A/N: Bryce Larkin is gone. So, can they just settle down and enjoy their new life together and their jobs at Beckman & Associates?
Thanks once again for all the reviews, PMs, favorites and follows. I really do appreciate them all.
Beta thanks go to Captainrick944 again. He also provided me with a great additional section on an arrest that you will read. Thanks, my friend and congrats on all the great reviews of your amazing "Orion Cyber Security Systems" which I am sure all my readers will be following.
Anger Management
Chapter 16: Equally Unwelcome
Bryce had been gone for a week, and the strife in their lives had settled down.
Chuck was getting more and more into his new job and finding it rewarding. Traveling to work with his girlfriend was the icing on the cake.
Laszlo had asked him to update the servers and Casey wanted firewall updates. Strangely, in spite of being IT equipment, firewalls were funded by Security. Chuck had decided to replace the firewall servers, which were quite old, and update the software at the same time. Casey had approved the spend. While waiting for the new servers, the hunt for the attacker continued. At the end of each day, he was exhausted but extremely happy with what he had achieved.
Sarah was equally busy as she was basically doing the work of a project manager with only a small amount of assistance from Carina. The clients were generally happy, but Sarah sensed the female contacts were definitely disappointed that Daniel was no longer their primary contact. She couldn't help wondering what additional services he offered them and then felt sick.
Their personal relationship couldn't be better, either. Their love life showed no sign of having peaked. Sarah had never enjoyed it so much and knew that no one else could ever compare to her wonderful boyfriend.
That wasn't the only thing improving. Sarah's sessions with Ellie had helped her strengthen her anger management, too. When it did flare up now, it was channeled towards things that deserved it; not that she could do anything about the problems she saw on the TV, but shaking her fist at it was better than at someone physically in front of her.
"You're like a different person, Sarah," Ellie told her.
Sarah chuckled.
The two of them still me up weekly, but now just because they enjoyed being together. A bottle of wine shared each time. Sometimes at Ellie and Devon's apartment and sometimes at Sarah and Chuck's. The guys would leave them to it and head out to see their friends.
"It's thanks to you and your wonderful brother," Sarah stated and took another sip of the wine.
"I think a lot of it is because you feel in control of your life and happy with where it is going," Ellie observed.
Sarah considers Ellie's words. She was more than happy with her life now. That was largely because of a sweet nerd, both making her feel that way, but it also made her feel good that she did the same for him. She loved him with all her heart and knew he felt the same for her. Soulmates.
Her work felt less in control, however, that meant every success felt every more rewarding. She didn't really know where her career was going but knew that she would be able to do anything with Chuck by her side.
"I love him so much, Ellie. I feel he just makes me a happier, better person. I hope I do the same for him."
Ellie nodded vigorously. "You absolutely do. I have never seen him so happy and you have not only pulled him out of his melancholy but out of the Buy More as well." They both chuckled at that. "He's now doing a job that makes good use of his skills." Ellie stopped Sarah interrupting with a raised hand. "All the time, not just when he lucked out on good calls to the Nerd Herd desk."
Sarah nodded. That was true of his time at the Buy More. Some work, and particularly what he did for Beckman & Associates, used his skills, but a lot didn't.
"Not only that, he's now getting rewarded for it." Ellie grinned. "I don't just mean in dollars, but in praise too."
Sarah beamed, thinking about that. "Oh, and he now has his own car, one that fits him," Sarah pointed out.
"When's he taking us out in it?" Ellie asked.
"Well, he only picked it up yesterday and is still getting used to it. Maybe the weekend?"
"I thought you wanted him to get an open-top sports car," Ellie said, teasingly.
"That would've been amazing but not practical," Sarah mused.
Ellie frowned. "Practical?"
Sarah blushed. Maybe she had said too much but couldn't really back down now. "We might want kids before we change cars."
Ellie beamed. "Oh my god. Kids!"
Sarah grinned. "Not yet, Ellie, but yes we do want kids."
The hug Sarah received was almost bone-crushing, but she hugged back as best she could, with tears of joy forming.
She loved this woman and loved her life. It couldn't get any better, and nothing could destroy that.
He was exhausted from the time he'd spent here. His overconfidence in his ability to bring in and set up the new firewall servers and all the network connections required had been his undoing. He really should have accepted the assistance he was offered, but he had been determined to do this on his own rather than get anyone else involved. He knew part of that was because of the incursion making him less trusting, but a lot was him just thinking he could do this much better than anyone else. Not only that, he would have felt guilty dragging others on a Saturday.
