Published November 27, 2020

A/N: Like many Black Friday sales, you missed this one. Even if you got prepared, it doesn't matter. Too many people took more than one, despite Anna's orders. It still didn't matter because the Buy More was shut down for a gas leak before everything was gone. Also, Ellie wasn't there, so this chapter is after that.

This chapter is a little similar to "The Intersect Couple vs Flashing," chapter 7, "Be Somewhere Else." Like that one, there's the obvious need to be somewhere else. There's one other similarity, but you'll see. Unlike that one, Sarah doesn't have the Intersect, Chuck and Sarah aren't engaged, Jill isn't on the loose after killing someone, Ellie knows that Chuck has the Intersect and that Sarah's a spy, Devon found out two chapters ago (even though he didn't believe it until last chapter), and Morgan's safe.

This chapter was originally going to wrap up the story, so you can thank davida6 for the beta work, or "blame" him for encouraging the story not to end with this chapter.

Black Friday, November 23, 2007

In Ellie's current position, life didn't get any better: Stretching out on the couch, cuddling with her boyfriend, and watching the start of the original, black and white, Miracle on 34th Street. Yesterday, they missed the parade on TV, but the movie was better because it had the real Santa Claus. After the movie, they'd have Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch. Devon and she had the day off. They didn't have a shift at the hospital until tomorrow.

Watching a movie with Devon like that was why she was thinking for a joint gift this year, they should get a big screen TV. Devon had been complaining about having to go to the laundromat so much since they had been jogging together, starting a couple months ago. He had been happy that she was getting up early to go jogging with him. Since he now knew the secret, Ellie wondered if he'd make the connection and realize why she was getting in shape. She wouldn't stop going on runs with him because they didn't have their own washer and dryer. (She definitely wouldn't stop taking showers with him afterwards.) Last night, the casserole dish hadn't cracked on Bryce's face, and the frying pans were holding up, so a TV still seemed like the best option. They had an 'in' with the Buy More Assistant Manager, so they could get a free install.

She had spent part of the night before and that morning explaining to Devon that Chuck worked with spies and that she was the team doctor. He said that he believed most of what she said. However, he didn't believe Chuck and Sarah weren't a real couple, even when Ellie explained the catch-22: Sarah couldn't be with Chuck because then she would be sent away, on a different mission. Devon couldn't believe that someone assigned to be a protector wasn't allowed to care about her charge. Rules against agent and asset fraternization didn't make sense to him. They didn't make much sense to Ellie, either. She was simply relaying what Sarah had told her.

Snuggled up in front of the TV, she was sure of one thing. It didn't matter what Devon believed. He believed enough and was firmly on her side no matter the strange circumstances: both feet in.

Her comfort was disrupted with the sound of the door being unlocked. Chuck was working the Black Friday sales at the Buy More. He and Sarah were supposed to get rid of Bryce. Get rid of—turn him into the "good" people in the CIA—same thing. For them to be back early, something must be wrong. Ellie darted up, just in time to see the door fly open. It was Chuck and Sarah.

Ellie asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's ok. As you can see, Chuck's safe," Sarah replied. "Fulcrum found us, though. Bryce is dead. He wasn't followed here last night, or they would have attacked when Bryce was over at Casey's. That means last night, they didn't know where you live. But there's a small chance Fulcrum might connect the dots from the Buy More, to its assistant manager, to Bryce's college roommate, to Chuck, to the fact he lives here. Fulcrum shouldn't yet know they lost their team at the Buy More. We have a couple hours, but not a lot of time. The four of us need to lay low until it's safe, making ourselves scarce for about a week. Casey will trace who leaked this information and direct the cleanup from the inside."

Ellie wasn't sure what to think. Bryce was dead? She had thought that before, but then he crashed Thanksgiving dinner. She was part of both "Team Intersect" and "Team Chuck." She would do whatever was necessary for her younger brother. Bryce's fate wasn't her most important concern at the moment. "Where are we supposed to go?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead. Pack a week's worth of clothes and personal items. We won't be completely off-grid. We'll be on-grid, but we won't look like it. No need to dress up… No swimwear…" Looking directly at Devon, she said, "No gym clothes. I need to call this in."

"Call this in? What do you—"

Sarah said to the room, "Call Director Graham."

