CHUCK VS. THE JILL RIDE
SUMMARY: Sarah and Jill must team up and work together in order to save and protect Chuck – which leads to some interesting conversations and confrontations. This story takes place some time in the second half of season two of "Chuck."
DISCLAIMER: I don't own "Chuck."
CHAPTER 9 – THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE
For the first time since the trip began, Sarah awakened feeling rested and relaxed. During most of the nights on this road trip, as they all had come to refer to it, she hadn't slept much and done a lot of tossing and turning or lying awake. But last night had been different. Last night, she slept and slept well. And she knew why. The reason was wrapped all around her right now. Chuck! Chuck was in bed with her. She tightened her arms around him and tried to snuggle closer. And although he seemed asleep, he, in turn, pulled her nearer.
God I love sleeping with him, Sarah thought. Then she had to suppress a giggle as she realized how that sounded. But it was the truth. She loved sleeping with Chuck. Every time she did, whether for cover or security, she got a great night's sleep. No, she corrected herself, she got the best night's sleep of her life. Plus, there was that warm and wonderful feeling that filled her when lying next to him. She was at a loss as to how to exactly describe that feeling.
But whatever it is, she thought, I'd sure like to have a dose of it every day.
She sighed happily and as she lay her head onto Chuck's chest, she found herself wishing again that he wasn't wearing a T-shirt, that his chest was bare. Which in turn made her wish again that they were alone, as her mind wandered to various things that she'd like to do with him. Her eyes strayed over to the other bed in the motel room where she could make out Jill's form under the covers. The brunette had her back to them, so Sarah couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep.
You lose! Sarah thought territorially. A smile broke out on her face as she clutched Chuck tighter. That's right, you lose! she thought again. You're not getting Chuck. You're not getting my Chuck.
And as soon as she finished that thought, Jill sprang up from her bed and dashed into the bathroom without a glance or look toward Chuck and Sarah's way. The door slammed shut and a few moments later, the shower started. Sarah knew it was not possible but it felt like Jill had heard her thoughts and reacted. She turned her head back toward Chuck and saw that he was awake.
"Hey," she greeted him happily.
"Good morning," he replied.
"How did you sleep?" she asked.
"OK. And you?"
"Great!" she enthused. And she meant it. Reluctantly, she moved out of Chuck's arms and sat up. She reached down and stroked his hair. "How about we go get breakfast?" she asked.
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They got some doughnuts and coffee from a shop down the street. Sarah would have preferred a healthier choice but the small donut shop was the closest breakfast venue. So she went along with Chuck's suggestion of a dozen donuts. And on the way back, Sarah stopped the car in front of the motel's office. "Let's see if we can check the email," she said.
The front desk worker pointed at a computer at a table in the corner of the lobby when they asked about checking email. Sarah sat down, got on the internet and typed in the address for her secret email account. Chuck stood close to her as he watched and waited. His closeness was distracting and she thought about wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him against her. But then she saw the in-box for the email account. There was a message there.
"Chuck!" she gasped.
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OK then, I'll be going," Jill said as she stood up and started toward the door.
"Jill…." Chuck said.
"Chuck, no, don't try to talk me out of it. I'm not going back to prison," she said.
Upon arrival back at the motel room, they had told Jill about the all-clear and return home message from Casey. But Jill didn't seem happy about it.
Sarah spoke up before Chuck could say anything. "Jill, you can't leave," she ordered.
Jill turned to Sarah with a disgusted look on her face. "Going to arrest me Agent Walker? Going to follow regulations? I figured as much," she complained. She shook her head and then turned to Chuck. "You see what your wonderful Agent Sarah Walker is really like Chuck? Even after all I've done – saving her life, helping to rescue you, saving her life again and helping to protect you and keep you safe, and what reward do I get? Arrested and brought in by her! Still think she's so great and wonderful? You should—"
"SHUT UP JILL!" Sarah shouted. When the tall brunette got silent, Sarah explained. "I'm not going to arrest you. You're right. You don't deserve that after all the help you given me and Chuck. But you don't deserve a life on the run and in hiding either. I want you to come back with us and let's work out a deal to get you out of prison or reduce your sentence. I think the least I can get is a reduction of your sentence. And maybe if we're lucky, we can get you out of prison entirely. So don't run off or go into hiding. Come back with Chuck and me and let us help you."
