A/N: Nope, not posting from the Great Beyond. SHE got a ton of PMs from readers and opened the account again so here it is.

1. I dumped all the split charah/channah chapters into the round file. It continues on - in other words, no dream sequence. Only fair since according to his A/Ns, Channah won fair and square by the deadline.

2. There are three chapters and an epilogue. The epilogue serves two purposes and one of them is none of your damned business.

3. Don't care if you review it or not. This is a matter of personal obligation.

For APR and HER.

OM

Chickens come home to roost

Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose viciously to stifle any tears. There would be time for tears later after he'd killed Daniel Shaw and anyone associated with the murder of his loved one.

"Jacques, I'm going outside for assistance on this. We don't know who we can trust but there is one who can be relied upon to be discreet and very, very violent."

"What about your Sacramento team, Chuck? Surely…"

"Do you think it's mere coincidence that Shaw and his snatch team just happened to be waiting this morning, the one morning they were going to Paris for the eye appointment? I don't."

He walked out into the garden and dialed John Casey.

"Hey, to what do I owe the honor?" He hadn't heard from Chuck much since the wedding and he'd missed an appointment with Alex so he welcomed the call.

"I need a partner for a high-impact infiltration. Pull the file you have on Hannah's old apartment. Daniel Shaw kidnapped Hannah and Su-Fi this morning right outside the Chateau gates. He kneecapped the driver and gave him a cellphone. I took the call and he wanted 10 million Euros and Sarah Walker. Obviously I couldn't give him Walker so he set up a meeting place and time and then shot one of my girls. He didn't need two 'half-breeds' and the ransom was for both and since…and since I couldn't pony up Walker he said only one…shit. Can you help me, Casey? Please? I got no one here I can trust. I figure he's using our old apartment as his base. He talked about 'where it all started'."

"You got it. Alex and I will be back in contact. I'll have her recce the apartment since she's a new face and unlikely to be recognized. We'll get her back. We'll talk more when we get the recon done. Hang in there, Chuck. We'll get her back."

"Thanks. He wants to meet where you shot me. Bastard has a sense of 'a Great Cycle'. He's insane but he's a walking dead man, John. I'll wait for your call. Call Beckman and brief her, John. She needs to OK your involvement plus she should send security for the congressman's family."

Casey walked down the hall to Forrest's office and briefed her. They left for the apartment site ten minutes later. Casey stayed in the car and Alex walked the two blocks to the apartment and noted the two men sitting and reading a paper and listening to a small radio. Amateurs.

She wandered through the market and bought some oranges and a bouquet of flowers for their dining room table and then ambled back to the car.

"Johnny, there are two guys out front. There's no rear entrance so figure Shaw and at least three inside. There's also a chair and table on the 3rd floor balcony and the French doors leading to the smaller bedroom were open but the blinds were closed. I think someone will be there in the evening to keep over watch on the streets as dark sets in."

"I want you on the roof across the street with a sniper rifle. I want the guy on the balcony neutralized as well as the two street watchers. I need to talk to Chuck about the furniture arrangements. I figure two guys on the first floor and Shaw and the watcher on the third floor with the surviving hostage."

He told her exactly what Chuck had said and Alex knew that Chuck was going through Hell right now and would need some serious down time as well as being able to talk to a neutral authority – her. She just hoped she was up to the task.

Casey called Beckman and repeated what he knew and said that Chuck wanted the Stuart family in protective custody and Beckman readily agreed and told him it would be done within the hour.

Chateau Almandine

"Chuck, I should go with you tonight. I'm your second and by God I have a right…"

"I only trust you and the director now, Hugo. We have a rat here and I need you to make sure this isn't an attempt to get to Jacques. Shaw is experienced and devious and insane and I need someone I can trust implicitly to watch over what's left of my family. Please, Hugo, I need someone I can trust."

"OK, I've got your back but this NSA pussy better be up to the task."

"Oh, he's more than up to the task. I think you and he could be friends once you both got over being assholes. I told you, Hugo, no bugs in the limo when I met with Stuart but no…you just had to…"

"Chuck, I didn't bug the limo. You told me not to and after the parking garage incident there's no way in hell I would have crossed you."

