Chuck and Sarah

Chapter 11

"I need Tommy and Edgar for field work so the task of monitoring them both falls to you; I trust this won't be a problem Frost?"

The woman standing opposite Vladimir Putin was expressionless but when she spoke it was entirely a matter of fact, "Not at all, overseeing personnel is my job."

"You've done quite well…it's a shame Chuck and Sarah are cutting through my agents…"

"If I may, you need more specialized agents like Tommy and Edgar to match them…I know how they operate and being that they once held me captive and I escaped, I can assure you sheer numbers won't create results against them."

"After Laszlo and Ellie are finished I am going to task you with recruitment, and in the meantime, I must return to the embassy and monitor overall war status; sources say Laszlo's missiles have kept the GISA busy and they are being forced to expend resources repairing damage caused in targeted states…let me know if you have any problems."

"Handling this won't be an issue…"

"Glad to hear it…"

After Putin left Mary entered the lab where Laszlo and Ellie were effectively stuck with a laid back expression. They both looked up when they heard the door open, and she eyed Laszlo with a deadly stare while speaking harshly, "You two are taking too long, and I've been sent to speed things up, but I'm doing it individually so Mr. Mahnovski, upstairs while I deal with her and do some research on independent special-ops agents…"

"Putin finally realized that quality matters over sheer numbers, it's about time."

As Laszlo left, Mary made sure his footsteps died away before dropping her cover, "Let's work on getting you out of here!"

Ellie looked very judgmental, "I will never understand how you can just turn it on and off so easily!"

"I've been a spy for over two decades, and unfortunately it's second nature."

"So how will we handle this?"

Mary spoke in a whisper, "You have to do enough to be moved…the rest will play itself out. Did you finish the Intersect?"

"Yes but what do you mean; play itself out?"

"Attack me, quickly before he comes back!"

Ellie looked outraged with wide eyes, "What, that's ridiculous-I'm not-"

Mary wasted no time forcing the issue and rushed her daughter with a false attack. Luckily this staged moment caused Ellie to catch on right away. With a slight parry and her fists raised, Ellie gave her mother an expression with contracted eyebrows that said; "is this really necessary?" Mary responded with a curt nod that said plainly; "Yes, nobody can get here to rescue you and I can't blow my cover; which means I need a reason to take you away!"

What followed was a fake fight that only Morgan could have spotted and it left both of their faces in a wreck. After catching their breath Mary spoke exasperatedly while leaning against a wall; albeit still in a whisper, "Listen, I'm sorry, but this had to happen; I plan on selling the fact that you need to be moved to a high-security prison and since you finished the Intersect-which Putin doesn't know-it won't matter. Plus it will give me an opportunity to meet with everyone…"

"This seems like a hassle mom…"

Mary suddenly became much more alert and after a moment brandished a pair of handcuffs, "I know but it is necessary if you want to get out of here; speaking of…we've got to get these on you so it looks like I had to restrain you."

Ellie's eyes narrowed as she spotted the handcuffs as though wanting to object to her mother's plan but thought better of it, "Alright, let's get this over with…"

Laszlo reentered the room moments later, and it took him a second to fully realize the scene, "What the hell-"

"Yeah…she was much more of a handful than I expected…"

"Judging by the state of your face I'd say you underestimated her."

"Won't happen again; that's why I'm moving her to a high-security prison, now that the Intersect is finished."

"Not like I care; I did expect it to take longer than four days…anyway, I did a little digging and found that Blane Summers is still in LA and I can work on freeing Robin Cummings; her unique skill-set will help…Hugo Panzer's size would also help, but he's being held specifically within Watchtower."

"I'll figure something out, but I'll be gone a month; the place is pretty secluded, and I don't want her getting away during transfer so I'll be taking her personally!"

"Where is this exactly?"

Mary's voice was steady but somewhat threatening, "In return for my services I keep my secretes-considering that I just offered to free not one but two potential allies-that shouldn't matter!"

Laszlo flinched speaking carefully, "Of course, I only meant to err, suggest that we trade her back for those two prisoners, but I will test the Intersect while you are gone. Putin is not scheduled to return here for a month and Tommy, and Edgar are busy with specific missions; I think they're trying to raid certain U.S military bases."

"At least you're staying focused; hopefully you can pull your weight while they're gone…now, Ellie-"

The anger was so realistic that if Mary hadn't been so used to maintaining her composure, it might have aroused some kind of suspicion, "If you're going to take me just do it; besides it's not like you idiots are going to win this war anyway!"

The conversation after leaving the room was quick, "How did you finish the Intersect in four days?"

"Oh, I just did some strategic tinkering to a copy of the 3.0; had to give them a little something obviously but the program is nowhere near as powerful as Cerebrum."

Mary smiled as they kept walking, "Honey, you'd do well as an undercover spy."

"Being undercover and constantly worried about getting shot at or discovered no thanks I'll pass…"

"It's not as stressful as it looks; they don't even monitor the hallways here…you might need to think on your feet though they won't exactly just let you waltz out the front door but I'm getting you out of here…actually, Laszlo is right; striking a trade is a much better idea; so good in fact that I'm mad I didn't think of it!"

