A/N: First off, a major thanks to uplink2 for his continued support and insight into my story. Whenever I had major doubts about a scene, he provided me with his view of the scene, and helped me write a better one. Also, thanks go out to BDaddyDL who, through uplink2 provided me with some hints as to how to make the story come out better. I hope you guys approve of this chapter.
In this chapter, we'll find out that Bryce is not just an asshole. Nope, he's an asshole with a history! Also, the long awaited (I hope) Chuck and Sarah stoned scene. I hope I did it justice to what people have been expecting from it. And action! Oh yes, it's finally here. I hope you enjoy, and let me know in a review what you think.
Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck. Sometimes I wish I did. Maybe Season 3 would be a happy memory instead of a depressing one.
Chapter 10
They arrived at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam around mid-day. They all managed to get some sleep, which was most surprising to Chuck. He mused that it must've been the company that helped him. As he looked towards Sarah, he was amazed at how beautiful she looked. Sure, it was a given, but she had actually looked disheveled when they landed. But a quick three minute detour to the bathrooms before heading out through Customs was all it took, and Sarah was back to her own amazing self.
Chuck would've probably said the same thing for the Major, but the buzz-cut didn't need a lot of grooming, and the five 'o clock shadow looked oddly appropriate on him. And Chuck… Well, his hair was all over the place, and his shirt was clinging to him. But Sarah said his hair looked cute, so who was he to argue with her? Of course, it caused the Major to let out a grunt of disdain and possibly nausea but Chuck didn't think the Major was an expert on fashion, so his opinion didn't really bother him.
When they finally reached the baggage hall, they were pleasantly surprised to see their baggage already being offloaded, and the retrieval took mere minutes. A few more steps, and they were outside, in the main hall of the Dutch national airport.
"So what do we do now?" Chuck asked.
"According to this guide that you spent 300 bucks on, the best course of action is taking a train in the city centre. I'm thinking we'll check in at the hotel, dump our luggage and go exploring?" Sarah replied.
"Sounds good to me. Major?"
Casey grunted his acquiescence and they were off. As they were trying to find a way to purchase train tickets, Chuck was walking around with a gleam in his eye.
"What's got you so excited, moron?" Casey asked.
"I don't know… Well, I do know… but I mean… I always figured that when we'd go to another continent, everything would be so… different. But it looked so similar to the US. Except that it looked so, well… flat."
Sarah laughed. "Well, the Netherlands is in fact one of the flattest countries in the world. Its highest point is just shy of 1060 feet."
Chuck looked at her in shock. "How do you even know that?"
Sarah shrugged. "You weren't the only one to do research you know."
Casey groaned. "Can we please just get on with this all, before I decide that I'm going back to the States?"
They walked up to a group of 4 yellow machines that proudly displayed the word TICKETS, as well as a doodle that if one would look closely at and with squinted eyes could be discerned as a railroad. Chuck stepped up to the plate.
"Eh, what the hell is this language?" he asked.
"Well, considering the fact that we're in the Netherlands, I'm assuming it's Dutch." Sarah deadpanned. "Maybe it would help if you would touch that English flag over there."
Chuck looked sheepish. "Yeah, I guess… Ah, that's better. Let's see… Single fare, Amsterdam… Eh, where are we going, exactly?"
Casey grunted. "How hard can it be, moron? Just select Amsterdam."
"Casey, there's like… four different Amsterdam's here!"
"Excuse me, Sir." A female voice came behind the group, with a distinct accent. "Where are you headed?"
Sarah rummaged through her purse. "Uh… We're supposed to go to… Professor Tulpplein 1?"
As Chuck turned to face the unexpected assistant, he saw a moderately attractive brunette who was about the same height as Sarah. She couldn't be older than 25.
The woman chuckled. "I see. You've decided to go to one of the finest hotels in the city. Well, in that case, you will want to go to Amsterdam Central. It's a few kilometers from the actual station, but it's the closest you can get."
