A/N: First of all, sorry for being about two hours late in posting the new chapter, especially since I know how eagerly some of you are expecting the weekly updates. It couldn't be helped though. In addition, the next chapter may be posted either on Friday or next Monday, because I'll be out of town and in charge of a polling station for the parliamentary elections next weekend. I hope to have it done by Friday, being the least I can do for you, given your constant and heartwarming support, for which I'm always thankful. Until that time then.
Scooter came out of his small office to find the place deserted except for Sarah and the new Wiener Girl they'd been training. "Well, ladies, how is it going?"
Sarah was the first to answer. "Courtney's a natural, much better than I was when I first started here."
"I blame it on too many family barbecues," joked Courtney. "But seriously, Boss, I have a great teacher."
"Keep up the good job, ladies. Ms. Walker, I just got a call from the Los Angeles head office. There is going to be some kind of big event here in the mall tomorrow, and we're going to need Ms. Conwell to be ready. Can you two stay longer tonight?"
"I don't have anything scheduled," replied Sarah.
"Me neither and I don't have classes tomorrow," added Courtney.
"Good, then all three of us are staying. I'll say it again, Ms. Walker, I'm going to miss having you here, even though you'll be right next door."
Sarah had been transferred from the Wienerlicious to the Orange Orange next door after the previous Double O girl graduated from college and went home to Montana. Scooter thought that it'd be better to assign Sarah to the frozen yogurt shop rather than continue the rotation of college students. This way he'd have one concern less as the overall manager of both stores. She was glad to have been offered the position, too. As much as she liked the hot dog place, the new job meant that she wouldn't smell like sausage at the end of the day.
-o-
At the same time, Alex Forrest and Cole Barker were enjoying their lunch in their favorite burger joint, not far from their office.
"You know," he said after swallowing a bite of his cheeseburger, "as much as I like American food, I haven't been to a place that would remind me of home for ages."
Alex smiled. "This is one of the reasons we have something called the Internet, pal. We've been working together for close to three years now, right?"
He nodded and took another bite of his food.
"Well, I just so happen to have a list of restaurants selling everything from the fish and chips you Brits like so much to a traditional Scottish pub right here in LA. You must have heard of it. It's called the Tam O'Shanter."
"I have heard of it," he admitted. "But I haven't been there in quite a while."
"Ah, well, we were busy…"
"But if this lead of yours is good, I'm taking you there this weekend. How does Saturday sound?"
"Fantastic."
"OK, so tell me what you've got on Ms. Walker's case."
"When you mentioned the burgers, it just clicked. You hadn't moved to the US back then, so you couldn't have known, but five or six years ago, or thereabouts, there was this TV ad about messy cheeseburgers, much like the ones we're having right now. The girl in said ad looked just like the Amnesia Chick, if I remember correctly. When we get back to the office, I'll try to find the video on the web. If it's indeed her, and my gut tells me it is, all we'll have to do is contact the advertising agency and follow the leads they give us." She smiled at Cole and also stole a fry from his plate.
"Hey," he protested halfheartedly.
She just laughed. "It's an established fact that food off of someone else's plate always tastes better."
"I'm so going to get you for this, Alex."
"Do your worst."
"Later," he said, giving her a look. It came off as half-threatening and half-promising. The two of them had been skirting a fine line ever since they met for the first time and decided to go into business together. He was pretty sure it wasn't mere physical attraction and she probably felt the same. Their constant teasing and flirting was enough of an indication and the kiss earlier the same day... This was definitely something worth exploring in the very near future. But for now work came first. "Should we call Ms. Walker?"
Alex shook her head. "Not yet. I want to make sure it indeed was her in the video before calling her. There's no point in getting her hopes up only to dash them later, is there?"
"But if it is her, we're still giving her the good news, right?"
"Gotta keep the customer happy," she nodded. "It'll also let her know we're actively pursuing the case."
"We are actively pursuing all our cases," he pointed out.
"Of course we are, but letting the clients know is reassuring for them and good for our business."
As soon as they finished lunch (Cole paid, because it was his turn as Alex had come up with information crucial to the case. When he found something, Alex had to buy lunch, this was their friendly competition agreement), they went back to the office and Alex got to work looking for the ad in question. About an hour and several imaginative curses later, they hit the jackpot.