Jill looked shocked. Chuck looked slightly surprised but smiled at Sarah.
"You'd do that?" Jill asked quietly. "Why?"
"You helped me save and protect Chuck. And I owe you for that," Sarah replied as she looked at Chuck. And she was grateful for that. She absolutely, positively did not want to lose him nor even consider the possibility of a life without the man. If it hadn't been for Jill, that might have happened. She still hated the brunette and would never forgive her for the things that she did, especially the things that she did to Chuck. But Jill had helped in rescuing him and keeping him safe. And while Sarah would never admit it to Jill, she was also grateful to the brunette for helping her with her relationship with Chuck. Jill had wakened her up on a few things about the man.
Sarah looked at Jill, waiting for an answer. But she didn't reply. Instead, she turned to Chuck. "Could I talk to you alone for a moment?" she asked him.
Chuck looked puzzled. He started to walk toward Jill but then stopped. He turned to Sarah and looked inquiringly. Sarah smiled at him and nodded. It's OK, she communicated silently to him, go ahead and talk to Jill. I trust you.
Chuck smiled back and then walked toward Jill. The pair left the motel room. Sarah remained behind but cast a wary eye toward the closed door. Yes, I trust you Chuck, but I don't trust her. Please don't fall under her spell again. Please come back to me, she thought.
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Once they were alone, Jill turned to Chuck. "What do you think Chuck? Is her offer on the level? Do you think she will really help me get out of prison if I go back?"
Immediately and without hesitation, he answered positively. "And I'll do what I can to help too," he added.
Jill smiled. "Thank you Chuck. But I have no doubts about your help. It's Agent Walker that I'm concerned about. You're sure about this? You're sure that she means what she says about helping me?"
He looked straight into her eyes. "Yes I'm sure." And then he looked a little sad. "Also remember what we've been through. We've been on the run Jill and cut off from our families and our friends. What kind of life was that? Did you really like it? If you don't come back, that's what you'll have – on the run, constantly having to watch out for everyone and everything, always wondering if you can trust this person or that person. Never truly able to relax and let your guard down. I realize that it would probably be better than being in prison. But is that really the type of life you want Jill?" he said.
She shook her head. "You're right. I need to go back. And if Agent Walker is really on the level, then maybe I can get my sentence reduced or, even better, get a release," she said.
"Good!" he replied. "Now let's get going and head for home," He turned to walk back to the motel room but Jill grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Wait Chuck, there's something else I want to talk about with you," she said.
He looked at her inquisitively. Jill started to speak and then stopped. She sighed and then turned away for a moment. He continued to look at her, wondering what was going on. "Jill? What is it?" he asked.
"Chuck…I…I want to…I want to…." She stopped speaking and sighed again. Then she shook her head in frustration. "Why is this so hard?" she complained.
"Jill? What's going on?" he asked.
She reached out with one hand and placed it on his cheek. "Chuck…breaking up with you back at college and then lying to you and using you that time we got back together were the biggest mistakes of my life. Not a day goes by where I wish I could do those times over. I regret losing you both of those times so much. I just wish that I could take back what happened between us. I just…."
She started to cry and pulled her hand away from Chuck's cheek to wipe up the tears. "Dammit!" she moaned. "I didn't think that this would be so hard."
Chuck looked at her inquisitively. "Jill? What are you saying?"
Jill lunged forward and hugged Chuck and held on to him. "Chuck, I want you back! I want us to try again!"
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Worried, frustrated and concerned, Sarah watched through the window as she saw Jill talk to Chuck. She couldn't hear anything. But she knew what was going on. Jill was going to ask Chuck to get back together with her. She knew that.
And when Sarah saw the two embrace, her heart sank. She resisted the urge to rush out there. Please, Chuck, please, she thought desperately.
