Hey all, thanks for the on-going reviews. This chapter will all but focus on Chuck and Sarah. It's all going to take place on the beach where the past chapter was left.

Chapter 14 – Just Us

Sitting on the beach and staring out to the ocean, this was certainly going to be hard. Sarah could be stubborn at times and would often lay the blame on herself for things that were beyond her control.

'Sarah can I tell you something?'

'You can tell me anything Chuck.'

'5yrs ago I was sent an email from Bryce and from that day onwards my life changed. And for a long time I wanted to get the intersect out of my head and to have a normal life again and to hopefully start a relationship with you. For so long I hated opening that email and solving the riddle and wished that none of this would have happened. But then it started to change the day you walked into the store. A huge part of me still wished I hadn't opened the email because it robbed me of so much for so long but the more I thought about it the more I understood that if I hadn't solved that riddle then I would have never met you and we wouldn't be married. No matter what happened or what we'd been through that email, this intersect it brought you to me and I will make that same choice again and again.'

'Chuck where is this going…'

'For the first 2yrs Sarah I blamed everything on myself. The missions that went sour, the people that got hurt…I put it all on my head. It took me sometime to realise that this wasn't me, I hadn't told Bryce to send that email to me. Remember Sarah when your dad came to Burbank I told you something about my dad, do you remember?'

Of course she remembered, he told her that story in confidence. She easily remembered that day because it was always Chuck that made her feel better.

'Of course I do, you blamed yourself for your dad leaving.'

'I did. Even though it all links to me and at the time I had no idea he was the genius behind it all, I still blamed myself. I asked myself everyday why he left and every answer I came back with was, must be because of me. Bit by bit I began telling myself it wasn't my fault till one day I stopped taking the blame. Granted he ran because he wanted to protect me and my sister but I didn't know that. This is what I'm trying to say Sarah, just because you're involved with the situation does not mean the blame lies entirely on you.'

'But Chuck….'

Interrupting before she could spin his words and continue to take the blame,

'No buts Sarah, why can't you see this isn't your fault.'

'Because I can't Chuck. Every which way I turn or look it's there. I made that choice when I was young to join, if I didn't we wouldn't be sitting here right now trying to find a way to find these people.'

'Yeh but Sarah if you didn't then I wouldn't be here. And wherever you made that choice or not there are and always will be others to make that choice and who's to say none of this would have happened if you weren't CIA? Ey, it could have just been someone else. Your choice all those years ago has no bearing on this Sarah. If we're talking about blame and choices….2009.'

'What about 2009?'

'You made a choice that could have ruined your entire career. If that had ended differently, I can guarantee you that I would have never forgiven myself if you were taken to jail for treason. I'd probably be a drunk and wished that I snapped you out of the choice you made that day. And if we were able to communicate, tell me…what would you have said to me?'

Sarah saw Chuck's point, he knew where he was going with this all. She was caught out and putting herself in that position she would try and try to get Chuck to understand that what could have happened, wouldn't have been his fault. She would be doing exactly what Chuck was doing now.

'I would have told you not to blame yourself, that it was not your fault.'

'Hmmmm, guessed so. See I know you Sarah. I'm perhaps the only one that does know you and it took me sometime to really understand but it was that night in 2009 that I realised that you would never hurt me, or lie…you would never put the CIA above me. As much as I loved you at that point, there was always something telling me not to trust you or Casey. Very small but it was there, but that night changed it all for me.'

Sarah remembered that night like it was yesterday. For the first time in her career she disobeyed orders and wasn't willing to let Chuck go. She couldn't bare the fact that he would be in lockdown, never being able to see his friends or family and she knew this would break him. As much as she was looking out for his own interests that night, she just didn't want to lose him.

'That night changed me in ways I never thought possible. You know when Beckmen gave me and Casey the order to bring you in, my heart sank. As selfish as I was in thinking that I wouldn't see you again, I just couldn't bare imaging my life without you Chuck. Then I thought about all the people you would leave behind, it just didn't sit with me. Walking over to the store that night, every step I took was a struggle because I knew what I was going in there for and the closer I got, the harder it was becoming. And for a split second I was going to go through with it because as Casey pointed out to me earlier, it would be the safest place for you. But then when you said all those things I just couldn't do it…I couldn't let them take you away from your family and friends and I didn't want them taking you away from me, because by that point Chuck I was in love with you.'

'I don't know if I am getting through to you but don't you see, every choice we made led us to this point and as much trouble and stress that came along with those choices so did the good times, because believe me Sarah…the times we've had together trumps everything bad that has happened. I found my dad, I found my mum but most of all I found you and that is something I will never, ever regret no matter how bad things get.'

