A Common Spy Problem
A/N: An update at last. Before we get to that, though, there are a few things you need to know.
So here's the Nervert approved version. As mentioned previously, today marks one year since I've uploaded the first chapter of my first (and what I thought only) fic. It has been an awesome and crazy ride, and I owe that to every reader and Chuck fan out there. Being part of this community is truly something special. Thank you for all the support, reviews, debates and general mayhem – you guys, and girls, rock!
I seem to be suffering from a bit of writer's block at the moment, hence the late update and shorter than usual chapter, but rest assured, I'm determined to kick its butt and finish this. For progress on my stories, please visit my bio page – I try to keep that pretty much up to date.
As always, I don't own Chuck.
Chapter 12
Special Agent Alexandra Forrest was a bitch. And she was rude, Sarah decided as she sank back into the chair, her eyes scanning the monitors. Someone really should inform her that slamming a door in another person's face was not protocol. Sarah huffed. She wondered if Forrest would forego bathroom breaks if protocol so dictated. Sighing, she folded her arms over her chest. Chuck was right – staying in the car sucked. Her fingers drummed idly against her elbow, her eyes never leaving the monitors. She tried to drown out the little voice telling her that this might just be the beginning. If she was sidelined from this assignment…
Sarah's attention snapped back to the mission when a familiar face walked into view. Ellie was not supposed to be working today. Cursing under her breath, she activated the comms to warn Chuck and Forrest, holding her breath until she saw Chuck successfully evading his sister by slipping into the hospital room they'd been looking for. Unfortunately that meant that she had lost visual on him. She turned up the audio's volume to get a better read on the situation. She only had one heart-stopping moment when Forrest left Chuck alone with the bad guys, but to her relief, he had managed to talk himself out of danger.
With Rashad Ahmad's identity confirmed, the team headed back to Castle to plan out the next part of the mission. And that was when trouble ensued. Chuck and Forrest got into it about using Devon's card key to obtain access to the surgery ward at Westside to plant the bug that was supposed to lead them to Hassan Khalid, who was believed to be hiding in the Afghani caves. Sarah had sided with Chuck, though not only for the reasons he had voiced. She knew getting his family involved would risk his cover, but unfortunately for her, Forrest wasn't aware of the sensitivity of the situation. Sarah looked to Casey for backup, but to her surprise, he agreed with Forrest. Outnumbered, as Chuck's vote didn't count, Sarah could do nothing more than remain stoic under the smug scrutiny of Forrest. It took real effort, because she realized that she had just lost a lot more than an argument.
Sarah was past the point of exhaustion when she delivered the final blow to the punching bag. She grabbed it with both gloved hands, dropping her head against the fake leather. The last three weeks felt surreal. So much had happened since that afternoon they had opened Gee's puzzle box. Turning her head slightly, she caught sight of the photo on her night stand.
Ellie had insisted on a picture of her brother and his new girlfriend. Chuck slid Sarah an uncertain glance, still new to the world of spying and lying, and she tried her best to set him at ease. The small smile she shot him did the trick, and as Ellie fiddled with the digital camera to make sure all the settings were just right, his arms slipped around her from behind. It felt like the most natural thing in world, settling into Chuck's embrace, her hands resting on top of his and his breath puffing against her cheek. For the first time in over twenty years, she felt like she belonged. Like she'd found her home.
A home that, for the longest time, she thought she couldn't have, and now almost did, but it came at a price. With a heavy sigh, Sarah straightened and started to untie her gloves. It wasn't official yet, but she had a briefing in a couple of hours with Beckman and Forrest, and she could predict exactly how that was going to turn out.
Sarah had arrived early for the briefing, having decided to burn off her excess nervous energy with paperwork. The reports lay forgotten, however, as she flipped through the surveillance, stopping on the feed of the BuyMore. Devon's bachelor party was in full swing, and despite Chuck's reservations about getting his future brother-in-law involved in his spy life, he seemed to be having a good time. She watched as everyone turned towards the entrance, sporting expectant smiles. Chuck in particular, had a goofy grin plastered on his face. Her instincts, and she couldn't swear it was the spy related ones, kicked in and she switched the camera angle. She knew immediately what was happening when she saw the stage smoke fill the screen, but the pang of jealousy was replaced with an involuntary snicker when the three scantily clad women appeared in full view. If she had to guess, Jeff Barnes had arranged the entertainment.
