GreenEyedGirl30

A/N: Evilredknight is singularly responsible for the sudden shift in the angsty direction this Charah tome is taking…or maybe we just agreed that a happy ending was BORINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

Or maybe I'm just messing with his mind. He did seem…unfocused and it was late at night and he is a notorious…well, that's his problem and now it's yours.

Departure Day
Charah House
Lantana, FL

Ellie wondered again why Sarah had been so distant with Chuck and Carina. It was just so not like her. Sometimes Ellie swore she had a 'bubble' around her that no one but Chuck could enter but today the bubble seemed to extend even to her brother.

Curious and dreading it all the same, she pulled her brother out onto the verandah for a private moment and a hug. Safe in his arms she whispered her question.

"Chuck, are you and Sarah having problems? She seems very distracted and tense. I catch her looking at you and then looking to Carina and…Oh, my God, Chuck!"

She pushed herself away from him and fixed him with her steely-eyed stare. "Chuck, tell me you didn't cheat on Sarah with Carina?"

"What? Ellie, are you crazy? I would never cheat on Sarah. And especially not with Shorts. Hell, she's become like a sister to me since Mexico. No, absolutely not…Did Sarah tell you I was cheating? Is that why you two are having all these private moments?"

"No, Sarah never said anything. I just catch her looking at you and Carina and she looks so sad, Chuck."

"I'll have to ask her about that. Maybe tomorrow when the boat comes. It's the perfect time since it'll just be the two of us. You really don't think she thinks I'm cheating on her, do you? My God, she's pregnant with my baby and you think I'm cheating on her?"

"I don't think you're cheating, at least I hope not. It's just that she's very tense and upset and hormonal. Be careful of her feelings, little brother. She'll adjust and in a few weeks she'll be just the Sarah we both know and love."

Chuck walked back into the living room and signaled Sarah to meet him in the kitchen.

"What's up, Chuck? We have to leave in a sec –"

He pulled her into a hug and smothered her with a passionate kiss, knowing it would have to do for months.

"I would never cheat on you, Sarah, never! Certainly not with Carina. Ellie says…"

She laughed and hugged him tightly and said into his chest, "I see the seed I planted has taken root. Good."

"Minx!"

"You're not the only devious one in this marriage, Chuck. You're just a lot more subtle than me. Now, kiss me goodbye for a while, my lover. We're going to miss her plane if I don't scoot."

Chuck watched Sarah's Porsche pull out of the driveway for the last time. He missed her already.

He walked back into the house and poured himself a cup of coffee and went about his daily routine, complicated by the 3 new team members who seemed to be a loose ends and not totally comfortable as yet with their new base of operations.

Faith had just come in with her 'medic' and he beckoned her over to him. "Let me see how the head's doing. You're keeping it clean and keeping the salve on it, right?" He gently parted her hair and looked at the new growth.

She grinned and then made a face. "Yes, Pops, I'm taking care of it. He makes me do this silly…"

"It's not silly, Faith. He knows what he's doing. So, personal question. Think he'd make a good partner for you?" He already knew the answer but enjoyed putting her on the spot, especially after her 'Pops' comment.

"You know he will, Chuck. So, make it official?"

"If that's what you both want. Why be roommates and not partners too?" He laughed at her blush and then hugged her and sent her on her way.

He needed to kill a little more time. Amanda Blaine was sunning herself out near the pool and he wanted to talk with her anyways so he put on his sunglasses and sat down beside her.

"Adjusting to life in the tenements, Amanda?" He startled her out of a doze. He hadn't realized she'd been sleeping. She was wearing aviator glasses against the glare.

"Huh? What? Oh, Agent Talley! What?"

"I asked if you were adjusting to life in the tenements but I guess snoozing out beside the pool answered my question. Use sunscreen Mandy or you'll look like a lobster. Blondes don't tan well. Just look at Sarah."

"I do. I guess I'm fitting in. Do you think I'm fitting in?"

