Chuck could fix most any computer problem under the sun - viruses, broken hard drives, misrecorded ballet recitals - he was good at it. But fixing people? That was Ellie's job, and she'd always been so good at it. Right from when they were very young. But she couldn't fix herself. And even Devon, for all his awesomeness, was helpless in the face of this toxin. So all they could do was wait. Wait and hold Ellie's hand in the hope she could feel them with her, wherever she was inside her head.
"I'm going to fix this," Chuck promised, honest now as he couldn't quite be when she was awake. "I know you think I'm just Chuck, your screw-up little brother, but there's a lot about me you don't know."
The heartbeat monitor gave a little beep, his big sister responding to him the only way she could right now.
Chuck looked to the monitor and back to his sister, feeling her hand soft and warm in his own. "You see, I'm also Chuck, the guy with all these important government secrets in my brain. You can thank Bryce for that, by the way. But, Ellie, I can make this better. I will make this better."
The machine beeped again. It was just a beep, to anyone else. But to Chuck, it was encouragement, support from his big sister.
Maybe it was the silence and the knowledge that Ellie wouldn't remember any of this. Maybe it was the reassurance of that lone beep. Whatever the reason, Chuck let out the words he always held back.
"Everything is so different now. Ellie, everything is so different. I used to be able to come to you and ask your advice about anything. And now, my whole life is like a lie. I just wish I could talk to you about it."
.
.
Devon returned to the room, more subdued than Chuck had ever seen him. He held Ellie's favourite sweater in his hands; the talisman they needed to believe everything was really going to be okay. Devon handed it over, clasping him once on the shoulder before he left Chuck alone with his sister.
Chuck spread Ellie's sweater over her like a blanket, distracted by an unfamiliar object in her pocket. He pulled it out, frowning at the unusual pendant.
A dog. Nuclear explosion. Numbers. Operation Sanctuary. The dog again.
The codes.
Chuck could hardly believe it. Ellie's lucky sweater, being lucky for them once again. He dashed from the room, needing to find Casey, Sarah and Bryce.
.
Chuck saw his three handlers in a standoff against a short looking guy with vials in his hands. But it was peripheral. The only thing that mattered was showing them the codes, getting the antidote for Ellie. So, in true Chuck style, he busted into the room, yelling that he had the codes, and crashed right into a cart. There was a sound like glass shattering, an unfamiliar voice (probably the bad guy's on reflection) muttering about the vial. Chuck looked down, seeing fumes rising from spilt red liquid.
He wasn't a scientist or anything, but he guessed they were all pretty screwed.
The bad guy snatched the codes from Chuck's distracted hand, dashing out the door like the Energiser Bunny on speed. Bryce, closest to the door, was after him like a shot, Casey and Sarah in hot pursuit. Chuck wasn't going to be the only guy left behind - at least not without Ellie's antidote - and groaned as he ran after them.
Casey threw a crutch, hitting the bad guy on the back and knocking him to the floor. A vial of green liquid sailed into the air, Sarah diving to catch it just before it could hit the floor. The bad guy rabbited again, Bryce and Casey both deploying several vigorous curses in languages Chuck decided to be glad he couldn't translate.
Sarah held out the vial to Chuck, her expression expectant. "Here, Chuck."
"No," Chuck protested instantly. "No, it's for Ellie." That was the agreement and it hadn't changed just because a few more of them were exposed too.
Sarah shook her head, eyes understanding but pleading. "There's no debate," she said, proffering the vial again. "It has to be you. You're the Intersect."
"I won't take it knowing that Ellie will die without it," Chuck said, making no move to take the vial. "Or knowing that the three of you have been poisoned too."
"You're a good person, Chuck," Casey said, and it was almost the first compliment Chuck could ever remember from the Major. "And I respect that. But I got a job to do. So take that before I shove it down your throat."
Bryce stayed suspiciously silent, eyes sad and knowing. He probably knew exactly what Chuck planned before it even occured to him.
