Chapter Two From Russia With Love
During the entire portion of the plane ride back home, Team Bartowski all were keeping themselves preoccupied by engaging in different pastimes. Casey was staring out of the window, absentmindedly watching as the clouds raced by as well as the land far below them. Beside him, Morgan was sitting with both hands gripping each arm rest; eyes wide open, scared of death to fall asleep. A few seats ahead of them, Chuck and Sarah sat. Chuck was listening intently as his girlfriend—and supposedly badass superspy—began to tell him about his life.
"So, you're really telling me that I'm an actual spy?" He summarized, his voice catering to his utter disbelief.
Sarah nodded. "Yes, I wish that this was just a horrible joke, but I swear you are a fully-fledged spy to the CIA," she explained softly. It was difficult to stay calm in front of Chuck while discussing all of the things he could never remember; all she wanted to do was find some place to hide, and cry herself to sleep.
Chuck contemplated this for a short while. Sarah waited for him to finally respond, "Ok, I can sort of believe that I was a spy for the past three years. But why would I subject myself to all of that? I mean its dangerous right? I could've died?" he asked confusedly.
"You chose to become a spy to protect everyone you care about," Sarah replied with a smile. "Including me," and she planted a small kiss on his forehead. She had to instill in him how proud she truly was.
Chuck accepted the loving gesture, but was still perplexed. He asked, "I understand the spy-thing now, but what about this uh…Intersect? Why do I have it and you don't?"
Sarah took a deep breath. Well, she was going have to explain this sooner or later. "It all started when your old roommate from Stanford (Chuck's eyes widened at the mention of the prestigious college) Bryce Larkin, broke into the Intersect Containment Center so he could destroy it before it got into the wrong hands. But first, he downloaded all of the information and sent it to you."
Sarah tested Chuck's reaction: he had the most confused face she had ever seen. "Why did he send it to me of all people?" He inquired.
She shrugged, "Honestly, I have no idea. Bryce thought he could've trusted you. You're a good person, Chuck. You were innocent and I think Bryce knew that nothing bad could have come from giving the Intersect to you."
There was a long pause. Chuck was trying hard to put the pieces together. Biting on his lip, he continued with the questioning: "The Intersect is in my brain right? Which means I can "flash" on people, or objects, that cause me to learn skills and intelligence about stuff?"
Feeling suddenly very exhausted, Sarah only nodded. She said then purely as an afterthought, "There's one more thing I forgot to tell you. Several months ago, you found information regarding your mother. She was a spy for the CIA. But you dug deeper and…she was linked a man named Alexei Volkoff. He runs an international arm dealing company—Volkoff Industries."
Chuck blinked. My mom's a bad guy? He kept this remark to himself. For the rest of the flight back to California, he remained quiet. He tried to figure out the remaining pieces to his broken life, while Sarah was battling to keep her emotions at bay.
The plane touched down in LAX early the next morning.
Chuck and Sarah drove her black Porsche from the airport, back to their home. Neither of them spoke. Their minds were too busy trying to assimilate to the current situation they found themselves in: Chuck was trying to define what "home" meant to him, and Sarah was trying to figure out how she was going to explain this mess to Ellie.
They were a few blocks from arriving to Echo Park when Sarah turned her head, attempting her best smile. "Are you ready to go home, Chuck?"
"Home…" he repeated.
Sarah noticed the helplessness in his brown eyes. She placed a comforting hand on his leg, "Don't worry, everything will be ok," she told him.
The couple walked through the courtyard that leads to their apartment and Chuck found that he was simply enchanted by the entire complex. It was beautiful. A giant fountain rested in the center of it all; water trickled down into its basin where lily pads floated around lazily. A mysterious feeling rushed inside of him, and at the brief moment, Chuck swore there was a flicker of realization of where he was and who he was.
The faraway look in his countenance faded once Sarah grabbed his hand, holding it tightly to bring him back from his reverie. She opened the door and slowly escorted Chuck to the couch.
"Chuck please stay right here, I need call your sister and let her know of your situation." Sarah told him as she kissed his lips and then walked towards the kitchen. She took a quick glance at Chuck to make sure he was ok, then grabbed the phone off the side of counter and dialed Ellie's number.
