A/N: Happy Thursday…..and welcome to Chapter 16 – Truth or Dare, my first chapter release of 2024.
Last chapter, Chuck got his high-powered computer set up while Volkoff slipped out of the United Kingdom. While this was happening, Volkoff's intended assassin was intercepted by the Secret Service's Investigation team with support from MI-5 and MI-6, resulting in a shootout in broad day light. That action also triggered a second shoot out with the men Volkoff left behind. Once the smell of gunpowder cleared, the team had one prisoner, and a lot of new intelligence to help them in their hunt.
Once again, I've been blessed with more favorites and follows as well as reviews and PM's. If you are enjoying the ride, please take a moment to review as the engagement with the readers is my favorite part of the writing experience and I try to respond to every review or PM.
Again, my deep thanks to klipdoctor for beta reading, and to CliffM for his pre-reading service, and my apologies for subjecting them to my atrocious typing and punctuation…..I should note that as with the previous chapter, I have made some additional edits after their good work, 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.
The Valkyrie and Her Invisible Shield
Chapter 16 – Truth or Dare
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 09:15 EST
Location: 2501 Q Street, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Chuck Bartowski residence.
Sarah and Chuck had another night of gentle and quiet lovemaking, and much to Sarah's delight; Chuck was slowly becoming more comfortable with his movement, adding a new dimension to their post-shooting sex life. Chuck had awakened early, with Sarah's naked form wrapped around his uninjured side, her legs tangled with his, and her feet hopefully well-warmed. He had laid quietly, enjoying the feeling of Sarah so physically connected to him. Her rhythmic breathing, the scent of her hair, her occasional lady snores, and her seemingly constant need to get closer to him. All combined in Chuck's mind to provide a comfort he wouldn't have believed even existed, let alone experienced. Eventually, he had gently kissed the top of her head and carefully slipped out of her grasp. Sarah mumbled something that sounded like disappointment, but then she quickly fell back asleep. Chuck donned a robe and quietly shuffled to the kitchen to put on the coffee. That was at six-fifteen in the morning.
By eight-thirty, he had a full investigation update in his mailbox, complete with additional annotations from John Casey. There had been significant developments in London, and they were now confident that Volkoff was the Russian involved and, utilizing the phone they took from Volkoff's captured henchman, they should be able to track him. They'd also secured the phone of the hitman, who had now been identified as Clyde Decker, an American national with a military background who operated as a freelancer. Using his phone, they might be able to establish a link to the puppet master.
In the meantime, Chuck's program was continuing to churn away in the background on the names they had in their sights: Daniel Shaw, Bryce Larkin, Heather Chandler, Frank Mauser, and Alexei Volkoff. He was about to add Clyde Decker's name when suddenly a ping with a message bubble appeared. The program had flagged some money movements linked to Alexei Volkoff, who was a major stakeholder of a Russian public company called Vostock Oil and Gas. The data confirmed that Volkoff had owned about thirty percent of Vostock Oil & Gas, which had made him the largest shareholder, until very recently.
Interestingly, the company has been virtually bankrupt since the U.S. sanctions were enacted. To keep the company floating, Volkoff had liquidated a small number of key leases he had for oil and gas fields, but he kept the pipeline, which, without any product running through it, was basically an unproductive, rusting pile of scrap metal. More specific to the alert was that a boutique investment bank named Kraken Capital had very quietly been purchasing the stock on behalf of a trust in the Cayman Islands, and as of this morning, the trust owned some fifty-five percent of Vostock Oil and Gas.
Chuck read through all the information he could find, which didn't amount to much, but he wondered why anyone would buy a controlling stake in a company that was dead, for all intents and purposes. He started a series of incursions into the Cayman Trust Company and Kraken Capital. By nine-fifteen, he picked up the phone and called Casey.
"Casey."
"Bartowski. Good morning, Casey. Listen….It's way too early to be certain, but I'm working on a theory, and I think it's something we want to discuss in person. Do you think you can swing by my place?"
