Well... here's the next chapter. Thanks to all of the wonderful reviews who reviewed for the last chapter (aka, jou-jou86, Bianquinha, and WafflemanX)!!! I really appreciated the reviews and they really helped in the making of this chapter as well as the continuation and advancement of the story.

Please R&R!

Disclaimer: Chuck (c) Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak.
Claimer: Lara and everything else (c) me

Chapter Eight: Missing or Dead?

"Chuck, sit down, you're making me nervous," Ellie Bartowski said.

"Yeah dude, chill," Devon, or 'Captain Awesome', added, "Sarah did say that she'd be back."

"I know!" Chuck snapped unintentionally, "But she's been gone for 10 minutes! Maybe something's happened to her! O-or-"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"S-she could be right at the door," he trailed off, peeping through the peephole before opening the door, "H-Hi Sarah."

She sighed, "Hi Chuck. Can I talk to you outside for a moment?"

He shrugged. "Sure." Then he walked out and closed the door behind him, standing with her in the courtyard. "Where's Casey?" he observed.

"In his apartment," she said, her eyes grave, "We didn't find Lara. Casey and I think that she's been taken by Fulcrum, and eventually used as a ransom to get you. Casey's in a bit of a shock, well... he's not taking this very well."

"W-What? You couldn't find her?" he emphasized.

She shook her head. Then she noticed that Devon and Ellie were staring at them through a window. Damn... bad timing... I can't make him all sob and everything now! It'll make them think that I broke up with him, she thought, I've gotta act fast! She grabbed Chuck by the collar, pulling his lips tightly against hers.

Chuck was deeply surprised at first, but then he sunk into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. He completely forgot what was going on around him and completely directed his attention and focus on kissing Sarah back. "Oh Sarah," he moaned, "Should we take this to the bedroom?"

She hissed into his ear, "I can tell General Beckman it's part of our cover, cause it's only natural that a girl would do something to seduce her boyfriend."

He lifted her into his arms. "Yes... let's." Then he carried her back into the house and Devon grinned, "So... my pep talk a while ago must have inspired you two."

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In Casey's apartment, he sat in his reclining chair and was listening what was going on in the Bartowski's apartment.

"My pep talk a while ago must have inspired you two," he heard Devon say.

Casey shook his head. "What the hell is he talking about?" he asked, switching the range of his listening device. Then he heard passionate moans and groans coming from Chuck's room and immediately switched off his device, removing his headphones. "So that's what Woodcomb was talking about," he growled, "Damn, how could they make love at a time like this? Argh... Lara... where the hell are you?"

Suddenly, his TV switched on and General Beckman appeared. Casey immediately stood up. "Beckman, secure."

"Casey, secure," he retorted, "Is there something you need, General?"

"What's the asset's status?" she inquired.

A low growl escaped his throat. "Bartowski's fine," he grunted.

The NSA general looked around his living room. "Major, where's Agent Clark?" she demanded, "Isn't she suppose to be living with you?"

Pain flashed through his eyes and answered, "She's been kidnapped by Fulcrum and there's no sign of her or the Fulcrum agents ordering a ransom yet."

She blinked, letting his words sink in. "Excuse me? Agent Clark has been kidnapped?" she snapped, "Explain yourself, Major."

"She was kidnapped at the Talent Competition by James and Jason Wilson. They were after Chuck, but she saved his life twice by taking two dart shots. She was unconscious immediately after the second dart hit, and Walker and I had to escort the Intersect out safely," he explained.

"Agent Casey, keep the Intersect in your sight at all times, and if Fulcrum makes contact and tries to arrange a ransom, you must decline at all costs. I know it may be condemning Agent Clark to death, but it's a sacrifice we'll have to make to ensure the safety of the Intersect," she ordered, "I'm sorry, I know your feelings for Agent Clark are complex, but we can't risk the safety of the Intersect."

"Yes, ma'am," he retorted, and the screen went blank, leaving him alone again. He dropped to his knees and pulled out the golden heart necklace from his pocket, clenching it tightly in his hand. "Lara... dammit, I can never protect you, can I?" he choked angrily, remembering the time she nearly gave her life to save his, "I'm sorry."

