Without me

What if Casey followed through on his orders to kill Chuck. How was he going to explain his actions to Sarah? Would he have to let Ellie know? Did Chuck even have a chance? Let me know what you think. Mssupertigz

Chapter 1

Casey hung up the phone after talking to Beckman, remembering the conversation he had with Sarah weeks before, when Longshore tried to take Chuck. His words to her that they wouldn't be able to take care of Chuck much longer, that they would be coming for him, made his stomach churn and that lump in his throat that he could count on one hand ever feeling came back with a vengeance. Casey recalled after telling her, Sarah was trying not to react as her biggest fear since taking on this mission was that she could lose him. Maybe not right away, as the whole Intersect thing moved forward, it was easy to keep the secret but when Bryce resurfaced, he opened that Pandoras box that brought with it, droves of people looking for the Intersect and risking Chuck's life on a daily basis.

Present day

Casey could hear Chuck through his headphones that he was preparing supper for him and Sarah and felt that tonight he'd do something else than listen in on their evening. He couldn't blame the two of them as this night had been wished upon, hoped for and maybe for once was going in their direction. Casey knew that Chuck would soon be free of the Intersect. And that he'd have a chance with a girl like Sarah and she wouldn't have to hide behind the shield any longer, that she could be happy for once in her life. Casey slipped into the kitchen and grabbed a glass and one of his hot pockets and returned to his chair scanning the pile of war footage classics. He sat down and pressed play when he heard that beep. He walked over to his computer and woke up his screen to see in bold letters. Kill order approved Chuck Irving Bartowski - Beckman. The letters faded like the letters of one of Chuck's video games. Casey dropped to his seat and couldn't believe what he had seen. He sat there wanting to do something else, anything else than follow through on this order. Casey stood up and reached for his gun and cocked it, liking that sound like a soft melodic tune but tonight it sounded like metal on metal and a click without purpose. He also grabbed one traq gun that he had ready to train Chuck. 'Maybe I could traq him?' Casey procrastinated till he heard another beep. He walked back to his screen. 'Let me know when you have completed your task'.

Casey shuts his lights off and opens his door and waits outside Chucks' open window. He listens to make sure that he is alone. Sarah would be coming any minute and he wanted to be done and gone. With no Chuck to watch he could easily slip into the darkness and awake in a new country with a new mission. Casey looked behind him seeing that the close was clear as he slipped inside and towards Chuck's bedroom door. He heard Chuck talking to himself about how he was going to approach the topic of him and Sarah going on a Euro train trip. Casey turned to head back through the Morgan door but stopped. He knew that if he didn't go through this someone else would do it and he'd be hunted down for not following an order. He had never disobeyed an order in his entire career so why now? Casey got his gun out and slipped into the hall forgetting that one spot that creaked. He knew as soon as his foot stepped forward that he'd step on it and sure enough his foot landed on the spot. Chuck turned to face the hallway as Casey slipped into the bathroom. Chuck returned to placing the silverware on the table, then grabbing a bottle of wine, reaching for the cork screw.

Casey slipped out and raised his gun. Chuck looked up. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Casey didn't answer at first. He walked over and looked at his friend. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

Chuck smiled. "Why It's only hamburger helper?"

Casey looked at Chuck. "It's either me or them and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if it was them."

Chuck was starting to get worried but before he could react Casey fired his gun. The silence of the gun was in no comparison to the loudness Casey felt as the bullet hit Chuck and Chuck fell backwards landing hard on the floor. Casey's breath came back as he walked toward Chuck seeing the blood, then in the corner of his eye seeing her at the door. He spun and fired another shot. Sarah fell to the floor. Casey stood up and grabbed his phone. "It's done I'll meet you at my place."

Casey put his gun and the traq gun into the back of his pants and grabbed Chuck and carried him to his room and through the Morgan door to his place without the complex seeing him carrying a body.