"I can be there in thirty minutes, Bartowski."
"Make it forty-five, boss….and if you haven't had breakfast yet, I can make you some pancakes?"
"No pancakes for me, Chuck. Just coffee, thanks. See you in forty-five minutes."
Chuck hung up the phone and moved into the kitchen to prepare something for Sarah. He pulled together a light breakfast of fresh fruits and granola over some low-fat yogurt, some agave syrup drizzled over the top. He poured a cup of freshly brewed coffee and set everything up on a tray, almost walking into Devon as he exited the kitchen.
"Morning Chuckster. How are you feeling? Everything okay? No pain?"
"I'm good, Devon. Less pain and more mobility by the day. Fresh fruit is in the fridge, and fresh coffee is in the pot. Help yourself." Chuck gave Devon a brotherly smile.
"Thanks, bro. I'm gonna take a cue from you and bring my lady some breakfast in bed."
"Cool. By the way, my boss, Casey, will be here in about forty-five minutes. You're welcome to stay, but if you and Ellie want to bail and go sightseeing or whatever, feel free to do so." Chuck turned and headed to his bedroom with Sarah's breakfast.
"Good morning, sunshine!" Chuck whispered in Sarah's ear.
"Come back to bed, Chuck. I need more snuggling time." Sarah pouted with her eyes still closed.
"I brought you a little breakfast in bed. I couldn't think of a better way to start the day for the woman I love."
Sarah's eyes opened slowly, and she saw Chuck holding the tray. "Chuck, that is so sweet. Put the tray down, and get your ass in this bed…. You're going to be my breakfast and that," Sarah pointed to the tray, "Will be my dessert." Chuck rested the tray on his dresser and slipped off his robe before sliding under the covers and into Sarah's waiting arms. "Mmmm….now for my breakfast," Sarah purred as she kissed her way down Chuck's naked torso.
"Sarah," Chuck tried to stop Sarah's steady progress south. "John Casey will be here in less than 45 minutes, and…..oh boy…oh my God…."
Twenty minutes later, Sarah hummed contentedly as she lay half on top of Chuck. "Thank you for the best breakfast, baby….and the fruit and granola." She smiled, touching her forehead to his. "But don't you need to get ready for Casey?"
"Casey….Damn! Woman, you'll be the death of me." He playfully spanked Sarah's backside, urging her to roll off him so he could get into the shower.
"Need some help in the shower, lover?" Sarah asked with a saucy wink.
"The death of me….." Chuck repeated with a loving smile as he leaned over and kissed her. "And I am so thankful for it." He slipped into the bathroom, taking ten minutes to shower and shave. Once cleaned and freshly shaven, Chuck started pulling clothes out of his dresser.
As Chuck focused on his clothes, Sarah came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. She seemed to revel in the feel of Chuck's naked body, still warm from the hot shower.
"Sarah….?" Chuck reached back with his right arm and pulled her into him. "Baby….I can't move or get dressed."
"Just a minute longer, Chuck." Sarah tightened her grip. "Chuck," Sarah spoke with her cheek pressed against Chuck's shoulder blade.
"What is it, Sarah?"
"Uhm….Chuck, I just wanted you to know how special you make me feel….I also want to apologize."
"Apologize? What on earth for?" Chuck brow crinkled in confusion.
"The shooting, Morgan…all of it is my fault. I got swept up in my wants and needs and let my impulses overpower my better judgment. I've felt a lot of guilt and have been talking to a therapist about it, but since you've come home, I'm feeling so much better. But I wanted you to know….all of it. Mostly, though, how sorry I am for causing you pain."
Sarah loosened her grip on him as he slowly turned to face her, then pressed her cheek into the uninjured side of his chest, breathing in his fragrance. He lifted her chin from his chest to look into her eyes. "Sarah, I love you, all of you, impulses and everything. More importantly, I'm okay, we're okay, and even Morgan is okay. So no worrying and no guilt, okay?" He caressed her cheek gently, then kissed her so tenderly that he felt her body go momentarily limp before she regained her senses.
