CHAPTER 23
Seeing Devon in the Buy More was a bit of a shock, not the mention seeing him clearly nervous. And as much as he wanted to help him, Chuck couldn't stand doing it directly next to one of Casey's bugs. So he pulled it off the rack and made his way back, passing Jeff and Lester trying to hide their consumer porn in a vent.
"You're getting sloppy, Casey," he said entering the back of the store where he was cutting boxes. "I get that you have to make up for the lack of bugs in my bathroom, but you really need to be more careful when hiding your bugs around the store."
"What are you lip-smacking about, Bartowski?"
He showed him the bug he found before making his way over to Awesome laying back in a recliner. To Chuck's surprise the Captain's nerves were because he was asking Chuck's permission to propose to Ellie. The fact he asked and if Chuck said no probably would have been heartbroken and tried to do whatever he could to prove to Chuck he was worthy was enough to cement in his mind there was no better man for his sister than Devon Woodcomb.
The problem came when Devon said, "Oh, one other thing. Ellie's a bloodhound when it comes to these kind of things. If I keep it in the apartment she'll smell diamond. Can you hold onto this, just for a day or so, man? I mean just till I figure out how to pop the question."
"I-I don't think that's actually a good idea-"
"Oh thank you!" Devon said before he could finish, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you so much, bro. Hey! Pretty soon I'm going to mean that literally." He handed Chuck the box and patted his shoulder. "There you go."
"Alright," Chuck said with a plastered on smile before sighing. If he knew one thing he knew he couldn't leave it at the store. Not when he spent an average of sixty percent of his day seconds away from quitting. Since Sarah had showed them her reprized business plan that had been closer to seventy percent of his time, but Harry had taken the day off last week so it had dropped the average.
He must have spent the entire day with a hand over or in his pocket, ready to fend of any pickpockets who dared try to take it. When he went home he did his usual check for bugs before heading into his closet and removing the vent and the thin plastic board that hid the laptops he had tucked inside. Digging the ring box out of his pocket he placed it beside them.
Looking at the trio of objects he realized how his life has been quartered. He had his life at home with Ellie and Devon. There was his life as the Piranha. His life dealing with Orion and the Intersect, and his life as the Intersect dealing with the CIA and NSA. They all kind of crossed over in little ways here or there, but each pulled him in a different direction away from the others. Maybe it was time to work on fixing that.
The next day he found himself pulled by the fifth life, his life in the Buy More, which had been robbed. Though in another little leak of one world into the other it was the CIA and NSA who robbed it, taking it all to a hanger to look for more of the bugs, which turned out to be Fulcrum bugs.
When he went to leave the hanger and try to convince the cop at the Buy More he didn't know anything Sarah called out to him, "Chuck, wait."
He turned on his heels. "Yeah? What's up? I'm kind of on call for Devon. He's gonna propose to Ellie and had me hide the ring for him. I don't want to screw it up by not being there to get it to him."
Sarah hesitated, so Casey started, "I'm be more worried about getting to their wedding-"
"Casey," she cut him off, "can I talk to you for a second." Chuck tilted his head ad Casey rolled his eyes and followed her a few feet away while she smiled at him. "Hold on."
"He can't hear it like that. He won't process it." She sighed. "How do you give a man a life sentence just for being a good guy?"
"By not coddling him," said Casey. "He can handle a lot. He'll freak out and whine like a two year old, but he'll handle it. If it's too much for you I can try."
"No, I don't want to hear your version of it and neither does he."
"It's a job. How come you always have to get your lady feelings involved?"
"It has nothing to do with it-"
"Agent Walker, Major Casey," an agent said coming to a stop beside them. "You might want to take a look at this…"
He showed them and Chuck the surveillance tape from the robbery, which showed Jeff and Lester turning the cameras on and scaring away the Fulcrum agent before taking the marlin from the store themselves.
"Alright you two can handle those pinheads while I go back and try to see if I can avoid Harry Tang's inevitable accusations." With a bow of his head Chuck turned to leave, but Sarah followed behind him.
"Hey, Chuck?" she called after him, causing him to slow to a stop near the hanger doors. "I have to tell you something."