Casey returned trough the Morgan door grabbing Chucks bag and few things that he thought Chuck would need and avoiding taking stuff that his sister would inquired to why they were missing. He slips through the Morgan door but not before he walks into the living room to see Sarah still lying on the floor. He sneaks back into his place and waits. Fifteen minutes later a knock startled him out his watchful eye on Chuck who was now covered in his blood. Casey picked up Chuck's body and carried it to the back where he carefully laid him down in the back seat. Casey closed the car door then tossed Chuck's bag into the trunk. He looked up at the older man that stood in front of him. "You know what you need to do?"

"Yes Alex, I do."

"Casey. I'm Casey now."

"Right. Sorry. Hard to remember that."

Casey looked at the older man as he squeezed his shoulder. "You sure this is what you want done? What about the other agent?"

"Yes, its for the best and I will take care of the other agent. I will take her back to her hotel and in few hours she'd wake up as if she had fallen asleep."

"Well good luck with that one." The older man walked to the driver's side and opened the door. "We'll be there in 10 hours."

"Good call me when you arrive."

The older man slid into the seat and looked up at Casey. "Why all this trouble?"

Casey looked down. "This is the first time in my career that I have disobeyed an order but I felt that he needed to be saved."

"He's worth it?" Casey never answered but the older man saw that look. "He's heart warmed you hasn't he?"

"No!" As his voice trembled slightly. Casey then avoided the man's gaze. The older man started the car and drove off as Casey got one last look of him slipping inside the Morgan door. He was glad that Chuck's sister and her boyfriend were gone for the next month on a training course so he had time to get to the bottom of this and why Chuck had a death order.

Casey slipped Sarah in through the back of her hotel using the service entrance and making his way to her room. He placed her on her bed, covered her up, turning on one of her lights then slipping out.

Hours later

Sarah woke up in a sweat screaming Chuck's name. She at wondering how she got home when the last thing she remembered was going to Chuck's. She grabbed her cell not focussing on the pain in her head and the taste in her mouth, knowing that she was drugged. She tried to focus trying to find his name. She pressed send and waited. When she heard his voice she cut him off. "Chuck, I'm so glad to…." "Hi, you have reached Chuck…..please leave a message."

Sarah got up and grabbed her jacket and her gun and left her room.

Casey paced his apartment knowing that the next 10 hours would be painful. He didn't know if what he did would have a happy ending or even a better one than if Chuck stuck around. Sarah reaches the parking lot and sees her car which doesn't make sense. This whole thing didn't sound right. She slipped inside and headed over to Chuck's fearing the worst.

Sarah slipped into the back and slipped inside the Morgan door calling out to Chuck but hearing nothing. She heard a door open then a figure walk past the window. She waited to hear more but was surprised to see that the figure was entering Chuck's front door. Sarah grabbed her gun and headed down the hall. She was still foggy to all the details but she knew how she was feeling and she was livid, hurt and angry. Sarah reached the kitchen and saw Casey bending down picking up items that were strewn all over the place. She aimed her gun and pressed hard into the back of his head. She knows he killed him. She blatantly knows and loathes him with all her being. Casey waited allowing him to turn slightly knocking the gun away from his head. Sarah regrouped and they start to fight. He pinned her to the floor. "You don't understand. I had no choice."

Sarah continues to fight. "Yes! You did. You could have chosen not to. Who cares about God, core and country."

Sarah hit him hard then pressed her fingers into his eyes hard enough making him fall backwards. Sarah got up and looked at him. "It was Chuck. Why?"

Sarah walked to her gun and pointed back towards Casey. She wiped her lip on her sleeve and looked at him. "It was Chuck. He didn't ask for any of this."

Sarah walked to the door and walked out as Casey stood up pressing his palms over his eyes.

Later that morning

Casey entered Castle seeing Sarah. He could still feel her wrath as he looked at her. He knew she didn't sleep and he hated not being able to tell her the truth. He walked past her as his cell rang and she looks up at him with anger, hatred all in one.

