A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews for the last chapter. I am particularly proud of the Christmas section and so glad people liked that.
Captainrick944 beta'd, once again. As you put it, thanks, mate.
This chapter includes a rewrite of "Chuck Versus the Undercover Lover."
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Chapter 10: Casey's Past
Sarah still couldn't believe how much she had enjoyed Christmas with Chuck and his family, and then, on top of that, New Year's Eve was fantastic too.
There was no denying that Ellie Bartowski knew how to throw a party and that she was a great organizer marshaling her team (Devon, Chuck and Sarah) to do her bidding. It had all been worth it, though. New Year's Eve in the courtyard had been wonderful.
Chuck told her that was because Ellie wasn't trying to set him up with potential dates like she had on his birthday. And they both knew Sarah was the reason for that, but she also thought it was because both siblings had invited friends. Admittedly, Chuck's were more work colleagues than real friends, other than Morgan, but it did change the mix of people.
For someone who was basically a loner and never used to mix, unless on a mission, Sarah mixed a lot at that party. Of course, Chuck explained that away as her beauty just made men want to talk to her, even though she was obviously with him, but that didn't explain everything. Sarah herself enjoyed talking to others, something she never did before.
There was something she'd had to do to make it okay, though. Blocking the thoughts of others in such a crowded courtyard where it was impossible to not be closely surrounded was essential. They had both been doing this to some extent in their day jobs but decided after Christmas that they wanted to improve. This would help in both those jobs and their missions.
So, Sarah had been practicing with Chuck. They had started by doing this with each other in their bedroom and thinking of things the other wouldn't expect. It was quite hard because their link was so much stronger than a regular reading, so they switched to doing it with Ellie and Devon. One of them would try to block them, and the other would observe while asking them questions.
They had gotten quite good at this while still maintaining their own link. They had also been able to maintain this whilst localizing on one of the pair and opening up to that person's thoughts. The real test was the party, and it proved they had indeed improved. She really appreciated all the work they had put in.
When they retired to bed, Chuck told her that she had been the life and soul of the party, which she didn't really believe. He was biased, after all. However, the following day, Ellie had gone out of her way to thank her for making it the best New Year's Eve party they had ever had. Her thoughts gushed even more. Sarah was overwhelmed by this and hugged the older Bartowski while tears started to form in her eyes. That was another thing that had changed about her since being with them. Agent Walker never cried, but they were really bringing out the Sarah Walker in her, a more emotional woman. Sarah wasn't upset with this. She loved the 'normality' of it.
Stephen had been keeping them up to date on his progress. He had applied his glitches to the new Intersect code, and they were working well, unlike the Intersect testing, which was going badly as a result.
He laughed when he told them about the reports to Graham and how irritable the director was becoming. "What's even better is the hard time Beckman is giving him over the delays," Stephen said.
Throughout this period, Casey had been off somewhere. Sarah didn't know where and wasn't bothered enough to either question him, when he returned, or try to read his mind about it.
Now, in a new year, she was returning to her day job. She had taken the whole period off, and even Chuck had negotiated some time to be with her. With Casey not around, they had been completely free to do whatever they wanted. It had been wonderful.
It was now January 24th, and they had received no missions since Lon Kirk over a month and a half ago. It was almost as if this Fulcrum threat and all other terrorist organizations had decided to have a two-month break. Not that Chuck cared, it was good to get back to some sort of normality.
Today, however, he was presented with what that normality really meant.
Jeff had been attempting to fix a server for the Grand Seville Hotel in Los Angeles. Anna had left him to it, saying it would build his confidence up. Chuck knew the guy could do a good job if he didn't get high, so approved. It would keep him and Lester apart, which was also a good thing.
When Chuck passed him, Jeff was looking pleased with himself and called out to him, "Hey."
Jeff's head was still hard to read, still a mess, so Chuck couldn't read much.
"You're not going to believe it," Jeff said.
Chuck got two clear thoughts. The first was that Jeff had managed to do his assigned task, so Chuck replied, "You got that server to work?"
"I got Tara Reid's phone number." That was the other clear thought, but it trailed off into what he wanted to do with her, so Chuck didn't follow that.
"What have I told you about stalking 'celebrities' online?" He pointed at the spreadsheet displayed on the screen in front of Jeff. "I assume you got it from this, the Grand Saville's database?"
