AN: Here's another one for you. This is a work in progress and updates will be slow as I will be concentrating on Ellie's plan. This one will be different because I've sort of flipped Ellie and Chuck. The big difference here is I'm trying to keep the intersect in the story but not in the heads of anyone. It will be Charah eventually but please pay attention to the dates. I want to cover Chuck and Ellie's early years before 2007. The trouble for me is what happens after 2007. Another big thanks to Mojo01 for his beta work. It makes my scribble more readable. It was pointed out to me the distance between Stanford and Burbank was way to far for what I have written. I had the two colleges mixed up so i changed the city they grew up in. In the end does it really matter?

Prolog

When Chuck and Ellie were growing up they were fascinated by electronics. One day, while they were playing around the house, they stumbled into the room where their father kept his computer. Between the two of them they figured out how to turn it on and get things to pop up on the screen. One screen had a sentence that didn't make any sense to them. It started to ask them questions, so they turned it off.

This small exposure led to both of them deciding they wanted to do something computer related when they grew up. When Ellie was accepted to Stanford, she chose Electrical Engineering as her major. Chuck was planning to follow right behind her, until one particular day changed his mind. His scout troop was selling crafts at a flea market to raise money at a local high school. He heard the sound of glass breaking, then people screaming. He ran to the sound of the commotion and saw a man lying on the ground, blood pouring out of his arm. He used the first aid training he had learned to stem the flow of blood while telling someone to call for help. When the EMT's arrived and took over, the head EMT told Chuck his actions had probably saved the man's life. It was at that point Chuck decided saving lives was more important than writing programs for games. Ellie was proud of him for his decision, and backed him one hundred percent.

September 1996 – September 1997 Ellie's Freshman year (Ellie 18, Chuck 15)

After setting the room she would share with another girl for the next year, Ellie Bartowski looked out of her window for the first time, in awe of the campus of Stanford University. After she completed her freshman year, she would be allowed to live off campus. She managed to get a full academic scholarship and a partial room allowance. Grants and student loans would cover the rest. She was already looking for a job; she still had to support her brother, who was still in high school. Chuck was working part time at the local Buy More, making just over minimum wage. He was looking to get more hours but was limited by his age and child labor laws.

Ellie's roommate, Jane, was from Vermont and was going for Chemical Engineering. Jane entered her room for the first time and dropped the bag she was carrying, staring at Ellie. What the hell is that? Ellie was wearing an over the bust corset dress with an attached floral print skirt that hung to her knees. Black print hose and knee high strapped platform boots completed her look. She had coal black hair, lips and nails. She had an eyebrow and lip piercing.

"Hello, I'm Ellie," she said holding out her hand. "I'm from Santa Clara, how about you?"

"Jane," she said, shaking Ellie's hand. "Vermont." She seems nice enough despite her bizarre look.

Ellie helped Jane with the rest of her bags, once Jane's parents left they got to know each other.

"Jane," asked Ellie, "What made you choose Stanford over the Ivy League schools?"

"The cold weather, for starters," Jane answered. "I had to get away from there, if you know what I mean. I have to ask; do you always dress like that, or was it to shock me?"

"I dress like this all the time, so it wasn't for the shock factor. I don't try to fit in with what people expect, I dress like this because I like the style. I stayed close to home because I take care of my younger brother, Chuck. Our parents split on us years ago, so it's just the two of us. After this year I'm moving out to go back home with him."

"Think this over, then," added Jane, "If we get along I can move out with you, we can get a better place. I'm not sure I can handle this dorm living."

"Let's not get that far ahead of ourselves… we just met," said Ellie.

It turned out that Jane was right about living in the dorms. The constant parties that took place almost every night wore on the two girls. They spent almost all their free time in the library. On weekends they went to Ellie's house. The two girls did become close friends.

Just after the winter break, Ellie had an idea she decided was worth looking into. Ellie had watched her roommate ignore her parents' calls on more than one occasion. When she asked why, Jane said she could never tell who was calling her.

Ellie designed a way for cell phones to download and use ring tones and assign them to a certain contact. The idea was picked up by a Finnish company, who would make it available to the public in 1998. That earned Ellie her first big pay check. With the money she made she was able to pay the rent on the larger apartment for the next year, and take Chuck on a month long vacation during the Summer. Ellie had Chuck apply for a passport, knowing where she was taking him.

Jane did move in with them for the duration of their college education. The two girls were in the top ten of their respective classes.

Summer 1997

After Jane and Ellie cleaned out their room, Jane went back to Vermont for the summer, and Ellie sprang the news to Chuck.

"I have some great news, Chuck," Ellie said. "With the money I made on the app, I was able to pay the rent for the next year. Jane is going to pay her share monthly. When I get her check, I'll give it to you as spending money. Anything you make at work is yours to put away for something you want."

"That is great news Ellie. I can cut back my hours and enjoy the summer," said Chuck.

"I know you're going to enjoy the summer, because we're going away for a month."

"You're not kidding me are you?" Chuck asked, almost pleading with her.

"Not kidding, Chuck," was Ellie's response. "We're going to London for a week, then Paris. From there we hit Rome and finish off it in Crete." Chuck wasted no time in hugging the tar out of her.