Together, through Chuck's kindness and Lara's love, it cracked Casey's hardcore reserve, and tears fell from his eyes, dropping onto the carpet. He hurriedly wiped them away and stood up. "Dammit, I can't let my weakness show through. This is stupid. Lara's only another CIA agent that's my partner. What the hell am I thinking? What? Do I expect that we'll end up in some sort of twisted relationship after this? Hell no," Then he decided he was thinking too much and changed into his pyjamas and climbed into the bed he and Lara shared earlier, inhaling her lilac scent that remained on her pillow. Oh how he wished that she was lying right beside him in that moment, but he knew in his heart that he had to bring her back, somehow.

Dammit... thinking too much again.... he thought.

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The next day, there was still no word on Lara, and the weather was gloomy and dark, not to mention with a heavy downpour of rain. Casey's mood was as foul as ever, but then again, Chuck and Sarah couldn't blame him.

"Hey Casey, do you want to join Sarah, Ellie, Devon, Morgan and I for dinner tonight?" Chuck offered.

"No thanks," the Major brushed off, turning away from him while continuing price checking merchandise at the Buy More.

"Are you sure?" the Intersect asked worriedly, "Maybe it might take your mind off things."

"I told you, Bartowski. No, I don't want to join you guys for dinner," he hissed, eyes blazing with fury, only covering up the deep hurt inside, "You ask me again and I'll kill you."

Chuck raised his hands in front of him defensively. "Whoa, whoa, okay, Casey. If you don't want to come, that's okay. But... it's just that ever since Lara has been kidnapped, you've been acting differently," he informed him.

Casey sighed, "I'm sorry, Bartowski. It's just- I don't want to think about what they're doing to her. You can't even imagine the torture she must be going through, Bartowski. Even with James' crush on her, she's still standing between them and you, and they'll have to somehow break her in order to get to you. And that includes torturing her any way they can. Worse yet, Command says that if Fulcrum tries to make any demands, we have to let her die."

A pang of sadness shot through the nerd, and he looked down. He was slightly surprised that Casey apologized to him, but judged by the circumstances, well... he was still surprised. "I-I'm sorry, Casey, I didn't know how much you loved Lara. To be honest, I don't know what I'd do if Sarah was kidnapped either. I'm sure she'll be okay. James wouldn't let her get hurt too bad, he likes her too, you know."

"Thanks, Chuck, I know you mean well, but it's just hard for me after what happened with Ilsa. I thought she was dead for several years, and to find that she was alive and working for French Connections, it was just... crazy," he sighed.

Now Chuck was even more surprised. He had never seen such a human side of Casey before, and it was really freaking him out. "W-Well if you change your mind, the offer's still open," he informed before walking away, meeting up with Sarah just by the entrance of the Buy More.

"Any luck convincing him?" she asked, "You know that Ellie wants to help ease him from the fact that his girlfriend's been kidnapped."

The Intersect sighed, "No. I'm still wondering why we ended up telling them that she was, with the exception of leaving out the whole Intersect and spy business. But I've gotta say, I'm a little freaked out."

Sarah gave him an odd look. "Why? Did Casey give you the ultimate death threat or something?" she implored.

He shook his head. "He's completely terrified for Lara, and it's hard to see him this way. Then, he says that the General ordered him that if Fulcrum makes any demands, we have to let Lara die. That's horrible."

The CIA agent sighed. "I understand where the General is coming from, and she's right."

Chuck's eyes widened. "What?! No! You can't be seriously agreeing to what she's saying! She only got captured because she saved my life, twice! She got hit with those dart things, twice! We can't just let her die like that!" he complained.

The blonde placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Chuck. I know how you must feel about this. But she did it to ensure your safety. It's her job, as it is ours too," she apologized quietly.

"But it's so unfair!" Chuck whined like a little girl, "She was just doing her job! And you shouldn't be apologizing to me, you should be apologizing to Casey."

"He knows that this has to be done, and if he's truly the NSA's top agent, then he will not protest against the General's orders. But unless the circumstances change, the only thing we can do is pray for her," Sarah said.

He kissed her gently, trying to distract himself from the inevitable truth. "You were great last night, Sarah," he whispered.

She chuckled, "You were too. Now, let's hope that Casey won't be too traumatized over Lara so that he can still be able to protect you."

