Chuck VS A Heart Torn

by Lord Rapier

Chuck and Sarah were meant to be, sometimes people get in their own way, but the fates will always win.

37. Target Acquired

A/N Welcome to Bartowski's Most Wanted. There are 330 million stories in the Naked Country, this is one of them. I'm just here to tell the facts, Ma'am, just the facts.

Here aresome things that happened previously that you might need to know. Sarah was a new agent. Her handler was Kiernan Ryker. He manipulated her into killing a roomful of gangsters so that he could steal a baby and her fortune. Sarah figured it out and put the baby in hiding.

Being in the CIA made it easy to hide her own whereabouts. She met a nerd (Chuck) and married him. She told him the story. He vowed to find Ryker and make sure that Sarah and the baby (Molly) would be safe.

Chuck's father the world's most capable computer wizard, Orion, was shot and killed? Computers all over the world are under attack by an unknown assailant. Our government turns to Chuck, the recipient of Orion's legacy, for help.

In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. Chuck doesn't give a crap about that. He's going to find that bastard Ryker and deal with him personally. Dun…Dun.

A Heart Torn

A Charah Tale

By Lord Rapier

Edited and guided by CliffM

Chapter 37: Target Acquired

Carmichael Industries, Burbank CA

The next morning, Chuck is sitting at his desk going over all the paperwork he got behind on. Flipping through the stack of papers, he sighs, Maybe the Buy More wasn't so bad. I hate all this paperwork. The intercom buzzes. Whew! Saved by the buzzer, "Yes Mrs. Sawyer."

"General Beckman on line one Sir."

"Thank you, Mrs. S.," Pushing the button, Chuck puts the call on speaker. "Good morning, Diane. How's my favorite General?"

"You're not fooling anyone. I know that Casey is your favorite General. So, whatever it is Chuck, the answer is no." Chuck laughs. "However, I do have some good news for you. The President isn't happy with you subbing in a relief computer geek, but he said he trusts your judgement. You may want to prepare yourself. The President is sending orders to congress. He wants a bill passed making it illegal for a Bartowski to say no to him."

Chuck laughs. "Diane, I wish I had the bandwidth. You know I wouldn't send someone in that wasn't up to snuff. Tell you what, if my new VP of the Cyber Division works out, I'll be more available to you. I'm already working on protection for your servers. I want to be sure that whatever happened doesn't happen again.

That's another aspect of what she'll be doing for you. Once she gets back to me with the specifics, I'll build your security defenses, personally. After I do the coding and put the protection in place, I'm going to have her attack you hard. Diane, you have my word, I'm on top of the whole situation.

Of course, without a contract you won't be seeing any of it. I also need to remind you that as hard as I work on creating protection software, there are thousands of Black hats out there trying to break in."

"To that point Chuck there's been a lot of strange chatter. It seems that other governments have had their servers hit. It seems that the only thing affected is the same programming that was wiped from ours. Someone or something doesn't want the world to have that capability."

Chuck is quiet for a moment as he thinks. "One moment please, let me secure my office." Chuck enables the security protocols. "Okay now I can talk. Diane, are you telling me that only the Intersect programming was wiped? No data was touched or stolen? That does seem strange. Your people have no leads, nothing at all? Let me end the Ryker threat. Then with your permission I'll look into all of the other Intersect servers. You do realize that if I'm detected Frank will be accused of cyber espionage."

"We're lucky to have the best there is working for us. Chuck I can't authorize that. Let me talk to the President. "In the meantime, tell me about this pseudo-Chuck you're sending to me."

"Diane, I promise she's good. She broke my encryption in record time. Her coding is equal to mine. Her name is Margret Mae. She's young, by the time she's my age she'll be making me look bad. I'll have her info sent to you. You do know it's been awhile, and you've had multiple hands on the gear. But I believe if there's anything to find, she'll find it. If nothing else, she'll figure out how they got in so I can seal the leak.

She's out of my Chicago office. My GM, Remington Steele, will be interfacing with you. He'll work with you to set up a fee schedule. We still don't have a vendors number so I'm trusting you when you say we'll get paid. Of course, if you have the slightest issue, you can always contact me directly."

"Chuck, can I ask you something personal?"

"Diane, how long have we worked together, been friends? You can ask me anything."

"Beckman hesitates and takes a deep breath. "Chuck are you still pissed that I accused you? Are you creating distance between us?"

"Diane Beckman, in all the years you've known me have you ever seen any indication that I have tact? Have you ever heard me hold back on my opinions?"

Beckman laughs, "No I guess not."

"I know Sarah got upset. She's been very protective of me lately. I think maybe she's still my handler, still protecting me. It's for a different reason, but it's what she knows. Truth is General I was complimented that you would put me in the same league as my dad. I miss him every day. I have been honest with you. I didn't hack your servers. I have so much on my plate. Sarah has to remind me to eat and sleep. My number one priority is finding Ryker. Sarah needs to be safe."

"Chuck you've come so far. Grown up so much. I'm proud of you. Hard to believe I once ordered Casey to terminate you.

"Excuse me, terminate me, as in kill?"

