A/N: Thank you all again for the support. The story is writing itself faster than I expected, at least for now. So, enjoy this as your tummy recovers from your Thanksgiving meal.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything remotely famous.
Chuck vs Facts:
Chuck woke up still at his computer. He had spent most of the night looking into his "new friends" and their bosses. And he wasn't even remotely close to done yet. I'll need to think of a faster way to unredact their files. I saw plenty to make me sick, but there is definitely more I need to know. Chuck thought as he stretched, sure to close out of his program and bring up the computer game that would've been showing had anyone been looking, before he closed his computer down. It unplugged the external hard drive that he was storing all the encrypted files he had accessed, not that it was needed since his mind was remembering everything easier than it had. That's something I will need to analyze when I get the chance to relax a bit. Things that seemed hard to learn are starting to feel easier to remember. Blessing and a curse for sure. Chuck thought with a laugh as he put the hard drive inside his computer, lodging it between the graphics card and the internal hard drive, not easy to detect without knowing what you're looking at. And then he got up to get ready for work.
A week later, and it felt like he hadn't gotten a minute alone to think about everything and see what more he could find. Either Morgan was wanting time with him, or Ellie needed to talk, or the rare but wonderful date with Sarah. Cover date. It's not real. Chuck admonished himself. He was starting to have some troubles differentiating between what was real and what wasn't. A lot of the time he spent with Sarah just felt so real. But she was always quick to remind him that it wasn't. That everything she did was for the cover. That he mattered only for what was in his head, and nothing more. His shoulders slumped at that thought as he sat down to do his daily work for the Intersect. Flipping through picture after picture. A few things coming up for missions that the government had going on in the Middle East. Pretty typical for his daily files, hidden nicely in a cover of a comic book so that his sister and Devon, aka Captian Awesome wouldn't realize what he was doing. Either Sarah would give them to him if they had a cover date the night before, or Casey would drop them at the Morgan door before bed. Then he came across a news article on the paper that Captain Awesome was reading. A Painting. A knife wound, bodies and blood. A dossier with the name La Ciudad in bold red. No picture. Chuck sputtered from choking on his cereal. "You have to chew it Chuck. I've told you this since you were 7." Ellie teased. Chuck tried to force a laugh but was freaking out a little. The painting was a fake and the frame the painting was in contained some weapons grade plutonium. La Ciudad was there to steal it and sell it on the black market. And it was in LA. The show was tomorrow. Excusing himself, he made his way over to Casey's.
Knocking on the door, Sarah let him in. Chuck was slightly confused as to why Sarah was there, but as he wandered into the apartment, which was bare except for a picture of Ronald Regan and a bonsai tree, he heard voices talking to them. Rounding the table he saw, it was Director Graham and General Beckman. "Wow. These videos really show every wrinkle." Chuck said with a smirk. "This is a live feed conference numbnuts. Be seen, not heard. We are being debriefed." Casey grunted angrily. "TWINKLE it shows every twinkle in those eyes…." Chuck tried to save the situation. With a roll of her eyes Sarah hid a smirk. Of course he walks in and says that to the bosses. He either has a death wish, or he is just that open of a person. "And I understand you're being debriefed, but I figured you all would be interested in a massive arms dealer and some weapons grade plutonium that is set to be in LA tomorrow at an art auction. Does the name La Ciudad mean anything?" Chuck said, trying to act like he didn't know who it was on the monitors. There was a bit of chaos at what he said. Beckman immediately started trying to give orders, at the same time Graham did as well. Sarah stood staring at the scene Chuck just inadvertently caused, and Casey was busy trying to listen to the General. He had no respect for Graham, but his face was unreadable. Similar to Sarah's. They had their agent masks on and weren't going to let a distraction effect it. Having calmed down, the General ordered Casey to look into the validity of this, and Graham directed Sarah to find out what she could about the auction. The dismissed quickly, with a flat look from Beckman, and a glare from Graham. "They seem nice." Chuck chirped with a chuckle. Casey grabbed him, "don't interrupt another briefing like that again or you'll have my foot up your ass." Casey growled and then let go and grabbed his coat, walking toward the door. "Let's go moron." He said as he closed the door. "He really is a sweet guy once you get past the hard candy shell." Chuck quipped on his way past Sarah, who failed at maintaining her Spy Mask and cracked a small smile.
