A/N: This one's a little shorter than the last...what can I say...it just happens...still, I got you some…a little sooner than I thought but…if you're gonna complain, I can delay the next chapter a little…so, what's your name, where you from, what do you do…that's great, thanks for sharing. Just to give fair warning, despite some fluffiness and something unexpected…I'm planning on, maybe, actually trying to write some action…maybe…if I can…any hints or suggestions will be read with an open mind…well, as open as a mind this old and abused can get…I'm just saying…oh, I just remembered…someone question the lack of 'funniness' in my rambles so I thought I'd try something different…so, a termite walks into a bar and says 'is the bar tender here?'…thanks, I know…a surprise I'm not in front of a microphone…what, you're saying you're not surprised?…Ow, that hurts my feelings…just for that, no pudding for you! JT
I don't own Chuck or any of his relations, friends or enemies…and I'm making next to nothing for slaving away over this hot keyboard…well, ok…you caught me…I'm making nothing. While on a roll with depressing news, this is beta free…sorry. All errors in content are completely my own. Please review.
Thanks Jim.
Chuck Vs. The Return From Walkabout - Chapter 3
General Diane Beckman looked at the group of people who were seated around the conference table, wondering again what it was that seemed to bind such a disparate group of individuals together. Of course, she recognized the bonds between the Bartowski family which now included one of the finest agents that the CIA ever produced but she couldn't explain the presence of Colonel John Casey or Agent Carina Miller, both of whom had been offered their choice of assignments. They'd both surprised her by requesting assignment with placement with 'Team Intersect'. The final seat at the table was occupied by a woman who was a mystery to her. She knew all of the essential facts…date of birth, schooling, family… but she didn't know why she was included in the group. Both Colonel Casey and Chuck Bartowski had asked for her inclusion and, after a very lengthy and very detailed vetting process, she'd been cleared.
Chuck watched as the General looked down at the folder sitting opened in front of her. She looked up when the door to the conference room opened and watched as Devon Woodcomb entered and then made his way to the seat beside his wife.
"Sorry I'm late…I had to assist on an emergency procedure and the traffic was less than awesome…"
"That's fine, Dr. Woodcomb…we're actually still waiting for the final member of this team…once he arrives, we'll get this briefing underway" the General said, not bothering to look up from the file she was looking through…again.
"I'm sorry, General…" Chuck said after clearing his throat, "…what final member? I was under the impression that we were 'Team Intersect'." he finished as he gestured to the people seated around the table.
"I've decided to put the group under the control of a senior Agent…someone whose experience, both in running larger teams and with The Ring, will allow this group to operate with peak efficiency."
Before anyone had the chance to say anything, the conference room door swung open and a tall, dark haired man strolled in. A few steps left him standing behind the General and he then looked down at a folder he held in his hands before scanning the room, briefly pausing on each person seated at the table.
"This is Special Agent Daniel Shaw. He'll be directing Team Interesect…using whatever assets are available in our fight against The Ring…and make no mistake, we're in for a fight. Agent Shaw…" the General said before sitting back down.
"Thank you General…I've read all of your files and I'm sure I'll be able to use all of you…"Daniel Shaw said as he allowed his eyes, after making contact with everyone seated at the table, to come to rest on Sarah. "It's good to see that you've decided to return to duty, Agent Walker…I'm looking forward to working closely with you…" he said with a faint smile on his face. "… and the asset as well" he added, almost as an afterthought.
Chuck placed a steadying hand on his wife's thigh, knowing that she was dangerously close to saying something to this douche bag that Beckman had decided to saddle them with. Before he could say anything, his dad spoke up.
"Daniel Shaw…I've heard your name before…so, you're an expert on The Ring?" Orion asked, not sounding particularly impressed.
"Yes…Mr. Bartowski…that's correct…"
"That's Dr. Bartowski…" Carina corrected the Agent, sounding as unimpressed as Orion, who smiled briefly at the unexpected support.
"Oh, of course…Dr. Bartowski. To answer your question…yes , I've been investigating Fulcrum and The Ring for several years. I'm looking forward to using the intersect in putting an end to their threat. Now, I'll go over what I've been able to uncover over the last few years…"
While Special Agent Daniel Shaw droned on, sharing his 'amazing and insightful' knowledge of Fulcrum and The Ring, Orion took a blank piece of paper and, after writing down a string of letters and numbers, got to his feet and placed the page in front of Chuck.