Beckman laughs half-heartedly. "That was a long time ago Chuck. He didn't want to. Tried to talk me out of it, but he's a good soldier. Like I said, that was a long time ago. Before we were family, when you were just an asset. I'm glad things changed, that we're still working together.

Take care of Sarah. Okay, get that info to me on your associate. As soon as she's cleared, we'll get her in here. Feel free to give Steele my number and Email address."

"Thanks for understanding. I'm glad things changed too. As soon as this Ryker thing is done, I'll be breathing easier. I'll also be having a long talk with Casey. Would I be out of line thinking that when we find Ryker, you'll want to take him into custody?"

"Good call, keep me in the loop. I'll have a team on standby. You know that A-hole made Graham look bad. Not my favorite person ever, but he was my colleague. You find Ryker. We'll make him disappear."

"Sounds like a plan, as long as Sarah gets to have a 'chat' with him first."

"Agreed, It would be awful if he tried to escape and got bruised. Remember, we never had this conversation. Be good Chuck, say hi to the team for me."

Chuck disengages the security protocols then sits back and takes a moment to reflect. A woman who thought I was a total screw up is now one of my biggest supporters. Yep, I am one lucky man.

Leaning forward he presses the intercom button. "Yes Boss."

"Mrs. Sawyer would you please call the Chicago office and ask Mr. Steele to give me a call when he's available."

"Yes Mr. B. I'll take care of that right now."

Minutes later, the intercom buzzes. "Yes Mrs. S."

"Mr. Steele is available now if you'd like to speak with him, he's on line one."

"Thanks Mrs. S. I'll talk to him."

"Hi Remy, How're you doing?"

"I'm fine, Chuck how about yourself?"

"I'm good. Do you want to talk about the weather, or should I get right to it?"

"What did Sarah tell you to do?"

"Very funny Remy. How's that new job search going?"

"Oops, maybe we should get right to it."

"Good call. I have some work for you. I'd like you to put together a compensation package for my new VP in charge of the Cyber Division."

"So, she passed your test?"

"With flying colors. Remy, she's good. Do you have anyone you like, to fill her directors position?"

"I have a couple of candidates. I'll discuss them with Maggie. She'll be their boss. Will you be okay with it if she wants to go outside to recruit?"

"Remy, that's totally your call. It's your office, your budget. However, you may have to do without her for a short while. Maybe a month or so."

"I know she's coming to the home office to train with you."

"True, after she finishes a job for the President."

"I'm sorry did I miss something, the president of what company?"

"The President of the United States. It's your contract. Should be at least six figures."

"Chuck, we're a little old for frat pranks."

"No prank, I'm sending you the info for Air Force Major General Beckman. She's your contact point. Don't tell Maggie about the promotion just yet. I need to see how she does with the big guys. Tell her to pack nice clothes. She may have to brief the President. Make her aware the President is a little peeved that I'm not coming myself. She's gonna have to work to impress him."

"You're not joking, this is real? The President."

"It's real, he's your client for this situation. We're working on a bigger package. Once that's in place I'll be spreading the wealth. Remy, the President is not just a client, he's a friend. I want him to be happy."

"I hear you. Thanks Chuck. This is huge. You're really helping my numbers."

"Like I said Remy, You make money, we all make money. Put together a package on Maggie to send to Beckman, she'll have to be vetted for clearance. Remy, you won't know what she's working on. She'll be signing documents explaining her responsibilities, and the consequences for violating them. If she tells you, I need to know."

"Okay Chuck, I'll keep you informed. Thanks again Boss."

"I'm sorry Remy, did you think Sarah was here?"

Steele laughs. "No Chuck I didn't. You're a good man Bartowski. I lucked out when you hired me."

"I feel the same Remy, have a good day." Hanging up Chuck smiles. I like being the bearer of good news. Finally, things at Carmichael industries are settling down. I'm getting into a routine. The company is growing. My family is safe. Once I deal with Ryker, my spy life will finally be in the rearview mirror.

The intercom buzzes. "Yes Mrs. S.?"

"Boss Mr. Casey…" the door opens, and Casey walks in and sits in his usual chair, … is waiting to see you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sawyer, let him know I'm busy and can't see him right now."

"Boss?"

"Just kidding. No problem. Please contact Mr. Grimes and see if he's free to join us. Don't bother Ms. Walker she's on the phone planning our wedding."

Chuck leans back and turns his attention to Casey. "What's up John?"

Casey points his unlit cigar at Chuck. "Just got a call from Beckman, she said you might want to chat."

Chuck chuckles, "I see, did she mention why I might want to chat?"

"Nope, but she did mention that I might want to wear a cup."

Chuck laughs hard. "I see, did you?"

"Nah, I'm used to you busting my balls. I had them replaced with brass ones, years ago."

Chuck laughs even harder. "You know partner, I can't think of anyone's balls I would rather bust." There's a knock at the door. "Come in Morgan."

Morgan Grimes enters the office and takes one of the seats in front of Chuck's desk. "What's up Buddy?"

"You're just in time, Casey is about to tell us about the time he was ordered to, how did Beckman say it, terminate me."

