a/n 1: Oh look. It's back. It's still insane. It's still going. Glad you're here for it.

Chapter 15, For the Children

I don't own Chuck

"Okay, I get why he's here," Casey said, pointing at Sarah's dad. "Let me rephrase that; I don't, but I'm under orders to let him be here."

"Anyone ever tell you that you look like a cop?" Jack asked. Casey preened a little bit over that. "Wasn't a compliment."

"Dad," Sarah said in a voice that brooked no response. Jack cleared his throat and lowered his head, but Chuck saw the grin on his face. "Continue Casey."

"I get you, I get Bartowski… I get the Elder Bartowskis and the Elder Woodcombs. But what I don't get-"

"But you did," the last member of the team cut in.

"-is why that devil-spawn is here!" Casey finished, glaring at Carina.

"Ever heard of the magnet?" Jack asked, grinning.

}o{

Chuck couldn't help glancing over at her, sitting between Mary and Honey, finalizing plans. She was in her element, and while he never questioned how she could be as good at her job as she was, he was seeing it. Admittedly, the action part of her job was pretty amazing. But the planning… the nerd in him truly appreciated all of the planning that went into an operation.

She was going to be in the van, which she was not happy about, but she agreed – with a lot of grumbling – that it was the right thing to do. Chuck sighed. This was not going to be easy.

After Sarah had gathered everyone but Carina, she told them the story of Molly, and why she hadn't seen her mother since. Chuck recognized the look of fierceness that came into both Honey and Mary's eyes. It was the same fierceness that Sarah got when someone was being done wrong.

He now understood why Sarah wanted Honey and Mary on this – because they understood. They may not have had the same things happen to them, but they had been female agents, while being mothers, daughters, lovers, and whatever else they had to be. No one could better understand the pain and everything else Sarah was experiencing than them.

But the thing Chuck found so fascinating was how all three shifted roles seamlessly. One minute they were comforting her; the next, planning an op, and all of it was genuine. While it didn't make up for not being around her mother, Chuck thought maybe for once she was feeling like a part of something bigger, and that warmed his heart.

"You have absolutely fucking ruined her," came the voice beside him. Chuck turned and looked at Carina. "What," she said, spreading her hands. "You have." She was silent for a moment and looked over at the three. "And maybe that's for the best."

"You know-" Chuck began.

"Don't give me that shit about there being someone out there for me," Carina told him. "That's not me, that's not my life. I enjoy what I do. I enjoy being me."

"What, an agent of chaos?" Chuck asked. "Sounds like someone who just likes to act out and garner attention."

"You take that back," she hissed.

"Nope, because I believe in you, Carina Miller. I believe in you."

Carina stared at him. "You don't know who you're messing with." Chuck started to respond, but she shook her head. "No, I don't have to do a single thing to you physically to make you uncomfortable. You either take it back, or you are going to have to deal with me, during this mission, making you crack."

"I believe in you, Carina Miller," Chuck told her, crossing his arms.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, kid," Carina said, standing up and walking off.

"We're the same age!" Chuck called after her. He shook his head, turned, and saw the three women staring at him. "What?"

"You had to do this the hard way," Mary said. She didn't sound upset, she didn't sound mad. She sounded like a mother who had seen this before. "Never change, son."

"But you may have bit off more than you can chew, this time," Sarah warned him. Chuck scoffed. It couldn't be that bad. He watched Sarah, and he began to wonder if maybe he had messed up.

}o{

"Bro, not that I'm upset, or not trying to encourage you to continue but… why are we jogging?" Awesome asked effortlessly, as they ran around the pond.

"I thought…" Chuck gasped. "We could talk… where… phew… no one…"

"Should we stop?"

"Jesus yes," Chuck replied, nearly falling down. He stood bent over, his hands on his knees, trying to get oxygen.

"Aww, why'd you stop? I was enjoying the view," Sarah said to Chuck as she jogged by, not even appearing out of breath."

"That's really not fair," Chuck muttered. "Did you know she was back there?"

"Not really, I couldn't hear anything over your huffing and puffing." Chuck tried to give him an affronted look, but it took too much energy. "I'm just telling you the truth, it's what you wanted me to do."

"I know, I know," Chuck said, finally standing, a hand on one of Awesome's shoulders. "It's just… Jesus, I can't get my breath."

"I mean seriously, I put you through more cardio than that," Sarah said, running by again. Devon laughed and pointed at her, as Sarah smirked.

"This is ridiculous," Chuck muttered. He walked over to a bench and sat down. "Go ahead, I'll talk to you later." Devon nodded and took off. Chuck sat there for a minute, when he was joined on the bench. "Are you stalking me?"