"I'll do whatever I need to do…and mom; it's good to see you."

II

Chuck's stress over Elle's wellbeing made the vacation a fleeting memory replaced by an always nagging impulse to storm Russia and bring Ellie back by force but had faith that his mother would find a way to free Ellie and maintain her own cover in the process even if that meant having to sell being the bad guy and considering she once shot him in public to keep her cover Chuck wasn't worried about Mary Bartowski getting found out. Still…the wait was very agonizing, and it was only now that Chuck fully appreciated the Intersect that was linked with his brain which in turn linked him with Sarah because she kept him grounded; existing with him a metaphysical sense guarding his emotions whenever needed which now seemed to be on a daily basis. Five days after Ellie was taken Beckman got a brief encrypted message from Mary saying she was in route with Ellie and would meet briefly with everyone with an explanation. Elsewhere, Carina was once again keeping watch over Manoosh and taken completely by surprise that morning when he finally woke up-a week and a half after being rescued…

When she greeted him, it was in a cool tone of voice, but her expression showed that Carina was going through some sort of internal struggle, "…Nice to see you back among the living."

Manoosh's voice was somewhat hoarse as he spoke; likely from the damage to his throat during torture, "Nice to see you too...so, where are the others?"

"You've missed a lot but a week and a half in a coma will do that…anyway, Ellie was taken she's stuck in Russia-"

Manoosh sat bolt upright and then groaned with pain, "What-damn-still sore…"

Carina stood up quickly gingerly guiding him backward onto his pillows again, "Calm down, you just started breathing on your own a few days ago!"

"I was in pretty bad shape then…"

"Yes so calm down, or I'll get someone in here to sedate you; I didn't go through all the trouble of saving your life just to have you slip back into a coma!"

"You're the boss…by the way, thanks for saving my life…"

Carina sat down next to his bed again and smiled speaking coolly, "We're pretty similar so maybe I like you more than most people; don't get all gushy on me…"

"I'm not Chuck Bartowski, so I'm not about to get gushy but…thanks."

Carina leaned in grinning "Chuck's not that special; he couldn't even endure torture."

Manoosh grinned back as Carina leaned in and grabbed his hand, "True…but I bet he could now."

"Don't ruin the moment you idiot."

"I'll take that as a complement…listen, you know the bugged Intersect that suppressed Sarah's memories; I made it but Clyde Decker that bastard tricked me!"

"So that's what you were mumbling about before you passed out."

"Yes, I didn't realize he had tricked me until it had already been sent to them…"

"What happened?"

"When Chuck burned me two years ago I was taken underground…brought to a lab within a specific section of what is now known as the GISA, Clyde Decker hired me to alter the software attached to 2.0, he said that he wanted a bug installed that would suppress the memories of agents in the field as they flashed; that forgetting about all the death and bloodshed would help them perform better, that they'd tried to harness the full power of the Intersect previously; through some pill that turned off emotions, but nobody ever regained their free will. He promised me an out so I agreed but he went back on his word; I found out he was corrupt after he sent it to you…and I only know that because I overheard a conversation he was having after the fact…"

"Just when I thought we didn't have any more in common; when I first came across Sarah in Burbank as Chuck's handler I nearly got her killed on a joint mission…if Chuck hadn't convinced me to rescue her she'd be dead; I almost sacrificed her to help my career. My point is that I've made major mistakes too and things turned out okay but…why did you tell me this?"

Manoosh reddened somewhat, "I thought it was obvious, I mean…"

As Manoosh trailed off looking awkward and avoiding eye contact with Carina it was in that instant that her internal struggle ended completely. She got up, sat next to him on his bed and without a word she kissed him; they kissed for a considerable length of time, and she stayed with him even after he fell asleep, leaving Carina to make sense of feelings she thought she would never have.

III

Manoosh was discharged from the hospital a week later and returned to Watchtower in pretty good spirits despite not being fully recovered yet. During that time, though, stress peaked for both the GISA and Watchtower; the latter was now being stalked so often by groups of foreign agents that at least one member of Carmichael Industries was there 24/7-Chuck and Sarah, naturally excluded from this rotation-which seemed to prevent any assaults but the situation was no less unnerving. Devon was rightfully very tense about Ellie's capture and kept insisting that everybody storm Russia and rescue her despite constant reminders that it was too risky; especially with Mary still successfully undercover there but Chuck never faulted Devon for this because it had taken him quite a while to accept that Ellie's rescue was out of his control…then Beckman told Chuck and Sarah they were needed in China with Bryce.

"Another overseas mission; what is it this time?"

"Russia has finally reversed what was done to their cyber infrastructure; which means they can hack anywhere except the GISA and Watchtower."

"Finally got rid of mom's software did they?"

"Yes, China was able to remove it, and it seems Russia is hacking while safeguarded by a large mass of proxy servers originating within an underground group located in Shang-hi; you would need to disband it and destroy the building."

"Can't you just hit the place with air strikes?"

