-. … … - - .-.
"Eve's awake."
Chuck startled awake at the intrusion, falling off the side of the bed and hitting the ground with a groan. "Aaaow."
"Eve's awake?" Sarah asked, pushing up on her hands, her face tight with pain and effort.
Chuck used the bed to pull himself up, still not sure who the intruder was. Seeing Casey, Chuck released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Jeez, Casey, was that really necessary?" he asked, getting to his feet. It felt like minutes since his head hit the pillow but a glance at his watch told him it'd been a couple hours.
Casey grunted in reply and addressed to Sarah. "She's asking to see you."
Adrenaline allowed Sarah to throw off the covers and get to her feet. The blood drained from her face with the quick movement as spots swirled over her eyes. "Whoa."
Within seconds, Casey steadied her from the front and Chuck from the back. "Easy there, Walker," Casey said, forcing her to lie back down on the bed. "Dr. Williams is in with her right now, then he'll come to you. No rush."
"You might have mentioned that first," she said, trying to get her eyes to focus on one thing instead of all the dots flying over her eyes.
"Well, Bartowski said to tell you if something changed."
"I said tell us, not scare us."
"Oh, keep your panties on, Bartowski," Casey said, "I didn't even yell. And I knocked. It's not my fault you slept through it."
Chuck opened his mouth to respond but Sarah didn't give him the chance. "How's she doing?"
"She looks good. I don't know much more than that since he's examining her now." He jutted his chin towards Sarah. "How 'bout you? You doing okay?"
"Drugged and tired but I'm okay," she said, keeping as much nonchalance to her tone as possible and choosing not to acknowledge how much pain just the act of sitting up caused her. Perhaps if she ignored it long enough, she could trick herself into thinking it wasn't there.
"Good."
The door opened and Dr. Williams walked in. "Excellent news, people. Eve is doing well. So far it doesn't appear that her body is rejecting the transplant. Her temperature remains elevated, but that is to be expected."
"Okay," Sarah said, letting out a sigh of relief. Eve was awake and okay. Or, at least, it looked very promising. They'd have more time together. Whether it was days, months, or years couldn't be known yet, but any time would be better than no time. The ropes around her heart finally loosened. She tried met Chuck's eye, trying to hold back a smile. He smirked knowingly as she tried to keep it together. He knew she wanted nothing more than to run out of this room and down the hallway to see for herself that Eve was all right. Blushing under his knowing gaze, Sarah switched to watch as Dr. Williams reviewed her chart and recorded her stats. "When can I see her?"
Dr. Williams' eyes twinkled as he looked at her. "Soon." He dropped her chart back into place. "I just need to remove the IV for your blood and get you a fresh bag of fluids and check your incisions. Shouldn't take more than ten minutes."
Knowing checking her dressings would mean skin exposure, Casey excused himself. "Well, I'm heading back to Eve's room, then." He liked Walker. He did. There were just some things he didn't want to see. Sure, he'd seen her in less but this just seemed more intimate and definitely inappropriate.
While Dr. Williams got to work, he addressed Chuck. "Mr. Bartowski," he point to the cupboard, "in that cupboard is a wheelchair. You'll need it to take Agent Walker to see her sister."
"I can walk."
Dr. Williams raised his brow with fatherly admonishment. "There are rules in this establishment," he said, reconnecting a new bag of fluids. "I may let the sleeping in the same bed thing slide but you will not be doing any more movement than necessary. You have to rest." He'd come in to check on her roughly an hour ago and found Chuck sleeping next to Sarah and decided he'd come back later. They were lucky it had been him coming to check on Sarah. He knew for a fact that the nurse on duty had a penchant for policy and never would have allowed Chuck that digression.
"Sorry," they chorused, blushing sheepishly.
Dr. Williams laughed. "I won't tell if you won't tell. Now, let's get you off your back so I can take a look."
Sarah winced as she rolled to her side. Both Chuck and Dr. Williams helped. Her breath quickened, and, against her will, her eyes watered. She blinked rapidly, hoping not to let any tears fall. She'd done enough crying. Chuck held her hand and she squeezed his tightly. Chuck brushed away the lone tear sliding down her cheek, not calling attention to it.
