A/N – Thanks for reading and I do hope you're enjoying the story. I'm finally back to a regular writing schedule so I hope to get the last 2 chapters out within the month and then it should be done. Ch 11 is almost done on my end and Ch 12 will be a long one but it should wrpa everythnig up. Thanks to DLK and enjoy!

The End in Itself

Chuck vs. The Choice

Silverlake, Los Angeles, 23rdJune 2010

Sarah can feels the tears that threaten to fall each time she looks at her daughter, currently asleep in Chuck's arms. And each time, she bites down on her inner cheek or her tongue, to the point of drawing blood. The pain, once again, allows her to focus on what needs to be done and not on the loss she will have to endure.

The house is beautiful, wide arches and clean lines and just perfect for a growing family. She just wishes that the family in question was her own. She hears Ellie and Devon talking in the back and wonders what they really think of her and the offer they have made. She does not care if Ellie thinks she is irresponsible and foolish for doing this but she cannot bear that they would likewise think ill of Chuck.

Devon had been welcoming from the start, understanding the strain the both of them were under and even throughout her pregnancy, he had always called to check up on her and had tried to broach the subject of what would happen after the birth, only she would incessantly change the subject. She was always hoping that by some miracle, she and Chuck would be free by then. Only the milestone had arrived and Chuck is even more entrenched in Lefevre's organization.

She feels torn between staying with her daughter and supporting her husband, knowing that he wants her to stay in California. She's read Alex's transcripts and knows that every time Lefevre has threatened Chuck, it has been in the context of hurting her. He's never told her or shared his fears even though she can see it reflected in his eyes. It's the only thing that gives her the impetus to make this choice.

Chuck loves the weight of Lisa in his arms, innately appreciating the comfort she brings him while knowing that it is fleeting. He looks over at Sarah and wishes he could make it better for her. She's already given up so much for him, her chance for promotion, doing the job she loved and was damn good at and now Lisa. He knows how strong she is and even now, she had not cried. However, he can tell that even she would have a breaking point and prays that this is not it.

He goes to sit next to her, their arms touching as he leans back into the sofa. "Maybe there's another way." His voice is soft and loving and she closes her eyes, not wanting to add to her pain by looking at her daughter. She knows he is trying to help but it does not lessen her guilt or pain. When she speaks, she's surprised that her tone is measured and calm and at complete odds with her emotions.

"We've gone though every plausible contingency. Lefevre trust you up to a point and his bio shows that he only makes his decisions if he knows the other party has more to lose. He thinks you will do whatever he says as long as I am there for him to threaten." She finally looks at him, her breath catching in her throat as she notes his expression: love, guilt and strength all mixed together and all directed solely at her.

"We have to finish this assignment and we have to make sure Lisa is protected. Casey is going to oversee their safety. Ellie, Devon and Lisa. They'll be safe and it's our only choice." The measured tone of her voice does not modulate and he finally realizes that she holding everything in, not wanting to let go because he's pretty sure that she's afraid that if she does, she'll never stop.

He places his hand on hers as he sees Ellie walk in with Devon. He tries to smile and fails miserably only to have his sister walk over to hug all three of them before sitting down.

"We're family so whatever you guys need, we'll do it." She feels Devon's hand on her back and knows he has no issues in doing this because he knows their secret. He had asked to speak to her privately after Chuck and Sarah had made their plea and she only relented because he would have been suspicious otherwise.

Ellie can still remember her dad's exact words, every sentence suddenly explaining away all the weird situations and unexplained disappearances of her baby brother. She had felt hurt that he had let her believe for so long that he was still a screw up and worse yet, that he and Sarah had a real relationship. Only, she had finally come to realize that Chuck really did love Sarah and perhaps that part had been the only real thing for him to hold on to. A bridge between both his worlds.

She can see Sarah's reluctance to look at her and wants so badly to let her know that instead of judging her, she feels honored that they would trust her with their most precious gift. She knows though that like Chuck, she's bound by a secret she cannot share and she needs to protect them as much as they are working to protect her. "Call and visit anytime and when you're don..when you're ready, she'll be here waiting for you." Her voice is thick with emotion and she cannot stop a tear from escaping.

