CHAPTER 30

After their talk and Ellie agreeing to hold off telling Devon any of it since he was awful with secrets and lies, Chuck returned to his boring days in white pants. Occasionally one of the Buy More people would stop by, but once they realized Chuck wasn't going to be giving them free yogurt their presence faded.

Without much else to occupy his time, Chuck focused studying for the analyst tests. It wasn't just his need to help that was making him give up game time to look over files clearly written by robots, but the idea of being more than an asset. If he passed the test then surely it wouldn't be hard to convince them to make it official. He doubted the higher ups would ever respect him, but maybe he could get paid and figure out away to convince them to either ignore him and Sarah or that their being together was beneficial. And proving he could be useful beyond the Intersect and keeping them from putting a bullet in him wouldn't hurt.

It was almost two weeks after telling Ellie the truth when Chuck came up and laid down after another day that left him wondering how doing nothing could be exhausting only to hear beeps from his desktop. Sitting up he saw the screen was black with 'CHUCK' written across it.

"Orion?" he asked looking at the screen, which suddenly was replaced by the coded silhouette.

"Hello, Chuck. I hope the Governor arrived."

"It did," he said holding up his wrist. "I could feel it working the second I put it on and haven't had it off much since."

"I'm glad. I'll try to make others in case that one breaks."

"That would be great, but we have other stuff to talk about."

Orion nodded. "I hope everything alright?"

"Some things have changed but they're great," Chuck assured. "First I should ask if you've made any progress on the upgrade or removal?"

"Some," said Orion. "The removal is still proving difficult to grasp. I think I may need certain equipment I don't have access to at the moment before I can complete it, but it's still awhile before I need to worry about that. As for the upgrades, I've been compiling data for some language modules. Once I have a few more I'll work on encoding them for an upload."

"Great, but…" Chuck took a breath in preparation of which he imagined would be a bit of a hassle. "I told Ellie about you and she wants to help."

Orion stared at him through his sunglasses, but Chuck had a sense he was a bit angry. "You told your sister? Why would you do that?"

"I told her everything. Me and Sarah told her all about the Intersect, you, The Piranha."

"You told her about-" Orion shook his head, "Agent Walker knows you're the Piranha?"

"She was the first person I told."

Orion gaped for a moment, then sighed. "You've put Ellie in danger telling her-"

"No, I haven't. She'd be in danger not knowing. This way she knows to look out for people who come around asking odd questions, can warn us they're around, and if she's ever captured knows something so they won't just kill her because she doesn't." His voice was steel as he said, "You want to complain about her being involved then you shouldn't have gotten us involved, but we have been since before Morgan died, only now we know it."

Orion's head sank and he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Chuck exhaled, cooling off. "She wants to help us. She said the way the Intersect works sounds like you treated it like a program, but she knows how the brain works. We went and did a bunch of scans at the hospital."

"They can-"

"I wiped the records afterward. It was all off book. She wants to help rework the upload so it does less damage." Chuck sat back in his chair. "I thought I'd give her the laptop you sent so you can communicate with her directly. Clearly you can contact me in other ways, and I'll still have my other one."

Orion seemed to smile briefly. "Perhaps with her help we can speed up the removal program's completion."

"Any chance we can get the upgrades sooner?" Chuck asked with a laugh. "I'm supposed to be taking some analyst tests soon and want to-"

"You're what?" Orion snapped.

"I'm taking analyst tests. I thought the upgrade could help."

"They're making you an agent?" Orion asked, anger in his voice.

"Not really. Just seeing if I can work as the team's unofficial analyst, but I figured if I do well I can convince them to-"

"Don't, Chuck. You're not like them."

Chuck's brow knit. "I know, but I can still help."

"You're already helping more than you need to. Let the agents handle the rest. Just focus on your own life and your sister's."

Chuck's jaw shifted slightly. "Can you get the upgrades done in the next few days or not?"

"No, but Chuck, I-"

"Then worry about working with Ellie," he said getting out of his chair, "I can handle myself."

Orion watched Chuck go to his closet to get the Orion computer for Ellie, his frown unnoticed on the screen before he disconnected the call. Once Ellie got home Chuck gave her the computer, which she put in her bag for now since Devon was home. "I'll try to talk to him at the hospital tomorrow."

"Don't forget to use the detector I gave you," he said, having given her the first he made while keeping his newer model.

The next day she'd managed to make contact with Orion and spent the night looking over files he'd sent on his computer. So for the first time in years both Bartowskis spent their nights studying.

It was the day of his first test that Chuck made his way to Casey's and found he and Sarah waiting for him. "You both here to make sure I don't cheat?"

Sarah shook her head while Casey grunted. "I wonder if you even could."