"Then that's where you start looking for our rat. Now, watch my kids and sister and keep the director engaged and busy. This stress is killing him. His tremors are worse than before and the meds don't seem to be working much. Keep him engaged, busy, and near the kids. They seem to bring out his inner strength and they'll need to see their grandfather sure and confident."

Chuck's Mercedes roared off into the late morning leaving an angry and worried Hugo Panzer in his wake. Hugo turned and summoned the immediate security detachment, issued orders and then went in to find Ellie and round up Paul and Yve and try to explain why their father was going to rescue their surviving sister or mother. Damn, he had no idea how to do it. Maybe Ellie could handle that?

Stuart/Walker Residence
Arlington, VA

Sarah rolled over and reached across Mike for his cell phone that was on the nightstand. He'd flown in late and they'd just gotten to sleep after a very satisfying reunion of sorts.

When she'd greeted him at the airport and had seen how tired and worried he looked she immediately went into 'protective mode' and that included reassuring him of his family's love.

"Oh, Mike, I missed you and…and…and I love you, Mike, more than I can say. I'm not good at saying it but it's real and I can't wait to marry you!"

The fatigue seemed to slough off his face and the smile he gave her would have won him elections. The kiss wasn't bad either.

Later

Her voice husky from sleep, she answered his phone. "Hello? This is Sarah. Mike's asleep. He flew in late from Paris. Can I help you or take a message?" She'd almost answered the phone using CIA voice protocol but almost laughed when she realized answering the phone 'Walker, nonsecure' would have been a lie. She was feeling very secure and loved.

Chuck almost dropped his cell phone in surprise and shock. He recovered quickly and adopted a very credible French-accented English and asked for Michael Stuart. "Please, it is a matter of grave importance to the ambassador-designate."

"Mike, sweetie, wake up. It's someone, a Frenchman, from Paris asking for the 'ambassador-designate'. Take the call. I'll make coffee and then we will have a talk, OK, baby?" She handed him the phone, slipped out of bed and into a robe. Being naked around Jeb was a no-no.

"This is Michael Stuart."

"Mike, Chuck. You got a problem. Tell Sarah that Daniel Shaw is alive and on the hunt. He's killed…Mike, he snatched Hannah and Su-Fi and he killed one of them when I wouldn't tell him Sarah's location. NSA should be at your door shortly. Go with them. Take you family and go into custody until I can get this resolved."

"Wait, Chuck, Su-Fi and Hannah, dead? Oh my God, Chuck, what can I do to help?"

"Uh, don't tell her about me being alive, Mike, please. I can't handle losing my girls and having her badgering me about shit, please? Just keep your family safe, Mike. I'll do everything I can to kill this scumbag. You won't hear from me again. General Beckman is taking over."

"Wait, Windsor, don't hang…"

"Stay safe. Don't need any more guilt. Marry her and take care of your family. I have to go. We're about ready to kick off the op. NSA will be there shortly."

Chuck hung up, not wanting to risk additional conversation. He knew Walker was sitting right there, absorbing Mike's side of the conversation. He was meeting Casey at the embassy in a few minutes.

Sarah was standing in the doorway with a shocked look on her face. She'd come back to get dressed more appropriately since Jeb and Megan would be getting up for the day anytime now. She'd caught the last few sentences her fiancé had said and had seen the distraught look on his face and started calculating odds and options.

Mike disconnected and threw his cell phone across the bedroom in fury.

"Shit!"

"Mike, who are Sophie and Hannah and who is Windsor and why are you so damned upset? And what's with this 'ambassador-designate crap?"

"Sarah, Windsor is a deep-cover operative in France. He's incredibly talented and he's infiltrated the Ring until he's the head of all but the Far Eastern region. He's the Director General. Now, I'm supposed to give you a message and some instructions. 'Daniel Shaw is alive and on the hunt'. I don't know what it means to you but…"

"Oh, shit. Mike, wake the kids and get them dressed. Throw some clothes in a bag for each of them. We need to…"

"Honey, Windsor said he already alerted the NSA to send in a security unit and we're safe. Beckman is coordinating things on this side of the puddle. Windsor's hunting down Shaw. He killed his wife and daughter when…" He stopped. He'd already said entirely too much and was kicking his ass for letting his mouth run away with him.

