A/N I already did the whole SWAT-team-at-the-bachelorette-party thing, so we'll just move on.

"I must say, you've looked better."

"Sarah's out there, Doc."

"I have no doubts about Agent Bartowski."

"Only men can be monsters."

Ellie and Chuck joined the rest of the team in Manoosh's old cave, the only room large enough for all of them to gather at once. Her desk had a communicator, but she wanted her brother to be with his friends gathered around him.

"Hey, Chuck," said Carina, and everyone else were just as matter-of-fact. Well, maybe not Manoosh, but the screen lit before he could say much.

"Good afternoon, team," said General Beckman. "This meeting will be short, just to bring everyone up to speed on the latest developments. First things first…Manoosh, you should have received some miniature electronics for study. They were found by Agent Rizzo, on the floor under the skylight in Rio."

Manoosh nodded and opened his mouth, but Chuck asked "Something Sarah dropped?" before he could say anything.

"We think so, Chuck. There were some crystalline fragments in the box as well. I've given them to a materials analysis team for study. Manoosh, you'll begin your examination after this meeting."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Moving on. Not long ago, I received a direct communication from Frost." She held up a hand against the resulting tumult. "The first thing she wanted to know was what was wrong with Agent Walker."

Chuck stood up. He couldn't help it. "Something's wrong with Sarah?"

"Sit down, Mr. Bartowski," commanded the General, and Chuck obeyed reluctantly. "Your theory on the flight to Brazil was clever, but it didn't go far enough. If the tracking nanos didn't make it into Sarah's bloodstream then neither did the liquid they were immersed in."

"The antitoxin."

Ellie jumped in. "General, were any trials conducted on the effectiveness of the antidote when absorbed through the skin?"

"Gather your team and conduct them, Doctor." That was a 'No'.

"That will take time, General."

"We have that time, Ellie. The second thing Frost said was to send her some of the antitoxin. Given the delicacy of her situation, it may be some time before we can make that happen."

"Can we trust her?" asked Carina.

"Yes," said Beckman, not looking at Casey.

"But why?" said Carina. "She's betrayed us three times already. She shot her own son, then kidnapped him, and then kidnapped his wife."

"She gave is the toxin and the guy who made it," said Casey. "She didn't shoot Chuck until after she'd touched his coat and verified that he was wearing a vest under it. As for Sarah, she took an opportunity to embed her in Volkoff's organization when Chuck was taken by the Belgian, a more plausible scenario than anything we could have whipped up ourselves. If you can think of a better way to focus Chuck's attention on Volkoff I'd like to know what it is."

"Then explain the panel to me," said Carina. "Why would she show Chuck that panel, cripple her own son, and help Volkoff escape when you had him on the ground?"

How many nights had he sat in his apartment, wondering the same thing? "I can't, but that doesn't mean there's no reason, just that I can't see it."

"But I think I can," said Ellie.

"Well, Frost, any word on or from Miss Walker?" asked Alexei, sounding mildly interested.

"Not a word, not a sound, not a peep," said Frost. "I've tried everything I can think of."

"How about a hatpin?" asked Vivian.

"Something like that, yes," said Frost. Only not so crass. "I sent her to lunch in the mess, and shifted the guards' schedule back an hour. And I told them why."

Volkoff winced. "You did put away the good china, I trust?"

"Paper plates only," she assured him. "Agent Walker was harassed, insulted, poked, prodded, hit, kicked, punched, stabbed, choked, and beaten. The only sound that came out of her was the sound of her breathing."

Vivian just had to know. "What did you do with the body?"

"I sent her to take a bath," said Frost. "The guards who were still conscious finished their lunch and did double duty for those who weren't." Frost looked thoughtful for a second. "On the plus side, they all seem to have decided to let bygones be bygones."

"She blinded a man!" said Vivian.

"The general consensus is that he stuck his hand in a meat grinder." Frost reconsidered her words. "Well, it is now." Back to Volkoff. "The downside, sir, is that none of the men will have anything to do with her at all, now."

"There's a pity," said Alexei.

"Get rid of her," said Vivian.

"Not just yet. If you're both done with her, I'll use her as my sparring partner," said Frost. "I haven't had a workout like the one she gave me on the plane in a long time, and I'm getting soft. I'll get rid of Sarah Walker when I'm strong enough to do it with my bare hands."

Volkoff chuckled and turned away. "As you will, Frost."

Back at the briefing…

Ellie's announcement took everyone by surprise.

"Ellie? You have new information?" asked Beckman, who wasn't really in favor of surprises, as a rule.

"No, General," said Ellie, "I just had a flash of my own."

"Is that what they look like?" asked Beckman.

"Absolutely not," said Carina, who'd seen one whole flash in her life and so was an expert. "They look more like this." Her face twisted and her eyes started fluttering, like a woman sneezing in mid-orgasm.

"Do that in private, Miller," snarled Casey. "You're scaring the children."

"Then let's see you do one," challenged the redhead.

Casey frowned at her and curled his lip in a silent sneer.

