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victorianoir · 7 years

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“The Tech Guy’s Promise”

Welcome back to The Detective and the Tech Guy. As we dive back into the world of Sarah Walker, P.I. and her ultra-rich tech mogul boyfriend, remember that a lot has happened to get them here. If this is your first foray into DATG, I’ve put together an entire Master Post. You can catch up there! Or, if you’d rather, check out the fanfiction.net version HERE.

Enjoy, CHUCK fans. ;)

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Chuck made a face as he swiped at Sarah’s sweater with a wet cloth, trying his best to clean the mess without smearing.

“Sorry,” he heard Ellie chime in from over his shoulder. “Sometimes she misses the burping cloth.”

Sarah just giggled, shaking her head. “It’s okay. I said I didn’t mind holding her after she just ate so I sort of asked for it, didn’t I?” Chuck didn’t entirely feel like she did ask for it. It was like Clara had aimed for anything but the cloth. But he couldn’t blame her; she was so damn cute and had so much of her mom’s personality already. “Though I will say, I didn’t expect to be wiping baby barf off of my shirt today when I put it on this morning,” she added good-naturedly.

Ellie snorted, walking around them to grab a few paper towels from the nearby roll and handing them to Chuck. “That’s not something I can say.”

Sarah giggled again and took the towels from Chuck as he inexpertly continued trying to help her. “It’s okay, I got it.” She moved over to the sink and cleaned it herself, dabbing with wet towels until there was a wet splotch on her sweater and no trace of Clara’s spit-up.

“How are my ladies doin’?” Devon asked, walking around into the kitchen.

“Oh, we’re great, Devon, thanks,” Chuck drawled.

“Oh. Sorry, bro,” the surgeon chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder.

Chuck rolled his eyes teasingly as Ellie looked up from making faces at her squirming daughter. “Sarah took one for the team.”

“Aw man! Barf jet made its landing, huh? She likes bright colors.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “Devon. Stop.”

“What? It’s a good theory!” he said defensively, holding his hands out. “She’s only ever barfed on us when we’re wearing bright colors. Never when we’re in darks and pastels. I think she hates pink the most.”

“Remind me not to wear pink, huh, Chuck?” Sarah said.

“Don’t play into my husband’s weird-ass theories, Sarah,” Chuck’s sister said, switching Clara’s weight to her other arm. “Wear whatever color you want to wear.”

“How does she feel about stripes?” Chuck asked, and Ellie rushed over to clamp her hand over Devon’s mouth as he made to answer.

She glared over her shoulder at her brother. “I hate you.”

Chuck laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning back against the counter in his kitchen. He watched as Devon pulled Ellie’s hand away from his mouth and beamed at her in that charming way of his. “Well, whether my little bumblebee nugget hates certain colors or not, she’s definitely tuckered out. Big time.”

They all looked and, indeed, Clara was out cold against her mom’s chest, her little fists curled up under her chin like little pink rosebuds. Everyone let out quiet little “awwww”s and stared for a bit.

Devon moved first. “Think it’s time to get her in her carseat. While she’s this far gone. Or she’ll fight us like a demon and it’ll take a half hour to get her in.”

“Plus insane screaming for an entire car ride,” Ellie whispered, rocking Clara a little to keep her asleep.

“I’ll get our things,” Devon chirped, rushing out of the kitchen to scrounge up their belongings. Chuck felt a little bereft at the thought of them leaving so soon, but with Clara here now, the two of them had much less time to visit. Their lives revolved around her eating and sleeping. It made sense. They needed to find some way to sleep themselves between all of that.

He just didn’t know how much longer Ellie and Devon would stay in Los Angeles before going back home to San Francisco. Ellie mentioned how rough it would be, driving with their newborn for seven hours straight. Was it even safe?

“I have to pee. Who gets the little bundle of joy?”

“ME!” both he and Sarah rushed out. Chuck reached out his arms first, though, and sent Sarah a pout he was relatively sure had some power with his girlfriend. She relented and crossed her arms with a bit of a glare. “In my defense, you’ve gotten to hold her all day, Sarah Walker, P.I. Let the tech guy have a turn with his niece, hm?”

“Fiiiiine,” she drawled, and he saw the mirth beneath her own pout.

He reached out with grabby hands as his sister handed him her daughter. “Yaaaay,” he whispered, pulling his niece in and cradling her close against his chest. She curled into more of a ball against him and drooled a bit on his nice button-up and he didn’t care even a bit.

As Ellie moved out of the kitchen to visit Chuck’s bathroom, Sarah sidled up to him and pressed her cheek into his shoulder. “I always thought people were such freaking liars when they talked about how cute babies are, but your niece is so cute it almost hurts.”

“I know. She makes me feel like my soul is made out of ice cream, sunshine, and fluffy clouds of happiness. I realize clouds and sunshine are contradictory, but it’s just how I feel.”

Sarah giggled and turned her face a little to nuzzle his shoulder over his shirt. “She almost looks like you. The little bit at the end of her nose that goes bwoop.”

“I have a little bit at the end of my nose that goes bwoop?”

She looked up at him and nodded.

“Huh. Didn’t realize that. Hey, I have a little mini-me, then. But, like, a girl version. This is quite a gig, you know? I get to cuddle, swaddle, and snuggle…with a few poopy diaper changes in the middle…but none of the really awful stuff like not sleeping, hearing all of the angry crying.”

“Not ready for all of the responsibility type things, then?” she teased.

“Uhhhhh, no.”

“So…then…you’re not going to do that shitty romcom trope where the guy goes around with someone else’s baby to attract chicks?” She was flirting hard. The way her eyes flashed as she peered up at him through her lashes, pursing her lips and twisting them to the side.

Chuck scoffed. “Okay. One? I don’t need no chick magnet. Case in point…” He dragged his gaze down Sarah’s body and back up again. She snorted and tilted her head, wordlessly granting him that one. “Two? That doesn’t even work in real life. Most women aren’t that easy. Nor are they idiots. And three? Ellie already banned Morgan from being alone with Clara for even suggesting he might do that, and he was joking. So…”

Sarah laughed quietly and stepped back as Ellie came back in the room.

“Dear God, please tell me she’s still asleep,” she said with a wince.

“Like a baby.” He opened his mouth and gave both of them a ta daaaa grin and didn’t get even a bit of the reaction he’d wanted. Instead they merely gave one another flat looks.

“Just for that, give me my daughter back.”

Sarah laughed as he pouted and handed Clara back to her mother.

Minutes later, the Woodcombs were gone, practically tiptoeing away to keep Clara from waking up before they got her to the car, and leaving Chuck and Sarah alone in his condo.

