Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
A/N: uplink2 , thank you for your review, trust me, I wasn't happy with it the first time but that last chapter is five times better than what it used to be , on with the next chapter
Zoe Taylor
To my little SparrowHawk, your own token of luck
My fingers had traced the poker chip which I now had hanging around my neck. It was late at night or very early in the morning. I lay in the hotel bed holding the chip. The gold letters shone in the moonlight that seeped through the window. Casey lay beside me, sleeping peacefully, his arm draped across my stomach.
"I won't forget you Dad," I whispered, I slid out the bed putting on Casey's jacket and walked over to the window. Scanning the landscape of Vegas. It was so brightly lit. Not ti mention, people were still coming and going from the hotel. I slumped down in the armchair and waited until Casey woke up.
"Morning Zo- Jenny."
"Morning Tim," I replied bluntly, not turning to face him. He came over to the chair and squatted down in front of it. I avoided his gaze, focusing on one part of the patterned curtains.
"Zoe?"
"Zoe isn't here. My name is Jenny Atari."
"Snap out of this Zoe. We have to leave now."
"I don't want to leave. I'm going to stay here."
"No, I won't let you. You're coming with us back to Burbank." He pulled me up, holding my arm. I tried to pull it away but he only got stronger.
"I don't want to hurt you but I don't want to go home right now." I kicked him in the back of the knee but he didn't buckle like I expected him. "No!" I shouted, pulling away like a child. Casey yanked me forwards and I felt a sharp pinch in my arm. "You bar-"
I woke up on a private jet, my hands were bound in a plastic strip, Casey knew I would be willing to break my thumbs to get out of handcuffs. I rubbed my hands against the armrest hoping that the plastic would snap. I heard movement and stopped. I was not insane, I was angry, there is a difference.
"Oh you've come around." Casey growled with his arms folded. I went to lunge forwards but I was strapped to the chair, another belt had been strapped to the seat under my chest, my arms over it. I snarled at him. "Now that's not exactly the talk I was expecting now." I stayed silent. "Okay then, have it your way." He turned and left the compartment I was in.
I whimpered, kicking out at the chair. I went back to the armchair rest, the pain on my wrist from rubbing it was becoming unbearable. There was a snap as the plastic snapped. From here, I unclipped the normal seatbelt, slowly dropping it over the armrest so that no one would hear. The next part was harder, but I managed to just about squeeze underneath the other belt. I walked the way that Casey had just gone. I saw him holding the poker chip on the chain.
"No." Images blaring through my mind wanting me to jump into action and kick the hell out of him, but I stopped myself. I just collapsed to the floor in tears. "Why?" I mumbled. Casey crouched beside me and held me in his arms, slipping the poker chip over me.
"I'm sorry but I was following orders, General Beckman didn't want anything to happen to you, but after your life was threatened, I did what needed to be done."
"I know. I want to go home."
"Don't worry, that's exactly where we're going."
Only we weren't.
I ended up being held in the Castle holding cell after a dose of a powerful tranquilizer. I lay down on the concrete slab in what was really my pyjamas.
"Lieutenant Taylor," General Beckman said from the other side of the glass. "It's good to see you back here. I hope the mission was a success."
"If by success you mean I lost those people close to me forever, then yes, it couldn't have gone better now that you mention it."
"Well I know what I did was wrong but you were the best person for the job. But now, we would like to have you take some psychological tests, there has been a concern about you. Now do we have to drug you or will you come willingly."
"I want to see." I stopped in my tracks. "Nothing. I'll come with you." I walked obediently to the lie detector test. General Beckman barked at the guards to stand outside the cell whilst she conducted the test.
"Your name is Zoe Taylor in Burbank. Correct?"
"Yes, apparently."
"You are currently living in Burbank apartments. Correct?"
"Correct indeed."
"And you have a job at the Buy More for cover?"
"Well, I haven't been there in a while."
"Correct?"
"Yes."
"Did you kill Paul Bailey?"
"Yes," I said strongly.
"You killed your father?"
"Yes," I repeated.
"Okay, and did Stella Bailey die to?"
"Yes," I said, far more calmly.
"I'm going to ask you some other questions, is that okay?"
"Yes." It probably wouldn't have mattered if I had said no, she was still going to ask them.
"Is there anyone with whom you are in a sexual relationship with?"
