TV Multiverse 107 (Patreon)

Sarah settled on his lap after the long kiss. “So, what brings you here?” she said. “A night out with friends?”

“Kind of,” he responded, his hand resting on her belly, enjoying her shiver. “They are my neighbors. Nice guys, but they were a bit helpless with the ladies, so I decided to help them.”

Sarah giggled, though it was mostly performative. “Seduction lessons. Why am I not surprised?”

“Well, calling it seduction is a bit of a stretch,” he said. “It’s just teaching them how not to be awful.”

“They seem to be doing alright?”

She had a point, as Howard was happily chatting with a girl who would ordinarily be a bit out of his league even with his recent improvements, using Sarah and him as the perfect opener. Raj and Leonard were already doing even better. “Yes, but only after a few months of exercising and behavioral correction,” he responded.

“That bad?” she said.

“Let me tell you,” he said, then started with Howard and Raj, exaggerating the funny details, which was clearly necessary. Luckily, there were a lot of such details, because Sarah needed a good laugh. When he finished Howard and moved to Raj, she was already giggling.

He suspected that his arms, wrapped around her waist in a cuddling manner, helped her greatly as well. Even during their chaotic mission, he had seen just how weak Sarah was to cuddling, or any kind of casual kindness.

It wasn’t that surprising, considering she had grown up as the daughter of a conman before joining the government as an assassin. Comfort was not a part of either job.

“How about the last one?”

“Leonard? He was better,” Ethan said. “His problem was the neediness. He has a sharp mind, but due to some old traumas, he had a bit of a habit of latching. So, when Penny moved across his hallway, he convinced himself that he was in love with her, while it was merely a crush.”

Sarah tensed. “Maybe it was love.”

Ethan did his best to hide his pointed reaction, as he could recognize it was still about Chuck. It was normal, as Sarah’s obsession with Chuck was mostly about some weird idealization of normalcy, and those things took time.

Luckily, his best was amazing at this point, so he managed to hide it. Instead, he made a bet. “Maybe,” he said. “But, if it was love, he wouldn’t still jump whenever another girl showed him substantial interest, only to return to his supposed love of his life when it ends,” he said,

Sarah flinched, which confirmed her despair was mostly about Chuck’s famous ex Jill, who was also a fulcrum spy. Though that part stayed hidden for a long while. Since he wasn’t supposed to know about Jill or Chuck in the first place, he had to focus on a different path.

So he gave her a quick summary of Leonard’s experience with Lesley and Doctor Stephanie, because it replicated Chuck’s attitude quite well. Chuck was more than happy to leave the tragic relationship he had with Sarah for Jill, or the sandwich shop girl.

A perfect little example.

“Does it mean it’s not love?” Sarah said, her tone somber even though she was still on his lap, and to everyone else, she looked happy. Sarah was very experienced at faking happiness.

“Depends on the definition you want to use for love. It’s clear that it wasn’t this deep, tragic, true love Leonard would like to believe. If it had been, he would have tried to learn more about Penny rather than expecting her to follow his life, like how he pressured her to go to college.”

As he talked, Ethan was surprised how well Leonard’s and Chuck’s so-called love stories were fitting.

He could have continued to talk if his aim was to keep her focused on Chuck, ruining whatever sad pining thing they believed to be a relationship. But, it wasn’t his aim. He’d rather see Sarah smiling.

“As fun as it’s having you on my lap, how about we ditch the bar and move to somewhere more fun?” he suggested, his hand dipping to her thigh suggestively just a bit.

“Sure,” she said, but he caught just a hint of disappointment. She thought he was offering sex, and that disappointed her. It was no surprise. She was a beautiful super spy; if she wanted, sex, even the amazing variant, wasn’t that hard to find. Even their last time, what truly turned it fun for her was the danger of the mission, combined with her desire to make Chuck pay.

Luckily, it was not his plan all along. They walked out of the bar, tangled closely, and he waved at the gang.

Sarah followed him to his car, excited but disappointed at the same time. It was probably why she didn’t care much when he asked to have a quick call first. In that call, he brought forward the two strongest superpowers civilization had.

Money, and a favor.

Well, maybe a little dash of implied blackmail, but it could be folded into the favor aspect. But, he parked his car, watching Sarah’s fascinated expression; it was worth it.

“What are we doing here?” she asked as she looked at the glowing lights, all turned on.

“I promised you someplace more fun. Don’t you remember?”

“Yes, but an amusement park?” she gasped, surprised. “They don’t even stay open at this hour.”

He smiled. “They do when the correct person calls.”

“It must have cost a fortune,” Sarah said.

He shrugged. “A fortune is a very big stretch. It’s not even that expensive.” She looked at him, disbelieving. “Look, I have a simple rule, one that I had since I was a teenager. Spending half of what you make in a day on a date it acceptable. And, this place doesn’t even begin to approach that.”

