A/N: There is some language and suggestive dialogue in this chapter.

Chapter 6: Bryce

2:00am

Chuck rolled onto his side as he threw off the blankets. Sarah gripped his shoulder to pull him back. Slipping his fingers between hers, he lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. A soft, electric kiss touched each one of her sensitive fingertips before he laid her hand on the bed. Rising to his feet, he began the task of getting dressed. Chuck was surprised at how unembarrassed he was to be naked in front of her. Things were definitely changing between them. Rummaging through their pile of clothes, he comes up first with her panties. Flashing Sarah a crooked smile, "Do you think this would be a good look when I get strip searched for bugs?", as he lets her underwear dangle from a finger.

Snorting as she chokes on a laugh, "It might get you a new and special friend. But you'd better not, I don't feel like sharing." Grinning as she recalls something Casey said earlier, Sarah can't resist teasing some more. "Besides, they wouldn't fit you well at all. They're pretty skimpy and you're bigger than I expected.", using the Bartowski eyebrow dance on him.

Chuck coughs in shock and gives her an, 'I can't believe you just said that.' stare. The dark room hides his rising blush.

Unabashedly, Sarah meets his gaze. "I'm just saying. I know it would be a tight fit." 'Whoa!' She surprises herself when that last comment sends a pulse of heat rolling through her. The past hour was still a very fresh memory. Muscles twitch and ripple low in her body while she fights for a steady breath. "Um...you'd better finish getting dressed." She flinches as her voice cracks. Sarah can't remember ever being affected like this before. At one time, that thought would have scared her. Now, here with Chuck, she feels a deep comfort in what she's found. As Chuck resumes his search for clothes, Sarah curls under the covers and makes no attempt to hide her intense study of every inch of his body. Ignoring a tiny voice in the back of her head that keeps repeating, 'You might never see him again.'

Quickly sorting through the pile, Chuck separates out his clothes and drops them on the end of the bed. Standing, he slips on boxers and then steps into his jeans. Through it all, he knows she's watching. Finished pulling on his shirt, he plops onto the bed and grabs up his socks. Sitting up after tying his shoes, Chuck felt the mattress shift beneath him. Letting the covers fall away, Sarah walks across the bed on her knees. Hands wrap around to clasp over his stomach as Sarah rests her chin on his shoulder. She sighs softly by his ear. "It's not enough."

"If that wasn't enough, then I am in some serious trouble." Laughing lightly, he covers her hands with his own before turning to kiss her cheek. Trying so very hard to ignore her warm and soft body pressed to his back.

Tilting her head away to deny him, "Don't make jokes, Chuck. Not about this. We just took the step that we can't turn back from. Working together will never be the same for either of us. I wish.....damn it...." Sarah fights to keep her voice steady. "An hour isn't enough to make sure you know the full impact you've had on me." It wasn't what she wanted to say. Like any other time she's tried to express her real feelings, it came out awkward and incomplete. To her mind, it sounded too clinical. Like she was talking about the effect from a change in her work schedule. Lucky for her, Sarah was confident he could read between the lines.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. You're right." With an earnest tone, Chuck says, "With everything that's happened and still can happen, I wouldn't trade our hour for anything. This wasn't exactly the way I dreamed it. In some respects, I feel that made it better. Promise me that no matter what, there were no regrets."

"Oh Chuck. My only regret is waiting this long." Now, she allows their kiss, turning to meet his lips with her own. Once started, she doesn't want it to end. He can't leave her if it never ends. Warm and wet, tears stain her cheeks. Are they his or hers? Right now, she can't tell for certain. Too soon, the kiss is ended. On the edge of desperate, she reaches for another. Chuck shifts and, using the kiss, pushes her down to the bed. Breath catching as sparks erupt from his caressing fingertips to dance over her bare skin, she arches in an effort to extend that slender thread of contact. Moments later in frustration, Sarah falls limp as she realizes his true goal. He draws the blanket over to cover her.

Holding still, hovering inches above, his eyes pull her in. Gently, Chuck gathers up rogue locks of hair and arranges them on the pillow. He smiles in satisfaction and fixes this picture of loveliness firmly in his mind. "I have to go now. You're going to be just fine, Sarah Walker. I'll see you soon." He kisses her ever so tenderly before standing tall. In the light that spills from the courtyard, she can't imagine anyone looking more handsome.

