Don't own Chuck

Anna rode with Morgan in a herder to LAX where she had tickets for a flight to Shanghai. The evening sun was setting and people were getting off work. They were heading home after a day in the office which made the traffic that much more congested but it gave Morgan and Anna that much more time to reminisce.

"So, Morgan if you don't mind tell me have you and Alex set a date yet for your wedding? I expect and invitation by the way."

"No, we haven't. We keep talking about it but every time we set a date something always seems to come up. Do you really want to come?"

"Certainly, the way I see it. I'm kind of responsible for you two getting together. If I hadn't cut you loose, you would've never hooked up with her."

"Maybe you're right or I would've realized we weren't meant for each other and ended it to be with Alex," said Morgan. Anna looked over at him. "What? It could've happened."

"Maybe," said Anna as the airport came in sight. "I've got a deal for you and if you say no I promise no one will ever know about it except you and me…"

"What are you talking about? You're starting to sound like you're trying to say… well you're starting to creep me out. This isn't one of those indecent proposals?"

"You wish or maybe not... I don't know," said Anna as Morgan gave her a look this time. "What I'm trying to say is if you want to come with me to rescue Alex you can. I've got an extra ticket, visas and a back story for us that will get us in country. If you don't want to because you're scared I understand…"

"I don't understand. What was that you said back in Castle about us sticking out like sore thumbs? I don't think that's changed."

"No, it hasn't. I couldn't take everyone with me so I chose you. This could be your big opportunity to show Casey and everyone else what you're capable of. You don't want to keep on living in Chuck's shadow forever, do you?"

"I'm not living in anyone's shadow. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this but before I agree tell me how are we getting into China?"

"Here you're going to need this," said Anna as she handed him a wedding band. "You need to wear that since we just got married."

"Hold up is this the reason you asked me if we'd set a date to find out if Alex and I weren't already married?"

"Something like that. But this will get us in country. The story is I'm taking my new husband home to visit the rest of the family."

"Oh, so this is how you're going to bring your cousin in on this operation. When am I going to meet her? Is she waiting at the airport?"

"No… why do you ask? Have you met her here? If you did I need to know," said Anna as she badgered him with other questions.

"Chill out, this is like at Ellie's Thanksgiving all over again. No, I haven't seen Rebecca nor do I know where she's at. What's up with you and her anyway?"

"Nothing, she's just sitting this mission out. So, I brought you your passport and your visa. I also had some money transferred into your account. I can't introduce you to my family as a deadbeat."

"So, I'm actually going to meet you parents again? I know they like me but isn't this going to be awkward when you tell them this was all a fake."

"Morgan, you're not meeting my real family. There pull into long term parking we can leave the herder there. So, we're doing this… you're coming with me?"

"I guess we are but there's just one thing I need to do before we leave. I need to call Bike Mike and tell him he has the store for the next couple of weeks."

[A Few Minutes Later They're Walking Through The Air Terminal]

Morgan and Anna made their way to their gate for their Cathay Dragon flight 376. It was almost a fifteen-hour nonstop flight and Morgan's phobia was starting to get the best of him. He kept repeating to himself 'yes we can, yes we can' but the closer it came to their departure time it was more 'no we can't'.

"Morgan, what's the matter with you? What are you mumbling? You look a little green. Do you feel all right? Maybe you should go to the restroom and put some water on your face. We've still got plenty of time."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I don't know I think maybe that dim sum I had at Sizzling Shrimp might've been off. I'll be right back, don't go anywhere," said Morgan. Then he got up and went to the restroom nearby. He walked in and splashed some water on his face then looked at himself in the mirror.

"Come on Morgan, I know you're terrified of flying but you've got to hold it together for Alex and you don't want Anna to see you like this. Now splash some more water on your face then get back out there. You can do this."

Morgan splashed water on his face but got some in his eyes so he couldn't see, so he reached out to feel for the paper towels.

