I actually had the title for this picked out before Monday's Star Wars references.

I don't own Chuck. Actually, I don't own much of anything.

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The Empire Strikes Back

x-x-x-x-x

Misty was still trying to get used to the idea of wearing another woman's clothes, especially ones so conservative. She wasn't exactly used to wearing a bra anyway and she definitely hadn't worn this plain of one since she was sixteen. It felt… odd. "Let me get this straight," she said as she got into the car. "You want me to pretend to be your wife for the evening."

"Exactly," Devon said. "Her name is Ellie. Except we're not married yet. We're only engaged."

Misty looked over at Devon. He was clearly beyond nervous. He kept looking out the windows and checking the mirrors as he drove, obviously trying to avoid having to look at her. It was beyond cute. He was so nervous that it actually calmed her down. She suddenly felt sorry for him. She knew that she would have to take some measure of control if this fantasy of his was going to turn out well. "No problem," she said. "So I'm your prim and proper fiancé, Ellie. What does she call you?"

"Mostly Devon," he said as he turned to look at her to try and get a read on her expression. "Sometimes she calls me Sweetie, but mostly just Devon. Why?"

With him actually looking at her for the first time, Misty put on her most relaxed smile. If she relaxed, maybe he would too. "I want to stay in character," she said. "You've paid me a lot of money, Devon. I want to make sure that you get your monies worth."

"I don't think you understand," Devon said. "When I asked you if you were up for an adventure, that's just what I meant. These guys who are following Ellie are not messing around. I don't think they will do anything to us. They are just going to follow us… but still."

Misty turned towards him and grinned. This was certainly more involved than the typical trick her friends were always telling her about. But that wasn't all bad. The typical trick sounded kinda gross. This was fun. "Danger is my business," she said mockingly with a laugh. She quickly found that she couldn't stop staring at him. His awkwardness was so incredibly cute. "Devon," she said softly. "Would it be okay if I asked what you do for a living? I'm not trying to get personal."

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Devon asked with a puzzled look on his face. "I'm a heart surgeon."

Misty's grin broadened. "I figured it was something like that. You're really going all out for this, aren't you? How long have you been planning this?"

"We haven't planned it at all," Devon said with a sigh. "That's the problem. It just came up today."

"Whose idea was this?" Misty asked. "Be honest with me. You're way too nervous for it to have been your idea. You're doing this all for Ellie aren't you?"

Now Devon was really confused. "Of course," he said. "Who else?"

"Come on, Devon," Misty said. "Ellie didn't just think of this today. It's been in her head a while, right?"

"I guess," Devon said haltingly. "She did have the cash ready. But she only told me about it this morning."

"You're really sweet to go along with it," Misty said. "She's really a lucky girl. Look, Devon. This is clearly your first time… and you're not all that crazy about it. Am I right?"

Devon's face turned red as he nodded. "Is it that obvious?" he asked. "I'm not used to all this intrigue at all… but… I have to."

Misty actually saw red for a long moment. So this was the fiancé's fantasy. What kind of bitch must this Ellie person be? Here was this sweet, incredibly good looking doctor, and she was making him put on a show for her. Misty decided right then. This was no longer about money. She was going to make sure that Devon had a good time too. So she forced the smile on her face. "Yes, it really is obvious," she said. "Don't be embarrassed. It's kinda cute. I have a confession to make, Devon. I know that you're probably not going to believe this, but it's actually my first time doing anything like this as well. So why don't we make a deal? We'll do everything that your fiancé expects. But you and I will forget about everything else, relax, and just have fun with this. I think it will make the entire evening go smoother. I'll just sit here for a while and be Ellie. When you want something else, I'll assume you'll let me know."

Finally Devon breathed a sigh of relief. That actually made a lot of sense. Hopefully the agents that were following them were fooled and that would be the end of it. So he allowed himself to return her smile. "Thank you," he said. "You're really being a trouper about this."

"You're welcome," she said. "I have to admit, this isn't anything like I thought it would be." That was the complete truth. Misty always thought she would feel cheap. But this was absolutely nothing like the impersonal quickie-in-his-hotel-room sessions her friends always talked about. The fact of the matter was she found herself getting more and more excited… in more ways than one. He was so unbelievably dreamy. The honest truth was she was about ready to start ripping his clothes off right there in the car. So she grabbed his hand that was resting on the console.

