Chapter 28
A/N: Okay, I tried last chapter to give away as few spoilers as possible to the main fic, Sarah vs The Life Unexpected. This chapter, there really isn’t much I can do. But let’s be honest, if you’ve read any of Sarah vs The Life Unexpected, what you’re about to read should be nothing you don’t expect. Warning, due to Christmasy goodness, this fic might give you dieabiteeeess. Giving Unselfishly, Chapter 2.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Chuck, but I have at least put up my Christmas Tree
Sarah looked at the dress again. She had bought it for this week’s special occasion. A huge party was being thrown for video game exes, and Chuck and Morgan were included. She loved the dress; she loved how it looked on her.
“I just hope it fits,” she muttered to herself, not realizing Chuck was in earshot. He raised an eyebrow.
“Sarah Bartowski, if you start complaining about being overweight looking like that. . .I don’t even know how to finish that sentence,” Chuck said, as serious as he could. Sarah smiled at her husband.
“I’m not Chuck, it’s just it’s the holidays and I’m always eating food that I probably shouldn’t this time of year. There’s not a lot of give here if I’ve even gained a pound or two.”
“Sarah, you could weigh 400 lbs, and you know your beauty would shine through, right?”
“You’re sweet. Delusional, but sweet. And married, so kinda required to say that,” she said, kissing his cheek.
“Uh, not required, it’s the truth, and the delusional…well, I won’t say your wrong. But, if you’re worried about the dress, we can skip the party,” Chuck said, smiling. Sarah looked at him.
“Naeiou, Mr. Bartowski, we are not,” she replied. “We are going to go to the party. You’re not getting out of this Christmas party. This is a big deal.”
“I’ll make you a deal, we don’t go and I’ll personally decorate my office and the rest of the hallway,” Chuck said. Sarah stopped and considered it.
“Chuuck, that’s not fair. This party is about celebrating what you two have done and the accomplishments you’ve achieved.”
“It’s been more Morgan than me,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Uh-uh,” she said, not buying it. “Since we’ve started working together, your game sales have gone through the roof.”
“Well, making a game with a couple of kick-ass women as the main characters kinda helped,” Chuck said, grinning. “But, I don’t want to go. It has nothing to do with Christmas, it’s just hobnob foolery that I care nothing about. Morgan can go and represent the company.”
“Chuck, you have to go, and that’s final.”
“I don’t want to,” he said, crossing his arms. Sarah walked up to him, looked him in the eye, and gave him a coy smile.
“I really want to go, Chuck. Will you please take me to the party?”
“You know that’s not even a little fair,” he said, his arms falling away from his chest and feeling like he might lose the ability to speak. She put her index finger on his chest and slowly ran it down.
“I would be so grateful.”
“No,” he said. Sarah just grinned. “I said, no.”
“Okay,” Sarah said, and walked into the bathroom. Chuck stood there. “Are you coming in here so I can change your mind?”
“That’s not going to work!”
}o{
The next morning
Carmichael Industries
Chuck and Sarah walked in, with Chuck looking a little irritated, and Sarah grinning. She gave him a big kiss, and then went down her hallway and he started down his. Morgan watched the entire thing, and ran to catch up with his friend.
“So, you didn’t get out of going to the party?” Morgan asked.
“I expressed my opinions, she expressed hers, and as adults we came to a decision that was best for us as a collective family, business, and just all around good of the world.”
“Good of the world?” Morgan asked. Chuck nodded never looking at him. They passed Morgan’s office, but Morgan kept right on walking with him. He followed Chuck into the office and sat down in the chair across from Chuck. “So she seduced you.” Morgan said, not asked. Chuck put his elbows on his desk and put his head in his hands.
“I’m only human,” he mumbled. Morgan reached over and patted his back.
“You poor, poor thing,” Morgan said. “Her taking advantage of you like that to get her way. I feel so sorry for you.” Chuck lifted his head. “You must feel cheap and used.” Chuck grinned.
“You ought to see the dress she bought, it’s a red, maybe a salmon,” Chuck noticed a shadow by the door and slightly raised his voice. “I really hate it.” Sarah came around the corner, her mouth opened, mad. “That will teach you for sneaking up and listening in to a private conversation.”
“If it was so private, why were you discussing our love life with Morgan?”
“I never did, Morgan made suggestions, and if I denied them he would have just taken them as the truth.”
“He is right, I would have,” Morgan agreed. Sarah turned to look at him.
