Don't own Chuck

Sarah slept until mid-morning when she got up then she took a long hot shower to clear her head. The water beat down on her as she tried to relax. Her stress level was high and she'd accumulated a lot of tension over the past few days now she was trying to wash it away down the drain. But as she stood there under the water her worry changed into anger.

"You would think Chuck would've let me know he was all right. He knew I was waiting to hear from him. He could've let the phone ring... Well no that would've been kind of creepy especially if it rang anonymously and I picked it up to hear only heavy breathing. But he's got the functioning intersect he could've come up with something. Oh, Walnut you don't have to agree," said Sarah.

The baby felt like she wanted to do the Macarena inside her. This was the most movement Walnut had ever done and if felt like she wasn't going to stop. Sarah got out of the shower but her bathrobe on then went to the kitchen where she sat down. She hoped by sitting still the baby would calm down but this time it didn't seem to help.

"Gwen, I should call Gwen," she said but she didn't feel like she could get up to reach her phone to call her Ob-Gyn. She sat there in the dark thinking she should do something. She prided herself on always keeping cool in difficult situations but this was different. She didn't know what to do and that terrified her.

"Come on kiddo calm down and let me do something," said Sarah then it hit her. She thought back to when she was little and what her mother did for her. She began singing and rubbing her stomach.

"Slumber, my darling, thy mother is near, Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear, Sunlight has pass'd and the twilight has gone, Slumber, my darling, the night's coming on. Sweet visions attend thy sleep, Fondest, dearest to me, While others their revels keep, I will watch over thee."

And as she sang Walnut seemed to calm down, slowly at first then as she continued to sing she became remarkably tranquil as if she were listening.

"Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest, The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed,
Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm, And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm."

She was finishing the lullaby when Kat showed up. She was going to drive to the airport to get the guys when they flew in.

"Sarah, are you alone? I heard you singing," said Kat as she came in. "I was going to the airport and wondered if you wanted me to take Sam to give you some relief but I see she's not here. What's the matter with you?" asked Kat. Sarah had been sitting in the dark and when she turned on the light she saw her face with bloodshot puffy eyes.

"I don't know what's going on," said Sarah as she described what had happened and how she felt. "But I feel better now. You can go pick up the guys..."

"No, change of plans and you expect me to leave you like this," said Kat as she took out Sarah's phone and called Gwen.

"Don't bother her please. Look I'm fine now it's over and I feel better," protested Sarah but Kat didn't listen to her.

"This is Kathleen McHugh for the doctor she won't know me I'm not her patient. I'm calling on behalf of a Sarah Bartowski," said Kat. "Yes Doctor, I'm standing in front of Sarah and she's going to tell you it's nothing but if you saw her face you'd know it is something. Here let me put her on the phone and she can tell you what happened."

"Hi Gwen, listen I hate to bother you but this is what happened," said Sarah as she went through the description again. "Yes my breathing was rapid... I was cold but how am I supposed to know if I was clammy. ... Yes you could say I've been under a lot of stress. ... I can't talk about it on the phone. National security and all that but yes part of it was work related. ... I know I'm supposed to be on maturity leave but my husband isn't. ... Yes he's part of my stress. ... No don't call him. He's on mission anyway. ... Okay I'll meet you at Westside Memorial in half an hour," said Sarah as she hung up.

"What did the doctor tell you," asked Kat as soon as she hung up. "Does she want to have you admitted to the hospital?"

"She wants to run some tests. She never mentioned any about having me admitted. I need to get dressed then call a cab," said Sarah as she stood up holding onto the chair to gain balance.

"Oh you're just like John. Come on I'll help you get dressed then I'm taking you to the hospital and it will do you no good to protest so come along."

"But what about John and the guys you're supposed to pick them up at the airport. What's going to happen when they fly in and don't find you?"

"John can figure something out. They can catch a cab because you're not leaving my sight until I know you and the baby are okay. What we're doing right now is wasting time so you need to get in gear. Did she say she had any idea what happen to you?"