"There we go… hum silk. What kind of bathroom is this? I've heard Cathay Pacific is good but silk in the bathrooms of their terminals. Now that's class," said Morgan as he looked up to see the face of a disgruntled oriental gentleman the size of a small mountain looking down at him. That was when he realized he'd dried his face on the man's tie.

"Oh dude, I'm so sorry," said Morgan but the man grabbed him up and body slammed him into the wall. "Ouch! I guess sorry isn't enough. Dude, can't we talk this out?" The man reached to grab him again. This time Morgan ducked so the man grabbed air.

"I've got to get out of here," said Morgan as he ran for the exit only to find it blocked by two other men. "Hey, if I had known you guys need to go I would've hurried up," said Morgan as he backed up. The two men pulled knifes from under their jackets.

"I'm going to have to register a complaint with TSA. How did you guys get those through airport security when I got molested for my belt buckle?" Morgan felt the big guy grab him in a bear hug and started squeezing. Just then the two men dropped in front of the of him both had darts stuck in their backs.

"I think you want to leave my husband alone," said Anna as she walked in retrieved her darts. "Why don't you want to pick on someone your own size," she said as she dropped into a fighting stance then waved for him to come on.

"Anna, do I have to remind you that this guy is more than double your size?" said Morgan as the guy dropped him then shoved him in a corner.

"Shut up Morgan, now isn't the time," said Anna as the man drew a knife too then he literally growled at her.

"Okay, now I'm really going to talk to TSA. Another knife? How do you people get in with these things? I bring a fingernail clipper and I get a full cavity search."

"Morgan, remember what I said before about shutting up, now would be a good time to implement that policy." The man slashed at her but she backed up staying just out of range taunting him.

"My grandmother could wield a knife better than you. Did you ride the short bus," she said and it worked. The more he slashed and missed the angrier he got and the wilder his attack became.

"Now you're mine," she said. He slashed but instead of backing away from him Anna checked his arm and using his own momentum exposing his side. She delivered a side snap kicked him in the knee, buckling the leg and making him kneel. This left him open and before he had a chance to recover she delivered a spinning heel kick that landed square in his face. The man's nose exploded as he fell backwards to the floor making a loud thud.

"Toss me his knife," yelled Anna. Morgan hadn't notice but in the melee, he'd dropped his knife and now it was near his foot. Morgan gave her a puzzled look. "The knife by your foot... throw it to me."

"Oh, right," said Morgan. He bent down and picked it up but as he did the junior mountain got to his feet too. Morgan tossed the knife to Anna as the man stood up. It made a thud as it stuck him in his back. The man yelled something Morgan didn't need an interpreter to understand he was hurling obscenities at him and his family.

"Oh crap," said Morgan as the man turned on him. "I am so sorry," he said as the man reached for him like he was going to try to strangle him. "I always thought Casey was the one who was going to do this."

"Not so fast Oddjob," yelled Anna. She pulled the knife out of his back then leaped on him. Wrapping her legs around his head then driving the knife into the base of his skull. She rode him to the floor then rolled off. However, they just couldn't catch a break. Anna spun around just in time to catch a jade dart with a red tassel in mid flight.

"Very good cousin," said Rebecca as she walked in out of a shadow. "But unlike these men mine is just a warning. Leave this man alone and go back to Taiwan with your parents. You don't want to get involved with this and you certainly don't want to drag Morgan into it."

"I'm already in this," said Morgan. "This man you're talking about has a name, Ettore LaBarba and other than stealing my looks he's taken my fiancée and Chuck's sister and brother-in-law so I think I am in it up to my neck sister."

"What has Ettore promised the Central Government that they'd risk world war III for? You know he can't be trusted."

"It's not what I think that matters. It's what the people in the Central Government believe that matters. This is my first and only warning leave this alone."

"Might I point out the obvious," said Morgan. "You both are in the boys' restroom."

