A/N: Sorry for the late posting. Life has been keeping me busy. I will still try to post as often as I can. But as promised, a bit lighter of a chapter. 15 will be back to a more intense story, if what I have in mind happens. And could be longer. So it may take a bit. But I hope you enjoy this bit of more fluff. I enjoyed writing it for a change of pace. As always, please let me know what you think and where you feel this is going. I look forward to your response. And I have a SLIGHT Easter egg in this. I'll have it in the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything remotely famous.
Chuck vs the Heart
Chuck sat in his lab at home. He was watching Sarah on the monitors, like he had been since she made it back. She had been cleared after a quick health evaluation by Ellie and Awesome. But Beckman had commanded Sarah to be confined to a cell until they could figure out what kind of a threat she posed now. Sarah agreed to it willingly. She hadn't known everything that had happened to her, and figuring out her programming had just started. She didn't fully trust herself again yet.
Chuck watched as she paced back and forth. Every now and then she would sit and close her eyes and meditate or get up and do some exercises. It was driving Chuck crazy not being able to be with her. He at one point had thought that he would be able to move on with his life if she left, but now he knew that it would be likely worse than Jill. Even if he was able to keep going and maintain what looked like a better life, he would truly be hollow. Nothing would really matter anymore.
He called Beckman again for what was the 7th time that morning. Straight to voicemail. Again. "Hey it's Chuck again. I know you said to leave Sarah alone, but.. It's Sarah General. We know she isn't going to do anything to hurt me. He is loyal to the government. We can trust her." He hung up realizing that the voicemail would likely get deleted and ignored. The General knew all these things. She was doing this for a reason, but that reason was not explained to Chuck. And, honestly, Chuck wouldn't have cared. Looking at the monitor again, he grabbed his keys and headed for the Nerd Herder.
Sarah was sitting on the bed in her cell. She was getting restless, but knew that this was just precautionary. Once Beckman felt it was ok, she would get let free and reinstated. She hadn't slept great, had a feeling the entire time that someone was watching her. Yes there were cameras, but they were closed circuit to Castle only. She had gone over the specs herself, and no one else stayed in Castle. She had insisted on that. And weirdly, she didn't get the same eerie feelings that she normally does when she feels someone is watching. It almost felt comforting.
She crossed her legs in front of her, sitting Criss Cross Applesauce. She closed her eyes and thought back through everything that had happened. From her session with Ellie, and all the progress she had made. How she had come to terms with what had happened to her, as much as a person could in a single afternoon. Then, only to be taken by someone who knew everything about what had happened to her, and hoped to use it against her.
Shaw had done a great job of setting everything up. He had recreated the room she had been programmed in, to the fibers in the boards. He had approached her with the same confident and smooth tone at first. Building to a more aggressive tone. He had inevitably lead to him commanding her to prove her loyalty. Unfortunately for him, he also talked too much. Did the over confident villain monologue. His ego seemed to be his biggest downfall. He had underestimated her. He had underestimated Chuck. He had underestimated her love for…
The screen outside the cell came alive, and on the screen popped General Beckman. Sarah stood at attention. "You can relax Agent Walker. Actually, this is a far more informal visit. Sarah, how are you feeling?"
"Much better than I was. Thank you, General." Sarah said as she didn't relax out of attention still. Her agent training clearly making it impossible for her to relax in the presence of a commanding officer.
"Sarah, I want you to be open with me. Right now, I need to know what you can handle and what you can't. It will not effect your position on this team. All it will do is allow me to better support what this team needs from my position. So, have a seat, and please be honest with me. I would imagine we don't have a lot of time." Beckman stated. The last part sounding slightly annoyed, while also amused. It confused Sarah.
"Im sorry General? What do you mean?" Sarah asked as she takes a seat on the bench in her cell. "That is irrelevant. So, please tell me how you are feeling, what all happened, and what you feel you are ready for and capable of." Beckman said kindly.