"The GISA is preoccupied with missile strikes which are happening regularly; we're heading them off well but not without a certain degree of failure, and as a result we've had to help several states-California has remained untouched-if we let up Russia would likely start to get a strong foothold on American soil; something I'm sure we all agree can't happen…luckily Japan's support has greatly increased our ability to disable many missiles, but it's stretching us too thin for an overseas operation. Plus we have been trying to track Tommy and Edgar; we think Putin sent them on a specific mission…"

"Why is this priority?"

"If Russia can hack without being monitored then they will cause numerous problems; both economically and in terms of our overall war strategy…"

"Alright, we'll go.

"While you're doing that Bryce will be infiltrating the Chinese embassy and stealing crucial information and Russian satellite codes; it seems that Vladimir Putin gave them to the Chinese cyber security officials to help reverse the aforementioned virus…a mistake we can capitalize on as satellites allow access to ground networks and tech."

Chuck turned to Bryce who nodded before addressing Beckman as though she was crazy, "The Chinese embassy by himself? That's crazy, what if you get caught?"

There was bitterness in Beckman's voice as she spoke, "He has a background in infiltrating high-security government buildings and stealing from them he will be fine…"

Sarah's voice was just as blunt, "We'll have our hands full so you're on your own…what's the information anyway?"

"China and Russia's overall communication as well as a rumor about something similar to but much worse than the Omen virus; we need to know what they're up to and since Russia is untouchable for the time being this seemed like a much smarter idea."

"Precisely that's why you'll be leaving immediately…"

"If you finish ahead of schedule on your end then at least back me up there."

Sarah's voice was still blunt, "Fine but if you get shot again we can't risk our lives to save yours…"

Bryce shrugged his shoulders, "Got to be around for the kids…fair enough; let's get going then."

"Hang on general, why not someone else; Casey for instance?"

Casey and Verbanski are currently in North Korea; leading a special ops raid on their missile materials; we discovered that is how Russia keeps making them…no one else is skilled enough to take on either of these operations so it falls to the both of you."

At that moment Watchtower's entrance opened revealing two unknown people as everyone instinctively drew their guns both raised their hands to show they weren't hostile and the shorter of the two spoke with a tired and anxious tone.

"Would we have been able to get in here if we weren't friendly?"

"…mom, but that means-"

Ellie's voice was sharp and judgmental, "Yeah it's me so lower the guns; it's been a long week and a half…"

The embrace was halfhearted likely from the exhaustion of traveling back from Russia; the disguises were to avoid detection during that time. Beckman calmed the room, "Mary you wouldn't have come in unless it was needed, what's going on?"

"I need something to fortify my alibi and my cover, and you're not going to like it."

"What…weapons, information?"

Mary sighed deeply, "Prisoner's: specifically Robin Cummings and Hugo Panzer…"

Chuck's mouth fell open, "You have to be joking? They're sadistic people!"

"I got Ellie out by making her part of a trade for those two; the double edged sword of being undercover is that you have to cater to your targets; they lack special ops personnel, and that's what I'm giving them."

"Your inclusion in Russia is highly important; I'll get it done…Chuck, free Hugo; but let him know what's going on so that when Mary makes it back to Russia, he believes that he was given to them as part of a trade and he'll need to see Ellie…keep him cuffed of course until he is well beyond Watchtower; I will do the same with Robin at the GISA."

"Thank you, Diane, it's nice to know we are combating Laszlo's missiles. I will eventually try to disable their Intersect technology, but that would need to be done carefully."

"If Casey succeeds Laszlo's missiles will be a thing of the past soon…the most important thing is to keep your cover…

Manoosh spoke up after some tinkering at Watchtower's main computer, "You have security clearance now; you can come and go; when you activate the scanners, this time, they'll save your fingerprints and optical makeup."

"I will be heading back in then…Diane, please keep me in the loop on this side of things. Chuck, Ellie, everyone, please stay safe."

"Where are Devon Chuck…and Morgan and Alex?"

"He's watching the twins at your apartment; Alex and Morgan are training at the old Buy More site. Speaking of the former-we have to go on an overseas mission-could you watch the twins? Sorry El it's just-"

Ellie shook her head and held up a hand to silence him, "Don't Chuck, I'd watch those kids any day…I'm sure Devon has been a wreck…I'm definitely glad to be back."

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen so many agents in one warehouse; this place must be really important for Russia…"

Chuck sighed bluntly while scoping out the warehouse, "I wish it wouldn't have been so difficult to find…then again it's China, and they're super populated…"

The warehouse was flooded with all manner of agents and alarms. There were three full computer rooms with clusters of guards wielding silencers; aided by automatic turrets on the walls of all the rooms. Motion sensors at the entrances left them unable to even enter the building; it was clear that this building was highly protected.

"I think it's a good thing we have Watchtower; otherwise we wouldn't even be able to set foot in there."

"Yeah give me a minute I'll contact Watchtower…thank god my phones untraceable…Manoosh are you at Watchtower?"