Director Graham? That was Sarah's boss in the CIA that Ellie talked with on the phone the night she knocked out Sarah. Who was Sarah asking to place the call?

The movie on the TV stopped. On the screen, a video appeared of an African-American man in his fifties, wearing a suit. He was sitting at his desk where he had been reading something on his computer screen. "Agent Walker," the man with the movie-trailer, deep voice greeted.

They had video conferencing on the TV! Ellie didn't know where a mic or a video camera were in the room. The NSA probably put it in. It wasn't a surveillance bug per se. Maybe Chuck installed it.

"Sir," Sarah said. She wasn't at attention, but she was standing formally.

"Chuck, Dr. Bartowski, and Dr. Woodcomb. Doctors, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I'm Agent Walker's superior, CIA Director of Special Operations Langston Graham. I'm in charge of the CIA part of the Intersect Project. Agent Walker, what the hell is going on? A few minutes ago, I received an alert that an emergency situation had developed at Chuck's Buy More, and rescue squads were dispatched. There was some kind of shootout, and an NSA cleanup team was sent, so I assume it's over. Also, elsewhere in Burbank, there's a car wreck and bodies on the pavement. They say they 'hope' it can be contained, but I wouldn't be surprised if something makes the news. I repeat… What the hell is going on?"

Ellie remained in stunned silence. Fortunately, Devon also did, even though he had to have major questions. She knew she had questions—like how did they have video conferencing directly from their living room to the office of a director in the CIA? That wasn't the most important question, though. Director Graham's question was right on point. What was going on? From what Ellie could tell, something went very wrong. Fortunately, Sarah provided an explanation.

"Chuck checked the CIA agents that were sent to extract Bryce at the Buy More. They were legit. I went with Bryce to oversee the hand-off. In transit, our car was rammed by a Fulcrum team. They knew he was being taken in by a CIA team and knew the route. Bryce and I took out that team, and we returned to the Buy More to defend Chuck. It was already under attack. When we arrived, Agent Casey was in a gun battle with a Fulcrum team there. Chuck had been captured by a Fulcrum agent, but he had discreetly ordered a full evacuation of the civilians in the store. Casey, Bryce and I neutralized the enemy team except the rogue agent that held Chuck, who was using him as a human shield. Bryce and Chuck said something in some language that I don't know. They knew it from college. Bryce shot Chuck—"

"What!?" Ellie interrupted. "Chuck are you ok?" She looked more closely at her brother and saw a bullet hole in his shirt. If he had been shot there, he shouldn't be standing.

"I was wearing a bullet-proof vest. Bryce confirmed it before shooting me by asking me in Klingon. I'm sore, but I'm ok."

Ellie examined the spot on Chuck's chest. He still could have broken a rib. "What was that idiot thinking? What if the man who had you had also known Klingon?"

"I'm ok," Chuck repeated.

The director asked, "What happened to Agent Larkin?"

Sarah said, "After Bryce shot Chuck, the Fulcrum agent furiously reacted by returning fire and shooting Bryce in the head. Without Chuck, he had no protection. Bryce told us last night that he had told Fulcrum that he had the Intersect. The Fulcrum agent probably thought he was destroying the Intersect so we wouldn't have it. Casey surprised the man from the side and knocked him out."

"Is Bryce really dead this time?" Ellie asked.

Devon joined the conversation. "A few months ago, Chuck and Morgan watched a movie with us, and Morgan said you have to see brain matter."

"That's in the movies, Honey."

"I know, but Bryce came to Thanksgiving last night. I assume that was because he hadn't been impaled with a wooden stake or something."

Chuck said, "He's really dead this time." He pointed at a wet spot on the shoulder of the black coat over Sarah's blue blouse.

Ellie caught the cue. "Are you saying that—"

Sarah looked at her shoulder, sighed, and took off her coat. She wadded it up and tossed it to the side of the room. Sarah said, "Yes, he's definitely dead—by fictional and real-world rules." The stain was as close to a confirmation as they were going to get.

Sarah turned back to the screen. "Sir, the NSA team, under the direction of Agent Casey, is cleaning up the Buy More. We think he should lead the internal investigation into how the existence of the Buy More hand-off leaked. I know he's NSA, but an investigation driven from the outside might be fruitful. I'm at Chuck's apartment to get everyone into hiding. There's no evidence that Fulcrum knows about this place or that they know Chuck is the Human Intersect. However, considering the Fulcrum team leader went right after him, we shouldn't chance it. We're going to clear out of here in less than twenty minutes. We can return when the leak has been sealed."

