A/N I originally wanted to only have Chuck's thoughts in this story, but as I wrote, I found myself delving into Sarah's thoughts and motivations as well. I find her such an interesting character, and I couldn't help myself. The first chapter contained some of her thoughts, and I had written about half this chapter before I noticed I had inadvertently done so again.

My other story, the FBI Agent, will be solely in Sarah's POV, so I think I'll try to stick it out in Chuck's POV for this fic. I apologize in advance if some of Sarah's inner thoughts come through. She's not easily denied after all.

I also want to just say here, WOW, I was not expecting that much interest in my FBI Agent story. 28 reviews for the first chapter in one week. Wow, thanks. Makes me think that maybe more readers want me to update that one instead of this story. Don't worry though, I've said it before, I have every intention of finishing both. I think I'll get this one up to a good point then work on the FBI story for a while. It seems there's a lot more interest in the FBI Agent.

(The second paragraph is in Sarah's head, but I liked it too much to get rid of it. It'll be the last one, I hope.)

I really hope that I've been able to capture the core of their relationship as well as some of the other authors on this site. Chuck takes care of Sarah emotionally, and she takes care of him physically. And when he gets his panic attacks.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews, and please enjoy this new chapter!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Chuck.

Chapter 2

Insecurities

"Yes, I'll be there with you."

"Whatever happens?"

She nods "Yes, Chuck, whatever happens. And Chuck, call me Sarah Walker from now on."

He nodded, understanding the reason behind the name change. "Perfect." Is all he said.

They walk, hand in hand, out of the park, together.

April 11, 1995

Unknown Park

As they walked along the path towards the stolen car, Chuck kept stealing glances at Sarah. She noticed this, as she kept looking at him as well. Whenever their eyes would meet during one of the glances, their smiles would widen just a bit more. And their cheeks would color a tad more as well.

Sarah had never smiled that much before, and frankly, her cheeks were starting to hurt a little. From smiling too much. All because of Chuck. That thought just made her want to smile more, pain be damned.

Chuck couldn't remember the last time he smiled this much, and meant it. He wasn't even worried about the stolen car, or having run away, because he was with Sarah, and everything would work out. Because Sarah would be there to help him.

He should do something nice for her. He couldn't get her flowers, or chocolate, or jewelry, because he didn't have any money. And he doubted that she would like his Han Solo collectable; much less recognize the character, given her lack of movie knowledge. That was something he'd have to rectify as soon as possible. But maybe she'd like to drive? "Hey Sarah, do you want to drive?" The way she looked up at him, with hope and excitement in her eyes and an even larger smile (her face had to hurt from smiling that much. His was sure starting to…) let him know that yes, she would love to drive. He nodded to himself, satisfied that he had done another thing that caused her to smile.

"Yes! I'd love to drive that car Chuck. Can I really?" Sarah still had a smile on her face, but the blush had receded. Chuck thought his own blush was under control as well, although it was likely only a matter of time before it returned. Sarah seemed to have that effect on him.

"Well I sure hope you can, but you may drive it anyways." Chuck said in a teasing tone. His English teacher always brought up the differences between can and may, and he always found it funny, even if all the other students always grumbled at the lame joke.

Sarah whacked him on the arm with her free hand and giggled. "Yes, Chuck, I know how to drive… My fa- He had been teaching me, but I never got to drive such a nice car." Chuck frowned at her near slip. It was obviously still a sore point, one he'd do his best to avoid.

He resisted the urge to keep frowning and simply kept walking, swinging their clasped hands in an exaggerated manner. And he would have done so all the way to the car, had Sarah not stopped and tugged on his arm to get his attention. "Well, aren't you going to give me the keys?" She demanded, holding her hand out.

"Keys…?" Chuck was confused for a moment before he realized she meant the keys to the car. That he had stolen. He burst into laughter. "Sarah, sweetie, I don't have the keys to the car that I stole."

Sarah giggled and smiled, again, a new blush adorning her cheeks. Chuck thought she was embarrassed by her slip, until he realized that he had called her sweetie. His eyes widened and his own cheeks colored at this revelation. It had felt natural to say that. He flashed his smile at her, to let her know he meant the endearment, even if it had accidentally slipped out.

