A/N I've never understood the hostility toward Morgan. I guess it's one of those things about Chuck, there are so many aspects to it we can all watch it together and still see totally different shows. The Morgan I see is the one who gave that wonderful speech to the hiring manager in Sandworm, Chuck's best friend and absolutely loyal supporter. He grows out of the rest, but never out of that.
"Chuck, you are aware, I hope, that Hawaii is the fiftieth state of the Union? It has been for some time."
Chuck was the only one who succeeded in keeping a straight face, although Ellie and Sarah at least made the attempt. Casey and Carina didn't. Even Beckman herself had a twitch to her lip, if you looked, and he did look. He'd been dressed down by her more often than he wanted to admit, been the object of her withering sarcasm, more cutting than any of Casey's snide remarks. But he'd never been razzed by her before. She never would have called him 'Chuck' if she'd been serious. "Yes General. Clearly my sister's coaching in the fine points of U.S. history and geography has been less effective than we all hoped." On one of the insets of his monitor, Ellie's mouth dropped. Sarah laughed and bumped shoulders with her.
Chuck could get used to briefings like this.
"Good. Now that that's settled, let us move on to other matters of grave importance. Mr. Grimes is in Hawaii and the Ring is seeking him there. Why?"
"Well, as to the first, Morgan has always had a dream to become a hibachi chef, and he went off to Hawaii with his girlfriend Anna to learn at Benihana." Chuck put up a bit of video he'd stolen and kept for himself, Morgan's moment of triumph, the day he'd quit the Buy More, Anna all over him and nothing else, above the waist. To the other greenshirts it was an inspiring moment.
Casey rolled his eyes at the display. "That makes about as much sense as anything else in Grimes' life," he said, less than inspired.
"At least he's got a dream, Casey," said Ellie.
"Yes, and kudos to Mr. Grimes for aspiring to be more than he is, but the question is why would the Ring want him? Surely they can get their own hibachi chefs, should they need one."
"They think he's Charles Carmichael."
The train that had been so smoothly and swiftly cruising across the Great Plains with picturesque views on either side, suddenly missed a bridge and went crashing into a ravine that shouldn't even have been there. Only Chuck could keep track of all the reactions in all the little boxes on his screen, but fortunately for them he was above petty things like blackmail.
"Explain," said the General, in a strangled voice.
Chuck waited politely until Casey had finished wiping the tears from his eyes. "The most the Ring could have known was that Charles Carmichael was based out of LA. Morgan and I both left at about the same time, in opposite directions. Since then—"
"Since then we've been involved in some operations that went off like clockwork, with you kept safely out of the way in your insulated bunker."
"Yes, thank you Casey, for that analysis." Especially since it agreed with his own.
"What happened to Morgan, Chuck?" said Sarah.
Another image popped up. "Alejandro Fulgencio Goya, premier of the tiny nation of—"
"Costa Gravas," growled Casey.
"Why, yes, Casey, I do believe you've vacationed there a time or two. Not that most of us would consider two weeks inside the walls of a tropical fortress a vaca—"
"Don't remind me. Three times that little weasel got away."
"Make it four," said Chuck. Several news photos popped up. "He was in Hawaii last week, trying to enhance his country's image, but more importantly researching ways to make his country more tourist-friendly. As part of this tour, he got out among the people at a local restaurant." Three guesses which one.
"Grimes was there?"
"As a trainee." Other photos started popping up, blurry figures in the background circled. "The Ring must not have any hibachi chefs of their own. It looks like they tried to substitute an agent for one of the chefs in the restaurant, and I doubt he was very convincing. Something happened, but we have no clear evidence as to what."
"Let me guess. Knives, flames, and people running screaming into the night?"
"Something like that, yeah."
"Sounds like a typical Carmichael op to me."
"Yes, and thank you again, Casey, for your insights."
"It does bear a remarkable similarity to that one mission we did, Chuck. You remember it, we had to pass it off as a reality TV program gone horribly wrong—?"
"Thanks for that trip down memory lane, Sarah," said Chuck, jaw clenched.
Carina just had to know. "What were you going to call it?"
Casey smirked. "I voted for 'World's Biggest Loser'."
"They would have sued us, if the show had been even remotely real."
"Okay, getting back to the briefing now…when the dust settled, Goya was alive, the assassin was dead, and one of Morgan's knives was lodged in the assassin's chest."
"So who really did it?" asked Casey.