The director nodded and said, "What's your plan?"

"I'm going to take Chuck and the doctors away to where even the CIA can't find us. That won't be a problem. You know my background and that I can keep it secret from even the CIA and NSA." Ellie wondered what that meant. Sarah continued explaining her plan. "I'll be incommunicado, for the most part. I'll check-in daily with Agent Casey. He's been on the inside since the beginning and can be trusted. He said he can sort out things in a week or less, but it'd be better to stay away, just in case."

The man on the screen nodded. "That seems prudent. I do recommend that you and Chuck go someplace different than the doctors go. The biggest risks to them are staying in the apartment with no protection and being near you. As civilians, they should be fine just getting away—no need to go into complete hiding. We'll provide an excuse to get them out of their hospital shifts. I trust you to find someplace safe for you and Chuck."

That was different than what Ellie had thought. A few minutes ago, she had thought she was working tomorrow. Then, she had thought she and Devon were going with Chuck and Sarah. This sounded like an extra vacation from work. Did it mean Chuck and Sarah were getting one, too? If they were going on a trip as a couple, something had to be changed, so Ellie took the opportunity to say what she thought.

"I have a concern."

The CIA Director said, "Dr. Bartowski, we're doing this for your and Dr. Woodcomb's safety."

Ellie knew now was her chance to change things—to make them better for her brother. "I know. I'm not worried about that. Sarah will watch out for us, and we'll do what she tells us to do. My concern is about Sarah taking care of Chuck."

He wrinkled his brow. "My understanding is Agent Walker has always done an outstanding job of protecting Chuck, especially considering his tendency to get involved when he shouldn't. Chuck, in an emergency circumstance like this, Walker has complete operational authority, and you must follow her orders. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Chuck said.

Ellie said, "That wasn't my concern, either. It's nice to hear my brother might take following instructions more seriously, but I'm more concerned about a 49-B."

"Ellie!" Sarah harshly whispered.

"What's a 49-B?" Devon asked.

Fortunately, Chuck didn't say anything. He was probably too shocked that Ellie was raising any issue to the man who was clearly in charge of this spy situation with Sarah.

Director Graham said, "Why would that be an issue? Walker is your brother's cover girlfriend, not his real girlfriend. Her job is to protect the human Intersect and to follow-up Intersect flashes."

Ellie told the man next to her, "Devon, the 49-B is that stupid agent-asset rule that I told you about this morning." Director Graham was in charge, but he didn't see what she saw every day. Time to try a different approach. To the screen, she strongly said, "Chuck is a cooperating American citizen. Why is he considered an asset?"

"He's not an agent or an analyst."

"He's also not a foreign national nor a civilian with suspect loyalties. He keeps proving himself over and over, doing heroic things and saving lives. I know his innocence from cheating at Stanford was definitively proven with video evidence. His life was destroyed five years ago because of your people: a CIA agent and a CIA scientist. Chuck provided flash evidence that your own top scientist was a traitor. I'm supposed to help vet the next one, but it's been a couple months and that hasn't happened. I assume that means you haven't found anyone trustworthy enough to check. Chuck stopped a bomb from killing who knows how many people. Do I need to continue?"

"No. We're being cautious."

"That's good. But meanwhile you're treating Chuck like someone who's expendable—like an expendable 'asset.' Chuck's not an ordinary asset. He's unique."

The elder man stared at the screen for a few seconds, taking in what Ellie had said. Then he sighed. "I agree. Chuck is unique. He's not an agent, an analyst, or an asset. Technically, agent-asset rules don't apply because Chuck's identity is so secret, we left him out of the CIA and the NSA asset databases. That means the 49-B doesn't apply."

Sarah cut in, "Chuck's never been an asset?"

"Technically, no, he hasn't. We just sometimes call him that because we don't know what else to call him."

"I call him Chuck." Good for her, sticking up for Chuck as a person! In retrospect, Ellie realized Sarah did say 'Chuck' a lot. It was better than calling him 'the asset.'

