A nice long chapter to start the new year off with. Hope you all enjoy! I'm trying to get as much of this story written before the season 3 premier next week. Thanks for reading. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing!
Chapter 9
Sarah stood at the front door, taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to knock. She had been putting off dinner with Ellie and Awesome now for the past two weeks. She would have rather been anywhere than there at that moment. Sarah hadn't been to the apartment since the night Chuck had left two months ago. There were so many memories there, so many reminders. Had Ellie not been so persistent about her coming to dinner and had Sarah not run out of excuses to come there's no doubt that Sarah would be spending yet another night at the castle trying to find something, anything that would lead them to Haz.
The shootout at the warehouse two weeks prior had left Sarah down 2 field agents and hardly any new information to go on. It all frustrated Sarah to no end, not to mention the fact that she was constantly worrying about Chuck and his safety. She missed him, more than words could convey. Had the circumstances been a little different, Sarah might actually enjoy having the night off.
Sarah knocked lightly on the door. It was mere seconds before the door flung open.
"Sarah!" Ellie greeted Sarah with a big hug. "I'm so glad you came. Come in." Ellie ushered Sarah inside the apartment. "It's so good to see you. My God it has been so long."
"I know, It's been too long." Sarah replied.
"Come, sit." Ellie guided her over to the couch and proceeded to pour them each a glass of wine. "How have you been Sarah?"
"Umm…I've been okay." Sarah seemed hesitant with her response which didn't go unnoticed by Ellie.
"Have you heard from him lately?" Ellie sipped at her wine.
Sarah took a big gulp of her wine. "No…it's been a couple of weeks."
"Sarah I don't understand. Is he that busy that he can't pick up the phone?"
"No, it's not that…I mean…he's called….he's left messages…we just…" Sarah sighed.
"I'm sorry Sarah, I know this has to be really hard for you, it's hard for me not being able to talk to my brother, I can't even imagine what it must be like for you." Ellie poured more wine into their glasses.
"Yeah…it's hard…enough about me, tell me about you. How is married life? How was the honeymoon?" Sarah tried her best to steer the conversation.
Ellie beamed. "Married life is…well…awesome."
"Speaking of Awesome, where is he?" Sarah asked looking around and seeing no signs of Devon in the apartment.
"Oh, I sent him to the liquor store for a special bottle of wine to go with dinner tonight. He should be back any minute now…So you want to see the wedding pictures?" Ellie grabbed the huge photo album that was resting on the coffee table.
"Absolutely."
"These ones are from the first wedding." Ellie pointed to the formal pictures of the bridal party. They were followed by pictures from the beach.
"These are gorgeous Ellie." Sarah sipped at her wine as Ellie went through picture after picture.
"This is one of my favorites from the reception." Ellie pointed to a picture of Sarah and Chuck.
Sarah smiled as she ran her fingers over the photo of the two of them.
"Actually I had a copy made for you."
"Ellie you didn't have to do that."
"Nonsense. It's a great picture. You look gorgeous and you and Chuck look adorable. The picture is on Chuck's bed so don't forget it when you leave."
"Well hello there ladies." Devon greeted Ellie and Sarah as he entered the apartment. He placed the wine down on the table before joining his wife and Sarah on the couch. Devon leaned in to kiss Ellie on the lips. "Mmm I missed you." he said pulling away.
"I missed you." Ellie replied before leaning in for another kiss. Sarah couldn't help but feel a little jealous and she vowed that once Chuck came home she would never take a single moment they shared together for granted, no matter how mundane it seemed. It was those little moments that mattered the most. They were the moments that got you through all the big stuff.
Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by the timer on the oven going off.
"Oh the lasagna is ready." Ellie hopped up off the couch and darted out to the kitchen, leaving Sarah and Devon to catch up.
"So Sarah, how have you been?" Devon turned his attention to the blonde on the other end of the couch.
"I've been good, you?" Sarah replied, just before downing the last of her wine.
"Great." Devin replied. "So what is the deal with Chuck?" Devon lower his voice so Ellie couldn't hear them.
