A/N: *Ahem* ISH
Disclaimer: We don't own the thing. We aren't making money.
"Chuck, stop freaking out," Casey said, flipping through files.
"I'm not freaking out," Chuck replied even as he paced back and forth in Castle's conference room. He felt her eyes on him but he couldn't deal with that at the moment. He didn't need this. "I'll tell you why I'm not freaking out, because that would require me to be overreacting." He took a breath and plowed ahead. "I don't think it's possible to overreact to my future brother-in-law being kidnapped!"
"We're doing the best we can, Chuck," Casey said, looking him in the eye. "I get it, they have your loved one, and I know what family means to you." Casey reached down, grabbed a file, and shoved it into Chuck's chest. "Here, see if you flash on this." Chuck gave Casey a glare, took the file, and glanced through it. He looked back up at Casey, the worry evident on his face.
"Casey..." Chuck began.
"It's okay," Sarah said, standing up, walking over to him, and placing a hand on his shoulder as if to comfort him. If it wasn't for Devon, he'd take time to study her face, the concern on it, but right now he could only think of Devon. "Chuck, go to work. I promise I'll come get you as soon as I have some news." Chuck looked at the monitor of Ellie pacing back and forth outside of her apartment, and he shook his head.
"Look at that," he said to both of them, not even trying to hide the despair in his voice. "She's called him…" he shrugged,"hundreds of times, and not to mention the twenty to me she's made. She's losing it. I gotta tell her."
"Honestly, Chuck, the best thing you can do is to just calm down," Sarah said.
Chuck spun on her. "Do you know in the history of mankind, telling someone to calm down has NEVER worked?!" Chuck's eyes widened. He had just snapped at Sarah Walker, and she didn't deserve that, regardless of what was going on between them. "I'm sorry, that was wrong of me, I'm…"
She pulled him into a hug, surprising him a little. "I get it," she said, and he felt himself blowing out a breath. She pulled back, and put her hands on his biceps, holding his gaze. If he didn't know better... "I need you to go to work."
"I gotta tell Ellie," Chuck replied. "If I don't—"
"Chuck, trust me," she said. There was a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen as much lately as he had before the date. It was reassuring. "We will find him."
"I'm sorry, I can't flash, I can't help…"
"We'll fix it," Sarah said softly. Chuck started to speak, and then stopped. She knew what he was about to say. "I promise." He held her eyes for a moment, gave a resigned sigh, nodded, and left for the Buy More. He didn't know if there was any way to ever fix this.
}o{
Casey watched Chuck leave and spun his wheelchair toward her. "What are you doing to that kid?" Sarah stared at him. "We'll fix it?! You know what in the hell he thinks that means!"
"Casey..." she began, and she shook her head. This wasn't the time or place for that discussion. Hell, she wasn't sure what to say or how to deal with what she felt, but there was feeling. There was no sense in denying that any longer. "It's time, Casey."
"For you two to mix your peanut butter and chocolate?" Casey asked. She glared at him. Ellie had messed her up at the gala, and she didn't like how she felt. No, that was wrong. She didn't know what to do about how she felt. "Walker, whatever the hell it is, do it."
"Whatever?" she asked, knowing Casey had no idea what he was about to get himself into.
"I don't like the sound of that, but what in the hell could you possibly do that might make this worse?"
Sarah didn't answer. She simply activated the monitor.
"Sarah, Casey," Beckman said as a way of greeting. "Any good news on our missing doctor?"
"No, General, and it has gotten worse," Sarah began. Beckman's brow furrowed. "Chuck isn't flashing."
"Oh, boy," Beckman muttered.
"It gets worse," Sarah continued. "Chuck… Chuck wants to tell Ellie about Devon being missing."
"Oh God, no," Beckman muttered. "That's the worst idea possible. Tell me you have an idea Sarah. Have you...talked to him?"
"General..." Sarah tried.
"I get it, Sarah, I do, but, if Ellie Bartowski finds out her future husband is missing because of this project…" Beckman never finished the sentence but the gulp was all that was needed. "Do you have any ideas to get out of this mess?"
"One," Sarah replied. "And I'm not sure telling Ellie the truth wouldn't be the preferred choice of the two."
"What the hell could be worse than that, Walker?" Casey butted in.
She turned and looked him in the eye. "Morgan."
"OH CHRIST NO!" Casey yelled.
"Casey, he's the one person Chuck can talk to about this." Sarah paused. She hated to do this, it was dirty pool, but… "It may be just what Chuck needs to flash."
Both Beckman's and Casey's faces turned thoughtful.
"General," Casey said, "this is a very bad idea."
"Do you have a better way to get the Intersect working again?" Beckman asked.
"Walker might," Casey said, earning a glare from both women. He sighed. "No, General, but telling his sister and her fiancé is one thing, but the bearded gnome?"
"Hey, that bearded gnome is a good guy," Sarah said, getting looks from both of them. She straightened, and cleared her throat, realizing what she said. "And there is no one on this planet more loyal to Chuck Bartowski than Morgan Grimes."
"No one?" Casey asked, implications all over those words.
Sarah looked him straight in the eye. "No one."
Casey straightened, turned back to Beckman, and nodded. "Fine, but he does it." Both Sarah and Beckman watched Casey. "Chuck tells the beard."
