A/N: Apologies for the long delay. I was away from my computer for the weekend, so I didn't get a chance to post this thing until today. I hope to be quicker with the next update, but I can't make any promises. Anyways, I loved the reviews. I hope the flashing back and forth hasn't been too confusing. I'm mainly using the flashforwards as a way to allude to certain things that haven't been covered yet. I'm trying to answer some questions while raising new ones. Big thanks to TheJusta for the beta. Any mistakes are still mine and I do not own Chuck in any way at all. So, enjoy and please review.

Chuck vs. The Grid

Chapter 5

July 19, 2010 Eugene, Oregon

"Lily, wake up, Lily." Roy was gently shaking his wife awake. He knew better than to yell to rouse her.

"Wassamater?" Lily mumbled sleepily, rolling over to face her husband.

"Chuck just called. We have to leave."

Lily's eyes instantly opened and she was completely awake. In a matter of minutes, both her and Roy were packed, which included clothes and other spy equipment. Roy booby trapped his house before he left. Those damn government bastards were coming for him. He was going to inflict a little damage for making him have to leave the life he was currently living.

As soon as they were on the road, Lily started in with the questions.

"What the hell is going on, Roy?" She sounded angry and scared.

"I don't know. Chuck said Flagstaff was a setup. The NSA was waiting for him. He fought his way out but he was sure they would be coming for us. Said either Casey figured out we were helping him or that our friend rolled on us. We're meeting him at the diner where I first picked him up and then we'll formulate a plan there."

Both of them were too preoccupied to notice that they were being tailed by a black sedan.

***

Seedy Las Vegas Hotel

Chuck awoke in a sweat. His nightmares now had three new faces added to them. It seemed like every night he was dreaming about all those he had killed. But this was still too fresh and recent that Chuck was forced to go into the bathroom and throw up. He remembered seeing the blood flying, the smell of it. 'Why weren't those jackasses wearing vests?' He had tried to be non lethal. He shot most in the knees, crippling them for sure, but they were still alive. But when the bullet hit his leg, instinct took over and it was shoot to kill, tight clusters in their chests.

He made his way out of the bathroom carefully. His leg was throbbing and he didn't want to tear his stitches. The clock read 4:00 am. Well, he'd gotten a few hours sleep. With that, he grabbed his gear and left the hotel. He started walking around looking for a parking garage. He needed a new ride.

***

March 3, 2009 Salt Lake City, Utah Just After Midnight

Chuck had followed the Fulcrum agents back to their base of operations, which as of now was a rundown two story house in a shitty neighborhood. His flash of the two men made him nearly want to vomit, and not just because the flashes sometimes made him uneasy. These particular Fulcrum agents were running a human trafficking business. They would take girls off the street and sell them to the highest bidder, usually some foreign scumbag. They would pay lots of money, usually seven figures. It was a stream of revenue for Fulcrum. It made Chuck sick to his stomach to even think about it.

Chuck quietly approached the house from the left. He put an improvised listening device he had made to the nearest window to see if there were any girls in the house. He heard the two men talking in the kitchen.

"So, when do we move the girls?" a tall man asked. Chuck decided to chance a look.

"In an hour. We already have a few buyers lined up." He smirked. Chuck recognized him as the man from his flash. Cletus May, the man in charge of this operation.

Chuck gritted his teeth. It would take too long for Casey and Sarah to get here, plus he didn't trust the local PD to actually handle the situation properly. All Fulcrum had to do was show some sort of government credentials and the police would leave. It was up to Chuck.

Chuck pulled his pair of 9mms out of his bag and attached silencers. He would have to act quickly and quietly. He worked his way around the house and found a window ajar. It was a bedroom. A quick look inside showed him nobody was there. Just as Chuck made his way down from the window into the room, a man entered and Chuck quickly took him down with a few shots to the chest. He still had a look of surprise on his face as Chuck approached his body. Chuck couldn't believe what he had done. It felt normal, natural, to kill that man. What had happened to him? Chuck took a few calming breaths before dragging the man into the closet.

