Chuck vs. The Cerebral Assassin
So far, the reviews have been good concerning my story which has given me even more incentive to write more. Thanks a bunch guys. Anyways, its official Dr. Burke is a hated character which I enjoy very much. Since the last story Dr. Burke told Sarah that she wasn't helping Chuck but instead making matters worse. Sarah is going to deal with what she says in her own way and when it comes to Casey he will respond in his own way as well.
Again, if you enjoyed reading my stories and left a comment please leave a comment for this this one as well. Tell me what you think and I hope you enjoy the read.
I don't own Chuck but I do own the characters that I've made up.
Blowing Off Some Steam
XXX
Chuck is sitting on a comfy couch in the recreation room playing Call of Duty on the Xbox. He considers his session earlier with Dr. Burke very encouraging and because of that he thought he should treat himself for a job well done. As he sits there with the controller in both hands, he reflects back on the situation last night with Sarah and how she helped him remember pieces of his past.
He is very appreciative of going out of her way in order to bring a bag of comic books for him to read in his down time, especially on the first night. When he heard a knock at his door he thought it was his doctor on the other side. It was a complete surprise to find her standing there with a bright smile on her face. She looked absolutely amazing wearing the blue top with the little buttons that matched her beautiful eyes.
The man currently with no memory of who he is found himself momentarily speechless at the sight of her standing at his doorway but he quickly recovered inviting her in. She transformed into a very different woman who he first woke up to wearing scrubs to the ensemble she was wearing last night. As a guy, he definitely took notice to the point where he actually remembers himself saying one word out loud…wow.
When he said it he immediately kicked hinself, which showed on his face. He apologized for being unprofessional because in his mind it's not what you say to your partner who you're in a cover relationship with. Fortunately, Sarah was flattered by what he said. He felt much better after she assured him that their relationship is different than most because they have such a close friendship.
With the awkwardness quickly gone, it left the two of them to talk and share a few laughs more on his part than hers, especially when it came to rapping Dr. Vale's name. His nerdy side completely took over to where he made a complete fool of himself rapping Dr. Burke's associate in front of an extremely beautiful woman who found it actually incredibly entertaining rather than sad.
However, the laughter would suddenly stop when something she said triggered memories that were faint. It was a struggle for him to get a clear picture of the images he was trying to focus on but the way she said the three words "talk to me" gave him a seemingly familiar sense of calm. He remembers how she helped guide him and answer the questions concerning the images he saw.
The first image he was able to fix on were the words nerd herd and that lead him to find out from Sarah he not only worked at a store for his cover, but worked alongside the little bearded man who turns out is his best friend Morgan. He was able to gain a small but significant pieces of the puzzle to his past and though he wanted so badly to know more he knew that he shouldn't strain himself more because after all tomorrow is another day.
The time spent with Sarah was fun and deeply informative even though it lasted for only 20 minutes. Yet, within those 20 minutes he felt very comfortable around her even though he considered her a complete stranger. He didn't know why but whatever it was about her he enjoyed being in her company. Unfortunately, that would be the extent of it as he considers himself very much out of her league and add to that fact she's an engaged women no less.
It was the second thing he noticed when she walked into his room and he quickly knew that whoever the guy is that is marrying her is one lucky bastard. Chuck's thoughts of Sarah inevitably turned from her to Dr. Burke who in her own right is an attractive woman herself. Their initial meeting though was considered a bit intimidating at first but after talking with her to where they are now on a first name basis made it a more easier interaction between them.
As much as he credits Sarah for helping him get started, its Leslie who has bent over backwards for him since the day he arrived and working hard using the tools she's attained as a doctor in her field of study to help fully regain his memory. In the back of his mind though, he wonders if she takes this much dedication for her other patients suffering memory loss or is he considered a special case?
Whatever the case may be, he truly appreciates all that she is doing. She has truly been open and honest with him but on the flipside he hasn't been completely honest with her. During their earlier session, after informing her about the situation that happened last night with Sarah she asked what else did she say or do to help him and he replied by saying nothing else.
He didn't mention to her that Sarah gave her phone number to him last night before she left because he wanted the opportunity to call her and talk with someone familiar to him other than Leslie. In his mind, since she told him that they have a close friendship between the two of them then he would use it to one day call, talk, and ask her to possibly share stories about the missions he, Sarah, as well as Casey have been on.
For him, it breaks up the monotony of doing the same thing over and over again, which can get boring. Granted, he has the recreation room and the comic books in his room but being able to call someone who knows you gives Chuck the comfort in being able to have a connection to his past with Sarah. A hint of smile appears in the corner of his mouth at that particular thought.
His thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a husky voice behind him. "You're in my seat." the man firmly stated.
Chuck quickly turns around considerably startled to see a man standing there with his arms crossed with his eyebrows furrowed staring directly at him. From the look on the menacing figure looming behind him, he has the body type of Agent Casey but a bit younger seemingly around his age. The former nerd herd leader nervously smiles at him taking a big gulp in the process as he responds to the man. "You must be Karl." he nervously said. "Nice to meet you." he added with fear in his eyes.
XXX
The phone call Sarah received from Dr. Burke didn't sit well with her. Even though she is treating Chuck's memory loss, she disliked how she was treated as Dr. Burke accused her of being a hindrance more than helpful to him. The dislike would gradually turn to anger and she needed to blow off some steam so she could feel better by taking some well deserved aggression out on the punching bag down in Castle.
A few moments later she's changed from her work clothes into her workout gear and heading straight to the punching bag. All her focus would be on the bag itself as she imagines Dr. Burke's face on it and in the mood she's in she didn't want to be bothered wanting a quiet workout alone. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen as she finds herself coming face to face with Bryce.
"Not now Bryce." she emphatically stated. Sarah walks past him wearing combat sparring gloves.
"What's wrong with you?." he inquired turning to look at her.
Sarah turns around with her arms crossed and in a clearly pissed off mood. "Why are you still here?"
"Like I said, I'm here to help in any way I can." he responded.
True, Bryce has been a help during the whole chaotic situation to the point where he not only attained the information needed leading them to find out the actual mastermind behind the whole thing, but was able to hack into the missile that nearly came close to killing Chuck and Casey. He also proved himself a worthy forger in assisting in the release of the now late Maxwell Klinger.
However, with all that over he's simply become a nuisance who should have left by now. She already has help with her mother, sister, father, and most definitely Casey supporting her when she needs it the most. In her mind, he should continue his efforts in tracking Fulcrum instead of wasting his efforts in making her life more complicated than it already is at this point.
"You can help by leaving because you're just taking up space." she quickly spitted out. "I don't care where you go just as long as its not here." added Sarah.
"Come on Sarah." replied Bryce. "If I've proven anything to you its that I've been able to help in some way and besides you made it abundantly clear several times mind you that you love Chuck." he firmly stated.
There is a brief moment of silence as Bryce waits for a response from her. A second later she gives him her answer. "Do you really want to help?"
"Of course." she said expressing a wry smile on his face.
"I need someone to spar with." she answered. "Are you up for the challenge?" questioned Sarah.
"I think I can handle that?" retorted Bryce with a smug looking smile on his face.
The smile on Bryce's face would soon turn into a look of pain as he finds himself flat on his back looking up at the dojo lights. He's winded and visibly sweating from the seemingly one sided sparring match or should I say beat down being handed to him by his former partner. As he lays there for a few seconds catching his breath, he suddenly sees Sarah standing over him.
"What's wrong Bryce? I thought you said you could handle it?" she said reaching down to help pick him up.
Bryce brushes off her assistance and slowly pushes himself up wearing the same combat sparring gloves as hers. For the better part of 10 minutes he's not only been on the receiving end of stinging shots to his head and upper body but has also ended up on his back more times than he can count. Whatever Sarah's problem is, she's most definitely taking it out on him he thinks to himself.
"I can." he responded as his breathing becomes harder. "I wasn't ready." he added squaring off in front of her.
"Right." she said nodding her head. "Like you weren't ready the last few times." added the blonde beauty.
The only response Bryce gives is motioning both his hands towards Sarah for her to bring it. As the two former partners begin circling each other it isn't long before Bryce make the first move throwing a combination right hook elbow strike with a spinning left back kick immediately followed by a low sweeping leg kick that doesn't connect leaving Sarah to counter with her own batch of moves.
She counters with a pushing kick feint and front roundhouse kick followed by 3 solid knee shots to the gut and then a step over take down that finds Bryce once again on his back. He quickly gets up ignoring the pain that he's in and immediately is in defense mode as Sarah comes in for a hard right punch to the face but she met by a combination left forearm block right elbow strike to the gut that connects stunning her.
He takes advantage of the opportunity to hook her right arm, step behind her in order to wrap his left arm around, then gives 3 solid knee kicks to her back, and a hammer fist to her chest causing her to drop to the ground. From his point of view, she looks to be down and out for the count as she lays wincing in pain from the knees to her back. He kneels down sensing that he's gotten one over on her and then leans down to see how she is doing.
