A/N: Last chapter retold S3E13, one of the best episodes in the whole show. Here the two lovebirds end in the same situation, in bed, but the general has agreed to their staying in Paris for a couple of days.
This chapter is the retelling of S3E14, "Chuck Versus the Honeymooners."
Thanks to those that left reviews of the last chapter. I do read them all and reply to those that I can.
As usual, thanks to my pre-reader, JohnnyRayChandlett, once again offering great suggestions in this chapter.
Disclaimer: Still not owning Chuck, but happily rewriting some of it.
Prove Yourself
Chapter 20 – Train
As Sarah lay in the bed looking at her lover, rather than the wonderful view of Paris, she can't help thinking this room has their best memories. She knows it is not the room, or even Paris, that is responsible for those wonderful memories, it's Chuck. Where he is, is where I want to be and where I've found love. But this room has housed many of those happy memories.
On their first time here, they had stayed in the room for most of an afternoon, the evening, night and part of the following morning. She had thought then, that she'd had not only the best sex ever, but the most, too.
Her "recovery" this time, had proved that to be wrong. During the twenty-four hours after the call from General Beckman, Sarah had hardly had any sleep or rest, spending as much time as physically possible love making with the best man in the world.
She knows they need to get up today to complete their mission, but she's not sure how she'll make her body function after what they've done in this bed.
He looks so peaceful, lying there asleep facing her. She can't stop herself from running her fingers through his hair. God! I love this man so much!
His eyes start to open. She feels guilty as she must have woken him, but when he fully opens his eyes and looks at her, she knows he is happy to be awake. The way he looks at her, makes her heart swell.
"Morning, Beautiful," he says, smiling at her.
She knows he is not only attracted to her looks, but hearing him say that still makes her smile. "Morning, Handsome," she replies, with her eyes twinkling.
"What time is it?" he asks.
She looks at the clock behind him. "10 AM," she replies.
He groans.
She grins, hearing that. "Have I tired you out, Lover?"
He nods, "You certainly have, Sarah."
She slides over to him, pressing her naked body against his. "Not up to anymore?" she asks in a husky voice.
"I'm up for it," he replies and grabs the back of her head and pulls her lips to his, kissing her with as much passion as earlier that morning.
She hums to herself. He certainly is up for it.
By the evening, after a somewhat frustrating day since leaving the hotel room, Chuck and Sarah are convinced that there is no Ring design facility in Paris or, for that matter, anywhere in France. All their leads have come to nothing.
There had been a Ring base in the city, which they infiltrated in the afternoon.
Sarah had initially thought of contacting the local CIA agents for help, but General Beckman had advised them to contact DGSE, their French equivalent. So, the Ring base was now occupied by French agents of Direction Générale De La Sécurité Extérieure.
Chuck had flashed and was able to speak in fluent French. Sarah had always been able to do so.
She and Chuck had worked flawlessly as a team. She had killed fifteen Ring agents and he tranq'd just as many. Everything they did was perfectly synchronized.
Now they are back in the hotel room with only a night left before the general calls, probably ordering them back to the States.
"I think we need a break, Sarah," Chuck states while they await the room service food they'd ordered.
Sarah had been thinking the same. She replies, "We should ask for some time off."
He smiles. "I know the Orient Express no longer runs, but we could catch a train that runs the route to Zurich. I've always wanted to travel on the Orient Express, but that's close."
That surprises her. "I didn't know you liked travelling by train, Chuck."
He grins, "With a sleeper carriage, we can stay naked in each other's arms until we get to Zurich."
She grins back, "I like how you think, Mr. Bartowski." She gives him a passionate kiss, but then there's a knock on the door with the food they'd ordered.
They break off and he collects the food, bringing it back. She insists they eat unclothed and they do so while their eyes rove over each other's bodies. They don't manage to eat more than half, before they can't wait any longer and tumble into bed for another night of love making.
"General, we have found no evidence of a Ring design facility, at all. We have almost turned Paris upside down. Apart from the Ring base we found, we have been unsuccessful." Sarah takes a deep breath. "We both think the lead was false."
"I concur, Agent Walker." The general looks at Chuck. "I assume you flashed on nothing else?"
Chuck answers, "I flashed on the people in the base and on a number of documents there."
Beckman raises one eyebrow. "And?"
"It talked about a facility in the States, but there was no mention of where." Watching him, Sarah can tell he is disheartened by this.
"Very well," Beckman starts. "There's no point you staying there any longer."
Sarah speaks, once again, "Actually, General, we'd like to take a break after all we've been through over the last few weeks."
