Chapter 18

After taking some time to compose himself and help customers he made his way back to the Nerd Herd desk where a man in a suit stood, asking once Chuck was in front of him. "Excuse me, can I get some service?"

Raising his head Chuck felt a chill run through him upon seeing the scared face of Tommy Delgado staring back at him.

"You're Charles Bartowski, aren't you? We met the other day."

"Did we?" He asked trying his best to remain calm. "So how-how can I, uh… How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a computer. You might be familiar with this one. It's called the Intersect." He tried to speak but barely managed to not gape and tremble. "You don't seem to understand the situation, Charles. You think that all these witnesses are a guarantee that nothing's gonna happen to you? You couldn't be more wrong."

"Uh… I-I am so slammed right now. It's really busy. So I should probably get back to work."

"My team reacquired Bryce Larkin and Sarah Walker five minutes ago," Tommy explained calmly. "I have seven trained killers stationed throughout the store. If you look over there… You can also see that my men have neutralized Mr. Casey. See, here's the thing, Charles. Nothing stops me from fulfilling my orders. Innocents. Civilians. If you make me, I'll execute every last person in this place."

Chuck turned to the man, meeting his eyes as he put his hands against the desk, his fingers pressing into it until they were white. Licking his lip, Chuck took a breath. "If I were you I'd tell your team to leave and ask Casey very nicely to shoot me in the head. Beg him to make it quick."

Tommy's brow rose, clearly amused by the threat. "Is that so?"

Chuck exhaled shakily, sniffed and nodded, keeping his eyes locked with Delgado's. "We're going to get out of this. We're going to take out your team, and either Casey is going to shoot you or you're going to be in jail. Probably both. So I suggest you start praying he doesn't miss anything vital because if your team hurt Sarah Walker then you're going to find yourself stuck in jail with a record that says you aren't just a rogue CIA agent, you're an agent who spent his free time hunting children. An agent who was found with hundreds of gigabytes worth of pornography he filmed himself with all of his victims before torturing them," Chuck's face hardened, his eyes dark as he leaned forward seeing Tommy's smirk turn to a sneer, "and every person in that prison is going to find out what you did."

Tommy searched his eyes for a moment before his face softened, his lips twisted into a grin as he chuckled. "That's good. I almost believe it. I'm looking forward to seeing what you do when I slit Agent Walker's throat in front of you."

Chuck couldn't help the shaky breath he took, fear and anger showing through his shattering mask. "Tell your men to release them and let me talk to her and we avoid it all."

Tommy snickered. "I'll take my chances. Now move."

Chuck's jaw clicked as he walked out from behind the desk, Tommy moving behind him and leading him away. They hadn't made it far before Jeff ran up to them in a panic. "Chuck the registers are down. I can't get them back up. What should I do?"

Leaning in behind him Tommy warned. "You say more than one word and I'll kill him right here."

Chuck's head snapped to Jeff as he said unwaveringly, "Pineapple."

Jeff gasped, eyes bulging as he fled toward Anna while Tommy pushed Chuck toward the doors. "Let's go."

When Jeff not only told Anna Pineapple but confirmed that Chuck had said it, she rushed over to pull the fire alarm, kicking the whole store into chaos. Amid the rushing mass of people Casey rushed to Chuck, lifting him onto his shoulder and running to the theater room while Harry Tang was knocked over, whimpering and rolling back and forth to avoid the stampede of people.

"Code Black," Casey said into his phone once inside the theater room with the curtains pulled back, giving him a clear view of the store. "Hostiles in the Buy More. I need a containment team right away."

Seeing the agent reveal a cache of silenced guns hidden inside a coffee table Chuck said indignantly, "Are you kidding me? Some kid could find this."

"Stay down, Chuck. This is when the shooting starts."

"Right-Right now?" Chuck dropped to the ground as Casey squat walked toward the couch, kneeling beside the end table as the window shattered and he returned fire. Chuck kept his eyes on Casey as he heard glass shatter and bullets pass around them, his hands balled into fist hoping Casey's shirt stayed green.

