Don't own Chuck
As soon as they walked through the door the girls launched streamers and balloons. Sarah reacted by throwing knives popping the balloons then she pulled her weapon. Morgan was dying laughing rolling on the ground while Sam and Molly looked astonished at each other. Chuck jumped out in front trying to but a happy face on a bad situation by kissing both girls on the forehead.
"What a wonderful surprise," he said. "I bet you girls put a lot of effort into this didn't you? We love it so much and look at the colored chains and signs. 'Welcome home Chuck and Mommy,'" read Chuck. "See Love."
"I wrote it for Sam," said Molly proudly. "But Sam and I put all the rest together for your homecoming. Do you really like it? Say something Sam. Tell them what we did."
"Yeah, it was nice before someone killed it. You put a knife right through its heart," said Sam. "I'm going to my room. Please don't throw a knife in my back."
"Sam that's so not fair," said Chuck as he started after her. "Come back here and let's talk." But Sarah grabbed his arm then shook her head.
"No, let me go talk to her. I'm the one she's mad at. Kat that smells delicious can you put two plates aside I'll be right back," said Sarah. Then she walked down the hall. "Knock, knock," she said at the door. "May I come in?"
"I guess as long as you don't throw any knives at me or my dolls," said Sam. Sarah recognized the little pouty face that she knew all too well.
"I'm sorry about before and I'm going to have a talk with Casey. He should've known how I'd react. Sweetie people like me don't like surprises because most of the time they are bad. Just ask your father I've almost shoot and stabbed him countless times. Morgan might be rolling on the floor out there but I almost punched his ticket numerous times…"
"I did too at the cabin. I fired a warning shot that's how I got this," she said as she pointed at her sling. "I thought the gun was going to blow up in my hand and Morgan's complaining that I almost shot him. Morgan complains a lot... maybe too much. I mean just look I'm the one with her arm in a sling."
"You're right he does certainly complain a lot. So are we all good here. I don't pretend that we'll be all good already but are we on the way there?"
"I'm really sorry for the way I talked to you before. I kept thinking if anything happened then that would be the way I remembered our last talk. I don't want that to ever happen again."
"I don't want that either," said Sarah as she sat down next to her on the bed and hugged her pulling her close. "We need to go eat before Morgan eats everything."
"He'd better not. Uncle Casey promised to show me how not to miss next time. He said it was really easy like whack-a-mole. He talks funny."
"Yes he does, but I think we can retire the sharpshooter skills for a while. If you don't start moving that arm around it's going to stay sore for a long time. Then how are you going to operate when you have to perform a surgery."
"There certainly are enough knives around here to operate with. I wonder if I could talk Morgan into it," said Sam. Sarah gave her a look. "I'm talking about playing the game operation. I wouldn't operate on Morgan I don't have any anaesthetic."
"Is everything all good back here," said Chuck as he walked in with Bunny. "Someone else wanted to say welcome home."
"Oh baby Bunny give me... give her to me now I have to hold her," said Sarah. "I missed you guys so very much. Now that we're all here Sweetie you can tell Sam the plan."
"The plan," said Sam. "What's the plan? Am I going to like this? I don't need to go to the doctor. Zondra said it so I'm not lying to get out of it."
"It has nothing with going to see the doctor. But I thought you liked going to the doctor to watch your future colleague work."
"I do but I like it when they're working on other people… anyone but me," said Sam. "But if it doesn't have anything to do with going to the doctor what is it?"
"Well I was going to tell everyone this evening after we watched 'To Catch a Thief'. I downloaded it off of Netflix but okay. Your mother and I have decided that we'll all go on vacation together. We're going to go to Monte Carlo in Monaco and see the French Rivera."
"I thought Monte Carlo was a car?" said Sam. "Are we buying a new car and what does it have to do with catching thief? Are you going to run one over?"
"No, Monaco is a little country in the south of France. It's the second smallest country in the world and it's a principality meaning they have a prince that runs the country."
"Are we related? Is that why you want to visit there?"