"Sure," he said noticing Casey stood a few feet away leaning against a shelf of CDs.
"The receiver may contain information indicating that you're the Intersect."
Seeing her look to Casey as he moved closer, Chuck knew there was something else. "Say it. Say what you're not saying."
"If we don't locate the receiver in the next 24 hours…"
She paused, so Casey concluded. "You'll be stored in an underground bunker for so long you'll forget what fresh air smells like." When Chuck looked between them then stared ahead Casey shrugged to Sarah. "See, told you he'd handle it."
Sarah went to look up Jeff and Lester's addresses or anyplace they might hide something like this while Chuck and Casey sped back to the Buy More. They practically leapt out of the Crown Vic and ran through the front doors to find the staff crowded around the Nerd Herd desk yet again to ogle the pita delivery girl who was watching Jeff and Lester have a thumb war while the rest of the staff placed bets.
Casey eventually pulled them away from the crowd and into the theater room. When they were reluctant to talk Casey started closing shades until the threat made them, or rather Lester, break. They told their tale of drunken thievery, but it was only after they wasted minutes on their tale that they finally let slip that they had left the marlin at Chuck's place.
When Chuck moved to the door to leave, Chuck saw the pita girl running full sprint out the doors. "Twenty nine bugs," Chuck said with a gasp, grabbing Casey's shirt as he walked past him. "Pita girl."
"What?" Casey asked pulling Chuck's hand away from him.
"She just ran out of here. Twenty nine bugs. Twenty nine pita deliveries."
Casey's eyes widened half a second before narrowing in a scowl. "Come on!"
Chuck turned and started running with Casey, but slid to a stop as Harry Tang and Big Mike ran in front of the doors to cut them off. "Where do you think you're going, Chuck?" Harry asked waving his head with each syllable.
"Think you can leave the scene of the crime?" asked Big Mike.
"We don't have time for this," Casey started, butt Chuck cut him off.
"Get the fuck out my way. Ellie's in danger."
"Your sister?" Harry scoffed.
"Move," Chuck said stepping between them.
"You're not going anywhere, thief," Harry said grabbing Chuck's shoulder.
Chuck had his fill of people accusing him of being a thief in college. He didn't want to let her slip away and end up in a bunker. But if Ellie was home then she would be in danger. And her blood would be on his hands.
Before Casey could do anything Chuck thrust his palm into Harry's throat and as the assistant manager choked, Chuck grabbed the front of his shirt and spun, throwing him to the floor. The momentum threw off Chuck's balance, but he landed with his knee digging into Harry's stomach, forcing him to yell in pain. His yell was cut off by Chuck's fist swinging into his jaw, then his left hand swung into his nose, turning his face just enough so that Chuck's second right slammed right between his eyes.
Everyone ran over to watch, but Casey was already pulling Chuck off Harry as he went for another swing. "We need to go, Chuck."
Feeling the anger shrink away, Chuck nodded. "Right. Let's-" He choked as detective Conway came up behind him, pulling him to the ground. Seeing Casey move to step in Chuck groaned. "Just go! Stop her! Get me later."
Casey grunted, gave him a nod and fled the store. "Come on," Conway said pulling him off the ground, "we're going downtown."
"You guys really say that?" Chuck asked shaking his head while being led to the doors, but then stop to look back at the staff stood behind Big Mike helping up the bloody faced Harry Tang to his feet. "By the way. I quit." If it all went to shit at least he took one step to making things right.
Casey was in his car when he called Sarah and told her the receiver was at Chuck's and the pita girl was on her way there to get it. She was in her car a moment later and speeding toward Echo Park. She stomped on the break and pulled her emergency one as she entered the parking lot, the Porsche screeching as it spun into an empty spot and she threw the door open, slamming it behind her while she ran into the courtyard.
The olive skinned Lizzie was walking from Chuck's apartment with a grin until she spotted the woman running into the courtyard and furrowed her brow, which flew up when Sarah leapt over the fountain and slammed her foot into Lizzie's chest, throwing her into Casey's window, which cracked on impact but didn't break.
Quick to bounce back, Lizzie drew her gun but had it kicked out of her hand. Sarah stepped in, driving her elbow into the woman's chest, again making her bounce off the glass. However she used the momentum to swing at Sarah's side, diverting the path and hitting her kidney. It was enough to make Sarah step back, letting Lizzie leap toward her gun.
