Don't own Chuck

He hadn't noticed what was in the background in the photo before but now it stood out in all its horror staring back at him. There in the background where two ropes dangling down. The sight of the two ropes made he feel as if someone had gripped his heart in his chest and squeezed. He stopped propped himself against the table and had to force himself not to heave. Looking up he saw Sarah then he heard her call to him he wasn't sure what she said just her being there helped him fight off what he was feeling of cold terror.

"Sweetie, what's the matter? You're on a roll, keep it up," said Sarah as she stood up from her seat in the audience section vacant in a closed secession. Chuck shook it off.

"I'm sorry I apologize for my momentary distraction bad memories," said Chuck but Greene interrupted him cutting him off.

"Feigning ill or crazy won't keep you out of going to prison. There are no get out of jail free cards here," said Greene as she turned to the rest of the board. "I think I've heard enough half-truths.

"I only have one other thing then I'm done. I'm asking for just a little more patience," said Chuck as he regained color and composure. Both Generals looked at each other worried. He took out of the envelope a Sat phone. "This was Izad's and he used it to contact his Hydra contact here in Washington. What happens if I hit redial?" Chuck pulled up the menu and pressed the icon to dial last number called then suddenly the Admiral's phone began to ring.

"Now I know you're making everything up this is impossible. Sergeant at Arms arrest him and take him away."

"You stay right where you're at young man," said Senator Daniels. "Ms Greene, you're a junior senator sitting on my board. You don't order anyone to do anything and I want, we want to know about that phone."

"This isn't even my phone; I received it this morning in an envelope with a letter telling me to keep it close. See here's the letter," she said but when she pulled it out she saw the page was now blank. "You did this. I don't know how but you're responsible," hissed Greene at Chuck.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Senator Daniels maybe the board ought to examine our phones more closely."

"Yes, yes," said Agnes as she handed hers to one of the court officers who took it to Senator Daniels and Chuck surrendered his to him too.

"It does identify the caller as anonymous so I'd have to give the doubt to Agnes there," said the Senator as he looked through the menu. Then went to messages sent and received. "Wait Ms Greene can you explain this message exchange: Carmichael location found confirm kill order. Have wet team standing by'. You wrote "Confirm." Then you received another message "Confirm kill?" And you replied "Confirm kill." This sounds like you contracted a hit on Agent Carmichael here.

"That's crap… I didn't… well it's him he did this that can't be the phone Izad calls me on. It can't be I'm telling you. I'm positive this is a lie."

"And why is that," asked Chuck. Chuck intentionally let slide Agnes just admitted contact with Izad. "You sound convincing but no one's buying it. You're lying and everyone can see it. What did you accuse me of feigning? Who's faking now? Admit it that's your phone."

"I'm not lying and I can prove it," barked the Admiral angrily. "You think you're smart setting me up. Well if they search the east end of the reflecting pool they'll find the real phone I used. I ditched it after my first day. That's where I got rid of it so find it. It will prove this one's a fake and if it's a fake then the messages on it are fake."

"I wouldn't say that. You can read the same messages I sent to you from mine," said Chuck as he pulled his IPhone from his pocket so fake message they're not just you thought you were communicating with Hydra while you were communicating with me. Once we recover the old one, the one you just admitted to using to contact Izad, we'll have enough evidence to indict you for treason, attempted murder, murder and a whole lot of other charges we haven't thought of yet."

"Sargent at Arms arrest Ms. Greene hold her until the FBI gets here to take her into custody. Agent Carmichael it's always interesting to have you come and testify before my committee. Maybe we can have you come sometimes without it ending in an arrest or…" Senator Daniels was about to say suicide when Agnes grabbed her throat and began choking then collapsed. Chuck ran to her as he got close he could smell almond on her breath.

"She's been poisoned by some form of cyanide," said Chuck. "Does anyone know where she went to eat lunch?"

"I ate lunch in my office," said Agnes as she forced herself to speak. Both she and Chuck knew she didn't have long. "Eddie, Eddie …" were the last words she spoke before slipping off into a coma.

"Eddie is her Chief of Staff," said Senator Daniels. "It can't be him he's a nice kid and has got a promising career or he used to at least." Chuck made a dash for the exit with Sarah and Casey. They ran out through the rotunda.

