CHUCK VS THE NEW PARTNER

"A Crazy Man and A Game of Lust"

I'm late, life sucks, this chapter may make little to no sense, I'm three eps behind on Chuck. And were going to leave it at that, no need to remind me of my lateness I'm well aware.

The only thing im going to say is this to clarify some question asked since I didn't have time to personally respond to reviews this time:

Fulcrum in my story are more or less exactly the same as they were in the show, I just figured that since they are willing to kill other agents then they wont have problems performing other Illegal activities to complete their objectives. So they use narcotics, human trafficking, and arms trade as ways to finance their slow take over of the goverment, since I figure something like that costs money and they need it from somewhere. Chuck and Sarah at the moment are trying to locate and destroy any operations that are having dealings with Fulcrum in hopes of crippling and finding information on the overall operation that is Fulcrum.

Hope that cleared things up, if managed to confuse anyone dont worry about sending me a message and I can try again to explain (although I barely get it myself) just expect my response to take a few days due to my current brain r%*ing, life-sucking, and please God temporary Schedule.

...

I figure its time to update this and remind you my fellow nerds and nerdettes and all those belonging to Chuck's beloved stable of hoe's that I do not in fact own Chuck despite my futile attempt at selling my black little soul to the devil for it, all that got me was a packet of peanuts and a condom. If I did in fact own CHUCK I would be the creepy guy in the corner trying to resist my stalker tendencies and follow the cast and crew around like a golden retriever.

Fulcrum lab

"What!" The diminutive man yelled, his voice reverberating off of the walls inside of the laboratory. The increase in volume caused the scientists inside the room to look away from their work and towards the commotion.

The man shouting inside one of many Fulcrum drug laboratories across the states was Chris Johnson, responsible for gathering and distributing product and providing valuable income to Fulcrum operations across the states.

Although considered quite unstable to many of his subordinates and even to some of those in charge, no one doubted his operational effectiveness. Despite being slightly over weight and quickly balding Johnson had been involved in countless operations throughout his career in the military. Known for being a brilliant tactician with a tendency to come up with high risk methods for those under his command.

"How have we lost our supplier in Germany, I had my own men guarding that fool" Scratching at his head his toupee shifted and left no doubt that it was not his natural hair, however the scientists had learned early on not to point out the fact and pretend as if nothing had happened.

When the man in front of them first became their direct supervisor; he had provided a painful lesson for all of them, that pointing out this fact would not end well for their careers or their lives.

"No one should have been able to get close to him!...That sack of shit probably got himself killed on purpose to show me up to the bosses." He slammed his fist down onto the metal table causing vials of various size to fall to the floor, sending shards of glass across the floor.

One of the scientists moved closer to the table in an attempt to sooth the raging man, "Sir he was shot from long range during one of the few times he was away from the protective measures of his office, or residence. We have found the shooters nest and the weapon used, but there's no clue's to the assassin's identity"

He sighed when his boss raised his eye brow in doubt, "Sir I'm sure he didn't get himself shot on purpose"

Johnson had to bite back the urge to pull his gun on the man who had interrupted his rant, he had thought by now his lackeys would have learned not to interrupt him.

"So you say...Ok well I still have a quota to reach this month and the bosses aren't going to accept that loss of a single supplier as a good enough excuse." He moved closer to the man who had interrupted him previously, " Listen Petey...

"Um its Paul sir..."

"As I was saying Petey, I just wanted to thank you for volunteering yourself to the cause if things go wrong" He swung his arm around the shoulders of the newly named Petey

A chill run the length of the scientists spine at his superiors words, "I don't think I follow sir"

"Well don't you think its great that our bond of friendship is so incredible that if the bosses decided I'm going down for this, then your wiling to come with me"

"I-I'am Sir?"

"Course you are, because that's what Friends-Are-For-Right? Petey?" His grip on the man's shoulder increased everytime he spoke to the point where it was now painful.

"Right Sir, of c-course anything for yy-you" He offered a weak smile in an attempt to get him to release the incredible pressure he was applying to his shoulder.

"Gooooood...Now piss of your crowding me" He kicked his leg into the chest of Petey and send him barrelling over the very table he had been slamming his fists on previously. Turning around to leave the lab he called over his shoulder, "I have work to do, one of you better have a new supplier for me by the time I come back."

