Here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. The Jill arc was interesting to write. I tried to get into Sarah's head as much I could to help explain some of the actions. I imagine this was a hard time for her. Like always, leave a comment if you like or didn't like it.

Thanks again to Niall.

Events take place during Chuck vs. The Gravitron

Something Real: Thanksgiving

Casey's Apartment

After Chuck and Jill's Evening

While Sarah and Casey waited for Chuck to arrive safely back home, Sarah was thinking about the betrayal of the last several days. What a dizzying couple of days she had. Her heart nearly stopped when the decryption key was found, and the team realized Jill was a Fulcrum agent. Sarah had been the one that told Casey on multiple occasions to give Chuck a break on the 24 hour surveillance. So when Jill took him away, Sarah had blamed herself. But she was relieved when Chuck turned his phone back on, and they were able to pinpoint his location and determine that he was unharmed.

After they explained the situation and got him to flash on Sandstorm, Chuck reluctantly agreed to help them set their own trap for Fulcrum.

"I'm sorry, Chuck," Sarah replied to Chuck's shock that his girlfriend has a Fulcrum codename.

Sarah's remorse was genuine. Though it was hard seeing them together, and she was making an effort to not interfere, she would not have wanted their relationship to end because of a reason like this.

I didn't want this to happen. Jill, Fulcrum. Casey's was right. We need to turn this nightmare scenario into our advantage.

Oh, it will. That is what assets are for. Her spy sense chimed in.

Sarah was furious at the way Jill had played not only Chuck, but her. As a spy Jill would've have picked up on the attraction that everyone saw between Chuck and Sarah and Jill had manipulated it perfectly.

I know we can use Jill's betrayal. We need to. She needs to pay for what she's done.

Chuck finally walked into Casey's apartment and sat down. Sarah watched him for a moment settle into his surroundings.

"Are you okay?" She asked gingerly.

Chuck quickly responded, "For a few days I thought things were gonna be different. I could have a life. I could have a girlfriend. I could be a regular human being. I thought Jill was…"

"Different?" Sarah interjected.

"No, normal," Chuck emphasized.

Sarah was a little taken aback when he emphasized the word normal.

Chuck, if I could, I would consider normal with you.

General Beckman then appeared on Casey's computer screen and gave Chuck an assignment to use his connection with Jill to infiltrate Fulcrum.

Castle

A Few Hours Later

Sarah was finishing compiling the list and files on the Fulcrum agents they had recovered from Lafluer's flash drive, but her mind kept wandering to Chuck's eagerness to catch Jill.

"I'll do it," Chuck responded with determination. "Jill betrayed me twice. You bet I'll do it."

Betrayal is a wonderful thing in our world, isn't it, Sarah? It helps motivate our assets to do the things we want them to do, even if it's something they normally wouldn't do.

Yes but I wouldn't let him do it if I wasn't around to protect him.

Do you really think that would stop him if you weren't available to protect him?

Sarah honestly didn't know the answer to that question. This wasn't the first time Chuck had learned that someone he thought he knew betrayed him. With Bryce however, the apparent betrayal was meant to protect Chuck from a life his best friend didn't think he could handle. This was different. Jill's betrayal put him in the direct line of fire and Chuck didn't seem like a vengeful person, but rather someone who would put other people's safety before his own.

Besides, isn't it part of your job to manipulate him into doing what you need him to do?

I didn't manipulate him. He chose to do this.

After the General told him his mission, you objected to it in front of Chuck. How do you think that made him feel?

Sarah hadn't thought of that. Her objection was solely based on what she observed after Casey told him to man up, get back in the room and act like he didn't know anything.

And now that he agreed to do it, maybe he'll start to like spycraft. Maybe you just recruited a future spy.

Before she could make a rebuttal, Sarah heard footsteps and saw Chuck emerge from the hallway.

"What? What is it?" She asked when she saw the concern on his face.

"Sarah, I need your help. How am I going to survive tonight?"

