Chuck vs the Geek God
Chapter 2
Despite the fact that the look on Chuck's face clearly showed his disappointment, he was able to control his desire to argue this cover story. Even though their relationship was not even remotely real, he still loved to be close to Sarah when they were supporting their cover relationship on missions or just through the course of his REAL life. This mission was not going to be fun for him, of that he was sure.
Immediately Sarah was concerned for Chuck. She hated to have to get close to a mark in front of him. It absolutely tortured him. She knew that he would never really get used to this part of the job. She had decided that she would at least try to not go over board with the flirting if it could be avoided. This decision was a little to easy to make for Sarah's own comfort. Chuck was really getting to her. She would never have even hesitated to do what ever was necessary for a mission, feelings be damned. The thing is, unlike when she first started to notice chuck getting to her it really did not bother her as much anymore. She tried to convince herself that she was more at peace with it due to the fact that her emerging feelings for Chuck had not interfered with their success as a team. The thought that maybe she no longer wanted to fight her feelings could not be the answer. She just could not allow that to happen…right. Damn it. She couldn't even win an argument with her inner monologue anymore when it came to Chuck.
The following morning at the Buy More the nerd herders were all gathered around the nerd herd desk animatedly discussing something as Chuck and Casey approached.
"Chuck! Clear your lunch schedule Dude we have had a gift from the gaming gods dropped into our laps."
"What are you talking about Morgan?"
"None other than Mr. Chip Isidore himself is coming to the Large Mart today to discuss the advancements made for the next COD!" The excitement now fully bubbling over in Morgan's face as he started to bounce up and down while speaking.
"Really?!, where did you here that?" Chuck was obvious worried now. This mission could be difficult enough without the herders breaking their cover.
"It was in the PC Weekly you were reading the other day. I am actually kinda surprised that you didn't say something earlier."
"Morgan, you don't read." Chuck said surprised.
Morgan responded with a look of hurt for a second then conceding the point nodded his head. "Well ya, that is true, but you had the corner folded over on the article and while I was waiting for Anna to come into the break room for…well for her break, I took a look."
Chuck, seeing Casey shaking his head at him, tried to convince the herders that it was not a big deal, and he had not mentioned it due to the fact that it just slipped his mind. "I'm not even going to go, Sarah and I are going to have lunch together."
He knew it was a reach and that there was no chance that it would be that easy to convince the herders that Chip Isidore being next door was no big deal, let alone not even worth going. Fortunately, so did Casey. While Chuck was trying to move past the topic, quite unsuccessfully, Casey visited Big Mike's Office.
The only thing that finally saved Chuck from the barrage of questions regarding what he was smoking, and comments regarding his status as a true gamer being revoked was the sound of big Mike's office door slamming open.
"Casey has just informed me that you future inhabitants of the unemployment line are planning on visiting one of our biggest competitors in the midst of a full on economic catastrophe. Let me make myself clear. I will fire anyone that I see so much as look lovingly in the direction of the Large Mart. Is that clear!" The fat man probably would have continued longer though he seemed to have run out of breath, hence ending his tirade by pointing an intimidating finger at each of the employees standing in front of him. As he walked back to his office he could be heard saying something about store loyalty and learning to be more like Casey.
The crew looked devastated, with the exception of Chuck who was relieved and Casey who seemed to be enjoying the grumbling coming from the rest of the group. They all separated, walking head hung low as they did so.
The morning moved along quite a bit faster than usual, more than likely due to the fact that Chuck had absolutely no desire to go watch Sarah hang all over some other guy. Before he knew it, it was time to go. Casey had walked unnoticed behind Chuck and startled him per his usual M.O. "Let's go Bartowski!"
"Ya, Casey I think it is a great idea to put me just a little bit more on edge before we go on a mission."
"Oh relax, we are going to be going after a computer geek, that may be even be less threatening than you," Casey smirked as he obviously liked his own joke. "The only one that has anything to worry about is your Girlfriend. She has to watch that she doesn't end up pregnant with some other wimp's kid."
Chuck instantly had the life drain from his face. Damn it kid you are really starting to suck the fun out of this for me Casey thought. This kid really did do a more than adequate job for someone that had no training and never even asked to be involved in any of this. It is no wonder the kid has fallen for Walker.
Chuck and Casey met Sarah behind the Buy More before heading over to the Large Mart. They reviewed their plan and their cover stories. Sarah gave Chuck one last big smile and assured him that things would be fine, and they headed out.
Upon walking into the store it wasn't difficult to see where they needed to be. Amongst the 140 roll packs of toilet paper, 5 gallon jugs of Mayo, and 50 lb. bags of dog food was a section with large screen tv's, digital cameras, and a long line of socially challenged young men who were way to excited for a Tuesday afternoon at the Large Mart. At the front of the line was a table with a man of slender build in his early thirties. He was signing copies of video game manuals and answering questions. He would not be considered unattractive, but he would also not be considered a most eligible bachelor either. He was a few inches shorter than Chuck and wore glasses. He had curly hair much like Chuck's though his was more of a consistent curl throughout, less animal shapes really.
He really did not look that threatening, and Chuck HATED him. Well that is not completely fair. He would have idolized him only 24 hrs. earlier, but now Sarah was going to have to get close to him so he hated him.
