It's a Wonderful Cover Life
A/N 2013: Hi folks, I ran so late on this chapter that there was no way to have it beta'd, so pardon any mistakes you come across. Happy reading!
A/N: This is not an April Fool's joke. I'm actually updating. I know I've skipped last week, so to make up for it I bring you Cover Life instead of A Common Spy Problem (playing favorites), I'm updating two days early, and this has two extra scenes. You have no choice but to forgive me.
Thank you, Nervert for beta'ing this, and in record time too. Your karma chips are stacking up.
I don't own Chuck.
41. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Chuck yawned, running a hand over his face before he forced his eyes open. He frowned when he realized it was still dark and tried to figure out what had awoken him in the early hours of the morning. Then he heard a rustling sound behind him and rolled over. As if sensing his eyes on her, Sarah looked up from where she was hunched down next to the bed.
"Sorry," she whispered with a grimace. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay," Chuck replied, his voice still heavy with sleep. He pushed up onto both elbows and frowned. "Don't you ever sleep?" A quick glimpse at the alarm clock on her side of the bed told him that it was barely past four.
"I used to," she mumbled as she tied her shoe.
Chuck heard, but decided to ignore the remark. Sarah seemed a bit grumpy, like she wasn't really a morning person. That just made it more odd that she was dressed before the sun was out.
"I felt like working out," she said in a normal voice, looking at him and even attempted to smile. She stood and tucked at the hem of her top.
Chuck's eyes ran down her body, taking in the oversized t-shirt, yoga pants and trainers. Then something occurred to him. "Are you going for a run? I know this is a nice neighborhood, but is it wise to go out alone while it's still dark? I can come with you if you want. I'm not much of a runner, but I am tall, so that should scare off potential – "
Sarah interrupted his ramblings. "I'm going down to the basement. It's a fully equipped gym."
"Oh, well that's convenient." He didn't really know what else to say, but that didn't stop his mouth. "Do you need a spotter?"
This time Sarah's smile was genuine. "I think I'll skip bench pressing today," she replied. Chuck couldn't tell if she was joking or not, but before he could find out, she was already heading for the door. "Go back to sleep," she said, glancing at him over her shoulder. "And don't forget, breakfast is at eight."
Chuck waited until he heard the door click shut before lying back down. Sarah was right, he could use a few more hours. He was surprised that he'd gotten any sleep at all after the picture she'd put in his head the night before. He'd tried not to think about her that way, but he was only human and she was... He shook his head. Not going there again, he thought. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on falling asleep, thanking his lucky stars that Sarah didn't work out in a sports bra.
Then his eyes shot open.
"Not again," he groaned.
-o0o-
Sarah didn't bother with the lights. Instead she walked straight to the shelves against the far side and grabbed three towels. It might not have been the best idea she'd ever had, but she was desperate, so when she reached the weight bench, she arranged one towel over it, folded the second one into a make-shift pillow and lay down on her back, covering herself with the third. A couch would've been more comfortable, or one of her spare beds, but the gym was the least likely place anyone would discover her.
She set the alarm on her watch and closed her eyes, trying not to think about Chuck with his eyes sleepy and his curls in disarray. It took some doing, especially after his concern for her safety, which she thought was sweet, but eventually her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.
42. Breakfast at the Bartowski's
Sarah stopped short of the dining room, tugged on her jacket and straightened her spine. A muscle in her lower back stretched painfully, but it was a small price to pay for getting some shuteye. She needed it if she was going to keep her wits about her around Chuck and Beckman. She took a deep breath and finally turned the corner to find Chuck and Maggie at the table eating cereal.
"Good morning," she said when the pair looked up. Chuck smiled around a mouthful of Cheerios and rose to pull out a chair for her. Maggie attempted to swallow all the food in her mouth at once when she spotted Sarah, only to start coughing.
