A/N: As always, the usual copyrights apply. Adrienne's mine, however. I wrote this a while ago, and never got around to posting it, but I figured that since I haven't posted anything in a while, I owed it to my fans, as few and far between as they may be. It's another one of my Casey fics, but this one is a Casey/OC, but it's very minor. I don't write anything rated higher than teen, unless it's anime. And obviously, it's not anime. Anyway enough blabbering, read and review please!
Love always,
Brittny Bombsquad
Apartment of Chuck and Ellie Bartwoski
Los Angeles, California
11:30 PM
January 9, 2008
Chuck dragged himself through the door, exhausted. Ellie jumped up from the couch. "So, how was your double date with John and Adrienne?" she asked excitedly.
"It was good. Yeah. Not to much into the art, but the bar was good. Now I'm exhausted, I'm going to bed. See you in the morning, Ellie."
"Yeah, Goodnight, Chuck."
He had just gotten to his room when he heard Ellie open the door. He paused to see who it was. "Oh, hi Sarah. Chuck just went to bed. You can go see if he's still up."
"Thanks Ellie." Sarah headed towards Chuck's room. She knocked and pushed the door open."Hey ,said Chuck."What's up?"
She shook her head. "Nothing, actually. Just came by to see if you were ok."
"Yeah I'm fine. Hey do you know anything about what Adrienne and General Beckman were talking about yesterday? About Nova Scotia?"
"Not much more than what was said. I know Casey and Adrienne used to be a couple, and they did some cases together, but they ended up doing seperate cases after their relationship got in the way of their work. Then they ran into each other in Nova Scotia, on opposing cases, and something happened, I heard that Casey found out she had a new guy, but I don't know if that's true, but he shot her, and she almost died."
Chuck stared at her for a minute before she continued. "Of course, that's completely hearsay. I can assure you that most, if not all, of that story is untrue. I mean, you know Casey. He's not even remotely like that. Except the whole shooting part."
"Wow. I never thought of Casey as the jealous type. Well, I never really thought of Casey as any type, but hey."
"Yeah, but like I just said, it's all hearsay. If you really want to know, why don't you ask him yourself?"
Chuck forced a laugh. "Yeah, go ask Casey about his personal life. That'll work out real well for me." He laid back, still exhausted. "It's certianly been an eventful week. A new agent, who apparently has slash had a thing for Mr. Cynical, a Russian art dealer assassian, not to mention another near miss with the concrete nine floors below me. Oh, and the new agent, Adrienne, seems to be more of a computer chick than me, yet still doesn't seem to like me. Welcome to my life, hey?" Sarah smiled sadly at Chuck. Chuck closed his eyes, wanting nothing better than to sleep for the rest of his life, and Sarah showed herself out.
Casey was waiting for her near her car. "You do know that I have Bartowski's apartment bugged, right?" Sarah fished in her purse for her keys, only half paying attention to Casey. "So I heard everything you told him. Agent Walker, my personal life is none of you or Bartowski's business."
"I just told him what I heard, and I told him it probably wasn't true. I told him that if he wants the truth, he should risk asking you. Now if you wouldn't mind, it's late and I would like to go home."
Apartment of Chuck and Ellie Bartowski
Los Angeles, California
10:30 PM
January 11, 2008
Chuck jumped up from the couch to see who was pounding on the door. Half of him feared the worst, but part of him thought it was just Morgan or someone. It was late and Ellie and Awesome were out, so he was alone with no one to her his girly scream if it was "the worst". Whoever was at the door pounded again.
"Open up little pig, before I huff and puff, or rather, lock and load, and blow your door down," came a girl's voices from thew other side. He was pretty sure it was Adrienne, but he opened the door with the chain drawl just incase. Adrienne was glaring at him, her arms crossed against her chest. She had on a long-sleeved black shirt, with a vest Chuck suspected was bullet-proof, a radio walkie-talkie mounted on her chest, and a unconcealed handgun at her hip. These warning signs sent chills up and down Chuck'c spine. When he finally spoke to Adrienne, his voice shook with obvious anxiety.
"Hey, Adrienne. What's...What's up? I'd love to let you in, but..." But what? Was he going to tell her he was getting ready for bed, or that he had company, or that he was sick? He didn't have to worry about an excuse.
"Bartowski, I have no interest in coming in." Relief swept over Chuck. "Oh, thank..."
Adrienne grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him out into the courtyard, closing the door behind him."We're going out." She practically drug him to her car, a Black Mustang Shelby GT-500, Chuck unsure of whether or not to struggle away from her. "Wow. Does it talk?" He asked, referencing the new Knight Rider series.
She shifted into gear and sped out of the parking lot. "What's going on?" Chuck asked, holding on for dear life as Adrienne flew down the Sunset Strip. "We have a lead, Bartowski, and we think we might need that computer in your noggin to find what we're looking for," she said sternly and professionally.
"Wow, you in combat mode or whatever is kinda scary. The contrast, I mean."
"Remember, I'm a Marine, Bartowski. It's all in the training."
"Right. So given the guns and walkie-talkies, and bulletproof vests and you calling me by my last name, I'm assuming this is important?"
"Stop talking," Adrienne snapped.
She skidded into the parking lot of the Buymore, followed almost immediately by Sarah's small black sports car. Casey got out of his new 1986 black Grand Marquis, a late christmas present from the combined efferts of Chuck and Adrienne which he had immensely refused to accept, yet still drove on a daily basis, and unlocked the Buymore. He too was dressed for combat, almost identical to Adrienne's outfit. Chuck had given up on finding out what was going on, because no one was answering him. In the Home Theater Room, Casey revelaed the stock of arms in the table, and he and Sarah suited up, while Adrienne hooked up her laptop.