"Oh, my God, the poor man! Why? Why wouldn't he just pay the ransom? That's stupid!"

"Stop it, Sarah! You have no idea…" He stopped to gather his thoughts. He owed Bartowski big-time. He owed him the rest of his life.

"You – YOU were part of the ransom and when he said he didn't know where you were and that you were out of the business this Shaw guy shot his wife and daughter. I met them in Paris a few days ago. They were totally devoted to one another and he lived for his kids. He had three and one's a teenager. His wife…"

"How does this guy know about me? And why would he lie for me and risk his wife and kid? What aren't you telling me, Mike? And when did you get so buddy-buddy with the Ring Director General? How long have you known Dubois?" She had hundreds of questions, each one seemingly more important than the other.

He told her a sanitized version of meeting 'Dubois' in Paris and then going to their home for dinner – pizza – and meeting the president of France and his wife who seemed to be frequent visitors to the Chateau.

Sarah filled in blanks left in the story with the wrong information and totally misread the situation – to Mike's relief.

"So Windsor is an American agent who has worked his way up to the Director General's position in the Ring? Is that why Ring activity has dropped off so much? My God, what a coup for Beckman. The top dog at the Ring is her man. That's incredible. But how am I involved?"

"Shaw and this guy have a bad history and Shaw knew this guy was a mole and used to work with you years ago – in South America, I think it was – and he figured Windsor would know where you were since you were so…involved."

"Larkin! You're talking about Bryce Larkin? But he's dead! I saw the body. Larkin's alive? Oh, my God. That's incredible. We saw him die. How…wait, he can't have a teenager when he'd be only 34?"

"Sarah, I don't know. I just know what this Windsor guy told me. He's very loyal to his partners, current and former, and he's working right now with some NSA guy to take out Shaw and his cell. We should be OK here. Beckman's handling it. He's going dark and leaving it all behind once the op is over."

"OK, now, what's this about the 'ambassador-designate?" It was going to be a long day for Mike Stuart. There would be more questions regarding who he'd met in Paris and she hoped to get some specifics out of him and then touch base with the one person she knew she could trust – John Casey.

US Embassy
Paris

They were looking at a crudely-drawn floor plan of the apartment and a map of the block.

"We go in through the front door. Alex will already have neutralized the two men on the street and the balcony guy if he's sitting out there. We go up the stairs to the 2nd floor and clear it and then on to the 3rd floor. Alex will have over watch and make sure we don't get a surprise if anyone else shows up."

"What happens if something alerts the guy on the 3rd floor and he shoots the hostage, Casey? No. You go in through the front door and I'll go over the roofs from this building here to the mansard roof overlooking the balcony and I'll fast rope down onto the balcony and go in through the French doors. They won't be expecting that."

"OK, good point. We'll do it that way. Alex, sign out a sniper rifle with infrared and NV capabilities. You can scan the building for body heat and give us a heads up if anyone comes calling after we're in."

10pm

It was raining, a light summer shower that would cut the dust and pollution from the air and disappear as quickly as it came up. Alex sighted in on the first guard standing to the left of the door and took him out. Switching quickly to the other man who was coming to his partner's aid, she fired twice and watched as he fell, suddenly boneless, across the threshold of the apartment door. She snickered to herself and then switched her sight to the 3rd floor balcony. Her infrared scope showed it was clear and that Chuck was swinging over the side and fast-roping down to the balcony.

The balcony guard stepped through the French door just as Chuck landed on the balcony. Neither was prepared to attack and for a full second neither moved. The guard reached into his coat for his pistol and Chuck lifted the silencer-equipped 9mm and shot him in the chest and head. He hadn't been wearing a vest. Fucking amateurs.

He pivoted and waved to Alex and then ducked into the spare bedroom that Hannah had used as a studio. Memories assailed him and he almost missed seeing the man come out of the bathroom tucking himself away. He fired once and the man sighed and dropped into a heap. His radio buzzed in his ear but he couldn't figure out what was said and he was suddenly too busy to worry about it.