Jesus, we're both smiling a lot. If we keep smiling this much, it might just become our default facial expression. Not that he minded. On the contrary, He thought Sarah's smile was radiant. And if the reason it was perpetually brightening the world was because of him, well that was just awesome.

She resumed walking, and the pull on his arm reminded Chuck that he was still attached to her. He caught up and started to skip, urging her to follow his lead with a grin. She complied, and soon they were swinging their arms erratically as they skipped and laughed along the park.

Chuck, ever graceful and coordinated one, couldn't keep skipping as he was laughing too hard. So he tripped and fell on the grass near the path, taking Sarah down with him. His stomach broke her fall, and she laughed even harder as she rolled off of him to lay by his side, his hand firmly secured in hers. Chuck sincerely hoped they never had to let go for an extended period of time.

"So does this mean that we're going out now? I've never had a boyfriend before…" Sarah was the first one to catch her breath after laughing so much, but a giggle still escaped every so often. She sat up slightly, just enough to rest on her elbow, and faced him. Chuck mimicked her position.

"I don't just kiss… any pretty girl, she's got to be… special, you know?" He really needed to start becoming a bit more active; his lungs were burning.

Sarah fell silent, and Chuck thought he had said something wrong. He opened his mouth to apologize, but she whispered first. "You really think I'm pretty?" Her voice was low and tentative.

Chuck gaped at her, not believing she was this unsure of herself. She saw this, and moisture started to gather in her eyes. Quick, say something, don't let her cry! "Nononono, don't cry, don't cry, of course you're pretty. Heck, you're beautiful Sarah. Just… don't cry… Please?"

The tears started flowing down her face and Chuck panicked. Way to go moron, you made her cry. The voice sounded gruff, a little like a bear, and not at all like a voice in his head should. But Sarah was crying, and he couldn't focus on weird voices in his head, because she needed him.

"Hey, I'm sorry, don't cry…" He really was at a loss over what to say. How he wished he had asked Ellie what to do when girls cried…

"These are happy tears, Chuck. No one's ever really called me pretty before…" Chuck really couldn't tell the difference between these happy tears and the ones from before, but decided not to press the issue. Ellie did say he'd spend his whole life trying to understand girls and never get close.

"You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen Sarah. And I'd love it if you did want to be my girlfriend." Chuck started to stroke her hair, and that seemed to help her relax. He'd have to remember this move if she ever cried again. Though he'd do his best to make sure she didn't cry.

Sarah giggled, tears eventually drying up. "This is probably not the normal way to start a relationship, huh? And I'm sorry I've been crying on you so much, you must think I'm weak and silly…"

"Normal is overrated. And I don't think your silly or whatever for crying. I think you're really strong for holding it together by yourself for so long. And I'm really glad that you're letting me help you. It's OK for you to take comfort from me. Besides, you've put up with my rambling and nerdiness."

"I personally think your rambling is adorable, and your nerdiness cute."

"Really?"

She nodded and gave him a shy smile, and he answered with his Bartowski grin.

"I really like you Chuck."

"I really like you too, Sarah."

Her sniffles had subsided, but she continued to lay on her side, staring at him. Chuck figured it was an invitation to lose himself in her eyes again. A giggle and a kiss broke his stare and indeterminable time, and Sarah got up, tugging his hand so he'd join her.

"Come on Chuck, we still need to get rid of the car and get something to eat. I'm starving." Just then, Chuck's stomach let out a growl, and he agreed. He was hungry too.

They made it back to the car without any more distractions. OK, so Chuck may have stopped her to sneak in another kiss or two, but really, she was his girlfriend. He was allowed to. And she may have reciprocated the gestures. Often. So there may have actually been plenty of distractions. But their stomachs cut them some slack and didn't grumble again. Not that the teens would have likely listened anyways, as they were too caught up in the newness of their now affirmed relationship.

When they finally did reach the car, Chuck opened the door for Sarah, and couldn't help but stare at her cute butt as she bent over to hotwire the ignition again. Running away was the best decision ever! She glanced back at him, and he flushed red, embarrassed at being caught staring. Sarah turned her attention back to the ignition, and wiggled her butt at him. Chuck felt his brain melt down to goo at her actions.