"I can access every guest staying at LA's swankiest hotel. It's got it all: room numbers, credit cards, spank-per-view records..."
Chuck hated what Jeff had done here and wheeled Jeff, in the chair he was sitting in, away from the computer. "That's super, Jeff. Really good work. I'll let the hotel know that their computer's ready."
"You're giving away the holy grail!" Jeff called out. "Tara!"
"Grand Saville, please don't sue us," Chuck prayed. Then he spotted a name on the display and flashed.
"Dmitry Siljak, known alias of a black-market arms dealer, specializing in former Soviet..."
He then spotted several other names and continued to flash. "Man, I'm going to have a headache tomorrow."
He noted each down on a piece of paper.
The final name that caused a flash was a civilian. "Ilsa Trinchina. AP photographer, rumored lover of undercover NSA agent. Whereabouts unknown." Why he flashed on her was a mystery, but the NSA agent was known to him. The nickname Ilsa had for him was surprising, "Sugar Bear."
In the past, he would have rushed to Casey and called him that, just to see his reaction, but now he knew a bit more about how Casey's mind worked, he wasn't going to do anything like that. Especially with the looming termination order playing on both their minds. No, Chuck would talk to Sarah about it, and they could work out how to help get Casey and Ilsa back together.
The Russians were a different matter. He found Casey as quickly as he could and stopped him. "Casey, wait up! I just had the mother lode of all bad guy flashes."
Casey stopped, and Chuck handed him the sheet of paper. Casey looked at it and asked, "Who are they?"
"Mostly Russian. All traveling under aliases, fake passports."
Casey growled, "That means they're arms dealers, money launderers, black market smugglers..."
"Yeah. Apparently, they're all meeting down at the Grand Saville."
"I'll run it up the flagpole, see what command wants us to do."
"Okay," Chuck replied. He really wanted to say more but stuck to his plan. He watched Casey walk off and quickly headed to see Sarah.
When he entered the Wienerlicious, the mind link kicked in almost straight away. 'Not a social call, then?' she asked.
'No.' When he reached the counter, he said, "Hi, Sarah."
'Hi, Chuck," she replied. 'Russian terrorists?' She rolled her eyes. They hadn't had a mission for a while, and she'd been comfortable with that.
He leaned over the counter. "But more importantly, Casey's ex-girlfriend is in town."
She 'saw' the image of the woman in Chuck's mind.
He didn't have to say more but did. "I flashed on her. Her name is Ilsa Trinchina. Super-hot, super-sexy, and staying at the Grand Saville as we speak."
'Super-hot and super-sexy? You trying to make me jealous?'
He realized what he'd said, "No, no, no. Nowhere near as hot and sexy as you!' he thought.
She could see that he did indeed think that and grinned at him. 'Love you.'
'Love you too. You're the most hot and sexy woman in the world.'
'Glad you think that. Means I don't have to kill Ilsa.'
Chuck swallowed. He knew and could 'see' that comment was skimming the surface of her thoughts when he had first mentioned Ilsa.
These thoughts masked what he wanted to discuss, so she asked, "Does Casey know?"
"No. I didn't tell him. My first thought was to pull his leg about the name she had for him, 'Sugar Bear.' but I don't want to upset him in any way with how things are right now."
"Sensible, but we ought to let him know in case he wants to meet up with her again," she replied. "Think she's involved with the Russians?"
"I hope not. They are really bad guys," he replied. 'Can we dig into her background? Find out a bit more about her and maybe why they split up?'
'Go behind Casey's back, and violate this woman's privacy, so you can find out what their story is?' she asked.
'He already feels uncomfortable with the order he will receive. If we help him with Ilsa, it can only bring him more onto our side.'
'True.' She looked at him seriously. "Tonight?"
His smile melted her heart, as always. "Yeah, see you tonight," he replied.
Casey had heard nothing by the end of the day, so they didn't discuss the possibility of a mission that evening.
Chuck and Sarah claimed to be tired and went to his bedroom early. Devon winked at them.
'If only,' she thought at Chuck.
On entering the room, she made sure all surveillance was off. "Do you think he monitors anything anymore?" he asked.
"With the rapidly approaching deadline, then maybe he will again," she replied.
