'Failing 101' (Follows 'Hibachi Chefs Wear Armani')

Title: Failing 101
Author: GoddessofBirth
Series: kickass!Anna
Fandom: Chuck
Characters: Anna, Casey
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: If I owned it, this storyline would be in the show
Spoilers: Through season three

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Anna stared at the picture.

'This is the target? Are you kidding me?'

Casey grunted in commiseration.

'I know. Too easy, huh? I wish my final had been that kind of cakewalk.'

Anna shook the picture at him.

'But him? It's not fair!'

Casey crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair.

'What does fair have to do with anything? You think all your marks are going to be strangers? You've got the necessary skill set, you shouldn't have a problem.'

'But - '

'No buts, Agent Wu. This is the mission, and I don't need to remind you of the consequences of failure. So pull up those tacky stripped knee socks, get in there, and get it done.'

She grimaced. 'Yes, sir.'

The next day she stood on the sidewalk and hitched the box in her arms higher. She stared at the storefront for a minute and then smirked.

You want to see skill sets, Casey? I'll show you skill sets.

She pulled the door open and cornered the first green shirt she saw. She yanked him to her by the collar and hissed.

'Where's Morgan?'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Three days later Anna was once again seated across the desk from Casey. She slumped in the chair, despondent.

'Excuse me, Agent?'

Her lips trembled as she looked at Casey.

'I didn't complete the mission. I don't know what happened; I tried everything!'

Casey's eyebrows rose. 'You're telling me you failed.'

'Yes! No matter what I did, he refused to respond!'

Casey glanced down at the file in front of him.

'I think you're forgetting that I've seen you in action, Agent Wu. You're asking me to believe that the woman involved in the Edward's Initiative and the agent instrumental in the success of the Putin Procedure couldn't manage to perform a simple Catch and Release seduction on Morgan Grimes?'

Anna looked sadly at her hands, by all appearances struggling to contain tears.

'I don't know what to say. It's like he's totally changed.'

Casey slammed his hand down on the desk. 'Cut the bullshit, Wu. Do you really want me to put in your file that you purposely threw your mission because you didn't want to hurt your ex-boyfriend's feelings?'

Anna's eyes snapped up and narrowed, all pretense of sadness disappearing from her face. She crossed her arms and snapped, 'Of course not. But you do what you have to. This last year has been terrible for Morgan. He deserves a win for once.'

'Even if it means a loss for you?'

She nodded. 'Even if I lose.'

Casey leaned back in his chair and considered her for a moment. He thought it had actually been a pretty stellar year for the midget, but of course Wu wasn't privy to that information.

'Alright, Wu. I'll cover you this time. But if you ever, and I do mean ever, pull a stunt like this again, I will ground you. Permanently. Understood?'

She nodded. 'Understood, Colonel.'

She rose from her chair. At the door she paused and looked back.

'It's good to have you back, Casey.'

He just grunted and kept doing paperwork, but as she walked down the hall she thought she heard him murmur, 'It's good to be back.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Roan Montgomery absentmindedly flipped through the stack of student files before stopping at one with a big red FAIL stamped across the front. Ms. Wu had failed her final? That was unexpected, especially considering her natural talent in that field. He shrugged and set her file to the side. At least it kept him from having to manufacture an excuse for holding her back for another term.

She was far too pretty to pass the first go round.