Posted May 29, 2019
The evening after Halloween
Ellie leaned back on Devon as they waited on the sofa for the movie to start. Chuck sat in a chair to their right, seemingly content. The evening had been sort of a low-keyed celebration. Ellie wanted to shout it running down the street. Her brother was named assistant manager! He had strongly insisted on no big party. He wouldn't even pick out a movie for the night. She half-expected a movie with spaceships or hobbits. She'd even welcome one. He deserved it for reaching for something more and getting it. Instead, he said that he'd save those for some movie night with Morgan and that the heroic doctors should pick.
Chuck had been a changed man recently—ever since Sarah's surprise visit. Ellie didn't know exactly why it was different than when she left the first time, but Chuck was more focused with an upbeat mood that wouldn't be stopped. He fluctuated between happy and almost driven—at least as driven as one could be having been kicked out of college and with a job at a discount electronic store. Before Sarah's unexpected return, Chuck had practically backed out of the competition for the assistant manager position just by apathy. After Sarah, he had a new bounce in his step.
When Chuck came home with the good news early that day, Morgan had burst in around him to make the announcement. He was excited, even by Morgan standards. The way Chuck's friend described it, Chuck walked away with it. Even Harry Tang-loyalists were saying nice things to Chuck at the beginning of the day, before the announcement. It was a good thing Morgan's mom had dinner plans and insisted her son was there, or the little man would still be in the unoccupied chair in their room.
Ellie heard a quiet click followed by a slightly louder one at the door. Her head turned sharply to see what was going on, but she swung it the other direction as she noticed Chuck stand straight up in a bolt. Back to the door, she heard it open. She couldn't believe what she saw.
She heard "Sarah!" from her brother. The blonde woman shot across the room and left her feet, jumping into Chuck's arms, wrapping her legs around him. After a second or so of intense kissing in which Sarah looked almost like she was trying to swallow Chuck, he lost his balance backwards, and the two of them fell onto his chair.
"Awesome."
Ellie elbowed her boyfriend behind her, and Chuck and Saran worked to sit up. They continued to kiss each other in their new position. Ellie lightly cleared her throat. When it was apparent that Chuck and Sarah didn't hear her, she repeated a little louder.
The two of them separated, Sarah turning to face them while remaining on Chuck lap. Chuck's face was stuck in some sort of happy expression, and Sarah spoke, "Sorry about that. I heard what happened, and I just had to be here."
"You heard Chuck was named assistant manager?"
Sarah turned to Chuck and said, "You did? That's great." She started kissing him again.
This time, she stopped without needing an interruption. "I missed Chuck and thought the worst."
"What did you hear happen?" Ellie asked.
"I heard about the explosion yesterday at the Santa Monica Pier, where Morgan and Chuck go to the arcade. I finished work as quickly as I could and came here to see Chuck." She looked back and saw the frozen smile on Chuck face and gave have him a light slap and quick kiss to break him out of his stupor.
With Chuck still non-vocal, Ellie explained, "Chuck was at his interview for the Buy More assistant manager position. Devon and I were called into the hospital to help treat the injuries."
"I heard a lot of people were hurt, but only a couple who were closest to the initial blast died. It could have been worse if it weren't for local hospitals. That makes you two heroes." Sarah got up and came over to give both Ellie and Devon quick hugs of gratitude.
Before Ellie could react, Sarah was already back in Chuck's lap. Ellie said, "Chuck said that's why we got to pick out a movie tonight, but your being here makes this a real promotion celebration. Are you staying?"
Chuck finally spoke, a little hopeful. "Are you?"
Sarah pulled one of Chuck's hands to her mouth for a kiss before saying. "I have to be back Monday morning." It was Tuesday night. That gave them five days. "But I'm sorry. I disrupted your evening."
"Don't worry about it."
Devon repeated the sentiment, "We're happy you're here. It's awesome." After a brief moment, he said, "Uh.. Sarah, how did you get inside? The door was locked."
