A/N: The penultimate chapter. I've decided to add an epilogue. The good news is that it will be published very shortly. Michaelfmx my stalwart, hard-working beta has it right now.
Any errors you see are my responsibility.
Thanks to Grayroc and Zettel for their continued support.
Don't own Chuck at al.
—
SECOND CHANCES
She gently caresses his cheek, whispers reassuringly, "Yes. I do. No one has ever truly…occupied…my heart. Before. So, there's this empty space, a big one, just waiting to be filled."
She looks up into his eyes, asks, almost pleads, "Will you help me fill it, Chuck?"
He replies tenderly, "Yes, Sarah." Kiss. "Yes." Kiss. "Yes." Kiss.
…
"Chuck! You OK?"
"Yeah."
"Was that a flash?"
He nods. "The Sanitize Protocol. It's scary, Sarah, really bad."
Chapter Fifteen: Breaking free
Dressed in black, her blonde hair tucked up under a cap, she slips stealthily through the archway. It seems the tech guy has done his job. There are no alarms, no indication that she's been detected.
Which is a good thing for her. Maybe this will turn out to be a quick, clean job. In and out with no fuss, no muss.
It wasn't a job she'd asked for, but the Director had made it clear—very clear—that the future she desired depended upon her carrying out this one task, disagreeable though it is.
Somewhat guiltily, she has to admit to herself that there's a certain amount of personal satisfaction to be gained. She had taken an almost instantaneous dislike to the woman upon their first and only meeting. The display of supercilious self-righteousness had grated on her nerves. Had made her want to slap the smug expression from the woman's face.
Even now, she shakes her head, wondering why she restrained herself when the opportunity presented itself.
She puts it aside. Concentrates on the mission.
Peeking her head around the corner, she steals a quick glance toward the target's apartment. All the lights are off. Not unexpected, considering it's the middle of the night.
She removes the key from one of her many pockets. The support team had managed to obtain a copy for her, making the entry that much quicker and safer. In her other hand she holds the silenced pistol down by her side.
Rapidly, quietly, she covers the intervening distance and, slipping the key into the lock, quickly unlocks the door. Very slowly and very carefully, she pushes it open. It doesn't creak and she enters the darkened room.
A voice in her earwig. "No alarms. You're clear."
She quietly replies, "Good. Radio silence from now on unless there's an emergency."
"Roger that."
She closes the door behind her. Flicks the night-vision goggles down over her eyes.
Only to be immediately blinded by the sudden blaze of the room lights.
Ripping off the goggles, she throws herself to the floor, desperate in her attempt to present the smallest target possible.
But there's no gunfire, not even the muted sound of a tranq pistol.
Warily, she looks up, blinking the glare tears from her eyes. It takes a few seconds, but then she's able to make out a blonde woman sitting comfortably in a kitchen chair facing the door. Her legs are crossed at the ankles. In her lap, she holds a silenced chrome pistol.
The woman smiles, but it's not a smile of any softer emotion. No, rather one of infinite menace.
"Agent Forrest, have you given any thought to a different line of work? These nocturnal excursions just don't seem to be working out for you."
"Walker." Alex glowers.
…
Sarah doesn't react to Forrest's scowl, simply watches as the woman starts to rise.
"Uh-uh. None of that until you divest yourself of your weapons. Pistol on the floor, please. Slide it my way."
She obeys.
"And the one strapped to your ankle."
Alex starts to reach for her backup weapon.
"Slowly, Forrest." Sarah nods towards the pistol in her lap. "Don't want to use this. I really like my hardwood floors. I'd hate to see them stained."
Alex slowly reaches down and, with two fingers, pulls the pistol from her ankle holster. Placing it on the floor, she slides it across the floor.
Sarcastically, she asks, "Do I have your permission to stand now?"
"Certainly. As soon as you get rid of the knife in your boot. And there's the little matter of the pistol holstered in the small of your back."
Alex huffs as she carefully—and very slowly—removes her remaining weapons. They join the others on the floor, slid over in Sarah's vicinity.
Sarah rises from her chair and, without letting her gaze drift, even for a fraction of a second, crouches down and gathers up Forrest's arsenal with her free hand. She places each piece on the now-vacated chair, then stands.