Casey's eyes go wide, "SHIT!" He turns his cigar in his mouth, thinking. Finally, "You do know that was a long time ago?" Chuck smiles, enjoying Casey's discomfort. "I barely knew you. You were an asset and a huge pain in the ass. The new Intersect…" Chuck puts his hand up to interrupts him long enough to set security. "… was about to go online. You were considered a potential security threat. I didn't want to. At that point, you earned my respect. I almost had Beckman convinced that we could find an alternative.

Graham wasn't having it. He wanted you in the ground ASAP. I was in your apartment, ready to thank you for your service and end that service. The cleanup crew was outside ready to make your body vanish. I raised my gun. In the nick of time Walker showed up to tell you that the new Intersect was destroyed. That explosion ended Graham's life and saved yours. I was given orders. Whether I liked them or not, they were orders."

Morgan is aghast, "Dad, you were gonna kill Chuck?" Casey merely nods. A look of shame on his face.

Chuck sees that look. A look he had never seen cross John Casey's face before. "You did the right thing John. I was a threat to national security. I'm only glad the Intersect is gone and won't have to face decisions like that anymore."

Casey smiles wide, knowing that Chuck is letting him off the hook. "Can't happen again. Anyone who tries to hurt a member of my team will regret their decision. I only take orders from one person. My Boss, new Bartowski. I only hope you never piss her off that bad."

Chuck and Morgan laugh, Casey pauses then joins them.

The guys are relaxing and enjoying each other's company when the security settings turn off and Chuck's private entrance opens. Sarah walks in. Looking around she's happy that Chuck is smiling and seems relaxed. "Hmmm looks like a coup brewing. Thinking about voting out the newest partner? Maybe turning CI into a boys club."

Chuck's face beams when he sees his wife, his smile grows wider. "Nope, never gonna happen. But I am going to have to change the code on that door."

Sarah walks over and kisses the top of his head. "You should wait until tonight, give me a chance to convince you otherwise." She walks around the desk and takes the last seat in front of Chuck's desk. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Dad was just telling us about the time he had orders to kill Chuck. He said Graham wanted him gone. By the way, who's Graham?"

"Yeah, he gave me the same order. He was the CIA director, my boss, before he was killed. He ordered me to kill Chuck if he tried to run on our first date. After he was blown up, I was loaned to the NSA to protect Chuck. I'm glad I didn't have to shoot him. He was so cute and brave. You don't know this Morgan, but on our first date Chuck saved thousands of people using a computer virus."

"Actually Buddy, you saved all those people. You called me while we were trying to disarm the bomb. You reminded me of Irene Demova. Okay enough nostalgia. Sarah I was about to give Casey and Morgan copies of your proposed training program. Guys make notes and get them back to Sarah and Alex. Keep me in the loop."

"Wait, wait, you can't tell me that I helped you save thousands and then just move on."

"Morgan, you've helped me many more times than you know. I always wanted to read you in, but my hands were tied. Tell you what, how about we all get together, and talk about old times over a drink. Of course, it would have to be here, a secure space. Are you sure you want to have more secrets that you have to keep from Alex?"

Sarah leans over to kiss Morgan on the cheek. "I have an idea, why don't we tell Alex about the time you saved our lives in the desert. That one wasn't classified. Sweetie keeping secrets from someone you love is hard. You have to walk the line between feeling like you're cheating in some way and putting them in danger. There's a reason we want out of that life.

It was hard on Chuck not telling you what was going on. As soon as he did, they wanted to lock you up. If you tell Alex too much, you'll be putting her in jeopardy. Relax, enjoy the wonderful life you have. You're a rich man, with a wonderful family. You're walking around breathing fresh air and you're not being shot at."

Chuck nods in agreement. "Okay partners, as long as I have you all here let me catch you up. I just set up a one-time deal for the government. They had a server incursion and I'm Sending Margret Mae to DC to deal with it. I'm giving the job to the Chicago office. If Maggie does okay with the bureaucrats, I'm going to give her that promotion."

Morgan looks worried. "Boss we don't have a GSA vendor's number yet. There's no guarantee we'll get paid."

"Diane Beckman gave me her word, that's good enough for me. Any objections?" The group shakes their heads. "Good." Speaking of our contract any word from Dr. Dreyfus on setting up that screening for Gretchen?" Morgan shakes his head. "Okay Morgan give that a push, make some calls."

"Sarah, I like what you've shown me on the training program. I wonder if you could add some form of testing for computer abilities. It could become important. Our operatives may have to accomplish something in the field without time to call in. We need to know who can handle what. Maybe put in a space for it and work with Maggie when she gets here. How are you coming with picking up on the routines here?"

Sarah smiles, "I'm learning, Alex is a great teacher. I should be able to take over as Director of Security in no time."

Casey growls, "What the…"

Chuck laughs, "Casey you are old."

Casey gets agitated, "Turn that brain off and I can still kick your dumb ass."

Sarah is laughing hard, "But John, if he turns his brain off then we would have two of you."

Casey growls. Chuck is laughing as he waves his hand. "Stop, stop I can't laugh anymore. John relax, If you're gone who would catch me when I fall? However, you do need to train Sarah to cover your position if the need arises. She's no different than Morgan and Alex, we all need to be able to cover each other's positions."

