Don't own Chuck
Time stands stills for no one and now they had to go. The trip to Langley had been an adventure but now it was time to go home. They had said goodbye again to Ellie and Devon. Clara had asked if she could stowaway and then hung on like a monkey before being persuaded by Chuck that he would make sure that they would all go to Disneyland in August. The taxi service dropped them off at the passenger entrance. By now Union Station was old hat and they made their way straight to the platform.
"Tickets, please. Oh Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael," said the Conductor as he recognized them straight away. "Mike" he yelled, "the Carmichael's are here."
"Sweetie, seems they were expecting us? Is there something you haven't told me?" Sarah had a sixth sense for Chuck's surprises that was why he always had to work extra hard. Mike, their car attendant and acquaintance from their trip from L.A., was serving them again.
"Please, follow me. I hope your trip East went well."
"Thanks," said Chuck
"How's your wife and baby," asked Sarah remembering he had mention that she was pregnant too.
"Everyone is fine we're just counting down the days. Here we go."
"This doesn't look like the Amtrak cars we had before," remarked Sarah but it looked familiar from the outside.
"Because it isn't," said Chuck. "Thanks Mike, here this is something for you and the misses." Chuck handed him a tip. "I can take it from here."
"Sweetie what have you done?"
"Look inside," said Chuck as he opened the door. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"How did you? I mean it's wonderful," Sarah trying to hold back the tears. They were standing in the same car they had ridden in from Paris to Zurich.
"I can't take all the credit Allejandro and Hortencia arranged for it to be shipped here and Beckman through the company had it install from a grateful nation."
"I love you so much," Sarah said as they kissed. "Sweetie I don't remember the ceiling being blue."
"Because it wasn't that's my other surprise. Come here and lie next to me." They lay on the bed. "Now look up," Chuck said as he clicked a remote control and the ceiling seemed to disappear then a holographic night sky appeared.
"Wow what is this? It's beautiful. It's like making love under the stars."
"Love not just any stars. This was the stellar configuration of the night sky when you were born in May 1982. You said you wanted to take me back to your beginning so I thought I would help. This is where Sam began."
"Oh, Sweetie thank you, I don't know what to say this is, is just I don't know what to say," as Sarah spoke she started to cry. "No one has ever done anything like this for me."
"Love, I do what I do for you because I love you. You should know that by now."
"Chuck, what do you know about me? Obviously, more than I thought."
"Love, I'm sorry but when I heard your real name I flashed much like when I heard the name Alex Coburn. I know some names, dates and places but I don't know what you felt. If you want you can tell me but the truth but it won't change anything. For me Sam, Jenny, Katie, Rebecca, Elana and Mrs. Anderson are all you Sarah and Sarah is but one thing for me love."
"Then we can finally talk. I need you to know, I want you to know me." There was trepidation in her voice.
"If you want I'll listen but as I told you I don't need to know who you were, I know who you are."
"A girl to share a cheese burger with."
"extra pickles too."
"Chuck you asked me once what changed me from being a normal teen to me. Well, this isn't easy. Please don't look at me or I won't be able to speak. Can you do me a favor and just lay next to me with your eyes closed, please. My mother had been working abroad for some airline company for ten years and I was staying with my grandmother in Butte that is until 1998."
"Wait we went to your high school reunion at James Buchanan in San Diego. You were in the class of 1998 . How could you be in Butte and in San Diego at the same time?"
"I transferred in but let me finish. Whenever Jack showed up all he had to say was let's go kid and I was gone. I wanted an adventure with the man I loved my father that is until 1998."
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THE GREAT NORTHWEST – ADVENTURES WITH JACK
During the school year I applied myself to my studies in between running off with my dad, which happened quite regularly. At school I told everyone that my father was some sort of secret agent and I think I even convinced myself. The other kids called me a liar so I didn't have many, well any friends. Then one day during the summer of 1998 Jack showed up again.
"Jack Burton, why can't you get a job like normal people?" My granny yelled she and he never got on. "You're always filling that girl's head with your wild schemes one of these days she's going to get hurt or you're going to get yourself killed."
"Don't worry granny my plans always pan out. Where's my doll?" Jack said and I came running out of the house.
"Jack you never had two red cents to your name and if you did have any good ideas they died of loneliness. One of these days all this is going to backfire on you and that poor child will have to pick up pieces." Prophetic words.
"I'll have her back by supper time. Hey kid you want some ice cream, my treat."
"Jack, I'm warning you this is the last time if you get that child involved in anything I'm going to the law, do you hear me?"
"Chill granny, I can take care of my little girl."
"Yeah, like you took care of my daughter." My grandmother was livid with rage. She just couldn't put up with Jack breaking my heart anymore and his conniving had to stop.
"Kiddo, let's blow this joint. Who's for the Frozen Moose?"
