A/N: hi! I'm back. I'm so sorry for the late update, but Aerox and I have been working on the future of this story and life kind of got in the way too; but here we are. New chapter. I hope you guys like it :)
Thanks again for your reviews, alerts and favorites; and a huge thanks to Aerox, who dedicates a lot of his time to help me make this readable and more fun.
Chapter Seven
Chuck looked into Bryce's blue eyes and all the rage he had been caging for the past two years could finally be unleashed. In front of him was the man who had ruined his life, got him expelled, slept with his girlfriend and sent him the Intersect. On top of all that, he had also broken Sarah's heart. Unfortunately for Bryce, he did send Chuck the Intersect, so he flashed and, without a word or a warning, delivered a right hook to Bryce's chin. He flew over the couch and landed on the floor.
"What the hell?" He was on the floor, trying to stand up when Chuck punched him again. "Chuck, stop! You don't understand…" he tried to explain.
"What is it that I don't understand, Bryce? That you're a traitor?" This time Bryce was ready, he quickly stood up and stopped Chuck's blow, delivering a kick that landed on Chuck's chest, sending him away and giving him the time to recover.
"I don't want to hurt you, Chuck, I just want to talk to you!" he said.
Chuck let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Oh, yeah? So what was that kick for? And what about the scene on the rooftop? You were shooting at us!"
"I'll tell you, if you promise to stop! I swear I'm not playing you. I'm not dumb; I know you're with the CIA, so I took a huge risk in coming over here." He then proceeded to carefully take his gun out of his waistband and put in on the table, under Chuck's scrutinizing gaze. "There, I'm not armed. Can we talk now?"
Chuck didn't feel like talking. Punching Bryce had been less relieving than he had thought it would be and now his hand hurt. On the other hand, Bryce had come to his home, so he must've had something to say. Even if it was a trick, he didn't really have a choice if he wanted to get some kind of closure, because if he arrested him, once Graham got a hold on him, he would never let him talk to Bryce again, not after the whole Delgado debacle.
He pointed to the couch and said, "Ok, you sit there. And no tricks, Bryce, or I'm going to be forced to hand you over to my bosses, and I'm pretty sure they're not going to be very considerate." He went to the door and closed it, making sure Casey hadn't gotten into his apartment yet. He didn't want the Major to find out Bryce was just across the hallway, fearing what he might do if he did.
Bryce did as he was told and started, "So… how have you been?"
"Ok, this is not how this is going to happen," Chuck said. "We're not friends anymore and you don't have to act like you care. You certainly didn't two years ago. I'm going to ask the questions and you're going to answer every one of them, are we clear?"
"Yes, Sir," Bryce answered with a smirk. He looked up at Chuck. He had changed a lot since he'd last seen him. He seemed more determined and… confident. He just hoped he was still the kind, goofy nerd he'd met in college. He had always admired Chuck's way of relating with people; he was always smiling, caring, trying to help anyone who needed it. At that time, he'd thought he was naïve, that people would just take advantage of him, but there was something about Chuck that made people trust him and want to tell him about their lives and problems, that he hadn't found in any other person. Not that the spy world is a good place to search. Now that he was sitting in front of him, he realized how much he'd missed his best friend.
Chuck's voice brought him back to the present. "Ok, let's start from the beginning: why did you send me the Intersect?"
"That's not the beginning, Chuck," Bryce said, shaking his head, his expression turning dark.
"Ok, care to enlighten me?" Chuck asked.
Bryce sighed. "It all started about six months ago. I was recruited by a special access group inside the CIA. They knew who I was, my activation codes… hell they even knew my record. They ordered me to shed my Agency contacts and go deep. Only then did I realize it was not the CIA, but a cabal of rogue spies that had ordered me to do this mission, so I downloaded and destroyed the Intersect. FULCRUM had plans for its Intel and I couldn't let them have it."
"Why did you send it to me, of all people?"
"I needed a friend who wasn't a spy, who wouldn't know anything about FULCRUM, or the Intersect, or Sand Wall." As soon as Bryce said that, the flash hit him. Sand Wall was the name of the secret operation FULCRUM was leading, and it consisted in appropriating the Intersect and using it to destroy the CIA from the inside. That meant Bryce was telling the truth, which surprised him. "Of course, I didn't know you were already working for the CIA. I thought you'd be in L.A. being a computer genius and all," Bryce said, with a small smile.
