Title: Chuck vs. Life
Author: marybr
Characters: mainly Chuck/Sarah (but the regulars are there – Casey, Ellie, Morgan, Awesome, etc.)
Chapters: 13/?
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: Thanks to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review! It's great to read the feedback, and your thoughts on how things are progressing. I love when you specify your favorite passage of the chapter. Anyhow… a few things I have to say:
a) This is supposed to take place on a Friday. Saturday will be the rehearsal dinner, and Sunday the wedding (probably one chapter for each event).
b) I promised it wouldn't take too long for this update, and I'd like to say that the only reason it too this much is because this chapter is substantially longer. Like, huge. I guess your wish was granted, huh, ghst1941? I was going to break the chapter up in three, but I figured you guys would beat me if I left the story TBC where I was intending to. So, the extra waiting period was for the best in my opinion :)
c) This is not important, but I'd like to say this is by far my personal favorite chapter. I hope you guys enjoy as much as I did writing it!
And, finally, this chapter is completely and totally dedicated to my dear friend, kev525! See? No reason for jealousy now lol By the way, did you get my last email? I haven't heard from you in a while…
Chapter XIII
It was almost eight when Chuck, Sarah, Ellie and Awesome arrived to San Francisco. Their flight was very calm and uneventful. Besides Chuck's pout, Sarah's annoyance, Ellie's fear of flying, and Awesome's snoring, that is. When they landed, they rented a car at the airport and drove to the B&B the wedding was going to be held at.
The B&B was located a few miles from the actual city of San Francisco, it was charming and cozy. Not very big, but not small either. It had a big bright green lawn in the front, with several trees spread across it; and a driveway in form of an arch, with a fountain in center. When Awesome pulled over at the place, everyone was in desperate need of a good leg stretching.
"Finally!" said Awesome, turning the engine of the car off.
"I was starting to get some serious cabin fever here," the Captain added, while unbuckling his seat belt.
"On our way back I drive, honey," Ellie offered from the passenger seat, doing the same to her belt.
"No. Don't worry, sis. The drive back is all mine," Chuck politely said from the back seat.
"Aw… Thank you, my favorite brother," the brunette replied, looking back at her brother and his girlfriend with a smile on her face.
"Don't mention. I offer 'cause I'm certain none of us here wish to die so young," he joked, while unbuckling his own seat belt.
Sarah, who had already freed herself from the seat belt, smiled at the siblings' teasing. And even 'though she had protested vehemently about coming to this trip, she always felt at easy around her fake boyfriend's family. In fact, she even enjoyed their normalcy and warmness. This occasion was no different.
Awesome, who went to open the trunk, laughed as well.
"I am appalled!" Ellie said in a fake over-indignation tone to Chuck, looking jokingly at him between semi-closed eyes.
The four of them now were all out of the car and near the trunk to unload it.
"And you, my dear fiancé, laughing over there. Thank you very much for backing me up," she added midst a soft smile.
"You are an awesome driver, babe," Awesome said opening the trunk.
"Nice try… Too little, too late," the brunette said, hugging her fiancé's middle.
Awesome responded by kissing the top of her head.
Sarah and Chuck both felt awkward by the couple's display of closeness. They were also supposedly a couple; they also should be all lovey-dovey with each other. Sarah waited to see if Chuck would make a move, you know, to secure their cover.
They were standing side by side, so she gave him a look. He saw the look and got the look. She wanted him to make a move. Why was he the one who had to make the move? Chuck wondered. She didn't even want to be here. At that point their cover was the last thing Chuck cared about.
So, he shot a look back at her… and did nothing. She got the message alright.
Sarah absently crossed her arms, and after a few seconds Chuck did the same unconsciously.
He is so stubborn, she thought.
That woman is as stubborn as one can get, he thought.
Awesome reached for his one small piece of luggage in the trunk and picked it up. Ellie was about to do the same.
"It's ok, honey. I got it," he said, while picking up Ellie's two big bags.
It was beyond Awesome's comprehension the reason why his fiancé needed two big bags for a three days event. Everything – and more – he could possibly need fitted with plenty of room in a rather small bag. Not that he would mention this musing of his to Ellie, of course.
Sarah reached for her own luggage, and was surprised when Chuck's hand brushed against hers and quickly grabbed the handle before she could do so. The gesture, especially after their previous unspoken showdown, moved her. It made her feel better inside, despite her own reservations on the matter.
"Allow me," Chuck said in a low tone, looking directly into her eyes.
