A/N: So, an interesting day at the movie set. Chuck seemed to make quite the impression. Although it seems he may be in some hot water, given Sydney's reaction. Let's catch back up with our friends and see how the tour with Sarah goes.
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck
Chapter 10
Sarah sat on the small couch, her elbows on her knees. With her palms pressed to her forehead, she heaved a deep sigh, her shoulders slumping. The door to the room opened and closed again, the new occupant crossing the room to sit at a brightly lit makeup table. They looked into the mirror and saw Sarah in the reflection.
"Ho, Jesus!" the woman gasped, jumping in surprise, nearly falling out of her chair. "For the love of God, Walker. Make some damn noise or something. Geez." Holding her hand to her chest, attempting to slow her pulse and breathing, she continued, "I thought you were supposed to be out playing Willy Walker, showing all the kids your movie factory? Why are you hiding in here...scaring the shit out of me?"
"Sorry Carina. I just… I needed a minute," Sarah confessed, not lifting her head to look at her friend.
"Trouble in paradise?" Carina spun her chair around to face Sarah, rather than looking at her reflection.
" Pffft. Paradise …" she scoffed, shaking her head.
"OK. So, spill. What's wrong?" Sarah pushed herself to her feet and began to pace the room, chewing on her thumb nail.
"It's just this show, these guys. Most of them are such self-serving assholes. I've taken two groups so far. They're supposed to be learning about a movie set, understanding what it's like to be behind the scenes. That sort of thing. So, I take a group around, show them the sights and talk about the filmmaking process. All they want to know is how much people make or how to break into the business. One guy was even hitting on your stunt double! Right in front of me!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.
"Boy is he barkin' up the wrong tree. Now if you were hitting on her…" Sarah just gave Carina a flat look. "I'm just sayin'... Anyway. So, this guy that was hitting on Miranda, was he in the running? Did you like him? Is that why you're so bent out of shape?"
"What?! No! That guy's an idiot. He was already on my shit list. No, it's not him. I mean it is, it's all of it. Most of these guys aren't taking this show seriously. They're just here to use me and the show to get their fifteen minutes of fame. I feel like they're just wasting my time. Or maybe I'm just wasting my time…" she trailed off, plopping down on the couch.
"So they're all like that? There's nobody that's making an effort?" Carina asked, rolling her chair closer to Sarah.
"I mean, out of the first two groups, a couple of guys seemed to at least be paying attention. They asked some good questions at least. One of them seems nice enough. The other is alright too I suppose, but there's just something about him I can't put my finger on. He just … sets off my radar, ya know?" Carina hummed her understanding, nodding her head.
"So what about the third group? Any prospects there?" Carina watched as Sarah's glum expression slowly shifted. The corners of her mouth began to curl upward as she starred off in space. "Um… Hellooo? That's a yes. OK, talk, Blondie. What's his name? Is he cute? I need details!"
Sarah just rolled her eyes, though her cheeks took on color at being called out on it by her friend. "His… his name is .. Chuck. OK?"
"Chuck? Seriously? I didn't know people still named their kids Chuck or Gerald or … Eugene." Both women burst into laughter, mostly at Carina's sour face as she listed off the string of names.
"Stop. He's … he's a really nice guy," Sarah admitted, sobering.
"Uh oh. A 'nice guy'. That means he's ugly right? Homely?" Carina gave her a sympathetic pout.
"Eh! No. He's not ugly! Or homely, thank you. Sure, he's not your male model type like a lot of these guys, but he's … cute. He's tall and has this dark, curly hair that makes these weird shapes..." Sarah's smile was back. Carina could see that just thinking about this guy was bringing a bigger smile to Sarah's face than she'd seen in a long time. Sensing that there was more coming, Carina just sat back and waited for the flood gates to burst.
"And he's smart, funny, …. kind and caring. He's different... kinda nerdy, I guess. Some of the other guys give him shit. They seem to forget the cameras are always rolling. Most of those guys got the boot," Sarah smirked, seeming pleased with herself.
"Sticking up for your nerd, huh?" Carina chimed in with a wry smile.
"Yeah, I guess. Hey! He's not my nerd-"
"Ummmhmmm. You keep telling yourself that. I see the way your face lights up when you talk about him," Carina accused, waggling her finger at Sarah's face. Sarah just sank further into the couch, letting out an exasperated sigh. "So, what's with the sigh? You clearly like this guy. So what's the problem? Ditch all the other guys, take tall, dark and nerdy and ride off into the sunset."
Sarah just sat quietly for a moment before she replied, "Did I tell you I met his sister?" Carina's mouth dropped open, a look of surprise on her face.
"Meeting the family already? Wow, you move fast."
