CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #1: I'm going to keep this first A/N short so all of you wonderful people can get to the chapter you've been waiting a literal year for. Speaking of the time it's taken me to get this chapter out, I am so sorry. I struggled to get inspired enough to finish this story right. Finally, I found inspiration, tore my original ending to shreds, and wrote what you have here. This ending is about four chapters shorter than the original version I planned a year ago, but I just want to wrap this story up and get it finished for all of you. In that regard, i've succeeded, because this chapter finishes things up well if I can be so bold.
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #2: The last thing I'll say before I get to the story, is a massive thank you to a dear friend of mine, Nev Rawlins AKA nevr. He pushed me to make a one-shot song fic into a multi-chapter story. At the time, back in November of 2020 I had only planned a six chapter conclusion... clearly you can see how that turned out LOL. Either way, Nev has been there by my side throughout this entire story. He's beta read every chapter, given me feedback, poked holes in my faulty logic at times. This story wouldn't be what it has become without him. Thank you, Nev, I am beyond grateful!
Desire
A Story By
CharmingCharles2896
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Valkyrie
Chapter Inspired by the Song
Kiss the Ring by Hans Zimmer
Somewhere on the 5…
June 6th, 2009
Jeff, Lester, Big Mike, and Morgan had been driving on Interstate Five for several minutes, trailing he van that they knew Sarah Bartowski was presently being held in. Jeff had been silent for a long while, even as the rest of the guys in his van with him had continued to talk nervously. Many people thought Jeff was stupid, he wasn't stupid, he just enjoyed getting wasted. His new boss, Sarah, had been working to help him get sober, it was early going, but he found he enjoyed the slightly improved clarity he felt in his mind on a daily basis.
Big Mike had complained about the exhaust fumes, so Jeff had the windows down to get some airflow. The fresh air had cleared Jeff's mind somewhat, allowing his mind to process the situation. Sarah was a CIA agent, trained to kill. If she had an opportunity, she'd likely be able to escape the people that had taken her. "Did any of you see them put cuffs on Sarah?" Jeff asked out of the blue. Big Mike and Morgan stopped arguing about the proper length of a tail and turned towards Jeff.
"What?" everyone said to Jeff in unison.
"Did they cuff her?" Jeff asked again.
"I don't remember seeing anything, so maybe not. Why?" Big Mike asked as he searched Jeff's eyes, wondering what was going on in the hive of insanity that was Jeffrey Barnes' mind.
"I've got an idea," Jeff said as he mashed the throttle. The van lurched forward at a surprising pace, the leaky exhaust screaming, making a terrible racket.
"What are you doing? Casey said to follow them!" Morgan yelled as the van hurdled down the interstate, closing the fifty yards with the large, white van.
"Improvising," Jeff said with focused eyes as he whipped the van one lane to the left. Cars honked behind them as they cut off traffic, but Jeff didn't pay them any mind.
"Oh God, we're gonna die," Lester whimpered as he held on, seeing the white van grow closer and closer. As they pulled within twenty feet of the white van, Jeff wrenched the wheel to the right, aiming directly at the front left corner of the white van.
"For the Republic!" Jeff screamed with crazy eyes as the two vans collided. The world became a flurry of motion.
~X~
Somewhere on the 5…
2 minutes ago…
The three people that had taken Sarah must have been amateurs. They hadn't bound her hands, and the black cloth bag over her head was thin enough that she could still see through it to an extent. The Russian woman was sitting in the back of the van, in a chair beside surveillance equipment. Sarah was on the floor, some two or three feet further back in the van. She was horrendously worried about her husband. This was a coordinated strike, with two parties in contact with each other. Clearly someone wanted to get at Sarah and her husband. The problem was, Sarah could think of several people who might want to get after her. Several of them were imprisoned, but still.
The sound of honking grabbed Sarah's attention, though none of the others. Sarah turned to her left and peered out the back window. Was that Jeff's van? Sarah hated the bag over her head, visual detail largely illuded her at the moment. There was a van hurdling down the interstate, weaving in and out of traffic, closing the distance quickly. Maybe this van would give her an opportunity, maybe this was her chance. Sarah watched the van, until it was close enough that she saw Jeff, Big Mike, Morgan, and Lester.
