Chuck and Sarah Ch. 02

"You probably aren't even aware of it, but it caused a change in me, John."

For the first time Casey saw only real openness in Goya's face.

"Just look at us, John... We've fought each other for so long, felt bound to obscure rules and alliances. You've been a coldblooded killer, and I was a egomaniac despot... And where did it lead as to? Now you have a family and friends – and both of us know, it hadn't been like that before, because you've been a lone wolf – and I finally enjoy being loved by my people and being in position to give them what they need."

Goya bent forward in his armchair and caught Casey's gaze.

"Face it, John... Both of us weren't who we thought to be anymore. Let's allow this positive changes to happen to both of us. Our friendship could be a real one."

He offered Casey his hand... And after a very brief hesitation Casey shook his hand.

"You are right, Allejandro."

Devon stood at the door to the luxurious bathroom and watched Elli shower. Even after ten years of relationship and one year of marriage not a thing had changed. Still he adored and desired her like the first day. That first day ten years ago, when they made out in a broom closet instead of attending their first lesson at med school. When they fucked each other without even knowing their names.

"I'm in love with this awesome woman for ten years now." he mused.

It was the kind of love that grows over the years, and that allowed him to excel himself. The former sunny boy, surfer, extreme athlete, top surgeon and thrill-seeker had learned through Elli's love what really mattered in life. He was really impressed seeing Elli struggling to deal with all her duties; her medical studies, their relationship and her devotional care for Chuck.

Elli's husband knew pretty well, what a sacrifice it had meant to Elli to raise Chuck, to take responsibility for both of them, and still live a more or less normal life. She had postponed her own life for the sake of her brother and took care for him, like she had promised her father before he disappeared. Awesome of course also knew, how much his brother-in-law had struggled for not to be his sisters burden and to fight his own battles. For ten years he had witnessed how Chuck and Elli dealt with growing up and finding their ways in life. That's why he respected his brother-in-law and loved his wife.

When Stephen, Chuck's and Elli's father, was murdered before their eyes, it showed that their solidarity was way stronger than any peril they could ever face in their life. Although Chuck and Elli lead their own lives, they would be there for each other and stand up for each other.

Smiling and full with pride he stood there and leaned against the door frame.

"You look so tempting, Elli... I'd just like to..." he murmured, while his gaze caressed her body and he watched her lathering up and moving beneath the warm and massaging jets of water.

Then he realized them both being on a beautiful island in the Caribbean and the next few hours being only theirs... Without interruption or emergencies. And still he stood there at the door and only looked at her.

"Am I totally crazy?" he asked himself incredulous.

His clothes fell on the floor in a fast sequence, while he approached the shower and pulled away the curtain. When he stood under the jets of water next to Elli's naked and wet body, he already was totally naked, aroused and hard.

Elli hadn't had the time to react, before he stood close to her, fondled her breasts and eagerly pressed his erection to her back.

"Turn around." he ordered in a husky voice and their lips met, when Elli followed his order even before the words had fully passed his lips.

Her desire was equal to his. When she wrapped her arm around his neck their tongues where already entwined and suddenly it was Elli now, who was pressing Devon against the wall and covetously dragged her fingernails over his belly.

"What's up, Doc... Are your ready for a thorough check up?" she cooed.

On the other side of the hallway, in the suite, Sarah and Chuck were staying in, Sarah held the charm bracelet Chuck had given her and slowly let the chain links slide through her fingers. With every single link passing her fingers, she remembered a precious moment from the last three years. She recalled, how often she had been mad about him not following orders or was worried about his solos, and smiled.

But something else was also on her mind, even more important to her. The bracelet itself has a meaning. Chuck had given it to her because he wanted her to have something to connect her to him. He longed for someone he could belong to and who would belong to him.

She still had a bad conscience for misusing his loneliness to guide and manipulate him in the beginning. By and by she had started to realize what was inside his heart and mind, and it was so familiar to her, she was scared enough to even try to blind it out:

Like herself, Chuck had always been lonely and lost, without ever really been kept grounded.

