Don't own Chuck
Ellie and Chuck met Alex and Morgan at the airport then they drove back to the hospital. Along the way Chuck caught them up on the mission and what was going on leaving out some of the details about the way someone's father had been acting. It was late when they got into the hospital but Casey was still there to meet them.
"Dad, I missed you," said Alex as she ran up to him and hugged John. He turned red as he hugged her back."
"John," said Morgan as he opened his arms like he was going to hug him. Casey grunted and growled at the same time.
"Do and die Troll," he said in gruff voice. "I've got your accommodations taken care of here. The General wants us to stay close to Hortencia because of the situation. I'm sure Chuck briefed you already. Morgan you're going to have to double up with me and Alex you've got a room next to ours."
"But I thought we were supposed to... well you know sharing... well everything," Morgan started to say more but Casey had heard enough.
"You thought what? This is hospital not a hotel and those are the rooms available. I don't like it anymore that you do... probably worse considering I've got to bunk with you..."
"I don't know about that," said Morgan. "I'm not that thrilled about it either."
"Why you got some complaints?" said Casey as he cracked his knuckles. Morgan shook his head. "Well those are the breaks and by breaks I mean you in little pieces if we continue this conversation."
"Oh come on Dad if you think it's going to be that bad we can room together. But once you get used to Morgan's snoring he's not difficult to sleep with." Chuck thought for sure this would be the time Casey killed Morgan.
"And how would you know that?" said Casey. You could hear a pin drop. Chuck felt sorry for Morgan and was about to say something to change the topic when Alex pulled out the save.
"On the plane here of course, he slept most of the way," said Alex as she looked over at Morgan for confirmation. Morgan nodded his head.
"That's right after you gave me that special water I was out like a light but next time it would be nice if I had a choice."
"What are you talking about I gave you a choice and you told me you wanted me to lie to you. It's not my fault if you changed your mind too late. Some people would say a day late and a dollar short."
"And some people would say slow down, you need to give a guy time to think not just whip out the cup of hemlock," said Morgan. Chuck hung his head he was too tired for this.
"Look guys the nursery is closed for the night so I'll show you baby Bunny tomorrow. Oh and Morgan keep your comments about her name to yourself. Just keep in mind Sam still wants to test your reflexes. I'm going to check on my wife," said Chuck as he went over to the elevator leaving them arguing in the lobby.
As he got on the elevator a man got on with him in Costa Gravas military uniform. Chuck looked at him and smiled.
"Well Francisco have you decided to sport your true colors or was this a decision made for you?" asked Chuck. "Or should I be addressing you as Captain?"
"The Major is laid up so she wanted someone she could trust to liaison with you. I was her choice so I guess you could say the decision was hers but your wife blew my cover before so this was the only option other than go home. I'm heading up now to see the Major to get my marching orders anything you want me to pass on?"
"No tell her to rest up and good luck, if I were you I'd keep a close watch on Hortencia. I really haven't figured out what the end game is here," said Chuck. The bell rang then announced it had reached Chuck's floor. "I'm off here. I still have your number so I'll call you if I find out anything."
"I still have yours too. I appreciate being kept in the loop. You know with Pepe I understood his motivation but now I'm with you something isn't clear here."
"Well if we work together maybe we drain this swamp and see what's living in the bottom of it. I need to run. Good luck again," said Chuck.
He stepped off the elevator then walked down to Sarah's room. Knocking lightly on the door he then went inside. There she was sitting up in bed still awake although yawning with Sam sound asleep next to her with her arms wrapped around her.
"Morgan and Alex are here they'll be by tomorrow to see you and Bunny. I thought you'd be asleep I came by to get Sam, Ellie's waiting in the lobby to run us home."
"Have you forgotten about the late night feeding?" she said as she yawned. "Let Sam stay with me I don't want her to feel I'm pushing her away for the new baby. So is the secret project that wasn't a secret but a surprise finished yet. I'm being released tomorrow and I need some place to put bunny or do I need to get a hutch delivered from Amazon Prime?"
"So she told you. How much ice cream did it take? Has she had anything decent to eat these past couple of days or just ice cream?"
