A/N: Hello again! Sorry for the delay in updating, but I was rather busy in the past week. Hopefully, this was worth the wait. I'd hate to disappoint you, considering all the support you keep giving me.
Chapter 12
Chuck woke up and the first thing he did was to glance at the alarm clock. It was still early, so he was happy at not having to rouse the woman spooned up against him. Said woman, of course, was none other than Sarah. Over the last ten days they had spent every night together, either in his or in her bed. Right now they were in her room at the Maison 23. Raising his head a little, he saw the happy smile on her face. She was obviously having a very nice dream and he only hoped he was in it. Maybe it was selfish, but he wanted to be right there with her, both in her conscious and her subconscious mind. He must have drifted off again at some point, because the next thing he knew was the alarm clock telling them to get up and start their day.
"Good morning beautiful," he told her when she opened her eyes and sent a tennis ball smack dab on the stop button of the alarm clock. It was her preferred method of turning it off without getting up – and the least destructive, too.
"I had a dream," she murmured, turning into him and nuzzling her face against the crook of his neck. "We were floating on a lily pad and a bunch of angels dressed as nerds were reciting positive reviews of your game and reading glowing sales reports."
"Really, Sarah? You dream about work?"
"It was mostly about how we congratulated each other on the success," she replied slyly, giving him a meaningful wink.
"You just gave me an idea."
"Tell me," she urged.
"When I create my next game, one of the lead characters will be based on you."
"I'm flattered, but based in what way exactly?"
"Let's just say that it will be the digital you, looks wise. You can do the voice, too, if you want to."
"I do want to. What girl would be given such a gift by her boyfriend and not go the whole nine yards? Not this one, thank you very much."
"I was hoping you'd say yes. With your sexy voice the game will be an even bigger success."
"You know how to compliment a girl, Chuck. Let's hit the shower now. I don't want to be late for work, but I want a little morning delight."
"You're forgetting one thing."
"What?"
"I can cover for you. Besides, with the extra time you're putting on the assignment, you can afford to be at the office late."
"Mr. Watkins might have something to say about that, I fancy."
"Give the man a little credit, Sarah. He's been with us for over fifteen years. He can tell that the work you're doing so far cannot possibly be done between nine and five on a work week. Ergo, he knows you're working at home, not to mention the late hours you've been putting in at the office."
"But I haven't stayed late for almost a week."
"Just because I keep dragging you out of there and taking you home," Chuck pointed out. "And since Graham is kind enough to leave me alone so far, even though my leave is technically over, I can enjoy your company as much as humanly possible."
Sarah flung the sheets off of her with a flourish and went to the bathroom. "Are you coming?" For good measure she threw a seductive glance at him.
"You don't even have to ask." He immediately got up and ran after her.
-o-
"What have you got for us, Danny Boy?" Ryker asked.
Shaw glared at him, but decided that a businesslike attitude was the best response. "I think we caught a break. It wasn't in Carmichael's report, but Sullivan, my man in records, came through." Shaw held up a printout. "It's the passenger manifest for Carmichael's executive jet as submitted by the pilot. There is a discrepancy with Carmichael's official report. In addition to his team it also lists a civilian passenger, but unnamed."
"He brought his contractor home with him."
"I wouldn't automatically assume that it's the contractor," Decker interjected.
"Sullivan says that there was an extra passenger on the Rome to Zurich and Zurich to DC flights. Odds are the extra was indeed the consultant."
"We're still not even remotely close to discovering this person's identity."
"Relax, Ryker. I gave Sullivan instructions on how to proceed."
"Do you mind telling us about them?"
"Not at all," Shaw smiled. "Basically, he's gonna pose as a DHS agent, contact the clowns at TSA and have them send video footage from the day of Carmichael's arrival in DC. We may get a usable shot of the person traveling with him and his team. We'll then run it through the databases and we'll see how it all plays out."
"Just tell your man to be discreet about his inquiries."
"We know how to cover our tracks," Shaw replied indignantly as he got up to leave. It was obvious that the only thing the three men had in common was greed. And right now their greatest fear was discovery of their secret. A secret someone could use to blackmail them. Worse, it might get into the hands of the CIA's internal affairs division and then they would be a lot more than neck deep in shit.
"What do you think?" Decker asked Ryker as soon as Shaw left.
