Chuck Vs The Coup d'Etat

Notes: This ep actually lent itself to a few short filler scenes.

***555***

Chuck worked quickly to pack the rest of his things before Sarah returned to the bedroom. He piled their small stash of luggage in the corner and turned the blankets down on the bed. Sarah returned with minty fresh breath and a make-up free face and the bikini still on, he was so glad she still had the bikini on.

"So, um, how many strings on that thing?" Chuck cocked his head to one side and looked her up and down.

"Four," she smiled and lowered her lashes seductively.

"Maybe we should do a trial run of our…" Chuck trailed off as Sarah dropped the small sarong to the floor and stepped closer to him.

"Our….communication exercises?" she teased.

"Yes, that, those," Chuck nodded as he tried not to visibly salivate.

"Let's try a different kind of exercise," Sarah suggested.

"Like yoga?' he smirked.

"Close your eyes and untie this bikini…with your teeth," Sarah challenged.

"Wow, this is like an X-rated episode of Double Dare," he waggled his eyebrows.

"You are so adorable," she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Now now, I am up for this challenge you have presented," he pulled back and took off his tee shirt.

As he went to work on his pants Sarah crawled to the middle of the bed and kneeled there patiently.

Chuck took his time, they were officially on vacation after all. He put his clothes in the hamper and turned off the lights, leaving a small desk lamp to illuminate his beautiful girlfriend.

"OK, so eyes closed and no hands while challenging is not really much fun for me as I really enjoy both looking at you and touching you," Chuck countered.

"Once you have completed your mission you can return to your full sensory experience," Sarah promised as she gave him a kiss to seal the deal.

"That is very good incentive," Chuck nodded.

Chuck kneeled across from Sarah, clapped his hands together and then put them behind his back and closed his eyes. He leaned forward, he could still smell her minty breath and face wash and feel the warmth radiating from her neck, he planted his lips on what he realized was her collar bone.

He kissed his way up the column of her neck and then scuttled around her left side to get behind her, his lips never leaving her skin. His nose felt the bow of the top tie and she could feel his smile widen. Seconds later she felt cool air across her chest as the top hung only by its lower strap.

Chuck kissed straight down her spine, Sarah knew he could have gone faster, it was just a short distance to the next tie, but he was teasing her thoroughly.

"Chuck…." she sighed.

Before she could formulate another thought her bikini top was completely free and Chuck's lips had moved towards her hip, he untied one side of the bathing suit bottom as he moved back around to her front and still not using his hands pressed his nose to her belly and encouraged her to lie back. Sarah rearranged her legs, cradling Chuck between them and smiled that he was still obeying the rules of keeping his eyes closed.

"Oh God," Sarah closed her own eyes as Chuck kissed along her lower stomach to her other hip.

"If I counted correctly this is the last one," Chuck talked right into her skin causing goose bumps to rise all over her stomach.

"Please…." Sarah pushed her hips up a bit in encouragement.

"This was your little exercise," Chuck reminded.

"I know," she nodded.

Chuck had had his fun and he didn't want to delay things any longer so he quickly located the last bikini strong with his teeth and pulled it quickly, as soon as Sarah felt it give way she sat up a little.

"Touch me," she nearly whined and Chuck crawled up her body, his hands everywhere at once.

"Gladly," he smiled as he opened his eyes and saw her deep blue ones looking back at him.

"That was practically torture and I know from torture," Sarah giggled.

"No jokes about torture," Chuck frowned.

"OK," Sarah agreed.

"Now how about we move on to the pleasure part of this exercise?" Chuck suggested as his lips closed over one of Sarah's more recently revealed body parts.

"Mmmmm," was all Sarah managed to get out.

"This vacation is off to an excellent start," Chuck noted as he rolled on to his back and brought Sarah on top of him.

***555***

"Do you think the Generalissimo will be OK with Casey?" Chuck asked as he opened the apartment door for Sarah.

"Yeah, Casey may not respect the guy, but he respects his orders," Sarah shrugged as she bypassed the living room and went right to the kitchen.

