A/N: When I started writing Chuck FanFiction, I wrote one-shots in which changing one thing affected the following events. I was reminded of this when I read Steelejay's Chuck vs The Apology", a great reworking of the ending of "Chuck Versus the Helicopter." So, I decided to do another reworking of part of a later episode, "Chuck Versus the Break-Up." This is completely separate from the version in my "Chuck, Communicate."

The title needs some explanation to those not from Britain. A lark is not just the name of a type of bird, but also a noun meaning a harmless prank and a verb meaning 'to engage in spirited fun or merry pranks.' "We were just larking about - we didn't mean to do any damage." Not all larks work out well and some definitely have less 'fun' intentions.

This has not been beta'd, so apologies for any mistakes you find.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

Stop Larkin About

Most of the time, Casey felt that the surveillance was completely pointless. Him having to waste his time reviewing it really pissed him off. It was even worse when some event had happened and he actually had to watch it in real time.

The recent events did increase the need to keep Bartowski safe, so he was watching a recording from earlier that night.

First, he saw Larkin move into the shadows, obviously in wait for Bartowski to arrive; that had triggered Casey to watch very closely, and to listen. He didn't trust, or like, Larkin, at all. If it was up to him, that guy would be dead, for real this time, but he'd been ordered by the general to work with him, instead. Casey always followed orders, even those he disliked, so Larkin lived.

As Bartowski appeared, Larkin emerged from the shadows. "Chuck."

That made Bartowski jump. "You... wow. You really ought to think about toning down the entrances a notch."

Larkin shrugged. "Sorry, comes with the job."

Bartowski obviously didn't want to talk to him. "Uh, look, I've... I've already had a pretty long day, and I gotta get to work, so if you have any life-changing bombs that you'd like to drop on me, could you please save them for later?"

Larkin ignored that and stated, "I'm worried about Sarah."

Walker was in the hospital recovering from the bomb blast earlier.

Chuck tried to brush that off. "There's nothing to be worried about. She got a minor concussion and a few bruises- she'll be fine."

Larkin was persistent. "No, that's not what I'm worried about. She went off mission. And not only did we lose the microchip and the FULCRUM agent, the two of you almost got killed."

Casey knew the blast had really upset him and Walker getting hurt was the reason. What's Larkin playing at?

Chuck shrugged. "Okay, she went off mission to protect me, which by the way, is her job and wins her points in my book."

Larkin stated, "Sarah has feelings for you, Chuck. Feelings that will get her killed."

Bartowski looked surprised. Larkin continued, "People we deal with are cold-blooded assassins. They have no emotions, no feelings. The only chance we have against Fulcrum Is to think and act like they do. Anything less gets us killed."

Bartowski looked rattled, but managed to reply, "Sarah knows what she's doing, Bryce."

Larkin just looked at him and then walked away.

Bartowski was frozen for a while, then shook his head and walked to the apartment.

Casey could see that Larkin was trying to drive a wedge between Walker and Bartowski. Maybe he'll tell her about it. Before, he hadn't wanted to encourage their obvious connection, but Larkin always triggered a strong response in him. Hell, in both of them, too. Yes, at some time he would share this information.

After the shooting at the station, Casey had seen how all three of them acted. Bartowski shaken, and that didn't just seem to be because he'd had a gun to his head. Walker was shaken, probably because she hadn't been able to shoot and thought she was going to lose Bartowski. Larkin had a calculating expression; he was up to something.

When Casey saw that Bartowski was preparing to go home, and Larkin still hadn't pulled anything, Casey headed home as fast as he could. He expected Larkin would do something there, like last time. Casey was determined to watch this time, real time.

Just as Chuck arrived, Larkin appeared. "Chuck."

Chuck jumped once again. "What did I say about the entrances?"

Larkin replied, "We need to talk about Sarah." They sat at the fountain, before he continued, "She had a chance to take the shot back there and she didn't. She hesitated and almost cost us the microchip and your life."

