Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

A/N: The intersect is back! Oh and sorry for the prolonged update, and thank you for the reviews, keep them coming!

Zoe Taylor

The next mission caused me to stay at home with Liam, bored witless. Most of the time I left him in one of this bouncy chair things that you hang from the door.

"One day, I think Daddy should stay at home," I said to my bouncing baby boy. "Why can't I go to France?"

"Ahh, oooo!" Liam cooed.

"I know. You tie together Mommy and Daddy. Now we've got him trapped." He looked at me with wide eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I don't mean it at all." Pretty soon after, I took Liam to the Castle to see Casey. "Hey everyone." I had Liam perched on my hip and a sports bag of his supplies on the other side. "I brought company."

"Shh!" Morgan squeaked.

"Erm, okay then." My facial expression dropped, I looked at the surveillance tapes. Chuck and Sarah were standing on a balcony in France. As I watched Chuck drop on his knee my mouth dropped. "No!" I gasped.

"FREEZE!"

"What? No!" I yelled.

Liam went bright red and started to cry.

I squeezed him tightly. "No." I whispered burying my head into him.

"Careful, careful, you don't want to kill him," Casey said taking Liam from me. I ran my hands through my hair. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"No, it won't be. I know that there is something more to it than this." We waited in silence until Sarah was brought into the holding cell with Beckman and some additional marines. I stuck close to Casey, Liam stretched out for me and I took him. A while later Beckman pulled Casey and I aside. "General?"

"I don't think that this situation is working out for us. You two are meant to be heading up some of the work here and that work has been hindered by the arrival of-" She shook her hands around Liam.

"Liam." I gritted my teeth.

"Ahh, wah," Liam added, more cheerfully than anyone else.

"Yes, I am not pleased with the current situation but it is now time to take action. Hand me the child." General Beckman held out her hands for Liam. "This child needs a life of his own, now that Volkoff knows about his existence he will use that against the pair of you."

"But Volkoff doesn't know about me and Casey." I quickly interjected.

"Be that as it may Lieutenant, there is very little that you can do about the situation. Now do not make me ask you again."

"There must be something else. I don't want to give up my only child." I cradled Liam in my arms, holding him closer.

"Take the baby from her." General Beckman ordered a woman to take Liam. I pulled away at first. "Lieutenant Taylor, let go of the baby." I barely loosened my grip.

"Please," I whispered. My heart tore as the woman took him from me. Casey held my shoulders to stop me from following them. "No."

"It's for the best Zoe, he'll be alright, I'm sure of it." I stopped fighting as I watched the woman take Liam out of the Castle followed by two marines. "We'll see him again."

"But what if we don't?" I whispered before turning into him, burying my face in his chest. "I want him back now." I squeaked, sniffing through the tears. I only wished I could hold him in my arms again.

"Well it looks like you got what you truly wanted," Beckman said, turning on her heels.

"Sorry?" I said, whipping around to face her. "You think I wanted you to-"

"You wanted to be back on the field. And with the child around, there was no way that could happen, now, with him out of the way it means that you can get back into the swing of being an agent."

"What? You think I wanted this, you think I wanted for you to take my son, our son away like this-"

"Zoe, let's go, Zoe." Casey pulled me gently away, taking me back home. I lay in bed all night and all of the next day. I didn't sleep, I just sat in the bed. "You coming on a mission?" he asked the next morning.

"No. Not today," I murmured back. Sure enough, Casey left me to go on a mission but, when he came back, I got dragged out of the house to play with Casey, Chuck and Morgan. I sat on one of the chairs in silence with my knees tucked into my chest.

Casey checked his phone. "Walker, she needs me. It's dangerous. Volkoff are nearby. Stay here Chuck." Casey left the house without a word, I sat frozen to the chair. I wondered where Liam was, how Liam was. Morgan rested his chin on his hands. He then gave away where Casey was going. Chuck left instantly without Morgan noticing.

"He's gone Morgan," I mumbled.

"Aren't you going to go after him?" Morgan asked looking at me.

"No…" I said coldly.

"Come on." Morgan shook my shoulders, I made no eye contact at all. Crack. A puny fist hit my cheek. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Please don't hurt me."

"Forget about it. That was the push I needed." I leapt out of the chair, knocking it back and flung the door open. "I'm coming Casey," I whispered, running. Still in a tank top and sweatpants, I ran, I ran like I've never run before out of the apartment compound.

"Wait, Zoe, the car." Morgan called out. He drove irritatingly slow and when I got to the place I fumbled with the door as I saw Casey lying on the floor.