Sarah interjects, "Along those lines Chuck and I will be disappearing for two weeks for a honeymoon right after the wedding. We'll be incommunicado, not findable, and busy making a baby. So, gear up, get ready. I guess it might be a good idea to get Maggie ready to cover for you as well Hon."

Casey makes a gagging sound, "TMI. My son and daughter did fine when we left suddenly. The company will be in good hands."

Morgan grabs his chest, "ARGGHHH, my heart. Did John Casey just compliment me?"

"Shut up you furry elf, before I yank your heart out and feed it to you."

Chuck shakes his head and laughs. "John, standby for lady feelings. I love you guys. I can't think of a better life than sharing it with you. Now go to work before Sarah gets pissed and starts yelling. She's such a mean boss."

Washington D.C.

It takes three days for Maggie to get clearance to the servers in an undisclosed location in the DC area. It would have taken longer but CI did an extensive background check when she was hired. Steele's FBI connections helped grease the skids. It's early morning when she arrives at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where she's greeted by a woman in a chauffeurs uniform. She's led to a limo. The driver opens the door. "Ma'am we'll be heading to the White House are you carrying any weapons?"

Maggie gulps, "The White House? No, no weapons."

"Yes, Ma'am after being searched and a short briefing on White House security protocols, you'll be escorted to General Beckman's office. You'll be under escort at all times, until further notice. Do you have any questions?"

Maggie shakes her head, "Not right now."

"Very well Ma'am, please make yourself comfortable. Your luggage is in the trunk and will be searched upon entering the White House grounds. My apologies for any inconvenience Ma'am. I'm sure you understand the tight security. There are beverages in the vehicle, please feel free. It is rush-hour so traffic will be slow. Relax and enjoy the ride."

As the limo moves through the stop and go traffic Maggie leans back and takes in her surroundings. Crap, this thing is posh. What have I gotten myself into? She looks at the small bar. I could really use a drink. Probably not a good idea. Mr. Steele warned me I might be meeting with some big shots. Okay Maggie deep breaths. You're just here to work on a computer, nothing new there. She opens a bottle of water and sips on it to relieve her dry mouth.

The Limo enters the gates into the White House campus. The divider drops and the driver speaks quietly. "Please remain seated Ma'am your luggage is being searched. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience and privacy violation. We're charged with protecting the most important man in the free world." Maggie simply nods and sips on her water.

The search done The limo moves to the visitors entrance. The driver opens the door. "Thank you for your patience and cooperation Ma'am. One more small inconvenience. This police officer will escort you to a dressing room where you'll be asked to remove your outer clothing. They'll be searched while a female officer pats you down. Are you okay with this Ma'am?" Maggie nods. "Good, it's almost over. The General has invited you to join her for a light breakfast in her office. Your luggage will be waiting for you when you arrive at your hotel. Your computer and tools will remain at the guards station until you require them. Feel free to carry your purse. Have a good visit Ms. Mae."

After her clothes and body are searched Maggie is met by a large gentleman in a black suit. She immediately notices the earpiece. He points his hand down a corridor. "This way Ma'am I've been asked to escort you to the general's office. Is there anything I can offer to make you more comfortable?"

Maggie shakes her head, "I'm okay." Her head is on a swivel as she takes it all in. Holy crap Maggie you're in the White House.

They arrive at a door, the agent knocks. A woman's voice calls out, "Come in." The agent takes a position, his back to the wall, next to the door. Maggie opens the door and walks into the office. She takes a quick look around. The ego wall is filled with awards and certificates. Degrees from the Air Force Academy. Advanced degrees from multiple prestigious universities. This woman is no joke. Beckman doesn't look up from her paperwork. She points at a chair across from her, "Sit."

Maggie immediately sits in the chair. Beckman continues to read. After a few minutes she looks up and runs her eyes over the extremely nervous Maggie. She lifts her phone and presses a button. "Send it in."

Beckman stands up and walks around the desk. Maggie takes her in, Holy shit, this lady is tiny. Beckman offers her hand, "Diane Beckman, nice to meet you Ms. Mae. Mr. Bartowski speaks highly of you. Please join me over here." She points to a round table. Maggie stands up and follows Beckman. Beckman sits and Maggie sits opposite her. There's a knock at the door. "Come in." A steward enters pushing a cart. "Right here is fine, I'll serve. Thank you." The steward places the cart next to the table and leaves.

Beckman picks up a mug with the White House logo on it and asks, "Coffee?"

"Yes, please ma'am."

"Help yourself to a bagel or pastry. You seem nervous did Chuck tell you that I bite?"

"No Ma'am."

Beckman laughs, "Well he should have. I've chewed on his ass more than once over the years."

Maggie laughs, "He neglected to mention that Ma'am."

"You work for one of the finest men I've ever met. His word carries a lot of weight around here. He says I can trust you, so I will. You'll be working on servers that contain highly classified files. You are not to approach those files.

You're here to assess our security and determine how that security was breached. You'll be escorted by one of my cyber experts and a security officer. You'll be transported to an undisclosed place and given access to our servers. You'll be blindfolded during transport.