"The kid is good, but I think he's too ambitious."
"I agree. We'll need to keep an eye on him and his friends."
"Maybe they can be useful patsies. If it goes south, we can take them all out and pin the rap on them."
"Not bad, my friend. We put all the blame on them, make it look like we uncovered the conspiracy and come out smelling of roses, with gold stars on our records courtesy of the Director himself."
-o-
"And last but not least, there is this three-bedroom apartment in Echo Park," the realtor said, turning the computer screen towards the couple sitting across from him. They both leaned in to take a closer look. "It's in a nice neighborhood," the realtor continued. "It has two parking spots, a large bathroom, storeroom, living room, kitchen and a study. It opens to the common courtyard, plus there is a small back yard, too."
"How big?"
"Big enough for, say, a grill."
"What do you think, John?"
"I think we should go see these properties, Kath."
"Yes we should. But from what I see this last one merits extra consideration. It's even closer to where I work than our current place, and it's also more convenient for Alex."
The big man nodded and turned to the realtor. "When can we check it out?"
"I have an opening in my schedule for today, after five, if you can make it."
"We can."
"Sir, may I ask you a question?"
"Shoot."
"I see you have an Annapolis ring. Are you in the Navy?"
"Marine Corps, actually," the man called John replied.
"I was in the Corps myself. Saw a little action in Desert Storm commanding a LAV-25 before I was sent home to recover from an injury incurred in a friendly fire incident."
"I was in Recon back then."
"See you tomorrow, sir, ma'am."
"Looking forward to it." The two men shook hands. Then the couple left to get their car.
"I honestly didn't expect to find so many affordable places so soon, Sugar Bear," Kath said.
"I know. I was surprised myself, but I guess it's a buyer's market." He handed her the folder containing the information on the houses they were interested in that the realtor had given them. "Do you have any one you want us to give extra consideration to?"
"The last one, the one on Franklin Street in Echo Park," Kath replied. "It looks like it's the best of the whole lot."
"We'll have to see it first, but I have to agree. It's also the most affordable. We can buy it outright."
"I love you John Casey." She stood on tiptoes and kissed him.
"I love you too, Kathleen Casey." He gallantly opened the door of the car for her and she got in. He scooted to the driver's side and soon they were on the way to do some necessary shopping and have lunch before going to pick up their daughter from school.
-o-
"I didn't see Chuck at all last night," Devon commented as he poured himself a cup of coffee in the break room.
"He probably stayed at Sarah's. They've been hot and heavy ever since they hooked up. I can't blame them, either. Just by looking at them I can tell that they are absolutely perfect for each other. And according to Mom Sarah is a model employee at Orion. They are really lucky to have her."
"You know, seeing them together reminds me of our own early days. Mark my words, babe. Before we know it, those two will be living together, under one roof – just like us."
"I'd love to see it happen, preferably sooner rather than later. It's funny, given the short time we've known each other for, but I already consider Sarah to be the sister I always wanted and never had... Just saying."
"Same here. I only have brothers, and I really like Sarah. In a sense you can say that I too found a sister in her. She keeps the Chuckster happy, which is a big plus."
"What I really want is to invite her over for dinner. It's strange, but I haven't had the chance to do that yet."
"Just don't go all big sister on her. I don't think she or Chuck will appreciate it."
"I didn't do that when we had coffee together barely a day after she first slept with my brother. Why on earth would I want to rock the boat now?"
"Well said, El, well said. And I'm totally behind your idea. Let me know if I can help."
"Maybe she can be a good enough reason for Chuck to give up his other job, especially since his contract is close to expiring," Ellie mused. "He just needs to realize it. And we are going to do everything we can to help things along," she decreed.
-o-
"Nice place," Justin Sullivan commented on the suburban house they were meeting in. "Maybe I should ask for a bigger cut."
"You'll have to earn it first, son," Decker said seriously. "Tell us what you got."
"The morons at TSA were sufficiently impressed by my fake credentials and didn't ask any questions when I asked to see the footage from the day of Carmichael's return."
"We all know the TSA is only good at harassing innocent civilians," commented Ryker. "But let's cut to the chase."
"You got a DVD player?" Sullivan asked, brandishing a few DVDs.
"It's right over there," Decker replied. "Should we nuke some popcorn?"
