Chuck vs. The third handler
"Nerd Herd this is Chuck Bartowski speaking how may I help you?" Chuck greeted as he answered the company phone at the Buymore, five minutes before closing.
"Don't move, don't talk, answer only when I tell you to, yes or no answers, understood Bartowski?" A cold voice demanded.
*Silence*
"Dammit Bartowski yes or no!" The voice screamed.
"Yes General, ma'am." Chuck quickly replied, wondering why the General was calling him personally.
"I need you to go to the castle, for a debriefing, alone. Can you do that" The general asked.
"Yes." Chuck asked, confidence winding its way back into his voice. "Yes I can do that."
"Go." Beckman replied, leading to Chuck being left to hear nothing but the click signaling the end of the call.
"Such a talkative person, big on the goodbyes." Chuck muttered out loud before quickly grabbing his things.
"Chuck my man! You have got to help me out!" Morgan cried, running from the break room.
"What's up my bearded friend?" Chuck asked, checking his watch nervously.
"It's Anna dude, she is leaving early in the morning, coming home at all types of weird hours, dude I think she is cheating on me!" Morgan replied, a hint of pain and betrayal in his voice.
Chuck quirked an eyebrow in his friend's direction, that actually didn't sound like Anna at all.
"Did you guys get into another fight?" Chuck asked.
"No, we have been really good recently, ever since I stopped moaning Ellie's name in my sleep life has been good." Morgan replied, as if everyone moaned another person's name then their lover's in their sleep.
"I am sure everything is fine buddy, but I got to go, Call of Duty tomorrow?" Chuck asked as he ran towards the exit.
"You got it man!" Morgan yelled after him.
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Chuck quietly let himself into the Orange Orange, heading towards the freezer that led to make shift headquarters for Team Bartowski.
As quickly as he could, Chuck established a connection with Washington and sat down ready, not really knowing what to expect.
"Bartowski, finally, sure did take you long enough." Beckman scolded, her look smothering.
"Sorry, see my buddy Morgan he has some girl issues and-" Chuck was quickly cut off by the general's harsh voice.
"I don't care about the civilian I only care about you answering this one question, understood?" Beckman asked.
"Yes Ma'am." Chuck answered quickly.
"Are Agent Walker and Major Casey able to handle the job of protecting you, or do I need more men out there?" Beckman asked calmly, shocking Chuck.
"Uhh I think team Bartowski is pretty good right now, I mean I think we, well…yea we are good." Chuck stuttered out, not really knowing what he was supposed to say.
"Well it seems things are getting a bit risky out there between you and agent Walker, I tried to see if she needed reassignment but it failed, because in the end it was her care that made it possible to save your dumbass." The General scolded, her temper rising. "I am going to be activating a new agent on the next assignment I have for your team, she will be at the briefing tomorrow morning. Do NOT tell Walker and Casey of this meeting. Beckman out."
Chuck sat back wide eyed. A new agent? Hiding something from Sarah? A new agent? Life sure was going to get complicated.
"Chuck!" Someone called from the top of the stairs, pulling Chuck out of his thoughts.
Quickly Chuck ran up to the main part of the Orange Orange to be greeted with the face of none other then Sarah Walker herself.
"Casey said you didn't come home after your shift, are you ok?" Sarah asked, her concern evident.
"Yea, just some stuff I was looking at, you know, trying to pull my weight." Chuck nervously replied.
Sarah gave him a hard look, he knew she didn't believe his answer but it seemed she was going to let it go this time.
"Well come on, lets get you home, we have an early briefing with the General tomorrow morning, she found something." Sarah soothingly said, pulling Chuck out of the Orange Orange, watching him get into his car.
"Uh do you want to have a cover sleep over, since the briefing is so early?" Chuck called from across the empty parking lot.
"Sure, I will meet you at your house. No stops, go straight home." Sarah ordered with a smile, laughing as Chuck gave her a salute before climbing into his nerd mobile and driving away.
"What is that boy doing to me?" Sarah thought, knowing she was compromised beyond the norm, but she couldn't imagine ever leaving Chuck, because she was the one he trusted and truth be told, she trusted him as well.
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The next morning the group was in Casey's living room waiting for the newest edition to arrive.
"She is usually a bit late, has boyfriend troubles." The General replied with a smile, shocking the three people in the room. Chuck, Casey and Sarah could never make the general smile. Ever.
Suddenly Casey's door opened, and in walked the newest agent.
"Anna?" Chuck asked confused.
"Team meet the newest edition to team Bartowski, newest NSA recruit Anna Wu." The general announced proudly.
