Note: Ok, so here's a quick update since I was so deeply in the mood. I decided to write a mostly Chara chapter becuase I, well felt like it. Um, so the real Chapter 4 will be Chapter 5 because this one was getting too long anway. This actually is a pivotal chapter for the rest of the story and possibly the sequel i'm thinking about writing. So this is not a filler chapter. Thanks for all of the reviews, i love'm.

Chapter Four: Heat of the Moment

He's sitting down and enjoying a nice lunch with everyone who matters most to him.

His family.

His friends.

They are his loved ones.

For some reason, they are at a local park. Save for the seven of them, the place is desolate. It gives him weird vibes, like this one small detail is trying to tell him something. But he shakes the feeling off and sips his beer.

A warm playful hand lands on his shoulder and then he's kissed on the side of his cheek. He puts down his beer on the blanket laid out for them and focuses his gaze into her crystal blue eyes.

She smiles.

He smiles.

Everything is perfect.

In the clearing, his best friend is waving his arms erratically. Jumping up and down he realizes that he's too short to catch the Frisbee that is being purposefully thrown just over him. He's stuck in a game of monkey in the middle. But he still continues to try and catch it. Just to show them he can.

His brother-in-law easily grabs for the Frisbee and catches it. He gives the bearded man a sorry look but tosses it back to the other side of the clearing, where the larger man rips it out of the air. He grunts amused when the shorter man threatens to fight him and then quickly backs down as he takes a threatening step forward.

He watches the monkey in the middle continue and figures he should probably tell the two men to stop exploiting his best friend's flaw, but she manages to keep leaning into his ear and whisper things to him. Her words make him grow hot all over. He hurriedly scans the rest of the empty park in search of some confined space the two of them could hide.

There's more laughter coming from the playground. His eyes fall on the swing set where his father is leaning against a steel pole, talking animatedly with his daughter…his sister. She is sitting on a swing, pumping her legs nonchalantly as she increases her acceleration; every time she falls back she is launched further up into the open blue sky and it seems endless to her.

He is caught up in other peoples' happiness, not fully enjoying his own. All he can fully grasp is how beautiful the day is. It's by definition: perfect. Instead of seeking out a place for the two of them to 'hide,' he vouches to stay. He takes her by her petite hand and stares longingly in her deep eyes. Then he looks to her hand and hears the familiar jingle of his mother's bracelet. His heart feels lighter now. The bracelet shines brightly in the sunlight giving off a holy glow. He intertwines his hands with her and draws closer towards her. She closes the space between them and uses her free hand to play with his curly hair. They make one final eye contact. Brown sees blue. Then their lips catch and they kiss.

"I love you Chuck Bartowski," She murmurs into his ear. She links her arms around his neck in a loving embrace.

His head is buried into her hair, smelling her aroma and he feel lightheaded from it. He almost misses what she said.

"I love you too, Sarah Lisa—"

He feels that odd sensation again. This time he cannot ignore it. He gradually lifts his head from Sarah's hug and his eyes dart out passed the clearing. He loosens the embrace between them until they part; her eyes land on his, utterly confused. He stays absolutely silent and it passes off as cold to her. She watches him as he stares down something across the grass fields. He is frightened and rolls up to his feet, knocking down his bottle of beer. The alcohol leaks on the blanket and perfection is lost.

"What's wrong?" She asks him with concern etched on her face.

He still is staring off into the clearing; his face is vacant almost if he's flashing. He looks so far away. One of his hands stretches out and offers her up. Sarah becomes nervous but takes his hand and is hoisted up.

"We need to leave. Now."

"What are you talking about, Chuck?" She tries to get him to give her a straight answer, but he's too shaken up to respond to anything, "There's nothing here. Fulcrum, the Ten Rings…the CIA and NSA, even SHIELD…Chuck we are all alone, we're free. Can't you see that?" She is pleading now. "This is our normal life, our perfect sanctuary. Isn't it everything you hoped it would be?"

