A/N: So why is this land a big deal? And who is this Beckman that Roan believes he can….woo? Yeah, you know.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
"Guess who?" Chuck asked, his hands over Sarah's eyes.
"Well, I would think it's my boyfriend, and love of my life," Sarah began.
"Say that again, but slower," Chuck begged.
"But it can't be him, because he's supposed to be at the reading of a will," Sarah continued ignoring him.
"You know that's just a thing on TV, right? What Roan was talking about was when he was telling her," Chuck explained.
"Hmmm," she said, stepping back into him. "These hands do smell like Lava, but my Chuck's hands smell like Irish Spring."
"Your Chuck?" he asked with a choked voice.
"My Chuck," she confirmed.
"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "I had to do a few things with some patients, and I made sure and cleaned my hands afterward. You know I keep a tub of Lava in the truck."
She reached behind him, her hand on his backside, making him jump. "You are the right height."
"I'm really enjoying how thorough you are being about this," he said in a low tone. Then his eyes went wide. "What are you doing?!"
"Well, if it is my boyfriend, who I love, and is pressed so very close to me," she said, wiggling her backside against him, "I'm pretty sure he's got an idea."
"Not in front of the dogs," he whispered fiercely.
She spun away, and seeing the two dogs, and squatted down as they came up to her. She gathered them to her and gave them a hug at the same time. "Chuck," she said, looking up from between the two. "You know they've seen us having sex, right?"
Chuck scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but they've looked at me weird ever since, and they're always tilting their head to the side like they're judging me."
Sarah threw back her head and laughed, making the dogs bark in joy.
"Wait," she said, sobering, and standing. "So, she's being shown the will today, right?"
"Yep," Chuck replied. He looked at his wrist. "In fact, she's probably seen it by now. Oh, before I forget, Roan wants to see us. It's apparently about this lawyer, Beckman."
"WHERE IS THE SON OF A BITCH!?" They heard from the front room.
"I see the president of my fan club is here," Chuck said with a grin.
"Do you think she barges back here, or just bellows from the front room?" Sarah asked.
"Oh, it's obvious how little you know about Jill Roberts," Chuck replied. "She is so barging-"
The door clanged open. "You sonofabi-"
"Who the hell do you think you are, barging into our offices, bellowing like a heifer with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, scaring these animals that may be in distress!" Sarah said fiercely, her eyes blazing. Chuck leaned back, enjoying the show. "I don't barge into your place of business – not that you have one, mind you – screaming and acting like a damn lunatic."
"How dare you," Jill said, her eyes wide. "Do you know who in the hell I am?"
"You're the loud mouth that's two minutes from going to jail for trespassing," Sarah replied. Jill's mouth bounced off the floor. "Get out!" Sarah said, pointing. Jill glared at Sarah, turned, and stomped out. Sarah turned, and found her face being attacked by Chuck.
"God, I love you," he breathed, when he came up for air a few minutes later. "Anytime, in front of the dogs, wherever… I'm yours, after that speech."
"Chuck," she said with an eyebrow tilted, amused. "Who are we kidding? You were mine before that speech." Chuck's brain locked and crashed at her calling him mine.
}o{
"Okay, Trooper, you are good to go," Sarah said a little later. The dog leaned forward and licked her face, making Sarah giggle.
"Hey, that's my girl," Chuck said.
"Charles Bartowski!" Miss Lane said. "I thought you were a modern man, now you're acting all caveman-y, calling her 'my girl'".
"I am his girl, and he's my Chuck," Sarah said with a shrug.
"Of course he's your Chuck, honey, we all know that," Miss Lane said with a wink. "You just can't give them an inch, because they'll take a mile, and get the milk without buying the cow."
Sarah felt Chuck turn red behind her. "Maybe I'm talking the bull out for a ride, and making sure he lasts more than eight seconds," Sarah replied.
Miss Lane grinned at her. "You better propose to this one tomorrow, Chuck. She's a good one."
"She's the best, and I really don't know what she sees in me," Chuck began, when both women turned to him, glares on their faces.
"May I, dear?" Miss Lane asked.
"Of course," Sarah replied. "I get to yell at him the rest of the day."
"Now wait," Chuck began.
"Charles. Irving. Bartowski." Miss Lane began.
"Eep," Chuck squeaked.
"You have been nothing but a fine, upstanding young man, who has looked out for this community for years. We know you don't get paid like you should," Miss Lane began.
"Money's not that important to me," Chuck squeezed in between Miss Lane's breaths.
"You work ridiculous hours," she continued, ignoring his protests. "You look like you have slept in months, some days."
That's my fault Sarah mouthed, where Miss Lane couldn't see her. Chuck had to hold his face still to not burst into laughter.
"And you are a good man." She paused, reached over and cupped his face with one hand. "Your mom and dad would be so proud of you." She looked at Chuck, and then at Sarah. "They'd also be prouder, if you made an honest woman out of her," she said in a very direct tone.
"Maybe I'm not ready," Sarah offered. Miss Lane turned to her and gave her a look. "What?"
"Honey, if he asked, and you didn't say yes, you and I would have a loooooooong talk."
"I tried to warn you, Sarah," Chuck began.