Beckman stares for several seconds, then relents. "You have done well up to this point and your failure in Paris is due to false intel. Very well. Take a week, but I want you back in Burbank in eight days, no longer."
Sarah had been holding her breath, but now exhales quietly. "Thank you, General."
When it is just the two of them again. Chuck yells, "Yes!"
Sarah feels exactly the same.
They embrace and do a little celebratory dance, he goofy, she sexy. Then, he picks her up, literally sweeping her off her feet.
She finds that the sheer joy of having seven days just for themselves is almost overwhelming. His exuberance, makes it even better.
She laughs and says, "Zurich here we come."
He laughs too, then whispers in her ear, "I like the sound of that, Sarah."
They forget about trains and other cities for some time, just focusing on each other.
She had travelled on a number of trains, but usually in standard carriages, with many other people. Usually, she would be observing some mark or travelling with one or more other agents. She had never been in a compartment like this. It seemed almost like a honeymoon suite.
They had not left it since arriving. All food consumed had been delivered to them.
She cast her mind back to the first delivery.
= ! =
She opens the door on hearing the knock. The man outside doesn't react to her attire, a sheer nighty, hastily put on. He is probably used to this, or even less, she thinks. "Bon soir, Madame."
Madame? Do I look that old? Or that married?
He continues, "Compartment service. So sorry to bother you..."
She smiles and replies, "Right. I'll take it from here. Thank you."
"But wait." He holds up a carving knife. "Wouldn't you prefer for me to carve?"
Smirking inside, she smiles, takes the knife and tells him, "I'm pretty good with knives." He doesn't need to know I'm referring to those normally strapped to my leg and the only meat carved is that of enemies of my country.
"Ah," he replies. "Will there be anything else?".
Chuck joins Sarah at the door. "Actually. You know what? I think we have everything we need."
"Very good, monsieur."
Sarah gives him a big smile. "Merci."
Chuck adds, "Bon soir." And shuts the door.
Her smile is quickly hidden by Chuck's lips. Thankfully, she manages to drop the carving knife onto the trolley before he presses her up against the door.
He takes her there and all thoughts of carving or eating are forgotten.
= ! =
Now, lying next to Chuck, who is fast asleep, she thinks about the last three days spent in their love nest.
If she had thought the amount of sex they had in that hotel room was a lot, they had surpassed themselves in here. Being totally free again is liberating, allowing them to just revel in their time together. Two people so much in love.
Sarah feels so good in here with this man, that she has started to consider leaving the spy life altogether and disappearing just as she had considered in Prague.
Time with Chuck just consumes all her thoughts, as well as her actions, in that compartment.
She even starts to have thoughts about the intended purpose for their current abode. Honeymoons. When she and Chuck married, they would have a honeymoon, obviously. She wonders where they would go.
Then she realizes she had thought 'when' not 'if' they married.
She settles back and thinks more about this concept.
She had never thought that marriage was for her. Neither her time with her father nor with the CIA had prepared her for such thoughts. In fact, both had led her to think quite the opposite. Her dad emphasizing that love was for losers and the CIA that spies didn't fall in love. Surely love was a prerequisite for marriage. Now, here, she is head over heels in love with Chuck Bartowski, so, why wouldn't marriage with him be a possibility?
Looking at his slumbering form, she imagines spending the rest of her life with him. This isn't a new thought. Both have shared that they want it, but being married somehow would make it so much more real.
If she was married to this wonderful man, she'd want the full works; probably that freedom from the spy life, but also a house in some suburbs with kids, although how many is hard to imagine.
All of this would have terrified her not that long ago. Now she finds she craves it.
However, even though they are now operating a 'no secrets, no lies' policy, she doesn't want to force him, so will keep quiet about all of this. At least, until he gives some indication of thinking about marriage himself.
Chuck throws on his bathrobe and answers the door to spare Sarah from dressing, again. She lies, completely naked, out of sight, listening to the conversation with that same man as every time before. "Good afternoon yet again, monsieur."
Chuck takes the tray from him. "Merci."
Before Chuck kicks the door shut, the man comments, "You do know, we have a full dining car at the rear of the train."
Sarah tries not to giggle, but has to put her hand over her mouth. Chuck replies, "Yes. Uh, we're just... We quite like it in here."
As Chuck leans back against the door he's just closed, she bursts out laughing.
He lifts the tray up and says, "You know we could dine out, Milady."
She just about stops laughing to say, "Gonna wine and dine me?"
He grins. "Uh huh."
She raises an eyebrow. "Think you might get lucky?"
"I hope so," he declares. "I haven't been lucky for at least an hour."
She knows now that he loves her laughter. Hell, she loves laughing, something that she's done more with him than with anyone.
He places the tray on the table and looks back at her naked body.
