A/N First of all I want to apologize for being a little late with this chapter. But after 92k words, over 200 reviews and finally getting the team back together with the conclusion of act 1, I needed to take a little break. Plus with the holidays it seemed like a good time to do it. But I plan on being back to my more regular posting schedule as we begin act 2.
I want to thank all of you who simply read this story. Many authors talk a lot about reviews, alerts etc and we love them but those that simply read are much appreciated as well. I'm glad that this story has seemed to have kept up a consistent interest from the readers and it even seems to be growing a small bit. Thank you all for that.
As always Esardi has been a god send in helping keep this story moving and not falling into open plot holes. To all the other writers and readers I PM with thank you for your friendship and guidance.
This chapter is a bit of a transition chapter as we move on to act 2 of this story and its a bit of an homage to what IMO is the best episode this series has ever done.
Still don't own Chuck but if I did I'd be throwing one hell of a wrap party next week and all of the great writers and readers on this site would be invited to come.
Chapter 13
The Return
Bernina Express
Compartment 50B
08:15 CET
Chuck and Sarah were sitting comfortably on the bed in their compartment while they awaited the knock on the door that would signify the arrival of their breakfast. They had decided to take the train back to Marseille for two reasons. First Chuck really wanted the chance to show Sarah the views of the Bernina pass that he had seen on his way to Zuoz. He had seen its beauty then but it never really registered with him because of the uncertainty of what was ahead when he got there but also because he had no idea when he would get the chance to see Sarah again. But this trip he wanted to share with her the amazing beauty of this place and really feel the wonder of nature in all its glory with the woman he loved. This time the trip would be far more memorable than it had been those two and a half months ago.
But secondly they wanted to take their time before getting back into mission mode when they got to the French port. Sarah had set the meeting with the task force for Thursday morning at 10:00 so that they had plenty of time to get there and coordinate their plan with Carina. She was to be the only one there that knew what Chuck's role was. She was not to be read in on the Intersect but was to be told that Chuck would be using his role as one of the CIA's best analysts and computer experts to identify the mole and plant false information that would be leaked to Marchon and then traced back to the source.
The train ride to Milan was 12 and a half hours and then an additional five for the connecting leg on to Marseille. That should put them back in Sarah's hotel room a about 01:30 with a 02:00 meeting scheduled with Agent Miller. So the new "real" couple had 18 hours to spend together just the two of them. It was something both were really looking forward to in more ways than one.
"Sarah, we should be getting a view of the Glacier in about an hour so how about we finish our breakfast and then head to the observation car. Besides I'm starving. We really didn't eat very much yesterday in the hotel room."
"Well we had much better things to occupy our time with than food, Mr. Bartowski." She then leaned in and gave Chuck one of the many kisses that simply took his breath away.
"Agreed, we had a lot of catching up to do. I figure we are about up to about the time of my Tango with La Ciudad in making up for lost time."
"Well then I expect our time in the observation car won't be a long visit as I'd like to get past your little visit to Carina's hotel room before we see her again."
"Ouch. You had to bring that up didn't you?"
"Well if I didn't she will. I'm certain of that."
"Actually I'm kind of looking forward to seeing Carina again. Life is never boring when she is around I bet."
"Yea she does make life interesting."
"Especially for Casey."
"Yea. He is never going to let live down that picture I have of him."
"Remind me never to put myself in a compromising position when you are around."
"Excuse me? I plan to have you in many a compromising position and that's just for the duration of this train ride."
"Ok but no cameras please."
"Fine, you will just have to keep showing me in real life so I won't need a picture." Sarah then threw he arms around his neck and gave him a passionate kiss that literally knocked him over.
"Hey, have I told you that I love you this morning?"
"Yes, several times. My favorite was in the shower before we left for the train station. But I'm not complaining if you want to try and top that one."
"Well, I will try my best. Practice makes perfect you know. I love you Sarah Walker."
"I love you too, Chuck Bartowski."
It was Chuck's turn to flash his amazing smile at her and then pull her into another deep passionate kiss. The tenderness of their kisses and love making the previous day had been something neither of them had ever experienced. It had brought them both to unimaginable levels of joy and comfort. As the day wore on they had found new levels of togetherness and passion. They talked, made love, showered, made love, talked, made love, napped well you get the picture.
Just then there was a knock at the door.
