Don't own Chuck

Since they were going to have to pack they decided to stop off at Ben and Jerry's getting their orders to go. Sarah ordered extra for Sam and the gang at home plus and an additional order of Rocky Road for later. Then on the way home she kept nibbling on her creation, a banana split with Rocky Road covered with Nutella topping. She got them to heat the Nutella so it poured over the top then on the way home it hardened.

"You know if you keep eating that you won't have any left by the time we get home," said Chuck as she cuddled up next to him.

"I think we could come up with a solution, don't you," said Sarah as she looked up at him giving him a taste.

"You're right that's not bad... Oh wait a minute I see how this is going to play out," said Chuck as he looked down into her eyes and seeing her impish expression. "You know your daughter does the same thing to me when she wants something. Stop it if you want something just ask me."

"Do I have to I think you can guess if you try hard," said Sarah as she gave him another bite then they shared a Nutella kiss. "Are you really hungry for ice cream?"

"Not for ice cream," he said as he kissed her again she still had that same hazel nut Nutella taste on her lips. "I guess there's still that pizza left, it didn't disagree with me." Devon and Ellie laughed in the front seat.

"So tell me Chuck during Sarah's first pregnancy how much weight did you lose?" said Devon as Ellie elbowed him to be quiet.

"I swear I didn't tell him anything," said Ellie. "But if two doctors come up with the same prognosis independently you have to wonder."

"How many times do I have to tell you guys I'm not pregnant? Chuck, you heard what the Doctor told us when you had your physical that time."

"He said the intersect might keep you from getting pregnant but the operative word here is 'might' because he wasn't sure."

"Sarah, would it be such a bad thing if you were pregnant. Sam is old enough to be an older sister yet young enough where she wouldn't be a second parent."

"You know all about that don't you babe," said Devon. "What I'm saying is you did a good job raising Chuck."

"That's something I never want Sam to have to do," said Sarah as she looked down into her ice cream and suddenly teared up.

"Hey, what's the matter," said Chuck. "Really it wasn't that bad we had each other. I think you had it worse not having anyone to share with. You had the same situation we did, parents that were always gone but you didn't have anyone to talk to or to take care of you."

"I don't know what came over me. I just felt so sad. But my situation was different I knew where my father was and I saw him during visiting hours when granny wasn't looking. I don't know maybe it would be better for Sam if she had a brother or sister but it's not happening now because I'm not pregnant. No one say anything to Sam either because then she'll start daydreaming then when we find out I'm not it won't be a big letdown for her. Does everyone understand that?" said Sarah with a tone that meant business.

"Well we're here which one of you is going to tell Mary we're heading off tomorrow to Costa Gravas and taking her granddaughters," said Devon. "You know we do have the option of leaving them with here."

"No," yelled Ellie and Sarah in unison. It sounded almost as if they'd rehearsed it making both Chuck and Devon laugh.

"Okay, okay... well I think I'm elected," said Chuck as they pulled into the driveway and parked. "What's she going to do, shoot me? Been there done that." They got out of the car and started walking towards the house when Sarah noticed their next door neighbor watching them from her kitchen window.

"I see why you don't need an alarm system," said Sarah as she looked next door. "I swear it's like that woman's on permanent guard duty."

"Thank you, I've been telling Awesome that she gives me the creeps but he says I'm exaggerating. Watch this," said Ellie as she yelled at Devon. "Honey, your favorite neighbor's watching."

"Oh hi Gladys," yelled Devon as he waved. "Isn't she a nice little old lady. Poor woman's all alone now her husband just up and disappeared one day. Now all she does is take care of her flower garden all day. Poor lost soul but she does have a green thumb."

"Did you know that 55% of accidents occur in the kitchen? And I'm sure most of them are accidents," said Sarah as she and Ellie laughed while Awesome looked at them as if they were crazy. Then Sam and Clara came running out of the house up to them. Chuck caught Sam on the fly.

"Mommy's a little tired today so let's let her have a breather. You and I can play if you want," said Chuck catching Sarah's look as he tickled Sam and she started laughing.