"Yeah, well, those plans flew out the window the day you got me expelled from Stanford," Chuck bitterly answered. Bryce chuckled. "Oh, yeah, that's hilarious," Chuck said, feeling the urge to punch him again.
"No, you see… it's ironic. You never knew why I put those exams under your bed."
Chuck had wanted to know that ever since he'd found out about Bryce's betrayal. "Are you going to tell me?" he asked.
Bryce nodded. "That morning, you were supposed to meet with Professor Fleming."
"No, I wasn't," Chuck quickly replied. He remembered that day like it was yesterday.
"Yes, you were. You just never found out because I never gave you the message. I had already been recruited by the CIA, and I knew Fleming was an asset working for the Agency." Chuck's eyes widened in surprised. His ex-teacher was a CIA asset? Was everyone in his life related to the government? "You were a perfect candidate for project Omaha. You had scored 98 percent in subliminal images recognition, which means you can retain an incredible amount of information, so they were going to recruit you. Project Omaha was a military operation, and I tried to talk some sense into Fleming, tell him it was too dangerous, that you wouldn't survive, but he said he couldn't do anything about it. I never wanted to do what I did, but I didn't want my best friend to get killed because of this job either. So I made the best decision I could in less than twenty four hours. There hasn't been a day in my life where I don't regret it, but I always got comfort thinking that at least you had your life and you would be doing something that you loved, instead of risking it every day for your country." He chuckled in a self chastising manner. "But look at how that turned out."
Chuck was speechless. From the beginning he was meant to be recruited by the CIA, but Bryce got him expelled to save his life. He wasn't ok with that, and he probably would never be, but it had to count for something, right? On the other hand, he wasn't a complete idiot, so he felt offended that Bryce had felt the need to protect him like he was a little child with no say in the matter. "But why didn't you tell me? We could've figured out something together! Do you know how my life's been for the past two years?" he asked, his voice rising near the end of his question. He didn't shout, but he had gone way past the normal decibel level of a conversation.
Bryce actually recoiled a bit at the anger that seemed to pour out of Chuck's words. "I'm sorry, buddy, I did the best I could. And I couldn't tell you anything because it would've meant that I had to tell you I was a CIA Agent, and I wasn't allowed."
"Ok, but what about Jill? I'd say you had done a pretty good job with the tests already, did you really have to sleep with her too?"
Bryce seemed genuinely surprised. "Wha-What? I have never slept with Jill!"
Chuck couldn't believe it. "Come on, Bryce, she said it herself!"
"I don't know why she would say that, but I swear to God, I would never do that to you!" Bryce said.
Chuck was shocked to see that Bryce looked like he was telling the truth. He started pacing around "Why would she lie? Why would she break my heart like that? It makes no sense, Bryce. I don't believe you!"
"Look, I know I'm not the most reliable person in the world, but you have to believe me, it never happened!" he firmly stated.
Chuck still wasn't convinced, but he had a job to do, so he stood in front of him and looked him in the eye. "Ok, forget about Jill right now. What about tonight? You killed that guard and you let FULCRUM Agents shoot at Sarah and me on that roof! They could have killed us! And what were you after? What did you take and why?"
"I did kill that guard," Bryce said, his voice full of remorse.
Chuck looked at him with a disgusted expression. "You claim to be one of ours and you kill a guard of a CIA facility?"
"Look, you don't understand how it is. Delgado, the man you captured, was my handler. And by handler I mean the guy who was supposed to make sure I was loyal to FULCRUM. That's why he was there the night I blew up the Intersect."
"But why did you blow it up if FULCRUM wanted it? They obviously think you're still with them, if tonight's little act proves anything," Chuck pointed sharply.
"That night… it wasn't just me in the building. There was another Agent, another rogue Agent who was supposed to help me break in and steal the Intersect data. When we took down all the guards and got in the room…" he swallowed and paused.
"You killed him," Chuck finished for him.
"Yeah, I did. So I planted the bomb and made sure there was no evidence left of what had happened and then I got out. I told Delgado, Cooper had betrayed us and he believed me because I barely got out." He lifted his sleeve above his elbow and revealed a huge scar. "It goes all the way to my back, but you don't need to see that," he added when he saw Chuck's horrified expression.
Chuck swallowed and nodded. "Ok, so what happened tonight?"
"I killed that guard. Not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice. They were watching me and I couldn't arouse any more suspicion on me. The mission consisted of retrieving a flash drive that the CIA had recently stolen from a FULCRUM Agent. I don't know what's on it, they wouldn't say, but if they took the risk of breaking into a CIA building after what happened with the Intersect, it must be something really important." He paused for a few seconds before saying, "And I'm sorry about the shooting, I couldn't really do much about it. If I had blown my cover I wouldn't be sitting here right now."
