A/N: Happy Sunday friends, and so very sorry for the cliffy last chapter…..(not sorry…..muahhaaaaaa….!) Welcome to Chapter 11 – Healed Hearts and Broken Parts.
Like a rollercoaster, Chuck and Sarah saw their relationship start to steadily ascend, only to have the bottom fall out from under their feet. And like a rollercoaster, this chapter allows everyone to catch their breath as things slow down after the big drop….but for just a moment because deep down inside, everyone knows there will be more twists, turns, and frightful drops just around the bend. I hope you enjoy the ride.
As for your feedback, I am speechless. Not only in terms of quantity, but also by the time so many of you taken to comment extensively through your reviews or PMs. I try my best to respond to every review and private message, and honestly, this is my favorite part of the FanFic writing experience. I love it, so please keep'em coming.
As Usual, my thanks go to Nevr for pre and beta reading, though I have made a number of changes since his review, so any errors are mine and mine alone. And as usual, I don't own Chuck or profit in any way from writing this completely AU story.
Valkyrie's Invisible Shield
Chapter 11 – Healed Hearts and Broken Parts
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 04:40 GMT (23:40 EST – Sunday, 19 December)
Location: Dorchester Hotel - 53 Park Lane, London, U.K. – Gertrude Verbanski's room
Gertrude Verbanski had just received the call from dispatch about Condition Bravo at a location about twenty minutes away from the hotel, but immediately put her team on high alert, threw on some clothes, and headed to the Walker suite. She was standing outside the door to the suite waiting for further clarification on the Bravo alert when Morgan Grimes called her.
"Gertrude, there has been an incident. Valkyrie is unharmed, but there was another attempt to abduct her, and in the process, Chuck Bartowski was shot. Valkyrie is with Lou Palone and Anna Wu in the ambulance with Chuck on the way to Royal Brompton Hospital with a police escort. They should be there in less than five minutes." Morgan spoke calmly and clearly, conveying the most salient details to Verbanski. "Valkyrie wanted Athena to know she was fine and would stay with Chuck until his condition is clarified. The hospital has been alerted by dispatch, and in addition to Palone and Wu, local police will provide additional security on scene until I arrive with my team."
"Morgan, what the fuck is going on, and why was Valkyrie…..," Gertrude caught herself. It was clear that there was a budding relationship between Valkyrie and Bartowski. Even the First Lady mentioned it when she informed Gertrude about who would be joining for tea and then Later that evening for dinner. Verbanski's brain quickly connected the dots. "Never mind. Not important. We've adjusted coverage based on Bravo, but given that Valkyrie is safe, I will not wake the First Lady until I hear back from you. Keep me posted."
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 05:30 GMT (00:30 EST)
Location: Royal Brompton Hospital - Sydney St, London
Sarah was ashen. Morgan had arrived with his team, spirited her off to a private office, and tried to make her comfortable while they waited for news from the surgical team. In the meantime, a growing list of people wanted to speak to Sarah Walker about what happened. Sarah was holding a cup of hot tea, but her color hadn't fully returned, and the shaking of her hands hadn't fully subsided. She was sitting on a couch and wrapped in a blanket, waiting for Morgan and Lou, who had stepped out of the room to take a call. Morgan and Lou returned a few minutes later, having just finished an update call with Mike Tucker and Cole Barker, Jill Roberts, and Roan Montgomery from the crime scene. They were going to be the first to "interview" Sarah Walker. The good news, if there was to be any, was that the assailant was dead and that Sarah Walker's name had not yet been picked up by anyone likely to leak it to the media. The hospital staff was focused on the shooting victim and paid little attention to a woman in an ill-fitting suit, overcoat, and hat.
Sarah jumped as the door opened, and she saw a dower expression on Morgan's face.
"Chuck?" Sarah's face still showed the shock of the early morning's events.
"Nothing yet, Sarah, but he is in good hands. He is a strong man, and you already know he has much to live for." Morgan sat next to her and placed a comforting hand on Sarah's forearm. "They know where we are and will come to us as soon as they have anything to report on his condition." He paused for a moment. "But Sarah, we need to talk about what happened this morning while it's still fresh in your mind. I know this is difficult, but every little detail might be critical to helping us understand what is happening and who might be behind it…. okay?"
