A/N: I went and watched Mary Poppins Returns. Guys, seriously, it's what we all need. Go see it. It's more for adults than kids. I have to tell you some of you are going to YELL in a couple of chapters, but if I am going to be true to what I have in mind, I'm going to do something you won't like. And again, it will be more something Chuck thought than actually happened. Trust me is all I ask. You know me. Ch 11, The Mask

Disclaimer: Don't own Chuck


"Chuck," Sarah said patiently. "It's three o'clock in the morning."

"Oh," Chuck replied, his strange mixture of shock and excitement waning. "Oh."

"Yes, oh."

"I'm really sorry I woke you."

"Chuck," she said, a little exasperation in her voice, and a slight tilt of her head. "You've normally woken me up, terrified of a dream. Now you're yelling for me in the middle of the night." Her lips twitched with a grin. "I thought maybe you had decided that stupid no sleeping together rule was out."

Chuck blinked. "Uh, if you'd like."

"Really, Chuck," she replied, walking toward the bed, a bit of a strut in her gait. "That rule is gone…forever?"

"I mean, I had the dream I needed to have, I think, that's why I needed to talk to Dreyfus." Chuck was looking nervous…concerned.

"Chuck, what's wrong?"

Chuck shook his head. "Sorry to wake you, I'll call Dreyfus first thing in the morning." He started to roll over and noticed the lights went out, and then he felt the bed shift and she had him in her arms. "Sarah," he began softly, but didn't say anything else.

"What happened in that dream?" Her lips were against his head, and he felt safe, but he just knew when he told her…

"You'll leave me one day you know," Chuck said softly. "They all do."

"Chuck I'm not leaving."

"I know, you have to stay."

"Okay, buster, that's about enough of that," she said quite forcefully, flipping him over and looking him right in the eye. "You do NOT get to tell me what I will and will not do, are we clear on that?" Chuck gulped and nodded. "Now here's what I know, the last time you had the dreams Bryce and Jill were gone and it was just you and the man in the mask with the key."

"He doesn't have the key," Chuck said softly. Sarah had a confused look on her face. Chuck took a deep breath. "I begin to wonder, why was there a key, I'm not locked up, I'm tied up, zip tied up. So this time I studied him and saw he had a chain around his ankle with a lock on it. I asked him why he doesn't free himself."

"Why didn't he?" Sarah asked, engrossed in the story.

"Because he didn't have the key." He looked at her. This was his last chance to stop. From here on in, it was all or nothing. "I had the key," he said softly.

"How, you saw Jill give him the key, he directed Jill and Bryce to torture you, and Jill gave him the key. How the hell do you have the key?"

"I asked him who he was." Sarah was barely breathing. "He just laughed and said I knew." Sarah shook her head slightly, still confused. "He showed me the tool in his hand and said he could free me, but I was safe in here. No one else could hurt me. The real world couldn't hurt me."

"Who is he?"

Chuck looked down and then looked her in the eyes. "He cut my bindings, I got free and I unlocked his chain. He told me not to go. It wasn't safe. He told me to stay there, that he didn't mean to hurt me but it was safer with him then out there." He looked away. "That's when I knew who it was, Sarah." He turned back to her. "People leave me Sarah, that's what they do. One day you will. The person who had me was just trying to keep me safe."

"Chuck, who was under the mask?"

"Me."

-ooooo-

Chuck was at therapy and so was Sarah…in the gym…beating a heavy bag half to death.

"He was under the goddamn mask, Carina. He was! And he thinks I'm going to leave him, because everyone else does! How am I supposed to prove to him that I won't?"

"Don't leave," Carina replied, shrugging. Sarah stopped and looked at her, slack jawed. Carina grinned. "It's a good thing no one else around him hides behinds masks, isn't it."

"I am not HIDING!"

"No, you're not now," Carina said stepping up to her inches between them. "Sarah, we both know you want to."

"If I do…"

"Don't," Carina said softly but intensely. "If you do, it will end him. He is out here now, vulnerable, afraid, and scared. Do not leave him alone."

"I won't, but he's got you, Carina, and John, and all his friends."

"Sarah, none of us added together matter as much as you. Ask yourself something, for five years he's been in the Buy More, and now after being kidnapped, his self-conscious is telling him to leave its safety, when his world is more dangerous than ever. Why?"

"Me," she said softly, swallowing.

"Sarah, you can't hide, not this time. You can't become Graham's enforcer. Become who you are, be the person who has the strength to save him, because if you don't…."

"I won't just lose him, the world will?" Sarah asked. Carina nodded, tears in her eyes. Sarah pulled her in for a hug. She blamed Chuck for this. Not that he taught her how to be this way, just reminded her that she could.

-ooooo-

After a shower and a change of clothes, Sarah walked into Carina's office. "Carina, this whole thing…it's not me."

"I know Blondie…I know." Carina grinned at her. "He got to you, he nearly died, and you became mother bear protector." Sarah nodded. "Have you actually gone out on a date yet?" She shook her head no. Carina shook her head and laughed. "I don't believe I'm saying this. Stay in your room." Sarah's eyes got huge. "Listen, sex you can handle." Sarah looked away but nodded. "Protecting him, you can handle." She turned back and nodded. "Being a…what? Girlfriend?"

"I have no damn idea," Sarah admitted. "NONE."

"Let me ask you an honest question, have you ever been on a real date?" Sarah looked away. "So into the agency before you had one, a number of one night stands-"

"They weren't all one night…but yeah."

"Then Bryce."

"Let's skip that."

"Agreed. So no dating before the agency." Sarah shook her head. "And the 'not' one night stands?" Sarah shrugged and shook her head. "So the only 'dates' you've been on are for missions. Either as part of a cover couple or to seduce?" Sarah nodded. "If I may borrow one of Casey's phrases, 'Christ, Walker.'"