Chuck didn't want to think about that, so quickly opened his laptop and started hacking. Sarah watched him get into the CIA systems with ease. It still amazed her, but that wasn't what she asked about. "Why look in the CIA systems if she was a civilian?"
"Let's search there first, in case there is anything that wasn't loaded into the Intersect."
Sarah was doubtful about this but kept quiet. So, she was surprised when he pulled up records on a woman named Ilsa Trinchina. The picture matched Chuck's thoughts of her.
They sat and read about the French agent who had been killed in a bomb blast in Grozny, Chechnya, in 2004.
Chuck couldn't understand. "If Casey's girlfriend is dead, then who's the Ilsa Trinchina staying in this hotel?"
"Probably someone traveling on a fake passport," Sarah replied. "It happens all the time in Russia. People die, and their personal info gets recycled."
"My God, that's so horrible." Chuck then thought about their NSA partner. "Poor Casey."
"No point telling him about her, then," she said.
The three of them were standing in Casey's apartment, looking at General Beckman. Casey had called the other two over before work started.
The general started, "We received your report, Major. Ex-KGB, Eastern Bloc thugs, Russian arms dealers... Frankly, we're not used to seeing this particular crowd stateside these days."
"At least not since President Reagan won The Cold War, huh, General?" Casey remarked. The general didn't reply.
"So, you want us to infiltrate the Grand Saville?" Sarah asked.
"The hotel's bar has been booked for a private party early this evening," Beckman replied.
Chuck made a flippant remark, "Fine, I'll clear my schedule, but just 'cause it's you, General."
She looked at him closely. "Mr. Bartowski, it's up to you to tell us what these criminal agents are all doing in Los Angeles. You and Agent Walker are going undercover. We need you in there with the Russians to see what you can flash on." She paused for a moment. "And, uh... good luck."
She ended the call. Those last words were unusual. 'Maybe she's feeling guilty about the termination order,' Sarah thought.
'Yeah, maybe,' Chuck replied. He then turned to Casey. "So, what about you, Casey?"
"What about me?" Casey replied.
"I'm assuming you'll be there too. Just in case," Chuck replied.
Casey grunted. "Waiter duty. Again," he grumbled.
Chuck and Sarah stayed at the bar opposite Casey. He didn't need to mingle to flash on people. He could do it from where he was.
"We might have to mingle to hear anything," Sarah commented.
"And what good would that do. They'd speak in Russian, which means nothing to me," Chuck replied. 'And their thoughts would be in Russian too.'
"I know Russian, but you might flash on images of what they're here for, Chuck," Sarah told him.
He knew she did, but acted for Casey, who was near them. "Is there anything you can't do, Miss Walker?"
Casey grunted, and Sarah replied, "I can't flash." She looked at him and thought, 'Well, I can, but I don't want to risk it here.'
Chuck realized she was not looking out but at her drink. He had to distract Casey from noticing this. He had no idea how until he saw the woman, Ilsa. He pretended to flash.
'Don't,' Sarah warned, but Chuck just went with it, ignoring her.
"Casey, I just flashed on that woman sitting talking over there." Chuck pointed at the two women talking.
Casey stopped what he was doing and looked. The others registered his shock. He muttered something to them, but neither heard what it was. He stepped out from behind the bar and walked slowly toward Ilsa. The two still sitting at the bar watched him walk over, seemingly in a daze. His thoughts were full of questions. How could she be alive, and why hadn't she even tried to contact him. Sarah stood and pulled Chuck to follow Casey but gave him some space.
Ilsa stood just before he reached her and turned, suddenly facing toward him. Both of them froze.
"Ilsa?" he said, still in shock.
She looked to be in as much shock. "Oh, my God."
Casey struggled to speak but eventually said, "How are you alive? No one could have survived that blast. How did you...?"
She shook her head. "I'm so sorry," she said.
"Why are you sorry?"
"All I remember is, I woke up in a hospital in Grozny two weeks after the blast. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear. It took another two months for me to remember my name." She held her necklace as she finished, "But I never forgot your face."
'I think she's lying, but her thoughts are masked,' Chuck told Sarah.
'I know,' she replied. Then she realized their situation. "We've got to get him out of here."
"Oh, come on. The guy spent four years of his life thinking he'd never see her again," Chuck replied.
"His cover has been compromised," she replied.
Chuck hated this compromised word. "Can't the man live without a cover for just a couple of minutes?"
