Chapter 5e – Wedding Redux, a la Chuck
A.N. - Disclaimer in Ch. 1. This was meant to be the shortest, just a glimpse, but when I revisited it, turned out not. Snippets of Chuck through the planning and execution of Wedding #2.
He watches her. All day, he sneaks glances at her, hoping to hear or see something that tells him she won't go. He catches her, sometimes, having just turned away, and he smiles small secret smiles. (Gotcha. The Bartowski charm has still got something on you, at least.) As they talk of music and dresses, shoes and flowers, he watches her eyes, her smiles. (For someone who doesn't want a normal life, who'll never be normal, you sure are having fun, aren't you?) He keeps her moving and on her toes the whole afternoon, throwing everything he has into those moments. A laugh, a smile, all precious gifts from her that he stores meticulously against the coming void.
(Oh God, I love you.)
The thought stops him in his tracks for a second, and he looks at her with his heart in his eyes while she paces the bridal shop and arranges for delivery of the dresses and tuxes. "Sarah," he calls. She holds up one manicured finger to him and he smiles. (Agent Walker cannot be deterred until her mission is completed.) The moment passes, and Chuck tries to breathe again.
She hangs up the phone and walks over, casually running her hand down his arm as she joins him on the requisite huge sofa in the changing area. "What is it, Chuck?" she asks.
(Stay with me. Don't ever leave me. Love me for the rest of your life.) "Can you do me a huge favor?" is what comes out, slightly strangled.
She smiles, and it lights up her eyes. "Really? Even huger than arranging a wedding in a day?"
He laughs, and her eyes soften. (Look at me like that for the rest of my days.) "Touche', Agent Walker. Touche'. Okay, of all the tasks remaining in this highly-unprecedented day, this would be a huge favor."
She rests her face in her hand and her elbow on her crossed legs, doing her best impression of The Thinker. "I'm all ears."
"You're never just all ears. You're all everything." It sneaks out past his careful defenses, escapes into the air between them and he winces as he watches her register it. (Don't freak out. Don't either of us freak out.) He rushes on, "I want you to deliver Ellie's wedding dress for me." (And to forget I said that first thing. Smooth, Chuck. She's still leaving.)
She looks up at him with surprise. "You don't want to do it yourself?"
He shakes his head. "No, I have to get down to the beach and make sure all of that is going smoothly, but I want someone to explain it to her." He gives her a half-smile, "Unless you want me to ask Casey?"
They share a big laugh at the thought, the almost that was hanging in the air dissipating in its wake. Sarah nods solemnly. "I'll deliver it, Chuck, it'd be an honor to. What do you want me to say?"
He takes her hand, lacing their fingers together and scrutinizing the result. (Screw the tension, I'll take what I can get.) "That I hope I remember her answer from Game Night right."
Sarah looks at him suspiciously and Chuck keeps his face carefully blank. (Uh-oh, she caught me about the bridesmaid dress.)
"Game Night?" she asks neutrally.
He does his best to give her a wide-eyed, slightly confused look in return. "You know, the wedding dress question?"
Sarah smirks at him. "Yes, Chuck, I remember the question. And the answers. Including mine."
He raises his eyebrows at her, all innocence and shock. "You mean that was your serious answer?" (Don't freak out, Chuck, you're about to play this off. Maybe.)
She simply raises one eyebrow and tilts her head as she looks at him.
He shrugs, tempering the wide-eyed look with a note of contrition. "I figured you were just making it up. Wow, Sarah Walker, saying something real when she totally didn't have to." He allows a smile to break over his face and watches with a bit of fascination as her eyes soften again, even though the rest of her expression doesn't. "My bad."
She shakes her head and smirks at him. "Right. You didn't think at all that maybe I was serious. And you didn't deliberately put me in that dress, across from you, at a wedding."
Chuck presses both his hands, and the one hand of hers he holds, to his heart. "You wound me, fair maiden. Why would I do something like that?" (Except to remind you that I know you, and I want you.)
She finally laughs, and extracts the hand he holds to swat at his shoulder. "Just point me to the dress, Bartowski."
He sends her off with the dress and lets out a deep breath. He refuses, absolutely refuses to think about what happens after Ellie and Devon say "I do". (Last mission, last moments, last glances.) He shakes his head and takes his tux into the fitting room to change and head down to the beach. (Don't. Freak. Out.)
She returns with the limos and the rest of the wedding party about an hour later. Everything is in place and Chuck stands at the top of a dune, looking down at the scene when she finds him. "Hey," she says simply.
He smiles down at her. "Hey," he responds. He nods to the setup, hands clasped behind him as he slowly rocks on his heels. "Looks good, huh?" (Wouldn't mind walking that aisle with you...)
She smiles and nods in response. "Who would've thought Casey had that in him?"
Chuck laughs lightly, "A man who grows bonsai trees is a man with untapped depths. And if you'd seen him with the Crown Vic that morning..." He lets his voice trail off suggestively. "Let's just say it almost felt like I had HBO on too early in the morning, if you catch my drift."
He can tell the laugh that escapes her surprises even her, and pretty soon they're both laughing nearly uncontrollably.
(I'm going to lose this. I'm really...She's really...She's going to leave me. Soon.) Laughter fading, he fights the urge to growl and shakes his head. (Wow, Casey much?) Some sound might have left his mouth, or rumbled in his throat, because Sarah glances at him sharply. He plasters a smile back on his face and takes her hand again as he looks at her. (That dress is just as perfect as I knew it would be. Sorry, Sarah, had to play dirty there.)
(After all, you taught me to.)
His father starts waving at Chuck, and he and Sarah part ways as they prepare for the ceremony to begin. The clock ticks down in Chuck's head, and he struggles to ignore the feeling of a steel gate coming down on this chapter of his life. (Not going to think about it. Going to enjoy this. I earned this.) He looks at Ellie and the smile is genuine, the love is vibrant and he lets himself be swept up with her. (I did it.) He grins, and takes her left arm as his father takes her right one. (I love you, Ellie. You deserve this.) When Ellie smiles at him with tears in her eyes, Chuck feels an unspeakable pride. (I did this. In a day. I set my mind to it, and I did it. I fought for it. I worked for it. And it happened.) With this thought he stands a little straighter. (Maybe I don't give myself enough credit.)
He looks at Sarah over and over during the vows, repeating them in his head for her, willing her to see it in his eyes, willing her to know he's promising himself to her. He looks at Ellie and Devon, and sees the joy radiating from them as they promise themselves to each other.
(I want it. I want to have that in my life.) He looks at Sarah again, willing her to hear his next thought. (I'm not letting you go without a fight.) He hears the cheering as the Drs. Woodcomb are introduced as if from a distance, and claps with a new resolve. (I'm going to fight for you, Sarah Walker.)
He walks away from the receiving line with a smile to those lingering, and finds Morgan to check in on the rest of the day. (Mission Act I complete, Act II, The Reception…)
A.N.: Okay, not so brief on the "e" portion. Sorry. It was originally shorter, but Chuck had a lot to say, apparently. :) And if you don't know what's on HBO in the wee hours, I won't be the one to tell you. You can guess. Hope you're still enjoying this, please feel free to let me know! Please? :)