Sarah looked at her hard. Something felt off, but she couldn't put her finger on it. If I am not open about it, I could still be taken off this team. Regardless of my new position. If I am honest and tell her all that happened, she could see it as potential to use against me or a weakness that the enemy could exploit. But if I am not honest, and it is actually a weakness, then that could put Chuck in danger. Sarah took a breath. She knew that she had to be honest. The risks of not were far too much for her to play games with.
"General, Shaw used the mind control techniques that the late Director Graham had installed into some of his top agents. I am not sure how many. I just became aware of mine recently. I am sure that you heard from Chuck and Ellie about it all, so I will be direct and brief with it. He took me to a building where he recreated the rooms that I was programmed in. It appeared to be an attempt to reinstill the programming that I received. Like he was worried that I was breaking it. Chuck has my file I believe, so he could likely tell you more of what is in it. Shaw told me that my Red Test was to take out another of this 'training' that was breaking her conditioning. His late wife. He also commanded me to come back and kill Chuck and steal any and all information we had on the Intersect at this time in Castle.
"When he commanded me to kill Chuck, my body started to move on its own, but then something changed. It was like something in my mind fought back. Like it didn't care what I would be put through, it wasn't going to allow me to hurt Chuck. And I was able to fight it. Then when it broke, I did the only thing I was able to do. I fought back. I may have killed Agent Shaw. And if not, he was not going anywhere. He should be at that place still. I know I broke several major blood vessels, and left him there to bleed out. You know my wounds, and I made my way back here." Sarah finished.
General Beckman sat there, thinking over what she was just told and comparing it to what Ellie and Chuck had both let her know about the situation. "Agent Walker, first and foremost I would like to address your future and put you at ease. It does nothing to benefit me to remove you from this post. You are still far and away the best agent that any agency has. In addition to that, you already have knowledge of the Intersect and Analyst Bartowski in ways many others would never understand. So, you are in this position for as long as you would like, and very possibly longer. We want our best with the most important information and asset that the government has. While he isn't the labeled asset anymore, make no mistake, Charles Bartowski is an asset to this government. Intersect or not.
"Secondly, I believe that what happened with Shaw, and what seemed to have happened with Doctor Bartowski, is that you were able to defy direct orders even while under the influence of the brainwashing. That tells me that you can be trusted more than any agent to follow your assignment of protection. I have told doctor Bartowski to continue to work with you and help you make progress, as well as for you to meet with an agency psychologist to help you through the trauma that lead to your being brainwashed.
"And lastly, when you are feeling up to it, I believe that you had started training Analyst Bartowski in hand to hand combat? I would like you to continue that as soon as possible. He will need to be able to be more than a guy in a van here soon, if what I feel is coming is going to happen." the General finished with a thoughtful and ominous tone.
Sarah was shocked. She hadn't expected to be almost literally handed everything she could ask for on a platter. Yes meeting with the agency Psychologist wasn't ideal, but it was still better than remaining where she is at currently. "Yes General, I think that I can agree with all of those things being the best way to move forward. I should be able to continue Chuck's training this evening if that is acceptable?" Sarah said, trying hard to suppress the joy she was feeling at getting to spend time with him again. Especially after something so traumatic.
General Beckman hide a smirk behind the glass of scotch she was sipping. Or pretending to sip. "That may be a little quick, don't you think Agent Walker? Maybe wait a week or so? You can spend your time recovering here and at the hospital with Dr Bartowski?" Beckman teased Sarah, knowing full well that she would not want to wait, but wanted to see if she was able to suppress the feelings still.
"NO! I mean, no General. There isn't any need to wait longer. I can still continue my recovery while instructing Chuck. That will be light duty." She said all in one breath.
"Ouch Sarah, fighting me is that easy for you huh?" Chuck said as he stood next to the monitor outside her cell. General Beckman did not seem surprised at all to see him there. "And here I thought I put up a decent fight last time." Chuck said trying too hard to sound dejected.
"I will leave you both to it. Chuck, I expect a report on my desk tomorrow, and you know protocol." Beckman said curtly, but without the usual sting she had. And the screen went black.