You'll be briefed on your responsibilities for classified information and will sign a document that you understand your responsibilities and the consequences for falling short of those responsibilities. The only people you can share what you learn will be with me and Mr. Bartowski. If he deems that a member of his team needs access that's fine.

If you breach security, allow me to be clear about this. No hyperbole, you will forget what the sun looks like. Not so much for what information you may leak, but for letting down my dear friend. Do we have an understanding?"

Maggie's eyes are wide when she answers with difficulty, her mouth is bone dry. "Yes ma'am, I would never want to let you or Mr. Bartowski down."

Beckman pats her hand, "Good girl. By the way if you harm him, piss off his wife. You won't live out the night."

"Ma'am, Ms. Walker was very nice, she's sweet."

Beckman smiles, "Yes she is." Beckman's phone beeps, "Excuse me." She picks up the phone, "Yes of course." Hanging up the phone she goes to the door and opens it. A man walks in, and Maggie's eyes go wider than possible. She jumps out of her chair. "Good morning, Mr. President allow me to introduce you to Ms. Margret Mae from Carmichael Industries."

The President offers his hand. "Good morning, Ms. Mae. May I call you Maggie?"

Maggie takes his hand and Frank can feel her shaking, "Ye… yes Sir."

The President smiles, "Relax young lady, the General is the tough one, I'm easy." He looks at the tray, "Any chance there's an extra pastry for a hungry man? But you can't tell my wife, she wants me to live forever."

"Of course, Sir. Mums the word, right Maggie?" Maggie nods still at a loss for words. "Can I pour you a cup Sir?"

"Relax Diane, I can get it. Please ladies sit, you're making me nervous." The three of them sit around the table sipping coffee and nibbling on pastries. Maggie is not really eating she just keeps staring at Frank. "I guess this is all a little bit overwhelming. Did the general explain why you're here?"

Maggie nods, "Yes Sir, your servers were hacked."

The president nods, "Well to some degree that's true. But the real reason is that the Bartowski's are the only people in this country I will allow to say no to me. You're here because my good friend Chuck says I can trust you. He says you're just as good as him. Is that true?"

Maggie puts her coffee cup down and stares blankly at the man asking the question. Beckman steps in, "Mr. President how can you expect her to answer that question?"

The President stands, Maggie jumps up. "I don't. I just want her to know that she's here to fill some exceptionally large shoes. Good luck Ms. Mae. I'm not sure we'll see each other again. I have a terribly busy schedule. I'll be briefed by General Beckman and Mr. Bartowski when he translates for me. Diane, I'll see you shortly we're scheduled with the Joint Chiefs."

The president leaves and Beckman turns to Maggie. "Well, you're still breathing, I guess that's a good sign. If you couldn't tell, he likes you. Let's get you to work. Let my people know when you have something to tell me. Good luck Ms. Mae."

Maggie is escorted to an elevator and feels her stomach leap as it lurches downward. When the doors open, Maggie is walked to a large black SUV, the agent/escort opens the rear door. Maggie looks in and sees a man and a woman sitting across from each other. Her computer and tool bag are on the floor between them.

The woman speaks first, "Good morning Ms. Mae, I'm Special Agent West. I've been assigned to ensure your safety. This is your cyber assistant, Billy G., his identity is classified." The man waves at Maggie. "Please come in and make yourself comfortable."

When Maggie is seated the door is closed and she can see that the windows are blacked out. Agent west holds out a black hood. "My apologies Ma'am. The location of our servers is also classified. Would you mind wearing this hood for a brief ride? I assure you it's clean and germ free."

Maggie takes the hood and puts it over her head. Totally blind she sits back and relaxes. Suddenly she hears a soft hissing sound. White noise so she can't hear the ambient sounds. The ride is so smooth she can't feel the road. She does feel her weight shifting when the car makes turns.

Her internal clock estimates the ride at about forty-five minutes. The car stops. The white noise is turned off and Maggie hears the door open. "You can remove the hood now Ms. Mae. I apologize for the inconvenience. We're here. I'll be escorting you wherever you might need to go. Billy will be watching over your shoulder. Please don't wander physically or digitally. I'm sure you want to help us ensure national security remains tight."

Maggie nods, "I understand. Billy, I'm going to need to connect my computer to the servers. Would you like to check it for malware?"

"Thank you, Ms. Mae. I did try earlier, but I couldn't get past your password. I quit when I was threatened with a wipe. I'm impressed it's been a long time since I've run into something that secure."

When they climb out of the car Maggie looks around at the typical underground garage. As they walk towards a door, Billy continues to rave. "Yep, the last time I went against security that tight I was going after The Piranha. I never did crack his encryption."

Maggie smiles inwardly, "I heard he was tough. I've always hoped to go up against him someday, maybe even meet him. Someone told me The Piranha could be a woman. I'll be happy to let you into my equipment as long as I'm looking over your shoulder." Billy laughs. Agent West smiles.

Approaching a door, Agent West slides a key card through a slot then bends to let her retina be scanned. The lock clicks and she pushes the door open. The threesome enters a room lined in stainless-steel. Straight across is another door with an eye scanner next to it. In the corner is a door marked restroom. Next to the restroom is a cabinet stacked with packages wrapped in plastic. In the center of the room is a stainless-steel table surrounded by six rotating chairs bolted to the concrete floor. The chairs are also stainless-steel.

