A/N: Thanks to everyone of you who voted for this story for the Awesome Awards…being nominated was a huge surprise and having this story win just warmed the cockles of this old fart's heart…sorry that it's been a while since the last update but…you know…life and all that…hopefully this chapter was worth the wait…and hopefully I'll be posting again soon…Congratulations to everyone who was lucky enough to be nominated for an Awesome Award…Congratulations to everyone who won an Awesome Award and, most importantly…Thank you to everyone who took the time to take part in the Awesome Awards…I must apologize for not keeping up with my response to the readers who are kind enough to leave reviews…I'm sorry and I'll try to do better…still having fun so thanks for the nudge, Jim.

Oldestman, glad to see that you're still gracing us with your presence and talent…keep up the fight.

Thoughts about this chapter…you know what to do. JT

Bryce Larkin : Douche Bag At Large - Chapter 21

Sarah Walker sat bolt upright, struggling against the scream that was trying to force it's way past her clenched teeth and closed lips. The dream, that was already starting to fade, had shattered her sleep and left her body damp with sweat. Turning eyes that were still fuzzy from sleep to her left, she released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, reaching out a shaking hand to gently touch the man who was still asleep in her bed.

Pausing for a moment to quell the shakes that still racked her body, she took a second deep breath and then let her fingers trace the line of Chuck's jaw, coming to rest atop his jugular, breathing a sigh of relief to feel the strong, steady beat of his pulse against her fingers.

Closing her eyes, she caught another glimpse of the quickly unraveling tatters of the dream, images that had left her body covered in a sheen of cold moisture and still shivering, just a little. Visions of a battered and bloody Chuck that were, thankfully, fading away even as she tried to make sense of them. Sure that she remembered the smell of cordite, the thought of multiple bullets holes that had pumped his life blood out at horrifying volume, drenching her in the evidence of his impending death caused her to shudder violently. Her hand, that was still resting against his neck, ignored her commands and joined the rest of her body when it shuddered and the vibrations caused the unwitting star of her nightmare to awaken.

Between one heartbeat and the next, deep brown eyes that were filled with concern and worry were open and staring at her.

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Chuck, I…uh…"

"Sarah? Talk to me."

"It's nothing, Chuck, just a silly dream" she answered with an obviously forced smile, reaching out her hand and brushing her thumb against his cheek and then turning as if to get out of bed.

"Tell me about it, Sarah" he said, sitting up and reaching out a hand to grasp at her shoulder. "Please" he added when he felt her move to pull away.

"It was just a silly nightmare. Nothing to worry about" she replied, no longer pulling away but still holding her distance, her body tensed between the desire to ignore the troubling memories and the need to throw herself into Chuck's arms and hold him tightly until the last of the fear faded away.

"Please" he repeated, the tender concern in his voice finally convincing her to turn back to him.

"We…we were on a mission" Sarah started and then stopped with a confused look on face as she lifted a hand and wiped at the tear that making it's way down her cheek. "I don't understand" she whispered, her voice wavering slightly. After wiping the tear from one cheek, she was about to use her hand to wipe at the other cheek but was beaten to it, Chuck's thumb gently stroking the moisture from her face. Before she could say another word, the look of concern and something else in his eyes, something that she couldn't name, combined with his soft whisper of her name to drive her into his arms, lunging at the rock she knew her wave would break against.

Chuck watched as Sarah lunged at him, ducking slightly to wrap her arms around his back and tucking her face against his neck just as her body started to shudder and sobs escaped her. The drops that fell against his collarbone told the story of a woman crying but didn't tell him why and, because he couldn't imagine what might cause his blonde super spy to weep so inconsolably, he had to ask.

"Sarah?"

"You were dead, Chuck. You bled out in my arms and there wasn't anything I could do to stop it" she wailed and clutched him tighter to her, struggling to breath against the thunderous hammering of her heart the she was sure would explode from the overwhelming sense of loss that suddenly rushed back into her mind, accompanied by the visions from her dream that she now wished had faded away.