"Tsk. She was one of the doctors at the hospital we visited. Z set it up. We talked about Chuck and their life growing up. He's had a lot of shit thrown at him, and instead of being bitter about it, he's still this kind, loving person. You know he sang and played the ukulele for a girl in the hospital?" Carina's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't interrupt. "Yeah. They sang a song together. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen."
"So, do you have a china pattern picked out? You know, Carina is a strong girl's nam- OW!" Sarah slapped Carina on the leg, but couldn't completely hide the chuckle.
"Stooooop. It's not funny. I'm supposed to be objective. I need to give all of these guys my equal attention for the show. I can't pick favorites just yet or they'll say it's rigged or something. I dunno. Maybe… maybe he's just too good to be true. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like I'll find out he's a serial killer or something." Sarah let out a groan, rubbing her hands over her face in frustration.
"Is that really what you're afraid of? Or are you just afraid to get close to someone again? Afraid of getting hurt?" Her hands still covering her face, Sarah didn't really have a response to that. They both sat silently for a long moment. Sarah dropped her hands into her lap, laying her head back to stare at the ceiling.
"What if… what if it's me? What if he sees the real me and finds out that he can't … that there's just too much… crazy to deal with? That my life is too complicated…that I'm not worth the trouble." Carina blew out a long breath, standing up and moving to sit beside her friend. Sarah leaned her head on Carina's shoulder but remained silent.
"So, here's what I see. You were never this worried about any of the previous assholes you dated. I think that's because you never really saw a future with them. Never got fully invested. But now… maybe for the first time, you see something you really want and you're afraid you'll lose it. If you want to know if someone loves you for who you really are, you have to trust them enough to let them see the real you. The only way you can hope to prove that someone is trustworthy, is to trust them. " Sarah lifted her head to look at Carina, bewilderment on her face.
"When did you get so philosophical?" Carina smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
"I saw it on a meme on Instagram." After a few seconds of silence, they both burst into laughter. It was several minutes before they sobered enough to continue.
"Thanks. I needed that. I'd better get out there for the last group tour," Sarah said, as she pushed herself off the couch. "Hey. What are you doing for dinner? We're supposed to eat dinner with the crew. You wanna join us? Get a cameo in the show?" Sarah bounced her eyebrows, making Carina snicker.
"And miss an opportunity to meet this nerd of yours? Count me in. Maybe I can pick through your reject pile and find some fun snacks," Carina added, bouncing her own eyebrows this time.
"Good luck with that. Don't say I didn't warn you. I'll see ya later."
Sarah left Carina's dressing room and headed back toward the area where she was to meet up with the tour group. The same place where she had left them all earlier in the day. When she arrived, she could see more than just the three contestants for her third, and final, tour group. There were a few just sitting, thumbing through magazines, a couple of others chatting up one of the PAs for the movie, and then there was Chuck. A bulletin board was mounted to the wall showing announcements, fire exits and the like. Chuck seemed to be busying himself by organizing everything into neat rows, including the spare thumb tacks, with which he had created a smiley face. Carina's voice echoed in her head, "your nerd". She shook the thought away and cleared her throat.
"Ok guys. Sorry about the wait. I had an important meeting I needed to attend. If you want to follow me, we can get started." Chuck hurriedly put the remaining thumb tacks from his hand into the corkboard, abandoning his earlier pattern. Michael, who had been thumbing through a magazine, leisurely stood, tossing the magazine aside. He seemed bored already and the tour hadn't even started. Guy, who had been flirting with the PA, managed to pull himself away and join her. Once all three men were gathered, Sarah led them through the movie set.
"There are lots of moving parts to a movie set. Obviously, you know about the actors and directors, and we'll meet with them a little later, but there are lots of other important people on a set. One of them is a grip. Grips are responsible for hanging and mounting lighting and cameras, operating lifts, cranes, and dollies. You name it, they do it. The head grip is called the key grip and his go-to guy is called the best boy - or girl as the case may be. Speaking of… " They approach a man that was adjusting some C-stands, with his back to them. When he heard them approach, he turned to face the group, a look of surprise on his face.
"Hey Chuck!" called the man, before Sarah could get a word in.
"Uh… you… you know each other?" Sarah asked, looking perplexed.
"Yeah. I met Eric earlier today. You're the best boy grip, right?" Chuck asked sheepishly.
"Right..." she answered, trailing off.
"Yep. Chuck helped me out this morning. Good to see ya again. Sorry, Sarah, guys, I'd love to stay and chat but I gotta run." Eric waved his goodbye over his shoulder as he raced off. Everyone looked at Chuck for a moment, making him feel a little uncomfortable.
"So, uh… there're other important jobs on the set? W-what might those be?" Chuck asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the tour and off him. Sarah shook herself, snapping back to the present.
'Right. Right. Well, obviously there's the camera department, led by the director of photography. Sometimes called the cinematographer," she continued walking backwards as she spoke. "Production sound also works hand in hand with them. But none of that would work without the electricians. They provide power for all the lights and cameras for the whole set. You can have the greatest actors or directors in the world, but without these people, movies don't get made."
