A Common Spy Problem

A/N: I have learned three things this past two weeks – one, never tell readers you're almost done with a chapter, it's a sure way to jinx yourself and end up rewriting half of it; two, Kindle plus Tess Gerritsen is an evil combination; and three, don't give your cat coffee.

As always, Nervert did an awesome job beta'ing this. The really cool part is that I send off an e-mail, go to bed and the next morning – voila! Thanks for the hard work, buddy, as well as your nerd and science/medical knowledge.

I want to give a special shout-out to Tynianrex – welcome back! We missed you.

My second shout-out goes to Crumby, merci pour la revue 350e. (If that's wrong, blame Google Translate, if not, then never mind.) Of course, review #350 would not have been possible without reviews 1 to 349, so a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave me a comment.

I don't own Chuck.

Chapter 16

Sarah knew almost immediately something wasn't right. The fact that Casey followed her silently when she took of racing for Castle told her he was on the same page. The sprint across the parking lot gave her just enough time to imagine several nightmare scenarios, the worst of which was confirmed downstairs as they pulled up Ned's phone records and subsequently Mauser's personnel file. The entire hostage situation had been a set-up. Casey and Sarah shared a knowing look. There was only one reason Fulcrum would come snooping around the Buy More – they were after the Intersect.

The woman wearing the charm bracelet given to her by the most amazing man she'd ever met disappeared in an instant, replaced by the agent and handler who would do anything to keep her charge safe.

She hastily collected her gear, determined to return to the Buy More and extract Chuck, by force if necessary, but then her worst fear was confirmed when they saw Chuck on the monitors being led away by Mauser.

Moments later she and Casey burst through the underground exit to the parking area, firing on the vehicle that was carrying Chuck away, causing it to crash into the neighboring Christmas tree lot. Chuck jumped out and disappeared between the trees. When Mauser emerged, Sarah fired a shot but missed, allowing him to follow Chuck into the lot. She took off in the same direction, motioning to Casey to go around the back.

With her gun drawn, Sarah quietly navigated her way through rows and rows of pine trees. She watched her footing, careful to not step on anything that could give away her position. She rounded the last tree in the row, scanning her surroundings for any movement. A flash of white caught her eye and relief washed over her that she'd found Chuck first, before Mauser had. She moved soundlessly up behind him, clasping her hand over his mouth. The move startled him and he grabbed her wrist. His fingers found the charm bracelet and he spun around.

"Lieutenant Mauser is Fulcrum so is Ned it was all a setup." It all came out in one breath. Chuck was clearly freaking out.

"I know." Sarah kept her voice low, hoping that Mauser hadn't heard Chuck. She didn't want him finding them before she had a chance to get Chuck to safety.

"Everyone in the store is still in danger."

"Our team is moving in on them right now, they'll be fine," she assured him. "I need you to run back as fast as you can to Castle."

"I can't leave you alone with this guy."

"Chuck, your safety is more important than mine. Now leave and don't turn back. Go." She reached up and gave him a peck on the lips before shoving him in the direction of the exit. "I'll be fine. Go." After another moment's hesitation he finally turned and started running. Sarah lifted her weapon again and stalked in the opposite direction, her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

She saw the movement too late.

Mauser jumped out from behind a tree, kicking her weapon from her hand. That was quickly followed by a backhand slap across her cheek, causing her to reel backwards. He lunged forward in an attempt to knock her unconscious with the butt of his gun, but Sarah grabbed his wrist, used his momentum to swing him around and slammed his arm down on her thigh. His grip loosened and he dropped his weapon. She threw a right hook which he blocked, grabbing her ponytail in the process. He yanked and her hands instinctively flew up to his, leaving her unprotected for the punch in the gut. She wasn't fast enough to tense her abdominal muscles and doubled over in pain, but not before Mauser landed another punch in almost the same spot. A right jabs connected with her jaw and she spun out of his grip with the force of the hit. In the same movement Sarah attempted a roundhouse kick, only to have Mauser grab her leg and sweep the other from under her. She fell on her side and he delivered three swift kicks to her ribs, laughing as he did so. Sarah ground on her teeth and rolled onto her back, hooking her feet around his ankle to push him off balance, but Mauser stood firm. He reached down and with both hands gripped her throat and squeezed. Sarah clawed at his wrists, leaning forward to try and lessen the pressure. Mauser tightened his hold and her lungs started to burn due to a lack of air. She went limp for a moment, gathering all the energy she had left. She hooked her leg around his knees and rolled forward, finally throwing Mauser off of her. She jumped to her feet, leaped for her gun and had it pointed at him before he had a chance to get up.