"Ahh food's here. I'm starving." Chuck got up to go answer the compartment door but as his superspy, now real girlfriend had taught him he looked through the peep hole before opening it. Chuck saw an older grey haired gentleman wearing an official uniform. Chuck then smiled back at Sarah and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Sarah giggled at his excitement. He really was such a goofball. But he was now her goofball and it warmed her heart to think about it.
Chuck quickly opened the door and the gray haired gentleman said "Buongiorno signore e signora. Compartment Service"
"Ahh molto bene" Chuck reaches out and grabs their breakfast tray sporting a huge boyish smile.
"But would you prefer for me to prepare your table?"
"No thank you. I'm pretty good with mechanical things"
Chuck handed him a tip from some of the left over Euro's he had for the party back in St Moritz and the porter nodded "grazie" and quickly left.
"Wine for breakfast, man the Italians really know how to live."
Chuck handed Sarah the tray and opened the small table from its compartment in the wall. She then placed the tray on the table, grabbed Chuck by the collar and threw him on the bed. She then straddled across his hips and began seductively removing her camisole. Thankfully nothing they ordered was heated as it was another hour before either of them thought about food.
DNI Headquarters
Interogation room.
12:48 EDT
Fred Mitchell was sitting in the hard metal chair he had been in for most of the past 36 hours. The cold metal table in front of him held a glass of water, a yellow legal notepad and a pen. Across from him was a one-way mirror that hid a video camera and he assumed a couple of legal types from the various Intelligence services. He was certain they were asked to leave when anything specific regarding the Intersect project was discussed. Their main function was to monitor the proceedings so that no sensitive areas were ventured into that didn't directly relate to this case. They were also there to protect both sides from any possible legal repercussions from the Incident in St. Moritz.
He had been allowed to go to one of the secure rooms that the US Intelligence service had on call in the nearby DC hotels to sleep and shower. He had been Acting Director of the CIA and was not being charged with anything as of yet so he was being accorded the respect of his now former office.
As he sat alone in the room waiting on the next barrage of questions all basically asking the same thing he kept trying to devise a plan to first keep himself out of jail and second preserve his families dignity. Another scandal would end his families rich history of government service once and for all.
His attention was drawn to a knock on the door and an aide quietly opened the door followed by his nemesis one Brigadier General Diane Beckman. After the general walked in and sat down across from Mitchell the aide quickly closed the door.
Beckman then turned and signaled those behind the mirror to stop the recordings.
"Acting Director Mitchell. I'm sorry we have to see each other under these circumstances. I have to admit I'm rather surprised on many levels."
"In what way? General I'm well aware of the importance of this project."
"First I'm surprised you do not have an attorney present."
"Why would I need an attorney?"
"Please Fred. You know the answer to that question as well as I do."
"Ok General I take it that with you here we are finally getting near the end of our little discussions of the past 36 hours."
"Well you could have left at any point during these discussions Fred. You were never being detained. We just need to get to the bottom of how a Ring operative was put in charge of the training of the most important asset in US Intelligence."
"As I told everyone else who asked the same basic question. I was not aware she was with the Ring. She had been placed at The Farm by Langston Graham and her exemplary record there afforded her the proper clearances to rise to the level needed for such a sensitive job."
"Well we both know that none of the other people you were talking with earlier know anything about the "special circumstances" involved here."
"Yes General, I'm fully aware of that. Speaking of which what is the status of Mr. Carmichael?"
"I'm sorry but I'm not at liberty to discuss that."
"So it seems you got what you wanted then. Full control of the "Project" once again." He said with a smirk.
The General remained as calm as she had been since she walked in the door never showing her inner pride at that statement from the asshole.
"Look Diane. I told you I was not aware of her status and I don't think we have much else to discuss on the matter. If you'll excuse me I'm going to be leaving now and if you need to talk to me again then you can speak to my attorney." Mitchell then pushed his chair back and got up and headed towards the door. As he was about to open it he turned back towards the General who was still sitting with her hands folded on the table.
"Diane, you and I both know that Carmichael is never going to be the kind of Agent the "Project" was created for. He will always be dependent on his 'team' and he will never pass his Red Test. This project was doomed the moment Bryce Larkin was killed and no matter what Carmichael's 'handler' does to keep him in line or what an over the hill NSA agent does to protect him, he will eventually have to do it on his own and he will fail. I just hope he doesn't end up getting the two of them killed as well. An Agent as 'fine' as Sarah Walker is a shame to lose over an under-achieving nerd with a hero complex." The sarcasm and innuendo bathing the words as he spoke. He quickly grabbed the door handle and left.