"Ellie this is Sarah, we really need to talk. It's important…and about Chuck," explained Sarah. Guilt and disappointment washed over her as she spoke.
"Sarah, please tell me Chuck is ok? He's not…" Ellie asked desperately. Her voice was strained, thinking of the worst.
"Chuck's alive, don't worry." Sarah reassured her. "But he has been spying still, and thanks to me, something terrible happened and he's suffering from memory loss."
"What sort of memory loss?" Questioned Ellie, then she said rather harshly, "How could you let this happen, Sarah? Why didn't you stop him from spying?"
Sarah cringed. "I'm so sorry, Ellie. I didn't mean to let him get hurt, that was the last thing on my mind. Chuck had been captured by a known terrorist—the Belgian, and he almost had his entire mind wiped so that he'd just be a host for the Intersect…he could've lost his personality, all of his memories, everything that made Chuck who he was," she explained. Tears welled up in her eyes. She could also hear Ellie on the other line, trying not to succumb either. "I was able to track your brother down but once I succeeded, it was too late…"
There was a beat, and then. "Does he remember anything?"
Sarah replied: "Yes, he can remember me for some reason…but nothing else. I'm so sorry, Ellie."
"Sarah, please let me see him. I want to help in any way I can."
A half-in-hour later and Chuck found himself standing at his sister's front door. His mind was racing. He shifted nervously on his feet, dreading to reacquaint himself with someone who he should've remembered. It was his sister for god's sake. He should know her. But he didn't, as hard as he did try to, and sadness reigned through him.
Sarah knocked on the door. Chuck could see that she was as worried as he was. But before he had time to ask what was concerning her, the door flew wide open to reveal the older couple. The woman, who Chuck assumed was his sister, was gorgeous. She was tall with brown and hazel eyes; dressed head-to-toe in her famous blue scrubs. The man beside her was just as good-looking. He stood about the same height as Chuck, with blond hair and blue eyes. He was totally shirtless which made Chuck feel that much more uneasy.
He was taken back when the brunette came in for a bone-crushing hug. He felt a wetness spread on his shoulder, probably from his sister tying to hold back her tears. The parted soon thereafter, Chuck facing her with confusion on his eyes. He was trying to remember her name…Ellie was it?
"Hi, Ellie?" He greeted tentatively, sounding like a question.
"Chuck…" was all Ellie could say.
Sarah watched the exchanged in silence. Just then, her phone began to vibrate. She looked down and saw that someone had returned her text. She let out a relieved sigh, lifting her head up back to the awkward reunion.
"I'm so sorry Ellie, but we have to go," she said in a rush. "I think I know someone who can help Chuck, and hopefully figure out what happened to him."
Ellie and Devon nodded and allowed them to go. Sarah motioned Chuck back to the parking lot; he looked over his shoulder to see his sister sobbing into her husband's chest. Chuck felt a pang in his chest and all he could do was wave goodbye.
Sarah drove as fast as she could to their next destination: Doctor Dreyfus' house. She hoped with a slight chance that the CIA psychiatrist could look at Chuck and figure out what was wrong with him. She remembered that Dreyfus was assigned to Chuck when the Intersect was malfunctioning. She trusted the man as much as she possibly could. For the entire drive, Chuck just stared blankly at the landscape. He had no clue what was going on.
It was about midday when Sarah rang the doorbell.
"Hello Agent Walker, Chuck," The doctor nodded cordially. "I am glad to see the both of you, but sadly I have another important appointment I need to attend to." He indicated a big leather briefcase in his grip.
Sarah blocked the doctor from retreating. She stood her grounded and explained, "Doctor, I understand you need to go, but please make an exception."
Chuck watched the conversation unfold, thinking to himself: Who is this doctor? He looks pretty creepy; I hope he doesn't us any needles or probing… The doctor for some reason made him feel anxious.
Doctor Dreyfus sighed, "Alright, Agent Walker, you have convinced me. I will give you my attention briefly, because I need to go as soon as possible."
He walked the two back inside of his house. The inside was cluttered; bookcases line the room along with other trinkets and expensive objects. Dreyfus led them into the living room where he stood there, cleaning his glasses.
"So what seems to be the problem this time?" asked the wise doctor.