The engine came to life with a roar, and Sarah stood up and turned to him with a smirk. "You ready to go?" She asked. He simply continued to stare at her blankly, a little drool apparent on the side of his open mouth. The question had obviously not registered in the goop that had become his mind. Sarah giggled, grabbed his face with both her hands and planted the biggest, wettest kiss she could on Chuck's lips.

That seemed to reboot his brain, but it got stuck on one setting. Sarah laughed as she danced away from Chuck's attempts at grabbing her for another make out session. "Not now Chuck, maybe later. I'm hungry and tired and we still have a lot to do before we can rest, so get in the car."

"But… the kisses…" Chuck whined.

"You'll get more kisses later Chuck."

"Promise?" Chuck sighed as he dropped the arms that were reaching for her.

"Promise." She nodded then darted in for a quick peck on his lips and twirled away again before he could react. "Now in the car you go."

Chuck pouted and gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "Sa-rah…"

She just laughed, and said "Chu-uck… Please?"

Chuck sighed, but nodded anyways and ran over to the other side. He yanked open the passenger door and plopped down on the seat. Sarah threw her backpack in the back seat, and it rested near his. She grinned at him, revved the engine, then the car bolted out onto the street, tires squealing.

"Sarah! Drive slower! We're in a stolen car, and neither of us have licenses!" Chuck paled and grabbed the door handle. Chuck prayed that her driving wouldn't be the death of him.

"Jeez, OK, I will." She slowed down to the speed limit as they made their way out of the suburbs. Chuck looked at his hand, wondering why it was cold. Sarah then grabbed it, and the answer came to him as his hand warmed up.

"So… Tell me about Ellie. It's about a 20 minute drive to our destination."

Chuck brightened, and started rambling. "Well, she's my sister, obviously, and she's about 3 years older than me…" He continued to talk about his sister for the entire ride. Sarah would occasionally ask a clarifying question, or make a noise of agreement, but she was mainly happy to just squeeze Chuck's hand every so often and listen to the sound of his voice as he rambled on.

"We're here Chuck." Sarah interrupted Chuck's story about Ellie's college applications when she parked. Chuck looked around, but didn't see any garages like she had mentioned.

"Let me go in alone Chuck, the guy knows me because of, well you know.I can probably get a good deal. This engine isn't stock; it's been upgraded. Wait for me at that bench. Don't wander off, OK?"

The neighborhood looked a little shady, but there were plenty of streetlights, so Chuck reluctantly got out of the car, but only after getting his promised kiss. He grabbed both his backpack and Sarah's from the back and placed hers on the passenger seat so she could easily grab it. He barely remembered what he packed in his backpack, but was glad for it, as it gave him something to hold on to while Sarah's hand wasn't available.

"Wait!" He shouted. "Pop the trunk, let me see if there's anything in there." Sarah unlocked it from inside the car and he opened it and peered inside. There was a lone briefcase, which he grabbed. He closed the trunk and gave her a thumbs up to let her know he was done.

Sarah gave him one last smile and waved as she drove around the corner of the block. He sat down on the bench, and closed his eyes to wait for her return.

"Chuck, I'm back." He opened his eyes, and smiled when he saw her blue eyes looking into his brown ones.

"Hi Sarah." He leaned in for a quick kiss, but she pulled back, the happy glint he expected to see in her eyes noticeably absent. Chuck frowned, puzzled, and as she stepped away from the bench, he could see another figure standing behind her. The figure stepped into the light and laid a hand on Sarah's shoulder. He was a tall man, who looked faintly similar to Sarah.

"Nice work pumpkin. As expected from my daughter." The man said, and leaned down and kissed the top of Sarah's head. That's her father!

"Wha…Sarah, what's going on? Why's your father here?" Chuck was very close to panicking, but his utter confusion took precedence at the moment.

"Thank you daddy!" Sarah said, pride evident in her voice. Why was she ignoring him? Why was she actually happy to see her father? Wasn't she angry at him for forcing her to… flirt with … that mark…?