Sarah backed out a bit to let him take her two bags. Chuck, not as gracefully as Awesome, grabbed her bags and his. The heavy weight was clearly something Chuck wasn't accustomed to, and it showed; but in the end he was able to hold his own.
Ellie grabbed the keys from Awesome's hand and closed the trunk. The fiancés took the lead heading to the B&B. Chuck and Sarah were right behind them.
"Thank you," Sarah genuinely said also in a low tone to Chuck, while flashing him a shy smile.
Both knew the 'thank you' wasn't simply for the bags. It was also for letting go of the rift, at least for that moment, therefore holding more meaning.
Chuck didn't say anything, but he knew exactly the complete meaning behind her words. He just sincerely smiled back at her.
"And I'm sorry. I don't normally over pack like this," the blonde added, feeling like she had to justify herself.
"I was bringing only one bag, but then I realized that it looked like I knew what I was doing. Then it occurred to me that maybe I wasn't bringing everything that I would need, and then it hit me that I actually wasn't sure what I should really bring," she continued babbling nervously.
Chuck looked at Sarah walking by his side, and her nervousness somehow took his guard down for a moment. He was the one who usually was in that position and the reversal of roles threw him off a bit. The vulnerability in her demeanor, the look in her eyes… at that time he was finding it hard to be mad at her.
"Hey," he said commanding her attention.
And her attention he got it, 'cause her piercing blue eyes dove directly into his.
"It's fine. Really," Chuck added, followed by an unintentional charm smile.
Intentional or unintentional, Sarah was pleased by it. More than she would have liked to, and that fact brought her back to reality. So, she quickly severed eye contact. This was a dangerous road to go down to, she couldn't make that mistake.
Chuck, on the other end, was no longer a rookie to this game. He picked up on that step back. The step back that she took. And that was enough of a reality check as it could get. He mentally chastised himself for allowing being again in the same position.
The couples walked across the modern and yet warm lobby, and headed to the reception desk.
"Hi! We're here for the Pierce-Mitchell wedding," Ellie politely said to the guy behind the desk.
"Right. I'm Bruce, welcome to the Lake Shore B&B! What are the names, so I can check you guys in?" he asked also very politely.
"Oh, it must be under Bartowski. I'm Eleanor… Ellie Bartowski," she answered presto.
Bruce started pushing buttons on his computer's keyboard.
"Found you, Eleanor Bartowski plus Devon," he said, looking at the monitor.
"And you must be Charles and Julia," he continued, looking at Chuck and Sarah.
The four people shared a look of awkwardness mixed with surprise, but before Chuck could say anything Ellie stepped up.
"Oh, no. I'm sorry, with everything that happened to Chuck, I completely spaced out to call and change his plus one name," the brunette awkwardly said, looking from Bruce to the pretend couple.
"It's ok, sis," Chuck said to Ellie, recovering from the incident.
"This is actually Sarah. Sarah Walker," he added, looking from Sarah to Bruce.
"There's no problem. I'll just quickly switch here, and you're all checked in," the receptionist said after sensing a strong issue vibe from the guests which he clearly wanted to dodge asap, so he corrected the name on the computer.
"Ok, you two are in room 33," he said to Ellie and Awesome.
"And you in 34. Right next to each other," he concluded, looking at Chuck and Sarah.
"Great!" Ellie stated, glad the awkward moment had passed.
"I'll just call the guys to take your bags upstairs," he added, motioning with one hand for two guys that were in the back of the lobby to approach.
"The wedding party is already gathered in the bar-lounge area for a casual cocktail, if you wish to join them. But you'll find the entire wedding itinerary in a folder at each of your rooms," the middle-aged receptionist said politely.
The two men obliged immediately.
"Please, lead the way to the Bartowskis. Room 33 and 34," Bruce said, handing the guys the respective keys.
The bell boys took the bags and were ready to go when Awesome interjected.
"I left the car parked in the driveway. Could someone…," the doctor stated, but was cut by the receptionist.
"Say no more. I'm sorry about that, our valet got sick a few minutes ago and had to be sent home; so, we were caught off guard. But just hand me the key and I'll ask one of the bell boys to drive it to the parking lot," Bruce said, with an apologetic smile on his face.
"No problem. That would be awesome," the captain said, while Ellie handed Bruce the car keys.
"I'll send them back to you in a few," Bruce concluded.
The foursome followed the bell boys upstairs. And all the way up Sarah couldn't stop thinking about the incident at the lobby. So, when Casey and Chuck practically forced her to come to this trip, they simply forgot to mention the tiny detail that these were Chuck and Julia's plans.
