Don't own Chuck

Chuck stood in the window of Orange, Orange looking out, watching Sarah put Sam in her car then drive off before he walking back into the freezer where he disappeared. Doris had witnessed this vanishing act before so she was used to it and didn't pay it any mind. Castle seemed so empty now that everyone was gone. But he didn't have time to think about the echoes right then he had lots of questions but very few answers and now was the time to get some. But first he made a call to Stanford for Doris then after talking with admissions and cutting a deal everything was set for her to start as early as this Term.

"Okay time for the piranha to do his thing," said Chuck as he uncorked a bottle of Rombauer he took out of the Castle minibar and began to work on his keyboard type strings and strings of code. Laughing inside as he cut through firewall after firewall like peeling away the rings of an onion until he was in NORAD, now he had to work quickly getting what he needed then getting out before the trap knew the mouse was eating the cheese.

"Here we go," Chuck said as he talked to himself, "release the trolling virus. There… got you!" He was out before the system knew to kicked him out but it was okay when their IT people searched the server they'd think someone in Peking had tried to hack their computer but the system safeguards had repelled the barbarous invader or that's what the program he wrote would simulate to the tech guy who was sent to investigate but he had the prize in hand on a USB drive. As he was about to look at his catch his phone rang, it was Sarah.

"Crap," he said when he checked his watch time flew by and now it was late. "Hi love I'm sorry I lost track of the time. I'm on my way home now … Yes, I know what time it is. I mean no I didn't before but I do now I just checked. I'm literally out the door right as we speak … Oh you want me to bring the Rombauer you left in the fridge here home," said Chuck as he looked over at the now empty bottle next to his work station. "Sure but there might be a little traffic at this time of day, so it might take me a little longer than normal to get home but I'm on my way I'll be right there."

Chuck grabbed the flash drive throwing it into his bag then grabbed the keys for a herder. He calculated the distance to the package store then home in his head and with luck he should still make home in decent time.

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It was late evening, Casey and the gang were on the road in his Crown Vic driving down the I5 towards Travis AFB to catch a flight to Ladd Army Airfield outside of Fairbanks. Alex was sitting up front with Casey while Morgan was in the back reading his Fodor's Guide to Alaska. Casey was still shaking his head as he drove at all the gear Morgan brought. Alex had to sit up front because with Morgan's bags there was not room. There was barely enough for himself.

"Christ Morgan did you happen to bring the kitchen sink too. Listen there's no way I'm going to let you drag all this crap along with us. When we get to Travis look at what you got, sort it out and come up with one bag."

"But Casey I need all this stuff for anything that might come up. You know you're supposed to wear layers so I brought enough to keep my core warm."

"I'll give your warm core all right. I'll use you like a match and strike it against the nearest wall. With that beard you'd make a good torch."

"Okay Emperor Nero, how long before we're at Travis anyway? Shouldn't we be there yet? How long have we been on the road? Jesus, Casey why are you driving so slowly, we could've already driven to Alaska by now."

"If you don't pipe down back there I'll push this little red button and we'll see how long before you go splat and get run over by a truck." Morgan's whining was like chalk on a blackboard for Casey and it was all he could do not to reach back and strangle him.

"Morgan, you just asked us ten minutes ago how long before we get to Travis so if you subtract ten you'll get your answer."

"I forgot the question, oh yeah how long before we get to Travis again?"

"Why you," grunted Casey as he reach for the red button but Alex stopped him.

"Dad no, he's only nervous about flying," said Alex as she turned around to Morgan. "So what did you find out about Alaska in that book?"

But before Morgan could answer Casey pulled a dart pen he hand in his shirt pocket and shot Morgan while looking at him in the rearview mirror.

"Dad! No! We can't keep this up every time we fly. He'll get brain damage or something" said Alex as Morgan dropped over fast asleep and I wasn't long before he started snoring.

"You have to have one first, besides all other options involved lethal force. Diamond in the rough," grunted Casey as he glanced back at Morgan to make sure he wasn't drowning on his own droll. "Well maybe he'll come in handy."