“You must be—“ she started.

He interrupted her. “Sarah, sweetie. Let’s not kid ourselves. You have checked me out, and you have a good idea how much money I have in my bank accounts, probably better than my accountants.”

She avoided his gaze. “I had to. Technically, you became a part of my mission the last time—“ she tried to explain hastily, but he interrupted her with a kiss. When he pulled back, his hand stayed on the small of her back.

“Sarah, sweetie, I’m not saying I blame you. Curiosity is normal.”

She allowed him to escort her inside. “Did you do it?” she said a while later. “Did you check on me?”

“No,” he said. She didn’t believe him. “For two reasons, one convenient, and one real.”

“What’s the convenient one,” she said, her smirk wide.

“Common sense. Carina is DEA, and while you also claimed to be DEA the last time, based on your training and gun habits, I’m going to put my bet on CIA. Digging it would be a big crime,” She tensed. “Come on, your federal agents all have very obvious tells.”

“We don’t,” she said, her tone carrying a warning.

“Really,” he said as he stopped, and mimed two gun draws. “Can you tell which draw was Carina, and which one was you?” She didn’t say anything, but her amused anger was all he needed. “I rest my case.”

“What’s the second reason?” she said.

“We’ll talk it over in my fancy ride,” he said, and mockingly took the position of a medieval knight helping her mount. It did look amusing on a carousel. Luckily, there were no workers around, allowing Sarah to truly relax and laugh.

It was why he had to use a little blackmail as well. Technically, they violated a lot of safety regulations.

In his defense, operating an amusement without following the rules wouldn’t be the worst thing a millionaire would be doing in Los Angeles.

“I can’t believe you have me riding on a swan in my sexiest red dress,” she said.

“I disagree, the contrast is amazing,” he replied, enjoying the way her already scandalous skirt rode up to enhance the view, her fishnet clad legs spectacular. “By the way, what were you supposed to be tonight?”

“A call girl,” she admitted with a slight blush. “It’s a good excuse to break into hotel rooms,” she defended herself.

“No judging,” he said, amused at her flustered attitude.

They rode for a while before Sarah spoke again. “You said there’s also a real reason why you haven’t checked my history,” she said.

He sighed. “I don’t mind you checking my history, because I understand the reflex. You have your missions to protect, and I’m aware just how many red flags I trigger merely by existing. You have your official responsibilities, and you can’t afford to treat them as a meet-cute. I could.”

“There’s more, right?”

“Yes. I know how much, yet how little past means to someone like you,” he said.

She tensed. “Someone like me?”

“Sarah, sweetie. How many identities did you have just last month?” She tensed. He chuckled. “I know you can’t give the correct answer, because that’s classified, but I’m going to take a wild guess and assume it’s at least ten. Maybe more. And, above all, even between switches, you settle on your Sarah identity.”

“Sarah is not—“

“Come on, we both know it’s not your birth name. You’re a CIA agent in the midst of a long deployment.” She tensed, closing off. He reached, caressing her cheek. “It’s why I haven’t dug.”

“Because you can’t trust what you find?” she asked, her voice sharp yet sad.

“No, because I know it doesn’t matter what I find,” he said. “Does it really matter what you were called back when you were in high school? Sarah might be an assigned name, but does it make it any less real than what was on your original ID?”

“Doesn’t it?” she asked. Her eyes were dry, but he could hear the tears in her tone. He held her hand.

“It does, yet it doesn’t. Who you were in the past doesn’t matter. I care who you are right now.”

“You can’t know—“

“I know, because my own identity is just as fluid. I have lived for years in confusion, until I decided that my past only has power over me as much as I allow, and decided how to live my life. And, moved to Los Angeles.” It was even true, from a certain, Obi Wan approved way.

“And, just like that, you become a genius multimillionare in less than a year.”

He decided to tell Sarah a long story, as it would help to adjust his history in a way that would explain his expanded capabilities. “Technically, I became a millionaire. I was already a genius,” he said. “I can even prove a few unsolved math problems to prove if you want.”

“How?” she said. “I mean, the things I found were … contradictory.”

“It’s not contradictory when you were raised by a bunch of obsessed veterans and a crazy spy convinced that they had to raise the perfect spy to prevent the third world war,” he added, his growing stats enhancing it. “Every breakfast, I had one second to look at table before identifying changes from the day before, itemized by the importance. I had learned how to use a sniper rifle when I was eleven. I had to learn languages, but never speak outside. Then, one by one, they died.”

“Foul play?”

“Nope, just the usual way the old veterans who overestimate the strength of their liver.”

“And, no one tried to recruit you?”