She was feeling like a mere stand-in for the big star. A feeling that wasn't going down so well. And the part of her that was actually secretly happy about coming, now felt foolish. Even if these thoughts and feelings were in reality very irrational, and things she wasn't entitled to feel or think. After all Chuck and she were nothing but pretend… and by her choice, by the way. The bottom line was Sarah Walker did not whatsoever enjoyed the feelings of jealousy. But then again, who did?
Each couple entered their room and properly tipped their bell boy. The rooms were identical besides the color palette, both beautiful and cozy. They had big windows with a view of the lawn in the front, a king sized bed with plush comforters, a small sofa with a couple of armchairs to match, and a reasonable sized private bathroom. This clearly wasn't coming cheap for the bride and groom.
After they got settled, and unpacking was no longer an item on their to-do list, Chuck and Sarah heard a knocking on a door inside of their own room. They shared puzzled looks, and the door sprung open.
"Hi!" said Ellie, with a smiling face.
"Isn't this great? Our rooms are connected," the brunette added.
At that moment Chuck's plans of sleeping on the sofa went down the drain. There was no way Sarah would allow him to do so, and risk compromising their cover. He swore to himself that he wouldn't pass of as Sarah's boyfriend in real life anymore, that it was too damaging for his fragile feelings. But here he was again, apparently there was no escape.
"Yeah, that's… uh, great," Chuck said, unable to disguise his otherwise feelings – to Sarah, that is; Ellie was oblivious to it.
"Are you two ready to head down?" Ellie asked.
"Sure," Sarah answered, running a hand through her shiny blonde locks.
After getting directions to the bar lounge area with an employee the two couples arrived there. At the entrance there was this beautiful silver easel with a white poster in fancy silver letters that read: "Welcome to Graham Pierce & Melissa Mitchell's Wedding Festivities". There were people sitting at tables chatting, people walking around mingling, people sitting at the bar, and all that party jazz. It wasn't crowded, but there was plenty people. Some of those faces were familiar to Chuck and Ellie.
While the four of them stood there, kind of unsure of where to head to or what to do, an attractive couple in their late 20's came to their direction.
"Hi, you guys!" greeted energetically the redhead, smiling ear to ear.
"Hey, Mel!" Ellie said matching her tone, midst a smile.
Melissa kissed her on the cheek.
"How are you two? I'm so glad you were able to come," she genuinely said, keeping the smile on her face.
"Oh, the pleasure is ours really. Congratulations, by the way," the brunette woman said.
Chuck, Sarah and Awesome just kept standing there. In reality Chuck was more than glad to let his sister do the social thing by herself.
"Thank you! Oh, this is my husband-to-be, Graham Pierce. I don't believe you two have already met him," Melissa said, placing her hand on Graham's back.
"Pleasure to meet you," the raven haired groom said to Ellie, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"You, too," she politely replied, flashing him a cute smile.
"Nice to meet you, too," Graham said to Chuck, shaking his hand.
"Same here," Chuck said with a smile on his face, partaking on the shake.
"This is my fiancé, Devon Carter," Ellie introduced Awesome to the bride and groom.
They shared the appropriate kisses on the cheek, handshakes and words of delicacy.
Chuck felt this was the time for him to step up and do his end of the introducing process. I'm so bad at these things, he thought. On the other end he was kind of excited to introduce as his girlfriend someone he had actually strong feelings for. Someone he didn't have to introduce, but someone he wanted to introduce as his girlfriend not only to this rather small crowd but to the whole world. And this someone was Sarah.
But in reality he knew she wasn't really his girlfriend. She was merely doing her job standing right next to him. And that felt extremely pathetic to him at that moment. Pathetic and innerving, 'cause knowing her true feelings for him, this didn't have to be his reality, it didn't have to be their reality. He could be introducing her for real as his girlfriend if she could only own up to the truth. They didn't have to be living a lie like this.
Emerging from his thoughts Chuck did what he had to do. He always did what he had to do. So, he introduced Sarah, who already was on the edge with Chuck's delay in introducing her.
"And this is my girlfriend…" Chuck said, taking the time to quickly look at Sarah while speaking that last word.
It felt so right saying that… but at that same time it felt so wrong. For both of them. It was very bittersweet, and at the exact moment his eyes made that quick contact with hers the two of them felt it. And they both knew the other was feeling the same way. A meaningful, and yet brief, moment was shared by Chuck and Sarah.
Sarah felt like dropping the whole act and just kiss him right then and right there. She could actually feel the cracks on her wall getting wider and wider by the second. What she was afraid of when this trip first presented itself was starting, and she feared she wouldn't be able to stop it. Thankfully Chuck's words got her out of her introspection section.