Later that day, Chuck was told by Big Mike to get all the old computers in the Cage cleaned up in order to show that he was Assistant Manager Material. So, he found himself sitting in the cage working on them with the other Nerd Herders when Morgan eased into the cage with them. "Hey, Chuck. There is a super hot blonde in front looking for you, saying you guys have a date?" He said, his phobia of old technology making it difficult for him to be in there. Crap, they have a mission! But I have to get this done! Chuck started to panic. "Go," Lester said, speaking for the group, "but next time I have a date you have to cover for me." He said cockily. Chuck looked around and saw everyone was in agreement. "Yeah. There aren't many left. You pretty well cleared them all already." Anna said from her spot away from the others.
"Thank you guys, I owe you a ton!" Chuck said as he grabbed his coat and left.
On the way to the auction Sarah kept looking at Chuck. She knew what she looked like, the CIA made sure she was alluring. It's easier to get people to talk when they feel attracted to the person they are talking to. But she hadn't been prepared for what that Armani suit would look like on Chuck. He looks really good. He doesn't dress right for his body type. He is way more handsome than he thinks, and I'm going to need to be careful. Sarah gave herself a pep talk. Chuck was excited, he felt this should go smoothly and easily and then maybe he could get a chance to hold Sarah in that dress as they danced.
Chuck was at the bar while Sarah worked the room, getting more and more jealous as he watched her get close to guys and flirt. "Eyes on the prize moron. We need you to be on the look out for La Ciudad. Remember. Not staring down Walker." Chuck coughed and diverted his eyes as Sarah had heard Casey over the coms. Really Casey. You couldn't have been more subtle? Chuck thought as he flashed on a guy, he notified Sarah and said he wasn't 100% sure. She said she would check and make contact with the guy. It was clear she was flirting with him. And as they made their way out of the ballroom, Casey came out from behind the bar. "Stay here." Casey commanded as he took off after Sarah.
Chuck started roaming around the ballroom and found the painting. He wondered if it had already happened. As he was standing there looking at it, a beautiful woman came up and was looking at the picture as well. "Beautiful painting. Isn't it?" She said. "What? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not really something I'd pay for. It wouldn't fit in my apartment." Chuck joked, feeling uncomfortable. "Well, it isn't for everyone." The woman said as she brushed her hair behind her ear. Her movement caught Chuck's attention, and instantly his eyes fluttered as he caught sight of a distinct scar. He remembered the pictures from that morning and what the Intersect showed him. I messed up. Where is Casey? Sarah? I'm standing next to her. Next to La Ciudad. Chuck started to back away, faking a yawn he tried tapping on his com. Hoping to get their attention. Just then the front desk clerk came up and asked if he was Chuck Bartowski. "What? No. You have me confused." Chuck tried to lie. "THATS HIM! I know his voice anywhere!" He heard Morgan yell from on the phone. La Ciudad was eyeing his suspiciously. He begrudgingly took the phone, "what Morgan?" "Chuck, I'm trapped in the cage. Tang dropped off more computers last minute, and everyone bailed. I'm here alone man. Trapped. With old computers. I'm not ok!" Morgan spewed out in a frantic stream of words. Chuck hung up, and handed the phone back to the waiter. "Thank you." He said to them, turning to La Ciudad he said, "it's been a pleasure talking to you, but I must find my date and be going. Apparently a friend is in trouble. Excuse me." Chuck said as he slipped away in the direction that Sarah had disappeared. Getting far enough away he felt a little safer, he didn't noticed one of the big guys that had been with La Ciudad was following him. "Guys where are you? You have the wrong guy! Where are you!?" Chuck said frantically, turning a corner to what he saw was a door outside and a door to the stairs. He opened the door outside, accidentally pushing it into Casey, who fell into the the MI6 agent that was holding them at gun point, and caused the gun to go off. Chuck looked back and saw the big man turn and head back the way he came while clearly talking into an ear piece.