"No, we just want to get away with you guys and be by ourselves. If we stay here it will just be mission after mission. I... we can't change what we do but when we're together we should try make the most out of it."
"And going to Monte Carlo will do that," said Sam. She didn't seem all that convinced. "Okay like I've got a choice."
"Wait until you watch the movie then we'll talk about it again. Maybe while we're there we can fly over and visit Emma and Molly."
"Why? Are they going home already?" asked Sam. She knew they'd eventually have to go home but she'd hoped she'd have more time with them.
"Let's go eat then we all can talk afterwards. I made two plates for you guys but the Morgan shark was swimming around them when I came back here."
"Morgan Guillermo Grimes if you've touched my food you and I are going to have a problem," yelled Sam as she walked back down the hall with her hands on her hips.
"Geez Chuck," said Morgan as he moved out of Sam's way. "The mini version of Sarah is as scary as the full size model. No I haven't touched them Emma's been guarding them."
"Morgan, guys I need to put a movie on for those who want to watch it. I picked the movie..." Chuck started to say but Casey cut him off.
"They know you're going to Monaco and before you accuse me of stealing your thunder you're BFF or your best furry friend was listening at the doorway and blabbed it to everyone. Don't count on me coming because that place is filled snail eaters and don't even get me started on frogs..."
"Ewe yuck,' said Sam. "Please I'm eating over here. People don't really eat snails do they? Have you ever eaten snails and frogs?"
"In French they say escargot and yes. They are very good but you have to have a refined pallet to appreciate them. Uncle Casey would be more at home with a beer and bucket of buffalo wings." Kat cleared her throat. "Sorry, this is really good," said Sarah as she tried to dig herself out of the hole she dug for herself.
"French is also one of the easiest languages to learn," said Casey. Chuck gave him a look he was afraid of what he was going to say then he started to. "What you only need to know is one word mer..."
"That's enough John. We get your point," said Chuck. "But you weren't invited anyway. I want to take Sarah and the girls away for a week so we can just be together like a normal family. I want to go someplace without knife fights, gun battles or explosions..."
"Normal yeah sure… good luck on that but the place sounds pretty boring and lame to me," said John as he went over to the fridge and got a beer. Sarah and Kat watched him twist the cap off. "What?"
"If you have to ask then there's no use in talking, but Casey why don't you take Kat somewhere nice for a change... just the two of you and not some place that you need hearing protection or smells like gun powder."
"Oh Dude," said Morgan as he started in. "I can't believe you're going to leave your best friend behind. What is this? You're setting me outside like the cat at night..."
"Oh Morgan, can't you see they want to be alone," said Alex. "That's so romantic you and I should do that sometimes. We should just go someplace..."
"Like Encino? I already take you out to eat for the ten dollar all you can eat buffet at Sizzling Shrimp. What more do you want?" said Morgan both Chuck and Alex shook their head. "Okay how about Disneyland. You can get a princess makeover."
"Now we're talking. So when are you guys planning on leaving?"
"Well we've got our bags packed already so I was thinking if it's okay with Emma and Molly as early as tomorrow but we need to talk this out first."
"Wait you're taking them and leaving me here, your BFF. I can't believe you'd do that to me. Chuck, I hate to do this but I'm enforcing the best man clause which states the best friend is always taken on vacations," Morgan started to spew out more but Alex put her hand over his mouth.
"We hope you have a good time," said Alex. "Send us a postcard."
"Oh Chuck," said Emma as she looked at Molly. "We can't stay long with you guys there. We need to get back to Montenegro so someone can get caught up on her school work."
"How about this you stay a few days with us then at the end we come and spend a few days with you. In the end you're going to get tired of always having us under foot."
"Never," said Emma. "There's a cherry cheese cake in the refrigerator for those who want dessert. Do I have any takers?"
"I think there may only be half a cheese cake left," said Morgan. Everyone looked at him. "What? I was hungry and I thought Chuck got it for him and me to share. It's kind of our thing back when we had a thing that we obviously don't have anymore. I don't want to make you feel bad Chuck but those are the facts."