"We need to get to her office before they find out what just happened and our murderer makes a break for it," said Chuck. "Casey, you take the elevator…"

"I'll take the east end stairs, you take the west none of us are armed so be careful," said Sarah more for Chuck because they both knew Casey was always armed.

"Roger that," said Casey as he palmed a Lansky knife made from hardened plastic he had in the inside of his jacket great for when he had to pass through metal detectors.

"Sarah," radioed Chuck as he ran up the steps. "Something isn't right with this. Her Chief of Staff couldn't be so stupid to think we wouldn't figure out he gave her the sandwich."

"Chuck, save your breath but criminals do stupid things all the time that's how they get caught," radioed Sarah back as she broke on the floor to find Casey and Chuck waiting. "What? You run upstairs in high heels and tell me how fast you can go."

"You could've taken them off," said Casey looking down at her feet. "But I suppose that thought never crossed your mind."

"You have any idea how much these cost? If you did you'd know why I didn't take them off and why are we standing around wasting time?"

"I'll give you a foot massage when we get home," said Chuck as he smiled at her. Casey rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Yuck, I'm glad to see you two worked things out. Now come on we've got a perp to nail," said Casey as they opened the door erupting into the late Senator's office.

"Eddie, hands in plain sight or my friend here will do irreparable damage to you," said Chuck as they went straight to his desk. The man looked up puzzled.

"What my partner is saying," said Casey to make things clear, "move and you die so please move and make my day."

"John, I liked that 'my partner' I knew you cared and that somewhere deep down there you want to say those three little words."

"You're going to die. Keep it in your pants or I'll change my mind. Remember what you said about irreparable damage keep it up."

"Guys eyes on the prize we've got a mission here. You're under arrest for the murder of Senator Greene," said Sarah as she pulled out zip ties. "We're going to need you to come with us to Langley. We want to know all about your affiliation with Hydra."

"Hydra what? The Senator's dead? Christ, I've lost two this isn't going to help my career. Losing one boss could be overlooked as an oversight but losing two is a sign of poor judgement. Gez, what am I going to put on my resume now. This won't look good."

"Neither will Supermax. You dosed the Senator's Sub with cyanide. I don't remember that being listed as a healthy food choice. Did you make it a meal?"

"What are you talking about? Her sandwich was poisoned? I didn't get lunch I'm the Chief of Staff. That's the intern's job, I sent Frank to fetch that's what he's for." Sarah gave Casey a look before he could open his mouth.

"Okay, then where's Frank? Do you have him heeling somewhere or is he chewing on a bone? All I see is an office full of women."

"His desk is that one in the corner but now that you mention it he made the lunch run then said he had to deliver a package across town for the Senator. But how could he have seen her she was either in the meeting room or locked away in her office."

"You mean he's long gone that's just great. He knew we'd be coming," said Casey. "Okay everyone stop what they're doing and sit at your desks. We'll have a team in soon to interview each one of you and you'll have to be cleared before you can go home. Until you're clear there will be no communicating with anyone outside this room. I want all cell phones over here now that starts with you Eddie." He put his phone on the desk and everyone one else started filing over setting their phone down.

"Guys, look at Frank's computer the green light is on the camera. He's watching us over the internet." Chuck went over and pressed a button to wake up the screen. Frank had left his computer on before running. A message came across the blue screen.

"Hi Chuck at last we finally meet well figuratively at least," said a mechanical voice from the computer. "Please don't touch anything or we'll lose the connection and neither of us wants that yet. You can tell Colonel Casey he's wasting his time trying to track this signal. I've got it bouncing off servers around the world and by the time he finds my source I will be long gone but I know you've got to try."

"I think you just did," said Chuck as he waved for Casey to continue they might get lucky. Sarah signaled Chuck to engage Frank and keep him on the line. "I have to ask you why Frank? Why did you choose the dark side?"

"I like the Star Wars reference but the truth is there are no dark or light sides. In that office I was a lackey I worked for everyone and they treated me like I was their own personal servant. You heard what Eddie just said 'fetch'. Hydra came along and saw my true potential and offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. I've got real power and responsibility."

"You can tell that to the Admiral. The only thing you had to do was to tie up a loose end for them. Is that why you put cyanide in the Admiral's food?"

"I would've thought that would make you happy. She and Izad were the ones who wanted you and your family eliminated now that they're gone Hydra is moving on. You should too."

"You know I can't do that Frank. You've crossed a line of no return and you've gone from intern to villain. We'll have to come for you."

