Don't own Chuck

IN CASTLE

Chuck was standing with Sarah and Casey before the monitor. Chuck realized General Beckman wasn't going to be happy with him but he wasn't happy with her either and being tired he wasn't in a mood to put up and shut up as Casey told him should do. Sarah realized this so she made sure she was by his side to help him rein in his emotions the very same that she loved in him and that she told him time again that made him great.

"Agent Bartowski, Chuck it's nice to see you home again."

"Thank you General. I missed you too." Casey gave Chuck a grunt.

"I believe last time I checked the writing on my office door I was in charge of covert operations. When I have to drop paratroopers in LA county during the middle of the day it seems a contradiction and a little difficult to justify."

"Well, General it couldn't be helped," said Casey.

"I know I read your report. I justified it as a joint op to bust a drug ring."

"Technically speaking, you can't," said Chuck. "The Posse Comitatus Act passed by Congress forbids U.S. troops from being used as a police force on US soil. However, they can be used to restore order after a terrorist act or natural disaster."

"Perry Bartowski not helping," said Casey.

"Thank you and duly noted. Chuck I think there's another question you wish to ask but first where are the civilians."

"General, Grimes has them up in Orange Orange."

"Which civilians are you talking about," snapped Chuck. "Judy and Wally Roberts or do you also mean Jill's daughter?"

"Shall we address the elephant in the room?"

"Chuck, remember you're talking to a general," said Casey.

"No let Agent Bartowski speak. I did know Dr. Roberts had a child in prison."

"I knew it," said Chuck. "That's why you didn't want me told when Jill was in town that you thought she'd use Skye, I'm sorry I mean Judy as some sort of leverage?"

"Well, yes. Seeing as no DNA testing was done when the child was born your parental status was unknown and your emotions tend to make you erratic."

"If you call loving and caring erratic then I'm guilty as charge. But I love my wife and her name is Sarah not Jill so nothing can nor will change that. Addressing your elephant Jill's child isn't mine remember when Jill and Leader made the incursion into Castle, Jill and Leader were looking for Bryce through our data base. Why were they looking for Bryce? Jill also said that Bryce took something? What?"

"Okay Chuck," said Casey enough with the tell now show."

"Are you saying Bryce Larkin was the child's father? Do you have any proof?"

"We know Fulcrum wanted to build an intersect and they knew that not all brains could be upload without serious mental problems. We also know they thought Bryce possessed one of those brains. Bryce Larkin was held captive by Fulcrum which meant Jill could have been or was with him right before he was rescued. Sarah, Casey remember when I interrogated Bryce when he first came out of his coma he ask me if I was the real Chuck. Why would he think that? Maybe while he was with Fulcrum he met someone he knew. Someone we both knew from our past and that confused him. Remember also that although Jill told me that she never slept with Bryce and that was supposedly confirmed by the lie detector she also told Sarah that there was no trap but there was."

"So she knew how to pass a lie detector."

"Yes but Bryce also knew I believed he slept with Jill, Bryce my best friend and the person who got me kicked out of Stanford. I can't help think that this was part of his plan to keep me from going back there and further he never denied it. Between the two who would you trust?"

"Agent Bartowski are you saying Agent Larkin was the girl's father?"

"I am just putting forward a scenario that seems to indicate that. Lastly, remember what Jill's degrees are in Evolutionary and Molecular biology."

"But Chuck," said Sarah, "Bryce never had the intersect."

"Fulcrum never knew that. Lastly and what nails the coffin shut is the lab she destroyed in Zamibia. What research was she involved in, genetics. If Jill figured out that Bryce didn't have or her daughter didn't have a brain that could upload the intersect then the child, her child for her bosses would have been useless or worse than useless a liability. This can be seen by what the other doctors and techs called Skye. She was given the codename JUG 'just a(u) girl' in the lab this way they de-personalized her. She was for them a human lab rat."

"I haven't heard anything so horrible since Josef Mengele"

"So she destroyed the lab and everyone who knew about her daughter to protect her kid, a woman I can admire even if is she's a traitor."

"I think thanks Casey. Don't you see General if I had been put into the loop everything that happened after the hotel could have been avoided."

"Chuck it seems I owe you an apology."

"Thanks General."

"It said seems because Dr. Roberts is still on the loose."