"Agent Walker, you're not required to do anything other than what you've been doing to protect the Intersect. I expect you two to continue working together well. Chuck, that means stay in the car." Ellie had trouble keeping the smile off her face. Even this CIA director knew Chuck's tendency of getting out of the car. "Walker, I expect a secure update when you're settled. Chuck probably knows my private line from the Intersect."

"It doesn't work that way, Sir," she said, "but I'll contact you. Chuck has hacked the CIA phone directory before."

The CIA director disconnected, and Ellie looked over to see Chuck finishing up a flash. Devon said, "What was that? Are you ok, Chuckles?"

Sarah said, "That was a little delayed, but that was an Intersect flash."

"It looked like a seizure. That's what this Intersect thing does?" He looked to Ellie. "You knew about this? Is this safe?"

Ellie calmly answered. "I explained part of this to you last night. Bryce illegally sent Chuck an email. We don't know why he did that, but the Intersect images caused Chuck to store subliminal images into his head, so he knows government secrets. John and Sarah were first sent to investigate Chuck. With Chuck not working with Bryce, the download being an accident, and the fact he's willingly working with them, they're now protecting him. Chuck, what did you flash on?"

Chuck said, "I do know his phone number, now. Langston Graham's personal phone number is 202-555-6…" He looked to the others. "Never mind. You don't need to know that. We're not calling it this second."

"You know the personal number of a director in the CIA?" Devon asked. "That's awesome."

Sarah took charge. "That could be helpful, later, but first, we all need to pack. Chuck, in my trunk, I have necessities for two days for each of us. You should pack quickly, whatever you need for five more. Don't worry about things like your prescriptions or toothpaste. I already have those. I even put in spearmint. You only need to pack T-shirts, socks, and underwear—Nothing that would identify who you are, like your Buy More jacket. Ellie, pack quickly for a week. Nothing fancy, just the basics, ok? Oh—" She pulled a folded envelope out of her back pocket. "This has fake ids and new credit cards. They're clean. I created them myself last month." Sarah handed the envelope to Ellie.

Ellie nodded and went back to her room. This was really serious. She was part of "Team Intersect," and it was time to do her job, even if that meant going into hiding. As a member of "Team Chuck," she had already done what she could. She only hoped that Chuck and Sarah realized what not having the threat of a 49-B meant.

The doctor focused on packing. She needed no dresses and no swimsuits at a hotel with her boyfriend. She couldn't help but smile. She might not need many clothes at all. Heading to the bathroom for toiletries, she heard Sarah ask Chuck, "Do you have a big duffel bag?" Sarah had already packed a couple days for Chuck. Chuck was only packing five days for one person. Why were they running out of space? Ellie entered Chuck's room to find out why they needed something besides a suitcase.

Chuck was packing, and Sarah was reaching behind the TV, disconnecting cables. Ellie had to hold back a laugh. Sarah was in black pants, but she no longer wore her black coat. Also, her long blonde hair showed since a mask wasn't over her face. She was disconnecting Chuck's Xbox instead of his computer. One more thing: Ellie was not holding a frying pan. Despite the differences, it was how Ellie and Sarah had met two months ago. "What are you doing?"

Sarah calmly pulled out cables from behind the TV. She looked at Ellie and smiled. She caught the parallel to how they had met. Sarah touched the spot she had been hit on her head and said, "I'm not stealing it. I just thought Chuck might want something to do while we're hiding in a room for a week." Ellie looked at the bed and saw several games spread out: Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, and Mass Effect. How would Sarah know which of Chuck's games to select?

Sarah guessed the unasked question. "Chuck's said he likes them." That meant Sarah listened closely and knew what video games Chuck liked.

Ellie was pretty sure that also meant that Sarah didn't get what they were allowed to do now that the threat of the 49-B was gone. They could be a real couple. However, Sarah was packing video games for him to play. "You're going to watch Chuck play video games?" Ellie skeptically asked.

Chuck came over and babbled, "I'm not sure about those. Call of Duty is better with a group of people, but I assume I shouldn't be playing with the people at the Buy More. For you, I'm not sure about Call of Duty or Halo because you might be too good at a shooting game. Not that I'm saying it'd be a problem if you're really good at a video game. I'd rather be bored than have you doing something that felt like work. You'd probably be great at Duck Hunt or a racing game, which are less like work, but those require special controllers, which we probably shouldn't take with us because they're bulky."