"I didn't bribe her I let her hold Bunny with me and we were talking. One thing led to another and she told me we could go home because you guys had a crib..."
"We made it from what you gave me but Ellie says she's seen it before. I'll show you a picture I took when we got it home. But first let me send Ellie a text to go on home I'll stay here with you."
"You don't have to stay if you don't want to but I won't lie I'd like for you to. But they took your bed out and you're going to be uncomfortable. I'll catch some zees in the chair besides Casey and I have to go over to the Westside tomorrow anyway," said Chuck as he finished sending Ellie the text then passed his phone to her.
"Oh I recognize this I thought you said you made it? This is Sam's baby crib don't you remember it. That's the reason I couldn't find what I wanted. I'm sorry we could've gotten it out of storage."
"No it can't be," said Chuck as he took his phone and looked at it again. "No it's... well it's... okay it is the same but we had fun making it up to the point where two assassins tried to shoot me."
"I'm sorry I'm really beat," said Sarah as she yawned. "I have to get some sleep before the next feeding."
"Do you want me to take the next one for you?" asked Chuck. Sarah smiled at him. "What? You could get a little more rest that way and I don't care actually I'd like to."
"Sweetie I appreciate the offer but anatomically I don't see how that's possible. Can you dim the lights a little more? I really need to..." she started to say get some sleep when she yawned and dropped off sound asleep.
Chuck dimmed the lights then went over and pulled the covers up on both then gave them both a good night's kiss. He then went to try and find a position in the chair which turned out not to be that easy with his shoulder but in the end he drifted off.
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Morgan walked around the hospital after he dropped his gear off. He couldn't go to sleep not after the nap he had on the flight in so he did the only thing he could do he roamed the corridors. He walked up to the nurses' station but they were too busy to stop and talk with him so he moved along. He went by the nursery but as Chuck said the curtain was down and there was nothing to see so he was out of ideas as to what to do so he went down to Sarah's room.
"Do I or don't I," thought Morgan as he looked at the door before knocking. "Well if she shoots me I'm in a hospital so why not," he said to himself as he went inside. He saw Sarah sleeping with Sam in bed. He made a mental note not to go anywhere near her. Then he spotted Chuck, he was asleep in a chair next to her. He walked over quietly giving Sarah's bead wide berth.
"Chuck, are you asleep," said Morgan as he tapped him on the shoulder. Chuck just swatted his hand away. "Chuck, are you asleep," said Morgan more insistently as he shook him.
"What! Oh Morgan... oh Morgan I guess not anymore," said Chuck as he yawned and stretched. "Keep it down or you'll wake Sarah and Sam up. Let's go out in the hall and talk." Morgan walked out with Chuck who was still trying to work the kinks out and his shoulder wound wasn't helping.
"I didn't want to bother you but I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd come down and ask you if you wanted to get a cup of coffee."
"I'm not even going to comment on how messed up that was... But no I have to ask didn't you think that I might have my eyes closed because I was asleep?"
"Duh we're talking right now so you can't be asleep. If you want I can slap you so you can tell you're awake and not having a dream."
"You mean having a nightmare. Okay I'm awake now so why not, sure let's go get a cup of coffee. I'd offer you a muffin but I left the bag in Ellie's minivan." Morgan looked at him. "No, they're not Casey's bran muffins."
The hospital at that hour was still with only the duty personnel working. It was like it was taking a deep breath before getting back to work the next day. Morgan and Chuck rode the elevator down then went to the cafeteria.
"So how are things between you and Alex? Tell me was this time alone good for you two?" asked Chuck as they took a seat in a booth.
"I think so we talked a lot of our problems out and we both agree we're ready to move forward in our relationship."
"So did you guys set a date for your wedding date? I want you to know if you need any help you can count on us. I know I can speak for Sarah we wish you guys only the best."
"Thanks and we appreciate it but we're not quite there yet. I'm sorry but that wasn't what I meant about moving forward."
"Okay I'm going to need a little more detail here," said Chuck. He already could feel a Sicilian Easter procession coming. "What did you mean then?"