"Sarah, you okay?" he inquired hovering over her.
He gets a response as he is suddenly met with a head butt to the face that disorients him for a brief moment leading Sarah to grab Bryce's right arm and then pulls him down into a triangle choke hold. She locks it in on Bryce and puts all the pressure on her legs as they are wrapped around his neck. He taps the ground telling her he's done but she doesn't break the hold and continues to put more pressure on.
Bryce now is slapping the mat hard as she tries to yell out to Sarah that he yields but he's unable to. He finds himself slowly losing consciousness and from Sarah's point of view she can clearly see his eyes rolling to the back of his head. It's at this point she believes he has had enough letting go of the hold and pushes his limp body over to the side. After getting up, she kneels down over his semi-conscious body and pats him on the right side of the cheek.
"Thanks for the workout Bryce." she responded with a smirk. "I needed that." added Sarah getting up and walking off. She leaving her former partner sprawled out on the dojo floor.
XXX
"2 O'clock Chuck!" hollered Karl.
"I see him!" he quickly replied.
The initial meeting between the two men didn't start off on the right foot as Karl told Chuck he was sitting in his seat. As he was slowly getting up to go sit somewhere else, he laughed telling him that he was only joking. It was an awkward situation to say the least for the lanky man but after a few minutes of talking they instantly formed a friendship as they played Call of Duty.
During their game play Chuck would find out Karl's situation on how he ended up at this facility. From what he was told, his team was a on mission to find a bomber responsible for the death and destruction of several embassies located around the world. They tracked him down to a ship docked in Turkey and a foot chase ensued within the bowels of the ship and he would eventually be cornered.
Unfortunately, it was a trap as the man detonated a bomb that would have killed him but from what Dr. Burke told him if he wasn't standing up then he would most certainly be dead. Instead, he ducked down avoiding the majority of the impact but not enough as he suffered severe head trauma as he hit his head against the metal. He woke up later to find himself in a government medical facility and then eventually transferred here.
He told Chuck that was a year and a half ago and he hasn't got his memory back. The news of how long Karl's memory loss has lasted unsettled Chuck but he didn't want to have that happen to him. He felt bad for his new friend but he assured him that he's not giving up on his effort to remember who he is and the one thing that has gotten him through is playing Call of Duty on Xbox. It has helped him to blow off steam on his low days.
"Has any of your team visited you?" inquired Chuck.
"Off and on." Karl replied. "It's nice to know you have teammates that have your back." he added. "How about you Chuck?"
"I have two teammates that have my back as well." he responded. "They escorted me down here with additional older guy possibly a veteran agent. As a matter of fact, one paid a visit last night and she…"
"Karl immediately cuts him off. "Hold on…" he said pausing the game and turning to face him. "…she?"
"Yeah and get this we apparently are in a cover relationship together for 3 and half years." he nodded with a wry smile on his face.
"Is she hot?" he quickly asked. Chuck doesn't know whether to answer him or not as he wants to be respectful to her but as he as looks over at Karl he seems him anticipating his answer. So he gives him one by simply nodding. "Lucky dog."
"She's engaged to be married though." he retorted. "That guy is the lucky dog."
Chuck's new friend un-pauses the game leading the two men to resume game play. As they continuing tag teaming on the opposing soldiers in the game Karl poses a questions to him. "If she wasn't engaged to this lucky dog, do you think you would have a shot with her? You have known her for 3 and a half years." he said.
"To be perfectly honest, I don't know because the Chuck she knows has known her for quite some time but me with the Swiss cheese brain hardly even knows her. It's a tough situation dude because even though I don't know her I somehow feel very comfortable around her when I talked to her last night." responded Chuck.
"Just ask her, what do you have to lose?" replied Karl reaching over to hit in the arm with the back of his right hand.
As he winces in pain a bit from the hit on his left arm, Chuck ponders what Karl said to him and brings up an interesting point. What do I have to lose? Those are the 6 words that resonate within his mind and he would take his advice under consideration. The two men resume game play and continue their efforts in taking down their opposition until their focus is suddenly interrupted by a gruff voice behind them. "Goofing off as usual I see Bartowski."
The two men quickly turn around leading Karl to raise his controller in order to use it as a weapon. "Who are you?" he quickly asked.
Chuck reaches over towards Karl in order to calm him down. "Relax man…" he replied glancing at him then looks at the man in front of them. "…that's Agent Casey and he's my teammate." the former nerd herd leader added.