He let out a long breath and smiled to himself, going into the kitchen to start drying the dishes they’d left in the rack next to the sink. He hummed to himself, mopping at the plates with a towel. He’d half-expected Sarah to join him, the way she usually did…sidle up behind him, grab the towel out of his hand to tease him or grab another towel and help…

And after a few minutes, Chuck set everything down and wandered out of his kitchen, stepping into the living room. He found her on the couch, sitting upright, staring down at her laptop that was propped on her knees.

Her face was set in concentration, her eyes flicking back and forth on the screen. And then he saw a flicker of annoyance on her face, disappointment. And she cursed under her breath, slamming the laptop shut with an emphatic click.

She looked up then and saw he was watching. Immediately, a smile swept over her face but it was forced. Very forced. And it frustrated him that she even attempted it.

“Dishes all done?” she asked, setting her laptop on the coffee table in front of her and folding her hands in her lap.

“Nah, just gonna let them dry on their own. That’s what this rack thingy is for, right? Sarah, are you okay?” He wasn’t going to let her deflect this time.

“What do you mean? Do I not seem okay?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and wandered closer. “I mean, for the most part, yeah.” He shrugged. “But you’ve been a little… I don’t know…like something’s bothering you. Pretty much all day.”

When she came over in the afternoon to help him cook for Ellie and Devon, she’d been completely fine at first. But then he’d noticed she kept checking her phone for something. Or she’d pull out her laptop and look at it, then snap it shut like she’d just done again a minute ago, an annoyed look on her face. And then he’d caught her wringing her hands at least twice, though he hadn’t said anything about it. Then there was the fiddling of her fingers…like she did when she was worried.

Maybe she was worried…Or impatient? He closed the distance between them a bit more.

“Is it the agency? Everything okay over there?”

She snorted and gave him a flat look. “Same thing as always. Still trying to get clients. You know that.” With a shrug, she pushed herself to her feet and reached out to take his hand, pulling him the rest of the way so that she could drape her arms over his shoulders and look up at him.

He met her soft gaze and smiled with a short nod. Then he pulled his lips between his teeth and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “You seem…I don’t know…almost worried. More than usual.”

She shook her head with a sigh. “Chuck, there’s nothing going on. Just typical adulting stuff. Seriously. I’m good.”

“There’s nothing going on you say. Then in the very next sentence: ‘Just typical adulting stuff.’ Sarah, I’m an adult. I have to deal with adulting as well. You wanna get it off your chest, I might be sympathetic.” He gave her a crooked smile and bumped her nose with his.

“I’m f—”

“Don’t you dare say you’re fine. You’re obsessed with Clara’s pudgy little legs and tonight I saw you were so distracted you didn’t pinch ‘em once and that seems like a big deal to me. More than just regular adult stuff. So out with it.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and tried to pull away but he held fast.

“Sarah—”

“I’m late.”

Chuck blinked, and he felt himself pale. The blood rushed in his ears. And all he could do was stare. “Y—You’re … wha—?”

Sarah furrowed her brow for a moment, and then she paled as well, her eyes widening. “No!” A nervous huff came out of her. “That’s not—No, I’m—Not that. No!”

“Oh!” A harsh breath came out of him and he shook his head, swallowing thickly. Relief swam through him. “I—I—Oh.” He swallowed again. “Oh.”

“How is that the first thing you jumped to?” she asked, just barely regaining some of her color.

“THERE WAS JUST A BABY HERE, SARAH.” He heard his voice getting a little high pitched, a little hysterical, but that had been a major shock to his system.

“Let’s go ahead and move away from that subject completely,” she interjected and he nodded.

“God, yes. Please.”

“My rent,” she amended. “I’m late paying my rent. And…And I guess I’m just nervous. Frustrated.” She looked to still be composing herself a little. Apparently he hadn’t been the only one to get a shock to his system. But why the hell had she phrased it like that?

And then what she said sunk in, and he did a bit of a double take. “Wait. Wait, wait. Your rent?” He stepped in closer, holding her by her elbows. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? Does your apartment still have electricity? Heat?”

“No! I mean yes. Yes, it does. But no, it isn’t my apartment, Chuck. It’s the agency. I’m late with the rent for my office space. I have to pay the apartment rent…I mean, it’s where I live. But the office…I can maybe let that one go for a little while without it being too much of an issue.”

He didn’t like the way she said that, how she shrugged—putting on a nonchalant act when he could see beneath the facade that this bothered her quite a bit.

“How long?” he asked, frowning.

“Um…” She gnawed on her bottom lip. “Tomorrow will be two weeks.”

“What?!”

“I just have to wait for—” She stopped, her eyes darted to the side, and she shut her mouth, her lips thinning. Then she continued again, this time sounding a bit more controlled, the way she sometimes had spoken to him back when she was the lead detective for B.E.C.’s case over a year and a half ago. “I’ve got some money I’m waiting on, something coming in. Then I can pay Jorge and I’ll be totally caught up.”

“You’ve got money you’re waiting on? From where? One of your clients not paying you?” He would send her to their doorstep with his company’s attorney in tow.

“No, not a client. Just, uh…Someone owes me money and they’re sending it to me. Soon.”

Chuck felt that she wanted this particular strain of discussion to end, but he didn’t want it to. He had so many questions. He wanted to know who owed her money. Who the hell was this person she was relying on to be able to pay her rent for her office space? Whomever it was, Chuck absolutely didn’t trust them. Not when having that space was so incredibly important. If she lost that, she’d be forced backwards in making her dream agency a reality, and he’d be damned if he’d let that happen.

For the moment, he decided to push his questions to the side, table them for later. Instead, he said, “Well, just let me give Jorge the money for now—”

“No.” She said it in a very emphatic voice, her tone almost a little hard, even.

“What d’you mean, no? I can—”

“No.”

He blinked. “Sarah—”

“No!” She grabbed his face in her hands, still gentle, imploring. “Chuck, you’re not paying my rent.”

Letting out a huff, the tech guy shrugged and set his hands on her hips, pulling her in closer. “Fine, then. I can give him the rent money, you can pay me back when the—whoever it is pays you back.”

It seemed incredibly simple to him. It was just like a placeholder. Jorge would have the rent and he’d get off of Sarah’s back. It was the perfect solution.

“No, Chuck, I’m not gonna have my boyfriend be my own personal loan agency. That isn’t how this is gonna work. No.”

“Sarah, I’m not a loan agency. I’m just the guy who loves you and wants you to keep your office.” Then he pulled a silly face and smoldered for her, the way he knew she liked. “I’ve got plenty of money, after all,” he teased.