Sarah is surprised by the words and by Ellie's emotional response, expecting more questions on why they needed time alone and why they seemed to be abandoning Lisa. She feels the pressure build up within her, pushing outwards from within such that she has to grip the side of the sofa. It's only when she feels Chuck's hand grip her own does she relax a bit. "Thank you. We'll come back soon. I promise." She wants to tell them more, to explain that in any other circumstances, this would be the last choice she would make but she is bound by duty and she knows that she needs to be there to protect Chuck.

Ellie can hear the phone ring and excuses herself to answer it, hoping that it's not the call she is expecting but knowing deep down that her father's plan has begun.

The sadness in Walker's voice is palpable and Alex switches off the sound, despite Beckman's orders to document everything. She does not want to intrude more than she has to and prepares to report in.

"Forrest secure. They've given their daughter over. We should be enroute soon." She wonders if Bryce knows about these calls. Her reporting line is still into Bryce and she has a report out in an hour or so but this particular one had been requested by Beckman personally.

"Thank you Agent Forrest. Was there anything else of consequence said?" She knows how vague her question is and wants to gage Forrest's loyalties. She's learnt first hand how much loyalty Walker and Bartowski can engender, knowing full well that Colonel Casey and even Bryce would not act against them unless explicitly ordered to.

"Agent Walker alluded to coming back for the child." She knows this is part of her mission but does not like the small twinge of guilt she suddenly feels.

"Just Agent Walker?"

"No ma'am, she promised that both of them would." She cannot stop herself from asking and realizes that this assignment has changed her, "You don't expect that to happen, do you ma'am?" It was standard operating procedure to ensure that for high level missions with high failure rates, the agents would be allowed to have some form of closure with their loved ones. Not overt gestures but just to endure that important things were being looked after.

"I would believe that there would be no reason why Agent Walker would not come back." She's seen all the surveillance footage of the baby and tries not to dwell on what impact her decisions will have on her life.

"And Chuck?" Alex can still remember how she hated working with him on their first assignment only to slowly change her mind as he showed her that his emotions, while messy and ridiculous, helped him instead of hindered. This assignment showed her the extent that he would go to protect his team and for that alone, she had changed her view on him.

"He is the only Intersect we have, Agent Forrest. He willingly chose to download our secrets into his head. He's been put on our Level 5 list." She does not need to explain further. Chuck's actions, though laudable, also condemned him to be forever tied to the government. His Level 5 status meant that should there be any cause to think he would go rogue, he would need to be contained and possibly terminated in order to ensure that he never fell into enemy hands.

Castle, Burbank, 5.43am, 10thDecember 2010

She tells herself that when she meets Chuck she has to let him know that Morgan still keeps the spare key to the shop, under the third potted plant on the right. Devon had carried her through the store as she guided him to the entrance to Castle. Ellie following behind, holding Lisa close, a wary expression on her face.

"I need to let it scan my retina." Her voice is still so soft and weak but at least she can speak in full sentences without too long of a pause. Devon raises her up and she prays that for once luck is on their side and is rewarded as she hears the hiss of the door opening. "We should be safe here." She welcomes Lisa in her arms and kisses her crown. Patience has never been her strong suit and she wants to see Chuck now but she can see how much strain Ellie is under and so she holds her tongue, hopeful that her sister-in-law will tell her what has been planned.

She sees Ellie pacing across the floor, her phone held close to her ear. Devon's trying to be there for her but not crowd her at the same time so he just stands at the side, arms crossed as he waits for Ellie to give him some sort of sign.

She's memorized the number and expected to hear his voice. He had promised that if she did everything he had said, he would be there to tell her what to do next but all she gets is an electronic message with a string of numbers. She feels the panic build up from inside as her hands begin to shake and she realizes that she may have thrown their lives away by believing in a man that abandoned her twice.

"Ellie?", "Ellie, are you okay?" She hears Sarah's and Devon's voices overlap each other but cannot bring herself to answer them as she continues to listen t the electronic voice on the line, hoping that her father's voice would finally come through. It's only when she feels Devon's arms around her does she finally let go, the first sob escaping before she can stop it.

"It's okay, babe. We'll be okay. Shh, I'm here." He holds her in his arms wanting to show her how much he loves her as she cries into his chest.

Sarah wishes that she could walk out of here, just take Lisa with her and leave. She knows how much Ellie and Devon had already sacrificed and she doesn't want to take more from them. "Please go." Her voice is soft but determined and she sees Devon look at her as does Ellie. "You've done so much. I can't ask…you.."She does not know she's crying until she feels a tear fall on her arm.