Taking the servers out of service had to be done out of hours. He could have done it overnight but had chosen a Saturday as it felt less intrusive on his time with Sarah. There was no way he was leaving her to sleep on her own, or, if he was honest with himself, miss out on their other bedtime activities.
He was nearly finished now and would be able to test it all soon. Then, he'd be able to return home to his lovely girlfriend.
As he stared up the servers, he logged in and configured the new firewall software. To an outsider, the system would look exactly like it did before, but the changes in the internal set up and monitoring subroutines were materially different. The old set up was fine and did the job, but this would be more secure and virtually scream if they had any incursion attempts, as well as locking down the individual doing it.
Two hours later, the work was complete, tested and active. He called Sarah. "I'm done. And done in."
"You poor baby. Do you want me to come and collect you and leave your car there?" she replied.
He smiled to himself. She was always willing to do things like that for him. "No, but you could come and join me for lunch at the Italian over the road."
"I'll be there in about 45 minutes. You know what I like, so order it for me."
He grinned. "Deal."
He picked up his bag and strolled over to the Italian restaurant they both liked so much. It was quiet, so he easily got a table.
He had sat down and ordered a drink . As he waited for his Diet Coke, he started to scan the specials menu when someone sat opposite him.
"Sorry, that seat's taken," he started to say, then recognized the woman sitting opposite him. "Jill?"
"Hello, Chuck. Long time." She was still beautiful, but she no longer took his breath away; a certain blonde did that now.
Her presence irritated him. He coldly asked, "What do you want, Miss Roberts?"
"Ooh. So formal." She grinned. "Can't I just want to catch up with an old friend?"
"An old boyfriend that you cheated on. No, you can't," he replied while frowning.
"Mmm. Still hurting? Miss me?"
"Not in the slightest. I'm completely over you," he snapped back.
"With one of Bryce's cast-offs, I hear," Jill said dismissively.
Chuck didn't notice Sarah walking up behind him, but his response would have been the same anyway. "Sarah is the most wonderful person I know. She is not a cast-off, and Bryce said he regretted their parting. She and I are totally in love, and I'd like you to leave."
Jill settled back into the chair. "Or what?"
A voice behind Chuck answered angrily, "Or I'll drag you out by your hair, you bitch."
Jill looked shocked, and Chuck grinned. "Jill, meet my beautiful girlfriend, Sarah. Sarah, this is the bed hopper I used to know."
"Bed hopper?" Jill said in an angry voice.
"That sums up what Bryce told us about your time since I last saw you," Chuck replied.
"Some people use ability to rise up the ranks, but obviously not all," Sarah commented.
Jill wasn't going to take this. "I hear you are a Project Manager. Do you manage your clients with that mouth of yours?"
Chuck caught Sarah's wrist as she moved to get to Jill. "She's really not worth it, Sarah." He didn't want Sarah getting into trouble. He looked up at her stormy eyes, which she swiveled down towards his. He watched the anger there fade as their eyes locked.
After a few seconds, she replied, "You're right. She's worthless."
Jill had watched the interchange and wasn't happy with their comments. She was about to verbally lash out when Chuck turned back to her. "So, are you going to explain why you're here or are you going to leave?"
Jill visibly got herself under control. "I want to know why you blocked Bryce's proposal."
Sarah laughed at the point. "neither of us had to do that. Mrs. Beckman did that all on her own."
Jill mulled that over for a second, frowning. "But why?"
"There was nothing in the proposal that interested her," Sarah clarified, then she further taunted the seated woman, "Was it your idea? Is that why it was so rubbish?"
Jill bristled but replied, "No. Just a speculative thing for our boss. I just wanted it to succeed."
"For your career?" Sarah pushed.
Chuck tugged on her hand to try to get her to back off a bit but knew it was pointless.
Jill glared at Sarah but nodded.
"I don't think you'll have any more success than Bryce did," Sarah told her. "Mrs. Beckman is smart and knows what she wants. Pretty boys and beautiful women do not sway her from that."
Jill grunted. "Pity." She turned her attention back to the man sitting opposite her, ignoring Sarah altogether. "I could still have some fun, though, Chuck."
