Chuck shook his head as he took another sip of his vodka. He wasn't usually a drinker. Not because he didn't have the tolerance, but because he had no desire to get completely shit-faced. There were better things that he could do with his time than get drunk.
He ignored the first knock on the door. Then there was a second knock, more insistent. He sighed and stood up, finishing his drink in one swallow. Then he walked over and opened the door, shaking his head as he saw Sarah and Casey standing there.
"Seven hours. Faster than I expected. So, what's it gonna be? Knife? Bullet? Poison? Bag over my head to some rendition site?"
"We deserve that. Can we come inside Chuck?" Sarah asked, and Chuck nodded, heading to the small liquor cabinet.
"Johnny Walker, right Casey?" He asked over his shoulder.
"Thanks Bartowski." Casey said, accepting his drink from Chuck.
He pulled out his gun, and Chuck froze. Then Casey handed the weapon, butt first to Chuck.
"We'd like to talk. But we understand you don't trust us. Keep it until you decide what to do with it. Gun's loaded, no safety. Just point and shoot. Just like Call of Duty."
"Sarah, what can I get you?" He asked, turning his attention to the blonde. She had taken a seat on the sofa after laying her gun on the counter on the other side of the room. A set of knives sat beside it.
"Vodka. Please."
He poured her a drink, pouring another for himself before taking a seat opposite them. Casey's gun was still in his hand, but pointed at the floor. His hand was outside the trigger card. Regardless of what Casey said, this was real life. You didn't point a gun at someone unless you intended to end them. Right now, Chuck didn't want to kill them. But that didn't mean he was going to help them get to the point of why they were here. He was used to silence, He wasn't going to be the one to break it.
"I'm sorry Chuck. I'm so sorry. I...We have treated you horribly. You're not a child. You're a hero, and you deserve better than this." Sarah said, sincerity ringing in her every word.
"Walker's right Chuck. The things you've done...You should be given a medal. I've never met any other soldier who has thought to diffuse a bomb with porn. You were nervous, but you didn't run. You didn't flinch. No training, and you saved some of the most important people in this country. With freaking porn."
Casey shook his head as though he still didn't believe it.
"Chuck, we know you didn't ask for this. But we would like you to continue to help us. We've done good work, and we can do more."
She stood up and walked towards him, halting when she saw him start to raise the pistol in his hand. Sarah raised both her hands, keeping them visible.
"I asked you to trust me. But I haven't been doing the same. That stops now. From here on out, we are honest with each other. If there are personal things we don't want to tell each other, we say that. We make decisions together. I promise you, there will be no rendition. There will be no kill order. Please, give Casey and I another chance. Give me another chance."
Chuck hesitated. He wanted to believe them, to believe her. But he wasn't sure.
"Was it real Sarah? Was any of it real?"
"When we went to dinner, I was off-duty. I'd actually been told to take off once your hard-drive was destroyed."
"My hard-That was you! You broke into my house!" He said, and she nodded.
"Yes I did. I was under orders. But Director Graham had recalled me before we went to dinner. Everything we talked about was real."
"So the bad boyfriend in DC was-"
"Bryce Larkin, cheating bastard extraordinaire. I thought we were exclusive. He disagreed. I caught him in bed with another woman."
"Seriously? He cheated on you? Was he insane? You are beyond a shadow of a doubt the most amazing, talented, beautiful woman I have ever seen, and he cheated on you?"
Chuck just shook his head. Bryce really was an idiot.
Sarah blushed, smiling at Chuck's words. He was so kind, so good. He deserved better, and Sarah promised that moving forward, that was what he was going to get.
"I can't speak for Larkin's sanity, but he died just like everybody else. I put a round in his chest."
"Please tell me it wasn't from this gun." Chuck said, and Casey shook his head.
"No. Robin was getting cleaned. Sasha was the one I used on Bryce."
Sarah and Chuck looked at him and started laughing.
"You name your guns Casey?" Chuck asked, and Casey glared.
"Bartowski, I am letting you hold Robin. Remember that."
"Can I lower my hands Chuck?" Sarah asked, and Chuck winced. He had kept the gun on her this entire time, and she had stood there with her hands raised.
"Sure. Sit down." He said, looking toward where she had been sitting.
Sarah winced. She'd rather sit next to him. But she also knew that she deserved the way he was treating her. She nodded, and walked backwards to her seat. Once she had sat down, Chuck lowered the gun.
"Let's say I do accept your apologies. How do we do this? Cause I won't be locked away like a criminal or told to stay in the freaking car. I also can't keep burning the candle at both ends. Working at the Buymore to keep up my cover while doing what we do. I'm not saying we tell anyone about the intersect. Truth is, that would be a very stupid thing to do, and it would only put targets on people's backs.
"We can work on that. Casey and I will teach you. Hand to hand, weapons and tactics. Maybe you can teach us computers?" Sarah asked, and Chuck smiled.
"I think I could do that."
"Thank you. Now there's someone who would like to talk to you. Will you turn on your TV?" Sarah asked, and Chuck did. Then his jaw dropped.
"Hello Chuck. Can I call you Chuck? My name is Zachery Smith, but you can call me Zach. I think it's about time we talked."
"Okay then...Mr. President."
A/N: So here is chapter 2! I hope you all enjoyed, and the next chapter will be up soon!