A/N: So, how's it hangin'? Sorry, a little cliffhanger humor. Probably not a good time for jokes. OK, so I said I wouldn't leave you hanging for long, so without further delay, here is Chapter 13
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck.
Chapter 13
Sarah's world crumbled around her as she watched in abject horror. "NOOOOO!"
The large man tried in vain to muffle her scream of anguish. Her body fell limp to the ground as she wailed. The man tried to restrain Casey at the same time, while trying to get through to Sarah. Quickly, her wailing was joined by wailing from in front of them. Red and blue danced on the houses surrounding them and screams could now be heard.
"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND! PUT YOUR FACE DOWN ON THE GROUND. PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD! " Men poured from every direction. The scene was chaotic and began to draw Sarah's and Casey's attention. They all wore vests with the name of some law enforcement agency emblazoned across the back. SBI (State Bureau of Investigation) Agent, Sheriff, Police, they all converged on the man, guns drawn. They forced Ray to the ground, quite unceremoniously, cuffing him and stripping him of weapons. An agent barked commands into the mic on his chest.
"We have one civilian down. Requesting EMS at 2157 Pinecrest." The urgency of his request only added momentum to Sarah's downward spiral. Sarah's head was in her hands and Casey's hands covered his mouth and nose as he shook his head.
"Look, you two weren't supposed to be here. I'm sorry you had to see this, but please, listen to me!" The large man pleaded, nearly drowned out by the cacophony of agents and radios blaring. "Chuck knew what he was doing. He planned for this." As he spoke, the agents escorted Ray to a waiting vehicle, the sea of officers parting to reveal Chuck laying on the ground, face down. The pain in Sarah's chest was unbearable. Just when she finally found him, he was gone. Taken from her, ripped from her grasp as if by some cruel twist of fate. She stared at his lifeless form on the ground, wishing she could go to him, but knowing that her Chuck was no longer there. She once again covered her face with her hands, her grief consuming her. After a moment, she was pulled from her sobbing by Casey's exclamation.
"What the fu-" Casey began before he lost the words. He was staring in awe at the scene before them. Sarah followed his gaze, through her blurred vision, to see the unthinkable.
"Holy Shit! He's gettin' up. Whoa, whoa, buddy. Hold on. Where the hell is that bus?!" Came the shouts of the agents on the scene. Sarah's heart rocketed from the depths of her stomach to lodge itself in her throat. She could see Chuck...getting up. She threw the large hand off her shoulder and burst through the bushes.
"CHUCK!" she screamed as she raced toward him. She dodged several officers as she sprinted forward, calling his name in desperation. A number of officers tried to block her path, but she was not to be deterred.
"Chuck!" she screamed, reaching between the officers, trying to get to him. As Chuck righted himself, he looked around, searching for the source of his name. Spotting her trying to squeeze between officers, clawing her way toward him, he reached out for her, resting one hand on his knee, to brace himself. He called to the men surrounding him, gesturing toward the hysterical woman. A large man, who had been barking orders, called to let her through. As she broke free, she ran to him, practically falling to her knees at his feet. He reached down, placing his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them tightly. She was now looking straight on at his torso, expecting to see a massive red stain. To her shock, there was very little blood and only some mild cuts and tears on his gray hoodie. She kneeled there in disbelief, gasping from the shock of it.
She reached out her hand, gently touching the fabric. She looked up at him, bewildered. "H-How?" was all she managed to get out. Chuck dropped to his knees, pulling her into a powerful embrace, holding her head to his chest.
"I'm so sorry, Sarah. I… I never meant for you to be here, to see this. It… it was the only way." Sarah sobbed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him, gripping his jacket in her fists. As they knelt on the ground, they could hear the conversations going on around them. One in particular caught her attention.
"Yeah, this guy's a piece of work. Got a wrap sheet a mile long, including two precious felony convictions. Now he's lookin' at felony gun possession, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted homicide…"
" With the shit he pulled tonight, this is gonna be his third strike, easy. Plus, it sounds like they got a recording of his confession to some other crimes. I dunno who called in that tip, but I'd sure like to buy them a beer."
"I still don't understand how this guy survived that attack."
