I am so, so sorry about the wait. Real life got in the way and my muse evaporated for the longest time. But to make it up to you, I am posting this chapter and the next one (the epilogue) at the same time, so that you don't have to wait any longer for the conclusion. My apologies for the wait!

~cosette141

After the night Ellie had—kidnapping, guns, and, oh, right, the fact that her brother had been secretly working for the CIA—Ellie didn't think there was anything that would shock her anymore.

And yet, she found herself, Chuck, Sarah and Casey walking into the Orange Orange.

After they'd been rescued from that… wherever the place was, Chuck and Ellie were quickly led out of the building and into a car with Sarah and Casey, who had stressed that getting them "back to Castle" was their priority; their teams would handle the rest.

So, Ellie had sat in the backseat of the car next to Chuck, holding his hand tight enough to break it, half-wondering the entire trip if she would wake up from a horrible nightmare.

Chuck had talked to Sarah and Casey a bit, asking how they found him and Ellie, and some other things that, quite frankly, Ellie wasn't paying attention to.

She just wanted to go home.

But at her whisper of the desire, Chuck said they had to go to Castle first, whatever that meant.

It was when they pulled around the back of the frozen yogurt shop that Ellie was wondering if they all went crazy.

But now inside, Chuck led her behind Sarah and Casey, who walked straight to the freezer. They walked inside, meeting another door. Casey typed in a code, a red light flashed across his face, and that door hissed open.

"Welcome to Castle," said Chuck with a nervous smile at her, and Ellie couldn't help gaping.

The whole place was like a base of operations straight out of a spy movie. Monitors were everywhere, a dozen different rooms and things that looked like prison cells, and guns and weapons hung on a far wall.

Ellie barely kept herself from gaping.

This was underneath the frozen yogurt shop the whole time?!

"Ellie?"

Ellie felt herself snapped back to the present, seeing Sarah and Chuck staring at her worriedly.

"We're going to talk to Beckman," said Sarah softly, hand still to her injured side, gesturing to where Casey walked off to. To both Ellie and Chuck, Sarah said, "It's probably best if you're not there. Ellie knowing, and all," she added quieter. Chuck nodded, not looking all that disappointed to be missing it.

But Ellie suddenly noticed Chuck wince, a hand tenderly on his abdomen, and she kicked herself for forgetting about his knife wound.

But she paused, remembering it was a bullet wound.

"Chuck," said Ellie at the bottom of the stairs, hands out to steady him as he winced. "Are you okay?"

Sarah paused on her way to the conference room, suddenly concerned.

"Think so," he said, but when he removed his hand from where he'd been holding his side, it revealed a bit of blood on his shirt.

Ellie's brows kneaded. "You pulled some stitches," she said. "I can—" But she stopped herself, looking at him. "I mean, only if you wanted me to—"

But Chuck smiled through his wince. "Thanks."

"You can use the infirmary," said Sarah. "Chuck—"

"I know where," he said. But they saw Sarah's hand to her own side, and Chuck began, "But what about you?"

"It was just a graze," said Sarah with a reassuring grin. "Nothing that can't wait."

Before either of them could stop her, Sarah left, and Chuck sighed. But he led her down a hallway to the infirmary, Ellie hovering closely to his side.

The room was small but stocked with almost as many medical supplies as an operation room at the hospital. Helping Chuck onto the chair, Ellie found what she needed, and slipped on some gloves.

She carefully lifted the bottom of his shirt, wincing at Chuck's hiss where the material caught. "Sorry," she whispered.

And she paused there, feeling frozen as she saw more clearly what he had showed her earlier.

It was a bullet wound.

Ellie had treated several—they were usually the result of accidents, however.

This was no accident.

Someone had tried to kill her brother.

How did things go so quickly from healing cuts and scrapes to bullet wounds?

"Ellie…?"

Ellie shook herself a little. Chuck was looking at her worriedly. "Did I mess it up that badly?" he asked.

"Um, no," she said, shaking herself again. "No, it's… it looks all right." One of the stitches was pulled, but it looked like it was healing well. And Ellie suddenly realized that Sarah was probably almost as equipped to handle dressing wounds as she was.

Ellie worked in quiet, but not uncomfortable silence, until she'd bandaged it up again for Chuck. When she was done, Chuck sat up a little. "Thanks, El," he said softly. And after a hesitation, he added, "Are you okay? Seriously?"

Ellie sank to the stool in the room, wondering if she was.