Sarah knew they couldn't do that, much as they both wanted to.
Then a voice called out from behind them. "Hello, everybody. How are we doing tonight, huh?" Both turned away from Casey and Ilsa and looked at the man up on a table. Both of them flashed.
Sarah muttered, "Victor Federov. A Russian oligarch with ties to everything from the mob to a plot to overthrow Parliament."
Chuck replied, "I think I know what brought all the baddies together. Him." Sarah nodded.
Behind them, they heard Casey ask Ilsa, "What brings you to Los Angeles? Why-Why are you here?"
The man on the table answered that, surprisingly. "Please, I'd like to introduce you to a woman who will make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife. Ilsa Trinchina!"
A spotlight suddenly hit Ilsa, who turned and walked toward the man. The three stood shocked.
When Sarah finally got her wits about her, she took Casey's arm, and the three left.
Chuck drove the van with Sarah sitting with Casey. He looked devastated. Both could 'see' his thoughts were a mess. He'd found that his ex-girlfriend was alive, and he was struggling to get his head around that alone. And then another bombshell. She was marrying that guy.
Sarah held his hand, and for once, he didn't try the brush her away. In fact, he held her hand tightly.
'Why couldn't we read her mind?' Chuck asked.
'We weren't trying to, but it was odd. But we did at the end,' Sarah replied.
'So, she's an agent on a long-term assignment? Federov is her assignment?'
Sarah replied, 'Yes, but we can't tell Casey that yet. He will want to know how we discovered it.'
'Can't I say the Intersect?' he wondered.
'As far as the NSA and CIA are concerned, she's dead,' she reminded him.
'I'll hack into her agency's records,' Chuck replied.
That worried Sarah. 'Then Casey will know you're a hacker.'
'I'll still do it,' he replied, determined to help the guy. Sarah loved him even more for that.
They all sat quietly as they headed back to Echo Park.
Before he got this mind-reading ability and, equally significant, Sarah with him, Chuck would have probably kept poking the bear, the sugar bear. Forcing his perception of what people needed onto Casey. Stupid really, because when he came home devastated from Stanford, he'd hid away from others and certainly hadn't wanted to talk about Jill for some time. Later, he couldn't stop talking about her, particularly when nervous around girls, but initially, silence.
Casey's thoughts were full of pain. He didn't push them down into a dark corner of his mind. He seemed to be punishing himself for not believing that Ilsa could be alive and trying harder to find her. The pain was linked with anger. When they got back to the apartment complex, he headed to his apartment, saying nothing. He obviously planned to avoid Chuck and Sarah in case they wanted to talk about Ilsa, which he certainly did not.
So, Chuck, with Sarah sitting beside him, hacked into the files of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), France's foreign intelligence agency. The agency that Ilsa was working for.
It was good that Sarah was with him as he couldn't read French any more than he could speak it.
"So, her high-level records here show she was declared dead after the blast, but digging deeper, we find she is still active," Sarah summarized.
Chuck nodded, still trying to take in what they had found. "Not only that, she is working undercover and is playing Federov as a way to get evidence on his criminal organization, which has been proved airtight to probes previously." This was a horrible situation. "She is going to marry him as part of that!"
Sarah could 'see' his mind working on this. "You are probably right, Chuck. She must have slept with him and not gotten enough information, for it to get to this."
"God! That's awful," he declared. Then he looked at Sarah. "Could you have been sent on an assignment like that?"
She shook her head. She hated reminding him of what she had been like but couldn't hide it from him. "Graham wouldn't use me that way. Waste of his best assassin." She looked away, feeling awful saying that.
He clasped her hands and drew her attention back. "I hate hearing about that, Sarah, but this seems worse to me. Her body violated for the sake of the assignment."
"Not all agents feel that way, Chuck. Some will do whatever it takes. Whatever. I had to get intimate with some bad guys but never let it get that far. And long-term assignments like that would have made that a necessity. I've been lucky not to be sent on one of those." Sarah paused before continuing, "Until now, that is."
"Well, you've certainly been violated by this mark," he joked.
She got instantly angry. "Don't you dare say that! You are not a mark and what happened was definitely not a violation!"
He held his hands up. "Sorry. It was just a joke."
"Not a funny one, Chuck!"
