A/N: It seems I may have left things in a rather precarious state for our friends. Well, I promised I wouldn't leave you hanging for long. Grab your popcorn, things are about to get good (I hope).
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck. I do own a Doc Holliday Fun Pop now that I'm pretty excited about. So there's that.
Chapter 16
"Hello Sarah," came the all too familiar voice of the very last person she wanted to see tonight.
"Bryce," she uttered, almost as an expletive. "What the hell are you doing here? We both know you don't care about anyone but yourself. You wouldn't donate water if your mother was on fire," Sarah growled, the disdain for the smarmy man painfully evident.
"Ho-ho. Wow. Still the charmer I see." His smirk widened, finding himself particularly funny. Sarah just clenched her teeth, biting back the rage that was building inside her. "But to answer your question, they sent 'our' invitation to my house apparently. And who was I to turn down an opportunity to allow my adoring fans to believe I actually give two shits about… whatever this is," he gestured around the room looking unimpressed.
"I'm surprised you even came, Sarah. I figured you'd still be home, wallowing, elbow deep in a carton of Häagen-Dazs. Though, you still look good..." he purred, looking her up and down with a lecherous grin. A tall, very young and very thin woman stepped up and wrapped her arms around Bryce's bicep.
"Is this the one?" she asked in a Nordic accent of some sort, colored with contempt.
"Oh, yes. My apologies. Sarah Walker, this is Tatiana. She's a very accomplished Finnish model and up-and-coming actress."
"What's the matter, Bryce? Couldn't get a sitter at the last minute? I suppose you're going to give her a 'big break' in show business. Well the devil takes his due. Oh, but I'm sure you'll be different than all the others, Sweetie," Sarah said, dripping with sarcasm.
"Still bitter and alone I see. Nice combination you've got going there. Really reels 'em in, huh, Sarah?" Bryce's words cut her, bringing back the assertions he made about her in his TMZ interview. The anger and hurt rendered her momentarily speechless, which only served to intensify the smirk on Bryce's face. As if on cue, a pair of large hands slid around her sides, a warm body pressing in behind her. Before she could react, the person placed a soft kiss on her left cheek before pulling her closer and speaking over her shoulder.
"Sorry about that, baby. I got cornered by Betty White. Brilliantly funny woman. A bit handsy, though," Chuck admitted, shivered slightly. Sarah was gob smacked. She would have never expected Chuck, of all people, to be so forward. If it had been anyone else touching her like that or calling her… 'baby', they'd pull back a bloody stump. She had always hated that term. It had always carried with it a demeaning, patronizing connotation. But when she heard it escape his lips, his breath ghosting over her ear and neck, it sent a shiver through her, in the best way. She found she rather liked the sound of it. Oh God. This is crazy!
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. You're Bryce Larkin, right?" Chuck reached around Sarah, offering his hand to shake. Bryce simply gave an indifferent glance toward it and promptly ignored the gesture.
"And you must be lost. What is this? One of those lame pickup attempts where you think you're rescuing the damsel from an awkward situation? You're lucky she didn't take your head off with that 'baby' bullshit. That sort of pickup line may work in the movies, but there's no way that Sarah Walker would be seen in public with… whatever you are." He gave a dismissive gesture toward Chuck, turning his attention back toward Sarah. "It's truly sad, Sarah, that you'd have to stoop to-"
"I'm sorry, Bryce...or is it Eugene?" Bryce froze, his face turning pale, as if he'd seen a ghost. Chuck moved to stand between Sarah and Bryce and all she could do was stare in shock. "Yeah. Eugene Butts, from Peach Blow, Iowa. Odd name, Peach Blow. I didn't realize there were peaches in Iowa. Fascinating. Anyway, Eugene, or 'Gene Bean' as your mother calls you. Right? Back before the rhinoplasty and contacts."
"How…. how did you…." Bryce sputtered, at a complete loss for words.
"What's the matter Eugene? Cat got your tongue? Or maybe it's your retainer. That was a nasty overbite." Bryce's mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water, beads of sweat pooling on his forehead. Chuck's tone changed, sounding much darker, more serious, than Sarah had ever heard.
"Let's get something perfectly clear. You don't deserve to breathe the same air as Sarah Walker. Not because of all of those things I mentioned. No. I respect that guy. It's because of the complete douchebag that guy has become. Sarah is a better person, more caring and compassionate than you, I and Matchstick Barbie over here, put together. Sorry. No offense. I'm sure you're a lovely person," Chuck amended, looking at the dumbstruck woman on Bryce's arm, softening his tone slightly.