But none of it did what he’d hoped, and she merely sighed and shut her eyes tiredly. “That’s just it, Chuck. I’ll be no better than…” she paused, “people think I am.”

He knew inherently that she was referring to his mom. His own mother was making the woman he loved doubt herself, her business, and worst of all, their relationship. And it hurt him that Sarah was so conscious of it, that it bothered her enough she brought it up this often.

Chuck nodded then, and held his hands up in surrender. “Alright. I give in.”

“You’re not gonna push me on this anymore?” she asked, tilting her head. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Do you promise to let me take care of this? I will take care of it. It’s important and I’m handling it as such. I’ve got it.”

He nodded.

“You promise?” she probed.

“Yes.” He paused and leaned in to kiss her warmly and her body melted into his, her arms sliding around his neck. As they pulled back a moment later, lips still brushing, he murmured an extra “I promise” and reveled in the feeling of her mouth smiling against his.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

She’d seen it one thousand times before. And in many different forms.

How many promises had her father made to her that he hadn’t kept? At this point in her life, Sarah Walker estimated it was nearing a couple hundred. Maybe more than that even. Promises he hadn’t kept that she didn’t know about.

This was just another promise of his and she was unendingly angry with herself for falling into what was undoubtedly just another lie, another trap, another let down. That was how it ended, nine times out of ten. With her pissed and shattered, vowing to never talk to him again. …And then she’d accept his call again, open his email, read his text, and it’d be a vicious cycle. Like it always was. She always came out the worse for the wear.

Her life was different now, though. She had more riding on her decisions than just her own well-being. She had a path, a challenge ahead of her. Nothing was concrete like it had been with Pinkerton. She was secure there, knew what she was getting into every single day, even on the most dangerous cases. Now her future was up in the air, things were changing…but she had a path to follow. And in spite of it being her path, and hers alone, Chuck Bartowski was still there.

This wasn’t just about her anymore.

She had someone else to protect from all of this.

He’d made her a promise, too. Only, unlike her father, he would keep his. He always did. Unfailingly.

And maybe that was part of what drew her to him. Chuck was the most dependable person she’d ever had in her life, and she thought he was maybe the most dependable person anyone who knew him had in their lives.

It wasn’t about his money. Of course a man who had pockets as deep as his were wouldn’t have trouble being dependable. With all of that money at his disposal, he could afford to be that way.

It was just him, the way he was. Inherently. From the time she’d spent with Ellie in the last year or so, she’d discovered a lot about Chuck’s past, and who he was then. Even Morgan had been a good source. The stories of Chuck stepping in when Morgan needed a champion as a smaller kid on the playground being pushed around by bullies. Her boyfriend had gotten himself a black eye in seventh grade after refusing to leave his best friend alone in the hallway with a couple of asshole eighth graders.

Chuck had dependability already in him when he was born. It was a trait that set the tech genius far, far apart from her father, the only other man who’d been important in her life. He’d been a pillar in her life until…well, until he hadn’t been.

Sarah didn’t like the idea of that being why she’d fallen for Chuck so hard and so quickly—that he was the total opposite from her father. It felt almost dysfunctional, in a weird way. And she knew that wasn’t it, at least not completely. Because her attraction to him had been immediate, before she’d even known about him, before she’d gotten to know what he was like, what drove him. The moment he’d met her eyes, something had been there. Maybe not love—love at first sight was a sappy, paltry sentiment that only existed in movies. But it was a powerful attraction all the same.

Something had pulled at her, making her want to do more than just read the dossier on him. Her walls had come down so fast that she’d flirted with him, on the tape recorded, in her very first interview with him about the case. It was ridiculous and unprofessional and so unlike her.

And it was a testament to how singular this was, this relationship, them as a couple.

It had little to nothing to do with her problems with her father. And everything to do with the way they fit so well together. Her relationship with Chuck Bartowski was seamless. It wasn’t without its flaws, it certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was seamless.

So when Chuck made a promise, she believed him. In spite of how often others had broken their promises to her, in spite of how often those others had hurt her.

But that didn’t make her any less of an idiot for trusting her father again.

He said the money would be in the mail. And by that, she figured he meant a check. He owed it to her. He owed more than that to her…but that went so deep, she couldn’t even begin working all of it out, so instead she focused on the money.

His words had felt so meaningless at the time: “I’ll never be able to pay all of this back to you.”

And his “thank you, darlin’” meant even less. But she’d done it anyway.

And still…She was doing this…trusting him.

No, she wasn’t trusting him. She didn’t trust him. She never would again. But she was desperate enough now. She needed this. And she thought that if she’d never helped her dad in the first place, she wouldn’t be in the current predicament she was in, because she’d have more than enough to pay her rent, both her home and her agency.

So she would accept this blasted check, if it ever came like he’d promised her it would.

Before she’d hung up on him.

She would cash it. And she would pay everything off. And then she’d be back on track and Chuck wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore like she knew he was.

She knew how hard it was for him to understand and accept her choices. And she didn’t feel like she needed to explain everything for him to get why she was so adamant. It filled her with relief the other night when he’d promised her he would step back and let her handle all of this on her own. And he’d promised twice.

He was trustworthy.

She trusted him to keep his word.

Because he always had before.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

He switched his gaze from the picture on the left to that on the right. Then back again. Chuck finally groaned and pushed his hands through his hair. “This sucks. I hate making decisions.”

Adisa huffed and set the plans he’d been holding up for his boss on the desk, one on top of the other. “Well, you have time with those. I think the issue that’s the most pressing is whether or not you can get both Neil and Bill on the same stage…at the same time. If you can promise that, people won’t care whether the rest of STEMCon is a complete failure.”

Chuck slid his droll gaze up to his assistant. “Thank you, Adisa.”

“Sorry.” He fixed his glasses and cleared his throat, folding his hands together in front of him. “My point, really, is that I think there are a few things that will really sell this convention if you get them right, whether everything else is perfect or not.”

Chuck let out a long sigh and nodded. “No, you’re right. You’re right. Definitely. And I think the Techosaurus Rex would probably be best for the main lobby, when pass holders are first walking in. Robotic dinosaur versus a giant brain? I mean, come on.”

“Always go with the dinosaur. I absolutely agree.”

“Great. Well…that’s one thing we’ve got settled. TAGBot’s got the job. Hopefully it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg…”

“Or a brain. That would be kind of ironic.”

“Ha!” Chuck pointed at his assistant. “I see what you did there. Get me TAGBot on the phone. Gah, what was the guy’s name I was talking to…? Get h—”

He was interrupted by his office door being opened.

