A/N: This one, and the epilogue. I hope the last chapter's drink names didn't mentally scar you. This one…well…this is gonna get a bit ugly.
Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck
"Uh, that may be a bit impossible," Chuck replied, scratching at the back of his neck. "I can hack, but to really be Piranha… I need Chardonnay."
"Christ," Casey muttered.
"That's a shame," Sarah said, softly, making Chuck turn to her. "I was really looking forward to seeing the bad-boy side of you." Sarah was looking away, and her cheeks were slightly pink.
"Um… you… what?" Chuck asked, confused.
"Sarah, you mean you haven't told him?" Zondra asked. Chuck looked at Zondra, and then back at Sarah. Sarah gave the slightest shake of her head. "Well," Zondra said, grinning at Sarah.
"What am I missing?" Chuck asked.
"Sarah might have a bit of a…" Zondra trailed off.
"I've got a thing for…" Sarah trailed off, as well. "It's not important."
Chuck looked from Zondra to Sarah, missing Casey rolling his eyes. "Christ," he repeated. "Bartowski, think you can hack Wang, and make it look like he's been skimming off of the other leaders?"
"I can do that!" Chuck replied. He glanced at Sarah. "I would have to break a few dozen banking laws." She smiled at him. He jumped up and ran to his… her… their, guest house.
"Tell me I don't need to scrub my brain," Casey pleaded.
"I made that up on the fly," Sarah admitted, making everyone laugh. "I figured he just needed the same confidence he got with the alcohol."
"I don't like this," Gertrude said.
"This will get rid of him," Casey began.
Gertrude shook his head. "Not this guy. This guy is…" She got up and walked out of the room. Casey watched her go. Molly stood to follow her.
"Give her a bit," Casey said. "You know how she gets."
"I do," Molly said. Chuck came back into the main house with his laptop. "Did you see Gertrude by any chance?"
"I did not," Chuck admitted. He opened his laptop. "Guys, I can't get a signal." He pulled out his cellphone. "Nothing." Chuck looked at Casey.
"Sonofabitch!" Casey yelled. He got up, and ran, Chuck following close after him.
"What the hell is going on?" Sarah asked.
"Gertrude!" Casey yelled. He saw her drive through the gate, the gate close, and she got out of the car. She took a key, and locked something on the control pad. "Gertrude, what are you doing?!"
"Finishing this!" Gertrude snapped. "I've watched you tear yourself up inside over what happened years ago. I've watched you try to watch over the people you love, destroying yourself a little every day for not doing more. John, this ends."
"Let me help you," Casey began.
"No, this ends, and I know how to end it," Gertrude told Casey. "I love you."
"Gertrude, that's cold-blooded murder!" Casey reminded her.
"By the law, yes," Gertrude said with a nod. "But, we both know it's not."
"Gertrude… mom…" Molly began.
"Don't worry about me, babygirl… it's time you and Chuck got to live your life," Gertrude told her. With that, she got in the car, and drove away.
"Casey, we have to go after her!" Zondra told him.
"We can't," Chuck told her. Zondra looked at him. "She has literally locked us out of everything. It's the ultimate failsafe that I created. Once we are locked out, there is no signal, no way of opening the gates. The only thing we could do is swim out of here, but even if we did, we'd have no supplies, vehicles or anything. Once everything is locked down, for the next 24 hours, only the key that was used to start the lockdown is functional."
"We need to double-check, and see if she missed something," Casey said. Chuck gave him a look. "I know, but we need to do something."
"I could start swimming," Chuck offered.
"And by the time you got somewhere, where you could use the internet, what are you gonna do? She'll have hours of a head start," Casey pointed out. "She knew what she was doing."
"Yeah, and neither of us should have been surprised," Chuck admitted.
}o{
Five hours later
"Okay, that's it, I'm going to swim," Chuck told Casey. "We should have heard something by now."
"Keep your shorts on," Casey growled. "Gertrude is doing this smart. She's not going to rush things. Besides, maybe you do find something… what are you going to do, swim back? Just be glad she didn't lock us in the house… or out of the house."
"Casey," Chuck began.
"The gate is opening," Molly said, running into the living room. Everyone jumped up and ran for the door. They got outside in time to see Gertrude open the car door, and be tackled by Molly.
"It's over, sweet girl," Gertrude said softly. She looked at Anna. "Your mom is safe." Anna gave her a thankful look.
"You didn't have to," Molly began.
"Yes, I did," Gertrude began. She looked up. "Casey."
"Choppers," Casey said, following her sight. "Everyone inside, now!"
"Who the hell?" Sarah asked. "Casey, are those… are those ours?"
"Holy shit," Casey muttered. Two choppers landed in the yard.
"Go unlock the house," Gertrude told Molly, handing her the key. "Don't worry, I won't let them take me until we say good-bye." Molly looked stricken. "Go on," she urged. Molly ran off.
"Chuck, what do we do?" Sarah asked.
"I have no idea," he admitted. "No idea."
The doors of the choppers opened, and men in black suits got out, quickly patting down the civilians in the front yard. Sarah told them to hold on, and began to hand the men weapons from all over her person.
"Stand down agents… enough of that, Walker!" a tall man yelled, coming out of one of the choppers. "We'll be here all day, waiting for all of those weapons."
"Director Graham?" Sarah asked.
"General!" Casey said, saluting, as a small woman came out of the other helicopter.
"Go open the front gates, we're expecting someone," the small woman said to her men. They took off. "Chuck Bartowski," she said softly, walking over, and offering Chuck her hand. "General Diane Beckman, NSA."
