A/N: Following the first mission and before the next and more exciting one, some fun and fluff are in order. Again, thanks for all the nice things you guys are writing in your reviews.
Chapter 10 – Back to the Spycation Routine
"Walker, Bartowski, up and at 'em," Casey bellowed from outside Chuck's room and pounded on the door.
"Okay, we heard you," Chuck shouted back. He then kissed the annoyed pout off Sarah's face. "Rise and shine, Sarah."
"Nuh-uh," she whined and clung tighter to him, snuggling closer and keeping her eyes shut. He didn't blame her. They hadn't gotten much sleep during the night, having been busy with each other.
'You leave me no choice," he said and started tickling her. Ever since accidentally discovering that she was ticklish, he wanted to see how she'd react to being mercilessly tickled by him.
"STOP!" Sarah shrieked. "Ha-ha-ha! Chuck! Ho-ho-ho! Ow! I, hah, can't breathe! Cut it out!"
"Are you going to get up?"
"I'm up, I'm up!"
"Good girl."
"I'm gonna get you for this, Chuck Bartowski," she warned him as she wrapped a sheet around her naked body and started looking for her clothes.
"Do your worst, Sarah."
"Don't tempt me." She glared at him and then, seeing that he wasn't taking her seriously, she tackled him down on the bed. "Much better now," she said huskily.
"Alas, we don't have the time." He flipped her so that he was on top and kissed her senseless. She was still trying to catch her breath when he finished getting dressed and headed for the bathroom. "See you at breakfast."
Alone in the room, Sarah put her panties and tank top back on before sneaking out and tiptoeing back to her room. There, she pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and grabbed her bag of toiletries before going to the bathroom, noting that it had been days since she last slept in her bed. She chuckled as she found a way to rectify the situation.
"Hey," Jill said.
"Good morning," Sarah replied cheerfully. "How was your night?"
"It was great. Yours?"
"Amazing."
"His ex once told me that Chuck was good, but now I have further proof: You and the hickey he gave you last night."
"Hickey?" Sarah asked horrified and checked herself in the mirror. Sure enough, the evidence of last night's passion was clearly visible on her neck. "Dammit! And I can't even wear a turtleneck to hide it!"
"Use a bandanna," Jill shrugged.
"It could work. Thanks Jill."
"Any time."
She followed her friend's advice and wore a red bandanna with her open necked shirt. When they gathered to make breakfast, Sarah noted with satisfaction Chuck's clean shaven face. She didn't mind a little bit of stubble, but he'd avoided shaving for a couple of days and it had felt like sandpaper on her silky smooth skin.
"What's for breakfast?" Leaning in to see what he was up to, she pinched his ass making him jump.
"I honestly don't know," he replied browsing through the contents of a cupboard.
"Looks like it's up to the two of us again, Sarah," Jill said and started pulling eggs, cheese, bacon and other stuff from the fridge.
"Do something useful," Sarah told the guys. "Get started on the coffee."
"Yes, your majesty," Chuck said and immediately ducked to avoid an orange flying his way, courtesy of his pissed off girlfriend. Casey, coming up behind him, was not so lucky. The orange hit him smack on the center of the forehead, surprising him a little, but he managed to recover and grab it before it hit the floor.
"Next time, Walker, anticipate some sort of an evasive move." He tossed the orange back to her and she deftly caught it, in turn tossing it to Bryce who was manning the squeezer.
"What do you have in store for us, Casey?" Bryce asked as he handed him a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
"As we were on an intensified schedule during the previous days, I thought we might concentrate on easy stuff today."
"Works for me," Jill said.
"Me too," Sarah agreed. "And you guys will have to go shopping today."
"No problem," Bryce said smoothly.
"You know where to find the car keys, buddy."
"We'll need a list."
"Sure, we can take care of it in a few."
The list was drawn up quickly. Casey wanted them to get some meats, as he was planning to fire up the Beast Master, something he hadn't done in a while. Needless to say, the others agreed enthusiastically. A barbecue party would be just what they all needed.
"Now that we've taken care of the shopping issues, I have something else to tell you," Casey said. "You are all making good progress and we may be getting you out in the field soon to use the Intersect to advantage."