"If it's not her, it must be her twin sister," commented Cole. "You've got good memory, partner. Will you do the honors?"
"Certainly," she replied and called the number of Sarah's hotel room. It went straight to voicemail, so Alex left a message, asking Sarah to call or drop by at her earliest convenience.
-o-
Chuck was in high spirits as he strolled into the Wienerlicious. He'd finished work earlier than he expected, so he had time to spend with Sarah. As he looked around, he saw Scooter and a girl he'd never seen. She was probably the new Wiener Girl Sarah had told him about. "Hey Scooter," he greeted his friend. "Is Sarah here?"
"Ms. Walker doesn't work here anymore, Chuck."
"What? She quit?" Sarah being fired was inconceivable to him.
"More like transferred," replied Scooter.
Before Chuck could ask anything about it, or Scooter elaborate, the bell above the door dinged and none other but Sarah entered. Instead of the imitation Bavarian costume he'd grown used to seeing her in, she was wearing an orange tank top over white Capri pants, a tiny white apron with little orange O's on it, orange All Stars with pale blue laces and an orange headband. "Chuck? What are you doing here? I thought you had to work today."
"I finished early. What are you doing dressed like that?"
"You're looking at the new Double O girl," she replied. "I got transferred. Courtney here is my replacement."
"So I heard," said Chuck, meaning the transfer, and turned to Courtney. "Nice to meet you. I'm Chuck."
"I know," she smiled. "Nice to meet you too, Chuck."
They shook hands and exchanged a few more pleasantries while Sarah was going over some stuff with Scooter. She pronounced Courtney ready to start work in earnest, saying that training the new girl had been very easy. Normally, since her shift was technically over, she would be heading home, or someplace else with Chuck. But now she wanted to stay a bit at the Double O and work a little more on learning the ropes of her new position. "Chuck," she said, "what would you say to a nice cup of frozen yogurt?"
"Um, I'd love one?"
"I thought you would. Come with me."
He followed her to the fro-yo place next door and surveyed the available toppings.
"What flavor would you like? We have…"
"I'm familiar with the flavors, Sarah," he cut her off with a smile, which she returned. "I'll have the biscuit flavored yogurt, topped with M&M's and caramel sauce."
"Good choice," she commented and held up two cups, medium and large sized, questioningly. He motioned towards the large and she got to work making his treat.
"I like to experiment with flavors and toppings. While I was working at the Buy More, Morgan and I would often come here and go overboard on the toppings."
She could picture the scene he'd just described and laughed. "I have no doubt you would. It fits somehow."
"So, when are you going to be done here?"
"Soon, why?"
"I was thinking about taking you for dinner to my place. I want to cook for you."
"Aw, you're so sweet, Chuck. I'll take you up on your offer. And this time I won't even have to go to my place to change." She grabbed her pastel blue zip-up hoodie and looked sharply down when he pointed at her waist. She'd forgotten she had the apron on. "Thanks for reminding me," she said, taking it off and going to the back of the store to leave it inside her locker together with her headband.
They were in his car driving towards Echo Park when he decided to break the comfortable silence and start a casual conversation. "Sarah, what was going on at the Plaza today? People looked, well, hurried."
"Oh, that… well, there's a big event scheduled for the day after tomorrow, about some guy named Tyler Martin."
"Tyler Martin?" Chuck echoed. Tyler Martin as in the Australian rock star Tyler Martin?"
"You know him?"
"I know of him. He's very much overrated, if you ask me, but then again the current crop can't hold a candle to the hard rock and heavy metal legends from the seventies and the eighties. I do consider him to be a serviceable musician, though."
"Scooter said that Big Mike managed to get his store chosen to host the event. I understand it will be a PR thing, with Martin meeting his fans and giving autographs. It was basically a last minute thing, since the original venue didn't work out."
"Wow. I bet Scooter was thrilled."
"He was," she nodded. "Every food joint in the entire mall is going to see an increase in business tomorrow."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"Yes. You didn't tell me, what are you going to be making for dinner tonight?"