The pieces were all beginning to fit into place. She remembered what the enormous stranger had said. "Chuck knew what he was doing. He planned for this." He had planned all this, the whole damn thing. Ray was the 'Target'! But who was the mark? Himself? There were still some pieces missing, but the gist of the puzzle was clear now. Chuck had orchestrated all of this to bring down the man that had hurt Gerty and, come to find, the man that got Casey put in jail. Did Chuck know about that too? She had never revealed Casey's prison record to anyone, so how could he have known. Sarah's tears having stopped as her mind focused on the puzzle, she pulled away from Chuck slightly. She looked into his dark eyes full of pain and sorrow, perhaps the mirror image of her own.
"You did all of this? How? Why?" she whispered, searching his eyes for the answers.
"It...it's complicated, and I probably shouldn't discuss it here. Besides...h-how did you find me? What are you doing here?" he inquired, likewise searching her eyes for an answer.
"I… we. We followed you here. We were worried about you," she confessed.
"We? Who's we?" Chuck looked around, catching a glimpse of the two large, imposing men down the block. "Casey," he breathed, trying to keep his voice low. Sarah just nodded her head.
"Well, let me give my statement to these guys and we can go home. Err… I mean… you. You can go home and I can... You know… go to my um…" he swallowed thickly as he stumbled over his words. Things were so comfortable, so ...intimate in L.A., but they were back in Grady now, back to the real world. He had gone back to his apartment last night, unpacking from his trip. He didn't want to press the issue of staying at Sarah's house for fear it would complicate things with Molly and Gerty. He didn't want to presume anything, just taking things at her pace. He had laid awake last night, missing having her close to him, feeling her warmth that he'd longed to feel for so long.
Sarah interrupted his spiraling by gently placing a hand on his face, her lips turned up in a small smile, "You're coming home with me." A smile spread across Chuck's face as he nodded his acceptance. He was slowly drifting toward Sarah, intent on kissing her when a firm hand clasped onto his shoulder.
"Hey buddy. The ambulance is here. Let's get you checked out." One of the officers, along with Sarah, helped him stand and walked with him to the waiting ambulance. He could walk with little trouble but was a little sore.
They sat him down in the back of the ambulance, where the better lighting offered a clear picture of the damage. His gray hoodie jacket had slashes in the stomach and chest, revealing some yellow fabric or padding inside. There was some blood smeared in the area, but did not appear to be coming directly from the lacerations. They helped him unzip and remove the jacket, taking care to not cause any further injury. The EMT, Sarah and the officer all gasped in disbelief. Chuck's shirt, while having some obvious cuts in it, was completely free of blood, not a drop. Chuck gave a sheepish grin.
"Yeah. About that…" he grabbed the bottom hem of his shirt and pulled it up and off with some assistance from an EMT. A chuckle came from the officer standing with them as it could clearly be seen that Chuck was wearing some form of body armor, the velcro straps coming across his stomach. The armor looked virtually untouched.
"Safeguard, huh? That's what our agents use. Bullet and stab proof. Smart," confessed the officer. He was eyeing the hoodie and, as he looked inside, he whistled. "Holy Shit. This is a BladeRunner hoodie." He showed them the inside of the jacket, pointing out the lining. "Kevlar lined. Not stab proof, but slash proof at least. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were expecting trouble." He gave an exaggerated wink and handed the jacket to Sarah. The EMT helped Chuck remove the vest, revealing no visible signs of injury.
"I think I just got the wind knocked outta me pretty bad," Chuck offered as the EMT felt his ribs and stomach. Finding no signs of injury, the EMT gave him a clean bill of health but warned there may be some minor surface bruising over the next few days, but nothing worse than that. Chuck put his shirt and hoodie back on, leaving the vest off for now. The officer lead him to his black SUV, Sarah not letting go of Chuck's arm.
"I'm sorry. I'm Agent Coldiron, with the NCSBI. I'd like to get your statement. You can sit in the back. Ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you t-" The agent stopped mid-sentence, seeing the look on Sarah's face. She was clearly not to be trifled with at this moment, after having witnessed the scene just twenty minutes ago. He cleared his throat and continued. "I'll ask you to have a seat in the back with him. Get you both out of the cool air." Sarah nodded, but Chuck gave the agent a smirk, knowing full well how intimidating Sarah Walker could be. They all climbed into the SUV and got as comfortable as possible.
"I'm going to record this, for future reference, so if you could speak clearly, that would be helpful. Can I start with your name, Sir?"
