So... here's the next chapter for Chuck Versus the Unrequited Love. There's a little more Charah in this chapter, but A LOT more in the next. And don't forget there's still lots of Lasey (LaraxCasey) lol! haha, anyway, things are a little more dramatic in this chapter, but otherwise... well... yeah. :D.
PLEASE R&R! (and thanks to all those reviewers of the previous chapters: Taliesinjoe, Bianquinha, Siriusly-Celeste, jou-jou86, and joe. THANKS FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! HOPE YOU KEEP 'EM UP!)
Disclaimer: Chuck (c) Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak
Claimer: Everything else (c) me
Chapter Two: the Four F's: Fulcrum, Flashes, Fights and Flights
Lara took the team to a local restaurant, where the owner came out to greet them right as they entered through the door.
"Lara!" he exclaimed, light blue eyes shining while taking her hand and shaking it furiously before embracing her, earning himself a glare from Casey.
"Mikey!" she said, hugging him back, "It's good to see you again. How have you been?"
"Pretty good," he replied, "It's been a long while since you've visited Burbank. What brings you here?"
She looked around to ensure that none of the other customers were listening before she introduced, "Guys, this is Michael S. Laurent, an associate of mine. Mike, these are my friends Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker, and my boyfriend, John Casey."
The blond hair man grinned. "So this was your long-distance boyfriend, huh?" he teased.
"What do you mean by, 'was'?" Chuck asked somewhat panicky. Both he and Sarah immediately tensed, and Sarah's hand twitched for her hidden gun.
Michael laughed heartily. "Well... it's not 'long-distance' anymore because you two are finally together," he explained, "Now come, I'll show you to a table."
The restaurant owner showed them to a private table for four and gave them their menus. "Have a good lunch!" he said cheerfully, before walking away.
"So who is he?" Sarah inquired, "I think I've heard of him before, but it doesn't quite ring any bells."
Lara laughed. "Yeah, it should ring a bell. He's a former CIA operative," she informed, "He used to be an associate of mine. Well... he still supplies me with a whole bunch of information when I don't have the resources to do it myself."
"By the way, it sounded like you were growling at him when he hugged her," Chuck teased, grinning ever so slightly.
"Chuck," Sarah warned, "this is the worse time to be teasing Casey."
Casey glared. "Walker's right, Bartowski. It means you should shut your trap before you say something to make me kill you," he added, slowly letting his anger fade as Lara gripped his hand tightly, "Okay, okay, I'm calm." He looked beside him at his girlfriend with sharp eyes. "Happy now?"
She smiled warmly. "Yes," she answered, giving him a small peck on the lips. Then she whispered, "You have your gun in your back pocket in case Chuck flashes?"
He smiled in return and kissed her once more, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Of course. I assume you do too in your back pocket."
"Actually at the back of my belt," she corrected, "and I still have you as one of my speed-dial contacts on my cell. I figured that there was no point removing it in case we'd end up working together again like we are now."
"I admit it goes the same for you," he replied quietly, "I never deleted it. Love you."
She grinned. "Love you too."
"Um... guys? You're kind spacing out on us. We're here too, you know," Chuck said, waving a hand in front of them.
Both of them immediately looked at them as a waiter came. "Have you made your decision?"
"So what do you guys want? Lunch is on me," Lara inquired.
"Um... I'll take the tomato spaghetti," Chuck said.
Sarah looked at the menu. "I'll take the Aldo Fettuccini with the mushroom sauce," she continued.
"I'm going to take the small steak with the side of the mashed potato," Casey said, "With a side of a small glass of scotch."
Lara sighed, "Always the scotch. Anyway, I'll take the tomato Alfredo."
The waiter wrote the orders down and then asked, "Anything to drink?"
"I'll take a coffee, thanks," Sarah began.
"Make that two coffees," Chuck corrected.
"And I'll take a pot of Jasmine tea," Lara finished, "Thanks."
The waiter took note of it and left, leaving the two couples to talk. There was an awkward silence before Chuck decided to intervene.
"So..." he began slowly, looking at Lara and Casey, "How long have you two known each other?"
"Four or five years," Casey answered, "Our first meeting was in Washington, and then we had to move to a disclosed location for our mission."
"And then you two fell in love, and the whole deal, right?" Chuck teased.
"Yep," Lara said, leaning against Casey's shoulder, and in return, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer, "How about you two?"
"Well..." Chuck began, "we met when the-"
Casey kicked him lightly at the same time Sarah elbowed him in the ribs. He tried not to wince in recoil.
"It's a test, you moron," Casey growled, "You're suppose to tell her what we told you to say if anyone asked."
Sarah smiled and kissed Chuck on the cheek. "You know that CIA agents like to test you occasionally so that you're always paying attention so that you won't blow our covers," she whispered.
Chuck wrapped his arm around Sarah's shoulders, hugging her close. "Oh... well, Sarah and I ran into each other one day at the Buy More. She was looking for a digital camera and well... I was the lucky nerd to help her," he explained, a bit more confident on his words now.
"Wow, that's pretty cool," Lara commented, "I guess you kind of fell for her along the way then, huh?"