Chuck nodded. "Thank you miss…"
"Call me Claudia." the woman said, as she stuck her hand out. Chuck reached over to shake it. "And you are?"
"My name is Chuck."
"Chuck…" she stretched the name out suggestively. She held on to his hand longer than absolutely necessary. "And who might these two be? Family?"
"Actually, this is my girlfriend, Sarah…" Chuck's heart still did a funny jump whenever he got to introduce someone to her. "And this is uh… Casey. He's uh…"
"I'm a close friend of Sarah." Casey jumped in. He turned to Chuck, and grunted. It sounded vaguely like: "Way to spin a good cover story there, moron."
Claudia's face fell when Chuck introduced Sarah, but she tried not to let it show. "So what brings you to the Netherlands?"
"Oh, you know. The touristy stuff." Sarah replied, with venom in her tone.
"So, weed and hookers?" Claudia deadpanned.
Chuck choked on air. "Say what now? I thought your most popular attraction was supposed to be your canals! And what about your tulips? Cheese?"
Claudia shrugged. "I call them like I see them. Of course no one will tell you this, but that's what Amsterdam is most popular for. Anyway, you should probably pay and head out. I'm sure that the airport is lovely this time of year, but I don't think you people want to stay here forever." she finished with a wink.
Chuck thanked her, while Sarah rolled her eyes. Casey remained stoic. As Chuck started finishing up the payment, he lamented that he'd never really see Casey express any form of emotion. He shuddered as he thought about having to shut off his own emotions. Or Sarah hers. Had she done that, they would've probably still been in the 'I love you but I definitely can't tell you' phase of their relationship. That would've just been awkward.
As they drudged on to the train platforms, Casey spoke up. "From now on, we won't be associated with each other. I will keep an eye out on you, but under no circumstances are people to assume we are together. Got that?"
"Yes sir." Chuck deadpanned, throwing in a salute. The punch was a lot harder than he had imagined.
"I warned you." Casey growled. Sarah giggled.
"Hey, why are you taking his side?"Chuck whined.
"Well, he did warn you."
"Report, Gizmo… I see… Are you positive? …Alright, I see… That does change things… Yes, take him out, but let the nerd and the woman live… Let me know when you've fulfilled your task, and I'll make sure that the higher-ups know… Of course, when have I not made sure that you were paid handsomely for your work? …Good… Yes, just tail them and make sure they don't make you… Alright…" Bryce disconnected the call, and sighed.
Things had changed now that Casey had joined the fun. Oh, Bryce wasn't worried at all. After all, he had just ordered the Ring's top assassin to take him out. There was no way that Casey would reach the end of the day. But if Casey had joined them, then they could've been aware of Bryce's… questionable allegiances. After all, being in top positions for the Ring, Fulcrum and the C.I.A. certainly meant that getting around was a lot easier.
No, when push came to shove it would be Bryce with control over the Intersect. He chuckled when he visualized the look of utter betrayal on Chuck's face after he would force him to do his bidding, all to save Sarah Walker. Chuck had always been pathetic, and could never see how Bryce was manipulating him. As far back as Jill. Jill was never part of Fulcrum. As a matter of fact, Jill was more or less his play-toy, during most of the year. Of course, Bryce had always masterfully planned around Chuck to make sure they would never get caught. But Check sort of grew on Bryce. Never enough to actually consider a friend, of course. But enough that he didn't want him proposing to Jill. That would just be wrong.
So he orchestrated the walk in, and the rest was history. Sure, Chuck was pissed at him. But who cared. At that point, Bryce was well on his way to a glorious career within the C.I.A. And the best part of it all; Bryce had absolutely no ideology. He honestly couldn't care less about who or what was in power. Just as long as Bryce could have a part of it. And that's why he went rogue. He knew that there was no way he was giving up the possibility of running the entire United States of America.