She hit the ground and grabbed the pistol, but as she turned she found the point of a high heel coming down toward her face and rolled away. Hearing the click of Sarah's heel on the floor Lizzie rolled until she was on her back and kipped up, but when she spun to fire on Sarah found her wrist in Sarah's hands, forcing the gun back toward her own head.
Lizzie barely managed to pull her head away, wincing as Sarah's right hand slipped up the inside of Lizzie's wrist and pulled the trigger. The bullet ricocheted off the wall and buried itself in Casey's door, the muzzle flash singed Lizzie's cheek while the sound almost blew out her right ear drum and was heard by Casey as he slammed his car door.
The sound was enough for Sarah to glance back, giving Lizzie an opening to drop the gun from her grip, grab Sarah and screamed as she lifted and threw the blonde agent through Casey's cracked window. It shattered against Sarah's back, spraying glass across the courtyard and Casey's apartment while she hit the ground and stopped herself from rolling into more glass. She could already feel a small cuts on her arms, no need to roll into more glass.
Having just entered the courtyard, Casey's eyes widened. "Walker!" He drew his gun just as Lizzie turned, ducking to pick up her gun in he left hand while starting her sprint in the opposite direction. She had just pulled out her phone in her right hand when Casey got off a shot just as she turned into an archway and heard Lizzie scream in pain while he moved toward his window.
"Walker you okay?" He called out peeking through his window just in time to watch her kip up so she didn't put her hands on the ground.
He'd already started moving after Lizzie when she said, "I'm fine!"
Casey turned into the archway but found it empty except for a small line of blood on the opposite wall and a few drops leading away from it. "Damn it," he hissed, "I must've just clipped it." Taking a step back he saw Sarah jump out the window and called over to her, "I'll track her this way. Try to cut her off the other way if she goes around."
Sarah said drawing her own gun and rushing in the opposite direction, but it was only a minute before they met up at the back of the complex and turned around to retrace their steps in case they missed something. Back in the courtyard, Sarah tucked her gun away and groaned. "Damn it!"
"We're fine, Walker," Casey said stepping through the window rather than bother unlocking his door. "Chuck's with the police and we know who she is. We'll get her."
"Why is Chuck with the police?" She asked following him inside.
Casey wore a proud grin as he stood by the computer. "Beat the shit out of Tang."
Sarah's eyes widened. "What?"
"He told 'em Ellie was in danger and the idiot stopped him, called him a thief and grabbed his shoulder, so Chuck palmed his adam's apple into his spine, broke his nose and probably his orbital bone between his eyes."
Sarah was shocked to hear of Chuck being violent, but hearing Harry had put his hands on him all she could say was a cold, "Good."
When Beckman and Graham came on screen they briefed them on the situation. "So she escaped with the receiver?"
"Yes, but she made a phone call. We're currently tracing the cell signature and we can triangulate her location. We just need more time."
Graham nodded. "As soon as you locate her take her out."
"Uh," Sarah said with a glance to Casey, "one of us needs to go and get Chuck out of police custody. He was arrested-"
"The Intersect is no longer your concern, Agent Walker," said Beckman.
"I-I don't understand." She looked to Casey again, wondering if he hadn't told her something.
Instead Beckman told them, "Detective Conway is CIA."
"Chuck is on his way to the extraction point right now," Graham told them. "We've decided to transfer him to lockdown immediately." Seeing the stunned expressions both agents wore, he leaned forward asking, "Is there a problem?"
"Uh, no," Sarah said shaking her head. "No. I just thought I would handle his transfer."
"Forget about Chuck, Agent Walker," Beckman said leaning into the camera. "Focus on catching that Fulcrum agent."
"We're on it," Casey said tapping a button to end the call. "We, meaning I go get Lizzie while you find Chuck." When she looked at him with surprise he shrugged. "Well don't make me change my mind. Besides, he'll want you more than me."
Sarah pushed her curiosity aside for now and nodded, hurrying out the window and over to her car. She would worry about Casey's interest in Chuck's interest in her later, for now she had to try and figure out if even she could push two hundred MPH on California roads and not get pulled over.