Sarah frowned because the game choices weren't optimal. The situation didn't please Ellie either. Where was a frying pan when she needed one? She'd knock some sense into both of them. As she left to return to packing, she shook her head and mumbled, "No 49-B. Why would you need something else to do in a hotel room?"

A few minutes later, Ellie was as ready as she and Devon could be in the limited amount of time. Devon had been good, keeping out the weights. Part of her wanted to pack some of her nicer bras, but she convinced herself to be also be good. They weren't leaving to have fun. Anyway, there were other ways to have fun that didn't require lingerie, fancy underwear, or any clothes.

She went out to get Devon in the kitchen. He was collecting energy bars so they wouldn't have to stop at a convenience store. He also had a couple pretzel packages and those fruit and nut mix bags that she liked. It was nice how he always thought of her needs. He'd definitely cave and get that big screen TV. First, she needed to find out where they were going, so she set the suitcase in the hall and knocked as she opened Chuck's door.

What she saw surprised her. Chuck and Sarah were deeply kissing.

Calling it "kissing" was putting it mildly. This wasn't a cover kiss on the cheek, like Ellie had seen several times before. They looked like they were trying to swallow each other whole. Each had both hands on the other's checks, and they were swaying into it so much that they were barely keeping their balance. They must have figured out what no 49-B meant. They were finally a real couple.

Also, they didn't know Ellie was in the room, so she cleared her throat.

Chuck and Sarah shot apart like they had been caught, which was true because they had been "caught" by the closest thing Chuck had to a mother. They weren't going to get any criticism from Ellie, though. Sarah made Chuck more confident in himself. Sarah always was happier when Chuck was safe. Chuck put Sarah first. Sarah did the same. It was completely obvious that they loved each other.

Ellie asked her question. "Where are Devon and I going? How are we going to know you two are ok?"

Sarah wiped the corners of her lips and said to herself, "I should fix my lipstick." Then she answered Ellie, "Right. Chuck, finish up here. We need to leave and…" Go someplace safe. Continue what they were doing. Either worked as endings to that unfinished sentence.

Sarah walked out the room with Ellie, and they joined Devon in the kitchen. Sarah gave instructions. "Let me see the envelope and your cell phones. The envelope has two SIM cards inside. They will change your numbers and make you impossible to track." Sarah set everything on the counter and started swapping the chips. "I'm doing the same with Chuck's and my phones. I'll text you with our new numbers. Do not call anyone else. Not work. Not friends. Devon, not even your family. It's better if no one can find you. If you need to talk to them, call me, and I'll provide a secure procedure. They cannot know Chuck's secret. Even Morgan doesn't know it."

Closing up the second phone, she handed the phones back and continued, "Don't even call an answering service. We'll take care of cancelling your shifts. I don't care where you go. The cards have a high limit, and you don't have to worry about paying the bill. Someplace nice is fine. Keep in mind that you shouldn't be wandering around, like checking out the pool. The idea is to not be noticed. You need to go someplace between two and six hours away, not Vegas. It should be someplace you've never been. I'm not telling you where Chuck and I will be. No one can know until Casey gives us an all-clear when I check-in. Just hang tight. Enjoy the break. Things will be back to normal soon. Understood?"

They both firmly nodded. Then, Devon asked, "What about camping? I know this place called Las Vecas."

Ellie answered that one. "No. We're not sleeping on the ground. We're going someplace with a good mattress."

"Do you have everything?" Sarah asked.

Ellie nodded again.

Sarah looked at what Ellie had ready in the drying rack and said, "You shouldn't need a frying pan. We're doing this to be extra careful, going where no one will find you."

Ellie laughed. Devon asked, "Why would we need a frying pan?"

Sarah said, "You don't need a casserole dish, either."

"What's that have to do with a frying pan?" Devon asked. Ellie laughed some more. She'd have to tell Devon a little more about how she first met Chuck's girlfriend.

Chuck joined them, pulling his own suitcase. "Sarah, I'm ready, but don't we need to stop at your place?"