Devon looked down at his hand, and the ten, one-hundred dollar bills that she had just pressed into it. "What's this?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Devon," Misty said. "I'm just not that person. I really thought I could be, but… I can't. Now, let's get on with giving your fiancé what she wants… and I'll keep my amateur status. This is actually kind of exciting for me too. Now that I'm a volunteer I hope that's allowed."

Devon was admittedly more than a little confused. But her soft smile was so relaxing. "Of course it's allowed," he said. "Ellie was just telling me that exact same thing a little earlier. She was excited too. Okay, I'll try and relax. You're right. Let's just roll with it."

"Relaxed is good," Misty said softly. "Of course, when we get back together with her, you're going to have to give me some direction. Does she want to watch? Or does she want you to watch?"

Devon's head snapped up as he turned to her in confusion. Then he finally figured out what she meant. His mouth opened but he was too stunned to speak.

Misty's smile turned decidedly sly. "Maybe I can help you to relax," she said in the sexiest voice she could come up with. "Tell me, Devon," she said as she reached over and ran her hand up the inside of his thigh.

"Does Ellie like to get freaky in the car?"

x-x-x-x-x

"I thought we agreed," the Vice President said as he took a sip of the scotch that he had just poured. "I didn't want to see you alive again until you had him. You're here. It looks like you're still breathing. That must mean you have him, right?"

Shaw was clearly uncomfortable. "Not yet, sir," he said. "But I do have a plan. We've figured out how they broke Bartowski out so easily. They were tapped into our video surveillance system. We're going to pick up his sister."

The V.P. smiled. "So," he said. "You're going to make them watch while you do what you're famous for doing to women. Get Bartowski to surrender to save his sister from becoming your yes-girl. Is that about right?"

Shaw breathed a sigh of relief at his boss's mood. "Exactly," he said. "I'm sure that he'll quickly try and negotiate something. Then we'll have him."

"Well," the V.P. said in mock sweetness. "I'm sure that you've already thought of this, being such a genius and all. But there are some things you might want to consider."

There was something in his tone that gave Shaw pause. "Yes, sir?" he asked cautiously.

The V.P.'s demeanor suddenly changed. "Do you seriously think that they will just be watching without recording?" he asked with a growl. "This woman is not only a civilian, she's a national hero. What happens when the press gets the tape of you abusing her? Do the words 'win the battle, lose the war' mean anything at all to you?"

Shaw swallowed. "Yes, sir," he said.

The V.P. walked to the door and opened it, his classic signal that the meeting was over. "This had damn well better work, moron," he growled. "Or I won't have you killed myself. I'll see that you're turned over to Casey and Walker."

"I'll bet they would have a good old time getting revenge."

x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was in full Agent Walker mode. That meant blocking out any emotions not related to the mission. And right now, the mission was trying to rescue Devon. "Where are they taking him," she asked Orion on the phone. "How many agents?"

Steven knew exactly what she was thinking. If they could get to Devon before they had him in a fortified facility, a rescue would be much easier. "They are headed for the secure tarmac at McCarran," he said. "I believe there are only four agents with him. But you have to hurry. There will be many more waiting there."

Sarah turned to Casey. "McCarran," she said forcefully. That was all Casey needed as he spun the wheels of the car aggressively in the dusty road. Then she turned her attention back to the phone. "Do you know their exact location?"

"I'll try and tap into the bug that is still in Ellie's purse," Steven said. "Hold one."

Sarah turned her attention to Chuck and Ellie to brief them. "They have picked up Devon," she said. "We're on our way to try and rescue him." She grabbed Chuck's hand. "You're the one they're really after," she said softly. "You understand what that means, right? We don't have time to drop you anyplace, and you're not leaving my sight anyway. I think you know what I expect from you."

Chuck recognized the tone of Agent Walker giving her asset instructions very well. He simply sighed.

Sarah narrowed her eyes. "Come on, Chuck," she said warningly. "I understand that our relationship has evolved. You're might not be my asset any longer but I'm still going to be fanatical about protecting you… probably even more now than I was before. I need your help."

He didn't say anything, he just nodded.

Sarah smiled… a little. "You know me better than that," she said. "I need to hear you say it. Chuck, please don't make me get dig out those stupid flannel pajamas again. Please? I hate wearing those things."