He slowly left the bedroom and made his way along the hallway. He saw two men in the living room watching a game. He still heard the two men in the kitchen. At the base of the stairs, he heard more men upstairs. Chuck instantly got nervous. He should have done more recon before he entered the house. He decided to do this the old fashioned way, divide and conquer. Since they were already divided, all he had to do was conquer, which still posed many problems. His first priority was the men upstairs. Once they were taken out, all his problems would be on the ground floor.

As softly as he could, he climbed the wooden stairs. He stayed close to the railing, hoping being on a more supported part of the wood would keep it from creaking. Once he made it to the second floor, he made his way to the sound of a rowdy bunch of men. The first door on his right was padlocked and he pressed his ear to it. He could hear whispers and crying. The men were at the end of the hallway on the left. He could hear them laughing and joking.

"Oh, come on, you better not call with just a pair."

"Don't worry, I know you got nothing."

They were playing a game of cards. Chuck figured there were three, probably four in there. It would be like shooting fish in a barrel. He was by the edge of the door, which was ajar. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw four men smoking cigars and drinking beers.

"I think I might sample some of the girls before we get rid of them," said one man. He appeared to be drunk.

Chuck had heard enough. He kicked the door open and started firing randomly at the group. The men turned with shocked expressions on their faces. They just sat there as bullets started ripping through their bodies. After emptying both clips, Chuck lowered his weapons and surveyed the damage. Two of the men were slumped over the table, having taken shots to the head. One man was on the ground groaning with pain. Chuck walked to over to him and hit him across the face with the butt of his gun to silence him.

Chuck then felt a searing pain in his left leg. The fourth man had managed to get his pocket knife out and had stabbed Chuck. Chuck tried to muffle his scream of pain, but knew that he had been heard. The man started to twist the blade but stopped when his heart finally gave out.

"Mirth, go see what they are doing upstairs," came a shout from below. Chuck limped over by the doorway, closing the door. He didn't bring any spare magazines. He hadn't thought this through at all. He quickly grabbed a gun from one of his victims. It was a Desert Eagle. Chuck couldn't help but smile a little. It was his favorite gun. He raised it, waiting for his prey to walk through the door. Chuck knew he would give away his position when he fired it, but he didn't have much of a choice.

A balding man entered the room and Chuck fired. It was much louder than Chuck anticipated. Chuck hit the man on the side of the head, causing the contents of the man's head to go all over the door and wall. Chuck looked at it and threw up on the floor. It was so messy, so violent. Chuck exited the room quickly after regaining control of himself.

He heard the screams of the girls as he passed their room. On the stairway, he met another Fulcrum agent. Chuck fired and hit him in the chest, causing the man to fall in a heap on the stairs. He heard more movement heading his way. In his haste to get down the stairs and take cover, he tripped and fell down the stairs, landing with a loud thud. Chuck quickly got up, but had to switch his gun hand. He was sure he had broken his right arm.

In the living room, Chuck took a defensive position behind the couch. He saw one of the men approach the stairs. Chuck fired at him, hitting him in the back but also covering the wall in bullet holes. He was so focused on the stairs that he didn't see May enter the living room from the other side. With a butcher's knife in hand, May made his move. Chuck saw the shadows change out of the corner of his eye. He moved to shield himself, but still felt the blade run along his back. Chuck let out a scream of agony, but managed to knock the knife out of May's hand. He then turned to face his attacker.

Chuck raised the gun, but May knocked it out his hand and landed a punch to Chuck's face. He also delivered a few body blows and kicked Chuck in the side of the leg, dropping him to one knee. Chuck pulled out a tranquilizer dart from a band on his right wrist. He always carried with him, no matter where he was. May was about to raise his leg to knee Chuck in the face with he felt a prick in his stomach. He looked down and saw Chuck had stuck him with a tranq dart. May felt the light start to fade and fell backwards.

Chuck eventually stood up. He was in tremendous pain. He couldn't actually believe he was alive. He had successfully taken out a nine man Fulcrum cell, on his own. Chuck felt a small amount of pride surging through him, but also a large amount of unease. He had killed eight men, who probably had families and friends. Sure, they were doing despicable things, but that's why jails were built. Was Chuck becoming the thing he was trying to run away from? Had his search for Orion claimed him of all that was good in him?

