Past Redemption

This story will mainly be from Sarah's point of view. It takes place mid S2 after Sarah gives Chuck his Diploma, and will cover her past and how sometimes the past needs to silenced once and for all. Still 100% Charah. So, enjoy and let me know what you think?

Sarah had walked up to his door a thousand times in the last year and half and everytime, it was like the first time. This time she had good news that would get Ellie and Devon off Chuck's back and maybe put his mind at ease after Bryce pulled a fast one and smashed his dreams by getting him kicked out of Stanford. Even though he knew why it still stung. Surprisingly something as simple piece of paper could change how one felt. But what was inside this box, he deserved it. Even if they had to pull some strings, but Chuck didn't need to know that. Sarah knocked and Ellie and answered. Sarah noticed Ellie quickly looked down at the parcel that she was holding. Sarah smiled then Ellie opened the door to allow her to walk in. "Chuck's not here?"

Sarah turned around. "I know I wanted to get here before he arrived." Holding up the box. "Chuck had this delivered to the Buy More and told me all about it." Sarah opened the box and out came a black leather sleeve. Sarah gave it to Ellie. Ellie opened it as Devon walked in. Ellie instantly put it to her chest. Devon looked at it. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Sarah still smiling.

Both Ellie and Devon were very excited. "Chuck's on his way and I thought that we would celebrate."

"Definitely, Sarah. We will make ourselves disappear." Ellie hugged Sarah and Sarah slipped out through the patio doors.

Sarah walked outside and her hands started to sweat and her insides tossed and turned. They seemed to do that a lot lately. Ever since they kissed last fall when the bomb went off and when Montgomery convinced Chuck to kiss her. Ever since she had to lie to Casey about how she felt about him, along with just seeing him, touching him and his smelling his cologne it played with her senses. Sarah was a highly trained spy but with Chuck she was becoming unglued and secretly she didn't care. She heard Chuck walk in and Ellie squealing. Trying not to make it so obvious that she was waiting for him she leaned on the ledge and looked up when he came out carrying the leather sleeve like a tray with the two bottles on top. Chuck looked at her and smiled, Sarah melted inside. Chuck put the bottles on the ledge next to black leather sleeve.

"Well thanks for my fake diploma?"

"What do you mean? Standing up but leaning on the ledge.

"I get it. You know, you had one of your CIA pal's doctor it up to get Ellie of my back."

"It's real Chuck."

"Come on." Chuck flipped open the leather sleeve to see the Universities signina and the words Stanford and Charles Irwing Bartowski in black calligraphy writing.

"I'm serious. You graduated."

Chuck looked at her so humble. "What about my last 12 credits?"

"We'll Casey and I decided that your exceptional field service ought to count for something and Stanford agreed."

"Huh. And by exceptional, you mean, like, uh, I don't know, decrypting weapons-satellite codes?"

"Electrical engineering."

"Or running away from exploding games of missile command?" As Chuck leaned forward and grabbed the first bottle and twisted the cap passing it to Sarah. Grabbing the second one.

"Physical education." Chuck smiled

Sarah looked at her the way she did when she was being straight with him. Chuck knew that look. It was the same look she gave him a year and a half ago when they sat on the beach and she told him to trust her. "You earned it Chuck." Clinking the bottles, they took a sip. As he brought the bottle down and swallowed he looked at her with a deep look of thanks. Then he voiced his thanks.

They turned to face the night sky. "You see that star out there on the horizon? As Sarah points so Chuck could see where she was looking. Chuck nodded. "That's the Air Force bouncing Mormoto's satellite off the atmosphere and burning it up." Sarah leaned closer and nudged Chuck with her arm. "Make a wish. It's yours." Sarah looked up at him, really looked at him and that feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach, she knew what it was. Quickly diverting her eyes, Chuck looked over to her. Sarah could see Chuck looking at her the way he always did. To show that he cared for her and frankly she cared for him.

