A/N: Thank you to those that left reviews. I do reply to ones that I can (so, not guest reviews).
Beta thanks to my friend Capt Lil.
This chapter loosely covers the events of "Chuck Versus the Role Models."
Don't Walk Away
Chapter 17: Married Agents
Sarah and Chuck walked down into Castle at 2:35 pm. Getting out of LAX had been expedited by the NSA.
Casey looked up at them. "Good vacation?" he asked.
Sarah knew he was just being polite because he wouldn't really be interested.
"Interesting, with some spy work in the middle," Chuck replied.
Casey grumbled, "I had some work while you were away, but it wasn't spy-related."
"Yes, the general mentioned that, but gave us no details," Sarah replied. She wasn't going to let him know that Ellie overheard him.
"Something about a group of Peruvian assassins," Chuck said.
Casey snorted. "I don't know who labeled them that. Assassins don't travel in packs, do they, Walker?"
She hadn't thought about the label. He was right. Assassins were solo killers. Chuck knew that both of his partners had been assassins in the past. "Maybe they were ordered to work together," she replied.
Casey shook his head. "They were just bombers." Seeing them both looking at him, wanting more information, he sighed. "One of them was the son of a member of Shining Path, the guerrilla group that was responsible for armed assaults, assassinations, and hostage-takings from 1980 to 1992. Their targets were mostly the Peruvian government, military targets and civilians in Peru. This man believed the capture of their leader had financial assistance from Las Vegas. God knows why, but they decided to retaliate on the property owner by bombing one of the casinos as payback. Trouble is, many of the big casinos are owned by the same property owner."
"But why did they need you involved?" Sarah asked, confused.
"Dunno," he replied. "But the NSA got involved, tapping communication between Vegas and Peru, mainly Lima. I don't ask how. I reviewed some of it. The bombers were all holed up in one location, and were planning several explosions across the cassino corridor, timed to go off simultaneously in the evening, taking the most gamblers. So, more than just one casino.
"I took a team there and they won't be bombing anywhere again."
"I still don't understand why you were needed," Sarah repeated.
He shrugged. "Gave me something to do while you were gallivanting across Europe."
The monitor showed the NSA logo and then the general appeared upon it. "Welcome back," she said to Chuck and Sarah.
"Thank you, General," they both replied, but Sarah knew that neither of them were really thankful for their vacation being cut short.
The woman looked at the two of them for a few moments and Sarah wondered if she was going to comment on their sarcasm, but instead she shook her head and said, "I was going to say your next mission will be weird, but that word often describes how they work out." Sarah didn't know whether to feel offended at that or not. "The two of you have been requested to 'support' two senior CIA operatives."
The way the general said the word support suggested something else, probably what made it weird, but before she could ask about it, Chuck asked, "Who requested it, General?"
"Liam Jackson, the current Director of the CIA. He is fully aware of the Intersect, but also of the successes of the team."
Sarah had never met Director Jackson. She'd effectively been seconded to the NSA since Langston Graham had been killed, working solely on the Intersect project and for General Beckman. She wondered if her past working for Graham influenced Jackson's views of her, wanting nothing to do with her.
"That doesn't explain why he wants us to support these two," Sarah commented.
"No, it doesn't. He believes your reputation, Agent Walker, is enhanced by your relationship with your analyst. This is significant here." That caused both Sarah and Chuck to raise eyebrows. "Apparently, your involvement with Interpol has resulted in commendations for both of you." She looked hard as she added, "The married spies from the United States. Is there something you need to tell me?"
"W- we w-were pretending, General," Chuck stammered out.
The general's face relaxed and she looked pleased with herself. "I know. You couldn't marry without me finding out. Director Jackson knows too, but it prompted him to ask for your assistance.
"Officially, you will be acting in an observational capacity on this mission. The primary agents are named Craig and Laura Turner."
"Never heard of them," Casey said. Sarah thought the same.
Beckman replied, "AKA George and Bitsy Witherspoon?"