His mother pushed right on in, stopping in the middle of the room. “Sorry, was I interrupting? Still planning that convention, sweetie?”

“Uh, yeah, still planning it. Hi, Mom. That was…uh, abrupt.”

“Well, I’m your mother. And technically my husband is your boss.” She sent him a teasing smile to let him know she wasn’t serious, but it still irked him a little.

“Uh, thanks Adisa. I’ll call ‘em later to let them know what we’ll need from them.”

“Of course, Ch—er, Mr. Bartowski.” He started to move out of the room, but Chuck grabbed the plans and held them up towards him. “Oh. Yes! I’ll take these out of your way.” As he hurried past Mary Bartowski, he grinned. “Mrs. Bartowski, very nice to see you again, ma’am.”

“Good to see you, too, Adisa. How’s your mom and your sister?”

“Oh, they’re great. Tambara is looking into grants for college, so she’s been busy.”

“Well, if she needs help with that, Chuck would be the perfect candidate. He had to apply for every grant in the book, and Tambara having been born in Nigeria will definitely open quite a few doors there. My advice: take advantage of every opportunity.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bartowski. I will surely pass that on to my sister,” he said good-naturedly. Chuck tried to keep the wince off of his face. “Let me know if you need me for anything else,” were the young man’s parting words, and then he went out to his own desk, shutting the door behind him.

“Mom, can you maybe cool it telling my assistant that his sister somehow has a leg up in applying for college because his family had to flee from their home country when they were kids?”

“That is not what I said.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Mom.”

“The Obafemi’s are a good family and they deserve good things. I hope you’re offering your help to his sister, though. Seriously.”

“Adisa went to MIT, Mom. I think Tambara has a pretty good resource in her brother. But anyway, what’s going on? I thought you were with dad in Encino for that recruitment meeting.”

“Mmm yes, we just got back.”

There was a long pause then. “Oooookaaaay, annndd…? Like, I’m not trying to be rude, I’m never rude to you, Mom,” she gave him a dubious look at that, “but you just seem like there’s something on your mind.”

“There’s nothing on my mind. I just feel like I haven’t seen you at all since Clara was born and I thought I could have some one on one time with my son.” She held her hands out defensively. “What’s so wrong with that?”

He chuckled. “Nothing wrong with that, Mom. I actually need to stretch my legs a bit and give my brain a rest. It’s kind of cloudy and brisk out there, but would you want to take a quick walk to the park?”

Mary Bartowski’s warm smile was all the answer he needed.

They eventually made their way to the nearby park, a block north from B.E.C.’s headquarters, walking in comfortable silence. And it wasn’t until they actually made their way onto the path that Chuck felt something else start to enter the comfortable silence—something slightly less comfortable.

He’d fallen for her game again. And damn him, but he’d helped it along by suggesting they leave the office. At least in his office he could text Adisa and ask him to pretend an important patron was on the line for him or something.

“You know, your father told me you didn’t even leave the office the other night. He said you were there when he left and there when he got in the next morning, and wearing the same suit. He’s worried about you,” she finally said, wrapping a hand around his arm. “So am I if that’s what you’ve been doing. It isn’t even safe to be in the building all alone like that.”

“It’s perfectly safe, Mom.”

“Charles, don’t ‘it’s perfectly safe’ me. You do remember that a man was murdered almost two years ago. Right near here. And the man who did it thought he was murdering your father. And the bomb in your cell phone? Oh, and the drive by attempt on your life?”

“That last one was actually an attempt on Sarah’s life. I just happened to be—Sorry,” he rushed out when she glared at him. “I know, I know. But there’s a guard in the building.”

“Mhm. One guard. That’s not the point, anyway. You need to get proper sleep or you’ll be of no use to anyone.”

Chuck let out a soft huff in amusement, having just heard that same thing from someone else the other day.

His mom squeezed his arm. “What’s that smile for?”

“Huh?”

“You just smiled and laughed a little.”

“Oh. Nah, nothing.”

“What?”

“It’s just that Sarah said the exact same thing you did, word for word, the other day. About me needing to sleep or I’ll be of no use to anyone.” He paused. “I mean, she said it more teasingly than you did, but she said it all the same.”

He watched his mom out of the corner of his eye, and saw the way her features became pinched—in annoyance, perhaps, at the reminder that Sarah was still here, that his relationship with the private investigator who’d saved his life a handful of times a year and a half ago was still a thing.

It made his chest hurt and it made him angry all at once.

“How is Sarah?” Mary asked then, lifting her chin, her voice brittle in the cold air.

“Oh, she’s fine. She’s good,” he amended, not wanting his mom to read into anything. “Focusing on getting the agency off the ground, picking up clients…”

“Is that so? Your father told me the clients just don’t seem to be biting. Not in those words. He was assuming. Said he bumped into her on her way down from your office and she seemed quiet and fatigued—you know, emotionally. Must not be going so well…”

Chuck took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She just needs to get her name out there. She gets a few good references, and they’ll practically be kicking her door down.” His smile was a little too bright, he knew, and his mother was a smart woman. People oftentimes underestimated just how smart she was.

“Is that so?”

“Yep.”

“Has she asked you for help yet?”

“What—?” He dropped the act and stopped walking, turning to face her. “No, she hasn’t asked me for help. Oh, do you mean how I’m paying for her lavish lifestyle?” he said sarcastically. “Funding her high society parties? Buying her a Maserati? Building her a chateau with stables up in the mountains? What do you think this is, Mom? Seriously.”

“I didn’t say any of those things. You did. I just asked if she asked for help yet. She obviously is hard for cash if she isn’t getting any clients. And her apartment is close enough to yours that I’m sure it costs her a small fortune, especially since she lives alone. Who’s paying for that?”

“She is,” he said, clenching his jaw. “No, you know what? I’m not answering any of your questions. Not anymore. Because my relationship with my girlfriend is none of your business.”

“What you do with the money your father’s company pays you is my business, Chuck. But most importantly, you’re my son. I love you. I don’t want to see you used and heartbroken.”

“She isn’t using me. And she has no intention of breaking anything of mine.”

“How do you even know that for sure?”

“Because we’re in love. Because I spend so much time with her that I know her, Mom. Because I trust her, the way you trust someone when you’re in a serious relationship. The way you trusted Dad when things were bleaker than they are now.” She looked away at that. “Money is nowhere in my relationship with Sarah. She goes out of her way to make sure I don’t help her. With anything. Even when I know she needs it. We’ve gotten into arguments about it. I try to help her all the time and she flat out refuses, contrary to what you might think of her. Trust me, I’ve tried to give her everything and she’s taken none of my offers. It’s almost infuriating. It is infuriating. It makes me feel crazy.” He huffed, annoyed he let his mom needle him enough to let that much out.

