A/N: Chuck and Sarah survived the initial meeting with Ellie. However, like with all great infomercials, "But wait! There's more!"
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck
Chapter 4
A few minutes after Chuck and Devon came back downstairs after dropping off their bags, there was a knock at the front door. Devon checked his watch and gave a perplexed look.
"That can't be the pizzas already," he mumbled as he got up to answer the door. Pulling the door open, he gasped. "Mr. and Mrs. B! You made it," he exclaimed. Sarah could see him leaning down to hug a woman, based on the hands that were patting him on the back. Upon hearing the commotion, Ellie came racing from the kitchen to greet them as well.
While Ellie and Devon were hugging the Bartowskis in the foyer, Chuck stood and stepped up to Sarah. She looked up at him and saw his hand offered, a warm smile on his face. "You ready to meet the parents?" he asked, looking a little apologetic.
She returned his smile and took his offered hand, giving him a nod before pulling herself to her feet. To her surprise, Chuck didn't let go of her hand, leading her into the foyer. She was thankful because she was admittedly a little nervous. She'd pulled dozens of cons where she'd pretended to be someone she wasn't, but this felt so much different. She found she really wanted these people to like her. Not some random persona, but her. She wanted these people to like her, for her.
As they stood at the edge of the foyer, trying to avoid the initial pandemonium, the matriarch of the Bartowski family turned to see Chuck and then set her focus on Sarah. Not surprisingly, Mrs. Bartowski was a beautiful woman that appeared to be in her early to mid-fifties. Though she couldn't see Chuck's father, it was easy to see where the siblings got their looks. The older woman had a presence about her, one that commanded respect. Sarah felt like a deer in headlights when she locked eyes with the woman. If she wasn't mistaken, Mrs. Bartowski looked as taken aback as Sarah felt. For several long seconds, they stood looking at one another, and all Sarah could do was offer a tentative smile.
At last the spell was broken and the woman before her gasped as she placed a hand to her mouth, not taking her eyes off Sarah. "Oh, Charlie!" she breathed out, sparing a glance toward Chuck before returning her gaze to Sarah. "Oh, she's so beautiful," she confessed, closing the distance between them. Sarah was stunned by the comment, and even more so when she was wrapped in a powerful hug.
"You must be Sarah. Oh, it's so wonderful to meet you," the older woman gushed, as she continued to hug her. Sarah now knew where Ellie acquired her hugging skills. She could only describe it as… motherly. She fought the urge to burst into tears, having been so long without a motherly hug like this. When Mrs. Bartowski pulled away, she held Sarah by the shoulders and turned to look at her son.
"Charlie, why have you been hiding this lovely woman from us? She's positively breathtaking," she declared, as she berated her son. Sarah was speechless, uncertain how to respond to the woman's compliments. All she could do was look between Chuck and her mother. Turning her attention back to Sarah, she frowned apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry dear. I'm certain you have a great many qualities beyond your looks. Charlie has his faults, but being shallow isn't one of them."
"Th-thank you, Mrs. Bartowski. It's a pleasure to meet you," she stated, offering the woman her best smile.
"Oh, call me Mary. Please. We're not formal around here. Stephen? Stephen! Come here," Mary called over her shoulder to her husband, who was trying to get into the foyer with their bags. Setting their bags down, the older man started toward them, a broad smile spread across his face. Sarah recognized that smile. It was very similar to Chuck's smile, so warm and inviting. Sarah returned the smile, almost involuntarily; their smiles were infectious.
"Wow. You must be Sarah. I've heard… well, I haven't heard all that much, but I can't tell you how great it is to meet you," he confessed, offering his hand to shake. Sarah took it graciously, taken aback by the exuberance in his handshake.
"It's great to meet you too, Mr. Bartowski."
"Bah. Stephen. Please. Or Doc, to my students. When people use Mister or Doctor Bartowski, they're usually selling something," he joked, patting her on the shoulder as he chuckled. Stephen turned to Chuck and gave him a back pounding hug.