Bryce chuckled as he remembered how the C.I.A. did him a massive favor by forcing him to embed himself into Fulcrum. He completed all of Fulcrum's missions to a T, all the while riding on the fact that it was a sanctioned undercover mission by the C.I.A. That of course brought him in the spotlight of the Ring, and before he knew it, he was taking in three checks a month, all at about the highest level that those organizations offered him. This helped him rake in enough money to create his own organization. It wasn't so much an organization as it was simply Bryce and White Shadow ordering the Ring, Fulcrum and the C.I.A. on what to do, and who to do it to. And if that wasn't good enough, he had White Shadow funnel out money from the C.I.A.'s budget into their account. And the best part of it was that they hadn't the faintest idea that it was him who was pulling all of the strings. As far as their organizations were aware, Bryce was nothing more than a simple foot soldier with privileges for all three. And that suited Bryce fine. Imagine the look of surprise on all of their faces when he would show up with the United States Intersect. And even though the other countries would have their Intersect, Bryce was positive of the fact that once the Intersect project was initiated, all of the leaders with a pet Intersect would band together to form the largest dictatorship that the world had ever seen.
There was just one little problem. Chuck Bartowski was for all intents and purposes, the only US Intersect host that could fully envelop its abilities. Bryce wasn't lying when he said that Chuck was at the top of the list. Luckily for Bryce, no one knew of Chuck's existence. Contrary to popular belief, Bryce did in fact have something to offer in the intellectual department. A cleverly written piece of code simply erased Chuck Bartowski from Professor Fleming's class. Of course, Bryce's pitch to Chuck was one major lie. While it was true that his retention rate was 96%, and Fleming had tried to forward Chuck's name to the C.I.A. for possible recruitment into the Omaha project, the file that eventually did find its way into the C.I.A. database was void of any mention of Chuck. As a matter of fact, Chuck was the only human being with a retention rate good enough to get all of the Intersect's capabilities. Bryce started day-dreaming about the moment where he could walk in, with Chuck on a leash, and announce to the world that he had control over a man so powerful, it was like controlling God.
Still, that wasn't all that Bryce wanted. He had his sights set on a side project. After all, behind every successful man, was a woman. And he knew what woman he wanted, standing behind him. Of course it didn't help that she was enamored by Chuck; Bryce didn't even know how that was physically possible. When faced between Bryce and Chuck, the results were clear as day. But that didn't matter in the grand scheme of things. After all, once Chuck had uploaded the Intersect it would be easy to play those two against each other. Chuck would be locked in a cage, until his skills became required. All the while, he'd be granted periodic visiting rights to Sarah, who in turn would have to do everything that Bryce asked. Otherwise, he'd terminate Chuck. Of course he would never actually kill Chuck. He was far too valuable for that. But Sarah didn't have to know that. It was the perfect solution.
And his plan was so solid that even if by some accident, everyone found out about his plan. They still couldn't do anything. After all, he was still a C.I.A. agent and technically he hadn't done anything wrong yet. Aside from that, there was no way to prove Chuck's retention rate, and no one could tie Chuck to Orion. Ah, Orion. Stephen J. Bartowski. He was as big a fool as his son. When Stephen approached him in Stanford, Bryce was skeptical. Of course he was, one doesn't simply ingrain a computer in someone else's brain. That would only happen in sci-fi movies. But Stephen was dead serious. And he proved it by showing it in action. After all, Stephen had already uploaded an early version of the Intersect in himself. The only thing it could do at that point in time was data assimilation, but he proved it by being able to recite facts about Bryce's life that no one could know, since they weren't in his school files, and Bryce never spoke about them. That's when a plan began to form in Bryce's mind.
The most innocuous question, if retention rates were hereditary, set off the beginnings of the plan. Yes, he'd been planning this entire charade since Stanford. If Stephen had never approached Bryce, maybe his son wouldn't be in peril. It was fitting really. He ran away from his family to save them from the danger that he was invariably bringing onto himself, only to lead danger right back to them through his own fault. Bryce loved the irony of it all.