Once everything had settled, the knowledge that La Ciudad had gotten away, and they had parted ways, Chuck was mentally scolding himself for the mess up as he made his way to the back of the BuyMore to get Morgan out of the cage. "Hey buddy, I'm here. You're ok." Chuck consoled his friend as he opened the cage. "Why don't you head home and get some rest." "You sure Chuck? You know I'm with you 1000%. Say the word, and we go down together. I don't know much about computers, or really anything other than games, but I'll do whatever you tell me to." Morgan said encouragingly. "No, it's ok. I got this. It will actually be nice to do something I'm good at, for a change." Chuck bemoaned. Morgan missed the subtext, as he usually did, and told Chuck to call if he changed his mind. And then Chuck was alone. Completely alone, for what felt like the first time in days. And as he started to mindlessly tear into the first computer, something he could fix in his sleep at 16, he started to think. This thing in my head seems to be changing slightly. The sensation of flashing doesn't seem to carry the same weight as it first did. It seems to be picking up information and facts as it goes. Is it some kind of AI? Is it similar to the program that I messed with in my dad's office that had him so worked up about my mental health for those 2 weeks he actually seemed to be present? It feels similar, just it started heavier. Like a weight inside my head at all times. But the longer it is in there, the lighter it gets. And the lighter it gets, it seems to get more…. Agile? Is that the right word? It's learning easier. But it's my brain. I'm learning easier? No. If it were me then it would've been like this forever. I'll need to do some exercises with it if I can figure something out. Maybe talk to Ellie very vaguely about it since the brain is her field. Well, no matter what, I can't just stay stagnant. Today showed just how ill prepared I am to handle this life. And who knows how long it will be in my head. As Chuck worked, he was thinking and spaced out. He didn't notice that in the shadows of the stores back storage room was a figure watching him. Sarah sat and relaxed slightly at the fact he was somewhere safe. She saw him deep in thought and wasn't sure if his concentration was on what he was doing, or something else. His hands seemed to be moving on their own. She knew what it was like to zone out and have muscle memory take over. It took a lot of skill and practice, and he seemed to be troubleshooting computer issues off muscle memory. He had fixed and cleared 4 computers without it seeming like he knew what he was doing. Have we severely underestimated him? I know our bosses have. I see him go out of his way to save the day twice now, even if he shouldn't. And he doesn't question it. Simply because it's the right thing to do. But is he much more skilled than his dossier says? He did go to Stanford. On scholarship. That's not easy to do. He got kicked out for cheating, so maybe he faked it? But from what I've seen that isn't like him. He's to straight cut. He isn't like my dad. That thought stopped her. Was she really comparing him to her father? She had never done that with anyone. Sure, maybe Graham had taken that role slightly. But it makes sense. Why was she thinking about her father while watching Chuck? Before long she realized he was finishing up, the entire night had gone by already and they had to work in a few minutes. She slipped out, sure that at least Big Mike was there by now. And got ready for work in her car. I'll keep a better eye on him. I don't think he is as inept as everyone believes. She thought as she clocked in.
Chuck had finished the old computers in time, but that also meant no sleep. He was sitting at the Nerd Herd desk zoning out entirely when someone rang the bell. He turned around and looked right into the eyes of a gorgeous red head that he had never seen around the store before. It put him on edge. "Hi. I was wondering if I could get some help with my phone?" She held out her cell phone. The exact same type as Sarah had had the first time she came into the store. As his eyes met hers he felt that familiar sensation. Dossier, her picture from the police academy, a list of missions, relation to Sarah, CATS, a picture of Casey in his underwear, and Argentina. Carina Miller. DEA agent, likely to improvise, and leave you holding the bag. What, do they just print out beautiful women to be agents for the government and send them into the field? And is this phone thing just a play in a book? Chuck mused as he finally had a leg up in this world that he has been uninitiated into. "Yeah, there's a screw on the back here… good as new ." He said as he flipped the phone back to her. As he did, he noticed 2 large men coming into the store. He knew them. They were La Ciudad's muscle. "Now, please excuse me." Chuck said as he turned and quickly made his way to the service desk to avoid them. Ducking down behind it, he grabbed the overhead. "Chuck Bartowski to the storage cage. Chuck Bartowski to the storage cage." He said over the mic. Casey noticed and saw the men as they looked through the store. Making his way to them he saw a flash of red hair exit the store. Shaking his head with a grunt, he went up to one of the thugs and discretely took them out. And then followed the other to the back of the store.
