A/N: I have this….deep respect for Mercedes Mason, and I'm pretty sure it shows in my fics. She's just so brutally honest, and herself, and it draws me to her character, and it's a freaking crime they didn't figure out how to work her and Carina into the show more, but such is life. Time to add Zondra to the lineup. Does Chuck call her Z? Probably.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

"You gonna tell the rest of the class, Miller, or keep us guessing?" Casey asked, killing the false set of drama Carina had just created.

Carina glared at him and turned toward everyone. "She's in Northern Iraq, liaising with and training the female Kurdish Women's Protective Units, the YPJ," Carina explained.

Chuck gave Casey a look. "She's that badass?" Casey nodded. Chuck let out a low whistle. "Casey, what's our play?"

"Let's call this in, and see how the brass wants to play it," Casey suggested. He turned to Carina. "Stupid question, but is there any way you'd take my bed, and let me sleep on the couch? After what we pulled to get that ledger, they could be looking for all of us."

"I'm sure the bed is big enough for both of us," she cooed, with a glint in her eye.

}o{

"Any idea where Casey is?" Chuck asked, standing by the door the next morning. He was afraid to leave the bedroom, for fear what he might see. He saw the smirk on Sarah's face. "Listen, I'm all for adults having fun, but that woman terrifies me."

"Oh, she knows," Sarah said, shaking her head at Chuck. She sat on the bed and patted it with her hand. He padded over to her and sat down beside her. "Chuck, you know it's her weapon, right? Her sexuality?"

"I'm fully aware, and I don't want to accidentally be shot with it," Chuck replied, honestly. Sarah laughed at him, pushing her hair away from her face. She studied him a minute. "I'm being naive?"

"No, not naive, but you are falling for what she's doing," Sarah replied. "I'm not saying Carina won't act on some of the things she says, but she is quite intelligent."

"Sarah, I would never think-"

Sarah laid her hand on his thigh, stopping him from spiraling. She hadn't known him long, but she knew enough that he really did think the best of people, and when he was upset, spiraling was his go-to.

"Chuck, I know you don't, but she uses her weapons well." Sarah stopped for a second to consider her warning. "She has 'the bomb,'" Sarah said, using finger quotes. "Can she use it? Yes. Has she used it? I don't know, but it's always in her back pocket, as a threat."

"How is sex a threat?" Chuck asked. Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I get it, but it doesn't work on some guys."

"She's well aware of that, and that's when she makes them chase her," Sarah explained. "With you – hell, even Casey – she pushes you, makes you uncomfortable, and she controls the situation by doing so. She's like a cat with a mouse, and she enjoys playing with her prey before she goes for the kill."

"I don't want her to think she has to do that, for this team."

"I know, Chuck, and she knows that, but," Sarah trailed off, grinning. "Until you push back a little, she's going to keep on treating you like a play-toy, unless you're into that sort of thing."

"I mean, with the right person, maybe?" Chuck admitted. "Carina seems… a lot."

"She does, but I think some of it might be a self-preservation tactic," Sarah admitted. "Anyway, I tell you all of this so you're ready for her, so you can better figure out how she fits into your plan."

"Our plan, Sarah, all of our plans," Chuck replied, looking into her eyes. "This only happens when all of us work together."

"That may be true," Sarah replied, as she held his gaze. "But we're following you, Chuck Bartowski. Don't forget that. You are our leader."

Chuck shook his head.

"Hey, I'm not kidding. I'm here, because of you. Beckman is backing you, because of you. Casey is here, because he believes in you. Carina is here, because she's impressed by you. Understand this: We are a team, but there must be a leader. And Chuck, you are the heart, the soul, and the leader, of this team."

The door flew open, and there stood Carina with a grin. "Damn, thought I'd catch you two in a compromising situation. Video call coming in for you, Curls."

Chuck and Sarah got up and headed into the main room. This time on the TV was Beckman on one side of the screen, while the other was Morgan and Mary, straight from her hospital room.

"Mom," Chuck said, a smile on his face. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, son," she began.

"Mom." The tone in his voice shifted, and Carina's eyes went wide. She had heard the legends of the Frost Queen… about how she would take nothing off anyone. "We talked about this."

"I'm in some pain, the surgeries went well," she said, exasperation on her face, mixed with… humor. This couldn't be the Frost she had heard about. "It's nothing I can't handle. I'll be better once Stephen wakes up." She held Chuck's gaze until he gave a slight nod. She then turned to Carina. "Agent Miller."

The voice had changed again, and Carina had no doubt she was talking to the Frost Queen. "I have read many after-action reports about you." Chuck watched Carina swallow, and couldn't help but grin. He'd been on the receiving end of that tone many times in his life. "I do hope that those are isolated incidents, where you felt you had time to enjoy yourself. This enemy we are facing is dangerous. Make no mistake, whatever Chuck says is as if I was saying it myself."

"Mom," Chuck said, knowing he sounded like an exasperated teenager.

"Sorry, honey," she replied, her tone again, that of a mother. "You can do this, if everyone is on board." Her eyes swung to Carina.

"I am totally on board with this mission, and off board with your son, sir… ma'am… Agent Frost."

"Easy, Carina, what you two do is what you two do," she replied. Chuck gave his mother a flat look making her grin. "That said, however unorthodox his ideas are, there are solid tactical reasons for them." She looked over to Chuck. "Do we read her in?"