Sarah was already standing, but his hand around her wrist stopped her. She angrily responded, "So, play with yourself like you probably usually do, when not 'climbing ladders.'"
Chuck was proud of her. "Instead of screwing up other people's lives," he added. "I am so not interested."
Jill glared at both, then stood and walked out.
Sarah sat in the vacated seat. Chuck could see she was still angry. "I'm proud of you for holding back, Sarah."
She narrowed her eyes. "I didn't. You held me back. She needed to be flattened."
He smiled. "I think that's the position she does most of her work."
That made her laugh. "Yeah. Probably."
He reached across the table. "Don't let that tramp spoil our lunch."
She looked into his eyes. Eyes full of love for her. She melted.
He knew that another Angry Sarah situation had been averted.
As they ate their pasta dishes, Sarah asked, "How did she even know you were here?"
Chuck had been thinking about that. "I don't know. Maybe she saw me enter here?"
"Or maybe she saw you come out of the building she was observing and followed you," Sarah responded.
"Yeah. Maybe, but who cares. She's gone now."
Sarah nodded and they continued the meal. Afterward, they would return home, and she planned to remind him how lucky he was to have her in his life.
The following day, Sunday, they had a number of chores to attend to, so they worked their way through them. Together. Both loved working together, whatever needed to be done.
That evening, Sarah had arranged to have a meal with Carina and her other friend from work, Gwen from reception. They would then go dancing. Chuck would normally see Morgan, but he was away, so he had a meal with his sister and Devon.
When Chuck went home, the light was on in their bedroom. Surprised but happy that she was home so early, he rushed to see her. When he opened the bedroom door, his jaw dropped.
Lying on their bed, in just lacy underwear, was Jill Roberts.
"What the hell are you doing here, Jill? And how did you get in?" he shouted.
"I thought you could enjoy some time without your ball and chain," Jill said, pushing her chest his way.
"Get out of our bed and get out of our apartment, Jill," he yelled.
He shouted so loudly that his own voice masked the apartment door opening and Sarah stepping in. His shout halted her in her tracks and stopped her calling to him. She quietly walked down the hallway.
"I thought I'd reminder you what it was like to be with a real woman, Chuck," Jill said in a seductive voice.
Chuck snorted, then took on an almost dreamy look as he thought about his girlfriend. "Sarah is so much better than you, Jill. Sometimes I think no mere human could be so perfect. She's an angel." He then hardened his features. "I could never sleep with another woman after her, you least of all."
Sarah stopped moving as listening to this praise felt so good.
Jill wasn't deterred, however. "Oh, come on. I bet she never looked this good in sexy underwear."
Sarah hadn't seen the woman, so this was news to her. So that's all she's wearing? Well, at least she has something on.
Chuck stated, with no hesitation, "Sarah outclasses you in everything, Jill. Looks, intelligence, humor, her body, sex appeal, and most definitely sex itself. Get your scrawny ass out of our bed right now."
Jill was persistent. Sarah had to give her that. "Come and make me."
Chuck was surprised when he was brushed aside. He watched in horror as Sarah rushed to the bed, grabbed Jill by the hair, and dragged her off the bed. Jill's body hit the floor with a bump. Then Sarah continued to drag the still screaming Jill, out of the bedroom, along the corridor, and to the front door. She unceremoniously dumped Jill out of the door and slammed it shut.
Chuck reached her and wrapped his arms around her. He could feel that she was still seething as he held her. After a minute, she calmed down and he lifted her chin up and kissed her. "My protector."
Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck into a deeper kiss after saying, "Your angry girlfriend."
There was a banging at the door, and they heard Jill call out, "I need my clothes and car keys."
Sarah stalked down to the bedroom and found these, then reversed and opened the front door to threw them out. Jill stood in her bra and panty set as Sarah glared at her. By his time, Ellie was at her door with her hand over her mouth.
In a cold menacing tone, Sarah finally spoke, "Don't you ever come near this place or my man again. Ever."
Jill glared at her. "I wonder how you'd fair against Vivian." She picked up her clothes and keys and walked to the fountain to dress. Two other women glared at her as she did. Then she walked away.
Before Sarah could comprehend that last statement, Ellie walked across to them. "I thought you were out dancing tonight, Sarah."
"I would have been, but didn't feel well, so came home early." Sarah looked at her boyfriend, who was still looking shocked. "Good job I did. Seems I needed to protect him from a slutty woman from his past."
