Chapter 11! Yay! :-) I hope you enjoy this! Thanks to Wep for Beta editing and Yokaputo for giving me an early review and totally just being awesome :-)

The song this chapter is Almost Happy by K's Choice, thanks to Wep for suggesting it to me.

If I could look beyond your face
And photograph your hidden place
Would I find you smiling in the picture
I don't know what you want
Because you don't know,
So what's the point of asking...

…

Carina stepped in, pushing past Sarah and Bryce, her smirk faded from her features. She stepped up to the living room window and quickly pulling the curtains closed. "Get your heads out of your asses." She glared at them. "Nice going, Sarkin." Sarah and Bryce exchanged a confused look.

"Did she just..." Chuck trailed off and Sarah glanced at him. Carina swept past them all, casting two looks at Emily who was quietly brooding behind Chuck.

"So did you two leave the entire house so open? Seriously, you two are acting like fresh recruits from the Farm. Are you sure you want to actually keep your assets safe?"

Sarah then realized her mistake. Carina had probably seen straight into the living room driving up their dirt road. What the hell had she been thinking? "Dammit," Sarah cursed and followed the other female agent into the hall. "How bad was it?" She questioned.

"Bad. I could see almost everyone in the living room. Granted the sun was on your side but at night? Thought you had more brains than that, Walker." She stopped and turned around to face the blonde. She looked past her to Chuck and Emily allowing a faint smile to pass over her features. "Wow. Looks just like you. Is that creepy or something? I feel like I'm looking at you twenty years ago." Sarah turned her head to glance at Emily and nodded.

"Yeah, she does." She's prettier than I ever was though. She turned back around to face Carina. "I need you to promise me you'll protect them. No crazy ideas, no flirting, no - listen, just be on your best behavior."

Carina gave her an amused look. "You got it. You leave them for ten years, never contact them once, show back up with a CHAOS agent...I'm sure you don't have any problems huh? Don't worry; with the way Chuck looks now," Carina paused and looked Chuck up and down before continuing. "he's lost all his cutishness." Sarah looked back at the nerd, who was talking quietly with Emily. She did notice the sadness in his eyes, but she thought he was still as handsome as the day they met.

"Just promise me you'll keep them safe. I'm going to do whatever I can to keep them safe but...just in case, Carina. If I'm not around you and Bryce will be all they have."

"You got it, Sarah. The DEA isn't usually ever involved with the protection of CIA assets but, I owed you a favor from Rome."

"You owe me a lot of favors." Sarah replied and went back into the living room.

"Sarkin? Seriously?" Chuck started. "What does she call us? Charah?"

Sarah couldn't help but snort. How stupid would that be? Bryce chuckled. "You forgot about that, Sarah? She used to always call us that when we were together." He must have noticed the slight change in Sarah's features and immediately corrected himself. "As partners. Anyways, we were Sarkin."

Imagine people fighting whether Charah or Sarkin were better...now how stupid would that be? Sarah nodded; the memory of Carina calling them that had almost faded.

Carina reentered and faced the foursome. "Well, now that this house is properly secured we should scan the surrounding area. You never know where CHAOS is." Sarah looked at Bryce, her eyes brows knitting. "You didn't even begin to think of it?" Carina asked. "I'll do it." With that she strode out, slamming the door behind her.

"So," Emily started, her eyes flashing. "Yet another agent you have a history with. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"Emily, don't." Chuck started.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Emily replied. "I've been quiet long enough and I'm sick of this! How can you expect me to be okay? My whole damn life was turned upside down in five minutes! My mom who's been gone for most of my life just shows up along with some psycho who was going to kill both of us and on top of it all, I find out my dad – the man I trust the most – has been lying to me for my whole life!" Emily exploded, leaving Sarah dumbfounded. She should have known this was coming; a girl can only take so much. Sarah glanced at Chuck, who didn't seem surprised but remained quiet.

Emily lowered her voice slightly. "Now I find out my mom is a killer, some CIA agent who kills people like I eat food." Sarah stiffened, the words hurt her. That was how Emily saw her? Just a killer?

"How many people did you kill, Dad?" Emily asked, her eyes turning accusatory. Sarah looked at Chuck, who seemed genuinely disturbed by the question. But Sarah could count on one finger how many people had died by his hand.