"Chuck, um, Charles. Charles Bartowski. B-A-R-T-O-W-S-K-I." He spelled out his last name out of years of habit.
"Thank you, Mr. Bartowski. And what is your current residence?"
"Currently, I live in a garage apartment at 1917 Pinecrest Ln. Just up the street."
"Ok, then what was your business at 2157 Pinecrest?" the agent inquired.
"Well… I uh.." Chuck looked at Sarah with a dejected sigh. "I own that property," Chuck confessed, his shoulders slumping a bit.
"What?!" Sarah's head snapped toward Chuck, shock on her face. "S-since when?"
"Mr. Bartowski, our records show that the property at 2157 Pinecrest is owned by a … 'Gertrude Verbanski'. Would you care to explain?"
"Yes. Please explain," Sarah interjected, turning her body to face him in the backseat. Agent Coldiron gave her a look, but opted to let it go.
"Well, um, Gerty, err Gertrude, is a friend of ours and has been living with Sarah for some weeks now, as she gets back on her feet. I thought, as part of getting back on her feet, she might enjoy a place to call her own for once. So when I saw this place I … I bought it for her and put it in her name. I was going to furnish it and surprise her for Christmas." Chuck shrugged and turned sheepishly to look at Sarah, who no longer looked angry, but instead had an almost pouty but pleased look on her face.
"I'm to understand that you live above a garage yet you somehow have the means to purchase a house in full? Am I missing something?" he asked incredulously.
"I live there by choice, Agent. I make a comfortable living, and until recently I had traveled a lot, so I stay in apartments," Chuck retorted.
"Until recently? What changed…" As he was asking the question he could see Chuck looking at Sarah, the wry smile on his face. "Nevermind… So how is it that you came to know Mr. Eckhert?"
"I don't know him, exactly. I know of him. I learned of Mr. Eckhert through our friend Gertrude. She eventually confessed to us that he had abused her and she ran from him, fearing for her safety. Concerned that he may come looking for her, I hired a private detective to find him and follow him. The P.I.'s investigation uncovered that he was trying to locate her and was getting close. That...that's when I put the property into her name, without her knowledge. He had been seen in public libraries, using their computers to search for her. So I figured I would give him something to find."
"A honeytrap, of sorts," the agent interjected.
"Right. If I could lure him away from her real location, I figured he would do something stupid all on his own to incriminate himself. Turns out I was right. The P.I. I hired learned of his travel plans to Grady and what time he would be here. So I put on my protective clothing and waited. I think the footage on your dash cams captured the rest," Chuck concluded.
Agent Coldiron slowly nodded his head as he studied Chuck, his face in stoic contemplation. Eventually the corners of his mouth began to turn up as he stopped the audio recording. "Mr. Bartowski, the man you lured here this evening was a very dangerous criminal. Aside from the crimes that he has been charged with and/or convicted of, he is suspected in almost a dozen other rape and domestic violence cases. Unless someone came forward, it would have been almost impossible to get any charges to stick. The case of Ms. Wilson you mentioned was one of those. But now, thanks to you and an 'anonymous' tip, this man will spend the rest of his life behind bars. With the attack on you and the firearm he was carrying, our state's 'three strikes and you're in' rule will put him in prison for life without the possibility of parole…. Can I just say, your method here this evening, while brave, was extremely foolish. However, with him off the streets, there's no telling how many lives you've protected from this monster. Now maybe his victims can rest a little easier knowing they won't have to look over their shoulders." He paused for a moment and chuckled slightly. "You know, a lot of men would have thought to take up arms and try to use lethal force to stop a man like this. I can't say the thought hasn't passed through my mind. But instead, you used your brain, nobody had to die and the right man is going to jail. Thank you, Mr. Bartowski." The agent extended his hand to Chuck, who took it with a tight-lipped smile and shook it.
Sarah sat there staring in utter disbelief. Chuck had orchestrated all of this, planned to not only confront this dangerous man but did so with the sole purpose of protecting the people he cared about. He made sure that this despicable human being would never hurt anyone again. To top it all off, he had gotten a confession from Ray, perhaps giving Casey some closure. She was sick with grief not thirty minutes ago, but now filled with a feeling of immense love and pride for this man. Her Chuck.