"John!" I screamed running to his side. "Morgan, call an ambulance. Morgan!" Minutes later, an ambulance arrived and I got in beside Casey's unconscious body. I held his hand tightly. "Please, you're going to be fine, you're going to be fine, I hope you will be. For me. And for Liam." I stayed glued to his side as he was rushed through the hospital. I sat in a chair as doctors attended to him. Alex arrived soon after. "Alex, I'm so glad you're here."

"Oh my, what happened?" She didn't wait for a reply, she rushed to his side.

I felt Chuck squeeze my hand. "He'll be alright," he said quietly as Morgan spoke to Alex.

"I know," I replied, resting my head on his shoulders. "Because if he doesn't I won't have much going for me."

"Don't say things like that. You have Liam and he is somewhere out there safe and sound. Don't be so melodramatic. Even if it is in your nature. I mean Casey may put on the tough guy front but he told me something that told me that he is serious about you."

"What?"

"He said that he proposed once and it was so frantic. Something along the lines of that. Then he mentioned that he got the chance to propose to the first woman he ever loved. He said that it didn't matter where, it was all about who he was with."

"Chuck. Shut up, you're going to make me cry." I wiped my eyes. Chuck put his arms around me. "Sarah is a lucky woman you know."

"And Casey is the luckiest man." Chuck kissed the top of my head. "He will be okay Zoe. Zoe."

"Casey's saying something." Alex exclaimed.

"Pants, the guy's never going to wear pants again." Morgan whimpered.

"No, it means check his pants, maybe there is something in them." Alex corrected him. Morgan rummaged in his pants and pulled something out.

"Half an eye," Morgan mumbled, a little disgusted.

Chuck took it in his hands. Chuck and I flinched, the intersect in me showed a series of pictures about Hydra. "This is Hydra." Chuck smiled.

I squeezed Casey's hand, rubbing my thumb over it. "Thank you," I murmured kissing his cheek. "I'll be right here when you wake up." I pulled the chair closer and sat down in it, and waited. And waited. And watched the Doctor sort him out every now and again. I ended up falling asleep. When I woke up I heard Casey and Alex talking.

"I brought you a bonsai tree. I would have brought a gun, but I don't think the hospital would appreciate that." The door opened. I opened my eyes a little. The woman who had taken Liam away was standing there.

"General Beckman told me to bring him her on a visit. A visit." I rushed to the door and held him close to me. "I'm sorry for all the trouble it has caused. I don't like to stand in the way of a mother and her child."

"Thank you, thank you so much." I walked out of the room and held him in my arms. "It's so good to have you back, Liam." He smiled in my arms. I walked around the hospital wing, he was silent, until one point he squealed out.

"Dadda!" he squealed fearfully as if something was wrong.

"What did you say?" I asked abruptly.

"Dadda!" I rushed back to Casey's side, just in time to see him smash a potted bonsai tree over some guy's face. "Dadda!" Liam squealed more happily, as if he knew his Dad was safe.

"I'm okay." Casey smiled wearily. "But did he just say what I think he said?"

"Yes, he said Dad. First word. Come on, let's get you out of here." I put Liam on the bed whilst I helped Casey in a wheelchair. We met Devon looking at all the babies. "Why aren't you in there Doc?"

"I, er-"

"Just let me give you one bit of advice. I've completely missed one daughter's birth and childhood. I managed to catch my son's birth and that is the best thing that can happen to you, now, I'm able to see him grow up. So get in there now." Casey squeezed my spare hand and Devon rushed into the delivery room.

"Wow, it doesn't feel like it was that long ago that I was having Liam." I smiled as we waited outside. Sarah, Chuck and Frost arrived shortly after followed by Morgan. Frost went into the delivery room.

"Right now, there's a little Baby Woodcombe being born." I sighed.

"Liam's back then?" Sarah asked.

"For the moment." I kissed the top of his head. "And nothing could make me happier." Morgan took one of Liam's hands.

"I got my little partner in crime back." He grinned at Liam's delighted expression.

"Oh no, not this again." I glared at him, pulling Liam from his reach. "One of Casey's children is enough." I taunted.

"Dadda. Dadda. Dadda!" Liam squirmed in my arms. I plonked him down in Casey's lap and wheeled him away. Morgan tagged along with us.

"So." He started.

"Hey. Look, it's Alex." I smiled at Alex.

"Hey everyone, I just went to get a coffee. Ah, looks like Liam's back then?" Alex stroked Liam's fluffy hair.

"Dadda!" Liam squealed again, waving his fists about. To me, it felt like everyone was now Dadda.

"Cute." She smiled. I took Liam from Casey's lap and the four of us carried on down the corridor.

Back at Casey and Zoe's apartment

"Ah, it's good to be back." Casey stretched out a little. "I've been meaning to ask."

"Oh my gosh, Liam." I gasped as Liam held himself up, leaning against the sofa, his little bottom wiggling about as he struggled to hold his weight.