"That isn't part of the spy exams? Some elaborate test where the whole point is cheating without getting caught?"

Sarah snickered and shook her head. "No."

"I'll go get it setup," Casey said heading over to his computer, leaving Chuck and Sarah stood in his living room.

"You nervous?" she asked watching him rubbing his palms together.

Chuck shook his head. "Not really. More anxious, I think. Excited maybe."

"Excited for a test?" Sarah sighed. "You really are a nerd."

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No. Excited for what passing these will mean."

Her brow knit, Sarah asked, "What will they mean?"

Looking as though it were obvious, Chuck answered, "That I can be an agent."

"What?" she asked, putting on a stoic expression to keep her face from dropping.

"I pass this, prove to them I can be an analyst, and then all I have to do is convince them to make it official. Then I can be a real part of the team. I can be a real agent."

"No," she said making him meet her gaze. "You'll never be an agent."

Her unflinching tone made her words a dagger to the heart. Hearing it from her felt like the blade had been soaked in poison. He felt it spreading, the cracks stretching across him, so he pushed his lips up to support himself.

"Guess I'll just have to settle for being Batman," he said with a shrug, making his way to Casey at the desk.

"Alright," Casey said standing behind the desk and pulling the chair. "Come on, Chuck. Let's get you certified for mission planning."

Sarah had seen it. She'd saw the light ripped from his eyes, his fledgling smile crushed before he forced a bigger one to take it's place, but it was just a shell. And it was a shell she watched take his seat at the computer.

It was a shell who stood up two hours later, and told Casey as the NSA agent looked up from his paper. "I'm done. I passed."

"Good," Casey said folding the newspaper. "We'll do the next one tomorrow."

Chuck gave a slight nod. "I'm going to take a shower," he said walking straight out of the apartment, and by the time Sarah started toward the door he was already in his apartment.

Unfolding his paper again, Casey sat back in his chair. He didn't know what happened, but he knew something had, and that was enough for him to say, "Nice work, Walker."

After her knocks and calls went ignored she'd been tempted to pick the locks and go talk to Chuck but didn't want to risk it upsetting him, so she went back to her apartment. When he still wouldn't answer her calls that night she contemplated calling Ellie and having her force him to talk to her. Ever since the talk the women had met a few times to talk, and though Sarah had been careful to never admit to anything Ellie clearly knew Sarah cared for Chuck. The problem was he didn't seem to believe it as much as Ellie did.

Sarah didn't regret what she said, only how she said it. What she'd meant hadn't been in her words despite her words being what she wanted. It felt so typical for her to screw up something that seemed so basic, and should have been easy. She'd agreed with Bryce that she was bad at this stuff, but she'd been so good at it with Zondra.

The difference, she realized, was Chuck. He'd been there to support her through his little text messages, bolstering her. Despite him being right in front of her, she didn't have him supporting her when she was trying to talk to him, to let him know what she felt while staying on the line they had to walk.

When her alarm went off the next morning she nearly threw a knife through it, but then remembered who gave it to her and stopped. She'd already stabbed him in the back, no need to add insult to injury.

She didn't know how, but she was determined to figure out some way to make it up to him today and apologize. Knowing Chuck he'd brush it off and try to act like it was fine, but she'd make sure she figured out a way to make it right.

However when she arrived at Casey's that morning Beckman called them. Once they were in front of the screen and it came to life she told them, "The asset's testing will be put on hold. We have need of him."

Sarah almost winced. The test being stopped would hurt. "Should I bring him over then, General?"

"I'll get him," Casey said bowing his head before leaving.

Sarah kept her face stoic as she watched Casey cross the courtyard. She saw him knock on Chuck's door, and he answered it a few seconds later while buttoning his shirt. She could see him say, "Bit early, aren't you?"

"Test is canceled," Casey told him, and Sarah watched Chuck's face crumble as Casey told him they had a mission and made his way back to the apartment. Chuck followed behind, his brow sunken until he made it to the door and she saw him enter with an even expression, his bottom lip stuck out slightly as he tried to force a jovial smile.

"So what's the mish?" He asked walking over to the couch and turning to find General Beckman on screen.

"Someone broke into the secure facility housing the new Intersect," she told them.

"What?" Chuck asked, his shock real and clear while the agents hid theirs better.

"It is still in tact, but it wasn't finished. The thieves stole a key part of the Intersect computer." with the tap of a button a window appeared on the screen showing the stolen device. "It's called the Cipher. Consider it the brain of the Intersect. Without it all we have is a husk. We've been tracking it as best we can, and out Intel tells us it may be in the possession of the former KGB operative Sasha Banacheck. We believe she's in town to sell it."

