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No Respect, No Loyalty

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Being the Director of the NSA was a high pressure job. General Beckman was fairly used to being wakened in the middle of the night with some emergency or another. It probably happened a couple of times a week. And with the three hour time difference between Washington and the West Coast, very few calls from Team Bartowski came during business hours. Not to mention the furious calls from superiors demanding that she explain the latest foolish thing Bartowski had talked his team into doing.

Of course she was currently rather anxiously awaiting a status update from Agent Larkin anyway. She also knew full well they were in Hawaii with a five hour time difference. So she wasn't all that surprised when she looked at the clock and it read a little after two. She threw on her robe and quickly walked into her communications room to stop her laptop from making that infernal racket.

She expected to see Bryce Larkin's face. He was definitely there. Most of his face was hidden by the ice pack he was gingerly holding to his jaw. But she was however very surprised to see Sarah Walker on the screen.

"Hey, Diane," Sarah said cheerfully with a wave. She was sounding every bit like she was talking to a girlfriend in the afternoon. "Sorry for late call. I understand that you need all of the beauty sleep that you can possibly get. I just wanted to let you know that you're now a dead woman walking."

Beckman wasn't sure which offended her most, the threat, or the calling her by her first name. "Do you have a clue who you're talking to?" she asked incredulously.

Sarah's voice lost none of its playful tone. "Of course I know who you are, Diane," she said sarcastically. "How can you ask that? After all we've been through together? You're General Diane Beckman, the late director of the NSA. Sometime in the next week you're going to wake up and I'm going to be standing there grinning at your choice of sleepwear. Well, I'm afraid that's the last thing you're going to remember."

"Okay, Agent Walker," Beckman replied with a sigh. "I understand that you're upset. But let's stop with the false bravado. There is no way for you to get through my security, and we both know it. I assume that your call means that Agent Bartowski has uploaded the new Intersect."

"Remember the Prince Assad mission?" Sarah asked as she examined her fingernails casually while ignoring the question. "I'm sure that you do. You're the one who gave me the assignment. Besides, it's quite famous. I believe that he had far more personal security than you do. Why don't you ask him about my false bravado concerning getting through his security? It was actually not all that hard. It's the damndest thing, Diane. As it turns out when a guard is trying to look down your shirt, he doesn't see the knife coming until it's already slashed his throat. Oh silly me, I forgot. You can't ask him. He's dead, isn't he? Just like you're about to be. By the way, I believe that we've had this discussion multiple times. I'm no longer Agent Walker."

"You're Agent Walker until I say otherwise!" Beckman growled. "And the plain truth is that I can make Agent Walker do anything I want. She fucked up. She broke the first rule. She fell in love. We both know that she would now do anything to protect the people she loves. Don't make me prove it by giving her an assignment that her new husband might not approve of. Maybe this time Agent Carter won't be available to bail you out and take the fucking from the mark that was meant for you. Trust me, I will prove it if you make me. You need to stop arguing with me, accept the situation for what it is, and use it to your advantage. You really have no choice. I'm not taking anything away from your considerable skills. But it's a numbers game. We both know that if we fight, I'll eventually win."

Beckman's voice softened just a bit. "It really doesn't have to be this way, Sarah," she said. "I'm not eager to treat you like this. But that's to your work in Vegas we have been handed an amazing opportunity. We have an excellent chance to catch Alexi Volkoff in the act of transferring nuclear weapons to terrorists. Set aside your anger for a second and think about what that means. It's much bigger than Fulcrum. But if we fuck this up or sit on our hands and let it happen, fifty million people die. I'm afraid that's much bigger than just you or me, Agent Walker. So play time is now over. I need my best team. If I have to force you into doing the right thing, that is exactly what I'm prepared to do. But I do understand it would be better for both of us if I could somehow encourage you to do this willingly. I'm also prepared to make a huge effort to do that. Aren't you even a little interested in hearing what I'm prepared to offer?"