The General then pulled out her phone and dialed. "Beckman secure. Is the equipment in place? Good. Remember I want to know everything he does every second of the day. Do not lose him. If you need any other resources, get them. This is a top priority and under no circumstances is the target to be aware that we have him under advanced surveillance. He'll expect a car parked out side of his home and a tail where ever he goes so lets give that too him. That should keep him occupied enough that he doesn't find out about the rest of the operation."
'We'll see who has the last word here you asshole.' She said quietly to herself as a small smile grew across his face.
Bernina Express
Compartment 50B
17:27 CET
"Ok so we've established a new mission for us. Sarah Walker needs to find a favorite song."
"Hey I told you that music hasn't been at the top of my list and besides I have a much more fun mission in mind for our last two hours on the train." Sarah then reached out and grabbed Chuck by the t-shirt he had put on to answer the compartment door with their last room service delivery. "And it starts with you getting out of this damn shirt again."
"Hey hasn't that been our mission for virtually the entire train ride? I mean the only time we really left this compartment was for 10 minutes to go look at the Morteratsch Glacier from the observation car."
"And do you have a problem with that?"
"Certainly not. Just making an observation. I have given my full and complete devotion to this mission."
"Yes you have!" Sarah then smashed her lips into his. If their time in the hotel was all about tenderness and love, their time on the train was all about two and a half years of frustration and want coming out in a passion neither had ever known before.
Just as Sarah flipped him over onto his back, a move she had been perfecting all day long, a sound neither of them wanted to hear disrupted her next planned move.
Recognizing the ring tone Sarah let out a sigh of frustration and dropped her head into Chuck's shoulder. She then reached out and grabbed her phone.
"Damn it Carina there better be a damn good reason for this. We got two hours left in this compartment and we plan on taking advantage of every minute of it."
"Hey blondie, so how is he? Would I approve? Tell him my offer still stands."
"Carina! Not gonna happen. Find your own nerd. This one's taken."
"Sarah, I am happy for you. You know that don't you?"
"Thanks Carina and yes I do."
"So I take it from your email this morning, you guys are on your way here?"
"Yea, be at my hotel room at 2 am. I've asked for a meeting of the task force in the morning and we want to go over the plan with you tonight."
"We?"
"Chuck and I. We've got a plan and we think he can help us find the mole and maybe finally get Marchon."
"Great. I've run out of all the cute Italian and Greek shipping magnets in Marseille."
Sarah chuckled. "Well if this works you could be back in San Diego in time for the last day of Comicon." Chuck was grabbing his mouth trying not to burst out laughing.
"Comicon?"
"I told you that you need to find your own nerd and Chuck tells me that the Saturday panels at Comicon are where all the best looking ones are. It's a gathering of all the most handsome nerds in the world in one place." Chuck mouthed 'I love you Sarah Walker' still trying to stifle a laugh. He then leaned in and started nibbling on her neck.
"Handsome nerds. Never put those two words together. That is till I met Chuckie. Maybe it's worth checking out for a goof. Ok Sarah. I'll see you tonight."
"Bye, Carina"
"Carina at Comicon? Really Sarah? I'd would die a happy man to see that look on her face when she walked in and saw everyone dressed up in costumes she had no clue what they were about."
"Well you did show me some of the promotional stuff from last year and some of those actors were pretty damn hot." She said with a twinkle in her eye and then gave Chuck a peck on his cheek.
"Oh really? You think the actors at Comicon are hot?" Chuck then feigned being crushed by her comment.
"Yes but none are as handsome as one certain attendee I know."
"Well thank god for that."
"Hey don't we have a 'mission' to focus on?"
"Absolutely and you have my undivided attention."
For the next two hours both Chuck and Sarah gave their best efforts to the 'mission' that was quickly becoming their favorite mission ever.
Andrews Air Force Base
Secure Hanger 12
14:48 EDT
Colonel John Casey looked over at the two prisoners he had escorted from Stuttgart for trip back the the US for interrogation and final incarceration. MI6 was to have picked up Agent Grant that same day in Stuttgart. Both Agents in his care were traitors in his book and deserved whatever was coming to them. But he also had a particular hatred for Agent Andrea Saunders as she had threatened his team. Sidney Prince was simply a Ring Agent like many other enemy agents he had encountered in his years in the NSA. Sure she was beautiful but she worked for the wrong team and he could care less about whatever happened to her. She would be interrogated, talk eventually as everyone talks, but then probably be sent off to some hole in the Midwest somewhere and never see the light of day again.
