A/N. This was the ending to the last chapter, but when I found out I was being sent on course, I split it because I really wasn't happy with it and wanted more time to work on it, and it ended up growing. After I got back, I was reading some of the great comments and suggestions, and so I hopefully cleaned it up a bit.
Usual disclaimers apply:
I do not own anything in the "Chuck" world, including the world. I don't even make enough to rent them for an hour, if they were rentable. Other than a couple of OC every other reference I don't own either. Come to think of it the shirt off my back belongs to someone else too.
See previous chapters on disclaimer ramblings…
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Charpter 5
Return to Buymoria
Casey walked in the front door of the Orange Orange. The sign in the window read "Closed for Renovations", the tables and chairs were all stacked up and all but one of the frozen yogurt machines was turned off. GRUNT #23 (Pity the fool) "Of course, LADY's favourite flavour."
"Damn it Damn it Damn it all to heck Walker. What have you done? Even dealing with a love sick puppy, this was the best team I've been with for years. You should have just given the kid a thrill every once and awhile and maybe I wouldn't have to spend every week worrying if he is going to make a mess in the vic….."
(Grunt #29 – confusion mixed with the feeling of wedgies)
Entering Castle though the freezer, he goes over and checks the feed from the 'doghouse'. GRUNT #47 (Good Doggie) LADY is still reading through that stack of comics.
Activating the motion sensors, then setting them to signal him if anyone comes into the Orange Orange. Casey starts his usual routine: a check that there has been no intrusion, an inventory of the weapons, surveillance equipment, and finally, the ammo room (including a 28 year old bottle of scotch that he had hidden in there for the times when Walker and Bartowski were 'unusually' annoying).
He finished his checks and no one came. Casey cleaned his "top 20" favourite guns, still no one. He goes over and checks on LADY every 10 minutes, called the General (hoping to get more answers, but she was "away"). Even after all that, still no one showed. Finally he swept the floor, polished the conference table and dusted the computer screens. His frustration finally getting the better of him, he took off his apron and went upstairs to help himself to a yogurt.
He was headed to his locker, froyo in hand, to retrieve his 'special butterscotch' topping (that was at least 80 proof). It was then he noticed Walkers to-do list sticking out of her locker. He had watched her make it after the last group conference they had with Beckman. She must have put it there since she had to hurry to get ready for the wedding festivities.
As much as Casey hated cleaning up other's peoples messes, and not even sure how relevant it was now, since he doubted that operation LADY was really over. He had nothing else to do so he grabbed the list. Truth was, Walker has another week to finish her part of the clean up, but now he was not sure that she would have the chance, or choice for that matter, to finish.
First thing on the list – remove camera taps from Buy more security feeds.
He goes to the computer and turns on the feeds from the Buy More to see if that is done… Nope. Right on the main screen a bearded buffoon at the nerd herd desk talking to Jeff and Lester.
"Well what is he doing here? Hey maybe I get the puppy to spill his lady guts to the bearded freak. That way I can fast forward over the boo hoo-ing and sobbing about Barb err Walker."
John walks across to the Buy More with determination that there may be a light at the end of the doghouse. He enters the main door and heads over to the nerd herd desk when he hears:'
"Well well well. Finally come crawling back for your old job I see" Emmett slid from behind one of the Nerd Herder life like stand up displays. He was obviously watching Jeff and Lester, hoping to catch them doing something with the video camera in Lester's hand.
(Grunt # 36 Extreme annoyances at idiots). Casey continues to walk towards the desk but Emmett jumps out in front of him.
"You know John, Buymoria is a loving, forgiving place and we would welcome you and Bartowski back with open arms, with only a 10% cut in pay and reduced to two weeks vacation. You understand there are no special citizens in Buymoria, well except for the leader of course."
(Grunt #44 FRAGILE – Flog Repeatedly And Grind Into Limp Extinction.)
"I am sooo glad we understand each other. Good John. Welcome back to Buymoria"
Casey snapped, he stuffed Emmett under one arm and carried him back to his office and slammed the door. "I already had a conversation of how-to staple a person's tongue to various objects. I am in the perfect mood to give a practical, hands-on demonstration to anyone who wags it at me too much today. So what say for the time I'm here, you stay in the office and try to think quietly about how much you want to be one of my demonstrators"
(Grunt #23 – satisfaction of scaring someone to do a #1)
Casey slams the door just as he sees Morgan exiting with Anna out the front of the Buy more. Looking around he notices that Jeff and Lester are taking bets with the rest of the staff watching some sort of extreme female fighting death match.