"Oh come on!" Chuck cried aloud.
"Is there a problem Mr. Bartowski?" The General asked, anger filling each word that was sharply spoken.
"You guys are just trying to make my life difficult now." Chuck grumbled, looking at Anna as she wearily looked over Casey and Sarah.
"I knew Chuckles couldn't bag the blonde without something helping him out." Anna said, sending a smile towards Sarah. She then procceded to run over and grab Chuck in a big bear hug.
"Chuckles!" Anna shouted happily.
"Hey!" Chuck whined, not liking the teasing.
"Oh stop complaining Chuckles, at least Morgan didn't walk through the door." Anna replied, moving to stand where the general could see her. "Ma'am."
"Hello Agent Wu, very nice of you to join us, did you receive the packet on things you need to know about team Bartowski?" Beckman asked.
"Yes Ma'am, who knew Chuckles was a valuable asset." Anna said with a laugh.
"Uh General does Wu know what…type of asset Chuck is?" Sarah asked, wondering just how much Anna knew.
"She knows he is to be protected, is there anything else she should know?" The General asked, shooting a very evil look towards Sarah.
"No ma'am." Sarah answered quickly.
"Hey newbie." Casey grunted with a small smile. "Nice fighting in the cage a couple months ago."
"What can I say, I am gifted." Anna replied cockily.
"Alright team, we have more important things to talk about this morning starting with a new organization, Angel Dust." The General started.
Chuck immediately felt the flash coming on. Angel Dust, white supremacy group, plans to take out Obama, all illegal citizens, kill anyone who tries to get in their way.
"Woah." Chuck said, shaking his head out at the information he just saw.
"Well Bartowski, spill." Beckman ordered, in a bored tone.
"Angel Dust is a white supremacy group who plans to take out Obama at the first chance they get, they are all illegal citizens who blame him from making it so difficult to become a citizen, they are out for blood and they don't care about anyone who gets in their way." Chuck rattled off, his voice a bit shaky.
"Woah! Chuckles, how do you know that?" Anna asked excitedly.
"I read a lot of old files." Chuck covered lamely.
"Boo, your boring." Anna grumbled, turning her attention back to the General as she pulled out a lollipop to suck on.
"Ok, we know that Obama is going to hold a meet and greet for little kids at the Burbank Mall tomorrow afternoon. Your mission is to keep Obama safe, and if you can, capture the head of Angel Dust, Chuck will go to point out the leader, Anna will be guarding him, Walker and Casey will be guarding the president, am I understood?" Beckman asked.
"Yes ma'am." Everyone replied at the same time.
"Good. Brief me afterwards. Beckman out."
Chuck shook his head again, caught off guard with the amount of the information the flash held. Sarah noticed his actions and was immediately concerned.
"Are you ok?" She asked, rubbing his back soothingly.
"Yea, just…wow." Chuck whispered, filled with fear at the things Angel Dust has done.
"I am going to take Chuck with me, we need to talk." Sarah announced, sensing Chuck could use a friend.
"Woah woah woah, my job it to protect Chuckles here, not you." Anna replied, stepping up in front of Sarah.
"We are just going to my hotel, to talk. We are pretty good friends." Sarah admitted.
"I think I should come." Anna retorted stubbornly.
"Actually, Anna, you should go fix your cover with Morgan, he thinks you are cheating on him." Chuck announced, wanting to be alone with Sarah.
"He what?!" Anna screamed out in frustration. "The little troll is dead."
"Anna, just go talk to him, I will be fine with Sarah, you can trust her to keep me safe." Chuck soothed.
"Ok Chuckles, but later tonight Morgan and I are coming over, so your girl should come to, you are not leaving my sight until this thing is over." Anna ordered, pounding a finger into Chuck's chest after every word for emphasis.
"We will be back here at 7." Sarah offered.
"Ok." Anna relented, grabbing her things and storming out of the apartment, muttering on about how dead Morgan was going to be.
Once she was gone, Chuck quickly turned to Casey. "You son of a bitch."
Casey just put a little half smile on his face, playing dumb. "Whatever do you mean Intersect boy?"
"I told you no when I saw you were interested in Anna, and now she is NSA, I didn't want my friends to have this life!" Chuck cried out, anger rising.
"Well, Beckman liked the video I sent, it was her choice not mine." Casey grunted out. "And you should be happy, this is one of the reasons Walker hasn't been shipped out yet."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
"Beckman thinks with Anna on the team, Chuck will start leaning on her more then you since they work together, and share the pip squeak of a man." Casey replied gruffly.