To get her off this topic, Chuck asked, "So, how do we tell Casey?"
Sarah calmed down and pondered this challenge. She eventually said, "I tell him you are better with computers than we thought. You were curious about her and found she was declared dead, so you dug into French records and found this, which I translated."
That worried Chuck. "Won't he wonder how I managed to get into the DGSE files? Only an experienced hacker could do that."
Sarah shook her head. "I think the news will distract him from that. He may even be grateful."
"Let's hope."
Sarah decided to head over to Casey's apartment while the information was still fresh.
"Should I come too?" Chuck asked.
"No. Leave this one to me," she replied. "You know you'd probably rub him up the wrong way."
"Hey, I'm good with helping people," he argued.
""People, yes. Spies, no."
She had a point, so he let her go alone.
After letting Sarah into his apartment, Casey went back to his scotch. He'd drunk half the bottle already. She read his mind and knew he planned to finish it. That thought seemed to wrap itself around a core of pain.
She knew that Chuck had affected her. Softened her. However, it was still surprising how her heart went out to this man. Mind reading alone didn't account for that. It was being surrounded by Chuck's love, his kindness and compassion, along with that of his sister. Compassion seemed to have rubbed off on her, and she wanted to help Casey as much as Chuck did.
"Wanna drink?" he asked her.
"No, Casey, I have some information for you," she replied as she sat across the table from him.
"Not in the mood for information," he replied.
"You'll want to hear this, Case."
He looked at her doubtfully. 'No, I won't,' he thought but didn't say.
"It's about Ilsa," she started.
He glared at her and angrily replied, "Bitch!"
If she hadn't been able to read his mind, Sarah might have thought that it was aimed at her for mentioning Ilsa, but she could see it was aimed at the woman who was marrying someone else.
"We found out something about Ilsa," Sarah said quietly.
His eyes shot up. "You and the Moron?"
She hated Casey calling Chuck that but ignored it for now. She simply said, "Yes."
Casey grunted but didn't tell her to stop. She 'read' that he wanted to know anything but wasn't going to say that.
"Chuck hated how her actions hurt you and wanted to find out about the woman you thought was dead. To see if he could find out anything to help."
"Why would he do that?" Casey growled.
"You know why. He cares about us, even though we are the ones making him use the Intersect, and that dragged him into our world."
"So, he dug into things that were none of his business," Casey stated.
"Maybe, but you will want to know what we found."
"So, tell me," he snarled.
"She's a spy on an assignment," Sarah said.
That shocked him. "What?"
"She works for the DGSE, and her assignment is Federov. She is trying to get evidence on his criminal organization," Sarah told him.
"She was a freelance photographer when I last saw her," he replied.
"Like you're a Buy More salesman now?" Sarah asked.
"Point," he noted. He was silent for a while, but she could see his thoughts swirling around that woman. "I was posing as an energy consultant back then, so she doesn't know what I do either."
"How'd you meet?" Sarah asked.
He was quiet again, but she could tell that those memories weren't buried deep anymore. He had already been thinking about them. She waited patiently.
"I met her in a flower market. In Rome." Sarah had never seen Casey look so dreamy-eyed. "Ilsa was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."
Sarah put her hand on his wrist. "She still is beautiful." She then said something she never would have said before Chuck. "Don't give up on her, Casey."
He looked at her. "Maybe I should go and rescue her."
"Not in your current state, Casey. Besides, that would ruin her mission."
"Think I care about her damn mission?" he snarled.
"She's been working on this for a while. Think how much work she must already have put into this. How would you feel if someone blew your cover when you may be close to achieving what you were there for?"
That shut him up for a while. "Maybe we can help her."
"Maybe. We need to find out more about them, anyway."
"Tomorrow, then," he said.
"Get some sleep first," she replied.
Before she left, she added, "Chuck told me that he found this out for his friend. You. He wanted to tell you, but I thought it would come across better from another agent. It's funny how he now sees us as friends, isn't it?"
She saw how that unsettled him and felt pleased. There definitely was hope that they could get Casey on their side.
Not surprisingly, the team was told to set up surveillance around Victor Federov in case this was more than just a wedding. Casey was recovering from a hangover, so Sarah took responsibility for planting the bugs in Victor's room and in Ilsa's, the latter in case Victor visited her there, along with the corridors outside each.
