Warning: There is some adult content in this. Nothing major but please use discretion. As always, thanks to Natty for the beta and advice. I still don't own Chuck.
Fishing
- - - -
"Oh hell no," said Sarah firmly as she heard of Chuck's plans for the day with Angel. "There's no way."
"Why not?" Chuck asked, amused by Sarah's mood.
"Well, in the first place," Sarah said. "There's no way for me to tail you. I'm not letting you be alone with this cocaine addict without backup. It's not safe."
Casey and Carina were on the phone in conference mode listening in amusement to the exchange. Finally Casey spoke.
"It is actually a pretty controlled environment. I mean, where could they go?"
"No way," said Sarah firmly. "Not without backup. Do you remember where I'm kicking you next time? You're very close to buying a ticket for that ride."
"How about this idea," Carina said. "I'm free for the day. How about Casey and I go with them? It would give Chuck a chance to introduce us to her and we could disappear together when Chuck needs some private time to complete his mission."
"I don't know," Sarah said hesitantly. "What about my car? I don't want you messing up my car."
"I'll take Carina's car," Chuck said with a laugh. "God forbid, I would mess up the Porsche. I may never have sex again."
"Let me put you on hold," Chuck said to Carina and Casey. "I want to talk to Sarah for a second."
"Ok," said Chuck softly to Sarah as soon as he had hit the mute button. "Talk to me. What is the real issue here?"
"Ok," said Sarah sadly as she looked at the floor. "I'll be honest. I don't want you to be alone with her when I can't hear what's going on. I'll be sitting here all day assuming the worst."
"I know," Chuck said softly as he put his finger under Sarah's chin and forced her to look at him. "I do. And it's not going to do much good for me to tell you that you have nothing to worry about, is it? You already know that."
Sarah nodded in agreement as a smile began to appear.
"Why don't you go and spend the day with Ellie," Chuck said. "She has the whole day off and wanted you to come over, remember?"
Sarah nodded again.
"And don't worry," Chuck said. "Carina will have an eye on me all day. I'm pretty sure that if I did anything that you wouldn't approve of she'll let me know."
"That's true," said Sarah with a smile. "She would probably kick you harder than I would. After all, she doesn't have anything to lose by putting you out of commission for a night."
"But please," said Chuck as he kissed Sarah deeply. "Please come home a little sober. You and Ellie are getting a rep. Why don't you go shopping, go to the mall, or something else girly?"
"Ok" Sarah whispered as she kissed Chuck again.
As Chuck kissed Sarah he began to snake his hand up her shirt.
"Babe," Sarah whispered in Chuck's ear just before he had reached his target. "I'm all for this. Really. But remember that Casey and Carina are on hold? Maybe you should put yourself on hold for a second while we get rid of them."
"Ok," said Chuck with a sigh. "But hurry. I want to remind you how the most loved woman in the world is treated."
Sarah unmuted the phone and said "Meet him there at noon." She ended the call without waiting for a response. After tossing the phone on the table she turned to Chuck with a grin.
"Where were we?"
- - - -
Angel's eyes lit up as she recognized Chuck when he drove up. She was dressed much like yesterday with a tank top and shorts. She had a bag that obviously contained her suit and towel. As she got in the car she turned to Chuck.
"Where's your car?"
"Don't worry," Chuck said with a smile seeing the concern on Angel's face. "Nothing's wrong with the Porsche. We'll take it again tomorrow. I just thought that this car would be better suited for what we're doing today."
"And what might that be?" Angel asked with a sly smile.
"Come on," said Chuck with a huge grin. "You should know by now that I love surprises."
"Deep sea fishing," said Angel incredulously as they stood on the dock. "Are you crazy? Deep sea fishing? I've never been fishing in my life. I wouldn't know what to do."
"Don't worry," said Chuck with a grin. "There is a mate that does all of the work. He bates your hook and takes the fish off. All you have to do is reel them in."