Chuck watched over her shoulder as she worked ferociously. "What exactly is that?" Chuck asked, looking at a screen full of sets of 3 numbers, and a page opened to excerts from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
"It's an Ottendorf Cipher. The mystery numbers refer to letters in a text, usually a random magazine or newspaper article. In this case, it's the reason I failed English in Eleventh grade." Chuck noticed Casey staring at him, and turned around.
"Are you going to fight bad guys in your PJs?" he asked.
"Well, your lovely girlfriend didn't give me much of a choice," Chuck retaliated.
"I got it. The overwrite codes should be in the abandoned Pitman's warehouse on Pier 73." She closed her laptop and they all headed out.
"Wait, am I supposed to fight bad guys in my pajamas?"
Casey looked back, annoyed.
"No, this time you can stay in the car. We'll send you pictures."
"Really?" Chuck asked, not sure if Casey was being sarcastic or not. "No, your going to Pier 73 with Agent Walker, after me and Adrienne clear the coast." He continued out of the store, getting annoyed by the delay.
"Nice stash" Adrienne said, eyeing the draw full of guns.
"Help yourself," Casey offered.
Adrienne looked through the draw, and pulled out a black Smith & Wessen 9mm handgun, identical to the one already holstered in her belt. Casey smiled to himself as he continued out of the store. They headed for there seperate cars, but Casey ordered them otherwise. "Walker, you and Chuck take a herder. Adrienne, your coming with me." She looked sadly back at her Mustang, then climbed begrudgingly into Casey Marquis.
Pier 73
El Segundo, California
11 PM
January 11, 2008
Casey held his gun steadliy in front of him as he snuck around the side of the warehouse, peering in windows, checking for people. "Casey, I'm going in," Adrienne told him.
"No, wait for me."
She pulled the clip out of one of her guns, checked it, and put it back in. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. And if I find that I can't, I'll radio you." She turned her walkie-talkie on, and eased open the door.
Pier 71
El Segundo, California
11 PM
January 11, 2008
Sarah pulled the Herder as close as she dared to the gate marked 'Pier 71 Keep Out'. The GPS she had put on Malstrome had led her here.
"Chuck," she said, getting out of the car.
"I'm not staying in the car. I'll never hear the end of it from Casey if I do."
"Fine," she sighed. "Do you remember how to shoot?"
"Automatic? Sure, pull the trigger," he said nervously.
She handed him a gun. "Don't have to use it."
She snuck around the Pier with Chuck at her heels, holding her gun out in front of her and following the GPS signal beeping on her cellphone screen. It took her to a garage, but Malstrome wasn't there. He had apparently found the GPS and shed it here.
Pier 73
El Segundo, California
11:15 PM
January 11, 2008
There were a set of footprints in the years worth of accumulated filth. Adrienne followed them steathily, not sure if the owner of the footprints was still in the warehouse. They led to a room at the very back. A sign next to the door identified it as a janitorial closet. She pushed the door open slowly and her gun preceded her through it. The room was full of cleaning supplies covered in years of dust, but a crumpled piece of paper on the floor caught her attention. It wasn't as dirty as everything else in the warehouse, and upon uncrumpling it she found the overwrite codes. Suddenly she felt like she was being watched. She turned around to find herself still alone, but she realized then that cleaning supplies weren't the only thing in the room. Under the table, in mop buckets, all over the room where bundles of dynamite, lacking the dust of everything else. She heard a faint ticking, and knew that they were live. She grabbed her radio. "Casey, I found the codes, But you probably shouldn't come in here right now."
Pier 71
El Segundo, California
11:15 PM
January 11, 2008
An explosion rocked Pier 71. Sarah and Chuck looked in the direction of the explosion, shocked. "Um, Sarah?" Chuck said, hesitantly.
"Yeah?" she said, already knowing what he was about to say.
"Wouldn't that be Pier 73, where Adrienne and Casey are?" Sarah nodded. She ran to the car, and Chuck did a double take before running after her.
Pier 73
El Segundo, California
11:20 PM
January 11, 2008
Casey ran into the building after the explosion settled. He found Adrienne and pulled her out of the building. The explosion had only taken the back, but with the fires burning, he was sure they'd continue. Out in the parking lot, he checked her vital signs and grabbed his walkie-talkie.
"This is Agent Casey," he radioed in. "I have an agent down. Victim is Major Adrienne Dickey. She has excessive bleeding, a faint pulse and no respiration. The building, well whats left of it, is still smoldering." He looked up at the building, waiting for the next explosion.
The front of the building blew up as the ambulance and firetrucks pulled into the parking lot, followed by a Nerd Herder. The EMS took care of Adrienne as he went to talk to Sarah and Chuck. Chuck was staring at the parking lot, and Casey followed his gaze. He found that Chuck was staring at his new car, currently in flames, lying on its side next to its roof and one of the doors. He sighed in exasperation, and looked like he was going to cry.
"Does the warrantly cover explosions?" Chuck asked, sarcastically. Casey ignored him.
"Did she get the codes?" Sarah asked him, as he climbed into the ambulance. Casey handed Sarah the paper he had taken out of Adrienne's hand. "Report them to General Beckman, then burn them. I'm going to the hosptial with her." Sarah raised her eyebrows at him, questioning his intent. He shrugged. "Never Stay Alone."