Chuck's brain slowed, until it ground to a halt. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

"Looks like he really believed your story darlin'. That was a damn fine performance. That schnook fell hard for you." The man, Sam's father, said, laughing. Sarah…Sam…She had played him? He was just another con to her? No… He wouldn't believe it until he heard-

"Well, I am an amazing actress daddy." She giggled and struck a pose, like a model would. "Can you believe he thought I'd actually want to be his girlfriend? A nerd like him?"

Chuck sucked in a mouthful of air, and another, his heart beating so hard he thought it might burst out of his chest. He still couldn't really think, the only thing running through his mind was a steady stream of denial. Nononono… There was a connection there! She likes me! She wouldn't do this! But all he could hear was laughter. Her laughter.

"NO! I don't believe you! I'm closing my eyes, and when I open them, this will all have just been a bad dream." He closed his eyes tightly, and for a second there was only silence. But as he opened them again, nothing had changed. Sam and her father were still there. His heart dropped in his chest, and tears pooled in his eyes. I won't cry… Not over this… Even as he thought that however, he knew that he would cry because of her. He didn't cry when his mother left, despite being only 10, and he didn't cry when his father left, but being betrayed by her hurt more than he could imagine. Certainly more than it should after knowing her for less than a day.

He blinked to try and hold the tears in, but she had disappeared, even as her father remained. "Sarah? Where'd you go?" His tears were forgotten as he hastily rubbed his eyes; she had disappeared during a blink. That's not natural. And why did it suddenly seem as if he were looking at the world through red-tinged glasses? And was that the sun?

"She's not here yet. This may be a nightmare Chuck, but you know as well as I do that it could just as easily be reality. She told you she is a conman, that she is a great actress. Has she really told you the truth about everything else?" The man speaking was no longer Sarah's father, but a gross amalgamation of a man, and a horned demon, and it sported the same needle tail that Cell from Dragonball Z has. Man, he hated Cell…

The thing stepped forward to continue taunting him, and Chuck was paralyzed with fear. He realized now that he was in a nightmare, but his limbs remained frozen, and his thoughts revolved only around what actions the thing might take next. Was it going to stab him with the needle, absorb him like Cell would, kill him outright, what was it going to do? But the thing's face twisted into a hateful sneer, right before it turned around and flew away, disappearing into the distance. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and her soft voice breathed in his ear.

"It's OK, I'm here Chuck. Wake up, I'm here for you. Chuck. Chuck!"

His eyes snapped open, and he rolled towards the voice, rolled straight off the bench. Chuck fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, and grumbled incoherently to himself while Sarah giggled softly at his predicament.

"Are you OK Chuck? You were moaning no repeatedly…" She asked, holding a hand out to help him. Her eyes showed nothing but concern for him. Perhaps a tad bit of amusement as well. But he was man enough to admit that his rolling off the bench probably did look a little funny to anyone watching. And he'd never begrudge her any happiness or laughter, even if it came at his expense.

"Yeah, just…just a bad dream…" He took her hand, and her touch reassured him that it had just been a nightmare. But the fears and doubts about Sarah's true motivations remained. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, and he did his best to force the doubts to the back of his mind, and gave her a grin. He was pleased to note that only about half was forced.

If Sarah noticed any difference in his smile, she didn't comment on it, as she handed his backpack to him. Chuck took it gratefully and put it on, before grabbing her hand again. She started walking, leading him somewhere, and he managed to grab the briefcase without letting go of her hand.

"I saw an open burger joint two blocks from here." She explained. "I'm so hungry I could eat two burgers!" She was drooling slightly, and Chuck found it absolutely adorable.

"Yeah, thank god we'll finally get to eat. I didn't even have breakfast this morning. So, how'd the… car sale… go?"

"Great! I got 5 grand for it! It was in great shape and had a lot of custom parts."

"Wow, five thousand? That's awesome! We won't have to worry about money for a while now. I sure got lucky picking that car."

Sarah just grinned at him, but stayed silent. In no time at all they reached the previously mentioned burger joint, and she said, "We're here! Food time!" They entered the quaint restaurant and found a booth near the end. It was isolated, and Sarah told him she picked it so they could talk in relative privacy. She handed him a wad of cash as soon as they had deposited themselves in their seats. They were seated close together, on the same side of the booth. "Here's half of the money we got, keep it with you, just in case." He nodded, and stuffed roughly half of what he'd been given in his wallet and the rest in his backpack.

