Disclaimer: As usual, Chuck does not belong to me.

Well here is the sequel to Malfuction and File Not Found! I highly suggest reading those two stories first (if you haven't already) before reading this or you will be completely lost!!

Italics in this story are used for thoughts as well as dreams but it is stated which is happening! Hopefully the format doesn't confuse anyone!

Enjoy!

System Restored

Chuck closed the door quietly as he made his way further into the apartment. He moved stealthily, something he'd become used to doing after so many months working alongside Casey and Sarah. He walked into the kitchen and got himself a glass of water.

God, I'm beat. Chuck sighed mentally. I thought that stakeout would never end. Didn't help that Casey's been practically avoiding me since he filled me in on what happened before and after I got my concussion.

Chuck sighed once more before finishing his water and going to his room. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep and to stop thinking about Casey's sudden avoidance. As far as he was could tell, he hadn't done anything to the NSA agent that would explain his behaviour.

"Whatever," Chuck whispered as he entered his room. "Let Casey act like an ass. I didn't do anything wrong... At least I don't think I did. Gah, I don't care!"

He flopped down onto his double bed and groaned. Ever since he had gotten hit by that two by four, everything had become weird. Casey had explained what had happened and that had filled in some blanks in Chuck's memory but something still felt like it was missing. He just didn't know what and even after four days of being concussion free, the piece was still missing.

Without getting off of his bed, Chuck stripped out of his Nerd Herd uniform. He flung the white button down shirt into a corner before he popped the button on his pants and shimmied them off. Once he was dressed in only his t-shirt and boxers, Chuck rolled over, pulled the covers up and snuggled into his pillows.

"Sleep now. Figure out the inner workings of Casey's mind later," Chuck murmured sleepily to himself and soon drifted off to sleep.

~ * ~

Cold, soothing fingers removed Chuck's hands from his head. Only then did Chuck realize that he was kneeling on hard cement in a vacant parking lot. His entire body ached and throbbed in pain but the comforting circles being rubbed into his temples by the cold fingers slowly made him relax.

"Hey, you okay?" The voice that asked him that was as soothing as the fingers on his temples and full of caring.

Chuck looked up at the man – at least he thought it was a man - who was massaging his temples but couldn't make out his face. All he could see were caring, deep blue eyes that were locked intensely with his own. Those eyes were so familiar and sparked something within Chuck.

"Casey?" Chuck whispered.

The deep blue eyes seemed to smile at Chuck as the fingers stopped their ministrations. He looked deeply into Chuck's eyes and he seemed to be searching for something in the brown pools.

"Casey?" Chuck asked once more. Even though he couldn't make out the man kneeling in front of him, besides his eyes, he was almost certain it was the NSA agent.

"Remember..." the man whispered his expression serious. "You need to reboot and restore your mind..."

Suddenly, everything dissolved and Chuck was left alone. The man was gone and he was left behind. Chuck tried to decipher the message but before he could even start, he was abruptly pushed forward into the dark.

~ * ~

Chuck awoke with a start and looked around his room. He searched frantically for the man with the deep blue eyes, but there was no one besides Chuck in the room. He sighed in disappointment and pulled himself out of bed.

What was with that dream? What did it mean? Reboot and restore my mind?

Shaking his head, Chuck pushed the dream from his mind and went about his regular morning rituals. Once he was showered, shaved and had eaten his breakfast, Chuck let his mind wander back to his dream.

It made no sense. Why was he in a vacant parking lot and who had been there with him? Chuck was sure that it was Casey. Those blue eyes that he had stared into had to have been Casey's. But what was Casey trying to get him to remember?

Chuck drifted out of his thoughts when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw a new text message. He opened it and saw that it was from Casey.

Get your ass in gear, Bartowski! We're going to be late.

It was then that Chuck noticed the time and cursed. It was almost nine a.m. and he had to be at the Buy More for nine. He rushed around the living room, grabbing everything he needed for the day, snatched up his keys and raced out the door to meet Casey at the Herder.

"What the hell took you so long, Bartowski?" Casey growled out as soon as Chuck ran up to him.

"Sorry, lost track of time," Chuck apologized and unlocked the herder. He slid into the driver's seat and put the key into the ignition.

Casey sat down in the passenger seat with a scowl set firmly in place. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't play your damn video games before work!"

Chuck ignored Casey's angry grumblings and concentrated on getting them to the Buy More on time. It was slightly harder to ignore how Casey had regressed back into the agent who he had first met all those months ago. He was back to calling Chuck "Bartowski" and not caring why he was late. It hurt Chuck since he thought they had been coming to an understanding and were almost on equal footing.