But Agent Saunders was different. She was a double Agent. That was the worst kind of traitor to him. She worked along side good honorable patriots and then sold them out to the enemy. Plus she was a trainer and had access to young idealistic, impressionable agents and was probably sending information about the vulnerable ones to the Ring for recruiting. But what pissed him off most of all was she had threatened a member of his team. He would never say it to Bartowski but that made it personal.
As the rear ramp of the C-130 began to lower Casey unbuckled his seatbelt and walked over to his prisoners. He instructed two of the guards with him to unlock the restraints on both while a third and fourth guard had their Baretta M-9's pointed at the heads of both the female agents.
A second four man team then came up the ramp and saluted the superior officer.
"Prince, time for you to take a little walk with these men. But before they put you in the back of transport, take a nice long look around. Its the last daylight you may ever see again."
Agent Sidney Prince gave the Colonel a look of both resignation and acceptance of her fate. She knew the risks of what she did and accepted the consequences. Casey almost had to admire that. She may have worked for the enemy but he respected a professional soldier for the cause.
As the team escorted her into the waiting prisoner transport Casey turned his attention to Agent Andrea Saunders. "Well Saunders looks like you get the pleasure of my company for a while longer."
Saunders looked at him with a bit of a curious expression on her face but said nothing.
"Don't know why as I'd be happy to put a bullet in your head right here and save the taxpayers a lot of money wasted on a piece of shit like you but it seems someone has different plans in mind."
She then gave him a small smirk as he turned her around and they, accompanied by a the four guards headed down the ramp to two awaiting black suburbans.
"Where are we going?" Saunders asked speaking for the first time since they left St Moritz.
"Wow she talks." Responded Casey with a sarcastic grunt.
"So Colonel, are you going to answer my question or are you just gonna stand there and play hardass NSA douche?
"Sorry CIA tr.., excuse me ex-CIA traitor, But does it matter? Wherever we're going you'll never see anything but four gray walls for the rest of your sorry assed life, however short that may be." The last phrase said with more than a hint of satisfaction.
Andrea Saunders then climbed in and focused out the windshield of the Suburban. She put on her best Agent face of determination and defiance as she had 2 guards sitting on either side of her but inside a small element of fear began to take hold.
As they drove towards whatever unknown facility they were taking her to, she thought back to her days in that god awful camp in Thailand. The mode of transportation was nicer but in many respects she was just as much prisoner today as she was back then.
She had first been taken to a local prison where she had been stripped, raped, beaten and then sold to a local "businessman" who ran a fighting ring where what were tantamount to slaves fought each other to the death for the entertainment of a bunch of local sadistic drug lords and mercenaries that traveled through that god forsaken part of the world.
She knew that wasn't what was ahead of her now but the feeling of being lost, alone and without hope was just as real as it had been back then. Her upcoming hell hole just had a better paint job.
She quickly tried to put those thoughts out of her head as at least she would ber treated a bit more humanely by her own country than she was by the scum she had seen in Thailand. But in so many ways they were similar. She would stay alive as long as she was useful. Once that ended, so did she. So she tried to refocus her mind to the mission ahead. Wherever they were taking her she would have to first find out why she was being treated differently than Prince had been. Something was up and she needed to figure out what that was.
Saint Charles Hotel
Sarah's room
01:45 CET
Chuck and Sarah had arrived back at her hotel room about a half hour before Carina was supposed to arrive. Sarah had set up her laptop to check on the status of her request for the task force meeting. It was confirmed for 10 am the next morning. That would give them time to have Chuck set up surveillance gear in the hotel room so he could monitor the feed from a hidden camera Sarah was going to wear. The device would have to be deactivated and hidden inside Sarah's gear so that it wouldn't show up on the metal detector when she entered the Interpol offices. On the train Chuck had designed a way to hide the device inside Sarah's computer in the PCMCIA slot. The computer would function as normal when the security officers turned it on as they did every time she brought it into the building.
Once inside she would activate the camera and hide it on her clothing. Also inside would be an earwig that Chuck had re-tuned to a different frequency. It would appear similar to the RF energy that is normally generated by the internal clock frequencies of her laptop. Therefore it should not show up on any active RF scanning going on in the conference room. Security was tight at the headquarters of the task force and that is why Sarah felt that Chuck and the Intersect gave them the best option for finding the mole.
Just as they were going over the plan they heard a familiar beep from her laptop signaling that General Beckman wanted to speak with them.
"Chuck, Sarah I just wanted to check on the status of the mission in Marseille as I need you back here asap."
