A/N: I rewatched "Chuck versus The Mask" recently. One scene was particularly hard to watch, where Sarah stopped Chuck to talk, after he'd heard he wouldn't have his support team for much longer. I found Sarah and Chuck talking about Hannah and Daniel, and then saying goodbye to each other, really upsetting.
Kindly beta'd by Capt LiL. Thanks, my friend.
So, here's how I would have liked that to play out. The Charah version…
Unmasked
Chuck was still trying to move on from Sarah Walker. She haunted his dreams, and seeing her each day made it worse. However, he'd thought that being with Hannah would make the break possible.
If he was honest with himself, he was just doing what he'd done two years earlier. He'd seen a girl he liked, who had none of this spy baggage, and obviously liked him, and he'd accepted that that was the way to achieve have a true relationship with no complications.
Having Hannah kiss him at the museum made her intentions very clear. She wanted him and was wanting to make him forget his ex, as he had called Sarah.
However, seeing Sarah being held and caressed by Daniel Shaw when they arrived at the museum, while she was recovering from the poisoning, had made him realize that letting go of his feelings for Sarah Walker was not easy. However, he tried to pay no attention and cuddled Hannah in the same way. This was his chance at a real relationship. It really was. He just had to keep telling himself that.
Maybe Daniel was right for Sarah. Maybe. No, much to his regret, Chuck knew Daniel Shaw was perfect for Sarah Walker, and he had to keep repeating that, as well.
When the team reconvened in Castle, Chuck was in for a revelation.
The four of them stood around the central table. Daniel and Sarah at one end, Chuck and Casey at the other. This felt significant to Chuck and it was. Sarah wasn't happy about it, but Daniel had wanted the two of them to deliver the message as a united CIA team. The message was all Daniel's, but she couldn't fault his logic.
"Nice work, everyone," Daniel said. Then he looked specifically at Chuck. "And you... I owe you one, Bartowski."
As always, Chuck was not comfortable receiving praise, but this time, he was going to make a point. He replied, "Oh, come on. Just 'cause I saved your life... Twice." He shrugged. "Don't mention it."
Shaw ignored the barbed comment. "It wasn't just my life." He looked at the woman standing next to him.
Sarah knew that was right, but didn't like the way Daniel looked at her, almost as if he possessed her.
Chuck also disliked that look, but the words were true. He had saved Sarah. In fact, it was saving her that had driven his actions. Shaw being saved was just a by-product.
Casey could see the way Shaw looked at Sarah. He felt the tension rise, as he stood next to Bartowski, so he tried to deflect attention away. "Yeah. You also helped secure a rogue chemical weapon."
Chuck wanted to move on from this topic. "Guys. Look, I appreciate a ticker tape parade just like the next guy, but, come on, I got a great team."
Daniel nodded, "And that brings us to our next point of business." He looked at Sarah again, but this time for her to speak.
Sarah tried to look unconcerned as she said, "Well, uh, Chuck, you're not going to have us forever. The Intersect was originally designed so that agents could work autonomously."
Chuck didn't like the sound of this. He also knew Sarah well enough to see she wasn't comfortable with it either.
Shaw, however, was relishing this. "We're your training wheels. And your performance tells me that it's about time for us to come off."
"Hope you're ready for your big boy bike, Bartowski," Casey muttered as he walked behind Chuck.
Sarah was trying not to show any emotion. She schooled her features as she always used to, but it was hard. She always felt emotional around Chuck and this plan was certainly not her idea, nor was she happy with it.
Chuck looked over at Sarah. He couldn't tell if she agreed with Shaw or not. Her face was that neutral mask of hers.
Chuck was stunned. The team were going to abandon him. More significantly, Sarah would be leaving. He had to get out and clear his head. He was walking down the corridor to get out, when he heard someone behind him, and turned to see who.
Sarah was leaning against the door frame. "Uh, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
He wasn't but tried not to let that show. "Yeah. I mean, I guess I've gotten used to us being a team, you know."