"Yeah I was told to standby in case you guys needed satellite assistance; searching for the correct satellite now…"

"No need, its #291-for international cities it's always the last three numbers of the year they were founded-Shang-hi was founded in 1291."

"Alright, wow…motion sensors, automatic turrets, security cameras; this tech is pretty deep."

"Can you disable it with Watchtower?"

"Yes but there's a ton of layers of encryption…it'll take an hour at least can you keep yourselves busy; contrary to what's on TV hacking can't be done in minutes."

"We're on foot…if you upload the Intersect…we still have one."

"Not doing that; just standby…"

After about an hour-during which Chuck and Sarah sat discussing their continued guilt of being unable to raise their kids-Manoosh successfully disabled the electronic defenses of the warehouse allowing Chuck and Sarah to stealthily enter the building.

"This Intersect makes stealth a breeze; how should we handle this?"

"Head in opposite directions and meet in the last room?"

"See you in a bit…keep your gun out; something tells me these people were given shoot on sight orders…"

"I really hate taking lives…"

"I know Chuck, but we're officially at war; the time for sparring lives is over."

Chuck went left, and Sarah went right, but neither trip went smoothly. Most of the agents were grenade happy before either of them could make a move; which meant Chuck and Sarah couldn't get clear shots at them and thus were forced to the computer free portion of the rooms playing a deadly game of dodgeball; eventually they got fed up with this and relied on the Intersect to position themselves at the servers scattered throughout which were destroyed in the last few explosions; creating electrical fires that quickly spread What followed was an excess of gunfire from thirty or so agents-all of whom seemed determined to trap Chuck and Sarah inside with them-it was a situation in which the Intersect's "Matrix-like phenomenon" would have been impossible to maintain amid the sudden chaos and increasing heat. After sustaining several wounds-saved only by the rapid healing effects born from their shared brain activity-Chuck and Sarah met in telepathic communication again.

"They sensed us coming; like some kind of freak spider sense…how the hell-"

"Chuck there is over 30 agents in here and spreading fires…keep moving and try to, focus…stay low, meet me and keep trying!"

It took several uneasy minutes amid continued gunfire and a growing inferno but eventually things slowed down around them and moments later met up together sticking with telepathy amid the chaos while trying in vain to thin the horde of agents because of the overwhelming heat.

"The exits are blocked by rubble; we're completely trapped!"

"We're not dying in here!"

Suddenly Chuck pulled out two large sticks of dynamite, released the tabs and threw them against the wall opposite him. The wall blew apart seconds later leaving a human sized hole to the outside. Sarah and Chuck unleashed every bit of ammo they had on the pursuing agents as more than half of them fell dead leaving only 5. Forced to turn and run-dodging bullets-toward their newly opened exit without ammo; Chuck and Sarah closed their eyes running frantically when an involuntary surge overtook them and when they opened them a moment later they found themselves safely back in front of the ladder leading above ground, and their perception returned to normal; just as they heard the building they were now miles away from exploding with a quelled but unmistakable blast. After making it back above, ground Chuck massaged his ribs and turned to Sarah, "What a mess…I know we heal, but my leg still hurts like hell-he exclaims with pain while removing a bullet from his upper leg and the blood pools momentarily before the wound heals over instantly-are you okay?"

"I'm alright, but that was too close; I don't know what happened…I felt myself running and then I was light really light like air, or something and…we're alive-we should be dead-we missed being blown up by 3 seconds…maybe less."

Chuck sighed as his phone buzzed and an all caps message read, EXTRACTED INFO AND SAT CODES: "Well it looks like Bryce finished his end of things and since we don't have to rescue him we can get the hell out of China…"

"Sounds good to me; let's go!"

IV

A week after the events in China everyone gathered at Watchtower to discuss recent missions-including Casey and Verbanski-who had returned from North Korea three days earlier-and the after effects of the missions on the war. With their wedding now only a week away Alex and Morgan were in a frantic rush with last minute wedding overview and the state of the war was the last thing on their minds but they skillfully hid their protest. This time, Beckman remained at the GISA patching in via satellite; she looked obviously tired but was more pleased than anyone had seen her in weeks, and it came through in her voice as she addressed everyone; many standing against walls on both sides…

"Thank you to everyone for showing up here today. We have much to discuss…thankfully most of this will be on a positive note. I must first publicly acknowledge the continued sacrifices of Chuck, Sarah, and their family members-she glanced momentarily at Ellie and Devon-who had brought Liam and Lisa (currently asleep) with them at Chuck and Sarah's insistence-—Beckman then held Sarah's gaze for a moment before continuing-now then…with the successful albeit life threating overseas missions Russia is much more vulnerable; their ability to produce Laszlo's missiles has dropped significantly after Casey's efforts in North Korea.

Casey was favoring his right side, "North Korea is still a pain in the ass; they use machine guns to guard their WMD materials…let's see how Russia handles having to fight us in direct combat."

"You got clipped by several bullets dad; thank god for the medical equipment…"

There was no mistaking Casey's sarcastic grunt, "Yeah, nothing like getting patched up in the middle of North Korea on a base of highly guarded WMD and their source materials."

