Some time shifts but nothing that ruins the continuity if you aren't sharp enough to catch them.
Note to those who STILL ask "Is it Charah". NO NO NO.
Read the A/Ns in the last chapter. No wonder he never finished some of his stuff. Too busy trying to figure out how to make people understand his intent.
As Normal as it can get
Chateau Almandine
Life goes on and so did Chuck's. Hannah settled down and began regular sessions with Alexandra who came out to the Chateau. Casey frequently accompanied her and his presence soon lost its novelty. Hugo had been extremely wary of him at first but Chuck was right, they did become 'friends' of a sort. They especially bonded over their varying relationships with the 'Moron' and the 'Director General'.
Chuck was very happy to turn over the Merc Force design to the older men. Jacques, Casey and Hugo would hole up in the Carriage House for hours over whiskey and plans. Jacques welcomed feeling useful again and Casey found he was becoming more relaxed dealing with 'things' instead of people. Their plans were ambitious and impractical at first but as they worked at each facet, each one's individual expertise balanced the others.
Right before Christmas, the kids and Hannah and Ellie returned from one of the many doctors' appointments with startling news. They had seriously misjudged the kids' ages based upon their own Western standards and normal growth charts. They weren't 'kids' at all. Paul was closer to 17 as was Yve and Su-Fi had been so malnourished for so long that her entry into puberty had been delayed. She was at least 14 years old!
Chuck didn't take the news well. He wanted time with his 'kids' and now it seemed that he had been robbed of their childhood and he found that very unsettling. He set out to fill their days with learning and new experiences to prepare them for the 'modern world'.
He wanted to take them to Orlando and Disney World but thought through it and decided it wasn't secure enough. That left day trips throughout France and he planned on sending Hannah, Ellie and the two oldest on a Viking river cruise through northern Europe. He also planned a cruise for just he and Hannah, probably around the Aegean but he needed to finish up a full load of projects first.
Su-Fi had decided that she'd go by 'Sophie' since that's what the staff and everyone changed Su-Fi into when they pronounced it. Only her 'Jzhuck' said it correctly. She couldn't manage the 'Ch' sound of 'Chuck' so he just smiled and answered to 'Jzhuck', making it almost sound like 'Jacques' but not quite. It was cute and charming and he wanted her to stay 'little' but knew it wasn't possible. 'If only we'd found them a few years earlier' was a frequent thought.
She refused to call him 'Dad', or 'Pop' or the French 'Papa', saying he was not her father. This hurt him but he tried not to show it. She was right. He'd just scooped her up and out of her natural environment and he wasn't her father.
He just didn't know that Su-Fi considered him anything but a father and considered herself as his 'second wife' or 'concubine' although she didn't know the term in French or English. And he was her 'Jzhuck'. That was how it had been in her culture's tradition and that was how it was going to be. Period. When a man brought an unmarried woman into his household, he 'married' her for all intents and purposes.
Yve had rebelled and called Chuck 'Dad' or 'Daddy'. She considered herself above the old ways and refused to honor the old traditions. She was a 'modern' girl in every respect and planned on going to America and study International Relations.
When Hannah & Chuck gave her an Audi sports car for her 18th 'birthday', they created a monster who changed from a beautiful young girl into Mario Andretti and they were constantly dealing with the local cops about her impromptu road races with local boys.
Su-Fi soaked up French and English like a sponge and was a voracious reader once her eyesight problem had been diagnosed and corrected. She wore glasses but Chuck wanted her to have contacts or laser surgery as soon as she was old enough. She didn't care. There was a whole world out there and books were her travel ticket. She wanted to fit in to her Jzhuck's world and not embarrass him with ignorance.
She excelled at almost anything she tried. Su-Fi regularly trained with the security staff and was learning several of the martial arts as well as handling a pistol. Her 'Jzhuck' had smiled at her learning self-defense but had become very upset at her using firearms. Hugo told him it was smart since no one had found the rat that had set up the kidnapping.
"Chuck, another gun in your household is good. No one would expect someone like Sophie to be carrying a weapon. It's good security."
Chuck had reluctantly agreed especially when Hannah told him it was a good idea, too. When he'd explained it to Sophie she'd taken it as his approval of her role as his bodyguard – the proper role of a junior wife in her traditions.
She'd smiled and kissed his cheek and thanked him and then scampered off to find Henri or one of the security guards to assign her a pistol. She would never be without it, keeping it under her pillow.
Her only regret was that her Jzhuck never came to her bedroom except when she was sick or to kiss her goodnight. He used to tell her a story but felt she'd 'grown up' and no longer needed to hear the words when she could read them herself. Was there something wrong with her? At first she'd feared him but now…
Hannah sorted through the family mail she picked up at the post office in the village and opened up a card from the US. It was a family Christmas card from 'the Stuarts' with their family portrait on the front and a message from Mike wishing them seasons' greetings and reminding them that they should call them if they came to the US. His wife had written a brief note thanking Chuck for his concern for her family during the 'unpleasantness' and repeated her husband's offer of further contact. She threw the card away.