"Sarah, Sarah Walker," the brown eyed nerd added firmly.
Nobody seemed to notice the subtle exchange between Chuck and Sarah. So, they went ahead and followed the same greeting pattern as before.
"So Ellie, you're engaged, huh? I guess you're next, right? Have you and Devon set a date yet?" Melissa asked interested, still keeping a wide smile.
"No, not yet. We're still searching for the right one, right honey?" Ellie answered, looking at Awesome for confirmation.
He nodded in agreement.
"Well, I'm sure you'll find the perfect one. And I guess it's safe to say that by now I'm an expert on wedding stuff; so, if you need anything just give me a call, ok?" Melissa offered sincerely.
"Thanks, I will," Ellie answered politely.
"Well, again, nice of you to come! As you may guess the duties of the bride and the groom never stop. So, if you excuse us, Graham and I have to continue to circle; but, please, enjoy the drinks and the food," the woman said in a joking tone.
Chuck, Sarah, Ellie and Awesome all nodded and smiled in understanding. But, as she was leaving, Melissa turned around for one last statement.
"Oh, Chuck and Ellie, daddy is somewhere here mingling. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you two," Melissa added, leaving them with an endearing smile on her face.
"Well, Mel's certainly nicer than I remembered," Chuck said to the other three.
"Yeah, it seems she outgrew her brat phase," Ellie replied with a smile.
"Should we sit and have something?" the brunette added.
They all agreed, and sat at a table near the bar. Awesome and Ellie at one side, Chuck and Sarah at the other.
"What are we drinking?" Awesome asked, while stroking Ellie's back in affection.
"I'm in the mood for some wine. How about you, Sarah?" Ellie answered.
"Actually, so am I," Sarah said with a friendly smile on her face.
"Okay, I'll go and fetch. Care to give me a hand, Awesome?" Chuck said, while standing up.
"Sure," the captain replied, while doing the same.
"Great! Two glasses of wine coming right up. Red or white?" he asked, towering over Sarah and Ellie.
"Red," the ladies answered unintentionally in unison.
The two women laughed at the incident, and the guys smiled.
"We'll be right back. Try not to talk about us so much," Awesome joked midst a wide smile.
"Yeah, right… Like you guys are all that we ever think and talk about," Ellie joked back, matching her fiancés smile.
Sarah and Chuck were smiling as well, and like that the guys were off to the bar.
"Since Devon brought this up, I've been meaning to tell you how glad I am that you and my brother are back together," the brunette woman sincerely said.
Sarah was caught a bit off guard by the woman's statement. Personal talks weren't exactly one of her strongest suits. Well, actually, they weren't at all one of them.
"Yes, so am I," the blonde managed to say, and at some level this wasn't a lie.
At that moment, Sarah and Ellie turned their attention to the guys -- their guys -- at the bar ordering their drinks. They were talking to the bartender and smiling for some reason their ear range couldn't quite grasp.
"Listen, if Chuck catches me saying this he kills me, but I think I must. You mean a lot to him. The last time I saw him care this much about someone was with Jill. It's been too long, you see. Well, he really cares about you, Sarah," Ellie said softly and looked straight into Sarah's eyes.
Sarah took in those words, and they began to mix with her view of Chuck's smiling face. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for the blonde, but in a blink of an eye – which seemed like an eternity for her – she snapped out of the 'trance'.
"I know…" she said a bit in a choke with a blank face.
"I know," she repeated, this time able to throw in a genuine smile for Ellie's sakes.
Ellie smiled back, sensing her words had an effect on Sarah. She was satisfied she was able to give Chuck a helping hand. After all, watching over her little brother always came as an instinct to her for a long time now.
Sarah knew this little fact, but hearing it from someone else's mouth hit her harder that she had ever expected. There was no point denying this any longer if only to herself, she cared for Chuck as well. Probably as much as he did for her. The last thing she ever wanted was to hurt him, but now she feared she was doing exactly this. The mess she had got herself into was so enormous that made her head spin. How she had let herself be in this position she didn't know. This was plainly inadmissible for any self-respectable agent. This mission Agent Sarah Walker had failed.
"Here," Chuck said, handing Sarah her wine, and bringing her back from her thoughts.
"Thank you," she said, looking him in the eye with an expression he was unable to peg.
Chuck wanted to ask what they were talking about, because clearly something brought that look to her eyes. But ultimately he thought it was better to let it be, the ladies would never disclose the truth, anyway.
