A/N: Before I started writing Jack vs The Fake Date I got back into this one for a minute. Just got this back from beta. I hope you enjoy it. Also, listening to Boston while reading this is not required, but it might amplify your experience.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

Amy sat in the chair in the interview room. There was a brace welded into the metal table she was sitting at. Attached to that brace were two singular cuffs, each one attached to her arms. She had some room to move, but not much. There was a lone light bulb in the room, swinging back and forth, casting an eerie shadow.

"She walks in with an old telephone book, I'm pulling the plug on this," Chuck muttered. Casey grunted a chuckle, as Sarah rubbed Chuck's arm in support. "Did I make the right choice?"

"I don't know what other choice you had, Bartowski," Casey admitted. "Everyone else, except for you, wants to do her physical harm." He snorted. "Hell, the one beside you would like to go five rounds with her." He leaned over. "Don't tell her I said this, but Walker would kick Amy's ass in less than a minute."

"I heard you," Sarah said, grinning. "And, thanks," she added.

"Don't mention it," Casey said.

"He really means that, you know," Chuck said to her, making Sarah pull in her bottom lip to keep from laughing. "He really wants you to never mention how he was actually a nice guy."

"I hate you," Casey growled. He started to say more, when Ellie walked into the room, holding a folder. "She gonna papercut her to death?"

"I'm pulling the plug on this," Chuck said, and then didn't move because two people had grabbed him.

"Let her finish this," Sarah told him.

"Give her a chance," Casey added.

Ellie sat down in the chair across from Amy. "Hi, I'm Ellie," she began. "And I want to discuss a few things with you."

Amy snorted, and looked past Ellie at the glass. "What? You thought Mary Poppins would break me?"

Ellie smiled at Amy. "I do think a spoon full of sugar does help the medicine go down," she began.

"She definitely does not," Chuck said, shaking his head. "I used to want a spoon full of sugar for some of the medicine I was given, and Ellie would always tell me no."

Casey stared at Chuck in disbelief. "She playing up a role, numbnuts," Casey grumbled. "Amy thinks your sister is one thing, and that's what Ellie is playing towards. In a minute, she's gonna pull the rug out from under her."

"Now what ever could she do toOHMYGOD!" Chuck yelled, and moved away from the window, covering his mouth.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Amy yelled, gaping at the pictures Ellie put in front of her.

"Now," Ellie said in the sweetest voice imaginable, having finished laying out multiple pictures of compound fractures. "This is what we call a compound fracture."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Amy muttered, blowing out a breath.

Ellie smiled sweetly, pointing to the picture where the bone was piercing the skin in multiple places. "A compound fracture, also known as an 'open fracture' is a bone fracture that is accompanied by breaks in the skin, causing the broken ends of bone to come into contact with the outside environment."

"Why the hell would you show me this?" Amy asked.

"While this isn't exactly how my mother's leg looked, she did have a compound fracture," Ellie explained. Ellie was still smiling, still sounding like honey, but the look on Amy's face was one of someone who was understanding she had messed up.

"Your sister terrifies the shit out of me," Casey muttered.

"Try growing up with her," Chuck countered.

"Now," Ellie continued, pulling out a picture of a bone sticking through the skin of someone's foot, making Amy gag. "This is usually caused by a broken bone piercing the skin during a high-impact trauma, and it most commonly affects the lower leg. But it can occur in any part of the extremities."

"I get it, I get it," Amy said weakly.

"Okay," Ellie said and collected all the pictures and put them into one of the two folders.

"Oh no," Chuck said softly. "She's about to pull out the big guns."

"What the hell could be worse than that?" Sarah asked. Chuck spun to face away from the window. "Seriously, what?"

"No idea," Chuck admitted. "But I know her, and it's worse."

"JESUS CHRIST!" Casey yelled.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Amy yelled, turning her head and making a retching sound.

