I still don't own Chuck. But one good thing. This story will never be preempted by a presidential news conference.

Thanks to Happydayz and Truthseekr for the ideas. And, of course, thanks to BrickRoad for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

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Separate

- - - -

"I thought that we were always going to be together." Chuck said sadly as they sat in the car. They were parked five blocks away from the bus terminal. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Sarah said softly. "It's just for a little while. We need to throw them off the track. Once they figure out that we're gone, this is the first place that they're going to look. If they find out that you got on a bus alone, they'll concentrate on that."

"Sneaky," Chuck said with a smile as he leaned over to kiss Sarah goodbye. "I thought we were getting a three day head start?"

"I know how they think." Sarah said just before their lips met. "I'm not taking any chances. Just follow the plan and everything will be ok."

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to you being a brunette." Chuck said with a smile after the lengthy kiss broke and he opened the car door. "It almost feels like I'm cheating on you."

"As long as this is the closest you ever get." Sarah said with her own grin. "Besides, I thought that you liked brunettes."

"I like whatever you are." Chuck said with a smile as he climbed out of the car.

"Chuck," Sarah called just as he was about to close the car door behind him. "Please remember. I need you to trust me. I'll see you soon. And no matter what you see today; know that I'm looking out for you. I love you."

"I know," Chuck said with his classic grin. "I trust you. I love you too."

Sarah waited until Chuck was out of sight before she started the car. As she pulled away, she let out a huge sigh.

"I'll miss you too."

- - - -

Casey was awakened by his cell phone ringing. If there was one thing that agent training taught you, it was to be a light sleeper. Since it was a little after seven, Casey would have normally been up long ago. For some reason, he had deviated from his routine and used his day off to sleep in.

"Casey, secure," he answered the phone crisply.

"Beckman, secure," Beckman responded. "Major, I need to speak with you and Agent Walker as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said quickly.

"Agent Walker is not answering her cell." Beckman said firmly. "I need you to find her and arrange for a briefing either at your place or the castle, whichever is more convenient."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said with a smile. "What about Bartowski?"

"No," Beckman said sharply. "I just need the two of you. It would be better if Bartowski didn't know about this meeting."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey responded. "I'll get a hold of Walker and contact you as soon as we're available."

"Dismissed," Beckman growled as she terminated the call.

"Well, Walker," Casey said to himself with a smile as he began to get dressed. "Let's see if you're really as good an agent as your reputation says that you are."

- - - -

"Hello, John," Ellie said as she opened the door. "Is there something that you need?"

Casey thought that there was a coolness to Ellie's tone that had never been there before.

"Hi, Ellie," Casey said in as friendly a tone as he could muster. "I'm sorry to bother you but I'm looking for Chuck. He is not answering his phone. Is he home?"

"Chuck and Sarah are spending the day at the beach." Ellie said. This time there could be no mistaking the coldness in her tone. "I guess they wanted a little alone time since they both have the day off. They probably left their phones in the car. I don't expect them back until late."

"No problem," Casey said with a smile, trying to soften the mood. "I'll talk to him tomorrow. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

As soon as Casey got back in his house he decided to check the location of Chuck's watch. Sure enough, it was at a spot on the beach and not moving.

"Impressive, Walker," Casey said to himself with a smile as he dialed the phone. "Very impressive. You're making this easy for me."

"Yes, General," Casey said. "I'm afraid that Walker and Bartowski are off the grid for today. They went to the beach."

"The beach?" Beckman questioned harshly. "Why on earth would they go to the beach?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am," Casey said. "I didn't know anything about this. I assume it was to protect their cover."

"Are you sure that they are at the beach?" Beckman asked.

"Well, ma'am," Casey replied. "Bartowski's watch is at the beach. Do you have any reason to doubt them?"

"I'm not sure." Beckman said softly, more to herself than to Casey. "I need to speak to Walker as soon as she returns. No matter what time that is. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said with the grin starting to grow on his face.

"Dismissed," Beckman growled as she ended the call."

"Good luck finding her now." Casey said to himself with a full fledged grin.

"She'll lead you to hell and back."

- - - -

Chuck sat on the bus staring out the window. So far everything was going according to Sarah's plan. He walked into the terminal and paid cash for a one way ticket to San Francisco. Having attended Stanford, he was very familiar with the drive. He had even taken the bus a couple of times when his car was in the shop. But he had blocked from his memory how much he hated the bus. The normally three hour drive became six hours as the bus stopped at every podunk town between L.A. and San Francisco.

As the semi mountainous country side flew by outside the window, Chuck tried to think things through. Even though he that he wasn't a super spy, he was trying hard to think like one. After all, he wasn't stupid. He knew why Sarah had chosen San Francisco. Chuck had a connection to the area. And buying his ticket without any disguise meant that they would very quickly figure it out. If the CIA tailed him there, they would assume that he was going to Stanford. They would spend a lot of time checking up on all of his old friends. Time that Sarah would use to their advantage.

But for the most part Chuck was preoccupied with feeling sorry for himself. Even though he knew that their situation was very dangerous, he thought that he was going to be with Sarah. That thought alone was actually making him look forward to this adventure. But here he was, all by himself, on a bus in the middle of nowhere, without his stunning blonde.

