Chuck VS The Unknown
Part 2
Note: Thank you so much for the exuberant response to the first chapter, I hope I don't let you all down. I so appreciate all the reviews!
***555***
Just as Chuck was allowing the smell of Sarah's pillow to lull him to sleep his eyes shot open and he hopped from bed in search of his pants. He tore the letter from his pocket and opened it with shaking hands. Her hand writing was familiar, but he could sense her hand had been shaking as she wrote.
Dear Chuck,
I don't need my memories back to know that meeting you somehow changed my life. There is now plenty of evidence of that and somehow I sense it every time we are together. I may not yet feel the love we share, but I am drawn to you, I guess I was from the beginning if my mission logs are accurate.
It isn't surprising, you are clearly someone special, someone unique. A part of me would like nothing more than to just run away with you and pretend none of this ever happened, start over and see if what we have could survive this massive hiccup.
But that isn't fair to you, it isn't fair to me and sadly it isn't fair to the US Government. I am going to DC now to try and get my memories back, Beckman says it is for national security, but I think she has a little soft spot for you (which is amazing you will have to tell me how that happened – unless I remember it all on my own).
I don't know how long I'll be gone. Hold these for me. I hope someday soon to need them back.
Sarah
Chuck turned the envelope over and Sarah's wedding rings fell into his hand.
***555***
Sarah landed at Reagan National and was unsurprised to see Diane Beckman sitting at the gate as she deplaned.
"Hello General," Sarah nodded.
"Walker, good to see you," Beckman smiled, a slight sigh of relief that Sarah had actually gotten on the plane.
"You too."
"I'll admit, I was worried Chuck might convince you to stay in California."
"He has an effect on me," Sarah admitted, intending to be honest from the start.
"He always did," Beckman smiled softly and led the way out of the terminal.
"I have a bag," Sarah indicated the baggage claim.
"My guy will get it for you," the General nodded and headed toward a black car with tinted windows.
The weather in DC was already leaning toward a warm spring, a hint of pollen in the air and the sweet smell of cherry blossoms.
Sarah slid in to the car and instantly they were on the road heading to Bethesda.
"Sarah, first thing first, we want to make sure you are physically well. There is time that was unaccounted for, we want to make sure there is nothing else going on beside the faulty intersect. So you will be checked in at the Naval hospital for a full panel of tests. We also have someone there we want you to talk to."
"A shrink?" Sarah said with barely concealed disdain.
"Yes, you are going to need him to get through this."
"OK."
"I am going to ask you to trust us, Sarah, to commit to the process. I need your phone."
"Oh, of course," Sarah should have known that was coming, she wasn't a prisoner but she certainly was a secret.
"Thank you," Beckman pocketed the phone Sarah had just gotten back.
"Will you let Chuck know that I can't reach to him," Sarah said softly.
"I will communicate with Chuck, Sarah. It will be for the best that you focus on you and not him. He'll understand that," Beckman was softer than Sarah remembered her, kinder.
***555***
Chuck woke with a start, his face still buried in Sarah's pillow, her rings clutched in his hand – the diamond imprinting his palm. His stomach dropped when he remembered she was 3,000 miles away. He quickly checked his phone and there was nothing, so he swung his legs out of bed and got dressed.
The knock at his door was unexpected, but he figured it was Morgan checking in so he hollered inviting the person in.
"You should be more secure than that, Chuck."
"Mom, what are you doing here? I thought you went to Chicago with Ellie and Devon?"
"I did, but as soon as I got there I turned around. They're fine, you need me," Mary Bartowski leaned against the kitchen counter and watched Chuck count out some additional scoops of coffee now that he had company.
"I have needed you countless times in my life Mom, why start showing up now?" Chuck raised an eyebrow.
"I guess I deserved that," Mary nodded.
"I know why you are here. You don't think Sarah will come back to me and you want to be able to explain all the reasons a wife would leave her husband for the job, well I don't actually want to hear it."
"Chuck, you're hurting, I get that, but you don't have to be mean."
"Sitting around here stewing is not going to do anyone any good. I am planning to go into the office, we still have to move in to the new office space and with Casey and Sarah unavailable we are undermanned."
"Well, if you won't let me help you emotionally then put me to work. I can lug boxes," Mary offered.
"OK," Chuck nodded as the coffee pot chimed its completion.
***555***
Sarah was checked in at Bethesda Naval Hospital. They gave her some scrubs and flip flops and her stuff was brought up to a private room. The next few hours was a standard physical. The doctors were aware of her memory loss so she was not subject to standard doctor questions, but at the same time nothing could be ruled out so she had a ton of blood taken, EKGs, EEGs, MRIs, stress test and more.
When she had finished all of the tests a meal tray was brought in and General Beckman joined her for a quick lunch.
"You alright?" Beckman asked as she saw Sarah looking at the bruise in the crease of her arm.
"I always bruise when I have blood taken," Sarah shrugged, "I remember that."
"We analyzed your phone, not to snoop, just looking for intel," Beckman clarified.
Sarah nodded as she took a bite of salad.
"There are a couple things I want to review with you before your first session with the psychiatrist. I don't want to influence your memories, but you need to know that your mother and the baby are safe."