That caught Sarah's attention. "The CIA team who stopped the Air France hijacking in '86?"
"AKA John and Suzie Smythe?"
Casey's eyes widened. "The ones who broke up the Uranium smuggling ring back in '91."
Beckman nodded. "I could go on and on listing the Turners' aliases and accomplishments."
"So, they've been around the CIA block," Chuck said. He looked impressed, and to be honest, their achievements impressed Sarah, as well.
Beckman added, "They have also been married for the last thirty years, more or less."
Srah noted the last bit. "More or less?"
"Their marriage has not been continuous. They've divorced more than once."
"I still don't see why we should be observing them, General. And particularly, why me and Chuck?"
The general sighed. "They have a connection that makes them the ones to go on this mission, however, the director is worried that they will mess it up. He wants a reliable team to go with them. They're being told that you two are new to being a couple and that you need to learn how to be that without it affecting how you work together. They will believe that your mission is to watch and learn from the best couple the CIA has ever produced."
Sarah could understand the thinking, but… "Won't they look at our records and see that we were successful before becoming a couple?"
"Apparently, neither of them like working with computers. They only do so to file reports. They won't have done any research on you two, and will feel that the story just shows that they are the best."
Chuck shook his head. "Thirty years together is impressive, though."
Sarah was thinking of the multiple divorces and wasn't impressed.
Sarah was sitting on the couch while Chuck had been frantically tidying the apartment for the last two hours. He was now moving things around in the living room. It was ridiculous. "Would you please sit down? You're making me nervous."
Chuck looked at her. "The Turners are going to be here any minute."
"They're just CIA operatives, Chuck."
"No. These guys are supposed to be the best of the best. A super spy couple. I don't want them thinking we can't even keep the place in order."
"Chuck, you're the tidiest man in the world. The place always looks perfect."
"Aww, thanks, Sarah. You say the nicest things."
"So, sit down," she commanded.
He was about to, when they both heard voices outside.
"… two young agency hotshots," a man's voice said.
Chuck rushed toward the door. "They're here!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, but got up and joined him as he opened the door.
The tall man, who they knew was Craig Turner, muttered to the shorter woman, his wife Laura, "Dear God, it's us thirty years ago."
Chuck played the part perfectly, "Look, Sarah, that's us in thirty years."
Sarah took in the two in front of her and hoped not, but smiled at them before welcoming them in.
Craig had been spouting forth on his successes for the last half-an-hour. Sarah wondered about walking out of the room rather than fall asleep in front of this bore. "So, there you have it: Operation Mongoose. Made it out of Berlin with half the KGB on my tail. If it hadn't been for that woman in the fur coat with the AK-47..."
His wife, thankfully cut in, "Enough with the Cold war stories, darling..." He stopped and everyone looked at her. She had obviously heard this more often than she cared to. "You're boring our hosts."
Chuck didn't notice Sarah's look at him. "No-no, no. This is fascinating, uh, to me at least." Sarah felt like kicking him.
Craig raised his glass. "A toast, Charles, to old spy stories."
Sarah wondered if a drink would make it less boring for his wife. "Oh, Mrs. Turner, can I get you a drink?"
Laura declined, claiming she was fine with just water.
Craig explained, "The wife does not partake, so I guess I'll just have to toast for both of us." He took a drink and said, "A serviceable Manhattan, Charles." His expression said otherwise, and he dropped the cherry he'd taken out back in with a certain amount of disdain.
Sarah was fed up with his behavior and said, pointedly, "Is there something wrong with your cherry?"
Of course, he had a reply to that. "Actually, a true Manhattan is made with a rare and delicate marasca cherry..." Laura groaned, but he continued, "The only place you can find those, here in LA would be..."
Both the Turners said, "The Grand Ambassador."
She added, "Don't be a booze snob, darling."
"Getting back to your story, though, the woman in the fur coat, I'm assuming, was you, Mrs. Turner?" Chuck said.
'God, shut up, Chuck!' Sarah thought. If she'd been sitting next to him, she'd have pinched him or something. She now felt compelled to say something. "Is that how the two of you met?"