It was always Chuck that could get through to Sarah, to allow her to see things as they were and not what she rendered to be the wrong choice. She had never risked so much that night back in 2009 and no matter what happened she risked it all for Chuck, a choice she would never take back.

'We can sit here all day Sarah and look back at every choice we made but we don't need to do that, you just have to understand that whatever choices you made, whatever you believed to be a mistake, you made it for all the right reasons. You never ordered Evelyn to join the ring, you didn't betray your county…none of that was you. You just can't hold yourself responsible for this mess Sarah, you can't because it's not your fault. I think I've said that a thousand times now.'

Chuck's wise words were starting to take affect with Sarah and only now starting to see it from his point of view, she slowly began relinquishing the blame. It took time to convince Sarah but Chuck was never going to give up. There was simply no way he could tell her now exactly who it was she shot that night in Paris and as innocent as that person was Chuck couldn't watch Sarah take all the guilt once again. This was a secret he would have to take to his grave. Only Casey knew, but that's as far as it would go. He knew that if Sarah found out…she will lose control again and whatever the circumstances he couldn't lose her.

'Why is it that you always seem to bring this side out in me, ey Chuck?'

Smiling, Chuck found it such a relief that he had finally gotten through to her.

'Because you love me and I love you.'

Pulling Chuck in for a long and passionate kiss, the tension that was consuming them both had disappeared. For a single moment it was like they were a normal couple with no one out there wanting them dead. Chuck was right, no matter how bad things got they would always have each other and that was worth everything. Pulling away, Sarah left her hand resting on Chuck's cheek. Caressing his lip with her thumb, she was so in love with this man that he had the power to rip everything bad away and all that was left was just them two, alone…on the beach. Not totally forgetting the situation that was on-going, Chuck brought up the subject.

'Once we get clearance to enter and bring them back, because we will…we don't go in there firing all we got. We take them away and make them understand that this time, there is no escaping.'

'And what about their daughter, Lily. She is an innocent party in all this, we can't just forget about her.'

'I don't know. But we'll think of something, maybe there are family out there that can adopt her…I dunno. All I know is that I want to get her out safely and unharmed.'

'And Diana…and the nanny? I don't know about the nanny, I mean we're not even sure of her name but Diana is a former ring agent, she'll need to be taking in as well.'

'Up until now, both the daughter and the nanny have done nothing wrong. The aim is to get both Evelyn and Daniel, if we manage to get Diana then I'd say that's a bonus. But right now we have to focus on them two.'

Lying back in the sand and arms crossed behind his head, Chuck looked up into the sky. It was a clear day with no clouds in sight. Looking up, he wasn't going to let Evelyn or Daniel get to them, he would treat this as any other mission. He detached himself from becoming emotionally involved, which was hard for him to do, he didn't dare think about what had happened in the past with Shaw. If he thought about them too much and what had happened, like Sarah he would let guilt take over until it consumed him and he wasn't going to take the blame for either Evelyn or Daniel turning. Looking down at Chuck, Sarah couldn't help but giggle. She had to follow Chuck's lead and treat Daniel and Evelyn as if they were people she did not know, she had to block that part out to save her and Chuck from taking full responsibility. Thinking about it too much and going over the choice she made in the past would only un-do the work Chuck had done to get her to realise that none of this was her fault. Lying back next to Chuck, she asked him a question.

'What was it that made you fall in love with me?'

'Gosh….a whole heap of things. Apart from you being absolutely stunning, I think the thing that hooked me was that you weren't your average spy…in fact don't think it has anything to do with the fact you are spy but you were just so special in everything you did for me. Countless times you risked your life for me and as much as you didn't want to admit it back then, you were really caring. You made me feel all gooey and all the times you walked into the buymore, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. I will never forget the things you did for me Sarah….never.'

Chuck continued…..

'I'd never met anyone like you before. You accepted who I was, the nerd I was and it never once put you off when most girls would have been. But then you're not most girls and I love that. When I felt I was changing, I could tell that you didn't like it, that it was hurting you. You loved the normal, nerdy guy from before and I knew I had to be him again to make you see that I would always be Chuck, your Chuck.'

'Firstly, yes Chuck I am not most girls and secondly….no I didn't like who you were changing into, I didn't want you to lose who you really are. And for a long time I pushed myself not to love you because I was hating who you were becoming and then when you asked me to run away with you….I realised you hadn't changed at all and what made it better was when Casey told me the truth. I had already decided to run with you, I never told you that but my mind was already made.'

'Was it really?'

'Yes it was. But then Shaw turned up and fooled me into believing something that wasn't true.'

'Well we've all been fooled at some point or another by him.'

Still lying in the sand and with Sarah resting her head on Chuck, they were taking in the last few moments they would be spending here as soon they were going to be shipped over to England to track down both Evelyn and Daniel.

With Casey and Verbanski at Castle….

