A/N: Lester did what now?

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

Chuck stared at Lester for a moment, and shook his head, certain he hadn't heard him right. "Would you remind repeating that?"

"Chuck Bartowski, you are under arrest for murder and arson," Lester said again.

"That's exactly what I thought you said," Chuck said, slamming the door in Lester's face and locking it. He turned and headed back toward the bedroom. He didn't know what Lester was playing at, and frankly, he could care less. It was early in the morning, too early to be up, or if he was up, too early to be dealing with Sadie's version of Barney Fife.

He saw Sarah come down the hallway, a shirt and shorts on. "What did he want?" she asked, as Lester began to bang on the door again.

"Apparently, I'm under arrest for murder and arson," Chuck said, with a shrug. She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to the living room as he tried to pass her. "Saraaahhh," he whined. "If we ignore him, he'll get bored and leave."

"Listen, we need to get this straightened out, because you've lit a fire in me, and I thought at one point I might die last night," she whispered into his ear. His knees nearly gave way. She laughed as she opened the door.

"Thank you!" Lester said. "Now-"

"Nope," Sarah said, cutting him off, holding her hand up in his face. "That's not how this works. Why are you here?"

"If you'll let me come in and arrest Chuck," he began. The look she gave him silenced him immediately.

"Where's your warrant?" Sarah said, looking at his hands, and seeing them empty.

"Well, you see…" Lester took off his hat, held it in his hands and studied it, clearly trying to come up with an explanation.

"You can come in, but you're not arresting me," Chuck told him, plopping down on the couch.

"You heard him," Lester said, barging through. Sarah rolled her eyes and shut the door. Lester stood, eyeballing Chuck, as Sarah plopped down beside Chuck on the couch, wrapping her arms around his arm, and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Now, exactly, what did Big Mike say?" Chuck asked.

"Big Mike said to come get you," Lester began.

"Did he ever actually use the words 'arrest him'?"

"Well, no," Lester said, staring at his hat again. Chuck groaned and looked up at the ceiling. "After they found the dead body in the fire, I assumed he wanted you arrested, you know, for killing your competition, and burning it down."

Sarah looked up at Lester. "I have been with him all night. The only fire he has been setting is the one in me." Lester's eyes went wide. Chuck found he had a stupid grin on his face. "Who's dead?"

"As if he doesn't know," Lester said, pointing at Chuck.

"HE HAS NO IDEA YOU IDIOT! I'VE BEEN WITH HIM THE WHOLE TIME!" Sarah yelled, making Lester cower in fear.

"Bryce," he squeaked. "Bryce Larkin is dead."

"What?" they both said in unison, sitting up, the sleepiness wiped from their bodies.

"Yeah, his body was found after the fire was put out at your clinic," he went on.

"Whose clinic?" Sarah asked. Lester gulped. "Whose clinic?" she repeated, intensity in her voice.

"Yours, Sarah," Lester said, fear in his voice.

}o{

Chuck stood there, watching the rubble. Big Mike stood beside him, as Sarah talked to the local insurance agent.

"So you were with her all night?" Big Mike asked… again. Chuck turned toward him slowly, giving him a flat look. "Right." Big Mike glanced around. "Well done," he said, poking an elbow into Chuck's ribs. Chuck's flat look remained, making Big Mike clear his throat. "Listen, I'm sorry about Lester. I had him come get you, because you were the last person who was seen talking to Bryce before the announcement, and I was hoping you knew something."

"He told me I was lucky I got away," Chuck told Big Mike. "He didn't seem that happy to be engaged." Big Mike chuckled. "Look, you know better than anyone how serious I thought Jill and I were, and I know you know how bad the breakup hurt. But he seemed… well… almost as bitter as I did at times after it was over. And he was going to marry her."

"Why the hell marry her then?" Big Mike asked.

"I have no idea," Chuck admitted. His eyes went wide. "Did he…"

"No, he didn't commit suicide," Big Mike said. He looked around to make sure the other deputies weren't close. "Someone broke his neck."

Chuck shook his head. "And then burned the body at Sarah's clinic. This is awful." He was watching her, patiently working with the insurance man, and she gave him a soft, sad smile. "There's only one thing to do."

}o{

"You may be the biggest idiot I know," Sarah said to him, a little while later. They were at Chuck's clinic. Alex sat in her chair between them, listening in, not even pretending that she wasn't. "I am not going to take over your clinic."

"I don't want you to take it over, but why don't you do all the small animals here, and I go on call for the larger ones?"

"Chuck, no," Sarah said, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "But I will work with you," she said, in a soft voice.

"Well, there's a reason I didn't offer that," he began. She raised an eyebrow. "I was gonna suggest that maybe you take the spare room at my place and that way, we wouldn't be together all the time."

Alex just stared at Chuck, amusement covering her face and slowly turned to Sarah. Sarah glanced at her. "Oh, please don't make me leave now," she begged Sarah. "This is the good part."

"You know I could make you leave," Chuck began.

"She's not leaving," Sarah cut in.

"But, I won't because I'm a good guy," he went on like he hadn't heard Sarah, but they both knew he had. "What do you think?"

