Chapter 13
AN Doing two chapters in one, no update this weekend
I don’t own Chuck
Her eyes opened like they did so many times on missions, but for once, she was confused. Usually when she woke up she was alert, aware of her surroundings, and knew what was going on. This morning…this morning she wasn’t. First…his lingering scent was here, which made her feel…comfortable. So comfortable, she had slept deeply, something she never did while on missions. The only time she ever allowed herself to was at her apartment in Burbank, or the nights she slept over with him. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t stop herself from sleeping deeply when he was around. He comforted her. No one had ever comforted her like that, and that was uncomforting.
She shook her head at that conundrum and remembered where she was. He had slept in this bed until last night. She smiled. Last night. He could have slept there…but if he had, she wasn’t sure how much either of them would have actually slept. The smile turned into a smirk. And then she realized why she woke up so confused. She smelled something. Bacon. Someone was making bacon.
She threw back the covers, padded over to the door, opened it, and the smells of breakfast assaulted her. She headed toward the kitchen and pulled up short, other senses assaulting her. There was Chuck, in his pj bottoms, a tee shirt on, hair mussed from sleep, barefoot, making breakfast. She was hungry, and not just for food.
He turned, saw her, and smiled. “Hey,” he said softly. “Coffee is over there, and it will be just a minute on your eggs.”
“You know how I like my eggs?” Sarah asked. Chuck gave her a look. “Is that in the Intersect?”
“It is, but not the government one, or the Bryce one,” he replied. He was silent for a second, but then he continued. “It’s in the Chuck Intersect of all things Sarah.” Sarah walked over beside him, reached down, snagged a piece of bacon, and began to chew it. The toaster went off as toast popped out. “That’s your toast, lightly toasted. There would be chocolate croissants, but we’re trying to lay low, and if I went into the village every morning…” Chuck trailed off and shrugged.
“Smart,” Sarah said, getting a plate, putting her toast on it, grabbing some bacon, and smirking at him as he gave her a look, leaving him only a couple of pieces. She wasn’t going to eat it all, but she felt like he deserved it after making her search for him. She moved over to the bar and began to eat. He walked over to her, pan in hand, an amused look on his face and gently put her eggs on her plate.
She held up a piece of bacon and he leaned in and took a bite. “I did good,” Chuck murmured.
“You did,” Sarah agreed. “Careful, you’re gonna turn some woman into a real girl and want to do this with you every morning.”
“There’s only one I’d want to, and I don’t want to turn her into anything,” Chuck told her. She took a sip of her coffee, her mouth suddenly very dry. “Of course there is one problem.” Sarah turned to him slowly. “The person I’m interested in makes a marvelous breakfast, so I’m not sure which of us make it.”
“I’m voting for you,” Sarah said, taking a bite of her eggs and giving him a look as she stifled a moan.
“Is that for me or the eggs?” Chuck asked, as he winked at her and headed to the bathroom. Sarah watched him go, wondering if he knew the answer.
-ooooo-
“So I make you lose your breath?” Sarah asked, in a normal tone.
“You’re not funny,” he panted out, jogging beside her up the mountain side. “When it was Bryce, I didn’t have to talk out loud…also he ran backwards to taunt me.”
“That’s not nice,” Sarah said, moving a few steps in front of him, quickly turning around to jog backwards, and then turning back around and laughing at the look on Chuck’s face. “You’ve done good, Chuck.”
“Don’t let me fool you, Sarah,” Chuck said softly. “I got by with Bryce’s help, but if you hadn’t of shown when you did…” Chuck trailed off.
“Your only alone when you want to be,” Sarah told him. She took a deep breath. “I should know.”
“Wow, okay,” Chuck replied. “We’re doing this, now, while jogging up a mountain side.”
“We can wait until we get back, if that’s what you want to do.”
“No, I’m doing what you want to do, with us, I mean, with the Ring…I’m taking all suggestions but…” he trailed off.
“Ahha,” she said, understanding dawning on her. She touched his arm and they stopped jogging. “So that’s what this is.”
“That’s what what is?” Chuck asked.
She gave him a look, grinning, and shook her head. “Chuck, you’re not Bryce.”
“I don’t know-”
“Chuck, you’re worried that whatever was in your head has been taken over by Bryce,” Sarah told him. Chuck looked away. “You have a plan on how to take down the Ring, and you believe it should be done your way, and not the CIA/NSA way because that’s what the Ring is expecting, yes or no?”
“Yes,” Chuck replied. “But Sarah-”She held up a hand and he clamped his teeth shut. “Bryce would have done what he thought, but he never would have listened to my suggestions.” Chuck looked unsure. “He also wouldn’t have listened to any suggestions I had about training.”
“Okay,” Chuck conceded. “BUT what if somewhere down the road…” he trailed off, not sure how to put it into words.
“Sounds like you need someone who knows you and Bryce to be around you to make sure you’re safe, and not turning into someone else,” she said softly.