}o{
"BARTOWSKI! GRIMES!" Chuck and Morgan both looked up, surprised. Emmett seemed pleased. Why, Chuck had no idea, other than he might be pleased that Big Mike wasn't currently yelling at him. "I just got a call from the head of the Orange Orange franchise, some lady named Beckman, really bossy," Big Mike said.
"You don't say," Chuck replied, glancing over at Casey. Casey gave him a look and Chuck refocused on Big Mike.
"You two are to go over to the new Orange Orange and ask new owner how we can lend a helping hand," Big Mike continued.
"Uh, sir, I'm a green shirt," Morgan began.
"Grimes, she's paying for your ass so you'll go," Big Mike said with a pointed look.
"So long as you got top dollar for me," Morgan muttered. Big Mike left and the two headed out the door. "What's going on?"
"You know as much as I do, Buddy, you know as much as I do." Chuck was in deep thought walking across the parking lot as Morgan went on and on about why McDonalds had the best pickles for sandwiches. As Chuck approached the Orange Orange door, it opened, and there stood Sarah.
"I can trust you, right?" Sarah asked, squinting at them.
"That's a weird thing to ask your boyfriend," Morgan said, grinning. Chuck gave Morgan a look. "Wait…" He turned back to Sarah and widened his eyes. "Me? You're asking me?" Chuck nodded and so did Sarah. "Of course you can trust me, we're best buds." Sarah sent Chuck a glance, her expression troubled.
"Sarah, what is going on?" Chuck asked.
She looked him right in the eye.
"Chuck, trust me," she replied.
"I do," Chuck answered. "I need you to know I really do." She nodded, and the look on her face was unreadable. She looked back at Morgan.
"We are trusting you with something huge," she said to Morgan. "You are the only person that can help, Morgan Grimes, and we need you to understand what a massive deal this is." She paused, and looked over at Chuck. "It's to help your best friend." She paused again, and took a deep breath. "Help me, Morgan Grimes, you're my only hope."
Morgan did his best wookiee call and Chuck rolled his eyes. Sarah smiled and brought Morgan inside. She stood there, waiting for Chuck. "You coming?"
"Didn't know if I was invited," Chuck admitted. She held the door open and he stepped inside.
"Okay, what is your yogurt emergency?" Morgan asked.
"Betsy," Sarah said. Betsy nodded, hit seven buttons on the cash register and shades slipped down over the Orange Orange's windows.
"Betsy," Morgan chuckled. "Too bad her last name isn't Braddock." Chuck glanced at Morgan, but refused to speak.
"Betsy, let no one in. I'm taking these two to the back room," Sarah said, leading them behind the Yogurt and Fun door.
"That's...That's a lot of guns," Morgan muttered seeing Casey's arsenal. "What the—Ooo! Nice TV." Beckman popped on the screen. "Yikes!" Beckman glared at Morgan.
"Morgan Grimes, meet General Beckman of the NSA," Sarah said.
"NSA?" Morgan asked. "National sundae...with almonds?"
"National Security Agency, Buddy," Chuck explained. Morgan looked at him. "Yeah, it's the real deal."
"I knew this day would come," Morgan said softly, in awe. "I've been preparing my whole life." Sarah looked over at Chuck. Morgan was staring off into space, his eyes glistening. Chuck lightly shook his head. "I KNEW one day, they would come for me—"
"We do NOT want you to be a spy, Mr. Grimes!" Beckman said pulling him out of his trancelike state. "God, no."
"I knew that," Morgan said, trying to mask his disappointment. "It's about Area 51, isn't it?"
"No, it's about one of our agents who needs your help," Beckman explained. "Will you help us?"
"Danger is my middle name," Morgan replied, standing as tall as he could.
"You won't even be leaving this building," Beckman informed him flatly.
"Oh, thank God!" Morgan said blowing out a breath. "I mean, I'm willing to give my life for my country but...wait…" He looked at Chuck and Sarah. "What...these two… What's going on?"
"You already know Agent Sarah Walker of the CIA," Beckman began. Morgan looked over at her, studied her for a long minute...and his features cleared as he held out a fist for a bump. Sarah grinned at him, and gave him a fist bump.
But then his eyes widened in realization and he turned toward his best friend of many years.
"The problem we seem to be having is with the NSA's newest member," Beckman said.
Morgan's jaw dropped at first, and then it slowly grew into a smile filled with unadulterated awe and glee.
"Chuck Bartowski." Without any warning, Morgan launched himself at Chuck, hugging him tight. "Will you help us?" Beckman asked.
"Will I help you?" Morgan asked, letting go of Chuck and gesturing with his whole body. "Will I help you? My best bud? His girl? Will—"
"Mr. Bartowski and Miss Walker's relationship is only a cover," Beckman informed Morgan.
"Is that part of the problem?" Morgan asked, ignoring Sarah and Chuck. Beckman pressed her lips together. "Okay, I get it. I totally get it. I will take care of him. I thought I taught him better than that." Chuck saw Sarah's mouth fall open. Beckman looked amused. "I am so sorry, General, he knows better than to be so...well, Chuck. And after Jill dumped him, he had so many ladies, all of 'em wanting to get with the Chuckster. I had to inform them that he wasn't available emotionally." Morgan turned to Chuck as the latter tried to figure out how it would help anything if he murdered him on the spot. "Dude, Sarah is my friend, you can't do her dirty like that! You can't just open up people and their feelings and just leave them high and dry."
