Chapter 17: Revelation

A.N.: Okay, so here's my attempt at action and answers to some of the questions I've created. My muse is apparently on vacation, and after this chapter, so is this fic. I don't want to give you crappy updates, so I'm going to give you some clarity here, and then take a break to see if my muse returns. I hate to be that author, but it's that or a half-assed attempt! Even this is a bit more deus ex machina than I want it to be, but I didn't want to leave things too unresolved either. Mea culpa.

Disclaimer: Not mine. If they were, I'd treat them much better, I swear.

The van rolled to a stop in front of a modest looking ranch house. "Very nice, Professor," Chuck commented with a small smile. "Not too big, not too small."

Fleming smiled back faintly. "Glad you approve, Charles," he tiredly replied. He smoothed his hands over his head and sighed. "I wish you were seeing it under better circumstances."

"You know what? Me too," Chuck said with a regretful laugh. "Me too."

***

SURVEILLANCE STATUS? Orion typed. I'm not taking any chances with Charles being out there.

MONITORING. NO CARS ON PREMISES BESIDES OUR VEHICLES.

Our? Really? And where are you, exactly? AERIAL SCAN AVAILABLE?

Damn it, why didn't I think of that? Am I getting soft out here? WORKING ON IT NOW.

***

"No, Diane, I'm telling you, he only knew the name and description of the target, that's it. Nothing about her research. It's typical Fulcrum, we both know it is." Amanda Bartowski tapped her fingers on the desk impatiently. "If you don't trust me, you should've sent your own operative."

Diane Beckman sighed heavily. You are my own operative. "No, I believe you. Have you interrogated both of them?"

"I used the pentathol on the Marine, the other is NSA. Unless you want me getting creative, I don't have the facilities out here." Though there's a sadistic part of me that just wants to start breaking bones…would that work? "I have no authorization to offer him anything, and I don't have my equipment. What would you have me do?"

"Anything, Amanda. Is that what you want to hear? All measures authorized." Beckman crushed out her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk, massaging her temples. "Just find out if they know how to build an Intersect." And if they know anything more than that.

Amanda blew out a breath. Finally. Don't think I haven't guessed you're testing me, Diane. You wanted to know whether I would go beyond to get the information. "I remember our agreement, Diane, your position is too important," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "How many times will you test me?"

Until I believe you. "Go ahead, just get what we need." She hung up unceremoniously.

Barking a laugh, Amanda hung up the phone. Well. She's definitely worried if she wouldn't even wait for them to be brought in to her. Which means this girl's research is the real thing. Damn it. She ran her hands through her hair and laced her fingers together at the back of her head. Damn it. Dropping her hands, she walked into the other interrogation room.

"Hello, James. Long time no see."

"Aero?"

***

Sarah parked the car in the garage, trusting Orion to cover the security feed. Can I just take a nap? Or maybe a vacation? She parked and exited with a sigh, joining Chuck, Fleming and Katherine around the back of the house.

"Casey?" she asked.

"Securing the van and the premises. We'll be in business momentarily." Chuck's eyes scanned the area as he angled himself between Katherine, Fleming, and the front door. "You have his keys," he said in confirmation. Of course you do, you have to.

Sarah jingled the key ring. "Mine until we get in there first," she said with a smirk. I don't trust anybody at this point.

The front door opened and Casey motioned them in, his knees creaking. Stupid yuppie marble countertops. "Where's that safe of yours?" he growled in Fleming's direction.

Fleming jumped at the question. "Sorry, it's up in my office." He started walking, glancing uncertainly at them. "Are you -- "

Chuck joined Fleming at the head of the group, tossing a faint smile at Sarah. My asset, right? "It's all right, Professor, we just need your backups, that's all. Hopefully we'll be able to figure this all out soon."

Sarah watched them walk away and swallowed hard. Please, let them all just be the wrong people in the wrong place…She eyed Katherine skeptically and shut the door behind the group.

***

Orion frowned as he tried to unravel the web of emails and memoranda. Just tell me who the hell actually issued the change in route! He glanced at the surveillance feed of Fleming's home being piped through to him. What the –

BLACK SUV MAKING SECOND CIRCUIT OF AREA, he typed quickly.

LICENSE PLATE?

NEVADA AKW 3634, he replied. Friend or foe?

REGISTERED TO MARK MITCHELL. NO IMMEDIATE HITS.

Damn it, Charles, I'm sorry. Stephen squeezed his eyes shut and focused on the name.

An attic

A propeller plane

A Medal of Honor

A Canadian passport

Gasping and coughing, Orion struggled for air, tapping laboriously at the keyboard. SLEPER CEL RING ROG POIS

Damn it! ORION. BREATHE. He tapped into Orion's network, sending a purposeful short circuit to jolt Bartowski through the keyboard. Damn it, other priorities. He grabbed his cell phone. "Where are you?"

"Kind of busy right now, actually, outside Burbank. Why?"

"I'm going to need you in Goleta in ten minutes or as soon as you possibly can."

"Why?" she growled, heart pounding. Just tell me, because I know –

"Orion is down and there's a rogue Ring agent, poison specialization, on the way to Fleming's."

"Damn it, damn it, I told George to be careful." She blew out a breath, narrowing her eyes at her companion. "Just taking care of some garbage, I'm on my way. Keep comms clear for me, I'll let you know when to get me the frequency."

Amanda stood, kicking Prescott's chair over angrily. "I've told everyone that now we know Charles is 2.0, he is off limits. Who the hell keeps sending teams for him?"