"Yeah, well, I could've very well been dead by now, so you'll excuse me if I don't accept your apology," Chuck said.
"Fair enough." Bryce glanced at him like he wanted to say something else and looked down again.
Chuck noticed and inquired, "What?"
Bryce's voice was strangely quiet when he spoke. "How's… how's Sarah doing?"
Chuck clenched his jaw. "Well, her partner and boyfriend left her without a word, let her believe he was rogue and then reappeared in her life and shot at her. How do you think she's doing?"
Bryce seemed truly affected by the words. After a moment he said, "I never wanted to hurt her, you know? But there are bigger things, greater things that must be protected, even if that means you have to leave the ones you care about behind."
"That's bullshit." Bryce's shocked expression didn't stop Chuck as he continued. "If you really care about someone, you don't just leave them behind. Just like the fact that you don't make decisions for them. I don't care if you couldn't tell me you had been recruited back in Stanford, and I don't care if you couldn't tell Sarah about FULCRUM. I trusted you in college, Bryce, you were my best friend and you didn't trust me. You ruined my life because you thought it was the best you could do at the time, and I appreciate the good intentions, but they didn't save me from two years of hating myself and everyone around me. And Sarah… you should've known better, man! You were her partner, you guys were a couple, and you didn't tell her! She trusted you, and she doesn't trust just anyone… I know what is like to be betrayed by someone you love… or at least to think you've been betrayed," he corrected when Bryce started shaking his head, "and I can tell you, it's hell. I don't wish that fate onto anyone." After his speech, he sat tiredly on the chair near the couch, burying his head in his hands.
After a few minutes, Bryce finally broke the silence, "She didn't."
"What?" Chuck asked, glancing at him.
"She didn't love me."
Chuck didn't know why, but his chest felt lighter at Bryce's statement. "How do you know?"
Bryce smiled sadly. "I just do. It never felt totally… right. I tried to convince myself that with time she would fall in love with me, but that never happened. I guess when it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. And she'll probably shoot me the next time she sees me," he added with a small smile.
Chuck felt bad for Bryce. Even though he hadn't quite forgiven him about what he had done back in Stanford, he could understand his reasons. And he had given up their friendship in order to do what he considered was the right thing, just like he had given up his relationship with Sarah to protect her. If he thought about it, it only made him realize how sad and lonely Bryce's life really was and now he knew he wasn't a complete bastard, he actually felt sorry for him. But he had a job to do too. He was a government Agent and in front of him was the CIA's most wanted man. He sighed. "Look, Bryce, I'm sorry about all the things you had to do to protect our country. The truth is; nobody deserves that kind of life. But there's also one issue: I'm now an Agent and I have to arrest you. That means that, sooner or later, your cover will be blown and FULCRUM will know you were double-crossing them."
"It's ok. As long as I hand myself over the CIA, I'll be fine. I just have to make sure there are no FULCRUM Agents involved that could alert the others to come after me before I speak to Graham."
"Well, that's not a problem. Casey and I can go with you and take you directly to him." Chuck said. Bryce nodded his agreement and started to stand up when Chuck asked, "Bryce… do you know Orion?"
Bryce's wide eyes gave Chuck the answer. "Chuck," he said after a few seconds, "I didn't know at the time. I didn't know he was your father."
Chuck just swallowed hard. "Did you ever talk to him?"
"Yes. He communicated with me after Stanford. He thanked me for… you know…" he trailed off and Chuck nodded. "Chuck…" Bryce stood up and looked him in the eyes, "he had to go, he never wanted to leave you guys. He never actually said it, but I could tell he regretted it."
"Thanks, Bryce. Let me go find Casey and we'll take you to Graham so we can end this." Chuck took his tranq gun, put it in the waistband of his pants and went over to Casey's.
The Major opened the door and said, "This better be good, Carmichael, I was about to go to sleep."
"Yeah, I can tell, Casey," Chuck said, glancing at him. He looks like Dennis the menace's father in those pajamas. "Look, I wouldn't have interrupted your precious sleep unless there's something important we need to do." Casey glared at him, impatiently. "There's something important we need to do right now, Casey. But before I tell you anything, you have to promise me you're not going to shoot him."
Casey narrowed his eyes. "Him? Who are you talking about, Carmichael?"
Chuck lifted a single finger at him and said, "Promise me or I won't tell you."