"Those are the facts. Well how about these facts Morgan if we were flying in from Los Vegas how did I materialize the cheese cake in the refrigerator when I wasn't here?"
"I never said I thought it all the way through. Can I also add it's hard to think when you're hungry? Your brain is saying feed me, feed me…"
"What are you the walking dead? It's hard to think when you don't have a brain. Come on Troll and I are going to make a run to the Cheesecake factory and get another one. See not just beer and Buffalo wings."
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Outside of Alexandria, the Grimaldi family circus had one more night left in town then according to their billboard they were scheduled to begin their European tour. In the center tent was the Fantastic Zorros a high wire act performed by the Zorros two brothers and a sister. The ringmaster announced their act as a spotlight pointed them out far above the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Mesdames et Messieurs, meine Damen und Herren may I draw your attention to the big top and the Fantastic Zorros. For the faint of heart and small children you might want to look away. Their act will be performed this evening without the aid of a safety net."
The Zorros walked back and forth across a tight rope performing acrobatics and other stunts that awed the crowd. At one point all three of the Zorros were on the wire together. One blocked the way as two others walked towards him. They signaled for him to turn around but he crossed his arms and pretended to refuse to move.
"Oh no," announced the ringmaster. "It looks like they've got a roadblock. What will the two Zorros do now? This is a little hint you might want to close your eyes."
The one facing the wrong direction took the first one by the hands then toss the person over his head. She flipped over and landed on the wire behind them. There was a hush from the crowd. Then he repeated the same thing with the second one. The crowd began applauding.
"Let's give a big round of applause for the Zorros," said the ringmaster. The crowd continued to applaud as they bowed from the big top.
A little while later two of them were sitting in their trailer after the act waiting for their brother to return. He'd been gone since they finished and they were starting to get nervous.
"Marco, we should never have let Raul go by himself to the drop. How do we know we can trust these people? How do we even know they'll hold up their end of the deal?"
"We don't Rita but what choice do we have? They have what we need and they know it. For now, I'm afraid we have to play along and hope they'll honor the deal. Here drink this," he said as he poured her a shoot of vodka then poured one for himself.
"This isn't going to help," she said as she threw back the shot. "Marco, Raul has been gone too long. I don't like this."
"There's nothing we can do," he said as he downed his shot then refilled both glasses. "We don't even know where the meet was supposed to go down at."
[In the middle of Alexandria]
By now it was way after midnight and on top of a parking garage Raul Zorro waited for his contact to show so they could make an exchange of goods. But the man he was waiting for was late and Raul was beginning to think he'd been stood up.
"I'll give you a half hour more than I'm leaving," said Raul to himself as he checked his watch. Then suddenly a black van pulled up and a man with two gorillas got out. They walked over to him but he stepped backwards.
"Raul, do you have what I asked you to pick up for me," asked the man. Raul looked at the two goons the man had brought with him. This wasn't the deal.
"I thought this was supposed to be a private meeting just me and you. Now what've you done you've brought company. I don't see our father anywhere Alfredo what's going on here?"
"It's easy I changed the rules. Now give me what I want and I'll be on my way. If you don't hand it over, I'll take it from you. Look around you've got nowhere to go except down and if you do get past me and my associates I've got more men down below. There's no way you can get out of this building. Now be a good boy and give it to me don't make me take it from you."
"The deal was the device for our father. I'm not going to give it to you until I know he's been released and is unharmed. You didn't think I was dumb enough to bring it with me did you? It's somewhere safe and will stay there until we have our father back."
"Then my boys will hang you over the side until you tell me where it is. Or I could just dispense with all that and toss you over the side then ask that sister of yours for it. She seems the cooperative type. Get him," said Alfredo. His goons rushed Raul but he evaded them.
"Come and get me," said Raul as he outran Alfredo's goons then leaped up on the low wall that encircled the parking area then jumped over the edge. Everyone stopped in their tracks looking at each other they couldn't believe what they just saw.