"No one's going anywhere." The baritone of Casey's voice clear and strong as it resonates within the room. She sees him walk down the stairs an inscrutable look on his face. Devon and Ellie have moved to stand next to her but she knows that the next move is Casey's. She hopes he makes the right one.

"Agent Walker, Doctor Bartowski, Doctor Woodcomb." He sees the baby in Walker's hands and he pauses because he needs to do his job, live up to his duty despite innately understanding that it is not the right thing to do. "I'm placing you under arrest. There are agents waiting outside. Don't make this difficult." He looks directly at Walker even though she does not pose a threat due to her condition. He walks towards her and he feels a twinge when she holds Lisa closer, angling the baby away from him.

Devon remembers the first and only fight he had with Casey. The most significant memory was the fact that he had a gun pulled on him and if Sarah hadn't appeared, he really didn't want to know what Casey would have done. His exercise regime was tailored specifically to improve his stamina, not to take on military trained assassins but he looks at Ellie and realizes what's at stake if Sarah does not at least get her chance.

He rams into Casey, using his shoulder, a perfect full body tackle that takes him to the ground. He hears the gun skitter across the floor and takes his first punch in the face but he does not let go. Instead, he hits back and is surprised to hear Casey grunt as he makes contact with his solar plexus. He feels Casey's hand around his throat and convulses but does not stop as he hits Casey twice.

Ellie can see the gun on the floor but is rooted to the spot. It's only when she hears Sarah's voice, soft but forceful, does she look up.

"Get the.. gun." Ellie does not need to be asked twice as she grabs the gun, trying to train it on Casey but not getting a fix as Devon tries to get an upper hand in the fight but failing. She notes though that Casey's not hitting Devon in his kidneys or punching him directly, instead just deflecting the blows and pushing Devon away. She's not sure if its chance or by design that Casey pushes Devon towards her such that he knocks into her, enough to send her off her feet.

However, it also provides her with the chance to pass Devon the gun, which he takes.

"Whoa, dude, I don't want to use this but it doesn't mean I won't." Devon points the gun at Casey, finally stopping him in his tracks.

"You're not going to be able to pull the trigger." He sneers when he sees Devon flinch at his words. He finally looks at Sarah, a sense of relief washes over him as he notes that although she's still pale, she does not look as bad as when he last saw her at the hospital. She does look wan and tired and he knows he has a chance to get her to surrender. "You don't want this to end badly, Walker. They're only at aiding and abetting currently. Think of Ch.." He realizes his mistake as she slowly stands, Ellie rushes forward, nervous and anxious as she takes Lisa into her arms.

"You don't get to say his name." Her voice is low, angry and he's amazed that she walks unaided towards him, slow but each step bringing her closer. "You promised, John. You promised to find him." He knows his expression is as guilty as hell but he clenches his jaw shut, accepting her scorn. It's only when she stands in front o him, toe to toe that he finally breaks off eye contact and looks down, not wanting to see how badly he has hurt her.

Sarah feels lightheaded and knows she does not have much time as she raises her arm as soon as Casey looks down. She hides the syringe between her fingers, only increasing her momentum as she sees him begin to look up. She catches him at the side of his neck and presses down, releasing the powerful sedative into Casey's bloodstream.

He grabs her hand, his reflexes not as yet slowed down but lets go when he hears her gasp and sees her tumble to the floor. He knows his job and he knows his duty and he blames it on the drugs when he looks down at Sarah and says 'sorry' before keeling over himself.

Devon's heart is still racing but seeing Sarah collapse pushes him into doctor mode almost automatically as he runs to her side to check her pulse and pupil dilation. "Lisa?" Hearing her voice still does not stop his examination but he does answer because he does not want her to panic.

"Ellie's got her, she's fine. How did you…? You're something, you know that?" He had guessed at Sarah's determination but still could not believe that she had not only walked unaided but managed to take down someone like John Casey. He can see she's still in tremendous pain as she breathes through her mouth, her eyelids half shut as waves of pain traverse her body. "I need to give you something for the pain." He looks up at Ellie only to feel Sarah's hand on his.

"Need to…get…to Chuck, Ellie…where's Chuck?" She's holding tightly onto Devon although she knows that she's used up her last bit of strength taking Casey out. She only needs to hang on for just a bit longer to get confirmation that she'll see him soon.

"I….,Sarah…I.." Ellie, kneels beside her such that she can see the top of Lisa's head. She sees the fear in Ellie's eyes and has to control her own fear from building up. "Ellie…please."