Across the street Alex was frantically trying to contact Chuck to warn him that two or three heat signatures were making their way up to the 3rd floor but he wasn't responding to his comm. Either he was the slowly cooling heat signature on the floor or his comm was screwed.

Two more men were trudging up the steps followed by another judging from the noise. He stooped down and leaned against the wall and took aim at the first of the pair, waiting until he took a step into the bedroom and turned and then he fired, dropping him.

The second man was much more alert and experienced than the first and he dropped down and did a shoulder roll into the room and away from where he saw the flash of the silenced pistol and took several shots at where he figured the unseen assailant was. He got lucky and one hit Chuck in the vest and the other nicked his temple just at the hairline , not deep and hardly noticeable in the heat of the moment.

Chuck fired three shots and then another and it was quiet. The man on the steps had continued on until he saw the muzzle flashes from Chuck's pistol. He reached in and flipped on the light, blinding Chuck who was using NVGs.

He tore the goggles off but the damage was done. His night vision was in ruin and it would be precious seconds before he could see much. His opponent, however…

"Well, well, well. What have we here? Look, little girl, it's a ninja…no, it's a…Chuck…yeah, a Chuck. Get up, Bartowski. Don't try anything. If you reach for that fancy MP5, I'll blow her brains out."

Shaw kept his pistol aimed at Chuck's heart. Chuck's MP5SD hung from the D-ring on his vest. He stepped over the body of one of Shaw's men and slowly drew closer to Shaw. All he could see was a blurred outline of dark. He got careless and sloppy and forgot to take off his night vision goggles and now he'd pay for his loss of focus.

"Stop right there, Bartowski. Don't come any closer. You've come higher, farther and faster than anyone could imagine in the Ring. Surely you don't want to throw it all away over a piece of ass and a brat you hardly know?"

"You killed the only reason I had to get up in the morning and drag my worthless ass through the day. Do you know why I got off the plane in Paris? It was because I fell in love with Hannah the instant I saw her. It was like…coming home. The infiltration mission never entered into my decision. It was only after you had Casey shoot me that I realized I could have the woman of my dreams and make the mission, not a second before. It was always about Hannah."

"That's touching, very touching. But if you want to keep the little one alive, you'll turn over the money and the current location of Sarah Walker. Otherwise, I'll…"

"Walker's responsible for both our wives being taken from us. Why are you punishing me for something I had nothing to do with?" He was trying to buy time and figure out how to kill Shaw and not injure Su-Fi.

"You're wasting time, Bartowski, time you don't really have anymore. I want the money. Walker will be found eventually and I'll kill her and her family just like I'm going to take out yours. Just think of the irony. Now, hand over the money."

"No. There is no money, not now. You blew it with your 'oops, my finger slipped'. You should have killed the kid. You want to know irony, Shaw? If Walker had been anywhere near here, you'd have had your money and her to do with as you pleased. I'd have given her over to you in a heartbeat to save my Hannah."

"Y'know, I really believe you would have. Well, too bad."

"Yeah. Beckman's going to regret not seeing this."

Shaw was puzzled. "Seeing what?"

"She's going to miss seeing John Casey put a 9mm in your fucking head." He dove at Shaw and grabbed Su-Fi and fell to the floor, covering her with his body as Shaw whirled around to find a grinning John Casey standing three feet away pointing a pistol at his forehead.

"Goodbye, asshole!" The bullet left the barrel, traveled the short distance to Shaw and entered his forehead and then exited the back of his head and lodged in the wall beside the shattered balcony window. The back of his head exploded and sprayed the room with gore. His dead body staggered back and tripped and fell over Chuck and Su-Fi.

"God, but that felt so good. One less asshole and traitor on the planet. Is Su-Fi alright, Chuck?"

"Yeah. Casey, Shaw killed Hannah. I need to find her body, John." He got to his knees and pulled Su-Fi into a tight hug. "It's just us now, Su-Fi, you, me, Paul and Yve, but we'll be alright eventually. Let's go home. I want Aunt Ellie to check you out and then…I don't know. I'll wait for someone to find her and then we'll bury her. Ah, shit!" He couldn't help it.