She aimed it right at his head, tracking his movements as he straightened with a grunt. "You may have beaten me, Agent Walker, but Fulcrum has won. I know that Chuck Bartowski is the Intersect."

"That secret is safe," she countered, "And you're going straight to a CIA detention facility, never to be seen or heard from again."

"Well, you go right ahead, Agent Walker, arrest me." He offered his wrists to be cuffed. "But say goodbye to Chuck. You see, I'm not like those other Fulcrum agents. They'll do whatever it takes to find me and when they do, every Fulcrum agent we have is gonna know Chuck's the Intersect." He paused, gauging her reaction. "It's gonna be the end of his pathetic existence," he continued, knowing he was getting to her. "So take me in, Agent Walker, I'm ready to go." He smirked as he folded his hands behind his head.

Sarah lowered her gun, deciding what to do. Their detention facility had not been compromised yet, but could she take the chance that it wouldn't be? One Fulcrum agent who knew Chuck's real identity was one too many. She couldn't risk it. She wouldn't. She needed to keep Chuck safe. She promised him. There was really only one option. She took a deep breath to strengthen her resolve. Clenching her jaw, she raised her arm, looking Mauser straight in eye. The face of a nameless brunette in a quiet Parisian street appeared in front of her. She blinked the image away and a look of determination crossed her face. She tightened her grip on the Smith and Wesson and squeezed the trigger. The shot was muffled by the silencer, but it echoed in her ears when Mauser went down.

Her aim didn't waver, despite the fact that the only thing in the firing line now was a pine tree. She didn't dare look down where Mauser lay. There was no need to check for a pulse. Her execution was flawless. It was a kill shot, not return fire by an agent under threat, or the frightened reaction of a nineteen year old trainee, forced by circumstances to follow an order she would rather have walked away from.

A large hand wrapped around the barrel of her gun and pushed it down, pointing at the ground.

"I'll take care of this," Casey said gruffly. "Go get yourself cleaned up and check on Chuck."

Sarah couldn't remember the last time she was such a mess. Her muscles ached, her skin was on fire, her side stung with every step she took and it hurt to breathe. And that was just her physical injuries. She kept seeing Mauser's face just before she'd pulled the trigger, kept seeing his smirk, hearing his taunts.

Her body screamed in protest when she suddenly froze. She had expected Chuck to go back to the store to make sure Ellie and his friends were okay, but instead, he sat on the desk, his legs dangling down the side. She took a calming breath and schooled her features before stepping into the conference area. She hadn't figured out what to tell Chuck yet. She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't imagine telling him the truth. She wasn't even sure what the truth was.

"Oh my god." Chuck jumped from the table and reached her in two long strides. With a finger under her chin he lifted her face to get a better view. "What happened?"

"Occupational hazard," Sarah responded lightly, but his worried expression didn't relax. Instead, he reached for her hand.

"Come with me." It wasn't exactly a request.

He led her to the back room where they kept the medical supplies and switched on the light.

"Where's the first aid kit?" he asked after helping her to get up on the gurney. She pointed to the top left cupboard while wiping her lip with the back of her other hand. At least the bleeding had stopped. Chuck placed the kit next to her and rummaged through it for cotton balls and antiseptic cream. He turned to the sink to wet some of the cotton swabs.

Sarah wanted to protest, tell him she could take care of it, but something in his body language told her he needed to do this, so she let him.

He gently wiped away the dried blood on the corner of her mouth before reaching for clean swabs and the squirting cream on it.

"This is going to sting," he warned. Sarah kept still, despite the slight burn, while he dabbed the cut on her lower lip. Her eyes were focused on his face, so when his hand came to rest on her side, it took her by surprise and she winced. Chuck's hand shot off her body and he took a step back.

"Lift up your shirt," he ordered quietly, but Sarah remained motionless.