"Now, as you know, Anna was killed by shrapnel from the explosion," Ellie continued, laying out pictures of bowels that had been cut open, and some that had exploded.

"Please stop, please stop," Amy begged.

"However, if Anna hadn't died, there was the very real chance of her contracting secondary peritonitis," Ellie continued.

"She can be a real monster," Chuck said, shaking his head.

"It's morbidly impressive," Sarah said. Chuck looked over at her, and she shrugged. "It is."

"So, the peritoneum is the thin tissue that lines the inner wall of the abdomen, and covers most of the abdominal organs," Ellie said, pointing to an open bowel.

"Good lord," Amy said, blowing out a breath.

"Peritonitis is present when this tissue becomes inflamed or infected," Ellie continued in her honey-soaked voice. "Secondary peritonitis is when another condition is the cause."

"I don't need the lesson," Amy said, looking green.

"Now there are numerous causes of secondary peritonitis," Ellie continued. "In Anna's case… had she lived."

"It wasn't my fault," Amy said. Ellie stopped and glared at Amy. "It wasn't," she insisted.

"Huh," Ellie said, and went back to her presentation.

"Oh, Lord," Chuck muttered, still not looking. "If she's, huh-ing, it's not good."

"It can be caused by bacteria entering the peritoneum through a hole, or perforation in an of the organ digestive tract. The hole may be caused by a ruptured appendix, stomach ulcer, or perforated colon. It may also come from an injury, such as a gunshot or knife wound, or following the ingestion of a sharp foreign body." Ellie paused. "You know, like shrapnel cutting your bowel and feces getting out of your digestive tract?"

"What do you want to know?" Amy asked, looking like she was ready to throw up.

"Why are you after these two?" Ellie asked, putting a picture of Jack and Sarah on the table.

"That's what you want to know?" Amy asked, some confidence returning in her voice. "I was just doing my job. This… this whole CATS thing… it was simply a means to an end. I was doing what Gaez wanted, reuniting the three together."

Sarah spun toward Chuck to ask him what he thought that meant, when she saw him, holding his head. "Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

Chuck looked up at her, his eyes wide. "I think we need to talk to your dad," he told her. "This isn't what we thought it was."

"What are you talking about?"

Chuck was silent for a moment. "It's his story to tell, Sarah, not mine."

}o{

"Sarah, I'm sorry," Chuck said softly, as they drove to the hospital.

"What for?"

"For not telling you," Chuck began.

"Hey, Chuck," Sarah said, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "I know you, Chuck Bartowski. I know if you say that it's my dad's story, then it's my dad's story. I also wonder what in the hell is going on if you think he should tell me."

"That's why I'm sorry," Chuck replied. "I'm here, Sarah."

Sarah gave him a look, and shoved down on the accelerator. What in the hell had her dad been hiding from her?"

}o{

"You two married yet?" Jack quipped as he saw them enter the room. "Okay, what's wrong?" He sat up a little more, seeing the look on both of their faces. "What did I do?"

Sarah didn't say anything. She was standing there with her arms crossed. She glanced over at Chuck and nodded for him to go ahead. "We found Amy." Jack looked surprised, and then turned to his daughter. "She said something that I think you should hear." Jack swallowed, preparing himself for the worst. "She said she was doing what Gaez wanted." Jack stiffened hearing that. "That she was reuniting the three of you."

"Dad, what the hell does that mean?" Sarah asked. "I thought mom was dead."

"Well, you see, darlin'," Jack began.

"I also think that you should know that the name Gaez made me flash, and it gave me another name… or two names," Chuck said. Jack sat there, stone-faced.

"What two names?" Sarah asked.

"Amanda Doyle and Brian Murphy," Chuck replied softly. Sarah looked confused and then turned to her dad who was shaking his head and chuckling softly.

"I have no idea what a flash is, but I do know those two," Jack said, looking at the bed sheets, not able to look his daughter in the eye.