"Yes ma'am. No, its ok, I know you're busy. You have a great day too." Chuck said to the empty screen sarcastically. Sarah chuckled slightly at this, causing the stitches in her side to pull and hurt. She winced just enough for Chuck to notice. "Oh, I'm sorry Sarah! I should have gotten you out of there." Chuck said, lifting the sleeve of his shirt, revealing a wrist computer that she swore she had seen somewhere before. Tapping away at it for a few seconds, then Chuck paused and the doors opened for her.
"Thank you Chuck, but you really shouldn't have done that without back up here. You don't know that I am not a threat." Sarah started to chastise him.
"Yes I do. And no you're not. Not to me anyways." Chuck said with a big Bartowski smile on his face. He came up to her and gave her a hug. You could tell he was being purposefully gentle with her.
"Chuck, I am not a porcelain doll." Sarah said with a laugh.
"I know, but you're injured." Chuck said tentatively.
"I know, but I am tougher than I look." Sarah said with a cheeky grin.
"Well thats terrifying, because from where I stand, you look like a complete and total grade A badass. And that is me underselling it." Chuck said, smiling back at her again. "Sarah, I have been wanting to talk to you. For a while." Chuck started with a different demeanor. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he looked very unsure of himself.
"Sarah, I love you." Chuck blurted out. "Whoo, I said it. I love you. I have been wanting to say that since the first time I met you. I have loved you since before you kicked my ass in my apartment and broke my computer, and I don't think that I will ever stop loving you." Chuck took a breath.
He loves me? I was going to tell him tonight, but HE loves ME? Sarah felt herself getting excited. Her cheeks flushed and she was focusing more and more on his lips. HE LOVES ME! Wait. What am I going to do? Does he know my past? Can he know my past? I can trust him? Can't I? What about my dad? And my mom? And Molly? Sarah sighed, and her eyes casted down to his hands holding hers.
"Sarah I don't expect you to say it back right now. I don't expect anything from you. If I did then that wouldn't be love. I am telling you because I wanted you to know how I felt about you. That this isn't just a phase or a crush. That I don't intend to go anywhere. And that you can rely on me. For anything. And I trust you. I don't worry about your past, or you telling me your past. If and when you are ready, I will be a listening ear for you. There is no pressure here. And if you don't feel the same way, I understand. And again, I don't hold it against you. It won't change how I feel about you. I just wanted you to know." Chuck said with a soft and warm smile.
Sarah stood there.
Without even hearing any of my concerns and worries, he had addressed them all. He knows me far better than I thought he did. He wasn't putting any pressure on me to make me feel the same, or even if I did, which I do, to state it so boldly like he had. He just simply wanted to let me know where he is and what he is feeling. Without any expectations of me. I need him. I need him to know I feel the same. Why can I never just be open with my feelings like he is? Because feelings get you killed. Yeah, or they give you something more to fight for than just your own survival.
Sarah sighed again. She felt free. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she felt free. She strengthened her grip on Chuck's hands, and with a giggle, quickly lead him out of Castle. He had a confused look on his face the entire way, and as they got close to the Nerd Herder, she stopped, and stood on her tip toes and kissed him deeply.
Chuck's mind froze. His body froze. His world froze. Time froze. Nothing else mattered in that moment other than her lips on his. He responded to her kiss with vigor. His hands grasping at her waist and the other cupping the back of her head. He felt himself pour every emotion he was feeling into the kiss. How he had missed her when she was missing. How he longed for her. How he knew that he never wanted his life to be without her in it.
Then just as quickly, the intense kiss stopped. Sarah pulled back and grinned great big at him, as she held up the keys to the car and got in.
Chuck was still frozen in place from the kiss, waiting for his mind to catch up. Finally his body started responding, and he too got in the car. He didn't have to ask where they were going, the kiss had told him. He knew that Sarah, while often could lack in the words that she wanted to say, had no problem communicating when she wanted to. And they sped off to her apartment. As they pulled on the interstate, he felt her hand nudge his. They intertwined their fingers, and to both of them, it felt right.