So here he was, being able to sit back and wait for his plan to play out. He didn't need to do anything until they found the Intersect and after that his plan would be set in motion for its final phase.
"You know, I've always wanted to try weed, once in my life, y'know." Sarah whispered to Chuck.
Chuck's eyes widened. "But Sarah, that's illegal!"
She shrugged. "It isn't here."
"But Sarah, you know what they say. It's the gateway drug! Once you start, it's only a small step to cocaine or heroin."
"If that's true, then why is it legal over here?" She asked. Chuck was stumped. He didn't have the first clue as to why that was. "Besides, alcohol is considered a hard-drug and that's legal as well. And I don't see you kicking up a fuss every time you have a beer."
"But I… what is… that's totally different… is it?"
"Not really. It just depends on what society dictates is acceptable. As a matter of fact, from what I've read about it, weed is actually safer than alcohol. It's organic, and the effects are a lot less detrimental than alcohol. The only downside is that it's usually consumed with tobacco… But I guess we could always look for some space-cake."
"… Excuse me, space-cake?"
Sarah nodded. "Yeah, it's basically brownies with weed in them. They're pretty tasty from what I've heard."
Chuck sighed. He wasn't totally sure, but Sarah looked so excited about the whole ordeal that it was hard to tell her no. So he finally shrugged. "Fine, but once we're out of this country, we will never speak about it again. And I swear to God, if I even suspect you thinking about drugs, I'll throw you in rehab!"
Sarah chuckled. "Chuck, relax. As a matter of fact, I know how to make you relax." She leaned over, and started kissing him. Well, making out would've been a better term. Chuck was sure that they were attracting a lot of attention, but when he heard Sarah softly moan in his mouth, he quickly forgot all about the rest of the train.
Chuck thought it was a decade later, but they parted when someone cleared his throat. "Pardon voor de onderbreking, maar mag ik uw kaartje even zien?" The interruptor asked.
"Excuse me?" Chuck responded.
The conductor sighed. "Excuse the interruption, but may I please see your ticket?" he repeated in English.
Chuck blushed, while he dug around in his pockets for the ticket. After he had handed them off, and gotten them back, he noticed the myriad of mobile phones and camera's pointed at them. "Oh God, we're going to be appearing on YouTube soon." His face turned crimson, as Sarah buried her head in his chest, while giggling like a little school girl.
"Eh… oops?" Sarah giggled. After she stopped giggling and Chuck had regained his composure, she continued. "Anyway, now that you're on board with this whole idea, I guess it's time to get… this out." She said, while grabbing something from her purse. It was a print from Google Maps with directions from the hotel to the nearest coffee shop.
"You've been planning this?" Chuck asked.
Sarah nodded, sporting a toothy grin. "Ever since Shaw mentioned the Netherlands… Oh crap, Shaw!"
"What? What's wrong?" Chuck asked, alarmed by Sarah's outburst.
"I'll tell you later, when Casey's there as well. Something happened to Shaw." Sarah said, her eyes turning melancholic.
Chuck wanted to ask further, but her mood swing told him that he should just be there for her. So he grabbed her hand, and softly stroked the back. Sarah's eyes softened a bit, and she let out a contented sigh. Besides, Chuck had already had an inkling as to what might've happened to Shaw. There was only one question remaining. Who was responsible?
Chuck was winded when they finally reached the hotel. The weather had been decent, so Chuck and Sarah decided to walk. Which meant that by default, Casey would be walking as well. Except that Chuck had no idea where the hotel was. So he was more than a little peeved to find that the hotel was almost one and a half miles from the station. Still, it had proven to be a fruitful walk, as it allowed them to see Amsterdam in all its glory. He had to concede the fact that it was quite different to L.A. The houses were still built in a 17th century style, and the canals sparkled as the water playfully splotched against the sides of the bricks. A plethora of bridges connecting the various small islands to each other completed the ensemble that was Amsterdam.