"You're probably wondering how I know all of this about you and what I plan to do with this information. Well, TMZ would have a field day, wouldn't they? But I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to drag your name through the mud, as much as the thought appeals to me. No, if I did, I'd be no better than you. So, I'm just going to hold on to this knowledge, and all the family pictures your mother had on her iCloud account. Nancy Butts is a lovely woman. You should call her more often. In fact, why don't you go do that… right now. Leave, 'Bryce'." Chuck pointed toward the main exit, his glare boring a hole straight through Bryce. For the first time, Sarah actually saw fear on Bryce's face, that smarmy smirk of his wiped clean.
Bryce backed away slowly, chancing a glance at Sarah, but not saying a word. He grabbed Tatiana by the wrist and pulled her through the crowd, making a hasty retreat toward the exit. Chuck slowly turned to face Sarah, a sheepish look on his face. He held up his hands, surrendering to the ass-chewing he was anticipating. Sarah's expression was unreadable. She was still trying to process everything that had just occurred. Blinking a few times, she grabbed Chuck's wrist and began to drag him toward a side hallway of the venue.
"Come with me," Sarah commanded, her voice and expression were flat, pulling Chuck through the crowd. The room was packed and the music loud, so nobody seemed to take much notice as he stumbled into the hallway behind her. A cameraman was right on their heels, but with one icy glare from Sarah, they seemed to get the hint and backed away slowly. She continued to pull Chuck down the hall, pushing him into an alcove to offer some semblance of privacy. Chuck stood rigid with his back against the wall, looking rather frightened. Sarah just stared at his chest as she tried to gather her thoughts. She heard him swallow loudly, his nervousness evident. He began to speak a number of times, but each time she held up her hand, stopping him abruptly.
"Where-…. Wha-… Chuck. What the hell just happened?" she asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze, confusion and disbelief covering her face.
"S-Sarah. I'm so, so sorry. I normally would never, ever do something so brazen as to put my hands on you like that and… you… you know. Be so … familiar with you." Chuck swallowed thickly as he tried to push forward with his apology. "Especially in public like that. I-I guess it was like he said. I saw him there and you seemed… rattled. Then I overheard what he was saying, and I just couldn't stand by any longer and let him do that to you, of all people. I thought I could come in and... I dunno… rescue you from him. Which was stupid, I see that now. You're Sarah 'Freaking' Walker. You don't need rescuing from anything. I'm so sorry I put you in that position. I had no right butting into your business like-" Sarah's hand covered his mouth, causing him to stop, looking like a deer in headlights.
"Chuck, you're spiraling. I'm… I'm not mad at what you did. It was… it was very... noble of you. But, how did you know all those things about him? I mean, I assume they're all true, from the petrified look on his face. For one, I've never seen anyone stand up to Bryce, so for him to back down like that…" Realizing she still had her hand on his mouth, she sheepishly pulled it away, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah. It's… it's all true," Chuck confessed.
"How did you find all of that out? I didn't know any of that stuff, although I don't suppose I know all that much about him really. But the tabloids would surely have known about this sort of thing. They would eat that stuff up. How is it that you knew about this?" Sarah looked into his eyes, searching for some explanation.
"Well… that's a long story and it's gonna sound really bad. Like … crazy stalker kinda bad," Chuck said, wincing. Sarah just maintained eye contact, waiting for him to come clean. "Alright. Well, as I've already confessed, I'm one of your biggest fans. I have been for a long time. I've watched over the years as tabloids publicize one failed relationship after another. When you started dating Bryce, I… god this is embarrassing," he uttered, swallowing thickly, "I was worried. Ok, I was worried and … jealous." Chuck hung his head, not able to look at her. "He seemed like the perfect guy. Handsome, talented and wealthy. Adored by fans and the media. But I was worried that it would be just another guy that would end up hurting you. Plus, I… I could never compete with a guy like that. I mean, of course it was ridiculous. I was me and you were… you. But I wanted to find out who he really was, to make sure he was on the up and up, you know. It's insane, I realize. I knew it then too, but I just couldn't help myself. So, I did some digging. I'm… I'm really good at 'finding' things. A byproduct of my computer skills you could say." Chuck gave a shrug, only daring a quick glance at Sarah, who was still watching him intently. Before he continued, he craned his neck to look both ways down the hall to ensure that they were not being followed.
"I won't go into details, as not all of this was obtained through… entirely legal channels, but, as I told Bryce, I discovered his real identity. He, or someone, had buried it, supplanted it with 'Bryce Larkin'. All of the public details of his life are fake. Well, at least prior to his junior year of high school. He moved in with his uncle, his mother's brother. They enrolled him into a fancy private school under the new pseudonym. I suspect they were trying to groom him to be the 'Bryce Larkin' we know today. Anyway, there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I couldn't tell anyone how I got the information, plus who'd believe me, a nobody, over him. His lawyers and PR people would make it all disappear. So, I just sat on it, taking some solace in knowing that he wasn't this perfect specimen that everyone believed him to be. Even so, he still had you, at the time, so I was still jealous. And when you broke up, it was both a sad and joyous day. I was glad that you were away from him, but it … it pained me to know that he had hurt you. So, that's it. The long, sorted tale. I'm… I'm sorry." Chuck continued to hang his head, looking miserable and ashamed.