On her way out of the store, Carina saw a beautiful delivery driver carrying a box, make her way over to the Wienerlicious. Just where she was headed. It didn't make sense that the driver didn't go inside, but instead headed straight for the roof. Following her off instinct, which is just how she lived her entire life, she climbed up and saw that the woman was getting out a sniper rifle, faced towards the BuyMore entrance. Carina quickly snuck up on her and choked her out. Dragging her back down and into the store, she saw Sarah at the register. "Hey. I found some trash on your roof. Thought you might want it cleaned up." Carina quipped. Sarah's head shot up at the sound of her pseudo friends voice. She immediately got her phone out and called Casey. "Hey, it's Walker. We got La Ciudad. Yeah. Carina. I'll take care of her. Call Beckman." She hung up and turned to Carina, "Why are you here anyways?" Sarah inquired with a bit of force in her tone. She may have considered Carina as much of a friend as you could have on this line of work, but that doesn't mean she trusted her. "Is that any way to treat your only friend?" Carina said with a smirk. Then the smirk faded and she seemed genuine, "Sorry to hear about Bryce by the way." Sarah saw for a moment something real in Carina's eyes, but just as fast, it was gone. "It is an occupational hazard though for what we do. Now, I was just over at that store meeting the rest of your team, and I have to say, I'm not impressed. The lanky one is kind cute, but he sure couldn't hold his own in a fight, and Casey is a wash out. More assassin than spy." She said dismissively. Sarah was getting upset. She knew what Carina was trying to do. She wanted information that she knew wasn't hers to have. "Well, we do good work here." Sarah almost spat back at her. "It doesn't matter anyways. Your team has become my team. I'm here to get a diamond, and you're going to help me." Carina said with a grin. She enjoyed the power struggle any time she was with Blondie. "I hadn't heard anything. But we were finishing up this mission. " Sarah started. "You're welcome" Carina cut her off. Sarah rolled her eyes and continued, "I'm sure we will be briefed about it in the morning." Sarah said. She was used to little sleep, but she had a cover date tonight with Chuck and still had to settle all the paperwork with the MI6 snafu that had happened. She didn't have time to deal with Carina today. At least she finished this mission for us, even though she blindly just attacked someone without any confirmation of who they were. But that sounds like her. I'll have to watch her closely. I don't trust her with Chuck. She thought as she saw Carina make her way out of the store, she was sure she would be back. She wasn't through with her mind games yet.
Chuck got the afternoon off, for which he was thankful. He made his way back home and planned on crashing in his room for a bit before the date, cover date, tonight. When he got in the room, he noticed his computer wasn't exactly where he left it. Slightly panicked, he crouched down and slid it open, seeing the external hard drive he relaxed a little. Booting up the computer, he ran a diagnostic and saw someone had been on it, but only saw computer games and a few scripts that were for nothing. Feeling better, he figured Casey had just snooped to make sure, and he crashed in his bed for a few hours.
Waking up to the sound of Sarah's voice in the kitchen talking to Ellie. Chuck quickly got up and changed into a tshirt and jeans. He opened his door and heard the 2 women chatting. "He can be really absentminded at times." Ellie said as she set the table. "I hadn't seen that. He has always shown me that he is reliable and trustworthy. I'd trust him with my life." Sarah said, looking down the hallway and seeing the door had moved. She smirked slightly, knowing Chuck was up and likely heard them. "That's good. Maybe you're just bringing out the best in him in a way I never could." Ellie said, almost despondently. "I'm always going to need you sis." Chuck said, entering the dining room and making his presence known. "Don't take this wrong Chuck, but I really hope not." She said as she gave him a hug. They all laughed slightly, as they finished getting the table ready.