"You're free to go. We'll give you a call if we need anything further." He got out of the SUV and opened the back door, letting them out. Chuck looked at Sarah and saw she was staring at him with an unreadable expression. He gave her an apologetic smile and shrugged. She shook her head and a corner of her mouth turned up slightly before she exited the vehicle.
The cool night air was refreshing, awakening their senses. The police vehicles and EMS were mostly gone or in the process of packing up. Nosy neighbors could be seen on front porches or peeking through windows as Chuck and Sarah made their way to Gerty's new house. Chuck stopped in his tracks abruptly.
"Hold on a sec. I'll be right back. Just stay right there," Chuck pleaded. He backed away for a few steps, reassuring Sarah that it was OK, then turned and jogged back to the SUV.
"Agent Coldiron! Could I talk to you for a second?" Chuck stood and talked with the agent for about five minutes. Sarah could not hear what was being said, but the agent was listening very intently. Chuck's animated way of talking when he got excited was adorable and brought a smile to Sarah's face. Flashing back to the vision of him laying on the ground brought knots to her stomach. She wanted to be furious at him for putting her through that, but she couldn't. The agent was right, Chuck had used his head. His beautiful, curly head. Not only had he made sure that he was safe, but he ensured the safety of countless women that man could have hurt in the future. One of those women was probably her best friend. He had risked himself for that friend, for their family. He was her brilliant, nerdy hero, and she couldn't imagine how she could possibly love him more.
Chuck shook the agent's hand and thanked him before jogging back to Sarah. When he reached her, she had an unreadable look on her face that caused Chuck to slow to a walk as he approached. He knew he was in trouble, and rightfully so. He had never intended for her to be here to witness any of this. If he had witnessed her in the same scenario, he knew that he would be irreparably broken. As he neared, he swallowed thickly, searching for the right words to convey how sorry he was. He stopped with only a foot between them and began to speak.
"Sar-" was all he managed to get out before she attacked his mouth. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, covering his mouth with hers, releasing all of her fear and anguish. She deepened the kiss, allowing it to wash away the horrors of the evening. The kiss became more and more heated, more desperate as Chuck wrapped his arms around her, (closing the space between them until he could feel the heat of her body against his chest. They couldn't say how long they stood under that lamplight kissing, but both were sure it wasn't long enough.
"Uh, hmmm," came the clearing of a throat behind them. They didn't break apart, but rather, slowly wound down the kiss, as if trying to prevent some sort of explosive decompression. As they eventually pulled apart, their lower lips were the last to separate, seeming to hold onto the kiss as long as possible. They looked into one another's eyes, a starry-eyed expression on both of their faces.
"If you two are quite finished, maybe you could begin explaining what in the furry hell is goin' on?" Casey grumbled. Both turned to Casey, grinning at his confused, and somewhat irritated, expression. Beside him was a very large, imposing black man, nearly dwarfing Casey. Sarah's eyes grew wide as she could now see him fully.
'Oh, um… I see you've met Mr. Colt. Mr. Colt, this is my… my friend, John Casey. And this is my girlfriend Sarah Walker." He grinned more broadly at the moniker, as did Sarah. He was still getting used to it, but it felt so amazing to be able to say it.
"Ma'am," he bowed his head and extended his enormous hand to her. She shook it, giving him a nod and a smile. 'Mr. Casey and I have become acquainted while you were otherwise… indisposed."
"Right. Yeah. Sorry about that. Uh, as for explanations…" Chuck thought of where to begin.
"I think perhaps we can go back to my house and do the explaining there. I believe there is someone else that needs to hear this," Sarah gave Chuck and Casey pointed looks, so they quickly agreed. Chuck went to Gerty's new house and turned off the lights, locking the doors. The four made their way to Mr. Colt's vehicles, which was parked nearby, as he was the only one that had driven. They drove the few short blocks to Sarah's house, happy to not have to brave the cold night air. As they entered the foyer, they found Ellie and Gerty pacing the living room.
"Oh thank God. You all seemed to disappear at the same time, then the sirens and well, we started to get a little concerned." Ellie sighed in relief, walking toward them. As Chuck turned to face her, she gasped, covering her mouth.
"Chuck!" She pointed to his jacket, fear in her eyes.
"Whoa. Whoa. Ellie, it's fine. It's fine. I'm fine. I promise." Chuck motioned for her to calm down, then took her by the shoulders, to get her full attention. "I need everybody to come and have a seat in the living room." Realizing that he seemed ok, she calmed herself and took a seat on the couch. Sarah sat next to her and took her hand. Gerty sat beside Sarah and Casey took the chair near Gerty, while Mr. Colt stood at the entryway behind Chuck, unmoving.