"Oh God, the Buymorons are trying to rescue me; I'm going to die," Sarah mused as she saw the van swerve one lane to the left and drive up beside the van. Sarah had a funny feeling that things were about to get sporty, so she did her best to brace for what she assumed was going to be an ugly collision. In the blink of an eye, the world became a flurry of motion. The van that Sarah was in was hit by something. The collision sent the white van lurching to the right, into oncoming traffic from the on ramp to their right. The sound of tires screeching was quickly drowned out by the sound of metal-on-metal contact. The Russian woman was thrown from her chair, the two men in the front of the van were tossed around as the second collision caused the van to roll to the left. Sarah did her best to soften the punishment she knew was coming.
As the van turned over onto its left side and came to a halt, Sarah sprung into action. The fact that nobody had frisked her properly was another indictment of her captors. Her shoes weren't just for good looks, they also housed a small knife. Sarah pulled the knife out of her high-heeled, right shoe and sprang at the Russian woman. The woman was half buried under electronic equipment, but Sarah didn't care. Sarah stabbed the woman in the throat with the short blade, pulling it out and stabbing her in the stomach several times. The woman let loose a garbled hiss of pain, alerting the two men. Sarah leapt towards the two men, who were hanging in their seats by their seat belts.
Her blade may have been small, but the damage it did was most decidedly enough for the job. Sarah stabbed the man in the passenger's seat in the back of the neck, he died instantly. Next, she held the blade to the driver's neck. "Don't even think about it," Sarah growled as the passenger bled all over the two of them. The driver held his hands up where Sarah could see them, clearly scared by how quickly Sarah had killed his two partners.
"Where are your friends taking my husband?" Sarah asked in an angry tone. She could hear activity outside, but she paid it no mind. "Answer me!" she screamed, pressing the knife to the driver's throat until it pierced the skin, just slightly.
"He told us you were out of the game," the driver hissed back in pain.
"Who did?" Sarah asked, pressing the blade to the driver's neck a little tighter.
"Fuck you," the driver replied. Sarah pulled the knife away from the driver's throat and stabbed it into his leg. The driver screamed in pain. "You bitch!" he yelled in pain.
Sarah returned the blade to the driver's throat and spoke in a commanding tone. "Tell me where you've taken my husband, or I swear to god I will slice you up like a fucking turkey. NOW!" Sarah bellowed in a threatening tone.
The driver's breathing grew fast as he contemplated his options. He could tell her to fuck off and die, or talk and take his chances. "There's an industrial park up in Santa Clarita. They've taken him to building twenty-four, it's abandoned," the Driver said quickly.
"Not good enough, where is it!" Sarah replied, rage in her eyes.
"It's just off of I-5 and Route 126, you can't miss it, I swear!" the driver cried, fear clear in his voice.
Sarah smiled an evil smile and slit his throat, killing him. "Burn in hell," she growled as she stowed her knife where it belonged and went in search of a gun.
"Sarah!" Morgan called. "Are you alright?" Sarah paid Morgan no mind as she found a pistol. She fished around for extra magazines and slipped them into the interior pockets of her jacket. Sarah did a brass check and then made for the rear door. Sarah opened the rear door, watching it slam into the ground with a loud crack. "Sarah!" Morgan said as he rushed over to her. He went to reach for her, but the sight of her gave him pause. Sarah Bartowski was covered in blood, almost completely from head to toe.
"Is everyone okay?" Sarah asked Morgan, who had to shake off his shock and refocus.
"Uh, yeah… well no," Morgan began. "Lester hit his head, but we're okay. Are you hurt?" Morgan asked as he looked at all of the blood, especially the blood dripping off of her right hand.
"I'm fine, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked as she saw people coming to help. "We followed you from the Buy More, Casey told us to let him know when you stopped." Sarah understood that this meant that the Buymorons were now in the know, which Beckman was going to love.
"I left my phone at the Buy More, call Casey and have him look for an industrial park in Santa Clarita, off of route 126. They have Chuck; I'm en route," Sarah said as she walked past Morgan, the guys, and Jeff's van.
"What about us?" Morgan called to Sarah as she pulled out her CIA ID.
"Go home, we'll debrief you later," Sarah said as she and flagged down a car. The car was a beige sedan; it pulled up to Sarah and stopped. Sarah saw a shorter, wiry-looking man behind the wheel. She showed him her badge as he rolled down his window. His eyes widened as he saw the gun in her hand as well as the blood all over her.