Her words echo throughout the park. They are convincing and snap Chuck from his stupor. He still sees the faint outline of the man in black, obscured from behind the trees that line the outskirts of the clearing. The man in black is twirling something in his hand. It glints in the sunlight even though he cannot be seen. It's sharp and deadly. Chuck grows cold and listless. This is not is personal haven. Someone has invaded it.

Chuck puts both of his hands on her shoulders and shakes her. "Sarah, we need to go! There's someone out there and—"

"—What the hell is Bartowski blabbering about now?"

"—Oh thank god! Casey, you'll listen to me: I just saw something that was straight out of a horror movie and I think it's a good idea if we—"

"Hey Chuck, what's going on?" Morgan walks up with Devon. He looks rather pleased with himself as he is holding the Frisbee like a trophy.

"Morgan, buddy, listen to me ok?" Chuck is ready to tell him about his dirty little secret but the man beyond the clearing has fled. His body tenses and he forgets that Morgan is waiting patiently for his explanation.

"Charles, did you see anyone suspicious out there?" Steven, his father interjects. He and Ellie approach the rest of the group. All eyes stare at Chuck anxiously. He has no clue what to say. He gulps.

Before he can utter anything of importance, a shadow envelops the sun and night falls early. Chuck's eyebrows furrow and he is at loss. This is has to be a nightmare, he tells himself. A very real and vivid nightmare.

"W-what just happened?" Ellie enters the conversation in a quite but scared tone.

"I-I don't know…" Chuck responds helplessly.

"Oh, you know what's going on, Agent Carmichael."

Chuck twists around and sees a shadowy figure, his face remains cloaked in the darkness. The man in black holds a large knife in one hand and twirls it in a menacing fashion. His voice reminds Chuck of his own in a way. It's distorted and dark, but there's a hint of amusement that lingers behind every syllable.

"Who the hell are you?" Casey snaps and draws his gun. Sarah quickly follows suit. Both are aimed at the main's chest. He does not look too worried however.

"I don't think it matters who I am, at least not to you…or Barbie over here," He snickers and his laugh is cold and emotionless, "I'm just here for the Intersect."

At once, everyone's eyes dart to Chuck. Even Ellie and Morgan who have no clue about his spy life glares at him. Chuck takes a hesitant step back.

"You can't have him," Sarah tells him harshly, "Now drop your weapon or we'll shoot you right where you stand."

The man in black stops playing with his knife, "Why, aren't you brave, Agent Walker. Defending your asset like that. Makes me kinda wish I can give a shit."

Casey has had enough of the bickering. He cocks his gun back and fires a whole round intended for the man. His gun clicks empty and he realizes that every bullet is a blank. He growls angrily.

Sarah sends him a discouraging look. She pulls the trigger on her gun but nothing happens. Her heart sinks and she visibly shudders. It is jammed.

"Tough luck you guys," He says but doesn't mean it at all, "That's too bad because I wanted to have a little fun first…"

He lets his last words linger in the now frigid air. Sarah and Casey exchange sorrowful looks. Chuck shakes where he is standing.

There is a flash, but it isn't one of the Intersect's flashes that Chuck hopes for. It's a flash of a sleek and deadly weapon. A ribbon of crimson red flies through the blackened sky and a body thumps to the ground. There is a scream, but Chuck has his eyes glued to the fallen body. He can't believe what just happened.

"One down," The man smirks and his knife is red, "five more to go before I have you, Chuckles."

Chuck falls to his knees and stares at a pair of surprised blue eyes. Sarah touches his shoulder and urges him up. She is in agent mode.

"Chuck, let's go."

"Casey…"

"I know, but we need you alive!"

She tugs on him and Chuck unwillingly complies. Then the chase begins.

The man in black makes no attempt to chase after them. He playfully pins down Morgan to a tree and then there's a second flash of the reddened blade. Chuck doesn't see this happen but he hears another moan.

"Chuck don't look back, just run." She commands him in a stern voice.

