A/N: Hey there…glad you could make it…hope this was worth the wait…hope you like it…hope that Snookie does decide to stop using that nickname and goes back to her real name…Beelzebub…welcome to the early middle of my A/N…hope it's been thrilling so far…hope you're so happy that you'll remember my pleading and hit that review thingie after you read this chapter…hope that everyone knows that I don't own Chuck and I make no money from this…hope everyone is amazed and thrilled with the knowledge that I do this without a beta, making all of the errors my own…hope that everyone who has alerted or favorited me or my scribbles knows how much I appreciate their support…hope that the following people don't mind me singleing them out for a thank you(ygbsm, tw200,batty,chas58,chuchreader,quistie64,coreymon,reyes9,STN)...hope that the people I forget to single out don't let my defective brian drive them into a deep pit of hopeless dispair where they sit around, fixated on photographs of b-list celebritie's feet and close-ups of the same b-list celebritie's toes...sorry prince boo boo...i still live with the regret that your condition causes me, hoping that one day a cure may be found ...I hope I haven't used the word hope to many times in this A/N causing the serious writers here to all raise their eyebrows and sigh at the meanderings of…well, me. Thanks for the nudge, Jim. JT
Bryce Larkin - Douche Bag At Large - Chapter 17
Chuck found himself staring at the door to Ellie's apartment, the fingers of both hands wrapped around the handles of almost a dozen bags that were full of the clothing Sarah had picked out while they'd been shopping.
"Is there a problem, Chuck?" Sarah asked, the tone of her voice telling him that she had already discerned the problem and was planning to tease him about it.
"Well, it seems that the door is locked, the keys are in my pocket and my hands are full of all this crap" he replied, looking over his shoulder to offer the blonde behind him his best 'like you didn't already know' look.
"Crap, Chuck?" was the reply he received along with a pout that told him that 'crap' might not have been the best word to use to describe the cause of his current predicament.
"I'm sorry, Sarah. I meant all of this wonderful clothing that not only reflects the amazing taste of the woman who selected it but that will also make her arm candy look unbelievably handsome when he has the great honor of escorting her to a special function later this evening" he responded, trying to hide the smile that fought to make itself known as soon as he noticed the smile growing on his partner's face. "Do you think you might be able to help me solve the problem of the locked door so that I can make sure that these wonderful garments are properly put away?"
"That was an amazingly nice blast of ass kissing, Chuck" Sarah answered as she stepped towards him, stopping when there was no space left between them. "Don't move Chuck" she demanded while slowly reaching her hands around his waist and sliding them into his front pockets.
"Sarah" Chuck squeaked out, the blonde's hands obviously over zealous in their search for his keys. "Sarah? That isn't my key ring."
"I know, Chuck…but it is the key to my happiness" Sarah whispered into his ear with a giggle as she tightened her grip a little. She felt Chuck turning his head towards her when she started to nibble at his neck and she couldn't help growling against his neck.
"Really? On the front step?" Ellie's voice asked, shaking both Chuck and Sarah from their special little world they'd managed to escape to for a few moments while they'd been absorbed in the great key search.
"Oh…Ellie…uh…why aren't you at work?" Chuck stammered out while swinging both handfuls of bag around to cover Sarah's exploration.
"Hi Ellie" Sarah added over Chuck's shoulder. "I was…uh…just looking for Chuck's keys."
"Sarah, please believe me when I say that I really don't want to know. I walk out my front door and find my little brother being groped and that's much more than I want to know."
"We just back from shopping and…uh…we…"
"Chuck, I don't want to know. I'm going back to work and I'm hoping it's so busy that I forget all about this" the older Bartowski explained as she skirted around the pair and headed towards the other side of the courtyard. "Remember to send me some pictures" she called back over her shoulder, "of the two of you dressed up" she added before turning at the archway and disappearing.
"I guess she wouldn't appreciate me sending her any of the pictures we took the other night" Sarah said before licking his earlobe while she pulled the keys she'd been searching for from his pocket.