"First, this is Mr. Colt. He is a ...a man of many talents. Most notably he is a dedicated bodyguard and accomplished private investigator. I hired him." Ellie and Gerty looked surprised and then shared a look between them.
"I want to apologize to all of you. I haven't been completely honest with you, and I went behind your backs, invading your privacy to some degree. I had nothing but good intentions, but you know what they say about the road to hell…" He looked at his friends and family seated around the room, a wince on his face.
"Gerty. I knew the reason why you came into our lives. You've become a member of our family, so I was concerned that … Ray would come looking for you." Gerty's eyes grew large, but Chuck continued on. "I learned all that I could about Ray, his criminal history, where he works and hangs out. Everything. I found that he has a long history of violence, especially toward women. Many of those women were fearful of coming forward, and rightfully so." Chuck paused and gave Casey a knowing look.
"So I had my friend, Mr. Colt here, find him. He's been following Ray, keeping track of his movements, who he talks to, etc. It recently came to light that he was, in fact, looking for you. He had gotten a tip and made his way to Charlotte." Gerty gasped, covering her mouth. Sarah was quick to take her other hand, giving her reassurance that it would be OK.
"So I set a plan into motion to lure him here, but not to you." Chuck continued to retell the story, leaving out the part about buying the house for Gerty. As he told the story, Gerty's face turned white and she began to shake. Sarah held her close as Chuck continued. As he concluded, he walked to Gerty and knelt down in front of her, placing his hands on her knees.
"Gerty, he's going to prison for the rest of his life and will never get out. He will never be able to hurt you or anyone else, ever again." Gerty broke down into sobs, her body shaking as she wrapped Chuck in a crushing hug. He just rubbed her back and talked quietly, reassuringly until she was done.
"I… I don't know how to thank you or why you would even do all of this for me," she confessed, shaking her head in disbelief.
"It's really very simple. You're family and we watch out for family. It's as easy as that." Chuck glanced at Ellie with a wink and a smile. Despite her tear stained cheeks and glassy eyes, a single note chuckle escaped Ellie, bringing about a warm smile.
"Well thank you, Chuck. Thank you. I'll never, ever forget what you've done for me. All of you," she exclaimed, looking around the room. As Chuck stood, he noticed Gerty staring at his
Jacket, which he'd thoughtlessly forgotten to take off.
"Oh. Sorry about that." Chuck quickly took off the hoodie jacket, showing that there was no blood underneath. "For what it's worth, that's Ray's blood. So if you wanna burn this thing, you're more than welcome." Gerty chuckled but shook her head.
"No. I'm good thanks. He no longer has any hold on my life," she said, letting out a long sigh of relief. Chuck turned his attention to Sarah and his sister. Gerty looked at Casey, reaching out to place a hand on top of his. "Hey, you OK?" She tried to look into his eyes but they seemed guarded. Casey looked down at her hand, the corner of his mouth turning up a bit. He looked up, catching her gaze and nodded.
"I'm… I'm better now, knowin' you're safe." His cheeks colored a bit at the admission and he had a difficult time holding her gaze. The grin on Gerty's face grew, her own cheeks beginning to color as well.
"If I'm honest… I've felt pretty safe since… well since..." The color was now rising to her ears and deepening in her cheeks. She knew she was blushing like a school girl but she couldn't help it for some reason. The expression on Casey's face began to transform from sheepish to that of surprise as he began to understand her meaning. A wry smile grew across Gerty's face, giving a small shrug. Casey responded with a vibrant color display of his own, from his neck to his ears. He cleared his throat and fidgeted in his chair. Thankfully, everyone was busy in their own conversations, paying him no attention.
Ellie stood, wrapping Chuck in one of her signature 'Ellie Bartowski' hugs. "Little brother, you never cease to amaze me." When she pulled away, she looked him square in the face, pointing a dangerous looking finger at his nose. "You do anything like that again and some asshole with a knife will be the least of your problems. You hear me Mister?" Chuck gulped and nodded.
