A/N: Well here is the next chapter and we get to see how Chuck coped with Sarah leaving. I hope you all enjoy the direction this story is going because I'm really enjoying writing it. Again, I don't own Chuck.
Chuck's alarm went off at 6:30 am like it did every morning. After turning off the alarm, Chuck laid there for a bit and thought about what he had planned for the day. To be honest every day was pretty much like the last. Chuck had a routine that he pretty much kept to day after day. It had been two and a half years since Sarah had left and Chuck had decided to make a change in his life shortly after she left. He didn't want to fall into the same rut he had been in when the whole thing with Jill and Bryce had happened in college. Chuck decided that he could sit and mope in his own sorrow or he could take a stand and move on.
Chuck was mad as hell when Sarah left. He was really upset that she never even stopped by to at least say goodbye. His anger only intensified when he found out that she had left and was working with Bryce. Casey had slipped up during one of their conversations and had mentioned that Sarah and Bryce had been the source of information on Fulcrum that he and Chuck would need on their next mission. When Casey realized his slip up, he sat Chuck down and explained the best way he could about why Sarah had left and the fact that Sarah didn't leave to be with Bryce romantically. Casey really didn't want to go in depth with the lady feelings but he needed Chuck to be focused. Casey explained to him that agents had to do unsavory things and make sacrifices that the average person would never know about or understand and that Sarah had always been scared to death that Chuck would find out all of her darkest secrets from past missions that were all done for the greater good. She thought that if you knew her past, you would never look at her the same again. "Chuck, Sarah could live with the fact that she left you. It would probably break her heart but she could never live with the thought of you looking at her with the look of disgust if she had stayed and you found out about her past."
Chuck really did understand what Casey had told him that day and he knew that he couldn't stay mad at Sarah. He knew that agents did things to keep america safe and that they may not like the assignment they were on but failure could mean that innocent people could die. He tried to put himself in the same situation that Sarah was in and couldn't decide if he would have made the same decision or not. He hoped that it would never come to that.
Chuck needed something to occupy his time so he made a list of projects that he wanted to start and right at the top of that list was, getting in shape. He new that getting in shape would make him feel better about himself and also it would be a benefit on missions.
The first thing Chuck did was talk to the only expert on the subject of exercising that he knew, Captain Awesome. Devon sat down and told Chuck that the first thing he needed to do was build up his cardio endurance before he attempted anything else. To say Chuck was not happy was an understatement. He hated running, in fact the only times Chuck ran was when someone was threatening his life or when he would first wake up in the morning and run to the bathroom before he pissed his pants. Devon had told him that he would run with him and that way he would have some company and some one to encourage him when the run became difficult.
Chuck found out one thing about himself that he never in a million years would have expected. He really started to enjoy running and he and Devon started to challenge each other everyday to see who could out do the other. Devon had to admit that Chuck had progressed far beyond any expectation that he had at the beginning of the training regimen. Devon could clearly see that Chuck's body was changing after they had been running for a couple of months and told Chuck that he may want to invest some time weight training. He told Chuck that with his height, he could easily add a couple of pounds to his body mass and it would help fill out his tall lanky frame.
Chuck was quite leery about joining a gym. He was a nerd and during most of his life it was people like these here in the gym that picked on people like him, but he was determined to take the next step in the physical fitness project. When he walked into the building he noticed a large counter that had several people talking back and forth to each other. As he approached the counter a small blond woman looked up at him and smiled. "Welcome to our facility, is there anything I can help you with?" Chuck looked around and then back to the small blond woman, " I was really hoping to join the gym." She smiled at him and said "Well I guess you came to the right place, my name is Tina and I can get you signed up and get you working out within the hour." Chuck took a deep breath and told her that his name was Chuck and he was ready to get started.
Tina had asked if Chuck wanted a personal trainer or whether he wanted to go at it on his own. Devon had told Chuck that he would really advise opting for the personal trainer so Chuck told her he would prefer the trainer. As Chuck stood there he noticed a very large man come from a back room and couldn't stop staring at the size of of this human being. While staring, he never noticed that the man had walked right up to Chuck and stood right in front of him. Chuck was startled when the man spoke to him. "You must be Chuck, my name is Brian and I understand you would like someone to show you the ropes in the gym." Chuck was in awe, this guy made Casey look small and all he could think of was I'm going to die. "Hi I'm Chuck, Chuck Bartowski and I'm really starting to rethink my decision about putting myself through all this pain that is sure to come." Brian looked Chuck over and said "We will start off pretty slow and we'll only add more weight when your ready, how's that sound?" Chuck thought for a minute and responded to Brian, "Let the torture begin."