Laura drooly replied. "How we got divorced. The hussy in the fur was a Russian double agent."
Sarah knew about their divorces, but played innocent. "I thought the two of you were married."
"Remarried… three times," Craig stated. "Some women are too special to marry just once."
Sarah felt like throwing up. Laura seemed to have had enough. "My, look at the time."
Craig got the message. "Goodness, we'd better get going."
Sarah was pleased they were leaving.
"Sarah and I cannot wait to work with the two of you," Chuck gushed convincingly.
Laura said, "Oh, you won't have to." This set off a ping pong of statements from the two of them.
"The mission is tonight, Charles."
"The target is Otto Von Vogel."
"Otto has created a decryption program that could render CIA security useless."
"Tonight's party is a smoke screen for him to meet potential buyers."
"Our job is to access Otto's master suite, where he stores the software," Craig finished their explanation.
Sarah perked up. "Okay, great. What do you want us to do?"
Laura condescendingly said, "Your job: Watch and learn."
Once they had left, Sarah let out a groan.
"I know what you're gonna say about them. I saw you nearly yawn at one point," Chuck said.
"Were you actually interested in that garbage?" Sarah asked.
"Some of it," he replied cagily.
"He sees himself as a slightly older James Bond," she said flatly. "Do you aspire to be like him?"
He frowned. "I don't want to be a spy."
"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Do you like that debonair attitude?"
"Well, he is certainly charming."
"Is that how you see yourself in thirty years?" she challenged.
"No. I wouldn't want to be like him ever," he stated firmly. "But you know me. I always want to give others a chance."
She sighed. "You look for the best in people."
"Just what they've achieved in the past is amazing, even if you cut through his embellishments, their results speak for themselves."
She nodded. "They were good back then, but maybe they should've retired while still at their best."
"Well, let's give them a chance to prove they can still do it," Chuck said, standing to get ready to leave.
Sarah wasn't confident, but he was right. They should be given the chance. However, if they failed, she and Chuck needed to be ready to save the day… again.
As they walked up the steps behind the Turners to enter the building and join the party, Sarah spotted the man of the hour. "So, that's Otto, I take it," Chuck commented.
Laura turned back to them and replied, "Avoid him and his guards. If anyone asks who you are, tell them you're our nephew, Bernard."
Craig said otherwise, "Actually, tell them she's our niece. No offense, Charles."
Chuck shrugged. "No, none taken."
Laura said to her husband, "Shall we work the room first?"
Craig agreed and the pair walked in. Chuck and Sarah briefly looked at each other and then followed.
The couple in front of them quickly split up and approached others, immediately inserting themselves into conversations without upsetting those they joined.
Chuck and Sarah took glasses of champagne that was offered to them and moved to the nearest wall, standing inconspicuously and watched the Turners perform. They easily mingled, slipping from one couple or individual to another. It looked like they were known by everyone, but Sarah suspected that wasn't the case.
"They're good at this," Chuck commented. "Consummate professionals." He did look impressed, but then said, "They're making themselves visible to many, and it appears that people like them, but what's it achieving?"
"It will prevent Otto from throwing them out," Sarah said.
"Ahh. They do seem to be a great spy team," he said quietly.
Sarah replied immediately, "They're not that great. They've had years of experience and yet you and I could do that now." She looked up at him. "I can be like that when needed, even if I'm not naturally so, and you are the life and soul of a party when you focus."
He smiled at her. She thought he might kiss her, but she thought that might draw attention their way, so looked away.
"We may have a slight problem," he said.
She looked forward and Otto was making a beeline for them. She braced herself, but as if by magic the Turners appeared in front of them. "There you are Otto, old boy!" Craig said.
Laura followed with, "We heard you were in town and assumed you were having a party."
Otto stone-faced replied, "I don't recall putting you two on the guest list." They must've looked suitably upset and he smiled. "I'm just kidding. Look at your faces!"