"Charles, you look good." Pulling away, he planted his hands on his hips, looking up at his son. "How are things? Well, besides…" he trailed off, gesturing with his head toward Sarah with a wry smile. Sarah watched the interaction and could see the blush blooming on his cheeks.
"Go-good. Things are good. I'm between projects right now, so I had some time to get away," Chuck remarked, giving a shrug.
"And it's so good to see you," Mary interrupted. "I love to get your calls, but they don't give good hugs." She gestured with her hands and open arms, beckoning for Chuck to come closer.
"Hi, Mom. Missed you too," Chuck admitted, bending down to wrap his mother in a hug. She gave an exaggerated grunt as she squeezed him, planting a kiss on his cheek.
After a few more minutes of small talk, another knock on the door signaled the arrival of pizza. They all retired to the formal dining room, where they sat around the table eating and talking. Sarah was surprised by the juxtaposition of the rather formal setting with the family eating off paper plates. These people enjoyed nice things but weren't pretentious in the slightest. Sarah remained quiet for the most part, preferring to just take in their conversations and study their interactions. Just witnessing the family dynamic, the love and support, and sometimes the teasing, made her ache for something like this for herself. Perhaps it was a pipe dream, but some part of her hoped against hope that she might be able to form something like this with her mother, at least.
"So, Mom," Ellie interrupted, patting the table with excitement. "I almost completely forgot. We were talking," she continued, gesturing to the four younger members at the table, "and, we were remarking how nice it would be to have snow for Christmas." Mary nodded, taking a sip of wine as she listened. "So, Devon had the bright idea that we go to Squaw Valley for a couple days of fun in the snow before we come back here and do the whole family Christmas thing. What d'ya think? Would you two wanna come with us? Make it a whole family affair?" Ellie asked expectantly, biting her bottom lip.
Mary and Stephen looked at one another, a silent conversation going on that Sarah was trying to decipher; a small eyebrow raised by one and the corner of a mouth turning up from the other. Finally, when both of the elders produced a beaming smile, Ellie clapped her hands in excitement.
"I think it sounds like a wonderful idea, dear" Mary added, chuckling at her daughter's antics.
"Yeah, I don't know how much skiing my knees can handle, but I can sure enjoy some hot chocolate by a roaring fire with the best of 'em," Stephen interjected, warranting laughter from everyone at the table.
"Perfect!" Ellie said, jumping up from the table and coming back a moment later with her laptop. After some brief discussions, Ellie booked rooms for all of them, including some ski packages for the younger members.
"Devon, where's your wallet?" Ellie demanded, holding out her hand. Devon searched his pockets, but before he found it, Chuck slid a black credit card across the table to his sister. Everyone stopped to look, including Sarah, who was a bit taken aback. "Chuck, you don't have to-"
"Bah, just put it on there. Consider it part of your Christmas presents from us," Chuck said, glancing at Sarah with a smile. Sarah was once again speechless. The ease with which he seemed to embrace the "cover" of them as a couple was surprising to say the least. Instead of her being the calm, confident one in this situation, it was Chuck who seemed cool and relaxed now that the initial awkwardness of explaining their "relationship" had passed.
"Well, ordinarily I'd argue with you, but given everything, I'll let you," she teased, giving him a wink as she picked up his card and entered the information into the website. Once she got the confirmation, she gave the card back, leaning over and giving her brother a small hug.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The group sat around the living room after supper, talking mostly about work. Sarah tried to absorb everything she could, finding it all rather fascinating. Chuck had provided a very basic framework of what each of them did for a living, but by listening to their stories, those lines filled in with color. While Devon sounded like the stereotypical frat boy, he was actually a very gifted and respected cardio-thoracic surgeon. She wasn't sure if the "surfer dude" persona was real or not, but he seemed like a good person and she found she liked him.