"What?"

"Look at Liam, he's holding himself up. This is amazing." I squeaked.

"That's not quite what I was trying to say, what I was trying to say was that we need to set a date for the wedding."

"Oh any day is fine. My little baby boy is standing." I whisked Liam into the air, he squealed in delight. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I want to get married to my fiancé." He smiled. "Now put him down and come over here." I put Liam in one of those baby circle stroller things and sat on Casey's lap.

"Better?" I asked.

"Much." Casey leant forwards and kissed my lips. "When will we get married?"

"How about a few months from now and I leave it with you."

"I like a woman with a plan." He kissed me again and I smiled. "Someone is on the move." He said, we turned around to see Liam taking a wobbly step. I stood up and picked Liam up in my arms.

"Hello my beautiful baby boy." I smiled, squeezing him close. "Everything's going my way. I finally got the guy, I have a child of my own, and a group of friends who mean the world to me." I sat down on Casey again. "I just hope that General Beckman doesn't take him away from me. And no, I am not letting Morgan look after his 'little partner in crime' whilst we go on missions."

Casey laughed and I tried to stand up but he pulled me back, much to Liam's delight.

"Casey…" I moaned. "I have been thinking-"

"No," he replied quickly, as if he knew what I was going to say.

"You haven't even heard what I was going to say yet."

"But I don't need to, and the answer is still no, not a chance."

"Not a chance of what?" I raised my eyebrows, trying to predict what he thought I meant. "John?"

"I don't think we should have another baby, at least, not until Liam's a little older. Besides, I think my parenting days are numbered."

"Shut up. You're making me feel old." I growled, he had grabbed the wrong end of the stick entirely. "That is not what I was going to ask Casey." I stood up.

"If you weren't going to ask that, then what were you going to ask?"

"I- I was. If I could be so blunt, I was going to ask you if I, if you had considered stepping down from the NSA life?" I watched the expression drop on his face. "Obviously not then."

"Of course obviously not!" he shouted suddenly. "This is my whole life, I gave up being Alex and became John. Now the last thing I want is to go back to a normal life. The NSA is my life from now on."

"What? So me and Liam don't mean anything, at all? You don't imagine that on his sixth birthday that we would quit working as agents. That we would live a little outside Burbank in a quaint suburban house with a dog that could drive me crazy, but I would cope with that dog because Liam loved him. Don't you imagine anything like that?"

Without saying a word, he walked out the house.

"Where are you going, Casey?" I chased after him, the door flew open again as I burst out. "Casey, please don't be like this." I pleaded.

"Like what Zoe? Like my whole life has been planned out for me by you-"

"You said you liked a plan. You always have!" I yelled aggressively, rubbing my face afterwards in aggravation.

"Well maybe I like a plan for the near future then. Okay?" Casey stormed out of the gates and towards his car. Before I got close enough to reach out for the door handle, he sped away.

I sighed heavily, my chin began to quiver. This wasn't the end of that conversation, but it was certainly the first big fight that we had ever had. I just hoped it wouldn't be the end of our relationship just yet. I wasn't going to give up on Casey just yet. He truly was the only man I had ever loved. He was perfect in my eyes. As I turned to go back to the house, I saw Chuck standing there holding Liam awkwardly, as if my son was a sack of potatoes.

"I can't do this anymore," I said bluntly.

Chuck's eyes grew wide. "No, never say that. Zoe Taylor, whoever or wherever you are, you always manage to bring out the best in people. I mean it. You're beautiful, not just on the outside, but on the inside. Zoe, you have changed John Casey so much that he is a man I don't even recognise myself. Please, don't give up on what you both have just yet." He shook his head, shaking Liam a little to get a better hold on him. "You can't let it all go, I don't think you could live with yourself if you did, and if I could be able to change your mind, then I have to try. Zoe, don't give up on Casey. Never give up on him. He cares about you too much. And this little guy has been through enough from being pulled between Burbank and the safe house without having separate households for his parents. Not if you can help it."

I watched Liam open his mouth and begin to gnaw on Chuck's arm, drooling as he did. Chuck began to awkwardly grin.

"That's my baby boy. Chuck, you do know that I would never, ever, ever give up on Casey, don't you?" I asked, walking towards Chuck, when I got close enough, I stroked Liam's soft cheek. He stopped gnawing Chuck's arm and gazed up at me with beautiful blue eyes. "I loves you very much, my little secret agent-"

"Zoe, please, that's not something you have to say…" Chuck replied.

"Chuck, not you." I sighed, taking Liam in my arms and lifting him onto my hip.

"You know, I think you are an amazing mother. You fought against Beckman, you stood up to her, and that is something that I never expected to see. I don't even think they took Liam that far in the first place. Never let anything get in the way of being a mother."