"Rocky Road two scoops?" I asked with a smile that went from ear to ear. My father said my big blue eyes lit up every time the word ice cream was mention. The truth was I associated ice cream with adventure and Jack.
"Sure get in."
Jack saw a policeman parked on the corner so he drove to the other parlor that was farther down the road, which meant it took longer to get to. After driving for over an hour to get to ice cream we finally walked in and got our tasty treat. They made really good ice cream back there. After we got it we went to our favorite booth, booth number five. Jack told me it was our secret spot.
"Why does Granny hate you?" I asked because then I thought everyone loved Jack well everyone he didn't fleece.
"Oh it's nothing just an honest mistake. You know they could change the artificial flowers every now and then these are looking like they've seen better days. So tell me have you heard from your mom lately? How she's doing?"
"I got a Christmas card and a birthday card but that's about it. She said she missed me and she wished I could be with her but I don't know you'd think by now she could've at least come and said hi. She's not like you at least I get to see you even if it isn't often." I remember feeling so lonely.
"Kiddo your mother loves you very much and I'm sure if she could be here she would." Jack wanted me to understand that my mother really did care for me but they were all victims of circumstance but how do you explain that to a kid in pigtails.
"So Dad, tell me about your adventures. Who did you steal from this time?"
"Kiddo a conman doesn't steal, we simply persuade people to be generous with their wealth and to share their good fortune. It's like good karma to share."
"What's karma?" I asked I knew his silly joke but I played along. I really did love him.
"I karma (come) on to him and he gives me his money."
"Dad, you're pulling my leg. Do I have to go back to Granny's can't I come with you? I'm old enough now. I'll be graduating this year so it's not like I'm a kid anymore. Besides I'm bored at home."
"Kiddo you'll always be my little darling. Well, I guess you can I mean at least for a little while." Jack was thinking about what Granny had said when he picked me up and tried to remember my age. He didn't want to get arrested taking a minor over stateliness. "Let's do this. You can call Granny from the motel but don't tell her where we are at. That way we can put her mind at ease and have some fun together."
I was elated. I was going to have another adventure with Jack. He wasn't just my father he was my idol and I worshipped him. We drove around town for a bit so I could show him what had changed, which was truthfully not very much.
"The Martin Family moved in over there," I bragged because I wanted him to see I was just like him. "They've four kids. I won little Joes lunch money playing the shell game after school. I was making some good cash until I got ratted out. They gave me three days of suspension which was okay by me because I got out of two tests and a quiz."
"Now that's my girl but you know you ought to take your studies seriously. You don't want to end up like your old man. You might be able to go to Harvard someday."
"Why would I want to go there when I have you right here? It doesn't look like you're doing so badly for yourself." How little did I really know or was Jack my sun and his light blinded me?
"Right," he said to me but I missed his tone. "Let's get a pizza to go how about vegetarian no olives then we can check in and call granny before it gets too late." Jack was usually always hard up for dough and meat or cheese cost more. Then we drove around until late and I remember I could hardly stay awake "Here we are the No Deal Motel the finest this town has to offer."
"Dad, it's the only motel this town has to offer," which was unfortunately true.
"Okay kiddo let me get the key and you can listen to the radio." When Jack came back he found me jamming to music. He didn't realize but I saw him watching me from a distance which is what he had been doing for the last ten years. May be I would've been better off if he had disappeared like my mother but then who would have been with me just my old granny that who as far as I could tell didn't like anything I did and especially didn't like Jack.
"Come on kid, before the pizza gets too cold. I'll tell you about my trip to Prague. I met a guy there who called himself Hans Manker. To tell you the truth he was a little bit rude but he had good money."
"The bigger the personality the bigger the reward, I know Dad." I said one of my father's sayings.
"Yeah or you could say the bigger the pain the greater the gain."
"Hey, I like that. So what did you do?" I asked with my eyes as big as saucers hanging on his every word.
"I pulled a Liechtenstein."
"You didn't? He fell for it? What did you sell?" I was so excited.
"I told him I was a broke American horticulturist who had come over to make his fortune trying to sell his patent to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) but had fallen on hard times. I needed dough fast because of an emergency. I told him darling you were in the hospital with cancer."
"And he believed you?" My father was always using me someway in his schemes.
"Yeap, hook, line and sinker, I told him I'd sell my latest invention at a bargain price." Jack waited for me to ask him what he had sold.
"What was it? What did you sell?" I always played along.
"I told him I had magical beans." I just shook head.
"Now you're pulling my leg again because no one is that stupid. I mean really Jack and the beanstalk give me a break. The guy had to be a real tool."
"Watch you language little girl. No these beans I told him were cultivated in a laboratory and guaranteed to produce a bumper crop and with just one handful he could feed all of France. With a field he could cure world hunger. He'd be famous and rich." Greed is a powerful tool for a conman.