Chuck's warning about Ellie was not an understatement. She was a force to be reckoned with. She took her role as the eldest child quite seriously. Ellie was a worrier and a protector and would no doubt make an excellent mother someday. Much like her brother, she was a very giving and compassionate person, further evidenced by her stories of working with patients and their families.
Stephen was a kind soul, which reminded her a lot of Chuck. Chuck's father was a man of few words and was often soft spoken. That was, until he spoke on a topic he was passionate about. When he spoke of his work, and most especially his family, his eyes lit up. Sarah noticed he was prone to distraction, frequently getting lost in thought. She suspected that many great minds worked that way, always thinking and processing. She wondered if that was why Chuck grew quiet sometimes.
Mary Bartowski was unmistakably the alpha lioness, surveying her pride and keeping the males in check. Underneath her kind and loving exterior, was a brilliant and powerful woman. She was very concise when she spoke, always saying what she meant and never mincing her words, as best as Sarah could tell. Everyone followed her lead, looked to her for guidance and approval, even her husband; especially her husband. If Sarah needed to convince anyone that she and Chuck were actually real, it would be Mary.
"Sarah, dear. You're awfully quiet," Mary remarked, ignoring the discussion that Chuck and Stephen were having over the inaccuracies of some television show Sarah had never heard of. Sarah shook herself from her thoughts and gave the older woman a shy smile.
"Sorry. I uh… I guess I'm not much of a talker. Especially regarding…" Sarah trailed off, gesturing with her finger between Chuck and his father. Mary gave her an amused eye roll, chuckling.
"It's always the same when those two get together. They always nerd out over some project one or the other is working on, or some ridiculous TV show. I just smile and nod," she confessed, whispering conspiratorially. Sarah couldn't hold back her snort, covering her mouth a little too late.
"What's that?" Stephen asked, looking between Sarah and his wife.
"Oh, nothing. Love you," Mary answered in a sing-song tone, before returning her focus to Sarah. Both women bit their bottom lips to prevent themselves from laughing outright. Thankfully, Chuck and Stephen returned to their conversation, paying them no further notice.
"I have to say, ordinarily I'd be quite skeptical of someone like you showing interest in Charlie. Forgive me, that came out rather crass. What I mean to say - how do I put this delicately?" she asked herself, tapping her finger to her chin.
Someone like her? Sarah knew what was coming. She'd hoped to avoid it, but here it was. There was no sense in beating around the bush about it, so Sarah figured she might as well call a spade a spade. "I think that the best way is to just say what you're thinking. You don't believe I'm good enough for him or that I only like him because he drives a fancy car," Sarah offered, taking a sip of her coffee to mask the hurt she was feeling. Mary seemed legitimately taken aback, blinking as she tried to formulate a response.
Surprisingly, Mary's confusion turned to a smile, but far warmer than Sarah would have expected. "Did you know that I met Stephen at Stanford? I was working in one of the libraries to help pay my way through college. He was, well … still is, a very handsome man. He came to the library every day to study, and sat at the same table, in plain view of the circulation desk," she reminisced, grinning at the memory. "And every day I could see girls whisper and giggle amongst themselves as they watched him or passed by his table. They shamelessly tried to flirt with him, but he was completely oblivious. Then one day, he came to the circulation desk and asked if a particular periodical had come in. He had a kind smile and this ... nervous quiver in his voice. It was pretty cute. Anyway, the journal he wanted hadn't come in yet, so I broke the news to him. He stood there like a deer in headlights. He had no idea what to say next. Eventually, he stammered out a 'thank you' and scurried back to his table. Every day after that, he came up to my counter and asked about the same journal, and every day I had to tell him no. But slowly, he began to open up, trying his best at small talk and I was happy to have it. Boy were the other girls pissed," Mary chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.
"So, fast forward a couple of weeks and I got curious about this journal he kept asking about. I saw all the new journals that came in, and I hadn't come across this one yet. So, I went to the periodicals and found the back issues. It turns out that the journal he was asking about was only published biannually and wasn't due to be published for another three months."