"We agreed if either of us forgot our toothbrush we were willing to share. I think that's very good progress."
"That's it Morgan? Dental hygiene really Morgan there's taking it slow then there's taking it very slow then there's stopped which one do you see yourself at?"
"So we're not the same as you and Sarah. Is that a problem and really can you see me with a kid? I'm barely wearing long pants as it is."
"I have serious reservations about that," said Chuck as he took a sip of his coffee. Looking up he saw Casey heading for them. "Don't look now but John's heading this way. Did you do anything?" asked Chuck as he pointed at Casey with his chin.
"Not that I know of but with John who knows," said Morgan as he turned around. "Morning John, I thought you said you were going to walk the perimeter and couldn't be bothered..."
"By you but I just got off the horn with a detective friend of mine in the Gang's Unit," said John as Chuck gave him a look. "What I've got friends too. Anyway we might want to get over to the Double Eights Double Aces early this morning. Word has it they're about ready to go to war with the eighty-eights. Their leader is blaming the eighty-eights for whacking his nephew."
"How is that our business?" said Chuck thinking that if he had brought this up Casey would be telling him a lot worse. "That's something that should be left up to the police to handle."
"Normally I'd agree but remember our perps who tried to take Hortencia and got lead for their trouble. Guess who one of them was?"
"I guess you want me to say this guy's nephew but are we sure? They were pretty mangled," asked Chuck thinking that they might have inadvertently started a gang war. How was he going to explain this to Maureen?
"You mean mangled like this," said Casey as he dropped on the table near Morgan a photo of the mangled remains. Morgan made a disgusted face. He doesn't look the same as in this photo does he," said John as he dropped another photo, a surveillance photo taken at a family dinner. "But fingerprints confirmed it is the same guy."
Chuck picked up both photos and started looking at them. There as something in the man that piqued his interest something odd but he couldn't figure it out then he flashed.
"Whoa, oh boy, John I'm going to need a photo of the leader of the eighty-eights then we need to go and stop a gang war."
"Are you going to explain to me what you just saw," said John. "You flashed so now will you share with the rest of the class?"
"Well you could start by saying please but aren't you the one who said we got on perfectly well without the intersect and we'll get along fine when it's, that is me, gone? Didn't you say that or did I mishear? Now be a good lad and get me that photo. I believe Beckman put me in charge of this mission now so if you want I can make that an order. You're usually good at following them."
"Why you... you... I ought to..."
"Now, now John the shoe's on the other foot but I'm not like you. Get me the photo and I'll explain everything on the way there.
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A few hours later in the Costa Gravas Consulate the Consul was signing papers his secretary brought him then setting them aside for her to collect when he was done. The day was pretty much the same as any other with the exception that then the consul's boss, the Premier, was supposed to come and stay with him but now he seemed to have gone missing. He was told to keep up appearances and that was what he was doing when his secretary rang him.
"Mr. Veracruz, there's a Captain Francisco Dominguez here to see you. He says it's urgent. Sir he's with the DI," she said in a whisper.
"Then let's not keep him waiting show him right in," said the middle-aged diplomat. He got up and met the Captain in the middle of the room. "Captain it's nice to meet you even if I wasn't expecting you. There was a Major here the other day from our beloved Premier's security detail but she seems to have vanished. Do we have any word yet about the Premier?"
"No, I'm afraid not but getting back to Major Martinez, I'm sorry to say she was injured in the line of duty so I have been put in her place. I just dropped by to meet you and to say nothing has changed. I may still require the services of your security detail."
"And I'd be more than happy to comply with your request but I'm going to need something in writing from the Premier. Unfortunately we both know that's impossible don't we."
"You will be receiving a letter from our General that will inform you of the details of our arrangement. Your men are being nationalized into our armed forces..."
"Again that requires the Premier's signature so unless your General can produce the Premier from his pocket then my answer will be I'm sorry but his orders don't mean anything to me."
"Mr. Veracruz need I remind you that I work for Dirección de Inteligencia and if you want to continue with this attitude I will have you recalled."