"Being a portable hard drive sucks, man," Chuck grumbled.
"Suck it up. For now, I want you to come up with some cover identities, as you won't be running around using your real names on operations." He gave them all pens and paper. "You can do this right now, if you want. And this is good omelet, ladies. Walker, your culinary skills are improving."
"Thanks," Sarah said on behalf of both of them.
"Take your time and we'll go over whatever you come up with later."
-o-
Vincent Smith limped into a large dark chamber and stood to attention on an illuminated spot, respectfully waiting for his superiors, the mysterious Fulcrum Elders, to speak.
"We are glad to see you survived the Sierra debacle, Vincent," the senior Elder said.
"Thank you sir."
"Frankly, we are concerned about how the existence of the facility became known to our enemies. As it is, we have lost two scientists of crucial importance to our program. Granted, Dr. Zarnow's downfall was entirely due to his own stupidity and he'd mostly outlived his usefulness, but Dr. Busgang's loss will be keenly felt, not to mention the destruction of our almost complete prototype Intersect computer."
"As I originally reported, it was a drone attack, sir. My guess is that the team transporting the captured CIA agent there was under surveillance by it."
"It is the only explanation that actually makes sense, Vincent."
"Has to be, as no one ever reported being tailed while on the way there."
"Very well. You are dismissed and we wish you a speedy recovery from your injuries."
He acknowledged the dismissal and exited, leaving the Elders to confer. They would soon find a new mission for him, he was sure of it, as he was considered one of the best agents Fulcrum had.
-o-
Casey just finished a call to his wife and rejoined his trainees. He was eager to see how well they did on their, well, homework.
"Roberts, you go first."
"I came up with one name: Jillian Sands."
"Not bad, in fact I like it. What's her background?"
"She's a microbiologist, working in a mail order lab. She leads a normal, dull, nine-to-five existence."
"OK. Larkin, let's hear yours."
"I like the name Tom Anderson," he said. Sarah gasped for some reason, but was ignored.
"Tom Anderson?" Chuck queried. "Dude, it's so Matrix!"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with it! It's a common enough name. As for his background, Mr. Anderson is an upstart but promising investment banker, but otherwise he's a regular guy, interested in sports, fast cars and fast women. And he has a weakness for pretty geeky ladies." The last part was solely for the benefit of his girlfriend, who was ready to rip him to shreds over the fast women part of his alias' background.
"Works for me. What about you, Walker?"
"Um, I wrote a whole list of names, not just one."
"Go ahead."
"Jennifer Burton, Samantha Walters, Katherine O'Connell, Rebecca Franco, Eva Anderson, and for missions abroad, Elana Truffaut," Sarah read from her list. "The last one is French Canadian. Each has her own background, too."
"Very impressive, Walker. I can see your sister's influence in this."
"She once told me something about having many cover identities."
"And you were surprised because Larkin chose a name identical to one on your list?"
"Pretty much, yeah," she admitted.
"My turn," Chuck said. "I chose Charles Carmichael, who is just starting his own software business, soon to skyrocket him to billionaire status, plans to join America's cup one day."
"Bro, way to go!"
"You've heard this before," Sarah guessed.
"Mr. Carmichael and I share a small kinship, Sarah. It's essentially where I saw myself being in about five years' time, before the whole Intersect business came along. Except for the sailing part, I don't really know where that came from. Another cover name I could use is Charlie Charles, who owns a small electronics repair business and retail store."
Casey made some notes on a legal pad. "You all passed the test with flying colors. Walker and Bartowski were smart enough to create more than one cover identity, so, Larkin and Roberts, see what you can do to make up more of your own."
"What about you, Casey, do you have cover identities?"
"Sure, I got plenty, Bartowski. My favorite is Alexander Coburn."
A flash later… "Shit, Casey, I'd appreciate some warning next time you are about to mention stuff that might be in the Intersect. I just flashed on your file."
*grunt* (Great, now the Moron knows just about everything there is on file about me.)
"What happened in Prague with Sarah's sister?"
"Huh?"
"One of your mission reports included mention of Carina, but not in the best of terms."
"Listen, Bartowski, for your sake, forget you saw the damn thing," Casey growled angrily.