"I assume that was no accident?" Sarah asked, riveted by her story.
"I suspected not, so, I took that as a sign. I realized that he would likely never muster the courage to ask me out, so I took matters into my own hands. The next day, when he approached my counter, I was ready. And when he asked if the journal had come in I told him that it had. You should have seen the look on his face. It was priceless!" Mary bellowed, laughing uncontrollably.
The others in the room all turned to look at her and Stephen just groaned, placing a hand over his face. "Oh, God. She's telling the story. I think I need a refill on my coffee," Stephen said as he made his retreat to the kitchen. Chuck gave a chuckle and followed after him. Undeterred, Mary continued the story.
"So, I slid the journal across the counter to him, and all he could say was, 'Thank you' and beat a hasty retreat back to his table. I watched him stare at the journal in disbelief until finally he noticed the date on the cover. I could just see the wheels turning in that head of his. He finally opened the journal and saw the note that I'd left him."
'What did it say?" Sarah rushed out, practically on the edge of her seat.
"'Mean Bean Coffee Shop - 8:30'. The way his face lit up, I remember it like it was yesterday. We met at the coffee shop and talked all night. He really opened up and I discovered what a truly remarkable man there was hiding behind those books. Not long after, we started dating and after we graduated with our bachelors, we got married," Mary shrugged, with a joyful smile.
"That's a really great story," Sarah commented, smiling in return.
"I think so. In a lot of ways, Chuck is very much like his father. He's very driven and focused, sometimes to a fault. There was one time that he let himself get… 'distracted' and it nearly broke him. After that, he just doubled down and buried himself in work, never coming up for air. I was really worried about him; we all were. We tried to encourage him to get back out there, that the right 'somebody' was out there for him. No matter how much we coaxed or prodded… even pleaded, he was just too scared to get hurt like that again. And while I love my son dearly, he is his father's son. He's completely oblivious; frustratingly so sometimes. I knew that he would never be swayed by just a pretty face. I mean, he lives in LA; there're pretty faces everywhere. No, it would take a very special someone to get through to him. Someone who could look past the shy, awkward, self-deprecating nerd and see the kind, humble, loving man beneath. So, you see, regardless of what I think, he sees something in you that has awakened him. I have my smiling Charlie back and I have you to thank for that. So, Thank you," she choked out, her eyes glassy with unshed tears.
Before Sarah realized it, she choked out a sob, covering her mouth to try and stifle it. She was literally moved to tears by this woman's confession. Sarah was both incredibly moved and heartbroken at the same time. That Mary had attributed the changes she saw in her son to her being present in his life, made her swell with pride. But, the fact that all of this was a rouse, a fabrication, to make them all believe that there was something between her and Chuck, made her heart ache. Sarah wished that she could have that effect on someone, to mean that much to somebody, especially someone as special as Chuck. This was infinitely more complicated than she ever imagined it would be.
Mary rose from her chair to wrap Sarah in a comforting hug, rubbing her back as Sarah tried to collect herself. Sarah was not a crier by nature, but something about this family had an effect on her. As she got her sniffling under control, Mary pulled away and offered her a tissue.
"Thank you," Sarah said meekly, with an appreciative smile.
"Of course. And, about what I said earlier. I'm sorry if you thought I was implying… I can see by the way that you look at him that you aren't just with him for his money. Before I met you… I might have had my doubts, but I can see that's not the case. And as a mother, it's hard to believe that anyone could be good enough for her son. But, I can see that you make him happy. Happier than I've seen him in a very long time. So, who am I to argue with that?"
"Mary, I… I don't know what to say," Sarah stammered out, at a complete loss about what to do or say with all of this information. This was getting out of hand but to say anything now would really be a catastrophe. If Sarah came clean now, it would hurt more than just herself. It could hurt this whole family and ruin what otherwise promised to be an amazing Christmas. Once Christmas was over, they could go their separate ways and he could tell them whatever story he wanted. Not only did the prospect of her leaving give her a feeling of anxiety, but the thought that these wonderful people might hate her when all of this was done made her want to cry all over again.