"Okay, fine," Chuck agreed reluctantly. "I'll do it."
"Thank you," Sarah breathed. She sounded so grateful, so relieved, Chuck almost felt guilty. But this was his sister, so the guilt couldn't fully form.
"I'll pretend to agree to take it and then I'll run like hell to my sister's room and give it to her." Chuck blinked, hearing his entire plan falling from his lips. "Why did I just say that out loud?"
"It's the poison," Sarah explained. "It makes you tell the truth."
Casey cocked his gun. "You do that, I'll give chase to put a gun to your head and threaten to pull the trigger if you don't take it."
Bryce levelled him with a glare sharp enough to kill. "You try that and I'll shoot you."
Chuck stared, wide-eyed at Casey. "Would you really shoot me?"
Casey blinked, surprised. "No."
"Yeah, don't waste a bullet. We're already dead. I'm saving my sister."
.
.
Chuck sprinted back through the corridors to his sister's room, vaguely aware of the agents at his back. But the only thing that mattered was his sister, lying there so still in her bed.
"Hey, sis," he greeted softly, unstoppering the vial. He gently poured the green liquid into her mouth, encouraging her to swallow.
Sarah looked defeated, framed behind the blinds in the window. Bryce, standing in the doorway, was both relieved and terrified, his usual implacable masks fallen away.
"You think it'll work?" Chuck asked softly, almost afraid to hear the honest answer.
"It'll work," Bryce promised, just as soft. "Someone developing an airborne toxin isn't going to be without a cure, just in case. She'll be right as rain in no time."
The funny thing was, Chuck would have believed him without the impulse of the toxin.
.
.
A little while later, while Ellie and Devon cuddled in her hospital bed, Chuck and his handlers (friends?) sat on the floor in the corridor outside.
"You know," Chuck announced, both bleak and morose. "If I had a blog, this would be a really big day for me. Do my laundry? Check. Save my sister's life? Check. Save my own life?" Chuck paused, feeling Sarah and Bryce's gazes on him. "Final entry."
To Chuck's right, Bryce snorted under his breath. He always had appreciated Chuck's occasional morbid humour.
Sarah, however, was painfully earnest. "I am so sorry about all this, Chuck."
"It's okay. It's okay," Chuck said bracingly. "It's not ideal, but I've lived a pretty good life, you know? I mean, how many guys can say they've landed a helicopter and saved the lives of innocent people?"
"Courageous and honourable members of the United States military," Casey replied, absently spinning a bike wheel over and over.
Chuck ignored him. "And, the silver lining is now I don't have to work out my five-year plan again. Streamlined that down to about five hours."
"One last game of Gotcha for old time's sake?" Bryce wryly suggested.
Chuck glanced at his friend, smiling despite himself. "Would you let me win?"
Bryce's indulgent smile said yes, his mouth however said "No."
Chuck shook his head, distracted by a device left on the ground just past Casey. He snatched it up and flashed for the second time. He looked at his standing handlers, Bryce still sprawled on the floor. "Bad guy's name is Reardon Paine. Used to be an Olympic gymnast, blew out his knee.
Casey scoffed. "I hate gymnasts."
Bryce looked mildly offended. "I was a gymnast."
"Proving my point."
Chuck narrowed his eyes at them, silently telling them they weren't helping. "Now he sells hard-to-find items, like nuclear codes, to hard-to-find people. Lots of people want to spend lots of cash on these codes but they're not going to get the chance."
"Why not?" Casey asked, quite reasonably really.
"Because this thing," Chuck wiggled the device. "Is going to lead us right to him."
Sarah nodded, immediately understanding the plan. "Bryce?" She glanced down at the still sprawled spy. "You stay here. Guard Ellie. We'll be back if we find the antidote."
