Chuck versus the Struggles of Life
A/N: Thank you to all the lovely people who continue to read and review my stories. FanFiction writers don't get paid, they don't get awards, all they get is reviews, so the more the better. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. The story is going to heat up in the next few chapters, but the introspective stuff will also carry on throughout the story, and I'm also thinking I'm going to add a few flashbacks in there, some canon, and some of my own creations. Sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but I wanted to kind of map out the next part of the story to make sure my story line is constantly progressing. This is the last chapter of setting up the story by the way, so be warned next chapter will have some strong content, but the rating will still definitely be a T.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, only my imaginative mind and my original charcters,
Note: LESS THAN 24 HOURS TILL CHUCk's BACK! YAYYYY!
Acknowledgements: Big thanks for the continued support I've gotten from the posters on the Chuck boards, especially while I was banned. You're all awesome in my books! You all made my forced hiatus so much more interesting and bearable, and for that I'm eternally grateful.
Without further ado, I present...
Chapter 4 - Long time no see
[In announcer's voice] Previously on Chuck...
After being briefed on the dire situation at hand by Director Graham, Sarah Walker was on the next flight to Los Angeles to meet up with the rescue team in charge of hunting down not only the intersect, but the man she loves.
Chuck Bartowski woke up to find himself in a dark, desolate room. After assessing the situation and seeing escape was practically impossible, Chuck hears footsteps coming towards his cell. When the figure reaches the door and enters the cell, Chuck is given a most unexpected, unwelcomed surprise,
"Hello Chuck, long time no see" The figure said in a sinister voice.
Chuck finally realised who his captor was and with a look of utter shock on his face, he spoke,
"Uncle John..."
Sarah Walker had just gotten through baggage claim at Los Angeles Airport and was now looking the person assigned to bring her back to castle where Chuck's rescue efforts were to be coordinated from. The fact that her ride was late only further annoyed an already on the edge Sarah Walker. Since hearing of Chuck's capture, she had constantly been ready to strike out at any person foolish enough to frustrate her or get in her way.
'This agents gonna get it when he finally shows up' she thinks to herself.
At that exact moment she sees a familiar face in the crowd of people eagerly awaiting the arrival of their friends and relatives. Her anger slightly deflates at the sight of her old partner. She feels reassured to know the government is indeed putting its best resources into finding Chuck.
"Walker, good to see you again"
"I'd be lying if I said the same thing John. These are not the most optimal circumstances that I imagined returning to Burbank under" 'I'd much rather be here announcing to Chuck that I've quit this stupid job and we can be together' Sarah adds in her head.
Casey lets out a low grunt, which Sarah interpretes as him appreciating the humour in her comment.
"C'mon Walker, we gotta get back to Castle so we can get cracking on saving your boyfriend"
Sarah momentarily gives Casey a dirty look before a small, but rare grin forms on her face. Feeling reinvigorated and more motivated then even Sarah begins to follow Casey who has already turned and began walking towards the car park.
The conversation between the two agents on the way back to Castle remained strictly professional. Casey fully debriefed Sarah on Chuck's situation. She learnt that Chuck had never left the car park of the mall. Surveillance showed that he had been taken from out front of the Weinerlicious by a group of men and thrown into the back of a black, unmarked suburban. Casey had noticed that Sarah's facial expressions had been that of anger and despair when she had learnt that Chuck had been tranqued and taken from outside the Weinerlicious - the very place where they shared so many special, real moments.
Sarah felt her fists subconcsiously clenching as she listened to Casey tell the entire story of Chuck's ordeal. She felt so hopeless, so guilty that she hadn't been there to save him. She bit her lip to hold back an involuntary sob that seemed ready to escape. It took all of her training to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes. But Casey was an extremely top-class spy, he noticed her glassy eyes, and felt quite sympathetic for Sarah. Sympathy was not an emotion that John Casey often felt, but as he watched such a hardened, elite agent breaking to pieces like this, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
When Sarah and Casey arrived at castle, the former was pleasantly surprised to learn of how many agents had been reassigned from priority assignments to assist with Chuck's rescue efforts. Countless amount of agents were working non-stop on castle's many computers doing everything they could to track down one Chuck Bartowski, but apparently they weren't doing enough considering their status report.
"Status, Captain?" Casey inquired of a man well dressed in a military outfit.
"Nothing as of yet Major"
"Have all traffic cams and surveillance footage been checked?"
"Affirmative sir, all footage has been looked at. Nothing of interest sir. It appears the suspects disappeared from all records a short time after leaving the car park of the electronics store sir."
The captain's fruitless report had made Sarah extremely annoyed. Their lack of progress struck Sarah as them not trying hard enough, but deep down she knew it was simply because the captors were consumate professionals. However this didn't stop the blonde agent's anger from building to near breaking point.
After the captain had finalized his report, he went back to his station, overlooking the analysts and making sure they kept in line.
Sarah was visibly agitated, as was obvious with the way she was pacing back and forth, keeping a constant eye on the analysts working close to her. She was still upset at the lack of progress on finding Chuck, and her anger boiled over when she noticed one of the analysts sharing a laugh with the man sitting next to him. Ordinarily she would've sternly told the two to get back to work, but in the state she was in, she blasted out at the two unfortunate individuals in question.
"GET BACK TO WORK! NOW!" Sarah blared at the two unsuspecting analysts.
Her outbreak worked a charm, and the two immediately ceased their conversation and returned to their work. However, she was still in a heightened state of anger, and clearly her old partner noticed,
"Walker"
"What?" Sarah replied cynically,
"Can I speak to you for a moment? Alone?"
Sarah audibly grunted before responding, "Yeah, okay"
She walked over to the interrogation room which Casey had headed into.