Guess not, Chuck thought sadly. I'm just the computer nerd with the Intersect stuck in his head. It's my fault for thinking that Casey saw me and not the Intersect.

He sighed and focused intently on the road. Chuck missed Casey's intense look and worried expression as he focused on the road.

~ * ~

Chuck leaned forward against the Nerd Herd desk with his head resting on him palm as he stared blankly at the Buy More sales floor. It was so slow that it was almost maddening.

There had been no calls for any offsite visits or people calling for troubleshooting. The whole store was dead and there were hardly any customers. The rest of the Nerd Herders were out to lunch, Morgan among them, leaving Chuck to man the desk.

Chuck watched the remaining employees absently as they helped customers or just stood around talking. He spotted Casey helping someone who was interested in a Beast Master Barbeque. The agent must have felt Chuck's gaze because he looked away from his customer, locked eyes with the Nerd Herder and glared.

Okay then, Chuck thought bitterly.

Chuck diverted his gaze. He tried to find something to do around the desk but there was nothing. He refused to sigh in annoyance, he was sighing way too much these days. He yawned and his eyes drifted to half mast as he watched the Buy More.

Without warning the Buy more faded away and Chuck was left sitting in the dark. Everyone was gone and he was alone.

"Casey?" Chuck called nervously out into the dark. There was no response but he was almost positive that there was someone else there with him in the dark.

"God, Chuck," someone whispered in Chuck's ear. When he spun around to see who was speaking, there was no one there. The voice continued to whisper, "You had me so worried tonight. I'll never know why you can't just do as I say and wait in the damn car."

Chuck listened intently to the soft whispering in his ear and he could hear the worry in the man's voice. He didn't know what he could say to lessen the whisperer's worry or if he could even hear him.

Before Chuck could figure out what to do the whisperer continued on. "I thought you were dead..." The voice trailed off but Chuck could feel an arm – or something like it – circling around his waist and pulling him against a hard chest. But there was still no one there with him in the dark.

"I don't know what I would do if you ever managed to get yourself killed," the whisperer's voice grew even more hush. The sheer, honest emotion moved Chuck.

Then everything started to dissolve again. The hard chest against his back faded away, as did the whispered voice in his ear. Blackness appeared in Chuck's field of view. The same deep blue eyes from his previous dream stared at him with the same intensity.

"Remember, Chuck," he whispered. His deep voice a perfect match for his deep blue eyes as well as a match for the whisperer who had held Chuck close. "Reboot and restore your mind..."

"I don't know what you mean!" Chuck whined pleadingly. "Give me something, anything more to go by." He tried to reach out to the man but there was nothing to grasp, just the blue eyes that watched him.

"Chuck... Chuck! BARTOWSKI!"

Chuck startled as Big Mike's booming voice sounded in his ear. He tried not to fall out of his chair in shock. "Yes, Big Mike?" he asked once he righted himself.

"I know its slow Bartowski but that doesn't mean you can fall asleep as your post. You need to shape up," Big Mike lectured. "Look at Casey..."

Chuck followed Big Mike's finger as he pointed at the diligently working employee who was selling yet another Beast Master to yet another customer. How he did it, Chuck would never know.

"...Always working hard and pushing the merchandise! Stop daydreaming Bartowski and get on it. Help sell some computers or video games to some teenagers or their parents."

"You got it, Big Mike," Chuck said with fake enthusiasm. "I'll get right on that."

He watched quietly as Big Mike walked back into his office with his usual pink box of donuts in hand. Chuck could feel someone's gaze on him and knew instantly that it was Casey. He ignored the agent's staring and was saved from going out onto the sales floor to mingle with customers by his phone vibrating.

He pulled it out and checked the caller ID, it was Sarah. He crept stealthily away from the Nerd Herd desk and into the vacant home theater room to answer the phone.

"Hey, Sarah."

"Chuck. I need you to get Casey and come over here. We've got a mission," Sarah's tone was all business.

"But I haven't flashed on anyone," Chuck said in confusion.

"I know. We have the basic information. We just need to see if you flash on him and get any additional information. Now grab Casey and get over here."

There was a click and Chuck sighed as he ended the call from his end. "Great," he groaned as he slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Just what I need, another mission when I could be getting some much needed sleep."

"You got your "much needed sleep" last night, Bartowski," Casey growled into Chuck's ear which caused the younger man to jump in surprise.