Sarah gave Morgan a half-hearted smile and nodded in the affirmative. She took a sip of the tea she had clutched in both hands and began to tell the story.
"Chuck and I were walking out of the house. I think it was about four-thirty. I was behind him and closed the door as quietly as I could. As I turned around to follow, I almost bumped into his back because he suddenly stopped walking and stood tall as he stepped back into me. He said something as he moved. I think he actually said "BACK" and stepped on my foot, causing us to fall backward. I didn't hear a gunshot or anything, just a weird kind of vibrating sound, like when you hit a long metal spring." Sarah looked at Morgan.
"That sound is what most silencers sound like. Not the way they make them sound on television. The weapon the man was using had a spring-based sound suppresser, and the sound you heard was him firing." Morgan explained as Lou listened and took notes. "What happened next?"
"I didn't fully understand Chuck had been shot. I thought we just had a clumsy accident. I hadn't seen the shooter at this point. Then Chuck started to speak. He was struggling, obviously hurt, and said he had been hit. As we fell, I grabbed him, and that's when I felt the blood. Oh God…..his blood." Sarah shuddered. "I kind of lost focus at that point until I felt him push a gun into my hand. I didn't see where the gun came from, but he told me to hide it under his armpit so it couldn't be seen. He told me that I was going to be taken and that when the man came really close, to shoot him." Sarah stared into space as she spoke, the tremor in her hands still visible.
"Okay, Sarah. That's good." Morgan tried to soothe her. "What happened next?"
Sarah continued. "He told me he loved me, and then he lost consciousness." A tear gently rolled down Sarah's cheek as she reflected on the moment.
"Of course, he loves you, Sarah. Tell me what happened next?" Morgan pushed gently.
Sarah took a breath to calm herself. "I finally saw the man as he turned onto the walkway. He was holding a large black gun." Sarah shuddered. "He told me he didn't want to hurt me but to keep quiet and that I needed to go with him, and then started to point the gun at me. He was maybe three feet away, and I just started firing Chuck's gun. I'm not sure how many shots I fired, but the man fell to the ground and didn't move at all. Lou and the others came out of the house a moment later, and I think Lou can fill in the rest."
"Good. That's really good, Sarah. Are you sure there wasn't anything else you remember?" Morgan asked as he looked at Lou.
"No. I think that's everything…..no, wait. There was another man." Sarah perked up slightly. "Yes. He came up the walk a little behind the man I shot. He saw me shoot the first man, and as I tried to pull the gun out from Chuck's underarm, he took off. Jumped in a car, a dark-colored car. Black or blue, I think, but I didn't see anything like plates or the model or anything."
"Can you describe him, Sarah?"
"Not really. It was dark, and I only saw him for a second or two before he was gone. He had dark hair, was dressed in dark clothes, probably medium tallish, white…That's all I remember."
The conversation continued for a few more minutes as Morgan and Lou checked and rechecked Sarah's account of what had happened. They immediately relayed the information to Mike Tucker and the team at the scene, and Roan further communicated with Scotland Yard. London had more security cameras installed than any other city in the world, and if they could identify the black or blue car, they might catch a break.
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 07:15 GMT (02:15 EST)
Location: Royal Brompton Hospital - Sydney St, London
The fatigue from the adrenaline and the shock finally claimed Sarah. She had fallen asleep in a sitting position on the couch, but Lou and Morgan managed to gently move her into a more comfortable horizontal position using Morgan's jacket as a pillow. She had been napping for almost a half hour when there was a soft knock on the door.
Lou opened the door to find the lead surgeon standing in the doorway, his blue scrubs dotted with blood from the surgery.
"What news, Doc," Lou spoke quietly to not wake Sarah.
"Your man is out of surgery and in stable condition. He was fortunate. The bullet went through but it also seemed to go out of its way to avoid hitting anything critical. We did have to repair a few major blood vessels, which is why he lost a lot of blood but no arteries." The doctor paused to wipe his brow with his forearm, "The exit would is also extremely small suggesting the bullet was fully jacketed and did not fragment on. He's still under sedation and will need a few days for the internal stitches to fully do their job, but unless he has unexpected complications like an infection, I suspect he could be discharged within three or four days. I expect him to make a full recovery in time."