There's more slicing and dicing going on back at the clearing. Chuck can see from the corner of his eyes that Devon is trying to avenge Morgan's death, but is dealt with almost at once. Ellie screams loudly, but her father holds her back. The man in black grins and the last thing Chuck hears from his sister is her pleading for Chuck to come back and save her. His father is next and he goes down without much of a fight.

"And then there was one," The man jeers, "Miss Sarah Walker, you're next."

"God, Sarah, don't leave…please." Chuck begs, he doesn't know it but he's crying now.

"I won't, I promise…" She smiles and squeezes his hand.

A knife is thrown. She stops. He stops. Her eyes widened in surprise and blood trickles down her lip. She loses her balance and falls to the ground, the hilt of the knife sticks out of her back.

"Sarah!"

Chuck collapses on the grass field and sobs. His whole body shakes and he covers his face with both hands, he cannot look at her face. Anger wells up within him and he pounds the bloodstained grass with his balled up fists. Tears slide off his cheeks and drip to the floor. He buries his head in the field and wrecks with more uncontrolled sobbing.

"I-I couldn't save…anyone. Not one person!"

The man tilts his head and pulls his knife out of the CIA agent's back.

"Oh god…this is my entire fault! God dammit…"

The man in black walks to Chuck's side and kicks him roughly in the ribs. The wind is knocked out of him and he falls on his back, holding his stomach as he tries to catch his breath. Chuck closes his eyes and winces in pain.

"Fuck you," Chuck strains to say through half-lidded eyes.

The man lowers himself to one knee and points his red-tipped knife at Chuck threateningly.

"No, Chuck. This is all you buddy," He teases him.

Chuck opens his eyes and sees a deep pair of liquid brown eyes. They are much darker, but hauntingly familiar. The shadow that lingers between both men dissipates. Everything that shrouds the man in black sifts away and the park returns to its bright and happy day. Chuck feels sick to his stomach.

"No…" He moans defiantly and shakes his head.

"Oh yes…" The man nods.

Chuck tries to scramble away, but the man stops him. Now he can see who had murdered all of his loved ones so mercilessly. There is a teetering laugh and another flash of the knife and Chuck couldn't move. He locks gazes with his own killer and waits for death to overcome him.

All he can see is himself.

Chuck shot straight up into the air. He gasped for air and frantically searched the room around in. Everything was dark. The blinds were closed and the alarm that was set for 6:00 am went off, playing Asia's "Heat of the Moment."

He rubbed his eyes and as the chorus began to play, Chuck flashed. Without having any control over himself, he flipped the covers off of the bed and skillfully unsheathed one of Sarah's knives from her leg. He gripped it hard and swiftly flung it in the pitch black. He heard it make contact on the other side of the room and "Heat of the Moment" was immediately cut off.

The lights flickered on and Chuck stared horrified into nothingness. Sarah had used her stealthy spy prowess to slide off the bed and flip the light switch on. She stared at the knife which had murdered her alarm clock and then she looked at Chuck. She became instantly worried.

"I know I said I didn't like Asia, Chuck, but you didn't have to kill my new alarm clock." She tried to lighten up the mood. Then became crestfallen when her eyes strayed back to her destroyed clock, "It was brand new too…"

"Sorry Sarah," Chuck breathed out meekly.

"I was kidding, Chuck..." She shook her head, "Sort of." She saw a small smile creep up on Chuck's face and part of her worry faded away. She came back to the bed and sat down beside him on his side. He was shirtless and sweating. His chest heaved up and down and his breathing was erratic and ragged. Sarah pursed her lips together in a thin line. She then tentatively placed her hand on his glistening cheek. She saw his eyes begin to calm down and soon he was taking deep breaths instead of his short sporadic ones.

"Bad dream?" She asked him quietly.

He leaned into the palm of her hand and closed his eyes. He yawned.

"Bad dream," He agreed gruffly. His voice was hoarse from screaming.

She rubbed his sweat soaked face until he completely calmed down.

"It happens to the best of us, Chuck." She consoled him as best as she could.