It was less messy than Chuck had anticipated. He figured that every alley would be covered in junks with needles and condoms lying around almost as much as the usual street trash. And whilst he had spotted a few homeless people on the stroll over, it was definitely less than his initial expectations. As they walked through the doors into the lobby of the Amstel InterContinental, he could see that Casey was already seated in one of the chairs in the foyer. They quickly checked in, and went in the elevator, up to their room. The elevators were empty, apart from Chuck and Sarah.
When the doors opened on the 3rd floor, Chuck's shirt was disheveled and Sarah's lips were slightly swollen. Still, they managed to arrive at their room with most of their clothes still intact.
"Holy sh… It's freaking gorgeous." Chuck exclaimed when they walked through the door. "But who's paying for all this?"
Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. If Bryce isn't a part of the C.I.A. he still has a truckload of money. I've gotten reimbursed on all my purchases in D.C."
A knock on the door startled the two, but when Sarah looked through the peephole, she saw Casey standing in front of the door. "Hey Alex, come on in."
"Walker, its John Casey now. Can you please try to remember?"
"Alex suits you better." Sarah retorted. "But anyway, come in. I've some news."
Casey walked into the room and let out a whistle. "My room is certainly less fancy than this. Anyway, Beckman's dropped off some equipment for us. Just in case. You should probably call Larkin and ask for equipment as well. It'd be suspicious if you didn't."
Sarah nodded. "I'll do that, but first, sit down. Bryce told me that Daniel Shaw was found dead in his residence, not twenty-four hours after we left. The official ruling is a homicide. A slashed carotid artery. Whoever killed him was a pro. It was a fluid line, no jagged edges. Whoever the killer was, he or she had a steady hand."
Chuck shivered involuntarily. Casey didn't seem to have an emotion to the news. "So what do you think, Sarah?" Chuck asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. I'm guessing that it would make sense for it to be Bryce's work…"
"Actually, I doubt that." Chuck butted in. "Back in Stanford we used to create some gadgets just for the hell of it. But I always had to do the cutting because Bryce's hand would always shake."
Casey grunted. "Then how did he ever pass firearm training in the C.I.A.?"
Chuck shook his head. "It would only happen when he would hold his hand a certain way. Like, for example if he had to put his index finger in the blade to stabilize it, and put extra force on it. But apart from that, it would always have a small tremble. It would've left a jagged edge somewhere. So it can't be Bryce."
Sarah nodded. "I agree. The line wouldn't have been smooth, it doesn't matter how well Bryce would've learned to compensate."
"Maybe he has someone helping him then… If he truly is rogue then it wouldn't make sense for him to go solo. But then again, there are loads of rogue organizations at the moment. Does it make sense that he's killed right after seeing you?" Casey asked.
"Maybe… He told us everything he knew about the Intersect… Wait, the last thing he told us was that he was going to try and find out something about Bryce!" Chuck blurted out. "Maybe Bryce got antsy?"
Casey nodded. "That's the best explanation thus far. And seeing as how it happened so fast, I'm guessing that the assassin was tailing you."
Sarah's eyes went wide. "Crap! I totally forgot about the bugs!"
Casey grunted. "Don't worry. You two aren't spies, so I figured that you wouldn't remember to check for them. I've already went through our luggage. It's clean."
Both Chuck and Sarah blew out a sigh of relief. "So what's our next move?" Chuck asked.
Casey grunted. "Whatever, go play tourist for all I care. Just make sure that you're cautious with everything that you do."
"Uh… that might not go well with what Sarah has planned."
Casey grunted in surprise. "And what has she got planned, Bartowski?"
"Chuck," Sarah hissed. "no!"
"Well, it's not like he wasn't going to find out anyway. Sarah would like to eh… taste the Dutch culture as it were."
