CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #1: Welcome back, everyone, it's been several days since chapter two was unveiled. This is the moment where things intrigue, where the rubber meets the road, where the dramatic music kicks in just before the ad break! This chapter has gone through several drafts in order to make it work narratively. People will have opinions about it, that I can guarantee hehe. I went back and forth on this chapter, trying to find the right lane to place it in where all the characters are concerned. In the end, I think I found a middle ground that I think fits the characterization of the characters. Either way, I hope all of you enjoy this one, it's the beginning of the central plot of this tale.

CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #2: I do want to address one thing that I think some people haven't understood about this story. Chuck as portrayed in this story has a far more modern view of his relationship with Sarah. As has been stated previously in this story, Chuck had no right to Sarah before they were actually in a relationship. Their cover is a professional relationship. They are close friends, but until they establish that they are an exclusive couple, Chuck has no right to be jealous. Sarah wasn't "cheating on Chuck" she wasn't "sleeping around" nor was she "betraying Chuck." In reality, Sarah Walker was doing her job. And before you all call her a slut for enjoying her time with Barker (on some level,) you wouldn't say that about a man, just a woman. It's a double standard that I don't subscribe to. Sarah has the right to sleep with whoever the fuck she wants as long as she isn't in a committed relationship. I'm a charah shipper at heart, but I don't believe that Chuck and Sarah should never, ever, ever be allowed to be with other people for the sake of the narrative, that's just needlessly limiting. So, to sum, Sarah didn't betray Chuck by sleeping with Cole Barker, full stop, end of story. *shrugs*

CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #3: No beta readers were harmed in the construction of this fanfic.


Numb

A Story by
CharmingCharles2896

Chapter Three:
Wake Up

In the days following Chuck and Sarah's breakthrough, things had gone well. The two of them were still figuring things out where the they were concerned, but a routine had most certainly developed. Morning cuddling had quickly become the highlight of the day. They hadn't had the love making conversation yet, both of them taking things slowly for now. When Sarah had finally seen Chuck without a shirt on, it had become clear that in his depression, the nerd herder had lost almost ten pounds from his lanky frame. Emotionally, his dreams were one of the last major parts of him that hadn't fully recovered from his all-time low point. Sarah hadn't expected the dreams to haunt him so badly, but she found herself comforting him more than once. Each dream was the same, something straight out of a cuckold porno. Sarah hoped that with time, the scars would begin to fade and the two of them could be happy.

Today was their last day at the cabin and for Sarah Walker, she was both happy and sad. Sarah was happy about it, because it meant returning to Burbank and starting the rest of her life with Chuck Bartowski. On the other hand, she was also disappointed, because it meant leaving this romantic place. At the moment, she was in her absolute favorite place in the entire world, that being snuggled up against the man she loved in the glow of the early morning. Part of Sarah hated herself for pushing this man away for so long, denying herself this amazing feeling. On the other hand, she wasn't ready emotionally at the time. This would have terrified her just six months ago. Regardless of exactly why, how, or when it happened; Sarah Walker had grown a tremendous amount as a person. She was thinking things, imagining things that would have scared her to death just six months ago. Just the previous night, Chuck had asked her if she ever thought about children, a house, the typical American dream. To say that Sarah had been caught off guard would be an understatement.

The Night Before…

"I don't know," Sarah answered into Chuck's chest as his hand rubbed gentle circles on her bare shoulder. "Before I met you, I was certain I'd never have that life. Somewhere down the line, I made one wrong turn on the trail and missed my chance to be normal."

"One turn?" Chuck replied, only for Sarah to nod.

"For the longest time, I felt undeserving of such a life. Who was I to want such things? The daughter of a conman wanting a house and kids? How could a person who grew up swindling people while dressed as a girl scout ever deserve such a happy life? How could a trained killer ever atone for her sins enough to deserve such a wonderful life?"

"What about now?" Chuck asked simply. Sarah stopped to think for a long while, so long in fact, that Chuck began to think she was asleep. "Sarah?" Chuck called no louder than a whisper.

