A/N: I don't own Chuck, if I did things would be different.

Trying to develop some Charah sympathies. Still working on it. No Betas so FUBARS are all mine.

To the MasterTomeWriter & NickyR.

Prologue

He heard the shrill of the alarm and opened his eyes and looked toward the clockradio on the nightstand. It was the "wake up – wake up" alarm and he couldn't reach it because he was currently in the sleeping embrace of the thirty-something sexual athlete he'd married 3 months ago.

Not that he was complaining. Oh, no! It was just that she said she slept better when as much of her bare skin was in touch with an equal or greater amount of his as possible. And that always led to, well, the naked pretzel, the horizontal mambo, hiding the salami, all those locker room descriptions of what happened. Love making. He was in love with his wife. No other, ever, never. He knew when he had a good thing. No, a great thing.

He didn't think he'd slept through the night one single time since his two Las Vegas weddings. After a successful mission taking out a Las Vegas cell of Fulcrum Agents who laundered drug money for a cartel and provided a source of funds for Fulcrum, one thing led to another and they got married. Twice.

He wanted a family affair, she said she needed only him and the Justice of the Peace. She knew that marrying an asset was always a long-range possibility but not for this asset. This asset had an expiration date. She intended to make sure that date never arrived, no matter what the cost.

Sarah also demanded, in no uncertain terms, that once they were married in the eyes of man, they must also be married in the eyes of God. So after the JP made it legal, Sarah dragged Chuck to St. Titus Roman Catholic Church, found an old priest who listened to her request and smiled and agreed to marry them. Few of his parishioners were so devout or so young.

It wasn't so much that she was devout,though she was, rather it was that she had always dreamed of a church wedding and having God's blessing in their lives seemed a necessity.

But he still couldn't reach the damned alarm.

"Sar…mmph" Whatever he intended to say was squelched quite effectively by a pair of warm lips that tasted like sunshine. 'How does she escape morning breath?' He pushed her off him, missing her warmth immediately, and reached over and hit the snooze button. It was Sunday and Ellie and Devon were taking a long weekend and just driving around Napa. Knowing Devon, they'd bring back another layer of bottles for their future 'cellar'.

Hmmm, Sunday morning, alone in the apartment, Sarah, shower sex, life was perfect. He decided that from that moment on he would be happy with whatever life sent his way. He was truly happy and for Chuck Bartowski, that was enough.

His phone trilled and he looked at the caller ID. Casey. Casey calling on a Sunday morning? Not good. He never called, not when he could just stroll across the atrium, past the fountain and down between the two complexes and bang on his window. Casey would rather do the physical than use the phone.

"Hey, Casey, what's up?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but Walker is needed over here for a conference with the General." Actually, Casey was sorry. In the two years he'd been assigned as babysitter to the Nerd cum Intersect he'd formed a measure of affection and respect for Bartowski. He was a reluctant patriot but he'd never once shirked his duty to his country or asked for more than he already had from a government that would have no compunction immuring him for life underground or, given current budget cuts, killing him as a more cost-effective measure.

That made John Casey's immediate assignment change especially difficult and distasteful. In fact it made it a despicable but necessary action for the damned Greater Good.

"Ok, Casey, we'll be there in a few minutes."

"Actually, it's just Walker, Bartowski, not you. Apparently the intersect has the day off. Enjoy your free time. Go play a girly game or something equally nerdy and unmanly."

"Saaaaarah" he crooned in her ear. He loved her ears. Perfect for nibbling, ideal for whispering sweet nothings into, and they tasted delicious.

"Go 'way. It's Sunday and we're both off. Come, back to sleep. C'mere, I need my cuddling time, my slow wake-up and see my love time."

She looked fantastic and sexy and still had the sleepy look he'd always loved from the cover-sleepover thing before they were married. Those first few waking minutes with her were now precious memories to him. But he had a new memory every morning.

"Beckman needs you over at Casey's, right now. The faster you get it over with, the faster you'll be back. I'm not going anywhere, love, I'll wait right here for you until you come back. No matter how long it takes."

"Just me? Not the intersect? What's up with that, Chuck? Any idea?"

"Nope, Casey just said the intersect had the day off and you were needed."

"Ok, just promise to wait for me, Chuck. I'll be back, baby, and we'll pick this up right where we left off." One soul-searing kiss later and she was up, showered and out the door.

The next time he saw his wife she would see a stranger.

End Prologue