A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. We appreciate it.
Disclaimer: We don't own Chuck, we aren't making any money off of this fic.
The next morning found her in the Wienerlicious humming "I Melt with You".
Last night hadn't been as complicated as she'd thought it would be. It was….out there, between them. ...Something. They both knew they couldn't explore it, but it was there all the same. She grinned. She knew it wasn't the right response, but he was there with her, and that made it...okay. That made no sense, but neither did what they were doing.
The doorbell rang and she saw him enter, a huge smile on his face. He pointed to the back to wordlessly ask her if Scooter was there and she nodded.
"What's that all about?" she asked, making a circling motion and pointing toward his face.
"Can't a guy just be happy to see his girl?" Chuck asked.
"Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head. "I know your 'happy to see his girl' smile, and that's not it." Her eyes narrowed at him, a grin on her face, and his smile intensified.
"Awful sure of yourself," Chuck replied. Sarah shrugged, and she swore she saw him bite his lip. She shook her head at him. "I need some food while I'm here so how about a..." His eyes glanced at the board. "Oh god," he muttered.
"What, the eggnog battered corndog not what you're looking for?" Sarah asked, smirking.
"Tell me something," Chuck said, lowering his voice and leaning forward. She leaned in as well, matching his posture, her face inches from his. "Is the Wienerlicious a government front?"
"No," Sarah replied with a sigh. "The hope is we get to buy this building—"
"The CIA, the NSA, who?"
"The government. Now hush, I'm trying to explain things."
"How come when you tell me to hush, it's nowhere near as frightening as when Casey does?"
She reached over with her first two fingers and thumb and gently, but firmly, closed his lips. He began to chuckle but stayed silent. "Now, as I was saying," her fingers still holding his lips in place. "The government is trying to buy it and put in one of those yogurt shops." He raised his hand, and she rolled her eyes in mock irritation. "Yes?" She hadn't removed her fingers from his lips and she was laughing at him.
"Hm do tha elp?" he asked, making her laugh harder. She removed her fingers and he worked his lips.
"There will be others here who cover the shop. I won't required to be here as much."
"There will be so many disappointed young men," Chuck replied. She shook her head slowly at him. "So you're telling me that it wasn't the government that came up with that crazy eggnog corndog batter flavor, but an actual business."
"It sells ridiculously well," Sarah admitted.
"But how does it taste?" Sarah gave him a look. "Come on, I KNOW you've tried it." She shook her head. "Really," he pressed, narrowing his eyes. "You enjoy adventure."
"That's not an adventure, that's a disgusting tasting heart attack," she countered. "Now why are you smiling like you are?"
"I need you," Chuck admitted.
"That's a bit forward, even if you are my boyfriend," she retorted. Chuck's eyes widened in horror, but she began to laugh with her tongue sticking out between her teeth and Chuck just shook his head at her.
"The CIA has no idea what a dork they hired." She swatted him on the shoulder with a cloth. "Seriously, it's kinda my fault."
"Ellie," she said. Chuck started to say something, but Sarah raised her phone and wiggled it.
"And here I thought you were a good spy," Chuck teased.
"Chuck, I've got people sending me the info I need without having to do anything to get it. How can you be a better spy than that?" He raised his finger twice to argue, but realizing she was right, and gave up. "So you let it slip there weren't any Christmas decorations at my place?"
"I know, I shared a CIA secret with Ellie," Chuck said hanging his head, his voice full of regret.
She looked at his head, staring down at the counter, and couldn't resist. "It's worse than a CIA secret, Chuck." He looked up at her. "It's a Sarah secret." He cocked his head slightly to the side and pouted just a little. Oh shit. That had backfired.
"I'm so sorry, Sarah."
"It's okay, Chuck, really, I was just messing with you. But what are we gonna do about it?"
"The only thing we can," he said, his grin growing. "We're gonna have to decorate your apartment for Christmas." Damn it. That grin that grew into a smile. It did something to her. She wanted to say no. She should say no.
"Okay," she said softly. "Want to tonight?" The smile fell from his face. "What?"
"It's just that, uh...uh, I have plans tonight."
"Okayyyy," Sarah replied a little confused with Chuck's reaction. "Guy's night?"
"Something like that," Chuck replied. "Tomorrow night?"
"As long as we don't have to save the country, it's a date," Sarah said. Chuck nodded. He looked at her like he wanted to say something, but didn't.
