Chapter 9: The Burbs
A/N: I want to thank BDaddyDL for the beta work and helping out some with the plot. Next I want to point out the brain synapses part is true to the best of my knowledge. I did extensive research on it before I included it in the chapter, and verified it on several medical sites. This is my take on the suburbs mission. I used it to give you the reader where in the cannon time line we are currently at. And for the final part of this note, I still don't own Chuck or STV however Gabriel and Sirella are still mine. Thanks for taking the time to read and if you would like to see something in the future let me know.
After the flight to LA, Chuck and Sarah made their way to Ellie's. When they arrived the greeting they got from Ellie went as expected, bone crushing hugs and squeals. Ellie was relieved when she got the call from Sam telling her that her brother was not on the plane that crashed in Kansas. The couples soon made their way to the couch and began to explain what had gone on.
"Ellie, there was a leak in the NSA and our real names were released to a few people who would want us dead. We don't believe it was intentional right now, but our covers were blown so we had to fake our deaths. It would have been harder to do, but when we got switched off the plane that crashed and put on a later one, our bosses decided it would be a perfect opportunity," said Chuck.
"We decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth and use the crash as a cover for our deaths," added Sarah, "It's amazing what the CIA and NSA can do if they want to. The down side of all this is you will have to refer to us as the Carmichaels from now on."
Ellie was the first to speak up after Sarah finished her part of the explanation, "I'll need some time to wrap my head around what you just told us. You two, as the Bartowski's are dead, but as the Carmichaels are alive? Does that about cover it?"
"Got it in one sis," Chuck answered with a grin. "All of us have had a long day; I suggest we get to bed and pick it up in the morning if needed. Sarah and I will be around for a while doing a mission in the area." He held up his hands in the hold on motion and continued, "No Ellie, we don't expect any trouble on this mission. It should be a piece of cake."
Sarah let out an exasperated sigh and spoke, "Chuck, you're a self-proclaimed trouble magnet, but this time I agree with you. It has been a long day. Ellie and Devon, if you would excuse us, we would like to get some sleep before we leave in the morning."
"No problem Sarah, you kids have a nice night," Devon answered for the both of them.
The next day Sarah and Chuck arrived at their newhouse in the suburbs. It took several trips to move their personal belongings from the self-storage place the agency had placed their cover belongings in. They really needed to sell the image of a couple moving into a new house. The house hold goods had been delivered the day prior by the NSA. Just as the couple was finishing up the pizza they had ordered, there was a knock at the door. Chuck went to answer it.
"Can I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Brad, and I am the self-appointed welcoming committee for the neighborhood."
"Nice to meet you Brad, I'm Chris and this Seanna my wife." Chuck said while shaking the Brad's hand. Sarah mimicked Chuck's actions.
"The reason I stopped by is to let you know we have a neighborhood tradition," Brad said. "When someone new moves into the neighborhood we have a barbeque in their honor. Sort of a meet and greet if you will. Most of the couples on the block should be there. All you need to bring is a couple of side dishes, potato salad, coleslaw, or that type of thing. It will be at my house across the street around five tomorrow."
"That should be fine," Chuck answered. "I get home around four. I should have plenty of time to shower and change. My cousin has been helping us move. Would it be alright if he tagged along?"
"That shouldn't be a problem, so I'll see you then" shaking their hands again he turns and heads home.
Once back in the house Sarah begins to talk. "Did he seem a bit off to you?"
"No why?"
"He never checked me out. I'm not trying to sound vain but I seduced men quite a few times and they always checked me out. He just looked at my eyes."
"That is a problem; most men look you like a tiger stalking a gazelle. Something strange is going on here," said Chuck.
"You should be the one to keep an eye on him. If I do it he may think I'm coming on to him, and we both know that's not going to happen."
"Sounds like a plan to me Sarah. Tomorrow you see if you can get anything out of the wives while I meet up with the west coast team. I'll see if they picked up any information Beckman doesn't have yet. I'll get Casey started on a check for any things that are out of the ordinary. Large quantities Fed Ex or UPS deliveries that kind of thing."