"I'm sorry, but due to an imminent national security emergency, I need to commandeer this vehicle," Sarah said as she reached through the window and pulled the door latch, opening the door.
"What? You can't do this; I'm a tax payer!" the man said as she undid his seatbelt and pulled him out of the car. Sarah turned to the man, fire in her eyes. As this man saw Sarah, saw the fury in her eyes, he backed down. "You know what, duty calls, I can buy another one," he said with a forced shrug.
"No, you'll get your car back, I promise," Sarah said as she climbed into the car. She was about to pull away when she saw the man's wallet and phone on the passenger's seat. She grabbed the two items and tossed them to the man. Before the man had a chance to say anything, Sarah stomped the throttle and drove away. She left all of them behind at the scene, focused on one thing and one thing only.
"Don't worry, Chuck, I'm coming," she mused silently as she sped off for Santa Clarita.
~X~
Location Unknown
June 6th, 2009
Chuck hated his life sometimes. If he wasn't being pursued by Fulcrum, or Afghani terrorists, or God knows who else, he was in situations like this. He'd been on a service call, much like the ones he'd been doing for the last six or so years. Ever since Chuck had been saddled with the Intersect, there'd always been the lingering fear of someone grabbing him while he was out on his own. The worst-case scenario had happened more than once already. First it was Colt and his goons who grabbed him. After that it was the Fulcrum agents that had grabbed him only two and a half months ago. That incident had been the catalyst for the 49B and all of the events that had transpired since then. While he'd been able to talk or otherwise get himself out of those previous two situations, he had a feeling this time was different.
Currently, Chuck found himself strapped to a chair. Chuck's arms, legs, and chest were tightly bound to a very uncomfortable wooden chair. He could hear movement all around him, combat boots. He could hear people coming and going from the room. From the difference in the weight of each person's footsteps, Chuck was reasonably sure there were at least three people in the building with him. From the sound of their chatter, they sounded like a mix of pros and amateur thugs. Chuck knew they'd taken his watch and phone away from him, so he was without tracking devices. In spite of that terrifying fact, Chuck was determined to stay calm, he'd done this song and dance before, they would come to save him, his wife would come to save him.
Chuck was pulled from his thoughts by the bag over his head being pulled off. Chuck squinted due to the bright lights, but as his eyes adjusted, he didn't like what he saw. There was another chair, the same as his, positioned just a few feet away, facing his. This was a torture room if Chuck had ever seen one. Chuck looked over to his left and saw one of the men who he'd flashed on, Kaltenbrunner, the torture specialist.
"It would seem my Russian associates are stuck in traffic," Kaltenbrunner said in a German accent. "I would have liked to have waited for them to arrive with your blonde friend, but I'm impatient." As Chuck heard the reference to Sarah, he instantly wondered about her.
"What have you done to her?" Chuck asked quickly, making Kaltenbrunner smile.
"It isn't what I've done, Mr. Bartowski, so much as what I'm about to do, that should worry you," Kaltenbrunner said in a voice dripping with foreboding menace.
"Isn't a German torture specialist named after a brutal Nazi, kind of a cliché?" Chuck asked, his mouth doing what it always did when he was nervous. Kaltenbrunner laughed, giving Chuck an unnerving smile.
"I was told you're mouthy, that makes this more fun," Kaltenbrunner said before he revealed a taser. Chuck saw the taser just before Kaltenbrunner pressed it to Chuck's neck. Chuck screamed and shook as electricity raced through him. When the zapping ended, Chuck untensed, breathing hard. He couldn't help the painful moan that escaped him as he tried to regain his center.
"I can't do anything to leave a physical scar, because Agent Walker needs to be here to see that." Kaltenbrunner said honestly as his hand traced along Chuck's jaw. Chuck flinched away, making Kaltenbrunner smile an evil smile. "Until then, nobody said I couldn't hurt you in other ways." Chuck screamed as the sensation of electricity tensed every muscle in his body. Kaltenbrunner pulled the taser away once again, chuckling to himself.
"Yes, we're going to have tons of fun before I kill you," Kaltenbrunner said to Chuck.
"Fuck you," Chuck mumbled as he tried to breathe through the pain. Chuck's screams of pain echoed through the entire building as Kaltenbrunner continued to have his fun.
