Chapter 4: Loose Ends Worth Tying
A/N: Apologies for the delay. My brain needed a break after yesterday's marathon. A throbbing head and a throbbing ankle is not a good combination. Besides, three chapters in a day was pretty taxing.
This chapter will be a heart-to-heart between Chuck and Sarah. Sarah will reveal her primary reason for leaving. They've both been through the ringer, and need to talk. Don't worry, this is an angst-free story.
Romance is not my thing. Believe it or not, the romance part of the story up to now was hard for me to write. I would much rather write about Casey blowing things up. That said, I tried my best to do Chuck and Sarah justice. Their story is pretty awesome. Who doesn't root for Chuck getting the girl?
Finally, thanks to all of you who took the time to read the story and share your thoughts. Reviews are helpful. I have already added a few details to the story based off reviews. As promised, I included my personal thanks to each of you at the bottom of this chapter.
Sarah woke from a restful sleep and noticed Chuck was no longer spooned with her. She glanced around the room illuminated by the moonlight, and found Chuck sitting on the balcony. Sarah grabbed the bed sheet and wrapped it around her body, padding over to Chuck.
Chuck turned as Sarah walked out on the balcony. "Hey, did I wake you?"
Sarah leaned down and kissed Chuck's lips softly. "No, but I did miss cuddling with you. Want some company?"
Chuck took Sarah's hand as she eased down on Chuck's lap. Sarah studied his eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Chuck smiled solemnly. "I am now."
Sarah caressed Chuck's cheek. "So am I. Chuck, I am so sorry for leaving you, but I had to take care of something very important before leaving the CIA for good."
Chuck nodded. "I guess it's time for the much anticipated chat."
Sarah nodded and took a deep breath, staring at the sky before proceeding. "In 2006, I was assigned a mission in Budapest under a handler named Kieran Ryker. My mission was to infiltrate a wealthy family's home and retrieve a package. The family had been murdered by a Hungarian crime syndicate in order to steal the family's fortune. When I entered the home, I eliminated the threats. Ryker then informed me the package was in fact a baby girl, and heir to the family's fortune. Ryker wanted the baby girl for himself so he could claim the little girl's inheritance. I went off grid to protect the baby."
Sarah paused and studied Chuck's eyes. They were full of love and admiration. It made Sarah's heart soar. Chuck spoke in a low tone. "What happened to the little girl?"
Sarah took a deep breath. "I hid her with the one person I knew I could trust….my mom."
Chuck brushed Sarah's hair behind her ears. "And you wanted to make sure she was protected before you left the CIA?"
Sarah nodded. "Yes. That's why it took so long for us to be together. I needed to make sure Ryker would never harm the little girl or my mom. The new CIA Director owed me a favor. He assigned taking down Ryker as my last mission after Bryce was killed."
Chuck hugged Sarah close. "Sarah, you did the right thing."
Sarah gave Chuck a small smile as her eyes reflected the love in her heart. She kissed Chuck softly. After the kiss, she rested her forehead on Chuck's. "I never want to be apart from you ever again. I was changing back into the old me…before meeting you…the heartless assassin. I didn't like it. I want to be Sarah…your Sarah…for the rest of my life."
Chuck continued brushing Sarah's hair lovingly. "You don't have to worry about that, because I am never letting you go." Chuck hugged Sarah closer. Sarah rested her head on Chuck's chest, her hand clenching his shirt.
After several moments, Chuck broke the silence. "So, your mom and the little girl?"
Sarah smiled. "They're safe. Actually, I have a sister now. Her name is Molly. Mom did a wonderful job raising her. You'll meet them soon."
Chuck looked at Sarah in awe. "I can't wait to meet them." Chuck took a breath, and turned somber. "And Ryker?"
Sarah raised her eyes to meet Chuck's. "If I have my way, Ryker will be the last person I ever kill."
Chuck nodded. "As much as I don't like killing, if it meant protecting your family, it was worth it."
Sarah lowered her eyes. "Where do we go from here, Chuck? I've never had a real job before the agency."
Chuck rubbed Sarah's arms reassuringly. "Well, Carmichael Industries could use a liaison for my government contracts. You know how needy the government can be. I've been trying to run the company and act as a liaison myself, but the company is expanding faster than I expected. So, since you a little bit of government experience, how does that sound?"
Sarah raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Just a little bit of experience?"
Chuck made a "little bit" motion with his fingers. "Yeah, maybe a skosh."