"Fine, I promise. Now spill."
"When I came into my apartment, someone was waiting for me inside. Someone who might have gotten away in a helicopter tonight." He waited for Casey's response.
"Larkin is here? What the hell were you thinking, Carmichael, he could have killed you! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Ok, ok, stop. First of all, I'm alive. And I'm an Agent now, so I can take care of myself. Would you need back up to get into your own apartment?" Casey only grunted and Chuck continued, "Second of all, and get ready for the big surprise, he's not rogue."
"Not rogue my ass, Carmichael," Casey said trying to push Chuck and go across the hallway. Chuck did the best he could to stop him without flashing. He was sure Casey wouldn't appreciate Chuck knocking him out and he most certainly would make him pay.
"Stop, Casey. I swear, he told me everything and I believe him." Casey kept pushing, not listening to Chuck's words. "Hey! Stop!" Chuck yelled. The Major must've been shocked by that, because he stopped pushing him. "Look, I don't think anyone would like to get him in jail more than me, Casey, but I tell you, he's telling the truth. He wants to talk to Graham, but he needs to be sure nobody from FULCRUM finds out before he tells him everything. So we need to take him right now, ok?"
Casey grunted. "Ok, let me change."
"Ok, take your time. We'll be at my apartment." Chuck said, as he got into his house again.
Bryce was looking at the photos he had standing in the living room. He glanced at Chuck when he heard the door. "How's Ellie?" he asked.
"Oh, she's fine. She's working at a hospital back in L.A. and lives with her boyfriend." Chuck pointed at the photo Bryce was looking at, "That's him, right there. He's a doctor too."
Bryce smiled. "Good for her. I still haven't found a better cook."
"And you probably won't. She only gets better at it," Chuck said with a grin, proud of his sister.
"Chuck, about the Intersect… I'm sorry I forced you to become a field Agent. I'm sorry that you had to give up your life and do something you never wanted to do."
"Look, Bryce, the truth is I'm not completely comfortable with this yet, but I like what I do. I like the idea of doing something that makes a difference and helps people. So yes, it would've been nice to have the chance to choose but without the Intersect, I probably wouldn't have this job. So let's just leave it at that, okay? We have a long night ahead of us." Right that moment, Casey opened the door and got in.
"Sure, Casey, come on in," Chuck quipped, but Casey ignored him.
"I've been looking for you, Larkin," he said.
"So I've heard, Casey." Bryce answered. "But don't be too hard on yourself, everyone gets slower with age," he added with a smirk, to Chuck's horror.
Before Bryce could react, Casey was launching himself at him. Luckily, Chuck was fast enough to get between them. "Casey, you promised you wouldn't hurt him!" he said, trying to stop the very angry Major from attacking his ex-friend.
"No, I promised I wouldn't shoot him…" he grunted, while trying to take a swing at Bryce.
Chuck yelled again, since it had proven to be effective before. "Enough. Let's be adults here, ok?"
When Casey finally calmed down, he added: "Let's take him to Graham." Casey just nodded, not wanting to speak and the three of them left the apartment.
The ride to the CIA headquarters was full of awkwardness, in Chuck's opinion, but it didn't seem to bother Casey or Bryce. Then again, he had never been in a car with an ex-friend who happened to be a CIA Agent who pretended to be rogue and the guy who had failed to kill him twice. Three times, if we add tonight, Chuck thought.
They had called Graham on their way, so he was already waiting for them, just like Beckman and…
"Sarah?" Oh, God, this can't be good. She was stiffly sitting in her chair and she barely looked at them when they got into the room.
"Chuck, Casey," she said with a cold voice. She then glared at Bryce, but didn't say anything else. She's so pissed, Chuck thought. He had been sure Ellie's rage was the most frightening thing he had ever seen in his life, but Sarah was like a volcano about to erupt, and that scared the crap out of him. He just hoped she wouldn't shoot, stab or harm Bryce in any other way in front of him. He didn't think he could forget that. And considering the state that Sarah seemed to be in, he doubted that if she did decide to end Bryce's life, it would be in as bloody a way as possible. Chuck didn't deal with blood too well.
Graham cleared his throat, garnering everyone's attention, but Beckman was the one who spoke. "So, Mr. Larkin," the fact that he had been stripped from his title made abundantly clear, "Agent Carmichael told us you have a story to tell us. Why don't you proceed so we can end this soon?"