"I need not know what happened in Prague," Chuck said, clearly intimidated.
"Don't worry, Chuck. I can always ask her," Sarah said. "I mean, I could, if… Wait a minute. Shouldn't I tell her about this? Or tell Bryce and Jill's families? We told Chuck's family."
"No, we told them because they are the Intersect's relatives, closely involved with the project and in a unique position to help. You, Roberts and Larkin, on the other hand, are not mentioned anywhere as being connected to the project. As far as the intelligence community is concerned, you are not even static on the radar."
"I see," Sarah said, accepting the explanation.
A few minutes later, after Bryce and Jill had gone shopping and Sarah was talking to her parents on the phone, Chuck approached Casey. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, what do you want?"
"When I flashed on your file, I noticed that one of your colleagues has a penchant for giving people derogatory nicknames. He calls General Beckman 'Strawberry Shortcake', for example."
"Nah, we all call her that, behind her back of course."
"And he must have eavesdropped on a conversation between you and your wife, for he once referred to you in a memo to the team by the nickname I am not permitted to mention again under pain of death."
"Who was it? Who, Bartowski?"
"Some guy named Packard."
"Grrrrrr… He'll have a lot to answer for when I get my hands on him."
"Chuck, you have an email with the first batch of dailies," Sarah said when she returned. "Guys, is everything OK?"
"Everything's fine. Casey's a bit pissed, though fortunately not at me or any one of us."
"Oh."
"I'll do the dailies."
"I'm coming with you."
"I'll be in the office, preparing some training material if you need me."
-o-
Chuck worked his way through the intel he had to review, with Sarah watching him like a hawk, ready to make him take a break if he started flashing too much. She wanted her boyfriend in top shape for their intimate activities. He finally emailed the results and they found themselves with nothing to do at least until Bryce and Jill returned from their shopping trip. She was beginning to get horny, but managed to restrain herself from taking Chuck to either his or her room, ripping his clothes off and having her way with him. Instead, she found another outlet for her energy. A couple of days before, she had bought a punching bag from a sports store in town and hung it up from a sturdy tree branch in the back yard. Now, she took it all out on it, showing Chuck a few moves in the process and then spent a few more minutes sparring with him on the mat. Casey saw them when he happened to look out the window and grunted approvingly.
Having finished with the martial arts practice, Chuck and Sarah decided to relax for a while. And so they did, sitting on the pier in the shade of a big tree, holding each other, their feet in the cool water.
The rest of the day passed normally, namely the gang swam in Bishop Creek, played games, Casey gave them another lesson in driving techniques, fun, relaxation, the second batch of dailies for Chuck, more fun, a BBQ dinner and finally a night out on the town.
"Sarah, are you all right?" Jill asked while they were driving back. "You look a bit pale."
"Really, I'm fine."
"Well, you don't look fine."
Naturally, Chuck was worried. "You do seem to be a bit under the weather, Sarah."
"Guys, I really appreciate your concern, but it's nothing I can't handle. Besides, this happens to all of us once a month and I was expecting it, Jill."
Up front, Chuck and Bryce exchanged a knowing look: Female issues, keep away.
"If there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask, Sarah."
"Thanks, Chuck, but usually it's not too bothersome if I take it easy."
"I'll talk to Casey and get you an exemption from the physical aspects of tomorrow's training."
"You worry too much."
"One can never worry too much if it concerns the woman he loves."
"Then allow me to put your mind at ease. My cycle is regular as clockwork and the symptoms are very mild. I'll be back in top shape after a couple of days. Let's change the subject though."
"OK, what do you want to talk about?"
"What are we going to do when we get back to LA?"
"Frankly, we don't know. We still have vacation time and we haven't exhausted our vacation funds."
"A good idea would be to keep having fun. You know, go to the beach every day, chill…"
"Not bad, Sarah," Bryce said. "It's doable."
"Remember, if we stick to a normal for our situation routine, we'll better protect our secret."
"I could go with it," Chuck said.
"We all could."
When they finally arrived at the cabin, Chuck made some tea, as he knew it would be good for Sarah. They all sat around the bonfire, talking and exchanging jokes. For someone claiming not to be funny, Sarah knew quite a few good jokes, which she attributed to Carina's influence. Soon, she started to get sleepy, so Chuck took her to her room, helped her change into a comfortable oversized T-shirt and tucked her in.
