I don't own Chuck

"Should you be doing this?" Chuck asked her. Sarah gave him a flat look and he sighed.

"I am fine on these crutches," Sarah told him. Chuck nearly responded when the door opened and the smirk on Sarah's face fell.

"Nope," Ellie began.

"I am released from the hospital," Sarah argued. "He needs to walk, and I need to walk, so…" Ellie and Sarah stared at each other. Chuck grabbed the blanket on his bed and threw it over his head to hide. Both women couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"What if I walk with you two," Ellie offered.

"That would work," Chuck said. Sarah turned to him, an amused smile on her face. "Listen, I'm the one who's being double teamed here."

"What do you mean double teamed, Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"The two women that care for me more than anyone else," Chuck replied.

"No, there's another," Ellie said gently. "Molly."

"How is she?" Chuck asked hurriedly. "I want to see her, but.." He glanced down at his stomach and then back to his sister.

"She's okay," Ellie assured Chuck. "We will find a way for you to see her and you be protected."

"Kevlar?" Sarah asked. Ellie thought for a second and nodded.

}o{

"You doing okay?" Sarah asked. After two weeks in the hospital, Chuck had been released. They were walking back to their apartment from the SUV. Ellie, Devon, and Casey were right there to watch them. Sarah was doing well on the crutches, Chuck was shuffling along more than walking, trying not to hurt himself each step he took.

"Wonderful," he groaned. He pulled up to stop, and then turned to everyone behind him. "I feel like the pied piper," he told them. "How about all of you go wait by the fountain while we shuffle our way to our door?"

Ellie gave him a look, but relented. Devon followed her, and Casey did as well, chuckling. Chuck turned back to Sarah, apprehension on his face. "I need to talk to you a minute."

"I'm not forcing my way into your room," she told him gently. "But, I'm not gonna lie and tell you that I'd really rather be right there to help you if you need it. Especially with me like this." She glanced down at her leg and then back at him. "Chuck, I'm not going to apologize for what I said-"

"I don't want you to," Chuck cut in, surprising himself. "I…I am absolutely crazy about you, Sarah." He took a deep breath, looked away, and then back to her, tears in his eyes. "I shot the woman I loved, because my partner, told me too. I was then seduced by him and made to believe that it was us against the world until he got what he wanted and then did his best to mentally destroy me while physically hurting me."

"He did," Sarah replied. "But I'm not him."

"Oh, I am WELL aware you are not." He took a deep breath. "I didn't know I could care about anyone who wasn't family. I didn't know I could ever care about anyone else, and you've shown me I can." He looked down and set his jaw. He looked back up at her. "I'm scared Sarah. Scared you'll leave, be taken away from me. I'm scared he'll hurt you because of what you mean to me."

"What I mean to you…Chuck?" She emphasized the "k" and had to steel himself from the shiver that ran down his back. "Let me be crystal clear, I am not going to let that sonofabitch hurt you if I physically can." She glanced down at her leg. "Obviously I lost the first round, but not the war."

"I swear to God, part of me wants to run and take you with me, but that's not who we are."

"No, we're not," Sarah told him. "But, I'll make you a deal." She grinned at him. "WHEN we finish him off, and clean up this mess, if you want to leave, I'll leave."

"Sarah-" he began.

"No, Chuck, I'm not doing this for revenge, but because he'll never stop if he thinks you're his weakness."

"He doesn't," Chuck argued.

"Right now, he doesn't, but he'll realize it." She smiled at him. "He'll figure out exactly who you are."

"Who am I?" Chuck asked her.

"Chuck Bartowski."

"He already knows that," he replied, confused.

"No, he thinks your Charles Carmichael," Sarah gently reminded him.

"I don't want to see you hurt, Sarah." She nodded, moved to him, and pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her. "I need to tell you something, but I'm scared of what it will do to you."

"What do you think it will do, run me off?" she teased.

"No, I think it will pull you in even closer and get you killed."

She pulled away a bit, and looked up at him. "I already know," she said softly. He started to argue and she gave him that amused smile that always disarmed him. "Chuck, I know."

"About my comic books?"

"Yep, that's it," she told him as she released him and noticed he didn't release her.

"I'm going to say this softly, so Ellie doesn't storm across the courtyard, and tackle hug both of us putting us back into the hospital," Chuck told her. "I love you."

She stared into his eyes. "You and I have one first class sonofabitch to take down, and then…then you and I…" she trailed off and winked at him.

"Just be gentle with me, I'm a bit beat up. Like physically beat up."

"I've got the broken leg you big baby," she reminded him, grinning. "Come on, we stand here much longer, Ellie's gonna jump to her own conclusions."

"Pretty sure she already has," Chuck said, as the two slowly made their way to their apartment.