They continued to walk, coming up on one of the actual scenes where they were preparing to shoot. Sarah turned her back to the set to talk to the small group.
"Chuck!" A woman called from behind Sarah, causing her to whirl around.
"Hey Rachel. Good to see ya," Chuck replied, giving her an awkward wave. Sarah's gaze shifted between Chuck and the woman several times, trying to make sense of it. "Sorry. Uh… Eric, the best boy grip we just met, he introduced us," Chuck added, gesturing over his shoulder in the direction they'd just come from.
"Well, I'm guessing that Chuck here knows what Rachel's job is. How about the rest of you?" Michael and Guy looked at each other and shrugged.
"The lady who says what take it is?" Guy asked, pointing at the slate she was holding.
"Right, but her title is … Chuck?" Sarah turned to him with an expectant look.
"Oh. Um… she's the second assistant camera. Right? You mark out where people are supposed to stand for each scene, change lenses and, like Guy said, use the slate to keep track of what scene and take you're on. Am I close?" Chuck winced, waiting for the verdict, looking between Sarah and Rachel.
"I think he knows what I do better than my own boss," Rachel chimed in, chuckling at her own joke. Sarah and Chuck laughed along, while the other two gave awkward half smiles.
"That's good, Chuck. I'm glad to see you used your time wisely." Sarah sent a brief glance at the other men before continuing. "Well, we'll let you get back to work, Rachel. Thanks for your time."
"My pleasure, Sarah. See ya Chuck." She waved goodbye to them all before getting back to her tasks. They walked a little further, Sarah pointing out the names of some of the equipment and how they're used. Chuck listened in rapped fascination while the others faked interest, very poorly. It wasn't until they ran into the director of the project that they seemed to take notice. They seemed bombard the man with questions, following him as he walked. Throwing her hands up in resignation, Sarah followed after, with Chuck not far behind.
When the director reached the craft food table, everyone seemed to know all about Michael's and Guy's career aspirations and very little about what a director actually did. Finally having enough, Sarah broke in.
"Guys! We've taken up more than enough of Mister Abbott's time. He needs to grab some food and get back to set, so we'll let him be on his way." The director thanked her and, after grabbing some snacks, was off like a shot.
"While we're here, this is the craft food table. This table is managed by the craft services department. They keep a steady stream of food on hand all day long. Often times -"
"Mijo! You're back. You coming to work for me again?" Sarah looked around in confusion for the source of the excitement. She was quite surprised when she was nearly bowled over by a short, latina woman, who wrapped Chuck in a hug. Sarah just stood in shock and bewilderment, looking between Chuck and the much smaller woman.
"G-good to see you too Rosario," Chuck stuttered, blushing furiously. The older woman pulled away and shared a knowing glance with Sarah. Rosario reached up and pinched his cheek, shaking it lightly.
"This one? He's a good one," she declared, winking at Sarah. The exchange seemed to snap Sarah out of her daze, a hint of color gracing her cheeks. Rosario glared at the other two contestants, before heading back behind the craft table. Sarah twisted her lips to the side, trying her best to not laugh or smile, finding this woman's antics hilarious.
"So, I see that Chuck here has been quite busy today. Is there anyone here you don't know?" Sarah asked with a smirk.
"Hey Chuck," called a man walking by, having grabbed some granola bars from the food table.
"H-hey ya, Jimmy," Chuck replied with a short wave.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Sarah barked in mock exasperation, throwing her hands in the air. Chuck shrugged, wincing as he mouthed, 'Sorry'. Sarah just grinned, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Come on. Let's keep moving before we run into more of Chuck's fan club."
The tour continued, Sarah explaining the other jobs on the set or in the movie making process. Chuck was, of course, a model student, listening intently and asking questions. Michael and Guy, on the other hand, were only half paying attention, and when they thought she wasn't watching, she could see them whispering to one another or direct heated glares at Chuck. Keeping her comments to herself, she led them to an active part of the set, where she planned to introduce them to more people. She could see the director and producer talking with Carina and one of her co-stars as the crew was preparing for a scene.
Sarah stopped short, pressing her finger to her lips, indicating for her tour group to keep quiet. Guy and Michael nodded, but she could see their eye rolls before they turned their heads to look around. Chuck, however, in true Chuck fashion, made the motion of locking his lips and throwing away the key. Immediately he closed his eyes, and she could see him berating himself. She turned away, in the hopes that he could not see the smile threatening to break her face.
Looking up, she caught Carina's gaze. Her friend had a shit-eating grin, shaking her head in amusement.