And Bryce did. He told them everything like he had told Chuck. He explained how FULCRUM had contacted him, how he had found out about the Intersect and how he had blown it up. He told them about the flash drive and everything that had happened on the roof earlier that night.
"I know how it must look now. I know you all think I'm a traitor, but I would've never betrayed my country like that. When I finally found out about what was really going on, I was in too deep, so I couldn't turn myself in. All I did, I did because it was the right thing to do. And I'm willing to share any piece of information I have to take down FULCRUM." Bryce finally stopped talking and the room filled with silence. Graham and Beckman shared a look and they both nodded at the same time.
"You are a true patriot, Agent Larkin," Beckman said, "and we'd be honored to have you working with us again. But first, you'll have to tell us everything you know about FULCRUM. Then we'll give you your next assignment."
"What?" Five heads turned to look at the blonde who had spoken. "You're just going to give him a pat on the back and put him back in the field?"
"What do you mean, Agent Walker?" Graham asked.
"Sarah…" Bryce started, but she just ignored him.
"I mean we should look into his story to make sure he's not actually gone rogue and playing us for fools."
"And we will, Agent Walker, don't worry. We'll take care of this. You, and Agents Casey and Carmichael can go home and get some sleep."
Sarah's mouth dropped in a shocked and offended expression, but before she could say something, Chuck intervened. "We will, General, thank you very much," he said before grabbing Sarah by her arm, dragging her out of the room to the hallway, with Casey following them.
Sarah yanked her arm from his grip and started to walk at a brisk pace. There they go again, Casey thought. "Hey, Carmichael, you need a ride?"
Chuck was already going after her and he didn't stop when he answered, "No, thanks, Casey, I'll walk!"
He finally managed to stop her near the exit. "Sarah, Sarah, wait."
She didn't turn to say, "Not in the mood, Chuck, let it go."
He didn't. "I will as soon as you look at me in the eye and tell me you're ok."
She turned to face him, ready to give him a piece of her mind when she met his kind, worried look. The words died on her throat and she just clenched her jaw and sighed in defeat.
"Sarah, I'm here, please talk to me," he begged.
"I don't want to talk, Chuck, I just want to go home and get some sleep," she said tiredly.
"Ok, I'll go with you."
"What?" She asked, confused.
"I'll walk you to your apartment and make sure you're fine when you get there and then I'll leave. Is that ok?"
"I came in the Porsche, Chuck."
"Fine, you'll drive us to your apartment, I'll go up with you and as soon as you close the door, I'll leave. Better?"
Sarah wanted to scream at his condescending tone, but she also wanted to hug him. Why, she had no clue, but seeing as how she wasn't going to get rid of him or get even close to understanding her stupid impulses any time soon, she conceded. "Fine, suit yourself."
She started to walk towards the exit without waiting for him. The sun was rising and she was beyond exhausted. She wasn't going to get into a fight with Chuck after all that had happened, so she kept quiet the entire ride. She could tell Chuck was uncomfortable, but then again, he was always uncomfortable when he couldn't talk for like two minutes. Why does he always want to talk about everything anyway? She had learned a long time ago that there was nothing better to take off her frustration than a punching bag or a trip to the shooting range. She glanced at him and saw he was looking down, fidgeting with his hands, clearly dying to say something. She let out an amused sigh. "What?"
He looked up at her. "What, what?"
"You want to talk. So talk. You're making me nervous."
"I'm not doing anything. And you said you didn't want to talk," he countered.
"I don't, but you do, so spill it."
"I have nothing to say, Sarah," he stated.
She glared at him and then looked back at the road. A smile slowly started to form on her face, until she couldn't hold back anymore, and started laughing. Chuck quickly joined her, both amused at their childish exchange. She parked the car and got out. Still smiling, Chuck joined her at the front door of her building and they both got into the elevator. It wasn't uncomfortable anymore, and both had matching grins when they reached her floor. I don't know how he does it, but I always end up smiling like a fool when he's around. She only just remembered why she was mad before and that was only because it was kind of huge, but her anger had dissipated. At least for now. She opened her apartment and she got in, but Chuck stood in the doorway. He was standing with his hands buried in the front pockets of his jeans and bouncing a little on his feet.
"So, you're going to be fine?" he asked with an adorable smile.
She had to cross her arms to prevent herself from throwing them around his neck. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I am, Chuck."
"Ok, I'll be going now. Sleep tight," he told her and started to walk away.
"No, you're not going anywhere," she said, and he stopped and turned to look at her inquisitively. "I have a spare room, it's already morning and I am not letting you walk to your apartment. And I'm not going to drive you either because that would be completely ridiculous, considering we just got here. So come on in, I'll show you to the room."