"If there's anything you wanted to talk about…" said Chuck softly. "I finally can now."

Ellie looked at him for a long moment. She suddenly thought of all the times she'd asked him to talk, to tell her things. Of all the questions she had and the things that never added up.

"Mother's Day," she whispered after a moment, looking at Chuck, who was already looking concernedly at her, like he half-expected her to break.

Something like guilt and pain passed through his eyes.

"Last year, Mother's Day," said Ellie again, hollowly. "You said you were helping Casey, and I went to find you and…"

Chuck shut his eyes, letting out a weary sigh. Opening his eyes, he said, "A mission… went wrong. Sarah and Casey were abducted and… I had to help them."

"I went to Casey's! No one was there!"

Chuck had stared at her, absolute pain in his eyes.

"What, were you kidnapped?" she'd snapped, voice hurt.

"Me?" Chuck had said softly. "No…"

Ellie shut her eyes.

The next morning, Chuck had looked like he hadn't slept at all.

She'd thought it served him right, standing her up for his new friend and brand new girlfriend.

"Tearing up the living room," she said distantly, mind racing from everything that didn't make sense to their correct places in the puzzle. "Looking for some giant fish?"

"Mission," said Chuck softly.

Ellie took a breath.

"Ellie, are you okay?" asked Chuck, voice unsteady with worry.

"It's just… a lot to take in," she said. Shaking her head, she said, "Chuck, your life is at risk doing this. I almost just lost you twice in one week!"

Chuck grimaced. "I don't have a choice, El," he whispered, pained.

Ellie felt her brows crease. All she wanted to do was tell him to quit or force the US government to let him, but from the way Chuck explained the situation…

"Why did it have to happen to you?" asked Ellie, voice just as pained.

"I ask myself that every day," said Chuck with honesty. He sighed, biting his lip before saying, "Ellie, there's nothing I want more than to get this Intersect out of my head and get back to a normal life. But…" He hesitated, the smallest smile at the corners of his lips. "It led me to Sarah."

Ellie suddenly remembered what also didn't make sense. "You said she's your handler and your girlfriend? They allow that?"

Chuck paused, wincing again. "Sarah's not my girlfriend."

Ellie froze. "What?"

"We're not a couple," said Chuck, though the words seemed to hurt him. "We just… pretend to be."

Ellie gaped. "You what?"

Of all the things Ellie couldn't believe tonight, that was tied with Chuck is a spy.

"It's just for the cover," said Chuck, words that sounded worn and used too many times. "It's… it's so people don't question why I spend so much time with her. And all of our missions are disguised as 'dates.'" Shutting his eyes, he said, "It's all fake."

Ellie felt her mind race through all the times she spent with Chuck and Sarah. From holidays to casual outings to the nights that Sarah had spent the night. "But she came over and stayed with us and—" mumbled Ellie.

"Security breaches," said Chuck numbly. "Or just because we thought you and Awesome didn't buy it."

Ellie blinked. There was no way that was all fake. "Chuck," she said, watching the emotions in his eyes, remembering the hug the moment he and Sarah saw each other earlier tonight. "Do you love her?"

His head lifted.

He didn't say anything, but his eyes did.

"Chuck," said Ellie gently. "You and Sarah might have… have faked your status and your dates but… you can't fake the way you look at each other. The way she looks at you."

"Really?" he asked, something so hopeful in his eyes.

"Really," she said with a little smile. "That girl is yours, whether she admits it or not. No one can act that well."

Chuck smiled.

And Ellie's grew, because she's never seen him light up this way before. Not even with Jill, way back when.

She thought back to Chuck's birthday, when Chuck coined this all began. She'd thrown him a party in hopes that he'd meet a girl, and fall in love.

It seemed her wish had come true.

"But that's not all, either," said Chuck suddenly. "It's like… I obviously don't want to be dangled off skyscrapers and be shot at—" Ellie tensed. "And I can't wait for this to be over, but… Ellie, I've actually helped people. I saved them. Me. My whole life, the most I've been a hero is when I save the world in a video game." He shook his head a little, like he was still in awe of the fact. "It's just… I never thought I'd matter like that. You know?"

Ellie couldn't find her voice.

She and Devon often felt that way, that being doctors, saving peoples' lives gave them that feeling. Made them something bigger than themselves, made them matter to the world.

With all the dreams Chuck had in Stanford, the plans to go backpacking in Europe—she'd always known he'd wanted to make a mark.