Casey bent and picked up Su-Fi. "Let's give your Dad a couple of minutes alone, kid. I'm John Casey and your Dad and I are friends. Let's go downstairs and…"

He stopped when he heard a rhythmic thumping against the closet door. He set Su-Fi down and whispered for her to go back to her dad. He advanced across the room and jerked open the closet door and jumped back when Hannah's body fell out on to the floor. She been gagged with a rag and then duct tape. She'd been zip-tied and stuffed in the bottom of the closet like some afterthought.

He got the duct tape loose from her face and pulled out the rag. He cut her ties and removed the crude blindfold and introduced himself.

"I'm John Casey from the American embassy. Chuck and I are old friends and he needed some backup for your rescue. Hannah, he's pretty shaken up. He thought one of you was dead and he came to rescue the other one. He's…oh, hell, go to him, Hannah. Settle him down. We're still not out of the woods yet."

"I heard everything, Mr. Casey, everything. He'll be OK. He's tough and he'll bounce right back. Let's get the hell out of here. We've got friends who will help us out." She wasn't sure if Casey knew about Chuck's 'other job'. Most embassy people knew he was CEO or Chairman of Circus Information Systems, not the boss of the Ring.

Casey handed her his cell and said 'call someone. We need backup. It was just the three of us but we got it done'.

She called her father. "Papa, it's Hannah and we're all OK. Chuck and Mr. Casey rescued us. Papa, we're at my old apartment and I need cleaners and backup. Send Hugo with the Sacramento team until Chuck takes over again. He's…very upset right now. He thought Thorne had killed one of us and when he saw Su-Fi, well, he was going to take Thorne out no matter what it cost. I heard the whole thing, Papa, from the closet. Send Hugo and tell him 'no questions', OK?" She hung up.

"There will be an action team here in about 20 minutes. They're totally trustworthy and they will keep their mouths shut about everything they hear or see. They're Chuck's personal team. They've been together since Sacramento when they…".

Casey held up a hand telling her to stop. No one needed to rehash Sacramento.

"I know all about that. Go talk to him, Hannah. He thought you were dead. If your kid hadn't been here I don't know what would have happened. He took out most of Shaw's guys before I could clear the first floor. Go ahead. I'll wait downstairs for the relief team."

He bent down and scooped Su-Fi up and sat her piggyback. "Let's go, kid. Watch your head for low beams. Hannah, we'll wait outside. I want her to meet Alexandra, my fiancé, also my sniper. She's really good with kids. She's a therapist. She and Chuck…"

"Yeah, Mr. Casey, I know about it. It's all right. We'll be down as soon as he's ready."

She watched Casey take Su-Fi downstairs and then went to her husband. He seemed almost to be in a trance and was just staring out at the balcony with it's ruined French doors.

She took his hands in hers and put them on either side of her face and leaned in and kissed him softly. "Hey, Chuck, you did good. You saved us and we're all OK. C'mon, honey, help me out here. I can't do this all alone, Chuck. And I was so afraid." She started to cry, great sobs that left her gasping for breath.

"Shhh, don't cry. Let's go get Su-Fi and go home. I'm so tired and it's been a long day. We'll take all the time we need to work out these issues you have with my past, Hannah. We'll take as long as you need."

"Chuck, I heard every word you said to that scumbag. Every word. I was never jealous of the Walker woman. I used her to keep you away from asking questions about what happened to me in the camp. She was just a way to keep you off the subject and it was stupid and I'm sorry. I should have told you before we got married. Long before then."

"We'll talk about this later, Hannah, much later. Let's get Casey squared away and then get this place cleaned up. I want this place sanitized, the furniture replaced, everything. Nothing will remain to remind me of this. Help me up. I'm suddenly exhausted."

"Chuck, you're bleeding, honey. Oh, my, another scar to add to your collection?" She sniffled and tried to make light of it but another inch to the left and he'd have been killed.

His earpiece squawked and he took it out and dropped it on the floor. "Damned thing is useless. I can't hear worth a shit anymore. Let's go home, Hannah. I need a drink and a bath and you and the kids need to spend some time together with your dad. He was really scared, Hannah, God, we all were."