"I know he will Dad, you just have to give him a chance," said Alex as she reached over the seat to pick up Morgan's travel book on Alaska.

"Yeah I saw on Animal Planet a way to hunt bear. They staked a goat next to a tree and hid up above when the bear came out they got it but as I remember it got the goat first."

"Dad really," said Alex as she was thumbing through the book. "You're not going to stake Morgan out. Besides, I know you're just kidding."

"But you have to admit the resemblance to the goat is there," said Casey as he smiled glancing over at her. "You've come a long ways in a short time. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Dad I appreciate it but I just wish Chuck and Sarah were here too to complete the team. I didn't like leaving them behind and I don't think they did either."

"They'll get over it. A spy has to be able to adapt to whatever is thrown their way, manipulating their environment to their needs. A spy has to be able to operate on their own, independent of a team, an army of one-" said Casey as Morgan interrupted.

"A team of two, army of one, highway to the danger zone, live free or die hard," Morgan muttered from his drug induced coma.

"Even asleep he's a pain," said Casey as the turned off I5 following the signs to Travis AFB and the C130 that was waiting to fly them North to Alaska the rush was on.

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Chuck pulled in across from Echo Park and made his way through the courtyard. As he approached his front door he heard voices from inside. He recognized Sarah's but she was talking to another woman. The voice was familiar and he knew he knew who she was but for a moment he just couldn't place it then he opened the door.

"Hi honey, I'm home," said Chuck as he walked in and there sitting in his living room across from Sarah was Doris from Orange, Orange. "I'm sorry I'm late but I got held up. Hey, Doris funny seeing you here."

"That's why I wanted you to come home Sweetie," said Sarah as she took the wine from him. He caught the look when she realized it was warm. "Held up, yeah in a Piranha attack."

"Something like that," said Chuck as Sam came up to him with her arms held up wanting to be picked up. He sat his bag down then picked her up checking her forehead for a fever. "How's Sam doing?"

"I used the ointments Dr. May gave us and she seems to be doing much better. She's just being a little clingy but that's because she's not feeling well. I'm sorry Doris if we're ignoring you but Sam wasn't feeling well this morning. Would you like some Chardonnay? I'm afraid it's warm," said Sarah as she looked at Chuck, "but we've got ice?"

"Thanks yes please," said Doris so Sarah opened the bottle as Chuck got the gasses ready. "So I've been thinking about your offer and I have to admit I'm interested. But are you sure you want me?"

"We want you for what?" said Chuck as he handed Doris her glass looking back at Sarah who walked over and sat down. "I'm sorry I think I walked in the middle of a conversation?"

"Well remember you were telling me I was dragging my feet on finding a sitter. Here you go; I've found her that is if Doris accepts the job."

"Wait a minute I don't think we should jump into this so hastily. I'm sorry this is coming out wrong," said Chuck as both Sarah and Doris were giving him the evil eye. "Boy did someone just turn up the temperature in here. Doris what happened to your plans to go off to Stanford to study? How can you babysit for us when you're off at Stanford? The new term starts in a couple of weeks."

"I can't afford it now and that's why I need the work to save up to go to university. You graduated from Stanford you know how expensive it is."

"Yes I did and I know exactly what you're talking about. It wasn't easy back then and I had to drop out then go back to finish up. But say you got a call tomorrow from Student Admissions and they told you money had been found in the form of a scholarship, what would you say? Would you accept it or turn it down?" But Doris never got a chance to answer.

As they were talking Sam climbed down and went over to Chuck's bag. She put Mr. Rabbit inside but as she did she noticed the flash drive Chuck had tossed in. No one noticed her as she took it out and examined it first turning it around in her little hands. Later Sarah would rationalize that Sam had seen them but drives in the hub next to the monitor to transfer data or just to list to MP3s while working. Chuck was in fact in the middle of putting some of his 'wicked' vinyl collection on their mobile devices so he could educate her on the finer points of contemporary and classical rock slash soul music. Chuck was the first to notice Sam with his pen drive.