"Chuck's suffering from memory loss," replied Sarah. "He was undergoing a lobotomy to erase everything but the Intersect but there were complications. I'm the only thing he can remember."
Dreyfus appeared momentarily interested by the news. He looked to Chuck, who seemed awfully quiet. The doctor knew that the younger man was anything but quiet, especially when nervous. There was something definitely wrong with the boy.
"Chuck, please follow me into my office," he began. Then he added, "Without Agent Walker."
Chuck gulped. "Sarah…" he pleaded.
"It's going to be ok, Chuck. I will be right here, waiting for you to come back."
With one last look at Sarah, Chuck resignedly followed the doctor to his office. Chuck felt a growing fear overwhelm him once they entered the room. He saw the desk, the large sofa, and it almost sparked his memory. Almost. He shook off the familiarity once Dreyfus stopped walking.
"What are we doing?" Chuck asked the doctor.
Dreyfus replied: "I am going to run some tests on your brain, Chuck."
"That's sure specific," Chuck said sarcastically.
"Take a seat," the doctor went on. He motioned to a steel chair. Chuck eyed it carefully before sitting down. He squirmed in the chair. Dreyfus then hooked him up to a machine, slipping a metal helmet over the younger man's brain.
He went on to explain: "Now Chuck, you may feel a slight tingle, but with each little shock, I will be able to see on this screen which part of your brain lights up." A 3D image of Chuck's brain was displayed on the monitor. The test then began, causing electricity to run through Chuck's head.
Chuck jolted in his seat, "These are not tingles! These actually hurt!"
The doctor said nothing to ease his discomfort. The testing continued for an hour. Once he was finished, Chuck was released back into the living room where Sarah was waiting patiently. She welcomed Chuck back with a hug and a peck on the cheek.
Doctor Dreyfus returned minutes later, ready to share the results with the couple.
"From what I can tell, these tests read that your amnesia was caused by the Intersect. During the lobotomy, your memories were never fully erased, they were only repressed." The doctor paused to see their reactions. Sarah was pensive while Chuck just blinked. "What will happen now is that your subconscious will release your memories only when you are asleep, in the form of dreams."
"Dreams," Sarah repeated quietly. Chuck looked at her. "Not again…"
Not again? Chuck thought curiously.
"What I am also trying to figure out," the Doctor continued, "is that the Intersect is also somehow merging with your memories, Chuck, making them one."
No one understood exactly what that meant, or what consequences it would entail. Chuck and Sarah only traded glances with each other, not saying a single word to convey what dread they were feeling.
That night, Chuck screamed.
"Chuck wake up! You're having a nightmare again," yelled Sarah as she shook hi. She tried her best to wake him up for whatever is causing his restlessness.
"Sorry Sarah, I had a crazy dream. You were in love with an agent named Daniel Shaw and for some reason you hated me and wanted nothing to do with me." Chuck explained in a hurry. He wiped the sweat off his brow, still panting.
"It's ok," Sarah sighed. "Just remember it's only a dream. I will always be right next to you when you wake up." She leaned over and planted a kiss right on Chuck's lips. This simple touch calmed him and there was a faint trace of a smile lingering on his features.
All of a sudden the couple heard someone knocking against the bedroom window. Sarah leaped up from the bed and rushed across the room. She cautiously opened the curtains and found John Casey on the other side. His expression was serious.
"Beckman wants to see the team in Castle in five minutes. We need to figure out what to tell her about Chuck," he explained. His blue eyes surveyed the dark room, landing on the younger man still sitting in the bed, wrapped up in the sheets. Chuck stared back with bewilderment at first, and then followed by a tentative attempt at a wave. Casey grunted in response.
Sarah considered what Casey had told her. He was right. They needed to find a way to keep Chuck secure, and more importantly, safe. She noticed the exchange of glances between Casey and Chuck and then stepped away from the window and towards the bed. Chuck's hand dropped by his side and he gave her an expectant look. There was so much love in it that it made her guilt feel twice as heavy as before.
She began softly, "Chuck, we haven't decided what to do about your amnesia yet...so will you please follow my lead and just trust me?" There was a small hope that they could lie to Beckman long enough to get Chuck's memory back.
