A.N.: Sorry it took so long, here's chapter 4. As before, big thanks for my reviewers and biggest thanks for my beta, KittyGoddess415. This story certainly wouldn't be as good without her invaluable help.
Couple of things...I am bumping the rating to M. This chapter has a few f-bombs and the violence might be a little uncomfortable for some people. Nothing too bad, though. And I am trying the horizontal rules for separating different scenes/views since this stupid editor seems to have a mind of its own when it comes to line breaks. Thanks for sticking with the story and please review. It really means a lot to me.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or anything else to which I might make a cultural reference.
As Casey walked out of the room, Sarah looked around and patted her hands on the bed in nervousness. God, what would he say to her? At one point in time, she was not going to leave, no matter her orders. They were in love. Neither one of them had really said it but both of them knew it. Then, she took the reassignment without a fight. Beckman's argument was compelling but still, she should have fought for them.
Sarah looked up as the door to her room opened and Carmichael hesitantly walked in. Oh my God, she thought as she drank him in. Oh my God, he looks good!
Carmichael was still in his BDU pants and was wearing a form-fitting black t-shirt that accented his muscular frame. The curly mop was gone, replaced by a much shorter wavy cut. His face was shadowed by a two day growth and it held a small cautious smile that, to Sarah's dismay, didn't reach the rest of his face. That was the one thing Sarah had missed most of all…that megawatt smile. She was going to put that smile back on that face if it was the last thing she did.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Carmichael let out a shaky breath. "It's good to see you, though the circumstances kind of suck."
"Yeah, not exactly the way I had pictured our reunion," Sarah said sadly. She had played that scenario in her head a thousand times. They always ended up naked.
The two of them were silent for a moment. Sarah was not sure if she had ever seen Chuck Bartowski at a loss for words.
Carmichael finally broke the silence. "So what have you been up to?"
Sarah looked at him a little confused. "You mean you don't know?"
Now, it was Carmichael's turn to be confused. He just shook his head.
"Hello, the Intersect? Knows all, sees all?" Sarah tapped the side of her forehead.
"Hmm, they excluded your data from my refreshes."
Sarah nodded. That would make sense. "I'm out of deep cover and I was headed back to DC but I had to see you. See how you were."
"I'm well," said Carmichael guardedly.
"How are Ellie and Devon?" asked Sarah.
"As far as I know, fine. I haven't seen them in a while. Work's been busy. Saving the world is a full time job but you know that, right?" he said somewhat spitefully.
"Damn it, Chuck, I didn't want to go. It was orders."
Carmichael's eyes flashed with emotion for the first time since he had entered the room. "Orders? Really? A few months before, you were ignoring orders. You went rogue for me. You were going to quit the CIA for me. When did orders become so goddamn important?"
"I was following orders for you. For your good," Sarah said quickly.
Carmichael started to open his mouth and then closed it. His expression hardened and his voice became emotionless. "Well, it doesn't matter, what's done is done. Right now, you need to rest. Once you're discharged, we can get you debriefed so you can be on your way. The captured agent has been pretty talkative and if he can be believed, you being snatched was just a fluke. Wrong place at the wrong time."
Sarah nodded, letting the comment slide. On my way? "They didn't seem to be very bright. Most of their questions revolved around why I was in LA. Nothing about my last assignment or the Intersect."
"They weren't bright. Not only did they snatch you for no specific reason but then they went blabbing about it on an unsecured cell phone. That's how we found out about you…an ECHELON intercept."
"Well, thank God for the NSA but don't tell Casey I said that," chuckled Sarah.
Carmichael looked at her blankly. "You know, you should have let your bosses know you were stopping in LA. One of the CIA's top operatives shouldn't be running around off the grid."
Sarah looked at Carmichael sadly and gave him mock salute. "Aye aye, Cap'n." She smiled slightly. "You didn't used to be such a stickler for the rules."
Carmichael's face was still impassive. "Yeah, well, look where it got me."
Sarah looked distressed and went to speak but Carmichael held up his hand. "Look, that's all ancient history and you're supposed to be resting. I'm going to go clean up and I'll be back here in the morning to pick you up and get you debriefed. I'm leaving an agent to keep an eye on you so go to sleep and that's an order." Without waiting for a response, he slipped out the door and he was gone.
Sarah just sat there looking dumbfounded. What the hell just happened? That did not go at all like she had envisioned. Crap.
Sarah and Chuck were walking in the park. These were the times when things between them had been perfect. How could she have left him? She felt his sudden absence and looked around for him. Suddenly, Sarah saw him. Chuck was standing there with the agent's head in a headlock. He reached behind the agent's head and gave it a violent wrench. As the agent's head lolled at an unnatural angle, Chuck looked at Sarah and said, "I did it for you, Sarah." He gestured at the field and she saw bodies strewn everywhere.
