A/N: Welcome to fun…at least I hope it will be…thanks to everyone who took the time to read the MGP stories…I have some more ideas for more…still planning on getting MGP into Chuckycheese so he can discover wack-a-mole…god, that is so a Casey Game…can't you just see the little moles being driven through the bottom of the machine and into the concrete underneath…hope everyone doesn't hate this chapter…no they don't but soon…swimmer soon…pages written, just gotta transcribe them and I hate typing…just as a reminder. I don't own Chuck or any part of the Chuckverse…and I'm not getting rich doing this…hell, I'm not getting anything doing this…except sore fingers…thanks to Spreadthenerd who has been offer an amazing amount of help with my writing and hopefully, one day, I'll actually be worthy of the belief STN puts in my abilities…and, one day soon, maybe I'll even make use of a semi-colon…but don't hold your breath, anyone…I'm still smiling so…Jim, thanks for the nudge. Oh, guess what? Under the heading, very old dog:new trick, I actually started a blog...I have no idea why but, what the hell... jaytoyz:pope of nothing...and loving it ...no unpublished stories, no progress bars...no pictures of toes(sorry Prince Boo Boo...nothing for you)...just a place where I can ramble. JT
Bryce Larkin – Douche Bag At Large – Chapter 12
Chuck slowly approached the fountain, hoping that the blonde angel sitting there was smiling because if she wasn't, he was sure that he might have to keep himself in between her and the 'Captain' who stood in the doorway behind him. He knew that Devon had no idea why Sarah had growled at him and then slammed the door behind her when she'd fled the apartment and he hoped to keep it that way. When Sarah looked up at him and he saw the small smile on her face, he let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding before turning back and Giving Ellie's boyfriend what he hoped was an all clear look. After seeing the acknowledging head shake, Chuck finished crossing the courtyard and took a seat on the fountains edge.
"Chuck, I'm beginning to believe that your sister's place is cursed" Sarah said, breaking the silence that had settled between them. She took note of the smile on her companion's face and wondered what he found so funny. "Well, care to share what you find so funny about what just happened?"
"Well, I was just thinking that 'Casa Bartowski' isn't all that 'CB' seems to stand for, at least not in the last twenty-four hours." He answered with a snicker. When he noticed that Sarah wasn't smiling he decided that maybe his 'theory' wasn't as funny as he thought it was. "So, Miss Walker, since it appears that we're outside perhaps you'd like another installment in the 'Chuck Bartowski Nickel Tour of Burbank'?" he asked as he got to his feet and held out a hand, hoping that his sudden subject change might put a smile back on her face. He watched Sarah dig into her purse and after rummaging around for a about a minute, withdraw her hand and then dump a handful of change into Chuck's open palm.
"There's three dollars and forty-seven cents Chuck so, the hell with the nickel tour, the only thing I want to see is four walls, a bed and a door that has at least three locks on it" she replied as she stood up, the small smile that had reappeared on her face not hiding the hunger in her eyes. "So, what do you say, Chuck? Can we get this 'tour' on the road?" she asked and, once Chuck had pocketed the change, she grabbed his hand and began leading him out of the courtyard and towards the street. When they approached Sarah's Porsche, Chuck slowed to a stop and pulled Sarah to turn and look at him.
"Really, Miss Walker, is that the type of guy you think I am? Give me a handful of shiny trinkets and I'm all yours?" He asked with a huge grin on his face. When he saw the answering grin on her face, he continued, "plus, $3.47?, Do I really seem worth so little ? I thought that my kisses alone were worth more than that, not to mention…" and suddenly Chuck wrapped around him, her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist as her tongue demanded and was granted access to his mouth. He stared into the depths of Sarah's startlingly blue eyes as his tongue fought for dominance over hers.
Chuck marveled at his body's seeming lack of need of oxygen as he and the beautiful woman in his arms continued their urgent kissing, completely deaf and blind to anything but each other. Time seemed to stretch on forever and then, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught Chuck's attention, snapping time back to the here and now. Breaking the kiss, he looked to his side and found one of his neighbors staring up at him, her tiny foot tapping on the sidewalk in an obvious display of disapproval. Before he could say a word, his neighbor reached out and gave his arm a slight slap.
