Title: Chuck vs. Life
Author: marybr
Characters: mainly Chuck/Sarah (but the regulars are there – Casey, Ellie, Morgan, Awesome, etc.)
Chapters: 12/?
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters portrayed in this fic. I'm gaining nothing with this, except the sheer joy of being Chuck/Sarah's puppet master.
Summary: First of all I suck at summaries, so regard this fact as you read this. The fic fits right after the last episode aired (1x11), and it basically picks up after those events. It's nothing more than Chuck and co. moving on with their lives, and especially centering on how Chuck and Sarah will deal with their mutual feelings. I know, this summary blows… Just read the first chapter, and you'll get a sense of what is actually about.
A/N: Long time, huh? I wanted to say I'm sorry for the massive amount of time you guys had to wait for this new chapter. You all know the tales of life and laziness, right? I don't need to fully explain lol
Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for the patience, and thanks for all the PMs I received encouraging me to keep going. I do have to confess that they were definitely a push towards start writing new material.
You are all great, and I really appreciated all the latest reviews!
Oh, almost forgot… BillatWork, on the lying thing you were talking to me about, I don't think it's that much ooc. Sarah's done it before about Bryce. So, I guess it could happen again :)
Without further ado here's the new chapter.
I hope you all enjoy, and don't think I'm too rusted :D
Chapter XII
"On three I will pull, ok?" she rhetorically asked, holding at one edge of the bandage.
Chuck simply nodded while holding his t-shirt up, exposing a bare abdomen. His eyes were semi-closed in anticipation. Bad anticipation.
"One, two…" she slowly counted ripping the bandage quickly before hitting number three.
"Ouch!" the curly haired guy winced.
"You're such a big baby," the woman said midst a playful smile, folding the used bandage.
"You said you'd only pull on three, Ellie," Chuck whined, but kept holding the t-shirt up.
"I've said that every time I changed your bandages in the last month. And every time you always fell for that," she teased, throwing the used bandage in the bathroom garbage nearby of where she was squatted.
"Well, excuse my naiveté and utter trust in my big sister's word," he sarcastically and yet jokingly put it, while seating on the edge of the bathtub right in front of Ellie.
"A big baby and a drama queen!" the brunette continued to tease inspecting the stitches.
Chuck smiled.
"The stitches look great, no sign of infection. I'll probably be able to take those off for you in a couple of days," she added, gently pressing her index finger around the stitched wound.
"Great. I can't wait to get rid of these itchy things," he said looking down at the stitches.
It had been a month and a half since Chuck left the hospital. The recovery from the shot wasn't easy, but he was lucky enough to have a sister who was also a doctor and who would make sure he was free from pain 24-7. This was a great deal for a guy like Chuck who had like no threshold for pain.
During his convalescent state a few things also had to be adjusted when it came to Chuck's job. Not at Buy More, of course. Concerning his job at the Buy More you get shot you stay off until you get better. Computers and other tech stuff can wait. Other people surely can take care of that. However, Chuck's other job, his secret one, couldn't be put off that simply. Bad guys and crimes can't wait. No other person possesses the knowledge stuck in Chuck's head.
The powers that be were far from happy that the Intersect "got damaged". Their exact choice of words. Sarah and Casey got an ear full about how they should have guarded him better, but they were glad enough that the missions weren't hazarded. Chuck wasn't able to go to missions with the agents, but the three of them managed to make it work with microscopic cameras and a laptop.
Chuck, who started his bed-stuck days very patient with how Sarah was denying her true feelings for him, now after almost two months and zero progression, found himself back to being frustrated. He was determined to give her more time, but this was beyond his worst estimates.
In all this time that passed, Sarah visited him, and they worked on missions together. But she was very careful not to be left alone with him; she avoided it like the plague. And at the few occasions they were actually alone she avoided eyes contact, and if he brought up the issue she simply evaded or denied everything. Yeah, it was more than safe to say that Chuck's patience definitely called her ugly sister impatience to take her place.