"Don't go," she pleaded as he turned to leave for his room.
"Huh?"
She patted the mattress next to her. "I don't want to sleep alone."
"Fine, but no hanky-panky tonight," he relented.
"I promise." It wasn't exactly how she planned to sleep with Chuck in that bed, but it would do for now.
"Besides, I don't think Ellie would appreciate us defiling her bed." He got in and she made herself comfortable against him.
"Somehow, I don't think she'd mind."
"Sweet dreams, Sarah."
"With you, always," she replied. He stayed awake and watched over her as she fell asleep. Only when he was sure that she was sleeping peacefully did he allow himself to sleep.
She was still cradled in his arms when he awoke. Pressing a feather light kiss to her temple and careful not to wake her up, he got out of bed and began his morning routine. Jill had already talked to Casey about Sarah's condition, so he amended the day's schedule accordingly.
"Bartowski, how is Walker?" He was exhibiting all the necessary leadership skills, including showing concern for those under his command.
"I let her sleep. She'll need it."
"Good. Obviously, we can't go ahead with what I had originally planned for today, but I found a way to include her in the revised schedule. And check to see if the new dailies have arrived."
"It's the first thing on my list after breakfast. Which reminds me, I have to make something for Sarah, too. Ellie once told me that girls need fibers during those days, so I think I'll just get her a bowl of cereal." He prepared two bowls of Fruit Loops, placed them on a tray and went to Sarah's room. He found her still asleep and woke her up with a kiss on her cheek, then moving down to a sensitive spot on her neck.
"Ummmm, hi Chuck."
"I brought you something to eat."
"Thanks."
"How are you feeling?"
"No different than any other time this happened," she replied. "Seriously, you don't need to worry."
"I love you, Sarah. Worrying about your welfare is part of the package."
"Do you see me worry overmuch about you?"
"Only every time I do the dailies."
"Fair enough," she conceded. "What did you bring?"
"I thought you might need the fibers, so I settled on Fruit Loops."
"My favorite. Hand them over. By the way, increased fiber but reduced sugar intake is recommended to manage PMS. I have no such issues. My difficult days are just a little different from my normal days."
"I see. Well, here you go." They ate their breakfast in silence. When they finished, he let her relax, while he took the tray with their bowls back to the kitchen. She was already dressed when he got back, having chosen a comfortable sundress to wear.
"What does Casey have in store for us today?"
"I don't know, but he said that he modified the schedule to accommodate you."
"How considerate of him, I appreciate it."
"Let's go."
"Walker, good to see you're doing OK," Casey said when they appeared in the living room.
"Thanks Casey."
"I decided to do some classroom stuff today."
"May I make a suggestion?"
"By all means, go ahead, Walker."
"I could help you teach some things about knives."
"Not bad, especially since it has been a rather neglected subject. And you once told me that you're good with knives."
"Yes, my Dad taught me and Carina the skills my Ranger grandfather taught him."
"Knife skills class it is. Where do you want to hold it?"
"Outside in the back yard should be fine. In fact, a couple of days ago I bought a dart board to practice. We can all use it. I'll go get it."
Knife practice turned out to be a load of fun. With Sarah coaching them, and Casey adding some extra motivation in the form of some very imaginative USMC instructor insults, Chuck, Bryce and Jill made rapid progress.
"Let this be a lesson to you guys," Sarah told Bryce and Chuck. "If your little head ever assumes the con and you cheat on Jill or me with some skank, it'll be cut off."
"Never happen," Bryce said smugly. "Jill is the only girl both in my big and my little head."
"Same here," Chuck said. "I never cheated and I never will. Computer and video game cheats don't count, right?"
"You got that right, Bro."
-o-
A couple of days later Sarah was back in top shape and training proceeded in concert with just having a good time. But eventually it had to come to an end. Thus, one day they were all busy packing for the trip back home. The cabin was tidied up, doors and windows were locked and the security system activated. The last thing they did before leaving was to go fishing, as they all wanted to bring some fresh trout home.
