Thanks for all the opinions (be it from the Charah or the Charina supporters), the messages, and definitely the words of encouragement. They really made my day.

And speaking of opinions, there are two things my friend took from the reviews. Firstly, she was gloating that she's 'righter' and that I'm only semi-right on all counts. And secondly, seeing that there are surprisingly a sizable number of Charah supporters reading this story, she said that it's only right for me to go with the popular consensus.

Right... ;)

Anyway, thanks for reading.

The blue water glistened under the glare of the Miami midday sun. Shaped like a enormous seashell, the hotel swimming pool was the subject of much interest from its guests. Unsurprisingly, visitors to the hotel chose to use the hotel amenity rather than take to the clear sea which was just a stone's throw away from the vicinity.

Normally, Chuck would have stayed away. He couldn't understand why one would prefer the highly chlorinated water over the real deal. Besides, he didn't think that the giant seashell was all that great to look at.

Sitting on one of the many 'splash' lounge chairs - its name derived from the chair's unique shape - that lined the outer edge of the pool, he pushed his shades above his head as he waited, his eyes on her. Chuck watched as she glides effortlessly through the water, long graceful strokes of her arms pulling her nearer to where he sat. She emerged a few moments later, her strides purposeful; her smile alluring.

He straightened in his seat even before she was within reach. Gone from his view was the sea of faces idling around the pool area. In a haze-induced second, all he saw was her as she bent down, angling her face to press a slow, languid kiss on his lips. And his world felt right again.

"Is he looking?" she whispered when she pulled back.

His lips curved in a lazy smile, an arm hooked around her waist.

"Chuck?"

"Huh?'

"Can we focus please?"

Right. The mission. Although he could use this to his advantage.

He pulled her onto his lap, inviting a raised eyebrow from her. "What?" he asked innocently. "You're blocking my view." Furtively flicking his gaze towards the man in question, an unbidden scowl marred his features. "Well, if trying to undress you with those detestable eyes means he's looking at you- then yes. We've reached our goal."

The goal was for Carina to attract the attention of one Valentin Kozlov. A notorious Russian playboy who has a weakness for beautiful red heads. The more unattainable they appeared to be, the more he lusted over them. Although that information in itself would have made Chuck regard him with barely concealed contempt, the fact that the wealthy Russian was also thought to be a major power player supplying arms to one of the smaller organizations that made up the Ring, was the reason why the team had descended on one of Miami's luxurious hotels. And it was also why Carina was sitting on his lap without much of a protest.

However the glare she was shooting at him said otherwise.

"Good," she said. "Now, you can release me and go get me a drink. Don't come back till you get my signal." When he made no attempt to move, she said, "Or we can wait here until our Valentin joins us and we can both sit on your lap."

"Our Valentin. Since when did he become our Valentin?"

"You jealous, Chuck?"

"Well I am your boyfriend."

"Cover, Chuck. It's just a cover. Can we move on now?"

He ignored Casey when Chuck heard him snorting in his earpiece. "Not yet," he said.

"We've got him, Chuck. Now don't waste time. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can leave this awful heat."

"Nope. If he's anything like the profile indicates, then you have to sit here a little while longer. Because what kind of loving boyfriend would I be if I got up and leave the moment his gorgeous girlfriend graced him with a kiss." Chuck leaned in, whispering in her ears, "We have to sell it, remember? Your words, honey," he kissed Carina on the cheek, "not mine." He glanced back at Kozlov. "Fits the profile to a T."

"Chuck," he heard the warning tone in her voice.

"Fine, fine," he got up. "I'm going. Although," he inclined his head down, waggling his eyebrows, "how about giving your boyfriend a good luck kiss before he leaves?"

Carina gave a curious stare. "How about giving my partner a good luck kick, instead?"

"Guess I'll have to take it myself then," he gave her a quick kiss before walking off, leaving a befuddled-looking Carina as she contemplated what on earth had happened to the nerd these past few weeks. And right on cue, the minute Chuck was out of sight, Kozlov wasted no time in making his way towards Carina. Looking from behind a pillar, Chuck thought grimly, Let the mission begin.

He awoke with a start on a hospital bed. At least he thought he was on one judging by the overpowering smell of antiseptic that invaded his nostrils. But the one clue that told him that he wasn't in an actual hospital was the lack of window in the room and it resembled a holding cell more than the normal hospital room.

He groaned when he tried to move, every muscle in his body seemed to protest at the sudden exertion. His left arm was in a sling but other than an aching discomfort when he tried to move it, Chuck found that the pain was still bearable. He lived for another day. But as to how he got here, he couldn't really remember.