The rest of the night went well. Morgan came over, which was expected even though he hadn't been invited. And they played games. She saw Chuck looking at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking, to which she smirked to herself softly. But there was something else. She still felt she was being watched. Looking around the room she saw that everyone was focused on the game board. She looked out the window. Carina. You couldn't just stay away and chill for the night. You had to butt in didn't you? Sarah saw the shadowed form of Carina make her way to the front door. "I hope you guys don't mind, I had a friend stop by the restaurant today, and she wanted to spend some time with me. So I invited her to stop by tonight, even though she can't stay long." Sarah said, saying the last part toward the door and loud enough for Carina to hear. Sarah opened the door and gave Carina a hug, "You aren't supposed to be here, now make a damn good excuse and a quick exit Red or I'll make sure you do." Sarah whispered with an icy tone. Carina smiled and made her way into the rooms introducing herself to everyone. She quickly inserted herself as Morgan's partner, and to everyone else but Chuck and Sarah, she seemed to be flirting with him and into him. Ellie seemed the happiest about it. Chuck leaned over and whispered to Sarah, "Why is she here? She's supposed to be in Argentina, and I don't like that she is getting into Morgan. Morgan will think she's actually into him. It will devastate him when she leaves." Chuck wasn't happy, but Sarah seemed to think Carina being distracted by Morgan was a great thing. She hinted at Morgan that maybe they would like to find somewhere that just the 2 of them could talk. Morgan got really excited at the idea, but that seemed to be enough for Carina to make an excuse and leave for the night. Not long after she left everyone called it a night and went home. Chuck walked Sarah to her car, and with the last game they played, Bryce had come up. As Chuck's enemy. And his mind was focused on that. He had seen in her file what they were. But he wanted to hear from her. "Sarah, what exactly were you and Bryce?" He asked, with a slight twinge of jealousy present on his tone. "Well, we were partners. We watched each other's backs. And made sure the mission got done." She said matter of factly. "Oh, so it was more a working relationship, than romantic. Well, that makes sense." Chuck said trying to make it ok in his mind. Even though he know that she wasn't being truthful. She just nodded and headed toward her car. She was difficult to read in that moment, and he watched her leave then headed inside to get to sleep. She lied to me. Of course she did, she's a spy, it's literally what she does for a living. This is her job. Remember? You are a job to her. The moment you forget that, is the moment she will crush you. Chuck thought as he crawled into bed.
Sarah sat in the quiet as she drove to her hotel room. Why did he ask that? Obviously because he had feelings for you. Feelings you can't reciprocate, no matter how easy it would feel. But why lie about Bryce? Because you know it would hurt him even more if he knew. Ugh. What a mess. And it's all Bryce's fault. And Chuck never asked for this. Yet he is thriving in it. He doesn't understand how perfect he is for this, and yet not at the same time. Just like Molly. He will always be more than a job. She shook her head. She couldn't believe she went there. She needed sleep. And with that she hurried to her room.
Chuck was woken in the night by his phone ringing. It was Morgan. Again. Asking, again, if Carina has called. Why she would call him, he had no clue. But here Morgan was, again. "She did not call in the last 2 minutes Organ! Oh, yes ma'am I am the on call nerd herder for all your computer emergencies. Ok, and your room number? Ok, I will be there in 15 minutes." Chuck felt himself flush with embarrassment. He would get back at Morgan somehow for this. He got up and got dressed and headed to the hotel.
He knocked on the door, and when it opened he about dropped his case. There was Carina in a black silk robe and clearly very little on underneath it. "Wow, you take your cover job seriously Chuckles. Feet, use them." She said as she moved away from the door. She turned back to him now holding 2 flutes of champagne. "He… hello. Where is the computer?" Chuck asked, clearly uncomfortable and not looking in Carina's direction at all. "I don't have one." She said in a flirting manner. "Then why did you call?" Chuck droned, his voice cracking from his throat getting dry. "Because I wanted to get you alone. To get to know you better. See, if I'm going to trust you with my life, and more importantly, my diamond, then I wanted to know who I was working with." Carina seemingly purred. Chuck gulped, "I should call Sarah, she should be here." Chuck said as he started to get out his phone. Carina grabbed his phone, and tossed it onto the chair by the bed. "Now if you do that, then I wouldn't be able to seduce you." Carina's voice was almost dripping with lust as she spoke in his ear. "And why would you do that?" Chuck said in an almost dead voice. "Because I like having what Sarah hasn't. Unless, she has already. Chuckie, have you already had Sarah?" Carina inquired. "A gentleman, um, never kissed and, um, tells." Chuck stuttered out as Carina was kneeling behind him, he could feel her breasts on his back, and her hands rubbing his chest and shoulders. "Well, that makes sense. Considering her and Bryce. I'm sure she isn't over her last lover yet." Chuck's brain froze. He knew, but hearing it outloud was another thing. Of course they were PARTNERS. She didn't lie. She omitted the truth, but she didn't lie. He always got the best girls, so it just makes sense. It's not like she had given any indication that she and I are anything more and a job to her. Doesn't mean I'm not still mad at her. She could've just been honest with me. And I didn't care for how she flippantly threw Morgan under the Carina-train either. After this we are going to have a talk. I know absolutely nothing about her that's real. Nothing. And she knows almost everything about me and still is flippant with my friends. Chuck thought. And he was suddenly back in his bed. He vaguely remembers leaving Carina on the bed. Not saying a word to her as he gathered his things and left.
