a/n 1: *taps lip* Now what holiday is it that always goes sideways on the show? *Checks notes* Oh.

Chapter 13 Another Thanksgiving

Washington, DC

"Sir, I am requesting you lift the burn notice on Mary Bartowski," Beckman said, as she handed the President of the United States a file. "Apparently, the previous Director burned her in order to hide his own malfeasance."

The President looked at the file, then over to the new CIA Director. "Are you okay with this?"

"I am," the DCI replied. "It's the right thing to do."

"And how will Agent Bartowski know it's safe to come home?" the President asked. Beckman smiled.

"They keep tabs on things," she replied.

}o{

Burbank

Sarah opened the door, recognizing Casey's knock. "Morning Walker," he said, by way of greeting. "I have… what in God's name is that caterwauling?"

I feel pretty, oh so pretty came from the bathroom.

"It's Chuck," Sarah told him. "We watched West Side Story last night. I know you know the song, Casey, you weren't hatched."

Casey grinned in amusement, listening. I feel pretty, and witty. He waited for it, and Chuck sang it loud and proud. AND GAAYYYYYYYYY!

"Sorry for your loss, Walker," Casey said, snorting laughter. "I knew the beard was your only competition."

Sarah chuckled, as she shut the door behind Casey. "What has you over here? Help yourself to some coffee."

Casey tossed the folder he was carrying on the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Honey and Woody," Casey told her.

"Good God, can't they come up with better cover names than that?" Sarah asked, picking up the file. She began to flip through it, frowning. She looked up at Casey.

"Good morning, Casey," Chuck chirped. He walked over, kissed Sarah on the cheek, and started for the coffee pot before he paused. Backing up, he looked at the file she was holding. "Why do we have a file on Devon's parents?"

"Wait, Devon's parents' names are Honey and Woody?" Chuck nodded. "It explains so much," she muttered. She looked back up at Casey. "So, why do you have a file on Devon's parents?"

"Your sister… she, uh…" Casey trailed off.

"What?" Chuck asked, fearing the worst.

"She told me I owed her," Casey admitted. "Apparently, they're coming to Thanksgiving, and I'm in charge of the troll."

"That would be Morgan," Sarah told Chuck.

"Is that better than the beard?" Chuck asked.

"No idea," Sarah admitted. Looking back to Casey, she continued, "You owe her over what happened?" Casey nodded, making Sarah chuckle. "You know what, part of that was on me, so I'm gonna help you."

"Well, good luck you two," Chuck said, walking over to the coffee pot. He poured himself a cup, taking a sip. He turned back toward them, to find them both staring at him.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I am not getting involved with this! Do we not remember last Thanksgiving? Plus, Honey is going to be all over Ellie about wedding plans, and we all know how wedding plans affected us last time."

Both Casey and Sarah looked away. Casey either looked the slightest bit guilty, or it was gas.

Chuck was pretty sure it was gas.

"I am going to go to Thanksgiving, and eat way too much food. Then I'm coming back here, lie down, pray Bryce Larkin doesn't show up, and slip into a tryptophan-induced coma."

"Huh… I thought last year was the nicest Thanksgiving I ever had," Sarah said, shrugging. "I mean, Bryce kissing me was awful, but it felt like the first real family moment I've had in a long time." She stood there, looking just the slightest bit disappointed.

"Then the next day, I had a friend come by after one of the hardest days of my life, when I realized my world was changing, and he sat with me on the beach." She looked up at Chuck. "Just… just sat there with me."

"That is just not fair," Chuck muttered. Sarah shrugged, smiling innocently.

Casey clapped Chuck on the shoulder. "Welcome to the team." Chuck just nodded, knowing he'd been beaten.

"I think you once said all's fair in love and war," she reminded him. Casey rolled his eyes and walked away, as Chuck leaned down to kiss her. Just before his lips touched hers, he began to hum It's a Small World After All.

"I swear to Jesus I should just kill you."

"You'd miss me," Chuck reminded her. She didn't say anything. "Sarah?"

"I would, but I'm not gonna lie; not hearing that song might be a bit worth it."

}o{

"Hey, can I talk to you a minute?" Sarah asked, later that day. They were at the airport, with Ellie and Devon, to pick up Honey and Woody. Sarah had told Chuck they were going along as emotional support.

"Sure, what's up?" Chuck asked.

"That was dirty what I did earlier," Sarah admitted. "But you need to know something: that Thanksgiving, you changed my life, Chuck." Chuck blinked. "Remember when you and Casey were going after Ilsa?"