"Okay," Dr. Williams said as he pressed ointment to each incision point and Sarah's whole body clenched as the tender area was prodded at, "it's looking pretty good. If you don't pick at the scabs, I think you'll barely be able to see the scars." He threw away to ointment packet away and washed his hands. "Now, you're going to be sore for a few days so I'll write you up a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and pain killer. We'll need to let that last bag of fluids finish and you'll be good to go." He dried his hand and threw away the paper towel before squirting hand sanitizer on his hands. "It should take a few weeks for you to feel back up to your normal energy levels but everything looks good."
Sarah nodded. "Thanks, Dr. Williams."
"You're welcome." He gave her a smile and then turned to business. "Now, you can't go into Eve's room but there is a phone next to the window so you can talk to her. Please keep it a quick conversation. She needs all the rest she can get, but she was adamant that she wanted to speak with you first."
Sarah smiled. "Well, let's not keep her waiting," she said. She, too, was anxious to see Eve. Chuck adjusted his grip and pulled Sarah up, helping her into the wheelchair. She was more than a little surprised at how easy he'd made it seem.
Watching Chuck kiss Sarah's temple, seeing her cheeks color as she bit on her lip, made Dr. Williams smile. They really were an extraordinary couple. He held opened the door for Chuck to push Sarah through. The trio made their way through the halls of the hospital.
Inside Eve's fish bowl, Beckman, Trisha, and Casey were dressed similarly to how Sarah had been last night with hats and gowns and gloves and masks. Eve stopped whatever she'd been saying when she saw Sarah. She smiled brightly and waived. Eve pointed to the wall where Dr. Williams held out a phone to her.
"I'll leave you to it." He looked at Eve and spoke loud enough for the receiver to pick up his voice. "You let me know if you need anything."
Eve nodded with a thumbs up and waived goodbye to him. Sarah put the phone to her ear. "Eve!"
"Hi! How are you?"
"Me?" Sarah said with a laugh. "What about you?"
"I'll be honest," she said, "I feel much less toxic than I have in a long time. Super tired but not bad."
"Good."
"How are you, Agent Walker?" Beckman asked.
"Relieved," she said, surprising herself with her candidness especially in front of Beckman and Casey. Her image in their eyes, once a hardened agent, must now be irreparably damaged. Strangely enough, she couldn't care less.
"I think that's mutual for everyone," Trisha said.
"When do you get to go home?" Eve asked.
"Probably in a few hours. Dr. Williams wants me to finish this," she pointed to the bag hanging off her chair, "and then I'll be done, I think."
"Okay." Eve nodded. "You'll come see me before you go?"
Sarah smiled. "Consider it done."
"Cool," she said. "I think I'm gonna go back to sleep now."
"Okay."
"Tell Chuck hi for me."
Sarah laughed. "Will do. Sleep well." She turned to Chuck who held out his hand for the phone. "Eve said to tell you hi," she said as he hung up the phone.
"Oh." He smiled and nodded to the room full of people, showing he got the message. They waived goodbye to each other and Chuck turned Sarah's chair back towards her room, the short distance covered in silence. The atmosphere felt a lot more relaxed now that Sarah had the chance to speak with Eve. It was good to know for a fact that Eve was doing better. There was hope.
Chuck helped Sarah get back into bed, practically carrying her to it from the chair. "You look to be feeling better," he said as he pulled the covers up to tuck her in, mindful of her IV.
"I am, actually. Seeing for myself that she was okay helped a lot."
He reattached the heart monitor to her finger. "Good, I'm glad." He sat next to her hip. With a soft smile, he brushed her bangs behind her ear.
They lost themselves in the others eyes, both having so much to say but not knowing how to find the words. Sarah wanted to tell him about dinner and what she had planned on telling him last night before that got all messed up and Chuck had to tell her he didn't have a job anymore. There wouldn't be a better time to bring it up. Eve had been their excuse not to before, but now that they knew she was okay, this was something to be taken care of.
As talking was more his area of expertise, Chuck gathered the courage first. He took her hand off his chest and held it in his own. "Listen, now that things have had a chance to settle down, there's something I should tell you." He couldn't keep this a secret.