"Chuck Bartowski" the tiny woman said, making it evident that she was ignoring the woman in his arms…for the moment, "what would your sister say about this improper public display of affection?" Why, in my day, you didn't behave this way on a public street. I have half a mind to call for a policeman and have him issue you a ticket for public indecency. In all years I've known you, I never seen you behaving in such a manner."
Chuck could feel Sarah as her barely repressed laughter caused her to shake against him. Moving slowly, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and gently lowered them back onto the ground. She was about to step away when the threat of a ticket for 'indecency' caused her to latch onto the closest thing she could find, hoping that biting down on something would help her restrain the wild laughter that was about to make it's escape. Unfortunately for Chuck, Sarah's mouth was almost directly on his neck and that became the target for her bite.
"Ow!" Chuck yelped and then noticed the fresh look of disapproval from his neighbor. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Noosebaum. This is my, my, uh…girlfriend, Sarah. We were just about to go down to the pier and have some lunch"
"Girlfriend? Well, in that case, I guess it isn't so bad…but, maybe next time you should be doing that sort of thing inside?"
"Yes ma'am, you're absolutely right. We're very sorry and we'll try and make sure it doesn't happen again" Chuck said as he very slowly backed away, guiding Sarah towards the passenger door of her car. Stepping aside after opening the door, he waits until Sarah has made herself comfortable and then walks around to the to driver's side and begins to slide in. Before he could close the door, his neighbor stepped closer to the car and offered some parting advice.
"Chuck, I know that you're nice young man but perhaps you and your girlfriend should save it for marriage. I know that seems old fashioned but I think that's the problem with youth of today, too much sinning and not enough clean living"
"Thank you, Mrs. Noosebaum. We'll give it some thought" Chuck answered before pulling the door closed and backing out of the parking spot. He looked in the rear view mirror as he pulled away and watch the old woman as she shook her head and then walked back towards the courtyard entrance. He turned his head to look at his beautiful passenger and a sudden twinge in his neck reminded him that Sarah had bitten his neck during his neighbor's morality speech. Turning his head a little to the side and pulling down his collar gave him his first look at the 'damage'.
Sarah got the first look and she immediately felt terrible. "Oh, Chuck, I'm so, so, sorry" she said as she watched the man sitting next to her maneuver himself around so, he could use the rear view mirror to get a look at his neck.
'"Holy shit!" he yelped when he caught sight of the teeth marks in his neck. "I'm pulling over so you can drive me to the hospital" he said after giving Sarah his best 'wounded' look.
"Oh stop it, you big baby. It's not that bad."
"I'm telling you, I feel faint, right now. I just don't understand how you do it"
" It's just a little nip, Chuck. How I do what?"
"Oh yeah, just a little nip, right. That still doesn't explain how you can walk around in direct sunlight" he said as he looked again at what he was sure would soon be a world class hickey. "I guess I'll have to change my plans for what I was going to buy us for lunch"
"What? Why, Chuck?"
"Because Ninos uses real garlic on their pizzas"
"Oh, ha ha. Now I'm a vampire? I could have sworn you told that old woman that I was your girlfriend, does that mean you're dating one of the undead?" she asked with a smile but was looking forward to hearing how he'd explain his comments to the old woman.
"Yeah, sorry about that. She's a sweet old woman but she'll have talked to everyone in the neighborhood by day's end about the two of us and our public display of affection. I figured that since the chances seem good that you'll be around more often, because of this old thing" he said as he tapped the side of his head, "that we should have a cover of some sort. That what the manuals suggest as common in a situation like this"
"Chuck, trust me, there has never been a 'situation like this' before. You are unique…"
"I know that part. I'm talking about me probably being labeled as an asset which will make you my handler…unless you decide that you don't want the job, in which case they'll just reassign you and send someone else" Chuck said as his good mood started to slip away. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he really wasn't sure how this was all going to play out. He knew what the options were and had a pretty good idea how he could manipulate the odds and keep himself and his family safe but he began to wonder more and more about outside forces and how they might affect the odds. As he let his mind wander he quickly realized that he shouldn't be driving, at least not at that particular moment. Coming to a decision, he pulled the Porsche over the first chance he got and, after shutting off the car, he got out and walked over to the bench that sat on the sidewalk, a few yards from where he'd stopped.