"I should go. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"
"Sure, see you tomorrow." Sarah watched him leave, a little more bothered than she let on with that entire conversation. It was his life, and if he had plans with Morgan, then that was his business. But she was here to protect Chuck, so a good handler would see where they were going...right? Right.
}o{
Her phone buzzed and she looked down. The gnome is alone. Do you get off on torturing these geeks?
She glared at the phone. Casey had been on a special level of asshole since she took that weekend off. She was beginning to think that had been a huge mistake. She had asked Casey to let her know when Chuck wasn't up front so she could talk to Morgan. Casey said something about her extremely questionable taste in men. She slipped out of the Wienerlicious, made her way into the Buy More, dodged crashing into the Shawarma girl as she came out of the Buy More, and located her target.
Morgan made eye contact, gulped, and headed the other way. What the hell? She thought they were friends. She followed him, and saw him glance over his shoulder. He continued to avoid her until he went into the theater room. She went in, and found him there alone, looking upset and worried.
"Listen, Sarah, we're friends, don't get me wrong, but Chuck and I have a bond that goes back forever, and you're his girl. I-I just can't get involved," Morgan began.
Sarah had no idea what was going on, but she knew Morgan. She let her bottom lip tremble, and a single tear began to fall from her right eye. Morgan's eyes grew huge. "But...I don't have anyone else," she said softly.
"Look, Sarah, it's not you, okay. It's him, we both know that," Morgan rushed out. Sarah was still confused. "It's been...a WHILE since he...well...probably since Jill…" Oh God...what had she missed? What had happened? "Listen, you two care about each other, and the best thing you can do is talk to him, okay, and he never said if….if he...beat you in the race." Oh God. "And-and if that's the case, just no cowgirl." It was official. This was her hell for all the lives she had taken as an agent. "And if he can't….you know...rise to the occasion..."
"Oh, God," she choked out.
"...just know he really enjoys that spot behind the ear." How the hell did he know that? She had figured it out, but how did he know it? "And maybe have him dress up as Aragorn and you be the...You know what? Let him tell you, it's better that way."
"Morgan," she croaked. "I just wanted to know what was going on tonight."
"Oh," he said. "Well, I don't know that I should, he said you probably wouldn't want to know." Like she had wanted to know everything Morgan had just told her. She couldn't scrub that from her brain if she tried, and deep down, she didn't want to forget some of it. "Westside Medical."
"The hospital?" Sarah asked. What had she missed? What had she not paid attention to?
"The oncology department," Morgan added.
}o{
She sat in the parking lot watching him enter the wing of the hospital for cancer patients. Some woman met him at the door and gave him a hug, a woman that was not Ellie. What was going on? Why was he being mysterious? She got out of her car and made her way inside and found the entrance deserted. She looked around and had no idea where he went.
"Sarah?" she heard Ellie ask. Sarah turned around and spotted the doctor at the entrance to one of the many hallways.
There was a mysterious smile on Ellie's face. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, Ellie, he was being...cagey. I'm sorry. I trust him, but...not telling me things, I mean, avoiding telling me what he was doing tonight...It was just...really...unChucklike."
Ellie grinned. "No, it is very Chucklike." She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "You know what? Just come with me." Sarah nodded and followed the other woman down the hallway.
}o{
Chuck took a deep breath, turned, and looked into the mirror. What he saw would shock most people, but it had to be done. It was for the children. He had dressed his 6'4" frame in an elf suit. The door opened and Morgan came in, carrying a bag and wearing a matching elf costume.
"Got the presents, Buddy?" Chuck asked, a grin on his face.
"Right here, Chuck." Morgan paused. "Uh...I'm sorry. I think you should know something… Er, you see, uh, Sarah stopped by earlier—"
"They're ready for you!" The doctor said, sticking her head in the door.
"I could have been indecent," Morgan retorted.
"Honey, you ain't got nothing I ain't ever seen," Beverly said, a huge grin on her face. "Come on you two, the kids are waiting." Morgan looked to Chuck, who nodded.
"Ready, Morgs?"
"It's showtime," Morgan said, grabbing the bag. The two followed the nurse and headed into the children's cancer ward. "Hey, Kids," he yelled.
"That's no elf! He's too tall!" one of the children yelled out.
"He is a little tall," Chuck said, looking at Morgan. Morgan nodded sadly.
"No, not him, you," the kid said, pointing at Chuck.