"What a sucker." The man had to have been to believe this.
"The part that's great about this con is there's no way it could fail. Once I sold him the beans, I gave him an owner's manual of sorts that explained all he needed to know on how to grow them. I made sure there were enough loop holes that when he didn't get what he expected all I had to tell was he didn't follow the instructions and presto I'm out Scott free and wealthier."
"Wow, can I help you on your next job since I'll be traveling with you. Partners like, just you and me." I thought Jack was a genius. The perfect con is when it's not a con.
"We'll see, now we need to call your Granny before I have the state police at the door." Jack picked up the room phone and called my Granny and just as he had expected she gave him an ear full. I could hear her yelling and I was standing next to him.
"I know I said I'd have her back but something came up … No, I don't have her out begging for money. We had ice cream and then it got late. … I don't see anything wrong with her staying the night with me. She's my daughter too. … Well, if she were here we wouldn't be having this conversation now would we. … No, I'm not calling her a bad mother. Those are your words. … No I not poisoning the kids mind. She's not a child anymore so you should stop treating her like one. … Okay, I'll put her on." Jack turned to me. "It's you Granny she wants to talk to you."
"Hi," I said I still remember how sacred I was but I tried not to show it. I just didn't want the adventures to stop.
"Where are you," she asked me but I knew she wanted to bring me home and I had just started on my adventure so I wasn't going to let her take me.
"Jack and I are out. I don't know the name of the place. Hey it's getting late and I feel really tired so I've got to go," and I hung up.
I couldn't wait for dawn the next day I was going on the greatest adventure of my life. I got up early way before daybreak and I got ready after I brushed my teeth. I was sitting at the table my father was still asleep I remember holding a mirror looking at him then looking at me to see our similarities all I wanted was to be as good as he was in our family business.
Somewhere around nine or ten o'clock there was a knock at the door and my father jumped up.
"Shush," he told me, "Let me check to see who it is? It might be the Avon lady she's always bothering me." He went to the window and pulled back the curtain to peek outside then made a grunt.
"Who is it?" I asked, "What does the Avon lady want with you? Or are you trying to pull one over on her too?"
"No, it's Granny, I guess she figured out where we were. Probably not hard since this is the only motel in town. You know you could pass off as an Avon representative though. All we have to do is fill up some bottles with alcohol," Jack was thinking about another scam as he opened the door but I was terrified that my adventure would be over before it started.
"I won't go home," I blurted out as soon as I saw Granny.
"Morning Jack, Sam," she said ignoring my outburst. "I bring a peace offering I made breakfast for us." She had a picnic basket with her and the fresh smell of home cooked biscuits filled the room. She set a table and had me sit down to eat.
"Sam one minute Jack and I need to talk outside. Right Jack?" granny said to me but it was more an order than a request. She went to the door and opened it waiting for Jack to follow. But being the gentleman he held the door so she could go out first. Looking back now I wonder if he wouldn't have liked to push out in front of a bus. I did what any kid would have done. I filled two biscuits with jam and ran to the window to spy on them. I never could mind my own business.
"I know granny you're upset," Jack started to say, "but first let me say that I think you're doing an excellent job with my, our daughter. I can see she's doing well but don't you think that this little one horse town is getting kind of small for the both of you?" Jack was using the skill the good Lord had given him his ability to talk the good talk. However, Granny must have taken some sort of inoculation against bull because she wasn't falling for it.
"Jack let's cut the crap. I know you love Sam but can't you see what you're doing? Listen I don't want to come in between you two so I have a proposition. A friend of mine knows this guy who works for the University of Montana. He's got a place on the outskirts of town a lab of some sorts. I really don't know what he does but he needs someone to manage the place so I asked my friend if he could put in a good word for you. The pay is good and you could stay with Sam and me while you work. I realize it's not as glamorous as traveling around the world but at least the police won't be looking for you and you can be close to your daughter."
"Christ, you'd do this for me?" I remember being so very happy. I'd have Jack full time.
"No, I'd do that for Sam. But remember you have to keep your nose clean or all deals are off. Am I clear?" I remember dropping my food and running outside to hug my father. I should've known better when he started talking.
"So all I have to do is run this guy's lab. He's some kind of scientist, invents, things. I guess I could I've pretended to own enough of them, inventions that is. When can I meet this guy and when does he want me to start work?"
"He'll be stopping by the house later on this afternoon. I invited him for tea. He's English. The biscuits I brought were a trial batch. If everything goes okay you can start work tomorrow. Jack, are you sure you're ready for an honest life?"
"Please Dad for me," I pleaded what a fool I was. That was before I realized I could never trust him and if I had no expectations from him then I would never get hurt but I did and I was.
"Well I guess I'm on the straight and narrow."