He pushed a hand through his hair, then smoothed down his tie. “Look, this family…” He licked his lips and shook his head, meeting her eyes. “This family has more money than we know what to do with. That’s just the truth. I’m so rich, I’m sure whatever money I die with will be enough for the next handful of generations that come after me to never work a day in their lives. What’s the point, though? What’s the point of having all of this if I can’t make the people I love comfortable? If I can’t help them to achieve their dreams?”

“Why can’t you just let her achieve her own dreams? Can she not get comfortable through her own hard work?”

“Don’t.” He shook his head, his jaw clenched. “Stop right there. If B.E.C. were my company back when Ellie was starting med school and shifting into neuroscience and surgery, would you have ranted and raved if I’d paid for Ellie’s education the way Dad did when the company was starting to pick up steam?”

She was silent for a few seconds. And then she looked up at him. “She’s your sister. It’s different.”

“It isn’t different.”

“Families help each other. Families stick together. Families help with things like that. Just like we did for your father. And look at how much we’ve all benefited. But family—”

“Sarah’s family.”

“She’s your girlfriend.”

“I love her, Mom. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me. She is family. When she needs help, when she needs a boost, it’s up to me to give it to her. I’m supposed to be supporting her.”

“Where’s her own family?”

He didn’t know. He didn’t know if she even had her own family. It didn’t matter, though. He was her family. And in spite of anything he might’ve told her before, it was his duty to protect her, to help her achieve her goals, and to make sure there were no roadblocks between her and her dreams.

Even if it was in spite of his mother.

“I mean, Charles, honestly…” She grabbed his arm and made him look at her. “I’m not saying this to hurt you. And I’m not saying this to give you doubts. I genuinely want to know what it is that is keeping her here. She can’t get that business off the ground. She’d probably have better luck in another city, like New York or something. Back to Chicago, maybe, where Pinkerton is. You know that’s in the back of her mind, always there in her head. She might be in love with you. In fact, she probably is. I don’t doubt that. I’m a woman and I know other women better than you could ever understand, and I’ve seen how she looks at you. But being with you has added benefits that have to come into play as she plans all of this. You’re rich, Charles. You are a pretty big safety net, in case that agency of hers falls apart. What happens if she never gets a client? You don’t think she’ll eventually let it all go, live off of your earnings? It’d be so easy. I wouldn’t even blame her for it. It’s a very tempting prospect, living without a care in the world, knowing you have someone to pay your bills, buy your food, house and clothe you…”

“No,” he said, knowing beyond all doubt that he was right. “She’ll never let it go. It’s her dream. It’s what she was born to do. And she’ll never be satisfied living off of my earnings. You don’t know her the way I do. She’d…” His voice drifted off. She’d leave first, had been what he was going to say. She’d build her agency somewhere else before she’d ever just give up and live off of him.

His mother had gotten deep under his skin without him even realizing it was happening.

So much so that even when they’d finished the walk and she’d excused herself with a kiss to his cheek as though the entire argument had never even happened in the first place, he’d found himself sitting at his desk, still thinking about the things she’d made him realize.

She was bitter and judgmental and overprotective and paranoid. The Bartowski’s success and fortune had done that to her.

There was no way in hell he’d ever think Sarah was with him for his money, no matter what his mom did or said. She could show him a picture of Sarah in a bath full of his money as proof and he’d laugh it off. … Or he’d think it was hot; that was also a possibility.

But all of her harping on the money issue had him wondering if things were worse than Sarah was leading on. She was struggling. He knew she was. And she would be kicked out of her office space, have no home for her agency, if she went much further along without paying the rent to the landlord. She’d be devastated, and he had no idea what she’d do about it. Would she try again? Find some other space in Los Angeles? Or would she see it as such a catastrophic failure that she’d decide she couldn’t make it in LA, and needed to build the business elsewhere, in some other city? Back in Chicago? Or New York? San Francisco? Somewhere far away from here, where he was rooted, stuck, trapped. He’d never be able to follow her, wherever she went. And the way their relationship had gotten so hard with the distance between them, could he do it again? Would she even want to? Or would all of this be over, after everything they meant to each other?

By the time he’d spiraled to the point where he wondered if he’d lose her altogether were she to get kicked out of the office space, he was already putting his jacket back on and grabbing his car keys. This wasn’t just about not wanting to lose her. It was about her dreams.

It was such a small thing in the grand scheme of her business. But it would help her so much.

And it was so easy for him to do it.

So he would.

Sarah wasn’t losing that office, even if it meant he had to do things his own way.

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davidcarner · 7 years

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Chuck vs the Nanny, Ch 6, Vows

A/N: Welcome back. Last time on Chuck vs the Nanny, we learned of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Stephen, but the time before, Sarah said those words ….“One last mission.” Why Sarah, oh why? On with the show

Also, while it’s not required listening, this chapter was written while listening to steampunk .chuckster’s ConVerse Soundtrack Con Game Vegas, specifically Aceyalone’s All for U. Think of this mission as something Ocean’s 11ish. On with the story.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Chuck…and that hurts to admit.

“Overwatch, we are in the building,” Chuck muttered. At Castle, Beckman, Zondra, Carina, Ellie, and Devon, along with the 2 youngest Bartowskis and the youngest Woodcomb watched the security camera feeds being fed into Castle.

“We have eyes on you, Chuckles,” Catrina replied.

“Do you have all eyes?” Casey asked from his position behind the bar. Gertrude walked by and gave him a slight head nod. She was dressed in a serving uniform, serving guests drinks.

“Affirmative Sugar Bear,” Zondra replied. Casey growled.

“That’s Uncle Sugar Bear, Sir!” Stephen yelled from the other room, he and the other two children had been herded off to.

“General, do you think you can shut the door so the kids can’t hear this?” Carina asked General Beckman.

“I wouldn’t bother,” Sarah muttered into her mike. “They’d just hack the feed wherever they are.” Devon looked over at his wife, who nodded.

“Do we need to upload an Intersect into Clara?” Devon asked. Ellie gave him a look, and he got a guilty expression on his face. “Right. Not awesome.” Sarah chuckled.

“Trust me, Devon, you don’t want to deal with what we are dealing with,” Sarah replied.

“How long have you suspected?” Chuck asked Sarah. Sarah shrugged.