They watched as the last glimpse of the light disappeared. Chuck turned and leaned on the ledge. Chuck saw the kitchen lights go off and it got quiet. Sarah joined him on the ledge and they finished their beers. Sarah got up and faced Chuck, looking down at him as he looked up. Chuck grabbed her empty bottle and placed them down on the cement floor. Then he reached for her hand. Caressing her hand with her thumb, he continued to look at her. Then he got up. "I want to thank you for all if this."

"You don't need to."

"Yeah, I want to."

Sarah didn't know where his confidence was coming from, maybe it was coming from the fact that he had finally conquered Stanford which gave him some hope for his future and that his five year plan could finally be chiselled down.

Sarah looked up at him. Chuck looked over his shoulder and she smiled knowing why. "What did you wish for?" Chuck let go of her hand and reached down to grab her face. "If I told you it won't come true but if I show you then…."

"That will make a difference?"

"I hope so."

Chuck leaned in and grazed her lips. How she had missed his lips and how kissing him made her feel. She knew that this wasn't a cover kiss or a security threat, it was just them. A kiss to thank her. Chuck slid his one hand around her waist and settled it above her hip bone. Sarah leaned on her toes as their lips finally met. It was as sweet as the kitchen's kiss, as intense as the warehouse kiss and at that moment it couldn't be rated.

Chuck leaned back catching his breath. "You want to get out of here?"

Sarah looked at him. 'What take this to the bedroom?'

"I know that you don't work tomorrow and so far we don't have a mission so would you like to go somewhere?"

Sarah slightly disappointed but this was Chuck, a perfect gentleman but the thought of making love to him the way he just kissed her would be something to experience if it ever could happen between them. Looking up. "Sure."

"Great!"

Chuck grabbed his diploma and the two bottles and headed inside. Placing the three items on the kitchen counter. He quickly changed, then walked back to the door. Grabbing his keys. "Where to?"

"I don't know."

"You hungry?"

"Kinda?"

"How about the place where we went on our first date."

"Sounds good to me."

Sarah reached out her hand as Chuck grabbed it. Closing the door, it was Sarah's turn to kiss him. Sarah sheepishly smiled then headed to the parking lot.

The restaurant was quiet. They ordered and reminisced, about the last time they were there. Along with the laughs and the alcohol the time sped by. Chuck paid for their meal and drove them to beach. Chuck grabbed one of his Nerd Herd jackets out from the back and put it on Sarah, then he grabbed his hoodie and put it on. The breeze from the ocean was crisp but it felt wonderful after the last few days of hot weather. They walked the promenade and ended up at what Chuck called was their spot. Sarah hadn't seen their spot for almost a year. They sat down and stared out at the night sky. They watched the ships pass with their lights and the odd shooting star, but to them it felt that they were the only ones the beach.

Hours later they dusted off their jeans and headed in and continued to walk finding a 24-hour coffee bar. Chuck opened the door as Sarah walked inside. Sarah found two seats by the window. Chuck ordered their favourite coffees spending a few extra dollars. Sitting down, as if on cue they kissed again. Chuck sat a bit more centered on his stool. "I guess, we should talk about what just happened, now three times?"

"Do we?"

Chuck looked at her. Then smiled shaking his head. "Naw."

Chuck sat back and took a sip of his coffee leaving a frothy mustache. Sarah grabbed a napkin and wiped his upper lip. They didn't talk shop talk but talked about some of the movies that Sarah finally saw. She promised to get through his list that he gave her, the music on the other hand, she didn't want to let him know that the only reason she listened to some of the songs is that they reminded her of him. Her favourite was Feelin Good.

"So did you like it?"

"Romancing the Stone was predicable but Jewel of the Nile I liked much better. So why the 80's movies?"

"They were the best, growing up, Friday nights we went to the video store and rented tonnes of VHS tapes, of all our favourites and watched them till we fell asleep, then watched them again. Mostly Morgan and I but when Ellie was home she joined us."

Sarah loved his stories even if most of them didn't include his parents. After two large coffees and a bathroom break, they grabbed their jackets. Chuck looked at his watch. "I better get you home sleeping beauty." Sarah turned to face him. "I watched that one too?"