"The point is we have an advantage, and it doesn't end there; the destruction of the dedicated base of Chinese proxy servers means it's possible to track and hack Russia's wireless networks which will greatly increase our ability to monitor their activities."

"Unfortunately China may be quietly creating another dangerous issue…"

"What do you mean Chuck?"

"We think they have figured out how to implant motion sensors and other cybernetics into their agents…"

"The GISA hasn't heard anything about this…"

Sarah's voice was heated and harsh as she spoke, "Then obviously the GISA is lagging behind! Devon, wait in the Intersect room with the twins please; it's soundproof, and I don't want them waking up when I yell…"

As Devon left, Bryce and Casey-who were a little too familiar with Sarah's angry outbursts, winced slightly, and Beckman's voice was calm but cautious as she spoke, "The truth is we are not perfect Sarah…"

"With all due respect Diane-it was the first time Sarah had ever addressed Beckman by her first name-it is the GISA's job to be fully aware of any potent risks when sending any of us on missions!"

"Sarah, don't you think you're unfairly harsh; it's not like near death experiences aren't a regular occurrence-"

In an instant everyone knew the wrong person spoke and Sarah's temper exploded at Bryce…again, "NO I'M NOT BEING OVERLY HARSH; WE WERE SEALED IN, COMPLETELY TRAPPED, SURROUNDED BY AN INFERNO AND GUNFIRE; MAYBE DEATH IS ONLY TEMPORARY TO YOU BRYCE, BUT THE FACT IS IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE INTERSECT WE WOULD BE DEAD!"

Ellie took advantage of Sarah's silent heaves to speak up, "Sarah…something tells me you're angry because you were quite literal here…"

"I am, Ellie what you created saved our lives…I still can't believe we're standing here."

"Do you mind telling me how you escaped?"

Sarah and Chuck had exchanged an unsure look before the latter spoke in a shaky voice, "We…err, I don't know, it's crazy…"

"If there's one thing I know for sure it's that "impossible" doesn't apply to the two of you; what did you do?"

"The building was seconds away from exploding; we had to blast our way through the wall, and we were running, and…next second we were back at the underground entrance…"

"A few seconds later we watched the building explode…"

"So you're saying literally traveled at super speed?"

"There's more to it than that; it was involuntary…getting to that place was a maze of underground tunnels with multiple branching warehouses, and there's no way we could have gotten a safe distance away before the building exploded but I remember thinking I wanted to live so badly and then when we opened our eyes we were safe…"

"Let me check your brain activity log; I'm sure there will be anomalies I can study…Diane this could take a while so feel free to continue…I'll open the Intersect white room remotely too so Devon can come back."

As Devon came back Chuck grabbed Lisa and Sarah grabbed Liam; while Beckman continued as though there hadn't even been a detour from her debriefing, "Bryce's successful infiltration of the Chinese Embassy means that we now have an ability to keep real tabs on Russia instead of relying on whispers; acquired information says China has developed an abundance of security tech that can be implanted-which supports Chuck and Sarah's suspicions…they have also created a much more sophisticated virus; a dual threat virus for technology and power grids."

Chuck's mouth fell open, "They want to cut off the two things we use every day…electricity and Internet; one is bad enough, but both together…we'd be back in the dark ages with chaos everywhere…what's the virus called?"

Bryce smiled ironically, "Funny you say that…Oblivion, it's called Oblivion. It's smart really; if the population loses its most used resources they will accept anything to get them back…luckily it's not completed yet; I only wish I could have looked for it."

Beckman remained business-like, "You had a specific mission, and it was successful there is no need to push our luck; especially if the situation is as broad as you believe…however, I will work here to discover the location."

Chuck was in deep thought for several minutes before speaking again, "We need more personnel; people who can stay abroad…what about Mei-Ling Cho and Heather Chandler."

Casey gave a skeptical chuckle, "There's an idea Bartowski but I don't think your wife is okay with the latter."

Sarah was evidently thinking long and hard, "I loathe Heather, but she's not against the U.S…she only ever wanted money it didn't matter how she got it; she told me that when we fought each other during that super bomber mission.

"The mission that forced you to relive your days as an outcast at that high school reunion?"

"Shut up John, as much as I hate to admit it she's a good spy; if her slate is wiped clean and she is given a high salary she'll cooperate; just keep her away from me and abroad!"

"Alright, then I'll see about a conditional release. Chuck, I'm aware you went against orders in rescuing Mi-Ling's brother back then; luckily that will make her easier to persuade…being that what took place was so long ago I will overlook it. Seeing as you can locate her with Watchtower, I'll be going excuse me…"

After Beckman had disconnected Chuck turned uncertainly to Sarah, "Did she seem mad to you?"

"Not my problem; I've held my tongue long enough: the lock-down order, the 49B, my dismissal, treating you like property for 2 years…oh and using my family as bait earlier this year; she's not our boss anymore, and I'm not going to put up with mistakes that nearly cost us our lives."

"I know…I'll locate Mei-Ling later on; for now let's go home."