Both Chuck and Sarah looked at each other for a second curious as to why the General was using their first names. That had usually been limited only to when she was trying to appeal to them on a more important level than just a normal mission. They both knew that meant she wanted something a little off the record.
As Sarah was the AIC on the Marseille mission she spoke first. "General, Agent Miller is to arrive in about 15 minutes to go over the plan for the meeting we have scheduled tomorrow. We have developed a way for Chu.. Mr. Bartowski to monitor the meeting from here. We will see if he flashes on any of the members present at the meeting. If so he will notify Agent Miller and I and we will then proceed to plant some false evidence with the mole and then set up a counter mission to apprehend both the mole and acquire the evidence on Marchon that they can then use to issue an arrest warrant. He will also check and see if any of the political officials in question have connections that would lead to the case being over turned or somehow Marchon never going to court."
"Good Agent Walker. It sounds like you have the situation well planned out and you should be able to return to DC in 48 hours. I assume that Agent Miller will not be read in to any aspect of Mr. Bartowski's special abilities?" Chuck's 'special abilities' hmmm nope she's never going to know anything about those . Sarah thought to herself but still kept her steely-eyed focus on her face.
"No ma'am. Our plan is to tell her that Chuck's gifts as an analyst should allow him to access any necessary databases to track down who the mole is using those skills."
"Very good, Agent Walker"
"General, if I may interrupt."
"Go ahead Mr Bartowski."
"Yes ma'am. First of all nice to see you again but I have a feeling that this call isn't just about the mission here."
"Very perceptive, Chuck." 'There it is again' Chuck thought to himself.
"I have a special mission I need you two for back here in DC. Once that mission is accomplished I intend to ramp up your continued training and expand the Intersect project and give your team the lead in our war against the Ring."
Chuck and Sarah again glanced at each other both curious about the 'expanded' team and what their becoming the lead team would mean for them and their new found relationship.
"While both of you have been on your current assignments the Ring has been expanding their operations and have hit some sensitive targets. They seem to have become a much larger threat than originally believed. Off the record I believe that Acting Director Mitchell was less than diligent in his battle with them in hopes that he could then use Agent Carmichael and the Intersect once you had completed your training, to show he was the person responsible for taking down this new threat."
"So if I may General. What is the mission you have planned for us in DC?" Sarah asked.
"Well Chuck had requested a chance to speak with Agent Saunders in hopes of finding out more about what her mission was and what her relationship was to Acting Director Mitchell. I'd like him to use the relationship he had with her and his Intersect abilities to find out as much as he can from Agent Saunders. I'd like you Agent Walker to be there to both guide and train him in interrogation techniques but also to see if you can give a female perspective to both the questions and to her answers. You have had similar training and are aware of the special demands that are made of female agents. You should be able to keep Mr. Bartowski focused and guide him through any potential traps that Agent Saunders may try to set for him."
"Yes ma'am."
"My problem is that we need to do this asap as the National Security Director will be returning to DC in a few days and he wants this situation with Mitchell and Saunders wrapped up quickly before the press gets wind of it. So I need you two back here before he returns."
"Yes ma'am."
"Remember I need you back here in forty-eight hours."
The screen went black as quickly as it always did with the diminutive general.
Chuck then looked at Sarah with a bit of a stunned look on his face. "What was all that? Sarah I'm not so sure about all of this. What did she mean an expanded team? And if we are taking the lead with The Ring won't it mean greater scrutiny on us?"
"Chuck, we need to talk about all this. But Carina will be here any minute and I don't want to get into it till after she leaves." Just then there was a knock on the door and Sarah mouthed 'see' as she glanced towards the door.
Sarah pulled her weapon just in case and looked through the peep hole. She then replaced her Smith and Wesson back in her waist band and opened the door. Agent Carina Miller bounced into the room with a dazzling smile.
Carina walked right past Sarah virtually ignoring her and reached out and pulled Chuck into an all encompassing bear hug. She then proceeded to kiss him on the cheek.
"Chuckles, I'm so glad to see you. Have you decided to reconsider my offer from last year? I've been itching for some good old red-blooded American male companionship. These Europeans get boring after a while."
Chuck hugged Carina lightly but respectfully and looked over her shoulder at Sarah who was alternating between both anger and laughter at the predicament her newly real boyfriend was in. "Hey, Carina. Nice to see you again too. It's been a while. And no my answer hasn't changed. Still flattered and a bit scared at the same time but I think I'm gonna let the offer pass once again." Chuck's face was now three shades of red brighter than it was thirty seconds ago.