"I could take a cab, you know," he said, grinning, but he still stepped into the apartment and closed the door.
"Yeah, but this way I don't have to worry about the Intersect wandering the streets," she replied playfully.
"Ouch," he said, faking a grimace. "Just when I thought you were starting to care about me again."
She turned around and told him "I don't know what gave you that impression, Bartowski. But for the record, all I care about is the super computer in your head."
"Seriously, stop. My heart is broken," he dramatically said, taking a hand to his heart.
She giggled and pointed to the room in front of her. "Here we are. Everything's set and clean. I change these sheets every week, so you don't have to worry about anything."
"You have a lot of visitors?" he inquired.
"No, but sometimes Carina crashes here when she's in town and she's not the kind that lets you know she's coming until she's passed out in front of you."
Chuck remembered they had left her at the club. "Speaking of Carina, where is she? Wasn't she going to stay here tonight?" he asked, worried.
"I think she found a way to keep herself entertained for a while. She didn't even notice we had left and she hasn't called to yell at me about it, so I'd say she's fine."
"Ok, then. I'm just going to…" he pointed awkwardly to the bed.
"Oh, sure. I'll let you…" she nodded and walked out of the room.
"Goodnight, Sarah," she heard Chuck calling. She smiled and bit her lower lip. "Goodnight, Chuck."
Sarah couldn't sleep. She was very tired, but her mind wouldn't let her stop thinking about the events of the night. And she wasn't even thinking about the important parts, like the ex-boyfriend who had reappeared in her life. No, she was thinking about the guy who was currently sleeping in her guest room. She turned to face the ceiling. Chuck had been there for her since the very first time she had met him. She still remembered how he had saved her from those bullies in high school. He had been her first friend; her only friend growing up. He had seen beyond the braces and the bad haircut and taken the time to get to know her, when nobody else had given her a second glance before unless it was to insult her. And even when she had left without a proper explanation, when destiny -or faith, or whatever the hell it was- had brought them together again, he was just as kind as he had been when they were kids. And she had been horrible to him, pretending she didn't know him, and then trying to be distant. But he had smiled his way into her life again and now, all she could see when she closed her eyes was his goofy grin and his warm brown eyes. She growled in frustration. She had never spent that much time thinking about anyone. Not even in ninth grade, when she had developed that ridiculous crush on Max Evans. She turned to her side, recalling the feeling she had every time Chuck said something nice. That feeling in her stomach that made her feel like she was going to be sick, yet also felt so nice at the same time. A smile crept into her face and she was horrified to find herself smiling like a crazy person, alone and at… 5:30 A.M. I need help! she thought after glancing at the clock on her nightstand. She sighed and closed her eyes. This time, when Chuck's face appeared in her mind, she didn't fight it. And with that last image, she finally fell asleep.
Sarah woke up at noon, agitated and a little flushed. She hoped with her entire being she didn't talk in her sleep, because she would never be able to get over the embarrassment of the dream she'd just had, which may or may not had involved a certain person sleeping just a few feet away. Shaking her head and trying to get over it, she got dressed and went to the kitchen. Luckily, Chuck was still asleep.
She turned on her laptop and was checking her emails when Chuck stepped into the living room. His hair was a mess and his eyes weren't completely open yet. She had never seen anything cuter in her whole life. Again, she had to restrain herself from giving up all pretenses and launching herself at him.
"Hi," he said groggily, smiling sheepishly at her.
She had to look away. She didn't know what was going on with that body of hers, but she had lost all control over it. She turned her back to him and asked: "You want anything to eat? It's late, so we should probably skip breakfast and have lunch."
"What? No way, I haven't skipped breakfast since I was eight, I think, and I only did that to piss my dad off. It's the most important meal of the day, so we have to have breakfast," he said, matter-of-factly.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes, but asked anyway "Ok, what do you want for breakfast?"
"How about some eggs and bacon? Oh, and French toast!" he said animatedly.
Sarah snorted. "Chuck, I don't even have any of those things…"
"No problem, I saw a grocery store across the street, I'll go get everything we need. I'll be right back."
"Chuck," she called, trying to stop him, but he was already at the door. She sighed. Apparently, Chuck was going to make her cook despite her protests.