He didn't need to even add a threat to the end of his sentence, they were all well aware of the results of their failure.

Sarah POV

Gym

"So...I found some information through...some back channels" Sarah said slightly out of breath from the intense workout the two partners had been involved in for the last two hours.

Chuck and Sarah had spent the afternoon down in the gym, it wasn't long into their partnership before Sarah suggested that they spar together, to better get to know one another's styles. She didn't think a wrestling match on a running trail counted.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He threw a quick faint towards her left, but she didn't fall for it and instead stepped into his outstretched arm and pushed her own fist into his ribs sending him back towards the other end of the mats.

"Fulcrum are searching for a narcotic...supplier who can supply them...enough to meet their demands" She chased after him by throwing a high kick, but Chuck had already recovered and grabbed the leg aimed for him. Before she could counter he sweeped his own leg under the one keeping her on the floor and knocked her to her back.

"How...Much are they...after" He lifted his leg high and tried to bring it down on Sarah, But she was already rolling away and scrambling to her feet before he could make contact.

"A lot, too much for us to...get our hands on" She circled him within the matted area trying to find a drop in his guard, "Were going to have...to call Graham to arrange something."

He circled her in kind, "Cant we find a way to...fake it, calling...Graham is gonna risk our cover" He started to close in on her, Sarah tried to watch for any twitches in his joints signalling an attack but he seemed to be holding off.

"Don't you think that pretending to...have drugs we don't have is going to be...just as risky

as contacting the CIA?" He threw a punch into her side faster than she could react, and she did her best to roll with the punch trying to avoid getting winded. Chuck didn't let up as he threw a left up to her face, reacting more on instinct she caught his fist by his wrist and side stepped quickly behind his back pulling his arm along with her and twisting it high towards his back.

"Ow...Well its not like were going to give them any drugs in the first place so what does...ouch...it matter...if the drugs are real or not?" Sarah drove he foot into the back of his leg and forced him to his knees.

"Of course we aren't but if we need to front some, or they want to test it what are we supposed to do" Before Sarah could finish her hold on him he reached over his shoulder to Sarah's bent form, wrapping his arm around her head he pulled with all his strength and threw her over his shoulder.

"Sigh...I suppose so, Who's making the call to Graham?" Chuck said with a tired smile as he looked down at her from his knees as she laid on her back.

Sarah bent her body quickly and wrapped her legs around his head before he could react and pulled him over her. He landed on his back with Sarah rolling with him and sitting on his chest facing away from his face, putting her weight onto his chest through her hands she shifted herself so she was facing him, "You lose...You call"

"Whew...well...that's just cheating blondie"

Smiling in victory and noticing the silence after his last comment she looked down at her victim. Sarah noticed him start to get red and his breaths more ragged, "What's wrong with...you? You cant be that tired"

It seems Chuck was attempting to crack a smile but it came out as more of a grimace from her point of view, "Sarah...Your sitting on my chest...Its a little hard to breath"

She had to smile over the situation, Sarah never would have thought at the start of their partnership that she would have Charles Carmichael at her mercy like this. If she was honest with herself she figured he would likely be begging because she had used her knives on him.

"Are you calling me fat Carmichael?" She punctuated her point by poking her finger into her chest

He looked worried for a second, and she had to give herself a pat on the back for managing to look convincingly angry despite holding in her giggles, "Wait since when do I giggle"

"Well fats a little harsh...how about...curvy or big boned." Despite his earlier look of worry it seems Chuck was in on the joke too. In mock outrage Sarah started to punch his chest, "Your going to pay for that"

With her hands off his chest it seems her weight wasn't enough to keep him on the floor any longer as he rolled her off and clambered back to his feet and resumed a fighting stance, "So round two I guess, double or nothing"

A Week Later

Hotel Room, Sarah POV

"Good news, it took a while but it seems Fulcrum are taking the bait they want to set up a meet with us" They had spent over a week putting out word of a an American couple, the Anderson's hoping to sell a large amount of narcotics and were looking for a regular buyer.

