They found an impromptu command post set up in St. Lo. Casey was briefing the commanding officer.
"We took out six 88s," he showed on the map Chuck and Sarah had marked up. "Captain Bartowski and Agent Walker found them," he motioned to Chuck and Sarah.
"Good job," the Colonel nodded approvingly. "How many Germans are left there?"
"Unknown, not many. I'd say we killed around thirty."
"Very well. Casey, report back to your company. They're forming on the west side of town. Captain," he looked to Chuck, "the Rangers have landed at Omaha."
Chuck wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He'd been sent to France ahead of the invasion, but now that it had begun in earnest, was he supposed to go back to his old unit? Did he even want to? He'd just met Sarah and their connection was undeniable, even to those who didn't know them. If he left now, he'd be risking losing her. There was no telling what was going to happen in the future. This was war, the worst the world had ever seen.
Sarah looked at the warring emotions on Chuck face, experiencing the same herself. She had the training to school her face, however. She couldn't just come out and tell him not to go, no matter how much she wanted to.
"I need to get further orders," Chuck finally spoke. "Do you have a radio connected to England?"
Chuck was led to a radio and it took the technician a few minutes to find the correct frequency. He spoke with a general he'd never met, but was assured he was speaking on behalf of Ike. Chuck reported his status and received his orders.
While Chuck was on the radio, Bryce approached Sarah.
"Sarah," he was suddenly standing far too close for her liking.
"What, Bryce?" She didn't even attempt to mask her annoyance.
"Come be my partner again," he tried. "Chuck's just a soldier. But we were amazing together. I know we'll be even better now."
"No," she shook her head, the mere thought of being his partner again making her stomach lurch. "I don't regret what we did, Bryce. We were good spies."
"So you agree," he declared almost triumphantly.
"No," she repeated more forcefully. "Even if Chuck wasn't in the picture, my answer would still be no."
"He'll probably get ordered to go back to the Rangers," Bryce attempted.
"I don't care," she answered immediately. "I don't care if he gets sent to the fucking Pacific to fight the Japs on a tiny fucking coral island, Bryce. I'll wait for him. I'll wait forever for him."
While Bryce tried to comprehend what she was saying, Chuck reappeared.
"Sarah," Chuck quietly said when he returned. "We need to talk."
She followed him outside, nervous from the tone of his voice. She found herself believing that this conversation, right now, was going to have more impact on her life than any before. They sat down on the edge of a fountain, and Chuck took her hand in his after glancing around to gauge their privacy.
"I got my new orders," he began, his voice even but laced with emotion only she could pick up.
"Are you – are you going back to the Rangers?" Sarah carefully asked.
Chuck sighed and ran his free hand through his hair.
"I probably should," he admitted, not realizing how she'd interpret it.
"Okay," she surprised herself by saying. "I understand. I don't like it, but I get it."
"I'm not going back to the Rangers," he finally almost whispered. Sarah's heart was caught in her throat.
"Then what are you going to do?"
"Ike was impressed by our work together, Sarah. He didn't care that our original mission got fucked. He told me we did a great job improvising and helping take out those guns."
"Okay...," she prompted when he fell silent momentarily.
"I requested a transfer," he suddenly declared. "To OSS."
Now, Sarah felt like she couldn't breath. Chuck wasn't looking at her, so she gently reached out and cupped his cheek with her palm, turning him towards her so she could look him in the eye.
"They granted it," he continued.
"What all does this mean?" Sarah asked.
"It means that we're partners, Sarah," he explained. "Indefinitely."
"You – you – you got them to make us partners?" She was amazed.
"Yeah," he shrugged like it was no big deal. "We work really well together, and the brass can see that. I've done my time on the front lines, in the foxholes."
"Is that the only reason you wanted a transfer?" She spoke carefully, knowing his answer could make or break her.
"No," he shook his head vehemently.
She simply lifted one eyebrow.
"It's you," he admitted.
The answer made her happy, even though she knew it was coming. But as she looked at Chuck, she could see something still bothered him.
"Chuck."
"Yeah?"
"What is it?"
"What do you mean?"
She struggled to not let out a sigh.
"What's wrong, Chuck?"
He actually let out a sigh.
"I didn't have a chance to ask you if you wanted to stay partners," he let out quickly.
Sarah laughed, perplexing Chuck. She just resolved to kiss the look off his face.
"You know, for a Ranger, you're pretty stupid sometimes," she whispered against his lips. That got the slight grin she was looking for. "If I didn't love you as much as I do, I'd probably be pretty angry with you."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," she shushed him, sitting back. "I was honestly terrified you were going to back to the Army."
"Sarah, I-"
"I wasn't finished," she interrupted back. He shut his mouth. "I hoped you'd want to come back to me. I was scared you'd get ordered not to."
"Lucky for us, we make a pretty good team," he smiled. "And I'll always come back to you."
"I love you, Chuck. I know this is crazy and we're in the middle of a war, but I've never been happier."
"I love you." He decided simple was best, and used her move by just kissing her.