She couldn't blame Elli because she was almost a child herself, when she had to take responsibility for Chuck. They had both grown up without their parents and Elli had cared for Chuck the best she could, but she could never understand his sensitive side – she was just too pragmatic.

Sarah had been lost herself, when she was a child. Her father was a con-man, not really capable of taking care for a little girl and satisfying her needs. Jack was less a father but a playfellow, a friend and confederate. At the age of eighteen she had to choose either to join her father in a federal prison or to join the CIA and to become a spy.

For a long time, she was convinced to have found a place, she belonged to and a community she would fit in. Instead she had lost herself in being a spy and almost forgot, who she was – until she met and fell for Chuck. He had made her remember who she was, what she wanted and what she was longing for. In his own way, he had saved her, like she had saved him.

She carefully put her bracelet on the nightstand and went to the bathroom, where Chuck was showering. Silently she pulled away the curtain and stood right behind him, swept a strand of hair from his neck and blew a kiss on his skin.

"Sarah..."

"Shhhttt... Please don't say a word now." she whispered and put her arms around his neck. "Just hold me tight."

The tall Californian nerd looked at her a little bit concerned and hugged her lovingly, bedded her head on his chest and tried to give her security – the security she, like him, needed desperately after all they had been through.

Beneath the crackling water of the shower, she lifted her head and softly kissed his lips, while her hands dispersed the lather on his skin.

"Have I ever told you how lucky I am for you to be part of my life?" she asked, almost shy.

"You don't have to tell me... You show it to me every single moment we're together. I am the lucky one for you love me, Sarah."

Chuck wasn't surprised by Sarah having melancholic moments like this, because he had realized a long time ago, that Sarah had a hard time to let go of her emotional armor. It was only a short time ago, she became able to let her hair down, because now she had someone she could be sure of catching her if she's falling. And also Chuck now had someone who he could rely on without having to worry to be a burden.

Both of them had been waiting all their lives for someone who would love them the way their were and where they could be just themselves.

He turned off the shower and took her in his arms.

"You are my life, Sarah." he whispered in her ear when he caressed her gently.

He took her hand in his, their fingers entwined in each other, and smiling looked in her eyes.

"C'mon..." he gently said.

He pulled her hand softly and she followed his lead to the balcony rising over the cliff and offering a beautiful view over the sea. Sitting down on a lounger, he pulled her on his lap and kissed her lovingly.

"We are together... We belong together... And that's how it will be forever..." he breathed into her ear with a certainty that was completely imperturbable.

Wrapped in each others arms they enjoyed the view and the light wind on their skin, while they only held each other and kissed and caressed. It was the perfect serenity. Feathery clouds on a azure sky, a deep blue ocean crowned with white foaming wave crests and a single fishing boat, gliding through the waves near the shore.

After quite a while they parted reluctantly because the time had come to dress up for dinner.

Morgan had taken a quick shower, after he returned, put on his tuxedo and was just examining his appearance in the mirror, when he heard the voices of Devon and Elli from the ventilation grille above his head.

"... have been thinking a lot recently, Hon. Marrying you was the best and most awesome thing I ever did in my life, and I'm the happiest man in the world. But still I wonder..."

Morgan tried to distract himself by adjusting his cufflinks and to ignore the voices from above, but the curios bearded troll couldn't stop listening.

"... gave you enough support and backup?"

"Devon... I wouldn't have survived the last couple of years without you and the strength you gave me. You've been my support and you've been there for Chuck, when I couldn't help him. Where does this come from at all?"

"I don't know. I doubt I'm still the support I've been earlier. After all we've been through the last..."

Morgan heard something sounding like a kiss.

"Don't be silly, Devon... You are my rock. Just thinking about what you've done and risked to help both me and Chuck... This bitch Sydney could have killed you back then, and it's only your credit that Chuck could safe Casey, while you were taking care of Goya. I wish, I would have realized earlier, what's going on... The RING would never have used me... And my dad would still be alive."

Her sobbing reminded Morgan at what he was doing. He eavesdropped on his friends and at once felt very uneasy. His curiosity embarrassed him and he quickly turned away.

