Hello again folks. It's been a few weeks and I have been thrown off of my routine. Anyway this is the next chapter of the story and I hope you like it. I tried something a little different with this one and not a straight narrative. Like always let me what you think.

Thanks again to Aoife and Naill for the help they have provided.

The events of this take place during the episode entitled Chuck vs. The Crown Vic

Friends

Bartowski's Home

2010

Sarah's Arrival

Three weeks had passed since Volkoff and Mary had been to their home and the leads for them had come to a standstill. Sarah poured herself into her work, working as hard as she could to help Chuck on his latest mission but she always carved some time to spend with Chuck each day.

She had come home early one evening and found Chuck had prepared dinner for the two of them. When she walked into their home her nose was assaulted by the delicious smell of the oven baking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the aroma surround her. That smells wonderful.

She opened her eyes and looked around. They were drawn to the kitchen table, where two candles sat slowly burning on the middle on the table.

Sarah walked over and saw a small envelope with her name on it. She looked around to see if Chuck was watching but he was nowhere to be seen.

She opened the envelope, pulled out the card and read the message on it. A giddy school girl smile broke through her lips.

She put the note down, walked into their bedroom and opened the closet door. There hanging in the middle was his favorite dress. She chuckled softly and whispered to herself, "What is he planning?"

She begin to reach into the closet to grab the dress when a thought went rolling through her mind. I've been working all day. I'll clean up first. He can wait a few minutes longer.

Sarah hopped in the shower, quickly washed up and dabbed on her favorite perfume. That should do. She couldn't quit smiling. Being an expert in seduction had its advantages, especially when it came to romance with her boyfriend, and she was preparing a few moves of her own.

By the time Sarah put her dress on and made her way out to the dining area Chuck had taken out dinner, placed it on their fine China and turned off all the lights. The only thing giving off any light now were the candles that were flickering on the table.

Chuck's eyes lit up when she turned the corner. If Sarah hadn't already known she looked stunning all she had to do was look his way. His stare told her everything that words could not.

"Why, Mr. Bartowski, what are you planning?" She asked with a suggestive grin.

Sarah usually hated secrets. Secrets were bad but this, this was more like a surprise and a pleasant surprise at that. A surprise complete with Chuck in a suit, herself in a dress, a candle-lit dinner, and an evening of romance. Sarah would take this any day of the week.

Chuck just stood there speechless, staring at his incredibly gorgeous girlfriend for a few brief moments.

"Wh-wha-Whoa...what?" was all he could stammer out, his brain trying to form complete sentence.

Sarah's smile widened. Her eyes danced as the candle light hit them, and her long blonde hair shimmered in the soft light of their home.

Sarah loved the way Chuck looked at her. It didn't seem to matter what she wore, a fancy dress or lingerie, pajamas or a robe, jeans, pants, t-shirts, button ups, whatever, his eyes always held a gaze that spoke of love, beauty, admiration and respect. Whenever he looked at her, she knew she was loved.

He shook his head to bring himself out of his stunned silence.

"You know. Just what it looks like. A nice quiet dinner for two." He walked around the table and held out the chair for her and Sarah sat down.

Wow! She thought. This is amazing. And I fought this. What was I thinking?

One of the Times She Fought It

Bartowski Home

Present Day

Sarah's Arrival

Chuck had flashed on a box of crates that the Intersect had on file as a way for Lon Kirk to hide his smuggling operation. Casey had moved on the intel Chuck gave only to find nothing. That one move put Team Bartowski in some pretty hot water and Sarah was not happy about that.

How could he? I was working an angle and Chuck blew it. First Carina, now this. He needs to learn to control his emotions. He has to keep his feeling about me in check. I've never been benched before.

Sarah sighed in disgust. She figured that the benching was coming after she talked to Casey about what happened. She had never been benched before but she knew the way the CIA and NSA operated and she wasn't happy about it.

Sarah got out of her car, shut the door forcibly, walked briskly to his front door and rang the bell.

As soon as he opened the door she walked into his home with conviction and purpose. Her eyes angrily looked right passed him as she begin to question him.

"Ellie or Awesome home?" She inquired with agitation etched into her voice.

"No." Chuck responded and closed the door as she passed him. "They're at work, and hello to you too."

Sarah stopped in front of the Christmas tree, turned and faced him. "What the hell happened today?" Sarah asked trying to keep her feelings buried and hide her agitation.

