A/N: I really appreciate the reviews and PM's. Hopefully I was able to come up with something enjoyable for everyone. A warning on this chapter, it may cause a mild case of shipper coma. Coreymon you've been warned.
Thanks as always to my Beta, gladius.
I don't own Chuck.
Chapter 30 – For You Guys
Rafe was definitely a man of few words. After all, what he did for a living didn't really allow for much socializing. But there was one thing Rafe could never deny, and that was his love for the kill. He had gotten so good at it that sometimes he toyed with his marks just to add some excitement. But the moment that the life leaves the target was where he was at one with the universe. He had to admit it was much better then sex. Of course for him, sex consisted of raping and brutally assaulting his victims, but that was the thrill of the chase.
And that brought him to his current assignment. He was hired by the Ring to take out a high valued target and the Ring was paying a serious crap load of money to do it. As he kneeled down behind the rocks on the beach, close to almost 200 yards from his target, he knew this would be the pay day he had been looking for a while. He was the best at what he did and now would be the time to get recognized for who he was.
Rafe looked through his binoculars as he scoped out the scene before him. He couldn't help the smile as nothing felt better then ruining a wedding day. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun as he looked down to make sure he had the target in sight. Sure enough, he saw the blonde female he was waiting for. Too bad he had to take a sniper shot at that one. He would have loved to have some fun with her before hand, but it is what it is. He smiled as he looked at the picture of the blonde. "Such a waste."
. . .
Chuck had to admit, he was very surprised at how fast things came together for their wedding. Sure he always wanted the big wedding and the big reception, but when he really had a chance to think about it, how fair would that be to Sarah. Besides, in the end, all you really need is the girl, and without a doubt, he hit the home run with that one.
Chuck smiled as he looked out over the ocean waiting for his bride to be. They had wanted the location of their first date, but due to security reasons, they had to settle for this area. He looked at General Beckman who was standing almost right next to him. She was in full military Class-A uniform and he just could not believe that the woman that almost separated them would now be the one to unite them. It really was never a question who they wanted to perform the ceremony. The only concern was would she be able to take the time off. Apparently there was a slight transmission problem when Chuck and Sarah first asked Beckman last night. And now that Chuck thought about it, he never realized Beckman had any allergy problems. Either way, the General promised to be here and she didn't disappoint.
Chuck then looked over at Carina and Ellie who were Sarah's bridesmaids. He was hoping Carina could make it and he should have known nothing would stop her from being there. It was close, but Carina flew in at the last moment and he couldn't be more thankful.
He looked over and saw his dad standing off to the side, with an elderly woman, or so it would seem, standing a little to close. He couldn't help but smile seeing his dad and this 'stranger'. He then felt the comforting hand on his shoulder of his best bud Morgan who was standing behind him next to Devon. Chuck turned to him and couldn't help grin at Morgan's attire.
Of course, it was similar to his own as he looked down at the 'formal' attire that he was wearing. A part of him felt under dressed, but Sarah insisted that he wear his nerd herd uniform. They probably could have gotten him a tux but Sarah wanted him exactly as he was when she first walked into the Buy More. Well at least he had a white shirt and tie he laughed to himself. His thoughts were interrupted as he turned towards the back where he now saw Sarah come walking around with her arm securely in one Colonel John Casey.
It was nearing late afternoon and the sun was reflecting peacefully off the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which made the entire scene take on a dream like feeling. It also caused the sun to shine at just the right angle so that it made Sarah look as if she was actually glowing. He had to cough just to hold back the tears and emotion that were pounding at his heart to be let go. His soon to be wife was even more beautiful then he could ever imagine. It was a miracle that they had found the dress as quickly as they did but having the NSA resources at your disposal, not to mention running your own fashion business came in handy when trying to plan a last minute wedding.
Chuck smiled as Sarah and Casey slowly made their way down the aisle. Sarah's satin white dress fit her perfectly. Nothing to fancy, it seemed to fit in perfectly with their surroundings as she made her way to Chuck. Their eyes were deadlocked on each other as every single memory seemed to pass between them in the time it took for Sarah to get to Chuck. Everything came down to this moment as Sarah now stood inches from Chuck.
. . .
