OK, I've been 'whelmed' but I don't know if it will last. As usual the evil muse is loose in my noggin and I've got a few twists and turns and knots to tie ya'll up in. Stopped off in Horseshoe Beach for a few days of R&R and discovered that FF was down. Biloxi next then Pass Christian then drydock for the Lin.
Armor-Plated-Rat
Somewhere over the Rockies
Delta Flight 2103 to Reagan International
The stewardess, Maureen, watched the young blonde in First Class as she quietly wept into what looked to be a man's t-shirt that she'd pulled from her carry-on. She'd seen the look on her face when she'd boarded. She looked devastated. Someone she loved must have died or worse, dumped her. She knew the signs from her own personal experiences. Her fiancé dead in Afghanistan and her last rebound boyfriend, well, the less said the better.
"Excuse me, Miss Walker, but, well, sometimes it helps to talk about these things to an absolute stranger. I'll be about the cabins if you feel the need to unload. I'm sure you value your privacy but some times just letting loose helps. Believe me, I know from painful past experiences."
Sarah looked up through her tears. She nodded her head but didn't trust herself to make a comment. She just knew that right now she needed to be left alone.
Maurine patted her on the shoulder and said quietly, "I'm here if you want to talk. Sometimes a sympathetic and experienced ear can make a difference." She walked down the aisle to the economy section to check on her latest load of cattle.
'Pull yourself together, Agent. Do something constructive. You've been crushed by men before. You should be used to it by now. OK, so this one was different. This one crushed you for your own good because he loves you. Well, tell him you love him back. Put a little crush on him. Fair is fair. He hurt you, now you hurt him back.'
'Oh, for heaven's sake, Sarah, don't listen to that bitter cow. She still has the hots for Bryce Larkin. You have Chuck, the man who cares so much for you and your happiness that he destroyed his own so that you could be happy. You don't crush a man like that. You bust your ass to get back to him. So, make it happen. He doesn't know you love him the way he loves you. He doesn't know the happiness you felt with him. He's not a frikkin' mind reader, Sarah, he's only a man. Tell him. Call him. Write him. But let him know. And don't lay the guilt trip on him. His sacrifice does not deserve guilt. He'll feel bad enough once he knows, even if his not knowing is your damned fault!'
'You're a hotshot secret agent so why didn't you find a way around Casey's bugs? What? You never thought of telling him at the beach? At the ball game when you sunburned your pretty skin in the bleachers because it was all he could afford? No wonder we're losing the intelligence war! You people can't think outside the box worth a damn!'
Sarah stood and went back to her luggage stowed in the compartment between first class and economy. She removed a note pad from it and closed and replaced it. She'd write him a letter and explain everything but most importantly she'd tell him how she felt, without reservation. For the first time since Beckman's call she felt like she was doing something positive.
Dear Chuck – 'no, no, no, that sounds like the beginning of a letter from Aunt Sally not the love of his life. Try again, dimbulb. Put some heart into it this time.'
She scratched out what she'd written and thought about how to address him if they were on the beach sitting beside each other, finally alone, and naked, and… whoa, back to the letter. Nakedness is for private times.
Baby – 'he's going to cringe and wonder if you're going to treat him like a kid again. Nope. Nice try, but no.'
She sighed and scratched out 'baby'.
My love – 'nice, but he has no idea how you feel, that's too premature. Something less striking but keep that in mind for later. It's warm and shows feelings.'
She scratched that out too. Another sigh.
I love you, Chuck Bartowski, with all my heart. 'YES! That's the way to get his attention! You go, girl. Now, don't lay any guilt on him. That sentence is going to rock his world and so you have to ease into what you want to do about it.'
I'm so sorry I never told you how I felt but I was afraid, baby. I was afraid of the consequences. I was so happy being with you. You had no idea because I was afraid to tell you. You told me all the time, Chuck, all the time. You told me with your actions and you told me with your eyes. Those cover-kisses and cover-hugs were the high points of my day. I can't tell you how sorry I am for not somehow letting you know.