Chuck laughed. Chuck looked around and knew that Sarah's place was close. Sarah slid her arm in his and they walked down the street turning left then right coming up to her place. Chuck walked her in. To her surprise he stopped shy of the elevator. "I guess this is where we say goodbye."

Sarah unzipped her jacket. Chuck placed his hands on hers. Then looked at her. "No, you can keep it. I have several."

"Ok, thanks." Sarah pressed the button. Chuck looked at her and brought her into a hug. Sarah liked his forwardness and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks for tonight."

"My pleasure."

The door of the elevator opened but Sarah didn't move, nor did she move for the next two. Chuck pulled back, but as his cheek grazed her, their faces turned, and their lips touched. Sarah was glad that the elevators weren't facing the lobby. They kissed, not wanting it to end but knew it had to.

"I guess, I'll see you later?"

"Definitely."

Sarah turned and pressed the button one more time. Walking in she turned and smiled. "Good night."

"Good night or good morning."

Sarah smiled and looked up at Chuck as the door closed and he disappeared. Chuck hoped that the door would open but turned on his heels and walked out and saw a taxi pull up. As he waited for it to empty, he got in and told the driver to head to the beach.

Sarah turned right and headed to her door. Unlocking the door, she swung it open walking inside, still feeling his lips on her. Sarah showered and changed and wanted to call him to see if he made it home, as the sun started to make its way up over the horizon. But opted not to, she walked to the window, closing the blinds and walking back, she made her way to her bed and sat down. Sliding under covers she covered up and closed her eyes.

Early afternoon

Sarah rolled over and pulled her eye cover up onto her forehead, thinking that she was a dreaming that there was a knock at the door. Sarah jumped up when she realized she wasn't dreaming. She wondering who it was, at this hour but looked at the clock as she got up 12:45 p.m. Thinking that it could be Chuck, she opened it and saw the hotel clerk holding an envelope. "Good afternoon, , this arrived down at the desk just now."

"Thanks."

Sarah closed the door and walked to the curtains opening them up. Sitting by the window she grabbed one of her knives and ripped it open. There was no return address just her name on the outside. Slipping her hand inside she pulled out what looked like photos. The top sheet of paper had a hand-written note and it read. 'I am coming for you, but for now this might move things along….' Sarah dragged the paper exposing the photos. Looking at them, Sarah had not seen them in a long time and some where new to her. Sarah browsed through the photos, all of her at various missions and some not so pleasant moments and compromising positions that were taken as part of 'those missions'. The photos dated back to late 1999 early 2000. A year and half after Langston Graham had recruited her to the CIA. Tossing the photos onto the bed, she paced the floor and after a few agonizing minutes she picked up the phone. She couldn't call Graham, he was dead. And she couldn't call Chuck and if she did, he'd go beyond what was deemed necessary to fight for her but she had to keep him safe. If they found her, they would find him too and what he knew and had would make these photos even more of a threat to this new life she has made for herself.

Dialing the only other person she knew she could trust, she called Casey and waited to call Beckman. Casey rushed over and took a quick glance then gave the photos back. "Any idea? On who sent these?"

Sarah shook her head. They waited till Beckman called back on the laptop. "Sorry that I couldn't take your call. Major Casey why are you there, something wrong with the Intersect?"

"Surprisingly not this time."

"General I called him after I received an envelope and inside where some things from my past that have resurface and I don't know why and I don't know who sent them."

Sarah showed Beckman the photos. "I'm sorry Sarah, and you have no idea who could have sent them?"

"No General, I remember what missions these were by the pictures but the ones that are well you know I don't remember where I was?"

"And you don't recall being in that situation?"

"No ma'am. And I never let any of my missions go that far?"

"So, they could be photo shopped?"

"I don't know."

"Casey."

"Yes General."

"I want you to go back to Castle and look into who sent them, check the Maison23's security maybe our delivery person might know something."

"Sarah."