"Morgan, I don't think you understand," Sarah said, trying to cut in.
"Sarah, it's okay. I've got both of your backs. But sometimes that means hard truths. Chuck isn't responsible for how much charm he exudes, you know? Some days he doesn't even realize it's happening," Morgan said, trying to comfort her.
Sarah was stunned speechless. Chuck was half ready to murder Morgan, the other half just numb with embarrassment.
"It's okay, you're here with friends and we're gonna straighten this all out." He paused and grinned at her. "We'll get him to take you on some dates. I won't even have to be there for some of them."
"Mr. Grimes, I think you have it all wrong," Beckman said, trying to interrupt.
"How?" Morgan asked. "She's got it bad for my dude." He reached over to pat Chuck on the chest and Chuck thought maybe he'd twist his arm off. He just barely held back.
"Mr. Grimes, she's a trained professional."
"General B, I mean this in the nicest way possible. If the way she feels about him is an act, she needs to quit spying and move to Hollywood immediately. There are so many roles she could dominate." He spun to her. "What if you were the first female James Bond?" Sarah started to answer. "No, no, you're right. Wonder Woman?" Sarah again tried to answer. "What if—"
Chuck laid his hand on Morgan's shoulder, eager to just end this. For everyone's sake. Mostly his own.
"Morgan, she doesn't feel that way about me. Please stop. She's a spy," Chuck said quietly, and he let himself take a quick glance at her. He didn't agree with her assessment of herself, but she didn't need that right now, especially not from Morgan. "And they really need you to just listen right now, Buddy."
Morgan stared at his friend for a minute, gave him a single nod and turned toward Beckman. Chuck watched as Morgan straightened his spine. "What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to do something you're apparently quite good at, by...most accounts. I need you to be his friend and listen to his story," Beckman said. "Chuck, take him downstairs, tell him everything. Whatever you need to tell him to get the Intersect working again. We need you to flash."
Chuck's eyes widened. So that was what all of this was. That was why they'd brought Morgan in on this. It was… in a word, genius. And he could hug all of them for trusting him, for trusting Morgan.
"Yes, General," Chuck replied. "Come on, Buddy, secret base time." With that he headed out the door.
"Yes!" Morgan said, doing a fist pump following behind leaving Sarah and the General in the room by themselves.
}o{
Chuck led Morgan downstairs to the conference table. Chuck was a little surprised his friend was not freaking out about all of the cool things lying around, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Morgan listened as Chuck told the whole story, and how he got the Intersect, most of what had happened after he'd gotten the Intersect. He left out the romance with Sarah, especially the lack thereof currently.
"So, I guess I told you everything. That's it. That's my story."
"Really?" Morgan asked, his eyebrow raised. "Chuck, didn't you just tell me that your emotions affect the Intersect?" Chuck nodded. "Well, we both know why you're not flashing. It isn't just that you didn't have anybody to talk to."
"Right, because they have Awesome," Chuck replied, thrusting his hand out in the general direction of they.
Morgan put his head in his hands. "Oh, I pray I'm not too late."
"Too late for what?" Chuck asked. Morgan looked at him like he was crazy.
"Dude, you are my best friend, but you need to hear this. You are flyin' blind, pal," Morgan said sagely. Chuck blinked. "Tell me this, Chuck, when did the Intersect stop working?"
"When Director Graham died in the explosion," Chuck replied. Morgan stared at him, a frown on his face. "Ten people were killed, Morgan."
"Eleven were, because apparently part of you died then, too," Morgan muttered. "How are you so smart and so not-smart all at the same time? Dude, this is about Sarah." He studied his friend and something seemed to hit him, even as things began to click. "Chuck, do you remember the song by Air Supply, 'Even the Nights Are Lonely'?"
"Yeah," Chuck replied.
"That song is you." Chuck began to shake his head, and Morgan began to sing. "I, I was so confused, feeling like I'd just been used. Then you came to me and my loneliness left me."
"It would have been better if it was Michael Bolton," Chuck muttered. "Long story," he said, seeing the confusion on Morgan's face. "Okay, say that you're right, say I do have feelings for her, say I am….say I have intense feelings for her."
"Or we could just say you love her," Morgan said with a shrug.
Chuck glared at him, but Morgan pointedly ignored it. "Okay, say...THAT. She doesn't feel that way about me. And if she ever did, ever could, I ruined it. At least I think I did. I hope I didn't." He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "Besides I quit flashing when Awesome disappeared. That's the real reason. It was on the fritz before that but it really went offline after Awesome was kidnapped."
"I see," Morgan replied. "So you're all confused about Sarah, and Awesome is missing, and you can't flash?"
"Morgan, let's say I'm not confused and she's not either. She doesn't feel that way about me," Chuck insisted. "I already told you that. It's for the cover."
"Dude! She is CA-RAZY about you!"
"Morgan, spies don't have feelings," Chuck parroted what he'd heard at least once, if not a few times, in the past month or so.
