A Common Spy Problem
A/N: I know, I know, it's been a while, but you were warned. Given that we have an 11 day break due to all the public holidays here and our boss being awesome, I have managed to do a little writing though and am happy to report that I've just received chapter 7 from my awesome beta, Nervert, who has also once again worked his magic on this chapter. If you haven't read his stories (Chuck vs the Pacific Northwest, followed by The Revenge of the Bartowski), you don't know what you're missing. I'm trying my utmost best to get chapters 8 and 9 done before the weekend, but I'm not gonna promise – I have two really bulky and boring textbooks to memorize, not to mention an insane amount of case law, so the next 4 weeks are going to be challenging. Before we get to the good stuff, I just wanna say I'm still in awe of the number of reviews on this story – it makes all the effort put into writing so worthwhile and I can't thank you enough. I hope those of you who celebrates had a blessed Easter. Remember to keep supporting Chuck – let's get them another season. Also spare a thought for the puppies at KenMar Rescue. Lastly, I don't own Chuck and parental guidance is advised for younger readers.
Chapter 6
General Beckman was furious when she learned about the impromptu game of chicken. Sarah tried to cover for Casey with Beckman, and for Chuck, who let it slip, with Casey. Both attempts were in vain. Casey was benched, Chuck was back in the field and Sarah was trying to figure out when this had all turned into a football game. Beckman barked the order that Casey were to remain in lockdown and the second the screen went blank, he was on Chuck like white on rice. Sarah stepped in between them and loosened Casey's grip on Chuck's collar.
"Chuck, please wait for me upstairs."
He sent Casey a last glare and after the door closed behind him. Sarah turned to Casey. He paced to the armory and back.
"I can't believe it. Beckman was out of line pulling me out of this mission."
"I agree with her. You're too emotionally involved." Sarah knew she had just stepped into a minefield.
Casey scoffed. "This from the agent who can't keep her chocolate out of Bartowski's peanut butter."
"Whatever my feelings may be for Chuck, I never knowingly endangered the asset. You let your anger toward Bennett cloud your judgment."
Sarah was still angry at him for the stunt he had pulled earlier, but if worse came to worse and she couldn't convince Beckman to see things her way, she might need his discretion to pull off Plan B. For that to happen though, she needed for Casey to realize that feelings weren't always a liability, not when it came to mission you felt strongly about. So she extended an olive branch. "Stay here tonight, clear your head, and tomorrow we'll take Bennett down. You and me."
Casey eyed her skeptically and turned without a word, disappearing into the back of Castle. Sarah refused to let him get to her. Hopefully he'd be more rational come morning. She grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs.
Team Bartowski's missions rarely went according to plan. They were used to standing shoulder to shoulder, first to be reprimanded by General Beckman and then congratulated on a job well done. Tonight her scolding was aimed at Casey again, this time for not following orders. Once the debriefing had finished, they waited for the general to abruptly disconnect the link like she always did, when she took off her glasses and leaned forward.
"Gentlemen, will you please give me and Agent Walker a moment?"
Sarah used the time it took Chuck and Casey to vacate Castle to steel herself. She was nowhere near as prepared as she would like to be, but she'd spent the better part of the past twenty years thinking on her feet. She could do this.
"Alright, Agent Walker," Beckman started when they were alone, "I've considered what you've told me and reached my decision. I don't have to tell you how important this assignment is and I won't allow anything to jeopardize the safety of the Intersect."
"General…" Sarah was ready to launch her rebuttal, but Beckman held up a hand to silence her.
"Protocol exists for a reason. I understand that long term assignments are difficult at best and it's only natural that you'd start to feel a connection with your asset, but if I permit this to continue, it will not only put the Intersect at risk, but you as well. Agents can't afford to be distracted in the field, so it will be best for all concerned if you were removed from this assignment. I expect you in D.C. by tomorrow afternoon to be debriefed and released back to the CIA." Sarah had expected a reassignment, but it didn't seem real until Beckman spoke the words. When her hand moved to disconnect the link, Sarah knew she had to act fast.
"General, you're making a mistake."
Beckman's hand froze as she fixed Sarah with an appalled glare. "I beg your pardon?"
Sarah took a deep breath to try and get her heart rate under control. She'd never stood up to authority before, but the time to blindly follow orders was over. Who was she kidding? It had been since this assignment started.
"Ma'am, it would be a mistake to extract me. Chuck and I…we care about each other," Sarah knew that was probably the worst place to start, but she had and she needed to push through. "The point is that people have noticed. His family, friends…General, if you reassign me and send in another agent…given Chuck's relationship history, no one is going to believe that he had moved on that quickly. That would blow the cover and put this operation in danger. It would put the Intersect in danger."
"Then we'll come up with a different cover." It was clear that Beckman's patience were running thin.