"I know," He said softly, "I know…"

Then he opened one eye and muttered sheepishly, "What time is it?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, "Well before you rudely decided to break my one week old clock, the time was just after six." She sighed dramatically, "But now who really knows what time it is? Thanks a lot Bartowski."

Chuck snorted and wiped the acclimated beads of sweat from his forehead. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist and reeled her closer to him. Wagging his eyebrows suggestively he grinned.

"You're very welcome, Miss Walker," He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. In the back of his mind he shivered.

"Miss Walker, you're next."

"If you need anyone to break your housing devices, then look no more. I'm you're man."

"That's a very gracious offer, Chuck, but I'm going to decline, I'm afraid." She gently tapped the side of his face and kissed him back, "We need to get ready for the mission today anyway."

"Mission?" Chuck mused out loud. Then everything from the day before filtered through his brain like a flash, "Oh right, awesome." Then he watched as Sarah pushed off the bed and walked gracefully toward the bathroom. His eyes followed her backside lustfully as she was wearing her tight shorts and a thin and very much see through shirt. Never breaking her stride, Sarah peeled off her shirt and discarded it over her shoulder. Chuck watched this in awe.

"Aren't you going to come join me?" she invited him and then disappeared into the next room.

His eyes bulging out of his head, Chuck leapt out of the covers, almost tripping over himself as he desperately tried to shimmy off his boxers.

"I'm coming!" He yelled after her and hit the ground with an audible thud. "Damn, shorts, fuck just get off!"

He gave up momentarily but once he heard the shower go on full blast, he bounced back to his feet and sprinted for the bathroom. Sarah laughed when she saw Chuck slide on the slippery tiled surface and almost crash in a heap. His boxer shorts were still hanging askew on his waist and just by assessing the look on her face, Chuck felt his cheeks redden.

"Having technical difficulties?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh," He looked down, "Yeah…"

"I can fix that," She pressed up against him felt for his boxer shorts, but kept her eyes directly on Chuck. She winked and then effortlessly pulled them down. "Better?"

Chuck fidgeted nervously on the balls of his feet when Sarah eyed at his reaction. When he couldn't come up with a witty response, she trailed a hand from his embarrassed cheek and down, down, down. Chuck gulped and closed his eyes.

"So, uh, how about that shower?"

"We're getting there, Chuck." She promised and began to shirk off her own shorts, "Just trust me."

"I always trust you," He said truthfully.

"I know," She nodded and then slowly pushed him backwards until he could feel the light mist of the shower hit his back. "Now take a step back and try not to kill yourself."

"Yes, M'am." He mock saluted and did as he was told. The water was now crashing against his back like a waterfall. It drenched his hair making his curls stick to his forehead. Once he was fully inside, Sarah lifted one foot up and kicked away her shorts that were pooled at the bottom of her feet. She followed him inside letting her whole body get soaked by the hot water. Steam poured inside of the closed quarters of the shower stall and Sarah took advantage of it. She locked eyes with Chuck's and then without warning, she slammed him against the tiled wall.

"Shouldn't we be getting ready?" Chuck bit out weakly as he started to feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Chuck," She sighed exasperatedly, "We're on schedule, don't get so nervous. We won't be late and we have plenty of time."

"Is that due to you setting our alarm for six am?" He chuckled nervously.

"Nice inferring skills," She said dryly.

"Well," He brought his arms up and linked them around her bare back, "I have to be skillful if I'm going to be a super secret agent."

"Oh really?" Sarah closed the space between them even more, "What other skills do you have, Agent Carmichael?"

"I know a few."

"Why don't you show me?"

A sly grin appeared on his face and just for the remainder of the shower, Chuck let all his problems vanish into thin air. He'd let those issues resurface when the time is right. Now, well, he had something much more important going on.

"As you wish," He responded lovingly and then he captured her lips as the heat from the shower set both of their souls on fire.

Note: Ok, for real, tonight i'll be starting on the Chapter 5. I hope I just did Chara justice.