Sarah and Casey

Sarah Walker frantically packed clothes from her hotel room to make a quick getaway. She wasn't sure what to believe, but she certainly knew Nicholas Quinn couldn't be trusted. He had just tried to kill her, and the only reason she survived was Chuck jumped in the way and took the bullet for her. She didn't have time to sort it all out right now. Chuck said the authorities were after her, and she had to leave in a hurry. She had run many times in the past, but not when the good guys—her side—were trying to get her.

Suddenly, there was a noise at the door. Sarah dropped what she was doing and grabbed a knife, aiming it at the door as Agent John Casey walked in. He gave her a half smile and closed the door. Sarah repositioned the knife in her hand to get a better grip and prepared for anything Casey might do.

"Figured I'd find you here," he said to her. "You can put the knife down. I'm not here to fight."

Sarah tightened her grip. She couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust anyone. It was her against the world. Casey starred at her as if he was collecting he thoughts.

"What do you remember about me?" he asked her. Sarah didn't move nor put the knife down.

"Your reputation, mostly," Sarah responded. "Unfriendly, unforgiving, and unquestioning about your orders." Casey smiled. She didn't remember a thing about him personally, but got the feeling he didn't smile all that much.

"That's right," Casey said. "When we met, people said the same thing about you. That's probably why we never get along."

Sarah started to get annoyed. She had things to do…and fast.

"Well if we didn't get along, then why are you here?" Sarah demanded.

Casey knew that question was coming. He looked down and slowly grabbed a small manila envelope out of his jacket. He looked around the room as a realization came to his mind.

"I guess Bartowski has made us both a little soft," he said gently…as much to himself as to Sarah. He placed the envelope on a table.

"Beckman's got a new job for me," Casey continued. "But…these past five years we changed, you know. We became friends."

"I find that very hard to believe," Sarah said, still holding the knife out.

"I would have thought the same thing if someone told me that five years ago. We even tried to kill each other the first week we met. But to be honest with you…you…Chuck…even the little guy…you're the best friends I've ever had, and I hate seeing this happening to you...to all of us."

Sarah looked around the room. This definitely was not the Major John Casey she had read about.

"Look, I really have to…keep doing what I'm doing. You know I have to get out of here."

"I know, and as a sign of our friendship, I'm going to let you go. But I want you to look at this. It explains a lot. Hopefully it will be enough."

Sarah was really getting annoyed. She had no time for this.

"What do you mean, Casey?"

Casey sighed and looked around the room again.

"Listen Walker…Sarah. I never believed in true love…even when I was engaged. I didn't think much of it. But I've since learned differently, and the first time I really understood was when I was standing right here, and you were standing right there…three years ago."

Sarah shook her head, confused. She wanted ask something but didn't know what.

"Soon after you and Chuck were obviously smitten on each other, he got his red test orders. He was in a Catch 22. If he failed, he would be out of the CIA. If he passed the test, you would look at him differently. Either way, whatever you two had would be over."

"What do you mean I would look at him differently?" Sarah asked, still confused.

"I can't believe I'm talking about this stuff," Casey said to himself, then looked at Sarah in the eye. "The truth is you fell in love with Chuck because he wasn't a killer. You liked the Chuck you met, not the Chuck who could be a cold-blooded killer. So…I decided to change the rules…made it possible that Chuck could pass his red test and not be a killer."

"How?"

"Because…I killed the person Chuck was supposed to kill. He couldn't kill him. That's not Chuck. That's not…as you put it…your Chuck. But I told him nobody could know about what I did…not even you. Then Chuck asked you to run away with him…away from the spy game forever, but you saw him differently. You never told me, but I don't think you were going to go with him. That's why I came here that day."

"Why? Are you getting somewhere with this?"

Casey laughed. This was the old Sarah Walker. He did like who she had become, but sometimes he missed the old version, too.

"When I came to your room, the anxiety and stress was all over your face. You felt you lost the Chuck you knew. So I told you. I told you what I did…that I killed that man and Chuck never changed. At that moment, I witnessed with my own eyes what true love looks like. The pain washed away and a ton of bricks was lifted off your shoulders."

Sarah was not convinced. "If this is true, then what happened? Why am I still here…and not somewhere with Chuck…not spying?"

Casey twitched his head side to side. "Circumstances beyond anyone's control dictated otherwise, but that's for another time. The fact is you decided to give up spying to spend the rest of your life with him."

This was too much for Sarah to consume, but she did feel Casey was honestly trying to help her. As he said, why else would he not turn her in?

Casey pointed to the envelope. "I hope that convinces you that what Chuck may have told you already and what I have just said is true. I hope you remember."

Sarah just starred at Casey, loosening her grip on the knife just a little.

"Take care of yourself, Walker, hmm?" Casey said. He nodded to Sarah and left the room.

Sarah walked over to the envelope, picked it up with the knife and opened it. A DVD was inside that read, "Project Bartowski." Could it really be true? Was it possible? She really didn't have the time, but Sarah had no choice but to sit down and watch what was on the DVD.