"Stop, stop... No Clara and I are busy. Nanna Mary is showing us how to make... what are they called," said Sam as she fought to get back down and started to run back in.

"Rice Crispy Treats," said Clara as she ran after Sam who let out a deafening high pitched squeal as Clara almost caught her.

"They'll go good with ice cream," said Sarah but Sam and Clara were already gone running back through in the door.

"Too bad Morgan isn't here. He used to like my Mom's Rice Crispy Treats. He said she was the only one he knew who could make them decently."

"I remember," said Ellie as she put her around Chuck. "But we had each other. And then there were pancakes."

"Yes there were or the promise of them," said Chuck as he hung behind letting Ellie and Devon go in first then pulled Sarah back.

"What is it?" asked Sarah. "Has all this talk about me being pregnant got you thinking? I don't want to disappoint you."

"No don't worry about that it's just… well… I just want to say before we go inside and for the record that if you are pregnant I'll be happy. Ellie helped me through some hard times and I wouldn't mind if Sam had someone to rely on."

"Oh she does, us," said Sarah as she kissed him. "I hear what you're saying but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm not."

"Let me finish but if you're not that's okay to. I'm all good the way we are. I love you and just waking up next to you is enough for me.

"Chuck, I know your 'all goods' and that was not a real 'all good'," said Sarah as she got close and kissed him.

"Okay, it was a fake 'all good'. I'm just curious would it be such a bad thing if you were pregnant. The way you've been going on it seems like it would be the end of the world. We survived Sam we'll survive another… I don't know a little Jack or Emma."

"Now you're even throwing out names. Well, once everyone goes to sleep we can have a chat and I'll try to explain. But whatever happens I love you," she said as she kissed him.

"If you two don't stop your dilly-dallying there won't be anymore treats left," said Mary as she came to the door. "Now get a move on it." Then she turned and disappeared.

"You realize there's no telling how long she was inside listening to us out here," said Chuck as he put his arm around her.

"I heard that," yelled Mary from inside. They both laughed as they went in.

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Casey rode his bike as far as he could them parked where the trail ended, hiding the bike under a sheet of plastic then covering it with branches. The last thing he wanted was after huffing to the remote site on the map having to huff it all the way to civilization. Once the bike was covered he got out his pack, shouldered his bolt action Remington 700 then took his machete and began hacking his way through the jungle.

The going was slow and arduous. The canopy of trees trapped the humidity and heat close to the jungle floor making it insufferable. It didn't take long before he had to stop for a break and rest. He sat on a stump and in the distance he saw next to a stream a coypu as the natives called them but he'd always heard them called river rats.

"Looks like I've got fresh meat for supper," said Casey as he slow got his gun. But as he was lining up the crosshairs on his 'carry out' something yellow darted out from the underbrush grabbed the rat. It let out squeal then vanished.

"What the heck!" He started looking around through the scope. He knew what it was but they usually only hunted at night but then he found his thief in a nearby tree. Mamma jaguar was feeding two baby jaguar cubs his intended supper.

"Better give you guys a wide berth," said John as he got moving again. The last thing he wanted was for mamma Jaguar to perceive him as a threat to her young. Most of the time wild animals leave humans alone but never come between a mother and her young.

Casey stopped again after he covered another couple of miles. He found a stream where he tested the water and finding it clean he took his pack off and use it as an opportunity to fill his canteen. But as he was filling it he heard a noise behind him. Instinct kicked in and he pulled his Sig to find a spider monkey sitting on his pack trying to open it.

"Get out of there," he yelled as the monkey made a little cry then darted off to the edge of the clearing looking back at him as if it were studying him. "What do you want?" said John as the monkey turned his head sideways looking at him.

"Okay, I guess I'm in your home," said John as he took out an energy bar he brought in case he couldn't find anything to eat. He broke it then tossed half to his new friend. The monkey grabbed the half then went up a tree and started to eat it. Judging from how fast he ate it he must've liked it.