"Well, we're not going anywhere yet." She smiled. That thought was the only thing helping her keep it together. "But Shaw's right. At some point I'm just going to be standing in your way." She then added, "And not just professionally."
Sarah felt this was true. She had to let go completely, to allow him to move on, even though she didn't want it. He did still look at her occasionally, making her feel there might be hope, but now he was with Hannah, a woman that did seem right for him.
"Right," he replied. He didn't really understand what she meant by that, but this felt like a 'goodbye' conversation. He tried to push her for a reaction. "Are you sure you're okay with the whole Hannah thing?"
Sarah really wasn't but tried to act like she was. She forced a bright smile onto her face. "Oh, I should've have given you a hard time. She's great and..."
He didn't let her finish as he'd started to think about what had happened again. "How do you think I feel about you and Shaw? I mean, you two are perfect together. It's disgusting."
She hated hearing him say that. "Oh."
He didn't want it to sound bitter as it had. "In... in... in a heartwarming kind of way." Sarah looked uncomfortable and he sighed before continuing, "Look, all I know is the guy carried you out of Castle on his back while you were both dying. So, if I have to see you with someone else it might as well be a hero, right?"
A phrase Carina had used on her spilled out, "What can I say? I have a type."
They looked at each other in silence for a while.
Chuck was wishing this wasn't happening, but knew he'd messed up any chance of being with her. This was the right thing to do. So why did it hurt so much?
Sarah wanted to make all this pain go away. She knew she only wanted Chuck. She had for some time, but hadn't been able to say so. However, she had finally done so before Chuck went to Prague, made her feelings clear, but that had gone horribly wrong. She'd pulled back a bit since then, not wanting to get hurt again. Then they had started to reconnect, or at least that was what she had thought. She felt there would be a chance again, but he'd found Hannah instead. Now, she was losing him completely and would also be sent away.
He sadly said, "I'll see you, Sarah."
"Bye, Chuck," she said, smiling, but feeling anything but happy.
He turned and started to walk away. It felt to Sarah like this was him forever walking out of her life. She realized she couldn't bear that thought. She had to act now or forever miss any chance of happiness. She called to him, "Chuck, wait!"
He stopped and turned back and suddenly found Sarah rushing toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Her lips fastened to his in a demanding kiss. He immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her slightly off the ground as the kiss deepened. This felt like the kiss in Barstow and what Sarah had hoped for in Prague. Neither wanted it to end.
When they had to stop to breathe, she pulled back slightly. "I can't do this, Chuck. I can't pretend to be ok with you and Hannah, or with you thinking I want Daniel. I do have a type. You are my type. You are my hero, Chuck, not Daniel."
Chuck was amazed but so, so happy to hear that. "Sarah, Hannah is lovely, but you've always had my heart. I just didn't see us getting together. I was just trying to find someone to take my mind off wanting you."
He pulled her in for another kiss. Their tongues vied for dominance but neither really cared who won. They were both winning, reveling in finally being able to express their feelings for each other.
When he lowered her to the floor again, he said, "But what about you leaving?"
"Let's talk about that this evening, Chuck," she said. Then she noticed him wincing and guessed what he was thinking. She smiled at him. "It'll be a good conversation, Chuck." She leaned up and quickly kissed him again. "Come to my hotel at seven, ok?"
Her words soothed him. He nodded.
Chuck headed out, feeling much happier than before.
Before turning around, Sarah watched him go, feeling that she'd made the right decision. Daniel wouldn't like her deciding she'd stay with Chuck, from a personal or professional point of view, but she didn't care.
When Chuck arrived at Sarah's hotel room, he had changed from his Buy More clothes into a pale blue button-down shirt and jeans. He was nervous about the conversation, or more specifically, the outcome, but she had said it wasn't going to be bad.
He knocked on the door.
"It's open," she called. He opened the door and walked in.
Sarah was just walking out of her bathroom, putting on earrings. As always, she looked stunning. She was wearing a short purple dress that showed off her gorgeous long legs.
