Chapter 4

Casey entered castle carrying the box he had just retrieved at LAX. He immediately went to work opening it to exam its contents. The box contained several files on the new recruits Sarah would be expecting tomorrow. He pulled out his phone and dialed his partner.

"Walker." she finally answered on the third ring.

"You got a package here from Beckman. She sent files of all the new recruits you have coming in tomorrow afternoon. You should probably get over here and go through them."

Sarah watched as Chuck tucked his toothbrush into the side pocket of his duffel bag. "Casey, I'm not coming in tonight. Chuck is leaving in the morning and I want to spend some time with him before he goes."

Chuck sat on the edge of his bed. He reached for the picture that had graced his nightstand. It was a picture of him and Sarah taken a couple of months ago at one of Ellie's famous dinner parties. Chuck smiled as he ran his finger over the image of the smiling couple inside the frame. Sarah watched as Chuck placed the picture into his bag and zipped it up.

"Oh I bet you do. When are you going to learn to keep it in your pants Walker?" Casey spat out from the other end of the phone.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Casey just go through the files. After Chuck boards his plane tomorrow I'll have time to look them over before they arrive. You can fill me in on anything that might stand out."

"Fine Walker, but I'm not going to do your job for you. You better be on your game tomorrow." Casey hung up abruptly. Sarah just shook her head and did the same.

"Problems with Casey?" Chuck asked noticing the frustrated look on Sarah's face.

"What?….oh you know, just Casey being Casey." Sarah said as she took a seat on the bed next to him. "So did you pack everything you need?"

"Yeah. Beckman told me to pack lightly, just the necessities. She said where I'm going I'll be well taken care of."

Sarah leaned against Chuck. Her head came to rest near his shoulder. Chuck reached for her hand, their fingers laced together. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Sarah?" his voice slightly louder than a whisper.

"Yeah?" She lifted her head to look up at him.

"Sarah, before I go….I just want to tell you…" before Chuck could finish, he was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. Chuck let out a sigh. "Hold that thought." he said as he got up from the bed and headed to the front door. Sarah followed suit.

The pounding on the door persisted until Chuck finally made it to the living room. "Okay, Okay, I'm coming." he said as he approached the door. Sarah by his side.

Chuck opened the door to find Morgan and Anna standing there holding a large pizza and 2 six packs. "Morgan?…Hey buddy…what are you doing here?" Chuck asked before glancing over to the beautiful blonde by his side.

Morgan squeezed his way pass Chuck and Sarah, making his way into the Bartowski living room, Anna followed closely behind. "Well Chuck, our flight leaves for Hawaii in three hours and I thought who better to spend my last few moments in LA with than my best buddy. Anna and I picked up a pizza and some cold brewskies and thought we could have one last meal together. Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again." Morgan set the pizza and beer down on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch.

"Morgan that's great and all, it's just Sarah and I had made plans for dinner tonight. In fact we were just about to head out."

Sarah couldn't help but feel bad when she saw the look of disappointment come over Morgan's face. She grabbed Chuck by the arm. "Chuck it's fine. We have time to have some dinner with Morgan and Anna before they head out. Surely we can spare an hour of our time for your best friend."

Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. He concluded that either Sarah was the most incredible, unselfish, caring woman he ever met in his life, or perhaps she was trying to avoid spending time alone with him.

"It's settled then. Anna grab some plates from the kitchen." Morgan exclaimed as he threw open the pizza box and started to dig in. Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and led him over to the sofa where they both took a seat next to Morgan. Chuck gave her a puzzling look. Anna proceeded to hand out plates while Morgan began passing out beers to everyone.

"So Morgan, do you guys know where you're going to stay yet?" Sarah asked while she picked at the olives on her pizza, scrutinizing it very closely for any remains. Chuck smiled, he knew she disliked olives and found it amusing the lengths she would go to to remove every single trace of them before proceeding to take a bite of her pizza.

"Well we have a reservation at this quaint little bed and breakfast. Got a great deal on an extended two week stay while we look for something a little more permanent." Morgan stated before inhaling half of his slice of pizza in one bite.

The four of them talked about Hawaii and Morgan's plans for the good part of an hour. Fifteen minutes later chuck was finally able to convince Morgan that he should get headed over to the airport. He didn't mean to rush them, but he had his own goodbyes to say tonight and he wanted as much time as he could get.

Morgan pulled Chuck into a big embrace and Sarah was pretty sure she saw Morgan shed a tear as the two said their goodbyes. Sarah hugged the couple as well and wished them a safe trip. Chuck ad Sarah watched the two make their exit and closed the door behind them. Chuck then turned his attention back to Sarah.

"What was that?" he asked obviously confused by her actions tonight.