"Me?" Chuck said, pointing at himself. "I'm too tall?" he asked with a bit of a quiver in his voice. "So...so I can't bring you presents?" he asked softly. "They're from Santa and everything." The room exploded with kids wanting presents. He looked over and saw Ellie, and with her was Sarah. She was inching a little bit behind his obviously amused sister, a wince on her face. Chuck KNEW he shouldn't...he KNEW...but he just couldn't help himself. The grin grew on his face, and he KNEW he'd pay later but… "Now wait, wait a minute," he said to the kids, calming them down. "I need to know. Is everyone on the good list?" The room went quiet, and Chuck grinned. "Oh, come on, I'm sure you were all good, right?" Some of the kids looked concerned. Chuck glanced around as if to see if anyone was watching and the kids followed his gaze.
He squatted down and motioned for them to come close. "So, here's what we'll do. I have it on good authority that there's someone here, who doesn't have the Christmas spirit." The kids were shocked, grunts and gasps echoing through the small group. "I have it on good authority that some people don't," he put his hands up to make quotation marks, "Do Christmas". More shocked sounds came from the kids. "So we have to make it our mission," he said, picking his words carefully, feeling Sarah's eyes on him but almost knowing inherently that she wasn't mad. "To get this person in the Christmas Spirit." Chuck looked around at all the kids. "Can we do that?" They all nodded. "Okay, now I need to go talk to your doctor, and Elf Morgs here is going to lead you in singing Deck the Halls, okay?"
The kids cheered and began to sing a bit off key. Not that Morgan was much better.
Chuck walked over to the doctor. "I can't thank you enough, Chuck, every year…."
"Beverly, it's no big deal. I made a deal with Big Mike. I told him I'd fix all the computers in the back that are old and broken, and half the profits the Buy More made off of them went towards buying these kids toys. I didn't use any of my own money or anything."
"Still," the doctor said, looking at some of the presents.
"Annnndd, maybe Large Mart sold them to me at cost when they found out what I was doing," Chuck admitted.
"You're a good one, Chuck Bartowski."
"Nah, I'm just doing for them what their parents can't," Chuck explained. "Most of them have so many other monetary worries that if I can do this one thing, then...well...someone just should...you know?" He saw her nodding, but what he saw more than that was the face of one Sarah Walker. The look on her face was unreadable.
}o{
Sarah started to say something to Chuck when she felt a soft tug at her pants. She looked down and there was a smiling face looking back at her, one that had obviously been fighting a terrible disease, but the look on her face showed determination.
"Hi, I'm Molly," she said softly.
Sarah used every skill she had to hold her face still. Molly...it had been nearly a year… Molly. She squatted down to where she looked her in the eye, her elbows resting on her knees.
"What are you doing here, Molly? This is supposed to be a place for sick kids." Sarah had a warm smile on her face.
Molly giggled. "I am sick," she replied. She looked around, and then leaned in. "I'm gonna beat it," she whispered.
"I bet you will," Sarah said, pulling the little girl's robe closed gently. "You look like someone who can kick any disease's...butt."
"I am gonna kick its butt," Molly replied, a determined look on her face. "Is that your boyfriend?" she asked, pointing at Chuck.
"Now why do you ask that?"
"Because you have the look on your face that people do when they look at their boyfriend or girlfriend." Sarah had no idea how to answer that. "Does he take you skating?"
"No, I don't know if he's ever been. I went, a long time ago," Sarah admitted.
"Were you my age?"
"Mmhmm," Sarah replied. "My dad dropped me off one day and I practiced and practiced until I could skate with the best of them." Sarah didn't bother telling Molly that she was left there until the place nearly closed because her dad was off running some scam again. "I'd like to do it again someday." Sarah looked up and saw Chuck and Morgan getting ready to hand out presents. "Hey, you better head back, they're about to open presents. Merry Christmas, Molly."
Molly threw her arms around Sarah's neck. "Merry Christmas, Sarah." Molly scampered back to join the others. Sarah watched for a second, and left. She didn't know how to handle the feelings she was having. Chuck and Molly. The two people who had affected her the most in the past year. God, this job was never going to get any easier. If she was honest, she didn't know if she wanted it to get any easier.
}o{
"Hey," Molly said to Chuck.
"Hey, yourself," Chuck replied, turning around to look down to where the tiny voice came from. "What's up?"
"Your girlfriend left." Chuck gave her a look of surprise.