Casey groaned in disgust. "Really, Walker? Look, it's legal over here so from that point of view, I can't do much about it. Just… be careful, alright?"
Sarah nodded. "Maybe you should join us? It might do you well to let loose once in a while. You seem so uptight."
Casey grunted with disdain. "Being uptight has saved my life more times than I would like to count. It helps being prepared, you know."
"Fine. Let's go." She said, with a mischievous sparkle in her eye.
Chuck could only shrug in a "what-are-ya-gonna-do" method.
It turned out that the coffeeshop, it was named Namaste, was only a short walk from the hotel. As Chuck and Sarah went in, they were almost knocked on their ass by the smell. Neither one of them had ever smelled weed, but it smelled oddly sweet. The place was nicely decorated with a distinct Indian theme, and soft reggae music was emanating from the speakers. There were a few tables in the back, past a turnstile, around which people were laughing and smoking joints. Spirits in the little shop were high, in more ways than one.
As they walked over to the counter, the clerk eyed them for a few seconds. "Let me guess, first time in Amsterdam?" The clerk asked them, in English.
"Uh… yeah…" Chuck stammered. "How'd you know?"
The clerk laughed. "'Cause you two were looking around like it was the first time you've seen a coffee shop. Which told me two things. One: you two had to be foreign, since almost every Dutch person has seen a coffee shop in his or her life. And two: this is pretty much the main attraction in this country. So, how can I help you two?"
Sarah stepped up, an air of confidence around her. Chuck had no idea why she'd have to display confidence, but he let it slide. He did love her after all. "We'd like to try some space-cake."
The clerk chuckled. "Sure. Just a fair warning to you both. Don't eat too much. You won't feel a lot when you're eating it, but it'll hit like a brick wall once you stand up. I'd suggest eating half now, and half later. Or you could always throw it away if you don't like the effects."
Sarah nodded her thanks, and paid for the cake. Chuck started looking for a suitable place to sit down, and found a table in a corner of the lounge area, past the turnstile. As Sarah came walking up, they both passed, and sat down.
Sarah eyed the brownies for a while, before deciding to just go for it. She grabbed one of the plate, and started munching. "Hmm… These are actually pretty good."
"Really? I'd figure they would taste totally different or something."
Sarah shook her head. "Nope, they taste just like normal brownies. Well, if you concentrate really hard you might taste something different, but it's barely there."
Chuck decided to just go for it, and grabbed one of the plate. "Did you ever stop and wonder how it is that most people in this country are so fluent in English?"
"Not really. The Dutch are known for their linguistic aptitude."
Smalltalk continued, as they sat eating the brownies. When half a plate was left, Sarah had decided that they should really stop. After all, the clerk would know what he was talking about. Still, she'd gotten a strange sense of euphoria throughout talking to Chuck. And it was different to the normal giddiness that she felt with him.
"… So then, he's all like… I see dead people… And Bruce Willis just looks at him like…" Chuck started, as his face got twisted and distorted, trying to mimic a suitable facial expression. "…this!"
Sarah burst out giggling. "You still look like yourself Chuck. I don't think that Bruce Willis looks like you." Chuck started snickering and it wasn't long before they were trying not to attract too much stares from the rest of the public.
"Hey Chuck… I have a great idea… Let's walk around for a bit..." Sarah offered.
Chuck agreed, and they both tried to get up. After three tries, they finally succeeded, and Chuck felt like he was flying. They'd gotten a small bag to put the rest of the brownies in. "We should… really give these to Casey… I'd bet he would enjoy them." Chuck said.
Sarah started giggling again. "Yeah, he would. Hey Chuck…"
"Yeah?"
"You know you look ridiculously hot in casual clothes?"
Chuck scrounged his eyebrows. "No one ever told me…"
"But, that's because no one loves you as much as I do… Here, let me show you." Sarah walked up to Chuck and gave him a drawn out kiss. The added… effects… of the THC allowed them to get much more passionate, much more quickly. The clerk quickly walked up to them.