"He probably shouldn't have told you that," Sarah said, giving Chuck a look, making him grimace. She turned back to her father. "But basically, there's a computer in his brain that can pull up information on a subject. The fact Gaez is in there, and these other two are as well… it's significant."

"How detailed are the records, Charlie?" Jack continued to stare at the bed sheets and fiddled with a loose thread.

"Very," Chuck answered.

"Sounds like you haven't told her," Jack replied.

"Isn't my place," Chuck pointed out.

"I think maybe it is," Jack said, raising his head and locking eyes with Chuck. Jack blew out a breath. "What the hell, I can't protect her forever."

"I am right here," Sarah said, getting irritated. "You don't have to protect me."

"I wasn't talking about you, darlin'," Jack said softly, shaking his head, a sad smile on his face. "Maybe I should just start at the beginning. You two better sit."

Sarah gave Chuck a confused look. Chuck gestured for her to take the near chair as he sat down in the other one. "Okay, so, my family was poor. Very poor. I grew up in Boston, in a very… well… rough neighborhood. Now this is after the Irish Gang War." Jack paused a second, clearly lost in thought. "It was a different time then, in that city. The Winter Hill Gang ran rampant all through my neighborhood. My parents just thought I'd end up joining, since there were so many members around us growing up."

Jack paused, looking uncomfortable. "I knew better," he said softly.

"What?" Sarah asked.

Jack shook his head. "Getting ahead of myself, darlin'," he told her. He looked right at her. "I love you, you know that, right?" Sarah stared at the man in front of her, and wondered what in the hell was going on. "I made the wrong choice."

"I don't understand," Sarah said, confused.

"Tell her everything, Jack," Chuck coaxed.

Jack nodded. "So, when I was a kid, there was a boy in my class." Jack paused and chuckled. "He was dumber than a box of rocks, and that might be insulting to rocks." Sarah snorted. "His name was Jack O'Malley."

"Did you friend him because you had the same name?" Sarah asked, grinning.

"Darlin'," Jack began and paused. He looked back down at the bedsheets.

Sarah sat there, confused. "Jack isn't the name you were born with, is it?" Jack shook his head. "Is mom's name Emma?" Jack shook his head. "Dad, is your name Brian Murphy?" He sat there a second and gave the smallest head nod. Sarah didn't say anything for a second. "And mom?" her voice breaking. "Is mom Amanda Doyle?"

"Yeah," Jack answered his voice raspy.

"You kept your real names from me, your daughter?" Sarah asked. "Hell, is my real name even Sam?"

"Samantha," Jack said, still not looking up.

"Okay," Sarah said, her face a mask. "Now, is mom dead?" Jack sat there a minute and then shook his head. "Where is she?"

"He's trying to tell you, sweetie," Chuck said gently.

Sarah spun toward him. "Why are you defending him?"

"Because I don't think what you know about your mom and dad is really what happened," Chuck said gently. "I don't know everything, but with the information I have in here," he pointed toward his head. "I have an idea, and part of me, if I'm right, understands."

Jack lifted his head and locked eyes with Chuck. "I suspect you would," Jack said softly. Sarah looked at her dad, back to Chuck, let out a breath and turned to face Jack.

"Okay, tell me about Jack O'Malley," Sarah said.

"Jack didn't understand very much," Jack began. "Some people just don't understand that stuff taught at school. However, he was a big kid, and his family… well… they were connected."

"As in a friend of ours, connected?" Chuck asked. Jack nodded. Sarah looked confused. "Mob," Chuck said.

"Oh," Sarah replied. She gave her father a look. "I never saw you do anything with the mob in any way."

"I didn't," Jack replied. "I helped Jack all I could, but I was just a kid, not a miracle worker." He paused a second and chuckled. "I was walking home from school one day, when I saw Jack, and his older brother, Finn. Finn was in the mob, there was no question about it."

"Oh, shit," Sarah muttered.