"My what now?" Chuck asked.
She put her hands on her hips. "I know she's your girlfriend. I'm a kid but I can tell, but that's not important."
Chuck grinned at her. "Then what is important, missy?"
"What's important is I know what she wants for Christmas," Molly replied, smiling. "And I'm going to tell you so you can make her happy."
"Why are you doing this for me?" Chuck asked.
"Because you are doing this for us," Molly replied. Chuck's eyes softened, and he thought he might cry. "Your girlfriend wants to go roller skating."
"Does she now?" Chuck replied, a thought hitting him.
}o{
Chuck walked into Casey's apartment fifteen minutes before the daily meeting, determined. Casey might kill him, but he was willing to chance it.
"What's got your panties in a twist, Bartowski?" Casey had a smug look on his face.
"Your bullshit the past several days. And you are gonna make it up to me," Chuck replied. Casey's eyebrows went up. He turned to face him, drawing up to his full height. Chuck gulped but held his ground. "You are going to report to your superiors about the rumors we heard going on about the local skating rink being a hand-off spot for stolen intel."
"Christ, Bartowski, you want me to get the US government to pay for your date?" Casey spat.
"No," Chuck replied, his face intense. "Because of you, I've been acting like a dumbass around her—okay, more of a dumbass than normal." Casey bobbed his head to agree. "YOU'VE made her life harder by what you did to me. YOU'VE made her life harder by getting me riled up. You know how I feel about her, and you knew how I would react, so don't tell me you didn't know that what happened...might actually happen, because that's what a brilliant tactician does, which is what you are...they consider all possible outcomes."
Casey had a confused look on his face. "Did you just compliment me in the middle of trying to dress me down?"
"It was unintentional," Chuck admitted, quickly. "You're good at what you do." Casey grunted. That was as close to a thank you as Chuck had ever gotten from him.
"I didn't kill you for blowing up my car," Casey countered.
"Really? This isn't about me, Casey." Casey gave him a look. "Look, I found out that she enjoys skating, okay? I'm not doing this for a date. I'm doing this because she deserves to enjoy herself, Casey, to have something good, even if it's just the one time. You do, too." Chuck reached in his bag that was slung around his shoulder and handed him a present. Casey took the present and glared at it.
"What's this?"
"A bomb," Chuck replied. "What the hell do you think it is? It's a present. I made you a CD of second line jazz."
Casey looked at Chuck and then back to the present. He held it up. "Coltrane?"
"Please, it's me."
"Miles?"
"Casey, you're being insulting," Chuck replied. "Miles Davis is a requirement." Casey grunted, and they both spun as the door open. "Heeeey, Sarah."
"Christ," Casey muttered. The screen clicked on before Sarah could say anything. Beckman appeared on the screen.
"Team, it seems the criminals have taken the holidays off, so if you don't have anything…"
"General," Casey began. He glanced at Chuck out of the side of his eye, shook his head, and looked back at Beckman. "There has been some chatter. Serious, low-level chatter."
"How low, Major?" Beckman asked.
"I overheard it at the Buy More. Some punks who I think were considering shoplifting." Beckman nodded to continue. "They were talking, and it sounded like…something we might need to look into. My gut gave me a feeling, you know?" Casey glanced at Chuck who was nodding. "Christ," he muttered again. Sarah looked bewildered. "I wasn't going to say anything, but if I didn't I'd hate myself for not passing on this intel. It sounds like there might be intelligence being passed off at the local skating rink."
"Your gut is as good a source as any, Major," Beckman replied. "I'd like you scout it out with Mr. Bartowski."
"General, I'll stick out like a sore thumb. If it's alright with Agent Walker, I think the two of them should go there for a cover date, skate around for a few hours with the Intersect and see if he flashes on anything. With his coordination if he flashes and falls on his ass, no one will think anything." Chuck heard Sarah chuckle beside him, and he couldn't disagree with her. He raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Bartowski?"
"Would this be a bad time to suggest in the future maybe a skill like skating would be useful in the Intersect?" Casey turned toward him, glaring. "What? I'm just being honest."
}o{
Chuck was silent as they drove to the skating rink, which was strange in and of itself, but the fact that she'd just been talking about skating the other day and this random mission at a skating rink was tossed into her lap was even stranger.
Maybe it was one of those weird deja vu type things that happened sometimes.