She leans back and lets him just look at her. This was also something new to her. She's been admired most of her life and has shared her body with some men, but none have ever just loved looking at her, with love in their eyes, not just lust. Chuck loves every part of her and she loves every part of him too.
"To hell with eating," he says as he throws off his bathrobe. "I need to get lucky right now!"
As he moves up her body, she can't disagree with that.
Chuck's cell phone rings. He picks it up and shows the screen to Sarah.
Sarah feels annoyed. "Beckman? She said we could have the week off."
Chuck grumbles, "I guess she wants to check in on us, can't leave us alone."
"I wish they would all leave us alone, Chuck," she admits.
"Maybe we should run," he suggests.
She looks at him sadly. "I would love that Chuck, but like you told me before, you couldn't leave Ellie or our friends."
He doesn't pick up on her saying 'our' friends rather than 'your' friends. She does now think of them that way. His face is serious as he replies, "Why not?"
She tries to stop him saying this. "Chuck..."
He just carries on, undeterred, "Casey's been reinstated, Ellie and Awesome are going to Africa. Everyone else is moving forward with their lives. Sarah, for the first time since I've known you, nothing is holding us back. Going back to Beckman will stop this wonderful life."
She considers that for a second, then talks about Burbank. "We will still be together, Chuck."
He ploughs on, "We should do what I should have done in Prague. We should run."
She places a finger over his lips. "No, Chuck. You were right then, not me. We have to go back, but I love that you think you could give up everything for me. I love you, Chuck Bartowski."
He grabs her. "And I love you, Sarah Walker. God, I want to marry…" He pulls back and then looks horrified at the slip he's made.
For her, that is the best thing he could have said. It makes her very emotional and she grabs his hands in hers. She beams at him. "And I want to marry you, too!"
"Really?"
"Yes, oh yes!" she breathlessly tells him.
He crashes his lips into hers for a very long and passionate kiss which leads to another confirmation of their love for each other.
As they lie, panting, afterwards, she rolls onto her side and pulls him into the facing position.
Confession time.
"I've been thinking about marriage for a while, Chuck. I'm sorry I kept that a secret from you. I just didn't want to make you feel you had to do it, for me."
"I've been thinking about it ever since we got together, Sarah. I've been keeping that secret too. I thought it might scare you off."
"God! We're such a pair!" she declares.
He then says something she knows is true. "But we are so much better together, Sarah."
Before they leave the compartment, Chuck places the false wedding ring on Sarah's ring finger, just as she had on his. He looks at her while doing it. "I can't wait to do this for real, Sarah." She notices a tear starting to form in his eye.
She knows she is the same emotional mess. "Me too, Chuck, but there's a lot we need to do first."
"Like?" he asks, as if they could just marry the next day, here in France.
"Well… I think you might need to tell your sister and she will want us to get engaged before we actually get married."
"To hell with El, I'm not marrying her, I'm marrying you. We can go straight to Vegas when we get home."
Her heart flutters. "You'd do that? A wedding with no one there but us?"
His eyes dim a bit. "No, you're right. I would want people there." He looks up again, "We have to start planning it as soon as we get home."
She feels giddy with his exuberance and desperations to be wed.
She controls herself and then her stomach rumbles. She grins. "We will, Chuck, but let's go and have breakfast for now."
Their usual food provider walks up and places a plate on the table between them. "Well, I see you finally made it out of your compartment, Mr. and Mrs..."
Chuck says, "Charles. Charles Charles is the name. We're on our honeymoon."
Sarah holds her hand up, "Mrs. Charles."
He takes her hand and kisses it. "Enchanté." He waves to them, as he walks away, "Enjoy."
They both respond, "Merci."
Sarah takes a sip of her coffee, feeling happy sitting out here with the others.
"I think I'd like our real honeymoon to be something like this." Chuck says. "What do you think?"
She hadn't had time to think of things like that since they both declared that they wanted to marry. Sitting here with him is wonderful and that compartment had been amazing, but a tropical beach and scuba diving would be great too. "Y'know, I want to just savor this trip for now. We can plan exotic locations for our honeymoon when we get home."
"Exotic locations, eh? Like Galapagos Islands, or, oh yeah, Phang Nga Bay in Thailand, where they filmed the Bond movie 'Tomorrow Never Dies'." He notices the blank look on her face and rambles on, "I know, it was supposed to be in Halong Bay in Vietnam, but they couldn't get permission to film there." He pauses, seeing her shaking her head with an amused smile on her face.
Finally able to say something, Sarah comments, "I haven't seen that Bond movie, Chuck; those movies are so far from the reality I know, that it's not even funny. A guy like Bond would hardly survive a day."