"Easy there, Boo, Kitty's not going anywhere," Chuck said and handed her her Sippy cup before pushing Sarah's chair in. Sarah gave him an appreciative nod, all the while keeping an eye on Maggie to make sure she didn't drown herself with her orange juice. "Diane's on a call with her assistant," Chuck told her. "She said we shouldn't let her hold us up."
Maggie had managed to wash down her breakfast, cutting off Sarah's reply with an overly enthusiastic "Morning, Kitty!"
"Morning, sweetie," Sarah replied, relieved that Maggie had decided to stick to the nickname. It would be less confusing for the both of them. Chuck, oblivious to the subtext, dug into his cereal again.
"Isn't that filled with sugar?" Sarah asked once she'd been served her own breakfast of muesli, fruit and yogurt.
Chuck nodded and swallowed. "We're gonna need our energy today, aren't we Boo?" Maggie mimicked his nod. "Don't worry," Chuck assured Sarah, "she's going to day care today so by the time we get her back, she'll be off her high."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Why does she need to go?"
"Because I can't take her to work with me."
For the first time Sarah noticed the white dress shirt he was wearing under his jacket and the tip of a grey tie sticking out of its pocket. "Chuck, you're supposed to be on leave."
"I know," he replied, "but it's the busiest season in retail. I can't leave Big Mike hanging, and by extension, you. Besides, you're going to be gone all day so I might as well do my bit instead of sitting around here. It's no big deal. If you need to drop by the store, text me and I'll go out on a install or something." He made sense, but she still didn't like it. Before she could argue, Chuck put his spoon down and cleared his throat. "I should probably tell you that I'll be giving my notice today."
That took Sarah by surprise. "Why?"
"Well," he started to explain, sending a meaningful glance Maggie's way, "I've been saving up for a while now to start my own company and thanks to this – " He trailed off, making a vague gesture.
Sarah caught on immediately. "I'm glad I could help." For some reason Chuck didn't look convinced of her sincerity. "You'll be missed at the store," she added, "but your potential is wasted there, Chuck. This sounds like a great opportunity for you." His facial expression didn't change. "I just sounded like a boss, didn't I?" she asked.
"Technically you are my boss," he pointed out and picked up his spoon again.
"I thought I was your friend," she said before she could stop herself.
Chuck looked up from his cereal. "Yeah, but…I guess our situation is a little complicated."
"I guess." Her gaze dropped to her bowl, but for some reason, she'd just lost her appetite.
43. The Crazy Need Love Too
He was losing his mind.
That would be the only explanation why he went from wanting to ask Sarah on a date, to offering to be her friend, to picturing her in a not-entirely-friendly way, to pointing out that she was his boss. Why on earth he kept harping on that fact was beyond him. It wasn't even relevant. He was about to quit, as soon as he could muster the courage to actually walk into Big Mike's office and hand him the letter, and anyway, Sarah was selling the Buy More. And as far as their current arrangement was concerned, it was anything but business as usual, so the normal rules didn't apply. To make matters worse, he suspected that he'd hurt her feelings and that made even less sense. Maybe he was indeed losing his mind.
Sighing Chuck's gaze roamed the floor, looking for something to busy himself with. Despite the larger than normal crowd, the Nerd Herd desk had been fairly quiet. He spotted Morgan by the washer-dryers, his elbow propped up on one of the appliances and his head in his hand. Behind the beard, the little guy was sulking. Served him right, Chuck thought. He'd told Morgan that he wasn't speaking to him, and that all gaming nights had been cancelled for the foreseeable future, until he apologized. And then Chuck had decided to let Morgan steam for a bit by not telling him what he needed to apologize for. It would do him some good to reflect on his sins, though none of them were probably as bad as using his daughter as date bait.
Big Mike walked past and Chuck took a deep breath. The letter was burning a hole in his pocket and he wasn't doing himself any favors by putting off the inevitable. He decided to get it over with and kicked his chair back from the desk. Harry Tang sent a disapproving glance his way, but Chuck pretended not to notice as he crossed the store to Big Mike's office. He stopped in the doorway and knocked.