"Again on whose authority? I answer to the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores and everything I'm telling you is true according our new constitution. If you doubt me you can call your people in the DI they will confirm it. I realize the DI would prefer to go back to the old ways but this is a brave new world."
"And remember what happened to John. This conversation isn't over," said the Captain then he left slamming the door on the way out.
Veracruz went over to his bar he realized it was early but he poured himself a glass of courage anyway. He felt he deserved it. As he sipped on his drink he realized he won this round and he'd put a stick in the Captain's bicycle tire. However, if he played his cards right he could get what he needed before he was removed.
"Hasta la Victoria," said Veracruz as he raised his glass then downed the rest.
"Siempre," said Gonzalez as he came in from a secret hidden passageway. "Can I get a glass of that Comandante Luis? You know you just pissed him off."
"I know and I did it on purpose. Like this they have an added reason to have Hortencia made Premier to get rid of me. Not that I really care one way or another. Are you sure Alejandro can't get out of your safe house."
"I'm positive he's chained to a chair that's bolted to the floor. No he's not going anywhere," said Gonzalez as he thought about how his prisoners escaped for a government Escalade in detention mode. "But I should be getting back to him. What is it you wanted to see me about?"
"The Bill will be voted on today which means the clock is ticking. Ten days from today it will become a pumpkin so we need to get our ducks in a row and push forward."
"As we speak the ransom demand is being delivered to Hortencia. She has twenty-four hours to take action if not we send her a little finger then an ear and so on and so forth until day ten when we sent her his head. But I don't think it will take that long."
"But we're still going to send her his head," said the consul as he passed Gonzalez a glass. He raised his glass to him.
"Without a doubt," he said back as they toasted. He downed his glass. "I need to get back I don't want the Premier to get too lonely."
"That would be a shame," said the Consul as he walked with Gonzalez back to the hidden passageway. "We're near the end so we can't afford any more screw ups. As an oh by the way there was a minor hiccup back in country but our friend took care of it for us."
"Is this something I need to worry about?" asked Gonzalez. The last thing he needed was a surprise biting him in the backside especially if it could be avoided.
"You can pass on to the Premier that his friend Alfonso sleeps with the fishes. I believe the locals are writing it off as a heart attack or a stroke I forget which but the end is the same anyway."
"I'll be sure to pass it along," said Gonzalez as he disappeared. Veracruz returned to his desk signing papers. His secretary came in to pick them up she looked over at the bar noticing the two glasses out on the counter.
"Is there something wrong?" asked the Consul. He noticed her looking at the glasses then he watched her look around the room.
"No, no sir I just thought I heard voices before I came in then there are two glasses over there but no came past me. I'm just imagining things I guess."
"Oh that was the Captain's and I was listening to the radio earlier but I got tired so I switched it off. See you're not crazy. Now be a dear and run these papers along." He made a deep sigh after she left. He wondered if she wasn't going to have to have an accident like the secretary before her which was going to be a problem because she was good at what she did. "What a shame," he said, "guess I need to write any other job listing for Craig's list."
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Chuck ran up wrote a quick note for Sarah then left with Casey. She found it the next morning when the nurse brought Bunny to her for her morning feeding. She unfolded and read it with one hand as she took care of Bunny. The note didn't say much other than he went with Casey to interview for possible leads and that he'd be back as soon as he could.
"Knock, knock," said Alex as she stuck her head in the door. "Can we come in? Morgan is waiting outside until he knows it's okay." She grabbed a nursing blanket and put it on.
"Come on in," said Sarah. "Do either of you know why Chuck had to leave so early with Casey? Did something change last night?"
"I didn't know either of them left until now. I just thought Dad was checking on security this morning and was busy," said Alex as the both looked at Morgan.
"What? Why are you looking at me? Am I my Chuck's keeper? If he didn't write it in the note before he tucked under your pillow he probably didn't want you to get worried."
"Then it's something that could worry me. Morgan one small question how did you know where Chuck left the note. I didn't say where I found it yet you knew. Before you answer remember I'm a trained interrogator"
"Wow even with a baby in your arm you can be scary."
"So start talking."