"At least I don't have to deal with those two.." and double times it out of the store.
Casey comes up behind Morgan and Anna. "Hey what are you doing back here?"
Morgan turns around and wraps Casey in a big hug.
"John Buddy Glad to see you. Have you been working out? Ooohh those arms are like concrete. What 10 minute workout or do you really hit the gym like the Mitch and the Jocks. I heard that the Wii Fit can really work on those muscle groups"
GRRRRR Casey picks up Morgan and they go nose to nose "Why are you back here?"
"Funny thing big guy. It appears one of the rules of the school is that if you are running with a knife in your hand and you …. accidently drop it and it, well, kind of well becomes stuck in an instructors foot that they can ask you to take some time off. Minor setback that's all but since Anna still had the apartment because I had to hustle to get out there, and when I had to take a vacation, they expected me to leave the dorm as well, it seemed better than living off the streets. And besides, funny story here, I was sitting down at a little coffee shop drowning my sorrows on grape soda's when this drunk guy comes over and we start talking, really hit it off, after hours of gabbing and many grape soda's later, he took pity on me took me to the airport and paid for a ticket for me to come back here. He said at a time like this I should be with friends. So when I got home yesterday Anna and I spent some alone time, well a lot of alone time actually since Chuck wasn't answering his phone. Today I started looking for Chuck but he wasn't answering his phone again and since I have to pass the Orange Orange to go to Chuck's I thought I would see if he was there. Since it is closed again - really how does that place stay in business anyways – I thought I would see if Big Mike could lend me a couple of dollars until I could get another job and all. Then I ran into Lester and then Jeff and then I heard Emmett so I went back into Jeff's office, then snuck out to Anna and high tailed it out of there, and by the way John, how are you and what are you doing around here. Do you know if Chuck is still at Ellie and Awesome's. Chuck and Sarah haven't gone and eloped or anything. After all that would be great I guess but I can't reach him or Sarah on their cells and well I worked out a new Call of Duty strategy while I was on the plane on the way back and I though in 10 or 12 hours we could work out the bugs…"
Casey just dropped him. Anna went over and grabbed Morgan's arm as she noticed Casey's eye twitching and what looked like the famous throbbing vain at his temple ready to pop. That was always a really really bad sign and usually involved Chuck running over and defusing whatever was going on. Casey was slowly reaching for something behind his back and Anna for one, did not want to know what he kept there so she quickly shouted out as she pushed Morgan into the car "Bye John going to grab a late breakfast then find Chuck - Bye"
Casey, eye still twitching, walked back to the Orange Orange at a full march and went straight down to Castle to use Walkers punching bag, since he can't use the moronic one without long explanations to the General. As soon as he started down the stairs however he sensed hatred equal to his own. Suddenly, a crash from the ammo room.
Drawing his gun he crept towards the sound and peeked into the room. Beside the door were two suitcases and a few feet away, a stunning annoyed blonde dressed in a black evening dress with one semiautomatic pointed at him in one hand and his scotch in the other. They source of the hatred has been located. She lowered her weapon and raised the bottle, holding them both tight enough that her fingers were white.
"Casey"
He watched her down the last of his 28 year old scotch.
Grunt #20 (FUBAR) "OH CRAP. Agent Forrest, wish I could say it was good to see you again."
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OK – Chapter 6 – The Hunt for Sarah Walker.
I'm glad to see that some of you are starting to make the links in the earlier chapters to what is happening now. I'm just trying to come up with a style similar to two of my favourite authors. The people leaving me the comments saying they are lost are the ones that I love the most, since every time I read one of my their books, I get that same feeling and by the last few chapters I'm kicking myself saying 'how did I miss that'. So I am hoping I did something right, since this has become a lot harder than I ever thought it could be. Some people have noticed, this is well out of my comfort zone. So thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I've found everything great!
Thanks you and please keep the PM, the reviews, etc coming.