A/N: Thank you for all the positive feedback I've received so far and hope you all continue to enjoy the story. A special thank you to Wepdiggy for the beta and in general for being awesome.

Also in case it wasn't clear I don't own Chuck.

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"Sarah…"

Sarah heard a man calling her name but she couldn't place the voice…everything was fuzzy…

"Agent Walker," the nurse called her name as she shook Sarah's shoulder.

Sarah woke up with a start. She was breathing heavily and her head was killing her. The machine beside her was beeping and she could see that the nurse was standing beside the monitors.

"I'm sorry I woke you but you were thrashing a little in your sleep and your heart rate spiked way up," the nurse explained. "Try to relax, but it should go back down now that you are awake. Either way, we'll continue to monitor it. How are you feeling this morning?"

Sarah could feel her heart getting back to normal and she took a deep calming breath. "My head hurts, but everything else seems the same."

The nurse nodded and jotted some notes down on Sarah's file. "I'll give you some medication for your head. Is everything else alright?"

Sarah looked at her. No, she thought, nothing was alright; the reality of what was going on crashed back into her. She was missing years of her life and nothing seemed right.

"I'm sure you are confused and have a lot of questions," the nurse said as if reading Sarah's thoughts. "Some visitors have been waiting to see you. Should I tell them you're awake?"

What visitors, Sarah wondered and her first thought went to this Chuck. She did not think she was ready for that visit as she was still freaked out about what the relationship really entailed or what he really was to her.

"Is there perhaps another CIA agent that you could send in to explain the situation?" Sarah asked. She figured that a fellow agent was probably waiting in order to debrief her on what the situation was, especially when there was much room for error thanks to her current memory loss. For all she knew Director Graham himself was waiting for her.

"Sure, I'll check and send them if they are waiting. Anything else?"

Sarah shook her head and thanked the nurse who proceeded to go in search of Sarah's request. It wasn't long before she heard the sound of high heels clicking on the tile coming down the hallway. Sarah turned her head and she heard the door opening.

"You know, if you are going to be hospitalized you can at least be somewhere more convenient for me," Carina said smiling at Sarah as she walked in the room.

"Carina," Sarah breathed, bewildered and yet pleased to see a familiar face. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, not overjoyed to see me?" Carina said now taking the seat across from Sarah's hospital bed.

Sarah rolled her eyes. This was one of the negatives about Carina. She liked to joke and more so she liked to provoke people, especially Sarah. Even worse she knew how to do so. "I meant why are you here, you aren't even CIA."

"Well I got news that you were injured and practically on your deathbed so I flew over," Carina stated.

"I didn't know you cared so much," Sarah quipped, although the information shook her. Other than her head she felt fine and there seemed to be no visual injuries to indicate she was ever in such a state. Could she really have made that quick of a recovery?

"I had nothing better to do," Carina corrected. "And it was Chuck who called."

All plans of asking Carina about her injuries disappeared when she mentioned that name. "You know Chuck?" Sarah asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Carina said suggestively with a smirk on her face. The way she said it made it seem like Chuck had fallen prey to Carina's "friendly greetings" like so many before him, but she wasn't giving anything away.

"Are you two more than just 'friends'?" Sarah probed. Perhaps Chuck was just another agent.

"You're lucky I made a promise to behave." Carina sighed and then proudly stated, "In answer to your question no, I have not slept with Chuck."

Sarah, however, knew there was more than her friend was letting on. "You mean to tell me you've never tried seducing Chuck who I assume is a living, breathing male?" she asked incredulously. There was no way Chuck was not a subject to seduction if you added the fact that Sarah herself might actually want this guy.

Carina shot daggers at Sarah. "No I said I never slept with him, " she replied testily. "If you must know your boy toy rejected me and ruined what would have been a perfect record."

Sarah was beyond shocked. "He rejected you?" No man was able to resist Carina and there was a reason she was the best in terms of seduction.

"Yes," Carina said bitterly but then her voice softened, "He did it because he didn't want to hurt you in any way."

Sarah was speechless. She wondered if this guy really rejected Carina for her sake or he had another purpose. Sarah still didn't know much about this guy other than that Carina seemed to like him, but that isn't saying much. Perhaps her friend had an ulterior motive coming here, as well since it wasn't in Carina's nature to just to drop by out of the goodness of her heart.

"So really why are you here Carina?" Sarah asked.

Carina rolled her eyes. "I told you, and just so you know I can be nice."

Sarah laughed and in return received a deathly stare from her friend.

"What does it matter anyway Sarah? Are you expecting someone else, your man perhaps?" Carina said with a smirk.