“Oh, look at the time,” Morgan said, looking at the wrist with no watch. He bolted out the door. Chuck laughed. Sarah tried to appear to be mad, but she couldn’t help herself, and laughed. She stood there a second and looked down, blew out a breath, and then looked at Chuck.
“I’m not going to like this, am I?”
}o{
Boardroom 5 minutes later
“Let me get this right,” Chuck began, a little irritated. Sarah grimaced. “The party, that I don’t want to go to, is being hosted at a mansion, that happens to have a computer server that the NSA wants info from, that they feel the best night to access said info is during the party?”
“Yep,” Casey confirmed.
“But, we,” he said pointing to himself and Sarah. “Are not part of the infiltration team?”
“Right,” Sarah said. “We’re just going to a party.”
“And, you three, expect me, to keep cool, knowing what might be going on?” Sarah scratched the back of her head.
“I’m beginning to think that maybe we shouldn’t go,” Sarah admitted.
“What about Alex and Morgan?” Chuck asked.
“Them either.” Chuck stood there a second thinking and shook his head.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he muttered to himself. “We have to go. If we pull out and they show up and get identified, it looks too strange. With the Morgan and I and our dates there, it looks pretty natural if Casey and Carina are there. Should we bring Skip?”
“No!” the three yelled at once making Chuck jump back.
“So, we go, to the party?” Sarah asked. Chuck closed his eyes, muttering something to himself, and opened them to see his wife smiling at him, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, but you and I stay out of the mission,” Chuck said, and then he turned to Carina and Casey. “Unless things go bad, and then you know we’re there.” Sarah walked over and wrapped her arm around him.
“They’ll be fine,” she said softly. Casey grunted, and left. Carina shook her head at Chuck.
“You know, you keep this up, and she’ll take you on an actual spy mission,” Carina said, winking.
“No, I’m not allowed to ever get out of the car,” Chuck said. “I’m fine with that, but I can’t stand by and see you guys get in trouble.” Carina left the room.
“Okay, this is more than you just not wanting to be around people, what is it?” Sarah asked. Chuck sighed.
“So, there will be all these nerds there, and see me with my incredible wife, and,” Chuck shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down. “And I can’t dance and I’ll make a fool out of both of us, and they’ll all want to know what someone as incredible as you is doing with a nerd like me,” he said quickly. Sarah shook her head, grabbed his, and pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn’t slow, it was hard, full of passion, and Chuck heard colors and saw sounds. When she pulled away, she smirked.
“You,” was all she said, shaking her head. “Have you got anything pressing the next few days?”
“Nope, I kept the calendar open, figured we get ramping up on new games after the first of the year,” he replied. Sarah nodded, and pressed a button. “Alex, I’m going to need your help, get the Guys.” Sarah literally had three guys on staff, mostly retired agents, that she used for everything from just picking their brains about missions, extra muscle at an event, and anything they thought they would be good at. These “guys”, all retired, called themselves the Guys. Their cover job was maintenance, but they were just as likely to be in a mission briefing. They rarely went out into the field as active agents, but they were all certified in all firearms, and they all thought of themselves as Sarah’s dad. In fact, the one Chuck referred to as the lead guy, Ted, was currently dating Emma. The other two, Bob and Fred had been trying to persuade Chuck to hang Christmas decorations in his hallway the past several days, and at this point just offered to do it. The three came into the conference room with Alex.
“Gentlemen, my husband has to attend a gala with me, and is worried about embarrassing me because he can’t dance,” Sarah said.
“You don’t know any dances?” Ted asked. Chuck looked down.
“Awesome taught me the Tango before he died,” Chuck answered.
“See, you do know something.”
“It was the woman’s part,” Chuck said softly. Ted looked over at the other two, who shrugged.
“Let’s go with he doesn’t know anything,” Fred said. “We could move these tables out, and set up a dance floor. I know a few, and I know Bob does as well.”
“Think we could teach Morgan?” Alex asked, smiling.
“I’ll run get him,” Bob said, and took off.
“How about whoever knows the dance, kind of runs things, and the other two will watch and try to catch what Chuck and Morgan are doing wrong?” Ted asked.
“Guys, you’re good, but I don’t know if you’re a miracle worker,” Chuck said. Sarah bumped him with her shoulder, smirking.
“Trust me, Chuck,” she said.
