Hello again, see reviews do make me write faster :). Anyway, thanks for reading and liking the twists (prepare for more though). This one takes a bit of a break from the arc and let's Sarah get a breather although it does get back to the story in the end. I like to hear your thoughts on where you think this is going so review and tell me :)

This is for all the charah fans and I hope you like it...

Chuck vs The Art of War

V. Energy (Interlude)

5.02 am 2nd May 2009

Sarah wakes up first, the sun's not quite risen as yet and she knows that it'll be about an hour more before it 's does. She does not want to look at the clock, knowing that time's moving on, counting down to her actually having to leave him. Right now though, Sarah decides not to move as she doesn't want to wake Chuck up and is content to just lie there and look at him. She knows that it's going to be really busy in a few hours and this is probably going to be the last quiet moment of the day before all the madness starts up again. She's almost sorry that she has to wake him knowing that he only got to bed a few hours before.

She had warned Morgan and Casey not to get him too drunk and to be honest, they had complied. She just mis-estimated Jeff and Lester's propensity for taking things a bit too far and did not think they would have spiked Chuck's drinks with seventy proof grain alcohol. When Casey had carried Chuck through the door, he heart had almost stopped, thinking the worst had happened. Only when the Thomson Twits and Morgan entered after, still singing at the top of their voices, did she realize Chuck was just passed out and not hurt. It took all her skill to hide her gun as quickly and discreetly as possible before they noticed. Even then, Casey could not hide his smirk at her over-reaction.

Still, she took great pleasure in giving Casey and the others a piece of her mind and suffice it to say that she was a bit glad that Chuck was passed out as she threatened them with great bodily injury if Chuck was not ok for their wedding. At least Casey, Jeff and Morgan had the decency to look contrite although Lester probably would have too, if he hadn't fainted when Sarah threatened his manhood (twice). Casey proceeded to put Chuck in their room and dragged the guys out soon after and she was left with the hope that the few hours left was just enough for Chuck to recover.

"Heyyyyyy, Beautiful, do you know you look absolutely stunning and I am the luckiest guy in the world" Chuck's vision is definitely not a hundred per cent but even if he were blind, he could still see the beauty that was Sarah Walker. He'll never get over the fact that they're finally together, no lies or deception between them. He has to hope that despite what's going to occur, they'll always remember their way back to each other.

Sarah Walker has never giggled in her adult life but that one line broke through years of agent training and she let out a giggle which apparently only egged Chuck on, "Shhh, it's true, you're actually marrying me despite you know me being me." When Chuck had admonished Morgan about not testing Anna because she loved him despite Morgan being Morgan, he had also been thinking about himself. He was not with Sarah then and in Chuck's mind, it was because Sarah was always meant for better things. He always assumed that for her to be with him, she would have to settle for something less that she was worth. He knows he's being selfish here and now but he does not care anymore. He'll love her forever and will try and make it up to her everyday of his life.

"What?" Sarah's taken by surprise at his words.

"You know, I'm just Chuck Bartowski and you're well, you're you!" He states it so factually like he's used to it and has accepted the difference even though he can't understand it.

Sarah's unsure of what to say since she's pretty sure that she is the one who should be questioning if she truly deserves what Chuck is offering.

He sees her hesitate and thinks she's bound to have second thoughts, "I'm not Bryce" he starts, only to realize perhaps that it's the wrong thing to say as he sees her physically recoil at his words.

"I…" She's never wanted him to be Bryce but she's also never really explained about Bryce to Chuck. It wasn't that she didn't want to rehash the past but that she never compared Chuck to Bryce. They were just so different in her mind. Bryce represented her facade, the roles she had to play and he added context to that. She had always felt empty and Bryce could never see that. Chuck was different, he defined her in the way that made her feel special, not because of her skills with a gun or with languages but because he saw her as what she always wanted to be but could never articulate.

"I thought he was the first person to see me, only he was always looking at Agent Walker" She's not really explaining it well, but it's difficult to explain about not having an identity and only being defined by a name not even of your own choice. When Graham had offered his hand and the identity of Sarah Walker, she knew that it was another role and not who she was or wanted to be. But it had been her only choice then. Likewise, dating Bryce was the path of least resistance since he knew what she was like in the field, had watched her back and did not look further than was necessary.