“I would have to trust them,” Chuck replied, reaching over and taking one of her hands.
She reached over and took hers. “Sounds like a long-term assignment to me.” She paused and looked him in the eye. “Know anyone who might fit that bill?”
“I know one, but I’d never ask her to do it,” Chuck replied. Sarah nodded, let go of his hands and began to take off jogging.
“Come on, I gotta keep you fit so you can take down the Ring before you go crazy with these multiple personalities in your head,” she said. Chuck began to jog after her, grumbling, but not looking that upset.
-ooooo-
They got back to the house, and Chuck began to peel off his shirt. “What are you doing?” Sarah asked him.
“I’ve got wood to cut,” Chuck replied. “And right now, I’m really hot, so I’m going to do this for a while, and put it back on when I get cold.”
“Oh,” Sarah said, watching him pick up the ax. She swallowed. He wasn’t super chiseled, but he had put on a bit of definition. “Well, I guess-”
“Do you care to stay out here with me, unless you’re cold of course,” he rushed out.
“No, no, I’m fine,” Sarah told him. “Do you need to talk about something?”
“Yeah,” Chuck told her. “I’m sorry.” Sarah pulled back her chin. “I asked you to go on a vacation with me. I wasn’t honest.” He chopped a piece of wood, and Sarah found it very difficult to pay attention to what he was saying. He leaned against the ax handle, and she looked him right in the eyes. “I wanted more than a damn vacation, I wanted there to be an us.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I wasn’t going with Bryce.”
“I know,” he replied just as softly. “So I guess the question becomes, what do we do about it?”
She wet her lips, drawing upon all the courage within her. “We go forward, together, and if they tell us we can’t, then we remind them how easily we can disappear.”
“Sarah, I can’t disappear,” Chuck admitted. “I’ve missed you, Ellie, Morgan, Devon…damn it, I miss Casey.”
“He misses you,” Sarah told him.
“Really?” Chuck asked, excitement in his voice. Sarah winced. “Oh,” he said. “I can’t go on the run.”
“They don’t have to know that,” Sarah told him. “Besides, I don’t think it will be a problem.” She knew he was waiting on her to take the lead in this, and she knew why. “I love you, Chuck, I’m in, whatever it takes.”
Chuck nodded. “Okay,” he said, letting go of the ax and walking over to her, kissing her gently on the lips. He wrinkled his nose. “Sarah…”
“You smell,” Sarah told him.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Why don’t you go shower, I’ll finish here and then I’ll take one.”
“Okay,” she said softly. She headed inside, and Chuck went to work on the wood.
-ooooo-
She had come into the bedroom as he walked out of the shower. She stopped, gawking. He was drying his hair, only wearing a pair of boxers. Her eyes were locked on him, where his boxers sat on his hip bone, she looked up. There she saw the definition that had made it’s way into his chest. Jesus, this was not fair. He had always driven her crazy with his mind, his attitude. She loved the way he was, how attractive he was, but now…this? This was totally unfair.
“You okay?” Chuck asked.
“I am not,” Sarah replied. Enough. It was time. It was past time. She walked over to him, took the towel from him, and began to dry his hair for him. She couldn’t help but smirk at the way he swallowed. “Are you in this with me?”
“YesabsolutelyI’min,” he said quickly. She stopped, lowered her eyes to his, and held his vision. “This is happening?”
“Yes,” she replied, and she pulled him against her. Their lips collided and two years of desire swelled up and threatened to explode in that very moment. She felt his hands hold her securely but gently. She felt him nearly hum in happiness against her. He felt her hand thread it’s way through his hair and her other to gently caress his back. He felt her walking him and suddenly he went backwards, falling onto the bed.
“Sorry,” he breathed, his lips inches from hers.
“Don’t be, and you should know it may happen a lot more frequently,” Sarah told him.
“Uh, Sarah, I don’t know that we have supplies for…uh…” Chuck trailed off.
“We don’t need them,” she said softly. His eyes widened at that. “I didn’t have the heart, or the nerve to tell you that morning in Barstow, I was scared Chuck.” She sat back, still on top of him. “I was scared of what making love to you would do to me…to you…to us. I knew that if we did…there was no turning back.”
“It’s one thing to want a different life, but to have to actually make that step,” Chuck said softly. It wasn’t accusing, just the truth. She nodded. “Hey, I’m here, and I’m willing to wait as long as needed, take as many baby steps as needed.” She locked eyes with him. “Sarah, all I ever wanted was us to be honest, and this,” he said, gesturing between them. “It’s honest, it’s raw, and I know what you just said…I know what that means to you.”
A slow grin covered her face. “How do you always know?” He gave her a confused look. “How do you always know just what to say, what I need to hear?”
“I have no idea,” he admitted. “But I am damn sure glad I seem to.” He started to set up, when her hand in the middle of his chest stopped him. She slowly shook her head, the grin changing to a smirk. “Sarah?”
“Chuck, shut up and kiss me.”