"Yep. You'll do fine. Just don't pay attention to Carina's gossip or fall for Faith's practical jokes and you'll do fine. So, any second thoughts?"

"No. I think this is where I belong. Mission, purpose, good team, good leaders. What more could I ask for?"

"Yeah, they are a good bunch. We'll need a few simple ops under our belts to make sure the bumps and glitches are ironed out but I think our new taskings will be interesting and important. Go back to sleep. Sorry I bugged ya. Just don't stay out too long until you adjust. Florida sun is a killer. Just ask Sarah when she comes back from the airport."

West Palm Beach Airport

Sarah had parked in short-term parking and left her keys under the mat. Ellie's plane to Washington had been delayed and Sarah had almost missed her flight to Miami. It had been close. She'd put her suitcase in the Porsche the previous night and had to sprint to the parking area to get it and make her flight. She was glad she hadn't waited until she was 7 months pregnant. She'd never have made it.

Charah House
Lantana, FL

He saw Carina going up to her room for something and hoped Sarah remembered to leave the suite door open. He looked at his watch and then pulled out his phone and walked to the edge of the verandah and speed dialed his wife's cell.

Her cell rang and rang and rang without going to voicemail. For just a second he was afraid something had happened until he remembered that they'd agreed to have the phone ring and not transfer to voicemail.

"Hello, Chuck, it's Carina. I heard Sarah's phone ringing. She forgot her phone…oh, shit! Chuck, please come up to your suite. There's something…just come up, Chuck. My God!"

Miami International Airport

She boarded her flight in Miami for Denver using the name Millie Stone after going into the restroom and quickly dumping her 'Tally' ID's into the trash after cutting them up with the only knife she'd brought. She sighed and threw it into the trash receptacle after turning everything 'Talley' in confetti. She slammed a mental door on those chapters of her agent life. Time to move on.

She checked her laptop and confirmed her reservations at the Denver Airport Marriott under her travel name, Millie Stone. She had several other ID's but they weren't to be used yet. Talley had added a year to her age and changed her marital status to 'single' for Stone.

She leaned back in her seat and wondered how things were going in Lantana. She wondered again just how she was going to handle being alone again on the ultimate deep cover operation of her life after being part of Team Intersect and Team Talley for so long.

She had confidence in her plan but life was a baseball game full of wild pitches and curve balls and she was playing in the big leagues now. She decided that she and the little one needed a nap to help calm and center her. She was asleep in a few minutes and didn't dream.

Charah House
Lantana, FL

Chuck ran up the stairs trying not to grin. If Carina was this shook up by what Sarah had left then it must really have been a doozie. He schooled his features and tried to adopt a panicked air and his 'inner Chuck' burst out unbidden.

'What if she was serious, man? What if she really wanted out, away from anything that reminded her of the 'life'? What if…what if she doesn't follow the plan and just does what she does best – adapt to the change and go with it? What if…"

"Shut the fuck up! Get back down with the rest of the insecurities. It's part of the plan, that's all it is! Leave me alone."

His subconscious knew him better and used his doubts to put alarm, concern and fear into his features. Selling this would be hard enough without a convincingly 'crushed Chuck'.

Carina met him at the door to their suite and stopped him in his tracks with "She's gone, Chuck. She's gone off the grid and the message she left was unmistakable…I'm so sorry…"

He brushed past her and gasped. Every one of their photographs, including their wedding portraits, had been burned in the fire place, their frames smashed and then cast haphazardly around the room. There was a sheet of notepaper on the unmade bed and lying in the middle of it were her engagement and wedding rings.

He held the rings in his hand and shuddered as a tear ran down his cheek. This wasn't part of the plan. This wasn't supposed to happen.

The note was short and to the point.

Chuck:

Please don't try to find me. I'm off the grid and I don't plan on coming back or contacting you. It was always supposed to be this way and this was the plan since Burbank. I just never planned on falling in love with you or having a child with you. I'm sorry. I really did love you.

