ChuckParis13

A/N: On the road again. No wifi where I'm going.

Chapter 14 - Ruined Reunion

US House of Representatives
Closed Door Hearing

Deputy Director Walker was not an easy witness. The House Select Intelligence Committee asked questions she couldn't answer. She knew the answers to some of them. She had a 'need to know' but the Committee did not. She was totally out of her element, out of control of the situation, and uncomfortable with the direction the questions were heading. She was probably considered a 'hostile' witness.

"Director Walker, what do you know about the Iceland facility?" The same question had been asked in several different ways but she always maintained the truth: she'd never been there, had no first-hand knowledge of the facility or the conditions of the detainees. What she did know directly would be here say and consequently not relevant.

Virginia Representative Michael Stuart asked the most practical and damning questions. He was smart, had been a prosecutor before being elected to the House, and he was relentless in pursuing the answers to his questions.

"Director Walker, have you personally ever ordered that a citizen of the United States be 'detained' in the facility in question?"

She stopped and considered her answer very carefully. He was a lawyer and she knew that a fundamental rule of law was 'don't ask a question you don't already know the answer to'.

"Yes, Congressman, I have."

"And what is his or her name?" He couldn't possibly know, could he?

"It isn't relevant to this issue and you don't have the 'need to know'. It doesn't matter anyway since, as I've been informed, the real reason for this hearing is that the Ring has freed and removed all the detainees and someone somewhere wants a scalp for their reelection lodge pole."

"It is relevant if you violated the constitutional rights of an American citizen. Now, what was his or her name?"

"Charles Windsor, although we're sure that's not his real name. There is no record of him in any file or database available to the Agency. In fact, Congressman, we aren't sure of his nationality." That fact had pissed off Sarah Walker so badly she'd called Beckman to see if she had any idea who this traitor was. She'd been told 'need to know' and Beckman had hung up the phone.

Two more hours of questions from the remaining members of the Committee and she was free. She was sure her deodorant had failed. She'd rarely been so uncomfortable in any situation.

She was in the hallway and following her assistant out to the limo when she heard her name called.

"Director Walker, a moment please!" It was that damned Michael Stuart. What the hell did he want now?

"Yes, Congressman? What is it? I'm behind schedule." She could play petty bureaucrat with the best of them.

"I have just one more question, totally off the record…" He led her to an unused sub-committee conference room and closed the door.

"Yes? What is it?" She did everything but tap her foot in impatience.

"Will you have dinner with me Friday evening?" When he smiled he reminded her of…

"No, I'm sorry. I don't 'date' and certainly not you, sir." She immediately regretted her tone. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just that…I lost someone special in the line of duty and it's…I'm just not ready to date."

"OK, then, how about coming over to my house and watching a movie on Thursday. It's not a date. It's family movie night and it's just the kids and me. My wife…"

She looked down at her feet trying not to show any emotion but it had been so long and she'd tried so hard to wall herself away from others. When she looked up at him he was startled to see that her eyes had a sheen of unshed tears making her look vulnerable.

"Yes, I'd like that. It's been a long while since I've been…I mean, I don't have any family and…oh, hell, Congressman, yeah, I'd love to."

She knew all about his wife and her death during his first congressional election campaign. He'd stopped campaigning to be with his son and daughter and the Party had asked him to remove himself so someone else could run. The public outcry when the news hit the TV was huge and so was his margin of victory. People liked a man who put family first. Especially politicians. He'd been reelected to three consecutive terms, running virtually unopposed.

"That's great. And I think under the circumstances you can call me Mike."

"Then it's Sarah, Mike. Call me with the details and I'll be there. Thank you for the invitation. It's been…a long time…since my last 'movie night'." It wasn't a mega-smile like she gave him in Burbank but it was the first real smile of almost any kind she'd given anyone since Paris.

Ring Medical Facility
Calais, France

Panzer and Ellie met Hannah as she stepped off the elevator in the 'lobby' of the secure facility in Calais. It was located on the 4th floor of an office building owned by the Ring. The other floors housed legitimate business interests of the Ring or purely civilian businesses. There was no way to access the 4th floor on the elevator pad without a key and a code. The number 4 did not even appear on the buttons.