"For starters what makes you think I'd believe anything that you'd promise?" Sarah growled. "There is always going to be the next threat. It's the way the world is. I'd rather fight you and lose than become your slave. Understand something. You've lost any measure of trust or respect or loyalty from me that you ever enjoyed. Yes, I fully recognize that there are people that I love, people you could threaten. But you deceive yourself if you think that there isn't a line that I won't be pushed over. Causing my husband a second of pain in our marriage is clearly across that line, so you can shove your punishment seduction mission far, far up your ass. Maybe there is something else here that you should consider. If we do fight… I've never fucking lost. I wouldn't bet against me."

"Hear me out," Beckman said. "Your point about trusting me, okay it's well taken. But in this case your interests may coincide with mine. Complete this mission, capture the goods on Volkoff, and we'll remove the Intersect from your husband. You two can ride off into the sunset with the respect of a grateful nation rewarded with very generous pensions. You'll be free to find your own little corner of the world and make the horde of little Bartowski babies that you apparently daydream about."

"You can do that?" Sarah asked, suddenly interested. "Why would you do that?"

"I believe we can," Beckman said. "Why would I do that? Do you really think that I want an Intersect 2.0 running around the streets, especially one that I can't control? And yes, I understand that I could solve that problem another way. But you're right. You'd make me pay a huge price. I don't question your ability to do that, Agent Walker. I'm demanding that you do the right thing here. I'm also willing to do the right thing. It's a lot easier on everyone if we just come to an understanding, save the world, and go on with our lives forgetting that the other ever existed, isn't it? I also don't expect you to trust me. I'll put you directly in touch with Dr. Cole."

"Dr. Cole?" Sarah asked.

"Joan Cole is head of the Intersect Project," Beckman answered. "They have been working on an extraction process."

"Understand that I'm not agreeing to anything yet," Sarah said. "But do you have a specific plan?"

"Not so fast," Beckman said. "You don't trust me. Well I don't trust you all that much right now either. We're not sure of the new Intersect's capabilities or limitations. So I think that perhaps a field test might be in order."

"What sort of test?" Sarah asked warily.

"Tomorrow at oh six hundred local time my plane will be at the airport," Beckman said. "Agent Carter would be very useful on this Volkoff mission. For one thing, she's the only one on the team who will still get naked when it's required. In exactly forty-eight hours from the time the plane goes wheels up, the cover on her current assignment will become tragically compromised. Your test is to rescue her."

Sarah knew full well what happened to a female agent once her cover was blown. There were very few ways to be killed less horrible or less dignified than being passed around a horde of men, each fuck more violent than the previous one. When they finally allowed her to die, it would be a blessing. "If anything happens to Laura," she growled.

"Agent Walker, can we please skip this second round of threats?" Beckman asked sarcastically. "In the interest of time, if nothing else. We've already been over this. It's becoming somewhat tiresome. I think I get the point. I mean how many times can you kill me anyway? For the record, I don't want anything bad to happen to her either. She is a valuable agent. It would sadden me to have to sacrifice her. That's why I want your and my new Intersect's very best effort. I'll have Agent Casey meet you in Miami. You'll need additional resources. Agent Larkin here is fairly competent. You two have a successful history of working as a team. Do you want him to accompany you?"

"I can't have teammates I don't trust," Sarah growled with absolutely no humor in her voice. "That's also why you and I will never work together. Well, besides the fact that you hide behind your desk all day, manipulating others into doing all the hard stuff. So not unless he's tied to the other end of the rope that the plane is dragging. I'd accept that tiny bit of amusement."

Beckman fought to keep in the snicker. It wasn't the time or place. "Fair enough," she said. "If you have anything else that you need, now is the time to ask."

Sarah thought about it for a moment. Whatever their long term plans, Beckman had just rather cleverly trapped her. There was now zero question as to what she was going to do. They both knew it. Even if Agent Walker's first reaction would have been to tell the good general to go fuck herself, she was no longer Agent Walker. Chuck would never go for walking away and allowing any harm to come to Laura. Then it hit her. If she was going to claim that Chuck had changed her, and she was, maybe it was time to start acting like it. "I'll have to talk to Chuck," she said. "He gets a vote."

