A/N: Finally an update! It seems like a miracle to me too. Finals are finally over so I will have plenty of time to get chapters out. There's still a lot of story to tell so sit tight. Thanks everyone for your patience and reviews.

This time what I want is you
There is no one else who can take your place
This time you burn me with your eyes
You see past all the lies
You take it all away

Sarah Walker's head felt like it was in a vice. Her temple was throbbing and she couldn't form a coherent thought. She tried to open her eyes, but they were too heavy and she gave up. What happened? Where was she? The last thing she remembered was looking at a set of blueprints on Anders' desk. She and Chuck had infiltrated Fulcrum to try and gather new intel.

"Chuck!" she sat up abruptly and her head screamed. For a moment Sarah thought she would pass out, but she fought against the haze and opened her eyes. It was pitch black and she was leaning against a cool cement wall. "Chuck?!" she called again and got no response. Fighting the rising panic, she took a deep breath and tried to stand but her body wouldn't comply. Instead she half crawled half dragged herself across the floor looking for him. A few minutes later her hand connected with his shoe. Pulling herself into a sitting position, she placed a shaking hand on his neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she found his pulse.

"Chuck you need to wake up," she said softly stroking his hair. He groaned and started to stir, but it was so dark she couldn't tell if he had opened his eyes.

"My head hurts."

"I'm pretty sure we were drugged." She was still stroking his hair and thought that it was probably the most contact they had since they'd been back. "You'll be foggy for a little while."

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Sarah was able to make out the outline of Chuck's body, but that was all. There were no windows or light source that she could see. "I don't know where we are."

"They caught us."

"All I remember is looking up from Anders' desk and seeing a bunch of agents. Then I woke up here."

"I think they shot you with the tranq first. You tried to fight them off, but it didn't work. You were bleeding . . ."

Sarah ran a hand over her face to check for blood and sure enough there was a trail of it starting at her hairline. She got a flash of getting punched and falling. She must have hit her head on the desk or something.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I think so. I don't think I put of much of a fight."

"It's probably better that way."

He tried to sit up and she helped him lean against the cool cement wall. Once he was settled she got to her feet and followed the cement wall until she was back by Chuck. The room was no bigger than the freezer at the Wienerlicious. There was a metal door with no handle and a light switch that she was pretty sure didn't turn anything on anymore. She had to find a way to get them out of here.

I've seen it all
And it's never enough
It keeps leaving me needing you

"Chuck you need to wake up."

He thought he was dreaming. He could hear Sarah's voice through the haze and he focused on it to help pull him back to reality, but when he opened his eyes all he saw was darkness. The only thing telling him this was real was her hand stroking his hair. It was something the old Sarah would do and he was pretty sure this Sarah was doing it unconsciously. Maybe they both weren't too far gone yet.

"My head hurts."

"I'm pretty sure we were drugged."

He tried to remember what had happened, but everything was coming back in bits and pieces. The random images in his head told him he had flashed, but he couldn't focus on them long enough to make any sense of them. Sarah had helped him sit up and by her footfalls she was moving in circles around the small room. The two most prominent images in his head were a list of names and an unfinished schematic for . . . he wasn't exactly sure what it was. Maybe once the drugs wore off he'd be able to recall more.

Sarah had stopped walking, but he wasn't sure where she was. He wished it wasn't so dark, he could barely see the hand in front of his face. It was eerily quiet and for the first time in a long time the quiet was unnerving to him. "You think there's a light switch in here?"

"There is, but it doesn't work. There's no handle on the door either. I'd say it's a good few feet of sold metal."

"I guess they really don't want us getting out of here." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. What a stupid thing to say. He blamed the drugs. Of course they didn't want them getting out of here.

To her credit Sarah chuckled. It was soft, but it was a real chuckle. He had missed that sound. "I guess not."

She walked over and sat down a few feet beside him. Too far away for his tastes. Chuck thought it was funny that even after all this time and with the very real possibility that they were going to die soon, all he could think about was being close to Sarah Walker.

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet," she sighed. "I don't think there's a way out of here. We're locked in pretty good. The best shot we have of getting out of here is surprising them when they come to get us. If they come to get us."

"You don't think they're coming back for us?"

"The room is airtight. We have prison cells in every Fulcrum base and throw all our prisoners in there, even the traitors. I think they're just going to leave us or else they would have put us in one of those cells."

Chuck noticed how she said "we" and "our". Did she really consider herself a part of Fulcrum or was it just a habit from being undercover for so long? Either way, he didn't like her referring to herself as part of them. She was too good for that.

"So what you're saying is there's a good chance we're going to die from oxygen deprivation?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"I don't know for sure, but we've got awhile."