"That's great Sarah sit down I got Chinese food including a magical delicacy known as sizzling shrimp, you can thank me later" Chuck was shifting around boxes distributing the food around the table for them to pick off of"

"Great I'm starving" She picked up one of the said shrimp and took a bite, "I'm just glad they took the bait, we don't exactly have many other leads if this falls through. We'll be back to sq..." Stopping mid sentence Chuck stopped eating his own meal and looked up at her.

"Everything alright"

"Oh my God these are amazing" Taking another shrimp off the table she practically devoured it, and Chuck's smile seemed to be coming off of his face with how much she was enjoying them, "Told you they were magical" She just nodded to him and continued eating

"So since we actually have no choice but to meet up with them, when are we going to do it?" Chuck had asked her as he was enjoying his own meal.

"Well I figure we make them wait for a day or two, don't want to seem to hasty do we. Then we'll contact them and confirm our interest, then they'll likely give us a time and place" She knew they would need to somehow get Fulcrum to trust them enough to take them to one of their labs or at least involve someone important enough that they could force some information from them.

"Well we have a plan I guess, cheers partner" Sarah smiled she couldn't remember the last time they had gotten along with each other so well. Since Italy Chuck had been rather open with her, even kind and although she appreciated the new dynamic in their partnership she had to wonder what changed.

After the last time Chuck had spectacularly put his foot in his mouth and the fury had worn off Sarah had found herself constantly trying to figure out what exactly made Charles Carmichael. At times he could be exactly as the rumours described him charming,brilliant, and all around super spy. Then out of nowhere he would turn robotic, practically ignore her, and would only focus on the mission whenever they started getting really close.

And probably the most confusing thing of all was when he acted like he did now. Of all the ways she had heard agents describe Chuck it was never like this, Sweet, fun, and nerdy. She was at war with herself, Sarah didn't know if she should just leave well enough alone and enjoy their partnership as it was.

But it seemed spy Sarah didn't like being left out of the loop and she had been mentally cataloguing his actions to try and piece together something that made sense. It was a little disturbing to think that she may be acting slightly like a stalker, but she quickly reasoned with herself that the better they understood each other the more effective they would be as a team.

"Sarah?"

"Huh?" Bringing her out of her thoughts was Chuck poking her arm in an attempt to get her attention.

"You stopped eating are you ok?" She was surprised at the genuine concern in his voice and the smile came involuntarily to her lips, something that had been happening regularly since Italy.

"I'm fine just trying to think of anything we may have missed for the mission" She hoped the lie didn't show on her face, still before she met Chuck that had never been a problem. She had a poker face any spy would envy, still lying to Chuck was ridiculously difficult another thing Sarah wanted to figure out the reason for.

"Hey forget about that its not often we get to relax, so try and enjoy yourself before we have to slip back into spy mode alright?"

"I never turn my spy mode off" Her face scrunched up into a grimace at actually calling it spy mode, Chuck was rubbing off on her and not in the way she wanted...not that she would ever admit to her conscious self that she wanted him in any way whatsoever.

"Well I guess I'm going to have to show you how, now aren't I." The mere thought of switching off and trying to forget her surroundings was a terrifying thought, and it was testament to the strange effect Chuck had been having on Sarah, that she didn't shoot him for making the suggestion.

"Oh and how are you going to do that?"

"Well I'd normally suggest a night of intense gaming and movies" He seemed to do a double take at her look of concern, "However considering the distinct lack any nerdy bones in your body... " She almost laughed at that, if only Chuck had seen her back in her high school days, "We'll work are way up to that. How about a game of cards"

"You want to go against me in a game of cards" The only ever game she every played with her father when they weren't conning was to play cards, and it was rather obvious to her even at a young age that the only reason they were playing in the first place was to work on her skills.

"Sure that is unless your scared? Your not scared are you Sarah" The hairs on her neck bristled at the challenge.

"Shut up and Carmichael? Hurry up and deal"

Fulcrum Laboratory

At the same time as

Chuck & Sarah's card game

"Um Sir, I'm sorry for interrupting but could I talk to you for a moment its about the new suppliers"

Their boss was currently torturing one of the low level lab techs inside what he liked to call his 'rec room'.