"I got it. I got it. I don't plan on any repeat performances. However... you do know that if anyone threatens my family, there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect them. This…" Chuck gestured around the room, "is all the family I have left, all that truly matters to me in this world is right here in this house. I'd give up everything I have to make sure they're safe." Sarah snaked an arm around his, leaning into him.
"I think we all feel the same way, Chuck. Thank you for looking out for our family... but what Ellie said goes double for me buster. You put me through something like that again, so help me…" The stink eye that Sarah gave Chuck legitimately scared him a little.
"I'm so, so sorry. I-" Sarah stifled Chuck's latest plead for forgiveness by pressing her finger to his lips.
"I know Chuck. It's OK. I'll get over it, you just… you just have no idea how devastated I was seeing you like that." Tears began to fill her eyes. Before Chuck could jump in again, Sarah shook it off and continued. "I know why you did what you did, and why you feel you needed to hide this from us. I love you for it, but don't ever do that again. OK?"
"OK. I promise. I want to be honest with you. There are still a few other things that I've been keeping from you. I can't tell you right now, but I promise that, before the New Year, all will be revealed. Please just be patient with me a little bit longer," Chuck pleaded, a hopeful look on his face.
"I told you I trust you. I'm not going anywhere." She gave him a kiss and batted him on the nose before heading out of the room. He watched her go, admiring the view until she was around a corner. He shook himself back from his fantasy and looked around the room.
"Mr. Car, err, Bartowski," Mr. Colt corrected himself.
"It's OK. I think they all know," Chuck commented. The large man nodded and continued.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way," he remarked.
"No. I think you've more than earned some time off. Thanks for everything. Truly. You'll find a little extra something along with your payment. Oh, by the way. I think I can speak for everyone when I say you're welcome to stick around and join us for Thanksgiving." Mr. Colt smiled broadly but shook his head.
"That's exceedingly generous and I'm honored that you'd have me at your table. You are all fine people, to be sure. However, if I'm not in Mobile, at my Momma's table, come Thanksgiving day,… let's just say that woman scares me." Chuck and Mr. Colt laughed and shook hands.
"Thanks again, Mr. Colt and if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." The large man nodded with a smile and said his goodbyes to the room before taking his leave.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Casey and Gerty had taken a walk and Ellie had decided to go up to bed to catch up on some reading and sleep. With Molly having gone to bed before they got home, that left Chuck and Sarah by themselves. They had just finished washing the dishes and straightening up the kitchen and living room. Hanging up the dish towel, Sarah wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Are you uh… ready for bed?" Sarah asked, her wry smile made his heart speed up and swallow thickly.
"Are uh… are you sure? It's not gonna be … awkward or anything?" Chuck asked sheepishly. Sarah chuckled and took his hand, leading him to the stairs. He followed her up the stairs, stopping at Molly's door. Sarah peeked in to see Molly fast asleep, looking so peaceful. Chuck pressed his chest against Sarah's back, his mouth next to her ear.
"I bet you looked just as adorable when you were little. I mean, you're still adorable but…" Sarah let out a playful tsk and smacked his thigh lightly. She pulled the door closed and turned on Chuck, putting her hands on his chest. She began to push him backwards down the hall, a smirk on her face. He smiled in return, allowing her to guide him backwards, trusting her completely. They approached the far end of the hall and into the open door of Sarah's room. She continued to push him into the darkened room, gazing into his eyes. She closed the door, making sure to lock it behind her. He had been lost in her eyes, the hallway night light providing just enough light, but now that they were bathed in shadow, he could only see faint details. As she continued to push him into the room, there was a loud thud and she accordioned into him, her body pressing into his chest.
"Owww.." he whispered. She covered her mouth to mask the giggle that was trying to escape. She was so lost in him that she had apparently pushed him right into the corner of her four poster bed.
"I'm… I'm so sorry," she tried to get out between giggles.
"Mhmmm," he grumbled good naturedly, rubbing the back of his head. She took his hands, leading him around the side and pulling him onto the king sized bed with her. She scooted up to the head of the bed, laying her head on a pillow and pulled him to her. After a moment of feeling around in the dark, their lips met, tongues dancing, gently caressing one another. They hummed into each other's mouth, enjoying the taste and the touch. Chuck dragged his tongue and bottom lip along her jawline, peppering kisses as he went. He reached her neck and began placing wet kisses from the base of her ear down to the curve of her neck and shoulder.