Sarah chuckled softly and looked away thoughtfully. "I also know several languages, maybe I could also be an interpreter. Has the company gone global?"
Chuck's eyes lit up. "Actually, we do have a few contracts overseas, namely with ASIS in Australia and MI5 in the UK, but those are English speaking nations, so that doesn't really count. But, we also have contracts in Belgium, Poland, France, Germany, Switzerland,…..oh, and a very important client in the fashion industry."
Sarah put a finger to her chin. "I can definitely handle your translation services…and I have a few contacts with several intelligence agencies. Wait, did you say the fashion industry?"
Chuck grinned like a fool. "Yep. Let's just say Giorgio's accounts are well-protected by Carmichael Industries. Roan Montgomery introduced us!"
Sarah's eyes bulged. "Giorgio….as in Giorgio Armani?"
"Hey, what can I say? He makes great suits! Oh, and he made one for me. I bet you'll love it."
Sarah's mouth opened wide. "Oh my God…please tell me you've never worn it for anyone!"
"Actually, I haven't found the right occasion to wear it."
Sarah grabbed Chuck's face. "Good. Because when we get home, you are wearing it for me." Sarah looked away thoughtfully and smiled. "To celebrate our engagement."
Chuck smiled bright. "It's a deal. Engagement, huh?"
Sarah stared deep into Chuck's eyes with a soft smile. "Yes, Chuck. Engagement."
Chuck leaned down and kissed Sarah on the lips. "Forgive me for not giving you an answer earlier. Yes."
Sarah faux pouted. "Oh, so you wait until after we have mind-blowng sex to answer my proposal? I thought you were a gentleman, Chuck."
Chuck turned red with embarrassment. "I'm...I'm sorry, Sarah. But I couldn't even remember my own name earlier since you decided to have 'dessert' early, as you so eloquently put it."
Sarah laughed. "I'm just teasing you, but I won't apologize for having my, uh, 'dessert' early. A year and a half is a long time to wait."
Chuck nodded bashfully. Sarah kissed him on the cheek.
Moments passed, Sarah broke the silence. "Charmichael Industries?"
Chuck grinned. "Yeah, well, like I once said, Mr. Charmichael and I share a certain kinship."
Sarah laughed. "It would seem so. Have you entered America's Cup yet?"
Chuck let out a wet laugh. "No, I haven't taken up sailing, but I am thinking about purchasing a private jet."
Sarah smiled. "I think I found another task you can use me for. I am also a pilot."
Chuck smiled in amazement. "Is there anything you can't do, Sarah?"
"Hmm, let me see...well, I'm not good at computers...boss." Sarah cocked her head to one side and smiled.
"Oh lord, please don't call me that. I hate that word. It reminds me of Big Mike."
Sarah snorted, then turned serious. "I'm proud of you, Chuck. I always knew with the right encouragement, there is nothing you can't do."
Chuck leaned close. "With you, I can do anything." Chuck cupped Sarah's face and kissed her slow and tender.
After the kiss broke, Sarah whispered, "Chuck, I don't want a long engagement. We've been apart for too long, and I want us to start building our life together. The sooner the better."
Chuck nodded, and brushed Sarah's hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't have it any other way. All I ask is for Ellie and Morgan to attend the wedding. I would also like Casey to attend. What about your mom and Molly? I'm sure Molly would make a beautiful flower girl."
Sarah kissed Chuck tenderly with a smile on her lips. "I like the way you think. Okay, I'll contact Casey in a few days. I still need things to blow over before letting Casey know I'm still alive." Sarah's eyes widened in horror. "Oh God! I bet Ellie hates me!"
Chuck's eyes widened. "Awwww shit!"
Sarah smacked Chuck hard on his arm.
"Ow!"
"Charles Irving Bartowski!"
Chuck grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. It just slipped."
Chuck took a breath and looked determined. "She was pretty upset you left, Sarah, but leave Ellie to me. She's pregnant right now and a little cranky...okay very cranky, but I'm not letting anything or anyone stand in the way of us being together. After the shock wears off, she'll be happy to see you."
Sarah looked away with a sad look on her face. "I'm just now realizing you're not the only one I hurt by leaving." Sarah raised her eyes and blinked away tears. "I am going to do whatever it takes to always be there for our family from now on."
Chuck beamed inside as he wiped Sarah's tears with his thumbs. "We're always going to be there for you, Sarah. Your family is pretty loyal if you hadn't noticed."
Sarah smiled through her tears and took Chuck's face in her hands. "I love you. You know that, right?"