Bryce laughed without mirth. "I'm already dying Sarah. There's no way I'm sitting this one out. If I'm gonna die, I'll die with you." His eyes flickered towards Chuck as he spoke, but Chuck knew he meant all of them in his statement.
The GPS dot pointed towards downtown LA. Chuck leaned down and pulled Bryce to his feet, then set off at a dead run. Bryce muttered something about not being cleared for this much running, but he kept pace without even a complaint.
.
.
Chuck drove through the streets of LA, Bryce in the passenger seat calling out directions. As soon as the car stopped outside the address, they bolted from the car. Casey and Sarah bickered over who would pick the lock on the door.
"Who's better?" Chuck asked, feeling a little bit like a teacher mediating between squabbling kindergartners.
Bryce put up his hand, smiling roguishly. "I am," he announced, voice strained. "But I'm in too much pain right now to bend down, and I really didn't want to admit that."
"You going to be okay?" Chuck asked, concern briefly overriding the mission.
Bryce smiled wryly, eyes twinkling. "I'm dying, Chuck. But, short-term, I'll be okay. I've powered through with worse."
"I'm next best," Sarah announced, Chuck glancing across at Casey.
"She is," the NSA major conceded. "Damn truth serum."
Sarah picked the lock effortlessly and they were running inside.
They stopped in front of a bank of elevators, Sarah somewhat anticlimactically pressing the up button. Chuck glanced at her and, not for the first time, was struck by how beautiful she was.
"God, you're so pretty," he announced, simple as that.
Sarah stared forward, a pleased little smile on her face.
Because today clearly was the day for uncalled for compliments, Chuck turned to Casey next. "And Casey, your jaw was chiselled by Michaelangelo himself."
Casey blinked once. "Thank you."
"Oh yeah," he agreed, nodding. Chuck looked a little over his left shoulder, where Bryce was leaning against the opposite bank of elevators. "And Bryce? It really is unfair how handsome you are. I've always thought that."
"You're pretty handsome too, buddy," Bryce replied, his smile soft.
Fortunately, the elevator dinged, so Chuck didn't have to work out how he was going to answer that.
.
.
Casey and Sarah flanked the door, Bryce and Chuck on their free sides. At Chuck's confirming nod that they were in the right place, Sarah knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Paine called from inside.
"The CIA, NSA and me," Chuck called, wishing he could stop. "I'm a little tougher to explain, but-"
Casey shot Chuck a glare, shooting the lock with his customary lack of patience. He shrugged. "We all have our skill set."
The agents went in first, guns raised. Chuck hid himself behind Casey for a change, leaving Bryce free to move about.
"Freeze!" Sarah ordered, three guns instantly trained on the figure of Paine. "My partner would rather shoot you in the face than let you get away."
Casey paused, staring at Sarah. "You called me your partner?"
Sarah smilingly nodded, Bryce ignoring the pair of them with a glare that promised it would be a near thing if Casey's bullet beat his to it's mark.
"Where are the codes, you son of a bitch?" Casey demanded, back to business.
"Where's the antidote?" Bryce added, cocking his gun in unsubtle threat.
Paine began to walk down the stairs, saying; "Actually, I was just about to enjoy a little antidote myself. What kind of host would I be if I didn't offer you some as well?"
"Careful," Casey warned, the agents walking closer. "I haven't killed anyone in a while-"
Bryce snorted under his breath. "Not for want of trying."
"-and I'm getting a little hungry."
Paine handed them vials of murky liquid, watching them eagerly.
"No, no, no," Chuck protested, stopping himself from drinking. "Wait."
"Did you flash?" Sarah asked, glancing at him.
"No," he replied. "I've just read tons of comic books. The villain always samples it first."
Paine smiled, as if acknowledging that they had him there. He knocked past Casey, beginning a complex series of somersaults and other maneuvers Chuck couldn't name but he was sure Bryce could.
Casey stared in confusion and Bryce just smirked and shook his head as if he knew what was coming. Sarah raised her gun and shot Paine through the leg, the bad guy screaming and collapsing to the ground in agony.