"You don't have to say anything dear. I'm just happy that you'll be spending the holiday with us. I look forward to getting to know more about you. Speaking of, I never asked. What is it that you do, Sarah?" Mary asked. Sarah glanced up as the men walked back into the living room, Ellie and Devon following after, having checked on the linens and things for the guest rooms. They were talking amongst themselves so Sarah kept her focus on Mary.
"Oh, well. It's nothing as glamorous as all of you. I only work at an independent bookstore slash coffee shop," she admitted, deflecting her gaze to her lap for a long moment. She didn't want to see the look of disappointment or even pity on Mary's face. Nobody's opinion of her had ever really mattered to her, until she met this family.
"Only? Hey, I worked in a bookstore before college. That's what led me to working at the library. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. As for glamorous? Pfftt," she blew out incredulously. Gesturing to Stephen and Chuck she continued. "They're great at what they do and they're all brilliant, don't get me wrong. But, I doubt either of those two can tell their right from their left," Mary whispered conspiratorially as she leaned in toward Sarah. Both women looked at Chuck and Stephen, the two men engaged in some overtly nerdy discussion. Mary, followed by Sarah, burst into laughter, shaking their heads in amusement.
"What about you Mrs.- err Mary? I understand that you used to teach at Stanford as well. That's more than a little impressive," Sarah pointed out, trying to shift the focus of the conversation off herself.
"Ohhhh. That was a long time ago," she confessed, waving Sarah off with a slight hint of embarrassment. "The work I do now is so much more challenging, and infinitely more rewarding." Sarah tilted her head with a look of surprise and confusion. "Stanford was great, but I didn't feel like I was really making a difference. Stanford is one of the best schools in the country, but I was only serving a very small portion of the population. In the K-12 system, I could reach so many more kids. Kids that might never go to college at all, let alone a school like Stanford. They deserved to have all the opportunities, the same good foundational education whether they became a doctor or a construction worker or a… bookstore clerk. Not everyone is destined for college, and that's OK. I just hate the idea that kids settle for something because nobody helped them reach their potential." Mary paused and closed her eyes with a soft chuckle, raising her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I got on my soapbox. I just get carried away when I start talking about work."
"Oh, God. Don't feel sorry. I really admire your passion. I wish I had people like you that were interested in my academic potential when I was growing up. I did well in school but… college was never really an option at the time. Now though, I dunno. Maybe," Sarah said with a shrug.
"It is never too late. I'm certain you can accomplish anything if you set your mind to it. Plus, you have plenty of people in your corner to help you if you need it," Mary confessed, giving Sarah a broad smile. Sarah raised an eyebrow in question at Mary's comment. In her life, Sarah had never really had anyone in her 'corner', as it were. In response, Mary nodded toward her family, who was sitting around the fireplace, laughing and talking. Sarah could see now that Mary was not only including herself, but that her whole family would support Sarah in her pursuits.
The day, which had started out as one of the worst on record, had turned around and become one of the best days of her life. As she watched Chuck, in his animated conversation with his father, she was so thankful for him. Even if all of this was a fabrication, it was beginning to feel so real. These people, Chuck, had restored a sense of hope she thought she'd lost and a feeling of belonging that she couldn't remember having. It felt like home and she vowed to embrace it for as long as she could.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Well, I think we should call it a night," Ellie proclaimed, clapping her hands on her knees. "We need to get up and hit the road early in the morning." Mary, Stephen and Devon nodded in agreement, Stephen groaning as he pushed himself out of his chair.
"Yeah. I'm beat. I'll see you guys in the morning," he declared, giving Ellie a kiss on the cheek before he started toward his wife, holding out his hand to her. Mary took it with a smile, pulling herself to her feet.