"Talk to your boss, Aero," he laughed bitterly. "You should know better than to expect loyalty in the Ring."

She stalked out the door, slamming it shut behind her. "We're done here," she spat at the security force. "Take them in."

***

ORION. He sent another jolt through the keyboard, hand hovering over the last keystroke to send emergency services.

HERE. Stephen wiped his nose and hauled himself into his chair. I'M HERE.

GOOD. THERE'S SOMETHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

***

Fleming led them to his office, moving the sofa to expose a recessed button. The safe pushed out from the bottom of the wall and lifted up to Fleming's hands.

"Nice tech," Casey smirked. "Lazy." Soft. Just like a geek. He looked to Chuck with a hard smile. Not gonna let you be that nerd, Chuck. Can't.

Fleming frowned and entered his security code, opening the case and withdrawing a flash drive before sending it back into the wall. "Everything," he said quietly, dropping it into Chuck's hand.

Chuck moved to the laptop on Fleming's desk. Much as I would love to use the wrist unit to transmit to Orion, we need his laptop anyway…He booted up the computer quickly and checked the contents of the drive. "Looks like all the backups."

Chirp.

Oh no. Chuck jumped up from the desk, glancing urgently at Casey and Sarah before slamming out of the room. This can't be good. He rolled his sleeve back and glanced down at the display screen to the wrist unit.

Company, 2 waves. Romulans in 2, Klingons in 10.

Oh, great…incoming. Chuck sighed and threw the doors open. "Company in two minutes. Katherine, Professor, we need you somewhere interior and secure."

"Walk in closet, back of the first floor," Fleming quickly replied.

"Good, take her, go," Chuck said firmly. "Go." He turned to his team. "Casey, take the front, Sarah, take the rear, I'm with the assets." You gotta trust me now, Sarah. "Go."

They scattered, Sarah casting one glance behind her. You promised, she thought determinedly. You wouldn't lie to me. She moved to her position at the back entrance, frowning. "Obstructed view, unknown."

Casey peeked out through the front windows. "Three," he intoned.

Chuck swallowed hard. We can do this. Sarah can handle herself. Licking his lips, he exhaled. "3…2…1…mark."

Casey and Sarah flung open their doors, firing efficiently at their assailants. Both ducked back in as Chuck regulated his breathing. Do not freak out, Chuck. Do not freak out. 2.0 scrolled probabilities faster than he could blink them away.

Sarah laid down cover fire, "I think I have three, at least," she whispered into her watch. She strafed the exterior again, hearing the return fire coming closer.

Amanda screeched to a stop in the driveway, slamming out of the car. She quickly tranq'd the four agents advancing on the back door. "Walker, secured!" she shouted. "Back up the colonel!"

Oh my goodness. Sarah nodded quickly and ran inside.

"Sarah?!" Chuck called out, watching her hurry pass.

"The rear is secured, Chuck, trust me!" she tossed over her shoulder. And please don't hate me.

Chuck looked wide-eyed behind him, heart stopping in his chest as he looked at the approaching figure. You have got to be kidding me…

A ticket stub

A charm bracelet

An MRI

Test tubes

"Mom?" Seriously? This whole time I could've just flashed on my mom? Chuck glanced to the front door to see Casey and Sarah dragging bodies into the house.

"Hello, Chuck," she said with a small smile. "Long time no see?"

Chuck's brow furrowed as he and the Intersect struggled to process.

"What are you doing here," Sarah whispered furiously.

"I've lost my grip on them, they're still sending teams after 2.0. We've got to get George and go." She reloaded her tranq guns. "We've got to regroup – all of us. Load it up, and back to the new Castle facilities – I built them."

"What the heck is going on?" Chuck looked from Sarah to his mother frantically, a migraine blooming mercilessly at the base of his skull.

"Up until just about when I shot my own men in the back, I was one of the Ring. We've got to get out of here, then I will explain all about Omaha –"

"Wait. Omaha?" Chuck looked at Sarah pleadingly. "Sarah…"

"Chuck, she didn't know who I was then. Everyone just knew me as Dr. Aero if they knew me at all. I'm guessing she only found out –"

"When I found your father, Chuck. And you have to admit it's been kind of a mess since then," Sarah whispered.

"I've got a headache," Chuck groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. It's really only been how long since Ellie got married? "I think I'm supposed to say it's good to see you?"

Amanda shook her head, reaching a hand out to squeeze one of his, hanging limply by his side. "I'm totally fine if you hate me, but we still need to get out of here." She reached behind him to open the closet door, rubbing Fleming's shoulder as he exited. "Hey, George."

"Damn it, Amanda, I'm sorry…I should've stopped Katherine, shouldn't I?" Fleming rubbed a hand over his head.

She shrugged, slinging an arm around Katherine's shoulder. "Where on Earth did you find that paper, Katherine?"

She shrugged sheepishly. "Um, in the old lab on the third floor? The one they turned into a supply closet? I, uh…"

Amanda held up a hand. Probably doing exactly what Stephen and I were doing in there. "I got it." She ushered them out the back door. "The good news – I came in from behind them, so they don't know it was me. Let's go figure out what's next."

***

A.N.: And here we are, at the hiatus. There will periodically be updates, I'm sure, as ideas and inspiration strike. Thank you for at least giving this a shot, and sorry to those I've disappointed. Believe me, there are so many quality writers out there, you certainly won't lack for Charah goodness…