"I'm going to call you Morgan," said Casey as put on his pack then started off. As he was hacking his way through the jungle with his machete he noticed the leave and branches moving over his head. Morgan was following him.

"What's wrong with you," said Casey as Morgan came out on a branch and started screaming jumping up and down on the branch making a lot of noise. "You're as noisy and loud as your two legged counterpart."

Then he saw it curled up on a fallen tree he was about to cross. It was yellowish and reddish-brown ground color, with a series of dark brown or black dorsal blotches overlaid that formed lateral inverted triangles of the same color. It was a Bushmaster or also known as the silent rattle snake, the largest viper and the longest venomous snake in the western hemisphere. John just called it supper. Casey did short work on it with his machete then rewarded Morgan with the other half of his energy bar.

"I have to admit you're already turning out to be more useful than your upright cousin," said Casey as the studied a map and decided this would be a good place to bed down for the night. He really wasn't trying to hide his presence so he started a fire to cook his snake. Then he got out his Sat phone and called to report in so he made a video call.

"Evening General just reporting in. I've set up camp for the night in the jungle it gets dark quickly with all the vegetation overhead. I'll get started again as soon as I can see. I should make it to the area of interest tomorrow morning then I'll be able to tell you more if it is or isn't what we're looking for."

"Very good, have you made any contact with locals, or any indigenous tribes? I understand there are a couple who claim that area."

"No I haven't seen any signs of man… Morgan, stay out of my pack," yelled Casey as his little friend absconded with one of his apples he had bought from a roadside vendor earlier when he was still in civilization.

"I talked with Agent Grimes this morning how did he get there so fast and what the heck is he doing with you in the jungle? I never told him to leave…"

"No General you don't understand," said Casey as he turned the phone around so the General could see which Morgan he was talking to. "That's the Morgan I was talking about. The little guy saved me from putting my hand on a snake which became my supper."

"Well they both are woolly I'll grant you that. You realize you don't have to forage off the land. There are MREs you could've taken with you. Whatever," she said, "to each their own I guess."

"Nancys," grunted Casey. That was the Air Force for you thought Casey. First they build the club then if they have money leftover they build the runway.

"What was that I couldn't hear you Colonel? Could you please speak up you're coming in muffled. The satellite must be going out."

"Must be, I was saying nice evening here. Well, I need to go and make sure Morgan doesn't steal anything I'm really going to miss."

"One last thing it's good you called me because I wanted to let you know that the Woodcombs along with Chuck and Sarah are headed your way. After you're done there you need to head for the Capital. Alejandro asked for you to attend a celebration he's hosting ushering in their new constitution."

"I didn't exactly pack a tux and a bowtie in my suitcase for this mission," said Casey trying everything that he could think of as a reason why he couldn't attend.

"I'll send something with Chuck. Alejandro asked specifically for the Angel de la Vida, his words exactly so Colonel you're going to have to suck it up and go. Chuck and Sarah will be in transit tomorrow but by late evening you should be able to reach them to coordinate."

"Roger that. General, I really need to go. Morgan has brought his little cousins and if they keep it up I'm going to have a late night snack." With that all the monkeys stopped and looked at him then scattered.

"Roger that Beckman out. Oh and bon appetite."

"Morgan, will you get out of there," yelled Casey as he got up and chased him up a tree. Morgan looked down at him and seemed to laugh. Now he knew the two were related.

"Crap," said Casey as he tried to find Morgan in the trees but he seemed to be gone now. He must've scared him and his cousins off but the little guy took his antimalarial medication with him. "What am I going to do now?"

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Late evening Frank arrived at the meeting place, an old cantina in the seedy part of town. The people who hung around outside the joint looked like unsavory cutthroats. The sign above the door read Pablo's with a parrot beneath. Frank figured El Comandante was trying to intimidate him by picking this dive but he was determined not to be.

"Let's do this," said Frank then they got out of their SUV and started walking inside. He noticed Marcus was lagging behind him.

If it were possible it looked worse on inside than it did on outside. The windows were all darkened and the only lighting came from neons but only half worked. The air was stale it smelled like an ashtray and there was a perpetual smoky haze that hung suspended. Evidently no one ever told them about the hazards of passive smoke. When Frank walked in the whole place went quiet and heads turned.