"No," Sarah told him. "I needed a jog, and saw that you were with him. I knew what you were gonna do, but this is one time you need to talk to me, and not him."

"Why?" Chuck asked her.

"Because he doesn't understand spy problems, and that's what this is," Sarah told him. Chuck started to retort, but she held up her hand. "Chuck, I promise you, this time it is."

"Okay," he relented.

"It's really funny. Your mom, she's like me, and Carina… she had nothing on Honey back in the day."

"What?" Chuck asked, sitting up.

"Who's been the chaos agent in the house?" Sarah pointed out. Chuck had to give her that one. "Honey came from nothing, being shuttled from foster home, to foster home." She was silent for a moment. "She was abused, Chuck. She was hurt badly, and she thought she could never have kids."

"Uh," Chuck began.

"Yeah, yeah, spoiler alert, the doctors were wrong back then," Sarah told him. "Carina doesn't do quite as much as she lets on, what she makes you think she does. I mean, don't get me wrong, she's had her fair share of men-"

"That is none of my business," Chuck cut in.

"Oh, you've made it your business," Sarah told him. "You told her you believe in her, and no one she has ever respected has told her that. Well, no male, that is."

"Wait, she respects me?" Chuck asked.

"Of course she does," Sarah told him. "You haven't made a pass at her, and you refused her." Chuck sat there, not sure what to do with that. "And then she sees Honey, who was known to do what she wanted, when she wanted, back in the day." She shook her head. "I didn't realize who she was when we saw her folder the other day. She was known as 'Honey Pot'."

"Oh, God," Chuck muttered.

"Again, a lot of it was not true, but…" she shrugged. "I'm not judging her. But think about it; there's Honey, happy with a family, your mom, me, and then you say you believe in her…"

"I've stepped in it, haven't I?"

"Yup," Sarah chirped. "And my father is laughing his ass off over it. You are in so deep, but I know you Chuck. You'll be fine. Just roll with it. She's going to say awful things, and do awful things, but know it's all for the cover you two have to present to Ryker."

"You think this will work?"

"It should," Sarah told him. "I mean, there's always a chance a mission could go wrong, but I believe this will absolutely work."

"So I'm going to get to meet my future sister-in-law and mother-in-law soon?"

"Yeah," Sarah replied. Chuck noticed a strange look on her face, but it passed quickly. He wasn't about to forget it… he just wasn't sure what it was.

}o{

Carina and Chuck were sitting in the car, waiting for Ryker to show up. The comms were on, but no one was saying anything. The lack of talk was driving Chuck insane. "So, how are you gonna convince Ryker that you don't like Sarah?"

Carina turned to him, looking at him like he was stupid. "I am in Snoresville, Curls. SNORESVILLE! I mean, I've seen so many vans with stick figures across windshields. One was covered! Have they ever thought about butt stuff?"

Chuck nearly choked.

"Or maybe pulling out, or-" Carina continued.

"WHOA!" Chuck said. "I get it. Sorry I asked."

"Something wrong there… Chuckles?" This was it, this was when she was going to start to mess with him. She was going to pick the worst moment to do this. He rolled his neck and turned to her, started to open his mouth, then snapped it shut.

"What's wrong?" She asked with a grin. "Were you going to ask me if that's what I did?" Chuck shook his head. "Is that what Sarah does?"

In the van, Jack managed to get his hand over Sarah's mike. "Whatever the answer is, do not give it, because I do not want to know." Sarah nodded, and leaned back in her chair.

"What's a wild and sexy night like for you two, anyway?" Carina asked. "You reading one of those comic thingies, her cleaning her gun?"

"You really don't want to know," Chuck replied.

"Why, afraid I'll fall asleep?" Carina countered.

Chuck sat there silently. Sarah grinned in the truck, then reached up, flipping a switch to isolate her transmissions to Chuck's earpiece only.

"Do it," she said softly.

He looked up at the camera that was in the car and grinned at her.

"Maybe for your wedding gift I can buy you some hand lotion," Carina prodded.

"Massage oils are better," Chuck said. Carina snorted, misunderstanding what he meant. "I mean, that's what she likes." Carina turned to him, as he continued to look into the tiny camera. "After being in those stupid shoes she has to wear all day, her feet are killing her. So that's where I usually start. Her feet."

"Start?" Carina asked. Chuck turned to her, the most innocent look on his face.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"You said, start. What does that mean… start?"

"Well, I mean, I know I'm boring but, Carina… who just gives someone just a foot rub? That's… that's… well, I shouldn't say," Chuck told her, shaking his head.

"I'm leaving," Jack said, taking off his headset, and tossing it beside Sarah, where she sat, giggling.