She gestures with her head. "Let's go and sit in the living room. We need to have a little chat, you and I. Don't worry, as long as you behave yourself, there'll be no need to use this." She nods toward her pistol.
Forrest gets to her feet and walks over to the couch. She sits.
Sarah sits in a modern, comfortable chair facing the couch.
"One more thing. Without pressing the little button on the side—the one we both know is to send an alert to your team—I'd like you to remove your watch and place it on the table."
The woman obeys once more.
"Oh, and by the way, I haven't forgotten about them. They should be attempting to come through the back door any moment now."
There's no sound for a few moments. Then, abruptly, the confused babble of surprised voices. The repeated pffft! of tranq rounds being fired. Bodies falling heavily to the ground. Quiet.
Then Casey's voice comes from the back of the apartment. "We're clear, Walker. Two down for a nice little nap. They're the ones we expected."
Alex stares, open-mouthed, at the woman sitting across from her.
"You see, Alex, I have a backup team as well. People who I'm very close to. Friends. New and old."
A female voice, one Alex doesn't recognize. "Hey, Sarah. The guy I tranqed is kinda cute. You mind if I jot down the particulars from his file? You know, as a fallback in case my current situation doesn't pan out."
There's a rumbling, inarticulate growl.
Sarah smiles as she replies, "Whatever you want, Carina. You'd do it even if I didn't let you."
"True."
Casey's voice again. "We'll go and secure their van after we handcuff these two. You good?"
"Yes, very good. See you in a bit."
"Roger that."
Forrest's, "How?" slips out, seemingly before she can stop herself.
Sarah smiles, her words proud. "It was mostly Chuck."
"The asset? I don't believe you."
"His name is Chuck. Or Mr. Bartowski. Not the asset. Not the Intersect.
"I trust you'll remember that in the future, Agent."
Forrest swallows heavily. "Yes."
Sarah feels a small measure of pity for the woman sitting across from her. "You consistently underestimated and undervalued him. That was your mistake, right from the beginning. And I'm not talking about what the Intersect allowed him to do. The man is overwhelmingly brilliant in so, so many other ways.
"But you couldn't admit that, even to yourself, could you? You're part of that sad group of individuals who believe the best way to elevate yourself is to put others down."
"That's a load of crap. I have a pragmatic view of the value of others. I'm not swayed by emotions."
"You really believe that don't you?"
"Yes. Why shouldn't I?"
Sarah shakes her head in disappointment. To try and convince Forrest otherwise is an exercise in futility.
Instead, she decides to move on.
"We have discreet remote cameras all around the area. Chuck spotted your van two blocks away. He knew you'd tie into the surveillance system. He made sure you saw what you wanted to see. No signs of anyone up and alert. No indications that we saw you enter the courtyard. Or the rest of your team approaching from the back. You believed the looped feed your tech guy was feeding us was working. But we were just looping the loop back to you.
"I will admit that I admire your technique. You were unexpectedly stealthy. If we hadn't seen you on our cameras, you would have almost surprised us. Almost."
"And the van?"
"Chuck will do something complicated to defeat its external camera feed at the critical moment Your tech guy will never know what hit him until Casey does just that. Or Carina hits on him if she thinks he's cute enough.
"You've been one step ahead the whole time."
"More like two or three, I'd say. And because we are, we can relax now. Have our talk. There are several issues that need to be addressed."
Forrest doesn't reply.
"Come, come, I know this is all very discouraging and confusing, but there's no need to be surly. You're still alive, after all. And this will go a lot better if we have an actual conversation. One to which I advise you to pay close attention."
"What do you want to talk about?"
"That's better.
"First of all, you can take comfort in the fact that this wasn't really your fault. We've known, for quite some time, that someone was coming. I will, however, admit that we didn't know it was you until a couple of days ago. And we weren't sure who'd be accompanying you until recently, either.
"Are you curious about how we knew?"
Forrest just shrugs her shoulders. "Not that important to me."
"I'll tell you anyway. Mostly because I'm so proud of what Chuck has accomplished. As I said, he's brilliant."
Sarah locks eyes with Forrest. "It's mainly because of him that we came to know that you and your team were being sent to assassinate both of us."