Billy takes a seat at the table and pulls out a thumb drive. "Would you mind?"

Maggie shakes her head, "Not at all as long as you don't mind first." She pulls her phone out of her purse. "May I?" Billy smiles and hands her the thumb drive. Maggie sits down next to Billy allowing him to see the screen. She plugs in the thumb drive and watches as it's scanned by her software. She smiles and hands the device back to Billy. "I'll be removing the location markers before I leave. But you can load it for now."

Billy tilts his head and smiles. "Damn you are good. I thought I hid that pretty well."

Maggie smiles right back and pulls out her laptop. Placing it on the table she turns the screen away from Billy's view. She then places a piece of paper over her hands blocking her typing fingers.

After her face is scanned, she enters her password, then turns the screen toward Billy. He plugs in the thumb drive and a flashing screen comes up. "Unauthorized device. Enter admin password to continue." Maggie turns the screen towards her again. Her face is scanned, she covers her hands and enters her password.

She turns the computer back towards Billy. Another flashing screen pops up. "Location pin detected. Allow, discontinue, remove. Maggie smiles. "Why wait?" and clicks the remove button.

Billy shakes his head and smiles. "Okay, I'm figuring out why they sent you in. I think The Piranha had better watch his tail fin." Maggie shrugs. Billy takes over under her watchful eyes and runs his software scanning Maggie's computer for malware and viruses.

Agent West speaks into her sleeve. "Yes Ma'am." She steps up to Maggie. "General Beckman mentioned that it's noon and wants to know if you would like some lunch. She also asked me to let you know that your baggage is in your hotel room when you're ready to rest."

Maggie looks around the room. "I won't need food or that room until I'm done. A good stock of protein bars and a spill proof coffee cup that I can take with me to the servers. I'll need a runner who can keep the cup filled." She points to a bare corner of the room. "Let's put a cot over there in case I need it, but it's unlikely. By the way, Billy, your software is woefully inadequate. You're fortunate that I have no evil intent. Agent West, please inform General Beckman that I've found the first hole in your cyber defenses."

Billy is offended, "Wait a minute, you can't just throw shade. Where's the weakness?"

Maggie hands her phone to Billy and gives him a list of commands to input. He stares at the screen as an image pops up. Billy's eyes go wide, "Holy Shit!" He shows the screen to Agent West. "Honey, check this out. She has our position pinned. She used my own software against me. Holy Shit."

Maggie smiles wide, "Erase it please. I have no desire to see it or know that info. I'll be sure it's clean before we leave. Now let's get to work, my boss is waiting for my report. He promised me a bonus. A bonus I want to get… soon."

Maggie closes her laptop and walks across the room. Taking one of the packages and tearing it open she proceeds to put on the paper clean suit. "I thought you two were coming in with me. Let's move. Where's my coffee?"

West and Billy move quickly across the room to get suited up. West relays Maggie's orders and discovery into her microphone as she moves.

Carmichael Industries, Burbank CA.

Chuck's intercom buzzes, "Yes Mrs. S."

"General Beckman on line one Boss. She does not sound happy."

Chuck takes in a deep breath and blows it out. "Thank you, Mrs. S, I'll take it." Chuck picks ups up his phone. "Diane, good to hear from you. I take it you have good news."

"Very funny Bartowski. Who the hell is that little girl you sent me? She's making my cyber people look like kindergartners. She broke through our protections in the first five minutes. Our defenses leak like a sieve."

Chuck laughs softly. "I told you she was good. I hope you're okay with my decision. Seems to me you might want to push those contracts through."

"Yeah, yeah, once again Team Bartowski covers my six. The President tried to intimidate her. She held up nicely. Gretchen Fager passed the Dreyfus interview. He says she's stable and competent. It seems that she's extremely loyal to some guy who kicked the crap out of her. Your contracts are in final review. You hire well my friend. Almost as good as me."

Chuck smiles, "You didn't hire me Diane, Bryce Larkin did."

"Harumph, I'll get back to you when I know more. Thanks Chuck." The call ends.

Three days later

Maggie is being escorted to Chuck's office by John Casey himself. "Boss said he wants you in his office the moment you arrive."

"Mrs. Sawyer, this is Margret Mae. The boss is expecting her."

"Thank you, Mr. Casey. I'll let him know you're here." Mrs. Sawyer picks up the phone and presses the intercom button. "Yes Sir, Ms. Mae is here with Mr. Casey. Yes Sir, I'll send them in. Mr. Casey, Ms. Walker, and Mr. Bartowski are waiting for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Sawyer. Please notify HR that Ms. Mae will be down later to complete some paperwork."

"Yes Sir, right away." Casey opens the door and ushers Maggie in. Stepping into the office she immediately recognizes Sarah and Chuck, and a smile crosses her lips.

Sarah gets up and walks over to hug her. "Welcome to the home office Maggie. You remember the boss, Mr. Bartowski?"

"Thank you, Ma'am, of course I do."