Morgan gave him a flat look. "Then Sarah Walker is not a spy." Chuck stared at him. "Come ON! Chuck!" Morgan stood up and began to pace. Chuck reached up to try and stop him, but it was too late. "Chuck, bro… I have to be totally honest with you."
"Have you ever stopped?" Chuck groused under his breath.
Morgan continued as though he hadn't heard him. "Since Jill… Dude, you've depressed me. So bad."
"How is this supposed to help?"
"Just listen," Morgan said. "We've seen the way Sarah looks at you."
"Morgan—" Chuck tried to cut in.
"Listen, Chuck," Morgan said softly, his hands on the table in front of Chuck. "WE'VE...Ellie, Awesome, me, Big Mike, Lester, Je...okay, not Jeff, but let's be honest, he's out of his damn mind with some illegal substance eighty percent of the time so who knows what crazy shit he sees."
"True," Chuck admitted.
"Dude, she loves you, and you love her," Morgan said. Chuck shook his head. "Chuck, you love her." Chuck waited a beat, then slowly nodded. "Okay, good. Now that we've got that admission over and done with, I'm gonna ask what this business is with you saying you 'ruined' things with her."
Chuck winced, shaking his head at himself. "I made the decision to join the NSA without talking to her about it for, uh, a few...weeks. Maybe. Ahem."
Morgan made an anguished face. "Bro."
"I know, I know. Trust me, I know. She's just...She's her, man. Even before you found out she's a CIA agent, she was easily the coolest, most gorgeous, incredible woman you'd ever seen in your life, right?"
Morgan nodded. "Yep."
"I thought—I don't know. I was afraid if I told her I was thinking of accepting the position with the NSA that she'd...tell me I wasn't good enough. And I didn't want to have to face someone I admire as much as I admire her...telling me I wasn't good enough. It's...lame. I know…"
"Oh. Man." Morgan shook his head. "On the one hand, I guess I get it. On the other, how many times do you have to hear me sing your praises before you believe me, dude? Of course your girl is radical—I know, I know, it's a cover, blah blah, whatever, Chuck—but you're radical too." He swatted his chest with the back of his hand. "And she knows you're radical. I know she knows." Chuck gave him a weak smirk. "So that's why you're in the doghouse with Sarah, huh? 'Cause you kept all that from her..."
"I am beyond the doghouse," Chuck muttered.
"Never fear, you're in my territory where I not only roam free, but prosper." Chuck wasn't sure that was something the beard should admit. Morgan held up one finger. "BUT, you have something I don't," Morgan replied, grinning. Chuck looked at him strangely. "She loves you, and she can't help herself. I'll tell you what you gotta do, Chuck. All you have to do... " He paused dramatically. "...is be him."
"Be wh—? What? Look, I'd turn myself inside out to be with her, Morgan. I'd do anything."
"Then you have to be him, the only guy capable of winning a woman who is that bad ass." Chuck just stared at him, confused. "If I tell you, you have to follow my advice. You have to be him, no one else, or… Well, Buddy, or all is lost."
"I'll do it," Chuck promised.
Morgan paused dramatically again. "You need to be...Charles Irving Bartowski. You do that and that woman, spy or no spy, hasn't got a chance." Chuck gave Morgan a flat look and opened his mouth to argue. "Chuck, she fell in love with you. She's still in love with you. She only got mad at you when you quit believing in yourself and doubted your worth enough not to tell her the truth. She's mad because you didn't trust her."
"I should have told her," he said softly, nodding. "I know I should've."
Morgan slammed his hand down on the table. "Damn right you should have! What the hell were you thinking? That's something I would do! And you're supposed to be better than me, Chuck."
"I didn't think I was good enough for her. God, I still don't," Chuck admitted.
Morgan stared at him, eyes wide, disbelief covering his face. "Chuck, in all the movies we watch, what do spies do?"
"Kill, steal things, steal top secret intel... Why?"
"She's been a spy all her life, and then she meets you, who's...well...you," Morgan answered. Chuck shook his head. "Tell me one thing she says about you."
Chuck furrowed his brow and thought. "She's always saying I'm altruistic."
"Wow," Morgan said taken aback a little. "Beautiful, bad-ass, and brainy. I knew my other buddy was the perfect girl for you." Chuck shook his head. "How many altruistic people do you think she's met doing what she does? We've watched so many movies about spies, Chuck, and how are most spies in movies?"
"She says you can't use movies as a way to learn about spies," Chuck informed him. "Which...let's be real, she's kinda righ—"
"Not everyone's perfect. She had to have a flaw somewhere," Morgan interrupted with a shrug.
Chuck couldn't help but smile. He was starting to feel some of the burden lift. "Spies on TV, movies, and in real life, are very selfish, follow orders and take the easy way out. She's the first one I've ever heard of who hasn't been that way, not even in the very beginning." Chuck realized something then. "Did we tell you about Casey being NSA yet? We maybe skipped over that part"
Morgan bobbed his head back and forth. "Makes a lot more sense," he admitted. "Okay, so here she is telling you how great you are, being forced into a cover, clearly besotted with you."
"Been using your word a day calendar haven't you?" Chuck asked, holding up his hand. Morgan gave him a high five.