"The message, it's numbers, not like a phone number. It's just numbers. My dad said he'd give us a place to meet. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She knows she's in over her head and people are relying on her and all she can do currently is to apologize to her sister in law.

The words all jumble together and Sarah knows she is losing consciousness. However, she's still cognizant enough to see the connection. "Coordinates…numbers are coordinates." Her eyes close shut but not before she sees Ellie's expression change to hope once again.

San Diego, 8.18am, 10thDecember 2010

He knows it's just his imagination, lack of sleep and being in a constant state of anxiety all meshed together that is affecting his thoughts. However, ever since he landed in California, he feels Sarah close by. Like she's just out of reach but with every mile he travels, he's just that much closer to seeing her again.

"She's going to be there?" His inflection only changes at the end, making it a question as opposed to a statement and he feels fear like he's never experienced before. He presses down on the accelerator involuntarily thinking that he needs to make up time. That if he does everything in his power to get there faster, to get there without any delay, it would all be all right and Sarah and Lisa would be there. They would be a family and nothing would stand in their way.

"Yes." Bryce imbues the word with as much belief as he can because he does not want to lie to Chuck anymore. He thinks that life cannot be this unfair and that for all their sacrifices, for all Sarah and Chuck have done, it had to be inconceivable that they did not get to be together. He smiles when he sees Chuck does. The impact from the back wiping the smile off his face as he whips his head around and spots the black jeep barreling down on them.

Chuck holds tightly onto the wheel, steering the car such that it does not veer off the road. He feels the second impact but it just feeds into his determination to not let anything stop his journey. "Can you take the shot?"

"Already ahead of you buddy." Bryce checks the clip on the gun and pulls himself out the window, his arm extended as he takes the shot. The windshield cracks and he glimpses blond hair, for a moment thinking it could be Sarah but realizing that Alex was the more probable choice. He sees the car speed up and braces himself as Alex guns the engine and hits them for the third time, sending their car spinning towards the side of the road, only stopping when it hits a tree.

The deployed airbag stops his forward momentum but disorients him anyway such that it takes him almost a minute to note that Bryce is not in the car. He scrambles out of the car, climbing over the console and exits through Bryce's door. He sees him sprawled five feet away and rushes over.

"Don't move, Bartowski. Just stay where you are." All she sees is Bryce's prone body and she can feel her heart speed up, a mixture of fear and remorse. She has Chuck in her gun sight as she extends her other hand to feel for a pulse on Bryce's neck. She does not expect him to be conscious or for him to be so fast as he makes a grab for her gun.

She nearly loses it but in the end, he's a bit hurt from the crash and she manages to scramble back. "Don't." She points the gun at Bryce and then at Chuck, "I don't want to have to hurt you further." She's made her choice in accepting Beckman's orders to stop them and has followed through.

"Alex, please." She hears the pleading tone in Chuck's voice but its Bryce's expression that keeps her attention: a mixture of hope and understanding that she cannot explain. She sees bruises forming on the side of his head but it's his smile that she settles on looking at.

"Chuck can't go with you." She remembers his voice from their missions. Always soft in her ear, initially grating because of the distance he had put between them as agent in charge. In the end, they had managed to work together, building on the mutual respect they had for each other. She nods at his statement, finally eliciting a reaction from him that she has expected.

He does not want her to throw away her career but he also needs to ensure that Chuck gets to where he needs to go. He thinks he can get through to her but he's unsure of how she will react to his proposal, although he is surprised at her nod. "But I can." He still does not know where Chuck is going and knows he will not be able to give Beckman anything even if he was interrogated. "Go, Chuck. Go now." His voice is firm and he does not break his gaze with Alex.

"Bryce, I…" He does not know what to say because he's unsure of whether he'll ever see him again. Even when he wasn't around, the things he had done had shaped Chuck's life. He's sure that for all the trials and tribulations, he would never have met Sarah without Bryce and for that he would forever be grateful. "Thanks."

"Bartowski?" Alex finally decides as she sees Chuck turn to look at her. She's still an agent and understands her job but she also realizes that she's allowed to make a choice, to still do her job but just to not follow this particular lead through. "Beckman's closing in. You don't have much time."

She's given him maybe two hours and she hopes it's enough. She just wonders if Casey managed to do the same.

The End

Thanks for reading and please review as I hope you're still interested and invested in the story.