"Are you excited about getting back to work tomorrow?" Ellie asked while retrieving the anti-septic spray from the tub's edge.
"Yeah, doing absolutely nothing the whole day is fun for a while, but it gets old really fast. I've never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss my job," Chuck replied nostalgically.
"Well, our cousin's wedding is next week," she said while spraying the anti-septic on Chuck's stitches.
"So?" he asked handing her the new bandage that was right beside him.
"Remember? We RSVP'd, and our flights are already booked. I know you and Julia are no longer together, but you can take Morgan… or Sarah," she tried her luck, while taking out the spray excess with a cotton ball.
Chuck was about to protest, but she kept going.
"Or anyone else you choose. But, I really think that the change of air will do you good," she finished, placing the new bandage in place.
"First of all, Sarah is not an option, out of question…" he tried but was cut by his sister.
"I don't even want to hear the rest. Suit yourself; but you're going, and that's a doctor's order," the brunette finished, got up and fled the bathroom before Chuck could respond.
"But I don't want to go…" he whined to an empty bathroom.
"And you're not even my doctor," Chuck quickly added in clear defeat.
The rest of the day went by without anything eventful happening, and when morning came Chuck found himself happy for going back to work at Buy More. So, he put on the black slacks, white shirt, and tie, and off he went.
When he arrived at the store it seemed like nothing had changed. He took a little time at the entrance door to take a good look around and take in his surroundings. There was no denying, the Buy more felt like home. Chuck went ahead towards the Nerd Herd station, but there was no one there. On the station counter he saw a cake that read: "Welcome back Chu". Clearly a piece of cake – or two – had already been eaten, and like that the "ck" was gone. Chuck was startled by a female voice behind him.
"Oh, my God! I told you guys to wait for him to cut the cake. You're such pigs!" Anna fumed, looking very displeased.
"Welcome back, Chuck," she added, leaving the anger behind, and giving Chuck a rather contained hug.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Big Mike and I couldn't resist the chocolate. Plus, my man Chuck doesn't mind, right? Welcome back, dude!" the bearded guy put it loudly while patting Chuck on the back.
"It's nice to be back, really nice. Thanks for the cake, or what's rest of it," he joked, smiling brightly at his friends.
"I missed this place," Chuck added, taking another good look around.
"I have a hard time believing anyone would miss this place," Lester said sarcastically.
"But it's good to see you, Chuck," he added quite genuinely.
"Yeah, totally man," Jeff managed to add.
"Thank you, guys. It means a lot coming from you," Chuck said, displaying his mega-watt typical smile.
"Yeah, I know it's nice to have Chuck back. Welcome, Bartowski. But work isn't short around here, so you all better get to it. And can anyone please get me another piece of that fine cake?" Big Mike roughly said, while rushing to his office.
Lester and Jeff went behind the Herd station to work, and Anna started cutting Big Mike another piece of cake.
"Ah, it seems like nothing changed," Chuck let out, pleased by the feeling of constancy.
"And it didn't, my friend. It didn't," Morgan said, patting Chuck once again on the back, and headed towards a customer.
Apparently things didn't change indeed, because right at that moment Chuck saw Casey discretely calling him to the break-room area. The brown eyed guy sighed, and went slowly to the NSA agent.
"Hey, Casey," Chuck said when he entered the room.
"Hey. I'm sorry, buddy. I forgot the 'Welcome Back' banner in the car. I even had hand painted it myself," the agent said sarcastically, with a smirk on his face.
"You know what? If you're going to…" Chuck said nonchalantly, while turning around to leave.
"Wait. No need to get your panties all in a bunch, Bartowski," Casey let out, sans smirk on his face.
Chuck stopped from leaving the room, and turned around back to Casey.
"A big baby and a drama queen," the agent said, simply unable to miss this one.
Chuck was caught by surprise with that one.
