A/N: Hey! I'd like to once again thank you all, so so much for reading my story. You all make me so very happy. When I read my first review, I literally started wheezing and squirming, so thank you for that, Bahall1964. Thank you all for giving me such positive feed back even though I wouldn't even consider myself a writer. I apologize if this chapter is lacking in what I'd call, "umph". And lastly, I'd like to thank my dear, dear, friend, "Elzzz" for giving me the inspiration to even start jotting down these ideas.
I do not own Chuck.
Chapter 2
November 27, 2008, 7:30 AM. Location: Washington D.C.
A little over a month has passed, Sarah noted. Bryce and Sarah had once again recuperated their on again, off again feelings for one another, but Sarah still had these lingering feelings. These thoughts about one certain nerd occupied her mind every now and then. Sarah didn't want to admit it, but she knew a part of her still loved Chuck. No, I can't do this to Bryce. Just then she felt a hand slowly creeping up her back.
"Good morning, Mrs. Anderson."
Ugh, this is starting to get creepy. "Bryce, we're not even on an op right now." She rolled her eyes and got up from Bryce's embrace.
"You're right, sorry, Sarah." he gave her a gentle, yet charming smile. She couldn't resist and quickly gave him a kiss before heading for the showers. Before stripping of her clothes, she checked her phone. She had kept the voicemail Chuck sent to her the day she left, only she didn't have the courage to open it and listen. You can do this Sarah Walker, you can do this. You made the right choice. You've moved on. She finally opened the voicemail, it was barely audible. "Okay! Okay! Please don't sho- … Too late … *BANG BANG"
"CHUCK!" she screamed as if her voice could reach him. Her mind ran at thousand miles, her heart beating so intensely, she could feel her ribcage ache.
"SARAH! What's wrong?! What happened? I heard you screaming Chuck's name." Sarah couldn't breathe. She dropped then and there, as if all control she had over her body was ripped away from her. Before Bryce couldn't process what was going on, streams of tears ran out of Sarah's eyes. Tears even she didn't know she was capable of producing. "Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!" she heard someone shouting her name, but it was all white noise to her. Finally, "Sarah! What happened?!"
She snapped back, "Chuck.. Chuck he.." she gestured her phone. Bryce picked it up and replayed the voicemail, noting the timestamp was the day his old friend had the Intersect removed. Bryce listened...
"Hey, Sarah. We don't know exactly what happened. Maybe nothing serious happened to Chuck. Even if something did, don't you think we would have at least heard something about it?" Sarah couldn't muster up the strength to speak, much less look at her partner. Bryce took her hands and embraced her, attempting to comfort her - his actions were futile. After many failed attempts, Bryce finally got a reply. "I wanna know exactly what happened." Bryce could hear the devastation in her voice. It was a different kind of tone. A foreign tone, one he's never heard come from that mouth.
After what seemed to be hours of silence, Sarah once again, picked up the source of her desolation and dialed Casey's number. Surely he knew what happened, he has to know. I need him to know. "Casey!"
"What is it, Walker?" he said with a rather irate tone.
"Ha.. Have you been keeping tabs on Chuck lately?" she was anxious to hear his reply.
"It's been over a month and now you decide to call? Humph"
"Answer the question, Casey!" Casey growled in return to the hostility
"If you want answers, try someone else." *beeeeeeeep
Having been hung up on only left Sarah mortified. She tried for General Beckman, praying she had some intel about what happened to Chuck. She wanted answers. She demanded answers.
"Beckman, Secure."
"Walker, Secure."
"What is it, Agent Walker? I didn't expect a debriefing until after the mission."
"Yes, General, I understand, but my reason for calling isn't related to the mission. I called because I think Chu-… Mr. Bartowski may have been shot."
"Agent Walker, what happens to Mr. Bartowski is none of your business and frankly, is none of mine either." Beckman asserted with a disturbed face.
"General, please. I need to know."
Beckman scoffed at the agents stubbornness, "… fine. If you must know." She was reluctant to say, "… your former asset, Charles Bartowski was pronounced dead as of, October 15, 01:37.
October 14, 2008, 11:27 PM. Location: Some street in Burbank
"I'm not gonna ask again! Give me your wallet!"
"Okay! Okay! Please don't sho-" his words are a bit sl-..
"Too late."
*BANG BANG
The first bullet had barely skimmed Chuck's thigh, the second one came quickly after, piercing just under Chuck's collarbone. His world slowly faded from him. Chuck hit the ground the second his chest was pierced. The shooter quickly turned the victim around, grabbed the wallet, and left just as fast. Sirens were going off in the distant.