"Yes General."

"Sarah I want you to come to DC. I want to look at those photos and have our personnel look at them in more depth."

Sarah nodded.

"We will find out who's behind this, I promise."

"Should we ask Chuck to help us."

Sarah looked at Casey then, Beckman. "Chuck mustn't know about this till we have something to tell him. If they found me, they could easily find out why I am here and that would have Chuck in harms way."

Secretly she didn't want to tell him anything about her past let alone try to explain some of those photos.

"That's a good idea, until we know more Chuck is not to be told of this. You have your tasks. Sarah I will wait for arrival."

Beckman signed off and Casey went to the door. "What do I tell Chuck?"

Sarah remembered last night then looked at Casey. "Tell him that I am taking some personal days and will be back."

"You know that this will take more than a few days?"

"I know but hopefully by then, I, we will have some answers."

Casey smiled then left. Sarah grabbed her laptop and booked the first flight out of LA.

Within the hour she grabbed a taxi and headed to the airport. As the plane took off, she looked out the window and saw the ocean. 'I will be back soon Chuck.'

Castle

Casey logged into actually hacked into the Maison23's security feed. He started watching from the night before and into the wee hours of the morning and saw Chuck and Sarah walk in, he checked the time stamp and saw that it was 4:30 in the morning. 10 minutes later Chuck walked back out into the lobby. Grabbing a cab. Casey fast forward and three hours later and saw a kid on a bike roll up and lean his bike against the wall, walking in with an envelope then walking out, getting on his bike and riding off. Casey watched minutes later as the male clerk took the envelope towards the elevator. Casey followed the male to Sarah's room where he knocked and delivered the envelope. Casey then zoomed to the parking lot to see where the kid on the bike went. He watched him till he disappeared around the block. Casey learned a few things from Chuck. Hack into every CCTV camera, intersection camera and ATM and follow the guy. Casey was able to watch the biker ride till he finally rode into a delivery depot on Sunset. Casey logged off and grabbed his gun and jacket and headed out. Reaching his car, he texted Sarah. 'Found the delivery guy, going to check him out'

Sarah heard her phone as she was about to board. Sarah texted back. 'Good, just about to board, keep me posted.'

Casey drove to the Sunset Blvd and did a u-turn and parked across the street. Slipping his gun into the small of his back he got out and pulled his shirt down. Walking across the street he walked into the depot. He walked up to the counter and pulled out his phone and his badge. He wasn't going to play nice. Not now that someone on his team was threatened. The employee looked at the guy on Casey's phone. "Yes the delivery guy's name is Toby Smith and he left around 10:30 after talking to a man. The employee looked at their security feeds. This guy. Casey took a picture of guy. "Have you seen this guy before?"

"No, sorry."

"Do you have a cameras outside?"

"Yes."

Casey watched as the man drove up in a tinted SUV with the licence plate R5Y H8J. Casey took another picture.

"Thanks, your Government thanks you."

The employee smiled as Casey left. Casey ran back to his car and typed in the licence and texted the photo to Sarah.

Hours into the flight Sarah finally tunred her cell back on and saw that Chuck had called and left her a message and that Casey had sent her two photos. Sarah opened them and typed back saying she didn't recognize the driver. Casey pulled over when he heard his phone. Texting back he told Sarah that he was now looking for the car and hopefully the driver, but might know where the kid who delivered the envelope lives. Sarah texted back. 'Will wait to hear.'

Sarah looked her phone and went to her email and read his voice mail. Promising herself that she would listen to his message when she arrived in DC

'Your probably still sleeping, I just got up myself. Couldn't sleep once I got back home, could have been the two coffees, or the spicy food, or the night spent with you. I wouldn't have wanted to share that moment with anyone but you. Now I can go ahead with my five year plan, knowing that I conquered Stanford. Call me, we did supper, now we have to do breakfast. I work tomorrow but maybe later after I am done. Have a good day. Bye'.

Sarah leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She missed him and it had only been a few hours since she left LA. She shut her phone off and hoped to get some rest before she arrived in DC.