"What do you mean?" Sarah took the opportunity to refill her wine glass. It was obvious to her that she was going to be needing all the liquid courage she could get to make it through this dinner.
"Sarah where is he really?"
"Devon, it's just like he said, he's training for a job." Sarah replied taking a rather large sip from her glass.
"Is it spy training?" Devon asked in nearly a whisper.
"Devon, I can't talk about this with you." Sarah replied in hushed tones.
"Right. I got it, top secret government stuff. I hear ya."
"Dinner's ready guys." Ellie called from the kitchen. "Come on before it gets cold."
Sarah downed the last bit of wine that remained in her glass before she and Devon joined Ellie at the table.
"General, you wanted to see me?" Chuck reluctantly entered General Beckman's office. He had been there training for nearly two months now and this was only the third time he had actually seen the general.
"Agent Carmichael, please come in. Have a seat." She motioned for him to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
"Is everything okay General? It sounded urgent that you speak to me." Chuck took a seat and waited eagerly for the General's reply.
"Everything is fine Chuck, in fact, that is why I wanted to see you. You have done an outstanding job here. You have mastered skills that take your typical agent months, some even years to perfect. There are definitely some spy skills that you need to work on, but they are all things that can be learned on the job. We haven't really been able to learn too much about intersect 2.0; however, I believe that will come in time."
"General what are you saying?" Chuck adjusted himself in the chair, eager for the General's response.
"What I'm saying Chuck, is that it's time to put you back in the field. Your team in L.A has had very little luck finding any leads on Haz or infiltrating the Ring. I think the best
option right now is to get you back in there, utilize your special skill set and bring this guy in. The Ring is like no other terrorist group we've seen before and to make it worse, they're internal. I truly believe Chuck that you are the key to bringing them down. I want you back in L.A by the end of the week. Walker and Casey will resume your training. What they can't teach you, you will learn in the field."
Chuck didn't know what to say, he was dumbfounded. Did General Beckman just say he was going home?
"Carmichael? Did you hear what I said? You're going back to L.A. There are a few lose ends I want wrapped up with your training here, but come the end of the week, you will be flying home."
Chuck smiled. "Yes General, that's wonderful news."
"Agent Hansen will update you on your training schedule for the week. McKinley will escort you back to L.A on Thursday and brief Walker on your training and deliver further instruction. Good luck Agent Carmichael."
The General stood from her Chair and extended her hand to Chuck across her desk. Chuck stood from his chair and shook hands with the General just as Agent Hansen entered to escort Chuck back to the classroom.
"Thank you General." Chuck replied as he made his exit.
"So I hear you're getting out of here?" Agent Hansen commented once he and Chuck were out in the hall and out of Beckman's earshot.
"That's what they tell me."
"You honestly think you're ready for this?" Hansen questioned. " Two months of training is nothing in the spy world."
'The General thinks I'm ready. Besides, you're forgetting I have two years of field experience on top of my training here. Not to mention I work with the best team out there." Chuck was defensive. Who was Agent Hansen to question the General's decision and although he never had the pleasure, Chuck was pretty sure he could kick this guy's ass should the opportunity present itself.
"You think pretty highly of yourself and your fellow agents don't you Carmichael? You seem to be forgetting, without the intersect, you're nothing. You're just a mediocre computer nerd who found himself involved in a world he has no right to be in."
"Is that something you're willing to bet on Hansen? You know nothing about me or my team, so before you start passing judgment on us, perhaps you should do your research. For your information, I was supposed to be recruited back in college, my test scores were off the charts. The intersect, well that's just an added bonus. Now how about you do your job and go over my itinerary with me like the General ordered."
Hansen glared at Chuck. He didn't like people putting him in his place, especially someone like Charles Carmichael.
"You have class from 3-5. Take an hour for dinner and go rest up. Following that I will be conducting another session of physical torture in chamber 3. It's going to be a long session. Good luck super spy." with that Hansen walked off leaving Chuck behind.
Chuck shook his head as he made his way into the classroom. "Jerk." he muttered under his breath.
"What's that?" Agent McKinley asked, turning his attention to Chuck.