"Shhhh, Sarah…"

"We were on a mission and we…we got separated and…and I couldn't find you" she whispered in a broken sounding voice, each pause filled with a sob and a gasp of breath. "and I heard shots…and I turned a corner …and, and…and I saw you fall…and when I finally got to you…there was blood everywhere and…and I held you and watched the light fade from your eyes…and you wouldn't listen to me, you asshole!" she finished, nearly yelling into his chest before pushing herself away and launching a fist at his chest. "You would listen when I told you to stay!" she yelled and pounded on his chest again, her blows lacking their usual strength but solid, none the less. "And you died before I could tell you that I loved you!" she whispered in a voice wracked by sobs and, after giving him a look of shocked self-realization about what she'd just said out loud, she felt herself falling back against his chest and wrapping her arms back around his back and pulling him to her with all of her strength.

"Sarah" Chuck wheezed out, the force of her grip pushing the air from his lungs, "I'm right here…I'm not dead" he added, his arms pulling her tighter as he struggled to breath while whispering into her ear. "It was just a nightmare, I'm right here…I'm right here" he added while silently hoping she'd hear him before she squeezed the life from him. "I'm right here."

"I love you, Chuck" she whispered, her voice now filled with relief and wonder. "I love you" she said again as she allowed her grip to ease as some part of her told her that the man in her arms needed to breath.

"I love you, too" Chuck whispered after managing to pull a breath of air into his lungs as Sarah's vice like grip on him eased. Allowing his hands to gently stroke up and down her spine, he pressed his lips against her ear and placed gentle butterfly kisses there, each kiss punctuated with his assurances that he was right there, that he was fine, that he wasn't going anywhere and that, most important of all, he loved her.

Time ceased to have meaning as he rocked Sarah against his chest, cooing softly to her as she seemed to slowly get her emotions back under control. The sobs stopped and the sniffles slowly tapered off until the only sign of the outburst was the puddle on the front of his t-shirt. As the tears stopped, the firm grip slowly eased until the blonde head against him leaned back and tentatively looked up at him. He was surprised by the puffy, red rimmed eyes that found his, not because of the obvious signs that Sarah Walker was 'human', but because of the fear that seemed to be battling with wonder in her eyes.

"Sarah, what's wrong?"

"I love you, Chuck" she replied, as if that statement explained the warring emotions in her eyes.

"And?"

"I'm not supposed to, Chuck. I'm an agent of the CIA. We're not supposed to fall in love with our asset…it's not allowed" she answered, her voice growing quieter as she finished the answer and let her eyes fall from his. "I can't love you, Chuck."

"And?" Chuck asked, a finger under Sarah's chin gently lifting her face back up.

""Don't you understand, Chuck? I can't be in love with you" she responded, seemingly surprised that Chuck didn't seem to understand the problem and the possible repercussions.

"You've said that twice now, Sarah. Why can't you be in love with me?"

"Because it means that I'm compromised and that means I can't do my job."

"So, this feeling is something brand new? The nightmare somehow triggered this feeling that you didn't have before?"

"Well, no."

"So, this feeling has been there since yesterday?"

"Don't be silly, Chuck. It's been there for a while" she confessed with a small grin, the admission coming as a surprise to them both.

"So, Agent Walker, when exactly did you start shirking your responsibility as far as the whole, keeping me safe thing goes, not counting the whole attempted 'death by sex' thing the other night?"

"I didn't try to kill you with sex, Charles Bartowski" Sarah answered, a smile appearing on her face for the first time that morning. "If anything, you almost killed me with page 68" she added, poking him in the chest.

"So, it was your near death by orgasm that caused the scratches on my back" he replied, reaching out and grabbing the finger that was still resting against the spot she'd punched earlier.