'OK, now you have to let him know exactly how you feel. He has to know how deeply you feel if he's going to go along with your plan. You do have a plan, right?'
'Right?'
'Hey, you do have a plan, don't you?'
'No. I don't know what I'm going to do.'
'We are so screwed.'
She continued writing to her who? Lover? Nope, not even close. He never even tried to cop a feel. 'Of course not, he's not that kind of guy.'
Boyfriend? No. 'He's not a boy and he's so much more than a friend.'
The man she wanted to marry. SILENCE.
Chuck, I don't know where I'll end up or who I'll be partnered with but please know that I love you and will be faithful to you. I consider myself yours and so totally off the market it's funny. I'll figure out a way to get this letter to you since they read your BuyMore and home mail.
I love you more than I can say in a letter and I'll show you how much the next time I see you. Please, please, wait for me. Please be careful and don't take chances. I won't be there to cover your ass, my love, and I don't want it damaged.
All my love,
Sarah
Castle Facility
Burbank, CA
True to her word, Diane Beckman had a replacement for Sarah Walker in Burbank within three days. She reported in to Casey at the Castle and reviewed all the information available on her mark. She was not a believer in allowing those she handled too much personal choice. She would establish a schedule and expect it to be kept or there would be hell to pay.
Casey was not at all sure if Chuck was ready for Judith Lodge. She was probably the least likely person to ever establish a 'relationship' with someone like Chuck Bartowski and that was probably because people like Chuck automatically despised people like Judith Lodge. People like John Casey automatically despised people like Judith Lodge.
She was main line Philadelphia, a Sarah Lawrence graduate who had been born with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. Hell, it was probably platinum. She dressed immaculately with perfect hair, makeup, nails and clothing. And she was beautiful in a coldly Grace Kelly style.
Casey figured this was either her first real assignment or she'd screwed up the last one so badly that this was her last chance. She obviously was someone's legacy and that someone had clout. Casey just could not figure out how she could have made the cut. The CIA must be getting rejects from the FBI or the Salvation Army. She was a flake, beautiful, but still a flake.
"Now, Major Casey, what is so special about this Charles Bartowski that he can get an experienced agent the likes of Walker cashiered and reassigned? Who's his sugar momma?"
"Sarah Walker was not 'cashiered'. She was reassigned. If you're fortunate, you might rate the same consideration from the asset some day. He wanted her to be happy and she wasn't and it was important to him so he had her sent where she would be happy. End of story." Casey had no intentions of getting into details. Let her worm it out of Chuck. It was not important anyway. Not really.
"And I wouldn't use the term 'sugar momma' around a certain Director of the NSA who runs this operation. You might find yourself in some garden spot like Yemen or Botswana counting sheep and confirming agricultural production figures for the embassy."
Casey couldn't be sure but he thought he saw the minutest trace of smugness cross his new partner's face.
"So when do I get to meet this mystery man who wraps agents around his finger and 'cares' about them. Really, Major, agents shouldn't fraternize with their marks. Not outside of mission requirements. I assure you I won't. I take it Walker used the cover girlfriend to accomplish her own ends?"
"Listen up, little girl. Sarah Walker was the premiere agent in the Agency with a 10-year record of successful missions. She was selected for this mission because the asset is that important. He is not your mark. He is your asset. We, you and I, are partners. We assist him in utilizing his special skills. We protect him at all costs. That's your brief."
"You are not cleared to know about the special skills so I suggest you shut your face about things you don't know. When you need to know, you'll be told. Until that time, get to know him. And don't piss him off. Things haven't been all that wonderful in his world since, well, since Walker left. They had a tight cover."
The subject of their heated discussion was, at that moment, sitting in his Nerd Herder having the second, and third and fourth thoughts about his rash decision to make Sarah Walker 'happy' already that morning.