"Oh, very funny, Agent Walker. I guess it's a good thing I deleted all of the pictures while you were asleep last night."
"YOU WHAT?" Sarah yelled, stepping back and pulling her phone from her pocket. "Chuck, if you…where the hell are my pictures, Chuck?" she asked after doing a quick search of her phone's memory.
"Don't you mean the pictures of me…naked…that you took while I was asleep?" he replied over his shoulder as he walked into the apartment.
"Where do you think you're going, mister? We're not done with this conversation…Chuck….Chuck…wait for me, you big butt head" Sarah called after him before putting her phone back in her pocket and hurrying to catch up with her curly haired nerd.
"I can't hear you, Agent Walker. I'm busy trying to figure out what I'm going to wear tonight"
"You don't have to figure anything out, Chuck" Sarah called after him, pausing to grab a drink from the kitchen before continuing on her way to Chuck's room. "I already know what we're going to be wearing so don't you worry your pretty little head about that."
"Sarah, when I used the phrase, 'arm candy', I wasn't being serious. I'm perfectly able to pick out my own clothes."
"I know you are, Chuck, but tonight you're going to let me help you get dressed and then later, after we get back to my place, you're going to let me get you undressed" she explained while standing in his doorway. "And then, you're going to pose for me, all sexy like, so I can replace the pictures that you removed from my phone."
"Yes ma'am" Chuck answered with a smile, knowing that some fights he just wasn't going to win.
"And you're also going to tell me what you did with the original pictures."
"Well, I guess we could work something out…if you're really nice tonight."
"Chuck Bartowski, you're being awfully brave for a piece of arm candy. Now, let's get your clothes together for tonight and then we'll head over to my place so we can get ready."
"Sarah, the function doesn't start for almost seven hours. It shouldn't take us that long to get ready" Chuck said after glancing at his watch.
"Chuck, we won't be spending the entire time getting ready…you can trust me on that."
"Yes ma'am."
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Chuck fought the urge to look down while Sarah worked at making his bowtie perfect. It wasn't that looking down would have been difficult, in fact it would have been very easy but the dress that his partner was wearing offered a stunning view of …well, the view was spectacular and he just knew that if he let his eyes drift downward, he would want to undue all of the work that the beautiful blonde had done in getting them ready.
"It's alright Chuck, I know you want to look and I don't mind" Sarah said, seeming to read his mind when she moved slightly, offering up an even more enticing view of her cleavage.
"Oh no you don't, temptress" he replied, gently pulling her fingers away from his tie and turning around so he was looking in to the mirror. Just as he reached his hands towards the already perfect bow, Sarah reached around and gently slapped his hands away.
"Leave that alone. It's perfect, just the way it is."
Chuck couldn't help smiling when Sarah appeared at his side, her hands gently tugging at her dress as she seemed to work at making her plunging neckline even more enticing. "Leave them alone" he said with a smile. "They're perfect just the way they are."
"Shut up, Chuck" she answered with a wink and looked like she was ready to say more when the door to her apartment swung open and they both turned to find John Casey walking in with an aluminum case in one hand and what looked like a lock pick in the other.
"Good. It looks like the two of you are ready to go" Casey said as he put the case he'd carried in on the nearest surface, tucking the lock pick away in a pocket as he opened the latches and threw back the top of the mission case. Looking up, he grunted at the pair as he started to extract items from their foam resting place. "Here" he announced, tossing two small devices in their direction.
Chuck caught both pieces, gave them a quick glance and then handed one to Sarah. "Ear whigs…sounds like some type of insect" he announced while deftly placing one in his ear, surprised at how well the tiny device seemed to fit. He watched as the beautiful blonde next to him repeated the motion and smiled when he suddenly heard Sarah's voice whispering in his ear, telling him that she really like the way his tuxedo pants looked on him.
"Oh god, Walker. These are meant for mission use and, despite your thoughts on the matter, commenting about your boy toy's ability to fill his slacks to your liking isn't something I want to hear anymore about" Casey's voice announced, both through the small device currently resting in his ear and from across the room where the big man stood with a sour look on his face.