And not that she wanted him to do so in something so dangerous, not to mention against his will, but the fact that he finally felt that way about himself…

It made her happy to realize that he finally was able to see himself for just as amazing as she always knew him to be.

"What?!"

Sarah and Casey couldn't help tensing at Beckman's exclamation.

They'd just finished recounting the events of the night, putting them into the shortest terms possible. But it didn't change the fact that, once again, they failed to keep Chuck out of danger. And this time, not only was a civilian put at risk—Ellie—but Chuck's cover with her was blown as well.

Things weren't exactly looking up.

That is, thought Sarah, holding the thick gauze pad to her side, except for the fact that both Chuck and Ellie were now safe and sound, as well as unharmed.

"All the Fulcrum agents who had any information about Bartowski are either dead or in our capture," said Casey robotically. He'd been stone-silent the entire ride home, and Sarah knew he had to be feeling just as much shame for letting it get as close as it did as she was. "In the midst of it," he added, "we've managed to recover plenty of Fulcrum's database and shut down their base of operations."

Beckman took off her glasses, letting out a weary sigh. She took a long moment, seeming to try to find words to say. Then, putting her glasses back on, she said, "The asset's sister," she said. "She's aware that he's both an asset for us and the Intersect?"

"In all fairness," said Sarah, "that part doesn't mean a whole lot to her."

Beckman sighed. "At this point of breaches, I'm tempted to shut down this operation and put them both underground."

Sarah's chest seized. "General—" she began, but Casey cut her off.

"General," he said, "with all due respect, it wasn't two breaches in security. It was one that we overlooked. And it's something that will never happen again."

The way he spoke the words felt like he was grinding each syllable into cement.

Sarah swallowed. Turning to the monitor, she said, "I was within yards of Chuck nearly the whole time. We can protect Chuck. I think we've proven that."

At the thought, Sarah felt the graze twinge a little in pain.

Beckman was quiet for a long moment. Then, "This sister. We trust her?"

"Yes," said Sarah at the same time Casey said, "Affirmative."

"Nothing like the asset's best friend?"

"If you're asking if she has brain cells, then yes," muttered Casey.

Sarah fought the urge to roll her eyes. "To be honest, General… her knowing is going to make things easier for Chuck. Might make the Intersect work better," she tried.

Beckman gave her a look, but let out another breath.

"One more chance," she said finitely, making Sarah let out a breath in relief. "One more chance. If there's one more close call, he's going underground."

Sarah practically felt Casey release the same relieved breath she had.

Beckman ended the call, and Sarah shut her eyes.

"Is that serious?"

Her eyes opened to see Casey's eyes on the gauze pressed to her side. "Minor graze," said Sarah.

He nodded. "I'll get to work on getting more security measures for Chuck's apartment and anywhere else that could use a tune up." The way he said it, a slight urgency in the words gave into just how worried he'd been all night.

Sarah nodded, hiding a smile that Chuck managed to get through to the most hard-as-steel agent she knew.

But Casey hesitated, his eyes flicking back to her side to her face, and said quietly, "Good work, partner."

He walked off, and Sarah felt herself smile, knowing that she was able to keep her promise.

She would never let anything happen to Chuck again.

Sarah found Chuck and Ellie in the infirmary to give them the good news that they could go home. Both looked exhausted and more than ready to go home. They weren't the only ones. It was a long day.

Chuck hissed a little, getting off the chair in the infirmary. Sarah was more than relieved that Chuck was safe, and that she could breathe again.

Ellie suddenly noticed the gauze pad to Sarah's side. "I can help you with that," said Ellie suddenly, standing, reaching for another pair of gloves.

Sarah blinked.

No one's offered her medical assistance before, outside of people who did so for a living.

It stunned her for a second to hear.

"I… no, Ellie, you don't have to—" mumbled Sarah.

"As my gratitude for saving my life, and Chuck's," said Ellie with a little smile, and Sarah felt herself biting her lip. Then, added, "I'm a doctor; it's what I do."

"Um, sure," said Sarah. Exchanging a look with Chuck, Sarah switched seats with Chuck.

"I'll…" said Chuck, clearing his throat, "I'll give you some privacy, then." With one more look back, he left.

Sarah hesitantly sat down, and let Ellie work on cleaning and bandaging the wound.

When she was done, Sarah sat up, giving her a smile she usually reserved for Chuck.

Before she met Chuck, aside from a few occasions with Bryce, all of Sarah's smiles were fake.

"Thanks," said Sarah.