"Oh, Otto, you are terrible." Laura leaned in and kissed her man's cheek.
"As they say in my country, 'mein Haus ist ihr Haus.'"
They swept Otto away with them.
Sarah commented, "Textbook subversion. Not bad."
"You know, we could take a page out of the Turners' playbook," he said and bent slightly. This time she let him kiss her.
Sarah had managed to lose sight of the Turners. So much for watching and learning.
She felt she'd let them both down. She'd commented on the Turners not being that good and then because Chuck had kissed her and she'd enjoyed it so much, it had lasted longer than it should have done.
She could see Otto, once again being the perfect host, but the couple they'd arrived with seemed to have eluded them.
They wandered into a different room. "Well, I'm not sure where the Turners went," Chuck finally confessed to her.
Sarah replied, "Maybe they already made their move."
Then she noticed where Chuck was looking. Over at the bar, they saw Laura knock back a tumbler of whiskey. Chuck commented, "I thought she said she didn't drink?"
Sarah replied, "Yeah." This felt like the evening was going belly-up.
They headed over to Laura just as she called the bartender. "Hit me."
"Hi, Mrs. Turner," Chuck started. "Sarah and I were just wondering if the mission is still going according to plan."
The woman turned to them, looking sour.
"Is, um, something wrong?" Sarah asked.
Laura nodded behind them and growled drunkenly, "Her."
Sarah looked over her shoulder and saw a young brunette leaning on a stair banister smiling at Craig.
"It's disgusting," Laura said, louder than she should. "Man's old enough to be her father!"
Chuck tried to calm her. "Perhaps he's just giving her some fatherly advice?"
Laura growled, "Bastard left his mic on." She pressed a button on her watch.
"You are a very naughty girl," Craig could be heard saying. "It's too bad my wife is here. Perhaps we can hook up later at my hotel?"
"The man's nothing but a CIA-sanctioned gigolo," Laura muttered. She stood and pushed between them.
"Wait, where are you going?" Chuck asked.
"Upstairs to steal the software." She definitely slurred that. "At least one of us is still a professional."
She turned and there was a crack. It seemed that her heel must've snapped because she suddenly fell to the floor, and was struggling to get up in her drunken state.
Craig rushed to her. "I'll handle this. Here, let me..." He grabbed her hand to help her up.
"Get your hands off me!" she cried and started hitting him.
This continued for a few moments, with the two of them creating quite a scene.
Then he gasped, "Dear Lord, my back." He clutched at it while bent over. "Oh, this is not good. It's an old service injury."
He collapsed to the floor beside his wife, who snapped, "Oh, you threw your back out with a Havana hooker!"
"It was all in the line of duty, my dear."
They continued to create quite a scene as Chuck and Sarah slipped away.
"So, we get the software?" Chuck asked.
"As expected," Sarah replied.
They headed up the stairs while all attention was on the two idiots on the floor. They soon found the master suite and entered.
Sarah started scanning the room. "Otto's safe has to be around here somewhere." Chuck sneezed behind her. "Gesundheit," she said without looking.
"Thank you," he replied. "There's got to be a cat around here. My allergies are going crazy."
He continued muttering and then there was the sound of a whip cracking. She looked at him holding it but then looked beyond him. "Chuck?" she nervously said.
He looked at her. "Yeah?"
"Put the whip down," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on what she'd spotted.
He didn't, but just turned. "Why?"
She briefly wished he was capable of just doing what she told him to do, because he froze, still holding the whip as he looked at the tiger staring at him in the slightly open doorway.
The tiger snarled at him and pushed the door open further as it moved forward. It slowly padded into the room, continuing to snarl.
Sarah stood, wishing she could get to her gun, but knew the cat would react too quickly.
"Not a fan of the whip, are you, big fella?" Chuck asked. He was still holding the whip and held it higher. "I'll just put this away and let you get back to your cat nap."
That prompted the tiger to jump onto the bed and growl at him.
"Chuck!" Sarah said.
"Mmm?"