'I don't want to be fine. Fine will never be good enough after today.' Heart lurching, she can't believe he's for real or, were the situation different, that he could've already been hers. This man is living through a nightmare that would break most people. Yet, here he is in their last minutes doing his best to reassure her. All she wants to do is leap up and hold him here forever. As he moves to leave, Sarah reaches. "Chuck,......." She has so much to say. ".....save you later." Her hand falls. One day she hopes to be strong enough.

Sarah bears silent witness as he climbs out the window. Almost no trace of a limp thanks to the CIA prescribed painkillers. An odd thought, yes. But right now, she needs something, anything, to concentrate on that will smother the feeling of dieing inside. His back straight, he draws a deep breath. "I love you Sarah Walker.", and then he's gone from view. Chuck moves quickly, fearing her response might break his resolve.

Tears spilling anew, Sarah stares into the empty courtyard. After his footsteps have faded into the night, she whispers, "I love you, Chuck Bartowski." Her hand strokes his spot on the bed until the sheets have grown cool with his absence. Crawling across the bed, Sarah digs through her pants for her phone. Pulling it out, she pops the back off and removes it's battery. A scrap of paper drops to her palm, writing on one side of it. Quickly reassembling her cellphone, she dials the neatly printed number. A beep sounds in her ear, "I need you here, now." Crushing the slip of paper between her fingers, she drops it in the trash. No need to be more careful, the secret it held is no longer of use. Sarah rolls over to bury her face in his pillow. She tries to recapture the warmth that was hers mere minutes ago.

From another window, Casey and Ilsa follow Chuck's departure. He offers a small salute before being swallowed in the shadows beyond the courtyard. Even though he can't see it, Casey salutes in response. Ilsa puts to words what Casey is thinking. "I hope this works or we might lose two good people."

Replying sadly, "This is why agents shouldn't fall in love."

She looks up at him. "John, it might be against the rules, but that doesn't make it wrong. Can you deny what you see when you look at the two of them?"

"I know exactly what I see." He trails a finger along her cheek. "I see the reason I do my job. To keep the world a safe place where two people can find what Chuck and Sarah have. It hasn't kept us from doing our missions and I've let them be. How long they'd get was anyone's guess."

Ilsa leans her head on his chest and holds tight. "What do you think John? Is such a thing possible for people like us or is it too late?"

In a gruff voice, Casey says, "Oh no, you're not getting an answer to that. Somehow Bartowski would find out. I can hear him pestering me to no end about wanting to swap stories about our lady feelings." His words bely the sparkle in his eyes before kissing the top of Ilsa's head.

"We've got some time before they get Chuck to wherever they plan to hold him. Why don't we go to a more private place and you can tell me all about these lady feelings you speak of." Ilsa tugs Casey towards the bedroom.

Chuck stands under the lone street lamp. He shivers and berates himself for not bringing his jacket. The shiver takes on new meaning as a long, black car glides from the night. It stops before him and the rear door swings open with a whisper. Casting a last look over his shoulder, Chuck sighs before climbing inside. He sinks into the leather upholstered seat. A creaking draws his attention to the fact he's not alone. Shrouded in darkness, someone is sharing the back of the limo with him. Light flashing from a passing street light falls on the stranger's face. After sucking in a painful breath, Chuck blurts out, "You!"

"Hello Chuck. I've been looking forward to this." Mr. Colt's basso rumble fills the vehicle.

4:00am

"It's about time, Walker." Casey says as his front door opens and closes. Raising an eyebrow as she walks in, he gives her a long, up and down appraisal. Sarah has donned her custom tactical suit. Inky black fabric that clings to her body, nothing loose that can catch or snag as she moves. Bullet resistant, form-fitted Kevlar plates woven in to provide protection while allowing freedom of movement. A holstered pistol at each hip is complimented by an abundance of knives positioned in a variety of locations for easy draw. Serious gear for serious business, Casey grunts his approval. "Does this mean you're here to party?"

Nodding grimly, Sarah comes to a halt near Casey's shoulder. Motioning at the familiar box that is now connected to his computer, Sarah asks, "Are you ready to activate the tracker? It's been long enough."

"I was waiting for you. We're tied in with Castle so we can up-link to an NSA satellite. Now, we can beam the go code from here. Give me your phone." She hands it over and Casey launches the tracker application. He taps in the new GPS data before sliding it back. "Okay, you're all set. Remember, we'll be getting it in pulses as opposed to a continuous signal. It'll take a little longer to lock it down." Bending over the SubQ-X80 control panel, he enters in the activation code and places his finger on the reader. The two green lamps blink in a steady rhythm.