Sarah was taken aback. He had something to tell her, too? Well, that can't be good.
"I, uh, I don't really know how to tell you this but . . ." Chuck massaged the back of his neck with his free hand, "well, I sort of don't work at the Buy More anymore."
Sarah's gaze narrowed questioningly. "What do you mean you don't work at the Buy More?"
"Uh, well, it's just that- Remember how I told you that Emmett was being an ass?" Sarah nodded. "Well, he sort of wouldn't let me leave work last night so I . . . I quit."
"You quit?"
"I did. And I'm sorry but you know, some things are just more important and it's not what I want to do with the rest of my life anyway and I know I should have consulted with you first but you were just so upset and all I cared about was getting here for you and-"
"You quit your job? For me?"
"Pretty sure we've been over that part, Sarah."
"I know, I know. It's just- you quit your job for me."
"Well, it's not like it was that great of a job in the first place. I wasn't saving the world or anything."
Just saving my world, Sarah thought, remembering how her world seemed to be crumbling around her last night until he'd showed up.
Chuck watched her for any signs of anger but her mouth hung open in wonder. "What- ah, what are you thinking? What's going on?"
"I don't know. As your girlfriend, I am beyond happy for you. You were so much better than that place. But as your handler, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be angry." Sarah stared at him for a minute with a look he couldn't decipher. Nope. Not an ounce of upset at him for quitting. The fact that he was willing to make a life altering decision on the fly like that was amazing. She smiled. "You really are perfect."
Chuck blushed and shook his head.
Sarah cleared her throat, wanting to get this over with now. "Okay, since we're talking about things, I have something to tell you, too."
Well, that's never good. Chuck swallowed anxiously. "Uh, okay." He took his hand away from her, leaning against it on the opposite side of her. "What, ah, what's up?"
Sarah wished he hadn't moved. She liked when he touched her and having him move away from her was not a good sign. "Okay, just . . . hear me out, alright?"
He nodded shakily and let out a nervous laugh. Maybe this won't be so bad, he hoped. He smiled warmly and took her hand in his again, encouraging her to continue.
"Chuck, last night at dinner- …" she sighed trying to think of the easiest way to tell him this. Not really an easy way to do it, Walker. You just- you gotta rip it off like a bandaid. She swallowed. "Bryce tried the Montgomery on me."
Sarah waited on baited breath for something- anything- to happen, but he just sat there, staring at a spot on the bed like it was the most interesting thing. For a long moment, she thought he might not have heard her. She'd expected him to be angry. Very angry. Like throwing things around the room angry. This total lack of response had not been expected and was supremely disconcerting. He wouldn't even look at her. "Chuck?" she finally asked softly. "Did you hear me?" She reached out to grab his arm but he avoided it, standing up and moving away from her. "Chu-"
"I heard you." He scratched at a spot on his neck with one finger, still not meeting her eye. He pursed his lips in thought. "What do you want me to say? You practically went on a date with the guy. Dinner is one thing, but in his room? What did you think he expected?"
Sarah's mouth opened. To say what she didn't know, but she needed something come out. He was really angry. "I- I don't know," she said, her voice quivering. Great start. "It was just dinner-"
"In his room? Really, Sarah, did you not expect him to try? I mean, this is you we're talking about. He wasn't asking you to dinner to laugh about old times. And even though it makes him a terrible friend, I can't even blame him. Bryce would be an idiot not to try, because, god, help me, if the shoe was on the other foot, I know I'd try. Until you shut the door, I'd try." Chuck sighed, rubbing his hand wearily over his face. His hands dropped to his legs with a slap. "You know what? Let's just- let's just talk about this later, okay? You need to rest and I . . ." He shook his head, heading for the door. "-I should go."
"Wait, stop!" she pleaded, afraid of what him walking out meant. "Please don't go, Chuck. Please. I know you're mad but at least let me try to explain. "
From the increased blips on the heart monitor, Chuck could tell she was getting nervous. He sucked in a long slow breath and finally looked at her. Unlike normal, there was no mask shielding her terror. She was up on her knees, ready to pounce if he left. Even on her worst day, Sarah could catch him. As much as he didn't want to have this conversation, he'd rather have it in here than publicly. Chuck took the chair next to the bed, still keeping his distance. "So what happened?"
