A/N: Is this feeling….fluffy? Hehehehehe. Seriously, these schools….they can be a cesspit of germs and colds. Ch 7, Nursing Back to Health

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck….really. I don't…I mean it. I don't.

Sarah walked inside and looked around. The apartment looked okay, but she heard a noise. It sounded like a cow dying. At least she thought it did. She'd never heard a dying cow before but she was, oddly, 100-percent sure that's what one would sound like.. She followed the sound of the miserable lowing to a bedroom and saw Chuck, lying on his bed. His head was on one corner of the bed, his feet on the other lengthwise. He was wearing a tee shirt and jogging pants, and his hair was deliciously messy…deliciously messy? What the hell, Walker?

"You gonna make it, Chuck?" she asked, trying to control of herself.

"Run," came his raspy voice. "Save yourself."

"I'm immune to it," Sarah replied, walking in. She put her cool hand on his clammy forehead. "You're burning up. When's the last time you took anything?"

"Casey says medicine's for-"

"Remember your daughter's in the house."

"...Weak people who would forfeit the republic to commies," Chuck finished. "What did you think I'd say?" Sarah wasn't touching that one. "So four hours ago is the last time I took anything, and if the republic falls, I understand it's all my fault."

"Pretty sure it's not your fault," Sarah said, heading to the kitchen. "What do you need?"

"Ibuprofen," Chuck replied. "And OJ."

Sarah paused at the door. "Anything else?"

"Could you put my OJ in my Superman glass?"

Sarah stared at him. "I'd be glad to, but I don't know what that is."

"I've got it Au-Miss Sarah."

Sarah turned and saw Sam holding a bottle of medicine and a glass of OJ in a glass with a picture a very attractive man with his red underwear on the outside of his...blue underwear?. She squatted down and whispered into her ear. "You can't call me 'Aunt Sarah' if I'm going to date him."

Sam squealed. She put a finger to her mouth and made the sign of zipping her lips. Sarah took the medicine and the drink and took it to Chuck. He reached for the medicine and she gave him a look. He thrust his hand out again, and she handed it to him, shrugging. She crossed her arms and grinned as she watched him spend a few minutes trying to open the bottle. "Child proof caps got you down?"

He flopped against the bed melodramatically. She wanted to scoop him in her arms and hold him, but she knew she shouldn't. She really thought she shouldn't…right?

She took the bottle out of his hand, opened it, shook out the pills, closed the bottle, sat down on the bed beside him, put her hand left hand under his back, and gently, but firmly lifted him to a seated position. "Thank you," he said softly. He looked so pitiful she wanted to hug him, but she instead handed him the pills, took the glass from Sam, and after he put them in his mouth, handed him the glass. After he swallowed them, she gently lowered him, and then, against her better judgment, moved one of the stray curls away from his face.

"You're so pretty," he mumbled.

"You have a fever," Sarah replied, grinning at him. "Get some rest." Chuck's eyes were already shut and he was snoring softly.

"I'm kinda surprised he didn't want his Star Wars Han Solo glass," Sam said. Sarah looked up at her. "It has him and Uncle Morgan on it, since they're heterosemetrical life partners."

"Heterosemetrical?"

"Yep, they're friends for life. Uncle Morgan is Chewie, since he's hairy," Sam explained.

"I learn the darndest things here," Sarah replied.

}o{

Sarah's eyes snapped open and realized she was being watched.

"Please don't beat me up," Chuck said softly. "I think she needs to get to bed."

Sarah and Sam had fallen asleep while watching Disney movies and having a princess tea party. They were curled up on the couch together. "Careful, you'll knock your tiara off." She and Sam both had on tiaras. You had to: it was a princess tea party. It was dark but Sarah was pretty sure he felt the look she gave him.

"I'll knock off your tiara," she retorted. Chuck froze, the look on his face, priceless. "Here, let me get her to bed, you're still sick."

"Am not," Chuck replied. "Fever's gone." Sarah stood, and put her hand on his forehead and then his cheeks.

"Hmm, well you don't seem it," she agreed.

"I'm not, you can tell I don't have a fever." She shrugged and turned around. He gently grabbed her arm and bent forward, she turned, looking at him. "Kiss it." She didn't move. "My forehead." She froze. "Sarah, that's how you tell, bend forward and kiss it." Sarah leaned forward and hesitantly kissed his forehead. "See, no fever."

She straightened. "Regardless, I am putting this child into bed."

"Because I'm weak from what I've been through?"

Sarah grinned at him. "No, because I want to. Now get to bed. I'll be here in the morning. We need to talk about some stuff." Chuck stood there. "To. Bed."

"Bossy," he muttered walking away.

"He likes it," Sam muttered in Sarah's arms. Sarah snorted and took her to bed.

}o{

Sarah sat at the table in the morning, her stomach churning. She didn't know why she was so worried about telling Chuck about Director King. She couldn't think of a time her stomach hurt this much from worry. Chuck came into the kitchen.

"Good morning, thanks for hanging out last night."

"It's no problem, Chuck. Look, we need to talk." Chuck sat down. "Director King of the CIA contacted me a few nights ago." Chuck dropped his head. "It appears Bryce isn't dead."

"I can't believe this," Chuck muttered.

"I feel nauseous," Sarah said softly.

"I know, I do too," Chuck replied. "What did King wa-" Chuck cut off mid word as Sarah ran past him into the kitchen. "Wait! Don't throw up in the-" She threw up in the sink. "I'm gonna have to sanitize that," he muttered as he stood up, walked over, and gathered her hair as she wretched again. "That's a lot."

"I don't need commentary," she muttered through gasps of breath.