"I'm waiting."

"You want me to do it again?" said Casey.

"General?" asked Hannah softly.

Beckman just shook her head. A little stress-relief was in order.

"That wasn't a flash," said Manoosh with a sneer. "This is a flash." His face went slack and his eyelids fluttered.

"You're not flashing," said Carina, "You're just imagining me naked."

Chuck started bonking his head against the table.

"Agent Miller," said Beckman in a much-put-upon voice.

Chuck's head hit something softer than the table. Opening his eyes, he saw Ellie's hand. "Stop it," she said.

"That was so a flash," said Manoosh. "Chuck, back me up here, buddy."

Everyone's attention turned to Chuck. His face went slack and his eyelids fluttered.

Manoosh pointed triumphantly. "See?"

"I don't know," said Beckman, "His seemed like the phoniest of the lot."

"That was a flash, General," said Chuck in surprise.

"Are you sure?" asked Beckman. "It's not like you'd be able see one from the outside."

"No, General," said Chuck, "I meant…that was a flash."

Frost heard the sound of the music long before she got close enough to identify it. One of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Winter from the sound of it. How appropriate.

She opened the door without warning. Agent Walker sat in a chair by the window, reading. Possibly the first time in decades that any of those books had ever been opened.

Frost crossed the room to her guest/prisoner, reaching for the volume control even as she bent to speak into Sarah's ear. "The case is gone, did you give it to Chuck?" She turned down the volume as Sarah shook her head.

Lost. Found? Strayed? Well, nothing for it now. "You've quite worn out your welcome, Miss Walker," said Frost, for the benefit of whatever microphones might be listening. "Alexei was tolerably amused by you but I assure I am not. To me you are useful. The second either of those conditions changes, we will find a convenient war zone and drop you in it. Is that quite clear?"

Sarah nodded.

"Good," said Frost, wondering how long before it would occur to anyone to put in visual monitors. "Get dressed. We're going for a run, and I expect your best." Only your best.

Is that what they look like? "A real flash?"

"Yes, General," said Chuck, as Ellie made a hand signal. Manoosh got up.

Beckman noted the byplay but ignored it. "On what?"

"Um…nothing, General."

That was strange enough that Ellie was able to tell Manoosh to bring the scanner up and still get a word in edgewise. "How is that possible, Chuck? Dad said that the Intersect needs a seed to work with. How can you flash on nothing?"

"I don't know, sis, but…Have you ever had a sneeze that just sort of…tingled at the back of your nose but never came forward enough to actually sneeze?"

Casey suddenly pushed back from the table. "I swear, Bartowski, if you give me one of those…"

"It's not my plan, Casey," said Chuck. "I'm just saying that that's sort of like how I've been feeling, ever since Mom showed me that panel."

"Speaking of panels, Ellie, what was that theory of yours?"

"I'd tell you, General, but right now my theory is even more theoretical than usual." She stood up, seizing the initiative. "We need to get Chuck into the lab to see what this development means."

"Best be about it, then," said Beckman, with a flick of her fingers. "The rest of you, we have plans to make."

"Dammit," muttered Casey as he watched them go.

"You watch," said Hannah. "it'll be a month before we hear anything about this theory of hers."

"At least," amended the General.

Carina sighed. "Typical."

Chuck, being a gentleman, held the door open for his sister, and saw what was on her desk. "Wait a minute, Ellie, is that a Roarke Seven? How'd you get that?"

"Dad's car." Her brother gave her his patented blank stare. "Oh, that's right, you weren't there for that part." She laughed, music to his ears. "You remember Devon's dancing teddy bear?"

Talk about ancient history, that was back in…another life. "Yeah, sis, I remember." As usual, he was drawn toward the technology.

"Mom left you that photo album, which was full of pictures of me in Dad's old car. Long story short, we found the car in LA, well, Manoosh did."

Manoosh hit the jamb, breathless from his short run across the hall. "Somebody call my name?"

Ellie resolved to start him on an exercise program. "Just telling Chuck about the Roarke. Is the scanner ready?"

"Oh, yeah," said Manoosh, nodding, and remembering the glory of his triumph. "I found it while I was driving the car back. Took me three days to get it working."

"And he ran smack into one of Dad's arcane word puzzles as a password, and tried to answer it."

Manoosh drooped. "Come on."

Chuck recognized an Ellie-punishment when he saw one. He sat down, tracing his fingers lightly over the grooves cut into the case. "What was the puzzle?"

"'Knock, knock'," said Ellie.

The answer popped into Chuck's head faster than the question. "So it was intended for you." He lifted the lid. "What's on it?"

"Don't do–"

The screen flashed green light into his face.

"–that."

Chuck blinked, momentarily blinded by the light, but it passed. "What was that?"

"Dunno," said Manoosh. "But it happens every time we open it."

Ellie walked over to her desk, clipboard in hand. "Honestly, can't you boys ever keep your hands to yourselves?" She pushed the lid down again, and pointed at the low stool where she gathered her biometrics. "Sit. Manoosh, get me an ice cube for my stethoscope, please."

