The Cynic and everything at once - I


Fort Meade, Next Morning.

A trifecta of new reports reached Beckman the next morning. The oversight committee was allocating more funds for their blackop in Burbank due to the acquisition of an incredible source on an adversary as well as a diplomatic win with the Chinese for allowing them to seem responsible for a hand in removing a big chapter of "dangerous" international criminals and gangs operating in Los Angeles area. An opportunity to nip a big arms dealer and a terrorist financier on US Homeland. The assassin known as the right-hand of the council, the Panther was dead.

She read another report. SSA Bartowski could now provisionally be made a field analyst in two weeks, depending on his ability to pass basic hand-to-hand capabilities, marksmanship, and field technology requirements. The last bit got her chuckling as a Stanford Grad shouldn't have much of an issue.

An added incentive is that now they could convert it into a proper, well-supported op due to the nature of the intelligence housed there. With more members, specifically eager to prove know-it-all analysts vetted, their field agents would no longer be hampered with data collection, processing and devising plans, and instead can focus on ensuring eventless, well-executed, covert and inconspicuous actions. NSA on a whole can operate on US Homeland if and only if it had to do with SIGINT. For the rest, they needed a local attaché. She had roped in her favour with the FBI director to have her niece in the California branch of the FBI to be attached with this unit, no doubt helping her career there shouldn't be any legal issues with the CIA or NSA operating on US soil anymore. Furthermore, she had ensured that this would be completely off FBI records unless declassified by the President.

She wondered if it was Christmas morning, and she missed the party last evening as this definitely called for a vintage wine celebration. Maybe Roan was in town and they could have a satisfying romp. Now that would have made it truly extraordinary.

A call was scheduled with the agents on the ground in two hours. So she could expect her CIA counterpart to appear within the hour. They were going to discuss the future of their Burbank chapter and how to progress. With the CIA and NSA playing nice for once, so much was getting done. Another point they were going to elaborate on in their discussions - to establish proper channels for collaboration. At the end of the day, they wish to protect the same country.


About fifty minutes later.


She was reading the latest reports on the chatter of terror groups aggregated from Afghanistan and neighbouring countries. They were planning an operation in a democracy. However, the targets were never referenced but were clearly directed away from US Homeland. That was at least one positive from the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan. However, the deep baritone of her secretary and principal security operator shook her from her mind's ramblings as it announced from the speakerphone on her desk. "General, Director Graham is here. May I let him in?"

She glanced at the clock and noticed that his arrival was as unpredictable as ever. She expected him ten minutes later like last time. But, being a former spook herself she got his paranoia. She replied, "Let him in."

The tall, thin man entered her office. Yet, she knew that she commanded a far larger presence than he, despite his obvious physical advantages. She got out of her chair to greet him and display a modicum of respect for his position.

"Director."

"General."

She cracked a smile at that. "I guess we do greet stiffly. Cut from the same cloth, eh?"

He smiled, "As much as I would like that, unfortunately not. Having made it this far after having dealt with as much shit as I have, especially among dumb by-the-book machines, I would say you are from a cloth far superior, to extend that metaphor."

She raised an eye at that. "What's with the flattery?"

He smirked. "I guess I am throwing you off your game as usual."

"You wish." She deadpanned.

Shaking off the unusual greetings, as always, she decided to divert the conversation onto the agenda for that day. She gestured for him to take a seat on her couch and offered him a mug of coffee. It was time for business.


Casa Bartowski

Sarah was beaming thinking of all the revelations from Ellie the night prior. As soon as she had told Ellie she thought that the Intersect was hurting Chuck's nervous system, specifically the most critical organ of all, his big, beautiful brain, Ellie had replied with a casual, "I know".

She had almost blown a gasket at how nonchalant she was being, but tempered herself before gritting out, "You know?"

Ellie had thrown her a look of pure befuddlement before replying, "Obviously... I am not going to let my brother fall dead because the government screwed up. I identified this about three days after I was brought onto this project. Ever since I have been looking for solutions. However, the degree of damage is not intense. In fact, it is negligible for now. If Chuck were to stop flashing for even a few weeks the damage would be mostly undone. Further, I am working on a way to try and reduce the effects of utilizing the Intersect by expanding frameworks, reworking it to better integrate with organic interfaces and configure it specifically for my brother's grey matter.