'Quit being so damned selfish. You did the right thing. Face it, Nerd King, you miss her and you're feeling sorry for yourself. Get over it. You did the right thing. Her happiness came first. You made her happy. Now, you should be happy. Right?'
He locked up the Herder and walked slowly towards the Orange Orange. 'I wonder if they're going to keep it open now that Sarah's gone?'
Accessing the rear door and keying in his code, he knew Casey was already there when the door opened without the required retinal scan. 'Oh, the day just keeps getting better and better.' Casey had been somewhat cold and distant, and for Chuck to have noticed in his current emotional state, it was a lot colder and a lot more distant.
Chuck had two hours until he had to be at work and he figured he'd knock out the over-nights and the dailies that had accumulated since yesterday when he'd lost interest and gone home without finishing. Casey was probably waiting to lay into him for leaving some obscure piece of arcane information out of the safe 'in direct contradiction of standing Castle procedures.' Well, at least Casey would have made coffee.
'Casey must be in the armory, probably polishing 9mm cartridge casings to the prescribed level of brightness required by the NSA. At least I'll get to drink coffee and read the dailies without his frikkin' snarky comments.'
He got his coffee and opened the safe to retrieve the past days' work and then went to his workstation and accessed the current files. Mercifully there were only a few.
He quickly scanned the various station chiefs' summarized briefs and found nothing there that triggered a flash. 'Oh, happy days, nothing to report. Beckman's going to have a cow over this. But hell, I can't flash on what doesn't trigger a flash. She'll just have to suck it up.'
He read through the HQ summaries and found something that did pique his interest. Sarah had been reassigned to a special unit specializing in weapons smuggling. That ought to keep her busy and happy although not safe. He sighed. 'I wanted her happy, I guess safe isn't part of her definition of happy.'
He drank some of his coffee and made a face. Cold. Time flies when you're having fun. He'd been at it for 45 minutes and been so engrossed he hadn't noted the passage of time.
He walked back into the kitchenette unit to get a refill before starting the current overnights and was startled, almost running over a tiny person standing at the machine, deep in thought.
"Excuse me, but who are you and what are you doing here?" He called for Casey.
Brown eyes met his. Her cold brown eyes met even colder and darker brown eyes. He judged and she judged. The juries were still deliberating when she responded.
"I'm Agent Judith Lodge and you must be Charles. I'm Major Casey's new partner. I'm surprised you didn't know I was arriving. Major Casey has already briefed me in. So you're a special asset, right? One who has talents I'm not yet cleared for. And what makes you so special, Charles?"
She was baiting him to see his reaction. Most tall men found dealing with a 5' 2" woman in a superior position organization-wise disconcerting and unsettling.
"It's not my place to comment, Agent Lodge, if your clearances did not allow that information. Welcome to Burbank. What's your cover assignment? And where the hell is Casey?"
"So at least you have some self-control. From what I'd read that seemed to be dreadfully lacking. As for my 'cover', Charles, I'm your new girlfriend. And I believe Major Casey is out getting more coffee. Who ever was tasked to keep this place stocked was negligent in their duties." More bait.
"G-g-g-" He couldn't say it. He wouldn't say it. This Beckman-wannabee was his new cover girlfriend? Oh, no way. No frikkin' way. He found his tongue, finally.
"The agent you are replacing had the rotating duty this week. I suppose Casey assumed it was already done but her departure was rather abrupt and unsettling for him."
He heard Casey out in the work area mumbling and cursing life in general and California specifically. He hated California with a purple passion. Especially the drivers. He also knew that Casey would have his ear glued to the virtual 'door' shamelessly eavesdropping.
He set his coffee cup and keys down on the small table and faced her, Sarah's 'replacement'.
"So tell me, Agent Lodge, do your jaws ache after a long day of speaking without unclenching them?" He hated effete Ivy League snobs with a passion almost as intense as Casey's of California.