Sarah poured a large glass of water and drank half of it in a long swallow before handing it to Chuck who finished it.

"I have been in this dress for way too long," Sarah wrinkled her nose.

"I would be happy to help with that," Chuck's fingers twitched at his side and Sarah smiled as she noticed his pupils dilate slightly.

"Our vacation is over Chuck, we have to be up early," Sarah warned.

"I just offered to help you remove your dress."

"Uh huh," she smiled and nodded.

"Not that you need help, you are a big girl who has been dressing and undressing herself for a while," he shrugged.

"Come on, Chuck," Sarah laughed and headed to the bedroom unzipping her dress as she went.

"Is that all you've had on under that dress all night?" Chuck asked as he watched Sarah step out of the long flowy dress to reveal just a small scrap of lace panties.

"I left my pantaloons in Costa Gravas," she deadpanned.

"Funny," Chuck countered before he tackled her on to the bed.

"Wow, non-vacation sex is just as good as vacation sex," Chuck declared later as Sarah rolled away breathing heavily.

She nodded, her messy hair the only indication of movement.

"Come back here," Chuck reached for her and rearranged their bodies into a comfortable sleeping position.

"Hey, I wanted to talk about something," Sarah said when she fully regained her voice.

"Yeah?"

"I was kind of snarky when you asked me the question about the five words to describe you," Sarah looked up at him.

"It's no big deal," Chuck shrugged.

"It is a big deal, you are trying to take this seriously and I blew you off. The thing is, five words are not nearly enough to describe you Chuck, you are so much more to me than five words."

"Sarah," he tried to relieve her from making an emotional declaration.

"No, it's OK, Chuck. I have given this a lot of thought, between fighting our way out of a coup. Five words, only five words for the most amazing person I have ever known, here goes. Chuck you are: thoughtful, clever, brave, optimistic and sexy. So incredibly sexy," she articulated her last point by kissing her way up his neck.

"Wow, Sarah, thank you," Chuck said sincerely, "Now it is my turn, five words for Sarah Walker: beguiling, exquisite, intelligent, loyal and sexy," Chuck echoed the final sentiment.

"You think I am smart?" Sarah asked.

"Of course I do, Sarah, you are the smartest person I know and my sister is an actual brain surgeon," Chuck smiled.

Sarah kissed him again and this time with very clear intention.

"I thought vacation was over," Chuck mentioned between kisses.

"But we are both so sexy," Sarah grinned.

"Right, can't possibly let all that sexy go to waste…" he nodded as Sarah swung a leg over him and giggled into the next kiss.

***555***

Chuck sat against the control panel of the nuclear weapons system lost in thought as the team finished its work. Sarah signed off on the last of the packing lists and returned to him, not wanting to startle him his eyes were so far away.

'Hey," she said so quietly she barely heard it herself.

She saw him come back to her, from wherever he was thinking about his mom.

"Hey," he smiled softly.

"Another piece of the puzzle," she raised one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, she knew it wasn't much of a clue.

"Yeah, one of those white pieces in a snow scene with a lot of grooves and no tabs," he frowned.

"Hey, where is my optimistic guy?" she placed a finger under his chin and forced him to meet her eye.

There was a twinkle in her eye.

"Sorry," he smiled a little fuller this time.

"Now, I have never been to a Cost Gravan post-Coup celebration, but I have a feeling it is quite the party."

"Can we stay?" Chuck asked skeptically.

"Sure, our vacation was cut short, it's late, I am sure we can fly out at sunrise. Let's go party for a while."

"Can we clean up, I still smell like that slime hole," he hooked his thumb back towards the tunnel they emerged from earlier.

"I bet our room is still free," she reached past him and grabbed their bag.

The party was in full swing and no one noticed or cared as they moved about the palace. It was not hard to believe a Coup had erupted right beneath the Generalissimo's nose.

Sure enough their room was still set up for them, Sarah could still smell her perfume from their brief stay before. They didn't have much with them, just a change of clothes to fly home in and the barest of toiletries.

