Title: That's What Partners Are For

Author: Valerie

Couple: John Casey and Sarah Walker

Summary: Episode tag to Chuck vs. The Angel of Death where Sarah hangs back to take care of Casey.

Disclaimer: Nope I don't own Chuck or the characters from the show. I'm just taking them out for a little spin is all.

Spoilers: Up to Chuck vs. The Angel of Death

***

Casey looked up in surprise when his partner Sarah Walker strolled back into his apartment.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you were going to spend time with the nerd."

Sarah didn't respond to his taunt, she just gave Casey her 'you can't fool me, I know you really like Chuck smile'. She turned her head towards Casey's front door when she heard the chimes of his doorbell.

"If that is Bartowski, tell him I'm still considering shooting him for stealing my blood and putting it in that Commie."

Sarah opened the door to see two NSA analysts and the supplies she requested. "In here please."

Casey watched as the men brought in a number of boxes before their final trip when they brought in a hospital bed. "What the hell is all this crap Walker?'

"Thank you gentlemen and thank the General again for putting a rush on this." Sarah said as she walked the men out.

"Walker," Casey growled.

"Don't start, you wouldn't go to a hospital and you refused to stay in the Castle. Now these are just some medical supplies and food."

"I don't need all this crap. I have a bottle of iodine, band aids and plenty of frozen burritos here and I certainly don't need that bed, my recliner is sufficient."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Casey shut up and don't argue with me. That wound is serious and needs to be tended to properly or you will get an infection and I hate to be the one to tell you but man cannot live on frozen burritos alone. As to sleeping on that recliner don't be ridiculous, until Devon says it's alright for you to climb the stairs you will sleep on that bed, even if I have to restrain you."

"Told you before sister, ain't gonna happen." The NSA agent sneered. "Fine, I'll use the stuff in the boxes and sleep down here. Happy? Now be a good agent and keep an eye on the Lemon."

"Don't make me tranq you. Let's get you into bed and elevate that leg. Then I'll make you a nice steak dinner but if you don't quit your bitching you'll get a tofu salad instead."

Casey tried to stare down his partner but damn if she didn't stare him down instead. He decided it was from the lost of blood that he wasn't able to win the battle and wheeled himself over to the bed in the middle of the room.

Sarah backed up when Casey growled that he could get himself into the 'damn' bed. Shaking her head she went into the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

Ninety minutes later Casey was polishing off his second piece of apple pie alamode much to his partner's amusement. Once he had accepted Sarah's help John Casey became like any other man Sarah knew and used his injury to get her to spoil him.

First he insisted that she makes twice baked potatoes with bacon and cheddar cheese just like his mother always did for him whenever she made his favorite meal. While cleaning up she had to swallow a giggle when she found the Brussels sprouts she had made to go with their dinner hidden in his napkin.

Then it was the puppy dog eyes he gave her to when he asked if they could watch "The Great Escape" after dinner. She couldn't help noticing that Casey was as big of a nerd as Chuck when it came to his favorite movie genre.

Of course she kept this observation to herself, she knew her partner wouldn't appreciate being compared to Chuck this way and she figured being drugged and having his blood stolen to put in that 'Commie Bastard' as Casey would say was punishment enough for one day.

Instead she sat and watched the classic World War II prison escape movie dutifully with him and he could claim all he want that his allergies were bothering him but she knew that his eyes had gotten misty when the Nazis killed Donald Pleasence's character (whose was blind no less).

She waited until Steven McQueen was back in the 'cooler' with his glove and ball and the credits started to roll before clicking the TV off. Standing up she saw that the older agent had finally fallen asleep.

Sarah watched Casey sleeping for a few seconds and found her own eyes misting at the thought that he really almost died today. As strange as it was and she would never say it out loud but John Casey wasn't just her partner.

Over the past three years not only had he had become her best friend and her confidante but somewhere along the line he had became a father figured with a touch of teasing older brother all rolled up into one person.

Reaching out she felt his forehead to check and see if he was running a temperature. Satisfied that he wasn't running a fever she let herself brush his hair back slightly as she remembered his taunting words earlier, 'Told you before sister, ain't gonna happen' and smiled.

"Damn straight it's not going to happen," she whispered as she bent down and placed a feather light kiss on his cheek. "I'm not about to let sex ruin the only; no matter how unconventional, healthy relationship I've ever had with a man slip through my fingers mister."

Straighten up she grabbed an extra blanket and made her way over to his recliner to settle down for the night.

The End