"She said she thought I might have suffered a panic attack which I passed on to Walnut and that it went away when I calmed down which caused Walnut to calm down."

"Well let's get you changed then get you to the hospital. Where is everyone at? Do you want me to call Ellie and Devon? They could meet us at the hospital."

"No, don't called them," said Sarah as she started throwing things on her bed. "They took the girls for a picnic on the beach so let's let them have the day. I can tell them this evening what happened when they get back."

"And they will be mad at you for not calling. You sound so much like John. You don't have to be Wonder Woman all the time. It's all right to ask for help from your friends and family that's why you have friends and family. What I'm trying to tell you is you don't have to go it alone."

"Chuck accuses me of that but that's the way I was brought up and what the agency taught me. I'm still learning how to be a normal person. Chuck calls me special but for me he's the special person," said Sarah as her eyes welled up again. "Oh look at me I'm becoming a big softy."

"No you're becoming normal," said Kat as she held her, "and that's not a bad thing. No actually it's a good thing. Now let's get these clothes on you so we can get out of here."

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Marcus was leaving his office for the day. He was the banker and broker to some very important and dangerous people. That was how he ended up on the council for Terror Inc. He was there to ensure his clients anonymity and that they received their share of the profits naturally after deducting his cut. This business plan had so far proven lucrative for him. He had jumped on band wagon when Mr. Big formed Terror Inc and was riding the wave straight to the bank.

"Evening Mr. Marcus, are you leaving for the day" asked his secretary as he stepped out of his inner office. At the time he didn't think anything about it.

"Yes I want to get home early. The pool guy is coming by to see where I can build my pool at in my back yard. I don't know why I'm going through with this but my wife wants one so I guess I want one."

"That's usually how these things go. I just need your signature on a couple of documents before you go," said his secretary as she handed him two folders. He glanced at them without reading then signed both.

"Well if you need me I'll be nodding my head as my wife gets her pool," said Marcus as he put his pen away then left the office. As soon as he was gone his secretary picked up the phone.

"He's on his way down now," said the woman as she laid the folders nice and neatly in the middle of her desk. She heaved a sigh thinking that this would be her last day in this office but Mr. Big had arranged for her something better and in the Caymans no less.

"I can work on that tan while I'm at work down there," she said to herself as she left the office. "I wonder if his wife will ever get that pool. Do you really care," she asked herself and she answered laughing. "No not really."

Elizabeth Henry disappeared that night leaving Marcus' offices and has never been seen since. Marcus on the other hand took the elevator to the basement to get his car. He stepped out of the elevator and got a shock. There parked next to his Jaguar f-type convertible was an old hippy van complete with peace signs, flowers and a sign that read 'Make Love Not War'. Worse was it was parked so close to his that he couldn't get in the driver's side.

"This is too much," he said as he walked over to the driver's side wondering where security was. He pecked on the driver's side window and the man inside rolled it down. He looked like a flower power reject plus there was a thick cloud of smoke that rolled out the window along with the earthy smell of something that wasn't tobacco.

"Geez did you drive around town to come here to get high. I hate to tell you Chong but you picked the wrong place to get high. This is a private parking garage and all these places are numbered so you're going to have to leave."

"You want me to go dude, is that what you're telling me?" said the man in the van as he started it up. "Okay man; take a chill pill I'm going." He backed it up but as he did he cut his wheels and there was a loud scrapping sound of metal on metal.

"Stop, stop you idiot," yelled Marcus as he ran over to inspect the damage. "Geez how many box tops did you have to send in to get your license. Let me see your insurance... you do have insurance?" said Marcus but as he was ranting at the flower child another more sinister figure slipped up behind him. Suddenly he felt a hand go around his mouth and nose then there was a strong smell of ether then he was out.

"Where am I," said Marcus as he came to in the back of the van. He had a nasty taste in his mouth of anesthetic. "What's going on here? Do you know who I am? There will be some people you don't want to mess with looking for me."