"I'll bet you learned to speak without moving your face at some high-priced Ivy League school where the tuition would feed hundreds of homeless breakfast for a century." If she was going to throw out bait, he wouldn't disappoint her.
"And isn't it painful looking up so high in order to look down your nose at someone taller? Should I sit down and make it easier for you, Agent Lodge? Girlfriend? I don't think so. Nope, not going to happen. No one would believe it, no one would buy it and, ergo sum, not going to happen. Have a nice California day. And don't unpack, Agent Lodge. You won't be staying."
He turned on his heel and stomped across the work area to the stairs. He reversed his course, stacked up his work and replaced it in the safe.
Casey almost laughed out loud. Leave it to Bartowski to say what everyone else would be thinking. 'And don't unpack, Agent Lodge' was the swing and 'You won't be staying' knocked it out of the park. Home run!
He hadn't been looking forward to a partnership with Agent Lodge. Too abrasive and too snooty. He'd have to back Chuck up with Beckman on this personnel change. She just didn't fill the bill. And he didn't need a comparison to Sarah Walker. This was one piss-poor agent.
Chuck got to the top of the stairs and realized he'd left his keys next to the empty coffee cup on the table in the kitchenette. Shit!
He walked into the kitchenette and found Agent Lodge with her head buried in her arms, sobbing. Oh, crap. The ultimate weapon. Oh, shit, oh, dear. He could feel his resolve weakening with each sob and snuffle. Kryptonite! Tears! He was toast. He toyed with the idea of just grabbing his keys and leaving but he wouldn't be the Chuck Bartowski he wanted to be if he did.
He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. "Hey, Lodge, talk to me. Don't do this. This won't solve anything. OK, so we got off on the wrong foot. You pissed me off and that baiting crap hit the wrong button this morning." He reached across and put his hand on her forearm. "Hey, talk to me, Lodge."
'Run, Chuck! It's a trap and you know it. Sarah never cried, at least not until you sent her away and even then, you weren't sure. But this…this is clearly a woman working her wiles on you. Let Casey handle it. Get out while you still have a…'
She raised her head from her arms and looked over at him. One false eyelash was hanging from the corner of her right eye and the eyes were all puffy and red from crying and she had a dribble of disgusting gooey stuff running out of her nose. Desperate and defeated brown eyes met caring and defenseless deep brown eyes. It was too late. He was toast.
At that moment John Casey stuck his head around the door and snarked "When you're done abusing your new girlfriend, Charles, General Beckman would appreciate a moment of your incredibly valuable time."
Lodge's face turned ghostly white. Chuck noted that and said, "hey, don't worry. I'll tell her you went out to buy coffee. Just stay here and be quiet, OK?"
Chuck went into the work area and sat down. In seconds General Beckman's face appeared and it was obvious she was still at home since she had her granddaughter on her shoulder trying to burp her.
"Good morning, where is Agent Lodge? She should be there by now. Major Casey, has she reported in?"
"Yes, ma'am, she's reported in and she's…" Casey began.
"I sent her out to restock our coffee. It's her turn in the rotation and it would be disruptive to change it. I'm sorry, I wasn't anticipating your conference. She should be back momentarily. The market's just across the plaza if you'd like to reconnect when she returns."
"No, that won't be necessary. Mr. Bartowski you are hereby informed that you are now a government employee with a pay grade of GS9, and carry an assimilated military rank of Captain."
"That means you'll be able to afford to move up in the world, get an apartment of your own to maintain your cover and have a decent social life. Your first check is retroactive to the first of the year so you have a tidy sum for deposits and relocation expense. And yes, Mr. Bartowski, you can leave the BuyMore at long last." The last sentence was said with a smile.
He was shocked. Pleased, but shocked. A paycheck? His own apartment? Leave the BuyMore? He fought the urge to run outside and see if the heavens had split and revealed the Second Coming. At the very least it was a miracle.
"The check has already been deposited into your account. Unless you have any questions, Mr. Bartowski, that will be all."