Sarah was suddenly very confused and took a moment to go over what had just happened, double checking to see if she said something that would explain this sudden shift in Chuck's mood. After opening the door, Sarah got out and walked over to take a seat next to Chuck, deciding to remain silent, hoping that Chuck would volunteer to cause for his sudden pensive mood. The minutes seemed to drag by and then Sarah watched as a city bus pulled up and opened it's doors, the driver waiting to see if either of the two people on the bench were new passengers. Sarah's attention was suddenly pulled bag to the car by the sound of her phone ringing. Getting up, she walked back to the car and grabbed her phone out of her purse.
"Walker, secure but in public" she answered after checking the display and seeing Casey's name displayed.
"I just called to remind you that the video conference with Beckman and Graham is at three o'clock. Are you going to make sure that Bartowski's there?"
"Yeah, no problem" she answered and looked back at the bench where she'd left Chuck only to find it empty and the bus pulling away. "Crap, I gotta go" she said into the phone and then hit the disconnect, not bothering to wait to see if Casey had any other information for her. Dropping her phone back into her purse, she walked around to the other side of the car, slid in behind the wheel and, after sliding the seat a little further forward, reached for the ignition and was shocked to find that her keys weren't hanging where they should have been hanging. "Dammit" she yelled as she slammed her palm against the steering wheel. Giving her head a quick shake, she reached for her phone and his the #1 on her speed dial. She put the phone to her ear and was surprised when the call went directly to voice mail. Willing herself to remain calm, she waited for the beep and then simply told Chuck that he must have accidentally taken off with her keys and would he please call her back.
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Sarah had been sitting on the curb near the front of her car, waiting impatiently for Chuck to return her call. She already turned down seven offers of 'help' from guys who'd seen her sitting by herself and figured that she was probably just waiting for the 'right' guy to come to her rescue. They were right about one thing, she was waiting for the right guy to come to her 'rescue', however, none of them fit the bill. Sarah reached for her phone again, ready to call and leave another message on Chuck's phone when a bus pulled up to the curb, the doors opened and people started exiting the bus. Sarah watched and suddenly her eyes lit up when Chuck stepped off the bus and began walking towards her.
"I'm so sorry, Sarah" he said when he sat down next to her on the curb. He pulled his hand from his pocket and offered her the Porsche keys that he'd accidentally taken with him. "I didn't mean to leave you stranded"
Feeling more relieved than anything else, she simply accepted the keys and got to her feet. Reaching her hand down, she waited for Chuck to take it and then pulled him to his feet. "So, weren't you supposed to be taking me to lunch? I did pay a whole $3.47, after all."
"You're absolutely right" he answered with a smile, "you must think that I'm a horrible tour guide, just wandering off like that".
Sarah offered a soft smile in return. "No, not at all. Sometimes things happen. Next time though, please leave the keys. You would not believe the number of guys who stopped and asked if I was looking for a new tour guide."
"Really. And what did you tell them?"
"Well, I told them I'd already paid my money to the best tour guide in the city and that he was just scouting ahead, picking out the perfect place for us to have lunch…was I wrong?"
"Not at all, miss" he answered with a big smile, promising himself that he'd tell her later what had caused him to 'wander' away. He stepped to the side of the car and watched as Sarah opened the passenger door, making her intent to drive plain to see as she held the door for him. Once he'd slid into the seat, he expected the door to close but was surprised when Sarah slid in after him, making herself comfortable in his lap.
With one arm around his neck, she used her other hand to turn his face to the side so she could look at his neck. Pulling his collar down, she leaned close and after offering a very quiet 'sorry', she gently kissed the spot she'd bitten earlier. She was shocked at the mark she'd left behind and hoped he'd forgive her. She was about to return her lips to his neck when her phone rang and she silently cursed whatever deity seemed to be working overtime, keeping her away from Chuck Bartowski.
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Lunch had been wonderful and she'd listened as Chuck stammered through his explanation slash apology for leaving her stranded earlier. She had understood and finally got him to stop rambling by promising to go to the arcade with him if he'd promise to stop apologizing. They'd both kept their promises and Sarah actually found herself having fun when Chuck talked her into playing some odd game called 'Dance Dance Revolution'. It had taken a few games to get the basics down and a few games later Chuck stepped to the side and watched as she somehow managed to set a new high score, laughing with her as she let herself have more fun than she'd had in years. She'd been about to start a new game when a glance at her watch reminded her that there was a briefing that she had to get Chuck to and they'd have to leave if they were going to get there on time. Sarah turned to leave and was shocked to see the crowd of people who'd gathered while she'd been playing. Making her way to Chuck's side, she looped her arm through his and started leading him towards the exit, leaving in her wake a trail of teenage boys who would spend months telling their friends about the 'super hottie' who'd set the latest high score at the arcade.
