Chuck sighed as he got ready to go out to dinner. With Bryce's mother and sister in town, it was important to keep up appearances, and as best man, a big dinner with the groom's family was required.

He fiddled with his tie a little and grimaced. It wasn't doing what he wanted it to do, and he resigned himself to waiting for Sarah to get out of the shower to help him.

A knock on the door distracted him from tugging on his shoes, and he hopped over. "Who's there?"

"It's Bryce."

Chuck swung the door open, and there was Bryce, wearing a nicely tailored dark blue suit, with a white shirt and a skinny black tie.

He frowned. "Is that a tie bar?"

Bryce sighed heavily and stepped into the hotel room. "Can't get your tie?"

"Every time I try, I feel like I have nine hands, and they all want a turn and then they start punching each other in their little hand faces," Chuck told him. "I feel awkward."

Bryce nodded and started to adjust and knot the deep purple silk. "I got it."

"Thanks," Chuck said, looking at the shorter man. "But...y'know. You didn't just show up because your tie-sense was tingling."

Bryce grinned a little. "No. I uh...I sort of need your help."

Chuck's eyebrows raised. "Me? My help? You?"

"Yup."

"Wow. Uh...okay. Sure, buddy, what do you need?"

Bryce took a deep breath. "Well...I took your advice," he said. "About...about changing tactics."

Chuck nodded and started adjusting the tie a little once Bryce had finished. "That's great. How's it going?"

"Oh...too well."

Chuck frowned. "Too...too well?"

Bryce blew out a breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm falling for her."

Chuck stayed silent as he thought about this for a moment and then turned to him. "Falling for..."

"Jo," Bryce told him. "I'm falling for Jo."

Silence again filled the room.

Chuck sat down next to him slowly and put a hand on his shoulder. "How's that goin' for you?"

Bryce gave him a side glance. "What, no jokes?"

Chuck shook his head. "No jokes."

"I..." Bryce rubbed his eyes. "You do realize that this is a big reason why I kept that cold hard spy front up for so long, right? Because, as my sister says, I have a weird tendency to love everybody."

Chuck just smiled.

"So," Bryce said. "You got me into this mess, with your advice. Gonna get me out?"

"I'm not."

Bryce stared at him and Chuck smiled wider; a kind smile, his eye warm.

"Quinn wants both of us, you know," Bryce said, changing the subject. "Maybe we should call off dinner tonight."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "Okay, first, you're just freaking out about seeing Jo all dolled up."

"Dolled up?"

Chuck ignored him. "And second, Quinn's gonna come after us one way or another. Whether it's at the wedding, or at a restaurant, it's gonna happen. We're ready for him."

"Chuck's right," Sarah said, as she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a wine colored, halter style cocktail dress. She leaned down to pick up her shoes and put them on, as the boys watched.

"You always did know how to wear a dress, Agent Walker," Bryce grinned flirtatiously.

Chuck raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

"Much better than you ever did, Agent Larkin," Sarah shot back, without looking up from her task.

Chuck's eyes widened as he stared at his friend. "You? When? Where? Why?"

"It was a job," Bryce said, sighing heavily.

"A drag queen job?" Chuck asked.

Sarah giggled. "A drag queen job."

"Are there- tell me there are pictures."

Sarah finished putting her shoes on and smiled at him, before walking over and inspecting his tie. "Did you do this?"

"Bryce did," Chuck told her. "Tell me more about Bryce in drag."

"Later," Sarah smiled. "We have a dinner to get to, and I'm pretty sure Mrs. Gilmore would much rather talk wedding arrangements than about the safety orange wrap dress her son once wore."

"Safety orange?!"

The bar of the Bombay Club was, in a word, classy. Fully stocked with alcohol, and small tables surrounded by cushy plum-colored seats with low-lighting.

Jo, even in her deep blue wrap dress, even with some under cover experience in the field, felt out of place. The bars she had tended were dives in the Midwest, and this place looked like something out of an old film.

She smoothed out the skirt of her dress and then stepped over to the bar, grinning politely at the tender behind it. "Evenin. I'll have a whiskey sour, thanks. Straight up."

The bar tender nodded and got to work, and Jo watched him carefully as he grabbed the Jack Daniels off the shelf. He knew what he was doing, thank god. She almost worried she'd have to climb over the bar and school him on how to do it, and Emily Gilmore would find her mixing drinks, when she was supposed to be here to have dinner.

As he set the drink on the bar, she nodded her thanks and set the price of the drink, plus a generous tip next to it, before picking up the glass and taking a sip.

"Pre-gaming solo?"

Jo turned and found Lorelai Gilmore standing behind her, grinning a little. She was wearing a floral print empire waist dress with a knitted black cardigan over it.

"Just gettin' a head start," Jo replied, mildly sheepish as she took another sip. "Takes the edge off."