"How do you do that to me, Chuck Bartowski…?" Sarah shook her head in mock dismay, then gave him a quick kiss. "I love you so much." Sarah paused for a moment, savoring their connection before she remembered Casey. "Now let me help you get dressed, or your boss will see a side of you reserved exclusively for me." Sarah's eyes twinkled brightly as she stepped back.
Ten minutes later, Sarah was in the shower while a fully dressed Chuck Bartowski refilled the coffee pot, returned to his computer, and started printing out material he intended to cover with Casey.
"Good morning, Chuck!" Ellie beamed as she came out of the guest room, fully dressed for the day and carrying an empty breakfast tray. "Devon told me John Casey is coming by soon, so Devon and I will head down to the Mall and check out the Smithsonian. We'll be out most of the day, but if you and Sarah want to join us later, just ping my phone." Ellie cleaned up the dishes and gave Chuck a peck on the cheek as she walked to the closet to retrieve her winter coat. "Come on, Devon, let's go."
As Ellie and Devon opened the door to leave, John Casey approached with his arm raised to knock.
"Good morning, Mr. Casey. Good to see you again."
"Good morning to you two as well." Casey greeted politely as they passed each other at Chuck's front door.
"Chuck, Mr. Casey is here for you," Ellie announced over her shoulder. "Just go on in." she added to the Secret Service agent. "He's expecting you."
-O-
It had been roughly forty minutes since Casey's arrival, and over that time, Chuck laid out a story that weaved together what he now knew to be true with what he believed to be likely. For the entire time, Casey sat quietly and listened, occasionally asking questions and, more than once, scratching his head as he struggled to understand how Bartowski had managed to so quickly outline a plausible framework for the puzzle they were desperately trying to solve. Throughout the entire engagement, Sarah, with Casey's approval, had sat quietly by, again stunned by her boyfriend's intellectual and analytical depth.
"Miss Walker," Casey looked over to her. "I know you don't practice criminal law, but what do you think about this….from a legal perspective?"
Sarah considered the question for a moment before answering. "The framework Chuck has developed is both impressive and compelling. It provides a very defensible logic for why all this is happening. Defensible and logical but still based on too many assumptions and circumstantial evidence. Moreover, the linkages between Volkoff, Shaw, Larkin, and the others are pretty clear based on the telephone intercepts, but unless I missed something, there is no clear hard evidence tying these people to a plot against the President. There is evidence of action taken against me and action intended to be taken against Heather Chandler, but none of that makes a hard link to my father. Most importantly, while I have no doubt that Chuck will get to the bottom of the money trail, so far, nothing tells us who the orchestrator of this campaign is….the puppet master."
Casey nodded in appreciation of the sharp summary. Sarah Walker was impressive, he thought. "I agree. The only link to the puppet master is Decker's phone. And as soon as the puppet master figures out Decker is out of the game, he will dump his burner, and we lose him. The backup plan is Volkoff, but we have no idea where he has gone yet, though we are scanning for his phone. I reached out to an old friend and asked him to put some eyes on Volkoff's jet in Saint Petersburg…just in case, and I expect to have the first report later today." Casey looked back to Chuck. "You look a million times better than just a few days ago, Bartowski. Whatever you're doing, keep it up. And let me know if you get any further information on the trust in the Caymans. Something tells me that will point us in the right direction."
"Thanks, Casey, will do. What are you going to do with this information?"
"I'll share it with Lou's team, the DNI, and head up to Camp David this afternoon to brief the President. In the meantime, we keep pulling at every loose thread we find."
Casey stood, gave Chuck a pat on his good shoulder, and gave Sarah a slight bow. "Thanks for the information and the coffee, Bartowski. We'll speak later." Without another word, Casey let himself out of Chuck's apartment. As he walked toward the elevator, he pulled out his mobile phone.
"Good morning Margie, It's John Casey. I need a few minutes with the President this afternoon….It's a priority security matter….four thirty?... Perfect….I'll be there." Casey closed the call and dialed another number.
