Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck. (If I did Shaw would have died a very long, painful death by now....) I don't own "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore" that's John Bon Jovi's and Leanne Rymes.

Author's Note: Hey, I was reading some Chuck fanfiction earlier and listening to this song and I just couldn't help but think that it applied to them in this current mess that is called "season 3" I hope you enjoy!

"Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore"

It might be hard to be lovers
But it's harder to be friends

Baby, pull down the covers
It's time you let me in

Chuck sighed as he sat out in his little Nerd Herder ccar: his eyes were locked on the window to Sarah's apartment. He'd been sitting outside for the better part of two hours trying to work up the nerve to talk to her. He was scared that she wouldn't want to talk or, even worse, that Shaw was with her, but he couldn't take the way things had been with them any longer. He nervously played with his tie as he tried to talk himself into getting out of the car.

It was hard not talking to her about everything. Sarah was the one person that he'd learned to rely on in the crazy world of spies. She was the one who he knew, without a doubt, would always fight for him- for Chuck- and not just the Intersect. His faith in that had never wavered, even though he had become more and more doubtful that she still felt anything for him, but she was still Sarah and he knew that she would protect him. He sighed again, he didn't blame her for the distance between them that was his fault, but every once in a while his Sarah would reappear and though he knew he shouldn't he couldn't help but hope.

He regretted not telling her his reasons for not running away with her, and in moments of weakness he even regretted not running away with her. Reason told him that he couldn't just up and leave but his heart had always ruled him and from the moment he'd set eyes on the blonde haired, blue eyed CIA agent his heart had been hers.


Maybe light a couple candles
I'll just go ahead and lock the door
If you just talk to me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

Chuck had made it to her front door. He stared at the green wood for a moment before his hand raised of it's own accord to knock. She didn't make him stand there long and he caught the surprise that flickered through her eyes when she saw him.

"Chuck? Are you alright? Did you need something?" he stood there a moment trying to remember what he'd been going to say before he'd been swept away by the mere sight of her.

"No, I…um," he took another breath. "Can we talk?" he asked nervously. Sarah eyed him for a second, obviously trying to decide whether or not she wanted to talk. He prayed she still thought enough of him to give him the chance to plead his case.

"Alright," she finally replied, opening the door wider so he could come in. He let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding and stepped inside. She shut the door behind him and locked it, ever vigilant of their safety even here. She gestured for him to sit down as she sat on the edge of her bed, and he pulled up one of her chairs so that he could sit in front of her.

"How are you?" he asked softly. She shrugged and kept her face carefully blank.

"Fine," she told him. Her ice blue eyes pierced through him, as if she could see down into his very soul, down to the guilt at what he'd done to her. He just hoped she could see the remorse there as well. " You?"

"I've been better," he admitted. "I…" he hesitated before continuing, she'd find out soon enough. "I broke up with Hannah today." Sarah frowned and studied him intently. Her expression was puzzled.

"Why?" it almost sounded like she was asking about more than his recent break up, but her face was impeccably smooth. Stupid agent training, he needed some sign.

"I realized something today, strangely enough it was Morgan who helped me figure it out," he informed her with a weak grin. "I'm not normal." This time Sarah smiled, it was small, but it was a real one. His heart skipped a beat.

"I already knew that."

Lay your head on my pillow
I sit beside you on the bed
Don't you think its time we say
Some things we haven't said

Sarah quietly watched Chuck as he seemed to mentally gather himself. It was hurting her to even be in the same room with him, physically and mentally, but at the same time she couldn't turn him away. She needed him like she needed oxygen. She watched the emotions shifting behind his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. Something about it caught her breath; a long forgotten instinct told her that tonight was going to change everything.

"Sarah," he began, a look of fierce determination fixing itself on his features. "I know you're mad at me, truth be told I'm mad at myself. I've messed things up so bad it's a wonder you're still speaking to me." Sarah opened her mouth to object. It wasn't his fault; she was the one who couldn't tell him how she felt, who couldn't give him what he needed. He held up a hand to stop her before she could make the words cross her lips.

"Please," that desperate puppy dog look was back, the one that he used to give her each and every time she broke his heart, rejecting him again for the job. She felt her heart break again seeing that look. "Just let me get this out," she nodded slowly. His eyes left hers, choosing to look at her hands instead.

"I wanted to tell you why I uploaded the new Intersect, why I couldn't run away with you in Prague, why I wanted to be a spy." Sarah could feel the tears coming; she tried in vain to push them back. Please, let her hold out until he was gone.