"Nothing happened," she said, "I hadn't even planned on going to his room. I told him to meet me at the bar but he said that he'd already ordered room service since I'd taken so long to respond, and since I'd already agreed to go, I figured an hour wouldn't be so bad. But then, I got there and he started saying all these things about being partners again and saving the world- I was shocked. I honestly thought that if he would do something like this it wouldn't be until he was heading off on his first mission and nothing more than what he did last time. When he tried to kiss me, I broke his nose and then I got the call about Evie and we left."
"We left?"
"Yeah, I thought- I thought that he should have a medical professional look at it and I was going to the hospital anyway so I took him with me."
Chuck scoffed. He wished she'd have left Bryce to fend for himself.
"I was trying to be like you."
The statement, so innocent in context, weighed heavily on him. "Why would you ever, ever want to be like me, Sarah?"
"Because I like who I am when I'm with you. I like to know that there is something good to find in people. I like to know that it's okay to trust and its okay love. Everyday I'm with you, I just want to be more like the person you see rather than the person I am. You're everything I never knew to dream of and more. But mostly I want to be like you because I love you." She paused. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to tell you. I chickened out so many times-" Sarah hid her face in her hands. "Ugh, it was supposed to be better than this," she said, more to herself than to him. "I was scared to tell you because once it's out there, you can't go back. And I've just sucked at being a girlfriend so far."
Chuck furrowed his brow. "What makes you say that?"
"You want a list?" she asked exasperatedly, on the verge of tears. "Let's see, I've been all tense and agitated the whole time-"
"With good reason," Chuck justified. He couldn't imagine what it'd have been like if Sarah wasn't his to comfort while she figured things out with Eve. He couldn't imagine having to watch from a distance as she got to her feet again.
"-I completely broke down yesterday-"
"Also with good reason."
"-I accepted a dinner I shouldn't have even fathomed in the first place, at least not without you there, too."
"Okay," Chuck conceded, "I'll give you that one. But I believe you when you say you didn't think he'd try anything."
Sarah nodded in thanks, keeping quiet for a moment. "You're father hates me," she admitted sadly. She felt completely gutted by that. It shouldn't matter so much what his father thought, but it did. No one wants to have a poor relationship with their significant other's parents.
"He doesn't hate you."
"Yes, he does," she said and then sighed. This part was worse than telling him about Bryce, but it needed to be said. "He knew what Bryce was going to do. Right before I called you last night, I heard them talking-"
Chuck's eyes burned angrily and his nostrils flared. "That son of a . . ." He clenched his fists, huffing out a breath of frustration. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Pretty soon he'll be gone, never to be heard from again."
"Chuck," she whispered, at once saddened and pained, "please don't lose your relationship with you father because of me."
"I didn't lose my relationship with my father because of you," Chuck insisted, heatedly. "I lost it because of him. He left and you found him. You gave him the opportunity for a second chance, Sarah. He's the one that blew it. So, no, I did not lose it because of you."
Sarah scooted down the bed so she could reach out to him. Hope rose when he didn't move away, allowing her to brush her fingers through his hair, caressing the sides of his face. "Please promise me you'll talk to him, Chuck. It's important for you that you don't hold onto this anger towards him for the rest of your life. If you don't want a relationship, I understand that, but please, just . . . please."
Chuck looked away, trying to think of a reason not comply. This was just an example of how amazing Sarah was, though. Here she was thinking that his father hated her and yet she cared enough to beg him to talk to his dad. To want him to work it out. Even if it was more for his sake than anything else. He shook his head, meeting Sarah's eyes again. "And you say you're a terrible girlfriend."
Sarah tried and failed to hold back a relieved smile. He still called her his girlfriend. Well, he implied it, at least. "I have been an awful girlfriend, Chuck. But I'll do better, I promise."
"As long as you're not planning on leaving with Bryce then we're on the up and up." He tried to keep his tone light, but there was enough insecurity in him that no amount of lightness could cover up.
Sarah scratched her fingers through his stubble. "The only person I'll be going anywhere with ever again is sitting right in front of me."