Big Mike bit short of his powdered doughnut, his meaty fingers squeezing it hard enough for a blob of strawberry filling to land on his tie. He inspected the stain and then glared at Chuck. "What is it, Bartowski?"
"I, uh – " Chuck's hand went to his back pocket as he ventured into the room, but then he thought better of it. "I need some advice, Bi…sir." He swallowed nervously, racking his brain for an alternate explanation as to why he was interrupting his boss' between-coffee-and-lunch break. Truthfully, he really had only one thing on his mind all day. "Well, there's this girl…woman actually – "
"Let me stop you there." Big Mike's scowl softened, if only a fraction. "This girl…woman…are you still fishing or did you get a bite?"
It took Chuck a moment to figure out the metaphor. "She's my girlfriend," he lied. That would be the easiest way to explain it, should he have to.
"Yes!" Big Mike grinned and pumped his fist in the air, crumbling his pastry in the process. "I won the pool."
"What pool?" Chuck asked, confused.
Big Mike looked uncomfortable for a moment and then his scowl returned. "Ask your question, Bartowski. I have a couple of bear claws to get through before lunch." He dumped what was left of his doughnut back into the box and reluctantly moved it to the side.
"I need to apologize." Chuck got straight to the point. The less he said, the better. He made a mental note to not drop Sarah's name. That would be a disaster.
"And what makes you think I can help?" Big Mike asked impatiently.
"Well, sir, you are the only other person here who's not…you've been married for quite some time." Chuck refrained from mentioning that he was aware of his boss' extra-curricular activities with the wife of his assman. Though for the life of him he couldn't imagine what kind of woman would marry Harry Tang and then cheat on him with Big Mike. An unpleasant shiver ran down his spine.
Big Mike seemed taken with the idea that Chuck was looking up to him in that department. "What did you do?" he asked.
"It's kinda a long story," Chuck replied, evading the question. "I was just wondering what type of flowers to get that would tell her how sorry I am."
"You get her her favorite kind, Bartowski. The size of the bouquet depends on the size of the screw up."
That wasn't really helpful, but Big Mike had already focused his attention back on the pink box from the Large Mart's bakery.
44. The Piranha Strikes Again
Chuck drummed his fingers on the desk, staring apprehensively at the phone. There was potentially only one person that he could call, but he wasn't crazy about the idea.
"He can't attack you through the phone," he whispered under his breath and reached for the receiver. On the third ring a gruff voice answered with "Walker residence".
Chuck swallowed. "Casey, hi. It's Chuck. Please don't hang up." All he got in response was a grunt. "Okay, look," Chuck continued after a beat of silence, "I know we agreed to stay out of each other's way, but I just have one question, one teeny tiny one, so if you don't mind – "
"Get on with it," Casey growled and Chuck could imagine him clenching and unclenching a fist around the telephone cord, pretending that it was his neck.
"What's Sarah's favorite flower?" It almost came out as one word.
"I'm not helping you get into her pants."
"That's not why I want to – " Chuck trailed off when found himself talking to a dial tone. He took a deep breath and punched the redial button. This time the phone barely rang. "Hi Casey," he said quickly, "may I please speak to Lou or Gertrude?"
"No," the butler grunted and hung up on him a second time.
Chuck pulled the receiver away from his ear and gave it the stink-eye. "Thanks for that, you…you…you unhappy person."
"Can I help, Chuck?" Morgan asked behind him. Chuck spun around, subjecting his friend to the same treatment he'd just given the phone. Morgan held up his hands defensively. "Too soon?" He took a step back. "I'll try again after lunch." With that, he jogged in the direction of the home theatre room.
Chuck turned back his computer and stared at the running stickman for a solution. Surprisingly, he got one. He grabbed the keyboard and opened the Internet browser, pulling up a list of flower shops near the Walker mansion. He printed it and grabbed a pen. He stared at the page and randomly picked five stores. Then he hid the list under a pile of invoices to be logged, cracked his knuckles and started typing furiously.
