I don't own Chuck

"She drew a weapon on me, she knew who I was," Sarah said softly. Chuck stood there, looking at her back and side as she stared at the ocean. He wasn't sure what to do, he knew what his CIA training said, but maybe this was time to use Bartowski training, that he knew of from before Stanford, before the CIA. He remembered all the times in his life that he felt loss. He did what he thought might be the absolute bravest thing he had done since joining the CIA.

He walked up to her, and she turned, confusion on her face. "Ellie, my sister, used to tell me while a hug wouldn't fix everything, it let you know, in that moment, you aren't alone," he began, opening up his arms. In a split second the confusion on her face turned to something else, what it was, he didn't know, but she was wrapped up in his arms. She had ducked her head, almost burying herself under his chin. "I'm so sorry."

"It was her or me, and it sure the hell wasn't going to be me." Chuck couldn't help but chuckle at that. "So, do you get how I'm on his radar."

"Yeah," he replied, pulling away. "Sorry about the hug, I normally don't do that sort of thing, but you looked like you needed one, I think. I haven't really hugged anyone in a while. Did you know that there was a therapist that believed you needed four hugs a day for survival, eight for maintenance and twelve for growth?" Chuck clamped his mouth shut. "Oh my God, what am I doing? I never do this, I'm spiraling. Charles Carmichael doesn't spiral."

"But Chuck Bartowski does," Sarah said, slipping back into his arms. "Don't ever apologize for hugging me. I need you to grow, so that means I'm going to have to hug you a minimum of twelve times a day." Chuck started to protest and she pushed back and looked him in the eye. "I don't think you get it. Bryce used you, made you into Carmichael. You are NOT Charles Carmichael and I am going to help you figure that out." She shook her head. "God, Chuck, if I had gone through what you had….what the hell would I be?"

"Amazing," Chuck blurted out. His eyes widened as he realized what he did. He cleared his throat and pressed on. "I mean, you would be. You have persevered through all of this, and you are here, to help me, beat him, and-and I hope if our roles were reversed that I would do the same for you."

A slow grin grew across her face. There was something in that grin that he really didn't understand. "I think you would," she replied softly. They stood there a moment, eyes locked on each other.

"So," he said, trying to break the quiet between them, and stop himself from growing any more uncomfortable. "I know I keep interrupting, but it's the why that I don't understand."

"Fair enough," Sarah said. "So Bryce's mother was former KGB…well, it would have been the SVR by then." Chuck nodded. "She apparently volunteered to try and penetrate one of the Red Mafiya cells. She was going to try to seduce one of the members." Chuck made an "ew" face. "Yeah, that's why they don't want us sleeping with the enemy." Chuck couldn't help but chuckle at that. "She was turned, she told her mark everything, and eventually she joined the group after she gave birth to their son, Bryce."

"Okay, that much I get," Chuck said. Sarah nodded and continued.

"Inessa actually came up with the idea of a way to help themselves, of planting Bryce in the United States and having him feed information to the CIA to make him look like a hot-shot agent." Sarah shook her head in disgust.

"Wait a minute, all those leads Bryce found, they were given to him?"

Sarah nodded. "And every one of them eliminated one of Volkoff's rivals." Chuck threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "Of course, you know Graham, anytime anyone makes him look good…."

"He covers for them," Chuck said, nodding. "He worked his way up the ranks using Bryce's intel, and my guess, Bryce's suggestions on how things should be done, from what you told me so far."

"Correct," Sarah replied, nodding. "Bryce pushed, pulled, and coerced Langston into doing what Bryce thought was best. Bryce brought intel to Langston, and that's why you two were made a team. He had the info, and you had been taught the skills of how to carry out a plan."

"But, he's as good or better fighter than I am," Chuck protested.

"And no one but you knew it, it was your secret," Sarah reminded him. "He let you get all the blood on your hands, to break you." Sarah went quiet and twisted her lips. "And he broke you, didn't he?"

Chuck stared at her, and that's when it went through her mind. "Wait! When did that happen?" He paused, not wanting to hurt her any more than she was, but he needed to know.

"When I killed Evelyn?" Chuck nodded. "Why, Chuck?" she asked, just above a whisper. He didn't answer. He couldn't. He couldn't be right, he just couldn't. "January 23rd," she replied. "Some eight months after you graduated college." Chuck blinked and looked away, tears spilling out of his eyes. "You've already figured it out, haven't you?"

"Jill," he choked out, hoarsely. "Was she really…" he couldn't finish the sentence.

"No, Chuck," Sarah told him, grabbing him and pulling him to her as he began to sob. "She was innocent. Bryce Larkin set it all up so you would kill your girlfriend. He planted everything that we had on her. Jill was innocent." She held him as he cried in grief, shame, and rage.