"That's exactly what I thought," Jack said, nodding, remembering the moment. "I thought I was a goner. I thought it was all over for me. Either I was getting beat up, or I was about to join, and that was the best of the options running through my mind."

Sarah leaned forward, concern on her face. "Spoiler alert, they didn't off me," Jack told her, grinning at her.

"I mean, obviously," she said, giving him a grin in return.

"So, I stopped walking when I saw them, and that's when Jack pointed at me," Jack told them. "Finn yelled at me to come over to him, and guys, I'm telling you, I thought I was walking to my own execution." Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"I walk over, and Finn said, 'I hear you've been helping my brother.' I have, I answered. Finn said, 'Why?' Jack paused. I hadn't really thought about it at the time I started helping him. I just knew he was struggling, and I could help."

Sarah thought about that, and realized how much that sounded like Chuck. But that hadn't been the man she had seen the last several years… had it?

"So, I just said, he needed help, I could help him. It's just one of those things that when you see someone struggling, you'd hope they'd help you in the same situation if you were in it," Jack continued. He cleared his throat. "Finn just stared at me. After a bit, he looked over at his younger brother, and he asked him, 'He make fun of you?'"

"Oh, Lord," Chuck murmured.

"Right? Luckily, I knew I hadn't, but would Jack remember I hadn't teased him when everyone else had?" Jack paused and then continued. "Jack replied that I was the only one who had not." Chuck and Sarah both let out a breath neither of them had realized they were holding.

"Dad, while I appreciate all this sharing, what does this have to do with mom?" Sarah asked.

"I have to lay the groundwork, so you understand," Jack told her. "See, in that moment, Finn had two choices. I had protected his blood, so now he had to protect me. The question was how. Did he make me join the gang so that everyone knew I was one of his, or did he let everyone know not to mess with me?"

"Why wouldn't he want you to join the gang?" Sarah asked.

"In these situations, you sometimes see someone that has amazing talents. Sports, intelligence, or whatever. They just stand out, and they have a chance for a better life. Most people in Finn's position would simply say, you're one of us. That means that you don't get to go off and live a life away from there."

"You only get out if they let you out," Chuck said softly.

Jack nodded. "I was stunned when Finn asked me my plans for college," Jack continued. Sarah blinked. "Yes, Darlin', I went to college. Engineering."

"Heeeyyyyy," Chuck drawled, grinning.

"So, I told him my dream was to go to Boston U, and get a degree in engineering," Jack continued. "I told him that I didn't think I would be able to afford it. He asked me if I had the grades, and I told him I did. He told me that as long as I kept up the grades, he guaranteed me that I was going to go."

"Uh-oh," Sarah said.

"Yeah, and imagine my surprise at the reply that blurted out of my mouth," Jack replied. "I told Finn that I wanted to make it on my own." Chuck felt like you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. "He stood there a second, just watching me, and then he grinned, and said, 'Oh, I wouldn't expect nothing less from you.'"

"So, the mob didn't pay your way through college?" Sarah asked, sucked into the story.

"Nope, I paid every bit of it on my own," Jack told her, pride on his face.

"Dad… what the hell happened?" Sarah blurted out. Jack looked down at the bedsheets again.

"Amanda Doyle," Chuck said softly.

Sarah and Chuck watched the slow smile that covered Jack's face. "Yeah," he said softly, looking up at them. "Mandy."

A/N: Everything you thought you knew about Jack from cannon….take it, wad it up into a little ball, and pitch it.

Next time:

Jack reached over, grabbed his glass, and took a drink of water. "I graduated in May of 1980, and of course, the party was there at O'Malleys. The jukebox was playing Amanda by Boston-"

"Wait, Amanda wasn't released until 1986," Chuck argued. Sarah gave him a look. "What? It wasn't." He turned back to Jack.

"That's true," Jack confirmed. "However, Boston had written it and preformed it, and well….Mandy had heard it and wanted it on the jukebox." Jack grinned. "Mandy got her way a lot."

Sounds like her daughter….see ya next time.