"I don't know, I don't get it. I had a flash." Chuck shrugged.

The tension in the atmosphere started to build.

Sarah knew he wouldn't lie to her but her spy training took control of her now. It told her to look directly at him, into his eyes.

"Right when I went below deck with Kirk. It's pretty convenient timing I would say." Sarah jabbed. She saw confusion in his eyes and his face began to scowl.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just when you thought I was getting intimate with Kirk, you decided to have a flash." Those words just spewed out of her mouth. Another jab.

The tension rose with every word as they continued to argue.

"What exactly are you implying? That I'm a flash faker?" Chuck's defenses came up.

"You know, we need to discuss the fact that you let your emotions get in the way today." Sarah jabbed again but his time Chuck was ready.

"My emotions?" Chuck looked accusingly deep at her.

With the one simple question he dodged the statement and the look threw Sarah off balance.

Sarah tried to regain her footing on the situation. "Things have been a little off since the incident, Chuck." Sarah's voice rose a little louder.

"Really? And what incident are you referring to, Agent Walker?" Chuck hit her with that statement.

Sarah stood there stunned for a brief moment starring wide eyed at him as she listened to him hit her again.

"Could it be the incident where you planted a kiss on me right before a bomb was supposed to go off, ending our lives?"

It that hadn't done it the next two hit combo did.

Chuck continued without missing a beat. "That kiss right before your boyfriend Bryce came back from the dead? That kiss-?"

Sarah had had enough. She wasn't good at a lot of things but the one thing she was always good at was combat. And in her mind, this was combat.

Sarah's voice got a touch louder. "Stop saying kiss. It happened. What's done is done. Can we just not talk about it, please?" Sarah told him more than asking him.

"Okay, fine. Absolutely. Just answer me on little thing."

"Chuck," Sarah pleaded exasperatedly. Sarah was ready for the question she thought was coming.

"Did you kiss me because we were going to die and mine were the most convenient lips around, or was it actually about me?"

POW.

The tension that was building suddenly dissipated. The air went out of the room and almost out of Sarah.

She stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. All she could do was stare at him. Questions flooded her mind. She was overwhelmed with emotions, with feelings.

Without realizing what that simple question would do to a combat ready, emotionally vulnerable spy, he ended the fight. He had forced her to confront her feelings, whatever she told herself they were.

Sarah didn't want to hurt him. Didn't want to say anything that would jeopardize his feelings for her or say something she would later regret. But she was so into this argument and her spy training had some much control that she jabbed him on last time as she left.

She told him that it was a mistake and one that she would never make again.

And though those words might sound cruel it was all she knew how to do. Walk away and try even hard to bury her feelings in a deeper more inaccessible spot.

Back at the Bartowski's Home

2010

The Meal

The meal they shared was fantastic. The food was delicious but Sarah delighted in the small talk, looks, and smiles they shared during the meal. After 45 minutes of bliss Sarah just had to know why.

"So, Chuck, why the dinner?" She inquired.

"Well, you know, we haven't had an evening like this in a while. And with the family Christmas Party just a few days away I wanted some..." he paused looking for how to explain the next part. "some time alone with you before things get, you know, crazy around here."

Sarah leaned in toward Chuck and softly responded. "This was nice." She looked at him. "No, not nice, perfect." She let loose a shining smile that made the candle light look like darkness.

"I'm glad you liked it." Chuck smiled back.

Sarah saw Chuck then retreat a little bit into his head. She was all too familiar with that look, had seen it many times before when he was over thinking things.

"What is it, Chuck?" Sarah grinned, trying to pull him back, and raised her eyebrows seductively. But Chuck looked away at that moment and missed her intentions.

"Just thinking about our first Christmas."

"That was dangerous." She unconsciously smiled remembering the moment in between the chaos. She reached down and gently rubbed her wrist, wishing now she had put that bracelet on. "But I do love that bracelet."

Chuck looked up. Had she forgotten the very first one or did she not want to talk about it? "No. Not that one. The very first one."

"Oh." Sarah was surprised. "Why are you thinking about that one?"

"I don't know. I thought that you had left with Bryce and..." His voice trailed off.

"And what, Chuck?"

"I thought you had left me with Casey. Then we had that fight later."

Why is he still thinking about that, and why now after this wonderful evening?