Chuck placed his hands on top of Sarah's. "I do. I love you too."
Chuck's eyes grew somber. "I feel like I just woke up from a bad dream. I...I couldn't even fathom what it would be like knowing you were gone forever. It was hard enough living each day without you in my life, but having thought you were..." Chuck trailed and lowered his head.
Sarah closed her eyes and took a breath. "Chuck, I promise, right here, right now, you'll never be alone again. I'm going to always be by your side. What we have...I can't even describe it. I can't tell you how hard it was to maintain my composure every single day after I left and do my job. I've never been in love before...being apart from you was worse than torture."
Chuck cleared his throat. "I know exactly how you feel, Sarah. It just didn't seem fair. Not when I thought we were finally given our chance after Dad removed the Intersect from my head. Then before Ellie's wedding, you told me you were leaving...with Bryce. I felt like my life was falling apart all over again. But then, you followed me into the reception hall and didn't let me drown myself in a bottle of champagne. You told me it would be okay, and we would talk after the wedding. That night, when we finally told each other how we felt and made love, I knew that someday you would come back."
Sarah blinked away tears. "I froze, Chuck...after you asked me to take a vacation with you. It was so sweet of you to think of me, and all I could say was, I was leaving. I've never been good with words, and that look on your face paralyzed me. I didn't know what to do. But I willed myself to make sure I didn't ruin Ellie's wedding for you by breaking your heart. That's why I followed you into the reception hall and made sure you would be okay until we talked that night. Before the wedding, I made certain we had a chance to talk in private and you knew me leaving had nothing to do with Bryce or choosing my job over you. I talked Beckman into delaying our departure so you and I could have one night together. Beckman never said it, but I think she knew it was about more than raising suspicion on the cover. That night, when we finally made love...it was so magical. I have never been treated so loving in my life. The next day, when you took me to the airport...that smile you gave me and that kiss...that's what I fought for from that point on. I fought for you, Chuck. I fought for us."
Chuck kissed Sarah's hand. "That night meant everything to me, Sarah. From now on, you're not alone in fighting for each other. We fight together."
Sarah smiled. "Together."
As the evening progressed into morning, the Chuck and Sarah spent their first night back together talking, laughing, kissing, and holding one another. As the sun rose on the Italian coast, the bright rays promised the making of a new day, while Chuck and Sarah promised to make their future together.
A/N:My responses to your reviews:
sevenrez: You really motivated me during this story! You're a gem! Thank you very much for your kind words and for staying with me from the beginning!
wilf21: Thanks! Sorry it was so sad in the beginning, but there was a method to the madness. Glad you are enjoying the story!
knightrid3r:Yeah, I'm not a fan of those type of stories either. I'm confident this story will meet your expectations. Thanks!
shinzy:Thanks! I'm glad the story is meeting your expectations!
Marc Vun Kannon: Since we were never really given Sarah's last name in the series, I wanted to stay true to that. It made sense she probably didn't even know her name considering the number of aliases she had with her father, and her father could have destroyed any real documents to keep them off the authority's radar. I got a good laugh out of your second review in reference to Sarah's 'death,' and I wholeheartedly agree. Sarah is just too sharp of an agent to be killed. And, I never pay someone to do my dirty work for me :) Thanks!
Shutupnkissme313: I was being generous to Bryce. He only got one sentence as "tribute" in the first draft. I didn't want to be accused of liking the guy had I included three sentences. LOL. I'm glad you liked my "scavenger hunt" with Chuck. I figured if Sarah had done something like this, she would have left several pieces of information in several locations. Can't be too careful. Thanks!
tw200: I respect that. I knew the first phase of the story would cause some tension, but there was a method to the madness. Faking her death to leave the CIA seemed logical. She has a reputation and a lot of enemies. After the last update, I'm hopeful it turned things around for you. I appreciate your critique of my writing style, it was very helpful. Thanks!
Purrum: No worries. I had a clear course plotted from the beginning and didn't change a thing. I do appreciate your inspiring words! Thanks!
Neale: There's more to come, I assure you, Mr. Twist. It will get a lot more fun from here on out. Thanks!
charahkids: Yikes! I never expected to be called a son of a female dog. A bastard, maybe, but never a SOB. LOL. Fair enough, I had it coming:) I'm glad you liked my little plot twist! I love a good plot twist. Don't worry, there is a wedding in the works next chapter. I agree, Walker sounds more arse-kickery than Blake. I had to throw in a little trivia into the mix. Thanks!