Pushing those thoughts aside, Chuck bound May and prepared him for his upcoming meeting with Casey. 'Have fun Casey,' he thought savagely. He was hoping Casey did a number on him. Salt Lake City was just one of many cities that Fulcrum had human trafficking rings, and Chuck was sure May about the other ones. He decided not to release the girls. Dealing with hysterical women wasn't something that he wanted to deal with.

He retrieved all his gear as he limped his way around the house. He decided to keep the Desert Eagle. Once he had everything, he pulled out a prepaid phone and made the call he had been making every time he flashed on bad guys.

"Chuck, is this you?" Sarah sounded both relieved and anxious at the same time.

"Sarah, 1212 Gordon Way, Salt Lake City, Utah. Owww, son of a bitch!" Chuck put weight on his left leg as he bent down to lower the phone in the bushes.

"Chuck, are you all right? Please, answer me. Chuck! CHUCK!?" But Chuck was already limping away and Sarah's screams went unanswered.

***

It was mid morning when Sarah and Casey showed up at the address. There were police cruisers and ambulances all over the place. They exited the government SUV, flashed their credentials and made their way over to the house.

"This one is different," Casey said aloud. They had gotten tips like this from Bartowski from all over the place. Detroit, Lexington, Dallas. It appeared Chuck was traveling all over the country. But Casey and Sarah were always the ones to take action. This was the first time that the fight was already over.

"Major Casey, you better see this," said the man in charge. He had just walked out of the house.

"What do we got inside?" Sarah asked nervously, afraid of what the answer might be.

"Well, we arrived after we got your call. We could hear the women screaming from outside the house. That's when I decided we go in. This is what we found."

The place looked like a warzone. There was blood, bullet holes and dead bodies everywhere. "Chuck?" Sarah said softly. She couldn't believe he had done this.

"Yeah, I know. We got eight dead and one alive."

"Eight?" Casey asked, his eyes widening in surprise. 'Had Bartowski really taken out eight guys, by himself?'

"Yeah," said the man in charge. He was shaking his head. "The guy who did this was wounded though. We followed a blood trail from upstairs to downstairs and then all over the place. Turns out this was a safe house where these guys would store the girls. Based on a phone call one of the deceased got, it looks like they were planning on selling them."

"Put a call into hospitals within 100 miles from here. If he was injured, he may seek medical attention," Casey informed Sarah.

Sarah walked back outside and made the call. She was still in shock. She couldn't believe what Chuck had done. This wasn't him. He wasn't an operative, taking out scores of enemy agents. So why had he acted?

Meanwhile, Casey was inside the poker room looking at the carnage. It was sloppy, not the work of a pro, yet it was efficient.

"We saved the best for last," the man said to Casey, a hard edge in his voice. Casey was wondering what else Chuck could have done.

They entered a bathroom and saw Cletus May, naked, bound to a chair, mouth covered in duct tape. He was looking at Casey with fear in his eyes. There was a piece of paper taped to his chest. Casey ripped it off, along with some of May's chest hair.

'Casey, have fun.

The Nerd'

Casey let a bitter smile form on his face. He didn't blame Chuck for acting. What these guys were doing was evil, just evil. 'Don't worry Chuck. I will have fun.'

Sarah then walked in the bathroom and saw the naked man. She looked at Casey in confusion and he explained the situation. As she heard it, her scowl became more pronounced. She now understood Chuck and his actions. He wasn't big on violence, but with something like this, she knew he couldn't wait for the proper authorities. He had to save them. It was who he was.

"Whoever did this deserves a damn medal, if you ask me. Some of those girls were only 12 years old." The man in charge tried to keep his voice controlled but the anger in it was unmistakable.

"Don't worry," said Casey. "Now," said Casey, turning to May with a slight smile on his face, "my name is Major Casey. I look forward to speaking with you."

***

Boise City, Idaho

Chuck was in the Super 8 motel parking lot sitting in the Charger. He was trying not to fall asleep. He had been waiting for about three hours. He was exhausted. He applied pressure to his left leg and felt a searing pain. His eyes opened wide and he gritted his teeth. Anytime he felt drowsy he inflicted pain upon himself. 'She had better hurry,' he told himself, 'I don't know if I can torture myself anymore.'