"I saw the text message exchange about going to dinner at her house," Sarah smiled.
"Ryker is dead, they are safe," that was all Beckman said.
"I'm glad," Sarah didn't ask any more.
"Also, Sarah, Bryce Larkin is dead."
Sarah nodded, she already knew that. In her memory Bryce was her most recent boyfriend, but she found that while she was sad he was dead it didn't hurt her the way it should as if that recent memory were really very far in the past.
"Quinn told me Graham is dead too, that Chuck killed him and Bryce" Sarah added.
"Chuck never killed anyone, he thought he did once, but well that is a memory you need to uncover yourself."
"So much death in what we do," Sarah turned back to her salad.
"I'm glad you're here, in one piece," Beckman reached across and squeezed Sarah's hand.
***555***
"Chuck, where you at?" Morgan yelled back towards the dojo.
No answer.
"Chuck?" Morgan tried again as he rounded the corner and saw Chuck standing in the dojo with Sarah's gym clothes in his hands.
"You OK?"
"Huh, oh sorry, Morgan. I didn't hear you," Chuck looked up with a smile on his face.
"I was remembering this day when we first got together and Sarah offered to spar with me. I was so convinced she was going to go easy on me…."
"And she kicked your ass, I remember, you limped for 2 days," Morgan laughed.
"I was certain she just wanted to fool around," Chuck grinned.
"She took you down a peg or two."
"She has always kept me on my toes," Chuck agreed and folded Sarah's work out gear in a box.
"The movers are here to take the big things," Morgan remembered why he was looking for Chuck in the first place.
"I'll be right there," Chuck promised as he sealed up the box.
With the box in his arms he had to stop when his phone chimed an incoming call. Hoping it was Sarah Chuck was interested to see Beckman on the screen.
"Hello, General."
"Hi, Chuck. I wanted you to know that Sarah is here, she is getting very good care, but she will not be contacting you. My decision not hers," she clarified.
"OK," Chuck said resignedly.
"I will text you once a day and confirm everything is proceeding and if anything were to go wrong I will contact you and send for you," she promised.
"OK," Chuck sounded slightly less dejected.
"Sarah is one of the strongest people I have ever met. She is facing a lot of uncertainty right now, but I have faith in her. I have faith in you and I have faith in what you two have built together. Don't give up on her," Beckman said in a rare moment of candor.
"I will never give up on her," Chuck promised.
"Good. I'll be in touch tomorrow."
"Thank you, General," Chuck said realizing the woman had already hung up.
"Ma'am, Agent Walker's test results," a Naval nurse handed a thick folder to Beckman as she ended the call with Chuck.
"Anything concerning?"
"Depends on your definition. Page 12," and the young woman stepped out.
Beckman reviewed the initial blood work and then flipped to page 12.
"Holy hell," she murmured.
***555***
"Hello Sarah, I know you don't remember me, but I thought it best to let you know that we have met before. I'm Dr. Dreyfuss," the older man held out his hand and Sarah shook it.
"I'm not sure what to do, should I sit or lay down," she indicated the couch.
Dreyfuss smiled remembering Chuck had a similar question.
"Whatever makes you comfortable," he said genially.
Sarah chose the chair, crossed her legs and her flip flop hung from her toes.
"Did we work together a lot?" Sarah asked.
"No, just a brief time, to help Chuck."
"You know Chuck?"
"I do."
"That's good," Sarah nodded.
"We won't talk about Chuck just yet though, we'll get to him eventually."
"Eventually," Sarah repeated understanding this was not a quick requisite session, this was going to be ongoing therapy.
"Would you like a cup of tea," Dreyfuss asked as he poured himself a cup.
"Sure," Sarah said grateful to have something to occupy her hands.
"What is your earliest memory?" the psychiatrist asked as he handed her the tea.
"My parents fighting. It was Thanksgiving, I was probably four and my dad had gambled away the turkey money," Sarah answered quickly, it was a memory that had never faded with time or trauma.
"Did your parents fight a lot?"
"No, my mother left pretty soon after that. I didn't see her again for a long time."
"That must have been hard."
***555***
Beckman walked at a clip down to the lab with the report in hand.
"Hello, General," the lab tech stood.
"Is this true?" she indicated the note on page 12.
"Yes, Agent Walker is pregnant. Not very pregnant, but pregnant."
"What do you mean 'not very pregnant'? Are there degrees?"
"I mean she is newly pregnant, Ma'am, she probably didn't even know she was before she had the memory issue."
"How newly?"
"4-5 weeks give or take."
"OK," Beckman nodded suddenly worried about what happened to Sarah while she was in Quinn's control.
"Anything else Ma'am?"
"Can we do a paternity test?"
"CVS can be done at the 10th week, amnio at 14th. We have access to the technology for NIPP, but even that can't be done until the 8th week," the tech reported.
"OK, I have a DNA sample of the potential father, I just want to make sure. Can you schedule the procedure as soon as it can be done?"
"Of course. Do you need me to tell Agent Walker?"
"No, I'll tell her, when she's ready," Beckman said the last part quietly to herself as she left.