"I did it all for you," continued Chuck as he dropped the agent's body.
Sarah sat straight up in the bed as she drew in a raspy breath. She did not scream. Screaming was a sure way to attract attention and, in her business, that was a good way to get dead, but she was sweating profusely. As she looked around for a cloth, Sarah spotted him. Chuck was sitting in a chair across the room, asleep.
He came back, Sarah thought. That's good, right? Chuck wouldn't stay here for days sleeping in an uncomfortable chair for just anyone, would he?
Sarah did not think so. I should just go get him and bring him back to bed. But she didn't. Her heart had not ached this much since the day she left.
She let out a quiet sigh as she lay back on the bed and turned her head so she could see him. Chuck had changed quite a bit physically. That certainly wasn't a bad thing but it wasn't important. Chuck was the near legendary Delta.
How was I ever lucky enough to come across the likes of Chuck Bartowski? He was brilliant, brave beyond measure, and simply the best human being she had ever known. Chuck was absolutely capable of doing all of the things she had heard about Delta but her fear was that this life had taken his humanity, his goodness, what made him such a wonderful man. And it was my fault. My own damn stupid fault
Sarah knew people would point out that she had saved his life. If she had not sacrificed her future with Chuck and allowed herself to be reassigned, he would have been terminated.
Damned if I did, damned if I didn't. What was I supposed to do? Grab him and run. That's what I should've done. Sarah had done it once when the stakes weren't as high. Why had she caved to Beckman? The only thing she could figure was that she was overwhelmed, close to a nervous breakdown, and she did what she always did when things got tough emotionally…she ran. Bryce was dead...did I love him, did I ever love him? Sarah thought she had that all figured out until she saw his body in the Intersect room.
Sarah's mind kept railing at her. You are definitely in love with Chuck and had chosen him. For once in your life, you were being selfish and thinking about your happiness. But all of that was ripped away from you. Then the government you had sacrificed so much for told you that they were going to terminate the man you loved unless he started performing and his fate was in your hands. It all had been too much.
What she had done seemed selfless but she had been a coward. Within days, Sarah knew she had made a mistake but it was too late. She was on her way to her deep cover assignment and to pull out at that point would have possibly cost many lives and negated the lives already sacrificed in pursuit of that mission.
From the day she had realized her mistake, Sarah was making plans for her return and hoped in her heart that Chuck would wait on her even though he did not know she was coming back. But coming back she was and she worked her ass off day after day to get back as quickly as possible. Now she was back and she wanted Chuck. People seldom got a first chance at this kind of love, much less a second, and she would be damned if she would blow it. Feeling more satisfied with herself and her decisions than she had in a long time, Sarah slowly drifted back to sleep.
Carmichael silently watched Sarah sleep. She looked so innocent with her sleep tousled hair. Sarah, why are you here? There's no doubt I loved you but I'm not the same guy you fell in love with. I'm not sure I'm capable of love anymore.
Sarah stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Carmichael.
"Hey, you came back," she said, happily.
"I don't sleep much," said Carmichael. "I figured I'd come in and let the duty agent off early."
Sarah's smile slowly disappeared. She had hoped he was back because of her.
Carmichael seemed unaffected by her waning happiness. "Well, you're being cut loose. What are your plans? After you're debriefed, that is."
"Well, my plan was to stay a few days and visit with you and Casey…maybe, go see Ellie and Devon."
Carmichael gave a low whistle. "I'm not so sure visiting Ellie is a good idea. You're not one of her favorite people."
"I get that. I just wish I could explain the circumstances," Sarah said wistfully. "I might go anyway. You know I love Ellie like a sister."
"Okay, what are your immediate plans?"
"I guess look for a hotel…," she began. Carmichael stopped her.
"No, you'll stay with me. Until we're certain the kidnapping was just a fluke, it'll be better if we keep you in a controlled environment."
Sarah smiled widely and nodded. She definitely did not have a problem with that.
"Good, that's settled. I'll get a nurse to get that IV out so you can get dressed. We recovered your luggage. It's in there." Carmichael nodded toward a closet. "See you outside."
Carmichael pushed out into the sterile hall. He stole a quick glance back and forth. This was not Devon's hospital and Ellie was in private practice now but you could never tell. He walked up to the nurse's station and asked to have someone step in and remove Sarah's IV. Walking back across the hall, he leaned back against the wall next to the entrance to Sarah's room. Carmichael pulled out his phone and hit speed dial.
"Casey, secure."
"Carmichael, secure. We're about to leave here, headed to my apartment."
"Damn, Walker blows into town and she's got you playing house already."
"Shut up. It's more secure if she stays there."
"She'd be even more secure at Camelot."
"I'm not going to make her sleep in a detention cell."
"Hmph. So, how long is Walker staying?"
"She says a few days. We can get her debriefed in the morning.