Petey didn't even want to know whatever ridiculous reason Johnson had concocted for an excuse to torture the lab tech, all he knew was that he didn't want it to be him and he was currently risking that by interrupting his boss's session.

"Petey this snivelling mess right here is in this situation because he brought me a coffee with cream and no sugar, when I clearly asked for sugar no cream. So imagine what im going to do to you if this turns out to be bad news."

"Uh well sir the new suppliers who contacted us..."

"The Anders?"

"Anderson's sir, well we've sent out some feelers to some of our agents inside the CIA...Their agents sir ." Although he didnt know it right now he was performing a rather close imitation to 'The Morgan' right now in an attempt to shield himself from his Johnson's anger.

The knife Johnson was holding in his right hand raised menacingly towards his assistant for a few seconds, "Agents, why I aught a...huh?" Just as swiftly he raised the knife he brought it down into the hand of the lab tech he currently had strapped to the metal table in his rec room.

Ignoring the man's screams and Petey's squeamish look he continued as if nothing had happened, "You know what this may not be so bad, obviously I wont be able to complete my quota for this month but come to think of it I'm sure my bosses will be just as pleased with me disposing of a couple of pesky CIA agents before they can mess up Fulcrum's plans. Yea that will work"

He picked up his coffee from the table and took a drink before looking at it curiously, "Well whadya know I did want cream no sugar" Casting his attention to the man who was now clearly going into shock from blood loss, "Turns out you were right pal, sorry about that got confused there...helloooo"

Tired of getting no response from his likely now dead subordinate he turned back towards Petey, "Change of plans Petey, stick to the original plan"

"Wait, sir I'm confused"

"What are you an idiot, let them come to us still under the belief that we think they are who they say they are, even though we don't" Petey was starting to think his boss was trying to confuse him on purpose, "Then when we have them in our lair..."

"Do you mean the lab sir?"

"That's what I said keep up! Once we have them in our lab we can interrogate them, torture them and kill them, or in whatever order that works best we don't necessarily need to kill them last." Petey shuffled nervously on the spot deciding it was best not to answer that particular last bit of craziness.

"So uh were going to trick them and then capture them sir?" He was pretty sure he got the jist of his boss's insanity but he needed to be sure.

"Did you not listen to a word I said, yes that exactly what were going to do!" Petey flinched when Johnson raised his voice

"Um well its a brilliant plan sir just what I would expect from you..." It seems the ass kissing wasn't going well but he decided he might as well try to avoid the fate of his dead colleague on the lab table.

"Of course it is, now of you go set things up, whilst I think i'm gonna play around in this guys brain for a bit" Johnson started picking through the lab tools on the side table, "And I do mean pick his brain quite literally, no point letting it go to waste"

Petey decided that he needed no more encouragement to leave the rec room, watching someone get dissected by a homicidal mad man sounded like a sure fire way to loose his lunch, and quite possibly his sanity shortly after.

Chuck & Sarah's Hotel Room

A couple of hours in to their game

Chuck was certain she was cheating, he was certainly not a pro at cards but every hand was a flop, every game was his loss, and Sarah's smile was not only getting bigger but it had signs of mischief behind it.

For whatever reason they had decided to bet what remaining sizzling shrimp they had left, and to the winner goes the spoils. Chuck had started with a good size of shrimp thanks to his large order from the take-out place not far from their hotel, but after just a few games with Sarah they were almost completely gone and not because he had been lucky enough to eat them.

"Y'know if I had any sense I would leave this game with whatever tasty treats I have left and stop sitting here getting slaughtered by a cheat"

"You could do that Chuck, but if you leave your forfeiting and I'm taking all the shrimp" If the cold chill running down his spine was any indication Sarah was not bluffing.

"Come on players are aloud to walk away with what chips they have left! Its called knowing when to quit" Chuck unconsciously circled his arm around the remaining shrimp in a protective gesture.

"Well were not playing with chips, were playing with little bites of heaven and when you implied I was scared you should have known I was going to play for keeps. Your just whining because I'm beating you"

"Hey your not beating me, your cheating so much you might as well be stealing my shrimp"

"Prove it!" Sarah put her cards back down on the table and reached her hand over to Chuck, "And don't mind if I do"

Luckily spy training or possibly just living in a fraternity with a bunch of other guys all willing to steal your food, had Chuck up on his feet and running away from Sarah before she even got close enough to grab anything

Sarah however abandoned the cards in favour of open theft chased after him in the hotel room. They were jumping over furniture and weaving away from each other all the while he attempted to eat his remaining shrimp whilst on the run.

