A/N: Well, here we are. I visited LLC last night, and he was aching to get out and have fun again. For those of you who haven't checked out our new story, "Chuck vs. the TV Show", you might want to give that a go. LLC told me to wait until it hadf twenty reviews to update it...I told him he hit his head against the dashboard a little too hard. ;) He LOVES reading all your kind and loving comments, and he wanted to let you all know he is feeling better, though it looks like he'll need surgery. He should be back within weeks. To keep busy, he edits and beta's my stories like always...what a trooper.

We both wanted to thank you for the awesome amount of feedback and reviews this story gets. As long as we get to hear your side, updates will be frequent. Sorry to bombard you with crap, here's the chapter:

Chapter Four: The Test

Sarah was silently surveying Chuck as he drove his Lotus calmly, smoothly weaving in and out of lanes.

"I'll laugh when they pull you over." she commented with a smile.

"Oh, come on..." Chuck grinned. "Don't act like you havent flashed them your badge every now and then...or flashed something else, in your case." he quipped, earning him a solid punch on the arm.

Sarah rose a brow. "I'm an agent, not a prostitute." there was an amused smile following her statement.

Chuck smiled. "Just teasing." he maneuvered into a small parking space, leaving the keys in the ignition as his door was opened for him, then Sarah's.

Sarah realized she'd been too caught up with staring at Chuck that she'd forgotten their destination in general. "You live at the Westbrook hotel?" she queried.

"Uhm, no." Chuck replied evenly. "I'm not bringing you home just yet."

Sarah, for some odd reason, felt a slight pang in her heart. He didn't trust her? Then she remembered that she was sent to drug and kidnap him in the first place. It made sense. "I won't kill them, Chuck." she replied sarcastically, more as defense mechanism than anything else.

"Not here you won't." he showed her his logic with a grin. "Call it a...test, if you will." he approached the front desk, leaving Sarah to ponder their situation as she watched Chuck speak with the young lady. Sarah squinted, narrowing her eyes at the lady. She was pretty...and brunette. Sarah rolled her eyes. She didn't like brunettes...particularly ones that flirted so openly like that!

Rising, she marched over to take position beside Chuck, who was watching her with a curious look.

Bending over quite generously, in Sarah's opinion, the lady rose again with two key cards. "Two suites?" she asked with a small smirk at Chuck.

"Oh, he meant one, didn't you sweetheart?" Sarah smiled up, batting her eyelashes at him.

Chuck tried not to laugh, as shock hit his expression hard. He let out a cough. "Uh...yeah, yeah, what was I thinking?"

The woman behind the desk immediately recognized the challenge and backed down, averting her gaze from Chuck. In the female language, she'd surrendered. Sarah smirked and accepted the single key card, with a resigned "Thank you".

It was only when she turned to the elevator that she realized she'd just stuck herself in a room with Charles Carmichael for maybe a week, with no apparent reason why. And of course, she was blushing. God dammit.

Chuck eyed her curiously as the elevator lifted them up past the first floor, slowly ascending.

"What?" she snapped, blushing uncontrollably as her mistake sunk in deeper and deeper.

"What?" Chuck replied with a smirk. "You okay there agent Walker? You seem a little nervous."

"Me? What are you talking about?" she tried, rather lamely.

"Oh, let's just drop this sarcastic facade." he smiled, walking out of the elevator as soon as it came to a smooth halt on the top floor.

Sarah was unsure where this was going.

"Since you seem so...interested, in me..." Chuck began with a smirk. He was enjoying watching her squirm.

"I am definitely-" Sarah's rejection was cut off by his warm voice.

"How about a date, Sarah Walker?"

Sarah froze, the words cutting through her calm demeanor. A date? Was he kidding?

"Tonight?" He added, though the smugness was gone, kindness and warmth seeming to replace it very quickly.

Sarah could not believe the words that poured out. "Yes, I would love to-" She caught herself before he could respond. "-wait, are you kidding me?"

Chuck rose a brow. "No jokes here, Sarah."

"We are technically supposed to be killing each other in some sort of crazed manhunt, and you want to ask me out on a dinner date?"

"It'll be a romantic dinner date." he corrected with a smile.

"Why are you doing this...is this your plan to drug me and bring me to Beckman?" She guessed, slightly in paranoia.

"Um, no actually, I think you're a beautiful, charming lady and I want to share a glass of wine with you." he replied, warmth in his tone.

How could she resist?

"I...uh...fine...thank you?" Once again, any other sounds were cut off by her loud, beating heart. This was some crappy, twisted love story.

"Great." Chuck smiled, opening the door to their room. "I promise you won't regret it."

The room was beautiful, on the top floor like Chuck had requested. It was a large sweet, with a beautiful view of the city. Of course, their was only a single bed, Sarah thought with slight annoyance. She'd requested it, after all.

"You really didn't sacrafice much...so this is where our taxpayer's money goes..." Sarah laughed.

"My government paycheck usually goes to better use."

"Like what?"

"My sister's wedding is coming up...If I had you...Beckman would ensure that I'd have a raise. I'd use that money to give her the dream wedding."

Sarah bit her lip, sighing. "Why...?" she finally asked.

"Huh?" Chuck replied, lost.

"Why didn't you just take me in when you had the chance? You clearly love your sister..."