The next day passed quickly and soon it was time to go meet the neighbors. Sarah and Chuck were surprised that they were actually having a good time. Their only concern was their neighbors all seemed a bit to perfect. That was until Sylvia showed up and started making passes at Chuck. He remembered how jealous Sarah got when he met Sirella for the first time. He made up some excuse about needing help getting something from their house so he could calm her down.
"Sarah you need to calm down. You know I love you, so what's the big deal?"
"What's the big deal!" screamed Sarah, "That harpy has her hands all over you!"
"She only touched my arm a few times, and I brushed her off each time."
Fixing him a stern glare she informs him, "I can forgive once, but no more. She is practically undressing you with her eyes. If she touches you one more time I'm gonna knock that smile off her face!"
"No you won't Bartowski. You're going to let him get close to her," Casey says as he enters the room from the back yard.
"Are you nuts Casey!"
"Nope, I did some checking and found out her husband has been getting a lot of deliveries from a company that sells fiber optics and CAT 5 cables. If he is a lawyer as he says, why does he need that much? I think our best option is to get in the house, and have the nerd do some investigating."
"Casey I can't break into someone's house yet. I haven't got my B and E license yet."
"Who said you have to break in to anything? It's clear as day she…" Struck a nerve, did I?
"Don't go there Casey" Sarah snaps at him. No way in hell!
"Don't get your panties in a twist Sarah it's …"
"Sooo not going to happen, I'll go in and check it myself." He went there
"I'm not saying he has to sleep with her. He just has to make her think he's interested in her to get inside. Then he spikes her drink, looks around, and gets out, simple as that."
"Uh guys I'm still here you know." This can't end well.
Sarah and Casey both looked at Chuck and at the same time said. "We know Chuck."
"Sheesh, just checking Sarah, you're not going to like this, but I agree with Casey. You don't use that much networking cable in a normal house. Her husband might be trying to hack into databases of companies or even the Government. The loony CIA agent lived here, so he could have gotten some of the access codes."
"I hate it when you're right. You can do it, but if I find one hair, the smallest smudge of lipstick or her perfume anywhere on your body you're a dead man!" I hope he's still scared of me.
"It's settled then. Tomorrow, Chuck pays a visit to Mrs. Grabby hands and makes his move."
Next Day
So far so good,thinks Chuck as he sits on the couch in Sylvia's living room. Chuck asked for a tour of the house so he could snoop without actually having to sneak around. In the master bed room he noted the presence of a computer, well server actually. He just had to figure out how to get back into the bedroom without doing something that would cause Sarah to inflict bodily harm on him. His plan was working until Sylvia started putting on the full court press. Casey's plan seemed the safest to him at this point. Just tranque the harpy, check out the server, and leave. As usual the fates conspired against Chuck.
"Chris I need some help. The computer in my bedroom is acting funny. Could you show me how to do a virus scan and see if it fixes the problem?" the whole time she was speaking she was getting closer to Chuck. Even though he was married to Sarah, beautiful women still had an adverse effect on Chuck. He still couldn't stop turning into a babbling idiot.
"I….what…it's in your room…bedroom umm where you sleep. I'm not sure if that's a good idea." Aw man I'm dead if Sarah finds out
"Please Chris, I don't bite, unless you ask nicely," Oh yeah I got him now.
"I'll see what I can do."
Sylvia led Chuck to the bedroom where she attempted to kiss him. Chuck placed his arms on her shoulders pretending to pull her in for the kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch the drugs took effect and she collapsed on the bed. He powered up the server and began hacking into it. One quick flash and he was in. He felt the familiar feeling of an update start, and just as fast, it was over. In the past he would have himself flat on his ass. Ever since the new upload he got from Gabriel, each one after that had little effect on him. He just got all the answers he needed. He administered the antidote to the drugs he had given Sylvia.