"No, I thought maybe Graham might be here," she confided.

Carina seemed to stiffen and after a moment she looked at Sarah. "Graham died a few years ago Sarah, I'm sorry."

Sarah nodded slowly as the news sunk in. Graham was the one who discovered her, the one who gave her the opportunity to lead a life rather than waste it doing petty cons. "How did he die?"

Carina shrugged. "I'm sorry I don't really know other than it was in the line of duty."

Sarah took a deep breath. Although she was saddened by the news, she knew that death was the unfortunate risk and something that regrettably happened often prematurely for those in her line of work. Graham had served his country well and hopefully died knowing that.

"I guess a lot has happened over the years," Sarah sighed. "Apparently I'm engaged."

"You're engaged?" Carina asked seeming pleasantly surprised.

Sarah glared at Carina. "Oh right, you wouldn't know," Carina said apologetically. "I mean it wouldn't surprise me if you were."

Sarah was astonished. "It wouldn't?"

"Sarah, you are like a half a step away from giving it all up and being Betty freaking Crocker for this guy."

Sarah was silent. It wasn't the idea of falling in love that really shocked her as much as the rest of it. She knew she could be a passionate person, a trait that could serve as either a great motivator, as past missions have proven, or hindrance, as some past cons have taught her. However, it is one thing to feel something for someone and another to change your world for them. For so long Sarah had been forced to rely on only herself that the thought of not only trusting someone and letting them in but also shifting her world for theirs seemed so out of character, and beyond her understanding. She wondered how much of the situation Carina truly did know and Sarah was determined to find out.

"So tell me, where did I meet this Chuck? Work?" she probed.

"You could say that," Carina said in a vague, nonchalant manner.

"So he is another agent?" Sarah asked trying for once to get a clear answer.

A small smile appeared on Carina's lips. "No he isn't an agent."

The answer resulted in a look of horror on Sarah's face. She took a shaky breath before asking what she hoped was not the case. "A civilian?"

"Not a civilian," Carina said as the smile continued to grow.

Sarah was now puzzled and pissed at Carina for playing coy. "Well if he isn't an agent and not a civilian what else can he be?" she snapped.

Carina was practically beaming and laughed before sobering up enough to speak. "Oh Sarah, you my friend fell in love with your asset."

Sarah was mollified and then she looked at Carina who was smiling at her. She shook her head at her nativity and not realizing the truth sooner. "Ha-ha, very funny Carina. I admit you almost had me going there."

"You think I'm joking?" Carina leaned her head in her hand and gave Sarah a smile full of pity. She sighed, "I promise I'm not kidding you."

"You're telling me I fell in love with my asset named Chuck," Sarah spit out as if the words love and asset were poisonous. The name Chuck now also sort of irked her. What kind of parent names their kid Chuck, sadists?

"Hey don't be mean…" Carina snapped but then stopped abruptly stopped herself from going further as if shocked at her own defense of him.

Sarah's eyes widened at her friend and her anger dissipated. She had never seen this side of Carina before. Carina was always the first one to joke and have fun. Her impulsive nature and penchant for taking risks brought her across as the girl who did things her own way, consequences be damned. However, instead of the Carina she knew, all of a sudden Sarah was getting a serious, and dare she say even good side that she honestly had no idea how to process, so Sarah simply asked.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"You're crazy you know," Carina shook her head and then added, "Look the nerd has helped me out a time or two, what can I say. I swear on you bailing me out in Pakistan that I'm not messing around with you."

"So to sum up you're legitimately telling me that the girl," she said pointing at herself for emphasis, "who wouldn't even go into the Bon Temps mansion because it was a breach of protocol, broke the number one rule, perhaps even the only real rule, that they teach you at the Farm for none other than my asset. Is that correct?" Sarah couldn't help but be stubborn as the situation was so far from what Sarah envisioned in her future that she couldn't just accept it as true.

Carina nodded her head but then paused for a moment seeming surprised. "You remember the mission involving the Bon Temps place?"

Sarah thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, it was a standard get in, grab the goods and get out. Why?"

"I thought you could only remember as early as the Hungary mission, but that mission was after that, right before you were paired with Bryce," Carina said with a hint of sadness.

"Who?" Sarah asked.

Carina's mouth went slack. "Bryce…Bryce Larkin, CIA agent." However, Sarah showed no signs of recognition so she added, "Handsome, brown hair and blue eyes. Ex-partner." Carina then paused before adding, "Ex-boyfriend."