[Back in Castle]

"I wish there was some way we could get to the carrier in time. After what happened with the yacht I don't know if I trust them to board this boat…"

"You mean ship Chuck and this is what they've trained to do. What happened on the yacht wasn't anyone's fault and you know it. That was Ettore's exit strategy but we didn't fall for it and that gives us the advantage here."

"I wish I had your confidence. I know how the intersect works and it always looks for a way out. He has to have a backup plan if this thing goes south too… call it a backup to his backup plan."

"Is that a real thing or are you just tired and anxious? You've gotten no rest since our last mission. Look it's going to take time for Beckman to line all this up. Why don't you go back and take a nap in one of the detention cells? I'll come and get you when we know something."

"I just might take you up on that. But where's mom and how long does it take to run someone to the airport and back? Morgan is overdue."

"I don't know where your mother has gone to but maybe Morgan got tied up in traffic. It is rush hour right now?"

"I guess you're right but something just doesn't feel right and when I feel like this nine times out of ten they aren't. Anna said she had a flight to catch to Shanghai, right so if I put her face through facial recognition then check the gates where all the flights to Shanghai left from then I'd find her. Right there she boarded a Cathey flight to… oh crap."

"What is it," said Sarah as she bent down to get a better look. "Oh crap, let's not jump to conclusions. There's got to be a perfectly good explanation."

"What? Like a voodoo curse or he lost his mind. Whatever happens we can't tell Casey. He'll go ballistic at least not until we know the whole truth."

"We can't let Casey know what?" said John as he walked over to them from the armory. "You should see the girls. I've got them field stripping Berettas in under four minutes and reassembling them in under three. They're better than Grimes. Speaking of Grimes, is he the one you two are talking about over here in whispers?"

"Who us? No, no it's nothing like that. I was just telling Sarah how nervous I am about Beckman's plan. You know after everything that happened with the yacht," said Chuck as he casually switched the monitor off.

"Chuck, you have any idea how many drills these guys go through? They train all the time doing this so I wouldn't worry and as a matter of fact I'm not," said Casey as he came up behind Chuck and patted him hard on the shoulders.

"Ouch! Big guy, you don't know your own strength. I was just about to make a cup of coffee maybe if you come with me you can explain to me more about these drills these guys do. I think it would help me feel better about this," said Chuck as he got up. He wanted to led John away from the monitor so Sarah could switch to a different feed.

"What was it that Sam said before that she didn't like being treated like a mushroom being kept in the dark but I think what we have going on right now is being feed a line of crap," said John as he flipped the monitor back on. There in living color was Morgan getting on a plane with Anna.

"Now John, let's not over think this. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation."

"There is… Morgan's going to get himself killed. He's gone off to try to rescue Alex by himself. Why? What else did you think he was doing? Now the General's plan has to work or Grimes is running in a rat's nest."

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Onboard the Chenxing everything was quiet as she sailed through the night. The first mate was recovering in sickbay. His making it through the night was a first step on a long road leading back to full health. However, his days on the Chenxing were number because just before dawn lookouts spotted a Blackhawk hovering over the horizon dead ahead of them.

"Go get the Skipper right away," yelled the third mate as he kept an eye on the chopper through his binoculars. "What are you doing out there?" A few moments later Yang came on the bridge.

"What's going on now," yelled Yang as he walked through the hatch. "Don't tell me there's another problem? I was trying to get a little rest after this morning's excitement."

"See for yourself," said the third mate as he handed the Skipper a pair of binoculars and pointed at the chopper on the horizon. "We've got company."

"Don't get so cocky just because I had to promote you," said Yang as he took the binoculars. "Now what am I looking for? Oh, I see what you mean but what are they doing out there?"

"I don't know I asked myself that same question. I just looked up and there they were," said the third mate. "I don't know what happened none of the lookouts saw it either." He realized he had to deflect responsibility if he was going to keep his promotion.

"Where did they come from? They didn't sprout out of nowhere. There's nothing on the surface radar. When did they show up?"

"They showed up right before I had you called for and no there was nothing on the radar or at least nothing was communicated to me."