"Not for long I know where she will be but I have to ask am I now included in Sarah and Casey's mission?"

"Very well but I want to be informed."

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IN THE ZAMIBIAN CONSULATE

"Dr. Kowambe, sir," said his assistant. "I just heard back from one of our American friends and he confirmed that Wolf was killed in a shootout and that what was left of his pact were taken into custody."

"So this part of Yuri's story checks out. Good," he said well not good but at least he still had a possible player on the field.

"Dr. Kowambe aren't you concerned how your partners will take this news?"

"I don't think they'll care as long as the job gets done." He realized that he no longer had a buffer between himself and his partners so it wouldn't be long before they would come knocking at his door. This worried him now more than ever he needed his new Russian friend.

A few days later as he was about to give up he received a package.

"Sir this was delivered for you today" said his assistant as he handed him a box marked special delivery. Opening it he found a phone with a tag that read turn on and wait. After he switched it on it began to ring.

"Hello Dr. Kowambe this is Yuri. Have you thought about our deal?"

"Yes but you promised a good faith offer."

"Indeed are you receptive to our demands?"

"What demands? You haven't made any?" Kowambe was puzzled by the question and his nerves were already thin.

"Come now you haven't guessed. We want to use you as our man in Africa."

"What would be involved? I don't understand?"

"Be watching your outside monitor this evening say around seven. However, I need one thing from you. I need clearance to come to see you immediately on presenting myself. Do you understand?"

"Immediately? Why?"

"You ask too many questions. Maybe I ought to forget the whole thing and let you risk Dr. Roberts blowing your little illegal genetics research initiative wide open."

"No, no," he said thinking about his partners. "Okay, I'll have word sent you'll be brought up immediately after you present yourself."

"Good then we'll have a promising fortune ahead."

It was almost seven and the Doctor was in the security booth watching the outside monitor as he had been instructed.

"Do we have audio as well as visual?"

"Yes Sir but we usually turn off audio because of traffic noise."

"For tonight turn them on. I want to hear everything." And indeed the traffic sound was bothersome but he had to hear what was going on. Then from the far corner he saw her. At first he couldn't believe his own eyes but there was Dr. Roberts walking, sneaking towards the consulate and she was armed. As he was watching her he jumped when the phone Yuri sent him rang.

"Dr. Kowambe, Luther do you see what I see?"

"Ms. Roberts, yes what do you plan on doing about it?"

"First have you done what I asked?"

"Yes my guards are on the gate and will bring you straight to my office."

"Good because there are two CIA agents on their way to arrest her. Watch and see how a professional works."

Kowambe watched as Yuri came into view and went straight up to Jill as he was almost there two other men appeared. Luther could only think they were CIA.

"Hurry up," he muttered to himself, "before it's too late."

It happened in less than a second. Yuri drew a Markov and pop, pop twice in her chest then ducked into the consulate.

"Hey, stop," yelled the agents but as Yuri was now on Zamibian soil they were stopped

"Halt, you can't come in here," said one of the guards as they pointed their type 56 Chinese weapons at the two flustered federal agents. The next part almost made him have kittens.

"How is she," asked one of the men.

"It looks like we're too late. She's dead." The men were soon joined by others then an ambulance and the body was taken away. There was a small incident at the front gate as other agents were turned away. Kowambe was ecstatic one of his headaches was gone now he had only one more. He went back to his office to find Yuri sitting in front of his desk. He was drinking his scotch with his gloves still on.

"Did you like what you saw?"

"I'm more than happy but what keeps me from turning you over to the authorities. You know the consulate can't be involved in harboring criminals."

"You mean like yourself. Look at this." Yuri handed him a small monitor that showed Skye walking around. "I have the girl too. If you turn me over I turn the kid over. If I don't leave in an hour then the kid gets turned over."

"But if you leave the police will arrest you?"

"Not if I'm traveling in a Zamibian motorcade. I think your time here in LA is over, don't you?"

"That could be arranged so what is it you want from me?"

"It's not what I want. Personally I'd put a bullet in your head but that's not what my bosses want in the Bratva. You see we have product, weapons and other merchandise we'd like to off load and in exchange we'll take you blood diamonds and whatever else you'd like to negotiate. I can guarantee you a good profit but there is one small thing."