***555***
"Chuck, you OK?" Mary asked as she put the box down in the new office space.
"Huh, yeah?"
"You look a little green," Mary approached.
"Mmmm, maybe I ate something bad. I feel not very well," Chuck realized as he sat against the new desk that had been delivered to the new office, Sarah's new office.
"I'll get you some ginger ale," Mary offered and ran down to the vending machine on the first floor.
By the time she returned Chuck's nausea had passed though and he was unpacking things on the built in book shelf on the far wall.
"Here," Mary offered.
"Thanks, but I think I'm fine," he shrugged.
"OK, it's here if you need it."
"Thanks, Mom. Hey, I'm sorry about this morning, I was out of line," Chuck turned his attention from the things in the box and looked at his mother.
"You were right, I don't get to mother you now, when I failed to mother you when you truly needed a mother."
"People always need a mother, right?"
"Better late than never?" Mary shrugged.
Chuck nodded.
"What do you have there?" Mary indicated the photo in Chuck's hand.
"It's us, it was a cover photo when we were still a cover couple, but we both always loved it," he handed her the picture from Palm Springs, the one with Chuck standing behind Sarah that they had Casey take when Roan was inside sobering up.
"That was one hell of a cover," Mary laughed as she saw the love in both their eyes.
"I thought I loved her then."
"Thought?"
"I had no idea how much more I would love her. I don't yet know how much more I could love her still. We were just getting started," Chuck's breath caught.
"She'll come back. Memories or not, Sarah isn't me, she will come back and she will love you again."
"I hope you're right, for both our sakes," Chuck said as he looked at the picture.
***555***
"That's enough for today Sarah," Dr. Dreyfuss said and stood.
"Meaning we will see each other again?"
"Tomorrow," he nodded.
There was an officer outside the room ready to escort Sarah to her room. It had been a long day and she was relieved that she was going to have some quiet time to shower and eat dinner.
Her room was comfortable, with a TV and DVD player, some movies and books, magazines and a large private bathroom. All of Sarah's stuff had been unpacked, and certainly searched, but put away neatly.
"Dinner will be delivered in 30 minutes Agent Walker," the officer said and closed the door behind her as she left.
Sarah headed for the bathroom, her body sore from being poked and prodded and her psyche exhausted from 2 hours with Dr. Dreyfuss. And, after all of that she still didn't know anything more about what happened to her, what was to come or why she so palpably missed Chuck Bartowski.
The shower helped a little. Sarah examined her body in the shower, finding a few scars she couldn't account for, but overall happy with the shape she was in considering she was 5 years older than she remembered. Sarah slipped on some comfortable pajamas and brushed out her hair, she couldn't remember it ever being this short before and wondered why she cut it. She found some lotion that must have been hers, a nicer brand than she used to use, and squeezed some and relaxed as she inhaled the scent.
A knock at the door alerted her to dinner's arrival. The food smelled good and the attendant laid out the place setting, which Sarah noticed lacked any form of knife, and was gone silently in mere minutes. Sarah sat at the small desk and ate as she flipped through a magazine, but her mind kept drifting to the beach, to Chuck, to Chuck kissing her on that beach and her stomach flipped a little.
With her dinner finished and her long day over, Sarah did what she did best, she analyzed the intelligence at hand. Not about what might have happened to her, not about what is coming from Beckman or Dreyfuss, but about kissing Chuck.
She remembered the video log Casey gave her, the confession she made to the camera about kissing Chuck in front of a bomb or not a bomb – the same story Chuck had told her at that house where their names were carved in the door frame. She combined that with the tender kisses Chuck gave her when he thought she was back, but was working for Quinn, and then the romantic kisses on the beach. She didn't know much right now, but she knew one thing, she liked kissing Chuck Bartowski, even when it wasn't the best idea.
A soft knock broke her reverie.
"Come in," she called and was surprised to see Beckman.
"Hi Sarah," it wasn't lost on Sarah that she wasn't addressed as Agent Walker.
"You're still here?"
"I'm heading home now, but there is something I had to tell you. I honestly was going to keep this quiet a little longer, but I can't," the older woman trailed off.
"Is it Chuck, did something happen?"
"No, no he's fine. I called him like I said I would. It was in your blood test results, Sarah, you're pregnant."
"Oh," Sarah said softly, looking at her hands.
"You don't seem too surprised."
"Apparently Chuck & I had been talking about kids, I don't know if we were trying," Sarah shrugged.
"I wanted to tell you because it is early days and you should probably decide what you are going to do."
"What do you mean? This is Chuck's baby I'm not, there is no choice here."
"OK, but Sarah remember there is some time that no one can account for, with Quinn."
"You think he…?" Sarah couldn't even finish the words.
"We don't know. It will be another few weeks before we can test the baby's DNA."
"OK, please don't tell Chuck before we know. I don't want to take this away from him too," Sarah said as she curled into the fetal position on the bed.
"I won't say a word Sarah, it isn't my news to share. Try to get some rest and we'll have an OB ready to examine you tomorrow."
Sarah just nodded and Beckman left.
"Please let this be Chuck's baby," Sarah said over and over until she fell asleep.
TBC….