A feminine grunt drew his attention out to the store where he saw Sarah and Bryce had arrived and were fighting side by side. His admiration was twisted by jealousy and envy when he saw them look into each other's eyes before moving back to back to grab a pair of incoming goons and down them with matching crescent kicks.

"Wow," he muttered hopelessly, "they really are great."

"Come on, Chuck," Casey said grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him off the ground, "let's go."

"I'm really getting sick and tired of being pulled around by you all the time," Chuck said as Casey dragged him out of the theater room door where Tommy slammed the butt of his pistol into Casey's jaw, knocking him to the ground. Before he could do anything Tommy grabbed Chuck's throat and held the pistol to his temple, sliding it around the back of his head as he moved behind him, leading Chuck away.

Their fight finished, Sarah tossed aside the dented toaster asking, "Where's Chuck?"

"Over here," Tommy said stepping out of the racks with Chuck at gun point in front of him.

Both CIA agents swiftly drew their own guns on the Fulcrum agent. "Let him go," Sarah demanded, "Now."

"Does this look like my first time?" Tommy asked drolly.

"Isn't it somebody else's turn to be the human shield?" asked Chuck, honestly fed up with how frequent this was becoming.

When Bryce took two quick steps forward Tommy warned, "Stay there, Bruce."

"You alright, Chuck?" Bryce asked, keeping his gun on Tommy while looking to Chuck.

"Does it look like I'm alright?"

"I need ask you something," Bryce said as Sarah heard him mutter something. "Khi-ja? Gho-be?"

With a sigh Chuck declared, "Khi-ja."

"Sorry, Chuck," Bryce offered with a nudge of his head before shooting Chuck in the chest.

Once again Sarah was frozen. She felt her insides shift violently, torn between a need to scream, yell no, ask why, cry for help and plead please be alive, but could muster none of it as she stood in place, her lips moving slightly as they started a million words but formed none.

Casey rushed up beside Tommy, slamming his gun into his jaw, almost making the Fulcrum agent flip backwards from the impact.

Finally broken from her paralysis, Sarah rushed past Bryce, pushing his shoulder as she moved to Chuck's side. "What did you say to him?"

"Ask him."

Sarah fell to her knees beside him, holding his face and turning it toward her. "Hey, Chuck," she tried to say softly to sooth the fear he might feel if he was conscious. Pulling open his shirt to reveal a black kevlar vest eased some of the tension in her, but he was still unconscious. Reaching up she started lightly smacking his cheek. "Chuck, come on, wake up. Come on, hey."

The air suddenly filling his lungs was too much, making Chuck cough as his eyes snapped open and he groaned at the pain reverberating through his torso. "Khi-Ja. Khi-ja. Yes. Yes, I'm wearing a vest." With another cough he sat up and groaned while Sarah helped him to his feet. "You'd think a bulletproof vest might make the bullet hurt less."

The firefighters who rushed in turned out to be an NSA cleanup team who not only took away the bad guys but went around cleaning up the Buy More.

Looking at the theater room which now had the curtains drawn, Chuck asked. "What's happening with Bryce?"

"He's in there giving his report to General Beckman," answered Sarah.

"Beckman?" Chuck quietly wondered to himself. Wasn't Bryce a CIA agent? Why would he be talking to the head of the NSA?

When he came out of the room Bryce was dressed in a tux, carrying a silver case as he made his way to him, Sarah and Casey at the Nerd Herd desk. Setting it down he happily revealed, "It would appear I have a new assignment."

His brow arched, Chuck asked, "As a maitre d'?"

"Actually it's a consulate dinner. They want me to go after Fulcrum. On my own, off the radar."

"Sounds like heaven," muttered Casey, making Chuck look over his shoulder wondering if that was him being sarcastic or honest.

"That means Bryce Larkin is dead," Bryce said looking at Chuck, who glanced briefly at Sarah before turning to face Bryce, who continued, "and he's going to stay that way this time." Stepping toward him, Bryce extended his hand again. "Goodbye, Chuck."

Chuck automatically shook Bryce's hand. "This is so weird. Where you going to go? Who you going to be?"

"Sorry, not even you can know," Bryce said shaking his head lightly before picking up his case and moving to Sarah. "Sarah… We'll always have Omaha."