October 29, 2008, 9:30 AM. Location: LA Cemetery
"Chuck was the greatest friend anyone could ask for… Chuck was the guy to stand up for you even when he knew he had no chance. He was persistent, honorable, and overall, gracious. He was the guy to ask how you were feeling and listen to help you resolve your problems because he just had a natural gift of pointing out when someone was down." Someone chuckled. Morgan continued his eulogy, but eventually broke down. The thought of his best friend gone had never occurred to the small bearded man. Not ever. Why would anyone to this to Chuck
October 14, 2008, 11:32 PM
Ellie's phone rang
"Hello?"
"Dr. Bartowski.."
"Yes? Is there something wrong? I wasn't on call today."
"It's your brother, Chuck."
"Chuck?!"
"Hey, babe, is everything alright?" Devon heard Ellie's cry
"Yes, your brother has been shot and is currently in the OR"
11:40 PM. Location: Westside Medical
"Where's Chuck! Where's my brother?!"
"Ellie, babe.. Chuck is strong, i'm sure he'll pull through"
She coldly glared at Devon
October 15, 2008, 01:23 AM
Ellie was sitting next to Chuck. Not daring to let go of her little brother's hand. "Come on Chuck, please please please. Don't stop fighting. Please"
01:37 AM
Ellie and Devon were desperately observing the EKG machine.
*beep beep beep beep beeeeeeeeeeee
Ellie bursted out in tears. Bawling the second she heard the flatline. Devon wrapped his arms around his weeping girlfriend. Ellie pounded and shouted and kicked and screamed. Doctors came rushing in, but all Ellie could do was stand there, too afraid to let her head process what happened. Ellie couldn't take her eyes off her little brother, not once did she blink. "babe… i'm sor-.."
*beep beep beep beep
All eyes shifted towards the machine. Seconds after, Ellie's little brother strikes up, gasping for air, panting, as if he'd died and came back to life. More tears came out, but these tears were different. Chuck could see the desperation in his sister's eyes, slowly fading, as his conscious came back to him. "Hey, El, Devon" giving them the infamous Bartowski smile
"Oh Chuck" she nearly broke down once again, but just seeing her little brother so alive and breathing gave her all the joy and hope one could ask for. They had lost both their parents. If her brother had died, she might as well have been dead as well. "You had us so worried, I get a call from the hospital saying you were in the OR! And for what? For getting shot at?! How did that even happen?" The doctors and nurses left the room, one by one as Chuck's condition began to stabilize.
Silence, once again, filled the room.
"I'm sorry El, I really am... right after our call, I got mugged. The guy had a gun pointing towards me. He wanted my wallet, but as stupid as I am, I tried stalling him, I guess he figured what I was doing and shot me... twice" the horror of reliving that moment terrified Chuck. Sure he's gotten shot at more times than he'd like, but never actually has he gotten shot. Plus, he always had Sarah and Casey by his side, to protect him.
"Chuck.. what are we gonna do?" Ellie asked rhetorically
"I need some time to think El." Getting shot at really put things to perspective, seriously came close to knocking death's this time, he thought. Adding the fact that the love of his life left him to be with the ONE person who ruined his life, Chuck wasn't having it. "Please, I need some time alone"
October 15, 2008, 5:00 AM. Location: D.C.
General Beckman was sitting in her office. Her phone went off. "Beckman, secure"
"H-hey General, it's me, Chuck" the general rolled her eyes.
"Are you secure or not Bartowski?!"
"Oh! Uh, yes. Ahem, Bartowski, secure" he said in a much deeper voice.
"What is it, Bartowski, you aren't even supposed to have this number."
"I understand, General, but considering my circumstances, I felt it was necessary."
"Well out with it"
"You see, General, I've recently gotten shot and pretty sure, I died. And because of that I've been thinking. I've done a lot for this country, and in return, I was hoping you could do me a favor?" There was a long period of silence...
April 27, 2009, 5:15 PM. Location: New York
A young man walked across the hotel lobby. He couldn't be anymore than 30. The young man had short, curly hair, wore an expensive suit, paired with some shiny dress shoes. "Good evening, Mr. Cooper"
"Good evening, Alex" the curly haired man gave a warm smile to the receptionist.
April 27, 2009, 5:15 PM. Location: D.C.
"Bryce, oh my god, you've been shot"
"Yeah" quite the observation skills, Sarah. Bryce, heavily panting, trying to hold on. "I'm really sorry about this, Sarah"
"No, no, no. It's okay. You're gonna be fine, it's not that bad."
"Take care.."
"Don't! Don't! I need you Bryce!" Bryce's head slowly fell. His hand dropping to the floor, covered in blood. Sarah could only shed a tear before the computer started counting down.
*beep.. beep.. beep.. beep...
Sarah turned back to the burning building. Why?! Why do I always lose those closest to me. She got into their getaway car and called General Beckman for a debriefing.