She knew Casey wouldn't have brought the situation he'd overheard at the Buy More up if he didn't think it might need their attention. It was just really odd timing.
And why was Chuck so quiet? As she pulled into a parking space, she glanced over at him. "Okay, what's up with you?" she finally asked.
He seemed to jump a little, the glum look on his face morphing into an innocent look. He got a flat look in return for that. And he sighed. "I asked about the government getting us skates and they told me to rent them. Which is seriously just...gross. They can't get us skates? Really? They can make a thousand dollar suit appear out of nowhere, but two pairs of skates? Impossible. No can do."
Sarah snorted. "Chuck, that's why I told you to put thick socks on. It's no big deal."
"Yeah, well...I'm burning these after I take 'em off later. Sharing skates with, like, a million other dudes…" He unbuckled his seatbelt and smirked a little at her. "The things I do for you government people."
She shook her head and got out of the car as he did the same. As they moved to the front door of the rink, she looked up at the neon sign above the door. It was the most retro thing she'd seen in a long time—a woman wearing a dress and skates was posed next to the words "Straight Skate" and the lights blinked in a way that made it look like she was kicking her leg up.
A group of forty-somethings piled out of the door as she and Chuck stepped back. Sound spilled out after them—laughter and disco music. She wondered what Casey had gotten them into with this one, smiling in thanks at Chuck as he held the door for her.
The hallway into the rink was saturated in red light, framed pictures of skating rinks from the seventies lining the walls. And as they stepped into the main room, she cast her gaze over at the skating rink. It was massively huge, with a rotating disco ball hovering over the skaters.
Sarah wasn't sure what she'd been expecting—maybe mostly kids scooting along the walls in skates they still weren't sure how to use, maybe some pop hits blaring. The smell of stale French fries and sweaty feet?
But this was a pretty legit set-up and there were more adults than kids, she found. She supposed it made sense on a weeknight after eight-thirty.
"I'll go get us some skates," she said, grabbing Chuck's forearm and scooting him out of the way of a waitress hurrying past with a cocktail in hand. That explained why there weren't a lot of kids around. They served alcoholic drinks here.
"I'm a size sixteen," he said, and she gave him a look. "What?" he asked. "If I go big, less of the inside of the shoe part of the skate touches my feet."
"You step out onto that rink in shoes that big, and you'll fall on your face immediately." She laughed, and then pulled away before he could continue to whine. "Just keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious."
Maybe it was a little unprofessional of her, but even as she glanced around the room to see if any of the characters here set off alarm bells, she felt a bit of a thrill inside of her chest. She hadn't even worn a pair of skates for almost twenty years, she thought to herself.
Unlike Chuck, she wasn't freaked out about putting her feet in a pair of skates someone else had worn. There was something nice about skates that had already been worn in for her, and then she got to give them back when she was done.
After she paid for the skates and left the window with each pair stuffed under her armpits, she found herself scanning the place for Chuck this time. And as she wandered the worn carpet floor looking for the nerd, she felt nerves start to assail her. Was this like riding a bike? What if she stepped into this pair of skates and went out on the floor only to fall flat on her face the way she told Chuck he would because it had been so long? She had to believe that wouldn't be the case. She hoped it wasn't, at least.
And as she saw he wasn't near the food court, she spun to look on the other side of the venue only to spot what looked like an arcade, one of those fortune tellers in a box guarding the entrance.
Rolling her eyes with a huff, she made a beeline for it. Unsurprisingly, he was right inside at an air hockey table in the thick of a game against...a twelve year old. She wondered if there was an image that represented his entire existence more than this one. And then she snorted at that thought and stepped up against the table.
The boy looked up as if he'd seen her out of the corner of his eye and his eyes bugged out. The air hockey puck sank into the slot in front of him and he looked down. "Aw shit!" he groused.
"HA!" Chuck yelled, pointing with the striker still in his hand. "Seven to three, kid! I win! Your green apple Jolly Rancher is miiiiiine!" He pulled his hands back and wiggled his fingers, rearing his head back to laugh maniacally.
"Not even fair," the kid whined, picking up the Jolly Rancher she hadn't even seen propped on the edge of the air hockey table. "This hot lady distracted me." Pouting, he slid the Jolly Rancher over the table which Chuck swiped up in his palm, grinning.
"This hot lady is my girlfriend, so eat it even harder, Doug!"
