Ghosts

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Chuck world, though I'd surely like to visit.

Chapter Seven

Jamie smiled at Chuck as they headed out to the street. "Thanks so much for this. You're really helping me out. I just need to pick up a few things from the store, and with the alternator being replaced on my car; I didn't think I was going to be able to get anything done today."

"It's no problem, really," Chuck replied, leading the way to the Nerd Herder. "I'm not working today at the Buy More so my afternoon is free." He paused for a moment. "I really should go back and let Casey know where I'm going, though."

Jamie grabbed Chuck's arm and began pulling him onward towards the car. "Nooo, you can't. This is supposed to be a surprise."

"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" Chuck asked, intrigued, and not just a little worried.

Jamie used Chuck's momentary distraction to snag his keys from his hand. "Why don't you let me drive? This looks like such an interesting car." Jamie beeped the car unlocked and opened the driver's side door.

"Wait, wait, the store frowns on non-nerd herd personnel driving the company car." Chuck stopped at the sidewalk.

"Too late, tech boy, climb in, the bus is leaving." Jamie cranked the engine, and waited as Chuck climbed into the passenger seat, still protesting. Checking her mirrors, Jamie pulled out into traffic, heading for the closest market.

Chuck grabbed onto the dashboard to steady himself as Jamie accelerated rapidly. "You know, we really aren't in that much of a hurry to get there and get back, are we? I mean, really, a more leisurely pace can sometimes be enjoyable. Gives a person a chance to take in the scenery, not to mention the traffic signs," Chuck babbled, as Jamie did a slow roll through a stop sign.

"Don't worry. Driving is my specialty," Jamie said, as she maneuvered the nerd herder expertly, though a little too quickly for Chuck's taste, through traffic.

"What is that annoying dinging sound?" Jamie asked, glancing around the car.

"It's the seat belt warning. You didn't buckle your seat belt. Doesn't your car have a warning bell?" Chuck looked puzzled, and a little sea sick as the car swerved around traffic, barely missing the rear bumper of a Lexus.

"No seatbelts, so no bell," Jamie replied, looking for an opening in the lane next to her.

"No seatbelts, that sounds a little…foolhardy."

"Now, Casey's Vic, remember the one you blew up? It had one of those warning bells, now that I think about it. It was even more annoying than this one. Quite easy to disable though. I could help you out on that account if you would like." Jamie glance backwards to check traffic as she scooted around a Dodge Grand Caravan.

"Why can't we pick a lane and stay in it," Chuck asked holding onto the door frame a bit too tightly.

"Is this going to be the train of our conversation all the way to the store? Because I can tell you, this is going to get old quick." Jamie watched for Chuck's reaction.

Chuck, hoping that Jamie would turn her attention back to the road, said, "What, what was the surprise that you said we couldn't tell Casey about? Because I really haven't seen him as the type that likes surprises."

"Today is our anniversary. I've already got his present, but I wanted to make supper for him." Jamie stole a look over her shoulder as the lane to her left opened up. Accelerating, she changed lanes.

"Hey, hey, hey. Eyes forward while the car is in motion. Use your mirrors, use your mirrors. Or doesn't your car have those either." Chuck slid a little in his seat as the nerd herder swerved around two slow moving cars in the right lane.

"I really don't trust mirrors. I mean, they have that little warning printed right on them, 'objects may be closer than they appear.' And that whole blind spot issue is just an accident waiting to happen." Jamie used the turn lane to pass a stopped car.

Chuck's phone rang. "It's Casey," he said, glancing at the screen.

"Don't answer it," Jamie said, putting her hand over Chuck's phone. "You don't really seem like the type of person who can keep a secret."

If you only knew, Chuck thought. "I really should check in with him. He gets a little antsy when he can't get in contact with… everyone on the team."

"He can wait a little, Chuck. I really want to get this shopping done. I think he's forgotten, and I would love to be one up on him this year."

The phone rang more insistently. "While I can appreciate that, an update might have come in from the General that I need to know about. We might have an assignment that we need to be briefed on."