Ten minutes later, a red Corvette pulled into the lot. Chuck perked up. It was the first car to enter since he had arrived. He looked out and saw Lily exit the car carrying a few large bags. She gave the black Charger one look and then went into the hotel. Three minutes later, Chuck's sat phone rang.

"Lily?"

"Come to the back of the motel, I'll let you in."

Chuck gathered his things. He looked at his surroundings. It was still early in the morning so there wasn't a bunch of foot traffic. He limped to the back of the hotel and saw Lily waiting for him. She took his bags from him and they entered her room. Chuck saw the bed and immediately wanted to fall asleep. He was so tired.

"Okay Chuck, get into the bathroom and put your clothes in here." She handed him a plastic bag. "We don't want people to know you were here."

Chuck smiled weakly at her, entered the bathroom and stripped down to his boxers. Since he had no injuries in the groinal area, he decided he would leave those on. Lily came in a minute later with a syringe in hand. She set it on the sink and grabbed his bag of bloody clothes.

"What, ah, what is that for?" Chuck asked her, eyeing the syringe with apprehension. He hated needles.

"It's Demerol. Trust me, you're going to want it. I have to clean your wounds and then stitch them up. It won't be fun."

"Will it knock me out?"

"It probably will, given how exhausted you are."

Chuck took the shower curtain down. "Here, put this on the bed. All my injuries are on my back side. If I'm going to be knocked out, I may as well be on a bed."

Lily smiled at him. She planned on doing it on the floor of the bathroom, since the tile floor would be easy to clean. She took the curtain and placed it on the bed. Chuck meandered out to the bed and gently lay face down.

"The shot, please," Chuck said, his voice muffled by the fact that his face was buried in the pillow. He turned his head as Lily administered the shot and he gently faded into unconsciousness.

For over an hour, Lily worked on Chuck's wounds. The leg wasn't too bad. Didn't appear to cut any arteries and wasn't too deep. She stitched it up quickly after pouring some hydrogen peroxide on it. She also looked at his wrist. It was swollen, but she didn't feel any bones sticking out at odd angles when she examined it. Her diagnosis was a strong sprain and she put a splint on it.

The gash on his back took longer. It was about five inches long, but not as deep as it could have been. Chuck had aggravated it when he was driving, so it was still somewhat bleeding. She first had to wait for the bleeding to stop and then she cleaned it. She was careful when stitching him, not wanting to have the wound start bleeding again.

After an hour's hard work, she was finally done aiding Chuck. She cleaned up and then sat down. Chuck's call had scared her. Roy had told her that Chuck wanted to escape the government and that was why Roy wanted to help. Lily was unnerved about helping Chuck. The farther away they kept from government officials, the better. But Roy's biweekly phone calls to Chuck, Chuck telling them the things he had done on the road, well, she liked it. She felt like she was making a difference again.

She had met Roy on assignment in Beijing. They both seemed pretty sure that they were trying to play each other, but that didn't stop them from falling in love. But when the order came to terminate Roy, she couldn't do it. He was sitting in his hotel room, waiting for her. He knew it was coming, yet he waited for her anyway. When she told him about the order, he told her about how he had gotten his orders to kill her a week earlier. He lied for her, said she took off, and requested to leave the CIA, which they allowed him to do. She let him escape and used his escape as a means to come to America. She found him and they began the rest of their lives.

A smile came to her face when she thought about it. But it faded when she took a look at the unfortunate man sleeping before her. This poor boy was being hunted by the NSA and CIA, but he still called to help them when he identified terrorists and gun runners. He was so unique. But he was too good for this life, the spy life, and she knew she would help him escape it. He said they would never stop hunting him until he found Orion. She was curious as to why he was so damn important, but didn't question him. Part of her didn't want to know.

After dozing for a few hours in the chair, she awoke to the sound of the bed creaking. Chuck was attempting to get up.