Lou shook the doctor's hand while Morgan came up, giving the man a sideways "bro-hug" and thanking him. "Thanks, Doc!"
Lou and Morgan looked at each other and reached an unspoken agreement to let Sarah sleep for a while. Chuck was going to be okay, and every minute of rest Sarah got would help her recover as well. They stepped out of the office, and Morgan called Verbanski while Lou called Mike Tucker with the good news.
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 10:35 GMT (05:35 EST)
Location: Royal Brompton Hospital - Sydney St, London
Chuck slowly opened his eyes, and as he became aware of his surroundings, he tried to sit up while tearing away his intravenous drip and the leads to the monitoring system. Instantly, the heart rate monitor registered zero pulse and sent an alarm to the nurse's station, causing the duty nurse to summon a doctor along with the crash cart. Moments later, the medical team blew past the two police officers guarding his room to find Chuck trying to stand on his own.
Chuck's head swiveled toward the door as the cart banged against the doorway on entry.
"Sarah…where is Sarah?" He started to fall but was grabbed by a burly orderly who hoisted him back onto the bed and started reconnecting his oxygen cannula and assorted monitor leads. Chuck was still partially sedated, so he didn't have the strength to resist, but in a weakened voice, he continued to demand answers about where Sarah was.
"Mr. Bartowski," The doctor responded, "everyone is fine, and the three ladies that accompanied you have been waiting for you to come out of your sedation, but if you don't calm yourself, we will need to sedate you again. Do you understand?" The doctor looked over at him carefully. "We had to repair a number of major blood vessels," he pointed at Chuck's chest, "in there. If you tear something open, we will have a big problem."
Chuck's eyes were half closed, but he nodded understanding and whispered hoarsely, "I need to see Sarah. Please bring her to me."
"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Bartowski, but promise me you will rest, okay? And don't disconnect any of the monitors, the I.V., or the cannula again. You got me?"
The moment Chuck gave a slight nod confirming his understanding, the doctor turned to the nurse. "Sallie, please go speak to the agents in the office and let them know he is awake but weak. One visitor at a time, and no making him talk.
-O-
"Sarah, Sarah…." Morgan gently shook Sarah.
"Chuck!" Sarah opened her eyes in alarm.
"He's fine, Sarah. Everything is going to be okay. Your boyfriend is fortunate in more ways than one. The surgery was perfect, and he will make a full recovery. He is awake but still very groggy, so you can go see him, but please don't agitate him. Okay?"
Sarah gave Morgan a weak smile and gathered herself up.
"Sarah, you also need to call the First Lady. She knows you have been resting and didn't want to bring the circus to town, but she wants you to know she's been worried about you….and Chuck."
"Thanks, Morgan. I'll call her after I see Chuck. Can you take me to him, please?"
Morgan extended his arm, allowing Sarah to loop her arm through his as she stood, and the two of them made their way to Chuck's recovery room.
-O-
The team at the crime scene recovered a significant amount of evidence, the most critical of which was an encrypted mobile phone found in the jacket pocket of the deceased. They also found a set of car keys and, by pushing the buttons on the remote, identified the BMW the keys were linked to. A search of the vehicle found it was registered to a consulting company owned by an offshore entity registered in Dubai. Aside from the registration and insurance documents, nothing else was found in the car.
They needed to get the phone to the tech people, but Montgomery was already developing a perspective.
"Lady and gentlemen," Roan addressed Roberts, Barker, and Mike Tucker, "this phone holds the keys to our case. The lads in tech will need to figure out how to unlock it, and then we will need to check all the numbers associated with incoming and outgoing calls." He then stood back, scratching the back of his head. "You know, I'm increasingly suspicious that the gentleman in the black body bag might be the Arranger."
Barker's head snapped toward Roan. "What makes you think so?" he asked.