It ain't too late to get back to that place
Back to where, we thought it was before
Why don't you look at me
Till we ain't strangers anymore

"When Bryce," a flash of guilt shot across his face. "When Bryce was dying he told me that I had to destroy the Intersect, that it was better that it was destroyed than if Fulcrum or the Ring got their hands on it. I asked him about what that would do for us. How it would affect our battle with them and he said that it would set us back years. All I could think of was all the good we had done over the past few years and all the people who would be lost because there wouldn't be any Intersect to help them out." Sarah felt her lips turn up in the beginnings of a smile. That was Chuck through and through, always thinking of others before himself. "I thought of all the people I had met: Cole, though I wasn't too fond of him, Carina, though she still scares me, Casey, who I consider a friend even with his snarky-ness, and…and you. I didn't know that you were going to stay. I thought you would be out in the field and I just had to protect you. In retrospect I should have put two and two together when Bryce said you weren't going with him," he told her regretfully. Sarah knew that it wasn't entirely his fault. She should have told him at Ellie's reception, but she'd had so much trouble even then.

"I was going to tell you," she couldn't look at him as she confessed her part in their messed up relationship. "When we were at Ellie's reception; I should have told you." She felt Chuck take a hold of one of her hands. She looked up at him. He bit his lip for a moment before continuing.

Sometimes it's hard to love me
Sometimes it's hard to love you too
I know it's hard believing
That love can pull us through

"Then, when we were in Prague," Sarah flinched. Memories of the train station threatened to take over but she pushed them back. Chuck faltered for a moment when he saw her reaction. She squeezed his hand to let him know he could continue. "I wanted to run away with you. I swear I did," his warm brown eyes were open and honest. How could she not believe him? But, if he wanted to go with her then why did he give back the tickets? "But I started thinking about my friends, about Casey and Morgan who have always had my back. How could I just leave them behind? No explanation, no warning, just up and leave? Then I thought about Ellie… and I…you saw how she reacted when Dad came back." Yes, the eldest Bartowski had taken a little bit of convincing to accept her father back into her life. " How could I do that to my sister? She's stood by me in all of the worst times in my life. Then I thought about you. The CIA's been your life for so long Sarah and you're really good at your job. We've helped so many people in the short time that I've known you. We would have grown to regret leaving all of that behind- on top of our family." She felt her heart skip a beat when he said our instead of my. When he put it that way it did make sense. She forgave him for Prague.

It would be so easy
To live your life
With one foot out the door
Just hold me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

Chuck watched with bated breath as she processed his words so far. She had been responding to everything so well that it startled him. He almost expected her to start drawing back from him at any moment. She had never been good with the emotional speeches. He took a short breath and continued.

It's hard to find forgiveness
When we just turn out the light
It's hard to say you're sorry
When you can't tell wrong from right
It would be so easy
To spend your whole damn life
Just keeping score

"Then I did the only thing I could do. I became a spy. Because Sarah I couldn't let you leave; ask anyone, I can't function without you anymore. I was miserable the entire time we were apart. I kept going over everything in my head and telling myself how you had to realize that I had done it for us, that you'd forgive me eventually." He gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Everything was just so confusing at the time. Beckman trying to force years of training on me, figuring out how to work the new Intersect, processing Bryce's death, dealing with Ellie, trying to figure out our relationship. I was going into overdrive and burning out fast. I questioned my decision I don't know how many times. I would be sure it was the right decision one day, and convinced that I was the biggest idiot the next."

So let's get down to it baby
There ain't no need to lie

Tell me who you think you see
When you look into my eyes

"You," he took another breath. He'd been talking so fast it was a wonder Sarah could still understand him. He worked to calm himself down and talk normally. "You told me that I was that guy Sarah, that I was a hero. I thought that this was what you wanted," he gave her a grin. "You have a bit of a type you know. Bryce, then Cole. I figured that you deserved someone special, someone you didn't have to constantly save from terrorists and explosions, someone who could protect you for a change. I wanted to be that for you so much, but I kept falling short." He saw Sarah shaking her head.

"Chuck…" He looked deep into her eyes.

"I love you Sarah. I can't help it."

Lets put our two hearts back together
And we'll leave the broken pieces on the floor
Make love with me baby
Till we ain't strangers anymore

The tears were flowing freely down her checks now. Chuck reached up and began wiping them away.

"Chuck…" she hesitated, but she had to be sure. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course Sarah. I'd do anything for you, be anything for you. You're my entire world." Sarah's heart felt like it had tripled it's speed. There he was, Her Chuck, he'd been hiding behind all of the carefully built walls of a young agent in training, but he was still there. He'd done everything for her. She smiled at him as she pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her and she reveled in his warmth.

"All I've ever wanted is you Chuck, you, not the super agent." He pulled back and gave her his biggest Bartowski smile, the one he only gave her. She'd missed that smile.

"Well then, let's start over. I'm Chuck, Chuck Bartowski." Sarah laughed, it felt so good.

"Hello Chuck, I'm Sarah." He couldn't seem to stop grinning.

"I love you Sarah," he was already lost in her eyes, crystals that were drawing him in like blue sirens.

"I love you too," Sarah replied. She pulled him down for a kiss, and neither one was able to think about much of anything but each other for a long time after.

We're not strangers anymore
We're not strangers
We're not strangers anymore

What do you think??? I'd love some feedback for this. I wrote it after I heard that song again. I really think it's applicable to season three. Hopefully there will be a good CHARAH epi tomorrow!! Read and Review!!!

Phoenix