"Just thinking of myself as a mother. Do you think I'd be a good mom?" When she looked up at him, he saw vulnerability in her eyes. The loving smile that appeared on Chuck's face, shone like the sun.

"Sarah Walker, you would be the best mother in the entire world." The pure conviction and unshakable belief in his eyes was almost too much for the blonde. She couldn't stop the hint of a blush that crept up her cheeks, turning her cheeks an adorable rosy color.

"You really think so?" she asked softly, the love in her eyes clear to see through the quickly developing glassiness within them.

"Beneath the deadly, badass exterior, is a woman capable of endless amounts of love and warmth. The day when you allow yourself to retire that badass part of yourself, will be a wonderful occasion. When that day comes, the entire world will finally get to see what I've always seen within you." Chuck's love was almost too much for her, it was blinding, all consuming, and yet so undeniably wonderful. She didn't know why she was the one he loved, but she cherished it more than her own life.

"I love you, Chuck," Sarah whispered softly, as she moved to kiss him. As her weight rested atop the herder of nerds, their lips continued to meet in their loving moment. As they separated, Sarah saw love and adoration in Chuck's eyes.

"I love you too, Sarah, more than I could ever express with words."

The Present…

Sarah was broken from her memories by the loud sound of pounding at the front door to the cabin. Chuck and Sarah both tensed, the two of them sharing a look. When the knock sounded again, a voice followed this time.

"Agent Walker?" Chuck and Sarah sat up in an instant, neither of them knowing how it was possible they'd been found, they were off grid. Chuck and Sarah looked at one another once more, an entire conversation happening in total silence. In a flash, the two of them burst from bed, clothes flying as they put themselves together. With Sarah now dressed in some jeans and one of Chuck's Stanford t-shirts, Sarah grabbed her pistol. Chuck was still fighting with his clothes, the clumsy nerd. Sarah moved towards the door, her pistol at the ready, the safety switched off. In a commanding tone, one that hadn't been used in over a week, Sarah spoke.

"State your business." There was a long pause on the other side of the door, one that made Sarah nervous. In a flash, the blonde assassin made for the other end of the cabin, to the bathroom which had a small window in the shower. Throwing open the shower curtain, Sarah gazed through the window, checking for anyone else. She saw nobody, which was both a good and bad thing. The lack of visible hostiles behind her didn't mean they weren't there.

Sarah heard Chuck behind her. "See anyone?" he asked nervously.

"No, which bothers me," Sarah replied tersely, before spinning on her heels and moving past Chuck. Returning to the front door, Sarah pointed her pistol at the door and spoke.

"You have five seconds to state your business or I am coming out there shooting. One," she counted.

"My name is Stanley F-Fitzroy." The name triggered a flash for Chuck, who saw the file of the NSA gopher. "I've been sent on behalf of General Beckman. Your presence is required back in Burbank for an emergency briefing." Sarah whipped the door open, pointing her gun at the short, mousy looking man.

"Show me some identification before I blow your fucking head off," the blonde assassin growled.

"Sarah, he's clean," came Chuck's voice from behind her. Sarah looked over her shoulder at Chuck and saw the confidence in his features. She raised an eyebrow, an unspoken question clearly conveyed. Chuck nodded subtly, which was all Sarah needed. Lowering her pistol, Sarah turned to face Stanley, closing the distance between them.

"Is this the first time you've had to fetch an agent in the field?" Sarah asked angrily. Stanley nodded quickly, sweat appearing on his brow. "Next time, use an identification challenge, a code phrase, something official. Don't just knock and call out their name, that's how you get fucking killed, you moron." Stanley nodded emphatically, obviously terrified. Sarah took a step back and relaxed her posture.

"What is this about an emergency briefing?" Sarah asked, Chuck now coming up beside her. Stanley reached into his bag and pulled out a printed note, handing it to Sarah, who read it quickly.

Urgent nuclear terrorism threat, return Burbank at once. – Signed, Brigadier General Diane Beckman (DIRNSA)

Chuck and Sarah shared a glance, the two of them understanding the gravity of the message. In a flash, Chuck ran back to the cabin to collect their things. Sarah looked toward Stanley as she spoke.