"Well if you ever decide to change your mind, the offer might not be there anymore."
"I'll think I'll risk it."
At that Sarah walked over and tapped Carina on her shoulder. "Would you mind letting go of my 'boyfriend'? I know no one ever says no to you but so far you are 0 and 2 when it comes to Chuck." The smirk on Sarah's face grew even larger.
"Hey he just doesn't know what he's missing out on." Carina then turned to Chuck and reached out and held his arm. "But seriously Chuck, I'm glad you're ok and out of that hole. My 'partner' here was really getting to be a drag to be around. She never wanted to go have any fun. Maybe now she won't be moping around her hotel 'alone' every night." Carina gave Chuck a wink and turned to Sarah and poked her in her side.
"Plus maybe you can show me some of those hot guys at whatever it was Sarah was telling me about. I've never been with a 'nerd' before. Maybe I can find out for myself just why my friend here looks so happy and 'satisfied'". The last word she spoke with a particular sauciness that only Carina Miller can say.
"Ok Carina. Can we get on to business here."
Carina then walked over and sat down on the bed. Chuck grabbed the two chairs from the small table in the room and placed both of them opposite of Carina and he and Sarah sat down. Sarah then proceeded to explain what the plan was and what Carina's role was in it. Once Chuck had identified the mole, if he found him, Carina was to then pull Sarah over near where the suspected mole was standing. She would then do something to attract the mole's attention while not letting on that she knew they were being watched. At this point she was to tell Sarah that she had an op planned to infiltrate Marchon's warehouse later that evening.
Conveniently the tracker they had planted on the ship from Libya had been activated and they were headed back into port that evening. It was a very secret raid that they were going to be running off the books. The plan was for the mole to then notify Marchon and he would likely send extra security to the warehouse letting the compound be left with a smaller force that a different team with Chuck and Sarah would then infiltrate.
Carina then asked the all important question. "Sarah if Interpol hasn't been able to determine if there is a mole then how is Chuckles going to do it? Not that I don't trust you guys but we are putting all of our eggs in your boy toy's basket, as cute as that basket might be." Carina then gave Chuck a wink once again.
"Well Carina, lets just say that Chuck is the most skilled operative I've ever worked with in a lot more ways that one." Sarah then winked at Chuck and turned to Carina with another devilish look.
"Can we stop with the double entendre's ladies? I'm right here in the room."
"Ok I get it Chuck's a stallion in the sack. I just hope he's as 'talented' sitting at the desk in this hotel room as he will be lying down as soon as I leave here tonight."
"Believe me he is."
"Hey, still right here you two." Chuck's face had turned bright red at the little game still being played by the two beautiful women in front of him. They both chuckled as they looked at the dumbstruck look on Chuck's face.
"God is he easy to tease." Carina rolled her eyes with a bit of a chuckle.
"Believe me you have no idea."
The three then stood up and headed towards the door. Carina leaned in and gave Sarah a hug. "Just don't tire him out too much blondie. This whole mission is riding on the nerd's broad delectable shoulders."
Sarah smiled back. "Don't worry he'll be ready for tomorrow."
Carina then turned to Chuck, pulled him into a bear hug, kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear. "I'm glad you are the one thing Sarah wanted I never took. But if you hurt her, I'll kill you."
Chuck pulled back, a little scared but appreciative of Sarah having a friend who would look out for her. He knew Carina meant every word.
Carina then left and Chuck and Sarah flopped down on the bed. Chuck reached his left arm out and Sarah snuggled into his warm embrace. They both laid there for a few moments enjoying the peace and warmth of each others company. Chuck then kissed Sarah on the top of her head. They both knew that the other was thinking about something that needed to be discussed but they were content to wait just a little longer before they knew it was time to talk.
Interestingly enough it was Sarah who spoke first. "Chuck, I can hear your mind working from here. What are you thinking about?"
"Hey, I'm not the only one whose brain is giving off smoke signals." Sarah chuckled and kissed his neck while she played with a few of Chuck's chest hairs.
She then sat up with her legs crossed on the bed and took Chuck's hand in hers. After a few seconds that let Chuck know what she was about to say was serious she began. "I have a feeling we are both thinking about the same thing."She looked into his eyes and quietly asked, "Chuck after this mission is over Beckman expects us back in DC immediately. Also you haven't seen Ellie since her wedding. She has no idea what you've been doing these past two and a half months. I just want to know what you want to do going forward."