"We seized the opportunity and brought some great looking stuff from the buffet table," Awesome said, placing two plates full of appetizers on the table.
"Thanks, honey," Ellie said, taking a sip of her wine.
They talked a while about nothing of consequence, while drinking and eating. Comfortable small talk filled with some laughs and smiles along the way.
"Hmm… I don't know what it's called, but this little salty thing here is amazing!" Ellie gushed, holding the half-eaten appetizer in question.
"If the basil weren't overpowering the prosciutto's taste just a bit I'd say this was perfect," she added in a very amateur cook kind of way.
"Yeah, it is a little too harsh, isn't it?" Sarah agreed, also holding a half-eaten appetizer of the same kind.
Chuck, holding his beer, looked pointedly at Sarah, and she didn't quite catch why.
"Maybe the basil appears to be that harsh because the prosciutto is holding back on its true flavor, you know, like hiding it," he said a little bit louder and more passionate than he had intended.
Chuck didn't know exactly where this came from. He figured the emotions have been feeling the cup for a long time, and now it just overflew.
Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Although his pointed look she had not got seconds ago, she was not that lucky with this oh-not-so-subtle metaphor. However, she felt complied to defend herself beyond her means; so, she turned to face him.
"Well, maybe the prosciutto knows what's best for both of them…" Sarah said matching his tone.
After saying that she looked over at the couple across the table, and saw the puzzled looks on their faces.
"As a dish," she added looking at the fiancés, feeling the need to give more sense to this irrational discussion.
Then she snapped her head right back to Chuck. Her real target. You can take the girl out of the Agency, but you can never take the agent out of the girl.
"Maybe, just maybe, the basil should be able to decide for itself," Chuck said, straightening the gap between his and Sarah's face.
These hot showdowns were becoming a constant for the nerd and the agent.
"And…" the blonde tried more than ready to go on with the match, but was cut by Awesome.
"Wow, you guys sure are passionate about your food, huh?" he said, laughing a little and taking a sip of his beer.
Ellie just sat there looking amused and frankly a little lost, while Chuck steadied himself by taking a deep breath, and Sarah took a bigger sip of her wine.
Awesome tried to cut the tension that was on the air.
"So, babe, what's the story with Melissa the bride? I barely recall you mentioning her," he asked not really interested, but uneasy enough to try.
Chuck and Sarah seemed to have gotten a hold onto themselves, and even exchanged a couple of unreadable looks.
"Well, Chuck and I were never really close to her. Her dad, Uncle Tom, is my dad's cousin. So, he isn't actually our uncle and Mel our cousin, but since dad never had any siblings and was very close to Uncle Tom, we just went along with it," Ellie answered calmly.
"Right," Awesome said, glad the tension had dissipated.
Sarah, on the other hand, a bit afraid of topics to come, felt the need to escape for a while.
"I'll grab something at the buffet table. Anyone wants something?" she asked already standing up.
Ellie said 'no', and the guys shook the same with their heads. So, off she went.
Ellie shot Chuck a pointed look, and he needed no caption to get that one.
"I know, I know… I'm coming," he said, before leaving the table.
Sarah was standing by the buffet table with a napkin in hand; ready to grab an appetizer more for appearance than hunger. Well, all for appearance as a matter of fact. She didn't feel like eating anything.
"I wouldn't go for that one," came Chuck's voice from behind her.
She turned around to face him.
"Olives inside," he simply added, with a shy smile on his face.
Sarah smiled back.
"Thanks," she said cheaply, looking at her feet for a second.
"Look, about before… I'm sorry, I…" Chuck honestly stated in a soft tone, but was cut by Sarah.
"No, I'm sor…" she interjected also in a soft tone, shortening the distance between them, but also getting cut by a man who came from behind Chuck.
"Chuck!" the man exclaimed, making Chuck turn around.
"Uncle Tom!" Chuck exclaimed back, and a big smile graced his features.
Tom pulled Chuck in for a tight hug.
"Finally found you. How are you doing, kiddo? I just checked in with your sister," the charismatic man in his late 50's enthusiastically said, matching Chuck's wide smile.
"I'm fine, you know… Congratulations to the father of the bride, by the way. And how are you doing?" Chuck asked interested.
"Thanks. I'm doing great, as great as one can do approaching the 6.0 mark," the grey haired Tom joked.
Chuck chuckled.
"Wow, it is great seeing you, Uncle Tom. It's been a long time," Chuck honestly said, putting one hand at the man's shoulder.
"Yeah, I believe since Jim's, you know…" Tom said, his face losing the easy smile.
