Benched.
Takes place during the time Cole is in town and Chuck has a cast on.
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Being currently disabled and all, Chuck was ordered to stay in his room and rest by both Ellie and General Beckman.
Chuck sighs. "It's not even broken." He whines.
Ellie walks in the room with a tray of food. "Well then be thankful."
"Why, cause I have to stay in my room all day while Sarah is out there with…" Chuck caught himself from saying that Sarah was out fighting crime with Cole.
"With?" Ellie asks.
"With…without me. I'm supposed to be helping Sarah."
"I think Sarah will understand that you need your rest."
"My rest? I'm not even tired. I feel great."
Chuck stands up and hits his leg on his chair. He cries out in pain.
"See! You are not okay."
Ellie sits him back down and lifts his leg on the foot rest.
"Now, just sit still and eat lunch please."
"Fine."
Ellie turns on the TV and hands him the remote on her way out of the room.
Chuck turns to the news. Maybe he'll flash on something and be useful in the mission.
Just five minutes into the news, Chuck flashes on someone.
He quickly dials Sarah. "Sarah! Sarah! I just flashed! Ricardo Reyes, he's supplying guns to…"
"We know."
"You do? How?"
"Cole had a previous encounter with him. He already has him in custody."
"Oh." Chuck says, slumping down in his chair.
Chuck hears Cole say something to Sarah then Sarah laugh.
"What?" Chuck asks.
"Oh, it's nothing, just something funny that happen during the mission."
"Okay."
"Listen, Chuck, I'll see you later. We need to get debriefed by Beckman then Cole offered to take me out for an early dinner."
"Are you sure you should be having dinner with this guy? Don't you think you're sending him the wrong message?"
"It's just to celebrate a mission well done between partners. He knows that. I have to go now. Bye." Hangs up.
"But I…bye." Turns off phone.
"Trouble with the lady?" Morgan asks as he climbs through the Morgan Door.
"Yeah. She's having dinner with some guy."
"A girl like Sarah doesn't stay single for long, buddy."
"Thanks for making me feel so much better, pal." Chuck says sarcastically.
"I know."
Morgan hands Chuck a beer.
"Dude, why are you watching the news?"
Morgan changes the channels to some cartoons.
"Cheer up, buddy, things will get better."
"Really? How?"
"I brought balloons."
Two hours later, Chuck and Morgan are spitting un-popped popcorn kernels through straws at balloons taped to the wall.
"Morgan!" Ellie yells causing Morgan to choke on some kernels he had in his mouth.
Chuck hits Morgan in the back and Morgan spits out the kernels.
"Ellie, you almost killed him!"
"How unfortunate. Chuck, didn't I tell you to lock your window?"
"I forget."
"Hey Ellie, you look great. Did you do something new with your hair?
"No, but I'm about to do something with you."
Morgan raises his eyebrows at her.
"Get OUT!"
Morgan rushes out of the window saying "See you later, buddy."
"Peddle safe." Chuck yells back.
"Why'd you have to kick him out?"
"Sarah's here."
"Oh." Chuck says then goes back to popping balloons.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Could you just tell her I'm sleeping or something?"
"I don't' think that's going to work."
Ellie moves out of the doorway and Sarah walks in dressed in tight blue jeans and a nice evening blouse.
"Hi." She says softly.
Chuck nods at her.
Ellie closes the bed room door to give them privacy.
Chuck continues to pop balloons as Sarah sits in the chair next to him.
"Nice aim."
"Thanks."
Silence.
"So how was your date?"
"It wasn't' a date."
"Please. Can you honestly tell me that two good looking single people who like each other and have so much in common can go out to dinner together without it being a date?"
Sarah fidgets with her fingers and doesn't look at Chuck.
"Exactly." Chuck says. "But I'm not gunna get mad at you. You're a grown woman; you know what you're doing. You don't need some nerd who's only had 4 girlfriends, one being for cover and another being a rogue agent who wanted to kill him, giving you dating advice. So if you like Cole you should date him. He seems like a hell of a guy, I mean guy 'ill take a bullet for you, literally."
But you'd take a bomb. Sarah thinks as she remembers that time at the docks where Chuck wouldn't leave her.
Chuck goes back to poping balloons.
A while passes until either of them talk.
"You were right." Sarah says softly.
"Uh?" Chuck asks, not hearing what she said.
"You were right. I was sending him the wrong message. He thought it was a date. I knew he liked me but I didn't know he liked me."
"When you figure that out?" Turning to face her.
"When he slid his hand up my thigh under the table and leaned over to kiss me."
"You kissed him?"
"No, I moved back and told him I wasn't interested."
"But I thought you liked him. I saw how you looked at him and how you laugh at what he says."
"Now you're the one getting the wrong message. I don't like him. He's not my tip."
"I don't believe you. Cole Barker is most woman's and maybe even some men's tip. "
Sarah laughs.
"Well I'm not most women. I like the clumsy nerdy boys who babble when in the precence of a gorgeous women like myself."
"Wow, I'm shocked."
"Shocked that I like nerds?"
"No, that you think so highly of yourself."
Sarah hits him on the cast.
"That really hurt."
"That's what you get."
"I'm telling."
"Be a man."
"I'm a nerd."
"That's why I like you."
"Pardon? I didn't quite catch that." Pretending to clear his ear.
"Are you deaf? I said I liked you, alright?!"
"Well fine, what do you want me to do about it?"
"Kiss me."
"If you insist."
"I do."
Chuck leans over and kisses Sarah passionately.
Sarah ru ns her fingers through the brown curls she likes so much.
Chuck pulls away but Sarah pulls him back in.
Chuck puts his hands on either side of Sarah's face and pulls her away.
"Need air." Chuck says breathless.
Sarah tries to catch her breath too.
"Well if this is gunna happen every time I get benched, I don't mind ever going on a mission."
They laugh and kiss again.