"What'll you kids have?" The voice almost caused Chuck to jump out of his seat, but Sarah had not reacted, so he figured it was safe. He turned towards the voice. Indeed it was safe; it was just the waitress, asking for their order. He was still a little jumpy from his nightmare. He really hated Cell…

"I'll have a burger, extra pickles, hold the onions, and a coke please." Sarah then looked at him, which prompted him to order.

"And I'll have a cheese burger, but no pickles, and a coke as well." The waitress left, and they were alone again.

"Since we're going to be traveling together, we should tell each other what we have, you know, supply and skill wise." Chuck nodded, glad that Sarah seemed to know what they should do once again.

"Good idea Sarah. I just have some clothes and stuff in my backpack. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, that kind of stuff. I don't have very much money; I didn't have a job. I was going to go fix computers at the Buy More during the summer though. Ellie has a job. Kind of. She baby-sits for our neighbor, a Katharine Howards or something. She has a cute 5 year old, named…Amanda? I can't remember, I only heard it once…And…"

Sarah had been smiling unabashedly while he rambled, and Chuck barely noticed when she leaned in and kissed him. It only took him a second to realize no more words were coming from his mouth, and another one to discern the reason why. From there, he proceeded to actively participate in his favorite activity: kissing Sarah. This is infinitely better than video games…

The waitress clearing her throat caused both teens to reluctantly pull apart. She placed their drinks in front of them and walked away with a knowing smirk on her face. They blushed a bit at being caught kissing, but quickly went back to planning.

"Right, erm, I'm really good with computers and electronics, like I mentioned earlier."

"Can you hack into computers?"

"Umm… I don't know, maybe? I've never actually tried, but I was doing really well in my computer programming course at school." Sarah nodded and hummed in thought.

"Well, I can pick locks, I'm a good actress, things a thief and conman need to be, you know? I'm also really good with knives. As for my backpack, I have some money from that last con and clothes and toiletries as well. What about the briefcase you found in the car's trunk?"

He had forgotten about that. He grabbed it and opened it on the table, angling it so they could both see. "It's just some business documents. Nothing too special." Chuck remarked. "Do you want to ditch it?"

"Nah, let's keep it for now. You never know when we'll need it as a prop or something."

"OK, Sarah. We can decide what to do tomorrow, after getting a good night's sleep." She nodded her acquiescence and their food arrived. Their eyes lit up and stomachs rumbled simultaneously. There was no change in their perpetually rosy cheeks or wide smiles as they dug into their meals with fervor.

They finished their meal in companionable silence, paid their bill and left looking for a hotel. They were both exhausted, physically and emotionally, and were looking forward to sleep.

Sarah's eyelids kept drooping, and Chuck didn't feel too far away from that point either. "What time is it?" Sarah's sleepy voice caused his heart to race a bit more, which abated his tiredness somewhat.

"It's about midnight. I really hope we-"

"Hey, hey, what do we have here? Two little lovebirds wandering around where they shouldn't." A sneering voice interrupted Chuck's sentence, and he felt Sarah stiffen next to him. The sleepiness vanished, replaced only by mind numbing dread. There were seven men walking towards them from an alleyway.

"Stay calm. Follow my lead." Sarah whispered in his ear, and squeezed his hand. The panic abated somewhat, at least enough for him to think. His first thought was that they should run, so he tugged on her hand and tried to leave, but Sarah didn't budge. "They're older, they would catch up Chuck. Just, trust me, please." Did she read his mind? Well, it's not like he had any other choice now. He would never leave her alone like this.

But what if the thing from his dream was right? What if she were playing a con on him, and these people were her accomplices? She could have met with them while he was sleeping, and arranged this to scare him away or kill him or something. Then they'd take all his money and his prized Han Solo collectable (No way was he mentioning that he brought it along to Sarah, at least not until later).

Think rationally, a voice that sounded like Ellie shattered the train of morbid thoughts chugging around his head. Why give him half of the money at the diner? Why did she bother coming back at all after selling the car? He wished he could wipe his sweaty palms down, but one was clamped onto Sarah, and the other was holding the briefcase, and he dared not drop it or make any sudden moves.