"Well," Chuck thought to himself with a smile. "Brunette now,"

It had only been five hours and he missed her like crazy.

- - - -

General Beckman was sitting at her desk deep in thought when her phone rang.

"Yes," she said quickly as she picked up the handset.

"Dr. Wilson is on line one, ma'am" her AA said.

"Frank," Beckman said as she pushed the blinking button. "What is your status?"

"I have good news." Wilson said. "Our testing is fairly conclusive. We could prepare some false data to upload into the intersect."

"How would that work?" Beckman asked quickly.

"Just like any other update," Wilson replied. "It's just that the information would be false. He would still flash on things. He would just see incorrect information."

"So," said Beckman firmly. "He would no longer be a threat."

"That's right." Wilson said. "He would be totally worthless from an intelligence point of view. Should I have our team start working on the update?"

"Yes," Beckman said quickly. "Please let me know as soon as it's ready."

- - - -

When Chuck got off the bus in San Francisco, he immediately began to look for the hotel that Sarah had described to him. Since it was about a mile from the bus terminal, it was about a twenty minute walk. But Chuck found it easily. Following Sarah's instructions he registered for a single room for one night and paid in cash. He had a little argument from the clerk who wanted a credit card on file. But he quickly gave in when Chuck insisted that he didn't have one. From looking around, Chuck could tell that the hotel wasn't close to being full and they could use the business. Chuck signed the register as Charles Carmichael just as Sarah had told him. He was looking for the elevator to go up and find his room when he passed the hotel bar.

That's when he saw her.

He almost didn't recognize her himself with the dark hair. But it was obviously her. Sarah was sitting at a table on the other side of the room with a man in a business suit. He looked to be in his mid thirties. They were both laughing. From the way that the man had his arm around Sarah, it was obvious that he had staked a claim.

Chuck knew that he had to get moving. He just couldn't make himself leave as he watched the couple for a long moment. When he finally got to his room he collapsed on the bed in exhaustion.

"Trust sucks."

- - - -

It was about nine in the evening when Casey's phone rang. He knew immediately that something was wrong. After all, it was midnight in Washington.

"I assume that you haven't heard from Walker." Beckman said crisply.

"No ma'am," Casey said.

"Damn it," Beckman said in a frustrated tone. "I need to talk to her. I have cancelled the termination order on Bartowski."

"That's great, ma'am." Casey said. "You don't sound very happy about it."

"It's not that," Beckman said softly. "This conversation is off the record. Are we clear?"

"Yes ma'am,"

"I screwed up." Beckman said in defeat. "I briefed Bryce Larkin on the fact that Walker was going to be assigned to work with him. I never thought that it would get back to her. I'm afraid that she has figured out about the termination order."

"I see ma'am."

"Tell me, John," Beckman said with a vulnerability in her voice that he had never heard before. "Give me your honest opinion. If she knew about the termination order, do you think she would run?"

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said so softly that she could barely hear him. "I'm almost positive that she would."

"If we can find her," Beckman said. "Would she accept a new assignment if Bartowski was safe?"

"I'm not sure." Casey said after thinking about it for a moment. "I guess that would depend on the assignment. But I would seriously doubt that she would leave Chuck for any length of time."

"I know." Beckman admitted softly. "We have to find them. No matter what, we can't have the intersect running around the streets. I'm creating a task force to begin the search. I want you to take command."

"Yes, ma'am," Casey said firmly.

"Let's be clear." Beckman said with the emotion obvious in her voice. "Our primary objective is just to bring them in. But we can't have Bartowski falling into the wrong hands. That has to take precedence. And if that means we have no other choice…"

"I understand, ma'am." Casey interrupted.

"Please, John," Beckman said. It was more a plea than an order. "Get them back. I'll feel horrible if this ends badly."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll do my best."

The call ended with Casey being much less enthused about Sarah's prowess as an agent.

"Damn, now it's me that you're going to be leading to hell and back."

- - - -

Chuck was lying on his back on top of the bed when he heard a soft knock on the door. As soon as he opened the door, Sarah quickly entered the room and closed the door behind her. As soon as the door was closed she threw herself into Chuck's arms.

"I saw you looking at me in the bar." Sarah said after a long moment of pure embrace. "You knew that was going to happen, right? You really should have kept moving."

"I know." Chuck sighed. "I'm sorry. All part of the plan. Make sure that nobody associates you to me. No worries. What happened to the guy?"

"He's in his room waiting for me." Sarah said. "Poor guy is going to have to drink a whole bottle of champagne by himself. That's what he gets for trying to cheat on his wife."

"He got off easy." Chuck said with a sad smile. "He'll never get to see you throw a knife. But in his defense, you are quite the temptation. He looked like he was having a good time in the bar."

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Sarah said softly. "That must have been hard to watch."

"A little,"

"A little?" Sarah said with the beginnings of a smile. "It better have been very hard to watch."

"It was."

"Good," whispered Sarah as she touched her lips to Chuck's.

"Now I have a good reason to make it up to you."

- - - -