A/N: In your comments on the previous chapter, almost all of you focused on Sarah getting her Porsche back and the implications of Casey's appearance in the story. Well, all I can say is that you were right. The plot is beginning to thicken. How? Read and find out.
Yet again, you're all AWESOME! I can't thank you enough for the heartening comments you've been so generously making.
"Would you like some coffee?" Chuck asked Casey. "It's no trouble at all, I was going to make some anyway."
"Black and bitter please, thank you," replied Casey.
"You mentioned implications regarding Chuck from last night's incident," said Sarah. "Could you please elaborate?"
"First of all, Miss, it's not only about Mr. Bartowski, but about his sister as well."
"Ellie? I can go get her. She's right next door," Sarah offered.
"I'd appreciate it."
"Chuck, hold the fort here. I'm on my way to tell Ellie."
"OK, Sarah."
She was back in a couple of minutes, with Ellie and Devon in tow. "Agent Casey, meet Dr. Eleanor Bartowski and Dr. Devon Woodcomb," she introduced them to the NSA agent. "Guys, meet Agent John Casey of the NSA."
"Did Chuck hack into a government site or something?" Ellie asked, shooting a look full of suspicion at her brother.
"Please," Chuck scoffed. "If I ever decided to do such a thing, no one would ever know I was in their networks."
"Ahem," Casey cleared his throat pointedly. "Government agent here, let me remind you. To answer your question, Dr. Bartowski, no, he's not in any trouble with the government. In fact, I have been sent here to ensure his safety and yours."
"Why would Ellie and Chuck be in any danger?" Devon asked, the first time he'd spoken since entering Chuck's apartment.
Before replying, Casey gave Chuck an appreciative grunt as the younger man placed a cup of coffee in front of him. "You have to understand, Dr. Woodcomb, that I cannot reveal any classified information. However, I have been authorized to tell you a few things. Mr. Stephen Bartowski has at times been contracted by various government agencies to design equipment for them. Therefore, when news of the attack in his son's apartment reached the intelligence community, it was theorized that a possible motive was to try and get to him through his children."
"But the man who attacked us yesterday targeted me specifically," Sarah pointed out. "I told Detective White everything. It should be in her report."
"Due to the urgency surrounding my reassignment, I did not yet get the chance to read the police report, but it could have been a ruse to hide the true motive," said Casey. "But, since you mentioned it, I'll look into it."
"Is Dad safe?" Chuck asked.
"He's a much more difficult target than either one of you," Casey replied vaguely, pointing at both Chuck and Ellie. "What concerns me right now is how to be able to look out for the both of you. At this point, I don't know if I'll have a team assigned to help in keeping you safe until my superiors give the all-clear."
"The hospital has pretty decent security," Devon pointed out. "Some of the guys working there are military veterans, too. One or two of them were even in Special Forces."
"That sounds like it might help. For the moment, I want you to take these." He opened his briefcase and handed a small box to Chuck and another to Ellie. "These are emergency locators with a panic button. They can be attached to your watch bands and are really inconspicuous."
Chuck opened the box and noticed the logo on the small device. "Dad designed these?"
"He also designed the app I am going to upload to your phones," said Casey. "Then, I am going to review the security arrangements for your residences."
They talked for a while longer, Casey telling them how to spot if they were being tailed and giving them instructions on the operation of the emergency contact devices he'd given them. He also inspected their home security systems, finding them excellent. When he left, he assured them that he was minutes away should anything happen.
-o-
Fortunately for her, Sarah had the afternoon shift at the Double O, so she was able to take care of some personal stuff in the morning. First, she visited both Sydney Prince at the Welfare office and Alexis White at the precinct to give them the good news and thank them again for their help. Then she went to the social security administration and the DMV and turned in her provisional documents, getting replacements for her original social security card and ID. The originals were nowhere to be found among the stuff Cole and Alex had given her and she couldn't know that they were currently in a box at the CIA headquarters in Langley.
Another thing she couldn't have known was that her parents had given Graham their consent to reuse her identification and social security number to provide other agents with a cover ID if and when required. To them it was a way of honoring their daughter and keeping her legacy alive, so her 'death' had not been reported to the Social Security Administration.