"Good morning, Charlene. I need some time with General Beckman this morning….yes, it's a priority….eleven forty-five is perfect….Yes, I'll be there in person….Thank you, Charlene." Casey closed the call and sent a secure text message to Lou Pallone in London.
Casey - Lou, get your team together for an update call at 18:00 GMT. Bartowski has some threads we can pull on.
Lou responded immediately.
Lou - Will do, boss. Bartowski okay?
Casey - Yes. Recovering well. More at 18:00.
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 11:00 EST / 16:00 GMT
Location: 2501 Q Street, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Chuck Bartowski residence.
While Chuck was back at his computer, Sarah realized she had not checked in on her office email in weeks, so she pulled out her laptop, plugged it in, and logged into her office network to catch up on emails and any additional matters that required her attention. As she started reviewing the items in her inbox, she realized she had completely lost track of time. The last few weeks had been a blur and a profoundly complicated jumble of conflicting emotions. She tried to refocus herself, but it didn't seem to work. She kept looking up over her laptop screen to steal a glance at the dark-haired man sitting just a few steps away, and she found herself struggling to concentrate. She shook her head, picked up her laptop and papers, and shuffled off to the bedroom, where perhaps she would be less distracted by Chuck's presence.
Settling on their bed….she caught herself thinking about it as their bed….she opened her laptop and tried to dive into her work again. After thirty frustrating minutes of struggling to concentrate, she had a sobering thought, 'Why can't I get my head in gear? Damn it!' She folded the laptop closed and leaned back against the pillows to work the problem when Chuck's scent again intruded on her senses, and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She was basking in the warmth his scent provided, and smiling as she recalled her breakfast with Chuck. Her revelry was interrupted by her mobile phone. It was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sis…..How are you, and how's Chuck?"
"Carina! We're good, really good. And Chuck is healing nicely. Where are you, and whose phone are you using?"
"I just arrived in D.C., and Morgan, who landed about an hour ago, stayed to pick me up. My battery crapped out after leaving Boston, and I couldn't recharge it on the plane, so I had to borrow his."
"Ah….It's wonderful you're back in D.C. So things with Morgan are good?"
"Yes. I really missed him, but we FaceTimed each other over Christmas, so it's all good. Hey, when can we get together?"
"I'd love that. Let me ask Chuck. Maybe you and Morgan can come to Chuck's place for dinner, and we can introduce you to Chuck's sister and brother-in-law; they're super nice people….Oh, and there is one more thing….uhm….can you and I have a couple of minutes to chat in private?" Sarah looked at the bedroom door a little nervously.
"Of course, Sarah. Whatever you need. Is everything okay with Chuck?"
"It is. It really is. And that's what I want to talk to you about, but not over the phone. Let me speak with Chuck about this evening, and maybe you can come by a little earlier, and we can chat."
"Sure. Anything for you, Sis. Call this number when you sort things out." Carina closed the call as Sarah went to talk to Chuck about their evening plans.
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 12:15 EST
Location: 1201 New York Avenue N.W. - Suite 500, Washington, DC Director of National Intelligence
For 30 minutes, Casey laid out facts, assumptions, and logically defensible conclusions for General Diane Beckman, the Director of National Intelligence. She listened carefully and asked several questions throughout the process. Now, she was leaning back in her chair, her eyes hooded in thought.
"This Bartowski kid pulled this together all on his own?"
"He did, Diane. He's a very bright young man….probably the smartest person I've ever had on my team." Casey responded with a little awe in his voice.
"Hmm….do I want to know how he accessed this information? Because I'm pretty sure we can't use this in a court of law." Beckman asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I don't know, I don't want to know, and neither do you, Diane. Let's just take it on faith that the pieces of the puzzle he's found seem to fit very well, and a picture is emerging. We know what the picture is about, based on his framing, but not all the detail in it….yet. Any findings on your investigation related to Daniel Shaw?"