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"Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute! Hold on!" Chuck said as he pulled back from Jill's embrace. He looked at her face for a moment and then reached up and brushed away some of the tears. Jill leaned her face into his touch. "Jill…I…." he said.
Jill closed her eyes and bowed her head. Then she turned her head back up, opened her eyes and smiled. But it was a sad, defeated smile. "The answer is no, isn't it?" she asked in a whisper. The answer was actually absolutely no, Chuck thought. But he chose to stay silent and just nodded to confirm her statement.
Jill closed her eyes, bowed her head and leaned down a bit. Then she moved forward and hugged him. "I kind of figured that'd be your answer. I was hopeful but I kind of figured," she muttered. Then she looked up at him. "Chuck, I'm so sorry for what I did to you back in college and then later. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
She kept repeating that she was sorry. Chuck put his arms around her, held her as he quietly said that he knew.
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Chuck and Jill were still holding each other. Then they broke apart and walked back toward the room. Sarah kept an eye on their faces, looking for some clue, some sign of what had just transpired between them. Jill looked as if she had been crying. But were those tears of sadness or joy? As they got closer and closer, Sarah's heart pounded and she had to keep reminding herself to breathe in and out. Then she couldn't stand it any more. Enough! She was not going to lose without a fight! She jerked open the door just as they arrived.
"OK, we're done. Let's get our gear and get going," Chuck said as he started to enter the motel room.
Sarah said nothing in reply and grabbed his arm and pulled him away…away from the room, away from where they all stood, and away from Jill. She pulled him about 20 yards away and then jerked him around to face her.
"Chuck! What happened? What did she say? What happened?" she demanded with her voice getting louder with each question.
"Nothing happened. It was nothing—"
"What do you mean nothing happened? What's going on?" Sarah found her voice getting out of control as her emotions fired up. She grabbed his hand tightly like a lifeline, feeling if she could just hold onto him that she wouldn't lose him. And before he could answer, she fired more questions at him. "Are you getting back with Jill? Are you getting back together with her? Are you?
Chuck reached up and grasped each her arms firmly. "No, NO! I am not getting back together with Jill!" he answered.
He stopped and looked at her. Sarah still looked panicky. It was a surprise and shock to him. He wasn't used to Sarah looking like that. Especially CIA Agent Sarah Walker. Did she even hear his answer? he wondered. He gripped her arms a little more tightly and moved toward a little closer.
Sarah still stared blankly at him. Chuck looked back concerned. "Sarah? I am not getting back together with Jill. OK?"
She still didn't answer. "Sarah?" he inquired. He stared at her, still wondering if she heard him.
Suddenly, Sarah lunged forward, wrapped her arms around Chuck's neck and kissed him.
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Jill watched sadly at Chuck and Sarah kissing. "I hope you realize how lucky you are Agent Walker. And I hope you realize what you have there," she whispered.
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The drive back to the Orange Orange took almost all day and around 5:30 p.m., they pulled into the parking lot near the yogurt establishment. And much to Chuck and Sarah's surprise, a lot of activity was taking place at the shop. A big sign, "Closed for Remodeling" was in the window and inside about five or six workers were building or repairing. At least, that's what it would like to someone walking by.
But just one glance and Sarah could tell that all of the workers were agents. Agents waiting for their arrival. As soon she parked, the activity inside the place ceased and all eyes turned to the trio getting out of the car. By the time Sarah, Chuck and Jill had walked up to the Orange Orange's doors, several of the workers were outside and waiting. And when they got inside, they were immediately escorted through the freezer and down to the Castle.
And there awaited General Diane Beckman. She didn't look happy. But did she ever look happy, Sarah wondered.
"Agent Walker, Mr. Bartowski," she greeted. She turned to Jill. "And you are the infamous Jill Roberts who seems to keep popping back into Mr. Bartwoski's life." She eyed the brunette impassively and then turned to one of the agents. "Please escort Miss Roberts to lockup," she ordered.
"General, we need to talk to you about her," Chuck said quickly.
Beckman said nothing. She just looked at Chuck with a stern eye.
"Ma'am, Chuck is right. We do need to talk to you about Jill," Sarah quickly interjected.