"I have my moments," he preened. "So, why hasn't this whole thing between you two happened even before the whole not telling her about the NSA thing? Because she's obviously been interested. And you have been, too."
"She was my handler before and I was her asset," Chuck responded.
"You really want me to believe that the age old handler and asset thing stopped Sarah Walker, agent with the CIA, from at least trying something with my charming pal Charles Bartowski? Please." He scoffed. "Come on. I get it, you two were doing the whole cover relationship thing, but nothing happened? There wasn't even a little bit of a something...somewhere? Where you slipped?"
Chuck diverted his gaze for a moment, and then finally turned back to his friend. "I think it's safe to say yes."
"Did she completely shut you down when you slipped?" Chuck shook his head. She absolutely did not. "Did she go along with it?" Chuck nodded, thinking about the kiss in front of what they thought had been a triggered bomb. "Welp!" He clapped his hands together. "We've examined everything, so if you've told me the truth...?"
"I have," Chuck promised.
"Then what, my best spy friend, is holding you both back still? Hmmm?" Morgan asked. Chuck was struggling.
"I—I don't know if you're waiting for me to answer or if it's rhetori—"
Morgan slammed his hand down on the table. "Oh come on! She doesn't think she's good enough for you."
"WHAT?" Chuck asked, laughing outright. "That's crazy. That's crazy talk!"
"Is it? Or is it so crazy...that it's true?"
Chuck stared at his friend. "No, Morgan. Look, she's afraid the spy world will change me. And Casey…" Chuck looked up at Morgan and the grin began. He hopped off of his seat, walked over, picked up the previous file, opened it up, and flashed instantly. He turned back to Morgan. "Buddy, thank you. You did it. I flashed."
"Yeah, I uh...I saw the face. Whoa, dude." He made a yikes face.
"So Chuck, who are you going to be?" Morgan asked then after a beat.
"Chuck Bartowski," Chuck replied, grinning.
"Why?"
"Because she loves Chuck Bartowski."
"Damn straight! Now when do I get a gun?"
Chuck blinked, and sat down. "Buddy…"
}o{
A little while later, Chuck finally brought Morgan back upstairs. "Remember, Morgan, it's a secret." Casey gave Sarah a dubious look that Chuck apparently caught. "Some people don't believe in you."
"I do," Sarah said, smiling encouragingly at Morgan.
"And I, sweet spy Sarah, believe in you," Morgan said to her.
Sarah raised an eyebrow and it might have gone further but the front door opened, Captain Awesome himself striding in.
Sarah spun and saw him, but before anyone else could move, Chuck had rushed past all of them to tackle Awesome in a bear hug. "Oh my God! You're okay, Devon! Holy shit!"
"They think I'm you," Devon blurted out numbly.
"Okay, everyone downstairs," Sarah said quickly before any more discussion could be had outside of their base. How in the hell had Awesome shown up like this? And who had taken him? Why was he back?
But then she spotted Morgan nodding and heading for the door to leave them to it. "Nope. You too, Morgan."
"What the hell are you doing, Walker?" Casey asked, freezing on the spot halfway to the door that led into Castle.
"Casey, this is about Chuck's family, and if anyone is Chuck's family, it's Morgan."
She didn't miss Chuck's grateful look. They filed downstairs, took seats at the table, contacted Beckman, and had Devon tell them what had happened.
When he was finished, Beckman took her glasses off and looked over the group. "I'll be frank. From what he has told us, we can conclude that the woman Devon was with is Sydney Prince, the head of a Ring cell in Los Angeles. She has tried to recruit several of our agents."
"She knows everything about me, Chuck," Devon said, the nerves evident in his voice. Real dread and anger crossed his face then. "She knows about Ellie, too."
"She knows everything except who the real spy in the family is," Sarah said, only looking at Chuck. He seemed to catch the look, and the tone in her voice. And he diverted his gaze.
"That's an understandable mistake," Casey said. "One of them looks like a spy, and the other one looks... like Chuck."
"True," Chuck replied, looking down at himself. She frowned silently.
"She gave me this," Devon said, handing Chuck a box with an oval-shaped device inside. Chuck flashed and then blinked.
"Ring communicator," Chuck said. "Works off of a closed network, buuut, the NSA has recently developed new technology." He looked at General Beckman.
"We can crack it, but it will take some time," Beckman said, nodding.
"Sounds like a plan," Chuck said, pushing back his chair. "I'm gonna get Awesome back to my sister before she kills both of us."
"You can't take him home quite yet, Chuck," Beckman said. "We need to talk about how we're going to use Dr. Woodcomb against the Ring."
"Uh, excuse me?" Chuck said.
"Dude, no, I'm out of this," Devon agreed.
Casey looked from one to the other, and then back to Beckman. "I think I need to practice my marksmanship," he muttered and fled the area as fast as the wheelchair could take him.
}o{
"He's getting good at that," Chuck muttered under his breath.
"Agent Walker, can you...deal with this?" Beckman asked. Sarah looked extremely uncomfortable but nodded anyway. "Agents, Dr. Woodcomb."
"You're going to deal with us?" Chuck asked pointedly, not liking the way that sounded at all. Sarah sighed, not looking at him. Instead, she just looked tired, frustrated. "No one is using Devon," Chuck insisted anyway. "There will be no using of him anymore. He's out of the spy world. Forever."