Orion stepped off the airplane in the United States for the first time in what felt like forever. He almost didn't recognize where he was. Looking at the Washington DC skyline, he knew it was time to have a chat that he had been avoiding since he had contacted Chuck. He knew that they would both be busy, and would likely use that as an excuse to avoid it, but this talk needed to happen. And happen fast.
He made his way toward the Pentagon, sticking to back alleys and streets that didn't seem to have cameras on them. He knew he could always just divert the cameras that he needed to, but even the lowly NSA would be able to pick up that kind of change in a place like Washington DC. He did, however, Quickly create a pass card for himself to be able to get into any of the buildings he needed to.
Finding the man hole cover that he needed, he lifted it and dropped in. He had been this way a few times, but it had been decades now. He made a few turns, and descended more ladders. Turning again, he made his way under the Potomac River. Then climbing up again, he surfaced, ironically, next to the International Spy Museum. He walked over a few more streets, he made his way to Washington Monument. There he took a shorter small passage to the Lincoln Monument, avoiding the cameras. And he jumped into another manhole there. Taking several more ladders down again, he made his way back across below the river, to the Pentagon's lowest levels.
He knew that Diane would still be in a meeting with Congress, so he made his way through her secret passage to her office. Reaching her office, he checked their system to make sure that he had arrived unannounced as planned. Then he checked her schedule to confirm that she would be there in the next 5 to 10 minutes. And so he poured himself 2 fingers of her scotch and sat on the couch that wouldn't be visible to anyone who opened the door, and waited.
Sarah flopped onto the bed next to Chuck. She didn't bother covering herself up. What's the point? He literally just experienced it all. She thought to herself with a laugh. That isn't how you have felt with anyone else. You wanted them out of the bed as soon as you finished. Sarah slightly argued with herself. She pushed herself over and snuggled up to Chuck's side, with her uninjured side. That had provided some complications to start with, but they managed. She had never experienced something so deeply intimate, and passionate as what she just had. She decided that she wasn't going to over think this just yet. She was just going to enjoy the moment.
"Chuck, you did a terrible job of protecting yourself just now. What if I was going to attack you!" Sarah smiled through her chastising.
"You mean you didn't attack me?" Chuck retorted with a confident smirk.
"Hey, you left yourself open. I just took advantage of it." Sarah said as she poked him in the side.
"Well, then you are welcome to take advantage of me any time." Chuck said with a smile and a sigh as he laid his head back on her pillows.
Sarah rolled over, and propped her head up on her hands facing Chuck. "Chuck, I hope you know that I do have feelings for you. I am sorry that I am not very good at expressing those feelings." Sarah apologized, he eyes struggling to meet Chuck's.
"Sarah, I think you did a fantastic job expressing how you felt about me." Chuck said with a laugh and a gesture to their state of clothing.
"Chuck, I am being serious here. I know I struggle to say the things I am feeling. Especially when it makes me feel vulnerable and exposed. And I want you to know, I am going to be working on that for you. You mean more to me than my privacy. It will just take me some time to be able to open up the way that I want to, and that I feel you deserve." Sarah said, with some slight tears coming to her eyes.
Chuck pulled her into a hug. "No matter what, we face it together. Ok? You aren't alone anymore. I will be there, no matter what it is that happened. Ok?" Chuck kissed the top of her head. And he could feel her relax into him. The tension leaving her shoulders.
"Chuck. My family. It is a mess. Always has been. I will get into more of the details one day, but for now, I want you to know that I would never want to do anything that would jeopardize your relationship with Ellie. No matter what, we stick together and work through this. I think even Casey is team first, everything else second at this point. I dont know what you did, but you have a knack for melting icy hearts and giving people new life." Sarah said with a slight blush to her cheeks.
Chuck felt his heart flutter. Knowing that she understands his family and friends ties. How important those people are to his life, and who he is. It means everything to him. He had never felt more content than he did in that moment. The love of his life snuggled into his side. His job seemingly going well. And not having to keep secrets from his sister. Now just to get Morgan to be able to hear it all. He sighed contented again, and felt her fingers stroking his chest. As she leaned up and nibbled his ear. "I think you may be ready for another round of me expressing my feelings." Sarah said with a giggle. And a big smile spread across Chuck's face.