The morning's last stop was the courthouse. She was fortunate to be able to meet Judge Ominsky in person and give him the court order back as well as copies of the certificates issued to her by Social Security and the DMV to put in the case file he kept. She'd also brought him a box of gourmet pastries as a thank you for his help, having remembered how Mac had described the judge back then when she'd applied for the court order allowing her to receive provisional identification.
By the time she was done, it was time to go and clock in for her shift at work. She was also going to have to tell Scooter to update her employment information with the proper social security number, name and the like.
"Looks like you've made good progress, Ms. Walker," he told her when she finished her narrative.
She nodded. "It's going to be even better when I get my car back. Taking the bus to and from work every day is not unpleasant, but a car gives one more freedom of movement."
"After everything you've told me, I find it surprising you'd want to keep working here," said Scooter, shaking his head. She'd implied that she had a tidy sum in her bank account, so he surmised she'd want to quit as soon as possible.
"I like it here. Plus it'll keep me from going stir-crazy. I can't sit around and do nothing while waiting for my memory to come back."
"Well then, I should plan on milking your time here for everything it's worth. No offence."
"None taken. In fact, it sounded like a compliment."
"It was, Ms. Walker. Trust me. It was."
-o-
When she clocked out just after eight in the evening, Sarah was tired, but happy. She texted Chuck, who was still at work and was going to be there for a few more hours, and then took a subway to the neighborhood where she used to live, according to Cole and Alex. She found the address easily and knocked on the door of her former landlady. The woman was so surprised to see her alive and well that she was speechless for a few seconds. Instead, she just hugged her and pulled her inside.
"Hi Mrs. Banicheck," Sarah managed to get out.
"Oh sweetheart, I knew it wasn't like you to just up and disappear. When the lady PI came and talked to me, I was relieved. I was so afraid something bad had happened to you. You really can't remember anything?"
"Unfortunately, no, Mrs. Banicheck," replied Sarah.
"Like I told you the first time we met, Mrs. Banicheck is my mother in law. Call me Sasha, like you used to."
"Okay… Sasha," said Sarah, saying the name slowly, as if she expected to recall something from the past. And then something came to her. "When I didn't return, why didn't you report me missing?"
"You used to go traveling all the time. You were usually gone for a week or two at the most, so I wasn't worried at first. Plus, I wasn't here when you left, as I was out of town with my mother in law. But then you never called and you didn't leave a note, not one that I found anyway. Mr. Fisher from next door was the first to tell me how long you were gone. And then it never occurred to me to report you missing."
"I'm so sorry, Sasha. I had no idea."
"Of course you didn't. I'm not holding anything against you. Did Ms. Forrest tell you…?"
"About how you kept the apartment for me for another month?" Sarah finished. "Yes, she did and I appreciate it."
"Where are you staying now?"
"I have a room at the Maison 23, which is a great place. You don't need to worry about me. Plus, there is a silver lining to this all. Because of everything that happened, I met a very nice guy."
"You finally got a boyfriend?" Sasha exclaimed. She'd liked Sarah from the start and, to be honest, she'd tried to play matchmaker for her more than once.
"Um, yes?"
"I'm so happy for you, Sarah!"
"Thank you, Sasha. Now, I have a question for you: You wouldn't happen to know where my car is, would you?"
"You always left it in an enclosed parking garage when you went on your trips. It's not far from here." Sasha wrote down the address for Sarah and handed the piece of paper over.
"Finally," said Sarah, hugging Sasha. "Having a car is an extra bit of freedom I sure could use."
The older woman smiled, nodding understandingly. And then something else came to her. "Sarah, what's with the outfit?"
The blonde looked down at her work clothes. "I needed a job," she replied nonchalantly. "Chuck helped me find one at a Wienerlicious and a little later I transferred to the Double O. It was back when I had no idea who I was and I needed a way to make a living."
"I'm really glad you're safe and well, sweetie. Can you stay for a little longer? I have dinner in the oven."