"Chuck, be careful. You don't want to tear your stitches," she commanded in a motherly tone.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," he said weakly as he made his way to the bathroom. Upon finishing his business, he stepped out and yawned. Then his stomach rumbled.

"Here, I brought some food," Lily said as she gave him a bag that contained some pop and some Little Debbie snacks. "Get your sugar up for now and then we can get some real food later."

Chuck inhaled the tasty cupcakes and downed the pop quickly. It didn't satisfy him, but it would suffice for now.

"Turn around. Let me see my handiwork." Chuck spun around. He hadn't torn his stitches and she knew it would heal okay. There would be a nice scar though. She turned him back around and noticed for the first time the scars on his front side. She saw the long cut across his chest, the stab wound by the armpit, and even the bullet wound in his leg.

"What happened to you?" Lily asked boldly.

"Bound and tortured," Chuck said through another yawn.

"Wish I could be so nonchalant about things like that," Lily said jokingly and grinned. Chuck grinned back. "Okay, get dressed. We're going back to Eugene. You need to recuperate."

Chuck opened his mouth to protest, but Lily cut him off. "Chuck, I didn't drive all night to sew you up and have you run off again. You need to get better before you can start your search again. Oh, and take these." She handed him a couple of pills. "Antibiotics, so nothing gets infected." Chuck put the pills into his mouth and dry swallowed them.

After finishing cleaning the room, the two gathered the supplies and left the room. Chuck grabbed some of the towels. He knew the car upholstery was covered in his blood and didn't feel like sitting in it. Lily threw the garbage in the trunk and the rest of her stuff in the back seat, as did Chuck. Chuck laid the towels on the seat, covering the mess he had made.

"You gonna hand me one?" Lily asked, looking at him.

"Aren't you taking the Vette back to Eugene?" Chuck responded curiously.

"Well, it ain't mine, so I don't mind leaving it here." Chuck just laughed. He didn't know why, but he found it hilarious. Maybe it was because there was so little that seemed funny nowadays he decided to enjoy humor whenever it presented itself. He handed her a towel and watched her get settled in. Once she was ready, he fired up the Charger and they left for Eugene.

***

Salt Lake City, Utah

Sarah and Casey were sitting in the conference room at the local NSA field office in Utah. They were awaiting Beckman's arrival before they started their briefing. Sarah was brooding over Chuck's actions. He had killed eight people. Many applauded his work, even she was somewhat proud of his actions. But her 'Chuck' had killed eight people. She knew how killing changed people. The more you did it, the easier it got. First was the man in the shipping container. Chuck handled it fairly well, she thought, but then his casual gunning down of Dick Johnson frightened her. He didn't even seem to care. And now this, eight people at once, like it was nothing. They brought this into his life and made it acceptable. She wondered when this was all over whether she would even recognize Chuck. Would his gentle eyes and goofy grin be replaced by a dead look and constant scowl? She shivered at the thought of her 'Chuck' being gone forever. Her thoughts were interrupted by General Beckman appearing on the screen.

"Well, it seems Mr. Bartowski is upping his game. As much as I hate to admit it, he is doing us a huge favor. This is the third Fulcrum cell that has been taken out because of him. Fulcrum now believes that the Intersect is mobile, shifting their focus from Burbank. Now it will be even harder for them to identify him. However, his success has started some unsettling rumors. It sounds as if Fulcrum is redoubling their efforts to create their own Intersect. Luckily for us, the only one who seems capable of engineering that is Orion. They have started their own search for him. It is now even more imperative we find Orion before anyone else. Now, has the hospital notice turned up anything?"

"No ma'am and May said he got Chuck across the back. Chuck will need care, we just don't know where he would get it," Casey responded.

"What about his sister, Dr. Bartowski?" asked Beckman.

"Highly unlikely," interjected Sarah. "Chuck will know we are watching her. He won't contact her."

"Increase surveillance anyway. I want him found…alive." Beckman ended the call.

"Where do you think he is?" asked Casey. He had seen her thinking earlier and he wondered if she had any ideas. After all, she was in love with him. He never fully understood why they never acted on those feelings. Casey had more than enough to get her reassigned, but she was a damn fine partner. As long as the team didn't fail because of their feelings, he wouldn't have cared, as long as they had enough sense to be secretive about it. He didn't need to see any more than he already did.

