Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, reading that is still funny in my books!

A/N: Will General Beckman find out about Casey and Taylor's ongoing relationship?

Zoe Taylor

I opened the store room door which was now Morgan's office. I plucked the fish plaque on the wall off it and pulled myself into the hole where a gun I had hidden was. I attached it to a thigh strap. I went into the locker room where I saw Casey being strangled by some guy.

"John!" I screamed, about to lunge forward when Jeff came out of nowhere and knocked out another guy. "Casey, we have to go to the Orange Orange." I pulled him out of the locker room and into the Orange Orange. The door opened and Morgan entered along with Chuck.

"We'll have to put Morgan in witness protection," Shaw decided instantly.

"He wouldn't betray us!" Chuck snapped. "Morgan is staying exactly where he belongs." I put a hand on Shaw, giving him a look that told him to let it go.

We watched as Morgan shuffled in. "Colonel Casey. Lieutenant Taylor, I always knew there was more to the both of you." Morgan slapped me and Casey's shoulders, near the front. I whacked him on the back of the head.

"Watch it Grimes. I could floor you any day. Don't tempt me" I sat down at the desk and the Ring's phone went into action. Casey picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked solemnly. I didn't hear the reply on the phone, but I knew it was something bad.

"John?" I said, panic stricken, but he didn't do anything, instead, he just drove me home and told me to go upstairs and stay up there. When I was in my room, I glanced out the window and saw someone spying on Casey. I heard the front door open and a guy I didn't recognise came out the house. But when I asked Casey about him, he didn't answer.

General Beckman had a private word with me over analysing Chuck, Sarah and Casey's progress on getting through the CIA facility. It was a long and boring task, not helped by the fact I was still sick.

"Lieutenant?" General Beckman's face appeared on the comms link. "Lieutenant Taylor?"

"Here General." I peered around the door. "Yes?"

"How are the team doing?"

"Getting better, each one brings something to the table, I believe there is a slight rift between Walker and Chuck. The reason behind this, I can't say. I can say that Casey and I are in a strong, stable relationship thanks for asking. I know you want me to-"

"Well that is news. Is something the matter? Shaw tells me you were sick last he briefed me. I thought we discussed that you would rest until you felt better."

"He told you that?" I sat up straighter. "Well no, I am perfectly fine." I swallowed, hoping that she would believe me.

"Well, all the best Lieutenant Taylor."

"And to you General." I smiled weakly, eager to get off the line with her. I rested in the Castle until Casey, Sarah and Chuck returned. Sarah gently rubbed my shoulder.

"Still feeling bad?" she asked.

"Well I've felt better."

"Maybe you should take a day or two off? It might do you good."

"No, honestly I'm fine." I smiled at her and the others sat down for a meeting with General Beckman. Casey seemed a little on edge and when Beckman asked if Ludanol was stolen by him, he didn't answer. Without even being asked to, I whipped out my gun, pointing it directly at Casey. "John?"

"John, tell me what's going on right now?" Sarah asked, her gun poised after Beckman's order.

I couldn't believe that I was holding my gun at him. I watched Casey put his gun slowly onto the table. I held back the lump in my throat, the worst thing to do now was cry. I blinked rapidly when I felt a tear roll down my cheek, I bounded up the stairs. I burst out of the Orange Orange and let out a tiny whimper. I sniffed violently trying to stop crying. A hand touched my shoulder and I jerked away, turning to see who it was.

"Chuck?" I then looked away, about to run but he had a hold on my arm. "Let go Chuck?"

"What's been wrong with you? You've seemed different these past few days. I have to say it but I'm a little worried."

"Wow Chuck." I sniffed. "An intersect worried about another intersect, who would have thought of it," I murmured trying to drag the attention away from why I was really upset.

Trying to understand why John would want to steal Ludanol which would suppress emotions, did that mean he didn't want to have feelings for me?

"Chuck." I whispered, I dropped my head and it hit his chest. "What is wrong with me? Did he steal the ludanol to…"

"Tell me, tell me what's wrong?" He gently put his arms around me.

"I, I, I can't, if I told you, I could lose everything." My arms held him close. "Don't ever change Chuck. Because I will kill you if you do."

"I won't." I felt his cheek resting on the top of my head. "Come on. Why don't we go to the Buy More, it might not be the most luxurious place, but it'll hopefully take your mind off of whatever has gotten you down, it's not like you to get upset. And I thought spies were able to hold back their emotions."

"Well I'll just be an exception to that. And I'm sure spies don't get ill like I do." I put my arm around him as we walked towards the Buy More. "Things will be just fine."

"I need your help anyway, do you know what the guy was talking to Casey about?"