"Let's all step into the conference room," the general suggested.
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"Very well, I will do what I can in seeing that Jill Roberts gets at least a reduction in her sentence for all of the help she has provided," the general concluded after hearing what Chuck and Sarah had to say about their road trip. The general then motioned for some agents to escort Jill out of the conference room.
Jill smiled at Chuck as she was led out of the room. "Thank you," she said softly to him. Then she turned to Sarah. "Thank you," she said to the CIA agent.
Once Jill was gone, Beckman turned to Sarah. "Agent Walker, we need to talk, we need to talk alone," she said. And with that, the other agents in the room immediately left.
Chuck, however, remained seated at the table and looked at Sarah, clearly worried. Sarah looked back at him and tried to communicate silently to him that it would be OK. But he still looked concerned. She nodded at him and then motioned for him to leave, which he finally did.
Then the general stood up, shut the door, crossed her arms and then turned to Sarah.
"Agent Walker, you defied everyone and everything after you rescued Mr. Bartowski and took him off grid," she said.
"Yes ma'am I did. But it was to protect him and keep him safe," Sarah responded.
"I agree wholeheartedly Agent Walker. But I want to know something."
"Ma'am?"
"Was this a handler performing these actions or a lover?" the general asked.
"Ma'am, Chuck and I are not lovers," Sarah replied firmly.
"Not yet," the general pointed out.
Sarah said nothing and tried to keep her face unemotional.
"Agent Walker, I am not blind nor am I stupid. I have seen how the Intersect, Mr. Bartowski, looks at you and I have seen how you look at him. I have known for some time how you two feel about each other. It's obvious. A blind person could see it. However, I never acted on those suspicions because I saw no evidence that it affected any missions or assignments. Team Bartowski has always performed well, very well. So until I could see some problem with the team due to those feelings between you and Mr. Bartowski, I saw no reason to act."
"I repeat ma'am, Chuck and I are not lovers," Sarah reiterated.
"Maybe not physically, Agent Walker. But while you have not acted on those feelings, your actions in taking the Intersect off grid speak quite plainly for themselves. You are in love with Mr. Bartowski," Beckman said.
Sarah started to say something. She wasn't sure what. But before she could get a word out, the general pointed a finger at her, immediately stopping her.
"Don't insult me Agent Walker with a denial. As I said, these actions of yours plainly speak for themselves. This all confirms what I have suspected for some time about your feelings for the Intersect. I will repeat, you are in love with Mr. Bartowski." The general paused to let her words sink in. She gazed intently at Sarah who still tried not to show any emotion. Then Beckman continued.
"Generally a situation like this would not be tolerated or allowed. Generally, I would immediately have you or any other agent who fell in love with their asset immediately reassigned and ordered never to have any contact with the asset again."
It took all of Sarah's will power and strength to not react to what the general just said. A pit formed in her stomach as the thought of being separated from Chuck hit her. She knew as much and she expected as much. But it still hit her like a bullet. She fought hard to control her emotions thinking that there had to be some way that she and Chuck could be together. So intent was her concentration that she nearly didn't hear what the general said next.
"Generally, that is what I would do. But in this case, I choose not to do that. You are to remain as Mr. Bartowski's handler."
What did she say? Sarah thought. She looked at the general skeptically. "Excuse me ma'am?"
I said that you are to remain as Mr. Bartowski's handler. And if you and Mr. Bartowski choose to…." Beckman paused and then looked away, deciding not to look directly at Sarah for what she had to say next. "If, if the two of you decide to pursue a relationship with each other, I…I will not do anything about it."
Sarah's eyes got wide. She couldn't believe it. General Beckman was actually approving of a relationship? The general, now having turned back and seeing Sarah's look, held up a finger to emphasize her next point. "If…IF Team Bartowski continues to do the fine and excellent job that they have done. If team results suffer because of this relationship, that's it! Understood?"
Sarah couldn't speak. She still couldn't believe it. After so long of keeping Chuck at arm's length, of hiding and holding back her feelings, of battling and struggling with the thing under the undercover thing as Chuck put it, she now actually had the OK to have what she had wanted for so long. She quickly nodded before Beckman changed her mind.
