Chapter 3 – The romantic journey continues….I am still trying not to make this mission based…please review…ENJOY! Mssupertigz

Sarah didn't want to explain the piece so she turned around and kissed him as she slid the piece out of his hands. She kept kissing him as she led him back to the bed. Chuck fell back as Sarah crawled over him. She had alterative motives but right now, this was the one she chose. Chuck held her close and rolled her into her as she laid on her back. He nestled in her neck as she glanced at the piece only briefly as her eyes turned to face Chuck.

"Where did you go?

Sarah smiled. She raised her head and captured his lips not looking at anything but him. They made love like it was the first time as everytime was like the first time. An hour later Chuck got up and headed downstairs while Sarah got ready for work. Chuck filled her travel mug and walked her to the door. "Have a good day."

"I will."

Sarah locked the store up at the end of the day and wondered why Chuck hadn't come to see her. She drove home still wondering, as she walked the main floor, he was no where to be seen. She headed upstairs and saw him sitting on the floor with his back against the bed. He was staring intently at her art work. She startled him making him subtly wipe his cheek. She sat on the edge of the bed next to him and placed her hand on his back as Chuck sat up straighter. "Hey what time is it?"

"A little after 6."

"Oh sorry Sarah I totally forgot to come by." Sarah slid to the floor to sit beside him.

"Did you forget?"

"No, I came up here to grab my jacket and I stopped and looked at this piece that I saw this morning. I started looking at it then I guess I lost track of time."

Sarah didn't think that it was much, but if she was honest it was more than anyone would ever know. She didn't want Chuck to know that many of the colors that were on the canvass also contained many tears. But when he started to tell Sarah what he thought about the piece, it was as if he had been there from the beginning.

"It reminded me and maybe it reminded you of what we went through. It showed me pain, trust, and healing. The way you captured our eyes and how we are trying not to look at each other yet we both steal one last look. Maybe in this version of us we were able to have that second chance."

"And we can't?"

"Honestly, I hope we can. I saw this look in your eyes many times and how your eyes said more than words ever could."

"Chuck I couldn't tell you that I had feelings for you." Chuck could feel her leg shake beside him.

"I know, now but back then it killed me every time I saw you, faked a kiss, a touch.."

"Chuck, I never faked a kiss with you, I wished that we could do more than kiss."

Chuck turned towards her and reached for her hand. "I had to make you think and believe that what we had was real and for the most part it was as real as any other relationships I had or wished to have. And when it got too real, I had to make something up so that you would want to fake break up our fake relationship. The truth serum and lying to you when I fell for you made me sick to my stomach. Watching you walk away with what you heard me say to you. And the time when you broke up with me before we looked at Ellie's plans for her wedding. It took all of my strength not to cry right there. Or when you hurt your leg and told me, that you couldn't move in with me because it would be too hard. In a way I was relieved but hurt at the same time. It would be too hard to live with you and not be able to be with you. The worst was Meadow Branch, when you asked to go back there, I was jumping up and down inside but again the job. So when you finally agreed to go with me I knew that everything that had happened between us would be the reason to go for it. I didn't expect you to say no."

"I'm sorry. I hated to break up with you, but I felt that I had no choice. If I couldn't be with you then why pretend to be. It hurt too much. The more I tried the less I got from you."

"Because I was fighting you all the way."

"So this piece is us in so many ways."

Chuck got up and grabbed the piece and placed it on the easel. "It needs to be seen, celebrated."

Sarah got up and slid her arms around his waist and kissed his back. Eventually hearing Chuck whisper. "Thanks for creating it."

"It was my way of healing I guess."

Chuck turned around and held her close.

"Food or dessert."

"Both but let's eat first."

Chuck laughed.

Late morning the next day

Carina showed up during the night and saw Sarah sneaking out of her room. Startled but not surprised by her presence, she headed downstairs. Carina looked at her giving her the look of shame. Sarah put her finger to her lips. "Shh!" and continued to walk down the stairs. Carina looked up at the door wondering who was up there. Carina followed her into the kitchen as Sarah made some coffee.

"Why are you the one leaving the bedroom? Don't tell me you hooked up with a guy."

"Okay I won't." Sarah continued to make the coffee.

"What about Chuck? When I left I thought that you two were talking?"

Sarah looked at Carina as she grabbed some cups.

"We did."

"And?"

"We decided to…"

"No, he went to all this trouble to find you. Sarah why did you let him go."

Sarah grabbed some muffins and started cutting some fruit. Carina was about to speak when she looked up and saw Chuck. "Let him go where?" Chuck answering.

Carina turned around and squealed. Chuck walked up to Sarah and kissed her. Sarah lowered her hands. "Stop squealing." As she looked at Carina over Chuck's shoulder.

"You two?" Carina grinning with delight.

Sarah kissed him again as Chuck wiped his upper lip and looked at her.

"What brings you back here, Carina?"

"Forget that, tell me the details, how is he?"

Chuck shook his head like pretty awesome. Sarah blushed slightly.