That actually got a short sarcastic laugh. "Please," Beckman said. "Are we really going to pretend that you couldn't talk him into swimming back to Miami if you really wanted to? Maybe you could break out a little of that tried and true 'looking down your shirt' thing that you're so proud of."

"He doesn't have to look down my shirt," Sarah growled. "I take it off for him whenever he wants… as slowly and sexily as I possibly can. I don't use sex to get Chuck to do the things that I want. We make love. I get that you don't understand the difference. If you did you'd be a different person, maybe less crusty, surely less miserable to be around. It's hard for me to feel sorry for you about that… but I do." She turned and stomped towards the exit, turning back for an instant when she reached it. "Have Josh and Joey meet us at the plane prepared to join the team. I'll make a final decision after I talk to them." She slammed the door forcefully behind her.

Even though Bryce was still standing there, Beckman was clearly basically talking to herself. "Well," she said.

"That went well."

x-x-x-x-x

"This is the wrong approach," Joan snapped in frustration. They were still sitting naked on the bench with the sheet wrapped around them, basically in the same position as well over a day ago. "There are just too many details to work out in the amount of time that we have. We should just extract it."

"We can't just extract it," Steven argued. "Let's face it. You team is not all that close to a workable extraction process that wouldn't risk killing him. There is not enough time for you and me to work all of those details out. It would take us months. This will buy us that time."

Joan suddenly realized how harsh she sounded. In fact, they were making excellent progress. So she leaned into him affectionately. "You're right," she sighed. "I'm very sorry that I snapped at you. That was unacceptable."

Steven wrapped his free arm around her just as affectionately. "There's no need to be sorry," he said softly. "We've been at this for almost two whole days. You're tired and hungry. Maybe we should take a break."

"We don't have time to take a break," Joan said. "The clock is ticking. Didn't you just read the email I just got from General Beckman? He uploaded it. She is looking for an extraction process. By our calculations, he only has a few days before he really starts to degrade. And once that happens it will progress geometrically."

"You can't work for a whole week without getting some sleep," Steven insisted. "It's not possible. We're not going to be productive if we're bone tired. So why don't we take a nap after you tell me the real reason you're so frustrated. Be honest with me. Have I done something?"

Joan pondered the question for a long while. It was cute that he knew her so well after only being together for a few days now. And their relationship was built on frank honesty. They were scientists. And it's what science was based on… facts. "Is there a reason that you've stopped looking at my chest?" she asked. "Are you getting bored with me already?"

"I have a confession to make," Steven said with a grin. "I actually can see your reflection in the monitor. Trust me. I don't think you have to worry much about me being bored… well, ever. In fact, in your reflection they actually look bigger." Steven suddenly realized what he had just said. "Oh my God. Joan. I didn't mean to imply that I'm unhappy with the size of your chest. They're perfect. Um, I mean you're perfect. I'm so sorry."

Joan watched him ramble for a long moment. It was far too cute to not let him off the hook. "I'm hardly perfect," she said with a grin. "But it was nice of you to say so. I'm not the kind of girl who needs a lot of sweet talk, but that was nice."

But Steven really wasn't ready to be let off the hook quite so easily. "I've loved two women in my life," he said sadly. "I lost the first one because I didn't give her what she needed and she had to go to another man to find it. I don't want to make that same mistake with you. So, Joan, I need a promise from you. If you're ever unhappy, please talk to me and give me a chance to fix it."

Joan was able to avoid crying last night when he told her the story of finding his first wife in bed with another man, barely. In fact, as she looked at the tears forming in his eyes as he told the story, she was more furious than sad. Crushing this sweetest guy in the world like that seemed obscene. If she ever got a chance to meet this Mary bitch, she vowed to give her a big piece of her mind, even if she was a badass ex CIA Agent. "I want you to listen to me," she said. "You're actually ahead of me. I've only loved one man in my life. In fact, two days ago I would have told you that I'm not even sure that I believed in love. My initial reaction is to scoff that I'm never going to be unhappy with you, at least not like that. And I'm more than comfortable promising that you'll never come home and find me in bed with another man. I think that's quite possibly the scummiest thing I've ever heard. I'm looking forward to telling her that in person someday. So even though I think it's a little unnecessary, I'll make you your promise, just because I think that it will do you some good to hear it. Okay?"