Daniel Shaw stopped talking and watched with curiosity as Chuck Bartowski seemed to have a small fit of some kind. Sure he was witnessing some sort of intersect related event, he waited to see what happened. He took note of the fact that everyone seemed to have forgotten that he was even present, their attention focused solely on the asset.
"Agent Walker…Sarah…is something wrong with the asset" Daniel Shaw asked, not really concerned, just not happy that he was no-longer the focal point in the room. He was so busy trying to figure out how to re-direct everyone's attention back to himself, he almost missed Sarah's words.
"Agent Shaw…" she said without her eyes leaving Chuck, "…the next time you speak to me, you will address me as Agent Bartowski or, if you insist on being un-professional, you may address me as Mrs. Bartowski. As long as we are forced to work with you, you will refrain from addressing me by my first name. You will also stop referring to my husband as 'the asset'…you will refer to him as Mr. Bartowski. If you insist on being informal, his friends call him Chuck…but you may call him Charles. Have I made myself clear?" she finished, the threatening tone in her voice leaving no doubt about her feelings.
Just as Daniel Shaw was about to explain that he would run things as he saw fit, he noticed that the eyes of the young man seated across from him suddenly re-focused, only to lose focus after making eye contact with him and then re-focused again, seconds later. Taking note that the asset had started tracing a small circle on the table with his forefinger, he looked to the side when Colonel John Casey suddenly pushed his chair backwards and got to his feet. Before he could do anything, he was thrown backwards as his shoulder exploded in pain. At the same time, his brain registered the sound of a gun being discharged. Closing his eyes for a moment, he re-opened them to find Colonel John Casey and Agent Carina Hansen staring down at him, their pistols aimed at his forehead.
General Diane Beckman was shocked…and it took a lot to shock her. Looking across the table, she noticed that Chuck Bartowski still had the pistol in his hand pointed at the area where Daniel Shaw's shoulder had been just seconds before. Standing almost on top of him, Sarah Bartowski also had her weapon drawn, looking like a mamma bear protecting her young. Glancing to her side, she found Agents Casey and Hansen, both standing over Special Agent Daniel Shaw, their weapons aimed directly at his head. "Would someone please tell me just what the hell is going on here?" she asked after what seemed like minutes had passed.
"That man is with the Ring" Chuck finally said after he engaged the safety on the pistol in his hand and set it on the table.
"Are you out of your mind? Daniel Shaw is not…"
"General" Chuck said, cutting her off, "whatever Daniel Shaw may be…he is not the man I just shot."
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" General Beckman asked, a look of complete disbelief on her face.
"General…I don't know who that piece of shit is, but Daniel Shaw was arrested on the night of his seventeenth birthday for driving under the influence. The arresting officer, after making sure that he did everything by the book…mug shots, social security number, fingerprints, blood test…sat in court and watched as the family's high priced attorney got everything dismissed. It was a small town and somehow, all records where sealed and then 'lost'. The arresting officer had taken a 'dislike' to the 'red headed prick', as he described Daniel Shaw, and kept a copy of the paperwork for himself. Years later, when he was about to retire, the officer re-entered the paperwork into the system. By that time, 'your' Daniel Shaw was already working for the CIA. The only problem is that 'Danny' boy here, he's not a red head, he's not five foot four and he doesn't have AB Negative blood."
"And you know all this because…"
"Because, that paper dad set in front of me…the one with the odd series of letters and numbers…it activated the Intersect 2.0. Once I looked at 'Daniel' there, I knew"
"Just that fast?"
"Yeah, General…just that fast. This new Intersect is…well, it's so much faster than the original…hell, in the space of two heartbeats, I knew about Shaw…and I also knew how to shoot…and where. I had dozens of options…I just chose the one shot that was furthest from your position, wasn't life threatening…and hurt the most."
"I understand the first two options but why the third?" the general asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Because that dickhead was leering at my wife" he answered with a grin that quickly disappeared when he felt Sarah's eyes on him.
Casey and Carina both snorted at almost the same time.