"And what is that?" Yuri laid on Kowambe's desk five playing cards the ace of spades and clubs along with a pair of eights clubs and spades with a hold card. "Are you familiar with this hand?"

"The dead man's hand."

"Turn over the hold card." Luther turned it over and saw the photo of his president Jakaya Kuti.

"What's this?"

"How does Mr. President Kowambe sound?"

"So if I were President I'd be immune from legal prosecution by the United Nations as an acting head of state. Yes we can."

"So to be clear I'll remove your other problem and what will you do for us?"

"Okay I'll organize a coup as soon as I return. I'll depose Jakaya Kuti. I don't like him and his government anyway."

"Then it's a deal. Let's shake."

"Thank you Mr. Juri by the way you never told me your last name."

"Sheshenko, Juri Shehsenko," and as the consulate readied the motorcade and had Kowambe's plane prepared Juri sat in his chair sipping Luther's scotch and humming 'if I were a rich man'. When the motorcade departed half way to the airport Juri got out.

"Here Luther," he handed him a small monitor. "I'll send you a video of the event. When you're in the air turn it on say a little inflight movie."

"This is the beginning a good working relationship, my friend."

"Yes, indeed dasvidaniya," Yuri said as he got out and watched the motorcade disappear.

"Sweetie, are you okay? How'd it go," asked Sarah looking at him through the scope of Casey's sniper rifle.

"Perchik strikes again. Where's Casey?"

"He's on his way. Please don't say anything to him about his Crown Vic. I don't think he's too happy with you still. I breaking down now and will be right there."

"When you get here I'll give you a wookie kiss."

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BACK IN CASTLE

Chuck was sitting at the conference table enjoying his Perchik look kissing Sarah who was laughing because his fake beard tickled. Casey was in the armory cleaning his Markov blanks have a tendency to leave a lot of residue and Skye was in Orange Orange with her grandparents and mother.

"Remind me Chuck one day I want to hear your rendition of Pechik," said the General as she came on the monitor.

"Good afternoon General."

"Now what have you got for me? You said there might be a way to arrest Kowambe. I can't tell you what a feather this would be in all our caps if you can pull it off."

"Actually he'll turn himself in and wave his diplomatic immunity or that's my guess. May I proceed?"

"Please, this is one magic act I've got to see."

Chuck moved a computer over so that General Beckman was behind him off to his side and he was now facing a monitor when he made his call.

"Yuri is that you," asked Kowambe as Yuri's image came into focus. "Is everything taken care of?"

"Yes, but not like you think," said Chuck and as he spoke he dropped the accent and began to remove the disguise. "You see Luther my name isn't Yuri but Charles, Charles Carmichael and our little conversation about taking sun on the beach after your little coup well that was recorded and sent to your President, Mr. Jakaya Kuti. May I add he's not very happy with you." Chuck swiveled around so Kowambe could see General Beckman. "General what is the punishment for treason and sedition in Zamibia these days?"

"Death by firing squad."

"Thank you," said Chuck. "Now Luther the way I see it you have three options. The first being death by firing squad which is not very pleasant and rather terminal. The second in your top desk draw is a pistol. How do I know? Just say I do and again both terminal and unpleasant. Lastly you can opt to turn your plane around and land at a location that the good General here will tell you and turn yourself in renouncing your diplomatic immunity. Oh by the way if you look out your windows you'll see you have two F-16 escorts, would hate for you to get lost. Again Luther thank you for flying the friendly Carmichael skies it's been a pleasure doing business with you – not. Have a good day in hell." Chuck muted the sound as Luther began to rant and rave. "Such language."

"Agent Bartowski excellent work that was a masterful piece of spycraft."

"Thank you General. I'm sure in a few minutes Dr. Kowambe will be receptive to our demands and you can have him land on a government installation for bagging and tagging."

"Chuck now for the bad news. You realize Dr. Roberts, Jill is still wanted for treason, sedition and prison escape. I'm sorry but she must be arrested."

"I know and I'll-"

"General I'm sorry for interrupting but while Chuck was with the target Jill Roberts slipped away. I know I was supposed to be guarding her but I was distracted for a moment and the next thing I knew she was gone," said Sarah as they watched Jill playing with Skye in Orange Orange from the monitor.