Rafe unlatched his safety and had his sights set on the female target. There was a lot of security around but he was safely hidden within an outcropping of rock. He had only one shot at this and it would take all his training, all his concentration to make the kill from this distant.
He momentarily shifted his scope to what must have been the groom. Rafe could see the emotion in the man's eyes as he saw his soon to be dead bride walking towards him. Rafe laughed inside as he knew he was about to bring some incredible pain to this pathetic group of people. He shifted his sight back to the female target and took his aim, adjusting his angle, ever so slightly. He controlled his breathing as he prepared to fire. That's when he felt something cold slide across his neck.
Rafe was the best, and what made him the best was that he never got caught off guard. So how in the world did this person get the jump on him? His eyes started to blur as the life blood was draining from his throat where the blade had made a clean cut. He happened to gain the strength to turn and see his attacker. Unfortunately, all he saw was blackness.
"No one will ever hurt them again." It was all the man said as he wiped his blade and place it back in its sheath. He then bent down and picked up the binoculars, looking off in the direction of the wedding. The man smiled as he looked upon the two people who meant the most to him in all the world. The smile didn't last as he knew he had to get back to what he did best. But for this brief moment, he got a glimpse of what his former life use to be and those that were most important in it. Then he was gone.
. . .
"Who gives the bride away?" General Beckman asked in her sternest voice.
"I do, her partner and her friend." Casey then did something Chuck had never witnessed before. He hugged Sarah. Chuck swore he heard, "Take care of our boy over there." Then Casey handed Sarah off to Chuck and walked over to stand next to Devon.
Chuck reached out a shaking hand as he held onto Sarah, looking deep within her eyes knowing that what stood before him now was everything he had ever wanted.
The General continued the ceremony and it was time for the vows.
Sarah was a nervous wreck as she snuck a peak at the people around her. It was a very small group, consisting of just family and the closest friends, but she still was not comfortable showing her emotions for Chuck in front of others, well the non physical ones at least.
Add to this the small pain in her chest from the fact that none of her family was there. Of course, she was used to this, and really it shouldn't be a big deal, but being with Chuck just changed her perspective on everything, family being one of the biggest. Chuck had been so sweet as he wanted to do everything in his power to reconnect her with her family, but she just couldn't do it yet. She was not ready to bring back that phase of her life. Her focus went back to Chuck and she realized just how special he was. Instead of going behind her back, to try to locate her family, he made sure to talk to her, and work things through with her first. That was just one of the many things she loved about him. Even though she knew that Chuck wanted this for her, he still loved her enough to respect her feelings and try to work on it together. That meant everything to her.
And now the moment that she had dreamt about since she was a kid was coming true. Her Prince Charming, her James Bond, her nerd, her hero, her everything, now stood before her with the sweetest and most loving look upon his face. Sarah felt a rush of warmth wash over her as she looked into those brown orbs. She almost laughed thinking that in reality they could both never speak another word out loud, yet could hold a life time of conversations just by being with each other. She may not have understood the term Soul Mate before Chuck, but she sure as hell understood it now.
Her hands started to tremble as the emotions just washed over her. Even though this was not the location of their first date, it was still their beach and everything was just so surreal. She felt like she was floating as everything took on a beautiful glow. It was time to say her vows and she had to be strong.
"Chuck… My Chuck." Okay wrong thing to start with when one was trying to control their emotions. "When I first heard your name, when I first heard your best friend from college talk about all the kind, caring, and loving things you had done. I dreamt about what it would be like to have someone like you in my life. I thought I would never deserve someone like you because of the things I've done in my past. You were my unreachable dream, but the part that kept me human, the part that me me want to be a real girl." Sarah felt a comforting squeeze from Chuck's warm hands.
"I couldn't love, I couldn't feel, I didn't know passion because my heart would not accept anything less then the perfect guy. Then I met you, the person that I had dreamt about day in and day out. It was then I realized that my dreams were so far off. You were more then I ever imagined. You never gave up on me even though I did everything in my power to push you away because I didn't think I deserved you. I thought you would figure out you could do so much better, you could find someone that could give you the love you deserved." Sarah took a deep breath to calm her nerves. This was possibly the longest she had ever spoken at one time. She knew it wasn't customary but she needed Chuck just real quick as she reached up and kissed him on the lips. That will do she thought as she continued.