"Sorry," he replied, reaching over and grabbing a washcloth. Sam came down, surveyed the scene and walked away. She came back a few seconds later and gave Chuck a hair tie. He put Sarah's hair in a ponytail. She tried to give him a look. "Listen, we can talk about how good I am at fixing your hair later, right now I'm more concerned about you not throwing up on it."

"Thank you," she muttered.

}o{

Chuck sat on the couch, his arms wrapped around a pillow, staring at the TV. He had tried watching anything and everything, but nothing could take his mind off of the news Sarah had told him. Bryce Larkin was alive. Bryce Larkin used to be Sarah's former partner. Bryce had slept with Jill. Chuck was glad Bryce wasn't dead…that meant he could punch him in the face.

Sam was on the couch reading another book for her STAR test on Monday. As she closed the book, she looked at her father. She could tell he was upset. He usually wasn't that upset unless Jill had done something to her.

"Daddy, did Jill do something?"

"No, Baby," Chuck replied, turning to her. "Why do you ask?"

"You only get this upset when she's done something. But you don't have to worry about her anymore, I have a new role model now, it's Miss Sarah."

Chuck looked at his daughter. "Sam, I-I….Miss Sarah might have to leave, her boyfriend has come back."

"Is that the good looking one?" Sam asked. Chuck's eyes widened and he instinctively pressed his lips together. He nodded. "She doesn't like him. She said he's not a good guy, like you."

"Wait, whaaaa?" He dropped the pillow and turned toward her.

"She said he wasn't a good guy like you and when I asked if you were good looking, she nodded."

"Really?" Chuck asked.

"Yep, and she wouldn't answer if you cranked her gears," Sam said, still coloring, not seeing her father nearly choke. "But she turned the same color red you do when I asked you."

"Sam, you can't go around saying that!"

"I'm sorry. It sounds funny, Daddy, and I heard it from Uncle Casey."

"She's right, it does sound funny," came the weak voice behind him. Chuck spun, saw Sarah, got up, and went over to her, trying to help her to the couch, even as she tried to push him off. Sam went to get medicine and some OJ.

"You should be in bed," Chuck said.

"Is that a pickup line to get me in your bed? Because it's really lame," Sarah replied. Chuck turned red. "Seriously?"

Sam came in with medicine and some OJ in a glass with a woman in white, holding what looked to be some space gun, and her hair in a bun.

"This is Princess Leia," Sam said. "She's the best. She has to save Han after he messes up saving her."

"Figures, guys always need saving in the end, don't they?" Sarah asked taking a drink and downing the medicine.

Sam nodded. "She's also in love with Han…that's the one my dad is," Sam said as Sarah was drinking the rest of her OJ. Sarah nearly choked.

"Sam, let's quit trying to kill our guest," Chuck said gently.

"Sorry," Sarah croaked. "Sam, I need to talk to your dad privately for a bit, is that okay?"

"Can you please not kiss right now, he just got well," Sam said walking off.

"WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT KISSING?!" Chuck yelled after her. He turned back, seeing Sarah wincing. "Sorry," Chuck said, taking the glass.

"I mean she has a point." Chuck swallowed, not sure how to take that. "Listen, we need to talk about King."

"Sarah, when you're better," Chuck insisted.

"No," Sarah replied, a little surprised herself at her insistence. "I haven't known you long, Chuck, but I do know if left to your own devices you'll think up something." Chuck didn't answer, but the sheepish look on his face told her what she needed to know. "King did not know Bryce was alive."

"Then why send Roan here?"

Sarah sighed. "Would you believe a really complicated love story?" Chuck didn't know how to respond to that. "Roan had been pressured to retire by the woman that loves him, but he still feels he has something to give the agency. He's the one that currently is not in contact with King. I was asked to watch him. That's it. If I see something weird, to report it. Nothing to do with you."

"So what about Bryce?"

"I don't know, King isn't allowed to tell me anything else, but he's asking I stay away from Bryce." Chuck didn't say anything. Sarah closed her eyes, exhausted.

"I mean I get why," he said softly. "He's probably scared you'll kick pretty boy's ass." Sarah snorted. "Okay, back into bed."

"You seem awful insistent on getting me in your bed," she said, opening one eye.

He colored, but held her gaze. "Yes, yes I am," he said softly.

"Okay," Sarah replied, just as softly. "Everything Sam told you is true."

"I'm gonna need to talk to her about eavesdropping," Chuck said, helping her up and guiding her to his room.

"Don't be too hard on her, I'm rather glad she did."

"Me too," Chuck said helping her into bed. He straightened, and she was already asleep. "Me too."

He then heard the most awful noise in the world. "DADDDDDYYYYYY!" He heard the noise again, and he ran.

}o{

"Hey, time to get up, Big Guy," Gertrude said, shaking Casey awake. Casey had crashed on her couch after following Jill all night, trying to find Bryce.

"Thanks, Gertrude," Casey mumbled, wiping the sleep out of his eyes and accepting the cup of coffee Gertrude offered him. There was a knock on the door. "Expecting someone?"

"No," Gertrude said. They both pulled out their guns. Gertrude gave him a look. "Casey, it's not proper to pull out a gun at someone else's house."

"I'll cover you," he grunted. She walked to the door and looked out the peep hole.

She turned slowly back to him. "Tall, good hair, pretty?"

"Larkin," Casey growled. "What the hell is he doing here?" Gertrude opened the door, and both of them pointed their guns at Bryce.

"Casey, please put down your weapon, I have no desire to die. I need your help." Casey gave Gertrude a look, and she pulled him inside the apartment and shut the door behind him. "Casey, please."

"Talk, Larkin. And know, if I don't like what I hear, I'm shooting you." Gertrude glared at him. "Fine, Gertrude is shooting you." Gertrude smiled.

A/N: GADZOOKS! Reviews and PMs are always welcome, until next time.

David