Chuck and Sarah got back to John Casey's apartment with about five minutes to spare and they spent the time sitting on the fountains edge, quietly planning what they would do that evening. Sarah had insisted on a make up date for the dinner they'd missed the night before and when Chuck had joked about playing 'dress up' before the date, Sarah had simply looked him in the eyes and explained that she would have total veto power over his wardrobe and she'd already picked a few things out when she'd been going through his clothes that morning. Before Chuck could formulate any sort of response, Casey's door had swung open and the big man had stuck his head out.
Casey looked around and seeing no one else in the courtyard , he nodded towards them. "Alright, Walker. Bring your dress up dolly…it's time for the meeting". He stood just inside his door and once they'd both walked through, he closed the door and through the dead bolt. Walking around them, he grabbed the remote from the coffee table and motioned towards the big screen that seemed to dominate the far wall of the room. "Don't speak unless spoken to" he said to Chuck and then thumbed the remote.
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Chuck and Sarah were once again sitting on the fountains edge, talking quietly. The meeting had been a strange experience for Chuck. The screen had offered a split view and General Diane Beckman of the NSA and Director Lanstom Graham of the CIA had spent nearly thirty minutes talking over, around and through Chuck until he'd finally had enough and simply turned to leave. He hadn't actually planned on walking out and he'd had to hide his smile when he heard the two people on the video suddenly start spluttering and demanding to know just 'where the hell' he thought he was going. Turning back around, he noticed the shocked look on Sarah's face and what he assumed was a pissed look on John Casey's face. He hadn't waited for anyone to speak.
"Listen, I don't know either of you and you don't really know me. I know that you have reports and profiles on me but that doesn't really tell you who I am. Now, like it or not, I'm an intersect. I have more 'crap' in my head than I could ever want, all thanks to one of yours. I really wish that Bryce hadn't brought this to me but there's nothing that can be done about it now. I' would really appreciate it if you would just leave me alone…however, being a realist, I know that's not going to happen so, how about this. I'll stay out of a bunker and you'll both refrain from having someone take my brains out for a walk. In return, I'll help when and were I can. You can leave your 'watchers' here to keep me and my family out of trouble and I'll try to avoid being a pain in the ass. Sound ok?" without waiting for a response, he walked to Casey's front door and let himself out, closing the door behind himself.
It had taken another ten minutes for Sarah and Casey to finish up inside and when he'd heard Casey's front door open, he watched as the blonde with the beautiful blue eyes walked towards him. He kept quiet, waiting for the verdict and when Casey hadn't followed Sarah into the courtyard, he actually breathed a sigh of relief, confidant that he'd be staying free, at least for the time being. He waited for the stunning woman to take a seat next to him and once seated, he waited for her to speak. She started with an admonishment to never treat the bosses with such a lack of respect again and then she'd smiled when she told him that it had been decided to see just what an intersect could offer the intelligence community. She and Casey would be his partners, they would oversee his protection while handling his initial training, even though the big man was less than pleased with the arrangement.
"Ok Sarah, that's not great, but considering the other options, I'm happy with the outcome. Now, what about dinner? It's a little after four so, do you want to go back to your place and get cleaned up while I do the same?"
"No Chuck, I'm afraid that is not going to work for me."
"Oh" Chuck said, wondering just what Sarah had in mind. "So, what are we going to do then?":
"Well, Mr. Bartowski. First, we're going right across the courtyard and I will gather up the clothes that you will be wearing this evening. After that, we are going to my place where we will proceed to get ready for our dinner."
"Um. Sarah? Are we going out for an early dinner?" Chuck asked as he looked at his watch, taking note of the early hour.
"No, we are not."
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, why are we going to your place so early? Does it take you that long to get ready?"
"No it doesn't take me that long to get ready" she answered as she started to drag him towards his apartment.
"Uh…the why?"
"Because Chuck, I have four walls, a soft bed and three locks on my door…plus, I have no relatives or roommates living with me so we won't be disturbed. Does that answer your questions?"
A/N: Next time, I'm pretty sure. You know me, I love them reviews…and suggestions.