Sarah took in a ragged breath at his touch, grabbing a handful of the comforter in one hand and his shirt in the other. As he continued to focus his efforts on her neck, her hands slipped past the bottom hem of his shirt and sought the warm skin beneath. Chuck's moan vibrated through her neck, causing her to shiver from the sensation. Her legs intertwined with his, she interrupted his kisses, drawing his earlobe between her lips, then kissing her way to his mouth. Their kiss grew, becoming more and more passionate. The ache, the longing, was cresting, their hearts racing. Sarah's hand traced down his chest and across his stomach, reaching for his belt buckle.
The sensations he was feeling and the ramifications of Sarah's actions jarred something in his brain and he knew he needed to stop. He couldn't let this go any further, not with all that was looming over them. He felt like he was taking advantage, tricking her into this under false pretenses. When she found out the truth, he didn't want her to regret this moment, being with him. He would have to come clean, risking everything if he ever hoped to be with her completely. Against the protest of every fiber of his being, he pulled away,
"Stop. Stop. Please. Oh God. Shit. . … I… I can't.. I can't do this…" Chuck stood up, covering his face with his hands and then running them through his hair. He started to pace beside the bed.
"What... What's the matter? What d'you mean you can't do this?" The hurt in her voice was crushing him. This was the last thing he wanted. If anything, he was trying to keep from hurting her.
"I can't do this… not without telling you about one of the things I've been keeping from you. It...it wouldn't be fair to you. I couldn't forgive myself if we did… this… and you …you hated me and regretted this later." Chuck swallowed hard, trying to find his courage.
"What are you talking about Chuck? You're scaring me." Sarah pulled herself up, resting her back against the headboard.
"Sarah, I don't want you to think that this… that 'us' happened under false pretenses. So I have to tell you this so you know. Then… then you can make an educated decision if … if you can still be with me." He took a deep breath and blew it out, trying to calm himself.
"Chuck, please just tell me," she pleaded, fear evident in her voice.
"So… when I first started coming to the diner, the booth I sat in was close to your office, and I could overhear you talking. I heard your conversations with Mr. Kellogg. I heard about all of the trouble that you were in and how close they were to closing the diner. I… I couldn't let that happen. I already told you that I had fallen in love with you and how much the diner meant to me in so many ways. It was… it was like someone was trying to take my home, and just when I'd found it. So, I met with Mr. Kellogg. He couldn't tell me much because of client privilege, so instead I told him some things. I made him an offer and he helped to make it happen with the aid of my personal lawyer."
"You met with Mr. Kellogg behind my back?" Sarah interrupted.
"Yes. Wait. It gets worse... Sarah, the angel investors, the Orion Group… the Orion Group is a subsidiary of Intersect Global. Intersect Global is the umbrella company that holds Intersect Games. Sarah… I was the CEO and sole member of the Orion Group." There were tears flowing down his cheeks, his voice shaky, but he continued.
" I knew you wouldn't accept my help that way. Especially after the 'tip' incident. You wouldn't let me just give you the money. So I had to come up with some way to help. To save… to save the closest thing to a home that I'd had in a very long time. If I lost that, then I would have lost you and… I just couldn't." He choked on the words, holding his breath to prevent himself from sobbing. "So I've been lying to you about it this whole time. I couldn't tell you for fear you'd resent me and think that I was trying to buy my way into your life or that I didn't believe in you, in your ability to run the diner. I know that it may look like that, but I swear. I swear neither of those are true. That's why I didn't tell you about Carmichael." Chuck took in a ragged breath, trying to catch his breath.
"OK. Is that it?" Sarah asked matter of factly, her facial expression completely unreadable.
"Wh…. wh-what d'you mean 'is that it'? Isn't that enough?! I've been lying to you about this from the beginning, since before we were even friends." Chuck exclaimed.
"Yeah. I know. I figured it out a while ago. Well, at least I had a pretty strong suspicion a while ago," she confessed with a shrug.
"You…. you knew this whole time? And you… and you still..." Chuck swallowed hard, trying to choked back tears. "You still want to be with me? Even after…" Chuck trailed off, trying to wrap his head around it all.
"I didn't 'know' until now. I guess I just had a hunch. Some small part of me knew, but I didn't want to think about it, what it all meant. I was just so happy to be able to save my mother's dream, I didn't want to look too closely under the covers, as it were. I trust Mr. Kellogg and he said it was a good opportunity. So I'm not wild about the fact that you lied to me about it, but after hearing you explain it, I understand. I'm not mad. In fact, I guess it just reinforces when you said you loved me from the beginning. When you love someone, you can never go too far, right?" She reached out and took his hand and could feel it trembling.