"Wow! The redhead is so hot. Holy…"
Sarah's eyebrows shot into her hairline, as did Carina's. The three men Carina had been talking with stopped to stare as well. Knowing where the outburst had come from made it all the more surprising. She thought she knew what type of person Chuck Bartowski was, especially after the long talk with his sister. She never would have expected that sort of demeaning comment from him. She slowly turned to stare at Chuck, her icy glare in place. What she saw caused her to freeze in place. Chuck was blowing on his palm, shaking it and flexing his fingers. He wasn't even looking at Carina, or anyone else for that matter. Her frozen countenance fell away, turning to one of bewilderment. Then she saw it.
"Oh, for the love of…" Sarah exclaimed, burying her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry," he whispered loudly to Sarah, though she wasn't looking at him. In turn, he faced the group they were coming to meet, whispering again, "Sorry. I'm sorry.".He held his hands up, as if surrendering. He turned back to Sarah, his face and ears a vibrant shade of crimson. "Sarah. I'm so sorry. I accidently put my hand on… on the back of that light… the ... the redhead - that's what Rachel called them- was that not the right name? Anyway, that thing is so… so hot. I'm a complete idiot…. I should go wait in the car. It's probably safer." Sarah had still not lifted her face from her hands. From Chuck's perspective, she seemed so angry or embarrassed that she was shaking. "I'll just uh…" Chuck swallowed thickly, looking rather dejected, "I'll just go then…" He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder as he started to back away, bumping into things as he went.
Sarah finally removed her hands from her face, placing them on her thighs to support herself. It was at that moment she heaved a large breath, her previous silent laughter now uproarious.
"No. no, no, no, no… w-wait.." she attempted to get out, tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. Sarah reached for Chuck's wrist, taking hold of it as Chuck stood frozen in place, trying to make sense of what was going on. Chuck wasn't the only one, as Carina and the men she was talking with approached Sarah, looking concerned. When Sarah had sobered enough, still gripping Chuck's wrist, she stood upright, taking long, deep breaths.
Pointing at the light atop the stand beside them, Sarah addressed Carina and company, "Hot redhead!"
"Oh Jesus," Carina breathed before joining Sarah in another bout of laughter. The other men present began to snicker, looking sympathetically at Chuck, who looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and die. The two women sobered more quickly this time, Sarah able to pull herself together. It was only then that she realized she had been holding on to Chuck's wrist the whole time. Much like Chuck must have after touching that light, Sarah pulled her hand away, looking a little sheepish. She mouthed a 'sorry' at Chuck before turning back to Carina.
"Sorry about the interruption. Carina, I'd like to introduce Guy, Michael and Chuck. They're contestants, as I'm sure you've guessed by now. Gentleman, this is Carina Miller." Guy and Michael were quick to shake her hand, asking for autographs. When it came to Chuck, he gently shook her hand.
"Miss Miller. It's a privilege to meet you. I've really enjoyed your work." His voice was a little shaky, as was his hand. Carina only smirked, like a shark smelling blood in the water.
"You can call me Carina. And, if things don't work out with blondie over here, you can call me any time," she purred, bouncing an eyebrow at him. Chuck's eyes grew as wide as saucers, visibly swallowing a huge lump in his throat.
"Carina," Sarah warned, giving her a flat look.
"What? Clearly he has a thing for… redheads." Sarah snorted at the joke, Carina snickering with her tongue sticking out between her teeth. Even Chuck gave a small chuckle, though his cheeks were still flushed.
"Anyway, you've already met Mr. Abbott, the director. This is Abe Kaplan, the film's producer." Sarah gestured to the older man.
"We've met," Kaplan, replied, extending a hand to Chuck, who took in with some apprehension.
"Nice to meet you, officially, Mr. Kaplan, Sir," Chuck stammered.
"Of course you've met. Everyone's met Chuck apparently," Sarah interjected with mock exasperation.
"He convinced me that we needed more staff for the craft service table, more personalized service. And uh… thanks for the bagel by the way," he joked, patting Chuck on the shoulder. He shook hands with the other two contestants. They introduced themselves, falling over each other to lavish Kaplan with praise. He seemed to take it in stride, but you could see that he was looking for an exit. Sarah took pity on him and interrupted to introduce them to Carina's co-star.
"Guys, I'm sure you're familiar with Tony Todd. He's one of Carina's co-stars in this film. Tony, this is Chuck, Guy and Michael."
"Good to see you again, Sarah. Chuck," Tony extended his hand to Chuck, who accepted wholeheartedly.
"Mr. Todd, I'm a huge fan. Candyman, all of your voice over work, you're a legend. It's such an honor." Chuck used both hands, as he shook, probably a little longer than was appropriate.