"And Casey didn't have pants on? That, unfortunately, is a memory forever burned into my mental retina," Chuck replied, shaking his head as if trying to rid it from his mind.

Sarah smiled at him. "I was talking to Ellie as you two headed toward the hotel, and I told her how much you had affected me that night… Thanksgiving, that is." She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "Chuck, you made me realize things about myself, things I didn't think were possible, and it scared me. It scared me so bad." She wrapped her arms around herself in a self-hug, and Chuck instantly recognized what she was doing. This was Sarah, uncomfortable.

"Sarah," he began.

"No, I need to tell you this," she insisted, taking his hands. He nodded. She swallowed.

"Chuck, early on, I pushed you away because all the men I've ever been involved with have hurt me. Including my dad. I knew it wasn't fair, but emotional compartmentalization was how I always protected myself."

"Wait, you told Ellie this?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded. "Oh, God," he muttered.

"What?"

"I'm shocked she hasn't made me marry you," Chuck admitted. Sarah laughed.

"I also told her that you don't stop." Chuck looked away, and she reached up, and gently turned his head back to her. "I don't mean that negatively. You are always just there. To listen, to say a kind word, to be the kind of guy someone needs, when they need it."

"I worried I crowded you too much," Chuck admitted.

"You did," Sarah said, shrugging. "But I needed that."

"Did you?"

Sarah nodded.

"So, you're saying I was right?" She gave him an amused look and he cleared his throat. "Um, right… so, you were saying?"

"I told her that there came a moment where I thought I was going to have to leave, because of a job… the one I left in DC."

"Wow, you told her that much?"

"Yeah, she was drunk so I didn't think she could put it together," Sarah admitted. "Whoops."

Chuck laughed.

"Anyway, I told her that I let my barrier down, and let you in."

"Would that have been the bomb?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded, and Chuck just grinned.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Love me?" Chuck offered, shrugging.

"I do," she told him, squeezing his hand.

"Good enough for me," Chuck said.

"Anyway, I told her how I didn't have to go back. And yes, that was the time when Bryce asked me to. I told her I didn't want to, but I was scared. I was still here, and I didn't know how to deal with things."

"Remind me to hug Devon again later," Chuck said, making her laugh.

"Listen, I know you and Devon," Sarah told him. "I know he would give you advice, but at the end of the day, you said what was in your heart." She paused. "Do you remember when you told me that you knew what it meant that, in my last moment I thought I was here on this earth, I completely let you in?" Chuck nodded. "Afterwards, you didn't push. You gave me space, made me think about what I wanted, about what I needed. You gave me space to work things out."

"I did," Chuck said.

"I'm glad you did, because it gave me a little bit of clarity," Sarah told him. "But I need to be honest; whether you did or didn't, I would still love you." Chuck squeezed her hands. "I'm here, Chuck. I'm not going anywhere; I need you to know that."

"I do," Chuck replied. "You know I'm not going anywhere either, right?"

"I do," Sarah replied. "Chuck-"

"DAD!" Awesome boomed. They turned toward the family, as they exited baggage claim.

"Okay, now I see why they're called Honey and Woody," Sarah muttered.

"Right?"

}o{

Chuck, Casey, and Sarah were standing by the window, looking across the courtyard. "That was a special kind of hell," Sarah groused.

"Did you know there were that many shades of green?" Chuck asked. "Does anyone care that there are that many shades of green?"

"Each color would have the same amount of shades except for black," Casey said, continuing to peer out the window. Chuck and Sarah turned toward him, fascination and concern on their faces. "Green is just more visible, since we can't see ultraviolet light." Casey looked over at them, seeing their faces. "What? I know things."

"Just when you think you have him figured out," Chuck muttered.

"Fascinating," Sarah replied. They turned their heads back to see Devon walk out of the apartment. He looked upset. "You better go talk to him."

"Why me?" Chuck asked.

"Chuck, as much as he's been there for you?"

"True," Chuck replied. He walked over to the door, took a deep breath, opened it, and headed to the courtyard. "Awesome… you don't look too… awesome."

"It's my parents, man," Devon said, visibly upset. "They keep pushing and pushing and pushing, and Ellie… dude, she's great. She's handling them, but at some point…"

"Uh, shouldn't you be in there with her, backing her up?"

"Bro, that's Ellie's wedding," Devon told him.

"Yeah, it is. So why aren't you in there having her back against your parents?" Chuck asked. Devon's eyes widened, and he spun and ran back inside.