Chuck kissed Sarah gently on the lips. "I guess I did," he agreed.
The waiter came back with their beverages, and also set four teacups beside Lara's pot of tea. "I'll be back with your lunches momentarily," he said.
Lara sighed tiredly as she leaned against Casey, closing her eyes.
"Something wrong, Lara?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"N-No, nothing. I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all. My plane just got here today, I had a rough day yesterday," she told him, pouring herself some tea.
"Do you want to sleep?" Chuck inquired.
She shook her head, forcing an easy smile. "Don't worry, I can catch up on some sleep later. For now I'll just continue doing my job and protect you," she replied.
Sarah laid her head against Chuck's shoulder. "You know Casey and I can do that too, so if you're really that tired, I'm sure Casey is more than willing to take you back to his apartment," she informed.
"I know," Lara replied, sipping some tea.
The waiter came back and placed each of their orders in front of them. "Here you all go. Don't be afraid to call me if there's anything else you want."
"Thank you," Sarah thanked, and then they began to eat.
The waiter left to go greet six people walking into the restaurant. Chuck looked toward the doorway to see who was coming in. They were led to the table near the window and the door, and luckily away from the group.
Immediately, his memory jogged and he flashed on all six of the people.
"Oh my God! Oh my- guys! Guys!" he gasped quietly, "T-Those six are working for Fulcrum. The blonde one with the scar down his arm is in charge. His name is Jason Wilson and he has a history of arms dealing and an illegal smuggler. W-We've got to do something! That group is completely bad news!"
"Stay calm, Bartowski," Casey said easily, taking a sip of his scotch, "Walker, you get Bartowski safely out of here. Clark and I will take care of this."
"Wait, Casey," Lara began, laying a hand on his arm, "Something's not right here. Fulcrum agents aren't stupid enough to just walk into a restaurant without any reason. Plus, sadly, I've dealt with this guy before, so... well..." she chuckled, using a menu to hide her face from the Fulcrum agents, "Let's just say I've made my mark on him that he'll never forget."
"So what should we do?" Sarah asked quietly.
"For now, let's just keep watch on what they're doing here, but for now, let's just try to leave here without getting caught," she instructed quietly, raising her hand to signal a waiter over. Instead, Michael came over instead.
"Hey guys, you all ready to go? You haven't even finished lunch yet," he said.
"Mike, don't react, but Fulcrum agents are at your 8 o'clock, and I'm on a very important mission," Lara said quietly, pulling out a few bills, "Sorry, but we've got to go. Keep the change."
He shook his head. "Keep it. I was planning to make lunch my treat since I haven't seen you in a while," he replied, forcing a smile, "Fight or flight?"
"Both," Casey replied, "Is there any way we can get the other customers out of here without them causing any problem?"
The blonde looked around. "Well... I know these customers pretty well, they come here regularly, so I should be able to get them out without them causing any trouble," he explained, "Plus, there's the back door in case you need another exit. I guess I'll ditch too so I can stay outta your way. Good luck you guys."
About 5 minutes later, all of the other customers had left, and it was only Team Bartowski and the Fulcrum agents.
"Now, Chuck, you and Sarah get out through the back, and things should work out," Lara instructed quietly, laying down her menu and carefully avoiding eye contact with any of the Fulcrum agents, "Sarah, Casey, get your guns ready. This may get dangerous." Her arm snaked behind her back and held onto the handle of her gun.
Sarah and Chuck got out of their chairs quietly, when suddenly, Chuck accidentally made the chair squeak, causing the Fulcrum agents to look over at them. Immediately Jason recognized Lara, who was standing up to draw her weapon, and pulled out a gun, shooting her in the arm, just below her shoulder. Both sides drew their firearms and pointed them at each other, except for Chuck, who didn't have a firearm, and Lara, who had fallen onto the floor.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Chuck exclaimed, holding his hands up defensively.
"Don't move!" Casey shouted.
"You're outnumbered, so it should be you who shouldn't move," Jason retorted before pointing it at Lara. Then he smirked. "It's good to see you again, Agent Clark," he hissed, "I still have that little souvenir that you left me."
"You really planning to shoot me?" Lara hissed, clutching her now-bleeding arm, "Or do you want me to talk?"
"Better yet, you could tell me where the Intersect is," he scowled.
She glared at him with furious golden eyes. "Never!" she defied.
"Don't be so cocky, Lara," the Fulcrum agent warned as his men pointed their guns at Casey and Sarah, "Just tell me, and I'll let you go. Maybe I might pitch in your friends too."
"Liar!" she snarled, "I won't tell you anything. Even if I did tell you, you'd just shoot us all dead right here! At this moment your word is just as good as mine. I'll never tell you anything!"
Jason cocked the gun. "Then you're of no further use to me," he declared, pulling the trigger and shooting her twice in the chest.
"Oh my God, he shot her! He shot her!" Chuck exclaimed fearfully as he watched the CIA agent die, her golden eyes fluttering closed. He looked at Casey and saw a spark of pain flash in his eyes before the NSA major returned fire, taking down Jason and one of his men.