Choosing to ignore the barb tossed their way, the pair made their way towards Casey, stopping beside him as he pulled a fancy looking watch from the case and handing it to Chuck. Next, he pulled a ring from the case and offered it to Sarah, smirking at the look on her face when she realized it was an engagement ring.
"Wow, Casey, I never knew you cared that much about Sarah. How long have you crazy kids been dating?" Chuck asked, failing miserably to hide a smile.
"Shut it, Bartowski. It's a tracking device, the bug is undetectable and would pass all but the most intensely stringent inspection and, like your watch, the device broadcasts short bursts that makes them almost untraceable…unless you happen to know the frequency. As far as your burst of wit, I seem to recall that Walker told several retail people this morning that she was your fiancé so I figured I'd work it in as part of the cover. Any problem with that?"
"I…uh, no…no problem at all" Chuck managed to reply while watching Sarah slowly slide the ring onto her finger.
"Great. Just remember that you don't have to send me an invite for the wedding" Casey grunted while closing the case and turning towards the door. "There's a limo waiting downstairs. I'm going to ride to the event with the backup team who are going to be handling the surveillance. Remember, they're not cleared for…" he said while tapping the side of his head, "…so remember that whenever you're speaking" he finished before opening the door and stepping into the hallway.
Chuck felt Sarah slip an arm around his waist, her hand falling several inches short of his hip, landing squarely on his ass. Because of her firm grip, he had no choice but to follow along as she headed towards the door.
"I'll let you propose in the limo" Sarah announced as they walked towards the elevator.
"Well, I'm sorry that I don't speak French like your last fiancé" Chuck announced, trying to keep the tone light. When Sarah's hand dropped away from his ass, he worried that he might have said the wrong thing and his fears were confirmed when she stepped away from his side.
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me of that, Chuck. You also aren't a fucking scumbag with an aversion to bathing and a small dick" she replied before stabbing a finger at the elevator call button.
"Great, just what the team and I wanted hear. How about you guys get your minds on the mission. You can always fight later" Casey's gruff voice announced his ear.
"Yeah, you got it" Chuck answered as he followed Sarah into the elevator. Once the doors closed, he turned and looked at his partner. "I'm sorry Sarah."
"Later, Chuck" Sarah answered, making brief eye contact before returning to staring at the control panel as the buttons for the floors blinked on and off as they descended towards the lobby.
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The limo ride , thankfully, wasn't very long and they soon found themselves standing at the entrance to the large room while a young man checked his list for their names, Looking up at them after scanning the list and finding their names, he waved them through without a second glance.
Chuck offered his arm and was somewhat relieved when Sarah looped her arm through his, smiling at him briefly before beginning to scan the room. He almost repeated his earlier apology but chose instead to follow her example and started looking around the room after he accessed the intersect for a program that allowed him to identify all of the obvious surveillance devices, the number of which surprised him. Speaking quietly, he listed everything he noticed and was surprised when an unknown voice thanked him for the information. 'Uh, you're welcome' he'd mumbled and the voice addressed him as Agent Carmichael, telling him that they were just doing there job.
"Agent Carmichael?" he mouthed towards Sarah when he caught her eye and decided to ask her about it later when she simply gave a small shoulder shrug and pulled him with her towards the far side of the room where the art was on display. About half way across the room, Chuck felt the Intersect kick in when he two men staring in their direction. Ignoring his first thought, he didn't point towards the men, instead whispering "MI6" and finding himself impressed when Sarah glanced at the men and smiled while giving his arm a light squeeze while changing their direction, pulling him towards a service bar.
"Champagne?" she asked as they stepped up to the bar where John Casey was busy pouring drinks. Once the big man stepped over to place a pair of glasses in front of them, Sarah checked that no one was close before telling the NSA Agent to keep an eye on Chuck while went over to 'visit' the pair of British agents.