"Chuck," she whispered after their lips parted, much to her chagrin. "There's something else we need to talk about."
It only took him a moment.
"Bryce."
"Yeah," she nodded.
"You guys must have made a good team." His tone was downcast, almost depressed. Sarah, for only a moment, wondered how his emotions could switch at the drop of a dime. That thought was quickly replaced, however, by an almost innate urge to wipe the look off his face. She had to tell him the truth.
"We did," she admitted. "I was fresh from training when we were assigned as partners. I didn't always look like this, Chuck. The OSS changed me. Made me into their version of a perfect woman. When I met Bryce, he took advantage of me. Of my lack of confidence in myself."
"I see." He was still quiet. She resolved to forge on.
"Yes, we were together, for a little while," she rushed out, feeling a weight lifting from her heart. "But it wasn't real. It was just an escape, a diversion."
The words spilled out of her mouth before she realized how they could easily be interpreted – that their relationship was the same – a diversion, a distraction.
"I thought that was all I'd ever have," she continued. "Until I met you."
"What do you mean, Sarah?"
"Chuck, I know I'm not the best at this, so I'm just going to try to explain it the best I can." The soft look on his face gave her the courage she needed. "I knew within seconds of meeting you that you were different. Different from any man I've ever met or ever will. The first time we kissed, for real, it felt like fireworks were going off in my body. My lips tingled for hours. The first time we made love..." She paused, reminiscing, a grin sliding across her face. "Sorry. The first time we made love, Chuck, was when I was absolutely, one hundred percent sure."
"Sure about what?" He asked carefully.
"You. Us. I was sure I was in love with you, that I'm always going to be in love with you, and that you felt the same. Was I correct?"
He just nodded.
"I want you to know I went into this with my eyes open, Chuck." The honesty in her voice could not be mistaken. "You see right through me, you always have, and yet you still love me. All of me. That feeling, well, it's pretty indescribable."
"I know what you mean," he opined. At her questioning look, he went on. "It's my turn to be honest. When Bryce showed up, and it was obvious you two knew each other, I was jealous. Besides, Bryce always got the best girls. But it only took me about a second to get those stupid thoughts out of my head."
"How?"
"You," he shrugged like it was obvious. "You're right, I see you Sarah. All of you. And I know that when you tell me you love me, you mean it."
"What did Bryce do to you?" She had correctly figured out there was more to the story than he was telling.
"I had a girlfriend in college," he began slowly. "Jill. I met her freshman year. One day, during junior year, I finished a test early and headed back to my room. I found Jill – in Bryce's bed."
"That motherfucker," Sarah muttered under her breath, steaming mad. "I'm going to kill that piece of shit."
"Calm down, Sarah," Chuck couldn't help but smile. She was angrier than he'd ever seen her, and it was all for him. "Yes, it hurt. A lot. Two people I considered very close to me betrayed me in the worst way. But now, looking back on it, I'm glad it happened."
"Why would you ever be glad that happened?" She asked incredulously.
"Because it led me to you," his simple reply came. "If everything I've gone through, everything I've done, led me to you, I'd do it all again a million times over."
She was honestly at a loss for words. This conversation, the two of them sitting in the middle of D-Day, amidst a war zone, was quite possibly the greatest of her life. So, she resorted to a tactic she knew would show Chuck what she was feeling. She kissed him. She kissed him with all the love she could muster, with her entire heart, trying as hard as she could to show him she felt exactly how he did, probably even more so.
"So what's our mission, Agent Bartowski?" She grinned.
"We're going to Paris, Agent Walker," he grinned back.
"Oh, is the OSS sending us on leave?" She joked.
"Yeah, to a city crawling with Nazis. So romantic."
"I don't know Chuck," she shrugged. "I think us having sex on top of the Eiffel Tower would be pretty romantic."
"Sarah!" He gasped.
"Chuck, I'm not going to make you have sex with me on top of the Eiffel Tower," she deadpanned. "That is, unless you're in, under which circumstances I would be ready, willing, and eager."
She was just teasing him, but it was so much fun. They needed a little levity after the events of the past few days. They'd both been so close to death so many times, right in front of one another. They were just discovering each other, and trying to manage to fall in love, and yet both of their lives were constantly in danger.
"So what are we actually doing in Paris?" She decided to let him off the hook.
"Recon, mostly," he answered. "If we don't take Paris, we don't take France."
Sarah just nodded.
"We need to get food, water, ammo," he started listing.
"We should move after dark," Sarah suggested.
"You're right," Chuck agreed. "There will still be fighting, but we have a much better shot."
"So what are we going to do until then?" Sarah dramatically looked at her watch.
"Well, we can start by getting a map of Paris, deciding where to-"
He was suddenly silenced by her index finger pressed over his lips, a smile on her face.
"Chuck?"
"Mmm?"
"Shut up and kiss me."
A/N: After all the action in the last few chapters, I decided the two of them needed to hash some stuff out. They would need time to decompress after the battle they just fought in, and I figured it would be a good time for them to explore what is happening between them a little more.