"Sylvia, come on, wake up." Her eyes began to flutter slowly, "That's a girl wake up. Those drinks must have hit you pretty hard."
"Did you get in Chris?"
"I never got to try. You blacked out for a second and I tried to get you to come around."
"I think I'll be fine now. You better leave before my husband gets home."
"Or my wife kills me." Hoping he covered his tracks he leaves and returns home.
He no sooner gets in the door and Sarah is all over him like a dog in heat. Sarah isn't actually sniffing me? "In case you're interested, I know what's going on," Chuck told her.
"Just checking to make sure you listened. So what did you find out?"
"She wanted me to check out her computer because it was acting funny. She started getting frisky so I sedated her like we discussed. When I powered up the computer it went right to an intersect test download. I'm guessing it's a test because it was over in seconds. What I do know is, all of our neighbors are Fulcrum, and they have a hidden base under Brads' house. My best guess is they have an intersect of their own."
Any thoughts she had about the harpy left as soon as Chuck started explaining what he found out. "We have to let Beckman know. You call Casey, and I'll take care of Beckman."
Ten minutes later the trio was waiting for Beckman to appear. "What have we got team?"
"The Reader's Digest condensed version is the whole block is Fulcrum, they have their own version of the intersect, and they found a way to test the subjects before doing the full download," answered Chuck. "The information in the test strongly suggests the intersect room is under Brads house."
"Great work Chuck! I'll alert the NSA team in the area, and you inform Gabriel's people. The team should be there in less than fifteen minutes. When they arrive, they will take everyone into custody including you. I'm doing it this way in case they have spotters watching the block. Stay alert Beckman out."
"Chuck let's go before the teams get here. No sense in getting caught up in this mess." They left the house and began to make their way to the car. Suddenly, two men popped up from behind the driver's side of the car and began walking towards them. Chuck noticed a tiny bit of movement in his peripheral vision to his left. Several things happened at once.
Chuck turned to see what caught his eye and saw Sylvia and Brad standing there. She hissed "I know you got into our computer so you need to come with us. Brad you take care of Chris while I take care of Seanna."
Sylvia had a Taser in her right hand pointing it at Sarah. Chuck's reaction was quicker than he even expected. His left hand shot out catching Sylvia on the wrist deflecting the Taser just as she pulled the trigger. The wires flew wide of Sarah, and she began to advance on Brad. Chuck was now acting on his instincts which had improved from the months of training with Sarah. Chuck went to throw a straight right hand at Sylvia's head but hesitated when he realized it was a girl he was about to hit. This split second of hesitation allowed Sylvia to land a left hook that staggered Chuck. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs. All of a sudden, it was as if switch was thrown, all the hours he had spent training in the Dojo with Sarah kicked in. Sylvia's left leg was heading straight for the side of his head from her round house kick. Chuck snapped his head to the left and twisted his body to avoid the blow. The kick struck a glancing blow to his temple. Chuck quickly launched into a counter attack throwing a straight right that connected squarely to her jaw. He followed that with a left hook to the body that caused her to bend over in pain. Chuck finished her off with a knee to the face rendering her unconscious. He stepped behind Sarah who was exchanging blows with Brad.
Sarah had already exchanged several blows with Brad when she felt Chuck's presence behind her. She snapped her right leg forward in a powerful front kick driving Brad backwards a few steps. He started his counter attack with a weak left jab that was easily blocked by Sarah. She countered with right cross and continued through the punch landing her elbow as well. Blood was now flowing freely from Brad's broken nose. She swept his left leg knocking him to the ground where she finished him off with a vicious side kick to his head. She turned to where she heard the telltale sound of punches being landed.