"Stings a bit, doesn't it?" Bryce offered in tones so utterly unsympathetic Chuck couldn't help but chuckle.
"Very unsportsmanlike," Casey chided, approving. "I like it."
Bryce sidled up beside Chuck, murmuring dryly; "I'm glad I never invited her to any of my gymnastics meets."
"Don't worry," Chuck grinned back, bumping into his uninjured side. "You're much better than that guy."
"What should we do with him?" Sarah asked, staring down at the whimpering villain.
"Shoot him again," Casey suggested, actually smiling.
"Tie him up and interrogate him," Bryce suggested, nodding for Casey to do just that. And the NSA Major did, almost too skillfully for Chuck's peace of mind.
"The antidote is in the cabinet, bottom right shelf," Paine admitted, unable not to. "Key is in my pocket. Codes are in my right shoe."
Sarah went to open the cabinet, retrieving the vials while Casey removed the codes from Paine's shoe. Bryce slid on to the floor, informing Paine of all the wonders he could expect in custody, Casey happily joining in.
Chuck watched Sarah raise the vial to her lips, a surge of inspiration running through him. He had questions. Questions he didn't quite know he really had until the possibility of having them answered was a reality.
"No, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait. Not yet. Not yet."
"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, always so concerned for his safety. It was nice.
"Nothing's wrong," Chuck replied softly. "Just this will probably be the last chance that I have to know the truth." He took a deep breath, letting the words form as they wished. "I know you're just doing your job here. But sometimes it feels so real, you know? So, tell me. You and me. Us. Our thing under the undercover thing. Is there ever going anywhere?"
Sarah stared him, and it was so intense he could barely stand to look but he couldn't bear to look away. She broke the stare, looking down sadly.
"I'm sorry, Chuck," she said, and she sounded it. But it was honest, probably the most honest Sarah would ever be with him. "No."
"Got it," Chuck nodded, smiling fleetingly.
His heart ached dully and it felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach, but it was the truth. It wasn't okay, but it was Sarah's choice. And, after the months of deception that ended his only other serious relationship, he preferred to know now before he could find himself falling in love with her. Because Sarah was a great girl, beautiful and brilliant and so, so wonderful. And he would have fallen in love with her. He defied anyone not to.
Chuck tossed back his vial of antidote, smiling sadly as Sarah did the same. They nodded, accepting that this was over between them. Chuck brushed past her, collecting another two vials from the cabinet. One he gave to Casey who chugged it and hauled Paine from the room, the other he pressed into Bryce's hand as he slid down beside him.
Bryce ignored the vial, peering in concern at Chuck. "Who do I need to shoot?"
"Nobody," Chuck sighed, sliding a little further down. "Sarah and I just cleared up some things."
Bryce's expression turned sad, his mouth turning down at the corners. "I'm sorry, buddy."
Chuck shrugged a shoulder, not bothering to hide the almost-heartbreak he was feeling. "Can't be helped." He nudged the vial in Bryce's hand. "Drink."
Bryce threw it back, shuddering lightly. "That was delightful."
"It wasn't so bad."
Bryce smiled fondly, casting his gaze at the ceiling. "We've got to work on your pallet."
"I was thinking more marathoning videogames and trying our luck with three day old pizza," Chuck offered - their old go-to after a break-up. "But, if you wanna cook..."
"I want to pop painkillers, sink into a hot bath and order takeout," Bryce sighed wistfully, dry swallowing a couple of pills from the bottle in his jacket. "But marathoning videogames and fresh takeout sounds pretty good."
"Fun can wait until we're finished for the day," Casey called, snapping his fingers at them. "We've got to get these codes off to Washington and then debrief."
.
.