"Hmm, she probably plans on de-briefing you tonight."
"Do you ever quit?"
"Nope. So, you going to sleep in that ratty recliner of yours? Last I remember, you only got one bed."
"I'm well aware I only have one bed. CIA's bringing in some stuff."
"Well, that's just a waste of taxpayer's money. Seeing as only one's probably gonna end up getting used."
"Very funny, laugh it up. I'll call you the morning."
Carmichael stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Stupid Casey.
Sarah looked around at the inside of the car as Carmichael wheeled out of the hospital parking lot.
"A Crown Vic? Really?
Carmichael looked amused. "Yes, really. First of all, it's not mine, it's government issue and second, it's perfect for what we do. It's nondescript and has a trunk big enough to carry a whole assault team."
Sarah shook her head, bemused. "I'm sorry but speed is the most important thing in a car to me."
"This is a police interceptor model so believe me, it has plenty of speed. And I had a few modifications made," said Carmichael. "Oh, are you hungry?"
"Starved. The hospital food was starting to get to me."
"Good. I called ahead for pizza. Supreme sans olives. That okay?" asked Carmichael.
Sarah smiled. He hadn't forgotten. Maybe this wasn't a lost cause, after all.
"Perfect."
Thomas Riley was not sure how he had gotten talked into taking the wife and kids out for pizza. It had been a long week. He just wanted to kick back and drink a beer or six. The damn boss had been riding his ass all week and now he had to listen to his wife and the screaming brats. His life sucked.
Thomas eked out a modest living as a sheet metal fabricator for a local air conditioning and heating company but that had not always been his life. He had been a mechanical engineer, working for one of the most prestigious firms in Los Angeles but unfortunately, one night, as Thomas returned home from work, a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into the side of his car.
Rushed to the hospital, it seemed that Thomas had been very lucky as he was released a few hours later with a slight concussion. However, if they had gone to the trouble of doing a brain scan, they would have noticed a marked decrease in activity in Thomas's left temporal lobe.
Thomas became an angry person, prone to violent outbursts. Over the next couple of years, his life headed downhill as medications and treatments did nothing to help. His bursts of anger cost him his job and eventually caused him to be shunned by the engineering community as a whole. His wife, Whitney, stuck by his side, claiming that none of this was his fault. Regrettably, his issues kept him from seeing the sacrifices his wife was making.
And right now, somebody was going to be doing some serious regretting if they didn't shut the hell up.
"Will you shut those goddamn kids up before I stop this car and shut them up myself?" Thomas growled quietly. His vision was starting to take on a red tinge like it always did before his most violent episodes. He was trying to keep his anger in check, he really was but those damn kids just…would…not…shut…up.
"Guys, hey guys! Be quiet. Dad's trying to drive," Whitney begged. Thank God, we're here, she thought as Thomas turned into the parking lot of the pizzeria. Having people around would go a long way toward curbing his anger.
But, it was too late and Thomas was too far gone. He screeched to a halt and bailed out of the car with Whitney not far behind him. Jerking open the door to the back seat, he reached in, making a grab for his oldest son. Whitney came up behind Thomas and grabbed him by the arm.
"Please, Thomas, they'll be good. I promise. Let's go in and get you a beer. You deserve it," pleaded Whitney.
The minute she touched his arm, Whitney realized her mistake. Thomas swung around towards her, his face, an unrecognizable and indescribable mask. He didn't say anything, he didn't have to…his eyes said it all. For the first time in her existence, Whitney Riley was afraid for her life.
Finally, having wiggled the Crown Vic into a ridiculously small parking space, Carmichael put it into park and glanced out the window. What's going on over there? It appeared to be a man and woman arguing.
Suddenly, the man's fist lashed out and struck the woman, knocking her against the adjacent car and down on the ground. Carmichael hesitated for moment. Spies and operatives should not get involved in these types of things. Bad for the cover.
Now, the man was advancing on the woman, obviously intent on doing her more harm.
Shit, shit, shit.
Carmichael turned to Sarah. "Stay here."
Sarah, who had noticed the altercation as well, shook her head. "No. We shouldn't get involved. Somebody will call 911."
"We aren't getting involved. You are staying in the car. She could be dead by the time the cops get here. Can't let that happen."
"Be careful," Sarah said with resignation. She wanted to tell him she loved him.
Carmichael opened the car door. "No worries. We have it under control. Now, I'm going to put the car into defense mode. Once that's activated, it'll take nothing short of a Hellfire missile to get in here."
He stepped out and closed the door. Carmichael pointed a fob at the car and pushed a sequence of buttons. Sarah heard a series of clicks and a red light popped on with a beep. Carmichael turned and headed across the parking lot at a brisk pace.
Okay, the main thing is to talk him down, calm him down, give the cops time to get here.
Carmichael's mind was running through his options. He did not want to physically intervene as that would make it a lot harder to walk away from this with no undue attention from the few people that had gathered.