"Nothing." Chuck replied. "Just… What the hell is that guy's problem anyway?"
"You're going to have to be more specific there Carmichael."
"Hansen." Chuck sat down at his desk.
"Oh right, that guy. What did he do now?" McKinley asked making his way over to Chuck.
"Tell me, did I do something to piss him off?"
"Chuck that guy doesn't like anyone. Don't take it personally. Don't let him ruin your good news."
"You heard?"
"Yup, looks like you're busting out of here."
A smile came over Chuck's face.
"I take it by the smile on your face, you're not gonna miss us here?"
Chuck laughed.
" I also assume from that smile on your face that maybe you have someone special that you're going home to."
"Ahh, I'll never talk." Chuck laughed.
"Carmichael, have you learned nothing? Don't you know by now that everyone talks?"
"So I've heard." Chuck smiled as he envisioned his soon to be reunion with one Sarah Walker.
Dr. Haz stared intensely at his computer screen. He turned his attention to the equipment next to him and adjusted a few dials. "Only one more screening and we'll be up and running." he said to himself.
Haz had to up and move his whole operation after the incident at the warehouse two weeks ago. Luckily for him the CIA and NSA had no clue what they had stumbled upon. Had they been able to operate the equipment they found they would have seen the Intel, all the images, exact photocopies from Chuck's flashes. The devices he had implanted when he examined Chuck allowed him to make an exact replica. It wouldn't be long now before he had his hands on his very own copy of the intersect and once that was the case he could do away with Agent Charles Carmichael once and for all.
"Haz?" The man entered the small, dark room where Haz worked diligently.
"Yes? What is it?" Haz looked up from his computer screen.
"Sir…I thought you should know…" the man stumbled on his words.
"Know what?" Haz demanded.
"Word is, they're releasing Carmichael from lockdown. They're putting him in the field."
"Really? Excellent. He'll be unprotected." Haz smiled, taking in the latest news regarding the intersect.
"What about his team in L.A?" the man questioned.
"Please, they are small time. Do you really think they are any match for the Ring? We could have taken them out by now if we wanted to. It's all part of the plan."
"What exactly is the plan again?"
Haz laughed. "It's simple. Obtain the intersect, form an army and rule the world." Haz laughed at his brilliance. "So when is agent Carmichael being released?"
"I believe on Thursday."
"Excellent, that gives us time to set things in motion. Let's be sure to give Agent Carmichael an unforgettable home coming."
"Ellie, that was so good. I love strawberry cheesecake. I can't believe you made it from scratch!" Sarah exclaimed before sipping at her fresh glass of wine that Ellie had just poured for them.
"Are you kidding? Why do you think I married her?" Devon wrapped his arms around Ellie from behind, pulling her in close he began to trail kisses down her neck.
"Oh Sarah!" Ellie brushed Devon off her, grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her back towards the living room. "I almost forgot. I want to show you the wedding DVD."
The two girls stumbled into the living room, nearly spilling their wine in the process. Ellie popped in the DVD and joined Sarah back on the couch.
"Oh, honey can you bring in that bottle of wine when you come in?" Ellie yelled to Devon who was still out in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner.
Devon picked up the wine bottle from the counter only to discover that it was empty. "Umm, it's empty babe." Devon added it to the other two bottles that were residing next to the sink.
"Honey, just grab another bottle from the wine rack." Ellie started the DVD.
"Babe you think that's a good idea? You two have already polished off 3 bottles." Devon gave her a questioning look.
Ellie paused the DVD and turned her attention to Devon in the kitchen. "Devon, it's fine, I'm not driving and I'm not on call tonight. Sarah can stay here tonight. Just get the bottle."
"If you say so hun." Devon grabbed a bottle and joined the ladies in the living room.
"Ellie, I don't need to stay… here tonight, really, I'm perrrfeccly fiiiiine to go home." Sarah slurred her words.
"Sarah, you're not driving home tonight, end of discussion." Devon said as he settled down on the couch between Ellie and Sarah. "Now, let's watch this DVD."
Chuck stood shirtless, his hands were tied tightly to the old rusty pipe above his head. His legs shackled together.