"Knowing Chuck," Sarah said, more to herself than as answer for Casey, "he's made friends. They're looking out for him. It's his nature. You can't help but like him." Casey smirked. "He will use that to his advantage. Not to mention the story about how the evil 'blonde'," she paused, a sad look forming on her face, "is ruining his life and he loves her despite it, people will want to help him."

"So, he's getting help. Fantastic," Casey grunted sarcastically. Sarah turned away, hoping she found him before this thing stole every bit of him that she loved.

***

Eugene, Oregon

"Chuck, wake up, we're home." Lily gently shook Chuck awake. After about two hours of driving, Chuck started to feel drowsy. He and Lily switched positions and he eventually dozed off.

Chuck wiped his eyes, yawned, and opened his door. He grabbed his gear while Lily grabbed hers and they made their way to the house. Lily explained they had a spare bedroom and that Chuck could stay there until he was ready to leave. Chuck wanted to leave at that exact moment, but knew it would never happen.

After dropping off his things, he made his way to the bathroom for a shower. He had to clean away the last day or so from himself. He still felt those Fulcrum agents' death on him. As the water poured over him, his thoughts turned to something Lily had said. 'He could start his search again when he was better.' He laughed bitterly. He hadn't started any search. Chuck was aimlessly driving around the country, stopping in random places, flashing on various people and calling the proper authorities. He was still stuck in his old life. Nothing had changed. Well, instead of protecting him, Sarah and Casey were now hunting him. That was about all that had changed. He still hated his situation and would give almost anything to find Orion to end this nightmare.

As usual when he was thinking about his life, he allowed his thoughts to turn to Sarah. Her screams as he dropped the phone were hard to ignore. He wasn't sure what would happen if they ever found him. Would he fight his way out, or just come willingly? He shook his head to try to shake away those thoughts. His thoughts then turned to Ellie, Morgan, and Awesome. He tried to hold back the tears but he couldn't help it. They started falling freely. He knew they were better off with him gone but that didn't make being gone any easier. He thought back to that e-mail. Not only had that ruined his life, it had ruined the lives of everyone around him. Ellie lost a brother while Awesome and Morgan lost friends. His anger towards Bryce reached eruption level, as it usually did whenever he started his thought process in the shower. It was always the same. Sarah, Ellie, then Bryce. The confusion, the self pity and heartache, then finally the anger.

Stepping into the dining room after allowing his anger to dissipate, he saw Roy and Lily enjoying some fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. Roy pushed a seat open, and Chuck sat down. For five minutes, they sat in silence as they ate, each glancing at one another every now and then.

Chuck finally couldn't stand it anymore. "Look, I'll leave tomorrow morning. You guys have done too much for me. You're only going to end up in jail or worse for this. I need to leave before any more people get caught up in my path of destruction."

Lily grinned at Roy, who was opening his wallet and pulling out some money.

"What are you doing?" Chuck asked curiously.

"She bet me you'd say you were leaving before dinner was over. I thought maybe you would hold out for at least a half hour. I guess I was wrong." He had a smirk on his face.

"Look, I'm serious. I need to go." Lily and Roy started laughing. They couldn't help it.

"Chuck, why are you so reluctant to let people help you?" Lily was gazing at him.

"Well, I…" Chuck didn't know what to say. 'Just tell them, moron, tell them everything.' He took a deep breath. "I always used to trust people. It was a big thing with me. I generally believed people were good at heart. But now that I've been doing this crap for the government, well, my faith in people has dropped somewhat. Like, just last night. I was trying to stop a rogue cell that was selling teenage girls to foreign douche bags. It was bad. And this was just one particular branch. They are doing this all over the place. I've been on my own for the last three months and I've had to call my handlers to let them know about possible terrorists, weapons smugglers, mob bosses. It's just my world is filled with evil nowadays. The less I can do to let decent people get caught up in this as collateral damage, the better." Chuck put his head down. The casual tone in which he told his story made everything sound worse to him. 'This is normal now. Dinner conversation constitutes swapping tales of terrorist activities.' He just shook his head.