"Damn it Casey! Have you ever heard of the concept of personal space?"

"There is no personal space when it comes to spying. Now what did Walker say?"

"New mission. We need to get over to the Castle ASAP."

Casey grunted in acceptance before grabbing Chuck firmly by the shoulder and dragging him out of the theater room and the Buy More.

~ * ~

It took about an hour and a half for the General to brief them on their mission. The three of them had to track down a wanted felon turned Fulcrum agent that had been shown on a local new station a few days previous. Chuck had noticed that Casey had stiffened and looked at Chuck worriedly when the mug shot of the spy had appeared on the computer screen. This intrigued Chuck but he couldn't understand Casey's reaction.

Chuck had studied the image but didn't flash which caused some curious reactions from the agents and the General. He just shrugged his shoulders and pushed his own confusion to the back of his mind. After that the briefing had wrapped up quickly, the General already had the spy's location so they headed out to the scene.

It had been a blur of Casey and Sarah gearing up and checking their guns while Chuck went over the file on Danny Marks – the felon turned Fulcrum agent – hoping to flash on something that could help them out. But he found nothing.

Sooner than he would have liked, they were arriving at the warehouse that Marks was said to be hiding out at. "Why is it always a warehouse? I've had too many bad experiences involving warehouses," Chuck groaned miserably. He wasn't feeling too confident about the mission. It had only been a few days since he had gotten a concussion on a mission, so he was a little anxious.

"Get over it, Bartowski. Nothing's going to happen if you just – "

"Stay in the car," Chuck interrupted Casey.

"No, Chuck. You're sticking with me," Casey said seriously. "Now come on, let's get going." Casey turned and started towards the warehouse.

Chuck stared at Casey's back in shock. After four days of being "Bartowski", he didn't realize how much he had missed Casey saying his name. He shook himself out of his shock and followed after the agent.

The two crept stealthily up a fire escape, on their way to check out the second floor. Sarah was checking out the first floor and radioing her "clears" as she swept the floor.

When they reached the top of the fire escape, Casey pushed Chuck behind him before opening the door slightly. "Wait here and do not move a single muscle. No matter what," Casey growled a promise of a painful death in his tone.

Chuck gulped. "Okay. I won't move an inch."

Casey stared at Chuck suspiciously for a moment before nodding and moving cautiously into the warehouse. Chuck watched as the door clicked shut behind the NSA agent. He fidgeted nervously as he waited for Casey to come back with Marks cuffed so that they could go home.

As he waited, Chuck began to feel his surroundings slip away again.

The world darkened once more into the familiar darkness. He looked around, waiting to see those deep blue eyes or to hear that deep whispered voice.

When he heard nothing, he called out. "Hello? Anyone there?" There was silence for a moment before Chuck heard the deep whispered voice talking to a voice that Chuck hadn't heard in his previous dreams.

"How long were you listening?" Chuck heard the whispered voice ask defensively.

"Since you said that you were worried," the new voice said honestly.

Chuck still couldn't quiet place the whispered voice but the new voice he could. It was his voice. He was talking to the man behind the voice, which could only mean that he was right. The deep whispered voice did belong to Casey. But it didn't explain why he was dreaming about talking to Casey.

"You're dreaming about us talking because you need to remember," a voice whispered in his ear.

"Casey?!" Chuck asked in shock. "Wait! How are you talking to me here, and to me over there and in the warehouse?"

"You're dreaming, Chuck," Dream Casey said with all the annoyance of the Real Casey. "Now, listen," he paused and turned Chuck around and wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist before continuing, "and remember."

Chuck did as he was told; at least he tried to focus all of his attention on Dream Chuck and Dream Casey #2's conversation. But the feel of Dream Casey #1's arms around him was distracting. He managed though.

"I'm sorry I worried you but everything is okay now. The Intersect is fine, no damage done," Dream Chuck said seriously as he tried to reassure Dream Casey #2.

Chuck heard the low but dangerous growl from the other Casey. "I wasn't talking about the Intersect. I was worried about you. Not the damn Intersect but you, Chuck!"

Chuck watched, fascinated as Dream Casey #2 surged forward and claimed Dream Chuck's lips in a possessive kiss. He could feel the intensity of their kiss from where he stood, wrapped in Dream Casey #1's arms.

"You kissed me... When?"

"The night you got hit by the two by four."

Chuck turned sharply in the first Dream Casey's arms. "Why didn't you tell me when I asked about what happened?" He demanded.