He got his voice back. "I wasn't-"
She placed a hand on his arm. "I know, Chuck. I heard you find her there."
Ellie asked, "Where?"
Sarah narrowed her eyes. "That slut was in our bed dressed ready to have her way with him."
Ellie had seen how Jill was dressed, but all the same. "In your bed?"
Chuck started again, "I wasn't-"
Sarah stopped him again, this time with a kiss. A kiss that deepened.
"Well, I'm glad Angry Sarah is still with us, just channeled correctly. Looks like the adrenaline rush has made you feel better, Sarah," Ellie chuckled. "Off to bed with you both. I think that bed will still get the same action, just different participants."
She was so right.
That was the last they saw of Jill Roberts.
Chuck half expected her to take legal action over Sarah's treatment of her, but thankfully that didn't happen.
They never did discover how Jill found him, how she found their apartment or got into it, but it spurred them to improve the locks if nothing else.
Life settled back to normal after that. However, it did make both of them want to find out who it was that did the cyber-attack. Casey obviously felt the same.
Casey did, however, find the whole thing about Jill highly amusing. When Chuck told him about it the following day, Casey deliberately accosted them as they were leaving to go home. "Who warming the bed tonight?"
Sarah glared, then replied, "Our intense lovemaking will make it scorching hot."
Casey blushed and walked off. He said nothing more when Sarah was around but teased Chuck about it for a few days.
Chuck and Sarah had, however, discussed Jill's last comment. He searched the Gateshead Financials' staff records. There was only one Vivian, Vivian McArthur, who had transferred from Volkoff's own organization. Searching for her on social media, Chuck quickly found her. A beautiful brunette, Sarah noted, but the interesting thing was her father, Alexei Volkoff.
At Sarah's suggestion, Chuck and Casey did some of their own investigations into Vivian. Chuck, as always, was able to dig better than Casey.
It seemed that Volkoff and his first wife separated shortly before the birth of their daughter. Her mother gave Vivian her maiden name, McArthur. Vivian had, however, reunited with her father and seemed to be trying to impress him.
Chuck's deeper dive found that Vivian had been raised in England but went to college in the States. She got into gambling while at there and had a big bust-up with her mom over it. She never returned to England but stayed and moved to New York to try to connect with her dad. He recognized her possible abilities, helped her find some accommodation, and told her she had to prove her worth.
The rivalry between her and Jill Roberts was well documented in the New York press.
She held bachelors degrees in Math and Computer Science. Sarah felt sure she was the one in contact with Daniel Shaw.
Daniel was still refusing to name his accomplice. The three of them went to the police to discuss their suggestion. As the lead detective, Malcolm Blake was a friend of Casey's. As the lead detective, he knew Casey and Sarah were familiar with Shaw and might be able to spot any behavioral anomalies, so they were allowed to observe the interrogation.
"We've just heard from a friend of yours who was willing to dish the dirt on you, Shaw," Blake stated.
"Expect me to believe that?" Shaw asked.
"Well, Vivian doesn't seem to like you so much, now," Blake commented.
Shaw twitched before he said, "Vivian?"
The detective instantly spotted the reaction just as the three observers had. "Yes, Vivian McArthur. It seems you failed to get her what she wanted, so when we questioned her, she blamed you for everything."
Shaw looked up angrily. "That's not true! She persuaded me…." He stopped when he realized what he was saying, but it was enough.
Blake left him and walked out of the interrogation room. He walked to the three of them. "Thank you. We will have our peers in New York visit Miss McArthur."
Within 24 hours, the office of the Manhattan District Attorney had an arrest warrant for Vivian McArthur for illegal criminal activity under the "Computer Fraud and Abuse Act" and New York City Title J: Article 156; Unauthorized use of a Computer, and Unauthorized Computer Access/Trespass. Hacking was a brave new world, and the young and ambitious District Attorney saw this as a fantastic opportunity to link his future to a form of crime that would inevitably grow.
McArthur was arrested in her Upper West Side apartment, where detectives seized her personal electronic devices. Within hours the NYPD technical forensic investigators found several highly incriminating email and text messages, as well as data logs highlighting the incursions into Beckman Associates.
Vivian McArthur would probably not do much if any, jail time, but her immediate firing and media coverage of her arraignment shattered her reputation.
