Ch. 2 – Info and disclaimers in Ch. 1
"…Sarah Walker, will you do me the honor of" (sleeping with me, loving me, marrying me, saving me) "taking a vacation with me?"
The look on her face, the catch of her heartbeat in that infinitesimal pause, makes Chuck's heart soar, seeing something of what he hopes the future holds has crossed her mind too. (It's going to be so different now. No more guns, no more spies, just mai tais and sunshine, and-)
"Chuck, I'm leaving in the morning…the details are classified, but I'm working on the new Intersect Project with Bryce-"
"Bryce." (Again. Of course.)
"I'm so sorry. I wanted to wait until after the ceremony to tell you-"
(Wait till later. Later. Closer to you just walking away...you wanted to wait?!) Chuck's brain simply grinds to a halt, neurons misfiring and his heart, breaking. "Thank you for coming to the wedding," he mutters bitterly. "Good for the cover." (Because of course that's what matters. Not how much you just broke my heart.)
And he simply walks away. (You are such an idiot, Chuck. How could you ever think she'd run away with you?)
He doesn't see the look on Sarah's face as she turns around, his only instinct to get away, find some quiet and he rounds the corner --
-- to run into his father's broad smile. "Today's the day we'll remember forever, son!" His father's enthusiasm begs that Chuck reciprocate the sentiment.
(Oh yeah, yeah I will.) He doesn't know how he manages the smile, but it must be convincing since his father doesn't follow him. (Sarah would've been able to tell. Damn it. I just don't understand --)
He wanders into the reception hall, into the quiet, and finds what he's looking for – liquid solace, a bottle of champagne.
(Bottle for me, and a glass – oh, screw the glass.) He takes a swig straight from the bottle, and makes a beeline for a table, to sit, and hurt, in peace. The quiet hum of the staff setting up turns to white noise and helps to numb the confusion. He finally lets out a deep breath, and tries to pull himself back together. Succeeds, even…"Oh! Oh my god!"
…Except for the two bodies under the table.
***
"I believe we've met before," came a voice Chuck had hoped never to hear again. (Oh no, not now, so damned close to a normal life…come on!)
"Ted Roark?"
"No, I'm Ted Roark, and you're the CIA agent who's in deep trouble. By the way, congratulations on your sister's happy day. Her gown is gorgeous. Full bodice, love the beading."
(Ellie…oh God, no…) Chuck's anger boils up as he bites out, "What the hell do you want?"
"Ooh, there's no need to curse," Roark mocks. "You know damn well what I want."
"I --" (Stall, stall! Maybe someone will come in…)
"I want the Intersect cube."
And there it lies. The demand Chuck knew was coming. (And at the risk of my sister's life…) "I, I can't – I can't give you that."
Roark merely smirks. "Oh, you'll find a way, I'm sure." Roark pushes his chair back, grabs the bottle of champagne and starts to walk away from the table. Turning back, he adds, "Oh, sorry I forgot the threat part." He fixes Chuck with a hard look. "If you don't deliver that cube within a half hour, 40 minutes tops with traffic, I'm gonna kill the bride." Roark examines the label on the bottle of champagne as he walks away again. "Nice," he remarks as he leaves.
(I'm going to get that damn cube, and get you the hell out of my life, and away from my family. Nothing is going to ruin this for Ellie) He rises from the table, charges down the hallway and enters the chapel, knowing that the next few moments could spell disaster for his sister.
"Chuck, sorry, can I talk to you real quick, I'm just feeling a little nervous," comes Morgan's voice behind him.
"Morgan, I'm so sorry, I can't talk right now," Chuck says, looking beyond Morgan, his mind racing with panic and determination.
"Hey, hey, hey," Morgan continues, "what's the matter? You could tell me." He stands a little bit straighter. "I might be able to help."
"It's, uh…It's, uh…" (Wait, he might actually be able to help…Oh Morgan, so sorry, but…) "it's the rings, it's the rings, I have to go home and get them." (Morgan, you're about to save all our lives right now if you can just…) "Find Sarah, pull her aside and specifically tell her that I forgot the rings." (She'll know…however crappily that conversation ended, she'll remember I showed her the rings…)
"The wedding is in twenty minutes, Ellie's going to kill you!" Morgan gasps out.
"Thanks for that," Chuck replies with a pained smirk. (Rather she kill me than get killed, stupid spy intrigue, why did I ever-)
"Unless," Morgan begins, "I stall the wedding." Chuck frowns as Morgan continues. "No one will even know you're gone, they'll just blame me, it'll be fine."
"You'd do that for me?" Chuck asks. (Morgan, I have been such a crappy friend, and you're willing to take a huge fall for me. God, I hate the spy game right now…)
"Of course I would, dude. You've saved my ass a million times, it's about time I save yours. Now go!" Morgan charges down the hallway, intent on his purpose, leaving Chuck to be grateful for the family he'd chosen.