Ellie spoke without looking up from what she was doing, "I'll come see you both when I'm done studying these."

Manoosh spoke as Chuck and Sarah stood up, "Wait I have to tell you something…about the bug that blitzed Sarah's memory…"

Casey piped up harshly, "Don't forget it also turned Morgan into an ass…"

"Watch it with the insults Casey; don't forget I can beat you in a fight now."

"Don't make me laugh; it takes years to hone the Intersect! Throw in that shared brain thing on top of it and the fact that it's you-"

Carina became very irritated as she glanced at Manoosh who was becoming nervous fast, "Will you two shut up."

"Thanks, anyway…the bug…I made it for Decker.

Chuck and Sarah exchanged a caught off guard look and sank back into their seats before the former spoke in a deflated tone; over Casey's expletive, "So much for going home-they passed the twins to Devon and Alex and sighed sitting back down-alright, tell us what happened?"

"You'll hear me out?"

"Yeah, we knew Decker couldn't have created the bug…besides he was a douche bag."

Manoosh's face was guilt ridden, "Unfortunately I found that out too late, he lied to me…"

Meanwhile back in Russia Mary returned safely with her cover still intact. After guiding Robin and Hugo inside Volkoff Industries, she marched them in front of Putin who looked mildly impressed but disheveled and extremely frantic with voice mails and security videos scattered on his desk.

"Ah Frost, Laszlo told me everything that happened and where you went…I'm sorry that Ellie got unruly and dangerous but at least the Intersect is finished. He also said you planned to get us more specialized personnel which you obviously have done as I see our extra company; good timing too as I have suffered several setbacks lately."

"These two were not easy to free but well worth the effort. I simply offered Ellie in exchange for them; my anonymity was the key here…as it allowed me to seem like nothing more than a negotiator, you don't mind do you?"

"No…I don't, well then you two, just start training and uploaded the Intersect your help is needed ASAP!"

"Yes sir, Frost…thank you for getting us released!"

Once they were alone Putin was blunt and aggravated, "North Korea and China were attacked last week; Carmichael Industries took out the weapon supply base of the former-the one that was supplying us with missile materials-they also infiltrated the latter's embassy and stole our satellite codes, and now they know about the Oblivion virus; something we are developing in cooperation with China to disable Internet networks and power grids-it is being developed at an off grid location and remains secure-that said, Chuck and Sarah destroyed our base of proxy servers within China so our network has suffered a major hit in terms of anonymity; worse still is surveyors of the explosion say that Chuck and Sarah blasted their way out moments beforehand-there was dynamite residue-the exits were barred from flame and rubble, and none of our agents had the means to blast out; which means they escaped again! Even after occupying the GISA with numerous missile strikes on U.S states; the weight of their partnership with this smaller company continues to derail my plans!"

"That is unfortunate…no wonder they were willing to part with Panzer and Cummings; I should have seen this coming…"

"Still, it isn't a total loss…sources say a wedding will occur next week; that may be our window of attack; the question is how…attacking their base is pointless; the substation, on the other hand, is a much better option, and I could always pull Tommy and Edgar from guarding Oblivion…"

"I think a week should be more than enough time for Panzer and Cummings to shake off the rust they can handle it. Guarding Oblivion's completion sounds much more important…"

"True, I sent Laszlo to help speed up its completion. For now, I want you to train our new additions; I have a mission for them."

"What exactly is this mission?

"Through some heavy digging I managed to locate Sarah Walker's father; he is due heavy payback for inadvertently foiling my plans in Paris and since Chuck and Sarah seem to always escape he will do! When Oblivion is complete, we'll be able to win this war!"

V

"Well Chuck it took me all day, but I finally finished looking over the brain activity logs from China?"

"How could you tell?"

"Simple, there were glaring anomalies that made them easily identifiable…where's Sarah?"

"Spending time with Emma and Molly…I could tell Manoosh's revelation was jarring for her…by the way; Manoosh and Carina are together."

"How can you tell; they don't even stand next to each other or anything?"

"I'm a spy remember; it's subtle, but it's there…anyway, what did you find?"

"Not yet…how are you doing?"

"I'm okay like I told Manoosh it doesn't matter now but I feel responsible because I burned him and he just wanted freedom and Decker played him too…Sarah knows that it doesn't matter too but…I saw her eyes when Quinn admitted he brainwashed her-those memories are still there-it'll take a little time to process yet another thread to that mess…so what did you find?"

"I still don't buy that you are fine but this is important and difficult to explain, so I'll let it go. Basically, the Intersect has fully merged with your brains now, and that has literally turned them into a super computer…the technology can interact with different sections of your brain when it is most needed…"

"What does that mean?"

"In relation to what happened in China…well, first of all, you were running at super speed; you mentioned it felt involuntary…that's because your pre-frontal cortex and cerebellum were highly active."

"They control muscle function and recalling short-term memory; so you're saying…what are you saying exactly?"