A few long and uncomfortable hours later, Team Bartowski found itself back in the Buy More home theater room. Beckman was on screen, praising then for a job well done. Bryce sat next to Chuck as he always did, foot tapping impatiently and a strained (but only to those who really knew him) smile on his face. Chuck, for his part, just tried to avoid Sarah's gaze and Casey's knowing smirks.
A strangled yell came from the apparently not locked doorway, Harry Tang barging through. Immediately, all three spies were on their feet, guns pointing at the scared green shirt.
"Major Casey!" Beckman barked, unable to see Tang from her angle. "Who has infiltrated the home theatre room?"
"I see nothing out of the ordinary here," Tang announced, hands raised high. "Carry on Bartowski."
"Stay right where you are," Sarah ordered, and Chuck would probably be more in awe of her badassery right now if he wasn't still mostly hurt.
"Wait," Chuck spoke up, more out of habit than any real overarching concern. "What are you going to do with him?"
"Well take care of it," Casey promised, voice a low growl.
Bryce actually bounced a little in place. "Can I shoot him?"
Chuck turned, almost unable to believe his ears. "Bryce!"
The superspy smiled innocently, Chuck hearing him murmur something about putting it on a letter to Santa.
"Agent Larkin," Beckman warned, not even putting a dent in Bryce's beaming smile. Clearly Bryce knew something Chuck didn't.
"No more Tang," Bryce sang quietly under his breath. "No more Tang. Now if we could only get rid of the strange brothers coming to work would be so much more enjoyable."
Casey clapped Tang on the shoulder, steering him outside. Chuck could only grin at Bryce's enthusiasm. He couldn't deny, the idea of not having to deal with Tang every day was almost too good to be true.
Beckman looked moments away from rubbing at her temples. "Go home Mr Bartowski, and take Agent Larkin with you."
.
.
By the time they got back to Echo Park, Ellie had arrived home from the hospital. She and Devon were curled up on the couch, enough takeout on the table to feed a small army of Morgans. Ellie's favourite movie was ready to watch on the TV. As Chuck breathed in his first breath of air inside the apartment, he felt a weight lifting off his shoulders.
Bryce, however, hovered just inside the doorway, eyes fixed on Ellie and Devon. "I should probably go back to mine," he whispered, beginning to inch out of the apartment. "You spend the night with your family, okay?"
Ellie, who had ears like a bat even when she wasn't recuperating, glanced towards the doorway. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, nodding at the armchairs. "We've got takeout, a good movie, and I'd like my family around me tonight. All of them."
Bryce smiled wryly. "I see you're feeling better," he commented, allowing Chuck to steer him into the living room. "I'm glad you're okay, Ellie."
"Me too," Chuck echoed, dropping onto the arm of Bryce's chair. He'd move after he'd eaten. "Even if we do have to watch this terrible movie again."
Ellie threw a napkin at Chuck, laughing as it hit him in the face. "It's a classic. Right Devon?"
"It's awesome," Devon predictably replied, sharing a tiny "help me" smile with Chuck.
"I, for one, cannot remember the last time I saw this movie," Bryce smiled, snagging two cartons off the table at random.
"Thank you," Ellie smiled, jubilantly pressing play on the remote.
"Suck up," Chuck muttered, taking one of the cartons from Bryce.
Bryce made a face just short of sticking his tongue out, his smile turning worried. "You okay?" he whispered under cover of the opening scene.
"No," Chuck murmured, because honesty had been the theme of the day. "But, I think I will be."
.
.
Tomorrow Chuck would have to walk into the Wienerlicious and break up with Sarah because he just couldn't pretend anymore with her. He didn't want to fool himself anymore; Sarah had been honest with him, she deserved the same courtesy. And maybe, if it felt right, tomorrow might also be the day when he walked into Lou's deli and asked her to give him a chance. He didn't honestly know. And it didn't really matter right now anyway. Because it was still tonight. And tonight was for Chinese food and Ellie's favourite movie and spending time with his family. And, after the day they'd all had, it was exactly what they needed.