"Deep sea fishing," Angel muttered more to herself than Chuck. "And I thought that Disneyland was weird."
"Come on, Angel," said Chuck in a persuasive tone. "You had a good time yesterday, didn't you? You'll have a good time today. I promise. How about a little trust here? I know how much you love seafood. If we catch anything, I'll cook you a fresh seafood dinner tonight. Would you like that?"
"Ok," said Angel hesitantly. "I trust you. I'll try anything once, I guess. I did have fun yesterday."
Just then Casey and Carina walked up. Chuck did the introductions.
"Angel, these are my friends Casey and Carina. They are going fishing with us."
"Hi, Angel," said Carina with a smile. "It's nice to meet you."
Angel's eyes lit up as she looked at Casey.
"Hey," she said. "I recognize you from the club. You came with Charles."
"Club?" asked Carina with a growl as she glared at Casey.
"Oh my goodness," said Angel with alarm. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get you in trouble."
"Don't worry," said Chuck. "She's just teasing you. She's like that."
Angel looked from face to face. Suddenly they all broke out laughing.
Chuck and Casey carried their cooler on the boat. Waiting for them was the captain, Bob and the mate, Jim.
"Welcome aboard," said captain Bob as he started the engines. "Are you ready for some fun?"
The boat was a standard thirty five foot fishing model. It had a small cabin and a lower deck which had a couple of cots and a head. The back of the boat was open and had a bench seat on either side. Above the cabin was the captain's cockpit where he steered the boat. Once they were under way, Casey turned to the mate.
"What are we fishing for?" Casey asked.
"Well," said the mate. "There's an old saying. You fish for whatever will bite your hook. There's really no telling what we might catch. Hopefully, we hook on to a Yellow Fin Tuna or three. That's the main game fish around these parts."
"How big are they?" Chuck asked.
"Anywhere from sixty to one hundred fifty pounds," said the mate. "Trust me; once you're wrestled one of those babies for an hour or so, you're glad that it's in the boat. Sit back and enjoy the ride. We're going to be traveling for about an hour to get to enough deep water."
"How far out are we going?" said Angel in alarm.
"About twenty miles," replied the mate as he saw the alarm on her face. "Don't worry. It's a calm day and this boat is very seaworthy. We're perfectly safe."
Chuck and Angel sat on the bench. Casey and Carina sat on the opposite side and as far away as possible to give them some privacy.
"This is my favorite part," Chuck said to Angel. "Looking at the city from out here makes it entirely different."
"It is beautiful" Angel was forced to admit.
As the captain cleared the harbor area he accelerated the boat to full speed. Even though it was a nice sunny day, the breeze coming across the water was cool. Chuck noticed that Angel was shivering.
"Are you cold," Chuck asked. "We can go into the cabin."
"No," said Angel. "It's ok. I love this view to much."
"Come here," said Chuck as he put his arm around Angel. She gratefully snuggled into Chuck, taking comfort from the heat of his body.
Carina, noticing the interaction, turned to Casey.
"It is a little chilly" Carina said hopefully.
"Don't worry sweetie," Casey said with a smile as he triumphantly reached into his bag. "I'll take care of you. I brought you a sweatshirt."
"Thanks a lot," Carina said sarcastically to herself as she pulled on the sweatshirt. "This really sucks. Sarah is the luckiest person I know."
- - - -
Sarah knocked on Ellie's door as she opened it slowly.
"Hello?" she called cautiously as she entered the room.
"Sarah," Ellie said excitedly as she rushed up to hug Sarah. "I'm so glad that you came over. I've missed you."
"And I've missed you," said Sarah as she squeezed Ellie tightly. "I'm so glad that you called."
"How long do I have you for," asked Ellie? "What do you want to do?"
"Chuck went deep sea fishing with Casey," Sarah said with a laugh. "I don't think he'll be home until about ten. I'm up for anything."
"Great," said Ellie as she went into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "How about if we have a glass of wine and talk for a while. Then we'll go out to dinner and maybe have a drink or two at a club. Does that sound ok?"