"Who do you work for Carmichael?" Hansen grilled him. Chuck did not respond.
"We have ways of making you talk you know. I'll ask you again Carmichael, who do you work for." Again there was no response.
"Very well then." Chuck clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in an attempt to prepare himself for what he knew was coming next. It was like a shard of glass ripping through his entire body as the whip came in contact with the bare flesh of his back. Chuck winced in pain. "I'll ask you one last time, who do you work for Carmichael?" Chuck did not answer.
"You are not a very bright man now are you Carmichael." He barely got the words out before taking a pipe to Chuck's abdomen. He delivered 4 blows before hitting him upside the head with the. Blood poured down the side of Chuck's face. The bruises on his stomach already forming.
"What do you know about the intersect?" Hansen began questioning him again.
Agent McKinley enter the chamber. He wanted to check in on Chuck and see how his training was coming along. He stood by the back wall and watched as Hansen continued with his methods.
"I asked you a question Carmichael. What do you know about the intersect?" Chuck remained focused on his breathing. He was pretty sure he had some broken ribs being that it was so painful to take a breath at this point. He closed his eyes and pictured Sarah. If anyone could get him through this it was her. Chuck winced as the whip made contact with his back once again and again and again. Blood poured off his back leaving welts where the whip had made contact.
"AAHHHHHH!!" Chuck moaned in pain.
The torture continued for the next two hours, the whole time Chuck remained silent.
"Hansen, I think that's enough." McKinley said from the back of the room.
"Excuse me?" Hansen replied.
"You heard me. You have been at this for hours now. Carmichael is not cracking. I would say the session is over."
"The session is over when I say it's over McKinley.' Hansen was fuming.
"I don't know who you think you are Hansen. Your orders were to train him not kill him. Don't make me get Beckman down here."
"Fine. We're done here." Hansen walked over to Chuck and untied his wrists, causing him to fall to the ground. Hansen didn't bother to help him up, he just walked out the room leaving Chuck lying motionless on the floor.
McKinley approached, kneeling down to check his vitals. "Carmichael, you okay?" he asked trying to help him up.
Chuck groaned as he moved to stand up. His left eye swollen shut, his bottom lip swollen and bleeding. The blood continued to drip down his face. He wheezed as he struggled to get on his feet.
"Yeah,…I'm o…okay."
"Let's get you to the medics." McKinley said throwing Chuck's arm over his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around Chuck's waist and helped him down the hall to the infirmary.
Sarah stumbled down the hall to Chuck's room. She definitely had her reservations about spending the night there tonight, but she was in no condition to be driving home and it was late. All those sleepless nights and the excessive drinking tonight had finally taken it's toll on her.
She paused outside his door momentarily to catch her bearings. Slowly she opened the door, flicked on the light switch and made her way inside closing the door behind her. Everything was just as he had left it the night he left.
Sarah kicked off her shoes and made her way over to his dresser. Grabbing a t-shirt from his drawer, Sarah began to undress. She stumbled as she struggled to slip her pants off and not lose her balance. After that she removed her top and replaced it with Chuck's t-shirt. Leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, Sarah made her way to the bed. Just as Sarah turned down the bed covers, it caught her eye. The picture of her and Chuck from the wedding. A single tear made it's way down Sarah's cheek as she laid back on the bed, clutching the photo in her hand, she closed her eyes and it wasn't long before she surrendered to an alcohol induced slumber.
"Boy Hansen really let you have it." the medic commented as he finished taping the bandages securely around Chuck's ribs.
"I guess you could say that." Chuck replied, wincing in pain, the tighter the medic pulled.
"Here, take these. They should take the edge off." He handed Chuck a couple of pain killers. Agent McKinley grabbed a cup by the nearby sink and filled it with water. He handed it to Chuck.
Chuck tossed the pills in his mouth and chased it with the water.
"Well you're all cleaned up. The ribs are going to take a few weeks to heal completely, you're going to be sore as hell for quite some time. Come see me in the morning and I'll give you something for the pain, you're going to need it."