But Ellie threw away the gloves she'd worn, and sat down on the stool. "I think that's what I should be saying to you," she said.

Sarah just shook her head. "It's my job to save my asset from a bull—"

"Not that," said Ellie, though she paused and said, "well, of course, that, but… I meant for protecting him all this time when I couldn't."

Sarah stilled, realizing the deeper reason why Ellie wanted her alone.

And it made her tense a little, because she was never good with the emotional things.

"I, um… it's my job," she found herself saying.

No matter how much more protecting Chuck has become.

"No, it's not," said Ellie softly, knowingly, and Sarah felt her cheeks heat up a touch. "You care about him. Not pretending, not fake, not as an 'asset' thing," said Ellie confidently.

Sarah didn't know what to say.

For once, she didn't think she could lie convincingly about the way she cared about Chuck.

But Ellie seemed to understand that it was uncomfortable for her, and said instead, "But, honestly… I promised I would look after Chuck ever since we were kids. I was his older sister," she said softly. "But to know everything he's been going through…" Her eyes shut, and Sarah felt her chest squeeze with empathy. Ellie's eyes opened, emotion shining through. "Thank you for keeping him safe when I couldn't. When I can't," she added, her eyes gaining a fear for the uncertain future.

Sarah found herself smiling a little. "Ellie… Chuck thinks the world of you. He's done so much to protect you, and lying to you… it tore him apart." She sighed. "He's really something amazing." she said, warmth rising in her chest.

"He is," agreed Ellie.

Finding their way back to Chuck, Ellie suddenly froze, realizing something.

Devon.

"Ellie?" asked Chuck worriedly.

"Devon," she gasped. "Devon's home by now and he's probably worried sick—"

Her heart pounded.

How was she supposed to tell him?

Would he even believe her?

"Ellie," said Chuck, shutting his eyes before opening them. "About that… you can't… tell Aw–Devon that I'm a… spy," he managed.

Ellie froze. "What do you mean I can't?"

"I mean," said Chuck, "that anyone who knows the truth about me, or any of this… is in danger."

Ellie felt her eyes burn. "But—"

"Ellie," said Sarah gently. "We just managed to keep Chuck from underground protection. And you, as well." Concern in her own eyes, she said, "Devon knowing the truth puts him in danger. You want to protect him, don't you?"

"Yes, but—"

"It hurts," said Chuck, his voice thick with emotion. "Lying, keeping things from people you love, pretending…" At the last word, she saw his eyes shift briefly to Sarah, in such a subtle move she didn't even think he meant to. He went on, "Lying to you, Ellie… it killed me." His eyes were suddenly brimmed with tears, and Ellie could see every ounce of pain he'd felt in regards to her. "Ellie," he whispered. "I had to keep you safe, regardless of… of how much it hurt. Because it was about you, not me."

Ellie felt her own eyes burn with tears, wondering how she could have missed this. How terribly he'd been hurting, and how much he'd been doing this for her.

After all the time she'd blamed him for not caring about her enough.

"I'm sorry you found out," said Chuck, wiping away a tear that fell. "I wish you hadn't, because I know how much you hate lying, and now you have to lie to Devon and I hate that I made you do that and I'm so sorry you know now and—"

But Ellie suddenly found herself shaking her head, raw honesty in her words as she said, "Well, I'm not."

Chuck looked up, eyes red. "What?"

Ellie took a breath. "I'm not sorry that I found out about you." Smiling a watery smile to him, she said, "Chuck… to think that I never found out, that you'd have to go on dealing with this alone, with… with thinking that I'm unhappy with you…" Her eyes burned hotter. "You and I are the only family we've ever had. And it's… growing," she said, with a slight smile toward Sarah, and the thought of Devon, "but it's still always going to be first and foremost you and me. And if I have to do this, lie for you…" She smiled past the hardship she knew would come with it, and took Chuck's hand. "Well, that's worth it to me. You are worth it."

Chuck simply looked at her in utter shock.

But he smiled, and he pulled her into a hug. "I love you," he whispered over her shoulder.

"I love you, too," she said right back.

When Ellie and Chuck got back home, they saw Awesome in the kitchen, pacing with his phone to his ear.

The moment he saw them, he hung up mid-sentence. "Ellie!" he exclaimed, walking quickly over. "I came home and you weren't here, and you were supposed to start your shift thirty minutes ago," he said worriedly.

