Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck or any name brands listed. Also, upped the rating to T for casual use of swears.

Chuck found himself being roughly shoved against the freezer door of the Orange Orange that led down to Castle.

"What the HELL was that, Bartowski?" Casey barked, his face inches from Chuck's. Apparently he hadn't been as receptive to Chuck's new cover plans as General Beckman had.

"You want to maybe clue me in the next time you decide to go off half-cocked in front of the General, trying to change the way things are done around here?"

It was the comment about 'change' that set Chuck off. It seemed that today was the day to be assertive.

"Me change things? Why don't you look in the mirror, jackass?" Chuck shouted as he pushed Casey away from him. "You think I don't know it was you who sparked this 49B crap?"

"Watch your tone Bartowski," Casey warned, shoving a finger into Chuck's chest.

"I thought you'd love this Casey. Now that you got Sarah reassigned, they got you a partner more your speed - one with an equally itchy trigger finger and an even poorer disposition!"

"What are you talking about, moron?"

"What am I talking about?" Chuck exclaimed. "What am I talking about?!" His tone shifted from angry to incredulous. Taking two big handfuls of his hair, he tugged at them in an effort to temper his raging emotions. "You've been needling Sarah and me about our feelings since day one. Well you got your wish, big guy. About the only thing that made this Intersect business worthwhile is gone and now you've got a new partner who's as emotionally repressed as you!"

Casey's fists clenched, and he snarled like a bull about to charge. He reached out and grabbed a fistful of Chuck's shirt, pushing him back against the door and leaned in close.

"Listen to me closely because I'm only going to say this once." His words came out slowly, deliberately, and with so much barely-contained fury under them. "Walker knew the rules and she let herself be compromised anyway. I did what I was ordered to do." When Chuck stared back at him questioningly, Casey jabbed his finger into the Nerd Herder's forehead in annoyance. "I don't know why I'm even bothering saying this..." He took a deep, measured breath before continuing.

"After the clusterfuck with Orion and Fulcrum, General Beckman informed me of the 49B, asking me to send her all the surveillance footage I had of you two. It was dirty, but I had my orders. Even still, I went to bat for Walker with the General. Why bother with what you two idiots did in your down time as long as we being successful?" He let go of Chuck and took a step back. "Walker was the best partner I've ever had, but she plays the game, same as me, same as you now. You may be an idiot and not know the rules, but she does, and she broke them," he explained. "So don't stand here and take it out on me when you're the one who couldn't keep it in your pants."

"'Keep it in my pants?'" Chuck repeated before slumping his shoulders in defeat. "I..." He let the thought die on his lips. Casey didn't need to know they'd only ever kissed once without other people around, much less even approached the possibility of sex happening. "I just wish there was something I could do. Some way to take it all back. Maybe if I talk to Beckman, I can get her to change her mind." Chuck couldn't hide the hurt and desperation in his tone.

Casey shook his head slowly. Poor bastard, he thought. Aloud he said, "It's too late Bartowski. This is how things are now. And..." He looked directly into Chuck's eyes. "Agent Forrest? She's a hard woman. Almost as hard as I am, and that's saying something. She's not going to hold your hand like Walker did, or even like I do." He could see in the geek's eyes his point was coming across clearly. "Don't give her a reason."

He put more distance between himself and his asset. "C'mon kid. We've got to get back before that idiot Milbarge starts on our asses again." He didn't wait for a reply before leaving the back room of the Orange Orange and returning to the Buy More.

Chuck let his head flop against the metal door and breathed deeply. He felt exhausted as the adrenaline overload of the last hour drained from his body. He was still angry, so angry. He almost wanted to keep being angry, because that kept the tidal wave of sadness and guilt he knew was waiting from sweeping over him.

Just... Five minutes. She needs to know how sorry I am, that I...

He swore loudly and smacked the freezer door with the palm of his hand.

This was all his fault. His fault Sarah was gone and probably hated him for it, hated him for jeopardizing her career with his pushing. His constant pushing.

He had been hooked from day one. Hooked on that beautiful and alluring and frustrating enigma that was Sarah Walker. Even if their relationship was mostly a cover, he couldn't help how he felt. No amount of breakups of their 'thing' helped, whether it was to see other people, or because Bryce said he was endangering her, or because he'd been a fool and listened to Ellie.

Ellie.

Crap. How am I going to explain this?

Just another layer on top of the pile he had to figure his way around now. When had the pile gotten so big? It seemed so much more manageable with Sarah around. Hell, everything did.

It hadn't even been a week, and he was miserable.

People always said it was darkest before the dawn, but from Chuck Bartowski's perspective, the sun was a long way from coming up.

Author's Note: You know the drill. Zerectica is the best for helping my hand.

After I wrote the piece yesterday, I was dead set on posting it then. After I did, it felt incomplete to me and so then this chapter came to be. It should fill in the remaining holes in the backstory for Sarah's departure. We're canon up to the 49B episode, where the mission in the hospital succeeds as planned, so Sarah never has to come back to save Chuck in the vault and thus get herself reinstated to the team.

Hope yous guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.