A/N: 18 months ago I began writing on this site. For 18 months there have been chapters I have been terrified to release, and yet, they came out fine. Yesterday…yesterday I released a chapter with so many clues in it I though it was too easy. That wasn't supposed to be that big of a cliff hanger. It wasn't supposed to make you think that I'd do that, but if you did, please know, EDC is laughing his head off. I'm sorry, he's evil. Ch 9: Let's Give Them Something to Talk About.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck…and you'll have to yank my fluffy fanfic crown from cold dead hands. :)

Sarah sat at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her face. She didn't know when she had hurt so bad. She felt two small arms go around her shoulders.

"Here, Miss Sarah," Sam said, handing her a towel and a wet washcloth. "He's gonna be here in just a second. He's getting the solution." Sarah could only nod.

"Okay, okay, I've got it, you wanna get by-" he was cut off by her grabbing his arm and dragging him over to her. "Okaaayyyy," he said, as she pulled her eyelid opened. He saw the offending piece of onion in her eye, and carefully flushed it away with the eye cleaner.

"Oh thank God," she whimpered, relief spreading through her eye. "That's ridiculous how much that hurts."

"You okay? Need me to do anything?" Chuck asked, squatting down to get a good look at her face. She gave him a soft smile and shook her head. "I got some solution on your shirt. Want me to grab you a tee shirt and I throw yours in the dryer." She nodded. "Okay, you sure you're okay?" She nodded, leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I don't know if you are really okay, but I am," he replied grinning. He thought about what he said and his face twitched.

Sarah snorted at him. "Go on, you goof," she said. Chuck walked off and she turned to Sam, who put a finger to her lips, and then zipped it. Sam skipped off to her room. What a difference an hour made.

}o{

One hour earlier

Sarah stared at Chuck, emotions flying through her. What was this picture? How did he get it? Who had done this to him? What must he think?

"I'm sorry," Chuck said shaking his head and stepping back. "I wanted you to know what was going on and where I was earlier today. Come on in. Anything happen at lunch?" Sarah stared at him in disbelief but came inside. She shut the door behind her and just kept staring at him. "What?"

"That's your reaction to this photo?"

"It's fake," Chuck replied, shrugging.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Many reasons, but the obvious one is you wouldn't do that to Sam," Chuck said, shrugging. He took the bags from her hand and headed into the kitchen. She could have fallen over. She shook her head and followed him inside to the kitchen. "So spaghetti bake, huh?"

"You said many reasons," she mustered out.

"Yeah, the shadows are wrong, they're pointing different directions, but the biggest giveaway is your hair is too short," Chuck replied, unloading groceries from the bag. "Are you sure about this onion? We always use Vidalia onions." He paused, seemed to think for a second, and then continued. "Regular onions make me cry when cutting them."

"I'll chop them so you won't have to," she responded softly, almost automatically. She shook her head, still amazed. "My hair is too short in the picture?" Chuck nodded like it was obvious. "It was in a ponytail, how could you know that?"

"This weekend when I was holding it, I noticed how long it was. The picture is obviously older, you were a little younger in it. I notice things about you, Sarah. Sorry, I hope that's not creepy." He was going to say more, when she shot the distance between them in two steps, cupped his face in her hands, and pulled him in for a kiss.

He was shocked at first, and then he reacted and pulled her against him, her mouth started to open when it happened.

"YES!" Sam yelled. The two broke apart and spun to see Sam with the biggest smile on her face. "I know, I know," she said and mimicked zipping her lips shut.

Chuck turned back to Sarah who gave a wincing shrug. "I mean we can't have the other kids at school jealous that I'm dating one of the dads."

"Yeah, can't have that," Chuck replied, eyes wide and mind attempting to reboot.

}o{

Chuck brought her a tee shirt and she went to the bathroom and changed. She walked out, took her shirt from him and showed him how she would operate the dryer if it was hers…and then she used it…just like it was hers.

"We've got about 20 minute on the spaghetti bake, so, back to the problem when I got here tonight, who do you think is behind this?" Sarah asked as they were walking back to the living room.

"Well, obviously Roan," Chuck replied. "He gave it to me. I wonder if Carina is as well, they were together." Chuck looked over at Sarah's face, a thundercloud. "Did I do something?" he asked in a panic.

She shook her head. "I might have gone off about how great a guy you are and how much I enjoy being around you," she said with a wince. He started to talk when there was a pounding on the door. Chuck gave Sarah a look and she shrugged. He got up, but her hand caught his wrist and they headed to the door together. Chuck opened the door. "What the hell?!"

"Sarah?" Bryce asked.

"Bryce?" Chuck asked.

"Damn it, Larkin!" they heard Casey yell from behind.

"Please, Chuck, I have to see her," Bryce begged.

"She's right here," Chuck said, motioning to Sarah.

"Chuck." Bryce paused. "Sam. I need to see her." It started to dawn on Chuck was Bryce was saying. "Did you ever see the test results that Jill made you take for paternity? Do you know?" Casey had made it to them, and from the look on his face it was becoming clear, Chuck was the only one this thought had not occurred to. He felt Sarah take his hand. "I'm not here to take her away from you, but, if she's mine…can't I see her?"

}o{

Casey grabbed Bryce and pulled him inside. Casey slammed the door and turned to Chuck, but he stopped. Sarah had his face in her hands talking softly to him. Bryce leaned over, his voice low. "Casey, I swear I'm not trying to screw up his life, I swear."