"Some….interesting case that one. Shaw was apparently recruited by Langston Graham back when he was running special ops. There were many rumors about the ops Graham was running, but never any tangible or actionable evidence proving he was doing something illegal. Under his watch, Shaw went rogue, but somehow Shaw evaded criminal charges, becoming a paid informant to the CIA or, more specifically, to Langston Graham."
"No files? How's that possible. We have files for everything!" Casey frowned.
"True. That smug son of a bitch Graham told me the files were in a secure storage facility in Fairfax Virginia, but that the facility burned to the ground about three years ago." Beckman's voice had lowered to almost being a growl. "When I pressed him on our investigation, he showed me half a dozen emails to Shaw requesting his assistance, but swears Shaw never responded. So, while I intend to keep an eye on Graham, he's a political appointee, and without clear evidence of wrongdoing, there is not much I can do about it." Beckman shrugged, then continued. "If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that Shaw was doing something illegal for Graham and got caught. He then used whatever evidence he may have had to blackmail Graham to stay out of jail and build himself a business. I bet Graham is secretly glad Shaw is dead."
Beckman stood to signify the end of the meeting. "Thanks, John. Let me know the minute you get anything else and, for the time being, let's keep this information under wraps."
"Sure, Diane. And thanks for seeing me on short notice."
"Oh, and John, when we get done with this, I'd like to meet this Mr. Bartowski of yours. I think I could use a man like that at the NSA."
"Not til I'm done with him, Diane. Not til I'm done." John smiled as he shook Diane Beckman's hand, then turned to leave her office. Once in his car, he headed back to the White House to do additional work and do the call with the London team before taking the seventy-mile drive up to Camp David.
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 12:30 EST
Location: 2501 Q Street, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Chuck Bartowski residence.
"Grimes."
"Hi, Morgan. Merry Christmas. How are you?"
"Ms. Walk…Sarah…I'm great. I had a very nice Christmas with my mother. Thank you. How about you?"
"Best Christmas ever, Morgan." Sarah paused, biting her lip. "And Morgan, I'm really sorry you got in trouble for me making you take me to Chuck in London. I hope to be able to make up for the trouble I caused."
"Sarah, thank you. I do appreciate it, but you don't need to worry yourself. It all worked out, and everything is going to be fine. Okay?" Sarah could almost hear a friendly smile in Morgan's voice.
"Thank you, Morgan. And I look forward to seeing you guys tonight. Speaking of which, may I speak with Carina?"
"Of course. Just a second." There was some background noise as Morgan passed the phone to Carina. "Sarah, hi. What's the plan?"
"Dinner will be at seven thirty-ish, and Chuck is cooking. Hope Morgan is okay with salmon."
"If his salmon is half as good as his omelet, it will be great. We'll bring some white wine."
"Perfect. Can you come a little earlier? I told Chuck I needed a little one-on-one time with my sister, so if you can come by at quarter to seven or so, that would be terrific….and Carina….Thank you!"
"Love you, sis!"
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 16:15 EST
Location: Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland - Camp David Presidential Retreat
John Casey's black Suburban passed through Camp David's security checkpoints without delay, and as he approached the main house, he saw the Vice President's motorcade parked. He knew the V.P. would be at Camp David, as it was on the schedule, but he did not know the purpose of the visit was….not that he needed to know. After all, the President and Vice President often met without an agenda, so this was not at all unusual. Casey parked his truck and walked into the main house, greeting his men as he went. He reached the president's office and waited. As this was Camp David, no formal secretary was guarding the door and while there was substantial Secret Service presence around the exterior of the structure, there were no personnel standing guard at the door to the President's office. Camp David was more like a rustic home with a well-appointed private office. At precisely four thirty, Casey knocked on the door.
"Come on in, Casey," the President's voice carried through the heavy oak doors.
Casey opened the door and entered. "Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, Good afternoon."
"Have a seat, Casey," The President told him. "Ted, and I were just finishing up, so give me a second.… So, Ted….Thanks again for everything, especially Las Vegas. You were a lifesaver."