"Then something happened, Chuck. You became my best friend and that changed everything. I didn't have to push you away because I knew I could always be your friend. I could be myself without putting up any walls. But as our friendship grew, I realized I loved you more than anything in the world. I didn't even know it was possible to love something that much. So when you finally agreed to be mine, I knew I would never let you go. I would show you each day of our lives just how much of a gift you were to me. It was then I also realized that you did deserve me. You deserved me because no one on this planet would ever love or care for you as much as I did. It wouldn't even be close. I'll never stop loving you Chuck. I'll never stop caring for you. I'll never stop trying to make you the happiest man in the world. I love you Chuck." Okay, one more kiss wouldn't hurt.
Chuck was blown completely away. Sure the kisses had a lot to do with it, but the fact Sarah just spilled her heart out in front of all these people, it was just amazing. Her words touched him to the core and he knew every trial, every heartache, every pain he had ever suffered was worth it to reach this point in his life.
"Sarah. I use to think no amount of words could ever convey how much you mean to me. But maybe I should have had you help me with my vows because what you said was amazing." Chuck smiled at her as he tried to overcome his nervousness. He felt her give his hands a gentle squeeze and that was enough to continue on.
"You came to me at the darkest time in my life. You were my life line and you saved me in more ways than one. People always say how caring and loving I am, but nothing compares to the amount of love and care you show me every second of every day. I promise you Sarah that I will prove to you that I deserve a love like yours by returning it to you in every action I do and in every word that I say. Your more than a best friend to me, you're a part of me now. I never quite understood the phrase, when you get married you become as one. I used to think as a kid that maybe that meant you fused into one person. But spending the last few years with you, I realize completely what it means. When you agreed to be mine, I no longer felt anything alone. Every action, every thing I did, every decision I made you are and always will be a part of. When I'm away from you, I feel like the best part of me is missing, I feel empty, even if it is only for a few moments. I'm nothing without you, and I'm everything with you. You may never know just how happy you make me, but I swear to you I will prove to you every day just how much you do. You can always count on me Sarah, I'll always be there for you."
After the vows were finished, the General just stared at the two, thinking of a different time and place in her own life. She could feel her 'allergies' start to come back, must be the sand, she thought. Once she realized everyone was waiting on her, she quickly regained her composure and continued. "Charles Bartowski, do you…" The General never finished as beepers started going off all around her. It was the security detail and they were in a state of emergency.
Sarah could not believe what was happening as she saw the security storming the area. This was her moment, this was what she dreamed about and now everything was going crazy around her.
"Ma'am, we have a code red." The security detail were coming out of the wood work trying to usher the General and the rest of the patrons out of the make shift tent area. There wasn't even time to question anything as everyone hurried to safety.
Sarah was doing everything to hold back the tears. Her mind was waging a war as she knew the agent in her was needed now, but the real girl was heartbroken that she was so close to marrying Chuck.
Chuck placed a gentle hand on hers as the two were placed in one of the awaiting vehicles. "Hey, this is going to happen. Let's find out what's going on first, and then we'll figure something out."
Sarah didn't want to speak because she was afraid her emotions would overwhelm her at a point where they needed to stay in check. She just nodded her head and reached up to give him a kiss as the car took off. She held tightly to his arm as they began the briefing of what the Security detail had found.
. . .
Sarah was sitting quietly next to Chuck in their spot on the beach where almost three years ago they both knew life would never be the same. The sun was just starting to set as a gentle breeze blew across the sandy beach, bringing with it a calmness as the steady crash of the waves were the only sound. It was so serene and quiet. But if you listened closely, the only sounds besides the crash of the waves, were the soft sobs coming from possibly the most deadliest spy the world has ever known. None of that mattered at this moment as it was just a man and his heartbroken fiancée whose dream of a perfect wedding had just been blown out to sea by events she could not control.
Chuck could not feel any worse. They had taken care of the investigation but due to security measures, the General was whisked back to Washington and his dad was already gone back to investigate the data they found. This of course left the woman of his dreams and he all alone and not quite sure what to do. He knew they could just run off to Vegas or even plan another ceremony, but for reasons he was beginning to understand the more he was with Sarah, this day was the one that was so special for her. It was something she had wanted so bad, they both wanted, and after being so close, it was ripped right out of their grasps. He couldn't help but shiver at the thought that this might be a recurring theme in their lives. Just when something good...