~X~
John Casey was a man who was hard to panic. It took much to get to John Casey. Today, Casey wasn't panicking, but he certainly wasn't calm. People had taken Chuck and Sarah, though Sarah had managed to escape. Now Sarah was racing to Santa Clarita, essentially winging it. An NSA team had been dispatched to make the wreck on the five go away, while Nora had been dispatched to make sure Morgan, Jeff, Lester, and Big were secure until they could be debriefed. Of course, she was to join Casey in Santa Clarita once that was done.
Casey was presently riding in a convoy of black SUVs as they all raced down the road towards the location that Chuck was suspected of being kept. He still had no contact with Walker. Casey was going to continue to call her that, it was too confusing to call her Bartowski. The four SUVs were packed to the gills with men from the Department of Homeland Security. These men weren't pencil pushers; they were hostage rescue specialists. It had been an hour since he'd last talked to Morgan and the Buymorons, which itself was over an hour since Chuck and Sarah had been taken. Who knew what condition Bartowski was in at the moment.
~X~
Chuck had never felt so much pain, it was everywhere, all of the time. He was keeping the faith that his wife would come and rescue him eventually. Chuck had determined that he was going to be brave, he was going to take that gold coin of courage and spend it all right now, so that when his wife came to rescue him, he'd be ready. At this point, Chuck had been tased something like ten or twelve times, though he'd admittedly lost count and could only guess. The last one had been especially long. It was enough that it had finally drained the battery on the infernal device.
Chuck thanked God when that damn thing had touched his skin and nothing happened. Kaltenbrunner had gotten angry and Chuck knew whatever hells would be next would be worse, but the short reprieve was enough for him to regain his center. Chuck looked up as Kaltenbrunner reentered the room carrying a car battery and jumper cables.
"You realize you're going to die, right?" Chuck said as he watched his tormentor set the battery down. "I'm not some worthless civilian. There are powerful people that will take exception to what you've done." Chuck got no response, which almost made him angrier.
"You're funny, you know that?" Kaltenbrunner said over his shoulder as he affixed one end of both cables to the terminals on the car battery. He had an amused smile on his face. "The fact that someone like you, a loser like you, would try to intimidate me… it would be insulting if it wasn't so goddamn pathetic."
"I'm telling you, just let me walk out of here and you'll get to live. I promise you, I will make them let you go. If you do this, I can promise you there is no place on this earth where they won't find you and every person you care about," Chuck said with deadly serious eyes. Kaltenbrunner was unphased as he walked closer and closer to Chuck, the menacing ends of the cables terrifying to Chuck.
"You're boring me, Mr. Bartowski," Kaltenbrunner said dismissively. "I was told you were a coward, who'd wilt and cry at the first sign of trouble. Clearly, I underestimated you, so I've gotten something a little more serious." He touched the metal ends of the cables together; sparks flew everywhere as a terrible zapping sound filled the room. Chuck watched Kaltenbrunner take the red metal end of the cable and open it wide, clamping onto Chuck's hand painfully. Chuck winced from the sensation of the metal digging into his skin.
"We can't cross your heart, you'll die," Kaltenbrunner said casually. He was clearly deciding where to place the black cable to complete the demonic circuit. "How about right up here," he said as he moved the end towards Chuck's shoulder. Chuck's breathing quickened, this was going to hurt, he just had to accept that. As the metal got closer and closer to Chuck's skin, he closed is mouth, not wanting to accidentally bite off the end of his tongue.
"Don't worry, my friend, nobody will hear you scream," Kaltenbrunner said before moving the metal end to touch Chuck's skin. The thunderous sound of gunfire interrupted him. Chuck and Kaltenbrunner both turned to Chuck's right. Something was happening outside in the hallway. There was shouting, followed by more gunfire.
"I told you," Chuck growled smugly. "You are so fucked." Chuck gave Kaltenbrunner a wicked smile as gunfire was followed by the sounds of a man screaming. Kaltenbrunner dropped the cable and turned towards the table off to the far end of the room, where his pistol rested. Chuck listened as the gunfire seemed to start and stop in short bursts, closer and closer. Kaltenbrunner returned to Chuck's side, pistol in hand. He placed Chuck between himself and the door.
"Coward," Chuck cracked as Kaltenbrunner hid behind him. Eventually, the gunfire stopped, silence filled the air. For the longest moment, there was nothing.