"Hush, you," Miss Lane said. "Can't you tell that girl wants you to ask, but she just doesn't want to pressure you?"
"And you can?" Chuck asked, curious.
Miss Lane shook her head at him. "You're a smart one. An idiot, when it comes to women, but a smart one. You'll figure it out." With that, she turned and left. Chuck watched her go, and then turned to Sarah. The look on her face confused him. It was neutral. He thought she'd be upset with Miss Lane for what she was suggesting, or find it funny.
"Sooooo… is that something… you're interested in talking about?" Chuck asked.
Sarah turned to him, eyebrow raised. "Is that something you're interested in talking about?" Sarah countered. Chuck's eyebrows nearly shot off his head.
"Uh, boss… bosses… mom, dad," Alex said, sticking her head in the door. "Big Mike wants to talk to you two."
"To be continued?" Chuck asked.
"Looks like that's up to you," Sarah replied with a shrug, as she headed toward the door. Chuck stood there for a moment, wondering if he messed up.
}o{
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but you should know Jill wants to press charges," Big Mike said, trying to hold a straight face.
"What charges?" Sarah asked, crossing her arms, and looking just this side of pissed.
"Terroristic threats," Big Mike replied. Chuck dropped his head, his shoulders shaking from laughter. "She also wants to file a murder charge against Chuck."
"Has anyone told her being the daughter of the mayor gives her no actual authority?" Sarah asked, growing more irritated.
"You know, I think I did once," Chuck began. "I also think that might be when she dumped me."
"I knew I liked you," Sarah said with a grin.
"Chuck, you might wanna go talk with Roan," Big Mike said, in a more serious tone. "I don't like where we seem to be headed."
"How about we all go," Chuck began, as the door opened. Roan walked in, followed by a short red-haired lady. "Roan," Chuck said with a nod. "We were just coming to see you."
"Charles Bartowski?" the smaller woman asked. Chuck nodded. "Diane Beckman, lawyer of Bryce Larkin, and Langston Graham. I have something you need to see."
}o{
"Let me begin by saying this whole thing is very odd, but I am following my former client's instructions," Beckman began. The group was in a small conference room Chuck had built onto the clinic. He always wanted a space to talk to owners, when it was time to make some tough decisions about their pets. "Bryce approached me a few months ago about representing him, and Langston Graham, because he felt… well, why don't I just let him tell you." With that, she hit play on the DVD player.
Chuck watched the TV as the video began. Bryce sat back onto his couch where he had apparently just turned on the video camera.
"If you're seeing this, then… then I'm probably dead." Bryce took a breath. "I owe you an explanation. You see, it's all my fault about Jill. I had a problem, Chuck, gambling. I got in way over my head, and I ended up owing people. I ended up owing Daniel Shaw's people. I was looking for a way out, any way I could find, when Jill told me about the oil she thought was located in Sadie, on her farm."
Sarah looked over at Chuck, who was watching intently.
"I kept showering her with gifts, and eventually got her to agree to go to Mississippi to one of the riverboats that Shaw's family owned. When they met… it was like… it was like they were just drawn to each other. I had introduced them, and within a half an hour, she was with him, and I was on the floor of the casino, by myself."
Chuck winced at hearing the story. Sarah took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
"She was never really with me, Chuck. She was his, but I owed him so much, I had no choice."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Chuck said to Sarah.
"Does she care about anything other than money?" Sarah asked.
"She once told me, seeing what you had been through… it was what drove her, to make sure she never had to rely on others. Her and Shaw, they became… driven, to make as much money as they could, however they could. And once they found out that there was oil in Sadie, they went to the next level."
Bryce began to chuckle and smirk. "And that's when Shaw found out she had screwed up. There is oil in Sadie, but it's on Graham's property." Chuck's eyes went wide. "They thought they could get to it through Robert's property, using directional drilling, but they were wrong. That's why I sent you his will, Chuck. When I found out they were going to release rabid animals onto Graham's land to get him to sell… I brought a lawyer to Graham's, told him what Jill did to you, and he rewrote his will. I thought he'd give the land to Casey, but he decided on you."
He looked away for a moment, regret on his face. "I had no idea that he would get rabies, I had no idea what would happen to Sarah, or that you'd have to shoot him. But what I did know, was that now, they're screwed. But, if you're seeing this, and I'm dead, be careful, because you could be next."
Bryce leaned forward to shut off the tape, and then leaned back, reconsidering. "I'm really sorry, Chuck. You didn't deserve to be treated the way she treated you. If you are seeing this, I probably got what I deserved. But you didn't deserve what happened to you. I'm sorry."
This time he did lean forward and shut off the tape. Chuck and Sarah just sat there for a second, stunned. They turned to Beckman.
"Does it make sense?" Beckman asked.
"Yeah, it all does," Chuck said, nodding. He turned to Big Mike. "Does it to you?"
"Oh, yeah," Big Mike answered like what he just saw was nothing. "Daniel Shaw, no big deal. Just a connected mobster." Chuck's eyes went wide. "No big deal." Chuck looked over at Beckman.
"I really think it's a big deal," Beckman said.
A/N: This is fine, this is fine. Right?