Chuck beamed, "Of course Sarah! I trust you with my life." He slid off the bed and started to clamber around for some clothes to wear. Sarah watched him as he tried to familiarize himself with his own room. He looked around for a moment before pausing, his face portrayed utter defeat. He looked to Sarah and asked sheepishly, "Where are my clothes?"
Sarah's eyes grew wet but she was able to stay composed. She couldn't allow Chuck to see her like this. Her weakness would scare him. It was paramount for Chuck to remain calm in spite all that was happening. After she showed him where all of clothes were, Sarah got dressed as well. A few minutes passed and then they were both ready. They abandoned the apartment and hopped in Sarah's black Porsche.
They drove to Castle in silence. Sarah concentrated on the road while Chuck watched the other cars speed bye; the city he's lived in for so many years now was only a figment of his forgotten past.
Five minutes later, Casey heard the pounding of footsteps descending down Castle's staircase. Sarah was leading Chuck through the underground base, her face unreadable while his was conveying a childlike innocence no one had witnessed since he first was thrust into the life of espionage.
"Took your time," Casey muttered sarcastically. He waited for them to approach the conference table and then flipped the monitor on, revealing a stern General Beckman.
"Team, I'm glad to see everything went well on Agent Bartowski's rescue mission." She focused solely on Chuck, who was fidgeting with nervousness. Who was this lady? "How are you, Chuck?"
"He's still recovering, but he'll be back to normal in no time." Sarah quickly answered before Chuck can open his mouth.
"Good," nodded the General. "We cannot afford any time for breaks; there is an urgent mission involving Volkoff to be dealt with. And we need the three of you specifically to handle it."
Sarah and Casey traded looks. Chuck, however, stared at the monitor with wide eyes.
"Ivan Kozlov is an informant hiding in Taldom Russia," the monitor displayed the man in question's photograph and dossier. "And I need you three to discreetly extract him from the hostile city" demanded the general.
"Understood, you have nothing to worry about" Sarah assured her. Casey grunted in agreement. Chuck said nothing.
Beckman then turned off the monitor leaving the team in silence.
The next day, the three spies plan landed in Taldom Russia. The trio left the plane, and hailed a taxi. They seated themselves accordingly.
"Вы говорите по-англиский?"(Do you speak English) grunted Casey as he tried to instruct the cab driver.
"Yes, I speak," responded the cab driver in fragmented English.
Satisfied, Casey explained to the driver: "We need to be at a hotel Salut, keep your eyes up in front." The driver did as he was told. Casey equipped himself with two pistols while Sarah did as well; Chuck held a tranq gun in his palm, looking at it nervously.
They arrived at the hotel twenty minutes later. It was dingy and beat-up, but Team Bartowski knew they had to stay under the radar and needed to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Chuck and Sarah took a room for themselves while Casey resided in the floor above them. But before they separated, the trio recited the plan once more, mostly out of Chuck's benefit.
Ok," Sarah began. "Chuck and I are going undercover as Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, and we are tasked to find the target. Casey, you are going to be our support. Got it?"
Casey nodded, not happy that he was regulated to doing tactical. Chuck on the other hand, he smiled. The thought of being married to Sarah (even as a cover) made him extremely happy. Sarah noticed the look on his face, returning the gesture as well. She kissed him.
"Keep it in your pants," Casey quipped. "We have a mission to complete."
Somewhere in a Undisclosed Location
Agent Frost walked into Volkoff's office. She saw that he was sitting in his chair and facing the window. He was busy studying the contents divulged in the manila folder.
"Frost, my dear I just heard some disturbing news," he said in his thick British accent. "Agent Carmichael is still alive…we tied him up and planted explosives all around him and yet he is still alive." He then burst out laughing; his chair swiveled to face Mary.
I'm as surprised as you are," she lied. Only she knew that she was the reason why her son had escaped unscathed.
"It was my fault," Volkoff said cheerily. "I underestimated him. Oh well, let's tidy things up. I want you to head to Taldom, Russia and take out Agent Carmichael and his entire team. Make sure you don't come back till there isn't a pulse in his body," he commanded.
Frost nodded. "Yes, sir, and trust me, I will not fail you."
Volkoff gave her an evil grin, and then waved her off. Mary Bartowski left the office, shaking her head with sadness outlining her features.
Chuck, why couldn't you just stay away?