"When do we leave? I have to tell my boss I won't be in for a month. This is… wow, I mean, I've always wanted to see Paris… but this…oh…wow. I can't describe how excited I am right now. Morgan's gonna flip when I tell him."

During their week in London, Ellie and Chuck hit the normal tourist attractions; Big Ben, London Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and spent one day at Wimbledon watching some of the opening week's matches. From there, it was on to Paris, where they had dinner at the Eiffel Tower. They spent two days visiting the Louvre. They just wandered around the last two days and spent a good bit of time watching the street artists work their magic. They enjoyed the food so much Ellie made sure to get some recipes to try at home.

Chuck was sure before they left he would like Paris the most, but when he was standing before the Colosseum in Rome, he was awestruck.

"I can't believe this is still standing after almost two thousand years," Chuck said. "It's incredible to see the work that went into it. Then when you consider what went on inside it during it's heyday, you realize how far we've come as people."

"Very true, Chuck," said Ellie. "My favorite is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. That's one crazy building. I set up a tour in the Vatican for tomorrow. The day after we head to Crete, where I don't plan on site seeing, just hanging out on the beaches."

"I like that idea, El. All the historical sites have been great, but it'll be nice to take it easy for a few days."

When they got to Crete, Ellie had reserved them a hotel near the beach. They enjoyed relaxing on the beach and people watching.

"Hey El?" asked Chuck.

"Yes."

"I know were both young, but I think we should start working out now, so we don't look like that couple over there in a few years," Chuck said while pointing at an overweight couple down the beach from them.

"I'll find us a gym when we get home. Now let me relax," Ellie said closing her eyes as she drifted off to sleep.

When they returned to the States, Chuck went back to work at the Buy More and Ellie went back to playing on the computer. She found a forum that talked about hacking and the Dark Web. This peaked her interest, so she started visiting a few hacker forums. She liked the challenge of getting into places she shouldn't be, and started working on a program she thought would help her do what she wanted. The more she went to the Dark Web, the more she learned. In one forum, she created a user name: Nightshade. Over the years, it would become a name that could both excite and scare you, depending on what she was after. It was a major thrill for her each time she learned something new.

September 1997 – Spring 1998 (Ellie's sophomore year. Ellie 19, Chuck 16)

Ellie's sophomore year went as expected, grade wise. She remained at the top of her class, as did Jane. With Ellie being an outgoing person by nature, she made lots of friends on campus, and was more than willing to help other students when they needed it. People who ignored her during her freshman year because they were put off by her looks, learned to put aside her appearance, and chatted with her whenever they could. Jane was reaping the benefits of being close friends with Ellie. Jane also confessed to Ellie that the main reason she left Vermont and came to Stanford was that she was a lesbian. Ellie took it in stride, and joined the Gay Straight Alliance on campus to show her support. Just before Thanksgiving, Jane let Ellie know she was dating Julia a girl from the alliance.

Chuck was doing equally well in school, in spite of his best friend Morgan. Morgan was constantly after Chuck to have all night gaming sessions on the Nintendo 64. Chuck's favorite game was Duck Hunt, along with Mario. Chuck knew he would have to have perfect grades if he wanted to get the full scholarship to Stanford like Ellie. He tried to tell Morgan he could only play for a few hours on Saturdays before work. Morgan didn't take the rejection well, and it caused a rift between them for a few months. Once he turned sixteen Chuck increased his hours at Buy More. He wanted to have as much money as he could when he went to college.

Thanksgiving came, and it was a festive occasion at the Bartowski residence. Jane invited Julia over for the holiday. Ellie and Chuck both accepted their relationship, and as a result, the couple enjoyed being able to relax and be themselves. Chuck asked Morgan, of course. Ellie tried some of the recipes she picked up in Paris, instead of the normal turkey meal. It was a huge hit with everyone there except Morgan, who didn't like the change. Before the argument could get heated, Chuck challenged Morgan to Duck Hunt and got him out of the room. The next day the ladies went shopping while Chuck worked. The weekend passed quickly, and soon they were back to school.

During the month of February, Ellie heard back from Nintendo that her idea for a game had been accepted. Her programming needed work, but for a reduced price they would fix it in-house; they mostly wanted the licensing for the game. Ellie agreed to an even lower amount if she got two percent of the profits. The game, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, was released in 1998, and sold over seven million copies. Combined with the fifty thousand dollars in upfront money she received, Ellie had netted over a quarter of a million dollars. As soon as she signed the deal, she went to Raymond James Financial Advisors and set up an account. With their help, her finances were growing nicely.

She kept money out for their now annual summer trip. This year, Ellie asked Chuck where he'd like to go. He decided that he wanted to see Moscow, Barcelona, Germany and Denmark. Ellie planned out the entire trip for them, making a few changes here and there. When the school year ended, they had a few weeks off before their trip. Jane didn't go home as she had the previous year, because she wanted Julia stay with her in the apartment. Ellie was ok with it because she was going to be away with Chuck for most of the summer.