"I hit a roadblock though. I don't have the original Intersect plans and designs and thus making modifications on whatever CIA and NSA reverse-engineered is not working out. We need to get information and schematics from the creator(s) of the Intersect to help Chuck. And I am being stonewalled at every turn. I am a bit out of options, so I started working on a peripheral - glasses to be specific - that will directly interface with the nerves on the skin and lessen the impact of each flash on his brain."

She had needed a bit of time to stop being overwhelmed by worry for her charge's health and to comprehend the details in that explanation. "But why didn't you tell me? You do realize I care for him probably a lot more than my superiors would like me to. Right?"

Ellie had smiled. "While I don't doubt that you care for him more than a normal handler must as dictated by your company's protocols, you are still of the company. And I didn't want to give my brother's handlers any more leverage to try and control him. Besides, you and your partner aren't cleared to know this yet."

She had been taken aback. She didn't know how much resentment Ellie had with Chuck being essentially forced into her world. "I guess that makes sense. But for future reference, I know it will be hard going against my training and being a part of the company for so long, that this might fall on deaf ears. But know this, no matter what happens, the last few months have shown me that your brother is a gemstone among humankind. And while he may have his rough edges, my actions with regards to him will always be for his benefit."

Ellie's smile had widened further. "I know that now. But a few weeks back with the way you and your partner sprung lie after lie on how he got shot, didn't exactly inspire me with the confidence to trust you both. And I know. I know. You were doing it to not only protect Chuck but also me and Devon. But it set your priorities to me and Chuck below whatever the company requires of you. Tonight, however, it has given me enough confidence to share a few details with you."

She had smiled at that. "Like I said Ellie, Chuck is a gem among all of us. And... he has helped me evolve. I have seen so much horror, am responsible for a lot of terrible stuff and became cynical. And to turn it off, I became closed off. Chuck has had things go so bad for him and yet, behind the cynicism he has, he still shines bright and pure. That is the greater good I was promised to uphold. So, please don't mistake my priorities anymore. I assure you, whatever I do with regards to Chuck, will always be with his benefit in mind..."

Ellie had adorned that Bartowski smile she had come to cherish on Chuck. That beam of happiness and pure joy sent shivers down her spine. It almost left her defenceless to Ellie's crushing bear hug.

As she took her coffee at Casa Bartowski, one thing dawned on her. She wanted to be around them for as much as possible and if she got them for a lifetime, she would rush to grasp the opportunity. She saw that the foundations for her dream home were right in front of her.


Batty, Diner close to Chuck's apartment.

Casey was intrigued by the blonde's absence. Tiny's narration of the resident moron's stint in the orange jumpsuits had shaken both him and the CIA puke. And he had been there not by his actions and with those kinds of abuses, should be emotionally scarred for life. He would never let anyone ever know this, but he was thankful to whatever universal entity if they existed for providing the moron with a friend in Tiny. His respect for numbnuts had grown a hell of a lot more. His whole life had been one tapestry of disappointments, let downs and practically beat downs. He knew marines who were less traumatised than this guy struggling to lift a finger to continue their lives. He didn't want to diminish their trauma, as they had gone through quite a lot. But the idiot here had gone through so much, so consistently and more tragically. The idea he was even functioning without therapy, he was sure he would have made a great marine probably even a special forces operative if things had gone differently.

That being said his recent achievements with the foreign spy, diplomatic wins with China and the near-perfect operation plan and tactical improvisations were a sign of greater things. What disappointed him is that he still felt like the fat kid always picked last in this hastily formed team. More often than not, he would always get the information last. That he needs to correct.

"Slept well, numbnuts? I hear Chinese are quite acrobatic in their... sleep."

Chuck had just taken a bit from his chocolate-filled doughnut when Casey's question caused him to cough and choke. Once he regained some breathing capacity he glared at him... "Really? I was waiting to be taunted for nearly twenty minutes before I decided to grab a bite. You couldn't have done this then?"

Casey had the nerve to smirk and simply sip his coffee.