Back in LA Casey drove up to a run down complex on the east side of the LA, after getting a location on the kid with the bike, the one with the licence plate had been a dead end. The bike was parked out back of what looked like a car repo garage. Casey slipped up the side and squeezed throught the chain length fence. Gun pointed he saw the kid. The kid looked at Casey and jumped back. Casey kept his gun on him. "Just here to ask you some questions."

"I didn't do anything?"

"Great, but I need some answers."

The kid looked at Casey. "What do you need to know?"

"You dropped off something at Maison23 this morning, what do you know about it?"

The kid looked at Casey. "You a cop?"

"If I was cop, you'd be in hand cuffs already."

"I know nothing about an envelope?"

"I didn't say that is was an envelope?"

Casey rushed the kid and sat him down and cuffed him. The kid freaked out. "You said that you weren't a cop?"

"I'm not, but I need answers and I need them now. What do you know about the envelope?"

"I was paid cash to deliver the envelope to the place."

"Who paid you?"

"I didn't get his name."

Casey pointed the gun at his face. "Try again."

"I didn't get his name."

"Where did this guy give you the envelope?"

"At the depot on Sunset. I just walked out after grabbing a coffee and I see the envelope being dropped off. The man sees me and walks back out and asks if I wanted to make some fast money. He said that he needed this dropped off, no questions asked. So I said yes. So they gave me the envelope and I took off."

"How much money did he give you?"

"$300 bucks."

"And all you had to do was deliver it to the address, but the envelope didn't have an address on it. How did you know that it had to go to that place?'

"Inside the pile of cash was a note that had the address on it."

"Do you have the note and the cash?"

The kid looked down at his hands. Casey unlocked the cuffs and followed the kid. The kids grabbed his back pack and pulled out the cash and the note. Casey grabbed a kleenex and took the note. "Can I keep the cash?"

Casey nodded "What did this guy look like?"

Casey listened then, stuffed the note into his pocket and left the building. Casey slipped into his car and headed back to Castle. Casey slipped downstairs and saw that Sarah hadn't returned his text. He looked at his watch, 'she should be arriving fairly soon', he thought to himself.

DC

Beckman had a car waiting as Sarah rolled her luggage with her, she looked at her bags and she knew that she might not be back to Chuck when she hoped she would. The car dropped her off at the CIA building and Sarah saw a fellow agent walk up to her taking her luggage. Sarah grabbed her a security badge and headed upstairs. Sarah saw that Beckman's door was open, as if she knew that she had arrived. Beckman looked up as Sarah walked in and closed the door.

"How was your flight?"

"Fine, General?"

"Any leads?"

"Casey is looking into the delivery guy but I haven't called him back." Reaching into her bag, Sarah pulled out the envelope and slid it across Beckman's desk. Beckman looked up. Sarah nodded. Beckman slid her hand inside and pulled out the pile carefully not to disturb them. Looking them over, she slipped them back inside and called her assistant. The door opened. "Yes, General?"

"Please take this down to forensics and have them test for fingerprints, and whether the photos were altered. Also, let the know that Agent Sarah Walker, Major John Casey and myself have touched them."

"Yes ma'am."

The asssistant grabbed the file, turned and closed the door behind her.

Sarah faced Beckman. "How are you doing?"

Sarah looked down at her hands in her laps, but looked confidently at the General. "I will be better once I find out who is behind this."

"Where do you want to start?"

"If I have your permission to access my old reports and missions, maybe there's something in there, maybe something in the photos itself. They were of old missions, maybe I start there and those specific missions. Who was the target…."

"Also look into anyone that would benefit from sending you these?"

Sarah knew she had a long list of enemies and it could have been any one of them. But until she knew who sent them, the list remained long.

Late that evening

Sarah looked up at Beckman as she got the call. The two headed down to forensics. Standing near the computer the photos were brought up. Larger than life Sarah looked at them. "As you can see, the first few photos I can tell when they were taken, as the time on the clock and traffic have not been altered. You can see the reflection of the cars in the window and the relfection of the sun. Pretty hard to photo shop action shots, so these ones are real, the ones that show you Agent Walker in um…., well most of are photoshoped."