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Later that night, Casey still didn't change his mind on going over to the Bartowski's for dinner, and instead sat with his glass of scotch, staring up at the ceiling. He was wearing a brown collared button-up shirt, and faded blue jeans.

Where are you, Lara? I hope you're okay, he thought, I miss you a lot. It's hard to think that while I'm here sitting on my reclining chair with a glass of scotch, you might be enduring some sort of horrible torture.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and he closed his eyes. "Argh, go away, Bartowski. I don't need this now!" he shouted, "I'm still not interested in going over for dinner!"

There was another knock on the door, and Casey put down his scotch and whipped open the door, growling, "What do you want, Bartowski?!" But it wasn't Chuck who was standing in front of him. Who it really was standing in front of Casey, deeply surprised him.

Lara Clark barely stood, her knees shaking. She was soaked to the bone, and blood trailed from various wounds on her body. Her originally white dress was cut up and somewhat shredded, and bruises, burns, cuts, and wounds could be seen all over her body. Her hair was down, clinging onto her skin in a wet mess. "C-C-Casey," she breathed, shivering before she collapsed forward.

Casey immediately grabbed her and pressed her against his chest as they fell to their knees, trying to process the fact that she was even alive, more or less in his arms. That's when he felt his fingers touch something warm, wet and sticky on her back, and pulled them away to see that it was blood. He looked and saw two long slashes down her back, cutting through the fabric and flesh, drawing large amounts of blood, washing away with the oncoming rain.

"Help!" Casey cried, "Somebody please help! Please help!"

Chuck, Sarah, Ellie, Devon and Morgan came out of the Bartowski's apartment, easily recognizing the Major's gruff, unmistakable voice. They gasped when they saw Lara's wounded, battered body.

Ellie and Devon's medical training instantly kicked in and went to her side, placing her down on her side.

"Someone call 911!" Ellie ordered, placing two fingers against Lara's neck, and Morgan instantly ran back inside the house to call for an ambulance.

Chuck and Sarah ran back into the house, Chuck grabbing several towels from the bathroom before running back out. Sarah searched for bandages and the medical kit.

"Thanks dude!" Devon grabbed the towels from Chuck, pressing them tightly against the wounds on her back, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Her pulse is weak," Ellie told her fiancée, "We've got to get her to the hospital and quick."

"Lara, come on, stay with me here," Casey said, clutching her hand tightly.

Sarah ran out with the medical kit, and Ellie snapped it open, grabbing the alcohol bottle and wads of cotton balls, despite the downpour of rain. She quickly poured some onto the cotton and pressed it against Lara's wound, disinfecting it.

Lara arched her back as her face twisted into one of pain, and a low groan escaped her throat. Then all of a sudden, she sighed and her body became motionless. Casey could feel her hand drop in his. "Lara!" he exclaimed.

Devon lifted her body and Ellie placed the towels on the wet ground so that Lara's back wounds wouldn't get infected with what was on the ground, and Devon laid the body back down, gently slapping her face, trying to wake her up. If she couldn't regain consciousness now because of her blood loss, there wasn't much chance that she would at all. "Come on, Lara, wake up! You've gotta wake up!" he exclaimed before turning to his fiancée, "No answer."

Morgan ran out of the house. "The ambulance is coming! It'll be here in a few minutes!" he informed.

Chuck's older sister saw that Lara was no longer breathing and quickly checked her pulse. "No pulse," she said, "Devon, we've got to get a pulse, or else it's all over."

"Oh my God," Morgan breathed before fainting onto the ground.

"I'll try to see if I can get one," Devon Woodcomb replied, placing one hand over another on Lara's chest and beginning to pump down, trying to get a heartbeat.

"Oh my God, oh my God!" Chuck freaked out, "Isn't there anything we can do?!"

Sarah was a little bit more calm, but only just a little bit. "Chuck, let's help the medics find us. We'll be right outside the gates," she instructed as she and Chuck left.

"Come on, Clark, don't die on me," Casey pushed, not willing to believe it was over.

Suddenly, Lara took a huge, shaky breath a few moments after her heart began to beat again. Quick, shallow breaths escaped her lips as the EMS finally arrived. Chuck and Sarah hurriedly escorted them over where the lifted Lara onto a stretched, hooked her up to a resuscitator, and got her into the van. Devon and Ellie climbed into the ambulance with them and it drove off to the hospital as quick as it could.