"Thank you, General, this is a welcome surprise. But what will I do for a 'job'? I can't just collect checks, it would be very suspicious and dangerous unless I missing something?"
"Excellent observation, Mr. Bartowski. You'll spend your time there in the Castle doing analytical reviews using the.."
"I understand, General. Thank you, ma'am." He flicked off the conference.
"Chuck, you just hung up on the General." Casey snarked the obvious.
"Yeah, the General who was about to mention the you-know-what around someone who wasn't supposed to hear about it." Chuck could have lashed back but just spoke in a normal speaking voice. Casey looked chagrined.
"Yeah, good move. You were right but why protect that CIA drone?"
Chuck sighed. Casey was immediately on alert.
"What? Oh, no, please, no. Tell me you didn't fall for tears? Haven't you learned anything in your 27 years? Women use them, Chuck. They rarely mean them. You're toast. We're toast. That's why you covered her ass, wasn't it. She pulled the tears on you."
"Casey, they were real. She's too stuck-up to let snot run out her nose and have a false eyelash come loose. No, they were real. She's just a kid, Casey, cut her some slack. Let's see where this goes. You talk to her. Find out where she's going to work and other cover elements. And where she's going to live. Probably the residence hotel like W-Walker did, right?"
"Chuck, Chuck, Chuck. You're never going to survive. OK, I'll talk to her. It's almost time for your last day at the BuyMore to begin. Lucky bastard."
"Nope, going to give notice, Casey. It's the right thing to do. Big Mike's been fair and easy on me. I owe him that."
'That's more than he deserves but then you wouldn't be Chuck Bartowski if you did any less. Tears. I can't believe he fell for them again! Give Walker her due, she never pulled the tears crap.'
Istanbul, Turkey
On the other side of the world Sarah Walker was wrapping up the first day of her new assignment. She'd also started a letter to Chuck that she was going to mail using the method she'd worked out with the Delta stewardess, Maureen. Maureen would mail the letters to Ellie Woodcomb and she would either forward them or give them to Chuck. Hopefully, he'd get them. She would received any return letters at a drop box location in N.Y. and they'd be forwarded to whatever location she specified. She wondered if he'd gotten the first letter she'd written, the one on the plane?
Chuck:
I'm in Istanbul, Turkey, working with some UN representatives trying to curtail weapons smuggling through the Turkish port here. It's interesting work and I'm learning a lot.
Have you got a new handler yet? I suppose it's selfish of me to hope she's overweight, hairy and has tattoos all over her arms like that girl we saw in Venice. I wouldn't want you to have to spend time with someone you were repulsed by. And I remember that you were definitely disgusted with her tattoos and piercings.
I miss you, sweetie. I miss the cuddling even if it was cover for you. For me it was real. And I miss our talks and your curly hair. Did you ever get that haircut? Honestly, baby, your curls were getting curls. Cute on a 5 year old but not so much on a 27 year old.
I wish you were here to see the room I have at the Metropol. Incredible. And the bed is huge. And lonely. I stole one of your t-shirts and I sleep in it. It's almost like being in your arms. I miss you and I hope you're listening to Casey and staying in the van on missions.
I'm working on getting back to you, Chuck. Don't give up on me, please? I love you with all my heart.
Your Sarah
BuyMore
Burbank, CA
"You can't quit, Bartowski! Who's going to do the schedule? Who's going to run the cage? Who's going to keep the animals in line? You can not quit. I'll give you a raise. A whole dollar an hour more. What say, Chuck? A dollar an hour?"
"Sorry, Big Mike. Two weeks from today and I'm gone. I've already trained Anna to run the cages and do the schedule. You know, you made a fine decision setting her up as the 'second in command' of the Nerd Herd. It won't be hard to transition her into the supervisor's position and you'll get some Affirmative Action points with Corporate. Like I said, a good decision on your part."