"As tempting as it sounds, I was planning on surprising my boyfriend when he gets off work by picking him up."
"Say no more," laughed Sasha. "Go and make his day."
The two women hugged once again and Sarah left with a spring in her step. She was really excited about getting her car back – and looking forward to spending the evening with Chuck. She hadn't seen him since morning and she was already having Chuck withdrawal symptoms.
-o-
"What a fucking mess," said the older of the two men currently having dinner at an upscale restaurant. To the casual eye they looked like a couple of businessmen discussing work issues while enjoying a good meal. "Do you think our little venture is at risk?"
Shaw shook his head. "I don't think so. Tommy was obviously unhinged, especially after… you know." He made a slashing motion down the side of his face with one hand for added emphasis. "What have you heard?"
"Langley is in a flip and apparently pulled Ft. Meade into it. The specific details aren't too clear, but from what I've gathered it had something to do with one of the eggheads involved in the Omaha Project."
"It makes no sense. Why would Tommy go after one of them? They've pretty much finished the job, so we don't need to go after them. Everything we need is already in place. By the way, Laszlo says it's going to take him a few more days to figure out some parts of the encoding. He has most of the pieces of the puzzle figured out, but not all."
"Can't he do it already?"
"He claims, and I agree, that he needs to cover his tracks properly. We can't afford to have our little unauthorized access to the project's databases detected and traced."
"Losing both Ryker and Delgado was unfortunate, but at least we know our little venture wasn't compromised."
"They got what they deserved for their stupidity, Clyde," said Shaw. "They knew what was at stake, they both knew how much we stand to gain and still they tried to make more money on the side. It backfired, but at least it helped us, in a strange way. It got attention away from us."
"And both the CIA and the NSA are barking up the wrong tree right now," Clyde Decker confirmed. "They've upped security for the developers of the Omaha Project, but we already have access to the project itself, which they still think it's inviolate."
"How are we doing on the client base?" Shaw asked.
"Still nothing," replied Decker. "I want to be sure we've got it all up and running before looking for customers."
"Sound approach," Shaw nodded in agreement.
-o-
The roar of the Porsche's engine was music to Sarah's ears as she drove it from the Maison 23, where she'd stopped to change clothes, towards Chuck's office. Fortunately, both the car's registration and her driver's license had been in the glove box, so she didn't have to look further for them. Cole and Alex had been right. The license had been issued in DC and that was why they couldn't find her in the California databases. Also, amnesia or not, she could still drive, going through the motions without the need for conscious thought, which filled her with excitement. Stopping at a red light, she fiddled with the radio a bit, before settling on what she knew to be one of Chuck's favorite stations. Rock music blasted from the speakers and she bobbed her head lightly as she hummed to the tune playing.
It had been a long day for Chuck and the thing he wanted most was to go home, take a quick refreshing shower and then go out with his wonderful girlfriend, in that order. He was going through his pockets looking for his car keys when a sleek black Porsche pulled up in front of him.
"Hey big guy, need a ride somewhere?" Sarah asked seductively.
His eyes went wide at the sight of her in her car. "Sa-Sarah?"
"Get in," she urged him, smiling widely.
He needed no further prodding. He ran to the passenger side and got in. He was still buckling his seatbelt when Sarah pressed her foot down on the gas pedal and the car shot forward.
"You're driving," he said, somewhat redundantly.
"Driving a car is like riding a bicycle," she smiled. "It comes back to you every time."
He was about to inquire on whether amnesia had affected her driving skills, but it immediately became obvious that it hadn't, as she expertly weaved in and out of traffic. "At least do you have your license with you?"
"Glove box," she replied. He opened it, took the item out and put it back after taking a look. "We won't have any problems if we're pulled over," she assured him.
"Where are we going?"
"Didn't we make plans to go out for dinner? I'm buying."
"Okay?"
"Chuck, relax. I can afford it. The days I was overcautious with my money are gone now. You don't need to worry about me making ends meet. Besides, we need to celebrate me getting a lot of my life back… especially this baby." She ran a hand lovingly over the dash as she spoke.
"If you say so."