Sarah's heart just jumped into her throat. "The face is yours but the body isn't on this one." Sarah and Beckman came closer to the screen. "Based on your medical file, you have no tattoos but this one with the image showing you supposedly on the bed and sitting on the man's lap, there is a slight blemish, so I enhanced it and got this?"

Sarah looked at the blemish. "Can you print this?"

"Yes." The officer clicked a few buttons and in seconds the picture came out of the printer. The officer got up and brought back the photo. "Thanks." Sarah replied. Looking at the photo, it looked kinda familiar, she thought but she wasn't sure.

"Unfortunately the others are real."

"Do you have a time or day, or any prints on the photos?" Beckman now worried.

The officer moved the mouse and click back and forth. "If you look at the clock, it gives you a time of 11:45 pm and the images outside maybe in Europe and the prints, I got a hit." As the officer went to grab the file, Sarah looked at the sky line and the room. Beckman looked at her. "Sarah do you know where this place is?"

"Maybe, but I don't remember, being in that situation." The officer walked back. "I have one on the front other than you two and Major Casey an unknown print on the back as if the photo was still wet and they held the photo sandwiched between their hands but when they put it down their thumb left a partial. The print belongs to a guy named Foster James. We are familiar with his work cause we have used him for those unsactioned requests."

Beckman looked at the officer. "Thank you, we will take it from here." Grabbing the photos, they left. Walking back to Beckman's office Sarah excused herself and slipped into the bathroom. Finding the first stall she vomited. She had never fell so used, scared, angry and betrayed all at the same time. Walking over to the sink, Sarah turned on the water and splashed some warm water on her face. Reaching for some paper towel, she dabbed her face and walked out, rejoining Beckman.

"You okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I have put you up at the Regency and you can stay there as long as you can. I am guessing your thinking the same thing that I am."

"That my past has come back to bite me real hard."

"Well not in those terms or words but yes. Any ideas?"

"Langston recruited me, then I went to the farm, got put on a mission and headed to Europe where I had a few handlers."

"Maybe start there and see if one of those missions could have left someone with a grudge."

"After all these years?"

"Maybe, they finally found you?"

"Who else knows that I was in LA? Langston, you, personnel?"

"Whoever it was, was able to get these photos. Had to be following you during those times and the ones with you in the hotel, there had to be a hidden camera to take those photos of you and use them for this. Plus now that you know that they were doctored, you can look into who this woman is?"

"General, I want you to know that I never went that far with my marks or ever wanted to. I went as far as to let them think that they had. It took me a long time to find ways to do that."

"I know Sarah, but someone has taken it upon them to use that moment, that looked like one thing to you and turn it around as a lapse of judgement. To them it was their way to get back at you for something they think that you did to them."

Beckman reached for her phone. "Thanks I will tell her."

"You car is here to take you to your hotel. I will look into who had access to your files. Take this box to start with and I will send the rest tomorrow."

Sarah grabbed her bag slipping the envelope into it and grabbing the box and walking to the door. "Sarah, we will find the answers."

Sarah headed down the hall, slipping into the elevator and walking out and getting into the car. All her missions, where would she start, who would have it in for her. For that moment as the car drove down past the White House, the veteran agent was not as tough as she thought.

Reaching the Regency, she slipped her key card into the suite that Beckman had arranged. Sarah looked around. "A bit fancy for my taste but I won't be here long." Sarah put the box down and saw that her luggage had arrived. She walked to the window and called Casey. "Casey."

"Walker what did you find out?"

"You first."

"The kid who delivered the envelope was paid $300 dollars to deliver it to you. l got a piece of paper that the person wrote on and got a partial."

"Okay, who's name does it belong to."

"Jacob Donaldson, 35, petty criminal, had ties with Vasil lliev Security?"