Chuck was currently in a fight with two men, and he was barely holding his own. From her brief look she could see he had several bruises and cuts. She flew into the fray landing a flying side kick to the man not currently exchanging blows with Chuck. That knocked him back several feet. Knowing he had help, Chuck could now concentrate all his attacks on his opponent. He could feel himself tiring, and knew that he had to end this soon. His ribs were hurting from the punches and kicks he had taken. His breathing was coming harder than normal, impaired by the damage to his ribs. He knew for sure there was a cut over his left eye, courtesy of a kick, and the blood was starting to impair his vision. Chuck launched a full on offensive, using every move he could. He started off with a furious series of leg kicks mixing in a few well-placed punches. His opponent was good, just not as good. Chuck saw the opening he needed. The man's left hand was down holding his ribs that had been damaged from some of Chucks earlier punches and kicks. With all the remaining strength he had he sent a round house kick to the man's head snapping it sideways and not allowing his momentum to stop he followed up with a vicious spinning back hand that sent him into unconsciousness. Chucks last bit of energy spent, he collapsed to his knees sucking in large gulps of air as best he could.
Sarah was starting to tire as well. Her opponent was bigger and stronger, but she was quicker. She was landing more punches and kicks, but his were doing more damage. She caught a quick glimpse of Chuck falling to his knees but kept up her attack sensing he was ok. Her opponent dodged her overhand left and landed a straight right to her jaw rocking her backwards. She was in trouble and knew it. She saw her opponent starting to unleash a front kick when he suddenly vanished from her view. Her energy now spent she joined Chuck in falling to her knees.
The NSA team along with some Gabriel's team arrived in short order. As the team pulled into the cul-de-sac they could see Chuck and Sarah engaged in hand to hand combat with two men. From what they could tell it was nip and tuck for the two agents. The NSA team lead ordered his team to cordon off the area. Casey nearly flew out of the vehicle he was in and came to aid of his partner who was not fairing all that well, and Chuck who was on his knees. When they got to the house the team fanned out and started rounding up the remaining Fulcrum agents. They soon had the entire neighborhood arrested and carted off.
She looked up from her knees and saw Casey perched on the back of the man she had been fighting cuffing him.
"You taught Bartowski well. I saw him take out that last guy with one hell of an impressive move. Although, to be honest, you two look like shit," Casey informed her with a touch of admiration in his voice.
"Thanks Casey," Sarah says with a bit of pride, "but I have to check on Chuck. He was taking on two of them before I could help him out." Casey escorted her over to where Liz and Cameron from Gabriel's west coast team are tending to Chuck near what appears to be a medical vehicle.
"Sarah, we need to have a look at you as well. Have a seat," stated Liz. "Your bio sensors are showing you should be ok, and have you no major injuries. You have a few minor cuts and some pretty good bruises. Chuck suffered a couple of bruised ribs, and has a cut over his left eye that Cameron is stitching up as we speak. You two will be fine in a couple of days."
At the same time Liz was treating Sarah, Chuck was being tended to by Cameron. She went over his injuries, "You have a couple of bruised ribs and a cut over your left eye. Your life sign implants show you to be in good shape other than the ribs and cut. I'm going to stitch you up and wrap your ribs. Liz is taking care of your wife as we speak." When the injuries were done being treated the couple headed to the car they had used for the mission.
"Sarah, I'm sorry, I froze when I went to hit her for the first time. I could have gotten us killed."
"Chuck, it was your first real fight. You never hit a woman before, and you only hesitated a second. At one point you were taking on two attackers, and doing pretty good against them. I couldn't more proud of you than I am right now. You did very well for your first time."
"You know, we both look like crap right now don't you? Plus, my ribs hurt like hell. I just want the briefing to get over so I can shower and go to sleep. Plus I have to tell Ellie how I got the snot kicked out of me. I mean look at us. It's not like she isn't going to notice."
"Stop right there Chuck. You did not get the snot kicked out of you. You have only been training for a couple of months, and you knocked out a trained agent. With what Casey described to me as an impressive move. So please stop selling yourself short."
"I don't want to face Ellie tonight, so why don't we just come back here? We can relax on the couch and watch a movie after we get cleaned up. What do you say?"