Of course, she did this smoothly, although she did have to take out one Russian who discovered her shortly after she left Fedeov's room because she was in the corridor that was supposed to be exclusively for the Russians. She knocked him out, bound him and left him in a supply room. She tranq'd him as well for good measure.
She finally sat down in the room she'd taken to watch the feeds from the hotel's security cameras that she had also tapped into, covering those corridors and bedrooms. She would use these to monitor activity as well as capture the recording from the bugs.
She really hoped she didn't see or record Victor and Ilsa having sex. If she did, she would 'accidentally' destroy that evidence. There was no way she was going to let Casey know about that.
An hour later, Ilsa entered her room alone. She looked exhausted but also sad. Sarah guessed that was because of Casey. She sat on the sofa by the window and took off a necklace, and started looking at the pendant. This seemed significant. Sarah wondered why. Was it something Casey had given her? When Ilsa flung the necklace down onto the sofa and growled before leaping up and rushing to the fridge to get a drink, she was convinced she was right.
Ilsa seemed to be as frustrated by the situation as Casey was and looked like she was seeking solace and oblivion in the same way that Casey had last night. Unfortunately, the fridge had yet to be replenished with the hard stuff which Ilsa must have already consumed. She huffed and grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.
Sarah knew she shouldn't do this and should stay watching the other feeds, but she felt this was too good an opportunity. Her room was close to Ilsa's, so she rushed to follow the woman.
Sarah was lucky, and Ilsa didn't suspect her when she entered the elevator behind her. Ilsa glanced at her, dressed in hotel uniform, and dismissed her from her mind. That mind was full of pain. She hated this assignment anyway, but after seeing Casey, all she wanted to do was find him and be in his arms again, like in Grozny.
"He thinks the same," Sarah said.
Ilsa twirled around, facing Sarah. She now had her gun in her hand, pointed at the blonde.
Sarah had her CIA Id held in front of her and calmly stated. "We want to help you."
"With what?" hissed Ilsa. Her mind was flitting between thoughts of Casey and what this woman meant by her first words, how the CIA had found out about her or her assignment and whether to just shoot her, and dispose of the body.
"I really am here to help you with both Federov and with Casey," Sarah said, staying calm. She was sure the woman wouldn't shoot.
"What do you know about Casey?" Isla demanded.
Sarah smiled at her. "I'm really happy you ask about him first." Ilsa frowned, but before she could say anything, Sarah said, "Casey is my partner on an assignment here in LA."
Ilsa was shocked. "He works for the CIA?"
"No, NSA. We only found you because of the Russians' presence here. Our other partner discovered who you really are, Ilsa, and that you work for DGSE."
Ilsa lowered her gun slightly. "No one knows that."
Sarah told her, "Nothing is too difficult for my guy to find."
Ilsa was watching her as she said this. She smiled. "Your guy, huh?"
Sarah was shocked to 'read' that Ilsa had already guessed her relationship with 'her guy.' She had to correct that quickly. With her professional face on, she replied, "He's the best analyst in the States. I rely on him completely, so, yes, my guy."
Sarah could 'see' Ilsa file that away. She decided to take control of the conversation. "So, Chuck and I found out you were only declared dead back in 2003 and are still working for the DGSE, but on this secret assignment."
Ilsa slumped her shoulders. Sarah 'read' her decision to discuss this further and to see what help her team could offer. "Can we go somewhere we can talk?"
Sarah replied instantly, "I'm assuming you shouldn't leave the hotel, and besides, I'm supposed to be on surveillance duty. How about my room?"
Ilsa nodded. The elevator had just reached the first floor, and the doors opened, but Sarah directed the elevator back up.
Once they were in the room and facing the bank of displays, Ilsa smiled. "You tapped into the hotel security?"
"Yeah, but I also set up some additional recording devices. " Sarah glanced at Ilsa. "I'm afraid I bugged your room as well as Federov's so we could get more intel on him. You really should do a sweep of your room for surveillance when you enter."
Ilsa studied her for a few moments before replying. "Thanks for telling me. I guess I've been a bit lax."
"Have you got the tools to do it?" Sarah asked.
Ilsa glared at her. "We're as technically capable as you are over here."
Sarah held up her hands. "I'm not implying that. I just wondered if you managed to bring some with you."