"And I thought you would want out. I mean come on, Sarah. I was a pain in your side wasn't I? A thorn in your flesh."

Sarah heard the emotion in his voice, and felt the insecurity he still had across the table. "Chuck, you weren't a..." She started to say.

"And I was so confused. Why did you kiss me. And after you told me that there was nothing under our fake relationship. And weren't you Bryce's girl? Why didn't we talk about it? Why didn't you want us to talk about?" He continued almost as if Sarah wasn't right across the table from him.

"Chuck."

"You pretended it didn't even happen and told me it was a mistake..."

"Chuck!" Sarah raised her voice to get his attention.

It was that snapped him back to reality.

"Stop!" Sarah's voice softened after that statement. "What's done is done. I can't undo what I did or said. I was confused then." She paused and made sure he was looking at her before continuing. "But not anymore." She said with a beaming smile.

Chuck's worry and concern left the room at hearing those words.

"I love you, Chuck." Sarah's smile grew as she spoke. "Now can we finish this evening the way it should be finished?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Yeah, of course. But how should it end?"

Sarah got up without saying a word, walked around the table, grabbed his hand and led them down the hallway to their bedroom.

What Happened After The Argument

Buy More Holiday Party

Present Day

Sarah took a deep breath in as she sat in her car in the Buy More parking lot. The mission had been a success after a small hiccup with Chuck's intel when he flashed. Despite the fight and the feelings that it brought back to her, she trusted Chuck. She knew he would never lie to her and she knew that she had done wrong when confronting him about what had happened.

I am like Bryce. I used Chuck's feelings for me to finish the mission. I told him what to do when I should have just asked him. If I asked him he would have said yes. Yet he did what I told him to do anyway. He is a better person than I am.

After the mission was completed and the team was debriefed Chuck had invited Sarah to the annual Buy More Holiday Party. Though she had initially told him that she didn't think it was a good idea Chuck persisted. And no amount of anger could keep her away from him. She didn't realize it yet but she need him as much as he needed her.

Not knowing what it was going to be like tonight, and wanting a repeat of the previous day she calmly strolled into the store and looked for Chuck.

She found him easily enough. His was facing the disc jockey and away from the front of the store. A gentle smile escaped her lips when she saw him dancing by himself to the music.

He's so playful and funny even after a rough mission and our fight. How does he do it? And why would he want me here after the way I treated him. He's just a regular guy who wants a real, normal life and not the one he has right now.

Sarah walked up and stood in front of him. She gently looked at him as they greeted each other and she let loose a smile.

He told her he was glad she showed up as relief washed over his body. In Sarah's mind that meant that he thought she wouldn't show up.

Sarah nodded her head, her smile telling him that she was glad he invited her.

"I got ya something." He told her.

Chuck walked over to the Christmas tree, grabbed the gift and held it up for her to see.

"Ta-da. New alarm clock. Merry Christmas." He handed her a brand new alarm clock with a red bow on top that matched the color of the top she was wearing.

"You shouldn't have." Her smile said she appreciated the gesture.

Wow after our fight he bought me this. I don't have any gift for him. What kind of a person am I?

Chuck continued on about them being on sale and told her that was also a thank you for believing him when she had all the reasons in the world not to.

Sarah responded that it was her job and it is the only thing she's good at.

The rest of the conversation turned into who was good at what. But each one of them tried to get the other to see that maybe, just maybe they were better people that each one gave themselves credit for.

When that line of conversation ended there was a pause. In the silence of those few moments the feelings Sarah had believed she had buried deeper came rising up again. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was look at Chuck, gaze into those eyes and wish she was far away from this place with him. Away from this life that she had chosen, this life that had become all she knew. She needed to look away but she just couldn't get herself to do.

In those few brief moments as she held her gaze her mind flashed back to the question she had asked Casey after the team had gotten benched. Sarah would not allow herself to answer that question now, but in the deep recesses of her soul she knew she had found that man with which to have a family and children with.

Chuck broke the silence. "Friends?" He held out his hand.

"Yeah, friends." She took his hand and they shook on it. They let their hands stay grasped to one another's even after the hand shake was done.

Even his hand shake is gentle, warm, inviting.

It was obvious to everyone around them that night that the looks and gazes, the smiles and laughs, were real and genuine, and even the dancing and jokes spoke of two people that truly in love with one another.