"What is it Casey?"
"Look Walker. I understand how you must be feeling right now, but believe me when I say, if you want to find Chuck, you can't be like this. You need to be the professional agent I know you can be. If not for me, do it for Chuck, he needs you to be strong right now."
"Wow Casey, that's uncharacteristically sincere of you" Sarah replied with a definite tone of genuity.
"One word of this conversation to Bartowski and you're a dead women"
"Yes Sir" Sarah replied, with a hint of a smile evident in her voice.
"He's really gotten to you, ay Casey?"
Casey eyed her suspiciously before responding,
"He has a way of getting through to the best of us, but you'd know all about that now wouldn't you Agent Walker" Casey replied, with a sarcastically accusatory tone.
A hint of grin was definitely evident on Sarah's face as she replied,
"We better get back to work before those idiot analysts start stuffing up again"
Casey let out a grunt which Sarah interpreted as mild laugh from the normally emotionless agent. However, Casey's face turned serious again as he spoke,
"We're going to find him. You know that don't you Walker?"
Sarah didn't feel the need to respond. Instead she merely met his eyes and nodded. She was now more determined then ever to find Chuck, and to do that she was going to have to use all the training she's been given, because this was not going to be a simple task, but no matter what, Sarah Walker WAS going to find Chuck Bartowski, and NOTHING would stand in her way.
X X X
"What are you- Since when did you-" Chuck was still unable to string a legitimate sentence together.
The last person in the world he expected to walk through that doorway and announce themselves as the person holding him in captivity was his uncle. Hell it would've made more sense to him for the NSA or CIA to have captured me, he thinks to himself.
"Confused Chuck?" John inquires with a snide grin on his face.
Chuck looked at his uncle in a way that portrayed the message, that Chuck was anything but in the know.
"Well I guess you deserve to know a little something about how I came to be a part of fulcrum."
Fulcrum? Fulcrum? How the hell is MY uncle, the man who spent so many days looking after me as a child a part of fucking fulcrum, Chuck thinks to himself.
"Well, you see, many moons ago, I worked for the FBI-"
A look of total surprise is planted on Chuck's face, and clearly it is noticeable.
"Judging by the look of surprise, I'd say you had no idea. Well in case you're wondering, which I'm almost certain you are, I was indeed apart of the company back when I was close with your father and yourself, but back then it was mainly a desk job - no real risks involved."
Chuck finally built up the courage to speak, "But how? Why Fulcrum?" Chuck asks, seemingly desperate for answers.
Clearly cherishing any chance he got to speak out against the government, John responded,
"Well you see, after many years with the bureau, and getting a great insight into the work of the government, I decided it was time to make a real stand for the greater good, and fulcrum offered me that opportunity. The people in Washington, they sit comfortably in their expensive making decisions with the only agenda of furthering their political careers. They don't care about doing the right thing. But Fulcrum, Fulcrum, they actually take action. All in the name of the greater good"
Chuck's anger had slowly been building up listening to his uncle speak so highly of the organisation that believed terrorism was the best diplomatic solution to the world's problems, and finally Chuck decided to speak up.
"Was kidnapping me in the greater good?" Chuck spat at his uncle.
"But of course Charles. You'll see-"
Chuck was now furious,
"Shut up!"
John was clearly taken by surprise by Chuck's sudden burst of confidence and rebellion.
"After everything dad did for you. This is how you end up. Working for a company that thinks killing is a diplomatic solution. After your bitch of a wife left you, who was it that helped you through that time? That got you back on your feet. My dad did!" Chuck yelled at his uncle as loud as his voice would allow.
Chuck's facial features softened a bit as he spoke again, "You were almost like a father to Ellie and I. I thought you cared for us. Clearly I was wrong"
John took a moments to recover from Chuck's emotional outburst before replying in a not totally convincing voice,
"Chuck. Please. You've totally misunderstood everything Fulcrum stands for. We do what needs to be done for this country. Those diplomats in Washington, the CIA, NSA, FBI, what do they really get done? Nothing. That's right. Their field agents are pawns in their wrong doing and they're the ones who are responsible for much of the senseless killing you speak of."
Disgusted at his uncles attack on field agents, and by extension, Sarah, and Casey, Chuck strikes back, feeling red hot anger coarsing through his veins.
"Bullshit! The government's agents are the best there are. Everyday they put their lives on the line, so pathetic excuses for human beings like yourself don't hurt innocent people."
John was very much at a loss for words and felt that he wouldn't make any more progress in this session. Putting on his most professional demeanour, he bid Chuck farewell for the moment,
"Bye Charles. I'll be back before long to the answers I seek. And believe me when I say you will tell us what we wish to know"
And with that he left the cell and closed the large, metal door.
Chuck maintained his poker face and looked his uncle right in the eyes as he spoke, refusing to give him any advantage, even thouugh Chuck was well and truly at a significant disadvantage. Chuck let out a long breath when his uncle left, and one only thought crossed his mind,
"Please God let there be people be looking for me"
Over the other side of town, Agent Sarah Walker was preparing to go to bed, not expecting to sleep much in her heightened state of awareness. As she slid under the covers wearing one of Chuck's T-Shirts and her panties, one thought crossed her mind, and she voiced it, speaking to no one in particular,
"Hold on Chuck. I'm coming, and God help whoever dares get in my way.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Well I hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Again, sorry it took so long to get out. I've proof read the story, but its common practice for writers to read what they meant rather than what's there, so I apologize for any errors, and if people can point them out, big thanks... I hope to have the next chapter out soonish, but I'm not quite sure when. With Chuck returning later on today, I'll be kind of busy ;)