"The NSA can collect our things and send them back to Burbank, yes?" Stanley nodded.

"I am under orders to escort you both to Lake Tahoe Airport, where a Cessna Citation X that is stored there, is waiting for you. I am told you are an experienced pilot, so none was provided." Sarah nodded as Chuck returned with their bags.

Sarah turned to Chuck and spoke. "Leave them, the NSA is going to get our stuff for us. Just collect our personal effects, I've got to change," Sarah said as she ran back into the cabin. "If you need to do anything, Chuck, you've got five minutes." Stanley stood outside on the grassy patch in front on the cabin while Chuck and Sarah put themselves together. Exactly five minutes later Chuck and Sarah reemerged from the cabin, dressed and ready to go. Sarah held out her hand towards Stanley. "Keys," Sarah said. Stanley looked at her in confusion as Chuck returned.

"Give me the car keys, I'll get their faster than you." Nodding, Stanley obeyed and handed her the keys. With that, the three of them began moving towards the car. Turning back towards Stanley with a pointed finger, Sarah spoke with an intense tone. "If I find a single scratch on my car, I'll hold you personally responsible." Stanley merely nodded, obviously terrified of Sarah. The three of them piled into the government issue sedan that Stanley had arrived in. Turning to Stanley in the back seat, she spoke once more.

"This thing have sirens?" Getting a nod, Sarah looked ahead, flipped the sirens on, and stomped on the throttle. The car lurched forward and back, left and right as they screamed out into traffic. Sarah drove like a bat out of hell, Chuck's white knuckles gripping the oh shit handle the entire time. When they arrived at the airport, Sarah showed the man at the gate her CIA credentials and they were let in. Sarah quickly spotted the large private jet, she hadn't had a chance to fly something this fast in a long time, so in any other situation, this would be awesome. Parking quickly, Chuck and Sarah hopped out of the beige sedan and jogged over to the woman standing next to the plane.

"Agent Walker?" the woman in a grey pants suit called. Sarah nodded in reply as the sound of a jet taking off behind her filled her ears.

"Is she fueled?" Sarah asked over the sound of jet engines. The woman nodded as Sarah spoke again, "pre-flight checks completed?" Another nod followed. "What's our callsign?"

"Pathfinder-1138." Sarah nodded and motioned for Chuck to follow. Chuck had no idea Sarah was a pilot, so this was all very cool and very new. Chuck quickly followed Sarah towards the jet, which was fueled and ready for flight. Walking up the stairs into the jet, Sarah moved towards the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat.

"Chuck, come sit shotgun," Sarah commanded as she put her headset on and began flipping switches and knobs, it all looked so complicated to Chuck. Doing as he was told, Chuck sat down in the co-pilots seat and put his headset on as well.

"Lake Tahoe Tower, this is Pathfinder-1138, requesting emergency clearance for takeoff, over." Sarah called in a tone Chuck had never heard before.

"Pathfinder-1138, you have clearance, proceed to runway 020, squawk 7700 once airborne, over."

"Thank you, Lake Tahoe Tower," Sarah replied as she goosed the throttle and the plane jolted forward. Chuck watched in rapt attention as Sarah maneuvered the plane to the lone runway and took off. The plane was fast, clearly, because Sarah was not wasting any time. As soon as Sarah had the plane at fifteen thousand feet, she looked to the transponder and turned it to 7700, the universal emergency code.

"Burbank Tower, this is Pathfinder-1138, do you read me?" Sarah called in a level tone as she accelerated the plane to over seven-hundred miles per hour. In an instant, the ATC at Hollywood Burbank Airport sounded in both Chuck and Sarah's ears.

"Pathfinder-1138, this is Burbank Tower, we have you squawking 7700, what is your emergency?"

"We are presently 400 miles north northwest of you, travelling at 613 knots, bearing 176 degrees south southeast. This is a priority national security emergency, requesting immediate permission to land." Chuck had no idea what Sarah was saying, but it all sounded so incredibly serious.

