A/N: I didn't think I would post this quickly, but I really really really want to put up chapter three... and before three comes two, so I pulled this one out of nowhere. Reminder: this is not related to the last chapter. It is a separate one-shot. Also, the lack of punctuation that you've probably noticed is a style. I'm not that stupid... Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or Twenty Years.
Twenty years in my car
I was born in 2008. My parents were engineers. I starred in an ad moments after I was born, kinda like those diaper ads. The other cars on the lot like to make fun of me for it, but I know they're jealous of my "lifestyle of luxury." I didn't have many friends on the lot. They didn't understand that I was more than just a pretty face. No one did. Or at least they didn't. Until one day, instead of sitting outside in the harsh sunshine of California, I was bought.
My lease was signed and lots and lots of money was handed over, I never knew I was worth so much, but I guess it makes sense. The rumble of my engine soothed my unused parts. I roared to life, and I could tell my passenger was pleased. She put my top down, and she roared down the freeway. I'd never felt so free.
In this space, I probably would have commented on my owner's musical tastes, but she didn't seem to have any. I, personally, am more of a electric rock kinda car. But my owner didn't play anything. Not even NPR. She did, however, hum to herself whenever we pushed 90, which I always thought was the car's job. I was starting to learn that she didn't do anything the traditional way.
After our first night together, I still didn't know her name. I learned a couple other things, though. First of all, she enjoyed dressing up as a ninja. Second, she had a dirty mouth. Third, she's living in a hotel. Three things, all were weird.
Our first real day together, I learned that she worked at a Wienerlicious. Which begs the question, how did she afford me? I also learned that she was beautiful, by human standards, of course. I felt honored to be driven by such a woman... as long as she doesn't get any hot dog grease on the interior.
By the end of the first week... I don't know. I kinda started to lose interest, as everyone does over time. I was all like: yeah, cool! New owner, new places! But eventually the new places became the same old same old. Her name was Sarah, a curly headed man called her that. She is a CIA agent, which I guess gives her permission to drive fast. The curly headed man's name is Chuck, and he's fairly good looking by human standards, but still way out of her league.
Sounds interesting, right? Well, yeah sure, except all she does is drive from her hotel to the greasy hot dog store to the apartment complex, where sometimes she would visit the curly headed man and sometimes she would visit the man-bear. The man-bear intrigued me for awhile, mostly because he took such good care of his Crowned Victoria. I'm a Porsche! I deserve that treatment! But does Sarah ever wax me with such loving care? No, no she doesn't. She parks me in a hotel parking structure with rental vehicles. None of them even stay long enough for me to make friends. Boring.
I don't know. She doesn't ever drive me that much. I mostly sit there. Sometimes she gets picked up by that curlier haired guy. Sometimes she walks. I guess gas is expensive these days... or something. When she does drive me, she is usually alone. Silent.
And then one day, she gets in and pops in a CD. It's new, its refreshing, and it doesn't seem like she knows any of the songs. But this one song, after listening to it halfway, she starts it over again. I think she's learning. Or something.
Now she works at the Orange Orange. It's in the same spot as the Wienerlicious, and no one else seems to think it weird that the little hot dog store vanished. It's fine by me, I didn't really like the Bavarian outfit... it made her look like a fool. I don't understand why people thought that greasy, burnt, hot dogs wrapped in dough were attractive. News-flash: they aren't. But I'll never understand humans.
One breezy day, she takes me for a ride. I'm a little worried that she's paying like... no attention to the road whatsoever, but she plays that song again, and a tear falls down her face. I guess her life is a bit more interesting than what I'm privy to, but when the computer she kept looking at beeps, I can tell that things are about to get more interesting on my end. She practically pulls a U-turn on the middle of the freeway, and presses hard on the accelerator. Now this is the owner I know and love.
She drives to the place where curly boy and man-bear live and exits... me... with an envelope in hand. She comes back at a full sprint, holding what looks like a phone, and we zip on over to the Orange Orange. She leaves me there and enters an ugly black van with man-bear and a scary looking woman. Possibly an evil droid...
Anyway, they return, and at some point curly-boy must have joined them. She and the curly haired guy get into.. me, and drive off. But not towards home. I can barely hear them over the roar of my engine, but it sounds like she's saying something about Chuck (who I have just remembered, is the curly haired man), Dad, Ellie, Wedding, and Awesome. I'm not a genius here, but I'm just gonna guess: Chuck's Dad is going to marry Ellie, and the wedding will be awesome.
After traveling on an uncomfortable dirt path (it seriously wasn't even a road) we stop at a trailer. In the middle of nowhere. I hope they know where the nearest gas station is.
Curly-boy (Chuck) and my owner (Sarah) go toward the trailer. They talk, curly-boy knocks, my owner comforts him... and the door opens. But I'm still stuck on the whole comforting part. Her hand was on his neck, he was looking off into the distance, but she was looking right at him. How did I not see this before?
They exit the trailer eventually with another man in tow. Presumably Ellie's future husband. The drive home is silent, but I can't help but notice the looks that my Sarah is giving her Chuck. And I don't like it.
While I'm stuck in the parking structure for the next week or two, I do some serious thinking. It boils down to this: man-bear loves his crown vic with all his heart, and he seems single. I haven't seen any lady friends on his side of the apartment complex. My owner, my Sarah, doesn't have time to love me because she is in love with Chuck, the curly haired man. I'm a Porsche, I practically scream look at me! and she looks at him. All friggin day long.