See. He made a spur of the moment decision. He's not a spy. He's not ready for this yet you pushed him into it. You're the spy. You need to teach him a little of your spy skills.

"Well, a good spy knows what their mark wants." She responded pulling her attention away from what she had been doing and onto him. "What do we know about Jill? She's a spy. She wants you to be under her spell."

"Okay, how do I do that?"

"She's gonna test you. When the time is right, she's going to make sure that she has you. That you love her."

"How's she going to do that?"

"When you're most exposed."

Chuck threw a confused look her way.

"Emotionally exposed, like, uh, an intimate moment. Say a kiss."

Sarah got up from the table and stood a few feet from Chuck. "Okay. Imagine that I am Jill."

Sarah took a few more steps closer to him and softened her voice. "The moment is romantic. She's close to you. She's looking into your eyes."

Chuck stuttered out a response that he was distracted.

Sarah dimmed the lights and continued to instruct him on how to deceive Jill. As they were about to kiss Sarah pulled away. She found herself inadvertently starting to get caught up in the moment and did not want to stir up those feelings. The mission was the most important thing right now not how she felt.

"Good. You're all set." She faked a smile and nodded to encourage him as Casey entered the room and told them what Jill was planning.

"Well, we'll be there waiting for you. Look, just remember Jill is capable of anything." Sarah warned.

When Chuck turned and started to leave Castle, Sarah glanced back around and watched him leave.

Jill's capable of anything.

Damn right she is. That's why we're using Chuck as bait.

He volunteered to do it and I'm going to protect him.

This again? He did not volunteer. You and the General maneuvered him into the position that made him think he had no choice but to do it. Good job.

Sarah sighed. She was not going to win this debate with herself so she let it go, for now.

After the Mission

Before they left for the Bartowski home, Sarah had wanted to stop by her apartment and get a change of clothes and clean up. The mission had been a success but it was intense and if she was going to spend the rest of the evening with his family, she wanted a few minutes to herself before she went.

"I'll just be a few minutes, Chuck." She told her as she entered the bathroom.

Admit it. It felt good to point your gun at Jill.

Sarah smiled as she got out of her clothes and stepped into the shower.

How about when you had her hooked up to the lie detector? You like seeing her vulnerable, unable to lie, and at your mercy. You warned her not to hurt him again. You did a good job.

Sarah smiled. She did enjoy seeing the person she disliked the most at the team's mercy. As a spy she had thought that they had stopped Fulcrum from finding whatever information they were after.

I did warn her. In the end, she got what she deserved.

The steam from the hot water mirrored Sarah's anger as it rose around her when she followed that thought down to how the mission had ended . Though Jill gave them Leader, it was an elaborate scheme, and Jill had manipulated Chuck into letting her go. And that was the worst part. He had not followed her advice.

Doesn't he know by now that I know what I am talking about? I am the one with experience with spies. I know how we think, what we do. Why didn't he trust me?

"I know what you're thinking. That Jill is the same person you went to school with and the same person you dated but we cannot be certain. Trust me, Chuck. You can't trust her."

His admission of guilt when Sarah and Casey brought Leader back to the base still stung a little even now.

"I'm sorry I let her out. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

In giving these moments a voice and replaying in her mind now, it allowed Sarah to diffuse her anger. It gave her a chance to release these emotions so they wouldn't be kept inside. But she also understood something for the very first time. The same quality she admired so much about him was also his biggest weakness.

As a spy she was trained to lie, deceive, manipulate, and play hard and fast with the rules because that is what the enemy is doing. It's what everybody does. It's even what her dad did. But Chuck, however, was different. He always saw the good in people, gave them the benefit of the doubt. In the spy world that was dangerous. But Sarah was starting to appreciate Chuck's willingness to look beyond the bad, beyond the actions and try to understand why people do the things they do. It would come to benefit her in the years to come.

Sarah pondered those ideas for a few minutes longer. The more she thought through them, the less upset he became.

He just did what he thought was right. How can I blame him for that?