A different voice came over the radio after Sarah had finished talking. "Okay, Pathfinder-1138, challenge is Wagner."

"Reply, Valkyrie."

"Copy that Agent Walker, we read you 381 miles north northwest of us, bearing 176 degrees south southeast, travelling 613 knots. You have permission to land on runway 350."

"Copy that, runway 350, thank you Burbank Tower." With that, Sarah sat back in her chair for a moment. The flight wasn't going to be long, at over seven-hundred miles per hour, it wouldn't take them longer than half an hour to cover the distance from Lake Tahoe to Burbank airport. When Sarah finally looked over at Chuck, she couldn't help but laugh at the hunger she saw in his eyes.

"That was the hottest thing I've ever seen!" Chuck gushed, much to Sarah's amusement.

"CIA training, you've got to know how to fly. If we had the time, I'd really put this baby through her paces, but we don't and you'd likely throw up, so maybe another time." The wink she gave him made that desire for her that was presently burning deep inside him, burn even hotter.

"My god, you're amazing. You're smart, funny, caring, a total badass, incredibly beautiful, and now I learn that you know how to fly freaking jets!? What can't you do Ms. Walker?" The adoration in his eyes took her mind briefly from the urgent threat that they were being drawn back home to deal with.

After they'd landed the jet, a person was waiting for them on the tarmac, yet another woman in a grey pants suit, so typically government issue. Chuck and Sarah emerged from the jet and walked towards the woman who motioned for them.

"Agent Walker, Mr. Carmichael, if the two of you will follow me, we have no time to waste." The woman's tone told Sarah all she needed to know. Whatever was happening had all hands-on deck. In no time flat, the nondescript government woman in her government issue beige sedan, had sirens blaring and was blasting down Burbank boulevard at a terrifying speed. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the sirens were off and the car pulled up in front of the closed Orange Orange. Chuck and Sarah waited for the beige sedan to drive away before the two of them entered the government front. After entering her credentials, the freezer door opened. Walking in, Sarah instantly spotted the General, standing there in the middle of the room, a serious look on her face. The fact that the General was in Burbank couldn't be a good sign. Casey was there too and he looked just as gloomy. Whatever was happening was very serious. With a great whoosh, the freezer door closed behind Chuck and Sarah, the two of them walking down the stairs.

"Thank you for coming so urgently. If this wasn't a matter of life or death, I'd have left you alone." The General's conciliatory words bothered Sarah; it sounded like she was being buttered up for something.

"What's going on, your message said urgent nuclear terrorism threat? What does that mean?" Chuck asked, already more engaged than he'd been in months. Chuck saw the hesitancy on the General's face and knew something was seriously up, but she was hesitant to say. Behind Chuck, Sarah made for the armory, where she'd stashed their phones and personal effects, stowing the cover items she'd taken with them. Gathering them, she returned to the main area of Castle. Sarah handed Chuck his phone and wallet, the nerd stashing them in his pockets.

"Thanks," Chuck said to Sarah, his girlfriend nodding in return.

Casey spoke up to get things moving. "It looks like a rogue faction of the Rusovian army has sold a low-yield nuclear weapon on the black market. Normally this wouldn't be our concern, but two days ago, British Intelligence sent a communique that they'd lost track of the weapon somewhere off the California coast. Their man, Cole Barker was the one tracking the weapon all the way from Eastern Europe, but he lost track of it somewhere at sea. MI6 believes that the weapon was moved from a smaller craft, to a much larger ship that we can't seem to identify." The mention of Cole Barker sent a chill through Chuck's entire body, the man going pale in a flash.

"My sources tell me that a member of the Rusovian royal family may be affiliated with the transaction," came the unmistakable voice of Cole Barker off to Sarah's right. Cole Barker walked into the room as suave as ever. "I'll admit, Agent Walker, you had me completely fooled until I woke up the next day. Never would have suspected a thing had you not taken the chip." Chuck's heart was beating so fast, racing even. He was paralyzed, unable to take his eyes off of the man who'd unknowingly inflicted so much pain. Chuck was shaken from his paralysis by the feeling of Sarah's hand in his. Looking over at Sarah, he saw the worry in her eyes, she was worried about him. Knowing he had to pull himself together, Chuck swallowed and nodded, telling her he was okay. Chuck was not okay, he knew it, Sarah knew it, but he was putting on a brave face.