"Were you… I don't even want to know. If you don't have anything important to say to me, I'll just get to work," Chuck said, turning around to leave again.
"Actually I wanted to talk to you about the whole wedding thing," Casey went to the point.
"Not you, too. Of all people…" Chuck tried but was interrupted by the agent.
"Please, the last thing I want to do is discuss wedding stuff with you. But since you are obviously going, we can't let the Intersect out of our view for an entire weekend. Especially with Fulcrum on the loose. General orders," the NSA agent said, taking a seat at the couch.
"You want to go with me to wedding?" the nerd asked, unable to contain the shocked look on his face.
"Look at me, Bartowski. Do you picture me in a wedding? I don't do weddings," Casey stated firmly, accompanied by his best tough look.
"It's fine, I don't need a chaperone. I can take care of myself for a weekend, thank you very much," Chuck joked lightly, taking a seat at the coffee table.
"Not an option. The only reason the General is even letting you go is because you got shot on duty. See it like your one-time get out of jail free card, and I suggest you use it. Giving is not one of her usual qualities, if you know what I mean. You'll take agent Walker," the Major said without ceremony.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Chuck said a little unsure.
At one hand, Chuck had been dying to have some time alone with Sarah, after he got shot, to be able to confront her and press her about the true nature of her feelings for him. On the other hand, she had plenty of time to go to him and open up about everything. But all she did was avoiding him, and evading. It was clear she wasn't ready, and that was leaving Chuck frustrated and borderline mad. Chuck pondered if this wedding thing was a good idea. Maybe it could give her, it could give them the opportunity they needed. Maybe she was up to it.
"Does she know about this? Did she say she would go?" he added, interested by the possibility all of the sudden.
Chuck heard footsteps behind him; he turned around and saw Sarah herself entering the room.
Sarah was in her usual Weinerlicious uniform. Her hair was down, she wore flats, and there was nothing particularly unusual or special about her at that moment. But she still managed to take Chuck's breath away, and his heart began to beat faster the minute she walked into the room.
The blonde CIA agent looked calm, and a cute smile graced her face. Sarah was happy to see Chuck back at work. She was glad to see him back to what was normal to him. After he got shot everything she really wanted was to see him well, she wanted things to just go back to the way they were. And she was eager to tell him that. She was looking forward to a light and yet sincere exchange between the two of them. She knew the weight of her denial, inability, and impossibility to confess her feelings had put a heavy strain on their relationship. But she was happy for him and she wanted to let him know.
"Hi," she greeted Chuck, smiling even brighter.
"Hey," he replied, matching her full smile.
"I'm glad to see you back to work," the blonde offered sincerely, while tucking a strand of lose hair behind her ear.
"Yeah, it's nice to be not at my bed. A few more days and I'd probably develop sores," he joked in a flirtatious sort of tone.
Sarah grinned, and took a seat on the couch. Casey, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and couldn't look any more disgusted. He was about to interject, but Sarah bit him to the punch.
"How are the stitches coming along?" she asked with a mix of concern and interest in her eyes.
"Oh, Ellie said they look good. I should be able to take them off soon," Chuck promptly answered.
"Great. Do you…" Sarah tried but was cut off by an annoyed Casey.
"Please, enough with the chit-chat!" the NSA agent blurted out.
"These exchanges of yours should be studied and applied as a form of torture. I know I'd crack. Walker, you'll be babysitting little Chuckie here at his cousin's wedding in San Francisco next weekend," he added firmly.
"What?" she asked in surprise, rather blindsided by his statement.
Great! She didn't know, Chuck thought.
"The General allowed…" Casey started to say.
Chuck snorted loudly in reaction to the agent's phrasing. Casey ignored him, preferring to just shoot him a dirty look.
"She allowed him to leave the city for the weekend to attend the wedding. However, as you must know, the Intersect can't be out of sight especially now. It's too risky. That's when you come in," the Major finished.