"It was someone he knew. I'm sure of it. Hang on, I'm really sorry, but I need to get back home. They could be rifling through my stuff right now." There was some stuff that I had snuck past the agencies that would get me into deep crap if they found it, in case it got into the wrong hands.

I sped down the roads back home, barely parking properly. The agency refused to let me in, on the basis that I was associated with Casey, living with him and also in a relationship with him. I sat on the doorstep, occasionally being knocked about. Not to mention, they refused to let me see him either.

When they finally allowed me back inside it was completely devastated. I saw the mangled bonsai tree and started to clear it up, I'll buy him a new one. Slowly but surely, I tidied the house, back to its original state and by the time that I was finished General Beckman called me and told me about Casey's transition from Alex to John, the first man I loved. She asked me to stay at the house, in case he returned. I sat and waited by the window, watching for anyone passing by that he could be, but I only saw a gardener shearing the plants.

Was it a gardener? No, they moved on.

I opened the wardrobe and pulled the bottom out to reveal my hidden treasure box I had kept, it was mainly old photos. My family. My little brother Ethan and me, Lauren Bailey. I wished the intersect in me would activate so I could know more about where my little brother was. The next photo tore me apart inside. It was of Lauren and Alex, our past lives. Then there was some memorabilia of our relationship. Until Lauren disappeared, and trained as Millie Hill, for my own protection. When Millie Hill and Daniel Shaw became close friends, but no more, I promised myself I wouldn't fall for him. There were some rare photos after Lauren and Millie disappeared without a trace.

I jumped when I heard movement downstairs, talking. I dropped the box on the floor. I picked out one of my hidden guns and dropped down the stairs.

"I had a fiancé after you left, and now she thinks I'm dead, if I don't hand it over, they will kill her. And she now has to pay for that." It was Casey, in the house.

I sat back on the stairs listening in, but I had to suddenly leap up when I needed to run past the others to the toilet. The coughing and spluttering startling the others.

"Are you alright?" Casey asked cautiously bringing me to my feet.

"No, I really don't but you need to go to the drop off or they will kill Kathleen, these people are not going to give up, they want the Ludanol. Don't argue with me. I know what these people are like." I feebly pushed him away but I somehow fell backwards. Fortunately, he caught me with quick reflexes, carrying me to the armchair, the only bit of furniture in the room.

"I'll get Ellie or Devon to stop by on you." Chuck squeezed my hand.

"Go guys, go and do what you guys do best," I murmured weakly. Once they left I picked up a thick blanket and snoozed in the armchair.

"Zoe? Zoe, it's Ellie. Want to let me in?" I heard a knocking at the door. I pulled the blanket up around my throat and wandered to the door. She was there in the door beaming at me.

"Hey Ellie. What's up?"

"Chuck asked me to check in on you, so here I am. What's the problem? You don't look your best."

"No, everyone's just paranoid about me, I've only been sick."

"Yeah, but being sick can be everything. You still don't look great either."

"And I guess I'm a little tired." I sniffed a little. "That is a really nice smell, what is it?"

"Never mind, tell me. Are you suffering from an emotional imbalance?"

"Haha. No. Of course not." But after having a moment to think about it, it was true, I was a little emotional. "Yeah."

"Well, if I can be so plain. You need to take a pregnancy test."

"Hang on a second Ellie?" I squeaked at an incredibly shocking high pitch. "What did you say?"

"You are showing all the tell-tale signs. Think about it." Ellie smiled widely. "Wow. You didn't even see that coming, did you?"

"I would have rather waited until I left, before I started having kids." I wiped my face with my hands. Was I ready for this? Would I have to leave the agency, and Casey, and never return so that I could safely raise a child. My chin started to shake.

"Oh no, don't cry." Ellie sat down beside me and held her arms out to me. "Everything will be okay. I promise, but tell the guy."

"Thank you Ellie," I whispered. "Sorry, Devon's probably waiting on you, you must have something planned."

"Yeah, if you're sure. Take it easy, otherwise baby won't be too happy." I watched Ellie close the door behind herself, I stared in the direction of the door, waiting for it to open. I must have stared at it for hours. I pulled the blanket around my shoulders and curled up into a ball in the armchair. The door opened and I froze. I watched as Casey walked straight up the stairs.

"John," I called out weakly. I heard the bedroom door slam, I let out a whimper. I hobbled up the stairs and leaned against the wall by his bedroom. "Please don't shut me out again. I'm here for you. I care too much about you. And I ran away the last time because you shut me out. I wish I didn't but it was my only chance." I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. "Please open the door. I am right out here for you, Casey."

But the door stayed shut.