"So if we think she's got it why don't we grab her and find out?" asked Casey.

"Sasha Banacheck was in a Bulgarian prison for seven years," Beckman said bringing up images of Banacheck killing people. "They got nothing out of her. The good news is one agent was able to get close. He's the reason she went away, and he knows more about her than anyone alive. That agent is Roan Montgomery."

"Crap," Casey said, earning looks from Chuck and Sarah, who fought of laughter "The guy hates me. My supervisor in operative training. Flunked me twice."

"Well, he's off the grid now. Use the Intersect to find Agent Montgomery."

"Aye, aye, General," Chuck said with a stiff salute. His voice dripping sarcasm.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Bartowski?"

"No Ma'am, General, Ma'am. Just ready to do my duty as the Intersect. Now what am I Intersecting?"

Beckman stared at him for a moment, then tapped a button bringing up an image of Roan Montgomery, and Chuck saw not only his address but quite a bit more of him than he'd have liked. Despite not changing Chuck's belief that no man looked good in a speedo, he'd been constantly surrounded by beautiful women.

Shaking his head Chuck inform them, "He lives in Palm Springs." Casey quickly jotted down the address he told them while asked. "Is that it?"

"It should prove helpful," Beckman said with a nod.

"Great," Chuck said clapping his hands. "Then if there's no need for the Intersect, the Intersect will go finish the shower it started. Intersect out!" With a parting nod to Beckman Chuck said, "General, Ma'am."

Casey and Sarah were baffled watching him leave and quickly return to his apartment as Beckman asked, "Is there a problem with the asset?"

"No, General," Sarah quickly assured, "I have the situation under control."

"See to it you do," Beckman said ending the call.

"We going to be okay here, Walker?" Casey asked while grabbing his things.

She stayed quiet all the way to Roan's house, where they found him passed out drunk and carried him to the car and up to Casey's room, but he was out of it. They tried everything but clearly he'd either been drugged or out on a bender. Sarah had stayed at Casey's all day waiting for him to wake up, trying not to stare out at the courtyard hoping to catch Chuck, but Roan never woke up so she went back to Maison23.

The next morning Chuck was still stewing as he shoveled some kind of cereal into his mouth. He hadn't even paid attention to what he poured in the bowl, nor did he really care as long as it shut his stomach up for a few hours. If they weren't going to let him take the test and he couldn't open the Orange Orange on his own then he'd fill his time as the Piranha. He was fine on his own there.

"Morning, Sunshine," Devon said leaning over to kiss Ellie as she poured her coffee across the table from Chuck. His suggestion of a shower quickie left Chuck grimacing as he forced himself to swallow the mouthful of cereal he had rather than regurgitate it like he wanted.

"Sorry, Chuck," Ellie offered him before looking to Devon. "And you know what? It would be nice if we had some romance on occasion."

"I got a good 42 minutes before I have to perform an emergency endotracheal intubation."

"That's very funny," she said drolly. She must've meant business because she started waving a finger around as she continued, "Do you realize you haven't taken me on one single romantic date since we've been engaged?"

"Took you out last week," he said eating a grape.

"To Arbies… with Chuck. It's not exactly every girl's dream. No offense, Chuck."

Chuck shrugged, looking into his brow. "I'm used to it," he said barely audibly, knowing any louder would throw Ellie into a panic.

Devon nodded. "I guess I've been remiss in the romance department."

"What we need to be is more like Chuck and Sarah," she said with a smirk as she turned to him.

Dumping the spoonful he'd taken he looked up. "Excuse me?"

"Every time you see her, your eyes light up." Her sincerity turned teasing as she asked, "I mean, how do you keep that spark alive?"

When he only gave an uncertain groan Devon turned to him. "Come on. What's the secret, bro?"

"You know what? We-We kind of just… You know, we pretend like we're not really dating. It forces me to… have to win her over again and again." Ellie cooed as he forced a smile before looking at the bowl, stabbing his spoon into the milky cereal and muttering through grit teeth, "And again."

"That's so sweet." Turning to Devon she told him, "Honey, see, all I'm talking about is an evening of wining and dining."

"I hear you babe. Mission accepted." Devon kissed her, smiling as he watched her take her coffee to their room and waiting until they heard the door close to turn toward Chuck. "Bro, you got to help me. I can't screw this up. She's been so busy lately, if I'm going to pull her away it has to be special."

Chuck realized part of what was keeping her busy was his fault. She was working with Orion. Chuck wouldn't be surprised if he found out she'd gone to her room to look over files or make notes. The least he could do to make up for butting into their time was help his brother-in-law out.

"Come on," Devon pleaded. "Ellie's told me stories of some of the stuff you did for Jill and the girls before her. You're out of practice, but you were good at it. Help me out here."

