A/N: Well, folks. I am back, and hopefully better than ever, although the last part remains to be seen. This is the sequel to 'vs. The New Girl' and then 'vs. The Grid.' Reading the first is not as important as reading the second, because you will definitely be lost if you haven't read the second. Anyway, I decided this thing had been in the brainstorming stage long enough and decided to go to work. Also, big thanks to TheJusta for beta-ing this puppy, even after we went incommunicado for awhile. Any mistakes are still mine, like always. Me owning nothing still applies, like always. Lastly, as always, I do love me some reviews. Rated T for language and eventually violence. So, here.......we.......go!

Chuck vs. FEAR

Chapter 1

May 15, 2011

Echo Park, California

The sun was rising and shining down on the apartment complex in Echo Park. It was going to be a warm day. The humidity was already high and was only going to get worse. Air conditioners all over the complex could be heard kicking on as the temperature of their owner's apartments reached their threshold.

Inside of Casa Bartowski, Chuck was sound asleep in his bed, a smile plastered to his face. Much like the air conditioners, he was brought to life as the temperature in his bedroom reached his threshold. Yawning widely, he rolled over to the other side of the bed. Noting that it's previous occupant had left, he forced himself up and out of bed.

He made his way to the bathroom first, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. He didn't find her in there, but still made use of the bathroom and its facilities. Exiting the bathroom, he marveled at how his new toothpaste managed to make him feel like his teeth were still being cleaned even though he was done brushing.

Sizzlings sounds grew louder as he made his way closer to the kitchen. He smiled to himself. That's why she let him sleep in. She wanted to make them breakfast. He was usually the early bird and made breakfast, but every once in a while, she liked to get up and surprise him with breakfast in bed.

As he stepped into the kitchen and took in the view, he smiled his biggest smile. Every morning, he saw this, but it still made him the happiest man alive. He couldn't believe how lucky he had gotten. He, Chuck Bartowski, kicked out of college, worked at a Buy More and lived with his sister finally had what he had always been dreaming of, a proper family.

His wife, Sarah, was standing beside the burners, watching the pancakes to make sure they didn't burn. She was in her pajamas, a pair of Chuck's boxers and one of his old t-shirts, but still looked gorgeous. She gave him a huge smile as he entered the room. Chuck went up to her and pulled her to him for a kiss. It was short, but sweet, injected with the happiness with his current life.

After letting her get back to the food, he went and sat at the dining room table, which currently was occupied by his two children, four year old fraternal twins. He and Sarah had been lucky. They got a boy and a girl in one go. His son had curly blonde hair with brown eyes while his daughter was a spitting image of Sarah, blonde hair and blue eyes. He smiled as he watched them bicker over nothing in particular. They mainly bickered because it seemed that was the accepted brother-sister rule.

He closed his eyes to soak up the tranquility of the moment, the peace he finally had achieved in his life. Then he heard music playing. It was getting louder. The sound of his children bickering grew fainter, as did the smell of the food. Instead the music got louder and louder until...

Chuck opened his eyes, but immediately shut them, the light causing pain as it hit his retinas. His head was killing him and his mouth tasted like paper. The music from his alarm clock was blaring and the singer was yelling.

"This...is...my...curse!"

'How appropriate,' Chuck thought as he reached over to shut it off. He rolled over on his back and yawned. He heard commotion in the kitchen, no doubt Katie getting ready for school. After stretching his arms and legs, Chuck got out of bed and made his way across the hallway to the bathroom. He did his business, brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror. He still had the short hair and three day old beard going. He wasn't sure why he kept it, but he found that he liked the new look. It gave him confidence and a sense of maturity that he had been lacking before he'd been on the run.

Out in the kitchen, he was enjoying his coffee while Katie ate her cereal.

"So," Chuck started, "you get all your homework done?"

"Yeah, finished it all last night," she managed to say between bites.