The woman is clearly stunned by this revelation, opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, Sarah cuts her off. "Don't insult my intelligence by trying to deny it. Remember who you're dealing with.
"Also, I'm fairly certain you were instructed to make every effort to ascertain if we had the files Shaw had taken. And if so, recover them."
Alex blurts out, "Do you have them?"
Walker smirks. "Yes. We found them within an hour of stopping Shaw. At first, we thought we would return them, but after some consideration, we realized they gave us…leverage. A way to protect Chuck. And a way for him and I to fully exit this life with our heads still on our shoulders.
"So we made sure the car they'd been in disappeared. By the time he'd admitted their location, there was nothing to be found. No one knew for certain that we had the information that only the Director and a few others are ever supposed to see.
"And it was in those same files that we got our first clue. Attached to mine there was a note which referred to something called the Sanitize Protocol."
Sarah's look is long and hard. "Have you heard of it?"
"No."
"I believe you. And I'm not surprised. The term wouldn't have meant anything to anyone except those at the highest levels in the CIA in any case.
"And, of course, Chuck."
Sarah muses. "I don't believe the powers that be, at least initially, fully understood just how much of a double-edged sword the Intersect could be. It was only Chuck's inherent goodness and honesty that prevented him from using it for his advancement. In the hands of someone ambitious, someone unscrupulous, the damage would be…catastrophic."
"So you're telling me he flashed on the note. That the Intersect is working again."
"Yes. To a degree. It seems that it only kicks in when there's some sort of direct threat to the people he…cares…for. And those who care for him."
"You?"
"Yes. Me. Us."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"You must have had your suspicions. Clearly, you knew we share the same apartment."
"Nothing but a sham."
"A sham?"
"Yes. The Director filled me in."
Sarah nods. "Let me guess. He told you that I was pursuing my own agenda. That close?"
Forrest doesn't reply.
"I'll take that for a yes. And that's part of the thought behind the protocol. Sanitize. Sterilize. A way to deal with individuals who had worked for or with the CIA, but whose continued existence was deemed to be extremely detrimental to the Company. All this without the use of due process and the public exposure it would bring.
"The trick is, of course, doing all of that in a way that sets up someone else to take the blame. Make it appear that the CIA had nothing to do with the actions taken.
"That's what Chuck was able to tell us from his flash. It seems a stray file that briefly mentioned the protocol was overlooked and found its way into the Intersect. After, he was able to put together other disparate bits of data to flesh out the basic framework. Then we put our heads together, figured out the whys and hows of how this related to our situation.
"You also gave me a little clue. When you left here, you said that sooner or later I'd be ordered to eliminate Chuck. That, at some point, the Director would feel it was too dangerous to leave the 'Intersect' walking around, even if it didn't appear to be functioning. This despite the CIA's current policy of playing nice. You remember that?"
The barest of nods.
"Good. Then, when Shaw confronted me in this very room, he told me that my file had an older notation from Graham concerning the possibility of having me 'retired' at some point. A notation endorsed by the current director. I know Shaw was telling the truth because I've seen it myself.
"We put two and two together. The Director was seriously considering having both me and Chuck taken out. And he was going to make damn sure the CIA wasn't going to shoulder the blame.
"We tossed around the idea that Shaw had been unwittingly manipulated to go after me. We wondered if the Director had somehow arranged to let Shaw 'accidentally' find out that the CIA had had his wife killed. Someone had to have done it, otherwise, how did he know where to begin looking?
"But if the Director had meant to use the man surreptitiously, matters rapidly spun out of control. Shaw was like a bull in a china shop, solely focused on finding his wife's murderer. He killed two guards and left such chaos in his wake that there was no chance to cover it up. The Director had no choice but to put out a BOLO and let it be known that Shaw was possibly on his way to Burbank.
"While we couldn't be certain the Director had instigated the man's actions, it did get us to thinking. It didn't take long for us to realize that I would make the perfect patsy. That I'd been sent here to be…prepositioned…for whatever narrative the Director might decide to use down the road.
"This one, for example.
"Depressed CIA agent, angry that her career is in the toilet, decides to go rogue. Sees in Chuck Bartowski a chance for something greater. Gets close to the mark, closer than her mission parameters dictate. All part of an elaborate con to see if the Intersect is still viable. If so, then take him and sell him off to the highest bidder.