Chuck pulled his shirt tight around him as Manoosh left. "Come on, sis, what's so hush-hush? That looked like a brain scan."

"That was a–" She stopped talking, and got an evil glint in her eye. "You know what, I'm not going to tell you." She yelled toward the door, "Manoosh, forget the ice cube."

Chuck unbuttoned his shirt. "You're evil, you know that?"

Manoosh didn't come back, with or without an ice cube, having seen Chuck shirtless before and not being thrilled then either. Once she'd poked and prodded him to her satisfaction, Chuck walked into the Intersect room and found him there, checking the scanner readouts while listening to music. "What's this?" he asked, waving a hand in the air.

"The thing," said Manoosh mysteriously. "For the thing."

Oh yeah, the thing. Chuck listened for a bit. Nice. "Sounds good. And you kept at it without me? Thanks, man."

"Forget it, us nerds have to stick together," said Manoosh, shaking his head. "No thanks necessary. And besides, you just saved my ass in there, so we're even."

Chuck absently got into his chair as he considered Manoosh's puzzle. Like father, like son. And, like nerd. "You really were imagining Carina naked, weren't you?"

Manoosh hit the release and the chair tipped back. "Well, duh."

"Okay, Chuck, are you ready?" asked Ellie over the speakers of the weapon room.

Chuck moved and flexed, limbering up. "I'm fine, El, but I gotta tell you, Manoosh is starting to freak me out a little. Are you sure we can't get Casey or Carina for this part?"

"It'll be good for you, little brother," said Ellie, with Beckman's comments about baseball in the back of her mind. "Someday you'll be up against a scared kid in an alley, so you should know how to handle it. Manoosh?"

"Aah!" He flinched.

"Hey!"

"Chuck?"

"Told you he was jumpy."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, El," said Chuck, when Manoosh failed to respond. "But you should be glad the skills are reflexive again. And we'll need another knife, or a stepladder. You still want to do the katana test?" No answer. "Sis?"

"What?" She sounded distracted.

"Very sharp Japanese broadsword in the hands of a very jittery subordinate?"

"No. No, get back here."

Chuck cut short his Oh thank God with a "What's up, sis?" as Manoosh tried three times to put the blade back in its sheath.

"Dad's computer. It's beeping."

Frost and Sarah ran. The forest around Volkoff's compound had several trails, pounded flat by the passage of guards' feet at regular intervals. The ground barely noticed the passage of the two women, faster and lighter by far. Sarah should have had the advantage, but Frost knew the terrain and she was shorter, so the trees bothered her less. "Up ahead," she said, to the rhythm of her breathing, "We dive."

The main trail curved to the right but they didn't follow it. The ground, ahead rose but they didn't slow. At the crest they both leapt into space and dove into a pond, neither deep nor broad, but a good and sudden cool-down for the two agents. Frost immediately started swimming to the far side, with a surprisingly clumsy stroke that made lots of noise while keeping her head above the water. "You're not the cavalry I'd hoped for," she said, once she'd got her breath back, "But you're all I've got so you'll have to do."

Sarah couldn't respond in any way, given the circumstances, but Frost sensed the question that had to be at the top of her mind.

"I'm losing control of Alexei Volkoff."

Ellie sat at her desk, waiting, but not for long.

Chuck and Manoosh hit the jamb simultaneously, but Chuck was in much better shape. "You're going to open it?"

"Yes," said Ellie, glasses in hand. "Here."

They put on the protective lenses and watched as she lifted the lid to the sinister machine. Nothing flashed at her this time. The screen was almost completely black. Almost.

"What's that?" asked Manoosh. The two men moved forward for a better view.

"Another puzzle," said Ellie, standing up. "It says 'one or eleven'."

Chuck moved in as Ellie backed away. "Something tells me this one's meant for me."

"You know which one?" asked Manoosh.

Chuck shook his head. "It's not either one, it's both."

"Huh?"

Chuck looked up at his sister, for her permission, her support, or just because. Ellie smiled. "Aces, Charles. Just…aces."

Chuck typed in the phrase his father so often used. Ellie and Manoosh watched as light played across his face. Not a lot of light, not moving very fast, and the barrage ended far too quickly.

"Chuck, are you all right?" she asked, when Chuck didn't immediately react. "What kind of upload was that?"

Chuck looked up, not dazed, just confused. "It wasn't an upload at all, sis, just pictures," he said, reaching for the keyboard. "Somebody called Agent X."

A/N2 I had a sudden epiphany about the way this story should go. Chuck and Sarah will be getting back together much sooner than I originally thought. Not next chapter but next episode for sure.

Some small points are used here thanks to some of my fellow fanfic writers, in particular Aryas's Prayers, and willofthering. In 'Becoming' it is mentioned that Sarah, being alone for long periods of time as a younger girl, would turn to books for comfort and distraction, which seemed reasonable. I threw in the Vivaldi just because. In 'Chuck vs the End' Chuck is faced with a scared young man with a weapon in his hand.