Sarah wrote down the name. "Anything else?"

"No word on where Donaldson is or where he went after he left the depot, it looks like he switched cars and the car he got into had a fake licence plate. I have his face scanning, so he has to show up eventually."

"Thanks Casey."

"So what did you find out?"

"From what they could get from the photos, some are from missions I was on, thinking that someone was trailling me and the others, were altered and some were not. But whoever it is wants me to think that it went further, I know how far I….."

"You don't need to explain yourself Walker, we will get this guy. So what's your plan?"

"I got my files and mission reports and I will take the next few days to go through them and where they lead me that is where I will go."

"Now that you know, more do we still stick with not telling Bartowski? I saw him on the security feed at your place."

Sarah paused and it pained her to say what she was going to say, but to keep him safe she had to stay strong and go ahead with her plan.

"Yes, don't tell him anything."

"Okay, whatever you say. Be safe."

"I will John and thanks, for your help."

Sarah tossed her phone on the bed and grabbed the box. By morning she had read through her first 4 months of mission logs. All pretty much by the book, trying to get her feet wet and learn the ropes. She read her entries and laughed at the comments she made about Carina. 'Long legged red head, has a big chip on her shoulder and a body that won't quit, but will make a great agent. Look forward to working with her again' Sarah walked her room reading her logs, laughing and reminiscing about where she came from and how quickly she moved up in the ranks. Langston was right when he told her that she'd do amazing things as an agent. By noon Beckman sent over the rest of her mission logs. Four boxes filled full of files and mission logs. Sarah sighed at all the reading but was glad that she wrote what she did down on paper. Sarah continued to read and noticed that things started to get messy in her second year as a spy. She had worked with several handlers and when she teamed up with a female, things were fine, but when she was teamed up with a male handler, things were different. Missions were different, not your sugar coated missions but missions that left Sarah rethinking her moral compass as an agent. When Langston told her that she'd be teaming up with loaner agent from MI6, she hadn't heard good things about the mixing of agencies and with her reputation of being a wild card and the way she looked, people talked and those words were hard to brush off.

Sarah remembered the day that she met the MI6 agent. His name preceded himself and his looks were not bad on the eyes. His name was Hunter Davidson and his achievements were legendary and his mission successes is what caught Sarah's eyes and attention. Despite the history he had, she knew that she could learn a lot from him and even to this day, some of her tactics and skills she uses were learned by watching him but also a lot were things that she promised never to do again as long as she was an agent and thanks to Chuck he had made that possible.

It was the spring of 2000 and Sarah remembered being able to move from the blue suit to plain clothes. It was something that most agents wished for and for her it had come quicker than for others. Hunter walked into the main office space and sat down at her desk. Sarah remembered looking at him and noticing that he was a very attractive man. His brown eyes and sandy brown hair and that accent made him the whole package, that James Bonds kinda guy. He extended his hand and when they shook their partnership was sealed. Sarah showed him around DC and within the month they were sent back to Europe. Their missions were joint CIA/MI6 so both agencies could take the credit and things seemed to go by the book. By fall, Sarah had rented a loft and spent most of her days at the MI6 office and slept when she could. Sarah continued to learn from the missions she was on, and kept notes on what to do and what not to do. Their relationship changed as well. The hours, the closeness and the close calls added to the physical tension that they both knew existed.

Sarah continued to think back to that fall. She had never been with a man, though her acting proved differently, she had never kissed a boy, cause the way she looked in high school no one would have taken the chance and being on the run with her had, made any relationship with a boy impossible. But Hunter was different, maybe it was because he was older? Whatever it was, Sarah remembered talking to her mom the morning of her 21st birthday, September 26 and when she got to work, Hunter had placed a cake on her desk. Drinks followed that night cause now Sarah could legally enter a bar. Despite all the missions she had been on before, she now legally looked the part even though she had lived it for the last three years. Sarah could hold her own with alcohol and choice to stop when she did, Hunter appreciated that in her. They said goodnight to the others and headed to his loft. He had been a perfect gentleman all night. He unlocked his door and Sarah slipped inside, and sat down on the couch. Hunter brought her a large glass of water. "Drink this, it will lessen the hangover in the morning."