As he approached the scene, Carmichael made sure to maintain a respectable distance between him and the man. No need to spook him.
"Hey, man. Everything okay?"
"Mind your own fucking business." Thomas looked Carmichael up and down. Who is this moron?
"Look, when you decided to hit your wife in the middle of a public parking lot, it kind of became everybody's business. Why don't you and I go sit down and have a talk? Maybe one of these nice people will check on your wife," Carmichael said calmly.
"I think you need to go fuck yourself. This bitch has screwed with me for the last time," Thomas said shakily as turned back to Whitney. He was starting to tremble all over. Carmichael was losing him.
That was when Carmichael noticed a little girl push herself out of the backseat of the car and head for Thomas. To his dismay, Carmichael felt something that shouldn't be happening. A small tingle that started at the base of his skull and crept down the back of his neck, spreading to the rest of his body as it went. The Intersect was coming online, unbidden.
The little girl reached out and tugged on Thomas's pants leg. "Please, Daddy, don't hurt Mommy."
Thomas's head snapped around and, without thinking, his hand lashed out. The next instance, the little girl was laying on the ground, crying. Thomas turned his head back towards the moron. This is all his fault. He should have stayed out of it.
Just as he turned, Carmichael back-handed him. Hard. Carmichael boosted the slap, just a little, just enough so Thomas wouldn't forget it. Thomas was not likely to forget his fractured jaw for a while.
Thomas was knocked against his car, putting a dent in the fender, but he did not go down. After shaking his head, he threw himself at Carmichael. Another unfortunate symptom of his old brain injury was poor judgment.
Carmichael sidestepped Thomas, tripping him and at the same time, twisting and giving him a hard jab to the kidneys as he fell. This time, Thomas went to the ground, face first. He would not be likely to forget this either as the blood in his urine would be a periodic reminder for the next week.
He stood rigidly, waiting for Thomas to get up. Don't get up, don't get up, don't get up. Shit, he was trying to get up.
Carmichael began to speak quietly. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you know how lucky you are…"
Sarah began to panic. She had to get out there, get to Chuck, but she was locked in. Chuck had failed to mention that it would also take a Hellfire missile to get out as well. Sarah scanned the dashboard looking for some way to deactivate the car's defense mode. Damn it, she had been out of the high tech side of the game too long. She didn't recognize any of the…wait, there was something she recognized. The external surveillance processor. She might not be able to get out but at least she would be able to keep up with what was happening.
Sarah flipped it on and waited for the processor to filter the background noise and fixate on speech. She tuned it a touch until she got what she wanted.
"…lucky you are? You have a wife and kids that obviously love your sorry ass. Do you know what I would give for that? Do you? I should just do everybody a favor and kill you now. You good for nothing motherfucker."
Sarah's hand flew to her mouth. Oh my…oh…please God, don't let him do this…please.
Thomas had tried to get up but Carmichael planted an axe kick across his back, slamming him flat on the asphalt. His severely bruised T1, T2, and T3 vertebrae would be a constant reminder of his lack of judgment for the next three weeks.
Carmichael slowly approached Thomas. The world really would be better off without this worthless piece of shit. Unexpectedly, Thomas's little girl ran up and flung herself across her father.
She looked up at Carmichael with fear but there was a determined look in her eyes. "Please, mister. Don't hurt my Daddy anymore. He's sick. He can't help it."
A sudden burst of clarity hit Carmichael and the Intersect went quickly and completely offline. He looked around, blinking his eyes, noticing the size of the crowd for the first time. The little girl was still looking at him expectantly. Everybody was looking at him expectantly.
Carmichael opened his mouth but was struck mute. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Finally, he muttered, "I…I'm sorry," more to the little girl than anybody. Then he quickly spun around and headed for the Vic. Once in the car, he threw it in drive and squealed out of the parking lot.
The police arrived a few moments later. One of the officers started looking Thomas over while they waited for the ambulance. The officer whistled to himself. The wife and the daughter would be fine, but this guy would be hurting for a while. From what they had gleaned from the crowd, the bastard had deserved it. Punched the wife, slapped the daughter, and generally terrorized the rest of the children. It was a shame his wife probably wouldn't press charges.
And sadly, the husband probably would want to press charges against the Good Samaritan who had kept him from making the biggest mistake of his life. A bit violently, perhaps, but still…
The strangest thing was no one seemed to have gotten a good look at this guy. From a crowd of maybe, fifteen people, descriptions ran from short to tall, skinny to fat, fair to dark. Hell, one woman claimed he was Hispanic.
Descriptions for his car weren't any better. Everything from a Kia to a Hummer. The only person that had given them a precise description was Thomas Riley, but his mental state made him suspect.
The officer smiled to himself. Oh well, can't catch someone if you're not sure what they look like.