"Scratches?" Sarah asked, a look of concern blossoming on her face. "What scratches, Chuck?" she asked, moving quickly to inspect his back. "I did that?" she blurted out when she caught sight of the angry red welts that criss-crossed his back. "Oh god, Chuck. I'm so sorry. Stay right there while I get some ointment to put on those" she told him with a hint of panic in her voice as she scrambled to get off the bed.

"Sarah, don't you dare move until I tell you to" he said, lunging after her and wrapping himself around her waist. "We need to finish this discussion about you being derelict in your duties" he announced while dragging her back to the middle of the bed.

"Chuck" she huffed, struggling against his hold on her but putting very little effort into escaping his clutches.

"Calm down, Agent Walker' he said after pulling her into the circle of his arms, her back resting against his chest. "Now, tell me, did you stop doing your job when you first noticed that your feelings for me were stronger than just handler and asset? Did you realize that you were compromised and immediately request that you be re-assigned?"

"I should have. That's the first thing I should have done if I'd been following protocol…wait, how do you know about recommended protocol?" Sarah turned her head to look the man in whose arms she felt at home, maybe for the first time in her life.

"Remember who I am?" Chuck asked while lifting a hand to tap at his temple.

"Oh…yeah" she murmured, missing and then grateful when the arm that had moved away, returned to it's place wrapped around her.

"So, have you allowed your vigilance to slip, Agent Walker?"

"Of course not, Chuck!"

"And are you planning to allow that to happen in the foreseeable future?"

"Of course not but…"

"But what, Sarah? 'But something could happen?'. You could make a mistake?"

"Chuck, please"

"What, Sarah? Do you want me to call Director Graham and have you replaced?"

"NO! Of course not!" Sarah answered with a pleading tone to her voice. "I…"

"You what, Sarah?"

"I don't want to leave you, Chuck" she whispered, "ever."

"Well then?" he asked, pulling her even closer to him, letting his lips rest near her ear. "Will you keep doing your job? Will you do everything you can to keep me safe?"

"Yes…oh yes" Sarah answered, surprised that Chuck's warm breath on her neck and ear hadn't reduced her to a wordless puddle of goo, bonelessly flopped in the circle of his arms.

"And will you promise not to put yourself at risk for me?"

"Chuck, I can't possibly promise you that. I'll do my job but I don't want to lose you so I won't do anything stupid…is that enough" she asked fearfully.

"That'll do, Special Agent Sarah Walker, that'll do" Chuck said and then nipped at her ear. Before he could say another word, the blonde in his arms spun around and wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around him, her hands landing on just the right spots.

"Oww!" Chuck hissed, flinching.

"Oh god, Chuck, I forgot. I'm so sorry" Sarah whimpered, huskily, torn between the concern for the injuries to his back and vividly remembering just what they'd been doing that had lead to them. "I'm so sorry, Chuck. I didn't mean to hurt you" she blurted out, yanking her hands from his back and trying to hide the tears that suddenly threatened to spill from her eyes.

"Sarah, I'm fine. You didn't hurt me" he told her, pulling her to him and attacking her lips with his own, his tongue demanding entrance while one of his hands dropped from her back and grabbed her ass, squeezing gently when he felt her open her mouth and invite his tongue in to play. He felt Sarah's arms snaking under his and then wrapping around his upper arms, pulling him to her while she ground herself against his growing arousal, moaning into his mouth when he answered her by pushing himself up against her.

"I love you, Chuck Bartowski" she whispered into his ear after breaking the kiss, nipping at his ear and then sucking the lobe between her teeth for a quick nibble before releasing it and then working her way along his jaw with soft, wet kisses until she had once again reclaimed his lips.

"Page 68?" Chuck asked while taking a brief break to catch his breath.

"No, Chuck. No book, no tantric…just you and me" Sarah answered. I love you, Chuck Bartowski, and all I need right now is you…and less clothing, right about now" she added, letting her hold on him go so she could pull her top off, tossing the garment across the room and then reaching a hand down between their bodies, grabbing the front of his boxers and pulling them up.