"Oh, yeah. Sure." He looks embarrassed, remembering that spies probably wouldn't want to watch films about spies.
Obviously wanting to move away from that topic, Chuck picks up one of the pastries in front of him. "Man, pastries for breakfast every morning. Europe is genius." He looks at her briefly. "Of course, you're probably used to this stuff, right?"
She shrugs. "Well, I may have a lot of stamps in my passport, but I think this is the first time that I'm actually seeing the place."
She thinks he starts rambling about honeymoon locations again, when he says, "We can go anywhere, be anyone, do anything."
Then she thinks he might just be talking about this trip, so suggests, "Well, we could go skiing in the Alps." She nods her head at a couple dressed for skiing behind him on the other side of the carriage. They both notice the woman drop, and struggle to pick up, a bottle of tablets.
He frowns and shakes his head. "I don't know. Could be painful."
Looking behind her, he nods in that direction and says, "Although, we could also catch a bunch of great concerts. That could be fun."
She turns to see a tall, thin punk rocker looking down at his guitar. He has chains attached to his clothes and even handcuffs attached to a belt loop of his jeans. Strange gear these days. Something about him attracts Sarah, but then she turns back to the man she loves. Another life, maybe?
Looking at Chuck, she realizes he has changed her whole perspective on men; she now finds tall, thin men attractive. However, there is only one man for her now. "You know I just enjoy being with you, Chuck."
He beams at her. "No matter where we go or what we do..." He holds his hands across the table to her.
She clasps them in hers and finishes it for him, "… as long as we're together, right?"
She releases his hands and notices the first of three men about to walk past them hastily hiding a gun in his belt. All happy thoughts vanish in that instant. She picks up the knife from the table. It's not great, but she has nothing else with her. She then recognizes the older man in the group.
She looks behind her as the men sit at the table just behind them on the other side of the carriage.
She turns back to tell Chuck, but sees him looking at them and flashing.
Sarah grips his arm. "Chuck, who did you see?"
His shoulders slump. "Juan Diego Arnaldo, Basque terrorist." He looks at her dejectedly. "Are we ever going to get time off?"
"I recognized him too. And we will someday, when that Intersect becomes too out of date to be useful."
He grips her arm with his other hand. "No. Sarah, you're wrong. That's when Beckman has no more use for me, but as long as this damn thing is in my head, I'll still get flashes on people that are in it."
She hadn't thought this through properly. He's absolutely right. That makes her both mad and so, so sorry for her love. She can't deal with that now, though. "We have to capture him, Chuck."
"I know. How do you want to do it?"
They both are planners, but she normally plans to a fine detail, making sure any possibility is covered. Chuck, on the other hand, can often plan "on his feet" instantly, coming up with brilliant ideas.
"Chuck, I'll go with whatever you come up with," Sarah tells him, giving him complete control of their situation.
Chuck looks surprised for a few seconds, unable to say, or more importantly think of, anything. Then he snaps out of it. "We need to neutralize his bodyguards, then capture him. "
She can't stop the sarcastic note in her voice. "Really?"
He looks at her, annoyed. "Sarcasm? How does that help?"
She blushes. "Sorry, I was expecting you to give me more than just the high-level plan."
He huffs. "We can't plan here. Let's go back to our room for that."
She smirks at him. "Are you talking about the planning or more of what we've been doing in there already?"
He gulps down his coffee. "Planning, after that."
As she stands, he virtually pulls her back to their room, with her giggling all the way.
Sarah is talking to the punk rocker. His t-shirt had Polish words on it, so she'd assumed that's where he came from. Thankfully, Polish is one of the many languages she knows. She is chatting to him to distract him. He has just told her that his name is Tyma and, yes, he is from Poland.
In her best Polish, she asks, "Are you a professional musician or do you just play for fun?"
Tyma has been drinking and slurs his reply, also in Polish, looking rather sad. "Wish I could do what I love best, and get paid for it."
She feels slightly sorry for him, but at the same time, knows how he feels, "Hmm. Me too," she replies, just as Chuck walks up behind Tyma and deliberately bumps into him.
Chuck speaks in English. "Oh, hey. Sorry, man. Ride on the train's a little bumpy. You know, I've even had a couple drinks."
While Tyma turns to Chuck to listen to his monologue, Sarah reaches down and unclips the handcuffs from his jeans. When Chuck moves on, she has her hand holding them behind her back and Chuck quickly pockets them.
Sarah continues to talk to Tyma, as she needs to continue to distract him so that he is oblivious to his loss. She knows that Chuck will next acquire the tablets from the ski woman.