Ellie exchanged a quick look with Chuck, a little panic in her eyes, but Chuck said, "I, uh, went to Sarah's," said Chuck, looking meaningfully at Ellie before turning to Awesome. "Ellie came to make sure—"

But before Chuck could finish the lie, Ellie swooped in, saying, "To… make sure the three of us were… good." She smiled a little, and Chuck's brows rose in surprise. Turning back to Devon, Ellie said, "We had some brother-sister bonding and… some brother's girlfriend-sister bonding." A little crease in her brow, she said, "We… lost track of time."

Awesome hesitated, looking from Chuck to Ellie.

Then, he smiled.

"That's…" he began, seeming to search for a word. "Awesome," he landed on, not surprisingly, but Chuck felt himself relax. To Ellie, Awesome asked, "So… everything's kosher between you three?"

"Yeah," said Ellie, smiling at Chuck. "We… really talked things out."

Chuck felt enormous relief in his chest.

"Phew," said Awesome. "Well, that constitutes an emergency if I'd ever seen one. You were lucky, though. I was about two minutes from calling the cops." With a nervous chuckle, he said, "I started thinking you guys were kidnapped or something."

Chuck and Ellie tried to laugh, but only made it to a winced smile.

"All right," said Awesome with a relieved exhale. "I'm going to bed. Glad the crisis is over." He kissed Ellie's forehead, and left for their bedroom.

Chuck and Ellie both let out a breath of their own.

Chuck's brows kneaded. "You okay?"

Ellie took a breath, seeming to think about it. Then, she turned to Chuck. "You're okay. So I'm okay."

Chuck smiled.

Chuck walked into his bedroom, flipping on the light, seeing Sarah sitting on the chair in the corner of his room.

He smiled, something tickling his chest at the sight of her.

But it faded, and he asked with sudden concern, "Don't tell me something else happened—"

"No," she said quickly, standing. "You're safe."

Chuck relaxed. Brows kneading, he asked, "Are you feeling okay? After…?"

Sarah smiled. "It was just a graze. Honestly, I'm fine." Smile fading a little, she said, "I'd have taken the whole bullet if it meant saving you."

The words suddenly felt a little more than what an agent would tell their handler.

Maybe Ellie was right.

The hope grew in Chuck's chest, but he still kept it at bay.

It was still Sarah.

He'd live on the idea that he and she were possible. For now, that was enough.

Chuck felt himself watching her, and reading the guilt in her eyes. She'd gotten worse at hiding her emotions the longer they'd worked together.

"You don't need to blame yourself," he said softly. "You know that, right?"

Sarah looked up, her eyes saying that she did not know that.

"You and Casey have saved me, like, a thousand times," said Chuck with a little reassuring smile. "So, no, I am not going to hold one mistake against you."

"But—" she began.

"I'm here, and I'm safe, and Ellie's safe," said Chuck with a smile. "You saved me. You and Casey have nothing to feel guilty for."

"I…" Sarah shut her eyes briefly, her fingers suddenly fidgeting a little, and he realized he's never seen her like this before. "I just… I can't lose you." she finished softly. Opening her eyes, she looked at him. "As an asset, or…"

She didn't finish, but Chuck heard what she didn't say.

And it made him feel speechless for a moment, because it was the first time Sarah had even inched toward the idea of them, ever since her agreeing to their—derailed—first real date a few months ago.

Damn, he had to get the Intersect out of his head.

But he wanted to ease her discomfort and take the hope, the realization that her feelings were there, even if she couldn't do anything with them yet.

"I feel the same," he said just as softly.

Sarah smiled, something almost a little shy.

A little beat of silence passed, and she swallowed. Then, "We, um… Casey and I haven't managed to put up any of the new security features yet. Would it be okay it—obviously for your protection, after what happened… I stay?"

Chuck felt like he lost the ability to speak for a moment.

But he shook himself, saying, "Uh—yeah, of—of course, if you… if you want," he stumbled through.

"If it's okay," said Sarah.

"More than," whispered Chuck. But shook himself again, clearing his throat. "I mean, yeah. That's fine," he managed.

Sarah smiled, something little at the corners of her lips.

And Chuck smiled too.

They both got into bed, sleeping with plenty of space between them, but Chuck still couldn't help the warmth in his chest with her near.

And he still couldn't believe that the most painful, terrifying day of his life had led to a life where he not only got his sister back, and rekindled their relationship… but also managed to get the answer to a question he'd been asking himself ever since Sarah walked into the Buy More with a broken Intellacell.

It was possible.

And he couldn't wait until it became real.