“Stephen has never really shown anything, but I mean Samantha has a larger vocabulary than almost anyone I know, and she’s 4.” Carina looked over at Beckman, who wasn’t saying anything, but there was a look on her face. Carina covered the mike.

“General, do you want me to cut their chatter?” Beckman yanked herself out of her thoughts, and shook her head. She looked at Carina, with a troubled look on her face.

“No, as much as Bartowski has always done things unorthodoxed, the team has always succeeded. This is their mission and I’m not about to tell them how to run it,” Beckman said. Carina just looked at Beckman for a minute, nodded, and uncovered her mike.

“Morgan, Alex, I have eyes on you as well,” Carina said into the mike, seeing both of them in their servant costumes.

“Do you have eyes on me?” Jason asked. The voice came into Carina’s ear and she smiled, sultry.

“I see you,” she replied. Chuck turned to Sarah, both of them smirking, hearing the exchange take place.

“Carina, the Sexy Distraction is supposed to be run on Karen, not you,” Chuck said. Carina glared at the screen that held the spy couple.

“I’m not distracted,” she retorted.

“Uh-huh” Zondra answered, grinning. Carina didn’t say anything, she just sit there, sulking.

“You’re drink, Sir,” Morgan said to Jason, bringing Jason a flute of champagne. “She’s by the fountain,” he said softly. Jason turned to look, without being obvious. Karen was checking her phone, and when she finished, she slipped it in her left blazer pocket. Jason saw Sarah move into position, palming a phone in her right hand.

“I’m in position,” Sarah whispered.

“Target is in her left pocket,” Morgan said.

“We have a green light,” Carina said, sitting up, suddenly all business.

“Show time,” Jason said. He began to walk toward the fountain, nonchalantly, appearing to appreciate the piece of artwork. He stepped to the right, appearing to avoid someone, and at the last second, spun and continued right, crashing into Karen, spilling the drink onto her. At that exact moment, Sarah walked by, slipping the phone in the jacket pocket while switching for the one already in there. Sarah turned looking at Jason like he was a Neanderthal.

“Let me get one of the wait staff to help you clean that up,” Sarah said to Karen. Karen nodded her thanks and turned, shooting daggers towards Jason as Sarah headed off. Morgan came over with towels.

“I’m so sorry,” Jason began, very confidently, but after a second his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” he said softly, and defeated. “I am the world’s biggest klutz. Everywhere I go I bump into someone, I make a mess, or….” He trailed off. Sarah listened, intently. She was impressed with the change of attitude. “You ever have someone in your family that you try to live up to, and no matter how hard you try you can’t?” Karen’s eyes softened. “That’s why I moved here, to try to get away from her shadow, but no matter where I go it’s like she’s there.”

“Ex-girlfriend?” Karen asked, intrigued by this point.

“Younger sister,” Jason answered. “Everything she does….perfect. She changes careers, it turns out perfect. Gets married, they’re perfect. Have perfect kids. Me, I’m stuck with Dad, and he doesn’t even want to admit I exist.” Karen felt for the guy. She looked around, saw everything was running smoothly, and made a decision.

“Come on,” she said, nodding to the bar. “Let’s go over here and talk so you can get it all out.” Jason nodded and the two headed off, taking Karen’s eyesight off of the door Chuck and Sarah were getting ready to enter.

“He’s good,” Chuck said, leaning down whispering into her ear. Sarah could feel his grin and knew he was goading her. “Maybe better than you.” With that she turned around and gave him an, “oh please,” look. Chuck’s grin only intensified. “Pretty serious backstory there, huh?”

“You know every good story has a bit of truth to it,” Sarah said. Chuck narrowed his eyes and looked toward the bar where Jason and Karen had gone. “What?” Chuck looked at her and shook his head.

“Nothing,” he said. They walked over to the door and Sarah pulled out the phone with the special key on it. She put on the glove with the fingerprints, scans in, enters the code and the door slides open. They turn to each other and smile. “Hope everything’s going this well in Castle,” Chuck said.

}o{

5 minutes earlier

Castle

“We have a problem,” Samantha said to Stephen. Stephen looked over at the monitor that Samantha had hacked into.

“That’s not cartoons,” Stephen whined. Samantha had told the adults her and Stephen were going to go watch TV, while Clara read in the corner. For some reason, they believed her. Samantha looked over at Clara who was engrossed in her book.

“I know, I am hacking the feed,” she explained. Stephen looked at her like he wasn’t stupid. “Someone’s already piggy backed the signal,” she said. Stephen looked around, saw no one was watching, and smiled. “Does that mean?” he asked gleefully. Samantha nodded. “How did they solve all those missions without us?” Samantha shrugged. “Clara,” Stephen said, pulling her out of her book. “Can you get your Mom and Dad? I need them to look at something, I’ve hurt my leg and I think it’s bleeding again.” Clara got up and started out. “I really need both of them.” Clara rolled her eyes at her cousin, but went anyway. In a few minutes the two Doctors appeared.

“What’s up, Buddy?” Devon asked.

“I’ve got a cut on my leg, but can we go to another room for you to look at it?” He leaned in and whispered. “I don’t want Zondra and Carina to see me without my pants on.” Ellie smiled, thinking how many times those two had changed his diapers, but nodded for him to lead on. They went toward the back of Castle, came to a room, and had Devon and Ellie go in. Stephen stood to the side. “Lady guest first,” he said to Clara. Devon and Ellie exchanged a look. “Dad said for us to stay together.” Clara walked in, not wanting to start a fight.

“Are you worried, Buddy?” Devon asked. “It’s all going to be fine.” Stephen nodded, reached out and put his hand on a panel beside the door. The door slid shut and locked. The panic room was sealed.

“We know,” Samantha answered.

“You two let us out of her right now!” Ellie yelled beating on the door. Samantha shook her head.

“My father always took care of you,” Samantha began. Ellie’s eyes got wide. “Something is about to happen, and I have to do what he would have done if he was here.” Ellie shook her head.

“I always thought you took after your father, but there’s a whole lot of your mother in there as well,” Ellie said, proud of the girl, even though she hated the situation. “Sarah protected everyone, even if it made them mad.” Samantha smiled, and a tear came to her eye. Ellie shook her head. “This is a bad idea.” Samantha shrugged. “Take care of your brother.” Samantha almost looked hurt.

“Aunt Ellie, it’s what Bartowski’s do.” She said and started off.

“Don’t worry guys, we know Kung-Fu,” Stephen said as they headed off. Devon looked at Ellie.

“Do they?” Devon asked. “Or do they know Morgan Kung-Fu?” Ellie shrugged.