"Well, thank you for that. Maybe next time, you can make me a bagel." Tony chuckled, patting Chuck on the shoulder before shaking hands with the other two contestants. As they needed to shoot the next scene before the dinner break, they said their goodbyes, leaving Sarah and her group to head back.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The day at the movie set had been brutal, to say the least. Of the nine contestants, five or six had shown zero interest in the tours or getting to know the crew. Most of those guys either hit on her the whole time or threw themselves at the director and producer, presumably to gain their favor. She was surprised none of them had headshots to pass out. Even when the whole premise of this show was to find a "regular guy" instead of actors, they only manage to bring in … wannabe actors, moonlighting as regular guys.
The one saving grace for the day had been Chuck. Somehow she didn't find that surprising, in hindsight. While everyone else that had ventured to meet people on set had focused on the director or producer, Chuck had met with all the crafts people. Everywhere he went, people just seemed to gravitate toward him. He wasn't trying to ingratiate himself with them to gain favor, he was simply being nice.
He had been friendly toward her, but never pushy or even flirtatious. Sarah was a little torn, caught between thankful and disappointed. She was thankful that she had at least a small reprieve from men hitting on her. Yes, she was used to it, but it became irritating after a while. On the flip side, she found that of all the contestants, his was the attention she would have welcomed most. It was that interest, or craving, that prompted her to sit beside him at dinner.
Chuck was sitting at a table by himself, the other contestants sending glances his way as they talked and laughed among themselves. While there was room for him at their table, they seemed to purposefully spread out to usurp the available seating. It looked like the high school lunchroom all over again.
Sarah pushed in on the end of the bench seat, nudging Chuck slightly to make room for herself. He quickly made room, but before he could scoot too far away, Carina plopped down on his left side, sandwiching him between them.
"Hey ya, Chuckles." Carina greeted, a wry smile on her face.
"M-miss Miller. It's good to see you again. H-how did your uh… your shoot thing go?" Chuck stammered out, having a difficult time holding her gaze.
"Oh, stop with the 'Miss Miller' crap. My friends call me Carina. And I can tell we're going to be... Great. Friends." Carina accentuated each word as she tapped her finger on the back of Chuck's left hand, which was gripping his tray. "After all, as I understand it, you have a thing for … redheads…" she trailed off, taking a bite of a strawberry. The display bordered on obscene, making Chuck's face turn beet red and nearly causing him to choke on his food.
Sarah leaned forward to look past Chuck, "Carina, behave." She was met with an innocent shrug from Carina, though the devilish grin belied her intentions. "Ignore her, Chuck. She just likes to get a rise out of people." It was Carina's turn to nearly choke on her food, patting herself on the chest. Chuck slowly turned to Sarah, his eyes widening and ears reddening.
"Oh, God. That's not what I… " Sarah buried her face in her hand, shaking her head. It was her turn to blush, her cheeks and ears taking on a pink tinge. When she dropped her hand and ventured a glance at Chuck, she was surprised by his expression. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it wasn't the look of awe he was giving her now. "What? What's that look for?"
"Oh. It's uh… it's nothing really," he deflected, waving his hand as if to brush it away. She just stared at him, an expectant look on her face, but saying nothing. He tried to ignore it and pretend to eat, but it was no use. He eventually cracked, letting out a sigh of resignation.
"It's just… it'll probably sound stupid. Well, I'm sure most of the things that come out of my mouth sound stupid," he confessed with a self-depracating half-smile. Sarah frowned, her brow furrowing at his comment, but she never diverted her gaze from him. "I know it sounds naive and juvenile, but I guess I'm still a little star-struck. I… I never really thought that you were capable of … blushing. I just never imagined that there would be anything that could have that effect on you. You seem so, invincible, unflappable. I-I don't mean just in your movies, but whenever I see you in an interview or at Comic-Con or…. or at the hospital. You just have this… confidence about you, ya know? What am I saying? Of course you know. I'm not making any sense am I? I'm just rambling, as I tend to do. Please. Just ignore me." He ducked his head, closing his eyes briefly, grumbling to himself. She couldn't make out everything he was saying, but she did catch the word 'idiot' for sure.
Sarah leaned forward, trying to capture his gaze, but in doing so she was able to catch Carina's instead. She was looking at Chuck like he had grown a second head. After glancing at Sarah and back at Chuck, Carina's expression changed. A certain realization, an understanding, washed over her features, causing the corners of her mouth to curl upward slightly. Sarah wasn't sure what that was about, but she brushed it off, returning her focus to Chuck.
"Hey. Look, I know that people think of me differently because of who I am. They don't see me as a person. They think I'm some kind of ... robot they bring out to parade in front of the cameras and then shut her off and put her in the closet when they're done. Well, I'm not. I'm just a normal person."
"Pfft. You will never be normal," he rebutted, sounding incredulous. An icy hand gripped at her chest with those words, squeezing the breath from her. She couldn't believe that Chuck, of all people, could say such a thing to her. Coming from him, it was especially painful. He had been so kind and caring, then to say something so hurtful. With only a moment's pause he continued.