Though her expression barely changed, Chuck felt the shift in her, the unshown reaction to Bryce's words. He'd said something to her that affected her somehow, words which had meant something to her. With barely a breath taken he thought she looked sad. Part of him wished she cared about him the way she did Bryce, but another hurt for her. Bryce was leaving her. This poor, incredible woman was sad and Chuck couldn't do anything about it. He was helpless when it came to her.

Once the store was cleaned and everyone allowed back inside Chuck stared at the ground for five minutes as Harry Tang threw snide remarks at him until Big Mike told him the firefighters said there was a gas leak and Chuck was a hero. But he didn't care. Bryce was gone and Sarah was lost to him. Not just within her own sadness over Bryce, but lost to him. The ghost of their kiss, of all the glimpses beyond the veil, all those cracks he saw in the mask she wore around everyone… They were all gone. She was Bryce's. Bryce got the girl, and Chuck was alone again.

As per usual Black Friday was to end with turkey sandwiches and whatever was left over from the night before. As Ellie and Devon started to pull everything from the fridge Chuck came out of his room and motioned toward the door. "I'm gonna go talk to Casey. See if he wants to come over and help clear out some space in the fridge by helping us eat some of this."

Ellie looked to him with a smile he thought looked a little sad but also a little relieved. "That sounds great, Chuck. We have plenty to share." Devon almost looked proud as he watched Chuck leave. When the door closed Ellie let out a sigh and her smile brightened as she pulled the tinfoil from the sweet potatoes and marshmallows. "Thank god."

Chuck rapped his knuckles on Casey's door, leaning against the frame just before it opened and he looked up. "Hey."

"What?"

"Um, we have some turkey leftovers. Actually we have a lot of turkey left over, so I was wondering if I could interest you in some sandwiches or something."

"Thanks," Casey said holding up a bonsai tree, "but work to do."

"Right," Chuck said with a smirk. Though a little disappointed he was pleased to learn something about Casey. "Right, okay then."

Casey stared at him a moment before apparently deciding that was enough. "Okay."

When he started to close the door, Chuck suddenly felt the need to stop that so put a hand out. "Hey, Casey, Casey, Casey, Casey."

To his relief the door was pulled back. "Yeah?"

"Sorry, um," Chuck took a breath, glancing into the apartment before asking quietly. "Could we, um, is your apartment… safe?"

Casey's brow knit. "What?"

"To talk," said Chuck, raising his brow. "Maybe ask some questions."

Casey's chin rose, holding it a moment before he nodded. "Fine. Come on."

Chuck let out a breath, smiling as he bowed his head and entered the apartment. He turned to watch Casey close the door, following him to a table Casey pointed him to while the agent put his tree on another before grabbing some glasses and a bottle of liquor he set on the table while taking a seat across from Chuck.

"You mind if I ask some stuff first?" Chuck asked sheepishly. "Your thing is bigger, I think, or at least more important, and I want to get my stuff out of the way."

Casey grunted, opening the bottle and pouring each of them a glass before sliding one to Chuck. "Go ahead."

Chuck nodded, holding the rim of the glass but leaving it on the table as he took a breath and asked, "What did Bryce mean by Omaha? Outside of it being some weird Casablanca reference?"

"Probably a code. Contact point of some sort."

"Okay," Chuck nodded, watching Casey take a drink, "why would Sarah need that?"

Setting his glass down Casey said, "Bryce is going deep, Chuck. No messages out. If Sarah wants to join up with him she has to do it now."

Chuck's jaw shifted, the confusion that had lifted his brow crumbling, letting it sink. "Sarah's leaving?"

Casey held his raised glass his lip curved slightly. "Don't worry, Chuck. When Sarah's gone, we'll get you a new girl."

Chuck gulped, nodding as he looked down into the dark liquor before bringing it to his lips and throwing his head back. Casey smirked as Chuck sputtered and coughed, wiping his mouth when he put the glass on the table. Downing the rest of his, Casey took Chuck's glass and refilled both before sliding it back.