He stopped and stared. Sarah was surprised. He never did that. "Is something wrong?"
Chuck shook his head. "There is absolutely nothing wrong, Sarah. You are perfection personified."
It had been a while since he last complimented her. Sarah loved it. She walked to him, saying, "Thank you, Chuck." She didn't have any shoes on yet, so had to stand on tiptoes and pulled him down so that she could kiss him. "I thought we could go out somewhere to eat, after we talk."
"I'm not dressed for anywhere fancy, Sarah," Chuck pointed out.
She looked him up and down. She liked how he looked most of the time. This evening, he was wearing jeans, a shirt and his trademark Chucks. She did like seeing him dress up smart, but liked how he looked right now as well and knew Chuck was most comfortable like this. She smiled. "You look great, Chuck."
She pulled him over to sit at the end of the bed next to her, and faced him. "Before we start, I just want to make sure you are not going to change your mind and go with Hannah." This was her fear. He had done this to her before.
He held her gaze. He wanted Sarah to know he wasn't interested in Hannah now that he had a chance with her. "I meant it, Sarah. You captured my heart a long time ago. I've already told Hannah that you and I are back together."
She beamed and gave him another kiss. "Thank you for giving us another chance, Chuck. I'll make sure you don't regret it."
"No. Thank you, Sarah. I'm the one who keeps messing things up between us."
Sarah knew that was true recently, but wasn't going to say it. "Okay. About the future…" She paused and looked at him.
Chuck wanted her to keep going, but tried to be patient.
She had been thinking about this since she left Castle, shortly after he did.
She had always followed the rules, done what was asked of her, until Prague. That hadn't worked out, but she was going to try again, doing something that only benefited herself and, she hoped, the man with her, instead of blindly following someone else's orders.
She'd made herself vulnerable before and he had thrown it back in her face on that platform in Prague. Now she was doing the same again, but this time they wouldn't be going on the run and abandoning everything, so she felt on more solid ground.
She looked into Chuck eyes. "Chuck, when Daniel decides it is time to let you work on your own, that you no longer need us, I don't want to leave."
He tried to understand what she meant. "You'll stay to protect me… and the Intersect?"
"Chuck, you don't need my protection anymore. I want to stay to be with you…" She paused to make the next words very clear. "…as your girlfriend." She fell silent, waiting for his response.
The smile that spread across his face told her that he liked the idea. The kiss he gave her did too.
"Won't Beckman want your skills used elsewhere?" he finally asked.
She immediately responded, "I can't think of anywhere that I can achieve as much as with you, Chuck. We're a great team."
Chuck agreed, but that didn't reassure him. "But what if she doesn't agree?"
Sarah held his gaze as she answered, "She can have Agent Walker working with you or lose her completely to Sarah Walker, girlfriend of the best man I know."
He gasped. "You'd leave?"
She then told him something she'd never shared with anyone. "I've been thinking about it for some time. When I came to Burbank, I'd decided it would be my last assignment." She smiled. "It's just lasted longer than I expected."
That was a lot for him to take in. He certainly hadn't expected it. "So, me wanting to be a spy to be with you was the opposite of what you wanted?"
She nodded. "I will remain a CIA operative if you are in this spy world, and work with you. It is probably the right thing to do to fight against The Ring together, but what I really want is a normal life." She looked at him through her lashes, tentative again. "I want that with you, Chuck."
He loved what he was hearing, but wanted to reassure her. "God, I just want a real relationship with you, whatever that means."
Their kissing started again. This was what they both wanted more than anything.
A/N: I am definitely not continuing this. That was sufficient to help me get over that upsetting scene.
Both actors did a great job of saying what they did, while their faces showed something very different going on in their heads. Brilliant acting from both of them. YS has always been able to express more without words than most actors, and did so again, particularly at the end of this scene, but ZL was really good too.
Anyway, I hope you liked this one-shot rewrite.