She stepped off the elevator and was immediately swept up in an Ellie-hug.

"He's going to be fine, Hannah, really. I wouldn't lie to you. Why didn't you return my calls or emails? You should have called me. You shouldn't have to go through this alone all these weeks. You're my family now and the two of you are all I have left. I was frantic and finally called the 'number of last resort' that Chuck gave me."

Hugo looked at the two women and smiled and walked away. He had things to do and each of them was in good hands now. Dr. Ellie would have someone to fuss over besides Chuck and Hannah would have someone to talk with about 'things'. Each was in good hands with the other. He called the Director General and reported her safe arrival and then wandered off to find something useful to do.

American Embassy
Paris, France

Beckman called Casey and reported Chuck's 'liberation' and return. He'd been very frustrated with the total 'news blackout' that had been cast over the entire affair. Not knowing what had happened in Buenos Aires after Chuck had been separated from his companions, he'd assumed the worst. He had few contacts in South America but those he did have knew nothing.

"General, how should we proceed? Should I have his 'therapist' make inquiries about his missed appointments? It's on record that he told her he'd only be gone a month."

"Good idea. Maybe we can find out what happened to him. I know only the bare facts. Torture and then the Hole and Cold Storage. I contacted his sister and left a broad hint. I guess she has a way to contact the Ring although I'll bet she has no idea just what her brother's up to. Let's keep it that way, too, Colonel."

"Agreed. I'll have Alex make a contact call."

Hannah answered the Ring phone she picked up from Henri to replace the unit he'd lost. She kept the same number, of course, and so she knew it was a call for Chuck. Looking over at her sleeping husband-to-be and deciding sleep was more important, she answered the phone for him.

"This is Hannah. If you're calling for Charles, he's unavailable. Maybe I can help you?"

"Um, yes, this is Dr. Forrest. Charles is my patient and he has missed two appointments. I knew he was going to be out of the country for a month but it has been nearly two months and so I was calling to find out if he wishes to resume his appointments. Please ask him to call me, Miss…?" She was totally off guard because she'd figured she'd get his voicemail not an answer.

"This is Hannah Nguyen, his fiancé. He's in the hospital. He was kidnapped in Argentina by some rebels and held for ransom. The ransom was paid but they…he's been hurt and we just got him home to France. I didn't know he was seeing a physician?"

She'd given the cover story and the explanation for his absence but she wanted as much information on the caller as possible. No one had told her Chuck was seeing a doctor. Was he sick? She laughed bitterly to herself. I drove him to this.

"I'm not a physician, Ms. Nguyen, I'm a therapist. Chuck has been my patient for quite some time. Um, is he all right? I know he's had some issues with…Ms. Nguyen, I really can't discuss these with you. I'm sorry."

"He was seeing you because of our relationship, wasn't he? Then you know about his inability to have children and probably about my cruel reaction and response. I am so ashamed of it but I think we've gotten past that hurtle. We had a long talk the night before he left and I thought we were fine again. Was I wrong?"

"Ms. Nguyen, I really can't discuss that. I'm sorry but it is a breach of professional ethics." She almost laughed. She was a spy. She had no ethics, professional or otherwise.

"Then perhaps we could meet? He has just arrived home, well, in hospital. Please, this was to be our wedding day and now…" She was really laying it on thick. She desperately needed to know what this woman and her Chuck had discussed. Was he having second thoughts about them? She cursed herself for her stupid attitude.

"Perhaps you could both attend a session? As for marriage, he's never expressed a single doubt." Oh, boy, what a lie that was. Alex knew her face was burning. Why couldn't she just lie to her without this stupid guilt?

They talked for ten more minutes and then Ellie came and told her he was awake.

"He's awake. I have to go." Alex smiled. He was back. She knew Casey would be happy and a happy Casey made sure she was a happy Alex. She'd always liked Bartowski, even when she was ruining his life with the 49B, she still liked him and that was one of the reasons she'd been such a bitch towards him. She was a spy and spies didn't 'like' an asset.

"Hey, Chuck. How was the vacation?" She and Ellie had talked at great length about his physical condition. Wherever he'd been hadn't been nice. He was infested with parasites and…worms. He was taking medications that would make him violently ill but it had to be done. Some of the parasites could cause damage to organs. He had lost so much weight and Ellie had told her it was because he had dysentery.