"That sounds great," Sarah said with a laugh as she took a sip of her wine. "I'm all yours tonight. I'll just follow your lead."
- - - -
Before they actually began fishing, Angel and Carina changed into their bikinis. The mate showed them how to use the fishing equipment but it was very easy. Naturally, as luck would have it, Angel was the first to catch a fish. Even though it was a relatively small sea bass, Angel couldn't have been more excited if she had caught a whale. She was jumping up and down like a school girl. Chuck and the gang could hardly control themselves from laughing so hard. As soon as the mate had taken the fish off the hook, Angel threw her arms around Chuck's neck.
"Thank you," she said excitedly. "I've never had a better time in my life."
"You're welcome," Chuck said laughing as he rubbed Angel's back. "But you can't stop now. We need enough to feed the four of us tonight. That one fish isn't going to cut it."
Actually the fishing was going quite slowly. They had all caught a few smaller sea bass. Casey hooked a huge tuna but it got away. Angel excused herself several times during the day for a bathroom / coke break. Just as they were about ready to head in for the day, Angel let out a yell.
"Holly cow," she exclaimed excitedly. "I have something big."
"It's a tuna," said the mate. "It looks like a nice one. Keep fighting it. Don't let it get away."
After a while, Angel started to tire. She asked Chuck to take over for her.
"Sorry," said the mate. "It's the code of the sea. It's not fair to the fish for anyone to help you. He's fighting for his life and if he wins, he gets to live. That's how it works."
"Come on, Angel," shouted Chuck. "Fight. Don't let that fish beat you. Show him what you've got."
With the others shouting encouragement Angel battled the fish. After about twenty minutes she finally had it close enough for the mate to drag it onto the boat. Angel would have collapsed in exhaustion had not Chuck been holding her.
"You did it," Chuck said loudly while embracing Angel. "I'm so proud of you. You didn't give up. You never gave up. Now you know that you can do anything if you just don't give up."
"How big is it?" Angel asked.
"I'd say about seventy five pounds," said the mate. "It's about an average adult Yellow Fin Tuna."
On the ride back Angel slid over to Chuck and snuggled against him. He put his arm around her in surprise and asked.
"Are you cold?"
"Not really." answered Angel with a smile without looking up.
While the mate was cleaning the day's catch, Casey grumbled about the one that got away.
"Mine was a lot bigger," he said with a growl.
"But Angel landed hers" Chuck replied with a smile as he put his arm around Angel.
- - - -
Sarah and Ellie decided, well Ellie decided and Sarah agreed to have a quite drink in the lounge of a hotel. Dinner had gone exceptionally well. Ellie kept Sarah in stitches all night with her stories of the ER and especially of Chuck growing up. Sarah felt bad that she couldn't share any of the stories from her past but Ellie didn't seem to mind. With the wine at Ellie's and the additional drinks at dinner, both ladies were feeling a little tipsy. As they were sitting in a booth, sipping their drinks the waitress brought them another round.
"Excuse me," said Sarah. "But we didn't order these."
"Compliments of those gentlemen" replied the waitress as she indicated two men sitting at a table across the bar. On clue the men approached.
"Thank you for the drink," Ellie said nicely. "But my sister and I were just enjoying a little quite chat. We're not looking to meet anyone."
"Oh come on" one of the men said as he slid into the booth next to Ellie. He had obviously been drinking.
"You two are too smoking hot to be alone" said the other man as he sat next to Sarah and put his arm around her. "We just want to talk."
Sarah smiled at Ellie to let her know that she was ok. As she felt the man's hand on her leg, she turned to him and smiled sweetly.
"Hi," she said softly. "My name is Sarah. What's yours?"
"Bob" the man replied.
"Well, Bob," said Sarah. "Let me tell you want I'd like."
As she leaned in to whisper in his ear she grabbed his hand under the table.