"My pleasure, Jack. Anything I can do to help, you have but to ask. By the way, is there any more information on Sarah's attempted kidnapping in London? Is there anything I can do to help there? I've not heard anything at all…even my protective detail knows nothing." Ted Roark looked over to John Casey.
"John, you run all the teams. Is there anything new to report?" Roark asked curtly.
"No, Sir. We are still piecing things together. All we know is that the attempted kidnapper in London was an American national formerly with the CIA, and we are looking into his history, but it seems like a dead end. There is no reason to believe he was acting alone, but as of now, we have no leads." Casey was careful with what he disclosed, and he took notice of Jack's reaction as he limited the information he shared. Based on Jack's expression, Casey concluded that Ted was to be kept out of the loop. No one liked Ted Roark or trusted him much. That seemed to include President Walker.
"I think that wraps it up for us, right Ted?" Jack asked a question that was really more of a statement.
"It does, Jack. Thank you. And John, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to be kept in the loop on your investigation. After all, if your investigation impacts Jack, it impacts me as well."
"Yes, Sir," John answered as Ted Roark rose and walked out of the room without a handshake or a salutation, closing the door behind him.
"So, John….has our Mr. Bartowski found something interesting?"
"He has, Sir." Casey briefed the President on what Chuck had pulled together, as Jack Walker sat and listened with a slack jaw.
"You mean to tell me that we buy Bartowski some computers, and he strings this together in less than….what….48 hours, while the FBI, CIA, NSA, with help from MI-5 and MI-6, have turned up basically nothing since Thanksgiving?" The disbelief in Jack Walker's eyes was evident as he spoke.
"Well, Sir, in all fairness, our investigative resources did identify several very relevant data points that Bartowski used in his model, but basically, he is the one that connected a series of seemingly disparate facts and events and constructed the framework."
"So Bartowski believes that the entire reason to take me out is that ostensibly, with me gone, sanctions on Russia could be repealed, and whoever controlled the Vostock pipeline would own the largest distribution channel of Russian oil and gas to western Europe?" Jack shook his head. "If something happened to me, Roark takes over, and we are aligned regarding policy positions, so this feels thin, John. Very thin."
"Agreed Sir, it is thin. But not that thin. And it's the only framework that fits all the pieces we know of so far. The missing piece is the link to the puppet master, who we know is somewhere in D.C., but we can't pin him down yet."
"I'm beginning to see what my daughter sees in the young Mr. Bartowski. I think it's time for a more focused one-on-one with my daughter's boyfriend." Jack grinned.
"Yes, Sir, Bartowski is a good man." The two men spoke casually for a few more minutes before the President needed to excuse himself.
"Thank you, John. Please keep me posted."
"Of course, Sir." John stood to shake the President's hand and moved to the door. As he did, he thought he heard a sound from outside. He whipped the door open just as across the entranceway, Ted Roark seemed to walk out of the bathroom.
"Still here, huh, John?" Roark asked sarcastically.
"Yes, Sir," Casey replied professionally.
"John, why don't you ride back to D.C. with me? That way, we can talk about your investigation."
John was surprised by the question and had to think quickly. Spending an hour in a car being grilled by the V.P. was not part of his plan. "Thank you, Sir. But I'm not heading back to D.C. I have an appointment for dinner in Baltimore this evening with a lady friend, Sir, and I need to be on my way. Can't be late."
Roark gave him a measured look for a moment. "Of course, John. We single gentlemen need to pay attention to the ladies in our lives. Have fun, and let's set up some time to debrief."
Neither Casey nor President Walker knew that Ted Roark had lingered outside the president's office, trying to listen to their conversation. And while the heavy oak doors and carpets muffled the sounds, he heard the president mention Chuck Bartowski. Bartowski was the Secret Service agent who had been involved in protecting Sarah Walker and seemed to be in the process of figuring some things out. Roark was pretty comfortable though that he was more than adequately insulated and therefore untouchable….except for maybe Volkoff. He glanced at his watch, quickly calculated the time difference to London, and decided that by the time he got back to D.C. and finished his dinner, it would be too late. He'd call Volkoff in the morning and, if Volkoff was still alive, he would call Decker and ask him what the fuck was going on?
