A/N: Somebody is trying to teach me about blockchain tokens and ownership. But not ownership of Chuck.

A/N2: Three years. 150 chapters. Three years. Thanks, my friends. I wouldn't have made it past the first chapter without you guys here to encourage me. Thank you all very much.

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Sarah sat at her desk at Carmichael Industries and tried to concentrate on her work. She was fidgeting and distracted, though. She kept looking out her window and thinking about the conversation she would be having with Zondra later that day. She wasn't looking forward to it, but knew it was necessary.

If Chuck was around, she'd have gone into his office and bothered him, but he was down in Castle reading the Gentle Hand files. Amy wasn't in her office either. Casey was with Morgan at an LAPD auction for impounded cars. The bearded man was about to buy his first car and Casey went along to lend advice and make sure Morgan didn't buy a lemon.

So, Sarah was alone in her office thinking about Zondra.

Zondra had been the most like Sarah among the other CATS. Serious, detail oriented and deadly. But also able to let her hair down and relax when the situation allowed. Whatever the chemistry was between them, they had clicked early on once the team was established.

They would spend down time together, rolling their eyes to each other at Carina's antics and short-term horizontal conquests. Although, they never talked about their families or their pasts, they had managed to bond over their then current circumstances.

When there was a mission needing less than the four of them, Sarah and Zondra had often been paired. Although the vast majority of their missions were in South and Central America, Sarah remembered one where she and Zondra had been sent to North Korea to break a dissident out of jail in Pyongyang and spirit her out of the country. It was a treacherous mission, as any westerners in that country were under constant surveillance as a matter of course. She and Zondra had managed to elude the watchers and handle the jailbreak without incident, but what followed was an insane race for the western coast of the nation with what seemed to be the entire North Korean Army in hot pursuit. The Chinese mercenaries who met them on the beach had been so impressed by the deadly women spies that they insisted that the evening be capped off with innumerable shots of snake's blood mixed with grain alcohol on the rusty merchant ship in the Yellow Sea. Sarah smiled a little to herself at the memory.

And the relationship had been blown up when Sarah found the hidden transmitter in Zondra's boot. And had reacted...harshly. Sarah shook herself.

Rather than staring out the window, she decided to head down to Castle and drag her boyfriend to the Studio commissary for a late lunch.

Minutes later, in Castle, Sarah snaked her arms around Chuck's neck from behind and said, "Hey, lover. Want to feed me?'

"Anything for you, Sweetie. Just give me a couple of minutes to close this down."

"Kay," she said and went to make a quick stop in the restroom. When she entered the room she was greeted by the sound of retching from the stall. "Amy? You ok?" As they were the only two women with access to Castle, she was pretty sure who she was talking to. The only response was the sound of Amy's stomach emptying itself into the bowl.

"Naw," said Amy. "Think I ate something..." Amy continued her efforts.

Sarah said, "You didn't try the tuna salad, did you? I've warned you about that."

Amy came out of the stall and moved to the sink to wash. She didn't look at all good. "Yeah, I guess I did." She washed her hands and face and rinsed out her mouth.

"Can I do anything for you?" asked Sarah.

"No. Thanks. I'll be ok. I've got to pick up Zondra at the airport. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"You want me to go? If your stomach is acting up, you probably don't want to be in the car."

Amy smiled and said, "No. Thanks, though. I think it's out of my system."

"Ok, feel better."

Amy gave her a grateful smile and said, "Thanks, Sarah."

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Zondra Rizzo bypassed the baggage area, only having her one carryon bag on wheels behind her. She spotted Amy Turner, who was greeting her with a smile and a wave. She gave her a curt wave in return and make her way to the other woman. They hadn't seen each other since the CATS broke up.

"Hi, Zondra," said Amy, giving her a quick hug.

"Amy," said Zondra in response.

The ladies began to walk through the airport to the car. "How've you been, Z?"

"Fine. Working. Same as always," she said.

"Solo missions now or did Graham put you on another team?" asked Amy.

"Solo. Turns out I'm not much of a team player. I do better on my own." She had a bit of a grim expression on her face. "How about you? Before this one, I mean."

"I had a partner for a while. Barry Longshore. Good guy. I liked him and we worked well together. He was killed a few months ago, shortly after I joined this team."

"The Carmichael team. Yeah. You guys are burning up the gossip around Langley. Kicking ass and taking names with both hands. They say you just saved LA from some satellite nukes."

"I was away for that one, but yeah. We've had amazing success. It's a great team. I've really had to up my game just to keep up with them."

"That old school NSA guy, Major Casey, right?"

