Don't own Chuck

Chuck and Sarah drove to the Waldron in his Aston Martin. Chuck walked round and opened Sarah's door then offered her his arm to help her out. He was dressed in his Tux with bow tie. Sarah joked with him that men had it easy for evening attire but as Chuck pointed out women have more options and the one she chose was a killer. She wore a long blue dress with a sequin sash and deep V in both front as well as in the back that showed enough to make Chuck the envy of every man and their wives jealous. Arm in arm Chuck and Sarah walked into the foyer where a number of hotel guests were milling around.

"Do you think it looks bad that we don't have any luggage," said Chuck as he noticed other guests standing at the reception desk.

"I guess people could be thinking that we are having an affair, a moonlight tryst at the Waldron."

"I'd like that as long as the affair was with you," he said as he took her hands in his and kissed them.

"Why Mr. Bartowski, what kind of girl do you think I'm?"

"I don't know but I'd like to find out," he said as he kissed her.

"Let's go to the bar and have a drink first that way we can let the crowd at reception thin out and we can talk."

"If you want I can check us in while you wait at the bar that is if there isn't something you want to talk about that's urgent." Chuck said then he searched her eye. "Is there something you want to talk about? Of course there is."

"It's nothing major, well you could see it that way but really I don't see it as being anything big but we do need to talk about it."

Chuck held Sarah by the hand and led her into the bar. Inside was dark, soft music was being played in the background as they took a seat in a corner booth and as they sat down Chuck leaned over and kissed Sarah but before he could speak a cocktail waitress appeared.

"Sorry, I can come back," said the embarrassed waitress.

"No," said Sarah, "you can take our order I'm just not sure what I want. What do you want, Sweetie?"

"I'll have a Campari Soda with a twist of blood orange if you have it."

"That sounds good I'll take one too." Chuck and Sarah waited until the waitress left before starting.

"So what do you want to talk about? I know I kind of overreacted in Castle about the defusing thing and I'm sorry. You're every bit as capable as I am. I don't want you to think that I believe my intersect is better than yours when it's not or just because I've lived with it longer that I've let it go to my head."

"No, I understand and you're right. You resolved a very bad situation with a possible disastrous ending where the other two couldn't and that's probably because you have good intuition and insight not just because of the computer in your head. No that's not what I want to talk about. It's just well I thought I picked up on something between the lines, something that you and Beckman pussy footed around. Did something else happen in Russia that we don't know about?"

"You can't tell Casey this or he'll go through the ceiling but Anatoly asked me to stay in Russia."

"What do you mean stay? To defect?"

"Yes, he offered me my own directorate if I rode the sub back."

"Chuck!"

"I didn't even consider it. I couldn't. First I'm not a traitor and second I love you too much. Defecting when I have you and Sam waiting for me wasn't even an option even if he told me what I'd be facing when I returned."

"You knew before I called you! Why didn't you call me? I would've-"

"You would've what? Stormed Supermax like you guys were planning to do? And Sam what would've happened to her? Best case scenario we all would have to hide out for the rest of our lives, fugitives from the law."

"Sweetie, that was my childhood."

"I know and how much did you like it? Then there's a worst case, which would have been you all getting killed or arrested. Then what would've happened to Sam, social services? No, calling you and ruining both your worlds wasn't an option either. I couldn't cause you suffering. I couldn't do it even if it meant that I had to suffer the humiliation of being arrested. If they sent me to Supermax at least I would've known you two were safe."

"And what about out deal no lies, no secrets, wasn't this a secret?"

"In all honesty I wasn't thinking about our promise then I was thinking about what would cause you the least about of pain."

"This congressman? What did you do?"

"You mean the one on the CIA oversight commission."

"Oh, crap that's why Beckman's in charge now."

"Well yes, but I really didn't mean to get the Director fired although he deserved it. What comes to mind when I say black flag?"

"Enemy ships that use flags from friendly countries to infiltrate battle lines or escape capture." Chuck went on to explain what he was able to do with the two hacks through the on board Wi-Fi of the Congressman's jet.

"The first hack took us off the congressman's radar the second was the most difficult because it required us to remain relatively close for an extended period of time." Chuck explained using his hands to illustrate the position of the two jets. "I changed the transponder interrogation mode on his jet to match my signal then I turned mine off and by hanging under and behind our two blips on ground radar became one. Even if time to time we came out of his shadow the radar operator would've read it as an echo."

"I can see why Beckman wants this in a report for Air Force brass to read. If the Director was relieved I don't think this congressman take took kindly the incident."

"Especially being force down at a black ops site he didn't know anything about. But I had to do something after hearing your voice. I knew you were suffering and in pain. I never want to make you cry and to hear you like that, well something had to be done," Chuck said as he took Sarah's hand but she pulled away.