"Night everyone. See you in the morning," Mary added, making the rounds of giving everyone a hug and kiss on the cheek, including Sarah. Once Stephen and Mary had left and Devon headed off to his room, that left Chuck and Sarah as Ellie collected some empty cups from the coffee table.
'Well, I'll uh… I'll just sleep on the couch here and you can have the bed," Chuck offered, looking at Sarah with a shy smile.
"Oh, for God sake, Chuck. I'm not a prude," Ellie jumped in, shaking her head at her brother. They could practically hear her eyes rolling in her head. "We're all adults here. Besides, you're going to be sharing a room at the resort when we get there."
Chuck and Sarah exchange glances and Sarah could see Chuck gulp. "We-we are? Sh-sharing a room?" he asked, stuttering slightly.
"Uh, yeah," she stated, as if it was obvious. "Now, go on you two. Off to bed. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Ellie waved them off, not taking no for an answer. Chuck sighed in resignation but complied, realizing that he couldn't continue to argue without raising some suspicion. Sarah said her good night to Ellie, exchanging hugs with Chuck's sister, before heading toward their room.
Once inside, Chuck closed the door and leaned against it, blowing out a long breath. "I'm so sorry Sarah. I should've thought this through better. Look, I… I'll sleep on the floor and you take the bed." Sarah stared at Chuck in disbelief. This guy never ceased to amaze her.
"That's ridiculous. This is a queen-sized bed. There's more than enough room. Like your sister said, we're adults. I think we can manage to sleep in the same bed while keeping your sense of propriety intact," Sarah snorted, shaking her head.
"I didn't enter into this arrangement with the assumption that…. well, with any assumptions. Frankly, this never crossed my mind at the time. I don't want you to feel like I'm… I'm taking advantage of the situation. That was never my-"
"God, Chuck. Relax. You're gonna give yourself an ulcer," Sarah joked, huffing in amusement. "It's fine. Really. If it were anyone else, you'd better believe they'd be on the floor. But you? You, I trust to be a gentleman. Besides, as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm gonna be out, so I'll never know what you do to me," she teased. Chuck's mouth dropped open with mortification and she realized that she may have teased a little too much.
"That was a joke, Chuck. Just a joke. It's gonna be fine. Go get ready for bed," she instructed, waving him off as she searched through her bag. Chuck sighed, relaxing a bit before grabbing his own bag and starting to pull out what he needed. Sarah riffled through her bag, not finding what she was looking for, until it dawned on her. "Aw, shit," she exclaimed, smacking her bag with a huff.
"What's the matter?" Chuck asked, looking between her and her bag.
"All my pajamas are … are in my dirty clothes bag," she admitted sheepishly.
"Oh. Well… here," he said, pulling a t-shirt out of his bag. "I imagine that'll be big enough, you could use it to sleep in." Sarah picked up the folded shirt and regarded it for a moment. It was soft and well worn, the Stanford name across the front was barely legible.
"Thanks," she said, giving him a warm smile. "I'll uh… I'll go change and brush my teeth and then the bathroom's all yours." Grabbing the shirt and her toiletry bag, she left for the shared bathroom in the hallway. After freshening up, brushing her teeth and changing into Chuck's shirt, she stared at herself in the mirror. Running her fingers over the worn lettering across her chest, she caught herself smiling. The shirt smelled like him too; a faint hint of sandalwood and something that she could only describe as 'Chuck'. Shaking herself from her musings, she collected herself and returned to the bedroom. Knocking softly, she slowly opened the door to see that Chuck was already in a t-shirt and pajama pants, his Dopp kit in hand. She stepped into the room, pulling the door closed and noticed that he hadn't moved.
Rooted in place, Chuck worked his jaw, seemingly trying to say something, but the words just wouldn't come. His gray shirt with the faded red lettering, stopped just above her knees, showcasing her impossibly long legs. That had been his favorite shirt to begin with, but now he'd never wash it again. Chuck tried so hard to be respectful, trying to look anywhere but at her, but even his best efforts faltered slightly. The wry smile on Sarah's face just made him feel flushed with embarrassment, clearly having been caught looking at her.
