Chapter 12

A/N Thanks again for all the reviews! And remmber, I don't own Chuck.

"You fell in love with a spy too." Chuck just admitted that he loves me. Practically with his dying breath. No, I have to do somethi... Sarah's body jumps at the gunshot. NO! She doesn't try to stop the tears from falling, waiting for the inevitable. Come on, Shaw, pull the trigger. You've already taken my life. Now end it.

"I love you, Chuck," she whispers. She couldn't die without saying it. Even if it was too late. Then she felt it. The fingers tangled in her hair pulled her even harder into his shoulder. Sarah's eyes popped open.

"Chuck?" He didn't answer. She pushes back a little. "Chuck?" His eyes was squeezed shut. His mouth a grim line. What was wrong with him? "Chuck?" Sarah asks again, her voice breaking a little. Then she spots it. The gun she always kept tuck at the small of her back was gripped tightly in his hand, his finger still on the trigger. A quick backwards glance tells her what just happened. Shaw was lying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood. But how...? He grabbed her, drew her gun and shot Shaw in less time than it takes him to have a flash. She has to know. Turning back to Chuck, she cups his face.

"Chuck, did you just flash?" He shakes his head slightly. If it wasn't for her hands on his face, she would have missed his response. "Chuck, please look at me." He shakes his head again.

"Is Shaw...?"

"Everything's okay now, Chuck." Sarah gently took her gun from his grasp. Snapping the safety back in place she tucks it back in her jeans. Then she entwines her fingers with his, giving his hand a comforting squeeze. Her other hand moved to the back of his neck. Chuck opens his eyes slowly. When he tries to look past her, she pulls his head towards hers, locking eyes with him.

"No, don't." The nightmares are going to be bad enough. There's no need for him to see more.

"Chuck, are you okay?"

"I killed him, Sarah. I can't even blame it on the intersect. It was all me." His voice was barely audible.

"You saved me. You saved us." She was still in awe. In all her years as spy she's never seen anyone do something like that before. I guess I can add bodyguard to his list of qualities.

"But I'm not the same guy..."

"You are," Sarah cuts him off. Moving in closer, she whispers against his lips, "you're still Chuck. You're still my Chuck," before she captures his lips in a kiss. It was not the passionate kiss she really wanted. It was tender and comforting. But for now, that was enough. That was what Chuck needed.

"Agent Walker, Agent Carmichael, I'm sorry to interrupt ..."

Sarah pulls away from Chuck reluctantly, taking a deep breath. "Can you please give us a minute?"

"I'm sorry, Agent Walker, but we need to secure the perimeter..."

"Give them a minute."

"Major Casey, we have a job to do..."

"If you did your job, none of this would have happened." Casey sounded angrier than usual. "When General Beckman is done with Colonel Saunders, he'd be lucky if he gets to command a chicken franchise."

"It's okay, Casey, let the man do his job." Sarah felt a little disappointed, but at least Chuck sounded like Chuck again.

[A/N – picture a section break here.]

Carina had Chuck and Sarah in an almost deadly grasp before they even had a chance to close the apartment door behind them.

"Ease up there, honey, before someone gets hurt." Saved by Morgan. Who would have thought? "Casey told us what happened. How are you guys holding up?"

"We're good," Sarah answers. Chuck has barely spoken in the last hour, which worried Sarah. He was dwelling on what happened with Shaw. He was going to drive himself crazy.

"Why don't I make us some dinner? I don't know if there's anything edible in the fridge..."

"Thanks, Carina, but we probably need to debrief General Beckman. Given that Castle is no longer operative, I'm dyi...can't wait to see where she'll pop up." Chuck grimaced. That was a lame attempt at a joke. So much for convincing everyone that everything was...normal.

"Casey is taking care of that. But she wants to brief us all tomorrow morning at nine sharp. Apparently the mission objectives for Rome has changed."

"That's good. I could really use a shower right now." Or ten. Without waiting for a response, Chuck heads to the bathroom.

"Is he okay?" Carina sounds concerned. This can really screw things up.

"He's just tired." Sarah wished she could believe that lie.

[A/N – another section break, use your imagination. Or tell me how to actually insert one.]

Sarah is sitting in the middle of the bed when Chuck enters the room. "I'm just going to grab a pillow and head out to the couch."

"Chuck, wait." He just stands there. Sarah grabs his wrist gently, tugging him down. "Stay."

"Sarah, I..."

"Just lie down, okay." Chuck was too tired to argue. Sarah moved to over to make some room. Chuck lied down on his back, folding his hands over his stomach. Sarah propped herself up on her elbow and studied his face. He was staring at the ceiling. She placed her other hand over his, softly stroking his fingers.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." How many times have I told him that?

"Okay. But when you're ready, I'll be here."

"I know." He closed his eyes.

"Chuck?" There's something else he needs to know.

"Hmmm?"

"Promise me something?"

"Okay."

"Earlier with Shaw...promise me that you'll never take a bullet for me." She was fighting back the tears.

"I can't. You're the asset, Sarah. It's my job to protect you." Sarah gasps. Her own words. Thrown back at her.

"You fell in love with a spy too." It wasn't a declaration of love. It was just a cover. He had a job to do.

A/N After about the third paragraph, this chapter kinda wrote itself. Now I have to change my mission objectives, so if there's no update tomorrow, I'll see you Friday.