"How could you tell me to do nothing? You knew I couldn't but you wanted me to promise. Sweetie, as much as you knew you had to do something so did I."

"But you had Sam to think about."

"You can't keep doing that to me. You can't keep waving our daughter in front of me as if I'm supposed to suddenly calm down and be rational. I simply can't I'm not wired like that. Sweetie, your mother might have done that to your father, to get him to look out after Ellie and you but look how that turned out."

"You're right and I'm sorry even if sorry is such a cheap band aid. I'm going to kiss you now."

"I love you."

"And I love you."

"So shut up and kiss me." They were kissing when both their phones rang.

"It's Mary," said Chuck looking at the name on the display.

"I've got Emma." They looked at each other then answered.

"Hi, Mom, Sarah's here with me but she's on her phone with Emma. What!" Chuck looked over at Sarah and judging from her face she had just received the same information. "We'll be right there. Don't worry we're on our way," Chuck said as he hung up. He grabbed his wallet and threw money on the table. "We need to go right now."

"Emma told me they're at the ER at Westside Medical."

"Mary told me the same," Chuck said as they made their way back through the hotel lobby. "No, no, not now," said Chuck as he braced himself against a column.

"Chuck, are you flashing," asked Sarah as she looked around then she started flashing too. 'Pierre Melville, French radical turned terrorist flashed in front of her with a mug shot along with several dossiers, Brise de Mer, Unione Corse, FLNC along with an alphabet soup list of other terrorist organizations leading up to Front De Liberération du Québec (FLQ) wanted for bombings kidnappings and murder by The Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Direction Géneréale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) the French Secret Service.'

Sarah reached for the Smith and Wesson in her bag but Chuck stopped her hand. He too was feeling the room spin but he knew he had control it to stop her. So he propped himself up with his back to the wall like this he could use both his arms. Then with one hand he kept her from pulling out her weapon then with the other he circled behind her waist and pulled her into him tight so he could kiss her until the flash passed.

Acting like he was clearing his throat the hotel manager came up behind them. "Excuse me," he said.

"Yes, is there something wrong?" asked Chuck realizing what was about to happen.

"If you don't mind this is a family hotel. If you wish to continue you may wish to retire to your room."

"Come Love," said Chuck as he led Sarah out by the hand, "we're disrupting the peace." Peace, thought Chuck and the more he thought about what the manager had said the angrier he got. "What nerve," said Chuck as he tossed his keys to Sarah. "It was just one little kiss. Okay so I, we got a little carried away but telling us to calm down is like the pot calling the kettle black in a hotel known for hosting trysts and affairs. I ought to give that guy a piece of my mind."

"Sweetie, I love your chivalry but the others don't make out in the lobby," said Sarah. "I wonder why Pierre Melville was there."

"Making out, it sounds like we're back in high school not that I did any real making out and poor Morgan was even worse off," said Chuck. "Oh right Melville, I wonder why he's not in prison but we won't get any answer to that until after we get done with the hospital. Did Emma tell you how and what she put in her mouth?"

"No just that she choked on something and they ran her to the ER."

"That's what Mary told me too."

They raced across town then back on the loop before taking their exit and pulling up in the hospital parking lot. It was dark as they cross to the ER, flashing blue lights were a dead giveaway if not for the large sign outside Hospital Emergency Room in red and white. Walking up the doors opened automatically. They were hit by a cold blast from air conditioning way too high and the smell of medicine.

"Here take my jacket," said Chuck seeing Sarah shiver.

"Thanks but won't you be cold?"

"Don't worry about me just take it. There they are," said Chuck as they cross the room to where Emma, Molly and Mary sat with Sam.

Aren't you two a little over dressed for here," said a nurse before they could ask anything. "The doctor wants to talk to you two."

"Is Sam, I mean our baby okay," asked Chuck.

"The doctor will explain all that to you, please follow me."

Chuck and Sarah looked at Emma and Mary who just shrugged their shoulders and looked as puzzled as they did. They walked back, passed a group of gurneys and stretchers to a small room in the back that was the duty doctor's office. The nurse knocked on the door then stuck her head in.

"Doctor McCoy the Bartowskis are here to see you."

"Thank you have them come in and can you bring me some of those brochures I'll need one with them," he said.

"The doctor will see you," the nurse said. Chuck wanted to say he heard but Sarah gave him a look that said keep quiet.

"Evening, Doctor McCoy, I'm the doctor on call tonight," he said looking them up and down. Chuck could feel them being scrutinized.

"You're Ellie's brother, aren't you?"

"Yes, you know my sister?""

"We interned together and she's the only reason I didn't turn this over to social services."

"What! What are you talking about?" said Sarah as the gloves came off.