"Using the situation Devon's in is our best option, Chuck," Sarah explained calmly. She turned to Devon. "Sydney Prince won't go to her superiors with your identity until she knows whether she's turned you or burned you." She took a deep breath, and looked Devon in the eye. "When Sydney contacts the guy she thinks is the agent, he'll do what she says. And we'll track her down and bring her in before she even lays a finger on him."
"I have to do what that crazy woman says?" Devon asked Chuck.
"No, you don't," Chuck said to him vehemently. "No, he doesn't," Chuck said to Sarah this time. He saw whatever battle that was happening in her head reflected in her face. "I know what you're going to say. This is about how our private lives get caught up in the spy world. It's what you've been saying about my decision to join the NSA. I get that, but Sarah, I'm not going to be that agent. We went into the consulate for Casey. How far do you think I'd go for my brother?"
"Really, Chuckster?" Devon asked softly.
Chuck turned to Devon and put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "Dude, you've been family for me for a long time. I won't risk losing you. I'm not losing my sister's soon-to-be husband."
"Chuck, you have to understand. It's the only way to get him off the hook. We need to get Sydney Prince out of the picture or he'll never be safe again," she said softly. Devon and Chuck both looked at her. "Devon, we'll be with you every step of the way."
"If you two tell me you can get me through this, I trust you," Devon said.
"We will, Devon," Sarah replied. "You mean as much to me as Chuck does. I promise, I'll keep you safe."
"I don't think I mean to you quite as much as Chuck does, but I appreciate the sentiment," Devon replied. Sarah ducked her head and Chuck looked away. "I'm gonna go upstairs and get some yogurt. How about you two come get me when you hash things out because I need you two on the same page for this one. You know, so I don't die before my wedding day. 'Kay, good talk."
Chuck watched Devon walk up the stairs and out of the door.
Without even pausing, he mechanically made his way to the nearest desk, sat down, and let his head fall against it, not caring about the pain as his forehead smacked into the hard surface. He put his arms on the table beside his head, and just stayed there.
He felt her hand on his shoulder. It wasn't as tentative as it had been lately. It almost felt like it had before.
"Talk to me, Chuck." The slight strain was gone from her voice. And it set him at ease more than anything, as absolutely wrecked as he felt. It wasn't just getting Captain Awesome trapped in the spy life when he hadn't asked for it. It was everything else he'd fucked up too. It was all just piling on.
"I've messed up so much," he said softly. She didn't say anything, and her hand continued to rub his back comfortingly. "I've hurt you, I've hurt my sister, and now I've put Devon in danger. You're right. I can't do this with the way I am, and I won't become someone else. I refuse to do that. I refuse to be that person. This was about helping people, about making your life and Casey's life easier, and yeah, there was more, so much more I hoped I could be...with you." The hand stilled. "Sarah, who are we kidding? I'm terrible at this. I'm doing a shit job."
There was a long stretch of silence, and her hand moved against his upper back again. Slowly, reassuringly.
"You know what really makes the spy world the hardest?" he heard her ask softly. "It's missions like these. When the stakes are extra high because your personal life gets tangled up in it, and we're taught to compartmentalize personal things, like feelings. It's utter bullshit." Chuck's breath caught, but he didn't say anything. "Some missions, just—They are just so difficult, for whatever reason. But the ones that involve family or people you know..." She blew out a breath.
"I must have made your life hell for the past year." Sarah snorted. "I mean, every mission you had to deal with me. And me, constantly badgering you for friendship, for...more."
"I hope you understand the full meaning of what I'm about to say... It was the worst year...and the best year." Chuck laughed against the table. "And if I'm one hundred percent honest, I would do it again in a minute."
"If I could go back, I wouldn't have become an agent," Chuck muttered.
"Okay, that's enough," Sarah said, pulling him up into a sitting position so that he was forced to turn and look at her. "Stop with that. You are an agent. And I get it. I have some regrets too. But you have to move forward now. Pull your head out of this."
She really was something else. He felt some of the self-pity he'd been wallowing in drift away.
"You know," he said softly, meeting her gaze. "I get now why federal agents tend to have...interesting love lives." Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Who else would understand this life but a fellow agent?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said, looking him in the eye, her mask gone, looking almost unsure even as she continued. "I've met a few civilians that don't judge. One in particular."
HE smiled as much as he could, and then he sobered up and took a deep breath.
"I can't do this mission alone," he said, shaking his head.
"You don't have to," Sarah replied, squeezing his shoulder. "Now, let's go talk to Ellie. Actually no. Let's go see Ellie and maybe this time I'll do the talking."
"Why?" Chuck asked. "And there's no ulterior motive in me asking. That's just...well, very altruistic, Agent Walker."
"Because some damn nerd maybe rubbed off on me, okay?" She grinned at him, and then got serious just as quickly. "Devon is going to marry your sister and have a long, beautiful marriage and a lot of ridiculously attractive kids." Chuck widened his eyes and pressed his lips together as he nodded in agreement. "WE," she said, pointing a finger from him to her, "are going to make sure he gets to have all of that."