"Whoa there. Hey, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We really don't want to have to explain bodily fluids over this shop."
Sarah reluctantly let go of Chuck, and giggled again. "Sorry, but can you blame me? Look at him."
The clerk shook his head good-naturedly. At least their first time was without any major complications. Although it could still come, but they seemed to be handling it just fine. "Alright you two, it's time to face the streets once more." He all but shoved them out of the store, and went back to manning the counter.
As the couple walked through the streets, laughing about almost everything, they passed a docking platform for canal cruises. Sarah's eyes went wide. "Ooohh, can we go on them, Chuck? Please…"
Chuck laughed. "Of course, baby. Everything for you, you know that." He gave her a small peck on her lips, which left Sarah with a pout.
"You'd better be showing some more passion later on." She said, whilst poking him in his chest.
Chuck grinned. "Who do you take me for? I'm pretty sure we've had a lot of uh… passion, so far. And have I disappointed?"
Sarah's face took on a dreamy look as she fondly remembered the rendezvous' with Chuck. "No… no you have not." She concluded, with a contented sigh.
They heard the distinct sound of Casey trying not to vomit. Neither really cared.
"This country is the best ever!" Chuck cried, still on his drug-induced haze. "Did you see all those houses? They were so beautiful. Maybe someday we can afford one to raise our family in."
Sarah laughed. "We should probably get… married before that… Yeah, definitely before we start a family… And I don't think that's the kind of house to build a family in."
Chuck tried to focus on Sarah's words, but he kept getting pulled to her eyes. "God, you have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."
From anyone else, it would've been a horrible pickup line. But seeing as how they'd already been together, Sarah took it for what it was. Chuck simply worshipping her like only he could. "Well, your eyes have made me reconsider my favorite color." She replied.
"Oh man, Sarah. I know it's kind of awkward saying it like this, but I want you so bad right now… Let's go back to the hotel, please."
Truth be told, Sarah had been getting rather antsy herself, so this idea sounded fantastic. She nodded, and the couple picked up the pace. Still, they were stopped every so often because Chuck saw something interesting. It usually ended up being a brick that wasn't layered in a perfectly symmetrical way, but Sarah actually managed to find it interesting most of the times. Still, when they passed the red-light district, Sarah couldn't help but feel a stab of annoyance at where Chuck's line of sight was pointing.
But when they'd gotten out of the street, Chuck lifted that annoyance like only he could. He turned to her, and sighed. "Man… They were pretty… Shame they have nothing on you… have I told you how beautiful you were, lately? 'Cause you are… And I love you…"
Sarah giggled, and blushed. Damn that weed. "I love you too, Chuck… Now let's hurry and find our damn hotel… I'm done talking while clothed."
They only stopped for three more make-out sessions before finally reaching the hotel. Chuck excused himself, as he quickly ran to do his business in the little-boys room. When he came back, he saw Sarah in a heated conversation… With a painting.
"Can you not see that I'm with someone?" She asked the painting, which depicted some sort of French royalty. Chuck had no idea who it was supposed to be.
"I'm flattered that you think I'm pretty. I truly am… And maybe if you'd come to me a year ago and threw a few drinks my way… Maybe… But I'm with an amazing guy now, and he makes me incredibly happy… So no thank you…"
"Eh, Sarah… I don't think he can hear you."
"Oh, look, here he is now. Hey Chuck, meet my new friend. Louis… His last name is a bit weird… Whose last name is XIV? And why don't you think he can hear me? He's standing right there!" She pointed towards the painting.
"Sarah," He giggled out. "That's a painting."
Sarah shrugged. "Whatever… Hey Louis, I'm going to go upstairs with my boyfriend now. I hope you don't mind… I had a blast… I'll tell him. Hey Chuck, Louis says you're incredibly lucky. But it's me that's the lucky one… I love you." She said, before hugging him tight to her.