"Sarah, you're right I was thinking about all this. About you, about us and where we go from here. Sarah I just can't go back to the way we were before..."
Sarah reached over and caressed his cheek. "Chuck, neither can I. I can't go back to how it was before, before this, before you."
"Sarah, where ever we go from here I want you with me. I want to be by your side, always. Maybe you were right back in your hotel room in LA. Maybe we should give up this spy life. Maybe we should run. "
"Chuck, is that what you really want?"
"Sarah, I want you! I want this. I want us. Nothing is more important to me than that. You are why my crazy ridiculous life makes sense."
Sarah let out a chuckle. "Normal is certainly not us."
"Normal is over-rated. Look Sarah let's start with this. Whatever we decide we are in this together, right?"
"Absolutely. No matter what I want you in my life. My life is empty without you. I learned that all too clearly while you were gone."
Chuck gently took her arms in his hands leaned in and kissed her tenderly kissed her.
"Sarah, what do you really want? Please be completely honest. This is the only way this will work is if we honestly tell each other what it is we want. Do you want to run or do you want to figure out a way to make this work with Beckman, Casey and all of other things in our lives that will try to keep us apart?"
"Chuck, what I really want is you. Everything else doesn't matter." Sarah then pulled him tightly and laid her head on his chest and whispered. "I love you Chuck"
"I love you too Sarah. But I want you to be happy."
"Chuck I am happy. For the first time in my life I can say that and mean it completely. I just don't want you to choose me over something you want for yourself."
"Sarah neither do I with you. I won't take away what makes you, you. Do you think that if we were completely honest with Beckman we would really have a chance to have it all? I mean once I'm officially made an agent then it would be allowed. Maybe she would be willing to look the other way for a little while."
"Maybe. But we would still need to keep it a secret from everyone else in the Agency. Especially this new 'expanded' team whatever that means."
"Yea, I'm not so sure I like the sound of that. The three of us had a pretty good thing going and I'm not sure I want to trust someone I don't know joining us. But I agree we need to keep our relationship a secret from anyone else."
Sarah nodded.
"What about Casey, Sarah?"
"Chuck I think we have to tell him but I would guess he already knows. As long as it doesn't affect the missions and we keep a professional manner in front of him and no PDA then I'm sure he would be ok with it."
"Well you know my feelings on PDA so that shouldn't be a problem. As long as there are lots of Private displays of affection, I'm cool with the plan." Chuck then gave her the infamous Bartowski eyebrow dance.
Sarah slapped him on the arm and broke out a feigned eyeroll. "Oh, I'm certain there will be lots of this." Sarah then attacked his lips with a vengeance.
Chuck finally broke the kiss and said, "Wow. I… ahhh. I guess wow about covers it."
Sarah gave him that playful look he has been seeing quite a lot of since he woke up in that hotel room in St. Moritz."
Sarah shifted and rolled over on her side facing him. She lay her head in her hand supported by her elbow. "Chuck, when we were talking to Beckman yesterday you said you thought you had an idea of why you weren't flashing. If we're going to do this and you can't flash again when you need to, it could put you in great danger. I can't live with that thought."
"Sarah, I believe that it was my emotions that were keeping me from flashing. I was going through hell and didn't have anyone to talk to. No one to guide me through all of it. I had no one I could trust. I was lonely, in pain, depressed and the longer it went on the worse it got."
"Chuck..I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you." She laid her hand on his arm and squeezed it lovingly.
"Sarah, but you see that was what helped me find the key to fixing it and to begin to flash once again. That key gained me a lot of understanding about how the 2.0 works in my head and how my emotions affect it."
"Key? What key?"
"Sarah, the key to the Intersect for me is you."
"Me?" Sarah gave him a quizzical look.
"Yes, you Sarah Walker are the key to me flashing properly because you are the key to my heart. When you flew that plane over Zuoz, I knew you were ok and that you loved me. You were amazing in how you let me know you got my message. You went above and beyond literally for me. I can't ever thank you enough for that."
Chuck gave her a quick kiss on the lips before continuing. "Sarah look at the past two and a half years at all the amazing things we have done. What we have accomplished. Things I have no idea how we pulled them off. But the reason we had the chance to pull them off is because of you. Any other Agent would have simply thrown me in a bunker and moved on to their next assignment when we were standing on the helipad on our first date. Hell Casey would have been happy to just put a bullet in my head and then gone out for pancakes." Sarah chuckled at that memory from the night that changed her life forever.