It's been a while since he'd hacked anything, but as soon as the first string of code appeared his fingers almost went into autopilot mode. In the back of his mind he knew what he was doing was illegal, but it wasn't as if he was downloading government secrets, so he pushed his reservations aside as soon as he'd broken through the first firewall. He ran various commands, but came up empty. Then he moved to the second name on the list. Again nothing. On the fourth try he got lucky. Chuck grabbed the pen and scribbled a note on the piece of paper. He decided to check three more stores. One of them confirmed his findings. With a satisfied smile he logged off and picked up the phone.
45. The Marriage Whisperers
"If I offer two million more could you throw in half the Pacific Ocean?"
Sarah looked from Beckman to Carina. "Can we make that work?" she asked. Carina gaped at her, bringing her back to the present. Sarah's gaze snapped back to Beckman. "I'm sorry," she said, "I was a little preoccupied."
"More than a little," Carina mumbled. Sarah resisted the urge to glare at her best friend.
"That's alright." Beckman smiled reassuringly. "If I had such a lovely family waiting for me, I'd much rather be home with them than discussing stock figures and payment terms."
"They understand," Sarah replied, concentrating on straightening the papers in front of her. "Okay," she continued, "we were discussing – "
Beckman cut her off by taking the pen from her hand and placing it on the agreement. "We were calling it a day."
"But it's still early," Carina said.
"We have a whole week to figure this out," Beckman insisted and glanced down at her watch. "Besides, it's almost lunchtime and there's this restaurant a friend of mine has been raving about which I'd like to try out." She reached for her purse as she spoke, ruffled through it and handed Carina a business card. "Do you think you can get us a reservation on such short notice?"
"Of course," Carina replied, almost sounding cocky.
While she dialed the number from the card, Beckman turned back to Sarah. "You don't have to tag along. Go surprise that handsome husband of yours. You know it's the little things that keep a marriage happy."
Sarah's jaw started to drop, but she managed to turn her expression into what she'd hoped came across as grateful. Carina muffled a snicker, earning herself a kick in the shin under the desk. She widened her eyes in warning, but Sarah ignored it.
"I think I might just do that." Sarah realized she didn't have to, but she and Chuck hadn't had time to get their backstories straight, and it would be the perfect opportunity to do so.
Seemingly proud of herself, Beckman rose and excused herself to go freshen up.
"So," Carina said once she'd ended her call, amusement clearly written over her face, "I guess we'll be enjoying oysters and champagne while you share a sandwich with the hubby." She slipped her phone into her clutch and stood up. "I have to ask, though, did he make his own lunch this morning or did you help?"
This time Sarah did glare. Carina laughed in response as she made her way across the office. When she reached the door, she turned back. "Just one more question. Does he like peanut butter?"
Sarah scanned the desk for something to throw and grabbed a pencil, but Carina spotted the move and gave her a quick wave before ducking into the corridor. Sarah dropped the pencil back into the holder and sighed. Maybe she should get some work done instead, she thought, but as if on cue her stomach growled.
46. Conflicting Loyalties
Chuck ended the call and stared pensively at the screen. Sarah had suggested that they have lunch together. It was the last thing he'd expected, but as she had pointed out, it would be a business lunch. They needed to get their ducks in a row and they couldn't do that when there were so many other people around. He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking. Maybe a restaurant wasn't the best idea either, but nonetheless he stepped into the parking lot and scanned the establishments around the mall. The only stores without patrons queuing out the door were the Wienerlicious and the Orange Orange.
"Fried, dead something-on-a-stick or frozen yogurt?" he asked himself, then shook his head. Frozen yogurt was not a meal and how the corn dogs remained in business was a mystery as the current waitress had a habit of burning them to a crisp.
"Hey, Chuck," Morgan said behind him. "Can we talk now?"
Chuck turned and studied his friend. "I don't really have time, Morgan." Then he got an idea. "But if you do me a favor – "
"Anything, buddy," Morgan jumped in. "Name it and it's yours."