}o{

Undisclosed location

A tall, dark-haired man stood in shadows and watched the monitors of the stolen feeds of Team Bartowski. He looked over to the side where three prisoners were tied up, with gags in their mouths. One prisoner almost had his gag off, but instead of securing it, the dark-haired man decided to let it fall, and hear whatever plea they had this time.

“Listen, leave them out of it,” the older male of the three prisoners said. “Leave everyone else out of it. This only ends with someone dying and it could be you.” The dark-haired man nodded. “I know he’s adverse to killing, but he has children now, and he’ll do whatever it takes to save them.”

“And her?” he asked never looking at the distinguished gentleman.

“You know exactly what she’ll do,” he answered. The dark-haired man turned toward him.

“Do I? Do I really? She doesn’t remember.” Realization came over the distinguished gentleman’s face.

“You’re going to give it all back to them, just to take it all away,” he said, not asked. A sick smile crossed the dark-haired man’s face.

“Just like they did to me.”

“You don’t even know if it will make her remember,” the distinguished man answered.

The dark-haired man smiled, shrugged, and started to answer, when someone ran up.

“Our hack’s been discovered,” the man said in a panic. The dark-haired man walked over, pulled the gag over the distinguished gentleman’s face, ran his finger down the side of his female prisoner’s face, who tried to back away, but couldn’t because of her restraints, and stopped in front of the other man in front of him.

“Perfect,” he said looking at the second male, who kept trying to look at two different monitors at once. “You know you are actually the problem. If you’d of just had one child, we wouldn’t be here today.” The second male prisoner struggled against his restraints. “I see where she gets her anger from.” The dark-haired man bent down. “Here’s the thing, someone is going to die, and since the two of them won’t kill, eventually, I’ll win.” He stood up, turned to his flunky. “Is the team ready?” The flunky nodded. “We’ll go on my signal.”

}o{

Now

Party

“We’re entering the elevator now,” Sarah said.

“Copy,” Carina answered. “We have cameras in the elevator, but we may lose coms, so no making out.”

“Afraid you’ll learn something,” Sarah said, smirking. Chuck laughed and hit the button to head down. “So far so go,” he said, and then he winced. Sarah shook her head.

“At least it’s going better than that mission,” she said. Chuck looked over at her, grinned, and looked back ahead. He thought back to that night, where they finally figured out what kind of missions Carmichael Industries would be involved with.

}o{

6 years ago

“That was terrible,” Sarah grumbled, throwing her go bag on the floor. Chuck couldn’t help but chuckle. She turned toward him, anger on her face. “How can you laugh? Do you know what almost happened?” Chuck walked up and put his hands on her upper arms, and drew her in close.

“This amazing agent once told me as long as we all came back and stopped the bad guys, it was a good day.”

“Well, I know it wasn’t me because I would have said that much more eloquently,” Sarah grumbled, pulling away. Chuck chuckled. “How did I used to do this?” she asked softly. Chuck looked at her. “How did I not worry you could die at any moment?”

“Agent Walker used to compartmentalize her feelings,” he said, with a smirk on his face. “At least that’s what she said…I didn’t really believe her.” Sarah walked toward him, angrily.

“And, why didn’t you stay in the car?” she asked very forcefully, with what appeared to be anger on her face. Chuck looked away, because he didn’t want to laugh in her face. That would lead to bodily harm…his. “Chuck, this isn’t a joke.” Chuck looked back down at her.

“You know why,” he said. She looked away, and Chuck knew that she was upset, but there was more. “You also know why you’re feeling what your feeling.” She stopped, her jaw dropped. She stared at his implication. “I’m just saying, post-mission sex….I’m a fan.”

“We are so not,” she said, sputtering. “I am mad that you didn’t,” she began, but Chuck stepped right up to her and her words died at her lips. The grin was still on his face, but his eyes…they were dancing. She was getting lost in them.

“You were in trouble, and I do what has to be done,” he said softly, moving one of the locks of hair that had escaped behind her ear. Sarah shuddered at the touch.

“We don’t do these type of missions anymore,” she began. Chuck nodded, and realization hit her. “You knew we shouldn’t,” she accused. Chuck shrugged, walked over to the couch, and sat down, grinning. “We had come to this realization already, but you knew I didn’t remember it, so you had us do this on purpose.” Chuck tried to keep the smile on his face. “You think you know everything do you?” Chuck looked up at the glint in her eye. In the past he had thought it was a dangerous one. He had learned that it wasn’t that dangerous. She pounced, tackling him on the couch, and started to kiss him. She kissed him where his neck met his collar bone and he growled.

“Sarah, we should go into the bedroom,” he began, and she laid a finger on his lips and shook her head no.

“Nope,” she answered, her eyes dancing and then she hit him with her version of the Bartowski eyebrow dance. Chuck groaned.

“But, protection,” he began, and again, she laid her finger over his lips.

“I’m sick of not knowing and you knowing things, so it’s time we do something that you don’t know how it’s going to work out.” Chuck’s eyes grew big as saucers. Sarah grinned. “I’m not Sarah Walker. I’m your Sarah, and I want us to be in this together, and we can’t if everything we do is me having to relearn something. So it’s time we do something neither one of us has experienced.” Chuck looked at the couch, questioning the location. Sarah bounced a shoulder, shrugging. “Up for post-mission sex Agent Carmichael?” Chuck nodded, the grin covering his entire face.

}o{

Now

Elevator

“Thinking about that couch, aren’t you?” Sarah asked. Chuck laughed out loud. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. They stepped outside. “Carina, I’m going dark for just a moment.” She hit the earwig, turning it off, and nodded at Chuck to do the same. He did and looked at her. “I need to make sure you’re good with things. There is no guarantee I get my memory back with this, and if I don’t,” she paused, not sure what to say. Chuck took her into his arms.

“You’re my Sarah, remember?” he asked. She nodded. “Your heart never forgot, and it never will. Whatever happens, we got this.” He pulled back, and she grinned at him.

“You’re good, Bartowski,” she said straightening his tie.

“I learned from the best,” he said. She kissed him, and turned the earwig back on, as Chuck said the same thing.

“Everything okay?” Carina asked. Sarah grinned.

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Had to make sure he loves you no matter what?” Carina asked. Sarah didn’t answer, but blushed just a bit. “You two,” she began, shaking her head. “All these years, and you still question if you deserve each other. No one else would have your mess.” Sarah and Chuck both laughed. They made their way down the hallway with no resistance. They followed all the corridors and made their way to a display where a pair of sunglasses sat.

“This is almost too easy,” Chuck said. “Carina, are we missing something?”