Bartowski looked despondent. "I know."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Bartowski looked at his ex-friend. "I don't know, Bryce. You tell me. What am I supposed to do?"

Casey could've predicted the response. "You'll do the right thing. You always do. That why I sent you the Intersect in the first place."

Larkin got up and started to walk away. Bartowski called to him, "Hey, uh, Bryce... Forgot your glasses." He waved Larkin's sunglasses.

Larkin shook his head. "You keep 'em. If you're going to be a real spy, you're gonna need them."

Bartowski stuttered, "I don't... I don't want to be a real spy."

Larkin turned to walk away again, "From what I've seen, it's a little too late for that, Chuck. I'm sure you hate me right now. But someday you're gonna realize I was looking out for you. I had been all along."

Bartowski stayed sitting, after placing his head in his hands.

This was going to be another of those nights. Casey decided he wouldn't let Larkin win this time. He grabbed his cell phone and pressed a speed dial. When she answered, he said, "Walker, you better come to my place before seeing Bartowski. Larkin's been here."

She paused for a few seconds, then said, "On my way."

As she walked into his apartment, Casey just commented, "I've three videos for you to watch, Walker."

She stopped in the doorway. "Before we do that, I have some things to say, Casey."

He looked up and nodded to her.

"I know I hesitated. I let my guard down momentarily and it was a mistake. But I can protect Chuck." She looked relieved to get this off of her chest.

He grunted and replied, "I know you can. Probably better than I can."

She looked surprised to hear that.

"I'm not blind, Walker. I see how you look at him."

She struggled to respond. "Wha- what do you mean?"

He sighed, not wanting to discuss this. "You care for him more than a handler should. Hell, you might even love him. You'll protect him more, because of that."

She starts to protest, but he cuts her short. "He needs to know that, Walker. Larkin is sticking a knife in or at least trying to put a wedge between you." He pasued for a second. "He wants back in your pants, Walker. Is that what you want?"

They are both surprised at her angry shout, "NO!"

Casey smirks. "Then you better watch these."

He presses play on the first recording. The one with Bryce telling Chuck she might get killed because of her feelings for Chuck.

"Bastard!" she shouted. "When was this, Casey?"

"Yesterday."

"And you waited until now to show me?" she challenged.

He considered his response for a few seconds. "What he said was right. You do let you guard down around him."

She looked up at the ceiling, then back at him. "Okay, maybe I do, but you hid this from me!"

"I hid nothing. Just didn't go out of my way to show you," he shot back. Then he softened his voice. "I didn't think you seeing this would help."

She looked puzzled. "So why show me now?"

"I'll come on to that, but another recording first."

The second one, was of Chuck curled in bed, crying into his hands.

Casey could see Walker's eyes getting wet. "Why are you showing me this, Casey?"

He replied, "Him sobbing like a baby, straight after that meeting with Larkin. He's in love with you, Walker, and obviously can't cope with the thought of you being killed."

She was visibly shaken. "And you kept this from me, too?" A very subdued voice.

He was starting to get uncomfortable with the emotions on display before him. "Didn't see this recording until I was waiting for you to come over."

He continued, "Kid did good today. You did the right thing. You both deserve better than this. Besides, I don't want to listen to any more of this."

"What's the last recording?" she was trembling now. He had to look away and started the final playback.

After watching it, she started pacing the floor. "He's a real piece of shit! 'You'll do the right thing. You always do.' He's arm-twisting Chuck into breaking up with me!"

"Break the cover? Yeah, Bartowski probably will. Larkin seems to know how to manipulate him," Casey replied.

She stopped and glared at him, but not really at him. "You're right about what Bryce wants. Seems that's all he wants."

He smirked, "Must be a treasure trove in there."

"Shut it, Casey! Not funny!"

He asked the same question Larkin had asked Bartowski, "So what're you going to do about it?"

She thought for nearly a minute. "Will you tell Beckman I'm compromised, if I go to him?"