Chuck's eyes followed Sarah as she made her way across the room and when he noticed that neither of the agents she was speaking with had threatening body posture(thank you, intersect) he returned to looking about the room. Deciding to try and do his part, he stepped away from the bar and started walking towards the art display, ignoring Casey's command that he 'stay'. 'Bartowski, I'm going to kick your ass' Casey's voice came through the ear piece.
"Remember how that worked out last time" Chuck replied as he stepped up to the first artwork, taking note of the artist's name and brief history that was displayed on a small card attached to the tripod that supported the framed work. Taking his time, he wandered among the works, doing his best to ignore the small talk that Sarah was engaged in, her obvious flirting leaving him with an odd feeling that he had trouble identifying.
Just as Chuck paused in front of a painting the he thought would look right at home on the refrigerator door of an overly proud parent, the Intersect activated and he suppressed a shudder when he realized that the frame of the painting contained a rather nasty surprise. He was about to step away and find his partners when he felt the presence of someone at his right side.
"It's rather striking, isn't it?" a woman's voice asked.
Yes, striking is definitely a word that could be used to describe it" he answered, "but it's not really my cup of tea. I'm more of a Jim Warren fan."
"Who?" the woman asked.
"Jim Warren? He does these really interesting paintings that…well, never mind. It's not that important. I don't know that much about art, I guess I just like what I like."
"I know what you mean, Mr.?…"
"Carmichael, Charles Carmichael" Chuck answered the woman's question while turning to get a better look at the person standing beside him. He noticed her stunning dress, surprised that someone had worn a dress with a more daring neck line than the one Sarah was wearing. Just as he was about to turn away, he noticed a faint scar that stretched from just behind her ear towards the back of her neck. He felt the Intersect engage and he fought the urge to run away when he realized that he was standing next to La Ciudad, the person who's identification and capture was the main reason for the night's mission. Closing his eyes briefly to gather his thoughts, he re-opened them just as the band changed their tempo, a tango taking the place of the easier jazz that had been playing in the background since he and Sarah had entered the party earlier.
"I've always loved the tango" La ciudad announced, turning to look directly into Chuck's eyes. "What about you, Mr. Carmichael? Are you a fan of the tango?"
"Oh, very much so" he answered, struggling to get his mind off of all the horrible images contained in the intersect, the visions of all of the people whose deaths were attributed to the woman next to him, "Miss…?"
"Please, call me Marlena" La Ciudad answered, reaching out a hand and taking Chuck's arm to lead him towards the dance floor.
Thanks to the Intersect, Chuck was very familiar with the tango and all of the possible moves that an expert level dancer might employ but that didn't stop the nervous feeling in his stomach as he and La Ciudad found themselves moving around the dance floor, their movements quickly drawing the attention of the people around them on the dance floor. Before he realized what was happening, Chuck looked around and found that he and his partner were now the only couple on the floor because everyone else had moved aside so they could watch as the tango was danced the way it was meant to be, with every expert twist and twirl eliciting murmurs of approval from the crowd that had gathered to watch.
As Chuck held La Ciudad in his arms as he dipped her towards the dance floor, he heard what sounded like a growl through is ear piece and was shocked when he realized that the sound was coming from Agent Sarah Walker who had returned to the bar and was staring daggers his way. 'So, Chuck' her voice came through loud and clear, 'did you get bored with the mission and decide to do some 'dirty dancing' with some skank?' Chuck felt himself beginning to get angry at ease with which Sarah jumped to a conclusion and he was looking forward to ending the dance so he could explain to her just how wrong she was. Of course, he'd also have to avoid becoming another number on La Ciudad's impressively scary resume.
The band finished the song and Chuck felt himself being pulled unto a close embrace by his dance partner and he found himself wondering if she was going to kiss him but she brushed past his lips at the last moment and leaned in towards his ear just as the crowd around them began applauding.
"Mr. Carmichael, you are an excellent dancer. Tell me, did the CIA teach you that?"
"What?" Chuck asked, not having to act surprised by the question.
"I noticed the MI6 agents earlier and saw you walk in with the CIA whore. I also watched you talking with the NSA's best 'bartender' and I'm sure that they're both hearing everything that I'm saying so, I think you'll be coming with me" she hissed before wrapping an arm around his waist and dragging him towards the side of the dance floor that was the farthest away from Sarah.