Sarah couldn't believe what she had heard. She actually found the details of Bryce's masquerade more believable than the great lengths that Chuck had gone through, all for her. On the surface, yes, it was sort of stalker-ish, but knowing what she knew about Chuck, feeling the way she did about him, made her heart swell. He had been looking out for her even before he met her. To know that he'd had those feelings for so long made her heart ache all the more. If only she could have somehow met him back then, she would have saved herself a lot of heartache. Though, perhaps she wouldn't have been ready, open to considering someone like Chuck.
She felt like grabbing him with both hands and kissing him, though she knew she needed to take things slow. Sure, there was the show to consider, but she also didn't want to rush things with Chuck. Settling for a close second, she rose up on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. As she lowered herself, she watched his eyes grow huge with surprise, shifting his gaze to look into her eyes. Sarah gave him a kind smile, one that she didn't have to fake.
"Thank you, Chuck. Not just for what you did in there, which was incredible by the way, but for telling me the truth. I could tell it was difficult for you, and I appreciate it all the more because of it." Her lips twisted to the side, trying to hide a smirk. "And the next time you want to grope me in public, give me a heads up first."
Chuck's jaw nearly hit the floor. He stood, mouth agape, not knowing what to say in response to that. Sarah erupted into a giggle, diffusing some of the tension between them. Chuck blew out the breath he'd been holding, his body going slack as he deflated. Shaking his head with amusement, a smile began to grow across his face.
"Funny and beautiful. You should be doing Rom-Coms instead of action movies." She gave a double take, surprised by the suggestion that she should be in a romantic comedy. She hadn't told him about her desires to branch off into other types of movies, that one in particular. He'd just come up with that on his own, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He seemed to really get her in a way that nobody else did.
"And don't worry. I promise I'll never be that forward again," he professed, making a gesture as if crossing his heart. She normally would have found that sort of gesture a bit childish, but on Chuck, it just seemed to fit his whimsical personality. And she liked it. The notion that he would abstain from touching her like that again saddened her a bit. She wanted to let him know that she was not put off by it, but wasn't quite ready to give him the 'green light', given the appearances that needed to be maintained for the show.
"Well, let's not say never," she replied, offering him a wry smile. "Come on. We need to get back before the cameras come looking for us. You go in and meet up with the others. I'll be there in a minute. Probably best we don't enter together." Chuck's expression indicated he understood the ramifications, nodding his understanding. He started toward the doorway they had come through when he stopped abruptly and spun around to face her.
"Just so you know… I never did any searches like that on you. You know, only … only what's publicly available. I didn't want to invade your privacy like that." Sarah hadn't thought of that, but the fact that he had volunteered that information warmed her even more. Giving him a broad smile, she nodded, waving at him to go. Once he was out of sight she collapsed against the wall, blowing out a long breath. It was still fairly early in the evening and she was already starting to feel emotionally drained. This was going to be a long night. Although the prospect of getting to spend some time with Chuck, talking and, hopefully, dancing, buoyed her spirits. With a smile on her face and a renewed sense of purpose, she started down the hallway toward a different entrance into the ballroom.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Did I just see that douchebag Larkin storm out of here? What did he say or, rather, what did you say to him?" Zondra asked, pulling her friend to the side.
"I didn't say much. It was uh…" Sarah looked around to see who was in earshot, "it was Chuck." Zondra's mouth nearly hit the floor, her eyes as wide as saucers.
"You're shittin' me?" Sarah shook her head, fighting to keep the grin off her face. "He stood up to Bryce and Bryce was the one the fled?" Sarah just nodded, a little more of her grin showing. "Well, don't hold out on me now. What the hell did he say? You're killin' me here!" Sarah chuckled at her friend's antics, amused that Zondra was so invested in this… whatever it was between them.
"I can't tell you right now, but suffice it to say, Chuck put Bryce squarely in his place. It was glorious," Sarah beamed. It was now Zondra's turn to grin.
"Well, speaking of which, it's time for you and Chuck to go mix it up on the dance floor. Assuming he can dance that is. And if not, that could be entertaining too," Zondra smirked, bouncing her eyebrows.
"Z, be nice. Please don't embarrass him, or me for that matter," Sarah asked with a pleading look.
"What? I have a show to make. I need this footage. If he can't dance, you know he'll try anyway just to be out there with you. People will eat that shit up. Now go dance with your nerd," Zondra commanded, pointing to the dance floor with a devilish grin on her face. Sarah's raised eyebrow was the only protest she gave to the 'your nerd' comment. As much as she felt she should protest, she didn't really have it in her. She rather liked the idea. Turning on her heels with a wry smile etched across her face, she stalked off to find her prey; one tall, handsome nerd.