"Good," the general said. She turned to leave but after two steps turned back. "Oh…and one other thing Sarah," Beckman said. Sarah immediately gave her full attention to the general. As far as she could remember, that was the first time the general had ever called her by her first name. "Off the record, it's about damn time!" Beckman proclaimed with a trace of a smile on her face. Then she started again toward the door.
"General Beckman," Sarah called to stop her. The general faced her again. "Yes Agent Walker?"
"Why are you doing this? Why are you bending the rules for us?"
Beckman sighed and walked closer to Sarah. "The…how should I put it? The, the situation that occurred, that brought about the attempted kidnapping of Mr. Bartowski was, plain and simple, an internal affair that escalated into a disaster. The new director of the CIA questioned how we had treated the Intersect project and how we allowed the Intersect out into the field. He had far different ideas on how the Intersect project should go and how it should be handled and kept secure and safe. So he, without my knowledge or OK, arranged for this, this snatching of Mr. Bartowski in order to get the project under his control. Basically, a case of two agencies not playing nice with each other.
"The CIA and NSA butting heads could have spelled doom or who knows what for the Intersect. I don't know for sure what would have happened if this director's plan had been successful. However, that didn't happen. The Intersect was protected and kept safe from everyone while I sorted out this whole mess and got things back under control. Mr. Bartowski was safe thanks to your actions Agent Walker. And you committed those actions because of your feelings for him. Your feelings saved the Intersect and I dare say, saved us all. So I am not going to try to stop or prevent those feelings which saved us all. In this case, I think such feelings are a strength, not a liability. As long as I said before, Team Bartowski continues to perform and achieve the results that they have in the past."
The general turned to leave but Sarah stopped her again. "General Beckman, there is something else that needs to be discussed.
The general looked at Sarah. "I'm listening," she said.
"Chuck has sacrificed and given so much to this project and our country. And he has done so much. And for what? Casey and I get recognition and commendations for the work but what does Chuck get? It was recently pointed out to me that we use Chuck and benefit from him a lot. But what does he get for it? I didn't like that, I didn't like that at all. So I think that something should be done about that," Sarah said.
The general arched her eyebrows. "I'm still listening. What would you recommend?"
"I realize that the Intersect is a secret and rightfully so. But I think that Chuck could be given commendations in secret so that when the day comes when this project is over and can be declassified, he will be recognized in some way for all the heroic and great work he has done and how many lives he saved. And I also think that he should at least be paid. The current situation is just not fair to him. Quite frankly, the way it is now, we are just using Chuck for our own means and ends. And I think that should be corrected. It's the right thing to do. And yes, we did help get him his degree from Stanford. But that was wrongfully taken away from him and he deserves more, a lot more," Sarah said.
Much to Sarah's surprise, the general immediately agreed. "I think what you said is correct Agent Walker. And I think your proposals are fine ideas. I'll see that they are carried out."
Then she did leave.
Sarah stood in the room, alone for a moment, trying hard not to jump and shriek in excitement and celebration. But she did allow a huge smile to break out on her face. She and Chuck could be together – really be together. She composed herself as she headed for the door. We mustn't flaunt this, she thought. But she couldn't wait to tell Chuck. And how to spring such news on him might be fun; it might be a lot of fun, she decided.
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"Ellie! I told you! We couldn't get any cellular phone signals where we were at!" Chuck said as he paced back and forth in front of the bed where Sarah lay, pretending to read. She smiled. They had arrived at her hotel room about an hour ago. Sarah had already planned the evening's activities, which started with showers. She showered first and then got on the bed and had intended to relax and plan her surprise while Chuck took his shower. But he first had to deal with his sister and try to get explanations in over her ranting and raving about her brother being missing. Ellie Bartowski was definitely not happy.
Sarah looked at Chuck. He now looked horrified.
"WHAT?" he wailed. "Why would you think that?"
Sarah studied him. He had actually paled at what Ellie said. Sarah leaned forward a little to try to hear exactly what was said. And Chuck, noticing Sarah's actions, moved further away from the bed and turned away and talked in a quieter tone.