'So that's Sarah Walker Stuart?
Blonde,bigboobs,tall and…' She shook off the unkind thought and threw the card away just like she would others so many times in the future. She looked down at her small breasts and sighed but perked up when she remembered that her lover, her husband, always told her 'bigger is not necessarily better' and he seemed to think they were 'a perfect pair'.
In late January Casey called Chuck and asked him to 'come in for a refresher' and a conference call with the agency directors. Something big was in the wind and they needed either his expertise or his advice or his help. Chuck asked if it was OK to bring Su-Fi in for a little talk with Alex especially since they'd been so wrong about so many other things – like her age - and Casey replied 'no problem', he'd set it up.
"I'm looking forward to talking with Alex, Jzhuck. She always tells me things I need to know but don't. Can we go to lunch at that bistro again? And I need shoes, Jzhuck. These are pinching my toes. And a new pair of shooting glasses? Please, Jzhuck?"
"Yes, we'll eat lunch at the bistro and maybe take Casey and Alex. We'll get you shoes on the way back. You're growing too quickly, Su-Fi. You won't be my little girl much longer. Soon you'll be wanting to learn to drive and want a car of your own!"
"Really? You'll teach me to drive? And my own car? Oh, Jzhuck, I love you! That's awesome! A little SmartCar or a Mini-Cooper? Oh, I'm so lucky to have you, Jzhuck!"
'I need Beckman to load some cultural and anthropological reports on Su-Fi'sculture in the next download. Sometimes she's a teenager and other times she acts like a mature woman. I don't want to create a problem if I can avoid it. Maybe a car isn't such a good idea…'
He didn't know what such a gift might mean in her culture and tradition. He'd already stepped in it when he tried to get her to call him 'dad'.
Su-Fi smiled to herself. Her brother and Yve and Hannah and Aunt Ellie would be on a river cruise and it would be just her and her Jzhuck for the that week. She planned on spending as much time with him as she could. She also planned other things.
Stuart Residence
Arlington, VA
Sarah Walker was used to being spoiled rotten by the Agency and have any information she required made immediately available to her so it was a very frustrated Sarah Walker who kept running into 'you're no longer authorized to access that information' or 'you're on indeterminate leave, Ms. Walker, you have no need to know' when inquiring about one Mr. Charles Windsor.
"What's up, Sarah? You look pissed about something?" Jeb hoped it wasn't anything he'd done. His step-mom kinda scared him. She could probably stop a charging rhino with a glance. At 18, he'd noticed other things about her and kept comparing the girls he'd dated to his step-mother and they all fell short of the mark. His freshman year in college had been wasted on easy girls, beer and fraternity antics. Sarah had taken him aside and told him bluntly that he'd better 'keep it in his pants' and do nothing to hurt the family's reputation.
"Nothing, kiddo. Just frustrated with the system is all. I'm trying to find out some stuff on a guy your dad and I will be doing business with and I'm running into dead ends."
"Have you googled him?" He opened up his laptop and booted it up.
"Um, no. Why don't you show me how you do that?" She hated anyone knowing she was computer-deficient. When Chuck tried to teach – NO!Don'tgothere…
"OK, what's the dude's name?"
"Windsor, Charles. He lives in France. His wife's name is Hannah but she's dead I think."
"OK, let's check for 'Charles & Hannah Windsor' first." He clicked his mouse and there were several entries from French newspapers and magazines. Sarah saw one that caught her eye and asked Jeb to see if there was a picture with the article.
"Oh, you want to know what the guy looks like? OK." He clicked 'images' and several images of Hannah and Charles dancing, standing in groups with the President and First Lady of France, but none of them showed his face. He either turned away from the camera or the image was cropped to exclude his face.
"Damn, no clear images of his face. She's pretty, though, don't you think? Exotic. And that dress…wow!" Jeb was impressed with a saffron colored Ao-Dai that Hannah was wearing. It was very revealing without showing any skin. Sarah frowned. "Can we find others? I'm curious what this guy looks like. He's a friend of your Dad's. They met in Paris." Yes, the woman was exotic and beautiful and resembled the woman Chuck had been chasing after like a dog in heat in Paris. Coincidence?
"Can we just look for him on Goggle? Maybe not get the girl so much." She really didn't want to look at the skank and how he held her when they danced or the way he had his arm around her in a candid photo with the Sarkozys.
"It's 'Google', Sarah, not Goggle. You really need to spend some time with Megan on her computer. She's the wizard in the family." He clicked on an article in the International Herald Tribune and waited for the image and article to load. The site was slow.
Just then her husband came home carrying two pizzas and the inquiry was forgotten. Three seconds later an image of Charles Windsor appeared over an article announcing his appointment as Chairman of the Board of Circus Information Systems. The screen saver timed out and Windows loaded updates and rebooted the computer.