So Sarah wasn't just lost to him, she was probably gone by now. Off to spend her days with Bryce. Probably in some expensive dress that might have made some woman beautiful but paled in comparison to the woman wearing it as she danced around with Bryce. Maybe they were laughing at the sad sap back in Burbank left with an angry NSA agent to watch over him while they were riding the elevator up to their room to make up for lost time.

As much as it felt like someone was twisting a knife in his throat, Chuck found some relief as he came to the thought: Sarah's safe. Bryce was Superman. He was probably one of the best agents in the world. He stole the Intersect by himself, outwitting the CIA and Fulcrum. He also seemed to think of Chuck as his friend, and was with Sarah. So if Chuck broke a pillar and brought the sky down on them she wouldn't be alone. She'd be with one of the best at her back. Sarah would be safe even if Chuck screwed everything up.

"Why wasn't Graham the one who talked to Bryce?"

Casey had expected some question about Sarah or Bryce, he'd seen the way Chuck had looked the last few days. However he sure as hell didn't expect that question. "What do you mean?"

"Bryce is a CIA agent. Why wasn't Graham the one to talk to him? Why would he have to meet with the head of the NSA and not the Director of the CIA. Graham hasn't shown up the last few times we talked to Beckman. Where is he?"

Casey's brow tightened as he took a drink and thought over Chuck's questions. "He is the Director of the CIA. He's a busy man and General Beckman can handle us."

Chuck shook his head. "You really think he'd just let her talk to us without him around? What if she turned us against him or something? Tried to push the CIA out of this."

It was almost shocking hearing this from his own asset, but Casey found himself suddenly asking all the same questions and more, including, "Do you think he's Fulcrum?"

Chuck quickly shook his head.

"I guess you would have flashed if he was,' Casey realized.

"But it also wouldn't make sense. He's the Director of the CIA. He already has a ton of power. He doesn't need to make some secret group to take power he already has, he just needs people loyal to him and willing to do whatever he wants."

Casey set his glass down, grimacing and wondering if Chuck realized who he was describing.

"I'm not saying he's evil or anything," Chuck quickly clarified, misinterpreting Casey's expression, "but didn't you notice how he reacted when I mentioned Orion? Beckman was calm about it. She knew who he was but played it cool. It was Graham who freaked out and got angry. Plus there's the-" Chuck stopped himself with a wince.

Tilting his head Casey asked, "The what?"

Chuck sighed realizing how much he's screwed up. Maybe he could say he flashed, but if Casey checked he would see Graham's file was in a separate server from the kind of stuff in the Intersect. He didn't want to tell him about the Piranha, not yet at least, but he'd already tugged on the line, so had to give him something.

It took a single breath for Chuck to find his path. "Casey, you're sure the room is clean, right? No one will hear this?"

With a nod Casey assured, "No bugs. You know how you run your little detector whenever you're home alone? Well I scan my place for bugs too. Trust me, no one's hearing this, not unless I want them to."

Snickering Chuck said, "You know I could make you one if you want."

"Yeah?" As much as he disliked admitting it, the kid's little gadgets could be useful.

"Sure. Now that I don't have to hide it I can probably make it look a bit better too." He chuckled. "Hell, if you ask Beckman to pay for some high end parts or something I could make us all better ones. Make the reflector smaller too."

After looking him over for a moment Casey said, "I'll think about it. Now what were you saying."

Chuck met his eyes and nodded. "You remember when we talked about Morgan's death, or rather the case file."

"The one you'd seen already," Casey said with a glare.

"Yeah, that one." Chuck cleared his throat before burning it with another drink. After another breath he set the glass down and crossed his arms on the table, looking to the NSA agent. "Once you know how to hack it's only natural you try different stuff. It's pretty typical to go looking for the stuff you're not supposed to know about. You know, the… the internet beyond the internet."

"Deep web, dark web," Casey said with a slow nod.

"Yeah. Well, I looked and that was how I found my way in to see the file. There were whole pages devoted to people helping each other in different ways. And I don't just mean the creeps or killers, but people looking for people or… hackers exchanging information. Whether it be passwords, codes, tips. It was all there beyond the normal internet, and after I lost my best friend I found some there."

Finishing off his drink, Casey poured himself another asking, "What does this have to do with Graham?"