"Casey. You can…you know what? It doesn't matter, you aren't worth it!" Chuck yelled angrily, getting right in Casey's face.
"Listen kid, I did what was best for our country, Anna passed all the tests, get over it." Casey grumbled.
Chuck knew he was stumbling onto dangerous territory, but he was holding his own fairly well.
"I promised to help you guys, as long as my friends and family stayed safe. You guys agreed. You broke that promise." Chuck replied in a low voice, hurt lacing his tone.
"Shit happens." Casey easily replied with a shrug, turning to get some coffee, trying to hide his sad eyes as he realized Chuck was right.
Chuck looked on defeated, his shoulders slumped. He knew there was nothing he could do.
Angrily, Chuck grabbed his things and stormed out of the apartment.
"Nice going Major." Sarah grunted, chasing after him.
Casey stayed back, silent. One day they would all understand, he is only doing what he has to do in order to keep that kill order from being issued again. If dragging some buddies of Chuck into the mess in one way to do it, then he will.
_____________________________________________________________________
Chuck was waiting by the fountain for Sarah, looking like he was about to explode.
"Come on, lets go to my place and talk, you have off today, right?" Sarah asked as they walked to her car.
"Yea." Chuck simply answered, climbing into the passenger seat.
The ride was quiet, Chuck was getting more and more angry as he though of Anna now joining the NSA. He didn't want this life for his friends. Life would never be normal again for them, and he hated that. Chuck felt it was his duty to protect his friends, and he had done his best since getting the intersect, but now what was he supposed to do?
Once they arrived Sarah took his hand softly and led him to her room. Chuck was shocked first at the contact, but shot a small smile her way. He was glad he had Sarah. He needed her.
"So, go ahead, yell, scream, fight, get it all out." Sarah ordered once they closed her door.
"There is nothing to yell about." Chuck answered sadly. "All I wanted was to make sure my friends stayed safe, now one is in the line fire…and could die to save my life." Chuck replied.
"Chuck, Anna read the fine print when signed on, she knows she is risking her life for the country." Sarah explained.
"But it isn't just for the country now, it is for me too. I told you how stupid it would be for to take a bullet for me, Anna shouldn't have to either." Chuck cried out in frustration, throwing his head in his hands.
Sarah sighed and sat down beside him on the bed. Honestly, she didn't know what to say. She wished that Chuck had never been introduced to this world, because he was to good of a man to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Adding his friends, did just make his life more complicated. Sarah felt for him, she really did. He never asked for this life, it was forced upon him.
"Chuck, Anna will be ok, as far as I can tell from her file she said he would only do missions that would allow her to stay near Morgan, which probably means just helping us out." Sarah soothed.
"She shouldn't have to though. She should be able to have a life without all the lies." Chuck replied, his voice soft and calm.
"She is great at hand to hand combat, she can be in any situation and pull a sarcastic comment out of her ass, she is going to make a great agent, and she already has the normal life agents don't usually get by having Morgan." Sarah explained, trying to make him feel better about the situation.
"And yet tomorrow when we go and take down Angel Dust, she could die." Chuck answered.
"But she won't, because we are going to kick ass and you are going to stay in the damn car." Sarah joked, bumping shoulders with the man beside her.
"I could give you that normal life Anna has, you know?" Chuck asked, his voice barley above a whisper.
Sarah simply starred down at him and gave him a kiss of the forehead, her lips lingering longer then most would.
"I know."
"Anytime Sarah, that offer will always be open." Chuck replied.
"One mission at a time Chuck." Sarah simply responded.
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At the Buymore the next day, Anna had been following Chuck everywhere he went.
"Anna! You can't come into the men's room with me!" Chuck complained as she held the door open for him.
"I was told not to let you out of my sight Chuckles, besides I see Morgan go all the time, nothing new." Anna admitted.
"No. I am not going in front of you, just wait out here, I will scream if someone is in there who wants to hurt me, deal?" Chuck pleaded, really needing to pee.
"Fine Chuckles, but if you get shot in the penis just because you wouldn't let me do my job, don't expect me to kiss it all better.
Chuck starred at her wide eyed before slowly entering the bathroom without saying a word.
_______________________________________________________________________
The day continued on, Chuck constantly being shadowed by the young Asian agent. Chuck was getting more then annoyed, he wanted a bit of privacy for God's sake!
"Psst, dumbass lets go!" Casey whispered to him flicking his ear.
"Ouch! Dammit Casey I heard you, no need for physical violence." Chuck complained.
"Stop your whining we got work to do, lets go, your costume is in the car." Casey ordered, roughly grabbing Chuck's arm. "Where is the rookie?"