Sarah Walker

His mind flashed back to Lynn's notes in their old computer. This had been Graham's plan all along. No wonder she'd been so adamant that they go off the grid and hadn't balked at the planned separation. And her signature: Sarah Walker. Now he knew why she didn't want to get married and why she'd resisted every step of the way.

He never felt the trank dart hit his back. He was too intent on putting the muzzle of his .45 into his mouth and pulling the trigger.

Two hours later

Faith and Carina sat in the living room of Charah House waiting for the CIA connection to initiate the video conference with Arthur Graham. The newbies had been sent on errands but Faith insisted on sitting in on the conference.

"He's my friend and boss, Carina. Don't cut me out. He'll need us both to see him through this. Damn her! I can't believe this. After all they've been through together…I wonder if she's even really pregnant?"

That thought hadn't occurred to Carina. Just how far would Walker go to succeed in her mission? She left the question unanswered and turned her attention to the calm visage of Arthur Graham.

"OK, agents, what's the problem? Where are the Talleys?"

"Chuck's upstairs in bed. I tranked him. He was going to eat his gun. Walker left him in a particularly spectacular and brutal way. I'd say it's all part of your master plan, Director." The way she said 'director' made Graham sit up and take notice.

"What do you mean she 'left him'? Talley'd mentioned that she was pregnant and wanted out but that he was staying the course. Surely she hasn't dumped him because she's pregnant? I've gotten the OK to put her on the long-term inactive list until the baby's old enough to…"

"Oh, please, Uncle Art. This is me you're talking to. She made it quite clear in her 'goodbye' letter that this had been the plan, YOUR PLAN, since Burbank. Why? Why would you do such a shitty thing to him? He's done so much…" She started crying. She hated it but she hated Arthur Graham much more at that very moment.

"Um, Director, Carina's very upset. Uh, Walker burned their wedding photographs and left her rings with a really shitty note saying she was going off the grid and wouldn't be contacting him again – ever – and not to come looking for her. She said it had been the plan to do it since Burbank. Agent Talley just…Carina tranked him. He was going to take his own life. She stopped it."

Arthur Graham looked shocked and suddenly very old. This had been the plan back when Lynn was his wife but Walker was always going to go the distance. What in the hell happened that made her leave? Talley's going to need counseling and constant companionship. He knew Chuck and he knew the suicide attempt was no ploy.

"Agents, one of you will be with Talley 24/7. I'll arrange for counseling and until further notice, he's forbidden to go armed. If he goes out in public, both of you will accompany him. You've got another female agent, uh, Blaine. Split the duty between the 3 of you. He is never, I repeat, never to be alone until further notice. Understand something, Carina, this was not some insidious plan to separate them."

He disconnected and then buzzed for his aide. "I'm going to Miami. Arrange for the plane. I'll be…two days, no more."

'Jenny, what's going on in that head of yours this time?'

Denver Airport
Airport Marriott Hotel

She checked into her room and then stopped by the gift shop and purchased an overpriced hair coloring solution and went up to her room. She checked her schedules and pulled her info pack for her final travel ID. Satisfied with her understanding of the legend and documents, she went in to the bathroom to become someone else.

Charah House
Lantana, FL

Four women sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee. Amelia had been told that the Talleys had argued and that 'Mrs. Talley' had left for parts unknown. Her reaction was not what any of them expected. Instead of making excuses about her behavior or defending her actions, the little elderly woman was condemning and bitter.

"I cannot believe she left him! They were perfect together! What is wrong with her? She has a loving man, fine friends, a palace of a house, and at last she has what she wanted most in life for them, a baby, and it is all due to the Jefe. How could she abandon such a man?"

"Amelia, we don't know. She was having problems with hormones and we can only hope that when things level out…" Faith started to say when Carina cut her off viciously.