He recalled pushing Sarah out of the path of a bullet, and landing awkwardly on his side. He didn't know which pain was worse though; the burning pain on his arm where he was shot, or the sharp throbbing of his dislocated shoulder. Either way, he was lucky to get out of the hotel alive, along with Koslov's thumbdrive which the man kept on him at all time; the thumbdrive in a shape of a pendant, hanging around his neck.

All in all, it wasn't a complete failure even if they didn't manage to download the entire content of his hard drive from his computer.

"How are you feeling?"

He looked up and saw Sarah standing in the doorway. Concern coloured her eyes as she gazed at him but she didn't move from her spot.

Disregarding the twinge in his heart, he motioned for her to sit on the uncomfortable-looking steel chair by the side of his bed.

"Don't," Chuck said weakly when she settled down. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

"The bullet could have hit anywhere, you know?"

"But it didn't. And I still live to annoy the hell out of the Colonel." That elicited a small smile from her and it helped to alleviate the ache in his heart in some way. He touched his shoulder. "He does have a funny way of showing he care for me."

"It was because of his quick thinking that your shoulder injury was greatly reduced before the muscle spasm set in. That's what the doctor said anyway."

He listened, and nodded tiredly. "Where am I?"

"You don't remember?"

"I have an embarrassingly low threshold of pain. After I felt him pull his magic hand trick on my shoulder in the van, a dose of codeine later, pretty much everything was a blur from then on."

"We drove to our safe house, Chuck. The medic team worked on your bullet wound and your shoulder. And after which, you were transported here. They didn't want to take any chances by leaving you in Miami."

"Where is here?"

"Castle's infirmary. Used to be a holding cell, I'm told."

"Thought so." There was a period of silence but Chuck thought that all things considered, they were making progress. It was the longest conversation he'd had with Sarah without awkwardness seeping in. Yet, he feared that this was as far as they were ever going to get. He closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the weariness washed over him. Where do they go from here?

"You need rest. I should probably go," Sarah said as she stood up. "Do you want me to get you anything? How about something to drink?"

"That'd be nice." His ribs protested greatly this time when he tried to get up, and Sarah was quick to help him. As soon as she held his waist, he recoiled, hissing sharply.

"What- what's wrong?" she asked, lifting his t-shirt to inspect his ribs. "When did you get this?"

He peered at his bruise. "Must be when Mr. Terminator body-slammed me to the wall."

"Who?"

"Never mind." he said, suddenly needing some air. Sarah was sitting close to him. Too close in fact. Her fingers were still clutching the hem of his shirt while the other hand held his back. And when she raised her eyes to meet his, Chuck found himself with nothing intelligent to say.

A movement to his right forced him out of his stupor. His heart involuntarily froze and finding the strength that failed him just seconds ago, Chuck hastily pulled his shirt down, shifting minutely away from Sarah.

"Hey," he greeted, a little too cheerily. "Sarah was just checking on my bruise."

"I can see that, Chuck," Carina sauntered in with an air of nonchalance, carrying a small paper bag behind her.

"So where are we going?" Sarah asked Carina as she returned to her seat. She avoided looking at him as she did so. Had he hurt her? he wondered. Chuck really couldn't tell. Not when her face betrayed no emotion. He turned to look at Carina. She wasn't paying him any attention either; both women carrying on their conversation as if he wasn't in the room.

He couldn't go on like this, he sighed. Always tiptoeing around them, trying his hardest not to hurt their feelings. Constantly second guessing his own actions; his own words. It was wearing him down.

"We're going to Cairo?" he asked.

"Not you, honey," Carina said. "Just Johnny and I. Recon work."

"What about me?" Sarah said.

"Beckman's order. Someone's gotta stay with him and you're the natural choice."

"Wait, I'm fine-" he winced.

"Yeah, you're fine alright." Carina turned to leave. "See you upstairs, Walker."

"Carina, wait. I have something to say to you."

She stared at him with disinterest. "Well? What is it?"

"Erm… it's about… Marc." At the mentioned of his name, Carina hesitated.

"I'm leaving anyway. You guys go ahead and talk."

"So?" she asked once Sarah left. "What about him?"

Yeah. What about him? Chuck hadn't think that far.

"You know what? I'm really, really thirsty."

"And?"

"I haven't had a drop to drink since I woke up."

"Didn't she give one to you already?"

"You came before I could have a sip." Okay. Bad answer, he thought when he saw her expression.

"So I was getting in the way."

"No! No you weren't. You came at the right time- no, no that's not what I meant." Nothing seemed to be going right for him. Breathe, Chuck. Calming himself down, his eyes fell on the brown paper bag she was holding.

"You brought my comic books?" Lighting up, "You do care about me."

"Don't flatter yourself," she dropped the bag on his laps, and crossed her arms defensively.

"Then why did you bring them?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to tell me something?"

He avoided her eyes, pushing the bag aside.

"You lied, didn't you?"