General Beckman was about to enter her office, when she received a call from Casey.
"General, I wanted to inform you that the location was clear. Everything had been cleaned already, and there is no body." Casey said, a slight hint of worry in his tone.
"Thank You Agent Casey, Please keep me informed." Beckman said as she walked into her office.
"Hello Diane." Orion said as the door closed behind her.
The general didn't jump, even though she was slightly startled. She had been expecting this meeting for a while now, and was ready to get this taken care of and out of the way. "Hello Stephen. I see you helped yourself to my Scotch and made yourself comfortable. Not, to what do I owe this pleasure of the rarest of rare visits from the great Orion?"
"I think you are fully aware of why I am here Dianne. Don't try to play dumb with me. No one from our generation that has survived this long is dumb. Why did you include him? I thought we had all agreed to leave them out of this." Stephen Bartowski stated with a straight face.
"It was unavoidable Stephen. You know as well as I do that I wouldn't do anything to put them in danger." She said with a stern look. Wondering how he could imply that she would in the first place, and a bit hurt. Though she would never tell him that.
"Well, I am here to mediate. You know as well as I do, it was never me that you would have to answer to. We gave you time to get them out of it, and now she wants to talk to you." Orion's emphasis on the 'she' made it every clear who he was talking about. Orion typed away on his wrist computer, and then pulled out a box. He set the box on the ground between him and the General. "Are you there?"
"Yes, I'm here." And from the box came a holographic projection.
"Agent Frost." General Beckman said tentatively. This was the closest thing to fear she had felt in a very long time.
"Cut the crap General. You know why I am addressing this. You were supposed to keep them off of the radar of the CIA and the NSA and every other alphabet soup idiots hot list. What happened?" Agent Frost said coldly.
"Well, a few things happened. I did all I could, but your son's roommate in college was one of Graham's pet projects. I believe he was his favorite to take over the CIA when he left, but things didn't work out that way. And that agent sent the Intersect files to your son in an email. Files he stole from a secure government facility." Beckman said defensively. She had done all she could. There was more at play here. She knew it. "And, if I may be so bold, He is made for this work. He is unconventional like his father, but has a drive to complete every task like his mother. He is the perfect Agent is such an obscure sense that it is easy to mistake. He refuses to change into what an agent would be. He is steadfast in his morals, and will not tolerate the idea of him having to have a gun."
Agent Frost seemed to smirk at that statement. "Of course he is. You know where he comes from."
"I don't like him being in this life." Stephen complained. "He is a kind heart, and we have all seen what this life does to kind hearted people."
"That is what I am telling you. He IS for this life. Likely more than any one of us is. He is able to do what needs to be done, and still have a kindness about him that can turn even the hardest of hearts. He came to me when Graham ordered his execution to become a Field Analyst for me. It was a smart move, and one I hadn't considered. But given his abilities as a well known hacker, it made sense that he could become a faceless analyst for us, as the hacker Piranha." Beckman replied.
Stephen smiled slightly. He knew his son was the Piranha. Or at least he was reasonably sure he was. But Mary did not know. And the Piranha had been a pain in the side of the company he was undercover for for a long time.
"You are telling me that Chuck was the Piranha that I had sent multiple men out to kill, but was never able to catch?" Frost said, starting to feel sick to her stomach at the thought of her ordering her own son's death.
"I'm telling you that you were never successful in capturing him, none of us were. The only one who was even ever able to make contact was Orion, isn't that right?" Beckman said.
"Yes but I was never able to confirm if it was him or not. It makes me proud." Orion smiled, even as Frost scoffed. She had never been able to give him the same icey glare that she was able to with everyone else.
"There is one other thing that, even though we don't have confirmation yet, I feel you may need to know." The General said.
Chuck wiped his brow as he stood back up. Sarah and him had actually started his training. As he stood, Sarah was bouncing on the balls of her feet. She hadn't had a fight this good in a very long time. "Can we take a small break?" Chuck said, sounding slightly defeated.