The kid groaned and shuffled away as Chuck waved at him. He turned to face Sarah, his grin deepening as he set down the striker and unwrapped the Jolly Rancher to pop it into his mouth. "They always underestimate me, know what I'm sayin'?" he boasted.
"That was a child, Chuck."
"Yeah…" He shrugged.
Snorting, Sarah shook her head and thrust his skates at him. "Let's go skate."
She saw a bit of a glint in his eye as he grabbed the skates and followed her out of the arcade, past a few pool tables where people were playing and drinking frothy beers in large mugs.
Taking a seat at an empty bench against the wall surrounding the rink, they quickly put their skates on and shoved their shoes in the same cubby built into the wall. She found herself almost giddy now that the skates were on her feet, even if they pinched a little, and she giggled at the way Chuck swiped the wheels against the ground to make them spin, lifting his feet with a "woooo!"
And as she stood up, she found she was a lot steadier on her feet than she'd feared she might be after all these years. "Ready?" she asked.
There was a wince plastered on Chuck's face as she reached down for his hand. "What if I just look for slash listen for bad guy business from this bench? I went to, like, one skating party when I was eight."
"You've never worn roller skates besides that one time?" she asked.
"Nah, I had rollerblades and stuff. I just...the skating in a circle and not running into people thing has me...slightly terrified." He shrugged.
Sarah smirked, then leaned down, bracing her palms on the back of the bench on either side of Chuck's body. Their faces close, she smirked harder. "Chuck? You've had real live bullets shot at you more than once now. I promise this is gonna be a cake-walk in comparison."
He blinked, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. And she hated that this disco music and the low lighting and the memory of that night in front of the not-bomb all combined to make her want to lean in just a bit more to kiss him.
"Fair point," he chirped. "Let's skate."
Giggling, she pushed herself back up to her full height and put her hand out for him again. Just as he took her hand, the DJ switched to a song she recognized from a long time ago. It roared back from the deepest recesses of her memories—sitting in a loud, smelly nineteen-seventy-something Ford Pinto with one of her dad's few tapes blasting in the interior of the car.
"It's my song, hurry up!" she said excitedly, dragging him out onto the skating rink, pausing long enough for him to recuperate from the sudden switch in surfaces.
"What song is this? I didn't know you had a song," he said, and that glint was back on his face, even as one of his feet threatened to zip out from under him. She held his arm steadily.
"I listened to this tape a lot when, um...I was a kid." She was glad the lighting was so suspect out here so he wouldn't see the change in color to her cheeks. "It's Candi Staton. You've really never heard this song? You're like...all musically and shit." She took a chance and started pulling him along with her. She was a little shaky going backwards, but she'd get the hang of it soon enough she knew, and Chuck was actually moving pretty well, even if he had to make a quick grab at her hand, eyes bugging when he nearly slipped.
"What's it called?" he asked, chuckling. "I might be 'musically', but I haven't heard, like, every single song—OOOHHHHH IT'S THIS SONG!" he exclaimed as the chorus started. He moved his hips a little and made his voice a bit more high-pitched, "Young hearts….run freeeeeee…."
Sarah cracked up and turned around so that she was facing forward, skating beside Chuck. They went slow as people whizzed past them, some of them couples, skating as though they were dancing face to face. Chuck clung tightly to her hand, and even though she could feel how clammy his palm and fingers were, she squeezed just as tightly.
She bobbed to the disco beat with Chuck, laughing as he nearly fell and shook his head vehemently once he got his footing again. "Nope. Done with trying to dance and skate. It's a good song, though. But nope to the dancing."
The song finally ended and a trance-like Donna Summer tune began. She could feel Chuck really getting the hang of it next to her, and the thrill of the air rushing past her, the music, the disco ball throwing crystal-looking lights around the room, all combined to make her feel...really good. For the first time in a while.
"God, this feels good," she said before she could stop herself. And she bit her lip as she felt Chuck turn to look at her in her peripheral. Oh well, she thought. Might as well go with it since she'd already let it out. "Do you not feel, like...I dunno...free? Freer? Out here?"
"In the moments between almost falling, it does feel freer, yeah."
That made her laugh. "Oh, come on. You're doing fine."
"You know that feeling you get when you're almost asleep and you feel like you're falling and it jars you awake? I'm getting that exact sensation every fifteen seconds or so. I'm just really good at covering it up. I've got some pride, ya know." She peeked over at his cheeky grin and laughed. "You're really good at this, though. You've skated before, haven't you?"