Chuck stared at him for a moment before putting on a dubious expression. "You know you're asking me to help you bang my sister, don't you?"

Devon winced. "Oof, didn't think of that. Sorry, bro, never-"

Chuck held up a hand as Devon started to get out of his chair. "Hold on, I'm kidding. It's fine."

"You sure?" Devon asked. "I don't want it to be weird."

"I've gotten numb to a lot of this back when she was still sending me out for tampons," Chuck said with a sigh, pushing his bowl away from him. "She was always clinical with that stuff."

"Comes with the job," Devon said, pride for Ellie in his smile as he sat back down.

"Yeah," Chuck said unenthused. "But she wants romance, right? So think about what else she wants. What does she like doing with you? What does she like to eat? If you're staying in then what's her favorite movie."

"I don't know," Devon said in a panic.

"Casablanca," Chuck told him quietly.

"Right," Devon sighed. "I knew that."

Chuck saw his brother-in-law-to-be's anxiety and felt sympathy for him, and envy. He wasn't in the limbo that Chuck was. He got to be with the most important person in his life. He was her equal, not only in their professional lives but in their personal life. They could be open with each other. They weren't limited by being under a microscope. Devon wasn't losing a battle with time until Ellie finally had enough of how stilted things were and realized how much better she was than him and left him in the dust. Ellie didn't have Bryce Larkin waiting in the wings to claim her and prove he was the better man for her.

He decided then that he would tap into some of what he'd imagined doing for Sarah. At least someone could get some use from it.

"Look if you're not sure what she wants… just go full blown cheesy romantic. It's generic, yeah, but it still shows you care, right? Go get a ton of rose petals and put them all through the apartment. Honestly if you think you have too much you probably need another third, you want it to be annoying and to find petals for the next month. Each time she finds one she'll be a bit annoyed, but she'll also remember what you did, all the effort you put in, and it'll brighten her day. Buy as many flowers are you can and put them all over. Load up the arms of the couch, but leave the cushions with just the petals so you can still sit. Load up the table between and around the settings. Make sure it's something fairly light but filling. Maybe even stuff you can share.

"If it's night make sure you have candles lit. Check them all beforehand too if they're scented. You don't want anything too strong, and you don't want ones that don't mix well or scents that clash. If you're not sure about what kind of music will get her in the mood throw on some soft jazz. Make sure it's nothing too heavy or it could pull you out of it. Lyrics are debatable, but if the singers got a good voice go for it. Just as long as it's not too loud because you want to be able to talk with her, and more importantly you want to be able to whisper.

"She wants romance, so dress up, but if it's home don't do too much. If you're in a suit or something she'll think you're going out and be disappointed you're not. Even if it's only for a second, that could give you a point against you that you don't need. If it's home keep it casual but nice. If it's a surprise try to let her know enough to dress nice instead of coming into everything in her scrubs. Casablanca's a good enough movie for this kind of stuff so go with it if that's what you're doing, otherwise maybe don't bother with a movie. Just spend the night talking until you're not."

Devon stared at Chuck as he spoke. It was almost clinical, his voice even, almost unemotional or detached before he took a breath and shrugged. "I'll assume you can handle the rest."

"I got it," Devon said with fervent nods.

"Just let me know when you're going to do it so I can busy myself. I don't want to hear whether you fail or succeed, and if you do either I doubt either of you will care to consider my delicate ears."

Devon chuckled as he got to his feet along with Chuck, who went to dump his bowl in the sink having lost his appetite. "I can't thank you enough, Chuck."

"I'm always happy to help, Devon," he said stopping beside him and patting Devon's shoulder, his lips pulled into a cautious smile. "It may not be official yet, but you're the only brother I got, so I'm always here for you."

Devon's face brightened before throwing his arms around Chuck, who choked on a laugh as the air was forced out of his lungs. Chuck returned the hug, just as Ellie walked into the room and paused, a grin stretching across her lips and eyes turning glassy at the sight.

When they broke apart and spotted here she beamed and rushed over, throwing an arm around each of them. "My boys," she said proudly.

AN:

This is another fusion chapter so pardon if it's clashing more than usual.

I knew early on Seduction was one of the plots I'd move up timeline wise, but hopefully the new slant makes it near as interesting. Sarah's foot-in-mouth moment is going to resonate for a bit. As much as I liked Season Two, it felt very inconsistent with the relationship stuff. While they can be cathartic this won't be a fic where she has to crawl back to him, so to speak, so not much Sarah bashing intended or anything.

I'm not doing the Break Up's ending, but this is kind of what I wished happened afterward. I thought it would've been interesting to see Chuck pull away, try to act as cold to Sarah as she often did him.