"Ellie. No! No! No! Sarah isn't! She isn't! Because she isn't!" he insisted.
Sarah wondered what exactly she wasn't. What were they arguing about?
"What do you mean how do I know? Don't you think I would know that? Well ours is, believe me! What? No Ellie! We didn't! No! I promise you! That's not why we were gone! We – What? What do you mean why not? What are you thinking?"
What did we not do? Sarah wondered.
Chuck sighed in frustration, ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed his eyes.
"Ellie! Sarah and I…we're not…we can't…well, we just can't, that's why…yes, of course I do…Ellie…we can't…I thought you were upset with me over the possibility that we did. Now you're upset with me that we didn't?"
He paused to let his sister speak.
"Ellie…it's…complicated," Chuck then said.
That raised Ellie's volume level a lot and produced a lot of yelling from her. Sarah, though halfway across the room from the phone, could easily hear Ellie's anger.
Chuck finally managed to get in a word. "Ellie…I have to go…I'm tired and I want to go to sleep, OK? I'm sorry you were worried but there really wasn't a way for me to get in touch with you. I'm sorry about that…now I need to go, OK? I know and I love you too. Bye!"
He disconnected the call, walked over to the bed, dropped the phone on it and sighed. He had expected to be at home tonight and explain things in person to Ellie. It probably would have gone better than having to do that on the phone. But Sarah had told him that things still weren't completely safe for him yet and that he had to be with her for the next two or three days. And she had insisted that they were going to her hotel and that was not open for discussion. Orders! Sarah commanded when he asked why he couldn't just go back to his apartment.
He tried to protest but Sarah clamped his mouth shut, then grabbed him by the hand and escorted him immediately to her Porsche. Upon which, she drove to her hotel. And drove really, really, fast to the hotel, Chuck noticed. And the second after they entered her room, she locked the door, announced that she was taking a shower and he would be taking one after her. So he had called Ellie while Sarah was in the shower. And he had been stuck on the phone with Ellie since then. He sighed again.
Sarah looked at him in amusement. "Ellie give you a hard time?" she teased.
"You have NO idea," he responded with a roll of his eyes. "Having a sister like that is a—"
"Wonderful and nice thing," Sarah interjected.
Chuck looked at her skeptically.
"Chuck, probably the majority of people on this planet would love to have a brother-sister relationship like you and Ellie," she said.
"Really?" he said sarcastically.
"You and Ellie are so close and you two always look out for each other. It's wonderful," she said.
Chuck stared intently at her for a moment as if trying to read her mind. Sarah knew instantly that he was wondering about her and her past and what things in her life occurred to cause such thoughts and feelings. She never talked like that with him, talked about personal things or opened up like that. She never talked like that with anyone. That's going to change. It's going to change soon, she resolved.
"And by the way," Sarah interjected. "What am I not? And what didn't we do? And why not?"
"What?" Chuck asked.
"You kept saying over and over again that 'Sarah isn't.' and then you said 'We didn't.' And then Ellie was asking why not? What was that all about?"
Chuck rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Never mind, it was just…never mind...it's not even worth mentioning."
Sarah cast a stern eye at Chuck, her suspicions aroused. "Chuck!"
"It's not even worth mentioning," he repeated.
"Chuck!" she warned as she started to rise up in the bed.
He looked at her, saw her determined expression and sighed. "You're not going to stop until I tell you, aren't you?"
Sarah nodded.
"You're going to keep after me until I tell you?"
She nodded again.
"And you're not going to let it go until I tell you, right?"
She nodded a third time.
"Well…you're not going to like it, OK? And just remember that I didn't say this, OK? That it was Ellie, OK? And please, please don't—"
"Chuck!" she commanded.
"Ellie thought that one reason we disappeared was that you were pregnant. I kept telling her no, no, no and she finally believed me. And then she thought that we disappeared to elope. And I kept telling her no, no, no on that and when she finally believed me, she wanted to know why didn't we run away and elope. And then—"
Sarah got up on her knees, leaned over to Chuck, grasped his shoulders and kissed him into silence. When she stopped, he looked at her curiously. "I thought you'd be mad," he said.
