A/N Sorry about the wait on this one guys. It's been a while, this was started after the end of Season One, so I guess you could say this is almost AU now. :)


The casket was empty. A picture of Chuck hung behind it, his goofy smile contrasting the mood of everyone in the graveyard. Casey grunted as he shifted forward, the line moving on. Everyone had brought an item, or a note to leave in the casket, since Chuck's body hadn't been found. In Casey's hand was a picture of the two of them, a picture that fool Morgan had snapped without his knowledge. It wasn't much, but it was all he had, and it meant something to him. That was part of the reason why he had to get rid of it.

Looking forward, he saw Morgan placing a whole gaming system into the casket; Casey was pretty sure it was one of those Game Boxes, or whatever it was they were called. The little man was broken, tears freely flowing down his cheeks. Ellie, who was standing beside the casket the entire time, wrapped Morgan in a hug. She wasn't crying. Casey thought she was beyond tears at this point.

The Major heard a noise behind him and he turned around. It was Walker. It had been months since he had seen her. She didn't look good. Her eyes were red and dead. She carried an folded up piece of paper with her that she was gripping, knuckles white with pressure. He nodded at her but she stared through him, at the picture of Chuck.

It was their turn to visit the casket. Casey placed the picture in it gently, trying really hard not to think about the man who was in it with him. Tears were falling from Walker's eyes and for once Casey didn't have the heart to reprimand her. Ellie and her hugged, and Walker gripped the side of the casket for support. She slowly put the letter she had written in the casket.

"I love you," he heard her whisper. After that, she quickly turned around and walked away. Casey, after a quick hug from Ellie, followed. He couldn't stay here any longer.

Casey walked Walker to her car. He wanted to say something to her, but not being a man of many words to begin with, it was hard. He hoped this would be closure enough for her, but how could it be, when it wasn't for him? The mission felt incomplete, and Major John Casey always finished the job. She turned around to look at him, blue eyes piercing his, when both of their phones suddenly went off. Casey pulled his out of his pocket. It was Beckman. And from the look on Walker's face, she had gotten the same text. It looked like it wouldn't be a quick trip to Los Angles after all.


Chuck didn't like the motion. He wasn't used to it. He missed his friends, the lights. He even missed the tile the made fun of him all the time. He wanted to go back. But the man who said he was his father wouldn't let him. His father was talking again. Chuck had been blocking it out. This guy wasn't nearly as interesting as his old friends in the white room. What was he saying?

"... so that's why I need your help, son." He was sitting facing Chuck in the back of the van. "I can't activate the bombs without you. Do you understand?"

Chuck had stopped listening after the word activate. He wondered why he felt so empty. He hated it.

All of a sudden, Chuck was thrown sideways in the van as he heard a loud crash. The entire van was thrust to the right, rolling over, debris from the car that had slammed into the side of it flying, dangerous metal piercing the seat around where Chuck had been sitting. Chuck grimaced, tears forming in his eyes. His arms was in a lot of pain. He was pretty sure it was broken.

Looking around, the man who said he was his father was no where to be seen. Chuck just wanted to get out of this scary place, and a burst of light coming from where the driver's side of the van had been gave him hope. He crawled over to it, metal ripping through his skin and clothes, giving him little cuts he ignored. Arms in front of him, he wriggled his way out of the death trap, and felt water on his face. Looking up in the sky, avoiding all the buildings around him, ignoring his father's unconscious body on the side of the street, he started laughing. It was raining, and it was wonderful. He took off running down the street, with all the cares of a three year old child.

People stared at him as he passed, a grown man in a hospital type gown, cut to shreds. He didn't care. He passed shops with TV's in the windows, and in one, there was an advertisment for an Xbox game. Xbox. That word was familar to him. Why though? Chuck continued to walk, seeing a serviceman in uniform walk by him. Call of Duty sprang into his mind. Morgan. Chuck shook his head, trying to clear up all the images that were rushing into it. Eyes closed, he ran into someone.

"Sorry," he muttered, opening his eyes, and then staring in shock.

"No problem," said the woman he had run into. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Chuck's chest was tight; he felt like he couldn't breathe. The word Sarah shot into his mind, along with an image of her. He flashed without the Intersect.

"Sarah." Saying it out loud made it real, somehow. He still wasn't sure what Sarah was, but the way his heart felt when he said it made him... odd. Sarah was better than his favorite light back in the white room!

Chuck sat down on the curb, thinking. Intersect. Ellie. There was another good word. Suddenly, he became aware of someone standing over him. It wasn't the blonde woman from before, nor the man who had said he was his father. It was an older man with gray hair.

"Hello," Chuck said. "Who are you?"

The old man smiled. "I'm glad I managed to track you down after that car crash, Charles Bartowski. I was afraid you were dead, or lost. My name is Alexei Volkhoff, and I am here to help you."

Chuck didn't hear anything after the word Bartowski. He stood up, rain dripping from his long hair into his eyes, smile on his face. He held his arms in the air and yelled "My name is Chuck Bartowski! I am Chuck Bartowski!"