"Nice to meet you Agent Casey…" he stated lowering his game controller. "…do you sneak up on everybody like that?"
Casey gives a grunt worthy response that to Chuck sounds familiar to him. "Something tells me he does and really enjoys it."
"Let's talk Bartowski." the NSA agents requested.
"A man of few words that one." he said pointing at Casey.
A shrug of his shoulders is the response Chuck gives to Karl and as he is about to leave with Casey he turns to his new gamer friend. "I'll see ya around man."
"You too Chuck." he said shaking his head.
Karl turns around, sits back down on the couch, and restarts the game to play over again. As he does that, Chuck and Casey take their leave heading out of the recreation room towards the main doors to the outside in order for the both of them to talk.
XXX
"So what's up Agent Casey?"
"Just wanted to check up on you and see how you're holding up." replied Casey.
As the two men walk the grounds of the facility continuing to talk they find themselves standing in front of the basketball court where a game is currently being played. Chuck and Casey stand there for a moment watching the action but still converse with one another. "I really appreciate the visit." stated Chuck.
"We watch out for our own Bartowski." he responded. "Always remember that."
"I will." replied Chuck nodding his head. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead." grunted Casey.
"Do you always call me Bartowski?" questioned Chuck.
"Yes and I do the same with Sarah too."
Chuck nods his head once again and after a brief moment he brings up another question to his burly teammate. "Speaking of Sarah, I found out last night that she's engaged." he said turning to see a guy hit a basket. "She said you and I have already met him. Just between the two of us what do you think of him and what's he like?"
Casey pauses for a moment as he mulls over the question Chuck just asked him. He then gives his own assessment of what he thinks of the man who is standing right in from of him. "He's an idiot and a moron." he gruffly answered.
"Really?" retorted Chuck. "That bad huh?"
"Just the opposite." responded Casey. "You see, even though I consider him an idiot and a moron he is proven himself to be worthy of the best damn partner I have ever had. He makes stupid decisions and doesn't listen sometimes but he makes up for it in big ways." Casey said. "I'm proud to call him my friend."
"Sounds like an awesome guy." said Chuck."
"He is a fine, upstanding man." replied Casey.
As he says that, Dr. Burke makes her presence known to the two men in front of her. "John, I would ask what you're doing here but I think I already know." she said. Her attention goes from Casey to her patient. "Chuck, if you don't mind I would like speak to my old friend and partner."
"Sure Leslie." he responded. "I'm getting hungry anyways so I'm heading over to the cafeteria." Chuck added.
As he heads out, Chuck briefly turns back to wave to Casey and Dr. Burke. Afterwards, the two former partners are left to talk with each other. "What are you doing here John?"
"Just visiting." he stated.
"Like Agent Walker was just visiting?" replied Dr. Burke. "Her visit could have possibly damaged his psyche. She foolishly handled a triggered memory that she wasn't trained to deal with."
Casey pauses as he eyes his former partner. "The one thing Agent Walker is not is foolish. She did what she did because she loves Chuck and would do anything to help" he firmly stated. "If I were in her position, I would do the exact same thing." added the burly NSA agent.
"I understand John but she has to trust me to help him." she replied. "Its not only her that needs to trust me its you as well."
"I made a promise that I would watch over Chuck and Sarah." he firmly stated looking directly at her. "We're a team and I want it to stay that way."
Dr. Burke nods. "I understand and you will be a team once again. Just inform your partner to ease up or I will have no choice but to bar her from seeing him." she stated.
"We may have been partners Burke, but that's all in the past. So, you ease up on my partner and we'll be okay."
"Is that a threat Agent Casey?" questioned Dr. Burke eyeing her former partner.
"It is what is it." he responded walking off letting the words to sink in with the female doctor.
XXX
General Beckman is sitting behind her desk in her office at DNI. She is going over paper work resulting from the chaos that ensued Tuesday that unfortunately left a path of destruction. She dealt with phone call after phone call from not only her superiors concerned about the situation, but also from the NSA cleaners who kept her informed of the ongoing situation.
Needless to say, it has been mentally and emotionally tiring for her. In any case, she too has genuine concern for Chuck and went out of her way to get him to a facility with the best doctor that specializes in memory loss. As she takes a sip of what seems to be her 10th cup of coffee causing her to become a bit wired, she gets a phone call. She sets down her cup of coffee and answer it.
"General Beckman, we have a situation."
XXX