So there I was, doing nothing but getting the last of my paperwork finished and attempting to (gasp) go home on time for once, when one of our lurkers barged in.

Now just because she graduated yesterday and is no longer my responsibility, she thinks she can dictate stuff to me.

Not only that she wanted a challenge me. Specifically an Ellie / Beckman story that was sappy and (another gasp) not one crap reference in it. And she wanted it before her shift that she was going to ended.

Since she did graduate, and on top of that has a birthday in no less than three days, here is my grad / birthday present.

No Beta, no own anything Chuck. Stuck at a computer that only spell checks French to boot.

This will be plain Jane crappy, no matter what.

JC

101010101010

"I miss you so much Devon, I can't until this conference is over and I can get back to something normal. Maine weather in September is not something I'm use to."

Ellie pushed the up button and stood by the elevator.

"ugh, even the elevators are taking forever. Listen Tell Chuck and Sarah I want that BBQ for Sunday night, I won't be that tired from the flight back. Elevator's here, call you after your shift tomorrow. Love you." Ellie steps into the elevator and closes the phone.

The elevator door gets almost closed when it opens up again revealing two men dressed in black wearing sunglasses.

"Dr. Ellie Bartowski -Woodcomb. I am Agent J and this is Agent K with the National Security Agency. We've been asked to escort you to a high priority meeting . National security." and both agents step beside and try to usher her along. Ellie however grabs hold of each elevator door and plants her feet firmly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you until I know what is going on?"

Just then her cell rings. Looking at it she answers.

"Hi Are you ok?"

"You sure?"

"They are here now."

"Can't you tell me anything."

"OK, thanks Casey."

She turns to the two agents. "Ok boys, take me to your leader." And they all head out to the waiting crown vic out front.

10101010101010

She dons the usual protective gear. Gown, gloves, facemask and passed by the platoon of guards surrounding the makeshift ICU.

She had been briefed a little on the car ride. An agent of high classification was seriously hurt and someone they could not identify asked for her to come give a second opinion.

She pushed open the door to reveal a man in his late fifties laying on a hospital bed. The woman holding his hand next to him stood and took on a military demeanour as soon as she noticed Ellie.

"Dr. Woodcomb, thank you for coming on such short notice." General Beckman looked down at the patient "This is Roan Montgomery, a very old and deer and special friend of mine. And semi-retired NSA agent. He was on a mission that I cannot really give details on and someone slipped an unknown poison into his martini. He's been like this for two days."

Ellie went over and grabbed his chart from the bottom of the bed and started flipping through it. When she went through every single page, she sat down in one of two chairs in the room.

"General I am sorry, they ran every test and there is no sign of improvement. They are doing some experimental treatment that I assume since it is marked as classified I can't know about, so I am not sure why I am here."

The General gently placed Roan's hand on the bed and went over and sat next to Ellie

"Dr. Woodcomb, I don't know how to answer that either. Roan is special to me, and having gotten to know your bother when he was with us, he always had a way to think outside the box. When Col Casey mentioned that you were here I hoped that you might see something that the doctors here missed. There is nothing all that experimental going on, except a drug to increase the blood's ability to retain oxygen. It's approved in many countries, the US should have it passed next month."

Ellie shook her head "I'm sorry General, Nothing comes to mind. I'm sorry."

The General then got up and turned to Ellie "Would you care to join me for supper Dr. Woodcomb. I suspect you have not eaten and I could use come company."

They left the room and walked towards another room alongside. All the while the General issuing orders and agents and stall went running. Upon entering the room Monitors were set up showing Roan on his bed. This room had been converted into an office. There was an office conference table set up in the back.

The General pointed to a seat with a place setting and a prepared plate and indicated for Ellie to sit. "Col Casey told me you one of your favourite dishes is lemon chicken. I trust that will do."

Ellie sat and just nodded. She felt very uncomfortable and all the reports Chuck and Sarah gave of this woman, this was not quite what she expected.