"You..you see… me" The last word said softly but with conviction. How does she explain that he's allowed her to define herself in his presence, that because of his acceptance of her without judgment, that she's finally begun to accept herself. "I don't want Bryce, I want you, if you'll have me". She's still not really sure he should go through with this considering he does not know about her past or even her real name. She looks at him, with so much fear in her eyes only to be confronted by hope in his. "My past…" she's not really sure where to start. She could tell him about moving from town to town after her mom's death or the number of people her father had conned with her help. Or she could start with her recruitment into the CIA by Graham and the path she had chosen from then, to always be whom someone else wanted, fragments of herself, never really coalescing into someone whole. Sarah Walker was just a name until she met Chuck and became a person.

Chuck's still a bit woozy from all the alcohol he did not know he had been imbibing last night, but he knows that this is one of those defining moments in their relationship. They haven't had that many but they've also haven't acknowledge their relationship until recently so they're off to a good start. He wants to remember every minute of this in fine detail so he'll be able to recount to their grand kids, one day, about how he convinced Sarah Walker that they really deserved each other.

"I thought that I had started living when I finally went off to college and then met Bryce and Jill. It was what I thought I deserved after… well after having my mom leave and then dad just not be there." As much as he wanted Sarah to talk about her past, he realized that he had never shared much of his own either. "And then I got kicked out and Jill dumped me and I just stopped."

Sarah knew all this and had even contemplated giving Jill more than a warning when she had come back into Chuck's life. She does not like to see him hurt and would do anything to prevent that.

"But" Chuck pauses, knowing that this is what he had always needed to say to finally convince her. "I've come to realize that I've only been living since I've met you. Everything in the past was just rehearsal for this. You give me the energy to do anything, fly helicopters, download intersects, bring down shadowy cabal organizations bent on ruling the world. You know, the life I was meant to have, but only with you." He sees the fear in her eyes finally fade away.

"I play the violin", She wants him to know things that she's proud of and that makes her, his Sarah Walker. She realizes she has her whole life to do that so she's just going to start slow, "And I prefer the right side of the bed and we need to get up in an hour so we better rest so we'll actually have the energy to make it through the wedding". It's a start for her to share herself and she knows he accepts her regardless. She never wanted Bryce, had settled for him because she did not know what she truly deserved until now.

Chuck smiles, he's still tired and not quite sober and still recovering for his injuries but just being here with her, makes everything fade away. He leans in close and kisses her, softly at first and then with more passion. He needs to show her that she's everything to him, she's what sustains him and gives him the impetus to live. He does not want to rest for the next hour and instead wants to reenergize himself with the essence of Sarah Walker. Time has never been on their side but that will not mean that he won't make full use of it, memorizing the planes and curves of her body, ensuring that she becomes an inextricable part of his consciousness always. He looks at her and sees the need reflected in her eyes. Perhaps this is what they really need right now, no more verbal declarations but to join together physically and show each other their commitment and love.

Chateau Haute Rhienstein, Schwarzwald (3.02am, 29th October 2009)

Sarah opens her eyes, knowing she's not going to see Chuck there but energized by the memory nonetheless. She knows since that day, she's never needed any reassurance of Chuck's love for her but she wants to reciprocate, hoping he's there. She's on the bed and turns over to face the wall just in case. The transmitter is in her ear and she knows that its probably not wise to say anything but she needs the verbal affirmation. In the softest voice possible, she whispers, "I love you".

She has to have faith that he is listening and that they've done the right thing in either planning to rescue Morgan or already in the process of doing so. Felix's offer to bring in Cole gave her some measure of comfort that perhaps Morgan's captivity may have been short lived anyway. She knows that if he's heard her message, he'll probably answer her and that gives her strength. She's not afraid of her current situation despite Benkhofer's threats to her safety. He still thinks she's the intersect and as much as that knowledge protects her, it also damns her if anything happens to Chuck. His safety has always been her primary concern over all else and must remain so. Benkhofer thinks Morgan is Chuck and hopefully has been convinced by her that he had meant nothing. However, when Felix returned with Cole, she knew that he would be used to punish her. Sarah has dealt with despots before and recognizes the trait in Benkhofer. He hides behind a sheen of respectability but sooner or later, his mask slips. She had seen his true nature a few hours ago and knows that sooner or later it will rear its ugly head again. She had to be ready for that as she does not want Cole to suffer either. She can feel the three small knives hidden in her sling and knows what she would have to do to force Benkhofer's hand, she's not looking forward to the pain but it's her only choice.

The End

Next up

Chuck vs The Art of War

VI. Weak Points and Strong

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