A/N: So, first off, big apology for the like 5 day lateness of this thing. Last week might have been the busiest week of my life, no joke. But I think things are cooling off, so, hopefully I can still pump out a chapter on Wednesday as well. That's the plan at least. So, finally, some Chuck and Sarah. Not sure how it turned out, since I have hardly ever written Chuck/Sarah happy, haha. Anyway, thanks as always to TheJusta for the beta work, always trying to make my ramblings more coherent. Standard disclaimer about me owning nothing still applies. Another interlude chapter after this before things pick up action wise. So please, read, review, and enjoy!

Chuck vs. FEAR

Chapter 11

May 24, 2011

Roan's Estate, Sweden

The sun had just broken the horizon, covering the large residence in its rays. A few birds could be heard chirping in the distance. Inside of the residence, the sunlight streaming in through the large windows bathed the interior in an orange glow.

In one room, a man was sitting in a chair, fast asleep. His head was lying back so that he was facing the ceiling. The ear buds were still connected to the laptop, and in the quiet of the room, the music assaulting his ears could be heard.

In the bed, a woman was sleeping. She was drenched in a cold sweat, her hands gripping the covers tightly. She could be heard murmuring unintelligibly. Soon, she started writhing around, threatening to rip out the IV that was attached to her left arm. She started to thrash around more violently, her murmurs now growing louder.

Finally, as the nightmare reached its peak, the calm morning was shattered by a piercing scream.

"NOOOOO!"

The scream jolted Chuck awake, sending him toppling over backwards in his chair. In the process, the ear buds disconnected from the laptop, drowning the room in metal music. The notes were coming loud and fast, while Chuck was in slow motion.

Using his chair as cover, Chuck glanced over it to see what had awakened him. Looking around for some intruders, Chuck found none. As the music was entering a chaotic solo, Chuck heard Sarah scream again. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the bed, where he found her writhing around.

"NO!" she screamed again.

"Sarah," Chuck said as soothingly as possible. "Sarah, wake up. It's just a dream. Please, it's okay."

But she continued to scream in agony. Finally, Chuck grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake. Her eyes opened quickly. All of a sudden, Chuck was stumbling away, clutching his nose. Sarah, not entirely sure what was happening when Chuck shook her awake, threw a vicious elbow, which connected with Chuck's face.

The bedroom doors burst open and Casey and Carina came barging in, just as the song finished it's outro. Carina was wearing just tee shirt while Casey was wearing his sweat pants. Both were carrying pistols and surveying the scene.

Chuck glanced at them, eyes streaming. He pulled his hand away from his face and found it covered in blood. Chuck felt it start running over his lips, and he deduced he was probably bleeding from both nostrils.

Another song started up, just as loud and fast.

"What the hell are you listening to Chuck?" Carina asked, as she went over to turn the music off. Casey put his weapon away and shook his head at the sight of Chuck.

Sarah, finally realizing where she was, tried to get out of bed to rush to Chuck. "Chuck, I'm so sorry. It was so real, and I just reacted." She had tears welling in her eyes.

"It's my fault," Chuck said approaching the bed. He took his shirt off and held it up to his nose to stem the tide. "I shoulda known better than to shake you awake, considering what you've been through. I know how it feels."

Sarah gave him a sad smile.

Chuck took a seat on the edge of the bed, and pulled Sarah close to him. She was more than willing to let Chuck hold her close. She sighed contentedly as she wrapped her arms around him, her head laying against his chest.

Chuck glanced at Casey and Carina, who were looking at the pair with amusement. Chuck quickly diverted his gaze, his cheeks starting to redden.

"Ah, Carina, you might wanna go throw something else on. That shirt doesn't cover as much as you think it does," Chuck finished, determinedly avoiding looking at her again.

Sarah turned and saw that Carina's tee shirt only descended just past her belly button. She started chuckling at Chuck's reaction. Even after all he'd been through, her lovable nerd was still in there.

Casey threw a glance at Carina, who now had the decency to look embarrassed, pulling the shirt down as far as she could. The pair quickly left the room, conversing quietly together. Chuck smiled at that.

"Wow," Sarah said, "I never knew she could get embarrassed."

"Yeah, well, considering she spent the evening with Casey, in which they probably slept very little, showing your goods for everyone to see can do that. Plus, she's prolly a little embarrassed that I got to see her like that, again."

"Wait, she's flashed you before?" Sarah questioned, her brows furrowing. "And what do you mean she just slept with Casey?"

"Well, that shirt she was wearing was his. And considering she was bottomless, I would assume it wasn't like Prague last night." He grinned down at her.

"But she's flashed you before?" Sarah asked. Suddenly, she got very nervous, and a little angry. How long had Chuck and Carina been working together? Had she slept with him? Why were they partners to begin with? Why did Carina always go after people she liked?