"Of course, when the CIA became aware of Agent Walker's duplicity, a team is sent to apprehend her. Unfortunately, the subject, realizing she has no escape, kills Chuck Bartowski, apparently concluding that, if she couldn't benefit from his abilities, no one else would either.
"I can picture the Director sadly telling the committee, 'We had no idea that Agent Walker was in such an unstable state. Somehow, she'd managed to fool all the psychiatrists who'd evaluated her. Regrettably, we'll never know her true mindset, because, before we could apprehend her, she took her own life.'"
Sarah pauses, then states, "Not that he would've let you in on all his machinations, of course. But I'm sure you're bright enough to understand what was really happening here."
Forrest's silence is the only reply.
"Again, I'll take that for a yes.
"Once we figured that out, it was a matter of getting into the CIA's servers, watching for evidence that plans were being put into motion.
"Of course, we weren't expecting to find an obvious smoking gun. Specific orders given to whomever the Director decided to use. He'd be much too clever for that.
"But other, less obvious, matters often get overlooked. Travel orders. Requisitions for weapons, transportation, etc. Chuck inserted a hidden program that watched for data along those lines, especially as it related to LA.
"First of all, we tracked the movements of fellow enforcers, the ones whose files Shaw had taken alongside mine. Both had been given early retirement, part of the incentive to keep them quiet. But now that their past actions were in danger of being exposed, making then vulnerable to retaliatory actions, they would have the incentive to try and recover their files. However, it's also possible the Director threatened to burn them if they didn't carry out this one last mission.
"And when his program found that you'd been ordered to leave Paris and return to DC, we believed the time was near. Then, when he tracked you to LA, we were certain.
"But one thing puzzled us. Why now? Why not take me out earlier? And why, if Chuck was considered a risk, wasn't it done earlier?
"The answer was twofold. First of all the Intersect was functional, at least somewhat, until just a while ago. Much too valuable to dispose of while there was still the chance to resurrect it.
"As for me, you correctly observed that I'd never played the game. Never used what I knew to advance myself. So they weren't overly concerned about me saying things I shouldn't. And I could be useful to them, here in Burbank. Assuming I would obey orders and remove Chuck when the time came."
She pauses. "As to that, I assume you informed the Director that he couldn't count on me to carry out that order?"
"Yes. During my debrief before going to Paris. I told him you'd gone soft."
Walker nods. "As I thought. Of course, he would now look at me in a different light. A problem. No longer an asset in place. Still, as long as I behaved myself, there wasn't any need for immediate action.
"But the Shaw incident changed everything. The files were now out in the wild. Where they were, who had access to them, was anyone's guess. Maybe some reporter would manage to get their hands on them.
"It was important to contain the damage that would result if some of the events contained within them came to light. The CIA could claim the files were faked, but if the subjects of said files decided to talk, to confirm the contents, it would be beyond bad. Disastrous. And given my recent 'going soft', as you put it, the Director was worried about me going off the reservation.
"It was time to...disinfect...the situation before it spiraled out of control.
"Agent Walker and the Intersect gone. The CIA, admittedly sorrowed by the actions of an individual it used to trust, comes away clean. Regrets over the loss of an innocent civilian. Blah. Blah. Blah."
Walker gives Forrest a look. "How does that sound to you? Pretty much spot on?"
Forrest shakes her head. "I'm not privy to what the Director was planning. I was simply told that you and the Int—Chuck were serious risks to national security. A risk that needed to be eliminated."
"Are you telling me that he didn't instruct you to make sure that it looked like I killed Chuck and then myself?"
Forrest shrugs."You're right. Why should I deny it? This whole freaking mess is your fault, Walker. If you hadn't let yourself be taken in by Casey and Bartowski, you wouldn't have been burned."
Sarah laughs. "Agent Forrest, it's your actions that lie at the root of this whole convoluted mess. Not mine."
Forrest indignantly retorts, "Don't try and pin this on me."
"There's no pinning involved, just simple facts.
"If you hadn't botched your assignment so badly, the Intersect would still be functioning. Chuck's life would still be sacrosanct. And there would've been no need to send me out here.