Steven nodded his head as the smile gradually reappeared. "Okay," he said. "Thank you."

That got the grin he was hoping for. "I'm actually looking for a more practical form of gratitude from you," she teased. "In fact if we're not in bed with you kissing your way down my body in something like ten seconds, you're going to see me very unhappy. I'm just saying."

"I thought we were tired," Steven said in mock horror as he matched her silly grin. "How is sex going to help that?"

"We are tired," Joan said as she pressed her lips to his.

"Sex is going to help me sleep."

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck could tell basically how the meeting went by the look on Sarah's face when she entered their room. "Our honeymoon is over, isn't it?" he asked sadly.

"No way," Sarah said firmly. "For one thing, nothing is decided. I told her that I couldn't commit to any mission without talking to you. But even if we do agree to do this for her, we're not getting cheated out of a single second of our honeymoon. We may have to call time out on it for a couple of weeks."

"What does she want us to do?" Chuck asked with a sigh.

As Sarah told him the story of her meeting with Beckman she was struck by the sadness in his eyes. "So," she said. "What do you think? Should we do this?"

"Do we really have a choice?"

"Not really," Sarah said. "Beckman has a point. She could make our lives pretty miserable. We'd have to run. We'd have no way to protect Ellie. And even with what we know and our skills, our odds wouldn't be good. We're probably better off giving her what she wants and holding her to her promise."

"I didn't mean that," Chuck said. "I wasn't talking about us. We can't stand by and allow Laura to be gang raped to death."

In spite of the tension in the room, Sarah couldn't help the sad smile at how well she knew her guy. "I know," she said. "I admit that I'm the stone cold spy. But that would be hard for me too."

"You're no longer the stone cold spy," Chuck said. "In fact we're going to have to give ourselves a pep talk to get some of that back or we're going to get killed. Admit something else. You're looking forward to this on some level."

Chuck probably didn't realize this. If he had, he wouldn't have done it. But there probably wasn't much worse he could have possibly said to her at that point. Sarah tried for a long moment to try and blink away the devastated tears. Finally she gave up and allowed them to flow down her cheeks. "That's exactly what Bryce thinks too," she finally said. "He thinks that I'll soon become bored with my normal life with you and need the excitement of a mission. Then he'll have me at his mercy. He thinks I'll do any sick thing that he asks. I expected that from him. I never expected that doubt from you. I thought that we were past this. What do I have to do to make you understand? Tell me and I'll do it."

Chuck wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You totally misunderstood me," he said softly into the top of her head. "I'm sorry that I said it poorly. I get that is what Bryce thinks, maybe even what I feared at one time. But we are past this. You're a different person than you were when Bryce knew you. I have zero doubt about that. In fact, you're looking forward to settling down and raising our family maybe even more than I am. I didn't mean anything like that at all. What I meant was that you've spent your entire adult life fighting for something. Maybe this isn't a particular fight you would go looking for. Yes, she's forcing us. But at some level you'd enjoy putting someone as evil as Alexi Volkoff in his place. Even I would be proud of that. So as long as we have to do this, we might as well do it right and get some measure of satisfaction. I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting that is there?"

Sarah was probably never so relieved in her life, so much so that she sort of collapsed into him. "I'm sorry," she said. "You're right. I did misunderstand you. Yes, I'd like to see Volkoff fall. You're right about that too. But let's agree on one thing. We're not doing this for Beckman or the CIA. If we get the chance to fuck her or them over, we're going to take it. Okay?"

"Okay," Chuck said with a grin. "Sort of an odd pep talk. Not sure I'm comfortable with 'Beckman' and 'fuck' in the same sentence. But okay."

Sarah returned his grin. "I owe you a big apology," she said. "I can offer you sex to make this up to you. Would that work?"