"Oh, Faith, that's just so much bullshit. You read the note. You know what it meant. I know more than any of you about what happened out West and it's not hormones. It's worse. It's professionalism." The way she said professionalism made it sound like some filthy perversion.

"Well, someone better go check on him. You heard the Director's orders. He's never to be alone at any time. The tranq will wear off in the next hour or so and then it's going to get very interesting."

"I know him best so I'll be best able to bear the brunt of his mood. You two decide what we're going to tell the public. They're a very well-known couple locally and her absence will prompt gossip and that's something we don't need. Amanda, what's the mood with the two guys? Are they in or are we going to have to make personnel adjustments? For that matter, are you in?"

"I'm in. I won't leave him or the team. I'm where I was destined to be. I'm in. As for the guys, let me talk with them. It's not really a deal-breaker with them. They've seen Agent Talley at his best and they signed on. This is just a bump in the road and we'll keep them at arms' length from the emotional crap. Agreed?"

As Carina rose to go upstairs Amelia grabbed her hand. "You be careful with him, hija. I know how you feel. Do not let it interfere with how you handle him. He's just a man now."

"I know, Amelia, I know. He's always been 'just a man' to me but I know what you mean to say. I'll be careful."

Carina knocked at the door of the Talley's bedroom and then eased in. The draperies were closed against the heat of the late afternoon sun but she could make out the outline of Chuck sitting on the edge of the bed. She didn't know how long he'd been awake but she kicked herself for not being here when he woke up.

"It's OK, Shorts. I'm not going to do anything dramatic like paint the ceiling with my brain. That was stupid and immature and a purely emotional reaction and I'm sorry if I frightened you. I owe you one more, honey. That's another time you saved my life. Listen, things are going to be different for a while. I have to make adjustments but I'm centered mentally. You don't have to worry."

She walked over and sat beside him, not touching him but close enough that if he leaned over a few centimeters he'd feel her and know she was there in more ways than one.

Nothing shocked her more than when he took her hand in his and whispered to himself, "We should have stayed in Mexico. We could have made it work. We could have been happy."

She didn't respond since she wasn't sure he knew that he'd verbalized what he'd been thinking. Her heart gave a staccato beat and then leveled off still at a higher rate than when she sat down.

"Chuck, Graham's flying down to speak with you. It wasn't the plan. Sarah was never supposed to leave. Lynn was expected to divorce you but then she fell for you and married you and then she got pregnant. The rest you know. There are parallels here that are freaky but Graham swears that she was never instructed to leave you and Chuck, I believe him."

"Doesn't matter. What's done is done. She got what she wanted, felt she'd met her objectives and then did what any spy does when the mission's complete. She left. Maybe she'll contact Art for another assignment and she'll explain her actions. I doubt it though. Hell, I don't know what to think."

"Art's ordered some stringent protocols, Chuck. One: no weapons. Two: one of us has to be with you at all times, no matter where you go or what you do. Three: If you go out of the house, two of us must be with you. There are no others but no exceptions, either. That means you better be able to handle a harem, boss man, because you're going to have the company of one of three beautiful and sexy spies at all times – including bed time." She tried to lighten the mood and take some of the sting out of the new rules.

"Fine. Just don't expect to tango, Shorts. Not for a while. Maybe not ever."

"Let's go feed you, Chuck. Amelia's really upset and I think seeing you alive and reasonably sane and sober will make her feel better. Uh, Faith and Amanda are OK with it, by the way. Amanda's talking to the guys and explaining what went down and why the Director's coming. Crap! I forgot to tell Amelia about dinner. C'mon, Chuck. Kitchen. Now."

Director Graham arrived by limo and immediately sequestered himself with Chuck in the team's office. He spent an hour going over things, issues and concerns and when the two emerged, their mood was 'thoughtful and brooding'.

"Chuck, it was all her own doing. If she'd waited just one or two more hours, I'd have called with the 18-month furlough like we discussed. I'm sorry, son. I have no idea what was going through her mind."