It's possibly three weeks later when she comes to the structure, and then drives me to one of those cheap storage facilities. Great. Looks like she's planning on heading to the airport straight after dropping me off. Before she exits the storage unit, leaving me in darkness for the rest of eternity, she turns around and pats my hood.
I know this sounds bad, but I actually hope I don't have to see you again.
She kisses my hood, and I relish in her love for a second, but the the garage door is closed and it's dark. I'm going to rot here, wondering what she meant by hoping that she doesn't see me again.
Except I don't have to wonder. She's back in four days. Not even a full week. She opens the door, and I'm in shock. She's wearing sweats, making me realize that she always looked so... perfect, before. But now there are bags under her eyes and she looks... sad. Truly sad. She plays that one song she likes and drives slowly over the rolling hills of Southern California.
We spend a lot of time together after that. We drive random places that we never went before, the grocery store, the post office, and occasionally a shooting range (don't ask me what she was doing there). It's nice.
But then a month passes, and she's angry again. Angry beyond words. Her foot is lead on the gas and we get pulled over four times on the freeway. Every time she flashes her shiny CIA badge, and we take off, free of charge. I really want to know how one qualifies for these badges, in case any future owners have the need for speed.
And then outside the Orange Orange I see Chuck. His curly hair is everywhere, including his face, and he's wearing a nasty robe and hat, but I can tell it's him. I realize I hadn't seen him this entire lovely month, and that he must have been the reason my Sarah was so angry.
And possibly why she left.
So it goes back to how it was. I live in a gross parking structure, my Sarah off doing God knows what, and getting there God knows how.
I see a new man occasionally enter the hotel, my new parking sport has a great vantage point. I'm not worried about him though. He may look like superman, but she doesn't look at him like she looked at Chuck. I still only have one competitor.
One time she shows me to superman, and he tries to get into the driver seat. That was a mistake, and she let him know it. If I had a heart, it would have soared. Instead, my engine got a warm and fuzzy feeling, and I felt happy. No one touches me except Sarah.
When we do drive, she never listens to music any more. She did try this one CD, but it had weird interpretive techno-rock-alternative-classical-jazz music, and she threw it out the window.
Maybe a few weeks later, I see Chuck again. He literally runs into the garage, looking for me. He checks me over, and then makes a call.
Casey! Casey! She isn't here, what do I do?
No, no her car is here.
I can't call Beckman! She told me I was on my own for this one!
Look, I know you're through, but please! It's Sarah! Shaw is going to... I don't know. I just don't know, and I have to find them before he can do anything...
All right. I'll see you at the Buy-More.
He hangs up and takes off. I really want to know what's going on. Where's my Sarah?
I'm still not quite so sure what curly-Chuck was so worried about, because I can see Sarah entering her hotel with superman in town later that afternoon.
But then she leaves with a suitcase, and doesn't even say goodbye this time.
She doesn't come back for a while. I see man-bear enter the hotel once, but he leaves quickly after. I hope she comes back.
Then she does return. She drives me over to curly-Chuck's, and they pile in and drive to a nice park. They have a picnic.
She drives back to curly-Chuck's apartment. And then doesn't leave until the next morning.
Where ever those two went (along with superman, where did he go?), something big happened. And now... it's like they both love each other. Or something.
And then I'm parked outside curly-Chuck's every day, and every night. And it's nice. Much nicer than the parking garage, at least. I can see the night sky, and whatever stars the city lights will permit me to see.
It's fantastic really, until curly-Chuck and my Sarah (leaving behind an upset, odd bearded man that I've never really seen before) move to a suburb. I am not a suburb car. Suburbs are for mini-vans and compact cars. Not gas-guzzling sport luxury vehicles. Like myself.
Of course, I shouldn't have complained. Next thing I know, curly-Chuck drives home a nice mid-size SUV. And I was just starting to like him too...
All these changes are happening so fast... and I'm not sure what to think, until one day...
I'm a Porsche, so I don't have a back seat. Sarah sits behind the wheel, and Chuck rides shot-gun, cradling what looks like bread.
Drive safely...
I will, Chuck. Come, on you know me!
Yes, I do know you. Our little one here does not need to see your CIA-certified driving skills quite yet. Or ever, really.
And then they kiss, which was a lot more disgusting than what I thought it would be. But, when they kiss, I can see what curly-Chuck is holding. It's a small human. A very small one, and it cries a lot on our drive, but I can' help but fall in love with it. It's just so... perfect.
They get out at the one park we drove too, maybe a couple years ago, and the small human takes a nap in curly-Chuck's seat. My Sarah and curly-Chuck stand outside the car, he presses her against my hood, and I feel sort of uncomfortable.
My Sarah turns her attention away from Chuck and brushes some dirt off my hood. He laughs.
You know, sometimes I think you love that car more than me.
She laughs in return, and my curiosity is piqued. Curly-Chuck competes for my Sarah with me?
No, no. Come on Chuck! I love you both equally, you should know that!
And then she kisses him (ew, gross), but she continues to caress my hood. I feel the warmth of the small human on my passenger seat, and the heat of the two bodies against my hood, and it's like a hug. Like I'm apart of Sarah's family. With her Chuck and her small human and me. Her car.
A little bit of wiper fluid trails down my lights, but I ignore it. I may be luxurious, but just like everyone (and everything) else, I just want to be loved.