"I'd like you to take your hands off me and leave us alone," Sarah whispered to the man as she bent his finger backwards to just before the breaking point. "Do we understand each other?"
"Yes" said the man with his eyes wide from the pain. As soon as Sarah released his hand, he got up from the table.
"Come on Andy," he said to his partner. "Let's leave these ladies alone. Sorry to have bothered you."
As the men retreated, Ellie turned to Sarah.
"What did you say to him?" Ellie asked.
"I told him that I would like to take him home," said Sarah with a grin. "I told him that we were both actually men. That we liked to dress up like women and see how many men we could pick up in single night. I told him he would have been the tenth one tonight."
"What," said Ellie with a laugh? "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Actually yours was kind of cute. Don't you think?"
"To tell you the truth," said Sarah seriously. "I didn't even notice."
"What," said Ellie with a smile? "Has Chuck hypnotized you or something? Come on Sarah, I know that you're married but you're not dead."
"I'm sorry," said Sarah as she looked Ellie in the eye and laughed. "I'm sure that you've had a lot of guys hit on you."
"Some." Ellie admitted.
"But you've had a man in your life to help shield you," said Sarah sadly. "You've had Chuck and you had a dad, for a while anyway. I've had these guys hitting on me since I was sixteen. I've never had a man in my life to help keep them away. I've had enough of guys like that to last a life time. I'm totally happy not looking at them ever again."
"I'm sorry," said Ellie softly. "I didn't know. I mean that's great that you're so devoted to my brother. I'm really happy for you."
"I'm happy for me too," said Sarah. "For the first time in my life, I have a family. Chuck is my life. Trust me; I wouldn't want it any other way."
- - - -
Chuck and Angel arrived at Casey's a few minutes before Casey and Carina. They had stopped at the market to pick up fixings for a salad and some white wine. As soon as they were in the house, Angel turned to Chuck.
"Thank you for today," she said as she hugged Chuck. "I've never had so much fun in my life. Deep sea fishing. Who'd have thought it?"
"You're so welcome," Chuck replied with a smile. "I had a lot of fun today to. Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"How about tomorrow, we go on that real date that you wanted." Angel said softly.
"Actually," Chuck said with a laugh. "I've already paid for tomorrow. But I'm free the day after. Are you sure that's what you want?"
"Yes," said Angel in a whisper as she kissed Chuck. "I am. So then, I can do that without you wondering if I mean it. Charles, you're not like any other man I've ever met."
"I get that a lot," Chuck said with a laugh. "And if we're going to be friends for real, you need to start calling me Chuck."
The fresh tuna was perhaps the best meal that Chuck had ever had. Casey had broiled it to perfection. Started off with a green salad and topped off with several glasses of white wine. The two couples shared a little conversation but mostly they were too tired to do anything except eat. The day would have perfect if only he could have shared it with the love of his life.
Chuck and Angel were silent on the drive home with Angel sitting next to him with her head on his shoulder. Chuck was beginning to wonder if she was awake. Then, as they pulled up to Angel's building, she broke the silence.
"Would you like to come up?"
"Angel," said Chuck softly. "You know how I feel about paying for sex."
"How about if I mean it?" Angel questioned.
"In two days," said Chuck. "We'll see then ok?"
"Ok," said Angel sadly. "I'm really sorry that I put us in this situation."
"Don't be sorry," said Chuck with a smile. "I knew what I was getting into. You've been great. It looks like my plan is working perfectly."
"Yes," Angel agreed with a smile as she closed the car door. "It does. Maybe in two days, I'll be paying you. I'll see you tomorrow, Chuck."
When Chuck entered the apartment, Sarah was standing there waiting for him. Tears were running down her cheeks. As her wordlessly embraced her, he could feel his own tears on his cheeks. After a minute, Chuck broke the silence.
"I hate this job." he said softly.
"I know that you do," she said. "So do I."
"Are you hungry," Chuck asked. "I brought you some fresh tuna."
- - - -