"Chuck," he sighed, "I'm just an image your subconscious conjured up to help you remember. I'm not the real Casey."

"Oh... Right," Chuck said sheepishly and averted his eyes.

"Just watch them and listen."

Chuck turned and continued watching Dream Chuck and Dream Casey #2. They had pulled apart from their kiss and the other Casey was talking again. "Just remember, it's you I worry about."

"Committed to memory," Dream Chuck whispered before initiating the next kiss.

Chuck couldn't tear his gaze from the scene of the two figments kissing passionately. "This happened?" He whispered more to himself than to the figment behind him.

"Yes."

"Why was it so important that I remember it though?"

"So that you can put yourself and the Real Casey out of your misery. You can now freely admit that you like each other more than either of you probably should and just get over your little dance."

Chuck smiled softly. "Can I keep you instead of my Casey? You're much more honest and straight forward."

"Even so, you wouldn't have your Casey any other way or you wouldn't have referred to him as 'your Casey,'" Dream Casey #1 said sincerely.

"Got me there. Plus, it'd be weird being with a figment of my subconscious," Chuck quipped. He turned to listen to the end of the other two figments' conversation.

"I'll stay in the car next time."

"No you won't."

"You're right. I probably won't."

There was a soft laugh from Dream Casey #2, one that Chuck had never heard before but liked.

"But I will watch out for bad guys with two by fours."

"Smart idea you have there, Chuck. But next time you're not leaving my sight."

"I think I can handle that..."

The two figments faded away, leaving Chuck alone with Dream Casey #1. They stood in silence as the younger man tried to process everything he had seen and heard. "So, now what?"

He felt Dream Casey's breath hot against his ear which caused pleasant shivers to run up and down his spine. The deep voice he had grown fond of whispered into his ear. "Now... You wake up."

As if a switch had been thrown, Chuck started and refocused on his surroundings. He found himself still out on the fire escape outside of the warehouse. There were no figments of his subconscious, just himself and the fire escape.

Well that was weird, he thought as he waited for Casey to come back through the door. Now that was caused either do to my overactive and confused imagination or my mind finally rebooting. Just like he kept telling me that I needed to do.

Chuck's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the fire escape door opening. "Finally," he said excitedly. "Was Marks there Casey or was this a big waste of my time that I could have spent sleeping like most people do at this hour?"

There was no answer; just a rush of movement and when everything slowed down again, Chuck found himself with a knife against his Adam's apple and Casey pointing his gun at his captor.

"Let him go, Marks," Casey growled dangerously at the enemy spy.

The blade tightened against his throat as Chuck was held tight against Marks' body. "Not a chance. He's my ticket out of here, Major."

"C-can we talk about this?" Chuck pleaded.

"Nope," Marks sneered. "You're going to come with me. I'm positive that Fulcrum can put you to good use."

Marks began to back slowly down the fire escape with Chuck still in front of him. The younger man's eyes were wide as he stared at Casey, the thought of having been found out as the Intersect terrifying him. The NSA agent caught his eyes and shook his head slightly, informing Chuck silently that he had not been found out.

"Let's just talk about this," Chuck tried again. "I don't know anything! I'm of no use to you or your evil spy organization."

They had reached the parking lot at the side of the warehouse. Casey was a few careful paces behind them with his gun trained on Marks, which helped to ease some of Chuck's worries. They were nearing a black, non-descript SUV and Chuck feared that once they got close enough to it for Marks to get in, that that would be the end of his free life and that he would never see Ellie, Morgan or Casey again.

"Come on, just let me go. I can't help you... This guy here," Chuck pointed at Casey, "hell, he can't stand me." He ignored Casey's warning glare as he tried to persuade Marks to let him go.

Marks focused his attention back on Chuck. "Well... If that's the case," he snarled menacingly as he pressed the knife more firmly into Chuck's neck, drawing a thin line of blood to trickle down his hostage's throat. "I'll just do the Major a favour and remove this thorn from his side then."

The Fulcrum spy dragged the knife lightly across Chuck's neck, the serrated edges drawing more blood to cascade down his neck. The younger man winced and met Casey's eyes pleadingly. He felt a bit of warmth flow through him at the familiar sight of those deep blue eyes but the anger and hatred directed at Marks was new and chilling. Chuck had seen Casey pissed before. But The NSA agent before him was absolutely livid and that meant nothing but bad things ahead.

Before Marks could do anymore damage to Chuck's neck, a series of shots sounded throughout the parking lot and Marks' body convulsed behind him before the spy dropped to the ground, dead.