Eventually, Kaltenbrunner called out. "Lloyd? Jim? Irina? What's happening out there?" he called to no reply. Finally, a sound could be heard; subtle tapping, rhythmic footsteps. The footsteps grew louder. Chuck could hear them clearly; they were high heels. Was his wife on the other side of that door? Chuck felt the cold steel of Kaltenbrunner's pistol press into his body. The door knob exploded, clearly having been shot. The door swung open slowly, revealing a crimson Valkyrie; blonde hair stained, blue eyes blazing.
"Hey, Baby," Sarah said as she stepped into the room, gun drawn and at the ready.
"Jesus Christ," Chuck breathed as he saw his wife. She was covered in new blood and dried blood. She looked like she'd been to the blood rave at the begin of Blade.
"You okay?" Sarah asked, never taking her eyes off of the man hiding behind Chuck. He nodded silently, shocked by the horrifying state of his darling wife. "Don't worry, we'll be out of here in a sec."
"Take one more step and I'll scatter him all over the room," Kaltenbrunner called to Sarah. Chuck saw her eyes; he'd never seen her like this. The look in her eyes wasn't human. Her eyes shone brightly, beyond human. Sarah's blue eyes were half angel, half demon succubus, all deadly intent.
"Understand something," Sarah said in an even tone. "That man is my entire world, the only thing that makes life worth living. If you hurt him, take him away from me…"
"What? You'll kill me? I'm shaking," Kaltenbrunner interrupted defiantly.
Sarah shook her head no, tightening her grip on her pistol as she spoke. "After I shoot you, and I will fucking shoot you, I'll keep you alive so that I can make you feel pain. I will make it my mission in life to ensure that the rest of your life, however long I decide to make it, is one filled with pain and suffering. Look into my eyes and tell me if I'm serious," Sarah growled in a tone that made the hairs on Chuck's arms stand at attention.
"I told you to just let me go," Chuck said, looking back over towards Kaltenbrunner.
"Drop the gun and take two steps back," Sarah said to Kaltenbrunner, who suddenly had doubts in his mind. "You can't escape, all of your friends are dead. It's over," Sarah said as she took a step towards Chuck, defiant of Kaltenbrunner's prior threat. Seconds drug on like hours, before Kaltenbrunner stood up and tossed his pistol away. Sarah took another step forward as Kaltenbrunner stepped away from Chuck.
"I surrender," Kaltenbrunner said. "Arrest me, take me down town and book me, Agent Walker." The hint of daring in Kaltenbrunner's tone told Sarah that this man wasn't exactly afraid of the American justice system.
The look in Sarah's eyes changed, transcendent emotion replaced by pure, human rage. In the blink of an eye, Sarah shot Kaltenbrunner in the stomach. He collapsed onto the floor, screaming in pain as blood poured from the grisly wound. Chuck looked on in horror as Sarah walked around him and towards Kaltenbrunner's writhing form.
"What are you doing?" Chuck asked his wife as she walked past him.
"Close your eyes," Sarah said softly as she looked back towards her husband. "You shouldn't see this next part."
"Please don't kill me," Kaltenbrunner begged frantically as he continued to bleed on the floor.
"Wait," Chuck began urgently. "You don't have to kill him; we can just arrest him." Chuck didn't know why he was trying to spare this monster's life, but as his wife stood over Kaltenbrunner, he looked away.
"Please, God–" Kaltenbrunner's voice stopped abruptly, interrupted by the thunderous crack of gunfire. Chuck's body jolted as a second gunshot made his ears ring. The room fell silent, before the clack of a gun hitting the floor broke the eerie silence. Chuck turned his head back around and saw his wife's handywork, Kaltenbrunner's dead body.
"My name is Sarah Bartowski," Chuck heard Sarah say to the dead body between her feet. The words rang around in Chuck's skull on a loop, infinite moments, echoing through the darkest recesses of his mind. Abruptly, Sarah turned around, as if snapping out of a mythical, Viking rage. "Are you okay?" she asked as she stepped towards her husband. The courage that Chuck had been expending to stay composed, was just about gone. His body began to shake, his skin as pale as a bleached bed sheet. Chuck's mind found it hard to focus, so her words didn't register at first.
"Chuck," Sarah said as she got in front of him. "Please say something."
"My hand hurts," he managed to get out, using the last of his composure. Sarah looked down at his restrained hands and saw the harsh metal of the jumper cable digging into the flesh of his hand.