Sarah took her clothes into the bathroom and ran the shower.

"You were great in there," she mentioned as Chuck joined her and began stripping off his mission outfit.

"I'm good with insane situations," he nodded.

"You often find a way to avoid violence, I think Casey was impressed too."

"Casey is so filled with blood lust for this place, most places really, he wasn't listening to them."

"You're a good listener," Sarah turned to him as she stripped her dirty tank top off.

"Am I?" he asked, honestly curious.

"I think our communication problems aren't about not listening to each other Chuck, I think we are both afraid. Of different things maybe, but afraid nonetheless. I think you are afraid of saying the wrong thing and I am afraid if I tell you the truth about my fears and my hang-ups that you will translate that into a lack of love for you, which could not be further from the truth," Sarah rushed it all out at once.

"You're scared? Of me?" Chuck reached for her now and cradled her body so gently she nearly cried.

"No, Chuck I'm not scared of you, I think I am scared of losing what I thought made me great. Of losing my edge, of losing myself…" Chuck made to interrupt her and she put a finger to his lips.

"Now is a good time for you to listen," she instructed and he nodded and nibbled a bit at the finger against his lips.

"I'm starting to realize though that I can do this job and love you too, that I am a better spy withy you than without you and that my edge, it might have needed some softening. The old Walker and Casey never would have gotten out of this tonight without some kind of huge firefight," Sarah admitted.

Chuck realized how hard that was for Sarah, he felt the need to give as good as he got.

"I worry that someday you will realize that I'm a nerd," he admitted shyly.

Sarah laughed.

"Chuck, I realized that the moment I met you. I loved it then, I love it now. I know my track record does not illustrate an affection for the nerdy…"

"Yeah, you really seemed to prefer the Bond types."

"I didn't know what I was missing," she whispered as she leaned in and kissed him.

Chuck knew the talking was over as Sarah encouraged one of his hands to the button on her pants. It wasn't a huge conversation or any great revelations, but it was something, a step in the right direction. Chuck certainly wasn't going to refuse a shower with his girlfriend so he stopped talking, relieved her of her pants and joined her in the shower.

By the time they made it down to the party, it was in full swing and Sarah didn't mind the fact that she had on jeans and a tank top, the barest bit of make-up and her boots. Chuck always looked comfortable in jeans and a tee shirt, and with the tender look on his face he always wore after they made love he looked so beautiful Sarah beamed up at him.

"Think I can actually finish a cocktail tonight?" he teased and as soon as he said cocktail a waitress appeared with a huge tray of them.

Chuck handed one to Sarah and took one for himself.

"Wow, that is strong. One side effect of the Coup must have been a reduction in the mixer budget," Sarah shook off the sting of nearly straight alcohol.

"Hi-yo, you could use that to start a bonfire."

"Don't give anyone any ideas," Sarah faux-whispered.

Soon the music was cranked up and everyone was dancing, the high octane cocktails helping to encourage even the most straight-laced to let loose.

"Is that Casey?" Chuck spun Sarah around to watch just the back of Casey's head as he rocked out to the beat.

"Yep," Sarah laughed beautifully and Chuck pulled her close.

Hours later, despite her liquor intake Sarah knew it was time to go.

"Plane's fueled and ready," she said to Chuck who was still having a great time, but was clearly starting to fade.

"Which one of us is going to tell Casey?" he asked and held his hand up ready to throw down Rock, Paper, Scissors.

"I'll get him," Sarah offered and looked around for the big guy.

"Hmmm, last I saw him he had 2 Angels of Costa Gravas hanging off of him," Chuck mentioned.

"Maybe I'll just text him," Sarah wrinkled her nose.

The plane ride back was quiet. Casey found a reclining chair and didn't utter one word before falling into a deep sleep. Chuck and Sarah curled up on the love seat, Chuck maneuvering his too tall frame into the space with effort before Sarah molded her body to his, she always fit against him so perfectly.

The End

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