"He's gonna want so much," Sarah began.

"Sarah," Carina cut in. Sarah looked at her. "It's Chuck. Like I said, anyone else, I'd get you two some olive oil and a whip."

Sarah stared at her. "Is your entire goal to make men cry in the bedroom?" Carina shrugged. "Changing subjects. I've been thinking of teaching Chuck Aikido."

"You just want him to flip you in the bedroom," Carina muttered smirking.

"Can you focus, please?" Carina shook her head no and Sarah rolled her eyes. "I need you to teach him how to fight. I just can't, and you're the only person I trust enough." Carina nodded, her eyes dancing. Sarah blew out a breath. "Go ahead, say it."

"Just promise me when he tells you how much I made him tap, you understand he's not tapping this ass." Sarah threw her hands in the air and walked away.

"This is what I get for trying to be kind earlier."

"Love you too, Blondie," Carina called after her.

-ooooo-

Chuck lay on the couch not saying anything. "You know you don't actually have to lay down?" Dreyfus asked, amusement in his voice.

"I know, it's just…comfortable." He was quiet. "You knew the whole time, didn't you? That it was me?"

"I suspected."

"Ellie said to me I was locked in a prison for five years of my own doing."

"She is a wise woman," Dreyfus replied, waiting, as the norm, for Chuck to come to his next conclusion.

Chuck blew out a frustrated breath. "She's going to leave me…Sarah that is. I just know she is."

"Have you two been…intimate?"

"NO!" Chuck replied, sitting up and spinning all at once. Dreyfus was grinning. "What?"

"I just find it…humorous, and I guess I shouldn't."

"I'm gonna need you to break that down for me, and please don't make me figure it out because it will take months if not years."

"Haven't you two been intimate?" Chuck narrowed his eyes. "Not sex, although I don't think it would be just sex, do you?" Chuck swallowed and turned a little red. "My guess is you have both show each other who you are, and it scares you."

"She's handling it much better than I am," Chuck muttered.

"Is she?" Chuck looked at him, confused. "Chuck, who does she have? Who has she opened up to? Another spy? Spies keep everything locked away because they believe emotions can cause problems in the field."

"That's stupid," Chuck replied. "Casey constantly has emotions. He loves his country and he enjoys doing what he does because of it. He gets a sense of pride. If that's not emotions or feelings I don't know what is."

"Careful, Chuck, or I'll think you're angling for my job." Chuck laughed. "You are absolutely right. Would you want a mercenary working to protect you or someone who cares?"

"Someone who cares," Chuck replied. "Actually I wouldn't want anyone protecting me if it's possible."

"Why?"

"Because someone is in danger because of me."

Dreyfus leaned forward. "Do you think if you told Sarah to stop protecting you and your superiors agreed with you, that she would?"

"No," Chuck admitted. He thought for a minute and slumped against the couch. "I need to tell her she probably shouldn't move into my room."

"Good luck with that," Dreyfus replied. Chuck looked at him wide eyed. Dreyfus shrugged. "I have a feeling she's going to do exactly what she wants." He gave Chuck a pointed look.

"Are you implying I'm what she wants?" Chuck asked.

Dreyfus chuckled. "She came to my house to yell at me because I wasn't getting you better quick enough, what do you think?"

Chuck dropped his chin to his chest. "I'm in so much trouble."

"Yes, you are," Dreyfus replied. Chuck looked at him, bugged eyed. Dreyfus shrugged. "My job here is to tell the truth no matter how much it hurts."

-ooooo-

Chuck sighed and sat down at the kitchen table, an ice pack on his shoulder. Sarah walked into the kitchen, saw him, and sat down.

"What's wrong?"

"Remember how you wanted Carina to train me in fighting?" Sarah nodded. "She kept showing me an arm bar today. She's crazy. She kept telling me to tap, and when I did she'd just laugh."

"I really hate her," she groused in a low voice. She noticed Chuck giving her an inquisitive look. "So about the sleeping arrangements."

"We shouldn't sleep together," Chuck blurted out quickly. Sarah sat there, shocked. "Listen, it's not that I don't want you to, but if you do, you know as well as I do what's gonna happen." He was trying not to turn red but felt it moving up his neck. "At least I'm guessing….."

"No, you're not wrong," she admitted. Chuck nodded.

"So we've both been through a lot, and I don't know about you, but I kinda suck at relationships."

"I'm not sure I've ever had one," Sarah admitted.

Chuck stared at her. "Sorry, I just thought…you know what, that's what I get for assuming. And I'm not asking for details about your life, but while we know each other, we don't know so much and I don't want to rush this. I don't want to pressure you. I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. I want you to go at a speed you're comfortable with and know, I'm here for you. I know I've depended on you a lot here lately, and as your baggage handler, I haven't done the best job." She laughed at him and smiled. He reached over and took her hand. "When we're both ready, at least that's what I'd like to do."

Sarah smiled at him. "I was gonna suggest the same thing."

He gave her a flat look and she giggled. "You let me go down that whole road?"

She shrugged. "You're better at words than I am."

"And you're better at actions," he replied.

She gave him a look. "Your sister, Carina, and I are going for a girls night." She stood up and gave him a smirk. She leaned forward. "I am better at actions." She walked to the kitchen door, and looked back over her shoulder. "Don't you forget it." With that she walked away.

"Don't think I'll ever get that out of my brain," he choked out.


A/N: Fezzywhigg…I'm sorry. There's a reason I'm doing what I'm doing. Reviews, cupcakes, PMs, cookies, hugs, messages, whatever, are all appreciated.

DC