"What was what?" she questioned.

"Sarah…I thought we were going to go have a nice dinner together….you know, just the two of us?" Chuck looked a little hurt.

"I know Chuck, but he's your best friend. What were we supposed to do? You know Morgan's always been jealous of the time we spend together. Besides he's leaving tonight, who knows when you'll see him again. I know it would bother you if you didn't get a proper goodbye with him."

"What about myproper goodbye with you Sarah?"

Sarah moved in closer to Chuck and placed her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would upset you Chuck. I honestly thought you would regret it if you didn't have that time with him."

Chuck could see the sadness in her eyes and he knew she wasn't looking for a reason to avoid being alone with him; she was merely that truly incredible, unselfish, caring woman who put everyone else's needs before her own. Chuck leaned in a kissed her tenderly on her lips. When the two parted, they were both a little winded. Chuck gazed into her eyes with pure desire. Sarah felt it too. She managed to pull away before things got out of hand. "What time is it?" She asked him.

Chuck snapped back to reality with the question. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. The watch she had given him nearly two years ago. "It's about quarter after 8. Why?"

"Well, I know we missed out on our private dinner, but how about going out for some dessert?"

"We could do that, or we could stay here and have some….dessert." Chuck suggested with a wink.

"Chuck." Sarah blushed.

"Okay, okay." Chuck conceded. "Let me just throw my bag in the car so it's ready for the morning and we can head out. I'll meet you in the car." Chuck said before heading to his room to retrieve his bag.

Sarah waited in the driver's seat of her car while Chuck tossed his bag into the trunk. She didn't see the two blankets or the small cooler Chuck also placed in the trunk.

Chuck hopped into the passenger seat and they were off.

Casey closed the last of the files and tossed it down on the table. "Looks like Walker's got her work cut out for her." he sighed as he learned back in his chair and stretched his arms. Casey glanced at his watch, It was nearly 9:30. He decided he was going to call it a night, he knew tomorrow was going to be just as long of a day as today had been if not longer.

"Do you want the last bite?" Chuck held out his heaping spoonful of ice cream mere inches from Sarah's mouth.

"God no, I couldn't possibly eat another bite. That had to be the biggest banana split I've ever seen. I'm just glad we shared because there is no way I could have eaten one of those on my own."

Chuck laughed before devouring the last spoonful of ice cream.

"What time is it Chuck?"

Chuck glanced down at his watch. "It's just after 9:30."

Sarah couldn't help but be a little disappointed. The time sure seemed to be flying by tonight. "You probably want to get home and get some sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." the disappointment clear in her voice.

"Not at all." Chuck replied taking Sarah's hands into his. "In fact I thought maybe we could head down to the beach. It's a beautiful night for a moonlit stroll, that is if you want to."

Sarah smiled and wondered how it was she was able to keep her distance from the man before her for so long. "Absolutely" She replied with a smile. Chuck smiled back, releasing her hand from his, he went to retrieve his wallet from his back pocket. Chuck tossed a few bills on the table as he stood up. Chuck extended his hand to Sarah which she gladly accepted and the two were off once again.

Sarah and Chuck strolled the beach hand in hand. They had both decided to remove their shoes early on. Sarah loved the feel of the sand between her toes. "What a beautiful night. Have you ever seen so many stars in the sky?" They had come to a stop so Sarah could take in the view.

Chuck couldn't help but stare. The moonlight cast a glow upon her face like nothing he had ever seen before and he was mesmerized by her beauty.

Sarah turned her attention to Chuck when he failed to respond to her question, only to catch him staring at her.

"What? Do I have ice cream on my face or something?" Sarah wiped at her face and Chuck laughed.

"No, not at all…I just…I've never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. Sarah….you take my breath away." Chuck moved in to brush a few strands of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered longer than necessary and slowly made it's way down her cheek. She lost herself in the depths of his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She suddenly found it very hard to breathe at that moment.

Sarah and Chuck found themselves being pulled closer and closer together until they were mere inches apart. Chuck's gaze fell to Sarah's lips, they looked so inviting and if he closed his eyes he could almost taste their sweetness.

Sarah's eyes drifted to Chuck's lips, she wanted nothing more at that moment then to feel them pressed tightly against hers, moving in sync with the pounding of their hearts and their labored breaths, igniting a fire neither of them could put out.

Sarah placed her hand at the nape of Chuck's neck and brought him in closer to her. His hands simultaneously moved to her waist and together they closed the gap between them. Their lips met briefly before devouring one another. Chuck's hands moved frantically up Sarah's back pulling her closer to him if that was even possible. Sarah ran her fingers through Chuck's curly locks urgently as their tongues danced with one another in a desperate plea not to let go.