"Chuck, would you please just hold me." Sarah scooted over to sit in Chuck's lap. She knew she was acting out of character, but this day had meant so much to her. She couldn't help but feel a loss. She thought for sure this was the one moment that everything would have gone right. But no, she couldn't even have that.
"It's going to be okay honey. We will make this happen." Chuck felt her melt into him as he hugged her tighter, her head resting right underneath his chin. Chuck stared out over the peaceful ocean and couldn't help but be amazed at the beauty of this spot and this moment. It was a perfect moment, too bad it just didn't... His thoughts were interrupted.
"Hey kid. You mind if we talk to you two for a sec?" Casey walked up to them.
Chuck turned around and was surprised to see Casey and Ellie walking towards them. He felt Sarah lift her head at the sound of Casey's voice. The minute she saw Ellie, she quickly got up and ran into her arms. Chuck couldn't help but get emotional as the two women that meant everything to him shared a tender moment. Chuck stood as Casey approached him.
Casey placed his hand on Chuck, hoping to give him some reassurance.
Chuck could see Casey was still in full Class A uniform which was odd considering he had supposedly already been back to Castle.
Casey had a solemn look on his face as he spoke. "Chuck, Sarah. I will never be able to express to you what it means to me having you two as partners... as friends... as family. I hope I can repay what you guys mean to me by giving you something." Casey produced a paper that he handed to Chuck and Sarah.
Sarah had stepped away from Ellie to rejoin Chuck as she held him tightly as they both examined the paper Casey had given them.
Chuck did a double take as he read the formal document. His eyes could not believe it. "Casey is this for real, when did you do this?"
Casey had his arm wrapped around both his partners. "I submitted a formal request the day after the 49B."
Sarah just stared at him. "But why? How?"
Casey just smiled, "Oh come on, I knew it was just a matter of time. Until you asked me to give you away, I was going to see if it would be okay to do this. But you know, I thought giving you away was more of an honor, but now I have a chance to do both."
Chuck's mind was reeling as he stared at the formal document stating that John Casey was certified by the state to be able to perform marriage ceremonies. He could not believe this could be real. This was the perfect moment, and although he would have liked to have Morgan and his parents here, they had witnessed the vows. This somehow seemed right. "Of course Casey, it would be an honor to have you marry us."
Sarah could not hold back as she gripped Casey in a tight hug. "Thank you so much John." Sarah spoke in his ear with so much love that Casey had to cough just to gather himself.
"Well, you guys mean a lot to me and I want to do this for you."
. . .
Moments later, as the sun was now dipping below the shore line, the thoughts of two people strayed back to this exact spot where their lives journey truly began. As they looked into each others eyes they knew this was how it was always supposed to be. Ellie and Casey were the closest people both of them had, and it was a perfect moment at a perfect time, in the perfect place.
"You may now kiss the bride." Casey stood with such pride as he watched his partners seal their union.
Sarah looked deep into her husband's eyes as her heart changed once again at that moment. "I love you Chuck. Thank you for trusting me." She then kissed her husband, finally at peace knowing that this family, those that stood around her now, and especially her husband, would always be there for her. She knew without a doubt that she could count on them, that they would never abandoned her or leave her. Finally, for the first time in her entire life, she finally understood what it felt like to be part of something so special. She was a Bartowski now, and that meant more to her then anything ever had. Sarah Walker was no more, she was Mrs. Sarah Bartowski, and she was finally where she belonged, she was home. As Sarah Bartowski gave her husband another tender kiss, she realized that all along, since the days following the Suburbs, it was Chuck who had become her home, he always had been.
A/N: Sorry if you did not like the way it played out. I was debating on who should be there at the end, but it just felt right to have Ellie and Casey as part of that moment. I wanted to take one person from each of their lives and use that at the end. As far as the Rafe part, well I had to add something spy related in there but don't worry to much about that. It was more to show that just as much as Chuck and Sarah have people always out to get them, they also have people looking out for them too.
