A/N: David Claus is coming to town. Ah, the last chapter of these 12 days….have you all been good to get your present? Eh, I don't care, I bring you Chuck fanfic regardless. One last time, with feeling, sing it with me. Welcome to DC's 12 Days of Christmas Ch 12, Ghost of Christmas Future.
A/N 2: I legit cried twice while writing this so either I'm a huge softie or it's gonna get you in the feels. Kleenex on stand by.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, Christmas, or fluff, I just enjoy mixing them all together.
Jack waited for Sarah to finish her debrief and then she walked over to him. "So, I have a to get some stuff back at my place, and I have a vehicle I'd like to bring. What say you and I ride back to your…what did you call it?"
"Chalet," Sarah replied.
"You sure you're not on the con?" Jack asked. Sarah rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Right, you're legit…and I'm glad." Sarah studied him. He was telling the truth. Who the hell was this and what had happened to her father?
They went outside, and she told the team the plan. Chuck nodded, and offered to take the car back after they packed up Jack's place. The three piled into the vehicle and had a very silent drive. It only took a few minutes but it seemed like an eternity. There was so much Sarah wanted to say, and once she almost did but she caught her dad out of the corner of her eye give her a silent head shake. For some reason she listened. Chuck pulled up to their destination a few moments later.
"Need any help, Jack?" he asked.
"No, Charlie I think we got it," he replied.
"Okay, see you in a few," he said, taking off. Sarah spun in shock as he took off.
"Give him some space, he's hurt," Jack said softly. Sarah turned to him. Who was this guy? "You ever put yourself out there for people and they never respond or you make yourself vulnerable and they leave you expose? It hurts, Sam."
"It's Sarah, Dad."
"No, right now it's Sam, because Charlie is right, you need to hear some stuff from your father," Jack said, looking her in the eye. "I've been a shitty father. I was mad at your mom for not accepting me."
"What do you mean?"
Jack looked down for a minute and then back at her. "I asked your mother to marry me and she didn't." Jack paused and looked at her.
"Dad, what do you mean you asked mom to marry you? Why did I never know this?"
Jack worked his jaw for a minute. "She thought I was insincere, that I was…that I was…"
"Conning her?" Sarah asked softly.
"See, that," Jack replied irritated. I put myself out there. I meant the proposal, and she thought I was doing it because I had to." He looked away.
"Dad, you proposed to Mom when she found out she was pregnant with me?" Jack nodded. "She probably thought don't make one mistake worse."
"That's exactly what she said," he grumbled.
"I don't get how you think this is helping."
"Sam. Don't mess up like I did is what I'm saying. She thought I was asking her to marry me because it made things easier. She thought I was doing it to protect us, a family."
Sarah put her hand to her mouth the words slamming into her chest one after the other. The situation was so similar to what she and Chuck were experiencing right now….well, minus a baby. He had put himself out there. She had told him she wanted to marry him and then she pulled back, afraid of the reasons why. A tear fell down her face.
He looked at her, and raised his eyebrows as if to say, "sound familiar?" "I didn't know how to tell her I wanted to marry her, because I loved her," he continued. "I wanted to be with her because I wanted to be with her, not because I had to, but because I wanted to."
"But, Dad, you don't understand," she began.
"No, here's what I understand, that schook loves you. From what I can tell, you're supposed to protect him or something." Sarah didn't deny anything. He rolled his eyes and went on. "What you're not getting is he's protecting you as well. He's protecting your heart." Sarah looked away. "Sam, your mom didn't understand for a long time she was my everything and us getting married because of you wasn't a bad choice, or the wrong choice, if anything it made things easier on me. It made things clearer. She told me I was too impulsive, that I needed time. I didn't. I knew what I wanted but she refused. That hurt me….and I quit trying after that." A tear fell from Jack's eye. He looked up at the sky. "Sam, don't be the schnook I was."
-ooooo-
They loaded up his car and began the drive back, Sarah lost in her thoughts. "I've talked to her you know, I know about Molly." Sarah's eyes got wide as she turned to him. "I would never say a word darlin' I swear." For some reason, she believed him. "You changed at some point. The Sam I knew wouldn't have saved that baby. That's how I knew you were some kinda cop. A good one it seems. We never talk about her over the phone."
Sarah sat there a second and worked it all out. "Dad…you've seen mom?" Jack bounced his head back and forth, his neck getting red. "Dad!"
"We've been…seeing each other…a little."
"When were you gonna tell me?"
"When were you gonna tell me where you were?"
"I couldn't," Sarah replied.
"Uh-huh," Jack replied, sarcasm dripping off of the words. "Darlin' I understand why you think you can't come home. For Molly's safety, but-"
"No, Dad," Sarah said. "Not yet."
"Sam…marry the schnook, he loves you like I've never seen a man love a woman." Jack sat there a second wrestling with himself and then sighed. "Unlike me, he's not going anywhere. Not because he's pathetic, not because he can't find someone else. Naw. Sam. He believes you're worth waiting for."
"Dad, I'm not," Sarah said softly.
"Is he worth waiting for?"
"YES!"
"And you love him and believe in him?"
"YES!"
"Then trust his judgment about you, because you are like me, and you don't think you're ever worthy." Sarah wasn't quite sure what to say to any of that. "Be the incredible woman I know you are." Sarah turned to him, tears in her eyes. "Love you darlin'."
"Love you, Dad."