"His license is real, but the name is false. The car is registered to a consulting company owned by a shell company in Dubai. Physically, his hands are well-manicured, and his clothes are expensive and tailored. This man is no local thug, and the Arranger certainly has the means and network to drive the plot against President Walker. Couple that with the second attempt on the young Ms. Walker in less than two weeks, and while it's certainly not enough to be sure, there are enough indicators to suggest this is the case. The thing I can't sort out is that he never seems to get his hands dirty by being directly involved in anything. However, it's possible he was being pressed because of the failure in New York. But we shall know soon enough. Shall we head to the hospital and chat with the lovely Ms. Walker?" Roan turned and started to walk toward one of the U.S. consular cars.
-O-
Morgan accompanied Sarah to Chuck's door and stopped. "Sarah, he's been through a lot, so don't be upset if he looks a little worse for the wear, okay? He'll be fine. He just needs a little time."
Sarah gave Morgan a hug, squared her shoulders, and walked in.
Chuck heard the door open and managed to open one eye a little. "Sarah…." he hoarsely whispered.
"Shhhh, Chuck. Please don't speak. You need your strength." Sarah barely noticed his sallow complexion, the various wires connected to beeping machines and the oxygen cannula as she took his unencumbered hand and gently kissed his forehead. She looked around, letting go of his hand for a moment to pull up a chair, and Chuck immediately felt a cold void. Her hand was firmly clutching his seconds later, and as he felt her warmth return and bloom through him, he smiled weakly.
Sarah leaned her head against Chuck's arm while clutching his hand tightly.
"I thought I lost you, Chuck." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. Her words finished; she stayed immobile, both relishing the contact.
"You can't lose me Sarah." Chuck's soft eyes conveyed a depth of feeling that shook her. Then he closed his eyes and with a gentle smile drifted off to sleep.
After about twenty very quiet minutes, there was a knock on the door. It was the doctor to check on Chuck. He asked Sarah to step outside, but she resisted. Morgan was by the door, and hearing the developing challenge, he stepped in and gently pulled Sarah away.
"Sarah, take two minutes to call your mother. She needs to hear from you," Morgan spoke in a soothing voice as Sarah hesitated, then nodded.
She pulled out her phone and noticed no less than fifteen missed calls. Last night, she had put her phone on "do not disturb" and missed every call. She would check all the missed calls in a minute, but for now, she needed to call her mother.
"Sarah! Thank God! You had me so worried….Are you okay? Please tell me you are okay."
"Mom…." Sarah broke down, sobbing. "Mom, I was so scared. I don't know what I would have done if I lost him." Sarah gulped air as she struggled to speak the words.
"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry….Tell me about Chuck. What happened? Is he okay? Is there anything we can do?" Emma was choking up, feeling her daughter's pain. Neither spoke for a minute until Sarah regained her composure.
"He was shot, Mom. He shielded me from a bullet, thinking someone was trying to kill me, but he was the target. It was another kidnapping attempt. After he was shot, he gave me his gun, and I killed the kidnapper," Sarah sobbed as she explained, thankful that her mother did not turn the conversation into an interrogation about why she was there or how she got there. She decided to head off the discussion.
"This is all my fault. Chuck had no idea. I snuck out and went to see him at almost two in the morning. I needed to see him but never thought anything like this would happen. It was an impulsive and stupid thing to do." Sarah had stopped crying, but now her voice indicated a sense of anger….with herself.
"Sarah, let's not worry about that right now. The important thing is that you are safe and that Chuck is okay. Is there anything we can do for Chuck?" Emma asked.
"I have no idea, Mom. He just woke up from the surgery. The doctor says he will make a full recovery in due course, but right now, he is still kind of out of it and needs to rest. I'll let you know what else the doctors say."
"Okay, sweetheart. I'll wait for your call."
"Wait, Mom. You're not coming down to see him?" Sarah was surprised.
"Sarah, sweetheart. As of right now, no one has linked you to the shooting. The Secret Service and MI-5 and 6 want to keep this quiet for now, so bringing our circus to the hospital instead of seeing the Queen would be bad for everyone."
"Oh, shit!" Sarah explained, frustrated that her usual ability to manage multiple complex tasks at once suddenly seemed to have disappeared. Then again, what she had been through over the last few weeks was about as disruptive as anything could be. "I completely forgot about the meeting with the Queen this afternoon. I'm so sorry, Mom."