}o{
Three days later, Chuck found himself in the passenger seat of Sarah’s Porsche. She said it was their Porsche, but Chuck had never driven it, and frankly he was scared to. As much as he was for the union of their lives, there were some things you just didn’t claim as part of your life. He once joked if Sarah had to decide against never having a Porsche again or not have Chuck in her life, she would miss him. She told him that wasn’t true, and he believed her, but he didn’t want to test it.
For three days he had practiced dancing until he got the all clear from all three of the guys. Tonight, the three had their own mission. Ted and Emma were watching the girls, and Bob and Fred were in the van, providing assistance to Casey and Carina, and support on Chuck’s sub-mission. They had given him an earwig, and told Chuck not to use it if he didn’t have to. Chuck wiped his palms on his pants again. He looked over at Sarah, who was stunning.
“Hey, you feeling okay?” Chuck asked. Sarah looked over at him in surprise. “I know you’ve been getting out of bed early each morning and going to the bathroom for something and you seem very tired in the evening.”
“I think I’ve had a touch of a stomach bug,” Sarah said. “I haven’t given it to you or anything have I?”
“No,” Chuck said, unconvinced but didn’t want to push her.
“You know all that dancing every day has tired me out a little,” Sarah said smiling. “Not that I haven’t enjoyed it, I’m just a little out of practice. Maybe I need to up my training at the office.”
“Sarah, you’re not an agent, you are in tremendous physical shape, and you are going to make people’s jaws bounce off the floor with that dress,” Chuck said. Sarah smiled at him.
“You look quite dapper yourself tonight Mr. Bartowski,” Sarah said.
“It’s the love of a good woman,” Chuck replied, grinning. Sarah laughed at that.
“You ready for this?” she asked.
“Sure, what could possibly go wrong?” Chuck said, smiling. The smile fell from Sarah’s face.
}o{
For thirty minutes Chuck and Sarah made the rounds. Chuck shook hands, said very little about his games unless asked. Sarah hung by him, knowing how much he hated what was going on. The whole time Chuck was worried about his friends getting caught. Chuck tried to ignore the sounds he heard in his ear from time to time. He caught a fragment of sentences here and there, but for the most part, he was able to ignore them. They were standing in the corner, away from the crowd, Chuck drinking champagne, Sarah water, when it came through.
“We need help,” Casey’s voice came over the earpiece. “We’re near the server room, but we need a distraction, and if we don’t get one quick, we’re in trouble.” Chuck looked over at Sarah trying to figure out a way to ask her how they could make a distraction when he noticed her eyes. He pointed at her, his mouth open.
“You have in an earwig,” he accused. Sarah’s mouth dropped open and she looked at him, trying to appear angry.
“Well, well, you have to have one on as well to know what’s going on,” she accused right back.
“I have one in for support of dancing,” Chuck said, trying to sound innocent. Sarah gave him a look. “Fine, I was worried about them.”
“This is great and all guys, and I’m glad to see you two working on your communication, but this isn’t helping Casey and Carina,” Bob cut in.
“Can you get them to play tango music?” Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. “Do it,” he said. “And when we start, we need to be as close to the refreshment table as possible.” Sarah gave him a look and just nodded.
The music began, and they moved to the dance floor. The dance began, and everything was going smoothly, much to Chuck’s surprise.
“Chuck, whatever you’re doing it’s not working,” Casey said.
“I was afraid of that,” Chuck said. “On this turn, make sure and let go of my hand,” Chuck said to Sara who really wasn’t sure what was going on. “Remember me fondly,” he said. As he moved around her, Chuck tripped his on foot on purpose, fell forward, bounced into another couple, and completely lost his balance, flailing his arms and legs everywhere, and went crashing into the ice sculpture. He had everyone’s attention.
“That did it!” Carina whispered happily. Sarah saw her husband, the butt of everyone’s laughter, laying across the remains of a broken table with the ice sculpture crashed around him. He apologized profusely to everyone. She went to help him up, knowing what he had just sacrificed for his friends.
}o{
Chuck sat in the computer lab at Carmichael, working on the information downloaded. There was an encryption key, but he almost had it broke. He was wearing sweats from his locker, his suit ruined.
“Beckman is paying for that suit,” Sarah growled at Casey as she walked into the computer room. She walked up behind him and wrapped both arms around him. “I love you so much,” she said. Chuck put his hand over her hands that were wrapped around him. “The one thing you were trying to avoid, getting embarassed, and you did it just to save this mission.”