Okay chuck we have arranged a meeting for you that should occur here in about ten minutes when he takes his first break. Remember we need to know a little bit more about him. He is said to really like to hear himself talk so just get him started and…" Sarah was interrupted when Casey finished for her "Try not to put us to sleep with your conversation about who is the biggest dork." Sarah gave him a quick glance that warned him to back down, and then finished with a smile for Chuck "we should be in and out of here without much trouble and we can go back to business as usual.
Chuck was a little unsure if this meant she was looking forward to getting back to their cover relationship or not. Actually, Sarah was unsure exactly what all she meant by her statement as well.
"Okay, we're on." Casey gave Chuck a small push towards the table.
"Mr. Carmicheal I presume." Chip said as he stood with his hand outstretched to Chuck.
"Huh, oh ya, that's me…good to meet you. I am a big fan of your work."
Thank you, from what I am hearing you are quite the programmer yourself. Seems like you have been pretty busy with that new Hannah Montana game.
Chuck's smile, as fake as it was, faded instantly. "The Hanah Montana game," looking at Casey who seemed quite pleased with himself, "Ya well my managers talked me into that one. I am more excited about some of the other projects we have coming up that have some actual game playing to them."
"I know what you mean, but a payday every now and then isn't a bad thing." Chip had a smug smile on his face. Chuck couldn't tell if he was just consumed with greedy thoughts at the moment, was poking fun at him, or just that socially incompetent that he really didn't know how to smile any other way. "I have some what of a project like that myself."
"Really anything that I would have heard of?" Chuck asked very calm and coolly. The two agents standing next to him may have thought that he was really getting better at this role playing thing. Truth of the matter is that he was actually interested in this conversation and had pretty much forgotten that he was even talking to a possible terrorist.
It is just some kiddy ride at Disneyland. Kind of an animatronic slash big fluffy animals slash water ride called Natrium. Not nearly as much fun as the work we are doing on the next COD game, but let's face it. If the corporate world is finally going to pay the intelligent people out there like us what we are worth, even if the projects are a little beneath us, who are we to deny their money.
Chuck had to fake a smile and nod because he had missed the last few things that Chip had said as he had flashed as soon as Chip had mentioned the work Natrium. Casey and Sarah had noticed, but Chip, wrapped up in his own words, would have missed anything short of a jumbo jet landing in the Large Mart.
Sarah decided it was time to introduce herself to Chip and give Chuck a chance to pass along what her learned to Casey. "Everyone knows that it is men with intellect, that this world should really appreciate. Hi my name is Sarah. I am Mr. Carmicheal's personal assistant." She reached out her hand to Chip.
"Um…Uh…Hello! My name is Uh…Chip…Chip Isidore." Billionaire programmer or not he had never met a woman like Sarah. She was so beautiful, and her smile was intoxicating. He was flustered from the instant their eyes met.
Casey took this opportunity to pull Chuck to the side to see what he had learned from his flash. "Spill it Bartowski."
"Natrium is the Latin word for Sodium, moderate amounts of sodium have been reported missing from local campuses all over LA. Sodium is highly explosive when combined with water… GOOD GOD he is making some kind of bomb out of sodium."
"Why in the world would he make a bomb out of Sodium. There are many better and easier materials that he could use," asked Casey clearly skeptical.
"I don't know Casey, that is all I got from the intersect. I say we pass this along and let the suites handle it from here."
"I don't know, it looks like your girlfriend over there may be able to get a little bit more out of him yet."
Chuck looked over at Sarah and Chip. She had worked her magic very quickly and was already sliding her hand up and down his arm, lightly giggling at everything Chip was saying. Chuck felt a pain in his chest. He hated watching her flirt anytime, but there was something worse about today. Watching her flirt with this nerdy guy hit a little too close to home. Then it happened.
"I just love your curls." Sarah was reaching up and playing with one of the curls that hung across Chip's forehead. "They really are adorable."
Getting close to a mark was always something she was good at. It never even required much thought, that is until she met one Chuck Bartowski. She has slowly started hating this part of her job more and more as their time together passed. It was not only because she knew it bothered him, but also because she really would just rather be with him. His response to her touch, his smile, his appreciation for her other than her body all made it more enjoyable. She would just rather get closer to someone like him, someone that she could care about if the situation were different, of course.
Today seemed to be a little different though. She just wasn't having the same internal struggle that she had been having recently. She was merely acting normal. Normal as in how she had been acting over the past few months. After all, it was rather easy to just pretend that chip was her…no just chuck, he is not her chuck.
Chuck just stood there watching. He could not move. This was one of the things that he most loved about the way she would interact with him, with HIM. She was not supposed to be treating Chip likes she treats him. She was standing there flashing that beautiful smile and playing with his hair. She had known Chip all of fifteen damn seconds and was treating this terrorist the same way she treated him just last night. She was not supposed to be treating this scumbag the same way that she treated someone that she cares about.
Unless she doesn't really care about me, Chuck thought to himself. He had had enough.
"Well Chip, I have to be running it was great to meet you. I hope we can do this again sometime. Good, Great, much luck with your game and …" Chuck didn't even finish his sentence as he walked away.
Chip looked at him briefly waving goodbye before returning his attention to the gorgeous blonde standing in front of him.
Casey, not sure what was going on, turned to go after Chuck just in time to see Morgan, Jeff, and Lester turn the corner and see Chuck storming off and Sarah playing with Chip's hair in a bit too friendly way. "Ah Damn it all to Hell!" Casey said with a grunt.