Chuck nodded, and Sarah – despite not having an Intersect in her head – flashed on Chuck's dossier that she practically memorized when she first began this CIA assignment. She distinctly remembered reading: "Subject: Charles Irving Bartowski. Son of: James Andrew Bartowski and…" So, she knew who they were talking about.
"I know I took that hard, kid… Jim was like a brother to me. And I know I should have been more present for you and Ellie," Tom sincerely said, looking into Chuck's eyes.
"I understand, really, Uncle Tom," Chuck replied also very genuinely, with an understanding smile in place.
Sarah stood there behind Chuck, realizing this was a sensitive subject for both men. So, she just kept quiet.
Tom noticed the beautiful blonde standing behind Chuck. The one he was talking to when he arrived, and who was trying hard to let them have their moment. He also noticed a distinctive look on the woman's face. That was a knack Tom always had, he really knew how to read people.
"But I always kept tabs on both of you. For instance, aren't you going to properly introduce me to Julia?" the older man said, moving to Sarah's side and charmingly smiling at her.
"Oh, no. This isn't Julia. This is Sarah," Chuck said a bit awkwardly, looking from Tom to Sarah over and over.
Sarah couldn't believe it was happening again. Wherever the woman was at this moment, Sarah wasn't feeling so keen on her.
"Oh, sorry. Apparently I haven't been keeping a close tab as I thought," Tom joked light heartily.
"No, it's fairly recent, uh, I mean… Sarah is my ex. No, I mean, Sarah is my girlfriend. I dated her before Julia, and after that was over we got back together," Chuck stuttered while feeling very foolish.
"Well, either way I'm pleased to meet you, Sarah," Tom charmingly said, before kissing the back of her hand.
"Same here," the blonde replied, granting Tom a full blown smile.
She didn't know why, but she liked the man instantly. He reminded her of someone. His genuine smile, his niceness… She couldn't quite put her finger on whom 'though.
"You chose well, kid. This one here certainly has got the looks…" the Uncle put it, patting Chuck on the back.
"But more important was the way she looked at you a while back when we were catching up. Yes, I've noticed. That kind of look means something… Good looks, you know, come and go, but when someone looks at you like that… You hold on to them," he concluded flashing a knowing and genuine smile to the young couple.
Sarah blushed, and Chuck looked like a deer caught in the headlight. Sarah looked at the grey haired man's smile, and then, it hit her like a ton of bricks. Tom reminded her of someone alright. He reminded her of Chuck. No wonder she took a liking for him instantly. Not that she was willing to delve on that fact, of course.
Tom, gifted as he was, knew the couple needed some alone time.
"Anyway, I'm thrilled to see you, kiddo! We'll talk more later, ok?" the older man said right before he left.
Chuck and Sarah looked like the picture of awkward. He was divided whether he was feeling good or angry. Good because, come on, even other people could see in Sarah's face that she liked him. And angry because there she was… all he wanted, but wasn't allowed to have. Despite the fact that she wanted it too. These feelings were in fact becoming the theme of the day for Chuck. Sarah, on the other hand, was feeling plain embarrassed.
Neither knew exactly what to say while standing there next to each other. They were just standing still looking at one another. Chuck gave up on choosing which of those two feelings was overpowering the other. Frankly, he was feeling very exhausted, physically and mentally. After a rather long uncomfortable silence, he decided to step up and say something. Obviously, he would stay away from the one thing they should be talking about.
"I'm feeling beat, and you? Should we call it a night?" Chuck asked, while sticking his hands inside of his pockets.
"Yeah…" it was all she managed to answer barely audibly, in between a quick look down at her feet.
What she was actually thinking was "yes, please". At that moment all she wanted to do was dig a whole and stick her head along with those stupid eyes in it. She was becoming too reckless.
"Let's just tell Ellie and Awesome we're off to our room," he said, leading the way back to their table after she nodded.
Ellie and Awesome were seating at the table facing each other, talking, smiling and enjoying the other's company.
"Hey, guys. Sarah and I are calling a night," Chuck stated calmly.
"Yeah? Are you sure?" Ellie asked looking from her brother to the blonde.
"Yes, we're tired. We had enough for today," the brown eyed guy replied, inferring much more than his sister would ever get.
Sarah simply smiled in confirmation to her "boyfriend's" statement. Unlike Ellie, she got the whole meaning behind it. And she agreed 100. It was one hell of a day.
"Can't wait to hit the sack with your girl, huh, tiger?" Awesome joked, smiling widely.
"Devon!" Ellie chastised, turning around to shoot him a pointed look.
"Don't pay any attention to him," she added, turning back to face the couple.