"Something funny you'd like to share?' the General asked, turning her attention to the two agents still standing over the man Chuck had shot.
"Well, ma'am" Casey said, "he was a dickhead."
"And, he was leering at Sarah" Carina added.
"Great…this is just great. Not even officially up and running and Team Bartowski has either shot an innocent agent or, they've helped capture an unbelievably, highly placed mole…" General Diane Beckman shook her head, not sure how to proceed. She looked around the table and saw that everyone seemed to waiting to hear what was going to happen next…and they weren't waiting for her to make that decision…they were waiting for Chuck. 'This really is Team Bartowski' she said to herself, realizing that her best hope of using this team to it's full potential would be to swallow her pride…no matter how bitter it would taste…and ask Chuck what he thought should be done next.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Nearly thirty minutes later, after the Dr.'s Woodcomb had patched up 'Shaw's' shoulder wound…and after Agents Casey and Hansen had dragged the reticent 'Shaw' to one of the base's holding cells, General Diane Beckman walked into the break room to find all of the members of Team Bartowski gathered around Chuck, listening as he answered any questions they had. Walking across the room and taking the first empty seat she found, she surprised everyone when she loosened her collar and undid the top two buttons on her coat.
"Alright, team…where are we going from here?" she asked with a sigh.
"For pizza and beer?" chuck responded, earning him smiles and a few chuckles from the people gathered around him.
"Ok…but I'm gonna need something a little stronger than beer…and the first round's on me." General Diane Beckman replied, leaving the room stunned into silence, everyone with shocked or puzzled looks on their faces… for about fifteen seconds… until Chuck started to laugh. Seeing the smile on the General's face, Sarah quickly joined Chuck and before long, all of the seated people were smiling or laughing.
Getting to his feet, Chuck offered his hand to the General. "C'mon, Diane…if we're off the clock…and you're feeling brave…I'm going to introduce you to the best pizza in Burbank…after you find something a little less conspicuous to wear."
Smiling up at the young man who was offering his hand, she accepted his hand and stood up. Once on her feet, she looked around at all of the faces that were watching to see what would happen next.
"Alright…I'll lose the uniform…for a little while. Now, how are we getting to this 'best pizza in Burbank' of which you speak?" she asked with a smile.
Chuck paused and looked around. "Well, I guess you can ride with Ellie and Devon…unless you want to just get a 'pool' car and follow us?"
"Or…" she paused, obviously for effect, "…Sarah could ride with the Dr.'s Woodcomb and I could ride with you…?" A pin could've dropped and everyone would have heard it. "What?…you afraid to ask an old general to ride bitch?" The collective intake of air caused by the people standing around her made Diane Beckman laugh. "What?…I wasn't hatched you know…"
Chuck Bartowski was having trouble breathing…and tears were rolling down his face as he struggled to remain on his feet. Looking around he saw that everyone else was having similar reactions. "Alright, Diane" he finally managed to get out. "if my wife doesn't mind…do you Sarah?" he looked and found her nodding her head, "…then I'd be honored to have you ride bitch. Now, you said something about finding something less official to wear?" Seeing her give a quick nod, he took a breath before adding, "Ok…meet us outside."
Diane Beckman turned to go and then paused before turning back. "Listen up, Team Bartowski…I'm taking this night off with you, because I think you…and I, need it, but tomorrow, my uniform is back on and …it's back to work. Everyone ok with that?" Seeing all of the nods of acceptance, she smiled again. "Ok…I'll meet you outside in ten."
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
'Special Agent Daniel Shaw' sat in the tiny cell, still not believing that his cover had been blown. He'd spent years developing 'Daniel' and the intersect had destroyed it in seconds. He'd fight against the investigation any way he could…claiming that Bartowski was wrong, he'd made a mistake…until he saw his chance. Somehow or other, he had to get word out…he had to warn someone about this new intersect. Chuck Bartowski had gone from being a decommissioned asset, of no use to anyone… to an unbelievable prize. If he could somehow be responsible for the capture, and eventual use of Bartowski…he'd be offered any role in the Ring that he chose. All he had to do was bide his time and wait for someone to slip up…and when it happened…he'd rip Bartowski's little team to shreds.
A/N: A little fun…but this won't be as fluffy as Swimmer. Please let me know what you think. Review.