"Oh god," Sarah hissed as she quickly looked around the for other cable. Down on the floor, Sarah saw the battery. She quickly removed both cables from the terminals, rendering the battery essentially harmless. Next, she returned to her husband and gently opened the metal jaws. The harsh teeth of the clamp had dug into his skin, blood seeping from the wound. When the teeth were all clear, she heard him sigh in relief. Sarah dropped the cable onto the floor and pulled out the knife in her shoe, bloody as it was. In a matter of moments, she'd cut her husband loose. Every second seemed to make his shaking worse. Sarah Bartowski had never seen her husband in this state and it had her concerned.
When the last of his bonds was removed, she pulled him from the chair and into a hug. When her arms encircled him, she was floored by the violence of his shaking. Eventually, Sarah spoke in a soft, comforting tone. "It's going to be okay, you're safe." Sarah heard footsteps, many of them. She'd gotten rid of her gun, she was defenseless. No matter, if this was how it was meant to end, she was with her family, all of them would go together if that was how it had to be.
"I love you, Chuck," she said softly, kissing his cheek as she waited for what was to come next.
"Walker?" called Casey loudly. Sarah's eyes shot open as she realized who was outside.
"In here!" Sarah called back as she stepped away from her husband and towards the door. Sarah saw Casey enter the room, his eyes growing huge as he saw the state of her, as well as the dead body on the floor. Sarah saw the horror in Casey's eyes, as if he had seen something beyond imagination. Sarah looked down at herself, her clothes were ruined, her skin streaked by any number of different people's blood. Sarah looked up from her clothes and into Casey's eyes. As she looked at him, she saw horror in his eyes, while her's shown nothing, the total lack of emotion. "Nobody hurts my family." Sarah said nothing after that, grasping Chuck's hand and leading her traumatized husband out of the room.
Out in the hallway, Sarah saw the strike team that Casey had arrived with, they were busy securing the area. As Sarah and Chuck walked through the building and towards the front door, she heard a car pull up outside. Sarah and Chuck walked towards the front door as Nora stepped out of a car. Nora ran towards the building, stopping as her eyes met Sarah's. As the two looked at one another, an entire conversation passed between the two of them in the blink of an eye.
"I'm sorry," Nora said softly as Sarah walked by. Sarah didn't stop, didn't even look at Nora as she moved past her. She knew what Nora was saying; sorry for failing to keep your husband safe.
"Find the people who set this in motion, make them pay," Sarah said to Nora with a quiet intensity in her voice. Nora didn't reply to Sarah, who led her husband through the front door and out of the building. Stepping out of the building, Sarah saw government agents from some agency securing the area. An ambulance was parked in the middle of the parking lot. Two paramedics, both clad in red shirts raced towards them; Sarah didn't stop them. The two paramedics led Chuck towards the ambulance, while Sarah waved them away. As she heard the activity all around her, the bright sun of midday was almost insulting to her. The bright, almost cheery weather felt like a betrayal after what she'd experienced. Sarah flushed out the sound, focusing on the present at the expense of all else.
Sarah Bartowski had taken six lives, her first since getting married, her first since conceiving her child. Whereas Sarah had long thought that she'd lost her edge, the capability to exert terrible violence on others. It would appear those triggers had merely been placed in new locations. The threat to her family had awakened a level of violence that she'd tried hard to leave in her past. Life before Chuck Bartowski. To keep those she loved safe, Sarah Bartowski was willing to unleash that beast, as she'd done so today.
"Ma'am, please let us examine you," one of the paramedics said to Sarah, grabbing her attention. Sarah looked at the paramedic and nodded, moving towards the ambulance. The following moments were a blur to Sarah as the paramedics looked over her husband, pointing out the taser burns on his flesh. They looked over Sarah as well, but found no wounds, short of minor scrapes. None of the blood on Sarah was her own, just those she'd vanquished.
"Give us a minute," Casey said to the paramedics as he walked up to the ambulance. The two paramedics climbed out of the vehicle and stepped a few feet away, though not enough for Sarah's liking. "Beckman has told me that everything that can be done to find the people who did this, will be done." Casey was speaking to Sarah at this point, considering Chuck was seemingly in shock, not paying attention. "For now, she wants Rogers and I to handle the Buy More crew, while you and Bartowski go to the hospital and get sorted out. I'll call with a sitrep when things are wrapped up here," Casey said before walking away. Sarah knew she likely should have said something, but she didn't. Her mind was too busy considering how close she'd come to losing everything. Sarah Bartowski needed out of this life; she needed Chuck to be safe. There were too many enemies out there trying to hurt the people she loved. This hell had to end.