"Well, if I'm going to die with someone I'm glad it's you."

He could feel her eyes on him and knew she was surprised. If they were going to die then he was going to start being honest with himself and with her. He was done pretending so much had changed between them. A lot of things were different, but his feelings were still the same. He had to find out if hers were too.

Take me away
Take me away
I've got nothin' left to say,
Just take me away

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"It's been five years."

"Do you really think that matters?"

Sarah thought about it. She still loved Chuck, even through the changes and confusion, she was sure of that. Would she ever be able to admit it to him? Probably not. That didn't mean it wasn't true and she had to at least be honest with herself.

"Sometimes I wonder. I've changed so much in the past five years. I barely recognize myself anymore."

"Whose fault is that?"

Her head snapped to his direction, but he was backtracking before the anger in her even got a chance to rise.

"That came out harsher than I intended. What I mean is . . . ," he trailed off and she knew how difficult it must be for him after not having to express himself for so long. It's not like they were talking about anything easy, either. Their lives had become more confusing than an episode of Lost.

"I made a promise to you," he said a few moments later. "That I wouldn't change and let this all affect me, but I did and I'm sorry for breaking that promise. I spent a long time being mad at you and blaming you before I realized that everything was my fault and I just didn't want to admit that. And I'm sorry for that too. I'm sorry I forced you to become someone you don't want to be."

"I don't blame you Chuck."

"You should."

The matter-of-fact tone in his voice saddened her. He was blaming himself for all of this. She of all people knew there was plenty of blame to go around. She could have stopped this five years ago. If she told him it wasn't worth what they'd have to give up and would find another way then they would have, but she was scared. Scared of what she felt and that if they didn't stop it then she'd lose him. She'd rather lose him by choice then lose him some other way. That way just seemed easier. How wrong she had been.

"I'm this way because I chose to be. I got too deep in pretending to be badass Sarah Walker and forgot that underneath it all I was still me."

"Were you ever mad at me?"

"No."

"Why?"

She didn't answer his question. They were being honest, but she wasn't going to be that honest. If she wasn't so much of a coward she'd be able to tell him it was because she loved him. He didn't push her and she sparked the conversation up again when the silence got to be more than she could handle.

"What made you mad at me?"

I try to make my way to you,
But still I feel so lost
I don't know what else I can do

"The guilt mostly, but as time went on I realized it was something else."

"Are you going to tell me or will I have to guess?"

"It was that night," he didn't clarify because they both knew exactly what he was talking about. "I was mad that you waited so long to show your feelings and that you did just when we had to leave each other. I always wondered if that was real or if you only slept with me because you knew we wouldn't have to see each other for so long."

He tried to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice, but he couldn't help it. The more he looked back on that night, the more he believed she only did it because she wouldn't really have to face the ramifications of her actions.

"Chuck," she whispered. "It wasn't about never seeing you again or not having to face you. It was about you and me."

He could tell she wanted to say more, but she stayed silent. That was okay though, he got his answer and was elated. At least something had been real. They sat in silence for a long time after that. Chuck tried to put the pieces of his flash together, but he still couldn't figure it out. Not that it really mattered now. They had failed and now they were going to die, along with a lot of other people. He wondered if Bryce was trying to save them or if there was any hope at all for them getting out alive. Doubtful. Sarah hadn't made a sound in a long time and he wondered if she was asleep. Just then, she inched closer until she was curled into him.

"I'm cold," was all she said. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. She was right, though. The t-shirt he wore did little to keep the chill from the concrete away from him. A moment later she rested her head on his shoulder and he felt like the past five years had been instantly erased.

"I'm sorry for acting cold toward you when we first got back. I didn't know how to react to you."

"Me too."

"Are you getting warmer?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"You know, there are other ways for us to keep warm," he said raising his eyebrows even though he knew she couldn't see them.

She slapped him playfully on the stomach and laughed.

"I couldn't resist," he said joining in her laughter.

"I missed you, Chuck."

"I missed you too, Sarah."


Cause I've seen it all
And it's was never enough
It keeps leaving me needing you

Sarah was sure they had been talking for hours. He told her about all the places he had lived and the ones that he wanted to take her back to, well if they had the chance. She told him about her adventures with Fulcrum and even about the stuff she'd rather have him not know about. During those times, the things that were hard for her to talk about, he would hold her closer and kiss her forehead.

"How much longer do you think we have?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem like we've lost that much oxygen."

"At least that gives us more time together."

She nodded against his chest and fought back the urge to cry. She wished above everything that they had gotten the chance to be a real couple. It wasn't fair. Without thinking, she lifted her head and met his lips. She was done pretending. He kissed her back with the same passion and she melted into him. After awhile she forced herself to break away.