"No, you should," Carina said.

"No, you don't care about that life," Chuck reminded her.

"But maybe… maybe I haven't heard enough about that life," Carina countered.

"Jesus, he's about to slaughter her," Casey said, sitting down beside Sarah. "I have no want to hear this, but I am compelled to see it."

"Take notes, you might learn something," Sarah told Casey. The big man gave her a look, and Sarah just shrugged.

"So, it's just teasing, and mean, and well… it's massage blue-ball to just massage someone's feet, and leave them relaxed and loose and the rest of you all tense, and full of stress, and pent, and-"

"I GET IT!" Carina said.

"Christ," Casey whispered in awe.

"So next, you start with the calf, because let's admit it, while you ladies do look amazing in those shoes, they're hell on your legs," Chuck explained.

Carina just nodded, being drawn in by what he was saying.

"Now, the next problem is, how close are you with who is giving you a massage? And how professional are they?" Chuck asked.

"So, you want them to be close and professional?" Carina asked.

"No, one or the other," Chuck corrected her. "See, if they're professional, they won't cross any boundaries. But if they're close enough, you won't have any boundaries that you care if they cross."

"Jesus," Carina and Casey muttered at the same time.

"So next is the calf, but you don't touch anything else but the calf," Chuck instructed.

"Nothing else?" Carina asked, almost disappointed.

"You know what the best sauce is Carina?" Chuck asked. Carina shook her head, unable to speak.

He looked directly into her eyes. "Hunger."

Carina gulped.

"Getting a little hungry right now," Sarah said into her mike. Chuck glanced at the camera, and winked.

"Then… then you start with the shoulder blades and neck, releasing all that tension that has just built up over the day," Chuck continued. "You might even rub their head and their scalp if they need it."

"Uh-huh," Carina said.

"Then you make your way, sloooowwwwllllllyyyy," Chuck said, dragging the word out, "down their back, and maybe a little on the sides. But not too far. Wouldn't want to touch anything you shouldn't."

"But I thought there weren't any boundaries," Carina pointed out.

"Oh, there aren't for you, but for the one giving the massage, at this moment there has to be."

"Has. To. Be?" Carina asked.

"Yes, because you don't want to rush the front massage," Chuck continued. Carina gulped. "And that's when you need to make sure it's edible massage oil."

Carina's eyebrows nearly jumped off her head.

"Chuck me," she muttered.

Sarah flipped Carina's earpiece back on. "Oh, hell no, he will not be Chucking you… The only person Chuck is Chucking is me."

"I'm really good with my hands," Casey said into the live mike. Chuck's eyes widened, and so did Carina's. Sarah swatted Casey. "What?"

"You're distracting her," Sarah pointed out.

"Great, here he is," Carina said, watching Ryker pull up. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do? This is your fault, Chuck!"

"No, Carina… you just be you. I trust you," Chuck told her. Carina looked at him, stunned. Chuck reached for the door. "You got this."

Carina nodded. "I got this," she said. "Casey, I'm gonna need a massage after this. I hope you took notes."

"Christ," Casey muttered, his eyes wide.

"Focus," Sarah hissed, swatting him again.

"So, you two know where Agent Walker is, and the package I'm after," Ryker said. "This smells like a trap. How do I know it's not?"

"You've met her," Chuck said. "She's really bossy."

"You like it," Sarah muttered into his mike.

"I've spent most of my working life at a damn Buy More, making nothing. And then when I finally get away, in a new cover job, I'm under her. It's her place, and I'm always under her."

"You're welcome," she said softly.

"How the hell is he not losing his shit with you doing that?" Casey asked.

Sarah killed the mike. "Because he's absolutely nervous, and the only way I can keep him from not being nervous is to remind him… he's under me."

"I will never understand you two," Casey muttered.

"You don't have too," Sarah reminded him, flipping the mike back on.

"And good God, is she needy," Chuck went on. "I'm always having to take care of her."

"And you do it well," she said softly. She saw Chuck gulp a little. "That was too much, wasn't it?"

"Basically, she has him doing what she wants, when she wants, how she wants," Carina finished for him.

"I always thank him," Sarah muttered.

"What about you?" Ryker asked Carina.

"I keep getting drawn here to help her with her little team instead of relaxing on some beach somewhere," Carina told him. "I'm sick of it."

"Okay, how much?" Ryker asked. Chuck handed him a piece of paper, and Ryker looked at it. "These your accounts?" Chuck nodded. "Done." Chuck glanced at Carina, who nodded. Chuck reached into his other pocket and handed him another piece of paper. "Just so we're clear, I'm killing the mom, Walker. And taking the package."