"Five," Chuck stated. Emily seemed surprised at the number and Sarah decided she must be relieved in the small number. "My first "confirmed kill" was someone I didn't even touch. The next "confirmed kill" was at a base of operations for an enemy agency. He tripped and fell out a window. I tried to save him but his sleeve tore and he fell. My actual first kill was a man named Yuri Sokolov, a Russian agent who had your mother cornered and was about to take her life. My fourth kill was another accident; I tried to help him out of the street before a car came. My fifth kill was two days before I proposed to your mother, when someone else was about to hurt her." He paused and exhaled deeply. Sarah could remember vividly the failure she had felt when Chuck had purposely taken those two men's lives. She hadn't loved him any less, but she had hoped to keep him from that loss of innocence.

Emily's anger didn't seem to have abated at all. "Why did you lie? You should have known I would have kept that to myself! Who was I going to tell? You always instilled in me how important honesty was! How could you lie to me?"

"Emily, I was ordered to stay quiet. One thing I have learned during my time is that you don't cross the government without bad consequences." Chuck replied defensively. Sarah looked between the two who were locked at the eyes This wasn't what she wanted; Emily was supposed to lean on Chuck for comfort, not argue with him.

"You don't lie and desert your family without bad consequences!" Emily cried, her eyes dancing between Chuck and Sarah. "I'm beginning to wonder if I ever knew anything real about either one of you!"

Sarah stood in silence. She didn't know what to tell the angry brunette before her. She would be pissed too if she were in Emily's position. Emily was entering the anger stage now and Sarah didn't think she was going to be able to help her at all. Emily locked eyes with Sarah.

"You know what? I'm done pretending like I don't hate you. Look what you did? You screwed us over leaving and you screwed us over coming back! I don't want to forgive you and I don't want to pretend I am okay! I was fine with you gone! And then I see you two kissing like nothing was wrong! Dad, why aren't you thinking?"

"Stop it!" Chuck ordered. "CHAOS would have found us either way! Do you think you'd still be standing here if she wouldn't have shown up?" Emily was quiet, keeping a solid gaze on Chuck. "Be thankful she was there to save us because both of us would be dead otherwise." He glanced at Sarah who was looking up at him. "And you don't understand what happened in there." His eyes found Emily's again. "Nor do I have to explain myself to you."

Emily hated her? Sarah knew that it made sense for her daughter to hate her but, it still hurt like hell to hear her say it. Was there any hope for her and Emily? She was suddenly fighting back aof tears. Emily hated her; and with good reason. Sarah was really beginning to think she made the wrong decision when she decided to leave. She'd been so sure, but seeing the repercussions of her decision first hand caused her to doubt herself.

Sarah looked around to see Bryce missing. She secretly thanked him there was no way she wanted him (or Carina) to see this. This was their private issue and she hated the fact that Bryce had seen so much of it.

"If she hadn't have left in the first place would CHAOS be after us?" Emily blurted. Chuck closed his mouth, silently agreeing with the sixteen year old. Emily turned to Sarah.

"No," Sarah stated and both of them looked at her. "No, CHAOS most likely wouldn't be. Chuck would probably be home by now if the CIA had taken him. None of this would be in play." She was speaking mostly to herself. She finally realized that what Chuck said was the truth; she should have talked to him. They both should have worked something out. Now, because of her impulsiveness she was still dealing with the repercussions of her decision right now; if she had only trusted in Chuck, they'd most likely all be together as a happy family.

"Emily," Sarah started, stepping closer to the girl. "Don't blame your father for any of this. The lies, the secrets, and the skeletons in the closet…they all came from me." She accented this by pointing a finger at herself. "So you wanna be mad at someone? Don't take it out on him. I realize what I did wasn't a good decision. It turned the people I love against me and rightly so. I'm still going to right what I can. I'm going to get you two safe."

Chuck and Emily simply stared at her, both of them listening intently to what she was saying. Sarah knew she'd always been good at getting people's attention and getting them to listen to her. Sarah dropped her voice as she realized she was talking far louder than necessary.