Sarah smiled. "Why would I be mad?"
"Well, this was—"
Before he could say anything more, her iPhone rang. She looked at the drawer by the bed and saw Ellie's photo on the display. "Your sister is now calling me," Sarah announced to Chuck. She grabbed the phone and clicked "Accept."
"Hey Ellie!" she said brightly as she smiled at Chuck, who immediately rolled his eyes. And then he lowered his head into his hands and groaned as he heard his sister launch into Sarah.
"Ellie, we would have called but we couldn't because the cell phone signals were weak where we were at," Sarah said as she grinned at Chuck.
Chuck rolled his eyes, shook his head and dashed off to the bathroom to shower.
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Sarah glanced at the bathroom door as she heard the blow dryer stop. A few seconds passed and then she could hear Chuck brushing his teeth. She adjusted her hair, lay down on the bed and then pulled the covers up to her chin. She glanced again at the door and waited.
About a minute later, the door opened and Chuck casually walked out in a T-shirt and his boxers. He looked over at her on the one side of the bed. His eyes looked at the space on the other side and then looked at her, wondering if that space was left for him…left for him to join her in the bed.
Sarah patted that space. "Come to bed," she said with a smile.
"Uh…OK," he said. And he smiled slightly as he walked over to that side of the bed. He was just about to reach out for the covers and get in when Sarah spoke again.
"Chuck?" she asked as she turned on her side to face him.
"Yeah?"
"I was wondering if you could do a big favor for me," Sarah asked with a bright smile.
He looked curiously at her and nodded.
"It has been a long time since I've received a Chuck Bartowski patented back and shoulder massage. Too long. And I'd really like one right now," she said.
"Too long?" he asked. "I just gave you one the other night."
"You don't like giving me a massage? You don't like touching me?" she said with a slight pout on her face.
"No, no, NO! I don't mind it. I don't mind it all. In fact, I love it. I love touching you! I mean I…." He suddenly stopped talking and then shook his head. "Why am I standing here talking when I could be giving the most beautiful woman in the world a massage?" He shook his head again as he got up on the bed and then crouched on his knees and moved toward Sarah.
Sarah flung the sheet off of her as she rolled over onto her stomach. "Start at my shoulders please," she said and lowered her head on its side onto the pillow so that she could still look at Chuck.
Chuck gasped and froze as he stared at Sarah.
Sarah giggled to herself as she could see Chuck staring at her with his mouth wide open and his eyes bugged out in surprise. His lips moved several times in an effort to speak but no words came out. It wasn't until the fourth attempt that he finally managed to get some words out and those, he could only stammer.
"Sa, Sarah?"
She lifted up her head, deliberately putting a casual and relaxed expression on her face.
"Yes Chuck?" she asked.
He just gaped
Sarah smiled, turned up from her stomach, lay onto her side to face him and gave him a full view of the front of her nude body. If possible, his eyes bugged out even more.
"Is there a problem Chuck?" she said sweetly.
He just stared, still open mouthed and eyes bulging. He now seemed incapable of speaking.
"Full body massage! Start at my shoulders!" Sarah commanded. "NOW Chuck!" Then she rolled back onto her stomach and lay her head back down on the pillow.
She didn't have long to wait. Within seconds – if even that long – Chuck was over by her side and then she felt his hands on her shoulders. She sighed as his hands started to work their magic. She lifted up her head and gazed at him.
"And take off your clothes! You won't be needing those!" she commanded.
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Later…much later, they lay in bed in each other's arms. Sarah had her head on Chuck's chest, his naked chest, she thought happily. She sighed as his hand stroked her hair and she wondered if anything could be better than this. She felt truly happy, content and wonderful. Never, never in her life had things felt more wonderful than this. Why did I take so long? I should have gone after him months, years ago! And now that they were together, they were staying together, she thought. She meant what she said to Jill. If she got the chance, she would never give up Chuck for anything!
Chuck softly calling out her name interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head slightly toward him but kept it on his chest.
