For notes and disclaimer, please see part one.

Additionally... I'm sorry for the long absence. My computer has been deceased for a while... There's only so much I can take doing on my iPhone. But, thankfully I have commandeered the boy's computer this evening... so, here we go. Unbeta'ed chapter. ~KG

Spoilers-Chuck versus the Business Trip

Previously, on Chuck - Ellie gets mugged and Casey finds the culprits.

No

It wasn't what she expected, when he went to work for her brother. She imagined things would be better. There would be no more demanding, pressing matters of national security to pull him away in the middle of the night. Chuck was a better boss than Beckman in making sure her John was home for Sunday dinners, for holidays, for even the trivially important days in their lives... like laundry days.

She could barely believe her eyes, however, when she saw the men at the door. They seemed larger than life, like a small army. And she'd seen troops in the courtyard before.

Her heart fell to her toes when she heard who they were after. Her blood ran frigidly cold when she heard them say they were there for Casey. "No," she breathed, her voice catching in her throat.

Ever the honorable man, ever the soldier, Casey stood. He knew what he had done, even if the others didn't. Someday, they would understand that he had done what needed to be done in order to protect them-all of them.

When he came to Echo Park all those years ago, he never imagined that he would find a family. A woman that he loved, a daughter that he cherished, a sister he would always cover, even a "brother-in-law" he hoped to one day bestow with the title officially, and, begrudgingly, a bearded friend. They were all his responsibility. He had sworn oaths all his life to defend his country and they were the chief inhabitants as far as he was concerned.

"What, you aren't going to resist?" sneered Decker.

Casey wouldn't dare give an inch. "No," he said simply.

Decker glanced at Chuck and Sarah. Both wore matching grim expressions as they got to their feet. Both seemed to hold the other back. It was a peculiar sight.

Ellie rose but swayed slightly, like even the faintest, weakest whisper of wind would knock her over. Alex watched, wide-eyed, as her father made deliberate steps toward the door. Morgan appeared the most frustrated. He wanted to help, but without the Intersect, he didn't know how.

What Decker hadn't factored into his visit were the sharp claws that suddenly dug into his leg. His initial reaction was fierce, calling out in pain and kicking. "Damned pest," he growled. The kick, however, didn't remove the embedded claws from his flesh.

"Downy," Casey said calmly. In response, the calico hissed. "Somebody's gotta stay with Ellie."

Downy retracted her claws, easing away from Decker. She backed slowly toward the dining table, moving to stand in front of Ellie and Alex. Her spine remained arched and her ears back.

Casey had never been prouder of his family before, which made his defeat so much harder to take. He nodded at Sarah before holding his hands out in surrender.

Ellie tightened her fingers around the back of her chair, into a ghostly white-knuckle grip as Casey was patted down and stripped of two handguns and a knife hidden on his person. Not that he needed them-she knew he was a force to be reckoned with his fists alone. When he was handcuffed, she stood straighter, taller. She released the chair with one hand, covering the heart-shaped locket at her neck.

Alex couldn't help it, she turned to Morgan as they pulled her father from the apartment.

Morgan held her closely, feeling her tremble all over. He looked past her at Chuck.

Chuck was in awe of his sister's ability to remain standing. He felt like he'd had the rug pulled out from under him so he could only imagine her fears, her worries, her heartaches. She had always been his pillar of strength and reliability. She tried to be okay but when she spoke, he could easily hear the panic in her voice.

"This is wrong. This is all wrong. You can fix this, can't you, Chuck?"

Chuck wanted to answer definitively. He wanted to reassure her. He wanted to erase the last ten minutes from their lives. He knew he had to be the leader, to be the CEO of his corporation. While he attempted to channel Casey's indomitable inner strength, only one word bounced in his head, invading his thoughts.

No.

He couldn't. He could - and he would - try, but as with everything else in the spy world, he couldn't promise her. He couldn't reassure her that everything would be fine. That was what he wanted to do desperately, but the last thing he wanted to do was make the situation worse. Ellie was, at heart, a realist with her feet planted firmly on solid ground. He wasn't about to lie to her, to fill her with false hopes. It would be a disservice to her and a dishonor to Casey.

"We won't leave a man behind," he told her. "Not if I can help it."

"Dad's not... Not a murderer..." Alex whimpered, pulling back from Morgan. She looked into his familiar eyes and murmured her nearly silent thanks.

Morgan squeezed her shoulder supportively. "Casey's never done anything in cold blood, never anything like that..." He looked again to Chuck and Sarah. "Right?" He hadn't know all of Casey's secrets but he was certain they did.

"Of course not," Sarah said definitively. "Casey's a patriot. There's no such thing as a 'former' Marine, and your father is no exception. No matter what Decker says happened, the truth of the matter will always be that Casey acts with honor."

Ellie numbly dropped into her chair. Nearly immediately, Downy joined her, hopping into her lap. Unconsciously, Ellie's hand descended into the cat's soft fur.

Chuck's heart broke for his sister. Becoming resolved, he stood taller. "Alex, until we clear this up, you're staying here, okay? Casey would want you protected and that's what we're going to do. There's a guest room, it's nice..."

Alex nodded.

"Morgan, let's go make sure Ellie's apartment is clear. And yours, with Casey, actually. Sarah..." Chuck looked at his wife.

"I'm on it," she said quietly.

Chuck nodded, guiding Morgan out.

Alex moved to pace in the hall, and Downy instinctively followed, walking with her.

Ellie stood, crossing her arms. "I want to help."

Sarah lowered her voice. "I'm not sure there's much you can do," she said honestly. "They have certain powers as the CIA..."

Ellie nodded. "But, you were CIA, so you would know..."

Sarah's expression softened. "I may have some strings left that I can pull, and I will work every angle for Casey. But, I'm not sure who will still talk to me since I've gone 'civilian.'"

"Sarah, John..." Ellie's voice cracked, breaking.

Sarah hugged her sister-in-law. "I know."

Stay tuned...