"Good, handled that."

}o{

"Team, we have a situation," Beckman began.

"Thank GOD!" they all said at once. The three looked back and forth at each other, shrugged, and turned back to Beckman.

"Is everything okay?" Beckman asked.

"It's fine," Chuck said, waving his hand. "You said there was a situation. Could there possibly be others? Not in Burbank. Another continent, perhaps?"

"Major, what in the hell is going on?" Beckman asked.

"Well, Honey and Woody showed up," Casey began.

"What in the hell is a Honey and a Woody?" Beckman asked.

"Devon's parents," Sarah explained. "And Ellie wants to impress the Very-Awesome's – that's Ellie's name for Devon's parents – by having an amazing Thanksgiving dinner."

"But, Bartowski's idiot friends always come over, and we've been put in charge of moron interdiction; not Bartowski, but his friends," Casey continued.

"Plus, Honey keeps telling Ellie what she thinks would be better at Ellie's wedding, and Devon is frightened of crossing his parents. But he wants to support Ellie, and feels trapped," Chuck finished. "Did I forget anything?"

"I don't think so," Sarah replied.

"That about covers it," Casey agreed.

Beckman was silent for a moment. "Would it be easier if I called in an airstrike at that apartment?"

"We'd have to get Ellie and Devon out of there," Sarah said, turning to Chuck and Casey.

"Do you think that if a stray weapon hit your apartment, the whole complex would go up?" Chuck asked Casey.

"Good chance, so I'd have to clear out my apartment," Casey said, nodding.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" Beckman snapped, making all three snap to attention. "We have a Fulcrum agent to go after."

"Excellent," Casey said, with a smile.

"He's your former sensei, Ty Bennet," Beckman told Casey. "I'm not sure you're in any place emotionally to deal with Bennet."

"General, if we don't get Casey out of that complex, he's going to shoot someone," Chuck told Beckman. Beckman looked from Casey to Chuck.

"Then you're in charge of Major Casey," Beckman said, turning off the monitor.

"Wait-" he said, but it was too late. "I'm not sure that's the best idea," he muttered in a low tone.

}o{

"You know I really like that shirt," Chuck said to Sarah, a little later. "It's all badass with a skeleton on the back, but upon closer inspection you see the vertebrae are actual butterflies." Sarah smiled at him. "It just reminds me of you, all bad-ass, but also the symbol of resurrection and hope."

"For Christ's sake, will someone shoot me!" Casey snarled.

"Do you realize who I am?" Bennett asked.

"Some idiot that trained Casey, one that Casey thinks he owes a Wookie life-debt to. You also know Casey could kick your ass if you freed him, so that's why you have him tied up," Chuck said with a shrug. He turned to Sarah. "So, did you think about those things before you bought that shirt?"

"I just thought it was cool," Sarah replied.

"He couldn't kick my ass," Bennett interrupted. Chuck gave Bennett a look.

"Suuuuure," Chuck drawled, and turned back to Sarah. "When did you buy it?"

"I will fight you, John Casey, for your freedom," Bennett announced. His goons rushed over and freed Casey.

"Casey," Chuck said. Casey glared at him but walked over. "If you don't win, I'll keep bantering with Sarah," he whispered.

"And I'll make it more suggestive," Sarah added.

"Casey, I want you to know that if you don't beat him soundly, I'll tell Ellie that you want to sit between her and Honey at Thanksgiving Dinner." Casey growled. "No, not at me… at him," Chuck said, nodding his head toward Bennett. Casey turned, bared his teeth, growled again, and attacked.

"You know, below that ball of angry, I think Casey has a much bigger ball of angry." Chuck winced, as Casey broke Bennett's nose.

"That's gonna leave a mark."

}o{

"Team," Beckman said. "How in the hell did you take out an entire Fulcrum squad?"

"It was simple," Chuck said with a shrug. Casey turned to him, his eyes wide. "Sarah and Casey both wanted to hurt someone with everything going on over Thanksgiving." Casey grunted in agreement, and Sarah nodded her head. Both agents wore a he's right look on their face. "As soon as I located their compound, I made sure to get captured, meaning they would get captured."

"You willingly allowed yourself to be captured?" Beckman asked, stunned.

"Yeah… Bennett didn't want me, he wanted Casey," Chuck told her. Beckman blinked. "So, all I had to do was get captured. Which meant Sarah would tell Casey to put down his weapon-"

"She didn't tell me to put it down," Casey argued. Both Chuck and Sarah gave him a look. "Fine, she told me if I didn't, she would personally kick my ass."