Roy and Lily were looking at him, studying him. They could see how broken he really was, how depressed all this had made him.

Roy started first. "Look, Chuck I know it's hard. We've done this before too." Chuck looked at Lily in surprise. She just smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I know. Hard to believe she was caught up in a web of espionage. But that's how we met. We were on assignment. They started asking too much of both of us, so we got out. But there is love out there Chuck, and you'd be surprised where you can find it." He smiled fondly at his wife.

"Chuck," Lily further added, "we want to help. But we need to know more to help you. I know it's hard to trust. Believe me. When you walked through that door, the first thing I thought about was how I was going to kill you. But Roy told me your situation. Explained how you had no choice and what they were asking of you. This spy work is unforgiving and it will use you up until you're dead. Let us help. Let us show you there are still decent people in this world."

Chuck sighed. They had chiseled away the little barrier he had been attempting to put around himself. He understood why Sarah had done it, but was inwardly happy he hadn't allowed it to become too big. He wasn't isolating himself to protect those he cared for, he was imprisoning himself in this shitty world.

"Well, I guess I may as well start from the beginning. Better put some coffee on, it's going to be awhile." Roy and Lily smiled at him and he started to talk at length about everything. Stanford, Bryce, Sarah, all of it. For more than an hour, they listened with rapt attention as Chuck recounted his tales. They went through a myriad of emotions as Chuck spoke. Sorrow, pity, anger, happiness, Chuck's tale had it all.

"And that brings me to now. If I can find Orion, I can get the Intersect out of my head. With the Intersect out I can live the life I want, or at least a normal life." The life he wanted included Sarah and their kids. He knew that would probably never happen.

"Chuck, well that, umm, that was quite a story." Lily was appalled. She couldn't believe all that he had been through. And Sarah, well, Sarah was interesting. It was clear she had some feelings for Chuck, real feelings. But she was also all about the job. She could understand Chuck's frustration. He still loved her, that much was evident. The look in his eyes when he talked about her, the smile on his face, made it obvious.

"Look, I know you probably don't want to hear this," Roy started, "but I think we need to train you a little. I mean, you aren't much of spy. As cheesy as it sounds, in order to free yourself from espionage, you first have to become a spy."

Chuck let out a small laugh. "Well, I can't say some tips wouldn't hurt. I think my vast amount of injuries clearly state I need improvement. So, what will we do?"

"Well, I still work, but Lily here can handle most of it. But it won't be fun. Chuck, are you sure you're ready for this? I mean, you could just stay off the grid. It's possible you know."

Chuck shook his head. "No, I don't want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I want to do this."

Roy and Lily looked at each other. "Rest up for a few days, and then it can start. You're going to hate us Chuck, I know you will. I hated some of my instructors at the academy. But focus on your ultimate goal. Make that your motivating factor. It will guide you through the darkest parts of this."

***

April 15, 2009 Eugene, Oregon

Chuck was packing his bags. He felt like a new man. He glanced up from packing and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He couldn't believe how much he had changed. His beard was now a constant. He actually had grown to like it, although having to trim it every few days was a bit of a hassle. His cheeks had hollowed a bit. He also was keeping his hair short. Not completely buzzed, there still enough to run his fingers through. He also looked at his physique. Six weeks hard training had giving some definition to his arms and chest, and while not a true six pack, Chuck's abs weren't terrible.

Roy had been right about one thing, Chuck had grown to greatly dislike him and Lily during training. He could never hate them, but there were moments where he felt like doing things he knew he'd regret. When it got real bad, he just focused on Orion and getting the Intersect out. Roy and Lily had been unrelenting because his enemies would be the same.

That obstacle course they had constructed for him made Chuck puke every time he did it. God he hated it. But he couldn't deny how it had pushed him physically and mentally. They were always adding little things to spice it up, to keep Chuck on his toes. His hand to hand combat was good. He wasn't a great fighter and probably would never be. He would rely more on proper planning and execution than skill to accomplish his mission. His weapon training was also very good. He was competent with the handguns, but they taught him to use a sniper rifle, shotguns, and various other automatic weapons. Chuck wanted to be prepared if he had to use a weapon that wasn't his. He also was taught how to seduce by Roy. By the end, they had a competition to see who would wind up with the most numbers after a night at the local bar. Chuck was a little timid at first, but when he found his confidence, he was a real ladies' man. His eyes, along with his smile, seemed to melt most women. Add that to his new found charisma and Roy stood no chance.