"I know, Larkin, but damn it, I told you to stay away from her."

"Wait," Sarah said, turning. "You knew he was back?"

"Yeah, he's doing undercover work for the CIA," Casey explained. "You got screwed over by Graham, when Larkin was trying to disappear."

"What?!" Sarah was livid. "Graham sent me after him!"

"Because Graham is part of Fulcrum."

"Guys…my daughter," Chuck said softly. Everyone stopped and turned toward him.

"Daddy," Sam said, coming into the room. "Hey, Uncle Casey." Bryce stared at her, got up, and walked over. Sam looked up at Bryce.

"It's okay, honey," Chuck said, his voice quivering, tears in his eyes. "It's okay."

Sam nodded to Chuck and turned to Bryce as he squatted in front of her. He looked at the curl of her hair and lightly touch one of them. "You may be prettier than your aunt Ellie, but don't tell her I said that." Sam gave him a big smile. Bryce smiled at her, stood, turned to Chuck, grinned and caught him in a bear hug. "Thank God I didn't screw that up too," he said softly. "No one smiles like that but a Bartowski." Chuck wrapped his arms around his former best friend and hugged him back.

"You didn't know," he said, not asked. The two separated.

"No, and there's a lot you don't know," Bryce replied. He looked over at Sarah. "That either of you don't know." He looked from one to the other and grinned. "And apparently a lot that I don't know," he said, crossing his arms.

}o{

"So, to sum," Chuck said, a headache about to make his head split open. "You knew Jill was a 'bad guy' back then, this group Fulcrum, and slept with her to get her away from me?"

"Yeah, I admit it wasn't the smartest plan, but I was trying to save you from her," Bryce said. "It was a dumb plan," he added. "But I meant well."

"I'd hate to see the shit you'd cause if you meant to," Casey grumbled.

"And you were trying to 'die' to off the grid and when I found you, I got caught in an explosion that was supposed to have faked your death?" Sarah asked.

Bryce rubbed his neck. "Yes," he admitted softly. "I am so sorry, Sarah. I was to have no contact with you, I didn't know who to trust, not that I thought you were dirty," he added quickly. "But, it was supposed to be a solo mission."

Sarah looked down at her leg and back at Bryce, a scowl on her face. "I am pissed, but it sounds like I'm supposed to be pissed at Graham." Bryce stood there quietly. "So now what?"

"Now I have to try and bring down Jill," Bryce replied. "In the past few years she has made certain DNA tests appear negative for prominent people with those they are having affairs with."

Chuck gave a low whistle. "Now I get your worry."

"Right?" Bryce asked. "So she has the influence, power, and wealth behind her to work on things that may or not be legal. Spoiler alert, they're not. She's working on a nanobot system she can weaponize, and her plan is to sell it to Fulcrum. It could use the DNA of someone to attack them."

"That's some of your nerd stuff, Bartowski," Casey said. "Bryce is going to stay with me at my place, so Walker, if you wanna stay here and help out the nerd…"

"Uh, no," Chuck replied, and Sarah spun. "What I mean is…uh…Sam."

"It would appear a certain way to her," Sarah offered. Chuck nodded. "I understand."

Casey stared at Chuck. "Huh," he grunted. "That's actually a grown up decision." Chuck did the mature thing and stuck out his tongue. "You really are a moron." He turned to Sarah. "I was wondering, do you think you can slip a bug into Gertrude's studio?"

"Oh crap, is she part of Fulcrum?"

"What, no," Casey replied. "I need to learn everything I can about her."

"Why do you need to do that, Casey, and who is Gertrude?" Chuck asked.

"My physical therapist," Sarah replied. "I'll tell you the whole story later." Chuck nodded. "Why do you need to do that, Casey?"

"I want to ask her out and I need to know everything before hand," Casey replied, looking at them like they were stupid.

"Uh, that's what the date is for," Chuck replied.

"Yeah, like you didn't find out everything about Walker before you two started dating," Casey retorted.

"You did that, even after I told you not to," Chuck fired back.

"Wait," Sarah said, looking back and forth between the two. "First, we've never actually been on a date," Sarah began.

"Then what is this?" Bryce asked. "You've made him dinner, I'm pretty sure you two were getting cozy before I showed up."

"Uh," Chuck began.

"Fine, it's a date," Sarah said.

"It is?" Chuck asked. She turned to him, an eyebrow raised. "It is," he stated, turning back and nodding.

"You did a background check on me?" Sarah asked. Casey started to reply when she waved him off. "I actually get it, he's told me a little bit of the story. You're a good guy, Casey."

Casey glared at her. "You gonna bug her?" Sarah shook her head. Casey grabbed Bryce by the arm, pulling him out the door behind him. Bryce waved on his way out the door.

Sarah walked over and shut the door and turned to Chuck. "You okay?"

"We're dating?" Sarah nodded. "I'm amazing."

"Chuck about the photo," she began.

"Can we talk about it later, when we're not on our date?" Sarah grinned and nodded. She started to him. "Thanks," he said softly. "If she wasn't my daughter…."

She pulled him in for a hug. "Chuck, blood or not, she's your daughter. But Bryce is right, the smile, that's a Bartowski smile." She held on tight, thinking about how bad she was going to kick Carina's ass.

A/N: Is that a cliffhanger? Reviews and PMs are always welcomed.

David