"Unknown at this time, but Morgan was hailed as the hero of the hour, and extensively interviewed as such." A new box popped up.
"—honestly don't know what I did, Becky, I guess I was flying on auto-pilot at that point, and just went into my move—" The playback paused, catching Morgan with his mouth open.
Ellie spoke into the silence. "His move?"
"The Morgan."
"That's not a move!" said Casey. "That's flinching, with style!"
"Fortunately no one asked for a demonstration."
Beckman leaned forward. "Is this all, Mr. Bartowski?"
"In the day since all this happened, two other Ring operatives have been found, armed but dead. Local authorities have no idea who they really were. They're concerned, since Morgan was nearby in both cases, but he's playing it all blasé for the cameras." Another popup.
"—nothing frightens the Griminator, although I'm very grateful for your concern—"
"The Griminator?" said Carina. "Martin?"
"Maybe we should let the Ring capture him," said Casey. "We'd have them surrendering in droves within a week."
"He's my best friend, Colonel, and a civilian," said Chuck. "He's not a goat to stake out in the middle of the Pacific so you can grab the Ring brass."
"Actually, Chuck, he makes quite an excellent magnet—"
"General, you can't be proposing—!"
She was much better at interrupting. "As I was saying, Mister Bartowski, Colonel Casey, despite Mr. Grimes' obvious attractive properties, we cannot leave him to twist in the wind." She matched Chuck's expression of surprise with her own. "I'm not so heartless as all that, Chuck. Morgan Grimes may not be on our team, but he's on yours, and has been for most of your lives. Whatever his failings—" her expression revealed that in her opinion his failings were many "—that kind of loyalty deserves to be rewarded." Her eyes shifted. "Sarah, Casey, prepare to go to Hawaii and extract Mr. Grimes."
"Uh, General, I have a…social…obligation…this evening…" Casey sounded almost embarrassed to admit that he had a life.
"An obligation that trumps your mission, Colonel?"
"It is…obliquely…related…ma'am. Part of my cover."
She gave him an odd look, but finally nodded. "Very well, Agent…Carina, you shall accompany Agent Bartowski to Hawaii. Mr. Grimes' safety is the priority." Although if you should happen to encounter a Ring strike team or two…
Chuck practically sighed in relief, now that it was official. "Thank you, General."
"Thank you, Mr. Bartowski. I trust you will be on hand to provide support, should any be needed?"
"Of course, ma'am."
"Dismissed."
Casey cut his feed, relieved that he'd managed to not get roped into this Hawaii thing, grateful for once that Carina was there to pick up the slack. The guys in IM had found out about his promotion to Colonel. It would really have sucked for the guest of honor to miss his own party.
Carina did not, strangely enough, leap from her desk in glee at the opportunity to escape dreary DC, instead getting out her flash drive and calling up her main spreadsheet. All her outfits had been carefully vetted to reveal maximum skin while concealing copious weapons. She just had to find one she hadn't worn in Hawaii already. Good recordkeeping is essential to a proper wardrobe.
"Well, we knew this was going to happen sooner or later."
"I had my vote in the goblet for later. I hope you're going loaded for bear?"
"Chuck, it's a simple extraction job."
"Sarah, you're going to be on the same island with Morgan and Carina at the same time. Do you remember what happened the last time those two crazy kids were in the same time zone? You will be armed with every gadget Q ever dreamed up, and some he didn't."
Sarah smiled. "Yes, husband."
Chuck smiled back. "Better. No taking chances with my wife, now." He kissed her firmly.
When he was done she looked at him with a somewhat dazed expression. "I—I have to go pack—or something…"
He nuzzled her neck. "Definitely 'or something'."
"I have to go…" she repeated breathlessly, pushing with no strength.
He let her have her way with him. "Don't think of it as going. Think of it as preparing to be welcomed back."
"I thought you'd be calling," said Ellie.
Beckman saw no need to play the politeness game. "Your analysis, Doctor."
"His behavior is normal for Chuck. His scans are all within the baselines we've established. He had a few mild spikes when he mentioned Charles Carmichael, but I think that's amusement, here. Other spikes, here and here. He doesn't like being reminded of his failures any more than you or I do. All perfectly normal in context, nothing I would consider noteworthy. I wish you'd tell me what you're afraid of, General."
"I'd tell you if I knew. These are uncharted waters, Doctor, and we are the mapmakers. The Intersect Project must not be allowed to fail again."