"I'll uh… I'll just…" he trailed off, leaving it at that and making a hasty retreat to the bathroom. Sarah chuckled in amusement at his antics as she placed her dirty clothes in her laundry bag. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like the way he appreciated her, especially since he was trying so hard to be respectful. Looking around the room, she noticed that Chuck had already turned down the bed and laid out his clothes for the next day on the chair in the corner of the room. Sarah did likewise, pulling out clothes for tomorrow and laying them out across the top of the dresser on what Chuck had seemed to indicate was her side of the bed.
Plugging her phone in to charge, she slid into bed and pulled the covers up to her chest. She let out a long sigh as she melted into the bed. It was far more comfortable than the beds she was used to sleeping in, and the sheets were luxuriously soft. She had to chuckle at herself for feeling so overwhelmed by something as simple as a bed. A few moments later, she heard a faint knock and the door opened just enough for Chuck's head to poke in. He seemed almost relieved to see that she was in bed, giving her a smile as he quietly closed the door. Putting his stuff away, he checked his phone on the nightstand, making sure his alarm was set. Taking off his watch, he sat facing away from Sarah and she swore she could hear him heave a heavy sigh.
"You OK?" she whispered, wondering if this was all too much for him. Giving what his mother had said, she painted a much bleaker picture of Chuck's state after the breakup he'd told her about. How scared he'd been to start a new relationship after being hurt. Was this, being in the same bed with her, pushing him too far?
Chuck whipped his head around, turning to look at her. "Huh? Oh. Oh, yeah. I'm… I'm good. It's just uh… It's just been an eventful day. Trying to process it all I guess," he admitted meekly. "I'll turn the light off so you can get to sleep." Clicking off the light, he, too, slipped under the covers, pulling them up to his chest. Both of them stared at the ceiling, the events of the day rushing through their minds.
"So, Chuck. You mentioned something earlier today, and your mom said something about it too, in passing. It may not be any of my business, but … what exactly happened? I mean the … the thing that turned you away from relationships, made you bury yourself in your work." Chuck was silent for a long moment and Sarah felt like she may have crossed a line. He had been kind enough to not pry into her past, but here she was pushing him about his. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"No. No, it's alright. I mean, I don't normally like to talk about it; opening old wounds and all," he chuckled slightly but she could tell he didn't really find it humorous. "Where do I start?" he asked rhetorically, with a sigh. "In college, I joined a fraternity, at the urging of my family. They thought it would be good to help me meet new people, that sort of thing. I wasn't what you might call a 'social butterfly'. There were a lot of good guys in the fraternity, some not so great too, but it was overall a good thing. I ended up rooming with a fraternity brother, Bryce. It turned out that we shared a lot of interests, so we hit it off. He was quite the lady's man though. Every week was a new girl, sometimes several. I spent a lot of nights on the couch because a sock or some other random item was hung on our room's doorknob." He chuckled at that memory but sobered quickly.
"Anyway," he said, shaking the thought. "In our junior year, I met a girl. Jill. Well, Bryce introduced me to her at any rate. I don't even recall where he knew her from. A friend of one of his 'girls of the week' maybe. I dunno. We hit it off though and eventually started dating. In hindsight, I was so naive, never having had a girlfriend before. I had no idea what I was doing. I was head over heels for her and did anything and everything to try and make her happy. I thought things were going well.
"One night, I came back from the library to grab a book I'd forgotten. There was nothing on the doorknob, so I just walked in…" he trailed off, Sarah hearing him swallow in the darkness of the silent bedroom.
"The same ole story," Sarah interjected, using his phrase from their conversation earlier in the day.
He let out a single note chuckle at the comment. "Yeah. All they could say was 'this isn't what it looks like'. Well, I may be a gullible idiot, but I knew exactly what it looked like. Not knowing what else to do or say, I grabbed the book I was after and said I'd let them get back to whatever they 'weren't' doing and slammed the door on my way out."