"Well, OK. I agree on Wu. It was a good decision and Corporate will love an Asian-American woman in an authority position."
'Yeah, and if I hadn't started training her a year ago you'd be up the creek with no paddle, BM. You are such a tool.'
"Make the announcement to the whole store, Big Mike, now. That will make things easier when the Big Man himself gives Anna his endorsement."
"Another fine idea. Let's do it, right now." He waddled from behind his desk and looked up at Chuck. "You know, you have accrued vacation of 6 weeks and Corporate will only let you cash in 4 weeks. You need to take your vacation or lose 2 weeks pay, Chuck. Think Anna can handle the job effective today?"
"Absolutely. I'll be gone in 10 minutes. Thanks, Big Mike. I'll be in town so have her call me if she gets in a bind."
"So long, Chuck. Don't be a stranger. Buy something occasionally." He smiled and slapped Chuck on the back. Totally out-of-character but Chuck wasn't complaining. He was free!
Casey couldn't believe that Big Mike had let Chuck just leave. He didn't know that Chuck had been training Anna Wu to take his place should he have an unfortunate experience as the intersect, meaning, he died. Moving on was not difficult if you'd planned your exit strategy properly. And he had. He had to go back to the Castle to pick up some things and then he was going to take his time and check out his bank balance.
Castle Facility
Judith Lodge was still where she'd been when Chuck left. She was rehashing her actions and his responses. She'd been such an ass about things. First she pissed off Major Casey and then she'd upset the asset who was the reason she was here. She was forced to face reality. She was not her sister. Her sister would have reported in, made nice with Major Casey and then gotten to know her asset and made preliminary plans to get to know each other better. She sighed.
"Hey, Agent Lodge, you're still here? Anything wrong?" Chuck hadn't realized she was still there and had gone in to get another cup of coffee before pulling out the unfinished analyses he'd blown off rather dramatically this morning.
He'd heard her sigh. He knew about sighs. He'd learned to interpret another woman's sighs and he thought he understood the one he'd just heard. It was the sigh of disappointment in oneself. God knows he'd made the same sound himself a hundred times since getting the intersect stuffed up his nose.
The puffiness had pretty much disappeared from her face but she looked unbalanced with one false and one real eyelash.
Chuck poured himself a cup of coffee and one for Agent Lodge and set hers down in front of her. "I don't know how you take it. I suppose I should learn that stuff if we're going to be keeping each other company."
Casa Bartowski
1 Week Later
Ellie Bartowski Woodcomb was waiting for her brother to get back from his new job. She was so pleased when Chuck announced he was leaving the BuyMore for a job doing, as he put it, "computer software engineering and stuff" for a government agency. He said that was all he could really tell her since he'd signed away his first-born if he breathed even a word about it.
"Ellie, I need to talk to you, at the beach, right now. Put on your sunscreen and let's go. Now, Ellie, right now."
Ellie sighed and then said a heartfelt prayer for Sarah Walker, remembering her brother's torrent of words that afternoon on the beach.
Chuck had explained that their relationship had reached a point where she had to move on with her life and it couldn't include him. He stressed "couldn't" and from that moment on Ellie's world took a turn to the left and then turned upside down.
Her little brother was in love with a spy and because of the 'JOB', it was necessary for them to separate. And now he was working with spies. And she couldn't even tell her husband. It would be too dangerous for everyone concerned but especially for Chuck and Sarah.
She had a letter for him that she'd received at the hospital. It came from a Delta stewardess who'd prefaced her letter with "You don't know me but we have a mutual friend who is in need of our help. Please forward the enclosed letter to your brother, Chuck. I will be sending you more from time-to-time and I hope and pray you'll keep forwarding them to your brother. This is the only way they can safely communicate."
She knew the letter was from Sarah Walker. For one brief moment she considered tearing it up and flushing the pieces down the toilet but she couldn't. She couldn't do that to her brother. Or Sarah Walker either. Her brother was in love and it was the love of his life and she wouldn't stand in their way for all the money in the world.