Vivian McArthur was no longer a threat to Beckman Associates, but Chuck and Sarah did wonder if she would seek revenge in some way. Maybe not in the near future, as that would be too obvious, but it was still a worry for later. Casey pointed out that their names had not been mentioned in the case against her, which was true, but it didn't completely remove that concern.
However, they were all were glad it was now resolved.
Diane Beckman was over the moon, or as much as anyone had ever seen her.
"After what you two have done for this company, I think you both deserve some sort of reward. How about some time off and a vacation?" she asked.
Chuck and Sarah looked at each other. Time off sounded wonderful.
Diane chuckled. "I can see from the looks in your eyes that appeals. You both get a bonus." She pushed envelopes across her desk to them. "Spend it on a great holiday somewhere exotic. Take two weeks, but tell Casey and me when you want to go, so we can make arrangements here."
They both picked up the envelopes and thanked her, walking out of her office in a daze.
They sat in the staff restaurant drinking coffee as they looked at the notes telling them how much had been transferred into their accounts.
"I've had bonuses at the Buy More, but nothing like this," Chuck observed.
Sarah had been even more amazed. She looked at Chuck. "I've never been abroad. I don't even have a passport."
He looked up at her and grinned. "Same."
She grasped his hand. "Where would you like to go?"
He started to think about it but then realized something. "It has to be something we both want, not just one of us."
Her eyes misted. "Aww."
"So, what are you two mooning at each other over?" Carina always seemed to find them in here.
Chuck wasn't sure how much to tell her, but Sarah didn't hold back. "We worked out who was Daniel's contact, and it's all wrapped up. We got a bonus and two weeks leave. We need to find some exotic location but have no idea where to go. Neither of us has ever been away from the States,"
Carina pulled up a chair and sat by them, placing her coffee on the table.
"Now, I am usually looking for men, which isn't the sort of vacation you want." Then, with a twinkle in her eye, she turned to Sarah. "… Or is it? Singles vacations?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Nooo."
Carina laughed. "Just checking." She pondered for a while. "Beach, exploring, and breaking that down, nature, historical sites, or cities?"
The couple looked at each other. Neither had a clue.
Carina wasn't deterred. "Of course, you could do all if you went somewhere on the Med."
Seeing they weren't going to make a snap decision, she got up and left them to it.
Chuck ventured, "I love the idea of lying on a beach with you as part of it, but we can do that here. What do you think of her last comment?"
Sarah loved the idea of the two of them just in swimwear on a beach, but that could, and would, be this weekend, she decided. "I do love hiking, and some ancient sites in Europe would be cool."
"How about Crete. Home of the Minoans?"
Sarah looked at him. "That's an island, isn't it?" He nodded. "So, there'll be beaches as well as sites. Maybe some inland hiking?"
"Let's find out," he said.
They finished their coffees and headed back to work.
"And she gave you $5,000 each and two weeks' leave?" Ellie was shocked.
"Awesome," Devon added.
"She's virtually told us to go on an exotic vacation," Chuck told them.
"Not virtually, Chuck. Those were her actual words," Sarah corrected him.
Ellie could hardly contain herself. Rubbing her hands together, she said, with sparkling eyes, "Ooh. Where are you going? And when?"
"We have wondered about Crete, but we really have no idea, El," he admitted.
"I'd go skiing in the Alps," Devon said, looking dreamy.
Equally dreamy, Ellie said, "I'd lie on a beach in Seychelles and go scuba diving."
"Or trekking in the Himalayas," Devon added.
"Or cruising on the Nile," Ellie's dreams continuing.
"Neither of us even have passports," Sarah said, cutting through their rambling.
Ellie focused back on her. "Well, get applying for one."
"How long does it take?" Chuck asked.
"Do I look like an official?" Ellie asked. "You already had one, but I think mine took about 10 weeks, didn't it, Devon?"
"Yeah. Felt like forever," he replied.
Chuck and Sarah's grunts matched, which made Ellie chuckle. "Well, go get on with it. Time's a pressing."
"You can get the application form online," Devon told them.
As they walked out of Ellie and Devon's apartment, Ellie added, "And get thinking about what you'd like to do and where to go, too."
Holding each other's hands as they walked across the courtyard, both felt this was going to be another great adventure for them.
Chuck was also thinking that some exotic location may be the best place to propose to his lovely girlfriend.
A/N: So where should they go? Suggestions?