"Hmmmmmm?"
"Did you want me to finish?" he asked.
"Finish?" she asked. She gazed at him and sighed. "You finished me off magnificently, many times as a matter of fact," she purred.
He chuckled. "The massage, the massage. I didn't finish the massage that you wanted. I never finished that because we…well, we were…." He stopped speaking but his eyes and eyebrows did that Bartowski eye dance that she loved so much.
Sarah grinned and lifted herself up and sat on top of him. Yes, he had not gotten very far with the massage. That had been interrupted.
"Chuck! We're just getting started!" she said and her lips crashed onto his.
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Sarah could hear her iPhone on the dresser near the bed ringing. Casey, she thought, recognizing the ringtone she had programmed for the NSA agent. Quickly, she got out of bed, snatched the phone, clicked "Accept."
"Hold on!" she barked at Casey. She lowered the phone to her side and looked at Chuck. She stroked his hair and studied him. He was still asleep. Good. The call had not awakened him. She wasn't sure about how much sleep he had gotten on the floor during the road trip. And she certainly knew that he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. Nor did she for that matter. She smiled at that as she thought about how they had made up for lost time all night and most of the morning. Well, started to make up for it, she amended.
She wandered into the bathroom so that she could talk without waking Chuck up. She wanted him to rest. He needed it.
"What is it Casey?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"Don't what-is-it me Walker. When are you two coming into work?" the NSA agent demanded.
"We're not. We're taking time off."
"Fulcrum and terrorists don't take days off Walker. Now you two get your butts in here pronto!"
"Do we have a mission?" Sarah questioned.
"That's not the point. You two need—"
"Do we have a mission?" Sarah persisted.
Casey didn't answer.
"Casey, do we have a mission? Yes or no?"
"No."
"All right then, we're taking time off."
"Well Bartowski has a job at the BuyMore, remember?"
"The BuyMore can do without him," Sarah replied.
"That's what you think," Casey muttered.
"Look Casey, these past days have been rough on both Chuck and me. So we're taking time off. We've earned it and we need it."
"I'll bet you need it."
"Goodbye Casey. See you in a few," Sarah said and disconnected the call.
She and Chuck were definitely taking time off. She had plans for the two of them. But right now they needed to rest. She grinned and sighed when thinking about how busy they had been last night and most of the morning. And they had even taken some time to talk. They had both talked. And much to Sarah's delight, they had talked like a real and normal couple. And much to her surprise, she had found out that Chuck had absolutely no intention of getting back together with Jill. No way in hell, that bridge had been burned, fried, nuked, was how Chuck had put it. And all of those conversations that he and Jill had during the road trip? TV, movies, comic books, games, and that was it, Chuck explained.
A lot of fears had been for nothing, Sarah realized. And she had learned that by talking with him. Well, we're going to be talking a lot from here on, she vowed. She intended to take full advantage of the general giving the OK on a relationship with Chuck. I think he's going to need round-the-clock protection. He should move in with me here. Better yet, we should find our own place together, she thought.
She wandered out of the bathroom and discovered that Chuck was awake. Dammit Casey, you woke him up, she thought with annoyance.
"Hey!" he greeted.
"Hey," she replied as she got back into the bed next to him. They immediately snuggled up together. I could get used to this, Sarah thought happily, I could really get used to this. She looked at him and smiled.
He smiled back.
"Sarah?"
"Yes Chuck?"
"In all of our talking and everything else that we did last night and this morning, I forgot…well, I didn't forget, it's just that I was kind of distracted…wait, that's not right…it's…well, there is something very important that I want to say."
Sarah forced back a slight twinge of worry that started to form and looked inquiringly at him. She wondered if this was going to be something about Jill or some other bad thing. But her fears were pointless.
"I love you Sarah Walker," he said with a smile.
"I love you Chuck Bartowski," she said, smiling back at him.
Earlier this morning, she thought that things had felt wonderful. Now everything felt perfect. So perfect!
END CHAPTER 9
NOTE: OK, next we have a nice, fluffy epilogue and that will be it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will enjoy the epilogue to come. Please review! I love reading your comments.