"Like I said before they didn't sprout from nowhere. What are they doing out there just hovering above the ocean."

"I figure they had to come from one of the American bases in Hawaii. Maybe it's some sort of exercise we stumbled across."

"No, we're too far away from Hawaii," said Yang as he studied the chopper. "Not unless it landed somewhere refueled then flew here. Maybe you're right this is some sort of exercise."

"What do you want us to do?" asked the third mate. "We could make radio contact with them and ask what's going on?"

"No, that's the last thing we want to do. If they're involved in some sort of rescue operation we could get pulled in and we can't afford for the to come aboard... no with our cargo. No, let's play it safe and give them a wide berth then we'll adjust our course once we're clear of them. In the meantime, I want them watched in case they change their course and head for us."

"What do you want to do with our cargo? We can't get caught with them onboard you said as much before?

"For now, nothing, but I want that chopper watched. No, on second thought, I want crews standing by the cranes. At the first sign of a problem I want the containers tossed over to side. Whatever evidence will go to the bottom of the ocean."

"What about that American Doctor? What do we do with him? If we do as you say he needs to go too. He knows too much."

"You're right and I doubt if Ettore will bake us a cake with a file in it if we're caught. He needs to go too. I'll have him go to one of the containers then we'll lock him inside then toss him over with the girls. Send someone down and have him brought up here. You know you're almost as good as the first mate. He's going to be laid up for a while so I'd like you to take over his position."

"I really appreciate that and I won't let you down," said the third mate as he smiled with more teeth than a shark. "I can assure you that you won't regret this."

"I know I won't because if I do you'll be dead. I don't want to keep harping on the same thing but if you screw up you'll go over the side too," said Yang as he studied the Chopper hoovering out on the horizon.

As they were talking there was a knocked on the bridge hatch then Devon was shoved through it. He looked at the Yang and the other people on the bridge.

"You called for me? You know it would be a lot easier if your people would bother to learn a little English. Is there something wrong with your man in what you call sick bay?"

"I'd like you to check on him then I was told some of the girls in container two weren't feeling well. I'd like you to go check on them."

"I warned you about confined spaces. I told you it's a breeding ground for diseases and maladies. I should go there first then check on your guy."

"No, I want you to visit my first mate then check on the girls… because… because, if they've got something I don't want them giving it to him… not in his weak state."

"Okay, I can see that. Are you going to come down with me?" said Devon. He could see Yang kept glancing out to sea.

"No, I need to stay here for now. You can come up to me afterwards and report. For now, my man will take you around," said Yang then he said something to the man who came and got him.

"Well let's not wait around," said Devon as he motioned for the man to lead the way. For a moment the man just stood there and looked at him. "You lead the way. It's not like I'm going to be able to run away now is it. Yang, can you explain what I just said?" Yang said something to the guy who smiled back then nodded his head.

"There you go. I think you people say I hooked you up. I told him if you try anything to shot you in a knee cap. You definitely won't be able to run after that and you can still take care of my man."

"And people say you don't have a heart. Just look at you… a regular old softy," said Devon as the guard pushed him out the door.

"Easy on the threads," said Devon as the man passed him then waved for him to follow. "What's your name? My name is Devon." The man remained silent. "I think I'll call you Andy. You look like an Andy to me. What do you say?" The man didn't say anything just led him through the ship until they came to sick bay. The man opened the door then waved Devon inside.

"Xièxie," said Devon. "Sorry, thank you is all I know." The man smiled at him. "Now let's check our patient. His pulse is rapid, he's sweating and he's moaning. The morphine is wearing off and he's starting to feel pain. Andy, I need to measure this stuff out," said Devon as he got a syringe out and a vial. "The last thing we want is for him to survive this but end up an addict. Help me please," said Devon as he waved him over to help hold the man's arm still. He was able to distract Andy long enough to pocket a second syringe of morphine.

"Good job Andy we're done here. Now take me to see the girls."