Chuck turned to watch the coffee finish brewing then poured Sarah, Carina then himself a cup. He got the look and excused himself and planted a hot steamy kiss as Sarah's eyes rolled in the back of her head, then whispered. "There's more where that came from." He walked off giving Carina a kiss on the cheek.

Chuck sat down in the living room as the girls conversed. Sarah grabbed a glass of water to cool her off. "So how long has he been here?"

Sarah thought for a moment as the time spent with him was a blur. "About two months?"

Carina sat up. "Two months of that." Then she squealed again.

Sarah sat down. "Be quiet. He will hear you."

"Why not the way you look and the way he kissed you, I think that you are well taken care of."

Sarah blushed again.

"He's adequate."

"My a$$ he is."

Sarah looked at her. "He's amazing and the sex isn't that bad either." Sarah sat down and looked at her friend.

Sarah took a sip and knew she had to tell Carina or she'd never stop asking about them and then she'd want to stay. "We talked after you left and we fought and then we decided to take the next step. It's still new but it's like we have been together forever."

"Well at least you two have done it before."

Sarah hid behind her cup. Carina looked at Sarah as her eyes drifted off.

"Not exactly."

Carina looked down the hall towards the living room. "You mean that you and the nerd never."

"No, well there were many close calls but no."

"How! I mean, LA was dullville but Chuck was nerdy cute and I knew that you had fallen for him the first time I met him. He denied that there was anything going on between you two, but you Walker, not taking advantage of him. So there had to be other guys, what about Cole Barker, I remember you telling me of that kiss you and him shared."

Sarah shook her head.

"No, we just kissed. I told him that I was committed to Chuck but because of the job it wasn't going to be easy."

"So you have not been with anyone."

"No and I was fine with it. Having Chuck as a friend was more important than anyone else and losing him was the worst thing I have experience or went through. We are in a good place and as long as we are together that is all that I am focussed on."

Carina watched Sarah and knew that Chuck had changed her and she had finally become the person she had fought for all these years.

The three went for a late lunch as Carina told them what she had been doing and that she'd be gone in a few days. Chuck knew that Sarah was enthralled with Carina's adventures but when she grabbed his hand he knew that she was in the right place. Chuck grabbed the check and they walked back to Sarah's house. They grabbed a few bottles of wine and sat on the front porch. They laughed over their first mission together and the Wookie stories. Carina didn't know that Chuck had entitled the mission as the Wookie as Chuck then explained to her what a Wookie was. They laughed and continued to share stories. Chuck returned with some snacks as they waited for take out. Chuck poured each of them some more wine then sat back as Sarah leaned against him. Carina grabbed a blanket and sat with her knees to her chest in a chair next to them.

"So you two met and formed the CAT Squad."

Carina looked at Sarah.

"Yeah, Graham had this idea of creating an elite group of agents made up of entirely of women. I think he had a Charlie's Angel vibe and wanted to create his own team. It was Sarah, Zondra Rizzo, Amy and myself." Sarah looked up and knew that Chuck was flashing on everything Carina was telling him. He looked down at her and kissed her fore head and whispered. "I'm okay."

Sarah grabbed his arms and held them tight over her body.

"We had a good run but it wasn't one of those things that would last forever." Carina speaking then taking a sip of her wine.

"Yeah, we went our separate ways, Zondra went into private security and Amy is still probably dancing somewhere and Carina you went to work with the DEA."

Chuck listened and smiled as Sarah and Carina shared stories. It was like one of the dreams he had or wanted to have if he had a life with Sarah.

Chuck cleaned up as Sarah got the spare room ready. Chuck turned the lights off heading towards the stairs. He smiled as Sarah closed the door. "She's out."

"She can sure handle her liquor." Chuck looked at the door.

"Yeah it is a gift as she had to drink a few under the table to get a lot of our intel back in the day."

Sarah headed upstairs taking Chuck's hand.

Sarah drew a shower and grabbed a towel and rested it on the counter. She looked up. "You want company?"

Sarah stepped into the shower as she reached for Chuck's hand. Chuck followed her in and as the water cascaded over their bodies their lips found each other. They just wanted to be together but knew that the shower wouldn't end until they were really together. Chuck lifted Sarah up into his arms as Sarah was pushed gently into the corner of the shower. Chuck lifted her a little higher in his arms as she then wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn't think he could be any closer to her. Sarah was moved upwards sliding her back up against the cold tiles as Chuck moved into her. Their lips touched and when Chuck caressed her face his hand she knew how strong he was to hold her up at the same time. His hand slid down her wet chest exciting her even more than she already was. He held her by her waist as he leaned back slightly to see her, all of her. He eventually brought her close as Sarah kissed his shoulder, holding him close. Chuck slowly let her go as she slid down his wet body. He held her close as she got the feeling back in her legs. He slipped under the spray kissing her once more. She joined him under the water allowing it to flow over them once more.

Sarah stepped out first grabbing the towel she placed on the counter. She grabbed another as Chuck walked out. He thanked her for the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He leaned up against the counter as he watched her wrap her towel around her, then grabbing another as she dried her hair.