A/N top - These chapters really do work well together, so since I had it written I moved up this one's release.

No, I don't own Chuck. In fact, sometimes it feels as if he is telling me what to write, so who owns who?

It was Friday night, two days since Sarah had been called away on her mission and the second night without her checking in with him. It was really more like checking on him, but he liked to think it worked both ways. Casey was across the courtyard stewing about something. Chuck hadn't asked. The older man had acted no different after their conversation on the bluff, but Chuck couldn't process quite that fast, so for the moment he picked up his video game controller and started a mindless, button mashing Call of Duty marathon. He had closed at the BuyMore and Casey had stayed around to 'help out', but as soon as they finally made it back to Echo Park Casey had picked up a call. Ever since then, he had been brooding. Devon and Ellie had night shift again, and Morgan was out with Anna. That brought Chuck to his current predicament. Sitting on his bed with a hot pizza and a whole lot of newbies to frag.

Bored after only an hour, Chuck sighed and turned off the console. A quick check out the window showed Casey was still up – odd for this time of night, but who can explain Casey? Anyway, it was nearing midnight and he really didn't feel like working on finding Orion, so he turned off the lights and slid into his bed. Life had been so almost normal the past few days, he was beginning to miss the excitement. But as he studied his room's moonlit walls, he knew there was still something missing, someone missing. At their last briefing he had asked Beckman about the mission and she ignored him, not even acknowledging that it was an inappropriate inquiry.

Trust Casey. Trust Graham. Trust me, Chuck.

He was tired of trusting everyone, except her. He could trust her, but he doubted anyone else would tell him if she was in trouble. Maybe he could hack their communications, see what was bothering Casey, and use the intersect to figure out a solution. It had worked before, why couldn't it work now? He sat up and read the clock. Five AM, did Casey ever sleep? Chuck moved over to his computer and started his signal logger. Figuring that if Casey was still up he was working – and that if he was working he would be in contact with someone at the NSA – Chuck waited patiently for the signal to come. Just as he saw the IP connection request, he was interrupted by a voice.

"I told them they should include you, but Beckman wouldn't listen. With one NSA member and one 'asset' as the only personnel on site, she has more operational control. I need Sarah here or I loose leverage, but I think you knew that."

Chuck spun around to face his television set. "Director Graham?"

"Indeed. I need you to listen, and then proceed to Major Casey's residence. Agent Walker was inserted into a joint North Korean – Chinese arctic research facility four hours ago. Almost immediately, we received intelligence that the Chinese were mobilizing cargo planes from special forces training facilities. Their course places them on site in the next few hours. This activity was expected."

"Not that I don't appreciate it, but then why are you contacting me?" Chuck swallowed thickly, forcing himself to look Graham in the eyes. "Just so we know where we stand, I'm trusting you because Sarah said to. How can I help Sarah? Not that she needs help, 'cause she's pretty good at this stuff, but -"

"Mr. Bartowski. We don't have time for this. Agent Walker should have signaled that she was heading to the extraction point an hour ago, but she has been radio silent. Head over to Major Casey, he has your orders."

Graham paused, his face flashing with what Chuck read as shame, or maybe regret. It was just for a second, but Chuck saw it, recognized it. The mark that all spies wore if they kept their hearts. Pain, duty, regret, loyalty – all possible because of affection, affection spies learned to scorn. Chuck closed his eyes. He hated seeing that expression, Sarah wore it daily, Casey had more practice hiding it. "I can't give you any more information. I'm not supposed to be re-tasking you and Casey, but you won't be doing anything official."

Graham waited for Chuck to reopen his eyes. "Mr. Bartowski, Agent Walker is the best there is, bring her home. Chuck, be sure to bring Sarah home too. If you have to choose, save Sarah first. Graham out."

~\~|~/~

Sarah had finally escaped to the surface of the ice, but now needed somewhere to hide. She had destroyed the security monitoring system, but there was nowhere to go, no planes to hijack, no boats to board, no subs to steal. She was out of options. Her mind briefly wandered to Chuck, wishing he was here to stare at the vast sea of ice that stretched out to the horizon and look for penguins as they slipped away into the water.

That's it! As long as they think I got away, I'm safe here until I can actually escape.

After examining her watch to confirm the position of her scuba gear, she slithered over to it, placing a block of C4 a few dozen feet away from its location. The C4 blew a hole clean through the ice and she dropping in feet first, willing her body to ignore the cold. She made it to where she had clamped the suit and waited. Within seconds, a North Korean diver opened the hatch and lowered themselves into the water, only to be silenced by a smashing blow to the back of their head. Sarah quickly strapped them in the jetboot system but kept the SCUBA tank for herself. Setting the unit to boost, she let it go, watching as it pulled the diver away into the dark water.

Apparently the station's sensors could hear or sense the rapidly moving target, and multiple divers quickly dropped into the water to pursue, completely ignoring the figure pasted to the bottom of the ice behind them. Knowing the water was better cover than the surface, she swam to the back side of a support pillar, latched herself onto it, and waited to hear the sound of a plane landing.

Thanks to the suit's systems, she wasn't freezing, but hunger was becoming a problem, especially if she wanted to be primed for another fight. She a small smile formed across her purple lips as she remembered: she still had a snack, the one she always packed for Chuck.

~\~|~/~

"Get in here, moron." Was not exactly what Chuck wanted to hear, but if Casey was helping he would take it.

"New orders from Graham. A beautiful new stealth logistics craft may have had its security breached. You are going to check every last one of the engineers and support staff to see if they are in the intersect."

"Really, this is what he wants us to spend our time on?" Chuck asked, incredulous at the whiplash between the briefing and his conversation with Graham.

Casey stared at him as if he really was a moron this time. "Think numbnuts, that is the only craft that can get us where you want to go fast enough. We will 'inspect it', with a full flight crew and a test flight. Get your gear, you're changing in the car. I've got a map system and a list of resources Graham made available to you."

Casey grinned, pleased at observing Chuck's shock when he finally understood the wording.

"My resources?" Chuck's eyes danced around the room rapidly as his hands worried his tie. "Casey, I can't -"

"You will. Grow a set, we don't have time for ladyfeelings. We go get Walker and get back. Don't get your curls in a twist, as your bodyguard I'll be watching your every move."

"Oh, um, sure. With little rubber wheels and a map." Chuck muttered to himself as they walked to Casey's suburban. "Rubber wheels and a map to save Sarah. Oh help."

She trusts you, Chuck. She loves you, fights for you. Fight for her, fight to bring her back.

The SUV's doors slammed shut, the locks clicked, and Chuck turned to Casey. "Alright. How do I bring up the map."

Casey grinned as the asphalt warmed the tires. "You don't. Just look out the front window, we can both see it. That way I can stop you from planning anything too moronic."

Chuck sucked his cheeks back in a flat smile, "Of course. Wouldn't want to chuck away our chances, would we."

Casey ignored him.

~\~|~/~

A/N – There seems to be some controversy over how to handle the name of the apartment complex. I choose Echo Park because that name seems to be what it is most recognized in the Chuck fandom. Besides, the real complex and the show complex are slightly different, so they can have different names/locations.

Sarah's watch is quite real, and available to the public. Look up Garmin's Tactix series and see what the high-end models are capable of doing. These watches have even helped our aviators land their planes when their cockpit instruments went out.