"That's not necessary. I said I already have 2 days. I have fake IDs for both of us. I also have a couple thousand in untraceable cash stashed someplace no one knows about. We'll make do. We're not going out to someplace fancy every evening." Sarah added with a smile, "I don't think that I'll need many clothes." Chuck's eyes widened at the implication. Ellie was surprised, too. Two days of clothes for a week? Sarah hadn't brought out the Xbox in a duffel bag; she had figured out something else to do.

Sarah looked towards the front door. "I need to run over to Casey's. He's not there, but I can get in. I want to reload, and he has extra ammo I can use." Reload? She had fired her gun. That need reinforced how serious the situation was. At least Sarah was staying with Chuck now—not going to a separate room miles away.

Sarah gave Chuck a quick peck on the lips. She took a step back to leave, then came back for a more substantial, full, close-mouth kiss. This time, when she stepped back away, her face was glowing. That kiss wasn't for cover. That was what she did now.

Shaking out her head, Sarah regained a serious expression and said, "We need to be going. It should be safe here, but the Buy More should have been safe, too. It's best not to linger. I think we'll all be happier in secluded rooms." With that loaded statement, she turned and left.

Chuck stayed frozen from Sarah's hard kiss goodbye, while Devon put his energy bars in the outer pockets of his suitcase. Chuck was too out of it to ask, so Devon skeptically asked Ellie, "Are you sure they're not a real couple?"

"I think they weren't until a few minutes ago—or they thought they weren't what was so obvious to us. They're catching up with the idea."

Chuck finished "rebooting" his brain and suddenly started digging in his wallet. He pulled out his driver's license and replaced it with another from his pocket. Then, he continued digging. He pulled out a little foil-wrapped square.

"Thank goodness." He closed his eyes and pressed it to his forehead. Then he started to put it back. Ellie knew what that was, but there were some things a sister didn't want to know.

There was something her brother didn't know either. Sarah had already returned and was standing behind Chuck with a smirk on her face. "Good to know that there's one for emergencies, but one's not enough. We better make a stop for supplies on the way." She grabbed Chuck's hand and pulled him out the door, his suitcase rolling behind. Devon caught Chuck's attention and tossed him an energy bar, also for emergencies. "It's a ginseng protein bar. It does wonders for your wang energy."

Ellie chuckled, pecked her own boyfriend on the lips, gathered their things, and started to leave. Before they were out the front, Devon said, "CIA? That I can believe. The Intersect? That's harder because it sounds like science fiction, but I saw one of those 'Intersect flashes.' Chuck had what looked like a seizure and knew things even a spy shouldn't know. So, that I believe. Chuck and Sarah not being a real couple? That I don't get. Sarah slept here a few nights ago, and she stayed here last night. If Sarah had packed for the two of them for two nights and kept it in her trunk, wouldn't she already have 'those' kind of supplies?"

Devon still didn't understand the fact that two people so clearly in love weren't allowed to be together under the risk of never seeing each other again. With everyone with the person they wanted to be with, there was no point in explaining, and Ellie definitely didn't want to think about her brother's future sex life. She was just happy that she was going to be spending a week with the man she loved and that her brother found happiness with the ninja.

A/N: Ellie: 5; Ninjas, intruders, and Boba Fett: 0. Charah: 1000; 49-B:0 (49-B: B is for Bartowski. 49 should be 0 because without the NSA trying to regulate CIA officers, it has no teeth.)

The other similarity to "The Intersect Couple vs Flashing"? In both, Bryce is now dead.

The Xbox games that Sarah got out for Chuck (mistakenly thinking that he might be bored in a hotel room with her) all came out in 2007. Mass Effect came out 1 week before this chapter was set. Since the Xbox was not taken with them, Chuck will have to teach Sarah how to play it some other time.

Ellie's not getting Thanksgiving leftovers or seeing the end of a movie she's seen a dozen times, but at least she not playing charades with Volkoff doing Lawrence of Arabia. For this "Black Friday," she and Devon stayed out of the chaos of the sales. Also, Chuck and Sarah are now out of the red for the rest of the year and beyond. Since the Black Friday sale didn't finish and the apartment is being evacuated, this could be called a "Black Friday Clearance."

Only one chapter left.

Songs:
- "Miracle on 34th Street" by Bruce Broughton for the 1994 movie (even though they were watching the 1947 version. Both movies started with the Macy's/Cole's Thanksgiving Day parade.)