"But because you did make such a hash of it, the Director set plots in motion. Sees the opportunity to take out two potential problems with a single deniable stone. Most likely hopes that Shaw will perform a freebie for the CIA, but, if not, has a backup plan. You. After all, you'd been ready and willing to terminate Chuck before. So why not send you in again?"
She pauses. "What was it? A threat or a promise?"
"What do you mean?"
"Was it a threat or promise that motivated you to come back here?"
Forrest clamps her lips shut, refuses to answer.
Walker chuckles. "You know, you remind me of myself not that long ago. Why use words when a stony silence will do?"
She pauses. "By the way, the Director was damn good. I had no idea I was being set up. He played his part perfectly. I expect he did the same with you. Promised something you wanted in exchange for doing this. I might advise you to be wary of his promises."
Walker smiles. "One good thing has come out of your screw up, though. And for that, I owe you a debt of gratitude."
"You owe me?"
"Yes, and it's partially because of that debt that you're still alive.
"As I said, if you hadn't been so incompetent, I wouldn't have been sent here. I wouldn't have met the people who've become my friends. My family.
"I wouldn't have met the man who was to become my husband."
Forrest gapes. "Husband? You aren't married!"
"Don't believe everything you read. Just because it's not in my file, doesn't mean it isn't true.
"I keep telling you Chuck's brilliant, but you can't seem to wrap your head around that. How difficult do you think it would be for a man who's prowled around, unnoticed, in the CIA's most secure servers, to make sure that nothing in the public record would indicate that he and I were married two weeks ago?"
"Why in hell would you go that far?"
"For one, because it affords us some legal protections.
"But the primary reason is that I love him. And he loves me."
Alex, her incredulity mounting, manages to reply, "You let the geek touch you?"
"Nerd, not geek. And, yes. Repeatedly. And I, him."
Forrest scoffs. "And how was he?"
"I'm not going to discuss that with you. But I will tell you that we've…touched…each other in ways that you couldn't possibly understand."
"So, where is this touchy-feely husband of yours? Hiding in a closet somewhere, too afraid to put himself in harm's way?"
Sarah feels a sudden towering rage rising in her heart. Forrest obviously can see it her face, for she shrinks back on the couch.
"I'm gonna let that go. Once. But understand, if you imply that he's a coward again, there will be…consequences. Immediate ones."
Alex nods jerkily.
"Chuck Bartowski is the bravest man I know. Ever known. For so many reasons, not the least of which is that he's willing to take on someone like me.
"And just to put your mind at ease, I asked him to stay upstairs. To keep him safe, yes, but he's also been monitoring the whole situation from there. Making sure we've got everything under control. He's recording our little chat as well.
"But I also have a selfish reason. If he'd been down here and our conversation hadn't gone so well, he would've witnessed, firsthand, actions that I'd prefer he didn't. If possible, I don't want images of that sort burned into his brain."
"So you're the coward. You're afraid that him seeing what you're capable of will push him away.
"You know, at one time you would've been right. But we're past that now.
''He knows me." A look of wonder crosses her face. "And he still loves me."
"The last couple of years have exposed him to so much already. And yet he's still a…gentle… soul. Unlike you and me. I would do all I can to prevent him from becoming jaded. Like us."
"And just how were you planning to go about that, Walker?"
"If I'm to be his buffer between his world and ours, so be it. I'll do everything in my power to shield him from harm. Not just to his body, but his heart as well."
Forrest gawks at her. "Do you honestly expect me to believe all this…this drivel about you protecting his heart?
"You're deluding yourself. You're a killer. Cold. Soulless. Ruthless. Always have been. Always will be. It's insane to think the leopard can change its spots. Sooner or later, the Ice Queen will reassert herself. You'll go back to being who you really are.
"And when it does, what do you think is gonna happen—" Alex waves her hand vaguely around the room, "—to this little fantasy world you've created here with Chuck Bartowski?"
"Do you honestly think that those thoughts haven't crossed my mind? Numerous times?"
Walker pauses, asks, "Are you familiar with the term 'perdition', Forrest?"
"Something to do with eternal damnation. Hellfire." Forrest looks at Walker skeptically. "Why are you asking? You believe in that stuff?"