Chuck watched her eat. She seemed to be doing okay, far better than he had when his parents had left him. She now carried herself with a sense of maturity and realism, no doubt from the horror she had been forced to witness. It saddened Chuck to know he was the cause of her pain and the loss of her innocence. She should be excited for school, eager to learn. Instead, she seemed only apathetic, almost as if nothing really mattered.

Chuck wasn't sure how it had happened but he wound up as her legal guardian, all the paperwork in order, probably the government's doing. He also kept getting deposits of money into his savings account every two weeks like clockwork. He tried to trace the source of this incoming cash, but couldn't find out from where it originated. It seemed to appear from nowhere, but he had a pretty good idea who it was coming from.

Katie finished up her food and put her dishes in the sink. She gathered up her things and made for the door.

"Hey, you have fun," Chuck said. "And be safe."

"I will Chuck, don't worry." She gave him a half smile and left.

Chuck sighed as he watched her form leave the apartment. It worried him to no end when he wasn't with her. If anyone wanted to get to him, and there were plenty of people he could think of, she would be their target. Thankfully her cell phone had a GPS device in it that Chuck could regularly check if he wanted to, which means he didn't have to bug her to know she was safe.

Chuck finished up his coffee and then walked back to the bathroom. Although the coffee had awakened him somewhat, nothing like scalding water spraying down on him would invigorate his tired body. As he let the water run over his form, he thought back to his dream.

He had been having them for the past two months. A part of him was happy because it meant he got to see Sarah, even if it wasn't real. However, another part, the conscious part, didn't feel he should be dreaming about her at all. He'd made his choice and she wasn't it. He chose to free himself of the Intersect rather than try to figure out their situation and make the best of it. He was also feeling guilty that he dreamt of Sarah and not Kristin.

A horrible thought came across his mind when he thought of Kristin. In all their time together, they hadn't taken one picture together. He had nothing to remember her by except Katie, and the memories of why she was with him weren't pleasant. He had nothing of the good times, their dates, their talks, the way she helped him when he was about ready to give up on himself, on people. He thought back to their first encounters and a sad smile formed on his mouth while his eyes watered.

Forcing himself to stop focusing on the past, he turned off the shower to start the day. He dried off, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, then made his way to the couch placing his cell phone on the coffee table.

"Hmm, what shall we play today?" he pondered aloud.

After mulling over his thoughts, he decided to go a little old school, popping in Sonic 2 on the Sega Genesis. He'd beaten the game countless times, but it was still fun as hell to race around the levels collecting rings and destroying the evil robots.

Chuck had been playing for close to an hour before his phone rang.

'Finally,' he thought, pausing the game. His first customer of the day. Chuck worked from his home as a computer consultant. Basically, he was a freelance computer fixer. Ellie had a couple of CEO's as patients, and when she heard them complaining about their operating systems, she suggested that they call Chuck. Needless to say, some phone calls and a few satisfied customers later, Chuck had found himself a job. Those two CEO's gave his number to their colleagues and pretty soon, by word of mouth, he had become the go to guy when hardware went haywire. A few companies wanted to scoop him up, but he declined their offers. He was doing decent, plus working from home had its advantages, mainly that he always knew what was happening around his residence.

He glanced down at the caller ID and saw his sister, Ellie, smiling up at him. He rolled his eyes, wondering what she could possibly need now, and answered the phone. He also started the game back up.

"Hey sis, computer on the fritz?" Chuck answered.

"No Chuck. Oh, that's right, you're 'working', aren't you?" Chuck could see her making air quotes around the word 'working'. She disagreed with his choice to work at home, especially when she saw that most of the time he was playing video games waiting for customers. She said he needed a steady job with constant income, but with the mystery donor, Chuck had plenty of money to stay afloat.

"You know it. Ah come on, I totally dodged that missile," he spat at the television as he watched Sonic die. "So, what do you need?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could come pick me up. Devon's got to work a double, and I need to get home to Ryan and relieve the sitter. She's been there for about 12 hours straight."

"Why can't you just take the car and pick Devon up at the hospital when his shift ends?" Chuck questioned, seeing ulterior motives to his sister's request, not to mention that he was only a few levels away from beating the game.