"Thank you, sweetie," Chuck said to her.

"You're welcome, but if you ever do that again… just remember, I too am a trained assassin," Sarah told him, giving him a look.

"Noted," Chuck replied, terrified, but more than a little turned on.

"General," Casey pleaded.

"Hush, Casey, I'm actually fascinated by this," Beckman admitted.

"There's not much more to tell, General," Chuck said with a shrug. "I knew that Bennett would have that crazy honor code thing, and that all I had to do was insult him and he would fight Casey. I also knew Casey was ready to punch anyone, given everything going on, so I just sent him in… like firing a guided missile." Chuck folded his arms in front, proud of himself.

Beckman stared at Chuck and slowly turned to Casey. "Major, anything to add?"

"I cut my hand breaking Bennett's nose," Casey said, holding up his hand.

"That's it! You are all sidelined until the Monday after Thanksgiving. Dismissed." With that, she cut the feed.

"You know, that's actually good work," Casey begrudgingly admitted.

"Thank you," Chuck said, knowing better than to push his luck. "Unfortunately, it was a little too good, because now we have to go back to my sister's." Casey groaned. "No, you've done your part today; you're out."

"Bartowski, you're alright," Casey said. Chuck and Sarah headed out the door.

"Major," Beckman said, having turned the monitor back on. "If I were you, and wanted to see some family drama, I'd go to the Bartowski residence, now."

"General," Casey began.

"John Casey!" Beckman barked, making Casey stand at attention. "I know how you feel about those two, but I have gotten a bit of my own revenge." Casey looked confused. "Chuck found something in the Intersect. He found out his mother was given a burn notice because of Graham, not because she deserved one. It's been rescinded."

"Chuck me," Casey said, and started to run off. He stopped, and ran back. "Permission to be dismissed, ma'am."

"Dismissed," Beckman said, grinning and watching Casey fly up the stairs and out of Walker Reclamations.

}o{

Chuck and Sarah were standing on the far side of the apartment, watching the back and forth between the Awesomes and Very-Awesomes. Chuck had to admit he was proud of his brother-in-law. The door opened, and Chuck stiffened, his eyes wide. Sarah felt his reaction and went for her gun, as the woman who opened the door locked eyes with her.

Chuck's hand was on her wrist. "No, it's okay," he said softly.

"It doesn't seem okay," Sarah told Chuck.

"Sarah… that's my mom and dad."

}o{

Casey swung the door open, to find everyone sitting and talking. "Damn it! I always miss the good stuff!" He slammed the door and headed back to his apartment.

"That guy needs to switch to decaf," Mary said, shaking her head. "So, Honey, when did you get out of the CIA?"

"I went to desk duty after the birth of my first son, and never left. Woody did a few missions, but he retired soon after," Honey told Mary.

"How do you two know each other?" Sarah asked.

"We were at the Farm together," Mary told her. Sarah nodded.

"Now, about the wedding," Honey began.

"For the love of God, Honey, will you knock it off?" Mary said. "Let them have the wedding they want. I know you didn't get the wedding you wanted."

"But, Mary," Honey protested.

"You still play darts?" Stephen asked Woody.

"So, Mom and Dad have been on the run because of a burn notice?" Ellie asked Chuck.

"Yeah, as soon as Mom told me the order number…" Chuck trailed off.

"Do I even want to know how you're involved in the CIA?" Ellie asked.

"No," Chuck muttered.

Sarah was being quiet. She was watching Mary and Honey, two women who had been in the CIA together, who had families. Two women who loved their families. One was able to stay with hers; the other forced to run because of Graham. She knew all about being forced to run because of Graham. It was in that instant it hit her.

"I can have this," she said softly.

"What's that, Sarah?" Chuck asked, turning towards her. He saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Sarah?"

"I can have this," she said to Chuck.

"Uh, you can have what?" Chuck asked.

"Uh, baby brother, you might want to prepare yourself," Ellie told him, recognizing the look on Sarah's face.

"Chuck," she began.

"Yeah?"

"I want to get married," she said softly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Chuck asked, not sure he was hearing her right.

"I want to get married!" she all but yelled. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at Chuck and Sarah.

The front door opened, and Casey walked in. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed but…" Casey trailed off and looked around. "Damn it! Now what did I miss?!"

Chuck stood there, shock on his face.

a/n: Thanks for reading.