"Great. Thanks doctor." Chuck eased himself off the exam table and McKinley grabbed the door and helped Chuck back down the hall to his bunker.
"Try to get some rest Carmichael, Beckman has you scheduled for classes early in the morning. I'll talk to her about keeping you out of the gym for the next couple days, let her know what happen."
"Thanks man." Chuck eased himself down onto his bed. As soon as he hit the mattress the sharp shooting pain in his head hit.
"AAAHHHHHH!!!" His hands flew to his temples. He pulled at his hair as the pain intensified.
"Carmichael? You okay?" Agent McKinley was by his side in seconds.
Leaning forward, Chuck fell to the floor. He groaned as he convulsed in pain.
"Carmichael?…MEDICS!!!" McKinley yelled and within seconds. The doctor who had just treated Chuck along with several other medical professionals entered Chuck's room.
"I don't know what happened, he grabbed his head and started moaning in pain." McKinley informed them as they went to work on Chuck.
"Alright let's move him out. Get him back down the hall so I can examine him further." The doctor instructed. His team gathered around and brought Chuck to his feet and escorted him back down the hall.
"Oh I almost forgot." Chuck pulled out his IPOD, pressed a few buttons and laid it on top of the cooler. Soft music began to play. Chuck got up on his feet and extended his hand to Sarah. "How about it Miss Walker?…Want to dance?"
Sarah smiled up at him and extended her hand to him. He pulled her to her feet. "You know I do." She said before he took her in his arms.
The two began to sway slowly to the music that filled the air. Sarah rested her head on Chuck's shoulder and he lovingly caressed her back as they moved in time to the music. They were both silent as they took in the moment, savoring every minute of their last night together.
"Sarah…Before I leave…there's something I want to say to you." Chuck parted slightly from Sarah so that he could look at her.
"Chuck what is it?" She couldn't help but miss his arms around her as he pulled away.
"I'm sure it's not anything that is going to come as a surprise to you, I've always been pretty open with you about my feelings. I just…I know you're not really good with this whole expressing yourself and talking about your feelings…I just don't want you to feel like you.." Chuck rambled on, Sarah knew this was his nervous chatter.
"Chuck, just say it." She placed her finger over his lips to silence him.
"Sarah. Before I leave, I just wanted to tell you….I need to tell you…I love you…I have never loved anyone the way I love you. You mean everything to me, and I didn't want to leave you tomorrow without you knowing that." Chuck's eyes fell to the ground, he was actually scared to look at her, he wasn't sure how she would react to him actually saying the words.
Sarah pulled away from him and turned, her back now facing him.
"Sarah?….Please say something." He pleaded with her taking a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck.
"Chuck…It's just…that's the first time a guy has ever said that to me where I actually believed it…"
Chuck placed a hand on her shoulder prompting her to turn around and face him. Finally she did. "You should believe it Sarah, because it's the truth."
"I know. And you're right Chuck, I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I never have been…Believe it or not, I've never actually said those words to anyone before, at least not in the context you're saying them to me…I thought I was in love once before but…I don't know anymore… Chuck…When I'm with you….I feel things I've never felt before…No one has ever made me feel this way in my whole life…Until I figure out what all these things I'm feeling are…I…"
Chuck reached out for her hands. "Hey it's okay Sarah, I understand. You don't have to say it right now. I know you care about me and that's enough for now."
Sarah woke in a cold sweat. This wasn't the first time she dreamt of that night. It was one of her last real conversations she had with Chuck before she left. He had told her exactly how he felt. Left all his cards on the table. Sarah rolled over in the bed. Chuck's bed. How she wished he was with her in that bed at that very moment. There is so much she would say to him.
Just as quickly as she rolled over, Sarah had realized her mistake. Her mouth watered, her stomach turned and she could feel the bile making it's way up her throat. Sarah struggled with the covers. She quickly made it to her feet. Sarah had to grab hold of the doorway to steady herself because as soon as she was on her feet, the whole room around her began to spin. Sarah managed to make her way down the hall and into the bathroom mere seconds before ridding her body of its toxins.