"Chuck, it's okay. It's just a bruise." She knew she couldn't keep the extent of her injuries from him, they shared a bed and he was bound to notice, but she wasn't ready yet to explain what had happened. She was on an emotional overload and if she let herself be vulnerable now, she might just tell him what she'd really done.

Instead of asking again, Chuck stepped closer and unzipped her jacket. Sarah found herself unable to stop him. She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on keeping her breathing steady. She was not equipped to deal with this, with someone who cared about her this much. She felt her jacket part and Chuck sliding the tank top up her torso. His hand stilled and she didn't miss the expletive he voiced. "Sarah, what did he do to you?"

"He got in a couple of kicks and punches," she admitted reluctantly.

"I'm taking you to a hospital."

Sarah's eyes snapped open. "I'm fine, Chuck. There's really no need for that."

"You could have internal injuries," he protested. "Your ribs could be cracked, if not broken."

She placed a hand on his arm to calm him down. "It's not as bad as it looks, I promise." She reached for a cold pack from the medical kit and held it out to him. "This will help."

Chuck didn't look convinced, but as per her instructions, he cracked the back on his knee to activate it and held it to her side, careful to not apply too much pressure. "I know this is part of your job," he spoke without looking at her, "but I hate that you got hurt."

Sarah swallowed the lump that threatened to form in her throat as she combed her fingers through his curls. "I know."

Once done, he pulled her shirt down and put her hand over the pack to hold it in place. Then he tilted her head back again with a finger under her chin. "What about these?" His thumb stroked down the column of her neck where Mauser had tried to choke her.

"I have concealer in my locker. I'll cover it up before we go upstairs."

His hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Did he get you anywhere else?"

Sarah shook her head and sighed tiredly when he pressed his lips to her forehead. She snaked an arm around his waist to keep him close. "Thanks, Chuck."

"Speaking about Mauser," he pulled his head back to look at her, "what happened to him?"

Sarah's heart leaped into her throat. "I arrested him. Casey is taking him to a secure facility as we speak." It was the first response that had jumped to mind. Chuck's expression changed into a mix of fear and something she couldn't decipher. "Chuck, it's okay. He's gonna go to jail. He'll never bother you again."

It took him a few beats to respond. "Good," he said evenly, stepping out of Sarah's one-arm embrace. "So everyone's safe now." He glanced down at his watch. "Ellie's probably worried, so we better get back to the Buy More."

"Yeah," Sarah responded, grateful for the change in topic. "I'll just go fix this," she gestured to her neck as she slipped of the gurney, "and then we can go."

"Good," Chuck said again, a little too enthusiastically this time, causing her to pause and turn at the door. Something was wrong. She watched him as he started to clean up. With his back to her he discarded the used medical supplies, then restocked the first aid kit before returning it to where he'd found it earlier. Maybe she imagined it, Sarah decided. Putting it down to them having had a stressful and exhausting day, she left.

Sarah stared in the mirror for a long time. She had applied concealer to the angry red marks on her throat and was presentable to appear in public again, but her legs refused to move.

She had lied to Chuck.

If this had been just another mission and he was purely another asset, she could justify her actions in a hundred different ways, but now that she'd been compromised, she had no idea what consequences she'd have to face. Their worlds were so different, and she had no idea how Chuck would have reacted had she told him what really happened to Mauser. He hadn't judged her before when he found out about her childhood, but shooting another person in cold blood was a lot different than imagining her conning some random housewife out of money with a fake cookie order. Of course Chuck wasn't stupid. Subconsciously he had to have known that she'd done it before, but the idea was abstract, the mark had never been someone he'd met.

She kept telling herself that she was protecting him, but if she was completely honest, she was protecting herself too.

The Buy More was a flurry of activity. Members from the local P.D. were getting statements from some of the green shirts, while two EMTs were loading Lester on a stretcher. The cleanup crew had already removed Ned's car and the only evidence that remained was debris scattered along the main passage of the store. Big Mike, still in his Santa suit but minus the hat and fake beard, shared a donut with a uniformed officer who could be mistaken for his twin. Morgan sat on the Nerd Herd desk, his legs dangling listlessly and looking like someone killed his puppy.