As soon as the arms around him went slack and slipped away, Chuck dashed forward and latched onto Casey. He was shaking and he knew he was probably coming off as a pathetic wannabe spy but he didn't care. He had been so terrified that that was going to be it, the end of Charles Irving Bartowski.

Chuck flinched when he felt arms wrap around him but calmed when he realized it was just Casey. "What happened to me not leaving your sight?" Chuck asked quietly.

Casey stiffened but said nothing in response. After a few moments, Chuck composed himself and pulled away from the older man. Just in time to because Sarah chose that moment to run around the corner with her gun drawn.

"Casey, Chuck. What the hell happened?"

"Not now, Walker," Casey said in exasperation. "Just call the cleanup crew and get this dealt with." He gestured to the body of Marks, three bullets lodged in his forehead. "I'm going to take Chuck home." With that said Casey grabbed Chuck's arm and dragged the younger man over to his SUV, leaving Sarah behind, completely bewildered.

Chuck just let himself be dragged. "BTW, I've been manhandled enough tonight. So if you could just loosen the steel grip that would make Iron Man jealous, that'd be fantastic."

"Shut it, Chuck," Casey snarled.

Once they reached the SUV, Casey opened the boot and pushed Chuck to sit down on the bumper. "Sit still," he ordered. The younger man watched as Casey pulled a fully stocked first-aid kit towards him and began to pull out various supplies to treat Chuck's neck wound.

The NSA agent took gentle care in treating Chuck's wound. He wiped the dried blood away softly before tenderly applying the antiseptic. When he was done he inspected the wound carefully. "You're lucky. You won't need stitches."

"That's good," Chuck agreed softly. Casey's gently touches were relaxing him completely. "I didn't want to explain stitches to Ellie. Especially, stitches on my neck."

"Isn't Ellie and Awesome out of town?" Chuck nodded in reply. "Then you wouldn't have to explain anything."

Chuck yawned before replying, "I guess you're right. Can we go home now?"

Casey put some cream over Chuck's wound and massaged it in which made the younger man purr. "Yeah, okay, let's go."

~ * ~

They drove back to the apartment complex in silence. Casey focused solely on the road and Chuck looking absently out the window while fingering the bandage on his neck. When they arrived and got out of the SUV, Chuck said "good night" and headed for his apartment.

He hadn't even gotten past the fountain when Casey grabbed his arm. He looked over his shoulder at the agent. "What is it?"

"C'mon," Casey said before leading Chuck towards his apartment.

"What's going on, Casey? Please don't tell me that we have another mission," Chuck whined.

"Sit," Casey ordered as he pushed Chuck towards his couch. "Now, start talking."

"About what because if you don't have a preference then I can tell you all about the new Call of Duty game."

"Don't ever say the name of that game in my presence ever again. I don't know how many hours I've been subjected to listening to you and the bearded troll go on and on about that damn game," Casey groaned.

Chuck smiled at Casey's annoyance. "So, then what do you want me to talk about?"

"You remember." It wasn't a question but a statement.

Chuck looked sheepish and ducked his head, not wanting to stare into those deep blue eyes that had haunted his dreams. "Remember what?" It was a lie but he had yet to figure out what exactly had happened. It also didn't help that Casey had kept it secret from him which couldn't mean anything good.

"Cut the bullshit, Chuck. I know you remember what happened the night you got your concussion. I don't know how but you remember," Casey snipped and started to pace in front of Chuck. "Please enlighten me."

Chuck sighed. I really have to stop sighing. "Yes, I remember okay. I remember you caressing my temples in the parking lot, you talking to me when you thought I was unconscious and us... kissing."

"How?" Casey asked as he sat down next to Chuck on the couch. "I mean, you didn't remember those things three days ago when you woke up in my lap and the medics said that you wouldn't remember."

Chuck twiddled his thumbs in his lap and kept his eyes focused on them. "I've been having these dreams about what happened and that must have triggered my memories."

"Huh, not completely farfetched."

"I guess."

The two of them sat in silence. Chuck had no clue about what they should do now. Casey had obviously wanted to keep this bit of information a secret from him but now that he knew... What did they do?

"Um... Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?"

Casey was silent and Chuck was beginning to think he shouldn't have asked. With another sigh, he pulled himself off of the couch and made to leave the apartment. He didn't get far before he found himself being pulled backwards and landing unceremoniously in Casey's lap.

Casey wrapped his arms tightly around Chuck's waist and pulled the younger man until his back rested flush against his chest. "I thought it would be better for both of us if I didn't tell you."