His reply iwa instant. "Hell, no! The three of us are a good team. Hell, he shouldn't still be an asset. But, whatever happens with him, I don't want to train a new partner."

She smiled. "Thank you, John. Will you switch off the surveillance for tonight, please?"

"I'll switch it off right now, so your conversation with him is private and I'll leave it off; I certainly don't want to see of hear what you two do tonight."

She beamed at him. "You're a good friend, John Casey."

'You've been Larkin'd. Fix it Walker."

"Thank you, John."

Chuck was sitting at the fountain facing towards the car park, obviously waiting for Sarah to arrive. She was now glad she arrived early and able to avoid him seeing her, but also to know what Bryce had said to him.

She walked up and stood in front of him. He looked up. "Hey."

She replied, "Hey. Everything okay?"

He stumbled over his reply, "Yeah, yeah. Just, there's, um... I just had a couple of things I wanted to tell you before dinner."

She looked at him. "Yeah. Me, too."

"Look..." he started and she tried to cut him off, but he ignored her and just ploughed on, "… we both know how I feel about you, so I'm just gonna shoot straight. Sarah, you're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. You're beautiful, you're smart, you laugh at all of my stupid jokes, and you have this horrible habit of constantly saving my life. The truth is, you're everything that I thought I ever wanted and more. The last few days, all I can think about is our future together, about what it's gonna be like once I finally get the Intersect out of my head, how we'll finally be together for real- no fake relationships... no covers, no lies."

He paused only briefly and she didn't get a chance to say anything before he continued, "But the more I think about it, the more I realize that you and I can never have a future together. I fooled myself into thinking that we could, but the truth is we can't. Because even if we had a real relationship, it would never really be real. I'd still never know anything about you- your real name, your hometown, your first love, anything. And I want more than that. I want to be able to call you at the end of a bad day and tell you about some funny thing that Morgan did and not find out that I can't because you're off... somewhere in Paraguay, quelling a revolution with a fork. I'm a normal guy... who wants a normal life. And as amazing as you are, Sarah Walker, we both know that... you will never be normal."

If she hadn't been prepared for this, or known she had Casey's backing, she would have retreated back into Agent Walker mode, closed off her feelings and responded something like, 'Someday, when the Intersect is out of your head and you have the life that you always wanted, you'll forget all about me,' but she had no intention of letting go now.

She looked at him with fire in her eyes. Chuck was taken aback by this. "I know who has made you think this, Chuck. Casey showed me the recordings."

He looked stunned. "He… he did?"

She held his gaze. "Chuck, first of all, I might get killed any day; that risk goes with the job. Second, my current job is to protect you, and I would do that, whether I have feelings for you or not."

She took a deep breath. "But, yes, I do have feelings for you, very strong feelings. I do want a 'real relationship' with you. I know it won't be 'normal', to use your words, but I think we'll be better than 'normal', I think we'll be great."

He swallowed, not believing what he was hearing. "W- when?"

She smiled. "Starting tonight, Chuck. Here or at my hotel room."

His face was full of doubts. "I don't know, Sarah."

She thinks of the other problems he mentioned about being with her. "Chuck, I will tell you all those things, but you'll have to be patient with me. I've buried them so deep, not wanting to face them myself, but I will drag them out, for you."

"Can… can I kiss you?"

"You better, Chuck," she looked him in the eyes. "And you better 'do the right thing' too. I've not had sex for nearly two years now, because of you!"

Once he'd caught his breath, he did kiss her, crashing his lips into hers. She opened her mouth and their tongues battled for ownership of that kiss.

When their lips finally part, he said, "I don't want 'normal' after that!"

She stood, still smiling and, to be honest, feeling lighter on her feet after that kiss. "Come on, we better get inside. They're waiting for us."

Having just climbed into his bed, Chuck was lying on his back. He was looking at the ceiling, trying not to look at Sarah lying next to him, facing him.

She didn't know why he was annoying looking at her, "Why are you like this, Chuck?"