Chuck crossed the street with a grin on his face. It was the second time in two days he was going to have breakfast with Sarah. Sarah. He had barely slept, thinking she was just a few feet away from him. But he had seen the hurt look in her eyes, even though she had tried to mask it with her indifferent attitude. She was obviously affected by Bryce's return, but she didn't want to talk about it, and he wasn't going to force her. He thought about how… normal she had been at the club, dancing and laughing and having a good time. He hated that she hadn't been like that in a long time. He could see that she hadn't really been happy, every time he glanced at her and saw a dark expression clouding her beautiful eyes. Even Carina was shocked at Sarah's demeanor at the club, although she had pointed it out rather crudely. His mind inevitably drifted to the dance floor and the way she moved while they were dancing. It was no use in denying it, he felt attracted to her. So attracted that he'd had to make a conscious effort not to grab her and kiss her right then and there. Then again, he had seen how every man had looked at her. She had to be aware of the effect she had on every straight guy. And even when he wanted nothing more than hold her, kiss her and screw the consequences, it wasn't that simple. First of all, she hadn't shown any sign of being attracted to him. Second of all, she was her friend and partner. He couldn't risk making a move and ruin things between them, because that would only make things weird in their personal relationship, and it would also mess with their professional one. So, basically, I get to do nothing until another James Bond comes along and takes her away from me, he thought bitterly. He couldn't bear the thought of Sarah being with another guy, kissing another guy, smiling to another guy. Ever since they had met again, he lived for that smile. Every time he made her laugh was a little victory in his book. He hadn't thought he would ever be able to get over Jill and Stanford, but all of that seemed so… small now. He had a job, a real job, where he got to do important things, and he had never felt for Jill what he felt for Sarah. It was like he needed to protect her, guard her from anything that could harm her. And he'd done that when he tried to save her from being shot the past night. He didn't think about anything but her when he launched himself at her, because Sarah getting hurt just wasn't an option to him.
He paid the cashier and headed to Sarah's apartment. When he got in, she had already made coffee, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Sarah?" he called, but when he heard no response, he went to look for her. When he was in the hallway he heard the water running in the bathroom, so he figured it was his turn to make breakfast. Again.
Ten minutes later, Sarah joined him. She was barefoot and wearing a pair of jeans and a red tank top, and she was drying her hair with a towel.
"Oh, so now everything's ready, you decide to show up," Chuck said, grinning at her.
With the most innocent expression she could make, she told him: "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Chuck narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, sure. Next time, you cook, Walker."
She chuckled and sat at the table while he finished the last touches. Chuck joined her five minutes later.
"Wow, Chuck, you're an amazing cook," she said sincerely.
He blushed a little. "I'm not that good. Breakfast, I can manage, but bigger things, not so much. Ellie is the food genius in the Bartowski family."
Sarah smiled. "I don't know, I think you're just saying that so I don't force you to cook me dinner some time." As soon as she spoke, her eyes widened in realization of what she just said. Chuck just stared at her, a slight frown in his face. She blushed and looked down. Oh, stop behaving like a thirteen year old girl! Look at him!
When she finally met his eyes, he grinned and said, "I could make dinner some time. But you'd have to make dessert." Her confused look turned into a smile as he spoke. He started wagging his finger at her. "And no Rocky road this time, something made by you!"
"Oh, you don't think I can do that?" she playfully asked.
He pretended to think about it. "Meh, I don't know. I mean, you're obviously a capable woman, just look at your job, but I'm not sure if you can deal with this kind of stuff. Normal stuff, I mean." He knew he got her exactly where he wanted her to be when she narrowed her eyes.
She knew he was teasing her, but Sarah Walker never ran from a dare. Pretending to be offended, she said, "Oh, is that so? Name the date, Bartowski."
He grinned. Had she just agreed to go on a date with him? "How about tomorrow night?"
She smiled brightly at him. Had he just asked her on a date? "Perfect. That way I can get everything I need. When you try what I'm planning to make, you're going to beg for my forgiveness."
His mind inexorably drifted off to a completely different kind of dessert and a completely different kind of begging. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Ok, so it's set. Your place or mine?"
"You're making dinner, so yours." He gave her a look. "What? It's only fair," she said, shrugging innocently.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he glanced at her and asked her what was on his mind. "So… how are you?"
She stared at what was left of her food and shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Sarah…," Chuck started, "if you don't want to talk to me, that's ok, but promise me you will talk to someone. There's no way you can be 'ok' after your ex-boyfriend shows up the way he did. And I don't buy it after the way you treated us all last night."