"Sounds like a very good idea. Now let's get Casey, and go to the briefing."
The Nest an hour later
At the nest the massive monitors came to life. General Beckman was on the left, and Gabriel and Sirella on the right.
"Chuck and Sarah, you look like shit," quipped Beckman, who had just a hint of a smile on her face.
"So we keep hearing Ma'am," they both replied.
"Major Casey, can you please tell me why two of your team mates look like something the cat threw up?"
"Yes Ma'am." Casey explained the fight he witnessed as he was pulling up. He also confirmed that Chuck's suspicion about the location of the Fulcrum Intersect was correct. The NSA team, with the help of Gabriel's computer expert, was in the process of down loading the Fulcrum intersect.
"General, I'd like to offer my opinion on something if I may?" asked Gabriel.
"If your suggestion has merit, I will consider it."
"I know the intersect is your project, and I am just helping out your team," this drew a chuckle from Beckman's team. "Sirella and I feel we have a great opportunity here. We have the information from Fulcrums intersect so we should use it. The combination of your data and theirs combined will be a huge advantage in stopping Fulcrum. Let my techs have it, and in few days, before your team leaves, we upload Chuck."
"I'm not a computer!" Chuck informed the group.
"Yes you are," Chorused the group.
"I like the idea, but it's not up to me. I'll leave it up to the Bartowski's to decide. It's his brain it's going into. Chuck and Sarah, get back to me as soon as you decide. Chuck, one last thing before I go; I am very impressed at the progress you are making with your training. I have been going over the reports that I get from your two trainers. You are well ahead of where we predicted you should be at this point. This last mission proves to me that you have the potential to be one of our best agents, if not the best. You and Sarah together will be amazing. Adding Major Casey to the mix may make you unbeatable. Several months ago I was dead set against you and Sarah having a relationship at all. I threatened to reassign then agent Walker until I was gently persuaded to sanction your relationship. It seems this person was correct. Love can indeed make you work harder and perform better. You did very well Chuck. Keep up the good work. Beckman out."
Three stunned agents sat around the table with the words Beckman just finished saying still running in their heads. They were caught up in their musings until Gabriel broke the silence.
"Chuck, what are your thoughts on uploading the data we recovered from the Fulcrum intersect?"
"Huh…sorry… I'm still trying to process what the General just said. You know about me becoming one of the best Agents she has. Not really sure about that one though. I just wanted to get better ya know, and not get in the way all the time like I had been doing. It took me by surprise."
"Chuck," Sarah says breaking Chucks rambling "take a deep breath and relax. What Beckman just told us should not come as that big of a surprise. The CIA was looking at recruiting you when you were in Stanford. If Bryce hadn't gotten you kicked out, you would have gotten recruited back then."
"I'm only going to say this once Bartowski. You've surprised me. I watched you kick that guy's ass into next week during the fight. I am going to leave so you two can decide if you're gonna stuff more crap in his head. I want to make sure the cleanup teams got everything." With that Casey gets up and leaves.
"I understand the importance of me uploading Fulcrums data, but Casey brought up a valid point. How much can I stuff up here? Will it be safe?" Chuck says pointing to his head.
"Let me get the Doc in here to explain it."
Sarah put her hand over Chucks and said. "If the Doc thinks it's safe and won't cause you any damage I think you should do it. We have this monster mission to complete. But the most important thing to me is you. I am not willing to risk what we have for the job. I have done that already, and it almost cost me you."
"Guess you and I think alike. Doc, welcome to the party," added Chuck.
"You have some concerns about how much stuff, as you call it, you can stick in your head. There is no clear answer to that. I'll do my best to explain," began the Doc. "Our best possible guess of the average human brain's capacity would be by calculating the number of synapses connecting the neurons in the human brain. Because each of the synapses has different molecular states, we estimate each of them to be capable holding one megabyte worth of memory. Since the brain has 100-trillion-synapses, we can safely say that the average brain can hold about 100 million megabytes of memory."