"What the heck," said Alfredo. He ran over to the edge of the ledge and looked down to see Raul who had a tightrope stretched out to a second parking garage next to theirs. Alfredo looked down in time to see Raul finish his walk over. Raul looked back over, waved for him to follow then he disappeared inside.
"Crap," said Alfredo as he took out his phone and called. "It's me no I didn't it. Raul outsmarted us. ... okay me but I don't have it. Look we might have to give them back their father. ... I don't know what else we can do. They won't be stupid and come alone the next time. ... Okay I'll make contact. The Circus is starting their European tour so maybe it won't be all bad. They'll smuggle the device out of country for us and into France. I know we need to recover it and I'll be working on it. I just need a little more time. ... Okay let me go I hear you."
"Come on let's go," said Alfredo after hanging up. He looked around for his men but only saw one of them "What are you doing looking over that wall and where's Mikey at?"
"He's down there," pointed the man. "He said it wasn't any big deal to walk across like that other guy did. So I told him put his money where his mouth was. I bet him fifty bucks he couldn't do it."
Alfredo looked down and Mikey had started walking across with his hands out to maintain his balance. Mikey was doing pretty good he'd gotten almost halfway across.
"What? We need to go I have things I have to arrange. Get back up here you fool," yelled Alfredo. In that moment Mickey heard Alfredo looked up and lost his balance. "Looks like you won the bet but you're going to have the strain Mickey through a sieve to find his wallet and we don't have time. Come on."
Alfredo and his man climbed back in the van. He was in a hurry and there were things he had to do but they just sat there. Alfredo looked over at his man with a puzzled look.
"Wasn't I clear we need to go... I mean like right now. Don't you understand English? What's the hold up?" that was when it hit him. He looked at the steering column there were no keys. "You idiots, tell me I'm wrong."
"Mickey had the keys," said the goon. Alfredo just shook his head.
"Well looks like you're going to have to break out the sieve after all. Go get the keys while I make phone calls and hurry up. I don't have all day... or night for that matter."
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Raul was in his car speeding heading back to the circus and to his family. They weren't going to like what happened and not that he did but he expected Alfredo to try to pull something like this. That was the reason he set up his escape route in advance. Alfredo the sad clown was not a man who could be trusted. They might have to work with him in the circus but they certainly didn't have to trust him which was brought home by what he'd just gone done. As he was driving his phone rang he knew he had to take it already he had ten missed calls from Rita.
"Sis I'm on my way back now. I'm sorry but he didn't bring papa and tried to grab me so I ran. He'll be contacting us again. He has to we still have what he wants."
[Back in the trailer Rita put the call on speaker for Marco to hear too]
"That bastard we really need to get even. He can't get away with this," said Marco. "We should just walk up to him and cap both knee caps. Then he really would be the sad clown."
"No we need to play this cool. Remember he still has papa," said Raul. "I never expected him to bring him this round. He was testing us to see if he could get something for nothing. Now that he knows we won't just roll over he'll be back. But we need to be extra cautious from now on. I tricked him once the next time won't be so easy."
"You sound so cool over the phone," said Rita. "I don't know how you can be knowing that... that... pig is holding our father prisoner. I just want papa home."
"I understand your frustration. I feel the same way but I've pushed it down inside. We all have to if this is going to work out. It's like being on the high wire you push everything out and concentrate on the wire. You don't hear or feel anything. You only feel the tension of the wire under your feet and the beat of your heat."
"Easier said than done," said Rita. "But okay we see your point and we'll try. What do we do now? Do we leave with the circus or stay here?"
"We should leave with the circus because as much as Alfredo can keep an eye on us we can keep an eye on him. You two should go to bed and try to get some sleep. If you're tired you won't be able to perform well. I'm almost there now."
"But if we're going with the circus there is packing we need to do and we need to let the circus manager know we're going with them."
"I'm send him a text when I get in and we can pack tomorrow morning. Remember we have to keep things up like nothing is wrong."
"But everything is wrong."
"I know."