"No Sam don't," said Chuck as he dove to stop her. Both Sarah and Doris looked at Chuck wondering what he was doing not knowing what was going on but Chuck was too late.

"Wow that's great, such detail, I wanted to major in astrophysics," said Doris. "This looks so lifelike." There was a rotating a terrestrial globe and orbiting around it were spy satellites labelled according to their country of origin. "But these orbiting dots I don't recognize them they seem to be geostationary bodies of some type."

"Crap Chuck, Doris I'm sorry," said Sarah. Doris was so interested in the globe and the dots she failed to read the header NORAD Top Secret (TOP SECRET/SI-GAMMA 1234-MANSION/TALENT KEYHOLE-LANTERN/NOFORN). Sarah had no choice but to dart her with a twilight dart.

"Jesus Sarah," said Chuck as he quickly grabbed her wine glass before she spilt it one herself. "You should've at least let her put her wine down first."

"Why? What were you thinking," said Sarah talking about the file but Chuck was still talking about the wine.

"Think about it, she wakes up tomorrow can't remember the last twenty four hours and smells like wine. What do you think she's going to think happened?"

"What? No, oh I could give her something of mine to put on. That's not what I'm talking about it-" But Chuck cut her off before she could finish.

"That's going to make a pretty picture, now she wakes up, can't remember and is in another woman's clothes." Sam was rolling on the ground giggling; she thought the whole, 'now she's awake now she's asleep', was hilarious. She even got up and tried to put a pillow under Doris' head to make her more comfortable but Doris' head was heavier then she thought so she laid down on the floor and put her head on it and went to sleep with Mr. Rabbit under arm.

"No I'm not talking about Doris I'm talking about hacking into NORAD that's where the bottle of Rombauer went, didn't it and don't lie, remember the pact. Beckman is going to have a cow when she finds out."

"Okay you're right I did hack into NORAD but I was careful and there is no way she can trace this back to me. I was careful but when you called I came, I thought it was important. I'm sorry that came out wrong. Of course it was important."

"Yes it was important I finally had a babysitter lined up but you got her tuition at Stanford and now she's gone. Like this I'm never going to get out of here." Sarah wish she'd never said that the look on Chuck's face cut her like a knife. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that."

"Let me get Sam to bed she's tired then I'll take care of Doris. I think I'll go to bed when I get back it's been a long day."

"Don't you want to eat something? I ended up getting Sizzling Shrimp. You were right about my culinary abilities and maybe we can talk," said Sarah as Chuck got up and pulled out the flash drive and pocketed it.

"Suddenly I'm not hungry but if you want to eat go ahead don't wait for me," said Chuck as he disappeared in the back with Sam dangling from his arms.

"If you want I can take care of her so you can go ahead and take care of Doris," said Sarah standing in the doorway of Sam's room trying to make amends.

"No, no I've got this but if you want, can you check to see where she lives and see if you can find her house keys in purse. Christ I think she told me still lives with her parents. You're going to have to call Kathleen and get her over here to watch Sam then we're both going to have to take Doris home.

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The Antonov came down out of nowhere landing on the glacier. The roar of its engines sent moose and caribou running and the wolves stopped at least for a little while their lonesome howling. Ground lights came on as soon as they stopped rolling and the snow cat rolled off the back. Men worked hard and fast to establish a base camp while others lined a runway with flares so the beast of a plane could take off again heading for Fairbanks.

"Antonov AN-12, this is tower control over. I repeat Antonov AN-12, this is tower control over, do you copy?"

"This is Antonov AN-12 tower control we copy you loud and clear. Is there a problem," said the pilot as he looked over at the Captain who nodded back.

"We were worried about you. For a moment it looked like you dropped out of the sky. Is everything alright onboard?"

"Everything's fine my employer wanted to impress a friend so he asked me to buzz a herd of caribou in the park. I know it's not legal but I need the extra cash, mouths to feed and mortgage to pay. You know the whole bit tower control."