Trust me, please. Sarah's eyes were wide and panicked when he had looked into them. He thought he could see fear in them as well. Not fear for herself, but fear for him. She was scared she wouldn't be able to protect him? The way she tightly gripped his hand, nearly breaking it, her whole body shaking minutely, seemed to confirm that sentiment.

The thing couldgo to hell. It ran away in his dream when Sarah appeared. It was afraid of her, afraid that she would refute its statements and destroy the doubts that created it. He'd trust in the Ellie voice in his head and he'd trust Sarah. At least until they were safe, then they would talk.

The leader stepped up to them, and his eyes lingered a little too long on Sarah for Chuck's comfort. He tried to gently maneuver her so she would be slightly behind him, but she didn't budge and wouldn't let him either. Which was good, because Chuck suddenly realized exactly what he had been trying to do. He took a few deep breaths to calm his heart and hoped his sweat-drenched shirt wasn't too noticeable.

"Well, well, well… Protecting your girlfriend. How noble…This really isn't a good place for teens to be wandering around at night, especially all alone… Let's go inside my apartment, it's safer in there…"

Chuck sincerely doubted that particular fact, but they were surrounded, and despite his confidence in Sarah's ability, he doubted she could take on seven fully-grown men by herself. He didn't think he would be of much use aside from being a good punching bag if they had to fight. Chuck decided to label them as ruffians in his mind, as they didn't seem to be part of a gang. Then again, it's not like he had a lot of experience dealing with criminals… Sarah could never be a criminal in his mind. Criminal implied people like these ruffians, not a cute girl like her.

"Listen, we just got a little lost, but we were leaving, we've got plenty of money you can have, if you just let us go." Chuck gaped, but, we need that money… She dug her nails into Chuck's hand hard, as if to say don't, and he shut his mouth with a snap, his protest dying before being given voice. Seriously, is she psychic?

Ruffian-Leader stroked his chin mockingly, then declared, "Nah! You and your boyfriend are coming inside with us." He sneered and motioned towards a dilapidated door.

But Chuck found a hidden well of courage somewhere, and stepped forward to protest. "No Ruffian-Leader," everyone looked at him oddly at his pronouncement. Chuck cringed, nearly face-palming. He hadn't meant to address Ruffian-Leader by the nickname he had been using in his head. Ruffian-Leader didn't even give him a chance to expound on his slip, as he punched Chuck in the face before he could react. Chuck fell to the ground, stars swirling behind his eyes.

"Chuck!" Sarah cried out and collapsed next to him while all the ruffians laughed. "Are you OK? Talk to me baby…Please be OK…"

"Sarah, make a wish, there are so many shooting stars… I ran out after wishing you'd be my girlfriend and realizing that it had already come true…" Getting punched in the face hurts, a lot. Chuck was in a daze, and didn't think too hard about what he'd said.

Sarah gave him a watery laugh and replied, "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me Chuck, thank you."

His eyes were still slightly glassy, but he managed to focus on her and grinned. "Gee thanks for making me feel like I'm eight…" He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek and pulled her down for a kiss.

"Enough! Get your pansy boyfriend up and go inside that door!" Ruffian-Leader interrupted their kiss with a snarl. Chuck nearly snarled back, angry at the fact he didn't get to kiss Sarah, but his jaw still hurt from getting punched, so he stayed silent. That, and he snuck in a kiss when he had gotten up. "Go up four floors and into a hallway. We'll direct you further from there."

Chuck and Sarah had no choice but to enter the building. They were herded up three flights of stairs and then into another long hallway with many doors. There was no other path they could take; only the one that seemed to be taking them to their doom.

A/N2 Second chapter in and already a cliff-hanger. And did you really think that Sarah was just playing Chuck for another con? I hope it was obvious from the start that it was a dream. Have some faith in Sarah; she can't help falling in love with Chuck. It's always easier for her to admit the younger she is.

Young Chuck has taken a liking to giving things nicknames in his mind, and as evidenced here, they sometimes slip out, and at inopportune moments. Chuck has already given Sarah a nickname, and I hinted at it in the first chapter. Leave your guess in a review!