"I think your brains communicated with the Intersect; activating and transferring necessary information-in this case memories-into the Intersect and that combined with the natural function of the cerebellum along with the overall surge in brain activity there; in relation to your emotions, is what caused the sensations of involuntary super speed: in actuality it's just your brain, the Intersect, and your emotions all surging at once; my guess is other things might happen occasionally, but the fact remains you two have broken scientific boundaries."

"That explains how we escaped a maze and were back at the underground entrance with seconds to spare before it exploded…short term memories stored in the Intersect as computer files; you know Ellie, you are the smartest person on the planet!"

"That's not true at all; I just understand how the human brain works and how it's merging with the Intersect…even that takes a lot of studying…the speed is just your brain, emotions, adrenaline activating simultaneously which creates that outward effect."

"Well, all the same, we appreciate it."

"Sarah's been in on our entire conversation hasn't she?"

"Yeah, she really appreciates it…"

"I don't think I could handle telepathic communication; you two should try astral projection…I don't see why you couldn't do it with practice. I'm glad I'm not inside Devon's head would be all muscles, workouts and awesomeness…speaking of, I should get home…"

"Thanks, Ellie, really…I'm glad I don't have to keep this secret anymore."

"Me too, you weren't very good at it."

Chuck and Beckman successful recruited Mei-Ling Cho and Heather Chandler and the latter was fully aware that if she tried any kind of double cross the deal was off. As for Mei-Ling; it turned out that she'd been running an independent covert spy agency in Japan and was already aware of the state of the war; she successfully commanded a team of agents to rescue her brother from China-as the country was now radicalized and they were now running the company together, so when Chuck located and reached out to her to help Lee stayed in charge. Both women were brought to Watchtower and addressed by Beckman with Chuck and Sarah present.

"Alright now that you are both here we can get started: First…Sarah, Heather you are not in high school anymore and whatever grudge you have had is an annoyance and must end understood?"

"Yes…try anything, though, I'll deal with you personally!"

"Don't worry Walker, considering what's waiting for me when this is over I can tolerate working with you so there's no need to be so cutthroat. By the way, I guess you proved me wrong, and Chuck did the trick for you huh…shame the same couldn't be said for my husband…than again nerds aren't worth all that much to me."

Chuck's voice was sarcastic, "Always nice to see you Heather; can we move on please?"

Beckman continued as if there was no interruption, "Mei-Ling are you sure your brother can run your company while you're gone?"

"Yes, he has become a good spy in the last six years; he was happy to do it when he heard Chuck was asking for me."

"Alright then…this means that Heather will be stationed in China unless things are dire in another area; same goes for you in North Korea. This leaves Chuck, Sarah, Bryce, Casey, Gertrude, Morgan, Alex, Carina and Zondra free to handle stateside problems, defend Watchtower and Castle-for which there are multiple rumors of another attack-or check in with the GISA. I think Ellie and Manoosh will suffice as scientists and in the case of the latter manning Watchtower during missions…we have two remaining Intersects-Casey was willing to part with it-that are available for the both of you; Heather you will be tracked at all times."

"Fine, you keep your end I'll keep mine; proving I'm better than Walker will make this fun anyway."

"The Intersect…I'd only ever heard of it; using it will be interesting to actually use it."

"Alright then you're to ship out ASAP and when the time comes to assault Volkoff Industries and Putin you'll need to ready; we all will…"

VI

"Chuck, why are we here?"

"I thought you could use a different kind of peace and quiet; you haven't been yourself since China; throw in Manoosh's part in the bugged Intersect, and I could tell things were getting to you…besides, this is where we go for clarity."

Sarah sat down on the beach with a sigh, "I'm surprised it took you this long to say anything…"

Chuck sat down next to Sarah and spoke quietly, "Just because I hear your thoughts now doesn't mean I feel good about eavesdropping."

Sarah was shaking now, "I'm so tired of being a spy; there's always a threat or a problem, and for the first time it's getting under my skin…and then Manoosh; I know it wasn't his fault but…"

"You thought that was behind you for good?"

"Yeah, I still remember being tortured…flash after flash; seeing my memories turn to blackness…"

"Well, I'd say that really is behind you now. Terrorism, unfortunately, is out of our control, but we're making progress; I try to remember what we're trying to prevent and that helps."

There was building fear in Sarah's voice as she spoke again, "What happened in China was the first time I've ever come close to death on a mission; I can fight agents and take cover from bullets, but it's jarring to think that without this Intersect I'd be dead and it happened because the GISA made a crucial lapse in scouting."

"I know, but we can't expect them to be perfect…"

"I know, but we almost had to leave behind our kids…this job is too dangerous for parents; I can't do it anymore I…I don't want to do it anymore!"

Chuck looked Sarah square in the eyes; it was clear she was overcome with fear and worry. He put a hand on her face and spoke calmly "You can, we have to protect them; make sure they grow up in a more peaceful world. If there's one thing I know it's that every generation, the world goes over the edge and has to be pulled back and it's happening again…obviously I would call this one World War III; in every situation key people or groups were able to put a stop to the chaos and build something better from its aftermath. That's what's so amazing about humanity."

