A/N: This chapter….it's like I lost my mind. Maybe that's this whole fic if we're honest.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

"Mr. Bartowski, Agent Walker, Major Casey; good job," Beckman said.

"Everything alright with the new living arrangements?" Graham asked.

"Peachy," Chuck replied. "Not that I am complaining, but maybe it would be best for Agent Walker if she were able to have some downtime. I think this whole thing might be a little much… Not that we have a problem, I just don't want to take up all of Agent Walker's time, and have her resent it. She is human."

"I do not resent you, and won't, Chuck," Sarah told him, staring at him.

"Mr. Bartowski, we hear you, but for now, no. The arrangement stands," Graham told Chuck. "If you don't mind, Mr. Bartowski, we need to speak to the agents."

"Right, wouldn't want me to hear anything top secret," Chuck muttered, nodding. Sarah's eyes widened, as he turned and headed out of the theater room. "I mean, I can flash on whatever, but to hear something… noooooo," he muttered, walking out, shoving the door open.

"What was that about?" Graham asked.

"Casey," Sarah said, turning to her partner, and watching him swallow. "Why don't you tell our bosses what you and your new little team did?"

"Agent Walker," Graham began, and then sighed. "Sarah… you have admitted to having feelings for Mr. Bartowski." Sarah turned back to the screen, terror on her face. "And, seeing the footage, I don't think it's a leap to say he has feelings for you."

"Is that a question, sir?" Sarah asked.

"No, this is the question: Has something changed in those feelings?" Graham waited for her to answer. "Sarah, what is wrong?"

"I don't know how to do this," she said softly. "You say guard him, but not to be compromised. You say to protect him, but feel nothing for him. You're asking me to do the impossible."

"The Intersect is our most valuable asset," Graham began.

"Agent Walker," Beckman cut in. "Would you mind getting Miss Wu, and Mr. Grimes, and having them come in here?" Graham gave Beckman a look, and nodded. "Thank you, Agent Walker."

Sarah nodded, turned, and left. "General, this is an absolute cluster," Casey said after she left.

"What the hell happened, Casey?" Beckman asked.

}o{

Yesterday

"I'm telling you, Morgan, what they need is some liquid courage," Lester told Morgan.

The three were watching the house where the party was supposed to take place that night. Chuck had been tasked with going to the party with Sarah, and see if he flashed on anyone. It was a simple mission, and Anna wondered if there was something they could do, something to turn up the romance between Chuck and Sarah.

"Lester, no," Morgan told them. "We are here to see if there are any romantic spots to direct Chuck and Sarah to. Our job is to make the ambiance the best we can." He looked down at his phone. "This is Anna." He walked off, talking to her on the phone.

"You know what would make the ambiance better?" Jeff asked Lester. "My love potion."

"Let's do it," Lester said, grinning.

}o{

Now

"Dear Lord," Beckman breathed. "What happened?"

"Somehow, those two morons got inside, swapped out the drinks for their rot-gut, and everyone got piss-drunk," Casey explained. "I'm telling you, those two can't do a damn thing when it comes to doing what they are supposed to do, but give them a task you don't want them to… they're unstoppable."

"What happened between Chuck and Sarah?" Beckman asked.

"No idea," Casey said. "They were fine, when I dropped them off at their room last night." Beckman glanced at Graham. "Listen, there's still the dinner with Ellie on Saturday," he began.

"We begin Operation Ghost," Beckman told Casey.

"Agreed," Graham added. "We will see you soon, Major." The feed cut off.

"What the hell happened between you two?" Casey wondered out loud.

}o{

Chuck stood at the Nerd Herd desk, staring at paperwork, but his mind on the events of last night.

"Sarah," Chuck said in a loud whisper. "I think everyone is drunk."

"I think you're drunk," Sarah told him and booped him on the nose.

"I think you're beautiful," Chuck countered.

"I need to know something," Sarah began.

"Well, you should ask me, because I gots a computer in my brainy and I should be able to tell you what you want to know," Chuck replied. "I may be drunk," he added, as an afterthought.

"You are drunk," Sarah told him. "But it's okay, I gotcha."

"You do?" Chuck asked, grinning at her.

"Mmmhmm," she hummed, grinning at him. "Why does your hair make these animal shapes?" she asked him. "Cause they're really cute. Not as cute as you, but cute. I could just eat you up."

"You are a cannibal!" He leaned in close, their noses nearly touching. "And funny."

"I really want to kiss you," Sarah told him.

"That's weird, because I want to kiss you," Chuck replied. "I have an idea."

"What?"

"We should kiss," Chuck told her.

"You are smart!"

"Chuck," he heard her say, pulling him out his thoughts. He turned to her. "We need to talk."

"I have some meat thawing in the sink, and I thought I'd make spaghetti tonight," Chuck told her. "Also, I paid the cable bill, since I'm the one watching the majority of TV. Trying to be a good roomie."

"Chuck, we need to talk," she reiterated, as he walked to another part of the table.

"I'm sorry, I can't right now, I have to work," Chuck said, looking her in the eye. "It's my job, and since it's all I have, I really need to keep it." Sarah pressed her lips together, turned, and walked out of the Buy More.

"Shit!" Casey and Anna said at the same time, watching the exchange. "Come on, Grimes is waiting on us." The two walked into the theater room, where Morgan was already waiting.

"Well?" Beckman asked. Anna shook her head in disgust. "What the hell happened?"

"We have no idea, and now Chuck won't talk to her," Anna said.

"Chuck won't talk?" Morgan asked, confused. "When has Chuck Bartowski ever been the one not to talk?"

Casey and Anna gave each other a look. "What the hell happened?" Anna asked Casey. He shrugged.

"Major," Beckman said.