I panicked inside. "No."
"Interesting. Are you going to tell me who with Lieutenant, or will Colonel Casey be able to inform me?" This was it, do I tell her the truth or do I make something up or do I? The machine started to beep considerably. Until it sparked and the fuse blew. "Well, I guess that sorts out that. You will be on a probationary period where you will report to Colonel Casey if and when you are needed."
"Fine!" I snapped. "I'm not insane General. I am just angry, there is a difference." General Beckman "Am I free to go now?"
"Of course. If you hand over the poker chip around your neck." General Beckman held out her hand for it.
"If I can speak freely I will not. This is the last thing that my father gave to me before I killed him, there was no way I was going to be able to get him to the agency. I have to keep this."
"You are making a serious mistake."
"And you made the mistake of trying to unearth my past to everyone. It'll take time for me to forgive you. Anyway, I've got Buy More work to be getting on with apparently," I said sarcastically as I squeezed past her.
At the Buy More, Casey loomed nearby as I reorganised a shelf. "What did she ask you?"
"The usual. Who killed who? Who are you? What are you doing?" I paused. "Then she asked if I was in a sexual relationship with anyone. To which I replied no and then the machine broke. And that is not good, not good at all. I think she's onto us Casey."
"Nope."
"She clearly is Casey, my little episode there and she even said should she ask for you to tell her if I was in a sexual relationship."
"Who's in a sexual what what now?" Chuck asked.
"No one Chuck." I sighed, walking away to the Nerd Herd circle where I sat at the computer looking busy. Until the guy I knew as Morgan (but I wasn't meant to know that) came along.
"Hi."
"Erm, hey?" I replied wearily. "Who are you again? I'm rubbish with names." I turned around in the chair.
"Your assistant manager, Morgan Grimes," he murmured, avoiding eye contact.
"Well aren't you a cutie." I turned back to the computer when it cracked and sparked. "Dammit, no!" I snapped, ducking under the desk and fiddling with the wires and cables. "Sorry, Morgan? Was there something you wanted?" I asked, seeing him still standing in the circle facing me. I forced a cable to click into place. "There." I pulled myself back onto the chair, hair completely messy. "Oh great." I redid my hair in a high ponytail.
"Keep working soldier." Morgan dashed away towards Chuck. I saw Chuck's eyes dart towards me. I started signing the same thing over and over again.
I am someone's cousin, I am someone's cousin.
I only stopped when his head twitched. The intersect had flashed and Chuck was sure to know what I meant. Back to work again. Occasionally my eyes would meet Casey's, but only for a second. I squinted at him for a second and he whipped out his phone. Mine buzzed in my skirt pocket.
Beckman's watching the surveillance, you might want to use your initiative.
I replied. Forgive me for what I'm about to do.
I looked up and saw a figure walk into the store. I flashed. Get Chuck out of here Casey, NOW. I shoved my phone in my pocket. Casey darted across the main aisle and out of sight. I watched the man scan across the shelves. I turned around to see Morgan standing there. Smiling a little.
"Excuse me," the man from behind me.
I stepped forwards, locking lips with Morgan and held up a finger on my other hand behind my back. Until I pulled away and put a finger to his lips.
"Ssshhh," I mumbled. "Just to break the ice." Without showing my face to the man at the Nerd Herd circle I turned away. "Why don't you handle this?" I strutted away carefully.
In the changing room, I changed into some casual clothes balled up in my locker and tied my hair up in a loose bun. I walked out of the changing room cautiously and back towards the Nerd Herd circle where the man she had received information on was still there. I purposefully bumped into them and they turned with an evil glare. "I'm so sorry," I squeaked. "Clumsy me. I can't believe, that's the second person I have knocked into today."
"Never mind, that doesn't matter my sweet."
"Wow, a charmer, no one has ever called me that before." I leant against the circle, Morgan watched a little shocked and also confused. I put on a flirty, dazed kind of look before going out the store. I walked slowly across the car park, placing a hands free phone clip on my ear. "Casey, am I being followed by our recognisable little friend?"
"If you mean Morgan, yeah. After that like stunt you pulled, I'm not surprised." He growled.
"I'll explain later. You'll have to trust me."