The next morning he went to Casey's after breakfast, and came into their briefing again. This time he sat quietly. Stewing slightly toward Sarah. Once they were told that they would be party crashing it got his attention. He looked up and say the man they were to steal this diamond from. "Senior Wookiee here? That's who has this diamond?" Chuck said with a slight chuckle. Even Casey cracked a smile at it. "Peyman, is about to strike it big with this sale, and is celebrating it with a party this afternoon. Sarah and Carina will blend in well with his usual guests. Casey, you will be their driver. Chuck, we will need you to go along to see what kind of security he has on the diamond that we may have missed." It was the first time General Beckman had used his name, and it didn't go unnoticed by Chuck. He saw Graham looking at the General as well. Apparently he wasn't the only one who noticed. He smiled a little at not being referred to as "the asset" or "the Intersect". It was nice to see that she might understand that he is human after all.
At the party Chuck was wandering around. There was a clear power struggle between Carina and Sarah, and he would rather not get in the middle of it. Sarah had also been seeming to try to talk to Chuck since they left the briefing, but Chuck just wasn't feeling like talking to her at the moment. So he stuck close to Casey before they got to the party. Chuck saw the security cameras, and despite his feelings at the moment, he didn't want Sarah or Carina hurt or caught. And he knew if Carina had a chance to ditch them and blame them for the theft, she would take it. Walking up to Sarah he said quietly, "There are cameras on the north, south and east walls overlooking the entrances there. Easy enough to get by if you know the system." Chuck murmured. "Did you flash?" Sarah asked quietly. "What? No. No, I didn't need to. We sell them at the spy section at the BuyMore." He said as he pulled out his phone and sent the command to loop the cameras. "Ok they are blind for 30 min." Chuck said. "Time to move. Carina where are you?" Sarah commanded. "Already in the house. I got a tour from one of the guards who is sleeping now" Carina bragged with a audible smirk. "That wasn't the plan. Stick to the plan Red." Sarah said angrily as she and Chuck made their way to the east entrance, which was closest to the diamond. They made their way to the diamond, passing several pieces of art. When they got there Carina was in the room already, having set off the silent alarm already. Immediately on entering the room, Chuck flashed on the security system. Pressure sensitive stand, surrounded by several thousand volts of electricity, and once the diamond is off the stand, the room closes and fills with a toxic gas. All in under 30 seconds. "Carina, you didn't happen to turn off the silent alarm did you..?" Chuck asked quietly, and as he finishes talking, Peyman and 2 large goons step into the room. I'm seeing the women's Peyman waves off the men and starts flirting with them. They say that Chuck is just their brother, and he plays into it completely. Carina looks as Chuck indicating for him to get the diamond while Peyman is distracted. So Chuck grabs the fire extinguisher, and blows the diamond off the stand, catching it and putting it in a pouch, he makes a dash for the door, doing a perfect slide under it as it closes. Seeing that the girls had knocked out the guards and Peyman, they make a break for the beach. As they reach the stairs to get to the beach, Chuck notices that the guard that Carina had knocked out first was after them. His gun drawn. And not far behind him was the other 2. Soon the rest caught on and started moving towards them quickly, as they made their way down the stairs and onto the beach. Chuck dove behind a rock, waiting for Casey to come get them. "Chuck, give me the diamond, I'll take the heat and they will leave you alone!" Carina implored. Chuck looked at her and wondered just how stupid she thought he was. He reached in his pocket and dumped the diamond into it, then pulled the sack out that it had been in. I'm the sand he felt a rock about that size and slid it into the sack before tossing it to Carina. She turned and ran, hitting a button on her watch that caused a jet ski to pop up out of the water. She jumped on it and took off. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?! NOW WE ARE DEFINITELY DEAD!" Sarah screamed at him. Her lack of faith in him never more apparent than in that moment. He just kept his mouth shut, not wanting to bother fighting while getting shot at. Just then the black hummer popped out from the other side of the beach, hitting 2 guys and blocking the rest from firing. "Did someone order an Uber?" Casey quipped as he pushed the door open. Sarah jumped in the back and Chuck up front. They were soon out of immediate danger, and Sarah rounded on Chuck. "Why did you give her the diamond! You KNEW she was going to leave us there!" Just then her phone rang, she answered it with just as much anger. "Carina where are you?" "I'm gone Sarah, I knew you would make it out of there alive. You always do." Carina said flippantly. "It was a pleasure working with, wait. Where is my diamond!" Carina yelled into the phone. Sarah's eyes shot up, to see Chuck holding the diamond up in between his fingers looking at the light shine through it. "I don't get the fuss about these rocks. Do you Casey?" Chuck said calmly. Guess I'm not the total screw up you all seem to think I am. Chuck thought. Casey grunted amused at Chuck's antics for the first time, as he glanced back at Sarah. Making eye contact and giving a slight head nod and shoulder shrug. Sarah hung up the phone and sat quietly in the back on the way back to Burbank to work the rest of their shifts.
That evening as work was finishing up, Sarah went over to the BuyMore to see Chuck. As she approached the Nerd Herd desk, he looked up and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes like it normally did. Something it wrong more than me getting onto him during the mission. She thought as she greeted him. "Want to come over tonight?" She said, trying to sound like a girlfriend. It was always easier with Chuck than it had been with anyone else. She noticed. It sent a shiver down her spine. She had already been in this mission longer than most her other missions had taken. The post mission briefing had been quick and easy since they had the diamond. And Casey was going to handle the rest that was needed, which freed her up for some cover maintenance. "Sure. I'm off in a half hour and then I'll run home and change and pick up pizza?" Chuck offered, clearly trying to sound more excited than he seemed. "Sounds great. See you around 7" Sarah said as she turned to leave.
Chuck showed up at her hotel room, he'd never been there before, and he felt a little out of place. It was a really nice extended stay hotel. He sat down and Sarah started talking to him "Clearly Carina got to you. You have been off since she got here. Talk to me Chuck." Sarah asked of him. "A little. She told me the truth about you and Bryce. I don't understand why lie about it to me." Chuck sadly stated. "Because it didn't feel relevant." Sarah said with another half truth. Relevant. Sure. Just pile on him. Tell him how littler his feelings mean to you. Sarah berated herself. Chuck kinda scoffed, "Yeah, I guess not. Is there anything about you that is real? Can you tell me anything? A name? A middle name? Just your middle name?" Chuck pleaded. He was desperate to make a connection of some kind. Why won't he stop? Do I really want him to stop? Do I want him to give up on me? It would be easier for both of us. This is complicated, it wouldn't be if he stopped caring about me. Like everyone else has. It's easier that way. Sarah looked at her hands in her lap. She didn't like these feelings he brought up in her. But she knew she couldn't speak. "I'm going to get the napkins and pizza." Chuck said as he stood, dejected at her lack of willingness to let him in at all. Misunderstanding why. Just say something. You're losing the one person who saw you. Sees you. The one person who cares about more than your body. Your skill set. Your record. The one person who actually wants to spend time with you outside of a mission or a bed. Say. Something. "It's Lisa. My middle name is Lisa." She croaked out in barely a whisper. She was sure he hadn't heard her because she got no response. No reaction. But Chuck did hear her. She finally told him something real. He knew. He schooled his grin slightly as he picked everything up. And walked back to her.
A/N: We end there this time. Like I said, getting more AU but still trying to stay close to cannon. Let me know what you think! And thank you again everyone for the support!