"There was a point I went back." Casey set the bottle down harshly, his eyes narrowing upon Chuck. "I didn't do anything," he said holding his hands up defensively before they fell slack at his sides and he looked down in shame, "but I almost did."

"What do you mean?"

Chuck exhaled, forcing himself to look up. "I never took a cent from anyone. Not one cent. But I was in a bad place. A tight spot. I helped Ellie pay for repairs on her car but with my part of all the bills and rent I had to draw from my savings. I had barely two weeks pay saved and even with a bunch of side work I was afraid I was going to have to ask Ellie to pay my share of something and disappoint her again. So I went looking. I thought I could…"

This was going to be the hard part. With a breath Chuck licked his lips and met Casey's gaze as he said, "I thought I could be like this guy I met when I first got into that circle. He-He hacks people, but only bad guys, and all the money he takes from them he donates and gives to-"

"You know the Piranha?" Casey said sitting up in his chair, eyes wide.

"Only vaguely," Chuck said surprised by Casey's reaction. "I talked to him along with a few other guys back in high school, before he really did anything big. Then when I was thinking about getting back into hacking I kind of ran into him again on an information page. It was dumb luck. I just happened to find the link in another page before they changed it, and he'd posted all this stuff. It was like it was extra information he had but didn't need. So I looked through it.

"Most of it didn't really make sense to me. A lot of it was about people I didn't bother looking up. I didn't want to, not if they were like the people he goes after. But I still remember some of the stuff that stuck out. Stuff like the part where he mentioned he'd cracked the CIA's databases and found out the Director had been recruiting people out of high school."

Casey's face darkened. There had always been rumors, but this wasn't an agent feeding into an inter-agency rivalry. "Are you sure that's what it said?"

Chuck quickly nodded. "I know people think that part of the web is full of pedophiles or whatever, but there's just as many people who are crazy protective of them. A bunch of people said they were going to look into him, that if they found out he was recruiting children they'd send someone after him while others said he did, just high school children. I remember because I wasn't sure how I felt about it, you know. They're almost adults, yeah, but… they're still kids. When I think of Morgan I think that the guy who killed him murdered a child. Not just because Morgan liked video games and chocolate milk, but because he hadn't had the chance to be his own man. He never got the chance to figure out what he really wanted to do with his life.

"Yeah high schoolers are old enough and smart enough to do a lot of things. Maybe more than most people give teenagers, but they're still not adults. It's this nebulous difference, but especially after what you said about how they recruit people… It feels wrong. It feels almost like blackmail or something. Using someone's weakness like that to recruit them, to make them work for you… If he was right, then we work for someone doing that. The CIA is run by a man who takes abused and at risk children and turns them into assassins, all in the name of the greater good, but he's still turning children into killers. He's making child soldiers… And maybe that's not all he's doing."

The only thing keeping Chuck from shitting his pants was knowing that the rage on Casey's face wasn't directed at him. He was breathing heavily, staring off to the side as his face scrunched up, balling his hands into fist so tight he no doubt would have shattered the glass if he hadn't abandoned it a minute ago.

After what felt like a few tense minutes but might have been seconds, Casey blew a long breath out of his nose and sucked in another one before turning back to Chuck. "So what do you think he's doing to keep him out of meeting then? Recruiting?"

"I doubt it," Chuck said shaking his head. "I think he'd be able to plan those better. I think something unexpected happened and is keeping his busy, but it's something he doesn't want people to know about so he has to handle it himself. Something important enough that he's willing to risk losing his control over our whole operation. Over me."

"It would have to be something important or personal."

"Maybe both," said Chuck.

"It's hard to tell with the CIA but I doubt he's got any family. So it's either something for himself or something he's invested in, either time or money, maybe both. Maybe more. Either way it's something worth more to him than making sure his stake in us remains and dealing with one of his best agents returning and revealing that his agency is full of turncoats."

"He might not be Fulcrum," Chuck said grimly, "but that doesn't mean he's not corrupt."

Casey groaned, leaning his head back and shaking it. This was a giant pain in his ass. He shouldn't expect less from Bartowski. "We have to look into it. Even if it's nothing and he just had the flu, if what the Piranha said is right then we can't let him stay in control."

