A/N: The next to last chapter. Have you figured it all out? Are you worried for anyone's saftey? How will it end? Let's find out. Walker, PI, Ch 9, A Real Friend

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.


(Italics indicate a voiceover)

I left my office a few hours later, after having paid a guy to fix my door. He promised he would stay until it was done. I made my way to the museum, entering just before it closed, finding the security guard I was looking for. The second Morgan saw me he tried to head the other way.

"He gave you up," I said, just loud enough for him to hear. He stopped in his tracks, turned, and hurried to me, motioning me to be quiet. He led me to his office and shut the door. I didn't say anything, handed him the envelope, and he opened it and scanned it. Relief filled his face.

"I want to know everything," I said simply. He nodded. He opened a safe on the wall and pulled out a flash drive and put it in his computer. I watched someone walking up to the tiger, wearing one of those suits they use in motion capturing videos. "He never stole it, and there never was a mask with a flashdrive in it," I said softly. Morgan simply clicked another video and I saw Chuck taking what looked to be the tiger but in another part of the museum, not in the display area. "He is the computer wiz, not you." Morgan nodded. "He's Piranha." Morgan smiled, pride in his friend evident on his face.

"We keep a fake tiger on premises to put up when we need to clean the real on," he said softly. I looked at him wanting to hear the rest, because I now thought I knew. "We took it a few days ago. I knew a guy at the hotel, and we got to see the vault. Nothing was in there at the time, and while he showed us around, Chuck placed the tiger during the tour when no one was looking."

"Where's the real tiger?" Morgan looked ashamed.

"It's going to be found by me tonight where the fake is stored. You and Chuck are getting the reward money if they offer it to me," he said looking away.

"It was all a setup?" I asked. Morgan nodded, looking sick. "It was all a setup and you were in on it." Morgan blanched.

"He needed someone to get him into Roark's without raising suspicion. I didn't know how far he was planning on taking things. If I'd have known…" he trailed off.

"You'd of still helped him be cleared," I answered. Morgan looked down, and nodded sheepishly. I understood. He was trapped by how much he owed, the problem was I thought it was money. What Morgan Grimes owed him was something I didn't know existed.

"I'll go to the police and admit everything," he replied. "Chuck told me when it was over if I wanted to tell all, I could." He looked at me for direction. I should have told him to go directly to the police. I wasn't that worried about me. My reputation had taken hits over the years, but everyone knew I was a good detective, and actually this would look good for me; making sure the truth came out, no matter what. I was torn, Morgan didn't deserve this, and knew I what would happen to Chuck.

"Let's hold off on that until you hear from me," I replied. He nodded, and handed me the flash drive.

"You take it, and if you need me to go to the station, just tell me." I nodded. "You also deserve the reward money." I shrugged. "He was here earlier, and told me to do whatever you told me to," he said softly. I turned to look at Morgan. "He cares about you, a lot. That's why I didn't want to talk to you earlier." If her cared so much why did he get me involved? I knew why, I just don't think he planned on me….I shook my head, clearing it.

"Why didn't he tell you about the debt being removed?" Morgan smiled. He handed me the envelope. I opened it, and pulled out the paper inside. I read it and while I didn't completely understand it, a tear came to my eye.

This is a life-debt of one Chewbacca (Morgan) to one Han Solo (Chuck). Chewbacca being of sound mind and body gives this life deft to help Han get revenge on those who took away his Leia.

"It's Star Wars."

"Because that makes it better."

"You know he was wrong." I looked at him, having no ability to figure what he would say next. "She wasn't his Leia." I had no idea what that even meant. "Chuck wanted you to have something about this case you'd enjoy if I know him. He did what he did to get even with them. At least that's what he told me, I just didn't realize how far he'd go at the time. He also thought you'd do the right thing in the end about him. He didn't know what it was any more." I nodded. Chuck wanted to get his friend out of his debt and give me something to enjoy. Idiot, I know what I'd enjoy. I needed to get a grip, and quick. I got up, opened the door, and started to leave.

"He also thinks I'm less likely to turn him over to the police knowing what might happen to you. Don't tell him that he's off the hook, yet," I said. Morgan nodded. "I'm still not sure what I'm going to do." I turned around and started out the door.

"I don't believe you," he said, causing me to stop, hell I didn't believe me. I smiled, not letting him see, waved over my back to him and left the museum. I headed home, and enjoyed the company of some strong drink while I thought.

The next afternoon, as I sat at my desk, nursing the hangover I had acquired from thinking about that fool half the night, I heard a knock on my new glass door window.

"Come in," I yelled, causing myself to wince. I glanced down at the drawer in which I kept my emergency stash, and thought about the only cure I knew of. Hair of the dog and all of that. I looked up as Captain Casey walked in, smirking. This would be fun.

"Good afternoon, Sarah," he said, a little too loudly. I gave him a flat look. He smiled and looked at the empty chair. I shrugged, not really caring what he wanted. He sat, looking very pleased with himself. He placed what looked to be a check on my desk, and I verified that's exactly what it was. The amount made me straighten and emit a low whistle all at the same time.

"Make sure your partner gets his half," Casey said, earning another glare.

"He's not my partner," I nearly spat out. I composed myself. "He brought me a case, and I solved it, easy as that." Casey nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a shame. You know I've seen the work that both of you have done, and you were both good detectives, don't tell him I said that. He worked on his mother's case for a long time. He should have been a detective, he had his mother's skills. He worked off book, by himself, most of it online, and brought me everything he found, it just wasn't enough. There is no telling what the two of you could do together." I gave him the same flat look as earlier and started to tell him to leave when he said something that stopped me short. "I mean, you're obviously better off without him around."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, he's a walking time bomb," Casey said casually. "Chuck doesn't really believe in man's laws anymore. Chuck is more about dishing out proper punishment after both his girlfriend and mother were killed, plus his dad going batty. He shrugged. As long as Jill was alive, he had someone who kept his feet on the ground. A moral compass if you will, but when she was killed, by a hired gun in Shaw, for what looks to be simply seeing an exchange between the deceased Governor and some shady people in a parking garage…well, he lost his way." I sat there taking in what he had said.

"You know I once thought you two would have been perfect partners, if you could have made this team up last. On the job, you made a mistake and paid more than you should. Let's be honest, I was made to let you go due to a pending lawsuit. Now, if you were his partner, you probably could have been the compass he needed. Without anyone…well…Chuck lost in his head is dangerous." Casey got up to leave. "Maybe I should take the check and have two reissued. One for you and one for him." I stared at Casey for a second. He was still smirking. I shook my head, and he nodded.

"Do you think everyone who died had it coming?" I asked softly.

"Miss Walker, I am appalled. I am a police officer and I must uphold the law at every opportunity."

"So, the fact that Chuck just happened to be in the building when the computers went down, Daniel ended up dead, and you were there as well, is just coincidental?" Casey looked at me. "I mean there's no computer expert who could see if someone shut the system down from your terminal?" Casey smiled. He leaned forward and put both hands on the outside edges of her desk. I stood up and matched his look, our faces inches apart.

"They were all dogs that deserved to die."

"So someone did the city a service?"

"I'd pin a medal on him if I could."

"That vigilantism."

"That's riding this city of rabid dogs." Casey straightened. "If one man were behind this, of course."

"Of course," I said, straightening. Casey nodded at me, and walked out the door. I stood there looking down at the check, trying to decide what to do. I should have given the check to Casey to split, but I didn't, and I knew why, even if I wouldn't admit it to myself.


A/N: Reviews and PMs are always welcomed!

DC