He rolled over onto his side, and held out a hand. She gasped when she saw his hand and almost didn't take it. His fingernails had been…they were gone. She carefully took his hand in hers and then leaned over and kissed him.

"Hey, fella, welcome home. I missed you, lover. And I was so afraid I'd never get to tell you again how much I love you."

He smiled and she almost burst into tears. His teeth were a mess, broken off and…she wanted to have her father find whoever did this and kill them. She knew she was going to lose it and was desperately trying not to.

"Hi. I'm so sorry for all this. I'm so sorry…" His voice was raspy from long disuse. He closed his eyes and fell back to sleep. The medications were accompanied by a powerful sedative and he'd lost his fight to stay awake.

Ellie motioned her to follow her out of the room and into the hallway. She closed the door to his room and led her to a bench.

"He's really disoriented, Hannah. Don't worry about anything he says. Between the anti-parasitical drugs and his injuries, we're keeping him on painkillers to ease all this. The nails will grow back. His fingers will heal. His ribs are almost fully healed. We'll get dental work scheduled when we know the worst of the parasites are dead. The only question that remains is his hearing. Both eardrums were ruptured recently and haven't had time to begin healing. He really can't distinguish what you're saying so try and keep from asking him questions, OK?"

Hannah sat back against the wall. This was so much to take in and there was so little she could do to help him.

"What can I do, Ellie? I want to help him. I need to help him. I don't know what to do."

"Just be there when he's awake and have patience. He's going to be surly and miserable from the medicine and he's always hated needles and IV's since he was a little kid. Just be patient and let him know you love him and are glad he's back. That's all you can do now."

"How long will he be like this?"

"A month to dump all the bugs and I don't have a clue about the dental stuff. It looks like they filed his teeth to make him talk. I can't imagine the pain. That's one reason he's on the sedatives. I don't want my little brother in pain if I can help it."

"I agree. No pain if we can avoid it. He's lost so much weight! I'm going to have to lay on the carbs for him. He's skin and bone, Ellie. Did they try to starve him into talking?"

She didn't need to know all they'd done. Let her have her innocence. "No, that's from the parasites and his dysentary. He'll gain back the weight and be back to his old self in a few months. Just be patient with him, Hannah. That's all he needs from you. Patience, your presence and your support. Now, go and sit with him. You don't want him thinking you've abandoned him, do you?"

After Hannah had gone, she went in search of Hugo Panzer. She had questions and by God she would have the answers.

She found him sitting in the 'kitchen' with Henri. He saw the look on her face and asked Henri 'to go check on the Director'. He wasn't sure he wanted to share this conversation with his friend.

"I have questions. I want answers. I want the truth. Who did this to him and what are you people going to do about it?"

"We suspect the CIA ordered the detention but who gave the orders is still being investigated. As to who did this to him, probably specialists from the Argentine government, hired thugs who do dirty work that can't be traced back to the government. We'll never find them, Ellie. They're faceless men who are interested only in results."

"Hugo, I want someone dead for this. I want someone to suffer and then die a horrible death. I took an oath but this goes beyond anything a human should endure. Will you do this for me?"

"No, Ellie. I won't. We have moved beyond that, the Ring. Your brother's influence and the new 'business model' he's convinced the Director General to adopt. Personally, I'd enjoy killing those bastards but we'll never find the guilty ones, Ellie. Just accept that he's alive and go on with life."

"What about the person who ordered him to die in that hole in Iceland? You can find them and kill them, can't you? Surely there is some way to find out who ordered this. He would have been dead in another month, Hugo, and those bastards wouldn't have cared at all."

"We can make inquiries but don't hold your breath. The bureaucrats don't leave paper trails. And your brother would forbid it anyway. He always takes the 'long view' and it wouldn't be good to piss off the paying customer. Leave it, Ellie. Be glad he's alive."

Hugo had traced the orders. The CIA Deputy Director of Covert Operations for South America had specified Cold Storage after the kidnappers had failed to extract only the most basic information from the Director. He would discuss this with Chuck. Perhaps he could harden his heart and allow this single act of vengeance to send a message to the 'Customer'.