"Langston Graham, CIA," the tall man said. Chuck shook her hand, and then Graham's. "May we go inside? We have much to discuss."
"I don't know," Chuck said, making Casey's eyes go wide. "Are you here to arrest Gertrude?"
"No," they both answered.
"Then, please, come in," Chuck said, and then paused. "Actually, it's not my place to invite you in."
"We are aware," Beckman said, a smile on her face. Molly came back from turning everything on. "Molly Bartowski," Beckman said in a low voice. "It is an honor to meet you."
"Miss Bartowski, I am Langston Graham, and I am so sorry about your parents. May we please come in, and talk with you?" Langston asked. Molly looked at Chuck, who looked at Gertrude. Gertrude nodded, and Chuck turned to Molly, who was grinning as Chuck nodded.
"I guess my 'rents said it's okay," Molly replied.
"I am not a 'rent," Chuck muttered.
"I sure as hell am not a 'rent," Gertrude said clearly.
}o{
Everyone was seated, as two new faces joined the group in the living room. "What are you doing here?" Chuck asked, anger on his face as he rose, to face the man and the woman.
"Now Charles," the man began.
"You don't get to ever say now Charles to me. Do you understand?" Chuck responded, nearly hissing.
"That's your father," the woman began.
"No, it's his sperm donor," Ellie said, standing, daggers in her eyes. "A father wouldn't have played mind games with his son, and driven him to drink!"
"I had no idea he was going to overreact that way!" Stephen protested.
"I swear, the first time I see you in years, and what do you do? You don't apologize for destroying my life, you defend your actions!" Chuck blurted out. Mary started to walk toward Chuck when Sarah stood and cut in front of her.
"Please, give me a reason," Sarah said with no emotion in her voice. Everyone saw Mary visibly gulp.
"You need to get out of my way, girlie," Mary said. "This is a family affair."
"That's why she's there," Ellie said. "Meet my sister, or soon to be, Sarah Walker." Ellie paused, as Mary digested that nugget of information. "Sarah, will you be changing your name to Bartowski?"
"I might change mine to Walker," Chuck replied. "Get away from the curse of the Bartowski name."
"Agent, back away from Mr. Walker… I mean Mr. Bartowski," Langston said. Mary gave Graham a look, rolled her eyes, but stepped back. "You just can't keep from screwing this operation up, can you?"
"Director, that is not fair!" Mary protested.
"You caused this little girl's parent's death," Graham began. Then he turned to Molly. "Excuse me… young lady. I still find it hard to believe it has been five years."
"That is untrue!" Mary continued.
"Shut. Up," Graham told her. Mary clamped her mouth shut. "And then TODAY! TODAY, MARY BARTOWSKI! You had the chance to take out the man who killed a CIA asset, and you did nothing!"
"I was following orders, and protecting my asset!" Mary argued.
"You mean your husband," Stephen cut in.
"Hush," Mary said. Stephen nodded.
"No, Dad, she means her asset," Chuck told his father. Stephen stared at him, as Mary was dumbstruck. "Who's idea was it for you two to go into hiding?"
"It was hers," Stephen said.
"You told me Stephen did not feel safe," Graham reminded Mary. Mary remained silent.
"Who's idea was it to do what you did to me?" Chuck asked.
"It was…" Stephen turned to Mary. "Your mother's."
"I was completing my mission!" Mary pointed out.
"Your mission is complete, Agent Frost," Graham said. "I will expect your papers on my desk within the week."
"Director!" Mary began to protest.
"Within. The. Week." Graham said. He turned to Gertrude. "Thank you for reaching out to General Beckman."
"Gerty?" Casey said in wonder.
"I told her what I was going to do, after I went to Mary and pleaded for her to back me up," Gertrude said.
"Mr. Bartowski," Beckman said.
"Yes," Stephen and Chuck replied.
"Piranha," Beckman clarified as Chuck went pale. "Oh, knock it off." Chuck gulped. "Do you think you could access the NSA records, and create a file for Agent Verbanski?"
"General?" Gertrude asked.
"Yeah," Chuck answered. Beckman stared at him. "Oh, you mean… now?" Beckman nodded.
Sarah plopped his laptop in his lap. "Show me what those fingers can do," she said softly into his ear. Chuck's eyes widened, and began to type furiously.
"Wow," Zondra said, sitting back. "If I'd have known you could do all of that, I might have let you have a shot at me."
"And then you would have been ruined for everyone," Chuck retorted.
"Director Graham," Mary began.
"Agent Frost, you are dismissed," Graham said, finality in his tone.
Mary turned and stormed out.
"What about the Intersect?" Stephen asked.
"It's dead," Beckman said. "Forget about it. You might want to hurry, before you're stuck here."
Stephen turned, began to leave, and paused. "Good-bye kids." Neither Chuck nor Ellie replied. Stephen hurried out the door.
"Molly, the money, it is yours, and no one else will be coming after it," Graham told her. "Wang is dead, and his associates perished in a shootout, while they were being apprehended.
"It's over," Molly said.
"It is," Graham told her.
"Done!" Chuck said. Sarah stared at the computer and then at Chuck. "What?"
"Wow, I didn't know I had a thing for computer guys, but apparently, I do," Sarah told him.
"Christ," Casey muttered.
A/N: In the past I have been told I go to easy on Mary. This fic…I have not. Before you yell, think about it, she went undercover and left her family, for her mission. Maybe I've been too harsh, maybe I paint Stephen too much of a bumbling fool. I call this fic Life's A Beach for a reason. Some of you have never caught on if you say beach a certain way, it really changes the title of the fic.