"You know my history, Casey. I am sure NSA by now would have figured out my last dalliance didn't exactly end well." Casey winced at that. Josephine Matthews... didn't end well was an understatement.

"While I wouldn't deny she is quite attractive, I am not ready for intimacy Casey. I am not like most in your world where intimacy doesn't mean anything." He winced again. The truth in his words hurt when he thought about those he left behind, those who died or those that used him.

"So... I know you know this already, but we didn't have anything." He smirked and wanted to make a joke but was cut short. "Please. Don't joke about this. Everything else is fair game. But not this."

Chuck stared deep into his eyes and held his gaze. He knew he should agree this one time. But he couldn't let this upstart get everything. So he simply scoffed and looked away.

Following that, silence enveloped them.

"In an hour, Walker and I have a meeting with the bosses. Since today's your day off, I suggest you find a resolution to the Tiny problem before they get a wind of it. There is only so much we can hide from them..."

"I will, Casey. I have arranged for a safe house that is completely off-the-grid with no links back to me or Tiny and until the Panther is caught, he will be safe there."

He stared at Chuck. "You mean the body Burbank PD found by the docks this morning, with a clean shot in the head?"

When Chuck's eyes widened in surprise, he continued. "The shot being from a .22, matching a gun registered to one famous alleged underworld gun runner, Rusty Charles? And a report from the police giving a video where it was clearly self-defence?"

Chuck started to say something. "It's alright, Chuck. Just remember you owe me. And, if you are pulling stunts like this, give me a heads up, and you won't get into trouble anymore."

Chuck was glad he was far more understanding than Sarah. Before he could thank him, "Oh! Remember... Just because you and Walker are playing sheath the sword, it doesn't mean I am the fat kid at the party. I get the information same time she does..."

Chuck was sputtering while Casey left with a massive grin on his face. Yeah... He asked not to joke about it and he didn't. But he could tease the budding romance here.


Castle, an hour later.

"SSA Bartowski will have his analyst test over the next two weeks. The day after tomorrow will be the first part of his test. It is the live operation section. At the art gallery where La Ciudad and Payman Alahi are supposed to be meeting with the council, Agent Walker will pose as reticent, wealthy oil baron's daughter, Ms. Holly Fuller and, SSA Bartowski her financial advisor and assistant, Mr. Rick Teller. Major Casey will be the security officer for the two-person group."

"The three primary objectives are to identify La Ciudad, gather intel and stop the weapon transaction, and gather intel on Alahi's financing operation. Secondary objectives include capturing them as well as a representative from the council."

"Any questions?"

Graham and Beckman laid out the mission priorities well. However, it was too much of a heated environment for just a two-person job and Chuck being there was akin to asking an infant to appear for undergrad exams.

She was about to raise her objections when Casey beat her to it. "Ma'am, Sir. I have a few reservations about including SSA Bartowski in this mission. We are the only two operatives in this set-up, profiling three big targets in a public meet-up. Yes, the intersect is a convenient and probably the best intelligence tool we have obtained in years... But SSA Bartowski with his lack of experience would be like fish out of water and could come under extreme duress if targeted even as a civilian. I do not think it is advisable for his first official op or even a test op to be conducted in the heart of a proxy war."

Sarah had a few issues with his assessment but chose to concur with it. "That's true. I too believe that even though Nr. Bartowski has shown exceptional improvisation and talent, it takes more than just that to handle a crucial high stakes meeting. I propose that he stay in the van using cameras in the gallery or that are pinned on me and Casey instead to identify who we are looking for."

Beckman and Graham were amused at how inadvertently protective they were coming off. Outwardly, they didn't express it.

Graham said... "I agree. So does the general. That's why we are bringing in a couple more agents to help you with the op. DEA has been asking for help with dismantling Alahi's network and MI6 has setup a five-month op to trap La Ciudad. ATF also wants to help with the weapons trafficking and another joint op between the CIA and FBI is already in progress to take care of the Council."