"You'll have to try but judging from some of the things my new bosses have in store for me that might not be that possible. This computer will now self-destruct in five seconds. I've been dying to say that." Blue smoke spewed out from the sides followed by a bright spark then a quick flame before dying out. The computer was toast. Chuck leaned back in his chair looking at it thinking and as he did Casey's phone rang.

"I'm on my way. Come on NSA's got a location and we're sending in a team. If we hurry up we can go in with them. Come on Chuck."

"No Casey if you want to go, go but this ends here for me. My mission is over I'm done on this one. You heard Frank by the time you get there he'll be long gone if that wasn't a relay site and he's actually somewhere else."

"What are you saying?"

"I thought I heard the sound of jet engines in the background which probably means he's already in the air. Casey, tell your people to be careful before they enter the building it's probably booby trapped."

"And what are you going to do? You're just going to sit here on your hands all day? I'm going to save democracy."

"I think I've done my fair share for a while someone else can run with the ball. But first I have two letters to deliver then I was thinking if Sarah wants we take Sam to the kids' farm in the National Zoo. I think we've earned the day off."

"I think that's an excellent idea. Bad guys can wait until tomorrow," said Sarah as she put her arm around him and kissed him.

"Yuck, bunch of Nancys, okay and take the Troll with you. He'll want to go by the ape cages to say hello to his relatives. Meet you back at the townhouse."

Chuck and Sarah met the Generals at the bottom of the elevator coming up. An agency ambulance just arrived to take away the remains. Now they were starting up to go over Greene's offices with a team.

"Generals," said Chuck as they stepped off. "Can you send your people up but stay here for a second so we can talk. I have something I need to give you two."

"Casey told me about your plans for the rest of the day and considering everything I think that is a good idea," said Tank as he looked over at Diane who nodded her head.

"Thank you sir but I'm afraid you're no longer in charge of the agency. You asked for your letters from the President. Here they are I think they'll explain everything. Congratulations General Thomas," said Chuck as he took Sarah's arm. "Diane, I don't know if I should congratulate you or have pity on you." With that they walked away.

"Chuck, what was in those letters? You said General Thomas was no longer in charge you didn't get him fired did you? But why would you congratulate him?"

"No of course not he's being nominated as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff which means an increase in paygrade and some house cleaning. Senator Daniels already agreed to push it through and Diane is back where she belongs trying to boss me around as the Director. It was a good thing I told Connie not to get rid of her chair."

"You staged all that in the committee meeting but how and when? You know I don't know if this is a compliment but Jack would've been pleased."

"I'll take it as a compliment. First the Iranians wouldn't let me take anything so I took photos of everything then I used Photoshop to insert the USB pen and the Admiral was right I bought it at the Buy More."

"If she's demanded to have the files read what would've happened then? You'd been in deep trouble and I'd be visiting you at Supermax."

"Maybe or I could've said the data had been erased or corrupted but she had more to lose if the files I claimed had really been on it but that didn't happen so nothing to worry about. I had the Major get me the same type of Sat phone as Izad's then I wrote her a nice letter using light sensitive ink."

"So when she pulled out the phone and read the note the ink started to vanish. You know if it's held up a UV light it can still be read."

"I know but I wasn't worried about her having one at the committee meeting. Besides the objective was to get her angry and frustrated enough to trip her up which is what she did."

"You broke into her house didn't you while I was in the van with Bloom and planted that phone. That's what you had to get from the car and why you took so long to come back."

"Yes and if I had gotten caught you couldn't know anything, plausible deniability. I knew without a doubt Greene would've pressed charges so I had to keep you out of it. One of us had to stay out of jail to watch over Sam."

"They should've made you Director that's some spy craft," said Sarah jokingly.

"They offered it to me but I turned them down. We have the right person in charge and I'll be a pain in her side for a long time to come."

"There they are," said Sarah as she waved to Morgan and Sam. "One last thing Sweetie, you froze during your testimony why? You looked like you flashed but then you stopped."

"I don't know there was something in the photo I took that caught my attention. Then for a moment I felt like I was back there but then I heard your voice. You called to me and brought me back," said Chuck as he turned and kissed her.

"Chuck, let me see your phone I must've left mine in my bag when I had to check it in. I want to call Casey and make sure everything is going okay. You can tell Sam and Morgan where we're going while I make this call."