"I hear ya, sister," Lorelai said, as she stepped up to the bar and smiled widely at the bar tender. "Hi, new best friend. I would love a Shirley Temple black."

"You didn't come with your mom?" Jo asked.

"I specifically got ready before she did so I could beat her here," Lorelai said as she paid for her drink and took a sip from the glass. "I like to head her off at the pass when I can. Especially since you and I haven't had a real chance to talk."

Jo raised her eyebrows at the older woman. "Uh...right. Okay."

Lorelai smiled. "Relax. I'm not here to scare you or anything. I don't think I could, even if I tried."

"Nope."

"Look, Bryce puts on this crazy super spy act because it's easy for him," Lorelai told her. "It's an easy cover-up for his incredibly soft and gooey insides."

Jo snorted.

Lorelai grinned. "I'm serious. There's a reason he and Chuck were so close in college, and the difference now, is that Bryce learned how to cover up how sweet he is, and Chuck never quite managed it."

Jo swallowed another sip of her whiskey sour. "No offence, Lorelai, but what are you tryin'a tell me?"

"That underneath all of that weird spy bluster, there's a really wonderful guy. And you should give him a chance."

Jo blinked at her. "He told you."

Lorelai wrinkled her nose good naturedly. "To be fair, he tells me everything. Some days I feel like Judy Jetson's talking diary."

Jo gave a soft groan and nearly rubbed at her eye, but then remembered she was wearing mascara, and stopped. She took a breath, a drink and then shook her head. "We're working...and...look, I get what you're saying. He's been different for the last couple of days...we been getting along better and then...there was the almost-kiss, but this job keeps getting more complicated, and we can't really afford distractions."

Lorelai pursed her lips. "So...what happens when the job is over?"

"I don't think that far ahead," Jo told her. "What Bryce and I do is dangerous work. You never know when your number's up, so making future plans is askin' for trouble."

Lorelai watched her quietly for a moment, and Jo could tell the older woman was feeling sorry for her.

She drained her glass and set it on the bar gently. "I'm gonna wait outside for everybody else."

He couldn't stop looking at her.

That blue dress and the way her hair was swept up in a messy but elegant way. The way she smiled politely at the waiter and laughed at something Chuck had said.

Bryce Larkin was in so much trouble.

"Bryce, are you even listening to me?"

He blinked and turned to his mother. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I asked what you thought of the flowers," Emily said, a little annoyed. "Or is your wedding that boring to you?"

Bryce took a deep breath.

Sarah frowned and gave Bryce a look that clearly asked if he was okay.

He nodded and took a sip of wine. He hadn't expected that spending one night playing video games and eating junk food would have this effect. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and he was his old self. No more super spy Bryce Larkin. No more smooth moves or sly lines.

Just Bryce.

"The flowers are great," he said, digging into the delicious lamb shank curry in front of him.

"So, what's planned for the bachelor and bachelorette parties?" Lorelai asked, grinning at Bryce and Jo.

Jo opened her mouth and then closed it quickly, and Bryce blinked.

"Oh, god you haven't planned them?" Lorelai asked, aghast.

"To be fair, it's supposed to be the maid of honor and the best man who plan them," Bryce pointed out, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Chuck gave Lorelai a look much like a deer caught in the headlights of an eighteen wheeler. "Well...y'know I...I mean things are busy."

"We'll figure it out," Sarah promised, patting Chuck's leg gently.

"The wedding is next week," Emily said. "If you're going to plan something you'd better hurry." She turned to Sarah then. "I know of a couple of lovely tea rooms for the bachelorette party."

Sarah nodded politely. "As nice as that is, I was thinking maybe something a little wilder for the bachelorette party..."

"Oooh, strippers," Lorelai enthused.

Jo groaned. "Oh, hell."

Bryce huffed out a soft laugh. "Not into the Chip n' Dale dancers?"

Jo quirked an eyebrow at him. "What about you? You excited for your bachelor party with all the naked ladies?"

"Naked-" Chuck cut in. "No. No naked...no naked anything. It's gonna be us and video games and DiGiorno."

"Wow," Lorelai marveled. "That's a little sad."

"Or," Chuck replied. "Or it's awesome."

Bryce grinned. "Strip clubs freak Chuck out."

Sarah gazed at Chuck adoringly and stroked his hair. "It's okay, Baby. Strip clubs are weird."

"So weird," Chuck agreed.

Jo hid her amusement behind her wine glass as she took a sip and then set it down when her phone buzzed.

"Who is it?" Sarah asked, leaning over a little.

"Casey," Jo said, lifting the phone to read the text message that had come in. "He's got something."

"Then we should get going," Bryce said.

"Nope," Jo told him, placing a hand on his arm. "Just me. You guys stay and have fun." She patted his arm and got to her feet.

"What, no kiss?" Bryce teased without really thinking about it.