A few moments later, she spotted him, standing at the edge of the dance floor with his hands in his pockets. His head was bobbing slightly with the music, a foot tapping in time. It was just so … him. She stood back and admired him for a long moment. She allowed her gaze to wander over the crowd briefly, watching the people dancing. She recalled seeing him watching her, as she danced with Will. She'd been having a nice enough time with Will; he was fun to talk with and was a passable dancer. She was trying to make the best of the situation. Then, when she saw him dancing with Zondra, she felt an ache in the pit of her stomach. She knew that Zondra had no intentions toward Chuck, but the fact of the matter was, it still affected her more than she realized. Not so much that she was angry with Zondra, but more that she was envious that she wasn't in Zondra's place. Zondra must have known it too. When she and Sarah locked eyes, Zondra seemed to make a hasty retreat. It was after that, when Chuck met her gaze, that she knew how he must have felt. To see her with someone else when he clearly had feelings for her, if what he felt was anything like how she had been feeling, it must have been torture.
Returning her attention to Chuck, she saw that he was moving through the crowd. She watched him weave his way toward someone or something, she couldn't quite make out. Curious, she moved in parallel, trying to find what had caught his attention. As the sea of people parted, she could just make out Chuck kneeling down, as if proposing. For a brief moment, a knot formed in her stomach at the thought of him with someone else, having missed her opportunity. As the crowd shifted, his target was revealed. Kaliey was sitting in her wheelchair, watching the others dancing, a melancholy expression on her face. As the young girl slowly turned to see who was in front of her, Sarah watched as the girl's expression traversed the spectrum of emotions. When Chuck offered his hand, clearly asking her to dance, it was Sarah's turn to be overwhelmed with emotion, her heart swelling. Sarah and Kaliey both had tears in their eyes, overcome by the kindness of this man.
Sarah watched as a discussion between Kaliey and Chuck began. Like a silent movie with no subtitles, she tried to discern the meaning of the dialogue from their actions and expressions. The way the young girl looked down at her wheelchair, gesturing to it, then the dance floor, told Sarah all she needed to know. She could feel Kaliey's disappointment, the emotion painted so clearly across her face. Chuck turned his attention to the woman Sarah now knew as Kaliey's mother, talking and gesturing to the woman's daughter and then to the dance floor. Kaliey looked between Chuck and her mother, a look of anticipation growing. The young girl's mother placed her hand on her mouth, clearly overcome with emotion as well, nodding her approval toward Chuck and then to her daughter. Sarah saw the girl's face light up and found it even more difficult to hold back her own emotions. Sarah covered her own mouth, hugging herself with her other arm, as she watched the scene unfurl.
Chuck held out his hands, Kaliey readily accepted them and began to pull herself to her feet. Sarah knew, from talking with the girl earlier in the evening, that she had the ability to walk, but lacked the strength and endurance so early in her recovery. Even knowing that, seeing the girl standing, her beautiful dress cascading to the floor, left Sarah in awe. Chuck helped steady her then, with a nod of her head, Kaliey reached her arms up, one at a time, to wrap them around his neck. Chuck bent his tall frame to make it easier on the much shorter girl, holding her at just above her hips to steady her. Chuck nodded his encouragement as they gingerly started to take small steps, beginning to dance and sway to the music.
The look of pure joy on the girl's face was Sarah's undoing. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, her shoulders bouncing slightly as she sobbed quietly. She continued to watch as the two danced, completely engrossed. So much so that she didn't notice the person appear at her shoulder.
"He really is an incredible man," a voice uttered next to her. Sarah gasped slightly, startled by the unexpected interruption. Beside her was Kailey's mother, looking just as emotional as she felt. Sarah let out a wet chuckle, nodding in agreement.
"That he is," she agreed, smiling affectionately at Chuck.
"He had the same thing to say about you earlier," the older woman added, still watching her daughter dancing.
"He… he did?" Sarah asked, turning to look at Meredith, her curiosity piqued. The woman hummed, nodding her response.
"I remarked at what a create couple you made. Don't worry, he was quick to point out that there was nothing between you two." Sarah deflated, turning to look back at Chuck and Kaliey.
"Oh. Right," Sarah responded, not doing a very good job at hiding the dejection in her voice.
"Although, it was through a fair amount of stammering. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was no happier about it than you." Sarah's head snapped to look at the older woman, who was still watching her daughter, though now with a very wry smile. Sarah quickly looked away, feeling the color in her cheeks grow. At that moment, Chuck lifted Kaliey in his arms and twirled them both in circles, much to the young girl's delight. Sarah and Meredith both laughed in delight, watching the two come to a stop as the song ended.