"Sure or you could just ask to look at the photos," said Chuck as he kissed her. "It's okay I don't mind."

"Okay then I can do that too. You're right," said Sarah as she pulled him close and kissed him back. "I'm sorry are you sure?"

"Of course you can," he said as he handed it to her. "Go ahead maybe this will get me back in Sam's good graces." Sarah took his phone as Chuck walked over to meet them. She watched from a distance as she scrolled through his pics. She smiled when she saw that most of them were candids he had taken of her and Sam when they weren't looking. There were some of Sam she wanted so she marked them then sent copies over to her phone.

"Come on," yelled Chuck as he turned and waved back to her but she waved back for him to go on. There were other photos she still had to look at.

"Go ahead I'll catch up," she yelled back. She found the photos and it was clear what had set Chuck off. In the background of one of the photos was the improvised gallows they had used on Ryder and Shepherd. Two ropes hanging over a second floor balcony with nooses at the end. Suddenly Chuck's nightmare made sense, the marionettes and also the butcher's shop. She sent the photo to her phone then deleted it from his. She didn't want Chuck to see that not before she could get him help.

"My poor Chuck," Sarah said to herself as she went to catch up with everyone putting on her happy face.

"What?" asked Chuck as he took his phone back she shook her head and motioned for him to go ahead.

Sam walked behind Morgan as Chuck walked up keeping her back to him. Chuck noticed she was giving him the cold shoulder and so did Morgan.

"What can I say Buddy? Women are women not matter what size they come in. Sam, look who's here Chuck, your Dad." She didn't say anything and pretended not to hear.

"Morgan, have you seen Sam around? Don't tell me you lost her," said Chuck. That got a little laugh out of her but she crossed her arms and planted her feet.

"Yes, I left her by the pool and I think she got eaten by a bear like Goldilocks," said Morgan. Sam gave a little grunt.

"That must be the Uncle coming out," said Chuck as he laughed. Sarah gave them both a look. "I'll explain later but we should hurry over to the National Zoo and check the bear cage to see if she's asleep in one of their beds. Maybe they haven't eaten her yet. Too bad if Sam were here we could go to the petting Zoo and she could play with the animals."

"Do they have bunnies?" asked Sam as she turned around walking out from behind Morgan. "I like bunnies," she said as held up her two stuffed rabbits as if that were a mystery. Chuck grabbed his chest as if he were startled but then played it off.

"I don't know but we can see. I know they've got goats, pigs and cows. If we hurry up maybe they'll let you feed them."

"Molly likes goats. I like bunnies. Let's go," said Sam as she put her hands up and Chuck picked her up. He kissed her on the forehead then they started off for the Zoo. As much as Chuck tried to play off his reaction Sarah saw it and that made her feel that much stronger about getting Chuck seen.

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A few days later back in Burbank….

Sarah rolled over in bed to find Chuck staring at her smiling. Obviously he'd been awake for a while but chose not to wake her instead he laid there and watched her. As much as she liked it and Chuck played it off, he wasn't sleeping and when he was it wasn't restful. He spent the night tossing and turning before eventually waking up.

"Hey good morning to you," she said as she stretched then rolled over and kissed him. "Well today is your big day, isn't it?"

"Which part? Me having to go see the Doc about the results of my physical or me going into the Buy More? I don't know what everyone is making such a fuss about I'm all good."

"Do we need to do this again? Chuck, it's only natural after everything you've gone through to need a little time before getting back on the horse."

"I thought people always say you need to get right back up on the horse that threw you or you won't get back up on again."

"Okay, maybe I used a bad analogy but remember you promised me," she said as she rolled over and put her head on his chest then kissed it. "And I'm holding you to it."

"All right I'll go but I don't think it's necessary," said Chuck then he kissed her. "I guess I've got to hurry up then."

"Kat is coming over to watch Sam this morning but I need to be home by lunch because she has to go somewhere and Alex is busy with Morgan. But I could still come with you to the doctors if you want me to?"

"No, it's not necessary. Maybe we can grab a yoghurt afterwards at the Orange Orange. I'll meet you after I'm done in Castle."

"Don't worry about being in a hurry. If it gets late I'll have Kat bring Sam to Castle and we can all go to Lou's or any place you want." He should've smelt a rat there but he was thinking about other things… like getting back into the swing.

Continued in Chuck vs The Couch