"Thank you, Sarah."
She grinned at him, stood, and offered him her hand. He took it and stood, bringing her very close. She didn't flinch. She looked him right in the eye.
"This one is personal for me too," she said softly. "Very personal." With that she turned and went up the stairs.
Chuck stood there a second, wondering if he dared hope there was a chance.
}o{
As Devon walked into the courtyard with Sarah and Chuck behind him, the door opened to his apartment and Ellie came flying out. She crashed into him in a tight hug. "Where have you been?" Ellie asked him, grabbing him by his shoulders as she pulled back to look into his face.
"Uh, Ellie, we need to go inside," Sarah said, walking up to her. "It's...complicated." Ellie's eyebrow went up. "It's also about my job," she said quietly. Pointedly. Ellie's eyes widened and she went inside. "You two… Stay out here, go to Casey's, just give us some time." Chuck and Devon nodded and Sarah followed Ellie inside.
"Tell me he's not an agent," Ellie said immediately, her arms crossed, as if daring her to say what she feared she would say.
"He's not, but...someone thinks he is," Sarah said. Ellie looked like she wanted to collapse. "Listen, I'll make this short. An enemy operative thinks there's a spy in your family. Now if you looked at this family from the outside, who would you immediately suspect is the spy?"
"Oh, God," Ellie muttered.
"Ellie, we are going to protect him." Ellie gave her a look. "I am going to protect him. I'm not letting my best friend lose her fiancé."
"Sarah," she began.
"Ellie, my biggest fear..." She swallowed hard. "My biggest fear is that I lose him." Ellie's eyes widened and Sarah felt herself starting to sweat. "I can imagine what you're feeling right now, because I wake up every morning with that fear. I know all the ways they could take him, and hurt him. I will never let that happen, so please understand when I say I am going to take care of Devon, I am going to take care of him. Nothing is going to happen to him, do you understand me?"
"Have you told him? Talked to him?" Ellie asked. Sarah shook her head. "What if someone takes you or him tomorrow?" Sarah looked away, and bit down on the inside of her cheek. "Good God, if this is you two not together…"
"I need to go," Sarah said quickly. "I've got to be there when Devon gets a phone call. But I need you to trust me. I promise, I've got him."
"One last thing," Ellie said. Sarah paused. "I know this firsthand. It's a lot easier to get Chuck to understand where you're coming from when you actually explain it. When you talk to him, I mean. He's a good listener."
Sarah just nibbled on her lip.
"I'm trusting you with my family."
"I know," Sarah said.
"Do you?" Ellie asked. Sarah gave her a look, and left. She didn't have time to do what Ellie had told her to do. She had to make sure she brought her fiancé back. That was the first priority.
}o{
Chuck looked nauseated as they sat in their van outside of Crystal Towers.
Those batshit crazy Ring agents had an earpiece in Devon's ear that would explode if something went wrong, or if he tried to remove it.
"Sarah," Chuck said softly from where he sat beside her. "Will you take lead on this?" She saw the worry in his eyes, and it tore at her. "There's no one I trust more. No offense, Casey."
"None taken. If Devon gets killed, I got a better chance of getting away from Ellie when she goes on a murderous rampage," he replied. Both Sarah and Chuck gave him a look. "What? I'm just saying what you two are thinking."
"He's not wrong," Sarah admitted. "But Awesome's going to be fine, I promise." She put her hand on top of his and squeezed. He gave her a thankful look. The call came in and they had their orders.
Devon was to go to the twelfth floor. "Devon, go inside. We'll be there," she said.
"We?" Chuck asked her. She raised an eyebrow and gave him an amused look. She knew she shouldn't but she needed him calm. Part of her was mad at herself. In a way, she was treating him like he was a mark. And that's when it slammed into her. She wasn't treating him like a mark. She was treating him like...Chuck. Her partner, Chuck.
"We," he said more confidently. They started upstairs, Chuck following after Sarah. She had a tranq gun like the one she'd given him in the van. She wanted to bring her real gun, but Chuck had argued against it. It didn't matter who they were going up against. They had to be the good guys in this. Also, he'd insisted that Devon getting hit by a stray dart was better than him getting hit by a stray bullet.
He wasn't wrong.
She moved up the steps, and emerged to see Devon trying to talk his way past the security guards.
"What is it about your family?" she asked softly, and rhetorically, as she hit the guard with the tranq dart.
"We're talkers," Chuck replied, shrugging. "We don't keep things inside, and I know that bothers you."
"It does...and it doesn't," she said. They took Devon to the elevators, went to the twelfth floor, got off, and listened as Devon got his instructions.
"Guys, this is going way too easy," Devon said. Sarah and Chuck both shot him a dirty look. "What?"
"You don't say that," Chuck told him. "You just don't." Three guys came around the corner, and Sarah pulled her gun, dropping them all, quickly. "See? Told you you needed tranqs," he said to her as she spun toward him. She saw three more behind Chuck, and quickly stepped up close to him, her arms shot past either side of his head, she fired twice, did the splits and shot the third one from between his legs. She stood up allowing herself to enjoy the grin on his face. "You're incredible."
She shrugged. "Just work at the gun range," she replied. They both looked over at Devon who apparently had just gotten a call, his face pale.