"Why?" Chuck whispered.

"Look Chuck," Casey sighed. "I've been with the NSA for two decades and in that time I have never once been compromised on a mission. But with you... I'm completely compromised."

"I... That's a bad thing?"

"Considering it could get one or both of us killed? Then yes it is," Casey said seriously. He felt Chuck stiffen in his arms and moved one hand down to caress his hip in an effort to calm him. "But even so, I regretted not telling you the truth and I'm sorry I kept it from you."

Chuck couldn't suppress the shiver that coursed through him at the feel of Casey's ministrations. "So... Do we ignore this or..." He trailed off.

Casey's breath was hot against Chuck's neck. It was causing the younger man to shiver against the agent's broad chest. "What do you think I want to do?" Casey purred hotly.

Chuck gasped as the hand on his hip slipped up and under his jeans to brush gently against his lower stomach. Dangerously close to the hem of his boxers. "Casey?"

The NSA agent's lips descended on Chuck's neck. Kissing and nipping at the skin as his hands began to roam freely over the lithe body beneath them. He worked his way towards Chuck's earlobe. When he reached his destination, he worried the lobe between his teeth, electing moans and gasps from Chuck's lips. "I want you and this. Damn the consequences," Casey whispered passionately into the younger's ear. "What do you want?"

"God," Chuck moaned as Casey nipped at a particularly sensitive spot behind his ear. "If you have to ask..."

Casey smiled against the side of Chuck's neck. "Good."

Casey popped open the button on Chuck's jeans and lowered his fly. The younger man bit his lip to suppress a moan when the NSA agent pushed his pants and boxers down just enough to release his half-hard erection from its confines. He moaned loudly when Casey's gun calloused fingers wrapped around him and began to jerk him off – slowly.

"Casey, God," Chuck moaned and dropped his head onto Casey's shoulder. He moved his hands to grip the agent's strong arms, digging his fingers into the muscles in pleasure.

Casey used the new position of Chuck's head to his advantage and turned his head and claimed Chuck's lips. He snaked his tongue into the younger man's welcoming mouth, at the same time he gripped his now fully erect arousal firmly and pumped Chuck faster, bringing forth moans and whimpers from Chuck.

Chuck broke the kiss with a gasp and tried to get some oxygen back into his lungs. Once he got his breath back he removed Casey's hands from his hip and erection. He ignored Casey's growls and maneuvered himself so that he was straddling the agent's hips, his hands going to work on undoing Casey's pants and freeing the agent's own noticeable erection.

"Chuck," Casey groaned as the younger man gripped him and started to stroke slowly, drawing out Casey's pleasure.

"You can continue you know," Chuck whispered huskily into Casey's ear.

The NSA agent got the hint and resumed his strokes. The two of them stroked each other's erections in tandem as they kissed continuously, trying desperately to give one another as much pleasure as possible.

Casey felt himself start to get close to the edge of ecstasy, so he sped up his strokes on Chuck's arousal. With just the right amount of preasure and a well timed flick of his wrist, Casey was able to bring Chuck over the edge with him. They released simultaneously, gasping into each other's mouths. When they calmed down and regained their breaths, Chuck buried his face into Casey's neck.

"God," Chuck moaned.

"Yes?"

"Very funny Casey," Chuck said sarcastically but there was a huge smile on his face.

Casey ran a hand up and down Chuck's back. "You okay?" he asked seriously.

"Yeah. It's just a lot to take in but I'm glad that I remembered. We're going to do this right?"

The nervousness in Chuck's voice was noticeable and Casey wrapped his arms around him tighter. "Yes, Chuck. Just try not to get injured on every mission. I'm getting tired of thinking I'm going to lose you every time I turn around and see a knife to your neck or you unconscious or you getting dropped off the roof of a building."

"Hey, it's not my fault! The bad guys we seem to encounter all have something about them that makes them want to try to kill or at least injure me in some capacity." Chuck pouted. "It's not like I ask for it!"

Casey chuckled softly, a hand carding through curly, dark brown hair as he did so. "I know."

Chuck snuggled into Casey more so. He knew that being with Casey like this could get either one of them killed or Casey reassigned. But wrapped up in Casey's arms, Chuck couldn't bring himself to care. His memories and dreams had reminded him of what he could have.

So if it hadn't been meant to be... Then Chuck would never have remembered. But he had. Chuck's memory was completely restored and he had gotten Casey in the upgrade package.

The End