They looked out over the ocean as Sarah spoke with a newfound resolve, "The worst of us always push things over the edge and the best of us always set things right and rise from the ashes creating something more beautiful; a lasting period of peace…"

Sarah let her head rest on Chuck's shoulder as he spoke, "Exactly, that's our life cycle…"

Sarah was struck by a symbolic thought, "Like a Phoenix…that's what we should call this operation; I guess you were right Chuck this beach is good for clarity…"

"That's a great idea, now…I know there's still something else going on with you."

Sarah looked guiltily at Chuck, "What gave me away?"

Chuck smiled putting an arm around Sarah, "Remember, you're not as good a liar as you think you are; never come that close to death on a mission: the computer bomb, the Wookie, the deadly truth serum, the package that looked and acted like a bomb but wasn't, the real cypher, the Intersect refresh chip, the suburbs…they all prove otherwise, and that's not even anything recent and this Intersect makes dying anything other than a natural death nearly impossible; what's really going on?"

Sarah dropped her hands over her stomach, "I'm pregnant again."

Chuck grinned broadly, "I know, I've been expecting that ever since our vacation; that was pretty much a guarantee despite the birth control; it's not full proof after all."

"We did get carried away didn't we…we can barely handle twins how are we going to handle more kids?"

"What makes you so sure we'll have multiples again?"

"Just a feeling, maybe it's got something to do with the Intersect; if we had more than one before we even uploaded it I feel like it's bound to happen again…call it heightened biology; I mean since everything else is increased it makes sense."

"No matter what we'll figure it out…we get an advantage no one else does thanks to the computer in our heads; all its effects pass to them during pregnancy. Haven't you noticed Liam and Lisa have been super content, and ahead of schedule, they're much more aware and making all kinds of speech sounds; that normally doesn't happen so early. At this rate they'll be saying words, crawling and walking before a year; give or take a few months; now let's go home and see those kids before we get called on another mission…"

"Beckman won't be happy I'm pregnant again, but I'm determined to enjoy it this time."

"Let's wait to announce until after the wedding to announce it so we don't steal Alex and Morgan's thunder…they've been so busy we haven't seen them much…"

"I really hope the rest of the world leaves us alone long enough to celebrate this wedding…"

VII

Back at home Chuck and Sarah got a rare day with their infant twins. It was odd, but Sarah was now aware of what Chuck mentioned at the beach; her children may have technically been infants, but they were acting well beyond 3 months of age. They were content and only cried when they needed to be changed. Both seemed highly aware of above average range of motion and speech sounds; they also enjoyed peek a boo and Chuck's awkward dance moves-the running man and moonwalk among them-Sarah watched Chuck from the doorway having just returned from downstairs and couldn't help but smile behind Chuck's back as she rested a hand on her stomach.

"Even after six years; your dancing still makes me laugh."

"I guess you passed that on; they're smiling and laughing like crazy."

Sarah grinned sitting down on the bed as she took off her shirt, "See and I think it's because I'm about to breastfeed; hand me the twins would you?"

Chuck carefully picked the twins up and handed them to Sarah with an envious look on his face as he sat down next to her on the bed, "I wish I could compete with that…besides, I don't know how you do it; you're breasts are bigger too…"

Sarah shot Chuck an amused look, "twice as big actually and I'm pleased you noticed; I thought you stopped paying attention, I love breastfeeding; it's calming with the twins and then with you, it's a fetish; one that turns me on…"

"I'll keep that in mind for our next round of foreplay."

"Banter aside, I'm happy we decided to have more kids; keeps are lives full after we retire as spies."

Eventually, the twins finished breastfeeding and fell asleep. Sarah put them back in their cribs and then embraced Chuck who kissed her stomach several times while he spoke, "Me too…I love you, I always have; it will be nice to live a normal life when this is over!"

"Chuck Bartowski I love you till the day I die!"

"It's a Wonderful Life; what a great movie!"

"Also the only movie I've ever seen…my dad stole it for me; I think it was his way of trying to be a parent without actually being a parent…"

"The only movie you've ever-Sarah we'll watch plenty of movies once we retire!"

"Something tells me that won't be for quite a while…but, I was thinking-"

Just then the doorbell rang and Chuck grinned, "Saved by the bell."

Sarah spoke in a furious whisper as she put her shirt back on, "Dammit it's like the universe can sense when we've got free time; why do they keep ringing the doorbell?"

"They're sleeping through it, besides; people we know wouldn't be this frantic but it must be dire, and if it's three days before the wedding then that's not good…let's go see who this is; grab your gun."

At the front door, the ringing ceased, but they heard a thud; Sarah quickly wrenched open the door and what she saw left her speechless, "Don't you ever answer the doorbell?"

Sarah was wide-eyed, "Dad, how the hell; why are you bleeding and how did you find our house?"

Jack was weak and bleeding in the lower left-hand portion of his chest, "I've already been shot today…so ditch the gun and help your old man inside because things…are not going well…"

Chuck looked at Sarah and spoke ironically, "What did I tell you; something dire always happens to us on or nearing a wedding…"