"He's a colonel now. Promoted by the President himself in the Oval Office about two weeks ago. But, yeah, he's one. Great guy. Then there's Chuck Carmichael. He's the unofficial leader. I can't really talk about him too much without starting to sound like an insane fangirl. Not only is his rep totally earned, but that's not even the best part of the guy. You'll just have to see for yourself. And, of course, Sarah."

"Of, course. Walker. How is she?"

"Better than you've ever seen her. She and Carmichael are getting married." Amy saw the look on Zondra's face and said, "For real. Really getting married. I'm going to be a bridesmaid and I'm super excited. They are more in love than any couple I've ever seen."

"Walker? Sarah Walker? You're kidding me. I never thought she'd get hitched."

"You'll see, Z. She's glowing she's so happy. And the unsmiling, taciturn...sometimes surly, if I'm being honest, Agent Walker is gone. Sarah's become a wonderful person to be around. Like sunshine on legs."

Zondra scoffed. "So, this Carmichael guy has ruined the perfect spy? She get all touchy-feely now?"

"Oh, Christ no. She's every bit as sharp as she ever was, but she's … she's more tempered now, more flexible. She sees things in more nuanced ways and it's a real asset. Remember that warehouse in Caracas?" At Zondra's nod, Amy continued. "Well, she's still deadly as ever. At least to the level she was in Caracas. Seriously, Z, I saw her rip through a half dozen men in about a minute and half when Chuck had been taken once. She was stone cold and terrifying. A goddamn killing machine, I'm telling you. And then she turned on a dime and an instant later started to cry with relief when she realized he was safe."

Zondra abruptly stopped walking and turned to Amy with shock. "Walker was crying?"

"Crying her eyes out," said Amy.

"What the hell?" asked Zondra, stunned.

"I'm telling you, Z, the Sarah Walker you knew is gone. We're now dealing with two point oh."

"Ok. I guess. But some things about people don't change," she said dubiously.

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Amy and Zondra were crossing the lobby of the Castle Studios office building, when Jeff Barnes approached Amy and said, "Hi, Amy. You're here." He was dressed in jodhpurs and boots with a silk scarf tied around his neck and wearing a red beret, his wild hair sticking out from both sides.

"Hi, Jeff. Yeah, I'm here...and so are you."

"Yes. I'm a director. Of cinema." He puffed himself up with pride.

"Congratulations, Jeff. Good for you."

Jeff turned to Zondra and said, "I'm a director. Are you an actress? Would you like to be in a movie?" He was trying to look suave, but just ended up looking confused.

Zondra said, "I'm not."

"Oh. Ok. Amy doesn't either. She's running a company."

"I am, Jeff. Sorry, I have to get inside. Good luck."

"Thanks, Amy. Did I mention that I'm a director?"

"You did. Gotta run. Bye."

"Bye...Buy More...no more...get it? No more."

"Yeah, good luck," said Amy.

Jeff wandered off, seemingly looking for the exit doors from the lobby.

Zondra showed the guard at the turnstiles her visitor pass. Once past the guard Amy said, shaking her head, "You don't even want to know."

They went down in the elevator.

When the elevator doors opened, Zondra looked around and said, "Holy shit. Is this all for you guys?"

"Yeah. We used to work out of Casey's living room, but the bosses splurged on us."

"Nice digs," said Zondra.

"I'll give you a tour later," said Amy with a grin.

A big tough looking man came from the back, short hair and military bearing. He stuck out his hand, "Agent Rizzo. I'm Casey." Gruff, businesslike, no nonsense. She liked him.

"Good to meet you, Colonel."

From a different direction a tall, lanky, cute guy with unruly curls on his head came over. He had an open laptop perched on his left palm, but his right was extended. "Hi, Agent Rizzo. I'm Chuck. Great to meet you." He wore a happy grin on his face that seemed entirely unfeigned. His handshake was firm and warm. "Welcome to Castle."

"Thank you, Chuck," she said, trying to keep her aloof attitude firmly in place, but found it hard to do in the face of Chuck's manifest warmth.

Sarah came from a different area in the back of Castle to greet Zondra. Unlike her fiancé, she didn't look particularly warm. She looked...nervous?

As she approached Zondra said, "Walker."

"Hi, Zondra," said Sarah. Neither woman extended her hand to shake.

"When does Carina arrive?" asked Chuck. "Do you know?"

"She texted me from Manilla. Her connection was running late. She won't be here for another few hours," said Zondra.

"Ok, then. Time to kill, I guess. Want me to give you the ten cent tour?" asked Chuck with a smile.

"Sure,' said Zondra.

"Let me do it, Sweetie. You go back to your research. I'll show her around," said Sarah.

"Go for it," said Chuck.

"This way, Zondra," said Sarah, leading her away from the main room of Castle. A few doors down a corridor, Sarah turned into a room. Zondra followed her. Sarah closed and locked the door behind the two of them.