Sarah studies the screen intently. A first blip appears and a box is drawn around it to approximate a location. Over the next few minutes, further locater pulses shrink the box little by little. "Casey, bring up a map of the Los Angeles harbor area. It appears to be zeroing in." As Sarah waits for a confirming beep and solid location, Casey brings up the requested information. And they wait, and wait. After 15 minutes, the tracker has not been able to fix Chuck's position.

With an angry growl, "Shut it off Casey. We've had it up too long as it is. They must still be on the move. Let's bring it on-line every half hour until we get them stationary." Sarah puts the phone down. As she starts to pace back and forth, "I'm too close, so hard to think right now. Casey, tell me you have a plan for getting Chuck back."

"Of course I have a plan. Once we have a positive fix on his location, we go in and get him. Kill everyone who gets in the way. I've made a couple calls. An FBI team from Hostage Rescue will happen to be nearby when we assault. Hearing the commotion, they will be obliged to lend a hand. I've also floated a message out for Carina. We don't know what contingencies Leader might have in place. So, I thought it might be a good idea to get someone close to Jill and the baby. I'm not going to let Bartowski go through all this and have something happen to them. Another key point to my plan, you need to get some sleep."

"Do you honestly think I could sleep right now? We need to be ready to go at any time." Sarah's voice is thick with emotion.

"That wasn't a suggestion, Agent Walker. Consider it an order. Once we have Chuck's location, it will take some time to get everyone in place. I won't roll until I know we are 100%. Right now, you're not. If you expect me to trust you under fire, you'd better be sleeping in five minutes." Casey stands with arms folded to signal the discussion is at an end. When it looks like Sarah intends to argue, he adds. "If you drive yourself too hard you won't be of any use to me.....or to Chuck."

Deflating at the truth in his words, Sarah starts some calming exercises as she curls up in one of his chairs. She can't remember switching off ever being this difficult. Colliding images of Chuck in danger and Chuck making love to her, threaten the serenity she strives for. Trying a new path, she enhances the remembered sensations of their time together while pushing away any negative thoughts. Eyes closing, she wraps herself up in him.

A short time later, Casey covers Sarah with a blanket. His expression lightens at the look of peace she wears. 'Bartowski may be a screw up as an agent, but he's doing right by her.' Casey's thoughts roll through various bits of conversation with Walker. Her comments on wanting a life one day come to him clearly. She's been his best partner, but he wonders how much longer her career will be the most important thing in her life. Deep down, he hopes it isn't too long or comes too late. He was always able to justify his sacrifices with the knowledge that there were people enjoying a life because of his efforts. Right now, he couldn't think of two people more deserving. Casey slipped his arm around Ilsa's waist as she approached him. Neither spoke, just leaned on each other and made silent promises to the young woman before them.

4:50am

Worrying was not something Casey handled well. The 4:30 check had been another bust. He really had no idea what they could be doing, but Chuck was still on the move. This time, instead of the harbor, GPS was showing Chuck in a totally different part of town. It made him antsy to not know what was going on. Try as he might, Casey could not think of a good reason to just keep driving around like that. Unless they knew he was bugged in some way. Shaking his head, that didn't make sense. If they knew he was bugged, they would simply disable it. The next thought was even less comforting. Leader had been ahead of them all night long and maybe he was just too good for them to plan against. A vibrating cell phone stopped him from going down that depressing road.

"Casey here......" When he heard the voice on the other end, he thought that maybe things were looking up. "Carina, so nice to hear from you......"

"No, I'm not looking to have a prison fantasy with you......"

"That would be a switch with you in the handcuffs. Are you sure we should break tradition like that?....."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, you all happy with yourself now? I've got a favor to ask." His voice turning more serious. "Actually, you would be doing this favor for Sarah and Chuck." For the next five minutes, Casey lays out the events of the last ten hours. Carina was always flighty and self-interested on the surface, but, he was pretty sure there was more to her than that. Her disgust at the news about Jill and the baby left him feeling vindicated in his belief. Another few minutes and he had the plan laid out. Carina assured him that there would be no trouble getting into prison and next to Jill. Before hanging up, Carina offered him a chance to decide how good she looked in and out of prison orange once the mission was done. Casey looked a bit uncomfortable as he told her no.