"Is that it? Is that all you needed to tell me, Chuck?" she asked, trying to catch his gaze in the dim light.
"N-No. There's more… When… when I told Bryce about how I took the money from the account he setup under your name and how you had controlling interest in the Orion group, I told you I was lying to Bryce about that. That I just gave the money back to those he stole it from. Well… well that last part is true. I did give the money back. But… but the part about the Orion group…"
"Oh my God, Chuck…" she choked out at just above a whisper.
"Sarah, you do have controlling interest in the Orion group. In fact, you are the CEO of the Orion group. We made some investments through it that are paying good dividends. So, let's just say… you won't really have to work for the rest of your life if you don't want to," Chuck shrugged.
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"Even if you didn't feel for me the way I feel for you, I still wanted this for you. Even if I never saw you again, I wanted you to be taken care of. I wanted you to be able to do whatever it was you wanted with you life, for you to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. So the Orion Group is yours to do with as you wish."
"I… I don't know what to say. Chuck, my God. I…" Sarah sat in utter shock at the revelation.
"I know I messed up Sarah. I should have been upfront with you, but I was just so scared to lose you. I was… I was a coward. I wanted so much for you to be happy. To see that smile every day. I was selfish and greedy. I'm so sorry." He could barely get out the end of his sentence before his voice hitched. He stood beside the bed, his shoulders slumped and head hung low.
Sarah was truly speechless. She watched him for a long moment, trying to process all he had revealed. He had said all along that he was keeping some things from her. While this was dosey, was that all? Was there still more? Something bigger than this? God, I hope not. The lengths that Chuck had gone to, simply because he cared for her, never expecting anything in return, it was humbling. To think that he would have been prepared to walk away, leaving her with all of this, even if she had never taken a chance with him. The thought of that gripped her insides, causing her to draw in a ragged breath.
Sarah was silent for a long while, the only sound Chuck could hear was a quivering breath. Any chance of further conversation seemed over. She had not looked at him since he stopped speaking. He expected that she would be so angry that she would yell and scream at him, and rightfully so. Instead, she said nothing, which was a thousand times worse. He knew he had hurt her and it was killing him inside. She would clearly need some time to think about it all, think about how this changed how she felt about him. Perhaps there was just no coming back from this. With a sigh of dejection, he smoothed down his shirt.
"I-I'll give you some space," he whispered, as he turned and started toward her bedroom door. Tears were falling freely down his checks, as he walked away from the woman he loved, fully convinced that he had ruined the greatest thing that has ever happened to him. As he reached the door, she finally spoke, stopping him in his tracks.
"Chuck… I'm not finished," the icy tone, sending a chill through him. He stood frozen, his eyes clamped shut, bracing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Come back here," she ordered, her tone flat and firm. He took on a deep breath before turning around and heading back to his station beside the bed. Sarah stood up on the bed, towering over Chuck, looking down at him. He gulped audibly, putting his head down further, slumping is shoulders even more.
She looked down at him, his dejected demeanor making him look so small. He looked like a defeated, broken man but hearing a sniffle from him nearly broke her heart. Her silence likely had something to do with his emotional state, her inability to communicate all the emotions that were battling inside of her. At this moment, there was only one emotion she wanted to act on. She walked to the edge of the bed and proceeded to climb on to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, holding him with her whole body. Though he was beyond surprised, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. Chuck stood there holding her, confused but relishing in her comforting embrace, breathing in the smell of her hair. Without realizing it, he was swaying and rotating back and forth as if rocking a child to sleep.
Several minutes later, Sarah pulled her face out of his neck and looked into his eyes. She spoke no words, she just gazed into his eyes, searching their darkness in the dim light of the room. When she focused, all she could see was herself reflected there. The symbolism was not lost on her. Perhaps 'seeing herself through his eyes' was the secret to it all. The simple reason for everything Chuck had done. Love.
"Chuck," she whispered.
"Sarah, I'm so sor-," he began to whisper in return.
"Shut up and kiss me."
A/N2: Keeping with "T" rating, I'm gonna stop right there and let your imaginations run wild.