“I didn’t do it for the mission,” Chuck said. “I did it for Casey and Carina.”
“Thanks, Chuck,” Casey said. “Those were your peers, I know what tonight meant to you.”
“You’re my friend,” Chuck said shrugging. “That wins every time, besides, now no one will think I’m Carmichael!” Chuck smiled, but Sarah shook her head. Bob and Fred came into the computer lab.
“I don’t remember that being in your training of how to dance, Kid,” Bob said, grinning.
“I was trying to improvise,” Chuck said, still working on the code. Sarah had nuzzled her face into his neck. He hit enter and turned his head to her. “I think I’ve got it,” he said. She kissed him on the cheek.
“Good, let’s get you out of here.”
“I’m fine, Sarah,” he said.
“Well, I’m not, I liked that suit, and I hate all those people think you are this klutz-”
“Sarah,” he said softly. “I could care less what they all think. I only care about you, my family, and friends.” He got up out of the chair and took her hand. “Let’s go home. Besides I’m sure Ted wants to go home some time tonight.” Sarah had a look on her face. Chuck’s eyes widened. “Or, not.”
}o{
Chuck woke the next morning to an empty bed. He looked at the alarm and it was nearly 10. They had gotten home late, and then had gotten involved with some extracurricular activities. Chuck stretched, and felt someone watching him. He turned and saw a grinning blonde head in the door.
“Gonna sleep all day?” she asked.
“Nope, I’m getting up right now,” he said.
“Good, breakfast is ready, and then you and I have cookies and fudge to make,” Sarah said.
“It’s rather quiet.”
“Emma and Ted have taken the kids for the day to Ted’s kid’s house. They have kids close to the same age.”
“Are they getting serious?” Sarah shrugged. Chuck gave her a look.
“You mean to tell me, you, former superspy Agent Walker, has no idea of a guy’s intentions when it comes to your mother?”
“Well, when you put it like that…” Sarah said grinning. “Cooomme on. We have the place to ourselves.” Chuck looked at the empty spot beside him. “I really want to make this stuff for everyone at work.”
“Okay,” Chuck said. “I need a shower.”
“You’re just going to get flour everywhere, so it doesn’t really matter,” Sarah said shrugging.
“Why do I feel like you’re going to throw some at me before the day’s over?” Sarah pointed at herself in shock.
“You wound me,” Sarah said.
“Nah, I wounded myself crashing through that table. It looks so much easier in wrestling.”
“Chuck,” she said softly. “I’m really sorry that had to happen last night. You don’t deserve for those people to think anything less than the truth about you.” She came in to the room, and pounced on him, catching him in a tackle. “You just don’t stop giving, no matter how it makes you look or how it affects you.” Chuck kissed her head.
“If I didn’t do everything in my power to help our friends, I could never live with myself.”
“Go shower, and come join me for Christmas heartwarming.”
“You think you can heartwarm me Mrs. Bartowski?” Sarah smirked, and Chuck couldn’t help but grin. She leaned in to his ear.
“I will heartwarm you until you beg me to quit,” she whispered in his ear, got up, and left the room.
}o{
For the next few hours, Sarah and Chuck made cookies, fudge, and all sorts of goodies for gift bags for everyone at Carmichael.
“I don’t get it Sarah, you get them gifts, so why go to all this trouble?” he asked. She hip bumped him as she went by.
“First, it’s no trouble. Second, anyone can buy someone a gift. Third, I enjoy it. Fourth, it maybe the only thing someone gets that feels like home, a happy home.” Chuck just stared at her.
“I know they didn’t teach that in the CIA,” Chuck said. Sarah just grinned.
“I think that’s it,” she said, looking at everything either cooling or already in packaging. She checked her phone. “And I just got a text, they’ll be back in about two hours,” Sarah said walking into the other room.
“Okay, you win,” Chuck said.
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked from the other room.
“I’m heartwarmed; the cookies, goodies, Christmas Music, multiple minor food fights, and you and Molly, I give. You’ve heartwarmed me.” Sarah walked in holding mistletoe over her head.
“Oh, then I guess I won’t need this,” Sarah said, fake pouting.
“Well, we can never be too sure I won’t relapse,” Chuck said smiling. “You did say it would be two hours until they get back.” Sarah walked toward him smiling.
“I think we have just enough time for a proper check.”
A/N: Okay, not as Christmasy as the last, but we’re heading for the end of this little three part. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. See you soon for part 3, and a whole lot more Molly.