“There’s nothing, Chuckles,” she responded. “Get them and get out.”

“And I get my memory back,” Sarah muttered under her breath, thinking about the moment that bothered her the most.

}o{

8 months after the last flashback

Chuck and Sarah walked into Casa de Bartowski after a long day at Carmichael Industries.

“Think we should sell Castle?” Chuck asked. Sarah didn’t respond, so Chuck continued. “Before everything happened back then, we talked about it. I mean I do like it as the original team’s hideout, but we have the office building now…and of course there is the sentimental reasons of keeping it for the supply closets.” Sarah was still off in space. “It’s where Morgan and I first had sex.” Sarah blinked and turned toward Chuck, tilting. “No, we didn’t, but you are off in outer space.” Sarah rolled her eyes, walked over to the freezer, pulled out a container of Rocky Road, grabbed a big spoon, took the top off the ice cream, looked him directly in the eye, and took a huge bite. She chewed, sighed, looked at her husband, winced, and looked down at her stomach.

“Were you a soccer star and never told me?” she asked. Chuck looked at her. She was as beautiful as ever, maybe more so. In a month or so, it would be three Bartowskis.

“Nope,” he said, grinning. He followed his wife’s gaze, to what he thought was the couch. “We should get rid of that,” he said turning back to her. She looked confused. “The couch.” She smiled but nodded toward the couch. Chuck followed her gaze to the wall, past the couch, where their wedding picture hung. Chuck looked back at her, confused. He started to say something, but the look on her face, told her she was thinking. She looked at him, smirked, and pulled out her phone. Feeling Good by Nina Simone began to play on the Bluetooth speakers. She opened a drawer and pulled out twist ties, and stared at Chuck. He started to speak, but the look she gave him, shut his mouth before he could say a word.

“I know, we got married. I’ve watched it, over and over and over. I know we practiced with these, but right now, I need something. I need a memory, so I need you to help me make one,” Sarah said, looking right at him. Chuck grinned and nodded. “Our song is on repeat, so I need you to give me your vow, and then listen to my vow. That’s it, that’s all I need. Okay?” Chuck nodded, walked over and took a zip tie. He took one and held her hand.

“I told you almost a year ago, that I’m here for you. Nothing changes that. You could walk out that door tomorrow and return in 20 years, and I’d still be here for you. I love you Sarah Samantha Jennie Burton Walker Bartowski, and nothing is ever going to change that. I’ve loved you for 6 years even when you didn’t know how to accept it. I made mistakes in the past and wasn’t there for you, but that will never happen again. I am here for you, our children, and our future.” Sarah smiled, tears glistening, as Chuck tied his zip tie on her finger.

“Perfect,” she whispered, and Chuck’s heart lurched. She continued. “My mind doesn’t remember, but my heart can’t forget you no matter what you do. I’ve seen all the mission logs of how I was a mess. Somehow you found me, every time I was lost. You. You found me. So, I’m not going anywhere, because it’s useless,” she said, grinning. “You’re just gonna find me anyway, and bring me home. Because you, Chuck, you’re home. You always have been.” She tied the zip tie to his finger, reached over, grabbed a big bite of Rocky Road and ate it, all while smiling.

“Perfect,” he said. She reached up, kissed him, took his hand and turned.

“Come on,” she said. “My back is in no shape for the couch.”

“You need to lie down and me get you some pillows?” he asked. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh…OH!! But the ice cream will melt.” She gave him a look of, “really?” “You know I bet it’s just as good as a drink,” he said, following her. “I love you Sarah.” She smiled at him.

“I know,” she replied. Chuck grinned.

}o{

Now

“We really shouldn’t have given that couch to Morgan,” Sarah said softly.

“Huh?” Morgan’s voice came over the comms. Chuck chuckled, as Sarah reached up and took the glasses. Nothing happened. Sarah smiled.

“See, last mission, no problem.” Chuck’s face fell, and everyone groaned. “What?”

}o{

Undisclosed location

The dark-haired man watched everything take place. He watched Chuck and Sarah and scowled. They had the glasses. He put a head set on, and picked up his phone. He typed a message and sent it to two people. “All teams go! Castle assault team, go! Intersect protection team, go!” He turned and looked at his three captives. “Let’s see if they’re still as good as they used to be.

}o{

Now

Bar

Jason’s phone went off, and he excused himself from Karen. He checked his text message. It begins. The color drained from Jason’s face, and he texted back quickly. You promised you wouldn’t hurt them. He waited and the text came back. I promised I wouldn’t hurt the children, and I haven’t. As for the others….oh well.

}o{

Castle

As the three women sat monitoring the situation, one received a text message. She checked her messages. It begins. She quickly replied. I’m doing as you asked! The return message came back. The children will be fine…I can’t say the same for you….

“Castle’s under attack” Zondra yelled.

}o{

Now

Vault

Chuck’s heart lept into his throat.

“The rest of you get back to Castle, ASAP,” Sarah said. The tone in her voice left no question as whether or not to argue with her. She started forward, when doors opened, and a squad of goons came out firing. Chuck and Sarah were separated, both taking cover. Sarah glanced at the intersect glasses and shook her head. Not until Ellie tested them, for all she knew she would forget everything.

“General, take the kids and hide,” Zondra said.

“Are you sure?” Beckman asked.

“Go, General!” Carina yelled. “Don’t let anything happen to them!”

“We’re 10 minutes out,” Casey’s voice came over the comms.

“I don’t know if we have 10 minutes!” Carina said, and then she yelled.

“Carina? Carina!” Sarah yelled.

“Sarah, I’m trapped!” came Chuck’s voice through her earpiece.

“Sarah, this is not good, we’re being overrun here at Castle, Carina’s been shot!” Zondra’s voice came over her earpiece. Sarah stared at the glasses.

“Sarah,” Chuck’s voice pierced through her thoughts, and spoke right through her soul. She heard the bullets firing at him. “I know what you’re thinking, and I know I can’t stop you, so do me one favor. Promise me.”

“What is it, Chuck?”

“Don’t forget the kids,” he said, smiling. Sarah smiled as well.

“Hey, nerd. I’m not forgetting you either. I love you.”

“I love you, Sarah.”

“I know,” and with that, she puts on the Intersect glasses.

WAIT!!!! WHAT!!!! YOU’RE ENDING IT HERE!!??!!! Yep. I’ll be back with more as soon as I can.

#Chuck #Sarah #Charah #Fanfic #Chuck vs the Nanny #Chuck season 6 #Karen Fox is totally made up #Any similarity is just a coincidence

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