Ten minutes later, Sarah leaves Tyma none the wiser. During their conversation, she could see him almost visibly falling for this beautiful blonde American talking to him. Sorry, Tyma. She places her hand on the arm holding his beer and wishes him success in all his future endeavors.
Back in their compartment, Chuck grins and shows what he has acquired. "Next meal time, Mr. And Mrs. Charles will take out the Basque terrorists."
She grins back. "I actually enjoy playing the dumb blonde," she confesses.
He gives her a flat look. "I'll never see you as dumb, Sarah."
His compliment, as always, makes her feel a million bucks.
She takes the cuffs and tablets from him and then grabs his hand, pulling him to the bed. "Come on, Chuck. Let's celebrate."
He is happy to do so.
Sarah and Chuck get up from the table at which they had been making a lot of noise, laughing and giggling together.
They saunter over to Arnaldo and his two guards. Fortunately, they are the only other people in the restaurant car at this time.
Sarah talks to them with a Texan accent. "I don't suppose you would mind taking a picture of me and my husband? It's our honeymoon."
Chuck, in the same accent, says, "Yes, it is."
Sarah makes as if to hand over her phone for the photo, but knocks over the two bottles of water near the guards. "Oh! Oh, dear. Oh, my God. I am so sorry." She looks at Chuck. "Charlie, baby, look what I did."
Arnaldo says, "It's no problem, my dear. You only honeymoon once, don't let this spoil it."
Chuck tells Sarah, "This man speaks the truth. Hey, but still, apologies nonetheless. We're Mr. and Mrs. Charles." He shakes Arnaldo's hand. "Charlie Charles does not spill a man's drink onto a man's cheese tray and not buy that man another drink. So why don't I just go ahead and get you some freshies and maybe another cheese tray to boot?" He picks up the two bottles and walks to the bar.
Sarah knows he will add the contents of the tablets to two new drinks before returning. She sits in the empty seat opposite Arnaldo. "Oh, isn't he just a sweetheart?"
Chuck returns with two new, full bottles of water. "Here's your fresh beverages for you, gentlemen." After he placed them on the table, Sarah carefully hands her phone to Arnaldo, already primed ready to take a photo. She stands and wraps her arm around Chuck and they beam, as Arnaldo takes the shot. She takes her camera back. "Much obliged."
Chuck looks at the men. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to steal my pretty, little wife back from you, 'cause it's been some time since I whispered sweet nothings in my gal's ear."
Sarah giggles adoringly and waves to them. "Bye."
As she turns away, Chuck finishes with, "Y'all have a good trip, now. Okay."
Sarah notices the two guards pour water into their glasses. Good.
Back in their seats, he kisses her, putting all his love for her into it. As she melts into the kiss, she knows no one will have any doubts about how they feel about each other.
Sarah can hear some shuffling coming from behind her, but ignores it.
They both look up and wave to the three men they had been with a few seconds earlier.
Chuck leans closer to her and comments, "You know, we make a great team, Mrs. Charles."
She grins. " I'm thinking the same thing, Mr. Charles."
They kiss again, long and hard.
In a strong French accent, they hear someone speak to them. "New love?"
They stop kissing and look up at the smiling face of the skier with the limp, who then trips and falls to the floor.
As she gets up to help the woman, Sarah spots the two Basque guards slump onto the table. Arnaldo looks at Chuck and Sarah, obviously realizing the men have been drugged; he stands and calmly, but swiftly, walks in the opposite direction. Shit! Shit! Shit!
By the time the woman is up and in the seat next to them, Arnaldo is gone. They rush to follow him, apologizing to people they brush past as they go. Sarah hopes Arnaldo has gone back to his apartment which is just next door to theirs.
Just before they get there, Sarah sees him enter the compartment, but then the waiter who had been bringing their food pushes a trolley out of an earlier compartment, pushing it right between Sarah, who is in the lead, and Chuck. He is still talking to the occupants and doesn't realize what he has done.
Sarah hasn't realized it either and, when she gets to Arnaldo's apartment, turns to tell Chuck she'll easily be able to take Arnaldo. Seeing Chuck stuck, she grips the handcuffs she plans to use and kicks the door in. As she enters, Arnaldo kicks her back. The handcuffs get stuck, half in, half out, wedging the door shut. Sarah has to let go of them to be able to fend off the attack.
Arnaldo is a surprisingly good fighter for a man of his age, holding her at bay for a couple of minutes before she kicks him into the bathroom. One of his kicks had winded her, so she decides to shoot him twice with Chuck's tranq gun that he'd loaned her. She slams the bathroom door shut.
She hears Chuck call to her, "Sarah, the door is stuck. I can't get it to open."