Chuck quickly nodded. "I'll do whatever I can to help." With a hollow laugh he picked up his glass saying, "You know I'm actually kind of glad Sarah's with Bryce. At least if Graham is corrupt and comes after us he won't go after her and if he does she'll be safe with Bryce helping her while I have you to protect me."

Casey saw right through the broken mask Chuck put on as he said that, saw the pain in his eyes, the slight glassy shimmer in the corner of his eyes when he took a breath and made himself smile before closing them tightly and downing his drink. It was hard to miss how he sniffed, rubbing his nose and laughing bitterly as he set the glass on the table. It was kind of admirable to see him keep it together when he was clearly so miserable.

"Either way she'll be safe," Casey said softly, "and so will you. I'll talk to Beckman. We can trust her. We've always heard rumors about Graham but figured it was just people stirring the pot. If it's true she'll want to be first in line shoving her foot up his ass."

Chuck nodded, but then a sad smile filled his lips as he let out a chuckle. "I appreciate it Casey but to be honest I've been dreading this all because part of me is convinced you're going to shoot me."

The humor in his voice surprised Casey almost as much as what he said. "What are you talking about? Why would I shoot you?"

"Because of-" Chuck sighed, hating that he had to lie, but still not willing to risk The Piranha. "Because of my flash. Because of what I have to tell you. It's why I waited so long. I'm… I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I was also sorry I even saw it. I was sorry I found out about you when I shouldn't have. I felt miserable about it, but I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I wasn't brave enough to do the right thing and I'm sorry."

Casey was shocked that of all the things they'd talked about, that was when Chuck finally had to reach up and wipe his eyes before any tears got loose. "It's not that bad, Chuck. I don't like that you found out my real name, but it's fine."

Shaking his head, Chuck took a breath and said steadily, "That's now all I found out."

With a slow nod Casey asked, "What else was there?"

"Alex Coburn was engaged before he died," he whispered.

Frowning, Casey nodded. "I was."

He watched Chuck's throat bob before he took a breath and said, "And Kathleen McHugh has a daughter."

Casey's face fell. He gaped at Chuck before muttering, "What?"

"Alex McHugh. Obviously she was named-well, you know." Chuck offered Casey a somber, sympathetic smile. "She works at a diner not far from here. She's putting herself through college with some help from her mother." And the Piranha, he left unsaid. "That's all I know."

Casey's eyes sank to the table for a moment before his mouth closed and he looked up again, tilting his head. "She's the girl, isn't she?" When Chuck looked confused he shook his head. "The one you were talking about hiring. The one you wanted me to vet."

"I thought maybe you'd figure it out if I sent you there. Once you looked into her you'd have to, and then you could do whatever you want, but you'd know. You deserve to know. I think she deserves to know too, but I know I don't have a say in that so I won't try to force you to." Chuck hesitated, yet pushed through to say, "But I as a kid whose mother abandoned him and whose father was never really all there afterward, even before he physically left, I know I'd still like to know they were alive.

"Even if they don't care about me or are disappointed in what or who I am, I'd still like to know they're alive. To give them a chance to know Ellie again." Seeing Casey stare at him, Chuck cleared his throat and looked down. "But like I said, I won't push it or interfere anymore. It's your choice."

Once the moment of silence dragged on a few too many seconds Chuck got to his feet. "I'm going to head back to Ellie's. You okay here?"

Casey nodded. "I'll talk to Beckman about Graham."

Though he hadn't really answered his question, Chuck took that as enough and made his way to the door. "Thanks for not shooting me, Casey."

Casey turned to see chuck walk through the door, watching him through the shades looking out on the courtyard, and found his lips curved upward slightly as he grunted. But then they fell as he thought back on their talk and remembered his first question as he noticed Chuck glance toward the parking lot, pushing away his frown to put on a smile before he entered Ellie's apartment. Pouring himself more liquor he sighed and mumbled, "Damn it, Walker."

Ellie pouted when she saw Chuck come back alone. "No John?"

"No, we just talked a bit but he's doing his own thing. He said thanks though."