"I'm sorry for what I did. It wasn't the right choice. I'm going to make right what I can and take what I get from you two. I don't know how much pain I've caused you and I admit, I was a bit focused on how I felt instead of you. You need someone to be mad at, Emily? Be mad at me." She paused a moment. "What I really need though, is for you to cooperate. I need you to listen to me, not because I want some authority over you but because your life may depend on it. Do you understand?" She kept her tone gentle, she didn't want to cause her and Emily to go a few rounds. Emily just needed to agree to do whatever Sarah ordered her to. "Trust me, Emily." She had a sense of déjà vu asking Emily to trust her. "I had to ask your dad that same thing."

Emily finally nodded.

"Thank you," Sarah said.

You're almost happy
Almost content
But your head hurts
Far too many ways to go
We learn so much but never know

Where to look
Or when we should stop looking

I can love the whole of you.
The poetry I stole from you
And hide inside my stomach

…

Bryce stood quietly in the basement with Carina who had just finished her perimeter sweep. He had to admit, being around Sarah and Chuck was getting more and more awkward by the minute. First it had been the quiet avoidance and now it was turning into loud conflict. They had so many problems it made him glad he had no family. This was what the life of a spy did; it tore all of your roots away and caused you to hurt those closest to you. He did it with Sarah, Sarah did it with him. Now Sarah had done it to Chuck and Emily.

Now, Emily was an interesting case. She was so much like Sarah, yet so much like Chuck and Ellie. It was like someone took all three of them and threw them into one person. She looked so much like Sarah that Bryce would catch himself staring at her, simply because he was amazed at the resemblance.

Carina stepped up behind him. "That's why I never wanted a family." She motioned with her head towards the stairs.

"You can't blame her for wanting a normal life. She had a good one going until the CIA decided they wanted Chuck. Whatever she's going through, it's only because Chuck and Emily don't understand." Bryce would openly admit he sided with Sarah here. Sarah was a spy. She communicated how much she cared for them by showing how far she'd go to keep them safe. Because they hadn't lived in the same environment as Sarah, they were in a different mindset about how love was shown. "Sarah shows that it is possible to have a family after living this life. It was only the fact that the CIA broke their promise that she is here right now."

"Sarah is an exception. Not a rule." Carina replied.

"I like to think she isn't," Bryce looked the brunette in the eyes. "Just because you never had a desire to be normal doesn't mean that other agents don't."

"So, what was your dream, Bryce?" Carina started, a small smile crossing her face. "How often did you fantasize about you and Sarah getting to live a normal life?"

"That was years ago. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never get to have that happiness. But I still hope Sarah does. No one else deserves it more."

"She's going to live with this over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Do you really think she'll ever be able to go back to the relationship she used to have with Chuck? I think not. No matter what she does, she'll always have the shadow of her past to deal with." Carina's eyes drifted off into space and Bryce decided to leave her to her musings. He walked up the stairs to find Emily sitting off in the living room alone and Chuck and Sarah exchanging quiet words by themselves in the far corner of the kitchen. Bryce had a strange compulsion to go to the young girl and found himself crossing the distance between them. Emily looked at him with her sapphire eyes, watching him come closer to her.

You're almost happy
Almost content
But your head hurts

…

"Hello," Bryce began awkwardly. He had no idea what had possessed him to come over to the girl, but he had almost a fatherly instinct when it came to her. Maybe protective was a better word. Emily was looking at him strangely; a cross between confusion and…something else. Bryce couldn't put his finger on it.

"Hi," Emily replied, maintaining eye contact with the older man. Bryce sat down across from her and ran his hands up and down his legs, looking around. Why did I even come over here?

"Do you need something?" Emily asked. She asked in a way that seemed like she was genuinely curious.

"You were pretty upset earlier. I just wanted to make sure you realize you are perfectly safe. That between your mom and me, you and your father couldn't be safer." He wasn't sure why he was saying this, but he just felt like he should. Emily's expression was soaking in confusion.

"Thanks," she replied. She hesitated a moment before asking, "So how long were you my mom's partner?"

"About two years. But after she thought I died, she was assigned to protecting your father. He was an important government asset." Bryce responded. Emily opened her mouth to speak. "Before you even ask," Bryce cut in, a smile on his lips. "I can't tell you why."