Sarah remembered those words as if it was yesterday. Hunter sat down beside her and drank his glass fairly fast. Sarah finished hers and looked Hunter. They were alone and he looked fantastic. Sarah looked at him and as he slid his hand up her leg and laid it flat on her cheek, his hand encased the side of her face bringing her lips close to his. They had kissed before as a cover but this was different, Sarah didn't think it was love cause she had never ever felt like this about someone before. He was gentle and took his time and asked her if she was ready. Sarah didn't know but it felt good and she needed to feel something good for once. Life on the road with her dad, joining the CIA, she hadn't enjoyed life they way a 21 year old should. And he was saying all the right things. He took her upstairs. Sarah woke up the morning, grabbed her clothes and headed downstairs. Hunter was making breakfast. He walked over and kissed her, and he knew exactly what to say which stopped her from saying anything. He continued to say the right things and it happened three more times.

Sarah recalled the first of November and a mission that didn't end well. Hunter was very upset and screamed at her messing it up. It was the night that she was left in the situation that was in one of the photos. Sarah got dressed and when she left she saw a name.

Sarah snapped out of her memory and grabbed the paper that she wrote down the name that Casey gave her. 'Vasil Iliev' Sarah grabbed one of the boxes and tried to find the mission log for the fall of 2000. Combing through the pages, she finally found the name and a list of other names and informants that she came along that she didn't let Hunter know about, she had put the names into a code so that if he did get a hold of her logs he couldn't figure it out. Sarah grabbed another piece of paper and wrote of the code. The alphabet was written out with the letters a through m on the first line and n through z on the second line. The sentence or word was written wrong but when lined up with the letter above it or below it the message was clear. Uhagre qnivqfba were the letters Sarah wrote down then unscrambled them reading the Hunter Davidson. As Sarah decoded the rest of her notes, for that month, she had a long list of suspicious intel on him. Sarah thought back to that fall. Sarah knew that she had to stay quiet and luckily for her, she was transferred back to DC and teamed up with another handler named Kieran Ryker and the Cat Squad, where she was teamed up again with the long legged red headed Carina Miller. She had forgotten about Davidson till those pictures were now starting to make sense. But why now, it had been over five years. What did he want and how did he find her? She wasn't going by Cadee Simon, she was now going by Sarah Walker. Langston had encouraged her to have more than one alias and she liked Sarah Walker it was the longest name she had known, since her birth name Samantha Lisa Munoz. And Jenny Burton would have been her second longest name that she had since she arrived in San Diego. So for Hunter to find her, he still had to have contacts and eyes out there. Maybe, one of the mission she had been on with Chuck and Casey had crossed paths with one of her old cases.'

She texted Casey and had him look into any old cases that they had been on with nay connection to European insurance fraud.

Sarah looked at her hotel room and knew that, she had to go to the source, wherever he was. Sarah called Beckman and had her come to her hotel room.

"You sure this is a good idea?"

"I don't know but if it is him, I must have something on him that he wants."

"And do you?

Never never responded. "By the silence, you do?"

"I am not going to say cause of this backfires and they come back to you, you can truthfully say that you didn't know. And that will be the truth."

"What can I do?"

"Let me go to Europe and see what I can find, all off the record."

"Going rogue may not be the best idea but if he has someone on the inside they may not ask questions then. I will make it look like your are still in LA. With Casey he will be your…."

"He will help out with what he can."

"And Chuck."

"The less he knows the better and soon he will forget about me. Don't send a new handler, Casey can take care of him."

"I will leave your post in LA open cause you will be back."

Sarah smiled as Beckman went to the door and an agent came in with a trolley and loaded the boxes that Sarah was sending back. Sarah emptied her one bag and tossed the files she decided to take with her. Beckman walked back to the door and wished her luck. Sarah started folding her clothes laying them over the files.