Chuck smiled, watching her breathtaking blue eyes. "I ended up liking you a little bit more than I should have."

Sarah remained silent, glancing out at the view instead.

Chuck kicked off his shoes, taking a comfortable seat on the bed. Sarah's phone rang before she could do anything. "Ugh, not you again." she sighed in disgust.

"Ex boyfriend?" Chuck teased.

"Yes, actually." Sarah replied, not too proud of it.

Chuck rose a brow. "Agency guy? Maybe I know him."

"Bryce Larkin?" she tried, tossing her phone on the chair.

Chuck burst out laughing, and Sarah watched him with a icy glare. "Is that funny?"

"Im sorry, but hell yes." Chuck laughed, sitting up. "You went out with that sleezebag?"

"Like you haven't slept with every women in the agency?" She immediately regretted defending Bryce at all.

"No," Chuck replied calmly, and proudly. "I can say I've never gotten involved with anyone at work."

Sarah was impressed. Here was a perfectly handsome, fit, great guy, and he refused to use women like the others...he was a catch.

"Well, yes, I did make the sorry mistake of going out with him." She sighed, grabbing her phone and taking a seat beside him.

"And let me guess...he bothers you constantly with apologies, and calls, and the like."

"Mhmm, wow Chuck, are you sure you're not a therapist?"

Chuck ignored her cute quip, smiling. "Have you tried lying?"

"What?" Sarah seemed totally ignorant to what he was suggesting.

"Lying...telling him you've moved on so he'll get out of the picture?"

"He wouldn't believe it if I tried." She replied. "I could always kick his ass...but I don't want to see his damn face."

"Give me the phone." He grinned.

"What are you doing?" she asked wearily as he took the phone, hitting "call back".

"Helping you out..." he waited until Bryce answered, Sarah watching anxiously.

"Sarah, god dammit, finally, I-"

"-Hey Bryce." Chuck said in a smooth, knowing voice.

"Who the hell is this?" It was obvious; he was scared.

"My name is Agent Charles Carmichael."

"You're the Charles Carmichael? NSA?" Shock was evident in his tone.

Sarah bit her lip to keep from laughing at his faux suave voice.

"What are you doing to Sarah?" Bryce asked, unsure of what the hell was happening.

"Conisder this a warning, Larkin." he began. "If you EVER go near or bother Agent Walker again, you can conisder yourself dead."

Bryce knew Charles Carmichael didn't make empty threats. He'd read his stats, his mission reports...he was the best.

"Got it?" Chuck's voice was unintentionaly sharp, though it made Bryce jump.

"Yea...yes..." he was just about done with the conversation.

"Oh, and one more thing..." Sarah was curious as she watched Chuck with interest. "Apologize to Agent Walker...and mean it." he grinned as he handed the phone to Sarah who laughed silently as Bryce made his pathetic little apology and hung up.

Sarah glanced at her phone's screen, then at the man beside her, a beautiful smile on her lips. "Okay...maybe you do deserve a date."

Chuck smiled back. "Glad to know it. I'll have something planned in a little while...I'll be back in about an hour."

Sarah seemed unsure. "Chuck, you don't need to go through the trouble of-"

"-you just try not to run away. I'll manage the rest." he grinned and slipped his shoes back on, leaving.

-0-

"Sarah, you look beautiful." Chuck assured her for what might've been the seventh time that evening.

"You didn't exactly tell me where we were going, so I had to make do with this." She ended up buying some more clothes while Chuck was out. She'd decided on a simple, loose long sleeve shirt, with jeans to go with it. "I'm sorry."

"You've got absolutely nothing to be sorry for." Chuck replied with a smile as he took her hand. The action sent a jolt through the both of them like it always did. Sarah watched as he walked right past the elevator to the stairs.

"Chuck...?" Sarah asked, but he just shook his head with a smile, leading her on.

After a small flight of stairs, they arrived at a door. Pushing it open, a breeze swept past Sarah. She blinked, taking in the gorgeous view of Los Angeles at night. Chuck had managed to get a single, beautiful table with a candle, on the roof. It was a romantic set up, with flowers and a waiter ready for them. The roof was more like a garden than anything else.

"Chuck..." She gasped, watching as he pulled her chair out for her, then sat in his after she was comfortable.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Chuck took off his jacket, draping it over Sarah's shoulders. She thanked him silently. The moment felt very surreal.

The wine was poured, and the evening began. Sarah heard faint music, though from where, she had no idea.

"Chuck, this is so beautiful...how did you manage this?" she finally asked, watching him with a comfortable smile.

"I knew I had to do something big to impress the stunning Sarah Walker." he replied. "After all, you have been dating a few casanovas of your own."

Sarah was quick to set him straight. "They were nothing like you...they did absolutely nothing like this..."

Chuck smiled, raising his glass. "Well then, looks like it's mission accomplished."

Sarah clinked her glass against his, taking a sip.

She didn't know it, but if the mission was to make her fall head over heels for the chocolate eyed, debonair man before her...it was well on its way.

A/N: So, that's where we'll continue it next time. It does require some suspended belief on your part, sorry about that, but it's really a rom/com. Anyway, LLC says thanks a million for reading and reviewing, and next update should be the other story, Chuck vs the TV show. See you guys there, have a great week until next time!

-TGP and a delusional LLC