"Run!" she cried, grabbing his hand and pulled him through another door, closing it behind her. They were now in what looked like a study of some sort.
"The software… the software is on the tiger's collar," Chuck said.
The tiger was now pawing at the outer door handle, so Sarah pulled the chair over and under the handle to prevent it from getting in.
She then pulled her gun out of her clutch bag,
"No, no, that's not a tranq gun. I'm not letting you shoot a tiger. They are endangered and majestic." He pulled his tranq pistol out of his inside jacket pocket. "I'll tranq it and you get the collar."
"We can't just open the door while he's right outside!"
The tiger pawed at the blinds on the outside of the door to confirm that.
"So, we wait until he gets bored and moves away," Chuck answered.
"Hopefully not to get help," she replied.
She lowered her gun to wait.
"So, we now know what's wrong with the Turners," Chuck said as a distraction.
"She's a drunk and he's a philanderer," Sarah replied. "As a team, they're a total mess."
A minute later, the cat did move away.
"Ready?" she asked. He raised the pistol and said he was.
She opened the door slowly. The cat was settling on the bed once again, but heard their movement and stood, snarling again.
Chuck fired two darts into its chest and it slumped down.
"Good shooting, Chuck."
"Yeah, but I'm not going near it with my allergies!"
Sarah rushed over, undid the collar and removed the two darts.
They left the room and the building as quickly as they could.
As they walked out, Chuck said, "Okay, We'll call the Turners from the road."
Then a gun cocked and the Turners appeared in front of them. Laura was pointing her gun at them. "Impressive," she said, sounding and looking completely sober. "You know, I didn't think they had it in them."
"What are you guys doing?" Chuck asked.
"We're teaching you a little something about spying," Laura replied.
Craig said, "Lesson one: trust no one..." He took Sarah's clutch bag off of her. "Except your partner, of course." He opened the bag and took out the collar. "We'll take Otto's software." He took her gun, too.
Chuck said, "No, no! You're the Turners! You can't be doing this to us." Sarah had to admit to being impressed with how he was sticking to the cover.
Craig smiled at him. "Don't feel bad, Charles. We're the best at this."
"Remember that and don't try following us," Laura said. They backed away and turned, disappearing into the bushes.
Chuck pulled out his tranq pistol and followed but they had disappeared completely.
General Beckman stared at the three of them. "What do you mean, they went rogue?"
Chuck quickly replied, "Mrs. Turner pulled a gun on us."
"And the Turners stole Otto's software," Sarah added. She was still shocked that they'd fooled her so successfully.
"I thought they were supposed to be incompetent," Beckman muttered.
"I think that's all an act, General," Sarah replied.
"And what were you doing?" Beckman demanded of Casey.
"We rushed out with the Turners and didn't involve him," Sarah quickly told her.
"Maybe you were the incompetent ones," the general commented. "Well, you need to get the software back."
When she ended the call, Casey muttered. "This is your mess. You handle it." He stomped out.
"He's mad because we didn't include him, isn't he?" Chuck asked.
Sarah didn't respond. She was trying to think where the Turners might have gone.
They were back at their apartment and Chuck was washing up from when the Turners had been with them. "Great. Not only did the Turners sell us out, they made us look like complete amateurs in the process."
"Chuck, I know you clean to help you deal with stress, but please stop. Right now, we need to focus on finding them."
He turned to her. "How? The Turners have been spying for thirty years. They've got dozens of aliases and a million different places they could disappear to. I tried checking street cameras in the area and they knew how to hide from them. They could be anywhere now." He lifted the cherry Craig had left in his glass and looked at it before dropping it back in. "Whatever beach they're on right now I hope that Mr. Turner's enjoying his perfect little Manhattan."
That triggered Sarah's thoughts. "The Grand Ambassador."
"What?"
Sarah pointed to the cherry. "He said last night that that was the only place in Los Angeles that had the right kind of cherries."
"Hold on a second. You don't actually think they're still hanging around here, do you?"