"Really?" His head jerked in surprise. "Ever?"
"Like forever, ever," she said. Though it was far too soon for words like engagements, rings, weddings, planning a future together, she knew that's where they were headed and there'd be plenty of time to discuss those things later. For now, they'd hit one of the first milestones before any of that could happen. No matter how terrifying, it was exactly what she wanted. She gave him a soft smile. "I love you, Chuck."
Chuck gave her a brilliant smile. "I love you, too," he said and pressed his lips to hers with hunger. Sarah returned his fervor, matching him nip for nip, loving that he took control. This side was not often seen, but often wanted for. When he fisted her hair roughly, she moaned. Needing more, she moved awkwardly, shooting a pain through her back and hips. Bad idea, she thought as she pulled back with a hiss of pain.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
"Oh-" Chuck sprung back. "Oh, Sarah, I-" His hands hovered over her, unsure of where to touch or what to do to make her feel better. "I am so sorry. I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."
Sarah grabbed one of hands, using it to help stabilize her as she lay back down on the bed. "-ts okay, Chuck," she said quietly, stuttering with pain. "Just forgot where I was for a second." She gave him a playful glance. "That has a tendency to happen when I'm around you."
Chuck laughed, turning his hand over to link their fingers. She squeezed tightly while she rode out the pain. He kissed the back of her hand as further apology and brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she took a shakily settling breath. Well, it didn't end the way she'd been hoping, but at least he was happy. She swallowed as she turned her slightly glassy gaze toward him, giving him a small smile to let him know she was doing better.
Chuck wasted no time returning it. "Seriously, though, are you okay? Can I get you something?" he asked, running the backs of his fingers soothingly across her cheek.
"I'm fine, I promise."
"Okay."
They sat in silence, giddy smiles springing to both their faces. She finally said it. He'd known it to be true, but hearing it meant the world to him.
The world seemed right once again.
His hand moved down to her shoulder and he caressed the base of her neck with his thumb. Her skin flushed and her pulse quickened.
"Chuck," she whispered breathlessly. She put her hand over his, stopping his movement. "As appealing as that is, I've gotta tell you, I just couldn't give you my best."
Chuck gave her a bemused look. "That turned you on? Really?"
"Oh, like you don't know that my body is your own personal fiddle. All you have to do is choose your tune."
Chuck laughed. "The only fiddle player here, my dear, is you," he said, purposefully oblivious with a smidgen of mischief. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, holding back from going too far but leaving the promise of more to come.
Sarah whimpered and pulled away. "Oh, no. I know what you're doing."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine." With much effort on his overused muscles, he pushed himself to a sitting position. "You're no fun."
Sarah smiled with a mixture of mirth and sadness at his pain. "Oh, Chuck, why don't you go home and relax a little?"
"Trying to get rid of me?"
Her eyes glittered teasingly. "Well, it's either that or maul you, and, sadly, neither one of us is in a position to do that." She picked an invisible piece of lint off his rumpled shirt and smoothed her hand down his chest until it rested over his heart, feeling it beat steady and reassuring under her fingers. "But no. I just thought you might like to take a hot shower or something. To help loosen up your muscles after pushing yourself so hard last night."
"Oh, I'm fine, just stiff."
"Which is why I suggested going home."
"Well, I don't want to leave you here by yourself."
Sarah bit her lip. "That's so sweet of you," she said unabashedly, "but, if you left you could do me a favor." She waggled her eyebrows enticingly.
An unsure smile curled at his lips. "What's that?"
"Well, I'm in need of clothing to go home in and I was hoping you could bring me one of your t-shirts."
Chuck teased her with a shake of his head. "Face it, Sarah, you just like wearing my clothes. I think you wear my t-shirts more than I do."
"It's probably true," she said, reddening at the thought. Even before they were together, she liked to take his shirts. It was good for the cover after all. "But they smell like you and I like that. It's nice."
Now it was Chuck's turn to blush. "Oh, Sarah, what are we going to do with you?" he asked rhetorically and she laughed.
"Any more requests, or do you just want the shirt?"
..-. .- - .. .-.. -.- - .- - - . .-. … … - - .-.
So that's all for now. Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. Drop me a line if you feel like it =)