"How can you allow a seven month old to crawl around where you have things like this floating around," said the Doctor as he held out a micro SD Flash drive. "I understand from your mother that you work with computers. You realize how easy it is for a baby to grab something they're not supposed to and shove it in their mouth. The nurse will give you a brochure on how to child proof your house. I'm not accusing you of neglect," he said as he looked them over again in their evening attire. "But going out and having fun now that you have a child needs to be cut back."

Chuck saw Sarah futzing around with her bag and wondered if the good doctor was about to get a bullet in the head so he reached over and placed his hand on top of hers on the bag.

"Well, if you know my sister then you know me and this was just some sort of accident. We left our daughter with her two grandmothers but I can assure you we also have an au pair that is exceptional just that this evening she had the night off and we had a dinner engagement. Looking back now it would've been better if we had cancelled but you can understand the necessities of work. I can assure you in the future we'll make different arrangements."

"Good that's what I wanted to hear," said the doctor as the nurse brought in the pamphlets giving them a copy.

"Doctor McCoy, can I have that drive. You know it could be something important for work."

"Sure, here you go," said the doctor as he handed him the phlegm covered drive in his hand. Chuck transferred it into a handkerchief then put it in his pocket

"Thanks again," said Chuck as he offered the doctor his goo covered palm.

"You're welcome but I'll wait until you wash that hand," said McCoy as they all laughed. "Remember I don't want to see Sam in here again for something like this. Let's wait for soccer practice or little league."

"Come on," said Sarah, "I want to know what happened." Chuck wanted to slow Sarah up but she went straight to the grandmas.

"I know that look and before you start it wasn't anyone's fault," said Mary. "The four of us were playing together in the middle of the floor. Molly and Sam were playing with their Matushka dolls and then Sam started to gag."

"That's right," said Emma, "then I panicked and we all came here to the Emergency Room. Then Nurse Ratchet lit into us accusing us of neglect. Can you believe the nerve of her?"

"Who told her that I worked on computers?"

"It was on the form we had to fill out when we brought Sam in, why?"

"The doctor found this in Sam's throat," said Chuck as he showed them the micro SD drive."

"Where did that come from," asked Mary.

"I never saw it before," said Emma. Sarah noticed Molly was silent and kept looking down at her feet shifting back and forth like she was nervous.

"Molly dear do you know something," asked Sarah gently. Molly began to cry uncontrollably. "Shush," said Sarah as she took her up. Chuck came close and laid he hand on Molly's head and stroked it.

"Molly dear you can tell us, its okay," said Chuck. Slowly Molly spoke through her tears.

"I'm sorry it's all my fault. We were playing on the floor then I noticed that in the last doll that Sam had was something taped inside. I pulled the tape loose and she grabbed it then before I could stop her she put it in her mouth. It's my fault."

"No, it's not," said Sarah as she hugged Molly tight. "You couldn't have known that Sam was going to grab it and put it in her mouth. One of us should've looked inside before she started playing with it to make sure there was nothing she could swallow. So Miss get that idea out of your head, alright? You're still Sam's aunt and we've got a job this week. Chuck is going to buy some child safety latches and we're going to Sam proof our apartment together, okay?" Molly nodded her head on Sarah's now wet shoulder.

"Hey, is everyone oaky," asked Casey as he came running in. "I pinged your phones and saw everyone was at the hospital."

"Just a little scare that's all," said Chuck. "How did you all get here?"

"We took a taxi."

"Why didn't one of you come over and get me," asked Casey.

"I guess we panicked," said Mary. "What can I say when it's your own it's different than a stranger."

"I'll give everyone a ride home," said Casey. "You've got that two-seater. I saw it out in the parking lot."

"Thanks Casey," said Chuck. Sarah, Casey can I talk with you two for a second. Sorry Molly but can I borrow your sister?"

"Only because it's you," she said. Chuck kissed her on the forehead. He was happy to see her smile again.

"Casey, Sam swallowed this. I'll explain later," said Chuck as she showed him the micro SD drive. "The problem is this wasn't inside that Matuska doll when I bought it. I had the shop assistant open them all the way for us before I bought them and the only time they were out of my sight was when I was with Anatoly."

"Sweetie, what are you saying? Anatoly put that inside the doll for you?"

"It makes sense. This could be the same information that Stefan gave Beckman or it could be additional information that the SVR didn't want to give out. Either way we won't know until I can get this back to Castle and see if it needs to be decrypted."

"A bit of other information we saw Pierre Melville tonight at the Waldron."

"Let's do this," said Casey. "I'll run the ladies back to Echo Park. You and Chuck go to Castle then after I drop them off I'll come to Castle then you and I can go pick up Melville for a little chat while Chuck deciphers the drive."

"I don't know if I like this plan," said Chuck. "It's not much better than stay in the car."

"Chuck," said Casey smiling as he smacked him on the cheek, "is stay in hole better?"

"Don't worry Sweetie," said Sarah as she kissed him.

"Yuck, is there a doctor in the house I think I'm going to be sick."