Sarah nodded. "Well, they might if they already had a buyer for the software. " She looked into his eyes. "They picked the wrong couple to stab in the back."
She picked up her gun and made sure it was loaded. She waved it in the air. "This is how I deal with stress."
They'd managed to get onto the balcony of the room the Turner's were in. They had to wait for the diversion before moving in.
Listening to the pair of them bickering over his behavior at the party was painful. Obviously, his part of the act wasn't rehearsed as much as Sarah had thought.
Thankfully, there was a knock on the door. "Room service!"
"Go ahead and leave it," Craig called out as they both stood.
Laura grabbed her gun and stayed where she was as he walked to the door. Craig opened it as Sarah slid the patio door open.
"All clear," Craig said.
Laura put the gun back down and started walking toward her husband. Sarah slipped into the room with Chuck behind her, and she quickly picked up Laura's gun.
"Compliments of the Bartowski's," Craig read from the card he found outside, beside the glass full of cherries that Chuck had asked to be sent up. He turned around. "Darling, do we know any Bartowski-" He stopped when he saw the couple by the patio and especially Sarah pointing two guns at his wife and himself. Laura turned and saw them too. "How did you ever find us?" he asked.
Sarah smiled and replied, "You're the only room that ordered twelve manhattans."
Chuck said, "Seems that we're the best."
Craig replied, "Let's not let ourselves get carried away here, Charles."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Turner. Is that what you think, that I'm getting carried away?" Chuck just shook his head.
"I don't," Sarah told him. "We are the best."
Later, they had the Turner's sitting at their dining table, in cuffs. Sarah was finally ready to talk to the couple. She leaned down to them and pointedly asked, "How did you think we would react after what you did?"
Craig smoothly replied, "What have we really done at this point, Sarah? We didn't sell Otto's software, so technically, we're not yet traitors… Am I correct?"
"It was his idea to steal it," Laura said. Sarah and Chuck looked at each other in amazement. "He forced me to act like a drunk at the party. I only wish his lecherous Lothario routine was an act."
"She's lying!" Craig cried out. "I wanted to bring the software back. It was her idea to sell it on the black market."
Laura turned on him, "Oh, no, no, you can't lie to the..."
Craig raised his voice and replied over her. They just started snapping at each other.
"Quiet!" Chuck shouted. "Enough, okay? It is one thing to betray your agency, it is another to betray your partner. You were supposed to come here and teach us. Teach us how to be a great spy couple."
Sarah nodded. He said that much better than she would've. Both Turners looked downcast. Laura placed her hand on his.
"You really think we're that bad?" Craig tentatively asked.
"Only because you were once great, yeah."
Laura looked at her husband. "We were great, remember?"
Craig sighed and looked up at Chuck. "Check back with me in thirty years, Charles. The CIA has a way of breaking young idealists." He glanced at his wife. "Especially if they're in love."
Chuck looked at Sarah, worry in his eyes. "Good job we're not both in the CIA, then, eh, Chuck?" she said. She didn't mention the fact that they were planning to get out of the espionage business altogether. She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
Then, there was a knock on the door. "Good, the marshals are here," Sarah said.
Chuck walked to the door to open it, but must've seen outside. He swiveled on his heel and waved his hands out, whispering, "It's Otto." As if to confirm that, they heard a tiger growl. "And his pussycat." The tiger started clawing at the door.
Chuck whispered a little louder, this time at the Turners. "How did your good friend Otto find us? Did you two sell us out again?"
Sarah picked up the collar and examined it. "The collar has a tracking device." She rolled her eyes. Not checking it was another rookie mistake.
Laura looked at them. "All right, where do you keep your backup guns?"
Chuck looked at Sarah. "What did you do with the other guns? Yours and Laura's?"
"Same as you with your pistol. I left them in the car." She walked to the couch and pulled her guns out of it. She tossed Chuck his spare tranq pistol, so pleased that she stored them there.
"Remember-" Chuck started.
"I know," Sarah replied. "I won't shoot the tiger, but you better not miss him if he charges."