-O-
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2021
Time: 18:45 EST
Location: 2501 Q Street, Georgetown, Washington D.C. Chuck Bartowski residence.
"Hey, Sis. I'm so happy to see you!" Sarah exclaimed as she pulled Carina in for a super-sized hug.
"I missed you too, Sarah. And I'm so sorry about what happened." Carina's eyes watered over as she leaned her forehead against Sarah's. "And you," She moved her attention to Chuck, who was standing just behind Sarah to greet Carina as she arrived. "Come here!" As Carina gave Chuck a soft hug, she whispered in his ear. "Thank you for protecting our girl, Chuck. Thank you!" She gave him a chaste peck on the cheek and stepped back, looking over the two of them as they stood side by side and smiled widely.
"Come on in, Carina. Can I get you a glass of Riesling? Or would you prefer a Chardonnay?" Chuck asked happily as he stepped backward and out of the way.
As Sarah pulled Carina into the living area, she turned to Chuck. "Baby, the Riesling is amazing, and I just opened the bottle, so can you bring us two glasses?"
Chuck dutifully poured two generous glasses, delivered them to the two women, then grabbed a laptop and his heavy coat and headed for the door.
"Where are you going, Chuck?" Carina asked.
"I'm meeting Ellie and Devon at the coffee shop around the corner, and we'll be back in about forty minutes if that works for you guys."
Sarah put down her glass and walked up to Chuck. "Thank you, Chuck!" She tenderly placed her hand on his cheek and reached up to kiss him. "I think you may be the best thing that has ever happened to me." She gently patted his cheek and giggled lightly at Chuck's frozen expression, then turned to rejoin Carina on the couch.
On his way out of the building lobby, Chuck notified the two members of Sarah's temporary protective detail that he was stepping out for about forty minutes and repositioned the men to wait outside his apartment.
-O-
Sarah and Carina sat quietly, taking a measure of each other while sipping their wine. Carina then put her glass down and smiled warmly at Sarah.
"Okay, Sarah. What's going on?"
Sarah looked away as she fidgeted with her wine glass for a moment, then returned her focus to Carina.
"Carina, I'm lost, and you know me…..I don't get lost. But right now….well….I'm completely lost."
"Sar…Can you be a little less cryptic, please? Look, you and I both know that when it comes to your personal feelings, you've never been particularly open or transparent, so if you want my help, you need to tell me what you mean by lost because, frankly, I see the way you look at Chuck and the way he looks at you, and I've never seen you more at ease….like you're where you were meant to be. So what is it?"
Sarah looked down again, considering her best friend's open treatise. "Carina, it's Chuck." She paused pensively for a moment as Carina interrupted.
"Is there a problem with Chuck?" She asked in a slightly protective tone. "Because if there is, I'll…."
"No….no. I mean, yes. Fuck…why is this so hard for me?" Sarah huffed in frustration. "Okay…Carina, I love him. I mean, I love him desperately. I don't understand how or why, but when he moves away from me….I fucking crave him, do you understand?"
"And that's a bad thing?" Carina cocked her head and raised an eyebrow as she spoke. Whatever was bugging Sarah was struggling to come out, and with all the love in her heart, Carina was getting tired of tap dancing around Sarah's emotional constipation. She looked at her watch, then back to Sarah. "Sarah, you know I love you and will do anything in my power to help you, but we are down to less than thirty minutes before Chuck comes back, so quit being an idiot and spill it….or do I need to call Emma?"
Sarah's eyes widened at the mention of her mother's name, but she understood Carina's point.
"Okay, Carina….here it is, but let me get it all out before you jump all over me, okay?"