Sarah finally spotted Devon and Ellie and grabbed Chuck's hand, tugging him along in their direction.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Devon was the first to extend season's greeting. Sarah returned the sentiment, steeling herself for the impact when he offered her a hug while Ellie had Chuck wrapped up in a sisterly embrace.

"It's not one we're gonna forget soon," Ellie quipped as she turned to Sarah. Her eyes fell on Sarah's wrist. "Oh, that looks fantastic on you."

"Thank you," Sarah replied shyly.

Ellie lifted Sarah's hand and they both watched as the light bounced off the charms. Ellie ran her thumb along the chain. "I'm so glad that it fit."

"Yeah, me too." Sarah's gaze lifted, seeking out Chuck's. When their eyes met, she purposefully pushed down the guilt she felt since their conversation at Castle and smiled at him. He was safe. That was all that mattered.

It was well past midnight when they made it back to the apartment. Devon and Ellie had gone straight to bed, leaving Chuck and Sarah alone in the living room. They worked quietly side by side, rearranging the gifts under the tree to fit in the ones Sarah had bought. Big Mike had been so grateful for an actual sale on Christmas Eve that he'd even forgone the fifteen percent price hike.

"All done," Chuck announced and straightened. He picked up his mug from the coffee table and downed the last of his drink before he motioned in the direction of the bathroom. "Do you mind if I go first? I'd really like to shower this day off of me."

"Sure," Sarah replied and he mumbled a 'thanks'. Once he'd disappeared down the hall, she sank onto the couch, her fingers wrapped around her own hot chocolate. The lights were turned down and she sat in the glow of the Christmas lights, taking in the decorations Ellie had put up. She tried to figure out if it looked the same as last year, but back then she hadn't paid much attention. She had been too busy yelling at Chuck for blowing the Lon Kirk mission, telling him that the kiss was a mistake. Sarah closed her eyes and blew out a breath. Apparently Christmas and lying went hand in hand for her.

Chuck was asleep by the time Sarah entered the bedroom. She was partly relieved and quietly crawled in next to him. She switched off the bedside lamp before lying down to face the ceiling. It had been weeks since she had time to reflect before falling asleep, but that was the last thing she was in the mood for. It felt like she'd done nothing but think since she had left the tree lot.

She turned onto her side to face Chuck. His brows were furrowed and every once in a while she spotted his eyelids fluttering. He was still suffering the aftermath of today, even in his sleep.

This was her fault, Sarah decided. She shouldn't have downplayed the hostage situation. Her background check on Ned should have been more thorough. If they had realized the extent of the threat sooner, the whole situation would have gone down so much differently. She would never have allowed Chuck to talk her into letting him stay. Or she and Casey could have taken down Ned in the break room. Then again, had that happened, they might not have found out about Mauser until it was too late. He would have kept sending agents until he was caught, or worse, got his hands on Chuck. Reluctant as she was to admit it, the mission had been a success.

Sarah resisted the urge to reach over and touch Chuck, not wanting to wake him. It seemed strange, staying on her side of the bed. She desperately wanted to cuddle up to him, lie in his arms and forget about Mauser and the fact that she'd executed him, but her conscious wouldn't let her. Instead, she pushed up onto her elbow.

"Chuck," she whispered and waited. He didn't respond. "Chuck, can you hear me?" Satisfied that he was sound asleep, she lay back down and folded her hands under her cheek. "I'm so sorry about everything that happened today." It felt weird talking to someone who wasn't even listening, but once the floodgate was open, she found it difficult to stop the flow of words.

"I shouldn't have…I did what I thought…the truth is I couldn't tell you because then I'd have to dissect my motives. If it wasn't all for the job…I never had to worry about anyone else before, about what I could lose. I didn't know it would scare me this much. I've got this big exposed Achilles heel and all I can think about is how to protect it." Her fingers found the pillowcase and she idly fiddled with one of its corners. "You don't deserve being lied to, I know that. It just seems like the harder I try not to screw this up, the more mistakes I make." She finally gave up on trying to keep her distance and shifted closer, laying her head on his shoulder. "Please don't give up on me, Chuck, not yet."

Next time on A Common Spy Problem:

Still shaken from her dream, Sarah crossed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't scare me like that."

"Come on, my cooking's not that bad."