Chuck looked at his girlfriend and then at the cuffed couple. He fired a dart into each and they uncuffed them and moved them into the bathroom, putting the handcuffs back on just to make sure they didn't leave.
There was louder hammering on the door. As they rushed back to it. Chuck looked through the spy hole, and relayed what he saw to Sarah. "Otto's closest on the left, along with a man holding the tiger on a leash to the right. Another man is behind them."
Opening the door quickly, Chuck fired two darts into the cat while Sarah pointed her gun at Otto, who froze.
Two more darts took care of the two guards.
Sarah ushered Otto in and Chuck pulled the gun out from the back of his pants.
Sarah told Chuck to buzz Casey, which he did by pressing the button on his watch.
Casey rushed over and must've found the men and the tiger just outside. He stepped over them and into the apartment. He looked at Chuck. "Busy with your pistol, huh?" he said in a respectful tone.
Sarah agreed with that tone. She was proud of her boyfriend.
Casey quickly cuffed Otto and called for men to come and collect them. Then he looked at Sarah. "The Turners?"
Chuck opened his mouth, but Sarah spoke first. "We have them secured,"
Chuck looked at her and obviously guessed she didn't want Casey to know where.
Casey grunted. "You better bring them to Castle for debriefing."
"That'll have to be in the morning," Chuck commented.
Casey nodded. "We need to restock your dart supply."
Once Casey led Otto out, Sarah turned to Chuck and jumped into his arms, wrapping her long legs around his waist. "You were perfect!" She crashed her lips to his.
The following morning, the Turners revived, handcuffed back at the table once again.
"Have we been here all night?" Laura asked.
"Pretty much," Sarah replied as she sat beside her, sipping coffee.
"We have to bring you in," she told them. "You know I can't let you go."
Craig looked at his wife. "Sorry, darling. Looks like it's over."
Laura looked sad on hearing that.
"But we can spin a story as well as you can," Chuck added.
There were five of them sitting around the table in Castle. The Turners on one side, Chuck and Sarah on the other and Casey sitting at the back. He wasn't too happy with what was going to happen, but had agreed to go along with it once Chuck and Sarah convinced him.
"Good work, Team," General Beckman said. "Our cryptographers are analyzing Otto's software as we speak. Thanks to you, our nation's communications network remains secure."
"Thank you, General," Sarah replied.
Beckman then frowned. "And now, on to the subject of the Turners and their actions."
Chuck said nothing, leaving it to Sarah. "The Turner's double-cross was actually a triple-cross. By stealing the software from us, they were able to lure Otto into a trap, and we were able to capture him. It was a daring bit of spycraft."
Beckman raised an eyebrow, but accepted it. "I'll pass my thanks onto their director." She looked at Craig and Laura. "You must be ready to move on to your next assignment."
Craig shook his head slightly. "Thanks, but no thanks, General."
"Excuse me?"
Craig replied, "No more assignments." He and his wife looked fondly at each other.
Laura turned back toward the screen. "What my husband means to say is, we're retiring."
Chuck and Sarah both gasped.
The general leaned forward. "Does Director Jackson know?"
"He does, and he immediately approved it," Craig replied.
Sarah had to smother a snort and Chuck coughed.
"We're not needed anymore," Laura added and pointed across the table. "These two are now the best."
Chuck almost pointed out that he wasn't a spy, but Sarah gripped his leg tightly and he kept quiet.
When the call ended, the Turners stood up.
"Watch each other's backs, you two," Laura said.
"And I wish you many happy marriages," Craig added.
Sarah looked at Chuck and shook her head as the others walked away. Before he said anything, she placed a finger over his lips. "Just the one. The forever one."
A/N: Not so much to change in this, but Chuck's skills with his tranq pistol needed to shine.
A review would be great, if you have the time.
The next chapter is still being written, and is proving difficult. Chuck will not be getting those dreams he had in the show, and therefore won't be deemed mad. So, I have to weave a different story around that spy plot. It'll take a while.