Chuck's need for Sarah was almost overflowing, and they all but rushed the elevators. They had gotten quite handsy, but they managed to not rip each other's clothes off in the elevator. The hallway was a different story altogether, but no one was around to see it.
Chuck finally managed to open the door, which was made incredibly difficult by his girlfriend grinding against him, and doing wonderful things with her tongue. He all but shoved her inside, closed the door, and guided her to bed. She surprised him however, by turning around at the last second and Irish-whipping him on the bed. The jump on him could rival pro-wrestlers, but the passion that followed would probably make the ratings of those shows jump to a solid M.
Casey really regretted going along with this mission. Those two were behaving like a bunch of horny teenagers at the best of times. And now with drugs involved, they really couldn't stay off each other. Plus they were laughing at everything the other was saying. And it wasn't even funny. Luckily, they were now in their room, doing God knows what to each other. Casey shuddered, simply thinking about it.
That didn't stop him from falling into a form of melancholy though. He had seen that kind of love before. It was almost a mirror image of him and Kathleen. He really did miss her. But it was for the best. His country would be better served if he didn't have a home to go to. He still hated Colonel Keller for putting him in that position though. So, for emotional reasons, Casey chose to keep his name as Alexander Coburn. Even though he was never to be allowed near Kathleen while he was still in government services, and Alexander Coburn technically died in Honduras, he still liked to be named Alex by everyone else.
He decided he needed to take a walk and clear his head. Hopefully they would soon be able to continue on. It wasn't that he didn't like the country. He just preferred the United States. And he was loathing the fact that they had to visit France. He'd much rather go to Thailand. He was pretty sure that there was a bar there, that still remembered his special order. Those were good times.
He was so distracted with his thoughts that he almost ran over a young woman. As it was, he merely bumped into her shoulder.
"My apologies, Miss. I wasn't paying attention."
"That's okay. I wasn't paying attention either. I'm sorry." He heard a recognizable voice saying.
"Claudia?"
"You remembered? Casey right?"
"It's actually John. Casey's my last name. But whatever works for you. So what have you been up to?"
"Oh, you know. The usual. I've gotten quite a decent job offer, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to take it. As a matter of fact, I'm positive I am."
Casey enjoyed the small talk with the woman. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. "Ah, mind telling me what it was?"
"Not at all, Alex."
Casey did a double take. "What did you just say?"
"Oh, did I forget to mention?" Claudia said, as she pulled out a Colt M1911. "The job offer is you."
The unmistakable bark of the weapon being discharged filled the air.
A/N 2: Oh yes, finally some action! It was a long time in the making, and this is only the start. I was never planning on introducing Casey in the first place, so I may or may not have killed him. I've actually hinted at Casey's fate somewhere in the chapter.
The coffee-shop is real and so is the hotel. I don't actually know if they serve space-cake, but I'm assuming they do. And if not, we'll just pretend that they do ;). The distances are also true to real life, and are calculated by the combined force of Google Maps and Wolfram Alpha. The Dutch sentence is also real (shocking, I know right!) but the politeness of the conductor is not. Usually they're a lot less jovial.
Now on to the things that happened to a stoned Chuck and Sarah. Their actions are based on how I've experienced stoned people that I know. A lot of them smoked weed, and they wouldn't act any different, except for the fact that they would almost literally laugh at everything that was being said, even when it wasn't particularly funny. Also, their responses would be rather slow at times, which is why there are so many ellipses throughout their dialogue.
As for the talking with a painting scene. While the dialogue, place and even painting were changed, it actually did happen. I was in Biology class, when a friend started having a conversation with a picture of the human anatomy. It was… interesting to say the least.
Anyway, this is my 10th chapter, and I'm really happy with the amount of reviews it has received. Never do stop submitting them; they brighten my day to no end. I'm also pretty pleased with myself that I've managed to string you all along for this interesting dip into the writing pool and I do hope I can keep you all entertained to the end. Until next time.