She turns to the main door and tells him, "I think I can get it."
When she manages to open it, Chuck dives in, pushing her backwards and onto the bed. He lands on top of her with her legs in the air either side of his body. In spite of the pain from where she had been kicked, she can't help grinning. "Anywhere and everywhere?"
He grins back and kisses her hard. The trains stops and the room jolts, which makes Sarah smirk through the kiss, but before she can make any lewd remark, the bathroom door burst open and Arnaldo runs out of the room. He must have been wearing some protection for the darts not to have worked.
They manage to catch up with him on the platform and Sarah pushes him up against one of the posts there. Just before she cuffs him, he says, "If you're going to kill me, just do it."
Both Chuck and Sarah are surprised by this. She replies, "We're not going to kill you."
Without thinking, Chuck replies, "We work for the US government."
Sarah glares at him, but Arnaldo replies, "Then why did you take out the Interpol agents on the train?"
Chuck splutters, "Wait. What? Excuse me? Those weren't your men?"
Sarah is equally surprised. "Interpol already apprehended you?"
Arnaldo, now turned around and facing them, replies, "No, Interpol was taking me to a witness protection program in exchange for the names of several key ETA leaders."
Chuck, still having trouble taking this in. "You turned yourself in?"
Sarah is starting to feel sick. They'd screwed up. Big time.
Arnaldo tells them, "I have been living on the run for the last two years of my life. I couldn't take it anymore."
A dark-haired woman, who had just gotten off the train further up, is eying them with suspicion and reaching for her phone, so Sarah takes control, to get them all out of here. She holds Arnaldo's elbow and guides him out of the station and into the town looking for a café to hide in while talking.
Chuck tells her he will call Beckman, but she persuades him to play it through the speaker.
After Chuck explains the situation, Beckman looks at the two of them. "What were you thinking? You apprehended Juan Diego Arnaldo without contacting me first?"
Chuck answers before Sarah can. "Well, yes, General."
She shakes her head. "I think your time in Europe is over. I'll arrange for Arnaldo to be picked up by a different Interpol team." She pauses, then adds, sarcastically, "Try not to physically assault them."
Chuck can't seem to know when to stop. "General, just so you know, we didn't hit them or assault them in any way. There was no physical altercation. We just dosed them with pharmaceutical-grade narcotics."
The general glares at him. "All you need to do is keep Arnaldo alive until the local team arrives. Think you can handle that?"
Sarah replies quickly this time, largely to stop Chuck saying anymore. "Yes, General."
Beckman continues, "Once Arnaldo is placed safely in Interpol custody, you are to return to Burbank immediately. Your break has broken enough over there."
Sarah looks as apologetic as she can. "We're so sorry, General. We thought we were doing good and capturing a terrorist."
Beckman's face softens slightly. "Well, at least none of our European counterparts were hurt."
When the call ends, Sarah looks at Chuck. "Well, the seven days were nearly up anyway, Chuck. Back to the grindstone."
He smiles at her. "Well, we get to hang around here for a bit. Sample the local fair."
She grins. "Is it all about your stomach?"
He gives her an affronted look.
Arnaldo has been listening to them and smiles indulgently. "You did mess up, but thank you for not killing the men that I was with. They were good men."
They both look embarrassed.
When coffees are brought to the table, they relax.
Chuck is looking more and more excited. "We can tell everyone our news when we get back there."
She loves that he is so excited. She is too, at the prospect of marrying him, but can't resist teasing, "Maybe you could get me an engagement ring then, too."
Arnaldo then chips in. "So, you're not already married?"
Sarah smiles. "Not yet, but we will be as soon as we can."
The Spaniard nods. "You look so much in love. Definitely ready for that step."
She beams at him. Everyone can see it. Good job we aren't trying to hide it!
Beckman's demand, that they go straight back to Burbank, has started to spoil all of Sarah's thoughts. While Chuck visits the restroom, Arnaldo comments, "You look upset."
She doesn't know why she starts talking to this complete stranger, but she does. "We've been on a break from our work, enjoying our time here in Europe. Together. I don't want this to end, but now it is going to."
"Work gets in the way?" he asks.
She sighs. "Yes, it does. We have thought of running away from it all, just being together all the time. Maybe we should."
She looks up at Chuck walking back to them. As he sits, she gets up and heads to the restroom herself.
She can't stop thinking what life would be like if they weren't in this line of work. That is something for the future, not now. Being hunted, as they would be, now feels too horrible to think about. The whole point of it before was to save Chuck from becoming a spy, a killer, but that is off the table now. So, there was no reason to run any longer.