Sarah let out a frustrated sigh. "Ok, then how about you? This is the guy who ruined your life, screwed your girlfriend and got you expelled from college. How are you?" she asked in a harsh tone.
Chuck laughed quietly. "Well, at first, I was pissed to find out he had broken into my apartment. I even punched him a few times. And I know I shouldn't but I'm kind of proud I did." She stared at him, slack jawed. The idea of Chuck actually having even one bone in his body that was violent struck her as ridiculous. But she couldn't help herself and grinned a little. "But then, we talked. And as it turns out, he had a reason to do everything he did." When he saw the skeptical look in her face, he added, "He didn't sleep with Jill, if that's what you're thinking."
"Chuck, he could have lied to you," Sarah insisted.
"Yeah, but everything he said made sense. He got me expelled because the CIA was going to recruit me and he didn't think I was going to survive. I'm not justifying his actions, but he meant well. I'm still angry at him for not telling me anything, but I believe him. His actions reminded me of the guy I used to know back in Stanford," he said with a shrug and looked at her expectantly.
Sarah couldn't believe what Chuck had just told her, but he was looking at her with his puppy-dog eyes, so she acquiesced. "Ok…" I can't believe I'm about to do this, she thought, shaking her head. "I'm angry. When I saw him coming through that door, I wanted to shoot him."
Chuck smiled. "He said you'd want to do that."
Sarah clenched her jaw. "Well, he was right, but he's still an asshole. And I don't want to see him ever again."
He chuckled. "I wonder what his mission is going to be after our superiors check his story."
"Don't know, couldn't care less," she answered in a cold tone.
Chuck rolled his eyes, amused. "Ok, I got it. You're done sharing. It wasn't that bad, was it?"
Sarah just glared at him. They cleaned the table and he went to do the dishes, but she stopped him. "It's my turn. After all, I bailed on you with breakfast."
He grinned. "Ok, I'll see you tomorrow then, unless anything comes up at work."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," she answered.
He reached the door and said, "Bye, Sarah."
"Bye, Chuck."
When Chuck arrived at his building, he stopped by Casey's to see if there was any update on the FULCRUM situation.
"Nothing yet. They're probably trying to track the flash drive. If Larkin was telling the truth, it has important information and we're going to need it back as soon as possible." Casey eyed him from head to toe. "Did you just get here?"
Chuck blushed, although he knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. "I wanted to make sure Sarah was ok, so when we got to her apartment she let me sleep in her guest room."
"Yeah, I bet she did," was Casey's sardonic reply.
"What?" Chuck asked.
"It's none of my business. Just make sure your lady feelings don't screw up my missions and we're fine," he said.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Casey." Oh, my God, is it that obvious? Even Frankenstein's monster here knows!
Yeah, he has no clue, the moron. Casey would've never admitted it, but he kind of liked his partners, so he thought he may be able to help. "Keep telling yourself that, Bartowski. She's obviously thinking about chocolate and peanut butter. It should be clear, even for you."
Chuck's eyes widened in shock. Even Casey noticed that Sarah had been acting really weird. "Yeah she has been acting a little weird lately."
He knew the kid was slow, but he didn't know he could be so dense. Still, if he still didn't get it after all this time, maybe there wasn't any hope to begin with. He'd just let it play out and see where the chips would fall.
Chuck was torn. He wanted to help Sarah, he really did. But should he confront her? If the Major saw it as well, maybe they could do it together. Then again, despite the fact that she had been distant towards Chuck in the beginning of his career as an Agent, she had been opening up again as of late. It was almost like back at high school. So maybe he could be the one to confront her. "Thanks for the word of advice, Casey. I'll go talk to her about it soon."
"Whatever moron, just see to it that it doesn't interfere with the job." Maybe he got the hint after all. When he went inside, a smile slowly formed in the Major's face. He had read both his partners' files. They were good people that had been through a lot, and somehow, in a world of lies, covers and violence, they had managed to find each other. He couldn't know how it was going to turn out, neither could them, but he had seen how they worked in the field. They really cared for each other, and that was a rare occurrence in their line of work. He just wished it wouldn't come to a point where they had to choose between the job and each other.
He knew everybody thought of him like a cold-blooded killer, and he was, most of the time; after all, he had a reputation to maintain. But he also carried his burden. He opened his wallet and found a picture of a young woman with blue eyes, his blue eyes, smiling at him. He sighed.
Yes, that was a hard choice, and you only got to make it once.
A/N: and that's it for now. What did you think? Please, let me know by leaving a review. Those are really appreciated :)
Until next time!