"No, not literally. But I firmly believe I was well down the road to damning myself. My life in the CIA was my…hell. The actions I'd carried out for the greater good were eating away at me…destroying my soul, my very being.
"You expressed the view that I believe pretty much everyone has of me. Cold. Ruthless. An automaton, not a human being. And that's almost certainly what I would have become…if another path hadn't presented itself.
"My very own road to Damascus, if you will."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've never heard the term?"
Alex shakes her head.
"You can look it up later, but for the moment I'll just say an opportunity came along. A chance to change the direction of my life. I'd taken the first step, but then the accident knocked me off my feet.
"The time that followed became a sort of...purgatory...for me. Lacking the will to move forward but unwilling to go back to whom, to what I'd been. An…equilibrium…I couldn't seem to escape.
"Until I came here. Until a lovely, kind caring man, a man whom you denigrated and demeaned at almost every opportunity, helped me to see that I didn't have to remain…frozen. That my past didn't necessarily dictate the course of my future. That I had within me the ability to choose what path I would now take.
"He helped me take firm hold of that second chance I'd been given. To fight for it with every bit of courage and strength I possess."
Forrest snorts. "Let me guess, Walker. Being with Chuck is your idea of heaven."
Sarah chuckles. "You know, I hadn't quite thought of it that way, but you're right. It is, especially compared to my life before I met him."
Disgustedly, Forrest replies, "Why are you telling me all of this crap? We're not friends, and never will be. And I'm sure as hell don't want to be your confidant."
"I'm only telling you because you need to truly comprehend just how utterly, irreplaceably precious he is to me. So that when you go back and repeat our conversation to the Director, you'll be able to fully convey that I will stop at nothing to protect him and the life we're going to have together.
"Do not make the mistake of thinking that my 'softness' toward Chuck, indicates a lack of will on my part. The Director knows what I'm capable of. A weapon no longer under his control.
"If he persists in this course of action, anyone he sends from this point on will go home in a body bag. Then I will rain down fire and sulfur on him and all who stand with him. I will scorch the very ground beneath his feet. The world will know of every illegal sanction, every unlawful act I carried out. The CIA will stand in a glaring spotlight, nakedly exposed.
"Then, after all that, I'll come after him. Personally. You might want to especially emphasize that last part."
Sarah leans back, relaxes, smiles grimly. "But matters needn't ever get that far. We just want to be left alone. To live our lives.
"So here's what you're going to tell him.
"First of all, he doesn't need to worry about the Intersect resurfacing. Ellie has found a way to safely and permanently remove it from Chuck's mind. As soon as the Director agrees to our terms, the procedure will take place."
"Secondly, I have no desire to dredge up my past actions, to expose what the CIA wants to keep hidden. I'll do so only if he gives me no choice. To show my good faith, I'm going to send the files of Graham's other enforcers back with you.
"I'll keep mine, however. As insurance that he'll keep his word. I won't bother you with all the details of how we'll keep it secure or how it will be released if any further attempts are made to take us out. I'm sure the Director can figure that out on his own.
"Whether or not he agrees to our terms, I'm done. He'll have my resignation effective immediately. He can keep my pension. Instead, I'll take the cover business that was created for me here.
"I'll make a go of it, or not, without any further assistance from the CIA.
"As for Chuck, I'll expect that his record at Stanford will be cleared. That he'll be granted his degree. And that he'll be paid—handsomely—for his efforts over the last two years. He has so many great ideas. After he leaves the Buy More, he'll have the time, energy and resources to develop them. I've got enough money put aside to support us in the meantime."
Forrest sarcastically responds, "Is that all? Or do you also want the thanks of a grateful nation published in all the papers? Perhaps an elevation to sainthood?"
"I would suggest you refrain from using that tone. You're only alive because I need you to go back to DC to present our terms to the Director. That, and I owed you. But my debt is now fully paid.
"Twice you've gone down this road. And twice you've been granted your life. Do not anticipate the same result if there's a third time."
Sarah pauses, leans forward again, radiating intensity. "Let me make this very clear. If you ever darken my door again, hell, if I find you within fifty miles of my husband, my family, I will put you down. No excuses. No questions asked.