"Well, it's like he sees right through me," Chuck said with sarcasm and displaying a weak smile.
Sarah managed to come up with a forced half-smiled and a characteristic 'no' head-shake.
"I think we'll stay a while longer. Have a great night, and see you two tomorrow," Ellie said before the couple took off.
Chuck and Sarah entered their room. And, although the awkwardness about not only the "meaningful look" incident, but the entire "we are a real couple" charade, had dissipated a little, it was still very much there.
"I think I'll take a quick shower before going to sleep," he said, while walking towards the dresser.
"Ok, after you're finished, I guess I'll take one, too," she answered softly, taking a seat on the bed.
Chuck retrieved some clothes from the dresser. They had both unpacked earlier. He got the two bottom drawers, and she got the three first ones. Plus a bit of the small closet, which he only hung a suit.
"Uh, if you want you can go in first," he politely offered, unable to stop himself from being nice to her.
He was still weighting his present opposite feelings. Since he wasn't feeling like talking to her all that much, he gathered anger must have been winning. But then, he couldn't help but to be nice to her. Always the gentleman. So, gathering again he'd say the good feeling was still stuck in the back of his head. The complication of it all made him crave a hot shower even more.
Sarah smiled. Always the gentleman. But politely declined.
So, he got into the bathroom, and she made herself comfortable turning on the tv and flipping through channels on top of the bed.
After approximately 15 minutes, Chuck opened the door of the bathroom and got out midst a wave of steam wearing grey sweats and a white worn-down "Working Class Hero" t-shirt.
"It's all yours," he proclaimed, looking at her lying figure on the bed.
"Great," she replied while getting up.
Chuck looked concentrated from the bed to the sofa, and again he could feel the scale tipping towards mad. So, he figured this was worth the shot; even 'though he knew the answer already.
"I'll go ahead and take the sofa," he hesitantly tried the waters, looking as nonchalant as possible.
Sarah, who was grabbing her stuff in the dresser, stopped at her tracks. However, she didn't turn around to face him. This thing was hard enough as it was.
"You know you can't do that. Especially when we've got a joined room with your sister, and her fiancé. We gotta maintain our cover," she explained softly, still facing away from him.
Chuck knew the answer, but still ticked him off to hear it from her mouth. Haven't he been punished enough? Now he had to lie beside her, too? And not be able to touch her, not be able to kiss her? This was getting way out of control.
"Fine," Chuck said with noticeable resentment in his voice, before he let his body fall on the bed.
It pained Sarah to hear him like that, but she found herself tied up. She couldn't do anything. She couldn't act on her impulses, otherwise she would just say everything she had ever wanted to say but couldn't. So, she went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Still unable to look at his direction.
25 minutes later, she walked out midst an even bigger wave of steam, wearing a black satin short nightgown. However, this time around, things were completely different from the last time she and Chuck shared the same bed. There were no candles lit providing a romantic ambiance, there was no music playing creating a pleasant atmosphere, and above all, there was no eager Chuck waiting like a kid on Christmas Eve for her arrival. Instead, when she opened the bathroom's door, all the lights were out, so was the tv, and Chuck was already under the comforter. She could feel him slipping through her fingers, and it felt awful.
Sarah felt… disappointed, and sad. Not that she was expecting something, but she wasn't expecting this either. This utter cold shoulder from him. She walked over to the bed, and stood there for a while looking at him lying on his back under the comforter. She noticed his eyes were tightly and forcefully pressed closed, and there was definitely movement underneath his eyelids. It didn't take a genius, or a spy, to figure out he was faking been asleep. Suddenly, Sarah felt something strange taking over her body. She could actually feel it rushing through her head. It didn't take long for her to recognize the feeling. It was anger.
Sarah pulled down the comforter and got into bed. She turned so she was facing away from him. She tried to control herself, get a hold of her temper, but her heart was racing, and she found she couldn't go any longer without saying something.
"You know, if you are going to fake sleep, you should at least try to do a better job at it," she said with a voice loaded of irony.
Chuck sighed, opened his eyes, and turned around so he was facing away from her. He wasn't going to reply anything, but also felt an urge to do so.
"Well, you should know, shouldn't you?" he replied, matching her tone.
Silence fell upon them. Sarah just laid there facing right with eyes wide open. Chuck just laid there facing left with eyes wide open. Her mind started to wonder. Why can't I do this? Why would it be so bad to pursue my own personal happiness? Why should I give it up? Why do I even have to choose between one or the other? Can't I have both? Would it be so bad? Would it be so wrong? 'Cause it feels like it would be so right. It feels like it's the right and natural thing to do.