"Roger that I hear you. This time I'll look the other way as long as I don't get yelled at by the rangers but I think I can handle them but the first round is on your boss."

"I'll do better," said the Captain, "I'll send over a whole bottle and I've got some Russian caviar on board too not the cheap kind either. I'll send some your way. How's that tower control."

"In that case Antonov AN-12 we never had this conversation. Hold steady on course and I'll be giving you your runway assignment soon. Tower control over and out."

"Thanks Ivan," said the Captain. "I knew you were the man for this job. I don't know if anyone else could've pulled this off."

"Thanks Captain, now you're just going to make me blush," said Ivan but it was true. He learned to fly in the Russian Air Force flying supplies into Afghanistan then in Chechenia before breaking out on his own. He had flown into almost every hell hole in the world and gotten out, his planes didn't fare as well though, a few bullet holes here and there. He'd also dodged a few North Korean scuds flying blood diamonds out of Africa and a few of his own country's scuds flying in and out of Central America.

"Hey Ivan I meant to ask you what's that thing you have hanging around your neck? Is it some sort of religious medallion for good luck?"

"You could say that, this is a piece of shrapnel they dug out of me after my plane was hit while I was flying over Costa Gravas. I was paid by an American group to get this man out, a major in the Marines I found out later. Any way he was my pax but as we were clearing the forest taking off I got hit the next thing I knew I was bleeding like a pig and the plane an American C-130 was in a dive. I thought sure I'd bought the farm but instead I woke up in a field hospital. That crazy major slapped a tourniquet on my leg using his teeth and pulled the plane up landing us at a US military base. This piece of metal around my neck is what they dug out of me."

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Casey pulled into Travis and was escorted over to an isolated hangar were a company Leer Jet was parked inside. He had learned a long time ago not to ask too many questions but the upgrade meant they needed them to hurry up. Two airmen off loaded Morgan from Casey's Crown Vic and deposited him on the Leer as Alex saw to their bags. The only problem was there wasn't enough room for all of Morgan's so Casey grabbed one and threw it in the cargo hold.

"Dad but what if he needs something from the rest. We should at least look through them to see what he brought."

"That's one mystery I'll leave left unsolved," said Casey as an Air Force Colonel came in the hangar looking for him. "I think you're looking for me Colonel."

"Colonel Casey I was sent this and told to tell you to wait until you were in the air to read it. It's from a General Beckman, I believe you work for her?"

"She likes to think that at least," said Casey as the two men laughed.

"I know exactly what you mean. Well I hope you like the bird, I had her gassed up and you'll be ready to go as soon as I can track down a pilot for you."

"You're looking at him. I can fly this thing with both hands tied behind me and blind folded just I prefer not to."

"I've flown a few sorties in my day too and if you tell me you're qualified that's good enough for me. I'll call tower control and get you your authorization. Go ahead and board you'll be wheels up in no time."

"Thanks I appreciate it," said John as he was about to turn back to Alex.

"Oh as a by the way, I check the weather in Fairbanks and vicinity. They're expecting bad weather to come in from Siberia. You should get in just in time but you might get socked in for a few days afterwards so I'd bring a deck of cards along."

In an hour Casey and Alex were flying up the coast of western seaboard on their way into Canadian air space before returning to US. Casey turned the controls over to Alex so he could open the mysterious envelope and pulled out the folder inside. Alex looked over at him as he read down the pages before flipping to the next then set the whole thing aside.

"Okay what gives," asked Alex. "What was in the folder that we had to wait until we were in the air to read?"

"Well, what I can tell you is it looks like we're not the only people looking for this thing. There has been some chatter on the darknet about mercs being recruited for a mission to retrieve a lost data package for top dollar. I think I've got a way in for us but I need Chuck. I'll also need for you and Morgan to be flexible and play along."

"This doesn't sound too much by the book," said Alex as she heard Morgan moving around in the back.

"Sometimes you need to re-write the book."