"What are you talking about, Marlena? I really don't have a clue what you're going on about. My fiancé and I just came her tonight to celebrate our engagement. I…" Chuck stopped talking when he noticed two huge men making their way towards them, both of them reaching into their jackets.
"Please, Mr. Carmichael…or would you prefer Agent Carmichael…either way, you will be coming with us since I wasn't able to procure what I originally came here for."
"What, do you expect to trade me for whatever you want?" Chuck asked as one of the two men fell into step beside him, jamming something into his lower back with enough force to almost knock the wind out of him.
"Trade you? You can't be serious. I know that I could never use you as a bargaining chip. The CIA would never allow it. No, Charles, I plan to put a bullet through your head as soon as I believe that I'm in the clear…and maybe I'll kill your fiancé as well."
As soon as Chuck had been dragged through a side exit, he pretended to twist an ankle, dropping the shoulder on his right side long enough to push La Ciudad away from him, breaking her hold on his arm. Swiveling quickly, he knocked his escort's gun away from his side and then locked his hand around the other man's elbow, spinning the big man around and then almost getting crushed when the giant suddenly pitched forward, a large red stain blossoming on the front of his shirt. Chuck allowed himself to be pushed backwards and then, at the last moment, ducked under the big man's right side and pulled the gun from the lifeless fingers of his right hand.
Rolling to his side, he came up in a kneeling stance, the unfamiliar gun leveled as he searched for the second man who suddenly dropped right in front of him, a bloody third eye appearing quite unexpectedly in the middle of the man's forehead. Ignoring the now neutralized threat, he looked to his left and barely managed to duck as La Ciudad swung a still smoking pistol at his head. He allowed himself to fall backwards as the woman he'd been dancing with less than five minutes before tried to take his head off with a well aimed kick that missed him by less than an inch. The Intersect told him that La Ciudad was now just a little of balance and he used the first option that the program offered him, jabbing out with his open hand, his fingers making contact with a nerve cluster just behind the woman's knee. He rolled out of the way as La Ciudad fell, her leg now unable to support her weight. He saw the raging hatred in her eyes as she leveled the gun that she'd somehow managed to avoid dropping in his direction, watched the tendons in her finger tense as she started to pull the trigger and he closed his eyes, knowing that even the Intersect couldn't make him move fast enough to avoid what was coming.
Instead of the deafening sound of a gun being fired in close quarters, he heard the loud snap of a bone being broken and he opened his eyes to find Sarah Walker standing over La Ciudad with her foot pressing down on the woman's arm just above the wrist, her own gun pointed down at the woman who's mouth was open in a silent howl of pain. His eyes met the brilliant blue ones that were looking down at him with a mixture of concern and anger.
"You two ok?" Casey asked as he appeared at Sarah's side, his own gun trained on the woman at his partner's feet.
"I'm fine" Sarah answered, nonchalantly applying a little more pressure to the broken arm under her foot,. "but you might want to wait until tomorrow before asking Mr. Bartowski that question. First he'll need to go through his first debriefing with Director Graham and General Beckman, after that, he'll be undergoing a much more stringent debriefing with me…after that, you can ask him if he's ok."
Chuck watched as Sarah stepped aside after their back-up team arrived and took La Ciudad into custody. He then took her offered hand and climbed to his feet, not knowing whether to smile or tremble when the blonde refused to release his hand, choosing instead to pull him back towards the party while tucking her gun away…somewhere.
"Where are you going Walker?" Casey asked.
"My fiancé owes me a dance" she replied without looking back, "and I intend to collect before we leave. Got a problem with that?"
"Uh, no. Just don't take too long" Casey called to their backs as he reached up and pulled the ear whig from his ear. "They don't pay me enough to listen to that crap" he mumbled as he slipped the small device into his pocket while he watched his two partners make their way to towards the dance floor.
A/N: Thanks for reading and thanks, in advance, for reviewing….please?