Suddenly, all of the strong reasons, and all of the answers she knew by heart that recommended against this, vanished from her head. Never underestimate the power of a good rationalization. And that was the moment Sarah Walker let it all go.
"Rebecca," she said without turning around, in such a low tone that not even Chuck made out what she had said.
He was still pouting, but decided not to ignore her mumble.
"Did you say something?" he managed to ask without ceremony, and without turning around either.
"My real name," Sarah said a bit louder but still very softly, before turning around to face his back.
The sentence instantly got Chuck's attention, so he turned around as well to face her.
There they wound up, lying and facing each other with mere inches between their faces.
She mustered up the courage to carry on.
"I said my real name is Rebecca," she added looking straight into his brown eyes.
Chuck was flabbergasted. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. It crossed his mind the words Karina had spoken in, what it seemed like, an eternity ago. How spies never want you to know anything about them that is real. No matter whom you are. It also crossed his mind how at that same day he tried to squeeze out of Sarah something real about her. And how he failed miserably. This revelation meant something, it meant a lot.
So, he looked at Sarah for a long while, and Sarah looked back at him. It felt like the moment was frozen. Chuck took the time to study her features and take it all in. She was so beautiful… The type of beauty that hurts, you know. A strand of her shiny blonde hair was falling over her piercing blue eyes, which somehow, looked even bluer to Chuck as he gazed into them at that occasion. Her face seemed so open, so vulnerable staring back at him that he couldn't help himself.
Chuck slowly placed his hand on the back of her neck, and the feeling alone of her hair brushing against his skin made him breathe heavier. He wondered if she could hear his heart pounding, 'cause he was sure the whole hotel could hear the loud sound that rang in his ears. He pulled her close as the same time himself leaned in. He took the opportunity to look in her eyes one more time before gunning in for his goal, and what he found was exactly what he was looking for. Confirmation that she wanted this as much as he did. And just like that his lips crashed into her perfect pink ones.
She also put her hand on the back of his neck, gripping passionately his voluminous curly hair. The kiss started soft, unlike their first one, and they could feel their bodies tingling already. As it progressed, Sarah took the lead in deepening it. Chuck, more than gladly, followed her. Sliding his hand from the back of her neck down to the small of her back. He seized the opportunity to pull her even closer, closer to the point that their bodies were firmly pressed against one another.
When breathing became an issue, and they parted lips briefly for air, Sarah took the chance to roll over him before the making out session was back in action. Chuck noticed things were getting steamier.
"We don't… have to do this… you know, if you're not ready," he managed to let out between quick kisses.
He mentally kicked himself for saying that; after all, he wanted this so badly for so long. However, he didn't want to risk something that was already so fragile. He would kill himself if he rushed this for his sake, and she wound up regretting it all.
"We've been dating on and off for a year now. I believe we're good to go," Sarah said half-jokingly, towering over him in her straddling-Chuck position.
Chuck flashed Sarah his full blown, megawatt Chuck trademark smile. The one she had been missing for a long time. He lifted his torso from bed, placed both hands on her back, and swiftly exchanged their positions. Now she was at the bottom, and he was on top of her. The sudden movement made her giggle. A sound Chuck never heard from her before, but one he would always remember he loved from the start.
"Ok, then," he said before kissing her again, and while pulling the comforter over the two of them.
They made love. And, like most of new things, it started a bit awkward, and clumsy. But after a while, after they found their common rhythm, after they got a hang of the other person's body, their cadency, things ran smoothly. The whole time they were making love Chuck's eyes were glued to hers; several times her hand or his hand would find the hand of the other, intertwining their fingers, or merely clasping both hands tight. She felt like all he wanted was to make her happy, that making her happy made him happy as well. The same was true for her. All she wanted was to make him happy, and making him happy made her happy. And in that amazingly perfect cycle nobody ever loses. Sarah discovered they had chemistry but, more important, she experienced something she never shared with anyone else before, not even Bryce. Intimacy.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! More cuteness promised for the next few chapters. Oh, and I didn't know Awesome's last name. I don't believe they mentioned; so, I made it up. Sorry if they did and I missed somehow. And hope you guys enjoy the choice for Sarah's real name. Since the issue was brought up on the show I started wondering what it would be her real name, and decided she looked like a Rebecca to me. What do you guys think her real name is? Anyone thought the same as me?
Almost forgot... BillAtWork, I'll be answering your PM in a few, ok? Haven't forgot, or am ignoring it :)
Tootles! (you know this is for you lol)