Chuck walked into his apartment and found Ellie..
"Hey chuck you're home early. I'm cooking lunch, sit." she said, motioning for Chuck to sit at the counter.
"Thanks sis. I needed to get out of there. The Buy More I mean. Where's Captain Awesome?" Chuck called out.
"He's taking a shower. Want to talk about it?" Ellie put down the fire and turned to face Chuck, placing a grilled cheese sandwich in front of him.
"I don't know. I've just been looking at my life. I mean really looking back and I just want to go back to that exact moment when everything changed into something I wasn't necessarily planning on" Chuck tried as best as he could to really let his sister in, but not give away too much, so he was very careful with his words. "I mean, you, you're a doctor now. Doing something, going somewhere. About to start a family."
"Chuck, you're a great person but in order for you to have a great life, at some point you gotta stop living in the past. It's unfair what Bryce did to you but that shouldn't decide what you're doing or who you'll be tomorrow" Ellie said, the concern evident on her face.
Bryce sent me the Intersect and tomorrow I'll still be the Intersect.
"You've got your diploma. You're smart. You'll find a good job and live the life you've always wanted. And you've got Sarah."
Providing the CIA and the NSA let me get a different job and actually have a life outside of spy-world. Providing Sarah decides to stay.
"And for your information, I have my family. Nothing can change that." She said ruffling his hair.
Yet I can't ever let you know what's going on with me. And I may have to someday disappear for your own safety.
"I love you too, sis" Chuck said with a weak smile.
"It'll all work out, I promise." She added, going back to her cooking.
Why then did Chuck feel so helpless?
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Sarah parked on the side of the road near Chuck's apartment and turned off the engine. She felt a little stranger being there after what happened last night, but she needed to talk to Chuck about a little trip the three of them had to take.
Thinking about what transpired made Sarah's stomach lurch. Not that she regretted it, but she knew that it shouldn't have happened after what happened at the station. She told Casey that she could still protect Chuck. That was Sarah's only fear at the moment. It didn't matter the scenario, it all ended the same way: with Chuck gone. She didn't know what she would do if that happened. Even worse if it was because of her; because of her inability to do her job.
Sarah cared about Chuck. She had admitted that to herself. But last night… just shouldn't have happened. She knew he was going to want to talk about it and she knew she was going to have to talk to him about it. Though that knowledge didn't make it any easier.
After a long, unthinking moment, Sarah opened her car door and stepped out.
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Chuck was sitting on his bed staring at nothing when he heard a knock on the window.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Chuck turned towards the direction of the voice, and he smiled.
Sarah couldn't help that tiny flutter form in her chest. She smiled back.
"Hey, how long have you been standing there?" Chuck asked as he stood to help her climb in through the window (even though she could have somersaulted in).
Always the gentleman, "Long enough. I was going to knock at the door but I saw that your window was open. You left work early." It was more a statement than a question.
"Yeah I did. I just needed to be somewhere else" Chuck said, hoping to dodge the question he was afraid was about to follow. He resumed his position on the bed.
Luckily Sarah didn't push. She knew how to read Chuck, it was her job, so she tried to tell herself. Besides, you didn't need to be a spy to know what was bothering him. After news like that, who wouldn't be a little rattled? "I see..." She said instead.
"And you... You just left" Chuck said, "You didn't even let me know you were leaving."
Sarah was caught by surprise. I guess they were going to have the conversation now. "I know. I had some things to do for my job. I'm sorry"
"For leaving or for last night?" Chuck asked looking at her with a different intensity than the one he had last night. But then he looked away and his whole demeanor softened. "I get it. I'm still a job. Now more than ever, I get it… "
Sarah sat down on the bed next to Chuck, "For what it's worth... it was completely comfortable on my end."
Sarah smiled at Chuck. Chuck looked back at her and genuinely smiled in return, recalling his statement after their first kiss.
"I'm just saying," Sarah playfully said with a smile, brushing back a loose curl from his forehead.