"Sarah it was you that saw something in me that I couldn't see. You made me want to be a better person and be better at this job. I know we all play our parts on this team but you are what makes this team and the Intersect work to its fullest capability. I know that now. With you in my life I'm happy and when I'm happy this thing in my brain works best. My emotions are an integral part of The Intersect."
"Chuck, don't underestimate yourself. I have seen you do things without the Intersect that I have never seen any other agent do. You're amazing all on your own."
"Thank you Sarah but that is how I think we should approach this with Beckman. Tell her that if she wants the Intersect project to be as successful as possible then she has to allow us to figure out wherever this relationship takes us. Have her realize that we can be the best damn spy couple there ever was."
Sarah thought for a second and realized that it could work. Reassigning her had always been her biggest worry and the reason for keeping her distance from Chuck for so long. But it would in effect be off the table if Beckman wanted a successful project. It was a risk in challenging their superiors that way but the odds seemed to be in their favor.
"Ok Chuck so we go back to DC and talk to Beckman. We use this 'special' mission she has planned as leverage. But one other thing I've been wondering about. You said that you wanted to talk to Agent Saunders about her connection to Mitchell. What was that about?"
"Sarah, Agent Saunders slept with Acting Director Mitchell. There is a picture of them in bed together in the Intersect. It's an image I don't want to ever see again but maybe we can use that to put that scumbag away finally."
"Chuck, I'm all for whatever comes to that bastard but why would Saunders help us? She was working for the Ring after all?"
"Sarah, the reason I believe Saunders joined the Ring was she was abandoned by the CIA when she was captured in Thailand. The Ring found her and gave her something to live for. The CIA did nothing and The Ring took advantage of her misery and pain at being abandoned. But the Ring betrayed her the same way by whoring her out to Mitchell. They were no better than what the CIA did to her. Hell they probably have issued a sanction on her already."
"Chuck but all of that is part of the job and she knows that."
"Yes but there was something about her that told me that the reasons she signed up for the CIA might still be there. Call it a feeling or whatever but I saw something in her that I'd like to see if it was really there. Plus maybe if she testifies against Mitchell she might get a lighter sentence. I'd just hate to see her rot in a prison for the rest of her life or worse be disposed of by the CIA or the Ring. She's already been in hell once before."
Sarah then leaned in and kissed him. "Chuck, compassion is very very rare in this business but its one of the thousands of reasons I love you. Agent Saunders tranqed you, was going to turn you over the Ring yet you still find it in your heart to try and help her."
"Well its not just me being the great guy I am," Chuck gave his best fake modest look. "she might be able to help us so I am being a bit selfish too."
"You are a great guy. Don't you ever forget that."
"By the way, there's millions of reasons why I love you Sarah."
Sarah's heart was warmed as she snuggled back into Chuck's side.
"Hey we need to get some sleep. We got a big day tomorrow and I still need to wear you out a little bit so I can rub Carina's face in it a little tomorrow."
"So that's what I am to you? Something to rub in Carina's face?" Again with the Bartowski smirk.
Sarah slapped him on the chest. "Chuck there is no way any part of you is getting anywhere near Carina's face, you got me?'
"Quite clearly"
"Good. Now we've been in this nice hotel room in the south of France for over and hour and we still have just as many clothes on as we did when we got here. There's something wrong with this picture."
"Well let's see how fast we can change that." Chuck then began to unbutton Sarah's blouse while she began to pull his t-shirt over his head. Ten seconds later they were both completely naked.
"So how tired do I have to be to piss off Carina anyway?"
Sarah giggled and then Chuck found her straddling his hips. Not to be out done in the bedroom gymnastics department he flipped her over on her back so fast it startled her. "Wow. Taking advantage of a naked defenseless secret agent, Mr. Carmichael?"
"Somehow the word defenseless just doesn't go with the name Sarah Walker."
Sarah smiled tenderly up at the man she loved with all her heart. "I love you Chuck."
"I love you too Sarah, more than you will ever know." He then kissed her gently on her soft moist lips already flush from their previous one. Chuck then looked deeply into those pools of blue heaven and said. "Together?"
"Together" was her heartfelt reply.
A/N 2 I had planned to add one more scene to this chapter but it was already over 8k and this seemed like a good place to stop. Besides this chapter puts this story over 100k words. Never thought I'd get that far when I started. Two chapters in a row with happy endings has been fun to write. More spy drama begins next chapter. Let me know what you thought of this one.