While she didn't manage to push the Porsche to it's limits, she got pretty close, arriving on the helipad just behind Chuck. "Long Shore!" She called out stepping onto the helipad as the sun was setting on the horizon, coating the city in crimson.
Long Shore reached toward his gun until he saw who it was. "Is there a problem Agent Walker?"
"Sarah, thank god you're here. Listen, I-I don't-" Chuck cut himself off, his brow furrowing as he noticed a trickle of blood on Sarah's arm and realized it was coming from one of a few small cuts across both arms. "What happened to you, Sarah?"
She smiled at his concern for her even as he was about to be taken away. "It's okay, Chuck. Agent Casey is tracking the Fulcrum mole. He should have her in custody soon, so we can hold off on the Chuck transfer for the time being."
"If there was a change in the operation I would have been contacted," said Long Shore. "I have my orders."
"We don't have to do this. This is a judgment call, okay? We can just hold Chuck here until we know for sure."
"His cover was blown. He's gone."
"No. I will take full responsibility. Chuck is my asset. He's my guy. Just… Just give us more time, please."
The small smile on his lips at her calling him her guy fell as he turned to Long Shore. After so long thinking he'd never be her guy it was at least nice to hear it. "I'd appreciate it. I really would."
"Please don't do this," she pleaded with a hand behind her back gripping the gun tucked into her waistband.
"Okay. You've got one minute. One minute." Long Shore moved away from Chuck, letting Sarah walk over to him.
Turning to face her Chuck shook his head. "I'm not ready, Sarah. I'm not ready to disappear."
"No. I know, I know."
"I need you to talk to Ellie. You-you have to tell her… I don't know. I… Look, if I'm supposed to be dead, just say something that will make it okay, that will make her feel alright." A somber smile took his lips as he continued. "And the ring, it's-it's in my closet. You'll find it. I'm sorry about the rest of it, but it's there. Get it to Devon and tell him to go through with it and make her as happy as she deserves to be. And tell her I love her.
"You can do that right?" She nodded with tears in her eyes and his smile grew. "Of course you can. You're Sarah. You can do anything." She let out a shaky chuckle as he took a breath and met her glassy eyes. It's not like he had much to lose now. No need to act like he didn't want what he wanted or feel what he felt. "And, hey, there's a silver lining to this, you know. Cause we're not working together anymore, which means maybe we can go on an actual, real date. You can come by my cell and we can hang out, you can tell me who the president is. And maybe, uh…" He reached his hands out and felt his own eyes burn as relief flooded him the moment he felt her take his hands. "Maybe we can see how we really feel."
"Time's up," said Long Shore, and Chuck suddenly wondered if maybe he hadn't thrown his fill of punches for the day.
With a glance to the approaching agent Chuck looked to Sarah and steeled himself as best he could. "I'm sorry I wasn't better, but I don't regret it. Not with you there."
A tear fell down her check as he turned and walked to Long Shore. "Chuck?" She said, emotion coloring her voice. With a breath she swallowed it all, wanting to show him how strong she would be for him as he turned to her and she promised him, "I'll save you later."
He chuckled, not that it was funny but at how remarkable she was. Maybe it would be worth it. Everything would come out, they'd find out who he was and what he'd done but maybe she wouldn't care. Maybe she would still want to hear how he felt, and he could just tell her instead of worrying. And maybe, just maybe, she would tell him too.
It would be worth it because she was.
But as he turned to Long Shore a gunshot rang out and a bullet buried itself in the agent's back, making him slump forward into Chuck. Sarah rushed up to his side as Lizzie came up the stairs, a shot hitting Sarah's gun, knocking it from her grasp.
"Come on," Sarah said pulling him away and off the helipad.
While they hid and Lizzie stalked them she told them, "I listened to the receiver."
Both whispered, "She knows."
"Do you know how many agents are looking for Bryce Larkin? And all this time the Intersect was here. Wait until my superiors find out."
Moving to another spot Chuck turned to Sarah. "Look what if I surrender and you run? I mean I'm going to a cell anyway and I know you'll save me. What's the difference?"
"Torture," answered Sarah.