"Why are you here, Barker?" came Sarah's icy tone, shocking the confident British agent. Cole Barker wasn't used to women he'd bedded giving him such an icy reception.

"British Intelligence files say you've got a connection to the man in question, Yevgeni Alexeiavich Volkoff, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Rusovia, first in line for the throne behind his father, Tsar Alexei I." Sarah's stomach dropped, Yevgeni Volkoff?

"That was seven years ago, what could that possibly have to do with this?" Sarah asked angrily as Chuck stayed quiet. Agent Barker merely handed Sarah a document, which she skimmed.

"A recent transcript of a phone call between Yevgeni Volkoff and one of the rogue generals, General Buchov." Agent Barker explained as Chuck looked at the document over Sarah's shoulder.

Volkoff (Translated): I miss being young. I remember years ago, when I convinced the late Langston Graham to let me fuck one of his up-and-coming agents, some blonde bitch name Walker.

Buchov (Translated): Graham, of the CIA?

Volkoff (Translated): Yeah, she was so young, tightest pussy I've ever had, thing was like a vice. (laughter)

Buchov (Translated): If I had a shot at a woman like that, I'd keep her locked up in my shed forever. Can't let good pussy go to waste, eh? (laughter)

Volkoff (Translated): I wonder if she's any better now? She was so innocent back then; I practically made her a woman!

Sarah's eyes were too cloudy from the tears, to continue reading. To learn that her mentor, Langston Graham, had whored her out to one of his underworld friends was humiliating.

"That motherfucker," Sarah growled angrily.

Stepping forward, General Beckman spoke next to move things along. "Your existing connection to Volkoff and his memory of you is a useful bargaining chip. We've been in contact with Volkoff and he'd be willing to share his intel… for a price." Sarah was outraged, this wasn't a mission, this was fucking prostitution. More than that, they'd had a deal!

"This is bullshit, we had a deal!" Sarah screamed at the General. "You gave me your word, General, you promised me I wouldn't have to do this shit anymore." The rage on Sarah's face was plain to see, as was the hurt.

"I'm not some hooker you can sell on the street, I'm a fucking CIA agent. More than that, I'm in a committed relationship now," Sarah said, motioning towards Chuck.

"Come on, Agent Walker, be a professional. This is nuclear terrorism we're talking about," Agent Barker said as he moved towards her. In a flash, a knife was in Sarah's hand, deadly intent in her eyes.

"Move one step closer and I'll make you into a woman right here. Then, you can go fuck him and see how it feels." Agent Barker backed up, sensing the blonde's fury.

"Walker," Casey said calmly, getting the blonde ball of rage to look at him. "We don't have a choice here. If that device makes it onto American soil, millions of people could die." Casey could see that Sarah was beyond pissed. He could see betrayal, humiliation, and what looked like fear, all over her features.

"Casey's right," came Chuck's quiet voice, shocking everyone in the room. Sarah looked over at Chuck, shocked that he was agreeing with them.

"What?" Sarah said in shocked disbelief.

"Do we have a choice?" Chuck asked, the man hating himself for having to take this position. Seeing the conflict in Chuck's eyes, Sarah grabbed him by the arm and drug him off towards the depths of Castle to find a quiet place to talk.

"Excuse us for a moment," Sarah said behind her as she drug Chuck away. Finding one of the holding cells, Sarah quickly unplugged the camera and turned to Chuck.

In a flash, Sarah's fury came exploding out of her. "You're okay with this? After everything that's happened between us, you're okay with this?" Sarah screamed at Chuck as she closed the distance between them. "You understand that this man is not a nice person and he is going to do things to me that will make your skin crawl. You understand that you'll likely have to see or hear every second of it, right? For months you've been depressed because I slept with Agent Barker. It tore you to shreds for months and months, but now all of the sudden you're pushing me at him just like they are?" Chuck saw red.