"Good evening to you guys too. I'm here to see…" but the bartender cut him off holding his hand up.

"I don't want to get involved in your crap," said the bartender. "This is your guy," he yelled to a man at a table in the back. Frank looked over as a man got up from a dark corner then walked over. He was a tall muscular man with a scar running down his face.

"Are you the man they call El Comandante?" asked Frank. The man didn't answer at first he got up in Frank's face sizing him up as they went through a staring contest.

"No, he's in the back room waiting for you. If you follow me this way I'll take you to him but only you. The rest of your men will have to wait here."

"But that wasn't the deal Boss we should go with you I don't like this," said Marcus. "Evidently this man doesn't trust us."

"I don't trust him so we're even… No I'll go see him. Here," said Frank as he put money up on the bar. "I'll buy you guys a couple rounds and something to eat if you trust the food." The man behind the counter growled. "This will be done in no time so chill out while I go do this meeting."

"But Boss I still don't…" Marcus started to protest but Frank cut him off by holding up his hand then waving him off.

"Turrini's putting on a tough guy show here if I back down he'll think he can just run over me any and every time he wants. No I've got to call his bluff and show him who's the boss once and for all or this will never end."

With that Frank motioned the junior mountain to lead him to Mohamed. He followed the man into a dark back room, past a couple of guards who patted him down taking his Walther PP before letting him enter the Comandante's inner office.

"Be careful with that thing and I expect it back when I leave," said Frank as they opened the door for him to go inside.

The first thing that crossed his mind was that someone had vomited Baroque. The room was an eyesore. It was filled with clutter and things that didn't match. To say the room was gauche was to pay it a complement. It wasn't that El Comandante had bad taste, he had no taste. There was a decent reproduction of an El Greco next to a painting of dogs playing poker. The room even had a silver and gold saddle parked in the middle as a coffee table with cowhide covered chairs and a couch around it with stuffed armadillos as end tables. El Comandante motioned for Frank to sit down.

"I don't know if I'm supposed to sit on it or milk it," said Frank but he decided to sit down if nothing else to show a minimum amount of respect.

"May I offer you something? Maybe you'd like a glass of milk?" said the Comandante motioning him to sit down as they parried quips.

"I'll have a Scotch neat if you don't mind," said Frank. Turrini nodded to his man to pour them both a drink then leave.

"I'm sorry if I haven't been out to see you yet but I've been busy getting ready for the coming elections. Then there was that problem with that satellite. I couldn't risk anyone accidently seeing me heading out in your direction. They might have gotten curious and decided to come out for a look."

"Right, the upcoming elections, excuse me I'm trying to figure out why we're paying you so much and you're giving us so little. I mean you don't have an actual governmental position do you? Yet we're lining your pockets and well might I add. It seems to me we'd do better to wait until after the elections and see how things wash out or am I missing something?"

"Well that's the deal I arranged with Mr. Johannsson and he seemed to be happy with it," said the Comandante smugly leaning back in his chair sipping on his drink.

"Well Mr. Johannsson is no longer with us. He took an early retirement of sorts. You should've seen the hearty sendoff we gave him. It's not something I'm soon going to forget. I think he taught me more in that one afternoon then the whole time I was with him. So if you don't mind I'd like a little more clarification as to the nature of our agreement."

"The first service I provide is through my network of contacts within the military. I'm the one who's kept them from searching your area for that downed satellite."

"You have but you haven't kept out the Americans. On my way here I passed a man I know headed back in our direction, Colonel John Casey."

"Casey… John Casey are you sure?" said the Comandante and Frank nodded his head. "Well, well isn't that interesting."

"I take it you know him.

"The Angel de la Muerte or that's how he used to be known. Now the Premier calls him the Angel de la Vida. He's not here for you my friend he's here at the invitation of the Premier to celebrate of our new constitution. And I've got an idea how to celebrate it and get myself elected all with the help of the Colonel."