A/N: Sorry for short chapter. Rushed for time and the mark 1 eyeball is hairy

Armor-Plated-Rat


Cedars-Sinai Hospital
Room 2312
Burbank, CA
August 4 2:00pm

"Graham, secure."

"Bartowski, secure. Director, such a deal I have for you." He laid out his plan for the next 10 minutes.

"Nuh uh, no, absolutely not, Bartowski. Not even in the company of the entire damned 82nd Airborne Division. No way, no how."

"Director, does the name Sandra Benefeld ring a bell?"

"Don't go there, son. I know what you're thinking and it's definitely not going to happen. I told her about Sandra years ago. That's old news, son. Nice try though. I hear you're being discharged tomorrow. That's good. Well, it was nice chatting, Chuck but it's late…"

"Barbara James? Lauren Albright? Elizabeth Winkle? Winkle? What kind of name is 'Winkle'? Jasmine Lowell? Rhona Graham. Oh, wait, she's your wife. Should I go on?"

"That's blackmail, Bartowski. You wouldn't stoop to that. I know you better than you know yourself. You're an ethical young man, it goes against your moral code."

"I need to do it for Sarah, Director. Please. It could mean my marriage. It could mean your marriage."

"Work out the details and have Major Casey email me the plan. If it's doable, I'll see about tasking agents to take care of them. Sufficient?"

"No. It has to be me and Casey and whomever else you task for support. It has to be that way."

"Send me the damned op plan. I knew letting that damned shrink call you was a mistake. Should have left sleeping Bartowskis lie."


Casa Bartowski
August 5 2pm

"Thanks again for bringing me home, Casey. Sorry about reactivating the surveillance cams but it was the only way I could escape Stalag Ellie and have some freedom to plan the hunt."

"It's OK, Chuck. I was getting bored. Besides, I'll be spending a lot of my time right here with you working out the hunt. I think it's a great idea but I'm surprised Graham went along with it."

"I simply told him the 'whys' and he agreed, Casey. He's not dumb even if he does have that stick up his ass."

"You got his agreement and support. I owe it to you and Sarah to help put those bastards in the ground just like those 700 they slaughtered. And they called themselves 'soldiers'! Fucking barbarians, murderers, using religion to attain political ends. Disgusting, Chuck. It needs to be done for a lot of reasons. Justice is the best one I can think of. Justice and closure for your wife and yourself."


Casa Bartowski
August 5
4:00pm

"Bartowski, secure."

"Bartowski, secure. Hello, Chuck, it's me, baby. I – I …"

"Hey, don't cry, Sarah. I'm fine. Really. Casey's got the surveillance up and running so I'm all alone until you come home, sweetheart. Any idea when that might be? You know I can't cook, Sarah."

"I – I don't know, Chuck. I'm just so sorry about everything. I never meant to hurt you, baby. Please believe me. They told me you were dead, Chuck, and I just lost it. And then she told me you were alive – that she'd lied - that's when I had this great 'breakthrough' so I'm making good progress. My therapist is a bitch from Hell but she's getting the job done."

"Tell her to get her groove on and make it happen, Sarah. I miss you like crazy and you're all I've been able to think about since I got free of the drugs and could think straight. Can you share any details of the breakthrough? I mean, if you want. It's your private business and as long as it was nothing I did…it wasn't anything I did, was it, Sarah?"

"No, baby, you did absolutely nothing wrong. I had a flashback to a mission gone wrong in Bosnia a long time ago. I screwed up and got caught and I had to do a lot to escape. But nothing involving you, Chuck, honest. I would tell you if it did."

Chuck was taking notes and making inferences. "So, that was a long time ago. Why'd it just pop up now? Something must have triggered it – something I did that night, a phrase, a touch – something in my sleep. If I caused this, oh, Sarah, if I caused this somehow I'm sor…"

"You didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart, not a damned thing. That's what makes it hurt so badly, Chuck, you didn't do anything to trigger it or deserve what I did to you. And I'm so damned sorry for hurting you. I'd never do that – never – that damned flashback. It was so real, baby, so very real, and I'm afraid of another one."

"Chuck, I only have a few minutes on the phone. Tell me how you are, please? I need to know, Chuck. Scars, broken bones, everything. Don't keep secrets. I'll kick your ass if you do and…oh, no, I didn't mean that, baby. Believe me, please, I meant…"

"Hey, hey, Sarah, please don't cry. You have to be able to kick my ass because you're my handler and my wife. You're my blonde ninja spy girl. You have to be able to kick ass. OK, I got a broken nose. Casey says it adds character. Scars on my chest and stomach from the surgeries and a really cool scar on my cheek that makes me look older, so no more getting carded when I buy beer. How about you? How are you? No bullshit, Sarah. How are you?"

"Scared to be in the same room with you. Afraid I'll wig out again and hurt you. I'm terrified of being asleep with you in the same bed. I'm afraid, Chuck, all the time. I need you but I'm so afraid for you. Maybe we should be apart for a while? I still got my room at the hotel and we can get together for, you know, at the apartment and then I'll just go back to the hotel. That'll work for us, Chuck."

"We're married, Sarah, married. We're not dating and having premarital sex, we're married. I want you with me as my wife as much as possible. I need you. I miss you. Living in a hotel and me in the apartment, maybe for a while if it means you'll come home. I'll do whatever needs to be done, sweetheart, anything so we can get back to what we had."

"I know we're married, Chuck, and I don't want to be a widow. I'd rather live apart than risk harming you. As long as I'm awake I'm fine but I'm terrified to fall asleep around you, honey. I'm afraid I'll have another damned flashback and end up killing you this time. Please, let's try it out and if you really love me you'll do it. Please, Chuck, I need to come home. I want it all back, every wonderful thing we had. I want it all back, baby."

"OK. We'll do the hotel thing if it gets you back here soon, sweetheart. Anything to get you home to me."

"But listen, I'm going to be out of town with Casey on a recon so you won't be able to call me. It's a recon mission only so no risk but it's up-close and personal but I get to stay in the van and just kick back and relax. I can't do much more than that anyway. I'll be back in a week, 10 days at the most. If you need anything, call Ellie, she'd love to hear from you anyways. She misses her little sis and your shopping trips."

"I have to go, baby. I love you and I'll be home soon. You watch your ass on your trip, stay in the damned van and get strong. I miss you, husband, and I love you and I'll be home just as soon as I can and I'll never leave you again. Bye, Chuck. Be safe."