"Sarah, boxers don't come off that way" Chuck said, worrying a little that she might ignore him and actually rip them from his body.

"I know that, Chuck" she replied with a laugh, releasing her hold and, after climbing from her position on his lap to stand beside the bed, pulled her own shorts down and stepped out of them. "That's how they come off or" she explained while bending over and grabbing the bottom edge of Chuck's underwear, " like this!" she exclaimed while jerking his down and off, before he could say a word.

"Well, that's a first" Chuck laughed and then quit smiling when he noticed the hungry look on Sarah's face. "Remember your promise to keep me safe?" he gulped.

"Only from people who want to damage you, Chuck"

"Are you sure you're not going to break anything? Remember, you said you love me."

"I'm not going to break anything, Chuck" Sarah announced, climbing onto the bed and crawling towards her prey. I might wear you out but I won't break you, I promise" Sarah growled at him before she pounced on him, landing with such skill that, if he wasn't thrilled and captivated by the feeling, he would've been impressed by the dexterity of the blonde vixen who'd brightened his life immeasurably by telling him that she loved him.

"Sarah…uh, we have a meeting this afternoon and…"

"Chuck, use that mouth for something fun and, hint hint, telling me anything that doesn't involve what we're doing right now? That isn't fun!" she explained before reaching her hands down and, using his ears as guides, drew his mouth to her chest, moaning agreement when his tongue found her pert nipple.

"That's more like it, Chuck. Don't think about stopping…unless you think of some other place that needs your tongue" she moaned into his ear. "I love you Chuck Bartowski."

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The meeting had been going on for almost thirty minutes when Chuck excused himself, explaining his need to use the 'facilities' before getting to his feet and turning to leave the room.

"Mr. Bartowski!" the General spoke up, "is there something wrong with your back? Have you been injured somehow?"

"What?" Chuck asked, spinning back around to face the video monitor.

"There appears to be blood on the back of your shirt. Do you require medical aid?" the General asked, an eyebrow ticked upwards.

"Uh, um, no ma'am. I'm fine" Chuck coughed out, backing slowly away , his cheeks flushed a bright red.

"Agent Walker, do you have any idea how Mr. Bartowski injured himself?" General Diane Beckman asked, honest concern in her voice.

"No ma'am…but I'll go and check on him" Sarah managed to say with a straight face before getting to her feet and hustling from the room, ignoring the sudden coughing fit that seemed to plague Major John Casey.

"John, is Agent Walker compromised?" the General asked once Sarah had left the room, leaving no doubt that she exactly what had caused the damage to Chuck's back. "Do we need to have her re-assigned?"

"Yes ma'am, I believe she is but I don't think it would benefit the team's dynamic to remove Agent Walker from her position. I've seen no sign that she can't perform her duties and, too be honest, I have to say that I believe the asset might respond negatively to Agent Walker's absence. Let me continue to observe their work and if I believe their 'relationship' is becoming a detriment to the team, I will let you know, right away."

"Alright, Major" Director Graham said, joining the conversation for the first time. "This next mission will be a good indicator of any potential problems…we expect your honest assessment of the team's dynamic because we will not tolerate anything that might become a problem for Team Intersect."

"Yes sir, ma'am" Casey answered, somehow managing to give the impression of standing at attention and saluting without leaving his chair.

"And suggest to Agent Walker that she might try not injuring the asset…if at all possible" General Diane Beckman said before cutting the video feed.

John Casey wasn't sure he'd ever grow accustomed to the abruptness with which his boss ended any video conference but he'd seen something today he couldn't remember ever seeing before. General Diane Beckman had smirked after offering the advice for Sarah concerning her treatment of the moron. Allowing himself a brief smile, he looked forward to passing along the 'advice' and how and when he could do it for the most benefit.

"Major Cuffs" he mumbled to himself. "We'll see about that, Sarah Scissorhands" he chuckled, leaning back in his chair after lighting a cigar.

A/N:2 Hope you liked it. Thoughts?