"You have another follower Zoe. Be careful. You might want to come out of the blind spot, I can't see either of you." There was a click in my other ear. I was pulled around. "Zoe? Zoe." The man reached across and plucked the hands free device from my ear, crunching it under their foot.
"How do you know me?" I asked looking down at the gun he held at waist height.
"Well, it all happened when my sister was killed."
"By who?"
"By an NSA agent. I think you are familiar with him, John Casey."
"But that doesn't explain how you know me." I backed away trying to get out of the blind spot. "I know that you are Connor, Connor Richardson. Brother of Lisa Richardson, a trained agent herself. After she died, you were brought in to join the agency."
"H-H-How, how do you know?" He slammed me against the car door.
"Ow," I squealed. "Stop it." I tried to push against him but he was stronger than I was.
"Get in the car." He pulled my arm up behind my back as he opened the door. Connor pushed me into the driver's seat of his car. I didn't even realise but my car was only on the other side of his car. I activated the emergency tracker in my watch as he came back to the door, pulling the seat belt across me. "No funny business." Connor sat down in the passenger seat. The gun still in his hand. "Get me the watch."
"What?" I said, trying to be naïve. "It's just a watch, nothing too dangerous."
"Give it to me."
I handed him my watch and he directed me to some far out country road in the hills.
"What now?"
"Keep going, when you reach the crossroads, turn left." I obediently followed his direction, turning left.
"Now?"
"Pull over." I pulled over.
"Here's how things are going to work, I'm going to get out of the car and walk. You are going to turn the car around and keep on driving, can you do that?"
"Mmmhmm," I mumbled, naively nodding my head. I hoped that I could easily drive away once he got out. I turned the car around and was about to accelerate when he stopped me.
"No, not yet, just a few finishing touches." Connor got out of the car and returned with some duct tape. "Hold on to the wheel." I reluctantly put my hands on the wheel, he strapped them into place. Connor then reached into my pocket, I jerked away causing my phone to fall out. "Oh this just gets better." He pulled out a handheld microphone like disc which he plugged into my mobile. I watched Connor walk away with my phone.
"Oh, John Casey, it's me, listen, I'm coming clean, I never loved you, never did, you were just a pawn to get close to the agency, now that I have all your secrets, I'm leaving for good, don't come looking for me. You won't find me. Goodbye John Casey, forever." He dropped my phone on the ground and crushed it under his foot. "There, now isn't that better?" Connor lifted the bonnet and began to tinker with the car. When he slammed it shut, I was met by a look of cunning. "Okay, so you are going to start driving now, say hello to my dear older sister Lisa for me."
"You know that's not what Lisa would have wanted," I pleaded, hoping that he would stop everything and let me go. Instead he turned the key and started the engine.
"Have fun Zoe Taylor." He suddenly started to climb up the hill out of sight once I got the car moving. I pressed on the brake but it was useful, they had been cut. I drove, gently on the gas pedal, my heart racing, I attempted to pull my hands away from the wheel but it was useless. Connor's face appeared in the satnav screen to my right. "Looks like Casey isn't letting you go so easily." The view switched to see Casey come racing down towards the cross section. "And he won't know what hit him, or what he's going to hit."
The screen went blank, I remembered my pen. It was poking out of my Buy More shirt pocket. I plucked it from there in my teeth, pressing the clicker with my tongue. A knife blade poked out of the pen, trying to keep my eyes on the road I dragged the knife through the minimal layers of tape Connor had put around my hands. When that hand came free, I rushed to try release the other but I dropped the pen and it rolled down the side of the chair.
"No!" I squeaked.
"Oh Miss Taylor." I dropped the tape and looked at the screen. Casey's car and this one were of equal distance from the junction, the car was picking up speed, no matter how much I press the gas pedal.
"Please, I'll do anything."
"Nothing can bring Lisa back so, your life will suffice." I slammed my foot down on the gas.
"I won't let you get away with this!" I snapped. The car was reaching a dangerous speed, there was nothing I could do expect hope that Casey would have good reaction times. I wanted to close my eyes as the car sped onwards. I could see the crossroads ahead. "Slow down Casey, slow down." I whispered.
"Five." I reached for the pen.
"Four." My fingers were so close to it.
"Three." My ring finger just grazed the pen, lifting it up.
"Two." I was just making an incision on the taped hand.
"One." I dropped the pen and yanked my hand from the tape, gripping the wheel.