Castle Firing Range
"Damn it!" At 25 feet he'd managed to miss the paper target all 8 times. He ejected the magazine from his pistol and inserted another and charged the weapon. He needed to be able to defend himself. He couldn't count on his handlers for 24/7 coverage and the missions they were drawing were getting hairier and hairier. But most of all he didn't want to be responsible for one of them 'taking the bullet' for him because he was such a helpless shit.
He sighed and wondered if he was doing something wrong.
"It's your stance, Chuck. You're standing wrong and it's throwing off your aim. Here, let me show you."
He jumped a foot and whirled, keeping the pistol pointed at the ceiling. "Well, at least you know not to point a loaded weapon at your partner." Judith Lodge laughed. Here was something she could do. She was a deadly shot with a handgun. It ran in the family.
"Turn around, Deadeye, and put your feet shoulder width apart." She coached him into the correct position and then had him practice it until it was automatic. He'd need a lot of practice just to automatically 'assume the proper firing stance'. She knew this from hard lessons learned in her youth.
Next she showed him how to properly hold the weapon, the position of his arms and the proper balance. It was difficult because he was so damned tall and she couldn't reach around him and correct the positioning of his arms when her face was practically smashed against his back. She took a deep breath and froze. He smelled so damned good. And then she sighed.
Chuck knew that sigh. He'd heard it before. The sigh that meant, "this will never work."
"Maybe if you held the pistol and I stood behind you it might work." He was anxious to learn this skill and needed her expert help. He couldn't ask Casey. He was not up for the ridicule and complaints and judgment he'd have to endure to get any help.
"Yeah. Let's try that. At least I'll be able to see the damned target." They both laughed at that. The 12-inch difference in their height and his long arms made it almost necessary.
"Now, Chuck, put your feet directly behind mine, touching your shoe tip to my heel and then put your arms along side mine. Wait a minute. Maybe if I stand on a box…"
Chuck couldn't help it. He laughed. And laughed. Judith was less than pleased.
"Hey, I'm short but at least I can hit what I aim at, Charles. You better hope the bad guys are afraid of the noise because the safest place to be when you're shooting is right in front of the damned target."
"Sorry, sorry, it's just that the image of you standing on a box is…" and he started laughing again.
She sighed, exasperated and he instantly stopped laughing and looked down at her.
"Hey, I am sorry, really. I shouldn't have laughed. You're trying to help and I'm not giving you much help, am I?"
"Nope. If you want to help, find me a box that makes me at least 10 inches taller or this is not going to work."
Two hours later he was hitting the target 4 or 5 times at 50 feet and he was amazed. His handler/partner/cover girlfriend just looked smug. Insufferably smug. Chuck figured he could live with the smugness as long as he got results like this.
"So, Chuck, don't you think I should meet your sister and her husband? I mean, for the cover? I'm not pushing or anything but my brief instructs me to be with you 24/7 and that means boyfriend/girlfriend shack job. You'll need a 2-bedroom apartment and the CIA will pay for it so it's not that bad, is it?"
Judith had no intention of letting her cover progress beyond a cover and that meant no time between the covers, ever. She knew from family history that such things never worked out and that one or both of the participants ended up heartbroken or worse – dead. Two bedrooms was a job requirement in her mind. Preferably two bathrooms also.
"Well, as a matter of fact, I'm heading over there right now and I think it's a good time for you to meet my sister, the doctor. I say doctor so you'll be warned in advance that any, and I mean any, ailment, cough, bruise, contusion, hangnail, redness of the eyes, scratchy throat, upset stomach, I'll quit now, will mean an intense scrutiny. And her husband's a doctor also but Cap'n Awesome's not nearly as 'doctorish'. But Ellie? She prides herself on her prying skills so be forewarned. I love my sister but she a worrier and a nag. Prepare yourself for the Grand Inquisition. She'll like you, really, she will."