"Not to worry, Sarah. The appointment is at three o'clock, so you should come along if you feel up to it. Chuck is in good hands, and there is nothing you can do for him. Having said that, if you feel you need to stay, I will go alone and explain your absence to Her Majesty. I'm sure our British friends will be rightly upset that this happened in their backyard, so no biggie. You do what you need to, okay?" Emma tried to lighten the mood. "Sweetie, it might be good for you to step away and give Chuck some time to rest, though. Just think about it. Okay, sweetheart? Oh, and call your father. He wants to hear your voice."
"Thanks, Mom. I will. Oh, one more thing. Please make sure that Casey knows this was all my fault. Not Chuck's, not Morgan's, not Gertrude's, okay? Please promise me."
"I promise." Emma ended their call just as the doctor exited Chuck's room.
"You are welcome to go back and visit with Mr. Bartowski, but please, don't let him speak or get excited. The more rest he gets, the faster he will recuperate."
"Yes, Doctor." Sarah's smile was a little stronger and her posture a little straighter. "Morgan, do you want to sit with Chuck for a minute? I'm going back to the office to call my father."
-O-
Sarah had just finished the short call with her father when there was a knock on the door. It was Roan Montgomery with Cole Barker, Jill Roberts, and the rest of Lou's team, and there were many questions to be answered. After thirty minutes of going over the same information again and again, Sarah decided to play the "Queen" card.
Sarah explained her intention to join her mother and keep the appointment to meet Her Majesty the Queen. To do that, she needed to get back to the hotel to prepare. She would make herself available for more questions later in the afternoon at the hotel. She then whispered into Morgan's ear. "Please take me to Chuck so I can explain why I need to go for a couple of hours."
"He'll understand, Sarah." He stood and led Sarah out of the office and informed a member of his team to prepare to transit back to the Dorchester and make sure the local police were prepared to escort.
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 17:00 GMT (12:00 EST)
Location: Royal Brompton Hospital - Sydney St, London
Sarah almost ran through the corridors of Brompton Hospital to get back to Chuck's room. Emma had been right, and attending the meeting with the Queen was as much of a welcome break as it was a fantastic experience. She had been getting regular updates on Chuck's condition throughout the day from the team at the hospital, and she was heartened to learn that he had slept most of the time she had been away. As she approached his door, she stopped and composed herself a little, checking her reflection in the glass of the door, and then, after a light knock, made her way in.
Chuck had managed to sleep, and while he was still in pain, he felt quite a bit more lucid than he had that morning. He heard the knock and turned to see Sarah with an ear-to-ear smile. He managed to sit up a little taller, and his eyes widened as he did his best to smile broadly at the beautiful vision that approached him. His voice still hoarse, he managed to speak. "Hi, beautiful. I missed you."
Sarah wore a navy ensemble with white piping, two rows of golden buttons down the front of the jacket, and a matching form-fitting skirt that reached just below her knees. Navy blue high heels with gold trim completed the outfit. Her hair was worn up in a neat bun, and her makeup was immaculate. She rushed to his side and very gently kissed his lips as she took his hand in hers. Instantly, they shared each other's warmth wordlessly and took a moment to bask in the silence of their connection. Tomorrow, Sarah would need to leave, and Chuck was not in a condition to travel, but they would deal with that later. Right now, they just needed to feel their togetherness.
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 17:00 GMT (12:00 EST)
Location: SIS Building, 85 Albert Embankment, London
Lou, Anna, and Mike were gathered around a table with Roan, Cole, Jill, and a couple of MI-6 tech people. They had been discussing the evidence recovered at the scene of the shooting and attempted abduction when suddenly, the encrypted mobile phone that had been recovered from the dead assailant rang. Everyone froze and stared for a moment until Roan picked the phone up and pressed the button to accept the call.
A thick Russian voice came through the speaker, "Shaw. You are running out of time, and I am running out of patience. My American friend tells me the plane leaves tomorrow at noon." The speaker was waiting for some feedback. "Shaw!" There was another pause, and then the call disconnected.
Roan looked up from the phone. "Shaw…."
Lou met Roan's eyes. "Shit. These Russian fuckers have an American informant with access to information that is tightly controlled and have been using an encrypted phone. I need to call Casey!
"They have been tracking calls to and from certain numbers, and now we can add the one that our friend with the thick Russian accent called from."