"Look, Chuck, can you pick me up or not?" Ellie replied, an edge in her voice. "It's not like you're doing anything important anyway."

"Are you kidding? I'm about to set a personal best on Sonic 2. I was perfect in my attempts to get the Chaos Emeralds, which means I've been SuperSonic for a good portion of the game, thus ensuring I beat my best time ever. How is that not important?"

"That better be sarcasm I hear, and I better see you in 15 minutes." She promptly hung up on him.

Chuck contemplated standing her up and finishing the game. But then he thought about the repercussions of such actions, and decided the best route was to acquiesce to Ellie's demands. A happy Ellie was better than an angry Ellie, for everyone.

So, 15 minutes later, Chuck was walking into the hospital. He meandered his way over to the free clinic, where Ellie said she would be. As he suspected, she was no where to be found. However, there were a few nurses behind the desk that was in the middle of the room, so he approached them.

"Hey, Chuck," greeted the the eldest member of the trio as Chuck walked up. She was about 50 with round features and an overall positive demeanor.

"Hello Ruth, you haven't happened to see that sister of mine, have you?" Chuck asked, giving the group a dazzling smile. Even though it wasn't necessary, everything that Roy taught him about charming a woman, he used whenever he got the chance. It was second nature to him now.

"Why, is something wrong, Chuck?" replied the youngest of the group, Rachel, a shapely woman with short black hair, brown eyes and a picturesque smile. She had been there only a few months. Chuck was sure she could have been a model, but the fact that she chose to help people made her all that more attractive. She gave him a look of concern as she studied his figure, looking for some sort of ailment.

"Oh, everything is fine, just fine. I'm supposed to pick her up so she can get home to Ryan."

"Oooh, Ryan is so cute. He is going to be like his father, I know it," stated Carol, a woman in her thirties who, despite the scowl that seemed etched on her face, was actually quite pleasant.

"You're right, he is going to be 'awesome'," Chuck replied. The group shared a laugh. "So, you think you can find Ellie for me?"

"Yes, sure," said Ruth as she picked up the phone.

"So, Chuck," Rachel said, "you seeing anybody?"

"No, not at the moment," Chuck answered pleasantly. 'This is why she wanted me here, shoulda known,' Chuck thought. Ellie had been encouraging him to start dating again, that he had grieved long enough. The fact was, Chuck was sure that there was no way he would find love again. He'd been in love with Sarah, thought she was perfect, but he'd ruined that. Then he met Kristin, one of the few positives during the most difficult time of his life, but that was destroyed again by him. With the Jill fiasco, the constant back and forth with Sarah, and then Kristin's death, Chuck wasn't sure he'd let himself love again. It would be just too painful to have to go through that once more.

"Really?" Rachel replied, an eagerness in her voice that Chuck knew was spelling trouble, "I'm surprised a handsome man like you hasn't been snatched up yet. So..."

Ruth interrupted, "Ellie says she is going to be here in a few minutes. She was needed for an emergency consult. She said she'll meet you in the cafeteria."

"Thanks, Ruth."

"No problem. I love helping people."

"You sure about that?," someone yelled from one of seats in the waiting area. "I've been sitting here for almost 30 minutes now." Chuck didn't laugh, but he had amused smirk on his face.

"It'll still be a few minutes, sir," she answered, her voice laced with annoyance.

"Well ladies, I'll see you around. As always, it's been a pleasure."

"I'll join you Chuck," Rachel said. "I'm about ready to go on break anyway. I wouldn't mind the company." She was smiling at him.

"Of course."

As Rachel stepped out from behind the desk, Chuck offered his arm, which she gladly accepted. The pair walked down the hallway of the hospital arm in arm, pleasantly chit-chatting. As they entered the cafeteria, Rachel got herself a coffee. Ever the gentlemen, Chuck paid for it.

"Chuck, you didn't have to do that," she said.

"I think I do. You're far too pretty to have to pay for something like coffee." Even though it was lame, Rachel still blushed, which Chuck smiled at.