"Uh, guys, she wants me to cut a guard's eye out to get into a locked door," Devon said. "I can't do that, man! I took an oath!"
The mics sparked to life. "Walker, watch Devon's headset," Casey instructed. The lights went off, and she yanked it from his head. "Did that work?"
"Yes, how did you do that?" Sarah asked.
"Sydney walked by the van, I literally opened the door, hitting her with it, knocking her out," Casey replied.
Devon looked at Chuck. "I'm done with the spy business." Sarah looked away, wishing his soon to be brother-in-law was as well.
}o{
The next day the three sat in front of Beckman on the monitor. "Team, I have just been informed that last night was an exercise." Chuck sat up, anger covering his face. "Trust me Agent Carmichael, I'm not happy about it either." The door opened and down walked a talk man, with dark hair, that some might describe as well...a superhero. "I would like to introduce you all to CIA Special Agent Daniel Shaw. For the last five years, he's worked on taking out The Ring." She grimaced a bit before she said anything else. "Agent Shaw has total command authority on any mission to do with The Ring...unless it puts the Intersect at risk, in which I can veto the mission."
Casey had a bewildered look on his face as he saw Shaw. "Really? This guy? I have back issues of Guns & Ammo older than he is."
Shaw walked around the room. "Be that as it may, you should know that I have been fully briefed on the Intersect." Sarah felt herself gravitate just a bit closer to Chuck, which Shaw might have noticed, because he nodded seriously. "That's right. I know everything."
"No, you obviously don't," Chuck cut in. Shaw looked at him. "You risked my family. Why? You know what, I don't care what your answer is. There's something you need to know. There's nothing that I care about more than my friends and my family. I don't expect you to understand. Being the spy that you are, I'm not sure you care about anybody."
"Families and friends make us vulnerable," Shaw retorted. "They make us unable to pull the trigger. And that puts everyone in even greater danger." He paused and looked over at Sarah. "Just ask your partner here." He glanced at Sarah. "She'll tell you the same thing."
"Sometimes it helps to know that you've got something to lose," Sarah said, her eyes flashing dangerously as Chuck looked over at her. Shaw looked surprised that she hadn't backed him up, then he looked irritated as he turned on his heel and walked away.
"Well said, Agent Walker," Beckman said the moment he cleared out of the room. And then she ended the feed.
Sarah looked over at Chuck. "Be careful with him, Chuck." Chuck nodded. Sarah gave him a tight, sad smile, got up and left, leaving him with Casey.
"Damn CIA," Casey muttered.
"They're not all bad," Chuck replied.
Casey shook his head. "There's one that's okay."
}o{
Sarah moved through the hallways of Castle, making her way towards the shooting range. She had a million and one thoughts, worries, and fears making their way through her brain and she needed to focus. On one target, preferably.
Slipping the goggles on and prepping her gun, she wondered how in the hell the brass thought bringing someone else in on the Intersect was a good idea. It opened the door for loose ends, yet another agent who could betray Chuck, harm him, ruin the operation, and damage the effectiveness of the project.
It wasn't her decision. It wasn't her choice. It was above her head, above her pay grade.
And she thought it was the most reckless decision they could've possibly made.
Then again, who was even making these decisions? Because the CIA had yet to replace Langston Graham, and therefore the agency had no director, no one running oversight, no one making the big calls.
So where in the hell had Agent Daniel Shaw even come from, she wondered? Who'd picked him to be pulled into the Intersect Project? Who'd deemed him trustworthy enough to give him the Intersect's real identity, putting Chuck in a lot of danger?
The CIA was officially a power vacuum now. She had no idea who had control of what...or if anyone at all had control. If she wasn't here, in this situation, on this team, with this task, she'd get out of the cluster fuck that was the current CIA so fast.
Now with Agent Shaw hopping onto the team, coming from out of fucking nowhere, without someone calling the shots in the CIA above him, Sarah had even more of a reason to stay here. Chuck needed her now more than ever.
But she couldn't say anything. First of all, she wasn't going to do anything to alert Shaw of her suspicion and distrust. But secondly, and most importantly, Chuck had a lot on his mind. He was training. He was working towards becoming a spy. He was dealing with too much already. She was suspicious, yes, but it was in her nature to be suspicious, not to trust people.
She didn't want to put a thread of distrust in Chuck's mind if she was wrong about the new installment from the CIA. She didn't want him to be thrown off, she didn't want it affecting his work and determination. He needed to focus on the mission ahead.
And in the meantime she was going to keep her eye on Agent Daniel Shaw.
Whether Beckman and Casey were okay with him or not, she knew she wasn't. She wasn't sure why just yet, but she didn't need a reason. She'd find it if there was one. Eventually. And then she'd tell Chuck and Casey.
She pulled the trigger and watched as the hole appeared in the middle of the target's head. Right between its eyes.
Well. At least that hadn't changed.
A/N: So anyway, please read what I've written at the end here with Sarah twice, three times if you have to, and understand that the thing you fear we might do ... yeah, that's not happening. It never was. It won't. So, like, chill. This isn't something I personally ever do in A/Ns... It's just that neither David or I feel like dealing with vitriol from folks for something we're not even gonna do. So that's that.
-SC and DC