"Rookie? I could kick your ass with Chuckles over there as my weapon." Anna snorted out, appearing out of thin air, surprising even Casey.
"Whatever lets go." Casey grunted, leading the way to the van.
Inside Sarah waited in an amazing blue gown that defiantly caught the attention of Chuck.
"Wow." He breathed out.
"Chuckleees, not nice to star, come on." Anna pushed trying to make Chuck's legs work again.
"You are beautiful Sarah." Chuck said honestly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Thanks Chuck." Sarah simply replied with a small smile.
Anna watched the interaction and slowly started to get jealous, Chuck was her date tonight, not the blondes.
"Chuckles! Move it!" Anna shouted, ruining the moment the other two were having.
"Sorry Anna." Chuck retorted, climbing into the back.
"I am your girl tonight Chuck, you need to pay attention to me, not her. Understand?" Anna asked impatiently as she changed her clothes, not caring who could see.
"Ok Anna." Check relented, knowing there was no reason to fight the woman. He too put changed into a suit to match the secret service, black sunglasses and all.
"Lookin hot Bartowski." Sarah teased, sending Chuck a wink.
"You can just call me Carmichael, Agent Carmichael." Chuck replied in a deep seductive voice that brought laughter from Sarah and a small smile from Casey. Anna looked on with a glare. She did not like to share and tonight Chuck was her date. Not Sarah's date and surely not Casey's date.
"Chuck our cover has to work, you can't be showing all the attention towards Sarah, you have to act like you don't know her!" Anna scolded, pouting in her seat.
"Sorry Anna, I will do better." Chuck replied with a smile, ahh Anna and her weird jealously quirks.
________________________________________________________________________
At the mall, Anna and Chuck made circles around the stage of where Obama was going to speak, Chuck's eyes darting from person to person.
"Notice anyone?" Anna asked as she chewed on a piece of gum rather loudly.
"Not anyone familiar." Chuck admitted.
"Well then, at least we look good." Anna replied, pointing to her outfit, a black short skirt with a white, tight shirt, black vest over the top. "And my hair is awesome." She pointed to her pig tails, always the pig tails.
"You know Anna you have to take this job seriously or you could really get killed." Chuck admonished.
"Don't worry Chuckles, this isn't a long term gig for me, I am going to quit after this mission, to many lies to the people I love." Anna answered honestly.
"Yea…" Chuck trialed off, knowing the feeling all to well. He wished he could just quit, but he knew he couldn't and wouldn't this was Bryce's mess left for him to clean up.
Suddenly Chuck made eye contact with a tall man across from the stage. Immediately he flashed Angel Dust, poison, knife thrower, leader.
"That's him!" Chuck quickly rushed out, nodding towards the man.
"Good work Chuck, now we just have to let Casey and Sarah know." Anna said happily, whispering into her mike and then watching as Casey came up behind the man and arrested him.
Chuck was told to take another sweep around, and he found some more members. They were quickly removed from the building and arrested. Another successful mission for team Bartowski…and Anna.
_____________________________________________________________________
"Excellent team! Well done!" Beckman cheered, very happy to have a success.
"Thank you ma'am." Casey answered for the group.
"This worked so well, I think Agent Wu should stay a member." The General replied, daring anyone to disagree.
"Actually ma'am you told me this could be a test run, and while I love Chuckles and wouldn't want to see him hurt, I have a bearded lover at home who needs me. There are to many lies for me in this line of work." Anna babbled out, joy still lacing her voice.
"Are you sure?" The General asked, caught off guard.
"Yea, this just like isn't my thing. Now if you ever need help give me a ring and I will, but like alllll the time, sorry I have to pass." Anna replied, a bounce to her step as she bid her goodbyes and left.
The General looked around at the 3 members still in the room. "It seems no matter what I throw at you three, you end up staying together as a team."
"Maybe it should stay that way." Casey grunted out.
"Watch it major." Beckman replied. "But you are right, I will stop interfering with the personal issues going on in team Bartowski, it is now obvious you three work best because of how you connect with each other. Beckman out."
Chuck immediately turned to Casey and Sarah.
"Woah." Chuck breathed out.
"Are you ok?" Sarah asked, knowing everything Anna had said is something Chuck wished he could say.
"Yea, I am glad Anna got out…it is a hard life. She deserves better." Chuck relented.
"You do too." Sarah replied, placing a hand on his cheek.
"Thank you." Chuck sighed out, grasping her hand.
"You two just need to get it on and be done with it, obviously you are going to end up together!" Casey grunted, slamming the bathroom door shut.