Ilsa had been eyeing him suspiciously since hearing handcuffs mentioned. "Is there something I should know about this, Carina?"

"What? Oh...um...no, not really. We worked a couple of missions together. She's very good at her job, but, a bit too unpredictable for my tastes." Casey tries to look nonchalant.

"She must be good if she can get you to wear the handcuffs." Ilsa tries very hard to keep a straight face. Blurting out "Prague!" before she breaks into giggles.

Grumbling as he pretends to concentrate on his computer screen, "Does everyone know about that?"

6:00am

Casey was just about to activate the bug. He held out hope that this time it would be different and they would have somewhere to go. Before he could put in his code, there came a knock at the door. He quickly brought up a view of the outside and swore under his breath. "Larkin." Looking over at the sleeping agent, he wondered how Chuck would react to knowing they were still in contact. Followed by the more disturbing thought of, why were they still in contact? He couldn't believe that after all this, Sarah might only be playing Chuck. Another knock interrupts any further pondering. Getting up, Casey walks over and flings open the door.

Bryce flashes a smile, "Hello Casey. So good to see you without a gun pointing at my head."

"It's still early and I haven't had my coffee. Get in here before anyone sees you." Casey turns on his heel and walks back to the computer. While Bryce enters, Casey activates the bug. Picking up Sarah's phone, he watches for the response. Growling when he sees they've moved again.

"What's the deal Casey? I get a message from Sarah and hop the first transport I can find. Judging from the gear, she wasn't looking for a social call." Bryce peers over Casey's shoulder to see what he's doing. "Hey, who'd you get an X80 stuck in to?"

"You're a smart guy, Larkin. I'll give you a clue. Who's not here getting in everyone's way and making a nuisance of himself?"

Bryce looks surprised. "No way! You stuck an X80 in Chuck? How did you trick him into that. I'm kind of surprised Sarah would go along with it. She seemed to be going a little soft on him the last time I was here."

"It was actually his idea." Casey watches the tracker for a few more minutes, and uses the time to explain things to Bryce.

Ilsa walks in near the end of the briefing. "Casey, I'm going to go find something for breakfast. Your refrigerator leaves a lot to be desired. Oh, hello....", waiting for a name to be offered.

"Bryce. I used to work with Sarah. Very closely." He flashes his most charming smile.

"I'm Ilsa, an acquaintance of Casey's." Her smile is not as forthcoming. "Very closely? It's funny she never mentioned you."

Casey steps in before things go any farther. "Ilsa, a breakfast run sounds like a great idea. There's a convenience store we passed on the way here. They do a pretty good breakfast sandwich. I could go for a couple myself." Handing her some money and his keys, he ushers her out the door.

Bryce watches it all with barely concealed amusement. "Usually, I make a much better first impression. Have you been telling her stories about me?"

Sitting back down with the tracker, Casey says. "It might surprise you to hear, but, we don't talk about you at all."

"Ouch, Casey, you're hurting my feelings." All Bryce gets in response is a growl. He looks over to where Sarah is sleeping.

While waiting for the pulses to give him a better lock, Casey notices Bryce walking over to kneel by Sarah. He stops himself from telling Bryce to leave her be. It looks like he intends to wake her with a kiss. Casey decides this will be a good way to see if Sarah is not being straight on the whole, relationship with Chuck front. Bryce gives her a soft kiss, and, Sarah smiles brightly as she stirs.

"Mmm...Chuck." Sarah shifts in the chair and stretches. Then, her eyes pop open. "Chuck! How did you escape......" Casey can see her nostrils flare and eyes narrow as she recognizes the face in front of her. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I remember making it perfectly clear that unless it's a mission, you don't get to do that anymore." She pushes off the blanket and hops out of the chair to get some distance. Casey is pleased to see the reaction. And now, there could even be a floor show.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I guess your 'I need you now' message was just a tease?", says Bryce with attitude.

"Only your ego would think it meant I wanted you for anything other than help with a mission." Sarah shot back.

"I see. Well, it seems you don't mind our boy Chuck kissing you whenever he wants. You seemed pretty thrilled when you thought it was him."

"Oh grow up Bryce. I'm his girlfriend, it's our cover." Sarah crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him.