We walked towards the fountain, I saw Sarah laying the table inside their apartment.

"Chuck, I know that you are just looking out for me and everything but, you don't have to. I'm a tough cookie, I can take care of myself now. Trust me. Me and Liam, we got things sorted. And Casey too."

Chuck kissed the top of his godson's head, Liam grabbed either side of Chuck's face.

"Daddah?" Liam asked in a curious tone.

"No Liam, that's not me. That's the big scary man that throws you in the air is Dad, you know that. See you later little guy." Chuck turned away and walked inside, glancing over his shoulder at me one last time.

I sighed and sat down on the fountain, perching Liam on my thighs and standing him upright. He sat there silently. "What are you so quiet about?" Liam's finger slipped into his mouth and it hung on his lip. "Don't do that Liam." I said, pulling on his arm.

"Daddah?" Liam asked in a worried tone. I don't know whether it was some kind of mother's intuition but it felt like his communication from through his tone.

"You little weirdo."

"He's your little weirdo Zoe."

This reply made me jump and freeze up. I held Liam close and he twiddle a bunch of my hair around his finger as I stood up. Turning to see Casey standing there.

"Casey, I-" I began to stutter, I shook my head.

Casey held up a finger towards me. "Wait, before you say anything, I need to be clear with you that I was wrong to jump to conclusion at first. But I stand by what I said I am not ready to give up on the NSA, okay?"

I smiled weakly, "I guess I will accept that. There isn't much else I can say to make you change your mind, is there?" I was plucking at straws, hoping that he might just change his mind. "No, I know there isn't. I know where you stand. And I know where I stand. Liam's not just my little weirdo, he's our little weirdo."

"I'm sorry Zoe," he murmured, quickly striding towards my and cupping either side of my face with his hands. That was one hell of a passionate kiss to say the least.

"What have you done wrong?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Quit doing that, it doesn't suit you-"

I mocked an older sounding voice. "And if the wind changes, you'll be stuck that way… Come on, now let's get this little guy to bed." I followed Casey inside and after the swiftest nappy change I had ever done, Liam was in his pyjama one piece and lying in his cot. The mobile above his bed twinkled and turned. I smiled, seeing a series of those plastic green army men spinning about on the mobile. "It's a nice touch, a change from the last one."

"Well, now that he's asleep, I'm going to bed, so I can get as much sleep as possible, before, before the next mission or shift at the Buy More."

"I can't believe that we work there… I'll be in in a second. I'll probably grab a drink from downstairs."

I leapt down the stairs and opened the fridge door, crouching down to see what we had, grabbing a bottle off the shelf. As I opened to and was about to bring it to my lips, a chain was forced around my neck. I dropped the bottle as I struggled, grabbing at the chain, trying to pull it away from my neck. I was being starved of all the oxygen I had. Waiting for the intersect in me to flash. But it didn't. I kicked out with the strength I had. I was pulled towards the door, I struggled for anything to kick use to make a noise, the bonsai tree. I pulled against the tightness of the chain, choking against it as my leg shot out towards the bonsai tree, just knocking it a tiny bit, moving it towards the edge of the table. I let out a choked scream as I was thrown over someone's shoulder.

"No!" It was a raspy and tiny scream.

Moments later I was thrown into the back of a car, I lunged back out the car but the door was slammed into my face. I grunted at the pain as a further few strands of hair could ripped out from being trapped in the door. When I looked outside, there was a man in a clown mask, the morbid kind, staring right back at me. Tilting their head about, I shuffled back towards the furthest part of the car and jumped at the sight of another masked person.

"Tell us where the meeting point is! Tell us where the weapons exchange is happening!" one barked.

One gunshot and I jumped as the first man hit the car and smeared blood down the window, another shot much later and the other guy hit the car on the other side. I felt my stomach turn as the car door opened.

"Okay, what the hell?" It was Casey. I leapt at him, wrapping my arms and legs around him.

"Casey, did you kill those guys?"

"No, I thought you did. That means someone else shot them… What do you think they want from you?"

I dropped down and cowered beside him. Terrified.

"Casey, I think they know about what my father did. About what Paul did. I think things are getting heated down in the underground weapons exchange as they called it. Casey, I'm now terrified more than ever for you and Liam. What if they come after you? What if they kill you? I can't let them hurt you, I won't."

"Shhh…" Casey held me close. "Go inside, I will sort these guys out."

"Don't you want help?"

"No, I want you to go back inside and protect our son, for all we know, there might be others around here. Watching. Now go on."

Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = This was a longer chapter than I anticipated, guess it makes up for the prolonged absence of an update. So things are starting to heat up in Paul Bailey's weapons exchange, what does that mean for Zoe?