"Okay, Sarah," Chuck sighed. "I'll stay in the stupid car. Happy?"

Sarah nodded.

"Wait a minute," Chuck said. "I need to hear you say it. That's fair, right?"

Sarah's smile relaxed… a bit. That was her guy. How did he always know how to make her smile? "Yes, Chuck," she said in mock annoyance. "I'm happy."

"Good," Chuck said with his eyes blazing. "I see you didn't unbutton any extra buttons so I assume that seduction is ruled out as a tactic this evening."

"You assume correctly," Sarah said as he got the grin he was looking for. Then she turned to Ellie. "I guess I don't have to worry about you," she said as she ejected the clip from her gun and looked at it critically. Finally satisfied that nothing had changed since ten minutes ago when she last checked it, she slammed it back into place.

"I'm not sure I liked the sound of that," Ellie said mockingly. "I can get into just as much trouble as little brother here. Don't you remember Mexico? Hello. Getting semi-naked with drug runners?"

"Hey," Chuck responded. "It was no where close to the same. For one thing, how do you get semi-naked? It's an oxymoron. You're either naked or you're not. Besides, Sarah might have been a little concerned while you were in the back room playing Slutty Doctor Ellie with Amado Carrillo Fuentes. I was fighting four men and knocked unconscious. Sarah thought I was dead. It's quite really apples and oranges."

"Why is it apples and oranges?" Ellie asked sarcastically with her eyes flashing. "Because I succeeded in my assignment and you failed in yours?"

"Okay," Sarah said with a laugh as she held up her hand to stop the sibling bickering. "You're both huge pains in the ass. Happy? Thanks for adding even more to my anxiety. But I need you both to understand something. We're going to try our best to rescue Devon before they get him someplace secure. We might have an advantage of surprise. But it's a long shot. We're undermanned and outgunned. And what they really want is Chuck. We can't let that happen at all cost. Their second choice is me, then Ellie. None of those things can happen. And if that means they take Devon…"

Sarah's heart broke at the look on Ellie's face. "Don't worry," she said. "I promise we're going to get him back for you. It just might not be today. Your dad will have a plan."

Ellie's eyes quickly lost any hint of the humor she had been displaying. "You mean your new best bud?" she asked sarcastically.

"I don't think I have a dad."

x-x-x-x-x

Devon had to react quickly to grab Misty's hand before she reached… umm… paydirt. He quickly pulled the car off the road. "We need to talk," he said. "This is not what I had in mind at all."

Actually Misty found Devon's protest fairly unconvincing. She also found it incredibly, unbelievably cute. And her grin made no pretext of how much she was enjoying herself. "I'm sorry," she said in faux-regret. "Okay, so I adlibbed a little. But come on, Devon. Don't you really think you need to relax a little? I'm just trying to help. It would actually help me to relax as well. Don't you want that?"

Unfortunately, Devon didn't have time to answer her. Two cars suddenly pulled up. One pulled in front of the car and the other in back blocking any possible escape. Four agents with their guns drawn quickly surrounded the car. They were ordered to step out of the car. Really having no choice, Devon and Misty got out of the car. They were quickly pushed face first against the car, frisked, and their hands were cuffed behind their backs.

As they were turned to face their assailants, Misty couldn't keep the grin from her face. "Damn, Devon," she said. "Just how much money did you spend on this fantasy anyway? You must really be trying to impress her."

The man who was clearly in charge stepped up to them. "No talking," he growled. Then he paused. "As a matter of fact," he said as he fired his weapon twice. "This will make things a lot easier."

Misty looked down to see a dart sticking out of her chest. As the blackness overtook her, she was left with one last coherent thought. "I hope she's worth it."

"This must have cost him a fortune."

x-x-x-x-x

With Orion giving them directions on the phone, Casey was able to get ahead of the crew that were delivering Devon and Misty. Unfortunately, the only spot where they could quickly set up an ambush was dangerously close to the airport. That meant that reinforcements were only a few seconds away. Casey parked the car in a convenience store lot a few hundred yards away from the ambush spot they had picked. Sarah only had time for a quick "stay in the car" before she got out and followed Casey as they ran.

They still had their earpieces in from earlier, but they really didn't need them. They had been partners for so long that they instinctively took up flanking positions on either side of the street.