"I did. I'll run a check when I get back into my room." Ilsa looked at Sarah as she said, "Your devices will be disabled."
"Please don't," Sarah requested. "It can pick up anyone entering your room when you're not there."
After a moment, Ilsa nodded. "Now you've made me think of this, I want to go and check now."
"Okay. Mine is in the light fitting above the bed. I'll let you back in when you return."
Ilsa slipped out of the room and down the corridor to her own. Sarah watched her take a device out of her case and run it around the room, noting Sarah's bug and nodding to the security camera. She stopped at the sofa and examined the locket she had dropped there. She dropped it back down, finished her scan, and left the room.
Sarah let Ilsa back in.
Ilsa dropped into the chair she had been sitting in before. "The bastards have planted a bug in my locket."
Sarah looked at her, worried now. "That means they must know you're not what you say you are."
"My cover is blown," Ilsa groaned.
"What do you want to do?"
Ilsa frowned. "I think I have to go ahead with the wedding."
"If you do, he still won't give you any information. Not as he knows you're a spy," Sarah pointed out.
Ilsa dropped her head into her hands. "We've been investigating Victor Federov since the Paris commuter train bomb back in '02. My agency has tried everything to take him to trial, but his organization is airtight, totally legit from the outside. The only way we could take him down was… this."
"If he has his men take you, you'll disappear for good," Sarah said.
"Maybe that's what's needed," Ilsa replied. "To make it obvious what he is."
"You know that wouldn't help," Sarah said and Ilsa just looked nodded. "What if we detain him and you get an extradition order through?"
Ilsa looked up. "What reason would you have to detain him?"
"I'm sure he and his men must be armed. Russians armed illegally on American soil."
"You'll need a large team," Ilsa warned.
Sarah grinned. "Maybe, but we also have this surveillance which will give us the right time to act."
Ilsa smiled. "And will your man be involved?" Sarah panicked as she 'saw' the word 'lover' in Ilsa's thoughts.
"Our analyst is unlikely to be needed for this. Casey, me and some people he trusts." She decided she had to address Ilsa's other line of thought. "Ilsa, would your people like that you met Casey again?"
Ilsa looked as cornered as Sarah felt, and her thoughts spiraled. "God, no."
"And I don't suppose you want Casey knowing the details of what you've had to do in your job."
Ilsa frowned. "Are you threatening to tell him?"
"Not at all," Sarah replied. She paused, then said, "Casey doesn't know about Chuck and me. I'd like it to stay that way. He's a stickler for the rules and could break us up."
Ilsa looked at her while she thought about that. Sarah 'watched' her thought processes. It didn't take long before Ilsa decided. "Do you love him, this Chuck?"
Sarah blushed and nodded. "I can't leave him," she said in a soft voice.
Ilsa patted her arm. "Your secret is safe with me, Sarah."
Sarah was so relieved that she hugged the woman. Ilsa was surprised but patted Sarah's back. Her thoughts were about how she would like that with Casey, but she was too focused on her work for that.
"Chuck basically set me up to intercept you and help you. This wasn't an NSA or CIA angle, but they will support you because they want these men gone. Can you remind Casey of how Chuck has instigated this, not just monitoring the Russians?"
Ilsa chuckled. "The by-the-books man not giving your man a break?"
"Something like that," Sarah replied.
The raid, as they decided to call it, came a couple of hours later. Sarah had contacted Casey, who in turn discussed it with General Beckman. NSA men were sent to join them.
When Casey arrived and walked into Sarah's surveillance room, he instantly embraced Ilsa. They sat away from Sarah, talking quietly. Sarah used her new ability to block out their thoughts and focused on the feeds.
Federov received three of his men into his room. "Where is she?" he asked, speaking in Russian.
"In her room," one of the men replied. "Has been for at least two hours."
"I don't like it," Federov replied. "We'll go and see her."
The four men left his room.
Sarah turned to the couple behind her. "Federov and his men are coming to Ilsa's room. Show time."
Casey notified his men to be ready.
A few minutes later, Federov arrived and gently knocked on Ilsa's door. "Ilsa, my dear, are you in there."
Sarah, Casey and Ilsa listened to him through the bug Sarah had planted in the corridor just above her doorframe.
Obviously, there was no reply.
Federov turned to the largest of the three men with him and said, in Russian, "Open the door."
