Author's Note: No excuses. I'm very, very late. A broken computer, a few trips, a new love in my life and dreaded work has kept me away from writing. Wow! Thank you Chuck & Sarah for bringing something really special into my life. I owe the show.

Shadow Mountain Estates

Kitchen – 5:15 am

Casey stared at his coffee and released a disgruntled sound as he ran his finger over the rim of his cup. He wanted to break something but knew he couldn't afford to let his temper run free. Walker had already shown him that he had gone soft. He'd be damned if he let her see him lose control.

He picked up his coffee cup but swiftly slammed it back upon the kitchen table. He sighed. At least Ellie had gone to bed and he was saved from her giving him cow eyes every few minutes. Hell, what was he supposed to say?

Casey growled under his breath. What was there to say! Yes, Walker was in Bartowski's room. Yes, she was blowing God knows what's left of the moron's brain away.

He grunted in disgust. To distract himself, Casey grabbed his phone and looked for any missed calls or encrypted communiqués from Beckman. He wanted word that the General knew about Walker's arrival. Hell, he'd settle for anything right now. He hated waiting blindly.

However, the NSA agent had a sinking feeling that Walker's return was not sanctioned. Casey had gone so far as to logging into the NSA server to check his mail in case his new high tech, encrypted NSA sanctioned cell phone wasn't working.

But to Casey's dismay, there was nothing.

The brooding agent was left to surmise that Walker's return was not expected and she was pursuing her own agenda.

Casey briefly considered reporting Walker's appearance, but decided that he needed to ascertain her intent first. Upon her appearance, he had identified her as a combatant but quickly dismissed the idea. If the CIA skirt had really meant ill, Casey and his charges would be dead.

No, Walker didn't want to kill him. But she was definitely up to something, and Casey was going to ferret it out.

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted Walker to return. In fact, he had been relentless in his inquires regarding Walker's whereabouts with the General.

But Casey had never expected Walker to return like this. It irked him that Walker was doing the horizontal mambo with Bartowski before speaking to him. It spoke volumes about respect, or the lack thereof.

With an angry growl, Casey pushed back his chair and walked to the bay window overlooking the lodge's waterfront deck. He muttered to himself. He hadn't liked how the mission had played out in Twenty-Nine Palms. But Walker was a big girl. She had to understand that he was following orders.

Casey's thoughts were interrupted when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to raise. He stiffened and swiftly turned around. He let out a small curse when he saw that Sarah had silently entered the room and was sitting at the kitchen table with a gun pointing at him.

The NSA agent's training kicked in and he recognized that he needed to keep his cool. He forced his body to ease out of its attack posture, but couldn't resist snarling, "You really shouldn't point a weapon at someone unless you're willing to use it Walker."

Sarah eyed him coolly and shrugged. "You're right Casey. Besides I just wanted to talk," replied Sarah as she laid the gun gingerly on the table.

"I used the gun to keep you from going all raging bull on me. It's for appearances only. I just needed to slow you down a step, so we could talk."

Casey looked down at the gun and then up at Sarah. Casey considered lunging for the gun but decided that it was too large of a risk. He had a mission to protect and he was curious about what Sarah had to say.

However, it didn't stop him from verbally attacking her. He railed, "You know better that to approach an operation like this! It's infantile. Beckman probably will order me to put a bullet in your head!"

"Okay Casey, I'll admit that I didn't follow protocol," replied Sarah sheepishly. "But I can help you. Get me the authorization to be here. They're not going to assign anyone else to your detail, Casey. It's too dangerous. I can be your relief," pleaded Sarah.

Casey smirked maliciously, "Oh yeah? How am I supposed to rely on you? You're sleeping with your asset. You're supposed to be his handler for God's sakes!"

Sarah grabbed the edge of the table as her emotions started to erupt. Her quick movements caused Casey to tense. Seeing his reaction, Sarah forced herself to release the edge of the table. Clenching her jaw, she quietly replied, "I'm not Chuck's handler anymore."

Casey jerked his head in disdain. "Walker, don't give me that crap! That's just semantics. You're my partner…"

"Don't give me that partner crap," retorted Sarah angrily, grabbing the table again.

Seeing his puzzled look, she replied angrily. "You don't leave incapacitated partners to die! You knew that we had Fulcrum agents pursuing us. Yet you left me there alone, nearly defenseless."