"General, you just said you don't want to jeopardize the safety of the asset." Sarah hardly ever referred to Chuck that way, but she needed to get through to Beckman. "The cover is only part of that. Chuck needs the best protection the government can offer and that is me. No one has got as much to lose here as I do."
"Emotions are a liability, Agent Walker. Feelings make you vulnerable, prevent you from acting rational. It's not just a theory taught at the farm. The rules are based on failures of the past to prevent them from occurring in future. You are not the first agent to be compromised and you won't be the last, but every case is and will be handled the same way."
"What about Agent Frost and Orion?" Sarah resisted the urge to swallow. She had just pulled the trigger and now she had to wait and see what she'd hit.
Beckman's brow furrowed. "That information is above your pay grade, Agent Walker. What happened with Frost and Orion has no bearing here."
"Agent Frost was Orion's handler. They fell in love, were married and had children. The CIA allowed it." Or at least that's what Roan Montgomery had told her.
"And ended up with a rogue spy, an asset who went off grid and two teenagers who had to fend for themselves. I don't see how this helps your case." Sarah's spy senses started to tingle. Beckman wasn't completely honest.
"General, as I understand it, Agent Frost was captured." That was the only bit of information she was able to obtain, but if the rest of the General's statement was true, she could draw conclusions from that. Orion would have done everything in his power to find his wife, probably neglecting his duties to the greater good in doing so. She wouldn't put it past the government to threaten him, and most likely his children, to get him to focus on the mission he had been assigned to. That could explain his disappearance. Of course Beckman would never admit that, but it wasn't the issue at hand. "I do believe that before Agent Frost's capture, she and Orion were a pretty formidable team. Maybe if he was assigned with her on that last mission…"
"That's quite enough, Sarah. What happened with Frost and Orion is not the concern here. This is about you and the asset."
"Agreed, ma'am, this is about me and…the asset. Like I've said before, I have been compromised for a long time, but I was still able to do my job. You have the proof, General; it's all in the mission reports. I know protocol dictates that I should be reassigned," she continued quickly when it looked like Beckman was about to agree, "but you're not going to find another agent as dedicated to this assignment as me. Chuck's well-being has always been and will always be my first priority, Intersect or not, and that aligns with yours."
Beckman was quite for a long time. Sarah couldn't discern from her expression what she was thinking. Just when she thought she was going to be dismissed out of hand, Beckman sat back and sighed. "I suppose your feelings could be an asset to this assignment." Then she shook her head slightly. "But this is not my rule. I'd have to discuss it with your superiors in the CIA, but in the meantime," Beckman leaned forward again to reiterate her point, "you will follow protocol."
This halted Sarah's internal victory dance. "Ma'am?"
"Keep your relationship with the asset professional until a final decision is made." Sarah wanted to refute, but she realized Beckman was covering her own butt. If Langley found out had Beckman known that the agent-asset relationship had been compromised and hadn't reassigned her, Beckman would be in a difficult position. Though she had been in charge of the joint operation since Director Graham's death, flaunting CIA protocol could lead to questions about her leadership should the team suffer a setback. At least Sarah felt she had made some progress and she wasn't about to undo that. Instead she played her final card.
"General, I really appreciate that you're doing this, but please, I don't think I have it in me to wait twenty years." Beckman abruptly ended the conversation by disconnecting the link, but not before Sarah saw the look of regret that flashed across her face. She'd struck a chord.
Sarah shot the doorman a halfhearted smile and dug through her purse for her keycard.
"Miss Walker," he called just before she reached the elevator. Sarah inhaled deeply and turned around.
"Yes?" It took every ounce of energy she had left not to sound annoyed. The last thing she was in the mood for was making small talk with the hotel employee.
"I let your boyfriend in earlier. I hope you don't mind, I mean, he's been around a lot and I've figured it would be alright with you. I hope it's okay?"
"It's fine." She realized she'd been a bit short so she added "Thank you."
When the elevator doors closed, she leaned her head back against the cool wall and closed her eyes. That was unexpected. It wasn't like him at all to show up without calling. The one time he did, he found Bryce in her room. She sighed. Chuck was probably worried about her. As much as she wanted to be alone tonight to figure out how to tell him that they needed to cool it for a while, the thought of him waiting for her warmed her heart. No one ever had her back quite like Chuck.
Sarah swiped her card, entered and closed the door softly behind her. Chuck was sprawled out on top of the covers – he had fallen asleep while waiting for her. She stared at him for a moment. He looked so peaceful, so innocent, and she was grateful that everything he'd seen since being thrust into this life hadn't changed him. She needed him like this. He filled the holes life as a conman and agent had left.
She toed off her shoes and crawled onto the bed next to him. For a second she considered snuggling up against him and just going to sleep, but she wanted to feel closer to him. She ran a finger down the side of his face and cradled his jaw before closing the distance between their mouths. She brushed her lips over his and it didn't take long for Chuck to respond. His mouth moved lazily against hers. When the need for air won out, she broke the kiss and Chuck opened his eyes. A warm, lazy smile replaced the sleep on his features.