Chuck almost felt bad that Morgan was so eager to get on his good side again. Perhaps if he pulled off what Chuck was about to ask, he might consider forgiving him. That is, after they'd had a really long talk and established some strict boundaries when it came to Maggie.
With his orders, and the Nerd Herder's keys, in hand, Morgan gave him a mock salute and disappeared back into the Buy More. Chuck knew it was against company policy to lend out his car, but what was Big Mike gonna do? Fire him? He doubted it, but the worst that could happen would be that he'd be spared from the agony of resigning. The Buy More had treated him well over the years, the long hours and small paycheck notwithstanding, and Chuck couldn't help but think that he was letting his boss and coworkers down.
The fact remained that his daughter had to come first. She was more important than any friendship, job or romantic entanglement. The only problem with that, Chuck realized, was that Maggie was already as invested in Sarah Walker as he was quickly becoming.
47. Let Sleeping Skeletons Lie
Sarah pushed open the loading dock doors, not quite sure if it was such a good idea to meet at the store. She stepped inside and her attention was immediately drawn to the cage. Two places had been set at the workbench. Chinese takeout, chopsticks, glasses and a bottle of sparkling apple juice were carefully arranged on a red tablecloth that bore the Large Mart logo. One eyebrow rose slightly when she spotted the center piece – a vase of Gardenias.
"I see you got my message."
She didn't hear Chuck approach and when he spoke behind her, she almost jumped.
"Yeah," she replied, spinning around to face him and they almost collided. Chuck sidestepped her and pulled out one of the desk chairs. "You've gone to a lot of trouble."
He played it off with a shrug. "It wasn't trouble."
"Well, thank you either way." Sarah smiled at him as she took her seat and Chuck responded with a grin of his own.
"You don't have to worry about someone finding us," he told her. "My fellow nerds think I'm down here fixing computers. I even asked them to help."
"And they scattered."
"Pretty much," Chuck replied. He poured their drinks and handed a glass to Sarah before sitting down at the other side of the table.
Sarah reached for the flowers pulled one from the bouquet and inhaled its scent. "These are my favorite. How did you know?"
"I'm not a totally incompetent fake husband," he teased and then grew serious. "Sarah, I'm sorry if I came across as…insensitive this morning. It's just – "
"Complicated," she cut in, shrugging a shoulder. "I get it."
"Yeah, but we're in this situation now, so let's make the best of it."
Sarah nodded, refraining from asking what exactly he was getting at. She didn't usually have trouble figuring out most men, but Chuck, she'd come to realize, wasn't most men. She understood that his priorities were different from the guys she'd dated in the past, with him being a single father, but she couldn't help but wonder what made him tick. Lucky for her, this was the perfect time to find out.
"It's been a while since I had Chinese," she remarked and opened the container.
"Do you like Chinese food?" Chuck asked. "I went out on a limb, but the Bamboo Dragon's sizzling shrimp is fantastic, so I figured – "
This time Sarah cut him off with a raised palm, her fingers entwined around her chopsticks. She dug into her food, popped a shrimp into her mouth and chewed slowly, savoring the taste. Chuck watched her expectantly.
"And?" he asked after she swallowed.
"You're right, it's really good, and yes, I like Chinese food."
Chuck gave her a relieved smile before attacking his own lunch. "So aside from this," he raised his container slightly, "and the gardenias, what else do I need to know about you?"
They exchanged birthdays, likes, dislikes and other basic facts in between bites. They both glanced over their family histories, Chuck mentioned that his parents left without getting into too much detail, and she did the same. After a brief silence he cleared his throat and told her about Ellie. His rendition about his soon-to-be brother-in-law made her laugh. Sarah told him about some of the crazy things she and Carina had gotten up to, carefully steering clear from any topic that might require the mention of her infamous ex.