-ooooo-
There were no lights on when she entered the chalet except for the lights of the Christmas tree and the light from the fire. He was standing there, hot chocolate in hand. He was in his nightclothes, looking like he had recently showered, hair still damp. Her breath was taken away by the sight. She could see him, in five, ten, twenty years in the future. Kids with brown curly hair, or blonde curly hair, playing in front of the Christmas tree, then as tweens, then as teens, then as adults. She squeezed her eyes shut until tears fell down her face, and she couldn't see who was with him. It had to be her. God, it had to be. She couldn't do this to him any longer. No. She WOULDN'T do this to him any longer. It was time. It was the scariest thing she would ever do it her life, but her heart was about to burst.
She opened her eyes. "Marry me," she said. He turned confused, and concern covered his face seeing her tears. "Not because the CIA, or the NSA, or Ellie, or Casey, or Morgan, or anyone else wants you to. Marry me because you love me and you are tired of being alone in the morning when you wake up. Marry me because your as sick of this dance we've done as I am. Marry me because you love me, Chuck Bartowski and you think we belong together as much as each of us questions what the other sees in themself."
Chuck was silent for a second, and then he swallowed. "I don't know if yes is enough of an answer after all of that."
She took three strides and captured his mouth with hers. This was the beginning of forever and she dared Fulcrum, Beckman, Graham, Volkoff, or anyone to come in there and try to pull them apart, because it wasn't happening. She pulled away for a moment.
"I love you, Chuck, and that's all that matters, everything else, it's secondary. WE will figure it all out, I promise."
"I'm gonna hold you to that, Sarah."
"That ain't all you gonna hold, Mister."
He grinned. "Promise?"
"Promise," she said, and resumed kissing him.
-ooooo-
It was New Year's Eve when Chuck, Sarah, and Casey found themselves in front of Casey's TV waiting for it to come on.
"I'm telling you it should be a computer repair shop," Sarah insisted.
"I'm gonna miss that Weinerlicious outfit," Chuck replied, grinning.
"I'm not gonna miss Walker burning all the corndogs in the free world," Casey added.
Sarah tried to shoot him a look, but Chuck had reached across Sarah's face to rub some flour off of her cheek that had gotten there earlier. She insisted on helping Ellie with the cooking for the party later that night. "Thank you," she said softly, with a warm smile.
"Get your hands off of Agent Walker," Graham bellowed. He had come on the screen as the intimate moment was taking place. "The Intersect is not to just be touching my agent Willy Nilly."
"But his agent is touching Bartowski's Willy," Casey muttered, trying to hold back a smirk. Chuck and Sarah nearly burst out laughing.
"Have we lost all professionalism?" Graham barked.
"No, Sir," Chuck replied. "While you were on vacation we have taken down several Fulcrum cells and taken down several of Volkoff's sellers. The files should have been sent to your secure laptop." Graham gave Chuck a look of surprise, both for speaking and for what he had accomplished. "Also, Sir, Martin Riley was one of the Fulcrum members captured." Graham's head shot up to stare at Chuck. "He is being transferred to DC now. We thought you might like to have a…chat with him."
"Agent Walker, what is going on?" Graham asked. Everyone sat there, quietly. "Agent Walker, I asked you a question."
"There's no one here by that name, Sir," Chuck replied.
"What Agent Bartowski is saying, Sir, my name has changed," Sarah explained. Graham looked at Chuck, then at Sarah, and then at General Beckman.
"Oh for God's sakes Langston, Chuck is a NSA Agent, Sarah married Chuck, the team found the man that murdered your brother, and to make sure there is balance on the team, Roan is being assigned to it. Also, if you pull any of your nonsense they'll all resign and walk away and you know we'll never catch those three if they do."
Graham reached over and got a chair and sat down. "You really found Riley?"
"Yes, Sir," Chuck replied. "His prints match the murder weapon." Graham looked away, tears in his eyes. "Sir, let us continue our work, our way." Graham looked at Beckman, paused, took a deep breath, and nodded.
"Okay team, tonight's mission, keep Roan from drinking too much at your New Year's Eve party," Diane said with a smile.
"Sure you can't join us General?" Chuck asked.
"I'm afraid not," Beckman said, reaching for the switch to shut off the feed.
"Sarah," Graham said, making Beckman paused. "Are you happy?"
"Yes, Sir, more than I could possibly put into words."
Graham studied Chuck for a moment. "Well done, Bartowski," and with that, he nodded and Beckman cut the feed.
"Well what do you know, Team Chuck rides again," Chuck said, grinning.
"Team Moron you mean," Casey groused.
"Caseeeeey," Chuck said. "Your heart really wasn't in that one."
Casey just grunted and they all headed to Devon and Ellie's new apartment across the courtyard since Chuck and Sarah now occupied their old one. The night was quite festive and as New Year's Eve turned into New Year's Chuck and Sarah shared a kiss. A few minutes later, Chuck made his way over to Roan who was standing by himself, enjoying the party.
"Charles," Roan said in greeting. "Try these on, they look very…Bond-like." Chuck took the sunglasses from Roan and put them on. He started to speak when the lens lit up on the inside, scanned his retina, said, Hello, Son, and began a download. Chuck took the glasses off, shook his head and looked at Roan. "I hear you enjoy Enter the Dragon. Think you could replicate a few Kung Fu moves?"
"I don't know any Kung Fu," Chuck began but a smooth flash began, and suddenly Chuck was showing Roan Kung Fu moves. Everyone at the party stopped and was staring at Chuck.
"Dude!" Morgan yelled. "You've been holding out on me!"
Most everyone went back to the party, but Casey, Sarah, Ellie, and Awesome came over to Chuck.
"Chuck, what was that?" Sarah asked.
"Guys….I know Kung Fu."
A/N: Whatever you celebrate may your holiday be joyus. Peace and love from my family to yours. Take care guys and I'll see you sometime in the near future. Reviews and PMs are always appreciated.
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