"God. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine," she said, not knowing what else to say to that.
"After that, I moved out to a crappy off-campus studio apartment and never talked to them again. They tried to apologize but I wasn't really interested in hearing it. I was crushed. I'd thought I loved her, or … I guess what I thought was love at the time. I'm not so sure anymore. Regardless, not only had I lost the only girlfriend I'd ever had, but I realized I obviously wasn't good boyfriend material. On top of that, I lost one of my best friends. I guess I should have expected as much. Bryce always got the good ones," he huffed.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, turning in bed to face him. "If she did that to you, she's not a 'good one' in anyone's book, Chuck. And neither is he. If he could do that to you, he's not your friend," she declared with steely determination. "In my opinion, you're better off without them. And as for being good boyfriend material… I may not be an expert, but in the few hours I've experienced 'Chuck Bartowski the boyfriend', I'd say she's the idiot."
Chuck was silent for a moment, turning his head to look at her. The room was too dark to see much detail, but they could at least see each other's outline. "Thanks," he said at just above a whisper. He turned his head to stare up at the ceiling again, clearing his throat before continuing.
"I had my family, and Morgan. They helped me get through it. If I didn't have them..." he trailed off giving a shrug.
"I really like your family, Chuck. They're great," she whispered into the darkness.
"Yeah. They-they are pretty great most of the time," he agreed, nodding though nobody could see it.
"Thank you for this, Chuck. For… for sharing that with me and… well, everything. My day had gone from bad to worse, and then you appeared out of nowhere and turned it all upside down. Now, it's one of the best days I can remember. So, thank you." The room fell into silence, only the faint sound of the furnace's warm air blowing through the vents could be heard.
"You're welcome," he answered in a whisper. "And thank you. For everything you've done. My family really loves you. I told you they would. I just… I feel bad that… that you're having to … that people think that we're…" he paused, the words failing him.
"That people assume we're sleeping together?" she asked, trying to guess where his hang up might be.
"Yeah...that. I'm sorry you have to be put in this situation. I know that's not what you signed up for," he said with a great deal of remorse. Instinctively, she reached across and placed her hand on his arm.
"Chuck, I knew what I was signing up for. I'm not here against my will and I'm not doing anything that I'm uncomfortable with. If I can be honest with you, right now? This is the most comfortable I've felt in a really long time. And I'm not just talking about these great sheets." The comment caused Chuck to snort and she could hear him shake his head with the rustling of his pillow. She enjoyed that she could make him laugh, especially to help defuse stressful moments like this. "OK?" she asked, hoping that he understood and took what she said to heart.
There was a long pause before he replied, "OK." Sarah gave his arm a light squeeze before letting go and pulling it under the covers. Sarah's mind was still reeling from the story Chuck had shared. How could anyone have a chance to be with such a wonderful man and throw it away so carelessly? She could tell that his heart was still broken and going through this charade could only complicate matters for him. He'd already confessed he would have to be careful not to get caught up in their cover. She hadn't put much thought into it at the time, but she now realized that she was in danger of that as well. Whatever happened, Sarah couldn't hurt him like they had. She couldn't play up his hopes to just rip them away. It seemed that everyone in this game had a chance of getting hurt in the end. She'd have to find a way to make it alright for at least Chuck and his family. She felt she owned them that much.
"Night, Sarah," he breathed out.
Sarah involuntarily hummed in contentment. She'd never been in a situation to exchange 'goodnights' with anyone before, at least not since she was a child. It filled her with a warmth, and not for the first time that day. She could get used to that.
"Night, Chuck."
A/N2: Good night folks. See ya in the morning. Well, their morning. Whenever that is. Probably not until I post the next chapter. Funny how it works out that way. :)
Until then, thanks for all the support. I really appreciate all your reviews and PMs. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever applies to you and yours.
JW