"Chicken with balsamic glaze a la Bartowski," he replied. "My dad taught me how to make it."
"Is there anything you can't do?" She was definitely impressed.
"So many, many things, especially if you ask Ellie," he replied. "The first thing she'll tell you is how I can't seem to tidy up my place sometimes, but today it's okay."
She could see what he meant when they arrived to his apartment. Her eyes wandered over the place, taking in the living room and the kitchen, which was separated from it by an island counter. The décor was eclectic, ranging from reproductions of classic paintings to landscape and cityscape photography to posters from movies and video games. There was even a display case containing old computers, game consoles and controllers. And last but not least, there was a wooden tobacco store Indian chief.
"That's interesting," she commented.
"He is, isn't he? I'd just launched my first site and wanted to do something, um, unusual with the money I'd made."
"And you bought this?"
"Yes. I remembered an interview where Richard Castle said he has a life-size Boba Fett in his place and…"
"Chuck, who is Richard Castle?"
"He's a mystery writer, one of the best out there. I have all his books. Anyway, I happened to see the Big Chief in a little store in Venice and bought him without a second thought. Sounds silly, right?"
"Not at all," she shook her head vehemently. "I think it was nice."
"Glad you think so. Would you like a glass of wine? I have chardonnay and it should complement the chicken perfectly."
"I'm not at work and I'm not going to drive, so sure, why not?"
He poured her a glass, they toasted each other and then he got to work on dinner, while she stood in the living room, watching as he puttered around the kitchen. He was adorable, working with an apron and – when required – oven mitts on, she thought. She had offered to help, but he told her to relax and let him do all the cooking. As he claimed, only two people in the world could get the recipe right: his father, as the originator of it, and himself.
When the chicken was cooking in the oven and everything else had been prepared, he went to join Sarah in the living room and have a glass of wine until it was time to serve the meal. He found her sitting on the couch, with her phone tightly clutched in one hand and a slightly stunned expression on her face. He was immediately concerned. "Sarah, is everything all right?"
She seemed to snap out of it. "Huh? Yes, everything is fine… I think."
He handed her a glass of wine, which she accepted gratefully and took a big sip. "You know you can talk about it if you want."
"I just checked my voicemail. Alex Forrest, from the PI's office left me a voicemail. She said they found a promising lead." She paused and looked into his warm chocolate eyes, her blue ones brimming with tears. "Chuck, they succeeded where the police failed. I may soon get the answers I've been looking for."
He sat down next to her and wrapped her in his arms. "And I'll be right there next to you if you need me."
She planted a chaste kiss on his lips and burrowed deeper into his embrace. "Thank you, Chuck. I couldn't ask for anything more."
"Sarah, we are dating, aren't we? There is nothing I wouldn't do for you… because I love you."
This time the tears started flowing down her flushed cheeks as she raised her head and looked at him again. "You do? You really love me?"
"Sarah, it was impossible not to fall in love with you once I got to know you. You are beautiful, smart, caring and, despite your claims to the contrary, quite funny. So, one more time, because it feels really good to say it, I love you, Sarah Walker… whoever you are."
She kissed him again, this time more passionately. "Thank you. You saved my life when you found me on the beach and now… your love is a very precious gift. Can I let you in on a little secret?"
"Sure, anything," he replied.
"I fell for you after you sent flowers for me at the hospital and before your promotional gig Marco hired me for was over…" She paused and giggled. "And you've done so much for me. Remember the cell phone you gave me?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"I had already bought a pay-as-you-go plan, so it was easy to put the SIM card into it. I sold the other phone to a college student, so I had some extra cash on hand. I used the money to get you a little something…"
"You didn't have to," he interrupted her.
"I wanted to," she said emphatically. "But I forgot it in my locker at the Double O," she added sheepishly.
"Really? What is it?"
"Nuh-uh, I'm not ruining the surprise," she said with a sly smile. The oven dinged at that very instant, so he just kissed her and went to serve their dinner. The call from the private investigators had put them both into a guardedly optimistic mood. The discussion centered on how they would handle the discovery. Chuck insisted on going with her to see Alex and Cole first thing in the morning. He wouldn't be missed at work, unless something urgent came up.