"Sarah, you're extraordinary," he continued, turning to capture her gaze. And there it was. That warmth, the adoration, instantly dispelling that cold grasp on her heart. "I-I don't mean your characters, although they are incredible. I mean you. You're an amazing woman. To work in this business and still maintain your integrity and poise, to be willing to use your fame to make a real difference, rather than just amass wealth. I guess that if meeting you has taught me anything, it's that I was holding you up on a pedestal, but for the wrong reasons. 'Sarah Walker' is an extraordinary person, that just happens to be a phenomenal actress. Others may be too jaded or blind to see it, but I feel fortunate to know the truth."
Sarah stared back at him, dumbfounded. She didn't know how he did it, but he always seemed to know just what to say to cut her legs out from under her, leaving her reeling. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling or crying, she wasn't sure which. Clearing her throat, she tried to compose herself enough to formulate a response.
"H-How do you know? You barely know me. How do you know that's the truth?" She held his gaze, searching to find some answers there. Instead of backing down from her challenge or averting his gaze, he held fast. If anything, his eyes seemed to brighten as the grin overtook his face.
"I pay attention. When everyone else is busy trying to get you to notice them, I see you. I know this sounds corny, but I see it in your eyes. They say that the eyes are windows to the soul. I-I don't know if I believe that or not, but … but no matter how you present yourself on the outside, I can see your feelings in your eyes. I can see how they turn a steely grayish-blue when you're angry or the color of cornflowers when you're really happy. Like when we were at the hospital, talking with those kids. You seemed to forget about the cameras and all the other … crap. You were just focused on the moment with that little boy or girl. Your eyes sparkled a cornflower blue and it was probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I don't claim to know what all the shades of blue mean. When we first met, even…," he hesitated a moment, swallowing thickly, "even right now, your eyes are the color of … of sapphires." He ducked his head for a moment, picking at his food. She could see the color of his ears darkening as she watched him. "I dunno if that's annoyance or… or sympathy or … or what, but… I like it," he finished, just above a whisper, barely discernible over the din of the dining area.
Sarah stared at him for a long moment, watching him play with his food, unable to look at her. What the hell was she supposed to say to all of that? That damn kaleidoscope of butterflies was back, making it difficult to breath or think. Could this guy be for real? Part of her brain was telling her that this had to be a con, a line he ran on women. That thought was fleeting, like smoke in the breeze. Given everything else she had seen, especially the things she'd witnessed when he didn't know she was watching, he was honest and genuine. She considered his revelations, his theories on her changing eye color. If he was right, and she was sure now that he was, she had a sinking suspicion about what that 'sapphire' color meant. But it was too soon to be thinking of those things, right? She couldn't show her hand just yet. Not just for the sake of the show, but for her own protection. Letting people in was a risk, one that had burned her in the past. These… feelings were coming at her so quickly, she felt like she was barely maintaining control. She needed to proceed cautiously. Besides, there were other choices, other men she had to consider.
"Anne," came a response from the other side of Chuck. Sarah shook herself from her fog, looking past Chuck at Carina. She was sitting there with an incredibly amused look on her face as she ate a bowl of chocolate pudding.
"I-I'm sorry. What?" Sarah asked, still trying to catch up with what was going on around her.
"My middle name. It's Anne. You know… in case you're looking for names…" she trailed off, twisting her lips to the side, failing to hold back the smirk that was trying to break through. Sarah was ready to strangle her, and Chuck just looked between the two women, completely clueless. Before Sarah could get a word in, several of the contestants sat down across the table from them, trying to interject themselves into the conversation. Despite her annoyance at their interruption, it was likely a blessing in disguise. Thanks to them butting in, she wouldn't have to address Chuck's confession or Carina's comment.
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Sarah was sitting on the couch in the guest house, back at the estate, staring at the ceiling. The day had been utterly exhausting. It started when Roan and Zondra came up with the bright idea of having one of the contestants ride with her in the limo to the movie set tour. Casey had chimed in and insisted they choose Mark, stating, "Oh, yeah. He's a peach". All Mark talked about on the ride over was how his real passion was acting and that if they were dating, they could work on projects together. He was also pinning all his hopes on her getting him his "big break". She could hear Casey snickering throughout the entire limo ride. She'd have to find some way to get back at him for it.
No matter how hard Sarah tried to put him out of her head, her thoughts kept coming back to Chuck. She had been thoroughly impressed with the way he handled himself on the set, his "redhead" mishap aside. He had sought people out, namely the craft people, and befriended them. Then his confessions at dinner, his dissertation on her eyes, had thrown her completely for a loop. She still didn't know what to say to that, even after hours of running it through her head.
Pulling her from her musings, Roan, Zondra and Megan came downstairs from their production meeting. Zondra had her laptop open and plopped down on the couch beside Sarah. Megan took a seat on Sarah's other side, while Roan sat in a leather wingback chair near them.