"Walker," Forrest spoke behind her, her tone cold and professional. Sarah switched the feeds to the smaller monitors and schooled her features before turning. She was hovering between a snarky remark and mere polite acknowledgement when Beckman's face appeared on the main screen.
"Agent Forrest. Agent Walker." It wasn't so much a greeting as a summons and both agents took their places in front of the monitor. "I believe you have completed your evaluation, Agent Forrest," Beckman continued and Sarah straightened her back, preparing for the worst and, for the first time in her life, hoping for the best.
"Yes, General," Forrest responded. "Based on my observations, Agent Walker is far too emotionally entwined with the asset. Her decisions weren't made with respect to established protocol. She always places the subject's feelings above orders."
Sarah wanted to protest, to explain, but that was not how this worked. She didn't get the opportunity to state her case. She couldn't help but wish Chuck was here. He didn't know protocol. He would have said something. And he would've been disappointed that she hadn't.
"Is that your final assessment, Agent Forrest?"
"It is."
"Very well, I expect your written report on my desk in the morning. You are excused."
Sarah noticed Forrest nod and the glance she slid in her direction, but ignored both. Once Forrest was gone, Beckman removed her glasses, pinching the bridge of her nose as if to avert a headache.
"What happened, Sarah?"
The question was so unexpected, Sarah did a double take. "General?"
Beckman sighed, shaking her head. "Never mind, I suppose that question is moot. Agent Forrest's report will be passed on to your superiors at the CIA, but I will hold off for two days. Use that time to decide about your future. You are aware that if you refuse to be reassigned, that would mean the end of your career."
"Yes, ma'am." A part of her wanted to give her answer just then, but Sarah almost never acted that impulsively.
"Off the record, it would be a shame to lose you as an agent." Beckman slipped her glasses back on and sat up straight. "Thank you for dedication to this assignment, Agent Walker. You are dismissed."
Sarah flopped down on her back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. She considered letting the punching bag have it, but honestly, she didn't have the energy. She deliberated about calling Chuck, but even talking seemed like an effort. Instead she let her breath out slowly and closed her eyes.
She felt numb.
For the past year she'd been at a crossroads, hesitant to choose. Too scared to. Being an Agent was all she'd known for so long. Never thinking about the future beyond the next mission. She loved the adventure, the action, always being on the move. It was her comfort zone – until Chuck yanked her out of it with his sweet smile and kind heart.
She sighed.
Chuck. The reason the job wasn't the be all and end all anymore. Yet, at the same time the reason it became vitally important. For a brief moment she'd thought she could have it all.
Her ears perked up when she heard the familiar footfall approaching. When it stopped short of her door, she propped herself up on both elbows and called "It's open."
The door swung open slowly and Chuck paused, giving her a look she couldn't quite decipher. Then he stepped inside, closing it behind him.
"They fired you?" The incredulity in his voice surprised her. "I cannot believe they fired you."
"Actually," Sarah corrected, "they have given me the option to resign." That sounded lame, even to her. Technically, she had been fired from this assignment. She dropped back onto the bed and felt the mattress dip when Chuck sat down beside her.
"This is all wrong. You're the heart of the team, Sarah. You keep us honest, you keep me from getting too emotional and Casey from getting too trigger happy. We need you. Why can't Forrest see that?" The irony of his statement wasn't lost on her. That was the exact reason they were in this situation. Before she could give Chuck a verbal reply, he continued. "You know, I disagree with Casey. I do get a vote. I'm not a child or a convict. I'm the Intersect, the most valuable asset the government has. That's gotta have some pull, right? I can speak to Beckman…"
"Chuck, no." Sarah sat up and faced him. "Please don't tempt them to throw you in a bunker."
"If they make that woman my handler, I'm throwing myself in a bunker. Did you see her and Casey together? Those two are a match made in a very frightening part of heaven. And she tranqed Devon, after I asked her not to. You never would have done that." Chuck ran a hand across his face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to rant like that."
"It's okay," Sarah responded softly, rubbing soothing circles over his back. "I'm not crazy about the idea of her or anyone else being your handler either, but please promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"No."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "No, you won't do anything stupid or no, you're not promising?"
Chuck's gaze dropped. "There's no way around this, is there? They're forcing you to choose."
"Yeah." Placing her hand over his, she brushed her thumb across his knuckles. "But look at it this way, we're free to be together now."