"Maybe," she admitted. He was waiting for something else, she knew. She could feel it. She nibbled on the corner of her mouth. Feeling the heat of his gaze on the side of her face, she just...disabled the filter. For just a moment. "I loved skating when I was a kid."
She appreciated how obviously he was trying to act cool about her admission, like he wasn't about to explode through the ceiling of this place after she gave him yet another tiny piece of her childhood.
"Cool," he said, shrugging a little like it was no big deal. It was stupid how cute he was sometimes. "Cool hobby for a kid to have. Yeah. I tried skateboarding once and broke my wrist, so props for strapping yourself to a thing with wheels for a hobby." She cracked up again and he chuckled. "No, seriously." He lifted their hands that were clasped together and pointed to his wrist with his other hand. "If you put your ear up close to this wrist when I'm typing, you can hear a clicking sound."
Sarah rocked forward with laughter. "That doesn't seem right. Have you gotten that checked out?"
He chuckled and she turned back to bob to the music, crossing skate over skate as they turned the corner. It was like riding a bike. And she wanted to go faster. She wouldn't. It would be rude to just let Chuck go and start speeding around the rink without him. But then he untangled his hand from hers and gestured with that hand in front of them.
She sent him a look and he furrowed his brow back.
"I can see you chomping at the bit to go faster. Go 'head and show off, Roll Bounce. I'll be fine."
She narrowed her eyes, but when he shooed her off, she decided to take advantage of his sometimes scary-good observation skills this one time, and she took off ahead of him. She'd worn her hair down and it swept behind her as she lifted her arms up on either side of her, feeling the air rushing past her. And as she lapped Chuck, she spun to go backwards and beamed at him while she passed.
It happened two more times as he rolled his eyes and laughed at her, that glint in his warm gaze. What she'd said to him was true. It was real. This felt so freeing. And while disco wasn't exactly her favorite type of music, something about coasting around the rink to "The Hustle" just felt so ridiculous, and the ridiculousness was just...too damn fun.
But she wasn't so lost in the fun and the freedom that she missed the look on Chuck's face when she passed him again. It was very different from the warm gaze and concentration, the laughter, the teasing rolling of his eyes. His brow was furrowed, his jaw having fallen open. His body was rigid, too.
And she knew immediately that he'd flashed. Holy shit. And that was why they'd come here, wasn't it? This was a mission. Sarah slowed down, carefully making her way to him so that he practically ran into her instead of the carpeted wall, and she caught him with her hands on his chest, quickly making to grab his arm, keeping him upright.
He shook himself, looking overwhelmed and confused.
"Did you just flash?" she asked him, flattening them against the wall as much as she could.
Chuck swallowed thickly and raised his gaze to her. "Uh...yeah. Yep. I just flashed. At a disco skating rink."
}o{
"If I may borrow your 'date'," Casey said, dragging Chuck away. They got out of earshot of Sarah, and Casey pulled him close. "What the hell, Bartowski?! Did you seriously flash at that skating rink?"
"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are," Chuck muttered. "All I know is former FBI agent Stephen Brooks was handing intel over to Fulcrum. The Fulcrum agent was Jacob Waters, former NSA, does that ring any bells?"
"Shit, he's been MIA since a mission went pear-shaped in Nairobi ten months ago." Casey was shaking his head as a thought occurred to Chuck.
"How'd the Intersect know he was Fulcrum, Casey?"
Casey looked over at Sarah and then back at Chuck. "The belief is that in the right agent, the brain will decrypt the data that is known and come to a possible conclusion."
"Is that why my flashes sometimes miss?"
Casey nodded. "If you're in a bad emotional place…" Casey spread his hands.
Chuck nodded. "So that's why the flash was so messed up at Lon Kirk's," Chuck said, putting the pieces together.
"Bingo," Casey glanced at Sarah and grinned. He turned back to Chuck. "You really know how to show a girl a good time, don'tcha?"
Chuck shook his head. "It was supposed to be a good time, Casey, and now...it wasn't even a date, it was...letting her have fun, let her hair down, you know?"
Casey stared at him. "Christ, Bartowski, what exactly do you call a date?" Chuck wasn't sure what to say.
"Wait, you actually thought it was a date?" Casey just stared at him. "Casey—"
"Save it, we've got a new mission, thanks to you." Casey was beginning to look giddy. "I don't have to watch those stupid Hallmark movies anymore."