"Chuck, don't be nervous. I noticed you ramble when you're nervous. Hell, if anyone should be nervous it's me coming in on the tails of the great Sarah Walker. She's bound to do the 'g/f comparison routine'. My sister did it with my boyfriends all the time and it sucked then and I'm sure nothing's changed much, has it?"
What he didn't tell Judith was that he'd already explained Judith's 'appearance' in his life to Ellie. She was relieved that he would have a bodyguard but also concerned that he needed one.
Driving over to the apartment Chuck and Judith discussed looking for an apartment and then, if she didn't mind, looking for a suitable car for Chuck. Since leaving the BuyMore he'd lost use of the Nerd Herder vehicle pool and he'd been catching rides with Casey in to the Castle and back with Judith and he wanted some degree of freedom.
"Well, why don't we look and see what's available at the government impound lot. I don't see why you can't have a 'pool car' like Casey and I do. Seems logical. Maybe you should discuss that with Casey and see what he thinks. You two need to be more relaxed with one another and asking him for advice is one way to whittle down his shields."
Casa Bartowski
"Ellie, this is Judith Lodge." Chuck introduced his partner/cover girlfriend to his sister very formally. He did have manners, no matter what anyone else thought.
"Hi, Chuck's told me absolutely nothing about you. Come in. Let me beat up my little brother in private for a few minutes and then we can sit down and get to know one another. He's such an ass about some things." She shot Chuck a dirty look and what she hoped was a sympathetic one to Judith Lodge. Unwittingly Ellie began comparing her to Sarah Walker and so far the new cover girlfriend was not measuring up to previous standards.
'Eleanor Faye Bartowski Woodcomb stop that this instant!' She could hear her mother lecturing her. At least it was her mother's voice. She couldn't remember when or if her mother ever cared enough about what her kids did to lecture.
"We'll just be a second. It won't take me long and I promise not to leave visible bruises." She grinned and dragged Chuck back down the hallway to her bedroom.
"Chuck, don't act strangely but I received a letter today from a Delta stewardess asking me to give you what was enclosed. Here, Chuck, a letter from Sarah Walker! Don't read it here, please. I don't know what's in it just that it's important that you follow her instructions. And you can't let your new cover girlfriend know about it and I'm afraid of how you'll react so put it away until you have some private time, OK?"
He hugged his sister. "Thanks, Ellie, for thinking ahead. Yeah, I'll read it later. It's probably just an update on her new assignment and such. But thanks. Yeah, let's keep this between us."
"I like her, Chuck. She's opinionated and pushy and cares about you. Just what you should expect from an older sister. Do you think I passed muster?" She was curious about what he thought. And he'd been thinking quite a bit since leaving Ellie's place and going out to find dinner for the two of them.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, she's a nag but we're all we have left of the family. I'm sure there are other 'Bartowskis' out there but none showed up when we needed help so they're really not wanted now. And sure, I think you made the grade. She talked to me in private before you talked, not after. And we did get that dinner invitation for Friday night. Wait until you meet Awesome."
He hoped he sounded convincing because he didn't have any idea how Ellie felt since his mind was on the letter in his pocket, not on anything immediate or important just on the letter and what it might contain. His mind conjured up all kinds of opening sentences:
Dear Ball-less wonder, I can't believe you had me transferred! After all I did for you, this is my reward? I should have let Lou have you. Then she'd be miserable instead of me!
Or:
Thank you, Chuck, for realizing that I was bored, hated every minute of our time together, and wanted to go back to Bryce or anyone else but you. You are so damned boring and I hated the dumb cover dates in those cheap places with disgusting food.
Or:
Dear Asshole! Thanks to you I'm now in Bumfux, Egypt counting camels. Still, it's better than spending another boring cover date as your cover girlfriend. Anything's better than that. You were the most boring asset I ever had to deal with. Thank God I didn't have to go the distance with you.
End Miscommunications2