"Well, yeah, it's Carina," Chuck said simply.

"So, you've slept with her?" Sarah said, dejection in her voice. Chuck was the one thing she wanted to be completely hers, the one thing Carina never got to have.

"What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?" Chuck asked.

"Like you said, it's Carina."

"Well, yeah. I mean, she has come on to me, a lot. And that night in New York was just torture. But hey, just who do you think you're talking to?" Chuck asked, mock indignation in his voice. "I'm still Chuck. I'm not all willy nilly about sex."

Sarah smiled widely, and hugged him tighter. Chuck could still be hers, and only hers, and she wasn't going to share him ever again, not with anybody.

Chuck glanced down at his watch.

"Whoa. I gotta do a little work this morning. I promise I'll be back up in a little bit. You stay here and rest. I'll bring something for you to eat. Then we can talk, or sit, or do whatever you wanna do." He looked down at her and smiled. Then he gave her a kiss on forehead and got up.

Chuck quickly changed her IV, grabbed his gear and proceeded down to the dining area. Casey and Carina were sitting side by side, chatting quietly, while Barker and Ling were eating some fruit from the breakfast that had been laid out for them.

Chuck grabbed a couple pieces of food, and chewed on them absentmindedly, thinking about whether he could trust Barker and Ling. He would need their help. Getting some intel from them in the future could be very valuable.

"So, Chuck," Barker spoke, "you gonna tell us what you wouldn't tell us last night?"

The atmosphere in the room suddenly went from carefree to anxious, all eyes traveling back and forth between Chuck and Barker.

"In a minute," Chuck spoke, "I need to make a quick phone call."

Chuck got up from the table and pulled out the sat phone and dialed Beckman. Predictably, Beckman did not wish to share any pertinent information with Barker and Ling. Also, predictably, Chuck disagreed vehemently with her.

"Look, this task is going to take more than two people globetrotting killing everyone they come across. I still don't know what the big plan is, but if I can keep gathering intel on the subsidiary groups, maybe I can figure out the big picture. It's like a puzzle. The smaller groups are the pieces, and I need all the pieces so I can put it all together. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to know I got at least two allies."

Beckman was silent for a moment, mulling her response.

"Very well. Tell them what you know, and win their allegiance. Do not disclose any information about the Intersect."

"Thank you, General."

Heaving a sigh of relief because with or without the General's approval, he was going to inform Ling and Barker about the situation, Chuck made his way back to the dining room. Beckman allowing it just made things easier in the long run.

"Okay, first and foremost. Barker, Ling, and Casey, I want you trust no one with the information I'm about to divulge. I've been reviewing the intel, and there are just too many variables when it comes to who proposes a security risk. I need you to acknowledge that right now, or this conversation ends."

Casey immediately nodded, while Barker and Ling were somewhat reluctant. Chuck just stared at them impassively, waiting. Finally, after they appeared to be mulling over their options, they each nodded in agreement.

"I'm trusting you not to tell anyone about me, or what I'm planning to do. If I find out one or all you betray me, you better hope I die, because I'll spend every living breath hunting you down."

The group members looked at each other, then back to Chuck.

He smiled. "Okay, so here goes."

Chuck spent the next 45 minutes telling them all he could about FEAR. How everything was connected, how they winded up in that warehouse, the extent of FEAR's penetration. He quelled any questions about where he got his intelligence, but they believed him. The quantity mixed with the quality of information he was giving left very little doubt.

"Look, FEAR has an overarching goal, and a large one. I still have no idea where Moleman fits into everything, other than handling their money. The amount of weapons they've acquired, the amount of moles they have in every branch of every government and the amount of agents they've had defect or killed speaks to something large scale. It appears it's been in the works for quite some time. Now, from what I've gleaned, the subsidiary groups are not aware that they are acting in cahoots together. This suggests that the leaders of each group are working together. If we can find out just one of these organizations' leaders, we can get in and cut this problem off at the head."

Chuck stood up.

"Please, go make your phone calls and arrange for travel back home. Remember, trust no one and speak to no one of this. I will have phones sent to each of you, which are to be used only to contact me. The number will already be programmed inside."

The group recognized the dismissal, each getting up from their chairs and heading to their respective rooms.

Chuck yawned and went back upstairs to see Sarah, but not without grabbing her a plate of fruit. He hurriedly made it to her room and when he went inside, he found it empty. He quickly set the plate down, pulled his weapon, and carefully started searching the room.

He listened intently as he crept around the room, and behind one door, he thought he heard crying. He carefully walked up to the door and put an ear to it. Yep, definitely crying.

"Sarah, are you okay?" Chuck asked softly.