That totally broke the tension in the room and got them laughing. "You said that you wanted to see what the Intersect could do," he said. "You mentioned ravage. Is that what you still want?"

"Very much so," Sarah said. "But not tonight, okay? Maybe we can call time out on the genie thing too. We'll pick it back up when we resume our honeymoon and can do it right. Tonight maybe we can climb into that huge bed, actually get between the sheets, and I can see what my husband, the love of my life, can do all on his own. Would that be okay with you? Maybe I can prime the pump a little with one of the negligees that I bought in Vegas. Do you have a preference?"

"The blue one," Chuck said quickly.

x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had stripped down to his boxers and was just waiting, for what he wasn't totally sure. But he was stunned when Sarah opened the bathroom door. Yes, she was beyond beautiful. That goes without saying. But with the bathroom lights on behind her, which was certainly strategic on her part, she looked more like an angel. She had taken her hair down from the ponytail that she always wore on a mission and it now hung in golden waves over her shoulders. She had clearly spent some time making sure that her makeup was perfect, all for him.

It was the damndest thing. Sarah couldn't hide the fact that she was a beautiful woman, almost no matter how she was dressed. But Chuck was always struck by how different she could make herself look. When she was dressed for a mission, she looked all business… and that business was badass. But when she wanted to look soft, she could put any actress or model to shame.

And this was Sarah at her absolute sexiest. Chuck was getting fairly accustomed to seeing Sarah naked. She loved teasing him about being embarrassed, often took great pleasure in rubbing his face in it at almost any time of the day or night, sometimes figuratively, other times quite literally. But he had never seen her like this. The blue negligee that he was looking forward to so much was perfect. Oh, it didn't hide a thing. But it accented her body perfectly as she stood there in that model's position and posed for him. And if the hardness of her nipples was any indication, and it always was, then she was just as excited posing for his amusement as he was. "Nice bit of pump priming there, Missy," he said with an approving grin. "Maybe after we're done being agents, we could go into plumbing."

Sarah was so aroused that she could barely stand. But she also couldn't keep in the very wet laugh. That was the thing that she loved best about being married to Chuck Bartowski. No matter what the situation, no matter how tired or depressed… or horny she was, he could always make her laugh. It was the very best thing in her life. She couldn't imagine her life the way it was before… before him. So she sauntered over to where he was sitting and raised her arms in a clear signal. "Don't you want to unwrap your present?" she asked.

The question was clearly rhetorical. So Chuck reached down for the hem of her negligee and slowly lifted it over her head until she stood naked before him. "It seems a shame," he said. "Such a beautiful garment, and you wore it for about a minute."

"You sound disappointed," Sarah said as she sat on his lap. "I could put it back on if you'd like. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that I can feel that it had its intended effect. Either that or you've decided to take that plumber thing seriously and brought a lead pipe to bed with you."

"I was just making an observation," Chuck said softly between the ever increasing in intensity kisses. "I wasn't complaining."

Sarah wrapped her arms around his head and took the kissing thing to a new level. "I love you," she said softly between kisses. "That actually falls far short of how I feel. I'm afraid that I can't do any better with words. It frustrates me. I know that I don't say that to you nearly often enough. But it's still absolutely true. I'm working on it. I'm going to do better."

"I love you," Chuck responded. "I get that it's hard for you. I'm so proud of how hard you're trying. The truth is that you've been doing great. I'll admit that I love to hear it, especially since it's hard. You said that you wanted to get between the sheets. Can we maybe wait on that for a minute or two? You got me a present, it only seems fair."

Sarah nodded. "Anything that you want."

"Good," Chuck said. "You said that you wanted to see what I could do all on my own." He lifted her in his arms, stood up, and placed her on the edge of the bed where he had just been sitting.

"Ah," Sarah moaned once she realized what Chuck had in mind. "My very favorite present. Going for a little pump priming of your own, are we?"

Chuck smiled as he firmly pushed her knees apart and starting kissing his way up the inside of her thigh.

"You can't be the only plumber in the family."

x-x-x-x-x