"So? You're just the tech guy right? Casey and Sarah can handle a briefing for a few minutes, without you. They can fill you in when we get back. This won't take long." Seeing Chuck's obvious hesitation, and discomfort, Jamie reached over and took the phone from his hands.

Flipping the phone open, she said, "He'll call you back later." She then tossed the phone out the window.

Chuck followed the phones trajectory across the highway. "I really wish you hadn't done that."

Jamie's cell phone then began to ring. She reached into her pocket, and pulled it out. Glancing at the screen, she grunted and turned it off.

"Was that Casey?" Chuck asked. "Because that sounded like an angry ring. He's probably very angry right about now. We really should call him back."

"John spends about seventy percent of his time in a disgruntled mood. If a person let that deter them from what they wanted to do, then they would never get anything accomplished." Jamie frowned in exasperation. "You can't let that stop you from achieving your goals.'

"You, you sound as though you have experience in that area." Chuck said, glancing over at Jamie.

"Of course, I do. If John had had his way, we would have broken up ages ago. He's so stubborn. Sometimes, he doesn't know what's best for him." Jamie sighed, and began to slow down for the turn into the local grocery store's parking lot.

"Exactly what do you mean by, 'what's best for him,'" Chuck asked, bracing himself for the stop.

"Me, of course." Jamie climbed from the car, and after Chuck exited, she beeped the car locked, and tossed Chuck the keys. "Okay, enough small talk, let's shop."

After selecting the fixings for a green salad, two large steaks, and a couple of baking potatoes, Jamie headed for the wine section of the store.

"You know, I'm not much of a wine person, but there is one small label that I like, if I can just find it here. I'm not even sure if they carry it here in California," Jamie said glancing up and down the long aisle of beverages.

Jamie studied the signs hanging from the ceiling, dividing the wine aisle into sections. "Well, it's definitely not domestic." She crossed the aisle and began studying the right hand side. "Hmmm, these are all foreign imports. How do they have them arranged?" Glancing up she studied the signs again. "South America, Europe, Asia, Australia. They have them grouped by continent." Jamie walked down the aisle, reading the signs again.

"There's more than four continents, isn't there?" Hands on her hips, Jamie looked at Chuck. "Where's North America?"

"I think they're counting North America as the domestic side of the aisle." Chuck crossed his arms and watched as Jamie surveyed the wine display again. "What wine are you looking for?"

"It's called 'Herding Cats'. It's from South Africa. That's at the tip of Africa, right?" Jamie frowned. "So, where's Africa in this set up?" She walked back up and down the aisle again. "There's a picture of cheetahs on the label. That should be easy to spot."

Chuck glanced at the shelf next to him. "Here's one with a kangaroo. How about that?"

"Not even close. I see penguins, dogs, turkeys, pandas, a lot of fish, eagles, bears." Jamie paused, to look back at Chuck. "You know, this would be a lot easier if they had just arranged the wines by the picture on the label. All of the fish in one section, then the mammals in another, the birds in another, and a special section for the marsupials."

"Yes, I can see how that would make more sense…. To you maybe." Chuck turned to study the front of the store nervously. "You know, maybe they just don't have it. You should pick something else, cause I'm surprised that Sarah and Casey aren't already here. They get really tense when we're out of contact with each other for an extended amount of time."

Jamie looked up. "Chill, Chuck. You would think that Casey was your boyfriend."

"No, what? No." Chuck could feel his face turning red at the suggestion. Looking for an opportunity to change the subject, he asked, "So, what did you buy Casey for this anniversary?"

"A gun," Jamie replied, bending down to examine the wines on a lower shelf.

"A gun? That's real original." He should have known.

"It's a really nice gun." Jamie grabbed a bottle off the shelf. "Here it is," she glanced up to study the signs above her. "Right between South America and Asia. I guess that makes sense." She straightened and laid the bottle carefully in the cart. "Okay, we're done here."

Jamie felt a hand grasp her shoulder and a familiar voice growl, "I'll say, you're done here."