Devon was good for Elli, and Morgan knew this already for a long time although he didn't wanted to realize this earlier. They really loved each other, and deep within, Morgan wished, he also had a partner he could be good for. Despite his two failures Anna and Carina – a colleague of Sarah's, working for the DEA and never willing to give up her life for love – Morgan believed in himself even more than ever before.

'Someone I could be happy with...' This thought really pleased him.

His gaze fell onto the container and the rose, he had plucked after Devon and Elli had left. They had been right... This rose was as pretty and perfect as the ones, they had picked. That's why he wanted to give the rose to Alex – if he managed to pass Casey alive.

Lost in thoughts, he had apparently wandered the whole room and suddenly realized standing again beneath the air grille, when Elli's voice dragged him back to reality.

"We should get finished. I'll have to go to the bathroom to fix the damages, my tears had made, then I'll gather Sarah and Alex and you guys can wait for us downstairs at the bar. You can do your boy-stuff with Casey and Chuck... And if you find Morgan, you can prevent him from doing something stupid."

Morgan heard her laughter return, when she bantered him behind his back.

Then Morgan had an idea and grabbed the rose, wrote a short note, threw a short glance to the mirror and left the room. The next second he already had knocked at Elli's and Devon's door.

"Morgan... How can we help you, little dude?" Devon was still a little bit suspicious about Morgan getting near Elli, but he kind of liked the little man.

They had discovered similarities when they, with the help of Elli, had to rescue Sarah, Chuck and Casey from the hands of the 'resurrected' Shaw.

"I wanted to ask you to do me a favor." When Morgan realized the blond doctors suspicious look, he added: "I'd like to send Alex this rose and this note, but I want to avoid running into John's arms."

Now Awesome's face showed the conspiratorial expression, Morgan wanted to see.

"Awesome... Elli wanted to go to Alex, before she get dressed, anyway, so she can take on the task. I'm almost done... Shall we meet at the bar downstairs?"

"I'll go for a walk, but I'll catch up with you... I can't dare to miss the ladies entrance, do I?"

He gave Devon the rose and the note and looked in his eyes.

"Thanks... You know... I really like Alex..."

Devon smiled at him. "I guess, she also finds you awesome, and don't worry about John... I think one day he'd realize you will make Alex happy, and I know he respects you, dude."

In his mind, he added: 'As long as you leave my wife alone, I'll do anything.'

When Devon had closed the door, Morgan let out a sigh. He didn't doubt that Elli would give Alex his rose and also talk to Alex about him. And about John Casey, the big bad NSA-agent and trained killer... Well... Morgan would have to deal with it, when the time has come. For now, he only wanted to get his mind straight and make sure, he'd be a sophisticated and attentive gentleman when he sits next to Alex.

At the bar of the palace's atrium, Morgan watched moderately interested how the staff build the stage and prepared the tables. They checked the electrical system and all in all did anything to prepare the dinner, while he waited for the slender, stressed though friendly bartender to notice him.

'This prime minister surely knows how to throw a party.' went through his mind, and he was already impatient for the dinner.

The bearded young man really enjoyed not being stuck in the Buy More anymore but instead living the life to the max with Chuck, Sarah and Casey, he always had dreamed of. He enjoyed standing in an elegant tux at a bar like now, ordering a drink like a man of the world. At the bar in the atrium of the president's palace – being a honored guest of a statesman who had invited him personally.

He breathed the scent. It was the smell of success to him. Finally he, Morgan Guillermo Grimes, was someone. He was now someone, who picked his drinks from the trays of waiters standing among beautiful women and elegant men in a mundane patio. It was just a little odd, some of the waiters looked more like soldiers or bouncer.

'Hmm... Probably covered security.' he assumed.

The junior-spy shrug his shoulders and turned away. The barkeeper looked at him questioningly.

"You've got imported beer too?" Morgan asked.

He was proud to appear like an elegant and sophisticated gentleman, but a beer was a beer – and Morgan loved a good beer.

"Sure... But we don't have it up here yet. If you'd like to wait for a moment, I was on my way down to get it from the storage on the beach anyway."