His reply didn't really answer the question. "This feels like a dream, I'm waiting to wake up."

She pinched his side "Ouch!"

"Real enough?"

He rolled to face her. "I can't do this, Sarah. If we do … this … I won't want it to stop. I can't do a one-night stand. I'm not that kind of guy. I'll want this to be real, forever."

She smiled at him. "When I said, 'starting tonight' I didn't mean ending tonight as well. I want this to last, too. 'Forever' sounds a long time, but we can aim for that, Chuck."

He smiled, but then frowned. "You're not just doing this for the cover?"

She glared at him. "Not for the cover! This is for us. You and me. Don't you want that?"

He tried to correct the mistake he'd made. "Oh, I do, I've wanted it since the first day I met you."

She kept staring into his eyes. He does look certain. "Good."

He smiled. "I'm gonna kiss you now, Sarah."

She looked at him sultrily. "Kiss me, and a whole lot more, Chuck."

"Oh god, Sarah. This is more than a dream, it's a fantasy."

All this talk was not moving things forward. She got up and put on the light. "Let's explore that fantasy, It's probably the same as mine."

She pulled up him out of bed and swiftly removed his t-shirt and lifted her arms so he could do the same with her vest.

As he reached for it, and paused. "Taking that off is part of my fantasy, Sarah."

She let him and watched his eyes as the vest slipped to the floor. They widened and he looked in awe at her naked breasts. It made her tingle all over.

However, she wanted to be more than looked at tonight. She thought of Casey's sarcastic comment earlier. "There's more treasure in my panties, Chuck, but these…" she cupped her breasts, then pointed to her last remaining item of clothing, "… and what's in there, need to be handled, not just observed."

He smiled and slowly pulled her panties down, looking even more in awe.

She pulled down his boxers and is somewhat was pleased at what she saw. She pulled him to her. They'd both wanted this for over a year and she, at least, was waiting no longer.

As they woke the following morning, both reflected on the best night of their lives.

Their love making, and she knew it was that and not just sex, was everything Sarah could have hoped for, and a whole lot more. She had never been pleasured so much in her life. She knew he had not only captured her heart, but now the whole of her body wanted and needed him just as much.

Chuck was still in awe of Sarah. Before it was her kindness, her skills and her beauty. Now he could add the wonderful experience of making love to this amazing woman; to the woman he loved so much and, although she hadn't actually said it, who seemed to love him back.

They have slept, naked, in this bed with their legs entwined and her rather cold feet on his; he had no qualms about that. If he could stay like this for the rest of the day, it still wouldn't be long enough.

She had never woken with such warm feet. It felt wonderful, but having his arm around her and his warmth behind her was equally wonderful. She'd dreamt about this for months, but the reality was even better.

Without thinking, he pulled her body closer and he kissed her neck.

"Good morning to you too!" she said, with a big smile on her face.

"The dream continues," he whispered into her ear.

"Hmm, mine too, Chuck, but we both need to clean our teeth before we can start again."

"Start again?" He sounded as if he thought it had been just for the night.

"You didn't think we'd stop, did you?" she questioned back.

"This is heaven!" he gasped.

She gripped his hand and lifted the arm off of her. He whined a bit and she grinned at him. "Just going to brush my teeth. You better too, Chuck. I need more kisses..." As she put on her vest and panties, she looked at him again. "… and a lot more besides kisses."

She walked to the door and across to the bathroom, grabbing the wash kit she'd left last time she had stayed. That time had been a disaster, but this time, definitely not.

Fortunately, Ellie and Devon were at Westside, so hadn't heard them last night, nor this morning. It also meant Sarah and Chuck were able to shower together, without Chuck having any worries.

Sarah tried to reassure him about his concerns. "Chuck, if we were discovered in the shower by your sister, it would just strengthen his sister's belief that they were a real couple, because now we are."