"Try again Sarah, even you're not that good. People can't pretend to look that happy in their sleep." Thinking for a moment, "Oh my God, I bet you've been banging him too. Chuck must think he's the luckiest guy ever. Maybe I'll tell him how many have gone before him. Chuck always appreciated honesty among friends." Bryce fails to notice the temperature in the room dropping precipitously. She is deadly quiet at his comment.

Sarah's hand drifts to a knife and Casey moves around to intercept, all three are stunned at the sudden bellow when Casey's tv comes to life. "I want to know what the blue blazes is going on out there and I want to know right now! I have reports of satellite access from Castle on multiple occasions over the last 10 hours." That's when she notices Bryce in the room. "Larkin, what the hell are you doing there? Major Casey, Agent Walker, someone had better start talking and it better be damn good."

Still fuming from Bryce's threat, Sarah steps forward and lashes out at Beckman. "I should ask you the same question Ma'am. Casey and I are tasked to protect the Intersect. Yet, we seem to be out of the loop that multiple Fulcrum prisoners have escaped. Prisoners that we put away and have a grudge against us. These same people now have Chuck. How are we supposed to do our jobs if we can't get decent intel?"

Her mouth open as she was about to discipline Sarah for the outburst, Beckman stares wide-eyed at them. It takes about a second for her to absorb what was just said. "Are you telling me the Intersect is in Fulcrum's hands?"

"No General. Chuck is in Fulcrum's hands. They still think Bryce is the Intersect. Leader kidnapped him to get us to hand over Bryce. And while I'm at it, we know that he's working with Tommy and Laszlo. Plus, they are using Jill as leverage to get Chuck to do what they want. Is anyone over there doing their jobs?" Sarah is unfazed by the General's icy stare.

"Major Casey. I suggest you tell your partner to get a grip on herself. She's dangerously close to a permanent desk job in the most remote part of hell I can find. I'm still waiting for the report people."

Before Sarah can respond, Casey steps between them and begins talking. "Yes General. As Agent Walker already mentioned, we have been dealing with members of Fulcrum that escaped detention." Casey goes on to lay out the entire night and everything they know. He leaves out the contingencies he set up with Carina and his FBI contact. When he finishes, he spares a look over his shoulder at Walker. She seems to have clamped down on her emotions.

"This is all rather terrifying, Major. After recovering the asset, you voluntarily returned him to Fulcrum and have been basically sitting around for almost four hours? At least Bartowski had the presence of mind to ask for the implant. What was the purpose for pulling Bryce out of his operation without permission?"

Casey took the lead again. "General, we were hoping to set up the transfer and use it to recover the Intersect and recapture Leader and his men. We made contact with Larkin and he agreed to help."

"Don't you think I should have known about all of this hours ago?" The General asked coolly. "I think you two have been out there a little too long and are forgetting how things work around here."

"We couldn't risk it General." Sarah jumped in with a much calmer voice. "We found ourselves dealing with a number of supposedly incarcerated individuals with no warning of their escape. If that information never made it to you, then your office could be compromised. What if you had dispatched orders and it made it's way to Leader? Major Casey and I decided we needed to keep things to ourselves as long as possible to prevent that. Now that Agent Larkin is on scene, we can call Leader and set up the exchange."

"I see your point Agent Walker. But, I don't think we can risk an exchange. Bryce has been too valuable infiltrating Fulcrum to be handing him over like that. What if you can't maintain control of the situation and they get away with him? For now, I'm going to try and find out where the break down occurred with the escapees."

"General? What about Bartowski?", Casey questions. "The Intersect data has to be many times more valuable than Larkin. If we can't set up the exchange, it will be more difficult to get him back. Plus, there is the added threat from Leader to continue killing agents until Bryce is handed over. We need to stop this now."

"Unfortunately, the events of last night prove that protecting the Intersect is becoming too difficult. Your team's many successes have made many enemies. Therefore, I'm ordering the termination of the asset. You have three days to clean up the operation before reporting to Washington for reassignment or disciplinary actions, as appropriate.", looking at Sarah as she finishes. "Since you two have royally screwed this up, I am placing Agent Larkin in command of the shutdown. Bryce, you will gather all the data on this kidnapping. I'll dispatch a team to pursue this Leader individual."

"Now wait a minute General. We're just going to give up on Chuck? He trusted us to protect him and get him back. He's already done so much for the country and this is his reward?" Sarah struggles to keep her voice steady.