With the situation know resolved in her mind she got dressed, and the two of them headed for Thanksgiving dinner.

Courtyard

Several Minutes Later

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I should've listened to you from the beginning. You were right. I wasn't ready for this mission." Chuck apologized as they entered the courtyard.

"No one is ready for this type of mission, Chuck. Your girlfriend being Fulcrum isn't something they teach you in spy school." Sarah reassured.

"I'm just too trusting. Ever since I was a kid, I really wanted to believe what everybody always told me."

Don't beat yourself up. You did not ask for any of this. Bryce sent the email to you. He did this to you. And she fooled me too. I shouldn't have been fooled. I'm the spy.

"I'm just getting used to this new job, all the spying and lying." Chuck continued.

She did not like hearing those words come from him mouth. He's different. He needs to know that I appreciate the difference and that he doesn't need to change a single thing.

"Don't get used to it." Sarah encouraged. "You're a good guy and you wanna help people. Leave the deception to me."

Chuck smiled, reached out and took her hand. "Well, I'm glad I have you."

Sarah looked down for a moment and savored the moment. For the first time since Jill had arrived on the scene, she felt content.

This is the way it should be.

"We're better as a team."

Bartowski Home

Thanksgiving Dinner

The meal was wonderful. So good in fact that the only thing left on the plates were crumbs, a few scattered pieces of turkey, and some mashed potatoes that were stuck to the plates. The glasses had been emptied or the wine or champagne and other liquid bottles now sat naked on the table. The candles, which had stood tall and ushered in the beginning of the meal now had wax running down the sides collecting in larger clumps as it cooled at the base of the candle holders.

The last few hours had seen the family around the table participate in a meal that encompassed laughter and celebration. In between the plopping of the stuffing and mashed potatoes and the sound of knives and folks lightly scrapping across the plates, stories were being told, life was being shared. In those moments you could feel the love, admiration, and affection the family members had for one another.

When the meal had ended the group moved over to the living area and continued to enjoy each others company. As the evening progressed, Devon convinced Chuck and Morgan to help him with the dishes giving Ellie and Sarah a chance to have some girl time.

Jeff and Lester gave their outlandish opinions at times, whether Ellie wanted them to or not, about the wedding and decorations, when the subject inadvertently got changed to a childhood story about Chuck. Sarah then made it her mission the rest of the evening to get as many little Chuck stories out of Ellie as she could.

After many Chuck stories, Sarah looked down at her watch and saw how late it was. She really didn't want to leave, but she had work in the morning.

"Ellie, thank you for this evening, I really enjoyed it but I have work in the morning."

"Well thank you for coming, Sarah. You're always welcome here. Anytime." Ellie encouraged.

Sarah smiled as the two hugged one last time for the evening. After the embrace with Ellie, Sarah said her good-byes to everyone and left for her apartment.

Sarah's Apartment

Later that Night

Sarah had slipped into her night time attire and retired to her bed. As she lay there, she smiled and welcomed sleep. It had been a long hard couple of days filled with ups and downs, but the Thanksgiving dinner had been exactly what she needed.

I am a part of their family, a really family. I love Ellie. She's great. I feel like I can be myself around her. She's like the sister I hope to be one day.

Deep down she wanted so bad to shed this CIA cover and find a way to be with Chuck and be a part of this family. No cover. No lies. No Intersect. No Casey. Just Chuck.

But she couldn't do it. She wasn't there yet. How could she be? She still wasn't even honest with herself about how she felt about him. Despite Jill's involvement in his life those feelings Sarah had for him are still there. They haven't gone anywhere. If anything Jill's reappearance had only deepened her feelings for him. That's why it was so hard for her to see him with Jill. Her spy training had told her to avoid emotional attachments at all costs for this very reason. But Sarah was not the kind of spy she thought she was.

I'm glad she's gone. Now things can get back to normal.

And with thoughts of Chuck, and family dancing in her head she drifted off to the most deepest and peaceful sleep she had had in a while.