"At the cost of your career. It's wasn't supposed to be this way."
"No," she admitted, "it wasn't, but Chuck, that's not your fault. I knew the risks, and what concerns me more is your safety."
"Casey is still there to catch me when I fall and Forrest takes her job very seriously, so as long as it's protocol to protect the asset, I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe." He was probably right, but it didn't set Sarah's mind at ease. There were other issues to consider. Before she could say anything, he got up and paced to the door and back.
"Talk to me, Chuck," she prompted after a moment of silence. He stopped short of the bed, swallowed hard and sat back down. Sarah studied his face to get a clue as to what he was thinking, but came up empty.
"Take me out of the equation."
Sarah was taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"When you decide about your future, take me out of the equation," he repeated. "If you want to take a reassignment, then I'm okay with that. I will support you and I will be right here waiting when you come back. All I ask is that you be extra careful in the field and that you will come back." He risked a glance in her direction and Sarah caught his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.
"Do you mean it? You'll be okay with any decision I make?" She saw panic flicker across his face, but he nodded anyway and her heart did a little tumble. Chuck was putting her first. It was her turn to swallow, forcing down the lump that had formed in her throat. She leaned her forehead against his. "Well, I'm not okay with it. Everything I want is right here."
Chuck's arms circled her back, and for probably the first time since she'd known him, he didn't verbally reply. He didn't have to. The way he held her said it all.
He eventually pulled away and broke the silence. "Do you think the CIA will let you stay on at the Orange Orange? Not that you have to work. I know I don't earn much, but we'll manage. I'm just not so sure about the Porsche…"
"Chuck," Sarah cut him off with a smile, "you're offer is very sweet, but I have savings and a degree from Harvard. I'll be just fine."
"Harvard? Well, it's not Stanford, but…" when his grin spread Sarah punched him in the shoulder for teasing her. Chuck's hand immediately went up to rub the spot. "Beautiful, smart and deadly. I'm never gonna win an argument in this relationship, am I?"
"No, and don't you forget it," she teased back, her inner turmoil momentarily forgotten.
"Well, as much as I would like to stay and test your theory," Chuck glanced at his watch, "I have a shift at the BuyMore which I'm going to be five minutes late for."
"Is Emmett going to give you crap for that?" Sarah asked, sliding her hands up his arms and around his neck, her fingers combing through his curls.
"What do you think?" he smirked and her eyes fell to his lips.
"Then it won't matter if you're five or fifteen minutes late."
Twenty two and a half minutes later Sarah watched from her door as Chuck jogged towards the elevators. He had set the alarm on his phone, claiming that he would lose track of time, but had ended up pressing the snooze button twice. With a promise to return after his shift and finish what they had started, she had reluctantly let him go. Chuck disappeared through the doors and Sarah turned back to her room, wondering how she was going to spend her first day of 'freedom'. Though she technically hadn't resigned yet, it was a pure formality.
Her eyes fell on an object half hidden under her bed and she bent down to retrieve it. Chuck's wallet. Rushing to the window, she was just in time to see the NerdHerder round the corner a block away. Sarah stood undecided for a moment, then grabbed her car keys, purse and gun.
The drive to Echo Park took longer than usual, as Sarah had to be mindful of the speed limits. That was a job perk she was definitely going to miss. She pulled up next to Chuck's car, glad that she'd caught him. Her mood was all over the place and she was fairly sure she couldn't deal with Emmitt today. She hopped out of the car and quickly crossed the courtyard. After knocking twice and getting no response, she tried the door. It swung open.
"Chuck?" she called into the apartment but was met with silence. "Chuck?" she tried again and entered, "I told you not to leave the door unlocked when you're alone…" The first thing to catch her attention when she reached his bedroom was his phone on the bed. She grabbed it, pushed down the feeling of panic and searched the rest of the apartment. There was no sign of Chuck.
Using his phone, she dialed Casey. The call went straight to voicemail. She tried from her own and got the same result. Forcing herself to stay calm, Sarah opened the tracking application, cursing for not thinking of that earlier, and immediately got a signal. Her heart sank when she realized it couldn't be right, but she followed it, only to find Chuck's watch at the bottom of the fountain.
Next time on A Common Spy Problem:
" … and Devon thinks you're awesome and not just because he thinks everything is awesome…and you're like my sister."
…
"Bartowski! You're making my ears bleed."