When the door crashed open, the four men entered. "Not here," one of the men said.
"I can see that!" Federov snapped. He scanned the room and spotted the necklace on the sofa, and pointed at it. "That's why we haven't heard anything, you idiots."
The men cowered. He continued, "I want her found, bound, and brought back here. I still want this wedding, but then we kill her."
"Nice recording there, Walker," Casey said. Then he spoke into his phone. "Surround them when they come out of the room."
The three in the room watched as the four men were surrounded by ten NSA agents.
"Time to go," Sarah said. The three of them picked up their guns and walked out of the room and down the corridor.
"What is the meaning of this?" Federov demanded.
Casey looked at him and pointed at the guns being taken off each of Federov's men, and then one being relieved from the man himself. "Illegal firearms to start with. Telling your men to kill Miss Trinchina the second. Whatever you and your men tell us while in one of our facilities will just add to that,"
Federov blustered as he was taken away.
Sarah said to the other two. "I'll call for a cleanup crew for the bugs and monitors, then I'll head out. You two take whatever time you need."
Chuck was glad when Sarah arrived at the Buy More, safe and sound. He was also glad that it all worked out well but felt somewhat frustrated that he couldn't have been there to see what he called "the lovebirds' reunion."
"Chuck, do not dare tease or provoke Casey on this, in any way. We need him to want to like you." He looked at her and very clearly 'heard' her message. 'Don't behave like an over-inquisitive jerk.'
'You think I'd be a jerk about this?'
'Would you want to talk to him about relationships?'
Chuck winced.
'Would you tell him, after she leaves, which she will do, that you are here for him?'
He winced again. 'But I am,' he thought back.
'But he will not want that, Chuck. You know he's not like that.'
He reluctantly nodded. 'I do. Okay, I will keep quiet.'
The next morning, Chuck heard voices out in the courtyard and slipped out of Sarah's embrace to go to the window.
'Do not let them see you, Chuck!' Sarah thought at him.
'But-' Chuck started.
'But nothing. He'd kick your butt if he saw you. And so would I.' Sarah had now gotten out of bed as well. She pulled him down to crouch by the window. 'We can listen to their thoughts.'
So, that was what they did.
Ilsa was trying hard to look composed and confident, but was feeling gutted that she had to leave again.
Casey was desperately trying to be the strong silent type, while really wanting to drag Ilsa back to his bed and not let her leave.
Chuck and Sarah heard their words.
"It was good working with you, Casey."
"You, too."
"Well, I've got to go. Victor's waiting at the airport in a holding cell. His extradition papers just came in."
"Safe flight. Sorry we blew your cover."
"It was already blown. You and your team saved me. Your analyst did a great job tracking down my details and pushing for your team to help me."
Casey grunted, but the couple in the room 'read' his mind. 'I owe you one, Bartowski.' They sensed an increasing desire to ignore the forthcoming order, but then Casey focused back on the woman with him. "I'll miss you, Ilsa."
"Maybe meet again someday?"
He kissed her, and the 'listening' couple blocked out the tender thoughts both were having about the other.
Casey finally said, "Well... you better get going or you're going to miss your flight." He paused and then said, "Goodbye, Ilsa."
"Goodbye, Casey."
Chuck and Sarah heard her walk away, and then Casey virtually closed down and headed back into his apartment.
"God, that's so sad!" Chuck exclaimed.
"It's what I expected. She's a loyal agent working for her country. She puts her country before her own feelings." She looked at Chuck. "Casey's pretty much the same… I used to be like that before I met you."
He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. When their lips separated, he scooped her up and carried her to their bed. "I love you, Sarah Walker."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Love you too, Chuck Bartowski."
The kiss that followed lasted a lot longer than the previous one. It led to further confirmation of their love for each other. All confirmed that, although both would do whatever they could for their country, it was that love that was most important.
A.N: I'd forgotten how pushy and intrusive Chuck was in this episode until I rewatched it. For an empathetic guy, he showed no understanding of human nature whatsoever. And when Casey was clearly upset about his ex-girlfriend marrying some bad guy, asking Sarah what was wrong with him, just ticked me off. Here, Sarah is able to stop him from being such a jerk.
It'll be over two weeks before I'll get the next chapter out. My beta has a life (how dare he?) and won't be able to beta while gadding about Europe. Be patient, please.