"Of course not, Sarah. The insinuation that I'm treating you like a hooker is honestly a low blow. I thought you knew me better than that. I don't want you to do this at all, I want you to tell them to take their 'mission' and shove it up their asses, but we can't do that. The last thing I want, is to see you with anyone else, but it isn't about me, Sarah."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Sarah spoke once again. "I'm tired of hurting you, Chuck," Sarah said, reaching her hand out to caress his cheek. The emotion in her eyes broke his heart. "This man is evil, Chuck, pure evil. The last time I was with him was horrible and I don't want either of us to have to go through that." Sarah looked down at Chuck's chest, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

"I made you a promise to be faithful, Chuck. The era where orders were orders is over for me, it has to be for us to have any chance. We can't have this looming threat hanging over us. The possibility that I'll have to go out there and give my body to someone else is something that will doom us, I know it." Looking back up at Chuck, Sarah spoke in a sad tone, knowing what she said next was also true. "The fact that a nuclear weapon is somewhere out there, potentially aimed at striking American soil, scares me. It's the kind of threat that transcends all other considerations, Chuck." She saw him nod at that. Sarah could see the acceptance in his eyes, the understanding of the truth in her words.

"I won't lie to you, Chuck. Seducing that man will be the hardest thing I've ever had to do, for a multitude of reasons. If I agree to do this, it will take a long time and a lot of love from you to get me past it. I hate to put you on the spot, but if you think we can make it through this, one last time, then I'll do it. If this is something that will haunt you for ages, then nuke or no nuke, I'm telling them to shove it. I need you to be totally honest with me, Chuck, because this could end us if we get this wrong." The seriousness in her eyes made him feel so seen, it was a nice change from the old way missions played out on this team.

Chuck took a long moment to think, to really chew on this problem, down to the bones. After a couple of minutes of silent contemplation, Chuck looked back into the eyes of the woman he loved and said the honest truth. "The last few days has shown me how wrong I was about many things. I now understand the difference between what we have, and what happens when you seduce someone else. You don't love them, Sarah; you love me."

Sarah watched the determination in Chuck's eyes as he continued. "Seeing you in that situation again will be awful, but not for the reasons you think. Seeing you like that will hurt me, because I know how much you don't want to do it. It will kill me to see the woman I love have to degrade herself like that. But there won't be a single moment where I envy him, because I know that when this is over, you'll still love me." Sarah couldn't help but look away, the love and strength in his eyes made her heart swell, he was too good for her.

"If this needs to be done so that Team Intersect can save the world one more time, then that's the way it's got to be, Sarah. After this is over, we forget about this whole thing and build the life that we want." Without another word, Sarah pulled Chuck in for a kiss, putting everything she had into it to convey the love she felt in her heart for this amazing man.

When their lips parted, Sarah looked deep into Chuck's chocolate eyes and spoke what was in her heart. "I love you, Chuck Bartowski, and nothing is going to stop me from building a life with you."

"One last mission, then we walk away?" Chuck asked extending his hand towards her. Giggling at his silliness, Sarah shook Chuck's hand, a smile blossoming on her face.

"One last mission."

~X~

Chuck and Sarah returned to the main section of Castle, seeing the expectant faces of the three other people in the room. With a stone-cold expression, Sarah spoke directly to the General. "After discussing things with my boyfriend, we've decided that we'll do it, but when this thing is over, consider this my resignation." To say that the General was shocked would be downplaying her feelings on that sudden twist.

"Agent Walker, come on," General Beckman began, obviously trying to defuse what had quickly spiraled out of control.

"No, General; I told you where my priorities lie a week ago. I made promises to Chuck, promises I took very seriously. We want to build a life together and neither of us can make that happen with the prospect of more missions like this hanging over our heads. If your word means nothing, then I can't trust that this will be the last time the two of us will have to be in this situation. We have decided to do this to find that nuke; after that, I'm out."