'Walker better have her head on straight when she gets back, we'll need on eyes and ears on this.'

'Funny Casey, I was going to say the same thing about you.'

Turning away from the computer he was sitting at, he looked over to Verbanksi.

'And what exactly do you mean by that?'

'Come on, we all know you pretty pissed off with all this. Your blaming yourself just as much as Sarah is, but in a completely different light.'

'Whatever my emotions or feelings Verbanski, I can assure you my head is screwed on. I won't let anything stop me from completing this mission.'

'And from what I can see Sarah has been charged up on emotions for a long time,... that never stopped her completing a mission. This is different Casey, I know it and so do you.'

She certainly knew him all too well which bugged Casey as she was the only woman to really see him for exactly who he was.

'I don't hold any responsibility for that woman or her husband. What I do hold myself responsible for is the fact I let her get away…twice. If you get away from me once, it's a miracle…twice, well I don't even want to think about it. There will not be a 3rd time, when we get there…she is mine.'

Before Verbankski had a chance to reply, Beckman interrupted.

'Colonel…we have clearance. The team can enter the UK and apprehend both Daniel and Evelyn Shaw.'

'That was pretty quick General' Casey asked.

'There is no time to waste on this mission. Not only are the team at risk, but so is the CIA. Shaw wanted to bring the entire CIA down, we cannot let that happen. Inform both Sarah and Casey right away, all of you will be flying out tonight.'

Beckmen ended the call and Casey was straight onto the phone to contact Sarah and Chuck.

Back with Sarah and Chuck…

'You seem much more at ease now Sarah.'

'I am. And everything you said, you were right. As much as I have changed, I still find it hard sometimes to really let go and anything that goes wrong in my life I always tends to blame it on the choices I have made. I can't keep doing that and from this day onwards….I'm going to stop.'

'Now that I am glad to hear.'

Chuck lightly kissed Sarah's head as she rested in on his chest. Arms around her and looking out into the sky, the beautiful moment was interrupted with a call from Casey. Accepting the call, Chuck was talking with him whilst Sarah lay resting against him and taking in every moment she could get because she knew that they would be leaving to find both Evelyn and Daniel. Hanging up the call, Sarah looked up to Chuck and said,

'Beckmen got clearance already hasn't she and let me guess, we're going to have to leave right away.'

'Well at least we get to visit England right. We've got Italy under our belts and now England, could be fun minus the fact we have to hunt down not 2 but 3 deadly people.'

Sarah headed back to the car whilst Chuck called Ellie to check in.

'Hey sis, is everything ok over there?'

Yeh we're ok. Those agents stay close by don't they?'

'They have to Elle. Though it would have been easier if you were still in Burbank.'

'Well when we decided to move, none of us knew what was waiting around the corner Chuck.'

'I know. I've only just managed to get through to Sarah.'

'What do you mean?'

'Ever since the crash, she has been blaming herself for everything that's happened, it was like she was starting to lose herself. I mean she smashed up a screen and could have wrecked the entire Castle if I didn't step in.'

'Oh my god Chuck, is she ok now?'

'Yeh, yeh she is. But I'm afraid that when we finally get to them it'll all come back.'

'Chuck you just have to be there for her ok. Just like you've always been, you love her and there's no way I can see you letting her lose herself.'

'Your right, I would rather die than see her undo everything, but listen I have to go. We've got a lead to where they are and we have to get going. I just wanted to check in and hi. Stay safe sis.'

'Bye Chuck.'

Few moments later and arriving back at Castle…

Stepping inside, Verbanksi watched Sarah as she walked down the stairs. Sensing her eyes peering at her, Sarah told Verbanksi,

'Don't worry, I won't be throwing anything, anywhere.'

'Good. Ok so you know what's happening, we're going to travel to England. We're still trying to figure out which city that store is in. And just between us, Beckman wants them extradited back here….but….' Verbanksi looked over her shoulder to check where Casey was and to make sure he was out of earshot before she continued…

'If Casey gets a slim chance, he will kill them. So we have to stop that from happening if we can, otherwise we will be carrying back 2 corpses. The agent with her, Diana she is a minimal risk right now, the plan is to get both Daniel and Evelyn and if we can catch her too, great. If not…well we will deal with that when the time comes. I suggest you guys get back home and pack a few things and meet back here in 2hrs.'

Just before leaving, Chuck wanted to check in on Casey. He worked his magic with Sarah and it seems that Verbanksi was yet to get through to him, could Chuck succeed where she couldn't?

'Hey Casey.'

'What is it Chuck?'

'Listen….she managed to get away, it doesn't mean you didn't do your job. Remember that.'

And with that Chuck walked away and him and Sarah dashed back home to pack a go-pack.

End of chapter. Please review and next one up soon.