I do not own Chuck

Chapter 1: Decisions

London, early-November 2014

"Oww!" Sarah grimaced as Chuck's clenched fist banged on the floor as she forced his left leg further up into the stretch. She hated this part of the exercise as much as her husband. The CIA's one-time wildcard enforcer absolutely hated to cause pain to the love of her life. But she gritted her teeth and pushed through it because what they were doing was working. Chuck was regaining the strength and movement in his injured limbs and his recovery was ahead of schedule.

"Thanks honey," her fiancé groaned. Even now, in a huge amount of pain himself, he was reaching out to her, to try and reassure her.

She decided to return the compliment. "You're doing really well Chuck," she encouraged him, "Just a little further, and then we'll do the other leg."

"Urrgh," he groaned, whether in renewed pain or the anticipation of doing the other leg, she didn't know.

"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty," she counted off the watch, gently lowering his leg back to the ground. "I'm so proud of you," she told him, struggling to hold the tears in. Because she was. For what he'd done that had caused him to suffer these injuries, and also how he'd handled his recovery. She knew from experience, some of it recent, that injury recovery was no fun. She enjoyed being fit, and she knew he did too, but recovery from injury – particularly as severe as what he'd suffered – to get back to the levels demanded of elite operatives was damn difficult. He was working so hard on this, and also fitting it around their day jobs as well.

She smiled sadly at him as she picked up his other leg. "Ready?"

He grimaced at her, the sweat pouring down his face from their recent gym session and physio work. "No, but why don't you start anyway?" He took a deep breath.

She started pushing his leg up, moving her body under it so that he was fully supported.

"Hey, here's an idea," he hissed. "We've got a venue and set a date. Did you decide who you're gonna have as your bridesmaids?"

He was right; it was more fun to think about their wedding than about what sort of pain he was in.

"I'm pretty sure on the bridesmaids, but I don't know about the Maid of Honor," she confessed.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked, before hissing as she raised his leg to the required angle.

"Well, I'm certain on Ellie, Zondra and Carina," she replied, "but I don't know about Juliette. How many Groomsmen are you having?"

"Well," he hissed again, catching his breath as she took his leg down, "It's a difficult one for me as well. I've gotta have Matt and John, although he'll hate it!" They both grinned as they were sure their partner genuinely would hate it. "I really think Morgan's got to be there. Even though we aren't so close any more, he was always there for me for 20 years. And I guess Devon and Cole are hovering around. Devon was amazing after you left Burbank, and he really helped me to get ready for the Air Force. And you know he's supported me for years. Cole's a lot more recent, but he's been a great friend since we got here, and I really like him."

"So, five?" she asked. She didn't know how she'd get to five. She didn't have five close friends. She was struggling even to get to four.

Her worry must have shown on her face, because he reached over to hold her hand. "It doesn't have to be," he reassured her. "I know you've only got a few close friends. You mentioned Juliette?"

"Yeah," she replied, squeezing his hand and laying it aside. She met his eyes and he nodded that he was ready, and she raised his leg again. She hated the pain she caused when she was stretching him out but talking was definitely helping and seemed to be helping him as well. "We worked together a few times after I left Burbank, and of course she's been on the task force for the past year."

"You two did seem close when we were in France," he observed.

"I guess we are," Sarah confirmed. "I've always liked her. And it looks like her and John are really gonna give it a go."

"He's definitely serious about her," Chuck gasped out as she pushed his leg a bit further up.

"So, if I asked her, that would be four," she mused. "Could you do four?"

"Yeah, I think so," he managed to get out. "I think it has to be Devon. He was there for me all those years after Stanford when he and Ellie gave me a place to stay. Then, as I said, afterwards…" he trailed off but gasped as she started to lower the leg. "Yeah, Devon it is." He smiled up at her. "Is that it?" he asked hopefully.

"No it isn't mister!" she told him pithily, "As you well know!"

"A man can hope," he grinned, "After all, I'm looking forward to the warm down!"

She was looking forward to the shower as well and she returned the grin. "Just one more set."

"You're a harsh task mistress," he teased.

"And don't you know it!"

"So that doesn't help with who you're gonna have as your Maid of Honor?" he offered as she pushed his leg up again.

And it didn't. She took a deep breath. It still didn't come naturally for her to talk about her past history, but she was improving. "Carina, you know. She's nuts, but she's been a good friend to me for years. Zondra. I was closest to her in the CATS but then I didn't trust her. We're speaking now a couple of times a month and it's better. And Ellie? Well, she's Ellie." She shrugged. They both knew what Ellie brought to the party.

"So here's a question," he gasped out. "If we were in a really tight spot, regardless of secrecy, who would you call?"

She didn't even really have to think about it. "Carina," she replied, letting his leg down.

He exhaled a breath. "Well, there's your answer honey," he replied, and then sotto voce. "God help us all!"

She understood that point of view. After all, Chuck's interactions with Carina hadn't been the best and he'd not seen the side of Carina that her friend kept buried. The highly intelligent, caring side. Very few people had ever seen that side of her.

"OK," she stated, raising her eyebrows interrogatively and receiving a nod in return as she raised his leg for the final time. "What about the Best Man?"

"It's gonna be Matt," he told her, voice taut with pain. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for him," he took a deep breath. "I mean I know I'd be dead if it wasn't for you and Casey as well, it's just that he had my back in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's kinda difficult to describe, but it's different in a war zone."

She hadn't asked him about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. He didn't volunteer information too often. Sometimes when he had dreams which woke them at night, he would talk about specific instances. If something was on the news, he might get a faraway expression. It was so far away from the Chuck Bartowski she had known. But she understood. While she'd avoided major warfare in her career there were lots of things she didn't want to talk about as well. She would tell him if he asked, and she'd learnt to talk if she needed it, but she wouldn't pry. When he wanted to talk he would. Some memories, she'd found, were better left as memories.

"I understand," she told him, and she did. "So we're set. How do you want to handle it?"

"Do you know where Carina is?" he asked, "Cos I'd like to ask Matt in person."

"She's actually gonna be in DC in a couple of weeks," Sarah replied, gently lowering Chuck's leg.

"Urrggh," her husband groaned. "Looks like we should head home for a long weekend." He lay back for a few seconds, fully relaxing. Then he picked himself up and gave her a devilish grin. "Ready for a shower, Agent Walker?" he asked.

She pulled her sports bra off and threw it at him. "Race you!"

A/N So this fic is three chapters, just to manage expectations. And it gets fluffier. If you like action you shouldn't read the rest of it because there should be a diabetes warning associated with it! Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter.

Chronologically this is episode 9 in the Green Feet series but I'm posting it before 7 and 8 because it's finished now.