Summer 1998

With the extra money Ellie now had, she was able to get better hotels for them to stay in while they were away. The hotel she picked in Moscow was the Moscow Marriot Grand. It was close to many of the things they wanted to see, including Gorky Park.

"Ellie," began Chuck, "this place is better than anywhere we stayed before. Thanks again for this."

"Don't worry about it so much, Chuck. It's as much for me as it is you. We couldn't do much after dad split, and even before that, we never went anywhere. Now that we can, I plan to enjoy it," Ellie stated firmly. "Why do you want to see Gorky Park?"

"Ever since I heard the Scorpions, 'Winds of Change', I've wondered what was the big deal about it. Since we're in Moscow, I figured, why not?" Chuck answered with a grin.

"That's as good a reason as any," replied Ellie, laughing at her brother's reasoning. After they left the park, they went to visit Red Square. The siblings were both enthralled by the history of the square, some good… and some not so good. They would finish up their stay with a trip to Saint Basil's Cathedral, again marveling at the architecture. Chuck and Ellie were both now fans of historical buildings.

During their stay in Barcelona, they hit the beach for a few days. One place Ellie said they had to hit visit was the Gothic Quarter, because, as she explained it, "I'm Goth, so it's only natural." Even with the changes that happened over time, there were still a lot of buildings that dated back to Medieval times.

Once in Germany, they didn't just stay in one place. Ellie had arranged for them to stay in a different city or small town for each night, then move on. The Black Forest was a hit for the two of them. Ellie was really taken with the Neuschwanstein Castle, while Chuck preferred the Hohenzollern Castle. Both of them enjoyed the visit to the site of the Berlin Wall. They also decided to take in a club while they were in Munich. Even with the working out, Chuck still had two left feet when he danced. Ellie took this as an opportunity to teach him. From that night, they made it a point to go to at least one club in every city.

During the final leg of their trip, they didn't just visit Denmark: They spent time in Norway, Finland and Sweden. By the time they arrived back home they were exhausted. After Chuck went back to work, they resumed their trips to the beach to surf or just hang out on his days off. It was during this time Ellie made a big decision that would change her life. She had become good as a hacker, very good as a matter of fact. Not only was she learning in college, she was learning from the web. Very few people could out-hack her now, even on her worst day. While hacking was a talent, hers went beyond that. When she hacked you, she never left traces she had been there. As a result, she discovered something very disturbing, and after a quick bit of research into the NSA, she reached out to a Colonel Diane Beckman.

Colonel Beckman was sitting at her desk going over some files when a chat box appeared on her screen.

Colonel, please don't disconnect from the chat. I have information that is important for you to hear. NS. Beckman, taken aback by the unexpected contact, thought about it for a second before typing back.

I can give you a few minutes before I shut this off, unless it's worth my time. CB

Thank you. A lunatic calling himself Thor, is planning to set off a bomb in the Washington Monument, tomorrow at noon. He's pissed off about taxes or something. He's going to have a black backpack in his possession. The bombs in it. NS.

How do I know I can trust you? CB

Ask your IT techs if they ever heard of Nightshade. Dean Summers your lead tech knows about my skills. He gave me your name. I'll contact you tomorrow at 1300. Please do not reveal who gave you this information. NS. The chat box closed, leaving Beckman shocked. She got on the phone and called the IT department.

"IT services, how can I help you?"

"This is Colonel Beckman; I need to see Dean Summers in my office right away."

"I'll send him right up," came the answer. Beckman was shocked that the person even existed. A few minutes later the was a knock at her door. She looked up from her desk and saw a man in his mid-thirties standing there.

"It's Dean, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come in and close the door then have a seat."

"Yes Ma'am." When he was seated Beckman began asking him questions.

"I need you to be honest with me. A lot of people's lives depend on the answers you give."

"I'll do my best Colonel."

"Have you ever heard of Nightshade?" asked Beckman. She noticed the shocked look on Deans' face when she mentioned the name.

"Yes Ma'am, there's a rumor on the internet about a hacker so good nobody can top them. They operate mostly on the Dark Web. They've made it their mission to take down bad guys any way they can. They sift through adds for weapon and drug sales and turn them in to the authorities."

"Any more rumors about this Nightshade?"

"They tend to collect the money the bad guys have then make it disappear, so even if they get off, they can't return to their previous occupation."

"Can they be trusted?"

"Colonel, if they gave you information on someone, you can bet your pension it's fact. I'm that sure of their skills."

"Thank you Dean, your free to leave." Beckman was on the phone as soon as Dean was out of her office. She called in her right hand man, John Casey.

"John, I need you in my office ASAP. I'll need you to assemble a team for a special mission that just came up. Tell no-one about it."

When Casey arrived Beckman explained everything that had gone on leaving out the name. The next day the chat box appeared again.

I heard on the news a bomber was apprehended earlier today. Thank you for listening to me. NS.

No, thank you. With the information you passed along I was able to save hundreds of people and millions of dollars in damages to a historic landmark. CB.

I'm glad to be of service. I will help you as long as I maintain my anonymity in this. Oh, and since the money they have is illegal, well…NS.

What we don't know about we can't look for. CB

Nice doing business with you CB. NS. The chat box closed again.