"Not a bad idea," Shaw deadpanned. "I'll even go get the beer, if you like."
The DVD was promptly loaded in the player and the four men sat back to watch. Suddenly, Decker paused the video. "There's Carmichael and his crew. There is someone with them, but Carmichael is in the way. I can't see a face."
"I have DVDs from different cameras," Sullivan offered. He changed the DVD in the player and finally they had a useful shot of the elusive contractor.
"I only have this to say, she's hot," Ryker commented.
"Carmichael is one lucky son of a bitch," Shaw added.
"Now what?" Sullivan asked. "We need access to a database to run a facial recognition program."
"I got it covered," Decker told him. "As a senior agent, I have access to everything I need with no questions asked. Make a few screenshots and put the pictures in a flash drive. I'll go to Langley and be back in a couple of hours. The rest of you wait here. Order pizza, watch the game on TV, play cards, just don't go anywhere, because we'll need to make some plans when I get back."
-o-
Sarah looked at the clock on her computer. It was almost five, which meant that Chuck would soon be coming to drag her out of her cubicle and take her home. She still had time to get some more work done, however. Right now, she was focusing on the release event itself, since the advertising campaign was not only going smoothly, but its results were exceeding even the most sanguine expectations. Her superiors, from Mr. Watkins all the way up to Mr. and Mrs. B were thoroughly satisfied with her performance. She sat back and thought about what she could do to make the game's release even more memorable than it was already shaping up to be. Maybe she could… yes, this was not a bad idea at all. The more she thought of it, the more attractive it looked to her. The cost would be the only inhibiting factor, as she was currently running out of allotted funds and was loath to ask Mrs. B for more money.
She was still trying to come up with something both effective and economical when Chuck walked in. She heard him say hi to her coworkers, joke with them and talk a little shop before he headed towards her workstation. She greeted him with her brightest smile.
"Hi Chuck. Come to get my progress report?"
"I believe we can have a working dinner."
"What will you be making?"
"A phone call," he replied.
"A phone call," she echoed. "We'll order in, I take it?"
"Correct as usual. It's Chinese food night and I happen to know one of the best restaurants in the city. Gather your stuff and let's go."
"OK, but I need to talk to you about the release event. I thought of something, but I'm not sure I have enough left in the budget to fund it."
"The funds you were allocated were for the advertising and promotional campaign. I'll make sure you're authorized further expenses for the release event."
"Are you sure it's going to be okay?"
"You worry too much. Mom is going to approve of any reasonable request you make."
-o-
"That's odd," Chuck said as he pulled into his designated parking spot.
"What?" Sarah asked. "Is something wrong?"
"No, not really. See those two cars here? They are in the spots reserved for the apartment across the courtyard from mine, which is for sale."
"So you got new neighbors?"
"Could be," he replied. They unloaded their groceries and proceeded to his apartment.
"I'm glad you find it satisfactory," someone was heard to say. Chuck recognized the man as the realtor who was handling the sale of the apartment he'd mentioned to Sarah.
"Of all the properties we looked at, this is by far the best in all respects." The voice this time was familiar to both Chuck and Sarah.
"Casey?"
"Ah, Mr. Bartowski," the realtor said. "It appears you'll have new neighbors. And I take it you know them."
"He only knows me," Casey said. "Bartowski, Walker, I'd like you to meet my wife Kathleen."
"Hi," Sarah said brightly. "I'm Sarah and this is Chuck. Nice meeting you."
"Welcome to the neighborhood," Chuck added, shaking Kathleen's hand.
"You still work for Bartowski, Walker?"
"I work for Orion Computers, Mr. Casey. So, in a sense yes, I do work for Chuck."
"It's the Bartowski family business," Chuck explained. He didn't mind that Casey now knew his real name. The man was as honest as they come. "You must come over for coffee sometime soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, Sarah and I have to talk shop."
"See you around, Bartowski."
"Casey, do you play computer games?"
"Only for grownups, if you consider a firearms training simulator a game, why?"
"Because I just finished a first person shooter game about the Korean War. You're a Marine and therefore you're bound to enjoy some of the campaigns."
"Is that so?"
"It'll be released soon. In fact, Sarah is in charge of the promotional campaign and the launch event."
Sarah then had a brilliant idea. "Mr. Casey, are you into studying history? I was thinking about hiring actors to jazz up the event and I'd like to make sure they'll be wearing the proper uniforms for the era."