Casey, Chuck, and Sarah stood silently in the rain as the ambulance's sirens slowly faded from their hearing. Morgan was still lying on the pavement, unconscious after he fainted.

"C-Casey?" Chuck asked in a small voice, "A-Are you okay?"

The Major dropped to his hands and knees, staring blankly at the ground.

"Casey?" Sarah repeated as both she and Chuck kneeled by his side, "Are you okay? Shouldn't we go meet them at the hospital?"

Casey was still in shock after what had just happened in the past 10 minutes. His girlfriend shows up half-dead at his doorstep, stops breathing and living until Ellie's fiancée brought her back, and was now being driven at full speed to the hospital to be treated for her critical condition. Of course he wasn't okay!

"What the heck just happened?" Chuck asked, "I thought that Lara had been kidnapped. How did she end up back here?"

John Casey blinked, shaking his head as he cleared his thoughts, and rocked back onto his knees. "I'm not exactly sure what happened," he answered in a gruff, monotone voice, "Lara just showed up on my doorstep half-dead. I suspect that the Fulcrum agents are behind it."

"I thought that James wouldn't hurt her," Chuck tried to reason.

"I've already said," Casey retorted in a low tone, "Fulcrum agents don't play by the rules, even if the orders are made by their superiors. For them you're either the hunter or the hunted. No exceptions."

"You could say it's somewhat similar to the system we have in the CIA and NSA, but much less threatening," Sarah added, "But as for Fulcrum, they train their agents to be merciless, destructive, and smart. If they manage to get the Intersect, they will have millions of the world's military secrets, as well as the complete list of agents both of our agencies."

"Shouldn't we go to the hospital to check up on Lara?" Chuck inquired, "Something might be wrong with her."

Casey looked up into the dark sky, his wet bangs clinging to his forehead and blinked, before turning to Morgan and dragging him into Chuck's house, tossing him onto the couch. Then he stalked back towards his apartment, his hands in his pockets.

"Casey? Casey, where are you going?" the human Intersect asked, "Shouldn't we be heading to the hospital?"

He didn't respond and slammed the door shut.

Chuck exchanged a look with Sarah. "What's up with him?" he implored.

"No idea," she retorted, "I expected that he would at least have been a little more cheerful that Lara's alive. Maybe he feels guilty about letting her get hurt."

Charles' eyes dimmed. "Why should Casey feel guilty? I should be the one that's feeling guilty. She saved my life more than once, and I haven't been able to repay her at all for it," he sighed depressingly, "I know it's her job and all, but I can't help but feel pain knowing that she got hurt because and instead of me."

Sarah sighed, placing a hand on his rain-soaked shoulder, and looking deep into his eyes. "Chuck, it's not your fault Lara got hurt. And don't worry about Casey, maybe he's just reporting back to General Beckman that Lara's returned," she contemplated, "Speaking of which, why would Fulcrum just let Lara go? It just doesn't make sense."

"Maybe they poisoned her and want to ransom the antidote," Chuck suggested, "From what I've experienced with Fulcrum, I've come to realized that they don't do things halfway, and I'm afraid that includes returning their captives."

"I think you're right, Chuck," Sarah agreed, "There's no other reason why Fulcrum would release her. Let's ask Casey whether she had anything with her when she showed up on his doorstep."

"I'm not going to ask him, you ask him!" Chuck exclaimed, "I'm not going to face Casey's wrath!"

She rolled her eyes, brushing wet blonde locks away from her face. "I'm guessing that he's most likely talking to General Beckman, like I said before, cause Casey doesn't like to do things halfway either," she offered.

"Then what should we do?" he asked, "Go to the hospital?"

She rolled her eyes again. "Of course!" she pointed out, "We've got to support Lara. Let's go, we'll take the Nerd Herd car."

They didn't bother changing into dry clothes and hurriedly ran towards the familiar white and red car, strapping in and driving as fast as they could to the hospital. But one single question lingered in both their minds: where was Casey?

I hope you've liked this chapter! Man, another cliffy, eh? lol.

PLEASE REVIEW AND I'LL UPDATE AS SOON AS I CAN!!!

PS: Tell me how I'm doing with keeping in character as well as character development so far.