"Yes, General," Casey replied. Beckman cut the feed. Casey turned to Morgan. "What's in the Weinerlicious that we can send Bartowski to fix?"

"The registers," Morgan said. "But how do we break them?"

"Big Mike," they all said at once. They went to his office, knocked on the door, and went in when he yelled out, "ENTER!" They opened the door, walked in, and saw him looking out through the blinds toward the front of the store.

"Let me guess, customers are dying of sadness, seeing Bartowski's face?" Big Mike asked.

"Not yet, but we have a plan to fix that. And we need your help, and guidance," Casey said. Big Mike turned, pulled on his shirt, and beamed.

"Of course you do. Now, how can I help?" Big Mike asked.

"Bartowski's having woman troubles," Casey began.

"It's always woman troubles," Big Mike said, shaking his head. "They're just so…"

"Uh, sir," Casey said, glancing at Anna.

"Right… sorry, no offense," Big Mike said.

"None taken. I feel the same way about men sometimes," Anna told him. Big Mike gave her a look and then looked back to Casey.

"So, the wiener girl broke his heart?" Big Mike asked.

"We don't know, but if we could screw something up at the Weinerlicious, and send Chuck over to fix it, and not charge them," Casey began.

Big Mike held up his hand. "Bartowski would be out of here, right?" Casey nodded. "Tell Jeff that the computer version of Ultima is on the cash register at the Weinerlicious, but he has to put in the special code to unlock it." Casey looked confused.

"You distract Sarah, I'll take care of Jeff," Anna said. She opened the door to Big Mike's office. "JEFF!" she screamed. "You're with me!" With that she walked out.

"And you're dating her?" Big Mike asked Morgan.

"What can I say, I like being told what to do," Morgan replied.

"Huh," Big Mike and Casey both said at the same time.

}o{

"I'm sorry," Sarah said.

"From what I heard, Jeff was under the impression that Ultima was hidden in your register, and he had to unlock it. He hit so many buttons and combinations it has locked it up," Chuck told her.

"Can't you just turn it off? Just unplug it, and plug it back in?" Sarah asked. Chuck turned to her. "What?"

"That's actually not a bad idea, but that also might lose some data," Chuck told her.

"Right, so save that for an emergency," Sarah said. Chuck nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Sarah, you didn't do this," Chuck assured her.

"No, I am sorry for whatever I said that has you so upset," Sarah told him. "I feel like since you woke up this morning, I've done something terrible."

"You really don't remember?" Chuck asked.

"What did I do?" Sarah asked.

}o{

Casey had pulled them out of the party, calling the whole thing FUBARed. He'd had to literally pull them apart, and told them to quit kissing each other, as he got them in the car. They didn't listen the whole way home, and Casey left them alone because they weren't talking.

He got them upstairs, and left them. Chuck fell on the bed, and Sarah thought he'd passed out. She crawled up behind him, took him in her arms, and began to play with his hair.

"Chuck, we have to be careful. If we're not, I'll lose my job, and I'll be so mad," she said softly, stroking his hair. She never noticed that he was awake, and heard her.

}o{

"Oh, God," Sarah said.

"I don't want to be the reason you lose your job," Chuck began. "It's obviously quite important to you."

"You don't understand," Sarah began.

"Then for the love of God, please explain it to me," Chuck said, turning to her. "I am begging you, explain this to me. Because one minute I'm important, the next minute it's your job-"

"Chuck, my job is to guard the Intersect," Sarah began.

"I know!" Chuck replied, cutting in.

"If I am forced to leave because the CIA says I can't guard the Intersect, then I can't protect you," she told him.

"Sarah," he began.

"No, don't apologize, but listen, Chuck: Youare what's important. The Intersect is my job, but if my job is not here-"

"You can't be here… with me," Chuck finished, his voice soft.

"For you," she added.

"I'm sorry," Chuck told her. "I-I… damn it, Sarah, this is hard."

"It is," Sarah told him. "But… is it worth it?"

He looked around, saw no one, opened his arms and they hugged. "Worth it," he said, softly.

"By the way," Sarah began as she pulled away. "Your hair is pretty amazing."

"Aw, shucks, ma'am," Chuck said in his best western voice. "I need to quit jumping to conclusions."

"And I need to communicate better," Sarah told him. He turned back to the register, grinning. "What?"

"You communicated pretty well last night, during the party," Chuck said, never looking at her.

"I have no idea what you mean," she said, picking up her drink, sipping through the straw, and grinning.

"Uh-huh," Chuck said. She stood right beside him, as he worked on the register.

A/N: Oh look…it's like they're TOGETHER….just not physically. Seriously, it's me, we'll get there. What? Oh…FINE!

"I think we're okay," Sarah said softly to Chuck.

"That's what he wants you to think, it's Awesome, the man who talked about my sex life right in front of you," Chuck reminded her.

"I mean in women alone sex can lower blood pressure, give you a better immune system, help with heart health, possibly lower risk for heart disease, improved self-esteem. It can also decreased depression and anxiety." He grinned. "And, ironically enough it can increase libido." Devon chuckled. "It also is an immediate, natural pain relief, and of course you always sleep better afterwards."

"I see," Ellie said, grinning into her glass as she took a drink.

"And, don't forget how it increases intimacy and closeness to a sexual partner," Devon continued.

"I'm in hell," Sarah muttered.

A prereader told me this chapter was more awkward than her being told about the birds and the bees…Mission accomplished. Next time, Ellie takes her shot at them.

PS Big hint time. Next time you read this, or another chapter, you might notice that CHUCK is never referred to as the INTERSECT by Graham or Beckman.

PPS Also…Operation Ghost…Christmas….it's ringing a bell. Something about Ghosts at Christmas…..