Morgan checked his watch and shook his head.

"No, thanks... I've changed my mind. I'll catch some fresh air before the party gets started."

He headed outside, wandered aimlessly and idly over the flawless lawn and strolled after a while through the garden, down the wide and winded marble stairs to the pier of the palace. Lost in his thoughts he passed the early evening till it was time to go to dinner.

Alex smiled, when she looked down from her balcony and watched Morgan strolling through the garden and looking so cute. Cute was also his message, he had sent her with the single rose.

can only underline your beauty.

Wear it for my sake

when we dance together tonight.

Yours

Morgan

If Alex could believe Elli's words, when she gave her the rose on the fly, Morgan wasn't only interested in a platonic relationship but obviously liked her very much. She did like him very much herself – maybe even because her father wasn't that fond of him.

This whole situation seemed so surreal to her.

Just a few month ago, she had her plain and boring life, convinced of her father Alexander Coburn been killed in action before she was born. Then at once John Casey stood before her, knocked out a CIA-agent, almost kidnapped her, warned her of a danger, she was in, only because of knowing him and after all discovering to her that he was her long lost father.

Afterward, when she tried to check Casey's story, she met Morgan Grimes. A short, bearded and a little odd guy, she couldn't quite place but felt attracted to. Attracted enough to give him her phone number.

By now she knew much more. She knew that her father – how unusual it was to call him like that – Chuck, Sarah and even the apparently so clumsy Morgan Grimes were spies – although Morgan's status was still a little unsure.

Her father didn't consider Morgan a spy but a public threat, but somehow Alex had the feeling, Casey just wanted to believe this. After all they had worked together pretty well, when Chuck and Sarah had took off for their "Honeymoon".

By now, Alex knew her father well enough to register the tell tale signs giving the grumpy NSA-agent away. He at least liked Morgan enough to worry for him.

Alex could imagine her father's face, when Morgan was able to tell him Chuck's and Sarah's location within a few minutes – a task the CIA's best analysts had failed to fulfill entirely.

Morgan was also significantly involved in both recapturing the "resurrected" rogue spy Daniel Shaw and capturing the RING-elders.

When Shaw had tied him to a chair, Morgan had broke his own thumbs to free himself from the ties and to activate the alert supposed to evacuate the Buy More, Shaw had mined before.

Casey of course only remembered Morgan dropping the detonator after he found him. He ignored the fact that Morgan couldn't keep hold of it with his two broken thumbs, or that no one was harmed by the explosion.

She sighed and looked from the balcony, but Morgan was already gone. Thinking about him sitting next to her all evening and maybe her dancing with him, made her smile. For some reason, Alex wanted to look as good for Morgan as possible, and of course she'd wear the rose for him. She liked Morgan and would make up her own mind about the little bearded and loveable man. John Casey could rant and say what he wants, but she wouldn't allow him to dictate to her in this respect – or any other aspect for that matter.

When she examined herself in the mirror, she grew a little insecure if she could keep up with the hot-blooded Elli and the classy Sarah. The one was a doctor, the other a two-fisted spy. Both wasn't suitable to redeem Alex' wobbliness, but she admonished herself to remember not having to compete with those two women. Elli was married and Sarah was with Chuck. They weren't married yet, but even Alex, who knew them only for a few weeks, didn't doubt at all it was only a matter of time.

Alex entered the Suite she shared with her father and saw his gun on the dresser. This reminded her of being in the company of three – if you count in Morgan, even four – federal agents on a gala dinner of a foreign president in the Caribbean.

'Only a couple of weeks ago I was serving coffee and pie in a diner... And now I'm here.' She mused.

To keep her from danger, it wasn't told to her, that Chuck was the "Intersect", but besides that, she knew most of the secrets. Once again she wondered whether she would ever look at the world like she used to do before.

At the same time it went through her mind, that the image of spies, she had earlier, was completely changed over the last few weeks. There was no difference between shopping with her mother, with Elli or with Sarah.

'Well... I don't think, mom loves to shop as passionately as Elli... Or carries a hidden gun, like Sarah...' she smirked.