"I don't want her to see us in there, any more than I do seeing her and Awesome in there." Then he thought about what she had said and smiled. "We are a real couple now, aren't we?"

She leant up, quite a long way in the shower, as he is so much taller than her, without her heels, and she kissed him. "We are, Chuck. Very much so."

Even here, embracing her naked body, he can't stop himself. "And the secrets?" he cursed himself as soon as he said it.

Sarah saw him wince, and guessed he wished he hadn't said that, but she replied anyway. "My first name, when I was born, was Samantha, but I haven't used that name for over twenty years. I am Sarah now. That's my real name now. I only want to be called that, by you or anyone else."

He pulled her to him and embraced her slippery body. "Thank you, Sarah."

They made love again under the pounding water of the shower.

"They can't know we are a real couple, Chuck."

He looked at Sarah, thinking he knew who she meant, but wanted to make sure. "Beckman? But Casey already knows, doesn't he?"

She was pleased he had remembered that. "Casey knows we were going to have sex last night, or at least he knows I wanted us to, but I haven't actually told him we are entering a real relationship."

Chuck looked panicked. "I don't think I'll be able to hide it from him, Sarah."

"He won't be a problem. He wants the team to stick together. He told me he 'didn't want to break in a new partner.'" She said the last part in a deep, growly voice.

Chuck grinned on hearing that. "So, who, other than Beckman?"

"It's the whole of the NSA, not just Beckman, and the CIA as well," she advised him.

"So, what do we do?" He looked so adorable and totally trusting her to tell him this.

She gripped his hands in hers. "When on calls with Beckman, or around any other agents, we have to act like handler and asset. I'll have to continue to tell you what you can and can't do, but I'll be doing that anyway." She glared at him for a second or two. "I'll still want you to stay in the car, Chuck."

She continued, "Obviously no hand holding or kissing in Castle. We'd need to avoid that for Casey's piece of mind, anyway. And no sex just before calls with Beckman; we can't be glowing when she sees us."

His lips quirk. "Glowing?"

"Glowing, Chuck." She confirmed. "That would be me, but we can't have goofy grins from you, either."

He sobered up. "That's going to be hard, Sarah, but I'll do my best."

"You better get it right, Chuck, or she'll be sending someone to evaluate me, to see if I'm compromised. They will find that and I'll be sent away for good."

He shook his head. "Not for good, Sarah. That would be really, really bad."

She smiled at him and placed her palm on his cheek. "I think so too, Chuck."

He smiled back.

Then she remembered Casey's comment about Chuck's status. "I also think Casey and I should try to persuade Beckman that you should be an analyst rather than an asset, a Field Analyst. That's the role you're you are already performing."

Chuck is smart, but at this point in time, focused on one thing. "Then we could be open about our relationship."

She grinned at him mentioning that first. "Yes, but there'd be other benefits, too. For instance, no surveillance and you'd be paid for what you are currently doing for free."

He looked overjoyed. "When?"

She realized that she should probably not have mentioned it until it was definitely happening. She'd gotten his hopes up. "Well, it will only happen if we can persuade Beckman and I haven't talked to Casey about it yet."

"Oh, okay." He now looked somewhat downbeat.

"Chuck, I shouldn't have mentioned it, until I had made it happen. I'm sorry," she apologized.

He took her hand. "No. Thank you. It really shows me what you'll do for me, Sarah, trying to persuade Beckman is a tall order."

She decided she needed to stop talking about this. "Talking of tall orders, I think I need to order a certain tall man to make love to me again."

"Order?" He raised an eyebrow at her, as he said it.

"I'm not going to beg, Chuck, but you know I can't get enough of you, now I have made love to you," she confessed.

He smirked, "I think you took all I could give, Sarah."

She grinned, "I did, didn't I, and I want all of it again, Lover."

He looked dreamy for a second. "Lover! I really like being the amazing Sarah Walker's lover!"

As she pulled him to her, and he did start again, she gasped and then breathed into his ear, "Me too, Chuck, me too."

FIN