Their war games scenarios were as much fun as Chuck had during those six weeks. Lily went off into the woods and Chuck had to find her and 'kill' her. It was part of his stealth and tracking instruction. They were carrying paintball guns. Lily was unmerciful at first, pelting Chuck as often as she wanted without him even knowing where she was. But towards the end, Chuck developed what he dubbed his 'spy-der sense'. After constantly being pelted, his senses had finally heightened. Learning to finally trust his instincts, he was able to know when things didn't feel right. It led to his eventual defeating of Lily, which she didn't take to kindly.

He studied his reflection for another moment. He finally felt like a spy. It scared him a little, thinking about what he was going to be using his skills for, but he knew it had to be done. He grabbed his gear and left the bedroom he had called home for the past six weeks.

"Well," said Chuck standing in the living room, "it's time to get back to it."

Lily was smiling proudly at Chuck. She remembered how terrible and weak he was to begin, but he had surprised her by how far he had come. He had a fierce determination to succeed that was only matched by her determination to push him as far as possible. As much as she hated to admit it she was coming to see him as something of a surrogate son. It felt so good to teach him, worry about him and care about him.

"I believe you're ready Chuck. I hope you find Orion and get that thing out of your head." She was trying not to tear up. She wanted him to succeed so bad it hurt. "Oh, Roy says to stay in touch and that you are free to stop by anytime. Just make sure you call first."

"Don't worry," Chuck said, giving her a dazzling smile. She couldn't help but smile back at him, feeling a little giddy.

"Ha, I still got it," he quipped. Lily gave him a playful swat on the arm. "Thank you so much. I'll never forget this, ever." He stooped and gave her a big hug. After the embrace, he grabbed his gear, threw it in the Charger, and drove off.

***

April 25, 2009 Undisclosed Location

He didn't normally get on the computer. He used it very infrequently. He didn't want them to find him, but he was curious as to what they were doing. Today's information gathering was a little unnerving. He learned he was being hunted by just about everyone. Fulcrum, CIA, NSA, and some rogue agent. The rogue agent piqued his curiosity. He tried to hack into his file, but there was nothing on him, just a serial number in the CIA database. This fueled his curiosity even more. 'They hadn't been successful, had they?' he asked himself. If this man was looking with such ferocity, then he really wanted that damn thing out. He couldn't blame him for that. He wanted to help but with this much heat on him, he had to play it cool.

He hacked into the DNI mainframe and falsified some data stating he could be found in Oklahoma City. Fingerprint on some stolen tools, eyewitness identifying someone who met his description. He'd let the CIA and NSA fight Fulcrum. 'Let them kill each other,' he thought bitterly. They had already ruined his life. He also decided he needed find out more about this rogue agent.

***

April 27, 2009 Somewhere Near Kansas City

"Chuck, my source came through. Said there is a good chance that Orion is hiding out in Oklahoma City. His fingerprint popped up on some stolen goods. You better get your ass down there."

"Shit," responded Chuck, looking at his watch. "I'm about five hours out. Casey and Sarah will beat me there." He sighed.

"Look Chuck, I know you care about them, but sometimes it has to be done."

Chuck contemplated for a moment. "I'll ambush them when they are moving him. I know what I have to do."

***

Ft. Meade, Maryland

"Agents Walker and Casey, you have your assignment. Go to Oklahoma City and secure Orion. Fulcrum probably will be on their way as well. And make sure you keep an eye out for Bartowski. We know how much he wants Orion. There's no telling what he might do."

"Yes General," they responded in unison. Both left her office and started walking down the hall. Once in the elevator, they finally spoke to each other.

"Walker, what are you going to do if your boy toy shows up?" Casey asked.

"I honestly don't know," she responded without looking at Casey. "You?"

Casey sighed. "I have no idea."