Zondra looked up startled, but then saw what the room was. It was a dojo, with a padded mat in the center and weapons mounted on wall brackets. 'Now this makes sense,' thought Zondra.

Sarah stood still and quiet as Zondra walked around the room examining the weapons, but always with a half an eye watching Sarah. Finally, Zondra took a bo staff from the wall and began to twirl it expertly. Around and around, she stepped forward and spun it quickly in a circular motion.

"So, Walker, you want to have a go? Get some of that tension out the old fashioned way? Maybe work out some of the issues we've had with each other? What do you have to say? You used to love a good sparring session."

Sarah was silent as Zondra approached, but her fingers of both hands were nervously twisting together.

Zondra spun the staff fast and stopped it with the end an inch from the side of Sarah's head. Sarah looked at her and didn't move a muscle. She barely blinked.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Walker?" asked Zondra.

"I'm sorry," said Sarah quietly, looking at Zondra steadily.

"What?" said Zondra, stunned.

"I said I'm sorry, Zondra. I'm sorry I didn't trust you. We were friends. I should have trusted you. I made a mistake. I can't excuse it. I could explain it, but not excuse it. I'm sorry."

Zondra couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sarah Walker, the Ice Queen, the perfect spy, was standing there quietly apologizing to her.

Sarah continued. "I know you won't be able to forgive me, and I don't blame you, but I just wanted you to know."

Zondra stood there looking at her, holding the bo and dumbfounded, until Sarah turned back to the door with her shoulders slumped a bit.

Finally, Zondra said, "Ok."

Sarah turned back to her. "What?"

"I said ok. OK. We're good," said Zondra.

"What? We're good?"

"Yeah. We're good. It's over."

"Just like that?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah. Just like that. Sarah, you're my friend. You just told me you made a mistake and you're sorry. What else are you looking for? A half hour of screaming? Angst and tension between us for the entire mission to finally get Gaez? Just so the rest of the team can watch us and roll their eyes behind our backs? I should be a bitch like some reality show diva who holds a grudge after you've already apologized? Drama? I don't do drama, Sarah, you know that. Wrong girl for that shit. We're good."

"Really?" asked Sarah with hope, starting to smile.

"Yeah, really, girlfriend," said Zondra with a smile of her own. As Sarah's smile blossomed, Zondra stepped forward and gave her a hug.

Sarah whispered into the other woman's hair, "I missed you, Z."

"Yeah, me too."

She pulled back and started to laugh, leaning on the bo staff and holding it close to the side of her face. "God damn, Amy was right. So, a serious question. Who the fuck are you and what did you do with Sarah Walker?"

"What?" asked Sarah, with a little laugh.

"This stuff..." Zondra waved a hand around the two of them. "...this is almost like a real girl, Sarah. I never thought you had it in you."

Laughing, Sarah said, "Screw you. Was I really that bad?"

"Well, I was kind of used to it, but you were certainly pretty locked down. To have had this conversation with you then? My freaking head would have exploded. At least this time I had a bit of a heads up from Amy. Even so...wow."

"Amy? What did Amy say?"

"She said that falling in love had changed you. I think her exact words were 'sunshine on legs.'"

Sarah started to laugh. "She's right. I fell in love. I love Chuck, the most wonderful man in the world. I love him to the moon and the stars and back again. We are getting married and we are going to be together forever and it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I know what the word 'soulmates' means now." Talking about Chuck, Sarah looked happier than she'd ever looked before. Zondra was hard pressed to think of any time she'd seen anyone look this happy.

"You calm down, girl, or I'll shove you into a cold shower," said Zondra, laughing as well.

"If you can shove Chuck into the same one, it's gonna be a hot shower soon enough," said Sarah, with a wicked grin.

"How in God's name did this happen?"

"Some of it is classified and I can't say. But I was sent to talk to him on a mission. I could tell right away he wasn't a bad guy. He was just a nice, charming, funny, handsome guy. So, I took him back to my hotel for a romp. Just a one-night thing, I thought. Then the mission changed and he ended up helping us and becoming an analyst for us and we were together on the team all the time..."

"And you fell in love?" asked Zondra.

"Well, actually, I think I fell in love the first night, but I didn't realize it for weeks. And when I did...when I told him that I did...wow. Talk about life changing. Wow."

"And now here you are," she said.

"Yeah. Here I am," said Sarah with a smile. "Come on. We've been in here too long. They'll think we are beating the hell out of each other."

Zondra laughed and moved to put away the bo staff. Her face becoming serious, she looked at Sarah quietly for a moment and said, "But who planted the transmitter?"

"One mission at a time, Z."

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A/N3: You guys know I don't drag out the angst if I can help it. Well, here I could help it. What do you think? Love to hear from you all.