A/N Don't own Chuck. Thanks to Tshdow for the Beta. Apologies for the delay in posting but as they sat sh*t happens.

Chuck Vs Repercussions

They sat in silence holding each other, Chuck wrapped in thought as Sarah clung to him. With five minutes left, he looked into her eyes. "Your right there is nothing you can say." Sarah felt her hopes die.

Her arms tightened around him, how could she have thought there was a chance. She really was far gone if she thought Chuck could figure out some miracle that would save her in 15 minutes. "Chuck .." she began brokenly.

"Shh Sarah, don't worry. This is my problem and I'll fix it."

"You.., you have a plan?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course I do, now just calm down and everything will be alright." Seeing her calming down he got up "We need to get going if were going to be on time."

"But you said ..", stopping as she looked into Chuck's eyes.

He gave her a quizzical look. "Said what Sarah? We really need to get going and we don't want to be late."

"You said there was nothing I could say", Sarah questioned?

"That's right, that's why I'm going."

"What are you thinking of doing Chuck." her voice suddenly low and dangerous.

"We don't have time Sarah. We really can't afford to be late."

She was about to protest but figured she could get it out of him during the car ride to the debriefing. "Fine let's go."

She was not calm at all, fury and anxiety raged through her as Chuck had refused to say anything during the car ride. Now there was no time as they were waiting for General Beckman to join them. Casey's eyebrow had risen at seeing Chuck but he hadn't said anything and she couldn't really interrogate Chuck with him present.

Suddenly the screen flicked on. "Morning Agents", her eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed Chuck at the briefing. "Mr Bartowski, I'm pleased that you seem to have made a full recovery; but your presence wasn't requested."

"With all due respect Mam but I need to apologize, not just to Agents Walker and Casey, but also to you. What I did was foolish and dangerous. I really should have been able to figure out what was happening, before it got this far."

Sarah's throat constricted was he going to tell Beckman the truth, there was noway that was going to work. General Beckman was going to reassign her on the spot once Chuck told her the truth.

"I must admit, I'm confused. What did you do, Mr Bartowski", General Beckman questioned?

"I'm not sure if my handlers have informed you but several months ago I started having trouble sleeping. You know Mam the things I've seen. Some of them, they..." he broke off with a small shudder. Sarah thought she saw Beckman's face soften for an instant.

"Well anyway, I was having difficulty sleeping and became physically exhausted. I was unable to function properly and I can only imagine how ineffective my flashes would have been. Anyway, Agent Walker was kind enough to provide me with some sleeping pills; as a temporary solution. However without there knowledge, I continued to use them consistently."

"When I finally stopped several days ago, I didn't connect the pills to the symptoms I was experiencing. I mean, apart from not being in great condition at the time, they're sleeping pills not opiates. Either way, thankfully Agent Walker was smart enough to figure out what I must have been doing. I shudder to think what could have happened if she hadn't."

"Thus my apology to all of you. I took the cowards way out, instead of facing my nightmares. I'm sorry, I should have dealt with my problems differently. "

'Well, I won't deny I'm disappointed with your actions Mr. Bartowski. Especially given the fact that you live with, not one but two doctors, I'd have expected you to know better! However, I recognize the extraordinary situation you have been placed in due to the intersect and the admirable job you have done up till now; despite your lack of training." her voice softened slightly "We all have our demons Mr Bartowski. It is part of the sacrifice we make, but you have my word we will do what we can to help you deal with yours."

"Thank you General and I will do my best not to let down the team again", Chuck acknowledged.

"Now agent Walker. When I first heard you had somehow allowed your asset to become addicted right under your nose, I was outraged. I had full intentions of not only reassigning you but removing you from fieldwork entirely." Sarah felt her heart constrict. "However, given the full facts of the case, I can understand how you could have missed Mr. Bartowski's usage of such a drug. Since a drug as normally benign as sleeping pills would enact no changes in the assets normal behavior. I therefore see no need for further disciplinary action in this case."

Turning back to Chuck, "Mr Bartwoski, we could schedule some therapy sessions for you to help deal with you sleeping issues."

"Thank you Mam but I would like the opportunity to confront my demons head on first, before trying therapy. It was what I'd been attempting to do before the withdrawal symptoms interfered."

"Agreed. We'll talk again in a few weeks, after you have been weaned off the pills and you've had a chance to confront your demons."

"I'd appreciate that very much General."

"In that case, dismissed and Mr. Bartowski good luck." With that the screen went blank.

Casey looked at them for a minute with an incredulous look on his face, then he grunted and walked away. Just before he disappeared, "At least I don't need to break in a new partner."

Taking her arm firmly, Chuck guided her towards the stairs. Sarah was silent the entire ride home. It was only when they were safe at home, that things seemed real again.

"It's really over? We managed to get through this without any repercussions." She asked, half afraid it had been a dream.