"Even though the brain can store that much information it is not like a computer. There are no files or folders that you can access when you need to look up something. Think about this for a moment. Have you ever tried to remember the name of a movie and come up blank? You know you know it but just can't remember it. Then a couple hours later it pops into your mind? What makes you different than most all other humans is the ability to process that data. I have reviewed the data from the test subjects Fulcrum used. Most of them died or went insane. My theory is that the amount of data didn't kill them; it was the brain trying to process it. Their brains put so much effort into it that it affected their other systems. It's only a theory but it's the best I can do. So to answer your question is it safe, for you yes. I have been keeping track of your life signs from the implant. So far everything is normal."
"Thanks Doc. When can we be ready to hook me up?"
"Give us two days to get the upload ready. My techs say it will take a while. They are going to compare the data in both versions and eliminate redundant information to save space and avoid conflicts. We also reviewed the stops you made in Europe and the contacts you developed. They have come up with a way to supply you with language skills. You'll be getting the most commonly spoken languages and a few other goodies. It will be a two part process. During the first phase the old version will be removed. Then we will upload the new version. So I would recommend you go and hang out with you sister and Devon."
"I guess we'll see you in a couple of days. Let's go Sarah."
On the way to the house they had used for the mission they discussed the events of the day and the mission they just completed. With Ellie and Devon flying back to Philadelphia with them, they needed a way to tell the couple what awaited them upon their arrival at the residence. They also came up with a plan that would hopefully not shock his sister. The hardest part of the plan would be telling them about the house. The living there was easy. They thought the CIA owned it. The hard part will be telling her that they actually owned it. The next couple days went by quickly for the two couples. Sarah and Chuck did take a couple hours for Chuck to upload the new intersect.
Ellie and Devon's house got packed up, and all the items were shipped out. Casey had arranged a NSA moving team to take of everything including Ellie's and Devon's cars. It was time to head back east and finish getting ready for the holidays. As they were heading to the airport, Ellie started wondering where they were headed.
"Chuck you missed the turn for the rental return. You need to go back," Ellie informed him.
"No sis were not going to the main terminal, we are going to a private terminal to catch our flight."
"What do mean private?"
"What Chuck means Ellie is we will be flying on our personal jet courtesy of the CIA. We'll be flying on a Gulfstream G550 I think you'll like it. We don't need to return the car, we have someone on site who will take it back," explained Sarah.
"There's Casey. We should get moving. Chuck please help Devon with the bags, while we board the plane."
As soon as Ellie entered the plane se looked and said. "OH…MY…GOSH! Sarah this is incredible. This is wild. I have never been on anything like this before. It's sure going to beat flying coach."
"So far we like it, actually what's not to like. It has good range, just over six thousand miles. It normally seats twelve but we changed it. We had it modified a bit and took out some seats and added a private room with a bed for our longer flights. We have specially designed phones that allow us to communicate while in flight. There are some other perks, but you probably don't want to hear about them. We better get seated Chuck and Devon are boarding," explained Sarah.
"If you guys are ready to go I'll inform the flight crew," stated Casey.
"I think we're ready to go Casey," answered Chuck as he took his seat next to Sarah.
They spent most of the flight trying to figure out the things they wanted to do over the holidays. When they got about an hour out from Philadelphia Chuck and Sarah got up and went into their private suite. When they emerged twenty minutes later Ellie was again rendered speechless. Gone was the nerdy brother she had known all her life. He had been replaced by a man who stood taller and had an air of confidence about him. His normal attire of slacks and logo tee shirt was gone. Chuck stood before her wearing a light grey Armani jacket with matching trousers. Under the jacket he had on a light blue shirt open at the collar. Sarah was dressed to impress as well in a Ralph Lauren below the knee sheath dress in a dark blue. Ellie thought they look excellent together.
"You two look awesome, but why did you change? Chuck, when did you get such a sense of fashion?"
"Let's just say it's for the job. We only have a few minutes before we land, but we will explain it all when we get to our place."