"So I guess that takes care of all the real stuff," Chuck said as he cleared the table before refilling their glasses. He sat back down, grabbed the takeout bag from the shelf behind him and started to ruffle through it. He pulled out two fortune cookies, handed Sarah hers and put his off to the side. Leaning his elbows on the table, he picked at a piece of thread from the table cloth. "We should probably figure out when our anniversary is supposed to be. Carina told Beckman it was shortly after graduation and that would have been – "
Sarah watched him intently as he did the math in his head. "Why didn't you?" she suddenly found herself asking.
Chuck looked up sharply, his brow furrowed.
"Graduate, I mean," she clarified. Nervous butterflies rose in her stomach when he didn't answer immediately, but instead focused his attention back on the loose thread. "It's in your file," she said in an attempt to salvage the situation, "but it's okay if you don't want to tell my why you dropped out. I was just curious, but it's none of my business."
"I was expelled," Chuck replied. His eyes cut back to hers and she could clearly see the regret, and even a hint of anger. "The administration found some tests under my bed and the next thing I knew, I was on a train back to Burbank."
Sarah was stunned at his confession. It didn't quite fit the man she'd spent the last three days with and she would like to think that she hadn't misjudged him. "Did you steal the tests?" she asked.
Chuck slumped back in his chair, cocking his head to the side. "You know, aside from my sister, you are the first person to actually ask me that. And to answer your question, no, I didn't." He took a deep breath and scratched the back of his neck. "My roommate…I guess you could say he's one of those spoilt rich brats who thought college was an endless party. Eventually his father got fed up and cut him off financially, but he wasn't ready to pack it in so he reckoned...I was studying on a scholarship and he was next in line for it so he framed me for cheating. The real kicker was that the idiot didn't even realize that his grades weren't good enough to qualify for it anymore."
"What goes around comes around." Sarah almost cringed at the cliché, but she didn't know what else to say. She couldn't believe that one human being could be so cruel to another.
Chuck laughed humorlessly. "I don't think he's familiar with that one. He figured that him losing out on the scholarship was as much my fault as the fact that he didn't get it in the first place, so then he decided to really stick it to me." Sarah could tell that he regretted the words immediately. He leaned forward again and unclenched his jaw. "Please forget I said that."
"What could be worse than ending your career before it even started?" she asked anyway, not out of curiosity, but because she found herself wanting him to trust her with his secrets.
"It's not important," he replied almost curtly and reached for his cookie. "The bottom line," he said as he crushed it, "is that Stanford is in the past." He pulled the white strip free from the crumbs and unfolded it. "Now it's time to see what the future holds." He furrowed his brow in concentration as he read the short message out loud. "It's better to be the hammer than the nail. What do you think that means?"
Sarah blinked, trying to catch up to the sudden change in topic. "It's painful to get hit on the head?" she ventured.
"It could also be painful to hit someone on the head. I think I should run it by Jeff. The man can be surprising insightful sometimes when his sober, which is almost never." Chuck's quip elicited a small smile from her. He jutted his chin in her direction. "What does yours say?"
"Let's see." She carefully broke the cookie in half and her eyes ran over the single sentence. Her heart gave a little jolt and her mouth went completely dry.
"C'mon, Sarah," Chuck urged playfully, "the suspense is killing me."
"Too bad," she replied as she refolded her fortune and closed it in her palm. "If I tell you, it won't come true."
"That's for birthday wishes. Besides, I told you mine."
"Did you want to turn into a hammer?" she asked.
"Okay, you win." Chuck grinned. "But promise me that you'll tell me when it does come true?"
Sarah licked her lips and regarded him for a moment. Maybe it was the fluctuating emotions of the past hour, or the fact that her life had been turned upside down by a nerd and a toddler, or that she hadn't gotten the amount of sleep she was used to, but a part of her wanted to believe the ten words of supposed wisdom some random takeout packer had chosen on her behalf, so she nodded slowly.
"You'll be the first to know."
A/N: Have an awesome week, guys. For those who don't follow me on Twitter or have me on author alert, I actually updated twice today. Check out my blog or my profile here. It's a Chuck/Fringe crossover, so I have no idea where it'll pop up.