"We hear you," Carina said.

Ryker glanced at the paper, nodded, and headed toward his car. He got in and took off.

"Did I do good baby?" Chuck asked.

"You did perfect," she told him. "And I'll show you how good, later."

"JOHNNY! MASSAGE!" Carina yelled. She got in the car and took off, leaving Chuck standing there.

"Don't worry, Chuck, I won't leave you hanging," Sarah told him.

Chuck just grinned.

}o{

Chuck sat on the ledge of the fountain, the party inside going on in full swing. He couldn't get that look on Sarah's face out of his mind.

Ryker's men had guarded the outside of the home, while he made entry. All three were quickly and silently dispatched by sniper fire. Ryker made his way through the house, to the kitchen. There, at the sink, he identified the blonde hair of his target, Sarah's mom. As he moved to encircle her throat with his arm from behind, she turned quickly. The last thing he saw was Honey's face, before she shoved the knife through his heart.

Sarah had told him later, she now understood the whole stay-in-the-van thing. She was watching her mom and dad talk, and that's when Chuck saw the look on her face again. They had called her over to meet her sister.

"Chuckster?" Devon used what, for him, was a soft voice, coming from the doorway of the apartment. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure," Chuck admitted. "I mean, yeah, I'm physically okay. As for mentally… well, that's always been a bit of a question, hasn't it?"

"Bro," Devon said.

"Right, spiraling," Chuck said, nodding. "I think she wants to be Molly's mom."

"Dude, we talked about this," Devon reminded him.

"No, we talked about her having a kid," Chuck clarified. "I think… I think Sarah wants to be Molly's mom." He was quiet for a second. "And I think because of what I said the other day, she's scared to say anything to me."

"So, you know how I usually tell you to play it cool?" Devon asked. Chuck nodded. "I think this time you have to tell her your concern and be honest."

"Did I ever really play it cool, Devon?" Chuck asked. Devon winced and scratched the back of his head. "No, it's fine, I get it." Chuck stood. "Thanks."

"Dude, you two have dealt with a lot," Devon said. "You'll get through this."

He patted Chuck on the shoulder, walked back to the apartment and just before he reached for the door handle, it opened in front of him. Sarah stepped out. "Hey, Sar! You know, you did good saving that kid. I know it was your job and all, but… you saved her life."

"Yeah, I did," Sarah replied. "Got real protective of her," Sarah admitted. She glanced at Chuck. "You mind if I talk to him for a minute, and then he can run to you for advice."

"I am right here," Chuck pointed out.

"I'm aware," she said, winking at him.

"Talk, you two," Devon said, and went inside, closing the door.

Sarah turned to Chuck, widened her eyes, and walked over to him, taking his hand.

"Okay, I'm gonna say this, because if I don't, I don't know if I'll ever get it out," he hurried out. "I think I scared you the other day about babies, or kids, or whatever, and I'm worried you want to be Molly's mom, and the reason you're not is because of me and what my stupid big mouth said."

Sarah stood there a second, blinking, trying to process everything. "You do know that whole be cool thing you were trying?"

"Not cool, then?"

"Nope," Sarah chirped. "But, thank you for that. It was very kind. A lot, kind of like bringing a tank for a rescue operation when it's not needed. But thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem," Chuck told her. "Do you want to? Adopt Molly, be her mom?"

"Do I want to?" Sarah asked. "That is a very loaded question." She gestured toward the fountain, and they both sat. "Yes, and no."

"Well, that clears things right up," he teased her. She shoulder-bumped him, put her elbows on her knees and, resting her chin in her hands, sighed. "Talk to me," he said gently.

"I do want to be her mom. There's a protectiveness there, but at the same time, I'm very selfish, and don't want to be," Sarah explained. "I feel like it would interfere with our time."

"You mean massage-slash-sexy time?" Chuck asked. She looked at him and grinned. "Okay, first, you are the furthest thing from selfish. You've dedicated your life to do what the country needs to be done. And if you're saying that you want your Chuck time… well, that I can understand." She snorted at that. "But," he continued gently, "if you're scared it will run me off, it will not."

"Oh, that I know, Mr. Bartowski," she said, straightening up and taking his hand. "What I do know is right now is not the time for this decision."

"Well, then, what time is it?"

"Time to meet my family," she told him. Chuck nodded. "And then I have a massage to receive."

"The things I do for our country," he said, an overly dramatic hand to his head.

"I am not a thing," she informed him, making him drop his jaw. She stood, grinned, and held out her hand. He took it.

They were heading inside, and who knew where else after that. But it didn't matter where they went, they were going together.

a/n: Wait, is the next ep….Christmas? Oh boy. Stay safe.