Ellie was clearly pleased, shaking her head as she motioned to the counter from her spot beside Devon on the couch. "I made you a plate."

"I'm gonna take it in my room," he said doing just that. Setting it on his nightstand along with a drink, Chuck sank onto his mattress and pulled his phone from his pocket.

He'd been about to toss it aside like he did every other day, but stopped himself. Even if she was gone, even if she chose Bryce, Chuck still wanted to say goodbye. And maybe a part of him hoped she would chose him. That hearing his voice would make her realize how much he cared about her. So he called Sarah.

He called her and her phone rang, but she didn't answer and his heart broke a little more.

Even though he'd put the food in the microwave he thought it was cold, but kept eating until he realized it was him that was cold. He felt a bit numb, and finally as he lay down to sleep his thoughts caught up to him. He fought off tears with a breath and shook his head defiantly.

He'd been wrong. Calling her was a mistake. Wanting her back was a mistake. Bryce was alive and she was Bryce's girl. Chuck had no one, and he was the only one to blame for that. Not Bryce or Sarah or anyone else, he was the one who made himself a loser. Even if she did come back, she would still be Bryce's girl and he would be the guy she had to fake date. Bryce would be off saving the day while she was stuck babysitting him. Him wanting her, to take her from Bryce, made him an awful person. It made him as bad as he'd thought Bryce had been for all those years.

If she did come back he'd make it better for her. She didn't need him pining for her. She didn't need him thinking he had a shot with her. She didn't need someone thinking they could take her from her newly revived boyfriend. So he wouldn't do those things. He would set her aside as much as he could until he was so numb to it all he didn't feel the pain anymore. He wouldn't bother her with his own feelings.

For her sake, Chuck would make himself stop loving Sarah.

As that grim thought kept Chuck awake that night, Langston Graham made his way to what the world saw as a small office building near the docks of Rhode Island. Past the graffiti covered brick walls and boarded up windows lay one of the CIA's secure medical facilities. Swiftly making his way up to a room on the third floor he was met by the doctor, an older Indian man with a graying beard and shaved head.

"He's dehydrated and a bit malnourished but we're handling that. The wounds were mostly superficial, though we've had to graft some skin to his back. It might affect his gate, but should be manageable otherwise even without further surgery."

"So physically he's fine?" asked Graham.

"Yes. Mentally I would say he is as well. From what he's said he occupied his mind with other things, planning his escape since the day he was taken. It became the only thing he thought about until he was free."

"He always was obsessive," Graham said entering the room and coming to the bed where a broad, stout dark haired man lay with a thick beard touched by gray. "It's good to have you back, Agent Quinn."

Nicholas looked to the Director somberly before asking, "I'm sorry, Sir. I failed. If only I… If I had the Intersect I would known he was a traitor."

Graham nodded, patting his shoulder. "I know. Larkin's harmed all of us when he sent that idiot Bartowski the Intersect."

Quinn's brow knit asking, "Bartowski?"

AN:

Again, I love Tommy as a villain. His reads were great and his attitude was interesting. I think Fulcrum resonated with me more than The Ring ever did because of characters like Tommy who had this kind of jovial menace about them, which I love in characters.

Ellie's reaction to Chuck going to talk with Casey was a bit of a surprise as I wrote it, but I think it fit well.

I figure Graham wasn't around sometimes because the actor cost more or just wasn't available, and in canon it was just delegated to Beckman, but I thought it would make an interesting plot point and fed into some of the stuff I want to do with the villains.

Quinn's obviously introduced earlier, but also isn't captured for over a year like in canon, but I thought it better to introduce him now for what I want to do with him.

Quinn, Decker and all the antagonist of season five are so... limp, at least in my opinion. The only reason Quinn maybe sits above the Ring as a flat antagonist is because of how grim it was seeing him succeed and then not seeing the resolution. Personally, I think the kiss worked at the end, but beyond his link to the ending of the series, Quinn never felt as interesting as he probably should have been, which hopefully I can rectify somewhat, because on paper the guy who should have been the intersect sounds great. In theory he could be the Shishio Makoto to Chuck's Kenshin.