Chuck waves from behind his desk, "Hi Maggie, welcome. John, you're welcome to stay, but we'll be speaking geek. I figure you'd rather have your afternoon nap lying down. But don't go too far partner."

Casey makes a face showing his disdain. "Like we didn't have enough nerds running around here. Maggie if you need anything Mrs. Sawyer can help you find me." Casey walks out and closes the door behind him.

"Good to have you with us Maggie. Let's start with the good news. The feedback I received concerning you was outstanding. The President was pleased, and he said he was entirely comfortable with you. It seems that you embarrassed their cyber expert, and he wants to train with you. That's not going to happen.

We'll be signing contracts shortly to provide protection to all of the governments computers and servers. I'm going to have my new VP of Cyber Services deal with all of that. Right now, I'd like a rundown on what you found. Let's keep it simple for now. We don't want Ms. Walker falling asleep on us."

"Okay, well Let me start from the beginning. The first thing I did was turn their own defenses against them. I immediately got their attention when I showed them the top-secret location of their server farm.

Oh man Mr. Bartowski, that server farm was awesome. Had to be two football lengths and cool as can be. Barely a hum. It was so cold and dry. When I picture heaven that's the place. I was so jazzed. It only took me forty hours to scope out the situation. The Agents had to switch out, to get some sleep, but I was buzzing so hard. The trons floating in the air were feeding me energy. It was so awesome."

Sarah looks at Chuck's face she can see the jealousy pouring out of him. She hides her smile behind her hand.

"Whoever did it, had skills beyond anything I've ever seen. The protection on those servers wasn't perfect, but it was tight, and somehow, they still got in. It was almost like the hacker wrote the program and knew just how to get in.

The weird thing is they got away clean. I couldn't find a trace of the perpetrator. The only hint that anyone was there, is this random bit of code that I couldn't make sense of. It's almost like the crumbs left behind when someone eats a cookie." She drops a thumb drive on Chuck's desk. "Maybe the Piranha can make sense of it. Speaking of the fish man when do I get to meet him?"

This is the moment Sarah has been waiting for. "Don't you want to know about the new VP of your division first?"

"If it's the Piranha, hell yeah. Oops sorry Ma'am, I'm really excited to meet him."

"Well Maggie I know you're excited about meeting him. I did promise you would, and you will. But first let me show you a picture of the new VP, indulge me."

Sarah reaches into a pocket and passes a small square to Maggie. She takes it and turns it over. "Ma'am this isn't a picture, it's a mirror."

Sarah nods and smiles, "Uh, huh. By the way executives get to call us Chuck and Sarah."

Maggie looks at Sarah and her face screws up with a puzzled look. "Ma'am, I don't understand."

Chuck comes around from behind his desk. "Let me be the first to congratulate you on your promotion Madam Vice President."

Maggie is in shock as she stands and takes Chuck's hand. "I'm the new VP?"

Sarah stands and hugs her. "You are Maggie. Congratulations, The Piranha chose you himself."

"The Piranha? But I thought Mr. Bartowski was the boss."

"That's right. Please call us Chuck and Sarah, Or you can call me Mrs. Piranha."

Once again, a puzzled look crosses Maggie's face. She looks at Sarah then back at Chuck who's standing there with a huge smile on his face. "But that means that you're… and he's…. Maggie looks down and stares at her hand. She falls back into her chair and a tear rolls down her cheek. "I shook his hand. I shook The Piranha's hand. "Holy shit!

Sarah laughs, "I'm sorry Maggie. I've been waiting to see that reaction for weeks. You realize that you can't tell anyone what you know. Mr. Steele knows our secret, so you can celebrate with him."

Maggie is in shock. "Are you him? Are you really him?"

Sarah laughs again. "You were expecting him to fly in wearing a cape. Sorry to disappoint." Sarah moves over and puts her arm around Chuck's waist. "He's just a guy. A genius, but just a guy."

Chuck shrugs, "Genius is a little strong. I love computers. They make so much more sense than people."

Tears are pouring down Maggie's cheeks. "You are a genius. You're coding is… is… incredible… so sexy… so Genius. Please teach me. I know you went easy on me last time. Test me, challenge me, let me learn from you. OH GOD! It's really you."

"Maggie, relax, you're embarrassing me. I already have plans to teach you. Your skills are apparent. A little finesse and you'll be kicking my cyber ass. Based on your report I'll be building the government's new cyber defenses. You'll get to attack me, no holds barred, and show me where I went wrong."

Maggie takes a deep breath, "Oh God, I couldn't there's no way."

Chuck laughs. He kneels in front of her. "Maggie you just got the job are you talking back to the boss already?"

"Oh no Sir, never… I wouldn't."

Chuck stands, "Good, Sarah would you show Maggie where the rest room is? She'll need to freshen up for her first executive meeting. I'll call the team in while you do that. They're all standing by, waiting to meet her. And Maggie, the name is Chuck, not fish man."

Maggie snorts out a short laugh, "Yes Sir, I mean Chuck."

Sarah walks over and offers her hand to Maggie. "Come on Sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up. You're about to meet a bunch of super nice people."