Chuck made the first stop at the Maison 23 residence hotel, where Sarah was staying with Carina. Ever the gentleman, he carried most of her luggage upstairs for her. She started looking in her tote bag for her keys, but gave up and knocked instead.
"Who is it?"
"Sis, it's me! I'm back!"
"Sarah!" Carina threw the door open and hugged her baby sister. "Hi Chuck."
"Hi. Where do you want me to leave these?"
"Ah, an old school gentleman, I see. He's a keeper, Sarah. Just leave her stuff by the door, she can sort it out later."
"OK. I gotta go drop the others off at their places."
"See you tonight?" Sarah asked.
"Definitely." They parted with a loving kiss and he took the elevator down to the lobby, then making his way back to the car.
"What was that all about?" Carina asked. "Are you and Chucky an item?"
"Of course we are."
"He's a nice enough guy."
"Not just nice, he's the best. Do you want to know a little secret?"
"I'm all for knowing secrets."
"Come closer," Sarah said. Intrigued, Carina obliged. "I lost my V-card to him. Well, not really lost, I gave it to him willingly and with all my heart." She paused as she noticed her sister turn white as a sheet. "Carina? Sis, say something."
"It's a little too much for me right now. You mean that until you went on vacation you were still a… virgin?"
"Um, yes?"
"And all that time, you had me believing that… never mind. I want a drink and then I want details. Was he good?"
"He's the best," Sarah replied with a dreamy expression on her face. "I'm really glad it was with him and not with Danny."
"Danny was an asshole. I never liked him. He had the looks, but he was not the right guy for you."
"Tell me about it. Fortunately, I caught on to the two-timing bastard on time."
"You should have let me cut his balls off and feed them to him at happy hour."
"Fuck him. I have Chuck now, so there's absolutely no reason to bring him up. In fact, I regret bringing him up in the first place."
"Do you have anything else to share with me, preferably something juicy?"
"Now that you mention juicy..." Sarah grabbed a small cooler and opened it. "I caught some trout before we left Bishop today. Maybe we could invite Mom and Dad for dinner."
"Splendid idea, Sarah," Carina agreed.
"Oh, and we are considering moving in together," Sarah added casually as she took the cooler to the kitchen. Her back was turned, so she missed Carina's incredulous expression before it transformed into one of joy.
My baby sister is finally finding her way to happiness, Carina thought ecstatically.
-o-
"You're moving in together?" Ellie asked. She had fired question after question at her little brother and this was the only answer that caused her to do a double take.
"We talked about it and agreed it would help secure our cover, which is not really a cover, and…"
"OK, enough said. When are you planning to go ahead with it?"
"As soon as you and Devon move into the apartment next door."
"You really like Sarah, right?"
"Ellie, I'm in love with her. And she loves me."
"Then you should invite her to move in even before we leave. Besides, having another girl here will take a load off my shoulders, as taking care of two overgrown boys is sometimes getting a bit tiring."
"Come on, I know you actually like bossing us around."
"Bossing you around yes. Cleaning up after you… not so much."
"We resent the insinuation," Devon piped up.
"Then you are making dinner tonight. I'll be relaxing on the couch, with a book and the TV. And don't call for help if you screw up."
"Captain, how hard is it to grill some freshly caught rainbow trout?"
"It's a piece of cake, my man."
"I knew it." He turned to Ellie. "On the menu for tonight we have trout, your Imperial Majesty."
"Very well, carry on."
-o-
"Welcome home, Sugar Bear. How was your assignment?" Kathleen welcomed her husband home with a hug and a kiss.
"It was more relaxing than other similar jobs. The kids were good. I'll keep teaching them some stuff, but enough talking about work. I caught some trout for us today and…"
"The fish can wait. Right now, I want you, John. And don't worry about Alex. She's gone to the movies with her boyfriend and she'll be home late."
"Lead the way, ma'am."
She smiled as she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and led him upstairs to the bedroom.
-o-
Bryce and Jill decided to spend the night at her place. Her dad was delighted to have them for dinner, especially since they had brought the main ingredient: trout. An avid amateur fisherman, he was very proud of his daughter when Bryce showed him a video of her catching her first fish and celebrating it with her friends.