He felt the van pulled over to the side of the road then stopped. The side opened up and Mr. Big hopped in the back. Marcus looked at him and turned white.

"Good evening Marcus. Leaving the office early I see to meet your pool guy. Well I won't keep you long I just wanted an opportunity to have a little chat in private."

"Mr. Big was all of this necessary? You know you could've simply picked up the phone and called. I always have time for you."

"While I appreciate that I wanted this little... well shall we call it what it is? Kidnapping for a dramatic effect and also so you wouldn't call your friend Cassius before we talked. You see had you called Cassius we wouldn't be able to have this conversation because he would've gotten rid of you."

"Gotten rid of me? I don't think so he's my friend. He'd never do any to harm me while you on the other hand... well just look around."

"Fair enough but believe me Cassius will remove you from the equation because you are the proverbial weak link. I know you people had a meeting before our council meeting the other day and that you talked about removing me from my place on it and from life..."

"I don't know where you're getting you information from but you've got it all wrong. No one is out to remove you from the council or anything else for that matter."

"See now you're just insulting my intelligence. Let's go for a little spin shall we," said Mr. Big as he nodded to his man who tapped the driver on the back of the shoulder. The van pulled out and started driving he felt them going up an on ramp they were on the freeway now. "You know what can happen to a guy if he's tossed out a van at eighty miles an hour not to mention what happens when the car he gets thrown out in front of runs him over. Take it from me it's not a pretty sight."

"I don't know anything you've got to believe me. Please just let me go and we can forget that this ever happened," said Marcus.

"I know you'd like for me to believe that but we both know better. But if you want out hey I'm willing to oblige," said Mr. Big. His man came up to Marcus grabbed hold of him then shoved him against the back doors of the van as the driver accelerated.

"No... no wait don't, can't we come to some sort of arrangement please," said Marcus as he tried to fight off the man. "No please, there has to be something I can give you."

"Marcus, you know what I want. If it makes it any easier I already know you met and Cassis asked if your little group of traitors would back his play after he took out Ettore. But I hate to tell you his plan not only failed it was doomed from the very beginning."

"Wait if you know all this why do you need me to talk?" said Marcus then he realized he'd just told Mr. Big he was expendable.

"Marcus, are you trying to save your hide or are you trying to convince me I don't need you? Because you're doing a good job of convincing me of the later so shall we continue?"

"No wait okay you're right we were all called together by Cassius early before the meeting. The truth we all thought the meeting got moved up so when we got there and didn't find you but him we were a little perplexed. That's when he told us his plan."

"None of you thought about warning me afterwards that this was a foot," said Mr. Big. "My feelings are hurt. I can see how much you care about me and after all those Christmas cards."

"No it's not like that... we... we didn't think he could pull it off. Yes, we didn't think he could pull it off so there was nothing to report. You're saying his plan failed so we were right. He talks a good talk but he fails to deliver."

"Your little group didn't think that the other night when you all agreed to side with him after he eliminated Ettore. Now the question is what do I do with you people?"

"I can't speak for the rest but I've learnt my lesson never again will I make this mistake. Besides you need me. Remember I administer your offshore accounts in the Caymans and it takes my signature to open up the purse strings on them."

"I hate to disagree but you see on your way out of the office you signed some documents. Underneath them was letter to my bank removing you as administrator and replacing you with your secretary Elizabeth Henry who now works for me."

"Why that... that traitor," said Marcus. "How dare she, and after everything I've done for her." Mr. Big smiled on hearing Marcus' word choice.

"Yes it's pretty low and after all those Christmas cards, Get Well cards, office parties. You put your trust into someone then they stab you in the back. It just gets in your craw and it's hard to shake. Well I think we're almost done here."

"Wait you said Cassius' plan failed then you said it was doomed from the beginning. Does that mean you're planning on taking him out? Maybe I can help you. I can find out Cassius' next move and tell you. I could be your informer working on the inside."