"Do you understand?"
Sarah sees the woman briefly shudder.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good." Sarah puts her hand to her ear, listens. "Roger that, Casey.
"Casey and Carina have secured your van. They're on their way back here.
"When they arrive, all of you will be loaded into the van, which will then be dropped off in front of the CIA's LA office. The files will be sent along, as will our demands in writing, just in case you have a sudden memory loss. Oh, the video of your team's actions tonight and our interview will also be included.
"Tell the Director we expect an answer within 24 hours. Any questions?"
Forest shakes her head.
"In that case, goodbye, Alex. You'd better hope and pray we never meet again under these circumstances."
She reaches behind her back and pulls out a tranq pistol.
"One more thing before you take your nap. If someone like myself can step off the merry-go-round, there's a good chance you could too. Give it some thought."
She raises the pistol. Squeezes the trigger.
"I'd say sweet dreams, but I doubt you're capable of them."
…
Sarah gets up from her chair. Shivers as she stands over the slumped body of Alex Forrest.
Raising her watch, she tersely says, "Casey. Forrest is ready for pickup."
The reply is immediate. "Roger that. Just parking their van right now. We'll be in a minute or two."
She hears Chuck coming down the stairs, doesn't turn as he comes up behind and wraps his arms tenderly around her.
He whispers into her ear. "You OK?"
She shrugs. "I'm not sure."
"Why?"
She turns within his embrace to face him. Looks up into his eyes. "Did I sell it, Chuck? Enough to make her believe I'd do everything I said I would?"
He smiles gently for a few seconds before confidently replying, "Absolutely. When you put your mind to it, there's this look that comes across your face, a body language that conveys the idea of an unstoppable force just waiting to be unleashed. No one can walk away from that without being convinced you mean what you say."
"I was a little terrified just watching on the monitor."
"But I'm not certain if that was me or Agent Walker—the damn Ice Queen—talking."
"Doesn't make any difference."
"What?"
"When it comes to protecting me—us—you're completely focused. Utterly fierce. That came across well. Exceptionally well."
"But I'm not certain I would—could—do all that I told her I would. Not anymore."
"You know that, and I know that, but Forrest doesn't. Perception is everything, as they say. And what she perceived was her, the Ice Queen, that nightmarish embodiment of terror and calculated violence. In the end, all that counts is that she believed you'd do exactly as you said."
Sarah nods, uncertainly. She's about to raise another objection when they hear the sounds of Casey and Carina coming through the back door.
"There was no need to tranq the guy twice, Casey. He wasn't any danger, just some tech geek who doesn't know one end of a Glock from the other."
"What do you think we should've done, Miller? Wait until you charmed him into ignoring protocol? Did you think your smile would be enough to stop him from sending out the message that the Op was blown?"
"It's worked before."
Casey growls just as they enter the living room. He sees Chuck and Sarah standing with their arms around each other.
Giving them a disgusted look, he barks out, "If you two can put aside your lady-feelings for a few minutes, we could use some help moving our visitors into the van."
Chuck steps back, releases Sarah. "Sure, Casey. I'll help you get the two from the back."
He looks between Sarah and Carina. "You two can manage Forrest?"
Carina jauntily replies, "Don't worry about us, Chuck. Sarah and I have had plenty of experience moving bodies around."
Sarah can see he's not quite sure how to respond to that.
"I guess we'll leave her to you then."
He follows Casey out of the room.
Carina walks to the couch, shakes her head as she gives the unconscious Forrest the once-over.
"Hard to look tough when you're drooling all over the pillow, isn't it?"
Carina turns to Sarah. "She give you any trouble?"
"No, not really. We had our little chat. Told her what we expected and the consequences of our demands not being met."
"Think they'll go for it?"
"I think so."
"Good." Carina glances at Forrest again. "Let's get moving. You want the head or the feet?"
"I think I'd better take the feet. I'm afraid I might not be able to resist the urge to let her head bounce off the floor a few times. I wouldn't normally care, but I need her mind clear for the discussion she's going to have with my ex-boss."
"Pity." Carina moves to the couch. "Let's get this done. It's been a long night and I'm tired."
"You can say that again."