After several minutes of passionate kisses and desire filled embraces, the couple's need for air eventually outweighed their need for one another and their lips parted slowly as they tried to catch their breath.

Chuck held her close to him, his heart was beating so hard he thought that it might actually explode. Sarah held on to him tightly, afraid to let go, afraid if she did, she may never experience the warmth of his embrace again.

A few minutes later the two were finally able to catch their breath. Chuck pressed his lips softly against her forehead. She looked up at him and a single tear made it's way down her cheek. Chuck gently brushed it away with his thumb.

"How am I going to say goodbye to you?" he asked before resting his forehead against hers. Sarah did the only thing she could. She pulled him into a tight embrace and held on for dear life.

After what seemed like an endless day Casey finally made it back to his apartment. He noticed that the lights were off at Chuck's apartment. Casey checked the time on his watch. 11:13. "Hmm, I hope Bartowski's out sowing some wild oats and didn't get any ideas about running again." Casey said aloud as he made his way inside his apartment.

Sarah sat staring out into the water, listening to the serene sound of the waves crashing against the shore. She hugged her knees to her chest while she waited for Chuck to return from the car. Her mind drifted to the kiss they had just shared. It made her breathless just thinking about it and sent shivers down her spine.

"Here we go." Chuck said as he approached from behind. Sarah stood up and turned around to seem him laying out one of the two blankets he just retrieved from the car. He motioned for Sarah to have a seat on it. Chuck then proceeded to open his small cooler. Sarah looked surprised when he pulled out a chilled bottle of Champaign and two glasses.

"Chuck. What is all this?"

Chuck went about pouring two glasses of Champaign and handed one to Sarah. "This, Sarah Walker is a celebration."

"A celebration?" She looked confused.

"That's right, a celebration. We have a lot to celebrate Sarah. After I get on that plane tomorrow, there is nothing stopping us from being together."

Sarah put down her glass. "Yeah… nothing but distance."

"Sarah, I'm coming back, nothing could keep me from you….Nothing…come on, no more sadness tonight, I can't bear it."

Sarah looked up at him and a faint smile formed on her face. "You're right Chuck, we do have a lot to celebrate."

"That's more like it." Chuck held up his glass to hers. "To us and to a wonderful future…together." She clinked her glass against his and the two sipped at their drinks.

"Oh I almost forgot." Chuck pulled out his IPOD, pressed a few buttons and laid it on top of the cooler. Soft music began to play. Chuck got up on his feet and extended his hand to Sarah. "How about it Miss Walker?…Want to dance?"

Sarah smiled up at him and extended her hand to him. He pulled her to her feet. "You know I do." She said before he took her in his arms.

The two began to sway slowly to the music that filled the air. Sarah rested her head on Chuck's shoulder and he lovingly caressed her back as they moved in time to the music. They were both silent as they took in the moment, savoring every minute of their last night together.

"Sarah…Before I leave…there's something I want to say to you." Chuck parted slightly from Sarah so that he could look at her.

"Chuck what is it?" She couldn't help but miss his arms around her as he pulled away.

"I'm sure it's not anything that is going to come as a surprise to you, I've always been pretty open with you about my feelings. I just…I know you're not really good with this whole expressing yourself and talking about your feelings…I just don't want you to feel like you.." Chuck rambled on, Sarah knew this was his nervous chatter.

"Chuck, just say it." She placed her finger over his lips to silence him.

"Sarah. Before I leave, I just wanted to tell you….I need to tell you…I love you…I have never loved anyone the way I love you. You mean everything to me, and I didn't want to leave you tomorrow without you knowing that." Chuck's eyes fell to the ground, he was actually scared to look at her, he wasn't sure how she would react to him actually saying the words.

Sarah pulled away from him and turned, her back now facing him.

"Sarah?….Please say something." He pleaded with her taking a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"Chuck…It's just…that's the first time a guy has ever said that to me where I actually believed it…"

Chuck placed a hand on her shoulder prompting her to turn around and face him. Finally she did. "You should believe it Sarah, because it's the truth."

"I know. And you're right Chuck, I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I never have been…Believe it or not, I've never actually said those words to anyone before, at least not in the context you're saying them to me…I thought I was in love once before but…I don't know anymore… Chuck…When I'm with you….I feel things I've never felt before…No one has ever made me feel this way in my whole life…Until I figure out what all these things I'm feeling are…I…"

Chuck reached out for her hands. "Hey it's okay Sarah, I understand. You don't have to say it right now. I know you care about me and that's enough for now."

"Chuck…I just want you to know that….Just because I don't say it, it doesn't mean I am not feeling things for you, because I am."

"I know Sarah. I know." He pulled her in his arms once again and she fell effortlessly into his embrace.