Emily closed her mouth. She waited a moment before continuing. "Why did she think you died?"

"I got shot by an NSA agent. They thought I had gone rogue – and with good reason – but I really hadn't. The agent shot me and left me for dead in a parking lot. Some bad people found me and froze me, keeping me alive. But, your mother and father found me after I "thawed"," Bryce felt a sense of satisfaction when he saw Emily chuckle quietly. "And I stayed a couple days with them before leaving again."

"Why didn't my mother rejoin you as your partner?" Emily asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Because she wanted to stay with Chuck." He smiled. "By then they'd been around each other long enough for feelings to develop between them. I had to come back again, a year later. I found them falling in love and despite my warning for them to distance themselves," He smiled when Emily's eyes widened. "Yeah, actually, it was against protocol for your parents to have any kind of personal relations. It didn't stop them apparently. Anyways, even though I cautioned them to not let their feelings have a hold, I don't think they listened to me." He paused, taking a breath.

"So, it was actually against the rules for them to have a relationship?" Emily asked.

Bryce nodded. "Yeah. The third time I saw them, just a few months after I tried to get them to distance themselves from each other was because you're father found a way to make himself…less valuable and the government didn't need him anymore. Your mother was assigned to be my partner again, to battle an agency much like CHAOS now. But, the day of your aunt and uncle's wedding, Sarah told me she wasn't going to leave. She stayed because she knew she was done with the life of an agent, it wasn't what she wanted anymore. She just wanted to be with your dad."

"But then she left six years later," Emily's eyes traveled to her shoes, which had suddenly become very interesting.

"But not because she wanted to," Bryce said, offering her a comforting smile. "You see, your mother has a…different past. It has given her a special set of issues. She can't express herself well with words and so she has to show people how she feels, with her body language and her eyes."

"Did she rejoin you? After she left?" Emily asked, looking back up at the very attractive agent.

"Only at first. We'd see each other at random times during the last ten years. We'd usually be assigned a mission together for certain things. Usually we were apart though."

"Oh," Emily replied. Bryce wanted to tell her about the short but so meaningful talks he and Sarah used to have about Chuck and Emily. He always envied the spark in her eye when she'd talk about them, wishing Sarah had felt that way about him. But he had still loved to hear her mention them, just because of the beauty of it. It has always made Bryce wish he had that with someone.

"You know you're safe, right?" Bryce asked. Once again he could explain why he wanted to protect the girl in front of him so much.

Emily nodded. "I do. It's just that I feel like I've never heard a true thing about my parents."

"There's one thing you can be certain is true. Is that I've never seen the kind of bond or love that your parents have and share with you. They both love you, and don't doubt it." Bryce smiled and stood.

"I know. But love doesn't stop people from making mistakes." Emily whispered.

"No, it doesn't. Love's crazy. It can make us do some stupid things. But protecting you and your father was not one of Sarah's. Maybe the way she went about it wasn't the best, but she really did have your best interest at heart." Bryce turned and walked away, deciding to give girl her privacy.

It's easy to get lost in you
And fall asleep inside of you
I want to return to you
A reason to be here
A reason to be here

…

Emily watched the older man walk away, a small smile on her lips. When he first approached her, she'd feared what he was going to say. But he had given her more explanation than her own parents and she had no reason to doubt his honesty. He had a trustworthy smile and she really liked his eyes. Emily watched him disappear into the basement and broke into a childish grin. She really liked this Bryce Larkin; and she appreciated his honesty and openness. Maybe not all agents were as screwed up as her mother.

She'd never really looked at Bryce or really paid him any attention. But now it was hard to stop replaying their conversation over and over in her head. She tried to wipe the silly grin off her face and failed miserably. I'm such a dork! She thought before covering her face with her hands.

This was going to be interesting.

No I don't know what you want
And you don't know
So what's the point of asking
You're almost happy
Almost content
But your head hurts

…

Thanks for reading! If you didn't get a couple things in this chapter (in reference to Sarkin/Charah) its cause they were an inside joke and I couldn't help myself. ;-) Please remember to review! Also, remember this writer is a douche, who can't get her A/Ns right the first time.