Sarah tossed Chuck down behind a table and leaped behind him, firing shots at the Fulcrum agents. Casey had also ducked behind a nearby table and took clear and easy shots at the clearly exposed Fulcrum agents.
Minutes later, it was all over. All the Fulcrum agents were down on the floor, some unconscious, some dead.
"I think we're clear," Sarah announced, looking over at her partner, who gave a silent nod. Then she turned to the asset. "Are you okay Chuck? Are you hurt?"
Chuck said, "Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Shaken, but okay. I'm not hurt." He stood up, and he could not draw his eyes away from the dead CIA agent who had given her life trying to save them. "L-L-Lara..." he breathed.
Sarah looked at him and opened her mouth to say something before she decided not to. She knew it was the first time Chuck had seen a comrade die trying to protect him, and it was not something she wanted him to see again. Instead, she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry that you had to see this Chuck," she whispered.
Casey kneeled down beside his lover and took her into his arms, holstering his gun. "I'm so sorry, Lara. I never wanted this to happen to you," he muttered, trying to keep his emotions in check, "I love you." Gently, he leaned down and kissed her still-warm lips, before lowering his head in respect.
Then Chuck noticed something odd. "She's not bleeding. She's not bleeding!" he exclaimed.
"What are you talking about, Chuck?" Sarah asked, glancing over at Casey.
The NSA agent looked at where Lara was shot, and saw that he was right. The only blood that escaped her was from the shot through her arm. There was no blood on her chest whatsoever. "I think you're on to something, Bartowski," he replied, then began to unbutton her shirt, revealing the black Kevlar vest over a black T-shirt underneath. He pressed his ear against her chest and heard the steady heartbeat. "She's alive," he declared, propping her upright against him, "Force of the bullets must have knocked her out though."
Chuck heaved out a huge breath in relief. "Thank God," he breathed, hugging Sarah tightly in return.
Sarah looked back at Casey. "We'd better get back to the Castle. We can take care of her arm wound there. Hopefully she'll wake up there, or else we might have to take her to the hospital," she said.
A groan escaped Lara's lips and her eyes fluttered partly open. "W-What? Where am I?" she moaned, her eyes then meeting Casey's, "C-Casey? I-Is that you?"
"Yeah, who else?" he retorted, a smile gracing his lips, "It's good to see you alive. I-I almost thought that you-" Then he cut himself off before he got himself too emotional.
"I-Is the Intersect safe? Is Chuck okay?" she inquired in a whisper.
"Yes, the moron's safe. Completely unharmed, in fact. Well... we should get you out of here before the police show up and make things complicated for us. Sarah and I will get the backup teams here so that they can clear things up for us," he explained, lifting her into his muscular arms.
"Casey, you don't have to carry me," Lara said quietly, her head against his shoulder, "I-I think I can walk."
"Hell no. You're hurt, bleeding, and maybe you could have fractures in some of your ribs as a result of the gunshot impacts," he retorted sternly, "I'm carrying you, whether you like it or not. I don't like seeing you get hurt. You really gave us all one hell of a scare. We actually thought you were dead."
"Yeah!" Chuck emphasized, "A-And we thought that you were dead! And we thought that we'd lost you! And we thought that we'd never hear you say to Casey 'I love you' again!"
Casey growled and glared at Chuck. "Can. It. Bartowski." He snapped.
Sarah ripped a piece of cloth off of Lara's sweater and began to bandage the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "How did you end up having a Kevlar vest on?" she asked her fellow CIA agent.
"I always have my Kevlar vest on the first day on the job. It's something I do when I need to get used to my surroundings," she explained.
"It's a good thing too," Chuck added, "If you didn't have it you'd be dead. And Casey would immediately break Jason's neck if he was still alive."
Lara smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head against Casey's shoulder, her head dizzy from the loss of blood. "I love you, Casey," she whispered.
"I love you too, Lara," he muttered back quietly, kissing her gently on the forehead. Then he looked at Sarah and Chuck and said, "Come on guys. Let's go. The car's parked around front."
Swiftly and quickly, they exited the ruined restaurant and went to the car. Sarah drove them back to headquarters as Chuck sat beside her, somewhat anxious. He was twiddling his thumbs around nervously. Casey sat with Lara at the back where he held her tightly against him while keeping a light amount of pressure on her arm. He knew very well that she was losing too much blood.
Well... let's just hope that those surviving Fulcrum agents don't go and get back-up, and especially if that damn Jason is still alive, I'm afraid that both Chuck and Lara would end up becoming major asset, Casey thought grimly, gripping Lara tightly against him, And if I was forced to save only one of them, I'm afraid that it would have to be Chuck. Damn that Bartowski and him being the Intersect at all. If I was forced to save one between the two... I'd end up letting my girlfriend die... and it would be all...my...fault....
Wow... poor Casey's becoming a worry-wart. Well, at least he means well, not to mention he's NOT THINKING OF WAYS ON HOW TO STRANGLE CHUCK (-Chuck chuckles nervously here-) hmm... well... just wait till you see Chuck in the next chapter, THEN you'll see who's the REAL worry-wart. lol.
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