Casey snorted. "Actors, huh? I have a better idea. You can ask a reenactment club to help. They're all about historical accuracy and it'll cost you far less than hiring actors. They'll enjoy it, too. I can give you the contact details of such a club."
"I'd appreciate it, Mr. Casey," she said earnestly. "You just took a huge load off my shoulders. Chuck, it appears that we won't need to increase the project budget."
"Thanks Casey," Chuck said. "When are you guys going to move in?"
"We'll sign the paperwork today and we'll start moving in tomorrow."
"I'd consider it a privilege to help."
"Same here," Sarah added.
"Thank you," Kathleen said warmly. "I always had a good feeling about this place. And it all came out better than I expected. Is that right, John?"
*grunt* (Just as you said it, babe)
"See you guys around," Chuck said and led Sarah to his apartment.
"I'll have to send Casey a thank you gift for the tip he gave us. Do you know what he'd like?"
"Sure. Guns," Chuck replied laconically.
"Anything easier to obtain?"
"Um, yes, actually. He's into everything related to Ronald Reagan and also good whiskey."
"I'll get him the collector's edition of International Squadron to go with a bottle of Johnnie Walker. How's that?"
"Brilliant." He drove the point home by kissing her. "Now, let's put the stuff we bought away before calling Ellie and Awesome here for our Chinese dinner."
-o-
Decker jumped on the comfortable couch of his house and Ryker tossed him a beer. The two knew each other well, having been partners for years and Ryker could tell that Decker had good news. Shaw, on the other hand, was a newbie, along with his friends Sullivan and Perry, in the 'CIA Westies' as the gang's founders liked to call themselves.
"Well?" Shaw asked impatiently. "Did you manage to ID her?"
"Lads, meet Ms. Sarah Lisa Walker of Los Angeles, California," Decker said, unfolding a piece of paper and showing it to his cohorts. "By all accounts, she is a hardworking girl, currently employed by the Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising Division of Orion Computers."
"But we know better," Ryker added. "Do you gents fancy a trip to sunny California?"
"I'm game," Sullivan said. "What's the plan?"
"Simple; we snatch her and make her tell us what she did with the… item."
"You heard the man, Sullivan. Go pack for the trip and call Perry. Tell him he's coming with us. We might need him, too."
"Okay, Danny Boy," Decker said. "I'll make the travel arrangements and let you know. We leave tomorrow." He took another look at Sarah's photo. "It's a crying shame. She is a beautiful girl. Too bad we'll have to kill her in the end."
-o-
"And you guys do this all the time?" Sarah asked as she reached for a fortune cookie.
"It's a tradition dating back to my high school days. Of course, this is the small gathering. Most times Morgan would be here, too, often with a girl, as would Bryce and Jill. And we always order from the Bamboo Dragon on occasions like this one."
"The choice of restaurant is great. I even enjoyed the sizzling shrimp."
"You don't normally eat shrimp, do you?"
"Not really," she admitted, still toying with the fortune cookie.
"Go ahead, read it," Ellie urged. "Reading from the fortune cookies is another favorite thing to do on Chinese takeout nights."
"Okay," Sarah smiled and broke her cookie open to retrieve the small strip of paper. "If you have found the right path, stay on it," she read. Then she looked at Chuck. "This is great advice and I fully intend to follow it. Now, read us yours."
"I'll have to pick one first," he replied, looking at the remaining fortune cookies on the table. "Let's see… this one?"
"Don't ask me. It's your fortune we want told," Sarah laughed.
"Who needs fortune cookies when he's got you?" He pulled her closer to him and pressed a light kiss on her temple.
"You're breaking the tradition," she scolded. "Crack it open and read it already."
"A dream you have will come true," he read. "It hits the spot. Actually, more of my dreams have been coming true lately and you are responsible for them to a great extent, Sarah."
"I am?"
"Getting into that will take us all night, so you can just take my word on it. Now, let's see what's in store for Ellie and Awesome."
P.S.: Commenting on the show, I noticed a lot of bad guys, the ones named here being prime examples, have Irish names. Coincidence? Who knows? Anyway, now Sarah's an Intersect? I'll reserve judgment for now, but the Giant Blonde She-Male souped up with a supercomputer in the brain has potential.