US Embassy
Secure Conference Room
Paris, France
Late March
The meeting dealt with Africa and the breakaway province in one of the west African countries that was causing headlines and consternation throughout the West. The 'rebels' were holding the European managers of several privately owned gas fields and rigs prisoner after 'nationalizing' the fields for the 'people'. There was talk of show trials and executions. They wanted to know what the Circus could do for them?
His response was typical Bartowski. "General, Directors, Circus Information Systems can do nothing for you except provide on-the-ground intel. That is the scope of our business. Nothing more."
"Director Windsor, what about the small commando force you're considering? Any progress on that front?" Beckman cut to what they really wanted. Could they go in and rescue the prisoners before revolutionary zeal yielded executions. The western governments couldn't send in troops to perform a rescue because the other governments in Africa were watching closely to see what the reaction of the Western Powers would be. Neocolonialismwas a term heard at the UN. Touchy, indeed.
It was 'decided' to give all available intel on the situation to Circus Information to see what their take was on possible alternatives. None of the major government representatives wanted to see armed interdiction by their respective governments. The meeting ended on that note as well as the probable date for the trials in 4 weeks. The rebels wanted maximum attention in the media. The Chinese and several other left-wing governments had already extended diplomatic recognition to the new 'Peoples Republic of Western Africa'.
Chuck followed Su-Fi's laughter to Alex's office. He loved her laugh. He just wished she'd laugh more but every time he was with her she was so damned serious. 'Exceptfortheconversationsabouthergettingherownpistolanddrivingandgettingacar.' His subconscious was a pain in the ass more times than not but it was right this time.
"Well, ladies, anyone up for lunch? My treat, Alex, and Casey's going to meet us there in a few minutes."
"I don't know, Chuck. Sophie and I were having the most interesting conversation right before you got here. Can we continue after lunch?" She looked at Sophie as if asking permission. "I'm free for the afternoon."
"Yes, Alexandra, I'd like that very much." She smiled at Alex and glanced at Chuck to see if he disagreed. "I'll find something interesting to do until you're done, Su-Fi."
He'd take the mini-download and sleep for half an hour and then they'd head home – after buying her anotherpair of new shoes. It was always something. Maybe they'd swing by her mother's favorite boutique and buy her a dress. She always wore such mannish clothes.
Chateau Almandine
May
The flat screen monitor carried the images of General Beckman (now sporting 2 stars), the new director of the CIA and two distinguished-looking African gentlemen.
"Director General, the regime in the break-away province has announced that trials will begin next month and that 'revolutionary justice' demands the execution of these 'thieves of the people's resources'. What progress has been made in developing a plan of action?"
"General, Circus has provided you with all the intel we could gather. That was the extent of our agreement. The plans for a Merc force are completed, but that's all they are, General Beckman, plans."
"How long would it take you to activate your force if you were given unlimited resources and a free hand? Things are heating up and the Chinese and North Koreans as well as some Middle Eastern countries have all supplied the regime with 'military advisors. Even the Cubans have sent a small team of advisors probably hoping to regain a toe-hold in Africa."
"General, what aren't you telling me? There are 18 men and women of various nationalities being held. To be blunt, it hardly seems worth getting involved to such a degree."
"Stability in Africa is more important now than ever before. Resources are getting scarce and Africa has abundant untapped reserves of fossil fuels as well as vast mineral deposits that the West requires. It's simple economics, nothing more."
"Neocolonialism under the guise of 'regime change'?" There had to be more to it than that.
"So why not eliminate the junta members and allow the former rulers to reassert control? Take out the leadership and all you have left is hungry people hoping for a change that won't kill them and that the 'new' ruling class is merciful to them."
"The junta headquarters are on the top floor of the former Hilton hotel. The prisoners are being housed on the 5th floor immediately below the junta headquarters. Simply bombing the hotel is out. It requires some skillful and selective surgery to eliminate the tumor, Director General."
"So, you want all six of the junta council eliminated and the hostages freed, is that correct? What about subordinates that might feel that they can assume the various mantles of power?"
"Eliminate the junta members and free the prisoners and we will swoop in and reassert control and free the people from their bonds."
Chuck had already decided that the minister of defense was a pompous asshole and his remark cinched his opinion.
"I'll get back to you within a week." He disconnected the teleconference and called Casey at the embassy and asked him to 'come out for family night' even though it wasn't Thursday. It was a code for an unscheduled meeting if anyone overheard or followed the Defense Attaché, Casey's new title that came with a colonel's eagles.
Next he called Hugo and Henri and told them to plan on meeting at 7pm in the family kitchen. Hannah would just have to 'rough it' and cook in the Chateau's kitchen. Lastly, he called Jacques and asked him to attend if he felt up to it. Lately he'd been keeping to himself, not taking any meals in public and sleeping a lot. His health was rapidly deteriorating and Chuck felt helpless watching a man he admired circling the drain.