“Nope. My guess, they were either trying to build a weird clandestine group, and wanted me to be recruited officially so it wouldn’t trigger any suspicion, or…” he paused, then decided to add another little confusion element. “Or they wanted to avoid a hostile faction. I remember one of them muttering about some conspiracy, but I don’t know if it was true. If it is, they certainly haven’t left any evidence.”

“Conspiracies, like what?”

“How much time do you have?” he said, deliberately not giving the detail. Mostly because he didn’t want to ruin their night by talking about the Fulcrum and the Ring, the latter being something not even Sarah knew yet. “But, once they died, I found myself going through the motions. It felt like nothing really made sense; I moved around, adrift…”

“How did it change?” she asked, her tone sharp and wanting.

“Human connection,” he offered. “I have people I like around me, and I spend time around them, without fearing whether the next order would make them put a bullet to my brain, or force me to shoot them. Maybe you should try once your current mission ends. Take a long break,” he suggested.

“I don’t think I can.”

“You can’t, or you are afraid to live your life without the security blanket of the job,” he replied.

She was quiet for a while, her somber attitude contrasting with the cheerful carousel music. When she spoke, her voice was flat … but somehow more real. "Every relationship I've had is built on lies. Every friend, every partner, every conversation…” She paused, and gave out a bitter laugh. “Even before the job. I grew up with my con artist father. For every game, I was his accessory. Every town, I had a different name, different habits. Jenny, Katie, Mary, Jo. Two weeks here, a week there, and then the job would end, and we would move.”

“A tough way to grow up,” he said. It was. Frankly, it was a miracle that she was still sane. “Maybe you should consider retirement.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I owe it to my mentor. He found me when father was arrested, and gave me something to aspire to. A purpose. I don't get to just walk away from that.”

"How much do you think you still owe?"

"I don't know. All of it?"

He sighed, the abusive nature of that particular relationship very clear. Graham picked where she was at her lowest, and instead of treating her like a human being, he transformed into a deadly assassin.

Hardly a favor. But, he also knew he couldn’t point that out without making her turn defensive. “Sarah. You can’t dedicate your life to your mentor’s objective all your life. You must have done more than enough to wipe the slate clean. If you stay, it’s your decision.”

She gasped in anger.

“It’s harder to process that, right?” he said. “That’s what I learned during the years I was adrift. It’s easy to blame others for our faults, but ultimately, they are our responsibility.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Life is hardly fair,” he said. “You should know that even better.”

She didn't answer. She looked at her hands, tight around the neck of the swan. "I don't know what to do," she said, very quietly.

"I can help you figure it out. Give me a call when your mission is over. No deadline, and no obligation."

"Why? What do you want?"

"Two things, and I'll give you both plainly." He held up a finger. "First, I like helping people. Not out of some noble mission. I just prefer people I like smiling."

“What, so you just find me a job? No questions asked?”

He chuckled. “Sarah? How many languages do you speak?"

"Nine."

"Nine. You can read people perfectly, and negotiate sharper than your hidden knives. You can probably lead squads, and I don’t even know how many other skills you have. Do you have how much I would pay for executives that only have a fraction of your skills?”

“Well, if you put it like that…”

He shrugged. “Frankly, if you can retire tomorrow, I’ll hire you tomorrow. A million a year in salary, possibly far more depending on exactly how much you want to work.”

“How much do I want to work? Is that a part?”

“Of course it is. As a principle, I never open a company that requires my time to survive, or requires me to work regularly. I’m a lazy person.”

She laughed. “You, lazy?”

“Of course. Nothing in this world other than starvation could convince me to work all day.”

For the first time since the bar, a genuine smile appeared on her face. It was small, crooked, but unmistakably hers, and it faded almost at once, but it left something behind. "I'm not saying yes," Sarah said.

"I'm not asking for a yes. I’m making an offer, one without a time clock. Whenever you have time, give me a call, temporarily or permanently, and I’ll help. It’s a Calloway promise.”

“You’re very free with your free time.”

“No, I’m very strict with my time. Only important people get open checks,” he said.

Sarah didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to.

They spent three hours in the empty amusement park, sampling the attractions, from the bumper cars to hitting targets … though their version, they had to throw the balls from a fifty yards rather than the original five.

Unfortunately, their fun was interrupted by her buzzing phone. Her expression told me it was her mission phone. “I have to go,” she said.

“I understand,” he replied, leaning in for one last kiss.

It was an interesting date; he decided. From a perspective, nothing happened. No real emotional breakthroughs, no spectacular moments. Just two adults drifting around an amusement park. It didn’t even trigger an achievement.

But, he didn’t mind. He could feel that tonight had been a turning point for Sarah.

He was happy with it. Sarah deserved better than her original, terrible fate…