Inside the bathroom, Sarah was startled by the sound of Chuck's voice. She had been too absorbed in looking at herself. She was standing naked in the front of mirror, looking at her body. It was like staring at a stranger. Her pale skin was dirty and covered with all sorts of welts and bruises. Her once muscular frame was now nonexistent.

"Chuck," she said calmly, her voice quivering a little bit, "please go away."

"Sarah, please open the door," Chuck pleaded, his forehead resting on the door.

"No."

'Always so stubborn,' Chuck thought. "Sarah, I'll pick the lock if I have to. Please, let me in."

She didn't want Chuck to see her like this. How could he ever want to be with someone so ugly, so damaged? If he saw her like this, she would surely lose him.

Sarah heard the latch click, and the door opened slowly.

Chuck peaked his head in and then quickly looked away, blushing.

"Jeez, Sarah, all you had to do was say you were naked. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I brought some food for you. You need to get your strength up."

"Chuck," Sarah said softly. Chuck met her gaze. Of course, his male curiosity got the better of him and his eyes traveled across her body. His face fell when he saw the punishment her body had been through.

Sarah saw his reaction and burst into tears. "I knew it. Just go." She turned her back to him.

Chuck shook his head in confusion. "What the hell?"

He walked up to her and saw that every individual vertebrae was visible, along with her shoulder blades jutting out. "Look, Sarah, please, tell me what's going on?"

She was crying silently, but she turned around to look at him. "Why would you wanna be with me? How can you love me? I mean, look at me."

"Sarah, you really think how I feel about you is based on looks? I love you for who you are, not what you look like. And it's not like I'm the best looking guy either. You could so do better."

"No," she said forcefully. "Don't say that. You're handsome, and way better than I deserve."

Chuck just grinned. "Well, let's agree to disagree." After a moment, Chuck stated, "Well, on a lighter note, I just learned something personal about you."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Well, I've always wondered whether you were a natural blonde. Question answered," Chuck quipped, which earned him a slap on the arm.

They just looked at each other, both smiling, both happy. Chuck was scanning her features. She was still as beautiful as always. Her smile still had a way of making his heart skip a beat. It was then that Chuck noticed a small scar along her hairline by her temple. He felt the flash starting.

"No, no, no, no," he said, as his eyes went unfocused.

"Chuck?" Sarah said, and she looked up. Recognizing the look, she knew he was flashing, and it was on her.

For over a minute, Chuck stayed in that stupefied state, every little thing about Sarah Walker being imprinted on his mind. When it was all over, Chuck had to clutch the sink for support. His head was throbbing, his brain feeling too big for his skull. He was taking deep breaths, like he'd just finished a run.

"Chuck?" came a hesitant voice.

"I saw..." Chuck said, "I know everything."

"Look, Chuck..." Sarah started, but Chuck interrupted her.

"Don't Sarah. There's no need. No explanations. I don't care. The past is the past."

"Please, Chuck..."

"Sarah, you've gotten nothing to answer for. You shouldn't feel bad. And your kill total's not as high as I'd thought it'd be. Looks like I finally beat you at something." He smiled weakly.

Chuck then slammed his fist on the counter. "Damn him!" he growled.

"Chuck, what is it?" Sarah said cautiously. She wasn't prepared for Chuck to find out everything. Hell, she didn't want him to know everything. But when she was ready, she was going to open up, albeit just a little, to show him just how much he meant to her.

"He told me I control the flashes. And I can. But he must have programmed an involuntary flash on anything related to you. Must be he didn't trust you, so he made sure I would know everything."

"Orion?" Sarah questioned.

"Yeah," Chuck said, looking at their reflections in the mirror.

"Chuck, why did you download it again? After everything you did to get it out, why put it back in?"

Chuck looked at her, and realized again she was naked.

"Okay, it's a long story, so you need to put some clothes on...or maybe we could soak in that large tub," Chuck said, gesturing with his head.

Sarah gave Chuck a shy smile and proceeded to the tub. After making sure the water was at an optimum temperature, the duo got into the spacious porcelain bowl. Chuck got in first, with Sarah sneaking a peek at him, stretched out and found he could sit comfortably in the tub. He helped Sarah get in, and she positioned herself so that her back was leaning against Chuck's chest. Chuck wrapped his arms around her, and she covered his hands. She sighed happily.

"So," Chuck said, "where do you wanna start from?"

"How about the beginning?" Sarah reasoned.

"Fair enough. I guess it all started with Ellie setting me up for a date."

Sarah turned and looked at him, skepticism written across her face.

"I'm serious. Anyway..."