Sarah didn't think it was humanly possible for someone to puke that much. Just when she thought she was done, she would start another round of gut wrenching vomiting. After her third go with the porcelain bowl, Sarah leaned back against the wall and let the tears fall.
"Sarah?" Devon called her name from the other side of the bathroom door. When she didn't answer, Devon took it upon himself to open the door and peer inside.
"Sarah you okay?" Devon peeked in.
"Uh..huh.." Sarah managed to get out between sobs.
Devon opened the door all the way and entered the bathroom. He knelt down next to Sarah who was still sitting on the bathroom floor. "Are you sick?" he asked.
Sarah nodded as the tears continued to fall.
Devon wet a wash cloth and dabbed at Sarah's face with it. She looked up at him when she felt the cool water on her face.
"Sarah, why are you crying?" Devon took a seat next to her on the floor.
"I…I…should have…told him…before…he left." She managed to get out between sobs.
"Told who what?" Devon was confused.
"Chuck…I Never..told him."
Devon continued to wipe at Sarah's face with the cloth in an attempt to calm her down.
"Tell him what Sarah?"
"That I love him…I love him."
"Sarah, I'm sure he knows. And you can tell him when he comes home."
"What if he doesn't come home?"
"Sarah why wouldn't he come home?" a look of concerned came over Devon's face.
"He'll find someone else…someone…someone who's not afraid."
"Afraid of what Sarah?"
"To love him….oh God!" Before Sarah could say another word she found herself hugging the toilet once again.
Devon held her hair back while she continued to purge. After about five minutes, Sarah pulled away from the toilet, she sat back against the wall and Devon handed her the washcloth.
"You okay?" He asked her once again.
"Devon….I'm so drunk." and the tears started falling once again.
"I know Sarah, I know."
"Doctor, I have Carmichael's cat scan results. There's definitely something there that wasn't showing up in his last one." the technician handed the doctor the test results.
"What the hell is that?" he examined the test results closely. "Get Beckman down here, now!"
"Yes Doctor."
The doctor moved over to Chuck who was lying on the exam table.
"Agent Carmichael, How are you doing?"
"It…hurts.." Chuck groaned.
"I know it does. Agent Carmichael I have your cat scan results back. We found something. It appears as there has been something implanted on your brain. I believe this is the cause of the pain you are feeling. These attacks you keep having. I need to consult with General Beckman first, but I would like to go in and remove it. I have to warn you Carmichael it could be quite dangerous."
"Just do it….Please…I cant…stand this pain any longer…" Chuck spoke through clenched teeth.
"Doctor, what did you find?" General Beckman entered the infirmary with two guards by her side.
The doctor went about explaining his findings to General Beckman. General Beckman was in agreement that this device needed to be removed, but she was also concerned about any damage that may be caused to the intersect.
"General if we are going to do this, we need to do it soon."
"Very well then, Do what needs to be done, just be careful."
The General moved over to Chuck who still appeared to be in a great deal of pain.
"Carmichael, they're going to be taking you into surgery now. I understand the doctor has spoken to you about this and you are in agreement to have the procedure done."
"Yes, just take it out." Chuck managed to get out.
"Very well then. Sit tight Chuck, they'll be taking you to remove it soon." The General replied.
"General?"
"Yes Carmichael." The General turned her attention back to Chuck.
"Sarah…if…anything happens…" He struggled to find the words.
"Chuck, you're going to be fine." the General tried to reassure him the best she could, it wasn't a role she was used to.
"Please…tell her…I..love her."
"That won't be necessary Chuck, you're going to be fine."
"Promise!!" He was more aggressive this time. "You owe me that much." he pleaded.
"I promise Chuck, I'll tell her."
"We're ready to take him now." The doctor said approaching the General. "Alright team, lets get this thing out."
Chuck was transferred to a stretcher and moved down the hallway to the operating room on site while the doctor scrubbed in.
"General? I see they are taking Carmichael to the operating room, is he okay?" Agent McKinley asked as he approached the General.
"I hope so…for all our sakes."
Well there you have it Chapter 9. A lot will be going down in the next chapter so stay tuned. I look forward to your feedback. Thanks for reading.