"He's going to make an amazing father someday," the older woman offered, squeezing Sarah's forearm. Sarah glanced at her, not knowing what to say to that. She knew it was true, but to admit that would be admitting that she thought of him in that capacity. Not having even been on a date with him yet, that sort of admission seemed very premature. Sarah turned her attention back to Chuck, watching him help Kaliey back into her wheelchair.
"I'd like to stay in touch with Kaliey, if that's OK? She's an amazing girl and I'd like to help however I can." After a moment, she turned back to look at Kaliey's mother. The woman smiled at Sarah, glassy-eyed then wrapped her in a hug.
"I'm sure she'd love that. We both would." Pulling away, Meredith carefully wiped a tear away. "He was right, you know?" Sarah tilted her head in confusion, unsure what she meant by that. The older woman started walking toward her daughter but turned to call back over her shoulder, "You are an amazing woman." Sarah blushed, ducking her head at the woman's comment.
Sarah came to the realization that she likely looked like a racoon from all of the crying. She wasn't about to go dancing with Chuck looking like that. She quickly made her way to the ladies' room, freshening herself, adjusting her hair and dress. Once she was satisfied that she looked as good as possible, given what she had to work with, she made her way back to the ballroom to find Chuck. Much as she had before, she peered through and over the crowd, trying to find him. Eventually, she spotted him, and this time he seemed to be actively searching as well. Sarah snuck toward him, being careful to stay out of his field of view. Feeling a little playful, she wanted to surprise him. When she got fairly close, she stopped, stepping behind another couple as Chuck turned to look over his shoulder, continuing her search of the crowd.
"Chuck? Chuck Bartowski?" The sound of his name drew her attention. Stepping out of her 'hiding place', she saw Chuck looking like a deer in headlights. Sarah noticed a woman approaching Chuck, a beautiful brunette that seemed shocked yet pleased to see him. The woman closed the distance and gave him a brief hug, to which Chuck didn't react. He still seemed stunned and incredibly nervous.
"J…. Jill. What're…. What're you doing here?" he choked out, blinking as if he couldn't believe his eyes. That name brought with it a sense of dread in Sarah. Ellie had told Sarah about the succubus named Jill and how she had destroyed Chuck. Now she was here, of all places. First Bryce, now this. What was next, locusts? Sarah took a couple of steps closer to have a better vantage point for eavesdropping.
"The company I work for is one of the sponsors for this event. I'm a pharmaceutical chemist with Chemtech Pharmaceuticals. I'm the director of the research division and my boyfriend…" She turned around searching and then seemed to spot who she was looking for. "Roger!" she called, waving a man over. He was an attractive man, perhaps in his mid-thirties, wearing a tailored tuxedo and a very expensive watch, everything about him advertised the fact that he had money.
"This is my boyfriend, Roger Pendergast, he's the VP of Strategic Communications. Roger, this is Chuck Bartowski. We were friends during my Stanford days. I'm sure I told you about Chuck."
"No. No, I don't recall you ever mentioning a Chuck. Good to meet you though," he said, extending his hand toward Chuck. Chuck considered it for a moment before shaking it. Roger was clearly trying to show off, Sarah knew the type of man well. She spotted all the power plays that this 'Roger' was working. As they shook hands, he placed his other hand on Chuck's shoulder, making him seem more dominant. The overly firm handshake was another common tactic used by men. "So, tell me, Chuck. What is it that you do?"
"Yeah, Chuck. What are you up to these days? Are you here with anyone?" The pitying look that Jill gave him caused Sarah's blood to boil. If she didn't hate this woman already, she sure did now. Perhaps it was time to return the favor for Chuck, though she had a feeling that the gratification she would feel from putting this woman in her place would be its own reward.
"I um… I'm…-" Sarah rescued Chuck from his stammering by wrapping her arms around his right arm and reaching up to place a kiss on his cheek, near the corner of his mouth.
"Sorry I took so long, Sweetie. Did I miss anything?" Sarah asked with a beaming smile as she practically hung on Chuck's arm. "Oh, who're your friends?" she asked, turning to face Jill and Roger.
"This um …. this is … this is Jill. Jill Roberts. And Roger. Pendergast was it?" Chuck eked out, trying his best to recover, not only from the shock of seeing Jill, but from just being kissed by Sarah Walker out of nowhere.
"Oh, is this 'that' Jill? Stanford Jill? Funny. The way you described her I assumed she'd be more…. Horizontal." Sarah gave the brightest smile, beaming up at Chuck, who was staring at her in shock. Jill was likewise dumbstruck by the comment. It was Roger who jumped in to try to ease the awkwardness.
"You're Sarah Walker. I'm a huge fan of your work, both on and off the big screen. You're very deserving of your award this evening. It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand and she shook it.
"Oh, aren't you sweet? Isn't he sweet?" Sarah asked, looking between Chuck and Jill.
"You… you and Chuck…?" Jill questioned, pointing between the two. She still seemed at a loss for words.