And so for the next hour, Chuck recalled from how agreeing to date a colleague of Ellie's wound up uprooting Ellie's family and brought him to this current juncture. He answered her questions whenever she asked, but for the most part, she didn't ask many. The subject of Bryce was difficult for Chuck to discuss, mainly because he had no idea how Sarah would react.

She took it pretty well, considering how shaky she was emotionally.

"So, he's really gone?" Sarah asked after Chuck had fallen silent for a little bit.

"Yeah. He is. First, he brought you to me, and then me to you. Think he wanted us to be together?" Chuck asked.

"I think he was just looking out for the two people he cared about," Sarah answered.

Chuck felt Sarah's stomach rumble under his hands.

"Well, I think it's about time we get out of this water. We're going to be human prunes, and you need to eat, woman. I like my girls with some meat on their bones." Chuck grimaced as soon as he said it. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, "I was just...I mean...Look, I'm not implying..."

"Chuck," Sarah interrupted, "it's fine. I know what you mean."

Her head was on his left shoulder, so he craned down and gave her a kiss. Sarah reached a hand up to pull Chuck further down to her, and whimpered when her hand met short, prickly hair.

Chuck pulled away, giving her a concerned look.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just wish your hair was longer. You better grow it out some, mister," she said, fixing him with a stern glare.

"Yes, ma'am," Chuck said, mock saluting her.

Chuck helped her out the tub, then got himself. She was surprised at how nonchalant he appeared to be about the whole thing. The normally shy Chuck didn't seem to care that he was naked in front of her. He was still respectful of her, of course, keeping his eyes totally focused on himself. The same couldn't be said for Sarah, who kept throwing glances at Chuck, and they got longer each time.

Her imaginations were running wild with vivid fantasies, and Chuck's interruptions caused her to come back to reality.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," he mocked, as he finally wrapped the towel around himself.

Sarah, blushing profusely at being caught, said, "Sorry. I didn't mean...It's just..." She was flustered and rambling.

"It's fine, Sarah," Chuck responded soothingly.

"No, I shouldn't have been staring. Sorry. And hey, when did you become so...relaxed about showing skin?"

"Well, after having my privacy invaded more than a few times by Carina, I just decided to stop trying to fight it."

Sarah frowned at these implications. She and Carina were going to have a serious talk concerning Chuck.

"Come on," Chuck gestured out to her room. "I think that food I brought up might still be edible."

He helped Sarah climb into bed and brought her the plate. He looked at it, then shook his head.

"This won't do," he said. "I'll get you something fresh. Be back in a few."

Before Sarah could protest, Chuck was out the door.

She leaned back against the headboard and closed her eyes. She was tired and would need to nap, preferably with Chuck by her side. Finding out Chuck again had become the Intersect was a shock. But then again, she wasn't really surprised. He always tried to help people, even when it wasn't in his best interest. Even on the run, he still did everything he could to fight Fulcrum and stop whatever bad guy he ran across.

She opened her eyes saw his laptop sitting on the edge of the bed. She remembered that awful music that had been blaring when she finally snapped out of nightmare. Chuck normally wasn't a big fan of metal, but people changed. She hit the power button to boot up the computer, wanting to see what other factoids she could learn about this new Chuck.

As she took her finger away from the button, the screen went red and it emitted a loud wailing sound. Sarah quickly shut the screen, but the wailing continued. She obviously triggered some alarm.

Chuck came in the room a minute later, a tray of fresh fruit and toast in his hands. He smiled as he set it across her lap. He appeared utterly unconcerned with the wailing.

"Chuck, can you please shut it up?" Sarah whined, feeling a headache coming on.

Chuck nodded and pushed a series of keys. The screen went black and the noise died.

"Trying to spy on me, Sarah?" Chuck asked innocently.

"What? No, I just wanted...to see what music you were listening to this morning," she finished lamely.

Chuck just laughed as he climbed in next to her. He set the computer on his lap and booted it up.

"How come it worked for you? It didn't for me."

Chuck, taking a bite into an apple, said through a mouthful, "Fingerprint recognition." He swallowed. "I'm the only one who can turn it on."

Sarah nodded, impressed by Chuck's level of security.

"Now, for my music," Chuck said. "While on the road, I developed a certain affinity for metal. I know, doesn't sound like me. But hey, when you need to stay awake, it really works. It's fast, loud, and generally out of control, which is good. Anything soft or melodic would put me to sleep. But now, I've grown so accustomed to it, I can sleep through it as well. But I still like it. It's almost calming."

He turned on a song, and a speedy guitar riff started.

"Plus," he said smirking, "it sure is fun to play air guitar to something like this. And when the drums start," the drummer finally started playing, "air drums, baby," he finished, his arms flailing about like a drummer while headbanging.

Sarah started laughing at the sight next to her. Chuck was still a total goof ball, and she was happy that some things hadn't changed.