Carina offered a non-committal smile, grabbed her wine, and leaned back, crossing her legs comfortably. "Let's hear it, Blondie."
"Fine….yesterday I realized I hadn't thought about work in weeks. And you know that has never happened to me before, even while I was dating Roger." Sarah frowned. "So I pulled out my laptop and started going through my emails, and not only could I not focus, but after about thirty minutes, it came to me that I simply had no interest in anything related to work. The one thing that has been my guiding principle, the anchor in my life, suddenly felt utterly and completely uninteresting to me. I could only look at Chuck while he worked and dream about a future with him. He's it for me, Carina, and now, for the first time in my adult life, I have no idea what that means in terms of my career, which I would drop like a hot potato if he asked me. The thing is, things between us have happened so fast and with so much intensity that I don't know if my feelings are a sort of temporary tidal wave of fresh romance or if this is a profound change in my priorities." Sarah sat back and let out a deep breath. "That's it, Carina. I'm lost and don't know what to do about it."
Carina was gobsmacked as she listened to her best friend's emotional confession. "Hang on….Are you telling me Sarah Walker hasn't checked her work email in weeks? I've never seen you go more than a few hours without checking your email. "
"It's worse than that, Carina. I completely forgot about work altogether….and I mean, it never even entered my mind. Next week, you and I are supposed to go back to our lives in New York and back to work, but I have no idea how I can do that or if I even want to." Sarah looked into the distance with a wistful look, a daydream momentarily occupying her mind. "He's the one, Carina. He's what I want, and if he asked me to marry him this afternoon, I would drop everything else and say yes."
"Fuuuck…." Carina was still stunned by the words that came out of Sarah's mouth. "Have you told him any of this?"
"Are you crazy? The poor man has been shot trying to protect me, and now he's sort of leading this cyber investigation into the money trails. He doesn't need a desperate, clingy woman who's completely lost putting any more pressure on him than he already has. I need to keep this from him and work through it myself. I'm afraid he'll pull back if I push it." Sarah shook her head as she spoke authoritatively, but Carina felt she was trying to talk herself into believing it was the right course of action.
"Sarah, I have no idea what to tell you about your career, coming back to New York, wanting to marry Chuck, any of it, but I will tell you this one thing that I am absolutely certain of….if you really love him and respect him, you will talk to him and tell him the truth. Starting a relationship hiding things is not how you build any sort of foundation for the future."
Sarah looked at Carina with a smirk. "And you know all about that do you, Carina Miller?"
"Low blow, bitch!" Carina snapped back. "I have strong feelings for Morgan, and like you, I struggle with what will happen next week when New York beckons. But, we have had an open, direct conversation about it and plan to try to make things work. I respect him enough to be honest with him. If your stupid, stubborn ass doesn't understand how important being really honest with the man you love is, then I can't help you….And I won't be there for you when this blows up because it will be all on you, Sarah!" Carina had stood and started pacing the room as she let her anger dissipate. "Sarah, I know you've been through a lot, but remember that your poor judgment caused you to apologize to Chuck, who graciously accepted...twice. Do you really want to go for a third try?" Carina stopped pacing and gave Sarah a harsh glare. "Snap out of it, idiot!"
"Oh my God, Carina. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I just…." Sarah put her face in her hands and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. "I'm so sorry, Carina. Please forgive me."
"Sarah, I can't imagine what you've gone through, so I'm going to cut you some slack, but you need to do the right thing here. Seems to me that when you use your heart, you make better decisions….at least in the context of interpersonal relationships." Carina walked over and pulled Sarah into a hug. "Sarah, you found your guy…do you know how amazing that is? When you're old and gray, he's the one who will make you smile and give you joy. It won't be your work. So if you're serious, don't fuck it up."
The two best friends were in a warm embrace when there was a knock on the door. "Sarah, we're home. Can we come in?" Chuck sang out as he peeked in from the doorway.
Sarah whispered in Carina's ear. "Did you hear that Carina? Home." Sarah smiled as a deep and comfortable warmth embraced her.