"That would be all right if I thought Cassius had any chance of finding Ettore before me but that isn't the case. He's going after the wrong Ettore. I had a GLG 4000 planted on him when he was in prison in Rome. It's a small subcutaneous tracking device developed by the CIA, exceptionally powerful designed specifically for use in the mountainous, cave-riddled border regions of Afghanistan. Noteworthy is it would take approximately six feet of solid steel to dampen the signal. Right now I've got him flying over Mexico on a DC 9 heading for Mexicali."

"That is a game changer. But how'd you get it on him without him knowing?" asked Marcus. This really did change everything. He also wondered what Mr. Big meant when he talked about the other Ettore.

"There was a 'cholera' outbreak in his prison or that was what he was told. They gave him a vaccine or what he thought was a vaccine but actually he was injected with the bug. I think we're done here," said Mr. Big. The driver began to slow down while the other man opened the back doors.

"Wait a minute aren't you going to stop," asked Marcus but before he could say anything else he was pushed out the door. He hit the pavement hard then started rolling. Cars behind the van swerved not to hit him. Drivers yelled insults as they drove around him. He dragged himself to the side of the road in time to avoid being run over by an eighteen wheeler. The driver angrily honked his air horn as he drove by.

"Take me to the airport and step on it," said Mr. Big. "I've got a plane to catch for L.A."

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Casey few into Bob Hope there he taxied over to their hangar and parked the Lear inside. Once they powered down and deplaned he looked around but there was no Kat. He started to get worried because with them bringing Alex home he expected her to meet them. She even told him she'd be at the airport when they flew in. He pulled out his phone but saw Alex had beaten him to the punch.

"Sure Mom don't worry we can take care of ourselves. Tell you what just stay there and we'll meet you then decide what we're doing. ... Good, then it's set I'll tell everyone else here. See you soon," said Alex then she hung up.

"What's up you've got a face that says something wrong," said Casey then an idea came to him. "Is your mother all right? She'd have to be sick not to be here. Is that it?"

"No, well not her she's at Westside Memorial with Sarah, her Ob-Gyn wanted to have a look at her," said Alex then Morgan butted in.

"That's her lady doctor John if you don't know what an Ob-Gyn is. They treat female problems," said Morgan. Casey growled and grunted.

"I know what that is Moron. I know how things work but considering everything you should get one for all your lady problems," said Casey.

"Guys we need to rent a car or grab a taxi then get over to the hospital. This is partly our fault. She started feeling sick after we told her about Chuck so you two behave and I mean it. We're going to go and see what we can do for her it's the least we can do after everything."

"I'll go line us up some ground transport. I can call our downtown office and get them to send us a vehicle," said John as he walked off talking on the phone.

"Did your mother say anything about what's going on? Should we call Becky and have her try to get word to Chuck?"

"I don't know if that's possible. Ettore isn't a very trusting person and the last thing we want to do is to risk Chuck's cover. Mom said Gwen thinks it was a panic attack but she's running tests on her right now. Oh Morgan I can't help but feel responsible. If you guys hadn't come for me none of this would've happened."

"This isn't your fault. The only person at fault here is Ettore and to tell you the truth I wish that wet team had taken him out. If they had then Chuck would be with us right now."

[Not far away]

A black paneled van was parked in the restricted area with the engine running. In the front was a driver and a lookout in the back were three more people. All were suited up in tactical gear and ready to pounce. The man riding shotgun had a pair of binoculars watching the hangar where the Lear taxied into.

"I see the target inside sir," said the man in the passenger's seat into his phone. "The bug guy walked off. Wait no he's back and they're going inside the terminal. ... Roger that we'll circle around front and follow them. When we get someplace where there's little collateral we'll take them out. ... Roger on that," said the man then hung up.

"Okay ladies look alive back there this is about to go down. The Boss says he doesn't really care about the collateral. We're to take Ettore out at all costs."