"Yeah but you're safe and can get help," said Chuck. "If not Casey then Bryce and Orion."
Sarah's brow knit. "Orion? Has he contacted you?"
"Bryce said he's on my side," Chuck offered with a shrug, figuring that was better than trying to explain everything as Lizzie stalked them.
Sarah groaned and glanced over toward Lizzie. "Chuck, distract her."
"What?" He asked as Sarah suddenly ran away. "How?" Getting to his feet he told himself at least this meant she trusted him enough to handle it on his own and not die. That was good, right?
What wasn't good was turning to find Lizzie with two guns aimed at him, but he was too important to shoot so he turned and ran back toward the stairs up to the helipad. Lizzie followed behind him. "Chuck you're not gonna get away!"
"Okay! Look, look, look," he said stopping on the stairs and turning to her while walking backward up the last few. "You really want to take me in? You're gonna have to sweeten the deal for me."
After stumbling slightly they were on the helipad and he was backing away from her. "Hey, hey, look, things are real cush here. Now the guy taking me away is dead that means I get to go back to my old life, you know?"
"Working at a crappy retail store?"
"And having a hot girlfriend," Chuck added with a shrug.
"The blonde I put through a window?"
Chuck's fear sank back. "You're the one that did that?"
"Oh yeah, threw her straight through the glass."
Chuck noticed in his periphery a pair of hands grab the edge of the Helipad as Sarah started lifting herself up. "Well maybe you can at least offer a steam room or something?"
"I don't think you're really in a position to bargain, Chuck," Lizzie said holding both guns on him. "I have two guns. What do you have?"
Chuck smirked as Sarah said firmly, "Me."
Just as Lizzie turned Sarah charged, taking her down to the ground, forcing both guns to fly out of her hands. Chuck watched as Sarah slammed an elbow into Lizzie's gut, but then Lizzie swung her heel into Sarah's shoulder, forcing her to roll back. Lizzie spun to her feet while Sarah kipped up, almost directly into a kick from Lizzie she swiftly followed up with a spinning kick.
However just as she moved in to kick Sarah again she felt her hair pulled back and screamed. Sarah's eyes widened watching Chuck yank the Fulcrum agent's hair to pull her away from Sarah. Lizzie yelled and turned, slamming her foot into Chuck's side, and he quickly waved his still cuffed hands which now had dozens of black hairs he'd pulled out clinging to them.
Sarah practically leapt toward Lizzie, her knee hitting her square in the stomach and making her stumble back. When she went for a follow up punch, the Fulcrum agent ducked it and spun, throwing her heel at Sarah's face. When she went for a straight kick to Sarah's chest, Lizzie was knocked aside as a pair of cuffed fists slammed into the side of her head.
Chuck winced hearing her scream. "Oh man, Ellie's going to be so pissed at me," he said realizing he'd just hit a girl.
"Hey! Bartowski, get out of the way," Casey exclaimed as Lizzie turned and jumped to land a kick to Chuck's jaw.
As he yelled in pain and stumbled back, Lizzie hit the ground smirking until she felt Sarah kick out her right leg. Stumbling backwards, she saw Sarah's eyes had turned to ice while she thrust her forearm into the Fulcrum agent's chest, making her take another step back. She tried to dodge the kick Sarah sent her way, but Sarah used the momentum to turn around and throw her right foot into Lizzie's chest, kicking her off the Helipad and the building below.
They heard Lizzie's scream as she fell, which turned to a brief shriek when they heard the metallic thud from below followed by a softer one. Sarah stepped to the edge and peered over as Chuck rushed to her side. Below they saw Lizzie had landed on the edge of a dumpster, shattering her spine, which bent limply, letting her head hit the side and crack, leaking dark blood over the sidewalk.
Chuck glanced over the edge when he saw Sarah frown, but turned his attention to her, reaching out for her shoulder with his hands. "Are you okay?"
A solemn smile crossed Sarah's lips as she looked to Chuck while Casey came to look over the edge and gave an approving nod. "Nice work, Walker."
Sarah searched Chuck's face, her smile growing when she saw only concern in his eyes. He watched her kick someone off a roof to their death, saw her kill someone, and didn't fear or hate her. He was concerned if she was okay. She could still see the adoration in his eyes, and for the first time felt she might still find it even if he knew all she'd done.