Brian had worked at the gym for many years and had seen hundreds of guys like Chuck who had visions of coming into the gym one day and walking out the next looking like a greek god. Unfortunately, ninety percent of those guys never lasted more then a month or two. Then there was the weekend warrior, who would drink and party every weekend and then be in first thing Monday morning to work off al the calories that they had consumed over the weekend. Usually by Wednesday, they were no where to be found. Brian didn't have high hopes for Chuck. but he would do his job and maybe, just maybe, Chuck would fall in that ten percent and continue to work out.
Chuck woke the next morning after his first day in the gym and the first thought that came to mind was "Holy Mother of God and all that is sacred" what the in the hell is wrong. Pain, lots and lots of pain. There must be something wrong, there is no way I should be hurting this much from what little I did at the gym. Hell, Brian had me using the woman's weights and even some of them were a struggle with. It took ever ounce of willpower Chuck had to swing his legs over the edge and work his way to the bathroom. The hot water started working and after several tries, he was able to raise his arms up enough to wash his hair. He thanked God that he didn't have to use the toilet that morning because one, the inventor of the toilet seat had never done squats and two, he wasn't to sure he would be able to wipe himself if he had to. Devon told that he would need to take a couple of days to let his muscle recuperate and then he would be good to go.
Brian wasn't surprised when he didn't see Chuck in the gym for the next couple of days but was very surprised on the fourth day when Chuck strolled through the doors to start his training. Brian would never doubt Chuck again from that day forward. Chuck would run every morning with Devon and then he would head to the gym either before or after work. Brian kept training with Chuck even after he was quite familiar with all the exercises that he had been shown when he first started. Brian and Chuck worked out for the next year and Brian was amazed at the size gains Chuck was making. Chuck had easily put on twenty to thirty pounds of muscle and combined with the cardio work he was doing with Devon left him with very little body fat which showed definition very well. Brian had suggested that Chuck should start tanning so his muscles would really show the definition and cuts that were displayed on Chuck's physique.
Chuck was really happy with the progress he had made over the past year and figured that there was one more thing he wanted to accomplish. He went over to Casey's and knocked on the door. When Casey answered the door he looked at Chuck and had to admit, he was impressed with the progress Chuck had made in his physique and along with the cardio he figured that Chuck was in the best shape of his life. Chuck looked Casey straight in the eye and said "I want you to train me Casey." Chuck went on and told Casey that he wanted to learn hand to hand combat, shooting, knives and anything else that Casey felt was necessary. Casey agreed and told Chuck that if they were going to do this that he wanted a hundred and ten percent from Chuck and nothing less. Chuck said that he wouldn't have it any other way. Casey told Chuck to meet him at Castle after work and they would start the training.
Casey started Chuck off with basic hand to hand maneuvers and was pleasantly surprised that Chuck never whined or complained no matter how many times he picked his ass off the floor. Chuck surprised Casey with the strength that he now had from working out and had caught Casey by surprise more and more as the training progressed. Casey continued to train Chuck in everything he could think that a full fledged agent would need to know. Chuck began to become more comfortable with the weapons training and really started to enjoy the sparring matches against Casey. As time went on Casey noticed that Chuck was getting even bigger and he found it harder and harder to beat him in their hand to hand combat training. Chuck had even become a very good shot with the weapons training and even excelled with the knives. Casey knew that Chuck would never be totally comfortable with using a weapon on another person but at least he would have the knowledge and ability if needed.
Chuck was pleased with his current physical state and had to admit that it had been a positive aspect when he and Casey went on missions. General Beckman was so pleased with his progress that she had made him a full agent with all the pay and benefits. One benefit Chuck was not prepared for was all the attention that he garnered from woman on a day to day basis. Some woman were quite forward and he would constantly get woman handing him their numbers or actually writing their numbers on what ever body part they could get to. Chuck would never be comfortable with this attention but as far as the Nerd Herders were concerned, he was a God. The one thing Chuck had to admit was he no longer had to stay in the car when him and Casey went on missions. Between the cardio/weight training and the training he received from Casey, Chuck had a lot more confidence in his physical abilities and mental toughness then he had at any previous time in his life. He still hoped that he would never have to kill another human being but knowing that he had the ability to keep himself and his friends and family safe at least gave him piece of mind.