"General I didn't get a chance to thank you for coming to my father memorial. I know it meant a lot to Chuck that you came."

The General nodded "You brother had to be the most annoying asset turned agent I have ever had working for me. However he was also the best. The agency misses his and Agents Walker and Caseys talents in the field. They were simply the best team I've ever had working for me. "

Ellie stared slack jawed at the revelation. "oh my..."

The General poured herself some wine "However if you every tell any of them that, I will have you charged under the official secrets act."

Ellie snapped her jaw shut. "Can I ask you some questions?"

Beckman actually looked slightly amused "At least one in your family knows how to be polite. Your father and brother loved to blurt out tons of questions and get annoyed at whatever answer I gave them."

Ellie smiled in spite of herself. She could so see Beckman's temperature rise at any conversation she had with Chuck. Still there is stuff she really wanted to know.

"General, I know my brother has a lot of potential, but is he really out. He lied to me for three years to protect me and it would make me feel better if I heard it straight from you. Is he out, really?"

"Yes, he gave it up for you. So did Agent Walker. Where he goes, she follows. Col Casey took leave as well, but I don't think he will be staying." The General filled Ellie's glass and topped hers again.

Ellie takes a sip of the very expensive wine, needing some courage before she contained."OK, next question, Chuck and Sarah always use to say that their relationship was complicated. They said that it was not allowed. But they obviously love each other. Was there no way before now that they could be together."

The General smiled "That was the highlight of my day sometimes. Oh the excuses they would come up with. Bryce Larkin told me that they were hopelessly compromised the first visit he made after they were a team. That was within months of them meeting. He wanted me to break them up. But the truth was, if they kept up the level of exceptional work they were doing, I would have paid for babysitting out of my own pocket. Despite what some of my superiors said, that team was the best around."

Ellie smiled at that. She knew that what she sensed was real the first time she saw the look they gave each other. But it felt good to hear it come from someone else.

"They so reminded me of Roan and myself. Except we could never place our jobs above ourselves. That is my one regret in life Ellie, I let the love of my life get away because I was too stupid to figure out what Chuck and Sarah realized. You can do both, and be the best."

Finally the General asked "You are going to ask about the wedding aren't you. I heard that neither Casey or Walker wanted to mention it, and that Chuck became tongue tied."

Ellie could not keep the surprise off her face. The General got up and motioned for Ellie to sit at the desk. Beckman brought up a file on the computer. "Here is the official report. It was some shoot out. 50,000 rounds of ammo shot.

Ellie spent the next few minutes reading the file when she jumped up "General, does Roan drink a lot?"

The General was looking at the screen and nodded "He loves his martini."

"Lerkrol that's why he is not waking up!" Ellie started pacing around the room "Never tell Chuck that the whole thing about working on something else thing and an answer will pop up. I keep telling him that it crap, but here I am reading the file on paratroopers at my first wedding attempt and Lerkrol came to mind. That 's the answer General, it's not the poison that's keeping him asleep, it the new drug. It has an effect on 1-1000, those with greatly impaired liver function, ween him off the drug and start whole blood transfusions. If we caught it in time we might be able to bring him around."

The next twelve hours were spent with Ellie changing IV bags and the General holding Roans hand.

Just before the 14th hour both ladies were asleep when they heard "Well hello beautiful, and you brought a friend?"

The General woke up instantly and a tear came to her eye. "Roan, you old fool. I thought I lost you this time."

Roan squeezed Diane's hand "I'm too pickled to let some poison get the best of me. Who's the lady sleeping next to you."

"That is the person who saved your life. Chuck Bartowski's sister. Dr. Ellie Woodcomb." The General didn't look at the sleeping doctor however.

"Charles and his family. Did I hear that he finally asked Walker to go out." Roan chucked.

"They will live happily ever after Roan, just like us, only a little more normal."

10101010

There you have it.

Please in the review wish Medic Gone Mad a Happy Birthday / grad.