"Ex-boyfriend!?" Sarah shouted. "I dated another guy from work?" She could not believe her future self and apparent lack of self-control. Although this guy sounded right up her alley, dating partners was frowned upon and Sarah followed the rules. Well at least that is what she thought but she had surely proved herself wrong.

"You know you're fun when you're agitated," Carina said smiling at her. "And technically Bryce was before Chuck, what can I say you like to get really 'involved' with your work."

Sarah, however, did not look amused and glared at Carina. "How long did we date?"

"A couple years," Carina replied.

"Did I love this guy too?" Sarah muttered.

Even though the question was rhetorical Carina decided to answer it. "You loved Bryce in a way that was easy and comfortable for you. You never had to sacrifice or reveal too much as he was an agent and understood. He accepted the surface type of relationship you offered, and for the most part that is really all us agents are able to offer." After a moment Carina softly added, "He died not too long ago."

Sarah waited for some sadness or guilt that she knew should come but none did. She had no recollection of this man she apparently loved and held no memories of their times together. She felt nothing, not emptiness or a loss, just nothing. Sarah didn't know what to say, as she didn't know how to respond so instead she merely remained quiet.

Carina finally broke the silence. "Anyway that is all in the past as you're with Chuck now, who by the way is not technically an asset anymore as he is more like an agent with analyst abilities or maybe an asset agent combo…you know what never mind, he is just Chuck."

"Just Chuck? Is that a good thing?" Sarah pondered.

Carina thought for moment before saying, "He's not like us."

"Well thanks Carina, that helps out a lot," Sarah remarked sarcastically.

"I don't know how to describe it, I guess it's like— and if you tell Chuckles that I said any of this I will hurt you—"

Sarah gave a look that said she'd like to see her try but she nodded wanting her friend to continue.

"Chuck is someone who always sees the good in things even after so much bad has occurred. Although people have often judged him, myself included, he never judges others and often loves without abandon. He is fiercely loyal and though he'll say he isn't good at much, I've never seen him not be able to do something that he's put his mind to." Carina paused a moment before adding, "And the sex is fantastic."

Sarah gave a small laugh but then was silent a long time before saying, "Wow, umm that was quite a speech."

Carina smiled. "Thanks, it's from you as it is more or less what you told me when I asked you why you loved him. I might have added a line at the end."

Sarah processed this information and after several long moments she asked, "Do you think I'm really in love with him?"

"I admit at first I thought you were insane. Hell, I still think you are crazy and don't really understand it but I know that what you have with him is different, it's special," Carina reassured.

"Wow and here I thought you couldn't be a romantic," Sarah teased before looking at her friend in earnest, "Thank you."

Carina just nodded and both women turned towards the door when they heard it open and a nurse entered.

"Sorry to interrupt but I was coming to take Agent Walker to her first physical therapy session," the nurse stated.

Sarah gave a sigh of relief. Exercise was just what she needed to clear head as she now had a lot to think about.

"Well then I'm going back to my hotel but if you need anything, seriously call me Sarah," Carina told her.

"What happened to leaving people to fend for themselves," Sarah joked.

Carina smiled. "I guess you finally rubbed off on me and don't say I never helped you." She started for the door but then turned around to add, "Stop worrying so much, you're in good hands."

With that Carina left, leaving Sarah with the nurse. As the nurse proceeded to help Sarah in a wheelchair Sarah said, "I was told to let someone know of any changes and earlier I remember something that was more recent than the one in 2004. It was a mission in France in 2005." Sarah then informed the nurse of what she remembered as well as what she had no recollection of.

"But nothing about the assignment you're on currently?" the nurse clarified after Sarah was finished.

Sarah shook her head and once again her suspicions were raised that there was something they weren't telling her. The nurse told her to wait in the room while she notified the doctor of what Sarah had told her.

However, the agent in Sarah kicked in and after the nurse left Sarah wheeled herself into the hall where she spotted the nurse and doctor. Sarah could hear the conversation.

"Does she remember anything about the Intersect?" the doctor asked.

"No, just that random mission. Nothing about Agent Larkin or anything of that matter," the nurse replied.

The conversation was becoming less audible as they were walking away but the last thing Sarah heard before it was out of earshot was the doctor saying, "Good."

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A/N: Okay so it was a little mean to leave it there but I couldn't help myself. Please leave me a review as I really appreciate your feedback. Tell me your thoughts, dislikes, likes, suggestions, hopes and dreams…okay maybe not so much the last two but honestly if you want to tell me then I'll listen. In general I just like hearing from you (I'm a chatty kind of person) so click that button and type away. Coming up Sarah learns more about her life with Chuck…