Chuck follows Sarah and Maggie out the door. "Mrs. Sawyer would you please contact Mr. Casey and the Grimes, ask them to join us."

Chuck is kicking back, taking a rare moment to congratulate himself on his choice. She is good, I think she's going to fit in really well.

Casey walks in and takes his usual seat, across from Chuck on his left. "Hmmm, is that a smile I see? What's got you looking like the cat who ate the canary?"

Chuck leans forward on his elbows. "I like Maggie. I think she's going to be a strong member of the team. Beckman liked her. She said Frank tried to intimidate her and she held her own. She also said Frank was impressed with the report on her skills, and he's okay with her filling in for me."

"Glad to hear it. I'll bet you're glad to have the backup."

Sarah walks in and catches that last part. "He has plenty of backup. Maggie is going to be his nerd ghost. I can only hope we don't get caught in the room if they start talking computers."

Maggie is standing right behind her and smiles at the thought that she would get to spend time geeking out with The Piranha.

Chuck stands up and walks around his desk. "Maggie, you've met Mr. Casey, our Head of Security. Allow me to introduce you to Major General John Casey, USMC retired, Medal of Honor nominee."

Maggie's eyes go wide as Casey stands and approaches her, his hand extended. "Welcome aboard Maggie."

She hadn't realized how huge he was. Larger than life. She shrinks behind Sarah. Sarah laughs, "It's okay Maggie, he won't bite."

Maggie steps out and takes Casey's hand. She nervously squeezes hard. "Careful young lady, that's my shooting hand."

"I'm sorry General, I've never met a hero before."

"Sure, you have. you just don't know it. That's what makes them heroes. And the name is Casey, unless of course, you plan on joining up. I can help you with that. The Corp can always use good people."

Chuck waves him back to his seat, "Never mind that John, she belongs with CI. She's got a great career ahead of her."

Morgan and Alex walk in. Sarah gestures towards Morgan. "Maggie, this is Morgan Grimes. He's been Chuck's BFF for over a quarter century. He's the heart of CI. He keeps us centered and grounded."

Morgan offers his hand, Maggie shakes it. "Glad to have you here. Chuck's been raving about your skills. I've never seen him this excited about another nerd before, and he's worked with plenty."

Alex offers her hand. "Hi Maggie, I'm Alex, I keep Morgan centered and Grounded."

Sarah puts her arm around Alex's shoulder's. "Alex is Morgan's wife, John's Daughter, and my sister. She has degrees in Criminal Justice, a black belt in the martial arts and most importantly is mother to the two cutest, sweetest, most wonderful twins in the world. Our Nephews, MJ, and LJ."

"You'll get to meet them soon enough Maggie. Morgan and I would love it if you would stay with us while you're in Burbank."

"Oh, I couldn't intrude. I'm sure I'll be fine at a hotel."

Alex shakes her head, "Nope sorry, you're family now. No hotels for you. I do have to warn you, the boys will be all over you."

Chuck walks around behind his desk. "Okay folks Let's officially welcome our new Vice President of Cyber Services: Margret Mae."

The group applauds as Maggie's face turns red. Then suddenly she jumps up and down and squeals. "Thank you all so much. I hope I can live up to your expectations and reputations."

Chuck sits down, "Okay folks, time to get some work done. Maggie, I'm afraid you're going to have to hit the ground running. In addition to Briefing me on your work in DC, you'll be working with Sarah, Alex, and Gretchen on our new training program. You'll meet Gretchen soon enough. The purpose of the new program is to train our operatives to be well rounded with knowledge in Firearms, Basic self-defense, covert operations, and other skills that might come in handy in the field. Your end will be coming up with a way to assess cyber skills and teach basic computer hacking and utilizing spyware."

"Excuse me Sir, That's an awful lot for one person."

"Relax Maggie, Remy is already working on a list of your new staff which you'll have approval on, and my name is still Chuck. You'll be going through the training yourself, can't have you putting your people in positions you won't go into. You'll also be me. If I'm indisposed, you'll step into my cyber shoes."

Maggie shakes her head, clearly shaken. "How the hell am I supposed to fill your shoes?"

"Maggie everybody in this office is trained to take over any position in the company. We all have each other's backs. Alex wasn't lying, this is a family, nobody here stands alone. I realize you're young, but I believe you can handle anything we throw at you. Are you ready to trust us, be a member of the best team ever?"

Maggie's voice is shaking, "I'll do my best… Chuck."

Casey speaks up, "Don't let him scare you. Maggie, we're a team. As time goes on, you'll learn more about us. The boss wasn't much older than you when he got thrown into the fire. We've got you. Pay attention, follow orders, speak up when appropriate and you'll do fine."

Chuck leans forward. "I have full faith in…" The occupants of the room are startled when Chuck's computer starts blaring with a loud Klaxon Horn blast. Ahooga, Ahooga.

The group are all watching him as he pushes a button to silence the alarm and his eyes scan the screen. "Well folks looks like things will be on hold for a couple of days. Get ready to operate; TARGET ACQUIRED."

A/N You may be wondering why I keepgoing back to rehashepisodes. There are two reasons. 1. It reminds me who the characters are and why I'm writing this Fan Fic and 2. Cause I like it.