"Misplaced trust I would have to say. Look at what a mess this has become. I know, Jill is pregnant and Leader threatened to kill her." Beckman says in a bored tone. "It's just another example of what has been wrong with this whole operation from the start. Bartowski can't look at the bigger picture and see what's really important. Quite frankly, I expected more from you and Major Casey. Naturally, I would love to keep using the asset, but it's my job to think about the whole country. This mission is over. Major Casey, you are hereby ordered to prosecute the kill order on Charles Bartowski."

Casey's eyes flick to the floor. He shuffles uncomfortably before looking up again to face the General. "I'm very sorry Ma'am, but I can't do that."

"Do you people think I sit around all day making suggestions. That was a lawful order from your superior and I expect you to do your duty, Major." Beckman's voice was starting to shake with anger at all the defiance.

"Begging your pardon, Ma'am. That isn't what I meant. Agent Walker is the only one coded to activate the kill switch on Bartowski's implant."

Looking like she wants to strangle someone, "Oh for pete's sake. Very well then, Agent Walker, you are ordered to activate the kill switch and terminate the asset. To be carried out immediately."

"No...", Sarah says softly. Her head down as she sucks in too quick breaths. On the verge of hyperventilating, she draws on all of her training and experience to regain control.

"What did you say Agent Walker?" The General asks with menace dripping from every word.

Raising her chin to stare back defiantly, her voice louder. "I said no! Chuck trusted us, trusted me, to use the kill switch as a last resort to save him from the hands of Fulcrum. To you he's just like any other weapon. Use it and throw it away when no longer needed. After working with him, I can tell you he is so much more and deserves our best. General, I know we can get him back and stop his kidnappers. Just give us the time to put our plan into action. Please?"

The three watch as the General considers her plea. Taking a deep breath, she speaks. "I'm sorry to hear you say that. Under my authority as the head of the NSA, I charge CIA Agent Sarah Walker with treason in a time of national emergency for failure to carry out a lawfully given order. I deem the loss of the Intersect to Fulcrum a security risk of the highest order. Therefore, Agents Casey and Larkin, you are authorized to carry out the sentence of death as required by law. You have two choices Agent Walker. Terminate Bartowski and the charge will be dropped, or be executed and your fingerprint used to terminate him afterwards." Beckman spares a last look at Sarah. "What a waste." The screen goes black.

In the silence that follows, the metal on leather sound of two pistols being drawn from holsters is deafening. Casey and Bryce take uneasy stances as they aim at Sarah. She remains still, appearing calm in the center of the storm that swirls around them. Tearing her eyes from the now blank screen, she slowly turns and walks over to Casey's desk as the little black box waits patiently. Tears sting her eyes, the pad looking wavy to her unfocused gaze. Bryce and Casey take up positions and she can feel the press of gun barrels at her temples. Casey enters the code and thens moves his hand away. She extends her finger to the box, moving so slowly. Fervently wishing for a reprieve, but knowing it will never come. Her hand stops an inch from the scanner as she reaches a decision. Her breathing becomes easier in the knowledge of what is right.

Casey is horrified by what she does next. His hand visibly shakes as Sarah turns her head to face him. She lets the barrel nestle between her eyes and smiles. "I can't do it Casey. You know better than anyone what the last year and a half has been like. All the hurts that Chuck and I have visited on each other in the name of the job and being professional. What we wanted was to love each other like two normal people. Well, right here and right now, I am going to be true to the trust he placed in me. It's okay, John. I can die happy knowing that I didn't violate it. Do what you have to. I forgive you."

"Oh for God's sake, Sarah. I won't let you throw your life away because of Chuck." Bryce slams his free hand down on hers and drives her finger into the pad. She screams in anguish and tries to pull free, but, it is already too late. Sarah's world turns upside down as two green lights turn red.

A/N: As a few have commented, they feel Beckman is a little off with her wanting to terminate Chuck so quickly. I would agree in light of the recent episodes. I just want to reiterate that this story is taking place on Valentine's and the day after. So, all the recent changes have not occurred regarding the increased importance of the asset. The story predates even suburbs and best friend technically. I am writing a General Beckman that ordered the termination of Chuck before they even had the intersect back on line and running properly in epi 1 of this season. Is the problem with a story coming out in pieces, is hard to keep fixed in one place and time as the show goes on. And, I write slowly..hehe.