A/N: If any of this reminds you of halfachance or Doc and Nick….It kinda got stuck in my head and I couldn't get it out. Ch 10, Penguins

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck.

Chuck walked into the school the next morning whistling. As he turned a corner there stood Roan signing some paperwork. Roan saw Chuck and hurried after him.

"Mr. Bartowski, you seem to be in an especially good mood this morning," Roan noted. "Over our fair Miss Walker already?"

Chuck stopped and turned to Roan. "Mr. Montgomery, I do believe the hours I am in this building you are my superior and it would not be legal to talk about any relationship I have with anyone else to you since you are my superior. Now if I brought it up, that might be alright. But I'm not. So unless you have any computing needs…no? Buh bye." Chuck turned and walked toward the computer lab and his smile brightened. Leaning on the door frame with her arms crossed was one Sarah Walker. "Miss Walker, how are you this fine morning?"

"I am good, Chuck," she replied, an amused smile on her face. "You seem awfuly….chipper."

"I am, I had a really good night last night," Chuck replied, a grin on his face.

"Did you have a date or something last night?" She was giving him a mock evil eye, grinning the whole time.

Chuck shrugged. "Dunno," he admitted. "But, she kissed me. Soooo, I'ma hopin!"

"Do I have competition?" Sarah asked in a low voice.

"None," Chuck replied immediately earning him a smile. "So was it?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, was it?"

"Ya killing me, Sarah, killing me."

"You like it," she replied, and he beamed. He did. Her expression went pensive. "Sooo, I'm actually here for a work reason."

"You wanted to tell me my kid's the best in your class?"

She swatted him on the chest. "I can't say that," she replied, looked around, and then dropped her voice. "She might be my favorite."

"It's that Bartowski charm," Chuck replied. "What can I do to make your life better, Miss Walker?"

Her eyes sparkled. "We're not gonna unpack all that right now, but, it seems one of the parents dropped out of the field trip today."

Chuck shook his head. "That is terrible."

Her grin intensified. "So, I was trying to find a male teacher to take his place." The smile on Chuck's face began to fall. "And it was brought to my attention that there is a parent that actually works at the school."

"That doesn't seem fair," Chuck muttered. Sarah was trying hard not to laugh. "But, I'm willing to go talk to this person and have them help chaperon 20 children to see…it's penguins isn't it?" Sarah nodded. "Is there any other chaperon but you?" Sarah shook her head. "What if I do it?" Sarah smiled at him, her eyes sparking. "For the children, of course."

"For the children," Sarah replied, nodding solemnly.

}o{

Chuck was on the bus, rubbing his back from running over yet another bump in the road, on the bus with little to no shocks to support them, when his cellphone rang. "My back is gonna be messed up for a month," he muttered, pulling out his phone.

"I guess I'll have to get you a back massage as a thank you," Sarah replied to him, a smile on her face.

Chuck gave her a look, wondering exactly what that meant, looked at the phone, rolled his eyes, and answered. "Hi, Casey."

"Are you compromised?" Casey asked.

Chuck looked over at Sarah. "Probably," he admitted. "But not in the way you mean." Sarah looked at him, an eyebrow up, and Chuck had to look away, his neck turning red. "I'm chaperoning the field trip to the penguin exhibit at the zoo."

"Shit, I was gonna do that and never got the paperwork in," Casey muttered.

"Wait, whaaaaaa?" Chuck asked, shocked.

"Someone has to contribute from our household," Casey replied.

"Don't you think you should have talked that over with me first?"

"Is he fighting with his husband?" Sally asked.

"He's not married to Uncle Casey, they just live together," Sam replied. "He's moved out for a bit and Dad is trying to get used to being on his own."

"Are you okay?" Sally asked.

Sam shrugged. "I mean I miss him a little, but Dad's been seeing…" she looked over at Sarah who was crying from trying to hold in the laughter. "Someone new." Sally nodded.

"Casey," Chuck said in a strangled voice.

"I heard, and I'm killing you later. Tell Walker I'll be providing support and backup." Casey hung up with that.

"Everything okay with you two?" Sarah asked. Chuck gave her a flat look and she burst out laughing.

}o{

"Seriously, they still do Jungle Juice?" Chuck asked the bus driver.

"And it tastes worse now then it did then," the bus driver replied. "That's the last one off."

"Thank you, Bill," Chuck said heading off the bus and was surprised when Sarah nearly hit him with her hand.

"Sorry, I get so used to counting them, and forgot you're a lot taller," she said with a wince.

"Actual head count, huh?" Chuck asked. She grinned and nodded. "Well, they seem anxious."

"Okay friends, remember hold your partners hand," Sarah said to the kids.

"Will you hold Mr. Chuck's hand since he doesn't have a partner?" Sally asked. Chuck's eyes went wide.

"Well, I can't because I'm at the front of the group and he's in the back," Sarah explained. "Besides, he doesn't need anyone to hold his hand, he can see everybody, easily."

"He is tall," Sally agreed. "I don't know why his….Uncle Casey left him."

"Casey isn't Daddy's uncle, he's my uncle," Sam explained.

"Annnd, we're walking," Sarah said, trying not to laugh. They entered the zoo and headed for the penguin habitat. Sarah was showing the kids the penguins and reminding them the facts they learned about the penguins in class.

Chuck was standing back to make sure there were no runners when he saw him. He was standing off to the side, but it was hard to miss a 6 foot 4 inch ex-marine wearing a yellow shirt that said March of the Emperor Penguins. Chuck blinked.