As soon as I heard one I sat up and looked right, just seeing the car Casey was driving smack into the rear wheel, the car flipped over, I screamed as it slammed into a tree.
Beep, beep, beep. I felt a pressure on my finger, like a clip. I blinked rapidly, opening my eyes. I was back in a hospital bed. A throbbing in my head caused me to screw up my face. There was a pad of bandages on my left shoulder and dressing on my stomach, I didn't want to know what it looked like underneath.
"Zoe, hey."
"Devon Woodcombe, I'm back again." I groaned, sitting up.
"And need I say it again, take it easy. You were just in a car crash."
"Is the other person okay?"
"No one's been brought in. You were dropped off."
"Oh," I murmured.
"But you're safe and that seems to be the best thing."
"Thanks."
"Why don't you have a rest and we'll see if we can kick you outta here by this evening?"
"Sounds like a plan doc." I smiled at Devon as he walked out of the room. "Yeah, of course you can. She's just come around now." I pulled the duvet up over my stomach.
"Hey." I looked up and saw Casey standing in the door, completely unharmed. My hands went up to my face, covering my mouth and nose, my breathing increasing as my heart sank.
"You're-"
"I'm fine." He closed the door. "No thanks to you."
"The message wasn't from me… Connor Richardson used this voice manipulator thing when he called. I wouldn't do something like that. I promise I will never leave without saying goodbye to your face." I tucked my legs up to my chest as he perched on the bed.
"I. I know."
"Casey, come here." I grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him. Much better than Morgan. I thought to myself. "I love you John Casey. Never ever forget that."
"What is the meaning of this?" A woman barked, I opened my eyes to see General Beckman standing in the doorway in a more casual style suit. "Well?"
I pulled away from Casey. "I'm sorry General. This is all my-" I started to say.
"General Beckman. Before I joined the NSA, I had a life that crossed Zoe's. If anyone is to be blamed it is me," Casey added valiantly.
"No, no General, this is me. I should have done something about it but I didn't," I protested.
"Not another word!" Beckman snapped. "Why don't you explain why you didn't declare it before?"
"Because it was obvious that you would try to separate us. You would say that we knew that the rules wouldn't allow it. And I know that, I accept that. I will take whatever punishment, because." I looked to Casey. "At the end of the day, it means that I can be with him, the first and only man I have ever and will ever love. I know that sounds like a stupid child fairy tale but this man is my dream General, and this is not the meds talking."
"This has to end."
"No." I spoke out of terms, glaring at Beckman.
"What did you say?"
"Let's just say that you used me to bring my parents in. And I lost them that night too. To be honest and completely blunt, Colonel Casey is one of the few things that is stopping me from putting a bullet in my own skull. Without him, I don't have much holding me down."
"Colonel Casey, would you give me a moment?" He glanced at me and I nodded, squeezing his hand. The door closed and the General let out a deep breath. "What are you playing at Lieutenant?"
"I am listening to my heart this time General, too many times I have listened to my head, it's time to change. You seemed fine with Chuck and Sarah's relationship. What is wrong with this one?" My tone was much less aggressive and more passionate. "If I could show you I was serious then I would. I love him. This is not some teenage crush, we're both adults."
"Promise me you won't have children."
"What?"
"You can possibly consider bringing up children with parents for spies. Can you?" Yes, she was coming around. "Lieutenant?"
"I can't make promises. But I can cope with anything, trust me."
"No, you won't be having children Lieutenant, okay? Now, on another note, Connor Richardson has been apprehended. Thanks to Daniel Shaw."
"Is he here?"
"Yes, but no one should hear about him being here, I bid you a quick recovery."
"Thank you." General Beckman left and Daniel poked his head around the door.
"Yes? Millie Hill, is that you?"
"Indeed it is. The girl who floored you in training, the only one to do it."
"Ha, yeah. No mentioning of that. Now, tell me, are you looking forward to working with me again?"
"What do you mean?"
"I'm taking over the Team."
"Oh… Great," I mumbled. The last thing we needed was a guy trying to take over Team Bartowski.
Yeah, great. Boy oh boy this is going to be, well, interesting.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = It's a let down in my opinion for Beckman to find out, but I've spent so much time reordering the story that I can live with it this way, I am very tired so apologies if it is absolutely horrendous, sorryyyyyy! :L