"Well," he looked sheepishly at Carina. "It wasn't entirely a lie. I did want to say something to you."

She rolled her eyes, walked over to the table by the side of the bed to pour a glass of water, and held it out to him.

"You want me to hold that myself?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "You have a capable and functioning right hand don't you?"

"Yeah but I'm hurt."

"Unbelievable," Carina muttered under her breath even as she settled next to him on the bed. Grinning like a child who's been given a candy, he took small gulps from the glass she held to his lips, slaking his parched throat.

"What are you smiling at?"

"What is it you think I'm looking at?"

"I swear, Chuck, one of these days, I'm going to have to accidentally shoot you myself."

"No you won't."

"Don't be so sure."

"I am. You'll miss this boyfriend of yours too much."

"Fortunately, you're not my boyfriend."

"Really?" he leaned forward, closing their distance as his fingers curled around her hand that was holding the glass. "Then what was the kiss the other day?"

"A mission."

"Didn't feel like a mission kiss."

"What is this, Chuck? Are you trying to seduce me?"

"It depends, is it working?"

"What do you think?"

"I think," his smile growing softer, "that I have a shot."

"You wanna know what I think?" she whispered, drawing nearer. "I'm thinking," she continued, coming even closer, "that maybe," her lips inches away from his, and just when Chuck felt his heart swelling with anticipation, she backed away, "you have to try harder."

But she couldn't retreat too far this time because he was quick to hook an arm around her waist, pulling her back towards him.

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"What if I do?" he asked quietly, his eyes never once leaving hers. "What if I do try harder? Are you going to try and stop me? Are you going to keep shutting me down?"

For once, she had no retorts. No witty comebacks. She merely regarded him with an unwavering gaze; the emotion behind her eyes undecipherable. He knew he was pushing his luck. Pushing it further than he ever did before. But he was too far gone to even care. As he inched forward, his lips moving to claim hers, he knew what he was placing on the line.

It was a risk that could possibly end in heartache.

But it was a risk he was willing to take.

"Oh for the love of God," Casey's voice boomed from the doorway. "Go get a room."

So. Very. Close. Chuck let out an exasperated sigh but didn't relinquish his hold on Carina. He glared at Casey, opening his mouth to speak but to his surprise, Carina beat him to it with her usual cutting response.

"We are in a room, John. You're the one who's intruding," she answered coolly.

"I'm checking up on the geek."

"He'll be fine as long as you don't speak."

"Well you're giving me an eyesore."

"We never told you to look, did we?"

Chuck could only look on with growing amusement, trying hard not to grin. The big man marched in, throwing a manila folder on the table with a grunt. "Just want Bartowski to look in there, see if he can flash on anything before we leave for Cairo. And make it quick."

"Are you telling us to have a quickie, Johnny? How very bold of you!" Carina retorted with a sly smirk. Glowering at her last remark, and properly defeated, Casey barked, "Meeting with Beckman in ten." And he left them, without saying another word.

"Only a brave soul can take on the Colonel like that without quaking."

"Please, Johnny knows what I have on him. He doesn't stand a chance."

He laughed lightly and for a moment, he let himself believe that they had fallen into their usual rapport. That the last few months never happened. But when she grew pensive in the lull that followed, averting her eyes from his, Chuck's smile slowly faded from his lips.

She extracted herself from him, putting some distance between them on the bed as she reached out for the folder. Chuck watched her perusing the papers, before she passed them over to him, her face a neutral mask.

He didn't take it from her. He just sat, his back resting against the pillow while quietly regarding her, wishing he could understand the woman who sat before him.

"Aren't you gonna take it?"

"Aren't you gonna come closer?" he asked.

"It's not that far that you can't reach out for it Chuck."

"It's not. But you are." He didn't know what he was trying to achieve by doing this. "You're always one step too far from me." Did he hope to rattle her? Have her take him seriously? Around her, he never seemed to know what to expect. She was always unpredictable like that but it was a first for him to see the shoe on the other foot. To see her unguarded, for once – if only for a moment.

"Can we focus on the mission please?"

"Can't you stay and let Sarah go to Cairo instead?"

Rising from the bed, she set the papers next to him. "It's what the General want, Chuck. She's your cover girlfriend anyway. Go through the papers, and if you flash on anything, just call Casey," she said in a professional tone. "And don't annoy her too much. She's been through a lot," she said before walking over to the door.

"You haven't answered my question."

She paused.

"What if I try harder? What then?"

All she did was shook her head, half-turned to look at him with a humourless smile. "You're just chasing rainbows, Chuck"

Her footsteps rang in his ears long after they faded away. It was strange. Whatever hopes he had should have vanished with her words. They should have died with each step she took. But it didn't.

Because he finally understood how she felt.

And he knew - he wasn't wasting his time.