~X~
It was days like today that tried John Casey. The security risks that had haunted him for years had finally come to pass. Bartowski going on service calls was always a huge risk, though one Beckman had been willing to live with. He doubted she'd be willing to allow it to ever happen again. Rogers was taking what had gone down very hard, blaming herself. Casey wasn't particularly good at the whole touchy-feely thing, so he was a bit out of his depth where she was concerned. All in all, the day was a total clusterfuck.
Casey's phone rang, pulling him from his silent thoughts. The TV across from him was displaying Jeopardy on local TV, but he wasn't watching. He answered his cellphone with a grunt. "Major Casey?" came the voice of General Beckman. Casey sat up in his chair, clearing his throat.
"Uh, General Beckman," Casey said nervously. "What can I do for you?"
"How are things in Burbank?" she asked vaguely.
"I submitted my report two hours ago, Ma'am," Casey replied. "Walker and Bartowski look to be okay enough, all things considered. The fact that half the Buy More now knows that Walker, Rogers, and I are government employees, is a serious problem."
"We might have to relocate the Intersect… and his wife, if we're being honest," Beckman said, adding that final part after a long silence. Casey had a feeling this was coming, it almost felt inevitable after what had happened.
"Ma'am, with all due respect…" Casey began, though he was hesitant.
"Yes?" she replied, clearly impatient after the long pause. "Spit it out, Major."
"This attack may be a blessing in disguise," Casey said as ideas began to roll around in his head.
"How so?"
"People could reasonably believe that Bartowski and Walker would leave the Buy More after what happened today. The two of them are made of strong stuff, but any normal couple would be deeply affected by what happened. A pair of kidnappings, torture; it's all easy to see a scenario where the two of them leave the Buy More. We can use this to establish a new cover, one that is air tight." The confidence in Casey's voice had the General interested.
"Explain," she said directly.
"We have established that Walker worked for the government in a past life, before she supposedly moved to Burbank. We can take that a step further and establish a business, run by Walker. Bartowski and I would be employees of this business, with a new location, far from the Buy More and the suspicious eyes of Fulcrum." Casey's mind was formulating a new cover, even as the words exited his mouth. Ideas coalesced into a concrete idea.
"What about the Buy More employees?" Beckman asked, making Casey pause. Eventually, a disappointing thought occurred to him.
Casey sighed as he knew what he had to say next. "We can use them, General. Those four are loyal to Bartowski; they would work with us if we asked them to. The business could be something related to computers, or security systems. The Buy more employees would be sales staff, with Rogers and I doing consultations and installs. Walker would be the office manager, and Bartowski working behind the scenes as a designer or something. That would be for you to decide. Either way, we could move everyone to a new building, something designed for us, that gave us more control of everyone's everyday movements."
"I like this idea, Major," the General said. Clearly interested. "I'll have my people get on this. We'll have something set in motion before July." Without another word, Beckman hung up on Casey, leaving him to ponder the ideas he'd come up with. Would this be enough to keep the operation secure? Would this plan be enough to prevent everything having to me moved to the east coast, where secure facilities could be used to house the Intersect? Casey truly hoped this plan of his would be enough, he rather enjoyed this assignment.
~X~
It had taken a long while for Sarah to scrub the blood off of her skin. She was stained by the blood; drenched in the detritus of the violence that she'd wrought upon her enemies. The look Sarah had seen in Chuck's eyes wouldn't leave her. His vacant, yet terrified expression had shown so much and so little all at once. Chuck was sleeping now, knocked out by rather strong medication prescribed to help him sleep and recover. The taser burns on his skin made her heart constrict. The wound on his hand had required a tetanus shot, which for a man afraid of needles, was not a pleasant experience.
Chuck was asleep in her bed, the moon's glow the only thing illuminating their shared bedroom at her hotel room. They'd hoped to move into a new apartment, but finding one that they both liked was an ongoing process. They both had things they liked and disliked. The location was also a factor. Sarah wanted to be as close to Ellie as possible, though that wasn't as big of a sticking point with Chuck. He argued that their place should only be theirs because it was where they want to live, not because it was close to work, or family, or anything else. Part of that, Sarah suspected, was a lingering desire to chart his own path after living with his sister for almost seven years. Sarah wished to be closer to Ellie, because she enjoyed being around family, not that Chuck didn't as well. Beyond location, Chuck and Sarah's preferences were different in certain regards. Chuck liked more modern styling, whereas Sarah wanted a much more classic, homey look. Sarah wasn't worried about finding a place, when they found the right place, they'd know it. They still had many months until the baby arrived, so there was time to hash out what they wanted.