Once she has washed her hands, she looks in the mirror. Even though the conversation with Beckman was a bit of a downer, she sees a woman glowing, with no real worry lines at all. The woman facing her is predominantly happy, something she has never been until finally connecting with Chuck Bartowski.
For once, she actually likes what she sees. Not a cold-hearted assassin. Not a merciless agent willing to do anything to achieve her mission. Not a painted doll dressed to lure an enemy to her lair, waiting to seize whatever her government wants. What she sees is a young woman, totally in love with the man sitting outside with the Spaniard. A woman ready for the next step in her relationship with that man. Even a couple of months ago, she couldn't have imagined this, but now she has fallen in love and that next step will happen, probably within the next six months.
She knows that the woman she is facing is one of the luckiest women on Earth.
She has to stop thinking about this and get out there to be with Chuck, so she turns and opens the door to head back to the table. She hears Chuck telling Arnaldo the same story about running away. She holds back listening.
"… but we can't do that really. We'd never be totally free. Always on the run, but being with Sarah completely free of this life would be so, so good."
She can't help agreeing with that sentiment. She decides to actually make it happen, as they both want it. First, they'll need a car, to make a quick getaway as soon as the Interpol agents collect Arnaldo.
She slips out the back of the café and scouts around for possible cars. The agents should already have arrived, so their time is near.
She is just walking to a possible vehicle when one of the Interpol agents from the train stands in front of her, pointing his gun to her face. She hears a voice behind her and looks back to see the other one, the bald one, also with a gun. He says, "Sorry to cut the daydreaming short, but what the hell have you done with Juan Diego Arnaldo?"
She raises her hands. "This is a giant misunderstanding. We're on the same side."
He snaps, "Enough. You drugged us."
"Interpol sent an additional team to retrieve Arnaldo." He pauses to handcuff one of her wrists. "They were just found dead, ten minutes outside of Pundtun."
That send a jolt of fear through her whole body. "Oh, my God … Chuck." She looks at them. "Arnaldo and my boyfriend are in really big trouble. You have to set me free."
"We don't believe you. Our friends are dead, and you're going to tell us why." He turns to his partner. "Call it in."
She knows she can't wait for this, so she gages the distance. Perfect. She leaps up and splits her legs, kicking each of the men in the face.
As she lands, she sees them both lying on the ground. She finds the keys to the handcuffs and unlocks them. She also grabs the man's gun.
She needs to distract the separatists when she arrives at the café and spots the perfect thing.
She rides on the scooter until she gets near the café. She stops and sees Chuck tied to a chair. Arnaldo is just straightening up having been punched in the stomach by the woman she'd seen at the station. Behind them she sees six men, one with a gun. She checks the knife she's holding. Should be enough to free Chuck at least. Then they'd have a chance.
She drives the scooter straight at the café, jumping off while lifting the front at the last moment. The scooter hits the window not far from where Chuck is sitting.
She jumps through and dives for Chuck's position, slashing through the ropes. When she lands, he has finished flashing and jumps up. She shoots the man carrying the gun and Chuck starts kicking.
One of the men kicks the gun out of her hand and so it's down to hand-to-hand fighting. At one point, Chuck grabs her arms and swings her around with her legs stretched out. Two men are hit with her feet.
Four of the men are down completely and two are starting to rise. Sarah looks behind her, seeing the woman raising a gun. Sarah kicks the gun out of her hands, in the same way the man had done to her. Two more kicks and the woman is down. Sarah turns to see that Chuck has taken out the last two men.
They both turn to Arnaldo. He holds out his tied wrists, while saying, "Well done. You work very well as a team."
Once Sarah has removed the ropes, Arnaldo stands back. "May I just say... I've been on the run for two years, and no matter how far you run, you can never run from yourself. And from what I've heard from both of you, it's not what either of you really wants."
She turns to Chuck. He looks at her. "I don't Sarah. We can have everything without being on the run."
She feels so embarrassed that she had started preparing to do just that. Again. "You're right, Chuck."
He grins at her, which washes all those negative thoughts away. She knows exactly what to say next. "Chuck Bartowski, do you agree to not quit the spy life, and be with me?"
He solemnly nods, "I do." He then asks, "Sarah Walker, do you agree to not quit the spy life, and be with me?"
She can't stop smiling. "I do."
He wraps his arms around her neck and they kiss each other, with Arnaldo clapping behind them.
"Because of your efforts, a group of Basque terrorists were captured and Juan Diego Arnaldo is safely with Interpol sharing all his secrets." Beckman's glare doesn't match her words. "However, you were reckless and it could have blown up in our faces. I'm not happy about that, but, as usual with this team, the crazy stunts bear fruit."
She looks at them. "Anything else you want to share?"