"OK. We've got several sets of clips to go through. First, I've got the footage for the camera guys that followed the contestants around. Then we'll go over your tours and finally dinner. Sorry about dinner by the way. I wanted to meet up with you and Carina, but we got tied up going over all this footage," Zondra apologized, giving Sarah a half-smile.
"It's alright. I get it. Let's see what you've got." With that, Zondra cast the video to the large TV and they all began to watch. The camera people that were following the contestants around did a good job of staying hidden. It seemed a little voyeuristic, but she quickly got over it. The desire to see how these guys acted when they thought they weren't being watched, she hoped, would give her some insights to help her choose who would stay and who had to go.
The few that just sat and read magazines were obviously boring, so they skipped past that to more interesting scenes. The first one was Mark, the idiot from the limo. The group watched as he flirted with every woman that would stand still long enough. It was rather deplorable and they delighted in making fun of his lame pickup lines and cheering when each woman rolled their eyes and walked off. It was rather gratifying.
Several of the other contestants had only sought out the director or the producer, dismissing any of the other crew that couldn't further their agendas. Naturally, there were some that tried to get close to the actors, Carina in particular. She had entertained a couple of them, flirting as Carina does, but ultimately left them wanting as she escaped to her dressing room, security preventing them from following after her. Of course, Roan made comments, appraising Carina on her technique. Sarah and the other women in the room rolled their eyes, shaking their heads in amusement.
"Oh. Here. This is the one," Zondra exclaimed, halting her fastforwarding through the footage. Sarah tried to meter her reaction at seeing Chuck on the TV. As she watched him, it became clear that he was so different from all the others. The other men walked like peacocks, strutting to show off their feathers. Chuck was much more reserved, timid even in some respects. He apologized for being in someone's way, even when it was clear the other person was in the wrong. He was quick with a smile, and not a smarmy, manufactured smile. No, his smile was genuine and warm, and she found just watching him elicited a sympathetic smile of her own.
"Did you see that?" Megan interjected, pointing at the screen. "Do you remember when, was it Mark… or Michael… I don't remember, but that PA dropped all those folders and the guy just stood there, looking down at her, watching her struggle to pick them up?" The group grunted their acknowledgement, encouraging her to go on. "Well, here comes Chuck, not even giving it a second thought to help this guy with those C-stands." Megan shook her head in disbelief as they continued to follow Chuck on his expedition through the movie set. Sarah knew some of the story already, having gotten the first hand accounts when they went on their tour. But to see them on screen, as an observer, seemed to carry more weight. Sarah flashed back to a conversation she'd had with Carina over lunch, joking about finding a nice guy. Well, here was the not so grainy video footage that proved such a creature existed. It brought a broad smile to Sarah's face, averting her eyes from the screen for a moment. It was then she realized that Zondra was staring at her, a smirk on her face like she knew a secret but wasn't going to share.
Sarah regarded her, mouthing 'What?' to her friend, curious what she found so amusing. Zondra just smirked even more, if that was possible, and shook her head, returning her gaze to the TV. Sarah suspected there was some teasing going on, but she didn't want to give her any more fuel, so she turned back to watch the TV as well.
"Did our young Charles just toast a bagel for Abe Kaplan?" Roan inquired as he sat forward in his chair. The three women just hummed their acknowledgement, not looking away from the screen. They sat in silence, watching the remainder of Chuck's footage, for once not having off-handed remarks or jokes to make.
"Well, I think we can skip the tours, since Sarah's already seen those," Zondra said, searching through the various video clips on her laptop.
"Yes. Please. I don't really need to relive those, thank you," Sarah groused, shifting in her seat. Everyone chuckled at that, knowing that given the contestants' non-stop shenanigans, there would likely just be more of the same.
"Ooo. Here's dinner on the set. This should be good." Zondra cast the video to the TV and rubbed her hands together in excitement. Sarah, on the other hand, was a little nervous. The events at dinner had rattled her, consuming her thoughts for the rest of day. Having to see that unfold would not help matters. To be honest, she was beginning to forget that the cameras were around, so she was a little surprised that there was footage of dinner. Sarah repositioned herself in her seat, trying in vain to find some reprieve from the anxiety she was feeling.
She watched herself and Carina sitting down on either side of Chuck, chuckling at the way she just shoved him over to make room. Looking from the outside, it seemed so familiar, like something that old friends might do. But they weren't old friends. Hell, they weren't even friends at all. She'd talked with him for less than two hours in total, and most of that time had been during the hospital visit, when she was talking with the kids.
"Pfft. You will never be normal," came Chuck's voice over the TV's sound system, his words stabbing at her heart again. She could see his face this time however, and there was certainly no malice there. It was just an admission of fact, or so he believed. To look at her face was the embodiment of what she was feeling. She hoped that she was able to conceal her emotions, using her acting skills to play the part. Evidently, she was not that good of an actor, because she could see the hurt in her own eyes. She could still feel that pain, though it was greatly lessened by what she knew was to follow.