"I tell ya, from the moment we first met, I knew he was something special. So different from the men I've dated before. So kind and caring and, as I'm sure you know, Chuck is such a … giving man. Just giving and giving…. and giving," Sarah confessed, looking up at Chuck through her eyelashes, with a salacious grin. Her grin broadened even more at seeing Chuck's neck, ears and cheeks take on a crimson hue. The knot of his tie bobbed up and down as Chuck swallowed thickly.
"But look at you!" Sarah exclaimed gesturing toward Jill's dress. "I don't think I could pull off a dress like that. You're so much braver than me. Especially with your bone structure." It took a moment, but slowly realization set in and Jill's expression turned bitter.
"I'm so sorry, but I need to steal Chuck for a moment. If you'll excuse us? It was lovely to meet you both." Sarah waved over her shoulder as she pushed Chuck onto the dance floor. When there was enough distance and people between them and Jill, Sarah pulled him to a stop and stepped up to him. The music changed to a slow song and Sarah looked up at Chuck through her lashes. Gone was the bewildered look that Chuck had displayed since she had interceded into his and Jill's conversion. He gave her a soft smile, his honey brown eyes showing a warmth that seeped into her very soul. It was now Sarah's turn to swallow thickly. Chuck offered Sarah his hand and she took it without question. With one hand in hers and his other just above her hip, they slowly swayed to the music.
"I hope you're not angry, but I just couldn't stand by and listen to her talk down at you like that, so condescending. I just wanted to-"
"Sarah," he interrupted, squeezing her gently with his hands. "You saved me," he confessed with reverence and adoration in his eyes. Realizing how melodramatic that sounded, he rolled his eyes at himself before continuing. "You saved me from a very awkward situation. She seemed to take great delight in showcasing how successful she's become since we...wait a minute." Chuck stopped dancing, but didn't release Sarah from his hold, only looking down at her with furrowed brow. "How did you know she was Jill Roberts? I never told you her name or what happened at Stanford. How did…" he trailed off, his mind trying to put the pieces together.
Sarah knew this was coming. She had hoped that she could be the one to bring it up, hopefully lessening the blow, but the cat was out of the bag now. She could lie, make up some excuse, but if they were to begin a relationship as she hoped, she didn't want to start out with a lie.
"Well… you see… I…" Sarah diverted her gaze to Chuck's chest, finding it hard to look into his eyes while she admitted this. "When we went on our hospital visits, the first hospital we visited was … West Side Medical."
"Oh God. Oh God, no," he groaned, closing his eyes in mortification. His tone seemed to indicate that he had, in fact, put the pieces together.
"Zondra set up a meeting between Ellie and me. I didn't know you were related until I saw her name badge. I told her that I had met you but not how I knew you. You two are very similar. You both tend to ramble when you get nervous. She… she told me a number of things about you."
"Ooooh God. And that's what all this has been? My sister told you sob stories about my past and what? Poor Chuck? Let's feel sorry for Chuck, have some pity on him? Is… is that really why I'm here?" She could hear the hurt in his voice as he choked out the last words. Feeling he was pulling away from her, Sarah held tight, pulling him closer to her.
"What?! No! God, no. Chuck, look. I don't think she told me the things she did to gain sympathy for you. She's very proud of you and loves you very much. She knew you would never boast or brag about yourself, so she wanted to share some of her ... insights about you. When she put together that my being there, my knowing you, was part of the show, she was mortified. Chuck, the things she told me… they only served to confirm what I'd already come to know about you. And everything you've said and done since then has only strengthened my opinion." She could feel the tension in him lessen slightly, no longer trying to pull away.
"And… what is that exactly?" She could still hear some hurt in his voice, apprehension at what she must think of him. She looked up at him, finding that his head was turning to look away at the floor. She slid her hand up his arm and gently placed her hand on his cheek, turning his head to look at her. He didn't fight her, but when he looked at her, she could see his emotions in his glassy eyes. With all of the fear and doubt he'd battled throughout this competition, she could see that this revelation was bringing all of that to the surface. If she couldn't fix this, she could lose him before she ever got to really have him.
"Chuck, you're one of the most kind and caring people I've ever known. You've had some terrible setbacks in your life, but instead of becoming cold and bitter, you've shown nothing but warmth and compassion, even to those that don't deserve it. I saw it from the moment I first met you. I'm not going to lie to you and say that what Ellie told me didn't affect me. It did. How could it not? But what I feel is not pity or sympathy. It's… it's more than that." Sarah averted her gaze, staring into his chest. The song came to an end and they stood still on the dance floor. As the next song began to play, Chuck cleared his throat and adjusted his shoulders. Sarah heard a hum emanate from his chest, causing her to look up at him. She could see a shy smile on his face.