"Casey here."

"We have arrived, he's still unconscious."

"Do you need anything?"

"No we are well cared for here."

"Ok we will communicate only on this phone for now and of anything seems out of place get another burner phone and use the code. Then I know it is you."

Casey slipped the other phone into his pocket and walked into the main room of Castle. He looked at Sarah and for a stoic agent that she was, he could tell that she had been crying. He just hoped that she'd see in time why he had to make the choice he did.

Beckman came on the screen startling the already volatile room. "Agent Walker and Major Casey."

"General."

Sarah didn't reply. "Good news. The new Intersect is up and running and so far no glitches. Our team here wants to thank you for your hard work in making this a reality."

Sarah rolled her eyes. Beckman noticed. "Anything to say Agent Walker."

Sarah stood up. "Yes! Why Chuck! There had to be another way, another choice than to kill him. He did nothing wrong. He didn't ask to have it nor did he want it. But he accepted his fate and frankly did wonders with what he was dealt with then trigger happy Casey kills him."

"Agent Walker. I will over look your blatant comment due to what has happened but I guarantee I will not tolerate your insubordinate attitude from this moment on. Major Casey had an order and you both knew that this mission was temporary so what ever your feelings about my choice. Get over it. I'll be in LA in two days and you two will be redeployed to new missions."

Sarah sat back down placing her head into her hands. "Major Casey your request to rejoin your old team has been approved. Congratulations. Until then get ready for your new mission, agent Walker."

Sarah pushed her self back and stormed off making Casey try to digest the lump in his throat.

Two days later

Sarah showed up wearing her professional CIA suit as it was required when a new mission was handed out. She knew that once her new mission was handed out she'd be on a plane somewhere and had to look the part. As Beckman walked down the stairs, she stopped Casey before she reached Sarah. "You disposed of the body?"

Casey leaned in. "Yes General as requested."

"Good. Your flight leaves tonight."

"Yes ma'am."

Beckman walked towards Sarah with a pile of files. Casey lends a hand taking them from her and places them on the table. He quickly flips through them trying to see which one would be the right one for her. He finds one that would eventually bring her close to that area. He places it on top hoping that Sarah grabs it. Sarah knows the drill but this time it is not Langston Graham giving her a mission that literally changed her life in more ways than one. A mission that surprised her, made her grow and allowed her to be human again. Now with Beckman staring her down she feared becoming that cold agent again, turning into that person that she was glad to have shed this past year. Her hopes and dreams of what could have been tossed like yesterdays newspaper as the man she trusted shot the only man that Sarah could love if given the chance.

Sarah walked over to the pile with a disgruntled response, grabbed the top file and sat down. She flipped it open and browsed through it. There was no mention of a person to watch over. No mention of a bio or story. It was a regular mission.

Sarah distraught about her new mission tried not to show any emotions as Beckman was giving her speech. When Beckman dismissed them Sarah grabbed her things and headed upstairs.

South America

Chuck opened his eyes grabbing his shoulder. He cried out Casey's and Sarah's names as he crawled out from his bed looking around, seeing if he had missed something and was on a mission. He opened the door finding a bathroom. He lifted his arm and screamed in pain. He pulled off the huge bandage covering his shoulder and saw the massive bruise and the small entry wound. His shoulder was swelled to a size of a football. He tried to touch it but the pain was too much. He fell and hit his head on the sink passing out. The older man came rushing in grabbing a towel and putting pressure on his forehead. He slowed the bleeding down and carried him back to his bed. He stitched him up and iced his shoulder. Chuck woke up an hour later grabbing his head and unable to lift his arm. He looked up to see an older man but his features seemed similar. He looked familiar but he didn't flash on him. He couldn't flash even if he wanted to at this point but knew that no flash meant no threat per say. But his concernment about who this guy was, intrigued him.