Chuck immediately pulls out his iPhone, scrolling down to the one number he'd hoped never to have to use. "C'mon, Casey..." (Well, maybe for another wedding…Come on, Casey, pick up your phone!)
"This is Casey. Leave a message."
"Casey? Casey! It's Chuck, uh, I, uh, I could use a hand here at the wedding with some…uh, some, uh, things out of balance, uh…Like they need you to adjust their center of gravity, you need a…uh, hopefully you get what I'm saying and can come help. Please. Soon."
(What the hell was that?) Shaking his head at himself, Chuck commandeers a car and speeds off to Castle.
(God, I hope Morgan got to Sarah somehow…this is…I'm done, I'm so done with this, I'm so tired of being shot at and threatened and tortured and…) He slams his hand against the wheel in frustration. (I can't have one, just one freaking perfect moment, not one, not me, not my family, because of stupid, arrogant, womanizing, idiotic…Bryce!)
He's getting his hands on that cube. He chants it to himself as he lets himself into Castle and charges for the locker he'd seen open and waiting as he'd left earlier. (No. No, no…it can't be-)
It's empty.
"It's gone," comes a voice behind him.
"Bryce?" (Of course it's Bryce, you idiot)
"The new Intersect," Bryce continues.
(No, you mean not the one that formerly resided in my head, dipwad?) He lunges under the stairs towards Bryce. "Where? Where, where is it?" (You better tell me, right now, or so help me…)
"Chuck, you know I can't tell you that, that's top secret, not even Beckman-"
(Like I give a damn about Beckman…) "No, I need it. Bryce, I need it." (I swore I would never ask you for anything, but…) "My family's in danger." (And I would sell your soul and mine to keep them safe.)
Drawing a deep breath, Chuck explains, "Ted Roark and his FULCRUM team are at the wedding." (They are about to ruin the life of everyone I love.) "He's going to kill Ellie unless I give him the Cube." (And I will not allow that, I can't.)
Shaking his head, Bryce says, "Roark can't have it." He turns away to pick up a gun as Chuck protests.
"No, he'll murder everyone!" (Are you insane?!)
"No," Bryce answers. "You're going to give them me."
(Of course…) "They think you're the Intersect." (Bryce saves the day, yet again…)
"They've been looking for me all along," Bryce responds as he screws on a silencer. "The Cube can't fall into the wrong hands, I made a promise to Orion."
(You made a promise to…my dad…?) "You knew…" Chuck breathes. (As if this wasn't FUBAR'd enough, you knew about my father, all along, all the time…)
"That was the deal," Bryce matter-of-factly replies. "Your dad knew I protected you at Stanford, I was the only spy he would trust."
Hurt, confusion and betrayal threaten to overwhelm Chuck. "I can't believe you've known this whole time," he whispers. (What else do you want from me, Larkin? How many ways can one person betray another? My future, my girlfriend, my father…)
Bryce approaches, shaking his head, the very picture of the concerned friend. "He wanted to keep you out of this," he explains, "but I knew you could handle the Intersect. I knew Sarah would find you, and most important, you deserve to know the truth about your father. He's a hero."
Chuck swallows tightly, trying desperately to process it all. (My father, the hero, who left me, who took Bryce under his wing…what the hell is this, Spider-Man? Peter Parker versus Harry Osborne? Ugh…)
Bryce loads his ammo with a smile. "Now, let's go get your sister married."
***
Chuck feels Bryce's gaze on him as they drive back to the church. (Quit staring at me, you're creeping me out!) "What?" he asks.
Bryce settles back in the passenger seat. "Nothing, I just…"
"Just what?"
"I never thought this is where you'd be."
(What the hell do you mean by that?) "What the hell does that mean?"
"I just never pictured you getting so…stuck."
"You get me kicked out of Stanford, let me believe you stole my girlfriend – and thanks for clearing that up for me, I had to find out from Jill when she basically set me up after I was stupid enough to take her back, thinking she actually cared – and you wonder why I'm stuck?!" (If I didn't need you, I would throw you from this car!) Chuck looks to the heavens for help at the red light, then turns to look directly at Bryce. "Are you really that oblivious?" he asks.
Bryce is silent. "I was looking out for you," he finally says. "I knew you weren't cut out for field work, I was trying to help."
Chuck shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "You know what, Bryce? How about after this, you stop trying to help me!" He puts the car in park. "We're here." He gets out of the car, not noticing the blank and startled look on Bryce's face as he sits dumbfounded in the passenger seat. "Try not to get me or anyone I love killed, okay?" Chuck adds, and slams the driver door shut.