"Hey," he said groggily, "you're back." He blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Sorry for the intrusion, I just thought…"
"What?" Sarah asked as she settled on her side next to him, her head propped up on a bended arm. Her eyes searched his face as his features came together in a slight frown. She'd seen that look all too often when he wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure how. "Tell me, Chuck," she prompted.
He cleared his throat, his eyes turning to the ceiling. "Bryce once said it's hard to say goodbye so I figured if Beckman reassigned you, you might just get on a plane and leave and I thought I'd preempt you when you came to pack because I really don't want to wake up tomorrow and find you gone and they could never replace you and I couldn't do this anymore if you're not here with me." Chuck paused to take a breath.
When Sarah's mind finally caught up with the string of words, she shook her head. "I told you that we're staying together and I meant it."
Chuck finally looked at her. "It's not that I don't believe you, Sarah, I do. I trust you, but some things are not under our control." Sarah closed her eyes for a moment. Didn't she know it. "So what did Beckman say?" She heard the expectation in his voice.
"She hasn't reassigned me." Sarah pursed her lips. She had no idea how Chuck would take the next bit of information. He had always lobbied for something real and they'd finally crossed that line. She didn't know how he would feel about taking a step back now.
"That's great." His grin stopped halfway. "I sense a 'but' though. What about us?"
It was Sarah's turn to avoid his gaze. She played with the hem of her pillowcase, running the words through her mind one last time. "She doesn't feel she can sanction a relationship without getting the Company's approval. Until then we're back where we started."
Chuck shook his head. "Not quite. We know how we feel, that it's not just a cover. That's all I ever wanted from you, Sarah, an acknowledgement that once things got less complicated, we'd actually have a shot at being together. And now it looks like it might happen sooner than we'd thought."
Sarah stared at him in disbelief. "So you're okay with this?"
"I'll admit it's not ideal, but we'll get there." He reached out a hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "Just have faith."
"You do realize that this is going to be torture." His fingers were trailing down her neck now, sending a shiver down her spine.
Chuck gave her a lopsided smile. "I'll set up as many movie nights with Ellie and Awesome as I can and I promise lots of non-fake cuddling. Will that help?"
"If you really want to help," she whispered as she scooted closer to him and slid a hand under his shirt, "let's make the most of tonight."
"But Beckman…"
"…will think we needed time to talk this through. But as of tomorrow we need to be very careful and hope this will all be resolved soon."
"I know it will," he whispered as his hand cradled her face. He pulled her down into a passionate kiss. Sarah slid a leg across his, shifting herself on top of him. His free arm circled her waist, his hand grabbing hold of her shirt, tucking it upward. Sarah broke away from his mouth and she sat up to allow him to pull it up and over her head. He discarded it onto the floor and grabbed hold of his own, maneuvering out of it.
Sarah leaned forward on her arms and Chuck craned up a little to meet her lips again. His hand moved to the back of her head, releasing her hair from the messy bun. When it fell loose around her face, he pushed it back behind her ears. He gave her a smile before she collapsed onto him, capturing his mouth again. Her hands slid in between his head and the pillow, her fingers curling in his hair. She felt his tongue flicking against her lips, begging for entry. Angling her head, her lips parted and she moaned when he accepted the invitation and deepened the kiss.
Chuck's arm locked around her shoulders and he wrapped a leg around the back of her knees. Before Sarah knew what was happening, he had turned them, pushing her into the mattress.
Surprised, she broke the lip lock. "What was that?"
"Countless hours of watching wrestling with Awesome," he responded as he gently removed her left hand from the back of his neck, guiding it to the pillow above her head. He repeated the motion with the right and then his fingers curled over her wrists, locking them together.
"I know at least fifty ways to get out of this," Sarah panted.
"I know," Chuck retorted with a cheeky grin. "The trick is to make you not want to." Then he lowered his head, tracing her lips with his tongue. When a hungry moan escaped her throat, he leaned in and kissed her hard.
With his free hand he drew a path down the inside of her arm, his soft touch leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. Reaching her shoulder, his fingers moved outwards, slowly down her side to her hip and curved inwards again. He released her mouth and their eyes locked. Sarah had given up on trying to regulate her breathing. When he reached his destination, she inhaled sharply and caught her bottom lip between her teeth. Her eyes fluttered shut and she surrendered.
Next time on A Common Spy Problem:
"Has anyone ever told you you're crazy?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one saw what they were doing. His fear was pointless as the parking lot was deserted this time of the morning.
"No one who lived to tell the tale."
He swallowed. "Point taken."
Sarah straightened. "All done. Your turn."
A/N: I know what you're thinking. You're wrong.