Sarah was sitting in a chair, watching her husband sleep. The symmetry of the situation, after Chuck had done so on their honeymoon, was not lost on Sarah. She had no idea what the future held, but she knew things had to change. The two of them needed to find a way out of the spy life. Between the Intersect and Fulcrum, there were considerable obstacles in the way of Sarah Bartowski finally living the life she'd craved since she was eleven years old. As long as Chuck had the Intersect, he would be a target. Even if they got rid of the damn thing, Fulcrum was still looking for Charles Carmichael, CIA super spy. Fulcrum would have to be defeated, in order for any real life to be even remotely possible.
Even if Fulcrum was defeated, it remained to be seen if the U.S. Government would allow Chuck to just walk away. They'd have to find a way to get the Intersect out of his head or cancel it out in some fashion. So much was left to do, which was both demoralizing, and gave Sarah something to focus on. The fact that Sarah was, in fact, capable of doing actual field work, was both a blessing and a curse. Her rescue of Chuck proved that she still had it, whatever it was. She wasn't completely useless as an agent, which was going to be important going forward. On the other hand, she was pregnant and risking the baby wasn't an option. Would she be able to sit on the sidelines when she was too pregnant to be involved at all? In that same vein, would she actually be able to walk away and be normal? No matter how much Sarah dreamed of living a normal life, it remained to be seen if she was even capable of living that life.
The sound of destressed whimpers from Chuck, pulled Sarah out of her musings. She refocused on her husband and found him in the throes of a nightmare. Even though Sarah Bartowski knew she was going to be a mother before too long, she had to focus on helping her husband. He was fighting so many demons these days, she often wondered how he did it. Another whimper compelled Sarah to act, so she stood from her chair. In a flash, Sarah flicked her nightie off of her shoulders, letting it pool on the floor at her feet. Pulling off her Star Wars boy shorts, Sarah climbed into bed and snuggled in close to her husband.
"Shh, you're okay," she cooed softly, holding him tight as he calmed, never waking. Maybe Sarah could do this, care for someone else beyond the requirements of her current career. Sarah felt Chuck relax in her arms as she pulled the covers over them and nestled in for a much-needed sleep. The two of them had serious problems, but at least for this moment, Sarah Bartowski was going to focus on being there for her husband, much like he had for her over the years. As Sarah settled down and fell asleep, a loving smile graced her face.
At one point in her life, all she'd desired was the next mission, the next excuse to move forward physically while standing still emotionally. Chuck Bartowski changed that, pushed her stagnant heart into motion for the first time in a hundred lifetimes. Now, all Sarah Bartowski desired was to love her husband, be the wife he deserved, and raise their children better than either of their parents ever did. For the first time in Sarah's life, she was beginning to believe she might actually get her wish.
The End
The Journey Will Continue With… Desire: For Love of the Mother
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #3: It's crazy that this story, which has been a constant presence in my life since I got back into fan fiction, is finally finished. I'm feeling rather emotional about this story wrapping up. This isn't the end of the journey I started in November of 2020, just the end of this part of it. So many of you have been there along the way, encouraging me. All of you are a part of this in more ways than you can imagine. For instance, Sarah's pregnancy wasn't originally part of the plan, but on July 23rd, 2021, Amelia Wolfson left a comment theorizing that Sarah's weight gain was due to pregnancy. That instantly became a part of this story, thank you Amelia! There are too many of you to thank, Nev, Markey, all of the members of the facebook group, all of the people who've left reviews, messages, I cherish all of you. Without you, none of this would be possible!
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #4: I have begun writing the second of a possible trilogy of stories. I have no idea when that story will be ready to be shown to the world, but know that it is in the works. I've got the prologue and a small part of the first chapter written, progress! Let me know if you want me to wait to post until the whole story is written, or post it piecemeal.
CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #5: With Desire now finished, please consider leaving a review to share your thoughts on the chapter, the story as a whole, your predictions for the sequel. I want to hear from you!
Until Next Time :D