Sarah opened her mouth about to speak, but Chuck said to her, "You picked the lock didn't you?" To Ellie and Devon, he added, "Sarah told me that her job occasionally has these fun, employee-taught, 'self improvement' classes about all sorts of things like knitting and lock-picking. The courses are sort of a morale thing to make people like being at work more."
Sarah turned to him, then turned back and smiled. "Right. I took a lock-picking course a little while ago. They taught us how to do things like line up tumblers, and the instructor said I was a natural. I should have knocked, but I was a frantic mess and wasn't thinking clearly."
"Oh. Well, you're always welcome here. At least you weren't someone else." Ellie had been so surprised by the appearance of Chuck's girlfriend that she had missed the fact that no one let her in a locked door. That made twice that Sarah had just let herself in. It was a little weird. It was actually more surprising Sarah was there with them, not that she could get in. Mentally, she questioned where her manners were.
"Are you hungry? I already packed our leftovers into the fridge, but I can fix you something. Wait, you came from the East, so this is late for you. You probably ate on the plane."
"Actually, I didn't have an appetite. I'm starving." Sarah looked over to the kitchen and said, "I really don't want cheesy puffs, though," having spotted the sealed container on the top of the fridge, exactly where it remained from before she came back last time.
Chuck said, "We've got popcorn, Milk Duds, and a bag of Oreos."
Ellie countered, "If you'd like some real food, there's some cheese sticks you could snack on in the fridge, and I'm sure I could fix you something in a couple minutes"
Ellie started to move, but Sarah beat her up and told her to stay. A couple seconds later, Sarah had the fridge door open. "Would any of you like anything?" Sarah asked. "Something to drink?"
Everyone said they were good, and Sarah asked, "May I have these vegetables?"
Ellie had peeled them for the stew she had made earlier, but there were extras. That was too much work for a guest. "Sure, you can have them, but let me help." By the time she was up and walking towards the kitchen, Sarah was quickly and efficiently dicing them on the cutting board.
Ellie slowly worked her way through the dining area, torn between feeling she should be helping and seeing all signs that her help wasn't needed. She stopped on the other side of the table as Sarah headed out of the kitchen, holding a bottle of water and a bowl filled with cherry tomatoes and carrots and celery cut into sticks.
"Thanks," Sarah said as she passed. She reclaimed her spot on Chuck's lap.
As the credits rolled, Chuck said, "If you would please excuse us, Sarah and I need to talk." He took Sarah hand and led her back to his room.
"Like they are going to be doing much talking," Devon quietly joked to Ellie.
"Gross. That's my brother."
In the privacy of Chuck's bedroom, Chuck and Sarah kissed for a minute before separating and taking safer positions, sitting on opposite sides of the bed.
"You didn't watch much of the movie, did you?" Chuck asked. "Every time I looked at you, you were looking at me, not the TV screen."
"No, I didn't see any of the movie. You were too distracting."
"I'm not objecting. I'm just saying I tried to watch the movie, despite holding a beautiful woman, because my sister was in the room."
"You were too distracting for me. Thanks for the lock-picking cover-story, by the way." She leaned in and gave Chuck a brief kiss.
"I'm stilled elated you are here, but what happened?"
"Last week, I heard about the two Chinese nationals found in Chinatown. The CIA was tasked to work with State to hand-off the bodies, but I wasn't in the country. Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was... somewhere... on a different mission. It was the second night of a five-day job to collect more information to be used for a follow-up mission. The explosion at the pier made international news as a possible terrorist attack at a tourist location. The report I saw said a lot of people were injured and didn't yet know a fatality count. I finished the assignment early and came back. This was as fast as I could get here."
"Are you going to get in trouble?"