Affronted, Casey stood up quickly and retorted, "You were safely jetted back to D.C. or to some other comfy CIA country club for recovering agents. Don't try to guilt trip me Walker. It's just too damn bad that I ruined your party. So what if you couldn't make moon eyes at your boy toy anymore!"

Sarah cobalt blue eyes burned into him. He saw her anger blaze towards him and then as fast as it appeared, it melted away as she suddenly let out a tired sigh. "Moon eyes? That's rich, Casey," said Sarah sadly. "There were no comfy country clubs waiting for me. Just angry men with guns. "

Shocked, Casey shook his head in consternation. Not wanting to really know, he bit out roughly, "Didn't Beckman attempt to get you out?"

Sarah nodded gravely. "No."

With a furled brow she offered tiredly, "I suppose it was her way of eliminating a loose end; one less person who knew the identity of The Intersect. Maybe she thought I had too much pull with him."

Casey grimaced remember his recent conversation with Beckman. "Sarah, I didn't know. I thought you were being protected."

Sarah sighed before shaking her head sadly. "Casey, I'm not the first spy to be burned. I found my own way to safety. Later the government attempted to contact me, but I knew the score. I stayed off-grid."

Casey pursed his lips as he evaluated Walker. He sensed that she was telling him the truth but he was still leery of Sarah's motivations and her sudden appearance.

Trying to pry more information from her, the NSA agent replied coolly, "I'm sorry that it went down the way it did. But I'm not sure how I could help. Barging into my operation and sleeping with my asset isn't the way to convince me to help you be re-instated."

Sarah eyed Casey for a moment. Bolstering her resolve, she gulped loudly before stating with conviction, "I don't want to be re-instated. I just want to be allowed to be Chuck's vetted companion."

He sneered disbelievingly. "A vetted companion? Is that code for girl friend? Christ, I think I've heard it all," mocked Casey.

Ignoring his comments, Sarah added quickly, "Casey, you know they are not going to assign anyone else to your detail. It's too dangerous. You know me. I can help with his security even if I'm not designated as a handler. My only condition is that I be allowed to be with Chuck."

"For God's sake Sarah, do you have any idea what you're asking? You're already burned. Asking this will just get you dead," exploded Casey in disbelief.

How could Walker think this would work?

Casey shook his head in disbelief. When they had first started working together, he had read her dossier which included her psych profile. It hadn't indicated that she could be self delusional.

Grimacing, he realized that besides the Larkin fiasco, he'd been impressed by her professionalism and her well documented fighting capabilities.

Suddenly remembering those abilities, he stiffened. He also remembered that she was a well skilled liar. His inner alarms sounded and he looked up sharply. The sadness in her eyes were gone. It was replaced by a hardness that he hadn't seen before.

He instinctively glanced down to where the gun had laid upon the table. The spot was empty.

Sarah had shifted and her hands were now conveniently hidden under the table. Casey's eyes bulged and he noted that Sarah was now wearing her poker face. He didn't have to guess where her gun was.

Had she really gone so insane that she was willing to kill him and fight the entire U.S. government to be with Chuck?

He couldn't let himself get caught up in trying helping his ex-partner. Casey knew she had the advantage. He was all but certain that she had her gun pointed at him under the table.

With detachment, he recognized that he was not going to survive this confrontation. She had the gun. But he had a duty to try. So Casey slowly shifted his weight and prepared himself to lunge at Sarah.

As he began to push forward, he saw Sarah's body begin to shake and tears start to fall down her face. She pulled her gun from under the table and laid the weapon down.

Sarah wiped away a tear from her face before she began to speak.

"I can't fight you. Chuck is too weak to even think about running. He needs all the medical help he can get from the government. I love him too much to ask him to run."

Her body shuddered as Casey watched the once hard-as-nails agent break down before his eyes.

Sarah grabbed Casey's hand and clasped it between hers. She implored, "He needs me Casey. You have to have seen it. He's broken. He's not the same inside. I saw it. But I know I can help him."

Casey was torn between trying to extract his hand from Sarah's grasp and watching her emotional breakdown play across her face.

With watery eyes and a running nose, she begged the NSA agent. "I need him too. I need him to fix me on the inside."

Casey sat back in his seat and regarded Sarah. She had broken down. She had let him see her devoid of any defenses. Casey knew that their conversation was not a tactical negotiation; it was in fact Sarah's last hope for some semblance of a future.