…
He joins her on the couch as they hear the van drive away, followed by Carina's car.
"I've reset the perimeter alarms, Sarah."
Unconsciously, she nibbles on her lower lip. Nods distractedly.
"Something's bothering you."
She hesitates, then quietly replies, "What if they don't buy it? If they do decide to risk it?"
"Not gonna happen. If we were to go public, we have enough evidence to seriously damage the CIA's reputation as well as sink the current Director, and he knows that. Remember, he was Graham's Deputy Director of Operations. He's not exactly a boy scout. He knew about and signed off on most of what Graham was doing. His 'fingerprints' were all over the files that Shaw took."
He grins. "Besides, Casey's gonna let Beckman know what's been going on behind her back, now that we have the proof. I suspect that'll curtail any retaliation he may have considered."
Buoyed by his confidence, she nods firmly. "You're right."
His eyes study her face. "There's something else, isn't there?"
This time, her nod is barely perceptible. She lowers her eyes, fixes them on his chest.
"You wanna tell me what it is?"
"I feel…empty…at loose ends.
"Afraid."
"You? Afraid? Not possible." She can hear the smile in his voice.
"Chuck, for almost my entire life, I've let others decide what direction my life would take. There was always someone telling me what to do next. My father, then Graham.
"Now that I've burned my bridges, it's up to me to make those decisions. And there won't be anyone but myself to blame if I make poor choices.
"It's a little…terrifying."
She feels him tense up. She looks up, sees the disquiet in his eyes.
He hesitates for a moment, then asks, quietly, tentatively, "Sarah, are you afraid that we…rushed things?"
She reaches up, takes his head in her hands. Her voice is firm. "Chuck Bartowski, listen to me. Marrying you is the one decision I have absolutely no doubts about. Got that?"
His relief is palpable. "Got it."
She rests her hands on his shoulders. "It's the other things that scare me. What if I can't make a go of it on my own? If I'm no good at a regular job? A regular life?"
She drops her eyes once more. Her voice is small. "I love you and want to be with you, always. That's why I married you.
"But what if I'm no good at being a wife?"
He takes her chin and gently tilts her face up. "Hey! Where is this coming from?"
"Forrest said something that made me think."
"Let me guess. That load of crap about this being nothing but a fantasy. That sooner or later, the Ice Queen would reappear?"
"Yes. I know we've talked about this before and I'm sorry to bring it up again. But there's this little voice I'm having trouble getting rid of. It keeps telling me that she might be right.
"I know I'm being foolish."
"Nothing to be sorry for. That kind of stuff doesn't just go away overnight.
"But she's wrong. I'm certain of that."
"Why?"
"Well, first of all, I'm sure you would agree that Alexandra Forrest is a rotten judge of character." He smirks. "A fact clearly proven by her misjudgment of me, your awesome, incredible husband. The most wonderful man in the entire known universe."
She can't help but smile in return. "That's very true. You are."
He briefly chuckles. "Secondly, she had it the wrong way around. This you, the woman in my arms right now, is the reversion. The others, Agent Walker, the Ice Queen, whatever, were nothing more than…fictions. Personas you put on and removed like clothing as the situation required.
"So how could you possibly revert to someone who doesn't exist?"
"You believe that?"
He leans in, kisses her briefly. "With all my heart.
"I'm not expecting any surprises. The only woman I'm going to be sharing my life with is the one right here." He places his hand gently over her heart. "The woman who's always been there, just waiting for the chance to be set free."
She blinks up at him, her vision blurred by sudden tears.
Despite the impediment, she manages to find his lips with hers. She pulls him closer, pours all of her love and gratitude into her kiss. His response is, at first, gentle, but then increasingly fervent.
A few minutes later, she finds herself lying under him, panting, heart pounding.
She looks up, whispers, "Husband, please take me to our bed."
"Certainly, wife. To sleep?"
"Later, yes. But right now I need you to love me. Make me believe that I am that woman. The woman I see in your eyes when you look at me.
"Will you do that for me, Chuck? Not just tonight, but every night until the others are no longer even a memory?"
"I will, Sarah.
"Always."
TBC
—
A/N: As you noticed, a brief change in POV for the only time in this story.
Appreciate your thoughts.