"No wonder he's been single so long," Sarah said to Alex.

"I am standing right here," Chuck protested.

"But he is being sweet," Alex pointed out.

"What do you think, press him on the clinic, take the spare room, and then press him in private on sharing his?" she asked Alex, pointedly ignoring Chuck.

"Careful, you might hurt him with all that pressing," Alex said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Fine, move in with me, work with me. But when you break up with me, sick and tired of seeing me all the time, it's not going to be my fault. I tried to warn you."

Sarah turned to Chuck, her smile growing. "What if I don't break up with you, and I like this arrangement?" Chuck's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. She walked over to him and took his hand. When she spoke her voice was calm, and soothing. "Baby, what do you think I've been saying all this time?"

"Isn't this a bit fast?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I enjoy being with you. Full stop. I enjoy working with you, finding out about you, and everything I discover makes me lo… fall for you more."

"You were gonna say something other than fall," Alex cut in, watching, eyes wide.

"Alex, do you want me to send you out?" Sarah asked, never taking her eyes off Chuck.

"You can't do that, you're not a member of this clinic," Alex retorted.

"Alex… we both know she is," Chuck said softly, watching Sarah's smile grow.

"Oh, I knew some time ago," Alex replied. "We were just wondering when you were gonna figure it out."

"Good news is, I won't need much as far as closet space goes," Sarah said grinning.

"She is right, you were gonna say something other than fall," Chuck pointed out.

Sarah gave him a challenging look. "Then don't screw up, and you'll find out one day."

"I find myself falling for you, Sarah, very, very hard."

"I'll catch you, and it won't hurt, I promise."

"Ugh, that's a lot of ladyfeelings," Alex muttered. They both turned and looked at her. "What?" she asked with a shrug. "I am his daughter."

}o{

Jill wasn't sure when she'd had a longer day. First, Bryce's body was discovered, then arrangements had to be made. She told everyone she needed some space and went for a drive. She found herself in Owensboro, at a hotel that was off the main drag. She went to the front desk, gave the fake name she normally used, and got the key. She walked to the elevators, rode up to the fourth floor, got out, and opened her door with the key.

"About time you got here," came the voice inside the room.

"I was grieving," Jill said, shaking her head. "What the hell happened?"

"He was going to talk," the man sitting on the bed told her. He stood up, and as he rose, she smiled, seeing how he was as tall as Chuck, but filled out much more. "Besides, Quinn did you a favor. Did you want to marry that idiot?"

"He's become soft over the past few months," Jill said with a shrug. "Did he tell daddy?"

"No, I don't think so, but your ex and father were having some conversations." She reached up for him, and he bent down, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hopefully, planting Bryce's body at his ex-girlfriend's place will slow down Bartowski and Walker."

"They don't know anything. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed… he let me get away, after all," Jill said with a grin.

"More like I stole you from him," he replied.

She pushed away and looked him in the eye. "Daniel, he never had me."

}o{

Chuck and Sarah sat in Lou's having dinner, both tired from a long day that seemed to be a week long. "Sarah, listen… I need to say this."

Sarah put her utensils down, her arms on the table, and leaned in, listening. "Shoot."

"I need you to know, about what you almost said earlier… I know what you were going to say, and you never need to feel rushed saying that, or feel like I-"

"I love you, Chuck."

He stared at her, his brain trying to process what he had heard. Ever since Jill, he wondered if he would ever be loved, if he were honest, he wondered if he ever was loved… no, she didn't love him. Or if she did, it became something… perverted. Something he didn't recognize.

"Sarah," he began, trying to search for the right words.

Her hand took his, and he felt his body shaking. "I love you, and I haven't told you before because I wasn't sure if you could handle it. I'm not sure in your… current emotional state, that you are ready for it, but here's the thing: It doesn't matter. I do. I love you, Chuck Bartowski, and I'm going to keep telling you that until you accept it."

"Sarah," he tried to begin again, but he choked up. She squeezed his hand.

"It's okay, you don't have to say a word." She was smiling at him. "I am well aware of how you feel. Your actions show it. I know you'd do anything for anyone, but I'm pretty sure there's something special about me… about us."

"There is," he said, nodding.

"I mean it, it's okay. And when you're ready, on your timeline, you say what you need to say."

"I really want you to move in with me, like, move-in, move-in."

"Okay," she said with a grin. "I don't have a lot of clothes right now. Can I borrow some shirts to sleep in?"

"Yes, all of them," he said quickly, making her laugh. "I mean…"

"I know, Chuck, I know." She squeezed his hand, then pulled back to get her fork to dig in to her dinner. "Eat up, buddy, it's been a long day."

It had been, and as terrible as it had been for Bryce, and her, it had been damn good for him.

A/N: Every time my daughter sees Brandon Routh on TV she mutters, Shaaaaaaaaaaaw. I feel all of you doing that when you saw that scene. Wanna sneak peak at next time?

"Did someone send you a birthday email?" Sarah asked him.

Chuck looked up from his phone, shock on his face. "Yeah….it's from Bryce."

WHAT THE WHAT?!

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DC