A/N: Welcome back to Harry and the….wait…sorry. Welcome back to Choices Were Made.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
As Sarah left the Buy More, she noticed someone leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Sarah walked over to him, deciding to have some fun. "Would the zombie dying affect the ghost?" she asked.
Morgan stared at her a moment. "No," he answered.
"Are you sure?" Sarah asked.
"No," Morgan admitted. "It's quite confusing and complicated. But what I find more confusing and complicated, is you." Sarah lifted an eyebrow. "You say you have left being a spy, and yet… here you were, spying on my boy."
"I wasn't spying on him," Sarah said. "I was observing him."
"I observed you move behind a display when he looked your direction," Morgan said. Sarah nodded, impressed. "Listen, I've been watching people steal stuff around here for years. You notice when people make weird movements, or hide." Sarah frowned. "Fine, Lester saw you, and wanted to hit on you. I ran him off."
"Lester Patel?" Sarah asked. Morgan nodded. "I may owe you. I saw him quite a bit when I was observing Chuck." She was silent for a moment. "You obviously want to know something."
"I've been reading up on your former boss, and it seems to be making headlines," Morgan began. Sarah nodded. "It's a national story."
Sarah remained quiet, letting Morgan get to his point.
"What's going to happen to my boy, once it gets out what happened to him?"
"There are confidentiality papers," Sarah began.
"Someone, somewhere, will leak it for some reason you or I will never understand," Morgan challenged.
She stood there a moment. Morgan was exactly right. "Okay, say that you are right. What's the answer?"
"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.
"You know Chuck," Sarah said. "You are his best friend."
"And heterosexual life partner," Morgan reminded her.
"And what would your heterosexual life partner do if I took him into hiding? Hmmm?" Sarah glanced over at the desk where Chuck stood. "He is the type that needs human contact… his sister," she paused, looking right at Morgan, "his friends."
"So, what you need is someplace to spirit him away to," Morgan said.
"What do you mean me?" Sarah asked.
Morgan sighed, shaking his head. "So this is how we're gonna play it?"
"Play what?" Sarah asked.
"Do you have orders to seduce Chuck?" Morgan asked.
"No," Sarah said, vehemently.
"Then why are you pushing your hair behind your ear each time you talk to him?" Morgan asked. Sarah stared at Morgan. "You lean into him when you talk. You smile at him. You tilt your head down and look up through your eyelashes. And my favorite, you've stopped yourself numerous times from laying your hand on his, or touching him."
Sarah stood there, stunned. "Maybe… maybe I was falling back into old habits of the things I learned in the CIA," Sarah offered. She hadn't even realized what she had been doing. As she thought about what Morgan said, though, she realized the bearded man was correct.
"If that was the case, you wouldn't be so shocked right now," Morgan said. Sarah started to protest, but Morgan lifted his hand. "I know a way he would go away." Morgan paused. "But I would need your help to keep him safe."
"Let's say I'm interested in keeping him safe," Sarah said carefully.
"What do you know about being a bear guard?" Morgan asked.
}o{
The camera pans to Chuck sitting in the chair, his face in his hands, audibly groaning.
}o{
The camera cuts to Morgan in the interview chair
"The bear guard is a profession that guard and perform hazing services for people doing field work in remote locations. Typically it is more than one person, but… have you met Sarah?"
Morgan pauses a second and smiles, proud of himself. "I mean, it's sort of because of me they got together."
Off camera you hear multiple groans.
}o{
"I have," Sarah said. "But more importantly, why do you know about bear guards?"
"He's going to have lots of money, not have to work, right?" Morgan asked. Sarah nodded. "He needs to get away?" Sarah nodded again. "Then what is more away than Alaska? Specifically in wooded areas, where cryptids are known to exist?"
Sarah stood there a moment, trying to process what Morgan had just said. She turned and looked at Chuck, and then back to Morgan.
"Okay, let's say for a second I agree, and go along with this," Sarah began. "He's going to be out in the wilderness for days? He doesn't seem to be a person who…" She paused, trying to figure out the right way to politely say it.
"Wipe his ass with a leaf?" Morgan offered. Sarah closed her eyes, trying not to giggle, and nodded. "Need a shower daily because he would worry if he smelled funky?" Sarah nodded again. "It may take someone to convince him."
"And how exactly am I going to do that?" Sarah asked.
"With some help," Morgan said.
}o{
The camera cut to Sarah sitting in the interview chair.
"Listen, I had no idea how powerful a force Ellie and Morgan were on him, but… I also didn't know how bad he was hurting," Sarah admitted. "I mean I did… but I didn't. I have, my whole life, just shoved things away that bothered me. I've put them in a box, affixed a lock, and just moved on. Now is that healthy? God no." Sarah chuckled, then she sobered.
"Chuck… some things hurt Chuck the same now as they did when the hurt was inflicted." She sat there quietly for a second, searching for words. "And the fact… the fact he trusted me. The fact… the fact I was enough. A person he barely knew."
She shook her head, and continued. "I mean, I was a killer, a spy, a con artist. But someone to be trusted? No. At least, I thought I wasn't. But Chuck – his choice to trust me – it reminded me of who I wanted to be in life. It reminded me of what I wanted to be in life… and I can never – never – repay that to him." She grinned. "And trust me, I have done my best to try."
A gagging sound is heard off camera.
}o{
She stood in front of his apartment door, nervous jitters running through her. She had been through many situations throughout her life in which she should have been nervous, but was not. Now, meeting Chuck, taking him to dinner… she was nervous.