"Well, don't keep us on the damned sidelines, Director. I – I mean we – need missions to establish cohesiveness. I've got a great team of operators and there's no reason to let my personal problem get in the way of operations. Task us. We won't let you down."

"Well, we'll see. For the next couple of days though, my protocols are law for Team Talley. I'll talk with Carina and Ward and see if they feel 'comfortable' with things before tasking. Live with it, Talley. It's how it's going to be."

"Fine. I have to live with it but not like it. We'll set up the Team just like New Orleans except I'll be with Carina and not Ward. Task us, Art. I need the distraction."

"I said we'll see and we will. Now get your head on straight and no more of this suicide crap. You've been through the wringer and just when things seem to be coming together she pulls this crap. I'm sorry. I never should have allowed her to reconnect."

"Yeah, Art. I think Shorts and I should have stayed under the radar in Mexico. None of this crap would have happened and we'd be…"

"Talley, she was always going to bring you back to active service. It was her job."

"Just like it was Walker's to build me up to this point and then slip away? Was that the plan?"

"God damn it, Bartowski…she was in it for the long haul. You know that. Let's not speak of it again. Subject is closed. Let's eat. And later, I want to talk seriously with you about my retirement. This thing has really brought home some unpleasant realities. Think I could get a nice quiet place out here?"

"Well, there's always the apartment above the carriage house. I'd let you have it really cheap, too. Maybe in exchange for being…oh, I don't know…caretaker?"

"That might have possibilities. I'll think on it. Now, let's go and assure your team that you're not nuts and headed for a bunker. I want to see what delicacies Amelia has whipped up."

Graham passed on Talley's offer of the carriage house apartment saying that he had business in Miami. Dinner conversation had been deliberately light and Graham had regaled the new team members with tales of his early days in the Agency as well as some of the less sensitive adventures of Talley and his crew.

Carina had kept her eye on Chuck and every time he seemed to zone out she engaged him in conversation and brought him back to Earth. He was grateful for her concern but had been thinking about future missions. How would the team perform without Sarah? Then it hit him. New Orleans. The team had performed incredibly well and his wife hadn't been there at all, just a disembodied voice on the phone.

That night the three women talked about who was going to 'bed the boss' and Carina cut through any misconceptions.

"No one is going to bed the boss. He's my partner now and he's my responsibility. His wife just destroyed him and you know he needs a familiar face in his life and I'm it. We've been down this road before and I know how to handle him in bed. Wait! That didn't come out right at all. I mean I know how he sleeps and what he needs and…forget it. I'm his partner. End of discussion."

Graham left and the team cleaned up the dinner debris not wanting to leave Amelia a mess to deal with. Chuck announced he was going to shower and then go to bed and asked Faith to do the lock-down honors. Carina followed him up the stairs and into his master bedroom.

"Carina, I know the drill. I'm going to take a shower. If you want to keep me company," his eyes narrowed and then he smiled, "you can sit on the pot and talk to me. As for bed, wear clothes and we'll do fine. I'm not suicidal, Carina, not any more. I won't give the her the satisfaction."

Carina breathed a sigh of relief. Another crisis behind them and he seemed to be 'back in the game'. She smirked and went to her own room for sleep wear and then she'd see what the night held. It had been ages since she'd slept in his arms but she'd settle for a 'midnight migration' and let whatever happened happen. She'd deal with it in the morning. This was no different than sleeping with him in New Orleans.

At 6am Mountain Time, Debbie Dingle, 28, caught a cab for the main terminal and picked up her pre-paid ticket for Mexico City. She was joining a Singles Tour of Central Mexico and the Yucatan and merged with the group, one more brunette single girl on the prowl for a boyfriend or husband.

She spent the flight sitting between two 30-year old accountants from Denver who spent the flight discussing the new tax rulings. She ignored them and dozed and if she dreamed, she didn't remember them.