Unfortunately before he could eat his last one Sarah was able to tackle him to the ground and began wrestling Chuck for the shrimp before he could get it to his mouth.

"Give it up Carmichael that shrimp is mine" Their fight was quickly beginning to resemble the one they had in Italy on the running trail. Except this time it wasn't out of anger, both were having more fun than they could remember having in a long time.

"Never! I...I..." Chuck's reply was cut of when Sarah rolled on top of him, distracting him with how soft she was. It wasn't like in the gym Sarah wasn't straddling his chest, as they were wrestling she had ended up laying on top of him entirely, chest to chest and thighs to thighs.

The heat she generated, the incredible feeling of her body as it pushed hard into his, and how she could be so soft and firm at the same time distracted him whilst Sarah ripped the shrimp from his hand and threw it into her own mouth., not yet noticing their predicament or his sudden change.

"Hah I win!" His sudden stillness must have surprised her and the lust must have shown on his face because she quickly swallowed and looked down at him from her position with dark eyes.

She was breathing harder now he could tell, not because of the flush look on her face or the warmth of her breath that spread across his face. The breath that he was currently inhaling so completely that he could detect the peppermint in her breath, despite the meal they had just eaten together.

No the reason he noticed her breathing in large lungfuls of air was because of the supple breasts that were currently being pushed into his chest.

It was incredible how they could go from fighting or having a good time to suddenly being in these passionate and overpowering situations in the drop of a hat. He would find the whole experience frankly exhausting if he didn't crave them so much each night in his dreams, when his subconscious was free to do as it pleased.

Sarah still hadn't moved and when he finally pulled himself away from the distracting thoughts her body seemed to generate in him, he found himself lost once again but this time from the pull of her lips.

Looking up into her angelic face the idea of kissing those soft ruby lips again, filled him with such horror at the thought of loosing control so completely within them. Yet at the same time he knew that kissing her outside of a mission would be perhaps one of the single greatest experiences of his life.

Now that he was aware of the perfection hanging over him it fell like some magnetic pull was dragging him towards her lips. And it might have been his imagination but it felt like she leaning her towards him too.

No sooner did Chuck ghost his lips against the soft, stimulating lips of Sarah in such a father light kiss, did the most annoying noise in the history of the universe smash through the cloud of lust that had his head swimming.

It seemed to have a similar effect on Sarah as she didn't just pull back but she completely stood up and walked over towards their forgotten meal. From his position on the floor Chuck could tell that it was her cell phone, and she seemed to be reading something on the screen.

Dragging himself off the floor to face Sarah, she didn't even turn towards him when she relayed the message, "Good news, meetings in two days." He didn't have time to reply before she was brushing past him and on her way towards her bed. "I'm tired so I think I'm going to call it a night, sleep well Chuck!"

Chuck was left standing confused and alone having no idea what was happening now or what had just happened between them before the text message.

As he stood there alone with heat filled lips around empty take out cartons and a thrown around deck of cards he couldn't help but wonder if he had potentially ruined his and Sarah's friendship again by his strange reactions to her, or if he may have opened some kind of proverbial Pandora's box for their partnership.

It was with these thoughts that Chuck headed to bed ready for a night of fitful sleeping and dreams of a blonde goddess in a world without cellphones.

This story will not die! I care about it too much to let that happen, and if I ever thought that I couldn't finish it for whatever reason I would sincerely ask any of the talented writers in this fandom if they could possibly adopt it and finish it for me. I just need to sort mine and apparently everybody else's sh*t out, the delay this time was simply ridiculous and unacceptable and I'm not surprised a number of you fantastic people thought that I had given up I will do everything I can not to let it happen again.

If anyone can still remember what's going on in this fic and wanna show your love I'd really like to read your thoughts on this chapter, or perhaps the fic on a whole. Those reviews really do leave me a wonderful feeling that I gotta love you guys for it. Let me know your out there lol XD