"Tony Bennett. This is a really great song. Would be a shame to not dance to it." Nodding, she smiled up at him and they began to sway to the music. Sarah, feeling a bit daring, stepped in even closer to Chuck, still holding one of his hands, she slid the other around his back. Their bodies pressed together, her forehead resting against his jawline, they danced. Her smile grew wide as she could feel, then hear, Chuck singing along to the music.
"Someday when I'm awfully low
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight"
"I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget myself. I'm sure the last thing you want to hear is-" Sarah shook her head, not lifting it from its spot against him.
"Don't stop," she hummed. She could feel him swallow thickly before nodding. With the next verse he started again, quiet at first then gaining in volume, but not so loud as to draw attention.
"Oh, but you're lovely
With your smile so warm and your cheek so soft
There is nothing for me, but to love you
Just the way you look tonight"
She could feel him tense after singing the words and, as she recalled the lyrics, she realized what may have triggered that reaction. Professing love, even if through the words of another, still carried with it a ... weight. Those words brought with them a contractual obligation, something not to be entered into lightly. She had never used those words, outside of her parents. Likewise, she had never been a recipient of such a declaration, outside the parental context. Perhaps Chuck, being as open and caring as he was, used the words more freely. Regardless, hearing the words cross his lips sent a shiver through her. It was ridiculous to believe that, in such a short amount of time, she could expect him to feel that strongly toward her. Similarly, though she felt she knew a great deal about the man that was Chuck Bartowski, would she even recognize love if she felt it? Despite whatever hesitation he might have felt, he continued singing with the music.
"With each word your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh, that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart"
Sarah couldn't help her grin from growing, recalling the way his nose wrinkled when he smiled. The time they spent in the garden, sharing and laughing. She liked the way his nose and the corners of his eyes wrinkled, the added sparkle in his eyes when he laughed. She couldn't ever recall remembering those sorts of details about anyone before.
"Lovely, never never change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it because I, I love you?"
This time, there was no hesitation, no tensing as he sang the words. She often reminisced about his singing that day in the hospital, the sound of his voice, the conviction and emotion. She heard it, saw it, when she closed her eyes at night. Hearing him again now, singing not to a group of children, but only to her, made it seem so much more intimate.
"Just the way you look tonight
Just the way you look tonight"
As the song came to a close, Sarah realized that she'd been holding her breath, hanging on Chuck's every word. Slowly, she pulled away, releasing her hold on him. She smoothed down the lapel of his jacket. Though there was no reason for it, she felt a compulsion to touch him, and that seemed a rather innocuous way of meeting that end without drawing attention, or so she told herself. The tempo of the music changed drastically, and Sarah assumed that, much like with the other men, they would have to sit this one out. When she began to step away, he took her hand, causing her to look up at him in surprise.
"Shall we?" he asked, his eyebrow raised. The smolder in his expression lit a fire in her. Men had attempted to 'woo' her with such a look, and they had always fallen flat. The way he looked at her, the confidence, the playfulness and that crooked smile nearly undid her. She would have never expected Chuck to be a dancer, and while the jury was still out on that, he was at least willing to try for her, and that meant everything.
Sarah shot him a devilish grin, bouncing her eyebrows at him. She took hold of his hand and pulled him to a now empty portion of the dance floor. Sarah had practiced dance from a young age and into college, plus special coaching for a number of roles she had played. The song playing, Dance with Me by Debelah Morgan, she was familiar with, having used it as practice music for the tango. She would likely have to tone it down for Chuck, but she was excited just to be able to dance with someone again.
It quickly became evident that, once again, she had underestimated Chuck Bartowski. His normally clumsy, awkward manner belied a dancer lurking right underneath the surface. While he was no professional ballroom dancer, he was advanced enough that he could nearly keep up with her. Pleasantly surprised, she immersed herself in the music, and in him. The tango was a very sensual, passionate dance, and while she had to fake that feeling with previous dance partners, she held little back dancing with Chuck. There were moments where he erred on the side of propriety, reminding her of the respectful man he was. Given that there were many children in the room, she appreciated his restraint, however, there were parts of her that wanted to throw caution to the wind.
As the song continued, she noticed other couples dancing, but they gave Chuck and Sarah a wide berth. Largely, Sarah ignored everyone and everything around her, focusing solely on Chuck and the exhilaration she felt when dancing with him. When the song ended, Chuck was holding her nearly parallel to the ground, their faces mere inches apart. Both of them panting, they chuckled at one another before Chuck lifted her up to a standing position. Apparently, they had drawn quite a crowd as there were people applauding and cameras clicking and flashing. Not knowing what else to do, they both bowed and waved before quickly exiting the dance floor.
Laughing, the two of them found seats at the table and plopped down to catch their breath. With a contented sigh, Sarah looked around the table and saw the dumbstruck faces of their friends staring back. Will was sitting next to Megan, both of them staring in wide-eyed astonishment. Roan was grinning like the Cheshire cat and Diane was twisting her lips to the side, trying to mask the grin that was desperately trying to escape. Zondra walked up to the table, a similar look of shock on her face.