She had researched being a bear guard, and reached out to General Beckman to see what it would take for her to be certified. Right before she left her room to pick up Chuck, Beckman had told her the certification was completed. She swore there had been amusement in Beckman's voice.
Two to three months, in remote Alaska, with Chuck Bartowski. That should be fine.
Absolutely fine.
}o{
The camera cuts to Chuck sitting in the interview chair.
"My whole life, cryptids… they fascinated me. It was one of those things, if I had the money, I would love to do a hunt. I had a couple of places circled on a map in Alaska. I wanted to stay at each place two to three weeks, take a week to recover somewhere, because… well… I mean, hygiene, you know?" Chuck shook his head. "This really isn't a situation that lends itself to getting romantic, or hooking up."
He scratched the back of his neck, and shrugged. "What I hadn't counted on was… well… you."
"What do you mean me?" came a gruff voice from off-camera. Chuck gave the man behind the camera a look. "Oh," came the reply, and then the chuckling began.
}o{
"Sarah, hi!" Ellie said, opening the door, smiling at the younger woman. "Please, come in. Chuck isn't quite ready yet. He had to stay and fix a phone issue." Sarah shook her head and chuckled. "It's who he is," Ellie added with a shrug.
"Yeah, I know," Sarah told her. "Have… have you talked to Morgan?" Ellie raised an eyebrow. "About… Alaska?"
"Oh, God, that again?" Ellie asked. "Wait… do you think it's a good idea?"
"Well, I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing-" Sarah began.
"Chuck going and hunting Bigfeet, or Bigfoots or… Abominable Snowman or whatever the hell it is?" Ellie offered.
"Or maybe it's exactly the same thing," Sarah said. Ellie giggled. "It's just… after he gets the compensation for what he's been through… Ellie, there will be leaks. There will be press…"
"Oh," Ellie said. "So… so you think him being in remote Alaska would protect him?"
"Where Morgan says Chuck wants to go… I'm certain no press will follow him," Sarah told her. Ellie laughed. "I don't want him to have to relive what he's gone through over and over. I know he got kicked out of college, and it wasn't his fault, but…"
"He was betrayed by Bryce," Ellie finished. Sarah nodded. "He didn't get his degree on his own work and merit." Sarah nodded again. "No, there's – don't you dare tell Morgan I said this – this may be a good idea. But there's one problem. It's Alaska. Chuck can't survive there."
}o{
The camera cuts to Morgan, who just sits there looking extremely proud of himself.
}o{
"What if it's me?" Sarah asked. "What if I'm the one with him. And-and I can get someone else to help, and be the cameraman so he can post this on… what's it called? Their tube?"
"YouTube," Ellie said. "The someone else to help…"
"An NSA agent, that is trained and can help me if something bad happens," Sarah said. "Chuck is involved in national security, if we're honest. He knows things about how the recruiting process works that others don't know. That needs to be kept quiet, so the NSA is willing to help fund all of this."
"And what about you?" Ellie asked softly.
"I need to get away as well," Sarah admitted. "And… where better?" Ellie nodded. "Besides, I have a propensity to be a loner, and if I do right now… I might disappear forever. And that probably isn't very healthy."
"But chasing imaginary hairy monsters and being around real live bears and other things that can kill you in a remote forest is healthy?" Ellie asked.
"I mean, honestly… given what all I've had to do during my life…it sounds kinda fun," Sarah admitted, making Ellie laugh.
"What's so funny?" Chuck asked. He stepped out of his room, wearing a pair of jeans, a button up shirt with a tie loosely knotted, and a sports coat. "Too fancy?"
"No," Sarah said.
At least she hoped she had actually verbalized it. She found that her mouth was dry. She found her fingers twitching in a desire to straighten his tie and smooth his shirt. "No, you look really nice."
He grinned at her. "Well, you look amazing," he told her. Sarah lowered her head, smiling. "Sorry, I wasn't hitting on you. You just really look amazing. I just wanted you to know." She lifted her head, holding his gaze. "You know… your former job, and the guys… they… well…" He looked over to Ellie. "How do I say, you look amazing, just because you do, no agenda?"
"I think you just did," Ellie said. She turned to Sarah. "I think it's a marvelous plan."
"What's a marvelous plan?" Chuck asked.
Sarah, for the first time in her life, found herself speechless.
}o{
Camera cut to Sarah in the interview area.
She clapped her hands together, blowing out a breath. "And that is how it really began. In Chuck's apartment, with Ellie there. That's how I ended up with Chuck in Alaska." She shook her head, smiling.
"Best decision I ever made."
A/N: …..does anyone think this is going to be a total and utter trainwreck?
Next time:
"Before we do, I need to make something very clear. You are my hero," Chuck told her, making her eyes go wide. "You've gotten me out of a place that I love, a place that was comfortable, but a place…a place that wasn't…isn't…good for me." Sarah held his gaze and had to remind herself to breathe. "Sarah…I'm not gonna lie, the reason I went to work today, is that it was comfortable, it was a known quantity. Yeah, it's absolute madness and bullshit, but it was known, comfortable madness and bullshit."
"Sounds like a bad marriage people are scared to leave," Sarah said. Chuck nodded.
"It just…was it what I needed at the time….probably not," Chuck said, making her giggle. "But at that time, mentally…it was about all I could do."
"That's how you get trapped you know," Sarah replied. "You get to thinking about all the training…conditioning…what you hear from those around you…that's all your worth…that's all your good for."
Wait…is this a meeting or a….date? Can't be a date…I don't write dates….