"Mr. Chuck," Sally said, tugging on his pants. "I think we have stranger danger."

Chuck squatted down to talk to her eye to eye. "Tall guy, yellow shirt, seems like he grunts alot?" Sally nodded. "That's just Mr. Casey. He's all about safety. He used to be a marine and he's just over there protecting you." Sally turned toward him and waved. Casey ignored her. She waved again. "Sally, he's not going to respond."

Sally, undeterred, began to jump up and down and wave as she yelled, "MR. CASEY!"

Chuck heard those magic grunts, "Christ, Bartowski," and he walked over to the group. "What the he….ck is going on?"

"The children were scared of stranger danger, because someone they didn't now was watching them. Someone tall, big, and physically threatening."

"I get what your daddy sees in him," Sally said to Sam. Casey's and Chuck's eyes both grew wide.

"Okay, everyone, we have time to see the hippos!" Sarah said, her face threatening to break from smiling. "Remember to hold hands with your partner." Everyone took their partners hand and they all turned to Chuck and Casey.

"You have got to be….. You can't be serious!" Casey growled.

Chuck gulped. "Sarah," he nearly whimpered.

"Mr. Chuck, Mr. Casey, the children won't get to see the hippos until everyone takes their partners hand," Sarah said, tears spilling out of her eyes.

"Don't break my hand," Chuck said to Casey, staring at him.

Casey muttered, and held out his hand. Chuck put his hand in Casey's.

"Maybe they'll get back together," Sally said to Sam.

"Nah, I think my dad has found the perfect one for him," Sam replied, looking over at her teacher laughing uproariously.

}o{

The two bickered back and forth the entire way to the hippos. Chuck and Casey stood on opposite ends at the back of the group while Sarah reminded the kids of everything they learned. When she finished she headed over to Chuck while the kids continued to watch the hippos.

"Do I need to separate you two?" she asked, grinning.

"I wish you would," Chuck said, shaking his head and chuckling. "I'm glad we're you're entertainment for the evening."

"Well, it's time for lunch so why don't we take them over to those tables where Bill has brought our lunch and then when we go back, we'll have Mr. Casey lead and I'll walk with you," Sarah offered.

"Will I have to hold your hand, because you know, girls have cooties."

Sarah stared at him for a second. "Your choice, Chuck, it's either mine or Casey's hand." He was quiet, like he was pondering. "Chuck?"

"Give me a second, I'm thinking," he replied, a grin growing on his face. She swatted him. "Fine, but if you give me any cooties-"

"I'll help you get rid of them," she said in a low voice. His brain rebooted. He had no idea what that meant, but his brain didn't care.

}o{

That afternoon, after one last headcount, they loaded back on to the bus to head back to the school. Casey had returned to his vehicle to do whatever it was he was doing. Chuck thought he should ask, but knew better.

"Are you okay Mr. Chuck?" Sally asked.

"You know he's just a family friend and we weren't together, right?" Chuck asked. Sally nodded and sat back. Chuck turned to see Sarah's grin. "She doesn't believe me, does she?"

"Nope," Sarah said, popping the "p". "Want some company tonight?"

"Is that a date?" Chuck asked.

"Does it matter?" Sarah countered.

"Nope," Chuck replied. "As long as you're there, I'm good."

"Think it will be an issue with Sam?" Sarah asked softly.

"I think the only issue is if we should start seeing…less of each other for some reason," Chuck admitted. Sarah nodded. "Not that I see that happening, but…"

"Who knows," Sarah said. Chuck nodded. "You have to be careful." Chuck nodded again. "However you need to handle this…" she trailed off.

"No," Chuck replied. "I said before you'd never do anything to hurt Sam and I'm going to hold on to that belief until you do something that makes me feel otherwise."

"Never," she said quickly.

"Good," Chuck replied. He looked down at his hands and then side glanced over to her. "So a date?"

"Maybe," she said with a grin and a shrug.

}o{

Roan entered the bar, looking for his contact. He found him against the bar talking to several women. "Excuse me, Mr. Bond," Roan said through gritted teeth.

"Pardon me, ladies," the man said, turning to Roan. "I have an old debt to pay off." The women walked away, and the man studied Roan. "Are you serious about what you want me to do?"

"Absolutely," Roan replied, pushing a manila envelope towards him. "You're out, you're here with your niece, who is in your custody, all I need you to do is work a mark for me."

The man opened the packet and pulled out a picture. "Seriously, this is work?"

"It may be harder than you think," Roan warned.

"Roan, have I ever let you down before?"

"No, Mr. Barker, you haven't," Roan agreed. "I hope this isn't the first time."

"What's it gonna take for you to call me Cole?" he asked.

"Break up Chuck Bartowski and Sarah Walker," Roan said simply. "Seduce her, get her away from him, I need her to lead me to Larkin."

"I can more easily find Larkin," Cole replied.

Roan shook his head. "Larkin is my way back in," Roan replied. "I have to find him." Cole nodded. Roan grinned and left. He was close to being reinstated. He hated what he was about to do to Chuck. Okay, he didn't but it was Chuck or him, and it wasn't about to be him.

A/N: Do you really think for a stinking second I'd let Cole come between Chuck and Sarah? Yeah, you're right, so what's going to happen? Well come back next time and see. Reviews and PMs are always appreciated

DC