The pair took a seat in a booth.

Deciding it would be best just to mollify his sister for the time being, he asked, "So, before Ruth interrupted us, I believe you wanted to say something."

"Oh, umm, that," Rachel mumbled, "I was just wondering, you know, if you weren't busy or anything, if you wanted to do something tomorrow night." She had been avoiding his eyes as she spoke, but she lifted her head up to see him smiling back at her. She blushed again, which Chuck found slightly amusing.

"I take it you've never had to ask anyone out before?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, if I may say so, you kinda reminded me of me back in college, which is an unflattering comparison, believe me."

"Well, it's usually the guy's responsibility to ask the girl. It's a rule of some sort, I swear. Kinda like with proposing. The guy has to go it."

"Hmm, you may be right. But then it is definitely the girl's responsibility to say yes."

"I don't know about that."

"Why's that?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Just because." She gave him a smirk.

"Man, that is so unfair to the guy," Chuck said, shaking his head.

"You think?"

"Definitely."

"Fine, we'll play it you're way."

"What do you mean?"

"Just ask me out tomorrow night."

"Okay, you wanna do something tomorrow night?"

"Yes," she answered quickly, smiling radiantly. "See, we played it your way. Happy?" She had an amused glint in her eye.

"Very," Chuck said. He raised an arm into the air and exclaimed, "Victory!"

Rachel started laughing. "Here, give me your phone." He handed it to her. She took a picture of herself and then programmed her number in it. She then called herself on his phone, thus getting his number. She handed his phone back to him. Then she took out her phone.

"Smile," she said, holding it up.

Chuck gave her the classic Bartowski grin.

"Man, you are really photogenic," she said looking at his picture. "Oh, there is your sister." They both got up from the booth.

"I'll call you tomorrow sometime. Let you know what the plan of attack is."

"Okay. See you then." She got on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. As Rachel made her way back to the clinic, Ellie flashed her the thumbs up with a questioning look. Rachel smiled big and nodded, throwing a glance back at Chuck. Chuck had to roll his eyes as he watched them.

Ellie made her way to Chuck, grinning goofily.

"So, got plans tomorrow, huh?" she asked.

"Yes, I do. All according to your master plan," he finished, waving his fingers at her. "I shoulda known you'd try something like this."

"Oh, come on, Chuck. She's nice, smart, not to mention pretty hot."

Chuck's eyes widened. "Is there something Awesome should know about?" Chuck asked, grinning like an idiot.

"What? Oh," she hit him on the arm. "Why can't I admit that I think another girl is attractive without doubt being cast on my sexuality?"

"I don't know. Just the way things are, I guess."

"I mean, I wouldn't think you were gay if you thought another man was attractive."

Chuck tried not to laugh. "Well, that's good, but I'm sure it won't ever happen."

"You'll never admit that you think another man is attractive?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"Because, it's just weird."

"Why though? It's not like you're asking him out or anything."

"Okay, this conversation is officially over."

Chuck turned to leave, but he bumped into a woman, causing her tray of food to go all over her front and on the floor.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," Chuck said, housing that 'oh shit' expression on his face. He bent down to try to clean up some of the mess.

"You might wanna step back, cause I'm about to knee you in face," said a very familiar voice.

Chuck looked up at the woman. His eyes got wide and his jaw dropped. What would she be doing here? Her eyes were closed. She was slowly clenching and unclenching her fists, trying to calm herself.

"No way," Chuck muttered under his breath. He stood up and said, "Carina?"

Her eyes shot open. She was wearing a confused expression as she looked over his face, trying to remember. He saw her eyes get wide as she figured it out. Then, forgetting she was covered in pudding and ketchup, she put on a predatory smile.

"Hey, Chuckie."

A/N 2: The plan is to release a chapter every week. They will be shorter, and hopefully of a higher quality, than my last story. Also, the story will mostly, and I mean pretty much all the time, follow Chuck. I may cut away here and there, but you will be getting a whole lotta Chuck.