"I have to admit bro, you two look very good. But it's weird seeing you look so professional," added Devon.
It wasn't long before they were on the ground and headed to the residence. Thankfully the weather was cooperating with them. It was a clear day with a slight breeze. The temperature was in the middle fifties, a little warmer than usual. As they got close Chuck leaned in and whispered in his wife's ear,
"Are you ready for this?" Sarah responded with a nod of her head. As they pulled up to the main gate both Ellie and Devon were in awe of the place that their sister in law called home.
"Dude that house is so awesome! I can't believe the CIA put you in a friggin mansion" exclaimed Devon.
"You're kidding right? There is no way they put you in that place. We're just dropping you off for a business dinner that's the real reason you got changed," echoed Ellie clearly not believing they actually lived here. Having reached the front door they exited the limo and headed inside.
"Trust me Sis, this is where we live. We prefer to call it our residence. Sarah told you we would explain so let us show you around and explain at the same time."
Chuck took Sarah's hand and they began the tour explaining as they went. Chuck led them into a large room that was semidetached from the main building. Three of the 'walls' were windows, as was the ceiling, which offered a stunning view of the clear December sky. The room was modestly decorated and contained three white leather French Louis XVI style chairs, with matching ottomans and sofa.
"This is the conservatory; it offers a great view of the gardens. Sarah and I come out her a lot to have our morning coffee. I can't say much about what we are doing but this is all part of our cover, well mostly. We need to fit in with the filthy rich. Our house, clothes and cars have to reflect our wealth. The worst part for us is the etiquette lessons we have to take."
"Your brother is right, the lessons stink. The reason we were globetrotting was to hit all the fashion capitols to get our wardrobes. Everything you see here is ours," She sneaks a glance and gets his nod of approval, "that includes the residence."
It took a few seconds, Chuck guessed, until the unexpected happened. He was waiting for the words of disbelief he was sure would come but they never came. Ellie looked eerily familiar to himself when he first started to flash. First the glazed look, followed by the fluttering of the eyes, that was where the similarities ended.Ellie please don't.Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted dead away.
Chuck was so sure it would work better if I told her, thought Sarah. Guess not.
Devon was not quick enough to catch her before she hit the floor, but he did slow her descent enough to prevent her from hitting her head.
"Chuck, give me a hand getting her to the sofa" urged Devon. It took several minutes before Ellie got lucid enough to talk.
"This all yours," Ellie's voice was barely above a whisper. Ellie was still not able to wrap her head around what she was being told or seeing with her own eyes. "You… own… a mansion? I need a drink," she said while shaking her head in disbelief.
They ended the tour in the family room. Chuck retrieved a couple of bottles of wine for the group and for Casey his normal glass of Macallan 30 year single malt scotch.
"You know Bartowski," he says while tipping his glass in a mock salute "this is one big perk. So much better than the stuff I normally drink."
"You really should thank the people that stocked this place. There is no way the NSA or CIA would spring for that Scotch or those rare imported cigars."
"I only have one glass a day and I savor every single bit of it."
"I guess it's time for the explanation to begin. I'll start off, and Chuck can fill in when needed." And Sarah did just that. They explained the best they could without letting them in on to many details or the seriousness of the mission. It took a while, but when they finished, his sister had a better idea of what exactly Chuck did.
"I know you guys must be tired, it has been a long day. Plus, Ellie still doesn't look so good, and it might be a good idea for you to get some rest." Chuck and Sarah rose from their seats and motioned for Devon and Ellie to follow them.
"We'll show you to your room it's on the opposite end of the hall from ours. It has a full bathroom, so you can get refreshed before going to bed. No need to worry, it's fully stocked with anything you may need. If you need anything else, give us a call. There is a phone beside the bed. Push the button marked master bedroom and we'll pick up." Chuck gave Ellie a hug and peck on the cheek good night and shakes Devon's hand. Sarah hugs them both and heads down the hall to their room.