"Lou," Mike spoke up. "Let's start having the phones we captured in N.Y. call all the numbers in their memory while we do the same with this one. We should be able to start connecting some dots that will help us."
"He's right, Lou," Cole agreed. The number that just called has to be encrypted, which explains why we didn't intercept and record any previous calls until we had the other encrypted phone. But now that we have the caller's details, we might be able to triangulate its location and intercept the conversations." He looked at one of the techs. "Get busy, mate….find that blasted phone!"
The team had momentarily disbanded to make their respective calls when, less than ten minutes later, the MI-6 tech came running back to the meeting room.
"We got lucky," the tech exclaimed excitedly.
"What do you have, Billingsly?" Roan asked sharply.
"The number that called here just made an outgoing call, and we isolated the location as Tottenham, on the north side of London."
"Little Russia!" Jill shared.
"Yes," Billingsly replied. "The call was too short to pinpoint the exact location, but we've got it down to about a six-block area around Tottenham Hotspur Stadium."
Roan looked at Cole. "Cole, old boy, wasn't there a big kerfuffle two years ago when a Russian fellow tried to force the owners of the Hotspurs to sell the team to him?"
"Volkoff? You think this might be Volkoff?" Cole looked surprised by Roan's assertion, and the two started to debate the issue when Billingsly interrupted.
"I have more!" He almost shouted to get Roan and Cole to listen, but they both stopped speaking and turned toward him. "He called a U.S. number. It's likely a burner, which is somewhere in North East Washington, D.C. The call was too short for us to locate from here, but now that we know the numbers, the Yank's Echelon system should be able to track the back and forth."
Lou picked up her phone and dialed Casey.
"Casey, we have a breakthrough. MI-6 will send you a series of numbers to track with Echelon. One of them is in D.C. With any luck, we'll know who the bastards are soon."
-O-
Date: Monday, 20 December 2021
Time: 17:10 GMT (12:10 EST)
Location: Number 1 Observatory Circle – Washington D.C. - Vice President's residence.
Teddy Roark was just sitting down to lunch. He was tired from his incessant travel, frustrated at having to spend time with rich idiots who funded and, therefore, shaped the American political landscape, and he hated being so close to power without actually having any. His mobile phone rang….the special one….further spoiling his unpleasant mood.
"Everybody out!" Roark bluntly demanded as the staff scurried to leave the dining room, closing the door behind them.
Roark waited a moment to make sure he was alone. "What the hell do you want? I told you to never call me unless it was an emergency."
Volkoff didn't back down. "Listen to me, you horny peacock. I think the Arranger has been compromised. We need to lay low and let things calm down for a while."
Roark was not going to let Volkoff push his buttons. "You listen to me, you little Russian piss-ant gangster. One more word out of you, and I'll serve your fucking balls to MI-6 on a silver platter. Ty poymi menya, tovarishch? (you get me, comrade?)
"Da, horny peacock, I get you, but your macho bravado does not solve the fucking problem. You need to change strategy, or this whole thing will fall on us both." Volkoff slammed his phone down on his table, cracking the screen. He sat alone in his office, contemplating what to do next, then made a decision. He needed to take Roark off the field of play. The President's protection had ratcheted up since the attempted abduction of the daughter in New York, but the Vice President, while still protected, was comparatively a softer target. Volkoff came to a decision. If he couldn't help get Roark into the Oval Office to support his ambition of controlling a major oil and gas pipeline into Europe, he was not going to allow Roark to hang the entire conspiracy on him.
At the same time, Teddy Roark slammed his fist so hard on the dining room table his crystal wine glass bounced, landed on its side, and shattered, spilling red wine everywhere.
"Someone get in here and clean this mess up," Roark shouted as he stood, wiping his wine-stained shirt and trousers with his linen napkin. 'That fucking Russian could fuck up a wet dream. He needs to go.' Roark thought to himself as he walked out of the dining room and into his private office. He closed the door and dialed a number.
Somewhere in Bethesda, Maryland, a man in a black suit, a long black overcoat, and dark sunglasses was sitting on a park bench waiting for a contact, His mobile rang. He looked at the screen and answered.
"Decker."