Chuck turned, and looked at Carina. She was a wildcard, there was no doubt… but he had read, and flashed, on everything about her. "Carina is Carina," Chuck began, holding Carina's gaze. "She's damn good at what she does, and she's damn good at making people think she's something she's not. I don't know why we would go to this much trouble to bring her in, if we're only going to limit the tools she can have to help us. In for a penny, in for a pound."

Mary smiled at Chuck. "I knew you'd say that," she said softly. Mary turned her attention back to Carina. "What we are about to tell, and show you, is on a need to know basis. Only a handful of people actually know." Carina nodded. "Carina, if this information were to get out, the thing I hold most dear would be at risk. Do you understand?"

"I do," Carina answered.

"No, I don't think you do… not yet, anyway," Mary replied. "Tell me… have you heard of the Intersect?"

}o{

Carina looked at Chuck, some thirty minutes later. Sarah was staring at him as well. Reading about it was one thing, but listening to it from the man's mother…

"Really, can we move on. I'm not the most important thing here," Chuck said, becoming embarrassed. He was whacked on the shoulder by Sarah.

"Good girl," Mary muttered, barely audible.

"You're not the most important thing here?" Sarah asked, her eyes blazing. Chuck gulped, and started to step back, but the look Sarah gave him double-dog-dared him to. He wasn't particularly keen on getting flipped in front of his mother, should he accept the challenge. "You are the most important person here. Hell, I'm surprised Beckman doesn't want you in a bunker!"

"I'd never put him in a bunker," Beckman replied in a voice that stopped everyone cold. "Chuck Bartowski is like a son to me, and if any of you let anything happen to him…"

"I'll die first," Sarah replied, looking Beckman in her eyes. "If someone got him, and knew what they had…" she trailed off, but there was a new understanding between Beckman and Sarah.

"They'll have to go through me, as well," Casey added.

"Shit," Carina muttered. She turned to Chuck. "If I'm dying over you, I better get laid properly beforehand." Chuck's eyes went wide.

"You are direct," Chuck replied before he could stop himself. Mary chuckled. Chuck turned back to the screen. "So now that we have gone overboard on how important I am," he drawled.

"Chuck!" Beckman and Mary snapped at the same time. Chuck shrank back.

"Go ahead, Mary," Beckman said.

"Sarah, I am putting you in charge of his security. That means while Chuck is the leader in the field, if anything he decides puts himself in too much danger, you get to put your foot down."

"Pretty sure Sarah didn't need you to tell her that, she would have done it anyway," Chuck muttered. Sarah ignored him. "I mean should I wear a red jersey, like in a football practice, so no one will shoot at me."

"Moron, that will attract shots," Casey growled, shaking his head.

"Fine," Chuck said, throwing his hands up and relenting. "Are we at least cleared to go to Iraq?"

"No," Beckman replied. "Because Zondra is not there." Carina looked shocked, as Chuck glanced over at her. "Not Agent Miller's fault, Chuck. She knew exactly what she was supposed to know."

"What does that mean, Diane… I mean General… hell, what do I call you in these things?" Chuck asked.

"Whatever you feel comfortable with… Chucky," Beckman replied.

"Understood, General," Chuck said, shooting Carina a look that very clearly read, 'NO!' "So where do we find Zondra?"

"LA," Beckman replied. "She's is in deep cover right now, with another agent."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Chuck muttered.

Beckman paused, hit a button on her computer, pulling up a picture of a man. "This is, we think, the leader of the Collective."

"Crap," Chuck muttered. "They're going after the Omen virus?"

"This was in motion before the Omen virus was used to attack your base," Beckman informed the team. "The Omen virus has a 72-hour lifespan, something the Collective is very proud of. They sell you the virus, it hits your target, and then can't infect anything else."

"Very clean," Chuck replied.

"Very," Beckman agreed. "We have our top computer expert in the Collective, and sent Agent Rizzo there to play the part of his girlfriend." Chuck looked pained. "Am I missing something, Chuck?"

"Do you have a picture of your… top computer guy?" Chuck asked. A picture flashed on the screen. "This is Skip."

"Christ," Casey muttered. "How is he not dead?"

"I don't understand," Beckman said.

"I'm assuming Agent Rizzo is…." Chuck glanced at Sarah, searching for the word.

"Attractive?" Sarah offered.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Carina muttered. Beckman put a picture of Agent Rizzo on the screen.

"Christ," Casey muttered again.

"Again, how are both of them not dead?" Chuck asked.

"I don't understand," Beckman insisted.

"Is Skip… oh, I don't know, charming, or…" Chuck trailed off, shrugging and turning to the others for any kind of help.

"Diane, what the hell is the CIA playing at, sending that couple in there?" Mary added.

"Maybe Zondra is dressing down," Carina offered. Chuck nodded, hopeful. A new picture came up, of Zondra dressed in a grey beanie, a white wife beater – that didn't quite come down to her belly button – and a grey hoodie that was draped over her shoulders.

"Good Lord, they're going to bury them alive in a desert somewhere," Chuck muttered. "Okay, General, this has turned into a rescue operation for these two agents. Inform them to get away from the Collective, and don't approach them until we meet with agents Rizzo and Skip."

"Skip isn't an agent," Beckman said, reading the file. She looked up at Chuck. "What the hell is Graham doing?"

"I have no idea, but we have to fix it," Chuck replied.

"How?" Beckman asked.

"Time for Piranha to come out and play."

A/N: This is fine...right? Reviews always appreciated