Chuck opens his mouth to speak, but Sarah gets there first, "We're going to get married."
The raised brow tells them Beckman's feelings before she says, "Seems a bit quick, don't you think?"
Chuck is the one to answer this time. "General, we've been in love with each other since we first met, but only had the chance to be together since I stopped being an asset. We are both ready."
"I don't see a ring," she comments.
Sarah smiles, first at Chuck and then at the general. "They're adjusting the ring and will send it over, once it's my size."
Beckman frowns. "Sending it over?"
Sarah is happy to tell her. "From our last stop in Switzerland before we flew back." She looks lovingly at Chuck. "When it arrives, I'm looking forward to wearing and showing it off."
She and Chuck had discussed this. On missions, it wouldn't always be wise to wear an expensive engagement ring. Not that she would be trying to look single, though; no more seduction missions. However, she knows once it is on that finger, she won't want to remove it, so, when needed, she would twizzle it around so the stones would no longer be on show.
The general just gazes at them for a few seconds, before she says, "Congratulations." She ends the call.
Chuck is just about to kiss Sarah, when he glances over her shoulder towards the monitors. He gasps. "Oh, my God, I forgot that Ellie was leaving."
He rushes out and Sarah turns to see the image of the Woodcombs' apartment door. She swiftly follows him.
Ellie and Devon's apartment is in darkness when they arrive. Chuck still has a key, so unlocks the door and they walk in, with him calling out, "Ellie, Devon?"
No reply. They both spot a DVD on the table and he loads it in the player.
Ellie appears on the screen, looking worse for wear. "I've never asked Chuck for anything. I just wanted the chance to say good-bye. And he couldn't even give me that." Chuck puts his head in his hands and Sarah can't think what to say, so just rubs his shoulder.
"Chuck?" They both turn to see Ellie holding her phone in one hand with a coat over the other arm.
Sarah steps back not wanting to interfere with this sibling moment.
Chuck gets up and starts walking towards his sister. "Ellie."
She starts rambling. "I forgot my phone. I think I still might be a little drunk."
He says, "I'm so sorry, El. I wanted to be here."
She waves him off. "Chuck, it's fine. You missed one party." She looks up at him. "Truth is, I think I got so drunk because I was upset with myself. I'm leaving my little brother." There are tears forming in her eyes.
Sarah watches as he holds his sister's arms. "I'm not so little anymore."
Ellie hugs him and he sees Sarah hanging back. He waves her over. He pulls away from the hug. "El, we have some news."
Ellie perks up, and looks swiftly at Sarah; well, her left hand to be more precise. She looks a little disappointed at what she sees, or rather doesn't see. "What?"
Sarah beams at her. "Yes, we are engaged, but just don't have the ring yet."
The neighbors probably thought they've heard the last of these squeals for a few months. This one was probably the loudest.
Enveloped in a tight Ellie hug, the couple just revel in it. So, so glad we got back in time.
Back in their own apartment and lying-in bed together, Sarah looks at the man she loves. "You know, you didn't actually propose and, as people keep pointing out, you didn't put a ring on my finger, either."
He doesn't look phased by this. "So, I'll have to wine and dine you, with a band singing to you-"
She stops him with a finger over his mouth. "Don't do that. I associate such things with my dad's nightmare proposal to my mom."
He looks surprised. "Really?"
She hasn't thought about this for a long time, but dredges up the stories that her dad had told her. "It was bad. My mother's family had a restaurant and they loved it. So, my dad wanted to propose there. He had the champagne and the flowers... and the band and the balloons." She could see Chuck counting off things he thought he'd need.
She definitely wants to steer him away from all of that. "It was so over-the-top!" That makes him blink. "In all the confusion, somebody knocked over a candle... and it lit the rug on fire. Luckily, my mother and her family got out with only minor burns."
He gulps, "Minor burns?"
She nods, "Yeah."
He shakes his head. "Um, that's an awful story. Really, really awful. I'm sure they had a great laugh about it on their wedding day, right?"
She squashes that thought. "No. They took it as a sign and they postponed the wedding. My dad always said it was the beginning of the end of their relationship."
He looks crestfallen.
She locks eyes with him. "So, none of that, please? I don't want to have negative thoughts hanging over our relationship, Chuck."
He frowns, "So, I'll have to do it some other way?"
"Chuck, I just want us to be engaged and then married. I don't need or want any flashy proposal." She puts her arms around his neck. "I just need you, my love."
She kisses him tenderly, just loving the feel of his lips and his body pressed against hers.
Heaven. Forever and ever.
A/N: So, that was an alternative take on S3E14, Hope you liked it.
Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter in a review.