"I can't do this. We're not going to do this," she said standing up.

"We're going to die and you still won't let yourself be with me?" he asked frustrated.

"No, not that," she said crouching down taking his hand. "I'm not going to let us sit here and do nothing. We're going to get our chance at a real life. We just got to get out of here first."

"How? You said there was no way out."

Sarah thought for a moment. There had to be some way out. It doesn't seem like we've lost that much oxygen. Maybe because they hadn't. "Chuck, stand up and let me get on your shoulders."

"What?" he asked, but complied anyway.

"We haven't lost any oxygen because there's a source coming from somewhere," she explained while climbing on his back. "There must be an old vent in here somewhere. Probably on the ceiling."

They had come up with a system and were checking inch by inch for some type of vent. They stopped a few times to give Chuck a rest, but only for a few minutes.

"Here it is!" Sarah tore off the cover and tried to reach inside. "Can you jump or something?"

"I don't think that's possible."

"Just a little one. I can't quite reach."

He complied and she was able to find an edge to lift herself through the small hole. Chuck cheered and she positioned herself so she could try to pull him up after her.

"Can you reach my hand?"

"I don't think so. Let me get a running start and see."

Sarah felt the rush of air as his fingers sought hers, but he was too far away and the vent was too high. He tried a few more times, but they both knew it wasn't going to work.

"You go," he said without hesitation. "See if you can unlock the door from the outside or find some rope or something."

"I'll be right back."

"Be careful."

Take me away
Take me away
I've got nothin' left to say
Just take me away

Sarah snaked her way through the vents until she found another opening. It was above someone's office. The room was dark so she figured it was safe. She jumped down quietly and looked around for a weapon, but the room was empty save for a few empty boxes and some strewn papers. She put her ear to the door, but didn't hear anything so she opened it quietly. The hallway was empty and she followed it until it ended. There was a security door. She punched in the code and sighed with relief when it clicked open. At least her security codes still worked. It was odd that no one was around. This had been too easy. Sarah rounded the corner that would lead to Chuck and her heart sank immediately. Lining the hallway was enough C4 to blow the whole block. She checked the timers. Five minutes. All she had was five minutes to get Chuck out of there. She tried to disarm the detonators, but each bundle had its own and she didn't have enough time to disarm them all.

She ran to the big metal door and looked around for a handle. There was another keypad, just like the security door, but this one had been blown out. The wires were scorched and frayed. What was she supposed to do?

Desperately, she summoned all her strength to slide it open, but it didn't budge. She tried again. Nothing. Damn it.

"Chuck!" she screamed banging on the door. "Chuck!"

Don't give up on me yet
Don't forget who I am
I know I'm not there yet
But don't let
Me stay here alone

"Chuck!"

He was at the door in an instant. Sarah's yell was muffled, but he had heard her.

"Sarah!" he called back banging on his side of the door for emphasis.

"There's a bomb! I need you to help me try and open the door. We don't have much time. Can you hear me?"

"Yes. Open the door. Gotcha."

"On three slide it to your right. One. Two. Three!"

The door didn't budge. "Again!" she yelled. Nothing happened.

"How much time do we have?"

"Two and a half minutes," she called back. "We can do this!"

She was banging on the door now. He figured she was trying to loosen it's internal lock or something. It was an act of desperation. He knew he wasn't getting out of here.

"Sarah! You should go!"

"NO! Chuck, don't you give up. Keep pushing."

"WALKER!" he heard through the door. It was a familiar voice, one he would have been relieved to hear under different circumstances, but it just meant that another person close to him was in danger. There was shouting on the other side of the door. They were arguing.

"Casey! Chuck's trapped in there. Help me get this door open."

He heard them try and push and he tried from his end, but it was still no use.

"Walker, we have to go."

"I'm not leaving him!" she said banging on the door. "I'm not leaving you!"

She was crying now and it broke his heart.

"Sarah, GO! It's alright. I'll be alright."

"NO! Chuck! CHUCK!"

Her voice was fading. Casey must be dragging her out.

"I'll be alright," he repeated, but he was the only one who heard it.

I've seen it all and it's never enough
It keeps leaving me needing you
I've seen enough and it's never enough
It keeps leaving me needing you

"CHUCK!"

Casey had dragged her clear out of the building, but she was still screaming his name. She was able to escape Casey's grasp and ran back toward the building, but he caught up with her and pulled her back. "Let go of me you son of a bitch!"

She turned back around just in time to see the bomb explode. The building went up in a blaze and smoke billowed everywhere. All Sarah could do was stare at the flames.