"What the hell was that?" Zondra asked as she looked between Chuck and Sarah, a bewildered look on her face.
"What? We were just dancing," Sarah admitted with a shrug, trying to hide her grin.
"Just… just dancing? My ass! I've seen tamer displays on Animal Planet. Holy crap. Chuck, where the hell did you learn to dance like that?" Zondra asked, placing her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, I'm kinda curious too," Sarah interjected, turning in her chair to face him. "I never would have guessed you to be a dancer."
Chuck ducked his head in embarrassment, "My sister… she made me take classes at the Y when I was younger. She had to work in the evenings, so that gave me a place to go after school to stay out of trouble. I also took social dancing in college as my P.E. electives." He gave a shrug and a lopsided grin, his cheeks still a bit rosy.
"Well, that was quite the display, from both of you," Roan added. "If that had gone on much longer, we'd have to air that on Off Screen Romance - After Dark." That warranted a chuckle from everyone, including Chuck and Sarah, though the two of them couldn't fight the blushes that were coloring their cheeks.
"What's going on?" Jason asked as he approached the table, seeing everyone still chuckling. As if rehearsed, everyone said, "Nothing" at the same time, causing an awkward silence to fall over the table.
"It's getting late. Maybe we should call it a night? We do have filming to do in the morning," Zondra chimed in, which caused all of them to groan. They all begrudgingly stood, collecting their things and beginning to make their way toward the exit. Sarah made a point to see Kaliey and the other children from the various hospitals that had participated in presenting her award. Chuck said his goodbyes to Kaliey and the kids he'd met from Children's hospital, promising to visit them again sometime soon.
In an effort to keep up appearances, Sarah stayed behind for a few minutes more, allowing all of the others to head to the limo so that she would not be seen together with any one person in particular. It was probably a lost cause at this point, given the attention they likely got from the media throughout the night.
Heading off toward the house to drop off the men, the limo fell into silence. Perhaps it was the alcohol or exhaustion, but nobody seemed to want to say anything. Sarah caught a glimpse of Chuck staring at her a few times, but he would quickly avert his gaze when she turned to look at him. Zondra kept giving Sarah a wry smile, so Sarah tried not to look at her if she could avoid it. There seemed to be this general web of glances throughout the limo, everyone checking out everyone else, yet no one wanted to be the first to speak up. It wasn't until they finally reached the house, and everyone exited the limo, that 'thanks' and 'goodnights' were exchanged.
Sarah watched Chuck walk into the house, noticing that he gave a small smile over his shoulder, waving before slipping into the house. Before she could get her wits about her, someone shoved her in the shoulder. Sarah turned to look at Zondra, who was standing next to her, a devilish grin plastered across her face.
"What?" Sarah asked indignantly.
"Oh. My. God. Blondie, that little show you two put on out on that dance floor?... DAMN! It got me a little hot and bothered. Just sayin'." Sarah snorted, shaking her head. "So, we're throwing all pretenses out the window now, are we? Do we just skip the dates with the final two contestants and jump straight to dessert?" Sarah could hear the teasing tone in her voice, so she bit back her response, realizing it would not help her case. "Fine. Fine. You should get home though. I'm sure you've got lots of thinking to do when you get home," Zondra snickered.
'Night, Z. See you in the morning." Sarah gave her friend a hug and climbed back into the limo. Casey climbed into the back with her, pulling the door closed. The two sat in silence for a long moment as the car headed toward Sarah's house.
"Don't start with me Casey," Sarah said, not bothering to turn to look at him.
'What? I didn't say anything," he retorted, in his typical gruff voice.
"I can feel you judging me from over there."
"Uh huh. And what exactly is it that you think I would be judging you for?" He asked, giving her an amused look. After a moment she sighed, turning to look at him.
"I'm jumping into this thing with Chuck too quickly, not really giving the others a fair chance."
"Is that what I'm thinking? Hmmm. Funny. I coulda swore I didn't give two shits about those guys." Sarah rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else. "My job is to watch your back, Walker. Whoever you choose, as long as they're good to you, respect you, I got no problem with them. It seems to me that your heart's already made its choice. It's your head that needs convincing. If you're looking for my… 'blessing', or whatever, on the guy you choose, I don't really think that's my place. Although… you could do a whole lot worse than the nerd. Hell… you have done a whole lot worse." Sarah snorted at that, a smile spreading across her face.
"Thanks, Casey"
A/N: That Gala seemed to go on forever. Tons of stuff happening. Let's see what tomorrow holds with the elimination ceremony and then the next event. Stay tuned.
Loving all of your reviews and comments. I'm so excited that you are enjoying this story as much as I am. It makes it all that much more rewarding.
Until next time.
Joe