I threw off the blanket and went into my room. I pulled the suitcase off the wardrobe and emptied out the wardrobe, neatly folding it away. Then the chest of drawers and onto the bedside table. It was full of gadgets and ammunition. Gadgets and such. It reminded me of my old missions. I packed the photos displayed about the room gently into the suitcase and packed some more clothes on top of it. I zipped it shut and pulled out an old notebook and the new bonsai tree I had picked up for Casey. I wrote my goodbye to Casey.

I had to get away, after seeing the man that Casey had become, I needed time away from this mishap. Plus being possibly pregnant on top of that. I dragged the suitcase downstairs and out of the door, I walked past the Echo Park apartments and stopped to take one last look.

"Zoe, wait!" I heard a voice and with a suitcase in toll, there was no way I could run from them. I stopped.

"Chuck, hey!" I turned around, smiling incredibly fake.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"John's been dropped from the Team, I don't think they'll allow me to stay with him. I was going to go and stay in another home that the General entrusted me with."

"You know, I may have only know you for a few months, but I can tell why your agent skills are lacking in the lying department. You're lying. There is no other house, you were running away, but why?" He took the suitcase from my hand.

"No Chuck, I can't face seeing him again."

"Now I know there is more to it than that."

"Chuck, I can't tell you, if I told you then you would probably tell Sarah and maybe Morgan, I don't want the whole world and his wife knowing my business."

"Well if you're not going to tell me then you can come and stay with me and Morgan, he's away for the moment anyway so I've got the spare room. I don't think Ellie would like it if she knew you were wandering about at this hour of the night." He pushed me back the other way towards the apartment lot.

Chuck took my suitcase and disappeared with it.

"Chuck…" I trailed off, I couldn't believe the thought and care that I was being presented with.

"I'll be just outside, I promise I'm not going anywhere." I walked out of the house, shutting the door behind me. I let out the biggest sigh and went over to the fountain. I felt in pocket, fishing out a coin. Years ago, I couldn't flip a coin without throwing it high in the air like a tennis ball. But then Casey or more Alex taught me how to flip a coin, with his help I mastered it. I flip the coin in the air letting it drop in the fountain.

"What was the wish?" I jumped, a little scared. Chuck's head twitched a little. "I know that things have been difficult. Your past is yours and I admit it must take a lot to hide under it. When I become Charles Carmichael it's easy. That's my name just a different surname."

"Chuck, I'm pregnant." I squeaked to stop his babbling.

"Err, I. I don't know what to say."

"If I tell you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Who? When?" Chuck asked, entirely flustered.

"Who do you think, Chuck?"

"Morgan?" Chuck guessed, stabbing in the dark.

I screwed up my face. "No! Never in a million years."

"Casey-? No. That guy has no emotion sometimes. Sometimes I feel he's taken ludanol."

"Well when you have a history with him, before his relationship with Kathleen McHugh, it's kinda hard to ignore it, at least it is for me."

"Congratulations. Can I say congratulations?"

I laughed a little before sniffing roughly. "I guess so." I walked back inside, Chuck followed and closed the door. I pushed him against it, my arm against his throat. "But I swear I will cause pain if you tell anyone, even Sarah Chuck, even Sarah." I moved my arm away when he nodded.

"I promise." I turned away, he hugged me tightly from behind. "I'm always here for you." He rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Thank you Chuck. But you want me to stay in Morgan's bed. I think I can get some kind of leverage."

"Of course, why don't I drive us to work tomorrow?"

"Getting there Chuck, thank you, for everything."

I went into Morgan's room and flipped the pillows. It felt weird. Before I went to bed, I checked the room for bugs and threw them out the window, sure they were dead but you can never be too sure. Just in Casey was snooping about.

"Zoe, get up." I heard Chuck call the next morning.

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming." I quickly changed into my work clothes and dived out of the window, narrowly avoiding the plants there. In the car, I remained quiet. It felt weird not getting a lift from Casey, but this is how things had to be. As we pulled up to the car park, Chuck got out the car.

"Come on, Zoe."

I waited momentarily, shaking my head to stop myself worrying. I smiled weakly.

"You know, this is just the ultimate test of my skills." I pushed open the door and slowly wandered into the Buy More store, I saw John and walked on past him. I didn't need this hassle. I just set about to work a normal day. It was only when I went to my locker that I realised that I had left something at John's house.

My box of treasures.

I shuffled past John without being noticed and broke into Chuck's car. I drove home and slipped in through my bedroom window. I opened the wardrobe and pulled the base plank out of it. It was empty.

Click.

"You want to tell me what you came back here for?"

Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Oooooo. This just got interesting! I think we all know what's going on here? It's another agent in the apartment! What's going to happen to Zoe? Read on!