"I'm fine, Chuck. Everything's going to be okay," she said never taking her eyes off Chuck's, "I promise."
Once the cleanup crews arrived they were free to go, and Chuck found his phone had a dozen missed calls and texts, all from Devon. Tonight was the night and Chuck had screwed it up for him.
Pulling into Echo Park, Chuck hurried out of the car with Sarah smirking as she followed after him in his rush. They stopped outside the window looking into the living room and saw Ellie and Devon sat at a small table for a candle light dinner that had already been eaten, Ellie picking at her desert as they talked.
"I'm late," he said reaching for his phone. "Sarah, you think you could open my window? It's locked but-" He turned to see her push it open while pocketing her lock picks and walking back toward him. Smirking he said, "I'll tell him to go to the bathroom in five and I'll leave the ring outside my door for him to pick it up."
When he sent the text Sarah watched Devon check his phone and upon seeing the message visibly breath a sigh of relief. When they moved to the window, Chuck turned and held out a hand. "Um, do you mind waiting out here?"
"What is your room dirty, Chuck? It's not a big deal."
"No, it's just-" Chuck sighed. "Please?"
She could see he was torn, unsure about this, looking almost like he was forcing himself to ask her to stay outside despite not wanting to. Though confused she figured he had a good reason so nodded. "If that's what you want."
"Thank you," he said climbing through the window and heading for his closet.
But Sarah was a spy. She had been for a decade now. So it was inevitable that she would look through the open window. There she saw Chuck kneeling in his closet, turning the screw driver in his hand. She saw him set a vent screen down, then a sheet of white plastic.
Suddenly she remembered his words on the helipad. The ring was in his closet, but so was something else. 'I'm sorry about the rest' was what he said, assuming she would find whatever it was and be upset by it. He thought he was going away and only told her because Devon's ring was there. Would he have said anything if it wasn't? If it wouldn't have interfered with Ellie's life? What secret did he have in there?
Seeing him take out the ring box she backed away from the window and took a breath, pressing her back to the apartment until she heard Chuck climb out the window minutes later. "Okay he picked it up," he said smirking as he came up to her. "Want to watch?"
Sarah silently nodded, watching his face as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. Kneeling beside the window they watched as Devon spoke to her before sliding off his chair and onto his knee, holding the box in front of her as he gave a short speech ending with his proposal and her emphatic yes. It was nice to see people so happy, but when she looked to Chuck and saw him smile she couldn't help but wonder what had been in the closet with that ring.
"You want to come in with me?" he asked nodding toward the door.
"Oh, it's family time," she said shaking her head, but he kept his gaze on hers as he said simply, "I know."
Chuck reached out to take her hand before she could say anything more. "Come on."
As Sarah was led into the apartment Ellie was on her feet, bouncing in place and clapping as she met them with hugs. Sarah watched Chuck hug Devon before stepping back from Ellie and watching her turn to kiss her now fiance's cheek.
Chuck looked to Sarah with a solemn smile while Ellie lovingly stroked Devon's jaw. "I love you, sweetie. I love you."
Sarah returned Chuck's smile was Devon wrapped his arms around Ellie saying, "I'm sorry I had to keep it secret for a little while. I love you too."
AN:
So here's the end of Season One, and I guess kind of Part One of the story. From here the timeline is less canon compliant. I'm not just bringing in characters or storylines early, but moving some episodes up in order, things like that, changing storylines, etc.
Part of me figures not only does Chuck get to beat up Harry here, but Harry also doesn't get to move to Hawaii or wherever it was they sent him, he's just stuck in the Buy More while Chuck moves on with his life.
Chuck's protectiveness making him join Sarah's fight here was something I was looking forward to writing. But it was also the first real show of Sarah's protectiveness of him with how vicious she got. Plus it's kind of the first step toward them fighting together like she did with Bryce.
Originally switched Sarah saying 'me' to Chuck saying 'her', which I thought sounded better, but thinking on it realized her saying it means more, especially in this story where 'having' each other is a thing that's brought up. So her saying he has her means more than him saying it.