Chuck narrowed his eyes. "You were watching Hallmark channel movies?" Casey glared at him, and Chuck mimed zipping his lips.
}o{
Beckman came on the screen, sans Graham, and she looked a special brand of pissed off. "Team… This one, it's personal. Major Jacob Waters worked with me for ten years and to learn he has joined Fulcrum…" She looked away.
"Kill on sight, General?" Casey asked softly.
"Whoa," Chuck said, making everyone look at him.
"Mr. Bartowski, I understand your aversion to killing," Beckman began.
"General, you misunderstand me," Chuck cut in, making Casey's eyes bug out. "With all due respect, you might be too close to this. You've sent these agents here to watch my back, so let me watch yours. You might learn something from him, you might get some intel on Fulcrum, this could be a huge opportunity."
Beckman sat there a second, and glanced at Casey. He barely tilted his head, but doing so said it as plain as day: "he's got a point." Beckman nodded. "Mr. Bartowski, you are correct."
"I am?" he asked, surprised. He cleared his throat. "I mean, ahem, it's just a thought." Beckman nodded. "I understand that what will happen to him I probably won't like, but if he's selling national secrets…" Chuck trailed off and spread his hands. He looked at Sarah, who gave him an encouraging nod. "Also I figure any intel we can give the FBI of who's compromised, well, they'll owe us one."
Beckman grinned. "And I thought you were the asset, Mr. Bartowski."
"Even a blind squirrel gets a nut every once in a while," Casey grumbled.
Chuck decided to ignore that. "So how-how do we, uh, proceed?" he asked, looking at both of the agents, and then back to Beckman. "Wait for him to step out into the alley for a smoke and nab him?"
"Wait for him where?" Casey asked. "You two lost him tonight."
"Not necessarily," Beckman said. "Waters will be hard to track. But we can get somebody on Powers. He's still with the FBI. We can get a home address. We'll just have to keep an eye on him, see where else he goes."
"What if that was a one time deal, General?" Chuck asked.
"It won't be," Sarah finally spoke up. "It never is. There's no way to know where the next drop or exchange will be, but it's going to happen."
"Get some sleep for now, agents...Chuck. When we reconvene in the morning, I'll have more information for you. Casey, when I get his address, I want you to be the one to tail him. Keep us apprised."
"General." The NSA agent nodded at his orders and she signed off.
"What's next?" Chuck asked. "What do we do? Where do we go? Who do we follow? If the first meeting place was a skating rink, I bet the next one is something like...oh, Dave & Busters! Powers walks up to play skee-ball and a few minutes later, Waters sidles up next to him and starts… What?" he finally asked, seeing that they were both staring at him. "He just leaves the intel where you put the coin in and then walks away….then the other guy grabs it a few minutes later when he's leaving. Bam. Perfect exchange."
"I'm taking away your TV privileges," Casey grunted. "Get outta my apartment."
"What?!" Chuck exclaimed, shrugging even as Casey dragged him to the door. "It's a legit theory!"
Casey waited for Chuck to follow Sarah out into the courtyard and slammed the door in their faces.
"Look, Chuck...you did good work tonight. Your flash could get us a leg up on Fulcrum. If we play our cards right."
He nodded and she smiled at him, shrugging her jacket on and pulling her hair out of it. "Thanks for saying it." She had no idea how coincidental the situation had been though. Because she thought they were there for a mission. It was damn crazy. He'd say fortuitous except that it interrupted a legitimately fun time.
"G'night, Chuck," she said. "We'll reconvene in the morning, like Beckman said."
"G'night." He watched her go, but then he just couldn't help himself. "Hey...Sarah?"
She turned on her heel and faced him, fixing the strap of her purse on her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Did you have fun tonight?"
It almost looked like she didn't know what to say to that, like he'd surprised her with the question, and she dropped her gaze to the ground at her feet for a moment, before she lifted her blue eyes to his and smiled quietly. "I had a lot of fun, Chuck." She wrinkled her nose. "But don't tell anyone, huh? I'm not sure I was...supposed to."
He grinned as she smirked and turned away again, leaving him alone in the courtyard. "Oh, you were," he said to himself, sticking his hands in his pockets and feeling pretty good about what he'd accomplished.
A/N: Good luck getting "Young Hearts Run Free" out of your head once you listen to it. More disco skating coming soon.
Please leave reviews. Thanks!
-SC and DC