The General looked at Sarah and saw a woman sure of her convictions, someone who wouldn't be swayed. "I guess that's it then, isn't it?" Sarah said nothing, turned on her heels and left the room. As she walked past Agent Barker, she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down to eye level.

"If you ever come near my boyfriend or I again, I'll kill you." The look of genuine fear in Cole Barker's eyes felt good to Sarah, she despised the prick for what he'd made her become. With that, Sarah stormed off, all of them shocked, all but Chuck who looked equally as pissed off.

Cole Barker was the first to speak, trying his hardest to lighten the mood. "That went well." The glare from Beckman was unmistakable.

"Get out." Barker knew when it was time to leave and beat a hasty retreat. As he climbed the stairs, he glanced at the man who Agent Walker said was her boyfriend. Cole looked at this guy; all he saw was anger and determination. Once the door to Castle closed, the room fell silent, none of the three remaining people talking.

Eventually, Beckman looked over to Casey and spoke softly. "Major Casey, go check on Agent Walker." Casey saluted his superior and left the room, fully understanding that Beckman was going to attempt to undo the damage this conversation had done to the most important member of the team, Chuck Bartowski. Casey hated this, hated what it was doing to his team. He hated that Beckman was treating Walker like a whore, especially after giving her word that those days were over. To Major John Casey, a man's word was all that mattered. If a man betrayed his word, he betrayed himself and his honor. Regardless of the situation, Beckman had betrayed Walker's trust and was going to pay the price. After this was all over, Team Intersect would likely be finished. Without Walker in the loop, there was no telling how they'd get Bartowski to cooperate.

Back in the main conference room, Beckman didn't know what to say to Chuck Bartowski. As she watched the human intersect, all she saw was anger. Beckman moved closer to Chuck. She knew it was a time for decorum and professionalism to take a back seat to good old-fashioned empathy. "Chuck?" Beckman said softly as she walked over to the silent man. Chuck looked over at her, his eyes as cold as ice.

"Yes, General," Chuck said coolly.

"Diane is fine, for now," Diane said to Chuck in an empathetic tone. "I just wanted to say that I know this is going to be difficult." Chuck merely nodded, silently. "I know Sarah made promises to be faithful and the like, but surely you understand the necessity of this, right?"

A part of Chuck understood what this was, but her tone was just insulting. Standing up straight, steel in his spine, Chuck spoke in a clipped tone. "I understand perfectly, General Beckman, and I must say, I'm disappointed in you." Without a word, Chuck turned and left, needing some air to find his center again before it was time to get down to business. The General simply watched Chuck leave, getting the message loud and clear.

Deep in the bowels of Castle, Casey was busy trying to find Walker. He knew the order was merely an excuse to give Beckman and Bartowski a moment, but still. In spite of the seeming futility of the order, Casey was actually concerned about her. She'd quit the CIA; they'd pushed her right out of her career. More than that, this entire situation was degrading. Beckman had literally used Walker like a prostitute, using her body as a bargaining chip. Casey couldn't think of something more disrespectful and humiliating than that. As he turned a corner, towards the locker rooms, he heard her. Never in all of Casey's life would he have believed that he would know what Sarah Walker sounded like when crying. As the women's locker room came into view, the sound of Sarah Walker sobbing filled his ears. He'd never heard her like this and it made him uncomfortable. Regardless, Casey stuck his head in and saw her there, on a bench, head in her hands.

Without a word, Casey walked into the women's locker room and sat down next to Sarah. He knew she was aware of his presence, considering the volume of her cries decreased. "I'm sorry, Walker, I argued against this all morning, but you know how stubborn she is," Casey said, needing to clear the air. He didn't support this, not in the least and the last thing he wanted was his partner believing that he supported such a degrading assignment. To his surprise, he saw Sarah's body shaking a bit. Without a word, he extended his arm around her and pulled her in close, the blonde quickly latching onto him like he was the only thing keeping her rooted to this planet.