Beckman continued where Graham left off. "In other words, you are going to have plenty of agents in the vicinity. This would be the perfect time to test SSA Bartowski's field analyst capabilities. The agents joining you include Carina Miller (DEA), Tom Chappell (ATF), Zondra Rizzo (CIA), Amy Patterson (FBI) and Mark Peters (SIS). With the exception of Mark Peters, either one of you or both of you have worked with each of these agents. Make sure to brief them on the changing situation. It would be a massive win not only for the other organizations but for your team as well. The cover story is Major Casey was sent as NSA's envoy for SIGINT we intercepted while Officer Walker was acting liaison with regards to her prior encounters with the cartels that form the council. And the operation turned out huge from the intelligence of the captured and now terminated asset."

Graham decided to end the meeting. "Any more questions? Dismissed."


The call ended leaving the agents far less composed then they seemed moments ago. Casey in particular was apprehensive of devil in human form, Carina. While Sarah was nearly dreading her reunion with the C. A. T. Squad. Specifically, Zondra. Zondra had been her best friend and though she had been cleared of all accusations, their friendship had taken a huge hit. Sarah had been too proud and didn't want to offer an olive branch to Zondra as she still didn't trust her, while Zondra had been too hurt and angry at her to even reach out. The first chance she got, she relocated to the Pakistani base for continuing the search for Osama bin Laden.

Carina, on the other hand, she wasn't so excited to meet. In the past she and Carina always tried to take what the other wanted. Most of the time she succeeded while Carina succeeded every time. And she didn't want her chances with Chuck to be hurt by their stupid competition. She had something real here and no one, including Carina would hurt her chances. She will set boundaries and if she dares to cross them, Carina would meet a savage girl she never knew existed.

Casey interrupted her thoughts. "You going to break it to the kid or me?"

Sarah contemplated who must do it. Lately she had been spending more time with Chuck than Casey and that might lead to Casey looking at their budding relationship in a different manner. And after the shocking commands of her superiors, she needed to strategize for a lot of different things including Zondra, Carina and the ditzy bimbo Amy. Amy. She couldn't believe that she ditched the company for the boy-scouts. She was the party girl that had notched a lot more on her belt than the three of them combined, and she left the glamour and danger for the FBI?

"I think you should do it. Chuck could use a more experienced operative in teaching the nuances in blending into the background and points for subtlety in conveying information during a field op. My experience was more in extraction, elimination and eradication; intelligence gathering however, was more of my... partners' specialty."

Casey smirked. "You were the stage act flaunting your appearance while they gawked at you? Wondering how your little suckup is going to like it." Her eyes gained an edge but he continued gwaffing, "Now he is going to watch you live... Oh! I am going to enjoy seeing him heartbroken seeing his crush going all out with the 'alpha-male' types in the gallery." She really wanted to strangle him for some reason. "Don't worry, I will make sure he has Johnny Walker Red, atleast a couple shots to dull his broken heart. Thanks for letting me do this."

Sarah was a bit flustered from his insinuations and at the same time wanted to punt him into orbit for trying to put shade on Chuck and her. "Casey, Chuck is no longer an asset. He is a probationary analyst and their is no prohibitions to relationships between analysts and agents. That being said, he and I aren't currently in a relationship. But, he is something special. I am not willing for anything to spoil mu chances with him, Casey."

The threat was implied. If for some reason he did anything to push their relationship chances out, he would feel pain. "Walker... Sarah. If Chuck is the man we believe him to be, and I know he is, he will accept that your job comes with a few... compromises. And he isn't going to judge you for your past, but your actions right now. So pipe down about someone "stealing" him or "stopping" him. If I am right, he just let the gorgeous defector down easy as he had his eyes only for one person. If anything, I will help him toughen up in the emotional department. No matter how much you want Sarah, hurt is inevitable. And the way he has to deal with hurt is not wrapping everything with bubble-wrap but by getting pocked with sharp objects."

She decided that the most he was going to give was that. "Alright... Just make sure he isn't completely thrown out of the loop for tomorrow." She started moving out when she turned back and said, "Make sure you warn him about Carina. She is devil, and I don't want him getting entangled in misunderstandings and her cleverly concocted lies. After all," she smirked when saying this, "I heard that she caught you in her web in Prague.'

Casey cursed as she left with a huge smirk. She knew things about him and he knew he needed to tread lightly.