"What's wrong?" Sarah said with a smirk, "Don't like the thought of a girl beating you?" She taunted as she lunged forward to take another attack. She noticed out the corner of her eye, Chuck seemed for freeze for just a fraction of a second. She saw the look in his eye. He had flashed. And the next thing she knew, she was on her back. Chuck on top of her. His hands holding her wrists, and his hips holding her pinned to the floor. "I like that counter move." She said saucily.
Chuck blinked and started to apologize, as the blush sneaked up his neck into his cheeks. "I.. Im.. So.. Im sorry.." He stammered out.
Sarah wasn't having any of that. She wrapped her legs around him, and rolled them over. Pinning him down now, she got close to his face. "Never be sorry for pinning me down like that. I'm not." She said sexily, with her hot breath cascading across his cheek. It sent a shiver down his spine and caused his body to react. What surprised Sarah, was that his body reacting sent a shiver down her spine as well. She felt so happy knowing that this sweet and kind man cared for her.
She had mercy on him. And got up. Helping him up, she said "It finally happened! You flashed into an attack. And it was so fast that I lost track of where your movements were." She said excitedly. She was happy that he would be able to defend himself, if the need should arise.
"Yeah, it felt different. Like it accessed different parts of my brain. I will have to talk to Ellie and see where we are at with it. Maybe after a few times, then I will be able to control it." Chuck said, sounding excited. Like a kid who just got a new video game.
Sarah smirked at him, and at how different her life had become in such a short amount of time. All her life it had always only been herself that she could rely on. And now, she not only had Chuck, but also Ellie and Devon. And even in a weird way Casey. She was amazed at how close they had gotten. And she wasn't going to let anything keep her from being there for the people who cared for her now. "Ready for another round?" She asked, as she tackled Chuck into the bed. "HEY YO!" Chuck yelled as he happily fell backwards.
A man was standing over Agent Shaw. "Get him upright. It's time." He said.
"Sir, he is still unconscious." The scientist and doctors replied.
"I have my orders, or would you like to talk to Quinn yourself?" He snapped at them.
"Yes Agent Decker. We will get him prepped." they said. And got to work moving him in front of the screens. The propped his eye open. Putting on glasses they all stepped back. Decker looked into the joined room and nodded. The screens came to life, flashing images. The glasses shielded everyone but Agent Shaw. And finally they stopped.
"Check his vitals." Decker commanded.
"Vitals are good." The doctor said tentatively.
"Everyone out." Decker commanded, and no one had to be told twice, as most were looking for a reason to leave.
With an empty room, Decker walked up to Agent Shaw. grabbing his hair, he pulled up on his scalp, and the clamps holding his eyes open popped off.
"AAAUUUGGGHHH!" Shaw screamed. His arms held down, he tried to shake his head but it was held in place as well. "What? What happened? Where am I?" Shaw demanded.
"Why hello, Agent Shaw. Agent Quinn sends his regards. While you heal, we took the liberty of giving you an… upgrade. You are now SIA Shaw. Special Intersect Agent. And we added skills to the list. Once you are fully healed, we believe that you will enjoy the field test we have in mind for you." Decker said with a laugh.
"What's that?" Shaw spat at him. He had a splitting headache, and did not feel like playing games. This man clearly didn't know what he was dealing with.
"Kill anyone named Bartowski, and anyone who stands in your way of completing your missions. But bring them to ruin first. Destroy any hope they have. And once you have been able to achieve this, we will have a bigger target for you." Decker said with a snide grin.
Shaw started to smile through the pain. This Decker was right. This was his dream mission.
A/N: Woohoo!! CHARAH finally! Lol I promised it would happen. A bit of a whirlwind for them, but isn't that kinda their life? I still feel it happened too fast for my liking, but it fit the flow of my story. Let me know what you think! And the Easter egg. A love story in chapter 14 on feb 14th (ish). Happy Valentine's Day everyone. And I promise a bit more intense chapter next.