Sarah knelt behind the parked car as she saw the column of three vehicles approach. They clearly weren't expecting any trouble. The first and third cars were being driven by a lone agent. The middle car had two agents in the front seat and what must be Devon and the cocktail waitress in the back. It was hard to see since they both were slumped.

Casey quickly made his attack strategy. "Let the first car pass,' he said into her ear. As soon as the second car is even with us, target the tires on the first car. I'll take the third. Then we'll both take out the men on our side of the second car."

The first part of the plan worked pretty much the way Casey described it. They had the two cars disabled and two agents dead before they even knew what had hit them. And if Devon had been conscious, he probably would have been able to make a run for it and they could have all gotten away. Unfortunately, he wasn't. And even worse, they were not alone. There were plainly other agents in the area. They must have been deployed to defend against just such an attack.

Casey and Sarah quickly found themselves pinned down by gunfire from seemingly several directions. Rescuing Devon was now no longer a reasonable objective. Simply escaping themselves was looking more and more doubtful. Suddenly it all went south. Sarah was tackled by an agent who came running up from behind her. He was brandishing a large knife and before she was able to control him, he was able to slash her arm. They actually rolled on the ground wrestling for a long moment. Sarah was forced to concentrate on avoiding being killed by the knife so she was fairly defenseless from his other hand. She took a few serious blows from his left hand before she was finally able to separate herself enough to kick him unconscious, more by instinct than anything. Then she collapsed back onto the pavement. But her position was no longer tenable. During the fight, she had become somewhat disorientated and had rolled away from the car that she had been using as cover. To make matters worse, her gun had been kicked away during the scuffle and in her semi-conscious haze she had no idea where it was. Through the fog that was now swirling around in her head, she could see several agents running in her direction. She wasn't even sure where Casey was. The situation looked pretty grim.

Suddenly a car screeched up. "Get in," Chuck shouted. He had driven the car between her and the approaching agents, shielding her from any shooting. Just before Sarah completely lost consciousness she could feel Casey pick her up and basically throw her into the car. Chuck sped off before he even had the car door closed.

x-x-x-x-x

When Sarah regained consciousness, the first thing she noticed was the smelling salts that Ellie was holding under her nose. She quickly twisted her head to avoid the sharp smell. "Where are we?" she asked.

"We're just about back to the plane," Casey said over his shoulder from the driver's seat. Plainly, he had Chuck stop and switched places with him. "Can you get the plane into the air? Then you can relax for a while. But we really need to get out of the area. If not, we're going to have to find someplace to hide for the night."

Sarah tried to lift her head off Ellie's lap but her friend held it in place. "Just relax for a minute," she said firmly. "You took a couple of major blows."

"I think so," Sarah moaned. "Where's Chuck?"

"How did I know that's the first question you would ask?" Ellie laughed. "Don't worry. Chuck hasn't gone anyplace. He's right here." Indeed, Chuck reached back from the shotgun seat and grabbed her hand. She squeezed it tightly.

Ellie held up a couple of fingers. "Do you have any double vision?" she asked. "How many fingers do you see?"

"I'm not sure," Sarah groaned. "I'm afraid to answer. I think I see two fingers. But I also think my doctor is dressed like a hooker. Maybe I'm hallucinating."

Ellie smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as she gently helped Sarah into a sitting position. "I think you're going to be okay," she said. "We'll wait until we're in the plane to stitch up your arm. It looks like it's going to take eight, maybe nine."

"I'm sorry that we couldn't get Devon," Sarah said sadly. "I tried my best."

"Don't ever apologize," Ellie said as she hugged her. "You just risked your life trying. It looks like now I have to depend on my dad. Maybe he can actually come through for me for once."

As Sarah regained more of her faculties, she eventually turned to Chuck. "Why did you leave where I left you?" she asked. "I thought we had an agreement."

"Our agreement didn't cover watching you get killed," Chuck said firmly. "If that means I have to endure a night of flannel pajamas, I guess I'll have to endure it. Something tells me you're not going to be in much of a mood for pajamas, or lack thereof, to make much difference tonight anyway."

"I'll give you a pass this once," Sarah said with as much smile as her pounding head would allow. "Saving my life has to count for something."

"Besides, technically you did stay in the car."

x-x-x-x-x