"No. I didn't stay in within the the initial mission parameters, because they were too limiting. I accomplished the overall mission objective, or at least what would have been the objective of a follow-up mission, in a few weeks. I filed my mission report from the plane. Graham should be able to figure out there's not much point of keeping me away from you. Since I finished early, I get the extra days off, plus the time-off that I was supposed to get anyway. As I said, I can be here until Monday morning."
"Really?"
"Really."
They kissed again. This time, neither was in a hurry to stop. After a minute, Chuck broke away and said, "Oh no."
"What?" Sarah continued to hold Chuck's face her her hands, but she was concerned because he was concerned.
Chuck explained, "Technically, I have a few days off and don't have to start my new job until next week. But I still have to go in tomorrow to turn in my signed acceptance letter."
"I'll go with you, but that's tomorrow. Tonight we've got this bed."
They stopped talking.
The next morning
Devon stepped out of his apartment into the courtyard after his morning warm-up, hanging from a bar in the hallway. He was about to start a 5K jog when he stopped to a surprising sight on the ledge of the fountain. Sarah was in workout clothes, wearing a ponytail and in a handstand split. As the door shut, she sprung off with her hands into the air, landing on her feet.
"Good morning, Devon," Sarah cheerfully said. She stood on one foot and stretched her other leg straight up, standing in a one leg elevation pose.
"Good morning, Sarah," Devon replied with a little surprise. "Are you going on a morning jog too?"
"Yes. I'm just finishing stretching before I go." Sarah switched legs, stretching it to be vertical.
"I didn't know you did this—going for runs in the morning. You could join me. I can go your pace."
"I'm turning in some paperwork for Chuck. You're probably not going that way, so maybe another time."
"You're going to the Buy More? That's over fifteen miles, round-trip."
"It's about eight and a half miles each way," Sarah clarified.
"I only go 10K when I take my long circuit, which I'm not doing today. Why don't you just drive?"
"I want to get a run in too. It's not that far. I'll be back in a couple hours. This is late for me because my body is still on another time zone. I left a note for Chuck because he's sleeping in. I really should be going, though." She picked up the envelope that was sitting on the fountain's edge and waved goodbye with a little salute. She left through one arch towards Burbank, leaving Devon to stare at the opposite arch which led to the closer Elysian Park, his normal stomping grounds.
A couple hours later, Chuck and Devon sat at the dining room table. Devon was ready for work, and Chuck was finishing another bowl of fresh fruit, a good habit he had started after Sarah had come back last time. Devon had one of his special green shakes.
Earlier, Devon had told Chuck that he saw Sarah about to run all of the way to the Buy More. Chuck seemed pretty accepting about the whole thing, not thinking it was too far for her. Seventeen miles was long for anyone not training for a long distance event. It was definitely a long way for an errand.
Sarah entered through the front door, sweaty, but not out of breath.
"Sarah!"
"Chuck!"
She came straight over and gave him a kiss. After parting, she greeted Devon. Then she told Chuck, "I turned in your paperwork. I would have been back sooner, but I had a little trouble getting someone to help me. One of the green shirts collapsed right after I got there. He's fine. He said he was just light-headed. Someone brought him a Red Bull. I left the papers with Big Mike."
He thanked her and kissed her again.
"I'm going to take a shower," she said as she left with a wink.
"Dude. I even saw that."
"Excuse me, Devon. I think she might need help cleaning her back." Chuck scrambled after her.
Devon chucked, "You go get her, tiger."
A/N: There's duty. Then there's a CIA agent going where she needs to be. Sarah can do both.
About four years ago, I did actually take a lock-picking course at work. Personally, I wouldn't consider that faster than knocking, and we used simpler much simpler locks than front door locks, but Sarah's really good at it. I know a couple people who often knit in big meetings. The company encourages it because it's supposed to be something calming for the hands to do. I did go to a weekly "fun talk" at work in which someone talked about using Inform to create Zork-like text adventure games. All of this kind of stuff is supposed to make the office a place that is considered more fun so people stay longer and work harder while they are there.