Jo quirked an eyebrow at him as she packed her phone in her purse. "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie."

Bryce blinked owlishly as Jo walked off, and then turned to look at Chuck, who looked just as stunned.

Jo slid into the Cown Vic. "Let's roll."

"You need a change of clothes before we go?" Casey asked as he sped off.

"Nope. This'll do."

"Dunno how you and Walker manage in those heels," Casey grunted.

Jo grinned. "May you never have to find out. So where are we headed?"

"Quinn's holed up in an abandoned townhouse on H Street in Northeast," Casey told her.

Jo nodded and pulled the gun from her purse, looking it over critically. "Inconspicuous and surrounded by good food. He's smart, and he thinks he's classy."

"A little like Larkin," Casey commented.

"Bryce ain't so bad."

Casey raised his eyebrows. "No?"

She shrugged and looked out and window, watching the bright lights of Northwest DC pass her by.

They sat in silence for a long moment before Casey spoke up again.

"You know agency romances don't always end like Walker and Bartowski's," he said hesitantly. "And theirs hasn't exactly been a cakewalk."

"Nothing's going on between us," Jo said quietly. "We're working."

"You defended him," Casey pointed out.

"He's growin' on me," Jo grumbled. "Like weeds."

"First rule of being a spy is not to fall in love," Casey told her.

"Unless you're Chuck and Sarah, right?" Jo said sourly.

Casey sighed as he stopped at a red light and looked at her. "Once in a blue moon it works out, but nine times outta ten it ends bloody."

Jo raised her eyebrows at him. "And that's different from when I was hunting…how?"

Casey growled and started driving again when the light turned green. "Smart-ass kid. I'm trying to keep you alive."

"Been doing that for myself for too long to need help," Jo snapped.

"Being in love nearly got both Chuck and Sarah killed not too long ago," Casey said harshly.

"I never said I was in love!"

"Believe me, I've seen it before, you're on your way there," Casey grumbled.

She crossed her arms and looked out the window, as he turned the corner and parked the car.

"We're walkin' the rest of the way."

It was a few minutes before Casey stopped in front of a long-abandoned townhouse; its windows were boarded up and the grass in the small front yard was long and ragged. There was a screen door falling off its hinged, and Jo could see a rat or two hiding out near the rotting fence.

"Well, it ain't the worst place I ever seen," Jo said. "But it's close."

"Not afraid of rats, I hope," Casey said as he stepped over the low fence and into the yard, before turning and helping Jo.

She shook her head. "Nope. Rats don't bother me." She looked up at the house and frowned. "You think this place is structurally sound?"

"Probably not," Casey said as he took a few careful steps up the front porch, pulling his gun.

Jo followed suit, gun at the ready. "This seem a little easy to you?"

Casey grunted and glanced back at her. "That's why we brought guns." He pushed the screen door aside and it gave a tinny wale that sounded louder than it probably was.

Jo stepped into the townhouse after him, and squinted in the darkness. She could see holes in the walls, and rotted spots on the hardwood floors.

Casey pulled a mag light out and clicked it on, squinting in the suddenly bright light ahead of them. "This what it was like back when you were hunting?" he asked.

"Pretty much," Jo muttered, as they stepped into the kitchen, causing rodents and vermin to run for cover. "I don't think Quinn's here, Casey. Ain't no sign of him at all."

Casey narrowed his eyes and moved further into the kitchen, shining the flashlight on a door shut tightly with a padlock and chain. He grunted and stepped up to it.

"Okay, this has trap written all over it," Jo said, stepping over with her gun raised.

He grinned a little. "I like a good trap." He lifted his own gun and shot the lock off before nudging the splintered door open with his foot. He aimed the flashlight inside, shining a light onto a narrow, flimsy-looking staircase.

"Me first," Jo said quietly as she shifted past him. "I'm less likely to break the stairs."

Casey followed her down slowly, shining the flashlight out in front of them, revealing mouse excrement and dead roaches. He grunted in disgust, making Jo smirk back at him.

"Gettin' squeamish on me, Colonel?"

He glowered. "Shut up and keep moving."

Jo stepped down into the basement, her heels hitting solid concrete with a clacking sound. She raised her gun, and squinted again as the flashlight lit up the cavernous room, filled with old medical instruments, a couple of recently-used computers, and a generously sized weapons cache.

"This is definitely it," Casey muttered, glancing down at the surgical tools. "I'm guessin' these were gonna be for Bartowski."

"You'd be right, Colonel."

Jo swung around, gun at the ready. She hadn't heard anyone walk in behind them, and it was too dark to see.

"Hands up!" she cried.

"Harvelle!" Casey snapped, but it was too late.

She heard two cracks then, and something attached to her neck. The jolt hit her before she could react, and she hit the floor just as Casey did.

The last thing Jo saw before the world went dark was Quinn standing over her.