"I… I don't think, uh, that's a good idea," Sarah said uncertainly, while taking her time to quickly steal a glance at Chuck who was at her right sitting on the coffee table.
Fantastic! She doesn't even want to go, Chuck completed the thought.
Sarah knew she couldn't spend a whole weekend with Chuck. She was having trouble maintaining her stand as it was. She didn't even wanted to imagine how tough it would be if she had to indeed go away with him… to a wedding of all places.
"There's no other way," Casey stated calmly.
The NSA agent got up from the couch.
"As of now you two are back together," he added, holding his right hand on the air and snapping his finger for sarcastic effect.
"Oh, the joy," Casey finished ironically, heading for the door.
"Wait. You can go with Chuck," Sarah tried in a desperate move.
Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he wasn't mistaken he could even sense Sarah's desperate tone. She really didn't want to go to this thing. His disbelief expression was not at all lost on Sarah, who every once in a while looked quickly in his direction to measure the damage she was causing.
"Yeah, right! I don't do weddings, plus the General let me in on a quick military mission on my down time. Lots of gun play," the agent said firmly and unable to disguise the excitement.
Chuck could no longer stand by silent on the matter.
"I agree with Sarah," he said louder that he had intended.
Both Sarah and Casey were caught by surprise. Sarah more than her partner.
"I don't want to take you… or Casey for that matter," he added confidently, standing up.
Sarah couldn't pretend those words didn't hurt her. Had he no idea that they would? She wondered. Suddenly she felt aggravated as much as Chuck did when she was the one protesting the idea of the trip.
Chuck and Sarah locked eyes as if Casey wasn't even in the room. Both were upset with one another, and the tension could be cut with a knife.
"And I don't want to go with him," she said defiantly, the fire burning in her eyes as she stood up.
"Ok, that's enough!" Casey said loudly, commanding the other two's attention.
"I don't know, and I care even less about what's going on here with you two. The fact is that this is work…" he continued in a lower tone, and emphasizing the last word.
"…and you both have to suck it up and put whatever this is behind you. You are going to this thing together and that's that," he finished, arching his right eyebrow for effect.
Chuck looked from Casey to Sarah, and back to Casey. Sarah looked from Casey to Chuck, and back to Casey. The moods of the three people in the room were altered.
"Fine!" Sarah mustered up the small amount of calmness she possessed at the moment and said, looking Chuck at in the eye.
"Good!" Chuck said in defiance, staring right back at her.
Sarah didn't feel like she was quite finished there.
"Great!" she added emphasizing her statement.
"Brilliant!" he said, unable to let her have the last word.
Their faces were merely inches apart at that point. The tension was so high that a knife was no longer necessary, a mere breathe could cut it. Sarah felt her cheeks burning up, and Chuck felt light headed as all of his blood seemed to be at his head. If Morgan were in the room he would describe the moment as plain hot.
"Yeah, yeah… I guess we all got the point. Now if you excuse me I have a duplex fridge to move," Casey said very calmly, and headed for the door.
As he was about to exit, he said to himself more than to anyone else,
"Nobody messes with my gun play time."
Chuck got a hold of himself, and Sarah took a deep breath.
"I guess, uh, I'll send you the details about the trip later," he said cheaply.
"That would be… that would be fine," she replied in the same tone.
And off they went to their respective works. Although both would replay in their heads everything that was said and done in that room all day. Both would regret things that they had said, both would try to come up with better things that they could have said in particular moments of the argument… Wiser minds would say that the course of true love never did run smooth.
TBC.
A/N: I love scenes where there are so many things kept inside, so many things that should be said but are left unsaid, you know? All the tension that it generates always struck a chord for me. All these emotions keep boiling up… until it explodes. I guess I've boiled enough, huh? lol Be prepared for the soon explosion. Next chapter you'll get Chuck and Sarah back to their boyfriend/girlfriend cover and at a wedding! So many possibilities…
I promise not to take so long with the next installment. Hope you guys enjoyed this one!
Again, thanks for hanging in :)