"Tonight's going to be horrible, Casey; none of you understand how bad this is going to be. Chuck is so supportive of me, but he has no idea what that monster is going do to me. Chuck will be repulsed by me!"

As Casey heard her words, he knew full well that this was her worst fears talking. Chuck Bartowski wouldn't do anything like that, he'd set aside his own feelings and help her get through this, no matter how hard it was for him. That had been the pattern with Bartowski. The heroic bastard was the self-sacrificing type; willing to subject himself to all manner of horrors to keep Sarah safe.

Knowing he had to say something, Casey spoke softly, "then we'll do everything we can to prepare him." As Casey thought back, he couldn't help but hate himself for that first night, his inaction. "That night with Barker," Casey began, getting Sarah's attention. Sarah pulled back from his embrace and looked at her partner. Casey had never seen her in such a sorry state, she was a wreck.

"I regret how things went down the night you seduced Barker. Early on, I could see Bartowski wasn't going to be able to handle it, I saw it in his eyes. I was checking oi on your audio every half hour or so, just to make sure things were still on track. As the night progressed and it became clear that you were… enjoying yourself, I saw how much he was hurting. I did nothing, not a fucking thing. I just stood there for hours and watched Bartowski die inside, never once offering to take over or give him a break. I wanted to hear you less than he did. In hindsight, I should have insisted that I listen in, instead of him. I have compartmentalization training, not to mention I'm not hopelessly in love with you." That made Sarah nod. "The kid was so obviously crushed, not to mention humiliated. After my shift ended in the lounge, I offered to take over, let him go home, but he said he wanted to see it through, make sure you got out okay. He sat there for another three hours before you finally walked out. After it was over, I tried to say something, tried to make it okay, but he was just…" Casey didn't even know what word to use to describe it.

"Numb," Sarah said softly. Casey nodded in agreement as he went over the events of that night, now knowing how badly it was for the team.

"If I could go back and do it all over, I would have kicked the prick's door in." With building anger, Casey's growl was palpable. "I would have shot him in the fucking head, and taken the stupid chip off of his lifeless corpse, MI6 or not. I'd have prevented this entire mess," Casey said with a tremendous sigh, deflating as he spoke. "But I didn't do any of those things, did I?" The silence that fell over the two of them was one of hopelessness, a numbness to it all, complete indifference. Without another word, Sarah stood; her demeanor reflecting the numbness that Casey had seen in Chuck for so long. Sarah looked at Casey and all the man saw was acceptance.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

Casey waved that off as he stood, "go on ahead, I'll be there in a second." Sarah silently nodded and walked off, leaving Casey alone with his thoughts. Thinking back to that night four months ago, his complacency had let down the team. His partners needed Casey to do something, needed someone to stop the trainwreck from even starting. Casey wasn't going to let that happen tonight, no matter what, nobody was getting left behind this time.


CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #4: So, Sarah's going to have to spend the night with another man... but nuclear terrorism is one of those things that is just... beyond all other considerations. With Chuck's seeming acceptance of the situation, can Team Intersect make it through this, or will this be the end of the team? What has Sarah so nervous about another night with Yevgeni Volkoff? Will Team Intersect be able to find the rogue nuclear weapon in time? All these questions and more will be answer when Numb returns with Chapter four... A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard.

CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #5: Another thing I wanted to touch on is the whole Kingdom of Rusovia thing. So i've made up a country, a Federal Monarchy in the style of the German Empire (Pre WW1). Alexei Volkoff is Tsar Alexei I of the Volkoff Dynast. Rusovia was founded during the fall of the Soviet Union, when Alexei Volkoff and his followers proclaimed the Kingdom of Rusovia. I do this, because it gives me a creative way to have a government that can have any opinion I want, can have any government I want, and can do whatever I want. Don't be surprised if I use Rusovia in the future. I created it for Desire, and am obviously using it here. Just wanted to clear that up.

CHARMING'S AUTHORS NOTE #6: If you enjoyed this chapter, if you hated it, if you have any opinions at all, then leave me a review and let me know! I love your reviews and have gotten so many more than I thought I would for this story already.

Until Next Time :D