She chose the restaurant, although she asked for his opinion and he was only too glad to give it. They ended up going to a steakhouse not far from the courthouse. As soon as they got settled in their seats and ordered their meal, Sarah regaled him with the story of her meeting with Mrs. Banicheck, their talk and how she ended up reuniting with her car. She also confessed that she'd been dreaming about driving ever since she'd learned about owning it.
Seeing her so happy made him immensely happy as well. The waitress had just brought their drink orders and they toasted each other.
"What?" Sarah asked, noticing the look he was giving her.
"What, what?"
"For crying out loud, Chuck, just speak your mind! I'm not a frigging mind reader!"
"Oh, it's nothing," he said and immediately regretted it as he found himself on the receiving end of a steely glare and an eyebrow raised in disbelief. "I was just wondering about a few things, that's all."
She nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"For example, I was wondering what you're going to do from now on."
"Easy," she replied. "I'll keep working at the Double O until I can get my bearings completely, which incidentally brings me to another matter: I've asked Cole and Alex to keep looking into my life and see what else they can uncover. They did such a good job helping me get my identity back, but there are still things I don't know about me."
-o-
While Sarah was enjoying her BBQ ribs with Jack Daniels sauce and Chuck his steak, Cole and Alex were sitting in their office, sharing their takeout Chinese straight from the cartons and comparing notes on Sarah's case.
"I knew it was a good idea to go into business with you," Cole said, snagging a piece of the twice-cooked pork with his clothespin chopsticks.
"So you keep telling me, but what did I do this time?" Alex shot back, reaching for a spring roll and taking a big bite.
"Your idea to go to the post office nearest her place," he replied. "You hit paydirt again." He glanced meaningfully at a package resting on her desk. "I'll text her and inform her she can pick it up anytime she wants."
"Why don't you send her a text now?"
"Sure, why not?" He reached for his phone and sent Sarah a text message. The reply wasn't long in coming. "She's asking if she can drop by to pick it up in about an hour," he said.
"Fine by me," said Alex and he sent an affirmative reply to their client. They still had some time to kill at the office before heading down to their favorite bar for a night cap. From the time they'd met while serving in their respective militaries in Afghanistan, there had been a spark between the two, so when they met again after retiring, making the decision to open the PI business together had been easy. And now the spark was blooming into something much bigger. It had been a slow burn for both, but the time for them to acknowledge their feeling for each other and act upon them was fast approaching. The kiss she'd planted on him not long ago only served to accelerate things.
Sarah soon showed up together with Chuck. The two PIs greeted them both cordially and they all sat down to discuss the latest developments.
"So, what have you got for me?" Sarah kicked off the discussion.
"Alex here had the bright idea to check if you were a client at the local post office. Her hunch panned out. Alex, you have the floor," said Cole.
"I went straight to the manager with the documents you provided us with. He was very helpful."
"Go on," Sarah urged her impatiently.
"You had, and still have, a PO Box there. He was kind enough to allow me access to the contents. Here they are," she said, handing over the neatly wrapped box. "He said you did get the occasional mail delivered to your box, but most of the time you used it to leave things for safekeeping before going on trips out of town. He thought it was a smart idea, too."
"Of course it was," interjected Chuck. "We all know that Sarah is, if anything, smart."
-o-
Langston Graham met General Beckman in a relatively neutral but really secure and convenient for both of them location: the DNI building in DC. "Good evening, General," he greeted her. "What news have you got for me?"
"Major Casey sent the initial reports on the Delgado incident and the protection of Stephen Bartowski's family."
"I talked to him over the phone earlier," said Graham. "He promised to be even more careful and thanked us for helping protect his family."
"He deserves it, considering the invaluable services he has provided both our agencies over the years. Anyway, Casey also sent us basic information on Chuck and Ellie Bartowski, including Chuck's girlfriend and Ellie's boyfriend, including pictures. I thought you might want to take a look."
She opened the file sent by Casey and read up on Devon first. When they scrolled down to the part about Sarah, Beckman heard Graham gasp and looked at him. She swore he'd gone pale as a ghost.
"I know her," Graham choked out when he recovered from the initial shock.