"Yea Sarah, it's over."

Sarah still couldn't quite believe it. She hadn't been reassigned and she hadn't even been punished either. This felt wrong as she'd gotten off Scott free, not even a slap on the wrist.

"Don't even think about it." Chuck said interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You do not get to beat yourself up about this. No guilt trips!"

"But I …"

"But nothing Sarah. You've been through god only knows how many horrible things, consider this Karma."

She nodded reluctantly.

"So which bedroom?"

Her head shot up. He couldn't be serious not after all this, Sarah thought. "What do you mean?"

He actually blushed. "Well, assuming you still want to ahh sleep together and I mean sleep with eyes closed and snoring. All that only, which ahh bedroom."

She walked over to him, "Chuck, there is no way I'm sleeping alone." Grabbing him, she literally dragged him to there room and threw him on the bed. Jumping on top of him, kissing him like the world was about to end. Her roaming hands suddenly found their progress halted as Chucks hand's grabbed her wrists. "Sarah stop."

Sarah wasn't sure what to do. This made no sense to her. He wanted her didn't he? Then it clicked, she'd thought he'd forgiven her for her actions but there must be some lingering doubts. "I'm so sorry Chuck, whatever it takes I'll earn your trust back." Burying her head in his shoulder.

"Sarah, there's nothing for you to gain back. I didn't stop because I didn't want to be with you or had any doubts about you."

"Then why? I thought you wanted this as much as I do." She said lifting her head.

"Sarah, you just escaped from what you thought would be certain doom. Your not thinking clearly, I don't want you to have any regrets."

"I won't Chuck. I've wanted you for such a long time, don't you believe me?"

"Of course I do Sarah but you aren't thinking straight right now. I'm ecstatic that you love me and that we're now in a relationship. I think we are at least and that you want to take it to the next level. But you haven't thought this through, we will still be working together. Tomorrow you may decide the only thing we can do to stay together is to put on the breaks again or go backwards. If we do this, it would make the choice that much harder."

"You've waited so long for me Chuck. I'm scared that I'll lose you ,if I keep this up. If I keep pushing you away."

"See thats part of the problem, give it a few days and come up with one of those brilliant Sarah Walker strategies. If we can have a relationship under current circumstance great, if not we'll figure out a way to change things. I've learned my lesson. If all we can do, for the foreseeable future, is sleep together and I mean sleep; then so be it. I can wait."

"Chuck, if we can't make a relationship work under these circumstances then I don't see what we can change to make it work."

"Sarah, the Intersect could be removed or the Fulcrum threat could be dealt with. We just don't know."

"Chuck those options could take years, if not longer."

"I do have a more immediate solution that I was planning on discussing with you."

"What?" Sarah asked suddenly suspicious.

"Well I've been thinking about asking Beckman for formal training. If I joined the CIA, our problems would be solved."

"No, absolutely not! Chuck I won't let you give up your dream for me, you deserve a normal life."

"Please Sarah, I'm not normal. I have a computer in my brain and to be honest, I don't want normal. I want you."

"But your speech at the fountain?" Sarah looked very confused at this point.

Chuck let out a groan. "God I new that was gonna come back to bite me. Sarah I only said those things because Bryce said your feelings for me could get you killed. You'd just been blown up and put in the hospital. I was terrified that I might get you hurt again or killed."

"Sweet as that is, why on earth would you listen to Bryce when it came to me?"

"Yes I realize his motives wouldn't have been entirely selfless but there wasn't anyone else. I couldn't ask you, I couldn't imagine trying to explain my situation to Morgan or Ellie and the thought of asking Casey." Chuck shudders from the thought, " Well I'd rather be run over by a truck, then backed over and run over again."

" He was right about one thing, you are to good a person to be an agent. I won't let you make that sacrifice." Sarah insisted.

"Sarah, most of the time you are the most brilliant woman I have ever known but sometimes I don't think you should be let out of the house without supervision. No matter what the future holds, whether it's kicking ass in Jakarta or hanging out here in LA, as long as I'm with you that is all I need. You have to stop thinking that my being with you is some kind of sacrifice, it's actually extraordinarily selfish of me."

"Stop right there. You are not gonna go on some spiel about how I'm out of your league again are you?" Sarah said in an exasperated tone.

"Well ..."

"Chuck your hopeless sometimes. I'll make you a deal. You stop beating yourself up about not being good enough for me and I'll stop beating myself up about not being good enough for you."

"Okay" Chuck murmured through a yawn.

"Get some rest Chuck, you've had a long day. We'll talk later." Sarah replied kissing him lightly on the forehead.

Chuck curled up next to her and fell asleep in her arms. Holding him as he slept, Sarah realized she'd been right and this was so much better.

A/N Hope you enjoyed the story. It's been fun, if anyone wants to discuss anything in particular i'd be glad to hear from you.