After dinner, which Sarah pronounced excellent, they cuddled together on the couch and watched a movie. By the time it ended, Chuck had had a bit too much wine and wasn't going to risk driving, so he invited her to stay the night.
"Sure," she replied. "Where's the bedroom?"
"My room is down the hallway to the right, the guest room is right across from it. Take your pick."
"Duh, your room," she said and kissed him one more time. "It's our third date, after all."
-o-
Ellie went yawning out into the courtyard, followed by Devon. They both had an early shift at the hospital, which meant waking up early in the morning. Out of habit, as they went to get the car, she glanced through her brother's bedroom window and was astonished to see two heads poking from beneath the covers. One had a very familiar unruly mop of chocolate hair on it, but the other had a flowing blond halo.
"Devon, look," she hissed, barely able to contain her enthusiasm.
"The Chuckster got himself a girl? Awesome."
"Not just any girl," she scolded him. "That's Sarah."
Devon could not resist playing with his girlfriend a little. "Are you sure?"
She smacked him in the arm. "Of course I'm sure. She was my patient. I could recognize her anywhere."
"El, I was just messing with you. Come on. Let's go to work."
Later, Chuck and Sarah woke up in each other's arms. "I could get used to this," he mumbled.
"Ditto," she mumbled back and reached for an oversized t-shirt of his that was draped over a chair. "I'll make breakfast." She smiled. "If you're willing to take the risk, that is."
"Ellie always said I have an iron stomach and she's right. I could go on and on about the junk food binges in high school and college. Do your worst."
Her smile turned into a devious smirk. "You're so cocky, Mr. Bartowski. I'm afraid I'll have to do something about it."
"Right now I'm so hungry I could eat a horse raw, its shoes included."
Breakfast turned out to be great. She'd made a bit of a mess in his kitchen, but everything was delicious. "You're an excellent cook," he praised her.
"I'm afraid I can't take all the credit." She held up her phone. "I was using it to surf the web the other day when I came across this.
He peered closer to the screen and saw the website displayed on it. It was a cook blog, called Emma's Kitchen. "Delicious, healthy and quick recipes," he read aloud. "This lady has certainly got it right."
Later, as they approached the building where Cole and Alex's office was, their excitement mounted. She was practically buzzing with it and she had to pause and take a deep breath to collect herself before knocking and entering.
Cole greeted them warmly. "Ms. Walker, I see you got the message we left you."
"Yes and I'm curious to learn what you came up with. By the way, this is Chuck Bartowski, a very dear friend of mine. Chuck, this is Mr. Barker and his partner Ms. Forrest."
"Nice to meet you both," he said politely. "And we are thankful for your help."
"It's our job," said Alex. "So, are you ready to hear what we found?" When they both nodded in the affirmative, Alex invited them to sit down. She typed something on her computer and then turned the screen their way. "Just watch."
They watched with interest as she selected full screen and clicked play. "What does an ad have to do with anything?" Chuck asked, but was immediately silenced.
"That's me!" Sarah exclaimed, pointing to the screen excitedly. Indeed, the young woman devouring a messy cheeseburger was Sarah, albeit about five or six years younger.
"Unbelievable," muttered Chuck.
"Cole gave me the clue," said Alex. "He mentioned wanting a burger for lunch yesterday and it just clicked."
"Wow," Sarah breathed. "That was unexpected." Then she got serious again. "What are you going to do next?"
Cole took the cue. "We are going to find out what agency made the ad and ask for information on the cast, specifically you. Since we have the notarized authorization to request information on your behalf, it's going to be a snap."
"I appreciate it," said Sarah. "What do I owe you?" She got out her checkbook, wrote a check for the requested amount and handed it over.
"Thank you, Ms. Walker. We'll keep you posted of any developments."
"No, thank you," she said with feeling. "You've given me good reason to hope." After some more pleasantries, Chuck and Sarah left the office arm in arm. "Let's go to work now, Chuck."
"I'll drop by to pick you up when you clock out."
"Sounds good to me. We could go to my place."
"Sure, why not. I have an overnight bag in my office, so I won't have to stop at home first."
To be continued, with many new developments and twists