"Sarah, you're extraordinary." Sarah couldn't help the gasp that escaped. Despite knowing it was coming, to see the look on his face, that look of adoration, it took her breath away.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Megan shouted at the screen, throwing her hands in the air. Surprised, everyone's eyes were on her. "How is this guy single? I mean seriously. I would drag this guy off-"
"Sarah. Sarah, Dear? Sarah!" Zondra's voice broke through the fog, snapping Sarah's attention away from Megan. She could see that Zondra had a concerned look on her face. The video was paused, and everyone was silent, staring at her. Looking at each of them, she could see that Roan looked almost amused but Megan looked like she was afraid for her life. Sarah looked back at Zondra, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"Don't break my assistant, OK? I need her. She didn't mean anything by it," Zondra added, trying to sound calm and soothing.
"What? What are you talking about?" Sarah questioned, looking among the three seated around her.
"Sarah, I've seen that look before. You looked like you were about to tear her arm off and beat her with it," Zondra continued, giving Sarah a wry smile.
"Sarah, I'm-I'm so sorry. Really. I-I didn't mean anything by it. It's just..." Megan trailed off, sounding a little frightened. It was then that Sarah took stock of herself and could see that her fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white. She immediately released her grip, making a concerted effort to relax. What the hell was the matter with her? A part of her did, in fact, want to rip Megan apart, but that was ridiculous. She liked Megan a lot. She hadn't done anything wrong. After all, she was just making the honest comment that she found Chuck attractive and wanted to … Oh, God. What was happening to her?
"I'm … I'm sorry, Megan. I didn't mean to seem so … unglued. I was wrapped up in the moment I guess. Maybe the stress of the day was getting to me. Sorry. Let's… let's just finish watching." Sarah gestured to Zondra, feeling the heat in her ears and cheeks. Zondra considered her for a long moment, twisting her lips to the side before unpausing the video.
They all watched as Chuck confessed his theory on the meaning behind the colors of her eyes. Zondra and Megan let out an "awww" in unison, whereas Roan just hummed, nodding his head in approval.
"Ok. Wait a minute," Sarah interrupted. "Are you saying that you buy into all this? That my eyes are some sort of ... mood ring?"
"Oh, yeah"
"Yep"
"Mhmmm"
She watched as the others nodded, completely convinced that Chuck was right. Sarah just shook her head in disbelief.
"That steely-grayish blue he was talking about? That was all you a couple of minutes ago," Zondra pointed out, waggling a finger at her.
"Zondra, if I may?" Roan extended his hand, gesturing to use her laptop, which she handed over without question. They all looked at him with curiosity, watching as he worked. "Sarah, Mr. Bartowski remarked that there was a, what was it… 'sapphire' quality that he saw. A look that he couldn't discern. I believe it was this look… right… here." He tapped a key and recast the laptop screen to the TV, showing a still of Sarah's face. The image quality was extremely high resolution, so the detail and color depth was remarkable. Sarah stared at the expression and it immediately struck her. She had seen herself in the mirror her entire life, watched herself in movies and television, even print media. She had never seen that color in her own eyes before. They really did resemble the color of sapphires. Not only that, but the expression on her face was plain as day. Sarah never expected to see that look on her own face, yet there it was, and it scared her more than a little bit. Despite thinking that she was maintaining some degree of composure, that she was 'playing it cool', her face told an entirely different story.
"Sarah. I'm… I'm sorry. I-I didn't realize…" Megan trailed off, sounding apologetic. Sarah, almost frantically, searched the faces of the three people who had become friends during this ordeal. They all returned knowing smiles, nodding their heads at her.
"But…" Sarah tried to come up with some excuse, something to explain away what she knew they saw, what she herself saw in that image. It was no use. There was no plausible lie she could construct. Nothing that would fool them, or herself any longer.
"It's OK. How about we focus on the ones that are going home tonight, instead?" Zondra offered, handing her the iPad they had been using throughout the show for notes and research. Not having anything to say, Sarah just nodded and they got to work.
A/N2: Alrighty. Well. Some interesting discoveries there. What exactly does that sapphire blue mean? I guess we'll just have to wait to find out. Stay tuned for the next chapter coming soon.
I love all of your comments and reviews. It means a lot that you take the time out to let me know your thoughts. I know that some of you have voiced disappointment in a lack of scenes with Chuck and Sarah together. Hopefully this chapter gave you a little taste. There is more ahead, so please be patient. Having one-on-one time with the contestants is hard to do with so many of them. Now that the herd is thinning, it will be easier to facilitate that. Plenty more chapters to come.
Stay safe and healthy!
Joe