"And this happened while Chuck was engaged with the target?"

"Yes Ma'am the darndest thing."

"General, I just have to say how shocked I am by this piece of news and I swear I'll look into it."

"Very well, Beckman out."

"Roger that," said Casey.

"John I thought you might have trouble going along with this," said Chuck.

"I haven't fought all these years in God forsaken places against commie despots to come back home and that a mother from their kid."

[Alternative Ending]

"Well technically speaking Jill isn't Skye's mother. Clones don't have mothers. Why do you think she choose Skye as a name? It's the name of that girl on Marvel Agents of Shield object 0-8-4 object of unknown origin. That picture in the hotel room, you know the two sisters: Jill and Skye."

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Chuck vs The Jade Dragon

Chuck was busy cleaning and moving things around caught up in the nesting instinct. Everything had its place but nothing seemed to be in it and it was driving him crazy. Sarah was asleep on the couch with only two weeks left to her due date Chuck could hardly wait. He intentionally switched off all the phones not wanting his lovely wife to be woken up. He was taking inventory of all his baby supplies and what Ellie had told him they needed when the monitor came on. It was General Beckman.

"Sush," said Chuck.

"Excuse me Agent Bartowski."

"General," he said whispering. "I'll call you back from Casey's." Then he switched off the General and the monitor off before Beckman could protest.

…..

"Come on General. We're going to have a baby in two weeks. I've got everyone coming my mom, Ellie and Awesome plus there's Thanksgiving in the middle."

"Actually Agent Bartowski, I just need you to work in an oversight role. The Chinese National Secret Service is sending one of their own and the agent specifically asked for your team and Agent Grimes by name."

"Morgan!"

"Ah General, I'm not one to question orders but these Chinese are they drinking or smoking their green tea?"

"Colonel Casey, Chuck I'm sure you can look out for your wooly friend. This mission comes to us from the State Department and we have agreed to it in the spirit of cooperation to foster good relations between our organization and theirs. You are to be debriefed tonight by their agent at the National Museum. They have a special Chinese exhibition with the Jade Dragon as its center piece. The grand opening will kick off tomorrow night with a Gala. If there's nothing else-"

"Yes General, how will be able to identify this agent. Is there some sort of password or secret hand shake?"

"No, Chuck I was told the agent knows you. Beckman out."

"Roger that," said Casey.

"What the hay? How many Chinese agents do I know, only one Mei-Ling Cho but she defected and the last I heard about her she had a successful chain of Chinese restaurants slash Kung fu studios called Wing Chun Noodles and their Shaolin Chicken is really kickin' or that's how the publicity goes.

"The only other ones I know I killed. They're now fertilizing rice paddies."

"You know Casey we've really got to write down these little bits of trivia. If you were older I'd ask if you were on that grassy knoll in Dallas but I bet you know where Jimmy Hoffa's at and it's not in the fresh produce section of Walmart with Elvis."

"Need to know."

"Christ!" Casey started laughing. "Funny but I'm not leaving Sarah by herself."

"Isn't Morgan at the airport to pick up Ellie and Devon? Besides Chuck what's there to do if things happen you can leave me with the Troll and run to the hospital."

"But I want to take Sarah there. What happens if there's traffic?"

"Use the intersect and flash," said Casey. What he said made sense but Chuck didn't want his daughter to have anything to do with the intersect as much as it had enabled him to meet Sarah it almost divided them. This was a family tradition he didn't want to pass on.

"I know I told the General that everything was fine but she's been have too many headaches lately and I'm a little worried."

"Has she complained?"

"Well that's just it. She hasn't said a thing but I can tell. She puts a cold compress on her head, lies down and puts her sleeping mask on. When I ask if she has a headache she tells me no but I know she just doesn't want to worry me, a husband know you know."

"Do you want me to ask her? I'm her partner."

"If you want go ahead but don't tell her I told you then she'll know I know and knowing I know could make her headaches worse. So you understand she can't know that I know because if she knows I know-"

"Stop, okay Chuck I get the point. I'll ask her about her headaches. Ellie should be here soon why don't you ask her to check on Sarah?"

"I intend to and maybe this thing at the museum is good that way I can leave Sarah and Ellie together and that will make them talk."

To be continued Chuck vs The Jade Dragon