It struck Casey that he had never really trusted Sarah's feelings for Chuck. He knew that she had some attachment for the nerd, but he had never truly believed. His jaded self could never quite get past the fact that she was a deep cover CIA agent trained to use sex as a weapon.

However witnessing her complete meltdown, Casey finally believed. At the root of her despair, she was asking for something that she knew was impossible. In their their spy world, it was completely illogical.

But it was human all the same. Somehow, it made his decision easier.

Pushing back his chair forcibly, Casey grabbed his coffee cup off the table and put it in the sink. Turing his back to her, he growled, "Don't flaunt it in my face, Walker."

Not wanting to see her response, Casey quickly walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

From somewhere deep within the house, Casey pondered his own humanity as he yelled back at her, "I'll talk to Beckman."

Bride's Dressing Room

Pasadena, California

"Wow John, that's quite the story," replied Devon with a concern as he watched John and Ellie exchange knowing glances.

Not receiving a response, the young doctor raised a questioning brow at Casey.

The NSA agent ignored him and Devon was forced to ask, "The government didn't do anything to her? You were able to bring her back?"

Casey just grimaced and remained silent. Devon watched as the NSA agent shot another questioning glance at Ellie.

Devon realized that Ellie had silently retreated from their conversation. Devon quickly looked at the NSA agent in attempt to understand his fiancé's strange reaction.

"What the hell did the government do, John?" asked Devon angrily.

Casey grimaced and Ellie tensed her body. Devon rushed towards his fiancé and knelt down beside the settee where she sat. Ellie ignored him by picking at an imaginary piece of lint on her dress.

Devon frowned and ducked his head into her line of sight. Looking forlornly up at Ellie, Devon offered softly, "I'm sure whatever it is…it wasn't your fault Ellie."

Devon noticed a lone tear running down her face. He wiped it away and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Ellie, please don't cry," consoled Devon as he tried to cup her face with his free hand.

Ellie avoided his outreached hand and bit out, "That's where you are wrong Devon."

Rebuffed, Devon stopped trying to touch her. But still tried to console her by adding, "You have to hold onto the fact that Chuck and Sarah loved each other. Be happy for the time they had."

Ellie's body flinched back and she looked sharply at Devon before her body began to shake. Devon stared incredulously at his fiancé's reaction.

The doctor rocked backward in surprise when he heard Casey mumble 'moron' closely behind him. Turning, Devon saw Casey staring menacingly down at him.

"Just shut your mouth," growled Casey as started to grab Devon's collar.

Ellie swatted Casey's hand away from Devon's neck. "No John, he's right," stated Ellie dejectedly. "I should have been happy for them."

Casey grunted unhappily. "You were trying to watch out for your brother. You had plenty of reasons to distrust us. Hell, I had my orders. You know some of them weren't necessarily in your brother's best interest."

Ellie regarded Casey for a moment and shrugged. She looked back at Devon's confused face and smiled sadly before wiping away a tear from her face.

"John was able to convince the government to allow Sarah back. But I wasn't happy. All I could see was that my wonderfully sweet, blind brother was being duped by a cold blooded killer."

Devon tilted his head in disbelief. "Babe, I'm sure Sarah seemed that way because of everything that happened, but I'm sure she cared for him."

Ellie's eyes glistened painfully. "That's just it Devon. I couldn't get past that. I couldn't see that then. "

Devon suddenly felt some trepidation. He looked at the NSA agent and asked for a better explanation.

Casey frowned. He didn't like dwelling upon the past, but knowing that Ellie needed Devon to understand.

"I got Sarah re-instated. Beckman had already realized her error at the hospital. She didn't apologize but neither did she stand in the way of Walker's return. Chuck was just too valuable. Besides, it was immediately apparent how positive Sarah's presence was on Chuck's emotional and physical well being."

Devon shook his head in confusion. He still didn't understand.

Casey sighed. "Sarah's demeanor changed drastically. Suddenly she didn't have to hide her feelings for Chuck. She was happy. They were happy," explained Casey as he glanced cautiously at Ellie. "It was hard to watch."

Devon shot another puzzled look at the NSA agent. However, his gaze was torn away when Ellie grabbed his collar and forced him to look at her.

"Don't you get it?" shrieked Ellie. "I couldn't take it. Maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it was something else. I don't know."

Shaking her head, Ellie cried, "I thought I had to save him. But in the end, all I did was…was…destroy him."